Meeting of Nations

[Sgt Shidner]

[b]1426 hours
Airspace outside Tunisia, Carthage
Mr. Johnas Adems; Kriegland Minister of Foreign Affairs [/b]

High in the air aboard his private jet, Mr. Adems flipped through his portfolio sent to him by Mr. Schidner, Kriegland's Minister of Military Research and Development. It contained some designs for concepts to be presented to Carthage's government as well as a draft of a Mutual Defense Pact signed by Fuhrer Lummel. He took one last look though the folder and then closed it.
"We'll be arriving in a few minutes, minister." The voice of the plane's pilot came over the speaker system.
"Thank you." Johnas replied and then looked out the window.
Up in the cockpit, Captain Regis and his copilot switched the radio to 'broadcast' and then requested permission to land, "This is Flight 3-4102-2 from Kriegland. We are carrying Minister Adems and his delegation. Request permission to land, over."

[Acca Dacca]

Clearance has been given to land in the Carthaginian International Airport. You shall be recieved by our Foreign Minister and continue into the country with safe passage with our security as well as any additional security that you will bring along with you. Land when you are ready.

[Nythera]

Ready for the arrival. Please inform me should there be any change in the plan.

[Markus Wilding]

OOC: I fail, lulz

Edited April 27, 2010 by Markus Wilding

[Sgt Shidner]

[b]1426 hours
Tunisia, Carthage; Carthaginian International Airport
Mr. Johnas Adems; Kriegland Minister of Foreign Affairs[/b]

"We've been cleared to land, sir." The pilot called back.

"Good." Johnas replied and then began gathering his things. The closed folders he slipped into his briefcase and his cell phone he put into his inside coat pocket.

"Got everything, sir?" his assistant, Morigan Liefson asked.

Johnas nodded back and then snapped his case shut. The jolt of landing on the tarmac sent a jolt though the plane that almost knocked his coffee off the table. The plane slowed as it began to taxi towards a distant hanger and thought his window, Johnas could see a small convoy of vehicles and a group of people awaiting their arrival.

Up front, the delegation's 6-man Sturmtruppen security detail got ready to disembark and gathered their weapons and helmets. The plane finally slowed down and stopped just beside the group of vehicles and people and Johnas started to stand up. Checking his watch, he took his place behind the Sturmtruppen and waited.

“Good luck.” The flight attendant said as she opened the door and lowered the boarding ramp. Once the stairs hit the ground, the 6 soldiers flowed out and made two rows of three on either side of the stairs. It was after this that Johnas and his assistant made their way out of the aircraft. Once they had hit the tarmac, Johnas walked up to the Carthaginian he presumed to be the head of the foreign delegation and extended his hand.

“It’s a pleasure to be here in Carthage.” He smiled.

[Nythera]

Kottan took Johnas's hand and shook it. She smiled warmly, despite being a nervous wreck inside. She still wasn't used to greeting people so formally; she'd only ever greeted teachers and friends.

"I'm Kottan Lyndexer. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Adems, and welcome to Carthage." She said. Kottan pushed her green-tinted goggles up off her deep violet eyes and radioed in.

"Bring the car around, guys. Mr. Adems has arrived." A nearly unintelligible squawk came from the radio, but Kottan understood.

"Would you follow me, Mr. Adems? The men are bringing the car around. Is there anything you need to get before we leave?" Kottan asked, tucking a stray lock of snow white hair behind her ear, still smiling, now more naturally than falsely.

[Sgt Shidner]

"Thank you Ms. Lyndexer." Johnas returned the smile, his own nervousness being quite high, this being only his second time out of the borders of Kriegland. When Ms. Lyndexer revealed her deeply-hued violet eyes, Johnas was slightly taken aback.

He composed himself as he let go of her hand and straightened his tie and signaled for their escort and his assistant to join him. Staying just a bit ahead of his delegation, he walked alongside Ms. Lyndexer.

"I don't think there is much else we should require." He replied, "Well, perhaps some humble sleep accomodations should we be staying more than just the day, which i anticipate. Other than that, i don't think there is anything else." He allowed a smile to emerge as he continued, "I do hope our relations here will further things greatly between our countries."

[Nythera]

"Please, call me Kottan. I'm not used to being greeted so formally." Kottan said, shutting her eyes for a moment, trying to keep her act together. Any sign of nervousness or tension could lead Mr. Adems to believe that she was an unfit choice for her position. She opened her eyes, and in an attempt to engage Mr. Adems in conversation, she said, "You seemed a bit startled when I removed my goggles. If you don't mind me asking, why was that?" Kottan thought, [i]Real tactful, Kott. You probably got on his bad side, stupid,[/i] and immediately wished she could take back the words. A strand of snow white hair fell into her face, and she pushed it away quickly as the car pulled up.

She looked at him, hoping she hadn't asked something that would bother him. Quickly, she extended her hand to one of her men, and as they got into the car, he handed Kottan a small white notebook and a blue ink pen. She held the small book in her lap and waited for Johnas to answer her question with her head down.

[Sgt Shidner]

"Ok." Johnas smiled, "I'll refer to you as Kottan if you will call me Johnas." He leaned slightly towards her and chuckled, "To tell you the truth, i really dislike formalities as well."

The group continued on towards the vehicles and Johnas noticed that Kottan has closed her eyes and then before he could as, she reopened them and addressed him. The question that followed was one he expected considering his earlier reaction. He contemplated his answer as they got into the first car that pulled up. He waited for Ms. Lyndexer to enter the vehicle before following her in. He sat down and put his briefcase to his side and then folded his hands.

"The reason is was slightly startled back then was because of your eyes, if you pardon my bluntness." Johnas threw in a smile that he hoped would mitigate the frankness of his previous question. "I just have never seen eyes of such a hue. And combined with your hair, it did take me slightly off guard." Johnas stopped talking and sat back in his seat, quietly hoping that he was not so forward as to sour things.

Edited April 30, 2010 by Sgt Shidner

[Nythera]

"Okay... Johnas." Kottan said. Once he'd explained that he had been startled because of her eyes, Kottan relaxed. She was used to that happening. She had thought that he had seen the scars that her striped long-sleeved shirt barely covered, and she hadn't wanted to explain those. Everytime she tried, she'd break down and cry.

Kottan shrugged and said, almost to herself, "It's okay. I get that a lot, considering I was born this way. It's some sort of albinism. Purpuralbinism, I think it was called?" She reached up to touch her white hair, and her sleeve rode up, revealing the very marks she'd tried to hide. Kottan didn't notice, and the almost tribal scars pulsed a deep, livid red.

She put her hand back down, then she continued, "It's a variant of albinism that destroy all pigment except for purple. It's fairly rare, and it's not hereditary. It involves some sort of a exposure to something in utero... I guess I was just born under an evil star." Kottan smiled, then her eyes flicked nervously from Johnas's face to the white book in her hands to her green informal shoes.

"I'm so nervous. This is the first time I do this sort of thing, Johnas. I'm not sure what to expect, so I'm just kind of doing whatever seems to work best. If I make a mistake, please don't think any less of me." Kottan said, putting it all out there. A blush colored her cheeks a pale pink, and she added shyly, "Johnas, I'd like to get to know you. Would you tell me about yourself?" Kottan secretly hoped he'd tell her something about himself and ask her about herself, so that she might be able to finally tell someone, outside the special bond she had with Ayo and Kairan, the story of herself and her past.

Edited May 1, 2010 by Nythera

[Sgt Shidner]

"Purpuralbinism?" Johnas asked aloud as Kottan finished, "I do not believe i have ever heard of that ailment but it does sound like an interesting one. It does put a unique spin on one's appearance." He smiled, "Not that that is a bad thing, of course."

Johnas also noticed a sort of nervousness in Kottan's demeanor and was moving to address it when she asked about his background. To be honest, he hadn't really had time to reflect on his childhood and upbringing since he had become the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He was sure that it had been over 5 years since he had talked with his mother.

"There is no need to be nervous, Kottan." He flashed a grin as he talked, "I can imagine that the burdens of your job are not easy for someone your age. I myself have been doing this job for the last 8 years, and although i started young, i believe that it gets easier with age."

It was here that he began to tell his story, "As for my background, it really is not much to talk about. I grew up in the mid-sized town of Brenindon a ways outside Totensberg, the capital of our country. My mother and father raised me on our small family farm where i would usually find myself tending our crops and timber-cutting in the forest outside our house. My mother worked as a manager of a small waste-removal company in our town, which was by no means a desirable job, but it was something she liked to do and she was paid good."

He cleared his throat before continuing, "My father was an engineer, involved in many city projects, with little time for the farm, which became my main job. He was also an excessive drunk unfortunately. I still have lasting scars from where he struck me." He pulled up his sleeve to reveal a large 5-inch long scar along his arm. "He would sometimes go off for no apparent reason on my mother and I. I think that it was this that helped my develop a certain...callousness. He also trained me to be a fighter by developing my skills with firearms and i was sort of forced to work on my hand-to-hand skills when he beat me. When i was 13, he was enlisted by the Nationalee Armee and was sent to fight insurgents in the Krugender Province. But for all this, my family raised me to be very kind-natured. Fighting as a last resort, be kind to others, and the like. Throughout my schooling, i only found myself forced to fight but a few times, both of which i reluctantly won." He rolled down his sleeve and continued, "It was only after my father died in a insurgent raid on his company's camp that i was able to gain the freedom to go to the university. I graduated with a law degree when i was 20 and found myself working at a law firm in Totensberg. It was here that i was discovered by a member of Fuhrer Lummel's cabinet during a mock trial. Once i was 22, i was offered a job in the People's palace, and a year later, after showing extreme potential, i was promoted to Minister of Foreign Affairs."

A bump in the road caused him to stop momentarily and he noticed that he had been rambling on, "I am terribly sorry, Kottan. I do have a slight tendency to rant on when given the opportunity. Its gotten me in trouble a few times." The edge of a smile emerged but he allowed his mouth to open, getting rid of the grin. "What about you, Kottan? What was your life like? I can only imagine the life one must lead to live a life as you do right now."

Edited May 3, 2010 by Sgt Shidner

[Nythera]

Kottan looked amazed, just a bit. Johnas hadn't come from a prissy family after all.

She rolled up her sleeves, revealing livid red scars all up her arms.

"These were given to me by my father. He wasn't drunk, he just wanted me dead. They go all the way up my back, and down my legs. I've had them since I was eight, when all this started, and my condition has prevented them from healing properly... But they don't hurt, not like they used to." She smiled sadly, then realized something.

She grabbed her radio and said, "Guys, detour. I left some paperwork at my house, and I have to have it. Okay?"

She turned to Johnas apologetiaclly and she said with a sigh, "Sorry. I left something really important at my house and I need it for work."

[Sgt Shidner]

Johnas was surprised. He had seen the scars earlier but hadn't said anything about them. But the story behind him saddened him although he tried not to show it. He had known his father had not intentionally meant to hurt him but it had made him stronger but with Kottan, seeing the scars let in a little anger with the sadness. "I am sorry." Was all he could say.

Kottan's sudden calling for a detour startled him but as she explained, he understood the setting. "Its quite fine, I've done the same on many occasions."

[Nythera]

Kottan smiled gratefully, and she pulled down her sleeves. She pulled out her phone when it rang in her pocket, and answered, "Hello?"

"Kott, some boy was here looking for you. A friend, I guess." Kottan rolled her eyes and responded to her sister's announcment, "Ayo, I'm on business right now. Could you prep me some stuff for work? The portfolio I need is in my room, on the desk." Ayo asked, "Some clothes too?" Kottan confirmed this, then hung up on Ayo before she could keep rambling.

Kottan turned back to Johnas and said, "I know I didn't finsh telling you about myself, so now I ask: would you like me to continue?"

[Sgt Shidner]

As Kottan finished her phone conversation, Johnas shifted in his seat. When asked if she should continue telling about herself, Johnas quickly replied, "Of course." and sat back in his seat.

[Nythera]

"I was born November 22, here in this very city. I've been here since. My mother worked in a bank, died shortly after I was born, and my father put the blame on me. My sister Ayo was always with me then, at least until I started school. When Ayo was gone, our father would hit me, and tell me to admit I had consciously killed my mother. It hurt, but I couldn't do much. This went on until I was eight, then Ayo killed Father. I didn't really understand death then, but I sure as heck knew that he couldn't hurt me anymore." Kottan paused, brushing away a tear that formed at the corner of her eye.

"I was made fun of in school because of my pale complexion, and in my third grade year, a sixth grader came up to me, ruffled my hair, and told me he thought I was pretty strong to put up with that. It made me happy, but I still got into a fight that day. Ayo arranged for me to go to boarding school, and I went, quite reluctantly. I finished school there, graduating early at fifteen, then I started college at sixteen, studying law. I gradutated earlier this year, and my teachers recommended me to the government. I suspect they were reluctant to hire me, but they did."

"People still give me weird looks when I show my scars, but I disregard then now. I've come to grips with my past, although I still feel bad sometimes. I guess I was just born under an evil star." Kottan finished with a small knowing smile.

[Sgt Shidner]

"Wow." Johnas chuckled as Kottan finished her tale, "You're a bright kid. Graduating high school at 15 and college at 18? It's amazing really." His hands shifted slightly as he moved himself in his seat. "But an evil star? I think not. If anything, i believe that one must go through some form of suffering. Otherwise, how can we be human? It is our trials that make us who we are, or in your case, who you will become."

He smiled, "In the time i've been around i've been through a lot, and i don't think there is any way i could be who i am right now without those experiances." He wanted to put his hand on her shoulder just as a comforting gesture as he had seen the beginnings of a tear in Kottan's eye,[i] but no, that would be quite unprofessional[/i], he insisted to himself inside.

"So, how long till we reach our destination?" He asked, bringing things back to the main matter.

[Nythera]

"Five minutes at my house, then another ten to our original destination." she said with an unsupressed grin. She'd managed to catch the twitch of Johnas's hand, and realized he intended to touch her arm, most likely.

They pulled up at Kottan's house, then Kottan wiated for one of her men to open her door. She turned back to Johnas and asked, "Would you like to come inside?" then realized what she'd said and a pink blush colored her cheeks.

[Sgt Shidner]

"I suppose so," He replied to Kottan's offer, "Since we are here anyway."

When one of Kottan's men came around and opened her door, she stepped out. Then the same man came around and opened Johnas's door, allowing him to exit the vehicle, after which he went around the side of the vehicle to join Kottan.

[Nythera]

Kottan pushed her hand into her pocket and retrieved a set of keys. She led the way up to the front door and unlocked the door.

"Kottan, your stuff's all put together. Just go get it and get gone." her sister said, tossing her medium-long brown hair over her shoulder. Kottan sighed and hugged her. "This is my sister Ayo. Ayo, I'd like you to meet Mr. Johnas Adems of Kriegland." Ayo raked her green eyes over him approvingly, noting that he seemed very kind.

Kottan ran up the stairs, and Ayo said, "Mr. Adems, please sit down," motioning to a red chair in the living room.

Edited May 4, 2010 by Nythera

[Sgt Shidner]

Kottan pushed her hand into her pocket and retrieved a set of keys. She led the way up to the front door and unlocked the door.

"Kottan, your stuff's all put together. Just go get it and get gone." her sister said, tossing her medium-long brown hair over her shoulder. Kottan sighed and hugged her. "This is my sister Ayo. Ayo, I'd like you to meet Mr. Johnas Adems of Kriegland." Ayo raked her green eyes over him approvingly, noting that he seemed very kind.

Kottan ran up the stairs, and Ayo said, "Mr. Adems, please sit down," motioning to a red chair in the living room

Stepping inside, Johnas looked around and noted the very nice interior of Kottan's house. He was a little thrown off by Kottan's sister's slightly harsh greeting. [i]Perhaps that is how they greet each other[/i], Johnas thought, [i]they are sisters anyway[/i].

"Hello," He nodded his head in a greeting way towards Ayo. "Its nice to meet you."

When tlkd to sit down, he walked over to the red chair as pointed out. Sitting down he set down his briefcase beside him. [i]Why do i even wear this chain[/i], he thought as he set down the case which was attatched to his wrist by a small stainless steel chain, [i]its so stupid[/i].

[Nythera]

Ayo smiled and took a drink of her coffee. She said, "How's Kottan been? A pest, or has she behaved herself? She can get very annoying, very forgetful, and very tardy. Nevertheless, I love the kid. She's got a good mind and an even better heart. Oh, and, um, what's the chain for?" Ayo's smile became a quick wince as a loud crash and an even louder expletive came from upstairs.

"Language, Kottan!" Ayo shouted, shaking her head. She set her coffee mug down, and Kottan came down the stairs, dressed in a business suit, long-sleeved, of course. A messenger bag was slung over her shoulder, containing the items she needed, and her goggles were gone.

Ayo rolled her bright green eyes and said, "Come here, Kottie. Let me see where you hit yourself." Kottan stood next to Ayo and brushed her hair back, revealing a large red bump. Ayo kissed three fingers and pressed them to the sore spot on Kottan's head.

"Get better, my dear neophyte sister. Now get going. I have a feeling Mr. Adems needs to be elsewhere, and you need to learn not to involve others in your tardy habits."

[Sgt Shidner]

"Yes, She's been very nice indeed. She does seem to be a kind-hearted girl. Very down to earth, even if seeming like she has her head in the clouds sometimes." Johnas laughed quietly. "As for the chain, It is for extra security." At this he chuckled, "The briefcase contains a draft of a Mutual Defense Pact and a small folder of designs i'm going to present to the Carthaginian government."

His head jerk upwards at the crash above and he moved slightly, as if to look through the floor and see what had happened. When Kottan came down the stairs and stood by Ayo, Johnas saw the bump on her head. [i]Ouch[/i], he thought, [i]what could she have done[/i]?

"Its fine," Johnas said as he stood up to go to the door, "This is the first time i've been to Carthage, what better way to spend it than learning the ways of the people that live here. Tardiness matters not."

"Sooo," He asked as him and Kottan stepped outside to return to the car, "What exactly happened upstairs?"

Edited May 5, 2010 by Sgt Shidner

[Nythera]

Kottan laughed and straightened her jacket.

"I tripped on a stack of books, and then I got a sound thumping when another stack toppled over on me. The six thousnad page dictionary was what gave me the bump." Kottan reached into her bag and pulled out a deep burgundy portfolio.

---

Sephan watched all this from the bushes near Kottan's house, and briefly shot a glance at his ten-speed bike. He hoped he could keep up when they left. If not, he'd get to Kottan later that night. He pulled out his Smith and Wesson and smirked quietly. It was time she knew what was coming to her.

---

Kottan's men opened the car doors, and Kottan got inside. Quickly, she flipped through the pages in the portfolio until she found a copy of some blueprints. She pulled out a red pen, and circled a few areas where she thought the architecture would be fairly weak.

Once everything was ready, they left, followed by a black-haired guy on a ten-speed bicycle.

[Sgt Shidner]

"Oh man. I'm sorry." Johnas said as he looked at Kottan, "That looks like it hurt."

After Kottan got in the car, Johnas followed and sat down across from her. When he set down his briefcase, the clasp of the chain around his wrist caught on his skin and tore a small gash in it. He quickly moved to cover it up with his other hand.

Noticing that Kottan was fiddling with some blueprints and saw an opening to draw the conversation away from him before Kottan noticed his injury, "So, what are you working on there?"