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Veritas doesn't know why Aventurine doesn't like him.
Aven will talk to Ratio more than anyone else and goes out of his way to initiate conversation… So why is he always posturing? Aventurine's tail is always puffed out, the ‘eyes’ of his feathers observing him.
Veritas isn't necessarily intimidated by the others display but he is put off from it, Aventurine will flirt with him and then spread his grand tail as if saying ‘touch me and I'll kill you’. Needless to say Ratio often finds himself with the urge to posture back, stretch his wings out and form a protective shield with them.
He'd never do it though, oftentimes they are in public and he doesn't want to draw unnecessary attention, even when in private he will suppress the urge to avoid aggravating Aventurine further.
As zoo animals they constantly have humans visiting to stare at them, humans seem to derive pleasure and amusement from watching them. As an Owl he is more nocturnal than diurnal and often burrows himself in his nest to hide from onlookers or to sleep.
Aventurine as a diurnal bird is very different, he's loud and likes to make a show whenever people approach him, parading around like the regal peacock he is. Unfortunately for Ratio, Aventurine will constantly seek him out which naturally draws more attention to Ratio and keeps him awake.
It's very disruptive for his circadian rhythm and sometimes he postures before Aven gets the chance to as a way to make it clear to the other male that he isn't interested in dealing with him. Thankfully this keeps him away for a while letting him relax and sleep for a bit.
Whenever he brushes Aventurine off or makes him leave the other seems to deflate like a balloon and dejectedly wakes away… he just can't figure him out.
♤
After getting rejected for umpteenth time Aventurine finds himself feeling sadder than usual, no matter how he approaches Veritas the other will always reject him one way or another, he wishes there was a world in which they would be together raising children and living together till old age.
After these pitiful encounters he tends to go talk with Topaz, one of the zookeepers, she can't exactly understand what he's saying but she knows it's about Ratio, she's seen the poor peacock attempt to court him many times.
When he goes to Topaz this time she proposes an idea that he’s never considered before- Veritas may think that he is being threatened by Aven, it would make sense as sometimes peacocks spread their tails to intimidate potential threats. Hearing this was devastating, he’d never hurt Ratio yet it made a lot of sense, the mild aggression back and occasional threat posture from him made it clear to Aventurine that he’d approached this the wrong way.
Thanking Topaz with a happy squawk he went back to find Veritas, and was determined to be upfront about his feelings this time.
♤
He had to admit he was scared, he’s had crushes before and gone out with a partner or two but Veritas was very very special to him. He needed to do this right and knowing the other the best way would be to say it upfront, no displays, no coy jokes or comments, just the truth.
Calling out for Ratio the other soon arrived, looking better than he had before, it seems that the owl took the opportunity to rest and recuperate. His feather’s urged to puff up and display themselves but he now knew that was not the way- with a deep breath in and out he says-
“I love you,” and “Please forgive me, I never meant to intimidate you or scare you off, I just tried showing my love for you in the way I knew how to, displaying my tail, a source of pride for me and hoping you’d be entranced though I scared you off instead.”
With a shaky exhale he concluded, “I want to court you but only with your permission so I must ask, do you feel the same?”
Despite his usual upfront nature, Veritas felt shy and shrunk a little before replying; “I do, so please come, sing and dance with me.”
The End.