| IC date: | Autumn 66, 1007 |
| OOC date: | November 24, 2012 |
| PCs: | Dustdevil, Sodium-Fizz |
| NPCs: | |
| GM: | None |
The harborside has taken a beating since the sudden departure of the harborites, the resulting distruction and consequent other hapenings of the time between their departure, and their return have left horribile scars upon the town, only a few of which have even been attempted to be repaired. Buildings lay in ruin before the amazingly cut and cratered streets, and hustle and bustle of town life has been replaced with repair activities.
In one of the former 'buildings' there's been an impromptu framework setup to stabilze the colapse of said building. The site of this frame work looks sturdy and also looks to be the only thing holding up the structure at all. Dustdevil has setup shop there more or less preserving the former place of friend Sodium-Fizz. Her belongings have been pulled from the wreckage, and placed neatly on one 'shelf' that consists of a few buckets and some boards or beams that were likely floor or ceiling boards or something. Her flight jacket he has used somewhat as a pillow, or at least something close to him as he's taken up a hammock, fabric used from the ripped up awning on the front of the building. Its, a 'home' for now in the intrim or until the rightful owner returns.
And so she did, for a certain value of 'rightful owner'. Sodium-Fizz never owned anything short of the personal effects and alchemical components she could pack into her mail-mare's flight jacket at any point of time and the now ruined apparment she'd only rented. Still, nopony - not even the landlord - seems to have seen fit to do anything about the wreckage and Dustdevil have more or less been left to live in peace. It had never truly occured that her things would still be here - she'd expected them to have been pilfered and sold. Or burned. Or somehow used in a symphatetic magic ritual to… She shook her head to clear it, she couldn't let her thoughts wander into places like that. That could just… send her ower the edge again, a edge she was just barely clinging to.
Shrugging her wings under her cloak, a ratty thing of aged sack-weave full of tears and hole and lined with what seems like it might be fur, she approached. The gingerbread brown mare that's pointed the way had not managed to bring across just how keen he'd been on keeping her things. It was almost flattering, and perhaps a bit creepy. Stoping just outside she waited, gathering her wits about her.
"Dustdevil?" asked Soda after several long moments.
Sounds of a sleeping pony answer the call of Dustdevil's name, a snort, snuffle and a *Whump* of someone falling from a suspended hammock. "Ouch" then grumbling, "What???" a long pause then a softer voice, "Who? Who is that?" you hear a worried sound, some noises of confusion then from the entry way appears Dustdevil, still looking of sleep and blinking in the early morning light, a blink blink, and a stare going from hard glare, to softer, to a look of confusion, head tilting, staring all the more, eyes widening, "Fi Fizzy?" he gulps hard, paces out a full pace nearly mauls you in a pent up Hug, "Oh I MissedYouWorriedAboutYouSoMuchOhWhereHaveYouBeen?! *breathe, pantpantpant*
Sodium-Fizz raises her hoof for a small wave, though never manag to get further than that. Instead she blinks in shock and gasps in pain, "Gah! To tight, to tight!"
Dust bounds back a pace and pulls his back out from the hug, giving her a wide eyed look a little hurt by the recalled hug, he looks down to his hooves, "Mmsory Sodium-Fizz, I, err, I really missed you, and I was so worried about you" he offers softly not sure of anything anymore. "I thought you died, or something when I found your apartment so wrecked. I went on automatic rescue mode and dug through all the wreckage, f f found your flight jacket" there's tears in his eyes now, "but no Sodium-Fizz, I looked through town, then even in the Wintersong Forest, then I went back to the Everfree Camp, and everything, but then I heard that practically everypony else had disapeared too and and, and" his shoulders slump, "And I just didn't know what to do. He sighs.
Sodium-Fizz smiled softly and leant forward, wraping Dust in a hug of her own, though one less likely to shatter ribs. "Don't worry… And I'm sorry about that, it's… just tricky to leave a notice of absence when you get sucked into another dimension, like that. Which, by the way," she cocked her head to the side in thought, "answers your first question. If I got your rambling right. It's not a nice place, I wouldn't suggest visiting if you get a choice."
Smiling she pulled back, planting her flanks on the ground and raising a hoof to flick the hood of her cloak down. 'Not nice to visit' might seem a bit like an understatement, judging from the numerous scratches and marks on her foreleg and the missing chunk of her ear. "So… What's happened around here? I never did quite figure that out… I'm not sure what happened back there, either… but I think I saw their," obviously refering to this alternate world, "Elements of Harmony there before…" Soda bit her lip, halting whatever she was about to say next.
Dustdevil just leans in to her hug, but is careful of her obvious injuries, "Gone, yes, to that other place, I've seen some ponies about all not used to this temperature, and wearing sunglasses or welding goggles even on the cloudy days" he shakes his head confused a little, "its odd" he shakes his head again, "oh, since you departed, their elements came here, put a big crater in portside, "he kinda points roughly"I think it will make a good skating rink when winter gets here" he shurgs some, We've had a zombie issue for awhile, and the mayor died, and came back from the dead, and Died again, I think" he furrows his brow, "never sure on that one, always confused by that, and then there were a pair of what looked like night-guards but not, that came here after the elements from" he changes his voice to a dramatic movie-announer style voice "Another World" and returns his voice to norma, "They were hunting the elements of harmony, uhh the ones that came from that other place, and went back, and and and" he just sighs "its been crazy here" he eventually just lets out.
Sodium-Fizz nods slowly, though a small smile flashes across her muzzly. "I bet I can beat you on weird, though. Zombie hords, a foal liche, a giant Winter-Solstice fighting a dragon, Magpie snowballing Nightmare Moon in the face, me stealing the head of one of her generals… Yes, it's been a weird month and a half all around it seems…" Soda trailed. "I hope their Elements are fine," she added, "last I saw of them… I think, I was a bit out of it at the time, they were facing down Nightmare Moon…"
Dustdevil kinda jawdrops, "wow, you were a bit busy" he nods as he slowly looks you over, "you've been" he gulps, "Hurt alot Fizzy" he murmurs looking hurt that he couldn't have been there to protect you. "I wish I could have been there to protect you" he murmurs quietly, "like our time in the forest" he comments lightly, then kinda startles some, "Nightmare Moon, uhh, yeah, the Elements mentioned the likes of her, this place really was pretty diffeirnt it seems." he nods a little and oh's some, "uhh, please come in" he asks with a strong blush, "no need to be out in the cold, anyway, it is your place afterall" he admits and ushers you inside the ruin.
The grey mare chuckled softly. "Not really, not for several weeks. I havn't really been around to pay rent for it now, have i? And I'm fine," Sodium-Fizz waved her hoof dissmisevly, "I've had worse injuries before. Though most of the time I've had enough potions to put myself back together with a scratch. But… I guess these are here to stay," she concluded, and sounding rather conflicted over it. One one hoof rather relived, on the other worried. Soda smiled though as she picked herself up and followed Dustdevil inside.
"Not that bad though, when I first got… there… we almost freezed to death. Me and this little filly, Magpie. Got caught outside in the cold… and it's -cold-. We were lucky Winny noticed us." Looking about she picked herself out a seat at the makeshift table before thrusting her muzzle in under her cloak, retriving a paper bag smelling of… chili buns? "Here, I brought something. I've… um… had two already. They have the most boring and bland food you can imagine, in the… other… place."
Dusty smiles, "the Owner and myself have an agreement, its all good" he offers softly, "I took up your rental contract, not that I'm renting much, but I also helped him retrive some of his belongings from this" he waves a hoof around, "this mess" he notes "Its someplace way up north, I heard it was kinda like this place?" he looks a little confused, "and a pegasus freezing to death, thats a little heard to believe, I mean, didn't you take cold-weather training back in flight-school, I thought it was a requirement" the pegasus queries, then ponders and lifts your freshly cleaned flight jacket from the rope it sits draped over upon his hammock offering it to you, "I'd say a little chilly since you didn't have this" his nose sniffs some, "ooh Spice's Chilli buns, those /are/ quite tastey indeed" he gladly takes the bag and opens it to munch upon the buns then pauses
"I spoke to a mare from the other side, she was a battered roughed up looking pegasus, and also to Ginger-Spice the other day" he gulps hare, "they, uhh, they said you had, had a" his voice quivers, though he powers through, or tries to but never quite manages to get it out. "They said you had someone…" he falters, and can't say it (someone as in a very special somepony)
"I…" Soda began though she didn't seem to get further as her eyes caught her flight jacket, her eyes seeming to be brimming with tears as it does. Reaching out she grasped it between her hooves and pulled it close, hugging the garment close with a big, beaming smile. "Th-thanks Dusty, this means a lot to me… and… Thanks." She leaned forward, planting a soft peck on his cheek.
"And yes, freezing. It was here around the Harbour - or what might have been the Harbour would things have been different - though it was a world of eternal night, not much warmth there… And I did, I was never any good at it though. Like everything from flight camp."
Reaching up she wiped her pastern across her own cheeks. His hesitant question, at least she belived it was a question, mad her smile flater a bit as it sent omnius tingles down her spine. "I… That I had somepony…? What? Who did you meet?"
Looks relieved that you are taking back that flight jacket, he fought hard, dug so long and found only that and your other stuff. He gazes around the room at your various other belongs, some broken others intact, a big bag of mail and stuff, some unopened letters from Trottingham presumeably and some of the stuff you had left at the Everfree camp too.
"I don't know her name, but she really looked like she'd been in a, a battle of some kind, one side of her face was all torn up looking, and she had a very uhh rough sense of humor, oh and she was Really strong too" he kinda looks seriously embarassed or something too. "Does a Winter-Solsitice ring a bell?" he asks "thats who the beat up looking one said I think" and then that good cook one, kinda confirmed it too, but I, I, I wanted to hear it from you, if, If I should" he gulps hard looks down "If I should stop myself trying to be, better friends with" he's faltering with his words something fierce right now, a blush on his muzzle "Or if I was confused all along, and and and" he sighs, "and if I should give up" she shudders, "give up on you" he shakes head violently, "but I don't want to give up on you ever, I love you" he finally says it.
'I love you,' the words seems to hit Sodium-Fizz like a buck to the guts and make her flinch, her face a mask of shock and fear. "Y-you what…? I… You, you… N-no! You don't! Y-you can't… b-becaus I'd have to…" Soda bit her lower lip, drawing a shakey breath. "Becaus… I'd have to… break your heart, and I d-don't want to do that, Dusty! I… You're my friend, Dustdevil… Winter…"
"Winter-Solstice's my marefriend," Soda said with a sigh. "It just… She's -my- marefriend. I've never had one before… and I don't want to give her up… But I don't want to lose your friendship, either… but… There's not much I can do, is there…?" she asked with a sigh. "I've already hurt you and… and, yeah… It's just… I don't like colts, not like that… And she's mine, and that makes me all… happy."
Dustdevil listens throughout and sits down hard on his flanks, his muzzle is starting to streak with tears, even with his eyes closed tightly, he just sits there listening, choking back little sounds of sorrow, at having lost you a second time, one of his hooves reaches up like reaching for you but not touching, it soon falls and his head hangs low eyes still closed tears just occasionally slipping through, though his muzzle is still wet with them, he just nods his head, then stands up to turn around fishing something from somewhere under the hammock, he turns back around, and chokes out tightly.
"I want you to have this still" his voice is so tight you can tell he's fighting back more tears, and a definitely broken, downright shattered heart. "I saved everything I could for something" she shakes his head trying to clear his thoughts, "something like a, a" he just pushes the pouch of bits across to you, "Be happy with her, and for your ceremony, use this to" he closes his eyes tightly dipping his head low, and turning away some, "use this to give you both some good wedding bands" he chokes out, its clear that he was going to buy jewlery, wedding bands as it were, "there's enough there to buy something fancy if you get that in your head" he notes, shaking his head, "it was meant to be yours, so don't push that pouch back to me, don't you /Dare/" he intones though the end of his that statement was a little icy sounding. There's pain in his voice definitely as the stallion feels as if kicked,
Dusty chokes out, "You matter so much to me, you'll always be special to me, but you matter to me, your heart matters to me. I want you to be happy most of all" he intones with a tight voice blocking out his emotion as best he can. "I hope she treats you right because if she ever hurts you…" his voice is rock solid chilling with that last statement
Sodium-Fizz whimpered softly and bit her lip. She'd hurt a friend. Making Winter worried was painfull in and off itself, but not quite like this. She didn't want another pony hurt becaus of her. For a moment she considered just running, leaving everything go back to traveling, but…
Reaching out, Fizzy wrapped her forelegs and wings around Dustdevil, pulling him into a tight hug. "I… I'm sorry Dusty. I'm sorry I can't… I'm sorry I had to hurt you, but… you deserve better anyway. Better t-than a scared little pony like me, b-becaus I'd never be able to truly say I'd l-… love you. I'm not even sure I'll ever manage to tell her that I… that, either… Or if it's true. So keep your money becaus I don't think I'm even ready to think about…" she balked at the thought, "things like that."
Pulling back Sodium-Fizz raised her hooves to Dustdevil's face, turning it to meet hers. "Just… you deserve better. Sompeony that isn't as horrible as me, or feels as guilty, or is as scared. Understand? Please, just… please don't… do something stupid over me, don't sit around and hope… I feel bad enough as it is, I don't want to see you waste your life doing something stupid." Sighing for herself she pulled away, a hoof running through the dusky pruple mess that's her mane. "And… I'm more worried of hurting her, she's far to sweet in her own loud, clueless larger-than-life kind of way…"
Dusty is fairly quiet, he takes that hug, and can't help but lean against her, his breathing is ragged, trying to contain his emotions, tears obvious, "keep it, for something that matters to you than" he murmurs softly, "I can't take it back" his head is low against your chest, then burred in your neck before he withdraws, so much conflict in your voice confusion, but he isn't understanding much of it himself. "I like you for you, even if you say you've had a past, had past issues, we've all got something" he comments or pleads, its not sure any more given his faltering voice, its not strong nor proud it once was but broken and halting.
Deserve Better? "no, you're the best thing, you actually seem to get me for once, I just thought, but, I," he pauses sighing, "I guess I thought wrong" he gulps shaking his head again, eyes closed, he just leans back his head and shoulders supported by that hammock his color seems to have been drained from him, spirit broken soul crushed before your eyes.
The pegasus stallion stands and starts collecting your belongings carefully and placing them in one of his field packs, being neat and organized about packing this stuff. He stacks the mail in order of date, soonest, the three unopened letters on top, followed by the others, and neatly tucks that into one of the other pouches, dumps some of his field rations out from one other pouch and neatly places all your belongings into the bag, lifts that money pouch places it in another pouch and fastenes the latch of the bag. He turns and sets both bags, into your old saddlebags so that you may reclaim your possisions. In a voice that couldn't possibily have come from him, he intones in a voice thats so totally Canterlot coated its barely recognizable; "I've packed your possisions for your consideration, I hope this meets with your satisfaction, I did my best to recover them all with care"
"Dustdevil!" Soda said, her tone suprisingly sharp - it would most likely be able to chop onions at thirty paces - and commanding. A moment later she stood muzzle-to-muzzle, scowling at him. "This is exactly what I told you -not- to do! I don't get to let emotions rule my life, and neither do you! You best hogtie that and stuff it somewhere in the back of your mind where it is managable or Luna help me, I'll do it for you!" She was almost whipsering now, her mane looking supprisingly frizzy and her dilated eyes sharp. "I will not let you be hurt, stay hurt, over me if I can help it. And I can, Dusty, I can. Because you have -no- idea who I am deeper inside, and she… She can do almost anything if she wants too… So burry it and sit down! Think for a moment!"
The pegasus in question is rightly blasted by that shout of his name, his ears flatten as he almost staggers to one side, still holding on to that pair of saddlebags, he just doesn't know what else he can do it looks like. Dustdevil sits down as ordered, eyes closed tightly, though still holding that pair of saddle bags up presenting them to you like. "I've never felt this way about anypony before, and" he just sighs and trails off, his voice is still high and Canterlot tinged, though there's another voice slipping in there too, and that voice is tinged by fear.
"Well, I have," came almost the dangerously smooth reply from Sodium-Fizz. "I don't belive in love," she said the word without even flinching, "at first site Dustdevil. It's allways a much more base attraction, if an attraction still. I've walked away form it so many times before. So don't go and let yourself drown in sorrow over… over this!" A wing twitched, motioning at herself. "Becaus it's just not worth it. There'll be other mares, some will return your affection and some won't… But you can't let such a… a… petty, mundane thing let you go all… that!"
"Especialy over me, becaus the mare you took into the forest with you… She's who I am when I've lied to myself enough, when I can belive I'm not some loony mare that can't help but messing things up with her crazy concoctions."
Dustdevil barely has much left in him, much fight, much will, much of anything resembling a pony really. "No it wasn't love at first sight" states quietly, "I mean sure, you're a pegasus mare n' all and I know you're a bit older than I am, but that doesn't matter to me" the stallion mentions, "your personality, the you behind the pegasus, the wings, tail mane and mark, You You" his old voice reacts, "thats what I was caring for back in the woods, thats what I fell in love with there" he almost whispers as he sits there before you still reduced in his color, still sounding hurt injured though physically still looking fit and stallionesque. "your crazy concoctions do more good than harm, saved us both at times even when the cards were stacked against us, what we defeated a pack of Timberwolves together, just you and me, vs. a whole pack! Crazy, yeah, maybe we both were, but we had each other!" he shouts back out now, voice quivering some.
Dustdevil just sets the saddlebags beside the door and trots back to his hammock sitting down again. He sighs out as he unties the edges of the hammock letting it fall uselessly to the floor and revealing he had his other bag packed should he need to move out or something. He slips that back on over his wings, and shoulders. "I, I'm sorry Fizzy, I just can't stand the though of loosing you a second time, I, I just need to go, go find someplace where I can think or something" he just hangs his head a little, "Maybe we can catch up sometime in the future or something, talk," he gets chocked up, starting to cry again as he huffs, "and maybe I can meet that special mare of yours, then" he chokes out as he makes so that he's getting ready to leave. The place is cleaned up more or less, one set of saddle bags beside the door /yours/ and him ready to leave.
The alchemist sighed softly. "Tell that to the people in Fillydelphia… or Moonsong Falls. Or Greensdale though I doubt that place is left on a map, it was little more than rubble and hydra carcasses when I left."
Leaning forwards she put a hoof on his muzzle and gave him a soft smile. "And… And you do that Dustdevil. Think it over, calm down and… Mabye we can, yes. I'd still very much like to be your friend."
The pegasus still listens then just as he is about to turn you place that hoof to his muzzle making him pause. He breathes out a little breath, nods a little. "Thank you for coming back, coming to explain /this/" he offers quietly before nodding a little, "I'll talk to you again my friend" he murmurs lightly before pinning a little note to the side of the doorway at pony eye height, its addressed to the landlord, and a little pouch of bits behind it. As the pegasus bows before you and takes off at a slow but steady pace, the note flits open
To the owner of this, ruin, here's a few bits to cover the last of my time here. If anyone asks for me, I an be found via my contacts with the Wonderbolts Aux, search and rescue devision Canterlot. Furthermore if you see a dusty grey pegasus mare with yellow eyes, please buy her some flowers or something special. Thanks Dustdevil
Dustdevil is seen flying into the distance heading roughly for the mountains, the pass and likely heading 'home' to Canterlot or somewhere between.