Title: Just a Call Away
Rating: T
Fandom: Disgaea
Characters: Mao, Raspberyl
Genre: Friendship, Humor
Summary: She can stand a lot of his antics, but there was one thing that annoys her to no end. And she's doing something about it.
Disclaimer: Disgaea is not my possession. I am merely borrowing the characters without permission in order to make them do my bidding.

He refused to look up from his "research" until she had hit him gently on the head with her trusty book, not that she does that often; it was just to get his attention, and it worked. With a frown, he set his Slaystation Portable down on the table before folding his arms across his chest. "What do you want now? Can't you see I'm busy? I was…"

She had let him ramble on before finally holding up a paper bag in front of his face.

"What's that?" he asked, eyeing the bag warily.

"For you," she said simply.

"…It's not my birthday, isn't it?" Well, that was the reason last time.

That prompted her to blink at him. "No, it's not," she managed. Exasperated, she asked, "You forgot the date of your birth again, didn't you? In case you really did forget, it's still three months away." This doesn't surprise her, but there was an urge to hit him harder on the head. What's next? He'll forget to eat again? Last time he forgot to… She shook her head at the memory.

"Hmph." He pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. "That kind of information is not helpful for my research."

She rolled her eyes. "Not for your research, yes." What's he still researching for, anyway? "But have you ever thought of exploiting it for other things?" The presents, parties just for you own sake…

"What the hell are you talking about all of a sudden? Exploitation? Have you gone honor student on me again, Beryl?" he demanded, peering at her face.

"What?" she blurted, somewhat offended. "No! And what's with the 'again'? I'm still and have always been the No.1 Delinquent of the academy! Sure, I graduated and all, but… Where was I anyway?" She paused in thought. Ah, the bag. "Look Mao, just take it."

"Why should I?" Was he expecting a trap now? From her?

"Because it's for you!" she snapped. Without another word, she dropped it onto his lap and sat down while he looked closely inside the bag. "It's not a new game, if you're wondering," she said helpfully, mildly amused when she saw his shoulders sag at her words.

"…What's this for?" He had opened the box inside the bag and was now examining its contents.

She frowned. "It's a cellular phone, Mao. Haven't you heard of cell phones before? It's for communication! I see you've found the manual, though I can just teach you how to use it anytime. Seriously, you're so hopeless."

He sent a glare her way. "I know what it is and how it's used." She wasn't sure if that was a lie or not. "What I meant was why the hell are you giving me something like this? Don't you think I can afford one? I'm the Dean! I can buy whatever I want, whenever I want!"

Here we go again with the rambling… "You're asking why I'm giving it to you? To keep you from abusing the PA system repeatedly, of course!" she exclaimed, as if it was the most obvious thing in the Netherworld. "I'll be honest, Mao. My ears are already ringing from all those times you kept on screeching 'Almaz von Almandine Adamant' and all the names of your other friends into the microphone." She rubbed her ear gently and shook her head. While it's actually nice that he uses Almaz's name more often than "Ex-Fake Hero", she doesn't want to spend the rest of her life as a deaf demon.

"Slaves," he corrected, holding up a finger while doing so.

"Not your slaves, your— Whatever. I'll lecture you on the difference of slaves and friends some other time." He scoffed at that. "Anyway, that's not the point! What I'm trying to say is that you're having too much fun using the PA system. So we came to the conclusion that you don't have your personal phone." That, or he did something with his old phone, if she was to believe that he really did know how to use one. "So there, use it and stop torturing our ears."

"We?"

"Never mind the little details!"

He spent the next few minutes staring at his new phone.

"What? You don't like the color?" she asked, brow furrowed. She had thought he wouldn't mind if she bought him a red one. Besides, when did he fuss about the color anyway? Unless it was an unusual color on an unusual specimen, he never complained or said something about it. At least, not that often.

He said something under his breath, which she couldn't make out despite her sensitive hearing. He then flipped his phone and turned it on. Within moments, his thumb was already dancing across the keypad. Maybe he wasn't lying about the part of knowing how to use it after all.

"Mao?"

He looked up and then shifted his gaze, apparently finding one of the walls of his room interesting. He muttered something again, but it was not something the honor student that he is would say, so she doubted if that was really what he said.

She heard him make another sound and, when she looked, she saw him toss the phone in her direction. She began to think that he was returning it, but he merely said, "How am I supposed to 'stop torturing your ears' if none of your numbers are registered there?"

Right, of course. "Should I include the Princess' and the Hero's numbers or would you rather ask them yourself?" He looked at her as if she should already know the answer to that.

When she was through saving everyone's contact information, she stood up and gave the phone back to him. "I'll be going now. Still have a few volunteer work in mind for the day."

He raised a teasing eyebrow, which was a little unusual of him, given the situation. "Still haven't done enough?" Was that supposed to be about the phone? "Whatever, just go," he said, his free hand in a shooing motion.

She shrugged. "Later, Mao." She made a makeshift phone using one hand and shook it next to her ear, trying to tell him that if he ever needed something, she was just a call away.

He didn't answer.

That certainly went well.

Though Raspberyl certainly can't complain whenever Mao decided to call her in the middle of the night or whenever he began screeching into his phone.

Personal comments: I cannot recall where I've gotten the idea of Mao abusing the PA system or someone getting him a phone for that. It was either a rabid plunnie or…

In any case, constructive criticism? Yes, please!