[ Their smile doesn't falter at the obvious disapproval. Compared to certain other resting bitchfaces they know, it barely rates; even less then that when their survival (their not-survival? but they already-) rests on not reacting.
Until the stranger goes and tries to help, that is, and what should be soothing instead feels like ice flooding their veins. There's a wince, no matter how well they immediately try to hide it. The world tilts a bit at the sensation. Why are they woozy, now...? ]
Am I? I hadn't- hadn't noticed. [ Liar. It's hard not to notice, when their now-freed hand twitches up to grip the bloodstained part of their jacket. ] It's... it's nothing, really, you don't have to waste your...
[ Magic. Their tongue trips on the word.
There's resistance; like something in the maybe-wound is fighting the very idea of being healed, despite his best efforts and whatever forces patched them up even this much before they awoke. But it's enough to shake them out of the denial loop for now, latching onto a new line of thinking- if the wound is real, surely this would help? It's "magic", but so was that person rescuing them in the first place.
someone's gotta!! be the dad that stepped up today!!
Until the stranger goes and tries to help, that is, and what should be soothing instead feels like ice flooding their veins. There's a wince, no matter how well they immediately try to hide it. The world tilts a bit at the sensation. Why are they woozy, now...? ]
Am I? I hadn't- hadn't noticed. [ Liar. It's hard not to notice, when their now-freed hand twitches up to grip the bloodstained part of their jacket. ] It's... it's nothing, really, you don't have to waste your...
[ Magic. Their tongue trips on the word.
There's resistance; like something in the maybe-wound is fighting the very idea of being healed, despite his best efforts and whatever forces patched them up even this much before they awoke. But it's enough to shake them out of the denial loop for now, latching onto a new line of thinking- if the wound is real, surely this would help? It's "magic", but so was that person rescuing them in the first place.
Slowly, too slowly, the bleeding begins to ebb. ]