Senecio and Tide

[Mirach]

"I see..." Senecio yawned. "Let's wait a bit longer then..."

---

"He told me about the dangerous mechanisms here. And he does notice that you are in pain. I also know a bit about your former master, so... I wasn't told directly, but I can assume some things... recognize some patterns, from those faded scars I once had," Svarik said gently. 

[VisAnastasis]

" You can sleep. " Hans reassured him quietly. " We both need it, after removing the bracelets. Let's just see where the luck takes us. If I remain awake long enough to send a message through Janus, good. If we both fall asleep, it's fine enough too... I may have higher chances to stay awake longer because I am thirsty, so you should sleep... "

---

That more seemed like something children could trust - not from the mouth of some random healer, but from someone that claims to know their pain. Emmet was the quickest to understand the implication, and while unsure, some hesitant compassion coloured his look. He glanced at his younger colleagues and sighed a little, though - despite what Svarik claimed, not willing to let them be guinea pigs to some stranger before he is sure his claims are true.

" I guess... If we refuse you, we would only worry him more, and it would be too awkward," he said, a little hoarsely, although it was mostly an exclude. Instead of refusing, he offered him something else, that seemed a test more than anything, to see how he acts. " I don't really think you can do much for me for the most parts - but you were told about dangerous mechanisms. I guess you should see my hand, at least, before you get too hopeful of helping... "
The other two seemed stunned and unsure about that.
" But you have when people see your hand. " they protested. " You don't have to, he said he can't heal old wounds...  "
" Well, if he can't stand to see as much, we'll just know he can't stand to see much more, right? Besides, there are more important things than that. " he only told them quietly, hiding his discomfort. " We should first see if he really is a healer, with a stomach of a healer, or if he is just a creep that just gets turned on by the idea of pain. No offence, but we have met too many people claiming to be well-meaning at first, before asking for more for it... One day it's okay you don't have money to pay, it's enough for a healer to know kid is getting medicine he needs, the other, the healer needs a blowjob, the third day, he needs more... " he gazed back at Svarik, watching him with as much bravery as a lame kid with a ba hand in presence of strong adult could muster. " But I do hope I'll see a decent reaction from you. Otherwise, I'm not letting you touch the kids... "

[Mirach]

"Don't wait too long," Senecio murmured, curling against him. "You need to drink if you are to feel better tomorrow..."

----

Svarik did not move, but his eyes get darker with anger. "Healers?" he asked, in a dangerous tone that felt a bit strange to hear from him. "Tell me which ones."

[VisAnastasis]

" Are you kidding? That guy Svarik k regrew, like, third of my tail. I am better none the less. " He caressed Senecio's hand lightly with his thumb." Rest up.... You have an important play tomorrow, while I will mostly just watch. You've earned enough Hans points to rest up all you want, my sweets... "

---

" No." Emmet tensed up, looking suddenly afraid, subconsciously putting his hand before the kids, drawing attention to himself." It was an exchange we accepted. It was our choice. What do you think, that we could afford much more than food, with apprentice pay? You think we even had enough food some days? " He asked his voice a little too high pitched with dread." We did what we had to, but we will have more money now, so we don't have to do that right now, so just don't ask for it and don't make a big deal of it, alright?"

[Mirach]

"I wouldn't trust you to call him to get you a drink, but you also want to send the message, so I think I trust you with that," Senecio smiled slightly, allowing himself to drift to sleep.

---

"A healer," Svarik intoned. "A healer is supposed to get paid from those who can afford it and help those who can't. Asking for such payment is not acceptable. And I would like to know who did that, because chances are that they still are doing that. You said some healers would pity you but not enough to report anything. Well, I'm not going to keep quiet if someone is using the need of other like that. A healer, nonetheless. That's like a personal offense. He's making all of us look bad..."

[VisAnastasis]

Hans watched after him gently, allowing himself to look after him as he was drifting asleep. He held on as long as he could, before he called Janus. It was right around time he was with Conrad, so he excuses himself for the moment. He gladly gave him plenty of water, and when Hans explained about the message, he was surprised and overjoyed, thanking him over and over as he handed him pen and paper.

---

" Yes, I said that, but there is a reason they don't report. You are going to get into trouble. Some of them are wealthy, and they will hate you. They may revoke your license...  They may even sure you for slander.. or worse. " Boy stuttered, as he seemed suddenly worried, but something other Svarik said seemed to struck the nerve deeply and make him indecisive." I... Don't know if it's still happening with anyone else." He admitted, sounding a little lost." I guess when people know you are... Used to things like that.. it's easy to bring yourself to ask for that..."

[Mirach]

Senecio did not wake with it.

---

"First, they can't do anything like that to me. However high their position is, I dare to say I have a better standing in the court. And second, that is no excuse. It just proves that they are willing to take advantage of such offer, which no healer - and no decent person, since we are talking about it - should do."

[VisAnastasis]

Janus took the paper, and he bid Conrad to deliver it to Sage tonight as it was important.
Finally with that, Hans relaxed, and weariness crushed upon him, and as soon as he curled beside actor, he fell asleep.

--

Kids looked between themselves, and youngest whispered something quietly to Emmet's ear. Lad nodded and turned back to Svarik.
" If you really stand well with the council... We... May tell you the names. But only if you promise us you won't tell anyone that you found it from us, and that you won't push it if you see it gets you in trouble." He whispered finally." We don't want to regret telling you. "
" And don't tell mister Janus..." Youngest one added quietly." We don't want him... To have more things to worry about. He is tense enough when he has to go to the baker's. We don't want him to get scared with healers, too..."

[Mirach]

"I see... But I get now why *you* don't like healers. But I hope you won't have to be anymore... I promise I'll not tell Janus, and I'll not tell anyone else that I know it from you. I really don't think I'll get into trouble though. You saw Conrad, didn't you? He is protecting me..."

[VisAnastasis]

" Yes... He showed us how he hides his daggers. He looks protectful. " Youngest one nodded thoughtfully, it being enough for him to connect those facts to seem more confident, and the middle one nodded slowly too. Emmet just smiled faintly at the statement, not wanting to take away their certainty in Svarik's safety - he was the eldest, and he felt he had to bear the weight of that worry on his own.
" If it's so, then I guess it's alright... Just the names, nothing else... " he whispered, and slowly, after a pause of hesitance, he listed five names. " It didn't use to be too bad at first... We'd just learn to avoid their shifts. But two of them are higher-ups, and the other three are their relatives. " he explained, clearing his throat, before adding quietly, avoiding Svarik's look. " When we'd come... without Guliermo... they would order other healers to always call for some of them. I don't know if anyone knows. They always put it like taking special care we are okay, and we didn't want the fuss, so we went along with the act... It... " he was unsure, before murmuring. " It would be worse if Guliermo would know when we'd go the healing quarters without his permissions, so... we made do... "

[Mirach]

"Thank you for telling me," Svarik smiled gently. "Now that that is out of the way, maybe you could show me that hand, if you feel like it? Janus said he wanted to make you a mechanical one..."

[VisAnastasis]

As Senecio advised Janus not to discuss it before he gains the boy's trust, Janus still didn't speak to him about it, and so, with that statement, Emmet's composure broke, and there was no reservation in his dumb-founded, confused expression.
" A... mechanical hand? " he asked, his eyebrows raised unsurely. " You must be mistaken. I mean... He did ask to see it at the start, and he did look rather angry when I showed him how it got like that, but I just took it as a general dislike of complex mechanisms here... He... never said that... "

[Mirach]

"Oh dear... I assumed you knew. He didn't say that you don't..." Svarik said. "I'm really sorry for... spoiling a surprise, I guess? I'm not quite sure why he didn't speak to you about it. Maybe he didn't think you would trust him enough to accept it? Yes, I think that's most likely. I apologize. I thought he wanted me to see it and discuss how the mechanical part is going to be attached..."

[VisAnastasis]

It was a lot to take in all of a sudden, on top of emotional toll of previous admission, and it was a lot for someone in that subservient position.
" I... don't know how it could possibly be attached. " was first thing his mind conflicted, was able to put together. " I am missing two fingers, and I mean, I've seen people wearing fake limbs, and they aren't much functional. It seems better to have at least three funcitional fingers than something like that. " he murmured tensely, not being able to gather his thoughts as they conflicted with everything he knew. " You said mechanical *hand*, not mechanical fingers. He doesn't... really want to cut of my hand... does he? "

[Mirach]

Svarik scratched his head, a bit at a loss. "Well, I actually imagined some sort of glove, connecting to the two mechanical fingers when he said that... But you think he would just make you some fake limb, anyways? He is a creator of mechanical wonders, of course it would be fully functional, maybe even stronger or more precise than a normal hand. You are dealing with a Being here, not some usual craftsman. But, maybe I should call him here? It's all just assumptions from my side, he can tell you what he actually meant and, if you would consider accepting it, we can figure it out together."

[VisAnastasis]

Emmet looked down quietly, on his gloved hands, with visibly empty space in one, and he was torn. Still, he seemed to make a decision, at last.
" If we call him right now... we would all just argue over the secrecy. He would be defending himself saying he meant well, and I would be made to feel bad and coerced to accept something I can't. Not like this, at least. Thrown at me. " he clenched his healthy hand into a fist before he whispered. " This is demeaning... Do you want to see my hand or not? I want your opinion, not his, right now. You are not biased, you have no stakes here. If he does really want to make whatever you say he does, he'll just focus on telling me I should accept it because it's the best choice and he's just so generous to offer it, and all that... and it's no way to make an unbiased choice... "

[Mirach]

"So should I keep quiet about it before him?" Svarik asked. "Would you prefer him not knowing that you know? And do show it to me, please. I may be able to give you a better opinion about both options when I see it."

[VisAnastasis]

" I just don't want to call him right now. I want to see what you think first. Other healers always advise me to cut it whole, to not deal with pain, but I couldn't work here if I did so. So I want to know what you think first. " He whispered, reaching for his glove, but then hesitated a little." Are... You ready? It won't be pretty, but I just want honesty, and no pity whatsoever would be nice..." he smiled faintly.

[Mirach]

"I am ready, if you are," Svarik said encouragingly.

[VisAnastasis]

Emmet nodded, pulling himself closer to show it. When he took of the glove, the other kids looked away.
His hand indeed seemed in really bad state. His two smallest fingers were amputated but the only mostly untouched one seemed to have been the thumb - the remaining two seemed half crushed and not that well healed, as bones were too shattered to mend properly. The only reason why they remained there, despite they obviously looked pained, was surely because Emmet insisted on keeping as much as possible so he could keep working. Whatever hurt him, seemed to have sliced and crushed through his palm and fingers both, as he had bad scarring spreading throughout it, limiting his movements and making skin more painful to touch, as he seemed to be trying his best not to flinch as king examined it.

[Mirach]

Svarik examined it carefully. "Can you show me the range of movement that does not hurt?" he asked. "No pretense, please. Just how far can you go with no pain whatsoever."

[VisAnastasis]

The boy seemed a little hesitant as if he was ashamed for his clear disability, as he knew what he was to say won't sound impressive, not at all.
 
" If I move my thumb, it's a bit stiff, but it doesn't hurt. " he demonstrated it with slow, careful movement. "  But there's always the dull pain in hand in general. When I don't move it, I learnt to ignore it, but it hurts whenever I bend my fingers. I can't bend them all the way down. But it's still useful. " he defended himself a little thinly like he probably used to before healers much time now. " I wouldn't be able to keep a job here with one hand. Like this, I can still use this one for support, to keep things firm, and the thumb does good enough job when I press it against the other fingers. It took some getting used to, but when I wear gloves, I can work... "

[Mirach]

"Okay," Svarik nodded. "Could you now show me the range of movement that hurts but is bearable? On the other hand, please. No need to actually move it now."

[VisAnastasis]

Boy nodded slowly. It took a moment to apply the movements he knew were safe enough to use on the healthy hand, but he did demonstrate it - those were mostly moves focused on rotating the thumb and how it interacts with the forefinger, but the moves were very limited, and a little unsure, as to Emmet, who lived the kind of life he did, *bearable* was rather a vague way to put it, as all pain had to be concealed and bearable and it was hard to be objective.

[Mirach]

"Thank you," Svarik nodded. "Well, I think I can give you an opinion. Which option would you like to hear first? With a mechanical aid or without?"