A Refugee from Himself

A Refugee from Himself
Date of Scene:	07 August 2013
Location:	Eastern Continent - Flourgis - Shard Seekers HQ - Lobby
Synopsis:	Evja comes to the Shard Seekers, looking for someplace safe from the people pursuing him.
Cast of Characters:	Zia, Evja

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Evja has posed:
The morning was still early and it was before most had even gotten up. Then there was those who were the night types who were out and about. Much fewer, though, than the day types. That was what Evja was planning on, actually. Less awake, less busy, less chance someone would see him and think anything special of it as he slipped away from the hotel room where he had been left by Mercade after the attempt on carrying out a contract by Shadow.

Current goal? Get to the Shard Seekers HQ and hope someone who is reasonable might be around to try and figure out what exactly he's supposed to do. Thoughts had been simply summoning his Chocobo and hightailing it out of Fluorgis, but that wouldn't /solve/ anything, really. Hence, the door opens and the form of a Viera slips inside, currently wearing only a simple tunic and trousers and nothing else. The slack clothing most certainly didn't seem feminine in any fashion and did nothing to try and make one think the wearer was female in the least. Especially since the shirt was quite slack and hung straight down to show a lack of chest.

Evja was constantly fidgeting at this point, attempting to cross his arms over his chest only to have them slide back down, almost like he was feeling rather naked. To him he actually was, for what it's worth.

Zia has posed:
It is the time of morning when you wouldn't expect anyone to be awake, as the clock hesitates between way too late and far too early. Most of the Shard Seekers are asleep, and likely would be until well into the daylight hours. The exception to this, of course, is the resident 'night guard'.

The timing of things just so has it that she must have had her conversation with Mercade after he had gotten back from dropping off Evja, and then she'd come here. The route through the portals was relatively quick, if you knew where you were going and you could fly rather than having to wait on airships. She'd wanted to come back and get something, but it didn't seem important now what that was. Too much time to yourself to think has a tendency of doing that.

So, the gargoyle is actually awake, rustling around in the kitchen when Evja comes in. It's the only room with a light on, other than a few lamps in the entry way. With the sound of banging pans, it's no wonder that she hadn't heard someone coming in. So, Zia doesn't actually notice Evja until she's on her way /out/ of the kitchen, a sandwich in hand and a mess of chaotic pots and pans left behind her for someone more industrious to clean up. Why would you even need that much equipment to make a sandwich?

Blink. Zia does a double-take, as if expecting Evja's form to be a trick of the light or her imagination playing tricks on her, or worse... some half-naked boy on the way to the bathroom. But no, there is definitely someone there. She goes still like a cat having been caught doing something wrong, and then tilts her head after a moment of observing him. The one who attacked Mercade, but also the familiar face she'd seen a time or two before that. Wary, her tail twitches. "This is a strange time te be stoppin in for a visit."

Evja has posed:
A voice. That was... well, a good thing and a bad thing. But who did it belong to? Evja stopped to look towards the sound of it, the sound of the banging cooking equipment before realizing it was that gargoyle-like woman who had been here before, and ... possibly that could have been her when he was forced to attack Mercade by Hades.

What could one say? "It is an odd time." he spoke softly, but there was no attempt to put on the soft, feminine tone that Evja had always used. Or, perhaps there was and it simply wasn't allowed to happen. Hard to say. "Who... who all is here right now?" he asked after a moment, still idly fidgeting like he was trying to cover himself with one arm and not quite being able to do it. Physically Evja didn't look harmed much past a few bumps and bruises here and there(thanks to Hades punting him out of the underworld and bouncing to a stop when he came from the portal).

Zia has posed:
The gargoyle holds her sandwich as if it were a shield, "Ah see tha." Her original task forgotten, and her quest for food having been side-tracked, Zia just stares for a moment, trying to figure out just what to say. Eventually, she settles on, "Yer no' here te attack anyone, are ye? Otherwise, Ah might havete see wha lightnin' barbequed bunny tastes like, and honestly, Ah'm too tired te wante bother just now." Her biological clock is screwed up from swapping worlds, and the impending dawn is making her feel that mch more tired.

Her eyes glance to the two dormitories, "No' really sure, te be honest. The wolf is off travelin', 'n the mouse is gone, too. Dinnae know where he's off te. Ye lookin for someone in particular?" She asks, head tilted, still holding on to her would-be meal as if she's forgotten that it's even in her hands.

Evja has posed:
"..."

Wolf? Mouse? Was she talking about Hati, or perhaps her brother? Surely mouse meant Faruja, but he wasn't even sure at this point. The question that she asked first, though, gets answered finally with, "The contract... is void. I... I reneged on it and..." his voice trailed off there not sure what to say, though he finally added after another moment or two of thought, "No one will force me to try and kill another any further."

The viera moves in a quick shuffle to take a seat on the far side of the room while trying to appear somewhat small, hugging his knees to himself while resting his chin atop a knee. "And no, I was not hoping to find anyone in particular, I was only hoping to... find someone who would not attack me, or throw me to those who seek to find me."

Zia has posed:
The truth of the matter is that perhaps if she knew Evja a bit better, it might have come sa more of a surprise that he made such a deal with the Lord of the Underworld. Avira's own agreement with the God had sent a shockwave through all that knew her. It leaves Zia with only one question, "Why didye make the contract in the first place? Wha could ye have ever been offered te make tha worth it?" While some might judge outright, the gargoyle's pale blue eyes seem concerned, worried over what sort of bargain the Viera had made to be sitting here tonight.

She doesn't move to intercept him, letting him take a seat. For now, he didn't look like trouble, and she's willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. "Well, Ah'm no' goin te attack ye, 'n Ah havenae interest in tossin' ye out te whomever yer runnin from. But if yer plannin on seekin sanctuary here, Ah'd say ye best explain jus wha's goin on, and jus wha yer bringin in upon us."

Evja has posed:
"Manhattan."

That was what Evja responded with even as he remained sitting where he was. "When I first found the coliseum, as chance would have it, I met Faruja there. He informed me of a lot of things about this world, about the world shards, and about the tournament, where one was being hosted as a reward. I... felt it was only right that I do everything within my power to guarantee I get into the tournament, since I was told I had to qualify first."

He paused there and looked up towards Zia, "Faruja had mentioned it was being orchestrated by a god named Hades. I... sought Hades out and made a deal with him to guarantee entrance, so I could do everything I could to make sure the shard got into the right hands. I ... exchanged a single favor to be named at a later point, so long as the favor that was asked was legal upon the grounds where we stood at the time. I am a Judge... I cannot do things that are illegal. Hades waited until I stepped onto grounds where he technically made any and all laws and ordered me to kill Mercade."

A shiver ran up the Viera's body before he added, "And the magic of Law that was placed upon me when I became a Judge forced me to adhere to the word of the contract, my word. Both... the contract, and the magic that was set upon me when I became a Judge, are gone."

Zia has posed:
That one word certainly takes the wind out of her sails. Leaning back against the doorframe, Zia finally seems to realize that her sandwich exists, plucking at a it rather than eating it, though. Her ears follow the story, and eventually her hunger wins out and the gargoyle takes a great bite of her meal. It served as a good excuse not to say anything for a moment, too. It took that long to re-arrange her thoughts.

"Ah dinnae know much aboot the judges, but Ah know enough from seein the way the old God's bargains always come back te haunt people. He only makes deals he thinks he can twist te his own purposes, or when it benefits him te do so. Seems like ye were as much of a victim as anyone else." Some had better or worse reasons to enlist the God's help, but in the end, the only one who benefits is Hades.

Shaking her head, Zia sighs to herself, "Ah suppose ye could have come out worse for it, at least yer alive, tha's somethin. But Ah dinnae understand why ye have people after ye? Certainly, the detective 'n his people would understand if ye explained it te them."

Evja has posed:
A laugh is what Zia gets in response to that. A soft, depressed laugh. "Don't you think I tried? Cornered in a room, accused of lying, accused of deceit. After that first failed attempt they had me bound inside their building, treating me like I chose to kill him of my own volition. None believe me to this day that it was the magic and contract set upon me that forced me to obey it. They did not care even if it was true..."

It was still his fault according to them. He's an idiot, a fool, etc. "I just want it all to end." came his soft whine finally as he brought both hands up to cover his ears and head, practically hiding where he was. "Hades did something to me in revenge... he took something from me. I don't know what, it... it may have been my soul for all I know. I can never deceive anyone again, in any way. Not even myself..."

Zia has posed:
The gargoyle's ears dip slightly at the laugh, although her expression remains the same. "Well, ye did jump out of nowhere 'n attack an ally, 'n ignore everyone who tried te reason wi' ye. Ah was there, Ah kinda remember tha." At the same time, she doesn't actually seem to doubt him in the least. After seeing the hell that Hades put Avira through, literally, such a thing doesn't seem beyond the scope of the God.

With a second bite, the sandwich is almost gone, showing that she must have been hungry before her night had been interrupted. "Ah dinnae know wha te tell ye. Everyone makes mistakes. Maybe they'll come te see tha, in time, maybe no'. Ah still cannae imagine tha the Detectives are actually comin after ye. They dinnae strike me as the type."

And then her dinner is gone, om nom. "Is it quite so bad no' te be able te lie?" She asks.

Evja has posed:
"It is not... Mercade that is after me, or that I am worried about. It is the Viera." There was a moment where he looked as if he was trying to say something but couldn't quite before finally saying, "I have lived for nearly a decade and a half now as a female, or maybe longer - I forget - to hide from the other Viera. Vieran males are... rare. Very rare. Those who follow the old ways closely and those who think males lot in life is decided at birth... they hide males away from the world, protect them. They can never leave unguarded, without escorts. Without females there to keep him from fleeing."

Maybe it was obvious what the issue was now. Hades took away his own ability to keep himself safe, forced him into the open. "I cannot deceive anyone. I... I cannot conceal myself to try and seem that I am not male. My armor and veil fell off the moment he cursed me. I have been unable to put on even the charred remnants of my old clothing because they would make it less obvious I am male."

Zia has posed:
The explination goes a long way towards settling some of the confusion in her mind. After hearing people refer to the Viera has both genders, the gargoyle had been left more than a little confused about it, not that either way had bothered her particularly. "Well, tha answers tha question at least." Sheepishly, Zia rubs the back of her neck, walking over towards him, some of her initial wariness fading.

"Ah cannae say tha it's a life Ah'd understand. There isnae difference between male 'n female gargoyles when it comes te status. Both can lead, both can be warriors, both can serve as parental figures." She leans against the wall nearby, the dim lights of the corridor casting their shadows long across the floor. "So, now tha yer 'out' as a male, the females will be tryin te get ye back, is tha the problem? Because yer breedin' stock?"

Her tail swishes, "Can ye no' jus refuse te go back? Ah'd imagine if ye make too much trouble for them, tha it wouldnae be worth their time te continue harassin ye for it. Or if ye had no interest in breedin, ye could always get yerself snipped like the humans do. Then they'd have no reason te come after ye at all." For someone who has never even thought about the prospect of children, it seems a logical answer.

Evja has posed:
O.O'

Evja's expression can only be described as that. A simple 'What?!'

"I... I..." humans cut it off? Well, he misunderstood, but he looked down for a moment as if thinking before responding softly, "I... um... much prefer to keep it attached..."

Zia has posed:
His expression is nearly comical, and it takes her a moment before she realizes that he didn't quite grasp the concept. Facepalm. The gargoyle squeezes her nose a bit and laughs. "No, ye silly rabbit. The humans have some proceedure te make males infertile. My understandin is tha it's for males who dinnae wante have any more children. Ah'm pretty sure it leaves ye intact 'n functional." Her amusement lingers, in a hint of a smile, "Though, Ah'd imagine it isnae a pleasant thought te have someone pokin around yer boy-bits either way."

Running a hand through her hair, Zia's expression is sympathetic, even if she can't quite understand his situation. "Ah'd imagine there has te be a way te get them away from her sausage 'n eggs, but Ah dun know enough aboot yer people te even start a guess."

Evja has posed:
"I know little of hume... finer points, miss. And to know they have some means of doing that makes little sense to me, let alone would I know how they even begin to do it." he shivered again, "And you are quite right, I would not like... to have it happen, because the only way I could think of certainly is not pleasant. The issue remains though that most would not even care. I could be lying about it and there is no proof. And I still cannot even walk out in the open in most places where Viera live or even frequent and feel safe."

Grumble mumble. "I could likely flee Fluorgis on my Chocobo fast enough but to get somewhere without Viera would take ages by Chocobo, and the airlines out of here are certainly out of the question. And this place is my home... was... before Hades burned my home to the ground for refusing to kill Mercade some time ago."

Zia has posed:
"Ah've been on the internet." Zia replies, which probably says everything when it comes to her experience with human 'finer points'. Sometimes, you just can't avoid seeing things you don't want to see. "Ah can understand, though. Ah wouldnae want some human doctor pokin around m'bits either. It's hard enough te get respect as a sentient creature wi'out becoming a science experiment."

She hesitates though, "Ah jus havete wonder if there's a time when ye havete stop runnin away. Yer a strong lad, Ah've seen ye fight. Ah'm sure ye'd give them trouble enough tryin te capture ye. Beyond tha, ye've escaped. Ye've sen the outside world 'n the way things are out here. Ye've been treated as an equal. Even if they took ye back, Ah dinnae think ye'd be some subserviant bunny waitin on yer turn in the queue wi' the other males."

She lifts a brow then, "At least, Ah dinnae think tha's who ye are." It's a guess, since she doesn't know him particularly well. "Ye could also talk te Reize, maybe see if he cannae give ye some protection from our clan." She shrugs. "It's somethin. At least until yer able te stand on yer own feet 'n figure it out."

Evja has posed:
"I run so I do not have to hurt anyone to keep my freedom. I hide because I do not want to have to defend myself, or fight away those who are zealous. I understand why they think how they do, and while I fully understand... and maybe even agree, I do not want to live that life. Now, though... I may have to do something to declare myself rid of them." That thought trails away from Evja as he almost randomly says, "And... thank you. For... stopping me from killing Mercade. I never wanted to harm him, let alone kill him. If I could have killed myself to protect him I would have, but the magics set upon me took killing myself as reneging on the contract and I could not bring myself to do it thus. Thank you."

Zia has posed:
"Alas, sometmes ye havete fight if ye want yer freedom. Ah know tha story all too well." Zia looks down at her hands, flexing her fingers as she shakes her head. Though she had come to terms with Valen's death, there were times it still came to mind. She'd taken the life of someone, regardless of how ill intentioned they were. "Though Ah do hope ye manage te find a way te do so wi'out bloodshed."

His thanks is only given a twitch of her tail, "No need te thank me for tha. The detective was someone from m'world, 'n we were fightin the same battle te try to bring it back. Even then, Ah didnae know how key he was te all tha. Wi'out him, it might have been impossible." Without Mercade, Avira would have been trapped under Hades' spell, and without her freedom, Manhattan would have been lost.

"Tell ye wha. We've got extra bunks in the dorms. Yer welcome te stay 'n get some rest. Ah'll leave a note for the others so no one bothers ye too much. Ah cannae stay around too long." She rubs at the back of her neck again, as if working out a sore muscle, "Ah've got business back near Traverse. Ah only came back tonight te get somethin Ah'd left here."

Evja has posed:
Evja thinks about it for a bit before saying, "Thank you. Though... I suppose I should introduce myself again. My name... is Chita, not Evja. Well, the name I was born with - not the one I took while in hiding." Finally uncurling from atop the chair where he had been sitting, Chita stands and wanders over towards Zia slowly despite still seeming a little uneasy, offering her a hand if she cared to accept such.

"And yes, I would appreciate somewhere safe to stay, where I do not have to worry about another bounty hunter trying to take me in like last night."

Sigh.

Zia has posed:
"Chita." The white gargoyle repeats the name, trying to set it into her memory. Even after months of using them regularly, it still comes off as odd. She looks at his hand for a moment, then takes it, nodding. "Ah'll call ye by whichever name ye please, lad. A name is jus' a title, it doesnae describe who ye are, one way or the other." The smile she offers is a bit uncertain, but it's there none the less.

"As a clan, we've got enough protection tha ye can certainly stay here for a while if ye'd like. Ah'm no' sure wha we can do for ye, but ye deserve a chance, so Ah'll do wha Ah can." With her own troubles going on, she might have to leave some of that in the hands of other Shard Seekers, but that might be a start.

"Ye might consider takin the time te think aboot makin amends for past actions. Ah'm sure the mouse could guide ye a bit in tha, since tha's more his thing than mine."

Evja has posed:
A light shake of the head is the response Zia gets after mentioning Faruja. "I've no interest in religion and I am certain the moment redemption is brought up to him, that will be the first thing he suggests. And I am not quite sure he wants anything to do with me after I refused to accompany him to help a woman named Hati if their first and only option they were willing to try with dealing with their quarry was killing them."

No one really liked him. That was his own fault, considering he took the stance on his own morals, but... "I suppose I have to lay in my own hole now that I have dug it. I shall... retire now, I suppose." and with that Evja turned and started to walk towards the girls side before realizing the obvious, stopping, and turning to rather embarrassedly slink towards the male side.

Zia has posed:
"The mouse knows when te back off when it comes te religion, at least tha's my experience." The gargoyle shrugs then, knowing that perhaps the way she interacts with her friend isn't the same as his interactions with others. "As for tha, Ah'm sure ye dinnae have the whole story there. The good Templar isn't one te kill needlessly, even enemies. And if it's the Hati yer talkin aboot, then tha's the sister of someone Ah care aboot a lot, 'n he isnae the sort either."

She watches after him for a bit, allowing him his moment of confusion, "Rest well... Maybe thing will look better in the mornin'." Now, if only she could remember what she'd bloody well come back here for.