[ P ] a sweeter place

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as it too much? Argent was worried he might have gone overboard with the food. Resting atop the sheep's woolly pelt was a feast. Various meats ranging from a few rabbits, chickens and even a haunch of venison. If the meat wasn't enough he had collected some blackberries, strawberries and blueberries. He'd had to barter for the fruit, but the meat was traded in exchange for some guard work from generous merchants. His heart beat a nervous rhythm against his ribs as he set up, straightening the food layout so it was perfect. When the time came for him to meet up with her he was still wondering if the food was arranged perfectly.

He'd arranged to meet Merrin at the foot of the path leading to the lake, making sure that it was still out of sight. The directions he'd given her did not include the target of the location only the way there. "Close your eyes. I'll tell you when we're there," he instructed her, and stayed close enough to guide her if she needed him to.

He let out a shaky breath once they reached the lake. "Okay. You can open them now," he told her, shifting his weight between his paws as he awaited her reaction. He hoped it wasn't too much. It was meant to be both a surprise and a celebration for her successful enlistment. If she didn't like it then he didn't have a backup plan.

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She'd nearly forgotten that she'd left Luciel in charge of coming up with a way to celebrate their most recent victories, until he'd asked her to meet him at a very specific area in the Lowlands. Curiosity had plucked away at her brain for days until she finally arrived, peering around at the atmosphere, what appeared to be a pathway that was frequently traversed. "Luciel!" She could hardly contain herself when she finally caught sight of her dear friend, the anticipation and excitement were overwhelming. She greeted him cheerfully and then cast her gaze to their surroundings. "Where are we exactly?"

When he told her to close her eyes, she hardly hesitated. "Alright, they're closed. I won't peek, I promise." Merrin had placed full trust in this man that she so admired. She let him guide her forward, her tail wagging at full speed, nearly causing her haunches to wriggle along with it. Nearly tripping over her own feet, she did her best to calm herself even though the further they walked, the more enthused she felt.

They came to a stop and her brows lifted, lifting her nose in the air with ears perked to see if she could figure out where they were before its unveiling. Far too eager to truly sense their location, she awaited Luciel's instruction. After what felt like an eternity, he told her she could take a look. Her lashes fluttered as lavender orbs appeared beneath them. Her eyes only grew larger, mouth falling agape as she took in this picturesque scenery of a lake where a magnificent spread of meats and fruits lay out upon a sheep's pelt.

Merrin was speechless, the only sound from her coming in the form of a gasp before her mouth moved as though to say something, yet she could not find words. Staring a head, she took a couple steps forward towards the pallet and paused, surprised that the dream did not dissolve away as it typically did. This is real... She finally turned to look back at the mastermind behind all of this, smiling from ear to ear, her eyes shimmering with emotion. "You did all of this? Luciel, it's...it's all so lovely, I..." She chuckled and shook her head. "I clearly cannot even express myself. You have truly outdone yourself, my good sir!"

@Argent

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here Merrin was excited, Argent was nervous. The contrast between them was so different that it almost amused him, almost if not for the heart pounding nervousness that thudded in his chest. Come on. You’ve fought in a war. This is nothing, he chided himself, watching Merrin thoughtfully. He couldn’t help, but smile bashfully when she greeted him so enthusiastically. She was so… so what? So cute. The realisation came and he flushed, caught off guard by the stray thought that obviously meant something. It was a thought that he was certain had everything to do with how much effort he had put into the surprise.

”You’ll see, he stifled a laugh when she asked where they were. He was eager to show her the lake. He knew she would find it as amazing as he did even if she didn’t like the food. The day could still be a good one. The grand reveal came and Merrin gasped… a pleased gasp? A shocked gasp? He couldn’t say. The smile that radiated from her hit him like a beam of sunshine and he knew at once that she approved. The toothy smile formed and he shifted slightly on his paws, both relieved and happy that she was so excited about the surprise. "I’m glad you like it. I thought it might be a bit… too much. I didn’t know what you liked so…. You don’t have to eat everything…" he rambled a little, wanting her to feel comfortable. "We can always give away what we don’t eat," he suggested, knowing there was always a hungry family needing to eat.

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She took a couple steps closer to him, shaking her head to dismiss his worries and reassure him. "Oh no, it's wonderful! Perfectly splendid!" Merrin took another look at everything laid out before them and her brows lifted as she looked to him curiously. "That pelt isn't from your hunt, is it? It adds a nice cozy touch to it all. Oh, how I wish I could...somehow take this view and freeze it in time."

She took another moment to appreciate every aspect of this scenic space, letting out a happy sigh. "We'll just have to hope my memory serves me well. Now, come!" Merrin moved to his side and nudged his shoulder with a gentle headbutt, desiring him to accompany her to the picnic area so they could settle.

Her gaze softened when he mentioned donating any left over food to those in need. It was more often than not that she found her eyes were far larger than her stomach was. "That is an excellent idea. You are very kind and thoughtful, Captain Argent." Merrin remarked playfully, dipping her head before moving to finding a comfortable spot to lounge upon the soft cloud of sheep's wool.

She turned a few times at one edge of it and then settled down in a relaxed and reclined position, round eyes traveling to the food. "So, what do we have on the menu today?" It all looked so enticing she was not quite sure where to start!

@Argent

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A

rgent was happy to see her take it all in. The pure joy in her lilac eyes as she gazed upon the food he'd prepared for them. It was the first time he'd done anything fancy like this. He wanted to impress her, show her how much he valued her. The message had obviously been received because she was obviously thrilled. He felt a glow of pride warming in his chest that he had made her happy. Maybe in time he could do more nice things for her and see more of those wonderful smiles. A smile of his own touched his lips, but it quickly vanished when he realised he was staring at Merrin for a little longer than was acceptable.

Merrin noticed the sheep's pelt and he nodded, gaze shining with pride. "Yeah. Thought it might be more comfortable than the ground," he replied. "We can do it again. Make sure the memory sticks," he suggested, letting out an amused huff. He knew she wouldn't forget, but it was a perfectly reasonable excuse to have lunch at the lake again. Merrin was apparently eager to begin their meal, nudging him towards the spread. He sat himself down on the plush pelt, enjoying the spongy softness beneath his paw pads.

Once again her praise didn't fail to make him blush and shrug awkwardly. Compliments were also a weakness of his. "Thanks," he mumbled, trying to be receptive to her approving words and not rudely dismissive. It was easier for him when the subject shifted to the food. She wanted to know what was for lunch. "Hmm. There's a leg of deer. I think those are chickens over there, hard to tell with the feathers missing. And we've got rabbits too. There's some berries.. blue ones, black ones and… they call these strawberries, but they don't look much like berries to me," he pointed each out with a paw and squinted suspiciously at the red 'berries'. The merchants promised they were good. He hoped they were right. "They say they eat them at the castle. So we're eating like fancy folk today, he laughed, but it was obvious he was pleased that despite not being a noble he could still treat Merrin to something fancy.

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Merrin glanced over to meet his eyes as he made a suggestion of another future outing in order for the memory to stick. Her nose wrinkled and she shook her head, leaning against the taller male. "Now don't be silly, Luciel. You know I will never forget this moment." She gave him a meaningful look, then smiled cheerily before settling down. "Although, I would be beyond thrilled to join you again for another picnic." She felt her cheeks warming at the thought. When she looked to him again, noting how proud he was to be showign off his sheep's hide, she saw him look away bashfully and her lips turned upward in her own secret smile.

She crossed one forepaw over the other politely as she observed and listened intently as each item was described to her. Merrin nodded in understanding as he went over each of them, lavender eyes drawing upward to focus on his mouth and the way words formed upon his lips as he spoke. She hadn't realized she'd zoned out until he exclaimed something about the strawberries not looking the part of a berry. She blinked and looked down at the larger red fruits curiously. Glancing back up at Luciel with the sparkle of mischief in her eyes she lowered her voice, "I suppose there is only one way to find out, hm?"

Melodic laughter rose up into the air to harmonize with his and she made a show up straightening her posture and holding her chin in the air. "If I didn't know any better, I would have certainly thought myself to be royalty with this presentation. You spoil me so!" Before she dug in, she moved a paw to delicately rest it over one of Luciel's larger ones. "In all seriousness, you have all my gratitude for making my afternoon special. Thank you for all of this, Luciel."

@Argent

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nce he would have shied away and flustered at her touch, but Argent found himself leaning into them. He liked the feel of her warmth against his. It was safe and comforting. The simple pleasure that her scent brought and the soft silkiness of her fur. "No. Never," he agreed, silver gaze focused on Merrin. He would remember it all. It didn't stop her from agreeing to another picnic and he flashed her a warm smile. "There is another place I would like to show you too," he revealed, thinking of maiden's braid. It was a precarious place to visit in the summer, but he was happy to wait until autumn's arrival when there was no risk of flooding.

Thankfully the strawberries didn't seem to concern Merrin with their lack of berriness. She took it as a playful challenge when he spoke of the castle denizens eating them. "You deserve to be spoiled," he stated bluntly, realising after the fact that he had spoken his thoughts aloud. The blush crept into his cheeks and he looked away for a brief moment, gazing down at her smaller paw laging atop his large one. "And for someone to treat you special," he murmured softly, a wistful smile touching his lips. The thought that there could already be such a someone in Merrin's life only just occurred to him. "Is...Is there? I mean.. Do you have someone… special?" he stammered, preparing himself for disappointment. Even if there wasn't she might not think of him in that way.

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"I can hardly wait!" She squirmed where she was laying, excitement rolling through her form when she thought of another destination picnic. Ah, but there was the here and now. Merrin had to remind herself to stay present, to fully enjoy this moment before daydreaming of the next.

The sweetest of sentiments rained lightly upon her ears. "Oh my, I'm not so sure I..." She trailed off when he continued, proclaiming she was deserving of such lavish things and being treated special. She turned her face away to hide the effects of Luciel's flattery, a few giggles slipping from her mouth. Merrin turned back to him almost instantly when he questioned if she had someone special in her life.

"Uhhhm, hm...well, I..." She became rather pensive, thinking of those in her life who had warmed her heart. The Zyphear family were prominent in her mind. They were all so very special to her. Mirah, Lilith, Eric, Rafiel... She glanced over at Luciel, her brows furrowing for a time and then slowly lifting in realization. He wasn't inquiring about her dearest friends.

This new avenue of thought cracked open a door to spaces in her memory she had not explored in a long while. Her mother's voice rose up inside her head then.

"Merrin, I'd like for you to meet...

...s o m e o n e s p e c i a l..."

She stood there next to the commandeering form of her mother and she could feel she was much younger, smaller. She was remembering that this was when she had met the man that her parents had promised her to. Her gaze drifted towards her mother's gesture and she saw what she supposed should have been someone familiar, but it was a dark looming figure, with a blank face.

Externally, Merrin sought the silver starlight of Luciel's eyes to pull her back, her mouth attempting to form words now closed as she regained her composure. "I-I was...married once. She forced the sentence past the lump in her throat and when she looked down she noticed that her paw was trembling on top of his.

@Argent

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A

rgent was excited to show her more of the lowlands. He knew that her army patrols had her focused mostly on the mainlands so it would be a nice break for her to explore the rest of Rionnach. As a local he was best suited to be her personal tour guide. There wasn’t a place in the lowlands he hadn’t explored of a boy and returning to them with Merrin excited him. Her giggles were like music to his ears and he enjoyed the fact that mere words could make her so happy. They could also make her miserable. His heart dropped when she hesitated to answer, obviously uncomfortable by the line of questioning. Bloody idiot. he cursed himself for upsetting her.

"I-I was...married once,” she admitted, but the words seemed to pain her. He regretted asking the question immediately. He’d been shoving his nose where it didn’t belong and now he’d hurt his dear friend. ”Merrin…” he murmured softly, shifting his paw out from beneath hers and held it over hers, gaze meeting hers to seek permission before he tried to offer her comfort by laying his paw over hers. ”I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have…“ Argent apologised, guilt crushing him. The last thing he’d wanted to do was hurt her, but he had with his clumsy boyish eagerness. He let out a soft sigh, a familiar frown creasing his brow. The fear that he might have ruined their picnic felt like a heavy weight in his stomach. ”Are you alright?” he asked finally, concern obvious in his gruff voice as he spoke,

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Her gaze flickered over to the feast that had yet to be touched, every item arranged with such perfection and precision. A lot of thought had gone into even the way the imposter berries were presented with the rest of the berries and the way the fruits and meats framed each other. Her rapid breathing had begun to calm and when she felt the shifting weight of his paw settling over hers, she looked up at him when he spoke her name softly.

There was fear in his face and uncertainty in his face and for a moment she wondered if it simply reflected her own. Then he apologized. For what? Why should he apologize for a past so deeply ingrained in her being that it was unpredictably brought forth on a whim.

Merrin couldn't bring herself to do much more than stare at him and when he asked if she was alright, she blinked as emotion shimmered in her lavender pools. Her voice finally came although it was a meek version of what it normally was. "Is...is this what it's like? What it's supposed to be?" She struggled to form it all into words, but she tried nevertheless. "Is thid...how it feels? To choose? How it...feels to...to be able to...follow the way your heart beats?" She searched his eyes then, not sure what she was looking for, but hopeful for what she might find.

@Argent

table by Yahtzee-Penguiduck [da], click for attributions