Firestone Hot Springs i.iii : who was born in a house full of pain

{dogs}{part one, episode three}

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The hot springs gave her some comfort. She remembered her last time here, watched over by the Undersea wolves. Now she was alone, but still she felt eyes upon her as she slipped into the pool, the water enveloping her instantly in warmth. She sank down to her chin, ears folded back against her skull.

Why did she feel as if she were constantly being watched?

Maybe Flicker had been right. Maybe Molag Bal was out here, waiting for her to let her guard down so he could consume her once more.

This had been a mistake. She was half tempted to turn back. . .but damn it, she was so close!

@Laroche, dated back to the evening of the 17th -- keeping vague

Someone had been watching her. Laroche had hidden himself away behind her, grumpily watching as she soaked in the hot springs. He didn't want company today so he waited, hoping she would eventually crawl out and walk away allowing him some solace to soak. Unfortunately she didn't and he didn't want to leave either so after a while he slowly walked toward the pool, choosing the farthest section away he could manage and slipped in. The warmth enveloped him and he groaned, eyes closing briefly before he sank lower. The knowledge that she was there prevented him from fully relaxing however and he occasionally snuck a glance at her from the corners of his gaze.

Reply whenever!

She grew irrationally annoyed as someone approached, balefully eyeing her from afar. She grew even more annoyed--though this time, perhaps justifiably--as he slid into her pool. Ripples of water traveled toward her in the wake of his immersion, and she scowled at him, her crooked mouth giving her the appearance of a disgruntled circus clown.

There are other pools, you know, Maegi informed him in a voice that fell flat and heavy. You don't have to share with me. Just get out. Her encounter with the woman in the glade had not much endeared her to strangers, and by the looks of this guy, it seemed like the same result was imminent.

Laroche felt his lips quirk up at her response. When she finished he turned to give her his full attention, spotting her facial disformity but moving his gaze away from it. It wasn't pleasant to look at and he felt no need to disgust himself staring. Instead he made a show of situating himself more comfortably into the water, groaning at the warmth "Such hostility from such a small woman. Have you ever been told that sharing is caring?" he spoke in a deliberately calm voice though the smirk remained. Perhaps he wouldn't have to deal with her company for too long if he made his unpleasant enough. "Besides. Maybe I want this pool. I'm not going to let some rude little wench  me chase me off" he threw that on for good measure, letting his gaze linger before he turned away and assumed the air of acting like she wasn't there.

She didn't really think she was being all that hostile toward him--she could get much worse, after all. She narrowed her eyes at his sentiments, particularly the final word, which she had never heard before. With a sigh, she lifted herself from the water, dripping, and stepped out of the pool, heading for one farther away. She wasn't in the mood to deal with this.

Maegi wondered, vaguely, whether he'd follow her--if his wanting that particular pool was just a lie to get close to her. What did he want? His face was completely unfamiliar, and though she couldn't smell him over the sulfur, she surmised his scent was just as foreign, too. What was with these wolves out here, out of the Woods?

Maybe she ought to just stay home for the rest of her life.

Sometimes he swore he became another person. There were times when he was a great man, times when he was distant and then there was times like this where the act of pushing other's buttons really got him off. He didn't want her here at all. He was tired of dealing with wolves everywhere he went. "Am i really so bad? It's quite rude to ignore someone. How do you expect to make friends?" he rose his voice so she could hear him, turning to face her distant pool but making no move to follow her. His goal was for her to leave, not to really hurt her. "Then again with a face like that you'll probably scare off any nice folk anyway" he made the insult all casual like he was just having simple conversation. Let's try again. I'm Laroche. I probably won't get a name from you, so I'll call you Grim..it fits" he tried to hold back the smirk that was trying to grow. A fine balance of annoying idiot and absolutely rude asshole is what he was going to for and he thought he was doing damned good.

I feel so horrified writing this. I'm so sorry Maegi poor girl.

Sure enough, he had something to say. He didn't leave the pool, but still he yammered on. Maegi turned, slightly slack-jawed, staring at him as if he had two heads. What is your problem? she asked coldly, with a scoff. You clearly didn't want to be around me, so I'm leaving you alone. What do you want, anyway?

The insults hurt, ah, yes, they did. Maybe they would always hurt. She swallowed against the pain that burned in her chest, frowning deeply, her eyes like shattered glass in the snow. Laroche doesn't fit you, Maegi responded. It's too elegant--not suited for a man like you. Shit. Leave me alone.

She padded off, this time looking to exit the hot springs entirely. She could always make a stop here on her way back home.

The corners of his lips began to tremble as he stared her down from afar, enjoying the look of shock. Later he would feel bad about this but there would no taking it back, for now he enjoyed the satisfaction of watching her climb out of the pool. Her attempts to insult him we're brushed aside though his eyes flashed angrily "You would really disagree with my true name then. I'm getting what I want to answer your question" he said just loud enough for her to catch it. Going silent he let the smirk form on his maw and sank deeper into the warmth, satisfied to be surrounded by complete and total solitude now.

Enjoy it, Maegi said coldly, throwing the last retort over her shoulder as she went on, not even bothering to look back. He wasn't worth the effort.

What was with people out here, anyway? That was two bad experiences in a row--three, actually, if one counted the strange interaction with Flicker. But that had been poison; this was just. . .incivility. She had no explanation for it.

With a breathy sigh, she shook her head and departed the place, headed to Undersea.

A soft chuckle left his maw as she stalked off and he settled more deeply into the water so it was just his ears and muzzle barely visible, much like a silver eyed crocodile. He watched her until she vanished and then closed his eyes,sighing as he finally allowed himself to enjoy the heat of the water in complete silence. Sometimes his arrogance and skills in getting under people's fur was what he considered to be his best traits, though usually that was just when he was in a rotten mood like now.