~Kingly Meeting of Kings~

[Wolfgang Murinyo]

What a splendid trip! Wolfy had taken a first class sail to Creta, where he departed the boat, and his royal carriage was unloaded, so he could go visit his dear old friend, King Dietrich. Riding in the back of the carriage, the coachmen led the two camels they'd brought in the direction of the White House. Funny... Dietrich seemed to be the type of kingly king with a kingly castle, like Wolfy. Ah well, no matter. Wolfy liked the White House, it was a splendid building indeed. Soon the coachmen had come up to the security gate, and Wolfy leaned his head out of the side of the carriage. Flashing a grin at the guard, he chuckled in friendliness. "Heyyo, sir. Roy de Royaume de Gelemort, Wolfgang Murinyo. I called in a while ago 'bout me visit." The guard nodded, and the carriage was allowed to pass. Wolfy's coachmen stopped it near to entrance, but not so much as to be in the way. The king then stepped down from his seat and walked up to the door, where it was opened for him by the guards at the entrance. Entering the building, he was greeted by an escort, who would lead him to the library, where Dietrich would shortly meet with him.

Twas merely a pleasant visit, nothing strictly political and serious of course. So Wolfy waited in the library, perhaps perusing a book's contents until Dietrich arrived. When he did enter, Wolfy smiled and stood to shake his hand, and of course envelop him in one of the hugs that the Gelemortian soverign was so famous for. Ending the hug, he spoke in pleasant tones, rather cheerfully. "Heyyo Dietrich! Good to see yah, good to see yah. I see Creta's looking lovely this time of year. So how have things been for you lately?" Ah, the wonderful sport of small talk, with which Wolfy enjoyed so thoroughly. A truly nice conversationlist, he was indeed... And now for the good king's reply.

[Guest]

”Lord Dietrich, sir! The Roy de Roy- uh, Roya, um…”

”Roy de Royaume de Gelemort, Wolfgang Murinyo?”

”Y-yes, m’lord!”

Looking at his watch, Dietrich smiles. ”He’s early… Take him to my study. Tell him that I’ll be with him shortly.”

-------------

”Sorry for the wait, Wolfgang,” he says, casually strolling into the room. With a smile on his face, he grips his fellow king’s hand tightly, and returns Wolfgang’s mandatory hug in king. Strange ritual, but then again, he had plenty. His official title was long enough as it is, but at least he could shorten it down to “Lord.” Then again, a hug wasn’t so pretentious.

”Heyyo Dietrich! Good to see yah, good to see yah. I see Creta's looking lovely this time of year. So how have things been for you lately?”

”I’ve been doing fine,” Dietrich says. It was a lie, of course, but he didn’t want to drag politics into the matter. This was a friendly meeting. Best not to worry others with country matters, right? ”You should give me more of a notice next time. I’m sure the Duchess of New York would love to meet you one of these days.” Walking over to the liquer cabinet, he pulls out a couple glasses. ”Care for a drink, Wolfgang?” he asks, pouring himself some wine. ”I stocked up on some imports. Always good to be varied in tastes, isn’t it?”

Taking a sip, he swirls it around a bit, leaning on his cane. ”So, how’re things back in Gelemorte? I’ll presume you and Vasco are still at each other’s throats.” He chuckles. Those two just couldn’t get along for the life of them. So long as he stayed out of their spats, though…

[Wolfgang Murinyo]

As Dietrich spoke, Wolfy nodded along, as he set the book he'd been reading down on a table nearby. As Dietrich commented on his short notice arrival, Wolfy chuckled a bit, grin embedded over his face. "Ah, maybe I'll take that ta mind fer the next time'en, eh?" Well, that sounded like a lovely prospect. Wolfy was always in the mood to meet with other people, and this Duchess, from what he'd heard of her, sounded like a rather charming lady. Perhaps he would arrange for her to be present at his visit...

Watching as Dietrich went to retrieve the wine. Smiling, he accepted the offering of a drink. Yes, because while NORMAL friends go to get beers, KINGS shared fancy wines. Because they just rolled classy like that. "Oyah, variety's always good." Smiling as he recieved his glass, he of course offered a thank you, and took a sip to taste it. Nodding slowly, he smiled. "Mm, youse always did have good taste in wine, y'know. Hehe~"

As Dietrich pondered on Gelemorte's prosperity, and their seemingly eternal war with Esparia. With a slight chuckle, he nodded as he spoke. "Well, as ta Gele, I'd say we're doin' purdy well. Getting a bit more tourism these days, actually. As ta Allendy, eh I guess youse could say we're doin' a bit better off'en usual. That last meeting, though; yeesh, that guy were a pain!" As he spoke about his most bitter, bitter, bitter archnemesis, his face was rather revealing his obvious disdain for the Esparian. "Ah well; puttin' aside all his big man talk, we still beat Esparia's hockey team every game. Hehe, that may be the one reason I go to Esparia, just to see them try to beat Gele superiority..." Of course, he was only telling half-truths now.

In all honesty, there had been some talk circulating about, that it was War Season in Gelemorte and Esparia; the two were locked in a perpetual motion of brief, annual wars, intermingling with times of peace. In fact, it had lasted so long, and so many Gelemortians hated Esparia, that many considered it to be a sporting event of sorts. Now, normally, Wolfgang would never send soldiers into Esparia for such petty hatred. But when he was promoted to leader, the intense hatred was a part of the job; and Vasco didn't help make it a more enjoyable one. But Dietrich didn't need to know that; boring politics were boring.

[Guest]

"Mm, youse always did have good taste in wine, y'know. Hehe~"

”It’s a 1904 L’Cerie.” Taking a sip for himself, he sits in a rather comfortable-yet-regal lounge chair.

”As ta Allendy, eh I guess youse could say we're doin' a bit better off'en usual.”

Those two getting along? Maybe they would have another fight, then. Thankfully, Creta’s let them keep it between themselves for this long. Both countries were useful in their own ways.

”Politics can get boring, can’t it?” he asks with a smile. ”I don’t understand how you can do it. The vacations. I’d drive myself mad if I didn’t have this work.” It was true, to a degree. He was always tinkering with his country, trying to get it to work better. Or fiddling with politics, policies, hypotheticals… Was it rare to enjoy work that much? ”Though now that I think about it, I should visit you in Gelemorte sometime soon. To return the favor, of course.” With a swirl of the glass, he takes another sip. These informal visits were always so… tricky. ”Sometime after the mess on the mainland is either cleared up or settles down.” Ah, politics again. Maybe he wasn’t suited to this kind of conversation…

”So, how’s the family?” he asks. However generic, it was a good place to start. Something neutral.

[Wolfgang Murinyo]

Wolfy laughed, sitting near Dietrich as he sipped the wine. "Oyah, politics is a tough game sometimes. Honestly, I dunno how you can work so long without gettin' a couple breaks now'n'then!" He chuckled, shaking his head with a grin on his aging face. "I think my trips're the only things keepin' me sane..." And it was true; he and Dietrich were night and day. The good soverign of Creta enjoyed working and the game of politcal monopoly, while Wolfgang preferred leaving all the politics to politicians, of which he was not. Not to say he was a BAD leader, of course. He merely didn't have the patience or tact for complex problems in government, and was more of a choose-the-plan-of-action kind of guy. Not to mention he never stayed in one place for too long, restless soul he was.

And what's this now? It seems Dietrich suggested a visit to Gelemorte! How delightful. "That would be great, Dietrich! I always enjoy comp'ny, y'know?" Chukling once more, he nodded in self-confirmation. Oh yes, Dietrich really should come to Gelemorte. He was always the guest in Creta, so maybe it would be nice for him to have Dietrich over once, so he could be the one serving the wine and such. Really seemed rude not to be the host, actually.

As he listened to Dietrich's next question, he smiled. Ah, small talk... The building blocks of conversation. "Well, last I checked, my mom's doin' fine. House got hit when RIOTE blew the mess outta 'Mestris, but nothin' too serious. Offered'a let her stay at the palace, but she's still the same old firecracker she's always been, hehe. Said she spent forty years in that house, and she'd died of an explosion before she caught her death in Gelemort. " Chuckling, he remembered his visits to his mother. She'd always stubbornly stood up for him, even when he proved just how worthless he was when he started dealing drugs and guns. And now that he led a nation? Did him a lot of good to see how proud he'd made her, even if she didn't show it very often. "Oh yeah, and I met my little brother at a restaurant in Gele. Cool kid he is, you'll have to meet him if you come down. Quite the age difference, though. Hehe. Always wanted a little brother, though, even if I'm old enough to be his dad." With another of his joyful laughs, he turned to Dietrich, that warm, friendly smile as much of a facial feature as his nose. "So what about yourself?"

[Guest]

Dietrich chuckled. Wolfgang always had an interesting life. Well, a kind of interesting that was abnormal for the leader of a country. Usually, people had skeletons in the closet. Speaking of which…

”So what about yourself?”

Dietrich shook his head and sighed. ”Well, my parents are still resting in peace, thankfully undisturbed in all the mess that has been created in the past few years. James is likely still a drunkard, provided he’s still alive, and I’d consider that a pretty big if. Euphemia is alive, but she’s still in hiding for some reason. No brothers, no sisters… Such is the life of royalty around here.” Not exactly a comfortable subject to talk about, considering his hand in so many events over the years. ”Be glad you don’t have to mess with the stuff,” he adds with a grin.

”I presume you’ll have your hands full soon enough, though. Everyone seems to be preparing for war nowadays. Amestris is sandwiched between two enemies, you and Esparia are never on good terms, Drachma’s eyeing just about everyone nowadays… And I imagine that Xing’s constant involvement with Amestris will cause issues soon enough.” Finishing off his wine, he puts the glass down. ”Fun times are ahead, Wolfgang.” Standing up, he approaches the liquor cabinet again. ”Care for another drink?”

[Wolfgang Murinyo]

Wolfy nodded as Dietrich spoke, sipping the wonderful wine of Dietrich's cabinet. Sounds like a bad family life, poor lad. Ah well, he had that little Euphemia girl if he ever found her. A sister is a sister, after all, and a sister is best at being a sister when brother and sister are together, like a good family should be. Ah, but his talk of war was rather apt. Indeed, a fight was soon to come, and Wolfy could feel it in his bones. RIOTE would war with Amestris, Drachma would war with itself, Gele would war with Esparia, and everyone else would just be warring, with whoever they wanted to war with. These days, everyone had an agenda, and everyone had a gun. "Oyah, fun, fun, fun. Gotta feelin' in me bones, though, real bad one; this warrin's gonna get big, and it'll get big fast, I'm seeing them storm clouds up'n'o'er the horizon." And at the mention of more wine, Wolfy noticed his glass had run empty. With a smile, he nodded, handing his glass to Dietrich with a pleasant please and thank you.

[Shula Brighton]

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