Rooftop Rendezvous

Rooftop Rendezvous
Date of Scene:	27 July 2013
Location:	Agrabah
Synopsis:	A wild Teta has appeared! Gerad's night in Agrabah is not wasted after all.
Cast of Characters:	Teta, Gerad Iron Fogair

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Teta has posed:
The City of Agrabah! Place of mystery, enchantment, yadda yadda. Whatever reputation the place may have, a black-haired woman in light travelling clothes has just arrived at the city gates and does so in utter ignorance of where she has just arrived at. Did she just cross the entire desert on foot with no protection against the sun, and it seems no more than a single canteen of water that is still half-full? 'But what of the dangers?' one might ask. 'What of bandits, scorpions, snakes, and other beings of ill-temperament? What of the environment itself? The desert is not a place to seek passage across lightly!'

To such a hypothetical observer, Teta would likely have replied, 'Oh, is that what that was?' Such a casual hypothetical dismissal of such a hypothetical observer's questions would likely hypothetically cause dismay. But as there was no observer and these questions were never asked, Teta simply continued through the archway, taking the time to stop and bow to and greet the guards. "A pleasant night for a chance meeting. Can you tell me what settlement this is?" After much more confusing dialogue, the dark-skinned woman named Teta enters Agrabah -- now knowing the name of the place and simply stands there marvelling. It may be late and thus fewer people are about than otherwise, but it's still early enough that not everyone has gone to bed.

Thus, there may be somewhat less concern than otherwise when she leaps from street level to rooftop level, to get a better view of the towering structures, the magnificent palace, and the all the many, many, many houses and people.

Also, a furry monkey-like tail sways back and forth in excitement behind her. It seems to be attached.

Gerad Iron Fogair has posed:
GERAD ISN'T NORMALLY on the rooftops; today is a special occasion. He'd enticed some silk-garbed dancer girl to meet him up on the top of the Agrabah Arms Inn for refreshments and a "beautiful view of the city! I'll show you the world!" Shining, shimmering, splendid! Summarily, the 'thief' has been preparing all day to be as dashing as possible, to set the most romantic vista available to him! It would be his finest moment!

His finest moment, Teta will find, involves reclining on one of a pair of chairs improbably positioned on a rooftop, overlooking the bustling city's sunset and frowning. He's garbed in his traveler's gear, certainly - he doesn't have any other clothes - so all that's visible, beyond the spear, dusty boots, and variety of bizarre instruments on his person -- are a pair of bright blue eyes, a lock of grey-brown hair.

"Damn," he curses, quietly but likely within Teta's range of hearing. "I believe I've been -swindled-! These canny women and their wiles!" Gerad knocks the drink in his hand back; it's a glass of something that looks like it belongs in a bar.

"Still," he muses, attention cast out over the city, "Not a bad way to spend the evening." Fingers rap out an irritated rhythm against the armrest of his current seat. Okay. Maybe it's a -little- frustrating.

Teta has posed:
Just then, a face appears in Gerad's vision, partially-blocking his view of the city and night sky! The face is also upside-down! That is because the face belongs to someone who is standing behind him and leaning over to look down at him. With a mildly inquistive expression, Teta says, "Good evening. My name is Teta. Do you know who the lord of this tower is?" Tower? Well, the building does have more than one level to it, right? That's kind of like a tower! Sort of! "Is it you?" Teta asks further.

"This is my first time visiting a place as large as this, you see, and though I seek the hospitality of one who can offer a place to sleep and perhaps a meal, it's difficult to find anyone here in 'Aa-grr-ah-baa'." Well, this night has gotten a bit more interesting at least.

Gerad Iron Fogair has posed:
Gerad startles. Long hair? That sweet scent! Such luminous eyes! The ex-king crosses his eyes as though it might aright Teta's suddenly upside-downey face - it doesn't. He accepts fate for what it has brought him, even if it WASN'T that sultry woman from the other bar, earlier. Luckily for Gerad, his reflexive frown isn't visible past the *mysterious murky desert wandery facemask* he wears.

"Eh? Ah, erh..." Momentary confusion. To play the rogue, or to be himself? It's not as though this Teta character even... matters, so...

"Don't I wish. No, my lady -- I'm just a visitor, much like you. This is your first day to the city? And you seem so innocent. Hm." Gerad is on his feet in a moment, turning to regard the newcomer behind him! What is her bearing? Her occupation? Her measurements? Old habits die hard, but at least for now, Gerad is able to stifle most of them. He's not leering, for example.

"My name is Gerad. I'm borrowing room and board, myself - the building you're standing atop happens to be an inn, not a tower. So far as refreshments go..." A gesture to the basket between either chair. "Drinks and some food, if you're so interested. A view of the city as well, if you've never been. I can help with any questions you might have -- Lord knows I'm bored enough."

Gerad settles back into his seat, collapsing with a sigh. Concern flitters past his eyes. "Ah. How, erh... old... are you?" He's stifling most of his habits. Not all. Not his -ethics-.

Teta has posed:
Teta straightens to give Gerad some room to sit up once he begins to do so, all the while listening to what he has to say. She nods in confirmation. "My first time to this or any other city." She looks down at the roof as though her vision would somehow pierce through to the inn below and ascertain the details of what's needed to find a room within such. "Ah, I see! I have found coins during my journey thus far. Maybe they'll be enough to pay for a room." Her gaze tracks to the indicated basket. "It is an honor to meet you, Gerad. That's very generous of you to offer! You have my thanks. If there is any way to repay your kindness, please let me know!" She then bows to Gerad, putting one hand in a fist and placing it against the open palm of the other hand.

"I'm not entirely sure of my age, to be honest. But it has been at least 15 years since I began being raised by the monks at the temple, and they estimated I was about 6 or 7 years old already when they took me in. My precise date of birth was unknown to them, however." She straightens again and lowers her hands to her sides as she moves towards the basket to poke at it and see what lies within. "Are you perhaps familiar enough with the city to tell me if there are any places where warriors gather? Or perhaps any esteemed masters of martial arts? I'm travelling around these other worlds looking to improve my skills, and in a place this huge there must be many great masters!"

She looks up and smiles brightly. "Ah, also, do you know of any places to bathe?" She asks this despite Gerad clearly wearing dusty traveller's wear. Well, maybe Gerad just doesn't like baths! You can't always assume, right!?

Gerad Iron Fogair has posed:
Ascetics are adorable, decides Gerad. It helps when they've got pretty eyes. In moments, he's removing a bottle of something mildly alcoholic from the chilled box he's brought with him, and setting it into Teta's hand. "Have a seat," he invites - and kicks back to observe the sun vanishing beneath one of the Palace's several spires. He doesn't even worry about the alcohol. Teta must be one of the four non-teenaged people he's met since the worlds fell! It's refreshing.

"Plenty of people have some martial ability, Ms. Teta - it's an issue of what, exactly, you're looking for. You're..." Gerad turns his head to the side, to regard the young woman nearby. "A hand-to-hand fighter of some kind? You'd probably love to meet my brother. Alas, I have no idea where he's been - but I'd love to help you find somebody you might enjoy battling. If you're *so* eager for a trial, I'm a pretty fair hand in a fight, myself. But I'm not much for hand-to-hand, if you get my meaning." Gerad reaches up, to tug at the spear nearby.

He drains the rest of his drink, and sets it down, to resume looking at the sunset. "The hotel beneath us has plenty of bathing facilities." Teta is lucky. Gerad's elected to act kingly. "I believe the women have a seperate bathing chamber, which is a cultural quirk, but should be relaxing nonetheless."

Teta has posed:
Teta accepts the proffered beverage with another bow of gratitude and then seats herself. Her tail wraps about her waist to stay out of the way and not get squished. While she listens, she works at opening the bottle. Eventually she succeeds, and tests the cool drink with a few sips before smacking her lips a bit and deciding this is good enough to drink. She can survive a trip across the entire desert on a single sip of water per day, but that doesn't mean it's not nice to be able to just guzzle something down. Especially something cool!

The monk nods in confirmation of her being a hand-to-hand fighter with the bottle in her mouth obstructing her ability to answer verbally. Eventually, when she has decided there is nothing left to drink from the bottle she shakes out the last couple drops onto her extended tongue as she tilts her head back, and then places the container on the roof where it will hopefully not kicked tripped over or kicked. "I am amazed at the prevalence of forged weapons. So many people here must be quite rich, or perhaps more skilled at making them. That or you are all regional rulers of some kind." She tilts her head to the side and leans over a bit to look at the spear. "I have little experience against those who use such weapons, but if you are willing, I will be more than happy to see what we can both do against each other. Maybe tommorow morning at sunrise? I walked for three weeks before arriving here and some sleep would ensure I am in top form. Also, yes, the bath."

Teta says, "As well, the desert -- while amazing -- was rather dirty. Before working up a sweat, it is best to do away with the one worked up previously. What, um, do you have to eat?"

Gerad Iron Fogair has posed:
Gerad could not be happier! This is like half a date. And he doesn't have to act like a complete douchebag to hold up false premises! The man is in the middle of opening another bottle of Whatever when Teta speaks up once more. She has him laughing in just the slightest sort of way - he can't help it. She's got quite a few wrong ideas. While the spearman thinks on his response, he's busy pulling out a kebab or something cultural from the basket. It's probably a kebab, although the meat is chilled.

It's still very tender.

"I don't know if I'd say that we're all rich. Maybe it's just that weaponry is more prevalent outside of wherever you call home? Where *do* you call home?" If he's startled at her having walked three weeks through the desert, Gerad does not show it. He's more focused on other things at the moment. Like making sure Teta has pretty much everything she's asking for.

"So far as your suggestion for a spar is concerned -- I'm certainly game." Gerad moves back to where he's seated, withdraws his spear in an oft-practiced motion, and hands the long weapon to Teta, as though she were interested in taking a closer look. "I could use help, anyway -- if you're good with your hands. I'm, ah... looking for something."

Gerad glances sidelong at that. It's not easy to see - he's not looking Teta's way just now.

Teta has posed:
When the kebab is offered, Teta gratefully accepts it and consumes the meat very, very quickly. It's gone in a matter of like five seconds. She has already swallowed in time to answer Gerad's question. "The Long Temple, in the world of 'Shan' is where I am from. We live in one of the many mountain ranges. I found a door in the mountains while travelling. It led to this place. Or perhaps these places. I'm still not sure if this is just one world or many worlds." She looks up at the sky and then out across the city, as if she could discern the true nature of the place just by looking hard enough. "I haven't been able to find my way back to my own world, but I was looking for new lands regardless so that's fine. I don't need to go back."

Teta considers the idea of weapons just being more prevalent. "That might be the case. Most of us simply fight with our bodies alone or farming tools turned into weapons. Swords are very rare -- a mark of status rather than something to be used in battle. Even soldiers use hand-to-hand martial arts. We monks also learn Chi Techniques that let us enhance our strength, speed, and toughness, or do other things. Run on water, heal faster, leap great heights, or travel for great distances with little nourishment... It takes many years of devoted practice to learn these things, so soldiers don't usually have these skills."

When the spear is shown to her, Teta looks at it with great interest, leaning her face in close to examine it. She raises a hand but pauses to look up at Gerad as if to ask if it is alright to touch it. Since this is basically the equivalent of a prized treasure owned by a king, according to her world's standards, it may be understandable that she is cautious with the belongings of someone she has just met -- whether he is really a king or not! Of course, he actually is a king, but Teta doesn't know that.

The dark-skinned woman says, "It would be my honor to aid you. You have shown me great kindness. Repaying you is only fitting. What is it you seek, and how may I help?"

Gerad Iron Fogair has posed:
So far as spears go, Gerad's is pretty junky. It's a piece of metal bonded to some reinforced wood, but, like -- that's basic spears, and there you go. The man looks bemused while Teta rambles on with her explanation... God, but wouldn't Sabin love to meet these Shan people! He'd go *nuts*. They'd bench trucks together or something. Gerad reaches into his cooler to withdraw another two kebabs. One is offered to Teta, in exchange for his weapon back.

"I'm familiar with how monks operate - there are a few that I've met before. Very similar to what you've been telling me, as a matter of fact! Of course, none are quite so lovely..." Gerad fades off, letting his thoughts wander into the realms of goosehonks and frowning parents. He clears his throat. "Ahem. In any case. I appreciate your offer for help, believe me, I truly do! But the point remains; you do not know if you can trust me to be able to support you, and vice-versa. My interests may involve quite a bit of... trouble. Derring-do."

Gerad bites into his kebab. He's nowhere near as voracious as Teta, because he is civilized, and actually dangerously out of his realm eating without a fork and knife. "I'm looking for a castle, which I believe to be, for the moment, near a magical cave hidden within the very desert you crossed. There are two elements I need to collect in order to access the cave."

Gerad looks to Teta, earnest. "The issue is figuring out exactly -where- the scarab halves are. Once I've found them, of course, I'm offering fair partitions of the take to anybody willing to help me. It's only fair, after all."

Teta has posed:
Teta returns the spear to its owner, accepting the kebab and taking it a bit more slowly this time. She smiles and bows her head in thanks at the compliment of her appearance, but for now she seems to just stop talking and listen. "Will this involve fighting? Or at least //maybe// involve such?" she finally asks. "That is about the only skill I have, and I would relish the opportunity to do battle in your service. If you are unsure if you can trust me, then I will go through whatever tests are needed to prove myself." Teta finishes off the rest of the kebab meat and then balances the stick on the tip of one finger, bouncing the fingertip a few times and then flipping the skewer into the air, only to catch it upon fingertip again.

"This sounds like a challenging task, and if my skills are acceptable, I will accompany you and fight on your behalf solely for that challenge and as recompense for your kindness. I have no real use for wealth, so if that is what lies at the end of this adventure, you should keep it for yourself." Teta then springs up from the chair, her tail unwrapping from about her waist. She offers the skewer back, and says, "Do you have any idea where to start? Are there in the city who deal in scarab-related goods? A collector of relics who could be questioned? Perhaps even visiting that huge structure over there..." Teta points to the palace. "I am sure there are many people who live there we could speak to."

Gerad Iron Fogair has posed:
Gerad blinks blearily out at the castle, while occasionally flipping his attention to Teta's kebab-juggling over next to him. Mild surprise at that - she's probably not lying about being good in a scrap! "I assure you, you've more talent than you pretend to, but... hm. There's probably going to be quite a bit of fighting. Almost undoubtedly." His tutor would kill him for the sloppy language he's been using lately.

He double-takes when Teta states she doesn't want anything from the haul. Go figure; a noble person amongst all the wastrels he's been encountering lately? Another female party-member? He doesn't mind, but... dang. Something's in the water here.

For now, Gerad stands tall, and excuses himself with a stretch. "I don't have any idea where to start, but the Palace may be the right place - I think you're onto something. I'm excited to have met you, Ms. Teta - and hope you find Agrabah to be as exciting as you imagine it to be. I'm going to go downstairs and purchase a room for you for the evening; you'll have access to a bath and food, as well. Just tell the innkeeper that Gerad is handling your bill."

A yawn. He's tired! "Before I retire, my lady... is there anything else I might do for you? Questions you have, interests you wish to follow? I am ever at your disposal."

Teta has posed:
Teta smiles brightly that her suggestion was a good one. She wasn't entirely sure, but it seemed logical. Some place that huge has to have tons of people or at least some very, very important ones. Whether many people who will be exposed to much more information than a small number of people or important people who like to know what's going on and thus keeps tabs on that sort of thing... Either way, she bows once more, and says, "Thank you very much, Gerad. If there is a title I should call you by, please let me know." Such generosity from people she has just met! It seems the worlds outside her own aren't so different after all!

...Just wait until she runs into all the selfish jerks that also inhabit the various worlds.

When she straightens up she says only, "I would enjoy the opportunity to see more of this city and learn how life works here. If you could guide me a bit or allow me to follow you as you go about your business, this visit to Agg-ra-bah would be a wonderful learning opportunity. However, that is for the future. For now, rest well. Once again, thank you!" She then walks to the edge of the roof, turns to give one more bow, and then leaps off to land safely on the street below.

...M-maybe they don't have stairs where she comes from?