Dossier Four

[fireintothesky.livejournal.com]

[Henrietta is, for a change of pace, in the coliseum! In one of the empty lion pens off of the coliseum floor, as a matter of fact, practicing her violin in time with a recording of someone playing a piano.

She has a black eye and, half-hidden under her hair, a handspan bruise on the side of her neck. Otherwise, she looks entirely composed.]

Comments

[fireintothesky.livejournal.com]

Nothing, signore.

[ghostlighter]

Oh yeah? Then why are you suddenly back to 'signore'? ... I thought you stopped.

[fireintothesky.livejournal.com]

[dfhdkjfhskuer] I...

It's really okay, signore. I just made a mistake.

[ghostlighter]

[Kneels down, so he can take a look at her face without touching.] What happened?

[fireintothesky.livejournal.com]

[Looking at the ground.] N...nothing, signore. It's fine. People here would act strange if I told.

[ghostlighter]

Then it's definitely not 'nothing'.

[fireintothesky.livejournal.com]

[Cradles her violin] It... It's really nothing important. Signore Jean heard me call Signore Jose... just... Jose. I made a mistake, th... that's all.

[ghostlighter]

... He hit you?

[fireintothesky.livejournal.com]

[Runs her fingers along the strings.] ...I knew people here would be strange about it.

[ghostlighter]

Why did he hit you?

[fireintothesky.livejournal.com]

Because I wasn't respectful to Signore Jose.

[ghostlighter]

... Because you stopped using 'signore'. [Quiet for a minute, then he shakes his head.] That doesn't mean you have to start using it again with me. I'm not going to hurt you for it.

[fireintothesky.livejournal.com]

B...but...

[ghostlighter]

But...?

[fireintothesky.livejournal.com]

Signore Jean ordered me to use it, Signore Chris.

[ghostlighter]

You don't use it with friends back home, do you?

[fireintothesky.livejournal.com]

But they're like me. So it doesn't matter.

[ghostlighter]

Well... I'm not like anyone else, so would that count?

[fireintothesky.livejournal.com]

[Considers this for a minute] I... guess maybe it would.

[ghostlighter]

Right. So... you don't have to use it with me.

[fireintothesky.livejournal.com]

Yes, si... [Pause. It takes a little more effort to make herself say it this time.] Chris.

[ghostlighter]

[Gives her a smile, but then, very carefully, brushes some of the hair out of her eyes to get a better look at the bruise.] ... Does it hurt?

[fireintothesky.livejournal.com]

It's all right really. When we get hurt, the pain goes away really fast. It comes back after a while, but it's not bad.

[ghostlighter]

Like... a delayed reaction?

[fireintothesky.livejournal.com]

We're designed so that our pain receptors shut down when they hit a certain level, I think. But it comes back when our adrenaline drops so we know where we were damaged.