[She's grinning so hard that she's trying desperately to tone it down and it's just.Not.Happening. So many other people would be absolutely frustrated with him, but Balthier might as well be fluent in Aerith's personal language.]
Hm... Honestly, I don't think anyone's ever called me memorable before. At least, not to me directly? I get this weird feeling that people talk about me, though. And that's okay. People can say whatever they want. It's not as if I can be anything but who I am.
[But from what she gathers, if people do talk about her, it's either very nice, or... people are talking about how annoying she is. Complimentary no matter how she looks at it.]
[It's really quite fortunate that they seem to understand one another so well— though they express themselves differently, it rather is like speaking two different dialects of the same language.]
Now that, I find truly surprising. You tend to leave quite an impression— for the better, mind you. If there are people who would dare to say such untoward things, they're incredibly rude. Good of you not to pay them any mind, but sometimes people like that ought to be taught a lesson.
Well, if anyone ever says something like that to my face, I'll tell you all about it. Right after I give them a piece of my mind.
[Because that's really the only lesson that Aerith can think of. Resorting to a staff, chairs, or other such things seem more appropriate for desperate times and desperate measures sorts of situations.]
But honestly? I don't think it'd be worth getting stirred up about. Pick your battles, right? I can't imagine you care too much about what other people think of you either, so I'm sure you get it.
I think I'd rather enjoy hearing you give someone a good dressing-down.
[He has no doubt that Aerith would make her thoughts very clear, if the situation called for it.]
We can each only do so much to shape our own reputations, I suppose, and there are plenty of battles that aren't worth engaging with— a lesson many people don't take the time to learn.
Oh. Well, then. I'll just invite you along before I get too into it.
[Doable, right?]
Exactly. We can't control everything and that's okay. I like leaving a little up to chance. I can weather anything that comes my way. But that's a hard thing to practise. I'm sure I didn't start out that way. Rarely people do.
What kind of kid were you, Balthier? I bet you were troublesome. A real handful!
[She's trying to picture a young Balthier refined and enamoured with stories about pirates and treasure hunting. Just the thought makes her want to laugh.]
Oh, that's true. Knowing the lay of the land and studying the history would definitely let you get closer to finding relics and artefacts. Or real treasure. Like... gold in treasure chests? I just realised I don't even know what kind of treasure you hunt after.
[It's definitely gold in treasure chests. He's a pirate, after all.]
[She wonders what he means by that, though it sounds like a very romantic idea. Does she have any treasures with personality? She didn't go steal it or anything, but she thinks of the white materia she wears hidden under her bow. The hairpiece was Somnus is kind of a treasure, too...
These might not count, though.]
I think I get it. Does that mean you have a lot of treasures with stories?
[She catches on quickly. Once again, he's not terribly surprised. She's proven herself to be sharp since day one.]
Monetary value isn't the only worth treasure can have. I like them to have a bit of flavor— to have meant something at one point or another. Typically, they're not the sorts of things people come to miss, either. Most ruins don't have feelings.
[Treasure can also be sentimentality. Some believe that money is what runs the world. Shinra is like that, too. When he speaks so plainly of it, so impassioned, Aerith can feel herself resonate with the idea.]
Soooo... If I can ask— [Which is a silly thing to start this with because she's going to ask anyway.] —what do you do with these treasures? Just holding onto them?
[She's hoping so, because if he's actually turning a profit with them, that's a little bit different. that belongs in a museum!]
[She's relieved. That's one less thing she needs to scold him for. Not... that she's had to do too much scolding of him just yet. Still, it's nice to hear he has some kind of reverence for the trinkets he obtains.]
It sounds like you do mercenary work in addition to your piracy. I've known... a lot of mercenaries, now that I'm thinking about it, so I'm familiar with how that works. Back home, I did similar things. Running errands for the locals, which did sometimes involve having to fight things off.
Oh, we do our best to avoid calling it that. Mercenaries are terribly dull and have no loyalties to anyone, not even to themselves. Many of them lacking in principles, you know.
[That's the way of things in Ivalice, at least, though he wouldn't doubt it's the same anywhere else. Still, his tone is light, amused; he's enjoying himself thoroughly.]
Pirates have a code, and sky pirates do everything with infinitely more style.
[Cloud. Zack. They are more military maybe, but to some degree, they can fit into a gun for hire category... Sword for hire. Something like that.
But maybe there's something between pirates and mercenaries that she just doesn't get.]
But I guess it's true that the ones I've known haven't been refined like you. Again, though, you're not what I expected when I heard pirate. You seem more like a prince most of the time.
I don't doubt there are all sorts. Not every pirate meets with my standards, either.
[But they are distinctly different peoples, he will maintain. A mercenary may be perfectly nice, but his mental image of them tends to be rather... well. No word he can come up with will be particularly kind.
She does manage to blindside him with that one, however.]
A prince? Ah, as we speak, there is a princess far from here who has suddenly found herself choking on her tea though she knows not why— and if she were here, would likely insist that I'm little more than a common scoundrel. Personally, I think I'm rather uncommon.
I guess that's true. One mercenary is not equivalent to all mercenary. And one pirate is not equivalent to all mercenaries...
[As he continues, makes mention of this princess, she can't help smiling. Balthier the uncommon scoundrel. She could see it, but she probably won't say that. Rather—]
Oh, you know a princess back home? I wonder what you did to make her think you were a scoundrel. You're always so nice to me...
Oh. Well. I guess if I ever need to be kidnapped, I know who to go to? But I'm not a princess. Hope that's okay.
[Aerith, that was not the point at all.]
Seriously, though. Can you really be the one that's a scoundrel if she wanted to be kidnapped? Can you even kidnap the willing? Isn't it just a date at that point?
I'd be willing to branch out beyond royalty, should circumstances demand.
[Is this tasteless to tease about?
It's probably fine.]
And she wasn't meant to leave the premises, so it was still kidnapping of a sort— and with four others along for the ride, 'date' hardly seems appropriate. It did up the bounty on my head a fair amount. I'm almost proud.
[That's a lot of information to take in at one time. But... She gets it. Kind of. Mostly. What he's really saying is that it's a situation that resulted in a reputation and he's... happy about it.
Troublesome.]
I'd call that a group date and I'm still not sure I can call it kidnapping. It sounds more like she just wanted an opportunity to be something more than a princess. I can get that. I'm sure if I was one, I'd feel the same way.
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[She's grinning so hard that she's trying desperately to tone it down and it's just. Not. Happening. So many other people would be absolutely frustrated with him, but Balthier might as well be fluent in Aerith's personal language.]
Hm... Honestly, I don't think anyone's ever called me memorable before. At least, not to me directly? I get this weird feeling that people talk about me, though. And that's okay. People can say whatever they want. It's not as if I can be anything but who I am.
[But from what she gathers, if people do talk about her, it's either very nice, or... people are talking about how annoying she is. Complimentary no matter how she looks at it.]
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Now that, I find truly surprising. You tend to leave quite an impression— for the better, mind you. If there are people who would dare to say such untoward things, they're incredibly rude. Good of you not to pay them any mind, but sometimes people like that ought to be taught a lesson.
[MANNERS. They matter!]
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[Because that's really the only lesson that Aerith can think of. Resorting to a staff, chairs, or other such things seem more appropriate for desperate times and desperate measures sorts of situations.]
But honestly? I don't think it'd be worth getting stirred up about. Pick your battles, right? I can't imagine you care too much about what other people think of you either, so I'm sure you get it.
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[He has no doubt that Aerith would make her thoughts very clear, if the situation called for it.]
We can each only do so much to shape our own reputations, I suppose, and there are plenty of battles that aren't worth engaging with— a lesson many people don't take the time to learn.
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[Doable, right?]
Exactly. We can't control everything and that's okay. I like leaving a little up to chance. I can weather anything that comes my way. But that's a hard thing to practise. I'm sure I didn't start out that way. Rarely people do.
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[It promises to be entertaining, certainly.]
It's an ability gained through experience. Very few people start out as who they become in any sense, really.
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[She's trying to picture a young Balthier refined and enamoured with stories about pirates and treasure hunting. Just the thought makes her want to laugh.]
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[He doesn't mind sharing that much— he takes a great deal of pride in how very clever he thinks himself to be.]
Top of every class, for good or ill.
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[That's not at all what she's expected and it's evident in how she responds.]
I can't picture that at all. What made you go from that into... [Well—No graceful way to finish this, so she might as well just get it out.] ...this?
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[Look. It may not be the reason why, but it has helped him to be particularly good at what he does.]
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[It's definitely gold in treasure chests. He's a pirate, after all.]
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[Of course, that's gotten him into trouble in the past. Looking at you, Dusk Shard.]
The best sorts of trophies have stories, you know.
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[She wonders what he means by that, though it sounds like a very romantic idea. Does she have any treasures with personality? She didn't go steal it or anything, but she thinks of the white materia she wears hidden under her bow. The hairpiece was Somnus is kind of a treasure, too...
These might not count, though.]
I think I get it. Does that mean you have a lot of treasures with stories?
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[She catches on quickly. Once again, he's not terribly surprised. She's proven herself to be sharp since day one.]
Monetary value isn't the only worth treasure can have. I like them to have a bit of flavor— to have meant something at one point or another. Typically, they're not the sorts of things people come to miss, either. Most ruins don't have feelings.
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[Treasure can also be sentimentality. Some believe that money is what runs the world. Shinra is like that, too. When he speaks so plainly of it, so impassioned, Aerith can feel herself resonate with the idea.]
Soooo... If I can ask— [Which is a silly thing to start this with because she's going to ask anyway.] —what do you do with these treasures? Just holding onto them?
[She's hoping so, because if he's actually turning a profit with them, that's a little bit different.
that belongs in a museum!]no subject
[He and Fran do quite well for themselves, really. It's why his head is worth so much.]
Shoot the right monsters for the right people, and the gil comes pouring in. Not all that different from here, when you think about it.
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It sounds like you do mercenary work in addition to your piracy. I've known... a lot of mercenaries, now that I'm thinking about it, so I'm familiar with how that works. Back home, I did similar things. Running errands for the locals, which did sometimes involve having to fight things off.
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[That's the way of things in Ivalice, at least, though he wouldn't doubt it's the same anywhere else. Still, his tone is light, amused; he's enjoying himself thoroughly.]
Pirates have a code, and sky pirates do everything with infinitely more style.
[It's about finesse.]
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[Cloud. Zack. They are more military maybe, but to some degree, they can fit into a gun for hire category... Sword for hire. Something like that.
But maybe there's something between pirates and mercenaries that she just doesn't get.]
But I guess it's true that the ones I've known haven't been refined like you. Again, though, you're not what I expected when I heard pirate. You seem more like a prince most of the time.
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[But they are distinctly different peoples, he will maintain. A mercenary may be perfectly nice, but his mental image of them tends to be rather... well. No word he can come up with will be particularly kind.
She does manage to blindside him with that one, however.]
A prince? Ah, as we speak, there is a princess far from here who has suddenly found herself choking on her tea though she knows not why— and if she were here, would likely insist that I'm little more than a common scoundrel. Personally, I think I'm rather uncommon.
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[As he continues, makes mention of this princess, she can't help smiling. Balthier the uncommon scoundrel. She could see it, but she probably won't say that. Rather—]
Oh, you know a princess back home? I wonder what you did to make her think you were a scoundrel. You're always so nice to me...
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[Oh-so-casual.]
She did ask me to do the latter, mind you. Kidnapping is such unsavory business.
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[Is he kidding?]
Oh. Well. I guess if I ever need to be kidnapped, I know who to go to? But I'm not a princess. Hope that's okay.
[Aerith, that was not the point at all.]
Seriously, though. Can you really be the one that's a scoundrel if she wanted to be kidnapped? Can you even kidnap the willing? Isn't it just a date at that point?
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[Is this tasteless to tease about?
It's probably fine.]
And she wasn't meant to leave the premises, so it was still kidnapping of a sort— and with four others along for the ride, 'date' hardly seems appropriate. It did up the bounty on my head a fair amount. I'm almost proud.
[Almost!]
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Troublesome.]
I'd call that a group date and I'm still not sure I can call it kidnapping. It sounds more like she just wanted an opportunity to be something more than a princess. I can get that. I'm sure if I was one, I'd feel the same way.
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