Neko Girl Cultural Exchange (Catsfern and Las Palmeras only)

[Catsfern]

"so it would seem that the origins of the tohorin are rather mysterious. Perhaps once our relations have become more formal Catsfern could lend you some genetic researchers, but that being said I think with that we've come to something of an agreement regarding ambassadors. now the question is dates, when do you want to swap ambassadors and how long do you want yours to stay in Catsfern?"

[Las Palmeras]

"Charles nodded, "That could resolve many things and it could also open up many other questions. Genetic sequencing is still very much in its' infancy on this side. We're not even sure if the Tohorinese have a bit of...cat...in them. Perhaps García could get tested over there." Changing the topic, Zepeda replied to Eden's inquiry, "I believe Ms. Oldhall's profile said she'd be available for two months. If we're being equivalent about things, then two months will do for now. Though I'm not sure if the Committee will want to modify this. García could be our sole eyes and ears for over a year or she could be joined by more people. At the moment, we're just glad that the Magic protocol didn't involve spacemen but we need to keep things low. We wouldn't want the Americans or Soviets to know of this."

[Catsfern]

President Eden chuckles to himself. "Americans, Soviets, it seems I still have much to learn about the politics on this side of the portal, but nevermind that for now. I'll make arrangements to accept Garcia for two months then, and lets exchange ambassadors in say another week shall we on the 21st. That should give the both of us time to issue paperwork, make accommodations, and do whatever planning we need. Also if you wouldn't mind I'd like to leave something on an envoy on this side, just so that if you do decide to extend Garcia's stay that word of the decision can be relayed back to me quickly"

[Las Palmeras]

Zepeda beamed at the revelation, "Very well. It might actually give us time to organize a way to have correspondence between each-other in a comfortable and secure manner should the need arise. I've also been thinking about having Miss Tajique as a sort of liaison to Oldhall, or your envoy, to inform us of any necessities and wishes that she may have here. And to provide some manner of security. I assure you, her embarrassing performance was...eh...the exception of the rule to her ordinary aptitude."

[Catsfern]

"I believe that having Tepka as a liaison to Ms. Oldhall would be most acceptable. The extra security would be appreciated, and having a direct way to make such requests would be great. I'll choose a member of my diplomatic service to serve as my envoy, and should you need to tell me anything just write me a letter and have them deliver it to me. Of course we should probably keep such an envoy a secret for now"

[Las Palmeras]

"Of course. It's a good thing that our people can blend in...even with your catgirls having a tail, that is far less common here. Though the Magic staff can probably devise a quicker means of communication than letter correspondence. Is there anything else of importance discuss at the moment?"

...

In the week before the 21st, the Palmerans had already come up with a a somewhat elaborate way of communication between the two worlds: using an encrypted radio that'd transmit messages to the outpost near the portal -now covered up- using a submarine (that was under maintenance in Tamanshan Bay) as an intermediary. The vessel's extremely low frequencies were hard to detect to any outside eavesdroppers and once transmitted to the base, the secure message could be sent to the other side of the gate by means of a secure wire, something that had to be pushed into the portal however it wouldn't have been seen as out-of-place or too much of a problem by the Catsfernians, who by all assumptions, had already mastered genetic engineering and portable wireless communication.

García was also being trained for her mission, which boiled down to a mix of promises of rewards if she accepted to do the job and remain indefinitely silent on the matter and implicit legal threats should she reveal the existence of the portal as it was still deemed a national secret. For the first time in her life, the young reporter had felt she had perhaps gone way in over her head, and ironically enough, it wasn't in a dangerous place like the Congo or Aden but at the same time felt overjoyed that she was chosen for and trusted in to make a historic journey.

[Catsfern]

"No, I don't think so. I believe that covers all the formalities, so I say lets have a nice together shall we"

In the week leading up to the 21st preperations are made on the Catsfernian side for Garcia. a guide is prepared to show her around the nation, paperwork is issued for her, and a pre furnished apartment is prepared for her to stay at. At the same time a member of the diplomatic service was chosen to be the Catsfernian envoy. The man was Hunter Morgan, an older man with graying hair who had over 30 years in service as a diplomat.

Oldhall was being prepared for her hew role aswell, she took off the two months from the 21st of January to the 21st of March. After that she was told to keep a journal of what she's learned in hopes of better understanding Las Palmeras.

Security around the portal was beefed up, and on the Catsfernian side tests began on the portal itself, and some designs were made for everything from roads that pass through the portal, to phone lanes that would connect the two sides. That was all just theoretical for now though.

On the day of the 21st President Eden passed into Las Palmeras again, but this time accompanied by Oldhall and Morgan. He sent his the others on their way and then waited to meet Garcia

[Las Palmeras]

The 21st of January was a slightly grey day above Las Palmeras, even if the sun still shone over very light and wispy clouds. The portal had been covered up by a hangar-like building by then, as the general cover story was that a military vehicle had accidentally released toxic materials in a road accident. Oldhall and Morgan would've nonetheless been visited by official staff who'd have led them to one of the helicopters that led to the airport.

Takiri García saw her counterpart and the envoy and had a small moment to casually wave at them before she entered. She didn't know what the future would look like, it probably wasn't like those American cartoons about flying cars and chrome buildings.

[Catsfern]

The first thing that Garcia saw when she crossed over into Catsfern was a fairly straight forward security checkpoint in a large white building. There she was given a proper visa for her stay as well as an IAP, both of which she was told to keep track of. After her paperwork was checked she passed through a metal detector and had her bag searched. Nothing concerning was found so she was thanked for her cooperation and led outside, where she saw the true scale of Raven Rock. Every building around her was a sky scraper completely blocking her view of the horizon. The roads were 7 lanes wide with the two outermost lanes marked as "Exit lanes only". Pedestrian traffic was actually above the road on a series of elevated walkways. There was a car waiting for the President and Garcia in front of the simple checkpoing with both its passenger and driver side rear doors open, and a shofur inviting both of them to take a seat

[Las Palmeras]

In Catsfern:
Takiri made a small bow to the President by slightly tilting her head down before entering the car, she had tried her best to stay focused but had never seen such amount of urban density before, not even in New York City and immediately guesstimated that the population living in Raven Rock was easily in the millions. As a result, the reporter paused for a moment before entering the car, redundantly, a model she had never seen before. She had a hard time thinking of the right things to say at the moment, instead only saying "Mr. President" respectfully and letting out a small chuckle after adjusting a seat belt before finally staring at her go-go boots and musing "I hope my clothes aren't too dated in 2048."

In Las Palmeras
By the time the H-34 helicopter made it's way to the airport, both Oldhall and Morgan probably would've known of the momentary destination if Eden's second trip was anything to go by: the Royal Palace. However, the motorcade destined to pick them up sent them to the reception hall of the mid-century Atlantis Hotel, where it was conveniently empty as it had been rented for the day. The Crown Prince, Prime Minister, and a dozen ministerial officials -most of them middle-aged human and Tohorinese men- awaited their guests. As the master of ceremonies, Charles was the first to greet the interdimensional travellers with handshakes, followed by PM Zepeda.

[Catsfern]

In Catsfern
President Eden chuckles as they the car drives off "not to worry ma'am I believe you'll find that in Raven Rock anything goes. That aside I'll be showing you around for these first few days, I'll be showing you government buildings, local landmarks, and a few examples of Catsfernian industry. If you have any questions at any time feel free to ask"

In Las Palmeras
Morgan is the first to shake the hands of the Crown Prince and PM doing so professionally and calmly "Hunter Morgan senior diplomat, It's a pleasure to meet you"

Oldhall on the other hand is considerably more animated cigorously shaking the hands of both the Crown Prince and the PM. "I cant believe this is actually happening. I'm so excited to be meeting the both of you. It's an honor to meet actual royalty too."

[Las Palmeras]

In Catsfern
"Thank you, Mr. President. I'm sure I'll have an entire list of questions by the time this car ride is over. I just travelled 82 years into the future and...well...I'm still pinching myself. Hehe."

In Las Palmeras
After the exchange of handshaking, Charles shrugged a little, "My family has been royalty for less than a century, I'm more excited to actually be considered royalty for once." Two icy grey eyes quietly observed the nobleman and the movie star, it was Tepka. "Haha, allow me to introduce Tepka Tajique. She's a...a very dear friend of mine...despite her uniform, she is no ordinary housemaid. Miss Tajuque is quite versed on the history of the Palmeran Isle and will also advise us on anything you need during your tour of our nation, which we all hope will be most pleasant and informative." Tepka's eyes narrowed a little, as if she didn't expect the task, staring up at the Prince in a brief glare but she nonetheless obeyed and directed a quick curtsy to the visitors.

[Catsfern]

In Catsfern The car merges into traffic and begins heading down the road passing skyscraper after skyscraper.
"The first place I'll be showing you to today I Raven Rock park, which contains the famous Raven Rock the the city is named for. After that I'll be showing you to where you'll be staying for your time here. I believed that a hotel would be insufficient for your time here so I had a pre furnished apartment prepared for you."

In Las Palmeras

Morgan shakes Tepkas hand and nods it's a pleasure to meet you Tepka, your assistance will surely be appreciated".

Oldhall on the other hand outright hugs Tepka "You're so cute, I think you and me are going to be friends" she says before letting her go.

[Las Palmeras]

In Catsfern
"That'll be nice. Can't wait to see what the apartment of tomorrow looks like, today! Ehehe. Ah...Raven Rock? A literal Rock? Like the Kabbah?"

In Las Palmeras
Tepka was slightly unnerved by the sudden show of affection; Palmeran culture tolerated hugs and kisses, but it seldom did so between two people who just met. She nonetheless remained calm during the embrace and could only tenuously smile at the young woman who would be her priority in the following two months. After all, one shouldn't be judgmental. Tepka noted that Nancy had a tail, that was certainly uncommon and she also paused to think that somebody other than Chales had called her cute. "I certainly hope and dream that we will get along, Miss Oldhall. His Majesty has entrusted me to be your cultural guide to our country. Eh, I suppose that you're also quite lovely yourself." The somewhat humorless servant tried to break the ice more, "It's not surprising though, I've been told you are a big celebrity in your homeland. Perhaps our entertainment scene will interest you."

[Catsfern]

In Catsfern
"Im sure you'll find that your apartment has all the modern amenities, I'll be sure to show you all of its features. Then as far as the Raven Rock is concerned the Raven Rock is a large boulder in an otherwise fairly flat area that a large amount of ravens like to make their nests on. It was such a noteworthy feature when the city was founded that the city was named after it.

In Las Palmeras
Oldhall has a wide grin across her face as she talks with Tepka. "Well thank you, and yes I am something of a celebrity " she says chuckling "It would be great to see your film scene"

Meanwhile while the girls are talking with each other Morgan approaches the crown prince. "your majesty I believe I should inform you that I have somethin of a task here myself. President Eden has instructed me to exchange as much political information as I can with you. I'll tell you everything about my side of the portal that I can, and in exchange you'll tell me whatever you want about this side"

[Las Palmeras]

In Catsfern
"I'm honored that a Government's head has the time to show me the sights, it's definitely a first." she gleamed, and then tried to find some common ground. "Our countries have that in common, eh, your fact about the toponym. Las Palmeras was the name given to the isle of Tohorin by the Spanish, it literally means 'the palm trees'...simply because, as you've seen, there are lots of palms around the island coast."

In Las Palmeras
Tepka blinked a little and formed a confused smile that revealed sharp canines, "Eh? My film scene?"


In the meantime, the Prince let out a small glimpse of Las Palmeras' distressing reality behind the façade of scenic weather and cocktail parties, "Oh, eh, our world? It's a fairly easy thing to learn about. There are a few more than 108 different countries in the world, of varying size, wealth and influence. And they all fall into four rival blocs...or three depending on how you want to look at it... and nations under the influence of said blocks or currently being contested by the aforementioned blocs. Six of the world's nations have atomic bombs, the Palmeran State included, and we try our best to avoid war from happening for otherwise obvious reasons. It's been that way since I was a toddler and I regretfully can't find a change in the world order. The situation may actually clear up why my father's Government and Armed Forces have been a bit...well...tense. But you'll have plenty of chance to learn about our world at every corner, from newspapers, books and the news to all the qualified public servants you'll probably be meeting. And in the meantime, a banquet awaits. I'm sure you're not subsisting solely on pills and water in the future like in those science fiction shows. "

[Catsfern]

In Catsfern
President Eden let out a small chuckle "It seems that no matter what dimension you're in sometimes its just easiest to name places off natural features. Speaking of witch look out the window were getting close." As President Eden says this the endless skyscrapers open up to a large semi wooded area in the middle of the city. "it's a lot prettier in the spring and summer, but even now in the winter it's a welcome sight. Raven Rock is such a large city having this large area of greenery and nature is appreciated."

In Las Palmeras
Oldhall laughed to herself a bit "I just meant I can't wait to see what kind of movies you Palmerians make"

Meanwhile Morgan continues to talk with the Crown Prince on the way to the banquet. "108 countries huh that's a good few more than on my side of the portal, if I remember correctly there's only about 43 nations on the Catsfernian side of the portal. I know I brought a map of the world with me if you would like to see it at some point."

[Las Palmeras]

In Las Palmeras
Much like the explorers of old, Takiri could only compare fantastic and new sights with known ones, thinking to herself that the area resembled Central Park, vastly multiplied in sheer scale. "I have to confess this shift of seasons is always a spectacle to a Palmeran, our isle seldom gets colder than 15°C and it rarely gets hotter than 18°C. My counterpart is in for a very monotonous winter."

In Catsfern
Tepka blushed a little from not picking up at the suggestion even if her expression did not change; "Oh, we have our fair share of a bit of everything under the sun. I'm sure you're bound to enjoy some of it."

Charles would normally decline, however, an immense sense of curiosity towards these interdimensional time-travelers. "A map with only 43 nations? Everyone must be a big fish."

[Catsfern]

In Catsfern
the car pulls into a reserved parking spot right beside the park and lets President Eden and Garcia out. "Lets take a walk around the park shall we, even in winter its rather nice"

In Las Palmeras
as the Crown Prince and Morgan walk together Morgan pulls out a somewhat large cell phone he brought with opening it and bringing up a photo of the world map as seen here https://imgur.com/0jtXzjz. "The nation shown in bright yellow is Catsfern"

Meanwhile following behind Oldhall continues to speak with Tepka. "we'll have to watch some together some time then, or maybe I could even seem a film set here"

[Las Palmeras]

In Catsfern
García duly followed slowly, looking around the large wooded area in between what looked like a megalopolis.

In Las Palmeras
Charles simply said, "It does seem like there's quite a lot of big fish in a small pond. I'd show you a map of Las Palmeras and the world but I regrettably can't whip out a book from my pocket." He was, needless to say, very surprised by the device and took a few good seconds to admire it.

Close by, Nancy and Tepka's conversation continued. Ever serious, Tepka replied "I can arrange a list of films by genre, if you're interested. Or better yet, show you around a television studio. I'm sure we can pull some strings with the National Broadcasting Service."

[Catsfern]

In Catsfern
As Garcia waked through the park she would have undoubtedly noticed the air quality, and the fact that is was significantly better than8 what would be expected for such a large city. The air would seem crisp and fresh, if dry due to the winter air.

As they walked through the park President Eden continued to make conversation "I remember coming here as a kid, during the warmer months there's some small lakes that can be used for fishing or boating, and in the winter some of them are used for ice skating"

In Las Palmeras
Morgan chuckled to himself "i forgot your nation is 80 odd years behind technologically, this device here is far more than a book. This little thing in my hand is just about everything rolled into one. It's a phone, computer, calculator, and so much more. Plus it can contain a huge amount of photos, audio, and video. I'd be glad to show you more after we eat."

Meanwhile Oldhall continues to excitedly talk with Tepka "I'd just love to do both of those, who knows maybe one day my face will be on Palmerian television too."

[Las Palmeras]

In Catsfern:
"I'm sorry I can't say I have memories like that, Mr. President. I've lived in a city most of my life...only after I got my job did I travel, usually to other foreign cities though. If only NYC smelled like this, the air here is so clear I'd almost mistake it for actual woodlands. Your cars or power plants must be real efficient...if I were to make a semi-educated guess."

In Las Palmeras:
"Heh. You'll attract crowds in this room with such a device. Well, it's pleasant to know that people in the future will carry around hand-sized computers and cameras." He then jokingly remarked, You don't have transistors and magnetic tape in your pockets do you?"

Further behind, Tepka listened on and thought about herself and her still unofficial and long-lasting relationship with the Prince, remembering that one day she would have to face the cameras even if she didn't like them at all. Her eyes turned icy at imagining such a thing even if she did her best to hide the consternation, she veered her head towards Nancy and smiled ever-so-slightly at her plans. Come to think of it, Nancy's pupils were a bit slit. They were both "cat-girls", yet they were different, not just in personality but in other features, thought Tepka, slightly distracted. By then they had approached a rounded table, and Tepka would sit alongside the newcomers for a change instead of playing the role of servant.

[Catsfern]

In Catsfern
Both are in fact, you see most cars in Catsfern are either hybrid cars between typical motors and electric cars, or are powered by biodiesel, and as far as our power plants are concerned most are either renewable like hydropower, solar, and wind. Other than that we also rely greatly on nuclear power."

In Las Palmeras
Morgan Chuckled a the Crown Prince's joke. "no, no I don't but you know This sort of tech isn't to far out of reach for you. Your nation is a friend of Catsfern now, and Catsfern would be more than willing to help it's new friend, if you see my meaning."

Oldhall took her seat at the table excitedly looking around the room. "So what's for lunch I'm starving"

[Las Palmeras]

In Catsfern
Takiri felt satisfied with herself knowing that she was going in the right direction, even if some of the technologies mentioned didn't sound all too familiar. "It's nice to find some familiarity between, well, here and there. The Palmeran Isle is also set to make heavy use of nuclear fission. And fusion eventually. As an island without any petrol, we really don't have much other strategically sound choices."

In Las Palmeras
Charles took a few seconds to process Morgan's affirmation. Much like Zepeda, he felt a little cautious over something that seemed too good to be true but was also intrigued by the chance of having machines from the future in his hands. "I'll have to think of something to impress your delegation with, so far all the big surprises have been set by your side."

Before more comments could be said, however, the food had been served. Presented unto them were trays filled to the brim with the appetizers -ham or sardines and anchovies marinated in olive oil or squid and octopus in tomato sauce- stacked on top of slices of baguette-like bread with cheese, peppers, or other vegetables and all held together by toothpicks. Along with the food were the drinks, bottles of grape juice and wine. Tepka was the first to explain, "Tapas. A typical dish around the land, they can be found in most bars and restaurants. The meal isn't local but it was bought here by our former overlords. Not that many people complain, they're enjoyable."

[Catsfern]

In Catsfern
"The push for the nation to widely accept nuclear power started a few years before I was even born by my predecessor I've just simply continued his work. I also took the liberty of adding renewable power as well. The only thing we use standard petroleum for anymore is some of our military vehicles."

In Las Palmeras
Morgan took a piece of the squid and ate. "Hm these are quite tasty, and I can tell quality ingredients were used, though it seems food preparation is quite different between our two nations"

Oldhall on the other hand had filled hep plate with various appetizers and was too busy swiftly eating them all to comment.