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Isn't it obvious? [He raises an eyebrow at her.] I'm trying not to be disrespectful.

[Maya is only his best friend's girlfriend, after all. The same girlfriend Merlin INSISTED Hanna should be marrying by now. Nothing like getting in the bath with her, certainly not scandalous at all. If it weren't for the fact they've already bathed together, ALL together, during that weird monster mix up, well....he'd be much more worried. But Hanna didn't seem to mind when he was a little dog thing, and Merlin considers himself just as animal-like.

It's...fine. They're fine. Although a part of him sort of wishes Hanna was here with them, it was fun when they were altogether! ...And that's exactly why he can't be here, huh? It'd be too distracting, Merlin would never get clean with a full crew.]

You don't think...Hanna will mind, do you? It's only grooming, a-and even if you were to assist outside of the bath, the water would just activate your tail anyway, so it wouldn't even make any sense to stay out!

[Okay, so maybe he DOES need to voice his concerns to get over this completely. HE IS A GOOD MAN! WITH PURE INTENTIONS!!]

[It really would be too fun— more of a pool party than a bath. But to his credit, at the very least, the water would never cool!

...Still, now it's starting to make more sense. Maya turns around a little more to face Merlin better and looks at him fondly, doing her best not to even so much as giggle. His worry is very real! Silly, she thinks, but very real.]

That's what you're worried about? We gave Adrian a bath when he first changed, too.

[She does make a face, though—]

Hm... Maybe he'll be jealous he didn't get to brush your fur, though...

[They gave Adrian a bath? Merlin's eyes widen just trying to picture something so ridiculous. Adrian was a giant freakin' cat, he must've hated it! Oh....and he had so much more fur.....

Merlin's heart sinks a little, a part of him wondering how badly Adrian would've teased him after learning he became furry himself. ........Wait, why would he want that-]

I mean, it is really nice fur...

[It doesn't even make him look like a drowned rat when he's all wet! Whereas he's certain Adrian looked absolutely ridiculous, or so he tells himself. Merlin needs this win, it's the only thing keeping him from worrying again.]

I wonder what he's up to... Well, we'll catch up with him later.

[She motions with her hand, a comb pressed under her thumb and spinning her finger in a circle, for Merlin to come closer and turn around.]

I wanted to ask you about something, anyway.

[Merlin twirls, keeping his wings close and his tail.....well, he tries to make sure his tail behaves as much as it can. Honestly, it pretty much commands a lot of the bath's floor. When his back is finally turned towards her, he spreads his wings just enough to expose his furry back bits and head. Oh the joy of having another set of limbs, he can't imagine what he'd do if they were ARMS. That just...sounds like a nightmare, how can anyone handle that?!]

I'm listening...

[See, with the way his ears turn in her direction, she even gets proof! Gargoyle Merlin keeps winning-]

[Oh, how great! He really is listening! Maya— well, she reaches up as best she can, before realizing she's probably going to have to work from his shoulders down and then get his head, considering her own moving limitations. Nevertheless, she gets to work with careful combing.]

Do they do Valentine's day in Fairy Tale land?

[Ah, the combing will never not feel amazing, even in a bath. Merlin closes his eyes so he can allow himself to get lost in the feeling, only for her to ASK THAT. He lets out what can only be described as a horrible noise, not quite as loud as a yowl nor is it as horrified as a yelp, but it's definitely...in that range.

After an awkward silence, he clears his throat. Ahem.]

Fairy Tale Island, actually...

[Yes, he absolutely needed to correct that, if only because it gives him time to stall. Good lord, it really is almost February, isn't it? Valentine's day...he could've had his first Valentine's day with Snow...]

Um, yes, actually. We...we do.

[Maya pauses, as if she knows what he's thinking. She didn't even want to celebrate it last year— everything that happened with the Pink Drink made it just... more tolerable. More tolerable to be in a world without Dandy.

But now the world has changed even more, and Dandy still isn't in it. There's other people she has to give her love to, while she's got the chance.

She resumes combing, asking;]

Well, you're a big romantic, right? So you're good at that kind of stuff?

I like to think I am, sure.

[It's not as confident and obnoxious as he probably could've answered, but his spinning thoughts only serve to drain his typical flair. Still, just because HIS lost romance is depressing, doesn't mean he can give up on romance as a whole. Maya's his friend, so...surely he can keep it together while he hears her out.]

Well I'm— not.

[For once, Maya sounds meek. Merlin might feel the hesitation in the passing of her comb through his fur, but it only lasts a moment.]

Don't... go telling everyone, but I'm not really good at it at all.

When Dandy was here— well... even when Dandy was here, I was bad at it, but... It was easier, cos he knew what to do.

[Just like when Mia was around. She never really could rely on herself, could she? And now here she is again, depending on someone else— but this is too important not to consult an expert.]

Edited (didn't like the phrasing) 2024-01-25 02:58 (UTC)

[She's...admitting to being bad at romance? Wasn't she married?? Merlin can't help but wonder if she simply isn't giving herself enough credit, Hanna is absolutely smitten with her, after all.

He peers over his shoulder.]

So what is it that you're asking from me?

...You believe in romance more than I do. I think... that's probably the one place me and Hanna are different, too.

[At least, as far as she sees it.]

I want to make Hanna feel special on Valentine's day.

I want him to know that... things wouldn't be the same around here, if he was gone.

[If he disappeared. Like Adrian and Rosso. Like the others.]

Do you think you can help me?

...

[Merlin exhales through his little pink nose as he looks forward again, one of his ears twitching to signal the beginning of his brainstorming. Hm. Believes in romance more than she does? What does that even mean, how could anyone not believe in romance when they already have it??

That's not the question, though, she's asking for help. ...Which isn't really a weird thing to ask for, even the closest of couples reach out for outside opinion. This is actually kind of exciting, he can build the perfect Valentine's day for his best friend!

He sighs.]

Well...you two actually have a fantastic advantage, what with you both being aquatic monsters. If I were you...and provided the weather warms up...I'd take him out to sea. Somewhere far from shore, as deep as he can comfortably go...somewhere beautiful, somewhere no one else can follow you. A place so secluded, it would feel like you were the only two people in the whole entire world. Because...that's how he already feels about you.

Give him the entire day to devote your love to him, cherish every second together, every smile, touch, sensation. Then, when the day is done, return to the beach together and let the waves' tender embrace welcome you home.

It'd be magical. Truly.

Edited 2024-01-25 03:36 (UTC)

...Wow, you really are good at this.

[She means it, too. Getting Hanna a gift didn't feel right. She gets him things all the time, anyway— things she'd like to see him wear, little joke gifts too, and he also likes to exchange things with her. That's not special enough.

What Merlin's suggested, though? That might do it.

Maya pumps some more conditioner from a bottle behind her, and starts to work it through Merlin's mane more.]

You really think that would work?

[Of course he does, or he wouldn't suggest it otherwise. But there are things that make her wonder, sometimes, if she can really get through to Hanna that he's important to her...]

[Ah, Merlin can only imagine how glorious his mane is going to look after this. Normally the idea of having a mane at all would bother the hell out of him, but...well, he's had it awhile now, hasn't he? And it is pretty great...]

Oh absolutely.

[Was there any doubt?]

Hanna is...constantly questioning himself, he wants to feel like you truly want him with you. And I...can't imagine any better way than spending THE day of love with him and him alone.

Then it's settled! That was even easier than I thought it would be.

[She pauses again, though, before paying particular attention to what isn't-quite-yet-but-could-become-a-knot. With the conditioner, the tangle is combed through easily, after Maya massages it between her fingers.]

Do you... know why he feels that way?

Does he talk to you about me?

[Maya and Hanna, after all, talk to each other about him.]

[Does he talk to him about her indeed-]

Low self-esteem.

[Merlin says it so matter-of-factly while he examines his claws.]

His mindset is like the exact opposite of mine, I guess you could say. Where I believe I'm great and people can't get enough of me, Hanna struggles with the idea that anyone wants to hang around him at all and seems to think we just humor him half of the time. Which is...absolutely ridiculous, but the mind is a cruel creature.

You're doing wonderfully, by the way. [He's referring to the almost-knot.] I appreciate that you didn't tug, well done.

Oh— thanks.

I used to do this a lot.

[There's some kind of strange, hollow melancholy in the way she says that, but as always, Maya moves on without leaving Merlin any time to contemplate it.

There's a part of her that sees now that... She and Hanna really are so similar. But so are she and Merlin; just like him, she's not about to admit her low self-esteem.

She does, however, reach over to grab something and then tap Merlin's nails with a brush that appears to be just for the purpose of cleaning claws, a wordless suggestion.]

...I guess I didn't see it before.

[ When he'd asked her out in the first place, Maya had been scared... for a lot of reasons. They were so similar. They got along so well. And worse than that, Hanna said the very same things Dandy had— albeit in his own goofy, nerdy way. Maya'd been so terrified that she'd made him feel that way, manipulated him into it with her mermaid wiles. And she'd missed it, too— sure, she knew he'd admired her, but she hadn't noticed it had become something real until he'd said so.

She'd worried she'd wanted not to be alone so badly that she'd suckered the first person who'd really seemed to like her in a while without question into.... well, worshipping her.

But things had gone well since then, and Hanna still seems to feel the same. So that hesitation he'd shown when he'd asked her out— was it really because she'd manipulated him? Or... did he actually feel he wasn't worth dating in the first place?]

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WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, MERLIN. FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 135.18.129.14 * Merlin has joined 135.18.129.14 <merlinofcourse> ⌁˚⊹ You have reached Prince Merlin ⊹˚⌁ <merlinofcourse>** I know how to use computers now~