Radiatia's Heartland [CLOSED, ATTN Nui-ta]

[Radiatia]

NEW ALIYAS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
New Aliyas, Alayenia
Radiatian Federation:

Josko Ivers waited patiently in the arrivals lounge at New Aliyas International Airport, for his fiancee Kiana Yarringsen's flight from Nui-ta.

It was a Saturday, and the man who during the week worked as the Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs was dressed down, in a simple shirt and blazer, feeling more relaxed than usual.

He was going to be visiting his home town of Yuesses, New Vashura and introducing his new fiancee to his family. Of course, as New Aliyas was the nearest international airport to his home town, he would have to drive the rest of the way.

Finally, Kiana Yarringsen arrived.

"How was your flight?" He said, as they headed to the baggage carousel. "If you want we could get something to eat. We still have a long drive ahead of us."

[Nui-ta]

It was evening in Radiatia --- meaning that it was early morning in Nui-ta. After having returned to her country of origin for a month, Kiana's body was reset to its original times.

In short: she was sleepy. Very sleepy.

The stress of her time in Nui-ta was not helping: she went to Nui-ta to visit two friends who had just married and had twins....but there was...an incident...that left one hospitalized for a week and the other facing major surgeries.

At least now, she knew both of them would live.

Focusing her attention to Radiatia, she looked up as she walked from the gate and saw Josko Ivers waiting for her. He was dressed down.....she liked it when he dressed down...

Kiana smiled and kissed him. "My flight was good, but very tiring. And I would...love....to get something to eat..."

When they got to the baggage-claim area, she easily slung the 40 pound bag over her back as if it were a plaything (she was an ex-soldier after all).

She smiled at Josko. "It's so good to be back....but I'm so nervous. Meeting your fiancee's parents....it is a big thing..."

[Radiatia]

"You have nothing to worry about. Mother will happy to meet you. I'm sure my siblings will like you too," Said Josko. He paused. "Unfortunately, you won't get to meet my father. He, ugh... he perished in a war when I was only 8. I never really knew him..."

He lead her through the airport, looking for somewhere to eat.

"I know you prefer to eat healthy Nui-tan food, but seeing as you're back in Radiatia, how about some of our... offerings?" He said, leading them towards "Greasy Joe's Extra Greasy Grease Burgers", a fast food outlet*.

"Please order, comrade." Said the cashier, a young Red Radiatian who greeted them in that cold Radiatian way that Kiana would had no doubt become accustomed to by now.

"Yes, let's see I'd like to order a 'Heart Attack Burger', and I imagine Kiana will probably have the 'Dead Animal In A Bun With Processed Cheese And Green Stuff That Looks Like But Isn't Necessarily Lettuce.' " Said Josko.

"Would you like Health Insurance with that, comrade?" Said the cashier.

"No thanks, we're covered."

"Okay so that's one Heart Attack Burger and one Dead Animal In A Bun With Processed Cheese And Green Stuff That Looks Like But Isn't Necessarily Lettuce?"

"Affirmative." Said Josko.

"That'll be 12 Tsenyens all up."

Josko handed the cashier his Citizen ID card, which the cashier scanned, before allowing Josko to enter his PIN number.

Shortly afterwards, the cashier handed them a tray with two burgers and some fries.

"Welcome back to Radiatia," Said Josko, as he bit into a burger that was nearly the size of his own head. "I hope you aren't too attached to eating proper food. We're, ugh, not as strict about food safety here, so to speak..."

---

After their meals, Josko lead them out into the carpark, where he had a parked car waiting.

"It's been a while since I've driven, so I apologise in advance." He said, turning the ignition. "I would show you around New Aliyas, but we have a very long drive ahead of us. Yuesses, the city I grew up in, is roughly north of here."

Soon they were off, with Josko looking for the Interstate. There were hints of suburbs, whisps of desert and steppe, and the occasional tree as they drove further and further away from Radiatia's 5th largest city.

"A lot of people around here will tell you that civilisation ends north of Alayenia. Now as a New Vashuran who grew up looking enviously over the border at Alayenia, I'm not sure how I feel about... oh who am I kidding? It's true!"

The drive north continued for hours, with occasional bathroom stops along the way. The more rugged Alayenian scenery flattened out into dull steppes as they came closer and closer to New Vashura.

Approximately 7 hours into the journey, they reached the State Border, where there was a check point.

Josko woke Kiana, who had fallen asleep, as two guards approached them.

"You think you wouldn't have to deal with this when travelling in your own country, but here we are..." Josko muttered as the guard tapped in the windscreen.

"Citizen IDs, please." Said the guard.

Josko handed his over. The guard scanned it and gave it back with a grunt. He looked over at Kiana.

"Has the foreigner got permission to leave Alayenia?"

Josko cocked an eyebrow. "Yes she does. Do you not know who I am?"

The guard glanced at Josko's Citizens ID. "Your name is Josko Ivers, comrade."

"Yes, and what is significant about that?"

The guard was checking Kiana's passport. "I'm sure you're a very special individual."

"Have you never read a newspaper? I'm the Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs!"

The guard shrugged. "I'm sure your mother must be very proud of you."

"I'm the 10th most powerful person in the country. A Member of the Federal Parliament. In Xerconia."

The guard shrugged again. "Good for you, comrade. I don't care for the politics. Never voted before, never plan to. Have an efficient day!" He said as he raised the barrier.

---

*[OOC: Greasy Joe's Extra Greasy Grease Burgers is TOTALLY gonna be my next GE&T storefront .]

[Nui-ta]

"I can relate to your father...you already know what happened to mine. I didn't know my mom that much but I'm sure my father would have loved you...oh...I need to introduce you to my sister one of these days. She's my younger sister, living at Lura Academy. She's actually only 14. Her name is Aurana Yarringsen. I was actually going to bring her with me...but Aurana was injured during the Partition... and Radiatia isn't too welcoming for people with prosthetics. As I've noticed..."

Kiana looked at the burger with a slight look of terror on.her face. "Maybe next time I'll just wait for a stove to be available...."

She ate it anyways (it was bad manners not too, since Josko.had spent money on her...as usual).

"You have siblings too? Oh man I hope they like me. I'll have to.be on my best behavior!" Even as she spoke, she straightened up in her chair to look more presentable.

-----

Several hours later, Kiana woke with a start as Josko.reached.the.border.

She was used to being.questioned.throughout about her ability to leave. As a colonist, she had been.subject to background checks on a monthly basis. Her ex-superior in the military, Hariem, gs to a t as a parole officer to her (even though he personally had no.prejudice) and call a subdivision of the Ministry of Defense every month just to report that she was following the law and that he had no intentions of kicking.her out.of his squad.

"Don't worry Josko," she murmured sleepily.in Radiatian. "I've had worse."

She peered curiously out the window at the barren landscape. "Reminds me.of Trenta's hometown. Are we in.Yevzar?"

When the guard.handed her passport back, Kiana smiled softly at him. "You have a very efficient day too comrade...." She spoke those last words so well that if it wasn't for her clearly Hadinian appearance, she would have been mistaken for a Radiatian.

She closed her eyes and put one of her hands to Josko's shoulder.

"It's good to.be.home Josko...."

"If I.could ask you...more.about your siblings and mom?"

[Radiatia]

[OOC: Traditional Radiatian music probably sounds something along the lines of this, which will be what they're listening to]

They passed through the barrier, into the State of New Vashura.

"I do warn you... things aren't as sophisticated up here." Said Josko.

Right on queue, the radio which had previously been broadcasting pop music changed to a local station and the sounds of someone playing the banjo spewed out.

"Well Howdy y'all! Ya'll be listening to NVFM 81.6, the sounds of Southern New Vashura! For those of y'all who have commere from Alayenia I jus' gonna tell you we like two type of music here - Country AND Western! Now without further ado here's the new track from Banjo McGee!"

Josko tried changing the radio station, but they were all the same - Country Music and occasionally people talking about country music.

"Don't worry... we'll be in the city in three hours."

"If I.could ask you...more.about your siblings and mom?"

"Well, Mother raised us all on her own. Luckily back then we were communist... one of the good things about communism was that she wasn't forced to work, the state gave us all we needed.

"Not only that because father had been... lost... during the war, the government treated us well.

"My brother Julius is a Brigadier in the RFA, while my sister Marinko works as a lawyer at the New Vashura High Court."

---

Darkness had set in when they arrived at a gas station, just on the outskirts of Yuesses.

Josko fuelled the car up and they both went in to use the bathroom and buy some snacks.

The gas station attendant, a large toothless man wearing a tinfoil hat smiled at them.

"We're just here to pay for the fuel." Said Josko.

"I know you, I do!" Said the gas station man. "You're Jongo Invers, arent cha!"

"Err... yes I am." Said Josko, knowing better than to correct these sorts of people.

"Oh yeah. I like you. I've been votening for ya, for them United Demo...Demo... Demonstrations."

"Well thanks very, I appreciate it." Said Josko kindly.

"No thank YOU! I hear you're in charge of keepin' them foreigners away." Said the man.

Josko looked uneasily at Kiana.

"Hey Jongo... come'ere. I got a scoop for ya." Said the man.

"Oh yes?"

"Yeah. I hear that the foreigners live in flying saucers. An' they have evil rays that transform us into foreigners, but we have a weapon. Radiatian tinfoil... stops their powers."

"Really?" Said Josko, deciding to humour the man. "Well thank you very much for telling me. I will inform the Prime Minister at once."

"You're a good man, comrade. A good man." He suddenly looked at Kiana. "Hey, how much for the woman?"

Josko recoiled a little. "No, she's, ugh... not for sale."

"Dang it!" Said the man. "I need to buy a new woman. The old one's getting a bit frigid. I'm thinking of trading 'er in for a wheelbarrow."

Welcome to New Vashura thought Josko.

The man stared at Kiana, noticing her eyes.

"The woman ain't from around here is she?" Said the man suddenly, looking serious.

Josko paused. "No... no she's not."

"What sort is she?" Said the man.

"She's from Nui-ta." Said Josko.

The man thought for a moment.

"Ah yes... Nui-ta. I haven't heard of that State. But as long as she's not from Alayenia. Can't stand those Yuppie gits."

With that Josko and Kiana left.

[Nui-ta]

Kiana stepped out of the car as Josko pumped gas in. She was rather cheerful. It was nice to just spend some time out with him. She had missed him very dearly in Nui-ta.

When Josko finished pumping gas, Kiana wrapped her arm around his and smiled.

"Josko, you brother sound particularly interesting. And I was actually friends with a Julius when I was very small. What a nice name. And your sister sounds very intelligent."

"But I am really looking forward to meeting your mother. She did bring you guys up well. All three of you are accomplished."

"Do your siblings have any children? And who came first?"

She couldn't help but suddenly find herself badgering off so many questions. There was just so much she wanted to know. It reminded her of being in the limo with Trenta and Josko as they first saw Radiatia --- how she couldn't get enough of the strange new world she'd just entered.

Kiana quickly used the facilities and then came outside as Josko paid for gas.

The attendent recognized him. Even though Josko's name had been bungled, Kiana was (at first) happy to see that the man was a fan of Josko's.

She slowly started losing faith in the man as he first asked Josko to sell her to him.

Now granted, Kiana was from Alin: one of the less equal areas of Nui-ta in terms of gender. She was used to hearing strange men ask about young girls...but the wheelbarrow comment made her uneasy. As did the fact that she was not as "frigid" as the last woman. (The Gods only knew what his intentions were with her).

She slowly stepped over to Josko and wrapped her arms around him from behind. This was her way of showing him that she was honestly a tad frightened of the man.

She was an ex-Corporal, of course, so she could have usually easily beat the man to an inch of his life...but for some reason she felt different. Was it the food? The jetlag? The anxiety? Whatever it was...something was making her feel quite weak today.

And then he mentioned how evil foreigners were.

Kiana suddenly felt herself flinch a little. By now, she was accustomed to Radiatian xenophobia...but this man's blatant ignorance was a bit too much for her.

She looked away from the attendant, wishing that she had her blue contacts in her eyes.

She remained very quiet until they got in the car.

And then she sighed and laid back in the chair.

"Well...now I know to steer clear of the guys wearing tinfoil. They might kill me thinking I'm a wild animal. And then they'll probably frame my head up on their walls with a plaque that says "Dirty Foreigner" on it."

She wiped her eyes a little, somehow stopping herself from crying. And then she looked at Josko and smiled, touching his hand a little.

"Only 3 more hours right?"

They drove on for a while.

Suddenly Kiana's face shifted from a normal peach-white to a vivid green.

"J-Jos..Josko...pull...pull over."

The second he stopped the car, she burst out and moved to the side of the road, away from the car.

The burger she ate made her sick (that level of grease and additives was insane to a Nui-tan or Hadinian stomach). She vomited on the side of the road and fell backwards a bit, exhausted.

Josko was approaching her. She staggered back up to her feet and walked over to him.

"The water in the trunk...Josko..."

It had been roughly 2 hours. They were getting close...

[Radiatia]

"Well...now I know to steer clear of the guys wearing tinfoil. They might kill me thinking I'm a wild animal. And then they'll probably frame my head up on their walls with a plaque that says "Dirty Foreigner" on it."

"Oh don't worry about them, honestly," Said Josko. "The thing with folks around here is that they're all talk. Trust me, they wouldn't hurt a fly. They would know HOW to hurt a fly even if they wanted to..."

They laughed and continued driving until Kiana started feeling sick.

Josko came with some water. "I hope it wasn't my driving... I told you, it's been a while."

He looked out across the plains. A rather freezing wind swept across them.

He held Kiana and looked out at the scenery.

"You know, for all its flaws... it's good to be home." He sighed. "It's beautiful out here... despite its reputation, Radiatia has a sort of twisted beauty, doesn't it?"

He gave Kiana some time to recover.

"We're not far away now... in fact we're not far from..." He paused, not really wanting to finish his sentence.

They had stopped precariously close to the old house, the one that was destroyed in that tornado all those years ago.

He got back in the car and drove on, a little more thoughtful.

"Just keep your eyes on the horizon, if you're feeling unwell," He told Kiana. "I learned that trick one time serving on a navy vessel. First and last time I ever went on a boat to be honest..."

A little further on he slowed down and stopped rather suddenly.

He breathed in and tried to keep his thoughts calm.

There beside them was a dilapidated building.

He stared for a while, not opening the door.

"That's where I used to live. That's where the tornado struck...."

He felt a wave of conflicting emotions.

I could have been living there now. Said one voice.
But I'd have never become the Foreign Minister. Said another voice.
I'd have never met Kiana. Said a third voice.
Am I glad then that this happened?
No! What a terrible thing to say. I still miss her...
Is it wrong to move on?
No. It's not.

He put the car into gear and moved on, leaving the bad thoughts behind him.

"Sorry about that... I... I had to stop."

Soon more farm houses began appearing, along with signs on the road.

"YAK MANURE TWO TSENYENS!"

"SPIT ON LARRY FOR ONE TSENYEN"

"BANJO LESSONS. CALL SAMERIA."

Suddenly and without warning the dry brown grassland of the prairies turned green, and into manucured lawns, clone houses and fairly modern looking suburbs.

They had arrived in Yuesses - the state capital and largest city in New Vashura.

The suburbs were plain and flat, and the city certainly didn't have the glorious skyscrapers of Exegrad, the bright lights of Das Engel or the desert charm of Xerconia. There were a few high rises in the far distance, but overall it was a fairly bland, straightforward city, of less than 2 million people.

"We'll go to meet my family tomorrow, but seeing as it's late we'll go stay somewhere for the night. I own a place in the suburbs, it's actually the house where I grew up. We'll sleep there for the night."

[Nui-ta]

Kiana looked at Josko as he stared at the.house with sadness.

For a moment...she.simply had nothing to say. She knew who he was thinking.about --- it was damned obvious.

She found herself reaching.her hand out to Josko's face. Words suddenly came.out without warning.

'It's alright to still love her. It's alright to miss her. And while we.may.never have met if.it.hand't been for her sudden loss, I respect her. Because she was special to you....and she always will be. That's how husbands and wives are supposed to love each other."

She looked.at him sincerely. "Do you need a moment? I won't mind. Go and take a look if you need to. It's the right thing to do."

[Radiatia]

"It's fine," Said Josko as they sped along the road. "It's just the first time I've been back there in over 10 years..."

The talked as they left the highway and began searching through the suburbs.

Kiana had asked if any of his siblings had children.

"I'm not sure," Said Josko. "I haven't seen them in a while... family isn't a big thing in Radiatia. I think Julius has two kids, and I don't know about Marinko. I'm the eldest, and Marinko is the youngest. She's only 30...

"Still older than you though!" He teased.

Finally they pulled into a quiet cul-de-sac street.

"This is it... the street that I grew up on."

He slowly drove to a small, humble looking house and pulled into the driveway.

"Here we are... might as well get some rest." He said as he unlocked the front door.

"Hey!" Called a voice.

Josko looked behind him.

"It is! It's him! He's back!"

A fat man in a cowboy hat approached him.

"Well well well... if it isn't little Josko, back again!"

"Oh hello!" Said Josko to the man.

"Evening. Whose this ya got with ya?" The man looked at Kiana.

"This is Kiana, my fiancee. Kiana this is Thomas."

"It is pleasant to be acquainted with you, Comrade Kiana." Said the man. "I used to be Josko's teacher at the old school. I taught him how to turn them squiggles into words!"

"And a fine job you did, comrade." Said Josko amiably.

"So'd ya get a good deal for the woman?"

Josko sighed and rolled his eyes. "Yes..."

"Well that's well-good." Said Thomas. "Women are gettin' more an' more expensive these days, with them all wanting rights an' now they can vote an' have jobs. Ever since that Lena woman showed up..."

"That 'Lena woman' is actually my boss." Said Josko.

"Dang straight she's ya boss!" Said Thomas, slapping his leg a little. "I bet... hell she's all of our boss now!"

"No I mean, literally, she's..."

"Hey Josko I thought you were a farmer!"

"No Thomas. I work in..."

Thomas gasped. "Oh that's right. You got that job working for the Federal Government. What is it ya do there? Drive Lena Toriah's tractor or somethin'?"

"No Thomas," Said Josko. "I'm the foreign minister."

Thomas laughed loudly enough to make birds in nearby trees fly away in panic.

"HA-HA! THAT'S A FUNNY! You can't be a foreign minister Josko, you ain't even foreign!"

Josko smiled and winked at Kiana. "It's true Thomas. I fly all over the world and go to other countries - "

"Other states?"

"No, other COUNTRIES - outside of Radiatia."

Thomas stepped back a little and then laughed. "Well you think THAT'S impressive? Wait until ya hear this!

"The other night I had to go to the north of the city, to get some potatoes for the wife. Anyway, ended up going through some of the north Yuesses suburbs an ya know what I saw?

"I saw people parking their cars on the side of the road! Not in a garage, not even on a driveway, but the road!

"Now I'm all for diversity but that's just crazy! They're not like us Josko. And I don't like people who are slightly different to me. They scare me.

"Anyway, it was a pleasure to meet y'all. Comrade Kiana, Comrade Josko, I bid ya a good night an a welcome home."

With that Thomas left, and they went inside to rest.

[Nui-ta]

"You did a very good job Comrade Thomas." Kiana smiled. "I actually didn't know how to write until Josko taught me. So the teacher had himself a good teacher."

She was referring to Radiatian of course, as she doubted Thomas would recognize any other language.

"Anyways, it was really nice to meet you but I'm feeling a bit sick. I'll be going to bed then. Have a wonderful and efficient night."

Too tired to concern herself with anything else Thomas was saying, she turned away.

She (sleepily) strolled into Josko's house and sat on a couch near the side. She was feeling a bit warm. Something in the sandwich...

At least now they were in a house with a stove and actual food. She could eat properly now.

She smiled at Josko as he came close. "You're an uncle, then. Congrats!"

"Family is important in Nui-ta....I mean, c'mon, your family name determines your status in life. Although your sister would have been a child when I was born...she would have been 11-ish? That's not so bad."

She got off the couch and smiled at Josko, hugging him and holding him close. "You own a very wonderful house sir. Granted, I can tell no one has been here in a while. Reminds me of someone's apartment in Xerconia before they and I started some.....very important ministerial business.

"Tell you what, since it's nighttime I'll give the place a good dusting and then we'll go to bed. Open the windows dear."

Kiana herself went to open one window but the chill from the cold Radiatian air prompted her to close it quickly.

"N-nevermind then....brrrr....that's cold. I forgot about how cold it gets here. It's early summer in Nui-ta...so I've been basking in the warm weather."

She yawned. "I guess I'll just have to vacuum in the morning if we have time." And with that, she moved along with Josko into the bedroom to get some sleep.

----

Just as she was slipping herself into the sheets, her cell phone rang. Kiana opened her eyes and picked it up.

"Hello?" She looked at the caller-id. It was Aurana.

Kiana had taken some time while in Nui-ta to visit Aurana while in Nui-ta. Aurana had only just turned 14 years old. The voice on the phone was loud and somewhat squeaky --- expected of a young girl who was years away from adulthood, even by Nui-tan standards.

"Soror qua sunt vos?" (Sister, where are you?)

Kiana sighed. Aurana didn't know much English. Since the two girls both hailed from the colonies, they tended to speak Alinian Latin with each other rather than Nui-ta's Melodian.

"Est in Radiatia. Omnia Dixi tibi ut memini?" (I'm in Radiatia. I told you all about that, remember?)

"Sunt vos revertebatur mox?" (Are you coming back soon?)

"Mihi dixi vobis sum supposito ad occursum meum sponsus familia. Ut non sit amet paulisper Aurana. Quam erat sectione?" (I told you I'm supposed to meet my fiance's family. I might not be back for a while, Aurana. How was your surgery?)

"Erat bysso .... tu vere ad nubere? Quid ita non mecum?" (It was fine...do you really have to get married? How come you can't just stay with me?)

Kiana's voice grew a bit annoyed.

"Essem Radiatia tuli te cum autem tuus daturus est vobis durum crus huc Aurana. Radiatia est non ipsum inpedimentum pervia. Tu pone pecuniam dedi ad mensam?" (I'd have taken you to Radiatia with me, Aurana, but Radiatia isn't very handicap-accessible....and with that leg of yours you'll have a hard time here. Now, did you put the money I gave you in the bank?)

"Sic Soror. Tamen non capere. Quid ita specialis de .... quod est eius nomen ... Jogo Uvers? Ille sonat ridiculam." (Yes Sister. But I still don't get it....what's so special about....what's his name...Jogo Uvers? He sounds suspicious...).

"Ero te loqui ad eum. Ille hic. Ille vere facis homuncio. Latine loqui Anglorum scio, sed non tanta." (I'll let you talk to him. He's here with me. But he doesn't speak much Latin, so use English."

Kiana yawned and passed the phone to Josko. "My sister wants to talk to you." She sighed and held the phone back a minute, speaking in Radiatian.

"Be warned....she's a bit clingy to me. She wants to come to Radiatia and meet you but....it's a long story. Anyways. Here's the phone."

On the other end, Aurana struggled a bit with her English but managed to try something.

"Good.....good day to you.....you....you are....marry Soror? Why marry?"

[Radiatia]

"This house was where I grew up. It was my mother's house, but unfortunately she fell ill and we had to put her in a retirement home." Said Josko. "I don't come here very often. It's usually Julius and Marinko who come here."

As they were falling asleep the phone rang.

"You get it, Kiana," Mumbled Josko. "It'll be for you. No one knows I'm here."

He soon heard Kiana speaking in a foreign language before Kiana handed him the phone.

""Hello Aurana. My name is Josko. It's nice to meet you." He said pleasantly.

"Good.....good day to you.....you....you are....marry Soror? Why marry?" Said Aurana.

"Because I love her. And when a man and a woman... or a man and a man, or a woman and a woman love each other that's what they do."

[Nui-ta]

"But....but why so far? Why not here?"

Aurana's voice had more sadness to it than hostility (although some hostility was detectable).

"Why can't I go?"

Kiana reached over and spoke in Latin: "I already told you. Your leg needs fixing. And I'm not abandoning you."

Aurana sighed. "Jogo...Joko...Josko? You...you love Soror? Please go back home."

Someone else's voice could be heard over the phone in Melodian calling Aurana's name.

"Bye bye Josko. Soror come soon." And with that the phone clicked.

Kiana sighed. "You'll have to forgive her for the hostility. I'd have brought her but....she just got a surgery done and another couple in a few days. I want her leg fixed first. Now that I have the money to give her a prosthetic that isn't a pole...but instead she wants to come to Radiatia....where she's mot even insured....and I'm trying to explain to her that she has military-level insurance because of me and she's not understanding....but she's young...she's too young to....(yawn)".

She put the phone on the counter and rested her head against Josko's chest, wrapping herself next to him.

"Cold day. Warm soon-to-be-husband....problem solved."

She pecked him on the lips. "Oh. And I love you too..."

-------

She woke up the next morning after Josko (usually they woke up in unison, or Kiana before Josko).

She felt much better ---- the burger was no longer bothering her.

"Josko?" She looked around, unsure if he was downstairs, in the bathroom, or in some little nook in the room where she didn't expect him to be.

[Radiatia]

Josko was outside mowing the lawns when Kiana finally woke.

"Morning, Kiana! I thought you weren't going to wake up..." Said Josko. It was around 11am. "Help yourself to some cereal or toast or whatever we have in there. I need to try and wrestle with the ground to stop the backyard from turning into back into the steppes."

He continued mowing the lawn, and breathed in deeply. The air was certainly cleaner than what he used to. Not as good as Nui-ta or Aazeronia but clean by Radiatian standards. It was good not to be in a major metropolis for once, and it was certainly good to be away from the Xerconia desert.

---

Later on they got back in the car and headed towards the retirement home, where Josko's mother Irina lived.

Josko checked his cell phone.

"Interesting. Two missed calls from Julius... I wonder what he wants. Oh well, I'm sure we'll see him there."

It wasn't a long drive before they arrived at the "Shady Oak Retirement Village".

The village was fairly nice, with a fountain, a Radiatian flag on a flagpole and fairly modern looking buildings.

Walking in they saw a group of old war veterans, decorated with their medals, smoking cigars on the porch.

One of them had wandered off without his trousers.

"Mr. Baxter! Mr. Baxter!" One of the nurses chased after him. "Mr. Baxter please come back inside! You've forgotten to put your trousers on!"

Poor Mr. Baxter looked horribly confused and a little ashamed as the nurse led him back inside, wearing only his jacket with his war medals, but no pants.

Josko and Kiana went to the receptionist.

"Hello. We're here to visit Mrs. Ivers." He said.

The receptionist looked up. "Sorry comrade. You've just missed her. She departed two hours ago."

"Oh I see." Said Josko. "Do you know what time she'll be back?"

"May I ask how you know Mrs Ivers?"

Josko was taken aback. "I'm her son Josko. You know. The Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs. Doesn't anyone around here read the news?"

"Comrade Ivers, I'm dreadfully sorry but Mrs. Iver isn't here."

"Yes you said, when will she be back?"

"She's... she's gone to visit Jeff the Carpenter." The receptionist pointed outside.

There standing outside were Josko Ivers' siblings Marinko and Julius, while a body bag was being placed into an ambulance.

"Comrade, I am very sorry for your loss."

[Nui-ta]

Kiana smiled as Josko drove to the retirement home. "Oh man, it's about time...."

When they finally reached the village, Kiana stared at Mr. Baxter with a slight look of pity. "Oh man....this is why I'm a bit afraid to grow old. Poor man."

She turned towards the receptionist as Josko spoke with her about his mother.

"She's....she's gone to visit Jeff the Carpenter."

Kiana stared at Josko. "Who is Jeff the Carpenter?" (Remember, she isnt Christian).

She followed the receptionist's finger with her gaze, suddenly gasping in shock at the ambulance and body bag.

"Oh....oh my...Mrs...Ivers...?"

She looked back at Josko as her brain started putting the pieces together.

"J-Josko....I...I don't know what to say...I'm....I'm so sorry..."

She looked out at Julius and Marinko before slowly stepping over to them, her eyes still locked on the body bag...

She stared for a moment in sadness, before turning back towards Josko.

"Josko..."

She moved back towards him, touching his hand.

[Radiatia]

Josko was absolutely silent as Julius approached him.

Julius Ivers looked similar to Josko but, although younger, he was taller and had much broader shoulders.

"It's not your fault, Josko." He said.

Josko, finally working up the strength to speak, "I should have been there..."

Julius Ivers shook his head. "It's fine. There's no way you were to know. It was too sudden anyway. One minute she was there, next minute she was gone..."

"She was very proud of you Josko," Said Marinko, approaching. "She wouldn't stop going on about how you were in the Federal Cabinet... about how far you'd come."

Marinko turned to Kiana. "I'm sorry you had to meet us at this time. But it's a pleasure to meet you... I'm Marinko, Josko's sister."

[Nui-ta]

"It is a pleasure to meet you both as well, although I can't say the same about the circumstance we're meeting under."

She put out her hand. "You probably already heard this much...but I am Kiana Yarringsen. Josko's fiancee."

"Marinko...Julius...maybe I should leave you guys alone for a moment so you can say goodbye. I don't want to intrude on your family...although I was really looki g forward to meeting her...I had so many questions..."

She paused for a minute and then looked at Josko. "I'm so sorry Josko. Part of it was my fault. I was so exhausted I slept in and made us late..."

She held Josko's hand. "But I'm sure she's so proud of you...all three of you."

[Radiatia]

"It isn't your fault, Kiana." Said Josko, reverting into the cold, efficient Radiatian way of speaking.

There was a moment of silence until a young boy, aged around three came running up to them.

"Dad... where are they taking grandma?"

Slightly teary eyed, Julius answered his son. "She's gone to visit Jeff the Carpenter."

"Is she coming back?"

"No, Teodor. She isn't coming back."

---

A few hours later they found themselves back at the house, with the three Ivers children and Julius' wife looking shell-shocked while Julius' young children ran around the backyard not knowing any different.

Teodor came back inside. "Uncle Josko, I sawed you on the tell-a-vision!"

"Really?" Said Josko with a forced smile.

"Yeah. You had been naughty because the other man was yelling at you."

Everyone laughed.

Teodor went up to Kiana. "Are you my new aunt then?"

Marinko also spoke. "So tell me about yourself, Kiana. I understand you're from down south*? The only time I've been overseas was when I went to Crata for a week..."

*(Down south is Radiatian slang for "the rest of the world")

[Nui-ta]

Kiana' face revealed her visible worry for Josko. She was careful to let him alone, but kept a constant hawk's eye on him through the entire conversation.

Teodor asked her if she was his new aunt.

"Well, I suppose so." She rememvered that Teodor was too young to kmow Josko's previous wife.

She smiled at Teodor softly, violet eyes glinting a little under the electric lights, and patted Teodor on the head. "I actually don't have any nephews so you three kids are pretty special. I don't have any nieces either. So you guys get to be my first. Can you teach me to be a good aunt? That's an important job!"

She winked at Teodor, her open eye still turned slightly towards Josko.

She then introduced herself to everyone.

"Yes, Marinko. I'm from down south all right. Nui-ta and Hadin are so far down south that we're under the equator. And we're further down south, from what I understand, than any other Humanitarian League nation."

"I come from Alin, which is a big farming district on the border of Nui-ta and Hadin. When I was born, Alin was actually part of Hadin, but the border was redivided 5 years ago, moving Alin into Nui-ta proper."

"I served in the military for 5 years within two divisions. I fought in two conflicts. In Nui-ta's Elite Corps I hold the rank of Adjulant Corporal, which is an in-between of a normal Corporal and a Lieutenant. In Nui-ta's King's Guard, I am a Sergeant. But I'm not on active duty anymore. Sometimes I still run numbers for them and do odd jobs like file papers and take attendance of Cadets, but I haven't picked up a gun since the Hadinian war."

"My time in the King's Guard was how I met Josko, actually. I came as a bodyguard for the then Prime Minister and the then ambassador from Nui-ta to Radiatia. I gio hurt during that terrorist attack and it was Josko who made sure that I was taken care of."

She smiled. "And I fell pretty hard for him. To this day he's still one of the sweetest men I know."

She sighed, still looking at Josko with one eye.

"And in terms of family, I have a younger sister. That's it."

She looked at Teodor and smiled. "Aren't you just the cutest thing..."

[Radiatia]

"Oh you're Hadinian?" Said Julius with a look of recognition, as he returned to the room carrying a tea-pot. "How are things in Hadin since the war? I'm a military man myself, I'm a Brigadier in the RFA.

"I wasn't involved in the Hadinian conflict, but I have friends who were and obviously I was keeping an eye on the situation."

"I feel out of place," Said Marinko. "I'm the only one here who wasn't a soldier..."

"I'm gonna been a soldiers!" Yelled Teodor. "Bang bang! Bang bang! I killed the evil foreigners!"

"Now now, Teodor, not all foreigners are evil you know..." Said Julius, who laughed and apologised to Kiana.

Josko was still quiet, lost in his own thoughts.

"Don't take it so harshly, Josko." Said Marinko. "Mother never stopped talking about how proud she was of you. Right until the very end."

"Chin up Josko," Said Julius. "Come on. Be efficient about this."

[Nui-ta]

Kiana stepped over to Josko and quietly hugged him.

"Why don't we go sit down? Josko...I'm really worried about you..."

She turned back to Julius. "Yes. I'm Hadinian. I was actually involved in the Hadinian conflict myself. I was in Kopurauth during the bombings and...it was bad..."

She sighed. "But now that the crazy ones have been silenced, the rest of Hadin can move on. I heard things are actually going well there. They're forming a self-sufficient government and even considering a Nui-tan/Hadinian alliance."

She looked at Teodor with a slight look of worry.

"Promise me you'll only shoot the bad ones."

And then she looked back at Josko, tilting his head to make eye contact a bit.

"Josko...Josko speak to me."

[Nui-ta]

(OOC: Following TG discussion....)

A few days later...

Kiana pulled the pork dumplings she had been making out of the oven as the Ivers family either slept or lounged around doing whatever it was that they liked to do at 7 am.

She was in a jovial mood, now that Josko had started cheering up just a little and that the rest of the Ivers family had welcomed her in. So jovial she could sing.

Little kitten, little kitten, little kitty cat...where in the world is your home at? Catch the mice and catch the rats, tit tot tat, and then I'll give you fish until you turn fat...

She was singing in Melodian of course, even though she wasn't as good a singer as she was a cook. (Though she could carry a decent tune, she wasn't a candidate for Nui-ta's Got Talent).

Down by the river in Herschel, I saw a girl of twelve. She had milk in her pail and wheat on her back and a necklace with a bell, and she sang 'teach me to go where the sun shines forever, teach me to gleam like the stars, so I can hurry on back to a windmill again and on my neighbor's boy cast a spell'...

She set the dumplings on the table. There were over 500 (though they weren't that big) and smiled.

"Well I hope this is a good going away present, seeing as I wonder if I'll be back for a while."

She looked at whoever was awake. "They aren't my best. I had to use cooking oil instead of butter and season it a bit less but I hope they aren't too bad."

She sighed. Her bag was packed. She and Josko would be leaving soon.

"I have to say though. Even though this place is full of ignorant people and even though that one shopkeeper tried to buy me off of Josko for 300 Tsenyens yesterday...I had a lot of fun with you guys. It's been a long time since I was with family at all....so this means a lot to me."

Her phone beeped. She stared at it for a moment and then gasped. Hariem had texted her.

Code: Select all

Out of hospital. Doing well. Thanks for everything Kiana. Hope you're well.

Kiana nodded. "That's a relief.