City Gossip

Rated: G
Summary: Taken from a small scene in episode 2; gossip reigns supreme among women in closely-knit cities.
Genre: General
Pairings: None
Warnings: Gen, only minor unnamed characters
Spoilers: Second episode
Challenge: #1 - Friendship

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Marie hung up, ending the sudden call from her gossipy sister-in-law. The woman had been fretting something awful about a rumor she had heard in market; something about a wolf. As if. Wolves had been extinct for at least two centuries. Still, if the rumor was to be believed, the dog had been at least twice as big as any of the dogs she had ever seen.

The rattle of a chain startled Marie, and she whirled, only to see her pug tugging on where his leash hung from a peg. "You want to go for a walk, sweetie? Well... alright." Trying to still her beating heart (boy, that wolf rumor certainly had her frazzled too), Marie stepped outside of the door almost furtively, looking carefully into every shadow near her before passing it.

Her pug romped around rather happily as she led him at a pace fast enough to make her pant towards Lisa's house. Lisa had small children, and would want to know about something as dangerous as a wolf.

"Did you hear? Someone saw a wolf in town. Can you believe it?" Marie could see the amazement in Lisa's face, but there was no disbelief. In a close-knit city like this one, gossip was taken for fact, friendship was a given, and the only way to express your hatred for someone was by talking behind their back. Sometimes that atmosphere got on Marie's nerves; she'd heard some nasty rumors about how she'd been able to afford the red fur coat with white rabbit fur trimming.

"What is this world coming to? You don't suppose it's just a big dog, do you?"

"From what I've heard, no one's ever seen a dog that big before. Oh, these are troubled times." What was Lisa looking at? It wasn't like Baby, her pug, was freaking out or anything. Perhaps... but no, Lisa would never do that to Marie. Lisa and Marie were best friends... but there she was, staring at Marie's coat. Was that... jealousy in her eyes?

"Well, I never!" Marie snorted in a surprised Lisa's face, and stalked back to her home; at least Marie knew that Baby and her husband, Jake, would never do anything to harm her. Honestly, the nerve of those stupid women today, pretending friendship like that.

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