Bearbones ➳

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// slight tw for mentions of abduction

David himself wasn't one for Christmas, either. For his childhood, it was mostly fog. He could not remember anything about what his childhood Christmas was like, and when he was a teenager, most of his days were spent in the dark. Quite literally. He hated thinking about it, it brought him so much pain to think about. He refused to think about how Roxanne was taken- about what she had to endure. He knew his own time was hard enough, he refused to think about his daughter going through the same. After she was declared missing, Christmas grew harder for David. Her birthday, Christmas, Halloween. All of it. And with the blackout on top, it just wasn't the same anymore, and he just lost interest in all of it. He'd cry and beg for her to return, but only to be replied with nothing.

But joining Bluestem seemed to be an honest miracle, with Roxanne stumbling across the group, and him finding her. They were safe together, at last, and that's all David ever wanted. This would be her first Christmas back with him, and while he had blocked the joy out, it would be emotional for him. For her. David wanted to make it special for her this year. Extra special. He could hear hammering and, covering his ears, the large man went to investigate. Was Brock putting up more chores?

Upon stumbling across Roman hammering up a wreath and Toni offering to help, David felt obliged. "I can help. I can put things up in high places." He offered, taking his hands off his ears.

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Hearing Jamie's voice, David's head shot up to study the Van de Bergh, and the smiled wide upon seeing him. He stood up and dusted off his pants and put his hand on Oasis' nose and she snorted at the contact, focusing on Jamie with her eagle-like eyes. "Was goin' to go decorate some scarecrow, did you want to come?" He asked, picking up Oasis' brush and gently combing her neck of dirt.

Oasis had a habit of rolling on the ground, and at least she had stopped doing so in her stall. He had to constantly clean her every time he wanted to take her out for a ride or into the pasture. She used to always stink, but now she smells so much better. Especially since he had just washed her yesterday. David hummed to himself as he brushed her down, her grey fur looking less brown and more of the deep blue-grey of her coat. He smiled and gently rubbed her nose before handing her a treat in the pocket of her saddle.

It was true that she looked much better, her mane was brushed, detangled, and cut- though uneven; just like David, Oasis hated it getting cut. Her tail was done up in a bun with a pink ribbon to inform everyone not to pass behind her. Her fetlocks were no longer matted and were now soft and her hind hooves' fetlocks showed their blue-white colour. She looked like a whole new horse, and David couldn't stop the pride that swelled in his chest upon hearing someone else telling him this. He smiled really wide, sheepishly thanking Jamie as he played with the mare's brush.

"I was going to ride into town to pick up some items and head to the 'crows, if you wish to join. I can meet you at the scarecrows if you don't want to come to town." David offered.

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David had watched with tired eyes as Brock had pinned a piece of paper to a wooden column. He slowly rose to his feet to check it out, curious as to what was going on now. He noticed Flintlock on the first thing, and squinted. Undercover. If there was anything the large man could go off of, especially any time he had attempted to sneak about undetected, was that he stuck out like a sore thumb. Internally scratching that off the list of things he shouldn't do, he found himself drawn to the decoration of the scarecrows. If he dragged Roxanne along, they could both talk while decorating. Maybe he could bring Oasis with him.

He turned on his heel and marched for his house, sticking his head into the door and calling for Roxanne to let her know where he was going, then he headed out. The large man put his hands in his pockets and whistled as he walked, nodding to the folk he passed by as he headed for the barn. Oasis whinnied when she noticed the large man come over, and she stomped one of her massive hooves on the barn floor. David greeted her with a smile and a soft "hey girl," rubbing her neck and nose. She nipped at his hair and he laughed, a booming noise that rumbled deep in his chest. He went to the tacking room and grabbed her reins.

David lifted the bit into her mouth and tightened the rest as according and lead her out of the stall so he could saddle up. He brushed her quickly, then pet her back as he left to grab her blanket. She had been doing much better, no longer looking like a wild horse now that the large man had been taking care of her. David threw her blanket over her back and settled the saddle down, doing the strap up. She snorted and bit at his hair again, and he laughed and pat her nose.

"I know, I know. You don't like the saddle. Can't ride you without it, though, can I?" He asked her quietly, and she let go.

He chuckled and lead her out of the barn.

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David had been taking a stroll along the border, saddle training Oasis. He wasn't riding her now, holding onto her reins and just walking with her. Her head reared back suddenly, making the man gasp and hold onto her reins tighter. She exhaled sharply through her nose, turning her attention to the big man. He hesitated his grip on her reins, but she relaxed and snorted.

"Right..." He spoke softly.

Oasis resumed walking with him, her giant hooves leaving dust clouds with every step. She wasn't used to wearing a saddle or having reins on, or even the bit in her mouth. She turned her head and whinnied when she sensed a stranger near by, and turned sharply, causing David to stumble with the sudden turn and he lost grip of the rein, trying to catch himself before he fell over. She was quite strong, even for him.

Oasis' whinnies turned alarmed, head raising and her lip lifting as she stomped her hooves. David dusted himself off and grabbed her reins, reaching up to brush his hand on her nose to relax her. The draftie looked down at him and bucked her head, avoiding the man. It was then David saw why she got defensive. A stranger--a kid, more likely, just older than his own daughter--was arriving just on the horizon.

"Hello there," David greeted, his voice loud enough to be heard, instead of him having to yell. "What are you doing out here?" He asked as he neared the kid despite the horse's nips of protest on his shirt.

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David sat with his hands on his thighs, head tilted down, motionless for a while. His hands were trembling in his lap, coming together to wring his fingers. He felt awful, worse than he had since he lost his daughter. His fingers pulled a strand of hair from his face, pulling it behind his ear. He didn't even notice he was being followed, so hearing Brock's voice made the man whirl around, hands shooting to the ground to keep him stable as he swung his body, going from sitting on his legs to having one knee on the ground, the other raised like he was kneeling in proposal.

Except he was kneeling to run, if need be. For some reason, the man thought that this was bad, and that Brock was going to be mad -- a lot of things David found himself doing made him feel anxious about Brock's ideals. Possibly it was because the man was just so imposing. The big man's chest fell and rose rapidly, albeit subtly. His eyes studied the man for a second, hanging on to every word, before he relaxed, shoulders slumping and his other knee hitting the ground all too roughly to not have hurt. His broad shoulders shook for a moment, and his hand came up to his face to wipe across his cheek.

"It's been... twelve years," he spoke so softly, trying to keep his voice from shaking.

David turned his attention to Roman when he noticed the young man standing there, and he nodded to him as he wiped at his face with the collar of his shirt. He couldn't let these people see him cry, he couldn't let anyone see. He felt almost embarrassed to have them see him in such a state. He rubbed his legs, breathing through his mouth before a look of near-aggression crossed his face at the question. As soon as it came, it disappeared, instead being replaced by a look of longing. Of a lost wanderer, almost. He inhaled shakily.

While David thought the question was harsh, he could not put blame on Roman. David was the same sometimes, finding himself being more blunt than he meant to, and instead of being angry -- he would have been at any other person at this time, he thought, simply because of Roman's hierarchy -- he nodded to the man. He brushed his brown hair from his face with a shaking hand that, no matter how much he tried, could not be steeled.

"I had a fiance, once," he started out slow, finally looking up at Roman, "probably hard to believe, right? Well, she was... the best. She's Roxanne's mom."

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David ran his hand up and down her snout, softly talking to her for a moment longer until he heard Jamie. He turned his attention to him, voice going abruptly quiet. He glanced back at the massive horse, who had turned her careful attention to Jamie and, by extension, Paisley. She snorted and lowered her head to eat at the grass by David's feet. Her mane was tangled, twigs broken and stuck within the frizzy hair. The feathering at her feet shared the same fate, gone fizzy and tangled.

David nodded as he studied the mare, she was gorgeous, her front legs had dark feathering, her back with light, and her mane was a dark grey. Distantly, David wondered if her hair was a different colour like his own under dirt and whatever else might be stuck to it. She had light freckles across her flanks. She would look really pretty after a nice wash, he thought.

"I think I will keep her," he nodded as he studied the mare.

She was obviously not starving, but she was hungry, greedily picking up the grass blades and even slightly pushing David out of the way to get at the ones he was standing on. He reached up to rub the back of his neck as he looked back at Jamie and Paisley, then turned his attention to the fence with guilt on his face.

Although he did not break it, he still felt bad. "I'll fix the fence, too."

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David wasn't really up for having a walk around, but he figured he'd finally pull his weight around for once. So he took a walk, looking for somewhere to help out. He'd been in the gardens often lately, helping with the vegetables, and decided to try his luck at anything else he may be somehow good at.

And that landed him at the stables.

The giant man loomed in the doorway of the barn for a moment, looking out into the field to notice a blonde girl and a horse. He headed towards her, hands coming up in his chest to ring his fingers together as he inched closer. It was obvious he was anxious meeting someone new, but he sucked in a breath and stood a bit away.

"Hi," he spoke briskly, voice harsher than he meant. "Ah, sorry. Hello. I- uh, I'm David." He didn't offer his hand to shake yet, as his pale brown eyes were on the horse.

David wasn't quite a fan of horses, as he feared of accidentally hurting one. His brown hair was a right mess; he didn't have time to comb it out this morning, and he didn't mind it a knotty, wavy mess anyway. He didn't like his hair being tugged at. The big man turned his attention to Annalise for a moment, as if he had just registered she was there.

"What's yours? I- uhm, I don't believe we've, y'know, uh, met. Before."

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