[PRP] Tending Hearts (Auric & Tirzah) [FINISHED]

[Menelie]

Tirzah made her way up into the Branches to start her work day, after saying goodbye to Rho as they'd parted ways for the day. It was funny how they had the same job but in very different environments. At least it was cooler up here than it would be down in the fields outside. She cheerfully greeted her coworkers and grabbed her tools, and made her way to the row she was working today. She was pleased to see one of her more pleasant colleagues, Auric, working the row beside hers. He had a bold look to him, but was definitely more of the quiet sort. She'd spent the last few times they'd worked together trying to get him out of his shell a little. By this point he would at least chat with her as they worked.

"Morning, Auric!" she greeted him cheerfully. "Gonna be a hot one today, I think."  

[Menelie]

Wolfs Heart

Auric normally liked to keep his head and his hoe to the ground, so to speak. Part of the reason he had chosen working up in the tree branches was so that he could continue to keep to himself, stay invisible. Of course there were some with the personalities that simply wouldn't let him be invisible. He looked up from his plot of dirt when one of these types greeted him.

"Good morning," he responded. Pausing from his work for the moment. "Guess it's that time of the year. Hopefully we get our work done early enough that we can call it a day before it gets too bad..." Auric mentally went over his check list for the day. It was a lot of work, but maybe he could get it done before he was too much of a sweaty mess.

 

[Menelie]

Menelie

Tirzah laughed doubtfully. "Wouldn't that be nice, huh?" she responded, then got down to work.

She chatted away at him for most of the morning as they worked, about the weather and the harvest, her plans for her next rest day, intentions to somehow procure an icebox for her alcove... Tirzah didn't mind that Auric didn't respond much; a listening ear was nice to have as well, and honestly it was just the talking that made the work feel faster. She felt like she got into a rhythm when she worked and talked.

Around lunch time she stood up straight and wiped sweat from her brow. "Hey, can I ask you a personal question?" she asked Auric. Without waiting for a response, she continued: "Are you single?"

Wolfs Heart

Auric listened as he worked, letting her do most of the talking except for the occasional response of acknowledgement. He had to admit, the days went by a lot faster when he listened to Tirzah talk then it had been before.

"I uhm..." Auric was like a deer in the headlights when she proposed asking a personal question, but it was too late for him to get out of it. He froze even more, usually you only asked if someone was single if you were interested, right? And while the answer to her question was technically yes, his mind was still on the quiet faun from the archives so he wasn't really available to Tirzah. But hadn't she mentioned a boyfriend during all her talking? Maybe things hadn't worked out.

"Uhm. Yes." Auric responded and then quickly buried his head in a plant he had already inspected.

Menelie

Tirzah made a dismissive hand gesture. "Don't get weird on me, I'm not asking for me, I've got a boyfriend. Nah, I've got a single friend I'm trying to set up with a nice guy. You don't happen to be into gentlemen, do you?" Although she didn't think Auric was really Menahem's type, maybe he'd know someone. She did a couple stretches to loosen up before getting back to work.

Wolfs Heart

Auric laughed awkwardly and poked his head out from behind his plant. "I don't think so..." Auric said. "There's actually a girl... She's really pretty. But we aren't...together." That was the most Auric had said to anyone about it, and he instantly got shy talking about her. He wasn't sure if this girl was even interested in him or his clumsy wings. Even if she was, Auric didn't know how to go about any of this. "How did it go with you and your boyfriend?" This was perhaps one of the stranger conversations he had ever had, but maybe she could help him get over whatever this hurdle was. The hurdle being... himself probably.

Menelie

"No? Ah well, it was worth a shot." She looked around. "Blessed Artemis, I sure hope they ring the lunch bell soon, I'm starved." She looked back at Auric as he started speaking about this girl, and crouched down to hear him better. She wanted to ask more questions about this girl, but he'd asked her one first.

"With Rho? Oh, we met at that crazy Venus Day celebration and just like, hit it off I guess. I didn't grow up here in the Tree so I was pretty excited to meet some Faun. Wound up following him and his friend around the whole time and then just kinda...moved here to the Tree after the celebration was over. I liked him, he liked me, we just kinda kept seeing each other." She shrugged a little. "So does your mystery girl have a name?"

 

[Menelie]

Wolfs Heart

"Yeah... Sorry I don't have much help for your friend " he apologized. He listened to her story about Venus Day. That didn't seem like it would help him very much. For one, Venus Day was still a ways off, but also they weren't really supposed to go and he had a feeling that the consequences of going would be more severe for him since he had a 'questionable background'.

"So... Following her around might work then..." He mused aloud his takeaway from her Venus Day story.

"Kyrie..." He glanced around as if he had said a big secret out loud, but if he was trying to figure out his next move, was it really a secret.

Menelie

Tirzah couldn't help but chuckle at him. He was adorable. "I mean, you could try asking her on a date," suggested Tirzah with a suppressed smile. She looked up as the lunch bell rang. "Thank the gods. C'mon, let's eat." She stood up and motioned for Auric to come with her. They'd go down to the common dining area for lunch, then back up for the rest of their shift.

"So what's this Kyrie like? She more outgoing, or is she shy like you?" inquired Tirzah as they walked. Auric obviously needed help here, and Tirzah was happy to provide. He was a nice guy and deserved happiness.

Wolfs Heart

Auric carefully put aside his equipment and removed his gloves before following the rest of his coworkers down to the eating area. "Well we kind of went on a date maybe. I asked her to eat lunch with me, that was about the best I could think to do at the time." Was that a date? He hadn't expressly called it that. "She is shy," although he didn't think she was shy compared to him or maybe they were just shy in different ways, "she works in the archives... Seems to really like stories." Auric couldn't say he had read any stories, maybe if he had he would have a better idea how to do a grand gesture without Venus Day to help. Auric grabbed his lunch and sat down. "Did you like..." Auric did not feel like he was close enough to Tirzah to ask this question, but really he didn't have anyone who talked to him as much as Tirzah did. "Ugh... I mean how long before you kissed... or he kissed you? Or..." Auric hid his face in hands.

Menelie

Okay, so two shy Faun trying to get together. Lovely. How were they going to get anything done? Or anyone for that matter. Tirzah sat down beside Auric and gave him an encouraging smile. "Lunch date! Great! Did she seem like she enjoyed herself?" she asked, tucking into her lunch right away. At his next question, though, Tirzah couldn't help but snort. "Me? Uh, well, the thing is that me and Rho did things maybe a bit out of order for what you're thinking, friend," she responded with a meaningful expression.

"But I feel like a third date would be a good time to try. Hopefully by the third date she knows you well enough to know whether or not she wants to continue this relationship, and she'll either appreciate the hell out of you making the next move, if she's shy like you say, or she won't want to kiss, and that's when it's important to use your words, right? Like, ask if she just wants to wait longer, or if she's not feelin' it. And, I mean, if she's not feelin' it by the third date that's on her." She paused for a moment then reached over and touched Auric's arm. "Hey, don't look so freaked out. You're kind and gentle, not to mention handsome and incredibly well-built. You could sweep this girl off her hooves if you wanted, literally." She thought about suggesting he do exactly that but decided against it.

Wolfs Heart

Auric thought back to the lunch he had with Kyrie. She didn't run out screaming, or seem completely bored with him so those were probably good signs. He nodded his head in response as be busied himself with his food.

He had to pause his eating and just stare at her as she explained this concept of a third date. It's not like Auric couldn't wait until the third date, he didn't want to push things or push his luck, but Tirzah had so much to say about it he wasn't sure how he would ever know. Maybe that was the point though, maybe he didn't know because they had only been out to lunch once, maybe by the third date he would know her well enough to well... Know these things. "Use my words... Right." He laughed at her joke about sweeping Kyrie off her hooves, trying to relax a little. It wasn't like there was anything he could do about it right now, but just talking about it got him flustered.

Menelie

"You said she works in the archives, right? Maybe after work someday wander up there and see if she's still there, and invite her to dinner. By making the next move, you show her you're interested." Tirzah shifted on the bench she was sitting on. "And I'm always here if you want more advice," she offered, then, after a pause, added, "Just be yourself, my guy."

Wolfs Heart

"Thanks, I'll do that, I asked her once, I'm sure I can do it again. Although I have no idea how it happened the first time." He laughed. It seemed if things didn't work out he might end up with Tirzah asking other faun if they were single because she knew this guy named Auric, and he did NOT want that to happen. Auric tried to quickly scarf his food down now. Maybe he could work up the nerve to go after shift today, but he would really need to finish his work early then so that he could clean himself up before heading to the archives. He wouldn't say yes to a date with himself in his current state. "I'm glad things seem to be working out for you and your boyfriend even though you did things differently? Things don't have to be perfect to work out, it seems."

Menelie

Tirzah smiled warmly. "Great advice," she said, then raised her eyebrows like, you should take your own advice. She took a long drink of her water. Tirzah was very curious about what this girl was actually like, not filtered through Auric's perceptions (and insecurity). She thought about wandering up to the archives sometime to look for some light reading, even just to see what she looked like. Not like, today or anything, as she had...plans...for after work. "And thanks," she added. "Things do seem to be working out." She stood up. "I'm going to get more water, want anything?" she asked.

Wolfs Heart

Auric hadn't really thought of it as advice, it was definitely the last thing he could give advice on, ask him about plants, but the comment did make him take pause. It really hadn't gone perfect when he asked her to eat with him, but she said yes anyways. "Thanks, but I'm alright. Going to finish this up and then get back to it." Auric wasn't looking forward to the rest of his shift at this point of the day. He was going to need to remember to start coming in earlier so that he got more done while it was still cool. While Tirzah was getting more water for herself, Auric chugged his water and was finishing up the last few bites of his food when she returned. He stood up from his spot. "I'll see you when you get back out there, okay? Thanks for the talk, I'll let you know how it goes."