08-04-2021, 05:43 PM
Day One: Evening Reception
Alvarez was hovering near the buffet table, glancing around the room surreptitiously hoping to see Councillor Hale, and dreading it at the same time. Unfortunately, there was no sight of her, and Alvarez was beginning to feel a little depressed.
A strong whiff of alcohol attracted her attention and she saw a waiter drift past with a glass of something much stronger than what the others had been serving all evening. She followed the waiter with her eyes until he handed the glass to Yauhmi. She sighed. She knew she needed to do this at some point, so she made her way through the crowd and greeted the Huenyan former monarch.
"Yauhmi, a pleasure to see you here. How are you enjoying this reception so far?"
Yauhmi looked up, and was clearly surprised for the second time that evening. After taking another sip of her rather strong drink, she nodded politely to Alvarez. “The reception has been…..interesting so far. I just had the pleasure of speaking with Calhualyana. A pleasure I hope you are able to avoid. How have you enjoyed the evening otherwise?”
"My condolences on that encounter," Alvarez said, sipping her own drink. "I'll be honest, given my experiences the last time I was in Kerlile, I've been rather too nervous to enjoy myself. I also..." Alvarez paused, searching for the words, feeling awkward. "I also need to apologise to you for my actions and words towards you and Huenya. I allowed my personal feelings to get in the way of doing the right thing, and I'm sorry. Lauchenoiria should have supported you following the coup."
”I appreciate that apology, and the courage it took you to make it under the circumstances. In truth…I also owe you an apology. I made quite a few mistakes during my brief reign as Empress of Xiomera. The action I undertook, during our last conversation, was one of them. It was a prideful act, and an arrogant one. I have learned, quite well, how the arrogant are humbled. So, perhaps I earned my fate,” Yauhmi said, uncharacteristically hesitant. “I wish to say that I am sorry for the things I did that caused the rift between us in the first place. And I hope that, now that I am somewhat out of the way, that things can improve between Huenya and Lauchenoiria.”
Alvarez breathed a sigh of relief. "My actions at that time were also not something to be proud of. I want to heal this rift, especially since our countries will be working together in the Auria affair. I also ought to inform you of something our intelligence services discovered - though, I stress - this is not yet completely verified. You see, Gabriel Fleming, the rogue intelligence agent who... well. There have been unconfirmed sightings that indicate he has entered Xiomera."
There was a moment of utter silence, as Yauhmi digested that information. “So he has joined Calhualyana,” she breathed after a moment. “I should not be surprised, she does seem to enjoy collecting the worst possible human beings and making use of them…..well. This explains a rather interesting warning Calhualyana took it upon herself to deliver me. We have begun sneaking Xiomeran dissidents across the border, and Calhualyana made it clear to me that she knows. I would not be surprised if she utilizes Fleming somehow to try to stop that.”
Each report I read on Calhualyana concerns me more," Alvarez sighed. "I would like to assure you that the rumours that Lauchenoiria planned to align ourselves with her are false. I fear Kerlile because of what they did to me in 2018. I can't begin to imagine how much worse it was for you when Xochiuhue first snatched power."
”It was….difficult. I can very much sympathize with what you dealt with back then, now. Experience is a painful but effective teacher. Calhualyana….she not only ordered my torture, she supervised it. And routinely visited me in prison to make sure I knew it. If we were not guests in a foreign country, there would not be enough guards to protect her right now,” Yauhmi said. “I don’t expect you to fully trust me, under the circumstances, nor would I blame you for not doing so. But you can trust Tiacihitli and Texōccoatl. And, as you can now see, you cannot trust Calhualyana. She has ambitions that cannot be contained within the borders of Xiomera.”
"It's a concerning pattern, all these coups. One attempt emboldens those others who would plot, until it spreads like a plague," Alvarez shuddered, but relaxed a little now that it seemed the pair would indeed be able to let the past be. "It will only get worse if someone doesn't put a stop to it. We need to show those in Auria that this will not be allowed to become a norm. If Calhualyana thinks promoting coups is a valid form of international relations, she will find that Lauchenoirians will stand against her."
”I am glad to hear that. I’m sure you know my opinion, and that of Huenya, about coups,” Yauhmi said with a small smile. “There are some within our emerging politics who are opposed to intervening in Auria, because of our own rebuilding state and the desire to be neutral and avoid another conflict. But most Huenyans agree that this cycle does need to end here. First there was the coup in your country, then in Xiomera….then the unrest in Mallacaland and now Auria. We’re concerned that a precedent may have already been established.”
"As you know, we remained neutral in your situation, partly as a result of our own rebuilding. And we're now seeing the consequences of that. We should have been there for you, and we weren't because of fear and petty squabbles. Now, this is escalating. We can't change the past, but we can try to change the future. We need these plotters to see that attempting coups will lead to negative consequences. It's the only way this tide will turn. Hence our support for the blockade."
”I could not agree more. Despite the efforts of those politicians trying to push us to remain neutral, Huenya will support the effort as well. We’re finally getting our naval forces back up and running, and will have ships joining in very shortly. The more nations join this effort, the clearer it will be to people who have these kind of aspirations that it’s a losing game.”
"Agreed," Alvarez nodded. She glanced around the room once again, lowering her voice in case of eavesdroppers. "We know Fleming was plotting another attempt at a coup in Lauchenoiria. Now that he's working with Calhualyana, I'm deeply concerned. I expect that Xiomera is meddling in many states' internal affairs. Lauchenoiria has tried to appear neutral out of fear, but that strategy is not working. It's time we took a very public stand against tyrants and imperialists. No matter how angry it makes both Xiomera and Shuell."
”As someone who was trying to reform a tyrannical system, I can vouch for that. Neutrality is only seen as weakness and opportunity to such states. And with Fleming now apparently working for her….you are right to be concerned. She could well seek to sabotage your opposition to their coup in Auria by either staging another one in Lauchenoiria, or at least causing enough unrest to force you to withdraw. Chaos benefits her in this scenario. As for Shuell….I suspect they will watch as Xiomera causes chaos and wait for an opportunity.”
Alvarez clenched her glass tighter at the thought of another coup in Lauchenoiria. Without thinking, she downed the rest of her drink and then stared at the empty glass. "I think I could do with some of whatever you're drinking. God forbid there's another coup attempt in Lauchenoiria. God forbid."
Yauhmi smiled sympathetically, waving the server over again. In a few moments, two more glasses of the strongest drink at the reception had appeared. “That is why we will make sure such a thing doesn’t happen. We both know what a civil war looks like, now. So we both have more than enough incentive to prevent any more,” she added, handing a glass to Alvarez and picking up the other one.
"Thank you," she said, taking the glass and smiling slightly. "We've taken many precautions in Lauchenoiria. Sometimes I worry we've been overzealous. The WOE affair, perhaps, could have been handled more tactfully. This is a dangerous situation; we need to be vigilant, and we need to send a clear message. So, in light of this, I don't know how much authority you have to negotiate such things any more, but Lauchenoiria would be interested in negotiating a deal with Huenya. Trade, rebuilding, ideas... all on the table."
”I don’t have that kind of authority anymore, but one could say that I have an in with the new Great Speaker,” Yauhmi replied with a grin. “So I will be more than happy to let Texōccoatl know of your interest. I imagine you’ll get a phone call very quickly after that.”
"Excellent," Alvarez nodded. "Perhaps wait until after this conference, however. Speaking freely here is difficult for me, given my history. I know you have a good relationship with Kerlile but we really don't. It's odd for me, being here. Especially given everything going on right now."
”Yes, the overall situation both here and around the world seems to be changing dramatically in unexpected ways. All at once. It does make one wonder if something behind the scenes is driving it all,” Yauhmi mused. “In any event, I will make sure Texōccoatl doesn’t follow up with you until you’re back in Lauchenoiria. What plans do you have during your time here, if any?”
"You mean you haven't heard the rumours?" Alvarez chuckled drily. "Aside from the conference, everyone is expecting me to have secret lover's trysts in the woods with Councillor Hale every five minutes. In truth, she hasn't even... sorry, that's not your problem. I'll be attending some of the conference sessions, and I'm also hoping to speak with the Slokasians at some point about Mallacaland, given it is within their sphere of influence. Did you see that they sent men? I mean, brave of them, but I don't think the Kerlians are particularly happy with them."
”I rather suspect not. It was brave, but perhaps not entirely diplomatic of them,” Yauhmi said with a soft chuckle. “I will also be attending some of the different sessions, and undoubtedly having conversations with various leaders about the state of things. I also may take the Kerlians up on their Grapevale tours and the reception at Councillor Greenwood’s estate. I’ve been here before, but it’s been quite a while. And I am a diplomat of sorts now, so I suppose it’s expected.”
I am very much not welcome at Greenwood's place," chuckled Alvarez. "Perhaps I'll see you in some other sessions, however. Now if you'll excuse me, I think Pavía may be about to start a war with Milintica." She nodded towards where Pavía stood, a look of rage on her face as she spoke to a Milintican while some Kerlian security guards watched helplessly.
”Good luck with that,” Yauhmi said with a soft chuckle of her own. “And I am glad we were able to have this conversation.”
"As am I," Alvarez said truthfully, smiling. It had gone much better than she expected and she felt so much more confident that, actually, coming to the IWC had been the correct choice.
Alvarez was hovering near the buffet table, glancing around the room surreptitiously hoping to see Councillor Hale, and dreading it at the same time. Unfortunately, there was no sight of her, and Alvarez was beginning to feel a little depressed.
A strong whiff of alcohol attracted her attention and she saw a waiter drift past with a glass of something much stronger than what the others had been serving all evening. She followed the waiter with her eyes until he handed the glass to Yauhmi. She sighed. She knew she needed to do this at some point, so she made her way through the crowd and greeted the Huenyan former monarch.
"Yauhmi, a pleasure to see you here. How are you enjoying this reception so far?"
Yauhmi looked up, and was clearly surprised for the second time that evening. After taking another sip of her rather strong drink, she nodded politely to Alvarez. “The reception has been…..interesting so far. I just had the pleasure of speaking with Calhualyana. A pleasure I hope you are able to avoid. How have you enjoyed the evening otherwise?”
"My condolences on that encounter," Alvarez said, sipping her own drink. "I'll be honest, given my experiences the last time I was in Kerlile, I've been rather too nervous to enjoy myself. I also..." Alvarez paused, searching for the words, feeling awkward. "I also need to apologise to you for my actions and words towards you and Huenya. I allowed my personal feelings to get in the way of doing the right thing, and I'm sorry. Lauchenoiria should have supported you following the coup."
”I appreciate that apology, and the courage it took you to make it under the circumstances. In truth…I also owe you an apology. I made quite a few mistakes during my brief reign as Empress of Xiomera. The action I undertook, during our last conversation, was one of them. It was a prideful act, and an arrogant one. I have learned, quite well, how the arrogant are humbled. So, perhaps I earned my fate,” Yauhmi said, uncharacteristically hesitant. “I wish to say that I am sorry for the things I did that caused the rift between us in the first place. And I hope that, now that I am somewhat out of the way, that things can improve between Huenya and Lauchenoiria.”
Alvarez breathed a sigh of relief. "My actions at that time were also not something to be proud of. I want to heal this rift, especially since our countries will be working together in the Auria affair. I also ought to inform you of something our intelligence services discovered - though, I stress - this is not yet completely verified. You see, Gabriel Fleming, the rogue intelligence agent who... well. There have been unconfirmed sightings that indicate he has entered Xiomera."
There was a moment of utter silence, as Yauhmi digested that information. “So he has joined Calhualyana,” she breathed after a moment. “I should not be surprised, she does seem to enjoy collecting the worst possible human beings and making use of them…..well. This explains a rather interesting warning Calhualyana took it upon herself to deliver me. We have begun sneaking Xiomeran dissidents across the border, and Calhualyana made it clear to me that she knows. I would not be surprised if she utilizes Fleming somehow to try to stop that.”
Each report I read on Calhualyana concerns me more," Alvarez sighed. "I would like to assure you that the rumours that Lauchenoiria planned to align ourselves with her are false. I fear Kerlile because of what they did to me in 2018. I can't begin to imagine how much worse it was for you when Xochiuhue first snatched power."
”It was….difficult. I can very much sympathize with what you dealt with back then, now. Experience is a painful but effective teacher. Calhualyana….she not only ordered my torture, she supervised it. And routinely visited me in prison to make sure I knew it. If we were not guests in a foreign country, there would not be enough guards to protect her right now,” Yauhmi said. “I don’t expect you to fully trust me, under the circumstances, nor would I blame you for not doing so. But you can trust Tiacihitli and Texōccoatl. And, as you can now see, you cannot trust Calhualyana. She has ambitions that cannot be contained within the borders of Xiomera.”
"It's a concerning pattern, all these coups. One attempt emboldens those others who would plot, until it spreads like a plague," Alvarez shuddered, but relaxed a little now that it seemed the pair would indeed be able to let the past be. "It will only get worse if someone doesn't put a stop to it. We need to show those in Auria that this will not be allowed to become a norm. If Calhualyana thinks promoting coups is a valid form of international relations, she will find that Lauchenoirians will stand against her."
”I am glad to hear that. I’m sure you know my opinion, and that of Huenya, about coups,” Yauhmi said with a small smile. “There are some within our emerging politics who are opposed to intervening in Auria, because of our own rebuilding state and the desire to be neutral and avoid another conflict. But most Huenyans agree that this cycle does need to end here. First there was the coup in your country, then in Xiomera….then the unrest in Mallacaland and now Auria. We’re concerned that a precedent may have already been established.”
"As you know, we remained neutral in your situation, partly as a result of our own rebuilding. And we're now seeing the consequences of that. We should have been there for you, and we weren't because of fear and petty squabbles. Now, this is escalating. We can't change the past, but we can try to change the future. We need these plotters to see that attempting coups will lead to negative consequences. It's the only way this tide will turn. Hence our support for the blockade."
”I could not agree more. Despite the efforts of those politicians trying to push us to remain neutral, Huenya will support the effort as well. We’re finally getting our naval forces back up and running, and will have ships joining in very shortly. The more nations join this effort, the clearer it will be to people who have these kind of aspirations that it’s a losing game.”
"Agreed," Alvarez nodded. She glanced around the room once again, lowering her voice in case of eavesdroppers. "We know Fleming was plotting another attempt at a coup in Lauchenoiria. Now that he's working with Calhualyana, I'm deeply concerned. I expect that Xiomera is meddling in many states' internal affairs. Lauchenoiria has tried to appear neutral out of fear, but that strategy is not working. It's time we took a very public stand against tyrants and imperialists. No matter how angry it makes both Xiomera and Shuell."
”As someone who was trying to reform a tyrannical system, I can vouch for that. Neutrality is only seen as weakness and opportunity to such states. And with Fleming now apparently working for her….you are right to be concerned. She could well seek to sabotage your opposition to their coup in Auria by either staging another one in Lauchenoiria, or at least causing enough unrest to force you to withdraw. Chaos benefits her in this scenario. As for Shuell….I suspect they will watch as Xiomera causes chaos and wait for an opportunity.”
Alvarez clenched her glass tighter at the thought of another coup in Lauchenoiria. Without thinking, she downed the rest of her drink and then stared at the empty glass. "I think I could do with some of whatever you're drinking. God forbid there's another coup attempt in Lauchenoiria. God forbid."
Yauhmi smiled sympathetically, waving the server over again. In a few moments, two more glasses of the strongest drink at the reception had appeared. “That is why we will make sure such a thing doesn’t happen. We both know what a civil war looks like, now. So we both have more than enough incentive to prevent any more,” she added, handing a glass to Alvarez and picking up the other one.
"Thank you," she said, taking the glass and smiling slightly. "We've taken many precautions in Lauchenoiria. Sometimes I worry we've been overzealous. The WOE affair, perhaps, could have been handled more tactfully. This is a dangerous situation; we need to be vigilant, and we need to send a clear message. So, in light of this, I don't know how much authority you have to negotiate such things any more, but Lauchenoiria would be interested in negotiating a deal with Huenya. Trade, rebuilding, ideas... all on the table."
”I don’t have that kind of authority anymore, but one could say that I have an in with the new Great Speaker,” Yauhmi replied with a grin. “So I will be more than happy to let Texōccoatl know of your interest. I imagine you’ll get a phone call very quickly after that.”
"Excellent," Alvarez nodded. "Perhaps wait until after this conference, however. Speaking freely here is difficult for me, given my history. I know you have a good relationship with Kerlile but we really don't. It's odd for me, being here. Especially given everything going on right now."
”Yes, the overall situation both here and around the world seems to be changing dramatically in unexpected ways. All at once. It does make one wonder if something behind the scenes is driving it all,” Yauhmi mused. “In any event, I will make sure Texōccoatl doesn’t follow up with you until you’re back in Lauchenoiria. What plans do you have during your time here, if any?”
"You mean you haven't heard the rumours?" Alvarez chuckled drily. "Aside from the conference, everyone is expecting me to have secret lover's trysts in the woods with Councillor Hale every five minutes. In truth, she hasn't even... sorry, that's not your problem. I'll be attending some of the conference sessions, and I'm also hoping to speak with the Slokasians at some point about Mallacaland, given it is within their sphere of influence. Did you see that they sent men? I mean, brave of them, but I don't think the Kerlians are particularly happy with them."
”I rather suspect not. It was brave, but perhaps not entirely diplomatic of them,” Yauhmi said with a soft chuckle. “I will also be attending some of the different sessions, and undoubtedly having conversations with various leaders about the state of things. I also may take the Kerlians up on their Grapevale tours and the reception at Councillor Greenwood’s estate. I’ve been here before, but it’s been quite a while. And I am a diplomat of sorts now, so I suppose it’s expected.”
I am very much not welcome at Greenwood's place," chuckled Alvarez. "Perhaps I'll see you in some other sessions, however. Now if you'll excuse me, I think Pavía may be about to start a war with Milintica." She nodded towards where Pavía stood, a look of rage on her face as she spoke to a Milintican while some Kerlian security guards watched helplessly.
”Good luck with that,” Yauhmi said with a soft chuckle of her own. “And I am glad we were able to have this conversation.”
"As am I," Alvarez said truthfully, smiling. It had gone much better than she expected and she felt so much more confident that, actually, coming to the IWC had been the correct choice.
LIDUN President 2024 | she/her | Puppets: Kerlile, Glanainn, Yesteria, Zongongia, Zargothrax