IT'S ONLY LIFE — selby & moth

[beck.]

[align=center]

    Damp streaks long since rolled down his cheeks by the time he staggered a trail to a quiet meadow nestled on the brink of territory. He didn't think of where he retreated to, considering no home remained for him to hide in. A rodent without a mousehole, a spook without a haunt. What a lousy joke. Sniffling as he calmed, he scrubbed at his eyes with the back of a gauze-wrapped arm before slowly sinking to the wilted earth, tucking his legs under him at the knee like a fawn. A trembling sigh followed, leading into a placating numbness.

    Unsure what to occupy himself with now, Beck stared out into the landscape, shifting so bent legs were angled to the right instead. While the world was far from silent, a momentary murmur of peace surrounded him despite the wicked voice hissing in his ear. Leaning on a hand, the poltergeist took a steadying rasp and searched for anything else to focus on. A communion of plump mourning doves perched in the bare branches of an oak, their cooing hushed now that he intruded, while a breeze rustled the dying grass, reminding him of wind through reed pipes. It was an odd melody; not a melody at all. But it was something, and that's what mattered.

    Lost in his clashing thoughts, the boy flopped backward, gripping at the sod and dead stalks as he watched scattered clouds hanged from invisible gallows in the drab sky. Regret brought a grey flush to his drying cheeks -- he wanted to be happy for Selby. He wanted to be a good friend, to support the sawbone just as he had done for him. But... he closed his eyes, scrunching his upturned nose in frustration. Everything about this simply struck too much of a familiar chord within the poltergeist. Beck exhaled softly, everpresent rattle in his chest breaking the sound into a ragged huff. He supposed he would return to the town soon enough, after taking a moment to collect himself. But the voice's suggestion sickened him still, even as he absently curled his fingers into the mud and gnawed on his inner lip.

[selby roux !]

[align=center][div style="width: 51%; text-align: justify; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: georgia;"] The news of Moth’s pregnancy had been some of the happiest Selby received. Well, likely the happiest. It was nothing short of wonderful. The true beginning of his new life with her. A family of his own. A whole new world, one might say.

But what would become of the old world?

Selby came face to face with that exact question as Beck stared up at him with that forced smile, and his brief stint with pure joy quickly shattered. He looked down at the ghost, and he couldn’t look him in the eye. He wanted the old world to remain.

The sawbone realized in that moment that it was the same world. In the grand scheme of things, not much was changing. He wanted the old world to remain. He could not imagine a world, or a family, without the boy before him as part of it. Just as he was about to reach for Beck to offer comfort and reassurances, he turned and all but ran from him. He gaped at his retreating form, rendered speechless as anxiety rushed through him.

What do I do? What do I do? What am I supposed to do? What do I do?

He stumbles away from his girlfriend, desperately racking his adrenaline ridden mind for a game plan. He needed to talk to him. Make sure he was safe. Keep him safe.

And so he followed him. Numbly and slowly at first, but he quickly gained speed. He took care to travel at a pace Moth could keep up with in her pregnant state, but went no slower. Keep him safe. Selby had no idea where Beck was going, but he knew in that moment that he would follow him anywhere. Anywhere and anything for him.

It did not take long to catch up, and he took a moment to catch his breath from a distance as he watched him. He could see no danger, and thus relaxed considerably. Safe.

He looks back at Moth to seek her assurances, her mere presence enough to calm him down the rest of the way. He reaches for her hand, briefly running his thumb along her knuckles before turning to the ghost once more.

Selby made his way up the hill, careful to go slowly so as to not frighten him. “Beck?” he calls gently, just as a way to get his attention. He kneels in front of him, bringing himself down to his level. “I think we all need to have a chat, yeah?”

[trojan g.]

[align=center][div style="bgcolor= black; width: 500px; font-family: Times New Roman;font-size:10pt;text-align:justify;"]There had been few interactions between herself and the poltergeist that resided within Tanglewood, but she had known of the relationship that he had shared with Selby, though hadn't grasped just how far that relationship went. She found it to be something similar to her own and Aurum's, which is why when Moth suddenly saw Beck within the small crowd that had gathered around her when she had been moving only to announce her pregnancy, she was surprised to see the pained smile on his face, and to see the boy quickly turn away and go off.

It wasn't surprising, however, when Selby had turned and followed the other soon after, though she was glad that he wasn't moving so fast as to leave her in the dust.

Moving after her boyfriend, the adult would be careful to make sure she stayed within line with Selby, but slow enough so that she wasn't going to be tripping over herself - if she managed to go slow in some states, she eventually managed to catch up with Selby soon after - reaching her hand out to the male when he had grasped hers in his own, offering a reassuring smile to the other before moving up the hill with him, looking on to Beck and taking a small step back so as not to have too many in the boy's face. After all, they didn't know each other well, and had only just begun getting to do so.

[beck.]

[align=center]

    Footsteps. The boy hastily sat up, glancing in the direction of the two differing beats providing an unexpected percussion to the meadow duet. Upon recognizing the bright face of his friend, stark against the sepia tones surrounding, Beck paled beyond his corpse-like complexion. Mouth agape, he glimpsed a waddling Moth, her swollen belly the cause of his worries. Idiot. He should've known better! Of course, the couple would follow him, especially after he stormed off so dramatically.

    Gnawing on his abused lip, the poltergeist watched with worry in his hazel stare as Selby closed the distance between them. He instinctively pulled his knees to his chest, gripping the sides of his calves. A chat. It was just going to be a chat. A shaky breath escaped him; he nodded. "I- I'm sorry. I just..." Beck looked to the mud in shame, his hands moving to wring the hem of his tattered shirt. His crackly voice softened to a whisper, "I was being stupid." His features darkened, as though a raincloud passed overhead, obscuring his true thoughts. Jealousy bitterly swelled in his chest as Moth settled herself aside Selby, albeit a distance from him. Swiping the back of his hand under his scar of a cheek, he let his gaze fall to the dead grass he trampled like a pacing dog preparing its bed. "I'm really sorry," the little ghost sniffled, "I'm happy f-for your new... new fa-family." With the final word, he scrunched his face into one of embarrassment, the first tear already rolling down a freckled cheek and off his chin.

[selby roux !]

[align=center][div style="width: 51%; text-align: justify; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: georgia;"]As he watched the boy in front of him squirm and pale, a quiet sense of anxiety filled him. Oh, please, let this be productive. Let us get to the bottom of this.

Then he started to speak. He listened to the apology carefully, nodding to display his attentiveness. “You aren’t stupid,” he says gently. “It’s not stupid to feel certain ways about things. The way you feel... it’s important to me. Very important.” Spotting a tear begin to roll down his cheek, Selby reached out slowly to tenderly brush it away on instinct.

He pondered his next words carefully. He hadn’t discussed anything with Moth prior to this. Selby did not want to put words in her mouth, nor did he want to put her in an uncomfortable position. He also didn’t want to make Beck uncomfortable, but he felt that he had been silent for too long.

“Beck, any family of mine without you in it would be incomplete,” he begins carefully, his pace slow and purposeful. “I want it to be your family, too. I want... well, I want you.”

There. They were out in the world. He shoots a glance to Moth behind him, a gentle but sheepish smile gracing his face. Surprise? Though part of him suspected Moth already knew of his feelings, he couldn’t know for sure. At least, not until she responded.

[trojan g.]

[align=center][div style="bgcolor= black; width: 500px; font-family: Times New Roman;font-size:10pt;text-align:justify;"]The apology that Beck shared with the two - though seemingly more directed towards Selby - was something that Moth hadn’t expected from the boy due to their own short interactions in the past. Sure he had gotten better since they had first met, but now he was something more of a child acting as such, rather than a ball of anger and spite, beating piñatas shaped like others. Had she known the thoughts the other had been feeling upon seeing Moth and Selby get close she would have waited longer to share her news, made it so that she could get to know him better, do what she thought should be done, though the time had come to rush things.

Listening as her boyfriend spoke, Moth could only nod her head slightly in response at first. She had known that they were close and had thought of bringing up the thing she thought he was alluding to once or twice, but had never known when the right time would be for it, so she had waited. It seemed as though now was as good of a time as any though and so she would finally open her mouth, moving to Selby’s side to get closer before crouching down to the best of her own ability. “Ive been thinking for a while,” she would start, pausing for a moment, “It might be best if we were to all become a family if you wanted to. I know you two are close and I want to get to know you better... I want both of you to be happy.” For as long as she had known Beck she knew that he was alone most of the time, and being alone was never something she wanted for anyone if it could be helped.