IT'S EASY TO FAKE A SMILE // capture

[FRAGGLEROCK.]

Where... was he? Why did his side hurt so much? And... and why was there so much yelling? Fraggle's ears were pinned down to his skull as he finally awoke, blinking tired and confused blue eyes as he looked around him. It took him a moment to remember what was going on, the memory of Dante's claws against his skin still far too fresh. The presence of the male that had captured him caused Frag to shrink back, shaking faintly as he finally spoke up, "Don't... don't hurt me more, please. I didn't mean to trespass. I was just trying to explore..." He had just been trying to figure himself out, but that goal was very much faded from his mind at this point. Now, all he wanted to do was remain alive, and return to his home. Thankfully, it didn't seem as though the other members of The Pitt were on board with what Dante had done. In fact, they seemed rather pissed about Fraggle's capture. That was certainly a relief, although it did little to make the cub trust them beyond a very small amount – he wasn't an idiot, he knew they could just be pretending to care.

As the boy struggled to remain upright, his aura seemed to fluctuate and shift, reflecting the inner turmoil and worry that was going on inside. The ever-present watchful spirit of Aurum remained nearby, translucent and drenched in red. The manifestation of Fraggle's locked away memories was silent as always, and didn't even seem all that aggravated to be within The Pitt. Rather, the spirit was merely looking around, a vaguely amused look on it's spectral face as it watched Dante's groupmates judge him harshly. The approach of Sweeney finally seemed to stir the spirit, however, the much larger lion looking up with interest and curiosity. His gaze almost seemed to light up with happiness and recognition at the sight of Sweeney, although he still said nothing. Instead, he merely flicked his tail on her direction, remaining watchful and protective as always. He knew that any Pittian with clairvoyance would be able to see him, but he wasn't too worried about that – Fraggle was still young, and didn't even have any of his old memories yet. There was no reason for the boy to be treated in a hostile manner due to the spirit's presence.

Usually, Aurum's presence would signal Fraggle being ready to use his elementals. That wasn't the case this time, however. Instead, the boy merely seemed scared and alone, curling his tail close to his body as he muttered, "I just wanna go home... don't even know anything." He then glanced down at his side, inspecting the still bleeding wound that was there as he spoke once more, "My... my side hurts..." The prospect of healing and rest was a tempting one, although Fraggle had to admit his mind was racing. What if they were all lying to him, and they planned to go along with what Dante had suggested? Staying and healing would be beneficial, but what if others from The Golden Eye came? He didn't want a fight to break out, but he also just wanted to be able to go home... he didn't know what to do. He shook slightly as he crouched down close to the earth beneath him, his paws over his head as he shook and rambled, "Hurts too much... can't go back yet. Please..." He knew he wasn't making all that much concrete sense, but he couldn't help it. He was panicking, and that was beginning to show.

☆ — what of the meek, the mourning, and the merciful?