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[xshatterheartx.livejournal.com]

Who: Balthier, Fran, Krja and the moogles
When: Daytime
Where: Nalbina
What: Balthier Has a gift for Fran
Rating: PG-13



Fran was sat in the engine room of the Strahl. She had Krja cradled against her breast, supporting her with one hand whilst her free hand held a spanner, doing some maintenance on the ship.

Balthier had been out most of the morning, in Nalbina. He'd said he was going to do some fiend slaying to work off some tension but, instead, he was in talks over a hover bike. It was a gift, for Fran. Balthier hoped it would cheer her up. Stepping onto the Strahl, he headed straight for the engine room, knowing Fran had said she'd be there. At first, he was ready to just burst in but the scene made him stop and smile at her. "Fran?"

Fran set the spanner down and looked over at Balthier. He didn't look particularly sweaty, nor dirty. She rose an eyebrow. "Good workout?" She asked, shifting a little, causing Krja to cling tighter to her, almost like a small monkey.

Balthier smiled widely, striding across the room and scooping his daughter up, kissing her nose. "Hello, little princess." He murmured to her before looking back to Fran. "A workout of the mind and the tongue, I'm afraid. Come. I have something to show you." He then turned out of the room, carrying the child with him.

Fran stood and rubbed at the tiny claw marks upon her chest. "Oh? What have you been up to? I do hope you haven't gambled the Strahl and lost... again?" She asked, following him.

"Never again, love. And not whilst sober, Fran. Honestly." He shook his head a little, petting a finger down Krja's clothed back, watching her tail wiggle. He headed outside of the Strahl. The airship was landed just outside of Nalbina. It was better than paying docking fees at Aerodromes. Just there, on the sand, outside of the ship, was the most elegant hover bike. It was almost exactly like the one they'd had upon meeting Vaan.

Fran smiled a little, glad that she wouldn't have to bail them out of trouble like that again any time soon. She chuckled a little under her breath at Balthier's obvious attatchment to Krja's tiny tail. She jumped down the Strahl's steps onto the sandy ground, blinking in disbelief at the hover bike. Her eyes went wide as she moved closer, reaching out to touch the finely crafted metal. "This... Where... How?"

"An old friend of mine is an Imperial here, now. He... acquired this for me. I bought it for you. Exceedingly familiar, hm?" He smiled, petting the tiny child in his hands and paying more attention to her face than the hover.

Fran already had the machine open and was examining the insides. "It is a very fine machine... Are you sure we can afford to buy such items?"

"I got it at a special price." He replied, smiling at Fran's instant decision to check the insides. Balthier seated himself on the steps to the Strahl, petting Krja.

At all the ruckus, Nono came bouncing along, sitting with a thump beside Balthier and squeaking happily.

Fran carefully closed the hover back up, once more running her clawed fingers along the bodywork. She sat on the front seat, gripping the handles, getting a feel for it. "It is perfect." She looked over her shoulder at Balthier and smiled. "Thank you."

"You are more than welcome. I thought it may make you smile. We haven't had reason to smile as of late." He replied, using one hand to pet Nono's pompom.

The moogle purred at the petting but soon pounced over to Fran, scrambling to sit in the seat Balthier would use.

Fran chuckled a little at Nono, turning to face him slightly. "Get a gun and you fit in perfectly. Moogle pimp of the skies, perhaps."

Balthier laughed and rested back on the step above, lifting Krja carefully into the air to see her face. He held her very steadily, smiling up at her.

Nono giggled and yanked a spanner from his pocket, pretending it was Balthier's gun. "Ha! Nono, pimp of the skies! Kupo!!" He chuckled.

Fran chuckled more, reaching out to pet Nono. She leaned down and kissed his cheek softly. "You already have your first fan."

Balthier stood, tossing Krja up lightly and catching her a split second after. He walked to Fran and smiled at her. "And what of this?" He asked, holding out the wriggling child.

Fran took hold of Krja, the child instantly latching on with those tiny claws once more. "Well, she is not a ball the throw in the air, that is for sure." She replied, smiling a little.

Balthier smiled, crossing his arms on the handlebars of the hover. "Indeed, though she is light enough." He glanced towards the entrance to Nalbina, waving a hand to two young girls leaving. They giggled and he smirked before looking back to his daughter and lover. "You will need a carry-sling for her."

Fran rose an eyebrow. "Acquaintances of yours, are they?" She petted lightly at Krja's ear stubs. "I am sure I can make one. If not, we will simply ask Nono here to babysit."

"Mm, old friends, as such." He replied, not elaborating any further. Balthier shook his head slightly. "Nono acts more like a child than she does. If you cannot make one, we will buy one. Or steal one."

Fran tried to pry those tiny claws from her breast. "The first thing we need to do is to trim these claws. They are like miniature razors..."

Balthier gently unhooked the clawed child and kissed her tiny nose. "We'll do it now, perhaps? She is a little vicious." He chuckled, raising her hand with one of his fingers.

Fran leaned in, gently biting and trimming the tiny claws down with her teeth, until the were short and safe.

Balthier raised an eyebrow, watching with wide eyes. "I... see. And there I was assuming we'd use a blade of sorts." He blinked a few times, quite taken aback by the Vieran nature.

Fran spat the claws from her mouth, chuckling a little. "When she is older. For now they are soft and likely to split using such tools. Is that not the way of a Hume baby?"

Balthier gave her a look of sarcasm. "I would know this, how? The only child I spent time with at Krja's sort of age was Larsa when I was a Judge. Even then, no one would do that."

Fran flicked one of his earrings. "I just thought as a Hume you would know the way Hume babies are raised." She smiled a little, leaning dow to kiss Krja's head softly.

"Honestly, no." He answered, twitching as his earring tugged lightly at the flick. "Hume babies are not a thing of my expertise. Unless, of course, they are made of metal and wires." He replied, shifting Krja to lay her on Fran's chest again.

Fran rose an eyebrow and took Krja back in her embrace. "I do not think we shall be taking any infant apart to look for wires. It could be quite messy and we may get arrested for such acts." She leaned in and kissed his lips. "Do you need a hand to get the hover on board?"

"It may be interesting to do such a thing. Gods know we've had no excitement for the past while." He replied, after kissing back. He ran a hand through her hair, stroking her ear flat to it before letting it stand straight again. "I can manage, unless you wish to fly her on?"

Fran's ear twitched as it righted itself. "I shall fly her once I have made a suitable carrier for Krja. I shall fly her all over the world!"

Balthier leaned in to kiss her forehead. "So long as I am not left behind." He murmured before scooping Nono off his seat and hugging him. "Off to Gero, please. He needs your attention." He almost ordered, putting the moogle down and watching him skitter inside with a happy squeak.

Fran smiled at him, cradling krja against herself. "You will have to stay behind to clean and cook, house husband." She teased.

"Ha, I will simply take my ship and go, if you have that attitude." He shifted to tickle Fran's waist, kissing her cheek. "Now, remove yourself from this seat, I must move this contraption."

Fran squirmed a little, before climbing off the hover bike. "You wouldn't leave your daughter and I behind... Would you?"

"Perhaps, if you become burdensome." He replied in jest, shifting to sit on the hover and starting her up. He shot her forward, enjoying the speed of the machine, before bringing her around and towards the inside of the airship's docking bay.

Fran watched for a moment, before boarding the Strahl with the tiny infant. She moved to the bedroom and lay Krja down in her crib, before moving to the wardrobe, pulling out a pair of Balthier's leather pants, tearing them into strips.

As soon as the hover bike was safely inside, he switched her off, making sure the hatch closed before heading to the main area of the Strahl. He stepped quietly along, waving to the moogles before heading into the bedroom, pausing with a frown at Fran's actions. "I do so hope you have a reason to damage my clothing."

Fran laid the strips of leather out on the bed. "I shall buy you new clothing." She commented and she began to piece and weave the leather strips together.

Balthier covered his face with his palm for a moment, shaking his head slightly. "It would've been nice if you'd asked." He replied, slamming the wardrobe door shut and leaning against it with his arms folded.

Fran looked at him for a moment before turning her attention back to the task at hand. "You never wear them." She commented, weaving together more leather, the form of a sling beginning to take place.

"Yet, you still should've asked." He sighed, shaking his head. At that, he left the room, headed for the cockpit. He hit the "door closed" button before slipping into the captain's seat and snatching up their map. Hm. Where to now? Somewhere new, he hoped. Ivalice was fine for resting in but he was tiring of her medieval ways.

Fran continued to work on the baby sling, rocking Krja's crib with her foot as she did.

Gero appeared from behind one of the seats, bouncing over and scrambling up Balthier's leg to flop in his lap with a squeak.

Balthier looked to the moogle, smiling slightly and petting his pompom. "Well. Where would you like to go, Gero?" He held the map to the moogle, watching him.

Gero squeaked happily at the petting and looked over the map, batting it with his paw. His tiny paw had landed on Timber.

Balthier nodded once. "Timber it is." He tickled Gero before keying in the co-ordinates and starting up the ship. He soon had them in the air, headed at full speed for this place.

Gero squirmed in his lap, speaking and wriggling, almost falling off.

Fran appeared soon after, with the newly made sling holding their daughter against her chest. "... I designed it so she can be placed at the front of me, or the back."

Balthier hit the auto-pilot button then turned in his seat, holding Gero. "It is well made." He nodded once before shifting to put his feet on the console.

Gero snuggled against Balthier, letting out a soft yawn.

Fran moved to her seat. "I apologise for not asking. I shall replace the clothes. I would have used my own, but there would not have been enough leather."

"Indeed. You're not one to wear much." He replied, looking down to the moogle and smiling softly. He did quite adore this little child, too.

"I have never heard you complain." She looked down at the sleeping infant against her chest, petting her lightly. "Where are we heading?" She asked.

"I know you haven't." He answered, yawning a little. "Mn... Gero has chosen our destination. A place called Timber."

Fran rested her feet on the console, mimicking Balthier. "What do you knwo of the place? Will we require weapons?"

"I've no clue at all. Ask Gero, he is our navigator." He chuckled. With a stretch, he rested down a second later, closing his eyes briefly.

Gero shrugged his tiny shoulders. He had only pointed at random, he didn't know anything about the place. He began to squeak quite frustrated.

Fran reached out to silence him, petting him gently. "It is okay. We will find out once we get there."

Balthier scooped Gero up and kissed his tiny nose. "I was only teasing, young one. Worry not." He smiled, nuzzling him lightly.

Nono came toddling in, scrambling to attempt to sit on Fran's lap. At the sling, he squeaked, looking at Fran with frustration.

Gero stopped his squeak and nuzzled against Balthier, curling up against him to sleep.

Fran shifted a little, adjusting the sling so it sat more to one side, making room for Nono. "There is always room for you."

Balthier settled down more in his seat, soon feeling tiresome and weary with the moogle asleep on him. Sure enough, he was falling asleep.

Nono squeaked happily and moved into the gap, nuzzling into her. He was always Fran's little one so, with Krja's arrival, he felt a little unwanted.

Fran watched as Balthier drifted to sleep with Gero on his lap. "Seems like it must be nap time for all the children." She teased, as she started to pet Nono's pompom lovingly.

Nono purred to the petting, smiling up at Fran. "He deserves a nap. He's a busy pirate! Well... a little less pirate, these days." He mumbled, quiet.

Fran gave a nod. "Indeed. I feel it is my fault. I must find a way to awaken the pirate within him again and not make him feel he must stay with us always. It is not fair on him."

Nono tilted his head to look at Balthier, frowning a little. "It isn't your fault. He just spreads himself too thin. Pirate, father, lover, man... he is all of them but tries so hard to be all of them all at once." He smiled up at Fran then. "Kupo!"

Fran smiled at Nono, petting his pompom more. "You are so very smart and so very perceptive." She kissed his pompom gently, nudging it with her nose. "I will find a way to make him happy."

Nono curled into her side. "You shouldn't spread yourself so thin, either." He mumbled, nuzzling lightly.

"I am fine. I am contented with life. I am mother to three fine children and partners with the greatest pirate of the skies."

"Wife." Nono muttered, smiling cheekily. He wriggled a little and shifted to watch Krja sleep. He wasn't sure about her yet. She'd basically taken his place...

Fran chuckled a little and resumed her gentle petting of Nono's pompom. "I'm not so sure about that. Partner, but not wife." She watched Nono as he watched Krja; she could only imagine what it was like for Nono. First Gero and then Krja. "You will always be our baby, you know that, yes?"

"Hmph. You and he say 'partners'. Everyone else says 'husband and wife'." He looked up to Fran, scrunching his nose a little. "I'm a full sized moogle. Gero and... her. They're the babies."

"I do not see marriage on the cards for us. At least in no official sense." Fran gave his nose a gentle poke. "You may be fully grown, but you will always be my first child. Nothing will change that. Nothing will erase the memories of that fateful day we met and the years that followed."

Nono buried his face in her. "Kupoooo..." With a sigh he wriggled a little. "I'm still not the baby anymore. Gero and her, they are the ones who need most care now."

Fran frowned and snuggled him against her. "That is not true. Nono still needs his milk and snuggles, and he is still very much needed to help me maintain the Strahl, and Nono has the most important role of all."

The oldest moogle blinked up at her. "What role is that?" He tilted his head a little.

"The role of big brother. It is so very important, and only the most special and smart of moogles can fulfill the role properly. Gero and Krja will look up to you, they'll need you to love them and guide them as they grow."

Nono nodded but pouted a moment later. "But... she will be bigger than me in not too many years..." He huffed a little.

"In size, but not in mind. You are so very smart and so important to this family. No one could ever replace you."

Nono smiled then curled into Fran, yawning openly and snuggling up close. He was beginning to catch the tiredness bug.

Fran petted him lovingly, coaxing him into sleep.