Waiting at 260K

[Horo the Wise Wolf]

Misaki shivered, and pulled her coat in tight.

[i]"Two hundred and sixty Kelvin? Great."[/i].

She was waiting for the representative from Cyrantia to arrive so that talks could begin concerning the 'MDOMT' that was to be created. Everytime she ran the abbreviation through her mind, she sighed.

[i]"I heard that there were Tsunderes... But still..."[/i].

She suddenly snapped straight once she saw the pink and yellow striped automobile as it approached her.

[i]"They have arrived"[/i], she thought. [i]"I do indeed hope that they are partial to red wine."[/i]

[Domingo the Honored]

Knowing the kind of ridiculous splendor common to their neighbor's nation, the Cyrantian delegation had elected to send their most free-spirited member to meet with the government representatives of Yoitsu. Viktor Antonov was a man who easily fit the bill the most. He was a quite young man who had received a minor job in the Foreign Affairs department of the nation from his rather well-to-do family. He was totally uncommitted to the job and only accepted this mission hoping it'd bring some fun to what basically amounted to a paperwork-only career. The pink and yellow striped car they'd selected for his trip may have been beyond what even he would do on his outer limits, but he had no objections, it was exciting. He was aware of what he was coming to discuss and had been granted authority to sign a treaty, but other than that he was mostly just going with the flow for this assignment.

As he pulled up to the representative and left his vehicle, he became aware of the cold weather. As a man born and raised in Siberia he was fairly used to it, but he could see it was making his contact uncomfortable. He walked up to the woman and smiled.

"Hello there. My name is Viktor Antonov. I suppose you're the representative from Yoitsu. I'm eager to get this show on the road, but might we go inside to somewhere warm before talks and such begin?"

Edited February 3, 2012 by Domingo the Honored

[Horo the Wise Wolf]

[i]"Good day. I am Misaki Ayuzawa, and I shall be escorting you today. The talks shall be conducted shortly, and refreshments shall be provided throughout the duration"[/i] she said, as she gestured towards the building behind her - "The Crop" it was called, as it was a long and slender bulding that seemed to almost tear a whole in the sky. It was, however, sometimes referred to as "the tall one". Thankfully, it had rotating weights built in to avoid it toppling over, and reduce the sickening swaying motion that one plagued most of the bulding.

They were, however, staying on the ground floor. Thankfully, the heating inside had been well designed, ensuring that occupants wouldn't succumb to frostbite from extended periods of time spend in the larger rooms.

After entrance, Misaki opened a door to her left, and held it open for Viktor.

[i]"The discussion shall take place in here. We are going to park your automobile in the underground parking area to ensure its safety from the elements, and the like. It will likely rain later, so precautions must be taken"[/i] said Misaki, as she inclined her head towards Viktor.

[Domingo the Honored]

Viktor smiled and nodded, and followed Misaki into the rather interesting-looking skyscraper. It was quite comfortable inside and he continued to listen to the woman while walking with her. He also took a look around the place and found it rather ordinary. He politely thanked her for taking car of the automobile, though he didn't care much about it, and entered the door she held open into the room. He wasn't much for standing during discussions and looked for a chair he might sit down in. There were quite a few in the room, so he sat down in an overstuffed armchair that looked comfortable and glanced back with a smile at Misaki.

"[i]I very much enjoy your country and this building and I appreciate the generous hospitality you've already shown me. Will it be just you and I meeting today?[/i]"

Edited February 5, 2012 by Domingo the Honored

[Horo the Wise Wolf]

Misaki laughed.

[i]"I am the Head Maid, so no. Lucy, however, will be arriving shortly to begin discussions. You may have to talk to *Hyun-ae as well. However, I will be waiting out here for you to aid you whilst you stay here."[/i] Misaki said.

Then, a woman with blood red hair and eyes walked into the room, and sat in the chair opposite Viktor.

[i]"Good day, I am Lucy."[/i] said the woman, inclining her head slightly towards Viktor. [i]"Shall we begin?"[/i]

With this, Misaki bowed her head and left the room.

Edited February 5, 2012 by Horo the Wise Wolf

[Domingo the Honored]

Viktor watched Misaki leave the room and saw the unfamiliar woman, Lucy, enter and sit by him. She didn't appear to be much for formal or physical greetings, but in this context, neither was he. Shaking a lady's hand as if it was that of a stone-faced Head of State from Europe didn't seem proper. Thus, he wasn't very opposed to getting down to business immediately.

"[i]Hello Lucy, my name is Viktor. I'm very pleased to meet you. As for business, we can certainly get right to it. What did you have in mind?[/i]"

[Horo the Wise Wolf]

[i]"As has already been discussed, there is to be a Mutual Defence and Optional Mutual Touching treaty between our nations. The Defence article will likely be merely defence between nations. As I'm sure you are aware, the individual nation must choose when to trigger this article for the other nation to step in.

The second article concerns mostly inter-nation relations. This could take the form of relaxed tariffs, quotas, but not migration.

One extra thing that we feel like proposing is concerning the defence article - as a form of redundancy, how do you feel about [b]not[/b] stepping in upon activation of the article when extreme circumstances have arisen? This would most likely be things such as willing use of Biological weaponry, or the like, and would have the specific circumstances tailored to ensure consistency.

You may, of course, use the room to your left if you wish to communicate with other members of your nation concerning anything we suggest, you suggest or something of the like.

Well, then. What are your, and your nation's, thoughts on these propositions?"[/i]

[Domingo the Honored]

"I don't believe I will have to consult with my superiors, but thank you for the availability. We've a specific set of goals and hopes for this treaty which I'm very familiar with already. The mutual defense portion of the treaty is fairly straightforward, but I'm disturbed by your suggestion of some sort of article allowing one of us to not step in for the other. If that were to be written in, it ought to be Optional Defense and Mutual Optional Touching, or something of that sort. The point is, it would defeat the Mutual Defense purpose of the treaty and weaken the alliance as a whole. Cyrantia and I personally wish to see that weakness avoided, and would prefer such a clause not be included.

Trade and commerce improvement can be a very lucrative issue. As I'm sure you already know, Lucy, Siberia is a virtual treasure trove of resource. Minerals, gems, natural fuels, the creatures of sea, we have much to offer. With such great natural and mineral wealth available strong trade is necessary, and as such tariff and quota reduction or elimination is preferable. Mutual commerce will prove beneficial to both our countries in the long run, we know from past experiences.

As for migration, you may have noticed the incredible Trans-Siberian Railway stretching through your own nation, Vaule, and Cyrantia. The railroad was the fruits of great labor by all three of our nations and indeed proved to be one of the most instrumental parts of the strength of the region. The railway was a hugely efficient carrier of goods and came with an added bonus between our nation and your predecessor - an open-border policy. The Trans-Siberian was an amazing route that brought incredible wealth and diversity to the region, and especially our two nations. We do hope you will consider bringing back the open borders and opening your section of the railroad once more.

These are our opening hopes, issues, and concerns. Now that I've presented ours, what does Yoitsu think of them? What do you hope to see accomplished, Lucy? I'm all ears for anything you and your nation would like to throw back at us."

[Horo the Wise Wolf]

[i]"You passed my test. Of course it should be Mutual. Still, you didn't realise it was a test, so that's points down.

Anyway, how does total elimination of trade regulations sound - whilst this could lead our countries open to exploitation from the other, it would not be [b]true[/b] touching if there were barriers. Furthermore, Yoitsu has gotten quite proficient at manufacturing goods from the raw materials, so I'm sure that there would be benefits all around.

Furthermore, Viktor, there have already been plans to renovate the railway to its former glory - it would serve as a good method of transport between our nations, Viktor. This would put our nations in a state wherein the borders are only of importance on a geographical level, and our nations would be Omnitouch.

Now I say that, are you sure of what you are doing? Are you really VIKTOR ANTONOV, VICE DEPUTY ASSISTANT TO THE SECRETARY OF THE HIGH CHANCELLOR OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS? For all we know, you could have killed the real one and are now wearing his skin, VLADIMIR LEBAHDFS, VICE DEPUTY ASSISTANCE TO THE VICE DEPUTY ASSISTANT TO THE SECRETARY OF HIGH CHANCELLOR OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS![/i]

Edited February 13, 2012 by Horo the Wise Wolf

[Domingo the Honored]

"You asked a trick question? I certainly wasn't expecting something like that in my first diplomatic assignment. Anyway, total elimination of trade regulations sounds wonderful. Your predecessor and my nation had a similar agreement as I explained, and little to no exploitation ever occurred. It was completely beneficial, no drawbacks. I hope we can expect the same from Yoitsu. As for the railroad, I'm glad to hear it is undergoing renovations. We've kept our sections of the route runnable, and hopefully we may see freight and passengers flood in and out constantly soon enough.

Vice Deputy Assistant to the Vice Deputy Assistant to the Secretary of the High Chancellor of Foreign Affairs? Are you... serious? Of course I'm me, don't be ridiculous."

Edited February 13, 2012 by Domingo the Honored

[Horo the Wise Wolf]

[i]"I don't know. Am I serious? I may not even be Lucy - I could be Nyuu or Kaede right now, just itching to do something [b]incredibly[/b] violent, or [b]incredibly[/b] loving. About 50/50. You feelin' lucky, punk?"[/i].

[Domingo the Honored]

"I never have been one to believe in luck, just chance. I certainly hope you're kidding, though, something "incredibly violent" sounds very unpleasant. So I'll ask again, are you serious?"

[Horo the Wise Wolf]

Lucy looked worried. [i]"Let's change the discussion to something less... sordid?"[/i], she said, looking fidgety. [i]"Anyway, is there anything else you feel we should add to the proposed treaty?[/i]".

[Domingo the Honored]

"Free trade, open borders, and unquestioning mutual defense were our goals for the treaty, so if you've nothing more to add, then you ought to have your writers draft a copy. In the meantime, I'd like to know if you've ever consulted a certified psychologist about your mental state." Viktor chuckled lightly at his rather foolish joke. "We've some fine doctors in Cyrantia, if you're ever in the market."

[Horo the Wise Wolf]

Lucy smiled. [i]"I'll look into it. Our Doctors are actually quite skilled at skin grafts, as if you ever want to get out of that body, or stay in it permanently.[/i]", she said. Suddenly, there was a light beeping noise to be heard emanating from her pocket. [i]"Ah, that will be the first draft of the treaty."[/i]. She took out a tablet and handed it to Viktor. [i]"Viktor, do please read this over, and tell us if you need any modifications or the like. There will likely be many changes that need to be made.[/i]". The first draft was, of course, perfect anyway.

[Domingo the Honored]

"Skin grafts? I'm not a burn victim, Lucy, I'm just a Cyrantian diplomat, so I'm afraid I'll have to turn down that offer." Viktor took the small device and looked over it for a little while. "At first glance this treaty seems satisfactory. Are there any changes you'd like to make, or anything else you'd like to get accomplished while I'm here?"

[Horo the Wise Wolf]

[i]"My apologies, I did not want to suggest you were a burn victim; I meant that you might want to see Skin Grafting Doctor to either get out of Viktor's skin, or make sure it didn't fall off. Anyway, the treaty as it stands is perfectly acceptable to us, as we were the ones who typed it up. Anyway, you ask the wrong question - is there anything [b]you[/b] would like, 'Viktor'?"[/i].

[Domingo the Honored]

"I am of course Viktor himself and I'm fairly certain that my skin won't spontaneously fall off, or at least I hope it won't. As far as what I'd like, when I was given this diplomatic assignment, I was told it may be quite unconventional. Unconventional it has been, but the normality of the strangeness is boring me. Tell me, is there anything to see or do around here that makes the trip worth me having come to discuss this treaty?"

[Horo the Wise Wolf]

[i]"We have great Skin grafting services here. I'll talk to someone and arrange a complimentary session, Vladi- Viktor."[/i].

[Domingo the Honored]

"Lucy, there is no such position as Vice Deputy Assistant to the Vice Deputy Assistant to the Secretary of the High Chancellor of Foreign Affairs. Even if there was, there is no man in my department by the name of Vladimir. I am Viktor Antonov and that is the way it will stay - I do not need or desire skin grafts, but I appreciate the generosity. I was rather talking about something worth seeing or doing not including skin grafts or surgery of the kind."

[Horo the Wise Wolf]

Lucy took out an identity card.

[i]"Then why, Vladimir, am I in possession of your Government ID, which clearly states that you are "VLADIMIR LEBAHDFS, VICE DEPUTY ASSISTANT TO THE VICE DEPUTY ASSISTANT TO THE SECRETARY OF HIGH CHANCELLOR OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS", and has a picture of someone who is not you?

If you do not want surgery, I'd suggest going to the local bar - they make quite nice food."[/i].

[Domingo the Honored]

Viktor took a look at the rather poorly-constructed and flimsy card the woman held.
"Lucy, that is clearly not a real government ID card. It looks like something a teenager would construct in his garage to gain access to a bar, casino, or adult film. As for the picture, who knows? It could be anybody under the sun. I am Viktor - here, I'll prove it to you!"
He reached into his coat and retrieved his genuine government ID card, with his picture and name. He held it up for Lucy to see.

[Horo the Wise Wolf]

[i]"Ah, I see. My apologies, Vikor. Anyway, how about you choose the kind of place you would like to go to, and Misaki will escort you there?"[/i].

[Domingo the Honored]

"I'm afraid I've no idea about anything to see in Yoitsu, and as such couldn't even ask to see anywhere. Do you think Misaki would have any objections to giving me a tour of this building? It's rather... interesting-looking, if I may say so. I'd very much like to see the rest of it."

[Horo the Wise Wolf]

Right on cue, Misaki entered the room.

[i]"Misaki, this gentleman would like a tour of the building. Don't question his identity."[/i], said Lucy.

Misaki smiled, knowingly. [i]"But of course. Viktor, if you would like to follow me...?"[/i], she said.