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Post by Celestial on Feb 16, 2015 16:36:15 GMT -5
It was still warm in Medieville. Up in Bern, the summer had begun cooling in preparation for the usual harsh winter. Even though Ambrose had gotten used to the summer heat in the ten years he had lived here, right now it felt sticky and uncomfortable. He wished he could have remained in Bern until September as he had planned but he could not stay there. The excuse he had given was that he wanted to accompany Isabelle on her visit to the king to declare her fealty, since he was the steward of Stallion Manor after all. But in truth, he had wanted to get away from Destrier. It had suddenly begun to contain far too many bad memories. He sighed deeply and buried his face in his hands, feeling the tears sting in his eyes. There was a whine from at his feet and then Nutmeg climbed up on to him, resting her front paws in his lap. Her wet nose pressed against his fingers, as she did whenever he had visions, all the while sad whimpers emerged from her mouth as she felt her master's distress. Ambrose looked up at her and reached out to stroke the dog. Her eyes lit up hopefully and she wagged her tail. This was going as normal. He would feel better soon. She did not have to worry about him. His shoulders shook and tears began to roll down his cheeks as he took his hands away from her. "I'm sorry, Nutmeg," he murmured and wiped them with his hand. Ordinarily, the dog would be enough to ease him out of whatever was troubling him. But the problem was, whatever troubled him were usually the visions; somebody else's tragedy. Somebody else's pain. And as much as he sympathised for them, as much as his heart ached for the countless people he had seen who were going to suffer and cry, Ambrose had learned that for all that he had seen, nothing compared to what he actually experienced himself. It was not like he had never felt this pain before. But had it really been as raw as it was now? The dog's whining had grown higher in pitch as she dashed about, distressed and confused at the fact that whatever she had done before was not working. Ambrose reached out a hand to stroke her but the gesture felt empty. Normally he would be comforted by Nutmeg's presence but today, even she was not helping. Even with her around, he felt completely and utterly alone. Ambrose stood up, looking around the room where he had been sitting. The Stallion banners hung limply as though all life in them had been drained by the heat. Combined with the grey stone of the walls, the humid air and the lump in his throat, Ambrose could barely breathe. He started heading towards the front door. "My lord?" a servant called out to him, noticing him heading out. "Tell Isabelle I've gone out. I need some air," he replied. From there, headed out into the front hall, the courtyard and then beyond the gate into the streets of the city. The Stallion took several breaths to steady himself, to stop the tears flowing down his eyes. Once he had gotten his emotions under control as best as he could, Ambrose continued to walk, keeping close to the houses, away from the main crowds of Medieville, though he felt like he barely noticed them. To him, they were strangers. Despite all the people he was familiar with here, there was nobody around that he knew. He did not want to be alone. He had been alone for so long with only Alain for comfort and now, there was not even that. Well, maybe there was one place. The Stallion turned down a corner of the city and headed down the familiar path. Hopefully they would be there and he would be welcome in their home. He would not impose on them if they would not but...he prayed there was going to be at least somebody there, even one of the children. He wanted some human company desperately. Finally, Ambrose arrived at the place. He brought up his hand, holding it over the door and hesitated. What if they did not want to see him? What if he was intruding? Or what if they simply did not want to hear his story? It did not matter. As long as he could just be here, around people who loved and cared for him, it would be enough. He knocked on the door. "Xavier?" he murmured quietly. "It's me." It seems like it's woob-dad who needs woob-son hugs this time. |
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Post by Elcie on Feb 17, 2015 11:26:10 GMT -5
When Xavier opened the door, his face broke into a smile. He hadn't expected to see Ambrose again for weeks yet before his return from Bern. "Ambrose, this is a surprise!" But his face quickly fell when he noticed Ambrose's expression. He'd seen his friend upset before, or shaken from a particularly cruel vision, but there was something different in his eyes now that made Xavier's heart ache in sympathy. Xavier's brow furrowed. He didn't like to see him like this. That he looked so upset and had returned home so early from Bern... "...Are you okay?" he said softly, concern filling his eyes. He reached out and put a bracing hand on Ambrose's arm. "Come in, I'll make you some tea." Xavier is happy to see woob-dad. Not so happy to see that woob-dad is sad about something, though. |
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Post by Celestial on Feb 18, 2015 9:13:51 GMT -5
Despite the low feelings that were currently preying on him, Ambrose gave a small, grateful smile to Xavier in exchange for his concern. He should not have been surprised that his friend had picked up on his mood so easily but he was still intensely grateful that he had been given an opening to speak about what he felt. That he was not being a burden. And the offer of a hot drink would have been useful to steady his nerves, hopefully letting him hold back the worst of his grief. The Stallion nodded in acknowledgement of the invitation to come in and especially at the offer of tea. Privately, he wondered if Xavier was alone here and tried to listen for any sounds to indicate that Elin or the children were around. Even if it was Xavier who was his closest friend, Ambrose would not have rejected any other company, especially of the kids who had taken to calling him 'grandpa'. Either way, if they were around, he knew he would find out soon. "I am sorry for intruding like this. I know I said I would not be back until September but..." Ambrose shuddered and took a few deep breaths to steady himself. "...I'm not okay. I don't know if the news has reached you yet in Medieville but..." He knew what the truth was, he knew what he wanted to say and would normally not have trouble speaking about difficult subjects but the words still refused to be coaxed out. The Stallion felt his eyes beginning to sting and his throat went tight again. "It's my brother, Xavier. Alain...Alain is dead." Ambrose is glad to be invited inside but he is not okay. Alain. </3 |
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Post by Elcie on Feb 20, 2015 1:14:01 GMT -5
Xavier sucked in a sharp breath. He'd known that Alain Stallion was growing older, but as far as Xavier had been aware he'd still been in excellent health for his age, and it was difficult to think of a man like that ever passing on. The Grand Duke had always given off the impression of immortality. "Gods, Ambrose, I'm... I'm so sorry," Xavier said, his brow creased further with sympathy and sorrow. "I didn't know." He shifted his grip to put his arm around Ambrose's shoulders as they went into the house, guiding him to a well-worn sofa in the sitting room. He knew too well the pain of losing someone so important to him - losing a sibling - but it was still difficult to find words. They froze in his throat as he looked at Ambrose, taking in the abject grief in his face and the tears beginning to form in his eyes. At this point, he knew, nothing he had to say would really ease his friend's pain. So he didn't try. Instead, wordlessly, he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Ambrose just as the old man had done for him so many times in the past. He couldn't stop this from hurting, but he could at least show Ambrose that he didn't have to suffer alone, that it was safe here to express the depth and extent of his sorrow if he needed to. Woob-son hugs. |
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Post by Celestial on Feb 20, 2015 23:04:04 GMT -5
Even saying those three words had sent a sharp stab of grief through Ambrose's heart. It was only around this time that he was coming to terms with the fact that his brother, the person who had been there throughout his entire life, the one he had always leaned on, had suddenly been torn away from him. It was like losing an arm, with all the pain that such an act accompanied. The Stallion bit his tongue as he tried to restrain himselfin front of Xavier, wordlessly taking in the sympathy expressed in his words and allowing himself to be guided over to a seat, a seat which Ambrose took. But with the threat of tears and the numbness of his misery, it felt like it was somebody else who was sitting down, somebody else who was in this house. Only when Xavier put his arms around him and drew him into the hug did Ambrose suddenly snap out of it. All the love and sympathy of that gesture rushed into him, overwhelming his senses. At the same time, however, it reminded him with ice-like clarity of what exactly he had lost. He had kept his emotions back since the funeral in Destrier but it did not mean that they had even begun to heal. Now, it was suddenly too much. Ambrose threw his arms around Xavier and hugged him tightly, practically digging his fingers into him to hold on to this person who was so close to him. He buried his face into Xavier's shoulder, his entire body shaking as tears began pouring out of his eyes. The Stallion did not even attempt to hold them back. "I miss him. I miss him so much," Ambrose murmured amidst his sobs. "All my life, he's been there. Even living apart from him these past ten years, he was still there somewhere. Now he's not...I can't believe it. He was so strong, far stronger than I ever was...why did he have to die?" And there go the waterworks. The death of your only sibling sucks. |
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Post by Elcie on Feb 26, 2015 12:40:50 GMT -5
Xavier hugged Ambrose close, quietly letting him cry into his shoulder. "I don't know," he murmured, feeling something clench in his chest at the pain in his friend's voice. "He was a good man... he loved you. I'm so sorry he's gone." Gently he rubbed Ambrose's back as he cried, hoping that his presence could be as much of a comfort as Ambrose himself had been to Xavier before. He'd let his friend vent his grief as long as he needed. It was a feeling he understood all too well - that someone stronger, someone who'd always looked after him, was suddenly, irrevocably gone. And it didn't seem as if Ambrose had expected this at all. Xavier certainly hadn't heard anything about Alain's health being poor, though he suspected that the shrewd Grand Duke would have hidden it even if that had been the case. But regardless of what had led up to Alain's death, that was in the past, and there was nothing Xavier could do to change it as much as he wanted to. What mattered now was Ambrose, so badly hurt by his brother's death that it was starting to make tears form in Xavier's eyes as well. In that moment Xavier wanted nothing more than to take care of his friend in any way that he could. "I'll stay here as long as you need me to," Xavier promised, his arms tightening protectively around Ambrose's shoulders. "This isn't something you should have to face alone. No one should." Xavier comforts woob-dad, and is reminded about how he'd felt when Muriel died. He promises Ambrose that he'll be there for him as long as he needs him. |
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Post by Celestial on Mar 2, 2015 5:45:07 GMT -5
His sobs kept catching in his throat as he kept taking breaths to fuel his tears, and ordinarily Ambrose would have felt very self-conscious. But here, with all his grief finally having an outlet, being hugged by the person who was the closest thing to family Ambrose had left, the Stallion found he did not care. He could take all the time he desired to let all his emotions out without feeling judged for it. It was a realisation that meant the world to him. Ambrose continued to cling to Xavier, drawing in whatever comfort he could to try to smooth over the pain he was feeling. "Thank you. I...I don't want to be alone. I spent too much time alone, with only Alain..." fresh tears spilled out of his eyes at the memories of his brother. "I loved him so much. I know he was not always a good man, but I loved him anyway. He helped me even when nobody else would. If it had not been for him, I...it's not an exaggeration to say I would have died, Xavier, I would have died a long time ago." His shoulders slumped as his energy to weep slowly ran out but it hardly meant that he stopped, only that his sobbing grew quieter and softer, like a small animal that had gone into hiding. "Everything was fine the previous day and that morning. He had been feeling tired but that was it. And then he just collapsed. I wasn't even there. I didn't even get to see him," Ambrose shuddered as he thought about it. There should have been some indication. He knew death could come suddenly, he has seen it but he had never wanted it to happen to Alain. Though, if he knew the character of his brother, Ambrose knew that Alain would have preferred a sudden death over a slow lingering one, like that of his wife or even their father. Not because of the pain, Alain could have handled any pain, but because he would have hated being weak. Better get it over with all at once. That thought should have been a lot more comforting than it really was. Impossible as it was, it would have been better if Alain had never died at all. "I never even got to say goodbye to him," Ambrose murmured. "I don't even know what I would have said that he didn't know. But I would have wanted to say something. Anything." Ambrose continues to cry, regret and mourn, giving a little bit of background on the circumstances of Alain's death. |
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Post by Elcie on Mar 13, 2015 18:35:13 GMT -5
Xavier winced at those last words. "You of all people deserved that chance," he said quietly. "But... I think you're right - he already knew how much he meant to you, and he felt the same way. Alain loved you to the end of his life, I'm certain of that." For a few moments, both of them were quiet. Xavier continued to hold Ambrose close as he cried, giving whatever comfort he could. And then behind him a small voice spoke up. "Daddy?" He pulled away from Ambrose enough to look over his shoulder. There in front of them was a small girl with unruly black hair, her little face screwed up in worry. Muriel must have woken up from her nap. "Why's Grandpa crying?" she said, tilting her head. "Is he sad?" Xavier smiled sadly at her. "Yes, I'm afraid he is, Muriel," he said, already bracing himself for her inevitable torrent of questions. The whirlwind of curiosity that was Muriel Lynn was probably the last thing Ambrose needed right now. "We can talk about it later, sweetheart--" But before he could suggest that she give her grandfather some space, Muriel had climbed up onto the sofa and into Ambrose's lap as best as she could, wrapping her arms around him too and nuzzling her head into his chest. "Don't cry, Grandpa, I'll make it better," she said earnestly. Enter Muriel, who is adorable. |
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Post by Celestial on Mar 14, 2015 20:33:55 GMT -5
Through his tears, all Ambrose could do in response to Xavier was nod. He knew that Alain loved him, his brother had made sure of it. There was nothing pressing he had wanted to tell him, nor did Ambrose want to tell him anything so badly that Alain did not already know...but he still wanted some closure. Some finality to him and his brother's last interaction to close the long chapter of their lives when they were together. Someday they would meet again, that was a guarantee, but Ambrose did not know how soon. Though the thought of it made his heart grow cold. The voice of Muriel made him pause in mid-sob. He shrank back a little from her, not wanting the little girl to see him crying, and let Xavier field her questions. What could he even say to her to answer her questions? She was an intelligent, curious girl and if he explained death to her, she would understand, but right now he did not have the heart to do that. But there was no avoiding that hug. Ambrose gasped as he felt Muriel's arms wrap around him. He slowly turned his head to look down at her. Before Xavier's children had been born, he had never imagined anybody calling him grandpa. The first time he had heard it, it had been such a big shock to him that he had no idea what to say. It had been about four years since and he still felt so happy at the fact that they loved him enough to consider him that. Then there was Muriel's earnestness and sweetness. She did not want to see him sad and he wished he could oblige her. And yet, despite his tears, a tiny smile appeared on his face as he hugged Muriel back. "Muriel...you're so sweet," he murmured amidst his sobs and stroked her hair. "Thank you." Ambrose then looked back up at Xavier, shaking his head. "It's okay. Let her stay. I could...I could use all the support I can get at this point." Ambrose hangs back while Muriel is adorable until he is hugged and his heart melts. He hugs her back and asks Xavier to let her stay, because woob-dad needs all the love. |
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Post by Elcie on Mar 15, 2015 20:18:11 GMT -5
Hearing this, Xavier shifted to make room for Muriel, putting one arm around his daughter and the other around Ambrose. Despite the circumstances, it was a comfortable position, close as he could get to two of the people he cared about most. Muriel clung tightly to Ambrose, as if she could fix his sadness if she simply hugged him as hard as she possibly could. At one point, worried that Muriel's enthusiastic hug was getting uncomfortable for the old man, Xavier had to reach out and gently tug at her arm to get her to loosen it. "You can have all the support we have to offer, Ambrose," Xavier said. "You're family, our door will always be open to you. If there's anything you need... I'll do whatever I can." "And me, too!" Muriel proclaimed, craning her head back to flash him an adoring grin. "I love you, Grandpa!" Xavier couldn't help but smile. "And Muriel loves you," he agreed. "We all do." He knew what it was to feel alone, to feel like no one in the world cared that he existed. And with Ambrose's brother gone, someone who'd been there for him since their childhood, loneliness had to be hitting Ambrose pretty hard right now. Xavier didn't want Ambrose to ever feel so alone. As long as Xavier or any of his family was still around, he wouldn't be. Xavier does his best to make sure Ambrose doesn't feel alone, and Muriel contributes by being adorable! |
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Post by Celestial on Mar 25, 2015 10:59:28 GMT -5
The little girl was certainly hugging him very tightly but she was still young, too young to make her touch uncomfortable. So when Ambrose glanced up at Xavier reaching over to Muriel and tugging on her arm, he caught the eye of the younger man and shook his head while hugging her tighter at the same time. He wanted- no, needed- all the affection he could get at this point, especially from those he loved. It made no sense to discourage the girl, and he could put up with her over-enthusiastic hugs. They were born from love after all. It was helping. Between Muriel's snake-like hug and Xavier's more subdued but equally warm arm around his shoulder, Ambrose could slowly feel his tears drying up. The pain in his heart remained, as strong as it had been since he realised that Alain was dead, and of course it was not going to go away so quickly, if at all. But it was not the only feeling that was there. "Thank you," Ambrose murmured, both to Muriel and to Xavier. He smiled down at the little girl and hugged her tighter. "I'm so grateful, to you both. For your love, and for your support," Ambrose lifted up one hand to wipe away the tears that had been rolling down his cheeks. "When he died, I suddenly remembered how...how lonely I had been. The other Stallions, they were always Alain's family, not mine. He was the only who was, so to lose him...it meant losing the last of my blood family." He shuddered as a sob escaped from him, a sob which Ambrose tried to suppress. Despite himself, he continued to smile at the two people around him. "Which is why I'm so grateful to you, Xavier. For accepting me into your family, for letting me have the chance to have something I never could have had otherwise. Like the chance to be called 'grandpa', for example. I had wanted that so much but I had given up on it before." The Stallion lifted up a hand to stroke Muriel's hair, his fingers running over her unruly locks. "I don't know if you both know how much this means to me, especially now. I don't know what I would do otherwise, now that my brother is gone." More feels are had but it seems that 'Family Love' is a super-effective move. |
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Post by Elcie on Jun 3, 2015 10:43:51 GMT -5
Xavier gave him a small smile. "You would have done the same for me," he said quietly. "You did, in fact... when I thought I had no one, you showed me that wasn't true. I didn't expect kindness but you... you treated me like a son." His voice cracked, and his arm around Ambrose's shoulders tightened briefly. "You're not alone, Ambrose, not as long as we're here. You don't ever have to be alone." Muriel snuggled up against Ambrose, practically burrowing into his chest. Xavier hugged her too, feeling a sudden rush of affection for his family that was almost overwhelming. He wasn't ever going to take this for granted, and if there was any way he could repay Ambrose for what he'd given him, however small... No, he thought, what Ambrose had given him was too great to truly be repaid. All he could do was give back, to embrace Ambrose as part of his own family, to ensure he would never be left behind or forgotten. Xavier remembers how Ambrose treated him like family back when they first met, and is determined to give back that same love and sense of belonging. |
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Post by Celestial on Jun 11, 2015 12:32:56 GMT -5
"You always felt like a son to me, Xavier. I never had children of my own, even though I so deeply wanted it. So to have you as my family, and," he glanced down at the girl clinging to him, "Muriel as my granddaughter, it's..." His arms tightened around his family even more and Ambrose did not want to let them go. They were there, and more importantly, they were there for him. He had them as his family for years now and yet, after all the time he had spent alone, thinking that a son and grandchildren were simply mere dreams that he would never have, Xavier and his children were more precious than gold to him. They were not going to disappear but some deep, irrational part of him did not want to leave them in case they did. But they were not going anywhere, and judging by how they were clinging, were happy to let them stay. "You're more than I ever thought I would have," was all that the Stallion could murmur to finish off his sentence. "You all mean so much to me. Especially now that...now that..." His brother's presense invaded his mind again. Alain's neutral voice, his icy-blue eyes that glimmered with amusement whenever he thought of something funny, or even that knowing smile of his which left people guessing what exactly he knew. Now he was gone. Even if Ambrose had his family, he still wanted his brother back. The Stallion's shoulders shook and tears began to pour down his cheeks again, tears which he did not bother to restrain. He buried his head in Xavier's shoulder, crying to let all his emotions drain away, and gripped the younger man for comfort. Ambrose is glad to have his family with him during this difficult time, family he never thought he would even have. But memories of Alain are hard to get rid of and he breaks down crying again. |
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Post by Gelquie on Sept 9, 2015 23:35:36 GMT -5
A pair of footsteps could be heard through the house accompanied by the muffled sound of "Ciro, honey, you're supposed to be napping, where are you going?" before the footsteps came closer, revealing the tiny form of a little boy, rubbing his eyes and yawning as he wandered into the room. He was eventually shadowed when his mother came into view, following him and holding a dark red-haired baby in her arms. The woman stopped when she realized the situation she and her young son had come across. "Ambrose?" Elin said aloud, tilting her head, her eyes widening slightly. "I thought I heard someone come in. Ciro must've heard you." Ciro sleepily walked closer heading straight for Ambrose, unable to keep his drooping eyes off of him. "Grampa?" he muttered aloud. Elin frowned and began stepping after him. "Ah, Ciro," Elin urged quietly, "I think you need to let him be for a moment, he--" But she wasn't able to finish before Ciro put his arms around Ambrose's legs, burying his face into them. "He, ah, uh... okay," Elin awkwardly finished, halting in place. She instead readjusted the baby girl--Ivy--in her arms, the girl who was wordlessly watching the scene, her mouth open slightly. Elin patted Ivy on the back as she turned her attention to Ambrose and Xavier, a frown and a look of confusion across her face. "What's wrong?" she asked softly. "Did something happen?" Enter the rest of the family. Elin's chasing after Ciro, who sleepily walks into the room and faceplants onto Ambrose's legs, joining the hug. Elin lets it go and awkwardly asks what's wrong.
Ciro's sleepy entrance was inspired from Elcie's idea. Have a sleepy kid, Ambrose! |
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Post by Celestial on Sept 22, 2015 11:23:15 GMT -5
Ambrose had looked up when he heard Ciro enter, followed by Elin. He lifted up his hand to quickly wipe his puffy red eyes and offer a hasty apology for waking her son up when he should have been asleep but he could not get a word out before Ciro wandered over to him and hugged him. He gasped slightly at the sudden, unexpected gesture of affection before his face softened into a weak smile. Taking one hand away from Xavier, and ccareful not to disturb Muriel who was still clinging to him, he reached over to run his hand through Ciro's hair. "It's alright, Elin. I appreciate it, and I don't mind him holding on. I'm just sorry I woke him from his nap, I didn't mean to," he said quietly and slowly, trying to keep his voice from hitching with leftover sobs. "If it's alright, I...I'd like him to stay here for a bit." The Stallion took a deep breath, pondering how to answer Elin's other question. "As for what happened..." he glanced down at the young children that were now holding on to him, children still far too young to understand what he was going to say. There was no protecting them from that reality, however. At leats he was there to answer any questions they had lest they overhear. "My brother died while I was in Bern, Elin," Ambrose replied, bowing his head and swallowing to prevent another outburst of tears from him. Despite his best efforts, however, he felt his eyes sting. "It was a heart attack. Nobody, least of all me, expected it. It's why I'm back early." Ambrose cuddles with the Elivier kids and tells Elin that Ciro can stay before answering her question by telling her about Alain. |
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