It was a very long and frustrating day for the petite Dalish mage. She spent half of it with Hawke, Varric and Fenris at the Wounded Coast chasing Tal Vashoth who ended chasing them.
Merrill didn't know Varric could run so fast on his short legs, it could be even amusing if not the dire situation they were in. They ate dirt and dust while trying to hide from the furious horde and Hawke ended with an arrow in his ass, whining for hours about his lover's absence.
Since none of them was a healer and Fenris refused to even look at their leader's hairy ass it was up to Merrill in the end to treat Hawke's wound. For some reason it was expected of her to be proficient in healing as a female and as a mage.
Funny enough that the subject of discussion was hairy indeed and decorated with teeth marks. When Merrill(totally innocently!) asked what he did to offend his mabari to be bitten in such a manner Hawke went red while the dwarf started to hiccup from too much laughing. The broody elf made an extremely disgusted face and rushed to turn away before his twitching up mouth could be noticed.
Returning from Lowtown, holding a small, not appetizing paper-bag with dry bread and some fruit (all she could afford) the elven mage felt tired and bitter. It was already dark and she lost her way a few times. She should have brought the wool ball Varric had given her but had forgotten as always.
Merrill felt unappreciated, lonely and confused. No more than an outsider in this ugly shelmen city. It was cold, full of dangers and mutual apathy. Her work with Eluvian didn't progress despite all the efforts. She felt depression clawing at her softly.
If not her stubbornness to finish what she had started, Merrill would have seriously considered leaving the terrible society where elves were treated like garbage and magic was an eternal sin.
She had a few friends in Kirkwall: Isabela, Varric and Hawke. But none of them was there to celebrate with her. Even not Isabella who had been very busy the last few days. She could bet on her last silver that none of them remembered.
Lost in her thoughts Merrill approached the door of her small hovel in the Alienage. So lost that she didn't notice at first that the door wasn't locked at all. She stood near it for a while and pondered tiredly if she had forgotten to lock itTop of Form or it got unlocked by itself due to the rusted handle mechanism. Somehow other, more plausible reasons like a thief or templars waiting for her inside didn't visit her exhausted head. So with a wide yawn she dropped the useless thoughts and pushed the door.
It was dark inside and she stumbled over the uneven doorstep and nearly fell. As usual she just forgot it was there. "May the Dread Wolf take this doorstep and all the building with it." Her voice was shaky with building up anger and misery.
A sudden pull of magic and the room was lighted up with many candles. Merrill's eyes were drawn to the center of the room where Isabela was sprawled in a sensual pose, enveloped only in thick layer of whipped cream.
Isabela.
Isabela is lying on her table.
Isabela is covered in white cream that made a nice contrast with her beautiful tanned skin.
Instantly her mind went into catatonia mod.
"Happy birthday to YOU! Happy birthday to you! Happy, happy birthday to our dear Daisy!" The cacophony of rough, tipsy with wine voices sent the poor elf further into surprised dumbness.
Merrill stared at the happy quartet large round eyes and then again at Isabela who just radiated mischief.
"I swear, if I have to cool her once more, I'll set the place on fire." Anders grumbled from behind. Hawke poked him in the ribs, hard enough to wipe the sour expression from his face and smiled warmly at the still astonished elf. "Happy birthday, Merrill."
"Did you really think we have forgotten you, Daisy?" Varric chuckled from his chair. Her blank mind briefly registered a pile of something resembling wrapped gifts.
"Aren't you going to do something about your present, kitten? It's going to thaw soon." The salacious pirate arched an elegant brow and smirked invitingly.
Merrill blinked again, chocked on air and then her brain slowly unfroze. She giggled, smacking her lips in anticipation and sprung forward.