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[This, ladies and gentlemen and anyone between or outside those definitions, is what you call a boyish grin. Septimus' green eyes gleam with light-hearted pride.

Someone is definitely far too pleased with himself.]

In the wake of the announcement about vouchers, I have a related one. [He holds up a stone, flat and about the size of his palm. Of course, he's six-four, it's quite respectable. It also has a faint tint, not quite a warm glow.] This is a firestone. Not too creatively named, I admit, but it does about what you'd expect: provides warmth.

It's not as hot or quite as pervasive as a fire--my people use the related coldstones to keep storage cool in summer, or these to keep plates warm for serving, simple things. But they ought to do just fine for smaller--and less intrusively smoky--sources of warmth. Piling a few may bolster the heat enough to let it radiate a little more, I haven't tested it.

[He feels a little bad for not thinking of the coldstone thing in summer, but those are also far more difficult to make. Firestones are fairly quick and easy.]

Anyone caring for the eggs found in Sinbrilee: if you have concerns about their well-being and want a way to provide them a little comfort, just let me know. I'll get you a few. The same offer goes to the clinics, though it may take a little more time.

It does take time and effort, including away from healing. Those I can provide. Everyone else [and here the grin turns mildly lopsided and chagrined, this whole working for a living still feels foreign after a lifetime of privilege] one or two juulan per.

[Okay he totally won't ask for it from kids or in extenuating circumstances, and probably reduce it if someone wants a lot. The offered variance is for individual discretion.]

I also have vouchers like the other clinics. As ever, come by WA-3A whenever you need to.

[[ooc: feel free to action here or handwave; if you want a log, he has a catch-all here.]]

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[Fingersteeple.gif. Of course, he does nothing so obvious when he's on camera, instead he just looks curious.]

That's quite the trick. Is there any sort of limit on how large a -- stone? You can create?

[Bruce has his fingers in the pies relative to most of the clinics, and he's interested in being able to heat them without the massive drains on the electrical systems it currently requires.]

[Septimus looks mildly disconcerted. For all that he's an improviser by nature, tradition is a powerful force.]

I'm not wholly certain. We've always used relatively small ones. The smaller ones are warmer, and large doesn't radiate any better--often worse. [Inverse law of surface area to usefulness, but he doesn't have that vocabulary.] Pouring more energy might do that job, but it would get dangerous volatile.

Multiple smaller ones work better for larger scale heating. Easier to distribute them evenly, too.

[Mental notes. Mental notes everywhere. Bruce, of course, dislikes all sorts of magic on principle alone, so this is nothing new.]

And no possibility of harm to those that touch it?

[The reply comes without hesitation and complete confidence in his control of furycrafting.]

None at all, unless it get broken.

[He gives Septimus a rather grave look.]

'Unless it gets broken'. Assuming our enemy here ascertains how to do that, how much danger would it put the clinics in to have these stones?

[Septimus raises an eyebrow, sardonic and bleak.]

Releasing forcibly contained fire? [Do the math.] Depends how much energy is in the stone. I can add some safeguards against it, but nothing's perfect.

[Mildly,]

No need to be condescending. Not everyone is familiar with your methods. I'm not sure that our enemy, be it what it may, needs another weapon near our most vulnerable. I believe safeguards would be welcome, but 'perfect' is exactly what we need in this case, I'm afraid.

[With a gesture of acknowledgment:] It was not intended as such.

[He restrains his reflexive irritation--barely. Septimus is self-aware enough to know his own arrogance is pricked by the attitude. But honestly, he'd only been stating what seems to him to be an obvious point.] Nothing is untouchable. Planning and power are no guarantee against sufficient determination.

[There is an unconscious trace of bitterness in Septimus' eyes and voice.] Obviously I'd welcome an in-depth discussion of extra precautions. But as far as I'm concerned not making this available is far unconscionable than the risk it entails.

[Septimus is utterly unconscious of it, but the resolve in his eyes and the certainty in his mind is exactly that of when he'd had closely related discussions with Sextus. Of course, it's aggravated by Bruce not being someone Septimus has any reason to defer to or respect.]

Edited 2013-11-13 05:03 (UTC)

Nothing is, as you say, untouchable. But 'planning and power', as well as precaution and foresight, deflect more trouble than they invite. I'm sorry, I believe your intentions are reasonable, but I don't think you've thought these matters through from the perspective of those you'd be placing in harm's way.

[Bruce doesn't often play politician, it's never been a hat he's enjoyed wearing, but that doesn't mean he doesn't know how to do it, albeit with the halfwit charm of his public persona. Meanwhile, he's deconstructing what he knows of Septimus in his mind.]

The kedan, for instance, who make up the majority of the clinic's patients, can grow fur, or change the density of their bodies to better preserve heat. They do not have the need you believe they do for your services. I can agree that a surgical theatre or a treatment room specific for humans would require better heating, but the native electricity serves well enough for that, with considerably less risk than what you propose.

[At this point, despite the mild facade there is no way Septimus will ever believe Bruce is an idiot in the sense of being unable to process capably. In the sense of being a hidebound, short-sighted jackass with faulty logic unable to consider anyone else's solutions, absolutely. But lacking the capacity to logic? He's seen too many politicians like that. At least Bruce is still polite, because it leaves Septimus with a semblance of control over his tongue and his temper. His emotional state leaves him more volatile than usual, and despite the irritation now quite visible, it isn't Septimus' anger switch that's activated.

In his mind, he hears his mother's firm voice layered with exasperation and concern as she tells him, 'Septimus, temper, please!' The tone at which, for her sake, he will rein in his temper, except very occasionally with his father. In his mind he sees his father's sharp glance, the silence order to bloody well shut up while in public; they will yell in private, but they will present a united front, especially against incompetents they both agree are idiots. However much it chafed to hold his tongue, at that look he kept his dissent to himself until later. ...Usually.

So his tone, his faint smile, and his arched eyebrow remain almost mild and unreadable, but for the barest hint of a hard edge.] I expect the enemy to be as capable of exploiting the attendant risks of electricity as of any other source of heat.

[The problem is that Bruce's attitude has triggered one particular emotional wound. In it he remembers Sextus, behind the closed door of his study away from view. He remembers his father dismissing ideas set before him, tone turning acidic after Septimus' own angry responses, the frustration at a refusal to consider any solution outside his own comfort zone--especially, in Septimus' highly skewed perspective, those of an overly-idealistic son. However, Bruce does not get the free pass bestowed by a lifetime of deep love and respect, no matter their differences.

Which is why green eyes now flash with resolve and barely restrained passion. The edge to his voice grows sharper and acidic. Batman is welcome to a new facet to deconstruct, because this is not Sep the cheerful and energetic healer of the post, nor Sep with the lightly sardonic attitude problem, nor the weary military veteran and ranking commander who has on rare occasions surfaced.

This is Gaius Septimus, Princeps of Alera, last scion of a thousand year dynasty during his lifetime. No one here makes him back down.]

I am aware of who constitutes my patients, as well as those of the other clinics ['because I run one of those clinics and am working on consolidating things into a hospital, you arrogant, inflexible, entitled jackass'] and their abilities to mitigate this particularly harsh winter.

I appreciate your lack of experience with the extent of my skills leaves you little basis for an informed comparison other than habitual prejudice. I will, of course, address any resident's questions they raise without reflexive dismissal. I have faith in their ability to choose a solution to their independent preference.

[Bruce merely smiles a little, brow wrinkled briefly in a congenial sort of confusion. When he speaks, his tone is the mild cadence of someone discussing the weather with an acquaintance over a particularly good cup of tea.]

I'm afraid you appear to be misunderstanding me. Whether or not the enemy can influence electricity is irrelevant, as it's a ubiquitous energy source throughout Keeliai. Every function of this society is dependent upon it, whereas what you are suggesting is the insertion of an invasive heat source the risks of which you seem to be entirely unwilling to divulge. That your reaction to perceived criticism is to retaliate with immediate and - quite frankly – uncalled for aspersions upon my character relative to my imagined prejudices is rather telling.

You are, to my knowledge, the only one with your particular skillset in Keeliai. Therefore in this instance, you hold all the cards, and we are at the mercy of your knowledge with no recourse should you leave suddenly as so many people do. You'll forgive me for lacking the innate ability to make rash decisions regarding the safety of my people here, and for failing to trust the word of a man who expresses himself through egotism and sweeping assumptions rather than any action that might assuage reasonable suspicion, but nothing you've said or done has inspired confidence. For all we know, you could work for the creature we're here to fight, and this could be a play at taking our most vulnerable hostage. This isn't about you, or your pride. It's about keeping people safe, a point I feel very strongly we should be able to agree on.

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