[align=center][div style="max-width: 500px; text-align: justify; font-family: arial; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 1.4;letter-spacing:.1px"]The first thing Roach becomes aware of aside from his own fading breath is the tightening of the chain around his throat. He hasn't moved and his eyes can't focus — he only makes out the image of a hazy figure as air is choked out from his lungs. Mistakenly, he wonders if this had been the goal of the one who dropped him off, if this was their end goal. Get him weak and discard him. Roach manages a weak, feral snarl and shifts his stance in the ash-flecked dirt until his weight is pressed almost entirely on his hind legs to pull. Away from the tree, away from the stranger. Away from the chain.
But suddenly the pressure on his throat loosens. Like Ambroise, the bulky cub stumbles at the sudden lack of an opposing force — unlike him, there's nothing graceful about the way he tumbles and rolls, his back hits the ground with a heavy thud and the crackling of dry grass. Dazed and lost, all Roach can do is suck in air, blurry gaze unfocused on the sky above him. It was now a bloody red with golden clouds low on the horizon. As soon as his brain unfuzzes a little, he jumps to his feet. The heavy chain rattles again, just ever so slightly, as his weight stirs the portion of snapped, charred branch and drags it a few inches across the ground. Copper eyes had pinned themselves to the burning tree. Roach's mouth fell open slightly as he watched the leaves fall and the branches crumble away to black dust. His legs, suddenly weak under his weight, transform themselves into jelly until he sits.
For a long moment, he seems to struggle with processing what's happening around him. Although he looks at Ambroise when he speaks, the words don't seem to fully register. Rounded ears are pinned back against his skull and his eyes are wide, chest heaving through desperate gasps. He's not sure if he could say this was the worst thing he had ever experienced. Maybe it was. But he'd made it out. That was all that mattered. And it was this guy's fault — or... it was thanks to him. The person in front of him is big, maybe even bigger than the other lions he'd been used to seeing, and all of his scars meant something to him that most other people must not get. Immediately, Roach is aware that he can take what's thrown his way — can and will and won't back down — and he both tenses and relaxes at the realization.
Though he doesn't open his mouth to answer him, Roach doesn't really like to see someone else rushing into the edge of his vision. Miraculously finding his paws in an instant, the lion jerks away and lifts the paw far out of her reach, a threatening rumble tearing at an already sore throat. His head ducks down, jaws parting and snapping together again in front of Kris's face. No risk of contact, and that's intentional, but even exhausted the young lion doesn't dare to settle. "Leave me alone."
/ yikes sorry roach is an ass and likely won't let kris help him, but his most notable injuries are the burns on his paws, which are pretty tame, and a few more dangerous burns on his back that are bad enough to blister. the area around his throat will be very heavily bruised with the fur almost entirely rubbed away if the chain can be removed, and there are a few half-healed general cuts and bruises all over his body that aren't from the fire.
— edit for more clarification: there are first degree burns on his paws and second degree burns on his back, and the chain around his neck has been worn pretty tightly for a few months to the point that parts of it are embedded into his skin and is very painful in itself, but removing it would also be very painful for him.
But suddenly the pressure on his throat loosens. Like Ambroise, the bulky cub stumbles at the sudden lack of an opposing force — unlike him, there's nothing graceful about the way he tumbles and rolls, his back hits the ground with a heavy thud and the crackling of dry grass. Dazed and lost, all Roach can do is suck in air, blurry gaze unfocused on the sky above him. It was now a bloody red with golden clouds low on the horizon. As soon as his brain unfuzzes a little, he jumps to his feet. The heavy chain rattles again, just ever so slightly, as his weight stirs the portion of snapped, charred branch and drags it a few inches across the ground. Copper eyes had pinned themselves to the burning tree. Roach's mouth fell open slightly as he watched the leaves fall and the branches crumble away to black dust. His legs, suddenly weak under his weight, transform themselves into jelly until he sits.
For a long moment, he seems to struggle with processing what's happening around him. Although he looks at Ambroise when he speaks, the words don't seem to fully register. Rounded ears are pinned back against his skull and his eyes are wide, chest heaving through desperate gasps. He's not sure if he could say this was the worst thing he had ever experienced. Maybe it was. But he'd made it out. That was all that mattered. And it was this guy's fault — or... it was thanks to him. The person in front of him is big, maybe even bigger than the other lions he'd been used to seeing, and all of his scars meant something to him that most other people must not get. Immediately, Roach is aware that he can take what's thrown his way — can and will and won't back down — and he both tenses and relaxes at the realization.
Though he doesn't open his mouth to answer him, Roach doesn't really like to see someone else rushing into the edge of his vision. Miraculously finding his paws in an instant, the lion jerks away and lifts the paw far out of her reach, a threatening rumble tearing at an already sore throat. His head ducks down, jaws parting and snapping together again in front of Kris's face. No risk of contact, and that's intentional, but even exhausted the young lion doesn't dare to settle. "Leave me alone."
/ yikes sorry roach is an ass and likely won't let kris help him, but his most notable injuries are the burns on his paws, which are pretty tame, and a few more dangerous burns on his back that are bad enough to blister. the area around his throat will be very heavily bruised with the fur almost entirely rubbed away if the chain can be removed, and there are a few half-healed general cuts and bruises all over his body that aren't from the fire.
— edit for more clarification: there are first degree burns on his paws and second degree burns on his back, and the chain around his neck has been worn pretty tightly for a few months to the point that parts of it are embedded into his skin and is very painful in itself, but removing it would also be very painful for him.
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｢ YOU'RE NOT DEAD ｣
but you're not alive either
[div style="font-size:7pt;line-height:1.2;font-family:arial;color:black;letter-spacing:.12px;margin-top:-3px;margin-bottom:5px;"]INFO & AES | YOU'RE A GHOST WITH A BEATING HEART