Poppy became very still as he played, her eyes watching as if trying to memorize the movements. She cocked her head, her brow furrowed, and for one quick moment she looked hopelessly sad, a rather foreign expression on her normally joyful face. She seemed to back out of it quickly though, and she looked up at him with a half-smile. "You seem to like the fast pieces," she said casually. "Have you ever done 'Petit Chien?'"
He stopped playing. "You noticed? I find them much more challenging than slower ones. As for 'Petit Chien' I did that for a recital in the 5th grade, but it has slipped my mind now."
She leaned in slightly and ran her fingers lightly along the edge of the piano, her head resting on her palm. "Hm, I'm not sure I can relate to that," she said thoughtfully, wiping away a smudge of dust. "Slower pieces take a lot more effort for me. Getting lots of notes into a single measure is simple with enough practice. Appreciating the full value of a note without it tapering or trembling though.." She flashed him a quick smile. "That's a little more difficult."
He raised an eyebrow. "Well if I really want to play it nicely instead of for fun, then you're right." Spoiler: So edgy Or 'sketchy'? I actually kind of like this sketch because it shows the side of Francis we don't see most of the time.
(STUFFY MCPATCH HOLY HECK. THAT'S INCREDIBLE AND A LITTLE BIT TERRIFYING. I really get what you mean about it being a side of Francis we don't really see most of the time. I wonder if we'll be exposed to it more as they get more missions...) "I generally am," she said with a teasing grin. "Right, I mean." She shrugged and straightened up, inhaling as she did so. Her watch beeped, and she checked it, frowning. "Lunch is in half an hour. That went by quickly."
(Oh jeez thank you so much! As for seeing that side of him: he probably tries not to do the bad around his friends, for fear that they will run away, but I'm sure it will happen eventually!) He stood up, shutting the case. "I agree. I guess time really does fly."
(Aw, Poppy is his friend?) Poppy stood, stretching slightly. "I'd love to hear you play more later," she said, blowing away some dust from the strings. She gave him a goading smile. "Unless, of course, you have some other special skills that I don't know about. Kazoo, perhaps?"
(Haha, she is now) "I know how to play plenty, and kazoo is a basic." He grinned slightly. "So, I would think I play a killer kazoo."
"How cocky," she said as they walked out of the library. She glanced at the bruise on his face for a moment and frowned. "You know," she said hesitantly. "Phos said that he was developing an 'anti-bruise' lotion. We might be able to go check it out if you wanted."
A strange look came over face, but she shrugged and it passed. "Don't be such a baby," she said. She lifted up her arm, revealing her bruises from her time in the woods. "I'll go first, if it makes you feel better."
She chuckled, leading him to the laboratory. "God forbid," she said as they entered the room. "We'd all wither away if we didn't have that to look at everyday." The lab was buzzing with activity. Phos was carefully administering drops of a purple liquid into a beaker that contained what looked like liquid gold. The instant the droplets hit the gold, the whole thing began to fizz until smoke began to burst out. Phos raised his fist in victory, grinning from ear to ear.
She hesitated, tucking a curl behind her ear. "Experimental medicine... makes me uncomfortable, I'll admit. Phos says this is pretty much airtight, though. The worst thing it will do is give you a rash. At best, your bruise should disappear within ten minutes."
"That's why I'm going first," she said, sounding braver than she felt. She walked up to the table and grinned at Phos. "Poppy! Good to see you," he said, scribbling down notes. "And Mr. Craw, good to see you as well. Can I help you with something?" "We were hoping we could try your anti-bruise lotion?" she said. Phos gave her a peculiar look, his head cocked in surprise. "Are you sure?" he asked, addressing it to only her. Poppy, her brow drawn, nodded quickly. "As you can see," she said, gesturing to Francis, "His bruise covers a more delicate area than mine, so I'll be going first." He stared at her for a moment before grinning. "Excellent! I've been looking for someone to test this on. It's worked for me so far, but I don't know if it will translate to others." He reached below the table and pulled out a small container of a grey lotion. Poppy took a quick breath and turned her arm so that it was facing him. With one finger, he applied it to the bruise. Poppy laughed slightly. "It's cold," she said, raising an eyebrow at Phos. "That means it's working," he replied before turning to Francis. "Do you want me to apply it now, or do you want to wait to see how her's works out?"
Poppy's watch beeped again, and she glanced at it. "Oh, damn. I'm sorry, I have to take this. I'll be right back." She pointed a finger in Phos' face. "No digging." He maintained a look of pure innocence. "Me? I don't know what you are referring to." She turned to Francis. "Don't be afraid to tell him to quit it if he tries." She quickly left the room, standing just outside the doorway and speaking into her wristwatch with somebody. "I've been wanting to get her to test my chemicals for two years," Phos said thoughtfully. "You must be a good influence."
"I think it's because she has bruises, and not my influence," he said thoughtfully, gazing at the surrounding area.
