Make 'em Laugh!

Merida laughed and shook her head as she walked. “Aye, even after years of long train rides and dull days you never get used to it. Having to sit in the same place for hours or do nothing. Despite the years of practice the best bit of the trailing is getting off the train!”

She turned to watch him as he talked, their personality’s fitting together so well like always as Merida looked around the city before them, wondering where they should get lost too first. “Nah remember that one time I hit you with the foam arrow? but you deserved it…I think… that was a few years ago now jeeze…” it was true. Robin and Merida didn’t bring Rodger into the ring until they were 100% sure that they had the trick down. Even then up till the week of the show would only use foam arrows just in case. Rodger’s life was not one to be played with lightly, if anything happened to him because of her…. Merida felt sick thinking about it. “well good! Because Robin and I have a bunch of new tricks up our sleeve!”

But oh well! Those days were gone, and now was the time to go out and explore! They were in a completely new place, and he was with his best friend. What better way to break up the boredom of riding on the train?!

“Oh yeah, I remember that! I thought you did that on purpose!” He laughed, remembering getting hit with the foam arrow. Even if she hadn’t intended to hit him, the implications of that didn’t seem to bother him much as he kept in-step alongside her. “New tricks?” He looked at her excitedly. “What kind of new tricks?”

The cold bit her as soon as she walked out the door, but she didnt care. The train had stopped and she was free to do what she liked for the rest of her day; and now her best friend was in toe, it couldn’t get any better.

Climbing down the ladder and dropping down onto the ground she wanted for Rodger at the bottom as she looked back up at him, her breath making fog in the air. “So how have you been lad, you ever comin back to practice or you sick of gettin shot at?”

“I was about to jump too, I’m telling ya!” He laughed, quickly following after her so he could keep up. “I can’t stand being cooped up for so long! I was really starting to get restless! -- And no! How could I ever get sick of getting shot at?” He asked her with a grin. “Especially since you haven’t actually hit me yet!” In fact, he wouldn't trust anyone to shoot at him, more than he would Merida and Robin. “Now that we’ve finally stopped again, I can finally be your target again!”

Slowing… slowing

Merida started to pace up and down the length of the train, looking at the window. City, always a city. Of course it had to be a city, there was the best money in the citys, the best shows the people. Merida just didn’t like them all the way since there were never any trails for her to explore. 

Still a city was better then being on the train for days on end.

Slowing slowing. 

Merida knew the trained always slowed to this pace when it was within 20 miles in its stop, that meant they were so close since it had slowed down a little while ago. 

Stop.

The final screech of the brakes came to her ears like music and the grin took over Merida’s face as she flew though the train towards the lounge car where she had left her bag. Slamming though the door she nearly ran head first into someone, she quickly skidded to the side and ducked under her arm- grabbing her bag and turning back around, breathless

“Come on come on! The train’s stopped! Its time to explore!”  She was restless and eager to get off the train, with or without company, though company was over better. “Come on lets go~” She turned back to the person she had almost run into. 

But still, the time has passed so slowly.

And now, as they train finally slowed down and came to a screeching halt -- outside of a city, no less! -- did the excitement finally pick up inside Roger’s chest once again, and he practically bolted out of his room and towards the exit, as soon as they were all given the go-ahead.

… Only to collide right into someone. Someone who was, presumably, equally as excited as he was.

It only took the flash of bright red hair to know who it was, and he smiled brightly.

“You don’t have to tell me twice! I’ve been bored out of my mind!” He laughed, following along after his friend. “It’s so nice to actually be able to stretch my legs! You know, in a way besides walking up and down the train twenty times a day!”

… Well, maybe he wasn’t that desperate.

Still though, he couldn't just sit around any longer. A level of boredom this intense called for action! And so, he stood up and took to wandering the halls, not particularly watching where he was going. His aimless wandering brought him into the lounge car, where only one other person sat. Someone he’d never spoken to before. Making friends always killed time.

Long thin fingers tapped the window as the train moved down the rails. The clacking noise that the wheels made over the tracks, the sound of things swooshing past and the colors blurring as she closed her eyes a bit was all slightly calming. Chewing the skin off her bottom lip, her other hand traced the open bottle that sat between her legs, the square glass pressed corners sharply into her skin as the train moved but it didn’t seem to break her from her dream world. 

Blue eyes refocused on her reflection, long blond hair lay lifeless and stringy around her shoulders, a heart shaped face, with a thin nose with a slight point to it, pale pink slightly full lips with a perfect cupid’s bow, hollow blue eyes that held so many more lies then truths that were lined and caked with black makeup. Parting her lips she looked at her teeth that at this point had more fillings then real teeth; not that anyone could really tell. 

It was getting later now, and it was raining lightly, the sounds of which were only amplified by the trains quick motion through the night. Perhaps foolishly, and desperate for fun, Roger had taken it upon himself to walk to the very back of the train and see what it felt like to be pelted by rain at 120 miles per hour.

It had been fun, but surprisingly, hadn’t been as pleasant as he thought it would be. Ah well. At least it had killed a couple minutes... but now he was soaked. Again, he opted to shrug that off as he re-entered the train and shut the door behind him. And at least the train was dry and warm. It’s not like anyone would see him anyways -- they were all probably asleep or in bed by this point.

Heading into the dining car, Roger was surprised to see that he was in fact not the only one that was still awake. Dor was up, and looking somewhat distracted as she stared out the window. Though she did take a brief instance to glance at him.

“Well at the next stop, or some other place. I have a website where I can google a place and it has all the best trail rides and where you can camp out. Its great, so we’ll find somewhere real nice and pretty for your first camping trip. And I don’t know Roder…” she looked sort of worried. “berry’s are awfully fast to catch~” she joked with a little grin. “But yeah, we’ll find something for you to contribute for a dinner! And lots of ghost stories.” 

“Ghost stories, and a camp fire!” He exclaimed, unable to hide his excitement. “And I’ll show you. I’ll catch more berries than we’ll be able to eat.” He said with a mock look of challenge. Maybe he could stop off at a grocery store, stock up on all sorts of berries, smuggle them into camp and surprise Merida that way. Though he supposed that would have been cheating. Hopefully he wouldn’t end up eating his words – or did he want to, when berries were involved? He was getting off-track.

When the mention of the act was brought up again, Roger’s smirk turned into a genuine grin and he looked right at Merida excitedly. It had been far too long. 

“Well at the next stop, or some other place. I have a website where I can google a place and it has all the best trail rides and where you can camp out. Its great, so we’ll find somewhere real nice and pretty for your first camping trip. And I don’t know Roder…” she looked sort of worried. “berry’s are awfully fast to catch~” she joked with a little grin. “But yeah, we’ll find something for you to contribute for a dinner! And lots of ghost stories.” 

“Ghost stories, and a camp fire!” He exclaimed, unable to hide his excitement. “And I’ll show you. I’ll catch more berries than we’ll be able to eat.” He said with a mock look of challenge. Maybe he could stop off at a grocery store, stock up on all sorts of berries, smuggle them into camp and surprise Merida that way. Though he supposed that would have been cheating. Hopefully he wouldn’t end up eating his words -- or did he want to, when berries were involved? He was getting off-track.