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Post by Tiger on Feb 7, 2015 18:22:47 GMT -5
It was a gloomy-looking day in Medieville, with dark clouds hovering menacingly over the city like smoke pouring from Raven’s Keep. It certainly meant rain. Thunderstorms, Leif had discovered, were harder to predict up here, but he was pretty sure this was the kind of weather that would love to produce one. Usually, Leif liked the storms; there was something comforting about the sounds of weather he had grown up with, and it was always a nice excuse to hole up with Kirin and work on a project or read while Kirin painted or sketched. This storm was not quite so welcome. Maybe Leif was being paranoid, but if thunderstorms reminded him of Corvus...he was worried they would do the same to Cyril. Hopefully this would be a good distraction, though. Cyril Oberon had been in Medieville for about two weeks, and had been settling into Marson Manor much of that time. This would be the farthest Leif had taken him in town so far, and he was also going to get to meet someone today whom Leif had on very good authority was helpful with situations like this. And, quite potentially highest on Cyril’s list of interest, there was Stallion Manor itself to see. Leif honestly knew very little about the structure of the Manor, despite the years he’d visited it to see Kirin. All he really knew was that it was an appropriately elaborate building for housing members of one of Kyth’s ruling families, but Cyril would doubtlessly know more. Leif hoped it had been built with lots of interesting Bernian techniques or northern styles or at least in an interesting architectural period - Cyril was as fascinated with architecture as Leif was with birds, and Leif hoped giving Cyril opportunities to get excited about this passion of his would help him recover from the very false passion of his potion-induced ‘romance’ with Heather Escalus. He slowed a little as they started up the path leading to Stallion Manor. “There is is. Would you like to look around first, or go right inside? We can do either - the servants here know me fairly well, we won’t get into trouble, so whichever you prefer.” Leif remained ready, watching Cyril carefully from the corner of his eye. Letting him have the chance to make his own decisions was important, too - and there were going to be occasions where Cyril needed a bit of a nudge to make them instead of deferring to someone else. Two and a half years of complete passivity were not going to undo themselves in just a few weeks. It’s late summer four years post-Coronation, a few weeks after the events of Dominion. Have you not read Dominion? Then know Cyril Oberon's a woob and Heather Escalus needs to be smacked upside the head. With a shovel. A big shovel. Oh, and both are nobles from minor Houses in Corvus. Leif and Cyril are going to visit Woobdad Ambrose, whom Leif is hoping will be able to help Cyril’s woob-therapy. But first Leif offers Cyril the choice of staying outside and nerding out at Stallion Manor’s architecture.
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Post by PFA on Feb 7, 2015 19:07:37 GMT -5
Everything was still confusing for Cyril. After going for so long under the influence of love potions, every thought that wasn't related to her felt so very foreign to him. He was starting to get used to it again, but... it was a process. He'd agreed to go with Leif to Stallion Manor, with the promise that they would find kind people and beautiful scenery there. He was always happy for a distraction, anything to keep his thoughts from drifting back to her... no, that was in the past. He had to put it behind him... Thankfully, they arrived at their destination soon enough, and Cyril was able to focus instead on the scenery. Stallion Manor was a sight to behold, unlike any of the buildings back in Corvus. It was made of basalt, presumably from Bern, though he wasn't as educated in Bernian building materials as he was with those of Corvus. It was supported with sturdy oak beams, and it had large, square windows. At the gates, there were large horse statues, depicting the Bernian Noblesse horse if he wasn't mistaken. "This is nice," Cyril remarked, moving closer to examine the gates up close. "The stonework is very smooth... do you know how old this building is?" He paused, as if in realization. "Oh, I... I guess you wouldn't know. ...Do you think the Stallions know? I'd like to ask." Cyril is a woob. He nerds over Stallion Manor, with thanks to Celes for telling me what it looks like. He asks Leif if he can ask the Stallions about the architecture.
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Post by Tiger on Feb 7, 2015 19:37:06 GMT -5
Leif watched with some relief while Cyril examined the house and the statues at the gate - he couldn’t help but grin a little at how impressed he was with the stone horses. Wait until he meets the King...and Babewyn. Though in truth, Leif wasn’t certain if Cyril was ready for the enthusiastic gargoyle just yet. “Lord Ambrose might know,” Leif said. “Or if he doesn’t, he probably knows someone on the staff who does. I wish I could tell you, but...I, uh, never really thought to ask.” When Cyril seemed ready to move on, Leif led the way through the open gates and into the courtyard. Suspecting Cyril would want to examine as much detail as he could, Leif kept his pace slow and lazy, letting the Oberon lead the way. It was less strange going slowly here now than it would have been over a year ago - back then, the only time he’d ever dawdled in the Stallion courtyard was when walking Kirin home while they were dating. Lots more memories than he’d expected to be brought up today. I just hope it’s not the same for Cyril.“Ready to go in?” Leif asked once Cyril’s attention seemed to drift back to the front door. Once Cyril gave him a confirmatory sign, Leif stepped up to the door and knocked. He had given Lord Ambrose some notice and explanation ahead of time, so he was confident the Stallion would be in. Alas, the nerds’ circles of knowledge do not align and Leif cannot answer Cyril’s question - but Ambrose maybe can! After allowing Cyril as much time to gawk at the house from as many angles as he wants, Leif knocks on the door to cue Cele- I mean, to gain entry >.>
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Post by Celestial on Feb 7, 2015 20:22:23 GMT -5
Ambrose had positioned himself in a nearby sitting room when he heard the knock reverberating through the Manor. This had to be them. Leif said he would come at this time, and if what he wrote was to be believed, he was not alone. The Oberon heir who he was looking after was with him. From the content of the letter, the young man had already been through an unpleasant experience that was enough to last him a lifetime. The Stallion had to admit, he was not quite sure why Leif had asked him of all people to speak with young Lord Cyril. It was no lie to say he loved helping people, and he had a large enough pool of knowledge and the patience to try to help them as best as he could but he had very little experience in dealing with the after-effects of a love potion. Then again, Ambrose thought with a sad thought, he could sympathise with being controlled and ruined by magic. Hopefully Leif had warned Cyril about what could happen. Ambrose quietly prayed that the visions would stay away from him while he spoke to the young Oberon lord but it was not a guarantee. They had the worst timing. But, whether they came or not, it did not matter. He had promised to help and he wanted very much to help. If the worst came to the worst, he could explain. That was how he had dealt with it these past five years. This time would be no different. Ambrose stood up from his chair, putting aside the reports from the king he had been busy reading over, and after weighing them down with his spectacles, strode over to the door that was in the entrance hall. It barely took any time, as he had positioned himself in prime position to get to the door first. He turned the key in the heavy lock and pulled it aside, opening the door to the two visitors outside. "Master Leif, it's good to see you," he bowed his head to the Jade archmage before he turned to look at Cyril, a kind smile spreading across his face. "Greetings to you too, Lord Oberon, it is a pleasure to finally meet you. I have heard many a thing about you. I'm Ambrose, Ambrose Stallion." He felt a furry, slightly chubby form push past him and a light brown, scruffy dog with a maroon collar poked her head around her master. Nutmeg had gotten used to Leif and her tail wagged at the sight of him, but it was the new person who caught her attention. In particular, the dog could not help but notice how sad he looked. She carefully stretched her head out and sniffed at his fingers, looking up at him with her big brown eyes. "And that's Nutmeg. Don't worry, she's very calm and very friendly," Ambrose patted her head and pulled her gently away from Cyril in case the dog spooked him. As sweet as she was, Cyril did not know her, so he was not going to take any chances. Ambrose stepped away from the door, guiding Nutmeg away by her collar so she would not obscure the paths of the visitors. "Do you want to come inside?" Ambrose is expecting his visitors and muses a bit about the situation before he goes to open the door. He introduces himself to Cyril before Nutmeg, sensing the woob, also decides to introduce herself. Ambrose holds her back and asks them if they want to go in, so the therapy may commence.
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Post by PFA on Feb 7, 2015 21:16:35 GMT -5
Cyril had been admiring the woodwork on the door, when suddenly it swung open, an elderly man in House Ascension colors on the other side. He introduced himself as Ambrose Stallion, confirming that he was the same Lord Ambrose that Leif had described. Cyril smiled weakly in greeting. "It's nice meeting you, too," he said. "Master Leif told me about... um..." His voice trailed off when Nutmeg approached him, sniffing his hand. Cyril wasn't quite sure how to respond, having not spent much time associating with animals before. Before he could sort through his thoughts, however, Ambrose pulled her aside, offering to let them inside. "I... o-okay," Cyril agreed, carefully moving past them and heading inside. The inside was just as impressive as the outside, with large tapestries and decorative weapons adorning the walls. There was a huge staircase in the back of the room, which split into two staircases halfway up. "I really like your manor," he remarked, moving to examine one of the tapestries. He was silent for a moment, before finally remembering what he wanted to ask. "Do you know how old it is?" Cyril is still a woob and a nerd.
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Post by Celestial on Feb 8, 2015 18:31:55 GMT -5
Ambrose closed the door once the two had moved into the Manor and turned to watch Cyril as the young man entered into the hall and began to look at it with the curiousity and intensity of a scholar studying a rare document. Nutmeg kept staring at the new person, her tail wagging, but she had noticed his baffled reaction to her and now remained rooted in place. The Stallion bent down to stroke her, scratching the dog behind the ear just as she liked it so she would not be starved for attention. His eyes, however, remained on Cyril, studying the young man while the latter studied the Manor. Leif had warned him about what had happened and how Cyril was going to be but now Ambrose had the chance to see for himself. He had not failed to notice how uncertain the young lord seemed, like he was waiting for orders that were never going to come. The side-effects of the love potion, no doubt. At least he seemed to have some initiative of his own, judging by how he was looking around the Manor. It was so normal to him by now that Ambrose never thought this building could have anybody as interested in it as Cyril. "Uh, thank you," Ambrose bowed his head and frowned as he thought about the answer to Cyril's question. "I am not sure how old it is though. My grandfather, Dionysis, had it rebuilt and extended, since he liked to spend his time in Medieville, but he did not lay down the original building. I think that existed since the 1150s," he gave an awkward smile. "You'll have to ask one of the stewards for the precise date and details, I'm afraid. I'm not quite sure myself. It's a good home so I never bothered to ask." He tilted his head a little and took his hand away from Nutmeg, beginning to slowly approach Cyril. "You seem...very interested in the Manor, Lord Oberon." Ambrose watches Cyril and comes to conclusions before he tries to answer his question, a little bit inconclusively. He then remarks that Cyril likes the Manor, wonder why?
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Post by Tiger on Feb 10, 2015 21:12:18 GMT -5
“Hello, Lord Ambrose. Nutmeg,” Leif greeted in return, keeping a careful but not unfriendly eye on the dog. He didn’t let Nutmeg near his birds, or vice-versa, but she was friendly and, as Leif understood it, had a sense for people in need of a fluffy animal to pet. Cyril, unfortunately, seemed more uncertain than anything else. One step at a time, the archmage supposed. He watched quietly as the two talked, Cyril looking around the manor with an interest, but still something a little...dazed about it. As if he needed to remember what being interested felt like. Not for the first time, Leif felt a stab of pity for him, and a rush of anger toward Heather, hopefully having a miserable time in some Solis dungeon. As Cyril looked around, Leif very quietly told Ambrose, “I explained your magic to him; not in great detail, that business is yours, but enough that if a vision hits you, he’ll understand what’s going on.” Leif had been hoping, too, that it would help build some preemptive trust or at least lessen any caution on Cyril’s part about discussing everything with a Stallion. Whether there had been any in the first place was difficult to tell with Lord Cyril, but if nothing else, he now knew Lord Ambrose was another person who could understand what it was like to be mentally-battered by magic. Leif goes into the manor, too \ o / In the intervening years between canon and now, Leif has also learned that explaining things ahead of time is good, and he quietly informs Ambrose that he explained the basics of the vision powers to Cyril. Then spends a lot of sentences thinking about why he did because four years later or no, he’s still Leif.
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Post by PFA on Feb 13, 2015 21:15:34 GMT -5
"Thank you. I'll have to ask them later," Cyril said, moving to examine the weapons on the wall carefully. "I've always been interested in architecture, but I know more about Corvid buildings than Bernian ones." He paused, staring thoughtfully at one of the decorative swords on the wall. It was finely crafted, well-polished and kept in good condition. Most of all, though, he realized it reminded him a little of the one Heather used to use, back when they were doing their war mage training in Heleos. But she stopped wearing it after they got— No, he scolded himself, wincing a little as he turned away. He was not going to think about her again. He needed something else to focus on. Maybe the stairs? It was a very nice staircase, and he could only marvel at the time it must have taken to put them together. Though, he realized a moment later, it would probably be improper to wander off into Stallion Manor without permission. "Sorry, I..." Cyril mumbled, trying to put his thoughts together. It was still so hard to focus. Why did she have to do this to him? ...He shook his head, clearing his mind again. "I don't want to intrude. But... would it be okay if you showed me around?" Cyril explains his love of architecture, and asks Ambrose if he'll show him around the manor... all while fighting off thoughts of Heather.
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Post by Celestial on Feb 19, 2015 6:41:11 GMT -5
As Cyril continued to examine the Manor, Ambrose heard Leif speak next to him. He turned his attention to the Archmage and smiled gratefuly, feeling the weight lift off his heart as his concerns about the visions melted away. It would still unfortunate if Cyril did see, the Stallion knew all too well how horrible they must look, but at least he would know enough not to be scared. Though he could not help but wonder, given Cyril's absentmindedness, to put it tactfully, whether he would care. Regardless, it was better safe than sorry, and Ambrose did apreciate the consideration and thoughtfullness that Leif had displayed. "Thank you, Master Leif, I'm very grateful that I don't have to worry about that at least. The poor young man clearly has enough problems without me spooking him," he looked back over at Cyril, who had by then began examining one of the decorative swords that they had on display on the walls. But Ambrose did not miss the wince and the sudden way he turned, as though to distract himself. His heart twinged in sympathy. He broke away from Leif and stepped closer to Cyril, who by then was looking at the staircase. "It's alright, Lord Oberon. I know what it must be like and you don't have to apologise to me. I don't want you feeling uncomfortable," Ambrose smiled and shook his head. "You would not be intruding at all. I'd be glad to show you around. Bernian architecture must be very different from Corvid. For one thing, we build our houses to keep the heat in, so it isn't as spacious I'm afraid," he took a few steps forward and then stopped, turning back to the younger man. "Is there any place you want to see in particular, Lord Oberon?" Nutmeg, meanwhile, having been denied access to Cyril, trotted over to Leif and wagged her tail. She sniffed around him, especially around where he usually kept his treats for his birds and occassionally gave him a sad look with her big brown eyes. If she was not allowed to make friends with the new person, she could always make friends with somebody she knew. Ambrose is very grateful to Leif for explaining about his powers to Cyril beforehand before going over to Cyril and expressing his sympathy. He agrees to show him around but wants to give Cyril the choice of where to go. Meanwhile, nerdmage gets to deal with dog. Have fun, nerdmage.
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Post by PFA on Feb 28, 2015 16:11:19 GMT -5
"Ye... yeah." Cyril nodded as Ambrose starting talking about Bernian architecture. "It makes sense that you'd want to keep the heat in. I hear it gets very cold up there during the winter." His next question caught Cyril off-guard. A specific part of the manor? He started racking his mind for a list of rooms that the manor would even have. Actually, would Stallion Manor even have the same rooms a Corvid manor would have? Surely there would be a lot of overlap, but... he massaged his forehead, trying to fend off the headache he was getting. It's a simple question, Cyril, he reminded himself. It shouldn't be this hard..."I... are there any you'd recommend?" he asked at length. ...Wait, no, he was deferring the choice to someone else again. That wouldn't do. "I-I mean, what rooms are there?" Logic is really hard for Cyril, you guys.
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Post by Tiger on Mar 8, 2015 16:09:01 GMT -5
Leif looked down at the dog trotting up to him. “Hi, girl,” he said, leaning down to give her head a few light strokes. Leif had been told he could give dogs much firmer pets than he usually gave, but as someone who preferred the company of raptors and whose experience beyond that was mostly elven-bred cats, Leif was always very light with his touches. He noticed the dog’s sorrowful glances upward, and her interest in the enchanted pouch on his belt; Leif relented and slipped out a small strip of meat. “All right - just don’t tell Ayleth and Hadrian, all right?” he said quietly as he held out the little treat. Once the dog’s teeth were away from Leif’s fingers - Nutmeg wasn’t a biter, but Leif was a falconer and had dodged enough talons to always be cautious feeding any animal - the archmage focused his attention on watching Cyril, still giving Nutmeg light pets. He resisted an urge to bite his tongue in sympathy at Cyril’s wince; he’d probably caught his thoughts drifting to Heather again. At least he was starting to catch himself, and make efforts to refocus; he even caught his automatic deference of choice to someone else, and corrected it. Leif gave a slight nod of approval. He knew that diverting a magic-focused mind from whatever it really wanted to concentrate on wasn’t easy. And it looked like Cyril wasn’t going to get away with that without consequences - it was pretty clear a headache was coming on. Fortunately, they were somewhat prepared, and Cyril had a headache potion on hand in case it got too bad. Leif had brewed, under the Oberon’s watchful eye, a batch of headache-relieving potion just a few days ago; the main stock was kept in a box Leif had specially commissioned from Morgaine Braham and Rosalie Dylas to resist unlocking spells and work with only one key - which was Cyril’s. Leif hoped they wouldn’t need it, that maybe if Cyril’s attention was pulled elsewhere, he wouldn’t need to strain so much to keep his thoughts away from Heather. Leif briefly considered listing some of the rooms he knew from the Manor...but hesitated. Leif knew the general layout of the building because of the years he and Kirin had dated; it wasn’t something he had ever said outright, but it also wasn’t something he wanted to risk Cyril putting together at this exact moment - throwing a romantic relationship in the Oberon heir's face was probably not going to help him focus. It's probably best to let Lord Ambrose keep handling this for the moment.Nerdmage pets and feeds Nutmeg, and thinks about stuff, 'cause that's what nerdmages do!
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Post by Celestial on Mar 14, 2015 18:20:45 GMT -5
Nutmeg's eyes lit up as Leif reached into his pouch and as soon as she caught sight of the meat, she grabbed it out of his hand and swallowed it hungrily. Even though she no longer lived as a stray and was regularly fed by both Ambrose and the servants in the Manor, she never refused a treat. Her tail wagged as Leif petted her, though his gloves weren't the most conductive to scratches behind the ear. She noticed, however, that much like her master, he was focused on the blonde new person who had come in. Though she was rejected the time before, the dog took a few steps towards him and barked, still hoping that perhaps she could get his attention again. Ambrose, meanwhile, nodded, his smile acquiring a slightly nostalgic look. "It goes get cold, but you get used to it, just as you get used to the heat," he cast his eyes around the Manor. "Though this place also has elements of Medieville architecture, to cope with the summer. Otherwise it would get even more stifling than it is already." The Stallion noticed Cyril rubbing his head, a gesture he recognised far too well as that of somebody suffering from a headache. Ambrose gave a small sympathetic wince and for a moment, the thought of offering the young Oberon something for it crossed his mind. Thanks to his own headaches that ambushed him when the visions combined with the stress of his workload, the Manor had plenty of remedies in stock, but he very quickly remembered what Leif had said about food and drink. It probably was not such a good idea to offer him anything strange, even Bernian medicine which by its very nature was non-magical. Nevertheless, Ambrose had not lived all these years with his own powers leeching off his energy to not have learned a few ways to fend off the worst of the headaches without the use of any medicines. But he figured it was best to answer Cyril's question first before he offered anything else. "The Manor is quite big, there's a lot of rooms. Obviously there's a dining room, the main common room and drawing rooms for private meetings and a great hall for formal feasts. There's also my office, which is connected to a small library, main bedrooms and guest bedrooms, as well as my workshop. Then the servant's wing has the kitchen, their quarters and their common room, plus the guardhouse and various storerooms below, including two wine cellars. My grandfather loved wine, you see," the Stallion nodded. "There's also a garden around the back, and the bathhouse but I don't know if you'd be interested in that." He tilted his head and took a step closer to Cyril. "I can't help but notice you have a headache, Lord Oberon. Am I right?" Ambrose asked and smiled. "If I can give you some advice, something warm applied to your head helps, or even just taking the time to relax if you can. Though it's different for everyone, that's just what works for me, so feel free to disregard what I said. But I don't want you in pain, Lord Oberon, especially since you've come to me for help and I know how difficult headaches make it for anyone." Nutmeg eats the treat and then hopes that maybe she and Cyril can become friends again?
Ambrose, meanwhile, notices the headache that Cyril has. He tells the Oberon lord about the rooms in the Manor before offering headache remedies, which are redundant anyway but he just wants to help the poor woob, especially because he knows from experience that headaches suck.
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Post by PFA on Apr 11, 2015 13:44:14 GMT -5
That... was a lot of rooms. Cyril struggled to remember them all as Ambrose listed them off, and by the time he finished, the Oberon found himself quite overwhelmed. Which room did he want to see first? Which might be most interesting? They were probably all interesting, he had never been in Stallion Manor before, but he needed to make a decision... a library? Cyril usually liked libraries, but then again... and Ambrose said it was connected to his office anyway, and that might make a strange first request. Cyril gave a small whine, almost too distracted by the growing headache to realize that Ambrose started speaking again—about headaches, fittingly enough. "I... th-thank you, I appreciate that," Cyril said. His fingers twitched toward the headache potion Leif had given him, but he hesitated. The headache wasn't that bad, he could pull through... and he certainly didn't want to trade his dependence on one potion for another. "Maybe we could go to the... um..." He fell silent, letting himself relax for a moment. It was embarrassing how hard it was for him to make such a simple choice, but at the same time, he didn't want to strain himself too hard. He had to take this slowly. "...Maybe the, um..." he said again, after realizing he had been silent for what was probably a concerningly long time. However, realizing that he still hadn't made a decision, he lowered his gaze, eyes welling up with frustrated tears. "...I can't decide..." Too many choices for the poor woob. </3
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Post by Tiger on Apr 14, 2015 19:50:42 GMT -5
Leif tried not to show how nervous he was as Cyril’s indecision stretched longer and the Oberon grew more visibly distressed. Maybe they’d done this too soon, maybe Cyril had needed more time before he was ready to be a guest in another manor… Or maybe you should just...give him a few minutes. It’s going to be hard the first few times no matter how much preparation goes into it, Leif told himself sternly. But when he saw Cyril look down with obvious frustration, Leif decided he needed to step in and offer a hand. “It’s all right, Cyril,” he said with a slight smile that didn’t match the pinch of guilt and painful empathy in his stomach. The archmage tried to think - what would be a good compromise, a way to make the decision easier without taking it or handing it over? “Hmm...well, were there any rooms that sounded interesting? If you can’t pick between those right now...maybe just list any that caught your interest, and Lord Ambrose can take us to...whichever one’s closest?” He glanced at Ambrose for confirmation. Leif hoped that was a reasonable solution - Cyril still would pick where they went and impartial distance would decide the order, but the Oberon wouldn’t need to intensify his focus to whittle things down to one option. Leif remembered how difficult focusing on one solid chain of thought had sometimes been under his own magic-related impediments - and that usually hadn’t involved picking things out from a list he’d been simultaneously having to memorize. And maybe speaking out loud would make it easier for Cyril to work through the decision; sometimes getting things out of a frazzled head and into the air made them seem clearer. Leif hoped that would be the case here, anyway. Leif feels very D= at Cyril's difficulty in making a decision, and suggests that Cyril can perhaps list multiple rooms he found interesting and then they can go to the one that's closest first.
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Post by Celestial on Apr 15, 2015 18:30:54 GMT -5
Ambrose could not help but wince at both Cyril's tone and the distress that was apparent all over the young Oberon's face and body. He could see the symptoms of a growing headache too, a headache that was no doubt being caused by the decisions he had to make on his own very suddenly and very quickly, decisions Ambrose was forcing on him. As much as he wanted to help the young man, this was for the best in the long run. "You should take your time, Cyril. I've got no obligations for today and I prepared in advance by finishing my work for today. Don't force yourself to decide immediately, focus on it one step at a time," he murmured in a gentle, soothing voice. His hand twitched as Ambrose tried to reach out and rest a comforting hand on his shoulder, to touch him and try to reassure him, but he had no idea how Cyril would react to that. It was probably for the best that he restrain himself for now. He caught Leif's eye as the archmage offered suggestions to help Cyril decide and gave him a nod of acknowledgement before turning back to the young Oberon. "The common room and reception room is closest, and if you wish we can start there. The dining room too, is also nearby," Ambrose listed the three rooms, hoping the narrower choice would help and gave him a kind smile. "From there, Lord Oberon, I can guide you around the Manor one room at a time. And of course, if anything catches your attention, you can stop to take a look at it. Likewise, if you have a question, please ask me and I shall do my best to answer." The Stallion's shoulders drooped slightly and his gaze became much more sympathetic. "There is no shame, you know, in not being able to make a decision and having difficulty, especially after what you have been through. I understand what it is like to have magic clouding your thoughts and I will be glad to give you all the time you need. You need to heal at your own pace and I cannot rush you. And I am very patient." He smiled and held out his hand. "Besides, if you choose one room, that doesn't mean you cannot see the others later. I would be happy to show you around the entire Manor eventually." However, one thing still bothered him. "Will you need to sort out your headache first, though, Lord Oberon? So you could focus better on the architecture?" Ambrose hoped that the extra decision would not be too much of a burden on the young man but he could not bear the thought of a guest, or anybody, walking around in pain. Not if he could help it. Ambrose reassures Cyril and tries to help with the decision-making process as much as he can, since he knows what magic does to a mind. He also asks Cyril if he wants that headache sorted first before they go visit anything.
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