human kindness is overflowing

[bloodyantivan]

Date & Time: March 6th, around 8pm
Location: whatever hole-in-the-wall Zevran frequently drinks in
Characters: Zevran Arainai (bloodyantivan), Kate Kane (gevurah)
Summary: beers and bro-ing out
Warnings: Some references to violence. Will warn for anything else as appropriate.


[What is it, Zevran ponders as he watches the door, about me and redheads?

If Zevran were suspicious, at least more so than any Chantry-educated Antivan elf, he might think that they were an omen. A bad-luck omen, a reminder of the violence he's done, a symbol of penance or even oncoming punishment. Red is the color of blood, of sin and desire, and he's known plenty of those things, and been beholden to their power more times than he's likely to ever admit. He paints himself as a master, but what man ever is?

He remembers Kate's vivid red from the hazy mess of childish emotion he recently experienced. He is curious to see what sort of adult she grew into. She sounds beautiful, elegant, and completely in control. She sounds strong. He has no doubt of that, if Leliana was at all fond of the woman she must have been rare indeed. Leliana and he held very similar tastes, after all.

Leliana. Another redhead. His charming Orlesian coquette, a rose, he'd call her, if he called her at all. Sadly, they understood each other almost too well to ever have happened. There was little trust between people who seduced and lied and laughed and looked pretty for money. Whether whores or assassins or bards, those who could see the ribbons tying on the masks were always a little bit wary, readying swords behind their backs just as flash-quick as smiles.

Zevran had meant to speak with Leliana, meant to take her into his confidence about a personal matter some time ago. Alas, he missed the opportunity, and she is gone, and his mind, no, his heart is quite full of worry about another redhead. And now he is here, waiting for yet another redhead still, to have drinks and be charming and friendly and see what worth this Kate woman has to offer as friend and ally. If there is nothing at all, at least the company seems like it will be good.

His instincts him tell him otherwise, however.

He's honestly a little relieved Kate is not the least bit interested in him. Otherwise, he'd feel almost obligated to throw himself at her, if she is even slightly as pretty as she was a child, and half as fascinating as she sounds. He is already quite fond of her, and Leliana seem quite interested. He and Leliana quite often shared tastes, in both clothes and women. But lately the prospect of all those games seems exhausting. It is perhaps the fatal illness known as being in love.

Horrible. However is he supposed to work like this? Zevran is a little disgusted by himself.

But he thinks no more on it, tapping his boot against the base of the table.

Much to the chagrin of the server, he drinks only a glass of water with a lemon sliver while he waits. He is early. He almost always is. Though it's a familiar venue, he hates settling down in a place he intends to stay for any length of time without getting to know it.

Whatever will Messere Shem-lina Kate think of him, he wonders. He has gathered from some interactions that women from other places and eras find him a bit strange. She has so adamantly told him she's does not know elves each time they've met. It is a little splinter beneath the skin, the "I'm not sure elves really existed" he keeps hearing from humans. Zevran is not sure how to work it free yet, but infection hasn't set in, so what else can he do but learn more? Outright inquiry, directing questioning into history and archaeology would be strange. Still, he intends to find out more about that, too. It almost feels like being on the job, to have such a mystery to ferret out.

The part where he's pretty sure he doesn't want to know the truth is familiar, too.]

Comments

[gevurah]

[ It's hard to avoid getting wet at all on these crowded, drenched streets of Exsilium. Even as she maneuvers through people going in all sorts of directions, she can feel a splash of water on the back of her leg and flecks of rain hitting her face. Not enough to ruin whatever make-up she's got on, but it does irritate her. She hates this damp weather. She can only hope when spring comes (her birthday, too) that the sun may make an appearance.

She shoulders the door open and enters the bar she's to meet Zevran in right about now. He won't be hard to spot, but first she pulls back her hood and proceeds to dry her face and hands before moving over to where her new acquaintance sits.

Funny how things turn out here. She doesn't tend to go for drinks with anyone she saw covered in blood upon arrival. ]

Hey.

[bloodyantivan]

Good evening. [Zevran smiles pleasantly, rising to shake her hand. He is dressed in what passes for clothing here, not so different from what she first saw him in. That is to say, a short skirt and boots - not leather armor. And not covered in blood this time around, at least. He likes the fashions here, and the sweater that's made for a small, slender frame like his actually has plenty of room to hide knives in.

These are important things to consider, even when meeting a potential friend.] There's a hook for jackets and so on right here at the end of the booth there. I have also hung your jacket there, for you to take home.

[It's in a drycleaner's bag, even. It hasn't crossed his mind that it might not actually be Kate's, the distinction between men and women's clothing here is a lot harder to understand than it is in Antiva.]

[gevurah]

[ The first thing Zevran can note about Kate is she grew to be considerably tall for a woman, but built. A black shirt and red pants hide her muscles, but shape her figure to reveal her shoulders are broad.

She's also somehow a lot paler than she used to be, but most of that is owed to comic art spending most of her days sleeping in and only venturing out when the sun has gone down. Only here, there is now sun.

Her eyes move toward the hooks where the jackets are and she sees it-- the coat she ran around in until she lost herself in anger and fear. ]

You didn't have to, but thanks anyway.

[ She slips her own coat over the chair and takes a seat, leaning her arms out on the table. ]

Interesting place you found here.

[bloodyantivan]

I like it. It is easy to remain anonymous here. [Zevran is well used to human women being taller than he is, as an elf, though most aren't quite as tall as Kate. He appreciates the irony that even as adults, she's bigger than him. Ah well, he's not afraid of her like he was as a child, though he is definitely wary. Her build seems to suggest that she hones her body, not for beauty or size but to fight, which interests him very much.

He shrugs as he takes his seat.]

It is yours, no? I therefore could not keep it. [But he'd blown his nose on the sleeve, and it was damp and muddy and dirty and there was a bit of a smell. All gone now. Fortunately, his fear of lice and fleas was unfounded. Perhaps this city is just too cold for them.]

...The first round is on me. Beer?

[gevurah]

I don't think anonymity is a problem in this place. For us, anyway. [ She means as Transports. Not even those from Gotham -- aside from one Stephanie Brown -- knows who she is.

Yeah, she can't fit properly into that even now, but she's definitely not going to wear it ever again or try. ]

Sure. The beer here any good?

[bloodyantivan]

It is surprisingly drinkable, though not tailored for the refined palate of upstanding citizens such as you and I. [Zevran, as usual, is all too amused by himself. He stands.]

First round is on me, my friend.

[Zevran is definitely the 'feel free to look at my legs and butt whilst I saunter' type. Not that he expects Kate to look, but it's funny how he expects attention in a bar he praised for its anonymity.

He does expect he'll be forgotten in a drunk haze, but to anyone who gives him a leer, he offers a wink before ordering two - ales? - beers! Yes, that is it. Beers, please. Oh, what would I do without your assistance, dear barkeep?]

[gevurah]

[ Since her arrival, there's really been no beer as good as the drinks at Molly's Bar back in Gotham. Not that it's horrible, just a reminder that this isn't home.

Who knows when she'll be able to return. Her objective is to get out of here eventually, but she's not the type to resist the call of duty. She knows she can help these people here. ]

You weren't here for Versailles, right?

[bloodyantivan]

Alas, no. They say such thing is an equipment malfunction, or something like that, but I cannot help but wonder if the Initiative simply wishes to cause headaches.

[Zevran settles in with his drink, watching the bubbles.]

What shall we drink to?

[gevurah]

[ Her eyes glance at the ceiling for a moment, thoughtful. ]

How about to us not being kids anymore?

[bloodyantivan]

[There's just the slightest, almost imperceptible twitch at the corner of Zevran's mouth when he isn't certain he wants to smile about that particular toast.

It was... he tells himself he had it no worse than most elves, that he in fact had it better, but it has been many years. And to remember what it felt like to live in rags and small bones, to ache, to fear, is entirely unpleasant. He cannot shake that Kate learned more about him than vice-versa, which he dislikes. So far, she hasn't seemed to mistake the incident for understanding his weaknesses, which is a relief.]

¡Salud!

[Zevran clinks their glasses.]

[gevurah]

Cheers.

[ She downs the entire thing in one shot. Kate doesn't allow herself to get too buzzed anymore, but she's still one to hold her liquor and drink fast. Before patrol she'll eat something heavy. ]

The Transporter is always malfunctioning, isn't it?

[bloodyantivan]

[Zevran drinks his beer a trifle more moderately, his expression mildly amused.]

Indeed so. Their desperation is quite clear in utilizing us.

[gevurah]

[ How peculiar though, that it can work when it needs to-- at the behest of missions, but not other times. The hard part about all this speculation is that she can't get too close to inspect the machine.

And she doesn't want to tamper with something that could be their only ticket out of here. ]

Desperate times. [ She looks around the bar for a moment. ] War calls for ugly choices.

[bloodyantivan]

War is only one of many excuses. [Zevran shrugs. He's seen a lot of ugly. He raises his glass, but only barely takes a sip of the beer.] It is always easier to force someone else to do your dirty work. I am only surprised they don't work harder to convince us of their cause and ensure our loyalty. Not that I am complaining. [Now he drinks.]

[gevurah]

[ She takes another sip, thoughtful. ]

Maybe that's how they win us over. They didn't mean to bring us specifically, but now we're stuck here. Free food, housing, money, and they don't force us to get our hands dirty.

I think a lot of people would grow less suspicious and more empathetic over time.

[bloodyantivan]

Do you really believe they did not mean to bring us in particular? Everyone I have seen from Thedas is someone bright, dangerous. A good fighter. Even as children, you and I had a lot of potential.

Perhaps you more than me! [laugh]

Naturally, being thrown into the situation ourselves, we have become somewhat invested in it. But it that does not make it our fight. No matter how well they treat us, we have been recruited against our will.

[gevurah]

Maybe not everyone.

[ Her shoulders rise and fall gently as she breathes in and out. She taps the edge of her nail against the glass. ]

There are plenty who clearly have no idea what they're doing.

[ She nods. ]

Where I'm from, you meet with a recruiter and decide on whether joining the Army is the path for you or not.

[bloodyantivan]

They may yet have some use. This is where I am surprised they do not take a heavier hand with us. Many simply require... encouragement, to blossom into their true potential.

And by encouragement I mean grueling training, routine torture, mind games, and so on. [A little chuckle.] Again, not complaining, but imprisonment does not seem to be quite enough. Perhaps these malfunctions mean to show us all that could be done to us, should we become complacent.

As for recruitment, hmm, the armies of kings, the city guards, and templars work this way, so I have heard. Human organizations to protect the safety of humans, of course. [He thinks perhaps the 'of course' isn't necessary, because it probably isn't 'of course' to Kate, but, it's said now.] But there are other groups who are trapped into fighting, because they are who they are or they have nothing else. And the dwarves are born into castes by their family lineage.

[gevurah]

[ She props up her elbows on the table, her chin nestling onto the top of her hands while she thinks about what he's said. It's true; they often claim it's United Earth at work for these malfunctions, or a mission gone wrong, but turning people into children or adults? That doesn't seem like enemy-like behavior in war.

Then again, this isn't a war she's familiar with. ]

Not everyone has the stomach for war. [ Regardless of seeing the front lines or not. ] ... I don't know. I never thought I'd end up in a place like this.

[bloodyantivan]

['Not everyone has the stomach for war.' Zevran makes a mild noise of disagreement. Oh, there are those who can't stomach it, but he suspects most will eat and digest whatever they have to in order to survive. If not, well, there's always more where they came from.]

What sort of place does a woman like you expect to end up, I wonder?

[gevurah]

[ The funny part of all this is Kate was a cadet. A long time ago, she had been this close to graduating as a Commissioned Officer. Top of her class, cadet captain and brigade XO.

There was no doubt in her mind then she would have been in overseas one day. Not then. Not until she had outed herself. ]

I go wherever.

[bloodyantivan]

Ah, yes, Wherever! [He gives a theatrical laugh, and finishes his ale.] I was headed there after I left Antiva and found myself in the most unpleasant country, full of dogs and mud and darkspawn. And then here.

But tell me, which part of Wherever do you prefer? There are no elves, it seems, but are there perhaps dragons? Is there dancing? What are the parties like?

[gevurah]

No elves or dragons. [ She almost snickers. ] If there are, they hide themselves well.

Parties can go on till late night. Always loud and always energetic. But there's no fun in a party where everyone's standing around.

[bloodyantivan]

You are better off not having to deal with dragons. Or darkspawn, for that matter. They have an unrepentant love of destruction that would be admirable if not for the smell of them. [Zevran laughs.] So is there dancing at these parties? Small games, orgies, other such entanglements?

[gevurah]

[ She's about to down the rest of her drink when she hears "orgies" and pulls the mug away from her mouth, letting out an amused noise in the back of her throat. Just so she doesn't spill the drink, she sets it down on the table. ]

Depends on the kind of party. Orgies are... frowned upon. Public display of sex can get you fined by the authorities.