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There was a trail of wetness that led from the doorway of the undead dormitories, all the way inside. It streaked up the stairs, and down the hall, and stopped in front of Malodore's doorway. The door was already closed, but inside the trail continued. It had significantly lessened once Riley had found a towel and dried herself off, but her dress was still fairly soaked, and she had just begun to pick up the ends of the skirt and rub it with the towel when Luce woke up from her nap. The little lump of cuteness had been sleeping on her side, dreaming funny little puppy dreams, but when she yawned and opened her eyes, her tail immediately began to wag. She leapt off of her little pillow bed, and began begging at Riley's wet dress for attention.
Just another innocent soul that loved her too much.
She dropped the towel onto the floor, and leaned in to pick up the squirming pup in her arms. Instantly, the warmth that had left her the moment Malodore had thought those scathing words at her, returned. It couldn't change how she felt about things, but she still craved it desperately. She wanted to be the warm, gentle, loving creature that Luce deserved to have holding her-
No. She didn't want that. She couldn't want that. Just the thought was blasphemous. She set the canine back down on the floor, despite the whimpering that came from Luce's throat. Once her paws had touched the floor, she immediately began begging up on her again. It was almost as if she could tell something was wrong. Animals were so remarkably perceptive about mood changes, sometimes.
Riley dropped down to sit on the bed behind her, and Luce came tumbling up to jump on the bed and try to crawl into her lap. Stop that now, Luce. You don't even know what you're asking for. She gently picked the puppy up and put her back down on the ground, but Luce was determined. She was up on the bed instantly, and her little head squirmed under Riley's arm to try and get to her lap once more.
There was a shudder that shook Riley, and Luce's movements stilled when she felt it. Riley's chest heaved and shook, and she closed her eyes so she didn't have to see all of the reminders around her of Malodore. She stopped trying to fight Luce, who cocked her head as she watched Riley cry. The pup crawled into her lap, and placed her paws up against Riley's chest so she could reach up and lick the tears that hung from the mindflayers chin and refused to fall. One of them did, however, and Luce closed one eye as it fell on her. Her tongue lapped against her own nose - the tears were salty, and made her nose itch.
Suddenly, the pup yipped and tipped over as Luce lost her foothold - Riley had gone crashing into the pillow to her left side, and rose the rest of her body up to lie down on the bed. Her hand reached out and clutched greedily at the pillow, pulling it against her while her tentacles snuck up and inhaled the scent. It was Malodore's pillow. Her pain was slowly replaced with a hazy, lingering content. She buried her face into it, and Luce wobbled alongside and did the same. When she noticed, she turned her head and was rewarded with a lick directly on her face.
She let out a choked laugh, and wrapped her arms around the puppy. Riley's claws scritched behind her ears and under her belly, and Luce was inundated with sweet bliss as Riley showered her with affection. This went on for several minutes, until Riley's movements slowed, and turned sluggish. Once the hand that was rubbing Luce's belly stopped moving, the puppy stuck her tongue back in her mouth and flipped over to inspect what had gone wrong. She found Riley sound asleep, her breathing slow and even. Considering this a Job Well Done, Luce walked in circles several times, before settling down beside the mindflayers warm body and snuggling in for a nap.
.. but Riley had already decided that this perfect life was not hers.
Ten minutes later, her eyes snapped open as she startled herself awake. She sat up, and then instantly regretted the quick movement as Luce rolled into the middle of the bed, deprived of her body pillow for support. The roll woke the puppy, who shook her head and looked up in confusion.
No.
Riley whispered quietly, and was rewarded with a tilted head by Luce. Her left ear flopped over to one side as she did so.
I can't let it find me here, Luce. I'm not ready. I don't even - no, I just can't. Not yet.
She stumbled from the bed, and Luce took a few steps to follow, but found herself so content from the massive cuddling and petting, that she just flopped back down on the bed and watched the mindflayer with curious and sleepy eyes.
Riley picked up the towel and rubbed it against the floor for a moment, before deciding that she didn't really mind if Malodore knew she'd come. It would make no difference, in the long run.
She gave Luce one last pet, rewarded with a gentle bark when she pulled away, and slipped out, locking the door behind her. As she stared at the signing board on the outside of Malodore's board, her heart seized in pain. She took the dry erase pen and slowly wrote Ti Amo, just beside where she'd written her name before. She recapped the pen, put it away, and stared at the words, before reaching up and rubbing them off with her thumb.
Then she left.
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