Balthus & Constance C

Balthus
Oh, Constance. Hey. Um... Sure is sunny out, huh? Yeah...

Constance
Good day to you, Balthus.

Constance
You seem to be enjoying your freedom. I must admit I'm jealous.

Balthus
Right. Uh... So yeah, the weather's nice, heh. I gotta be going now.

Constance
Of course. What profit is there for one so exalted to spend time alongside one so common as me?

Constance
Worry not. You needn't suffer me any longer. I shall see myself off.

Balthus
Come on, don't be like that. You know I get uncomfortable at times like this. I'm trying. Really.

Balthus
You matter—so stick around, yeah? Let's...chat. It'll be great.

Constance
You needn't take pity on me out of the sense of obligation that your status demands.

Constance
For you, the nobility that you abandoned was a shackle on your true self, which is now freed.

Constance
No need to converse with me any longer, putting yourself out on my behalf.

Balthus
Quite a mouthful you just unloaded on me. Not sure what you mean by that nobility stuff, though.

Balthus
Sure, I walked out on leading a noble house. But how do you imagine that's related to this chat of ours?

Balthus
I already admitted I'm no good with stuff like this, but I don't think I'm "putting myself out" or whatever.

Constance
My apologies. The misunderstanding was entirely my own.

Constance
As I suspected from the start, I am unfit to serve as your conversational partner.

Balthus
Ahh, that's enough! Stop talking that way and twisting everything I say!

Balthus
Just spit it out and tell me something real. You hate my guts, yeah?

Gatekeeper
Huh, this is novel! But doesn't this scene usually play out in reverse?

Balthus
Ah, sorry. Guess I raised my voice there. But what do you mean by that "reverse" dig?

Gatekeeper
Well, it's usually her yelling at you while you try to deflect. It's rare to see you lose your cool while she stays so calm.

Gatekeeper
But different people get along differently on different days, I suppose. Anyhow, I'll let you get back to it.

Balthus
Ouch. He has a point. I lost myself for a moment there.

Constance
To think that I have ever raised my voice at you...

Balthus
He seems to think we're real pals.

Balthus
Honestly, whether rain or shine, I don't think a day's gone by without you treating me poorly.

Constance
Oh! What a thing to say!

Constance
I could never go so far as to insult one with your lineage.

Balthus
Ha! You're a funny one, pal. A real hoot!

Constance
The idea that I could be amusing is funnier than any jest I may have uttered. Haha...haha...