{ Ten - Phone Call to Celes - Action in Figaro } (Slightly Forwarddated)

[theleadingman.livejournal.com]

[After escorting Basch and Noah to Narshe and paying Penelo a visit in Lindblum, Balthier has one more order of business to attend to, this time without company. Ring ring, Celes!]

Comments

[theleadingman.livejournal.com]

More the latter, if anything -- I do have to fly, after all, so I'm afraid I'll be switching to water once this glass is through. It's difficult to get a good burn from wine, you realize. Have to drink it quickly if you wish to feel it go down.

[magitekrune.livejournal.com]

And here I was thinking you were going to try to get me hammered on the first outing. Guess that will have to wait.

[She ducks her head though and takes a dainty sip of her wine for contrast.]

[theleadingman.livejournal.com]

[He laughs again.] Somehow, I doubted you would appreciate such an endeavor. It would be rather uncouth of me, don't you agree?

[magitekrune.livejournal.com]

As if kidnapping wasn't uncouth enough.

[theleadingman.livejournal.com]

You must admit, I did it with some degree of class!

[magitekrune.livejournal.com]

[Troll in the dungeon.]

I think that's still up for debate.

[theleadingman.livejournal.com]

[Troooooll in the du-hu-hungeon!]

I believe I still might sway your opinion, pet.

[magitekrune.livejournal.com]

[Both of them are damn trolls. She shoots him a look.]

Not with that name, you won't.

[theleadingman.livejournal.com]

[He raises an eyebrow in challenge.]

Which would you prefer, then?

[magitekrune.livejournal.com]

[Her lips are twitching in amusement again.]

Friend. Or gods forbid you use my real name.

[theleadingman.livejournal.com]

[He sees that. A-HA, you like it!]

Well, that quite defeats the purpose of pet names, my dear!

[magitekrune.livejournal.com]

[She denies it forever.]

Exactly. Besides, aren't those better used for closer relationships? Not that I'm exactly the relationship expert here. [And why is she even talking about relationships anyway? This is just a possible budding friendship.]

[theleadingman.livejournal.com]

Nor I, but let us say that I am particularly liberal with them. [Lies. Only close female friends get pet names, like Penelo, though Refia has earned the privilege recently as well.]

Or perhaps you may consider it a symbol of my desire to befriend you rather more permanently.

[magitekrune.livejournal.com]

[Her eyebrows arch up this time.]

You're so set on that today. One would think you actually meant it.

[theleadingman.livejournal.com]

I very rarely say things I don't mean. If not sincere, I generally prefer to say nothing at all. Lesson the first, Celes.

[magitekrune.livejournal.com]

[Lip twitch still going on. But she does give him a little more grateful look since he did just use her name.]

Lesson learned.

[theleadingman.livejournal.com]

[And didn't it sound just lovely along with his accent? He rather thought so.]

Excellent. You're an incredibly apt pupil.

[magitekrune.livejournal.com]

How else would I have become a general at 18?

[theleadingman.livejournal.com]

An impressive feat, of course. [He smirks yet again.] I knew I had spotted a fellow prodigy when we first met.

[magitekrune.livejournal.com]

Oh? What's your claim to fame, sky pirate at age 12?

[theleadingman.livejournal.com]

[He laughs, a much fuller sound than those previous.]

Top of my class at the akadamy, top of the class in advanced placement, youngest employee of Draklor Laboratories, technological prodigy and employed by Draklor's aeronautics division at the age of fourteen, and, much to my chagrin, made Judge at sixteen.

[magitekrune.livejournal.com]

Impressive. [Even if she doesn't know what Draklor or Judges are.]

[theleadingman.livejournal.com]

Rather more than you know, I'm sure, though it was a life I didn't much care for, like you and your own empire. Piracy suits me far better.

[magitekrune.livejournal.com]

Like saving the world instead of destroying it suited me better.

[She tips her head back and swallows the rest of her wine at once. It's a fair amount of wine, to be sure.]

So, what's next on the agenda? Planning on kicking me out any time soon?

[theleadingman.livejournal.com]

Well, I thought I might tie you up, toss you into the back of the Strahl, do away with all this polite business and issue a letter of ransom to your friends in Figaro, but then I decided that might not be the best idea if I planned to keep my internal organs in fact.

The evening is yours. We stay as long as you wish to stay, depart when you wish to return home.