Lola put her bottom lip out as she heard. “I’d heard.” She sighed. “I could tell from your wish, even your family, your... temporary family, anyway... they can’t be true friends, true people you can love and that love you. I could take that from your wish, and how you wished. It was like this was the only thing you could hope for, even though you really didn’t expect anything to happen.” She put her hand up, biting back the sadness she felt pressing behind her eyes.

“I won’t harm them, and I won’t let them know I’m here.” She said at last. “To them, I don’t exist. Only you can see me. But if they hurt you too much, I don’t want to stand for it. I’ll make them feel ill if that happens.” Indeed, she could do so much more. She wasn’t just a harmless little deity that could befriend and change emotions, help those in need. She could be bad if she needed to, but Lola preferred not to do such things. Not unless her friend were harmed. She nodded, then took up his hand again. “C’mon, I know how to be careful. I don’t want you in trouble for being outside so late, though! That’d be bad.”

It had been years since she’d been someone’s friend. A lot of years. Back then, having an imaginary friend as a child was smiled upon, and by her estimate, it still was. For most children. She hoped no one would find young Damien odd or try to ‘correct’ him.