Not Blåskovian, Noraii

[Norgsveldet]

(OOC: This is a joint expansion done between me and Cowlass for the country of Noraida.)

4th March, 2025
Noraii Sea, Noraida

As resistant to the cold that Noraii tieflings were, Tinlé still had to wear a rather thick winter jacket as she stepped out onto the deck of the ship she was on. With her rubbing her gloved hands together, steam coming out with every breath she exhales. The young tiefling girl wearing a dark gray winter jacket with the red flag of Noraida patched proudly to the side of her arm. Though in all honesty she was far from being that proud of her country, as scandalous as that was to be seeing she was the eldest daughter of the Noraii High Priestess. But having enjoyed the relative freedom that the University of Neylapdor had given her, despite it being filled with Nystapi, made her reevaluate her country a bit more. Certainly gave her a bit of a different view of her mother. That being said, she certainly couldn’t complain about the privileges her mother’s daughter also gave her!

Usually census taking done by the Rotantic Diet was only done by professionals involved in the field, or with official representatives from the national government, which Tinlé was neither. But with some strings being pulled by her mother, and done as a way to celebrate joining the Rotantic Diet (which for them meant more money), she was allowed to join as part of her college studies of Rotantic History. As long she didn’t get in the way of the census takers. Though she did find it mildly funny that the census takers had mistaken her for her mother, though she hardly blamed them as appearance wise she was almost a splitting image of her. With both having long dark blue hair that contrasted with their light blue skin, bright gold eyes and same feminine appearance. Their main noticeable differences being frankly her mother was of more taller stature with far larger black horns. With hers being at the shorter end and not being forward facing. Though as she rubbed her hands she finally saw someone joining her on the deck.

A short but well framed kemonomimi stepped aboard the desk, wearing several layers of thick wool jackets combined with a cattle person’s hat with slits for their foxy brown ears. “Mornin’ miss.” They spoke with a thick Frakanic accent, tipping his hat to her as his boots clanged against the metal deck. Pulling down his scarf so he could better speak up. “Fine weather we’re having, perfect for volleyball and sunbathing.” His command of the Ngodian language was rather surprising to most, as many forget the Federation even has a Tiefling-Duarist majority petite-nation in its fold.

Tinlé couldn’t help but give him a curious glance at his last comment, raising an eyebrow as he said and crossed her arms. Hardly acting too offended about it however more attempting to be a bit humorous as she gave him a look.

“You don’t have volleyball in Noraida?” He gave a small smirk, leaning against the railing as he looked towards the sea. “Before you ask, I’m not an Akuanist, not related to any Akuanists nor am I ethnically or culturally Akuanist.” He still had a bit of a humorous tone, but Gods if he was asked which ethnic group he was a part of one more time he was going to lose it.

She rolled her eyes at her first comment, shaking her head in amusement before a small chuckle left her as she heard the second as she leaned on the railing with him. “I must assume you’ve been asked that a lot, huh?” She joked back towards him in Ngodian. “I must admit your Ngodian is pretty good, which is a good thing. Easiest way to convince people here that you’re not Nystapi.” Her tone was very friendly and warm, in many ways a heavy contrast to the stereotype that was involved with her people.

“When I arrived in Rikevaarland, I was stopped by a Norgsveltian elderly couple and was given twenty United Krone because they thought I was a Nystatinne and was homeless. I admit I wasn’t looking the sharpest fresh off the boat, but still.” He gave a small laugh, taking out the twenty krone bill. “Keep the money though.”

“Hey, it’s money to kill for here.” She joked back as she looked ahead as she watched some of the small icebergs they passed by and the ice that the ship crushed as it sailed on by. “I can hear from the accent you’re from the Federation, I can just imagine how cold it must feel for you.”

“Would say I’m used to it, but this weather is far different from the bogs over in Nystatiszna.” He cracked a smile. “I’m Jean-Jacques Julien, just call me J.J for short. I’m the census taker for this here operation and fun time in the ice.” He looked towards one of the icebergs they sailed past. “I feel like I was tricked into signing onboard to this, but I damn well know I wasn’t.” He gave a hearty laugh.

“Well it is a pleasure meeting you, J.J.” She gave him a bright smile as she raised her hand to shake his. “I’m Tinlé Avaion, as you’re probably already been told that I was gonna be joining you all on this.”

“You the Arch-Priestess’ daughter, wanted to tag along for a bit of adventure in the high seas and freezing cold deserts of ice.” J.J. gave an odd look at her hand before reaching out to shake it. Being incredibly awkward with his hand shake before letting go and returning to holding on to the rail. “You know this census right? We are going to count heads, do a bit of doctor work and spot environmental research. Not a whole lot else unless you wanna learn how to play cards.”

“High Priestess but yes I know that, hardly the most exciting of travels in all fairness.” She might be far from the most patriotic Noraii out there, nor most religious Duarist either, but was one to correct a mistake nonetheless. “On the personal side this is more to be part of my paper about Rotantic History. In which contacting local Brewmasters on these islands could be of help, and well. They hardly have the newest Jotun now do they?” She said in a small joking tone as she took out her own Jotun phone from her jacket. “That and my mother thought that me coming along fit with the whole celebration of us joining the Diet.”

“Well, part of the trip is us handing them new radios and satellite phones. Not a fancy Jotun but good they are able to call once in a blue moon or two.” He gave a shrug before speaking again. “Yeah we be speaking to the Brewmasters, part of the reason why the Grand Shrine lass is here is to translate for us. Last time we tried a census, it turns out their Nys’tat’en was… Well we didn’t understand them, they didn’t understand us and we owe them a drum full of whale oil to avoid a marriage.”

She raised an eyebrow at that tilting her head curiously as she leaned her back against the cold railing. “To avoid marriage? Sounds more like a Nykea cultural practice than any of the cultural groups that settled on those islands.” She spoke in an equally curious tone though kept a smile on her lips. “Though I’d be glad to have a conversation with her about all of this! Especially as my Nys’tat’ten wasn’t that good to begin with.”

“Hey now, don’t be too racist but… It really does sound like a Nykea tradition.” J.J. gave a shrug. “They’re all part of the Ny’Akøy grouping, four different cultures up here in the warm weathered north. If ya want to speak to her, she is down below in the kitchen. Be sure to mention the Nykea thing to her, she will get a laugh out of it too.” He gave her a final smile as he pulled up his scarf.

“Hey now, you’re in Borea, friend!” She let out a small giggle as she hit him on the leg playfully with her tail, a small smirk on her lips. “If there is any place you get to be racist, it’s here.” She stepped away from the railing placing her hands behind her back as she took a few steps in front of him. “I’ll go and seek her out then, though I hope to talk with you again, J.J.”

“Well you more than likely will, this is going to be a two to three month long expedition.” He raised an eyebrow when her tail struck before looking back towards the ocean. “Just do me a favor, don’t end up getting married or pregnant during this trip. I am not going to be the one explaining to your mama about it.”

“Two to three months without having to spend time with my asshole roommate sounds like paradise to me.” She chuckled out as she shook her head in amusement as she was about to turn around though couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow towards him. “Are you certain it wasn’t a Nykea you all ended up meeting out here? Starting to sound like the wrong cultural group being categorised out here.” She teased slightly.

“Yep, so don’t get your hopes up now.” J.J. teased back at her, having pulled his scarf back down. “Now go and get yourself warm. I gotta speak with the captain before we make port.” He pulled his scarf back over his mouth and nose.

“Eww you sound like my roommate.” Tinlé’s voice was a bit more on the childish side there as she said that in response to his first comment before throwing her hair back with her hand as she turned around to walk away from him shaking her head.

[Norgsveldet]

Tinlé took off her winter jacket as she entered back into the inside of the boat, folding it as she walked down the hall to find this curious scholar that J.J. spoke about, with her having been wearing a dark gray thick wool sweater under said jacket. Though as she walked down the hall she saw an open door, in which she leaned over to look inside of the room, her gold eyes landing on a short kemonomimi man with a NIB ushanka on. Much to her surprise as her eyes widened slightly at the sight.

The short (from her perspective) kemonomimi wore an outfit that most certainly looked like it was from the everso feared Bureau despite not fitting the stereotypical elements of it. His jacket was a white and dark brown zip up jacket, with the Bureau’s logo of its shield on one side with Nys’tat’en writing on the tab around it. A black pull-over mask hanging from his neck. Handcuffs and a pistol on his hip around his similar camouflage pants. Thick winter boots with bits of fresh snow still melting off of it. In front of him, was a cup of what she first assumed to be blood of babies but is actually just plain black coffee and of course, on his phone. Looking at various pictures of animals he took a photo of before leaving port.

She pulled her head back for a moment so it would no longer be in line of view of him, as she took out her own phone. Looking around on it assuming it could have been tracked, though having none of the tools to actually look into the Jotun she just sighed and turned it off. Not that she knew really what a tracking device would look like to begin with. She stepped a bit forward into the doorway, standing there as she cleared her throat before waving towards the agent of death. “Hi there! Um I was wondering if you knew where the scholar from the Grand Shrine is? I wanted to talk with her for a moment!” She tried to speak in a friendly tone with a smile, no matter how much that smile was a rather nervous one.

The agent looked over at her and gave a big bright smile. “Hey, how are you doing? You must be Tinlé.” His voice was monotone flat, no hint of emotion in his words despite his smile or attitude. “Oh you probably worried about this thing huh?” He lets go of his phone to give a tap to the NIB patch on his hat. “Don’t worry, we’re not actually like anything in those movies or stuff.” He leans his arm onto the back of the chair. “She’s getting dressed, why don’t you get warmed up and we can wait for her together.”

She let out a small laugh as she waved her hand as if she was waving the idea of her being at all worried to the side as she stepped more inside. “Oh please, I was hardly worried about that.” She was absolutely terrified about it if anything. “Sooo, NIB? What are you guys doing out here, some hidden terrorist in the Rotantic you guys worried about? An Hirdist underground base hidden under the ice?” She joked as she walked towards the table sitting very much opposite from him, though keeping an friendly demeanor as she joked with the agent she still not fully convinced isn’t dangerous.

“Ha. Ha. Ha.” He laughed in a very monotone manner, as if it was mocking her though his expression was making the motions of laughter. The tone in which it was delivered was flat as soda. “No, no nothing that grand. The Diet needed someone an expert in rotantic ecosystems and law enforcement, so they contracted the Bureau for our services. So which I got hired, I’m uh, what you say. Game Warden, park ranger type. I handle poachers, animal tracking and so forth.” He reached over to offer her a hand shake. “I’m Agent Ny’Filta, no last name.” He kept up his smile. “There are two other folks part of the security detail but I’m the one with the badge so I take point on it.”

“Well you already know who I am, so no point telling you mine. It is nice meeting you, Ny’Filta.” She gently grabbed his hand as she shook it, feeling a bit more at ease with him now. At least if she is assuming he is just being monotone and not actually mocking her. “I am glad to be joining you all on this at least! Haven’t seen the other two people you’re talking about, but I met J.J! He seems polite enough, or politer than my roommate at least.”

“Of course I know who you are, your mother’s reason why we hired those two guys.” He gave a squeeze with his hand shake before letting go. “He is a good man, I worked with him before in Kala. So if you don’t mind me asking, why are you taking part in this expedition? While we will try to make sure everyone is safe, there are still some degrees of risk out here after all. All sorts of dangerous things can happen here, slips on ice, animal attacks, drowning and the weather.”

“Ah you are an NIB agent after all.” She muttered very very quietly to herself as she thought about the question for a moment to find the best way to answer it. “Well you want the personal or official reason I am here?” She asked, tilting her head at him.

“I know the official reason, but it’s the personal reason what I am after.” He took a sip from his coffee, moving his hand over his phone. At first she thought he was turning it on to record her but instead he just placed it into his pocket.

She kept her eyes on his pocket for a good few moments before looking up at his face, smiling still as she leaned into her chair. “Well it’s nothing that interesting but if you really are wondering it’s mainly for two reasons.” She held up two fingers to put emphasis on it. “First reason is that I am studying bit Noraii history and culture, and there isn’t exactly great emphasis placed on our connection with these lands. It rarely gets mentioned much in our history books, it’s like one paragraph about the Ritiaida Treaty then it’s back to talking about Mekika again for the thousandth time even though he wasn’t really a Noraii.” She scoffed at that part crossing her arms as she thought about some of the stuff she was actually taught in school, it’s why she actually chose to study in Lapliszna to begin with. “So I want to contribute something more, well, actually meaningful, to learn about the people living there and our shared history with them. Even if it just ends up being lost in an exam paper gathering dust with not much further importance, it still feels like I would be doing more writing about them than writing about something covered a billionth time you know?”

“I understand, here I was worried you were taking part in something more illegal. Like facilitating a black market deal.” He kept a stern eye at her, staring directly into her ears as he sipped his coffee again. As if he was accusing her of something but as he set his cup back down on the table. He spoke again in that flat, monotone voice of his. “That was a joke, you don’t need to squirm. I already inspected your belongings. Unless you’re planning on making a deal with Valkyr pop music CDs, you are in the clear.”

She let out a small nervous chuckle at that scratching side of her arm. Falling quiet for a moment. “You didn’t actually go through my belongings did you?” She asked, a bit embarrassed raising an eyebrow at him, her cheeks becoming slightly darker.

“Yes, it is part of my job. Don’t worry I’m not judging you or going to tell everyone about your-”

“Then we will not need to talk about it either!” She spoke a bit louder than she meant to, before clearing her throat. “Sorry about that, was there anything else you wondered about?”

“You get along with the scholar, but as you were saying. There was a second reason?”

“Oh the second reason, well…” She let out a heavy sigh at that as she looked down at her lap, falling quiet for a moment. Almost as if the young girl was lost in thought. Though not long until it was just an annoyed groan leaving her as she laid lazily in her seat almost falling below the table as she did so. “I just really hate my fucking roommate!” Her voice was the best mixture of anger and whining as she spoke up again, having to put her hands on the table to pull herself up straight again. “He is just the absolute worst, I just needed to get away from him for a moment and honestly spending some months in the icy cold seemed almost like paradise in comparison.”

“Why don’t you just have him removed then or change roommates?” The agent tilted his head at her. “Your mother is in charge of Noraida, surely she can pressure the school to give you your own dorm room.” He removed his hat, placing it on the table.

“Well it’s a Nystapi university there limits how much she can really make them change stuff around for me.” She blew a bit of hair away from her face as she looked away for a moment. “Plus I’ve already changed roommates twice before, he is better than the other two so my mother told me I have to just get used to it.”

“Well, in all due fairness. You are going to Lapliszna, and I think it’s safe to say, no one likes the Nystapi. Maybe Blåskovians but they don’t know them on a deeper level. You should expect quite a bit of pushback to your existence.” He lifted up his coffee cup to his lips to drink coffee. “I would ask why you didn’t go to a university in Blaskog but I think I can understand why.”

“Oh I was considering it but fundamentally, as much as I hate it to admit it, the University of Neylapdor is one of the best universities one can go to in East Borea and is practically the only one outside Kungstad that is actually pretty for international students to go to. Of course there are the ones in Rikevaarland but my mother hardly wants to waste millions upon millions to get in there, and the only really good universities there are their business universities.” She let out a heavy sigh as she shook her head as she placed an elbow on the table as she leaned her head on her hand. “At least I should be happy that my current roommate almost act more like a Nykea than a Nystapi.” She gave a small scoff as she shook her head.

“You could always go to a university in Nystatiszna, it’s not like the old days. Have new buildings with heating, internet connection and all those other things international students love. Like calzones and cheap beer.” He raised an eyebrow at her comments however. “What do you mean almost acted like a Nykea than a Nystapi?”

“Oh I’m just joking about the dumb stereotypes you know?” She rolled her eyes, shaking her head in small amusement before a small chuckle left her. “You know how the Nykea like being more ‘loose’ with the clothing rules and all that yet respecting others? In contrast to Nystapi being more about the whole proving their dominance over others and not at all respecting wishes of others.” She let out another chuckle, a longer one. “Again mostly stereotypes but at least my roommate hasn’t threatened to punch me like other Nystapi have.”

“That is certainly a way to put it, if I recall correctly our fair scholar with us has her own unique opinions about Nykea people.” He gave a wide smile, finishing his drink. Standing up, “I have to go and check on my subordinates but she probably will be here shortly, she can’t resist the smell of coffee.” He gave a chuckle, putting his hat back onto his head. The pair heard light steps coming from down the hallway. “I must bid my leave, less I get trapped in social pleasantries.” Without even waiting for her to say goodbye, he quickly stepped as fast as he could away from the room.

The not-so famous scholar stepped into the hall, giving a sigh and huffing. Crossing her arms, shaking her head speaking in Nys’tat’en before switching to Ngodian. “Oh hello! Hope Ny’Fitla didn’t scare you too badly.” She gave a bright joyful tone, as she walked over to pour herself a coffee. She wore a colorful jacket, decorated with dozens of patches and a purple-golden pattern as fabric. With a fleece scarf around her neck, as she gave the brightest of smiles to the tiefling. She had fiery red hair, braided in the traditional way of her people, though not a people Tinlé could pick out. Having various colorful ribbons interwoven with her hair. She was short, even by Kemonomimi standards though that was to be expected as a Nystatinne. Her nekomimi tail swayed side to side, as walked over to the table with a cup in hand. Sitting across from her. “I’m Julie! I will be your friendly translator and storyteller.”

Tinlé was quiet for a moment as she looked at the much shorter woman across from her, just looking down at her for a good few moments before she then cleared her throat as she gave a bright smile. Though her cheeks became a darker shade of blue for a moment as she had a slight blush before she reached out with her hand to shake Julie’s. “Hi! I’m Tinlé Avaion, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I really wanted to talk to you the moment I heard we had someone from the Grand Shrine with us.” She spoke in a slightly nervous yet energetic and chipper tone.

Julie reached over to shake her hand, giving a warm squeeze to it. “Nice to meet you Tinlé.” She gave a sweet and calming tone. Excited at finally having a normal person to speak with. “Again, sorry if Ny’Fitla scared you. I think he enjoys freaking out new people when they sign on. You should have seen what he did with George, uh the Nystapi security guy. He took him into the back of a shipping container with a bunch of tarps hanging around, and then asked him if he saw his keys.” She gave an adorable giggle, taking back her hand to cover her mouth.

“Oh he was being surprisingly quite friendly actually, so far everyone I’ve met has. Though I’ve only met him and J.J for now, I likely won’t get along well with the Nystapi guy.” Tinlé said with a small chuckle of her own as she relaxed more again, her hands laying on the table. “Oh reminds me J.J suggested something to help me break the ice, since you know both of us are strangers so it’s good finding something we both like to bond over, right?”

“I love breaking ice! Not much else to do here unless you like cards or J.J. horrid sense in movies.” She gave a bright smile tilting her head to the side, her hair braid following along showing off the colorful ribbon tied into it.

“Well it certainly is better to break the ice rather than breaking the bed that the Nykea are experts in.” Tinlé said with a chuckle as she pointed both her fingers at her as she waited for a laugh.

She didn’t laugh, in fact she did the opposite with her lips turning into a frown. Pulling her coffee cup close to her as she took a sip. Standing up right and looking down at Tinlé, speaking in a flat, yet deeply annoyed tone. “Did George put you up to this? I am a Nykea.”

The tiefling’s gold eyes widened wide at that as she slowly stood up holding hands up defensively. “W-Wait I-I didn’t know you were Nykea, I was just told you liked these type of jokes by J.J and Ny’Fitla even hinted at it to and-” She was about to talk further but the short kemonomimi lass just walked away from her leaving her rambling to be pointless. Tinlé let out a heavy sigh as she sat down again as she put her forehead down on the table, an annoyed groan leaving her.

“Good job, Tinlé… Good job… Now you won’t get the cute scholar to help you because of your racist mouth…” She muttered out, muffled by the table.