[h2][color=FF0000] Mai Mei of Mei'An [/color][/h2]

Mai listened attentively as Niklas described the nation that he was from. It seemed worlds away from Mei'An, which was probably one of the largest nations in the world but with an unevenly distributed population. The biggest cities had millions of people crammed into one place, but you could drive for hours through the grasslands of northern Mei'An or hike up and down the Black Mountains without seeing a single soul for days. Konigreich der Welten seemed like it had a population that was pretty consistent throughout the entire country, from what Mai could infer from Niklas's description. And in Mei'An, most of the vehicles on the street were taxis and the occasional bus. Not very many people owned a car themselves. It was cheaper to walk or ride a bike somewhere than to travel by car-at least, for now. Mai knew that her uncle was doing his best to push for policies that would allow for further industrialization which would lead to cheaper consumer goods, one of them being automobiles. 

When Niklas began to talk about the military, Mai felt a familiar sense of dread fill her gut. She supposed that she would never feel completely comfortable about the topic of the military, but Mai forced herself to keep an open mind. After all, she [i]was [/i] currently walking arm-in-arm with a soldier. And he wasn't like the enemy soldiers that she had encountered, with breaths that stank of alcohol and eyes that glittered with blood lust and another more menacing sort of lust. So, Mai paid careful attention to everything that came out of Niklas's mouth and pushed her personal biases away.

"Our country is very open about our military power. People here would call us a militarized state with martial law, if they experienced life in its fullest at our country. Our people generally don't care, but you'll often see military convoys driving down the same roadways as everyone else. Even our tanks will occasionally take a drive; it's a common past time at the military base that I trained at, to take a light tank or APC and just drive it around for a bit. Surprisingly fun, you know. There's something about driving about in a Grizzly," Niklas said, his tone lighthearted. Mai nodded to show that she was comprehending everything that he was saying. It was strangely reassuring when Mai learned about the electronic locks on the guns and the consequences they received if they disobeyed military regulations. [i]That [/i] was a stark contrast from all the soldiers she'd seen besides the ones supporting her uncle. The socialist generals were seized with a fervor to destroy anything and anyone that represented the hierarchy of the old; it was not an uncommon sight to see them ordering their soldiers to burn down lavish residences with the people still trapped inside or putting entire families to the sword. The nationalist generals weren't much better; where they didn't target landlords and the rich, they didn't move a finger if they saw their men looting villages or raping women. But Mai felt that the troops from Jaripa who'd invaded during the initial turmoil that followed the fall of her parents' regime were the worst-she'd heard the horror stories and seen for herself the ruins of once-prosperous cities that had been burned to the ground by the Jaripan troops. They were also responsible for the Meiking Massacre, where it was said the general leading the armies into the capital actually gave out orders for the atrocious acts that took place. Mai thought she would be sick as she remembered the sound of people screaming while the foreign soldiers poured gasoline on them and lit them on fire, and although that was years and years ago, Mai could recall every second with a startling clarity. However, she kept her expression locked in one of polite interest, making no indication that she had ever been exposed to such things.

Out of the corner of her eye, Mai spied the princess of Aciras-Lillith Hathor-begin speaking to the blue-haired prince from Azarothe. She guessed that they were betrothed to each other, though she didn't know for sure.

Niklas went on to describe the Military Police as men "as pure as an angel and as bad tempered as a demon," with a grim smile, and Mai smiled softly in response and nodded her head even as chills ran down her spine. Niklas rubbed his back and lapsed into silence, and Mai supposed that it was her turn to tell him about Mei'An. 

Still speaking in Meridian, Mai began. "Where I grew up, you could live your whole life there and still get lost. Everything was very spread out. Our nearest neighbor lived almost two miles away, and I only saw the villagers on weekends. But I didn't mind the isolation; it was always very peaceful, and I liked that. The Black Mountains are possibly the most impressive thing I can remember seeing. Sometimes they would be cloaked in so much fog and mist that you could just barely make out the tips reaching up to the sky, while on clear days they loomed vast and foreboding in the distance, though I never got any sort of spooky feeling from the sight-they were home." Mai paused for a second, relishing the memories. "Of course, not everywhere in Mei'An can be characterized with a description of where I grew up. In the northeast, the grasslands of Inner Monravgya stretch for miles and miles on end, and the mutton there is the best that I have ever tasted. Toward the southeast, the Emperor Mountains-which are like the little sister to the Black Mountains-stand tall and proud, with pale slopes covered in lush greenery. The west is home to food that's hot and spicy, while the east is home to food that's more savory. To try to describe Mei'An by only describing one region would be impossible." Mai didn't mention that even the infinite grasslands of Inner Monravgya couldn't escape the ravages of war, and that the last time she saw the Emperor Mountains, she was fleeing from socialist soldiers in the back of a horse-drawn cart. 

"So, Niklas Konig," Mai said in a lightly teasing manner, a coquettish grin playing at her lips. "If we are to 'make the best of it', why don't we try to get to know each other better? Tell me about yourself-what do you like to do?" Mai had decided after hearing Niklas describe Konigreich der Welten that she did not dislike Niklas, though she certainly wasn't about to tell him her deepest, darkest secrets just yet. And, well, hobbies could say a lot about a person.