loins of gold

as best as she could, agnes tried navigating the space — making conversations, listening to the music, observing the flower arrangements. she knew she looked out of place, but the effort was still there.

a particular wine fountain caught agnes' eye. what was the intention behind this fountain? gosh, working at a museum really changed the way agnes thought. it was tempting to get a drink, but agnes refrained, only drinking the soda she had in her hand.

"i don't see how one wine would impact your work," she offered. "you'd still be more sober than most of the people here." she chuckled as she took in her surroundings, a man was wobbling towards a table and bumped into it. "case in point."

Ambrosius glanced toward the unfortunate man just in time to watch him catch himself on the table before anything could topple over. A quiet laugh escaped him. "Well... you've made a convincing case."

His gaze returned to the untouched glass in his hand before a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Perhaps I've been giving this decision far more weight than it deserves." He finally held the glass beneath the fountain, watching the wine fill before lifting it with a satisfied nod. "There. One glass."

Looking back at her, he offered an easy smile. "Thank you. Sometimes I need someone to remind me not every decision has to be treated like a matter of state."

nimona had been standing against one of the walls people watching when they saw him - ambrosius, staring far too intently at the wine fountain in front of him without moving to fill the empty glass in his hand. they watched him for a while longer before a soft laugh huffed past their lips and they pushed off of the wall, crossing the room to where he stood.

nimona flashed him a fanged smile as he spoke, albeit one a bit softer than their usual grin of chaotic intent. "yeah, i know - i've been watching you standing there for, like, a reeeeally long time," they teased, shoving their hands into the pockets of their pink trousers. they shrugged at his question. "i mean, it's ultimately up to you - you don't have to drink to 'enjoy the evening.' but one glass wouldn't hurt if you did want to indulge." and then, with a bit more of their usual enthusiasm and a playful nudge, "if you want a glass of wine then have a glass of wine, man! you're at a cool fancy rich person party - take advantage of it!"

with that, nimona's gaze flicked to the fountain. "is there, like, a ladle or something? or do you just kinda..." they paused, hands moving to mimic the motion with an invisible cup, " dip and scoop?"

Ambrosius let out an embarrassed laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Has it really been that long?" He looked down at the empty glass in his hand before shaking his head at himself. "I suppose I have a tendency to overthink things."

At Nimona's demonstration of scooping from the fountain, he couldn't help but laugh again. "I was wondering the same thing." He stepped closer, eyeing the fountain with exaggerated seriousness. "It does seem rather optimistic to assume everyone instinctively knows the proper etiquette for a wine fountain."

she tried to be positive about tonight since she was so excited. amity hoped nothing would go wrong. sometimes that felt like the inevitable in her life. no matter what she did or where she went, there was some level of chaos involved. maybe it was some kind of curse, or just how the two places she lived were. she did feel kind of exposed. she couldn't bring ghost with her, as much as she wanted to. the cat probably would have fit with her outfit, but she figured cats probably weren't going to fit in with the environment.

"i think it would be enjoying the evening." she had grabbed a flute of champagne for herself, feeling kind of fancy for drinking it. amity didn't really drink that much. "are you trying to remain professional for any reason?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

Ambrosius smiled, looking down at the untouched glass before letting out a quiet laugh. "I suppose I am." He gave a small shrug. "Old habits are difficult to break. I've spent so much of my life being responsible for other people that sometimes I forget I'm allowed to simply attend an event."

He finally reached over and filled his glass, lifting it slightly with an amused smile. "One glass seems like a reasonable compromise." His gaze shifted back to Amity. "Besides, if everyone else is enjoying themselves, it would be a shame not to join them, wouldn't it?"

ella approached with a soft smile, glancing between ambrosius and the untouched glass in his hand before letting out a quiet laugh. "i think you've spent more time worrying about the decision than you would have spent enjoying the drink," she teased gently. "but, for what it's worth, i don't think one glass of wine is a poor professional decision. i think it means you're allowing yourself to enjoy the evening."

she looked around at the glowing gardens and the people dancing beneath the lights, her expression warm. "you spend so much time looking out for everyone else, ambrosius. you're allowed to have a night where you simply get to be here." she nudged his arm lightly with a smile. "so yes, accept the glass. and if it helps, i'll join you."

Ambrosius let out a quiet laugh, glancing from the wine to Ella before shaking his head. "You've made a very compelling argument." The corners of his mouth lifted into an easy smile. "I suppose I've been treating one glass of wine like it's a tactical decision instead of... well, a glass of wine."

He finally held his glass beneath the fountain, watching it fill before offering a small, grateful smile. "Thank you, Ella. I think I needed someone to remind me that the city can survive without me worrying over it for one evening." He lifted his glass slightly toward hers. "I'd be happy to share that first drink with you."

he nodded. "yeah, seems like, you know, you mix a few veggies and some spices and rice in a pan and that's that. there's probably more to it." cooking was not something that he really did a lot of unless it came from a box. "i'm too old to eat as much ramen as i eat, but i never really learned to cook." not in the way huey liked to follow instructions.

"it does, doesn't it. might get my baby brother in on it. i'm not exactly subtle. i'm the loud one." he probably could just ask for it and he probably should ask for it, yet he was so bored with living in this town. "my kitchen successes come from annoying my brother into doing everything because i broke like five bowls once." he knew he wasn't the smartest person in any room, but he did try.

"oh. i'm just here looking for some fruit. i need something to go into the fruit bowl on the kitchen counter in the house because it's empty. i'm probably going out to dinner tonight."

Ambrosius smiled, shaking his head. "No, I don't think they talk either. At least, I'd be very concerned if they started. I already spend enough time talking to myself while I cook. If the vegetables joined in, I'd probably lose every argument." He chuckled quietly before setting the zucchini back into his basket. "I didn't really learn because I had to, either. I was fortunate growing up that there was always someone around who knew what they were doing. I only started cooking regularly because I enjoyed it." His smile softened at the thought. "There's something nice about making a meal for people you care about. It feels... personal, I suppose."

His attention drifted back to the other as he mentioned ramen. "I don't think you're ever too old for ramen," Ambrosius replied. "I think you just reach a point where you realize adding an egg and a few vegetables makes you feel significantly more accomplished." The idea of breaking five bowls earned a warm laugh. "Five?" His eyebrows lifted. "I'm almost impressed." There wasn't an ounce of judgment in his voice. "I imagine your brother would have a very different version of that story."

He glanced toward the fruit stand nearby before nodding. "That sounds like a much simpler mission than mine. Buying fruit for a fruit bowl is wonderfully straightforward. You're not trying to decide between three different dinners that all somehow require completely different ingredients." His basket was living proof of that. "I'd recommend peaches if they're in season. Or strawberries." His eyes followed the display for a moment before returning to Dewey. "Although, if you're going out for dinner anyway, I'd probably buy whatever looks best. Half the fun of a fruit bowl is that it makes the kitchen feel a little more lived in."

ballister's smile softened the moment ambrosius leaned back into him.tense shoulders finally relaxing. it still got him, somehow. after everything they'd been through, after all the years and impossible things that had happened between them, ambrosius fitting so naturally against him still felt a little like a miracle to him.his chin rested more comfortably on the other’s shoulder, and for a moment he simply stayed there, holding him while the market buzzed around them. “oh, there you are?” he teased quietly. “funny. i was about to say the same thing.”

the kiss against his temple made his heart stumble in the familiar way it always did. it was completely unfair.. ambrosius could smile at him and ballister would somehow forget how thoughts worked for a solid minute..he never understood how he could do that to him..even now. soft laugher escaped him as he peered into the basket. “honey, if comparing tomato sizes distracted you for this long, i’m genuinely worried about what would've happened if you'd made it to the fruit stalls.”

Ambrosius laughed, the sound warm and effortless as he squeezed Ballister's hand. "I'd have been gone for hours," he admitted. "Can you imagine? I'd start comparing apples, somehow end up reading the history of citrus fruit, and you'd eventually get a call from the market asking you to come collect your very confused boyfriend."

His smile softened as Ballister intertwined their fingers so naturally. It had become one of those little habits neither of them thought about anymore. Somewhere along the way, reaching for Ballister's hand had stopped being something Ambrosius consciously chose and simply became where his hand wanted to be. "I know you would," he said quietly. "Come looking for me, I mean." There wasn't an ounce of doubt in his voice. "I've never had to wonder whether you would."

The words settled between them easily. They weren't dramatic. They didn't need to be. After everything they'd survived together, after every misunderstanding, every battle, every impossible second chance, that kind of certainty had become one of Ambrosius' favorite things about loving Ballister. He leaned over just enough to steal a quick kiss before looking back at the basket.

"For the record, I wasn't going to adopt a pumpkin." His expression remained perfectly serious. "I was considering two pumpkins." The grin that followed immediately gave him away. "They looked lonely."

His gaze drifted toward the nearby produce stand before returning to Ballister. "But I suppose you're right. We already have Nimona, and I'm fairly certain she'd take it personally if another orange creature started demanding attention." His thumb brushed absentmindedly across Ballister's knuckles. "Besides, I already have everything I wanted to bring home."

“uh,” he started, unzipping his backpack to present ambrosius with its contents; bricks and bricks of microwaveable noodles stuffed between cans of whichever energy drink went for the cheapest. “if i were you, i wouldn’t take any nutritional advice from me.”

“i don’t think i even know what a zucchini is, but it seems like you and it had a lot to talk about.” tommy nods between ambrosius and the vegetable, zipping his backpack back up as he does so. “what’s go you so lost in vegetable gazing?”

Ambrosius looked up from the zucchini and immediately found himself staring at the contents of Tommy's backpack. His eyebrows climbed higher with every visible package of noodles and energy drinks. The knight laughed softly, shaking his head. "I don't know whether to be impressed or concerned by your commitment to a diet that appears to be ninety percent caffeine and whatever mysterious ingredients are inside instant noodles." There was no judgment in his voice. If anything, he sounded impressed. "Tell me honestly, do you actually enjoy those noodles, or have you just convinced yourself you do because they're easy?"

His attention drifted back toward the zucchini in his hand and he let out a quiet sigh. "The embarrassing answer is that I was trying to figure out what to make for dinner and somehow ended up overthinking vegetables." A sheepish smile appeared on his face. "I came here with a plan. Then I started second-guessing the plan. Then I started comparing zucchini and eggplant as though there was a correct answer and one of them would be personally offended if I chose the other."

The basket hanging from his arm was already filled with ingredients that seemed to belong to several completely different meals. "At this point I'm not even sure what I'm making anymore. I've got tomatoes, potatoes, onions, garlic, and now a zucchini. If you asked me what the final product is supposed to be, I genuinely couldn't tell you." His eyes dropped briefly to Tommy's backpack again before a grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Although, judging by your shopping strategy, I may be overcomplicating things. You seem to have solved dinner by simply removing every possible decision from the process."

he had spotted him almost immediately. which wasn't particularly surprising or hard. he could find in him in any crowd. ambrosius had promised he'd stop by the market before heading home, and somehow had taken longer than expected, so now he was here. watching in from a far thinking very hard about vegetables. for a moment ballister stayed where he was, weaving through the crowd unnoticed as ambrosius studied a zucchini as if it contained ancient secrets, then an eggplant. then the zucchini again. saints above, he really was lost. a fond smile tugged at his lips as he slipped up behind him quietly, close enough to hear the dramatic sigh that followed. unbiased opinion. bal could barely contained his laugher as he slid an arm around ambrosius's waist from behind, pulling himself against his back before resting his chin lightly on his shoulder. “well, there's your first mistake” he spoke with a warm voice, words hinting with amusement. “you came to the market expecting unbiased opinions…you should know better" bal peeked around his shoulder to inspect the vegetables being held up. “mmmmm..the zucchini.” he answered immediately. “just because if you somehow lose a fight against a zucchini, i'm legally required to make fun of you for the rest of our lives." his hand squeezed gently at his waist. "which, for the record, is hopefully a very long time." his teasing grin softened before turning his attention towards the basket hanging from ambrosius's arm, confusion now across his face.

The moment Ballister's arms wrapped around his waist, Ambrosius relaxed. It happened so naturally he didn't even realize he was doing it anymore. The tension left his shoulders, the confusion over vegetables momentarily forgotten as he leaned back instinctively into the familiar warmth behind him. "There you are," he murmured, a smile already spreading across his face. For all the people gathered around the market, for all the noise and movement, Ambrosius would have known it was Ballister without turning around. Some things had simply become second nature.

His hand settled over Ballister's where it rested against his waist, thumb brushing absentmindedly across his knuckles. "I'll have you know I was conducting very important research." The defense was immediately undermined by the fact he was still holding both vegetables like they had personally betrayed him. At Ballister's answer, Ambrosius let out a laugh. "A vote for zucchini. Noted. I'll try not to be offended that you think I can be defeated by a gourd."

His eyes softened at the mention of the rest of their lives. The words were casual but they still landed somewhere warm in his chest. He turned his head enough to press a quick kiss against Ballister's temple before looking back at the basket. Then came the question. His brow furrowed. "...I don't know." For a moment he simply looked at the basket as though he, too, was seeing it for the first time. Then he glanced back at Ballister. "I had a plan when I arrived but at some point I got distracted by comparing tomato sizes."

A laugh escaped him before he finally surrendered, lowering the vegetables into the basket. "You caught me. I was rescuing them." His free arm slipped around Ballister's waist now, pulling him a little closer despite the crowded market. "I'm glad you came looking for me," he admitted softly. His smile turned warmer then, something quieter and more vulnerable than his earlier teasing. "Though I suspect you mostly came to prevent me from accidentally buying enough produce to feed an army."

dewey hated this so-called break that everyone wanted to take, even if he made his jokes and acted like he didn't care. everyone could probably guess that he cared more than he wanted to admit to everyone. he understood why everyone wanted a break, but they were built for adventure—or maybe he was built for adventure. since moving out of the manor, he'd been trying to find his place, trying to mend his heart, trying to fix all the damage that he caused. so maybe he needed to figure out how to blend with ordinary life a little better because there were adventures here, there were mysteries here.

he didn't know how to cook. he ate his vegetables, sure, but he didn't cook. he helped do little things in the kitchen, like spicing things and chopping vegetables and even that was kind of chaotic. "i'm totally unbiased, but i don't know that i'll be much help. i'm gonna have to steal one of my brother's cookbooks to make dinner." honestly, he probably shouldn't even try to cook. "maybe a stir fry with the zucchini? that sounds relatively easy." he wouldn't know.

Ambrosius let out a soft laugh, immediately liking the younger man's honesty. "Then we're in the same boat," he admitted, holding up the zucchini like evidence. "I've been standing here for nearly ten minutes hoping one of these vegetables would tell me what it wanted to become."

His smile widened slightly as he glanced down at the basket hanging from his arm. It was full of ingredients that, individually, made perfect sense. Together? Less so. "A stir fry does sound relatively easy," he agreed thoughtfully. "Which probably means I should attempt it before I develop the confidence to try something more complicated."

His attention returned to the other, taking in the easy humor and the way he seemed to be studying the vegetables with the same uncertainty. "Stealing a sibling's cookbook sounds like a perfectly reasonable plan, honestly." The corner of his mouth twitched. "I suspect most of my success in the kitchen comes from following instructions written by people much smarter than me." Then his eyes drifted toward the other basket.

"What are you trying to make?" Ambrosius asked. "Or are you still in the wandering-around-the-market-hoping-inspiration-strikes phase? Because that's currently my strategy."

It was the time of the week when Jasper gathered groceries to plan meals for the upcoming days. The farmers' market had always been a pleasant experience. There was something quaint about it. It felt intimate knowing that people in town grew or baked the offerings that people bought. He was happy to aid the people in Elias in any way he could, especially if it meant shopping local.

Jasper had grown up in the lap of luxury. The Skellingtons had a personal chef who created the vast majority of meals. As a young boy who was left alone with the help, Jasper took it upon himself to learn. Some of his favorite memories were learning how to cook from the chefs. Baking had coming easier to him as it was a science, whereas cooking came from the heart. At times, it was hard for the skeleton to listen to what his heart was saying. Over the years, he had fine-tuned his cooking. It had become a love language when he began dating Donnie. He swore to this day that the only reason Donnie stayed the next morning after the first time they connected was because of his pumpkin pancakes. Now every weekend, he happily makes those for his little turtle.

As he rounded the vegetables, he noticed a familiar figure come into view. Ambrosius had been hired to guard the council. With all that was happening in the Underland and the unrest from Elias' citizens, the big three had decided that protection was needed for the council members. Just in case.

"Well, you could easily sauté both. There's also the option of making either crispy baked parmesan zucchini or eggplant parmesan. I suppose. It depends on what vegetation you prefer." Jasper replied simply. His eyes fell on the basket. "You have a tomato. You could make ratatouille."

Ambrosius visibly brightened the moment he heard the familiar voice. The confusion he'd been directing toward the unfortunate eggplant immediately disappeared as he turned toward Jasper, relief washing over his features like he'd just been rescued from a particularly difficult battle.

"Jasper," he greeted warmly. "Thank goodness." His smile was bright as he greeted the counselor. "I was beginning to suspect these were more complicated than people let on." His smile widened slightly before his gaze dropped back toward the basket hanging from his arm. Jasper's suggestion earned a thoughtful hum as Ambrosius examined the ingredients he'd already collected. "Ratatouille..." he repeated slowly.

The name sounded familiar. But he wasn't sure where he'd heard it before. It definitely sounded complicated. "I'm not sure I'm equipped to cook something like that. I don't even know what it is." Truthfully, Ambrosius wasn't a terrible cook. He could follow instructions. He could prepare meals that were edible and occasionally even good. The problem was deciding what to make. His eyes drifted toward Jasper's basket. Predictably, it looked significantly more organized than his own.

"Please tell me you've already planned your meals for the week," he said hopefully. "Because at this point I'm considering abandoning my original mission and simply copying whatever you've decided."

Ambrosius Goldenloin ✦ Ambrosius ✦ Daniel Henney ✦ Nimona

KILL THE CHAOS, FIND THE BALANCE

CURRENT AGE: forty-five

SPECIES: human

OCCUPATION: knight

AVAILABILITY: open

AROUND WE GO, AMBROSIUS GOLDENLION

Ambrosius Goldenloin was raised to be untouchable. Born into legacy, polished by expectation, and sculpted into the Kingdom’s golden son, he grew up beneath banners that bore his family crest and statues that immortalized his lineage. From childhood, he was told who he was meant to be brave, loyal, flawless. The perfect knight. The future of the Institute. A living continuation of a myth built centuries before him. He believed it. Or at least, he tried to. Ambrosius trained beside Ballister Boldheart, the first commoner admitted into the Institute, and somewhere between sparring matches and late-night strategy debates, admiration turned into something softer. Something dangerous. But duty always came first. The Institute came first. The Kingdom came first. So when the Queen was assassinated and Ballister was framed, Ambrosius did what he had been trained to do: he chose the system. He raised his sword against the person he loved. It is a moment that still haunts him… the hesitation, the fracture in Ballister’s eyes, the awful certainty that loyalty to tradition had cost him something irreplaceable. Ambrosius had been taught that the Institute was justice incarnate. Those monsters lurked beyond the walls. That doubt was a weakness. But doubt saved him. As the truth unraveled, Nimona's existence exposed the rot at the center of their history. Ambrosius was forced to confront the weight of his inheritance. The Director’s lies. The manufactured legend of the dragon. The centuries of fear used to justify cruelty. He chose differently the second time. Ambrosius turned his blade against corruption. He stood beside Ballister, not above him. And when the truth shattered the old order, he allowed the golden image of himself to crack with it. Leaving the Kingdom was not an act of cowardice. It was an act of growth.  In Elias, Ambrosius found a way to redefine what it means to be a knight. Here, he serves in the Guard, not as a symbol of unbroken tradition, but as a protector of living people. The armor is lighter, less ceremonial. The hierarchy is less rigid. He walks the streets, speaks with shopkeepers, kneels to reassure frightened children. He listens more than he commands. Ambrosius still stands tall, still gleams in the sun, still carries himself with that effortless grace. But the shine is no longer about perfection. It is about accountability. He knows what blind loyalty can cost. He is determined never to repeat it. At home, he and Ballister move more carefully around each other.. not out of distance, but out of reverence for what they almost lost. Their love is quieter now, steadier. Earned through fire. Nimona barrels through their apartment in various shades of pink chaos, and Ambrosius pretends to scold her while secretly keeping a stash of her favorite snacks hidden in the pantry. He remains a knight. But now, the title means something different. Ambrosius Goldenloin fights not for myth, not for marble statues, not for legacy. He fights for the living.For second chances. For a world where no child grows up believing they must be perfect to be worthy and no shapeshifter is ever called a monster again.

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