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 Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 12:59 am
More than a day had passed since Emelyn had found him. He'd spent a good portion of it resting. When he awoke the first time he ate the food she'd brought for him, neither of them spoke, and then he went back to sleep. He wasn't sure what Emelyn did while he slept, but he had noticed his room was in better shape than the day before. It felt weird to have her help, but he was grateful for her company. Her presence helped keep his emotions from overwhelming him.
An hour earlier he opened his eye again to an empty room. Even the dogs were gone. Out of the corner of his eye he saw another note and fear gripped him. But he was relieved to find it was just from Emelyn and not another message from the labs. She had gone out and taken the dogs.
Since he could not sleep he sat in bed and read. It was all he could do.
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Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 1:07 am
Ambrose had returned 'home' to his duplex after his chat with Marshall feeling in much higher spirits than when he had left that morning. Friends really were the glue that held his sanity together here on the island. And despite all the crap that had been happening, it was reassuring to know that there were people out there that were good people, sane people, and who would support each other.
So Ambrose returned to his duplex and sized up the massive crack down the wall again critically. It was about a hand-span in width at the widest point. He needed to cover it, for privacy's sake even if it was ineffective at necessarily keeping anyone out who wanted to make a nuisance...
His eyes settled on the blue blanket that Lucas had left for him at Christmas and two and two fit together quite well. So, tacking the blanket up, he covered the crack. It was... a little gouche... but in a weird imagination it might have been construed as a wall decoration. And it was certainly better than the crack.
He also thought on how he hadn't seen Lucas in quite some time. He had had no luck in tracking down Gaius - to thank him for the chair OR ask about the theatre.... but maybe he could find Lucas.
So, destination in mind, Ambrose trotted out to find the resident myth fan.
After checking the roster in the cafeteria, he followed the duplexes until he found his door, and then rapped a few times to see if he was home.
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Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 1:16 am
The dhole's ears rose at the knocks and he lowered his book. His first thoughts were of Emelyn and then to wonder why she would knock. Perhaps she'd gone by the cafeteria and her hands were full? With his head still throbbing a bit he grabbed the walking stick, wavered slightly, and hurried to the door, not wanting to make her wait.
After being on the Island for so long with practically no visitors, he didn't think at all that it might be someone other than the hedgehog. Neither did he think about the lack of bandages over his eye.
"Why are you knocking, Emel-?" He stopped and looked up at the person that was not the hedgehog.
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Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 1:22 am
Ambrose's jaw muscles worked mutely for a moment. The eye... or rather the lack thereof... was the first thing that his were drawn to. He wasn't quite sure what he had expected... but this certainly wasn't it.
He had meant to say 'Hi Lucas'... but instead.... "Eye.... Lucas...? Is... uhm... that you?" Did he even realize his Freudian slip?
Slowly, the gears began to turn again. The man was sporting some quite familiar features - both visual signs as well as scent. His mind immediately started working without his permission, filling in information about Lucas's canine state - his mood, and part of him was wanting to size up this other male, establish a dominancy status. Those canine instincts flared briefly, while Ambrose's conscious mind was still caught on the nasty... injury... on Lucas's face.
Then, things seemed to fit together like a puzzle and he finally was able to start moving forward. He had said "Emel" .. he had to mean Emelyn... did he know her?
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Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 1:33 am
Not prepared for anyone other than Emelyn being on the other side of that door, he came to a stop and didn't react until Ambrose spoke. At the slip, Lucas stiffened. It finally dawned on him. The bandages weren't on and he still had no idea what he looked like. What had he just shown to Ambrose? A hand lifted to his face and covered the eye.
"Yes, it's Lucas," he replied with a sigh. "What's left of him," he mumbled. He wanted to slam the door. He didn't want to be stared at. He didn't want to deal with other people. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. Instead he turned his head to the side, keeping the injured part of his face hidden.
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Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 1:36 am
At Lucas's self-conscious cover, Ambrose winced, raised a hand to the back of his neck and pointedly looked away, down at the doorframe and his feet.
"Uhm.... I am sorry! What... what happened? I came to thank you - admittedly quite belatedly... for the thoughtful Chrstmas gift.... I've been putting it to good use."
Don't STARE. It's rude to stare! But... what in the Lord's name HAPPENED?!
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Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 1:45 am
Lucas had to keep himself from grimacing as his hand continued to rest over his left eye. The feeling on the palm only reminded him of the stitches. "I'm glad you liked them." His voice was flat. "I won't be making any more of them."
Taking a step back, he lowered himself into the chair Gaius had made which stood close to the door. He needed to sit. He felt too tired to remain standing. "What happened? The labs happened. I happened." He was reluctant to go into any detail.
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Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 1:47 am
His ears flicked back uncertainly, but he edged into the room and took a seat on the edge of the bed as he watched Lucas, yet tried not to stare.
"The labs...?" It didn't seem to make sense. Why would they take his eye? Had he done something.... particularly bad? Didn't they take Billy's..... he shook his head.
And as he sat there, the scents in the room started to bring him more information. There was the scents of other unfamiliar canines.... and a very familiar scent of a particular hedgehog woman. That certainly answered that question. Well good for her. He was glad that she was still about the village... and associating with other male canines...
"You know Emelyn..?" He switched to hopefully a safer subject.
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Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 1:58 am
"The labs. Zach." He frowned at the floor and his body trembled for a moment.
He hadn't meant to invite Ambrose in by sitting down, but now the wolf was inside. For some reason that bothered Lucas, and not just because of his eye. He shrugged the feeling off, though.
He blinked. "Yes, I know her. She's been helping me out. Returning the favor I suppose."
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Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 2:03 am
Zach. That name again. he had heard it whispered with hatred on more than one occasion. Luckily, Ambrose had yet to run into the man in a bad context... yet. But he knew enough to be on his guard. Regardless, however, it certainly seemed to be sensitive subject, though Ambrose wasn't quite sure how the labs and Zach could be responsible... Had Zach attacked him and the labs not been able to save the eye?
He sensed a bit of a standoffish air to Lucas and fidgeted, but he didn't want to back off.
"I'm glad to hear that... Emelyn... she's a very sweet girl... " He hesitated. He knew he didn't need to say it... but on the same note, he felt almost obligated. "Just.... don't hurt her, okay? And I don't mean physically... she's... been through a lot."
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Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 2:25 am
At the "don't hurt her" comment, Lucas felt an ache and he shut his eye. The ache lessened as soon as Ambrose added the "not physically" part, but it still affected him. Her reaction from the day before when he'd lost his temper was still fresh in his memory and it frightened him.
That train of thought was cut short and the dhole looked in confusion at Ambrose. Why was he telling him this, anyway? Had she had some poor friends here on the island? She had been hurt by Moreau. "Hurt her?" He sighed. "She is a sweet person. I feel bad...," his head shook. "I don't deserve her kindness and I wish she'd just leave me be."
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Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 2:29 am
"I don't think you'd be the type to.... I mean, at least not intentionally. She just... she hasn't had a lot of people here, I don't think. And she's had a rough time of things. I... erm... well... " Ambrose had to wonder, even just a little bit, of Emelyn's kindness to Lucas had anything to do with the physical similarities.... certainly Lucas was much different, and no one was going to mistake the two of them.... but they were both canine... and Lucas seemed to be another nice fellow....
How did he put it. "Don't lead her on, I mean..."
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Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 2:33 am
"'Lead her on'?" The dhole's head tipped slightly to the side, his hand still over his eye. "I'm not sure what you mean."
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Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 2:38 am
Ambrose scowled. He had to spell it out, he supposed.
He sighed heavily. He didn't really want to open this can of worms. But, he did care for Emelyn, at least as a friend. He didn't want to see her hurt again. And Ambrose viewed her, despite whether or not it was true, as delicate. After the lockout she had lived for months and months in the jungle, and only relatively recently returned to the duplexes. She hadn't had another relationship... and he wanted to see her happy. She was such a good person, and in another life things might have been different...
"She and I.... when we first arrived here.... we... kind of dated.... " He steepled his fingers and looked at his claws. "I had a girlfriend back home. And it took me months to accept that I would probably never see her again. I finally realized I needed to move on... that I couldn't take this place by myself... and Emelyn ... well... she and I had clicked. I... I didn't expect my girlfriend to wind up here..." He stopped talking, hoping that Lucas could put the rest together.
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Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 2:50 am
After Ambrose finished talking the dhole could only stare at him blankly. He was glad his face was covered with fur because he could feel a blush forming on his face. "You-you think Emelyn and I...?! No, it's nothing like that, we... I mean, I care about her, but we're just friends." He had never really thought about her in any other way.
He kind of wished he hadn't just heard that story. "I... didn't know that."
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