The Black Swan of Solis

[Thaumantica]

Solis, Auraria

Klaus Rivera entered an Aurarian hotel in the center of the city, the great capital of one of the world's greatest and most liberal nations, with two large and heavy rolling luggage bags. With Elben and Aurarian heritage, Klaus shared his Ambrosian passport with the hotel staff happily and kept a careful eye on his bags as they were lifted up on to trolleys by bellboys who struggled to lift them off from the ground.

"Very sorry," Klaus offered in their own language, "as I travel from home I travel with home, I promise a tip!"

Eyeing back to the desk Klaus saw the front desk worker speaking to himself as he clicked slowly through screens. Klaus tore out a huge wad of Pasedas and slammed them on the table and continued pursuing his bags and the bellboys towards an elevator.

"I uhm, well!" Rivera stuttered before running back for his passport, "I need to get upstairs and file a report, my boss is down my throat for results! AHHHH!" Klaus mimed, pretending to pull out his hair at the thought of failure.

In truth he was an agent of the Ambrosian Federal Security Bureau, asked to probe an Aurarian hotel ahead of summer festivals for a mission he knew nothing of at all. Young and ambitious, his stress was real and genuine as fear wrought beads of sweat from his brow in the Aurarian summer heat.

 

[Oneida]

The front desk worker smiled at the Ambrosian, as he entered the information to get him his key card to access the room.

“Funny things, cultures and all that,” he spoke in Engellish, but it was difficult to hear behind the thick Solisian accent. It came off as mostly a slurring of words and mispronunciations “You’re not in Ambrosia, señor, you are in Solis now. Here for work? I certainly hope you find some time for pleasure along the way. File your report, do not let me slow you down. When you’re ready to enjoy yourself simply ring the front desk – anyone here will know all the best spots.”

The front desk worker handed him his card and Klaus rushed along his way. He grabbed the stack of Pasetas that Klaus slammed down and began counting.

“Who pays so much for such standard service?” one of his coworkers asked.

“I don’t know,” the manager shrugged “Everyone here is rich beyond their means, they have no concept for what things cost.”

The manager tucked some of the bills into his pocket and placed the rest on the back bar for the bellhops once they were finished unloading the luggage to come back and collect.

“Heavy luggage,” one of the bellhops commented.

“I do like a man who’s packing,” the staff laughed together.