video | c.fraser

[nineteenfortyfive]

[This is one stressed, unhappy Claire Fraser. She wipes at her forehead with the back of her hand before looking at the screen, clearly torn between trying to appear professional and not giving a damn and doing nothing to hide her agitation. After moment, the latter wins out.]

If you haven't noticed, the bloody Sanctuary has closed its doors. Look miserable enough and you might be let in, but for now, I wouldn't go to them if you're in need of medical assistance. [Her way of helping--the less people banging at their door, the sooner they might relax. Unlikely, given the state of things, but she'll try where she can. Yet this has soured her opinion of the place, and Lysa.]

I've some things I've collected myself, and I'm sure some of you have managed to borrow supplies, so I suggest we all pool it together. Make our own temporary clinic until they allow us back in. A place to treat everyone, regardless of the madness in the streets. The residential district, preferably. Somewhere out of the way.

Ideally, no one will be hurt, but I don't think that's a realistic goal at this point.

[Looting, riots, vultures... no way blood isn't getting spilled.]

If you're a healer, and you'd like to assist, please do so. If you're hurt, let myself or someone else know. Someone can go to you or fetch you. We must rely on ourselves.

[She hesitates before adding:]

And I suppose if you feel like paying the Sanctuary a visit regardless, I can tell you where things are and what we could use.

[Not too long after this goes live, there's a text file attached with the address of a run down house not far from the starter homes, as well as a list of items that would be appreciated, including food.]

Comments

[ukase]

[He doesn't even pretend to know where this guy is coming from, but the aggression is a bit tiresome. At first, he thinks it might be jealousy that is at play, but that seems far too simple. It's unlikely to take the strips off a guy laying out his conditions.

His gut instinct is to start poking around, to see what hurts this guy most, to see where the weakness lay.]

How have I not been respectful? I offered help; I laid out my plan to assist; I took the tongue-lashing she offered in return; I call her ma'am and doctor.

Are you riding me here because it makes you a better husband, champ?

this is my absolute favorite ever. also i'm so sorry cause jamie is like LET'S FIGHT

[stripebacked]

[ Poking at Jamie Fraser has never done any good for anyone. If this had been before Wentworth he would have simply turned off the device. He would have let it roll off his shoulders. He was more tolerant and calm about situations like these, but right now he's always losing his carefully crafted control. ]

Before you dinnae call her that. [ The muscles in his jaw tighten. Because that's where it hurts the most. Congrats, Rumlow, you found the big red button. Or one of them. Being a good husband. Protecting his wife. Providing for his family. It'll only get worse when he gets his memories of Paris ] Ye dinnae ken what sort of husband I am. [ His voice is low and rough. If he thought Jamie wanted to fight before. ]

two aggressive men growling at each other

[ukase]

You're right, I don't know what kind of husband you are, but in this conversation, you're looking like quite the a-hole. I've given the good doctor the option to refuse my help, and so far, aside from apparently putting me on a leash, she hasn't seen inclined to tell me to go fly my kite elsewhere.

She seems perfectly capable of defending herself. Strong women like that deserve respect, and they deserve space to operate. Set your kilt straight and stroke your sporran if it makes you feel better, but back off.

[Rumlow isn't about to refuse to fight a guy all up on his grill, especially one that's pissing insecurities all over the place. God, what he wouldn't give for STRIKE right about now.]

[stripebacked]

[ Somewhere inside him is the voice of reason telling him to stop this insanity. To be reasonable and simply let it go. But when he gets like this all he can see is Black Jack Randall's face on the other end of the screen. The taunting. The way his features blend into Claire's when he brought his hair down. It makes Jamie see red. He tainted the image of his wife. This man has succeeded in finding Jamie's breaking point. ]

I'm very aware of how strong my wife is.

[ But he's also aware of how trusting she can be. Especially with people she barely knows. Too many instances where he's almost lost his wife because he gave her space to "operate". He'd rather not have this be another. His teeth grind. He is right though. He's well aware his wife hasn't turned away his help, but she's desperate here. She wants warm bodies. ]

Ken this--if ye spill any blood on the floor of her establishment I will nae hesitate to spill yers. Do as she says. Always.

[ukase]

So it's her trusting the help of another man that bugs you?

[That can be the only issue here. He's made clear what his intentions are and they happen to be protecting the clinic, since he has no reason to join one side over the other. He's too new here to choose without seeing both sides of the battle.

And having a big angry red-head snarling and yapping like an abused pup just makes him dig his heels in even more. He's always stood his ground. That isn't going to change.]

I don't take orders from you; I offered my service to her. And because your warning is so clear, I'll keep the blood in their bodies.

[Broken bones and bruises he's very adept at. All that blood contained in swelling flesh.]

[stripebacked]

[ Partially. It's never served him any. He's definitely not about to trust him now simply because he identified one of the issues again. If anything he's just more annoyed that his fears are being aired out like this. ]

I dinnae ken ye and ye've given me no reason t'.

[ He knows what that means, but clarifying and dragging it out won't do him any good. He'll simply ignore him again won't he? ]

[ukase]

Where I'm from, volunteering to head off trouble is quite respectable, especially when I gain nothing from it. Goodness of my heart and all that.

[And now more than ever because it is clearly going to bug this guy. Yeah, yeah, he'll keep from knifing people, might even volunteer his skill with combat medicine, and he's also great about holding patients down for the work to be done.]

[stripebacked]

Aye. It's respectable.

[ But not the way he's choosing to do it. He doesn't need to vocalize that part because he's pretty sure that by now Rumlow knows that's how he feels.

An amused scoff escapes Jamie when Rumlow says it's out of the goodness of his heart. ]

I look forward t' seeing that in person.

[ukase]

See, common ground already.

[Don't worry, you'll learn to like his straight forward approach to things. He might even buy this man a beer after having a hole stared into the back of his head.]

You coming down to the medical tent for treatment or to continue to stake your claim?

[stripebacked]

[ He would probably rather slit his own throat than have common ground with him. Though Jamie's suicidal tendencies right now can't entirely be placed on Rumlow's shoulders.

It's not his fault either how the comment of staking your claim hits Jamie. Off camera his hand runs over where he cut Black Jack's brand from his skin. Covered by clothing and a bandage. ]

I'm going to be there assisting my wife. Ye cannae stake a claim on a person.

[ukase]

[Now there was an untruth if he ever heard one. There was something in that thick accent that made him wonder if this guy believed it too. He was probably reading into it.]

Liar to the second point. People can do what they set their minds to, even if it involves stepping on someone else's throat in the process. Sometimes because they can.

Sounds like I'll be seeing you sooner than you'd like.

[stripebacked]

[ His wife has worked hard to convince him that Black Jack Randall didn't own him. He may have taken his body and pieces of his mental stability, but he didn't have his soul. He didn't own him. Try as he might. But he cannot deny that Randall broke him. Wore him down. Not even the lashings upon lashings had done that. But what happened while he was his captive did. ]

Aye. People can do what they set their minds t'. Including resisting others. Fighting back. Stopping that foot from crushing yer throat.

[ He nods his head. ]

Ye might.

[ukase]

[So, a resister. Which meant there had been something to resist, and no doubt all the wounds that came with that. Now he was definitely curious; there weren't a lot of people who knew the strain of torture, what it did to a man or woman. Most of the people that seemed to know turned out to be embellishing it. What was this guy's story?]

Sounds like you've got experience with that. Probably why you're all hair-trigger with the temper, I suppose.

I will. You've made me curious.

[stripebacked]

[ A very nasty story. When Claire told him of his future and what he would endure he always wondered how he kept going. But now that he's lived it the question hasn't gone away. He wonders why he's still going every day. The only answer that makes any sense is: Claire. ]

Would nae be here if I let others step on my neck.

[ He'd still be in the cell with Randall. ]

[ukase]

So does that mean you're gonna fight me?

[He doubted it would come to that. He was interested to see what this guy could do, but it would come in a different setting he suspected.]

[nineteenfortyfive]

[Here comes the wife again, who has been quietly stalking this.]

I think not.

[ukase]

[Oh, she's back. He has been wondering when that would happen, and he is not disappointed.]

No worries, ma'am. I rarely swing first.

[nineteenfortyfive]

[A little bird named Peggy Carter told her to be careful, and after checking in, Steve confirmed it. And yet here she is.]

Let's keep it that way.

[ukase]

[He's not aware that anyone knows what he can do around these parts. He's only offering his services and level-headed restraint not to punch a husband before the husband punches him.]

Of course. I'm not a savage.

[nineteenfortyfive]

I am curious, though. [NOW she's curious, after being told to stay on her guard.] Did you specialize in protection or something similar, before?

[ukase]

[Interesting leading question when she hadn't been interested before this very moment.]

I was a soldier, ma'am.

[nineteenfortyfive]

During wartime?

[Just simply curious.]

[ukase]

[His voice changes to a much cooler edge.]

Are you asking if I served in real combat, ma'am? You want to know if I saw men dying all around me from war violence to be certain I'll fit the bill for your clinic?

[nineteenfortyfive]

I would have plainly asked that if it's what I was after, Mr. Frag.

[She's oddly pleasant.]

[ukase]

Then what are you after, ma'am?