Rooftop Meetings

Rooftop Meetings
Date of Scene:	18 October 2012
Location:	Fluorgis - Rooftops
Synopsis:	Faruja and his companions startle Zia by teleporting onto the rooftop she'd claimed as her perch.
Cast of Characters:	Faruja Senra, Zia, Synestria

---

Faruja Senra has posed:
"So /this/ is where your little pet project is based. Amazing, Ser Senra. I'd have thought you to pick somewhere cooler." Asks a red robed woman as she walks beside Faruja, the pair shielding themselves from the mid-day's light. She seems practically dwarfed by them, thin and blonde by the curls falling from around her hood. Just as with Faruja, a cross sits about her neck. Arm in arm, the pair might be construed as lovers, were it not for the reverant tone the Burmecian responds with as they cross one of the bridges leading towards the City. Not far off, various buildings can be seen that make up restaurants, hotels, and other things for those entering the city to make use of.

"'Twas hardly my idea, M'Lady. Assuredly I would have preferred a less dry climate. However, in the end, 'tis noble Ser Seatlan's choice. Convenient, anyway, as this is where guilds...ahem, clans are recognized."

The blonde woman laughs. "Always so serious, Faruja. Calm down. In my...in /our/ line of work, a dose of humor often helps keep your head. Now come. Let us find a better view, hmm?"

A few incanted words from the woman, and the pair dissappear in a flash, only to reappear right on top of the roof of a restaurant.

"Much better, don't you agree, Faruja?"

Zia has posed:
Normally, Zia wouldn't have lingered too long in a foreign city, but thus far, she hasn't been able to figure out a way of getting back to Manhattan. The fight with the large heartless a few days ago had left her injured, and without knowledge enough of the city to find a save haven to sleep, the gargress was left with letting things heal on their own.

It isn't uncommon for her to find herself most comfortable up on rooftops, where she might find some solace from the people who call this city their home. She's crouched, chewing on a stolen bit of fruit, watching the city with her blue eyes shielded by the hood of her cloak. Of course, as fate would have it, the two arrivals seem to appear right into her reverie, startling the gargress from her own appreciation of the sights.

Luckily, they're facing the other way, at least at first, so the flinch from the sudden arrival might go unseen. Then, like a deer frozen in the headlights, the girl looks around for an escape. With a scramble of claws, she darts behind a part of the rooftop which cants upwards to a point, instinct telling her that it is probably a good idea to avoid people who obviously have some sort of magic.

Ears slicking back, the gargress seems to focus far more of her attention on escape than she does on self-preservation, because she's left behind a small sack full of stolen fruit. Zia curses her mistake silently, hoping her movements had gone unnoticed.

Faruja Senra has posed:
The red-robed human certainly doesn't hear the stealthy gargess. And indeed, Faruja himself likely would not have noticed, where it not for the sack of fruit. An ear tilts as something falls, and his training kicks in. Spinning about, he sweeps his spear from his back, and slams the butt of it on the 'floor' of the rooftop as he stands between sound and robed-woman. "Who goes there!?" He calls out, red eye glancing about just in time to catch sight of a retreating robed person...is that a flash of tail he sees? Spotting the sack and one fruit that's so happened to roll out of it, the Burmecian can put two and two together.

"Wait! Pray, halt, Ser or Lady! In the Lord's name we mean you no harm!"

Still wary, the ratling nevertheless approaches the fallen sack and picks it up with his tail. The woman, now having noticed, keeps one hand within her robes.

"You forgot something." She calmly states, as imploringly as she can.

Synestria has posed:
Even while the Burmecian and his escort is focusing partly upon the robed one that has retreated, the sounds of jingling can be heard coming closer to those who have sensitive hearing. However, those without said hearing won't hear it until the one who is walking is within a few feet.

"Greetings Templar Senra." The woman says as she closes, before she looks in the direction Faruja and his lady friend are.....keeping quiet afterwards.

Zia has posed:
The sudden shout from the guardian is enough to draw Zia's ears down, causing the girl to duck her head. Why did she /always/ seem to manage to choose the wrong rooftops? Even if the two voices seem to change their tones fairly quickly, that initial shout is enough to make her more than a little wary. "If... ye mean nae harm, then why are ye brandishing tha spear a' me." Certainly she can't actually /see/ it from where she's hiding, but it wouldn't have been hard to hear the clunk of it on the rooftop.

Carefully, the hooded creature looks out from her hiding place, eyeing the bag of food that is now being held by the Burmecian. Her eyes do one of those long 'looking you up and down' sort of things, but not in the rude sort of way. Those blue eyes just look... as if they have never seen such a creature before. "If ye toss tha back over here, ah'll just take it an' go. Didnae think tha a roof would be so popular a place this time 'o day."

Then, as if to prove her point, another voice chimes in nearby, and the gargress ducks back again. Oh, she's seriously considering just taking off and abandoning the food, regardless of how little coin she has left to replace it.

Faruja Senra has posed:
Once more, the rat blesses his hearing as he turns to regard Synestria. A smile briefly comes to his muzzle. "M'Lady Synestria, Lord bless." He offers before putting the rest of his attention on the gargess. Poor flighty person! It seems they gave a fright.

When the Gargess speaks, the ratling curses himself. Taking a moment to appraise the situation, he returns the look, though gets precious little thanks to the cloak. Finally, he lets go of the spear, letting it fall. "Forgive me. Hardly did we expect anyone to be upon the roof...'tis not a habit of most humans here. Paranoia. The Lady beside me is my charge, you see."

The red robed woman stays silent, still smiling, as Faruja takes up the bag with his claws instead. Looking within again, he holds it up, before tossing it right over.

"Temple Knight Faruja Senra, of the Church of Glabados. This is..." The taller woman places her hand on the ratling's shoulder, silencing.

"I'm Priestess Adrastia, of the same. May we help you in any way, my Child? Forgive Faruja here. Knight such as he so often are ones to take action at a moment's notice. Sometimes without pondering the consequences." At that, Faruja winces, but manages to not comment.

"And /this/, is Lady Synestria. An acquaintance. As the Lady Priestess says, we mean no harm. Indeed, as servants of the Lord, we are at your service as fellow children of the divine." At that, the Burmecian offers Zia a low bow.

Synestria has posed:
"Sometimes, despite how harmless someone seems, one must be ready for someone desparate enough to lunge for an attack, even against a fully armored knight." Synestria says softly to the cloaked woman. "Most are usually more wary when someone wears a cloak to hide their features, and what they wear. Most fear the unseen, or the unknown.......however." She takes one of the apples from the bag......and sets it in a spot equidistant to the cloaked woman and Faruja and his princess......then backs away. "A gesture to show we mean no harm."

Zia has posed:
The sound of the spear being set down is enough to bring another peek from the gargoyle, who looks between the three quickly. Two humans, and a walking rat who looks like something out of a comic book - this is just her lucky day. Even as the knight gives his introductions, she still looks as if she might just take off at any moment, even if it seems that there aren't many means of escape up here - at least if you don't have telportation magic like they had just used.

When the bag is tossed her way, Zia is quick to scoop it up. Her eyes flash away, but then back again as the offer of help is set there. "M' kind dinnae have names, but... ah suppose ye could call me Zia if ye so wished." Her acent is strange, definitely not the sort of thing to be heard around these parts, although it might be familiar to anyone who has met a certain ice-cream selling duck in Traverse Town.

"Ye'll havetae excuse me, but ah dinnae know this Lord ye speak of. If he's anythin like the 'lords' the humans worship in m world, then ah'll take yer kindness and be gone. Ah'm nae wings put on display as some proof against evil spirits." Wings - the appendages shift beneath her cloak slightly, visible as she moves around, eyeing that apple that Synestria placed down, but still seeming more likely to leave than go after it.

"Humans do nae take kindly te my kind where ah come from. So sometimes a little bit o' subterfuge is necessary." Her eyes snap from the apple to the woman who placed it there, and then over to the knight.

Faruja Senra has posed:
Rat and Priestess listen quietly, both mirroring slight frowns. Faruja's vanishes into a hint of displeasure, otherwise trying to seem as neutral as possible. The Priestess assumes a soft smile. "Such suspicion of a humble Priestess and her guard? My poor, dear girl. I don't know what trials you have faced, but it seems they have clawed and torn at your soul. I know nothing of your world. But any who come before the servants of the Church of Glabados in Faith and good heart are welcomed. However...she is correct. Have you not seen the many peoples of this world? Why, look at dear Knight Senra. He and I are as Brother and Sister, a bond deeper than flesh, deeper than blood! The Church of Glabados will not turn you away, my Child." Adrastia attempts.

Faruja nods. "Well met...Lady Zia. Indeed, please, have no fear. We have no intention of questioning your methods, or harming you. Pray you, I mean no insult...but is such kindness offered freely to be thrown aside so easily when you are of means as your own? Before the Heavenly Father and Holy Son do I swear, should it be within my power, I would assist a fellow child of Faram such as yourself." He pauses a moment, then shakes his head. "But the decision, M'Lady, is yours. You hardly seem a child, after all. Mmm, but Lady Synestria has a point. Perhaps, remove the cloak? Certainly the heat is unsightly enough, and I admit, wings are most oft the gift of angels alone! I believe such hiding of one's features is utterly unnecessary in this town."

Synestria gets a smile from the pair, and a nod. Go team~

Synestria has posed:
Synestria smiles a bit to the one beneath the cloak. "I understand your need for subterfuge more than you realize, Zia. However, the heat out here is somewhat more bearable if you do not have a cloak on." However, she does notice the appendages under the cloak, and she smiles. "If you can fly, you're a lot better than I am. I cannot fly, as much as I'd like to."

Zia has posed:
The gargress simply looks at the three of them for a time, her blue eyes shadowed by the cloak. "Ah'm nae lookin fer a church, yers or any others. All ah'm tryin te find out is wha is happenin to m' world and all these others." She motions her hand out towards the horizon. Like with most worlds, things had changed in this one, and she is none the wiser for the reasons. "Ah've seen the Heartless, but ah dinnae understand what is causin all this." A worried expression passes her features, "Most o' m' world has vanished, except for Manhattan, an' ah'm not too keen on blinkin out of existance with the rest of o' it."

Ever so cautiously, the gargress reaches up with talon-tipped digits and pulls back the hood of her cloak. "Ah'm nae a child, nae of Faram or otherwise." She does hesitate, though, seeming unsure about this whole interaction. "The last priest of any church tha ah met, killed m' father an did far worse te me." It's hard to imagine what might be 'worse' than that, but the gargoyle presses on anyways. "But if ye know the way back to Manhattan, or anythin about the Heartless, ah'd certainly be much obliged."

Faruja Senra has posed:
Adrastia closes her eyes at the news of what happened to Zia's father. She crosses herself, pity and empathy crossing her face as she gazes upon the de-hooded Gargess.

"Then our assurances mean nothing. For what it is worth, Miss Zia, I shall pray for you and your dear departed. Murder is a crime that goes against the very spirit of the Holy Word. To this transgressor a 'Priest' is an insult to any who believe."

Faruja for his part, seems stunned into silence. A Priest, abusing this beautiful winged person? Claws scrape against the rooftop in anger. "Unforgivable." He mutters.

Still, the two aren't useless! Adrastia turns to the skyline, such as it is. "You too seek answers? We know little, unfortunately. Why they come, whether or not there is some hierarchy to who controls them? The Heartless are a mystery, but the Church works to ensure this shadow is made plain as day and removed before it swallows any more worlds. Ser Senra and I both know what it is to lose one's home."

With a squeaking snort, Faruja pulls out a bundled scroll. Slowly walking closer, he offers it to Zia.

"A map, M'Lady. It should point you to 'Manhatten'. Or near as we can tell at any rate. It should be accurate enough. And...should you change your mind, seek me out at the Shard Seeker's headquarters...ask around, it would not be hard to find. Friends. Good ones. If necessary, I can implore them to put you up for a night or two before you leave to your home." A pause, and a smile.

"And they are not of the Church, if it comforts you."

The rat raises his unburnt brow, turning to Synestria. "Ahh, 'Tis a joy to fly, or so my dear friend Arista tells me! One thing to ride upon the back of a creature, but to fly under one's own Lord-given power? I should like to turn purple with envy!"

Synestria has posed:
"However, they ARE being controlled by someone. I happened to be taking a look at something called a 'Colliseum' a couple of days ago, when someone was talking to one of the champions that were there. This person started babbling on about pure hearts, before she summoned a dragon made of dark energy from a portal. A woman named Avira, and a Gargoyle named Deidra assisted me in trying to take down this summoned monster, but in the end, we only chased it, and it's master, off." She then shrugs. "I'm pretty sure they're not part of the church you speak of, Templar."

Zia has posed:
It is perhaps to their credit that neither the ratling or his priestess continue to try to convince her to fall under the protection of the church, "T'was long ago. A different world, a different church." The gargress replies, shaking her head slighly from side to side. Her expressive ears tilt down slightly, drawn so by the darker memories of her past. "But be wary. Nae every world looks upon creatures who arenae human with kindness. If ye ever find yerself in Manhattan, Temple Knight Faruja Senra, ye may be the one who needs a cloak to keep yerself hidden." Strangely, she uses his whole title, just the way that he had introduced himself. Names are not her strong point, it seems.

When he offers out the map to her, the gargress takes it, unrolling the scroll to look it over briefly. "It is nae yer church tha ah distrust, but humans in general." Her eyes flash towards both Synestria and Adrastia in turn, "Nae offense meant te ye both. Years of bad blood die hard." She grows quieter then, studying the map as she listens to the woman's tale of what happened at the colliseum.

Her eyes look up at the mention of another gargoyle, but for the most part, Zia remains impassive, head slightly tilted with a hint of curiousity. "Ah know they can be controlled. Ah've seen it with m' own eyes." She's not about to out Skoll's ability to dissuade the Heartless, but at least she can confirm that much. "This will be o' help te me, though. An' ah might see about those Shard Seekers o' yers." She pauses, looking at the knight. "Perhaps in return, ah could lend ye a bit of magic sometime, te give ye a chance at seein wha it's like fer yerself. Flight, that is."

Faruja Senra has posed:
Faruja narrows his eye at the mention of the Colliseum. "Fools! To allow such? The world...nay, worlds in danger, and they allow the summoning of Heartless for sport? Bah!"

Snort! "Quite! A breach of heavenly law so bold is not within the soul of a member of the Church's spiritual guides!" The rat practically spits back, fur partially on end. For her part, Adrastia just shakes her head.

"Faruja, calm yourself child." The rat goes stiff, before coughing.

"At once, Lady Priestess."

Faruja nods to Zia, warming up a touch. "Entirely understandable...ahh, apologies, Ladies." Cough. Adrastia waves a hand.

"Both, please, stop. None taken, I assure, I know all too well how my kind can be. Guiding them /away/ from such ignorance is the job of a Priestess." The pair look at one another, before bowing together at Syn and Zia.

"M'Lady Zia, 'twould be the greatest honor! A mage, hmm? There is a saying about appearances, but it escapes me at the moment. At any rate, yes. Ask for Reize Seatlan, Ivo Galvan, or Shiki Misaki. Tell them Faruja sent you."

Adrastia looks to Synestria. "Mmm, you saw it yourself? If you would...I should like to meet with you. Get a description of the woman...that sort of thing. For the moment, Faruja? Come, let us go. I'm eager to meet your friends."

Faruja salutes. "Of course. Lady Zia, Lady Synestria, by your leave. Be careful, both of you. Shadow lurks even in the brightest light, these days. Faram protect us all!" In a flash, the pair are gone! Gotta love Time Magic.