Zargabaath Investigates Traverse Town

Zargabaath Investigates Traverse Town
Date of Scene:	12 November 2012
Location:	Traverse Town
Synopsis:	Zargabaath Brings the Alexander to find out more information about the Heartless and finds out a little bit of information about them. He also meets Aerith, Faruja and others willing to fight the Heartless. Of course, during an argument, Maira and Aerith meet up for the first time and wish to talk further about a place in their past that they share.
Thanks to:	To all the players who attended this plot.
Cast of Characters:	Faruja Senra, Avira, Maira, Rhyme, Aerith, Zargabaath
Tinyplot:	N/A

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Zargabaath has posed:
Traverse Town.

One of the more lawless towns in the world of mist, and yet, it has it's own types of laws that aren't written. Mostly silent rules by gangs, thieves and those sort of people. Most of the deals are done in darkened alleys or away from the lights that make up traverse town.

So it should be no surprise that few people are welcoming a Judge Magister.

Zargabaath steps off of a small airship along with a pair of aides that decided to 'volunteer' to assist Zargabaath in searching for Nethicite that could turn up in any of these alternate worlds, or even reports of Heartless that had been sighted, and what better place to get information, than a place that tends to gather information 'off the record'.

Avira has posed:
Being a ~mighty adventurer~, Avira has no need to fear this part of town. More to the point, unfortunately, sometimes she had to deal with the people in these parts, handling a request or too-provided she was paid for it. Funds had still been difficult for her to hold onto lately.

After all, not ALL the requests coming out of this place were dirty deeds that needed to be done dirty cheap. Speaking of such...Avira seems to be looking for something herself as she walks about. Clutched in one of her hands is a white envelope. Just as she turns the corner, she finds herself staring down a tall person in the most imposing armor ever, flanked by two guards.

After a moment spent processing the scene, she realizes what she's seeing and her eyes immediately widen. A faint swear escapes her and she darts back around that corner.

Aerith has posed:
She hadn't woken up here, but heard about this place where travelers from different words converge. One of the best places for obtaining information of any kind, about anything. So naturally it wasn't long before she found her way to Traverse Town, and while impressed by many of the new sights, she had business to tend to.

Aerith would have entered the main square where she'd heard the airship landing, were it not for her almost running into someone. On reflex, she put her right hand onto the left shoulder of whoever was about to bump into her, and only then did she look down. Her eyes widened upon instant recognition. "...You."

Zargabaath has posed:
Narrowing his eyes under his helm, Zargabaath noticed that the vagrant recognized him and ran off. "Find that vagrant." He orders one of his aides, who immediately rounds the corner in pursuit of Avira. However, Zargabaath turns to his other aide, who hands him a scroll, which unrolls into a map of traverse town, showing the 'respectable' shops in it.....unfortunately, the map is a few years old....

Avira has posed:
That "vagrant" was dressed in Rabanastre clothing no less. Being a citizen of Ivalice, Avira knows a Judge Magister when she sees one. Bad news all around! And what if him being here meant for that horrible thought of Baigan's to come to pass-Archades and Baron, allied!

Lost in her thoughts, she all but plows into poor Aerith, only for the taller woman to hold her back by the shoulder. After a moment, recognition dawns upon Avira as well, "You!"

The clanking of someone in armor approaching results in the huntress making a face. "Uhnicetoseeyouagaingottago!" Avira sidesteps Aerith and takes off in a frantic run.

In her wake, it seems Avira dropped that white envelope she was holding. It's unmarked save for a little red heart drawn on the front.

Maira has posed:
QUICK! INSERT A DISTRACTION!

Suddenly, Maira! That should be the new hit comedy series.

Seriously though. Suddenly, Maira is standing in front of the Judge, looking waaaay up and admiring his armor, her amber eyes wide with amazement. "Whoooooaaaaaaaaa," she says. "You have amazing armor! How cool is that! I can't even see any skin! That is SO COOL," she says, circling him.

Aerith has posed:
Aerith blinked as Avira ran off before taking note of something she'd dropped. She knelt to pick it up, turned it over in her hands. "Interesting... I wonder who it's for?" Someone ran past her, and she looked over her right shoulder to watch him scurry off in Avira's direction. "I don't know what's going on, but I'm going to find out."

She stood and made her way toward an imposing man in armor. She stopped after about three feet of walking when she realized someone else was already there. Aerith leaned against a nearby wall and watched, content with observation for the moment. Sometimes, one could understand a few things just by listening.

Zargabaath has posed:
The guard that had been ordered to find Avira literally stomps right up to Aerith against the wall and grabs her roughly. "COme with me, vagrant!" And literally drags Aerith back towards Zargabaath.

Continuing to look at the map, Zargabaath rolls it up and peers down at Maira. His aide, however, is not pleased. "YOU WILL ADDRESS HIM AS 'YOUR HONOR!", Yelling at Maira as she circles him. However, the Judge magister raises his hand.....and gestures for the aide to move out of his line of sight. "Is there somethign I can help you with, young lady?"

As he finishes that sentence, The other aide almost throws Aerith to her hands and knees in front of him. "I have found the vagrant, Your honor." Zargabaath's helmet turns slowly to the aide, then down to Aerith, then back up to the Aide. "This is not the woman I sent you for. Was it necessary to treat her so roughly?" He then waits a few seconds as the aide stands there....with his mouth wide open. "Help. Her. Up." Zargabaath says in his most commanding voice. "uh...yes....Yes Your Honor!" and he helps Aerith up. "Are you all right?" Zargabaath says when Aerith gets to her feet.

Aerith has posed:
"Wait, I'm not-" And then she got dragged off, gritting her teeth as the guard handled her quite roughly, thank you very much. She wanted to fight back, to chew him apart with biting words... but held herself in check. No, this would all be made clear soon, if the man in armor was at least of some intelligence.

Thump, on the ground she goes. And then... yes, confirmed. He's far more intelligent. She dusts herself off and looks up to the man, who apparently has chosen to wear a helm concealing his features. "I'm fine, thank you for asking." She glanced toward the guard with a smile. "Simple mistake. I'm sure it won't happen again." Aerith directed her gaze back toward the armored figure, considering him for a moment. He was... quite tall, imposing, but... she felt nothing from him that spoke of malice. It made her smile brighten. "Your name, if I might ask?"

Avira has posed:
Unfortunately for people pursuing in armor, Avira's pretty light on her feet. By the time that one aide arrives at Aerith, Avira's already disappeared down an alleyway. Hiding in the darkness, she keeps her ears open, keenly listening for the approach of the guard. Only she hears the man shouting at some other person to 'come with them.' "...wait, /vagrant/? I'm not a vagrant." Avira huffs.

Suddenly, she notices that her letter/Quest Item is no longer in her hands. She pats herself down looking for it frantically, realizing she must've dropped it when she fled. Edging back to the alley entrance, she looks back where she came and notices that Aerith is missing. Two and two quickly comes together. "...oops." That's no good. She'll have to go back and do...something about that.

Edging out of the alleyway, Avira sneaks her way back over, but doesn't round that corner of fate where she knows the Judge Magister is, choosing to keep her back pressed up against the wall so she can listen in.

Maira has posed:
Maira is not not prepared to be yelled at for her curiosity! She looks up at the aide with wide eyes that look as thought they MIGHT just start to brim with tears. Man, as these guys from Baron? Because she is already starting to associate ridiculous mean people with Baron.

When another guy drags over a woman Maira finds vaguely familiar, she is thinking maybe she stepped into something she shouldn't have. Gee, really? The armored guy is more polite, and to him she smiles a little. "Nope, I just saw you and wanted to have a closer look is all. Uh, your honor," she says, then looks to Aerith, smiling helpfully. "Hello! Are you alright?"

Rhyme has posed:
Step One To Rhyme's Life Improvement Scheme:
Use 100% more sayings and idioms.

Step Two to Rhyme's Life Improvement Scheme:
Stop RUNNING INTO PEOPLE!

Step One is a work in progress, but Step Two takes WORK. Work in PAYING ATTENTION. So Rhyme carefully strides down Traverse Town's streets, dodging the wacky architecture and populace as she wanders. And then... Oh! It's a Judge! A really /important/ one by the look of things. And... Aerith!

Getting throw to the ground by a meaniepants aide. She frowns deeply, something inside her boiling up. An anger she didn't knew she had. But then, as she approaches, it seems to work itself out without her, so... The boiling anger and weird feelings subside. Seriously what was that?

She spends a few moments checking herself before carefully approaching.

Faruja Senra has posed:
"Now, now! Hold still young Ser! Let me finish." One Temple Knight Faruja Senra chides, just an alleyway away from the group of Magister, Cetra, Valkyri, and fire lady. The object of his chiding happens to be a young boy, wearing rather raggedy clothes, sporting a newly tied sling for his left arm. Dried tears sit on his cheeks, the boy's Mother looking on with mixed worry and relief. "H...hey. Feels better now. That trick of yours worked!" the boy says, and Faruja smiles. "'Tis known as White Magic, dear young Ser. Now up with you, follow your Mother home, hmm? Should be healed in three days, or thereabouts." Faruja too stands, and offers them both a bow. The Mother very simply wraps up the short Burmecian in a hug.

"Oh thank you so much, kind Knight! We couldn't afford a Doctor..." Faruja squeaks, suddenly lacking in air. She notices, letting him go.

The Templar shoos them away. "Think nothing of it! Lord bless!" Whoo. With that, the Burmecian strides out from the alleyway, looking quite conspicuous given the area he's in. Then he spies the Judge Magister and aides, as well as several familiar people. He clears his throat, approaching.

"My, my. How august a group. Never would I have thought to see a Judge Magister within Twilight Town of all places." Then, persons are being thrown to the ground. A /Lady/ no less. The aide responsible gets his best Templar Stare (tm).

"In the name of the Holy Father, lay not thy hands upon innocent souls! 'Tis hardly knightly conduct!" he chides, seeing fit to stride over and between between the Judge and aides, and Maira, Aerith and Avira. The Ladies get nods of greetings before the short Templar rounds on the Judge Magister. He bows respectfully, despite the actions of the aides.

"Do forgive my intrusion, Your Honor. Temple Knight Faruja Senra of the Most Holy Church of Saint Ajora Glabados. May I ask what it is that brings you so far from..."

The rat is decently well informed, and he knows what a Baronian looks like. And he's heard the rumors of the use of Heartless in their armies.

"Hold, heathen! While I certainly agree with your sentiments, I shan't see blood drawn without cause! Spare us your predations here. You've not the authority."

Zargabaath has posed:
The Aide in front of Maira bows slightly upon her saying 'Your Honor' to Zargabaath, and ceases yelling at her. This draws a look from Zargabaath. "You can apologize for yelling at her. Not identifying me as 'Your Honor' may be a jailable offense, but it also does not require you disturbing the peace to explain it." The aide definitely falls silent as Zargabaath explains that to him. He turns his attention towards Aerith and gets ready to answer her, when a baronian dark knight walks up to him and threatens his aide. "Are you threatening me?" He says, reaching into his sword belt pouch, just as Faruja comes forward and effectively stands between him and the dark knight. This causes his hand to drop from his pouch.....and turn his attention back to Aerith. "I am Judge Magister Zargabaath of the Archadian military, Captain of the Alexander, Flagship of the 12th Airship fleet. May I ask what your name is, ma'am?" He's showing her respect, especially since his Aide showed her a lack of it....

Aerith has posed:
Aerith sighed and shook her head. Were these two really going to fight? Never mind. Situation was being taken care of. She cleared her throat and gave a nod to Zargabaath... oh goodness, that was a long name. "Aerith Gainsborough. And by the way, that is a stunning set of armor. Very unique." She glanced toward Maira. "Calling him that is, for once, appropriate. He is rather honorable." Aerith directed her attention toward Zarg (yes that was better) once again. "So what are you up to in this neck of the woods, if I may use the common term?"

Avira has posed:
Still listening in, Avira hears that not only is Maira over there, but Kaydin has also entered the fray and started making threats. Avira lifts a hand and palms her face. Well, nice knowing you Mr. Dark Knight dude-

Now Avira's not really the swooning type, but when she hears Faruja arrive and break up the brewing fight, bravely placing himself between the Dark Knight and Judge Magister...she /almost/ does swoon. So knightly! So bold! So badass! Avira could listen to him talk like that all day.

Avira quickly glances at the ground, confirming that her letter is not around here before tenatively peering around the corner. Maybe she dropped it in front of the Judge? Or maybe Aerith had it?

Aerith has posed:
Aerith held her left hand up. "Enough, Kaydin. Faruja, please don't." She glanced toward the nezumi. "Just don't." She lowered her hand, as if that had settled it. "So anyways... where were we? Oh yeah, me asking you what you were up to. Not in that way of course." The flower girl chuckled. "I don't nearly have that amount of power!"

Rhyme has posed:
Aerith seems to be able to take care of herself, but... Really? A scuffle? Between...

Rhyme -> Look at Faruja. Observe -> Is that a rat?

Oh my gosh it's a rat. It's totally a little Rat-knight. That is /amazingly adorable/ and it talks /like a sir/ oh my gosh.

This is almost as good as Shadow Steak Ramen. (Shadow Steak Ramen is the best, for the home audience).

Stepping in, as Faruja did to protect the ladies from Kaydin... Rhyme snipes Faruja by stepping in between HIM and Kaydin and...

"Wow you're real that is amazing! It's like..." Rhyme starts and then stops. And sort of stares blankly.

She has no good saying for this.

Faruja Senra has posed:
Admittedly, Faruja has more than half a mind to get to the fighting himself. Thankfully, he's not about to compromise the position he's put himself into. Glaring at the Dark Knight as the other male's blade glows, light filters off of the rat's body as his own self righteousness is slowly stirred. "I do believe the Honorable Judge apologized for his aide's missteps. Have you not ears? The matter is now between the Lady, and the Judge Magister until matters of bodily harm come to play. Would you truly draw blood over something so petty and well on its way to be righted? There is a difference between defending the life, soul, and honor of another, and using matters of honor as an excuse to satisfy one's sinful urges." The Burmecian still hasn't drawn his weapon.

Then the flower girl speaks up. A bow is given, but he doesn't exactly move. "So long as the good Ser lowers his blade and offers not harm to any here, I shall be most pleased to end this discussion."

Suddenly, Beanie Girl. It's not usual for someone to throw themselves in front of /him/. In fact, for a moment, Faruja's confident demeanor slips in surprise, tail's tip curling. He's quick to recover though, what with Evil Glowing Blade now effectively pointed at Rhyme. He offers his best friendly smile, and takes up the girl's arm, quite hastily backing her away from that sword. He only lets go when she's roughly behind both himself and the large form of the Judge. "Well met and may the Lord bless all of your days, M'Lady! My, my so many interesting people, don't you agree? And yes, quite real. Not a costume, yes the armor is quite functional. No, it is not made of gold entirely, merely plating." The Templar explains, eye never quite leaving Kaydin.

He's soon standing beside Zarg, and gives the man a nod of apology. Better to save the girl than save the armored Judge. "And what might the brave Lady's name be? Temple Knight Faruja Senra, my dear." Hopefully Rhyme won't catch the note of a question one already knows the answer to in his voice.

Avira has posed:
Adorable! That's all Avira can really say to Faruja's interaction with Rhyme there. From Faruja's kindness to Rhyme's extreme enthusiasm for seeing a burmecian for the first time.

Figuring the situation was saturated enough for her own safety, Avira finally rounds the corner, strolling over oh so casually. It's like she hadn't run away from these guys minutes before at all she's so casual and collected. "Aerith!" she calls out, having finally learned the name of the woman she's kept running into, "I think I might have dropped a letter of mine in your vicinity. Did you happen to pick it up at any point? It's important that I deliver it at some point today."

She's trying very hard to not to look directly at the Judge Magister.

Zargabaath has posed:
"My Aide will face judgement for what he has done." Zargabaath says in his most intimidating voice, not even bothered by the Dark Knight's tone. However, both aides look at the Judge Magister's hands.......

and immediately fall to the knees, their heads bowed to the ground. For in Zargabaath's hand, happened to be something even the Archadian Military feared from a Judge magister.

A Red Card.

"Stand down, Young Knight. There is no need for bloodshed here, even if one of my aides did show someone disrespect." Zargabaath says before looking down at his aide, and slides another card out of his pouch. "Consider this a warning." He says raising the card over his head.....and the card flashes, before disappearing in a flash of magic. The Aide Zargabaath was looking at, glows yellow for a second, then the color disappears. "Thank you, Your Honor. I shall endeavor to earn the ability to have this yellow card removed." "See that you do. Rise." He then looks to Aerith and tilts his helmeted head. "Excuse me, Lady Aerith." He then holds out his hand. "May I see that envelope?"

Aerith has posed:
Aerith saw Avira from the corner of her right eye. So he was honorable, just, and merciful. Aerith had a feeling she liked the man, though he didn't show his face too often. Then he asked for the letter, and she held it up in her right hand. "You mean this? I suppose I could humor you... just don't open it. I'm not sure who it's for." With that she handed it to him... and glanced sidelong at Avira. A subtle shake of her head was all that was needed, she hoped. It's nothing, let him see it.

Rhyme has posed:
Today on No Faruja, I Insist...

As Rhyme is taken lightly by the arm and moved, she seems to drag her heels a bit but complies. Staring down a sword WAS scary but...

Let's be fair. After dying twice, danger gets a little old. A little... passe. And it wasn't a fsking Bebop Shark or an oncoming car, so, really, she's more or less fine with it.

Add that on to the fact that she was utterly certain that no less then six people would simultaneously maul Kaydin, she wasn't fearing the Dark Knight as much as she rightly should in the situation.

And then the situation defuses, neato. PROBLEM SOLVED, SCENE OVER GUYS.

"Me? I'm Rhyme. You don't have to be so formal, I mean... Huh. Well, that makes sense... And... Well, all that glitters is not gold!" She beams at the burmecian.

And Kaydin. Biiiig grin as he puts the sword away. "Much better! Might does not always make right!"

Zargabaath has posed:
Listening to Rhyme as she introduces herself, Zargabaath smiles under his helm at the last comment Rhyme says. "Truer words have never been spoken, young lady. Thank you." The last two words draws a bow from both aides to Rhyme. Apparently a Judge Magister saying 'thank you' is like a emperor bowing to you.

Avira has posed:
"Now hold on a moment!" Avira quickly interjects. "/Aerith!/" Nevertheless, she looks kind of angry now. Sure, she didn't write the letter herself but it was for a client and opening up a client's mail was completely unprofessional.

Now she turns to face he Judge Magister and folds her arms over her chest, "Your Honor, I am Avira of Clan Dagda, and that envelope contains a message I'm in the middle of delivering. I kindly ask that you please return it to me so I may be on my way."

The envelope has a little red heart on it. The handwriting on the note inside is flowing cursive and the stationary used has further little hearts on it. The letter's contents, however, are not words of love but what seems to be elaborate instructions for locating a large cache of...well, whatever it is, isn't quite clear. It's spoken about in vague terms.

Faruja Senra has posed:
"Were it my charges, good Ser, I would have offered a tongue lashing followed by a duel, and the appropriate three days penance from the offender. Strength is nothing without wisdom." Faruja responds. Coming from a Templar, it may seem a touch odd, given certain members' zealous excesses.

The interaction between aides and Judge Magister has the Templar slightly puzzled. They're frightened of a...card? What could it mean? What an interesting way to keep discipline. Finally giving the man some space now that no one's going to be cut into pieces, he finally notices Avira. She's shot a smile, and a bow.

"Good 'eve, M'Lady. Lord bless!" Comes his greeting to the Valkyri. Thankfully no name dropping, as the rat takes a few deep, calming breathes; feathers ruffled.

Thankfully, Rhyme is here to help with that. The infectious cheeriness on such a young girl spreads mightily, the Templar looking quite amused. A light chuckle escapes him, tension easing out as the situation becomes less dire. "Ahh, but Lady Rhyme, 'twould be unfitting to do otherwise. Mayhap I come across as a noble whose trousers are over-starched, but 'tis something of a cultural quirk amongst those of the knightly rank within Burmecia, my home. To be a Knight is to represent an entire nation, or in my case, an Order. From the greatest commander to the lowliest of Squires, one must act as the face of an organization wherever one travels." Long-winded, this rat. The saying earns a nod of agreement. "Quite! 'Tis what lies beneath that is truly important. The most comely of crones may yet hide a heart of unending kindness and care."

Aww, snap. Faruja turns from Rhyme, red eye glancing from the Judge Magister to Avira and back. How oddly insistant. The rat doesn't speak, however, waiting to see the matter play out.

Aerith has posed:
Aerith wanted to sigh. Did she not understand the meaning of what just happened? Apparently not, because she comes marching anyways. Fortunately, the letter hadn't quite been taken yet, so she pulls it back just enough. "Hmm... so is it really that important that you have it? I mean, if you're on a mail run, I wouldn't want to impose..." Still, he did ask for it, and it was still within reach.

Zargabaath has posed:
Zargabaath had actually grapsed the letter on one end, with Aerith holding the other end in her hand. When Avira comes forward, Zargabaath turns his head towards her and smiles, under the helmet. "FInally, the one who ran in the first place. Avira of Clan Dagda." He stands there in thought for a few seconds, but doesn't let go of the letter. "Ah yes. A clan based in Rabanastre, I believe." He does slowly take it from Aerith's hand, but starts to open it in front of Avira. "Do you know what this letter says, Avira?"

Aerith has posed:
Aerith doesn't really have a choice to let it go with a sigh. "I'm sure it's nothing of consequence." Well if only she'd stayed back, there'd be nothing wrong... but then again, she'd never heard of Rabanastre, much less Archadia. So the question was, just who was this man, and why had his disposition changed, just like that?

Maira has posed:
Maira hadn't just totally spaced out ALL that time. Nope. She sure didn't.

Blinking, she comes to and looks around. Alright, so the big guy in armor is still there, as are his cronies. Aerith is still there too. Now however, Kaydin has arrived, as has Faruja and Rhyme. Maire blinks several times. "Oh, hi there Sir Faruja! Hello other people..." she says, wondering where her mind had wondered off to. That was a pretty large stretch of time to just lose.

Then, Avira on the linkpearl! Soon enough, Maira has narrowed in on the letter everyone is squabbling over that apparently was Avira's and needed delivering. Hmmmm....Well, Maira will help if she can.

A wind picks up suddenly, a tropical storm force gust that seems to be centered on that letter!

Avira has posed:
Avira seems to be grumbling to herself for a moment or two. She does not seem at all happy to be put on the spot with a Judge Magister. Nor does it actually register to her that Aerith might have been trying to help-she completely missed those queues.

"Yes, that's right. Mabo is the clan leader." An unhappy look settles on her face as she sees the Judge start to open the letter up. "No, I'm just the person delivering it. It's probably a love letter between my clients."

Zargabaath has posed:
Stopping himself from opening the letter, Zargabaath looks to Avira's face, but does hear Aerith's comment. "I hope, for your sake, that nothing happens to Archadian Forces after this letter has been delivered, Avira. If something does happen, however.....Clan Dagda will be the first suspect.....as a whole. DO I make myself clear?" And then the letter is blown out of his hand by forces he figures could be the woman that was admiring his armor earlier. He had a bit of magical talent, though he rarely used it. He looked to the aide that had been given the yellow card and nodded to him. "Retreive the letter." He then looked to Avira. "You will remain here until the letter has been retreived." If Avira looked at his left hand.....he still had the red card in his hand.

Maira has posed:
The letter can try to be retrieved, but unless Zarg's aide can FLY, he's going to have a hell of a time of it. The letter isn't exactly following a predictable course. Indeed, it swoops upward and onto a roof before disappearing from sight.

Faruja Senra has posed:
"Lady Maira, good 'eve! How fare you?" Pause. The rat taps claw to chin. "...Free of self-immolation inflicted burns?" He's technically a white mage, he /has/ to ask.

Ahh, gust! Faruja's robes flutter, the rat tugging them closer. "Blasted weather."

An ear perks, taking in the Judge Magister's threats. His red eye watches as the letter flies atop a roof and lands. Could he leap up with hardly any effort and retrieve it? Certainly! /Will/ he do so? The Templar's mind recalls a little incident involving an Archadian Knight laughing while Heartless plagued a poor citizen.

Nah, Faruja's staying quite put for now. Let the rude aide get it.

Avira has posed:
Warily, Avira looks back. It's just not the same staring at a helmeted individual. There was absolutely nothing to read, emotion-wise, and that made Avira nervous. "Uhhh..."

A look of horror settles on her face at the thought of taking her whole clan down with her over this damn letter. "Exceptionally clear, Your Honor." Then the letter is blown out of his hand by a wind too forceful to be an accidental gust of air. Avira actually tries to make her own grab for it but the paper slips away and flutters onto a rooftop before her fingers can close down upon the paper.

A small frustrated whine escapes her and she looks back to the Judge Magister. "Are you sure...?" her eyes fall down to that red card. "I could get it myself so as to not trouble your men." Or Faruja could easily jump up himself but Avira keenly notices that he's not offering his aid for this. It brings a tiny smile to her face.

Aerith has posed:
Aerith nodded. "I do believe that would be for the best. It is, after all, her job to deliver it." She glanced over to her with a smile. "Right?" It appears the problem has been, for the moment, solved. He certainly didn't jump to conclusions, and that helped. Aerith focused on Zarg again. "I trust I can get an answer as to what your business in town is... a harmless question, if I do say so myself."

Zargabaath has posed:
The aide runs after it, but seeing the course it takes, he makes his way around the houses. Zargabaath, however, turns towards Maira pointedly. "Ma'am. I know you're the one causing that wind. You have one chance to return the letter to my hand, or my aide's hand. Or...." He then slides out a second red card. "You and Avira will go to an Archadian prison until I determine that the letter isn't a threat to Archadia. This is your only warning." He turns his head to Aerith, but doesn't answer her yet. "I'm not ignoring you, Lady Aerith. I shall answer you in a moment, as soon as the letter is returned to my hand, and I can return it to where it belongs, if there are no further delays."

Maira has posed:
Maira looks horrified! "I didn't take the letter! Uist did," she informs him. "Besides, what right do you have to open a letter without your name on it? I take it you are not from here, but you ARE here, so you should certainly pay attention to the laws of HERE, and the laws here prohibit one from opening mail not intended for them! Indeed, it is an offense!" she says, crossing her arms. She has far too much spunk for her own good. "Honestly...shame on you. I'll have Uist bring the letter back, and you can read the private words of a love letter from one lover to another, will you then let Avira deliver it? We need to eat you know. This is how we make our gil!"

Maira has posed:
And as she said, the wind picks up again and swirls the letters off the roof, blown straight into Zarg's waiting hand, accompanied by a very cool presence that feels ever so slightly like disdain.

Aerith has posed:
Aerith took in a deep breath, trying to clear her mind. Definitely not the way she figured this would end. Maybe... maybe she was right. Maybe this man and his two aides were here thinking they were still in... well, their world. Perhaps they hadn't noticed that their world had either been eaten, been lost, or they'd been brought here by some other power.

Or perhaps this Maira had gotten herself and Avira the fate that Aerith had been trying to spare them from. As soon as the letter was returned, Aerith sighed. "Zargabaath... And do you mind if I call you Zarg? Your name is very long-winded, Your Honor." She clears her throat. "Please, tell me... where were you from?" Note, she said were.

Faruja Senra has posed:
Faruja turns his gaze to Kaydin, offering a long stare before sighing. Blast it, the witch has a point.

Thankfully, Maira pipes up, and wind blows the letter back to Zarg's hand. The rat's muzzle, about to open, shuts. Well, that takes care of that.

The Templar coughs. "/Come/ now, certainly such a fine and honorable Judge Magister has no intention of violating another city-state's laws so. 'Twould be tantamount to kidnapping. An act the...Montressors, I believe they call themselves? Would most certainly frown upon. Particularly when larger threats lurk so near." Faruja tweaks an ear towards the Baronite, glancing at the Judge.

Avira has posed:
At that moment, Avira gives Maira a frantic look. 'For the love of Faram, listen to him, Maira!' she mouths quietly, though her partner in VALKRYI hears her plea far more clearly.

"The Dark Knight does bring up a good point though. She's not a citizen of Ivalice." Avira gestures to Maira. "It seems improper to arrest her, especially out here on neutral soil." Does their law extend that far? Ugh, Avira's inwardly sickened at the thought. Dodging Judges was bad enough in Rabanastre. She didn't want to have to put up with that on other worlds too. All the more reason to preemptively thwart any Baron-Archades alliance!

As Maira talks, Avira grows progressively more terrified. In short order she starts waving her arms along the 'no stop talking nooooo' variety.

Rhyme has posed:
Rhyme looks at the Judge Magister. And at Faruja. At Aerith, and Avira. At Maira. A little glance is even spared to Kaydin.

And then she hangs her head, sighing deeply. "Oh my gosh this is like watching a terrible sit-com." She points at Faruja. "Calm down."

She points at Kaydin. "Keep your sword put away."

She points at Maira, and her frown is immense. "Are you making this... Worse? Stop it."

She points at the Judge Magister's direction and sort of... thinks for a moment. "I... Well, I would say something about how rude it is to read mai-"

And then Kaydin opens his mouth. And there is this terrible hate glare at Kaydin, as she practically ferally growls. "Shut. Your. Rude. Mouth. And STOP POSTURING!" She yells, before blinking.

And smiling embarrasedly. "Oh... erm... I mean..." Blink blink. "S-sorry."

Zargabaath has posed:
Turning his head a bit, Zargabaath watches as the letter falls back down from the rooftops, and back into his hand. "Thank you." He says to Maira before turning to Avira and slowly brings it down to her, without opening it. However, when she grasps the other end, she holds onto it. "I stand by my warning to your and your clan, Avira of Clan Dagda." He says quite flatly to her, before pointedly releasing the letter. "Be safe, Avira."

His attention then turns to Aerith. "I am from Archadia, Lady Aerith. Unfortunately, tensions are high between Archadia and Rabanastre because of Archadia invading Rabanastran soil. Something I didn't approve of, nor did Drace, but....it was out of my hands." However, Faruja and Avira do draw his attention again. "She /WAS/ interfering in the affairs of a Judge Magister, which submits her to Archadian Law as long as she interferes. However, since she is no longer interfering...." He puts away the red cards. Then he turns to Faruja. "I don't think Traverse Town would mind if I can enforce Archadian Law with a minimum of..." And his helmeted head tilts upward. "Collateral damage." For those that look up, It is the Alexander.....plus three more Airship Frigates. It seems Zargabaath considered this mission quite important.

His attention goes back to Aerith. "I had initially, come here to investigate this 'Heartless' creature that had been sighted in Rabanastre and other places."

Maira has posed:
Maira blushes and looks toward Rhyme, chewing her lip. "Sorry...I didn't mean to..." she whispers, looking as though she'd like to sink into the ground and disappear. This is all too much! Also, she is pretty sure she wants to see Faruja beat up Kaydin. He wanted to drag her off to Baron! That big jerk! Well, at least she's managed to keep herself off the wanted list of another powerful military nation....right?

Uist is practically tearing his hair out in frustration.

Maira now steps back and begins to look at Aerith more closely, her head tilted in concentration.

Aerith has posed:
Aerith nodded. "And... do you know what they are? What they can do? Because I could tell you." She sighed. "The Heartless are ruthless, brutal creatures of darkness. They seek out the hearts of others and devour them, for they have no emotions of their own. It's their only drive, and they're relentless in pursuing it."

She began to pace back and forth as she explains. "What's more is, it's not even their fault. These Heartless are just people who got their hearts devoured themselves, or let themselves fall to tehir own darkness." She stopped just in front of the Judge. "But the biggest prize of all is the heart of an entire world. I trust that since you're here... your world is just about eaten, lost to Darkness. Right?" She'd know, she'd felt the death of hers, or rather the near-death.

Avira has posed:
Avira's quick to take her end of the letter, only to freeze when the Judge levels a threat against her and her Clan again. "...noted." she mutters quick gritted teeth before sliding the letter away and quickly stuffing it down into one of her leather pouches.

"...now if you all don't mind..." she edges away, "...I need to deliver this." Before taking off, she does pause and stare at Rhyme. Who thought that cute little girl would be capable of such scolding? Avira does take some offense though. This would have made a GREAT sitcom, not a bad one!

She runs off shortly afterwards, taking note of the Archadian airships in the sky now with no small amount of dread.

Maira has posed:
"Yup, basically what the pretty lady said," she quips in response to Aerith.

Maira looks to Zarg, empathetic suddenly. "Was your world lost to the darkness too?" she asks.

Faruja Senra has posed:
"Threaten not the Lady, oh you who would call upon ruinous powers!" It seems Kaydin has quite ticked off the Holy Knight. Really, it's amazing Faruja hasn't drawn his spear and counter-threatened yet. Kaydin /almost/ has him doing so. Then Rhyme speaks up, utterly ruining the Burmecian's follow-up self-righteous sayings. Damn. She could give him a run for his money when it comes to feral-growling-anger. The Templar looks quite impressed, and bows to the much younger human girl.

"Ahh, but my temper guides me where 'twould better be served by caution and wisdom. Truly! From the mouths of babes, as they say!"

A glance up. The rat's brow scrunches. "Mmm. So it would seem." Faruja knows where he's beat. Ahh, well, at least he got to spite The Man. Now if only that Man was his own monarch~

Aerith, however, immediately gets his full and complete attention. Even Kaydin is ignored. His eye narrows slightly, as he makes a few mental notes. "My, my, M'Lady. You are quite informed. Be you some sort of...scholar of these beasts?" His head tilts, suspicion about him. Then Kaydin speaks.

"How odd. To speak so...mayhap the rumors are false? That Baron employs these foul, black-hearted, sinful beasts most abhorrent in the sight of the Lord?" If it's possible, Kaydin's now even more on the Templar's radar.

Zargabaath has posed:
"I do not know if my world is being devoured by these beasts, but I do know that they were spotted in Rabanastre recently." Zargabaath says quietly. "If they are truly people that have been consumed by darkness, then all the more reason to never use them, and put them out of their misery. Even of Lord Vayne Solidor ordered me to use them, they would be destroyed by the members of the 12th fleet."

Aerith has posed:
Aerith nodded. "Then here's something else you need to know. Apparently, some people can control them: where they go, what they do, how they attack. These are dangerous people, and they do not have good intentions. If you hear an offer from them to join hands with you, ignore it. Matter of fact, remove them from your borders, forcefully." She glanced back at Kaydin. "I think the situation here is under control..." She turned toward Faruja. "Could you take Rhyme somewhere else please? Kaydin, please go back to what you were doing." She gave him a smile, showing she meant no disrespect. "I'm sure you have better things to do, sir."

Maira has posed:
Maira frowns a little as Aerith tries to disperse the crowd. It's probably not a bad idea really. Maira looks to Faruja, giving him the 'I want to speak with you soon!' look and a smile, before she looks back to Aerith. "I met someone once who could control them. A...rabbit or something? He was here, in Traverse. Do I have to go too? I wanted to ask...where are you from, miss?" she asks to Aerith. "You seem...familiar to me somehow."

Aerith has posed:
Aerith blinked for a moment. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as her thoughts struggled to get themselves back into order. What was... that she just said? Aerith shook her head to clear itt. "Yes... that's where I'm from. Why?"

Zargabaath has posed:
Zargabaath listens quietly to Aerith's comment. "Indeed? Then I shall have to keep an eye out for these heartless controllers.....and deal with them myself." He then looks to Faruja and tilts his head at him. "Templar Faruja Senra, am I correct? You are a.....Burmecian?"

Maira has posed:
Knew it! She knew it! "That's where I am from too," she says, her eyes widening. "I must have seen you sometime, maybe? I just knew I knew you somehow. I'm glad there are more of us that got out of there..." she continues. Her expression bares the same burden; the knowledge that your world is lost, and probably gone forever. The trauma is seeing that happening and fleeing for you life against all odds. Yup. They're kin in that.

Faruja Senra has posed:
The look Faruja gives the Judge Magister is one of respect. Finally! /Someone/ in authority sees the light. A clawed hand crosses himself. "Judge Magister, your words are pious. Well said, Your Honor, well said. Their presence alone causes corruption. Better to remove the taint as soon as possible, lest it worm its way into the heights of authority within a nation." A half-bow, and the rat's tone seems as though he means every word.

Then he turns to Aerith. A fuzzy brow rises. More than a few warning bells are going off in the rat's head. He'll have to follow up on this later.

"As the young Lady desires. Lady Rhyme, I /am/ quite familiar with the town. Mayhap a tour would be in order? There is this most /wonderful/ cafe known as the Wildcat."

Zarg speaks up, and Faruja smiles. "Yes, yes indeed. Well informed, Your Honor. Most humans but gape at me as though I am but vermin. Ahh, but if only I could show you the flowing aqueducts, the gentle rains, the ingenius architecture of my people! Our peerless art and skill with spear!" The rat starts off, waxing nasalgic about his lost nation. Pride, one he'd thought long withered and decayed after his home's fall, rushing back to him for but a few moments.

A pause, and he bows to those present, before glancing to Aerith. "Lady...ahh, what did Lady Pixi say...Aerith, was it? Well met, and Lord bless. You seem quite knowledgeable, perhaps we shall speak another time regarding the Heartless."

Aerith has posed:
Only with one slight difference...

She hadn't /felt/ the world dying, the Lifestream being eaten, the whole mess happening in real-time. That was far worse than being there to see it. Aerith couldn't help but kneel and stretch her arms out toward her. "Come here." Hug time~

Faruja Senra has posed:
As for Maira? Faruja smiles, nodding. At this point, he has half a mind to take Maira out on the town one day!

Zargabaath has posed:
"Most new cultures are watched and studied at length as we encounter them, Templar." He then waves to Faruja. "Until we meet again, Templar. Hopefully we shall fight side by side." Zargabaath then places a gloved hand upon Faruja's shoulder. "and hopefully, we can restore your world....." However, he does watch Aerith and Maira. Strange pair.

Maira has posed:
She did in some way. Though it was certainly not as keen as Aerith's connection, it was a terrifying experience that has left deep scars. Maira has always been a sensitive type.

When a hug is offered though, Maira is on board! She doesn't care that she just met this lady, she walks over and embraces her. Not many of them left, people from their world. They've got to stick together!

Uist walks out of the shadows, her ghostly companion standing a few feet away from the hugging pair, looking between them with an unreadable look on his face. Not that anyone can see it.

Aerith has posed:
Seconds before the hug, she saw... someone... behind her. Her ears rang with whispers, senses lit up like a switchboard, like a city at night. Then the contact came... and her eyes widened, shining like precious emeralds from the earth.

Something triggered.

Her mind flashed back, the very day her world was almost completely devoured. The screams, the cries, the sheer volume of death that was beyond human perception. Aerith's arms tightened around Maira but not enough to cut her breathing. Her eyes shut from her inability to keep them open as her world spun.

The whisper in her mind again. "We can't have you dying just yet... there is much to be done."

Her eyes opened... and she found she had to blink back tears. After a few moments, she gently pushed Maira away and took in a focused breath. "Maira... I want you to answer something for me. The day everything went dark... did you hear something?"

Rhyme has posed:
Nodding decisively to herself, GRAND ARBITER RHYME, BRINGER OF REASON AND JOY TO ALL.

She totally doesn't notice Aerith hugging Maira and having an episode. This is because she is beaming with a huge smile and watching Kaydin, Faruja, and the Judge Magister.

Because they are troublemakers.

Maira has posed:
Maira is surprised by the tightness of the grip on her. The two were having a very important moment in the middle of Traverse and neither seemed to care. Intuition told Maira that this was important. But of course it would be, right? Another survivor.

As the question is asked, Maira nods a little. "I...I think so. Everything was in chaos. Heartless were everywhere. I was trying to defend the orphanage but I was completely overwhelmed," she says, beginning to tell her story. It was likely the first time she had put this into words. She's thinking back, trying to put together the pieces of fractured memory. "I think I heard...something...or maybe it was just a feeling? I knew I had to follow Uist. I ran down an ally that got darker and darker along the edges. Then...then there was a door. A door I had never seen before," she tells Aerith, her voice far away as she tries to relive those moments.

"I went through, I guess....I don't remember anything afterwards except a horrible dream full of pain and--" she perceptibly shudders. These are the nightmares she has at night, vague and horrible. "Then I was here in Traverse Town...that's it."

Faruja Senra has posed:
Some small part of Faruja wants to punch the Judge Magister in the face for his honestly sympathetic words. Coming from a human, they grind against the thorny wall that is his nezumi pride. The better part of him has the rat smiling, and nodding. "'Twould please me muchly to see our Orders fighting for righteous causes. Lord guide you, and offer you His wisdom in all things."

As the Ladies comfort each other? The Templar turns away politely, not wanting to impede on the comforting of another soul. Faram knows he could use the same at times! Couldn't they all, really?

Voices? Faruja pauses as he's about to step away. Memories of his own world's fall flood him, the rat lightly squeaking and grabbing his bandaged face. Teeth grit. Feh. His ear perks, despite phantom pains, taking in two very interesting conversations.

Aerith has posed:
Aerith pauses. Following a spirit out of the chaos. And her dreams, full of pain and quite a bit of darkness, she would like to add. Aerith smiled, tried to hold back more tears. Suddenly, even though everyone else was there, including the cutest girl in the world (tm), they were the only two in the square. "Okay... I know this is going to sound strange, but I want you to stick with me from now on. You see, I can see your friend... and I bet no one else can."

Faruja Senra has posed:
Grunting, Faruja continues on as matters become far more personal. Could...Maira /not/ be crazy? So many unanswered questions. But the rat isn't going to tred where he doesn't belong, and in his estimation, it's reached that point. Besides, he needs some blasted aspirin and a nice, relaxing bath. With bubbles! Faruja walks off towards the local hotel. Rat away!

Zargabaath has posed:
Zargabaath places a hand upon Faruja's shoulder. "Focus your fury elsewhere. When it is time to use it, Templar, let it drive you then. Don't let it darken your heart."

However, he then looks towards his aide, the one who yelled. "Did you get the infermation on the heartless." "Yes your honor, as well as the fact that baron is using them." "GOod." Zargabaath says. "If Baron is, indeed, using these Heartless, then we shouldn't ally with them, ever." He says as an airship lands outside of the town....and he walks his way for the airship.

Maira has posed:
To say that Maira is startled is probably the understatement of the year. The young woman steps back, blinking in confusion. She looks to Uist, who maintains his stiff posture, arms crossed over his chest, but his eyes have gone wide as he stares at Aerith--realizing that she is meeting his gaze. She SEES him.

Looking between them, Maira realizes this too.

"You...you can see Uist?" she asks, though she already knows the answer. She simply can't believe it. "How...I don't understand--I guess it isn't strange that I'm not the only one to see him but--it has never happened before. I thought maybe I was--" Crazy.

"Stick with you? I...well I'd be happy to be friends of course! But I have...things...and...people...and...why can you see him while others can't?" she's really just at a loss for words.

Uist stands beside Maira, the protector. Silent for now.

Aerith has posed:
Aerith looked over at him. "I don't know, but I have some guesses," She stands, a hand atop her head and looks to Uist "Do you know?" Ah, the Judge is leaving. "One last thing, Zargabaath!" She turns toward him momentarily. "Said kingdom is planning an attack on a city called Manhattan! If you want to send them a message, it would be a good idea, to drive them back once they arrive!"

Maira has posed:
Uist's brow furrows. He isn't sure how to answer. "I'm not sure I know what you mean," he replies to Aerith. He doesn't know why Maira can see him, never mind Aerith. Perhaps there is a likeness there, some trait in common. He's always known Maira was odd. Thankfully.

Maira blinks, looking between the two, more confused than she has ever been in her life, and that is really saying something. "Know what? Uist doesn't know anything from...before. He doesn't remember anything," she tells Aerith.

Uist nods, looking troubled. "Nothing from when I was alive," he says.

They are both fairly clueless. Now the big question is why.

Zargabaath has posed:
Zargabaath turns his head back towards Aerith, but she can't see him smile. "I'll see what I can do, Lady Aerith. However, I bid you and your friends good day." And he steps onto the airship, along with his aides. The door closes and they fly up to the Alexander.

Aerith has posed:
Aerith nodded. Figures that would have happened sooner or later. It would more than likely come to blows anyway. He'd understand, wouldn't he? "Someone... but let's not worry about that. At least not for now." She turned toward the spirit. "There's a reason I can see you, specifically, when no one else can. And it doesn't surprise me that you're dead, and can't remember anything from your past life." She shuddered. "I don't even want to know how you lost your memories, though I have a few guesses. But let's go ahead and bring it out.

"Have you heard the term 'ancient' used before? With a capital A?"

Maira has posed:
Maira frowns a little, as does Uist. It is funny how similar their expressions are. Maira replies "Nope," at just the moment Uist replies "Yes."

Maira looks to Uist. This is not too surprising. He may not remember anything about his life, but he does know things that she doesn't. She assumed that before he met her he didn't really have anything else to do but sit around learning things.

Uist looks Aerith over again, his brow furrowed. "That's what you are..."

Aerith has posed:
Aerith grinned. "Like I said. She doesn't know, but you do. And that's the wrong term anyway, the real term is Cetra. So I trust you know the stories, the legends? They're true." She looked down at Maira. "I can hear voices that most can't. See things that others probably deny. And that one there... doesn't trust me one bit." She glanced toward Uist. "Do you?"

Maira has posed:
"I never said I didn't trust you," Uist said, crossing his arms again.

Maira rolls her eyes somewhat at Uist. "Uist doesn't trust anyone, don't take it personally. He's just grumpy," she informs Aerith. "That said, I wish someone would tell me plainly what is going on! What legends? What don't I know? That you are one of these Cetra? Well, I know that NOW...So...so what you are saying is you can see Uist because you are Cetra," Maira says, puzzling this out as she talks.

So, these Cetra could see spirits like Uist. Maira wonders if there are others, but she senses now is not a good time to ask. Still! Someone who can see him! This is huge. It is going to take Maira some time to wrap her head around this. But why can she see Uist? "I don't understand..."

Aerith has posed:
Aerith nodded. "But you're starting to." She smiled and ruffled Maira's hair. "Listen... this is new for me too. My mom, she died when I was young. I am the last of my kind. Though I sense something familiar in you. Perhaps, somewhere in the past... But that's not important right now." She sighed, her expression one of relief. "I'll tell you as much as I can about what I know, and let you decide for yourself what to do with it. Since you've never met another person who could see spirits as you do, perhaps you could use some guidance."

As Maira didn't know anything about the Cetra, Aerith gave her, as best as she could, a brief history lesson... a primer, if you would. Sure it took ten minutes, and it generalized a lot of things, but it had to be short and to the point. "Okay... questions?"

Maira has posed:
Maira sits down wherever they are, presuming they have moved from where the almost-scuffle with the Judge had taken place. She simply can't be standing while she gets a lesson like this. Uist remains standing nearby Maira, listening intently, frowning all the while--not because he doesn't approve, just because that's pretty much his normal expression.

Maira reaches up and interlocks her fingers, placing them on top of her head. ".....Wow. That's....wow. I never even knew such people existed," she replies, shocked and in awe.

As far as questions, the only thing she can think of is this; "So...what does this all mean? Do you think I...?"

Aerith has posed:
Aerith grinned. "Maybe. I look forward to helping you figure it out though," She knelt again. "I heard mention of an orphanage... how long have you been on your own?"

Maira has posed:
Maira smiles a little. She's happy to know that she has made this woman feel better. Maira knows what it is like to feel alone. She knows it fiercely.

To the question, she shrugs some. "My mom died when I was six. We both got really sick. I survived it, but mom didn't. When I came out of the fever she was gone--but Uist was there. That was the first time I saw him."

Uist nods in agreement with the story. "I remember Maira being ill. I remember...knowing I needed to watch over her. That's all."

Aerith has posed:
Aerith's eyes widened. "Six... and how old are you now?" A hard age to lose someone, to be sure. Aerith would know, she lost hers at around the same age.

No such thing as coincidences, flower-lady. No such thing.

Maira has posed:
Maira blinks, then flushes deeply. She doesn't remember off the top of her head! She'd never really kept track! "Um...uh...I think I'm seventeen or so?" she asks. "I think I was six but I'm not totally sure, we never celebrated or anything. Mom would just grumble about my dad and how he left her with no money and a baby etc. etc. then walk off in a huff," Maira explains with a shrug.

It might be a surprise to some how old she actually is. Her naivity makes her seem younger than she is. "Why, how old are you?"

Aerith has posed:
Aerith closed her eyes. "Twenty-two. Lost my mom at almost the same age as you did." Okay, stupid tears, stop. She was over this already. "Right... no coincidences." She shook her head and opened her eyes, vision a bit blurry. She wiped the tears away and looked at Maira again. "So let's start with a question. Can you do any magic without Materia? Telll me everything."

Maira has posed:
Maira frowns deeply. She doesn't really look terribly sad when she talks about losing her mother. Maira's mother was kind of a bitch. Maira doesn't blame her for it though. She knows her mother was just...sick. Aerith though, clearly felt the loss of hers. Maira leans forward and gives her another light hug. "I'm sorry you lost you mom," she says, before apparently getting down to business.

"Well, I can do some healing things without materia. Uist sort of...helps? It is very difficult to explain. We just have a sort of connection? Oh, and fire. I'm...very attuned to fire," she said, holding up a finger. Said finger quickly lights up with a cheery yellow flame that seems to lick at her skin without burning. "But I've always used my materia....I think?"

Aerith has posed:
Aerith nodded again. "Materia is pretty helpful, actually. The problem is that it accesses other peoples' memories and doesn't use your own. Me, I've grown up knowing how to use it. Part of me just... figured I'd need it. But it wasn't until later that I realized I could get more out of it than most." She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "Listen... I know you have other people that care for you, but I want you to know that I'm here for you. I want to..." She paused for a moment, considering how to best word this. "I want to guide you, down the path that no one else was there to lead you on. Will you let me try?"

Maira has posed:
Maira grinned broadly, reaching out to snatch Aerith's hand and give it a squeeze. "I would love that! I...I...really! This is all really overwhelming! A month ago I didn't have a friend in the world," Uist glares. "Living friend!" Maira amends. "Now...this is just so crazy! I'm so happy though! Okay. Yes! I don't know if you have heard of it, but I'm in this group called VALKYRI. We travel a lot, but we should be getting a headquarters here in Traverse really soon. Where do you stay usually? So that I can find you?"

Aerith has posed:
This was the hard part. "I might have to move if I'm going to teach you... but for the time being I'm where I found myself after our world... almost collapsed. I'm in Goug, and I usually frequent a bar called Seventh Heaven. I trust you know what else is in Goug, right?" She gave a sad smile. "So you'll have to be careful when you're down there."

Maira has posed:
Maira brightens. "Oh! Seventh Heaven! I've been there! I've met Tifa before quite a few times. She has the sea salt ice cream there. I come over to have it when I can. Been pretty busy lately...also spend a good bit of time in Manhattan," she says with a nod.

What else is in Goug? OH. YEAH. RIGHT. "Shinra....heh. You know. Before the--everything--happened...I was thinking about getting a job at Shinra. I had no idea what they were really doing," she said, frowning deeply. Well at least she avoided that. Too bad the reason was total destruction of their world...

Maira shakes her head. "Okay, I will find you there! I know we'll have a lot to talk about," she says with a grin.