Table Glade
Not far from the Gnarly Tree, this secluded glade rarely sees visitors. A carpet of moss covers the ground, while a weather-worn, flat-surfaced bolder rests like a table made by nature itself. The glade is bathed in a calm, if a bit gloomy, gray light. Sylvania is rarely sunny, after all, and this clearing is as close as one is to find to a sun-bathed picnic spot.

Morgan, dressed in one of his cheerier dresses, has escorted Miranda hand-in-hand to this relatively tranquil area. When the two enter the glade, he waves a hand. "This is Table Glade – it's where my mother and I sometimes come and have tea. It's not quite a secret, but it's not quite not a secret, either." He smiles, and winks at Miranda.

"It's very beautiful Morgan, and peaceful. It suits you," Miranda says with a smile, giving the Kadie a small kiss on the cheek while carrying a large picnic basket in her free hand.

The Kadie smiles wider, then giggles when kissed. "Aww, thank you Miranda. I'm glad you like it – I come here often, when I need to study alone." Miranda can see the inner part of his ears redden as he leads her forward in to the glade. Today, he's wearing a bright purple dress, complete with flower embroidery, and long witch boots. On his head is a straw hat, with a purple flower tucked into the brim. This he reaches for, and hands to Miranda, "You take this," he says, "and I'll take the basket. Is it a deal?"

The gray Lapi doe is dressed a bit differently herself today; instead of the usual overalls associated with bunny ranching, she is dressed in a light green sun dress with a pair of large pockets stitched on the front. She chuckles and smiles, agreeing to the switch. "Alright Morgan, you really are a gentleman as well as a witch." And, taking the hat in hand, Miranda passes the basket to Morgan. It's a bit heavier than one might normally expect a Lapi to be able to carry, but after carrying and chasing after the Sylvanian bunnies it's probably not surprising.

Of course, Morgan suddenly takes a dive when he takes the basket. "Wah," he cries, almost following the suddenly dropping basket to the mossy ground. He stumbles, manages to shift the basket back, then promptly falls on his behind with the basket in his lap! He looks up at Miranda, sheepishly. "How about we have a picnic right here," he asks, as if he meant to fall over.

Miranda can't help but giggle mirthfully at Morgan's antics, and promptly plops herself down next to him, "Well, why didn't you just say so in the first place?" Grinning she helps shift the basket from Morgan's lap and removes a thin blanket from the top that was being used to cover the food inside. "I didn't know if you'd want something to sit on or not, so I brought this. Do you want to spread it out?"

"I'd love to," answers Morgan. He sits up, taking a moment to dust off and straighten the length of his skirt, then accepts the blanket and begins to spread it out. "And sometimes, good ideas just come to you out of the blue," he adds, by way of explaining his decision.

"Well of course they do! You never know just where inspiration is going to come from right? I bet Olivia knows a lot about that since she is like an artist," Miranda notes as she shifts the now opened basket to the blanket. Inside the basket are some staple for all picnickers; dark bread, cheese and fruit, flasks of what is likely either juice or tea, and a mysterious covered dish.

"Oh, I imagine she does. Creativity stems from the well of the soul, and everyone bubbles a little differently," the witch agrees. Once the blanket is out, he settles down on his knees with his hands in his lap. "Well! You're quite prepared, Miranda. You know, I would have cooked if you wanted. I make a delicious nut pie, you know."

Miranda smiles and blushes a little inside of her ears, saying, "That sounds wonderful Morgan, I'd like to taste that sometime. Maybe you could even show me how you make it. I got my aunt to help me make a custard tart for today." And so saying the gray doe uncovers the dish revealing a creamy looking custard topped with more fresh fruit. Miranda smiles, looking rather proud of herself and then proceeds to search around in the basket. "Now if only I can remember where I hid the spoons… "

"Ooo, that does look good! It'll go right to my thighs, alas." Morgan gives a half-hearted shake of his head, then gives the bunny a mischievous grin. "Of course, we should eat it anyway!" He leans forward to help Miranda find the spoons, putting dishes of food aside so they can be eaten from later.

The Lapi giggles and actually lifts the edge of Morgan's dress a little so she can lightly poke his leg. "And you have such nice legs at that!" Miranda states with a grin, and after a moment of searching passes Morgan a pair of folded napkins apparently wrapped around the spoons.

Morgan's wearing stockings, but they only extend to just above his knees. "Well, as a witch I get a lot of exercise. Walk to town, walk back, walk here, walk there," he explains, smiling. He scoops up the utensils, passing one packet to Miranda first, before setting out his own.

"Heehee, you should help me with the bunnies sometime!" Miranda begins with a grin. "Perhaps we should trade off? Though I doubt I would make a very good witch. Still, it would be interesting to learn about some of the herbs and things you use." Unfolding her utensils, the doe scoops up some of the custard on her spoon, but instead of eating it offers this 'first bite' to Morgan with a smile.

"Oh, well, you know me. I mean, look how strong you are! I almost fell over trying to carry the basket, but I bet you could lift several bunnies all by yourself," Morgan insists. As for switching places, he says, "Being a witch isn't something anyone can do, you see, or I wouldn't mind letting you try. I can teach you about herbs, though! The village can always use more people who know how to heal, and which herbs are bad for the grazing animals. I bet you'd be much better at herbary than I would be at wrangling bunnies!" He giggles a little, then his eyes widen at the awaiting pudding. "For me?" His tail flickers, taking on the vague shape of a question mark. Then, leaning forward, he kisses Miranda's hand before taking the bite.

"For you." Miranda says, sticking the tip of her tongue out playfully at the Kadie before giggling as he leans forwards to plant a kiss on her hand and then take the bite. "Well, maybe we should both try? I would like to learn some new things, and who knows? Chasing after the bunnies might help you. It'll certainly be some good practice for if you ever need to chase after small children! This I know from experience," Miranda says with a sigh and the playful rolling of her eyes.

"Mmmm," Morgan says, nodding as he leans back. "I bet you could become a cook, if you ever got tired of the bunnies. Herbary and cooking is much alike: the right ingredients in the right order, with heat, time, and a lot of stirring." Nodding again, he offers, "Well, I'm willing to try. A new perspective always helps me understand where townsfolk are coming from. As for children, well," he tilts his head, looking off, "I tend to deliver them, and they're so small they can't run away as easily!"

"You really think so? Well I'd definitely like to try some other time you're free, and, if anything else, chasing after bunnies is fun and good exercise!" Miranda says before taking a bite of the custard tart herself and blinking: she seems to have surprised herself with its tastiness. "Wow… I'll have to try some more of my aunt's recipes now."

"We can learn a lot from our elders," Morgan quotes, sitting straighter and shifting his voice to sound more like his mother's. Interestingly enough, there isn't all that much difference. He waggles his brows, then scoots closer to Miranda. "I've never been one for physical activity, which I'm sure Amelia has told you, but maybe I should try to be a bit more active. In return, I will educate you about herbs. Starting," he glances at his behind, which is undoubtedly moss stained by now, "with a little something to remove grass stains."

"Being active helps keep you alert and on your toes, certainly!" Miranda comments with a chuckle at the comments on grass stains. She pulls out a flask apparently full of mint tea and offers it to the Kadie continuing, "After chasing the bunnies my clothes are pretty much one giant grass-stain as it is!"

"Then you should consider green clothes," Morgan offers, wisely. He takes the flask and then offers it back to Miranda, offering to pour to her lips. "That reminds me: I'll need a green dress. I'll make you one too!"

"I would really like that Morgan; this dress is nice, but it's actually not mine. I'm borrowing it from my cousin Harriet," Miranda says slowly, looking a little sheepish that she had to borrow clothes for this outing. "Do you think you could make something that would show off my fur tattoos? They're hard to see in overalls and I don't want to always be hiding Lili's beautiful handiwork."

Perhaps sensing Miranda's discomfort, Morgan reaches over and pats her hand. "There's nothing wrong with borrowing clothes. The Chalks are a large family, after all. And, did you know I used to wear all my mother's old clothes, when I was growing up? You see, it's almost a tradition." He smiles again, then pops a slice of cheese into his mouth and chews while thinking. After swallowing, he nods. "Well, I'd need your measurements, for one. I'd also need to know where that tattoos are of course, and what sort of fabric you want. Oh, and what you intent to wear the dress for."

Finally taking the Kadie's offer, Miranda takes a sip from the flask of tea as Morgan holds it before settling to lean against the Kadie contently, thinking out loud for a moment, "Well, I suppose you're right, it just feels a little awkward sometimes you know? Hmm… Well, the dress would probably be for special occasions and walks outside, as for fabric I suppose I'd just want it to be something durable that looked nice." The Lapi pauses there for a moment to lean close to the Kadie, looking at him seriously and saying, "What do you think I'd look nice in?"

Morgan shifts to lean back against the Lapi, taking a sip as he listens to her, then offering her a piece of cheese while he talks. "Oh, I know how it is. My mother was actually taller than me, when I was little, so her clothes were a little baggy. I looked even more little than I actually was," he confides. Glancing at Miranda, his tail twitches as he thinks. "Your hair is black, and your fur is gray. If I picked, I'd chose a black dress with white embroidery, cut for your fur dyes, and with accents matching whichever colors Lily chose to use in the dyes."

Miranda chuckles and nips the piece of cheese out of Morgan's hand, brushing her lips against the tips of his fingers as she does so. Chewing thoughtfully the Lapi nods, replying, "That really sounds nice, and I'm sure Lili would have some good input; she has a good eye for color. And my dye-patterns are mostly on my back." Sighing the Lapi offers Morgan a bit of bread and a smile, "This is nice, I haven't felt this relaxed in a while."

Morgan's tail twitches wildly for a moment, as Miranda brushes her lips across his hand. Again, his inner ears redden. "Oh, um, erm … Oh!" He blinks, then smiles a little lopsidedly. "I'm a big fan of floral patterns, but I also do vines, Creens, shapes, and whimsical designs. Of course, I'm supposed to look stern most of the time, so I have to limit myself. And, well, when I'm not 'The Witch,' dressing in dresses is … a bit unusual, if you know what I mean." He nibbles the bread, then licks his lips free of crumbs. "I like it, too. It seems like everywhere there's some worry, but here, for a little while, we needn't think about it."

"Heehee, well, you look quite handsome in pants as well as looking good in a dress," Miranda comments, giggling at Morgans 'blush'. Kissing the Kadie on the cheek she continues, "You'r eso cute Morgan, and an embroidered Creen might be nice… or a butterfly! That would add some nice color. A colorful butterfly on a black base."

"Oh I am no-" Morgan suddenly giggles again, blushing even more when kissed. It takes him a moment to recover, but he nods a little. "I've never tried a butterfly. I think I could do it, though. I'll just watch them when I'm out gathering, or you could come with me and pick one out while I teach you. Butterflies, they say, flitter in and out of dreams."

"Oh I'm sure you could do it!" Miranda states enthusiastically, giving Morgan a warm hug, "You showed me some of the work you've done on your clothes remember? The embroidery was quite good! We can look for butterflies when we do a trade day. If there're not any about when you give me lessons there might be some fluttering around where the Sylvanian bunnies get let out to run around."

"Oh the clothes. I, um, remember." Of course, at the time Morgan was in his nightie and several girls ended up checking out his underwear! His ears remain a bright shade of red. He does hug back, though, shifting to cuddle into Miranda. "Butterflies aren't very common around here, but I'm sure we can find some. I could always tell Gunther they're secretly plotting against us, then he'll be sure to find some and spy for me."

Miranda smiles and seems quite content to be cuddled, catching the end of the Kaddie's tail and hugging it next like a fluffy pillow… "Gunther… he really is sweet though a bit high strung. He helped me up to the castle when I decided to get my tooth fixed. He was very protective and even worried when Igor started fixing my tooth. In spite of what some people say, I think he just really wants to help defend the town," the Lapi notes with a small yawn.

"I'm sure he'll make a grand protector, once the years a have settled him some," Morgan agrees. He doesn't seem to mind his tail being used as a pillow; after all, he seems to use it that way often himself. "It seems like our town will be in good hands, don't you think?"

"Yes, I think it will be, with so many dedicated people," Miranda says with a smile before changing topics slightly; "Oh, how have things been going with Mage Qing by the way?"

"He's … well, he's an interesting man. A true mage, did you know? And by all my intuition, a strong one. I'm still not sure why he chose to come here alone. Surely he's too important to be here. Then again, maybe something happened to drive him away, or he's seeking solitude, as mages are said to do. Either way, I don't think he means any harm. As for how things are going, he's a very demanding task master, easily as hard as my mother in his own way. But," Morgan shrugs a little, smiling. "I like him. It's nice to have someone like him around; I rarely get to speak of the mystic with men."

"I'm glad then, he had me a little worried at first… the Mage is a bit… intimidating… " Miranda notes with a look of mild embarrassment, "But I'm glad that he has decided to teach you, I'm sure you'll learn a lot from him. He seems rather wise in his own way."

"Oh he is intimidating. He still scares me, especially when he's slithering around in the dark with all those hands." Morgan laughs a little, then skooches closer to Miranda. "I shouldn't speak badly of my elders. He's a wise man, and I can feel a sense of loss in him. I don't know what it is, but something wounded him badly. I also know that he's far, far from home. That must be hard on him."

"Yeah, I just hope he's not too uncomfortable with the town; we're a lot simpler than where he probably comes from," Miranda says quietly, cuddling Morgan's tail. "Oh, but enough of that! I'm not going to start worrying now while I'm so comfortable," she claims with a grin.

"Good choice, we worry enough as it is." Morgan reaches over and tries to tug Miranda back as he flops over to lay across the blanket. "Old Mage Qing can handle himself. I'd rather cuddle with my favorite Lapi, and inspect her conspicuous lack of a lisp myself," he adds, giving the girl a bashful blink of his eyes from where he fell.

"Meep!" Miranda squeaks and tumbles back with Morgan, flopping comfortably on the Kadie; almost nose to nose him, chuckling and murmuring, "Oh really? Well, inspect away then!" the Lapi says and then abruptly but lightly kisses Morgan on the lips.

"Mmm," says Morgan after the kiss, "it's better than your tart, did you know that?" He kisses the Lapi again, the puts his nose to hers. "Do you think I'm a terrible man? I know I've been avoiding you for a while now, and it's because I was worried about Lily and, well, you. Do you think it's awful of me, to like you, too? I was going to stay away from you, but … " His eyes close, and he wiggles his nose against the bun's. "I couldn't … I didn't want to stay away. I think I love you, Miranda."

Miranda's ears turn bright red and she chuckles embarrassedly but smiles still and noses Morgan back very gently. "I don't think you're a terrible person Morgan. I kind of feel the same way. Lili is a wonderful person and she's encouraged me so much and given me more confidence than I think I've ever had, and I love her for it… but… I love you too," she says and noses Morgan's ear whispering, "And honestly, I don't think Lili would be upset either."

Morgan giggles at that, shaking his head. "No, I don't think she would be," he whispers back. "It was me. I was raised to certain values, and well, I was worried I was betraying them by wanting to be close to you. But, I think I made the right choice." He reaches over and pulls Miranda into a hug, nose to nose. "My mother's really very wise: she said I should date a Chalk. She was right. I love you, Miranda."

"I wouldn't worry about betraying anything Morgan, I think you're doing just fine, and I'm sure Lili will still love us both. I think it's possible to love more than one person in life. And your mom will be happy too I'm sure!" Miranda says with a smile, "Now hush and kiss me, I think I need some practice to get used to my new tooth," the Lapi finishes and proceeds to follow through with that statement.