It was midday to evening, and Relm paid a visit to the lake as she did often. She was not seen inside Elysuim often by others. She typically ran patrols, hunted when was needed, stayed in her den and on to occasion spent some time by the fire at night. But she also visited the lake here. It was more... sentimental? Sure, than anything else. This was where she was born, where Agria died, and she spent a lot of time here hiding from Kefka. It was some sick sort of home.

She was there staring down at her reflection with the still high sun, and it seemed while she was lost in her empty thoughts she hadn't even noticed the boa that was curling around her back legs. She was pulled out of her brain as it reached up to her hips where she turned to see what she felt wasn't being imagined. She curled sideways, grabbing the giant snake right at it's throat before falling downwards in the bank and wrestling it as it tightened around her legs from the fight. The water around her splashed and she was finding it difficult to catch a breath of real air while she was trying to get herself untangled from the snake.

"Relm"

Merrick quite liked the lake. He was drawn to the calm, comforting sounds that came along with a body of water. Frogs, bugs, birds, the splashing of fish. All of it made him feel rather mellow and somewhat sleepy. The splashing of the fish sounded a little louder than usual today and he wondered what the deal was. From where he stood on the opposite bank, Merrick noted a great deal of thrashing in the water. The giant's eyes narrowed for a moment before he gave a huff of amusement. From where he stood, he could make out the caped woman rolling about in the water. What an odd practice, he though. It was only when he noted the tail of the snake whipping about that he realized there could be a problem.

Quickly, the hulking brute made his way around the edge of the lake, coming to where the woman was still fighting off a rather large reptile. Merrick sank his teeth into the tail end of the snake and pulled with all of his might. Gradually, he drug both the snake and the woman out of the water. It didn't let her go, but hey, at least she would be able to breathe...ish. Was the snake wrapped around her middle? With the cape and the darkness of the snake, it was hard to tell.

Merrick worked to untangle the woman from the long string of scale covered muscle. He unwound a few loops from around Relm's legs, but as he did so, the snake wrapped around his own midsection. This was what he got for helping people...

"Merrick Mendacium"

She didn't know that the purple brute had come to rescue her until she was being drug out of the water. She still put up a fight as she sprayed water and found her breath again, she was a trooper for sure.

She was finally able to give him a glance to realize it was Merrick but again, didn't linger on her knight in shining armor. He wasn't seen in that light, but he was certainly saving her.

Her back paws mostly struggled to get between her and the snake, and eventually Merrick was able to pull it a little looser but not enough. It seemed to start rolling around him too and the two were suddenly pulled together by the huge length of the snake. Almost back to back or maybe her back against his side, Relm huffed to the frustration of the reptile but not in fear. After a moment, she ducked her under one loop of the snake before biting down on another midsection of it. One loop off, but finding the head would probably be the best bet to kill it and get themselves loose. It wasn't looking so promising right now.

"Relm"

The strength of snakes was truly disgusting. With a squeeze of its midsection, Merrick and Relm were slammed together, the man grunting as the loops of muscle tightened around his stomach. Pressed so close to the cloaked woman, it would be difficult to get a mouthful of snake. Unless he bit the loop that was around Relms middle, that was.

Merrick sank his teeth into the dark, patchy scales that were around Relm's midsection. It hurt the snake and he could feel the muscles tighten around him, squishing him and the woman more tightly together. Then, out of nowhere, there was the snakes head. It had curled around and it struck at Merrick, sinking its razorlike teeth into one of his forelegs. The man gave a second grunt, lips peeling back in a snarl, yet he didn't release his hold on the snake. Instead, he whipped his head back and forth, tearing a great chunk out of the reptile and exposing bone. He spat the mouth of meat and muscle onto the ground and went in for another bite, intent on biting all the way down to the guts.

"Merrick Mendacium"

Relm was unaware of what was going on beside her, or more so under her. The position Merrick had on her was surprisingly not uncomfortable, though maybe not so surprising for Relm. Not that he would know. She was too lost in the fight, in the pressure of near pain to recognize anything that would seem uncomfortable or inappropriate for someone else. Maybe if they were just lounging about somewhere and he stuck his head between her thighs.... that would be wholly different. Maybe not terrible or traumatizing, but she would definitely be tense then.

With a chunk of the snake out, Relm had no idea, but she still went to take advantage of her and Merrick's closer proximity. Hopefully he wouldn't mind. She was able to roll around, getting her stomach in facing him before pushing her legs hard against him and causing the snake to loosen it's grip on the two in a large majority. If he was able to go for the kill, now was the best time. Otherwise she would probably have to take the upper hand.

"Relm"

Relm pushing off of him afforded the man just enough space to move. He was able to curl his neck and life one foreleg just enough to wrap powerful jaws around the back of the reptiles head. Jaws worked hard, teeth chewing into the snakes head and throat. The scaled beast began to try and retreat, but it was too god damn late for that. Merrick continued to bite down, giving his head a thrash now that the circles of snake midsection were falling away and allowing him to both breathe and move. Once he was fully free, then he could really work. Merricks blocky skull lashed back and forth and the snake's head popped off in his mouth as easy as the head of a dandelion. He spat the head aside and the body thrashed on the ground for some time before it stilled completely.

Merrick spared a glance at his bloodied foreleg where the snake had bitten him before looking to the very disheveled cloaked fae. "Are you alright?" Gritty tones growled out. He gave her a once over, really only noting that she was muddy and wet and covered in sand and silt and a few scales.

"Merrick Mendacium"

With the snake loose and more room to work Merrick was able to do the final deed and put an end to their suffering. The snake head laid still on the ground as the body that was still somewhat around them let them go but still coiled around in ungodly ways. Relm stood to her paws as she cleared her throat once before the brute asked if she was alright. "It looks like you've taken more damage than me." She stated glancing at his bleeding leg but didn't push for him to see a healer. She was sure he would see one when they returned, Irilyth of course.

Relm winced as she took a quick breath, the bit of water would leave her lungs without much issue. If he was anything like her then he would let the problems pass on their own. It was probably stupid, but Relm liked to stay independent. She wouldn't badger him anyway. "I hope I didn't ruin your evening." She spoke a little humorous, though it was more in her tone than her face. She fixed her cloak a little bit while it was lopsided, but she wasn't planning to stay here at the lake any longer. A clench of awkwardness fell inside her, and she wondered if she should just head back to Elysium without saying much else. She could barely look up at his face, though maybe there wasn't much reason to.

"Relm"

As she commented on his wounds, Merrick gave the bite another glance and shrugged. The razor teeth of the snake hadn't sunk in that deep. Even if they had, the big man was far from a pansy. The bite wasn't a big deal. If anything, he'd have Keelin take a look at it later. It was her job to tend to him, after all.

Relm spoke again about ruining his evening and Merrick gave an amused huff. "Any evening where I can kill something is a good evening," he assured her. The purple marbled brute gave his body a stretch, extending hind legs and flicking his tail back and forth before standing tall once again. "Are you heading back to Elysium?" She liked to get in trouble, so he might as well babysit her on the way back as well.

"Merrick Mendacium"

She huffed a quiet chuckle as he said any day he killed was a good day. She couldn't truly relate, but that was no problem to her. She found it a bit humorous. She still wouldn't worry about the bite on his leg, not unless he was falling over and seizing. That didn't seem to be an issue, so that could be forgotten on her end.

Looking to the lake as he asked, she stated quietly, "Yeah, I'm done here." Her eyes turning towards the decapitated snake before pointing a paw at it and speaking in a joking tone, "That can stay there, it's fucking useless." With a quick shake she would only wait a few seconds before moving forward. He was free to join her back to Elysium, and then they would go about their separate ways as they did as pack members.

"Relm"