[David's fear of loss comes just from experience, and with time he might find it soothed. But time was something that came upon people slowly, and that had to be carefully cultivated.]

Trust me, I find it unappealing for other reasons. Maybe the Guilds will go a bit with what the ImPort Earth's government did with new people and assign them homes. I started like that. A four bedroom forced living experience, until Josh bought a house and brought me along for the ride.

I have to warn you, sooner or later Josh will want to meet you, and he'll probably trot out the scariest shovel talk you've ever received.

[David laughs at the idea of Balthier as a sage for the ages.]

My mind has three connotations for sage. One is an herb. The second is an old person who has studied tons and is all dusty and wrinkly. The third has a technopathic woman I look up to quite a bit with a sharper wit and more sarcasm than the two of us combined. None fit you.