pop the trunk // temporary return

His leave was... sudden. Amidst his frustration, the canine had left with the breeze and went back to The Pitt, just like he did as a kid. Instead of facing his problems head on or telling anyone, he just left. Atticus could remember Ivan threatening him for his abrupt leave the first time and he feared the result would be the same from Sweeney as he wandered closer to the marsh's border. Somehow, he doubted it though. Life had changed since then. The family that had left him stranded, Selby, Aurum, and his siblings, were nowhere to be seen. Their negativity had dissipated. In return, Moth's gracious love and Sweeney's attentive attitude had kept him afloat. He wanted to believe this time was different, but doubt festered in his thoughts.

Atticus' paws paused at the scent border. Anxious claws sheathed and unsheathed repeatedly, stabbing at the floor below him. With parted jaws wrapped around a bundle of stems, golden eyes looked down. Red and yellow petaled roses graced his vision. A color was assigned to each of them. The crimson-colored flowers were for Sweeney and the golden ones were for his mother. While in theory it wasn't much, he hoped it would at least satisfy the two he had left behind. The journey to acquire them in a dry desert and dethorning them was an adventure, after all.

A sigh him. Was it worth it? Dropping the flowers onto the soft ground, Atticus awaited for the Tanglewood members to arrive at the border.