[visual / location: don's apartment] (way backdated)

[verylittlesugar]

It's been a couple days since the attack and her phone call to Don, and Mattie's feeling better physically, but still a little wrung out emotionally. Mostly that manifests in being very quiet and trying convince Don to let her cook meals for him, and a noticeable absence of tiny sternfaces. There's a lot on her mind, however, and one or two

Comments

[Video]

[painsinger]

Those weren't exactly questions that he was entirely qualified to answer, but that bandage was new and in an unfortunate place. He might not have been here all that long, but he was still more than a little concerned. It was far too easy to bleed out from a wound in that particular area. She seemed to have avoided that, but. He could still worry, even if he didn't know her that well.

After a few moments, he finally managed to wrestle the tablet into doing what he wanted.

"Are you alright?"

[Video]

[verylittlesugar]

Mattie remembers the young man from the arrival room, and wonders if anyone has warned him that there are demons about the city.

"I...do not know just yet. But I shall hope so, because I intend to go home soon and I do think being turned into a monster will be any use to me at all."

Her reply is perhaps a bit aggressively defensive, but maybe she can be forgiven, considering.

[Visual] Ahahahahaha wrong game >>;;; Taxon = Visual, self

[painsinger]

Stefen is more than a little used to gruffness, and he simply ignores the tone, instead addressing the words. Diplomatic, as he had been trained to be. Bards simply couldn't afford to let anyone know just what their opinions of people were.

"Probably not, no. I'm just a little..." Worried sounded a little too unbelievable. "Never mind. Does it hurt at all?"

[Visual] no worries! <3

[verylittlesugar]

Mattie settles down a bit at Stefen's response, even feeling a little sorry for snapping at him.

"Less than it did, I believe it is healing. It is...a painful location to be bitten, I think."

[Visual] Tagging in too many places >>;;; I WILL BE BETTER IN THE FUTURE.

[painsinger]

At least this wasn't going to escalate into a shouting match. That wouldn't have helped anyone.

"I...might be able to help for a while, if it hurts. If you want me to."

[Visual]

[verylittlesugar]

"How? Are you a physician?" Mattie wouldn't mind being able to rest and maybe read a little without the constant ache in her throat.

[Visual]

[painsinger]

He had to pause for a moment to consider his answer before he finally just settled on the truth. She'd find out eventually, anyway--it wasn't as if he was going to turn up with a Healer's kit.

"No. I'm a Bard. But I promise you don't have to do anything but listen to a little music."

[Visual]

[verylittlesugar]

Well it's not as though Mattie has an aversion to music, and it would be nice to hear some (it's been a while), although she's not sure how that's supposed to help with her wound. But she's a little too tired out to argue much.

"Do you mean like a poet?" The use of the word in Mattie's vocabulary has been pretty limited, but she has a vague sense it's connected to very old-fashioned poetry.

[Visual]

[painsinger]

"Poetry is part of it yes. I've written a few songs--" okay more than a few-- "but it's mostly about performance." And he could do things with music that would have been a little more believable had he been back at Haven where he belonged.

"I think it could help, if you're willing to try it. It's up to you, though. Aside from being illegal, I don't want to force any of my Gifts on you if you don't want."

[Visual]

[verylittlesugar]

That doesn't really help Mattie figure out how it's going to help her, but she feels confident it won't hurt her, and honestly more than anything she appreciates that someone wants to try. So she nods at Stefen.

"Yes, I would like for you to try, please."

[Visual]

[painsinger]

Saying that he is so confident that it would even work would have been lying, but he can't really see why it shouldn't, and a little music never hurt anyone. If nothing else, it would at least be relaxing.

"Where are you? I'll get there as soon as I can."

[visual]

[selfmadman]

"I'm sorry, that isn't possible," a man--older, hair slicked back, the set of his mouth grim--interrupts, polite but firm. The boy looks and sounds harmless--if delusional--but now is not the time to be taking chances.

"We're not entertaining visitors. You can understand why."

[visual]

[painsinger]

While it was confusing, there wasn't much that he could do to the contrary. He couldn't begrduge the girl for her guardian or him for doing his job. For all he knew, they were related and he'd never be upset with anyone for having people care about them. Not when his closest family was...well, nowhere.

"No, actually, I don't. It's only music and as far as I know it's never killed anyone."

[visual]

[selfmadman]

Don's gaze slides to Mattie then back to the tablet; his voice dips into a lower register. "You know what's under that bandage?" he says, raising his eyebrows. "A reminder of the last time she trusted a stranger."

[visual]

[painsinger]

This was all very strange. He was so used to being back home, where a Bard came from the Palace and the Palace could always be trusted. Just for the fact that he was in uniform, he should have been able to go anywhere.

But that thought suddenly struck him as especially naive, and he shook his head.

"I guess that's what I get for trying to help people.

You can be there if you're so concerned."

[visual]

[verylittlesugar]

"Stefen, I apologize for Mr. Draper, he is a very suspicious person." She's clearly scowling at someone off-camera. "I will meet you outside the door, if he will not allow you inside."

Of course there's no way she can know if it's safe to trust him, but Mattie isn't about to live the rest of her life afraid of every new face she sees.