Characters involved are: Brin (RED), Luka (ORANGE),
Logged by Brin

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Fort Jasper, Council Hall
This main room is furnished with a large, circular ring of a table in the center. Numerous chairs are placed accordingly at intervals; the floor is carpeted in a deep emerald which sets off the mahogany of the furniture nicely. Ornate metal doors lead to the hallways at the <n>orth, <e>ast, <s>outh, and <w>est.
Contents:
Luka

Brin (OOC) waves hello. Could you possibly give me 2 minutes to sort out some stuff here? Won't be long.
Luka (OOC) says, "Of course, I don't mind."
Brin (OOC) nods. BRB.
Brin (OOC) is back. Sorry for the delay.
Luka (OOC) says, "It's okay..."
Brin (OOC) thinks. "I think...Brin will be entering here, looking for somewhere quiet to read.".
Luka (OOC) nods.
Luka (OOC) says, "I'll just be here... resting."
Brin (OOC) nods, and poses.
Quiet? It seems the Jasper these days had become more and more as such, with a distinct lack of pirates, and life getting back to normal for most people. It seemed strange then, that quiet in the Yggdrasil quarters below wasn't enough for this Etone, as Brin cautiously clicks, and the door whooshes open, revealing him standing in the doorway. He is barefoot, and is carrying a tall mug of water, and a large-covered book, with large letters, in solarian style, and brightly-coloured as if to amuse, and not inform. Apart from that, he seems every bit the same as he who arrived here so many weeks ago. And why not this room? Its very decor oozed studiousness, and the discussions had with Dr. Uzuki here served to deepen that association. He stands, halfway in the doorway, and clears his throat lightly, trying not to startle anyone within.
Yet quiet is exactly what is soothing to the one who rests here this eve. Her dove-grey robes about her to keep her warm even in the climate-controlled atmosphere of Jasper, Luka rests her head upon the bridge of her hands as they are propped on the table at the elbows. And--unlike Brin--she is not -quite- the exact replica of who she had been upon her own arrival here at the beginning of peace. Her golden hair is mostly unbound and drifts around her hands, tumbling down to the familiar cup of coffee on the table. Hearing the noise, the woman glances up and blinks. "Ah, Brin..." Her voice is the same, certainly, and so is the warm greeting. "How are you doing?"
Luka (OOC) says, "Ah, different desc..."
Brin (OOC) blinks. And has been away too long. :)
Luka (OOC) says, "Er, yes... the hair, eyes, and somewhat the age of the body's changed. Nothing too disturbing. ^^;"
Brin enters the room, the door gently closing behind him. Almost carelessly taking a sip from the mug, he begins a reply. "Oh, hello Luk...". His eyes dart to the seated figure, and his eyebrows raise, just a little. Hm, she changed her hair. To make a remark on it, or to..._hang on!_. He lowers the mug, and now looks directly at quasi-Luka, barely stopping his jaw from dropping. Barely. "Hello, erm, Miss Luka. You're looking...different this evening." It's undoubtedly Luka, yet Brin is still left standing for just a second. Let's not stare now. He progresses toward the table, and rests the book and mug on it. On the front of the book, in solarian, are the words 'My Empire is Number One!'. It is a children's book, coming from, well, wherever Brin managed to obtain it. Lack of stimulus this past time left a gap to be filled. Brin has almost made sense of all of it. "It's been a while....". Monosyllabic in his surprise, Brin takes a seat opposite Luka.
As different as Luka might be in coloration, the wry twitch at the corners of her mouth is the same. "It has, hasn't it?" she replies mildly, setting her hands down and taking a sip from her long-cooled coffee. One might imagine that such events were common here. Then again--this is Solaris... perhaps they are. "How have you been in the meantime? I apologize for not being able to check up on you sooner..." Her eyes--no longer behind their glasses--glance towards the book. One of Khiea's? It could easily be. "How nice," she smiles, almost with a soft laugh of acknowledgement to the fact of the matter. "Do you like this particular illustrator? He's done more in a series..."
Brin shakes his head. "Not at all, I'm sure you must be busy. I've been fine. Sigurd and Bart disappeared off to the tournament a while back, and seemed to like it so much they stayed." He grins at this, and reclaims his mug, flipping the cover of the book over to the first page. On the first page, there is an illustration of a huge floating mass, hovering over a colourful planet. The caption, in large red font, reads (in solarian) 'Solaris is the biggest and best country in the world.'. Brin smiles down at this, and looks up. "Actually, it's for want of better reading material that I have this at all, really. It's...the language I'm interested in.". He flips one or two more pages over, recognising some words, and not others. "Have you had contact with Bart recently?".
Luka shakes her head, a faint frown coming to her features. "I haven't been able to contact Bartholomew at all since he is attempting to handle the situation with the Tournament..." Or more specifically, the -other- Yggdrasil crew. Distressing. The woman leans forward across the table to eye the pages. "Solaris..." The smile on her face is one of nostalgia, in a nontraditional sense. "Then you're trying to learn Solarian? How wonderful, Brin." She laughs, and switches fluidly into the somewhat harsher tongue. "How much have you learned? And would you be willing to work further on the Jasper peace," she adds suddenly, as business reminds her, "in becoming an ambassador and worker in Fatima?"
Brin (OOC) blinks. Which bits were said in Solarian. ' Solaris is the best country in the world ' is about as far as Brin has got :).
Luka (OOC) says, "Everything including and after 'How much have you learned'? ^^"
Brin (OOC) nods.
No, I would not like some butter. Um, where is the train station? Brin smiles, and blushes slightly. "You overestimate what I can learn from one book!", he laughs, pleased at the reaction. He had hoped no-one would mind. "It might serve to have it as a useful skill, tucked away unnoticed. And it passes the time." He smiles. No-one ever suspects that the quiet Etone actually knows what you're saying about him. "I'm afraid you'l have to translate, for now.".
Well--as inconvenient as it would normally be to have Lambs learning the Empire's dialect, it was a standard that would have to be altered in the future. Certainly the illusion that a different language could protect on its own standards was one that Solaris could use losing. "I apologize... we really should have better language programs," Luka admits softly, "but there's never been a need for it. And I apologize again for forgetting what I was speaking in--I meant to ask you if you would be willing to help work further for the Jasper peace by being part of the envoy of ambassadors around the Fatima government. Since Shakhan has been exchanged for a joint council advising Bartholomew, we have need of good people there... I must admit that I thought of you almost immedietely."
Brin turns...bright crimson. He takes a quick sip of water from the mug he had been holding, and starts to regain his previous colour. "Well, I er, I must say I'm honoured. Me?". Any questions he had had on the way the talks had been undertaken up till now had just been answered, the main one being why he was being included and consulted. So, this is why. And this is probably why Bart hasn't been around, was it? I really have been out of circulation for a while. "Although I must admit, I didn't know about Shakhan. I really must try to keep up." A fine start to a job as Ambassador, not knowing your position existed, no? Will he do it? Why, it would be foolish to do anything but. "Well, I'd be honoured. And am honoured that you thought of me.". The mug is replaced on the table, and Brin sits back, contemplating. "A joint council? May I ask who else is istting on it?".
Brin (OOC) says, "Sitting on it, even."
If Luka notices the awkwardness of the surprise of the position, then she covers a smile by taking another quite sip of her coffee. "At this time," she sighs, drawing the breath in slowly and letting it out with almost regret, "I have not had much of a chance to consult with Bartholomew on the council members from Aveh that he would like to have. From Solaris--of course--there is already a team assembled of the diplomats, civil engineers," she waves a hand in general summation, "economists and so forth... from the Yggdrasil, I had thought of yourself in the lead, I must admit. Citan, if he has time," although he certainly has it not, "and Miriam would be nice. If she were not otherwise occupied at this hour, that is. Can you think of anyone, Brin? You would be a valuable link to Ethos and Nisan peace as well in Fatima... I cannot stress how important you would be to everyone."
Luka (OOC) pauses to make coffee to settle her stomach.
Brin (OOC) asks, "Did you get my last pose?"
Luka (OOC) nods.
Brin (OOC) does a jig.
"Erine and Marguerite..." The names are spoken as friends might of one another, with the soft laughter of awareness that they were often so absent. Luka considers the names once more, setting a finger against her cheek as she thinks. "Maison would be an excellent choice, I must concur. And there have been efforts--as I am sure you must have been aware of, or perhaps not--to deal with the animosity between Nisan and the Ethos before. With the current situation, we have a better chance then we have had in a while to seek some better sort of atmosphere." She taps her fingertip once against the skin, luminous eyes watching Brin with a light that had only glimmered there in emerald waiting before. "All the thanks I would ever need, Brin, are your efforts for this peace. I know you will do well." She sighs then, wearied already even from that little bit of conversation. "Dazil is a nest of troubles. Fatima Castle will be opened to you and your work as part of the team... I have faith in you that you will not let me, Solaris, or Aveh down, Brin." The serious note is counterbalanced by a small smile. "Leave whenever you feel ready."
Such words of praise, coming fromone such as Luka, lift Brin's spirits even more. That he would be responsible for such a thing, and that people would have faith inand rely on him, does not deter him in th slightest. He looks at Luka, with a new-found zeal, andthat more hope he can now eke out for this situation. "Believe me, I will not let anyone down. I will do everything in my power to achieve peace.". When he feels ready? He feels ready now! Still, he has a lot to think about, and the wearied look from across the table might suggest the same of Luka. Best, then, to leave each other to their own thoughts. "I will have to consider this for a while. I'll leave for Aveh as soon as I can.". Standing, he retrieves his book, and mug from the table. Pausing for a second, he looks up again at Luka, and the solarian words are broken, yet still intelligible. "Thank you, and good evening, Miss Luka".
Luka (OOC) says, "Everyone calls me Miss Luka... O_o"
Luka (OOC) breaks down.
Brin (OOC) says, "Well, it beats 'Hey, you"'. :)
Luka (OOC) says, "But you can use 'Doctor' too! ^^;"
Brin (OOC) doesn't know the word for 'Doctor' . :_)
Luka (OOC) will teach everyone very quickly....
"Be well upon your path, Brin." The Doctor inclines her head gravely to the Etone by what could also be a blessing sincere past the politeness of the words. She delivers them in Solarian, trusting that the tone of the voice carries past the holes in Brin's training. And Luka is tired in so many ways... lowering her head once more after a smile, she props up the weight on a hand again and begins to watch whatever messages are spoken in the reflections of the lights across the coffee. "And pleasant dreams."
Brin (OOC) says, "And such was such. Thanks for the RP."