No huge spoilers, though it's set after the Catalyst Weapons sidequest.

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Colonel Jade Curtiss was pacing and reading in one of the Albiore's lounges, the small craft's engine humming beneath his boots as he slowly moved from one corner of the room to the other. Pacing was a habit he had trained himself out of after long years in the military, but it tended to resurface when he was particularly stressed or pondering a difficult problem. Or in this case, deeply involved in a historical fiction novel about the Kimlascan Civil War.

He had just turned the page to reach the climax of the story when he was very nearly knocked to the ground by a cannonball of pink fabric and black curls that slammed into him from behind. Feeling small arms encircle his waist, he craned his neck around to get a view of the little girl now clinging to the back of his uniform. "Anise?"

"Colonel I'm so sorry!" came the slightly muffled reply. "I didn't mean to! I'm sorry!"

"Calm down," Jade replied gently, setting his book down on a nearby table and prying the arms off of him so he could turn to face her. She did look quite upset, rubbing her right arm nervously with her left and refusing to meet his eyes. "Now tell me, what's wrong?"

"...What do you mean, what's wrong?" she asked, her eyebrows furrowing and her voice confused. "At Nebilim's Crag... didn't you notice?"

"Notice?" Jade asked, thinking back. "Oh, hm... is this about when you accidentally slammed into me with Tokunaga? You apologized right afterward."

"No, not that," Anise said, now rubbing the back of her neck.

Jade slipped his hands into his pockets. "Then was it when you jumped in the way of my arte's area of effect and I had to cancel it? Or when you used the field of fonons I was heading for? Or when I asked you for a lemon gel and it took you ten minutes before you got it to me?"

"No, none of those," she said, shaking her head and scuffing the toe of her right shoe against the carpet. "It's... I... after the battle, I..." She took a deep breath and continued very fast, "I-called-you-Jade."

Jade had to pause for a full three seconds before the meaning of her words sank in. "What?" he said, the faintest trace of what could very possibly be laughter coloring the edge of the word.

"I'm so sorry Colonel!" Anise repeated, throwing herself at him again. This time he kept his footing steady. "I really didn't mean to! It just... slipped out!"

"Anise, that is my name, you know," Jade said, the amusement now definitely apparent. He ruffled the black curls gently. "I don't mind being called by it."

"But you're the Colonel," she argued. "I've always called you the Colonel. I can't just start calling you Jade now."

"But we're friends, Anise, are we not?" he replied easily. "It's customary for close friends to call each other by their first names."

"But it wouldn't sound cute!" Anise said, tilting her head up to stare at him with her best I-'m-such-an-adorable-little-angel eyes. "I have an image to maintain here!"

"So this isn't about me, then," Jade concluded, lightly pushing her away and kneeling so he was more eye-level. "It's about you wanting to keep milking your age and appearance for all it's worth."

She stomped her foot, folding her arms and pouting. "Hmph. Here I was, wanting to apologize for not treating you with the proper respect a stuffy old man like you deserves..."

"All right, all right," Jade replied, the not-quite-laughter still tinting his tone. "You win. Your apology is accepted, and your honor is maintained." He gave her a mock bow.

She giggled. "Why thank you, Colonel."

He rose to his feet again, hands returning to his pockets. "Now, don't do it again."

"I won't!" she sang. She hugged him again before starting to skip out of the room, now looking much brighter than before.

"Oh, Anise..." He stopped her just before she reached the door.

She turned back to him with an overly inquisitive expression. "Yes, Colonel?"

He smiled slightly, reaching up to adjust his glasses. "Remember that to me, you'll always be cute little Anise."

"Aww, Colonel, so you can be nice on occasion," Anise said, clasping her hands together and beaming at him with all the charm she could muster. "I'm glad you think I'll always be adorable."

"No, no, I'm just certain you'll always be short," Jade replied. "I can easily put the cute part in quotes."

"What... hey!" Anise fumed. "That was not fair!"

"Now run along," Jade said pleasantly, continuing to smile and completely ignoring her reaction. "We stuffy old men have things to do that would bore children like yourself."

"I'm never calling you nice again!" she vowed, and stomped out the door.

Jade's smile did not waver as he reached to pick up his book again. He flipped through the pages until he found his place, and pushed his glasses back up his nose as his eyes returned to the print. He was not too worried about Anise's pronouncement. She had made that same oath four times before now, after all.

...Though, now that he thought about it, her frequent broken promises did concern him slightly. He must be doing something wrong if people were wishing to call him nice...