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Water lapped gently at the lake’s edge, the only sound as far as the single huddled occupant could hear. While dressed rather appropriately for the occasion, the redhead still shivered while looking upon the frigid water.
Pyro hugged her legs closer to her body, the sound of snow being shifted breaking the relative silence in the area. Movement ceased when she felt comfortable once more, and the trainer stared out over the lake at the tall grass that somehow grew in this area. Perhaps that’d be a great place to explore when she felt ready to move.
A voice sounded in the distance, echoing through the nearby trees and completely shattering the picturesque nature of the lakefront. Whoever they were, they were loud.
“C’mon Cy,” the voice whined, “it’s too fuckin’ cold in this hellhole normally. Why are ya takin’ me ta some snowy lake? Tryin’ ta freeze me even more than usual?”
A second voice responded, irritation evident in their tone. “I have already told you, you cannot leave without having seen all three of our lakes. Lake Acuity just happens to be in the coldest area of the region.” There was a pause from this ‘Cy’, and the sound of their steps filled the momentary silence. “Anyway,” they continued, “it is not as if you are not dressed for the occasion.”
Pyro did her best to ignore the voices after this, figuring she’d face them when they actually got close enough to her.
Unfortunately for her, that didn’t take long.
Footsteps halted a few yards behind her, and one of the two of them snorted. “Yo,” the louder man said, “is brooding at lakes just a thing in your region Cy?”
“No, but it is a valid thing to do. I am sure whoever this is does not appreciate us disturbing them.”
A small grin cracked Pyro’s otherwise neutral expression. This Cy person got it.
Hands moving to her jacket pockets, the redhead smiled wider and stood from where she’d been seated for an unknown amount of time. The two newcomers who had devolved to bickering like some old couple paused, attention drawn to her. She cleared her throat and turned on her heel towards them. “It’s a pretty nice lake to chill at. Hope y’all enjoy it as much as I have.”
The taller of the two raised a brow at her. He kind of looked like a marshmallow with all of the layers he was sporting, and Pyro did her best not to snicker. “What, ya leavin’ cause we turned up or somethin’?”
“Nah, been here a bit too long. Easy to lose track of time at a nice lake.”
The shorter man, ‘Cy’ she assumed, nodded in what she could only assume to be understanding. “Of course. They are quite relaxing.”
“Well,” Mr. Marshmallow said, “why not stick around an’ enjoy it with other people?”
Stretching, the redhead shrugged. “Sure. Why not?” She turned back towards the lake and sat once more, easily returning to her previous tranquil state. “I’m Pyro by the way.”
The white-haired fella spoke first, footsteps crunching on the freshly fallen snow as they both moved closer. “Guzma. You a trainer?”
“Yeah,” was the quiet response.
“We should battle later when you nerds are done lookin’ at this lake.”
Pyro chuckled. “Yeah, sure. Should be fun.”
A few beats of silence passed, and Guzma added, “My friend there is Cyrus. Case you’re wondering.”’
“Thanks.”
Gentle waves brushed against the rocky shore, and over the next half hour, Guzma managed to fill the silence on his own by rambling about nothing and everything all at once.
Somehow, it was better than staring at the lake alone.