Mystery Woof

Mystery Woof
Date of Scene:	01 April 2013
Location:	Cosmo Valley
Synopsis:	He'd promised Hati, and now after things have settled down a little, finally has the chance to do that one thing he still wanted to do. To treat Zia to a 'date'.
Cast of Characters:	Skoll Ulfang, Zia

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Skoll Ulfang has posed:
Sometimes, things happen that make one's plans go out of the window - like the Manhattan problem, as well as a certain person getting their butt trapped in the underworld. But finally, Skoll feels he has some time. Finally, things are starting to get to normal.

Being mister mystery-woof, Skoll has decided to simply send Zia a message asking her to meet him at a place named the Cosmo Valley. The werewolf himself is sitting right in front of the giant bonfire at the bottom of the 'town', his legs crossed and his gaze set on the fire.

No, he's not making bacon on the fire.

...

They wouldn't let him.

Zia has posed:
While Zia might not be a stranger to modern technology, it wasn't until recently that she had to figure out how to use a cel-phone. Back in Manhattan, she had snuck down to use pay-phones whenever she needed to call in an order for a pizza, leaving some silly instructions to make sure that she was never seen. Actually dealing with calls and messages is another matter entirely.

"Cosmo wha?" She squints at the screen, then decides to try one of the 'features' that one of the other Shard Seekers had recommended. Clicking a button, "Directions te Cosmo Canyon." Which then lead her halfway around Fluorgis, making multiple u-turns without actually getting her anywhere. Apparently, GPS technology doesn't work so well within the World of Ruin, or at least on her phone anyways.

Eventually, though, she'd been able to find someone to get her proper directions, because there is no way that she's following another of Reize's maps, and unlike Skoll, she has no access to direct means of getting from one place to another.

There was no smell of bacon to get her the last leg of the trip, but luckily it hadn't been hard to find out where a certain meat-fiending werewolf might be at tonight. Mr. Mystery is doing his usual mysterious act, so she might as well do one of her own. Zia arrives wearing her cloak, which she hadn't realy bothered using since becoming more comfortable around strangers. Traveling this far, though, has her back to her old habits, it seems.

She emerges from the darkness, the firelight flickering off of her taloned feet. "Do ye think ye could have been any more vague, my dear wolf? Ye have me commin' halfway across creation 'n Ah'm have worried ye've been captured again or somethin. 'N here ye are, fit as a fiddle." She doesn't actually sound angry, relieved if nothing else. "Wha's goin on?"

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
Skoll had come here on one of his many travels, and is a bit strange in that he assumes people have done as much traveling as he himself. Clearly, it is a bit of a foolish line of thought. But at least the people in the World of Ruin were good enough about giving directions.

When Zia finally arrives and gets close enough for him to notice, his ears are perked back. The tapping of her taloned feet against the stone beneath is a rather peculiar and recognizable sound. The werewolf tilts his head backwards, moves his hands behind him to the ground, and arches his back to give her an upside-down look.

"My appologies, Zia." He answers, grinning a wolfish grin. "But as you can see, I am indeed just that. Fit as a fiddle." He winks at her and continues to lean back like that.

"Nothing really 'going on', so much as I wanted to... spend some time with you." He explains. "You know, in private?"

Zia has posed:
The gargoyle tilts her head, looking at him quizzically from beneath the shadow of her hood. The light casts her eyes into the darkness, but it's easy enough to see the quizzical expression on her features. "Last Ah checked, that isnae somethin ye need te be apologizin' for, lad." Her nose twitches, partially from the smell of the fire, but likely also the unfamiliar surroundings. These stone walls and peeks are similar enough to the sort of places she might have once called home a long time ago, so she turns, taking in her surroundings before finding him again with that same puzzled look.

"In private?" She settles down on a nearby bit of rock, shifting her hood back with her hands. The firelight reflects off the strands of her near-silver hair. "Is somethin wrong? Wha is it?" Clearly, he's been the bearer of bad news in many ways, and she's expecting the worst. Maybe one of the other Shard Seekers was hurt? Or there were more problems from the Gaudium Lords? Her mind runs through a bunch of different possibilities.

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
Skoll shrugs a little and lets his gaze wander a little, taking in Zia's white hair and the way its light plays with her form. It's spellbinding in a ways, the way she contrasts against everything, standing out in such a pure manner.

But then she starts to worry, and Skoll is quick to intercede. "No no Zia, nothing bad going on." He notes. "No, I meant, some private time. Just you and me in one place." He then turns his head to look at the high cliffs.

"I asked someone about what this place named Scottland was like. And I spent much time thinking about things. So I wanted to drag you here, to a place where the sun comes up earlier." He points out. She should be able to tell what he means with such words. That he wanted to look at the sun with her. Or at least, let her see the sun.

Skoll stands up from his seated position, and finally turns towards the girl and offers a hand out to her.

Zia has posed:
The news that there isn't some great chaos in the world to have him drag her out here comes as a relief, and she lets out a breath, tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear as the tension ebbs out of her form. Too many experiences lately have kept her on edge, waiting for the next axe to fall.

"Ye know, all it takes for a bit'a privacy is te go up on the roof of headquarters. It isnae like anyone but me, Percival, 'n ye actually bother goin up there for the most part." It's a true enough claim. Not many of the Shard Seekers actually came up there, and it tended to be her 'perch' even if she did have a bed in the dorms. Since the return of Manhattan, she might have even been seen using it, rather than roosting during the day.

She leans back a little, resting her hands against the stone as she looks around. "Aye, it is a bit like home. But in Sco'land, there's these great rocky expanses, 'n they seem te come out of the green like they were built by greater hands. One minute, yer seein lush grasses 'n great trees, 'n then there's masses of rocks. It's a beautiful place." Her tail sways at her side as she describes her childhood home. "It's been years though. Too long. Places change. Probably best it stays in m'memory."

For a brief moment, a dark look passes her eyes. He might have seen the same expression that night when she'd returned from the Wind Ceremony with Percival. A thought about her family that carries some sadness with it.

"Anyways." She's quick to look back in his direction, offering a small smile. "Ah dinnae have te be missin' the sun so much these days." She pulls out that crystal amulet, the one she'd told him about after the fall of Manhattan. Strangely enough, though, it now has a faint blue glow at the heart of it, as if it had come back alive along with her world. "Ye never know how much ye miss somethin until it's gone."

Maybe if he hadn't gotten distracted, the gesture would have been more, but she seems to appreciate it none the less. "It's nice ye remembered, though. Ah think most would find it silly for a gargoyle te miss sunlight."

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
"Yeah well..." Skoll raises a hand to the back of his neck. "Was looking for something a bit more private than that." He's starting to doubt that Zia is all that familiar with the concept of a date as well. That, or she's just plain oblivious. That's alright though.

He then looks back to the rocky background and tries to imagine that which Zia describes. The closest he'd seen was the borders of the world of the Old Kingdom.

"I guess I understand what you mean with places having to stay in memories though." Skoll notes, remembering the figments he'd seen back in the Underworld. A little shiver rolls down his back and ends up puffing his tail. And he can tell that Zia must be thinking of similar things.

The youth walks forwards, still offering his hand, coming to her side. "Ah, the crystal lifts the curse?" He asks her. After all, she'd spoken of it as a curse. Indeed, it sucks that his gesture doesn't have the same impact it should have had... but indeed, the gesture is there.

"I don't think it's silly. I've gotten a good few lessons in wanting back that which you've lost."

Zia has posed:
Well, one could probably understand how the poor gargoyle might be a bit confused, since she wasn't exactly invited on a date. Cryptic text messages from men who have a bad habit of attracting trouble (at least as much as she does, anyways) are not exactly a request for a night of romance. Zia's head tilts to the side, still seeming a little bit puzzled. "Well, Ah'm here now." She shrugs, bewildered.

Catching her lower lip between one fanged tooth, Zia shakes her head. "It's a curse te me, but it isnae a curse in the typical sense. It's just how we are. Gargoyles, tha' is." She hesitates, but then tucks the crystal away as she speaks, "Ah dinnae know where m'family got it from, but we've had it for generations. Kept us alive. Kept us safe. It came down from m'da. The crystal te me, 'n the sword was meant for m'brother. Gave it te Percival, though. Figured it'd have some use in his hands, where it's more a danger te me than te others in m'own."

She chuckles at this, reaching out and taking his hand without a second thought to it. There's some nervousness, but it's brought on mostly by not really understanding what he's invited her here for. "Aye. Ah'd think ye would understand. But ye have yer sister now. After tha, all we have te worry aboot is reclaimin yer freedom." Her eyes glance to that collar at his neck, then away again. There's a lot of weight she's putting on her shoulders to find that Gaia sister.

Soon. She had to figure it out soon.

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
The youth nods and notes; "I think I understand." After all, being disadvantaged like that... to not be able to protect oneself when asleep. And to sleep for far longer than others as well. Yes, such would be seen as a curse. It's a good thing that she has a gift such as that crystal. As for the sword, he always wondered what happened to that since he'd seen her practice with it. "And I am glad the sword got a better home." Swords weren't really Zia's kind of weapon, that much was obvious.

When he has her hand, he smiles at her and draws her a little towards himself. "I trust that my freedom will come not too long from now." He then touches his own collar as she gazes at it. It's a subconscious habbit he's gotten into. It looks a little damaged. The enormous light of the world heart had done a bit of damage. And a tiny little spark jumps at his finger like static. Doesn't look like it hurts though.

The youth nods his head and then begins to lead Zia up towards the mountain. "Too late or not, I'd like to watch the sun come up with you, if that's alright. Just us." That last part gets a bit pressured by his voice. "Maybe even have a snack." He grabs a dufflebag from near the fire. It's a rather large dufflebag for just a 'snack'.

Zia has posed:
"Aye. It'll serve him well. So long as he manages te figure out his own troubles." After more than one long conversation with the young gargoyle, Zia had begun to worry about him nearly as much as she did about some of the others in her life. Strange how people have that way of worming their way into your heart, if you want them to or not. "He reminds me of m'brother. He left wi' my aunt when we were still young. Dunno if Ah told ye tha or not. Havenae seen him since, either of them." Chances are, the two gargoyles hadn't escaped the passing years, much less the threat of a world falling to darkness, not once but twice.

Her hand gives his a squeeze, as much for reassurance for herself as for him. "Ah've caught this rumor of strange plantlife in someplace called the 'Fens'." She might as well share the little bit of progress that her research has brought her. "Ah'm nae sure exactly where tha is, but Ah'm guessin tha it's somewhere in this world rather than off in the others. Seems straight-forward enough. We find the one who did it, force her te remove it, or kill her." There is no hesitation in her words, not like someone who would have much remorse for taking the life of someone they see as a monster.

She walks along with him, following his head. "Alright, lad. Ah promise, ye have m'undivided attention." Leaning over, the gargoyle nudges him in the shoulder, her lips drawn into a smirk. "Lead the way oh great wolf. The sun willnae wait for the likes of us. Ye know tha more than anyone else."

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
"I'm sure he'll be fine. From what I've seen, he has a good head on his shoulders." Skoll answers. "Well, usually anyhow." He can only imagine that there's things he doesn't know about Percival. But the gargoyle has often shown noble behavior. A quality that Skoll very clearly favors.

The youth begins to lead her towards the mountain itself while slinging the dufflebag over his shoulder. He hears her about about how Percival is like her brother, and attains a bit of background knowledge on the girl's past once-more.

He answers merely by shaking his head a little. No, he doesn't recally her saying anything about that. His ears perk not too long after as the girl mentions the Fens and 'strange plantlife. "A Gaia sister?" He asks questioningly. "I know where the Fens is." As for killing the one involved...

It was likely the only way. Failure was not approved off amongst the lower ranks of the Gaudium Lords.

The two slowly move up wooden stairs that lead up along the observatory, and then continue further up. Skoll himself is grinning, his tail wagging left and right as they move further up. He's glad to have a moment like this with Zia.

And when they finally find the top place - a nice flat place - he pulls a large blanket out of the dufflebag and lays it out, before bowing and offering his hand to help her sit.

Zia has posed:
While Skoll might be certain, the white gargoyle at his side doesn't seem quite so sure. From what little she has learned of Percival, he carries a lot of blame on his shoulders that shouldn't be there. Then again, that's part of why she's a bit protective. Her brother had done the same. It was part of why he had left - in order to find other clans and gargoyles out there for the both of them. The problem is... her brother hadn't come back.

Zia follows him up past the observatory, giving it a curious glance for a moment, probably causing him to have to tug her along with before she ends up distracted. Taloned feet scramble to catch up as she scales the rest of the stairs up onto the rise at the edge of Cosmo Canyon. Since she'd come here mostly by land, getting to see the sights is something that still takes her breath away. This world is so different from the one she knows back home, and so many parts of it are still a wonder.

It's his voice that draws her back, blinking as if waking from a dream as she turns towards him. "Mmm. Aye. Tha's my guess. Probably worth checkin out, but Ah wouldnae want te go in alone. It'was bad enough last time." The idea of fighting to the death isn't one that she takes lightly, but at the same time, it does seem to be the only option. Maybe if they could just get him off of the Gaudium Lords' radar, then he might be able to gain some measure of freedom. Then again, she's not fool enough to think that they won't come after him sooner or later. It never ends.

Luckily, Skoll's good mood is infectious and she can't help but smile a little bit at his excitement. Sure, she isn't exactly sure what's got him into tail-wagging mode, but it's better than most of the people she's been around lately. A little bit of hope goes a long way.

As he starts to take out the blanket and get things settled, Zia takes the time to walk to the edge of the canyon, looking out over the rocks. A quick glance back in his direction has her smirking, "Ah'd almost think ye had this planned out. Clever wolf. Lure a girl here thinkin yer in trouble, 'n now yer goin te lay out blankets 'n act all charmin?" Never the less, she does take his hand, seeming bemused by the whole thing. Mr. Mystery had once been Mr. Noble Wolf, so some of it doesn't surprise her. He's just being nice, right?

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
Mister Mystery has always been and remained Mister Noble Wolf. It's simply that he's dialed down some of his overbearing behavior. As for Percival, part of his potentialy erroreous interpretations of the other Gargoyle was simply from the fact that he'd only beheld him on a few occassions. He certainly doesn't know him as intimately as Zia does.

By the time he's laying out the blanket, it's still possible to see some of the stars; far enough from cities such as Goug and Vector which pollute its horizon with their light. "I know. I promised I'd come with you." Skoll answers Zia. "And that I won't go off on my own." He's not touching the Gaudium Lord topic as much as just the solution to his collared problem. He rather not think of what more trouble might await in his future.

What's more, he's here today to have a good time. And of course, when she claims that he had this planned out, he starts grinning. "Who, me?" Skoll plays innocent, showing his fangs and tilting his head back a little. "I can't confirm nor deny your allogations." He adds teasingly and then sits down besides her after he's seated her, and remains on his knees.

From this posture, it's easier to draw things from the dufflebag. And what things they are. A metal plate of sorts followed by a rack he puts it on, and a burner he turns on beneath. "Dinner and a good sight of the Sun rising." Skoll announces his plan.

Zia has posed:
Reaffirming that the wolf isn't about to go rushing off in persuit of the Gaia sister on his own comes as some reassurance to the pale gargoyle. It is a failing of humans, gargoyles, and so many other races in between that they often feel the need to take on such responsibilities and trials alone. Then again, maybe if Skoll hadn't gone off alone, he wouldn't be in this mess to begin with. "Aye, Ah know." She agrees, settling down onto the blanket.

Pale fingers unclasp her cloak, folding it so that it makes a decent pillow to lean back against, and then she does just that. With her wings folded, they act as a sort of blanket against the night air, not that she really needs it. Gargoyles aren't quite so sensitive to cold as some other species. "Ah'm jus' afraid of walkin inte a trap. Then again, do we really have much of a choice?" With a sigh, she floomps down onto her bundled up cloak, laying her head on her arms.

While he takes out the makings of cookware from the dufflebag, Zia just watches with a smirk on her lips, tail twitching down beside her ankles. "Och aye, yer just the picture of innocence, lad. One would ne'er think ye had any such nefarious purposes in mind." She rolls her eyes, then laughs softly to herself, leaning back to get a look up towards the stars. These were different from the ones in her world, and she goes quiet for a time just to watch them.

Her ear twitches in his direction, and then the girl gives him a glance. "So... wha is this all aboot, Skoll?" The fact that she so rarely uses names draws attention to the question. Clearly, she has some idea about what is going on, but she wants to hear it from him. His subtle approach certainly works a bit better on her nerves than Faruja's declarations, but... she does tend to be a bit straightforward about things.

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
"Of course. Nefarious deeds are something I am simply not capable off." Skoll answers Zia, turning a bit away of her with his tail up in the air - floofy as ever - wagging mildly as he puts the metal plate-rack on some nearby rocks and puts a few extra burners beneath it. Not exactly prime cooking gear, but the werewolf has done well with less than this.

When she mentions his name however, she does indeed draw his attention. The werewolf looks up behind him and tilts his head a little, bites his bottom lip, and then turns away again. He continues to unpack the dufflebag, revealing a few packages of meat and a little packet of butter. "Well... emmm..." He begins. "I just wanted to take you... you know... out somewhere. Just you and me." He declares.

Yep, really hoping she puts the pieces together herself. But lest she say the words herself; "You know... a bit like... a date?"

Zia has posed:
"Ye may be noble, but yer a far cry from a saint, last Ah checked." The gargoyle notes with a flick of her fingers, swating lightly at the end of his tail as it comes close to her nose. "So ye'll havete excuse me if Ah wouldnae put a nefarious deed or two past yer wolfish cunning." In that moment, she's still mostly being playful in that moment, not really knowing what it is that's going to be dropped on her the next.

Her hand comes back down slowly, head tilting. "A date?" Her brow lifts, watching him with that quizzical sort of expression. The silence lingers a bit longer than is comfortable after that. Then, Zia lets out a gentle sigh, leaving her head resting against her arms. "Ye know, usually it's considered polite te tell a lass tha yer intendin te court 'er. It isnae fair te go leadin a girl on te think ye might be in trouble, then it turns out yer hatchin some clever trojan horse plan 'n poppin a date out on her instead." Her words have a sort of soft tone to them, as if she weren't really upset but trying to deal with the admission the same way she does a lot of uncomfortable things, with a hint of humor.

Her tail-tip flicks. At the very least, it wasn't some flowery letter of devotion. But what to make of it? Her blue eyes look towards him in the darkness, with only the faint remains of moonlight giving her form some definition. It's hard to read her expression, but it seems puzzled, and perhaps a bit worried, rather than upset. "Listen... Ah know yer hurtin. 'N ye know Ah'm here for ye nae matter wha, but... ye jus dealt with a big loss. Ye know Ah cannae be a replacement for her, right? Ah'm just me."

She hesitates then, "It isnae like ye have te rush inte anythin. Ah dinnae exactly have a line of suitors, regardless of wha m'young gargoyle friend might tease me aboot. Maybe when things have settled... all this nonsense taken care of..." For all that Zia might seem at ease at times around those she cares about, matters of the heart are still something foreign to her. It's a scary sort of road to go down, and she's already hurt someone she cares about in the process. This time, it's more like she's making excuses, afraid to take that step, because if things go badly, she might lose the first friend she's ever had. The girl is clearly nervous, unsure how to handle things, and the fact that her eyes refuse to meet his shows just how uncertain she truly is.

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
"Ah, but that is just it, no? Wolfish cunning." The wolf lets out a quick 'ruff' when she swats at his tail, and the tail instinctively swats back in her direction - bopping her nose lest she ducks out of the way. He looks behind him, investigating the 'distraction'. "So I can't admit nor deny being a saint." He even moves a hand out and with just his index finger 'out', he wags said hand at her to indicate 'no'.

In regards to the date, he tilts his head back and twitches his tail. "I didn't mean to make you think I was in trouble at all." Tailflick, the giant poofball flopping towards her head again to tease her. "Besides, how can I be the mysterious wolf if I told you?" He teases, and moves his tail closer to himself again. But then she has to go and... leads to a different subject.

Avira.

His ears fold down a little and his shoulders slump. Zia knows that the werewolf had - and still has - some feelings for Avira. But he'd talked things out with the girl recently. They'd agreed that she would be with Mercade now. That there was no need for jealousy, and that they'd remain to be friends. It still hurt a little. But... he had planned this to begin with.

"You're not a replacement, Zia. I was planning this for a long while now. Not too long after you told me the secret to your stoney curse." He explains, and then shakes his head. "She wasn't my Golden Wolf. She was meant for someone else." He explains. "I am not rushing anything. This is just a date. Just a moment for the two of us to enjoy." He explain. "To get to know eachother a little better. Especially since I've been so evasive in the past."

The werewolf then finally looks back again, whilst putting some of the meat on the now heated up plate. "though as you may have noticed - while you may no longer have a line of suitors - Faruja clearly had an eye for you. And I wouldn't put it beyond others to form a new queue. You are rather amazing in your own way, Zia."

Zia has posed:
One moment, she's swatting at him, and the next... tail to the face. Zia's nose scrunches and then a sneeze slips free. Tailfluff tickling her nose. "So, basically wha ye mean is yer not." She watches his finger, then sticks her tongue out at him. "Besides, the robes wouldnae look good on ye. Yer more the leather 'n chains type as it is." For all that he might tease her about him being the 'mysterious wolf' she takes it in stride, shrugging her shoulders. "Well, next time ye want te take me out, try askin like a gentleman. Works better than trickin' a lass inte it."

She offers him a small smile, letting him know there's no real hard feelings there. It isn't as ackward as she might have imagined it to be, but things rarely were as difficult with Skoll as they were with other people. Though, she does have to go and make things a bit harder by bringing up Avira. Maybe it's foolish, but some part of her has to be sure that he's okay.

In that moment, the thought of his 'Golden Wolf' stops her from saying anything. It's the sort of romantic ideal that seems impossible to ever live up to, and she's certainly no werewolf like him. That's a thought probably best left shoved out of her mind, though. Instead, she takes a breath, and finds that smile returning slowly. "Jus'a date then. Ah think Ah can deal wi' tha. Jus' so long as it doesnae come with pledges of undyin love or gettin down on one knee 'n recitin poetry." Some things, other girls might find romantic. Zia is more down to earth than that.

"As much as Ah'm quite fond of our dear mouse friend, Ah dinnae think he was exactly a good match for me." She shrugs then, seeming to set herself back at ease, even if the whole thing feels a little weird. "Ah'm not some princess te be put up on a pedestal. Ah jus... wante be me, ye know?" She bites at her lower lip, ears tucked down. The expression is a bit cute, if a little uncertain. "Well, the young gargoyle is still caught up on his lost love, 'n the mouse has moved on. So Ah guess tha sets ye first in the queue."

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
"Aye, I am indeed more the leather n' chains type." Skoll answers, touching one hand against one of the dangling links of metal and letting it sound off through the air; metal to metal, with a slight touch of melodic quality to it. "Robes are way too stuffy, especially during the summers." The wolf twitches his tail a bit more at her, threatening to bap her again, but keeps his tail close enough to him. "And next time - I'll think about it. But what kind of mysterious wolf would I be if I don't trick a 'lass' once in a while." There's that sly grin of his again.

The youth then concentrates for a little while on the food at hand, wanting to make sure things don't get burnt. He remembers from the Bacon Fest that Zia likes meat just the way Hati and he like it. Perhaps a tad more toasty. "Just a date." He repeats after her and chuckles as she mentions reciting poetry. "Sorry, this wolf is no good with poetry, though I can do pledges if need be." He admits.

The wolf sways his head a little, as if bopping to some invisible song, clearly still in a good mood. "I just want you to be you. What's the point to being someone or ~ something ~ else?" Skoll comments. He happens to glance back at her as she shows that cute expression, and softly bites his lower lip in reply. In regards to the queue - he's not entirely sure what to say for now.

Just a date.

Zia has posed:
There is something musical about the sound of the chains when Skoll moves. He might be a wolf, but he isn't exactly stealthy. Still, the sound they make reminds her of bells. This time, as his tail comes closer, she just blows puff of air at it, sending the fur ruffling around it. "Maybe the kind a lass could depend on rather than always wonderin when the next time he's goin te show his great fluffy head."

Her head remains on her balled-up cloak, the glow of the burners offering a little light againt the dwindling moon and starlight. Luckily, both of them have good nightvision. "Well, ye can wait on the pledges of devotion for later." She muses, tail swaying slightly against the blanket. "Ah'll take the food, though." After the long trip, her stomach is more than a little anxious for a meal. After years of scrounging, she's learned how to get by with hunger, but she's certainly the type where one could say the way to her heart is through her stomach. Well, at least partially.

"Ah guess, sometimes people expect ye te be somethin. Like Percival callin me a princess, or Faruja seein me as some pale beauty of the night." For all of her fondness for the mouse, sometimes he did take things a bit overboard, and his initial crush on her was no different than his fervor for his god. "When people see ye like tha, ye dinnae want te let them down. Especially when people thought Ah was the Princess of Heart for our world." She watches him cook, not seeming too nervous, even if he might be.

"Ah'm nae usedte havin friends. Ah dinnae want te let anyone down. 'N Ah keep havin these strange dreams, even when Ah was in stone sleep." She lets her eyes close for a while. The crystal's power returning meant that she might forgo the 'curse' of stone, but it didn't mean that she couldn't be exhausted after a while. Or that she wouldn't feel tired close to dawn.

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
"Can always call me." Skoll points out chipperly. "Though I hope that my 'dependency' will rise when this damn thing comes off." He grab for the collar, wrapping his fingers around it and pulling a little on it, making the thing rattle and throw around a few arcs of static against this fingers. He takes his time to let go. He's not trying to wrest it off, so it doesn't 'punish' him. His tail twitches a little due to her blowing at the fur.

"Food it is!" He follows this up with and puts some of the prepared fine beef onto a set of proper ceramic plates and offers it to her along with a fork and knife made... of the tiniest winding chains, soldered together. It's quite impressive to look at. But they have to be a real /pain/ to wash clean!

Zia continues to explain the who deal with Percival and Faruja, and Skoll can immediately relate. "I understand that feeling." He explains. "But nobody is perfect. You are who you are - that's how it is. Right?" The youth shrugs his shoulders a little, and continues to note that: "Friends are there even if you don't quite reach where they hope you reach."

"Strange dreams?" Skoll then adds. "Like what?"

Zia has posed:
The answer Skoll gives is a simple enough one. Why hadn't she just called him? Maybe because she'd lived her life without ever having to really use a telephone, and as easy a technology as it might be, it doesn't mean she trusted it absolutely. What if someone else got a hold of it and pretended to be him? Yet, she'd come all the way out here on just a text message. It sends a cold feeling down her spine. "Ah jus feel safer wi' face te face. Harder for someone te pull the wool over yer eyes." Her ears tilt back a little, but her blue eyes are serious enough.

Zia sits up when the food is finished, taking the plate in her lap and examining the utensils curiously. "Ye made these?" She asks, but then starts in on the meat. This girl isn't the sort to let a good meal go to waste. Eating quietly for a time, the gargoyle seems to be thinking over the events of recent past, nodding to herself. Friends did come, no matter what. The fact so many people were willing to go to hell and back (literally) for Avira proved as much.

After finishing a bit, Zia bites at her lower lip, looking at him with a puzzled expression. "Usually it's fallin. M'wings dinnae work 'n there isnae anythin Ah can do te stop m'self." She stabs the fork into her dinner, "There's Heartless, 'n Valen, 'n you and the others." And fire... She doesn't want to talk about the way that fire had worked it's way into her dreams. Sometimes it was at her call, other times it raged and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

"Ah never used te dream aboot things like tha." With a moment of hesitation, she pushes the meat around her plate, thoughtfully. "Used te dream aboot open skies... freedom. Ne'er anythin like this."

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
"Yeah, I can understand that. I've always prefered face-to-face meetings myself." He admits. "I guess I've simply gotten a bit more used to the presence of these things." He taps his pocket to indicate where he is keeping his phone right now, and what is being spoken about. Things had been far different in the past of course; amongst his people, things had always been very person. One on one. Howling if one needed another over long distances. Or running.

Running had always been nice. But now, running had gotten a bad connotation. Something he hopes will leave it soon.

Zia's follow-up question on the utensils snap him out of the moment of thought. Yeah. Took a bit of work - but really, anything can be made with chains as long as you have small enough ones. Or... big enough - depending on how you look at it." The youth finishes off the meat that is currently on the metal plate and moves it all onto their respective ceramics.

It's been a while since he's truly sat down and ate. Indeed, the last time was when he'd taken Avira out on a date- but he doesn't comment on this. Instead, he gears his attention towards Zia's tale of her dreams. "Oh, I get a special mention?" he teases her, pointing a fork of his own at her before using it to spear some of the meat and biting at it. It's melt-in-your-mouth soft.

"Are there any times that your dreams stop being so... dreadful?" He asks, looking at her pushing her meat around the plate.

Zia has posed:
"Well, before all this happened, the most Ah ever really got out te talk te people was te order some food for delivery, or te talk te folks online who ne'er had a clue who Ah was or wha Ah was." Skoll, thus far, has been the only one to even see Zia wearing glasses, and it's not too far a stretch from there to imagining her in front of a computer. The gargoyle chuckles then, the butterflies in her stomach making her a little shy. "Seems really silly now, but back then... Ah was just scared of everythin." Her eyes look towards him, and she offers him one of those faint, true smiles.

They really had come a long way, but she can't help but feel like there is so much still more to come. Without thinking about it, Zia accepts the refill on meat, laying back so that she can prop herself up on her cloak and eat with her legs sprawled out over the blanket.

"Aye. Ye get te play the part of the narrator." She smirks then, twirling a bit of meat around on the end of her fork before eating it. "Ah suppose tha makes ye the man of m'dreams, or maybe m'nightmares." A little shiver runs through her that has nothing to do with cold. The image of Valen standing there, blaming her. "Usually, yer in a good light in m'dreams, though." She stops, and looks away then, "Except for a few times. Whenever ye disappear for a long time, Ah tend te get these terrible ones. Keep seein tha witch hurtin ye 'n..."

She trails off then, shaking her head and just trying to focus on eating. "Wha boot ye, lad? Dream aboot chasin yer tail?" There's that humor again, trying to disarm her own feelings of apprehension.

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
Computers are an invention that still confounds Skoll at times. He can barely believe what kind of things the phones do. Yet in all of his travels, he's seen the wonders of the computer time and time again. And as such, thanks to posters and people talking, he is at least at the fringes of knowledge that he knows of the 'nerd' stereotype. Ordering in food for delivering - talking to people behind the veil of the internet. He understands it. Yet to him, it feels so... impersonal. Much like phones; albeit who'd know, with the amount he uses it right now.

"I've seen bits and pieces. I've heard things. I know why you were scared then - and I would say that you had every right to be." He explains. "But perhaps, now that Manhattan has been exposed to the worlds beyond, people might have changed for the better." He hopes it is so.

The werewolf settles back and truly relaxes against the stoney ground as he continues to eat, enjoying his food - not scarfing it down like she might have seen him do in the past.

"The narrator you say?" He asks. "Do I at least make for a good narrator, or is this more like one of those so called 'B movie' narratrs?" It's impossible for Skoll not to see this at least in 'some' bright way. It's rare for him to concentrate on the negativities of a situation. "Oho, the man of your dreams now. Well, I don't know... those are some mightily big shoes to fill. Or... whatever Gargoyles wear." He looks at her feet. "Big... footprints to fill?" He attempts. "Still, a good light - that's good." He even gives her a thumbs-up.

But then she goes on to tell of other times in which he... disappears. "Don't you worry. We'll get rid of this collar, and then things can go back to normal." He knows things aren't as easy as that. But sometimes it is easier for everyone if one assumes it is.

"Oh, my dreams?" He then adjusts, quickly finishing one of the nice pieces of meat. "Me? Well, chasing tail is certainly part of it all." He grins at her and gives her a little nudge to the arm with his elbow. "But more seriously. I have my share of nightmares at times. There's much of my past that resurfaces. I've done things without wanting to - things beyond my control. And the regrets I have. But most of the time I dream of better things. Like that one dream in a world made of bacon..." See his eyes glaze over and his tongue stick out a little. Any moment now, and he'll start drooling.

Zia has posed:
While there were many displaced humans who might have come to understand the compassion and kindness of other races, there are some things that run quite deep. In her mind's eye, Zia can still see the rock that one of the men had thrown at her after she'd sung to the gathered refugees. The sting of it had reminded her all too well how hard it was to change minds. "Ah dinnae think it will be tha easy. The humans of m'world could barely deal wi' each other wi'out resorting te wars 'n fightin. Ah dinnae have any idea how they'll do wi' entire worlds full of creatures so unlike them."

The biggest difference for her, is that even if the humans remain scared of her kind, Zia now had the courage to stand against whatever they could throw at her. She wasn't a child anymore, and though she still was afraid from time to time, she'd learned to deal with that fear. She continues to eat while he ponders about dreams, her tail swaying slightly. "It's yer usual voice, but a bit more powerful. Ye know, as Ah imagine it'd be if ye werenae always such a goofball all the time." The light tease is followed by a waggle of her fork in his direction.

"Gargoyles dinnae were shoes. 'N ye couldnae hope te fill any gargoyle's footprints. Ye make yer own pawprints, 'n tha's fine enough." Gargoyle or not, Skoll was her friend, and she cared about him more than she could say for many others in her life. She smiles at the nudge to her shoulder, shifting to lean a little agaisnt him. It's companionable, and affectionate, her usual lack of shyness when it comes to being near. "If ye drool on me, Ah'm goin te fork ye in the tail." She warns as his eyes glaze over.

"Havenae dreampt about a world of food since Ah was scroungin on the streets, though. Now, it's usually other things."

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
"I don't know. I just want to hope that things will work out for the best really." Skoll admits, looking at the horizon as the starts start to be blinded out by the light that has begun to show in the far distance. He's had similar experiences at times - people who are afraid of the big bad wolf. But he has the ability to be 'human' - or at least mostly human - when he needs to be. Zia has no such luck. She is what she is. "Look on the bright side of life and all that."

No! Nooo! No singing!

The werewolf finishes the food he has on his plate while he listens to Zia further explain his presence in her dream, nodding his head once in a while to show that he's listening to her. "I'm not always a goodball." Skoll comments in between all of it, sticking his tongue out at her and poking his finger at her 'jousting fork'.

He then finally agrees; "Oh I know. I do just that. Make my own prints." After all, he's always carved his own path. It's only as of late that he's let others get so close to him. He adds, to show his friendship; "But I don't mind walking besides yours."

The wolf remains leaned towards Zia as she leans in against him, and moves one hand to the ground behind her back so he can support himself in this posture.

"I'll try not to drool on you." He points out, and then grows a little quiet again. Dreams. His dreams have changed. Always in flux. But...

"There's one dream that of course always stays with me. That of the Golden Wolf."

Zia has posed:
"Aye." Zia murmurs, but she pushes her food around her plate again, as if it mimiced her sorting out her thoughts in her own mind. Her distrust of humans goes quite deep, and while she has learned to trust a good number of them, they still are creatures that she is wary of by nature. "Ah suppose Ah'll give them the benefit'a the doubt, but... nae holdin m'breath for the human race of m'world te have a total change of heart." She states with a shrug.

Thankful that there's no singing, especially as it might be something dragged out of Monty Python, Zia relaxes to finish the rest of her food, watching the light as it starts to creep over the horizon. She's not going to comment about his 'not always being a goofball' since he proves the point enough without her saying a word. She does raise an eyebrow and give him a bemused look, though.

A bit of color finds her cheeks when he talks about walking beside her, and a bit more-so when he ends up leaned in against her. Stupid wolf having to mention this as a date, now she's feeling all shy and nervous and unsure about how to handle everything. As much as she tells herself to relax, there's that fuzzy feeling in her chest that she's having trouble dealing with. "Jus' dinnae step on m'feet." She notes, trying to diffuse her uncertainty again.

And then he has to go mentioning his wolf. She had only really come to know about that whole destiny thing of his recently, and even now the gargoyle isn't sure what to make of it. It reminded her of her father's stories, about how he and her mother fell in love at first sight. Zia's ears tip back slightly, and her head just leans in against his leg. "Do ye think she's really out there somewhere?"

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
Ahh, those rosey cheeks and that cute nervous behavior. Skoll isn't actually paying too much attention to how awkward she might be in this position. He's actaully fairly comfortable. But then, the werewolf has always had this way with adapting fast to situations. His gaze remains on the coming sun on the horrizon. "I won't." He responds to her comment about stepping on her feet. It's such a simple answer, but it's the only thing he can think of at this moment.

This very strange moment.

It's Zia's question that finally causes him to look back at her and observe her further. "Yeah. I think she's really out there somewhere." He answers her. The werewolf then looks out towards the sun again and reaches his hand towards it... and closes his hand 'around' the light in the distance.

"I just need to reach out for her." Skoll shifts a little, and inadvertantly his other hand touches against hers in that typical movie kind of way.

Zia has posed:
The rising sun has always transfixed Zia from the first moment that she saw it without the urge to fall into stone sleep. Even now, the light shows in her pale eyes. There is still that shiver that runs through her, though. Even with the crystal that protects her, her body still feels the shift from one to the other, if only in that split second.

What breaks her reverie is the feeling of Skoll's fingers on her own. The gargoyle blinks, then looks at his hand with a quizzical tilt of her head. Her expression remains uncertain as she shakes her head, "Skoll, Ah'm nae..." She starts to say, but then just lets out a soft sigh and lays her head back against his leg.

He had to know that she couldn't be the one he's looking for, right? There was no love-at-first-sight spark. The truth is, he'd chased Avira far moreso than her only to find that she wasn't his wolf, either. It has that feeling of being put up on a pedestil again, compared to something she can't ever hope to achieve.

"Skoll... Ah dinnae want te be yer wolf, or a princess, or an angel or wha'ever else people see." She pushes herself up then, sitting with her legs tucked under herself, glancing at him only fleetingly. "All Ah want is someone te see me." He said it would be okay, and now this...

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
"I know." Skoll answers the girl. "I know..." The chances that Zia was his Golden Wolf... how minute. Right? "You are Zia. You are the 'alabaster gargess'." He uses that last word in the mildest of jest of the Burmecian who'd called her as such. But the description isn't off in the least. She's pale white, and as such, a pure looking beauty. Even if she isn't actually that pure on the inside.

Neither is he.

"As I said. You are what you are. Even if I met the Golden Wolf... it is just that. A title. I have no expectations. It's just... the dream. To find the person fate determines is for me..." The werewolf lets out a little sigh, before he looks towards Zia. "Maybe I'll never meet them." Hati had told him he couldn't just keep chasing that ideal, forgoing everything else.

"So instead... I will live in the 'now', instead of chasing them without respite." He lets the girl sit up to get more comfortable. Physically and emotionally.

"It's nice... to have stopped chasing. I've... done so much more than I had in my past. I've met some amazing people. Including you - Zia."

Zia has posed:
"Pssh." Zia shakes her head at the whole 'alabaster' thing, unable to keep herself from rolling her eyes at the reference to a certain letter of poetry. "Ye should have seen m'mum. She was far more striking." It's a diversion, but after spending so many years by herself, the girl isn't quite used to such things and sometimes the compliments can be a little overwhelming.

"Ye've got time, Skoll." Zia murmurs then, letting her eyes look over at him fully again. "We've got time." This second part is added on, and she shrugs slightly, the tip of her tail twitching before it curls up around her feet. "Ah dinnae know much aboot fate, but Ah do know tha we play a part in it. We choose wha fate we accept for ourselves."

Her thumb moves over one of his fingers in an absent gesture, "We'll figure it out one way or the other." Zia doesn't have much else to say on the matter of the Golden Wolf, but she does shift over to lean against his shoulder. Getting this close means letting down her guard, letting someone in.

"Thank ye... for the dinner 'n for the sunrise." Not that he really had much to do with the later, but this had been his plan all along.

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
Skoll doesn't know what to say to Zia's comment about having seen her mom at first. After all, from what he understands, she is no more. And he can't offer the Oblivion Castle for such things, as - although he'd been there once - he doesn't know how, or even why things happened with him and Avira in that manner.

"I would have loved that." Skoll decides to say, showing respect for her parents. He looks down at her and looks into her eyes when she looks over to him again. He has time. Yes, time is something he has in plenty. But to add to it that 'they' have time - that brings a little broad and fanged smile to his face. "Yes... that we do."

Skoll moves with the girl as she shifts, touching his fingers against hers when she rubs her thumb over his. Kind of instinctive, he ends up holding her hand. And when she finally leans her head to his shoulder, he moves his other hand against her waist furthest away from him. It's a natural gesture.

"You're welcome." Skoll whispers, and then adds; "Any time..."