open + closed | mistakes have been made

[thereneverwas]

WHO: Barrow + you
WHAT: catch-all
WHEN: the general Firstfall/Haring vicinity
WHERE: around the Gallows
NOTES: lots of Templar-relevant navelgazing. starters in comments, holler if you'd like one

Comments

[thereneverwas]

"Oho," Barrow intones, but doesn't immediately leap to take her up on it, even if he probably should. He doesn't like the look in her eye.

But,

"do you have a needle and thread?" Where would one even find such a thing.

[laruetheday]

"Well," Clarisse hedges, "not on me, but I do embroidering sometimes, so I have the stuff back in my room."

The needle isn't surgical grade or anything, but beggars can't be choosers, right?

"Come on, I used to stitch Ellie up all the time." Once or twice.

[thereneverwas]

"All right, all right," Barrow sighs, touching his face again and, finding it still bleeding, caves fully. He moves to follow her with a sigh, clapping his palm over the wound in the meantime, hoping to slow it down.

[laruetheday]

In Clarisse's room, she digs through her bottom drawer until she comes up with a spool of black thread (manly!) and a needle. Then, from her bag, a small bottle of water and a clean cloth.

"Have a seat." She pulls a chair away from the desk.

[thereneverwas]

He sits as instructed, eyes on the needle-- he's a big strong tough guy, obviously, but nobody likes the idea of a sharp object right in the face.

"You've, er," he says quietly, "you've done this before, yeah?"

[laruetheday]

"I have," which is true. She's stitched herself up some, Ellie a couple times. She's no surgeon, but she has a steady hand and she knows how to sew.

First things first, we don't want anyone getting infected here: she pulls out her rune lighter and sticks the tip of the needle into the flame until she's confident that it's good and clean.

[thereneverwas]

It's not like Barrow's never been patched up in the field before, but that doesn't mean a hot needle is any more attractive. He frowns at it, even if he doesn't object to its presence.

"Like a lot?"

[laruetheday]

"Like at least three times." Look, self-stitching isn't usually necessary when you have ambrosia or nectar on you. But she's helped make a ton of funeral shrouds!

"Don't be a baby," she adds as she threads the needle. "Ready?"

[thereneverwas]

"Not being a baby," Barrow grumbles, wincing at the question-- but he nods. Get it over with. He will be manly and silent and steadfast all the while, he decides at this moment, gritting his teeth.

[laruetheday]

"For your information, I've been told that my stitches are neat as fuck," Clarisse says with pride, and that's all the warning Barrow gets before she gets to work.

To be fair, though, she doesn't do a bad job. The stitches are neat, especially considering the needle she's using. And luckily for Barrow, he doesn't need too many of them. It only takes a minute and then Clarisse is clipping the thread and tying it off.

[thereneverwas]

"Well that's reassur-- ow," Barrow flinches at first, because how could he not, but Clarisse is hardly making a hack job of the operation. It's naturally still difficult to keep his face from twitching, but he tries his best, and it's over before he knows it.

"Look at you," he sighs, grudgingly impressed, "you ever help out in the infirmary?"

[laruetheday]

"Yep," Clarisse says, poking her tongue out in concentration while she finishes tying off the stitches. "I started doing that last year. I mostly focus on field medic stuff, for obvious reasons."

Like, look at her.

[thereneverwas]

"Right, 'course." Look at her.

"Well. Thank you." The work is finished, he hasn't died or gotten infected or started bleeding more heavily, so Barrow considers it well done.

"...so... take another crack at the ballista?" he offers, hopefully.