[PRP] I brought you a thing but I eated it. (Manyara/Salbei)

[Sosiqui]

Manyara slunk around the Sanctuary, irritation written in her every movement. She was still infuriated over what the pathetic Halloween creatures had done, what they thought they'd had a right to do - the only reason she wanted to go to their disgusting school was to tear it apart. If she'd thought she'd had even a chance of succeeding, she would have done it.

Instead, she paced. She'd worn a rut in the ground, even, a rut that was marked with occasional bloodstains and piles of fur or feather. Any creature that got close enough to Manyara's 'walkway' shortly wished it hadn't done so - or would have wished, if it'd had anything left to wish with.

She was angry. Unceasingly angry. And worse - she was lonely. The Lair would have been better than this. She should never have come back.

Enoh Love

 

[Enoh Love]

Some days, Sal came across something entirely interesting, and on those days he was more or less okay to stand in the distance and merely watch the events unfold as they did, not bothering to interrupt out of fear of ruining the 'candid magic'. Today was one of those days, and from a distance he watched a familiar form pace like an angry caged animal. He had seen the rut before, at least in passing...but had never seen the cause of it until now, and as eager as he was to confirm his suspicions, he stayed back long enough to try and figure out why it was being done.

The longer he waited, the less answers he came up with, which was simply no fun.

"My my, if you keep that up sweetling, you will walk a hole straight through Halloween!" He called out casually as he strode calmly towards her. "Why worry your feet to bone?" Not that he was one to talk - his feet were actually bones, but it seemed like a good question at the time.

Sosiqui

 

[Sosiqui]

Manyara whirled at the sound of the voice, and for a moment anger blazed in her eyes - and then she realized who, exactly, had interrupted her furious stewing.

"... Sal." Her jaw worked for a moment. "Thought you were... gone." She sat down with a thump, as if the revelation of his survival had simply knocked her off of her feet.

Enoh Love

 

[Enoh Love]

"I was luckily enough to have been off-island when..." The Sage explained briefly, waving his hand in dismissal. As always, what happened to him and how he'd gotten there was the last of his concerns. He shared enough to ease others, but that was about it.

"You though, young lady." His voice lowered, trying to be playful about his scolding. "Had me very worried." Once he reached her he leaned down, extending a hand to help the much younger Horseman back to her feet if she'd let him. One thing was for sure though, the moment she was within arms reach, she was getting hugged whether she liked it or not.

Sosiqui

 

[Sosiqui]

"Not a lady," she spat at him, but the old joke removed the venom from her words. "Lady is for pretty Conquest fools. Not me. Never me."

As she took his hand, let him draw her up, she headbutted him. Not too hard. Well, okay, hard enough to make a point. But not enough to hurt. Certainly not soft enough to be mistaken for grudging affection, though... not by anyone other than Salbei himself. "Was in a Lair. Didn't know for months." She looked up at him, half-accusing. As if it was his fault she'd been abandoned in the Gobi Desert. Not that she'd known she'd been abandoned until she returned to the melted remains of their home...

Enoh Love

if any of this impromptu background building is not ok just let me know and I'll tweak it XD

 

[Enoh Love]

"What about Pretty Famine Fillies?" Sal questioned, smiling away and amusing himself with pressing the old, familiar buttons. The headbutt made him gasp and double over, but it wasn't enough to hurt; actually, it was very likely the only reason he even doubled over was to bring him closer to her level for a smothering hug. After all, she was a bratty child and bratty children were fun to force affection on.

"Had I known, I would have come for you. You know that." He assured her, lightly pinching her side for even trying to blame him for abandoning her.

Sosiqui

S'all good!

 

[Sosiqui]

She growled at him as he engulfed her in his embrace - but she permitted it for about five seconds before scrambling backwards, ending up crouched in front of him. "I know that," she acknowledged.

There was a moment of silence.

"Still bad?" She pointed at his stained scarf.

Enoh Love

 

[Enoh Love]

As always, her growling was adorable. He could almost mentally count down to when she was going to push him off, and under the circumstances...the one extra second was warranted. A new record, really. She pointed at him, and he didn't need to look down to know what she was pointing at.

"Worse, actually." Sal said with a rather forced cheerfulness. Manyara was one of the very few he would admit the truth of his condition to. "But I am sure it'll get better again, at least somewhat. It did last time." His hand waved in dismissal of the subject; it wasn't to a point yet where it concerned him, and up until it did he could always pass it off as due to the stress of grief and relocation.

Sosiqui

 

[Sosiqui]

"Mmmmm." It was less a vocalization than a low grumble, deep in her gut. But maybe Salbei would have some information for her. Something that might help her make sense of everything that was going on.

"Why here?" Her gesture was sharp, like a blade cutting the air. "They say we follow their laws... no." She shook her head so violently that her hood fell off, draping around her emaciated shoulders. "Should kill them all. All the... the Hunters." She bared her teeth in a snarl so intense that her last word was nearly unintelligible.

Enoh Love

 

[Enoh Love]

"I imagine they were the first people to offer to take us in." Salbei could see her rage; then again, the little Filly wasn't the most adept at hiding how she really felt. A little firecracker, this one. "Here, where we can be together and regroup, is better than the alternative, as unfortunate as our current lot is." A thin, pale hand appeared from the folds of his robes, settling on her shoulder in a gesture that had meant to be reassuring.

"We will, little filly. But we are weak right now, we have to regroup, and while we wait we must pretend. When we are ready again, when our strength is back...they will suffer." Sal's voice had dropped, keeping the conversation between the two of them. He was just as angry as she was; he wanted to skin them while they were still alive. The difference was, he was a patient man, and had long ago learned restraint and patience.

Sosiqui

 

[Sosiqui]

At his low words, rich with so much promise, her snarl shifted into a predatory smile. She nodded, eagerly. "Yessss. And then." The thought made a hot, rich glee rise in her, and she welcomed it - it was better than being angry all the time. Of course, it made her impatient to get on with it already, but with Salbei and Mahir to temper her, to teach her and remind her of patience, of the long, cold joy in anticipation and solid planning... if she had them, she could wait.

Just barely.

"Thank you," she muttered. "Always... always so angry. For months." And the anger was still there. Maybe it was going to be a part of her forever. But it was kind of nice to feel something other than completely furious - and helpless - all the time.

"What now? Your lair?" she asked, because lingering on her own emotional state wasn't going to be a thing.

Enoh Love

 

[Enoh Love]

"And then." Sal parroted in agreement, giving her a little nod. Their revenge would come, and it would be deliciously sweet. "You're welcome, little one." He was glad to have been able to help; he understood that sort of anger, but he had his age on his side, and had learned long ago how to cope with it.

"If you'd like. I'm afraid it's not very impressive. I have taken to living on the surface." His efforts hadn't been to building himself a suitable home or to recreate his lab for his experiments. All of his energies had gone into Halloween, and the creatures that resided there. Creating a network and building up a group of scarelings that trusted him, and he them. Once he had his network in a workable, comfortable spot he would begin to create his home and new life. But only then.

"Do you have a home yet? Are you staying with anyone?"

Sosiqui

I'M SORRY THIS IS SO LATE AHHH ;;

 

[Sosiqui]

Manyara grumbled. "Complicated," she admitted. "Sometimes, sit with Mahir. Sometimes, sit in my thorny place. Can't dig here... no burrowers." It was barbaric, was what it was. She couldn't believe they lived in tents. Disgusting.

"Could sit with you, too," she added, after a moment. "The thorny place is not so good. Except for my Prize." She grinned broadly at that.

Enoh Love

IT'S OKAY THIS IS LATE BACK AAAAAAAAAAH

 

[Enoh Love]

"You are more than welcome to stay with me, little warrior." To his credit, he had stopped calling her Little Lady for the time being, but who knew how long that would last. "I have a tent for myself and Na'ima that has room if you would like..." He was sure the hissing girl would recall his dear apprentice. "But I have a small yard, if you would prefer to try and burrow on your own." It was a sincere offer, and one he never hesitated in giving.

"Though...If you would like help, I have been...acquiring...some contacts in halloween. Perhaps they can help us make an underground home for you." He had gotten way too used to living in the tent above ground, sadly.

"But, ah...your Prize?" He questioned, the various trinkets in his hair clinking as he tilted his head quizzically.

Sosiqui