Rub-a-dub-dub

The distance was a short one, nothing too arduous for the pair, but the demonic queen's mind was working at a breakneck speed that seemed to slow everything around her. Thoughts of home, the wolves she had lost, and what the future of Mirovis looked like turned over and over. It made her want to stop thinking, and at the same time, urged her to straighten her head. Lurid realized then that she had afforded herself too many luxuries, she had placed too much on her already stressed pack's collective shoulders, and now she paid the price. The loss of a few members was easy enough to cope with, no real mourning for the deserters, but she didn't want to lose anymore. In truth, it was her first failure as a leader, even if she wasn't an experienced leader the fact was hard to cope with even for her. Even now she could hear her father's voice berating and belittling her from the grave, outwardly bristling at the thoughts.

Alastor moved passed her, snapping her out of her thoughts and memories, bringing her blinking into the present as he asked her to join him without really asking. "I may have to pass this time, you know what happens to my fur when it gets wet l." The translucent nature of her bright coat became nearly transparent when she bathed, like the wolf equivalent of being naked. Lurid was a confident and powerful woman, her body was well toned under her fur, but she wasn't ready yet to be that vulnerable. He leapt in with a splash, a few large drops landing on her and showing up almost immediately as small dark, liver colored spots in her otherwise pristine white fur. "See?" Her words were said dryly, but in a humorous way. Reclining on the bank of the creek, the demoness wore an expression that was easily readable as troubled. Holographic eyes watched with a sick interest as the blood flowed from Alastor's coat and into the water.

His next question was a simple one, and brought the ivory devil from her thoughts successfully. "He is supposed to be working passed an understandable new fear. Most likely, he is playing though. Ilyn and Samael help keep an eye on him, they are with him now." Lurid was open with her childhood friend. He may have slowly descended into madness, but she had always known him to be a trustworthy friend and confidant. No matter how angry or sad she had been, he was always there with a smile and a solution, or at least ideas to help her come to one. She gave a smile then, "Actually, he is due home soon, at sunset. So, when we finish here we should have time enough to get back before he gets there." She was very proud of her baby, Kichi had always been a good child, even as a newborn. Perhaps she left him to his own devices too much, but with the acceleration of her plans, that would soon change.