[PRP] Smoking Weeds (Fai/Na'ima)

[Ice Queen]

He needed to talk to someone. Now that he hadn't had a jug of wine in--three hours, sixteen minutes and forty nine seconds--he definitely needed to talk to someone. And Sal was the first person that came to mind.

Now... if he could recall where the sage was dwelling, Fai thought as he wandered through the lost clan's lands. He thought, perhaps, this way. It was sad, he realized, that he had never even bothered to visit his oldest friend. He'd just been...

Being. It was pathetic, he thought, and that made him want to have a drink--

Fai stopped in front of Sal's place, knocking lightly on the door. "Sal? Are you in?" Absently he was searching his robes, his hand catching on the neck of a bottle, then freezing.

No. He was almost to seventeen minutes.  

[Eight]

A sickly sweet smell wafted out from inside of the tent when Fai knocked on it. "Come in," called Na'ima's voice, her tone tainted with displeasure. That was odd for the Sage.

When Fai entered he would find Na'ima sitting beside a boiling pot of...something. She was reading her notes, her eyes narrowed and a frown hidden behind her face veil. Na'ima was not normally someone bothered by botched experiments but this was not simply a mistake, this was the ingredients she had found had been sub par.

"Salbei is not in at the moment, unfortunately. My apologies..ah...maybe if I.." Na'ima didn't look up at who had entered, plucking a pipe up off the floor to stick it under her veil and hold it between her lips while she reached for a small vial or crushed herb. The herb was added, just a pinch of it and..

Hm.

It smelled slightly nicer.

Only slightly. "Amityville's market does not provide the quality of ingredients I like. I will have to venture out or find someone who can do that for me.." Perhaps she could use Hel, pretend that what she needed was for her beloved truth serum.

It wasn't as if the Valkyrie would ever know any better, right?

She was too distracted by her work to realize who had just arrived.  

[Ice Queen]

"Really, my dear," Fai said quietly, "You would think you'd have realized that a culture this young would be sub-par in such things." His nose wrinkled, his sense of smell heightened since Fala had pointed out his own foul stench--and he had taken a bath. Now he was smelling everything. "Really, it might make a nice plant killer, smelling like that."

He looked around, not seeing Sal. "How have you been, Na'ima? It's been... some time. I take it Sal is out?"

He wandered in, looking around curiously. He really hadn't been here. In fact, before Fala had told him, he hadn't realized that Na'ima was still alive. Truly, he thought, he had missed a lot...  

[Eight]

"I was holding out hope for the best." Na'ima sighed, closing her book and setting it aside. Wait...plant killer? The mare finally looked up from what she was doing and found herself pleasantly surprised by who stood before her. However, despite her joy it was still very self-contained and Na'ima simply smiled behind her veil. "Faiyum!" She laughed, "I had heard you were around I just had not had the chance of coming across you yet. Oh, this is wonderful."

Na'ima stood, straightening out her veils and scarves as she held her arms out to Faiyum for a hug. "I have been simply wonderful. Salbei has taken me under his tutelage again, and he has allowed me use of his tent until such a time comes I acquire my own." Of course this was said with clear amusement. Sable I knew better.

"And that is correct, he has gone out. I know not where, but I suspect he does not either." Did he ever? "Ah, but how have you been, dearest Faiyum? Have you seen my sister yet? She is here somewhere as well!"

Ice Queen

 

[Ice Queen]

"I have," Fai said with a little smile as he hugged her gently before pulling away. "I am very... no, happy doesn't convey the feelings I have at the moment," he said. "Overjoyed," he decided after a moment of thought. "I am overjoyed that both of you have returned to us," he told her, his eyes wandering to the potion with an amused expression. "Perhaps if we mask it well enough we can peddle it off as a love potion," he added, his curiosity aroused, still.

Then he shook his head, returning to the subject at hand. "I also have... somewhat resumed my apprenticeship of your sister. Sadly I must do a bit of actual work before I have a tent to offer her temporarily."

She was Famine, his mind whispered as his mouth hesitated. She was Famine, and he had no reason to beat around the bush. Instead he headed for the nearest empty seat, excusing himself briefly before sitting down. "I... was going to discuss some things with him," he said. "But I would be pleased to speak with you, if you are not busy?"  

[Eight]

Overjoyed was a very good description. Na'ima's attention was on the potion, however. A love potion..

...Heh.

"Oh, Faiyum. You're a genius," Na'ima purred with delight as she plucked an empty vial off the couch behind her and filled it with the too-sweet smelling concoction. In truth it would probably do nothing more than taste disgusting, but Na'ima was feeling..mischievous. "I know the perfect student to give this to. Perhaps this will turn her off of love potions forever if I make her taste this. Salbei might even thank me~." She did pause to taste it herself, the only sign of displeasure she showed was a very strained look of tolerance. That was absolutely vile.

It was perfect.

Na'ima lit up with delight at the news of Faiyum and her sister. "That is wonderful! Oh, I am so glad. And no, I am not terribly busy. I am happy to offer you my assistance in Salbei's absence. What is on your mind, Faiyum?" While she spoke she tucked the vial away for later and cleaned up her work space, lugging the pot outside before she finally settled down on the couch that a certain Valkyrie so adamantly claimed to be hers.

Too bad, Hel. It's Na'ima's now.

"Have a seat, make yourself comfortable."

Ice Queen

 

[Ice Queen]

Fai took her advice, making himself comfortable, and reached into his robes, pulling of a delicate looking bottle-- which he stared at for far too long. "I am... reluctantly, I believe, going into a joint apprenticeship with your sister," he said after a beat. Reluctantly he held out the bottle. "Wine, my dear? You may have it, it would be a shame to waste such an excellent vintage."

He was giving away his best bottle, he thought mournfully. This really... was not going to be easy. "You see, I don't know if you have heard of my... latest state..."

Please take the bottle. It was calling his name.

Eight

 

[Eight]

The bottle was eyed with curiosity. Why would anyone be reluctant to join in something with her sister? Falair was her dearest, most precious sister. Her only sister but still her most precious. She reached for the offered bottle and held it delicately in long fingers, turning the bottle this way and that. She uncorked it and sniffed. Scent was a very important to Na'ima.

"Waste?" Now that was interesting. "What kind of deal have you made with Falair?" Na'ima sounded amused. A joint apprenticeship, meaning Falair and Faiyum were mentoring each other? She would teach him and he would teach her? She was very interested to know what this meant.

The neck of the bottle disappeared under the veil Na'ima wore over the lower half of her face and she tipped her head back. She simply sipped at it, not bothering with the nonsense of a cup. Ah, it was very delicious.

"I have not heard of your latest state. What troubles you, Faiyum?"  

[Ice Queen]

"Truthfully, I was not troubled by it at all," Fai said. "But your sister did point out that it was... rather undignified. I..." He hesitated, wondering if he could say it now that he was sober. "Cairo is gone," he finally got out, looking anywhere but at Na'ima. "It was a... very heavy blow to me. My parents, yes, that was painful, but Cairo was the love of my life."

He stood, starting to pace in a casual way, fingering this, looking at that. "With that loss--now, please do not get me wrong," he interrupted himself, "I am Famine, I adapt to all things, nothing is taken for granted, but... I decided that I would adapt very well to drinking myself to death... or at least a pleasant state of oblivion. I am very good at wine making--as you can see for yourself now. It was a simple matter. One that no one even seemed to blink at."  

[Eight]

Na'ima lowered the bottle away from her lips. Oh. She remembered Cairo... "I am..truly sorry for your loss, Faiyum. She was wonderful..."

A look was given to the bottle in her hand as Faiyum began to explain what happened to him after. So he was drowning his sorrow in wine. Delicious wine, but he was drowning his sorrows all the same. On the one hand she felt pity, she could see where he was coming from with this, but on the other...no amount of drinking would bring the dead back. They needed to move forward. Staying in the past or trying to go backwards was not the way to go.

"I see.." She frowned as she drank another swig of wine. It was very good. "And my sweet Falair is encouraging you to stop, I take it."  

[Ice Queen]

"Yes... and..." he sighed. "It is very embarrassing to have ones apprentice see you in such a state. It is one thing to have Sal see me drunk--he thinks nothing of it, I believe, but to Falair--I have always tried to be an example. Someone that can lead, as a good mentor should. That she had to do the leading--I was very ashamed of myself," he admitted.

He picked up a bottle, looking at it for a long moment. "I have lost Cairo," he said again. "But your sister has reminded me that I have not lost everything. I still have her, and you, and Sal..." He hesitated for a moment. "That might be enough to keep me here."

Although he had often thought of starting out into Halloween alone, trying to start over that way, but he never had. No, he'd crawled into a bottle, seeking comfort from something that only took time and memories.

"So I have come to ask your and Sal's assistance," he said, looking at her. "If you would."  

[Eight]

"No need to be embarrassed, I do not see Falair doing anything poor to you over something so trivial. And while yes, as her mentor you should lead her...speaking as someone else's apprentice I feel perhaps sometimes it is nothing to be ashamed of if you need help every now and then. It is why we are here, to learn from you and be your ever helpful companion." Of course Na'ima may have been rather biased in regard to all things Falair, but quite frankly she did not care.

Na'ima couldn't help but feel proud. Her sister was doing very well at reminding others not all was lost, herself included. She would be forever grateful to see her sister returned safely to her. "She is very good at that, and I am glad. We have already lost so much, I would not like to see another Famine fall."

She took another large swig of wine and corked the bottle again, lounging along the entire length of the couch. Hel did have good taste in furniture, too bad this was no longer Hel's. "Assistance? What would you like? I'll be sure to pass the word along to Salbei for you."  

[Lucyal]

Call it either good timing, or bad timing.

A certain reaper popped her head into the tent. “Hello?” She called out, though her eyes immediately found Na and another…Famine horseman? Hel’s brows furrowed. He…or she…? Sure as hell looked a Famine one so…Hel also didn’t see Salbei anywhere, so instead of waiting to be invited in, she just marched right on in.

“Oh good, you are here.” She uttered, focusing on the horsewoman who was lounging on her couch with a scowl. “I will keep this brief.” She informed Na, ignoring Fai for the time being. “First, remember that is my couch, and second, I am here for the list of ingredients I need to collect. I want that list now so that I can get started…Please.” Such an after thought.

Clearly expecting Na to get on that, she then turned her attention to Fai, looking the horseman up and down. “Candlejack.” She uttered. “And I thought Gramps was old and withering away…but you are just jacking decrepit.”  

[Ice Queen]

Fai's expression changed, closing off as cold black eyes looked at the creature that had just interrupted a serious conversation. He stared at her for a long moment before speaking. "Your comment has been duly noted," he said blandly. "As has other things."

And Sal was allowing this scareling to run around as if she owned the place? Perhaps he wasn't the only one that'd been drunk for the past few months. "I believe our conversation can be concluded later, my dear," he said, his eyes warming slightly as he looked at Na'ima. "And if, perhaps, I can provide you with more wine, I would be happy to do so. I have no desire to waste an excellent crop."

Then he started for the door, not willing to deal with this when he was still rather hung over.  

[Eight]

And just like that Na'ima's mood fell from curious and supportive to mildly irritated. How was one filly able to destroy her air of pleasantry so easily? She kept a neutral expression as Hel rudely intruded on their conversation.

Na'ima blatantly ignored the bit about the couch. "Faiyum, no. Do not leave," she called to the stallion as she slowly rose from the couch and picked up a stack of papers. Five pages of neatly written lists. Front and back.

She may have been taking a little of advantage of Hel.

"Hel, this is Faiyum, a Famine Alchemist and one of Salbei and mine's dear friends. You will do well not to disrespect him. This was spoke with a tone of finality. Remember our deal, Hel. She approached the Valkyrie, holding the lists out for her to take. "Truth serums are not easy to make, child. This is everything I need down to the last detail. If it is circled, it is something vital," meaning the actual ingredient, "Gather these materials at your leisure. Should you need my assistance locating something, please let me know. It is rude to enter someone's home in such a way, Hel." Her eyes narrowed. Faiyum was upset because of Hel. She would not stand for this.

"Now off with you," pest. "Be safe, take care, I do not want to hear you have gotten yourself into trouble and been injured in some way." That was as close to caring Na'ima would be getting.