08-08-2019, 04:17 PM
(written by Xiomera with input from Lauchenoiria)
Xiomeran Embassy
Buttercity, Lauchenoiria
Early morning, 8 August 2019 (atl 8, xatl papalotl, 2019)
The early morning silence was broken by a soft yawn. "Is there no more coffee?" Alel asked in a plaintive voice.
"You drank it all. If you want more coffee, make it yourself," Pacchitl said sourly. "You always drink all the coffee and never make any."
The two ASI agents manning the front doors of the Xiomeran Embassy were engaging in a ritual old as time itself, and coffee itself: arguing over who was responsible for brewing more. Gods. They do this every morning, Quili, the receptionist at the front desk, thought irritably.
Even though the embassy had just opened, a line was already forming of people needing to conduct business. Mostly Xiomerans, but a few Lauchenoirians and other foreigners. Quili began her day's work, directing people to various parts of the small embassy.
The droning routine was broken by a sudden disturbance at the end of the line. Two people at the end of the line had begun walking up towards the front. Alel stepped forward, a polite smile on his face. "I'm sorry, you'll need to wait in line," he began, then stopped. Sudden realization crossed his face. The two HNN pirates!
With a sudden shout, one of the HNN activists pulled a bottle out of his coat pocket, lighting a rag at the end of it. "Long live Huenya! Down with Emperor Topilpopoca!" the activist shouted, throwing the bottle at the front door. Alel and Pacchitl jumped away, as the bottle exploded in a fiery whoosh.
The other activist produced a brick from inside his coat, tossing it through a window. The tinkle of broken glass broke the sudden silence. Not waiting to see what reaction they had caused, the two activists bolted for the front gate of the embassy grounds.
"What are you standing there for? Get them!" Quili shouted, pressing an alarm button hidden in the reception desk. As alarms began blaring, Alel and Pacchitl began chasing the two activists, now followed by several more ASI agents as Xiomeran soldiers manned the walls and gate of the embassy.
Not stopping to say goodbye, the two activists ran at full speed outside the embassy, chased by the ASI agents. The agents had almost caught up to them when the activists spotted a Lauchenoirian police car. They ran up to it, breathlessly pleading for help. The Lauchenoirian policeman stepped out of his patrol car. "What is all this about?" he asked, then saw the pursuing Xiomerans. He pressed an alarm button of his own, a silent one summoning backup. The activists ran behind the policeman, desperate for protection. "I don't know what the issue is here, but you need to go back to your embassy," the policeman said, hoping his voice sounded confident and not in fact revealing that he was quite alarmed at being faced with six of the infamous Xiomeran secret police.
"Those two just attacked our embassy. We demand you hand them over, on behalf of the Xiomeran Empire," Pacchitl shouted, as the other five ASI agents lined up behind him.
"You will demand nothing," another voice said firmly. Two more Lauchenoirian police cars had just arrived, and a sergeant had stepped out of the lead car, followed by three more Lauchenoirian police. "Those individuals have been given protected status here, and they are not on your soil. Return to your embassy, now, or face arrest," the sergeant said. Like the first officer, he hoped he sounded more confident than he actually was. The normal remit of local police didn't involve tangling with secret police from a tyrannical regime, after all.
Pacchitl was about to object when yet another voice broke the tense silence. "Of course. We are very sorry, officer. We will return to the embassy immediately."
Pacchitl turned to see who in the world had the nerve to countermand his orders, then turned pale. Chēmā, the Xiomeran Ambassador to Lauchenoiria, stood behind the ASI agents with an apologetic expression on her face aimed at the Lauchenoirians.
"But, madam ambassador, these two just - " Pacchitl told Chēmā in Huenyan, then stopped as Chēmā fixed him with a look that would have killed him on the spot if the Ambassador could have managed it.
"Get back to the embassy immediately, you absolute morons, before you cause an international incident! I will have you working security in a fourth-rank whorehouse if you don't get back to the embassy right now! Idiots!" Chēmā shouted in Huenyan. The ASI agents quickly turned and walked back towards the embassy, as Chēmā smiled and apologized to the Lauchenoirian police once more before following them.
As they trudged back to the embassy, all of them, including Chēmā, were having the same thought: The Emperor is going to have my head for this.
Xiomeran Embassy
Buttercity, Lauchenoiria
Early morning, 8 August 2019 (atl 8, xatl papalotl, 2019)
The early morning silence was broken by a soft yawn. "Is there no more coffee?" Alel asked in a plaintive voice.
"You drank it all. If you want more coffee, make it yourself," Pacchitl said sourly. "You always drink all the coffee and never make any."
The two ASI agents manning the front doors of the Xiomeran Embassy were engaging in a ritual old as time itself, and coffee itself: arguing over who was responsible for brewing more. Gods. They do this every morning, Quili, the receptionist at the front desk, thought irritably.
Even though the embassy had just opened, a line was already forming of people needing to conduct business. Mostly Xiomerans, but a few Lauchenoirians and other foreigners. Quili began her day's work, directing people to various parts of the small embassy.
The droning routine was broken by a sudden disturbance at the end of the line. Two people at the end of the line had begun walking up towards the front. Alel stepped forward, a polite smile on his face. "I'm sorry, you'll need to wait in line," he began, then stopped. Sudden realization crossed his face. The two HNN pirates!
With a sudden shout, one of the HNN activists pulled a bottle out of his coat pocket, lighting a rag at the end of it. "Long live Huenya! Down with Emperor Topilpopoca!" the activist shouted, throwing the bottle at the front door. Alel and Pacchitl jumped away, as the bottle exploded in a fiery whoosh.
The other activist produced a brick from inside his coat, tossing it through a window. The tinkle of broken glass broke the sudden silence. Not waiting to see what reaction they had caused, the two activists bolted for the front gate of the embassy grounds.
"What are you standing there for? Get them!" Quili shouted, pressing an alarm button hidden in the reception desk. As alarms began blaring, Alel and Pacchitl began chasing the two activists, now followed by several more ASI agents as Xiomeran soldiers manned the walls and gate of the embassy.
Not stopping to say goodbye, the two activists ran at full speed outside the embassy, chased by the ASI agents. The agents had almost caught up to them when the activists spotted a Lauchenoirian police car. They ran up to it, breathlessly pleading for help. The Lauchenoirian policeman stepped out of his patrol car. "What is all this about?" he asked, then saw the pursuing Xiomerans. He pressed an alarm button of his own, a silent one summoning backup. The activists ran behind the policeman, desperate for protection. "I don't know what the issue is here, but you need to go back to your embassy," the policeman said, hoping his voice sounded confident and not in fact revealing that he was quite alarmed at being faced with six of the infamous Xiomeran secret police.
"Those two just attacked our embassy. We demand you hand them over, on behalf of the Xiomeran Empire," Pacchitl shouted, as the other five ASI agents lined up behind him.
"You will demand nothing," another voice said firmly. Two more Lauchenoirian police cars had just arrived, and a sergeant had stepped out of the lead car, followed by three more Lauchenoirian police. "Those individuals have been given protected status here, and they are not on your soil. Return to your embassy, now, or face arrest," the sergeant said. Like the first officer, he hoped he sounded more confident than he actually was. The normal remit of local police didn't involve tangling with secret police from a tyrannical regime, after all.
Pacchitl was about to object when yet another voice broke the tense silence. "Of course. We are very sorry, officer. We will return to the embassy immediately."
Pacchitl turned to see who in the world had the nerve to countermand his orders, then turned pale. Chēmā, the Xiomeran Ambassador to Lauchenoiria, stood behind the ASI agents with an apologetic expression on her face aimed at the Lauchenoirians.
"But, madam ambassador, these two just - " Pacchitl told Chēmā in Huenyan, then stopped as Chēmā fixed him with a look that would have killed him on the spot if the Ambassador could have managed it.
"Get back to the embassy immediately, you absolute morons, before you cause an international incident! I will have you working security in a fourth-rank whorehouse if you don't get back to the embassy right now! Idiots!" Chēmā shouted in Huenyan. The ASI agents quickly turned and walked back towards the embassy, as Chēmā smiled and apologized to the Lauchenoirian police once more before following them.
As they trudged back to the embassy, all of them, including Chēmā, were having the same thought: The Emperor is going to have my head for this.
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