[rubinaito]

Santiago tugged at his rope, curling his slim fingers around it and working at the knots. His face the entire time was calm, neutral despite his internal panic. He couldn't die- Aspen needed him, didn't she? Someone to help her when her brother was drunk, someone to protect her from the creep that was constantly hitting on her, someone... needed to be there for her. His own mortality didn't matter, because Aspen meant everything to him. Squirming ever so slightly, he managed to loosen one hand- now he could work a little quicker on the other.