TO THINE OWN SELF BE TRUE;; open- birthday

[trojan g.]

[align=center][div style="bgcolor= black; max-width: 500px; font-family: Times New Roman;font-size:10pt;text-align:justify;"]April 17th.

It was hard to keep track of dates when the only calendars available that weren't home made were so outdated that you had to do math in order to figure out if it was on the right day or not. She knew years, of course, which helped with the math, but never the day.

Turned out it was Friday, April 17th.

She'd woken up that morning, pain wracking through her upper body from the recent attack that she'd gotten herself into with the alligator. Staying in her home from then until now in order to keep herself safe, make sure she would be able to heal quicker and be there for her kids. The missing ear still threw her off most of the time, but she was getting more and more used to not having it.

Two o'clock, Friday, April 17th.

She was roaming around her house, and there were cupcakes, not a lot of them, but there were some cupcakes. Enough for her own little family. Simply because she wanted cupcakes.

Two o'clock, Friday, April 17th... Moth had turned two years old only three minutes before.

[wormwood.]

☆ HUNG PICTURES OF PATRON SAINTS UP ON MY WALL TO REMIND ME THAT I AM A FOOL. TELL ME WHERE I CAME FROM, WHAT I WILL ALWAYS BE: JUST A SPOILED LITTLE KID WHO WENT TO CATHOLIC SCHOOL —

His sister's birthday was an unknown to Aurum, but not by his own choice. The proxy could barely keep track of his own birthday, and it wasn't as if Moth made a huge deal out of things like this, so the lion had simply never had a chance to learn the day. If he had, then Moth probably already would've been bombarded with hugs and gifts, and perhaps a surprise party organized by him.

As it stood, however, Aurum figured he was just visiting his sister casually. After the whole incident with the alligator, the angel had been keeping his distance, mainly because he still didn't know what had happened there. Why he had turned into that... thing. He didn't want to upset Moth, so he had given her a big of time away from his mug. Now that a few days had passed, however, the lion saw fit to go and visit her, and make sure that she was doing alright. He doubted that her injuries weren't being well taken care of, considering her own position as a medic and Selby's presence, but he was her big brother. He was allowed to be a little worried. Moving up to the front of Moth's family home, Aurum knocked a paw against the door, waited several seconds before he opened it and stepped inside. The smell of cupcakes caught him off guard, causing the male to pause for a brief moment.

The angel glanced around his sister's house slowly, taking in the confectionery goods slowly before he turned his one eyed gaze towards her. Smiling a little crookedly, the lion rumbled softly to Moth, "Hey Moth... you celebrating some kind of special occasion?"

[div style="text-align: right; text-transform: uppercase; text-shadow: 0px 0px 2px #1B1B2F; font-size: 24px;"][color=#44437F]— AURUM

#psychosocial.

[Ivan]

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pixel by tricky

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[div style="width: 300px; max-height: 100px; height: overflow; overflow: scroll; padding-bottom: 5px; margin-top: -5px; font-family: georgia; font-size: 8pt; color: #152232; letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: justify;"]He kept fancying that Ivan was absorbed in something — something inward and important — that he was striving toward some goal, perhaps very hard to attain.

— Бра́тья Карама́зовы

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Similar to his mother, Ivan had not left the house much after the incident that left her with a bloody ear. Migraines plagued his brain and he slept a lot. Going too far away caused his heart to pound and thump loudly against his ribs. He was aware that there had been a few more joiners and perhaps he was missing out on gossip, but he never really cared for such things.

Today was no different, and because young Ivan himself had not seen a year of life, there was no way he could tell it was own mother's. He counted his life in terms of weeks instead. The kitten's large ears twitched as Aurum knocked at the door, roused from his slumber, and he raised his head to yawn widely, showing off his new sharp adult teeth. Blinking the sleep from his eyes — how long had he been knocked out — he crawled out of bed, pulled as if by gravity to his mother. Special occasion? He did smell cupcakes, and he was hungry. Ivan sat down wordlessly, unable to hide another yawn.

[Grimm]

[align=center][div style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11px; width: 60%; text-align: justify; line-height:120%"]A spectre adorned in the cloying hues of thickened shade, barely perceived before the mere traces of poorly constructed memory was all he became. Partial his own decision within such, behind walls of plaster and wood had he been hidden at tasks of middling interest, yet deeper ran the issue. Loud the cacophony of gathered voices, a grating auditory assault that reduced his thoughts to the crackling pop of static, limited his capacity for such. Even, at times, too much the lingering presence of wayward relations, tentative the manner in which he approached each in turn.

From prior events had he been excluded for such reasons, unbeknownst to him that which had seen the delicate skin of ear parted beneath the savagery of starved jaws. The aftermath had he bore witness to, jarring the manner his simple routine was disrupted, silenced his protests, however. Accustomed had he grown, if further solitary, preferring the silence of his own company. On may he have continued, weak and of near useless status the dark point of nose set among ebony features, if not for the creaking groan of wood.

Ivan. All too light for another, and unimpeded seemed the sleeping schedule of other brothers, the pattern of steps lacking a fourth limb of enough note he knew Alice without need of ponderence.

Behind did he follow, a quiet shade moving with an unsteady, confused pace for upward did his attention flicker for mere moments before settling on next placement of his paw. It seemed so too bad been disturbed his own pattern of rest, but for reasons not linked to the mother Winston looked on with exhaustion laden eyes. Unknown the confectioneries she had made for the moment, his own progress halting where he was well hidden behind her, peering with a quiet, seething rage to where Aurum had come to stand.

[selby roux !]

[align=center][div style="width: 51%; text-align: justify; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: georgia;"]Moth’s birthday. Truth be told, it’d been on his mind. And though he knew that it’d likely be a minor celebration due to her recent attack, he looked forward to it anyway. Any small reason to be happy was enough.

Still, one thought rose above the rest. What could he get her? She didn’t seem to want for much. He liked to think that they were happy. But still, he couldn’t not do something. She’d done so much for him. She’d helped him after Pastel had died, she’d helped him when the job became too much, and most importantly, she’d given them a family. He didn’t want to top it, for he knew nothing could, but something to show his appreciation would not be out of place.

And so he went out into the forest in the morning, slowly gathering a bouquet of native wildflowers. He had yet to restart his flower garden, though it was high on his to-do list, and the act of collecting them seemed more personal anyway. When he was done, it was tied off with a yellow ribbon.

When he returned, the site of parts of his family greeted him. With a nod to Aurum and pats across the shoulders to his children, he approached Moth. Setting the bouquet down, he affectionately pressed his muzzle into the soft fur of her cheek. And then, softly in her ear, “Happy birthday. I love you.”