They came in boats of iron and smoke. Strange men and stranger, clock-shaped helmets. It was not the first time the Risuners had seen seen worshippers of the English-speaking Holo pantheon, but it was the first time making contact with these peculiar people. Donning dark blue coats and standing in formation, eerily still as if built into the deck of their ships. They met no resistance, and oddly enough no interest, as they marched out with rifles past the pink fur-clad natives. They met neither still as they walked to the nearest settlement, a peculiar one with finer dress with a taller hat speaking up in the crowd.

"Risuners, I come to represent the map making efforts of the VTWBG, a union of nations across the globe." He bowed low, formal and stiff. "I am a Kronie from the northern island of Infinity. I hope to make good relations with your people, and to introduce you to the world stage."

No response, save for disinterested stares. Some of the natives continued to go about their business. Just as the sharply dressed foreigner was about to question if these people spoke Global, one among them spoke.

"And? What do you want, stranger?" The man raised an eyebrow, still carrying a sack of nuts, looking more annyoed at this pause in his work than curious of this display. "Risuners keep to ourselves."

"... And what is it you Risuners do here?" the Kronie asked, rising and straightening up. "Please, educate us on your culture."

"We work our nuts," another native said. "We enjoy our nuts. And when the holy month comes, we feast upon the nuts heartily." He seemed to be a little proud of their way of life, chin raised and chest puffed. "All in the name of our goddesses."

"We wait upon our goddesses," said another, a youth, "We wait upon their singing in their divine voices. Long have we waited and long shall we wait."

"Two spirits as one, the sultry Ayunda and the chipper Risu," the first native continued. " Both demand of us much nuts. We have much work and worship to do, we have no interest in this... map making."

The Kronie leaned forward with every word from the Risuners. Constant nutting, a penchant for their goddess's songs, "sultry"? Were these people descended from the Takeshis, like his own people? And if had to say Infinity was not already interested in this region's position and possible resources, he'd be lying. He gestured to his aide, who had been recording this dialogue, to stop for a moment. "... If you've no interest in the world at large, then I do not represent the world at large. Now, I represent Infinity."

He procured parchment from his pack - was he prepared for this? - and began reading from it. "Infinity holds every nation's rights to their to their borders and to their territory dearly. In the..." he trailed off, eyeing the disinterested crowd before continuing, "mutual interest of all Kronies and all Risuners, Infinity offers to take this land as her protectorate - loyalty for loyalty, we will defend your country to our last breaths in exchange for your compliance."

If any Risuners objected, they kept it to themselves, as quiet as the rest of the remarkably bored crowd.

"Do you... accept?"

...

The clock men sailed back north, the soldiers and sailors cracking open crates of Kronii Milk to celebrate, dancing and drinking for a job well done. But the diplomat did not join them, holed up in his cabin, fiddling with the freshly sealed envelope in his hands. Signed documents that could possibly alter the course of history, change the world.

Or maybe he was thinking too hard. Maybe at most, these papers just meant a lot of money for his superiors and a much easier time for all his nation's ships. He knows the higher-ups back home would be happy to know they can work on that canal now, making trade with the western end of the mainland far easier.

Ah, best not fret over what the future holds, he thought to himself. Time is the goddess', concern, not his. He loosened the buttons of his coat, leaning back in his seat as he opened a vintage bottle of Kronii Boob Sweat. A job well done indeed.

At the very least, maybe this meant they could all get to know some of those native women better.