Dear Governor, and Ministers of Rhy'Din.

As a member of a foreign species in your fair city, I would like to propose the formation of an embassy between our people and yours, to foster peaceful relations between us. I already have a building, and only ask for a parcel of suitable property, preferably just south of the city.

Signed,

Misht'Kyeamort'awli. (But you might know me as Misty.)

There, she'd written her note. She really hoped Dris would keep an open mind about this embassy thing, and wanted to meet with the ministers to get their opinions as well.

"An official letter has arrived," Hedronbot said, tossing the letter onto Drake's desk with an extremely practiced manipulation of generated kinetic energy that mimicked a flip of a humanoid wrist quite accurately. Drake snapped it up without looking away from his own computer screen, opened it one-handed (precisely separating the glue, at that, rather than anything so messy as tearing. Heathen), then flipped it open.

Now his eyes traveled over it. He paused a moment in consideration.

"Hedronbot?"

"Yes?"

"Is this....all there was?"

"Yes."

"You've read it?"

The letter hadn't faced the isocahedron at any point, but that didn't stop the robot from indicating the affirmative.

"So....any ideas who the 'people' involved are?"

"No. None."

"Huh," Drake said, tossing the letter in a bin marked ?"". "Well....hopefully someone will let me know if I need to do something about this."

"Shall I make the expected jokes about 'fostering relations'?"

"We're in private," Drake said, "do we really need to?"

"I can never tell, with you."

Drake lobbed a paperweight at the robot, which was exactly as effective as one would expect throwing an object at a device-slash-creature capable of instant and precise manipulation of kinetic objects to be.

The door opened, revealing a floating isocahedron.

This was normal.

Hedronbot, however, had been caught entirely by surprise. His mission was to get mail, that's all! Otherwise he'd never leave the office. (His long-term mission: Get whoever was in charge of these things to have the mail delivered directly to the offices, rather than mail slots. He was still working on that. Thus his current mission.) However, as a featureless robot, he showed no emotion whatsoever. His voice, however, had something of off-guard quality to it. "Erm, good morning, may I help you with something?"

Hedronbot performed several verification analyses of his sense memory and its path to active memory. The human equivalent was blinking, although humans showed external evidence of the process.

He made a mental note to have a word with building security about verifying appointments....did this building even have security' He made a note to check into that too, and rallied gamely. "Do you have appointments or particular times in mind? I'd be happy to direct you to any of their offices or the lotras thereto. If not, well, I'll certainly direct you regardless, although I can only speak for the Minister of Science and Technology."

This isn't how these things are normally conducted, is it' Hedronbot elected to go with the flow, in a fine spirit of "why make waves?".

"Certainly," the robot said, and quickly described the way to the Minister of Citizen Resources' office proper. "I don't know their protocols but I imagine you shouldn't have any difficulty. If at some point you require the Minister of Science and Technology for whatever reason, he is fairly accepting of drop-bys; please feel free to come around at whatever time is good for you."

And soons was soonsers, than she thought, as a pair of red headed children literally appeared from seemingly nowhere...They garb, all 'MIB' like with matching pressed suits, black in colour...Matching sun glasses, and more so, matching ear pieces. The only thing that set that aside, was the fact one had huge 'Tara' like pigtails, and the other, a long braid with an azure sash to tie it off at the end..

The pair looked Misty over, as one spoke into what looked to be her wrist..

"Pocket Raven, to Pocket Raven too, copy?"

The other, looked to her wrist and spoke into it as well..

"Pocket Raven too, to Pocket Raven, I copy, and see the package 5 X 5, over?"

"Copy your copy and read your over, will engage package now."

"Copy, your copying of my copy, and reading of my over, and good to go, on the engaging."

One stepped foward, and nodded to Misty, with a somewhat grin.

"Welcome, Miss Misty, Dad— I mean the Minister, asked us to guide you to the office."

"Yeah, no need to worry ma'am, we'll protect ya."

Ah yes, Misty...Welcome to the Rhy'din Town Hall.

The pair saluted Misty, and quickly after...

"All your base are belong to us!"

"What you say!?"

"Just go with it, chowder head!"

"I'm no chowder head, you trout sniffer!"

"I'm tellin' dad!"

"Hey, focus! We got jobs to do! We gotta get paid, and that candy isn't gonna eat itself!"

"Oh yeaaaah...Candy!"

After a few steps worth of this banter, the 'escorts' turned to their charge, and saluted once more!

"Our apologies ma'am, I promise the rest of the trip will be escort insult free."

Ah, such a professional was Nathressa, especially when there is candy to be had. Aleyah, smiled and noddled as well, as the pair then lead Misty towards the stairs, and soon up them, down the hall towards the right, and there is was..

The Office of Citizen Resources.

"Alrighty Ma'am, here we are. Safe and sounded, toldja! Um...If ya could, please...Couldja mention how good we did?"

"Yeah, we just night get a bonus outta this, yet."

The door opened, as Miss Westbury rose from her desk...The older lady offering, a respectful bow in turn, her silver hair catching the lighting just right, as she did so, causing one of the girls to let loose an 'ooooh'.

A smile offered to the pair, as she addressed them. "Thank you, girls. That will be all for the moment, and I will see to your payments, very soon."

That of course caused the girls to squeel, a bit...However, they were professionals, and recovered very quickly with a clearing of their throats, as the walked towards their desks.

Turning to Misty once more, Miss Westbury offered a sincere smile.

"You must be Misty. Brian has spoken, so much about you, and it is nice to see someone, who has known him, as long as you have, still present here in the city. May I get you anything to drink, or eat?"

"I'll take a grill cheese, three waffles, and a —-"

Que one sharp glare, from Miss Westbury, and Nathressa stopped dead in her tracks...A snicker from Aleyah, as the twins, went back to their 'paperwork', which mainly detailed a 'malaysian tiger trap', placed dead center of the town hall...Of course, this would never pan out, but girls can dream, can they not"

That was when the door to Brian's office opened.

"Is she here, Madelyne" Is Mis—"

Eyes of blue settled upon the ever familiar sight of Misty, as a warm smile took hold, as he spoke once more.

"Well look at you, beautiful. Still the same, eh?"

"Just sayin that' When it comes to you? Never!!"

The hug was returned in kind, as he hugged his old captain and dear friend. It truly was amazing to see her again, after all this time. Truth be told, he did indeed miss her.

Releasing her, he smiled yet again to her, as he looked to his girls as well.

"These are our girls...The pigtailed one is Nathressa, and the sashed one, is Aleyah. And of course you met, Miss Madelyne Westbury, my unofficial den mother, and ruler of my office here." A chuckle, as he looked to Misty again.

"Ladies, this is Misty. A captain of a star ship, and more so, someone who I have had the honour of serving under, as well."

Motioning to his office, nodded to Misty.

"Let's head on in, and see whatcha got, eh' Oh yeah, no need to thank me ever...We're friends."

Brian listened to his old friend...The more she said, the more he smiled...This was a wonderful idea, and more a perfect chance to foster relations with another world, and it's government...Much like his journey with Baker, Dark, and the others, to the Isle of Lesbos...Save they didn't have to steal the Governor's boat this time around. Granted Kitty forgave them, it still was a bit hectic upon their return.

"A welcome center...Misty, that is a grand idea, and I think we can do this...No...I know, we can do this. We definitely, need to bring this to the attention of the other ministers, and the Governor. This might be something larger...A welcome center for various worlds, and their peoples. Or possibly, an embassy district itself, for the city...Misty, my dear you have done it again."

Brian smiled once more, nodding to his old friend.

T'was then, that Miss Westbury entered the room once more, setting a stack of folders upon his desk, offering a smile to Misty as she did so.

"Madelyne, can you please send runners to the offices of each Minister, and the Governor, and see if they can either take a moment to meet with us at their convenience, or if we may schedule an appointment. Please title the message, 'Proposal for Embassy locations, within Rhy'din & Free Dark Side Cookies, to boot'."

The older woman, responded with a chuckle, shaking her head. She left the room, as Bri looked back to Misty with a smile.

"You are really on to something there, Misty. You know that?"

Brian nodded indeed, at Misty's request.

"Sure, by all means, please do so! Let's get this rolling, as soon as we can."

Then the voice of Miss Westbury was heard, from the other office.

"Brian, the runners are enroute and should return shortly with the replies."

Brian replied in kind, "Thanks, Madelyne. Can you do me a solid, and call out to Yotsuba's, I feel a need for cake coming on."

This of course, caused Miss Westbury to literally facepalm...And more so caused the twins to literally goose stomp around the office, with cries of 'Viva la Cake!' & 'Let them eat cake!' and the occasional cry of 'Attica' for good measure....Oh yes, a productive day indeed was underway.

"Oh! I's forgot! Yous should've tolds them that I's had things for them. Or I's should've tolds yous to tell thems ....oh, fardles. Neverminds ...."

She fidgeted with her bag, blushing again.

"Oh! Hi Paradise! Hi A'rus! It's nice to see yous, and so quicklys! Danku!"

She giggled as she smoothed out her tail-fur, and smiled at Brian.

"Brian, this is Paradise, the first mate of the Fur'za Flyin'. And this is A'rus, a friend of hers. Paradise, A'rus, this is Brian Ravenlock, the Minister of Citizen Resources, and he used to be the cooks on the Fur'za, a long times ago."

The knock at the door drew Silver's attention away from the screen of the computer, her two index fingers ceasing in their incessant pecking at the keyboard as she looked up. Rona stood in the door frame, a memo in her hand.

"A Miss Misty has stopped by the Ministry.....are you going ta go?"

"Going to go where?" Silver responded, arching a single brow as she gave her fingers a rest.

"To tha meetin'. She wants ta see all of the ministers." Rona replied with a knowing smile.

"Oh..." The Minister of Trade and Commerce looked back to the computer screen and the single paragraph she had managed to type in the last forty-five minutes. "I probably should, huh?" Control-S, as she was taught, meant that the document would still be somewhere in this machine when she got back.

"I think so." Rona laughed quietly, reaching to tug on the ribbons around her wrist.

"Well if you think so..." Silver laughed in return, rising from her desk and grabbing a pad and a pen. "Then I will!" She bumped her hip against Rona's before exiting her single office and stepping into the waiting room that served the suite of the Trade and Commerce offices. She turned, heading for the main door and stepped into the hall of the governor's building.

She had forgot to ask Rona where exactly they were. Oh well, too late now, she chided herself as she headed past the doors, all labeled with the various Ministries...Defense. Magic. Technology and Science. Agriculture. Voices wafted through the next doorway, heard muffled through the slightly ajar door.

Silver rapped gently before she pushed the door open further and stepped in, flashing a smile toward Misty and Brian as she crossed the threshold into the office. "Hope I'm not too late."

Paradise nodded at the new entry, pulling a small cube from the pocket of her coveralls.

A holographic image of the Fur'za appeared, and she began to manipulate the image, zooming in and out, and testing some of the blueprints she had made in the program to show what work needed to be done.

Dris stared at the letter.

The Governor must have read over the short little missive about a hundred times, and he was no less baffled this go around than he had been at read-through number ninety-nine. At some points he had taken to using the note as a hand fan while he let his mind wander into mulling over that newfangled technology known as air conditioning. If his predecessors had had it installed in these offices, he had no idea how to work it himself.

He read the letter again. Then he asked his trusty personal assistant, "Did y'read this?"

Erin rolled her eyes at him for probably the three hundredth time since sitting with him this afternoon, all the cause of him repeatedly scratching his head at the contents of the letter. With a sigh, she told him, "Of course I read it."

Dris scratched his head again and twisted his face up in confusion. He didn't have time for this sort of nonsense. There were more important matters at stake that he'd been sitting on for far too long. Such as trying to make sense of the even more complicated court order that had come at him from that two-timing, double-crossing Lucien Mallorek. Just whose side was he on anyway"

"I didn't even know Misty weren't already a citizen," he mused aloud, once again fanning himself with the letter. "And what?s this about 'avin' a building but no place t'put it, eh' S'that make sense t'you?"

Before he really had a chance to ponder over the intricacies of what building an embassy might entail, there came a knock on the door frame of his almost always open office door. He looked up. Erin turned to look. Some poor sod was standing there looking skinny and nervous while he thrust an inter-office missive forward for one of the two of them to take. Basil popped up over the other boy's shoulder, panting as he apologized profusely for not being able to stop the messenger before he could interrupt what the Governor had previously labeled a brain storming session with his Chief PA.

Since she was closest to the door, Erin took the letter. All she needed was a look to chase off the messenger and Basil both. She was also the first to read the missive before handing it over to Dris; he didn't even scold her for it. "Seems your future ambassador is already here," she said dryly, summarizing the contents of the note even while Dris gave it a quick read.

"Oh good gods," the Governor groaned. Sighing, he smeared a hand over his face and rose up from his way too comfy chair. "We ain't even 'ad a chance to 'old a council meetin' t'discuss the partic'lars an' she's already 'ere petitionin' in person' I'd wager we ought go down an' intercept afore things get outta 'and, eh?" The question was more rhetorical than not. He grabbed his suit jacket off the back of his chair and slung it over his shoulder while meandering to the door. "How many th'other Ministers're in the buildin' t'day?" he asked Erin as she followed along. As if she would know.

She blinked as her wrist-computer beeped, and she sighed.

"Brian, would yous mind givings the rest of the ministers the things I's brought' I's put names on thems, to say what goes wheres. I's gotta go for nows. Let me knows what they say, okies? Danku!"

She winked at Paradise and A'rus, waved a cute little wave, and poof! A little tendril of mist flowed out of the office and the building, drifting out of sight.

Silver watched everything going on, and the whirlwind as it all seemingly came to a halt. A single brow arched as her arms crossed loosely and she smiled. She was looking forward to seeing all the Ministers, but that'd have to wait.

Her eyes fell to Brian as he spoke, mentioning something about a request for land.

"Sure...I made time for a meeting, so I'm free."

Unfortunate it would be, for thing 1 and thing 2 for very very soon. As they didn't know about the other battles at the Alamo. Such battles are never with out casualties. And as two pools of lilac scanned the chocolate carnage, casualties is exactly what Jenai had in mind.

She had been walking only the next street, talking with Mrs. Cettleblauch over possible meal plans for charity banquet. The noise had been enough to draw many on-lookers, and possible victims, but every mother knows the sound of her own and she had made a line straight towards the commotion, her temple silks whispering as she hurried.

It didn't matter "what? the Alamo was or "why' she should remember it ....but, as she looked around, she would make sure two little girls would never forget. Mrs. Cettleblauch's plump face filled with some unnameable expression as her hands went up covering her mouth with both hands as caught up to Jenai and now was fully engrossed in the dessert scented disaster.

She marched across to the toppled carts thru puddles of melting sweet cream, dripping caramels, and chocolate bits of things now thrown asunder. Jenai's eyes sharpened and marked each of her daughters, daring them to even move an inch as she reached out and snapped up Nathressa by her ear. Protesting eeps went completely ignored as a mother's arm seems to move faster then a child's feet when the need arises. Aleyah was quickly ganked by her ear as well, quickly making her get to her feet and move in closely to her mother and sister.

"Now I know two little girls that would never ever dare of sneaking away from their father and gallivanting around the city all by themselves..." Jenai spoke as the girls squirmed uncomfortably as she hinted they had a very furry accomplice.

"Aunt Kerri!" danced Aleyah on her tippy toes. "Aunt Kerri!" pointed Nathressa hastily to the office building and wincing lightly.

"You two," as she walked them to the middle of the battle field and let them go, "Not only will you apologize to all these people and the owners of the trolli carts, you will gather up every bit of this mess leaving no gummi or ice-cream saving behind, every wrapper, every drip and drop will be counted for..."

The girls slumped their shoulders at the same time under some invisible weight. It was met with a nudge from their Mother as she spied Brian and a very guilty looking Kerri coming outside.

"Kerritha will hold the rubbish bags while you do..."

"Of that there is no doubt. But," she whispered as the trio looked like the weight of the universe was theirs to bear. "I couldn't have been so wasteful of food if I tried."

Of course she wouldn't mention one or two fights OVER food she and the her sisters had gotten into where dinner had been an unfortunate victim. And then, even over the years her appetite stayed strong and never ending, the girls too shared such a fate. She would have figured to find them stuffed to the gills and heralding 2 vicious belly aches.

She put her hand on his chest as she turned around looking thru the crowd. "Speaking of, could you see if the orphanage would let the girls serve lunch there one-day' To make them think next time they want to start a city wide food fight?"

She knew he had important work to get back to and gave him a smirk and a wink before she heard Mrs. Kettleblauch huffing up behind her to finish their business.

"This seems like a History Lesson of the Mithra variety and I imagine it was more fiction then fact that has turned into a real lesson. Even if a little embarrassed now, come tomorrow's breakfast they will be back to their normal adventures."

She gave him a soft smile, teasingly rolled her eyes and puffed her up her cheeks out of sight of the cook. Quickly she whispered, "This stuffiness is ill-suited for our ilk, perhaps tonight we can plan a trip this weekend to a certain glen?"

Before he could reply, she hurriedly turned to Mrs. Kettleblauch, put on her best smile, and whisked them both away from the area. The faster she could be done with the Cook, the faster she could return to the temple for a bit of peace and quite...