GO MEANDER IN THE COLD / flowers

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AURUM

DO NO HARM BUT TAKE NO SHIT !

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Aurum had certainly begun to notice his son's decline in social activity. The tiger had never been an extremely social little soul, and Aurum had known that from the beginning, able to tell just from the fact that Roy had only ever really interacted for extended periods of time with him. And while he really didn't mind having his son around constantly to watch over and talk with, the lion also knew that it was necessary for Roy to get out there and socialize with others if he ever wanted to make friends. The subject had only been breached a couple of times while he and the younger male were talking, but Aurum knew that, deep down, Roy did want to make more new friends, and Aurum definitely wanted to be around to encourage him. After all, socializing had definitely helped him back when he had first arrived in Tanglewood, and had been annoyed by and hostile to everyone. While Roy was hardly in the state that Aurum had been in when he first arrived, he still wasn't exactly an ideal either, and while his father didn't want to shove him out of his comfort zone too early, he also knew that Roy needed a little bit of encouragement. So, as of late, the lion had started to make a habit of talking about socializing and social activities with Roy, and slipping the subjects into their occasional late night chats when neither of them could sleep and they would just talk, pressed in side by side. Truthfully, he had no idea if it was working at all, but that didn't mean he wasn't about to keep trying.

It seemed as though his efforts were finally starting to pay off, however. Although Aurum couldn't say for sure that his encouragement had done anything, he didn't really actually care that much if it had. All that really mattered was that when the angel woke up that morning, rolling over and stretching out his long limbs, his son hadn't been sleeping away nearby, or sitting with his nose buried in some kind of book. At first the proxy had been petrified, worried that maybe something had happened and Roy had been snatched away from him again, but when he sniffed the air and began to look around, he was relieved to find that there was no fear scent around at all, nor was there any signs of a struggle. Allowing his fur to settle and his heart to stop thundering in his ears, Aurum had ventured out of the house afterwards, deciding to do his usual routine for the day. He figured that once he and Roy were both back at the house together, he could ask what the other had done for the day, rather than go looking for him now. After all, he didn't want to be too overbearing, even if there was still a faint prickle of anxiety running through his pelt every now and then.

When Aurum eventually returned from one of his usual morning hunting trips, several rather fat pieces of prey clenched in his jaws, he was surprised to see his son front and center near the middle of camp, along with a whole shitload of flowers. Raising a nonexistent eyebrow, the lion moved to deposit his new catches into the prey stockpile before returning to the scene, padding over and resting back on his haunches nearby. He didn't directly approach Roy, not wanting his son to stop what he was doing or think that Aurum was taking pity upon him. Instead he just watched from afar, his head tilted to one side as he watched, wondering what would happen. He was mostly just curious, and glad to see that Roy was actually making a genuine effort to venture out and interact with others. However, there was also a decent chance that if someone decided to reject Roy or be cruel to him in some way for putting himself out there, Aurum was watching just so that he could absolutely decimate them. No one unkindly brushed off his son and got away with it.

━ I'M GONNA WIN┆PROUD. WARM. PROTECTIVE. ━

Gift-giving and similar acts of the generous type were, admittedly, gestures that the wolfhound strayed from indulging himself in. He couldn't say exactly why this was, because he himself didn't know the reason. Maybe it had to do with his history up to throwing himself in with the tribe, and how everything that he'd been given was either a feeble attempt on his life, or simply not worth it. Whatever the logic behind his reluctance was, it caused him to habitually avoid those who freely gave items without expecting anything in recompense.

Then again, there were some people who the canine knew he could absolutely trust. Nearly the entirety of Tanglewood fell under that category, with a handful of unfortunate exceptions sprinkled here and there, as well as a humble amount of individuals living outside of the tribe (such as Goldenluxury Roux). And, obviously, there were those that the general trusted more than the rest; some examples being his lover, Crow, his step-son-ish figure, Selby, and his proxy, Aurum. Roy, being Aurum's son, who must've been raised exceptionally well since that was the case, also stood as an individual that he could depend on. He hoped that was the circumstance, at least.

A misdeed coming from those he looked to dearly would be a complete and utter shock. Hence, when the canine stumbled upon Roy handing out flowers, he felt no unease whilst approaching the interestingly-patterned tiger. "Hullo, Roy" he coos, finding a place to sit several metres away from the boy's dad. "I didn't know such flowers grew here," the wolfhound muses, "'specially at this time o' year. Could I have one?"

Without a home to hide in, the little poltergeist roamed the streets. Just as he did in life. A familiar misery of rainy nights spent under shrubbery settled upon him, dragging his paws along aimlessly and kicking pebbles across cracked sidewalks. His pads ached from so much roaming within the concrete town, no matter how overgrown it was. Nothing to do but mourn and weep and wander. Occasionally, his head would lift, gaze focusing on an empty residence with a hopeful spark ruffling his fur. Until the flaws of the building presented themselves: obnoxious neighbors, no privacy, and little room to freely roam. A pang tugged at his chest, worming through him like a worm to apple core. What God had he crossed to bring about such bad luck?

Sulking did no good for anyone, even if it was all Beck had the will to do these days. Gnawing on the inside of his intact cheek, too lost in thought to realize bitter blood welling around the area, he turned on his heel to slink back to the shadows. Only to rear his head up from its defeated hang, murky eyes scanning the trio a distance away. It was their gentle chatter that lured him, a sailor adrift to friendly sirens, knowing full well he could be stripped to the bone with judgemental teeth and a flutter of vocalized fins. Creeping along with hesitant, silenced steps, the boy set his focus on the floral arrangement, scarred brow knitting. The last he remembered of Roy, he was nothing more than a fiery beast, designed to engulf all around him in flame. His tongue idly poked the roof of his mouth, remembering long since healed burns from Audrey's influence when the plant decided to lock jaws around a living campfire before he returned to toying with torn and tender flesh. Ironic that the walking inferno now controlled himself enough to handle delicate stems without them burning up like little green matchsticks. At least one of them had made positive progress.

When he shifted his stare to Roy extending flowers out to passerby, he saw a meadow blooming with myosotis and dandelions -- he blinked and the skeletal-patterned tiger replaced it. A hollow sigh escaped him, filtered by a smoke-strangled wheeze. Rolling back onto his haunches, Beck remained a respectable pace or two away, guilt biting at the nape of his neck when he glimpsed W- no, Aurum's bandaged face. Surely, understandable anger filled the lion at the half-sight of the poltergeist. Oh well. What difference did yet another person in line for revenge against him matter?

"Where'd you get them?" His voice raw from disuse, he glanced to his gauze-bound paws, avoiding the assumed eyes on him for even considering to speak up. Shame flushed grey beneath freckled fur when he realized he wasn't specific enough -- would they call him out for it? "The- uh.. the flowers, I m-mean. I was just- was just wondering." A shy look to the much larger creatures around him, dull eyes still ringed with exhaustion and upset, before he broke it off, resigning to stare at the much more interesting dirt they stood upon.

So it seemed that Roy was just as awkward and fumbling as he was, especially with words. His battered frame slumped in relief, a wheeze he didn't remember holding in finally slipping past torn lips. Glancing up from the ground, Beck straightened to return the other boy's smile, idly wagging his stubby tail. "Forest, huh?" he echoed, pausing to lick away escaped spit around the disfiguring hole burnt through his cheek. The poltergeist rocked where he sat, an errant tooth catching over his lip as he looked south, glazed eyes searching beyond the town in his memory. Maybe...

His thoughts scattered when Roy stuttered another line. Swiveling his head back to attention, Beck blinked in astonishment for a beat or two. "Me?" Who would want to give a flower to him? Such a symbol of beauty and affection did not belong in the grasp of a grimy two-faced thief like him. Then again, the skeletal tiger did volunteer to pass out gathered blooms, most likely for his own jittery sake. After all, no recent weekly tasks could be dictating his generosity. Warily eyeing the other's collection, he sent a puff of air up to tousled bangs before nodding. "Sure, why not?" Then the little ghost paused, his thoughts regrouping. "Oh, yeah, I was gonna ask -- I know... this, uh, this little meadow nearby that's full of flowers in the spring if you want me to show you. But right now, it's kinda, y'know, dead."