[PRP] Stray Pony Strut (Fai & Fala) FIN

[Ice Queen]

Two choices, either be a stray in Halloween or follow Medea. It was obvious what Fai had chosen. In fact, the moment the option had come up this pony boy had disappeared, leaving everything but the clothes on his back behind. Not that that had been much--as a Famine pony, it was only to be expected he carried most of his things with him at all times. The important ones, that was.

For a while he'd traveled by foot, going from one town to the next, scrounging through their trash when he really needed to, or earning a few seeds here and there by helping out at bars. You would be surprised how often a bar made their own wine.

Fai knew wine. He'd sworn it off, in the past... it hadn't lasted that long. As it was, though, he'd found a nice little place to stay at--a bar, of course. Somehow, shockingly, it was in the very town he'd left behind so many months ago.

But all of that leads up to now--where Fai was wandering through Halloween Town, looking for a very specific type of herb for a new blend of wine. He had found a small outdoor market that looked quite promising. The only problem was Precious kept trying to bite people.

Ah, well, it made for a lovely amount of browsing space, he decided as he picked up a random root.  

[Yayoi]

For the past few months Falair had spent much of her time wandering around Halloween town. Having left the Horsemen of her own accord, not wishing to follow Medea. She had always felt something was off about the Horsewoman, how she injected herself as their 'leader'. Even though she hadn't been there in the beginning it was just....strange.

It was tough though. Leaving Na once again. Being alone. Again.

For now she was trying to scrape together some money to afford a better place to live. Though she did not mind sleeping out doors. But having an inside place was easier to store what she had gathered in her hurry to leave. She had a little mobile cart in which she sold various things. Many citizens of Halloween town were surprisingly gullible when it came to charms and potions. And if it didn't work or backfired like it normally did she would be gone before they knew it.

"Potions....charms.....herbs....come feast your eyes on these ancient Horsemen wonders..." Her voice was a bit lack luster today. Perhaps she was just tired. But those that did stop at her little make shift shop didn't seem to care as they poked around. Some would buy, some would just glance. Either way.

Ice Queen

 

[Ice Queen]

"Sloppy," Fai said, picking up one of the potions. "But... familiar--" He stopped, though, as Precious clued in before he did. The longest strand was straining towards the woman running the stand, much like a dog that was seeing an old friend after far too long. If the plant had been able to bark or whine, it would have.

Fai looked over, annoyed at first, then staring at Fala--looking guilty as hell. "Ah, well--I meant that in the most affectionate way possible, of course," he told her, putting the potion down carefully.  

[Yayoi]

The voice hadn't even registered in her mind right away. She was too busy being bored. Of course, she really only payed attention to the people who came to her shop if they were buying.

"If you aren't going to buy anything move on." She waved a dismissive hand. But then stopped for a second as the voice finally clicked. Falair turned her head slowly to look at the man standing at her shop. Her stomach dropped. Of course, Precious was there too. She was kind of attached. "Fai...." He had disappeared without a word.

She thought...well she didn't know what she had thought honestly. Perhaps he had died. The pain of abandonment that she had breifly felt welled up in her chest. And the smell of alcohol on him filled her nose as her lips pulled into a tight line. "I see you're alive." She sniffed. "And drinking. Again."

Ice Queen

 

[Ice Queen]

He hesitated, moving closer merely because there were others looking at her wares. "I am not inebriated," he said, unable to look at her for long. Instead he started looking at her new place. "I have found that my way with wine can create openings that were... previously closed because of what we are."

His words were picked out carefully, as if he tasted them before letting them out in the air. It was a sure sign that he knew he'd done something terrible. "I've been invited to live in a local bar in exchange for helping out with their wine," he admits.  

[Yayoi]

Brown eyes squinted at him. "Perhaps not now, but the smell lingers." The Famine mare pointed to her nose hidden behind her face mask with a slender finger. "And I have a good nose."

He couldn't look her in the eyes for long. It was an obvious sign. Fai had broken his word about not drinking. But, she had to suppose that she knew he probably would have slipped back into the habit being on his own.

She sighed lightly, shoulders slouching as she did so. The beads in her blue hair clicking together before she reached out to pet Precious lovingly. "At least I can count on you to be a good girl."  

[Ice Queen]

The plant head kissed her hand, not that Fai noticed. "I suppose," he said slowly, "that I assumed you would join the others. Foolish, I admit. But..." he finally looked at her. "I have traveled during this time. There is so much to see in this strange land, so many creatures to experiment on. It felt as if that choice was... practically handing me the opportunity to go out and see it all."

He was a selfish jackass, and they both knew it. He probably should have been called a donkey instead of a horseman. "How have you been, my dear?"

Notice, the subject of drinking had been bypassed completely.  

[Yayoi]

Fala clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth at his assumption. "I don't have a herd mentality like the others. Power offered to one freely with only the requirement of unwavering loyalty doesn't sit right with me." She tapped her fingers against the small table in front of her. "Medea has never set right with me." It was the truth.

But she knew Fai. She knew that the call for what he spoke of would be too great but still.....he could have taken her with him. He was suppose to be her mentor. It wasn't like it would have been dangerous for her anyway. She'd spent many months alone before and after arriving to this place. "You could have taken me with you. But I guess that is besides the point. Perhaps I'm just destined to wander on my own anymore. A stray."

She gave a shrug and motioned to her little booth type thing. "I've been worse I suppose." The subject of his drinking still lingered in her mind, but she didn't forget what she had told him months ago about what would happen if he did start up again. "I'm glad at least to see that you aren't laying face down in a flower patch."  

[Ice Queen]

"With me, either," he admits, thinking back to the self-proclaimed leader. "I found myself, even drunk as a fool, not liking her manner of doing things. It is better to be a stray." Then, looking thoughtful, he said, "but this life is not so short that a few months of travel means I will never offer to take you along."

He turned, looking over the crowd curiously before speaking his mind, "The bar I work for, it is ran by Rochester's grandfather--I'm quite fond of Rochester," he admitted, his hand reaching into his robes and pulling out a thin cigghoulette.

"I'm rather fond of his family, as well. They are quite fascinating--and lax. But," he said, turning back to her, "they have a small town where they get their Voodka. I was thinking of going there and seeing the plantation. Would you be interested in joining me on a trip to Los Muertos?" He lights up with a shiny lighter, showing he's picked up yet MORE bad habits during his time away.  

[Yayoi]

The smell and smoke of his new habit didn't bother her at all. Falair was privy to many strange and perhaps stomach turning smells. She didn't even swat away the trail of smoke that curled towards her face after he had lit up. Though she eyed the shiny lighter curiously.

His offer though, it was tempting. It sounded perhaps like it would be more interesting than what she was doing here. "I want to Fai...." She glanced off to the side for a second before looking at him. "But if I were to go it would not be as your student. I can't....be that anymore." She didn't want to admit that his disappearance hurt her. That part of her wanted to just punch him in the face and run away. And another part just wanted to hug him and never let go.

It was a hard internal struggle.

Ice Queen

 

[Ice Queen]

Fai went perfectly still, taking far too long sucking in a stream of smoke before finally letting it out. "I..." he started out slowly, not looking at her, "I can understand not wanting to be taught by me," he admitted. "If you prefer, we can go as... companions?" he offered, looking at her with a slightly questioning smile. It was a familiar expression for him, but somehow it seemed to convey more hesitance than usual.

If she wanted more--perhaps a relationship--he wasn't sure how much of his heart was left to offer. But at the same time, it wasn't the same gaping, bleeding wound that he'd entered this world with.  

[Yayoi]

"You broke your promise, Fai. And I can not go back on my word for what that would bring." She fiddled with a bracelet for a moment. "I don't need a teacher anymore anyway. If anything the world is my teacher now and it has taught me a lot these last few months that I've been on my own fighting for ever scrap I could get in this town."

She wasn't oblivious to his hesitance, but she payed it no mind. Making a mental note in stead. To be honest there was a lot to talk about in the end but now wasn't perhaps a good time. "Companions is fine. When are you leaving then?" It wasn't like she had much to pack really. When she had left the reserve she'd taken what clothes she had, what small family mementos she could carry, small supplies. Everything was folded up into a cart at the end of the day.  

[Ice Queen]

"I was thinking tomorrow," he said. "I need to return to Casino Royale and inform them--as well as borrow some seeds for the train down. I can meet you here in the morning?" he offers, already looking forward to the trip. "By train it should be less than a day, according to Vegas."  

[Yayoi]

Tomorrow. So soon. Well, perhaps it was better that way. The earlier the better. It would give her less time to stew about things. "Ok. Then I will meet you here tomorrow."  

[Ice Queen]

"So you'll bring back an entire month's supply, right?" a little blonde undead patchwork woman said as she escorted Fai to the market. She was carrying a large bag over her shoulder, which was strange if you assumed it was for Fai. "Terra listed what goes to who, remember, and make sure they get them! Also, make sure you get plenty of the chocolate skulls for Rochy, okay? He's already gone through the last collection--"

"Yes, Monica, I've memorized the instructions already," Fai said patiently as he headed for Fala's stall. "I can carry that, of course," he added with a glance at the bag. Some big part of him didn't want to introduce the overly-bubbly woman to Fala. At all. "Your lover must be wondering where you are now."

"Oh no, Vegas never wakes up before two in the afternoon," Monica said, waving him off.