[PRP] The Honor of-- (Fai/Heidla)

[Ice Queen]

After getting his mask and pulling out the best robes he had (which were much like his normal ones but with more gold accents) Fai set out to find the Death Priestess that he was to escort to the prom. He hadn't met her, he didn't recognize the name, and the only thing he had going for him was that she was a priestess--they tended to stick out.

So after heading for the Death area of the lost clans, he asked a few questions--as politely as he could, and found himself at her dwelling place with a few flowers (that possibly weren't carnivorous) in his hands.

Boozver

Sorry it took so long, I had some stuff to do today<3

 

[Boozver]

A ball! What is it, exactly, but an official gathering - same as what they had with all the priestesses and the Heiress back home? But those days, it was business, now they promised it would be fun. Besides, she ventured into participating to get a blind date (although she felt both shamed and curious and mad at the same time afterwards), now she just had to put it all right.

She was sitting in her room on a heap of clothes (not exactly party clothes, just too many of them: Death clansmen dress in layers anyway), not knowing what to wear. Could it be more confusing with that? Her most official (and thus considered to be special) dress was the one she wore to official ceremonies, but then that's what all priestesses wore, and not at all individual. And wasn't a ball about showing off? Then she would be humiliated if other priestesses recognize it she had no fantasy and just chose the ceremonial robes of her clan. For a moment she even envied the Conquest clansmen - they had so many bright things that they wouldn't have a problem with dressing up.

Then she did the most outrageous thing to do. She just layered all the dark and ethereal stuff she had (tulle and chiffon and the like) into a multi-flounced dark skirt with occasional glimpses of lighter fabric, and sewed an open top out of embroidered ceremonial tunic. With a light scarf, that would do it. She was content and frightened at the same time - there would be a person escorting her. Good it was a horseman - easier to get along with her kin, curiously, he was one of the famine clan - she had not seen them before (if not for the alchemist ghoul during the battle with the forest creature), so she didn't know exactly how to act. When she heard the knock, she rushed to the door and flung it open. There was a blue-haired horsemen all covered in vines and flowers facing her. "I will be going out with a living bouquet", she thought and smiled, then she saw he was holding some flowers and blushed.

"My greetings", she said rather courtly. "I am Heidla, the priestess of the Death Clan. We have not had a chance to meet before, but we still have time before the prom. Do you want to come inside and share a drink with me before we go?"

She tried to sound as ceremonial as possible, but natural curiosity took the better of her, and she blurted forward: "Have you ever been to a ball. Do you know what it is and what are we expected to do there?"

Ice Queen

Sorry I fell asleep!

 

[Ice Queen]

"I would enjoy a drink, thank you," Fai said with a slight incline of his head. Then he pondered her question, wondering the same thing as she was, practically. "These scarelings... they're very interesting creatures," he said as he entered. "I've talked with a few of them, not many, I'm afraid, but I hardly doubt it will be as... formal as one of your Death Clan affairs."

Then he realized he had forgotten to introduce himself. Whoops. "I am Faiyum Riaz," he said with a slight bow. "Alchemist of the... former Famine Clan. My specialty is plants, as you might have noticed." He was only 5'6, and almost delicate looking, save for the curious, rather dangerous looking flowers that were watching her curiously from amidst his vine hair.

Boozver

 

[Boozver]

Heidla stared at the flowers in disbelief - could it be that the person in front of her had fused with a rosebush? Well, there was something deathly in it, she acknowledged.

"We didn't have lots of flowers on our Isle", she confessed. "So I'm still getting used to this exuberance of life. But it looks lively, and suits your... hair".

She motioned him into the room: "Sorry for the mess. Cleaning seems to be another thing I'm still getting used to, but this one has nothing to do with Death... A lemonade or a tea?"

She was not sure about the tea part, as probably the alchemist would know more about it than she did, but she just shrugged her shoulders. Then looked curiously at the flowers he presented her with: "Should I put them into water, under water or just feed them with something?" she asked him nonchalantly, as if the idea of carnivorous flowers wasn't something unusual. Probably it wasn't, as from all she knew about Famine, they were quite experimental with things.

"And, shall I call you Fai? It is shorter and easier... So, have you been to a ball before? I do not reckon reading about Famine balls", could it be that she missed that part of their life?

Ice Queen

 

[Ice Queen]

"They can go in water, although you might leave some treats in the water, in case they get hungry," Fai told her. "And tea would be lovely, if I could. Famine was very fond of their music, but I'm afraid we never had something that required masks," he said, pulling out a simple black mask from his robes. "In fact, I'm rather looking forward to seeing what, exactly, the masks are for. Perhaps some sort of experiment?"

Then he paused. "Oh, yes, of course, Fai is perfectly acceptable," he said a bit belatedly, his mind having been on other things. Mask involving things. Ah, but she had promised tea, had she not? He did enjoy tea. The masks could wait long enough for a cup, he had no doubt.

Boozver

 

[Boozver]

Heidla poured into a cup some brownish drink with a sharp smell. "It's mint", she noted. "Hope you don't mind, I'm not that good at plant-mixing. But I read it somewhere that mint is good to clear one's thoughts"

She was not sure whether Fai needed clearing his thoughts, but for a priestess that was always a good thing. Also, should she mention that the effect could be unpredictable - like any stuff that priestesses drink? Well, this was not the vial that she used for trances, but still....

Then she thought about the other thing he mentioned. "Masks? I guess they are used to cover the face.... to add mystery and weight to the ceremony, I read it somewhere that many of the solemn rituals involve covering one's face. Though I wonder if they can be mysterious at all,,,. Or probably, they do it for decoration - like we cover our bodies with dress", she shrugged her shoulders. "We usually didn't have many unexpected things in our lives, so the whole idea is quite new for me".

"And for your flowers", she suddenly remembered. "I hope they do not eat sealed evils, do they? I have a number of them here...."

Ice Queen

 

[Ice Queen]

"Ah, no need to worry, I'm sure your pets are fast enough to get away," Fai said, sniffing the tea for a second before taking a sip. Did he need his mind cleared? No, not particularly. He took another sip, pondering whether mind clearing was a pastime for the Death Clan. Perhaps they enjoyed being thoughtless? Or perhaps they tended to think on too many things at once... Yes, that made sense. Although the "wishing to be thoughtless" idea had the tiniest bit of a smile pulling at his expressive mouth.

"Regardless of what the masks are for, I look forward to seeing what the scarelings have planned," he said as he gently put his teacup down on the nearest clean surface. "Shall we go, then? I wouldn't wish to be completely thoughtless from your excellent tea when arriving. I might do something unfitting."

He offered her his arm and a slight smile.

Boozver

 

[Boozver]

Should she admit she was a bit nervous? Or were balls supposed to be a nervous occupation? Ah, she wouldn't know. She made her best smile, and turned to her escort:

"All right, let's go! And don't worry about the tea, probably that was just another bit of useless information. It turns out here that things I read about before never work as they are supposed to be".

The idea of his doing something unfitting made her giggle. "Well, you look quite fit for the unfitting things I can think of! Hope your flowers are not to jealous!"

She pushed two smallest sealed evils into her little lace bag, and took him by the hand and added mischievously. "Lead the way, my Lord",

Ice Queen

shall we proceed to the prom thread together?