private FoE: Aftermath; After the Fact (1x1 with Meson Bolt)

[Meson Bolt 2,648]

"Thank you," she replied curtly, a bit upset that she had seemed to upset him. Taking a moment to survey him as he seemingly zoned out for a moment, she shrugged and started trotting.

 

Well, when you don't know where you're going... one direction is just as good as another.

[Kronos the Revenant 1,971]

Kronos followed Foray at a respectable distance of about three or four feet, an amount of space which he assumes is considered as "personal space," which he didn't mind as it gave him some room to think to himself.

 

As he followed, he thought to himself, Should I try asking her something? No, I shouldn't. She'll probably take it the wrong way considering your, *ahem* history with her. Besides, you promised yourself you'll keep this strange urge in check. Just follow her around and do what she tells you to do.

Edited July 10, 2016 by Kronos

[Meson Bolt 2,648]

Foray trotted along at a steady pace for several minutes, giving them enough time to distance themselves from the strange camp. Having kept silent for a while, she turned to Kronos to break the silence.

 

"You're uncharacteristically quiet," she observed. "Something on your mind?"

[Kronos the Revenant 1,971]

Kronos turned towards Foray, slightly startled by her suddenly talking to him.

 

"Huh?" he replied bewilderingly, "Oh, yeah, I'm fine, Foray. I've just been, well, thinking and contemplating lots of things for a while now."

 

Should I try and tell her something else now? he thought to himself, Is it time to talk to her about how I feel? No, last time you tried that, you got pissed off at everyone, even her. Then again, it was to that one other pony in the party that caused you to leave. Maybe it is time to try to talk to her while it's just the two of you.

 

"Well, to be honest, I've been mostly contemplating on, well, I'm not really sure if I should say it, but now might as well be a better time than ever."

 

With a heavy sigh, he nervously asked, "Foray, umm, what exactly do you think about, well, us. By that I mean, 'us' us, you know? I know it's a stupid question to ask considering that we mutually agree that we're strictly, well, acquaintances or maybe even friends, but, that's just something that's been nagging at me for a while. I really don't care what your response is. I just wish for you to be honest with me."

 

Dammit, he thought to himself, Why the hell did you ask her like THAT!? Now she'll think you're a social nutcase. 

Edited July 11, 2016 by Kronos

[Meson Bolt 2,648]

Foray frowned slightly, clearly not picking up on what he meant. "Uhh... what?" she asked, looking and sounding completely confused. "'Us' us? What does that even mean...?"

 

He looks flustered... I should probably try and handle this a bit more tactfully than usual...

[Kronos the Revenant 1,971]

Kronos shook his head and replied, "Gah, nevermind, it was a stupid question anyways."

 

Smooth move there, dude, Kronos thought to himself, Now you two are more distant than ever. I told you to shut up.

 

He tried to explain himself, but was struggling to speak, "Well, it's just that, umm, I really can't exactly say. Actually, I could say it, but I really don't want to, but I'm afraid that...you know what, nevermind. I'm just getting way too over my head right now. I'm sorry for the awkward question."

 

He gave a heavy sigh and clenched his claws so tightly that they dug into his "palms".

[Meson Bolt 2,648]

Foray studied him for a minute, looking a bit confused and slightly hurt.

 

He's got something on his mind, but he doesn't want to tell it to my face... does he want to stop travelling with me? I mean... that's fine, since I'm kind of... but I do appreciate his company...

 

Turning away, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

 

Just try not to think about it...

 

"Alright, well... this looks like as good a spot as any to crash," she replied nonchalantly. "I'll deal with the fire... I hope you've got some food or something on you. I'm starving."

[Kronos the Revenant 1,971]

Kronos regained his thoughts and replied, "Heh, you really think I always come unprepared?" He pulled out some of the raw meat that he plundered off of the previous campsite that they went through, despite Foray's objection to looting the campsite. "Chillax, I only got enough meat for a meal for the two of us. The ponies occupying the previous campsite would hardly even notice."

 

I hope, he nervously thought to himself. 

[Meson Bolt 2,648]

The unicorn looked concerned as he showed her his plunder.

 

...Wow. Ignore what I say, why don't you? she thought with a frown. Whatever, it's not like I'm gonna risk going back to return it.

 

Slipping out of her saddlebags and armored harness quickly, she headed off a short distance and began searching for scraps of firewood, placing them in a pile with her magic.

 

"So, ah... I take it you eat meat often?" she asked, hoping to make light conversation while she worked.

Edited July 12, 2016 by Meson Bolt

[Kronos the Revenant 1,971]

"Yes," Kronos replied, "Ever since birth, I've been omnivorous. I mean, especially in this wasteland, who wouldn't eat meat?"

 

He noticed that look of annoyance in Foray's face. "Look, I know you seem a little peeved that I took some meat despite what you said earlier, but it's better to be guaranteed a meal now than to hope that a creature comes by to be hunted for meat later, right?" He took one of the pieces of wood to make a rotisserie spit for the meat.

[Meson Bolt 2,648]

"Well... growing up in a Stable, we didn't really have access to meat," Foray continued, quickly making a pile of timbers. "I'm fine with it now, but it was a hard transition..."

 

Sighing as she turned back to him, she went silent for a moment before saying, "Hey, what's done is done, alright? It's not like we're gonna go back now and return it... and... I'm sorry if I kinda blew off on you... I've had a hard day."

[Kronos the Revenant 1,971]

"Hehe, we've both had a hard day," Kronos replied, "It's all in a matter of how you deal with your situation. Me, I try to salvage whatever I can from my situation and try to forget what I don't want to remember. But, with a quarter of my brain being a computer used for memory purposes only, I really have no choice but to remember all of by bad memories." Kronos suddenly gasped and started trembling. "No, no, no please, don't....." His eyes went red and he started to draw out his claws, growling. He slowly advanced towards Foray.

[Meson Bolt 2,648]

""Heh... makes sense," Foray replied, not looking up from delicately arranging the firewood in a tepee formation. "I try to remember everything, so I can remember the good I've done and try to learn from-"

 

She was cut off by his growling. Looking up, her face instantly showed concern, backing up slightly as she saw him in advance. "Uhh... Kron?" she asked, her voice quivering slightly.

[Kronos the Revenant 1,971]

Kronos seemed to not hear Foray as he advanced closer to her, honing his claws. It was until something in his head started acting up on him.

 

"Gah," he excalimed in agony, "AHHHHHH!!!!" Suddenly, he stood there, motionless for a while until he toppled to the ground. A few moments later, his body begins to spasm out of control. "AHHHH!!! IT HURTS!!!!!!" He holds his head as he curls up into the ground. While in that position, he starts slamming his own head into the ground until he seems to have lost conciousness. His body goes limp for a few minutes until he starts to get himself upright again.

 

"Ugh," he moaned as he got back up, "What the hell happened?" He looked at Foray who looked mortified, "Foray, why are you like that?" He looked behind himself, assuming she was looking at a possible creature or bandit. "Hey, what's wrong?"

[Meson Bolt 2,648]

Foray had sat down halfway into his... whatever he was doing, crossing her arms and looking equally cross.

 

"You ah... you started approaching me with red eyes and growling and stuff, stopped, started spasming around over-dramatically, and then passed out," she answered plainly.

[Kronos the Revenant 1,971]

"oh, I did?" Kronos asked, "Ahh, shit, I'm sorry." He knocked at his own head and seemed to pull out a cable. He attached it to a console on his arm. As he read the screen, he was running a diagnostic on his mental systems. "Shit, shit shit. Foray, I am so sorry about that. It's something about that one quarter of my brain that's a computer that I told you about a while ago. It has a tendency to, um, trigger some certain memories that in turn trigger certain protocols in my functions. Again, I'm sorry."

[Meson Bolt 2,648]

Foray glared at Kronos for a few seconds, before shaking her head and turning back to her work. "...Sure, alright... just make sure it doesn't happen again, okay?"

 

Turning to the pile of firewood she'd set up, she crouched down as her horn began to glow, producing a fireball which slowly grew bigger.

[Kronos the Revenant 1,971]

"Yeah, I'll check on that." Kronos replied with a subtle nervousness.

 

But, can I truly control this malfunction in my systems? he thought to himself, I'm gonna have to learn to control it, not just for my sake this time, but for hers as well. I don't want to black out and wake up with her blood on me, not like what happened the first time. Not again. Not again.

[Meson Bolt 2,648]

Foray was oblivious to his distraught, fully concentrating on her magic. In a few more moments her fireball grew to about the size of a grape, and she slowly moved it into the middle of the timbers.

 

"And that's that..." she said, plopping down exhaustedly as she watched the timbers smoke before lighting. Waiting on the ground for a few more moments, she shrugged off her harness and saddlebags, piling them up by a nearby tree.

[Kronos the Revenant 1,971]

Kronos watched the fire as it slowly kindled in the makeshift fire pit. He tried to bring his thoughts over to the fire to keep his mind off of things. Upon thinking like this, he figured that they need more firewood.

 

"I'm gonna get more firewood," Kronos said as he got up, "I don't think this fire will last long without some more fuel. Plus, I think I need to take a walk."

[Meson Bolt 2,648]

The unicorn frowned at Kronos slightly for a moment.

 

Uh... no, there's plenty of firewood there. What's he up to? Is he trying to get away from me?

 

"Mind if I go with you?" Foray asked, hopping up to her hooves quickly. "Two sets of eyes are better than one... plus, it's dangerous to go alone."

[Kronos the Revenant 1,971]

"What do you care?" Kronos asked Foray with his back at her, "You said it yourself, you don't really need my help and I can handle myself. I just need some space to think, that's all. Don't take this the wrong way, but, it's not you, it's me, okay?" He took off into places where he figured he could be alone for a while. When he got to a spot he figured was isolated and comfortable, he began to meditate.

[Meson Bolt 2,648]

It's not you, it's me... the hell does that mean? Foray thought, momentarily stunned by his words and standing in a daze. Does he think we're in some sort of relationship? I mean... loose partners, temporarily, sure, but... does he want to start one? He'd better not... he knows full well how I hate that sort of thing.

 

Dumbfounded and slightly absent in the body as she was caught up in thoughts, she didn't even realize him start to walk away until he'd disappeared.

 

And he's gone...

 

Shrugging it off, she turned back to the fire, which was now burning strong, and began poking at it idly with a stick, waiting for him to return.

[Kronos the Revenant 1,971]

As he meditated, he had a few visions of past memories. Past parties, his parents and sister back home, the recent ordeal he went through. Foray.

 

He gasped and opened his eyes as soon as Foray was in his vision. No no no no, he thought as he shook his head trying to get Foray out of his thoughts, you both agreed that it'll never ever be like that. Right? But, still, why did she of all the ponies in the party stay with you? She said that its because she thinks you need her even though you damn well explained that you didn't; yet, she insisted on staying with you despite how much you both seem to annoy each other.

 

He went beck into his state of zen and continued meditating. He continued to think to himself, There's really nothing left for you in this wasteland. So, why do you still think that there's still a reason to be alive? Maybe it's because you feel that there is something for you out there. Something that'll last for you, but you just haven't found it yet. Dammit, what the hell is wrong with you!? You know damn well that you'll never have a lasting relationship with anyone. Even if you somehow manage to have another relationship with anyone else, you'll just outlive them anyways. Might as well just give up on this pointless journey and go back home. 

 

After he completely flushed out his thoughts, he woke up and started practicing some of his native martial arts in hopes of finding his peace through a different means.

Edited July 19, 2016 by Kronos

[Kronos the Revenant 1,971]

When he finished with his katas, he decided he was calm enough to head back to the campsite. 

 

I sure hope that Foray is okay, he thought, I know she can take care of herself, but still, she's kind of at a disadvantage because she's a mare, and a young one at that. I'm not saying she can't make it because she's a mare, I'm just saying that there's lots of creeps out there in the wasteland. 

 

When he got back to the campsite, he called out to Foray, "Hey, Foray, what'd I miss?"