Round 1 Day 2 Part 2: Budget Negotiations

The walk to the center of Carrie Calum held a different air than yesterday for Katie. It wasn't just the new transformation infusing her with energy. The streets were filed with protesters charging the street with a tension the DC natives were well acquainted with. The largest signs read "Schools not Soldiers!" and "Public Spaces not Public Test Subjects!" Curious Katie managed to flag down one of the protesters who was taking a break. "Hey, I'm from off-world whats going on here?"

"Budget conflicts and public safety and education being put on the cutting room floor." the petfolk protester took a swing of their water, cat ears on a swivel scanning the area. "Ever since the council took that exhibit from Ettamo funding has been cut for all research expect weapons and whatever is going into studying that sex toy we received. It's a disgrace. So here we are building our forces for a Wild Hunt." Pink light flashed over in the distance, too far for anyone to see the results.

A cry of "Glory to the Conferi" rang out from the crowd and quickly reached the captain, Carla and the protester. All of which exclaimed the adoration and were rewarded with pleasure lancing throughout their nerves.

"Could I guarantee your support?" the protester asked.

"Maybe later we had a reservations scheduled." Carla interjected, as the protester began reaching for their pistol. Before lining up a shot at either the captain or her ex-coworker, a fully loaded tour bus arrived and emptied its contents. The protester recognizing the larger feast and pursued the tourists. Carla and Katie quickly left the square, not wanting to see what would happen if they were to stick around longer.

After a short jaunt away from the protests Katie and Carla came across a park. It wasn't too different from the ones back home other than the grass having a gold varnish around the top third. The pair took a seat in a moderately crowded pavilion.

"Ok time for your lesson 2. Finger me right her." Carla turned to the captain spread her legs and hiked up her skirt the minimal amount it needed to expose herself.

Showed the captain her pussy. 3VP!
First time Bonus! 3VP

"Here!? With all these people around?" Katie said in panicked tone, desperation trying to prevent her voice from raising too loud. All her heads were on a swivel looking at all the potential witnesses, especially at the goblin woman who was on a bench directly in front oh them. Her face had a strange daze in her eyes.

"Take a closer looked at that woman." One of Carla's bodies replied whispering directly in Katie's ear. Doing her best to humor her crew mate took a closer look at the woman on the bench. There wasn't anything out of the ordinary just someone enjoying their day as their companion, a surger man, was promptly eating her out.

"I don't see the anything weird she is just getting eaten out..." as she worked through the statement the realization dawned on her face. "Wait what."

"Battery: People view having sex with her the same way one would view charging a device," The Carla behind Katie's recited into her ear. She turned the captain's head towards a couple two men, one surger the other a beastfolk having sex on the railing overlooking the lake next to the pavilion. Next she pointed out two surger women who were happily partaking in oral sex with each other on the grass. "So come on captain, you don't have to use your hands even. Why did you get those tentacles if you were never going to use them."

Katie felt a pit in her stomach. This entire situation felt like a trap to her, not that she doubted the sincerity that was on display. What Carla was proposing to her had more subtlety than some of the other people in the structure. The body of her companion gently blew some hot air into on to her ears. I promised to hear here out. Gray appendages slowly started encircling Carla from behind. The tentacles skittered around the thighs vibrating with anticipation.

Pandi and Miri found themselves at a quandary, they wanted to steal the gold dildo but had no idea where to start. The pair were outside and in more causal clothing than their crew uniforms. The breeze was gentle and had the aroma of caramelized sugar. Stumped and with nothing better to do they followed the scent until they came across a crowd of people huddling around a fire cooking what the two contestants guested would be the local equivalent to marshmallows. At their sides were signs of protest, while a goblin man was playing the ukulele.

"What's up here?" Miri asked.

"Recruiting miss. A Wild Hunt is brewing against the research board and I want a shot at some fucking funding for once." The goblin said. He noticed the confusion in Miri's face so he continued his rant. "For too long it's been all about public appeal. 'Oh George your proposal about inducing lactation as a way to combat food insecurity is interesting but does not have clear applications. You know that we have to go in front of a public accountability board at the end of the year.' Well they fucked up this time."

While George continued his rant other members of his group started to arm themselves. "Miri we should probably leave." Pandi said under her breathe noticing the protesters as the protesters became more active.

"Welcome to the Hunt." George said as the protesters unleashed a barrage onto the two crew mates. Pink light filled the air as Pandi and Miri found themselves in the Verbase overalls.

"Glory to the Conferi!" The crowd roared. The rules of game the crew mates were conscripted into filled their mind in series of images. A mass of people arrayed themselves around a black glass tower. Amass an Army. The army has scaled the tower and at every opening people are pouring in. Pink lights flashed from within. Siege. A lone figure stood above a fawning crowd steel crown on their head. Collect your Spoils. Glory to the Conferi!

Knees week from the vision and its subsequent pleasure Pandi and Miri looked into each other's eyes. They had an in.

Noel was walking throughout the city, investigating an amusing phenomenon. A tour bus let off a group of tourists on the side of the road where the protest was occurring. Predictably there was a surge of people firing away trying to amass their ranks. About a third of the group was hit by the protesters, the more interesting thing occurred when a shot when wide. The shots hit people on the other side of the street and didn't do a single thing. Only a third of those successfully shot went on to join the protesters. The reporter wanted to know more from some of the locals so she tried a trick one of her journalism teachers taught her. She walked into a bar that wasn't on the protest side of the road.

The place was called the Athenaeum, Noel was greeted with a tropical scent of jasmine flowers upon entry. Green and Yellow speckled flowers adorned the interior of the establishment. It was the middle of the day so it was unsurprising to see that the place was mostly empty. The bartender was a vespian who visibly perked up when they noticed Noel. "Welcome to the Athenaeum!" they said with an accent that registered as French to Noel.

Noel raised the press badge for the convention that got her stuck on the show. "Hi I'm Noel Almendra, journalist with LBS reporting. Do you have time for some questions?" She figured the bartender wouldn't think to check the badge more thoroughly.

"How exciting, whats the story if I may ask?"

"We are doing a travel series about other planets. Would you be interested in an interview?"

"Oh absolutely. My name is Clover by the way." Clover finished stocking the bar and leaned over the bar.

Noel to a seat and brought out her handheld recorder. "To begin with have you lived on Acke Dimah for a long time?"

"Well it's been five years now. I can hardly believe it."

"How have you enjoyed your time here?"

A small smile crossed their lips as they looked out in the direction of the protests, "It's definitely slower than back home. I can't deny that but customers getting into a Conferi Quickdraw over whose picking up the bill has its own charm. I can't complain too much, my wife's job lets us travel back and forth or at least it did."

"What changed?"

"I'm sure you have seen the protest outside. My wife is one of those organizing the Wild Hunt. She is a professor of Latoman literature, and the board has been cutting funding to all humanities programs for the pass couple years. It really shouldn't have to a Wild Hunt of all things. Even two years ago, if they would have been more transparent they might have avoided this. Unfortunately, here. The worst part is even if the hunt succeeds they would only takeover the remaining year of the current term before the next elections."

"Wait how do they decide that?"

"Oh this is you never seen one of these. So this all the protesters will have their own coalitions, and based on how well they score determines the initial positions during negotiations." Clover looked at her bracelet, "Well including my wife's party we are looking at 50 different groups at least. I'm so glad I don't have to participate other than being number filler."

"Wait what?"

"Wild Hunts involve thousands of people and at least two days to gather the numbers. There isn't a compulsion for those on the aggressor side to show up. It would be weird if you went through the work to start it and you didn't finish, but for those blasted? No problem if you check out. Its part of the challenge to convince people to follow up, though I doubt that will be a problem here."

After an hour, Noel paid and thanked Clover as she walked off to see if she could find more people to interview. Her efforts did not bear any fruit so she just bought some ice cream from a food truck. She sat down and took in her surroundings enjoying her desert, unaware of a surger couple having loud sex on a bench next to her. The reporter's peace was short lived as ELEECE materialized in front of Noel.

"Hello Ms. Almendra, you and I have some things to discuss." The host proclaimed with a nonthreatening smile.

"Shoot." Noel replied focusing her eyes on her ice cream.

"I know you have questions for me, so I'm willing to make a deal. If you host a questions show for the views, I will let you ask me a questions, one audience question for one of yours. Are you interested?"

"Any limits about what I can ask?"

"Oh plenty, but most of that is things about the Harem Hotel management and business dross are off limits. With regards to the season itself you can ask but things about future events I reserve the right to be vague."

"If those are your terms sure. When are we doing it?"

"You don't have to worry about that, time is but a game to me. Pleasure doing business with you." With that last statement the host disappear flashing light over the area. Noel looked around but given that no one else was reaching in any way, she was the only one who was even aware of the host's presence.

Welcome to the Question Box! Feel free to ask any question about the world, or the planets that have been on screen. There isn't a time limit, this is intended to be a rolling thing throughout the branch.