[SRP Discord log] The book of love is long and borning

[Reoakee]

Teal Tale was minding the store for Dea while she was off taking care of something at home. Teal Tale had recently found an apartment and was mostly transitioned out for herself. In her apartment complex there were mostly nice ponies though one was quite tall and looking like something from a horror flick. Still the Aquatic pony was nice so Teal had no issue with them being her neighbor. Hearing the door she moved around the shelves to peek in at who came in. It was the teal bat ghoulie that dropped off tea for Dea. “Hang on I’ll get the staff room door.” She moved swiftly to open up the back room and keep the door open for the other pony. Why Dea had tea getting dropped here now rather then at her home was strange perhaps it had something to do with the ghoulie who was now working in the tea shop these came from
“Heya thanks for that.” Azar pranced around the counter with his wings folded up helping him to hold onto the package. His tail was already sniffing around making little grumbling noises. There was something about the smell of books that made him think about being trapped in classes when he was a foal. He didn’t like it at all because it made him think of those times, but he did like was the cute little unicorn who helped take the deliveries. She was nice and pretty cute. He still couldn’t seem to figure out what she liked to ask her on a date though. The owner of the place seemed to get some idea he liked the unicorn because she changed her order drop off from her own to this shop when the teal pony stopped living there. “I’m sorry I”ll need you to sign for this order. It’s some more of the expensive tea’s this time.”
“I understand and it’s no issue. “ She pointed to where the package could be placed at. The delivery pony set the package down and moved around in a satchel to pull out something to sign. She found a pen and signed the paper. She watched as the other pony checked the signature. She nudged the package bit further back away from the counter.
“Teal Tale nice name. I’m Azar Equinox” She even had a nice signature. “So I didn’t see you start here until this past spring. Where are you from?” He noticed her bangs shift a bit as she swung her head to look at him. The shop was pretty empty so it’s not like it would kill them to chat for a short bit of time. This was his last delivery on the way. “also I’m looking for some good maps. Got any atlas’s in stock?” He watched her nod and head out back into the shop proper. She answered his question as she walked.
“I’m a temporary hire this summer. I’m from Drizzle Town.” She moved to the far side of the store were the food and tavel section was at. It was always an odd combo to her as she would have had them in separate sections but seeing as they were both so small they had been combined and of course there was some cross over as food from other places was always popular. “After the coming of the changelings I decided to take a break from town and travel for a bit. I meet Dea leaving and have been working with her since then. “You will find maps and atlas’s here. Any specific spot you are looking for?”
“The coming of the changelings? That must have been something to see.” He thought her phrasing was a bit odd but kind of cute as well. He checked over the little selection of maps. They weren’t really as detailed as he was looking to get. Still it might help him get where he was going and then find a travel agency where he was at then. Flipping a few out he checked prices. Not too bad. He had a few extra bits enough to cover this on him. “I’m glad you found a place to work so fast that’s not always the easiest thing.” He remembered his own job hunt that had bombed out more than not until his old friend had opened up the whistling kettle. “these should do”
“It was something that was terrifying at first but ended well enough. A good friend of mine from years back was actually a changeling and revealed themselves for the sake of his beloved my sister.” She smiled gently thinking back. Cherry and Mango were the only ones who really took the time to help Deli while she was frozen and the whole ordeal was horrifying. Thank goodness for Cherries’ actions back then. It had taken quite some time to get over it all. “I am as well. Leaving was hard and there was so much going on it was overwhelming for a bit. “
“What really? It sounds like some sort of drama movie you see on those heart warming stories. You know the ones that play around the holidays?” He waved a hoof around hopping she understood while he moved back toward the counter to pay for his maps. Riffling around in his bag he fished out enough bits to pay for his maps. “So since you haven’t been here all that long found any good places to eat yet? If not I can show you a few places? And you can tell me all about Drizzle Town. I haven’t had a delivery there yet but if I do it’d be nice to know what the place is like.” He offered figuring it might be a long shot but he had to take a shot at it if she was going to leaving being only temporary help here there was no telling if or when she would be headed back home or even somewhere else.
She couldn’t disagree it would certainly make one large drama to go through what her sister had. And it even had that sappy nice happy ending that those shows tended to. Still she wouldn’t have it any other way for Cherry and Delicate Trinket. She felt a bit homesick thinking about them and decided on her next break she was going to take some time to visit them. Counting out the bits she rang up the maps. “I have found a few good places but I wouldn’t mind learning about some more. I don’t mind telling you about drizzle town. I can make a rough map if you need. You should stop by Cherry’s fruit stall if it’s open and see the glass shop my sister runs.” She was very proud of her sister and it must have shown in her tone as the delivery pony seemed surprised
SCORE!!! Azar had no idea it would really be that easy to get a date. All he had to do was to ask? “right well I’ll be here after the place closes for the night unless that’s too soon for you?” He saw her shake her head no. Giving her large grin he gave her a wave. “Well I’d best get back with the payments for delivery or Razzleberry will have my head. I”ll see you later Teal Tale I look forward to our date tonight and being able to hear all about Drizzle Town and your sister’s shop.” He didn’t hang around to see the surprised look on her face while he trotted out.
Teal was shocked. She had a date. She hadn’t considered him asking her about restaurants a date at all. He had just wanted to know about her town for deliveries. But it did qualify for a date didn’t it? She moved about the shop with nervous energy having never really been on dates. She had asked others out but she had been rejected many times and the only pony she had seriously thought of pursuing had been Shadow Flower and that pony made it clear the last time Teal saw her that she wanted nothing to do with Teal Tale. To that end Teal had stepped back and when she left Drizzle town she had closed off her heart in a way. She wished the best for Shadowed Flower but didn’t think it would be possible for another pony to have interest in her. She was blunt she knew but she knew no other way to be.  

[Reoakee]

Azar swung open the doors for the Sea Dragon’s fangs. He looked back to let Teal Tale move past him and in first. She had been quite, well she was quite much of the time so perhaps this was normal? Still it felt awkward as she kept looking at him but when he looked at her with a smile she would look down or away. He was pretty sure he could see a blush under her bangs, but it was hard to tell with craning his neck to the side to really look. Finding a booth for them she slipped in and sat down. It was a Chinese style restaurant that offered a buffet option that he loved to take advantage of. His tail gave a chitter knowing what was coming. That was the nice thing about House Eleganza it had a lot of shops and was just far enough out of town proper that it was overlooked often if you were the kind that got stuck with the idea of staying in the city. He noticed Teal watching his tail. “ah sorry about that. Just excited the food is pretty nice and while it’s a buffet they change out the food often so it’s always fresh, unlike some places that just sit for hours.” She nodded. “Hey Teal Tale are you ok?”
“Yes, no. I’m not sure.” Teal had spent the whole shift tying herself up in knots over this… date? Yes it was indeed a date. “I’m not used to being asked out. I’m blunt, I always speak what’s on my mind. I have been told before that my advances even just compliments are unwelcome.” It was the truth. Shadowed Flower and her family were very clear that Teal complimenting Shadowed and telling the earth pony how skilled or beautiful she was unwelcome, unwanted. It didn’t mean she hated them or that they hated her after all they were just protecting their family as Royal Indigo had specifically hunted down Teal Tale as she was headed to pack after the Spring Market debacle to make sure she knew they hadn’t meant to be cold to here but they were ‘in their own head’. It was fine as they were just protecting family. All she had asked was for Royal to tell Shadowed how amazing she was and help her see her talent, with that single request Teal had left the town and only written back to her sister. “So this situation is new to me and I am felling like floundering.” She looked at the ghoulie bat not certain if her words had really come across as they were looking at her with a smile but the expression on their face made them look like a moron.
“Ah so you are new to the dating world then. That uncomfortable feeling is pretty normal. It can be like butterflies or like getting dumped in cold water spun around and shot into the sky only to spin around dizzy enough that you want to throw up.” He flagged down the waiter. “Two for the buffet please.” With that clear he got up and gestured with a wing. “I find walking around a bit helps. Let’s snag some food things and that should give you something to focus on rather than the situation. If you relax a bit I am sure you will feel better.” Azar was a bit surprised that Teal Tale didn’t have more experience and couldn’t just see she was nervous. It was adorable. He wanted to know more of her story to see what had really made her this way. He bet it was goodness of a story. He trotted around the buffet table and grabbed a decent plate of food. He was not one to be shy and if his date was going to judge him on it so be it. Just having fun and being himself was far more important. Teal was quite still while she got her plate. Azar paid it little mind letting her work out what she wanted. He had the feeling when she found her hooves she would be just fine.
Sitting back down Teal looked over her plate she had gotten as many sour dishes as she could as she liked sour things. She had even seen lemons available to squeeze over meat and she had just grabbed several slices to munch on by themselves as she liked the flavor. Azar had been right. Walking had helped a bit. Was she just nervous? Perhaps this was how others had felt when she had complimented them? She did not like the floundering feeling one bit. “Thank you.” She looked at Azar’s surprised face. “Your advice was helpful even if the imagery was weird and mentioning emesis in a restaurant is poor placement. I think you are very kind. Yes I am new to the dating world. I don’t like not knowing things or being able to do things.” Trying some of the food she had gotten at the buffet she was surprised. “This is very good.” Azar was right this place was not somewhere she had been before and was pleasantly surprised.
“Sorry about the imagery. It’s just the best explanation I could think of.” He feed his tail some food and knew he would have to be careful how many plates to get as both he and his tail would eat too much before realizing in a place like this. “and it’s fine not to be used to something you haven’t done too much of. Before you mentioned being from Drizzle Town. If it’s somewhere you like or even are glad to have left it might be easier to talk about that. Like me. I’m from just outside the prisim palace area. It’s breathtaking and nice but not really where I wanted to live. Bouncing around for a while I ended up helping Razzleberry Tea with their shop and it’s where I find I want to be. I run deliveries and get to travel a lot which I love but I have a place to come back to which matters to me.” It was a simple explanation of his life but it was true none the less. Razz had always looked out for him which he was grateful for after losing several jobs because he couldn’t stand doing them.
“it’s not wrong, just poorly placed.” She started to nibble on a lemon while whaching him feed his tail partly fascinated. She wondered if Azar could taste what he fed his tail or if it was a separate senation. She would look it up in a book latter. Listening to his story she decided to tell her own. “Well as you know I was born in Drizzle Town. My sister Delicate Trinket runs a glass shop. It’s one of my favorite places in all of the world.” Her voice was soft and gentle speaking of Delicate Trinket’s glass shop. She could see the artworks in the shop without having to try. “The glass catches any light and it just glows with an inner light that doesn’t look like it came from the sunlight. It makes the glass look like it’s alive inside the longer you look and you expect it to move any moment. Dancing ponies with wings so delicate you could swear you can see the feathers grain, Dragons so imposing they seem to bear down into your soul. It’s more magical then words can ever say.” She changed topics thinking she was gushing to much over his sisters skills. “Delicate has always taken care of me and helped me if I ever had a bad day or needed anything. She always understood me more than anything else.” She felt tears start to play at the corners of her eyes. Blinking them away she cleared her throat. “ Anyway. There is also a fruit stand that should also be visited. Cherry and Mango’s fruit stand. They always have fresh fruit and it’s wonderful at good prices.” She started to remember the Spring festival and the pain that Cherry had when he gave up his glamour to help Deli.
Was she crying? Ah hell. Grabbing a napkin he held it out to her and then got a second one and dipped a straw in water capping it off he lifted it and let the water rush out onto the second napkin making an impromptu cleaning cool cloth for under her eyes just in case she was wearing makeup. “Here you go this is nice and cool and might feel better on your cheeks.” His tail ever oblivious kept right on eating. “It sounds like you might be a little homesick. Still it’s great you love your hometown so much. I don’t have too much attachment to a place but just a few people. If I was gone from them without visiting every so often I think I might feel lonely looking back.” He tapped his hooves on the table thinking it over. He was reckless at times so why not? it was a good idea. As small voice in the back of his head that sounded like Razzleberry was calling him a moron. “You know I think Razzleberry Tea wanted me to take some sampler’s out to farther out places like Drizzle Town to help spread out his market so you wanna come along?”
“You are asking me to just leave my job and travel with essentially a stranger to my home town that I can’t even really describe in detail without breaking down in tears.” Teal was wiping under eyes but her tongue was working just fine as was her brain. “You realize how foolish that sounds right? That is the kind of set up that leads to those ‘murdered at a tragic age’ headlines and stories. ” She noticed Azar must have considered it as they just grinned at her like a fool. Still she was here having gone on a date with him which was just as risky as she hadn’t spoken with Dea as to where she was going as she herself hadn’t known before the date. She took a breath. “I will be headed back home for a small visit in a week for a short trip back home. I wouldn’t mind company.” It would give her time to talk to Dea about it and pack and send her sister a message. This was not really planned but perhaps Azar was right and she needed to visit home a bit more often.
Well this date was going well. Not only had he made her homesick and brought her to tears, but he had given her the idea he was a total moron. Ah well he was offered a trip with her which would give him more time to talk to her and perhaps learn more about her. “A week it is. I’ll let Razz know I’ll take some time off to take some samples out to Drizzletown. And don’t worry, isn’t traveling with others a good way to prevent those kinds of headlines?” He grinned at her watching her look down and focus more on her food. He really did like her. She was an honest pony. “I’m looking forward to seeing your sister’s glass work. It sounds like I will need to bring extra bits to pick some souvenirs up. And of course try out that fruit stand you were telling me about. We can visit a few more stores here if you want. They even have a book store called The Page Turner. You can check out the local competition. ” He widened his eyes with each word of the name trying to make it sound ominous. Really it was pretty nice thought the shop owner was strange with their love of incenses but whatever made them happy right? He was just going to take it nice and slow since it was clear trying anything fast might scare Teal into having a heart attack  

[Reoakee]

A Trip to Drizzletown--------------------------------------------------------------.-----------------------------------
Teal was headed to the bed and breakfast that Az had let her know about. She looked around feeling the town was smaller. The basket she had with her shifted as the child inside moved. “We’ll be there soon.” Teal shifted the basket and kept trotting. The light rain ran off her bangs. She hoped Azar was in there still and didn’t decide to go shopping without her. It was true she hadn’t packed everything and had some shopping to do but she also worried he would run off and miss the good shops. Finding the building she slipped into it looking around. It modern clean and tasteful. She understood that was good for business but it didn’t feel old and home like to her. Staying with Dae had changed her tastes slightly. That was a sad thought in a way as Teal thought nothing would ever change her mind. Blinking she looked at the floor and noticed a long line of wet spots on the floor. Azar was of course still here as the water was fresh. She sighed and moved to the little kitchenette and used magic to snag a rag and wipe off the floor as she looked over the basket. Thankfully the foal inside was nice and dry. Dumping the rag on the side of the sink she looked around the small living room. The place was just as it had been shown online. Looking out the window to the small town she noticed a little brown foal
sitting on the side of a fence looking at the bed and breakfast. Perhaps they were hoping for a playmate to be here? Teal looked at her basket. The child was almost big enough to climb out now and Teal herself was not all that big. She wondered how big her little one would end up. She head some clattering in a back room. Moving down the hall she saw Azar fumbling with unpacking some luggage to the closet. It was mostly her packages for Deli. She had some for Mango and Cherry as well as she hadn’t seen them in a long time. “Thank alicorns those are books or I might be annoyed.” Azar looked at her sheepishly. “It’s fine. Books tend to be durable so it’s fine.” She shrugged and noticed Azar was starring. “What?” When he said she looked cute she fled to the living room making up an excuse to want to see what was available for amenities on the little pamphlet in the living room. She nearly tripped over her own basket. She really didn’t understand how Azar could be so ridiculous. She needed some time with her sister to figure it out. Deli likely could make better sense of things and give her good advice as the only advice she had ever gotten from Dae was ‘go for it’ and that was not helpful at all.
Azar was feeling pretty good about this trip. Teal hadn’t ditched him for starters. That had been a concern. Razzleberry was fine with him taking some time off from the shop and taking some samples out to Drizzletown. This place seemed like a soggy mess to him. He had come right in with the luggage and left it in the rooms and dried off his wings in the bathroom before he had thought to put the luggage away. Finishing up putting Teal’s up for the stuff he figured was safe to get into as there were some bits of luggage that were clearly more personal accouterments that he wasn’t touching. He joined Teal out in the living room. Well she was still in the place looking out the window. Peeking over her head he saw a little foal with white hair. “Thinking back to your own childhood?” He had to duck his head back to avoid the horn as Teal jumped. She was looking to the side and he could see her cheeks darkening. She was so cute embarrassed. “Well I think it’s not really a surprise given you said you hadn’t been back here in a while. And well you have a kid now and all.” He shrugged not thinking to much on it himself. He didn’t mind Teal having a child and in fact was still very interested in the idea of her becoming his mate but she seemed skittish on the idea of dating much less anything more so he was putting that to the back burner for now while she sorted her life out a bit more. He was happy just to get to know her more. Still everything he found he liked which wasn’t much as she seemed to
become selectively mute at times. It was part of why this trip was so important to him. He really wanted to know more and meet her sister and see that glass shop. He thought back to the trip heading out and smiled as he trotted to the kitchen to whip up a snack and give Teal time to settle a bit. She was so easy to startle sometimes. He had come to help plan for the trip only to be directed to the back stock room by a rather amused blind bookshop owner only to find Teal in a panic hovering over a basket in the back room. He remembered how she had looked up at him and just said, ‘it would seem I have a child now you might be better perusing another pony, I understand if you will not be accompanying me to Drizzletown’. She had said it with such a simple finality like having a kid was a deal breaker. The look of shock when he laughed and said that just meant they would need extra luggage and it was really a good thing she had extra hooves along to help out. That thought made him smile pretty much the whole trip though Teal Tale was twice as jumpy around him now.
Teal looked at the couch for a bit trying to sort out her mind. She glanced at Azar’s tail snuffling at the basket and scooping it up as Azar went into the kitchen. It always seemed so strange to her to see how relaxed Azar seemed around her child. Her tail would offend find its’ way into the basket to snuggle with her foal like an over sized toy. She could tell the little had swatted and stabbed the tail a few time from the way Azar winced at times but he never said a thing about it. She head a small thunk as Azar was putting some fruit for a sandwich or two from the amount. Glancing at the pamphlets she noticed the town hadn’t really changed all that much from her childhood. She really wasn’t sure what to do. She wanted to just sneak off to Deli’s shop but she also wanted to bring Azar along like promised as the shop was beyond describing and one of her favorite places in all of the town. “The town has a decent eatery and a cupcake place has opened up. There was an alicorn there earlier.” She noticed an ear swiveled listening and Azar nodded. “I know you are planning a sandwich now but if you are waiting for the rain to let up you will be pretty disappointed. If you want to snag some shopping for dinner you might want to do it now before it really starts to rain.” She noticed Azar was peeking at her with a small grin. A small part of her was tempted to kick him. “I mean I can show you a few shops if you want.” He answered in the affirmative which made her feel better so that she didn't’ have to ask him to go shopping with her. She had decided to keep her word first and this way Delicate Trinket could get a view on Azar as well so Teal had less questions to ask. She watched as a sandwich was slid toward her.
“Shopping for dinner on an empty stomach would be a pretty big mistake. We can make this a quick bite then head out.” Azar winced a little as a sharp small hoof found his tail, thankfully his partner was pretty durable and doing ok. Really he was glad his tail seemed to like Tale and her little boy Amonteal as well. He wouldn’t tell Teal but when they were on their way here they had gotten a cart ride and his tail had curled around Teal and cuddled her when she slept. Making a sandwhich for himself. He scarfed it down while he watched teal make a short list of places to visit on a notepad. Even for a trip back home she seemed to be more in her head and on work mode. He really wished she could relax a bit. She must be really nervous. Well he would follow her and go at her pace. Not only that but it would give him a chance to look at the stores today and go back and market the Whistling Kettle Tea like he promised Razz. He might be a bit foolish but he wasn’t a fool completely. He was gonna have to to get a new umbrella for himself as he might have forgotten his back in everville. Once the sandwiches were finished and Teal finished her list he followed her out the door and covered her with a wing while his tail curled keeping the basket under his other wing. He was surprised how big the foal was getting already.
“You don’t have to cover me at all.” Teal looked up at Azar with a frown. She was fine with the rain. It really was light for this area and she was more then used to it having grown up here. Azar made a joke about having raincoats to spare growing out his back. He noticed a few glances and wondered if they knew Teal Tale as they seemed surprised to see her. How long was she gone for? She had said since the Spring festival so it had been a while but no need to look so surprised. She could still feel a blush on her cheeks. Deciding to ditch Azar at the first shop she quickly dragged him to the market and started slowly going down the isles looking about. Azar it seemed was quickly distracted as he was looking at a small crate of apples. “I’ll be back latter. I wanna make a quick stop elsewhere and I’ll be back. Could you hold onto Amonteal for me? Where I’m headed can be crowded and I want him to be relaxed.” she watched Azar nod still looking over the apples. Seeing his tail secure around the basket she felt a bit better and headed out quickly trotting to her sister’s shop. She was out of breath by the time she arrived. The closed sign made her want to cry. She desperately wanted to talk to her sister about a few things. Still Deli hardly ever took a day off so it must be well earned. Internally screaming Teal tried to figure out what to do next.  

[Reoakee]

moved to BS