A Beach Feast (IC)

[Palmyrion]

Finn was visibly elated. Jerald wasn't quite acquainted with armaments manufacturers other than the Palmyrian Commonwealth's own, as well as the regional arms magnates of Greater Dienstad, namely LAIX, Lyran Arms, and Covenant. Who wouldn't want to talk business with businessmen? Surely, too many connections is, well, too many, but he needed to expand to other frontiers than Palmyrion (and they've saturated the Palmyrian market anyways, with peer competitor Tiglao nipping at their bootheels).

"After you, Finn." Jerald said, seemingly stoic as he always was.

Kiana Rúisc of the Tribe of Waterford.
"Before we get back into the discussion...", Esecutore said with a small, apologetic smile and a small bow to Finn, "...I am afraid, that Aurora and I have to depart you. It was a great pleasure, Finn."
"Indeed, that it was.", BI's boss said with a small bow in return, winked charmingly at Aurora, who smiled, clearly amused and slightly charmed, "I have your business card, Silvio, and if everything else fails, I ask Heardread. I haven't forgotten your words about the quality of Lutetiian wool and I am sure, that Eithne would want to test that out, too."
Esecutore nodded. "We'll see each other then.", he said and after the obligatory round of goodbyes, the two were gone. I would spot them next time conversing with a fellow I didn't recognize.
That all done, Finn turned to Jerald and Evelyn - two people, who Esecutore and Alce had left out of their goodbyes apparently by design - and smiled. "So much for viniculture. I must admit, that I am not much of a wine drinker anyways... I am, however, very fond of Spiorad na Bainne, spirit of milk, a drink of fermented sheep or cow milk. It comes from the Icy Shore, in the north of the Mainland, where both I and Bicini Industries are from."

"In vino veritas." Jerald remarked. "The Persians used to debate an idea both sober and drunk. If it was good in both cases then they agreed to it." he added in jest. "Spirit of milk is also an interesting thing to try - and speaking of liqueur -" Jerald paused, after which Evelyn produced an 800mL bottle of Ardiente aguamiel de coco y piña - a popular drink in the Royal Commonwealth, which was a fruit mead made of coconut and pineapple - a bittersweet reminder of Palmyrion's better days now that it was facing intense civil strife left, right, and centre: Christian and Islamic fundamentalists, as well as Fourth-Position Neo-Nazis swearing to defend the dasein of Palmyrion, and National Bolsheviks who wanted to stop Palmyrion's moral decline by overthrowing and replacing with a socialist economy the economic system that profited from its perceived moral breakdown.

"The finest wine the Royal Commonwealth has to offer." - continued Jerald, unaware of the market's enthusiasm surrounding Palmyrion's efforts to revive two extinct pre-colonial drinks (intus and kabarawan) and lambanog's rise to prominence in the Palmyrian alcohol market.

[Aurora Confederacy]

Brenda Iarnród of the Tribe of Louth.
Ribin was a bit disappointed, pouting, which made me grin lopsidedly, which also served excellently at hiding my slight disappointment. Dad would be indeed uninterested in such a market, not because it was so small (eight million was still respectable and we had made deals with smaller nations, I knew that), but a state owned company was hard to dislodge from its monopolies because the state of course was quite interested to preserve these monopolies...
...and the corresponding revenue.
"Ya aren't much of a cat-herder, now are ya?", I asked Ribin and she sighed, packing up the headphones. "Don't worry, Ruathaire still loves ya!"
Ribin looked at me and smiled slightly.

With the party getting underway, Jason and Karen decided to get the fire going ready for the after-party dining, so with this Jason reposoitioned himself to face the fire pit which has been part filled in with some drift wood, dried grass and some kindling. Taking a pen-knife and a flint stone Jason positioned the flint above the kindling, then with a sharp, swift movement of the knife a spark was sent into the kindling which soon caught light.

As the kindling began to burn, more dried grass was put on the freshly formed fire and slowly the glowing embers turned onto a steadily burning camp fire, putting a smile on Karen's face, Marvin seeing the fire decided to lie down in the sand and gently soak up the warmth, until that is, they decided to make their way over to the rest of the group at the main camp fire, letting their own fire mature.

Below the fire were some stones, being heated by the flames, these will then be used to heat food.

[Mediama]

Marion smiled back at Nia, and giggled as the little girls cheered. She gingerly tilted the paper bag over and gave each girl first a napkin and then a handful of lemon drops. “Now don’t ruin your appetites by eating them all at once you hear?” As she heard their responses, and their thanks, Marion couldn’t help but feel her heart truly melt as they did so in an adorable fashion.

Truly, she was starting to feel relaxed. When she first got here, she was a little panicked and stressed at getting ready to present ideas and designs for B.I. It was truly nerve-wracking.

But here, sitting with a god-knows-how-old-but-also-very-cute wolf-girl and two children, at a sunny beach away from the freezing cold of New London, gave her nothing but a sense of comfort and relaxation. She turned to face Nia, and she felt like she didn’t want to leave, despite the fact that a certain photographer was probably waiting for her. She wanted to ask questions, but she didn’t know where to start.

That was the dilemma of slightly love struck, but very much flustered girl.

Nia Sneachtúil, of Cefnffordd Descent.
As expected, the two girls thanked Marion in their adorable way, thanked her for the advice, too, and put one lemon drop each into their mouth, smiling happily.
I knew, that they would share them with their friends later.
I looked into her flustered face and I knew, that she wanted to ask something... and I saw, in her eyes, that she liked me. Liked as in liked.
We were all relaxing, the weather was nice, the company both adorable and fun, the topics were nice, too.
Yet, Marion had trouble finding the right words to start.
"Who taught you how to sew that good?", I asked, indicating to the swimsuit. It was really well made!

Marion smiled fondly, remembering warm memories. “My mother taught me how to sew initially, and I took a liking to it from there.” She fiddled with her swimsuit, “Soon enough I became an assistant to a costume designer for a theatre, and so I helped create costumes for actors and actresses to wear.”

She looked back at Nia, “I continued studying in costume design at university, but I quickly changed my mind. There were so many intricate and beautiful designs out there from all time periods, and though costume design was an art form in itself since we had to take take into account durability and costume changes, it was... disconcerting to see such designs having to take a back seat to zippers and the like.”

She continued on, “For my internship, they decided to send me to assist a historical costuming school, and next thing you know, I’m helping them write a book on historical patterns while was learning about historical stitching.” She giggled softly, “Now I’m just trying to figure out what to do now with my skill set.” She concluded. “What about you?” She asked, “Were there any skills that you were taught by your mother or by someone important?”

[Minroz]

Isla Stiúrthóir of the Tribe of Fingal.
"A few do.", I said and shrugged, "Not really our cuppa... we Selkie are more whiskey- and ale-drinkers, when it comes to alcohol, although beer has become a bit more popular, especially from Lillorainen."
I shrugged.
"Wine is more drunk by the Lutetiians.", I added as her husband returned, "We should have a few bottles around, mind you... but that's only after the kids are in bed at ten." I threw the two of them a wink. "Have a good appetite!"

“Ah, a shame then. You Selkies missed out the best thing in life.” Roskana made a tease. “But I’m looking forward to some good drinks around ten, ahah~.”

By the time she says it, Nasrollah returned with the lemonades.

[“Honey, you’re back~.”] The redhead chimed, conversing in her native Aryanian (Farsi).

[“So I did. I got lemonades.”] He replied, conversing in same tongue as his wife. Nodding at him in acknowledgement, Roksana then turns around to Isla and carries the food while her husband helps carrying the rest.

“Thank you for the food~.” She chimed, returning the wink, “Say, just out of curiosity. Since it’s our first time visiting this country, is there any spots here we can try visiting on this island?”

[Kuronami]

Galen Lannaire of the Tribe of Louth.
Kean nodded. "Indeed, I rode solo.", he said, "Though, one should mention, that this brave lassie here..." He smiled at his horse. "...was younger and smaller then she is nowadays. It was good riding exercise."
I smiled at that, nodded. "I grew up on a cattle ranch near Anfa.", I said, "I helped out on that ranch since I was little. Protected the cattle on the grassy plains, herded them, trained mounted archery, too."
"You still dream of competing against Leonard, don't you?", Kean asked.
I nodded. "Sure do." I addressed the the two girls with a smile: "Leonard Lách of the Tribe of Galway is the best mounted archer currently in the League.", I explained to them, "And he's actually quite a nice guy. Cattle Ranch Son like me!"
Kean nodded.

"Like me!" Bianca responded again with a swell of excitement. "Well not a cattle rancher but I live on a farm back home. Isabel lives close in a large countryside mansion."

"aha well..." Isabel sheepishly giggled and Bianca continued "It's great she's so close by I can walk to her place when we want to play together. We often have tea time with September and Kronos. Sleepovers too!"

"Bianca think you've gone a bit off topic, silly."

"Oh well yeah. Anyway just sayain' is, we're two peas in a pod it seems like."

[Lillorainen]

Amy Laoch of the Tribe of Dundalk.
We laughed with Dragan and his friends, which felt good.
"For me, there are certain members of Royalty one better avoids at balls.", Alya said with a smile, "And then there are those, who just need more practice. Funnily enough, Crown Prince Ilia falls into the latter category. I know from Aurelia, that she often offers him to dance with her, but he never has time."
Alya shrugged.
"Well, that was, what dance shoes with iron reinforcement were invented for.", Alya added.
"They'll be of much use tonight, eh?", I asked and looked at Alya's feet, which were both good-looking and bare.
The Princess shrugged with a smile. Can't have everything in life, now can you?, she asked nonverbally.

Celina Treoraí of the Tribe of Louth.
And with that, with me linked to my boyfriend and my boss on my other side, we began to move, a mob of Little Black Foxes on our feet, Cladhaire still in my arm.
And with a glance around, I saw quite a few coolers already occupied and our bar maids working like mules... but there was one cooler, where only two women, one a mother, and her little girl sat... well, as they spotted us, it was only the two women, who smiled with delight as the little girl came running towards us.
"Chris!", one could hear Little Enya call out happily from afar.
I smiled softly as I allowed her to jump into my boyfriend's arms - she was one of the very, very few girls, who were not a Spiorad, who had that permission. The sight allowed me to, for but a moment, to ignore, that my mother was sitting with Mommy Mhairin.
And that we were on a course to meet.
Still, one had to give it to my mother, that she was still a beautiful woman, even after giving birth to three children, and was in no way inferior to the far younger models of BI, which were around. Her high-leg one-piece even accentuated her mature beauty.
She smiled softly and she did not seem to hold any ill intent as she reached for the cooler.

Not only Cel, but also Chris immediately recognized Finnya Treoraí of the Tribe of Louth, co-owner of Treoraí Optics, a woman who had still managed to stay beautiful despite being dangerously close to seeing her 50th Spring and having given birth to three children - and happened to be nobody lesser than Cel's mother.
She was sitting with Mommy Mhairin near one of the coolers. Chris remembered the long conversation he and Cel's Mam had had nine months ago, at the Spring Festival in Cuan. Her impression of Chris had been good as a result, and this was quite not the only point that ran counter to her husband's opinions ...
But before Chris could even have gotten to thinking of whether or not there was a reason to get nervous, Little Enya called Chris from afar and jumped into his arms - as one of the few females who had Cel's permission to do so, for there were two age barriers for receiving this, and Little Enya clearly fell below the lower of the two thresholds.
"Enya! How are ya' doing?" - he asked while hugging the little whirlwind.

Dragan nodded, smiling.
He had to think about the pictures he had seen from the ball at Schloss Zyng again. While he couldn't know, who of the present guests had turned out to lack in dancing practice back then, there was one thing he could say for sure - it hadn't been the Shikonjimanese. The competitiveness of those people when it came to dancing was almost as insane as their politeness (or how it was perceived abroad).
"Indeed, some might simply need a bit more practice!" - he said. "Granted, it was still an awesome night back then, and Leo does know quite a few excellent dancers - but then, there are those who manage to step onto their dancer partners' toes with their heels - literally!" He had to snort.
Kira laughed. "What did the intake of Äbbelwoi look like during that night?" - she asked.
"Varied strongly ..." - Leo answered for him.
"It didn't immediately get obvious in that particular moment" - Dragan continued explaining, "but there's a thing I can definitely recommend: should you ever, for whatever reason, end up in a bar at the Cattenia Square in the Free City of Wiedheim, make sure to wear your dance shoes with iron reinforcement!"

[Shikonjima]

Raidri Gormchló of the Tribe of Fingal.
"Zaijia...", I began, "...is balanced by the same mechanism as any other civilization is balanced: Units cost a continuous upkeep in food, gold and supplies. Once that runs out, the units either cease to fight, desert or starve."
"More then one Zaijia-Player lost entire armies without fights because he forgot that!", my son added with a grin, "Might have been, that I helped along with that..."
I grinned, remembering one particular game. "As it is, with the ease one can spam as Zaijia, one often overestimates that boundary... and with an army of deserters marauding through your base, you quickly learn that."

Faye Donn of the Tribe of Wexford.
"I would know that, too...", I said and grinned, "...let the fingers off of that!"
I took a sip and, too, was gulping at the sweetness.
"No offense to Shikonjima, its Navy or its shipbuilders, but such ventures always bear high risks and while that sometimes can mean high reward, I would call the result that Mister Tuffatore achieved, more a stroke of good luck then anything else.", I said and shook my head, "No, I don't think, that such a thing would work again nowadays, unless the Yoshita was a very special vessel, in which case it might be better served as a floating museum."

Kazuo and Yelda nodded, grinning.
"That's surely a more sophisticated approach than the mechanics of AoE" - Kazuo commented, "with its resources being limited to four - wood, food, gold, and stone. Of course, one must add, that the relative simplicity of the AoE gameplay is a result of the age of the series, with AoE I being from 1997, AoE II from 1999, and AoE III from the mid-2000s, 2005 or so, if I recall correctly. The second, and most popular, part has been modified a couple of times since then, new civilizations have been added, some have been modified for the sake of balancing, and the graphics have been updated a bit, in various Add-ons. But all in all, the gameplay mechanics are still the same, which continues to make it a classic for fans - even for those who also enjoy games with more complex mechanics."
"Indeed" - Yelda agreed, "and these more complex mechanics of Rúid!, and also Fushigi no Jidai, at least if the previews are anything to go by, surely make the whole thing a lot more enjoyable, even with opponents trying to compensate their lack of skill with overpowered masses of trash units." Kazuo had to grin about Yelda's way of implicitly attesting 'noobhood' to others. Of course, the game would be just as new to him as it would be to her, so their first few matches would definitely be a bit more balanced. "In a team match, I would probably be the one keeping well behind the frontlines, putting an empire focussed on economic power and trade up in the hinterland, and assisting my more skilled teammates in sending units for defense at the frontline and resources whenever needed."
Kazuo laughed. "And leave the work to the others, eh?"
"And back them with resources, defense units, morale, and kind words, indeed."
Of course, Kazuo had been joking - if Yelda would be able to translate her efficiency of resource farming from one game to another, he could quite imagine, that this sort of labor division in a team match could work perfectly well - although he surely wouldn't have minded seeing her getting more active on the field, either.
"As for Fushigi no Jidai, it surely will be interesting to see what the whole thing will work like" - he said. "What we know already, is that there will be twelve civilizations to choose from in standard games, plus four more civilizations only available in certain campaigns as well as on custom maps - in either case, our knowledge on the choice thereof is limited to educated guesses based on the previews as of yet, but that might change soon. The construction and destruction of Wonders will play a major role - if not to say, they will be the be-all and end-all in the game -, and interestingly enough, it will have both gold and silver as resources, unlike many other RTS, which tend to use either of both."
Meanwhile, Setsuko nodded.
"Yeah, turning vessels taken out of service into floating museums is a common method in our parts as well" - she said. "The ISN Heihachirou II, an aircraft carrier of the same class as the Yoshita, got decommissioned in 2014 and replaced by - you guessed it - the RSN Heihachirou III, and now serves as a floating museum in Nashinya, right next to the ISN Nanako, which was already decommissioned in 1989." She had to grin. "Depending on your level of knowledge on our history, you might or might not recognize the recurring pattern of naming our aircraft carriers after our former Rulers. Not all of them serve as floating museums, of course, for our space is limited, but we're kind of in the process of making it a new habit." She let a beat pass. "Certainly, this is indeed less reliant on luck ..."

[AHSCA]

Aonas Folracht of the Tribe of Wicklow.
I looked to Iliane and smiled at her.
"What do ya think, Iliane?", I asked, "Wanna overwinter on Corona with me next year?"
Dad laughed as the young woman flustered and blushed, stuttered something out, that sounded like a preliminary approval - at least until school started again, she added.
Dad, meanwhile, grinned at Ayla. "That begs the question of whether or not you might be interested in receiving more tourists, Alya. It all had two sides: On one hand, more tourists mean more money and revenue, on the other, more tourists mean more traffic and that might damage the environment... you'll have to carefully choose."
"And don't forget the gawkers.", I added from the side, referring to the tourists, who would just stand around and gawk like idiots - mostly standing in the way and begging for accidents to happen.
"Aye, can't forget those.", Dad agreed.

"aha yes, people are people after all. It is a double edged sword about tourism but...." she smiled softly looking out to the horizon again. "I think Coronans are ready to show their friendly side once again." Her people, the people she cared for and loved as Chief had gone through a lot in the last two decades but now times were changing. "Come down, I'll make you my personal guests."

[The Selkie]

Alexandra was certainly overjoyed at Fintan's agreement to follow ahead with her proposal but luckily, she did an excellent job of concealing it to herself. "Excellent choice, and before we go further, I just wanted to compliment you on your efforts in our kiss earlier. You were certainly going for it, Finny!", commended Alexandra spontaneously as she "rewarded" him with a short, yet reassuring kiss on the left cheek as a "well done". However, oddly enough, as they turned to walk, Alexandra politely turned down his offer, teasing him instead with a "keep it to yourself for now". As she looked ahead for a few seconds before turning back to Fintan, she could see that their destination, the marina is a bit distant from where they currently are, offering them much needed space to talk with each other.

With her hands crossed behind her back, she decided to again take charge by initiating the conversation between them. "So Finny, I'm genuinely interested...", as she seemingly paused for a few seconds, she also did not waited for an answer from Fintan himself, yet as she regained her words just about that moment. "If I could recall my memories right, when you were about to ask me for a dance, you seemed to had been observant, but at the same time, you seemed worried. Anything that's been troubling you that I can help with?", as much as how directed the question was, Alexandra certainly did not want to cause him unintended anxiety in giving an answer.

Deep down, she is certainly trying to slowly crack open the shell inside that held Fintan's thoughts about their encounter, and Alexandra, the young and blonde British lady is certainly ready for it all, whether they be both good or bad in nature.

Fintan Muc of the Tribe of Cork.
We walked down the beach and she told me to keep my hand to myself and I grinned - it was not an insult, but a tease, and I liked it.
Then she asked me, why I had been worried, or at least seemed to be.
Well, I had said, that there was nothing, but it was not the entire truth...
"Truth is...", I said and decided to entrust this with Alexandra: "...I am Fintan Muc of the Tribe of Cork. I am one of the singers and the bass guitarist of the Selkie-Rock Trio Mórbhileog. The other two are Conner and Eoin." I let a beat pass. "The two are my best friends, but as of late, things went... weird." I sighed. "I'm the youngest of us and while the other two have already graduated, I am in my last year... and while we still make music, I feel, that I hold them back... and they do, too."
I swallowed.
"Digs and quips between friends are usual, I know that, but as of late, things got... a bit more heated and one-sided...", I added, swallowed, "That is the largest concern I have..."

Gerald Vicente
At the Beach

"Sorry Amy, I don't," Gerald replied. "Besides, 'Footvolley?' From the name itself, I'm thinking of a soccer-volleyball hybrid..."

As the trio stopped, he could see the Spirit of Diamond from afar. One hundred and twenty meters didn't look like it from a distance, but he knew that the yacht was close enough that as long as he knew which part of the beach allowed for watercraft he could be picked up by yacht tender; the Indomitable Spirit-class came with two covered tenders and two rescue tenders.

Isla Saighead of the Tribe of Westmeath.
I knew, that the resort did not allow yacht tenders to deliver to or pick people up from the beach. There were quays and piers for small boats everywhere, but just not on our beach.
And the Spirit was about as close as she could get without risking beaching herself.
As it was, I had more important concerns, namely explaining to Vicente: "Indeed, it is. Two teams, in professional sports of four people, but in more relaxed atmospheres that can vary, try to keep the ball in the air while playing it over a volleyball net to the opposing team - or over a certain height. Allowed are only football moves, headers, kicks and so on." I grinned. "It's a lot of fun!"

The man initially seemed confused, but then seemed disgusted.
"How does 'Not what I meant, but okay, buddy' sound?" he snarked.
He turned around and shook his head. "I swear I saw Erika." he muttered under his breath, as he left.

He found himself a good, quiet spot far from everyone else, and leaned against a tree trunk. After some rifling around in his bag, he found what he was looking for-an MP3 player, a pair of earbuds, a sketchpad, and a set of pencils.

ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: Сектор газа-ГУЛЯЙ, МУЖИК!
──⚪───────────────────

◄◄⠀▐▐ ⠀►►⠀⠀ ⠀0:10 / 3:10⠀⠀

As he listened to music, he continued working on a little sketch of his, to pass the time.

---

Marie smiled. "Hullo, Macha...I would change into something else, but I don't have anything to spare...Do you have anything I could change into, perhaps?

Adelheid turned to Illia as she waited.

"Say..." she started. "What's a young lad like you doing here? Just curious."

Fiona Radharceolaíocht of the Tribe of Westmeath.
I shook my head. What a strange guy...
No. Bad Fiona. You had that one already and while the kid it brought into your life turned out to be awesome, you want your next child in a stable, married relationship and not in a one night fling with a soldier you want to 'fix'. Bad Fiona!
Anyway, I turned back to my daughter and the Kyrenaian Prince, who I knew to be a good guy, not because of his title, but because he and his little sister worked for BI - like I did.
He gentlemanly kissed her hand as a farewell, which made my girl, who believed herself to be an ugly duckling among the beauties of BI, blush like a ripe strawberry.
A moment later, the two parted, Iuna joining my side.
"You look like you just had a run in with someone, who you would have loved to punt into his crown jewels.", she said without much of a preamble.
I snorted. My girl was at the Iris Boarding School Complex and she was a member of its Tankery Team, the Gunner of one of their vehicles. She was very empathetic and thoughtful under her facade as a jokester, not many knew that, but she could also be very direct.
"Not much punting, but he had a bad pickup line. The whole I know you from somewhere-spiel...", I told my daughter, who snorted in amusement, "So, rather then that - is Prince Elian really as charming as everyone says?"
My daughter was red as a strawberry again.

Yven Barriall of the Tribe of Monaghan.
Macha looked Marie up and down, then nodded.
"We do have a few somethings for every taste.", she said, "Though I guess, that a sportive one-piece might be the best for you...? Or a sports bikini? Hm... something sports, anyway, judging by your built."
What Marie might not know, was, that Macha was one of BI's designers and swimsuits, while not her speciality, was something she could work with. And models, too, so if she looked at Marie like a model, she could work.

Ilia, meanwhile, smiled at Adelheid.
"It's no problem.", he said, "My parents run BI and brought me along because... well, the more the merrier. Plus, some of our models are roundabout my age. Besides..." He brought his balled fist to his heart and tapped it twice, the salute of both the SDF and, long before them, the warriors coming from the Lands of the Selkie, including the Younger Militias. "...I am a Leftenant and Logistics-Man of the Launceston Younger Militia!"
I grinned at his proud boast as Eithne indeed came closer, another woman I did not recognize immediately in tow.

"In vino veritas." Jerald remarked. "The Persians used to debate an idea both sober and drunk. If it was good in both cases then they agreed to it." he added in jest. "Spirit of milk is also an interesting thing to try - and speaking of liqueur -" Jerald paused, after which Evelyn produced an 800mL bottle of Ardiente aguamiel de coco y piña - a popular drink in the Royal Commonwealth, which was a fruit mead made of coconut and pineapple - a bittersweet reminder of Palmyrion's better days now that it was facing intense civil strife left, right, and centre: Christian and Islamic fundamentalists, as well as Fourth-Position Neo-Nazis swearing to defend the dasein of Palmyrion, and National Bolsheviks who wanted to stop Palmyrion's moral decline by overthrowing and replacing with a socialist economy the economic system that profited from its perceived moral breakdown.

"The finest wine the Royal Commonwealth has to offer." - continued Jerald, unaware of the market's enthusiasm surrounding Palmyrion's efforts to revive two extinct pre-colonial drinks (intus and kabarawan) and lambanog's rise to prominence in the Palmyrian alcohol market.

Kiana Rúisc of the Tribe of Waterford.
As the young man got out the bottle, Finnegan's eyes widened with a bit of surprise, taking the bottle with care and a huge smile.
"Thank you very much, Jerald.", he said and turned the bottle in his hands, "I never heard of this stuff, to be honest, but from what it says on the label, it sounds delicious. I am sure, that we'll have a fun time with that later!"
It was not unknown to us, that the Commonwealth might soon be in need for even more small arms then currently were available and Mangaire was willing to deliver - yet, we had little idea about the culture, or spirits, within the Commonwealth.
"I am sure, that we will have more then enough to return the favour.", Finn said and then grinned, "Though that'll have to wait until ten o'clock."

With the party getting underway, Jason and Karen decided to get the fire going ready for the after-party dining, so with this Jason reposoitioned himself to face the fire pit which has been part filled in with some drift wood, dried grass and some kindling. Taking a pen-knife and a flint stone Jason positioned the flint above the kindling, then with a sharp, swift movement of the knife a spark was sent into the kindling which soon caught light.

As the kindling began to burn, more dried grass was put on the freshly formed fire and slowly the glowing embers turned onto a steadily burning camp fire, putting a smile on Karen's face, Marvin seeing the fire decided to lie down in the sand and gently soak up the warmth, until that is, they decided to make their way over to the rest of the group at the main camp fire, letting their own fire mature.

Below the fire were some stones, being heated by the flames, these will then be used to heat food.

Brenda Iarnród of the Tribe of Louth.
When the two lit their fire, we watched their setup - not really how we would do it, but if they liked it... anyway, once it burned, I said: "I really hope, that you are not going to leave this unattended."
Ribin nodded, moved closer to Marvin to pet him as he soaked in the warmth.
"Brenda! Ribin!", someone called from the distance, I turned. Nolly, Nolwenn Gluaisrothar of the Tribe of Wexford, the busty blonde heiress to Gabha Motorworks, dressed in a rather casual one-piece, approached us, called something to us in Selkie, which I will not translate as it wasn't really kind to Jason and especially Karen, which made me snort in amusement.
"They have a cat and you know, how Ribin is with cats!", I called back in English, Nolwenn being close enough for me to comfortably do so. Ribin did not blush, but shrug.

Marion smiled fondly, remembering warm memories. “My mother taught me how to sew initially, and I took a liking to it from there.” She fiddled with her swimsuit, “Soon enough I became an assistant to a costume designer for a theatre, and so I helped create costumes for actors and actresses to wear.”

She looked back at Nia, “I continued studying in costume design at university, but I quickly changed my mind. There were so many intricate and beautiful designs out there from all time periods, and though costume design was an art form in itself since we had to take take into account durability and costume changes, it was... disconcerting to see such designs having to take a back seat to zippers and the like.”

She continued on, “For my internship, they decided to send me to assist a historical costuming school, and next thing you know, I’m helping them write a book on historical patterns while was learning about historical stitching.” She giggled softly, “Now I’m just trying to figure out what to do now with my skill set.” She concluded. “What about you?” She asked, “Were there any skills that you were taught by your mother or by someone important?”

Nia Sneachtúil, of Cefnffordd Descent.
I smiled as Marion told her story, of how her mother taught her, how she made it her career and further developed in the field, to the mastery she had now. And she was currently asking herself, what to do with the skills she had acquired.
That certainly was a complicated question, but with some brainstorming, we would be able to find a solution.
For now...
"Well, there are quite a few things, which other people taught me, and quite a few people, who taught me.", I said and smiled softly, "One of the people, who taught me, was a certain Ceridwen Golau, of Tralee Descent - she should be around here somewhere, actually. She taught me how to use a sword. Her lessons went on to be important to me."
Meave and Tea listened with great interest.

Isla Stiúrthóir of the Tribe of Fingal.
"A few do.", I said and shrugged, "Not really our cuppa... we Selkie are more whiskey- and ale-drinkers, when it comes to alcohol, although beer has become a bit more popular, especially from Lillorainen."
I shrugged.
"Wine is more drunk by the Lutetiians.", I added as her husband returned, "We should have a few bottles around, mind you... but that's only after the kids are in bed at ten." I threw the two of them a wink. "Have a good appetite!"

“Ah, a shame then. You Selkies missed out the best thing in life.” Roskana made a tease. “But I’m looking forward to some good drinks around ten, ahah~.”

By the time she says it, Nasrollah returned with the lemonades.

[“Honey, you’re back~.”] The redhead chimed, conversing in her native Aryanian (Farsi).

[“So I did. I got lemonades.”] He replied, conversing in same tongue as his wife. Nodding at him in acknowledgement, Roksana then turns around to Isla and carries the food while her husband helps carrying the rest.

“Thank you for the food~.” She chimed, returning the wink, “Say, just out of curiosity. Since it’s our first time visiting this country, is there any spots here we can try visiting on this island?”

Isla Stiúrthóir of the Tribe of Fingal.
I smiled.
"On this island, I would not know something.", I said and then added, "But if you are into diving, there are a lot of different and beautiful swimming and diving spots, from underwater and flooded caves to coral reefs and even a few artificial reefs, if you are into wreck diving." I smiled slightly. "And the Mianach is in a few days. An air race."

Galen Lannaire of the Tribe of Louth.
Kean nodded. "Indeed, I rode solo.", he said, "Though, one should mention, that this brave lassie here..." He smiled at his horse. "...was younger and smaller then she is nowadays. It was good riding exercise."
I smiled at that, nodded. "I grew up on a cattle ranch near Anfa.", I said, "I helped out on that ranch since I was little. Protected the cattle on the grassy plains, herded them, trained mounted archery, too."
"You still dream of competing against Leonard, don't you?", Kean asked.
I nodded. "Sure do." I addressed the the two girls with a smile: "Leonard Lách of the Tribe of Galway is the best mounted archer currently in the League.", I explained to them, "And he's actually quite a nice guy. Cattle Ranch Son like me!"
Kean nodded.

"Like me!" Bianca responded again with a swell of excitement. "Well not a cattle rancher but I live on a farm back home. Isabel lives close in a large countryside mansion."

"aha well..." Isabel sheepishly giggled and Bianca continued "It's great she's so close by I can walk to her place when we want to play together. We often have tea time with September and Kronos. Sleepovers too!"

"Bianca think you've gone a bit off topic, silly."

"Oh well yeah. Anyway just sayain' is, we're two peas in a pod it seems like."

Galen Lannaire of the Tribe of Louth.
Ah... so Isabel was a rich girl, Bianca her friend and a bit more down to earth - that would explain what Bianca said. Anyway, the two of them were very cute, we were approaching their brother and her companion, Macha watching a bit with a huge smile.
I smiled.
"It sounds like a lot of fun.", I said, "I had sleepovers when I was your age, too, and went camping with friends." No need to mention, that we had been camping as part of our Younger Militia training. "Though, who are September and Kronos?"
Kean was curious about that as well, I saw that in his eyes.

Aonas Folracht of the Tribe of Wicklow.
I looked to Iliane and smiled at her.
"What do ya think, Iliane?", I asked, "Wanna overwinter on Corona with me next year?"
Dad laughed as the young woman flustered and blushed, stuttered something out, that sounded like a preliminary approval - at least until school started again, she added.
Dad, meanwhile, grinned at Ayla. "That begs the question of whether or not you might be interested in receiving more tourists, Alya. It all had two sides: On one hand, more tourists mean more money and revenue, on the other, more tourists mean more traffic and that might damage the environment... you'll have to carefully choose."
"And don't forget the gawkers.", I added from the side, referring to the tourists, who would just stand around and gawk like idiots - mostly standing in the way and begging for accidents to happen.
"Aye, can't forget those.", Dad agreed.

"aha yes, people are people after all. It is a double edged sword about tourism but...." she smiled softly looking out to the horizon again. "I think Coronans are ready to show their friendly side once again." Her people, the people she cared for and loved as Chief had gone through a lot in the last two decades but now times were changing. "Come down, I'll make you my personal guests."

Aonas Folracht of the Tribe of Wicklow.
'Personal guests', eh? So she was someone of influence.
Dad smiled. "Your offer of hospitality is very much appreciated, Ayla, and it honours you deeply. I will be sure to come back to it - and I extend my hospitality to you as well, if you ever find yourself in the Conall Curach!", he offered. To be honest, I doubted, that she would ever come to the North voluntarily, but that was another question. "But if you wish to increase the amount of tourists coming to your homeland, I might know someone, who might be able to help you."
He grinned to me.
"Do you remember Auntie Isa?", he asked.
I nodded. "Indeed I do...", then grinned at the two women in who's company we were, "Isa Tropp, the CEO of Reiseboreau TAMS, a traveling agency from Teressien. She makes a point out of visiting any destination they offer." I grinned. "Around ten years ago, she visited Conall Curach. Deirdre and I tried to bring her together with Dad."
Dad laughed. "And it nearly worked!"

Not only Cel, but also Chris immediately recognized Finnya Treoraí of the Tribe of Louth, co-owner of Treoraí Optics, a woman who had still managed to stay beautiful despite being dangerously close to seeing her fiftiest Spring and having given birth to three children - and happened to be nobody lesser than Cel's mother.
She was sitting with Mommy Mhairin near one of the coolers. Chris remembered the long conversation he and Cel's Mam had had nine months ago, at the Spring Festival in Cuan. Her impression of Chris had been good as a result, and this was quite not the only point that ran counter to her husband's opinions ...
But before Chris could even have gotten to thinking of whether or not there was a reason to get nervous, Little Enya called Chris from afar and jumped into his arms - as one of the few females who had Cel's permission to do so, for there were two age barriers for receiving this, and Little Enya clearly fell below the lower of the two thresholds.
"Enya! How are ya' doing?" - he asked while hugging the little whirlwind.

Dragan nodded, smiling.
He had to think about the pictures he had seen from the ball at Schloss Zyng again. While he couldn't know, who of the present guests had turned out to lack in dancing practice back then, there was one thing he could say for sure - it hadn't been the Shikonjimanese. The competitiveness of those people when it came to dancing was almost as insane as their politeness (or how it was perceived abroad).
"Indeed, some might simply need a bit more practice!" - he said. "Granted, it was still an awesome night back then, and Leo does know quite a few excellent dancers - but then, there are those who manage to step onto their dancer partners' toes with their heels - literally!" He had to snort.
Kira laughed. "What did the intake of Äbbelwoi look like during that night?" - she asked.
"Varied strongly ..." - Leo answered for him.
"It didn't immediately get obvious in that particular moment" - Dragan continued explaining, "but there's a thing I can definitely recommend: should you ever, for whatever reason, end up in a bar at the Cattenia Square in the Free City of Wiedheim, make sure to wear your dance shoes with iron reinforcement!"

Celina Treoraí of the Tribe of Louth.
I smiled as Chris held the little girl the girl hugging him and kissing him onto the cheek.
I knew, that Chris saw her as a cute fluffball of cuteness and that she saw him as a sort-of cousin, much like many of the lads of BI. And I did not think, that this would change any time soon.
"I'm awesome, Chris, thank you!", the little girl replied in Selkie, grinned, still on his arm. "And how are you?"
I moved closer, put a hand on Enya's shoulder, softly, kissed Chris on his other cheek. One would not have to have too much imagination to think, that we looked a lot like a little family.
The thought let my heart flutter...

Amy Laoch of the Tribe of Dundalk.
We laughed, to which Alya added: "I'll remember it. They're standard equipment for Kyrenaian Ballroom Dancing anyway!", she said and added: "As said, we have a lot of good dancers, but also a lot of horrible ones."
"Sounds familiar...", I said, "With the difference, that I'll have to endure. Granted the soles of the Bróg is a bit softer, but the toes are bare..."
"But let's not contemplate broken toes.", Alya said, "Apple Wine, you mentioned it... does anyone know, if we have it here tonight?"

Kazuo and Yelda nodded, grinning.
"That's surely a more sophisticated approach than the mechanics of AoE" - Kazuo commented, "with its resources being limited to four - wood, food, gold, and stone. Of course, one must add, that the relative simplicity of the AoE gameplay is a result of the age of the series, with AoE I being from 1997, AoE II from 1999, and AoE III from the mid-2000s, 2005 or so, if I recall correctly. The second, and most popular, part has been modified a couple of times since then, new civilizations have been added, some have been modified for the sake of balancing, and the graphics have been updated a bit, in various Add-ons. But all in all, the gameplay mechanics are still the same, which continues to make it a classic for fans - even for those who also enjoy games with more complex mechanics."
"Indeed" - Yelda agreed, "and these more complex mechanics of Rúid!, and also Fushigi no Jidai, at least if the previews are anything to go by, surely make the whole thing a lot more enjoyable, even with opponents trying to compensate their lack of skill with overpowered masses of trash units." Kazuo had to grin about Yelda's way of implicitly attesting 'noobhood' to others. Of course, the game would be just as new to him as it would be to her, so their first few matches would definitely be a bit more balanced. "In a team match, I would probably be the one keeping well behind the frontlines, putting an empire focussed on economic power and trade up in the hinterland, and assisting my more skilled teammates in sending units for defense at the frontline and resources whenever needed."
Kazuo laughed. "And leave the work to the others, eh?"
"And back them with resources, defense units, morale, and kind words, indeed."
Of course, Kazuo had been joking - if Yelda would be able to translate her efficiency of resource farming from one game to another, he could quite imagine, that this sort of labor division in a team match could work perfectly well - although he surely wouldn't have minded seeing her getting more active on the field, either.
"As for Fushigi no Jidai, it surely will be interesting to see what the whole thing will work like" - he said. "What we know already, is that there will be twelve civilizations to choose from in standard games, plus four more civilizations only available in certain campaigns as well as on custom maps - in either case, our knowledge on the choice thereof is limited to educated guesses based on the previews as of yet, but that might change soon. The construction and destruction of Wonders will play a major role - if not to say, they will be the be-all and end-all in the game -, and interestingly enough, it will have both gold and silver as resources, unlike many other RTS, which tend to use either of both."
Meanwhile, Setsuko nodded.
"Yeah, turning vessels taken out of service into floating museums is a common method in our parts as well" - she said. "The ISN Heihachirou II, an aircraft carrier of the same class as the Yoshita, got decommissioned in 2014 and replaced by - you guessed it - the RSN Heihachirou III, and now serves as a floating museum in Nashinya, right next to the ISN Nanako, which was already decommissioned in 1989." She had to grin. "Depending on your level of knowledge on our history, you might or might not recognize the recurring pattern of naming our aircraft carriers after our former Rulers. Not all of them serve as floating museums, of course, for our space is limited, but we're kind of in the process of making it a new habit." She let a beat pass. "Certainly, this is indeed less reliant on luck ..."

Raidri Gormchló of the Tribe of Fingal.
"There is a game mode for team games...", Áed said with a smile, "...where teams share the resources. It is an awful lot of fun, if you have a good team with a lot of coordination and it is a confusing mess without..."
I nodded. "Poor communication looses games.", I said, "A lesson we learned the hard way. I am, however, curious." I looked to Kazuo. "You say, that AoW is using both silver and gold. In which capacities?"

Faye Donn of the Tribe of Wexford.
I nodded along, knowing what she meant: The SDF had a whole list of 'traditional' names, from names of deities to certain other names of high renown. Liam captained one of these vessels with a traditional name... speaking of which, where was the man?
Anyway, I nodded.
"Indeed, that is way less risky.", I said, smiled, "As a merchant, one needs to strike a balance: As much risk as you are comfortable with and as much security as one needs to stay in the game. No one has the same balance."

[New Visayan Islands]

Gerald Vicente
At the Beach

"I'll believe it when I see it," Gerald replied, chuckling. It was somewhat amusing for him to get it right, more or less, at the first guess; even if he was out of his element--Gerald had taken taekwondo to complement his marksmanship during his CAT and later ROTC days and currently held a first grade brown belt, having to pass on an opportunity at promotion to first dan black belt when he moved to Traverse--from what he heard, it sounded deceptively simple.

Hopefully, he thought, it's just as simple as it sounds and a lot more fun on top of that. Gerald thought of getting some more drinks but decided against it; this game he had to see first.

[Kuronami]

Galen Lannaire of the Tribe of Louth.
Ah... so Isabel was a rich girl, Bianca her friend and a bit more down to earth - that would explain what Bianca said. Anyway, the two of them were very cute, we were approaching their brother and her companion, Macha watching a bit with a huge smile.
I smiled.
"It sounds like a lot of fun.", I said, "I had sleepovers when I was your age, too, and went camping with friends." No need to mention, that we had been camping as part of our Younger Militia training. "Though, who are September and Kronos?"
Kean was curious about that as well, I saw that in his eyes.

"Oh!" Bianca realized nobody would likely know who those two were "Our bear friends."

"Our teddys." Isabel added "They're not much for the beach so they're relaxing back at the hotel room."

[Lillorainen]

Celina Treoraí of the Tribe of Louth.
I smiled as Chris held the little girl the girl hugging him and kissing him onto the cheek.
I knew, that Chris saw her as a cute fluffball of cuteness and that she saw him as a sort-of cousin, much like many of the lads of BI. And I did not think, that this would change any time soon.
"I'm awesome, Chris, thank you!", the little girl replied in Selkie, grinned, still on his arm. "And how are you?"
I moved closer, put a hand on Enya's shoulder, softly, kissed Chris on his other cheek. One would not have to have too much imagination to think, that we looked a lot like a little family.
The thought let my heart flutter...

Amy Laoch of the Tribe of Dundalk.
We laughed, to which Alya added: "I'll remember it. They're standard equipment for Kyrenaian Ballroom Dancing anyway!", she said and added: "As said, we have a lot of good dancers, but also a lot of horrible ones."
"Sounds familiar...", I said, "With the difference, that I'll have to endure. Granted the soles of the Bróg is a bit softer, but the toes are bare..."
"But let's not contemplate broken toes.", Alya said, "Apple Wine, you mentioned it... does anyone know, if we have it here tonight?"

As usual, Chris received two kisses on each cheek, one by Little Enya, one by Cel - that Chris and Cel could quite be territorial about each other, that was an established fact known across the board in here, no matter whom one would ask (save for anyone who happened to belong to the considerably small demographic of people present who had no idea about either of them).
Indeed, they would now look like a little family, and while there was yet a lot of planning work left to be done in order to push their relationship into that direction, the thought thereof quite didn't only make Cel's heart flutter ...
Chris could have sworn, that Little Enya, despite still being the same whirlwind and fluffball as she used to be, got less and less 'Little' everytime they met anywhere. As time went by, she would see her sixth Spring in March, and Chris was sure to be informed correctly, that this was the general primary school enrollment age in the Free Lands, similar like six years were commonly in Lillorainen (at least in most states).
Gods in Asgard, they grow up so fast ...
"I'm awesome, too, thank you! After all, I'm around again!" - he replied.

Alya's remark she added to the general round of laughter, that Kyrenaian Ballroom Dancing barely went without dancing shoes with iron reinforcement, was surely a piece of information that was very good to know. And it totally made sense.
Remember, kids: #AlwaysWearProtection.
She then went on to a question about an issue which was related or unrelated to dancing and the concomitant circumstances thereof, depending on which part of the world one happened to be in.
Leo had to grin - no matter how well she got along with Janina Bonrath, they would absolutely never be able to ultimately agree on whether the Fylerian Viez, or the Cattenian Äbbelwoi was the better variation of Lillöer-Archipelago-style cider.
She nodded. "As long as there is at least one Wiedheimer present at a party, you can be sure, that apple wine is around, too!" - she said, still grinning. "In fact, no matter what you're into, you'll find it in here."
"For example, a good drop of Raki!" - Kira added, smiling. "And be sure, that it won't be of the quality you'll get when you're truly committed to not spending more than a Guinea on a bottle!"
That was true - the quality and price range for a bottle of Raki in Shamsiyya was immense. No matter how much one wished to spend, there would always be something to get in one's desired price segment, from one coin to a literal fortune.
"I've spotted Shikonjimanese here as well" - Dragan said, "so I'd be surprised, if the final opponent couldn't be found in here, either." The way he said it suggested, that Dragan had already made painful contact with Seishu, or Magatsuhi, 'devious spirit', as the Shikonjimanese called it. With the large community of Shikonjimanese expats living in Jillich, mostly businesspeople with their families, this was to expect.
Kira nodded. "So indeed, everyone of us is fairly unlikely to find nothing at all!"

[Shikonjima]

Raidri Gormchló of the Tribe of Fingal.
"There is a game mode for team games...", Áed said with a smile, "...where teams share the resources. It is an awful lot of fun, if you have a good team with a lot of coordination and it is a confusing mess without..."
I nodded. "Poor communication looses games.", I said, "A lesson we learned the hard way. I am, however, curious." I looked to Kazuo. "You say, that AoW is using both silver and gold. In which capacities?"

Faye Donn of the Tribe of Wexford.
I nodded along, knowing what she meant: The SDF had a whole list of 'traditional' names, from names of deities to certain other names of high renown. Liam captained one of these vessels with a traditional name... speaking of which, where was the man?
Anyway, I nodded.
"Indeed, that is way less risky.", I said, smiled, "As a merchant, one needs to strike a balance: As much risk as you are comfortable with and as much security as one needs to stay in the game. No one has the same balance."

Kazuo and Yelda had hummed in agreement. Especially Kazuo, but also Yelda quite had their experience with team matches utterly failing due to insufficient, poor, or nonexistent communication among the players. And losing a game simply because someone refused to use the ingame chat, was unable or unwilling to join the Teamspeak everyone else used, or even joined the Teamspeak and kept their trap shut throughout the entire game, was an awfully painful experience every halfway experienced player could keep rambling about for hours.
"I think, I can explain that to you guessing from the previews" - Kazuo went on responding to Raidri's inquiry, "but of course, you must be aware, that future previews will follow, and the game will be released in a few months, so everything we're telling you might ultimately turn out as complete nonsense." He took a sip of lemonade and continued, "But here's what I got: So, while wood, iron, and stone are typically needed for buildings, food, gold, and silver are needed to train units and to keep them serving you, as well as for researching technologies. Both gold and silver can be gained from mines and trade, as well as, to a smaller extent, from Wonders, which are completely different from their AoE counterparts in function - but to that later. Units and upgrades may have their costs in either gold, or silver, or in some cases both, and both resources can be traded for one another at the Market building, depending on which one you're currently in a need of more. Depending on which civilization you play, you will have trade and mining bonuses boosting either your gold or silver output - so, for instance, Shikonjimanese will have gold bonuses, whereas Sharulsi will have minor gold and more silver bonuses."
Yelda nodded. "That's a feature they've implemented for the sake of historical realism" - she added, "as some civilizations used to be more reliant on gold as a trade currency, whereas others rather used silver. Shikonjima has never had particularly many natural resources, but has always been rich at gold, an issue that has shaped many aspects of the country's history throughout all ages, including the present. For the Sharulsi, silver coins were more common, especially after the conquest of the rich silver mines in what would now be the Yue Khanate." She let a beat pass. "Fun fact on a side note - although the currencies our respective home countries currently use are both barely a century old, and paper money and cashless payment being a thing as well, they still reflect this historical issue of resource availability. Ryou coins predominantly consist of gold, whereas Tögrög coins are made of a alloy mostly consisting of silver."
Kazuo nodded. "Of course, civilizations which used to have bimetallic currencies, like Shamsiyya, which has always had and still has a solid availability of both resources, will be in an advantage, as they logically receive bonuses on both. So both are available, both are necessary to have around, but unless you're either an economic superpower blessed with tons of mines of both, or playing a civilization with said advantage, you won't get around trading one for another."
While Liam had somehow escaped quietly from the round for whatever reason - either to look for something less sweet to drink, or because he might have spotted someone he had been keen on talking to as soon as possible -, Setsuko nodded, slowly, thinking about what she had been told.
"Wherever I might ultimately end up after finishing my studies" - she said, "I'll probably have to figure that out myself, finding my own balance between playing it safe and taking the risk. But of course, you're right - everyone has their own place on that scale. Reading the business news of my home country, I always find businesspeople quite close to either extreme. On the one hand, eccentric millionaires taking risks near the level Tuffatore-san has made his investment, on the other hand businesspeople who rather spend hundreds of thousands of Ryous to consulting firms for various assessments before even investing a single Kirechan into a potentially risky venture. The latter type isn't uncommon, either, especially not amongst managers - in Shikonjima, managers are personally responsible for success and failure of their decisions and investments and everything that depends on them. It's a question of honor."
She shrugged.
"At the end of the day, most national economies, especially capital-intensive ones like the Shikonjimanese, are reliant on both types of people - construction and other businesses need the audacity of the more venturesome type, and the consulting branch needs to get something to do as well, thus relies on those who prefer playing it safe. Ultimately, both sides gain something - at least in ideal case."

[AHSCA]

Aonas Folracht of the Tribe of Wicklow.
'Personal guests', eh? So she was someone of influence.
Dad smiled. "Your offer of hospitality is very much appreciated, Ayla, and it honours you deeply. I will be sure to come back to it - and I extend my hospitality to you as well, if you ever find yourself in the Conall Curach!", he offered. To be honest, I doubted, that she would ever come to the North voluntarily, but that was another question. "But if you wish to increase the amount of tourists coming to your homeland, I might know someone, who might be able to help you."
He grinned to me.
"Do you remember Auntie Isa?", he asked.
I nodded. "Indeed I do...", then grinned at the two women in who's company we were, "Isa Tropp, the CEO of Reiseboreau TAMS, a traveling agency from Teressien. She makes a point out of visiting any destination they offer." I grinned. "Around ten years ago, she visited Conall Curach. Deirdre and I tried to bring her together with Dad."
Dad laughed. "And it nearly worked!"

"If I should find myself there, I shall be glad to take your offer up on it. Ya never know where the seas might take me, the winds and currents act on their own. Oh well, ya know she sounds interesting. Couldn't hurt to increase a bit of shipping. Actually The Festival of Holy Light has become a big mainline attraction for many tourists. And it's been a real boost to Aurora. Can't say it hasn't had a few downsides but many seem to regard the lands very well despite some of our short comings. Quite exciting times to be in!"

[Minroz]

Isla Stiúrthóir of the Tribe of Fingal.
I smiled.
"On this island, I would not know something.", I said and then added, "But if you are into diving, there are a lot of different and beautiful swimming and diving spots, from underwater and flooded caves to coral reefs and even a few artificial reefs, if you are into wreck diving." I smiled slightly. "And the Mianach is in a few days. An air race."

“Oooh~ sounds fun stuff to do, friend.” Roksana remarked. “Tell you what; I have friends who are into diving back in my homeland. They would love to visit here when they have a chance. In my country, we’re bordering two seas. Although, one of them is just one massive lake actually. Anyway, thanks for the food~.”

[“Let’s go find our spot, Roksana.”] Nasrollah said as his wife nodded in understanding.

“See you and have a good day~.” The redhead quipped before following her husband towards the palm tree where nobody is at, or at least less crowded. The couple sat down on the ground and began eating their meals.

[“Praise be to God, this is good~.”] Roksana chirped happily as she munches.

[“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”] Nasrollah gave out his small smile as he sips his lemonade. In response, Roksana gave a peck in the cheek with affection. He and his wife continue eating to pass time. The Aryanian man is not a party-animal like his wife but he’ll do anything to keep his wife happy and vice-versa.

[Polish Prussian Commonwealth]

Fiona Radharceolaíocht of the Tribe of Westmeath.
I shook my head. What a strange guy...
No. Bad Fiona. You had that one already and while the kid it brought into your life turned out to be awesome, you want your next child in a stable, married relationship and not in a one night fling with a soldier you want to 'fix'. Bad Fiona!
Anyway, I turned back to my daughter and the Kyrenaian Prince, who I knew to be a good guy, not because of his title, but because he and his little sister worked for BI - like I did.
He gentlemanly kissed her hand as a farewell, which made my girl, who believed herself to be an ugly duckling among the beauties of BI, blush like a ripe strawberry.
A moment later, the two parted, Iuna joining my side.
"You look like you just had a run in with someone, who you would have loved to punt into his crown jewels.", she said without much of a preamble.
I snorted. My girl was at the Iris Boarding School Complex and she was a member of its Tankery Team, the Gunner of one of their vehicles. She was very empathetic and thoughtful under her facade as a jokester, not many knew that, but she could also be very direct.
"Not much punting, but he had a bad pickup line. The whole I know you from somewhere-spiel...", I told my daughter, who snorted in amusement, "So, rather then that - is Prince Elian really as charming as everyone says?"
My daughter was red as a strawberry again.

Yven Barriall of the Tribe of Monaghan.
Macha looked Marie up and down, then nodded.
"We do have a few somethings for every taste.", she said, "Though I guess, that a sportive one-piece might be the best for you...? Or a sports bikini? Hm... something sports, anyway, judging by your built."
What Marie might not know, was, that Macha was one of BI's designers and swimsuits, while not her speciality, was something she could work with. And models, too, so if she looked at Marie like a model, she could work.

Ilia, meanwhile, smiled at Adelheid.
"It's no problem.", he said, "My parents run BI and brought me along because... well, the more the merrier. Plus, some of our models are roundabout my age. Besides..." He brought his balled fist to his heart and tapped it twice, the salute of both the SDF and, long before them, the warriors coming from the Lands of the Selkie, including the Younger Militias. "...I am a Leftenant and Logistics-Man of the Launceston Younger Militia!"
I grinned at his proud boast as Eithne indeed came closer, another woman I did not recognize immediately in tow.

Stanislaus
The temporary relaxation from sketching soon turned into frustration.
God-damn, why was drawing hands so difficult? He could draw machines of war well enough, but hands were hit damned pet peeve. After a few more tries, each ending in frustration, he threw in the towel and decided to sleep off his jet lag.

Marie-Adelheid
"...erm...uh...I'm not sure about that...there are kids here..." Marie blushed and seemed a little uncomfortable. "...We don't normally wear these things, back at home..."

Adelheid shook her head at the sight of Marie...although, truth be told, she was had a bit of the same issue. She wasn't totally against the idea of changing into something else-after all, she did want to go swimming later...but...well, if Irene was here, she'd probably wring her neck.

She shook her head clear of these thoughts, turned back to Illia and smiled at his salute.
"Starting early, eh? Not bad. And Logistics as well...Bullets don't fly without supply, as they say..."
She paused for a little bit.
"What's it like being in the Younger Militas? Do you just play around with crossbows and pikes?"

[Hanoverian Great Britain]

Certainly, while it isn't visible through her facial expression, she was quite taken aback by the revelation. Evidently, in a few seconds, her steps froze as she turned directly to face him. As her eyes stared at him in a clueless silence, she was internally puzzled on how to confront his earlier words. While she had assumed this from an earlier stage, seeing on how the young man infront of her was acting much different than the rest, the news that came to her realization brought her apart.

Instinctively, Alexandra felt a sense of new emotions and feelings for him, as she tried to take in the new information that she received earlier. Ultimately, Alexandra took her own initiative to comfort her beloved Fintan as she gently lifted him up and again brought him close to her body. However, she did not choose to have his head rested on neither of her shoulders but instead had it positioned directly facing hers, as Alexandra's hazel colored eyes focused on his black colored eyes. At such a distance, it seemed most likely that Alexandra was going to bring him in for an another lengthy kiss but it didn't otherwise happened.

It was a few minutes of a comforting, yet awkward silence before she was able to pick up the needed words to speak. "You know, let's just ditch the boat idea and I'll get us a nice and comfy mattress to lie down, alright? I'm not going to spoil this on your behalf", pleaded her with a small, gentle kiss on the lips as she omitted out a concerned tone for his emotions and wellbeing.

Surely, her priorities in regards to Fintan has dramatically changed. Instead of plainly charming or seducing him in the open, she is to take a bigger role and to make sure that her beloved companion is kept at a distance from his estranged friends, all the while keeping him comfortable and entertained by her presence.

[The Selkie]

Gerald Vicente
At the Beach

"I'll believe it when I see it," Gerald replied, chuckling. It was somewhat amusing for him to get it right, more or less, at the first guess; even if he was out of his element--Gerald had taken taekwondo to complement his marksmanship during his CAT and later ROTC days and currently held a first grade brown belt, having to pass on an opportunity at promotion to first dan black belt when he moved to Traverse--from what he heard, it sounded deceptively simple.

Hopefully, he thought, it's just as simple as it sounds and a lot more fun on top of that. Gerald thought of getting some more drinks but decided against it; this game he had to see first.

Isla Saighead of the Tribe of Westmeath.
I smiled.
"Ya won't be disappointed!", I said and led the group towards a silver-haired young man with golden eyes, nearly 1.9 meters tall. His body was scarred and well in form. He was playing with a blonde man with blue eyes, tall and well-trained himself, both of them wearing swimming trunks. Playing with them was a young woman, a bit younger then Amy, silver hair and blue eyes.
The three of them were playing a football between each other, the ball getting a lot of air time, especially as the silver-haired woman gave a header, which fired the ball into the blonde man's chest, who accepted it with ease, but something went wrong and the ball fell down into the sand.
"Hey, Pina!", Amy called out in English and raised her hand in greeting, "Donny!"
"What, no greeting for me?", the silver-haired man protested as the blonde man, Donny, collected the ball. "Hi, Amy!"
"Hi, Lugh!", Amy replied, "Would ya mind us joining?" She motioned to Vicente. "He's new to Footvolley, though!"
"Then we'll get him introduced to it quite quickly!", the blonde man said, "I'm Donny, that's my girlfriend Pina!" The silver-haired woman waved with a "Hi!", while Donny turned to the other lad. "And that's Lugh."
"Hi.", he said and he was smiling at me.

"Oh!" Bianca realized nobody would likely know who those two were "Our bear friends."

"Our teddys." Isabel added "They're not much for the beach so they're relaxing back at the hotel room."

Galen Lannaire of the Tribe of Louth.
I smiled.
"I know, what you mean. My old friend Seithe has come into the years as well. He's actually further away then September and Kronos, back home in Anfa on the Mainland.", I said, referring to my own stuffed toy, a little Grey Wolf me Mam made for me. "He accompanied through thick and thin, no matter if I told him to stay... when I had my graduation tests for high school, he snuck into my bag."
Kean smiled at me.

As usual, Chris received two kisses on each cheek, one by Little Enya, one by Cel - that Chris and Cel could quite be territorial about each other, that was an established fact known across the board in here, no matter whom one would ask (save for anyone who happened to belong to the considerably small demographic of people present who had no idea about either of them).
Indeed, they would now look like a little family, and while there was yet a lot of planning work left to be done in order to push their relationship into that direction, the thought thereof quite didn't only make Cel's heart flutter ...
Chris could have sworn, that Little Enya, despite still being the same whirlwind and fluffball as she used to be, got less and less 'Little' everytime they met anywhere. As time went by, she would see her sixth Spring in March, and Chris was sure to be informed correctly, that this was the general primary school enrollment age in the Free Lands, similar like six years were commonly in Lillorainen (at least in most states).
Gods in Asgard, they grow up so fast ...
"I'm awesome, too, thank you! After all, I'm around again!" - he replied.

Alya's remark she added to the general round of laughter, that Kyrenaian Ballroom Dancing barely went without dancing shoes with iron reinforcement, was surely a piece of information that was very good to know. And it totally made sense.
Remember, kids: #AlwaysWearProtection.
She then went on to a question about an issue which was related or unrelated to dancing and the concomitant circumstances thereof, depending on which part of the world one happened to be in.
Leo had to grin - no matter how well she got along with Janina Bonrath, they would absolutely never be able to ultimately agree on whether the Fylerian Viez, or the Cattenian Äbbelwoi was the better variation of Lillöer-Archipelago-style cider.
She nodded. "As long as there is at least one Wiedheimer present at a party, you can be sure, that apple wine is around, too!" - she said, still grinning. "In fact, no matter what you're into, you'll find it in here."
"For example, a good drop of Raki!" - Kira added, smiling. "And be sure, that it won't be of the quality you'll get when you're truly committed to not spending more than a Guinea on a bottle!"
That was true - the quality and price range for a bottle of Raki in Shamsiyya was immense. No matter how much one wished to spend, there would always be something to get in one's desired price segment, from one coin to a literal fortune.
"I've spotted Shikonjimanese here as well" - Dragan said, "so I'd be surprised, if the final opponent couldn't be found in here, either." The way he said it suggested, that Dragan had already made painful contact with Seishu, or Magatsuhi, 'devious spirit', as the Shikonjimanese called it. With the large community of Shikonjimanese expats living in Jillich, mostly businesspeople with their families, this was to expect.
Kira nodded. "So indeed, everyone of us is fairly unlikely to find nothing at all!"

Celina Treoraí of the Tribe of Louth.
Indeed, Little Enya grew and soon, she would be in school. To my knowledge, she hadn't even applied to one of the Boarding Schools, saying to her Mam, that she didn't want to leave her alone.
She wasn't only a cute fluffball at times.
I knew, that Mam was taking an image for herself on her smartphone while Mama Mhairin was watching from afar.
At Chris' reply, Enya giggled, still in his arms. She turned to me as she had an idea. "Big Sis Cel, may I ask Chris, if we can have a dance later?", she asked cutely and my heart melted, not only because of being called 'Big Sis Cel' - to Enya, all of the models of BI were her big sisses and big bros.
I nodded. "Go ahead.", I said with a smile.
The list of people, who were allowed to ask Chris for a dance, was a bit longer then the list of those, who were allowed to hug and kiss him so liberally, but Little Enya was on it.
She turned to Chris with her big, brown eyes. "Big Bro Chris...", she began and my heart was melted more then enough. "...may we have a dance later?"

Amy Laoch of the Tribe of Dundalk.
"Very good!", Alya said with a smile, nodded. "So its like with us and Doggy Aragh!"
I paled. "Oh, Gods, please no..."
"Oh, yes, and the two of us and Kean have a bottle of very good stuff.", Alya promised.
I groaned. "...last I drank of the stuff, I woke up the next morning rolled up on Kean's back with no idea about how I got there...", I bemoaned. Granted, we must have looked cute, but still. I was not keen on repeating the experience and I bet, that he was neither. Or to repeat the headache, which had split our heads for the next two days.
"Don't worry, I got my hand on very good Doggy Aragh.", Alya tried to reassure me, "And, after ten, when the kids are in bed, and we bust out the percentages, you are of course invited to join us."

Kazuo and Yelda had hummed in agreement. Especially Kazuo, but also Yelda quite had their experience with team matches utterly failing due to insufficient, poor, or nonexistent communication among the players. And losing a game simply because someone refused to use the ingame chat, was unable or unwilling to join the Teamspeak everyone else used, or even joined the Teamspeak and kept their trap shut throughout the entire game, was an awfully painful experience every halfway experienced player could keep rambling about for hours.
"I think, I can explain that to you guessing from the previews" - Kazuo went on responding to Raidri's inquiry, "but of course, you must be aware, that future previews will follow, and the game will be released in a few months, so everything we're telling you might ultimately turn out as complete nonsense." He took a sip of lemonade and continued, "But here's what I got: So, while wood, iron, and stone are typically needed for buildings, food, gold, and silver are needed to train units and to keep them serving you, as well as for researching technologies. Both gold and silver can be gained from mines and trade, as well as, to a smaller extent, from Wonders, which are completely different from their AoE counterparts in function - but to that later. Units and upgrades may have their costs in either gold, or silver, or in some cases both, and both resources can be traded for one another at the Market building, depending on which one you're currently in a need of more. Depending on which civilization you play, you will have trade and mining bonuses boosting either your gold or silver output - so, for instance, Shikonjimanese will have gold bonuses, whereas Sharulsi will have minor gold and more silver bonuses."
Yelda nodded. "That's a feature they've implemented for the sake of historical realism" - she added, "as some civilizations used to be more reliant on gold as a trade currency, whereas others rather used silver. Shikonjima has never had particularly many natural resources, but has always been rich at gold, an issue that has shaped many aspects of the country's history throughout all ages, including the present. For the Sharulsi, silver coins were more common, especially after the conquest of the rich silver mines in what would now be the Yue Khanate." She let a beat pass. "Fun fact on a side note - although the currencies our respective home countries currently use are both barely a century old, and paper money and cashless payment being a thing as well, they still reflect this historical issue of resource availability. Ryou coins predominantly consist of gold, whereas Tögrög coins are made of a alloy mostly consisting of silver."
Kazuo nodded. "Of course, civilizations which used to have bimetallic currencies, like Shamsiyya, which has always had and still has a solid availability of both resources, will be in an advantage, as they logically receive bonuses on both. So both are available, both are necessary to have around, but unless you're either an economic superpower blessed with tons of mines of both, or playing a civilization with said advantage, you won't get around trading one for another."
While Liam had somehow escaped quietly from the round for whatever reason - either to look for something less sweet to drink, or because he might have spotted someone he had been keen on talking to as soon as possible -, Setsuko nodded, slowly, thinking about what she had been told.
"Wherever I might ultimately end up after finishing my studies" - she said, "I'll probably have to figure that out myself, finding my own balance between playing it safe and taking the risk. But of course, you're right - everyone has their own place on that scale. Reading the business news of my home country, I always find businesspeople quite close to either extreme. On the one hand, eccentric millionaires taking risks near the level Tuffatore-san has made his investment, on the other hand businesspeople who rather spend hundreds of thousands of Ryous to consulting firms for various assessments before even investing a single Kirechan into a potentially risky venture. The latter type isn't uncommon, either, especially not amongst managers - in Shikonjima, managers are personally responsible for success and failure of their decisions and investments and everything that depends on them. It's a question of honor."
She shrugged.
"At the end of the day, most national economies, especially capital-intensive ones like the Shikonjimanese, are reliant on both types of people - construction and other businesses need the audacity of the more venturesome type, and the consulting branch needs to get something to do as well, thus relies on those who prefer playing it safe. Ultimately, both sides gain something - at least in ideal case."

Faye Donn of the Tribe of Wexford.
"The most important thing about trading, I learned, is to give the other side the feeling and the knowledge, that they made an equal trade. No one pulled the other over the table, but we went through it equally.", I said and shrugged, "Sadly, there are quite a few colleagues, both at home and abroad, who rip you off and, metaphorically speaking, sell your underwear, but usually, those people only thrive in their niches. One-time customers and those, who don't give a damn about reliability, most likely because they have a similar viewpoint."
I let a beat pass, leaning forward.
"There's an old saying: Hire the Mercenaries once three merchants meet. They might plan to overthrow you.", I said, "While it sounds ideal to interpret this as a warning to heads of state and government to watch out for merchants, in its original meaning, it's about fellow merchants and the power, which they have, if they really don't like you."

Raidri Gormchló of the Tribe of Fingal.
We nodded at what we were told, but it was Áed, who summarized: "So, it's a gimmick for the historical accuracy nerds."
I snorted in amusement.
"If it makes the gameplay more exciting and fluent, sure, why not?", Áed continued, "But if they are basically interchangeable, I do not see any much use except for as a gimmick. Rúid! sometimes has the problem, that games become static, two halves of the map besieging each other until someone looses the nerves and, well, charges. That usually comes after the Zaijia-player has been eliminated, though."
I nodded at that. "And usually, it's a good riddance.", I added. They knew the reasons as to why already.

Aonas Folracht of the Tribe of Wicklow.
'Personal guests', eh? So she was someone of influence.
Dad smiled. "Your offer of hospitality is very much appreciated, Ayla, and it honours you deeply. I will be sure to come back to it - and I extend my hospitality to you as well, if you ever find yourself in the Conall Curach!", he offered. To be honest, I doubted, that she would ever come to the North voluntarily, but that was another question. "But if you wish to increase the amount of tourists coming to your homeland, I might know someone, who might be able to help you."
He grinned to me.
"Do you remember Auntie Isa?", he asked.
I nodded. "Indeed I do...", then grinned at the two women in who's company we were, "Isa Tropp, the CEO of Reiseboreau TAMS, a traveling agency from Teressien. She makes a point out of visiting any destination they offer." I grinned. "Around ten years ago, she visited Conall Curach. Deirdre and I tried to bring her together with Dad."
Dad laughed. "And it nearly worked!"

"If I should find myself there, I shall be glad to take your offer up on it. Ya never know where the seas might take me, the winds and currents act on their own. Oh well, ya know she sounds interesting. Couldn't hurt to increase a bit of shipping. Actually The Festival of Holy Light has become a big mainline attraction for many tourists. And it's been a real boost to Aurora. Can't say it hasn't had a few downsides but many seem to regard the lands very well despite some of our short comings. Quite exciting times to be in!"

Aonas Folracht of the Tribe of Wicklow.
"Why don't you tell her yourself?", Dad asked with a smile, "People love festivals and I am sure, that Isa will agree with that."
"Did I just hear a stingy Selkie-Merchant use my name and not invite me?", a new voice said with bemusement, appearing behind Iliane, who was startled, looking up into the smiling face of a woman, I knew her to be 30, with long, brown hair and green eyes, which sparkled. She wore beach attire, a white bikini with blue borders and a sarong, a wide sun hat on her head. "And if it isn't young Aonas!"
I smiled and rose. "Auntie Isa, it is good to see you again!", I said - she flinched at being called 'Auntie', just as intended. It was a friendly hug, which I gave her.
A storm of introductions, which did not leave out Ayla, and Isa was sitting with us.
"So... I heard my name being mentioned.", she said and looked at Ayla, "What was that about?"
Dad nodded to Ayla and left her the field. She was the one with the traveling agency.

Isla Stiúrthóir of the Tribe of Fingal.
I smiled.
"On this island, I would not know something.", I said and then added, "But if you are into diving, there are a lot of different and beautiful swimming and diving spots, from underwater and flooded caves to coral reefs and even a few artificial reefs, if you are into wreck diving." I smiled slightly. "And the Mianach is in a few days. An air race."

“Oooh~ sounds fun stuff to do, friend.” Roksana remarked. “Tell you what; I have friends who are into diving back in my homeland. They would love to visit here when they have a chance. In my country, we’re bordering two seas. Although, one of them is just one massive lake actually. Anyway, thanks for the food~.”

[“Let’s go find our spot, Roksana.”] Nasrollah said as his wife nodded in understanding.

“See you and have a good day~.” The redhead quipped before following her husband towards the palm tree where nobody is at, or at least less crowded. The couple sat down on the ground and began eating their meals.

[“Praise be to God, this is good~.”] Roksana chirped happily as she munches.

[“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”] Nasrollah gave out his small smile as he sips his lemonade. In response, Roksana gave a peck in the cheek with affection. He and his wife continue eating to pass time. The Aryanian man is not a party-animal like his wife but he’ll do anything to keep his wife happy and vice-versa.

Isla Stiúrthóir of the Tribe of Fingal.
I waved my goodbye at them, smiling, but soon had another customer, funnily enough the white-haired girl, which Nasrollah had bumped into and someone, who looked an awful lot like her mother.
Both wanted salads and both got salads - another happy pair of customers.
They, too, sought the shade of a palm tree nearby, which was almost identical with the tree line...

Samira Tanqulia.
Kaylee Paisúile of the Tribe of Galway was an awesome woman.
She had short, purple hair, a singular yellow eye, the other being covered by an eyepatch. She was so mature and self-confident, even with someone like me, a Kyrenaian girl, who practiced Mobility Archery, following her. I was curious and she was only happy to sate that curiosity.
What was I curious about?
All along the tree line, including close by a couple of tourists under a palm tree, were small bowls. These small bowls were filled with all manner of foods, which animals would love.
The Tribute, as the Selkie called it.
This was my first time in the Free Lands, too, so I was unfamiliar with this custom, but it seemed logical: Instead of fighting with humans for food, which they might not even like, there was a small offering in place so that they would not harass the people.
Kay, as she told me to call her, not Miss Paisúile, also said, that it was an offering for the Gods, which lived in these forests, a little show of respect and deference. Her job, and by extension mine, was to check up on these bowls and maybe refill when needed.
We waved at the couple under the palm tree, as they ate their salads... soon, Kay had said, they would light the main fire and start the grilling.

Stanislaus
The temporary relaxation from sketching soon turned into frustration.
God-damn, why was drawing hands so difficult? He could draw machines of war well enough, but hands were hit damned pet peeve. After a few more tries, each ending in frustration, he threw in the towel and decided to sleep off his jet lag.

Marie-Adelheid
"...erm...uh...I'm not sure about that...there are kids here..." Marie blushed and seemed a little uncomfortable. "...We don't normally wear these things, back at home..."

Adelheid shook her head at the sight of Marie...although, truth be told, she was had a bit of the same issue. She wasn't totally against the idea of changing into something else-after all, she did want to go swimming later...but...well, if Irene was here, she'd probably wring her neck.

She shook her head clear of these thoughts, turned back to Illia and smiled at his salute.
"Starting early, eh? Not bad. And Logistics as well...Bullets don't fly without supply, as they say..."
She paused for a little bit.
"What's it like being in the Younger Militas? Do you just play around with crossbows and pikes?"

Yven Barriall of the Tribe of Monaghan.
Macha smiled.
"Don't worry, I am not talking about lingerie here!", she clarified and glanced over to Cao, "I am thinking more along the lines of what Cao is wearing, at the most."
Cao struck a pose, grinning, which showed off her red bikini, a modest piece, which left much to the imagination and didn't emphasize any of her curves, modest as they were (please don't tell her I thought that...). "You may take a closer look, if you want!", she offered to Marie with a grin.
I grinned.

Ilia, meanwhile, bit back an impolite comment.
"I am still a Middle Schooler and thus a Child, so that means, that I am trained to use spear and shield to defend my city and represent it at ceremonial occasions.", he told her, "Aside from that, the afternoon a week we spent with Younger Militia Training is also the time we learn things like first aid, a bit of survival skills and NBC-Protection Drills, once a year." He shrugged. "A remain of the times, when the Lutetiians and us were in a sort-of Cold War."
"Luckily, those days are over.", a new voice suddenly chimed in, belonging to a woman, who was pale as milk, her long hair open and her blue eyes like sapphires. She was of a slim built, dressed in a modest bikini in white as she slung her arms around Ilia and pulled him into a hug from behind. "Took a while, but they are."
"Hi, Mam!", Ilia said, then turned to Heidi, "Miss Adelheid, me Mam, Eithne Banphrionsa of the Tribe of Cavan. Mam, Miss Adelheid."
Banphrionsa bowed her head lightly, looking Heidi in the eyes, not challenging, but measuring. "It is a pleasure.", she said.

Certainly, while it isn't visible through her facial expression, she was quite taken aback by the revelation. Evidently, in a few seconds, her steps froze as she turned directly to face him. As her eyes stared at him in a clueless silence, she was internally puzzled on how to confront his earlier words. While she had assumed this from an earlier stage, seeing on how the young man infront of her was acting much different than the rest, the news that came to her realization brought her apart.

Instinctively, Alexandra felt a sense of new emotions and feelings for him, as she tried to take in the new information that she received earlier. Ultimately, Alexandra took her own initiative to comfort her beloved Fintan as she gently lifted him up and again brought him close to her body. However, she did not choose to have his head rested on neither of her shoulders but instead had it positioned directly facing hers, as Alexandra's hazel colored eyes focused on his black colored eyes. At such a distance, it seemed most likely that Alexandra was going to bring him in for an another lengthy kiss but it didn't otherwise happened.

It was a few minutes of a comforting, yet awkward silence before she was able to pick up the needed words to speak. "You know, let's just ditch the boat idea and I'll get us a nice and comfy mattress to lie down, alright? I'm not going to spoil this on your behalf", pleaded her with a small, gentle kiss on the lips as she omitted out a concerned tone for his emotions and wellbeing.

Surely, her priorities in regards to Fintan has dramatically changed. Instead of plainly charming or seducing him in the open, she is to take a bigger role and to make sure that her beloved companion is kept at a distance from his estranged friends, all the while keeping him comfortable and entertained by her presence.

Fintan Muc of the Tribe of Cork.
I felt her stop, face me, as I retold what was wrong. I thought, that she would laugh at me for such a childish concern or ask for an autograph... she didn't.
She hugged me, picked me up again, the tips of our noses nearly touching as she comforted me. I had no idea, that she had planned to charm the living daylights out of me, maybe even seduce me...
...but when she gave me that small, light kiss, proposed another change in plans, I knew, that I could trust her lead. She was honestly concerned about me, her plead of... maybe a big sister? Or maybe a lover?
I never had a girlfriend...
I nodded, in any case. "Sounds good.", I said, looking into her eyes, trying to force a smile. "A mattress might be hard to find on this beach, but a beach towel sounds nice..."
Or, a small voice in my head said, we could go to your room and enjoy the view?
A fact, which I will shamefully admit to, is, that a lot of hormones were running haywire.

[AHSCA]

Aonas Folracht of the Tribe of Wicklow.
"Why don't you tell her yourself?", Dad asked with a smile, "People love festivals and I am sure, that Isa will agree with that."
"Did I just hear a stingy Selkie-Merchant use my name and not invite me?", a new voice said with bemusement, appearing behind Iliane, who was startled, looking up into the smiling face of a woman, I knew her to be 30, with long, brown hair and green eyes, which sparkled. She wore beach attire, a white bikini with blue borders and a sarong, a wide sun hat on her head. "And if it isn't young Aonas!"
I smiled and rose. "Auntie Isa, it is good to see you again!", I said - she flinched at being called 'Auntie', just as intended. It was a friendly hug, which I gave her.
A storm of introductions, which did not leave out Ayla, and Isa was sitting with us.
"So... I heard my name being mentioned.", she said and looked at Ayla, "What was that about?"
Dad nodded to Ayla and left her the field. She was the one with the traveling agency.

As if destined by fate itself the woman they were talking about had joined them. Well her ears must have truly been burning. "Good to meet you." Ayla nodded "These gentlemen were telling me you know a thing about tourism and I've been interested in seeing a bit of an upswing of tourists back home. I'm from AHSCA as you just heard and well tourism is starting to really boost our local economy up quite a bit. Things have been changing in our little part of the world for the better I'd say. The Festival of Holy Light which is a religious celebration has also brought a great swell of visitors to the island. A bit hard admittedly and there's been the occasional hiccup...But otherwise yes it's been a blessing if you ask me. Besides I may not get out a whole lot but I like meeting new people and the people of my island especially are very warm and open to people."

Hiccup indeed, kike the time a major hurricane had to hit during the festivities but no need to get into that right now besides the casualties were very light; as bad as it sounds to have casualties after a disaster, it could have been tremendously worse between the amount of tourists and locals packed together in a time where a lull in storms was usually expected. Not to mention the Kyrenaian and others relief efforts made recovery swift and easy. "I also invited these fellows down for a stay with me anytime they felt like it. And you would be just as welcome as my guest too!"

[A m e n r i a]

"Well, do you know anyone here?"

"Nah, nobody but you guys. What about you, Sis?" Yali responded, turning to the Siberian. Valeriya shook her head and shrugged. "Nope, me neither. So this..Mam..Is she the one I should talk to for some work? I've been wanting to earn money without my workbench for a while now."

..he found himself tripping on the sand face leaving a large cloud of sand rising from the ground..

"Aiyou, are you alright?" Yali asked as she walked over to Lucky, intending on helping the poor old man up, but didn't as he already helped himself.[/quote]

"Uh...so how are you guys doing?"

Valeriya chuckled and put a hand on his shoulder. "Certainly better than you Mister..?"

[Mervay]

Enya Cíochach of the Tribe of Navan.
I smiled.
"It's fun!", I said and was my bubbly self - my sisters let me do the talking with smiles of their own. "Sure, hard work, too, but also a lot of fun. You get to wear a lot of nice clothes, meet new and cool people, travel around a lot - it's fun!"
Kiah nodded. "Indeed, that is the long and short of it.", she said, then smiled at the two: "And it's good pocket money... Ida and I are studying and Enya here will soon start."
I nodded.

Leonard Rualacha of the Tribe of Wicklow.
I nodded.
"It is a humbling experience to have even only such a little part on that day. Indeed, history was made.", I said and I knew that to be true. SEA would be a path to a good and better future for my generation and the generations following us. "As for how I could tell you are from Mervay..." I shrugged with a slightly lopsided grin. "A shot into the blue. And a golden hit as it seems."
My admission was the truth, deciding for it because truth was always the best.

Aurora Alce.
Yeah, this was more then a hint... this was a concrete brick to the face.
And I knew, that my boss thought similarly as he raised an eyebrow but a smidgen. He was indeed Silvio Esecutore, the man, who sold quite a lot of things, which may or may not be legal or illegal in the country they entered.
He turned slightly.
"Let's walk for a bit, Siore Toschya.", he suggested as a better setting for that particular kind of conversation, "The ocean has ears and the sand has eyes." He nodded to me, thus giving me the signal to join his far side. "I hope, that you don't mind my apprentice coming along?"

Lisolette Devienne and Lucas Walker
"Ohh so perfect for fun, have money on your wallet, meet new people and wear nice clothes. Huh. I can bet it's pretty hard but worth and funny job." Lise said grinning at the sisters. Clearly they enjoyed what they did and it was good to hear that, of course she was a bit surprised that they weren't from here more exactly.

"So you three aren't living in The Free Lands right?? Let me guess Teressien??" What Lucas asked was to put it kindly. A shot in the dark or a bet, that if it was right or not was another story.

Athena Freezis
Certainly it was a shot in the dark for Leo that with how he reacted and how his lopsided smile and his words said, was a gamble. But he was honest about it and that was a lot to say for her, no lies and nothing, just the truth.

"Indeed it was a bullseye, lucky one truly. I do have to respect you coming with the truth and saying it, I mean even for something so silly it's good to see people just saying the truth and admitting that it was a gamble to take." Athena smiled at him as she decided to give Leo a question, mainly for teasing.

"So Leo. May if I ask if you are on a compromise or something. You know, a girlfriend or that??" She snickered as she said that, albeit her red cheeks gave away she was a bit flustered.

Vladimir Toschya

"Without problem Mr. Esecutore, you are free to bring her." He nodded and gave a kind smile as he looked at them... Yeah... He really had to work on giving hints subtlely for the future.

Clearly what they needed to talk was be done on a much better private area since it was a illegal business... And what would be considered terrorism knowing those guns were going to a revolution... Or perhaps something to give the idea of a rebellion?? Who knows, as of now Toschya motivations and intentions were quite vague, so it was all waited to be unfolded.

[Hanoverian Great Britain]

"Good riddance", complimented Alexandra as she then had his eyes focused at a particular direction. Surely, Fintan could clearly see the sight of two suitcases, one black and one brown, both neatly placed near an aluminium chaise longue which looked fit for only one person at that time. Completing the scene is a sturdy umbrella fixed on a pole near the chaise longue itself.

In a matter of few seconds, Alexandra hurried them fast to that exact location and as she held him with one arm supporting him from below, her other free arm reached down to feel the aluminium chaise longue, as to make sure that it is safe to lie down on. At the same time, though not fully visible, Alexandra's face reflected a clear expression of joy mixed with satisfaction as she planned her next steps ahead.

"Well then, let's settle down, shall we?", said Alexandra as she cautiously laid herself down on chaise longue. At the same time, she slowly brought down Fintan with her, gently placing him on top of herself while at the time, making sure that he does not accidentally hurt Alexandra herself in the process. "Now, take my word of advice. Forget the rifts and thorns, throw them away. Let them go my dear, move on and just embrace the things ahead, and one of them, is right here", expressed Alexandra as she curled her arms around his head once more, bringing their heads closer as their forehead comes into contact, her eyes closing as if she was waiting for Fintan's own response.

[New Visayan Islands]

Gerald Vicente
At the Beach

"Gerald," he introduced himself with a smile. Damn, these guys are tall, the Visayan thought. At 1.82 meters, he was somewhat on the tall side for a Visayan; the height of an average Visayan male ranged between 1.6 to 1.75 meters. Seeing how the players passed the ball to one another made him wonder; while the footwork was somewhat different, all he needed was to adapt.

And adapt he would.

[Kuronami]

Galen Lannaire of the Tribe of Louth.
I smiled.
"I know, what you mean. My old friend Seithe has come into the years as well. He's actually further away then September and Kronos, back home in Anfa on the Mainland.", I said, referring to my own stuffed toy, a little Grey Wolf me Mam made for me. "He accompanied through thick and thin, no matter if I told him to stay... when I had my graduation tests for high school, he snuck into my bag."
Kean smiled at me.

Bianca nodded frowned just slightly "Aww I bet he misses you a lot then. Loyal companion like that should not be too far away. But I bet when he snuck into your bag, he was cheering you as quietly as could be the whole time. I once had September come with me to school when I had to talk in front of the whole class."

"We had to give a small oral report on the towns of our home and Bianca did it splendidly." Isabel smiled at Bianca with her adorning eyes.

[The Gristolian Imperium]

Miss Donatella Pintaral
Pléaráca Beach, Tearmann Island Resort
Talking with Asteria

---

Asteria Aoibhiúil of the Tribe of Wicklow.
I laughed, not offended in the slightest.
"I am fairly good, I'd say!", I told her, "Won a few, got second and third in others, went under also-ran quite often, too. Won the Mianach last year and won the Khana Amana Trophy in Kyrenaia a few months ago."
I was also drying up, to be honest, but there was one simple solution: Closeby, there was a cooler, guarded by a man, who watched some girl playing with a baby, smiling at the scene. I recognized the girl as Princess Marla bint-Amina, the adopted daughter of Khana Amina bint-Karim of Kyrenaia, who had given me the Khana Amana Trophy and a kiss on the cheek for the victor a few months ago.
I nodded into the man's, and the cooler's, direction: "Donatella, can you do me a little favour?", I asked of her, "Can you get the two of us a lemonade, please?"
It was usual for such parties, at least among the Selkie, that those, who brought food and drink handed them out free of charge, so I was not worried, that he would ask her for anything worse then a dance later tonight.

"Then, I guess I am speaking with one of the best air racers," Donatella remarked as she flashed a smile. Following Asteria's nod, she glanced over at the cooler. She did not find the request for drinks too difficult. Not surprisingly, this was not the first time the heiress had to charm her way to a free drink. Now, there were many differences between a drunk man at a night club in Serkonos and a sober, stern man at the beach. Turning towards Asteria, Donatella nodded and said, "Consider it done! I will be right back."

As she approached the cooler and the man, Donatella noticed a young women playing with a baby. As the baby glanced at her, the heiress made a silly face that she hoped pleased the baby. The heiress had a weird view of children, because, on one hand, she saw other people's children as adorable, but, on the other hand, the idea of getting pregnant and having kids horrified her. The thought of having something grow within her was too scary to imagine.

"Hi," Donatella said as she greeted the man by the cooler, "I was wondering if there is any chance you would have two lemonades for me and my friend," she motioned towards Asteria, "to borrow...I mean have?"