[right][h2][color=8493ca]Caught in a Snare[/color][/h2][@DaftJive][@Tlazolteotl][/right]

[color=8493ca]Damien leaned into the moth's hand on his head and briefly closed his eyes while they spoke. At the same time, the chains around his body sagged some more and hung loosely across his small frame. He had no idea he had been so touch starved. Other than Charlie practically throwing herself at everyone she met, that is. When he opens his eyes again, his gaze meets Viné's. Something about it doesn't feel real, but such a perception wasn't unfamiliar to Damien.

But he hated the way the sight of the lion always demanded a reaction, whether the image was an apparition or not. Viné's threatening gaze sent a chill down Damien's spine and he tensed, instinctively leaning closer to the moth. The moth didn't know to be scared, Damien thought. And while he hated that he was letting himself appear frightened in front of this soul, something within him stole the motivation to care.[/color]

[color=808080][i]"If you woke up tomorrow and Viné was gone, what would you do first?"[/i][/color]

[color=8493ca]It was a hard question to answer while staring into the would-be soul of your tormentor. He was almost afraid to speak his mind, lest he be punished. Had he always been this scared of Viné? [b]"I'd just...go live at the hotel with my friends,"[/b] he said tentatively, his gaze never leaving the lion's. [b]"I'd...help them. And maybe start an herb garden... Maybe have my own stand later to sell them."[/b] It was ridiculous. The words sounded foreign in his mouth as if he'd not spoken them in over a decade. He took a deep breath. [b]"I think I'd celebrate, honestly."[/b]

Instinctively, he flinched away from the lion. A fleeting image of his talons, a sensation of breathlessness and a weight too great to lift off his chest. A squeezing feeling at the throat and a throbbing pain at the base of his horns and the back of his head.

But when he peeked open his eyes, nothing was happening. The image of Viné remained still.[/color]