The World Assembly Strangers' Bar

[Skylus]

Madison apparates into the WASB behind the bar counter.
"Oh. Sorry, miscalculated, lemme just walk over here...."
Madi leaves the bar and walks over the all of the newcomers.
"Hello! This is the World Assembly Strangers' Bar, where delegates of all the nations that have sided with the World Assembly meet to chat, have drinks, whatever. I'm Madison Goodwill, stand in delegate for the nation of Skylus."
Madi waves a hand and various food items and drinks appear everywhere, along with various Christmas decorations, such as wreaths, lights, statues, and other things.
Madi turns back to the others.
"Go on, sit down at a booth or table, go get a drink, make some friends."
She turns to Jennifer.
"Did I do it right?"

[Sapient Trading Cards]

Madi leaves the bar and walks over the all of the newcomers.

"Ow--wait, just stop--ow! Ow! Hey, that's plain rude, kid. Santa's not going to get you anything for Christmas with manners like that!"

[Wallenburg]

The salesman steps away and taps Ogenbond on the shoulder. "Hey buddy, looks like you are a fan of paper." He smirks, commenting on the unkempt heap of documents that the Wallenburgians have been sifting through. He draws several cards from his pockets and fans them out in his right hand. "Maybe you'd like some more? I got plenty of delegates in here, maybe even a Sierra Lyricalia card somewhere in these pockets. It's only a few hours until Christmas, after all, so you better get your shopping done wherever you can!"

Mikael stares at the man, almost at a loss for words. "I, um...Jenny, do you know this man?"

Jennifer shakes her head. "I don't know him, or what Kresmes means. Sir, please go accost someone else."

She turns to Jennifer.
"Did I do it right?"

Jennifer observes the salesman's behavior and nods lightly. "I'd say you did all right. I can't say I've met you before, young woman. Are you one of Mikael's friends?"

[Skylus]

OOC: Oh god that typo, I'm so sorry.

[Pan-Asiatic States]

"You can call me Zhan, Mister..?", informed and inquired the Asian delegate. He paused, but continued soon after.

"Well, Merry Christmas Eve, first and foremost. Nothing much to say about me. I'm an open book. Lost everything. Went to war. Fell in love. Same old story as the rest of the politicians you'll see in Neo-Manila."

He took his tea, applying a pint of sugar. He prepared and drank it like an American.

“I’m Roth, Mr. Zhan,” said the man in the suit. He didn’t react to the sugar- Roth didn’t drink tea and wasn’t accustomed to associating with those who did. His employees had lived on coffee instead, for the most part. For all he knew, that amount of sugar was normal for tea.

“Is Neo-Manila your nation, then?” he asked. “Or the capital city, perhaps? My own nation is, well, not much to speak of. It’s just the four of us, to be honest.”

"Forgive me, I haven't acquainted myself yet. I'm the WA Delegate of the Pan-Asiatic States. Neo-Manila's the capital. Biggest city I ever saw, if I'd ever seen one.", respectfully responded Zhan. He took another quiet sip.

"I really must get used to these international congregations. Rough change of scenery from seeing Japanese Imperialists gut your closest friends to negotiating with numb geese over climate accords. Then again, these kinds of bars were never my kind of scene to being with."

[Pan-Asiatic States]

- null -

[Wallenburg]

OOC: It's been two days. That doesn't really call for a bump.

[Allied Sapients]

Rirten wandered back into the bar, fresh from an exciting month of... mostly non-exciting classwork. Such is the life of a diplomat in training. But now they were back and ready to interact with a whole bunch of strange and unusual aliens in an environment such that they couldn’t possibly make a mistake large enough to reflect badly on the Coalition!

They’d even been given a series of notes on the current issues in the World Assembly, some of which made no sense whatsoever to an alien species that could spontaneously change sex. Humans were so confusing. It was a good thing their environment suit had a digital display that could feed them needed information, because it would be hard to keep track of all the cultural differences otherwise.

They walked up to the closest person. “Hello! I am Rirten,” they said. “Let’s engage in polite debate.”

[Tinfect]

The closest person turned out to be Jasot Rehlan, representative of Military Oversight, and woman who had quite wanted not to be noticed. She quickly looked over the approaching alien and took a drink to steady herself. If she were any other member of the Imperial Delegation, this would have been a nearly momentous occasion; a representative of the Imperium of Tinfect approached by a representative of an alien delegation casually.'

Unfortunately for Diplomatic Oversight, she was a Soldier.

"Your boss is better than mine Rirten, they don't let me wear my armor. Sit down, have a drink, if you uh, can, in that thing."

[Kyoki Chudoku]

Tokiko Suou was not looking forward to this assignment. With recent resolutions causing the Chudokurens problems- not that they had much intention of following any of them- she had been commanded to determine what exactly was causing all these unusually annoying views to propagate. Thus, she found herself entering some kind of bar, despite not desiring any kind of alcoholic beverage.

Despite her occupation, Tokiko looked much more like a soldier than a diplomat. Even her attire, though minimalist, was military. The scars and eyepatch didn’t help, nor did her general attitude or her war experience. But she wasn’t here to fight. She was here to investigate. Or at very least, to give it a try.

[Allied Sapients]

The closest person turned out to be Jasot Rehlan, representative of Military Oversight, and woman who had quite wanted not to be noticed. She quickly looked over the approaching alien and took a drink to steady herself. If she were any other member of the Imperial Delegation, this would have been a nearly momentous occasion; a representative of the Imperium of Tinfect approached by a representative of an alien delegation casually.'

Unfortunately for Diplomatic Oversight, she was a Soldier.

"Your boss is better than mine Rirten, they don't let me wear my armor. Sit down, have a drink, if you uh, can, in that thing."

“It’s armor against the outside world; if I’m not wearing it, I can’t go anywhere,” explained Rirten as they considered the chair. Northerners weren’t exactly built for sitting, but after a moment they settled for turning it sideways, stepping up to crouch on top of the seat, and wrapping their tail around the chair’s base in a way that the Earth crocodile they vaguely resembled could never manage. Northerners were very flexible.

“I don’t actually know,” Rirten said as they settled in. “Let’s find out! Bartender, can you bring me some salted water please?” A row of text flicked across their suit’s faceplate. “With just salt. No iodine.” Pause. “Or any of the other things humans might put in salt.”

They turned back to look at Jasot. “What’s your name?”

[Tinfect]

“It’s armor against the outside world; if I’m not wearing it, I can’t go anywhere,” explained Rirten as they considered the chair. Northerners weren’t exactly built for sitting, but after a moment they settled for turning it sideways, stepping up to crouch on top of the seat, and wrapping their tail around the chair’s base in a way that the Earth crocodile they vaguely resembled could never manage. Northerners were very flexible.

“I don’t actually know,” Rirten said as they settled in. “Let’s find out! Bartender, can you bring me some salted water please?” A row of text flicked across their suit’s faceplate. “With just salt. No iodine.” Pause. “Or any of the other things humans might put in salt.”

They turned back to look at Jasot. “What’s your name?”

So the alien was wearing an environment suit. That was fine, Seretis wouldn't authorize one of those either, apparently, it was 'disrespectful'. The way the alien sat, or, rather, didn't, was eerily reminiscent of Muras of the Exterior Territories, which, didn't particularly help her desire for a suit of powered armor. But that would have to be as far as she let it go; Diplomatic Oversight wouldn't take too kindly her sabotaging interspecies relations, and, frankly, this was a much nicer job than the navy.

"Jasot Rehlan. I'll spare you the formal greeting, don't care for it." She paused a moment. "So, salt water? What are you, Rirten?"

[Laissez-Faire Economics]

A sharply dressed businessman enters the bar, following the values of his securities from a mobile phone. On another phone, he keeps to a low shout, giving someone on the other end instructions to buy or sell on the national market.

"Gah, I'm done with you. Any losses I make are coming out of your pay." The businessman hangs up and settles down at the bar, ordering his favorite beer. He takes notice of the alien in the exosuit. "Wh...what is that?"

[Kyoki Chudoku]

Tokiko took note of the unusual being, but unwilling to interrupt a conversation that was already going on, settled for asking the bartender for a drink. ”Hey, could I get some water please? Just plain. Nothin’ fancy in it.” Tokiko then reflected on why she come here. Really, it was because nobody else could get the job done. Aozora was a firm ruler but had outright contempt for the WA and a tendency towards violence. Kurushimi...her constant self-mutilation wasn’t going to help their efforts, nor her slow speech style. And Gikochinai...she was energetic, Tokiko gave her that, but she was very far from subtle, and the diplomat rather sielcted that unauthorised hugging of everyone in sight wasn’t going make things easier.

”Diplomacy is a battlefield like any other,” she reminded herself, except instead of grisly death, you deal with words and gestures. Come on, this can’t be too hard...”

[Allied Sapients]

So the alien was wearing an environment suit. That was fine, Seretis wouldn't authorize one of those either, apparently, it was 'disrespectful'. The way the alien sat, or, rather, didn't, was eerily reminiscent of Muras of the Exterior Territories, which, didn't particularly help her desire for a suit of powered armor. But that would have to be as far as she let it go; Diplomatic Oversight wouldn't take too kindly her sabotaging interspecies relations, and, frankly, this was a much nicer job than the navy.

"Jasot Rehlan. I'll spare you the formal greeting, don't care for it." She paused a moment. "So, salt water? What are you, Rirten?"

“The jarans call me a Northerner. It’s because we were found north of their settlement on my species’ planet. We call ourselves:” The sound that Rirten made was brief, untranslated, and astoundingly similar to a car engine failing to start. “But they can’t pronounce that. Their throats are wrong.”

A line of text flashed across their suit’s faceplate. Rirten let out a whirrr. “Their throats are different and rely on having air available and the computer is being pedantic with me. Oh right. My species lives in the oceans, mostly. Sometimes on land. That is why salt water, not fresh- I am used to salt. Fresh water tastes strange to me. I can drink it, but I prefer not to.

”Gah, I'm done with you. Any losses I make are coming out of your pay." The businessman hangs up and settles down at the bar, ordering his favorite beer. He takes notice of the alien in the exosuit. "Wh...what is that?"

“That is Rirten, diplomat in training,” said Ambassador Olsh, an entirely different type of alien. “You will find many nonhumans in the Strangers’ Bar.”

[Tinfect]

“The jarans call me a Northerner. It’s because we were found north of their settlement on my species’ planet. We call ourselves:” The sound that Rirten made was brief, untranslated, and astoundingly similar to a car engine failing to start. “But they can’t pronounce that. Their throats are wrong.”

A line of text flashed across their suit’s faceplate. Rirten let out a whirrr. “Their throats are different and rely on having air available and the computer is being pedantic with me. Oh right. My species lives in the oceans, mostly. Sometimes on land. That is why salt water, not fresh- I am used to salt. Fresh water tastes strange to me. I can drink it, but I prefer not to.

Jarans and Northerners. One of them was new, and Rirten here could share an apartment with a Tirhel. That was two alien species she had to look into now. She was beginning to worry that she was looking at another Aeravahn; hopefully this one was more ignorant of Imperial history than the locals.

"Wrong throats, huh?" She quickly gestured to her own. "That's why you get them replaced. We can make a better one than biology provides." She paused again, and took another drink. "So, fair's fair - I'm human, I'm sure you've seen enough of us for a lifetime or two around here. So, where are you from, or, who do you represent if you like, I'm not up to date with the diplomatic logs."

[Giant Bats]

A line of text flashed across their suit’s faceplate. Rirten let out a whirrr. “Their throats are different and rely on having air available and the computer is being pedantic with me. Oh right. My species lives in the oceans, mostly. Sometimes on land. That is why salt water, not fresh- I am used to salt. Fresh water tastes strange to me. I can drink it, but I prefer not to.

An alien that lived in water - the strange nonsolid substance that Ikiti was only comfortable with as rain - was interesting enough to make her decide to partake the activity on the ground level of the room, and she dropped down from the ceiling beams. Such a short drop - only a few metres - didn't even require her to open her wings, as her feet, sporting the killing claws of an aerial predator, were able to withstand and mitigate much harder collisions. And also because despite her large size - in the quadrupedal standing position her large head with its massive jaws was just shy of two metres above the floor - as a flying creature she was very lightweight, weighing much less than one of the creatures that called themselves humans.

So moving to loom behind the strange alien and the Tinfectian metal creature - who didn't have enough edible matter in them to count as a person, to a Tikrr - Ikiti let her lower jaw hang open a little, exposing several rows of shark-like teeth, to be able to use her hunting sonar to more precisely scan the entity.

"How can you live in the water?"

"Wrong throats, huh?" She quickly gestured to her own. "That's why you get them replaced. We can make a better one than biology provides." She paused again, and took another drink. "So, fair's fair - I'm human, I'm sure you've seen enough of us for a lifetime or two around here. So, where are you from, or, who do you represent if you like, I'm not up to date with the diplomatic logs."

Sparing one ear to show she was paying attention to the metal creature, Ikiti felt that she needed to correct its words. "They are not a good representative of the human species, though; they are a human brain in an artificial body. Most humans are fleshy creatures, not fusion reactor powered machines."

[Kyoki Chudoku]

Between the aquatic alien in an environment suit and the giant bat that had just emerged out of nowhere- Tokiko had forced herself to suppress the combat reflexes her experienced had given her for dealing with sudden approaches- the Intermittent Head of Diplomacy was beginning to think that she was somewhat out of her depth in this bizarre environment. She took a sip of water. I’ll get used to it...I’ll get used to it...just don’t think of them as abominations, that’ll help...

[Laissez-Faire Economics]

"Hah, wow!" exclaims the businessman. "This place must be full of aliens. This could be a perfect opportunity!" He opens his phone and searches for zoos in his home nation and their offered finder's fees for live specimens.

[Allied Sapients]

"Wrong throats, huh?" She quickly gestured to her own. "That's why you get them replaced. We can make a better one than biology provides." She paused again, and took another drink. "So, fair's fair - I'm human, I'm sure you've seen enough of us for a lifetime or two around here. So, where are you from, or, who do you represent if you like, I'm not up to date with the diplomatic logs."

“I’m with the Coalition. The Jaran Unification is technologically uplifting my species right now, so there hasn’t been enough time for any of us to actually get to the point of representing anyone ourselves, but when they’re done diplomats will be very important to have. I’ll be one of the first ones if all goes well,” Rirten explained.

So moving to loom behind the strange alien and the Tinfectian metal creature - who didn't have enough edible matter in them to count as a person, to a Tikrr - Ikiti let her lower jaw hang open a little, exposing several rows of shark-like teeth, to be able to use her hunting sonar to more precisely scan the entity.

"How can you live in the water?"

Rirten arched their neck around to look behind them at the giant bat. This wasn’t a species they were familiar with. Cool! “Hello!” they chirped. “It’s easy. I just swim, and breathe, and do my part in the community. How can I not live in the water?”

Sparing one ear to show she was paying attention to the metal creature, Ikiti felt that she needed to correct its words. "They are not a good representative of the human species, though; they are a human brain in an artificial body. Most humans are fleshy creatures, not fusion reactor powered machines."

They turned back to face Jasot. “Is that true? What happened to the rest of your body? Were you in a disaster and it broke?

((Fun fact: the very specific part of Rirten’s homeworld that is capable of maintaining a Northerner population has no large predators (other than Northerners, of course), so their species doesn’t have the sort of “Aaa! Predator!” startle reaction that Iksana’s does))

[Disembodied Voice]

"Hah, wow!" exclaims the businessman. "This place must be full of aliens. This could be a perfect opportunity!" He opens his phone and searches for zoos in his home nation and their offered finder's fees for live specimens.

A voice seemingly coming out of nowhere says quietly just behind his left ear, "Only try to treat sapient aliens as animals for a zoo, if you also don't mind the chance of ending up on the menu of an alien restaurant."

[Tinfect]

“I’m with the Coalition. The Jaran Unification is technologically uplifting my species right now, so there hasn’t been enough time for any of us to actually get to the point of representing anyone ourselves, but when they’re done diplomats will be very important to have. I’ll be one of the first ones if all goes well,” Rirten explained.

That told her well-enough to confirm her suspicions. Coalitions and Unifications and uplifting. If they knew anything about the Imperium, Rirten wouldn't be talking to her as anything more than a prisoner of war. She managed not to let the concern show on her face, and simply took yet another drink; if only it actually had any effect.

Sparing one ear to show she was paying attention to the metal creature, Ikiti felt that she needed to correct its words. "They are not a good representative of the human species, though; they are a human brain in an artificial body. Most humans are fleshy creatures, not fusion reactor powered machines."

This certainly hadn't helped her desire for a suit of powered armor; indeed, she had half a mind to ask for an HLE suit. At least she'd seen this particular alien before, though it wasn't any less terrifying up close.

"Hey now, uh... Tikrr, you can't take a baseliner as the whole of the species, we're well beyond that."

They turned back to face Jasot. “Is that true? What happened to the rest of your body? Were you in a disaster and it broke?

"Absolutely true. I'm Military," she pointed to a series of badge-pins on her uniform that assuredly meant absolutely nothing to the foreigner, "It's standard for soldiers. Metal's more resilient than bone, and baseline bodies just aren't built for the stresses of powered armor."

[Giant Bats]

“I’m with the Coalition. The Jaran Unification is technologically uplifting my species right now, so there hasn’t been enough time for any of us to actually get to the point of representing anyone ourselves, but when they’re done diplomats will be very important to have. I’ll be one of the first ones if all goes well,” Rirten explained.

That told her well-enough to confirm her suspicions. Coalitions and Unifications and uplifting. If they knew anything about the Imperium, Rirten wouldn't be talking to her as anything more than a prisoner of war. She managed not to let the concern show on her face, and simply took yet another drink; if only it actually had any effect.

Sparing one ear to show she was paying attention to the metal creature, Ikiti felt that she needed to correct its words. "They are not a good representative of the human species, though; they are a human brain in an artificial body. Most humans are fleshy creatures, not fusion reactor powered machines."

This certainly hadn't helped her desire for a suit of powered armor; indeed, she had half a mind to ask for an HLE suit. At least she'd seen this particular alien before, though it wasn't any less terrifying up close.

"Hey now, uh... Tikrr, you can't take a baseliner as the whole of the species, we're well beyond that."

They turned back to face Jasot. “Is that true? What happened to the rest of your body? Were you in a disaster and it broke?

"Absolutely true. I'm Military," she pointed to a series of badge-pins on her uniform that assuredly meant absolutely nothing to the foreigner, "It's standard for soldiers. Metal's more resilient than bone, and baseline bodies just aren't built for the stresses of powered armor."

"I am Ikiti Tikilikrr, the Head of the Diplomatic Wing, tenth generation mother of two," Ikiti introduced herself formally, closing her jaws. She then lifted one winghand to point a sharp-clawed finger to point to one of the silvery lines that ran here and there among the short, dense fur on her head. "Technological uplift is something all our three species have in common. The only difference is that the Tinfectian humans received theirs half accidentally. We were specifically targeted by our benefactors. I can only communicate with you with the help of my cybernetics; your speaking voices are too low in frequency to be more than garbled growling otherwise, and mine too high for your ears. We also have a special translator program that translates concepts as well as words. Additionally, I don't have eyes - though I am able to sense magnetic and electric fields - so the cameras translate your outlines and some additional visual information into aural information, which I receive directly via a brain implant. This means I do not need to deafen anyone else able to hear my sonar frequencies with constant scanning of my surroundings with my natural vocal abilities."

The Tikrr diplomatic staff had undergone some extra training on how to interact with aliens, based on the data from their interactions with the Betian elf known - these days - to them as Iksana Gayan Tikilikrr, the first alien to be adopted into a Roost.

Turning her full attention to the alien in the encounter suit. "But I meant, how can you live in the water? Solid things sink in liquids. Or they float and require external force to be moved about. Water is familiar to me only as rain in my native environment."

[Kyoki Chudoku]

Tokiko couldn’t help but listen in on some of the ongoing conversations. The discovery that a civilisation would replace so much of someone’s body with mechanical parts was unnerving. It made sense in practical terms, but for a Chudokuren...the idea reminded her far too much of the enhanced, painless warriors she’d encountered during the Nightmare, and of the countless soldiers who had been forced to have many of their limbs replaced with prosthetics- where that could be afforded at all. She became conscious of the scars on her face, the eyepatch that covered what one child had gouged out. Even surrounded by aliens, it was that...cyborg? She had no better word for it. It was that cyborg which intrigued and unnerved her most. Deciding that sitting around would only make her more uncomfortable, Tokiko stood up and approached, making sure her hesitation didn’t show.

”That’s an awful lot of metal...wonder how effective it is in combat. This place has an awful lot of advanced civilisations.”

[Hiachijan]

Some messy-looking Imoya romps into the building. She's wearing some dark spiny clothing dotted with a lot of dim, neon accessories (typical among Faceless attire).

Stuttering inside, she slaps the Thought-to-Voice-Synthesizing and Translating Device (T-VSONT) the end of her muzzle and tries to shout something to get attention.

"HEY, ALIENS WHA.̛͏-͡͏҉+͏́:̀̀͝͝:̢̕͜͏"

It breaks down again, just making weird 'whirr' and glitch noises instead of a fake voice. She pounds it again, for good measure.

"Hey, sorry, Vocozer don't make no reliable tech nowadays. Imoya Nation said I should talk with multiverse beings more, makes me better at my job. Anyone want a CD?"

She holds up a small collection of primitive bootleg CD's that barely look like they're playable anymore.