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Post by Griff Aubert on Dec 7, 2011 19:23:49 GMT -5
 This was the first, and probably hopefully the last time Griff would be quite so glad to hear a scream. If they were trying to stay alive then they weren't dwelling on the past. He could focus on trying to keep Caitrin safe, rather than confront his emotions. He didn't want to talk about it. And he certainly didn't want to talk to Caitrin about it. She was the one person he couldn't hide his emotions from, no matter how hard he tried. She had this habit of making him feel things he didn't want to feel. She made him remember what could have been, what should have been, and he wasn't quite ready for that yet. But there was a scream. There was danger. There was something more important, a distraction. He could put on a brave face again, and then everything would be alright. He didn't know how (not having a plan or any useful skills), but he must have been in far worse situations than this before and survived. After everything he and Caitrin had been through they weren't going to die here. He wasn't going to let them.
He was aware that his breathing was now heavier, because obviously that was the best thing for his body to do when they were hiding. Biting his lip, he willed himself to calm down. While he probably wasn't much use anyway, he'd be even less so if he started panicking. Besides, as always he needed to stay strong for Caitrin (even if she was probably the better one in this situation. He wouldn't be at all surprised if she managed to scare the thing off just by raising her eyebrows and making some sarcastic comment. Well, alright, that wasn't strictly true. He would be quite surprised. Her uncle would probably be proud).
Caitrin had stood up and before he could say something about how she probably shouldn't be going near the door, the room was filled with light and it took him a moment or two to understand what had just happened. The torch had been lit - that much was obvious. It was the how he was struggling with. Had Caitrin just...no, that was impossible, wasn't it? Because if she was capable of doing that sort of thing she would have told him. Like, before they were married. That was usually the sort of thing one likes to point out. It wasn't really an "oh by the way" kind of information. Unless you were Caitrin de Archer, obviously. He let out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding, and just looked at her for a moment. She was on the floor again, looking rather helpless and not like herself at all. Right. There was, of course, a correct way with dealing with this. It would probably involve telling Caitrin that her magic didn't matter, and that he'd love her no matter what. Naturally, this didn't occur to Griff until he'd already acted. What he should have said only decided to present itself in his mind until after he'd shuffled over to her, put an arm around her and said, with a surprisingly straight face, "Just one question: if you have magic, why are you ginger?" |
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Post by Griff Aubert on Dec 7, 2011 18:50:09 GMT -5
 Griff hadn't noticed the man approach until he'd started talking. He'd been too caught up with his own thoughts to worry about the world around him. The tavern could have caught fire and turned to ash around him and he'd still be sat there, trying not to think about Caitrin de Archer quite so much. It was embarrassing really - a man of his repuation being quite so hung up over one woman (and an annoying one at that). This stranger's arrival was enough to bring him back to reality though, and therefore something he was quite grateful for. He would have offered him a seat, but the man had already found himself one. He was certainly an eager fellow. He did have a rather infectious smile though, and one that had Griff smiling too despite himself. "A woman, what else?" It seemed that all of his problems were down to two things: money and woman, and more often than not, the lack of either of them. In this case however, it was more the abundance of women. Normally he wouldn't be complaining at all. Normally he would already be grinning that flashy grin of his, maybe throwing in a wink or two, anything that worked. But now...he just didn't have the stomach for it, it seemed.
Griff shrugged, trying to make light of a situation which, he realised, probably sounded a lot more depressing than it actually was. It wasn't depressing. It wasn't even slightly sad. It was just annoying and confusing. But this new man looked like he'd been around a fair bit, he probably had experience in such matters. Or maybe that was just wishful thinking on Griff's part. "I'm making it sound worse. You see, I met this girl..." he trailed off, why exactly was he telling this man this? He didn't even know his name. "I'm Griff." Noticing the man's empty hand he added: "Let me buy you a drink before I bore you with my problems." |
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Post by Griff Aubert on Dec 5, 2011 19:25:39 GMT -5
 Right. Well. Um. He could handle this. This was something he was able to handle. This was not going to make him panic. He wasn't panicking. That would be ridiculous. There was no reason at all to panic because maybe he'd just heard her wrong. Yes, that was it. She'd probably said something like "Griff I'm negligent" which didn't make any sort of sense, but this was Caitrin so there wasn't any need for sense. The fact that she'd put his hand against her abdomen wasn't helping matters. In fact it was probably making him panic more. Right. Focus. Not being helpful in any way.
He'd been staring at her for what was probably not a good amount of time. Words needed to come out of his mouth but it just wasn't happening. He couldn't be a father! He wouldn't know what to do. He'd probably drop them or forget to feed them and he'd definitely forget what they were called and then they'd grow up with insecurities and issues just like he did and then go out and flirt with anything and it would all be a never ending cycle. He was probably panicking now. "Y-you're pregnant?" This was fine. He was fine. This was nothing to worry about. "As in...you know...pregnant...right. Can I have a minute?" He pulled his hand away and walked a few paces away from her. His arms had started off folded against his chest, but almost immediately his hand had started stretching at his neck again.
This was happening. He was going to be a father. He was going to have a family with Caitrin. This should be exciting and happy and feel like the sun in the middle of winter, but he couldn't help but think about Caitrin's miscarriage. It had been a year, but the emotions were still raw, he still found himself wondering what it would have been like. And here was his chance. Here was Caitrin telling him they were going to have a child, reassuring him that there was always something good. When he turned back to look at his wife he was no longer panicking quite so much - although he was still convinced he was going to drop them - and a smile was trying to break through as he was still biting his lip. But his hand was no longer fidgeting so he walked back to Caitrin, back to his wife, back to this wonderful woman and put his arms around her waist to hold her close to him. "I'm going to be a father...this is going to be fine though, isn't it? I mean...we are more than capable of keeping a life...alive, aren't we?" |
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Post by Griff Aubert on Dec 5, 2011 18:39:55 GMT -5
Ah, The Rising Sun. It was probably Griff's favourite tavern in Camelot, and one of his favourite places in the kingdom. It was a place for him to go and just do as he pleased and behave as he pleased, and sometimes avoid being punched in the face, but with his ego that was more often easier said than done. It was busier than he had expected, given that it was the afternoon, but he hoped that would mean there would be somebody interesting to talk to. Drinking alone was hardly fun, although it did give him ample oppurtunities to flirt with the barmaids.
Griff sat down and asked a passing serving girl for an ale, and was about to work on the charm when his brain decided he shouldn't be doing that. Well that was unexpected. His brain had never told him not flirt with a woman before. Since when did he stop to think about these things? There must be something wrong with him. Maybe he was coming down with something. Yes, that must be it. He was ill. He took a swig of his ale - he definitely needed that now - and tried to make sense of what was happening. This was just confusing. He bit his lip as he thought, trying to work out what was making his brain so anti-flirting. This wasn't him at all, and he didn't like it one bit.
It was all very bizarre. As he thought he dipped his finger into his drink and started tracing patterns on the wooden table. This had all started after meeting Caitrin, of this he was sure of. But she was just one woman, and, as someone who had known his fair share of women he could say with some certainty that she wasn't anything special. So what the hell was wrong with him?
Tagged: Tybalt
Setting: The Rising Sun Inn
Timeline: I've put this in series 2-3 gap, let me know if you want that changed.
Notes: I've kind of gone off on one haha, but I'm sure Tybalt can get him back to his philandering ways [/size] |
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Post by Griff Aubert on Dec 4, 2011 15:50:15 GMT -5
[/img][/center] Nothing Caitrin was saying was in any way reassuring. He already didn’t particularly want to go to Mercia, and was sure he was going to feel lovely and awkward around Yassia and Oliver, especially as Caitrin knew them both so well. It therefore really didn’t help when she made comments like “This is where the fun begins”. Having already decided he didn’t much care for Edmund, his expectations for the rest of Mercia were not terribly high – and it was going to be cold. For the first time in rather a long time he found himself thinking about Glouchedon, which right now felt like a whole lifetime away. Whatever faults he found with its occupants, there was no denying his home was a beautiful place. It had warmth and sun, something that he was probably going to experience very little of in the near future.
He smiled back at Caitrin, but it probably wasn’t a very convincing one. He was trying to be enthusiastic about their journey, he really was, but he was beginning to feel like a spare part and that was never a good thing for someone with his issues... but before he had time to fully appreciate how awkward he was, Yassia and Oliver had arrived. There wasn’t much of last night he could remember, but the little incident in which he tried to flirt with the woman was springing to the forefront of his mind. That was probably something that shouldn’t be mentioned in front of Oliver. Speaking of which, he was quite surprised at the young man’s appearance. He’d been expecting...well, something else. Someone else. Someone more like Edmund, perhaps.
Matching Oliver’s smile – and this time it was convincing – he took the man’s hand. He had to stop himself from laughing as Oliver spoke of “stealing Lady Caitrin’s heart”, somehow he didn’t think following young women on horseback and then glaring at them while they danced with stuck up idiots was everyone’s idea of romance. “It was rather unexpected,” Griff admitted, but then that could have been because he’d completely forgotten about it until last night, “but that doesn’t make it any less appreciated. As to loving Mercia...well, you’ll have to excuse my southern sensibilities.” There, now no one could complain when he started wearing all his clothes at the same time and refusing to be anywhere outside a five metre radius of a fire.
Ah, yes. The other reason why he wasn’t as enthusiastic about going to Mercia as much as he probably should be: Caitrin’s family. While they couldn’t possibly be as bad as his family (or that was what he kept repeating in the hopes that would make it true) they came with the wonderful added awkwardness of being Caitrin’s family. At least with his own he had the luxury of saying what he pleased, but he was going to have to make a good impression, especially with Caitrin’s father who probably already hated him. Rather surprisingly, his only comfort came in the form of Rouland. If he could survive Caitrin’s uncle he could probably survive anything. “Surely they cannot be as bad as her uncle...” he replied, glancing at Caitrin who was clearly listening despite the fact that Oliver had been talking to him. His words were said in jest, or at least with a tone suggesting such. But no matter how bad her family were, they could protest and hate him all they liked, he loved Caitrin and he was going to marry her. Besides, they couldn’t be worse than his, thank God the two sides weren’t likely to meet. That didn't even bear thinking about. |
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Post by Griff Aubert on Dec 4, 2011 14:03:05 GMT -5
 For a moment or two the youngest Aubert just stared at his father’s hand. Was Corneous honestly expecting Griff to take it? At the moment, it was probably the thing he wanted least to do. He bit his lip, trying to suppress the urge to say anything. He had, after all, decided to try and be grown-up about this, which was weird in itself. Griff was never grown-up about anything, but then this was a rather exceptional circumstance. Begrudgingly, he took his father’s hand and shook it, although the action was finished a little prematurely and once it was over his arms were folded across his chest. There was no point in trying to pretend that he was happy about any of this.
“Thank you, father.” There was not a hint of gratitude in his tone, nor a hint of friendliness. He was just going through the motions, and wasn’t exactly being subtle about it. But then what did his father expect?
He felt Caitrin link her arm with his and although it was only a small gesture it did make him feel a lot better. He wasn’t going to have to face his father’s disapproval alone. Personally, he didn’t see why his father disapproved so much. Hadn’t he always been going on about how it wasn’t appropriate for Griff to behave the way he did, and wasn’t it about time he found a nice, sensible woman to settle down with? Or was it because Caitrin wasn’t exactly what Corneous had in mind? Well it didn’t matter what Corneous thought, and even if it did, it was too late now. They were married and not only that, they were expecting a child together.
Surprisingly, he didn’t feel any better now that they were inside. It meant Rouland was closer, and while he didn’t have any issues with the man himself, he was bound to make the situation worse. Rouland had a habit of...commenting. And with his father around, it could only end badly. Having said that, it might be entertaining to see the two men try and pick each other apart. That’s assuming they didn’t decide to join forces – which they probably would now, knowing Griff’s luck. Either way, this was only just the tip of the iceberg.
He led the group into the solar were Rouland was sat, as usual, and looking...welcoming, as usual. Unlinking his arm with Caitrin, he stepped to the side to allow Rouland to see Corneous properly. “Rouland, this is my father, Corneous Aubert.” He deliberately left out his title as it would probably annoy him. “Father, this is Caitrin’s uncle Lord Rouland de Archer.” Right...now the fun could begin. |
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Post by Griff Aubert on Dec 4, 2011 13:37:22 GMT -5
Griff would have been a hell of a lot more grateful for Caitrin's interruption and dismissal of her uncle if she hadn't started with "we need to talk". He knew enough about women to know that was code for "I'm about to say something really bad, and it's all your fault." She was smiling though, which was...confusing. His eyes narrowed slightly as he tried to work out was going on. Obviously whatever she had to say was important, so he stood up because she was stood up too, but ended up feeling really awkward. If it was that important they should probably sit - that was what people were supposed to do when important news was being said, but he couldn't just sit down again so was stuck in a sort of sitting-standing limbo and was once again cursing his many limbs and his inability to know what to do with them. Fabulous, now he looked like he was attempting to dance. This is why Caitrin should know better than to tell him things.
Eventually his arms stopped moving of his own accord, and he scratched his neck, because he clearly wasn't showing he was nervous enough already. He needed to stop fidgeting now, because Caitrin would probably laugh at him, or at least make some comment. Unless the information was as bad as he was no expecting, in which case there probably wasn't going to be any laughing. Anyway. Focus. "Right...erm...yes, talking, right...is there anything...wrong?" His voice was slightly higher than usual. This was going well. This better be damn big news, otherwise he was getting himself into a (rather embarrassing) state over nothing. |
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Post by Griff Aubert on Dec 4, 2011 13:15:32 GMT -5
Griff was still grinning at her, and although he was more than used to women swooning at the sight of him, reactions such as this were always appreciated. He was surprised though, most barmaids were used to flirtations such as this and were quick give as good as they got. Maybe this one was new and inexperienced. Well, if that was the case he just had to take advantage, didn't he? And besides, this would actually be quite selfless on his part. Any attentions she received was obviously going to brighten her day.
He took a swig of his drink, not taking his eyes off her as he did so. While she wasn't the most beautiful woman in the world - but then he was finding not many quite compared to a certain redhead he'd met a few weeks ago. Annoyingly so. What was her name again...oh yes, Caitrin. Caitrin the Redhead. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He'd have to try and find her again, although she'd probably just shout at him if they ever met again. She was probably the most frustrating woman he'd ever met. Everyone else just found themselves swooning at him, or at least blushing furiously whenever he looked at them. Caitrin was different though... he stopped himself. That sort of thing was going to get him into trouble. Here he was, with a drink and a beautiful blonde and what was he doing? He was musing about some Mercian. Well, that would never do. Setting the tankard down, he leant his forearms on the surface. Now his thirst had been quenched it was time for a little fun. "A refreshing pint and a beautiful view, it must be my lucky day." |
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Post by Griff Aubert on Dec 3, 2011 17:55:27 GMT -5
Lady Rowan d'Auber
Twenty
Claire Foy
Adoptable Lady Rowan is the third child and only daughter of Sir Ector and Lady Eloise, and the sister of Sir Iwan. Unlike her siblings, she is energetic and high-spirited, something which often leads her into trouble. Her eldest brother Kay is continuously telling her to behave like a proper lady ought to, but she's too busy climbing trees for that sort of thing.
Although she can be described as a "people person", she is not terribly empathetic and doesn't really care for the problems of others. Her attitude is that life as something to be enjoyed, rather than something to complain about. She sees people as forms of entertainment and sources of fun.
She is currently residing in Camelot with her father and brothers - except Iwan- and although she does love living in the heart of the kingdom she does hate the fact that whenever something interesting happens she has to go and hide in her room. [/color] |
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Post by Griff Aubert on Dec 3, 2011 14:26:33 GMT -5
Well, at least this wasn't awkward... Lucan appeared to be in a bad mood, which was lovely, and Caitrin was probably going to be in fine form - as Rouland would of course be too - and as if that wasn't bad enough, his father was being just as foul tempered as Lucan, and quite a bit ruder. It was obvious that none of them particularly wanted to be in this situation, and Griff would be more than happy to tell his father where he could go, only he had to be polite and say how nice it was to see him, and hoped that his health wasn't too bad. Was there really any point in such formalities?
There was an awkward silence - something Griff was expect a lot of - after Lucan spoke. Well this was ridiculous. Was his father just going to stand there? He'd come all the way from Glouchedon just to stand there? Or did he disapprove of Caitrin so much already that he couldn't possibly speak to her? He had already been on the defensive, but now he was just getting angry. Why was his father even here? What business was it of his how Griff spent his life? Corneous had made it quite clear that he no longer cared when Griff had been thrown out. The man had absolutely no right to come here, after all this time, to judge and question not only Griff, but Caitrin as well. Still waiting for some sign of acknowledgement from his father, he raised his eyebrows and shot Lucan a look, one that made it perfectly clear exactly what he was thinking right now. In his opinion, this was all Lucan's fault. If he hadn't written to their father in the first place he wouldn't have felt the need to come here. They would have all just carried on and coped without having to speak to each other.
He obviously wasn't going to get an answer from his father, just as it was now equally obvious where Griff got his childishness from. A year or so ago, Griff would have been of the mind that if Corneous was going to be as difficult as he could, then he was going to be more so. But that wouldn't be fair on Caitrin, and even if he was still annoyed at Lucan, it wouldn't be fair on his brother either. Lucan may have written to Corneous in the first place, but he clearly didn't want him here any more than Griff did. "Well, isn't this fun?" He grinned an obviously fake grin, before clapping his hands together and then pointing with his thumbs to inside the house. "Shall we go in?" He looked directly at his father, "Or would you like to stand here in silence?" It was probably only because they hadn't spoken for so long that he was talking to him like this, no doubt within a few minutes he'd be that frustrated and angry teenager again, and his father would be just as impossible as always. |
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Post by Griff Aubert on Dec 3, 2011 9:50:05 GMT -5
It was safe to say that Griff Aubert was not looking forward to seeing his father. In fact, under the circumstances of the meeting he wasn't particularly looking forward to seeing his brother - no doubt Lucan would have something disapproving to say. But the fact that his father would be involved as well, well, it wasn't going to be fun was it? Griff hadn't spoken to his father since he'd left Glouchedon, and hadn't had any particular desire to either. The man had almost disinherited him, was there anything else to say? Nothing sprang to mind. In all honesty, Griff would much prefer not to see him at all, but then when Caitrin had found out he was planning on seeing them she had insisted - he was convinced that was only because she knew he didn't want to. And then Rouland had to become involved because it was his house and he wasn't going to pass on such an oppurtunity, now was he? So here they were. Griff was already feeling awkward.
"I hope you've got a few stiff drinks lined up."
Clearly Lucan was looking forward to this as much as he was. Well that was some consolation at least. "Don't even think about touching the wine." Griff muttered, inclining his head towards the inside of the building. Unsurprisingly, Rouland hadn't made the effort to come to the door to greet Lucan and Corneous. Alcohol seemed to be the only thing Rouland appeared to show any strong emotions towards, but then he had been living with Caitrin for a fair few years. He was probably an image of Griff's future, only with more articulation and cynicism.
"I have a bad feeling about this whole thing."
Now this was slightly surprising. Griff would have thought Lucan would love to watch. He'd probably been waiting for their father to visit for a while now, just so he could stand in the background and look disapproving. But then, he had to remind himself that Lucan had never had the greatest relationship with him either. It seemed they all had their issues, and obviously the best way to deal with them was to throw them all into the same room. What could possibly go wrong? Griff was already making a mental list. |
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Post by Griff Aubert on Dec 3, 2011 7:29:01 GMT -5
Griff Aubert was in a rather good mood, which was somewhat of a rarity these days. He had no money, he was having to live with his overly sensitive and judgemental (in his opinion at least) older brother, and didn't have that much hope that anything was going to get better. Even so, he was a sunny day and Camelot was a busy place so he was determined to enjoy himself. He was currently trying to find a tavern for two reasons. Firstly, he had nothing else to and it seemed as good an idea as any, and secondly because he was bound to find someone interesting there. Every tavrn had its own resident drunk who was more than willing to divulge their entire story to any listener. With any luck they'd be far worse off than Griff, and he'd feel even better.
The city was full of taverns, but only a handful looked like the sort of place a young, narcissistic nobleman could go without eventually being punched in the face. He wasn't the most humble of men, and doubted those who spent their lives in taverns would feel any sympathy for the poor little rich boy who was having to deal with the world. It was therefore a matter of self-preservation that he found the perfect place. Of course he wouldn't know which was the "perfect place" until he managed to remain un-punched. This was a conundrum. But the desire for ale and some company was perhaps stronger than any fist would be, metaphorically speaking, and so Griff Aubert found himself entering the nearest tavern.
Hmm...this might not be so dangerous after all. Unsurprisingly, it wasn't heaving with customers. But then it was the afternoon - so he probably shouldn't be drinking in the first place but oh well - and until Griff arrived populated only by a few older men and, of course, the resident drunk. Pleased with himself at having found a rather good tavern, he headed over to the bar. He wasn't really paying attention, he just sat down and asked for "A pint of ale please." When he looked up, he saw just who was about to serve him. He immediately grinned his signature flashy, teeth-revealing grin. "Oh, hello"
Tagged: Elsa de la Noue
Setting: Camelot City
Timeline: I've put this during the series 2-3 gap, let me know if you want this changed. |
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Post by Griff Aubert on Nov 30, 2011 19:53:42 GMT -5
 Surprisingly, Griff was beginning to feel a lot better. Perhaps Gwaine just had this effect on people, or perhaps it was the prospect of finding himself a woman and getting back into the game. As far as he was concerned Caitrin de Archer was just another notch on the bedpost, nothing more. This was him declaring himself independent, entirely free from love and everything that entailed. He’d been far too busy feeling sorry for himself to realise that it simply wasn’t worth it. He was young and single, handsome and charming and he was going to exploit it to the full. Following suit he stood up – after one or two attempts – but found it surprisingly easy to find his feet. He either wasn’t as incapacitated as he had thought, or he just really needed a jump. Either way, he wasn’t complaining.
This felt strangely liberating. This was more than just going to a tavern and finding himself a woman. This was freeing himself of the past two months, of feeling worthless and useless and just wanting her more than anything else in the world. He didn’t need her. That was ridiculous thinking. He just needed another ale and another body. “Of course I’m coming. You don’t think I’m letting you have all the fun, do you?” He grinned at his companion, staggering slightly as he stepped away from the table. If he was going to achieve anything tonight, being able to walk would probably help. This was going to take some concentration. He ran a hand over his face, trying to wipe away the fatigue. There would be time for tiredness later. For now, Griff Aubert was getting his flirt on. |
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Post by Griff Aubert on Nov 30, 2011 19:31:26 GMT -5
 Rather arrogantly - but then this was Griff - he too shifted so he was on his back (more thanks to Caitrin than his own efforts, but still) fingers interlocked and hands underneath his neck. Caitrin lying on top of him was a more than pleasant experience, and he couldn't help but grin up at her. Unsurprisingly, her hair was being more than usually untameable, but he liked it better this way anyway. It was more natural, it was something not many people got to see. He gave a small laugh in response to her answer. He wasn't surprised to learn that it had been enjoyable - it was he who had suggested that word in the first place - but it was certainly a Caitrin-esque response. And of course there was a promise of similar occurances, which was something he clearly wasn't going to complain about. "Hmm...alright. You made it enjoyable too, are you happy now?" He raised a questioning eyebrow and tried to suppress a smirk. She was almost as bad as him when it came to matters of the ego.
Well. This was certainly a turn. Griff had just been fishing for compliments, only now there was a decidedly less relaxed and happy atmosphere. Instinctively, one arm moved from behind his head to around Caitrin's waist and a frown emerged on his face. It was only meant as a jest, a way to boost his ego, only now he'd gone and ruined the whole mood. What a job well do- hang on. He wasn’t her first? How did that work? Well, it didn’t, that much was obvious. Alright, technically it did. He was well aware of the mechanics, but even so.
He shifted slightly, trying to see her face as she spoke. In truth, it didn’t matter if she’d been with hundreds of men – well, maybe not hundreds thinking about it, or tens...a few...one or two- he scrunched his eyes, trying to expel such thoughts and focus at the matter at hand because there was something wrong, and as he’d been the one to bring up the subject it was most likely his fault. Annoyingly, part of him was rather pleased that she wished he was her first. That part of him was being incredibly inappropriate because this was not the time for that. Caitrin was upset, it was his fault and all he could think about was his own narcissism. He sighed and brushed some hair behind her ear. Why was it that he always managed to offend her? “I’m sorry, Cait...” he trailed off, not sure whether he should continue or just leave it. There was a moment’s awkward pause before he spoke again, trying to lighten the mood but probably failing yet again. “But, you know, if you could give me some details...maybe a comparison...” he tried to shrug, which wasn’t all that easy with her weight on him. “Just so I know where I am...” |
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Post by Griff Aubert on Nov 30, 2011 17:04:39 GMT -5
[/img][/center] Of course it hurt him as well. Did she honestly think it didn’t? Did she think he didn’t care? Griff just looked at her, miscomprehension written across his face. Maybe this was his fault. He’d been trying so hard to be strong, to be there for her because she needed him, she thought he didn’t care. He didn’t know what to say, so he just stared, rather uselessly and tried to understand what she must think of him. Just because he didn’t talk about it, or how he felt about it, didn’t mean it didn’t hurt him. He felt the loss, the guilt, the anger at what had happened, at what Caitrin had been through alone because he’d been too busy throwing his life away. He bit his lip, biting down hard enough to break the skin because he could feel tears forming but he wasn’t going to cry. That wouldn’t help anyone. It wasn’t just the loss of a child – he hadn’t known Caitrin was expecting until after she’d lost it, it had all been thrust upon him without giving him any time to process anything. He’d never had the chance to contemplate being a father, having a family with Caitrin. All that had been ripped away.
He hadn’t been there for her, when she most needed him. He’d been too busy being selfish and trying to forget about everything. She’d been suffering and he’d been trying to forget her. It was something he could never forgive himself for. He should never have left Camelot; he should never have run away. And while he wasn’t naïve enough to think that his staying would have prevented any of this, he was still left with the guilt and the anger, still raw and burning. He looked away, staring at the wall, or floor or anything that wasn’t her because he couldn’t look at her anymore. He just saw her pain and knew there was no way for him to make everything alright again. This was something he couldn’t fix.
He was still biting his lip, still looking away, still unable to answer Caitrin’s question. Griff was not in the habit of confronting his emotions. In his opinion it was much better to ignore everything, and when that didn’t work you ran away and you drank and tried to forget about everything and that would eventually make everything alright. But he couldn’t run away now, because Caitrin needed him, and no amount of alcohol would numb this. Caitrin was waiting for an answer, so he just nodded because that was far easier than saying anything. Yes, it did still hurt him, but he couldn’t deal with it right now, he wouldn’t deal with it now. Caitrin was by far his priority. He was her husband, protecting her was what he was supposed to do, and when that failed, he picked up the pieces.
Another scream brought him out of his thoughts and back to the situation at hand. It was a welcomed distraction, even if it did remind him of just how much danger they were in. If he was worrying about how to keep them both alive, he wasn’t thinking about Caitrin’s miscarriage. He felt her grab his arm, his own wrapping around her waist and holding her close to him. He didn’t know what was outside, but he did know that whatever it was it didn’t matter. He would protect Caitrin no matter what. “It’s alright.” He said, trying to reassure her, trying to believe the words himself. After everything they’d been through he wasn’t going to lose her, not here. |
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Nov 10, 2013 8:47:29 GMT -5
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Post by Griff Aubert on Nov 30, 2011 13:10:03 GMT -5
 Gwaine was clearly overestimating Griff. While the young nobleman would be more than up for “getting up to some mischief” he wasn’t sure just how capable he was of standing up, let alone anything else. If Gwaine wanted to do anything that required more from Griff than just staying where he was then he would have to wait quite a long time for him to firstly sober up and secondly manage to survive the hangover that was more than well overdue. He would be waiting rather a long time though, as Griff wasn’t planning on being sober anytime soon. But as Gwaine continued speaking, something (and he was quite confused as to what, his brain had long since given up trying to help) had decided that no good was going to come of just staying where he was. He’d been doing just that for two months, and it hadn’t got him anywhere. Now he had a chance to actually do something – despite the fact that he probably couldn’t walk anymore. That was just details, and something he could improve on. He had, after all, had plenty of practice at the drunken shuffle.
The best way to get over someone was to get under someone else, as they said. And they usually knew what they were talking about. He was going to somehow, and probably with some difficulty, go and find himself someone new and probably forget their name in the morning but it didn’t matter because they wouldn’t be Caitrin and he’d be being himself again and everything would be just how it should be. This sounded like a rather good plan, and Griff Aubert was never one to turn down a good plan. “Now you’re talking.” Griff grinned, probably the first genuine grin in months. “This tavern is far too dull. You can help me find someone to distract me – and no redheads.” |
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Post by Griff Aubert on Nov 26, 2011 12:24:44 GMT -5
Sorry it's taken so long guys.
Alright. Maybe there was a reason why people shouldn't drink before long journeys. His head hurt, and he was tired, but at least he'd managed to persuade Caitrin to let him take the reins. He must look a very sorry state for Caitrin to be so accommodating. Usually they would end up stood there arguing for about ten minutes until he just let out a frustrated sigh and handed over the reigns - or nicked them off her and held on tight. This morning however she'd just let him get on with it, making Griff rather suspicious - she was clearly up to something.
"Me? Worried?" He laughed, why would he be worried? There was nothing in this situation that would give Griff reason to be worried - apart from the whole travelling to Mercia thing. And then being in Mercia. But other than that, it was fine. He didn't quite jump off the horse - he wasn't quite up to that sort of thing just yet. But however you described his actions they were obviously still as masculine and impressive as they usually were. With his feet firmly on solid ground he felt slightly better, at least he now knew the slightly dizzy feeling was directly because of last night's alcohol, and not because he was about to fall of a horse and cause some serious injury to himself. "Is that obvious?" While he wasn't particularly looking forward to the journey itself, it was actually arriving in Mercia which was what he was least enthusiastic about. From what he had heard, Caitrin was as close to her family as he was to his. This was going to be fun.
He was about to say something else to her, but she'd already walked off somewhere. With a roll of his eyes he handed the reins to a nearby servant and awkwardly walked in what he hoped was the right direction. There was a rather important looking man talking to Caitrin, so naturally Griff took an immediate dislike to the man. On joining them he realised who it was - Prince Edmund. He had never met the man before, but he had been at Arthur's coronation.
“May I present my fiancée, Lord Griflet Aubert.”
Griff gave a bow, which really was rather uncomfortable – and really not helping his headache - and definitely not something he particularly wanted to in his present condition, so the prince better appreciate it. He didn’t particularly like bowing anyway, especially not to royals. His narcissism wasn’t all that fond of having to show the world that someone was better than he was, even if it was only in status. “A pleasure to meet you, sire.” Well that was a blatant lie, but oh well. Griff was from Glouchedon, what did he care about pandering to Mercian royals? |
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Post by Griff Aubert on Nov 23, 2011 15:58:19 GMT -5
His answer satisfied Griff – apart from the looking bad as him. Griff Aubert happened to be a rather handsome drunk, thank you very much. Everyone thought so. Well, everyone who Griff spoke to, and they were usually just as, if not more, drunk but that wasn’t the point. Who wouldn’t want to look like him? He gave a small cheer of “Here, here” before taking another swig. As long as Gwaine was drunk enough to stop trying to make Griff feel like he was failing as a human being everything was fine. He had enough of that from himself, hence the drinking in the first place. He stopped himself. This was not how this was supposed to be working. His sorrows had already been drowned, now it was the time to move on and enjoy himself and not care about anything. Just like the good ol’ days.
Griff was surprised that Gwaine was even asking that question. Surely he should know that by now Griff was not in a “talking until we drop” mood. He was in a “Let’s do stupid things and regret it in the morning” mood. It had been a while. What he needed to do was to get back into the swing of things. Everything would be fine again and he could pretend none of this had happened. He could pretend he never went to Camelot in the first place. And then he would be fine. “No offence, but talking will only make me feel worse. So what game do you have in mind?” |
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Post by Griff Aubert on Nov 18, 2011 18:41:40 GMT -5
The young man was only half listening to the conversation going on around him. Not a lot of it seemed to be directed at him, so he wasn’t expected to pay attention and comment. The rest of it just didn’t make sense – but then he was only half listening. Maybe if he was giving it his full concentration he would understand what Caitrin and Yassia were talking about, but concentrating meant using more brain power than he was willing to at the moment.
His head was beginning to hurt which wasn’t a good sign. In his experience headaches were usually a sign of something worse to come. He was not going to feel good in the morning, but that was the price he had to pay for having enjoyed himself tonight. Even so, it was a depressing thought, knowing that in only a few hours he was going to feel absolutely awful. He would have to learn how Rouland managed to drink so much and suffer so little. The man was clearly a genius.
“I told you that Oliver had invited us both to Mercia for some sort of pre-wedding feast.”
As he lay on the bed, trying to get comfortable and not really achieving much, he managed to catch snippets of their conversation. Something about going to Mercia. Wait. Wasn’t that in...the north? Where it was cold, and dark and devoid of happiness? And, what’s more, it was Caitrin’s home, so there was a good chance that it would be filled with Caitrins too. One Caitrin he could deal with, because one Caitrin was charming and all kinds of wonderful...but a whole kingdom full? This was not going to end well. He could already imagine it: icy and black and being shouted at constantly by angry redheads. Couldn’t he just stay here? That was probably the safest option. “But I won’t survive!” He protested, or at least tried to through his slurred and somewhat inaudible speech.
Who was this “Oliver” anyway? And why were they being forced into some sort of pre-wedding feast? What was going on? It all seemed complicated and stupid to Griff. This was not just him being drunk and forgetting everything, this was him not being told anything and expected to understand. Well that was charming. He would have started sulking if he wasn’t too tired. Instead he just stared at the two women and hoped things would start making sense soon. |
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