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 Posted: Tue May 03, 2022 9:27 am
Menelie Lily had come down to the common eating area for the morning meal. It was quite early in the day, but as it was a brisk winter morning, she was anxious to get down to the boiler room to make sure everyone had heat and hot water. She'd put her hair in a tight braid and laced her wings into their special corset to keep them flat against her back, out of sight. She got her meal and a cup of dark coffee and looked for a place to sit. Lily typically liked to eat alone, but she didn't see any open tables today. Grimacing, she headed for a table near the doors, with only one other Faun sitting at it. "Morning," she greeted him softly, setting her cup and plate down. "OK if I sit here?" Fea Line Wolfmane had had a long night, albeit very productive one and had come in for a bit of coffee to reenergize. He was used to being up all hours with little sleep but sometimes he did need a pick me up before he could return to his hovel and rest. And so he found himself in the common area, sipping a cup of black coffee, his eyes shut and often an occasional accidental snore as he nodded off. A voice woke him from his brief snooze and he blinked, his short fuzzy mane like hair standing up a bit. He eyed the brown female a moment in a sort of grumpy confused haze before he shook his head. "Sorry.... go ahead." he said, extending out a had and pointing at the other seat. "I wont be here long to disturb you." he added again, his voice a bit gruff though if you asked others, that was just how he sounded. He had seen the female before, briefly however, but it was still hard not to notice she wasn't like most faun. But he had heard she was loyal to the tree and for him, that's all he needed to hear. Menelie "Thanks," said Lily quietly, taking the seat. She focused on her own meal, but it was difficult not to notice her "companion" was dozing off, especially when he snored gently. She couldn't help but blush, feeling a sort of secondhand embarrassment for him, nodding off in the common area. She stole a glance at him over her coffee mug and felt a pang of sympathy. Lily wondered what he did for work, that would make him so tired even in the morning. She finished her meal and her coffee, but wanted a second cup to take with her down to the boiler room. She glanced over at him again, noting his cup was still half-full. But he'd been here before her, so it couldn't still be warm. She stood and picked up her cup. "I'm, um, getting some more coffee. Can I get you a fresh cup?" she offered, gesturing to his mug. Fea Line It took a moment for her words to register and he blinked open his eyes, his scruffy brows furrowing a moment as he glanced down at his cup. He put a hand on the side, felt it was cooling, then nodded. "Actually that would be appreciated." he said, leaning back into his chair and rolling his neck to work out some kinks. "Perhaps I will drink this next one." he said, intending it to be a joke of sorts but the way his natural voice sounded, well he just sounded grumpy about the 'loss' of his first cup. A brief flick of his tail and ears, he forced his yellow eyes open to really get a good look at her. She looked a bit like coffee herself, with fresh cream poured in as it was mixing and falling to the bottom. The green feathered head wings weren't usual though and he drifted off staring at them, watching as they moved with her movements, wondering what purpose they could possibly serve her. Menelie Lily nodded and picked up his cup. She went to the area with the carafes of coffee and hot water for tea. She poured out the remaining coffee in both cups, then refilled both with the dark brew. When Lily returned to the table she noticed he'd dozed off again, so she set the cup in front of him and put a gentle hand on his shoulder, just briefly, to wake him. "Here you go," she said. "Enjoy your day," she added softly, before nodding by way of a "greeting" and taking her cup and heading down to the boiler room. Once or twice during her workday she wondered about the sleepy male, still curious about his habits. Lily tried to put him out of her mind; after all, there were so many Faun, the likelihood of their paths crossing again seemed low.
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Posted: Tue May 03, 2022 9:29 am
Menelie Although the likelihood of their paths crossing again seemed low, when Lily turned up for breakfast the next day, she was surprised to see him as her eyes scanned the room for an empty table. Despite there being an empty table today, she decided to sit with him again. "Good morning," she said softly, wondering if he was as sleepy today as he was yesterday. "May I join you again?" Fea Line Wolfmane had simply nodded to her comment and went back to whatever he had been doing. The next day was about the same, sleeping until he had to get to work then being up all night and then some, working well through his only break and now found himself, out of habbit, falling asleep over a cup of coffee, the scent of it soothing him enough to let himself drift off. Not to mention how the warm steam seemed to relax his face. At least until she sat down and he blinked open his eyes to see the female from before and he took a moment to let his brain catch up. "Oh, hello again." he greeted, gruff voice as usual. "If you don't mind a tired grump." he offered, gesturing to the empty chair before actually drinking his coffee rather than falling asleep on it. He tilted his head back as it went down, letting it sooth his throat as well. Menelie Lily smiled a bit and sat down with a quiet "thanks". She minded her own breakfast for a moment, enjoying the appearance of fresh fruit as the weather got warmer. Then her curiosity got the better of her. "If you don't mind my asking, what has you so tired this morning?" she asked. Lily was, at her core, an extrovert, and more prone to making conversation than being quiet. She usually kept to herself in the common areas, for fear of standing out too much, but something about this male's gentle grumpiness was endearing to her. Fea Line Wolfmane at first let out a sort of grump growl before rubbing the fuzzy sides of his cheeks. "My job." he said, swirling his mug a bit before glancing up at her with yellow eyes. "I'm part of the night guard, sometimes those shifts are long." he simply stated with a shrug before leaning back, grunting a bit as he did so. A few of his fellow guards kept pressing him to visit the healing house for a relaxing spa and day off but he simply kept resisting and trying to ignore the aches. He glanced around the room before the nagging thoughts of trying to be somewhat cordial brought his gaze back to her. "And what's with you?" he about coughed before he rubbed his face again. "Erm...I mean...I've only seen you a few times before....." Menelie Lily nodded along as he spoke, sipping at her coffee. When he asked after her, she nodded and took one last sip before speaking. "I run one of the boilers downstairs that brings hot water to the Tree," she said. "So I'm usually out of sight unless someone were to come find me down there." Was being out of sight part of the point? Absolutely.
Lily rolled her shoulders to stretch. "I'm happy to contribute, and it's honest work, but between you and me, it's exhausting and dirty." She rubbed the back of her neck, then finished her cup of coffee. "Can I get you a fresh cup?" She asked, gesturing with her mug, her tone already more friendly than it had been earlier. Fea Line "Boilers?" he half snorted, half laughed. "That seems like a tough job for someone like you." he said before he realized that may have come off wrong. "Ahurm..." he fumbled, coughing a bit. "Hot and dirty. As you said. And you are a pretty thing." he said again before he only felt like he was just putting his hoof in his mouth. He sighed, leaning forward, putting his fists on the table, albeit a bit harder than he intended and stared down into his cup. "Yes please." he said, taking it, tossing back what was left and sliding it forward towards her, now too angrily embarrassed to look her in the eye. This is why he didn't really talk to paeple much. He wasn't good at it.
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Posted: Tue May 03, 2022 9:32 am
Menelie It was a tough job, and Lily returned to her alcove every day exhausted, sweaty, filthy, and sore. But she was proud to do it. She was about to say so, but "and you are a pretty thing" threw her. She blushed and ducked her head. Nobody'd really called her pretty before. She jumped slightly when he set down his mug, then hurriedly took it and went to refill it and hers both. She was such a gentle soul, and had to watch herself all the time, that she startled easily. But she was astute enough to recognize that her dining companion hadn't intended to startle her, but was rather fumbling. But why? She shook it off as she filled both mugs with hot coffee, then returned to the table. She set his in front of him, then sat down. Nervously, she unbraided and rebraided her hair. She just couldn't get it out of her head--he thought she was pretty? Lily blushed again. Fea Line As soon as she took the cup and left, Wolfmane let out a breath he had unintentionally been holding. He also groaned as he sat back more in his seat and ran his hands roughly up across his cheeks to the bald but fluffy top of his head and over his ears. Internally a conversation with himself was raging. Good job you cold codger. Now she's probably insulted. Well you didn't really mind her company either way. You are usually alone, what's the difference now? But she is rather pretty, even if... different. Yeah, different you old fool. She's taking pity. She could also just be nice. Yeah sure, you are always grumpy and short, mind your own business and take care of yourself. That's life's motto. Arhg why can't you just----She had come back and set his mug down and he blinked up at her. "Look. I'm... not used to others talking to me. Sorry if I upset you." he said before dragging the cup close to him and staring at his dark reflection in the dark liquid. "Thanks...." he added, though it was quieter and grumpier. It seemed when he was embarrassed he came across even more grumpier. Menelie Lily shook her head. "I'm not upset," she said softly. "I'm, um, not used to others talking to me either..." She laughed nervously. "I'm sorry if I've made you feel embarrassed..." She fiddled with the end of her braid and sipped her coffee, then nibbled on some fruit. He thought she was pretty. But why? She wanted to ask him but didn't want to risk it. Maybe it had been a slip of the tongue? It had to have been. No one around here thought she was pretty. Pretty odd, maybe. "But, um, you're right, it is a hard job, and I'm not exactly built for it, but I'm proud to do it." She chanced a glance up at him. "You should come down sometime to see how it works." Fea Line Go down to the boiler? That wasn't a thought he had ever had before. It sounded interesting though, he had to admit. And he was curious to see her working in action. Almost as if... his brain couldn't quite fathom someone like her doing such a hard job. At least she wasn't upset at him though. "I don't know if you'd want me down there. I'd probably be in your way." he said at first, letting his brain dictate his actions before he paused again, taking a moment to think. "Though... I am curious." he added softly before he managed to bring himself to glance at her properly, like one should when talking to someone. "I'm... Wolfmane... by the way..." Menelie This drew a smile from Lily--a real one. "I'm Lily," she responded. She sipped her coffee, starting to feel normal again. "And I'd be happy to satisfy your curiosity. Come down once you've had a chance to rest from your work," she invited him. "I'll be there until about sundown, though I do take breaks for meals. I promise you won't be in the way." She started to finish her meal--she did need to be heading down soon. Fea Line Wolfmane repeated her name in his mind before he glanced back down at the refill she had given him, before back at her then sitting back with a groan. "I am off... I suppose I could come for a little bit. If you really don't mind. Could do with a check of security down there anyways i'm sure." he said before he about downed his coffee, heat and all, almost welcoming the sudden jolt of adrenaline that came with it. "I wont be in your way long. I usually....well sleep. Soon." he shrugged, used to his own schedule, even if it was somewhat broken.
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Posted: Tue May 03, 2022 9:33 am
Menelie Lily couldn't help but be delighted. It got quite lonely down there, though she was more than used to it by now. And she did love to show off how she worked--she had quite a unique way of stoking the fires--and no one ever got to see. She hadn't expected him to come now, though, so she mentally ran through what she'd need to get done so she didn't miss anything or mess up. That would just be the worst, especially since Wolfmane had a hard time believing she could do this work anyway.
After they finished their meal, and Lily refilled their coffee cups, they went down to the boiler room together. Lily set her cup down on a small table for her personal effects, and got to work right away. She pinned her braid up into a bun on her head, to keep it out of the way, and donned a long linen shirt to protect her skin from the heat. She narrated what she was doing as she did, to keep Wolfmane from feeling awkward, just watching her work. She wanted to make a bit of a performance out of it. She inspected the huge cauldron to make sure it didn't have any faults and that it was filled with water. She shoveled some coals into a small pile on a ceramic plate near the cauldron. "This is the fun part," she said with a little smile. She then did a very precise set of dance steps around the pile of coals, her feet moving rapidly, her back straight, her arms at her sides. When she finished the pile of coals went up in flames, and she used a very long pair of tongs to push the plate under the cauldron. Fea Line Grateful for the coffee refills, Wolfmane followed her down, though he kept held of his cup, not wanting to set it somewhere it shouldn't be. He had to admit, as she gave him the run down of things, he was very clearly mistaken in that she couldn't d this job. She very much could. And looked rather.... well... stunning while doing it. He wasn't sure what the dance like steps were for or why they were necessary but he wasn't upset about having seen it either. Especially when the fires now roared to life around her, bathing her in an amber orange glow.... well. He found himself speechless. Almost so much so that when she turned back to him he forgot to react and quickly fumbled over his words. "That... wow... That was... I ain't never seen...... wow." he simply sighed before he tried to hide his embarrassment via drinking more coffee. Menelie Lily smiled, satisfied with his reaction, which she presumed was him having to eat his earlier words. She gestured expansively. "And that's it! Well, not it it, I'll be down here until sunset pretty much, but that's sort of the jist of it. Shovel more coal onto the fire when those ones start to get low, make sure the cauldron stays full, dance again if the fire does go out, put the ashes over there to cool so they don't pile up...."
She wiped her brow, which had become sweaty from the heat, and wound up smudging it with soot instead. "What d'you think?" she asked, reaching for her cup of coffee, sipping it, then putting her hands on her hips, causing the protective shirt to form to her a bit more.
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Posted: Fri May 06, 2022 10:50 am
Fea Line Wolfmane was still kind of staring. And her hip stance didn't help. Nor did the soot on her forehead which he honestly.... half wanted to laugh? Which was unusual for him. The dude never laughed, like someone just stole all the joy out of him. Glancing around, he set his cup down then grabbed a soft cloth near by and went up to her, handing it to her, still silent. His eyes darted from her forehead to her face to.... totally back up. He cleared his throat. "You seemed to have wiped a bit of soot there." he gestured to her forehead before he cleared his throat again and glanced sideways. "That.... was unlike anything I had ever seen." and a lot more beautiful he said inwardly but at the present moment lacked the courage to admit that. With the heat and glow of the fire it was hard to tell if his cheeks weren't actually a shade of red right now. "I... owe you an apology." he finished, though still ashamed to meet her gaze at the moment. Menelie Lily bit her lip, wondering if something was wrong--he was still staring at her and hadn't said anything. Then she remembered what he'd said earlier. And you are a pretty thing. And so when he approached her it wasn't just the heat from the fire she was feeling. Then he handed her the cloth. "Oh....oh!" She blushed, suddenly embarrassed. "Um, thanks," she said, taking the cloth. She went to a small reflective glass she'd hung up near the door and wiped her face with the cloth. "This happens pretty often," she explained, trying to be cool and calm and not a total wreck. "But I do like to try and be at least somewhat presentable when I go up for mealtime." She laughed nervously and set the cloth down near her coffee mug.
"An apology?" she repeated, fidgeting with some of her hair that had come loose. She started to tell him that there was no need, but realized sort of mid-sentence realized that maybe denying someone the chance to apologize isn't a good way to make friends, but then again was she even worth an apology? The result was her sort of stammering softly without making much sense. She put her hands on her cheeks, then cleared her throat. "I'm sorry. Um, go ahead." She winced internally. Fea Line He wasn't too much bothered by her having smeared soot on her head, he was more so thinking she would prefer to know and not walk around like that all day. Wolfmane glanced back at her before away again, bringing a hand up to his face to force a cough before he took in a deep breath. "Earlier. I minced words... and meanings." he admitted, referring to saying she couldn't possibly do this job. "And I was just proven entirely wrong with the most.......erm.... beautiful of displays." he fumbled, grabbing his coffee mug again and taking a big long sip to try and not have to speak more. When the silence was actually too much he put it down and shut his eyes. "Lily... you are very talented and I admire your commitment to this....." as well as how breath taking that just was.....no you can't say that you old fart. Menelie Lily blushed red and hot as Wolfmane spoke. Was it too much attention? Was it his earlier words still lingering? Was it sharing his clear embarrassment and awkwardness? She found it hard to meet his gaze as well.
When he finished she nodded softly and folded her hands in front of her. "Th-thank you," she said. It was hard to look at him, as the sight of him made her feel hot and somewhat faint, but she thought it was important after he'd worked so hard through that apology. Her head was tilted down slightly, so she had the effect of looking up at him. "It's hard to admit when you're wrong, and I-I think it's honorable of you to do so." After a moment, she added. "A-and I do appreciate it. Thank you."
She cleared her throat gently, then took a deep breath, and took a few steps toward him. "Friends?" she asked, extending a hand. Fea Line Wolfmane could only nod at the notion of it being hard to admit wrongs. Though he really hadn't meant anything overly wrong in what he said, he did say it very poorly. And he hoped he had corrected that just now. She was very clearly made for this job. At an outstretched hand and the notion of friends he found a bit of his tension ease though almost like a child he was afraid to take her hand for a few moments. Simply just from the lack of interaction he really got. Sure he'd talk to some fellow co workers but never quite so.... close before. Swallowing, he reached out and took her hand gently, his fingers under hers as if they were fragile and could break easily. Like a gentleman would a princess though there didn't see to be a kiss to follow it. Just more redness on his cheeks. "F-friends." he added, his hand lingering in hers a moment longer, his internal critters scrambling over each other before he slowly slid his hand back, savoring every bit of the way her hand felt against his. A mostly whole new experience for him... Menelie The way he took her hand, so delicately, and how her fingers felt so small in his hand, had her breath catching in her throat. Don't be a total weirdo, she said to herself, but she was blushing despite the self-admonishment. She made a soft squeaking noise as he withdrew, then jumped slightly, as if she'd startled herself, putting her hand on her lips. Well, so much for not being a total weirdo. Still, the hand he'd touched she curled into a gentle fist, as if to hold onto the feeling.
"I..." she began haltingly. "I, um, I won't keep you from your rest any longer," she said, almost sorrowfully. "Um, but I do hope you'll visit again....friend..." Fea Line To say he was tired was an understatement, but somehow he felt the tiniest bit of energy now. Probably not enough to go a full day but enough that he wanted to get home, sleep then wake up and find her again. My that was an odd feeling for him. He usually preferred his solace... "I... hope to meet you again as well." he admitted, lingering a bit longer before he grabbed his cup and gave an awkward sort of goodbye wave. Man he was not good at this!
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