Secrets and Flirtations

Secrets and Flirtations
Date of Scene:	22 February 2013
Location:	Traverse Area - Bodhum - Beach
Synopsis:	Evja confronts Hati about her knowledge of the Viera's true identity. Inevitably, this leads to more flirting... somehow.
Cast of Characters:	Hati, Evja

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Evja has posed:
For a change, Evja hadn't come out here with a sore back or a reason to want to relax in the hotsprings. Instead, he actually sat on the beach. The Viera was wearing an ankle-length sarong-like wrap as well as a padded top, otherwise pretty bare except the veil that he always wore. Even if it /was/ always night, he didn't seem to mind it, simply watching the water quietly while enjoying a rather large drink.

Hati has posed:
Normally, Hati is not the type to spend too long lurking in any one place except for the ruins she calls her home. There were a few people amongst various groups who might recognise her for past deeds, although few would threaten her outright. Still, the fact that she'd come to Traverse Town for the tournament shows that she's willing to risk some things in favor of even something so silly as seeing companions and comrades fight. The Judge's match hadn't yet come up on the roster, but it would happen soon enough. She had been there to see Faruja fight, and fall, though.

Surely, they had seen to his wounds, and as much as she had those strange, budding feelings for the mouse, she isn't the sort to fret when there had been no announcement of his demise. He'd lived through worse, and it's likely that as terrible as it seemed, that as most of those fighting were allies of a sort, that it hadn't been meant as a fatal blow. Still, she felt... uneasy. So, the wolf had set out, hands in the pockets of her hoodie, dressed in her usual relaxed attire, bare feet moving in the sand with her boots slung over one shoulder, tied by the laces.

Upon seeing Evja, though, the wolf girl stops for a moment. With a smirk, she creeps up, doing the stealth thing, and then moves to put her hands over the Viera's eyes before murmuring in her best mock-sultry voice, "Guess who." She's probably going to end up hit. It'll be worth it.

Evja has posed:
"!"

Suddenly, someone had grabbed him by the head. But, given they didn't try to do something like rip the mask off or tie him up, Evja hadn't gone the way of 'Punchinate' yet. Instead, he attempted to play along and think about who it might be. Probably asn't Tifa or Quistis... didn't sound like them or go along with what he thought of the two. Rinoa? Could be her.
Aerith didn't seem that forward or silly and sure as hell wasn't Pixi, didn't sound like her accent at all.

"I... am not sure. Rinoa, or... Hati, perhaps?" Those were the only two he could think of who could actually do something silly like this, and that's out of those he knew who were a) Female, and likely to be in b) Traverse.
In an attempt to find out, he reaches back with both hands towards where he imagined her head would be. One way to figure out for sure - ears or not.

Hati has posed:
Normally, Hati isn't the sort to do such strange things, but perhaps her time hanging around Katyna has started to rub off on her. From her crouch, she flinches as the Viera's hands move, and then seems to relax when they find fuzzy ears. "The later." She chuckles, and and then releases her eyes, stepping back and moving around so she can flop down onto the sad beside the judge.

"You seem to be feeling better." She notes, looking the Viera up and down. The extra padding is a new thing, but Hati doesn't seem to care one way or the other. Whatever her thoughts are on Evja's gender, the wolf hasn't really made any comment. "You're not going to put my face up on the wanted posters are you?" With a smirk, the girl shows those sharp white teeth. "wolf girl, wanted for kidnapping, assault, and drugging a Judge..." She trails off her list of 'crimes'.

"Then again, the way you came after us, I'm pretty sure I could claim self-defense. There's probably a dragon leg bone still sitting out there with bunny bite marks in it." Pause, head-tilt. "Are those any good?" Hati seems talkative today, if only because it gets her mind off of other things.

Evja has posed:
While his hands were allowed to stay, Evja did rub the ears, trying to be friendly while he could. Not that he'd normally do it but dogs liked that anyways, right? But, feeling better? Evja looked at Hati with a confused look before frowning and saying softly, "So... it /was/ you two then." Looking directly up at the sky, two hands come to rub at Evja's face before he admits, "I have trouble recalling that time in detail. All I remember is going towards the petrified forest, then waking up in Lindblum. The hotel clerk said a Burmecian and a dog girl brought me there and that is... all I remember. I am not upset, however, I promise. If anything... did I hurt either of you?"
It's here that she might notice just how concerned he seemed. "I had never had it happen to me, but I know Viera sometimes get really... out of control with extreme levels of Mist like in our home. I did not know that was anything other than fog or I would have turned back."

Hati has posed:
As stand-offish as some might believe the wolf to be, she doesn't seem to mind the touch to her ears. At least, she doesn't comment on it when she comes to sit down. "Dog-girl. Pssh." Hati rolls her mismatched eyes, "Funny how they can remember a mouse but not a wolf." Her tail swishes with mild irritation, "Then again, I suppose Lindblum would be used to his kind, not so much mine." Hati leans forward slightly, pulling her knees up. The girl's toes sink into the cool sand, feeling it between her digits.

Even if that might have answered the question, Hati nods anyways. "We sound a kill - some dragonling or something. Tracked your trail to this cave." It is some small relief that she wouldn't have yet another set of authorities chasing after her. Most of the time, Hati was never seen doing anything wrong, but there are a few instances, all years ago, that some people still hunted her over. "Well, at least you believe us. You could have always assumed that we brought you there to take advantage of you." Hati smirks then, "Then again, I think Faruja would have just passed out if I tried anything like that. And that wouldn't have been much fun."

The wolf pauses, her smirk dropping slightly at the more serious question. "Nothing too terrible. You tried to neuter the mouse with a kick of yours, but I think he'll be alright. I couldn't lay a hand on you, not until I wolfed out. Crazed Viera really are a force to be reconed with."

Evja has posed:
"..."

Evja listened quietly until the end, then looked a bit worried. "Perhaps. Though... I still feel horrible that it happened. That, and I even hurt Faruja." Then with a quick pounce Evja stood up and walked towards the water as if distancing himself from Hati. "And yes... he probably would faint. I do not think he could ever actually procreate. If the situation would come up, all the blood in his body would simply run right out of his nose."

Then the moment is broken when Evja begins giggling at the thought. "Why is he so fun to tease. I would not normally pick on any one so much, but... oh well. It is fun." It was here Evja turned and asked. "Something I noticed, though, when I awoke... was my veil was missing. Did you and Faruja see my face?"

Hati has posed:
When Evja gets up, Hati remains seated, watching the rabbit with the eyes of a wolf. Strange, how so many of those she spends time around would normally be considered 'prey' for someone like her. They are curious things for her - creatures who exist on different instincts and logic. It makes them fascinating to watch, and those eyes follow his movements. "Nothing to feel too sorry about. No real harm done. Unless you count the dragon-ling. But I'm sure it's loss fed other animals once you were gone." The wolf shrugs her shoulders, tugging her hoodie a bit closer around her arms. It isn't cold out, but the wolf isn't taking chances.

The comment about Faruja draws another of those wry smirks from Hati's features, "I don't know. I, for one, would be willing to test that theory. It could be fun." She chuckles to herself, "Besides, I think he has a /bit/ more stamina than that. I've seen him in worse states, so I doubt that a little nose bleed would be the end of him." The Templar is a glutton for punishment. "I think he's fun to tease, because he's still innocent. It's a strange thing. Part of me wants to protect that. The other wants to take advantage of it mercilessly and corrupt it in every dark way I can think of."

Hati laughs then, which suggests that she might be joking, a little, maybe. The sound cuts short when Evja asks that question, though. The wilf tilts her head, "You weren't wearing it when we found you. Why?"

Evja has posed:
Faruja's tormet gets ignored for the moment in favor of Evja saying rather simply, "I... because you know now, as does Faruja, of my secret. What I have gone out of my way to hide since I ran away from my own kind as a youth." It's there at the seas edge that he stood, turning back and forth slowly as if trying to think of what to do before he finally asks, "Please never tell anyone of it. Please... it could cause me to fight for my freedom with my own kind and I do not want that. I know it is a greedy wish, and I am willing to do whatever you ask to keep your silence on it, but..."

Taking a few steps closer, Evja kneels down in front of Hati and says softly, "You cannot tell anyone that I am a male Viera. Especially not another Viera. What will it take to have your word you will not tell anyone of it. Or have you... already done such?"
Yup, Bunny was truly terrified of others finding this out.

Hati has posed:
With Evja losing that moment of humor, Hati's own expression sombers as well. For all that she might tease at times, she can just as easily turn serious. Her head tilts, and those eyes show little real understanding at first. "You mean, because you're male?" She asks, eyes squinting slightly. Her voice is kept low, even if they are the only people on this stretch of beach tonight.

"Listen, I'm not one to judge either way. Male or Female, you are who you are. You have your reasons for choosing this, and that's fine. If this is what you want, or if this is what protects you, so be it." With an offer of a small smile, the wolf leans forward, "Come on. I'm fond of a guy who dresses in drag from time to time. I might tease him, but that's because it's silly for him. Just an act he plays up. This is the last thing I'm going to make fun of."

But then, it seems like there is more to it. "Is it really as bad as the books say? I imagine it is if you go through that much trouble to hide it." The wolf sits fairly still, although her tail twitches at her side. Her smile falters as the Viera kneels down, and her face shows that confusion again. "I don't want anything from you. It isn't..." The wolf cuts off, and then with some frustration she continues.

"No! I haven't told anyone. By the spirits Evja." This, apaprently, is a curse of some sort. Tail-thump. She reaches out her hands, placing them on either side of the Viera's face, but she doesn't move to remove the veil. "Listen to me. I don't care about what you look like, or what bits dangle between your legs or don't. This might be a guise to protect who you are, and that's fine, but I see someone who is funny, and a tease, and honestly amusing to hang around with, and not a bad kisser, might I add. Nothing else matters."

It's the same sort of frustration she has sometimes when talking to Katyna. With a sigh, Hati just leans forward and kisses the Viera's nose. "So quit it. Your secrets aren't mine to give to anyone. I wouldn't have, and I won't." With that, she releases him, then sits back, sighing to herself.

Evja has posed:
The more she talks, the guiltier Evja looks with each passing moment. Even the kiss on the nose and reassurances didn't wash away the guilt he had from asking it. Not that he wouldn't have had anything gone differently... it's still part of who he is, to try and do anything possible to hide. Hide from the other Viera, hide himself, whatever is available for hiding preferably at the moment.

"Ah... thank you. I wish you had not taken it so personally, me having asked this of you, but... I had to. I could not have known. There are only few others who know of such, among them the Judges of my home... and my past clan, who wanted me dead. However, neither would tell anyone because that would mean they lose access to me. The Judges, AND my past Clan, as they could not storm the Vieran Village where the males are without committing suicide."

Fidgeting a bit, Evja shifts and scoots forward to sit down beside Hati, facing towards her and the ocean where Hati was faced opposite, towards where he was, side by side. "Plus, I had only met you once before, not counting the other day in the mist plains, so... I admit I do not know you as well as I would like to now. Shall we change that?"

Hati has posed:
The wolf girl shakes her head at first. "It's fine." She waves it off without any real need for forgiveness. This isn't the sort of thing that truly upset the wolf. She has that thread of darkness, and even if the Evja hadn't seen much of it thus far, Hati understands all too well why people might distrust her. "The only thing I take personally is asking me if I want to blackmail you." She tilts her head in the bunny's direction, "I've done some dark things in the past, but I'm not really that sort of person. Thievery, dark magic, heresy... even assault, those are more up my alley. Blackmail? Pssh." The wolf blows air between her lips and offers a smile.

"As for Faruja, I don't think you have to worry about him, either. He's too noble to do anything that would put you in harm's way." As he comes to sit beside her, the girl just nods her head, "I'm not the most trustworthy sort on first impressions. Trying to fix that. Doesn't work as easily as you might think." Afterall, she'd been trying with VALKYRI for months now, and some of them still didn't trust her. Oh well. "So, what would you like to know?"

Evja has posed:
"I still plan on asking him to be certain. There is no way he could know unless I told him the dangers of what would come of it becoming known I am actually male. As for... what I intended to ask... I will first offer something of myself, as is only polite. But first to explain what you inquired earlier... if it was actually so bad as the books might say. I am unaware of what book you speak, but Vieran Males are /extremely/ rare, rarer yet than Albinism. They are guarded zealously and rightly so, because if it was not for this, Viera would simply die away or fade away into the other races of Jylland and Ivalice. I do not fault the Viera for this, but... it is not the life for me. I ran from this as a youth and have been in hiding since."

All the while Evja spoke, he reclined on two hands, looking out over the ocean while his ears twitched, looking around actually before he continued to speak of /him/ being a male. But, there was no one else around, so he didn't really see the problem at this point. Really, she knew, so might as well be honest and try to make something good come of it.
Sometime between speaking of Albinism and Guarding, Evja reached over to place his hand palm down on Hati's right knee, patting gently but not using the opportunity to do anything else than attempt to show he was comfortable around her again and, likely, hoped she was around him too.

Hati has posed:
It seems that even as Evja offers up some bit of his own story, Hati is considering her own. Her furred tail swishes along the sand, clearly trying to imagine such a world as the one that he must have come from. "Research from your world. There's a surprising lot of it available if you know the right people, especially here in Traverse Town. Information is a comodity that many are exploiting." She shrugs her shoulders then, leaning back slightly, head tilting to look upward at the night sky. "I'd imagine, if the males of your kind never knew any better, they'd think that's all there was to their world. But I wonder... how did you know there was more out there?"

She doesn't seem to mind the touch, although her eyes move to it briefly before she shares some part of her own tale. "It's kind of the opposite where I come from. The males are larger and stronger, so there's more of them to protect the pack, and fewer females since usually the alpha and a few select betas are even allowed to procreate." She blows out a breath, which moves the hair away from the scarred side of her face. "I was a runt. Too small to be of value, even as breeding stock, and my father just had to be the alpha." She sneers at that, then floomps back onto the sand, shifting her arms back to prop her head slightly. "So trust me, I understand all too well about wanting to get away."

Evja has posed:
"Ah."

Something causes Evja to chuckle, smiling at Hati before saying, "So with your Father as the leader, and you too small... I can understand such incidentally. Not for the same reasons, but given I almost have no interest in anything but Viera and my inability to be around other Viera due to my hiding... I do not get much chance to rub elbows with my own kind. I tend to enjoy relaxing and being flirty when I can just as a way to break the stress of not having others around. I imagine you are the same with how forward you are now?"

Evja paused and gave her a chance to answer before answering the previous question of, "As for how I knew... the womenfolk tell stories, and we have books to read. And we /can/ go out and about in the outside world, though only with escort and while dressed away for our protection. That is how I escaped... fleein an escort. I had dreamt of adventure since I was young and could not stand the thought of living my whole life not knowin any."

Hati has posed:
The wolf's tail idlely swishes next to him, although it seems more of an unconscious thing than not. The way the moonlight strikes her, it plays across pale skin as she looks skyward. "As silly as it might sound, I've never been particularly interested in other wolves. My mother... she used to tell this story to my brother and I, about how we were destined to chase the wolves of the sun and moon." Her eyes look at the moon, but with a distracted sort of look to them. "I figured it was some way of saying we were destined for something, or someone. Still, with our world destroyed, I can't help thinking that if there is a destiny, it isn't to one of our own kind. Maybe... we need to make a new life here."

She shrugs again, looking at him with a small smirk, "As for why I'm 'forward' as you put it... well, I don't have a mate. I'm not even sure I know what love is." That is an odd thing to say, but she seems to say it like someone else might say they don't know the way to the store. If you've never experienced something, it's hard to know what you're missing. "I just do what feels right at the time. I don't really think about it, too much. If that means kissing attractive rabbits and chasing after mice who should really be hunting me down as a heretic rather than kissing me... well, so be it."

Evja has posed:
The 'Attractive Rabbit' bit got a laugh, actually a bit embarrassed by such. "Hardly. Though I am beginning to wonder if I should stop teasing you for Faruja's sake. Since, after all, you're chasing after him? Or did I look a bit too far into that?" though he blinked upon hear something and stood, "Be right back," and quickly turned to leap quite a ways and quickly trot towards what appeared to be some kind of consession stand. A bit abrupt, but he did say he'd be right back.

Hati has posed:
The wolf opens her mouth to answer, but then the Viera is bouncing off somewhere and she just blinks, sitting up to watch after his departure. After a time, she just holds her comment, waiting until he actually returns before she answers the question. "Honestly, I don't know what he feels, or what I feel for that matter. So I wouldn't go worrying yourself over it. Besides, it's harmless. You said it yourself... you aren't really interested in those other than Viera." Her eyes are closed by the time he gets back, so it's likely scent or sound that tip her off on his return. "Nothing wrong with some fun. Besides. Wolves are tactile with those we're comfortable with. Probably best to get used to that. You know, unless you plan on avoiding me for the rest of your life."

Evja has posed:
Evja comes back holding two tall plastic cups that seem to have some form of fruity alcoholic drink in them. "Here, I heard someone call out about drink specials, so I went and got us some. And yeah. I... admit I have never really had interest in any other than Viera before. Maybe it's due to me just never having had the chance to find out, or it's a natural thing. I know some Viera back home lend their attraction out to other races while some would be physically ill at the thought."
Offering the drink, taken or not, Evja takes a seat back where he was a moment ago, but this time instead turns and places his legs somewhat playfully across hers, sitting crossways while sipping at his fruity beverage.

Hati has posed:
Hati does take the drink, never one to abuse alcohol by refusing it, that would be the truest form of Heresy, and in that, perhaps she and the churchmouse might agree in that regard. In the process, she props herself with one hand, ending up sitting with the Viera's legs in her lap, not that she minds in the least bit. Taking a sip, she holds it in her mouth, appreciating the flavor before swollowing. "Not bad. One thing I can say for this place, get enough depressed, worldless people in one place, and there's bound to be a few good places for adult beverages popping up." Amusingly enough, she'd probably be 'carded' at most of them. Usually, the wolf-girl still gets mistaken for a teenager more often than not.

"Well, my brother's primary interests are a Human and a Gargoyle. So far mine have been... a Human, a Burmecian, and a Viera." With a laugh, she cradles the drink in her hands and shrugs. "Our species is pretty much screwed anyways. There's my brother, me, and this girl who sometimes stays with the Shard Seekers. So, unless somehow more than a handful of my kind escaped our world's destruction, and you know... we just haven't realized they're hiding out somewhere. It's pretty unlikely that there will even /be/ werewolves in the next generation. Not our kind anyways." The way she talks about her world isn't like those who experienced a fall, 'destruction' seems to be the key word.

Evja has posed:
"What a sad thing." sip, "To know there are little others. But I suppose as you said you have no interest anyways... and as society dictates the whole alpha bit, it would be unlikely anyways." When she mentioned a Viera, though, Evja thought about it and asked, "This might be a bit intrusive... but when you say Viera, do you happen to mean me? Or... are you yet another person who seems to know that one Viera Pixi? If you do not wish to answer that is fine, I was simply... well, a bit curious." Evja seemed to be taking a bit to speak, pausing here and there to think, accent a bit more pronounced now that he is actually rather relaxed. Plus he was enjoying that drink of his.

Hati has posed:
"Honestly, if my father hadn't been the world's greatest douchebag, maybe I'd have had more interest in werewolves. He was the worst kind of alpha. He wasn't concerned with protecting his pack, but growing his own personal influence." Hati shifts, rolling up the sleeve of her hoodie to show the lines of scars on her right side, which show almost white in the moonlight. Then, she tilts her head, "He wasn't particularly fond of his runt of a daughter." As her eyes look towards him, there is definitely understanding in them, and sympathy. "At least here, I don't have to live by his pack's rules. I can make my own pack. Be more than what he wanted me to be."

The wolf lays her arms over Evja's legs, mostly because it's just the natural place to let them come to rest. "Meant you. Haven't met Pixi, haven't kissed her, but I also haven't drugged her or risked tarnishing her reputation, either. Not sure if that's plus or minus points for me." With another sip of the drink, the wolf shrugs. "But don't worry yourself, too much. I'm not planning on chasing the uninterested. I'm content enjoying your company."

Evja has posed:
"I see..."

Evja sets his drink down and looks up at the sky for a bit, thinking and considering. If anything, he was quite flattered by the thought. Sure, others had interest in him many a time, but it was mostly simply physical attraction on the assumption he was a female Viera. That being lust. "I am flattered. I appreciate someone showing an interest in me because of my personality for a change, and not simply because I am a Viera. And presumably female."
It was here he reached down to pick up her hand, bringing it up to kiss the back lightly. The veil hid it, but he was smiling, happy at the thought.

Hati has posed:
Hati tosses back the last of the drink, clearly not one to shy away from drinking. The cup is set down into the sand as she watches the dark waves roll in. "You know, it's strange." The wolf rubs the fingers of one hand over the other, eyes distant. "I used to be okay being alone. When I couldn't remember my past, I had no one to really miss. Now, I just keep getting drawn back to people time and again. Maybe the wolf is waking up from her long nap." She laughs to herself, but it has no real humor in it, just a sad sort of feeling.

Then, she looks back at Evja and offers a small smile. "Well, I'd be lying if I said that it wasn't part of why I came over to harass you in the first place. I'd never really seen many of your kind before, male or female." This time, the laugh she manages is a true one, leaning her head on one hand, "Not that I can't understand the allure. Long legs, lithe body, athletic, it would be hard to imagine someone who wouldn't have their eyes drawn to you." After that, she shrugs. "But, I've never been too swayed by outward appearances. I guess, maybe because of this." That hand moves, touching her scarred cheek, knowing that perhaps she might be attractive if it weren't for the marks that marr her apperance.

Still, when he takes her hand for that brush of a kiss, Hati just smiles lightly. "So, have you been enjoying your grand adventures since your daring escape from captivity from those evil females?" She smirks, "We're terrible, evil creatures, you know. A clever wolf would lure in the rabbit, then take advantage of them." With that teasing tone, she winks her green eye in his direction.

Evja has posed:
"I think I am in fact quite enjoying myself. I wouldn ot give up this life for anything, because I have had the chance to live my dream of joining a clan and now I have purpose. ...even if the clan turned out to be fulll of lawbreakers and cads."
The thought earned a tiny shake of his head, Evja patting at the hand he had kissed and instead of letting it to or replacing it where it was, he simply held it between both of his on his lap lightly as he thought about things. "I do not hold it against the Viera, though, or anyone. That would be silly. That is our way, and I am sure... were I in their position, I would attempt to enforce such. It is not from a desire to escape womenfolk, though. Much to the contrary... it's a lonely life, finding ones self mostly not attracted physically to those you tend to associate with. There have been times when I have considered finding someone I got along with and attempting to ignore any lack of attraction."
Though the thought of that made him laugh, leaning forward as he did, a soft laugh. "I suppose that would mean I am looking for a pet? Or... would that mean I am seeking to be a pet? ... though given both would need to be sentient, hardly worthy of being called master and pet. What would one even call such? A one-sided relation, possibly physical, where at least one has no true attraction to the other? "

Hati has posed:
"Isn't that the way of it? Even among people with the best of intentions, there's always a few rotten eggs." Hati smirks, "Sometimes it's the other way around, too. A group of scumbags and a there's a couple of diamonds hiding in the rough." The wolf makes no movement to shift her hand, although she does move her fingers, curious of the tactile feeling. "Do you know, the first time Faruja met me, he held his spear to my throat, and said I deserved to die?" Her laugh this time has a dark edge to it. "If you knew half the things I've done, you wouldn't be sitting here like this, you'd probably have me in handcuffs, and not the 'lets have an entertaining evening' sort of kind."

After a pause, Hati lets out a breath. "At least I'm trying to make different choices. People change, when they make an effort to. You, my good Viera, are strong and capable and a far cry from any mere harem male. All because you made a choice." She shrugs then.

The prospect of what he offers is interesting. It's the sort of thing that she would certainly have been curious about, had it not been for Faruja. Something about him... "Ever since my mother told me that story when I was young, about the White Wolf, I've always been searching for... something more." She takes a slow breath, letting it out again. "I've been looking for him, or her, for as long as I can remember." Whistful, the wolf looks up at the moon above, as if that were somehow the 'heart' of the problem. "My brother thinks it's some fated kind of love, but as for me... I guess I'm just looking for the closest I can manage to it."

Her eyes are understanding, though, and perhaps a little intrigued by the thought. "For now, I'm going to see where this strangeness with the mouse goes. Maybe he can teach me how to love, or at least what it means. If he changes his mind, though..." She inclines her head, "I'd be glad to look you up for some fun."

Evja has posed:
"Ah."
Oh well. There were actually little hopes for anything more, mostly because he truly had just met this woman a couple of times and despite being friendly and accidentally having had his gender exposed due to mist issues... maybe it was for the best. "That is just as well, then. Though I cannot imagine someone honestly trying such with Faruja. Even with my gratitude towards him for saving me, he seems just a bit..."
Evja raised his lefth and to grasp at the air physically, "What is that phrase?" A few were mumbled before he finally grabbed it, "Ah, yes, wishy washy. I think such a phrase applies. Far too easily teased, and bothered, when it seems he has had at least you all along. Did I not know now that you were just like me in some ways, I would have felt bad for teasing him. Though I do wonder... he seems overly religious. It makes me worry that he would truly never accept someone unless they changed for him, to meet his standards. Has he asked such of you? Or is that not my concern?"

Hati has posed:
"I don't know what the future holds. I've never been gifted with that sort of sight. For all that my magic can see a great many things, I don't know anything more than any other person, wandering half-blind through this world." Hadn't Faruja been the one to say that they would be the half-blind leading the half-blind? Maybe, somehow, between the two of them, they could find a way to see.

"Well, I certainly don't expect him to get down on bended knee and declare his undying love for me, if that's what you mean." The wolf snorts at the idea. "He knows I'm not certain, and I don't know if he knows what he feels for sure, either. It's all a gamble either way. A roll of the dice." She draws her hand back then, but doesn't really back away. The werewolf seems comfortable enough with his legs in her lap, but she does snuggle into the hoodie a bit more, as if something had made her feel cold.

"I've said before, I don't mind if you tease him, or me. There is nothing wrong with playful fun, and I'm as guilty of that crime as you are" She pokes at his knee, since it's right there. "As for that, honestly I haven't really thought about it. I find I don't really think about it much at all, really. I feel. I do." She shrugs again. "He is what he is. The passion he sets to his god is the same passion he takes to what he feels. It is what made me curious of him to begin with. So far, he hasn't asked me to change anything. If he does..." Her head tilts, thinking about it. "I don't know."

Evja has posed:
"Mmm..."

That little sagey sound comes from Evja as he lifts his knees and turns once again to sit side by side with Hati, despite facing the opposite way. "Maybe I should just get a cat." Yes, heresy to a wolf. But Evja always had been a cat Viera anyways. Even if cats ate rabbits... they didn't have the issue of smelling like some canines had when they got wet. Or other untoward issues. "On that note, you said earlier that your kind are... tactile. What did you mean? I admit I know the meaning, but... I cannot possibly imagine how that actually applies to those that can talk."

Hati has posed:
With the whole 'religion' issue set aside for now, Hati takes a few moments to enjoy the quiet of just the waves and the night. When Evja moves, she doesn't protest it, but there is a glance from that visible green eye. "You could try a Mithra. I've heard their females are quite attractive." This is mostly meant in jest, and the quick chuckle that accompanies it proves it as such. "There's a couple of feline mutates, too. I saw some fighting in the Laybrinth." These words might come back to haunt her, since it does tell that she might have been in Manhattan during those final moments, even if she hadn't fought with the Shadow Lords.

"Well, as you can tell, I'm not exacly shy about physical affection." It reminds her of something, "The boy who leads the Shard Seekers asked me once how my kind would greet someone. I think it surprised him when I demonstrated." Without asking permission, Hati leans over and nudges her cheek in against the Viera's shoulder, enough that her ears tickle against his neck. "Wolves touch. They sprawl together for warmth. They nuzzle, bump heads. It's about building social bonds, reinforcing what is pack, and what is other." She shrugs then, offering a smile. "I tend to hold back a bit around others, it means something different to them."

Evja has posed:
Who knows if it's a good thing Evja doesn't know enough about this world to judge those words. In fact, he doesn't even really know what Manhattan is past he's fighting for a shard of the world in the Coliseum because it's the right thing to do. Though he did watch, shivering a bit at the touch of the ear on his neck, but instead letting her finish, say her piece to his question.
"I see. Viera, at least, have no such culture. And I most certainly have never had anything remotely similar to culture. I think the closest I have ever come to something of the sort was how I used to treat my friends in my clan, greeting them with a kiss, at least those who did not seem to have issue with it. ... or in the case of the Seeq, a kiss on the cheek. Nice enough fellow but I would never kiss a Seeq anywhere close to that nose. Gross things."

Once again when Evja talked of his clan, his body went limp a little. Even after all these years, he still couldn't get over some things about it. Did Hati even know about it? Care? Time would tell on that, though Evja added softly, "Even with it meaning something different... you do not think they will realize what it means to you and accept it at such value?"

Hati has posed:
"My mother used to tell stories about her pack. The way things used to be before Odin, that is, my father, killed their alpha and took them over. When her father reigned, her pack was family, friends, peace, warmth, safety, home." She repeats words that her mother had used, although in some ways, the concepts are slightly foreign to her. Afterall, these were just stories she heard as a child, and nothing that she had ever experienced. "It was different for me, growing up, but we were always affectionate among each other. My mother, my brother and I."

"Seeq, those are the scaled ones with the big noses?" Clearly, as much as Hati doesn't care that much about species, she isn't all that attracted to some of them. She shivers at the thought. "I'll pass on that."

The slight change in body language is something that the wolf picks up on easily enough, and she shifts, pulling her legs in and then moving around so she can kneel behind the Viera. The girl does have 'magic hands' when it comes to some things, and her mother had taught her the art long ago. "So, care to tell me what it is about your clan that's bothering you?" If he doesn't pull away, then he's likely to be on the receiving end of of a shoulder rub by expert fingers.

His question gets a slight pause, and then a shrug. "I guess I don't want to give anyone the wrong impression. I know what it feels like to hurt now. When Faruja..." She hesitates, then growls at herself. "Anyways, if I thought they wouldn't get the wrong idea, I probably would. So far, I don't get the idea that most people would take it at face value, though."

Evja has posed:
Evja looked towards Hati as she shifted, curious if she was leaving, then seemed a bit surprised when she moved behind him and the question came. There was no denying it felt nice. So much that for a moment, the Viera simply closed his eyes, leaning back against her. Given she was feeling his back, it might be obvious to anyone who was good at such just how tense Evja was. Not from the topic, but his muscles, his back in general.

"That is right... I suppose you would not know. I apologize for referencing things like such repeatedly without considering you not knowing. I felt, years ago, I had to betray my clan to the Judges for trying to twist our natural laws in Jylland to their benefit. Laws of nature, such as things fall, and the sun rises. But in Jylland, such natural laws come in the form of Law Magic. Benefits in adjudicated battles, laws in their favor and so forth. To an outsider it might seem minor... but if one truly managed to twist the laws, they could become nigh immortal in theory. But..."
Evja curled up a bit more at that, leaning against his knees as he brought them up, "I betrayed my friends. They helped me escape the Viera, they fought alongside me for years, they fed me, clothed me, protected me. For over half a decade I was with them day in and out, almost always. And I still carry the guilt that comes with having betrayed them instead of staying true. I felt it was the right thing to do, but it felt like giving up a part of myself."

Hati has posed:
"You know, you're about as tense as the mouse, if not worse. I might need to make you up a batch of the warming oil for you, too." Hati muses to herself, wondering at the weight that those two men carry on their shoulders. "Supposedly, I give some of the world's best massages, or so I've been told." With that, she goes only as far as she can reach across his neck and shoulers, the rest would require a far more private setting and that doesn't seem likely right now.

"I can't say I know much about laws or Judges. Other than that I've flaunted more of them than I can count in my lifetime." With a laugh, Hati lets her hands wander up, stroking through his hair. "But I can tell you one thing. You can't change the past. Whatever you've done, no matter what decisions you've made that you regret... you can't go back. All you can do is choose how you go forward."

With that said, she lets her hands trail away, then shifts again, this time to lay herself paralell to him, her head resting near his legs, propped up on her arms. "Besides, I'm the last one to judge anyone's crimes." Then, seemingly out of nowhere, she offers out, "You should come by my place while I'm here. I can make sure you get properly relaxed." Which probably comes off entirely wrong, but it happens, a lot. "Especially before you go to fight in the arena. If you're tensed up like that, you won't be able to react as quickly."

Evja has posed:
Sure, Evja wanted to respond, but that last remark, despite him knowing what she meant... it caused him to laugh. Leaning one hand on the sand on the opposite side of her body, Evja leaned down until his face was not too far from hers, "Really now? That is very kind of you. But I prefer to be bought dinner and wined before I am so politely offered relaxation."
And it's here the Viera stayed for the moment, simply looking down at her, grinning beneath the veil of his.
"On that note... you hungry?"

Hati has posed:
The wolf twitches her nose at the proximity of the rabbit, and the offers him a wink and a quick flash of her tongue in a playful fashion. "Oh? So much work I have to go through for something you get the benefit of. I'm betting Faruja wouldn't mind if I loosened him up a bit before his tournament fight." She rumbles a laugh, clearly filled with innuendo. "It wouldn't be right to give you an unfair advantage, now would it?" Her tail swishes, looking like the picture of ease. Hati isn't the sort to get flustered by such proximity.

"I could go for some rabbit." She teases right back, but then shrugs. "I wouldn't mind something to eat, though. There's some pretty good restaurants. Just none of those vegetarian places." She reaches a claw-tipped finger up to poke him in the nose. "You might like your vegetables, but wolves are fond of meat."

Evja has posed:
"No, I suppose that would not be fair." Not having raised yet, Evja stays silent and sort of looks 'through' her for a moment, not really focusing on Hati until she poked his nose, then he says, "I do not mind meat. I simply enjoy carrots. So, let us find somewhere to enjoy dinner, then we could start on the way to where you intended to take me? But first..."
That impish gleam in his eyes can be seen easily enough when he says, "About your desire for rabbit. I hope this will suffice." He has no idea if she'll allow it or not, but why not give it a try? Using the hand that wasn't holding him up, Evja reached up to pull his veil down before leaning down with full intention of letting her taste be a kiss.

Hati has posed:
Rather than taking that kiss like she had the first time, Hati shifts her head ever so slightly and shifts it into a nuzzle, drawing her cheek along his. It isn't a refusal, so much as a deflection. "Come on. No taking advantage of the poor affection-starved wolf." Hati scootches herself up, puts a quick kiss onto Evja's nose, and then gets to her feet, dusting sand from her pants. A few days ago, she might have taken the kiss and more, but once she had given herself over to the chance with Faruja, she would follow it through to whatever end would come.

Instead, Hati holds out her hand, "I think I know a place. Come on." They likely wouldn't end up going back to her place tonight, with Hati's excuses about unfair advantages in the tournament, but an evening with good company is better than one spent alone. There is that much to be thankful for.