It really wasn't often that he left Fiori without some sort of reason. Usually if he did leave it was to go visit another pack or perhaps go to the battlefield for some reason. Something got into him this morning though and he decided to get out for a moment. It was good to stretch his legs and get some fresh air from time to time. It wasn't that he didn't love Fiori's lands, but it did get a bit old seeing the same borders over and over and over again. He wouldn't go far though, still staying within earshot of a howl if he was needed. An alpha's work is never done. He padded across the sands of the bay till he got to the edge of the water, staying just out of reach of the lapping waves. He had come here several times before and each time it was still just as serene and beautiful. He was glad to have somewhere so peaceful so close to Fiori. It was a nice place to come and think for a moment. He didn't want to get in the cold water though so he took a step back just to be sure he would avoid the waves before he settled himself down on his haunches. He let out a sigh and let his shoulders relax as he stared out over the horizon. "Talk" "You" Think

The boy was wandering further and further from Auster, a sense of wanderlust possessing him. He’d return, without a doubt, for he got lonely easily enough. Especially now that he was without his kin. But Avalon, as well as her son Dragon, seemed to be welcoming enough. In some ways Avalon made Ganta think of his own mother, Arietta. He missed her… but at least her suffering was over, the young man thought. He shook his head, pressing on as he wandered closer to the land where Roza lived. Perhaps, he thought, he might even see her again. He rather liked the she-wolf… she had a good heart and an open mind. But as Ganta arrived at the bay it was not his friend’s figure that he saw, but rather that of a male… an older one at that. His scent somewhat reminded him of Roza, however. Could this be a relative of hers? The brute paused before giving a soft bark to get the man’s attention. Only one way to find out, he supposed, a smile coming to his features. Maybe…. today was going to look up more than Ganta thought. "Talk" "You" Think

Leo's ears twitched when a bark reached him and pulled him out of his thoughtful quietness. He glanced back over his shoulder and saw an interestingly marked young man walking toward him. Well, young as far as he was concerned. He knew this man was plenty old enough to be an adult to the rest of the world, but he caught himself considering anyone close to his children's age as a kid or young adult still. It was probably a habit he needed to break, but at this point he was getting to old to care about breaking old habits. Either way, he returned the boy's smile. "Hello there!" he said cheerfully, realizing after a moment that he probably should have at least heard him coming. He really had been distracted by his own thoughts after all. He was glad that this man seemed friendly anyway and hadn't been someone with more violent intentions. "Sorry I didn't notice you sooner, I guess I was a bit lost in thought." He motioned for the pale man to join him if he'd like before he let his gaze drift back to the ocean in front of him. "I'm Leo, by the way. Who might you be?" "Talk" "You" Think

Ganta shook his head as the male apologized, saying that he’d been lost in thought. “It’s quite alright, Leo” The youth came to sit by the older gentleman, taking a small breath before he spoke. “I’m Ganta. Ganta Hellstrom-Lore.” He’d glance towards the other with his ghostly silvery-white optics, giving a small smile of his own. “You’re the leader of Fiori, I think, right? Roza’s dad?” The youth shifted his head to the side, continuing to watch the older male. Hopefully he hadn’t gotten the other mixed up… and if this WAS Roza's dad how we he react to the fact that Ganta knew his little girl? Hopefully this meeting wouldn't end in disaster. "Talk" "You" Think

Leo tucked Ganta's name away in his memories for later. His brows lifted with surprise when he asked about him being Roza's father. He wasn't too surprised about the Fiori part. He obviously smelled like his pack and his scent was one of the only ones that made up the pack's scent markers. It was pretty easy to connect him with Fiori if Ganta had been familiar with the area. However, he was a bit surprised to hear him mention Roza. He knew Roza had been exploring more recently so it made sense that she would have met some wolves outside of the pack and perhaps made a friend or two. "Yes, that's right," he confirmed with a small smile and a nod. He was glad to see that Roza had been making friends with polite wolves at least. Ganta seemed like a nice young man as far as he could tell for now. "How do you know Roza?" he asked curiously, suddenly much more interested in the pale man beside him. He didn't know when he might get a more perfect time to interrogate one of Roza's new friends. Assuming he was actually one of Roza's friends and not just an acquaintance. He could be a bit nosey if he wanted. It was in the father rules to check up on his kids, right? That's what he told himself anyway as he waited for Ganta to answer. "Talk" "You" Think

Leo confirmed his question, that he was indeed the father of his dear friend Roza. His smile lingered, ghostly gaze remaining fixed politely on the other wolf. “I met her by the hotsprings one day, sir.” Ganta explained, letting out a light laugh. “I was a little worried at first. Seems your pack had just moved from that area fairly recently at the time. The scent of Fiorian’s was beginning to fade but enough to make me wonder if I had accidentally crossed into a pack territory.” The younger brute saw no reason to lie, especially to this man. “If I may be a bit bold, Leo, sir…” Ganta lifted his head a little more, deciding to be upfront with the other wolf. “I’ve already expressed my interests of creating a pack to your daughter. I… I want to create a place for my friends and family, a place where they can be safe and do what they are most skilled at. A place where they won’t be pressured to be something they’re not.” As he spoke of Dragoste his eyes lit up. “One of the wolves I want to create that pack for now is Roza… not that you’re not a capable leader or anything…!” Ganta gave more of a sheepish smile. Well crap… he felt awkward now. Might as well go all the way with what he was saying now, right? “What I mean to say is… I want to protect your daughter. I want to give her a new home… a place of new adventures. But I wouldn’t ask her to do anything she didn’t want to of course! I just… she’s a good friend, you know? I like her a lot.” He was probably rambling by this point… nervousness setting in. Yeah, maybe talking to Roza’s dad without her wasn’t the greatest idea… "Talk" "You" Think

Leo just nodded simply with understanding as the younger man explained that he had met Roza in the hot springs while trying to figure out if Fiori still had claim on those lands or not. He knew it took quite a while for the pack's scent to completely fade from that area so that was completely understandable. He always hoped that his children would only meet kind souls while they were out on their own in the world so it made him happy to see that one of the friends Roza had made on her adventures seemed to be just that kind of wolf. However, as Ganta began to describe the pack he wished to create and how Roza played into his plans, his eyes clearly showed his surprise and perhaps even a bit of uncertainty. He had been just as idealistic and hopeful once upon a time. Back before time and life events had begun to wear on him. Svetlana's disappearance, raising four children, taking care of a pack, fighting in a challenge... it had all taught him to have a much more realistic view of the world. He could see how young and nervous this boy was, but he couldn't tell how much of that was just from talking to Roza's father. He could tell Ganta really cared about Roza which was probably the only thing keeping him from dismissing Ganta's unspoken request altogether. He was quiet for a moment when Ganta stopped speaking, taking in the pale, long-haired wolf next to him for a second. "Roza is such a gentle soul. Out of all of my children, she is the one that I've had the hardest time letting go of. Her brothers and her sister all took at least a little interest in fighting and I'm fairly confident that they could protect themselves. Roza is such a free spirit and she wouldn't hurt a fly." His ears flicked while he tried to keep from making himself emotional. "I'm sure you know all of that. At least I hope you do." He sighed softly and pulled a small smile onto his lips. "I've never tried to stop my children from living their lives. I've always told myself once they were grown, if they wanted to leave Fiori for whatever reason I wouldn't get in their way. So if Roza wants to join your pack if you do get it off the ground then she is more than free to do so." "Talk" "You" Think

Mentally Ganta was cursing. Here he was in front of his friend’s dad and what was he doing? Making a fool of himself… He wanted to just disappear, but instead he forced himself to sit there, to listen as the man spoke about Roza. His silvery-white eyes shown with determination, listening to the orange and white male as he spoke on. “I’ve gathered that about Roza,yes.” His voice was calm, unwavering now, and he continued to listen to Leo as the man continued to speak. When Leo finished Ganta breathed a sign of relief, dipping his head to the older male. “…and I assure you, Leo, that if she does decide to join my pack it will be of her own decision. I would never force her, nor allow one of my members to force her to join if she didn’t want to. If she does join me, join Dragoste, then I plan to fight to keep her safe. To keep all my members safe. I know that it will be a heavy burden to bear… but if I wasn’t certain that this was what I wanted to do, the future I wanted to carve, I wouldn’t be making that sort of promise.” His words had a new resolve to them, and the young man dipped his head to the older brute. “…and in Roza’s case I’d die before I’d let another lay a paw on her. She… she really means a lot to me, Leo, sir.” "Talk" "You" Think