Finding Support [Profession/Solo]

Assignment Overview: Being relatively new to the diplomat scene on an official level, Ariella must show she is capable of being professional and offers helpful information. Begin speaking to those with experience with the previous Kou/Magnostadt conflict to try and sway them to consider assisting Reim.

---

Ariella sighed and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, not looking forward to today’s coming interactions. Today, she stopped being little Ella Negri, daughter of a diplomat, and started to try and make people see her as big girl Ariella Negri, blossoming diplomat in her own right. Still not ready to face the day, she grabbed the Journey Book, pleasantly surprised to find a message waiting for her. It had been a few days since she had left her last message and she had almost given up hope of receiving a response.

Love,

I'm glad to hear you are well, even if you have to deal with one of my family members. Which one is it? Hearing that Lily is near worries me, please be safe on your journey. I'm sorry that I haven't written in a while, things have been hectic. I've been fighting in the Coliseum lately to relieve the stress of juggling so many projects. I had a...humiliating defeat. I'll have to tell you about that some other time. I joined the rebellion and learned that Octavius is still alive. With him behind the cause, I'm certain we'll be able to push Kou out of Reim. I miss you terribly and I eagerly await the day I can see you again. I hope things go well in Magnostadt. I'll try to keep you up-to-date as well.

Missing your smile,
Azix~

Ari gave a love-struck grin at the message, her chest warming as she resisted the urge to hug the book to her chest. Grabbing the pen, she tapped it against her lip before scribbling out a response to her lover.

Dearest,
I have arrived safely in Magnostadt, though I have found my bed if far too large and lonely. If you weren’t so busy, I would beg you to come and keep me company. But, you are fighting a good fight and I am trying to help with that. The Princess was Hu Kouha, she was… interesting, I suppose. Completely devoted to her father and his ideals, but friendly enough.

Today, I get to go try and speak to a few people and convince them that my wild, obnoxious ways are over with and that my words need to be taken seriously. Who would have ever thought I would follow in my father’s footsteps? Adius is amused by the idea as well. Ayero’s brother, Vin, is here for safekeeping and I wish I could bring all of Kios over, but I know they would not be willing to give up defending their homes.

Be safe, love. I know the cause is important, but Kou does not want to face the wrath of an angry Lightning Mage should any harm come to you.

With you in spirit,
Ari~

Ari closed the book with a happy sigh, slipping it back under her mattress before preparing for the day. She knew appearances were important and so she took care in choosing her outfit, making sure her attire demanded respect but still showed she had style. She took just as much care with her hair before she was finally satisfied with her appearance. She could almost pass off as an actual diplomat. Her tail flicked in anxiety under the long skirt she wore as she made her way to the dining hall. Vin was sitting at the table already, his short legs kicking the air as he ate the oats that had been prepared. Ari smiled and waved at the boy before taking a seat near him to explain what would be happening. She was taking the boy with her, not wanting to leave him alone in the empty villa and not wanting to let him out of her sight. Ayero trusted her to protect her brother and she took that responsibility seriously.

“Okay, Vin. Today, we are going to start out by visiting Adius before I go try and convince people I am an actual grown-up. I know my meetings will be pretty boring, so while I do that, Adius is going to take you on a tour of the Academy. You will get to see kids studying magic and maybe, if you are really lucky, there will be a Kodor test! That is where two students go against each other, kind of like the Coliseum. They fight each other to show how much they have learned and to prove they are ready to be moved into a higher class. When I have finished, I will find you two and maybe you would like to go horseback riding after?”

She smiled fondly at the boy, he reminded her of the Grumptoes, full of energy and child-like wonder, not letting the patch over his eye deter him from exploring. She hoped he would be okay with Adius watching over him today, she just did not think he would like watching her talk and argue with a bunch of boring adults. Vin responded by bouncing up and down happily, already talking a mile a minute about what he wanted to do and see while in the Academy. Ariella chuckled and helped him get ready, using Group Lift to take them into the city of magic, the boy’s eye wide in wonder as he watched the scenery fly by.

Upon arrival at the building where Adius’ office was located, she gently settled them back to the ground, Vin wide-eyed and breathless, but grinning. She knocked on the door to her brother’s office, the blonde man ushering them in with a broad smile. Ari talked with him for a few moments before giving them both a faux serious look.

“Now, you two… stay out of big trouble, okay? Little trouble is fine, but no appendages and no turning people’s faces green, alright?”

Adius gave a loud laugh, waving her out the door before crouching in front of Vin and chatting with him excitedly. Trusting her brother to care for the boy, Ari rushed off to her first meeting, not wanting to be late. She would meet with Sandra first, an older water magician who had been helpful in teaching Ari in the past. The woman was known for being a good listener while also having many connections further up the political lines in the country. When she arrived, Sandra greeted her with a bright smile and waved her into a large room beside her office. In the room sat four other magicians, friends of Sandra and all having political connections or aspirations. Ari shot Sandra a startled look, but the woman gave her an encouraging grin and nodded her to the front of the room.

Ari cleared her throat as she moved to the front of the room, hiding her shaking nerves under a confident smile and strong stride, Sandra’s belief in her giving her confidence. She looked at each person in the room, memorizing their faces and keeping an eye on their expressions.

“I thank you all for meeting with me today. I know you all have busy schedules and finding a few minutes to listen to a former student blather on is probably not high on your list of priorities. But, there is something important going on in the world right now. While it is not something currently effecting Magnostadt, it has in the past and might in the future.”

Ariella then filled the people in the room on the events in Reim and Kou’s continual push to invade the country. Some looked bored while most looked concerned. Everyone present had been present for the last conflict with Kou and most had been used in the battle. Ari’s voice stayed serious but fluctuating and she made sure not to let her tone become flat or to draw topics out too long. When she focused on one thing too long, Sandra would give her a small hand motion telling her to move past it.

“I guess what I am saying is… we can wait and see how this all plays out, monitoring it from across the sea and hope Reim can do this on their own… or we can help them. We can make sure Kou does not gain a foothold that would allow them to surround us.”

One of the men cleared his throat to draw her attention, his face unreadable.

“Why should we defend a country we have never had a particularly friendly standing with?”

Ari arched a brow and sighed.

“They are not our friends, but neither are they our enemy. And if they fail to defend themselves, it would not have a huge impact on us immediately, this is true. But what happens when Kou turns their eyes back to us? They then have us surrounded. Can we truly defend against forces coming from both the Plains and the ocean? We barely fought them off last time. I remember clearly my father telling me how close the fight was. There are much fewer teachers here even now, thanks to this.”

The man dipped his head in acknowledgement of her point and Sandra raised her voice to be heard, her voice filled with concern.

“What about the pressure from the East? They have been pushing harder there, too…”

Ari chewed her lip uncertainly until Sandra gave her a look to draw attention to how it made her look in front of the others.

“So we don’t send a full army over. Even a few mages could make a big difference. We have the most experience mages on the planet. Let’s use that to help Reim, so we can keep teaching these kids magic without having to keep an eye in the front and the back!”

There were murmurs of agreement and Ari let them discuss it among themselves, waiting to see if there were any other questions. Soon, one of the light mages stood and bowed to her.

“Miss Negri, you have given us much to consider. Give us time to consider this. We will contact you no later than this evening, via Adius, with our decision to either support your plea or deny it. If we choose to support you, you will have our voices behind your own if you take this higher. Acceptable?”

Ari’s jaw dropped before she snapped it shut and she nodded. She had honestly not expected it to go this smoothly. Sandra chuckled at her look before ushering Ari into her office, giving her a supporting hug and a thumb’s up before returning to the meeting area with the others to discuss Ari’s idea.

[1500+/1500]

Social Used:

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Assignment Overview: Ariella has begun to gain support for her proposal, now it is time to bring her concerns to the attention of the Diplomat’s Council. Convince them it is in Magnostadt’s best interest to send help to Reim.

---

Ariella paced the dining hall as she waited for Adius to return with word about her meeting, chewing on her lip anxiously. While it had not been an overly pleasant experience, speaking to people like that, if it turned out well, then perhaps she had found a way to be more useful to Azix and Reim’s cause. When Adius finally came through the door, she practically pounced on him, hanging from his arm as she begged him for information. His face was a blank mask and she felt her heart sinking, they had not listened to her. Was she not professional enough? Were her arguments too weak? Why had she failed? When Adius finally broke out into a broad grin, Ari’s eyes widen and she began smacking her brother good-naturedly.

“Relax, sis. They said they will support you and one of them even set up a meeting with the Diplomat’s Council!”

Ari cheered and then froze. The Diplomat’s Council? That was the monthly meeting where all important diplomatic duties were reviewed and discussed. Every diplomat in Magnostadt would be there, including ones visiting from other countries. She could feel the panic rising in her chest and Adius chuckled and made her sit in a chair, glad Vin was already in bed for the evening so he would not see the radical flow of emotions from Ari. He patted her shoulder before pouring them both a glass of wine. As the fruity flavor slowly relaxed her, she found herself opening up to Adius, telling him about what it had been like in Reim and why she had developed such an attachment to the country. Adius chuckled and shook his head.

“Here I thought it was just you chasing some boy around, like you did when Yoshiro had come to visit. But it sounds like you grew up, sis. The farm, those kids, and all the people you have been helping out? You have a good thing growing for you over there. I’m glad you found something you enjoy, we all knew you hated staying here and being tied to the life of a diplomat’s child.”

Ari snorted and nodded, draining the rest of her glass before snagging up the bottle and dismissing herself to her room. She wanted to get a note out to Azix before she tossed and turned while thinking of how to handle the meeting.

Love,

Met with some people today to see about magical reinforcements for Reim. They liked my speech and have set up something more official for me. I will let you know how it goes, hopefully just as good as this one.

I hate having an ocean between us, but I am doing what I can to help from over here. Give the kids a hug for me and keep yourself warm at night, I hope to be able to return sooner rather than later.
Much love,
Ari~

Ari tucked the Journey Book away before laying back on her plush bed and stared at the draping material that left a barrier between her and the rest of the world. She had been certain she would not be able to fall asleep, but the bed almost seemed to magically pull her into slumber and she was soon snoring.

---

Ari took a deep breath as she paced outside of the Council Room, her nerves as tight as a bowstring. She had left Vin at the villa with some of the students from the Academy, hoping she would be able to return before anyone ended up floating or with extra body parts. Sitting calmly in a chair outside the door was Sandra and three of the magicians she had spoken to before, all there to show their support. Sandra gave her an encouraging smile, knowing it would be pointless to tell the Lightning Mage to sit down and be calm. She had been Ariella’s teacher for two years before the girl had run away from home and had always seen the potential in the girl, despite her stubbornness.

It was finally her turn and Sandra straightened her hair before nudging her towards the door. When Ari stepped through, the near-silence was almost spooky, every set of eyes in the audience on her. Most of those present knew at least of her family, if not having met her themselves. Some offered her encouraging smiles, others seemed completely disinterested and a couple had only glares of contempt to offer her. She had expected to meet with some hostility, she had not made many friends while she was a student in the Academy and she had a reputation for being impulsive, irresponsible and hostile.

As she walked in, Sandra and the others filed in after her, taking seats behind the podium in unspoken support as Ari stepped up to the stand. The podium lifted once she was behind it, gravity magic lifting her into the air so all could see the speaker. Built into the podium was a magic tool designed to amplify her voice so that no one could claim they were unable to hear her. When she began to speak, her voice was shaken but quickly gained stability and confidence.

“Esteemed diplomats, I thank you for agreeing to hear my words.”

From the audience, she heard a joking shout of ‘Well, if we didn’t, you would just chase us down with your wand and force us to listen anyhow!’ which was met with polite laughter that she joined in on.

“True as that may be, Colby, I still appreciate the meeting. I know every person here remembers when, just over a year ago, Kou came knocking at our barrier, demanding that we kneel before the Emperor and grant him access to our most talented students. I know you all remember our response to that demand. We told them no and then we forced them to accept this answer. But it was not without many sacrifices, on both sides. Both Kou and Magnostadt lost some of their best and brightest. We lost students, teachers, lovers, and friends. We made those sacrifices to maintain our independence, refusing to bow down to the oppression of a man whose greed drive him all over the world.”

Her words stirred murmurs through the crowd as those present reminisced or gathered anger at the memory. She continued, her voice now holding only confidence and conviction.

“Now, another country is under attack by this man. A country with a frightening military force that can only be bested by Kou’s imposing numbers. This country is not an ally, but they are also not a foe, and they are undertaking the struggle we faced in the not so distant past. What does this mean for Magnostadt? Right now, it means nothing. We have no need to trade with Reim and we have made no promises to come to their aide in times of need. But if they should not be able to do as we did, to beat back the wolf howling at their doors… that would have an impact on us. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but how long do any of us think Emperor Zu would wait before he snarled at us again? This time with even more soldiers, and from more than one direction. All of this in a time while we are struggling to rebuild our numbers. Who here thinks we could honestly handle an attack from both Kou and Reim?”

She looked out at the crowd, seeing frowns and faces filled with contemplation.

“So should we sit here, twiddling our thumbs as a threat grows? Why not send some of our experienced magicians to Reim to assist their struggle? The enemy of our enemy is our friend. We do not have to like Reim, but we do need to acknowledge that if they fall into full Kou control, Magnostadt would suffer in the future. Let us bypass this possibility, let us meet this threat when Kou is not expecting it!”

Her words were beginning to stir the crowd gathered and she could see more supporters than doubters in the sea of faces.

“I am not asking that we leave Magnostadt and the Plains defenseless, by any means. I am not saying send all of our teachers and students to defend Reim. We cannot afford to leave ourselves that open. But I think we should consider sending a small contingent to help. Let us help keep the fox out of the hen house. Send them ten or twenty mages experienced from our conflict with Kou, let our experience and magical strength terrify the fox before there are no hen houses left for it to sneak into. Kou would not expect for a group of First Kodor mages to be in Reim, helping to educate their troops and to set traps. Let us lend our gift of magic to Reim so that we, ourselves, do not face oppression in the future.”

The murmurs were turning into calls of agreement and Sandra was smiling brightly behind her. She was proud of Ariella for choosing the proper tactic in addressing the council. They were not likely to support defending Reim for the sake of being humanitarian. But to keep Kou out of their own lands, to prevent another struggle like the last one, that is something these people would support. And she had even worded it to make it seem like Magnostadt would be shining itself in a greater light. She had failed to mention that by making those in Reim grateful for the support, it was likely Magnostadt would gain more magicians in the process, but she had still done admirably well.

“My trusted advisors, I thank you for listening to my words. I know it is much to think on and I am not asking for an immediate response. But I do ask that you do not sit on this decision too long, or it may be too late. Thank you.”

She offered a bow of respect, the podium slowly lowering back to the ground as the room chattered back and forth. Sandra approached her with a professional smile and hand shake, guiding her from the room. Once clear of the room, Ari’s old teacher embraced her tightly, muttering words of praise and pride at Ari’s action, warming the Lightning mage deeply.

---

It had been three days since the council meeting and Ari was becoming anxious. When Sandra summoned her, she wasted no time in making her way to her teacher’s office and burst through the door impatiently. Sandra laughed at the excitable mage, shaking her head and waving at Ari to take a sear. Ari shook her head, practically bouncing around the room. When Sandra spoke, her voice was hopeful and bright.

“You did very well, my little student. The council, after much debate and drinking, has agreed. They will supply Reim with magical assistance. And in larger numbers than you were asking for. While we do need to maintain a strong presence here, we can afford to send over many more magicians than you asked for without weakening us too much. While the Plains are always a threat, Kou’s major forces are divided right now, and so our can afford to be as well. They are sending not just magicians, but magic tools as well. I believe your words inspired them, Ariella. None of us want to see Kou at our borders, ever again. Well played.”

Ariella squealed happily, squeezing Sandra into a tight hug. Magical reinforcements in the way of not just mages, but tools, was more than she could ever had hoped. She began talking to Sandra about some of the details surrounding the movement, knowing preparations would need to be made quickly. Her meeting with Sandra ran late into the night and when she finally returned to the Villa, Adius was waiting with a bottle of Reim wine to celebrate with her. They drank even later into the night, finishing off several bottles between the two of them before Ari made her way to bed, scrawling out a drunken ramble to Azix.

Looooove,

IT WORKED! I DID IT! WHO’S THE BEST? MEEEEEEEEE.  I GOT YOUR BACK, BABY! IM AWEEESOOOOMEEEEE!

You should celebrate with meeeeeee. I’ll be hooooome sooooooon… I think…. LOVE YOU!
Ari~

[1500+/1500]