A/N- I believe someone said something about an omake after Avalon goes public?
I...honestly don't think that was me, but have one anyway!
Colonists:
Across the table was spread a number of folders, mostly in stacks. The sheer number gave Amelia and Taylor pause as they stepped into the room, staring at a slightly-disheveled Lisa, who was evidently engrossed in reading a selection from one of the manilla packets and chuckling under her breath. As the two Empresses sat, though, the blonde looked up from her work and gave them her trade-marked grin.
"You remember those meetings we have every now and then where you each feel like you need a stiff drink?" Lisa grinned wider, "this is going to be one of those."
Amelia groaned while Taylor merely massaged her forehead.
"How bad?" Taylor asked, readying herself for the worst.
"Honestly?" Lisa asked, "not so much 'bad' as just...'damn humanity is weird.' Also, some people have absolutely no shame."
"Oh boy," Amelia stated blandly. "Well, let's get this started. What are we looking at in terms of prospective colonists?"
"Do you want the 'easy no' groups first?" Lisa asked, raising an eyebrow. "Or should we just go ahead and get to the ones that merit actual consideration?"
Taylor and Amelia shared a glance.
"Call me morbidly curious, but who is actually asking that we can turn down so easily? We're not being that picky." Taylor question gave birth to a particularly nasty-looking grin on Lisa's face.
"Well, applications for immigration to Avalon have mostly come in two forms," Lisa explained. "On the one side, we've got individuals who want to move either alone or in family units and settle a private plot of land. Most of these are either going to be poor, disenfranchised minorities, or the types of people who hate their country enough that they want to move, but are too lazy to actually jump through the hoops into a foreign state."
"Okay," Amelia nodded, "Like Taylor said, we're not that picky. As long as they aren't...crazy for lack of a better term, I don't think we're in a position to turn down too many people."
"No," Lisa replied, "we're not. These individuals...or small groups, may be a little irritating superficially, but they don't have any real problems besides just being dissatisfied with their current life. The only negative outcome I can see is if they try to start up a populist revolution or something against the 'oppressive monarchs' and even that...not too much of a problem with your powersets. No, the problem is primarily with the larger groups that want to immigrate...barring the occasional individual with actual mental problems."
"What kind of groups?" Taylor asked, narrowing her eyes, "and how large are we talking?"
"Low hundreds to hundreds of thousands," Lisa responded. "These are the groups which have enough structure and consideration for our government structure that they've applied to move in and set up as a country unto themselves."
Taylor blinked. "Really, who would...what kind of group has that level of membership that would be that devoted..." She frowned as an ugly picture began to form in her mind.
"They're not all cults," Lisa said, stopping her friend's line of thought. "Well, for a given value of 'cult' I suppose. This is where we can easily refuse certain groups. For instance, several Ku Klux Klan groups sent in an application for territory, as did Gesellschaft. Admittedly, part of me wants to set their private fiefdoms up next to each other and watch the fireworks."
Amelia put her face in her hands. "What."
Taylor shook her head. "No, Lisa. Not just no, but Hell No."
"I know, I know," Lisa snickered, "but you've got to admit, it's a funny thought. Anyway, then there are some actual cults. For instance, there are numerous apocalyptic groups who want to set up shop on Avalon to take advantage of our stance on religious and lifestyle freedom. Most of these have had problems with the American government before on some level...owning large stocks of firearms, not allowing members to leave when they attempt to, forms of brainwashing and sexual abuse...the list goes on. There are a few that might, might mind you, be feasible, but mostly they're going in the 'no' column."
Taylor groaned. "Spectacular. I hope they're not all this bad."
"Not at all," Lisa smiled. "We actually have several opportunities for good PR here and there. For instance, I've got a few tentative applications from various Native American groups who wanted to see if it was possible to settle areas analogous to their original holdings before European or American colonization."
"An easy 'yes,'" Amelia nodded. "I'm not entirely sure why you just didn't make the choices without us, Lisa. You seem to have it well-enough in hand."
Lisa grinned teasingly. "I'm not one of the 'Empresses.'" Amelia and Taylor's face soured at the reminder. "These need approval at highest levels of our government. Plus, I haven't gotten to the funny ones yet."
"Funny ones?" Amelia asked warily. "Funny strange or funny haha?"
"Yes," Lisa smirked.
Taylor sighed. "Okay, since you obviously need someone to ask the question...what do you mean by 'funny ones?'"
Lisa threw down a large manilla folder, "This is Nova Roma, or 'New Rome.' It's a...well, it's something between a recreational organization, a private club, and a historical reenactment group...and they pretend to be a country on the side while they're at it."
Taylor blinked, "I'm sorry...what?"
"They mint their own coins, give citizenship, and hold gatherings of those citizens which are all aimed at recreating the Roman way of life," Lisa explained. "Honestly, this is kind of the sweet spot for colonists, at least in terms of what we're looking for. People crazy enough to jump through a portal to another world, but almost all of them have some level of technical skill or higher education. They'd, obviously, want an area analogous to the Italian peninsula for initial colonization."
Amelia was shaking her head as she looked over the papers. "So...they just want to pretend to be Rome? That's it? What about...didn't Romans practice slavery?"
Lisa nodded. "Good catch, but they're amenable to changing certain practices in the name of actually forming their own country. They do seem pretty firm on maintaining the Roman religion as their official state religion, though."
It took a moment for the penny to drop.
"No." Amelia stated firmly. "No. Nonononono, fuck no. We agreed on this, Lisa! We're not portraying ourselves as Gods!"
"Doesn't that run contrary to the whole 'religious freedom' thing we have set up on Avalon?" Taylor asked, slightly less worried than her partner.
"Nova Roma endorses religious freedom, but they maintain the religious rights of the original Rome as a way to keep alive cultural heritage," Lisa explained. "No one would actually worship us, but they would invoke some of our...pseudonyms during celebrations. Functionally, though, you'd both be something of God-Empresses on the official government of Nova Roma."
"Isn't Khepri...Egyptian, rather than Roman?" Taylor asked, frowning.
"Well," Lisa shrugged, "considering what the term 'Pantheon' actually refers to and the fact that Egypt was, at one point, a Roman colony, they're more than happy to include you, Taylor, as well as Amelia in their...worship."
Taylor pinched the bridge of her nose to stave off a headache. "Yay?"
Lisa chuckled. "Honestly? I'm pretty sure most of that section of their application for immigration is tongue-in-cheek. Don't get me wrong, it's all one-hundred-percent true, but they aren't going to be pushing for seriousness in this respect."
"Put in the maybe pile," Amelia decided, receiving a nod from Taylor.
Lisa shrugged. "That's actually just the start of some of the weirder ones. We've got the...Society for Creative Anachronisms who were thinking about moving in, then there's the...Aerican Empire. I'm not entirely sure if they're serious about this or treating it as a huge joke. My best guess is both." She paused here, shuffling folders around.
"The Aerican Empire?" Taylor asked, cocking her head.
Lisa grinned, sliding out a folder. "They fall into this weird category of polity known as 'micronations.' Basically, most are a joke, but some are fairly serious groups that are attempting to become recognized international states. By some definitions, Nova Roma falls under the same category, but the Aerican Empire is...strange, even by their standards. They claim territory on other planets, some of which are imaginary, they have a state religion that worships a talking penguin who reigns over gaming as well as the smiley-face logo..."
"Lisa?" Amelia interrupted.
"Hmm?" The blonde asked, amusing herself with the contents of the folder.
"You were right. I do feel like a drink," Amelia sighed.
. I think the only thing that it tells us is that TanaNari is implying that it's a giant forest they're using to hide their armies in maybe?