MICKEY MANTLE HAD LEFT ON A SUNDAY / birthday

[wormwood.]

NOTHING BESIDE REMAINS — Having Goldie around once again... it caused a mix of joy and grief to constantly be running through Aurum, nearly driving the lion mad. On one hand, he was overjoyed to have his old friend back, and although the Typhoon captain clearly had some adjusting to do, at least she was alive. However, he also felt grief and guilt whenever he looked at her, a heavy feeling settling in his chest and weighing him down. It was partially his fault that she was like that, even if he had been trying to help her at the time. If only he had been a bit more careful, and a bit less reckless... perhaps she would still have her leg. Despite this, he knew that he couldn't avoid her forever, nor did he have much of a want to do so. No matter what, Goldie was his friend. She was perhaps one of his oldest, at least of those that were still alive and kicking. He knew he wouldn't have grown into who he was today, without her as a role model to constantly look up to. It had always brought a smile to his face whenever she had come to visit, and although he had every intention of helping her and every other Typhooner fight to get their own home back, he couldn't deny it was nice to have her around.

So, naturally, when the male had heard that it was her birthday, he had immediately known that they had to do something. Pushing through his initial reluctance as he made his way over, the angel let his tail flick from side to side before he spoke up, "Hey, Goldie. If you're looking for a party... well, we've got a tavern with plenty of booze, food, and games. Might not be as fancy as the one back home, but I like to think that it's pretty decent. I might even be able to scrap together a halfway decent cake, as long as Roxie helps out." He looked towards Roxie, flashing a bit of a smile in her direction. Although he knew that she didn't entirely appreciate his stubborn or foolhardy nature, he couldn't deny that he thought of her as a friend as well. Besides, without her help, whatever cake he made would probably come out tasting rather bland. Even if Aurum wasn't quite as bad at cooking as some around Tanglewood were, he still wasn't much of a baker. He was sure that Rox would have more of an understanding on how to make a decent cake – and better know what flavor Goldie would like. Thankfully, despite the recent infestation of Wanderers, Tanglewood still had plenty of supplies, and food. It seemed as though the Coalition hadn't been trying to bleed them dry, or entirely kill them. Instead, Stryker had just been looking to be a dictator. Of course, it was easy to see where that had gotten him. — OF THE MAN WHO WAS BORN AND DIED A KING.