Obtuse

Obtuse
Date of Scene:	25 June 2013
Location:	Fynn
Synopsis:	Maira is recovering from her separation with Uist and was drawn to Fynn.
Cast of Characters:	Maira, Percival

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Maira has posed:
It likely wasn't a very good idea to wander off on her own, and when Faruja found out about it he was likely to throw a fit. But Maira had to get up and move. Once she'd eaten and sorted herself out a bit, she'd found that Mao was waiting for her with his saddle bags still packed for a journey.

Thus, Maira had taken a deep breath, saddled up, then taken off to head home. Alone. Truly alone.

It was extremely strange to say the least, not having Uist's presence. Even when he wasn't there beside her she had been casually aware of his presence, able to call him to her with a thought. Embarrassingly, she reflexively kept reaching out toward him, only to find there was nothing there. Just a hallow feeling; a void.

It was by serendipity or simple chance that she found herself in Fynn, walking through the city with Mao by the reigns, searching the faces that pass, saying hello to those who notice her. She'd heard there had been an earthquake recently that had scared the populace, it was the buzz all around the area. Palamecia had felt it too.

Maira stops outside the Inn she stayed once with Avira, when they'd come and run into the Dark Knight. Would she run into him again? Would he come prowling down the street and come for her heart again? Or did some part of Leon remain, maybe stronger than before? A hope, if grasping.

Percival has posed:
All of his troubles had melted away in Atlantis, like freshly fallen snow.

The Gargoyle returned home lighter of heart, though.. ..his head still throbbed beside itself. Blame Reize Seatlan, bubble boy extraordinaire.

And then as he returned, he found that many things that mattered to him quite a bit before he departed, no longer mattered to him quite as much. And others which he took for granted, mattered to him far more. It was a strange juxtaposition. /Clack Clack/ The talons of his feet rapped against the cobbles as he walked down the streets of Fynn. The place made him feel uneasy, but not as much as it had before. Until he stopped a short ways from the front of one inn in particular.

He hesitated, pausing as he looked towards Maira. He'd felt guilty about leaving her, even if the worst had long passed after he'd gone, but he /had/ to go to Atlantis, and he didn't know if he could explain to her exactly why. A few moments later, he hailed her with a cheerful smile, "Good evening, Maira. Feeling better I trust?"

Maira has posed:
Maira had learned some things as well. Painful things. But she'd come back, hadn't she? She could have stayed. She could have just....died. She's kidding herself if she thinks that was ever really an option. The people of this very place were counting on her, and they didn't even know it. It seems so unbelievable to her.

Even more important, there were the people she was close to. Uist was gone, but she'd made other connections...living ones.

And there was one of those people now. A very important one.

Maira is already turning toward him before he speaks, something must have tipped her off to his presence. She just seemed to know in that way a person knows someone else is watching them. A sense that is hard to describe. She looks tired and a little thin, but when she sees him her face lights right up, smiling brightly. "Perci!" she says, looking like she'd like to spring forward. She doesn't though, hesitant.

Percival has posed:
He does that for her, taking a few steps forward to hug her, wrapping his arms, and his wings around her. He seemed.. cheerful, actually. Definitely far happier than she'd likely seen him in some time. He teases her with a smile, "You didn't answer my question."

He murmurs to her, "You probably worried Faruja sick, you know? You did me too, a little, when he told me that you'd wandered off.."

But he doesn't lecture, he doesn't try to make her feel worse than that, he just smiles at her, "You haven't been eating enough again. What brings you to Fynn?"

Maira has posed:
Her smiles grows as he steps forward and embraces her, all hesitation gone as she wraps her arms around him and clings tightly. He seems...happy? ITS WEIRD!?

Maira laughs a little, in no hurry to let go. "I'm...okay. I guess. I'm....well. I'm fine," she replies. She's not entirely lying, or entirely telling the truth. She's fine compared to how she was. "I'm sorry to have scared you both. I needed to get out--as for why I'm here...well...I don't know. Maybe I was just drawn here," she says, looking around again at the people who pass.

"Where have you been...? And what have you been doing? You seem so...well....happy, and its kind of....odd?" she says with a small grin. "Maybe you can tell me the story over some food," she adds.

Percival has posed:
He just grins at her a little. "Realllyyyy? You don't sounndddd fiinnneee..."

He'd release one arm from being around her, "No. I wasn't scared too terribly much. You can take care of yourself better than you know." He'd shrug the one shoulder that was free."

He tsks at her, still sounding a little whimsical, "Drawn here? Not having images of David Bowie, dancing in your head again?"

He'd chuckle softly, "With the Gargoyles of Atlantis, believe it or not... and did you know that Avira's mother is Atlantean? She didn't either until we visited. She's alive." He'd usher her inside the inn gradually.

Maira has posed:
Maira wrinkles her nose slightly, then looks away for a moment. "I'm /trying/ to be fine, okay?" she replies.

She moves inside, but practically trips over her own feet when Perci says where he was and that Avira's mother is alive! "Wh-what!? Really!? Oh my god! That's amazing! She must be so happy! Oh...oh did her parents cross worlds before they merged too!? Tell me the story," she says, flopping down into a chair.

Percival has posed:
"Alright, alright.. I'm the last person to lecture someone on /being fine/." He'd just smile at her gently, before sitting across from her at the table, the chair below him creeking ominously. "...I don't know the whole story except that her mother was /always/ Atlantean. Avira just didn't know. That's about it. I didn't get to meet her before we had to leave and defend the city from the heartless."

A short pause, "So really you'll have to ask her. Mainly I met a clan of Gargoyles who.. well, they taught me certain things..."

He waggles a talon at her, "Interesting things really, all and all. It was a good experience for everyone."

Maira has posed:
Maira sits there, her eyes widening as Perci begins to speak. A few people look over at them, but then go back to their business. Gargoyles are still not quite a common sight anywhere after all.

When he stops, Maira motions for him to continue. "You met other gargoyles? That's amazing! What did they teach you? What happened? You're not seriously going to be so vague, are you!?" she demands.

Percival has posed:
"Maybe I'd just like to play coy, for once..." He chuckles, rapping his talons down lightly on the table, before looking at her and smiling, "Just their philosophy on life.. the ancestors, those who came before us.. one of them started training me in their ways. The blade I hold is magical. There is much that I can draw from it if I take the time to learn it's secrets. They set me on the right path, the rest is up to me."

He offers a wry grin, "What else is there to say really? They were all very dedicated individuals. A fine clan, I'm honored to know them."

Maira has posed:
Maira orders some food once she gets a chance, then focuses her attention back on Perci. She raises a brow at that being coy business, cracking something like a playful smile.

"That's...really great Perci. I wish I could have gone with you. I'm sorry I sort of...slept through it all," she replies, sadness and regret creeping in. "Do you think I might get the chance to meet them? I'd like to see Atlantis."

Percival has posed:
He orders something for himself. When the food comes, he slides the plate in front of her.

And then he just smiles to her, "Maybe in time. Right now we had to... blow up the entrance to the city. Because the Heartless came out in swarms and threatened to encroach on it's peace. We'll try to revisit some day, I promise. There's so much else that we need to do there, but we didn't have the time.."

Maira has posed:
Suddenly she has two plates in front of her. Maira narrows her eyes slightly at this very un-subtle hint. "Are you trying to fatten me up? Are you planning to eat me?" she jests.

Then she starts eating. Not voraciously like she was prone to, but she's eating at a healthy pace rather than just picking. Her metabolism demands it.

"Heartless...everywhere," she sighs. "We've gotta work harder I guess. Well, make sure you take me with you when you go again, okay? If that's...alright?"

Percival has posed:
"Gracious no. You just look as if you've missed more than a meal or two these past few weeks." He just smiles at her, "I'm thinking you could at least use an extra one, right now."

He leans back in his chair a little, which continues to creak ominously. "No no, I'll take you with me, don't worry."

Maira has posed:
"Well I think I was in bed for three days...Faruja got me to drink some...but I wouldn't get up, otherwise," she says, taking another few bites before she continues. "In my dreams...I could still see him. Then I woke up and I felt so...so hallow. Like a huge piece of myself was missing. So I'd just run, and go back to sleep where I was whole again," she explains quietly, eyes on her plate.

Maira looks up then, blinking. "Perci, you are going to break that chair."

Percival has posed:
A hand reaches forward, placing it over one of his, as he just smiles gently, "He is happy, and still watching over you Maira. Did you know my kind have a tradition when one of us dies? It's called the Wind Ceremony. We spread the ashes of our loved ones to the wind.. as all are one in the wind."

He gestures with an arm, "So long as we are touched by it, they watch over us, until the day our spirits soar and join them as well.."

He gives Maira an odd look, before standing up, grinning sheepishly, "Best that I don't do that, then."

Maira has posed:
Maira listens, her eyes softening. "I...don't even know what they believe here, but where I grew up, it was said that when you died you rejoined the lifestream, so I think it must be kind of similar. I know he's watching over me Perci, but its still....I feel his absence so keenly. Its a physical pain I just want to numb."

Maira takes another bite of food, wondering if she might have some wine, but knowing what she did now of Perci and his turning to alcohol, she feared she would disappoint him by resorting to that.

When he stands, she smiles a little, pushing her plates away. "I'm full. Really."

Percival has posed:
Percival kind of hand waggles a little at that, "It's probably the same concept. Really in the end, I don't care what people believe, so long as it drives them to be relatively good people."

There is a short pause, as he nods to her, "It's like missing an arm, isn't it? When someone you love.. just goes. But in time the pain will lessen. It will take... longer than most. But you are strong enough to get through it. And we'll be here to help you."

As she slides the plate over to him, he arches a brow ridge on his face, tilting his head to the side, as if to give her a look of /Are you Sure?/

Maira has posed:
Maira nods. After days not eating, she kind of needs to take it slow or she'll end up not feeling so great. "Really, I couldn't eat another bite. At least for a little while," she adds with a smile.

The red-gold haired mage nods then, taking a deep breath. "I know you will," she replies, reaching over to take his hand and give him a gentle tug toward her. "Is that was it was like...for you?" she asks, looking up to meet his eye.

Percival has posed:
She tugs over one of his hands, and his expression wavers for a moment, as he closes his eyes. Remembering what the Atlanteans taught him about Ancestral spirits.. happy times, happier memories. Maybe one day he'd even see her again.

"Yes.. but it was worse. As I felt like I'd failed her. That I was responsible for her untimely death at such a young age."

He manages a very faint smile, "I know differently now. Still some memories? They have very sharp edges."

Maira has posed:
Maira wraps her arms around Perci gently, though he's still standing, which pretty much places her head by his stomach. "It isn't your fault...I'm so glad that you seem...more at peace," she says, smiling then with a touch of rueful sadness. "I wish I could have done more for you, to convince you."

Percival has posed:
He chuckles softly, smiling as she hugs him, and returns the hug by wrapping his arms, then his wings follow shortly thereafter, "A little, sure. And it's not about what you're able to /do/ to convince me, Maira. Its about what I'm willing to believe. You could be right, you could deliver the message in the right way, but if I don't believe it, then it falls flat. Belief is what changes people."

Maira has posed:
Maira tightens her grip some, shortly hidden by his wings as they enfold her. It's a nice feeling, to be sheltered so. Something is so instinctively comforting about the gesture.

"Well, I hope you are starting to believe that you are a good person--no, an amazing one. If you don't, I'm not going to give up trying to make you see it."

Percival has posed:
He puts up two taloned fingers, and puts them together as if to indicate /a little bit/, just smiling at her, "I'll be alright now, I think.."

He looks distant for a moment, "I can actually look myself in the mirror on some days now.. that's a start."

Maira has posed:
Maira smiles lightly at the gesture, shaking her head. "You're impossible," she replies.

As he continues, she sobers some, but looks up (way up) to meet his eye. "It's a very nice sight. Maybe we'll never be able to see ourselves as the people who care about us see us...but its worth a try," she says, standing to press a kiss to his cheek.

She turns then, her cheeks pink, as she digs for some coin in her pack to pay for their meal. "Think I'd let to get...home. I want to come back though. Get to know the people here."

Percival has posed:
"Only most of the time, Maira. Only most of the time..." He manages a small smile when she presses a kiss to his cheek, "...that'd spoil part of the fun, I think, of caring for someone. Knowing their exact perspective on you."

He tilts his head to the side as he regards her with an inquisitive look, "Oh, why's that? Is there something about this place that you like?"

Maira has posed:
Maira looks away, shaking her head. "I don't know. I would give a good bit to know what some people's perspective on me was..." she replies quietly.

Looking up then, her eyebrows rise. "Fynn and Palamecia are from the same world...where Uist is from. Where...you know," she says, placing a hand over her heart.

She puts her money down, then moves toward the exit, pulling her hair over one shoulder. "...he wasn't sure if maybe his parents were still alive. I should...check. Maybe I have grandparents, heh."

Percival has posed:
A soft pat on the shoulder, "You'd regret it. We all would. There are stray thoughts rattling around in everyone's skulls about something or another about the people they care about that they don't like, but that doesn't mean they don't care about you at the core. Mind-reading would be a curse."

He'd consider this for a time, before nodding as he followed her, "Well yeah... sure."

He states kind of awkwardly, but he doesn't know what to say, or how to put it, given that most of Palamecia was gone. "We can take a look around, maybe we'll come up with something eventually."

Maira has posed:
Maira frowns some, nodding. She wonders if she's reading too much into his words.

Maybe, maybe he is being purposefully obtuse as some kind of pay back.

Maira head outside, grumbling. "It's worth a try," she finally says, meeting up with Mao and getting everything in order.

She pauses then, and looks thoughtful, then crestfallen "...I have no idea how to get home. Uist always knew where to go. He always lead me."

"Guess...I'll just have to get lost for a while."

Percival has posed:
Maybe just a little.

He just listens to her for a time, before nodding, "Well... I know the way home. So we can always go back together."

He tsks, "Never lost I think, so long as you have good friends around."

Maira has posed:
Perci may not have said the things he was thinking, but what he didn't say spoke pretty loudly too.

"Thank you, I would appreciate it if you could show me the way....then I'll buy a map."

Percival has posed:
/Clack, clack, clak/ Talons upon the cobbles, as he follows behind her,

He gives her a wry look, "Oh, a map? You'd prefer a map to a travelling companion that will /teach/ you the way?"

Maira has posed:
Maira groans slightly. "No of course not! But I'll need to get places, probably alone sometimes. I don't want to end up as bad off as Reize," she retorts.

Percival has posed:
"If you were Reize, then having a map would do you little good, in fact, it would probably do you a great deal of harm." He just chuckles, as he grins at her.

Maira has posed:
Maira giggles at this, unable to help herself. Poor Reize. "Yes...you're probably right--I'd be hopelessly lost and inexplicably married to a moogle or something!"