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 Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 5:24 pm
“Ah.” If Emris hadn’t been thinking of other things, Terrie’s comment on the lucky would’ve made him chuckle. But then she really surprised him and it took all his strength to keep his hand from twitching. Not that he didn’t like the feel of her warm hand on his….but he just wasn’t expecting it. “Oh, really? I think listening to you was just fine…”
Then he let out a sigh and raising his gaze, the foxtaur raised his gaze to meet Terrie‘s. “It’s nothing really…” He tried again and shook his head. “I’ve just seen many a thing from when I was a traveler and it just wrenches my heart to think of the taurs I’ve seen that were just wee ones barely surviving by helping each other. The mother…” He trailed off and lowered his gaze to the table. “I’d known her for a long time and witnessed what happened between her and the no good foxtaur that stole her heart. She was so lost in him that she didn’t care about her children when she…”
Emris paused and took a shaky breath when picking his next words, “..decided that life without that male who left them for another wasn’t worth it. And that’s not the first horror story of uncaring mates and abandoned children that I‘ve witnessed…but it‘s the one that really touched home with me.” Quite literally actually, but he forced that thought back. Forcing a small grin he looked up at Terrie, “See? My stories aren’t that good at all.”
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Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 5:35 pm
Terrie listened silently, and her fingers only semi-conciously firmed around Emris' hand. "I've seen many abandoned children," She started softly, "but I've never had any sort of closeness to their situations. I never knew any of them." She shook her head sadly. "We've seen so much bad, been part of so much pain. It's all around and apparently unstoppable. What keeps us going? I often wondered that while I was alone, and I don't think I ever found a good answer." She blinked a couple times, then smiled. "I bet it's that love thing you spoke of before. And the hope for it. Do you think that's part of it?"
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Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 5:46 pm
Without even wondering about it, Emris allowed his fingers to move in between Terrie’s. His expression flickered with some of that sorrow but was slowly returning to his normal cheery look. “I believe that is part of it.” He replied softly raising his gaze to Terrie’s. “With out any of the hope that I had back then I don’t think I would’ve made it as far as I have. And I’m really starting to think that…that hope really might be fulfilled someday.” His mouth curved upwards in a warm smile as he squeezed Terrie’s hand. “Thank you.”
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Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 6:00 pm
Terrie glanced briefly at their twined fingers, her only reaction a soft, warm smile. Then her eyes quickly went back to greet his. "It makes me wonder if I've had that hope the entire time, but I didn't have a name for it, so I didn't notice. I hope mine is as close to fulfillment as you think yours is."
Her brow furrowed slightly. "'Thank you?' For what?"
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Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 1:02 pm
Quirking an eyebrow upwards, Emris grinned at Terrie elusively. “I hope it is too. But anyways…for listening. That‘s…why I thanked you.” His hand gently squeezed her hand again before he glanced away. Suddenly a hopeful distracting thought came to Emris and he nearly jumped, “Oh!”
Then the foxtaur slowly unlatched their hands and immediately recognized the loss of warmth from Terrie’s hand. “I haven’t even given you a full tour of my home!” His eyes sparkled as he walked towards the hallway. “So is it okay to extend our home planning break to look around? I think I have some books that even have some drawings of homes that might help you design yours.” Tilting his head, Emris looked back at Terrie for a split second before continuing his gaze around the kitchen while waiting for her reply.
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Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 1:15 pm
"Oh." Terrie smiled and nodded. "Of course." She nearly jumped also at his sudden exclaimation and giggled. "That'd be great!" She said, her hand flexing through the now empty space. "I bet your house has good ideas."
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Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 1:37 pm
"Maybe." Emris smiled though and started to lead the way down the hallway. Approaching a slightly open door, the foxtaur groaned silently and dashed to close it. "Umm...we just pass this room, okay?" He stated with a nervous grin. Walking on pass another closed door, Emris smiled. "We'll come back to this one later...but first I'd like to show you my favorite room." With that said he started around the corner and opened a wide oak door which was joined with another one.
Inside was several shelves filled with books and a oak desk was in the middle. Covering it was some more books and other various things. Candles on the wall flickered with their tiny flames, lightening up the maps that were hanging on the wall. "Besides Xennek's guest room, I think this might be the messiest room in the house." He joked with an embarressed grin. "But here it is...my haven of collected books from my travels and what others bring to me. Which is why I've sometimes been called a bit of a bookworm."
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Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 1:47 pm
Terrie giggled as Emris said to skip two rooms. She was about to ask if they were messy, but the room he did show her made her think those rooms had something else. Her eyes widened in suprise. So many books and papers! "This reminds me of one of the study rooms the old man had." She said, brushing her fingers along one of the shelves.
She stopped at most of the hanging maps, wondering if perhaps she had been in one of those places. "You must have been everywhere." She looked back at him. "Where did you begin? This traveling and collecting had to start somewhere."
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Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 2:05 pm
Feeling happy that Terrie seemed interested in the maps and books, Emris walked over to her. "It's been so long ago, yet I remember the first map that I made that wasn't of my home. It was when we went to Draiocht, where most of the cattaurs live. Xennek..." Emris trailed off but after looking at Terrie decided to continue, "Lost both of his parents in a deadly fire and was taken in by a cattaur who was his parents' friend."
"But then we all decided that it was best if Xennek got taken in by my family. So while we traveled there I finally started to copy how my father lovedd to make maps as we rested during our trip. He always did like to comment on me inheriting his steel lock memory. " Emris laughed softly, "Those were some of the craziest times of my life, talk about driving my parents crazy." Until he'd lost them both as a teen that was... "Then I started traveling with Xennek when we grew older and map making was what I did in our spare time."
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Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 10:25 pm
Terrie sighed to herself. They were having so much talk of family, mostly lost ones, she started to briefly wonder about her own. But she pushed it away, as usual. "Not all cattaurs are as snobby as I've heard it seems." She said with a sad smile, wondering awkwardly if she was supposed to comment anything else on the deaths. Saying she was sorry, though she really was, just felt cheap.
"So your father taught you about drawing. He must have been good at it." She said as she lightly touched a map that seemed to have particular detail in it. "Did he make any of these?"
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Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 1:20 pm
"Not all cattaurs anyways." Added Emris grinning, "Andy...well yes, father was good at drawing." He chuckled, "Yet, sometimes never satisfied I remember watching him swearing and throwing papers to the ground since his sketches sometimes were never enough to get what he wanted done."
Reaching out, the foxtaur trailed his hand next to Terrie's over the map. "This was one of them. One of the later ones that he drew before I left home in fact." He looked back at Terrie and smiled warmly, talk of his father definitely was bringing back some warm thoughts and feeling. But then he realized something....was talking about family a good idea? "Umm...so anyways...back to house plans?" He asked softly.
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Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 1:19 pm
“He expected a lot from himself then. Did he pass that onto you also?”
Terrie turned to Emris the same time he turned to her and was able to catch the full warmth of his smile. Her tail swayed slowly as she turned to the map again and wondered that his father must have been a great man to produce such a smile in his son. Would her father or mother have given her such a smile if she could remember them?
She examined the map a moment longer before nodding. “Okay. We should probably get the plans done before winter, while we can still see the ground.” She paused at the door, putting her hand lightly to the frame and looking across the room once more. “Thanks for showing me this.” She said with a smile. “I liked seeing it.”
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Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 12:58 pm
“I….don’t know.” Whispered Emris more to himself as he thought of his father’s ambitions and his ability to never be satisfied by a finished project. Was he like that at times? Shaking the thoughts from his mind, the foxtaur nodded to Terrie and grabbed a small leather bound book with loose leaf paper.
“You’re welcome.” Replied Emris walking past her and into the hallway, “I’m really glad that you liked seeing it myself.” Giving her a grin he started back. “So should we look at these now? Or draw out some of your ideas?” He asked walking slowly back the way they had came.
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Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2008 4:09 pm
Terrie tilted her head to look at the book Emris had grabbed. "My ideas?" She questioned as she followed him back. "I don't know what I'm doing. How can I have ideas?" She almost giggled, but her embarassment kept the laugh at bay. "What's that you have? Are those ideas?" She asked, pointing at the book he held.
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Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2008 4:14 pm
"Easily." Emris replied with a wink, "Ideas of what you'd love to have or just things that you want for your home. It doesn't have to be exact...and it can be random if you want even." He chuckled lightly and grinned at Terrie, "My house was sorta built from random ideas, and yes..." He handed the book of house sketches over to her, "This might help you out with ideas."
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