Challenge #02083-E259: Nonhostile Takeover
Their faces were caked with color, like they had heard of make up and tried to use it, but weren't quite sure what went where. -- OohLookShiny
This is space - theoretically, there's room for everyone. The only caveat is that most times, you have to build it. This is Ambassador Jess. She is negotiating with the owners of an otherwise boring asteroid so she can turn it into a semi-profitable habitat. This is the problem - the owners belong to Greater Deregulation South.
On their last teleconference, the leader of the GD pack of CEOs had told her that she and her crew "had better look professional" when they turned up for a face-to-face or the deal might be off. Jess, not knowing what the hell that phrase meant, had looked it up. Considering that she passed all the Galactic's low bars, she looked up the Deregulation version.
Greater Deregulation South tolerated females, in the same way that they tolerated bad weather or ill fortune. They had to happen to someone, but if it was pretty, then it could be tolerated easier. Which lead Jess, the Ambassador for Sapphos V, to eventually find out that this was using make-up and soft, flowy dresses. Two things that hadn't really mattered to either her or her team.
Warriors all, they put on their Battle Paints. Red, the colour of the blood of their enemies. Bone white, for the bones they could break without a thought. Deep purple, for the bruises they earned in battle.
In combination with the soft, flowy dresses and high-heeled combat boots, the resultant message was... mixed. The dresses said, play with us, but the boots, the war paint, the muscles, and their weapons all said, we break our toys.
The pack of CEO's as a direct result, were extremely polite to the delegation from Sapphos V. More than one was blushing and sweaty. One ageing, doughy representative even sidled up to one of Jess' battle crew and asked her out for ice cream and soda.
In a round-about way, it changed a lot of things. In a round-about way, it was a huge success.
The men who ruled Greater Deregulation South were a lot more amenable to the... affectations... of Sapphos V. War paint became a trend. Muscles - but not too many - became a thing. Women learned to fight. And every time, the men of Greater Deregulation pined for the women of Sapphos V, the women of Greater Deregulation South left it for warrior lessons and never looked back.
The men of Greater Deregulation South didn't realise what was happening to their world until it was too late. In fits or in droves, their women left them. The women they desired didn't want them. When left with the only group who had formerly mattered to them, they had nothing left but complaints.
At which point, the women of Sapphos V had one solution: learn to be better or perish.
[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / chaoss]
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