786/Archives and Apologies

Archives and Apologies
Date of Scene:	02 January 2016
Location:	The Nexus
Synopsis:	Hinote reads books in a royal library. Solomon apologizes for what an ass he's been. Hinote didn't even notice this whole time!
Cast of Characters:	Hinote Kagari, Solomon Novak

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Hinote Kagari has posed:
Hinote Kagari had mostly been as bright eyed and wonderous as he explored Waldia days after 'Restoration Day'. One of the first things he made sure to get done was to talk to the Waldian Archivists and Historians to get his story on the whole affair and he made sure to make sure everything got down recorded truthfully from his point of view. How he met The Princess. Why he did what he did all this time. What he wishes he could do. Many odd questions.

But he is done and over- information to be filed away and learned from as the Princess wished.

Hinote Kagari could now be found in the library of Castle Waldia sitting at an ornate table as he read through a book, finger tracing the words as he read. If Solomon was looking for him- it was easy enough--- he was a strange noble foreigner- and one of the heroes who saved the world- if he asked the servants or the guard he'd find out where he was soon enough.

Hinote closes the book as he taps his bottom lip. He picks it up and places it back on the shelf as he looks at orante, hand written book spines.

It appears he's looking at Cultural Books of sorts. There's a half eaten sweet roll on the table on a small ceramic plate. It's not stale yet. He's still in the process of eating it, it seems!

Solomon Novak has posed:
    The castle's library was one of the places that Solomon Novak felt most at home at - indeed, growing up he spent more time there than in his own room. He had absolutely no right to consider the place 'his,' but that never stopped him from resenting anybody who wasn't one of the Royal family from entering the place. So it is with a small trace of completely irrational and unwarranted irritation that he discovers that the person he's searching for is there. Of course, Hinote irritating him was fairly usual - but then again that is one of the reasons why he has tracked the Earthling down.

    His clothes are back to the proper garb of native Waldians, trousers and a tunic and so forth, but it doesn't really change his appearance much. He is most definitely the same distant, reserved and less than friendly individual that he was on Earth. The only difference really is that now he's sporting a good number of still healing wounds from his fight with the demon reinforcements.

    "Hinote," he says when he spots the boy perusing the shelf.

Hinote Kagari has posed:
Hinote Kagari was dressed in a 'mundane' version of his 'fancier' outfit. It'd been forced on him by a passing merchant. Really. Everyone was grateful and wanted to be associated with all these... heroes. He'd been not abusing this however- but at the same time- Vale assured him it was potentially rude to refuse- so--- well. It was hard. He figured he'd equate it to after big performance gifts his dad sometimes got.

He had to secretly admit he was getting used to being called 'Sir Hino' though- he tried to resist it at first.

A voice rings out from somewhere behind him and he turns around.

"OH! ... Solomon!" he smiles and beams pleasently. "I see you're up and about... That's okay. Some of us are still resting and healing. I'm...."

"I'm trying to find out something." he admits softly and vaugely. "If there's anything I need to do special for..citizenship. Thou..." he says.

"Runealy has assured me that 'saving the world' was that-- I--" he sighs. "Well it's not like weird interdimensional travelers come to this world everyday and want to call it home. No precedent-- and all that." he sighs.

"But...." he says. "You came down here. So-- you must be looking for me." he smiles. Yeah. Hinote, usually pleasent, despite EVERYTHING.

"..is something wrong?" he asks curiously.

Solomon Novak has posed:
    That upbeat, pleasant nature was one of the things that had always irritated the native Waldian about the other Guardian Knight. That too, however, was Solomon's problem, not Hinote's, he had come to realize of late.

    To the question of something being wrong, Solomon nods a single time; "Yes, there is." But typical of his past interaction with Hinote, he doesn't bother to actually follow up on that, but rather seems to dismiss it to remark upon something else.

    "Citizenship is not as complicated as it is in Tokyo. If want to be a citizen and you live here, or if you have the approval of the royal family, then you are a citizen." His tone is... a little odd. He states the matter as if it were obvious, but there is no sense of condescendion or insult in his answer. In fact, it sounds /almost/ like it was meant to be reassuring.

Hinote Kagari has posed:
Hinote Kagari has been assured by Runealy. He still has to talk to the King. Ugh. The King. Wants to meet all of them. He's still kind of sick. Runealy has reassured him that he shouldn't need to worry about ettiquite. Do you bow? Kneel? Spin twice and then wave your arms? He doesn't know. He nods. "That... helps a little. Thank you." he says.

Solomon doesn't follow up, so Hinote does.

"So what's bothering you." he says as he motions and has a seat down back at that ornate table. He pats the seat opposite him.

"Have a seat. I'm able to talk right now. Not like I have anywhere to be for the rest of this day." he smiles a little crookedly.

Solomon Novak has posed:
    Solomon being nice is not unlike a sword being used to shave - that's not how it's intended to be used, it takes a great deal of effort, and it's still probably going to end badly. A small nod is as close as he gets to saying "You're Welcome." Likewise, sitting is for people who don't have a stick up their backside that has its own stick up its backside. Solomon merely follows the other boy and then shakes his head at the offer, and then goes silent.

    It is not an easy silence, nor is it a passive waiting. The boy is clearly trying to figure out what to say. Or rather, how to say it.

    Eventually he all but blurts out, "I am sorry. I have done you a great disservice. I have treated you with suspicion and contempt when you have shown the Princess, and even me, nothing but kindness and hospitality."

Hinote Kagari has posed:
Hinote Kagari has gotten the general idea that Solomon isn't of many words. Runealy talks, Gaofelle talks, Valeria talks. Solomon, not so much. He has not particularly found this offputting-- Hinote has known various types of people. If one wishes not to talk- that's fine. Solomon finds other ways to say things.

He shakes his head and softly raises a hand pleasently, in a 'cease' manner, as he lowers it to the table and places his hand flat down to the table.

"No. I completely understand. I'm an odd foreginer- an unknown. But, Valeria pointed out to me recently- since--- I had my own misgivings before leaving--- that, unless I was true to my word to begin with--- I wouldn't had been able to take the Guardian's Oath to begin with." he says.

He motions to the world around him with a hand. "In the world of my birth..." he says. "...all this is ancient history. There are... no castles, no idlyic villages, no knights or royalty, no peaceful serene balconies--- you can barely see the night sky past pollution and cloud cover, sometimes the air is thick." he says with a grim smile.

"It's been a dream, since I was very little, to be a knight, to live in a place like this. This world is so beautiful." he says. "I spent half the day on various balconies just--- looking around. I wish we had so much longer here for this visit." he says.

Then he pauses. "I'm sorry. I got lost in my thoughts..."

"What I am saying is-- I do not feel as if you've treated me wrongly. You were treating me carefully-- as you had a right too, at the time." he says. "-but I've never intended any harm- intentionally or otherwise-- and the one promise made to me was kept." he says.

Solomon Novak has posed:
    Solomon stops as urged, at least for the moment. He listens to Hinote discuss his dreams and hopes and joys with a distinct lack of judgement or boredom. The boyish fantasy of becoming a hero, it is one that he fully understands, even if he never shared it. He accepts the other knight's words with an inclination of his head, the polite rejection, or perhaps even a rebuttal, to the blonde's apology.

    "I am not easy to get along with," he admits, "though this is rarely call for an apology. In your case, while caution was warranted, the way I treated you was not. The fact that you don't even blame me is proof of this."

    Another pause, just long enough for him to straighten up fully and make sure that his complete sincerity comes across when he next speaks.

    "You were not born in our world, yet you have upheld the virtues of the Guardian Knights more than any of us. You have never hesitated to help or to risk your wellbeing for the sake of another. You have been a true friend to the Princess and provided more support and comfort to her than any other. Without a doubt you have saved her life, almost at the loss of your own, and in doing so you have saved the lives of every human in this world. I have treated you as though you were the least of us..."

    The young Guardian Knight goes to one knee, formally kneeling before the "foreigner."

    "... Yet you have proved to be the greatest of the Guardian Knights. I was wrong about you, and I apologize, Sir Hino." And he stays there on one knee, his head bowed.

Hinote Kagari has posed:
Hinote Kagari listens to Solomon and then he kneels---and-----

Hinote reaches down softly and pats Solomon's shoulder. It's a gentle, kind pat. "Don't kneel to me. We're both knights, we are sworn friends, one is not greater than the other. I appreciate the sentiment." he looks a little guilty now.

"I've done what I belived was right. I can't weigh my well being against an entire world's. So I didn't."

He closes his eyes and turns back to the table. "To be honest. What's bothering me? How the Princess wants to take-- and has taken- all the blame." he admits. "We're all a little to blame, too--- even if she wants to claim we were----'acting under orders'." he says. "-but. I'm not going to fight that. It eases her, probably- and- I don't think it'd change much regardless." he takes a deep breath and looks to a window. There's still sunlight out there. It's why Hinote doesn't have a candle lit. "I told the historian my story- so- they'll take from that as they will." he says with a soft smile.

"You should visit the Princess when you can. She's getting better- slowly-- but without the barrier to worry about- I think she's able to deal with--- well... everything else she hasn't been able to." he admits more morosely. "I think a familiar face will help." he finally pauses.

"You know, I haven't been able to ask-- and-- now that the emergency is over- I guess I don't feel bad asking or prying. Solomon, can you tell me a little about yourself? How do you know The Princess-- and all that. You were a Knight before me-- and-- so far, everyone seems to have a tie to Runealy- or the royal family." he asks, wonderingly.

Solomon Novak has posed:
    Solomon remains kneeling for a few moments even after the other knight protests the action, but eventually relents. Standing back up takes a bit more time and effort thanks to his injuries - his first and only clash with the demons of Waldia was not a favorable experience. The assertion of sworn friendship elicits a different form of pain than his injuries; thankfully he conceals it quite well. He has no right to call Hinote friend, and the other boy is charitable indeed if he thinks that Solomon Novak has acted in a way to qualify for the term.

    "I too do what I believe is right," he points out. "But your path has mended hearts and saved lives. I cannot confidently claim the same." That's enough tooting Hinote's horn and insulting himself though. His ally/friend(?) brings up an important issue.

    "She is our leader, and right or wrong, the weight of responsibility falls upon her shoulders. That she has chosen to take all the blame yet share all the credit is a sacrifice that we must accept at this point." Not that he's happy about it either. But then again, when is he ever happy about something? "As you say, I plan to visit her. I could not do so in good conscience before speaking to you first though."

    That question surprises him more than a little, to the point that he's left blinking and unable to answer briefly. "There is little to tell about myself," he at length answers. "I was a ward of this castle. I would see the Princess from time to time." Yup, a decade of experience condensed into two little sentences.

Hinote Kagari has posed:
Hinote Kagari listens, a ward? That has a conotation on his world. 'Ward of the State', 'in someone's care'. He could pry- but he will not. Not right now. "I see." is all he can say. He won't assume on this point. He strokes his chin a bit in thought.

He nods. "As I said-- I appreciate the sentiment." he smiles wide. "-but you didn't need to do that." he stands up and bows politely in the typical japanese manner. "That being said..." he says. "We should all do something together- Rune, Gao, me, you and Vale, before we leave back for Earth to make good on some promises. Camping maybe!" he smiles. A nice sentiment- maybe in practice.

He walks over to the window. "Anyways..." he says softly.

"I won't keep you any longer." he says softly. "But--- no worries. Okay?" he smiles.

He peeks out the window and hrmmmms.

"I think I'm going to go try to gallavant around the city now before it gets too late." he says with a smile.

Solomon Novak has posed:
    It is probably for the best, as Solomon had given as much information on the matter as he was willing to do so at the moment. Few people's lives had not been touched by tragedy at some point, but Solomon handled it worse than most. Then again, this /is/ the nicest he has ever been to Hinote, and there's a real chance that bloodloss has contributed to him being less... well... less himself than normal, so maybe it'd be better to pry before he fully heals.

    Or maybe not.

    Solomon gives up on insisting that his apology was necessary - Hinote had accepted it as much as could be expected. So he focuses on what the other boy talks about next, group activities and such. "I agree." Whether camping itself is a good idea or not, it is one of the things he remains silent on.

    "Okay." Another nod. Matching Hinote's word choice is really the best he can do to be social for now, rather than using his preferred, slightly more formal manner. Then he peers in scrutiny.

    "If you're going to go out the window, make sure you don't worsen your injuries."

Hinote Kagari has posed:
Hinote Kagari grins and turns around coyly. "That only works in stories and on the stage." he grins. "--and I'm not transforming without good cause to go leapin out windows and landing like a cat in the courtyard and scare the beejeebus out of someone down there..." he grins.

"I'll go out the door. Properly." he says.

"In fact. Here I go. Right now." he says. "--just be sure to try to visit Runealy soon, Sol." he reaffirms and points.

He keeps pointing..... as he slides out of view.

Well. That was goofy. He must be in a weird mood suddenly!

Solomon Novak has posed:
    And that is another point where Solomon Novak disagrees with Hinote Kagari. Jumping out of windows without serious injury is a skill that he thinks every fighter needs to learn... even if he can't do it without transforming either. Yet. But Sol is confident that he'll manage it eventually. He is aware that this is probably not the best time to convince Hinote of the need for this, however.

    "I will. Go enjoy our world. You earned it."