ЯOIЯЯAW | FYNNEUN

          laughter erupted from within him, sourcing from deep in his warm, alcohol-filled belly. it was as if nearly falling off the stage was a surprise to him – and it was, but only to drunk gippal. his arms wrapped around himself as he bent over in laughter, the tipsy feeling making the news that much funnier to him. “twice?! that’s one more than the last time! i’ll go for three next time, okay?”

“responsible? it’s thirsty thursday, doctor p. there’s no such thing as responsible on thirsty thursday!” the past couple weeks had culminated in a need for a karaoke night, an event the young man used for stress relief. he didn’t often show it, but if he ever asked to go to the karaoke bar, it was easy to figure out that gippal had been having a tough time. 

finally regaining his composure, gippal takes her hand. in this moment, it seemed the last few shots of vodka had begun to hit him. his vision wavered momentarily, and he skipped a step, nearly stumbling into his more sober companion. “oh shit. i haven’t… drank this much in so fucking long.” he stopped moving, giving paine’s arm a gentle pull to indicate he’d stopped moving, but he didn’t let go this time. 

somehow, no matter how intoxicated he was, he always knew that paine would lead him in the right direction. “wait… fryd fana fa dymgehk ypuid?”

     Her sigh is almost palpable, the amount of done she is with Gippal’s rambling fighting its way to the surface. As much as she would have loved to get as drunk as her friend did, the very real fear of waking up in a ditch somewhere kept her head on her shoulders. It was late, and everyone else was sleeping. She wasn’t going to wake them up to make sure they made it home okay. And honestly, the likelyhood that she was capable of asking anyone regardless was questionable at best.

     So she was responsible.

     She stopped with him, turning around to face him but not letting go. “No shit,” She almost laughed, despite the slight concern for his health. She really didn’t want to be the one ‘holding his hair back’ while he threw up for a few hours. 

head shakes, apology not quite accepted, but only because it was deemed unnecessary. “ don’t worry about it. you can talk about it any time– anything! you don’t have to bottle every thing up, you know? ” and clearly, she had…

not even Rikku knew? not even Yuna? he almost gulps. he’s no good with secrets, and everybody knows it.

but he’s so touched, honored that she let him in on something– something that almost no-one else knows– that he thinks he can handle this one. he really didn’t want to mess up a rare moment of respect from Paine… and yet, why did she even want to hide it at all?

“ I can keep it quiet, if you want. but just… don’t think you gotta hide stuff like that from us. it’s not like we’re gonna judge you. ”

and the conversation spirals back to him, nearly prompting a groan. couldn’t she just accept the limelight for a little while? distract him from his own problems? but her final statement surprises him; a jolt of alarm.

he never said why he was asking about Gippal. she wasn’t supposed to know. but of course… she had probably figured it out. she was good at that kind of thing; like an emotional sleuth. but how did she know… how he felt, too? was it that obvious? playing dumb– hoping he was wrong in his assumption that she saw right through him, his gaze returns to the bar. “ I don’t– know what you’re talking about… ” ( a bad, cheap fib. )

     “I...” She hesitates, gaze focused on the glass in her hand. What could she honestly say? She didn’t want anyone to treat her any differently for what had gone on in her past. And they all had their own issues... she wasn’t one to vent hers so much as the others. It just caused more worry, really. 

     She let out a soft laugh, realizing how little anyone really knew about her family situation, really, the complete lack of one. The original parents, the ones in between, the fake siblings and fleeting pets... In the end, none of them really mattered enough to deserve her time and effort to explain them all in the first place.

     “It’s just... a lot. All of it. But thanks.” She can feel the discomfort prickle her skin, sending goosebumps up her arms, and she’s grateful to be back on him. 

     The way he voices his response makes it easy to catch the lie, and she can feel the smirk lift her lip as the glass is pressed against it. He may try to be subtle, but it was easy to note the extra attention he gave Yuna. If Yuna hadn’t realized by now, she had to be in serious denial. It was one thing she didn’t always take Gip seriously, but she had reason enough to believe he wasn’t. Tidus, though... He didn’t seem the type to have or want a fleeting romance. 

     “You know exactly what I’m talking about,” She smiles, turning to look at him. 

( LINK. )

The Protector - INFJ

     In love, you strive to have the perfect relationship. You have an ideal clearly in your mind. For you, relationships are nearly a spiritual experience, a bonding of souls. You don't take anything lightly.      Overall, you have high expectations for any relationship you're in. You don't want to have or be anyone's second choice. However, you tend to hold back a part of yourself. You don't want to give your all until you're entirely sure. Best matches: ENTP and ENFP

          “…. okay, well. you can’t say i didn’t try i guess,” he was, in plain words, defeated. that was the simplest way he could explain his plans and he was entirely sure it would be fool-proof. but the results of his experiment came back and they came back negative. he sighed, jumbling the information in his head again, hoping a new way to convey his idea would eventually come to mind.

but that was wishful thinking – every draft of his proposal was deemed too complicated, but gippal had a feeling his ideas were just too advanced for the rest of his team to understand. oh well, he’ll get ‘em next time - or maybe he could just put it together and ask for forgiveness later. “anyway. all that thinking made me hungry. let’s get lunch? my treat.”

     “Did you explain it to Rikks, yet? Maybe she’ll get it. Better shot than me, at least.” She’s smirking, knowing Gippal’s excitement could get the best of him and he would jump to tell her something she would never understand. Most of the time, she could get the gist, but this... No way.

     Her expression perked up at the mention of free food, and she jumped out of her seat, ready. “No take-backs,” She responded, smiling. Her stomach could easily burn a hole in someone’s wallet.

   “ oh… ” his current problems, pain him as they did, began to pale in comparison to her confession. “ that’s… really harsh, Paine. I’m sorry…” he doesn’t know what to say, turning from his downcast view of the bar to look at her, full-eyed and surprised. he had only been asking out of politeness– and desperation to get his mind off the topic at hand…  he hadn’t truly expected such honesty. 

he guessed it was the drink sitting in front of her that did the trick. he didn’t like the stuff much, but he supposed… it had it’s advantages.     shock convalesced into outrage, his raised eyebrows furrowing. “ well, forget them! you don’t need ‘em anyway! ‘doesn’t sound like any kind of family t’me. you have us now. and we’re not goin’ anywhere. I promise you that. ”

     She realizes, with the weight of his own words, how heavy her own may have been. It wasn’t often she let her emotions slip in front of the others like that, and only did so because she had more alcohol in her than she realized. She would definitely blame Gip for that, later. “No, sorry. That was... a lot.” 

     But the sincerity of his words had her steadying herself, trying to gain control of the emotional knee-jerk response it instilled in her. Even if it was.... so very Tidus, it was clear they were nothing but the truth, and knowing how he cared for her in such a serious light, well, it wasn’t something she was used to. Gippal... he was an exception. It was hard for her to even consider others felt as close to her, knowing how much she kept closed off.

     “But... thanks.” It came out rough, strained, and she cleared her throat, working to fight the emotional response in her voice. “Gip’s... the only one who knows anything, so...” She tries to imply he keep quiet, though she wouldn’t be mad if he did run his mouth. Paine knew it was hard for the male to really keep secrets, and it’s not like it was one, really. Old habits were just a little rough to break when you spent most of your life building walls. 

          “ and, so… that’s how it works. you get it, right? it’s not too hard to understand when i explain it. right? i don’t know why no one else is following me… ”

@fynneun explaining his new invention to doctor p

   “ really…? what happened? ” chances are, she didn’t have the whole story– not if she didn’t even know the girl. but it couldn’t hurt to ask. he was just trying to understand… and accept that… maybe it was better this way. and that everything would work out fine. as long as she was happy. and Gippal, too…    though he tags along on their bar hops, he doesn’t even drink– but tonight, it’s a tempting habit. ( not tempting enough to surpass years of alcohol-related bad memories, but enough that his empty glass looked particular… empty. ) “ well, I guess that’s a good thing. so he’s not gettin’ into something he can’t handle… ” and he was definitely getting into something, over there. from the corner of his eye, he could see the two, Yuna and him, doing something– talking, laughing… were they dancing? he wasn’t keen to turn around and find out, actually. it was a convenient time to change the subject, rapidly & without warning–    “ – hey, what about you? you leave any high school sweethearts behind? ”

     Paine... wasn’t exactly sure. Even when they had broken up, Gippal hadn’t said much about the matter. “I think it ended on a good note, but he never told me.” In the least, he didn’t seem too broken up on the matter. She figured, as usual, it was best not to ask if he wasn’t acting negatively in regards to his ex.

     A new glass was placed in front of her and she picked it up, wondering why, but assuming Gippal. She looked over at him, keeping Yuna busy with something new every time she chanced a glance over. Part of her was rather protective of her newer friend... but another felt the same for him. The way he was with her was so different, like she really meant something. It was reminiscent of high school, and she was hard pressed on whether or not she wanted to interfere... If high school was any indicator, she was better off leaving them be.

     He was really serious about Yuna, too.

     Her gaze refocused on Tidus, surprise morphing her expression at the abrupt question. “I... left behind a boy I pretended to like to please people who didn’t care for me.” She takes a large swig of her drink, then, gaze shifting away from her friend. “My foster parents had certain viewpoints. Gay wasn’t one of them.” Extremely conservative Catholic, more like. Church, dresses, long hair. None of it had been her. She never had a chance to be herself with them. They had snuffed it out almost as quickly as the family before.

@fynneun

   “ so… you guys’ve been friends for a long time, right? ” he shifts his empty glass back and forth on the bar slab in front of them, obviously deep in thought about something. ( he’s referring to Gippal, of course. who else? ) “ you think he’s a good guy? I mean– I know he is, but… when it comes to girls? like– dating them… ? not just messing around? ” he frowns, then. “ can he even do that? ”

     She takes a sip from her glass, glancing back at Tidus. She has a feeling she knows where this is going. “Since high school.” She affirms, setting the glass back on the bar, now empty. She turns more to face him, to show him he has her full attention. “Well,” She starts, elbow on the bar, knuckles pressed into her cheek. “He was serious, once. Back in high school.” He brows furrow, just slightly. “Though I never met her.” She has always wondered why, but never pressed to ask him about her. It wasn’t like Paine to get in anyone’s business, and Gippal would have brought her up if he really wanted Paine to know.

          VIDEO PROOF? the shock of her reveal sobers him up for a few seconds – only enough to imagine what that juicy footage would look like. silly? terrible? but at least gippal could trust on himself to have been confident at it, no matter how bad. after all, confidence was attractive. maybe it would be enough to distract from the off pitch yodels. “whatever, man. at least… at least i looked good doin’ it… riiiight?” 

green, hazy eyes stare at up at his extended hand. he feels it’s weight suddenly grow heavier and heavier, until gippal feels like it’s about to fall down on him when paine does him the favor of carrying it for him. an overwhelming gratitude overcomes him, but at this point, he’s too drunk to actually say it out loud. instead, he follows behind her, head still hanging back, watching the dark sky up above.  “i thought you… you said you were gonna, uh –” he’s distracted for a few seconds by something he sees in the sky. “match me. you didn’t match me, and you said you were. b-but you didn’t! and that’s why you’re not on the gipster’s level.” 

“only one piece???” gippal continues to follow behind her, but in a similar fashion as earlier, he slips away from her grasp and runs ahead a few feet. he stumbles a few times, but never falls over. he does a 180 to face paine again, stumbling another time as he does, before leaning against a light post, with a pout on his face. “but two pieces are more fun! in fact, no pieces at all!” the silly, drunken thought makes him laugh. “ you know what i mean, right? ” 

     She rolls her eyes because no, he definitely did not. “Gip, you almost fell off the stage.” She sighs, pulling him along behind her, gaze fixed forward. 

     “Twice.”

     Now he’s complaining, and she’s sure if it were possible, her eyes would permanently roll into the back of her head. Drunk Gippal was somehow a bigger whiner than sober Gippal, something a lot of people probably wouldn’t have thought possible. But it was, and was one of the reasons Paine may have questioned their friendship from time to time. She enjoyed comfortable silence, while Gip.... Enjoyed the sound of his own voice. 

     “I was, you know. Until you started slamming shots and I knew one of us had to be responsible.” She considers the cigarette a consolation prize  –  for dealing with him, more than anything, and deciding to be responsible. She really had to stop doing that.

     He slips out of her grip and she attempts, briefly, to get his hand back, but gives up soon after. “Yes, one piece. You, specifically.” Her pace quickens to catch up with him, slightly annoyed with his inability to stay at her side. Once she’s in front of him again she holds out her hand, waiting for him to take it as he mumbles on about pieces and the lack of them and whatever it is he’s trying to get at.

          “ you can’t d-do that, doctor p! ” the words stumbled out of his mouth, each sound slurred into the next. the strong scent of hard liquor embraced each word, and his lack of ability to stand on his own two legs was too much of a giveaway of how much the young man had to drink tonight. “y-you know how much i love karaoke,” he pouted, shifting all his weight to the other’s shoulders, letting his legs go slightly limp as he jutted his bottom lip out in genuine sadness. “and that’s not… very nice –” hiccup! “ the l-ladies love it, alright?” he sounded as if he was trying to convince even himself, knowing that the statement was a lie –

but instead, he jumped out a few feet ahead of his companion, head tilted back, eyes to the sky, and a drunken hand reaching out above him. “ … … … i’m so drunk. ”

     “You’re lucky,” she mutters, confidence radiating from her much less inebriated self. “I have video proof. I’ll show you when you’re sober.”

     Because if anything, actual evidence of his cringe-worthy performance should be enough to satiate any desire to climb back up on stage and have another go at it. Especially with any other friend in tow. Paine wasn’t one to dig, but Yevon, if Baralai had ever seen that.... 

     Gippal would’ve been digging his grave.

     For a second, she thought of grabbing hold of him again as he separated himself from her, but decided against it - if he fell flat on his face and bruised a few things, he could be responsible for it on his own. “And I’m nearly not drunk enough to deal with your shit,” She responds, chuckling. She lights a cigarettes, takes a quick drag, and sighs. 

     She rolls her eyes and grabs his wrist out of the air, dragging him behind her as carefully as possible. She really didn’t want to be responsible for him getting hurt, she would never hear the end of it.

     “Listen, Gip,” She’s pretty sure more of his weight is on her than is being used to work his own feet across the pavement, but she’s used to it by now. “I think I’m gonna have to ban you from karaoke after tonight.” She can’t help the bit of a smirk that fights its way to the surface, almost cringing at the memory of his attempt at singing. Luckily, none of their other friends had been present to witness the atrocity.