Hunter - Journal entry 3
Taking It In
At this point in the game, Rhonann wondered how she was still walking around with her sanity intact. Maybe it was not actually there at all? Maybe it had broken long ago, and she was now walking around as crazy as could be? There was every chance of that. It would explain why she was where she was, and why she was with who she was with.

Settling into a tub for a rare but delightful warm bath, Rhonann glanced at the door separating the bathroom from the main area of the inn room she was renting. ..The room that she and Kian were renting. Kian was evidently back, and she had allowed it. How many chances was she going to give this guy? How many times was she going to let him start to help her without finishing anything before she put her foot down?

Sighing, she sank down into the tub until the water was just below her nose.

She knew exactly why she had not turned the hybrid man into a pincushion yet. She hated knowing, but a fact was a fact.

She had no one else to help her.

Who else did she have? There was Mnyiri, but with all the current ruckus going on with the Dretch, Rho was fairly certain Mnyiri was busy working with those in Jauhar and on Chibale. Besides, it had been too long since they had seen each other. Would Mnyiri be upset with her over the length of time that had passed? And besides that.. Rho wanted closure on her own mess before reuniting with her friend. She had parted from the tall woman in order to figure out her past and the memories hidden in it, and if she were to return with the story incomplete? It simply would not fly.

Then there was… Um…

Nope. That was it. There was no way she would be able to afford hiring help, and seeking help from strangers would just be degrading anyway. This was a personal vendetta that she needed to complete herself. Kian had offered his help; she was not going to go ask anyone else for their assistance. Rhonann’s eyes heated at the thought, making her drop fully under the water’s surface. She felt as alone as the day she had woken up in that little hut in the Oba desert.

Yet, she wasn’t that alone. For better or for worse, Kian was sitting in that main room, waiting for his turn at the bath. He had stuck around so far, but Rho could not deny the pinch of guardedness that told her to be ready for when Kian left again. She had to be ready with each rise of the day to see that she was alone again. There would be no pain next time. No feeling of rejection. No wondering where he had gone. She was going to be firm about this! His last chance to show her he actually gave a s**t like he claimed to.

It made no notable difference in her mind that Kian seemed to be acting a little different than he had during their previous travels. A bit more grounded, if that was possible. Had he grown up a little? He had actually tried to discourage her from going after her target… Nah. Probably just him being a brat to confuse her. He was always teasing, after all.

Popping back up above the water, she started brushing out her long hair. With the fair locks usually tied up in the bun these days, she often forgot how long it actually was. Indulging in the self-grooming process felt utterly luxurious.

So what if Kian left soon? She would take what she could get. On her own, she couldn’t have gotten access to such a nice room. There was a full bath in it! Privacy, a clean floor, an actual bed that was not filled with bugs; the whole package! If nothing else, she could take advantage of the material comforts Kian was able to provide with his presence. It was about all he was good for. She would miss the finery when he left, but that would be the only thing she would miss about him. Definitely. Absolutely. Yup.. That.. that would be it.

Brushing at her eyes, Rhonann jumped when a thick splash sounded in front of her. She pulled back an arm, ready to strike at what could only have been Kian being a pervert! Blinking at the empty air, she gawked at the sight of Mush the spitorog sinking to the bottom of the tub, the large eyes squinting against what was surely the sting of soapy water. “There ain’t room fer both o’us in here!” she huffed, grabbing up the blob of a creature to dump him onto the floor outside of the tub. “Don’t ya be ruinin’ my bath.” Mush just squinted up at her, blinking to get the soap out of his eyes while a fresh supply of bubbles grew from his mouth.

“Gross,” she huffed, sighing as she reached out for a dry towel. “Yer’re ‘bout as pointless as Kian, ya know tha’?” Receiving the same squinty stare, she sighed and climbed out. “Yeah, I know, I know, ye’re cuter, too. …Yeah, I know. I got ya, too. Always been there since ya found me. Thanks fer the smile. Lemme get ya some fresh water ta rinse tha’ soap outa yer eyes. Dummy.”

Maybe Kian would stick around, and maybe he would not. Rhonann knew she had to continue on toward her goal no matter what Kian decided to do with himself. Kylldra wasn’t going to kill himself! That was her job. She blamed Kylldra one hundred percent for her lonely state of being, and the only way to get rid of it would be to get rid of him. She would not let him ruin any more of her life than he already had.

(( word count: 991 = 3 pnts ))