welcomes him back. Hey, drinking buddy!

/drinking budyyyyy/ Yo!

Where've you been, huh?

The snow is melting, kora. Presents good opportunity to train the kids.

laughs dryly. "In the mud and ice?" he chuckles. "Sounds good to me."

Multiterrained, kora /grins/

snickers. "I pity your students."

I think they pity themselves as well. Not to fret. They'll have that knocked out of them after a few months, kora!

It's a wonder you always have new recruits, Colonnello. How d'you do that?

I'm damn good at what I do, kora.

And humble about it, too. /grins; obviously, he's just ribbing/

Humble is for the faint hearted, kora.

And no one would ever argue that you were faint-hearted. /wry smile

Its true /nods in agreement/ Ive been called a variety of things over the years but faint hearted is not one of them.

about that one before he shakes his head, grinning. "I don't think I want to know."

What? /laughs/ They're not all bad, kora.

chuckles. "That's what I'm afraid of."

.. /blinks/ Wait, you're worried that I have been complimented, kora?

laughs at that, grinning widely. "That there are a certain kind I don't want to hear, if you know what I mean."

.... Ohhh. I hear you, kora.

pats him on the back. "Welcome back anyway. I bet Lal missed you."

Dunno. I haven't heard from her in a while, kora.

tilts his head thoughtfully. "Better get that fancy dinner done."

I've been trying to get her to contact me but she seems to be... well, busy I assume, kora.

Maybe she's shy. You've broken her exterior.

Well of course she is shy, kora. But she is just so stubborn about it.

So go seek her out. Surprise her when she's shy, give her a nice trinket, bully her into dinner. She seems like that's the sort of thing.

Trinket? The only thing I could possibly give her that is trinket sized would be bullets. If I even thought about anything else, she'd

walk away on me /a pause/ Or throw it out.

about it, tapping his lower lip. "I thought so, too, but Alaude accepted a necklace," he shrugged. "Might surprise you."

...... You bought AL a necklace, kora?

smiles blithely. "He looks rather handsome in it, too. Nufu!"

I...... can't picture it.

chortles. "Case and point."

I could imagine Lal in a number of things but the reality that she'd do so for me is pretty slim, kora.

Try something simple. Women love jewelry.

/looks thoughtful/ Jewelry, huh? .... I dunno. Everything seems either too forward or too impratical, kora.

Then be forward. /chuckles/ Get her a better flame ring, get it decorated prettily. Romantic, practical.

Too forward will make her clam up, kora! .... But a new ring might actually be a good idea. I can think of a few people to talk to for well

crafted, powerful rings.

grins at that and nods. "So go for it. Put some pretty stones in it or something; she won't be able to say no."

Gonna be pricey-- ah! Wait, I don't even know her ring size.... Maybe I can get Iemetsu to get it out of her. He could get away with it.

Hm...maybe she has old rings somewhere to snoop?

Pretty sure she'd notice if I swipped one... but it can't hurt to ask for CEDEF's help, kora.

nods, tapping his lower lip. "Then get Iemitsu. Bet he could wrangle it out of her."

That I will, kora /nods/ If anyone could get away with that, it'll be him.

chortles. "Might as well be picking out the gems while you wait. Good luck with that." Brofist!

Sounds like a good plan, kora /brofist/

Might help to take her out drinking, too. /grin/

I have never seen Lal drink, kora. I don't doubt she maybe has a glass every now and again.

quirks an eyebrow. "Her? She seems like she'd drink to me..." He thinks about it. "Bring some rum, see if she'll try it."

laughs. "I never said she didn't but I've never personally seen it. Though I can picture her with a whisky... or bottle of wine."

chuckles. "Then bring both and let her choose."

I'm inviting her to dinner: I'm not gonna cop out and get her drunk first to do it /laughs/

grins, shaking his head. "Have it your way."

Even if it is a short date, I'm fine with that /grins/ If she agrees, that will be the biggest accomplishment for me, kora.

I suppose so. Make sure it's a good restaurant then. /chuckles/ It's gotta count.

Some place classy. Gotta try and get her to wear something nice, kora.