Flower Power [Anz]

Yikmo's silence was worrying. Well, not really, since he couldn't exactly make a noise to denote any emotion at all.... it was more like his lack of any kind of reaction that was worrying. Since it was clear that the white-haired boy could understand what he was saying and react to it and answer his questions....

That meant that maybe he had no parents?

Was this little child an orphan?

Amphy's heart began to ache and immediately thought of little Stormy, finding her alone and untended in the forest in a camp of poachers....

Was he in the same boat?

Well, there was really only one course of action...

"Would you like to stay with me, Yikmo?"

Looking at the child it was clear that he didn't understand his intentions. How could he explain what he meant to a child that didn't have parents? "Would you like...." he said slowly, taking the bowl from Yikmo and filling it again with still-warm stew. "Would you like to live with me? Would you like this--" he gestured around to his cottage, not very large but very homey and warm. "--to be your home?"

The faun returned to second helping to the white haired boy. "Would you like me to be your parent?"

Amphy watched Yikmo's reactions to his words closely, and smiled when it seemed like he understood, and was open to the idea. The faun picked up the child--his new son?--and hugged him tightly. Amphy was prepared to take good care of the mute child, and get him everything he needed. Including teaching him how to read and write, and maybe sign language too.

Did Yikmo already know how to read and write? Did the child know sign language?

He was inclined to think no, because the white haired child seemed to want to communicate in actual body language rather than using his hands to convey ideas, like he'd seen other mute people do upon meeting someone new.

He'd have to find him a tutor.

But now he would need to get him a bath.

"How about you finish eating, then we can get you a bath and something clean?"

Amphy smiled and watched as Yikmo kept eating and started preparing the soup for storage. He didn't really have very much in terms of electricity in the woods, although Ardos had set him up with a generator that gave him enough power for a fridge and a heater when it got cold. Once the soup was put into a container, he tucked it into the refrigerator and then set the pot aside.

He turned to Yikmo once he was don eating, pulling out a shirt and some small shorts. They were too small for Amphy, but would still probably be too big for his new albino son, but it would be better than nothing until he went shopping properly.

The faun walked over to him. "Let's go to the spring, okay?"

Amphy took Yikmo's hand and led him out to the chillier air to the small clearing just behind his house. Steam rolled off the water, and it was crystal clear in a way that marked it as being magical somehow.

Given that he liked to be mostly natural in the forest, the deerman wasn't wearing any pants.

He sat on the edge of the spring, dipping his hooves into the water.

"Come, now you."