[PRP] I Need to Talk to Someone (Azar and Iroh)

[Kimaria]

He was so confused.

His life, in literally a single act, had been turned completely upside down. When had life become so complicated? When he'd been a juvenile he'd only had training in mind. Getting better. Becoming the best. Doing all he could to be the most famed guard in all of Firekin history!! And now...hitting adolescence, everything was muddled and he didn't know how to cope with it.

First there was the crush he had on his teacher, Uuo. He'd been hiding away from her as much as possible to avoid any flustered, embarrassed moments. But he had to train and training meant seeing her and seeing her...well it made his head and his heart hurt.

And then there was his bigger problem. Ursa. Where to start with her? His first friend. His best friend, perhaps, despite their arguing. He'd let his spontaneous feelings get the better of him and now they weren't even talking.

He looked a miserable sort now, having barely any motive to even get up in the morning, let alone do anything productive. However, today he was making the effort and had taken the initiative to take a guarding shift. But he did it without much enthusiasm and that was clear to anyone who might happen by.  

[Lithiasaur]

Iroh wasn't in the worst mood. Yes, he had a lot to think about, but somehow, even though it was all complicated, it was soothing. He almost enjoyed, if it weren't such an inappropriate word, having something to focus on. No, the situation wasn't the happiest one, but he wasn't worried. He didn't feel like it was the end of the world.

But maybe he was a sucker for new life, and the romantic ideas behind births. He was a fluffy, hopeless case, it seemed.

He knew Ursa was worried. She was so young, and she didn't know what she was getting into or how it might turn out. Iroh didn't know, either. He was maybe going to be an Uncle, if she was pregnant, and that meant a lot to him. The snag of it all was that she wasn't sure who the father was. It might have been Azar, her best friend, or it might have been Jua, Iroh's best friend.

Being an adolescent was complicated. For everyone, it seemed.

Iroh caught a familiar scent in the air and tilted his head, feeling a heavy air following it. Frowning, the naturally caring lion padded closer to a guard who did not look altogether happy to be guarding anything at all. He tilted his head.

"Hello there, Azar," he said jovially, smiling. It wasn't feigned, since Iroh rarely had to fake a smile.  

[Kimaria]

His head jerked up. Dammit, who was that? Someone come to check up on him and found him dawdling? This was stupid, he could be putting the pride in danger by not concentrating on the job! Idiot.Idiot.Idiot!! Red eyes swept round to catch a glimpse of Iroh, the extremely pale Firekin, so white he was almost blinding. So it seemed Azar would always think so every time they met.

He gave a snort and turned to meet him. The most unlikely of friends, but friends nonetheless.

"Iroh." He sort of half grunted the name. "What are you doing all the way out here? Come to do a spot of guarding, or what? There sure ain't any water here." He threw a look about him as if he were worried he might have missed it.

He hadn't.

The desert was dry as always.  

[Lithiasaur]

Iroh sat down not too far from Azar, still smiling.

"Oh, no, I wasn't looking for water or looking to guard anything," he laughed, shaking his head, "just wandering where ever my paws wanted to take me today, I think. They seem to have led me right to you, though, so how about that? If you don't mind my company."

He flicked his tail, soft, intelligent eyes looking Azar over thoughtfully.

"Are you okay, my friend?" He asked, not knowing how much Azar knew, but clearly picking up on some irritation. The red lion's eyes were full of conflict and thought, and though Iroh couldn't read them in any coherent language, he knew they it was trouble for his friend.

"You seem a bit ruffled."  

[Kimaria]

He guessed it couldn't hurt. In fact maybe it'd help lighten his mood, remind him that by losing Ursa he hadn't lost everything, that he still did have one friend. Again, an odd thing that Azar had found companionship in a male void of red. The normally judgemental lion seemed to have made an exception for this one. Then again, with Iroh's charm, what was there not to like? He was a likeable guy!

"Couldn't hurt." He responded, lifting his eyes to meet the pale face of his companion. He saw a thoughtfulness there and flinched, turning away in fear that what was bothering him was written all over his face.

He sure felt like it was...

"Ruffled is an understatement. Ugh, Iroh, I messed things up big time." He kicked out at the sand and paced a little, growling and huffing to himself. Then he stopped and threw another look in the male's direction.

"And I don't know what to do. I don't have anyone I can turn to." Not even Mother, this time, he thought miserably.  

[Lithiasaur]

Iroh nodded and grinned. He flicked his tail and purred a bit, glad that he at least wasn't hanging around just to annoy the other male further. That really wasn't in the plan. His friendly eyes softened further as Azar looked away from him, understanding already without the conversation even being brought up.

"I'm sure you haven't messed everything up," Iroh said, looking around, "I mean, the sun is still rising and falling. That's a good sign, right? I saw a cave crumbling the other day, and I'm pretty sure that wasn't your fault. So good and bad things happen all the time, without fault attached." He shrugged his shoulders, offering a smile. Maybe being a bit light about it wasn't the right tactic.

"This one situation is complicated, I'll give you that one," he nodded, sighing. He had to admit that he spent a lot of time thinking about Ursa's trouble, and he wasn't even in on all the details. He tilted his head, "but you'll work through it. Everyone will. And I'm always available to talk to."

He shook his head, "I can't say it'll be easy and it'll all figure itself out without feelings getting hurt or more trouble starting, but I do know that you're better than you give yourself credit. Maybe you do know what to do, but you haven't found the right moment to do it. Sometimes over thinking things makes us our own worst enemies."  

[Kimaria]

(( sorry hon, totally missed that you tagged this one @_@ ))

Iroh was an odd one. He compared day to day situations with the rise and fall of the sun? With a crumbling cave? Maybe he would have smiled - or even laughed - if he'd not felt so awful, that was. He threw Iroh a look that seemed to say something along the lines of: You're mad, you know that, right? Then he shifted and gave a sort of weak-half smile.

"You...you've spoken to Ursa?" He paled, feeling sick. How was he going to get himself out of this situation?

Luckily, before the panic could set in, Iroh continued to talk, distracting him from wallowing too much in those bad thoughts.

"Thinking too much isn't my problem." Azar continued grumpily. "It's talking too much. If it wasn't for my big mouth, there's no way things would have gotten so bad." Not forgetting his cowardice, either...if he'd been more willing to accept responsibility, maybe this would have been a lot better. No, it definately would have been a lot better. "I think I'll just make things worse. Anyway, it's not like Ursa's alone, is it? I mean she has her family and you..." He trailed, helplessly.  

[Lithiasaur]

Iroh nodded.

"Though, I guess we're one and the same," he looked thoughtful, "since I'm her family. But if she needs us she's got us, and she knows that. I'm not sure that's what she wants, though."

He tilted his head thoughtfully. Of course, he as aware that he was a bit of an oddball, in more ways than one, but he didn't mind it. Right now he wasn't even thinking about himself. He didn't like Ursa or Azar, or Jua for that matter, since it extended that far, to be upset. If he could take all their problems for them and just leave them all feeling good, he would without hesitating. But he hadn't quite figured out how to do something like that just yet.

"Anyway, mouths are meant for talking. And eating, of course, but that's not... on point. But words are just as good at getting you out of trouble as they are getting you into it." He hummed thoughtfully. He wasn't going to tell Azar what to do, per se, but he didn't mind dropping hints.