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 Posted: Wed May 06, 2009 9:14 am
There were "buts" somewhere in her speech, even as he walked alongside the mare he noted the instant in which they should arise. However these never came and instead of her simply rejecting him (as he would have anticipated) she continued to lead him on a rollercoaster ride that would shatter even the calmest of stallions. There were instances in which she seemed to doubt his intentions and then there were others when she seemed to consider such a union a possibility. He was accustomed to indecisive mares (most of which he was related to) but it wasn't something he appreciated given the current circumstances!
So was it a yes or a no?
He could do nothing more than maintain his silence as she seemed to work through her own train of thought, voicing her own concerns. Suffice to say the majority of her musings were coming up as rather negative in his books. Frankly, the very fact that he had come down from the slopes to this hell hole should have confirmed that he was serious. If he hadn't been serious he wouldn't have taken the time out of his day! Was it so much of a shock that she couldn't fathom this for herself?
"With all due respect, Elizabeth," he began at last and flicked his gaze towards the mare. "You know as well as I, that I do not appreciate these lands. If I were not serious do you expect me to descend from my home to a place?" He pointed out, his tone guarded. He was doing his best to keep any form of 'drawl' out of his voice, lest he be accused of cheek. "It would be most unlike me to come down for the sake of a whim." He finished, his gaze hardening.
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Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 7:42 pm
Some might say that Ambroise's words were unduly harsh, given the time and the circumstances at hand. For Elizabeth, though, they were merely taken with a shrug as a par-for-the-course reflex. Who would want to be accused of whimsicality when discussing something as deeply important as matehood?
To be sure, she wasn't sure that defensiveness was the same thing as solid assurance, but she wasn't about to start picking at semantics at such an important time. Along that same vein, she also wasn't going to pick a fight or be anything that might be construed as provoking. After all, he was a grown stallion, not a colt off on some cockamamie adventure that she was honor-bound to "mother".
In fact, given the situation that behavior would be wrong on several levels!
So rather than responding to his statement with an explanation, a catty comment, or any other comeback, Elizabeth merely nodded her head in simple acceptance. Much as she wanted to remark on the fact she doubted it WAS like him to go about proposing to acquaintances, she didn't, saying instead "Fair enough. In that case..."
After what felt like another monumental pause spent entirely staring anywhere but at his face, she straightened up and stated with a great deal more calmness than she felt, "I accept."
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Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2009 6:00 am
Reassurance had never been his strong point, truth be told he expected others to know him better. He was not a puzzle and in his opinion was definitely an open book when it came to most subjects. Some might have called these expectations a tad inappropriate and accuse him of a mild superiority complex but given his upbringing it was unsurprising. After all, he had been raised in a family who could read him well and more importantly, they took initiative. He didn't have to reassure, he didn't have to explain and for many years had been spoiled rotten by the family who simply knew what his take on particular matters was. No doubt in time either he would have to come to recognise that not all could accomodate him in such a manner or Elizabeth would piece the puzzle together for herself.
Had his family members been nearby they would have mused over the greater likelihood that Elizabeth would be the brains of the operation. Ambroise could be infuriating more often than not, particularly when it came to change. It would be a painful procedure and a great many years before he would slowly slip into the role of 'doting' husband. Truth be told, half the world might expect him to never fall into that role but stranger things had happened and romance could blossom from the most unexpected of places (or so said many old 'crones' in his herd).
Her acceptance did allow his face to relax though, his lips pursing for a few moments before he gave his now typical single nod in response. After the stress of travelling so far and the initial uncertainty (or was it that she was being deliberately obtuse?) things had taken a surprisingly positive turn. She hadn't cut in with the numerous 'buts' that he had anticipated and instead she had accepted his proposal. Now at a loss for words he cleared his throat in the passing silence and rustled his wings against his sides as he dwelled upon what should come next. Suffice to say when it came to this sort of thing neither parent or any sibling had given him a walkthrough on how the proceedings should be!
"I expect you will wish to make arrangements regarding your business within these regions, yes?"
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Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 10:11 pm
Ah, sweet romance.
With the calm, placid manner that was her trademark, Elizabeth merely nodded her head in response to Ambroise. On one level it must have been an odd picture to the casual passers-by; neither mare nor stallion seemed to be struck by any sort of strong emotion...or any emotion at all. It could have been two total strangers making small talk, definitely not a newly mated couple!
Internally was another story, though...at least for Elizabeth. Behind the calm facade, her heart was racing a mile a minute and thought after thought was flitting through her brain. How would she get along with her in-laws? What would they think of her? Exactly where would they live? What kind of presence would Ambroise actually have in her life, and what amount of time would she be spending with him? How well would they get along when actually spending time together on a regular basis?
So very many questions, and if she was being honest with herself she had no idea how to answer them. However, she also had faith in things working out for the best. After all, the spirits had brought her to this point in her life in relative comfort and peace, and just when she was starting to come to terms with a life of solitary spinsterhood, they brought her a stallion who seemed to be ideal mate material. Sure, there were a few uncertainties, but time and diligence would bring an answer to everything.
Reflecting on that brought a level of calm to her spirit, and she was able to reply, "There isn't a great deal of business in my life, Ambroise, but there are a few things that I should certainly take care of." Like, for example, communicating to her companion Cajji exactly what was going on. And letting Zaphiro know where he could find her...
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Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2009 8:59 am
Given that Elizabeth had met his parents, Ambroise would have been in little doubt that they would approve of her. When it came to his siblings they would probably be much the same. Admittedly they would question her sanity and perhaps muse over how she had managed to gain his interest but that would be more of a teasing jibe towards him than to his newly crowned mate. She would be liked and welcomed as most were into his eccentric family and hopefully she would adjust quickly to their quirks and otherwise questionable behaviour. Either that, or Ambroise could only assume she would find a way to plug her ears and drown out sounds that even he would have considered irritating when they occured regularly.
Nevertheless, the issue of where to live hadn't yet come to the forefront of his mind. As a homebody he was already accustomed to the peaks, the chill of winter rarely bothered him and the thin air was refreshing. Alas, it would have to be Elizabeth who would raise the sensible question of a more suitable abode and not he. Thankfully even if his mind wasn't on this immediate issue he could at the very least recall suitable locations if asked, but he still had much to learn when it came to relationships and the requirements of said partner. Suffice to say he hadn't quite figured out that the consideration he held for his students and their health were similar to that of his mate.
She was a lowland soquili.
She needed reasonably thick air to breathe and some warmth.
High peaks were bad.
It didn't take a brain surgeon but perhaps the overall shock of her acceptance had impacted on him more than even he had anticipated and the thought fled from his mind as though irrelevant. Needless to say he was grateful when she responded to his enquiry and gave another nod of understanding. In his opinion issues that needed to be taken care of were business but she clearly had another definition.
"Of course," he replied at last. "Rest assured I will give you ample time to do what you must, if you have a particular time frame at all then by all means let me know. I will return for you at such a time unless you have another preference..."
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Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2009 5:09 pm
Hrm...time frame? Her expression thoughtful, Liz mulled over the concept with the focus of one trying to avoid facing any truly BIG questions. Did she really have a time frame? Was there that much that she needed to do that required much attention on her part or any schedule that Ambroise needed to be aware of?
After thinking about it for a few more silent minutes, she spoke in the same thoughtful, calm tone. "To be honest, I don't have a great deal to do as far as tying up loose ends. Most of my world revolves around Cajji, and so she is the only true closure I need." And that was the truth. Zaphiro would be surprised, she knew, but she didn't doubt her friend would be rejoice in her happiness. She was actually expecting Zaris, Zaphiro's familiar, to make his weekly appearance any time now...and even if he ran late, she knew that he would locate her with relative ease.
Still, it was rather bittersweet to realize that she could tie up her entire life-up-until-now in a short afternoon's work. Simple it was, but sad all the same. A small, semi-ironic smile crossed her face, but after a moment it was gone and she was giving Ambroise a level gaze. "Would you be willing to accompany me to the tepee?"
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Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 7:14 am
She wanted him to accompany her to her teepee? A wave of dread swept over him at the prospect of being subjected to the attentions of human offspring once more. It was an assumption of course, he had no idea where the mare's teepee was sited but where teepees generally lay there was usually more than one of them. It was just as well that he possessed such discipline as there was a high chance he would have pulled a face, groaned and regarded her with mild apprehension if he had been one hundred percent honest about how he felt regarding this request. Evidently he suited the hermit's life far better than he did the bustling and noise-filled life of a lowland being.
Nevertheless he took a deep breath, regarded the mare for a few moments as he reconstructed his composure beneath his calm visage. It was then that he gave another of his nods and with a ruffle of his wings joined her side. If necessary he would start whapping the children away with his wings, it wasn't the most tactful method in the world but not every creature was a 'people person' and it was a wonder he had even agreed to this in the first place! Already he could foresee a further loss of flight feathers, his glorious plumes covered in grime and goo of pale and hairless creatures who couldn't fully appreciate how special they were.
...He was going to die, wasn't he?
"Lead the way," he offered as way of invitation for her to continue.
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Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 7:50 am
If Liz had been aware of Ambroise's fears, it would have been an easy enough thing for her to soothe them. Whether for better or for worse, Cajji's tepee was at least an hour's walk (human pace) out of the village, comfortably situated on the banks of the lake just south of the inlet. Cajji herself was the only person that Elizabeth had seen in years, though the occasional Soquili was known to drift through. No, Elizabeth's home was a lot like Elizabeth herself: very sedate, very peaceful, and very without children running about.
Either way, she had no way of knowing and consequently felt no reason to offer any encouragement beyond, "Your presence will make this a great deal easier to communicate. I love Cajji, but her inability to understand our speech would make it difficult to explain atypical or unusual situations." Like, for example, how her mare was leaving to live with a previously unseen lifemate!
In spite of her brisk jog from earlier, they weren't too far away from home; Elizabeth estimated 15 minutes, if that, before they made it back. Now just hopefully Cajji was still there!
And of course, there was the whole 'what does one make conversation about while walking along with a stallion who just recently shifted from acquaintance to lifemate? "I believe that you mentioned your parents were taking a vacation; is it very different being on the slopes with such central herd figures absent?"
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Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 9:22 am
He wasn't one for conversation and was fairly certain that the mare had long since come to those conclusions herself. However, he leapt at the change of subject with unspoken gratitude singing in his heart. Anything to distract himself from the possibility of being mauled by small, furless creatures - anything! Of course, he wasn't terribly surprised that she'd chosen a safe topic to discuss either, she had already demonstrated that she was a mare of etiquette and watching her tongue was something she certainly excelled at. If there was one thing he could talk about comfortably it was his family - or certain aspects of his family.
No one needed to know about Fenghuang just yet. Not until Ambroise had gelded him at least - this required that the eldest brother manage to locate him of course.
"Not particularly," he replied after a few moments of consideration. He had to admit that it was much quieter on the slopes without the vivacious manner of his mother but the knowledge that they would be coming home meant the impact of their absence wasn't significant. Perhaps if it had been a more permanent thing then the answer would have been different but as it stood currently...
"It is quieter, it grants those of us who need it a brief reprieve from my mother. She can be very overwhelming on occasions," he mused after a few moments. A half smile lined his lips and he regarded the horizon carefully, gauging the distance between them and their apparent destination. It wasn't as far as he had anticipated but nor was it in the same direction of the village; this brought him some comfort - then again he'd never actually asked where she had lived before now had he?
"I suspect they will be missed if they disappear for much longer but for now it is just a vacation and has had little impact, they ensured everything was in order before they left home. Contrary to popular belief my mother is a very organised and considerate mare."
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Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 7:36 pm
On a communication level, Elizabeth and Ambroise were nothing if not compatible. Both liked to avoid awkward or unsavory topics, both tended to favor the uncomplicated or simplistic...
Though to be fair, Liz and Ambroise each had their own definition of 'awkward' at the moment. Ambroise wanted to avoid the topic or thought of children, Elizabeth wanted to avoid the topic of ANYTHING. Specifically, anything relating to this new situation that was both exciting and unsettling all at once. Much easier to focus on distant things, at least for the time being.
And it was easy to allow herself to get sucked into the discussion; after all, these were her in-laws he was talking about! At Ambroise's assessment of his mother's temperament she allowed herself to smile, in total agreement from her one experience with Yei. "Your mother certainly is a dynamic Soquili, Ambroise. I don't doubt that she can accomplish a lot with even a short amount of time to prepare. Hopefully they are enjoying themselves and nothing too exciting comes up in the meantime to distract them from their peace."
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Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 1:38 pm
"My mother and relaxation are generally not the best of friends," he replied smoothly, warming to the topic. His hooves brushed ideally against the blades of grass and every now and then he gave a flick to push the more stubborn roots out of his way. All in all, now that there was little risk of children abusing his feathers and there was next to no risk of a stranger interrupting his walk he had the opportunity to relax. In the lowlands this was a rather thing for him and in a manner of speaking he savoured it, sincerely doubting that such a feeling would be emulated at a later date. Then again, the likelihood of him returning to the lowlands was slim.
"She drove my father mad with exasperation while pregnant with my younger siblings, to assume she would relax if she wouldn't even do it then would be a little ridiculous," he chuckled and rolled his shoulders, his wings rustling gently against his sides and tickling against his flank. "But I wouldn't deny that she can achieve practically anything she wants when she puts her mind to it, part of her charm I suppose." He lulled into silence for a brief period and kept his eyes upon the horizon, curious as to how her human might take to his abrupt appearance and what his appearance meant. Would she be upset, surprised, worried or a combination of all of those emotions?
...He'd never really understood humans.
"That aside I sincerely hope that this vacation has given them time to find what it was they sought, my father was adamant that they go. For the time being I suspect I am capable of enduring whatever nonsense my siblings feel the need to thrust upon me in their absence. There is little they can do now that would surprise me," he pointed out drily, indicating that his siblings were indeed a bunch of hooligans when given half the chance.
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Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 8:58 am
"Perhaps your mother IS no fan of what is considered by most to be relaxation, but I have to believe that there is some state that she finds calming. Whether I would find it relaxing, well..." At that, Elizabeth allowed herself to laugh, knowing full well from her very brief experience with her new mother-in-law that they were of very different personality types. It was a somewhat intimidating thought, if she was being honest, but she retained the hope that they would get along well despite their differences. After all, Yei had been very pleasant in their first meeting, and hopefully that wouldn't change in their second.
Ambroise's father would be the novelty, though listening to Ambroise talk about his tolerance for Yei's whims was heartening. If a stallion could handle that much energy and enthusiasm on a daily basis, then surely he had to be a very tolerant and patient sort of stallion, just the sort that she would get along with! Indeed, she pictured him to be a great deal like her mate, except perhaps a little less serious...
And siblings-in-law! THAT would be something new. Glancing at Ambroise, she asked with surprising candor, "Do you expect them to need you to deal with much in your parents' absence? I thought that they were all independent..." Though thinking on that, she corrected herself with a smile. "Adults, rather, which I suppose doesn't necessarily mean independent."
By now, the two were coming into view of the small thicket where Liz liked to go to be alone, and in another moment the peaks of the three tepees would be visible. Hopefully Cajji would be there and this could be handled smoothly...
As smoothly as one could say goodbye to a dear friend, that is.
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Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2009 9:51 am
"Adults they may be, independant they are not. There are moments when they require assistance though they would be loathe to admit it on most occasions," he replied. There was no need to inform her that within the last year or so his youngest brother had vanished without a trace, nor was there any need to inform her of the multiple nieces and nephews she would encounter. Suffice to say the demands these children made on his life alongside the occasional request for help from his brothers generally kept him preoccupied. "However for the most part they are perfectly capable of attending to their own needs, I merely play a supportive role," he explained in further detail. Admittedly the idea of Ambroise possessing the ability to be supportive was a bit comical but support and aid often came in many forms...
"That aside there are a few of my nieces and nephews I train," he added after a pause. Lifting his gaze he fixed it upon the rising peaks of the teepees ahead of him and cleared his throat. There was more than one, this meant the possibility of more humans and more children. Joy oh joy - if he'd been human he definitely would have been a hermit himself. "They have honed the art of disrupting my routine as and when they can; they claim it is for legitimate reasons but one would beg to differ on occasions..." he mused. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy training his family members but having them drag a friend to him to prove they were right was not something he approved of.
...He had better things to do than say "yes" or "no" to a set of questions that were largely irrelevant to his current circumstances and directed solely and boosting his student's ego!
"I assume these teepees are yours?" He enquired at last, nodding his head towards the rising 'settlement' nearby the banks of the river. He gave no indication of his apprehension upon meeting these humans and took the opportunity to direct the subject to the matter at hand. Would her revelation be well received, would there be tears? He wasn't the best with emotional creatures and he opted instead to stay in the background unless it was absolutely necessary for him to play a more important role in proceedings.
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Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2009 2:04 pm
Once again, Elizabeth found her interest piqued as Ambroise mentioned training. While hardly a naive mare when it came to the literal sense of the word (after all, everyone had to learn something from someone else), she had no idea in what fields Ambroise himself taught. She would guess something of a martial nature, if she had to, but she supposed it could be anything from flight to herb cultivation! How very much she didn't know about this mate of hers...
However, she was confident that time would reveal all, in this matter as with everything. Someday, she would know Ambroise's fields of expertise and focus, what he liked to do in his free time, what his favorite snacks were; she just had to be observant and pay attention, and all would be fine. Regardless, now was hardly the proper time to start peppering him with questions. Looking ahead to the tepees, Liz's quick eyes caught sight of exactly what she was looking for: Cajji, sitting in between the tepees with her reeds.
"Yes, this is home. Cajji has been my dearest friend and companion for years now, and I have to say that it pains me to leave her." Coming to a halt, Elizabeth surveyed the compound with a poignant, slightly sorrowful look, her voice soft as she spoke. And it was a painful moment for her, looking over the place that had been home for so long and realizing that soon, it wouldn't be. Matehood certainly was a lifechanging event...
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Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 4:44 am
In terms of hobbies, gardening probably wasn't far from the truth! It was a secret love of course, most of his extra curricular activities were hidden but she wouldn't have been wrong to dwell on the sort of thing. However, in time she would indeed find that the quiet stallion wasn't one who lived with a rod stuck up his rump day in and day out; such a demeanor was reserved for awkward situations and failing students. Suffice to say he would have hoped by now that she recognised at least one or two reasonable bones in his nature even if she considered him to be stiff the majority of the time.
Needless to say, he didn't offer any words as they drew near and instead he came to a halt. Ruffling his wings, he examined the mare's body language and shifting facial expression in silence. Even he could tell she was upset to a degree, the nostalgia and array of memories that lay here were overwhelming. At the very least he could recognise this; the discomfort and the difficulty one was faced with when parting ways with the familiar. Of course if she wanted to change her mind as well, then he wouldn't have been one to fault her either... sometimes, things were hard to let go of.
Choosing to do nothing more than clear his throat and grant the mare her time, he kept his distance and ensured he was within a reasonable distance from her. If she required his assistance or his presence he would be in sight. She could call him or gesture and he would approach, otherwise he wouldn't intrude on an encounter that would be a little too emotional for him to be capable of enduring. He wasn't good with tears or fond farewells, the whole concept of emotions was a little bit vague to him to begin with. Better for him not to stick his nose in places where it didn't belong!
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