Ollie Chooses Citizenship

The first few days in Ynnis spun together in a blur, a multi-colored, multi-flavored whirlwind of excitement as Ollie made his way through the port city. He liked to take his time, pausing at every booth to inspect what they had on offer, sweet-talking vendors into sneaking him little morsels to snack on whenever he managed to win them over. In no time at all, he felt at peace in this new place, this open-armed melting pot of travelers from all across the world.

 

He loved how it all blended together. On each street, he heard all manner of languages being spoken, joined together by the universality of laughter. The smells of cuisines from countless other lands mingled together in the air. People of all appearances roamed the city, not always able to communicate, but always happy to pause and share a smile as they passed in the street, each of them reveling in this joint experience of discovery.

 

It made him wish he'd come years earlier. Still, he was here now, and there was nothing to do but dive in with reckless enthusiasm, as Ollie was wont to do in just about any situation. 

 

It wasn't long before he came across the city reps from Ynnis and Azzaru, each making compelling arguments about their respective city. Tilting his head to one side as he listened, Ollie let the words wash over him. And yet, he wasn't really listening. There was no question, really, as to which city he would make his home.

 

Ollie had been a sailor since the day he was born, he liked to think. The ship had been his home since he could remember, and the wash of the tide against the docks had lulled him to sleep every night of life. There was a sweet freedom about being on the ocean, watching the wind pick up a sail and feeling the ship's deck rock beneath his feet as the entire, massive vessel rose atop the waves. Even in this new land, as much as he was eager to travel across Itona, he knew the port would be his home.

 

Still, he kept himself still long enough to hear the Azzaru rep's pitch - he wanted to learn about this up and coming city, after all. But the moment it became clear that the rep was finished, Ollie sprang up to the Ynnis city representative, bouncing forward with an eager grin on his face.

 

"Hello, good morning!" he greeted the rep warmly, extending his hand. "I'd like to talk to you about becoming a citizen of Ynnis, if that's alright."

 

He cast a sidelong glance at the Azzaru rep, and winked at the Ynnis rep with a cheeky grin upon his face. "If you ask me, there's no contest between the two," he said. "Mining may be an exciting new enterprise, but the ocean, whew. What could ever beat being by the sea?"

 

Nothing.

 

He looked back over at the Ynnis representative, rubbing his hands together eagerly. "I'd made up my mind before I even heard a single word. What do I need to do to make it official?"