Whitefish River Baddest do, what the baddest do,

Like a seething flame even upon leaving the two, she still bristled up in a rage of sorts. Her steps forceful to the ground that each one took a grab at the grass that was left behind, and a snapping of her jaws, but no words came out, though her mind full of embers. She thought how more childish he was, even when she was ready to put aside any fighting to simply welcome someone new, rather he ignored her so and gave a glance of dislike, before going back to the loner.

Orlaith felt disrespected. She felt angered. How memories were gone but she stopped in place, remembering the same feelings that she had lost were appearing- was this how she felt when she left the court life? Even they were haunting her so the one safe place she thought to have was now covered in the old fae's- she felt no inkling toward them, especially Lumiya.. It was laughable how she thought she had fallen only to rise, but clearly, the Knight still remained the same position as she was before.

Should she.. Just leave them all behind? How thankful she was with Kaistleoki, but having Hiero constantly looking down at her like a rat wasn't something she could deal with, especially in public, Orlaith would never be able to bare that humiliation. Even if she tried to claim the throne that he lays upon, she looked at the thought of Ira, who would just tell her 'no.'

In the end, no matter the choice; Orlaith would be the loser.

And so she cackled loudly into the forest, and finally for once, breaking down into the ground. She was just so tired of this all, wasn't there a time in her life she could be someone? Collapsing onto the ground she so destroyed, hot tears ran down her face- a vulnerable position as she laughed, and laughed.. And Laughed.

No matter who she was, what memories she had, what friends.. Nothing seems to change. She will always be someone everyone looks down upon, someone just a useless other member that was so replaceable, they could treat her like trash. Was she trash? Was she? To the point even Lumiya couldn't find her valuable, and now the others too?

Maybe it was time to run away from everyone.

A wizened cackle sounded from the woods, putting Riley on high alert. He canted an ear to the sound in disbelief, gradually sussing from the murkwood the scent of Orlaith.

He followed it almost dutifully, coming to a slow halt when he saw his friend disposed on the ground. Several thoughts clamored for equal attention in his narrow mind, but the first to make it out after several blustery seconds of processing was: "what the fuck?"

A blubbering mess, perhaps even psychotic to some as the moment she was the mixture of her eyes burning and laughing loudly to ease herself. Cheek pressed heavily to the grass, and the sound of 'what the fuck' startled her, making all the emotes freeze in a moment. She turned her head and snapped, "What!"

Orlaith was thankful it wasn't Hiero, surely that bastard now would just be gloating over and then officially demote her right there and then for being so weak, "Even I can be upset!" While the flaming warrior snapped at the crocodile man in a flurry of angry words, she knew it wasn't his fault, and she shouldn't snap at a friend- but she was always one to be more caught up in emotions then facts.

"Fuck this place.." Then after murmuring in scorn, Orlaith curled her body away from Riley.

Okay, whooa. Riley took a belated step back as Orlaith turned on him with tears hot in her eyes, snapping out in anger he could not say he deserved.

Riley had observed several emotions in Orlaith, but never one so vulnerable. His immediate instinct was to exploit it, to poke at it -- seeing her on the verge of hysterics brought to mind images of his brother, which in turn made him feel volatile and unwell.

He squashed the ugly feeling rising in his blood like it was a bug, turning his eyes away and focusing on anything else. The trees, the bark - what were those white trees called anyway?

"Uh.." Riley tried to keep his mind level, troubled and out of his element. "Um.. Why?"

ignore the lone wolf im a fool and let her go inactive

"I'm not appreciated," she paused, as the line felt oh-so familiar like it once happened so. She faintly remembered how Riley told her the previous time she left a group was for the same reasoning, it seemed like truly the past never escaped her so, "I've been demoted and casted aside! Even in front of new wolves!" but she regained her focus, clawing up the grass before her.

Her head rose with a fiery anger and waterworks playing, her angry tone heard throughout the forest as she had no control of the wolf's booming voice, "New beginnings my ass if they even hold grudges in front of completely new people!" At the moment, Orlaith despised Hiero more then anything else in this lifetime.

"Maybe I should leave.. Since clearly they dont need me."

I'm not appreciated.

An oh-so-familiar line Riley had heard once before. He shifted uncomfortably, trying his best to follow. Not appreciated by who?

Again that nagging feeling of something not quite right. Riley's eyes narrowed as Orlaith made piecemeal of the grass. There was so much to untangle, and truth be told he was lost.

"What?" He started as she mentioned leaving, still grasping for some understanding. "Who doesn't appreciate you? What's happened?"

"Hiero demoted me." It wasn't even Ira, to make it worst of all. As Orlaith felt more loyalty to the Count who allowed her in for a change and a place to heal, she wanted to serve her so. Originally she didn't mind Hiero returning so, and climbing back to the warrior leading position, despite jealousy insuing.. But what she did mind is he completely swept away anything she done while he was gone and demoted her.

"Clearly," Orlaith said with a fustrated snort,  "They don't need me. I think.. I'll just leave." She repeated the phrase over and over almost trying to convince herself of so, as she was reluctant to do so, not knowing where else to go.. But above all else, hated how her pride was in ruins.

"You enjoy it here?"

Another demotion. Riley worked the information over in his mind, lips terse.

He didn't know -- or even understand -- the reason, but it didn't matter. He was closer to Orlaith than anyone else here, and in his eyes it was an injustice.

It didn't matter the reason. What mattered was that once more, Orlaith was passed over.  He shrugged at her question - he didn't not enjoy it here. But he wasn't attached, either.

"If you go, I'm coming with you." Riley murmured after a spell. He had no attachment to this place besides Orlaith -- and if she wasn't here, there was no reason for him to stay.