02-21-2020, 04:21 PM
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Beck was true to his word. At least, when he actually meant it. Sure, the youthful pair were slightly ahead of their scheduled spring frolic through fields worthy of a slot in an advent calendar, but truthfully, he never could know how much time remained with a friend before they too joined the thousands, millions of bones resting in the earth.
His steps quickened to keep pace with the tiger's longer limbs, his limp clicking along as a broken joint grated with each footfall of his back leg. Their shared destination didn't truly exist; the duo meandered through the northern woods, chattering about nonsensical topics from horror movies and adopted fathers to how to track certain creatures and favorites of whatever category came to mind.
The little ghost didn't remember when he started smiling, the corner of his lips curving into his intact cheek, but he didn't force the smile away like the unwanted weak point it was before. Maybe, just maybe, he could gain the friendship of Roy, although his overbearing surrogate did arise as a problem. Who knows what the angelic lion preached behind closed doors about him -- he could've been described as a dangerous lunatic, a time bomb waiting to claw another eye out.
He shook his head. Now wasn't the time to sulk or snivel. Selby asked -- no, pleaded for him to be social and venture outside his depressing shell that he spent prior months curled within. So he was going to be social. Starting with Roy.
A dainty flower swayed alluringly in the chilled wind, a rare sight in the midst of February despite the thawing ground. With petals of baby blue and leaves curled close to a trembling stem, Beck found himself breaking from Roy's wake to approach. "Hey, look, I found one," he called over his shoulder, outstretching a paw to pluck the early bloom from its cradle. When it didn't give quite as easily as expected, the housecat frowned, tugging at the stem more insistently. The flower came with this time, yanked from its roots like a doll from its picturesque home. The shadow of a smile reappeared and he held his lonely bouquet out to the skeletal tiger, returning the favors from weeks ago.
Then, against all odds, the earth shook with terrific force, the very ground he stood upon quivering with a ferocity only witnessed in urban earthquakes of old along faultlines. His scrawny form went rigid and hazel eyes squeezed shut, bracing for the impact of a fallen tree. A tree that never fell. Instead, he lurched upwards, as though gravity negated and an overhead saucer decided to abduct a random patch of woodland. Beck peeked, finding himself standing abnormally taller than Roy. Much taller than Roy. Way, way too much taller.
A panicked noise tumbled from his mouth; he nearly tumbled off the giant's back as well in his clamber to get down. Landing on his face with a thump, the boy recovered and scrambled to cower beneath the tiger, giving himself a monochrome wig of long, hanging belly fur. His instinct to flee faded, however, upon glimpsing the living tree in front of them. Beck giggled nervously, unsure what exactly happened beyond simply plucking a flower like a girl.
He slinked out from underneath his shield, hackles bristling with static (and causing Roy's fur to lift weightlessly as well) just in case a tree could prove a threat to his newfound companion. With a haphazard glance to the remaining stem that he decapitated a flowery head from moments ago, the puzzle pieces fit together within his mind. "Oh," he rasped, looking to the disembodied flower in regret before holding it aloft to the draconic tree -- although he could barely stretch it past bark resembling a knee. "Um, you can have this back now."
His steps quickened to keep pace with the tiger's longer limbs, his limp clicking along as a broken joint grated with each footfall of his back leg. Their shared destination didn't truly exist; the duo meandered through the northern woods, chattering about nonsensical topics from horror movies and adopted fathers to how to track certain creatures and favorites of whatever category came to mind.
The little ghost didn't remember when he started smiling, the corner of his lips curving into his intact cheek, but he didn't force the smile away like the unwanted weak point it was before. Maybe, just maybe, he could gain the friendship of Roy, although his overbearing surrogate did arise as a problem. Who knows what the angelic lion preached behind closed doors about him -- he could've been described as a dangerous lunatic, a time bomb waiting to claw another eye out.
He shook his head. Now wasn't the time to sulk or snivel. Selby asked -- no, pleaded for him to be social and venture outside his depressing shell that he spent prior months curled within. So he was going to be social. Starting with Roy.
A dainty flower swayed alluringly in the chilled wind, a rare sight in the midst of February despite the thawing ground. With petals of baby blue and leaves curled close to a trembling stem, Beck found himself breaking from Roy's wake to approach. "Hey, look, I found one," he called over his shoulder, outstretching a paw to pluck the early bloom from its cradle. When it didn't give quite as easily as expected, the housecat frowned, tugging at the stem more insistently. The flower came with this time, yanked from its roots like a doll from its picturesque home. The shadow of a smile reappeared and he held his lonely bouquet out to the skeletal tiger, returning the favors from weeks ago.
Then, against all odds, the earth shook with terrific force, the very ground he stood upon quivering with a ferocity only witnessed in urban earthquakes of old along faultlines. His scrawny form went rigid and hazel eyes squeezed shut, bracing for the impact of a fallen tree. A tree that never fell. Instead, he lurched upwards, as though gravity negated and an overhead saucer decided to abduct a random patch of woodland. Beck peeked, finding himself standing abnormally taller than Roy. Much taller than Roy. Way, way too much taller.
A panicked noise tumbled from his mouth; he nearly tumbled off the giant's back as well in his clamber to get down. Landing on his face with a thump, the boy recovered and scrambled to cower beneath the tiger, giving himself a monochrome wig of long, hanging belly fur. His instinct to flee faded, however, upon glimpsing the living tree in front of them. Beck giggled nervously, unsure what exactly happened beyond simply plucking a flower like a girl.
He slinked out from underneath his shield, hackles bristling with static (and causing Roy's fur to lift weightlessly as well) just in case a tree could prove a threat to his newfound companion. With a haphazard glance to the remaining stem that he decapitated a flowery head from moments ago, the puzzle pieces fit together within his mind. "Oh," he rasped, looking to the disembodied flower in regret before holding it aloft to the draconic tree -- although he could barely stretch it past bark resembling a knee. "Um, you can have this back now."