[open] Welcome to the home of tradition and progress!

[theearth]

Who: EVERYONE! including Mrs Kaufmann and Rose Bonbright
When: October 11th, starting 6 p.m.
Where: The museum that is attached to the town-hall of Füssen, specifically the Kaisersaal.
What: Mingle and happy welcome!

Through the usual channels, the mayor of Füssen has invited any and all numbered - no matter if they are only visiting for the evening/weekend and actually reside in Locke or Vegas or if they are staying for longer - to attend a little reception at the Kaisersaal in the town museum which is attached to the townhall.

Aka this snazzy room just with the chairs grouped around tables and no stage, though four musicians play quartets on a low podium at the side of the room. It's a very distinguished affair don't screw it up, you can do it, numbered! No, we don't know who believes that, either.

Mingle and eat and have fun!

And a note: Drinks are free! But the youngsters will get carded, and alcohol like beer will only be served to 16+ people, while spirits and other higher percentage booze will only be served to 18+ people.

Comments

[fussenmayor]

"I am." She shakes Emilia's hand, politely ignoring the obvious case of vampirism. Dear God. "Elisabeth Kaufmann. Welcome to my city."

[professorwolf]

If being slower to welcome with open arms includes the press, that might actually be a benefit. I'd be perfectly happy to simply be left alone.

[Lyall admits this with a self-depricating chuckle.]

[professorwolf]

"I wish I could say it wasn't mine, either, but I did rather open that can of worms myself," Lyall sighs, shaking his head a bit. At least he's not alienated anyone terribly yet, not that it seems that easy to do. It's been a tiring evening, but he feels, so far, a productive one. "Here to simply watch, then? Or expecting trouble?"

[merchants]

It'll always depend on which press we're talking about. Don't talk to people that work for Bild or Krone, for starters.

Lying low in general would also make it easier to keep the owners of Hotel Lilie happy, so that'll make my job easier, too. [A quick smile.] But if there are any problems, you are of course always free to call me and I'll see what I can do.

[scarlet_devil]

I see you're not wearing the dress I picked for you...

[Emilia, on the other hand, was dressed in something suitable for a soiree like this. Something damned expensive.]

[professorwolf]

"You're being very supportive," Lyall comments with a slightly more relaxed smile, now. "I know this all must be terribly overwhelming, and I know it will likely be difficult going forward, but having someone at least willing to work with us, like rational beings, is a marvelous improvement, I must say."

[professorwolf]

Oh dear, no, I wouldn't want to impose. I like to think I can at least manage the occasional journalist at bay with inanities and non-answers. It's when they descend in hordes or follow your car about daily errands that it gets to be a bit much.

[Bild or Krone. He files those names away to look into later.]

[merchants]

Only winding mountain roads... but there have also been strange sightings in the area lately. As in, just when I came in today the lady in the petrol station told me that she'd seen a... what's it called - voip -ah-deeng-ah. I think. Local mythical beings in the area - I think she just saw a cat and imagined wings on it, but there's been a few strange things. And with what Eileen tells me about Vegas, and the news from Locke...

[She shrugs, but there is a clear streak of being uncomfortable to it.]

[merchants]

[She leans forward to be able to speak lower and shrugs.] They usually don't check your passport, as long as you stay in the EU, Switzerland and Liechtenstein... except for when they check traffic, then you'll need it.

And what is that very little that you have?

[fussenmayor]

"Why wouldn't I? You are, mostly, human, and the appearance of the...whatever that is out there tells me that you aren't to blame for the things happening in the States," she explains. "I can't promise that my citizens will do the same but I don't see why these...changes would make it impossible to work with you." She smiles ever so slightly. "Besides, I doubt the military and police could inspect that silo safely."

[merchants]

You must have a lot of experience with those by now?

[She has had her share of media attention as the daughter of a large company - one of the reasons why she is all around the globe these days - but that probably was nothing compared to what they have to get through.]

[professorwolf]

That gets her a chuckle. It almost makes him feel more secure in her attitude that she has more than a simple altruistic motive. "Ah, well, there is that. I'm sure there will be several of us investigating that." He's tempted to admit that it probably comes from one of their pasts, if it's anything like the church in Locke or the mountain in Vegas, but while he's finding he likes her well enough, he still doesn't know well enough to trust her that much. The chuckle turns into a more sober expression, though, when he says: "I can assure you, Mrs. Kaufmann, that we are as confused and unhappy about these changes as the rest of the world is, and we're simply trying to cope with it as best we can. If we can help, in the meantime, I know I at least will be glad to try."

[fussenmayor]

She glances over at Julien. How anyone could think these people wanted to be mutated like this is beyond her.

Americans.

"That is all I can ask for," she says. "Thank you."

[professorwolf]

Unfortunately, yes. But I did know what I was getting into, so I have no one to blame but myself. I just wish I had more to show for it.

[He shakes his head with a sigh.]

Locke is even worse than it was before, for all our attempt at adding our voices to the conversation.

[merchants]

Your voice has certainly been heard around the world, though.

General you, that is. We talked about the whole thing with an international group of friends a while ago, and a good deal thought rather positively about the numbered, much more so than what I have heard of Americans.

Though it's not like I went into the discussion as a blank slate myself, Mum's made sure of that.

[siesinddasessen]

...handing my body over to the mafia... yeah, no thanks.

There are pretzels, but they're nothing like the ones that they sell in the park in Locke. [They're rather... well, different.] No bratwurst, though. Maybe that's a different area or something, you don't get sweet tea in Locke either.

No clue about chocolate, I haven't looked yet.

[espigeonage]

Why must you tease me so? [He smiles, though.]

[And then settles back a bit.]

Well... Personally I don't think I know anything that special. But the pink lights and big and little monsters are related to whatever it is that keeps changing us [he fans his tail out part of the way], and all that seems to be limited to zones, like the new one here. We think that's all related to some of our human-shaped unfriendlies, who're sometimes mutants too, but aren't networked and changing in the same way. I think.

[espigeonage]

Ouch.

I'm sad we all missed Oktoberfest! That would've been earlier in the month. Still, they've gotta have brats and stuff somewhere. The attractive Teutonic types are still around even without lederhosen, too.

What are your feelings on chocolate, anyway? I'm not usually that big a fan, but the dark kind's nice.

[chalicejoker]

If Kaufmann was worried about things getting really strange, well, now her town had a large bipedal insect to contend with. He's kind of gawking around at the fancy room they're in, and he's trying not to look like he's doing so. Tourist bug. He's holding a glass, but he's making no move to actually drink anything, in part because his facial structure means he's prone to dribbling things all over himself like crazy and in part because he's fairly certain a drunken Lord of the Bugmen is a terrible idea.

He is trying very hard to be polite and will try to nod acknowledgement at anyone he catches staring instead of growling at them, but, man, even though he's got the Lord of the Bugmen act to hide behind, Hajime always was awkward at parties.

[fussenmayor]

So guess who hates bugs?

This lady, that's right. Still, he's clearly Numbered and she did invite them here so she steels herself and walks over to greet him with a nod (no handshakes this time).

"Elisabeth Kaufmann. I am the mayor of Füssen."

OTA

[chalicejoker]

Hajime is not sure how, but he's found himself with a glass of something that smelled like decidedly strong alcohol. Apparently they're not quite willing to try carding the Lord of the Bugmen. He is awkwardly staring down at this glass, because he doesn't really drink, he's read things about just how easy it is to get a cockroach drunk, and this glass is just a thing he very much does not want.

What's he supposed to do with this? Dump it in a potted plant somewhere? Just sort of hold it all night and try to look relaxed? He doesn't know.

[scarlet_devil]

While there's a hell of a lot of strength in her frame, Emi made certain her grip was as light as possible. Anyway, people have nothing to fear from Emi if they don't do something silly like attack her and her loved ones, like three Mafioso found out.

"Thank you. It's nice to see that we're welcome here."

[fussenmayor]

"You have done nothing to be anything but," replies the mayor. "Besides, I do need your help inspecting that silo. I don't trust the military."

[espigeonage]

Julien sees Kaufmann giving him looks while talking to Lyall and ends up smiling and waving a wing one of those times. He doesn't begrudge people staring. Even across a room, with enough people in the way to hide his wings, he's very tall and clearly draws attention. Unhurriedly he works his way back over towards her.

"Galu, Mayor Kaufmann." He wants to teasingly ask if she wanted something from him, and there is a spark of mischief in his greeting. Caution proves too strong, though. "This place is beautiful! I love the ceiling."

[fussenmayor]

"Thank you, Julien." She can't help but stare at him, okay? He's huge and a bird! "What language do you speak? I don't recognize 'galu'."