• Closed • Foreign Affairs

[Kura Wolfsdotter]

Timestamp: 20th of Cylus, 722
Location: Zana's Office, Faldrass Island

Kura let out a low growl as she wrapped the fur cloak her mother had given her tighter around her body. She had never much cared for Cylus, too cold for her liking, but she had business to attend to. The Albarech was dressed warmly, and owing to the dark of Cylus, she was wearing her Nights Glow Glasses in order to make visibility less of a concern. Still, she thought to herself, she'd much rather be at home than traipsing through the cold and the snow. But she had her responsibilities, and one of those was bringing their new Councilor of Foreign Affairs up to date. Plus she knew little of Zana Delroth, which made her something of an oddity among the Council, and she wanted to rectify that.

So it was that she'd found her way to Zana's office, since the location had been sent to the rest of the Council once it had been set up, and knocked on the door. Since all the Councilors had a staff of some sort, even the regional representatives, she waited for a secretary to see her in. "I'm here to see Councilor Delroth, could you let her know I'm here please?" she asked, her tone polite. The secretary asked for her name, and Kura smiled slightly. "Albarech Wolfsdotter. I used to be the Foreign Affairs councilor, and I'm here to bring her up to speed on the current state of our foreign relations." she said, her tone cheerful. The secretary went to inform Zana about her guest, or perhaps to send word to where Zana lived, and Kura settled down to wait.

She had, of course, brought Cally with her and the ghost, ever unable to sit still either physically or mentally, was meandering about the room looking at the furnishings. "It'll be interestin' to see how our allies adjust to Zana, won't it?" Cally said, her tone cheerful. Kura nodded, but didn't say anything. Kura's time in Foreign Affairs hadn't been as productive as she would have liked, owing to the need to first figure out what Scalvoris had needed before she could look to beyond its borders. Even when she had been able to look abroad, there had been a near war with Rynmere to deal with. Kalortah had done next to nothing in the position, even before turning traitor, and so their foreign policy had been largely static Kura herself had been promoted to Albarech. "Still, she seems like she's more personable than you, and that'll probably help." Cally said, grinning at her boss, who let out a quiet laugh. "Perhaps. I'll admit I'm probably too serious for my own good." Kura said, her tone amused.

[Zana]

20th Cylus

The Office of Foreign Affairs was coming along nicely, Zana thought. Things were taking shape and she found her new staff to be quite acceptable. Sallie ~ the woman who greeted Kura ~ was friendly and efficient and Kura was greeted in a manner befitting her station and led quickly through to Zana's office upon Sallie's return.

Zana had been in her office doing some work. When Kura was shown in - and Sallie took her order for tea or coffee or a cold drink before she showed her in - just what Zana was working on became quickly obvious. There was a map on the desk in front of her, and there were three books piled up next to that map. The map was of flutterbus routes and the books were on Desnind and the Southern continent. She had, however, closed all that up and was waiting to greet Kura. "Alberach, what a marvellous surprise," She gestured to the more comfortable area where they could sit in high-backed armchairs and enjoy adrink or snack while talking and taking in the beautiful views of water and the volcano in the distance. "Sallie will be right in with something to drink and snacks. Whether you want them or not," she said with a half joking expression. She wanted to make sure that Kura was comfortable and settled.

When Kura was in and comfortable, Zana sat opposite her and regarded the Alberach with an interested expression. "So, this is all still at the stage of unpacking and finding places for things, but I think it will work. " She sat back, leaning back in her chair and folding her legs, crossing one knee over the other. She clasped her hands together in her lap and gave Kura a look that was appraising and expectant all in one. Zana really didn't know what reason Kura had for being here and so she decided to simply wait and see what Kura would say . She was of the opinion that there was a time to step in and there was a time to be quiet. She had no idea what was happening, so she decided that it was best to simply smile and ask. "So, how can I help you to-trial?"

I could make you laugh, I could make you smile.
I'll make you beg, baby, it's more my style

[Kura Wolfsdotter]

Kura followed Sallie into Zana's office, taking a quick glance at the decorations and gave her desk a quick look. She found it somewhat amusing that the last person to hold that seat, a Tarouz himself, had thought along the same lines. Granted, she agreed with the general idea, but circumstances had turned her gaze elsewhere during her own time as Foreign Affairs. "Tea please." she said in response to Sallie's question. "It's a pleasure, Councilor." she said in response to Zana's greeting, smiling slightly. She followed Zana to the more comfortable sitting area, and took a seat at Zana's indication. "Cally is much the same way." she said, smiling at Zana's comment about Sallie.

When the two sat, Kura's own posture was not dissimilar from the other woman, with one leg crossed over the other at the knee. However, she rested her arms on the arm of the chair and leaned back a little more than one might expect for someone as high-strung as Kura was frequently reputed to being. She looked very relaxed. She could tell, from her own experience as a politican, that Zana didn't quite know why she was there. Her question only reinforced that, and Kura gave a calm smile. "Your office is certainly a better showin' of our prosperity than mine was. I've always been somewhat aesthetically challenged." she said, her tone showing a slight amusement with her own faults. "However, I didn't came here because I required assistance, but rather to offer my assistance to you." she said, her tone calm.

"You see, I used to be the Foreign Affairs Councilor. My immediate successor, an Avriel named Kalortah, accomplished...basically nothin' in the role, frankly." she said, her voice showing more than a little irritation as her eyes lightened a few shades when she talked about the treacherous Avriel. She regained her calm fairly quickly, her eyes returning to their usual icy blue, and returned to the subject at hand. "That means that all our existing foreign affairs policies are of my doin'. Rather than leave you to sort through several arcs of old files and treaties, I figured it would be quicker, and likely more pleasant, if I brought you up to speed myself." she said, before smiling and waving one hand. "There's not much to go over, honestly, but if you want, I may be able to help you with what avenues you wish to explore goin' forward." she said, her tone calm.

[Zana]

20th Cylus

Kura was, without a doubt, a resource. .

There was a wealth of political experience there and yet, Zana knew, she had to play this smart. Yet, the problem was that Zana really had no idea what "playing it smart" looked like. So, she went back to what she knew. "It occurs to me," she said softly. "That I find myself in an arena I know very little of. I am able to be a chameleon as I need to be and believe me when I tell you that I can fake it with the best of them." Her lips lifted into a grin at that. It was, after all, the first thing a prostitute learned.

But if Kura's offer of assistance was to be believed ~ and Zana largely believed that it was ~ then it required a level of reciprocation. "I have been bringing myself up to speed on what we currently have. And I perceive an opportunity," She didn't fidget when she spoke, she was in very careful control of her posture and her body. "I understand that we have very good relationships with Viden and with Rharne, but I see the links with Desnind being something which could be considerably better. I want to propose that the Eclipse Portal Stone, the one remaining one that we have, is taken to Desnind, gifted to them." She leaned forward, just a little. "It is not big enough for large scale trade but with it, and the Flutterbus, I believe we have the opportunity to exchange useful resources and to undertake some good trade of smaller goods."

Looking at Kura, Zana wasn't trying to gauge the woman's reaction - she was simply telling her how she saw things. "I also think that my links with Draithir will help, there. Her museum aims to celebrate and preserve things of importance, and as far as I can tell Desnind is all about tradition and preservation." She smiled sweetly. "To the point that it sounds terribly dull, but I won't mention that part to them." Best not.

"I would appreciate your thoughts," she said. "But I would also like to discuss Council meetings with you. They don't serve the council well, in my opinion and from my very limited experience. They may get the job done, but they damage your reputation." She shrugged slightly. "And it seems to me that politics and prostitution are very similar in many ways. One of them being that, in this game, reputation is everything."

And then, with an interested smile, she waited to hear what Kura had to say. It would tell Delroth's child a lot about the woman in charge of Scalvoris council, and she was quite eager to learn it.

I could make you laugh, I could make you smile.
I'll make you beg, baby, it's more my style

[Kura Wolfsdotter]

Kura smiled slightly when Zana admitted that that the political arena was new to her, and explained her ability to fake it. "Too many people are unwillin' to admit when they need to learn. It sets them up to fail. It's always good to meet someone who knows better." she said, before nodding her head as Zana mentioned she perceived an opportunity. She listened quietly as Zana elaborated on what she saw could be done with Desnind, and she had to admit, she was impressed with how well Zana was adapting to the role. "There's certainly merit in taking the Eclipse Portal to Desnind. The Eclipse Portals were our biggest offer early on, it's how we made our mutual defense pact with Rharne and expanded our relationship with Viden." she said, before shrugging slightly. "The Eternal Empire turned it down, though. With their positioning, it was apparently unnecessary as a means of trade." she said, before turning back to the matter at hand.

"That said, the Portal Stones have a treaty attached to them, that they must always be kept open. A sign of trust, basically." she said, before waving one hand in a gesture that showed some irritation. "One that's already been broken once. Our remaining Portal Stone was once given to the kingdom of Rynmere. They violated the treaty and we almost went to war over it, though Rynmere's collapse shortly afterwards and the retrieval of the stone made it a non-issue." she said, shrugging slightly. It was clear that Rynmere's collapse was not something that bothered her. "As long as Desnind keeps the Portal open, however, I see no reason not to entrust them with a stone. They have shown no animosity towards us and a strengthening of relations with them could, as you say, be quite valuable."

Kura let out a slight amused chuckle when Zana said Desnind sounded frighteningly dull. "I've been to Desnind. At the time, five arcs or so ago, they were still using a barter economy and I would not be at all surprised to find that the reason Quacia or Augiery haven't attempted to conquer the place is that they see no value in it." she said, before tilting her head to the side. "Though there is value to be had in Desnind, but it's artistic, medical, or cultural, not military or economic." she said, before grimacing slightly. "In all honesty, Desnind just about the only valid trading partner on the Southern Continent. Quacia appears to be trying to follow Rynmere into the wastebin of history, and Augiery is a slave-ridden, oppressive hole in the ground on a good day." she said, before shaking her head.

When Zana mentioned the council meetings, Kura nodded. "The Council Meetings are an...interesting quandary. The meeting prior to last involved some discussions about reforming them. It became apparent that the people of the island, both on and off the council, believe that the meetings are necessary to prevent the Council from becoming an autocratic, tyrannical dictatorship." she said, her expression neutral. Kura knew better than to tip her hand to a relative stranger, so she didn't show her exasperation with the current Scalvonite fear of a proper manner of rule. They were young still, and it was good to encourage those who were still growing. However tired they could make her on occasion.

"You are correct, however, that reputation is a major part of politics. Whether the meetings damage the reputation of the Council or its members, however, is a more nuanced question." she said, before smiling slightly. "After all, the Council accepted a vocal dissenter into its ranks in the last meeting. That sort of thing goes a long way to quieting fears that the Council is afraid of criticism or different ideas."