Voyage in Vadopol (IC, Esquarium Only)

[Pavonistade]

The lowly sun climbs above the horizon and begins unveiling its majesty with an orange hue. It quickly takes center stage in the sky and colours it bright blue, while it itself shines with increasing brilliance. The people of Vadopol, who are just beginning to be relieved from their sleep, are treated to a rare clear and vivid day. Normally the days in Vadopol, and Pavonistade in general, are blanketed by depressing white-grey clouds that inundate the miserable people with whatever amount of rain possible.

The fortified sun seems to indicate that today is especially special for not only the inhabitants of Vadopol, but for any other people that happened to choose Vadopol for a temporary visit. It just so happens that people from the world over decide to tour Vadopol for a little while, but what is intriguing is not the glamorous sun or the vivd blue skies that appear quite infrequently. What is intriguing is that once the tourists are done with their voyage of some sort, they generally return home with a changed outlook on the world that impacts how they behave and think for a long while.

Perhaps it's because Vadopol has a richly-cultured atmosphere, or because Vadopol is generally a surprisingly-friendly city for Pavonistadians and non-Pavonistadians alike. Whatever the reason or reasons is, one who has toured aborad and truly enjoyed their time abroad likely has a captivating story to share about their

VOYAGE IN


IIwiki | OOC Thread | IC Thread

• Central Park (Forhelm)
  An urban park containing various tropical and subtropical flora, as well as some greenhouses and different sculptures symbolizing nature.
• City Council (Mandar Bay)
  The legislature of the Vadopolitan municipal government. In proximity of the city council is the Old Mayor's Municipal Council, which was the original city council in historic Vadopol.
• Cry for Ascension Monument (Alivack)
  A monument from the early 19th century. It depicts the unity among the Jopj indigenous people and the Pavons, even as the former's empire ceased to exist and indigenous descendants were discriminated against for decades.
• Darrette Hill (Darrette)
  The highest place in Vadopol, lying at 50 meters above sea level. It is forested by subtropical trees, and gives a decent view of surrounding places and the Vadopolitan skyline.
• Delta Landfill (Delta)
  An active landfill for Vadopol. Unless picking out garbage is somehow a pastime, the dull and repellent region does not attract much appreciation. Once the landfill is covered, there is potential for reclamation to begin and conversion of the region to a park.
• First Vadopolitan Frederick's Fries (Yienlis)
  The first Frederick's Fries outlet in Vadopol. Frederick's Fries is a fast-food chain headquartered in Oktosis and currently has over twenty thousand outlets in at least eight nations. OOC: There are more Frederick's Fries outlets across Vadopol, but all other such outlets are considered to be generic.
• Gay Village (Valence Quarter)
  Valence Quarter is a neighbourhood of Vadopol, but it itself is also the city's gay village. It has a higher lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender population than any other cities or gay villages in Pavonistade. Numerous other sexual minorities exist in the Vadopol Gay Village.
• Hotel de Kapiteile (Koflelle)
  A modern, luxurious hotel considered to be the "ultimate hotel of Pavonistade". It would have served as the abode for world leaders if Vadopol hosted the Second Esquarian Summit. OOC: This is one of the possible starting points for characters.
• Kaptyn War Cemetery (Kaptyn)
  A cemetery devoted to honouring the war dead since the Pavonistadian Revolution. A Tomb of the Unknown Soldier lies in the center of the cemetery.
• Little Ocelotia (Vergkot)
  A small zoo and other veterinary facilities purposed to study and care for Pavonistadian ocelots, especially ocelots that may happen to be roaming around in the city.
• Namortown (Mandar Bay)
  This Namortown, or Little Namor, is the most densely-populated of any Namortowns in Pavonistade.
• Nautasiville (Zyta)
  A community with a high concentration of Pavonistadians and people of Nautasian descent. It has a higher concentration of black Pavonistadians and Muslims than any other location in Vadopol.
• New Colonies Post (Imogen)
  This is the first post set up by the Lombardians after they first stepped on Pavonistadian soil in 1588 CE. The colony in which the post was situated was called the New Colonies, before it was referred to as Palemo and then Vadopol.
• Oldstreet Inn (South-End)
  A hotel constructed in the early 20th century. Its sense of tradition and its symbol as a symbol of historic Vadopol gains attention from numerous tourists and visitors, both Pavonistadian and non-Pavonistadian. OOC: This is one of the possible starting points for characters.
• Pavonistadium (Tanatara)
  The home stadium of the Pavonistade national football team. it has a capacity of 70,000 seats.
• Revolution Plaque (Lusangka)
  A plaque originating from the Pavonistadian Revolution, a series of social and political changes contributing to the downfall of the Pavon monarchy. It is believed to have been created following the victory in the Battle of Palemo (historic Vadopol) by rebel general Adrian Vadopol, after whom the city is named.
• Sky Centers (Downtown)
  Four mixed-used skyscrapers. The Central Skyscraper is the tallest building in Pavonistade (standing at 400 m), and three shorter skyscrapers surround it.
• Smasgtani Park (Anastasia)
  A park along the Smasgtani River. Many plants, animals, fish, and insects flourish near the river, and the park offers to visitors an atmosphere that is very quiet and serene.
• Tangerine Mall (Downtown)
  The largest shopping mall in Vadopol. It is a vertical mall with countless features, from a large food court to a movie theatre.
• University of Vadopol (Flons)
  A public research university located in the outskirts of Vadopol. It attracts students from other Pavonistadian cities or from abroad, though it is often contrasted with the more-prestigious University of Gordhoss.
• Vadopol International Airport (Haghestii)
  The busiest airport in Pavonistade based on passenger traffic. It hosts a great variety of outlets, stores, and restaurants, as well as a large parking lot, light-rail link, and a hotel. OOC: This is one of the possible starting points for characters.
• Vadopol Museum (Liamo)
  A museum showcasing the history of Vadopol. It also serves as the municipal science center for people of various ages.
• War Museum (Mulhosat)
  A museum showcasing relics from wars in which Pavonistadian soldiers have fought.

[Pavonistade]

Some Notes to Consider for the RP:

• Your character(s) is free to start in one of the three sanctioned starting points mentioned in the OOC thread, namely:
  
  • Vadopol International Airport, the international airport serving the city and located in the Haghestii district
  • Oldstreet Inn, a hotel built in the 20th century and located in the South-End neighbourhood
  • Hotel de Kapiteile, a luxurious hotel in the Koflelle neighbourhood
• Your character(s) may start a day off with various actions, such as visiting a particular location. If you start off by trying to find someone to interact with, your character can do some actions to try and attract the attention of people that may be around.
  If Person A posts, "John Smith calls onto surrounding bystanders for help," I may respond with something like, "For 20 minutes, John wasn't able to find help until, at last, an elderly man steps up...".
• While I may give you some options for your character(s) to pick from, your character(s) is able to make their own decisions instead of selecting a given option as long as the decisions make sense.
• The in-character date is the 1st of May. It is preferable that your character begins their day beween 7:00 am and 9:00 am if they're starting in one of the two hotels, or after 9:00 am if they're starting in the international airport.
• Have fun!

[Luziyca]

May 1, 2017
Oldstreet Inn
8:00 am

Seraphima Shmakova had finished her final exams and had just graduated. Now, she found herself in Vadopol, because she wanted inspiration for her artwork, and to pass the summer before going back to university the fall.

The alarm on her phone vibrated, waking her up from her slumber. Shaking her head, she sighed.

"Yet another day," she muttered. "At least I'm not at home in the Bible Belt."

She stood up, and stretched. Now, it was time for her to get dressed, and head on out to the streets of Vadopol.

"Maybe today," she muttered, "I'll go to the Gay Village. They seem like nice and friendly people who care about social justice."

Once she was dressed, she made her way out of the hotel. But first, she has to get coffee: the fuel of the student, even if she is travelling across the globe.

[Rak-Arshan]

May 1, 2017
Hotel di Kapitelle
10:15 AM

'(Waposhan) ...and may the Scaled One protect me and guide my path in this strange and unknown land. May my call be heard and blessed.' As Tanak finished his invocations, he put away his snake fetish and put out the incense he has lit. He stood up from his kneeled position and looked out the window at the vast cityscape. What a sight! And what accommodations! It's amazing what outsiders will pay for carved ivory. Wait, no. Get that thought out of your head. You're the outsider now. They're the locals.

With the small fortune Tanak had gained from (semi-legally) pawning off his ivory bone pieces, he had been able to not only afford some local clothing, but was able to afford a room in this really elegant (albeit somewhat gaudy)...refuge? Base camp? What word did they call it? Hoh-tel? It was like a base camp but for civilians or something like that, but it was rooted to the ground? A lot of facilities in this city were rooted to the ground. It was odd. What if they needed to get away from an impending threat? A lot of things outsider did made no sense, and Pavonistadians were no different. Oh well, all Tanak could do was adjust.

Well, now that breakfast, bath, and invocations were out of the way, it was time to explore the city! He could visit the north shore of the district. There were some smaller village-camps to the south and east that apparently housed immigrant populations. It might be nice to check out the cultures within the culture. Ooh, there was also Revolution Plaque, where the locals honored their fallen who'd battled the oppressive powers of old. That was something Tanak could relate to. That settles it! To the Plaque to visit the honored dead!

[Pavonistade]

Seraphima Shmakova
Once out of the Oldstreet Inn, Seraphima would find an explosion of people and vehicles. She would be able to tell with her senses that no two people in Vadopol are alike, and that they are all unique in their own ways: they dress up in their own fashion, they have their own stature and usually they also have their own personal considerations. This mix would be a haven for artists and freethinkers - assuming they're willing to accept the way things are.

The howling cars and trucks that lined up impatiently on the asphalt roads is evidence of Vadopol's grandoise place in Pavonistade and its ever-living, ever-busy existence. The buildings next to or across the Oldstreet In are elderly, young, or a combination of both, for the neighbourhood of South End is like an evolving creature. While many contemporary skyscrapers and infrastructure are overtaking South End, its old roots from so many decades ago are impossible to be thrown into some dustbin that will be kept out of mind.

Seraphima would definitely get a glimpse of Vadopol that she may or may not get from first impressions or her imaginations. But the first step of the day for her is to get coffee, her fuel for the day, and luckily at least two nearby options are available for her. There is a Frederick's Fries one block east of Oldstreet Inn, which is optimal for quick and cheap coffee (plus some cheap breakfast foods). There is also a local coffee shop one block west of the aging hotel, which offers more-expensive coffee but which has survived time and has considerable respect from the locals. The Oldstreet Inn, in addition, does have a restaurant where coffee can be ordered, but the options for coffee flavour are very limited.

---

Tanak Ashropali
The Revolution Plaque fascinates both Pavonistadians and non-Pavonistadians without any doubt. It is often thought that the simple plaque, built of late-19th century iron and affixed onto a large boulder, was produced after general Adrian Vadopol won a battle against the rogue loyalists in the city. It suffered rust and wear as it aged through more than a century, and it is not much more than a plaque stuck onto a giant piece of rock that happened to be nearby, but it remains extremely valuable to Pavonistadians through its marking of the end of a major revolutionary battle, its representation of the victory of freedom over tyranny, and its inscription in the Pavon language (then in its infancy) detailing general Vadopol's noble exploit.

To get to the Revolution Plaque would not be overly difficult for most people, considering that it is in Lusangka, which is just east of the neighbourhood that the Hotel de Kapiteile is in (Koflelle). As an outsider that may or may not find everything in Vadopol to be like the norm, Tanak would have take some transportation that he'll have to familiarize. One straightforward way to get to the Revolution Plaque include the taxi (calling one is as simple as getting outside the hotel and signalling or waving at an approaching taxi), which can take Tanak straight to where the Revolution Plaque is but can charge some hefty fees for traveling a few kilometers/miles.

There is a subway station named Smasgtani Hills which lies three blocks south of the Hotel de Kapiteile. Tanak can try taking the subway train to the station closest to the plaque (Inseladon)... and then walk 20 minutes to the boulder that hoists the plaque. The transportation options aren't the most likeable ways to get around but inspecting the unparalleled Revolution Plaque can easily put the observer in awe and dispel other negative memories for a while.

Note: Your character is also able to make up their own decisions (e.g. try finding another shop or try travelling to a place via alternate means) instead of picking an option listed in the above post, as long as it makes sense.

[Luziyca]

Shmakova debated on where to go.

"Do I want to stop at Frederick's Fries? Or should I go to a local coffee shop?" she thought.

Part of her wanted to go to Frederick's Fries: she had never tasted it in its home country of Pavonistade, and she wondered if the quality of Frederick's Fries was any better in Pavonistade than at the local Frederick's Fries in Greenwich.

But at the same time, she felt that Frederick's Fries tasted pretty much the same no matter where she went. The one at the University had awful coffee, and she only went there on exams. Most of the time, she went to Xavier's Donuts on campus. The local coffee shop would probably have better coffee than Frederick's Fries.

After a few moments, she took out her wallet and flipped a coin. It landed on heads, and so she had made her decision.

She began to walk westward towards the local coffee shop. As she proceed along the way, she saw an unimaginable amount of people. Sure, Greenwich was big, but it only had about a million people. Vadopol was at least twelve times that many.

But soon enough, she arrived in front of the local coffee shop, with its stately designed. She opens the door...

[Rak-Arshan]

Having decided to visit Revolution Plaque today, Tanak left his room and down the hall to the stairs. Sure, the elevator was more convenient, but he couldn't stand to be inside one of those creaking, beeping machines. He took one up when checking in the other day and that trip alone nearly gave him a panic attack. Upon leaving the hotel, his senses were assaulted with the humdrum buzz of Vadopol. Metal elephants roared down the streets while locals and tourists alike walked this way and that. The city was busier than Camp Ishwar during migration season. It was right chaos to Tanak's eyes.

Well then, I better get a move on. While I'm here, maybe I could try the local transport services. What are they called? 'Taxis' or something like that. Now, how to you flag one down again?

Tanak suddenly stuck out his arm and began whooping and waving at random traffic, much to the confusion of passersby. Darn it, this isn't working. What do taxis look like? He continued to whoop and wave at passing streetcars until a yellow one stopped next to him at the side of the road. Tanak got into the vehicle and turned to the handler.

'(Pavon) Go to Plaque of Revolution, thank you.'

'Revolution Plaque?', the handler responded. 'You got it, boss.'

With that, the taxi took off faster than any elephant. Tanak looked out the window and marveled at the city before him. Great buildings that seemed to scrape the sky. More people than he had even seen before. Sights and sounds that he had never seen before. This place was truly something else...'Oof!' Tanak's head slammed against the back of the passenger seat. 'Sorry 'bout that, boss,' said the handler. 'We're here.'

'Is okay,' Tanak replied as he shook off the dizziness...and the approaching carsickness. Maybe the taxi wasn't such a good idea. 'How much does it cost?' Tanak paled as the handler gave him the charges. It was a good thing ivory goes for so much. He pulled out his wallet and handed over the funds. There goes lunch. Maybe I can catch something along the beach front later... Rubbing his forehead, Tanak stepped out of the taxi and into the plaza, which was unusually crowded considering the time of day. Is something going on today? Oh yeah, Pavonistadian Day of Labor. It seemed as if the entire city had the day off and was spending it in Lusangka. Tanak wove his way through the crowd and stood before the Plaque. It was a sight to behold. A great stone wall covered the center of the plaza. Engraved upon it were the names of countless warriors, from end to end. Most prominently, near the center-top of the Plaque rested a name etched into a relief in the stone wall. Adrian Vadopol.

Tanak was mesmerized by the sight before him. This was like nothing he had ever seen before, a memorial that, despite being little over a century old, seemed to echo across the ages. Silently, he reached into his bag and pulled out his snake fetish. Pressing it against the stone, he muttered a short prayer to himself and to the many fallen. Once satisfied, he stepped away from the stone, gave a quick salute to it, and began to take a stroll around the plaza. It was then that he received a call...

[Pavonistade]

Seraphima Shmakova
Once Shmakova opened the door, she would find that the coffee stop or the coffeehouse is modest in size. The cafe doesn't seem to be one that would garner a whole lot of respect, judging by first impressions.

It was lit by a few dull fluorescent light bulbs, and it wasn't large enough to give a special hearty feeling but it wasn't small enough to give a claustrophobic shock. There was one male barista on standby while four other customers, seemingly unrelated to one another, were seated apart from each other. Some sat at small tables while others sat at the one frosted window visible from the outside. They relished their drinks or ate away at some sandwiches, and they don't appear to be disturbed by another person stepping in.

Two menus hang from the wall blaring out several types of coffee beverages that can come in various sizes, namely small, medium or large. One would find that this particular coffeehouse serves a few non-coffee drinks and light snacks as well, as can be seen from what the few other customers have. Not much choice is available here and there's no guarantee that the pricing is desirable, but there should be enough coffee and other foods to meet a typical person's needs or wants.

And it's also rather difficult to tell that the coffeehouse does source its additive-free ingredients from local farms and stores.

Coffee

• Latte
• Mochaccino
• Macchiato
• Caffè Artisiano
• Caffè Conitiano

Drinks

• Orange juice
• Tea (hot)
• Bottled water

Snacks

• Cheese sandwich
• Ham sandwich
• Blueberry muffin
• Chocolate chip cookies
• Brownies

---

Tanak Ashropali
There is nothing wrong at all in honouring the many people that perished forever in the revolutionary battle at Vadopol - those that have sacrificed their lives not just for the rebel cause, but for the ultimate defence of civil liberties and the sanctity of the Pavon nation. Any decent Pavonistadians would highly appreciate a person, in particular one from another country, to respect the impacts that general Vadopol's victory made on the future of the city and the country.

Unfortunately, Tanak would find himself in some... unpleasant outcome, as a small group of men and women are cracking their voices in an effort to reach his attention. From a distance, the group looks like it has two, three, four insignificant bystanders... it's rather hard to tell with the people around the plaza and the Revolution Plaque. People within earshot distance can make out what the group is up to, and why they aren't very happy at all.

"What the hell were you doing to the plaque?" one of the men asks. Worship and prayers for one man can easily turn out to be an alien fad for another.

"That's terrible!" one of the women commented. She sounds like she is countering the man that spoke just earlier, but her message is quite ambiguous and for all that matters, she might be referring to Tanak's fetish.

In an open space swarmed by people, a small group of people irked by Tanak's prayers may not be noticeable, but with the easily-made misinterpretation of these prayers, the small group may not be so small depending on how things turn out.

[Luziyca]

Shmakova did not give a shit about where the food came from. She just wanted a quick cup of coffee and a quick snack before heading to the Gay Village.

The interior seemed dull and sterile, but whatever. She took out her phone, and quickly typed in the phrase "May I have a Mochaccino and two chocolate chip cookies?" into IntaTranslate. Within moments, a Pavon translation appeared.

She then approached the counter. Glancing at the translation, she asked the barista "May I have a Mochaccino and two chocolate chip cookies?" Sure, it was not the best Pavon, but hopefully, it was enough for the barista to understand.

[Rak-Arshan]

Oh, this is not good. It seemed that Tanak's prayers had attracted unwanted attention. Two men, locals judging by appearance, approached him, scowling all the way. 'What the hell do you think you're doing?', one of them said, pointing accusedly at Tanak.

Tanak tried to compose himself and responded, 'I am blessing the Plaque! Not hurting it. I only honor dead. Is tradition!'

'What the hell kind of tradition is that? Look buddy, I don't care what kind of religion you follow, you don't desecrate the Plaque!'

'Stop!', shouted a female voice. A woman emerged from the (now staring) crowd and turned to address the men. 'He isn't doing anything wrong!'

'How would you know? How do you know he's not desecrating the Plaque?'

'He's just praying!'

'Who the hell prays like that?'

Just then, a patrolman intervened. 'What's going on here?'

One of the men was first to answer. 'This guy is desecrating the Plaque!', he said as he gestured to Tanak.

The woman piped up, 'No, he isn't! You two are just picking a fight for no reason!' More heated shouting began between the parties.

The patrolman spoke up, 'Alright, alright, that's enough! Sir, what were you doing?'

Tanak said, 'Police, I pray for souls of dead warriors. Mean no harm. Only prayer is all I do.'

'That's bullshit! He took out something and pressed it into the Plaque!'

'Is only prayer statue', said Tanak as he pulled out his snake fetish. 'Use for speak to Scaled One so He can hear prayer.' Not hurt Plaque. Plaque is fine, see?' Tanak pointed to the Plaque as the officer looked. True, there was no visible damage on the Plaque, but what kind of religion was this?

'Alright then, that's enough. No harm done. All of you just move on. Everything's fine. I'll handle this.' Still scowling, the two men walked off while the woman did the same as the gathered crowd dissipated. The officer pulled Tanak aside and said, 'Look son, I believe that you meant no harm, but watch what you do. I don't know what you believe in, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and say you didn't know what you were doing. Not everybody's going to be okay with...whatever that was, so just try not to do that. I don't want to hear about any more incidents like this, okay?'

'Okay, man-police', said Tanak. The officer raised an eyebrow before responding, 'Alright then, you have a good day.' The officer walked off to continue his patrol. Tanak was suddenly reminded of how much of an outsider he really was, of how little he really knew about the world beyond Camp Waposhan.

Damn the High Chief and damn the Warchief for hiding from the real world for so long! Damn all the chiefs were hiding! ... Wait, what was I doing? Oh, I should probably thank that woman. Tanak turned to look for the woman who helped him, but all he saw was the throng of people. A quick scan turned up nothing. She had just faded into the crowd. Why are there so many people in this city? How do you even fit this many people into a city?

Brushing the thought aside, Tanak decided to leave the plaza. There was enough trouble here, anyhow. Maybe I should head to the coast of the district. I wonder what the city's beachfront is like...

[Pavonistade]

Seraphima Shmakova
Shmakova can breathe in relief, as luck is on her side. The Pavon that came from her IntaTranslate and how she pronounced the Pavon was comprehensible to the lone barista... or at least it isn't terribly erroneous. Shmakova has no way of knowing immediately, but people may find that dealing with Pavon is quite easier than dealing with some languages like Luziycan.

The barista simply let out a single word in Pavon, "Alright," before he got to work on the coffee that the newest customer desires. It takes three minutes for the coffee to be prepared and worked away at and put into the right-sized cup for Shmakova, before the barista slides two fresh chocolate chip cookies into brown paper packets. Shmakova soon has what she ordered: an aromatic mochaccino with two chocolate chip cookies in front of her. They are conveniently placed next to a small "Cash Only sign".

"Enjoy your coffee," the barista said in a suttle tone, before adding, "♇4.78 please". (This is $6.21 in USD.)

---

Tanak Ashropali
Tanak got off easy with the crowd and the mess that he managed to deal with. In certain cities he would have been run over by a tiny vigilante mob, but in certain other cities he would have gotten off much easier because no one would have batted an eye. But that isn't so concerning right now for Tanak. It is best for any person who got into a scuffle of some form to leave, since those people that are pissed off are still in the crowd. Tanak may not be able to see them, which is rather obvious since he's someone in a heavily-crammed space.

The beachfront isn't so far away from the Revolution Plaque as the plaque is to the Hotel de Kapiteile, though the distance should not be underestimated. Getting to the nearest piece of land that meets the open sea would require Tanak to cover more than 12 city blocks of distance. The concept of city blocks is perhaps unheard of to Tanak, but he would realize that regardless, getting to the coast will give him some nice exercise if he chooses not to take a taxi.

If he heads to the beach, he would find access to an open, deep blue sea that is separated from the terrestrial tropical interior, by a fine golden strip of land. He would find that palm trees are dotted haphazardly across the rough sandy ground, that the soothing sound of the sea waves crashing onto the beach permeate throughout the surrounding world, and that beachgoers of different ages may be found every now and then. Maybe it's a relaxing place to go to after a ruckus at a plaza.

[Luziyca]

Shmakova used the five pavoid note to pay for her coffee and food. After a quick use of InstaTranslate, she said to the barista, "You may keep the change" in Pavon. Or at least, what it spat out.

"Thank you," she added in Luziycan.

With her coffee in hand, and a paper bag containing her cookies, she carried both of them to a table, where she sat down. She began consuming her coffee, with the sweet taste of the aromatic mochaccino entering her taste buds.

Compared to what Frederick's Fries would have had, the coffee tasted delicious. Sip by sip, she felt the energy being absorbed into her body. About halfway through her cup, she took the cookies out of the bag and chowed down on them.

"That was delicious," she remarked in Luziycan. Within a matter of seconds, those cookies were gone as she ate them all.

She then continued to drink the coffee. Out of all the coffee she has ever tasted, this was, by far, the best coffee she has ever had, or would ever have.

By the time she was finished drinking the coffee, she checked her phone. "9:25 am."

She got up, and headed to the trash can to toss out the packets. Because the coffee was not disposable, she felt that it was proper etiquette to just leave it for the custodians to deal with.

In a matter of moments, she exits the cafe, and is now ready to make her way to the Gay Village. She decides to take out her phone, and clicks on the icon for the Maneuver app, hoping to get a ride to the Gay Village.

[Korizland]

Lord Blythe Bowlin, Baron of Wellcrest

Lord Blythe awoke from his slumber. The Kapiteile would certainly have been more luxurious, but the lord's artistic appreciations drew him to the Oldstreet Inn instead. He stretched each of his limbs, then rose from the bed and began dressing. As he did so, his laptop chirped at him. He moved over and clicked the link and his assistant's voice could be heard clearly.

"Good morning, milord. How did you sleep."

"Quite well, thank you Charlie. How does my schedule look for the day?"

"Your initial meeting with the current factory owners has been set for one o'clock at their offices in the Sky Centers, and tour of their facilities at three."

"And for the morning?"

"Nothing for the morning, milord. None of the possible investments you were interested in had a meeting time available this morning."

"Hm. What information do we have on the local dockyards?"

"I'm sorry milord, I had no idea you would want that information. I will gather it for you post haste."

"Thank you, Charlie. You are, as always, indispensable. Find out what you can and see what you can do to get me a meeting and a tour of the docks tomorrow."

"Of course. I will be upon it immediately."

"While you are on it, see if the dock workers have a union presence. If so, it would be beneficial to meet with them as well before I enter into any adventures in Vadopol."

"Certainly, milord. Will there be anything else?"

"Well, since my morning is open I suppose I should play tourist some. Is there anything you are prepared to recommend?"

"Please, milord. Who do you take me for? There are a few galleries around with up and coming artists that I think will suit your tastes. As well, I thought you might enjoy the Cry for Ascension Monument."

"If I'm going art shopping, I'd rather make it a whole day affair. This monument sounds interesting though. Any further information?"

"It's a 19th century monument of the unity of the Pavon and Jopj peoples."

"Sounds interesting. I think that is how I will spend my morning."

"Very good, milord. I will let your chauffeur know your intentions. Shall I tell him... ten minutes?"

"Once again, Charlie, you are an absolute godsend."

"I do try sir."

---

Ten minutes later, Lord Blythe seated himself in the back of the luxury sedan and the driver departed the Oldstreet and whisked him off to Alivack as the nobleman opened his newspaper and began reviewing the economics section.

[Pavonistade]

Seraphima Shmakova
In a city like Vadopol where the population is oerflowing and where demand is high for transportation, Maneuver (or Manoeuver) is quite convenient for people who want to have a choice in how they want to go around the city. Maneuver remains a recent entrant in the everlasting competition in Vadopol and Pavonistade, and it is subject to additional regulations by the federal government owing to multiple complaints from competitors and customers alike. Regardless of what Shmakova decides or chooses, the service she will receive will be varied, to say the least.

A Maneuver driver can be called down within 15 minutes, depending on traffic conditions and their habits. Today was an unusually clear day for traffic, so Shmakova would not have to wait long. Before choosing the nearest driver, Shmakova will have to decide how she'll get to when seeking a trip to the Gay Village, although one option may be much more likeable than the others.

ManeuverLow - economy service; cheap but the quality of ride cannot be guaranteed to be satisfactory
Maneuver - primary service offered by Maneuver; any such rides should be comfortable and have moderate pricing
ManeuverHigh - expensive service; exceptional ride quality can be ensured with this option
ManeuverZoom - calls a taxi associated with Maneuver; taxi services are the same as those from any other taxis besides from ability to pay via Maneuver app

---

Lord Blythe Bowlin
Once Lord Blythe Bowlin reaches his destination in the Alivack neighbourhood, it would take a short walk through the surrounding park or open space to reach the striking monument that stood in its position since the early 19th century, quite older than the Revolution Plaque that is stuck onto a boulder in another neighbourhood.

The monument, built of iron that was considered incomparable back in the time that it was used, consisted of two main figures. One is an imposing Pavon man that is standing up and pointing upwards to the sky. He is not facing upwards as well; instead he is facing another man, a tearful Jopj (pronounced "jop", where "j" is like /j/am) man, who is considered to be a noble savage. The Jopj has his right knee down, as if he just fell and has just gotten onto one of his knees, and is hanging onto the Pavon. Accompanying the two men is an inscription in both Pavon and Latin, briefly stating, "With one another, unity becomes eternity".

This is the Cry for Ascension, a symbol of togetherness among the Jopjs (and other Aboriginals) and Pavons, showing the willingness of the supposedly-civilized Pavons to help the Jopj. The monument won't tell a tourist or person in a straightforward way that Aboriginals and the descendants of the once-mighty Jopj were subject to extensive discrimination, or that their native culture was supposed to be wiped out, or that there was a program to assimilate Aboriginals into Pavonistadian culture and residential schools. All it tells is that the Pavons and Jopjs supposedly stood together in a great gesture of brotherhood.

Lord Blythe may also expect a little bit more people around the Cry for Ascension monument today. It may be easy to tell that while the Cry for Ascension symbolizes unity in a tremendous fashion, its opponents claim that the monument outright glamorizes racism and discrimination.

[Luziyca]

Shmakova examined the options.

While she heard of bad stories about ManeuverLow, the cost was the more pressing thing. Sure, she had plenty of money (thanks to her student loans), but she did not want to be broke before the return flight to Greenwich.

She selected the "ManueverLow" option on her phone. She felt a little uneasy about the quality or whether the driver will not treat her like an object, but she reasoned that "those things only happened in Gijirokastra or Yerevan, they can never happen in Pavonistade."

After paying and choosing the nearest driver, she waited until a vehicle pulled up. Almost certain that it was her ride to the Gay Village, she got in...

[Rak-Arshan]

Mulling over his options, Tanak considered how to get to the beachfront. He decided he'd rather not take a taxi again, so he pulled out a map of the city that he had picked up from the Hotel. Looking it over, he traced the distance from Revolution Plaque to the coastline. It seemed that the walk would only be a kilometer long in distance.

... The heck is a kilometer? Oh well, at least it's shorter than the distance to the hotel.

Deciding that it would be best to just walk in a straight line to the coast, Tanak proceeded south. After around 20 minutes of walking, the calls of seagulls and sounds of waves crashing in the distance could be heard. After another 10 minutes, he found himself on the shores of Vadopol's bay.

That's it? That's a kilometer? We walked ten times that distance in a day during basic training! Maybe I should just walk everywhere. Sure, travel would take longer, but it's probably safer than a taxi or a sub-wahay. Never mind that now. Time to enjoy myself!

Tanak stepped onto the beaches, and took in all that he saw. The beachfront was almost as crowded as the plaza. Everywhere, umbrellas and towels were strewn about and folks of all ages were going about their business. Little children were playing in the sand while adults sunbathed or laid about chatting with family and friends. Many other people were splashing about in the waters.

Tanaka could recall the first time he had set foot on a beach. It was scarcely a few weeks ago, when he was joining the Foreign Battalion (Pavonistadian Division) on the shores of Camp Ishwar. He had wanted to relax then and there, but the Battalion took precedence. Then again, if he hadn't joined the Battalion, he wouldn't have been able to come to Vadopol.

Deciding to relax himself now, Tanak set his things down, grabbed a straw bed from his bag, unfurled it, and laid down. Beneath the sun's rays and surrounded by the simple sounds of the sea, Tanak finally felt truly relaxed. Of course, this was not to last. It was only a few minutes later that a garbled voice came from his pack. Sigh, I knew this was coming. Reaching into his bags, he pulled out his hand radio.

'(Teknatispeak) Speaker Ashropali reporting in, over.'

'Received and acknowledged, Speaker. So, Tanak, enjoying yourself? Over.'

'Ah, hello Din-Kro. I'm fine. Is everything alright in the Battalion? Over.'

'Can't complain. Everything's as usual. Over.'

'If everything is fine, why are you contacting me? You know I'm on leave, right? Over.'

'Battlemaster's orders, Speaker. Leave or no leave, you're a member of the Battalion in a foreign country, one of the first to step foot on foreign soil, and probably the first to do it for leisurely purposes. I think someone in the Luziyca Division was the first to take leave in another country, but he didn't enter the country legally. Far as I know, he hasn't been caught yet, but that's probably not gonna last. We just don't blend in well with outsiders. But I digress. You're pretty much the first Rak-Arshani to legally take leave in another country, so like it or not, you're the face of our nation in Pavonistade. That means keeping up appearances as well as reporting in with intel when you can. No pressure. Over.'

'Tell the Battlemaster I didn't come to Vadopol as a spy. I'm here as a tourist and that's what I'll do: tour. I'm not here to play politics or war games. If the Battlemaster protests, send word to the People's Committee. Over.'

'Oh, look at Mister Speaker, all high and mighty and chummy with the Committee just because he can say a few words in that thing Pavonistadians call a language. Your influence with the Council only goes so far, but I'll let the Battlemaster know. But even if you're not going to provide intel now, you still have to update us on any incidents. Remember, you have to look good for the outsiders. We can't have them thinking bad of us only a week into the program. Over.'

'Fair enough. The only incident worth reporting is that I had a minor confrontation with some locals when I tried to bless a memorial. It ended on peaceful terms since a local officer intervened, but I may have attracted unwanted attention. Over.'

'Geez, talk about making a bad first impression. You're telling me the aggressors are unharmed? What's wrong with you? How is anyone supposed to respect you or any of us if you can't stand your ground without outsider support? Over.'

'That's not how things work here. Wanton violence isn't as acceptable to locals here. Over.'

'Whatever you say Mister Speaker. Over.'

'While you're on the line Kro, has the Battalion been allowed to dock yet? Over.'

'Not yet, Speaker. The outsiders are a little wary of letting us dock, though I don't blame them. High Command wanted to threaten them into free passage, but the advisory board recommended otherwise. That Mokat fellow rattled on something about 'diplomacy' and 'goodwill'. I don't get this whole diplomatic mission thing anyhow. That's never worked. I don't see why we shouldn't just ransack the city and take everything we can carry back to Camp Ishwar. It'd sure a hell of a lot quicker, better, and probably easier than whatever this shit is. Over.'

'You may not see it, but Rak-Arshan will be better off in the long run if we learn to play nice with the other nations. We'll survive longer, too. Besides, Warchief's will. Over.'

'Yeah, Warchief's will. Over.'

'One last thing, Din-Kro. Over.'

'What's that? Over.'

'As far as I can tell the Pavonistadians are more technologically advanced than us. I'm pretty sure they can hear our calls. Is this a safe and secure thing to be doing? Over.'

'Relax. No one outside of Rak-Arshan has even heard of Teknatispeak, much less understands it. Over.'

'If you say so. Just please let me enjoy my leave. Over and out.'

'Whatever you say, your highness. Over and out.'

With that done, Tanak packed away the hand radio and relaxed under the warm spring sun...

[Pavonistade]

Seraphima Shmakova
Shmakova found herself a silver mid-size car, which pulled up in a neat manner in front of her after six minutes of requesting a ride. From the outside, the car looks like it came from several years ago, maybe from 2009 or 2010, and its exterior is rather clean of any impurities or dirt. It could be said that Shmakova is fortunate to find a decent car like this, as other customers don't find other ManeuverLow cars to be so appealing. But perhaps the more important issue would be with whoever's driving the car and taking Shmakova on a ride.

The driver is named Jone Alexon, a white cisgender male if it concerns Shmakova. Physically, Alexon is quite larger than the average Pavonistadian or Luziycan, and his clothings are casual similarly to many other taxi drivers in the city. On his left arm lies a tattoo bearing Monic text of some sort, which is very much visible as his long sleeves are rolled up. His appearance doesn't have anything to immediately trigger any rider's alarm or bring up some suspicion. He does look like a trustworthy person.

Except the same could be said to other ManeuverLow drivers.

"Good day Miss," Alexon said to Shmakova in Pavon, without knowing that she is not very fluent in the language. "You must be heading to the Gay Village. Please come on in and I'll get you there."

Once Shmakova got onto the car, Alexon begins driving through the bustling streets of Vadopol. The ride for Shmakova would not be bad at all, but for whatever reason there may be, she and Alexon would find themselves in some congested traffic several minutes into the ride. Maybe Shmakova can find something reasonable on the car to do, because her arrival at the Gay Village will definitely be delayed for a little while.

---

Tanak Ashropali
Din-Kro is right in that no one in Pavonistade comprehends Teknatispeak. Heck, barely anyone in Pavonistade would know that such a concept or thing as Teknatispeak exists. And aside from Tanak's use of his hand radio or transceiver, which definitely makes some people assume he's on some specialized duty, almost no one around bothers to find out what Tanak's talking about anyways - even if it sounds serious.

The beach soothes any uneasing feelings quickly and the sun floating in the sky discharges as much light as it can on the land around Tanak. There is no doubt that this is a perfect time to relax and enjoy seeing the fun that others have on the beach. A lot of activity that can be seen in the surroundings may also keep Tanak out of boredom, from people actively playing beach volleyball to families amusing themselves on sand and from speeding boats scattering in the distance to... some strange splashing water in the distance.

It looks as if there's an unusual mixture of light beige accompanying the unnatural jolting of water. If Tanak could hear exceptionally well, he could make out some human noises coming from that one spot, which is already like a magnet sucking the attention of some beachgoers.

[Luziyca]

Once Shmakova was comfortable in her seat and buckled her seatbelt, she put on her headphones and began to watch a video explaining micro-aggressions that her friend posted on Facebook. Of course she agreed with it, but en route to the Gay Village, she may as well watch it.

Once that video finished, she continued listening through her playlist, paying little attention to her surroundings, except for a few occasional glances to ensure that she did not end up in the worst part of the town. After a while, she got bored of her playlist, and switched over to a game: Flappy Bird.

[Pavonistade]

Seraphima Shmakova
It's a good thing that Shmakova is keeping herself occupied during the traffic jam, since it - or any traffic jam in Pavonistade - can last for some time. The jam would definitely last less than an hour, but it would seem like hours have passed. In the midst of all the congestion, many cars, vans, trucks and buses of various builds line up impatiently behind each other, all wanting to break through this crowded mess on the streets and speed away after their precious minutes were wasted waiting in some unneeded cramming. Shmakova and the driver Alexon should be able to hear occasional honking from a distance, typically a sign that the jam is serious business or that road rage is mounting.

"Ah, I fricking hate these traffic jams," Alexon said in Pavon. It sounds like he is talking to himself but it would turn out that he is also trying to get Shmakova's attention.

"Every now and then there's always some dumbasses who crash into something or have their cars break down," Alexon vented (as you may guess, in Pavon) while looking around the conglomerate of cars outside, "and obviously, they waste not only their time but they waste everyone else's time. It pisses me off."

"That aside, where do you come from?" Alexon is clearly asking Shmakova at this point. There's no telling now whether or not he'll get a response, or whether or not he'll understand the response.

[Luziyca]

Seraphima Shmakova was distracted by the driver. Unfortunately, she had no idea what he said, but considering that it was some type of question, she used the translator on her phone in order to answer.

"I'm from Shenitsa," she stated in the translated Pavon. "A state in Luziyca on the Sprska Sea. And you, sir?"

[Rak-Arshan]

It's barely been a few minutes since he arrived on the beach and already there's some sort of commotion. A gaggle of beachgoers were on the edge of the water, shouting and pointing at...something. His curiosity getting the better of him, Tanak got up and looked out into the distance.

There was something going on out in the water. A man, a local it looks like. They're flailing about in the water and, despite the distance, Tanak can make out some screaming.

How odd, I wonder what is going on out ... by the spirits, that man is drowning! His training kicking in, Tanak jumped fully clothed into the water and began swimming towards the panicked civilian. Swimming in the ocean was not what he had expected. It was saltier than the rivers used in Battalion training and the water seemed to have a bit of a pull to it. Never mind that now!

Reaching the panic-stricken man, Tanak grabbed him and hoisted him front facing over his shoulder, coaxing him to grab on. Turning around, Tanak began to swim back, but noticed a strange obstacle. The water was pushing him. Not downstream like in training, but...outward? Oh...oh no. The water's going to push us both into the open ocean! His nerves starting to fray, Tanak began to panic internally as the ocean pulled both him and the civilian farther and farther away from the shore. The shore was getting farther and farther away. The shouting of the people on the shore grew fainter and fainter until he couldn't here them anymore. Sea water was splashing in his face. Salt coated his eyes, making them sting and blurring his vision. His strength was failing under the weight of the civilian on his back.

This was not good.

Tanak's internal panic gave way to external panic. He shouted for help, only for his mouth to fill with salt water. With pressure from all sides, his body and mind gave way to fatigue and he could feel himself getting heavier. In between the chaos, he could make out something red and white in the distance leaving the shore, attempting to approach them. Would they make it in time? I can't hang on any longer. I just can't... Tanak gave out as the sea slowly swallowed him. The civilian on his back had gone silent. He was breathing, but no more.

I can't go on... I... have to go on... I'm a warrior of the Warchief... I'm a son of Rak-Arshan... I'm blessed of the Scaled One... I... never... submit... I... never... die! His body overtaken by adrenaline, Tanak resurfaced and began to paddle like a madman. All the pain and exhaustion seemingly having disappeared from his bones, he made his way with deliberate focus towards shore. His mind was empty of all thoughts, save the thought of living. His body pushed against the tide and forced its way ahead, regardless of the sea's grip. Breathing heavily, he came closer and closer to shore. All he saw was red. Red and that shore. Even when the figure in white and red approached him to help him ashore, Tanak refused to take his hand. Instead, he violently shoved him aside, determined to reach the shore. Then he felt sand under his feet. Foisting himself and the civilian onto the beach, he stood up high, still seemingly entranced in his rush. He grabbed the now unconscious civilian from his back and dropped him onto the sandy floor before the onlookers.

His senses were dulled, but he could vaguely hear someone approaching and speaking in Pavon, but in his state, he couldn't understand a word. 'Sir, sir, are you okay? Oh god, someone grab him, he's passing out!' That's all Tanak heard before his vision went black...

[Pavonistade]

Seraphima Shmakova
"Ah, Shenitsa," Alexon brieftly repeated Shmakova's answer. He looked onwards, looking at the many cars that packed in front of him. It was important to find out how serious the jam was, so Alexon turned the radio on to listen to the Pavon language news. Shmakova would not understand much about what the radio is saying, but the news is bringing Alexon relief: the obstruction that is causing the congestion (two cars crashed into each other) has been cleared and traffic should begin to be routed to normality.

The driver then returned to Shmakova's question about his origins, and responded, "I'm from out of town. Saelmann, specifically." (Saelmann is a minor city in North Pavonistade, south of Vadopol.)

What would interest Shmakova outstandingly is that Alexon is not speaking in Pavon. He is speaking in Luziycan, the same language Shmakova is comfortable with. She does not know until now that Alexon would be considered a proficient user of the Luziycan language under the Common Esquarian Framework of Reference for Languages, so his linguistic skills are compelling enough that he is starting to approach mastery of Luziyca.

Why Alexon is able to speak Luziyca may not be answered by Shmakova. One can recall that Luziycan is one of Pavonistade's official languages, but there might be something more than simply being forced to learn the language at school. Whatever the explanation, the fact that the driver can speak the language should be good news for Shmakova.

---

Tanak Ashropali
Tanak is jolted back to life.

It's impossible to figure out how much time he spent in the darkness. Most likely he has lost touch with consciousness for a few minutes, but what he faces is such a shocking and chaotic episode that losing a few minutes of his life is better than losing his life in a few minutes. Even with impaired senses, he should find himself lying on tumultuous sand and subject to lots of muffled voices swirling around, all of which seem to be intensifying as he starts regaining his senses.

Next to him, a shirtless, well-built man kneels down with some as-yet-unidentified equipment close by. Once he confirms Tanak is stabilizing, the man asks, "Hey buddy, you feeling alright now?" The man makes no mention of the person that Tanak brought out of the wide open sea.

[Rak-Arshan]

Tanak opened his eyes and looked around. Above him, the afternoon sun's rays forced them shut again. He could hear the muffled voices of people around him. It felt like every bone in his muscle in his body had been lit on fire. Everything hurt. There was sand beneath him. Sand? Was he at the beach? What was he doing at the beach? In fact, what was he doing in the first place? Shielding his eyes, he turned to see a chiseled figure of a man kneeling next to him. He was saying something. What was it? Still dazed from his experience, he struggled to take in anything at all, let alone someone speaking in a foreign language. Still, Tanak struggled until he was resting on his elbow and looked up at the man. Then, he spoke.

'(Waposhan) What happened here? Where am I?'

The man looked at him with confusion. Huh, well I'm not near Camp Waposhan. Tanak then said, '(Ishwari) What happened? Do you understand me?' Again, the man looked befuddled before saying, '(Pavon) Do you speak Pavon?' Tanak replied with, '(Kung-Mani) Do you speak Kung-Mani?'

Once again, the man looked at Tanak weirdly and said, '(Luzicyan) You speak Luzicyan? (English) English?' THis back-and-forth exchange continued on, with Tanak attempting two other Rak-Arshani languages before starting to realize that he might not be anywhere near Rak-Arshan.

Okay, think. I can't be near Rak-Arshan, so where am I? I rallied with the Battalion, went on leave...leave in...Vadopol! What do they speak in Vadopol? ... Pavon!

Tanak quickly said, '(Pavon) Pavon! I speak Pavon!'

The kneeling man looked relieved. After testing his mental faculties, the man quickly told Tanak what had happened. Tanak seemed to recall his memory as the man described them, though they were a bit hazy, especially towards the end.

'...and then you passed out. You understand?' 'Yes, guard of life, I understand'. Though Tanak's Pavon speaking skills could use some work, he seemed well in the head to the lifeguard. Plus, he was foreign, so it was a forgivable.

'Anyhow, we have to get you to a clinic. There's one nearby.' As the man attempted to help Tanak up, he resisted. 'No, I not need clinic or doctor. I am fine.' Tanak attempted to help himself up, only to find that every bone in his body was shrieking in pain. He collapsed back onto the sand. The lifeguard said, 'Look buddy, now's not the time to be stubborn. You need help. You just swam against both the tide and the undertow with another guy on your back. That's gonna do damage to your body, especially with the strain from the adrenaline rush. You need medical attention.

The pain was growing inside Tanak. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he really couldn't move much in his current state. Reluctantly, he took the lifeguard's hand as he helped him to a nearby clinic just across the street from the beach. Wow, they must get a lot of incidents here. After reaching the front desk and receiving some papers to fill out, the lifeguard made sure that Tanak was stable before leaving him in the waiting room. As Tanak sat there, writing down his name for what he was sure was the fifth time, one question kept running through his head.

What the heck is an adrenaline rush?

[Luziyca]

She could not believe it. Alexon apparently knows enough Luziycan for her to understand.

She did know, of course, that Luziycan is co-official within Pavonistade. But just because she had to learn two other official languages (in her case Swedish and Lombardian) doesn't mean that she bothered using them in day to day life, especially when she rarely encounters Inledans or Lombardians. And of course, she does not know Geadish or Namorese.

"He must have had some sort of job in Luziyca or dealt with a lot of Luzzy tourists before," she thought. "I cannot imagine how else he could've maintained his proficiency in my language."

After what felt like an eternity, but only a few moments, she finally spoke up, in Luziycan. It may have had a distinctive accent compared to what she saw from Bethlehem and Gijirokastra, but such is life in the Bible Belt.

"That is quite interesting to hear," Shmakova stated in Luziycan. "I imagine that... Say-el-mann must be home to plenty of Luziycan speakers, ja?"

She hoped she did not badly mangle the pronunciation of Alexon's hometown.

[Pavonistade]

OOC: My expertise is not in medical care, so this post and any later posts should not be expected to be realistic.

Tanak Ashropali
Normally a person who just suffered from near-drowning would have to seek medical attention in a hospital. Tanak is either lucky to not follow through with so much pain, or has some underlying conditions that have to be addressed by higher levels of medical care. He is made to wait for several minutes, which pass as if they are hours, before his name is called out by the receptionist working in the beachfront clinic.

He is guided into a patient room, armed with a patient bed, a beam scale, a desk with a desktop computer (an invention that Tanak probably never encountered) and several cabinets with a load of equipment and substances that are relevant for a clinic. This one room alone should without a doubt capture the attention of the patient who nearly drowned, but is bound to confuse him to an undetermined extent.

Tanak would be facing a middle-aged man with noticeable greying-hair, wearing a white overcoat, black pants and a pair of black oxfords (shoes). The doctor, recognized as Dr. Brad Ivanenko, also has a pair of glasses on and looks like he is very much prepared to investigate what is going on with Tanak's body and hopefully give some decent, useful results.

"Alright," Dr. Ivanenko said, "it looks like you aren't in nice shape. Can you go over what you're dealing with or just dealt with?" (The doctor asks for any injuries and pain that Tanak is aware of, as well as any explanation for why the pain may be there.)

---

Seraphima Shmakova
"Most places in this country will have lots of people that know Luziycan," Alexon answered in Luziycan, "it's not just a thing for Saelmann, which, by the way, you somehow didn't goof up there."

The congestion around Alexon's car begins to be relieved and the diversity of vehicles moves in an increasing pace. Shmakova and Alexon could focus back on leaving the district of blended modernity and tradition, and head towards the Gay Village that is somewhat distant. The Pavon-language radio is updating the news on the traffic jam, which is no longer such a troubling nuisance and is giving great news for Alexon.

Alexon then toys with the air conditionner, lowering the temperature by a few degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit. He takes care not to bother Shmakova because what works here in Pavonistade will probably not work well in Luziyca. He turns to his passenger and says, "It's gonna get really hot later in the day, so better to keep cool while you're here. I guess this is what we get for being in a bunch of jungles."