It felt like an eternity. Nothing notable took place after the travel ban had been lifted for the longest time, something that only served to irritate the General further. Could these people not do anything right? If even diplomacy was so inefficient, how would their production fare? Had they as pressing a need to survive as Scroungers, they’d be dead at this rate, no second thoughts about it. “Remind me again, your royal highness, just how long have these excuses of a government kept us waiting?”
Chayyliel looked at the general with a raised eyebrow before smirking,
“I would say that they have kept us waiting for the past five hours,” they replied,
“Five hours without offering us so much as a drink or something to snack on. Rather rude wouldn't you say?” The royal’s raised eyebrow came back down to rest in its usual neutral position as blue eyes narrowed on the door they had been waiting to open.
The exoframe of the general strained itself to replicate the sound of a natural creature’s sigh as the General shook his head at the answer he had received. “So an approximate eternity for all I care. Five standard hours down the drain, ugh”, he complained, tapping his sharp fingers against his leg. “But as things are, we cannot help but wait for their inefficiencies to finally figure out that the people in their lobby might be of the important sort.”
”Might be? One of us is a General and the other a Royal that is known to blow a few things up when angry,” came the oddly chipper response.
“That does not mean they have realised it”, Creft interjected. “They don’t seem to be the most orderly folk.” Of course, most of the Scrounger’s opinion was formed from what he had seen in the last few hours, but you only get a first impression once.
“A first impression they have wasted gloriously,” came the retort, arms crossed over a metal covered bosom, Chayyliel rarely ever wore much else as their living metal made itself into a rather impressive set of armor. Flashy… not very practical.
“Agreed”, came the General’s reply, after which he leaned back in his chair, moving the rapping fingers from his exoframe’s thigh to his forehead. It was unnatural for someone of his race to be wasting so much time, as had become clear by now. But the cause demanded it to happen, so he couldn’t help but comply to giving UFP officials the time they were taking.
Ceraun arrived, fashionably and uncharacteristically late. She smoothed her hair back and noticed the grumpy looks on the faces of the general and royal before her.
“Sorry for the delay,” she apologized as she rushed forward.
“Someone fell flat on their face right in front of me, knocked out cold. I had to stop. What did I miss? Are we official yet?”“I wish that would be the case”, the General groaned at the arriving chief of medical facilities. “What you have missed amounts to nothing.” As he had said those words, however, pieces finally started falling into place. The doors at the other end of the room swung ajar slowly, a single humanoid walking to the waiting lobby.
“The council of Vasishka will now meet the individuals that have identified themselves as ‘General Ogni Emethel Haw'kohd Dis'nahm Bi'ahni Lawga Ormo Pohmpus Da'nit Ar'edi Iz Creft’, ‘Chayyliel-Drekavac Mikhailov, child of Sergei-Ari and Magdalena-Kristoff Mikhailov, second in line for the throne of the planet Elysium and first in line to the throne of the country Bastillus’... and ‘Ceraun Farohm’, all of formerly unrecognised ‘Ragnarov Fleet’”, the android declared in robotic voice.
“Finally…” Creft stated and rose to his feet. “We have the Ragnarov Fleet to represent, fellow members of the council. Let’s do ourselves proud!”
Chayyliel stood up and made a show of dusting their hands off on the metal greaves they were wearing, a compressions suit showing where skin normally would.
“It's about time,” they growled out, following behind the General as they made their way into the meeting chambers.
“Gods, I thought I had seen the last of diplomatic delays. You were here for hours!” Ceraun shook her head with annoyance.
“I sure hope that this is worth it. I could be experimenting with that boy’s abilities right now.” She sighed and followed the others into the chamber, ensuring that her words remained outside the doors. With any luck, this meeting was a mere formality.
@Circ - The entourage of diplomats sent by Ragnarov Fleet have been received in a collaboration post
Lurking Krog