Would it be fair to say Ambroys is not as dumb as people assume, but also not as smart as he thinks?
There is a ruthless cunning when he's pursuing a goal, like securing his inheritance, but his complete disinterest in anything that doesn't directly affect him appears to have left substantial gaps in his general knowledge.
Oh yes, Ambroys’ overestimation of his own cunning got him into serious trouble, particularly with respect to Hyden. To use an extremely tortured metaphor: the bicycle of his life has always had training wheels on, but he didn’t realize that and thought of himself as a master stunt biker because he was never allowed to fall over, and once his support was removed he crashed. Just replace “biking” with “politicking.”
He may not be intellectually impaired per se, but he is short-sighted, self-obsessed, lacking in common sense, easily bored and becomes so skin-crawlingly distressed when faced with his own inadequacy that he would rather completely avoid anything he’s not immediately good at instead of admitting fault or ignorance. Getting tutored is boring and embarrassing? Ignored, get your little brother to do your schoolwork for you. Father lecturing you about the political discourse du jour before going to the capitol? Don’t need to know that, all you need to do at parties is dance good and look handsome.
Plus he’s spoiled as shit and there is so much that is taken care of for him without him even considering it, so he doesn’t even know that he doesn’t know how grain is turned into bread, how clothes get clean, what his horses eat, etcetera.
It’s only when the old kingdoms fall and the tower of servants that were previously supporting him collapses that he realizes it is, in fact, kind of a big problem that he doesn’t know how to cook his own food.
I’m leaving for Midwest FurFest tomorrow…. exciting stuff! Swing by my table at C-15 if you’re there! Look for the table that looks like a big piece of yellow cake with chocolate frosting~
I’ve also got some bunny wizard stickers I’m giving out as a little bonus treat for “fans”! They’re not part of the display, so you do have to ask for ‘em. Supplies are limited!
Another invasive question prompt – this one’s 7/10 uncomfortable because he’s starting to get really worried that he’s coming off dumb like a dumbass instead of dumb like a silly puppy.
How did Jocosa and Leonard end up making Theo come to the world exactly ? And I don’t mean the act itself of course, I mean how they ended up in such a situation. I already picked up from how much they seem to despise eachother that their union wasn’t very enjoyable or fun for either parties. Jo mentions that alike to deities, she still had to procreate with a «lower being» (referring to Leonard) to make a child. Was doing that her idea, did she just want a child and didn’t care from whom ? Or was their union forced by a third party that we do not know of yet ?
Jocosa and the whole deal surrounding the North family fascinates me so much…
I’ve touched on this a bit in a big ask compilation from a while ago, but I wouldn’t blame anyone for missing it because it’s down at the bottom of a deluge of 10,000 words and from over a year ago besides! That’s just linked for bonus info.
To answer the question: much like how in the late 19th century of our world, the British peerage began marrying their children to American sons and daughters of industry and finance as estates’ funds dwindled and the nouveau riche sought social status, Leonard’s marriage to Jocosa was one of practical rather than sentimental matters.
The Norths were an ancient noble family of dwindling means. Leonard was enriched by his share of his family business, but his political ambitions were greater than being the middle son of a cannery owner.
As was the way for many marriages of the upper crust, spousal decisions were in the patriarch’s hands. Leonard charmed Jocosa’s father (a Lord William Hyperion North, you can see a tiny portrait of him here) into agreeing to marry off his daughter to Leonard, with the understanding that Leonard’s money would go to enriching the North coffers first, and in exchange they would smooth his way into high society.
Jocosa was very dutiful to her parents, and only a girl of 19 when she was married, so she did not quarrel. She never wanted to marry, and she did not like Leonard, but want and like are such fragile things, and she could quash them under the iron weight of obligation.
It was Jocosa’s sense of obligation and Leonard’s cautious adherence to his gentleman’s agreement that kept both of them following the commands of Lord North, up until the man dropped dead of cardiac arrest.
Then they both looked to the estate, wealth and power left to them with the singular sentiment of:
It soon became clear that neither would bend to the other, and thus began a bitter, acrimonious and extremely passive-aggressive power struggle.
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