• Closed • So about your charge...

[Vivian Shiryu]

2nd of Ymiden, 720

Vivian strummed her fingers on her desk as she looked over the report from the group of knights who had arrived the previous day. Included was a summary of Patrick's trial, given to her both as the Knight who had actually arrested him and as the acting commander of the base where he was to serve his penance. What caught her attention more, however, was who he was assigned too. Vivian frowned for a moment, then sighed and took out her pen and a piece of paper, writing out a note.

"Ranger Vega Leinox,

You are hereby ordered to report as soon as possible in order to discuss the matter of your recent assignment of Rharne proper. Due to the sensitive nature of the assignment, and even more so the reception the subject of your assignment is likely to receive, we cannot afford delays. Patrick Barnell, however, is not invited to this meeting. I understand you have been finding tasks for him to perform, but if no suitable task can be found in a short time, he can spend the time in our cells or a locked room.

Constable Vivian Shiryu, Acting Commander of Storm's Edge"

Vivian looked the note over, then nodded to herself before folding it, sealing it, and stepping out of her office to hand the note to one of the privates who were guarding her door. "Private, deliver that note to Ranger Vega Leinox. Red hair, very vocal, probably being followed around by a blind man if she hasn't already left him somewhere. Half the base can probably tell you where she is." she said, her tone a brisk order. The private saluted, then set off at a good clip to go deliver the message.

Sitting back down, Vivian waited patiently for Vega to arrive, trusting her half-sister to not make unnecessary delays. When Vega was shown into her office, Vivian looked up and smiled at her. "Hello, Vega. My apologies for the formal tone of the note, but official matters require official language." she said, her tone warm. "Congratulations on your promotion to Ranger, as well." she said, grinning slightly at that. "Now then, Patrick Barnell. I imagine he's already earned one of your nicknames, and while I was given notice he was in your charge, what I was given was very light on details for what you're actually supposed to do with him." she said, before giving a wry shrug. "So, unless you were ordered to keep it secret, I am going to need to know what your orders are regarding him." she said, her tone caught somewhere between amusement and resignation. "Until they send someone out to replace me, I'm in charge of this entire base, and Rharne just plopped a traitor in the middle of it. If nothing else, I'd like to keep the place from turning into a lynch mob."

[Vega]

Vega did not read well, or quickly. Arlo, in fact, had taught her to read just an arc or so ago and so, she spent a few moments trying to make sense of the words which Vivian had written. Then, she checked in to make sure that Patrick was being supervised and she looked at the note. It said she had to report, but it didn't say where. However, Vega didn't question where because it also didn't need to say. She made her way to Vivian's makeshift office and she tapped on the door. Entering, she saw her half-sister sitting behind a desk and Vega knew that if there was one thing she was sure of it was that she didn't envy Vivian this job.

Vivian explained that formal - official - corresponding needed formal and official sounding words. Vega nodded. "I don't read well," she said. There was no shame in her expression when she said that. "It took me longer to get here than it would have, otherwise, because I had to decipher it. Arlo taught me to read only an arc or so ago. If you want me to be quick, an' you need to write," although why she didn't just tell the bloke who handed Vega the note, Vega didn't know. It must be something to do with needing records, or something. Still, she continued, "then I suggest you put it in short, clear words - an' as few of them as possible - an' we can put the formal one in whatever place you fancy, an' that's fine."

That said, she listened to Vivian's question and she nodded. She first explained what had happened. "Ilaren had him brought here, an' asked me to take him. I agreed, of course. He apparently committed treason, an' he has this thing what he's bangin' on about like you wouldn't credit. Says that he gave up his 'light' an' when the sun goes down, he becomes all dark an' broody. Frankly, it's jus' a pity ditty an' opportunity to deny any responsibility for anythin'. Anyhow," if there was an art to the formal giving of a report to a senior officer, Vega really didn't have it. "as far as what he's gonna be doin', well apparently that's up to me. At the moment, I'm figurin' him out an' he's mopin' around like he's the victim. I figure he's more used cooked than walkin' so I was plannin' on him givin' back to the best extent of his abiities. Which is not much, but useful for menial stuff." She shrugged slightly.

"Oh!" Vega said, and reached into her satchel. "I got given this, to prove it, I guess. An' yeah." She frowned slightly and then looked at Vivian with an honest expression. "I've got no idea what to do with him. He's like this wanderin' bundle of self-pity, an' I want to thump him into next Cycle." Vega had no ability to mince words - or, if she did have one she'd never discovered it - because she'd never tried. "So, I've got him workin' in the kitchen, stuff like that. I've given him rules, too. If there's anythin' that he can be useful doin' I'm happy to talk it through, an' the last thing I want is for him to be as much of a pain in your butt as he is in mine." She considered it. "Is there anythin' that he can be doin' what'll help more? I'm happy to work it out, if so."

There was, of course, a final point to make. "An' yeah. He's got a nickname. I call him Numbnuts McNumpty." She shrugged. "It were the nicest thing I could think of."

[Vivian Shiryu]

Vivian nodded when Vega gave her explanation for the delay. "Ah, fair enough. Force of habit, largely, sending out notices like that." she said, grinning slightly.
Then she fell silent as Vega explained what her orders are regarding Patrick, then handed over the summary she had been given. She read that as Vega explained her issues with her new charge, then gave a grin as Vega mentioned Patrick's new nickname. "Aye, that about fits. I'd heard about the trial, though I didn't quite put it together with Numbnuts until this summary." she said, handing it back to Vega.

"If what I've heard was true, he doesn't seem to have learned much since the trial. Way I hear it told, he spent the whole trial making excuses and attempting to explain how he wasn't responsible for his own actions. Even had his brothers ghost pop up to try and cover for him." Vivian said, shaking her head. "Apparently, the judges, who were three different Immortals just to hammer it home, spent the whole time poking his excuses full of holes." she said, before sighing. "I met him once, way before the war with Ellasin. Completely drunk at the time, but he seemed a decent fellow, if stupid." she said, before letting out a huff. "Well, can't tell everyone from the first meeting, I suppose." she said, before leaning forward.

"Now, as to what to do about him. First, I'm going to have to issue a general order, that he's here under your care by our Lady's orders, and anyone caught trying to do him injury is up for a jailing if they're a civilian and a court marshalling if they're military." she said, before pausing. "Though I'll add in that if he's caught wandering about alone, he's to be firmly escorted to a cell until you have leisure to retrieve him. Which means I don't want him used a messenger, mind, because I frankly don't trust him not try and backstab us again if he gets the chance. A blind man can still be dangerous. Add to that, I don't want him near the command rooms, armory, or the officers quarters at all. Too much there he can do real damage with." she said, her tone firm though not harsh. Then she smiled slightly. "I don't mean to make your job with him harder, Vega, but if he's still looking to act against us, I'd rather not let him get somewhere he can do real harm. We can't afford that." she said, her tone calm.

"That said, for what he can do, he can work in the kitchens or the medical tents. Both of those place have plenty of menial labor that doesn't put anyone at risk. Same goes for the general use areas and even the regular living quarters. After all, he can still clean and having him work a broom some such might help him learn to navigate despite his blindness." she said, before pausing in thought. "Stables as well, and maybe the latrines. He can carry feed just fine and while cleaning those places isn't the nicest job, it's a job that needs doing and anyone who can stand and use their hands can do them." she said, before shrugging. "What he does is up to you, of course, but I'll suggest that, especially early on, you focus on jobs that help him learn to navigate a world he can't see. He won't be able to make any kind of reparations if he has to be led around by the nose everywhere, and being able to move about without relying on others might help him quit the whining."

Then Vivian paused and shook her head, leaning back. "I'm glad the Lady trusts you enough to take the idiot on, but frankly, I wish he wasn't here. Our jobs here are hard enough without a treacherous idiot inside the base. I don't envy your task, Vega." she said, before shrugging. "Well, if it were easy, wouldn't take us to do it, I suppose." she said, before grinning. "But maybe you should thump him into next cycle. Keep him out of the way for a bit, that would." she said, her tone teasing.

[Vega]

Vega could only agree. "I wish he weren't here too, honestly." The red head had no wish to be held down to looking after someone who was as obviously useless as Numbnuts McNumpty. However, there was a clear truth for her. "I get that he's blind, an' that's an issue, but that's not why I'm irritated at him," she said. Vivian knew Vega well enough to know that there was whole lot of irritation in there. Not that Vega hid it at all. "It's jus' that he's more of a whinge-bag than I've ever met. Somehow, he's obviously the victim in his own eyes, an' it's all hangin' on this idea that he gave up his light. I reckon, when he says light, he means brain cells." She shook her head. "He's jus' soft in the nog, that's the bottom line. Self-involved nog-soft numbnuts mcnumpty."

Vivian's restrictions were fine, and Vega nodded her head. "I plan on gettin' him peelin' spuds, frankly. I was thinkin' of havin' him get some trainin', but I'm not sure. I mean. He's gonna have to earn it, an' yeah, he'll be nowhere near anythin' important, that's for sure." Frowning, she asked her half sister the question which was foremost on her mind whenever she thought of Patrick. "Why does someone behave that way? I mean, people are stupid an' selfish, an' I know that. But if you fo do somethin' an' you need to take yer punches, then take them. It's jus' pathetic, is what it is."

There was no doubt to Vega's mind that Patrick was an unwanted pain in the pants, but equally she knew that Ilaren was putting a lot of faith in her. "I don't mean to grumble, so I don't, an' I right grateful to Ilaren. But I am who I am, so I have to be gobby an' obnoxious," she probably wasn't telling Vivian anything new. "but I also need to make sure that I'm bringin' hope." She considered it her duty, and more than that. It was her way. "So, I need to think about how to get him helpin' an' actually feelin' like he's givin' somethin' back, makin' up for what he's done. "

With a glance outside, Vega nodded. "An' army marches on its stomach. Can I get one of the cooks teachin' him?" If Vega taught him how to cook, he'd probably end up killing more people than the Nickels she considered without any degree of concern about how true that was - cooking was not her forte. "An' eventually, maybe he could learn some medicine, or somethin'. Bein' blind is difficult, but he can get over it." Vega really didn't feel any sympathy for Patrick - the blindness was because of Ilaren's curse, so he just needed to make the Immortal believe he'd overcome his Numbnuts McNumpty syndrome and become something slightly less than useless.

"Whatcha think?" Vega asked. "If I'm gonna not jus' keep him locked in his room while I'm soldierin' , an' get him workin', then he'll need a guard of some kind where he is. So if we focus him in the kitchen till he proves us different, can we do that?"