Welcome to Gaia! ::

Ambrose was feeling quite well the next day, almost walking on euphoria. The scene playing over and over in his mind of the conversation with Emelyn the night before. THe conversation, her understanding, the ease that he had found himself talking with her. She had even somehow conveyed a great deal of the gravity of the situation to Ambrose - but even her bluntness didn't seem quite so heavy as it had been when he was dealing with the concepts himself.

However, he had not completely lost his head. There was still the niggling feeling he couldn't shake- the guilt he felt about starting to actually see someone - even if it was just a date... "just a date". He had dated other women before Angelina.... taken them to movies, to dinner, even to dances. None of them had ever felt as meaningful as Angelina. Then again, he had never been able to really TALK to any woman like he did until he met Angelina.... and Emelyn could listen as well.... She was bright, friendly, and thoughtful. She wasn't afraid to put her thoughts to words, or to provide an ear for him to be honest to. And he had felt a click with her... something was right.... right? But that same bothering feeling also wouldn't let him forget that part of that initial curiousity about her might very well be due to her familiar appearance.... an appearance that might automatically lead him to feel more comfortable around her. Sometimes, Ambrose wanted to tell that little voice to shut up, but that generally served to make him feel more guilty. He DID love Angelina... and he didn't want to lose her..... but as Emelyn said... he had to accept that there was no way Moreau would let him off the Island... even IF he didn't change any further - which was seeming more and more unlikely ever sence he saw Greer.

He sighed, putting his hands in the pockets of his short khakis as he found himself wandering from the cafeteria out towards one of his favorite spots on the Island - the beach, bringing along his fencing equipment, just in case he felt up for it.

HE would see where things led him... he didn't believe in fate - He had cte on taking his future into his own hands.... regardless of the fact that it led him here - out of control of his life once again.

Hope... hope was such a delicate subject. Fate, belief in onesself, the conversation was spinning in his head.

But he would not stop fencing -he loved it. And maybe, someday, it could still pay off. But he didn't need someone else to tell him he was good. Really.

He sighed, looking across the sandy beach - and saw that two figures were there already - Amaya once again - apparently listening to her music again, and Pyroth - the other canine-person who he hadn't seen in some time.

He raised a hand in a wave and walked over towards Amaya to see what she had been up to, and if she had been practicing, eager to get his mind off heavier things.

Pyroth spotted Ambrose as soon as he stepped onto the beach, probably thanks to a combination of his slightly more attuned senses of late and his training prior to the island. He returned the blonde man's wave with a nod of greeting. As Amaya sat up, he grinned faintly, it would be nice if he could relax enough to zone out like that, but he had always been too damn tense. In fact he was even beginning to miss Khan somewhat, his old tattooing partner used to make himself a small fortune for his skills in aromatherapy and massage too.

"Hello again." he replied his expression still warm. It was too pleasant a day to be truly down, he reckoned. In fact, if he were younger, he'd probably go for a jog. In fact, toss the younger part to hell, perhaps he'd go for a jog later regardless of his perceived health.

Amaya stretched and walked towards the two, smiling. She looked to Pyroth, wondering how he was fairing as well. After that whole cafeteria thing she had tried to seek him out just to see that he was alright but had failed. It was a nice coincidence that he had run into her instead of the other way around.

"Yeah! I'm getting a lot better too!" She lit up at the mention of fencing. It was one of the few things these days that kept her mind focused and free from wandering off into darker subjects.

((Rawr - sorry, I was typing and my laptop went crazy and opened up a dozen windows or so and ... yeah))

Ambrose smiled to Amaya. "That's wonderful! We'll have to put that to the test - and maybe, if you're ready I can teach you something new" He grinned, patting her on the shoulder before turning apologetically to Pyroth.

"I'm sorry, Pyroth - it must sound like we're speaking another language. I've started to teach Amaya how to fence." He smiled proudly. IT felt good - especially seeing the outright enthusiasm in Amaya's eyes - he was really doing something helpful to her here. She was a wonderful person and didn't deserve to be here - no one did, but she was going out of her way to help others while she was here. "And unfortunately I know how you feel.... I've been getting better I Think since it's been a while since I changed. Or maybe I'm just becoming accustomed to it." He winced. "I never had a problem with meat before... but that seems to be what I'm craving above all else now." He admitted. "And in much greater quantities." He snorted. "I think Moreau would definately deserve that."

Fencing? Pyroth admired the sport but had never gotten involved, any blades in his hands were for killing and little else. He didn't quite understand the art of the thrust and parry, the delicate slashes of the blade, none of that. He could kill a man with a regular dinner knife but couldn't deflect a blow for the life of him. It was odd how far away the world he had left behind seemed now, here on the island. He was glad to see the back of it.

"Ah! Fencing, it's a difficult skill to master isn't it?"

He said nothing more about the changes but did feel a bit of worry nestle it's way into his gut, other islanders were getting better? Why was he getting worse?

It didn't bear thinking about here and now so he pushed it aside.

"I'd think that if it ever came to that, we would have to have a vote to see what animal he deserved. And salad? That's not too bad, used to like it actually, it kept me slim."

Slim in Pyroth's terms generally meant "almost terminally underweight"

Slim? Jeeze, the guy was a skeleton. Amaya opened her mouth to point out how he should eat more but figured it would get them nowhere and said something else. "Yeah, I just never liked salad before and as for an animal?" She paused to think before grinning manically. "A slug! Or a worm! Ewwww!" She stuck out her large tounge on reflex but quickly put it back in her mouth once she realized what she was doing.

Her smile faultered and she looked at Ambrose. Man, he wanted to go to the Olympics? What a dream to be crushed. Noteing the quickl subject change, she went along with it since it seemed as though he didn't want to dwell on it. "Yeah! It'd be fun to have another person to learn with."

Ambrose shrugged. "You're more than welcome if you like, Pyroth. Everyone can be a little unsure of themselves to begin with. Besides, they say that the expression 'you can't teach an old dog new tricks' is a dirty lie." His smile faltered as he realized that that expression might not have been in the best of tastes. "I'm sorry, Pyroth... I didn't mean anything by that.."

"But yes - Eat, man! You need it!" He glanced at Pyroth's tatoos. "And it looks like you were quite skilled. I hear that that takes a confident, steady hand."

He turned back to Amaya with a grin. "Ready to show off what you've learned?"

He dropped into the en-guarde position in front of her "Show Pyroth he doesn't know what he's missing." He gave Pyroth a quick wink. "Once again - I advance, you retreat, I retreat, you advance" He smiled, and began the drill.