"You gotta teach me how to be a sky pirate," Vaan said, practically pleading.
Balthier hated pleading. It was embarrassing and demeaning to both parties. He gestured impatiently and drawled, "You don't teach someone to be a sky pirate. Just as you don't teach them to be free-spirited. Or intelligent."
Subtle jab. Right over his head. "I can totally do it! I just, need a little instruction." Vaan rubbed the back of his neck.
It wasn't the first time he'd asked. In the middle of the damn sewers fleeing the guard, there was Vaan, wanting to know what it was like to be a sky pirate. Trying to worm out stories of his exploits. All the whys and hows that more worldly folk would already have known.
Balthier hated needless exposition; it made for bad story-telling. Children so rarely understood complex concepts like that. It wasn't easy to be a truly compelling leading man, and you couldn't do it just by rattling facts off a slate.
"Look, Vaan. Some things can't be taught. I can teach you how to fly an airship." He patted the hull of the Strahl, and the boy's eyes lit up. "I can't teach you to be a sky pirate. It's something that either comes to you, or it doesn't. Like a way with women," he added, modest. That was another of his gifts. He silently invited Vaan to admire his partner, his admirers, the easy way he'd charmed Vaan's girlfriend...
Right. Over his head. "It can't be that hard," Vaan scoffed.
The way with women or the sky pirating business? Balthier entertained himself imagining that it was both. But he pointed out, "There's such a thing as a natural skill. Did anyone have to teach you how to kiss, the first time you swept the lovely Penelo off her feet?"
Vaan stared at him with such wide, blank eyes that it was a moment before Balthier could catch up.
"No," he said, "don't tell me."
He hasn't even kissed that poor girl? Balthier put his head in his hands for a moment. The boy really was utterly hopeless. Couldn't do anything on his own. And here he was, the boy's role model.
Fran would laugh at him if he knew. Balthier looked around both ways to make sure she was nowhere nearby before he leaned back in his chair and sighed. "Come on, then," he said, beckoning Vaan closer with two fingers. "You've got a lot to learn."
Balthier/Vaan: "Not on the License Board"
Balthier hated pleading. It was embarrassing and demeaning to both parties. He gestured impatiently and drawled, "You don't teach someone to be a sky pirate. Just as you don't teach them to be free-spirited. Or intelligent."
Subtle jab. Right over his head. "I can totally do it! I just, need a little instruction." Vaan rubbed the back of his neck.
It wasn't the first time he'd asked. In the middle of the damn sewers fleeing the guard, there was Vaan, wanting to know what it was like to be a sky pirate. Trying to worm out stories of his exploits. All the whys and hows that more worldly folk would already have known.
Balthier hated needless exposition; it made for bad story-telling. Children so rarely understood complex concepts like that. It wasn't easy to be a truly compelling leading man, and you couldn't do it just by rattling facts off a slate.
"Look, Vaan. Some things can't be taught. I can teach you how to fly an airship." He patted the hull of the Strahl, and the boy's eyes lit up. "I can't teach you to be a sky pirate. It's something that either comes to you, or it doesn't. Like a way with women," he added, modest. That was another of his gifts. He silently invited Vaan to admire his partner, his admirers, the easy way he'd charmed Vaan's girlfriend...
Right. Over his head. "It can't be that hard," Vaan scoffed.
The way with women or the sky pirating business? Balthier entertained himself imagining that it was both. But he pointed out, "There's such a thing as a natural skill. Did anyone have to teach you how to kiss, the first time you swept the lovely Penelo off her feet?"
Vaan stared at him with such wide, blank eyes that it was a moment before Balthier could catch up.
"No," he said, "don't tell me."
He hasn't even kissed that poor girl? Balthier put his head in his hands for a moment. The boy really was utterly hopeless. Couldn't do anything on his own. And here he was, the boy's role model.
Fran would laugh at him if he knew. Balthier looked around both ways to make sure she was nowhere nearby before he leaned back in his chair and sighed. "Come on, then," he said, beckoning Vaan closer with two fingers. "You've got a lot to learn."