[Comm] [AUDRIC] PURSUIT OF DILIGENCE: CHAPTER 5

WC: 1389

As Audric prepared himself for the day, he could feel a nervous energy thrumming through him. It felt nearly electric, in fact. Primrose had contacted him the day prior, informing him that the flowers he'd helped the little cherubun plant and cultivate were nearing their perfect harvesting time, and he'd asked him to meet at the Heavenly Gardens for just that. The priestly succubun found himself nervously adjusting his collar for the fourth time, fixing an all but imperceptible wrinkle, before heaving out a sigh and forcing himself to let it go. You look fine, he told his reflection silently, shaking his head with a small smile. Likely the other man wouldn't even notice, but old habits, Audric reflected, were hard to break.

He finally stepped away from the mirror, running his hands over the ends of his ears unconsciously as he gathered his things in preparation. Primrose had spoken at length about the dangers of the heavenly ambrosia for succubuns, and Audric couldn't lie, despite his eagerness to see the fruits of his labor pay off - well, he was nervous. Ambrosia was toxically poisonous to succubuns, and he'd spent an afternoon being lectured by the slightly stuffy cherubun on exactly what those terrible effects entailed. It was absolutely nothing he wanted to experience, that was for certain. But Primrose had assured him he would be provided with gloves, and that he would guarantee Audric's safety personally. Still, it lingered in the back of Audric's mind, and, he knew, likely would all day.

There was simply nothing for it, however, than to get going and face his fears, so a short time later, Audric found himself at the base of the Heavenly Embassy once more. He still recalled with fondness the lovely afternoon he'd had with Beanny just a few short months ago, drinking coffee in the blindingly bright, but warm cafe that she ran. He'd made a few quick trips up since then, but none had been quite long enough or given him a chance - or, more truly, an excuse - to drop by and visit her again. Maybe later today, once the harvesting is all done, he told himself as he waited for the elevator.

It seemed like it took even longer today, but after what felt like an eternity, the elevator chimed softly as its doors whooshed open, and moments later Audric was off. His ears popped slightly as he was rocketed towards the Heavenly Embassy above, and he yawned reflexively, massaging them gently as the sudden altitude change hit him. His hands were still absently carding over his ears minutes later, as the doors opened on to the expanse of the Embassy. His feet carried him out and through the wide, sweeping halls before his mind even fully engaged itself again, and he dropped his hands from his ears quickly, suddenly self-conscious.

The Embassy was bustling as always, even at the early hour, and a multitude of wide-eyed cherubuns and succubuns offered him a wave or a smile as he passed by. Before long, though, he was standing before the frosted glass entrance of Primrose's gardens, a familiar sight by now. Audric had even grown fond of the warm, humid place, and of the alluringly thick scent of the many different flowers that grew within its walls. He took a steadying breath and stepped in, scanning the place for his bright yellow friend. As usual, it didn't take long to locate the man - he cut a handsome figure, Audric had to admit, and he hurried toward the smaller cherubun in excitement.

Primrose didn't seem to hear him until he was nearly upon the man, and Audric cleared his throat softly, not wanting to startle him too badly. Still, a hand flew up to Prim's chest as he suddenly realized he was not alone, and the gardener spun to face his guest. "Oh! I always forget how softly you walk, Audric," he chastised gently, reaching out to poke Audric's side. The succubun laughed, raising his hands in joking surrender.

"Ah, you've got me there! I always forget how easily distracted you are," he teased right back with a poke of his own finger to Primrose's narrow shoulder. "All that ear, and yet…" he winked, as Primrose scowled and stuck his tongue out. "But - never mind that! I hear our flowers are ready?"

The cherubun nodded delightedly, bouncing on his heels. "Yes, yes! Look-" he stepped aside, gesturing Audric to the little patch of soil where they'd planted the tiny seeds so many months ago. Audric knelt before them, eyes wide in wonder as he took in the tall plants, their leaves shiny and dark green and their blooms - so many blooms, he thought - big and fat with deep colors and gorgeous, thin veins. He almost reached out for one before remembering Primrose's many admonishments, and kept his hands to himself, looking back up at the other.

"Wow," Audric managed, feeling impossibly silly the second it was out of his mouth. "I mean - wow, really. I…part of me can't believe it's finally ready! What, uh, do we do now?"

With a flourish, Primrose produced a thin pair of gloves from somewhere behind him, holding them up with a grin. "Well, first, you put these on. Can't have you getting sick, you know-" 

Audric held up a hand, interrupting the cherubun before he could launch into another graphic description of the effects of ambrosia flowers on succubuns, and took the gloves, slipping them on quickly and showing the man his hands. "There, see? All protected...trust me, I don't think I'll be forgetting what you told me about the number this stuff does on buns like me any time soon," he laughed. Primrose laughed softly too, shaking his head in amusement.

"I forget sometimes, Audric, that you actually listened to me, back when you were first sent up here," he told him, still smiling as he joined the succubun on the ground. "Truly, so many wave it off, only to become violently ill after harvesting time. Actually, some have collapsed during our harvesting, believe it or not. And then I'm left to clean it all up on my own…" he trailed off, clearly disquieted, but before Audric could comfort him, Primrose was nudging his arm to follow his movements and speaking again. "I must say, you've not only met my expectations, but, well - exceeded them." He plucked and deftly separated petals from plant as he spoke, and Audric found himself nodding silently, moving to copy him with the plant directly in front of where he knelt. "You surprised me, in fact. I've often dealt with succubuns who share your vice, sloth, making me shoulder the burden of the work, or even dozing off while we worked…but never from you, and for that, I'm…" he dropped a handful of petals in a small basket between them, moving on to snip the leaves from the plant he was working on, and Audric added his own harvested petals to the basket as well, head tilted to listen to what Primrose was saying. "Well," the other man continued, "I'm genuinely grateful, that's all."

Audric's fingers nearly froze in place on the stem he was holding before he caught himself, his eyes gone wide and, he had to admit, more than a little flattered at the admission. "I, ah, I'm very glad," he told Prim, depositing another plant's worth of leaves into a separate basket and moving on to the next. He was already plucking the petals from it as he continued. "This has been…really very satisfying to see through, I'll admit myself! When I first started this project, I had no idea it would feel so…good to hold these flowers in my hands. I can't believe they were just tiny seeds, and now they're this. And soon, how they'll be even more, when they're brewed into ambrosia for the cherubuns." He held a flower petal up to the light, squinting as the tiny veins were illuminated and the light shone through them. He'd never before really noticed how intricate plants were, and he told Primrose so, still admiring the way the petal seemed to come alive. What would this one become, he wondered? And what effects would it have on whoever was lucky enough to imbibe it? He couldn't wait to find out.