fidelity || gi

act one, chapter eight • a diplomatic exchange

"you, girl!"

veritas turned as she passed the entrance of the goth grand hotel, annoyed at the commanding tone in the woman's voice.

"show me to the captain of civil affairs."

veritas sighed. twice in one day. was she really that plain-looking?

"are you fatui?" she responded, ignoring the woman's question and taking in her appearance instead.

"i am, so you would do well to take that lazy expression off your face! we are your nation's closest allies. what would your grandmaster think of you? show me to the captain of civil affairs." the blonde woman's snooty expression could not be hidden by her mask, her disapproval clear in her mouth alone, her thin lips pursed together tightly.

"you aren't our usual diplomat," veritas observed, unfazed by the woman's tone. "who are you?"

"you- don't be so insolent, girl!" the woman spluttered, "it's none of your business who i am, but my name is anastasia. i am a higher ranking official than the previous correspondents. i am here because our boss deemed it fit for me to handle the current situation you have in your nation, which will be laid to rest once you show me to your captain of civil affairs!"

veritas' expression remained blank as the woman spat the last words in her face.

"that explains it," she said simply.

"explains what?" the woman tapped her foot impatiently.

"your ignorance."

the half of the diplomat's face that was visible under her eye mask turned a bright red, and she began to tremble with anger. veritas was mildly surprised at the lack of steam emitting from her ears.

"you dare call me ignorant?! do you know who i am? i wi-"

"yes, good question, actually. do you know who i am?" veritas ran her tongue along her teeth, suppressing an expression of contempt.

the woman- anastasia- faltered. "i don't... no. no, i don't! neither do i care! just-"

"i think it may be within your interests, anastasia," veritas gazed humourlessly at the woman, who was quite literally twitching with rage. she held out a stiff hand. "my name is veritas. but you'll call me captain."

"captain?" veritas could hear the rusty clogs turning in the diplomat's brain. "why- why would i call you...?"

"my, you are shockingly dense, anastasia," veritas chuckled emptily. "and you're higher ranking than the others? how did you end up there? unless, of course, the rest of you are that way too. i am the captain of civil affairs. it's a pleasure to be acquainted with you."

anastasia's face flushed once again. "yes," she cleared her throat, as if she had known this all along. "it is my pleasure also. now, i am here to discuss the stormterror situation."

veritas raised an eyebrow, the side of her mouth curling up a little. not even an apology for the way she had addressed her. perhaps that was how things worked in shneznaya. she highly doubted it.

"there is no situation. everything is being dealt with by the knights." veritas said shortly, an unimpressed expression on her face.

"well, we would like to offer our assistance," anastasia said.

"everything is being dealt with by the knights," veritas repeated, a smile frozen on her face. "but we would like to thank you for your generosity."

"no, really," anastasia pressed, a diplomatic smile on her face also, "we insist. we understand that as such a... for lack of a better word, small nation, mondstadt must surely be in need of some assistance."