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

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Fatima Castle, Courtyard
These sparring grounds are empty for now. One can go <south> to return to the outside of the Fatima Castle, and back <north> to the interior of the Castle.
Contents:
Khiea
An Ornate Carousel(#7263)
The morning mist has just raised on the Fatima Castle courtyard, and the quiet courtyard is almost devoid of people, save castle employees going about their business. The newest structure in the courtyard stands in the cntre of the sparring arena, filling much of it, and providing a nice shade from the warm sun which has only recently poked its head out from the mists of mroning. A little unseasonal, perhaps, but enough to draw out one or two people to relax in the sun or shade. Sitting in a comfortable-looking chair in the shade of the carousel, reading a leather-bound book, is Brin, who is trying not to become a permanent fixture there. Still, the doctors claimed fresh air was required, so e was passing this time as best he could. The occasional visitor broke the monotony, but apart from that, there had been a lot of lying down, then a lot of sitting. As much as a break might seem appealing, it was hard-earned, ad is beginning to grate on Brin, who is more then eager to get back to work.
Oh, wasn't it a pretty morning? A little on the warm side, maybe, but since when did Khiea ever notice things like that? Despite it all, she is wearing what she usually is- A dress princess-fit with frills and ribbons and a fair share of glitter, over which she has a full fledged Solarian military jacket. Strange? Her? Don't be silly! And so, on this fine and lovely morning, Khiea enters the courtyard with a beam, giggling cheerfully as she skips in, steps light and bright and happy. All the while she is trying to hum a little tune all the while, which results in a rather interseting pattern of hum-giggle-break-hum, as her skips make the sounds ring even more broken. She wants to see the carousel! After all, she was considering going up to visit a friend in Nisan. And she wanted to see her present one more time before she left!
Brin yawns. He feels almost guilty thinking it, but being injured was...boring. The pain was no longer an annoyance, and only in some rare occurences would the occasional twinge in the stomach occur, being no more then an annoyance. The doctors had done more then a good job, and he was grateful for that. Still, he can't help but feel that they could let him do a little more then read over reports, and refamiliarise himself with affairs as they happened. Everything seemed to get on all right without him. Which is vaguely diappointing, and quite good, in different ways. Thoroughly engrossed in the ledger, he does not even look up.
Khiea comes to a delightful stop before the carousel, glancing up at it with eyes so full of simple cheer. Wasn't it a prettypretty present? So thoughtful and wonderful and.. Wasn't it just put in a charming place, too? To think that people used to use the area to fight in before, of all things! But this was muuuch better. And as the littel so-called princess looks over the carousel, she catches sight of a familiar figure sitting in the shade. Which draws her to blink just once before bursting out with a -giddy-, "Mister Brin!" Khiea scurries then, a delighted giggle rising in her voice as she makes her way quickly over to him, cheer ringing in her high and childish-by-choice voice, "Oh, I haven't seen you in ages-an-ages! I heard you were hurt and.. And.. Are you alright, Mister Brin, how-have-you-been?" Enthusiastic! But from Khiea, that's not surprising.
It's almost as if there was an overpowereing presence about that young princess, a certain radius of cheerful enthusisam, radiating. Brin picks it up a second before she notices him, and looks around, his attention eventually caught by Khiea. Of course. "Khiea! How have you been?", he says, in his almost-enthusiastic, yet still-polite tone, putting aside the ledger for now. It has indded been a while. "I'm so sorry I had to miss your party. Something, erm, came up.". Not like Brin to hide something, was it? Well, he still had the notion that he should somehow protect this child from upsetting thoughts like what had happened. But then again, this is Khiea, who had been through enough that a mere injury, no matter how malicious, is nothing new. "I wish I could have been here to give it to you personally.".
Oh, yes, Khiea knew quite a lot about injuries and pains and all the sorts of bad things that could happen.. For all that seemed like it should be a bad thing, though, more often than not it was actually good. It was amazing how much Khiea could smile through now, after all, simply because she understood it. And understood it fully and entirely enough to know that as long as Mister Brin is okay now and will get better, it's alright! Or.. Something like that, at least. Khiea's mind is strange now and then. "I've been reallyreally good, thank you very much!" Is the brilliance of a responce, before she comes to a sharp stop before him, beaming all the while. Even while she seems to be glancing at him in that curious way. He.. looks like he's alright, doesn't he? Or getting better, at least. Better ask to be sure! "It's okay! You couldn't help it. But I didn't get to tell you how much I liked it, too! It's so pretty and wonderful and was oh-so-thoughtful for you to get, Mister Brin! Thank you so very much!
" A giggle at that before she adds, as if it were just as cheerful as the following thought, "So, are you feeling better now? What happened? Was it bad?"
Brin smiles, a genuine smile reserved for the select. He places the ledger carefully on the ground beside the chair, and stands, grinning wryly as it smarts just a little bit. "Well, I thought the square needed something to brighten it up, as did a lot of the council. You just gave me the idea.". He smiles. To tell the truth, it had been a PR person's dream, children playing where once people fought. The stuff of fairy-tales. But, it was of little concern to Brin, only happy to make others so. "Yes, I'm fine now. It just stings a little occasionally. I'll be 100% in a few weeks." ... he pauses. Khiea was more then just a simple child, to whom these things could be hidden and forgotten. She was so often treated as, and acting like an adult, that it seemed so unfitting to treat her as such. "It wasn't -that- bad.". A lie to start off. Only a white lie, but. "Some poeple burned a church in the town. I went to help out, and got attacked. I was shot here...". His hand on his abdomen, no longer visibly bandaged, but s
still acheing. "I'm fine now, though. Don't worry.".
Khiea simply beams in response to that. Bright, bright it all! "Well, it looks wonderful! It's muchmuchmuch better than what was here before, and it was so nice of you to dedicate something so pretty to me!" And now all the children can play in the courtyard and.. isn't that just -wonderful-? The entirety of the symbolism may be lost to Khiea, who.. Misses it mostly by the simple lack of a need to look for it, but nonetheless, she liked it. "And I'm so very happy to hear that! I was really worried when you couldn't come to my party, and I only heard a little of what happened.." The princess might act like a child sometimes, but isn't it silly? For all she acts like a child, she still is remarkably clever, and more observant than one would think. Maturity was not beyond her resources, either. This was just more.. Comfortable for her to be. And so she makes a simply childish face at that comment, wrinkling her nose in distaste, "What sort of a person would do something like that? That's so mean!" That someone would
be so enthusiastic to burn a church that they'd shoot someone. The very notion!
Well, he had not heard it put so...Khiea-like, before. It is a refreshing change. "Yes, it was, rather...", he replies. So many strong words used to describe the incident, by other council members. An affront to everything we hold dear. An act of barbaric aggression. A maniacal plot. An unprovoked attempt on a minister's life. So many words, that could be so easily abstracted so accurately to 'mean'. "Well, I'm not really sure what kind of people they are. Probably just misguided...". Careful, Brin. That much had not even slipped out to the press, or the royal guard. To all but the most privileged, it was an unprovoked act of arson, and that it had remained, at least to the general populace. Covering up was not something he liked to do, but at this time, it was necessary, to prevent any friction toward the -Ethos-. After all, they couldn't possibly be... ... Brin stops staring, and resumes his attention to Khiea. "Yes, probably. They're probably long gone, too...". He looks down over the town, now bust
bustling as it always does. "...if they know what's good for them.".
"Misguided? We-eell.. Sounds like a bunch of silly people to me.." Wondering aloud, that, and in somewhat of a thoughtful tone, at that. There's Khiea's take upon it all: They're -silly-. Because if they made the slightest bit of sense, they wouldn't be burning things and shooting people! But then again, she was very ignorant of the details, anyway. Although, really.. Who's to say she would say anything different even if she wasn't? Almost as if to a prompt, she glances over towards the town, where so many people walk about, now that the day is started and things are starting to open their doors to the masses. And she blinks a little and shrugs, "You're probably right. Why would they stay? Certainly they must know they'll be in an awful lot of trouble if they got caught!" She says it like she would refer to a few children stealing cookies. And with that she glances back to him with a grin, "Do you know why they did it? That seems like waaaay too much trouble for -anyone- to want to go to!" Shoot the M
Minister to burn a church! It made no sense to Khiea.
Brin thinks about that for a minute. "Why they'd burn the church? Well, if they were so strongly against the teachings or running of the -Ethos-, they might want to destroy it somehow...". It rings hollow, even to his own mind. No, they were making a point. Making a point of burning a large and important church and workshop. If they did that, everyone would know about them. Well, everybody doesn't. Because that is exactly what they want. And, since it was within Brin's means to deny them that, he has done so. "I don't know, really. I'd be surprised if they were still here. The gate guards have their descriptions, but they probably fled immediately.".
"Ohhhh.. I can see that. Although I can't see why anyone would be so cross at people who fix Gears.." Oh, Khiea was told ages and ages ago that there was a religion that goes on with it, but being mostly a child of Aveh herself, she had never really seen much more than the Gear excavation and repair parts of it. "They're probably far, far away by now, though! But still! What mean, mean people. If they're still in town, I hope they get caught, though! That's just not -right-." Khiea.. has the oddest urge to go find them herself, see if they're in town, and drop a kitten in their arms for hurting Mister Brin. But she is clever enough to know that, were she just to outright proclaim that, Mister Brin would likely protest. Khiea did not, after all, always have the most reasonable sense of caution when she needed to.
Brin nods, quietly. "I hope they do, too.". If anything, he did not like the emotions they evoked from him. It is hard to imagine how you would feel about people who not only spat upon the very tenets of your livelihood, but would kill you for living it. Brin has been thought that wrath is a valid feeling to have toward enemies of the faith, but he has never experienced it, until now. Still, it is best not to dwell on it, and Brin does not much care to, anyway. "Anyway, how have you been, Khiea? Up to much, recently?". Even though he read daily strategic reports, he was still so keen to hear news, from people he new, at the jasper, in Nisan, in Dazil, anywhere. For all his information, he was quite short on news.
It's strange, really, how Brin can wonder darkly at the feeling of wrath that they inspired for being so horribly against what he believed and lived.. While Khiea can simultaneously juggle almost cheerfully childish thoughts of harming them, as if it were innocent as day, simply because they hurt a friend. Oh, not bad thoughts.. Khiea would never harbor -bad- thoughts. But they hurt someone she knew. Shouldn't someone at least glare at them for that? Right! But that's something to worry about later. Right now, Khiea glanes up at that question with a grin. News? Khiea? Khiea unfortunately has nothing to share that's valid or official or meaningful outside of her own little private life, "I've been wonderful! Things have been very slow and dull and boring lately, really. So there's not much to do at ~all~! That's why I've been dreaming a lot lately. I met one of my old friends there, so I was thinking about going up to visit her in Ni~san!" And a pause before she adds, "Even though Nisan is kind of creep
creepy. Even so!" Khiea and her inexplicable fears.
Nisan? Creepy? Hm, well, Brin had never found it anything but charming, and beuatiful in its way. "I'm sorry I haven't been joining you in the dream lately. My sleep has been...rather troubled. Painkillers, medicines mean I don't sleep, or dream much.".... Standing beginning to ache a little, Brin sits again... "Nisan? I always found Nisan quite nice. It's where, erm..." Well, it's where he found Reoite. Or rather, Reoite found him. Perhaps someday he'll find him again. "Well, send my greetings to Miss Margie, and to all at the Jasper. I hope you enjoy it there".
Khiea simply shakes her head sharply to that, "Don't be sorry! It's okay! Whenever you're feeling better everyone will be really happy to see you back in the dream! Until then, just get better." Even if he's claiming he's mostly better by now anyway, Khiea still enjoys wellwishing. Even if it's not really needed. And she tilts her head mildly at the lot of that, clasping her hands behind her back as she balances herself on the back of her heels somewhat, "Weeeee~ll... Nisan is okay, I guess. But the cathedral is really scary! So I don't visit often. But!" But! Every little worry that might have clung to the princess's voice is banished with that single syllable, sharp and brilliant as a snap, "If I see Miss Margie, I'd be glad to tell her you said hi! And same if I get to stop by Jasper!" Which she will, most likely, since she's so irrationally upset by Nisan. But Khiea was not exactly a normal girl, after all. "Thank you, though! I hope things go really happy for you here, too, now that those sillysilly people
are hopefully gone and realizing that what they did was wrong!" Hopeful thinking. But still happy.
Brin nods thankfully. "Thank you, Khiea. I hope they realise that, too." ... One way or another. Be it from their own hearts, or from the barrel of a gun, they will learn the error of their ways. "I see you're ready to leave. Well, I hope you have a nice time in Nisan, and you find everyone there well.".
"Sorry I couldn't stay longer, Mister Brin!" But with any hope she'll catch him in the dream. And then she'll know for sure that he's better, since he'll be off those silly medicines. But a promise was a promise and.. Khiea really was excited about visiting Nisan, even if the town and Cathedral themselves upset her for a reason that only vaguely made sense a year ago, and made absolutely none now. "But I hope I see you soon! I'll have a lovely-wonderful time, I'm sure. So! Be happy, and get better soon!" A giggle at that. Khiea, Khiea, so full of boundless energy and enthusiasm. Even goodbyes don't seem to upset her much, for all she seems to expect to run into everyone she adores just a few monents down the line regardless. And so she waves enthusiastically, beaming all the while, before she turns about and starts to head out towards the town, to find her Gear and set off towards Nisan. Skips in her steps and joy in her eyes, even if.. She does seem to watch the world about her as she moves, wondering
perhaps, if she'll see a guilty little Minister-shooter on her way that she can kindly kick in the shins before she goes.