Shaina dropped the large woven basket casually into Marin's hands. Even without being able to see them behind the mask she wore, Shaina knew Marin's brown eyes had widened in surprise.
"What's this?" Marin asked, looking down to inspect the basket she'd been so unceremoniously dumped with. Taking the basket handle in one hand, she brought the other up to the basket's lid.
Shaina snaked out with a hand of her own, laying it over Marin's to keep the basket firmly closed. Leaving her hand where it was, Shaina said firmly, "No peeking."
Marin cocked her head and Shaina was sure she would have rested her hands on her hips in a sign of annoyance if they weren't already otherwise occupied. "You hand me what looks to be a picnic basket and expect me tonot peek?"
"When I tell you not to, yes," Shaina grinned at Marin behind her own mask. "Now how about you carry that and follow me?" Shaina let her voice draw out slyly as she slid her hand off of Marin's and turned to go.
Marin made an annoyed sound in the back of her throat. "You hand me this basket, expect me to carry it without even knowing what's inside, and I'm just supposed to follow you?"
Shaina turned back to see Marin was standing stiffly where she'd left her. She hadn't taken a single step forward. "It's a picnic basket," she said, laughing slightly. "What do you think is in it?" Shaina knew Marin wasn'treally annoyed, but she also knew there was only so far she could push her. "I promise you'll like it," she added as incentive.
There was a pause where Marin seemed to be contemplating her options. All at once her shoulders dropped and she started forward. "You better not be lying about that." There was still a bit of steel in Marin's voice, but Shaina could tell she was off the hook, for now at least.
"And risk your wrath? Of course I wouldn't lie," Shaina called back over her shoulder.
She led Marin on in silence for the next while, traversing the sloping ground that housed the Sanctuary. As they were just exiting the edges of the Sanctuary Shaina could almost feel Marin working herself up to another question behind her. "We're just about there," she answered Marin's question before she could voice it.
And they were. A few more steps along the well-worn path they had been walking, then a brief detour to the left across the stone littered ground.
Raising her hand to her face, Shaina slipped the blue patterned mask off to let the fresh air touch her skin. A gentle breeze brushed against her bared skin, setting strands of hair free to play across her cheeks. Smiling, she turned back to Marin. "Here we are," she opened her arms to encompass the chosen picnic spot.
The area itself wasn't overly spectacular. It was the same rough ground strewn with rocks and tough, hardy plants that surrounded the entire Sanctuary, but as Marin was about to see as she turned around, the view was something else.
Stretched out below to one side was the training grounds of the Sanctuary, including the apprentice barracks, the Saint's quarters, the training yard and the grand coliseum where hopefuls vied against one another to be selected as one of the chosen few to don a Cloth and be elevated to the rank of Sainthood. To the other side rose the sweeping stairs that connected the twelve Houses of the Zodiac. Shining white pillars, and engraved walls stood out starkly against the uneven cliff face, highlighting each house in turn. The stairs climbed ever higher, reaching their pinnacle at the entrance to the Pope's chamber.
A beautiful view, only made more so by its seclusion. Comfortable and aware of this fact, Marin too had removed her mask, revealing soft features and sharp brown eyes. "It's nice," she said approvingly, setting the basket down on the ground. "Now will you tell me why we're here?"
"When one has a picnic basket, one typically intends on having a picnic," Shaina said teasingly. One of Marin's red brows quirked up in annoyance, which Shaina responded to with a placating smile. "Am I forgiven if I tell you there are pao de queijos in the basket. Aldebaran's pao de queijos?" She emphasized the Taurus Saint's name, knowing how much Marin liked the Brazilian cheese rolls he made.
Shaina didn't miss the upward turn of Marin's mouth that escaped the red-head's control before she schooled her features back into a stern expression. "My only weakness," she said ruefully. She gestured down at the basket sitting at her feet. "So, did you pack a blanket or anything, or are we going to be sitting in the dirt?"
"It's almost as if you don't think I know how to plan for a picnic?" Shaina faked some indignation as she set about opening the basket and divesting it of its contents. First came a traditionally red and white checkered blanket, which Shaina laid out on the ground with a flourish. Then it was time for the food.
The first foodstuffs out of the basket was pitcher of mango-strawberry lemonade, glistening with condensation on the outside. This was soon followed by the promised pao de queijos, a pasta salad made up with tomatoes, olives and garlic, skewers of spiced chicken, rice balls, and a neatly wrapped package of ginger snaps.
Marin looked over the results with a critical eye. The set up appeared to be to her liking, because with a satisfied nod she sat down opposite Shaina on the brightly checkered blanket. "Well, can you blame me for doubting you? After all, you had to bully Aldebaran into helping you with the food."
"Who said there was any bullying involved?" Shaina said innocently, handing Marin one of the floral patterned plates she'd packed. Marin eyed her steadily with a raised brow, as she accepted the plate. Shaina shrugged at the look she got. "So, maybe there was a little bit, but he's such a big softy he didn't really mind helping."
"Mhmm," Marin didn't sound entirely convinced. Shaina wasn't surprised that the first thing Marin did was place two of the cheese rolls on her plate. "And who else did you bully to get this planned?" Marin asked as she continued to stack her plate with food.
"No one," Shaina said, honestly this time. Rather than start layering her own plate with food, Shaina busied herself pouring some of the lemonade for each of them. "Though I did have to get a little rough with Aiolia to get him to stop sticking his giant neck into other people's business when he started asking questions about what I needed all the food for. He's always doing things like that," she added with a note of annoyance creeping into her voice.
Marin bit into one of the cheese rolls, her eyes closing in bliss. "Oh these are so good," she praised. After another bite, she looked back at Shaina, shaking her head. "Shaina, Aiolia really isn't that bad." The smile on her face stretched larger as she added, "Even if he does have an uncomfortably long neck."
"The boy has giraffe ancestors if you ask me," Shaina muttered as she started to select food for herself, which caused Marin to laugh. "Luckily he took the hint to back off when I threatened his manhood. It seems that, that works on most of the male Saints."
Marin rolled her eyes. "Why is that you get such a kick out of terrifying them all?"
Shaina paused with her mouth just about to bite into one of the roasted pieces of chicken on the skewer she'd selected. Flashing a grin at Marin she said, "It's easy, that's why."
"Well, I'm glad some things are easy for you," Marin said as she inspected one of the rice balls she'd put on her plate. "I'm assuming Aldebaran didn't help you with these," her voice was light and teasing as she held up the very misshaped rice ball.
"I tried okay," Shaina found herself flushing at the sight of her poor attempt to make the traditional Japanese food for Marin.
Marin took a large bite into the side of the rice, and chewed thoughtfully for a moment. After she swallowed she said approvingly, "Looks bad, but tastes good."
The two ate their food in silence for a few moments, just enjoying each other's company, and the view laid out before them. They didn't often get moments like this to themselves, with the two of them always being so busy with their duties as Saints .
"So," Marin said as she reached out to unwrap the ginger snaps. She divvied them out two apiece, and broke the tip off of one of hers with her fingers. "Gonna tell me why you planned all of this?" She popped the broken off piece in her mouth, chewing on it slowly as she waited for Shaina's answer.
Shaina had stretched out on her side along the edge of the picnic blanket. Looking up at Marin, she said evasively, "Isn't a girl allowed to plan a spontaneous picnic for her girlfriend?"
"Of course a girl is, but this isn't the kind of thing you normally do," Marin countered with ease. She broke off another piece of the ginger snap, and munched on that one as well.
Shaina bided for time by biting off half of one of the ginger snaps Marin had handed to her. All too quickly she was swallowing the cookie. She briefly contemplated eating the other half of the cookie, but instead sighed and said finally, "Things are going to change Marin. They're giving us apprentices. That takes time, and I won't be able to see you as often."
It was true. What little time they did have to spend together was soon going to become even more sparse. Even more troubling was the fact that a role like master lasted years, long enough for things to change between them. She didn't voice this out loud though. Instead she said softly, "I just wanted to have some time for us, before all that happened."
Marin looked down at her with a soft light in her eyes, one corner of her mouth pulling her cheek into a faint dimple. She bent down to brush a soft kiss across Shaina's lips. All too quickly she was drawing away, staying close enough that her red hair still tickled Shaina's chin, but their eyes now met. There was mirth in her voice as she said, "And you call Aldebaran a softy."