Ssarak Dyreackthanose

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At first, Ssarak was not quite certain what to do after leaving Khan’s office. There were no other tasks to complete, but Ovak had not yet told him it was time to go to the garden. The feast would likely be starting soon, but once it did, he would probably not be staying long. Regardless, he headed back to the dining hall, which was probably the best place currently to pass the time. 

Once he rejoined the crowds in the dining hall, Ssarak wandered mostly aimlessly. He did see Meirin, but she appeared to be in a conversation with two finely-dressed individuals, perhaps diplomats, and an old Yarsomerian man. Based on the description he had heard of Ovak, he felt that it might be the Archmage, but he had never actually seen him in person before. He did not wish to interrupt, so he continued to search around the room to perhaps find another of his friends to converse with. However, his thoughts kept going back to Meirin, which had not been uncommon over the past few days. He felt like he was becoming a bit obsessed, honestly, but he did not quite believe that to be a bad thing. To him, it meant the feelings were genuine, instead of some trick of his mind. 

After a few minutes, Ssarak decided that there was no reason to continue waiting. Ovak had not told him it was time, but there was no harm in arriving early. It would give him the chance to actually prepare something for Meirin. Luckily, the fact that it was the day of the feast meant that there was plenty of food around with which he could collect a dinner for himself and Meirin. He was quick to gather food for his own meal, but he took more time making his selections for Meirin. He knew she did not eat meat, but it took some time for him to think back on the foods he could recall her eating, and what she had liked. Nevertheless, he was able to put together a plate of steamed vegetables, a bowl of mushroom and cream soup, a side of watermelon and grapes, and some wine for the both of them. He was fairly certain she would eat cream, though he would have to ask to be sure. He put both dishes, along with the wine, into a large, covered platter and carried it carefully with him out of the dining hall. He was not certain if the staff would want him to take an entire platter…but he did anyways. 

Ssarak rarely had a specific reason to go to the garden, so he had to wander for a few minutes in the right general area in order to find it. As he hoped, he was the only person present for the moment. The feast had drawn most of the population of the College to the dining hall, and the area around it, so it seemed as if he would have the chance to spend quality time alone with Meirin. He just needed to find the best place for them to sit; Ovak had mentioned something about cupid roses, though he could not confess to actually knowing what those were.