The walk to the next room was much shorter than what Blake would have liked;<a class="postlink" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D05AB8xs7qA&amp;t=0m19s">as he drew closer to the door</a>he felt his feet dragging, though it did no good with Mallory pulling him irresistibly forward. She probably couldn't do it if he'd been holding back in earnest, but he would never fight her - her words helped, though. One bath for the year was pretty reasonable.<br/><br/>"I'll let you two sort out who will go first," Margo said with a smile whilst she draped some towels and fresh clothes over the back of a chair. And no peeking!" she added with a sly wink as she left, shutting the door behind her.<br/><br/>Blake stared after the woman, confused, before removing all of his clothes. "Wh'she meant, no peekin', Mal?" he asked, as he stood naked in front of her. The garments on the floor around his feet looked very much like a heap of mud that had been given cloth-like qualities, but he felt uncomfortable without their reassuring grime on him.<br/><br/>He moved to the large metal tub, observing the shimmering mist coming off the surface of the water; his eyes found a large bar of white soap perched on a corner of it and he recoiled, seeing his whole life flashing before his eyes. Well, mainly the last day or two, anyway, and for some reason he very vividly remembered a talking fish and finding shit on his face. His life was definitely one worth remembering.<br/><br/>He stared at Mal - his life wouldn't have been what it was if not for her. She was the only thing keeping him going, and he wouldn't stop following her any time soon. But maybe it was time for him to show her he could take some initiative on his own.<br/><br/>With a growl of determination, he screwed up his face and hefted a leg over the tub's edge. His toes touched the hot water, and he immediately pulled back, watching as a cloud of dirt descended into the container's depths. He fully intended to stop there, deciding he'd bathed enough, but as he tried to pull back he began wobbling as he fought to regain his balance.