tushanshu_logs | March catch-all [open]

Rapunzel had been helping out as much as she could at the hospital as well, in between shifts at the welcome center and running the clothing shop, that is. She was almost positive that if it weren't for her hair's power to rejuvenate her, she'd be running exhausted by now.

She usually did more work at the hospital in the afternoons but she knew that Septimus had been keeping a lot of night hours. She found him in the staff lounge, and brought a small picnic basket with her. "Ah, there you are!" she said with a relieved sigh.

The sound of her voice is a welcome one, and he looks up with a smile. "Hello, Rapunzel," he says warmly. He doesn't see quite as much of her as he'd like, but he knows it's better for everyone's general health if he takes the graveyard shift. So this is indeed a nice surprise.

Still, while he can run at high strength for longer between meals... crafting takes energy, and he's six-four. He eyes that basket. "Tell me that's food." If there's meat, even better.

"It is!"

Rapunzel gladly hands over the basket as she steps closer. Inside he'll find some homemade bread, cheese, and beef stew in a covered bowl, as well as a thermos coffee.

"I thought you might need something to keep you going through the night. I know you've been working extra hard lately."

"I appreciate it," he admits as he looks in. His face brightens even more at the contents; this is just his kind of on-the-go meal. "I've gone much longer without sleep," and in far worse conditions, "but it's not always ideal."

And the downside to metalcrafting away any side effects: he might not notice when something's going seriously wrong.

After taking a long drink of coffee, he eyes her. "I'm not the only one," he notes.

"Still," Rapunzel said seriously. "It's important to keep your energy up so that you don't make any mistakes."

She was speaking to him, and if she was being honest, to herself as well. She didn't want anyone to suffer more from some silly mistake.

"I've been getting rest when I can....and my hair helps," she admits.

He nods, lips thinning. Honestly, he's rather worried about that himself; he has huge reserves of raw power, and training, but he's a little tentative about doing delicate work because of it. (Then again, 'delicate work' is things like restoring eyes that have been slashed; not necessarily something anyone would expect.)

He looks curious for a moment--her hair is much more powerful than any watercrafting he's known--before thoughtfully setting the thermos down.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that. Bianca, Dr. McCoy, and I have been discussing some of the changes that have been happening."

Rapunzel settled down into a seat, her hands wrung together in her lap. She looked at Septimus with a worried expression. Had she done something wrong? She couldn't begin to guess what kind of things they might have been talking about.

"Yes? What is it?

Oh, for crying out loud. Septimus notes yet again that there is someone in Rapunzel's past he would very much like to pick up and toss against a wall for doing this to her ego. Not even Alia was this jumpy.

Still, he doesn't want to tell her not to worry, because she should. And he doesn't want to tell her it will be all right, because it might not. "You haven't done anything wrong," he assures her. "There were a lot of injuries in the Kithika incident, and more incidents coming back lately. The three of us have been talking about how to handle it."

Listening carefully, Rapunzel nodded. She knew that things had been bad since Kithika and she'd been struggling about how she could help more. She'd told Evandau about her power to heal but he didn't seem to take kindly to her wanting to keep it a secret. She was beginning to wonder if it was really worth keeping it from people now.

"And did you decide anything?" she asked.

Evandau wouldn't be, and Septimus would guess what his reaction was if he knew she'd told him. He has a certain amount of experience with short-tempered emperors who like to have as much information as possible about everything and everyone. Still, that is not the topic of conversation, and he nods soberly.

"We're going to pool for a more select group of volunteers among those already at the clinic--and, possibly, those who aren't--to get some extra training in field work. From there, we'll have a duty roster of field-medic-on-call, so that anyone going out into extra danger can take a medic with them if they think it might get bad." Frankly, if he had his way he'd know when every single bloody group went out and force them to take someone competent along--

But he is not the local military commander or ruler. It's a bit frustrating.

Rapunzel gulped. She knew how dangerous it could be going out when there was fighting. The thought of going along was terrifying...but she had promised to help people. How could she horde the gift she'd been given when so many people could be wounded and in pain.

Eugene wouldn't like it. None of her friends would. But she had to try.

"If you want me to...I'd like to train."

Septimus gives her a sidelong, wry look. Plus, she did say 'if he wanted her to.' Still, in that moment she reminds him of little Alia, the sister-in-law who never quite stopped being in awe of him despite his best efforts. Internally he swears to do right by this girl as he didn't get to for his sister, and offers her a gentle smile.

"And if I said I'd rather you didn't, would you still want to?" He shakes his head. "Frankly, I don't, for any number of reasons, not least of which is wanting to spare you from it as long as possible." For a moment he glances away, expression distinctly pained, before it clears.

Quickly, he adds, "Not that I doubt your courage, or determination. But it isn't for everyone." Septimus sighs. "But your talent is also-- if it worked quickly enough, it could be excellent in the field, but an active mission is very different from self-defense in a tight situation. I'd rather you were safe here. That isn't why I brought it up."

Her gut reaction was to say she'd still want to go. It was hard holding back when she knew how much she could help people. She held back though. If she wanted to, she could always change her mind.

"If that isn't the reason...then why did you bring it up?"

"Because I am a soldier," he says simply and directly.

He's never really discussed it with her, but things are getting rather more serious. "However much I may be enjoying this work, and however much I can do with raw power and training I did receive, I've a lot more experience setting things on fire than healing burns. It means when we put up that duty roster, I'll be on it.

So," and his voice turns gentle again, "there may be a time when someone needs your help and I'm not there to help hide you were involved." Also because there's a chance he might disappear from the turtle altogether, but he prefers not to bring up that particular possibility just now.

Rapunzel thought that she might cry. Just thinking of Septimus going off into danger caused her heart to clench in her chest and her eyes to sting with the beginnings of tears. She didn't want any of her friends to be involved in this war, but she knew it was inevitable and that when it did happen they'd need her to be strong.

She gulped, fighting back the tears, and nodded. "I know," she said quietly. "If it comes to that...I'll do what I have to. I'll help the people who are hurting not matter what."

"I know you will."

Simple, direct, confident, gentle. He can feel how scared she is of it. But that strength, no matter the fear, it's so familiar and makes him hurt more than a little inside. He's felt it so many times, from Alia, from young legionares who had never seen battle--from seasoned ones, who knew better than to assume the feeling ever went away.

"You remind me of someone." It comes out without really being intentional, and he decides to move on. Certain aspects of his past he is not ready to discuss. "The one other thing: you should start thinking about who to trust on the staff to know to call you in emergencies." He holds up a hand. "It doesn't have to be now, and you don't have to clear it with me. It's your call." He hates to have to put all this on her, but this is turning into a proper war. That means thinking about these things, no matter how much it hurts.

More than anything Rapunzel wanted to ask who he had been thinking of. For a while now Rapunzel had thought he was hiding things about his past, but she never suspected anything bad. Something that hurt perhaps, so she didn't probe further.

"Are there people you would suggest?" she asked instead. "I trust your judgement."

Nothing bad, in that he's always been textbook Lawful Good in the extreme. But explain that he was murdered during a battle? No. Not a burden he wants to put on her.

He tilts his head at her, a little quizzically. "Certainly Bianca and McCoy--he's not as frightening as he might seem," Septimus interrupts himself, because McCoy can seem a little much, he suspects. "But I trust your judgment as well. If you're worried, ask me--but this is your life and choice. I think you're more than able to do this." He gives her a faint smile.

She nods and returns his smile. It still warmed her heart to have so many people tell her that they trust her. People thought she was capable of so much and she didn't ever want to let them down.

"I'll think about it," she told him. "Decide who I think it would be best to tell."

"Good." She's growing up, he can tell that, and he's incredibly proud of her for it. She deserves to know all of why so she can tell you to stop having associations quite possibly unfair to her, a part of him points out.

"When you do, would you tell me?" he asks instead. "You don't have to, but I would appreciate it."

"I will," she agreed easily. Septimus had been there for her almost from the start and she always wanted to be honest with him. "I promise."

March catch-all [open]

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