theshipyard | ✨ .//. Ziva Ganajai » Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood

[His eyes flick over her slightly damp form with appreciative amusement, warm but with no real intent for the moment.]

Guilty as charged, [He says wryly, turning slightly so as to visibly give her the whole of his attention.] But I can't imagine your own store of questions is any less than mine is. Perhaps it would be fairer overall for us to...exchange.

[He dips his head and gestures with one open hand, eyes sparkling with barely repressed humor beneath the veneer of formality.] In which case, as is often said here, ladies first.

[ That little glance over doesn't escape her notice by a long shot, she watches him the whole time that his eyes roam, more aware than ever of the bits of heat still clinging to bits of her skin as her body cools down.

But at the same time it feels like it's heating up under his gaze. A part of her almost finds it a pity there's so much to discuss first. ]

Me? Hmm... [ Grinning somewhat toothily back at him, she can't help but tease. ] True enough, but I also know that curiosity sometimes can kill the cat. All the same... I can't help but notice the lack of weapons similar to my own here. Would I be safe in assuming that magic is either uncommon or non-existent here?

[ It wouldn't be the first time. Garleans similarly possess a natural lack of ability to manipulate aether, but here it seems more like... if there IS any here, it's not something others are aware of. ]

[He smirks with amusement, finishing off that aphorism with an internal observation of his own.] That would be a safe bet. Of course, different people have different definitions of "magic" so, if you're willing to share, I'd be happy to provide more details.

Of course. [ She replies easily, comfortably. ] Well, to start, the world I hail from is rich with aether. It's the what makes up all living beings, and it's found in the land all around. Save for certain races, like the Garleans, all living beings are capable of manipulating that aether to some extent. That's how we're able to perform various types of magicks. There are different kind, relying on types of mana- magical energy. Black mana for offensive spells, white mana for healing magic, red is a combination of the two, though the spell types are the same. There are, of course, other disciplines as well but those are a few of the most well known.

[ Ziva pauses a moment, both to take a breath and to let that sink in so far before adding just a bit more. ]

Those are the flashier uses.... There are more practical purposes like simple teleportation spells, or wards, as well.

[He listens to her explanation with clear and obvious fascination, his attention fully on her. She speaks with expertise and animation, and more than anything else he's always loved learning new things. Knowledge is power, after all.]

Things really are quite different where you come from, after all. [He notes , half to himself.] This world relies mainly on science for much of what you said - even those "more practical purposes" you mentioned are goals that people are pursuing through research. And they're hardly simple...

[It's hard to imagine her ever quite fitting in among the mundane people who made up most of the world's population. Perhaps it was for the best after all that she'd caught Reborn's eye.]

Of course... I did say mainly. [He chuckles a little bit, curious about her thoughts.] Let's say that most of the people here are like the 'Garleans' you spoke of - without access to be able to manipulate aether. But that doesn't mean there aren't others around as well.

[ Listening, she considers what his answer means. A world that relied primarily on science sounds much like a world that operated primarily on Magitech, though even that carried traces of magic, simply by nature of relying on aether. This is more involved just by his own admission. "Hardly simple..."

As such, she's reached the same conclusion as is demonstrated by the thoughtful frown. So then... should her stay prove to be longer term she would find it difficult to fit into the general population... So then, her hopes lay with the marginal side of things, the exceptions to the rules of this world and the people who employed them. To that end the frown softens, becoming more of a thoughtful expression again. ]

And if I had to hazard a guess, I would imagine you and yours fall under the latter category...?

[ It truly was a guess even if an educated one. By the way he carried himself and seemed so at ease with her explanations, so open minded, she would assume that meant he had some experience in dealing with things others in this world might find strange. Couple that with the fact he'd taken notice of her, her earlier observations, and his understanding of the topic- ]

Have I got the right of it?

[ She asks with a close lipped grin, eyes crinkling a bit. ]

[He smiles right back in answer, leaning back in his chair very slightly, his entire body's posture relaxed and open, clearly in his element.]

As perceptive as you are beautiful, it seems. [He murmurs, with open delight in his tone of voice.]

I can't exactly promise the kind of adventure that [He tilts his head in the direction of her weapon] seems to indicate you are used to. But let's say that you're more likely to find that in association with me than with most other people you might have happened to meet in this place.

[The compliment earns a warm chuckle behind slim fingers, the blonde relaxing back to lean a little deeper into her seat.]

I never thought I'd say so, but truth be told I've probably had enough of that type of adventure to fill a dozen lifetimes... I wouldn't entirely object to an easier pace. I only worry about the state of things in my absence, though I suppose there's little point mulling over something beyond my control.

[Her status as THE Warrior of Light has been a hefty weight for some time now. When she thinks back on all the people she's lost along the way, and of the friends she leaves behind now... yes, there is that sorrow, bone deep, heartfelt, but mostly there's a conflicted knot. More recently she'd become... tired, tired of the constant loss and fighting, but even so it felt wrong to step back from that. There's a guilt that comes with thinking about taking a break. Had it been so long since she had one?

Worrying isn't her style, but she knows she should be trying to find a way back, and yet she can't think of anything she can do to expedite that. If this world is low on magic, why and how did she end up here at all? Is she really just meant to make the most of it? Is this to be her new home? It's all a bit too soon to say.]

It may take some time to grow accustomed to, however. [The words are murmured, gaze pensive and directed at nothing in particular, knuckles pressing lightly to her lips. She could certainly do for a distraction, it seemed.]

[He tilts his head slightly, his gaze slightly considering as he looks her over. There is a lot to be read into her words - a certain hint of world-weariness in the light-hearted tone - no matter how matter-of-fact or resigned.]

That's the case with any change, no matter how small. I can't imagine that suddenly switching between worlds without warning is any different.

[He pushes himself up from his chair, takes a few steps closer to her.] Anything I can do to help?

[His movement draws her attention, eyes moving towards him again with a small, rueful smile.]

It isn't waking up in a new world that's the strange part...

[She doesn't need to clarify further, she's sure, so she doesn't. Instead Ziva makes a small show of mulling over his offer, as though there hadn't been a hint of something more hanging between them for the past hour.]

Hmm... I think you can.

[It takes no effort to follow his example and lift herself from her own chair, taking a few steps of her own while keeping her eyes locked firmly onto his.]

Take my mind off of these topsy-turvy turns of events? Mayhap with something more familiar for the both of us...?

[Now he grins openly, watching her move towards him. Sometimes, it was just that simple - why overthink things unnecessarily? She'd been captivating and fascinating from the moment he first laid eyes on her, and if she was mutually interested, he saw no reason not to have a little fun.]

I'd love to. Though I'd also have to hope that 'familiar' doesn't mean the same to you as boring, in this situation.

[He reaches out his hand across the short distance between them to rest it against the curve of her hip and urge her closer - just enough strength to not be tentative or uncertain, but easily resisted if she were so inclined.]

[Before she can speak the words of reply she feels his hand at her hip, drawing her in, and she goes quite willingly at that. Those final few steps close the distance between them with satisfying finality. It would be dishonest to say she hadn't hoped for this very scenario earlier in the afternoon, but it hadn't seemed the right time, and even Ziva had her priorities in order- most of the time.

His fingers and palm curl so easily around her body that she's certain she's in for a treat. It's a small tell, but a tell all the same that at the very least he knows his way around women. No hesitation, no awkward lingering, or nervousness. In turn her hand finds his waist, though she hopes that before long they'll be exploring other places as well.]

Boring doesn't even make the top one hundred words in my vocabulary, sweetling, and something tells me it doesn't make yours, either.

[Eyelids hood, expression growing softer and sultrier as she lets his scent wash over her again, soaks up the warmth of his palm and fingers and general proximity through her dress, and his suit.]

I can think of quite a few fitting synonyms at the moment, but I'd be happier to let our bodies do most of the talking. What do you think?

[As she spoke her body language wasn't the only thing to shift, voice dropping slowly in volume and just slightly in pitch, until her rasp became more pronounced and her words came out almost more of a purr. And while there was certainly a sense of excitement to the moment, an inherent urgency that came naturally with this sort of build up she was still content to take things at their own pace, certain that the same would be true of him as well. There's something to be said for taking one's time rather than rushing through.

And seven hells, if that didn't sound like an exciting prospect.]

[As their bodies come together he smiles, reading the same purpose and anticipation in her movements as in himself. Her voice is a thrill - whatever magic it was that meant they could understand each other without any problems had somehow also translated the hint of a purr in her words, sultry excitement and a pleasant urgency - and he hopes she won't mind if he basks a little in the sound as they proceed.

Even if they were planning to let their bodies do the talking, such things were oft best viewed as a chorus or symphony, rather than a duet.

Rather than answering her out loud, he tugs her gently closer and leans down to kiss her, firm without being forceful, a conversation starter rather than a challenge, exploratory and sweet.]

[So far as ice breakers went, it was a beautiful start. Her first impression from that first press of lips is that her partner knows damned well how to read the room. The kiss, like everything else she's seen from him so far, is confident and assertive without pushing the boundaries of comfort. Less that he had her specific measure and more that he had a familiar measure of the situation as a whole, though one could easily be forgiven for assuming the former. She recognized it as a familiarity that she herself lived by, though it has been some time. Between staging and assisting in uprisings and contending with world ending calamities, never mind helping war torn nations navigate their newfound freedom there wasn't much time for more than a tryst in an inn room once every few moons.

Her eyes slide shut, letting her other senses take him in, and her own answer matches the tempo but adds a bit of depth to the melody. Returning the press of lips and letting her hand roam higher, fingers curling into his jacket, she lets her lips move against his a bit, parting just so in an open invitation. With most partners she might take a more assertive approach, but her curiosity gets the better of her now and pushes her to take the slower pace of give and take, push and pull.]

[He can definitely appreciate her reaction and her skill - it was always pleasant to spark such good chemistry with someone, and all the more so with a virtual stranger. There's a lot he might read into such contact between them, but for the moment he puts that aside in favor of living in the moment and enjoying the experience to the fullest extent.

Since she had offered so kindly, he takes that lead, letting his tongue delve past her lips in exploration, the almost silent conversation of their bodies together taking up the majority of his attention. Even so, his hands are not still, one still resting at her hip where it had tugged her close to him before, the other resting at her shoulder, in anticipation of an invitation to be more forward. He'd know.]

✨ .//. Ziva Ganajai » Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood

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