Chapter Text
2015, July, 11:00pm, Central European Time
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
In the bustling halls of one of the airport’s terminal gates, a man, roughly in his mid 30s, waits to board. His flight is scheduled to depart in roughly half an hour, and he’s been here for a couple hours now, due to the various intricacies of airport protocols. He was bored and exhausted, and understandably so. Most of the other passengers lounging about were on their phones, or whatever device they brought to entertain themselves with.
He glances back over to his luggage in utter boredom, in hopes that it would make his wait a little more tolerable. But to no avail. On its handle, a tag, with the name Drake Koningsvloek in bold black ink. Back over to the attendants’ desk, Drake looks at the screen above the desk only to be reminded once more of his flight’s destination : Busan, South Korea. However, his ultimate destination would be Anima City. Though, Drake wouldn’t have much choice in the matter. There were those that were still skeptical of the Japanese government’s intentions, as well as their financier. Creating a sanctuary city for beastmen was a good idea on paper, but having it in a region where anti-beastman sentiments ran rampant seemed counterproductive.
Fortunately, most of the arrangements have already been taken care of, from the flight, the ferry ride from Busan, to his living quarters in Anima City. Those were already covered, presumably by the group’s benefactor; Drake just needed to get there. As for why he was making a quick stop in Busan, it was the easiest option for all parties. Given the many diplomatic obstacles, primarily the Japanese government, landing on Japanese soil would only cause them more problems. This workaround would also make it harder for him to be tracked by any potential beastmen hunters, which were rumored to prowl the vicinity. A pesky bunch. Just goes to show their abhorrent views on beastmen, despite the existence of a Special Administrative Region such as Anima City within their boundaries. Anima City, Animosity..Was that an intended pun?
Once in Busan, Drake was to rendezvous with another colleague, where they would then be ‘ferried’ to Anima City. Though, smuggled in was a more adequate term. Over ten hours of travel, with jet lag slapped on top of it. This was going to be one long night, and Drake wasn’t looking forward to it. The man leans against the chair, sighing in annoyance. The chief was probably delighting in Drake’s inconvenience, but he definitely knew what he was doing.
It was almost time to board, and Drake pulled out his diplomatic passport. He was never one for pictures, but they seemed to be good enough to keep. Though, he had to take two photos: one in human form, and the other in beastman form, for identification purposes of course. Being a gila monster beastman does have its benefits though. Along with all of his combat training, he felt confident that he could handle anything thrown at him.
Something lights up by the gangway, indicating that it was time to board. Drake decides that it’s time to go, seeing fellow passengers rouse themselves up from their seats. He puts his passport away, securely in his pocket, and proceeds to gather his belongings. Best to get past the gate as soon as possible, before the line piles up. So much for trying to return to a ‘normal life’. Though being a beastman was anything but. He knew what he was signing up for when joining this merry little band of his. An overhead speaker goes off, signalling that all passengers of his flight to Busan were now permitted to board. After one last check in, Drake walks through the gangway and into the plane. This brand new lifestyle that he was diving into, seemed uncertain, even chaotic. But something told him that he was going to enjoy this.