The District of Columbia

[Bern]

Amanda

"Seriously, couldn't you've put on a bra?? Your nipples are showing." It was a bit hypocritical of her to say considering how short her own skirt was, but the Elf was breaking social codes left and right without realizing it. As for her she really did enjoy that she was getting even more attention than Eru, it was making her feel quite smug and accomplished.

"I don't go here very often." She sighed as she changed the subject. "Everyone here either hates me cause of the history between our places, or they don't recognize me and want to fuck me... or both. Don't get me wrong, an aggressive hatefuck can be fun but they're so pushy here and egocentric..."

As she talked she lead her girlfriend to a very fancy gourmet restaurant. It wasn't very hard to get a table there, not when you were as rich as she was. "But the first thing you should do here is stuff yourself with their famously fat food. How do you think I got to like this?"

[SINIB]

Amanda

"Seriously, couldn't you've put on a bra?? Your nipples are showing." It was a bit hypocritical of her to say considering how short her own skirt was, but the Elf was breaking social codes left and right without realizing it. As for her she really did enjoy that she was getting even more attention than Eru, it was making her feel quite smug and accomplished.

"I don't go here very often." She sighed as she changed the subject. "Everyone here either hates me cause of the history between our places, or they don't recognize me and want to fuck me... or both. Don't get me wrong, an aggressive hatefuck can be fun but they're so pushy here and egocentric..."

As she talked she lead her girlfriend to a very fancy gourmet restaurant. It wasn't very hard to get a table there, not when you were as rich as she was. "But the first thing you should do here is stuff yourself with their famously fat food. How do you think I got to like this?"

Eruraviel

The elf looked down. Her pert nipples created small little nubs through the thin fabric of her tank. Her fat ass strained against her denims, and her breasts almost billowed out of the open side of her shirt.

The points of her ears trembled in consternation. "Hmmm." She replied. "I guess I could have. I don't really own any nice ones." She looked up, glancing around the city. The Columbians were mostly going about their own business, milling between their towering glass spires atop their cement pathways. The pair were receiving glances, but for them, the attention was actually rather subdued.

"A big war happened, right? They fought an um-successful revolution against Pine Garden, when their goddess manifested for the first time?" The thought of Amanda getting dominated by others, well, it rubbed Eru the wrong way. The tips of her ears trmbled and she pursed her lips in mild annoyance. "I hope it's as good a dish as you've described, I always love eating out and trying all sorts of funny human dishes!"

The elven goddess grabbed Amanda's hand and pulled her towards an open booth instead. "And what is this seating contraption? It looks most appealing!"

[Aiden]

The State of the Union

Many things shaped policy in the months that followed the brief incursion into Columbia territory by Americana and her pursuers. Word of the abrupt regime change in Halloween Town had reached the district in fairly short order as the being responsible was not precisely the subtle sort. Neither were the swarms of reanimated bodies that had replaced the iconic pumpkin guardians at the borders. That, and what had quickly become clear to be some manner of false flag operation using outdated Columbian surplus hardware, continued to give fits to all public facing institutions as they filled the public's ears with conspiracy and speculation.

The incursion by heretic forces so soon after the attack of the killer pumpkin monsters had taken priority over a neighbor's instability. Nobody had claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Columbian Intelligence Agency had secured intel suggesting it was Alaban or Jirali forces who had sought to point a finger at non-humans and corrupt the will of the public accordingly. Measures had been drafted, rejected, and redrafted repeatedly in the legislature over the appropriate response.

The public was furious - they wanted war. They just didn't have a clear consensus about who to fight or how - yet.

One woman had a very clear idea for exactly who, how, and when they should be fighting - and she was drafting up her next proposal to convince her colleagues of it.


Serra Drosa

The young senator bit at the end of her pen as she considered the wording. She was sitting at a cafe across the lawn from the capitol building with a cup of warm tea, wearing a modest dress and comfortable pink sweater for the colder temperatures of the mid winter months that had overtaken the northern districts. Gloves covered her hands, which rose once in a while to wave to passerby and constituents.

But mostly, she bit at the end of her pen in frustration.

[SINIB]

Eruraviel

Too soon was Serra's reverie broken by the sudden appearance of a curious elf. Eruraviel wore little, too little for the cold. A simple skirt that failed to cover her ass, and a tank top which did little to disguise the immensity of her braless chest.

Stranger still than her garb were her actions, however. She was standing on the tips of her big toes, sniffing at the air with trembling ears. Soon, she approached, leaning down to the sitting congresswoman's eyelevel before grinning.

"You have an interesting smell to you—humu, I see." She clicked her tongue and smiled. "You too are a woman of masculine additions, and..." She cocked her head at Serra. "I believe I recognize you, as well. The firebrand young congresswoman in charge of the war caucus?"

[Bern]

Amanda

A hand came down chopping on the head of the Elf before she could cause any more embarrassment, or cause an even worse incident to occur. Amanda retracted her hand and bowed as much as was required for seeing another person of stately affairs. The mage herself was also lightly dressed , perhaps showing even more leg than her companion by virtue of wearing a miniskirt. Although her shirt did cover up her top more even if it was form fitting.

"I'm terribly sorry Congresswoman for her behavior, my companion is not used to our customs." She felt underdressed yet she pushed on with the formalities, even tho she probably just flashed her underwear for half the café when she bowed. No scratch that, pretty much the whole café would already be ogling her because of her charms so any potential exposure like that wouldn't change much. Diplomatically speaking she couldn't do anything but accept her apology, Amanda was nominally above her in station and by apologizing this blatantly it would make for a bad image to reject it.

[Aiden]

Serra Drosa

Serra looked up with the appearance of someone caught off guard, quite suddenly, but the keen and experienced eyes of those far older than she were sufficient to note the calculation with which she faced them. Her eyes lingered on Eruraviel for a moment, but then she turned her attention back to the one who was making a scene of herself and... and wow, she was quite pretty. She waved a gloved hand in front of herself. "Ahaha. Well, I wouldn't worry about it too much." Serra glanced back to the dangerously uncouth elf. "Just don't say it so loudly, alright?"

She crossed her legs beneath the table, and waved for them to take a seat at the chairs present.

"Now then, how can I help the Chancellor of Pine Garden and her friend?"

[SINIB]

Eruraviel Lavinia

Eruraviel's ears twanged as if she were in a saturday morning cartoon with the chop coming fiercely down upon her head. They vibrated rapidly, twitching up and down spastically before slowly settling down in their standard, ourward facing position. She barely seemed to take note of the reprimand, settling down confidently at the table across from the congresswoman. Behind her confident bluster and her serene smile laid a vast well of experience and knowledge far outstripping that of any human.

The elf rested her chin upon her fist and grinned. This woman smelled of gunpower and power, and had a subtle guardedness to her which far outstripped that which one might expect from a typical career polititian. They were the eyes of a hunter, a killer, she could tell.

Eruraviel licked her lips, but restrained herself from digging deeper. She doubted the woman across the table would appriciate such an intrusion.

"On the contrary, that's my question, congresswoman." Her ears twitched, listening carefully for even the tiniest of microtells, listening to the whispers of the grasses and the bugs around them. "Columbia seems to be in crisis, and you're right in the thick of it all."

[Bern]

Amanda

The Elf settling down opposite the congresswoman presented the perfect opportunity for her and she was quick to take it by taking the sear right next to Serra and even inching herself closer so that she could whisper to her. The setup was just so perfect and she could naturally continue on from what Eru had said.

"It's not about what you can do for me, but what we can do for you." It turned out that her melodic voice was just as charming as her appearance. Amanda rested her her chin on her hand much like Eru did and her gaze was entirely locked onto Serra, she was not even glancing on the papers that the Congresswoman had been working on.

She stealthily scratched the table with her nail, or at least did in such a way that any third party looking on would notice the movement, of course the gesture was noticeable to the people at the table. Once she finished a multi layered invisible dome surrounded the three of them that would distort anything they said to sound more mundane. Or at least that was the second layer, the first layer was privacy shield that muted their conversation and the second layer was hidden function in case someone broke the first. People usually didn't look for multiple levels of deception, so they probably wouldn't think to look further. Any onlooker penetrating the first layer would believe she was casually flirting with the Congresswoman, a bit of a scandalous and rumors of that would surely circulate, but in truth that would only obfuscate the truth all the better.

"I could perhaps convince the Noble Council to formally support your next endeavor in exchange for you opening up those ports." Pine Garden had since the Independence War, been heavily restricted in the way it could trade and open up branch offices in Columbia, a situation that had annoyed a lot of the Nobility for centuries.

[Aiden]

Serra Drosa

A sharp look of vigilance pierced back into Eruraviel's eyes, and a surge of defiant will enshrouded the depths of the senator's spirit. She turned her papers over, calmly, and lowered a hand beneath the table to her bag. But her face, her lips turned upward in a welcomingly polite smile. "Such a convenient thing you can do there, Chancellor."

She only turned her eyes from Eruraviel to glance at the table, and then finally to Amanda. "Tell me, what do you already know of my next proposal? I'm quite curious what makes you feel I'm the right woman to approach for this."

[SINIB]

Serra Drosa

A sharp look of vigilance pierced back into Eruraviel's eyes, and a surge of defiant will enshrouded the depths of the senator's spirit. She turned her papers over, calmly, and lowered a hand beneath the table to her bag. But her face, her lips turned upward in a welcomingly polite smile. "Such a convenient thing you can do there, Chancellor."

She only turned her eyes from Eruraviel to glance at the table, and then finally to Amanda. "Tell me, what do you already know of my next proposal? I'm quite curious what makes you feel I'm the right woman to approach for this."

Eruraviel

The elf smirked, and then snapped her fingers. What I know is that the unfortunate actions of a few months ago have well, they've certainly benefitted your caucus. And I also know that you'll be pushing a bill to pass a formal declaration of war. I also know that you're in bed with the goddess's eldest, and that you very likely will get your way." Of course, she knew more than she let on, however, it never did to reveal one's hand so readily, especially when the other party was keeping it so close to their chest. Her ears twitched and she leaned forwards, staring at Serra intently with her vibrant purple eyes.

"Now, it's your turn. What do you know of me?"

[Aiden]

Serra Drosa

Serra did not visibly react to the extent of Eruraviel's knowledge save to cover her gloved left hand with her gloved right hand in response to mention of Washington. Then she hummed, and inclined her head to the two of them. "You are the witch of the woods, who barters for souls and treats with devils. You are a - subject of interest to more than a few."

She turned her eyes to Amanda then, too. "But knowing that the two of you have been collaborating? That's new."

[SINIB]

Eruraviel

Eruraviel's lips inclined a hair at the reaction to Washington's mere name. So she's been enticed into complicated romantic affairs with the Goddess... She cracked her knuckles and then crossed her right leg over her left. Her soft mounds trembled enticingly with each movement, and with a slight lean backwards, she showed she wasn't here to try and seduce her. Good. I can use that.

"You seem to know of me, but it seems you know little of my goals or doings—almost as if my existence is mythical in a way. Do you know why I gather souls, what I do with them, or what my goals are? Why I should be concerned with the doings of the mortal races?"

[Bern]

Amanda

Or maybe her words sounds like a vague summary because you're new and no one really pays attentions to the woods cause only crazy hermits live there. Nevertheless she didn't speak these words out loud, but the Elf clearly had an overinflated sense of self importance. And then she goes on to imply she's only there to make a statement and be threatening, what the hell. If she was in private she'd be slamming her head into the table by now.

"To get to the point, you want to punish some bad people and I can solve all financial issues you'll ever face." Of course being the one to put an end to the economical fued between Pine Garden and Columbia would boost her influence massively. In some ways she could gain even more than the Congresswoman but that was all down the line.

[Aiden]

Serra Drosa

"Ah, then the stories are true. That's good to know." Serra brought her hand up to her mouth as if to cover a smile in response to Eruraviel's posturing. "But as long as you leave Columbian citizens be, I have no reason to be concerned."

She turned her attention back to the person who had actually made an offer. "That I would ever face? That's quite a generous, and personally directed, offer. What assurances would I have that you would not simply withdraw your aid once your aims are accomplished?"

The senator spoke less in a manner meant to accuse, and more out of a sort of curiosity.

But her eyes never stopped keeping Eruraviel visible in her periphery.

[SINIB]

Eruraviel

Hmm. It seemed like her wife had different ideas of how to negotiate than her. How bothersome. She glanced at Amanda for a moment before returning her gaze to Serrulatta.

She had a goal, and she wouldn't let even Amanda interfere with it. If she got in the way, Eruraviel would simply have to subugate her. Although, it was that feistiness and her lack of ability to peel away Amanda's layers that had made her interested in the human in the first place.

Her ears fluttered in confusion, waiting for Amanda to respond as to avoid getting in the way of her wife—she could interject later, after all. Paitence was a privilege unique to the long-lived races. Humans would always get caught up in the details and muck about without being able to regard the entire forest for what it truly was.