Important VALKYRI Business

Important VALKYRI Business
Date of Scene:	01 December 2012
Location:	Wildkat Cafe
Synopsis:	Maira and Avira haven't had the time for a heart to heart chat lately. So they make time and thus have many different subjects to touch upon!
Cast of Characters:	Avira, Maira

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Maira has posed:
Scheduled catch up time. Things had become so busy as of late, they really did need to schedule it! So Maira is meeting at the arranged time at the Wildkat cafe, a cup of tea in her hands and a plate with some crumbs from the scones she devoured recently sitting before her on the table as she waits for Avira to arrive. Uist is hovering nearby enough that if there were trouble he'd be there, but enough to at least let Maira think she had some privacy.

She looks out the window, pensive as she reaches toward her tea. She's dressed in jeans and a navy blue hooded sweatshirt from the Gap, though she doesn't exactly know what Gap that's suppose to be...weird Manhattan stuff, but it sure is comfortable!

Avira has posed:
Avira had not fathomed things would become THIS busy. It seemed that everywhere she turned, they were running off to hunt a mark or learn a thing or defend a city. It was a good sign, because that meant business was good! But at the same time, Avira did found VALKYRI for the purpose of giving herself and other wanderers of the world to have a group of friends to fall back on and just...talk with. Like normal people once in a while.

The huntress is on time and looking like she's in a good mood. Not even the awful maid-related rumors about VALKRYI can keep her down! Once she strolls in the cafe, it actually takes her a moment to spot Maira since she's decked out in New York clothing!

"Not bad." Avira remarks as she slides into the seat across from Maira. "You'd definitely fit in with the rest of Manhattan in that. Daring rescues and expeditions into sewers aside, how have you been?"

Maira has posed:
Maira looks up when Avira arrives, smiling widely. For a split second there was a knot of worry clinging to the memory of Avira coming at her with her sword, but it is gone in a flash. Consciously, she knows she doesn't have to fear Avira. She's quite pleased to see her NOT in trouble or being humiliated, etc.

Maira rises and reaches over to hug Avira tightly. "Heheh, yeah...someone gave me some clothes since, you know, I go through so many of them..." she explains.

She gives her friend a squeeze then re-takes her seat. "I've been uh....well, busy! Heh. It's been a long time since we could really talk huh? I feel like I've missed a lot and I'm not even sure where to start! Actually, I know! What happened that Morrighan and Kaydin decided to capture you to Baron. He said you did something to her, but I'm not terribly inclined to believe him," she replies, her expression going a little sour at his mention.

Avira has posed:
Part of Avira still feels quite bad about attacking Maira too. She'd have to make it up to the mage, somehow. But from what Avira could tell, Maira still trusted her.

Avira returns the tight hug over the table. "I've noticed. Aerith...she said she'd be helping you with your magic, right? Hopefully we can devise a way to keep the fire from burning your belongings. Or some fire-proof material..." Uh oh, seems she hasn't been filled in on the efforts to craft Maira something fireproof.

A gentle smile forms on Avira's face, "It's true, we haven't had a moment to just /talk/ lately, it's almost maddening how busy we've all become. Though...about that..." the huntress sighs, "Well I did do something to Morrighan. I fought her, as she was a part of the invasion forces Baron sent against Balamb Garden. We engaged each other on the battlefield and after realizing my magic was too weak to really hurt Morrighan in any way, I resorted to getting...physical."

Another, perhaps overly dramatic, sigh follows. "Apparently this was some sort of grave insult and now that horrible elf harbors a deep grudge against me!

Maira has posed:
Maira nods at mention of Aerith, her smile warm. "Yes, she's been helping me. Hopefully, I get gain better control...and yes, something fire-proof. It's in the works! Ivo has been working on it. He just took my--" pause. Remember. Go boiled lobster red. "--Measurements."

Maira bites her lip. She had done a piss poor job of following Avira's warning about Ivo. Right, but...uh...other talk! "But...you do both, why would it be an insult to--Ugh. Whatever. That woman is crazy and she won't be taking you again! I'm beginning to think everyone in Baron is batty--er, except Sarafina who is...kind of literally batty with the wings and all..." Maira waves this all off then.

"So! So so so....I tried to get info out of Angantyr, but he's kind of...you know...what's this clan he speaks of? How do you know him? Are you and him together?" she asks, eyes widening a little.

Avira has posed:
That smile gradually fades as THAT SCOUNDREL!!! Ivo is mentioned. Okay, sure, it is good to hear that Maira is having some fireproof clothing made, but IVO IS DOING IT? And TAKING HER MEASUREMENTS! And making Maira embarassed!!!

She tries to calm herself, but deep within her, her rage is boiling over. Not at Maira but all at Ivo. "That is...all he took, correct?" Avira asks in a low voice. She knew he was the source of those rumors and now he was taking advantage of one of Maira's needs to put his hands all over her!

"That woman is crazy and awful and cruel. If I see her again, it will be too soon." Avira makes a face, sticking out her tongue. "Ahh, yes, Angantyr, he told me he came upon you being harassed by Kaydin and stepped in. He's a member of Clan Dagda like I am. We're clanmates and he-"

Avira stops suddenly, as if struck, "...together? As in a relationship? No, we're just close. He taught me how to use a weapon and he was part of the party that found me out in the grasslands."

Maira has posed:
Maira looks down, a bit ashamed for a moment. She'd let herself get into the situation. "Yes that's all he took, though he was going to teach me to swim--anyway...I went there on my own, so don't be too angry with him. He's just..." she trails off, now sure where she is going with this as she remembers the way his hands had tightened on her when surprised. UGH! But then she remembers the way he defended her when Katyna had gotten a little too patronizing for Maira. Not that she meant to hurt her, but it had, and Ivo had defended her. "You know...I don't think he's as bad as you think. I think maybe...he sort of hides behind all that....Ivo-ness." Could she be right?

She lets Avira speak about Angantyr, listening with undisguised interest. "Oooh...I see. Well, that's cool! Yeah--Kaydin was being...he was being a real jerk that day. Angantyr showed up and he defended me...and fought Kaydin...but I'm sure you heard that from him," she continues, a blush resurfacing. UGH. DAMN IT, FACE.

Maira tilts her head. "Found you? You know Avira, I don't think you've actually told me very much about your past."

Avira has posed:
A painful look briefly graces her scarred face. "No, I think he is." But she's listening anyway, at least so she has the scoop on what that man has been up to. All the more things to take this so-called knight to task when she finally tracks him down. "If he really was a kind person, would he have started such an awful rumor about VALKYRI? Really, we're just getting established and our reputation is already soaked with this slander." She seems kind of bitter about that. It's hard not to be since the root of it all stemmed from her inability to defeat Kaydin in combat. If she had just won that fight...!

Seems Maira's pretty curious about her clanmate. "I did. He told me all about it. Wasn't even sorry he beat that dark knight up." That blush on Maira's cheeks doesn't go unnoticed, though Avira finds herself unsure how she feels about it. If Angantyr would have known...haha, he would simply die if he found out he was being thought of as some knight in shining armor.

Avira shrugs a little, "Well up until the moment the world broke, there really is not much to tell. Terribly unexciting. But the important part is that when the Heartless came, they destroyed my part of the world. I made it through the darkness to the Giza Plains and manages to survive just long enough for Clan Dagda to find me and bring me back to civilization."

Maira has posed:
Maira sighs. She doesn't have much to tell Avira about Ivo other than her instincts and the small pieces he's shown her of something...else. Something deeper.

She blinks, remembering the rumor. "Oh, you think Ivo started that? ...That jerk," she says, looking more disappointed than angry. Its a game to Ivo, that much she knows. What the real question is, is why. Why the game. Everything has a reason.

Maira nods some, remembering back to Angantyr brutalizing Kaydin. "Yes, he is very....intense, isn't he," she remarks, thoughtful. She's not stupid, despite what Kaydin said. She knew that darkness was what the dark knight used and how dangerous it was...but...darkness was just that. Dark. Sometimes the night is dark. That doesn't necessarily mean that it is BAD. He wasn't a knight in shining armor, but he had stepped up to protect her in a fierce and loyal way that reminded her quite fondly of something Uist would do if he had the capacity.

Doesn't hurt that he's tall, dark and handsome okay!?

Maira listens then, reaching to sip her tea as she looks across the table at Avira. "Ah...well, I'm certainly glad they were there then," she replies. Was there anything left of her own world? She doubts it.

Maira slumps a little, weighed down by the gravity of her thoughts. "Things are getting really complicated, huh?"

Avira has posed:
What probably even made it worse was Avira might really have a...thing for Ivo. She's not sure why, but the fact that his teasing bothers her so much should speak some kind of volumes about the girl. But given her own experience with men...

...it wouldn't work out. Not between them. "I think he did. At first I would have thought it to be Morrighan but the fact that Vespa was mentioned and the bit about the Shard seekers not having those 'side jobs' makes me suspicious." Avira looks up at Maira, "Believe me when I say I'm really afraid he will hurt you. Wounds caused by men are quite painful."

But eventually a small smile creeps onto her face as she discusses Angantyr, "Yeah." she sighs, "He's very intense. He's intense in just about everything he does. Though for most of the time, that is for a price. I cannot fault him for it, he needs to eat, and so do I."

Lifting a hand, she places it over her heart. "I owe my life to Clan Dagda and so I swore fealty to them. They get a cut of my earnings, even the reward I earn through VALKYRI business."

That sudden slump in mood worries Avira a little and she leans across the table. "Oh, I agree, they really are, but I think it makes things more interesting." She smiles warmly at Maira, "Not necessarily bad."

Maira has posed:
Maira has no idea Avira may have a thing for Ivo. SO COMPLICATED. That would put stress on so very many things. She nods again at the warning. "I don't...know why I don't listen Avira. I know you are trying to protect me, and someday you'll probably get to say 'I told you so'. But....I don't know," she sighs. She just doesn't know. "I'm not going to just...let him break my heart," she continues, hearing Katyna's voice; 'poor naive Maira'. Maira's shoulders square slightly. "I've got a choice in it too. I'm not just...there to be made a victim."

Complicated, complicated, complicated. "I don't like this Avira. I can hardly tell what I'm feeling. I feel...completely overwhelmed."

Consider, that a year ago Maira had one friend in the world and he was a dead guy.

Maira leans forward and rests her forehead against the table.

Avira has posed:
Luckily for Maira, Avira will deny she has anything for Ivo until the cows come home. Tsundere rage is not conductive to good relationships, sorry to say. "Oh Maira..." she sighs, "I don't want to have to say I told you so. I'd much rather you prove me wrong and reveal that Ivo really is nice deep down inside." And not a cruel jerk that takes pleasure on harassing girls and breaking their hearts! "But it makes me very happy to hear that."

Avira reaches out for Maira's hand and takes it, squeezing it tightly.

"Keep talking." Avira encourages, "Tell me what makes you feel overwhelmed."

Maira has posed:
Maira looks up at Avira's touch, reassured somewhat by the contact. She squeezes the other woman's hand and takes a deep breath. "I...well, you know...I never really had friends before. I had people who sort of put up with me, people who pitied me...but no one who paid me the sort of attention real friends do, like you and Aerith and...a lot of others now! Mercade, Faruja, Tifa, Minerva, Sarafina...and yes, Ivo...and even Angantyr who seems so dark at first...I'd call him friend."

"And yeah--the way Ivo acts...certainly no one has paid THAT kind of attention to me and I didn't really imagine..." she trails off, looking down at the table, her brow drawn together. "I didn't imagine that I would want it. I didn't realize I was....you know, lonely. But now? Now I'm just...there is so much. I don't know what to DO. I don't know what to feel. It's so frustrating!"

Avira has posed:
"It's hard getting through life without friends." Avira says quietly, hiding the fact that she speaks from experience. "It is especially hard to do so after someone has broken your heart. Fortunately, should such a thing happen, I will be here. Not to say 'I told you so' but so you have someone to talk to."

A smile grows on her face. "Angantyr is a great friend. Especially once you get to know him. Don't let his darkness scare you away. He's really nice."

Her gaze darkens a little, "Maybe Ivo knows. Maybe he knows that the lonely girls will have the most reaction." A small sigh escapes her as she looks back on her previous experience with him. "But it's important to realize that you're lonely. Which you have! It's a good way to start looking past it. Only you can sort out how you feel about all this." Avira reaches over and puts her other hand on Maira's. "Keep thinking."

Maira has posed:
Maira nods, sighing. "Yeah...but the thinking hurts," she says with a self-deprecating laugh. She doesn't think she can say any more about Ivo. She just can't think about it anymore. As for Angantyr, she smiles widely. "Yup, he's a friend now wether he likes it or not! Heh... Thanks Avira. I know you'll be here. Same for you! Goodness knows what YOU have been getting into! You've been spending a lot of time in Manhattan with Mercade...and who is the guy with the tail? He seems to know you well..." she says, eyebrows rising. Time to take the attention off herself! Hah!

Avira has posed:
Noooo, but she was doing so well keeping Maira's unresolved tension the subject! Such a thing would not last, clearly, not when Avira is trying to help Maira sort through everything. "Ha HAH. You should let him know that sometime. Angantry would certainly squirm."

"W..well, I have my reasons for being in Manhattan beyond Mercade." she says defensively. "But that guy with eh tail. That's Skoll. He's also a teacher of mine, in a way."

Maira has posed:
Maira's eyebrows climb a little higher. She may be suspecting Skoll is a sexy teacher! Or something like that!

Maira nods though, resting her chin on her hand. "Well, if you were going to get like...involved with someone, you'd tell me right? I feel like I'm missing a lot, heh. Just so much to keep up with. I've been training with Aerith a bunch...learning things about myself and about Uist. That's also...very confusing and overwhelming, heh. Anyway, you'll tell me, right?" she asks. It would seem Maira just has a fear of being left out. Likely well founded.

Avira has posed:
Skoll is definitely something. Maira would easily pick up on Avira being friendly with him during that one part of the expedition to the Labyrinth. She's not sure what to make of the look on Avira's face because of it.

"Romantically? Well, yes, I would say something but it'll be a secret you must keep. For now...I am unsure. Right now the worlds are in peril, I'm not sure I have the time to settle down with one person. All this can wait until the Heartless are no longre a theat." she pauses, "But yeah, I will tell you.

Awareness training with Aeith? (Amongst other things?) Just hearing that puts Avira at ease. "That's good, though! What have you learned?" Ho, hoo! Yes, pass the subject back!

Maira has posed:
Maira smiles, almost sagely. "Heh...yes, there are Heartless everywhere. That just makes it feel more important. What if you wait and wait and that time never comes?" she asks, shaking her head. She lets it go though. All she knows is that she has no intention of passing things up just because of Heartless. Seems like...that would be letting them win?

"Well...so far she's taught me that I need better control, and that I should practice meditating...and that I use Uist as a focus for my magic," she replies. "I'm still not entirely sure...but yeah. It makes sense...but Uist isn't just a staff or a wand or something. Uist is a person...it is simply more complicated. Maybe that is something I will never understand. I think I can do it though...control my fire better. It just...takes so much out of me. When you use your magic...you use your will to summon it, strengthen it, right? With my fire, once that spark is lit, my will mostly goes toward containing it."

Avira has posed:
Avira pauses.

She hadn't really thought about it like that. Could love blossom on the battlefield/ Would it go in in spite of peril? "I'd have to think about that." Avira says quietly. "

Thankfully, this subject is exchanged for a much better one (in Avira's humble opinion!) regarding Maira and her magic. "Interesting. So she's told you to focus on your guardian to control your magic. There must be some reason for that. I wonder what it could be..."

She smiles lightly, "Summon and strengthen. My magical talent is very small at this point and I selected ice for study since it was less dangerous. Your magic is strong...like a vast forest. Difficult to navigate safely yet very beautiful. Like you can learn to know a forest, I believe you'll learn to know your magic. I mean /really/ know."

Maira has posed:
Maira shakes her head. "Well, not exactly to rely on him as my focus...that's just what I do. That is what people in my world basically need materia for...but since I have the ability to use it without materia...we're going to focus on that."

Maira's eyes widen at Avira's comments about her magic. Really, this was a very nice thing to say. Maira had never thought of it that way. Her magic had been part of her, a dangerous part she often wished would go away.

She doesn't wish that anymore.

"Heh...thanks. See? I feel a lot better after talking to you Avira. I'm glad we made time for this. You'll keep me in the loop with what is happening in Manhattan? I like the place a lot. I want to help protect it. And Mercade is so very nice. He still owes me a ride on that chocobo. OH! And you! you need to introduce me to all these wolves! I want to meet them!"