I'm not a shoulder to cry on, but I digress.

[piratetheskies]

Characters: Balthier Bunansa [piratetheskies] and Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca [duskqueen
Setting: Master Street, Corona Civica House
Time: After...noon?
Summary: Balthier gets an... unexpected guest.
Warnings: TBA

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[duskqueen]

There came, then, a slight knock at the door, hesitant and soft. Ashe was almost sure this was a mistake, she had felt it such as she'd walked over to Balthier's place from her own, but sheer determination and will kept her going.

She was worried about the pirate, a feeling not unknown but somewhat unwelcome, and she knew that the only way to rid herself of that feeling was to visit him and see how he was doing.

So here she was, standing at his door, knocking and mentally chiding herself for being a fool, fingers absently rubbing that spot where Rasler's ring once kept itself. And if that wasn't enough, Balthier wasn't being prompt enough for her liking.

What, she thought to herself, is keeping him?

[piratetheskies]

Balthier looked up at the knock and frowned. Who, oh who, could that possibly be? He didn't remember expecting any sort of company. And if past experience had taught him nothing, it had definitely taught him that unexpected visitors were not something to be relished, at all. He pondered the gun for a moment-- but as it was, it was completely useless to him, halfway between being cleaned.

So, he stood up without it, unafraid of using his fists if it were really necessary.

Oh, but that would be far too normal, and easy to expect. The thought crossed his mind, once, but he decided it better to err on the side of caution for now.

But lo! The surprises Template always had for him, when who should he see on the other side of the door but Her Royal Highness, herself. His eyes widened slightly, before the typical smug smirk appeared on his face.

"Your highness. To what do I owe the honor this time?"

[duskqueen]

"You've been acting strange as of late. I thought to stop by and make sure you were not ill." That was probably all he was going to get out of her on the matter; admitting any more than that would be admitting to things she didn't want to think about, as they were, probably, better left unthought.

She stood in the doorway for a few terse seconds, before raising an eyebrow, and tilting her head to the side. "Are you not going to invite me in?"

[piratetheskies]

"Not going to invite you in? You haven't given me the chance yet," Balthier said, lightly all things considered. He stood aside, making way for her to step inside of the house, where his unfinished work clearly lay. No matter, he'd finish it later if he had to.

"Your concern is touching, your highness," Balthier said simply. It didn't sound as cynical as he could have made it, at least. He couldn't really ignore that she had taken a chance to at least ensure he was alright.

[duskqueen]

She tsk'd slightly at his tone, but stepped inside, coming to stand in the middle of the living room. She paused while looking at his gun, in pieces, on the table, and turned, indicating it with a tilt of her head. "You've a need for that?"

[piratetheskies]

A need? Always. Now? No.

"Guns need regular cleaning, your highness, if you want them to fire properly when they are needed." A slight smirk at that statement, though it quickly dropped off.

"I've had... an off month," Balthier said simply, in response to her statement.

[duskqueen]

Now both brows were raised as she looked at him in surprise -- both at the fact he was admitting to having an off month and that he was having one in the first place.

"You, the leading man?" But her face quickly fell into an expression of concern. Weren't they, after all, friends? "What is the matter, Balthier?"

[piratetheskies]

He could have predicted that question from miles away. Yet, somehow he'd managed to walk right into it. There were a dozen and one things that he could have said otherwise to throw her off the trail-- that sort of frankness wasn't typical of him. He sighed. It would be only slightly more difficult to avoid answering truthfully now.

Though, he'd rather not draw attention to the situation with the good doctor if he could avoid it.

"It's been seven months, with nothing shiny to tempt even a common burglar, much less a sky pirate," he explained without faultering once.

[duskqueen]

To put it frank, Ashe could smell the bullshit. "You mope because you are bored?"

To say she didn't believe it wasn't the half of it, but she wasn't going to press the issue either. Not yet, anyway. "Because you are tied down, no doubt. After all, what is a Sky Pirate without a sky?"

[piratetheskies]

"You've certainly no reason to spare anyone's feelings," Balthier commented easily, not caring what she thought of his excuse. In truth, that was part of it.

The Strahl... Oh, what he wouldn't give to have her again. Ashe's words were a stinging reminder that the last time he'd been in the air at all had been with Reno-- and Reno's idea flight didn't compare. Chopper, helicopter, whatever it was, it wasn't his type of airship.

"It seems our ranks grow and shrink with unhead or ease," he said, changing the subject to something that had been bothering him for awhile, since Fran's disappearance, and his own lost month.

[duskqueen]

She let out a sigh, and sat, the subject change distracting her from his foul mood. Ashe placed her hands in her lap, and gazed down at them, lips pursed. "Indeed, and Penelo, too, has gone missing. Once more, if you are correct in saying she'd been here before."

Perhaps there was another reason Ashe had shown up here today; there was no one else to talk to. "And nothing I could have done to prevent it, it seems."

[piratetheskies]

Balthier paused, leaning against one of the countertops in the simple apartment. Not his prefered place of stay... But it would do. Even if he had to avoid the place for the most part entirely. He glanced at her, and shook his head.

"I doubt this is a simple matter of escape, considering something similar's happenend to myself before. Vanishing for a month, and not even I've a clue where I was."

[duskqueen]

She turned to look at him, confusion clouding her features as she thought. "But surely you went home? That is where everyone say they go, when they vanish.. is it not so?" The end of that sentence ended with an alarmed tone - and no success in finding out just what was going on.. A shiver ran up Ashe's spine. "The implications are.. disturbing."

[piratetheskies]

"Not home. Or if it was, I don't remember it," was the simple response, with a troubled expression on his face.

That did bother him, more than anything else that Template had done. Not knowing where he'd been for an entire month, and to come back with almost everyone he had known gone... It wasn't quite an easy thing to cope with.

And then that mess with Dahlia, that he never should have gotten himself into...

It was almost the perfect picture for stress, really.

"I've a map of the city, procured from city hall of all places," he said suddenly. "I've made note of where the labyrinth seems to start in this city."

[duskqueen]

"A labyrinth?" Ashe sat up a bit straighter, placing one arm on the back of the couch for balance. "Show me."

[piratetheskies]

Balthier paused for a second, mulling over whether or not he should show her before he moved from the counter to the table where his gun lay. He picked up the glasses from on top of the map and put them on, before unfolding it.

"It's not complete-- but it's a start."