damned_institute | Day 39: Music Room

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Day 39: Music Room

Lunch had been fruitful. Celes had chosen not to eat, but that was fine enough for her; she’d eaten plenty at breakfast and it was not very good manners to eat while discussing war (for Celes, it’d always given her a bit of a stomachache), or plotting. Especially if one was in mixed company. Her nurse escorted her to the Music room, citing that her ‘sister’ had suggested that musical therapy would be good for her. Celes rolled her eyes. This was no music room, with their ‘electronic’ instruments; where were the violas and the harpsichords and phonographs? She’d been past this room before, but had never been interested enough to go into it.

The general sat down at the keyboard, staring at the odd device before prodding the buttons with a nail. On, off, rumba, tango, Caribbean (what in the world was ‘Caribbean?’), little numbers that changed the tone. It was the first time Celes wished that there was a real instrument before her, instead of this ridiculous thing. Still, it didn’t stop her from curiously stringing notes together with one hand, and the only song she could bring to mind was the Aria di Mezzo Carattere.

How dreadfully delightful.

[for Adel~]

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Falis raised an eyebrow when the old man continued this whole using a language she didn't understand thing. It was getting irritating and she didn't have any desire to continue with it.

She simply curled her lips up and asked, "You done now? I find your shows of impotency amusing, but they're getting old... like you."

She really didn't understand him! Oh, excellent!

"You know what?" Porky said in Japanese, "I think I settled on what I'm going to do to you! I'll rip off your best friend's legs and make you eat them! And if you don't, I'll kill them! And even if you do eat them, I'll rip off your legs and beat your best friend to death with them!"

After that, Porky couldn't help but laugh. It was so satisfying telling someone exactly how they were going to die, but have them not understand it at all!

"Gohohohoho!" Porky laughed, speaking in English this time, "Yes, my dear! I'm done speaking in a language you can't understand! And yes, I suppose it was getting old...like me! Anyway, now that we've established that you don't speak a word of Japanese, is there anything you'd like to tell me in that other language of yours? I don't mind telling you that I didn't understand what you said at all!"

As the man continued to speak in that language, Falis made it a point to memorize exactly what he said. Sure, she might not understand it, but it's not like the words were hard to pronounce and the hunter was quite good at remembering details and such. It was part of the job, after all.

Then he went and made a mistake; he identified the language. Japanese. That was what Hokuto spoke.

The hunter's lips curled up into a knowing smirk, a sparkle of something devious in her eyes. She'd just repeat what he'd said to her girlfriend later that night and then she'd know what he'd said.

"Why would I bother telling you something in a language you don't understand when I'm perfectly willing to fucking say it in one you do understand? I don't need to hide behind the fucking language thingie here. It's kinda sad that you do."

She snorted. "You disappoint me, old man."

Why was this girl smirking? Did she think she knew something that Porky didn't? Well, even if she did, Porky knew something that she didn't, too. While Porky had indeed been speaking Japanese, it was the version of Japanese found only on the Nowhere Islands. While it was true that the Nowhere Islands' language was technically Japanese, it had been contorted and twisted by thousands of years of isolation. The girl probably hadn't realized it since she couldn't understand Japanese anyway, but what Porky had been saying would be almost gibberish to a normal Japanese speaker. Only a few basic words had remained the same over the years, and what's more, the grammatical structure had been changed almost completely. There was only one other person that would have understood what Porky had said, and that was the Commander, and Porky doubted that the Commander would be willing to translate for anyone besides his king.

"I suppose so," Porky said, the look in his eyes equally devious, "Well, you may not have to 'hide' behind the language situation here, but I certainly do. When I'm dealing with someone like you, at least. I may be cowardly, but I'm not stupid. If I were to insult you in a language that you did understand, it's no question who would win if a fight broke out. Anyway, you can call me cowardly and gutless all you like. At least I'm smart."

The bounty hunter casually took her feet off the back of the man's chair and placed them on the floor once more. The smirk never left her face, though it certainly turned predatory.

"Oh no... I call you weak," she said in a low voice that purred, giving off the impression that she was a cat playing with a canary. "It's good you know your betters and know that I am far superior to you. Though, I must pose a question..."

Her smirk grew a little. "What makes you think using another language will prevent something like a fight? Which wouldn't be a fight, by the way. It'd be kind of like kicking a puppy. I'm sure there's some kind of cruelty to animals rule in this place." Not that she cared.

"Hmmm..." Porky muttered, "Yes, I suppose you're right. Speaking a different language wouldn't really matter if you're talking to a person that would beat someone up for anything. I suppose the real reason that I'd say something in my special Japanese is that it makes me feel superior. I know something and you don't! It's not really too impressive, but it makes me feel better."

"As for you being stronger than me?" Porky said with a grin on his face, "That may be true, but when I'm prepared to fight, there's no one on Earth who can defeat me. You've heard of patients being forced to fight with the other patients, right? What would happen if I were chosen? Do you think you could defeat me while I was at full power?"

"Whatever makes you feel better," Falis replied with a snort, shaking her head in amusement. "You seem to be forgetting that strength comes in forms other than the physical, but whatever."

Her smirk returned again, something sparking in her eyes - something very dangerous, almost like there was something else looking out from behind the hunter's eyes.

"Easily, old man. Easily. I do hope you'd at least entertain me for a few minutes. So few do."

"Really now?" Porky laughed, "You say that so quickly! You don't even know how I fight! What if I were to blow you up with a massive bomb? I doubt you'd be able to avoid that! What if I shot you full of holes with lasers? There's no way to recover from an attack like that! Honestly, there's a difference between confident and cocky. To make a statement with no evidence but your own is foolish!"

"And to assume that you could defeat me just as easily, without knowing anything about my abilities and what experience I have says the same fucking thing about you," Falis replied. "Try me sometime."

For a split second, something changed about Falis' eyes. Was it a trick of the overhead lights or just the imagination taking flight that made them appear for that single heartbeat to suddenly have vertical slits for pupils? Regardless what the reason may have been, the moment was fleeting and had passed. Her eyes were perfectly normal.

"You're absolutely right, my dear," Porky said politely, "I don't even know why I assumed I could beat you in the first place. After all, you claim to be so strong and bring it up whenever you can! How can I argue with evidence like that?"

As for the eyes, Porky wasn't able to tell what happened to them. It's not that he saw them and didn't know how they changed so suddenly. Rather, he didn't see them at all. Having really heavy bangs in front of your eyes could do that to you.

Falis simply smiled pleasantly, almost charmingly.

"Why thank you for noticing."

"I don't suppose you'd be willing to tell me anything about how you fight, would you?" Porky said, "I mean, you're so strong, and I'm so weak. You have nothing to lose from telling me a little bit, and you'd be helping out a defenseless old man! After all, knowledge is power!"

Falis laughed again. "You must have me confused for someone who cares about supposedly defenseless old men."

"Ha ha ha!" Porky laughed, "That's right! I forgot that you only cared about your own worthless hide! You know what? Forget I even asked, not that you'd need me to tell you that, though."

"Ah... there are people I care about. I just don't care about you or that Ness guy or that Giyagas whatever the fuck it is," Falis replied.

"Right, right," Porky said as if he weren't listening, "Whatever you say. I'm sure your heart is just brimming with love for your fellow man. Yup. Certainly no evidence to say otherwise."

This little girl wasn't exactly polite, but she wasn't boring either. If Porky had to choose who the person he enjoyed talking to most today, "the Hunter" might nab the 1st place spot. Well, besides the Commander of course.

"Damn right," Falis replied, an amused smirk on her face again. "My heart's so fucking big it can hold an entire kingdom, no - several kingdoms of people."

She snorted. "Fucking pure gold, I tell you."

"Oh, really, now?" Porky chuckled, "Big enough to hold several kingdoms of people, huh? What does that make me if you can't find room in there for me? A planet or something? I may be fat, but I'm not that fat!"

"Insignificant," came the reply.

"Hrmmm..." Porky muttered, "That's rather cold, wouldn't you say? Not that you care or anything."

Worthless whore. Who was she to call Porky insignificant? Ah, well. Porky'd have his revenge once Landel saw it fit.

"Perhaps," Falis replied, once again putting her feet up on the back of the old man's chair. "The truth typically is."

...If all this girl was going to do if Porky left her alone was insult him, then Porky would have to step in.

"Alright!" Porky said as he clapped his hands together, "Since we're not really doing anything too important, how about we play a little game? It's not like you'll lose or anything. I mean, you'll be playing against an insignificant, inferior guy, right? So what do you say?"

The hunter raised an eyebrow. "What kind of game?"

Clearly, he was Up To Something.

"Oh, just a game we have back home!" Porky said cheerfully, "It's called stone-sheet-clippers! You see, we both count to three at the same time, and when we both say 3, we each make a shape with our hands! An open palm is sheet, a victory sign is clippers, and a fist is stone! Stone beats clippers, clippers beat sheet, and sheet beats stone! So, want to play?"

Falis snorted. What a stupid sounding game. "And what's the point of it?"

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