Hot Springs Shaken, Not Stirred My Dear

For @Reyes || RE:  The nearby plants sparkle with autumn frost. || Dated for 12/2 (before meeting Sven) and set at the Hot Springs

She wasn't sure why she came up here. Maybe to get closer to the sky, closer to her Heavenly Father. Whatever it was had seemed a little silly but she didn't mind. She figured it may have been a test of her faith. How far and high she was willing to go. Of course Pi often liked to blame the unexplained things on this man in the sky. When she had reached what she assumed to be the top any nearby foliage left seemed to be sparkling. She assumed it to be dew or a frost cover. Following the plants that sparkled, she smelt something. Something she'd never really encountered before.

Following the smell and shiny plants that were almost leading her she came upon a body of water. While they were mostly surrounded by dirt there were some parts of grass that had that same glimmer. Coming up to the edge of one of the springs the heat it provided was rather enticing. Gently walking into it only up to her ankles. Her paws almost thanking her for the therapeutic relaxation from the heat and water.</p>

A soft sigh fell from her lips and she allowed herself to sit in the water. A little break with nice scenery couldn't be that bad, right?

(This post was last modified: Dec 05, 2016, 02:04 AM by Piety.)

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The mountain spoke to him.

Why, well, Reyes wasn’t quite sure. He’d spent some time there briefly with Cottongrass and it had snowed – hellish northern weather patterns, here – before he’d made his way back down the side and into the wood. But, there was nothing in the forest that called to the man, and any time spent in the northern plains had meant little to him, as well. If it were at all possible, the plains might have been even colder.

The trees would have been the logical decision.

But logic wasn’t usually Reyes’ strong suit, and the song of the elevation called to him all the same, and so the wolf went.

The mountain was still in the distance when the man slowed, summoned first by the clear water of Lost Lake – and then by the faint smell of something warmer. Strange. Unknown – and so he followed again, ears pricked forward as his wriggling nose led him soon to the hot spring; a white wolf had beaten him there. His tail raised over his back, his ears pricked forward, and Reyes gave a soft chuff, alerting the female to his presence. “Why you sittin’ in the hot water, huh?” he asked, thick brows furrowed. “Ain’t you gonna get cold when you get out?”

“Why you sittin’ in the hot water, huh? Ain’t you gonna get cold when you get out?”

She wasn't alone it seemed. The smell of the hot springs had flooded her sense so she hadn't noticed the creature. Looking over to who it might be she was in shock. His dark colors, gray eyes, the way he showed dominance. "Skoll..." Her voice a whisper that only she would hear. But it wasn't him. Something was missing. The long limbs, facial scars, and some gray hairs in certain spots. Other than that he could have almost been a spitting image of the man she loved.

Acting like she hadn't just called him the wrong name, Piety giggled. "Might as well stay warm for a moment. Aren't you cold standing there?" Her tail waved in a friendly manner despite his authority-like position. She hadn't smelt any pack lands unless the hot springs were hiding that too, so he had no need to be such a stick in the mud. The one-eared dove was willing to enjoy a moment with some company as long as he didn't get too hasty. Obviously, she could somewhat handle herself (having lived in Willow Ridge, mated with Skoll, and lost an ear to Morganna).

"What's your name? I'm Piety!" Her face held a big grin and her muddy eyes full of joy. Being in the presence of someone she didn't know was a little relieving. They weren't aware of the sins she had committed. "Did the sparkling plants lead you here too?"

(This post was last modified: Dec 05, 2016, 02:20 AM by Piety.)

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Skoll?

What the fuck was that? What did it mean? Didn’t sound like fucking English, that was for damn sure – but it wasn’t Española and it wasn’t français either. Suspecting the strange woman had just offered insult, the loner’s ears rolled further back, eyes pale slits as he slunk forward, driven in equal parts by curiosity and a wounded pride.

“I ain’t cold, mujer,” he snapped, ears twitching at the friendly posture he was presented with. Most weren’t that open – so the white wolf was friggin’ clueless, or she really was that…happy. Reyes wasn’t sure which he disliked more. It did not stop him from slinking to the edge of the water, however, sniffing at the warm liquid before his lip curled upwards. Apesta…

The male skittered back a few steps, eying the lapping waves suspiciously. “’m Reyes,” he muttered, ears twitching forward another few centimeters. The dominance never left his posture – but he was quickly growing certain this woman wasn’t about to attack. “Ain’t led here by nothin’ but the stink, huh? Ese agua es peligrosa, huh?” His tail twitched violently above his haunches, clearly uncomfortable with the situation as a whole. “You gonna freeze, ‘less you plan on staying there all winter long. What the hell, mujer. Ain’t you got a lick of sense?”

Little snarky Pi for @Reyes

Piety had to wonder if he wasn't so cold why was he slinking towards the hot springs? Seems some common sense had been lost on this one. Such a shame, maybe she could teach him! She continued to hold a bubbly atmosphere despite his strange words and snappy attitude.

As he introduced himself, the pious woman offered a bark of sorts. "Pleasure to meet you, Reyes!" Yet those snappy tones came back and some strange words she wasn't all the familiar with. Piety had taken in a deep breath to compose her patience before speaking again. "Well, you seem to speak with a fancy foreign tongue alongside commonly known language. So allow me to answer what I can understand." A small nod and dip of her head were all that were given. "The stink is strange but obviously not too harmful. And I don't plan on staying here all winter. I do have a lick of sense for your information. Along with having places to go and people to see, dear." Her words rung bright and airy. Partial truth and partial lie to them.

The pale woman allowed her eyes to wander over to look at his face. "No scars..definitely not Skoll. He's Reyes as he addressed." A light chuff was given and she opened her mouth once more. "What about you? Do you live among snowy mountains or merely a traveler coming through?" Once she rose to her paws, a light shake was given to remove any excess water. "Seems a little dangerous to live here. Especially in the winter. Do you have a lick of sense?" It was a joking gesture offered with a song-bird like laugh.

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There is a rabbit's nest nearby. +1 Health

Fancy?  He’d never much considered his mother’s tongue fancy – it was simply one of the languages he’d learned to speak as he grew.  So frequently he’d flipped back and forth as a youth; it wasn’t until he set out on his own and traveled northward that he’d been forced to better master his English, lest he give up communicating with other wolves save for this speech in a language practically of his own.

Reyes took a step backwards, ears rolling towards his skull by degrees.  Fuck, but this woman did talk a lot.  This is what you get for investigating, cabron, he scolded himself, mouth twisting into a tired grimace.  If he hadn’t tried to investigate, he wouldn’t be stuck here with a chatterbox.

“Snowy mountains?  Oh, fuck no,” the loner scoffed, snorting at the notion.  Hell, it was near every day he considered turning tail and trucking back south for the hot sun and the hotter sands.  “Didn’t say I lived here, now, did I?  Told you, just coming over to investigate the smell.  Never seen water like it before.”  And shit if he wasn’t a little curious about it.  Reyes edged forward, toeing at the pool’s edge.  “Not about to take a bath – not looking to end up like these plants, huh?”

Just so you know, it says in Reyes' profile that he has scars on his face, chest, and back. ;3 <3

(This post was last modified: Dec 08, 2016, 05:18 PM by Reyes.)

oof my bad, thank you for the note <3 @Reyes

But the closer she looked there were scars that littered his body. Piety came to the conclusion his body was too scarred to be that of her lover, Skoll.

Her eyes widened at his use of such nasty words, though. "Well, even if you're not gonna take a bath," Her eyes held a certain glint to them and her tone laced with something a little sharp. "might want to wash out your mouth."

The pale woman stood tall and raised her own fluffy banner briefly. "The smell couldn't be the only thing that brought you over here. I'm sure there were other things where you came from that could have used a sniff of investigation." It was a bit of an accusation. She would not believe that one simply climbed a mountain to smell a strange water source. Granted she also supposed that wolves had done wilder things in the past. She guessed she might have sounded strange saying that some 'force', possibly her God, drove her to have climbed this mountain.

The Santoro woman's eyes rested on his face waiting for something, anything. He seemed like such a peculiar one and she was determined to figure him out. At least break the surface.

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Despite himself, despite everything, a hoarse, ruckus laughter erupted from the man at the stranger’s waspish suggestion.  “Wash out my mouth?  For what, saying fuck?” he snorted, mirth evident.  “Oh, eres un mojigato, huh?  My mama couldn’t get me to stop talking like that – what makes you think you’ll have any luck?”

Oh, she’d rather given up, would roll her warm brown eyes every time something foul tumbled from her son’s lips.  Once, she’d warned the boy not to grow up like his father – but then, he’d stuck around to help raise his sisters when her cataclysm of a second attempt at mateship went sour, and Maribel stopped making such unfair accusations.  Even if she did not appreciate that he taught her daughters the same course language.  

“Yeah?  You think?  What makes you obligated to know, princesa?  You just bat those pretty eyes and wolves spill their secrets?”  Reyes’ grin could only be described as wolfish, his thick tail swaying behind him as he hovered several lengths away from the hot springs’ edge.  Fuck all, but he did find a nosy one, didn’t he?  And not even inclined to believe in general curiosity.  Maybe she wasn’t as stupid as she looked. “Here – every wolf needs a place for the winter.  That good enough for you, mamacita?  Or you the type that’s never satisfied?”

(This post was last modified: Dec 15, 2016, 07:06 PM by Reyes.)

She stared at him as he spoke with that filthy tongue again. Had she perhaps been more aggressive, and given more of a reason, she would have fixed the problem with tooth and claw. Instead, she merely snorted. "If you don't respect your mother's wishes, you don't respect any woman. Do you?" Her tail flicked out of sheer amusement. As much as she knew it was wrong to find enjoyment in this she couldn't help but smirk. It was kind of funny how her words had riled him up so much.

A roar of laughter erupted from her. He was oh so charming. Not. But she would entertain him even if some of her felt bad about it. What was the harm in a little fun? "Bat of the eyes, swish of the hips. Men have cried and fought for me. But you are no man I am interested in." Her words slid from her lips like a snake. A teasing venom lacing the woman's words. "Packs are plenty in this land. You strike me as a man who wouldn't settle for behaving well in a structure, though. So cheeky and digging under a wolf's skin." Her eyes glanced over his dark and scarred body. If she had made it obvious she had a certain taste in men, he fit the qualifications.

Her body turned slightly to walk around the hot spring's edge. "Oh, and I'm never satisfied. Why settle for the least when you can strive for the most?" Her tail flicked upwards as if inviting him to follow. It was truly up to him to take her invitation, though. He wasn't awful company besides for his unsavory choice in words. Mostly fuck. Instead, he had proved to be interesting and had kept her rather entertained. How polite of him, whether he knew it or not.

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