Stormchaser Roleplaying

The next several hours are a blur for Mathias. At some point they got back to the hideout. Jai muttered a curse or two over his broken invention before setting to work, Slane said something to him with a pat on his shoulder before heading off somewhere else, Crowley made some jocular excuse about seeing a friend before leaving while Kas slipped away quiet as a whisper, and Loo was... just gone. He was scarcely paying attention to any of it now. He shut himself in a booth that made for his bedroom, closed all the shutters, and curled up in the corner seat. It seemed as though, whenever he let his guard down, something horrifying would appear just in the corner of his eye. So now he couldn't let his guard down, and he certainly couldn't look at any of his companions' faces. Unable to focus on work, instead he ruminates on things. The overarching mystery of Scurlock, how he'd walked away from Stazia, and his relationships with this group. Before, when he had these episodes, he'd found it easier to banish them while he was with them. Particularly Loo. But that could just be her abilities at work. That would make the most sense. But regardless, now she was somehow trapped in the ghost field, and they would have to make do without her. Which meant... His thoughts are interrupted by another twisting tinge of pain through his skull. Either way, nothing would get solved with this newly opened wound. He peeks open a shutter. Things seemed quiet. He gets his coat back on and sets out without a word. Stalking through the shadowy streets, he seeks out some contacts Crowley had introduced him to some time ago, and eventually gets a lead on a decent doctor for his head wound. "Yeah, Erdene can set you right, mate. Word of warning though, you might come down with a case of 'jungle fever.' Eh?" The crass man's words and his subsequent laughter echoed in his mind as he neared the address. It had confused him, but spurred his curiosity. (edited)

The Severosi healer's place of business is situated in the Ease at the heart of Silkshore, just past the Bridge of Regret. The exterior of the two-story building is adorned with a weathered, yet welcoming, sign that reads 'Erdene's Remedies'. The façade is painted in warm, earthy tones and soft, warm light spills out onto the street. Just outside the entrance, a small stand displays bundles of dried herbs, potion bottles and small talismans. (edited)

Mathias's dour expression stands in stark contrast to the inviting entrance. He observes the little stand with an alchemists' eye, but keeps himself from dallying too long. Just get it over with. He approaches the door and knocks.

The door swings inwards with a creak. "One moment, please," calls a slender woman with dusky skin. She's bent over the broad back of another man unwrapping a poultice from beneath bandages. As the layers come off, they reveal a large, ornate tattoo. "Okay, Batu, the inflammation has gone down a lot, so now you need to let this get some air. Next time, find a place with clean needles." Clearing the dirty bandages away, the woman washes her hands and glances up at Mathias. Now stood up, she is noticeably taller than him. "Good evening. What can I do for you?"

The willowy alchemist steps inside and closes the door behind him. Is she not worried about leaving her door ajar, in this city? He opts not to bring it up and waits patiently (as patiently as he can in an unfamiliar environment) for her to finish with the other man. He respectfully averts his gaze while her back is turned. Upon seeing her particular hue of skin, not to mention her height, the talismans outside and the informant's remark make a bit more sense in his head. Severosi. It made no difference to him, as long as she knew about blunt force trauma. He inclines his head toward her to show the wound, parting his hair to reveal the stitches. "I-I was told you c-could help me with this? I have coin." (edited)

Erdene looks Mathias up and down, assessing him with a mix of curiosity and professionalism. The alchemist's presentation of his injury draws a calm nod from her. Once the transaction with the previous client is finished, they exchange a few final words before Erdene gives Mathias her full attention. Setting aside herbs, she motions for him to take a seat on a nearby stool. "Welcome. Sit, please," she invites, her voice carrying a soft Severosi lilt. "I see you've met the rougher side of this city. Let me take a look."

"Th-Thanks." He sits as asked. "Y-You seem to have a w-well established shop here. I-I'm surprised I had to do so much legwork to f-find it. W-Where did you study?"

Erdene gives Mathias an amused look. "With grandmama," she quips back with accented emphasis, peeling away the bandages around his head and dabbing at the dried blood with a clean cloth. "There's more to setting folks right than a book can teach you, boy."

"Hmph." That shuts Mathias up, for a moment, anyway. He'd learned everything he knew from books. And the rest... from her. "You're... a far cry from my last doctor." He finally says, after a pregnant pause, his blood-streaked eye flickering up at her.

"Oh?" Erdene replies, taking a step back and arching an eyebrow at Mathias, "and why aren't you there?"

"Why aren't you there?" Her words seem to echo in Mathias's ears. Shadows dance in the corners of his eyes. He shuts them for a moment, but an image appears as soon as he does. Of Stazia, in his arms, her eyes wide open with a dead woman's stare. Her lips move, letting out a tiny whisper. "Why weren't you here?" His eyes snap back open, and his hand goes to his wound as he lets out an anguished groan, pain running through it anew. "P-Please." He motions for her to continue.

Erdene sighs and sets about cleaning the wound. Once this is complete, she smears the injury with a pungent smelling salve. "This needs air," she tells the leech. "Let it breathe."

Smelling the salve, Mathias wrinkles his nose. Several responses, each more biting then the last, roll through his mind. My enemies will smell me coming. How am I supposed to let it breathe when I can't? But one look at the dusky beauty practically towering over him as he sat makes him reconsider. To say nothing of the effort she just expended. "R-R-Right. For how long?"

"Until it heals," Erdene explains. "It's well on its way, but you've kept it locked up so tight. It needs air to really heal over."

"Th-That would be the purpose of bandages, yes." He says without thinking, rolling his eyes. He bites his tongue a moment later and raises his hands defensively, realizing what he just said. "B-But if that's your m-methodology..." (edited)

Erdene remains silent after Mathias's quip and crosses her workspace to a table where she writes him a bill for her services. "Do you have any other troubles that need seeing to, mister... ?"

"Oh, M-Mathias." He blurts out. "Nothing else, thank you." He gets up too quickly, and nearly knocks over the stool. Idiot. You just gave away your name to a complete stranger. Yet he almost felt like he owed it to her, despite the lack of response. He struggles to regain his composure, now just hoping to get out of here before he either had another episode, or compromised their operation even further. (edited)

Erdene slides the piece of paper across the table to Mathias and crosses to a basin where she rinses the cloth that she used to clean the wound.

Mathias fishes out the required amount of silver scales, and places them on the table. "Th-Thanks," he repeats, before heading straight for the door.