by P. S. Power
"I see. What can I do for you?"
Tyler decided that lying was the proper course then. At least if he wanted the whole thing to work.
"I managed to leverage The Mistress of Souls into hosting an embassy in her territory. There's no node, but it's in Nevada, which is a good location. The Vampires already have people there, and are bringing in a new Master Vampire just to be the assistant. That's pretty big for them, since they'll have two day walking Vamps there, officially. Most places don't get that." It was true, as far as that went, as long as it didn't fall through.
"Really now?" His thick accent made the word really sound longer and sharper than Ty could have gotten it to be. "So, we're being offered second fiddle to them again?"
"Nope. They're just scrambling to get up to speed. They've had about a two hour head start because they don't sleep at night. You'll want someone good there though, since I'm going to be working out of that area. We're spreading the Coalition of Nations out, so that if one of us goes down the rest can still respond. I'm going for an actual office there. Wherever we end up."
"Hmmm. All right. Do you have anyone in mind from our side of things? The Ambassador there, Catherine, would she do? I could put her second in command there. Hale, I think. I've worked with her. Competent woman."
Tyler didn't love the way that was going, not really being a big Catherine fan. She was a bit of a bigot. Against Humans in general. Which gave him an idea.
"You might want to flip those. Calley is better with Humans, and seems to get along with everyone in general. She also knows the new Assistant on the Vampire side there, which can't hurt, being the only two groups that have anyone so far. I just have a good relationship with you, so wanted to make sure you were in from the start."
Because lying was fun.
"I'll make the offer to her then. Calley Hale. Yes, I have a record here. Very well. Thanks for the heads up."
He nearly hung up, then remembered something.
"Locutions? Do you have a number for them?"
The man did, so that was the next call he made, having a bit before he needed to go off to work. As it turned out the angry old woman he spoke to was more than pleased to share the territory with the Shifters, as long as they stopped shooting at her people.
"We live in the forest, and that belongs to all. We planted these lands, a thousand years ago, telling us we can't live here now..."
"All right. I'll set up a truce then? You keep living there, and the Shifters will stop shooting at you? You can't bring violence to them, of course. Also, who do you have set up for the new embassy?"
"What?"
He explained the whole thing, like it was real. They were going to need a building for it, he realized. It meant getting with Keeley next, but the woman did allow that she had a nephew and his wife, who might do well in that kind of position of power.
"Not our way, to the main, being humble folk in the most part, but Hess always was one for adventure, and seeking out beyond the edge of the woods. You get him a place?"
They had to work out that meant a wood lot for him and his bride to live in, so he agreed to check that out with Keeley.
It meant he ended up doing piss poor work all day, calling people about different things. Rather than yell at him for bringing in a new embassy filled with people, The Mistress of Souls congratulated him on being brilliant. Which was nice of her, really. He'd been kind of worried that she might be a tiny bit upset.
"I can have a place ready by the end of the month. Keep in touch, as to who's sending someone?"
Then she hung up on him. Just in time for the Shifter leader to call again.
"I just put the word in to Ambassador Hale. Also, I hear that the Locution difficulty isn't one now? Most amazing! I'd expected a protracted battle. This bodes well for your new project, I think. Thank you for considering us worthy. We won't let you down."
After the man got off the phone he had to run and clean up a room that had been being used by Alexia. Except that he didn't, the Alede girl already doing it when he got there.
"Hey Ty. So, um, you're leaving us? Already? I haven't even had sex with you yet. Are you taking Kaitlyn away with you then? I know she's your favorite."
"She is? I guess so, being that she actually works. And yet, here you are doing that too. Really, that isn't a bad point. I should try to get Robert and you to come down. It won't be like here though, so you might not want to. This seems pretty much like a play land for you." It really did too. "Kait needs to stay here, and run the Coalition from this location. We're going to need Zack, so it makes sense, right? I know, you can come with us, and bring that Ken kid. Teach him the ropes and all that?" From what he'd heard the boy was kind of floating from place to place.
If he could learn to work, that wouldn't be a bad thing. He knew Robert as well.
"I'll see about setting that up? That way I can put myself in as the Assistant Ambassador there. It's real work. Do you think I can handle that?" She waved at him with some damp paper towel that she was drying the chair she'd just scrubbed with.
"It's possible? I'll take over here, and you can go do that now?"
Because it made sense to him. When he came out there was a rather annoyed Kait at the front desk, ringing a middle aged woman up. At first he thought it was about her being cut out of the sweet embassy job, but it wasn't that. The woman was just being a bitch to her. Not in a little way, considering that they'd had two attacks at the mall in the last month that fit the subject matter.
"If it wasn't for feminism you wouldn't have the right to work, or vote. You're just an ungrateful little cunt." She sounded upset too, but Kait just looked at her evenly.
"I don't really have the right to vote. Not yet. I'm not Human. We aren't really in your system."
That got him to look at her, amazed by the idea.
"You aren't? Wow. I hadn't thought about that. I mean you were born here, so you should be. Anyway, do you want me to finish this up for you? I'd actually like to talk to this lady."
She frowned at him, hard.
"Well I don't need to talk to you, you oppressive pig."
He nodded at her, and then spoke. Oppressively he didn't doubt, even though he wasn't trying to.
"That's true, you don't have to. If you have a moment though? We've been having problems with some feminists, and can't figure out why. I mean, I can see them coming after me, being male and them being an anti-male hate group, at least the ones that have been attacking us, but why would they go after succubi? Can you see that one? If so, please let me in on it? I've been wrestling with the idea for weeks."
The woman looked away, outrage on her face. Probably at being linked to a hate group, but once you started to even threaten bombings that one was hard to dodge. Actually doing it was kind of the next step up.
"Well, they're a threat to all we've worked for, aren't they?" She glared at him, her face turning slightly red. With rage, rather than embarrassment.
Kaitlyn finished making the sale, then rather wisely pulled back, about ten feet, toward the far end of the counter. In case shooting started.
The lady was heavyset, but no worse than most, and a bit unkempt. No makeup on, or attempt to do anything other than the bare minimum. That was fair enough. She didn't smell bad or anything, and he certainly wasn't putting makeup on either. Other women did, which left her looking a bit poor by comparison, but she wasn't trying to impress him. Or anyone. That was kind of powerful, as long as she really meant it.
Telling the world she didn't care what they thought of her was solid.
He tried to look questioning, but not mean.
"I... Don't understand that. How would Alede just being themselves damage you? I can't see that it would affect you."
The woman made a hard face then, and shook her head.
"They're undermining us. If men can just come to a place like this and be serviced at any time, then why should they listen to us at all? All our freedom will be stolen away, if this keeps
going."
Tyler shook his head then, not able to help himself.
"Um, no. It really won't. No one will keep you from voting, or having free speech. No one even wants that. Well, I mean, anti-feminists probably do, but even they just kind of say you should shut up, right? And you know, if they do that, just kind of flip them off and go on your way, because they can't actually stop you from speaking. No one is trying to take anything away legally."
That got her to slap at his arm, which meant leaning across the counter to do it. Ty took a step back, not needing to be abused that day.
"You can't even see how hard we have it, can you? You live in a male dominated world, and don't understand how easy it would be for men to wake up one day and take it all back. That's what we mean by oppression. If we don't fight constantly, if one piece shifts in the puzzle, then we're going to be left holding the bag. If these whores can service all the men in town, then we're going to be left with no one listening to us. Men only see us as valuable for our bodies, and once that goes, we're nothing to them!" She was upset, but at least she kind of made sense.
Tyler looked over at Kaitlyn then, and nodded.
"Thanks. I see it now. I mean, you're wrong, and can't see that fact, but at least I can get what you mean. You're afraid to lose the power you have over men. You really won't. Not unless you push them all away. Men cherish women. They always have. Really, they can't help it. I suppose you can claim that men only want women for their bodies, but think about it this way. If a man and an old woman are on the road, being attacked, who do all the other men run to defend first? It won't be the man. He's supposed to deal with things himself. She doesn't have any merit though, body wise, but it will still happen, without a doubt. The value of women might be for sex to men, to start with, but it doesn't end there."
She did not seem convinced.
Not at first. Tyler went over examples though, and didn't stop for a long time. Finally she just looked troubled.
"But men are pigs."
Kaitlyn spoke from the side, her voice soft.
"Do you really think that? I mean, that leaves out a whole lot, doesn't it? Yeah, they like sex, but that isn't a crime or anything, is it? Men are the ones that protected you, and built the world you stand in. The ones that are there for you when you need help. The ones that grow the food, and keep the power on. More likely than not they built the car you came here in, and did most of the road work that lets you travel. Sure, men do like sex, but they ask for one thing from women, and give them everything in return. Does that make them pigs though? Or just different kinds of people? Even when you can't, or won't, deliver that one thing they want, they're always there for you. Every single time. I can't see that as being bad. Not perfect, but who is?"
In the end it was kind of clear that this woman wasn't going to think that men were great. Tyler could live with that. She didn't have to. All he needed from her was a lack of bombings, shootings, and possibly putting a good word in for the Alede. Who, as he pointed out, had to survive like they did, regardless.
"That one isn't about choice. They harvest sexual energy, or die."
That got waved away, the slightly older lady flapping her hands again. Annoyed with him.
"All of that is conditioned. Just like men are. They could learn not to be like that. If they weren't trained that way from the time they were a child they wouldn't need to have sex all the time." She seemed very certain of that, but even with his high school education it sounded wrong.
"I think that having different biology is, well, kind of a real thing. Alede aren't Human. They aren't just attractive people that enjoy lots of sex."
The woman snorted at him.
"Of course they are. Everyone knows that! Look at her, standing there looking all slutty. She wants it, and that's a choice. You don't see me in tons of makeup, trying to get men to notice me like that!"
Which was true.
Kaitlyn though made a face, and then, right in the middle of the store, took her t-shirt off, and her glasses.
"Biology, not choice. Watch." Then, closing her eyes, she started to grow. Taller first, her facial features moving as the bones shifted under her skin.
Even her hair moved, shrinking into the body, as solid looking abs appeared on her stomach. Kyle's middle now, the change having taken place totally.
The young man spoke to the woman, looking at her with his perfectly flat chest. Well, lean and nicely muscled pecs, not really flat.
His voice was deeper and there was no doubt that the dumbfounded lady was looking at a real man.
"You can't teach that. Not in any way I've ever heard of. We aren't nymphos. We're Alede. We are ourselves and have different needs, and yes, desires, than Humans do. We can't be changed just because you rail at us. Not even if you threaten to kill us. We don't want to, but if we did, we'd still be ourselves. Just like men are. It isn't that hard to see. You seem like a smart woman. We're different, and it's all right. We won't upset your apple cart. There aren't enough of us to make that happen. Go and tell your friends that? Please?"
The woman left then, carrying the book that she'd gotten, one about gardening, in her hand as she scurried away.
Ty looked at Kyle, and laughed a bit.
"You look silly in those pants. Total girl cut. Good speech. Have you been practicing it?"
The deep voiced guy actually nodded before saying anything. Then he stroked his own stomach, which was kind of sexy, Ty had to admit.
"In the mirror, every day when I go home lately. I wonder if it will have any positive results?"
"Probably not. Anyway, you nudist, you should change back. That, or get some new clothes on. We have work to do. Setting up an embassy."
"Yeah, I heard about that. I'd feel bad about not being invited, but I decided that a coup is in order, and have named myself Vice Head of the Coalition of Nations." The boy seemed serious, but a little bit scared too.
As if Tyler was going to say no.
Instead the idea got a nod.
"Good plan. We need to get you a phone for it. From now on you can handle the things coming in. Let me get my notebook. You should make a copy of it. There's a lot of odds and ends." He actually got the thing out and handed it over, then called Keeley, to see about getting a second cell phone.
That got him growled at.
"What, I'm your secretary now?" She seemed pissed at him over it.
Ty was however, intrigued.
"That sounds good. Thanks. Yes, you can be the secretary. High enough up to get into trouble, low enough down to place all the blame on me. Or Kyle here, since that seems right. So, you can do that part?"
There was a long suffering sigh and then a chuckle.
"So I can't turn you into my lapdog using fear? Well, it was worth a shot. Fine, then, boss. Still, if I have to get you coffee, don't expect me to put out in the break room."
"We get a break room? Coffee, too? Man, are you the best secretary ever or what? I was kidding, but consider yourself hired, for the normal rates." Since that was all he could afford, so far.
"That being free?"
"Yep. It comes with a title. K. That way no one will instantly realize who you are, and run away screaming. We can get you cute little glasses like Kait wears, and you can pretend to be a nerdy receptionist when you aren't fighting crime. Oh, a cape too. I need to get you a cape." On her it would look cute.
There was a laugh, just before the phone hung up on him. Hopefully that was a sign that he was charming, and not about to be hunted to death.
Chapter thirteen
The scene that night in his living room, was tense when he came in. Calley was sitting in gray colored sweats, just lounging and trying to fight a smile from her lips. Ginger however looked incredibly worried. Her face was tense, and since that kind of thing was, he thought, generally fake on Vampires, it meant she was working pretty hard to seem like she was.
"Hey all. Well, another day in the coal mine. Except, you know, easy and filled wit
h light chores and book stacking, rather than manual labor and claustrophobia." That wasn't an issue for him, but even pretending his life was all that hard was silly.
Then he passed out hugs, which turned to kissing, since Calley was involved, which, nicely enough, turned to other things that involved nudity and the liberal use of oil that was provided by his glasses wearing Bat friend. It made a bit of a mess, so after they were done he cleaned it up for them. He was the one with practice and skills in that area, after all.
Still naked, and looking cute doing it, Ginger swallowed and looked away, while being cuddled by Calley.
"I was given a promotion today." She sounded gloomy about it, so he looked over at her, wondering if she was afraid. Leaving home could be hard, after all. It was a big step, and while she wasn't exactly living with her parents, going that far away would be a first for her, as far as Ty knew. For him too, now that he considered the idea.
"Really? Shift manager?" Calley grinned about it, as if it made sense, which it kind of did. Yoghurt World could have the kind of thing, if it wanted.
"No. I was made the Assistant Ambassador of Nevada. It... This is really big. Gene, from the Council, he called me himself to tell me about it. I can't say no. I mean, I can, but this is huge. The thing is, I have to move there. The embassy is in Sparks. I looked it up. Near Reno? I have to go next month."
She looked at him, and then Calley, who was closer to her physically.
"What am I going to do? I just got you both. I don't want to go alone, but... I might never get an opportunity like this again. Not for centuries, if I don't take it now."
Calley was acting like it was a real issue, and not letting her in on the whole thing, which was mean.
Tyler cleared his throat then.
"So, Lenore didn't tell you about the rest of it?"
"What? No. I haven't spoken to her. What's the rest of it?"
