Prince Muhammad’s birthday party (IC/MT)

[Dar Al-Badw]

Prince Muhammad Ibn Abdullah Ibn Muhammad Al Anezī-, son of Crown Prince Abdullah and grandson of the Emir Muhammad IV, is celebrating his birthday at Madinat Al-Jamal Palace.

OOC/sign-ups: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=507891

[The Selkie]

Elin Blaidd, of Tralee Descent.
Madinat Al-Jamal Palace.
So... what in the name of Moricil and Belimaw am I doing here? In Dar Al-Badw, I mean? Well, for starters, attending a birthday party. And the company I worked for as a part-timer, Bicíní Industries, had decided to send me here as a scout of sorts, to see, if there were business opportunities.
Ritu was back home in Okunaratsuru attending something with her family.
By virtue of this place being Muslim, I doubted, that there would be alcohol and I didn't bring any, so the chances of me getting drunk if the party turned out to be boring was slim, but maybe there was an interesting conversation partner or two around? We'll see.
In any case, with my presents, three books on Selkie-History (I had heard, that the birthday boy was a fellow student of History), in a bag of fabric, I entered the venue - as an employee of a fashion company, and one of their models, I was dressed for the part. I was a black haired young woman, my hair open and flowing down my back in a brown eyes, quite tall with 1.89 meters, and I was of the Spiorad Ainmhithe, the wolf ears on my head twitching with excitement.
My attire was of simple elegance, a white, long-sleeved blouse, a black bow, a black vest above it. Neither blouse nor vest did anything to hide the fact, that I was quite curvy, though local customs dictated, that I did not have a cleavage (well, their loss). In addition to that, I wore black pants, which would not be amiss on a suit.
Black horseman boots with subdued silver ornaments completed the ensemble, courtesy of BI's partners from Barriall Cobblers.
I smiled and looked for the birthday boy...

[Dar Al-Badw]

Elin Blaidd, of Tralee Descent.
Madinat Al-Jamal Palace.
So... what in the name of Moricil and Belimaw am I doing here? In Dar Al-Badw, I mean? Well, for starters, attending a birthday party. And the company I worked for as a part-timer, Bicíní Industries, had decided to send me here as a scout of sorts, to see, if there were business opportunities.
Ritu was back home in Okunaratsuru attending something with her family.
By virtue of this place being Muslim, I doubted, that there would be alcohol and I didn't bring any, so the chances of me getting drunk if the party turned out to be boring was slim, but maybe there was an interesting conversation partner or two around? We'll see.
In any case, with my presents, three books on Selkie-History (I had heard, that the birthday boy was a fellow student of History), in a bag of fabric, I entered the venue - as an employee of a fashion company, and one of their models, I was dressed for the part. I was a black haired young woman, my hair open and flowing down my back in a brown eyes, quite tall with 1.89 meters, and I was of the Spiorad Ainmhithe, the wolf ears on my head twitching with excitement.
My attire was of simple elegance, a white, long-sleeved blouse, a black bow, a black vest above it. Neither blouse nor vest did anything to hide the fact, that I was quite curvy, though local customs dictated, that I did not have a cleavage (well, their loss). In addition to that, I wore black pants, which would not be amiss on a suit.
Black horseman boots with subdued silver ornaments completed the ensemble, courtesy of BI's partners from Barriall Cobblers.
I smiled and looked for the birthday boy...

Prince Muhammad Ibn Abdullah Ibn Muhammad, a muscular young man with dark brown skin, jet black hair, a neat beard and moustache and who was 5 feet and 8 inches in height, walked towards her. “As-Salam alaykum, what’s your name, kitten?” he said.

[The Selkie]

Prince Muhammad Ibn Abdullah Ibn Muhammad, a muscular young man with dark brown skin, jet black hair, a neat beard and moustache and who was 5 feet and 8 inches in height, walked towards her. “As-Salam alaykum, what’s your name, kitten?” he said.

Elin Blaidd, of Tralee Descent.
Madinat Al-Jamal Palace.
Approaching me was a guy, black hair and neat beard, a bit shorter then I was... he seemed to think, that muscles made the man, an assessment that hinged on the person itself, if you asked me.
He then opened his mouth: "As-Salam alaykum, what’s your name, kitten?"
...kitten?
Kitten?!
Kitten?!
"And peace be with you.", I replied, a bit confounded. Those two ears on my head were decidedly canine, not feline. If he was trying to flirt, he should rethink his approach. "I am Elin Blaidd, of Tralee Descent. I am looking for the birthday boy, Prince Muhammad. Have you seen him, by any chance?"
...please not let it be this guy...

[Dar Al-Badw]

Prince Muhammad Ibn Abdullah Ibn Muhammad, a muscular young man with dark brown skin, jet black hair, a neat beard and moustache and who was 5 feet and 8 inches in height, walked towards her. “As-Salam alaykum, what’s your name, kitten?” he said.

Elin Blaidd, of Tralee Descent.
Madinat Al-Jamal Palace.
Approaching me was a guy, black hair and neat beard, a bit shorter then I was... he seemed to think, that muscles made the man, an assessment that hinged on the person itself, if you asked me.
He then opened his mouth: "As-Salam alaykum, what’s your name, kitten?"
...kitten?
Kitten?!
Kitten?!
"And peace be with you.", I replied, a bit confounded. Those two ears on my head were decidedly canine, not feline. If he was trying to flirt, he should rethink his approach. "I am Elin Blaidd, of Tralee Descent. I am looking for the birthday boy, Prince Muhammad. Have you seen him, by any chance?"
...please not let it be this guy...

“I am Prince Muhammad, so I saw him the last time I looked in the mirror, what do you do for a living, Elin?” he asked.
He was wearing the traditional attire of a young Bedouin man: a thawb, Keffiyeh and a ceremonial Khanjar.

[The Selkie]

“I am Prince Muhammad, so I saw him the last time I looked in the mirror, what do you do for a living, Elin?” he asked.

Elin Blaidd, of Tralee Descent.
Madinat Al-Jamal Palace.
Ah. And he fancied himself a comedian.
I handed him the bag with the presents, which were wrapped into bright, colourful paper. "Being a gift fairy, today.", I replied with a small smile, "Tomorrow, a model for a company known as Bicini Industries and a student of History at the University of Leuda." I let a beat pass. "Well, I am sure, that you have a lot of other guests to greet. I'll leave you to it... maybe we can talk later?"
By that point, however, I was already moving deeper into the room, leaving him standing with his hostly duties, a slight sway to my hips - nothing exaggerated or overly seductive, but enough, that every healthy man's gaze would be drawn to where the waterfall of black hair ended... and to the decidedly canine tail poking out of my pants.
It was not wagging, but swaying as well.

[Dar Al-Badw]

“I am Prince Muhammad, so I saw him the last time I looked in the mirror, what do you do for a living, Elin?” he asked.

Elin Blaidd, of Tralee Descent.
Madinat Al-Jamal Palace.
Ah. And he fancied himself a comedian.
I handed him the bag with the presents, which were wrapped into bright, colourful paper. "Being a gift fairy, today.", I replied with a small smile, "Tomorrow, a model for a company known as Bicini Industries and a student of History at the University of Leuda." I let a beat pass. "Well, I am sure, that you have a lot of other guests to greet. I'll leave you to it... maybe we can talk later?"
By that point, however, I was already moving deeper into the room, leaving him standing with his hostly duties, a slight sway to my hips - nothing exaggerated or overly seductive, but enough, that every healthy man's gaze would be drawn to where the waterfall of black hair ended... and to the decidedly canine tail poking out of my pants.
It was not wagging, but swaying as well.

“Thanks for the gift, Elin.” he said, whilst licking his lip and staring at her gorgeous curves. Maybe she could be one of my wives, he thought.

[Leidenschaftliche]

“Thanks for the gift, Elin.” he said, whilst licking his lip and staring at her gorgeous curves. Maybe she could be one of my wives, he thought.

Jean Bigot
Madinat Al-Jamal Palace.
Yes, yes, haha, very funny surname. If I hear another Loegrian crack a joke about it I'm going to abuse diplomatic immunity.

I was a diplomat for the Telsian Union; well, really, more the Kingdom of Drossel, but the nations of Telsis had seen fit to act in concert ever since the Telsian Conflict, so really, at this point, I was representing Leidenschaftliche, Loegria, Ctrigall, Fleugel, the Salbertian Union, and many others. A fresh black morning-suit,

...Speaking of Ctrigall; I wasn't here alone. Anna Mäkinen, my assistent(offically "Auto-Memory Doll", but I loathed the term), was a pretty young woman; fine curves and all, but I didn't keep her around for that. Far from it; her orgranizational skills were the only reason I wasn't a complete mess, and she was an excellent sounding-board and diplomat in her own right. I wouldn't be suprised if she started up the ladder in a few years too.
She also carried a pistol and a pair of weighted-knuckle gloves, and knew how to use both.

So, what are two Telsians, one Drosselian diplomat and one Ctrigallan Ranger-turned-notetaker doing here?
Well, it was quite simple. Intrests; or at least, potential intrests, in this corner of the world. Commercial, strategic, what-have-you, intrests are intrests and it was our duty to represent them. As much as the powers of Telsis preached(and genuinely believed in) peace on earth, the realities of geopolitics remained; the powers of Telsis had their intrests to pursue, and so as always, they gathered diplomats and arms to ensure that those intrests were pursued.
Perhaps more diplomats than arms, these days. But it was a nice feeling to have guns behind one's position.

I interrupted the Prince right after he finished greeting(and ogling) one other guest, who seemed to have...dog ears and a tail, neither of which seemed fake. Which was odd, but I didn't question it.

"Good evening, your Majesty-" I greeted, bowing slightly. "I wish you a very happy birthday, and wish you and your country all the best, on behalf of the Telsian Union. I am Jean Bigot, and this is my assistent..."

I looked to my right, only to find noone.

"...where the hell did she go?" I muttered.

---

Elin Blaidd, of Tralee Descent.
Madinat Al-Jamal Palace.
Ah. And he fancied himself a comedian.
I handed him the bag with the presents, which were wrapped into bright, colourful paper. "Being a gift fairy, today.", I replied with a small smile, "Tomorrow, a model for a company known as Bicini Industries and a student of History at the University of Leuda." I let a beat pass. "Well, I am sure, that you have a lot of other guests to greet. I'll leave you to it... maybe we can talk later?"
By that point, however, I was already moving deeper into the room, leaving him standing with his hostly duties, a slight sway to my hips - nothing exaggerated or overly seductive, but enough, that every healthy man's gaze would be drawn to where the waterfall of black hair ended... and to the decidedly canine tail poking out of my pants.
It was not wagging, but swaying as well.

Contrary to her hopes, Elin did not attract the attention of a man...yet. But a woman noticed, and she stopped Elin in her tracks.

Dressed in a starched button-down white shirt and black pants, with a plain, slightly faded brown belt holding the latter up, and a laptop tucked under her shoulder, she seemed more like a businesswoman than Elin...save for her leather jump-boots, thick gloves, and her chest-holster, with a pistol lying securely within. In fact, she looked nothing like a businesswoman - she was probably a goon or a glow. No, definitely a goon or a glow. Everything about her smacked of "intelligence officer operating under an offical cover".

She cocked her head curiously at the Sporiad, picking her apart mentally for a long while, before finally speaking.
"You know, walking like that isn't the best idea in this place." she said. "Might attract guys you don't want to attract."

[The Selkie]

“Thanks for the gift, Elin.” he said, whilst licking his lip and staring at her gorgeous curves. Maybe she could be one of my wives, he thought.

Elin Blaidd, of Tralee Descent.
Madinat Al-Jamal Palace.
Women have a lot of senses - one of them told them, when a guy was looking at their posterior and thinking, dreaming about what he might be doing with her during the night.
And in this case, a dream it would remain.

That being said...

[...]

Contrary to her hopes, Elin did not attract the attention of a man...yet. But a woman noticed, and she stopped Elin in her tracks.

Dressed in a starched button-down white shirt and black pants, with a plain, slightly faded brown belt holding the latter up, and a laptop tucked under her shoulder, she seemed more like a businesswoman than Elin...save for her leather jump-boots, thick gloves, and her chest-holster, with a pistol lying securely within. She was probably a goon or a glow. No, definitely a goon or a glow. Everything about her smacked of "intelligence officer operating under a legal cover".

She cocked her head curiously at the Sporiad, picking her apart mentally for a long while, before finally speaking.
"You know, walking like that isn't the best idea in this place." she said. "Might attract guys you don't want to attract."

She seemed to be curious and she was armed. I would guess a bodyguard, though the laptop? Hm... Intelligence officer? No, not inconspicuous enough. Businesswoman with a love for guns? Hm...
While she looked at me closely, I looked at her closely as well, cocking my head slightly and a smile on my lips.
Her voice was calm, though: "You know, walking like that isn't the best idea in this place. Might attract guys you don't want to attract."
I smiled. "What, because of Prince Horny over there?", I said, "Let him look all he wants, it's the closest he'll get. And if he tries to force the issue..." A moment later, as if out of thin air, I suddenly had a throwing knife in my hand, showed it to my new acquaintance, then had it vanish in the same motion. "...let's just say, that he, or any other man, would henceforth miss a... certain part."
I let a beat pass.
"I'm Elin. Who do I have the pleasure with?", I asked.

[Leidenschaftliche]

Elin Blaidd, of Tralee Descent.
Madinat Al-Jamal Palace.
Women have a lot of senses - one of them told them, when a guy was looking at their posterior and thinking, dreaming about what he might be doing with her during the night.
And in this case, a dream it would remain.

That being said...
She seemed to be curious and she was armed. I would guess a bodyguard, though the laptop? Hm... Intelligence officer? No, not inconspicuous enough. Businesswoman with a love for guns? Hm...
While she looked at me closely, I looked at her closely as well, cocking my head slightly and a smile on my lips.
Her voice was calm, though: "You know, walking like that isn't the best idea in this place. Might attract guys you don't want to attract."
I smiled. "What, because of Prince Horny over there?", I said, "Let him look all he wants, it's the closest he'll get. And if he tries to force the issue..." A moment later, as if out of thin air, I suddenly had a throwing knife in my hand, showed it to my new acquaintance, then had it vanish in the same motion. "...let's just say, that he, or any other man, would henceforth miss a... certain part."
I let a beat pass.
"I'm Elin. Who do I have the pleasure with?", I asked.

The woman nodded, a slight smile flashing briefly across her face as Elin displayed her knife.
"Nice blade. What alloy?" she replied, before giving a deep bow. "If it is your wish, I will travel anywhere to meet your request. Kirjoituskone Personnel Management Services Auto-Memory Doll, forwarded to the Diplomatic Service of the Telsian Union, Anna Mäkinen, at your service."

[The Selkie]

The woman nodded, a slight smile flashing briefly across her face as Elin displayed her knife.
"Nice blade. What alloy?" she replied, before giving a deep bow. "If it is your wish, I will travel anywhere to meet your request. Kirjoituskone Personnel Management Services Auto-Memory Doll, forwarded to the Diplomatic Service of the Telsian Union, Anna Mäkinen, at your service."

Elin Blaidd, of Tralee Descent.
Madinat Al-Jamal Palace.
Woah... 'Kirjoituskone Personnel Management Services Auto-Memory Doll, forwarded to the Diplomatic Service of the Telsian Union' - try fitting that on a business card. Still, for a doll, she was very animated.
"Pleasure to meet you, Anna.", I said, "I am allowed to call you Anna, right? That being said, I'm afraid, that my daggers and knifes are just ordinary steel, nothing too fancy. They do their job, though."

[Leidenschaftliche]

The woman nodded, a slight smile flashing briefly across her face as Elin displayed her knife.
"Nice blade. What alloy?" she replied, before giving a deep bow. "If it is your wish, I will travel anywhere to meet your request. Kirjoituskone Personnel Management Services Auto-Memory Doll, forwarded to the Diplomatic Service of the Telsian Union, Anna Mäkinen, at your service."

Elin Blaidd, of Tralee Descent.
Madinat Al-Jamal Palace.
Woah... 'Kirjoituskone Personnel Management Services Auto-Memory Doll, forwarded to the Diplomatic Service of the Telsian Union' - try fitting that on a business card. Still, for a doll, she was very animated.
"Pleasure to meet you, Anna.", I said, "I am allowed to call you Anna, right? That being said, I'm afraid, that my daggers and knifes are just ordinary steel, nothing too fancy. They do their job, though."

Anna Mäkinen
"That's all they've got to do, don't they, Miss Blaidd?" Anna replied. "And a pleasure to meet you as well. Feel free to call me Anna."

[The Selkie]

Anna Mäkinen
"That's all they've got to do, don't they, Miss Blaidd?" Anna replied. "And a pleasure to meet you as well. Feel free to call me Anna."

Elin Blaidd, of Tralee Descent.
Madinat Al-Jamal Palace.
I nodded with a small smile.
"Indeed, nothing more is needed. Though sometimes cutting an apple with them is nice, too.", I said, the last part accompanied by a wink. "So, I take, that you are an ambassador or something of that sort?"
Time to get down to business - BI wanted new markets and judging by Prince Horny back there, I was not sure, what I would tell my company.

[Leidenschaftliche]

Anna Mäkinen
"That's all they've got to do, don't they, Miss Blaidd?" Anna replied. "And a pleasure to meet you as well. Feel free to call me Anna."

Elin Blaidd, of Tralee Descent.
Madinat Al-Jamal Palace.
I nodded with a small smile.
"Indeed, nothing more is needed. Though sometimes cutting an apple with them is nice, too.", I said, the last part accompanied by a wink. "So, I take, that you are an ambassador or something of that sort?"
Time to get down to business - BI wanted new markets and judging by Prince Horny back there, I was not sure, what I would tell my company.

Anna Mäkinen
"I work for a diplomat, yes." Anna replied, with a nod. "He's stuck with the Prince right now, though. You'll meet him soon enough. His name's Jean Bigot."

Anna suppressed a laugh as she said his name.

[The Selkie]

Anna Mäkinen
"I work for a diplomat, yes." Anna replied, with a nod. "He's stuck with the Prince right now, though. You'll meet him soon enough. His name's Jean Bigot."

Anna suppressed a laugh as she said his name.

Elin Blaidd, of Tralee Descent.
Madinat Al-Jamal Palace.
I did not laugh, but I did smile at hearing the name.
"I hope, that it is not an aptronym...", I said with my smile still in place. Poor guy, though. "So, diplomatic aid for the... Telsian Union, you said? Can you tell me a bit about them?" I leaned forward slightly. "If you want, I can tell you about the lands I hail from afterwards."

[Leidenschaftliche]

Anna Mäkinen
"I work for a diplomat, yes." Anna replied, with a nod. "He's stuck with the Prince right now, though. You'll meet him soon enough. His name's Jean Bigot."

Anna suppressed a laugh as she said his name.

Elin Blaidd, of Tralee Descent.
Madinat Al-Jamal Palace.
I did not laugh, but I did smile at hearing the name.
"I hope, that it is not an aptronym...", I said with my smile still in place. Poor guy, though. "So, diplomatic aid for the... Telsian Union, you said? Can you tell me a bit about them?" I leaned forward slightly. "If you want, I can tell you about the lands I hail from afterwards."

"Most definitely not." Anna reassured Elin. "The Telsian Union...Ah, where do I begin?"

She paused. "I come from the Ctrigall Soviet; more properly, the Ctrigallan Union of Soviets. Jean comes from Drossel, to the south... The other major powers are Salbert, Leidenschaftliche, and Loegria. I can't tell you much about Salbert at the moment, it's not my specialty and really it's the power that's the least involved in foreign affairs at the moment..."

She paused.

"The Kingdom of Leidenschaftlich and the Kingdom of Loegria were really the driving forces behind the formation of the Union. After the war exhausted them both they decided to try something different, and they coaxed their allies into joining too. Eventually it turned into the Union, currently. It's not so much a country as it's a military-economic alliance with internal conflict-resolution functions as well as some level of a unified diplomatic policy...if it sounds convoluted, it is. With that said...Who do you work for, anyway? Company? Country?"

[Flohaland]

"Don't drink too much beer" scolded Princess Louisa. The Prince next to her to not appreciate it, but took it with good humor.

"My dear cousin, I do not know what the quality of beer will be like there, so I must enjoy our good old Sturgstädter when I can" Albert Maurice protested in between sips of his beloved brew.

The Grand Duke's daughter rolled her eyes before addressing her travel companion with a tone of mock concern. "O dear Almö, they have no beer, the land is Muslim." She almost suppressed a grin with a hint of schadenfreude. The Prince replied simply " Don't be silly, they live in the desert, what will they drink? Oh well, I guess I should order another" He moved to call the stewardess, but Louisa slapped his hand. "You are not getting drunk.''

" I will be sober before we land."

" You haven't finished your glass."

"Right" said Albert Maurice before he began to sip his beer again, making a show of enjoying it. His cousin laughed.


Hours later they had landed, showered and changed and arrived at the palace. It seemed the other guests had already arrived. The Prince wore lederhosen that covered his knee and a double breasted jacket. The Princess wore a long blue dress with white embroidery. "Aren't you glad that you didn't dress like Oberlix?" whispered Louisa. "The tailor said it wasn't possible, I don't have the figure." The both laughed as a bearded man approached them.

[The Selkie]

"Most definitely not." Anna reassured Elin. "The Telsian Union...Ah, where do I begin?"

She paused. "I come from the Ctrigall Soviet; more properly, the Ctrigallan Union of Soviets. Jean comes from Drossel, to the south... The other major powers are Salbert, Leidenschaftliche, and Loegria. I can't tell you much about Salbert at the moment, it's not my specialty and really it's the power that's the least involved in foreign affairs at the moment..."

She paused.

"The Kingdom of Leidenschaftlich and the Kingdom of Loegria were really the driving forces behind the formation of the Union. After the war exhausted them both they decided to try something different, and they coaxed their allies into joining too. Eventually it turned into the Union, currently. It's not so much a country as it's a military-economic alliance with internal conflict-resolution functions as well as some level of a unified diplomatic policy...if it sounds convoluted, it is. With that said...Who do you work for, anyway? Company? Country?"

Elin Blaidd, of Tralee Descent.
Madinat Al-Jamal Palace.
I listened with great interest - a union of nations, formed after a great war. It sounded a bit like SEA, though without the war. That they were able to bury the hatchet and move on, to create something new and something to resolve conflicts peacefully was wonderful.
At her question, however, I shook my head: "I primarily work for a company called Bicíní Industries, usually as a model and part timer. They are the largest clothes manufacturer in the Free Lands of the Selkie and began to expand abroad for a while now."
I let a beat pass.
"Which one do you want to hear about? BI or the Free Lands?", I offered.

[Dar Al-Badw]

"Don't drink too much beer" scolded Princess Louisa. The Prince next to her to not appreciate it, but took it with good humor.

"My dear cousin, I do not know what the quality of beer will be like there, so I must enjoy our good old Sturgstädter when I can" Albert Maurice protested in between sips of his beloved brew.

The Grand Duke's daughter rolled her eyes before addressing her travel companion with a tone of mock concern. "O dear Almö, they have no beer, the land is Muslim." She almost suppressed a grin with a hint of schadenfreude. The Prince replied simply " Don't be silly, they live in the desert, what will they drink? Oh well, I guess I should order another" He moved to call the stewardess, but Louisa slapped his hand. "You are not getting drunk.''

" I will be sober before we land."

" You haven't finished your glass."

"Right" said Albert Maurice before he began to sip his beer again, making a show of enjoying it. His cousin laughed.


Hours later they had landed, showered and changed and arrived at the palace. It seemed the other guests had already arrived. The Prince wore lederhosen that covered his knee and a double breasted jacket. The Princess wore a long blue dress with white embroidery. "Aren't you glad that you didn't dress like Oberlix?" whispered Louisa. "The tailor said it wasn't possible, I don't have the figure." The both laughed as a bearded man approached them.

Prince Muhammad walked towards the royals to greet them, “as-salaam alaykum, my friends” he said, offering to shake hands with the Prince.

[Leidenschaftliche]

"Most definitely not." Anna reassured Elin. "The Telsian Union...Ah, where do I begin?"

She paused. "I come from the Ctrigall Soviet; more properly, the Ctrigallan Union of Soviets. Jean comes from Drossel, to the south... The other major powers are Salbert, Leidenschaftliche, and Loegria. I can't tell you much about Salbert at the moment, it's not my specialty and really it's the power that's the least involved in foreign affairs at the moment..."

She paused.

"The Kingdom of Leidenschaftlich and the Kingdom of Loegria were really the driving forces behind the formation of the Union. After the war exhausted them both they decided to try something different, and they coaxed their allies into joining too. Eventually it turned into the Union, currently. It's not so much a country as it's a military-economic alliance with internal conflict-resolution functions as well as some level of a unified diplomatic policy...if it sounds convoluted, it is. With that said...Who do you work for, anyway? Company? Country?"

Elin Blaidd, of Tralee Descent.
Madinat Al-Jamal Palace.
I listened with great interest - a union of nations, formed after a great war. It sounded a bit like SEA, though without the war. That they were able to bury the hatchet and move on, to create something new and something to resolve conflicts peacefully was wonderful.
At her question, however, I shook my head: "I primarily work for a company called Bicíní Industries, usually as a model and part timer. They are the largest clothes manufacturer in the Free Lands of the Selkie and began to expand abroad for a while now."
I let a beat pass.
"Which one do you want to hear about? BI or the Free Lands?", I offered.

"Both." Anna replied. "The Free Lands, first, then your company."

---

Prince Muhammad walked towards the royals to greet them, “as-salaam alaykum, my friends” he said, offering to shake hands with the Prince.

Jean seemed slightly stunned as the Prince ignored him, but then brushed it aside. Perhaps he had business; perhaps it was a statement. No matter. If it was an honest mistake, the Union could turn the other cheek; if it was a statement, Telsis could reply in kind.

For now he resolved to search for Anna; and sure enough, he found her.
Elin would see a well-dressed young man approaching Anna. "Anna!" he called, with a smile. "Who's your friend?"

"Elin Blaidd, of the Free Lands." Anna replied.

"Elin Blaidd..." Jean turned to Elin. "Well, glad to meet you, Miss Blaidd." He offered his hand for a handshake. "Jean Bigot, Telsian Union Diplomatic Service."

[The Selkie]

Elin Blaidd, of Tralee Descent.
Madinat Al-Jamal Palace.
I listened with great interest - a union of nations, formed after a great war. It sounded a bit like SEA, though without the war. That they were able to bury the hatchet and move on, to create something new and something to resolve conflicts peacefully was wonderful.
At her question, however, I shook my head: "I primarily work for a company called Bicíní Industries, usually as a model and part timer. They are the largest clothes manufacturer in the Free Lands of the Selkie and began to expand abroad for a while now."
I let a beat pass.
"Which one do you want to hear about? BI or the Free Lands?", I offered.

"Both." Anna replied. "The Free Lands, first, then your company."

---

Prince Muhammad walked towards the royals to greet them, “as-salaam alaykum, my friends” he said, offering to shake hands with the Prince.

Jean seemed slightly stunned as the Prince ignored him, but then brushed it aside. Perhaps he had business; perhaps it was a statement. No matter. If it was an honest mistake, the Union could turn the other cheek; if it was a statement, Telsis could reply in kind.

For now he resolved to search for Anna; and sure enough, he found her.
Elin would see a well-dressed young man approaching Anna. "Anna!" he called, with a smile. "Who's your friend?"

"Elin Blaidd, of the Free Lands." Anna replied.

"Elin Blaidd..." Jean turned to Elin. "Well, glad to meet you, Miss Blaidd." He offered his hand for a handshake. "Jean Bigot, Telsian Union Diplomatic Service."[/quote]

Elin Blaidd, of Tralee Descent.
Madinat Al-Jamal Palace.
So, Anna wanted to know first about the Free Lands and then about BI - I could certainly oblige and just as I wanted to reply, a young man, who apparently knew Anna, came jogging up.
While he was a bit thin, his brown eyes were soft, spoke of a gentleman, maybe even a gentle man, though if I remembered Anna's words correctly, he was not in the position of being a gentle man. He made a better figure then our host, which was not that much of an art form, to be honest... still, he looked good.
"The pleasure is mine, Jean.", I said and bowed my head lightly, then took the hand for a firm shake, despite being a bit unused to the gesture. "If I am allowed to call you Jean, that is. Anna and I were just talking about the countries we come from... wanna join us?"

[Leidenschaftliche]

Elin Blaidd, of Tralee Descent.
Madinat Al-Jamal Palace.
So, Anna wanted to know first about the Free Lands and then about BI - I could certainly oblige and just as I wanted to reply, a young man, who apparently knew Anna, came jogging up.
While he was a bit thin, his brown eyes were soft, spoke of a gentleman, maybe even a gentle man, though if I remembered Anna's words correctly, he was not in the position of being a gentle man. He made a better figure then our host, which was not that much of an art form, to be honest... still, he looked good.
"The pleasure is mine, Jean.", I said and bowed my head lightly, then took the hand for a firm shake, despite being a bit unused to the gesture. "If I am allowed to call you Jean, that is. Anna and I were just talking about the countries we come from... wanna join us?"

"With pleasure, Miss Blaidd." Jean said. "I come from Drossel. Good wine, good food, horrid climate. Ranges from alright and completely sane in the north to absolutely sweltering in the south. This-" he tugged at his collar. "-is absolute murder on a summer day. It catches sweat and makes you feel filthy even before the day's begun."

He grimaced slightly. "This place isn't much better, to be honest. The climate reminds me of home, but instead of just unusally humid grassland, it's sand. I've never been one for desert, unfortunately. It's only marginally better than jungle. I've heard that Lebanon's much, much better on that front."

[The Selkie]

"With pleasure, Miss Blaidd." Jean said. "I come from Drossel. Good wine, good food, horrid climate. Ranges from alright and completely sane in the north to absolutely sweltering in the south. This-" he tugged at his collar. "-is absolute murder on a summer day. It catches sweat and makes you feel filthy even before the day's begun."

He grimaced slightly. "This place isn't much better, to be honest. The climate reminds me of home, but instead of just unusally humid grassland, it's sand. I've never been one for desert, unfortunately. It's only marginally better than jungle. I've heard that Lebanon's much, much better on that front."

Elin Blaidd, of Tralee Descent.
Madinat Al-Jamal Palace.
"You shouldn't travel to Kyrenaia then, the Mainland, I mean. Jalid might be too cold for you, though.", I recommended with a smile, "To be honest, I think you would like the Free Lands. The Mainland has a temperate climate, if a bit cold at times and in places, especially in winter. We are close to the Northern Polar Circle, so it is to be expected."
I let a beat pass, gathered my thoughts.
"The Free Lands have lush forests, fertile fields... barley, winter wheat and winter rhy should be ready for the harvest right about now, so the wheat fields around Lake Mór should be shining in gold.", I continued, "It is the rhythm we live by, too - the steady rhythm of seeding and growing and harvesting and fallow... a slow rhythm, but a nice one. It is almost as characteristic for us as the rhythm of clopping hooves, for you would be hard pressed to find a Selkie, who can't ride a horse. We love our equines and in many areas, they still hold a special place - granted, we have a mechanized agriculture, but you will still find many horse-mounted cowherders."
I let a beat pass.
"Traditions are important to us... I would love to demonstrate that with the traditional costume, either the Selkies' Geansai or the Spiorads' Gwisgwanaeth, but the local costums forbid it..." I smiled sheepishly, for a moment. "I completely forgot, I am a... well, how do I put it... I am of the Spiorad Ainmhithe. We are Selkie, yet we are not, for, for all intents and purposes, we live forever." I let a beat pass to let it sink in. "We also belong to the animal eared folks, to borrow a phrase. Yes, those are real and you don't have hallucinations."
Bemusedly, the wolf ears on my head twitched.
"What else to tell about Oilean na mBeo...?", I asked, both myself and my new acquaintances, trailing off...

[Flohaland]

Their hosts greeting was awkward for the newcomers. First, they didn't understand what language he spoke, although it's general meaning could be deduced from the context. Second, the two Flohländers expected that Prince Muhammad would offer his hand first to the lady as is custom in their homeland. After only a second's hesitation, was everything worked out. "Hallo" greeted Albert Maurice and Louisa almost in unison, but not quite and then the Prince took the Arab's hand and shook it firmly.

[Dar Al-Badw]

Their hosts greeting was awkward for the newcomers. First, they didn't understand what language he spoke, although it's general meaning could be deduced from the context. Second, the two Flohländers expected that Prince Muhammad would offer his hand first to the lady as is custom in their homeland. After only a second's hesitation, was everything worked out. "Hallo" greeted Albert Maurice and Louisa almost in unison, but not quite and then the Prince took the Arab's hand and shook it firmly.

After shaking the gentleman’s hand, he picked up the lady’s hand, “Mind if I kiss your hand mi’lady?” he asked.