[ P ] We'll Hold Each Other Soon

The lower tone of Luciel's voice at her ear caused a pleasant shiver to run down her spine. It took her a moment to recover, but when she did she leaned forward, squinting as though she were trying to see through the falls. His paw sliced through the water again and made her jump slightly as stray droplets caught her in the face. She shook lightly, her gaze following from where he tore the seam to where it widened. "There!"

Without thinking she leapt forward through the parting and then stood tall, peering around as she found herself at the precipice of a tunnel just beneath the overhang. Gasping, Merrin spun around and she hesitantly stuck her own paw up against the fall to part the veil for Luciel to enter as well. "Did you know this was here?" She asked, her smile broadening as her haunches swayed to follow her excitedly wagging tail.

She was shivering lightly from the places where the water had dampened her coat, but she was too mesmerized by everything to truly care. Merrin took a couple of tentative steps towards the mouth of the cavern and then halted. She was letting her sense of adventure overtake her again and she did her best to reel it back in, looking over at her mate expectantly to see if he wanted to continue exploring.

@Argent

table ; bunny - - art ; Raven

LA.
fall on your sword...

Mercury eyes widened when Merrin vanished into the curtain of water as if she had entered a mirror into another world. In a moment of confusion and panic he plunged his large head into the cascading waters to reach after her, but found her safe and well looking back at him obviously pleased with her discovery. Argent snorted water free from his nostrils and cocked his head, glancing around the mystery tunnel. ”No. I’ve never seen this before,” he admitted, shuffling his dripping wet shaggy body in besides Merrin.

”Nice find, Partner,” Argent told his mate, both excited at their discovery and wary of what they might find. The cave was too wet to be a home to any sane land mammal, but it didn’t hurt to be careful. ”How far do you think it goes?” he asked, pressing his side against hers so that he might help her stay warm and partly because he too was shivering.

Fractured sunlight reflected through the mouth of the tunnel, revealing that the chamber did indeed go deeper. Where would it lead to? What would they find? He felt like a boy on a treasure hunt with his partner in crime by his side. It felt like he was experiencing Rionnach with fresh eyes for the first time. Everything seemed brighter, more radiant… more hopefu

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A gentle chuckle moved past her lips as a curious head came poking in between the falls. As her mate joined her, she looked him over with an amused glint in her eye to see nearly his entire coat drenched. Her eyebrows rose when he admitted he had no idea about the secret behind the falls. "Another mystery of Rionnach to solve together then!" She commented cheerily, drawing herself closer to him for warmth and grooming a bit of his wet fur that was standing on end, just below his cheek.

Sniffing the air, it was thick with a cold humidity which was a strange sensation to experience. Her ears perked as she trained them forward to see what she could hear there inside the tunnel. There was the soft 'plink...plink' of water droplets just ahead of them and she could hear them in the distance as well, though she couldn't tell how far. "There's only one way to find out, I suppose. What say you, Captain? Are we to venture onward?"


@Argent

table ; bunny - - art ; Raven

LA.
fall on your sword...

Without the ruffled shaggy mane of white puffed out and instead slicked over a bulky build. Argent felt oddly vulnerable as if his bare skin was exposed. His large head was much slimmer with the thick cushioning of cheek fluff drooping down to his chin in wet clumps. He might have been embarrassed to be seen looking like he'd almost drowned in a river, but with Merrin it didn't matter. He could be proud around her no matter how he looked because he knew that she didn't care. The fluff began to rise again under her gentle grooming filling out one side of his face. The gentleness in which she tended to his fur summoned familiar heat to his cheeks and he nuzzled into her neck, sneaking in a few licks of his own to help her dry. "Yeah," he agreed, gruff voice soft with enthusiasm. "This should be fun," he added, wet tail slapping against the tunnel wall happily.

Merrin was as eager as he was to venture deeper. He broke out into a smile when she asked if he was ready to go further. "Let's go, love," he answered, not even thinking about the endearment this time. It came as naturally as the smiles that Merrin caused. He took a few steps forward, keeping his side pressed close to Merrin as he did. Something glittered in the distance as if light was reflecting off of a surface. "Oh!" he gasped, pausing to glance at his mate. "There's something shining," he explained, features intent with curiosity.

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As expected, with Luciel by her side, Merrin felt the warmth deep back into her bones in no time at all. She paused in her grooming to allow him to do the same. Closing her eyes, she let a contented hum slip past her lips before eyelids fluttered open again and she peered up into a handsome gray face with a gentle smile. "Much fun, indeed!"

It was the Captain this time who led the charge and he did so with an endearing word that his fellow woman in arms certainly took note of in the rising heat in her cheeks and a bashful smile. Merrin ensured he was just next to her this time, the tunnel allowing for it, as they cautiously weaved their way deeper into the chasm.

She normally would've had her eyes trained forward, but a stolen glance became a lingering look upon the silvered male's features as he eagerly pursued this adventure with her. His sudden gasp made her jump slightly, whipping her head around to face forward once more. Merrin breathed a sigh of relief as he explained he'd seen something sparkling in the distance. "Oh! Just ahead?" She asked, moving ahead a couple of steps though she waited on him before proceeding after this tiny beacon of glimmering light in the darkness.


@Argent

table ; bunny - - art ; Raven

LA.
fall on your sword...

The brief glint of light lured him close like a moth to a flame, tail twitching curiously at the prospect of what they might discover. Argent paused and sniffed the air every few feet, gaze shifting in suspicion when the tunnel began to open up into a small chamber. The sparkling was coming from inside the opening and he nodded to Merrin when she asked if it was just ahead. "Right there," he pointed with his muzzle, catching sight of another twinkle in the gloom.

A cursory glance around the chamber revealed the source of the flickers of light. Crystals were growing out from the cave's floor and catching slithers of sunlight. "Merrin! Shiny rocks!" he announced, even though she would have seen them too He crouched, frowning at his distorted reflection in a clear crystal. It made him appear very unflatteringly wide. A grumpy huff followed before he examined another one that was a more pinkish hue, ignoring the fact that this one made his nose appear huge. "Huh. This one's a different colour," he remarked, fascinated by the few that he had examined. It did occur to him that they might appeal to Merrin and maybe would make a nice gift if he could break a piece off for her.

For now he was content to watch her and see if she took a liking to any of them. It was also likely that she didn't like pretty stones and preferred a different type of gift. It was exciting to discover these little things about her. He knew that she liked blueberries and strawberries. Her favourite type of flower was another unknown, but he did remember the first time he'd seen her she'd been napping in them.

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Merrin lingered just next to Luciel, taking footsteps as he did, trusting his judgement. He'd spotted the flickering glint in the darkness again and pointed it out. All of her senses perked up as she peered ahead into the cavern ahead of them and as they moved further inwards, there seemed the room began to slowly light up with twinkles of light. It could almost have been comparable to the stars of the night sky, yet further investigation revealed this was far beyond what they could have ever imagined.

"Oh, my heavens..." She murmured with a gasp, realizing they were completely surrounded by these colorful shards protruding from the ground, the walls, the ceiling. Everywhere, there were beautiful crystals that tempted them closer. Merrin sidled up next to her mate, their flanks brushing as they both gazed into a single crystal. She burst out with sudden laughter to see the way the glossy surface distorted their faces so that one of them appeared impossibly thin, while the other stretched across the expanse of the reflection.

As he found another one that seemed to be a blush like color, she looked onward with awe, now turning herself about to see what other colors were present. "Look at this one!" Merrin lowered her head and batted her eyelashes just next to a crystal that held a similar shade to her lilac irises. "It matches my eyes!" She beamed and then trotted over to another cluster that held various shades of royal blue, to teal, to green. They reminded her of the ocean she'd once seen before and its vast waves that reached farther than one could dream.

Merrin took a couple steps back then and simply admired all of the different colors about the room, feeling a bit overwhelmed. "This is...absolutely amazing..." She breathed with a broad smile pressing her lips upward as she turned her gaze over to where her Captain stood. Slowly she padded over to close the distance between the two of them, nestling her head beneath his chin as she continued to gawk over what a wonder this crystal cavern was, wishing to cherish this moment with the one most dear to her heart.


@Argent

table ; bunny - - art ; Raven

LA.
fall on your sword...

The chamber of rainbow crystals made Merrin light up with joy and Argent watched her investigate each new shade with a small smile. Her delight was infectious and he soon found his tail wagging whenever his gaze met hers. Argent was amazed that such a place even existed and that they might have been the first wolves to discover it. He wondered if it was how explorers felt when they found old ruins to go spelunking in. As a boy he had been fascinated by exploration and discovery. Somewhere along the way his thirst for adventure had been cast aside. It had never dried up or dwindled, but he’d had to prioritise growing up over experiencing his childhood. Then he’d joined the army and all that mattered had been his service. With Merrin he was rediscovering himself, becoming more than a bitter veteran with broken dreams.

”Look at this one! It matches my eyes!” her voice rang out and he glanced over at the gleaming light purple crystal that had caught her eye. Looking from her eyes to the crystal he let out a fond huff and nodded. ”Yours are prettier,” he remarked, wishing he could come up with a more eloquent compliment like she deserved. Instead he waited until she was distracted by another row of pretty rocks and grasped the purple one with his jaws. It took more than a little effort, but he managed to snap off a segment of it. ”This is absolutely amazing,” she said and drifted back over to his side. He flashed her a grin and lifted his head to show her the prize he had gotten for her with triumph in his steely gaze. Gently he placed it between her paws. It was the first gift he’d given her and he hoped it was something that would please her. ”Something to take home,” he murmured, feeling a little bashful about the gift and it showed in the way his ears slightly folded back.

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With the compliment, Merrin turned away with a blush forming on her cheeks and a huge smile along her maw. She even giggled to herself slightly as she looked about, completely giddy with the simplest of words from her partner. It was a wonder she'd been so fortunate in these last few months to have even wound up in her current relationship. As she counted her stars, or in this case the constellation of crystals about the cavern, she stole a glance or two at the precious soul she gratefully called her own.

Eventually, the awestruck woman found herself gravitating back towards the warm presence of her lovely counterpart, only to find that he held something in his mouth. She blinked with surprise, tilting her head as a chuckle moved past her lips to see the way Luciel grinned as he showed off the crystal he'd plucked from the bunch. His eyes sparkled, putting the rest of the colorful rocks at their disposal to shame.


Merrin's gaze was drawn downward as he placed the light purple crystal at her feet and she breathed a wonder-filled sigh as she examined what he gave to her. Scooping a paw slightly beneath it, maneuvering it so that it glistened against what light the chasm had to offer. When she drew her eyes upward to peer into his, noting his sheepish expression and the way his velvet ears folded. "Luciel..." She murmured, her voice suddenly filled with emotion as she began to realize that he wasn't simply showing off what he'd collected. The crystal she held was the exact one she'd pointed out to him, the one that matched her eyes...the man had been intentional and thoughtful and had meant it as a gift to her.

Her chest swelled and she gently placed the lavender shard to the side before stepping closer to her Captain. Her lilac orbs shimmered with the utmost fondness for the man who, every moment of nearly every day, found a way to settle deeper within her heart of hearts. Wordlessly, Merrin's lips drew into a loving smile and she pressed closer still until they were chest to chest, lifting her head slightly so she could touch her nose to his and then pepper slow, tender kisses along one side of his muzzle until she reached his cheek. She leaned in so that she could whisper softly at his ear, "I could have all of the jewels in the world...but, you, my love, are by far the brightest gem of them all..."


@Argent

table ; bunny - - art ; Raven

LA.
fall on your sword...

His name was softly whispered from her lips, realisation of the gift finally reaching her. No matter how many times he heard her say it, it never failed to make his chest fill with warmth and his tail to wag in contentment. Just seeing the way her eyes lit up and the soft sound she made when the light hit the crystal assured him that the gift was enough. Argent was surprised when she set the shard aside and approached him instead. She leaned in close, close enough for him to smell the murky dampness of the creek on her fur and the faint scent of lilac, vanilla and cardamom.

Argent's heart began to race when her nose touched his, nervous anticipation of her touch making his mouth feel dry. The gentle kisses when they came made him lift his head and sigh in contentment. Squinted eyes fluttered open again when her breath whispered against his cheek, sending another flash of warmth rushing through him. He raised a foreleg, attempting to draw her into an embrace so that he might hold her close to his chest and nuzzle his face into her cheek. Her words made his throat tighten with emotion, tongue failing to form any words that would describe the intensity of his feelings for his mate.

He let the silence drag on for a minute or so until the right words came to him. They were simple, but full of profound meaning. "I love you," he confessed, touching his nose to hers. Argent would have preferred a better moment to share his feelings for her. A time when he wasn't a dripping wet mess, but his heart could not deny the depth of his emotions.

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