Damien
the horrors persist
but the wonders prevail
but the wonders prevail
Damien huffed out a laugh when the snowball blew its raspberry, more surprised than anything. “Well. Guess that’s an answer.” Aria’s ears pricked at the noise, head snapping up, and she chirped back like it was the start of a conversation. When Mittens only floated smugly higher, she batted at the air with both paws, then flopped onto her side in defeat, tail thrashing in protest.
“Personalities, huh?” Damien rubbed the back of his neck, glancing from the cub to Lena. “Seems I’ve landed myself with one, then. Full of curiosity and no patience. Suppose that tracks.” He crouched enough to scratch behind Aria’s ears, and the cub rolled onto her back, paws kneading the air. “I’ll keep working on the ‘self-preservation’ bit. Can’t have her thinking everything and everyone is just another playmate.”
Straightening, Damien let his gaze drift over the Celestine, taking in the star-filled twilight and the carefully tended enclosures where creatures—some familiar, some impossibly strange—moved with cautious grace. “You’ve done a lot here,” he said, voice low, almost to himself. His eyes flicked to Lena. “All of this… you manage it on your own?”
“Personalities, huh?” Damien rubbed the back of his neck, glancing from the cub to Lena. “Seems I’ve landed myself with one, then. Full of curiosity and no patience. Suppose that tracks.” He crouched enough to scratch behind Aria’s ears, and the cub rolled onto her back, paws kneading the air. “I’ll keep working on the ‘self-preservation’ bit. Can’t have her thinking everything and everyone is just another playmate.”
Straightening, Damien let his gaze drift over the Celestine, taking in the star-filled twilight and the carefully tended enclosures where creatures—some familiar, some impossibly strange—moved with cautious grace. “You’ve done a lot here,” he said, voice low, almost to himself. His eyes flicked to Lena. “All of this… you manage it on your own?”
