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Ottawa - December 25th

Prime Minister Leblanc and several other bureaucrats who weren't particularly interested in spending their Christmas doing a diplomatic visit sat down in meeting room of a once well and reputable hotel, the left side of the table purposely vacant. Canadian, Alaskan and Icelandic news crews and photographers stood in position, as if soldiers in cohesion, waiting for the ALU delegation to make their entrance. After ~5 minutes of waiting, the ALU delegation opened the doors, letting out a burst of camera flashes and "click" noises as they made their way to the table, Leblanc getting up to shake their hands.

Dr. Ethan Reider and his entourage entered the room quietly, greeting the Canadians and engaging in the bare minimum amount of small talk. They were under immense pressure from the ALU to get a good deal out of this. The food shipments to Canada would flow regardless, as part of “humanitarian aid”, but the Union needed a quid-pro-quo, especially where electricity was concerned. Dr. Reider, an economist by trade, believed he had a fairly simple solution, and as such began the conversation so that he could propose it.
“I suppose the first order of business would be the food aid shipments,” he began. “I already worked out a deal I think you all would like, if you want to hear it.”

Ottawa - December 25th

Prime Minister Leblanc and several other bureaucrats who weren't particularly interested in spending their Christmas doing a diplomatic visit sat down in meeting room of a once well and reputable hotel, the left side of the table purposely vacant. Canadian, Alaskan and Icelandic news crews and photographers stood in position, as if soldiers in cohesion, waiting for the ALU delegation to make their entrance. After ~5 minutes of waiting, the ALU delegation opened the doors, letting out a burst of camera flashes and "click" noises as they made their way to the table, Leblanc getting up to shake their hands.

Dr. Ethan Reider and his entourage entered the room quietly, greeting the Canadians and engaging in the bare minimum amount of small talk. They were under immense pressure from the ALU to get a good deal out of this. The food shipments to Canada would flow regardless, as part of “humanitarian aid”, but the Union needed a quid-pro-quo, especially where electricity was concerned. Dr. Reider, an economist by trade, believed he had a fairly simple solution, and as such began the conversation so that he could propose it.
“I suppose the first order of business would be the food aid shipments,” he began. “I already worked out a deal I think you all would like, if you want to hear it.”

Leblanc responded back "Then we'd like to hear it."

Black Sea, approx. 30 miles from Bulgarian coast
December 30th, 2032
7:00 AM

Niko thought he would be sick...again.
The damned boat he had been given the misfortune of boarding was leaky, rocky, and altogether unpleasant. He'd seen ferries across the bosphorus with more in the way of insulating you from the sea. His job, however, and its importance prevented him from jumping into the cold water by just a tiny fraction. He was the only appointment that the true patriots of the Imperium had managed to have placed on the diplomatic team. His job was to evaluate the Romanians and what their relations might be with the Orthodox Nationalist faction he had found himself a part of. More important than that, however, was his semi-official role, the one that even his Turkophile coworkers knew about- assessing the threat that the Volgograd state stood to the Empire. In the minds of his employers they could either be a powerful ally or a dangerous enemy, and it was entirely up to him to find that out, or rather to decide it...no pressure. They would be arriving in Tomis soon enough, just another thing they would inevitably talk about. The Romanians would no doubt bring up Dobruja and how the Imperium had rather conveniently annexed it during the chaos of the past years while failing to establish any kind of official relationship with the Romanians they'd taken it from. That would be a job for the Turkophiles, though, and so Niko took a deep breath, relaxed, and pulled out a smoke. It would be a long way to Bucharest.

Badlands Between Romania

Yuri Abakumov, in the belly of a BTR-90

"We are almost at the border tovarisch ambassador" The driver explained.
"Thank you" The man responded. It had been a long journey. Now wanting to simply fly in, Marshal Tsabrov wanted to show a pinch of strength, by sending the ambassador in an APC. Luckily Abakumov was no stranger to this vehicle, having served in one before. The only problem was the relative length of the journey, even at one point encountering bandits in the neutral zones. Of course they had weapons on board, it was an APC, but it was a bump in the schedule. When they got to the border, they disassembled the weapon, less the entrance be seen as an act of war, and entered the country.
"Just a few more hours to Bucharest tovarisch." The driver once again announced, and with a nod of his head Abakumov laid his head back, for some rest until they arrived.

((OOC: Assume that they arrived by next post))

Bucharest, Romania
Boulevard Victoria

5:43 PM

After entering Romanian lands, the BTR-90 was assigned a escort of 4 military trucks. After a some hours of driving they enter Bucharest. Hundreds of cars were pulled to the side to make way for the convoy, which eventually stopped in front of the Palace of the Parliament. A small group of guards and a man dressed in a suit were waiting.

The convoy stopped and awaited the northern delegation to get out of the APC.

" Welcome to Romania, I trust your journey has been easy. I am Ioan Legari, a diplomat. Now, if you may, follow me to the main hall." the man greeted the delegation.

Making some small talk, they proceeded inside a large hall with a tall roof with chandeliers hanging from it, marble floors and stone walls decked with golden arches. Decorated tables were located to the left  ,the right and the middle back of the room. Romanian officials were already seated at the middle tables.

 The Delegation was led to the left of the room and seated at decorated tables filled with appetizers. Ioan was assigned with them, along with a few butlers.

The BTR-90 was parked in the middle of the main parking lot of the Palace.

6:32 PM

The train with the Byzantine Delegation finally arrived. A few military luxury cars were awaiting for them. Led by guards they boarded the car and headed towards the Palace of the Parliament. They arrived in a few minutes.

A small groups of guards and a man dessed in a suit was waiting for them in the main parking lot. The cars drove around the BTR and stopped in front of the entrance.

" Welcome, I trust your journey has been uneventful. I am Mircea Racovita, a diplomat here. Now, if you'll follow me." the man greeted them and led them into the main hall.

The Byzantine delegation was seated in the right of the hall, with the same arrangements as the Northern delegation, with Mircea assigned to them.

7:00 PM

A group of Romania middle-school students quickly gathered in the middle of the room wearing traditional Black-and-White clothing. They split up in 2 groups and go to greet the two delegations bearing baskets with small flowers and beautiful grain and spices.

After regathering in the middle, they sang the Romanian national anthem and then promptly retreated to the back of the room.


The room hushed as the Lord Protector himself went to the middle.

" Welcome to the first and hopefully not last... edition of the International Conference of Bucharest. It shall officially begin after the New Year's Eve. So for now, let us make acquaintances, eat and drink for this day and the next. I hereby invite the two delegations to meet me here, in the center to present ourselves." he said cheerfully.

Yuri Abakumov was thoroughly enjoying the festivities, as were his armed bodyguards compatriots. When he heard the call from the supposed leader of this nation, he walked over swiftly, intending to make a good first impression on the Lord Protector.

"Hello sir, it is an honor to meet you." He said with a grin, offering a hand for a handshake.