[color=007fff][u][b]Verik[/b][/u][/color]

Swimsuit boy was the first to catch up with Verik, asking him why he would flirt up the Queen. Admittedly, he put on a bit of a performance back there, but he needed to get close to her to seal the pact. [color=007fff]"No need to be mean. She was pretty enough, in spite of her weird getup. I figure a woman as rich and powerful as her could only be this upset with some random forest girl if it was a matter of jealousy, so I thought she'd like it if I appealed to her vanity. Who knows? Maybe a boost to her self-esteem would be enough to make her forget about this whole thing. Either way, we're supposed to be undercover mercenaries, and that question back there made her suspicious. We wouldn't want the queen thinking we're questioning the legitimacy or morality of the job. Also, I just like making friends. All kinds of friends, really."[/color] Thinking back to his old friends in Florem, he had to admit, he missed them, even if they were jerks. The Queen was petty and vain... similar to a lot of his old friends, actually, but her throne room wasn't all that big despite the great riches available to her. Her actual throne was a bit gaudy, but it was only two steps above ground level. There was something more vulnerable and lonely in her conceit, and he could empathize. Of course, he wasn't about to excuse trying to kill some innocent girl because of mere insecurities, but being on good terms with bad people wasn't a bad thing, in his opinion.

Verik stops to face Conner, holding his hand out for a handshake and giving him a friendly smirk. [color=007fff]"Speaking of which, would [i]you[/i] like to be my friend?"[/color]