New Edom Bans WorldVision Song Contest

[Doppio Giudici]

Tired Of Your Weakness Records
Ísos, Doppio Giudici

"That was a really good take, but we think you need to get a little closer." The speaker said

Steve prefered to make his music in an insulated room with brick walls at all sides, he was convinced it "made his music sound better". There was nothing but the microphone, the stand, his headphones the sheet of lyrics, the wires, the outlet, him, the door and the speaker. He could see nothing else and no one could see him, that was the way he made his music. Sometimes he closed his eyes and didn't even look at the lyrics or his notes. After a few seconds the beat started and he found himself tapping his foot a little. He closed his eyes and breathed in softly, exactly how he wanted to sound on the track. He knew that each time he spoke a line, they would then add the background singers for a line. He was pretty sure this song might not be heard by that many people, but this was his life and it was his passion.

Oh look it's some forbidden fruit
We don't even care
I take the taboo route
We don't even care
So controversial I can be
We don't even care
Oh please pay attention to me
We don't even care

He lowered his voice and tightened himself up, just letting the almost mocking voice he spoke fill him. He held his breath for just a moment and then started screaming.

If it wasn't illegal
You wouldn't want it
Just want what's wrong
So you take another hit

Breathing in the fumes
Because we told you not to
You are way past the line
Don't say we didn't warn you

He held his lips from the mic and breathed in a few deep breathes, as the music kept playing. It shifted back for the chorus which was a little different this time around.

Oh look, I am so offensive
We don't even care
My clothing is so expensive
We don't even care
My list of sins is so extensive
We don't even care
You're just being defensive
We don't even care

Now it was time to pull away and breathe quickly, before letting it out in a frustrated avalanche of words

There is nothing special about you
You are just really empty inside
It's one of those many things
From which you can never hide

So you do what is wrong
That's all you do in the end
Whatever is exciting to you
Live your life by the trend

He whispered softly, his wife having already made the background recording for this verse as well. She wasn't as good as singing as he was, but her voice was strong and crisp. She had this way of saying things with attitude, that he found really great for his music.

Not going to black out the line
Nothing can stop the press
Not going to put you in confines
Because we refuse to oppress
You just need to get clean
Find a way to repent and confess
Look at your face and your hair
You are nothing but a mess
Everyone can see everything
When you strut around in that dress

He took a step back and tapped his foot to the beat, as it slowed down. The noise slowed down a little more, going a little slower. He snapped his fingers to it, as a sort of "break down" started.

I walk in filth
But I am still clean
No amount of terrorism
No rape song
No imagery will
Ever change that
You can speak
Whatever you want
We will just lock you up
For what you do
Not what you say
We don't care about
What you say

---

New Edom
Adequate Motel

Franklin was back in town, after brokering a number of deals. Chances are that they would be contracted out to reinforce the troops over in Rev, but for the moment they had nothing to do. A number of large arms sales went down in Auralia, and investments into trade, weapons, and healthcare had been profitable. One of the largest political debates there ever was in DG had been over how the nation would deal with the The Grand Alliance that existed in Auralia. Political figures, soldiers, and merchants had argued for months if overhand or underhand practices would improve civil-rights and peace in the region. Would it be better to fight TGA and convert them into free states devoid of imperialism or would trade and mutual enemies lead to a symbiotic relationship? Those who supported trade and discussion won out, but it seemed that at least this time they were right. After they were invited to the Expo and several weapons deals were crafted, along with the giving of organizational assistance; TGA was not interested in fighting them or CATO. TGA was now an organized and well-armed force, that was being pointed at other groups that were threats to the NTA.

The supply of weapons and the idea of mutual benefit had made it possible for the TGA to be counted as forces willing to fight the various fascist powers in Rev and Dran. Franklin had been contacted, debriefed by the previous parties that attempted to set up an embassy in New Edom, and sent back to that nation. With the "Soft Power" faction of the nation propped up with other diplomatic achievements, they thought that the rescue operation with New Edom and the fulfilled humanitarian contract the nation provided; there was a door towards an alliance. The "Hard Power" faction was to wrapped up in the idea of the front lines actually moving, that they weren't willing to argue against working with people they saw as mean and hypocritical. Franklin doubted he would be able to set anything up where they could nudge, bribe, or help New Edom towards a more compassionate future, he was just a guy and they didn't like him as much as he didn't feel comfortable around them. Lucius Nimrod however was a good man and he needed to be paid back for the money he loaned Franklin.

Would it be possible to fill some gap in New Edom's economy? Was their some good or service that New Edom needed more of but couldn't get more of at a fair price? Would the cheaper goods and labor be able to fill that gap without taking jobs from New Edom? Would people in New Edom take their savings and spend them in New Edom? Franklin wasn't sure, he had done well in math and economics; but he was more of a history and english kind of guy.

[New Edom]

News was just reaching the general public, little by little, of a devastating attack on New Edomite bases of operation in The Union of South Ceti. However these were still largely bits of chatter. At this stage of that conflict,t New Edom had only sent one regiment and a small naval surface warfare squadron to that troubled part of Arcologia. News of human trafficking, arms dealing and drug lords were known to be going on there. The Chamber of Deputies had called for an investigation of these troubling stories coming from one of New Edom's trading partners in that part of the region. Journalists reported that the leading party members had met with the Council of Ministers at the Palace of Justice.

New Edom's northern neighbor, Jedoria was more prominently in the news. The Jedorian government was becoming increasingly hard line on some issues, giving enormous powers to their police and state security, clearly planning military intervention in Ashabi's civil war, yet apparently also wanting peace with New Edom. the King and Queen were personally engaged in talks to reduce tensions along the northern border and to negotiate settlements regarding the island of Peregrino off both nations' coasts.

New Edom was also busy at home. The Agriculture Reform Act, involving encouragement of urban farming, was controversial and created fears among farmers in rural areas of serious competition in their domestic markets. However it was believed to be vitally necessary to keep urban Edomites, many of whom had moved over the last two generations from the country, from being below the poverty and nutritional lines. The Queen herself strongly advocated this project which focused on greenhouses, aquaponics and urban animal husbandry. (most raising rabbits, fish and some crustaceans like shrimp and crayfish)

New Edom's international airport at Fineberg needed expansion, and while a general agreement had been made by the national legislature to fund expansion, the practicalities were daunting. Some believed it was important to completely overhaul a suburb and expand there, others wanted to build a smaller airport in a nearby town.

By far the most daunting thing facing the New Edomite economy ws a plan proposed by Count Lalery, the Minister of finance, to expand oil resources in Ghant. This project was estimated to be likely to cost up to 700 billion NSD. In the race to control the oil in the region, New Edom's small Iikon Geophysical Company had struck it rich in Ghant's frozen north, but the sheer amount of infrtrucutre to build was a steep road to climb.

New Edom was already an oil producing country, and was a member of the region's Federation of Oil Developing Economies. Other economic powerhouses in the region: Adiron, Novitera, Jedoria, Akai, Altinum, Wielkilas, were opposed to FODE, while the antions in it tended to be countries with more poor people and more totalitarian governments. New Edom was probably the least so with a national legislature and a constitutional monarchy, albeit a monarchy with strong executive powers. To have control over oil was vital. A FODE nation had to get there first to prevent the more capitalist nations from having too much control over the region's economy. However rumours were spreading about Lalery cutting a secret deal with Adiron and Akai to split the costs of the oil in exchange for a share of royalties. This would be a slap in the face to FODE, particularly New Edom's strongest regional ally, the Imperium of Arbites, a powerful theocratic state and the strongest military power in teh region.

Petroleum byproducts were arguably New Edom's strongest part of their export economy. Nylon, polyethylene, artificial rubber and similar products were big exports as were fuels themselves. New Edom's National Petroleum Corporation was always looking for new customers. If the Ghant deal fell through--and some were seriously worried it might simply due to the massive costs of it--then they would need to focus on expanding the markets.

New Edom needed educational materials, finished paper goods, electronic products, communication systems, medical products, and refined chemical products above all. Chemicals for industry, sanitation, medical uses and agriculture were vital. limited trade partners for these products put the nation at risk economically. Electronics included everything from timing devices to appliances, computers, audio visual equipment, cameras, phones, and tablets. Medical supplies ere always in shrot supply. In the face of a malaria outbreak in the 'Marsh Belt' which covered three provinces, as well as other fevers, there was a serious gap and a minor crisis starting to rear its ugly head. New Edom had only one major source of paper products which was the republic of New Othman, a nation chronically unstable. In addition to this, tobacco products and some food products were often very expensive due to lack of competitive prices. Sugar, coffee, non-seasonal vegetables among them. Shipment of products like sugar cane, millet, bulgar wheat, were becoming pricier too. Better competition would ideally make things better for the average Edomite's economy.

Also, with trade flow disrupted with Arcologia, Ashabi and Dengali, troubled nations in the region, certain raw materials were in demand. Hardwood materials, nickel, steel, brass products, were getting expensive.

Malachi Mord, the former CEO of 100% Pure Beef, had, shockingly, been made Minister of Trade, a junior ministry under rthe Minister of Finance, at the insistence of the King. Mord was not a gentleman and was disliked intensely by Lalery, but he had created cash flow for a company that had begun out of a couple of warehouses and made good profits. Curiously the two men were opposites in many respects. Lalery was handsome and athletic, where Mord was fat and homely. Lalery was, in private, known to be a bully and a swaggering brute, where Mord was a shy and lonely man who was devoted to the care of his ailing parents. However each was a ruthless man at heart, and hated one another vigorously though this was never voiced in public. Mord was always deferential to Lalery, Lalery was always courteous to Mord. Lalery was courteous to Mord. Lalery was also sure that Mord had been put in place to spite him and keep him on his toes.

Malachi Mord strongly believed that New Edom needed to simply do what his predecessors had done: expand New Edom's markets as much as possible. He feared that the oil deal might ruin the country's treasury and financial reputation such as it was.

Mord moodily heard a newscaster playing an excerpt from a foreign song. He thought it was esy enoguh for foreigners to somehow insult everyone--ironically both the Worldvision Song contest and New Edom all in one gulp. What really bugged him though was that the song was so damned catchy.

"We don't even care indeed," he remarked to his driver as he sat in the backseat of his Chaika, hearing the song over and over in his head. "I don't care. I just want to stop His Excellency from ruining this country."

"Yes, Minister," said the driver.

[Doppio Giudici]

New Edom
Adequate Motel

Franklin texted Lucius Nimrod and put on his old BDUs, he was supposed to spark a press conference with one of the less known news agencies. He had cards that gave him clearance to speak on the behalf of DG, Vadia, Auralia, and the NTA. For now, he would be the voice of Vigor, Peter, Natasha, and Richard. One family of adopted orphans and close friends, that ruled so much land with nothing but honesty, knowledge, and highly refined power. Some people saw it as Nepotism, but the reality was that ability made you part of the family. Ability and sacrifice. That was how the orphans and lost souls had inherited almost all the power. They shed the most blood and won the most victories, thus their power was assured. Franklin was one of the few allowed to know that Auralia had been talked into providing a fair amount of forces for the fighting in Rev and Dran. The battle plan was organized and it would start in about seven to ten days, everything was going to plan so far. He found himself to a degree excited that the peace that consumed the last few months would be over, that the worst facists his people had dealt with a long time would be removed from the area. After the damage was done, the cities and farms would be rebuilt by the best the NTA had to offer. Investments would be made into the two nations that would be highly profitable.

Yet again, he had a few breakfast muffins and finished his morning cup of coco. He sat in his chair and looked down at his uniform, a very simple design that was highly practical. He had comfortable cargo pants, that were toughened around the knees, ankles, and waist. They were colored in the style of MARPAT, but in the colors of NTA woodland. His shirt had short sleeves that were a polymer, with the right shoulder holding the badge for the "3rd Motorized Peace-Keepers" and the left holding the current badge for the "Diplomatic Corps". The right badge was adorned with a MRI, with a syringe and a loaded rifle crossed over it. The badge on the left was simply the shape of two hands shaking. His shirt was made of more polymer, it was the color green and was meant to be covered with his body armor. Close to the neck was a zipper which went down a bit to allow more air into his shirt if needed. He wasn't going to wear his cap or his helmet today, that would be for some other time. He put his vest over his uniform and got his backpack on, checking both to see if they would have the supplies he would need. In his pocket he had a taser and in the other one was his wallet with his phone on vibrate. He had the wad of cash to hand back to Lucius in his vest, the notes were NSD as always.

Franklin had seen some of the news and he had opened a newspaper, so he was pretty much aware of most of the surface problems that New Edom had. The idea of growing in urban settings would be interesting to his people, if food wasn't in abundance due to the previously subsidized industry. Now the industry was simply left untaxed for the most part. Farmers traded their excess for parts or luxuries, that was enough for everyone else right now. The peanut and broccoli crops had yielded high gains, the production of whole or multigrain bread was at an all time high. Vadia had been able to heal enough to support a strong potato crop and Doppio still had a very strong cheese market. A strong medical industry was growing, it would never be a sizable part of exports; but it was necessary for the military and humanitarian needs of the NTA. Uranium, Depleted Uranium, Steel, Copper, Aluminum and Bronze were in overabundance, mines had to be closed and processing plants shutdown. Oil was coming in from allies in CoPS, Auralia, and the various protectants of the NTA. That oil was at the moment being used for the war effort and to keep prices from getting to high in any specific area.

The education budget was always strong, but it had rarely yielded anything from the several educational companies it controlled and regulated. Science was mostly in three different fields, trying to cure diseases or mental illness, trying to engineer weapons or armors to win the day, and trying to understand what made people tick. The timber industry had recently been profitable with the production of cheap furniture, but time would tell if that would mean profitable paper or other pulp products.

At the moment Franklin just wanted to know where exactly Lucius was. He wasn't a super busy man, and he hoped he hadn't offended the lad to badly.

[New Edom]

Lucius advised Franklin through a series of messages that he was giving testimony at a conference of officials of various sorts about the issue of the Worldvision Song Contest ban, which he saw as a test case of the Morality Act issue.

Officials present are from the ministries of Culture, Education, Interior, and Justice. There are also people representing the Churches, the arts and the national political parties.

It's important to understand that the Ban is just the first step of establishing this policy. It is like throwing down a challenge. I can tell many foreigners lost interest after finding that out. Unfortunately a lot of journalists and bloggers only want a really hot button topic, and don't realize that the grey areas are where you really fight for the right thing.

The proceedings are open and are being videoed, so that citizens can see them, and you can as well.

[b]Count Sharra's Estate
Fineberg, New Edom]/b]

“Please state your name for the record,” said Count Emil Sharra, the Minister of the Interior, looking over his glasses at Lucius Nimrod, a thin man with a slight limp whore wore a light green tunic like shirt and sandals.

“My name is Lucius Nimrod,” said Lucius. “I am a leader of the Free Hearts and Minds Campaign, which is a not for profit organization.”

“You can tell us about your organization in a moment, Mister Nimrod,” said Coutn Sharra. “Do you promise before God that your testimony will be true?”

“I do,” replied Lucius. “In the Names of father, son and Holy Ghost I do swear it.”

“Thank you, Mister Nimrod, please sit down. Now please tell us a bit about your organization.”

“Your Excellency, Free Hearts and Minds is a non profit organization that intends to challenge the Morality Act. It is our belief that interpretations of scripture that are important to the act do not represent the views of modern Christians in this country universally, and that on that basis the Chamber of deputies ought to repeal this law.”

“Mister Nimrod, the Committee for the Morality Act is generally coming to consensus that the Morality Act is one of the most binding legal factors in this country,” said Dr. Marius Campion, with a faint sile as he eyed the young man. “What makes you think that you and your friends know better?”

Lucius Nimrod said, “The Worldvision song Contest issue reveals that the Morality Act is out of touch, in our opinion. We believe that there is nothing in showing such a contest and the social views of other cultures that threatens us as a people and as a culture. Those are separate issues in our eyes. The issue of LGBTQ rights is one of—“

“I’m sorry,” said Sarah Carmel, the leader of the free Congress Party, raising her hands, “But what was that word?”

Lucius stared at her a moment, a slim, olive tanned woman with a long pageboy raven haired cut, her dark eyes clear and her expression serene, tight bodied as a girl in spite of being in her forties. Like the other zealous Edenists present she wore nothing but her sandals and a cross. “Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, questioning is what my organization holds it stands for, Your Excellency.”

There were murmurs and growls of disapproval.

“Just so that we are clear,” said Sarah Carmel, “Are you pro or anti…er…LGBTQ?”

“I object to this line of questioning, Mrs. Carmel,” said Lucius Glaber, the leader of the Intellectual Party. “Mr. Nimrod is here to talk about the Ban.”

“Mr. Glaber, Mr. Nimrod is here to talk about a Ban that was placed because the majority of the Chamber of Deputies saw fit to propose because of this…” she waved a hand. “Gay lesbian bi nonsense which is a sin and a crime in our country. Let’s call a spade a spade, shall we?”

Lucius Nimrod undid and removed his tunic and stood naked before the assembly of dignitaries. “I am an edenist myself,” he said, looking at Sarah Carmel gravely. “I came dressed out of respect to a Monarchist household, but seeing your comfort, Mrs. Carmel, and that of others present like the Chaplain-General, I am glad to stand with you. Evenif you do not wish to stand with me. I believe in the God we all worship, who gave us Eden as He gave us Christ.”

“Excellencies, Your Honours, ladies and gentlemen, I am not a scholar of the Word of God, nor am I a theologian nor a lawyer. But I am not speaking here just out of rebellion. I am speaking her out of a love for my faith and my country. I fully acknowledge that we live in a broken and sinful world. The New day Party tried to crush edenism in our country to make us more modern, and the result was an influx of sin and prongraphic views on sex we are still fighting. I am proud to be part of this fight.

“But I’m very troubled. I worry that by not accepting the WorldVision Song Contest we are refusing to allow our faith to be challenged.”

“Mr. Nimrod, I’m very touched by all this, but every heretic and fool believes himself righteous,” said Most Holy Elder Brother Malachi. “Now…you seem to be an intelligent young man, and one who loves Christ. This is natural. I would venture to say it is your compassion that leads you to wish to protect the homosexuals from their natural fate which if they do not repent and live as God intended will be His judgement, which we must all face. Now you have told Mrs. Carmel just now that you support the homosexual agenda. And that you support the contest. Is that not so?”

“I…yes Most Holy, but…”

“there we have it, Your Excellency,” said Malachi with a faint smile as he turned to Count sharra. “How can we hear any more of this? This man has just explained that he wants to undermine our laws deliberately. This is not a hearing in the Chamber which would determine whether or not the Morality Act would or should exist, it is a conference to advise the Monarchs on whether or not this contest violates the Morality Act or not, which is already the binding moral laws for this country.”

“I agree,” said Bishop Zecharis, his feline eyes half closed as he eyed Lucius. “Mr. Nimrod, your zeal is admirable in its courage, but you re very misguided.”

“Your Excellency, with all due respect, I am not advocating changing the law right now. I was merely explaining what our organization stands for. The contest just shows the music and culture of people who may not share our beliefs. Are we also not going to show for instance a political debate from another country because they do not debate within a Christian context?” Lucius said, spreading his hands. “Are we not going to quote ancient philosophers’ principles of thought merely because they didn’t believe in God but in pagan gods?”

Dr. Shillito spoke up. “Mr. Nimrod, you touch on the crux of the problem. Foreign news is one thing, polticial debate in a foreign legislature is one thing—but a film or a music video is antoher altogether. A policy debate in an atheistic country like Novitera or a pagan nation like Jedoria cannot affect us in the same way because it is not making a direct appeal to our emotions. A music video or a movie is doing that very thing, trying to get you to identify with the subject of what is presented. For instance, one of the recent entrants called “rape Me, Baby, One More time” deliberately had the contestant in sexually provocative clothing and ended with a sex act on stage.” She sipped her water and continued. “The purpose of this song is to provoke and also to titillate, to tempt. Another contestant committed acts of murder on live camera, others have blasphemed and cursed the name of god. These were not done in such a way as to suggest we should disagree with them. As the audience, we were invited to agree on a strong emotional basis. How do you answer that?”

“I think that just as we have become a constitutional monarchy, and have gained the right to think about how we want our country governed, and how we want our laws made, we should have the right to decide for ourselves what we want to watch on television,” said Lucius firmly. “If people don’t like it, they can turn it off, or they can go to church or a street corner and urge othes to turn it off. I think that’s more than fair. What I don’t agree with is that my country should treat me like a stupid child who cannot decide for himself.”

“I would like to add: our country has learned a lot form others to get us this far. The nations of: Lamoni, Adiron, Arbites, Nalaay, Rome, Gavinium Magnus, Ghant, South Ceti, Estovakiva, Free Garza, New Othman, Nihon, Crystal spires and many others have contributed to helping our country recover from civil war. They sold us weapons, they contributed technological training, they even provided us with educational systems. Nations like the Recon Empire, Lamoni and Adiron MADE our educational systems, yet these are not nations that are predominantly Chjristian. We trade overwhelmingly with non-Chrsitian nations. We are even trying to make more peaceful relations with countries like Deadora and Jedoria, which are hostile openly to our faith. And I think we can handle this song contest if we can handle all that.”

“I would like to close with this: Free Hearts and Minds has the signatures of 312,000 New Edomites who would like to see the WorldVision Song Contest keep playing in New Edom. These are artists, writers, students, local political leaders, and include people as diverse as house painters and beekeepers. We would like this committee to advise the King and Queen to not sign the Ban Act. Thank you.”

[Doppio Giudici]

New Edom
Coffee Shop

Franklin watched the events and memorized them as best as he could, taking notes wasn't his thing. He would memorize this or he didn't care enough to do so. The proceedings were insulting to him and his friend, it was very obvious what was going on. He heard that a song about this whole predicament was getting some airplay on the radio here and even more back at DG, but apparently people couldn't understand what was spelled out for them. He got up and payed for his coffee, before asking if this was a country where people needed to be tipped. He did as was necessary, such was life. Right now he needed to figure out how to get right outside Count Sharra's Estate. He pulled out his phone and looked around for the address, it wasn't that hard to find. His route for part of it was walking, but other parts including public transportation or perhaps the catching of a taxi if that was possible. He was willing to spend some money to get their faster, something pulled him to Lucius. His friend needed him, that was just how Franklin felt. There wasn't really any thought put into it, he saw how they spoke to Lucius and right away he wanted to be there.

Franklin was born in 1991, years after the two "Han Wars". He had never known the world of poverty or struggle that most of those older than him remembered. His older siblings remembered the hardship and the loss, but Franklin was born after all most of the noble deeds were done. He had been one when when the counter-coup was launched and the nation was taken back by it's rightful emperor. The loss of the emperor's father to his uncle left him paranoid, he trusted no one and he saw threats to the nation everywhere. The cultist uprisings were being stamped out while Franklin was getting ready to go to school, he didn't remember those that much ether. During grade school and middle school, there was lots of censorship. It was frowned upon to have any kind of pride or any amount of selfish enjoyment. People spoke in groups or they didn't speak at all, that was how afraid the whole nation felt. People were afraid that anyone could become the enemy, that even themselves could become the evil they faced. That was when the "Elimination packs were made", people promised to kill each other if any signs of the cult appeared. Franklin was 14 when the rebellion of DG started, he was still 14 when the two armies refused to fight each other; they both surrendered at the same time.

He was 16 when the two mended ties and started to make allies in the outside world. Their was a huge market boom, that lead to almost endless prosperity. There was a huge labor shortage, the military grew in size, and the nation accelerated towards first world status. He remembered when the Ramonia Civil-War, when Natasha was adopted by Seth after she was made part of the new branch of the military; what became the "Fist of Humanity". He watched the news for four hours as endless farms of opium and coco were eliminated, he remembered that time of light and hope. Vadia had healed and become the stronger nation, while DG now had lagged behind. His people had looked at hate and they looked at forgiveness, but this time they choose both. The NTA had chosen to use greater threats to bond lesser threats to them, they had chosen tolerance a great many times. They had shaken hands with communists, fascists, and hippies on the same day. There was no regret for what they had to do, because the big things were always more important than the little things. It was better to grit your teeth and work with selfish people, then to let others steal. As Franklin stood as close to the Palace as he could, he found himself involuntarily nodding.

There was always worse people to fight and kill, there would be blood spilled. There was also plenty of people to spare, to slowly convert without even meaning to. Franklin then sensed something, he had a religious experience. He was aware that he could entirely be crazy and that the Enlightened One could be nothing but what he felt was right, but he could feel the pull again. He pulled out his diplomatic badge and told security that he was instructed to protect Lucius, that he was an being interviewed after this about New Edoms possibility as a trade partner after the breakup of ICE.

[New Aeyariss]

*** Southwestern An`Nam: 010021LIMADEC15

Far away from the Nihonese mainland, in the jungles of southwestern Annam, laid the popular tourist destination, a city of Kaoh Trang, located on the coast of the beautiful, clear ocean that engulfed the once war torn nation, now mostly stabilized thanks to efforts of Nihonese and the local government under leadership of professor Van Throng, now elected president of the republic of An Nam (ROAN). The city had much to offer to people who lived in it; warm climate made the heat of the sun fall from the sky like a mild rain, tanning the skins of the foreign tourists who came in here en mase to enjoy the ocean's beauties. Sight of one or more Nihonese wasn't anything surprising, as the people from land of Admiral Yi came here often, enjoying what was better for them than much colder Nihon. Nihonese were welcome due to ties between them and Anamese, some of them settled in as the land of jungles offered uncountable riches - ones for which Nihonese companies were willing to pay a lot. Of course Annamese profited on that, thus the representatives of Nihonese firms, the mighty zaibatsu, weren't uncommon sight. Some of the Nihonese bought homes for themselves, to stay the winters of Nihon in warmer land of the rice fields and jungle.

In one of such homes, a huge villa located on the outskirts, a meeting was just taking place between five men. Outside, their meeting looked like typical party; the music played loud and the people themselves sat in front of a table behind the closed windows covered by thick, green covers. But what was inside, wasn't really a party. It was in fact a conspiracy meeting of an active service cell of a terrorist group named "Rainbow Battalion", that claimed to be here on vacations. Rainbow Battalion, an offshoot of "Sodom Front" was organization that decided to fight for the rights of homosexuals with arms. Five men, so far unknown to the police, though two of them figuring in the registers as homosexuals, already had one action on their account, though mostly in support role. For Rainbow Battalion, everybody could found a cell, and only one person inside it knew one person from other cells - which limited information they could deliver in case of interrogation a lot.

"We have to do something!" spoke quietly first of them, his voice barely breaking through music and sounds of laughing and party emitted from another speaker "Just look how they are treating us. First Kojiro forbade the gay pride in Mikurajima. Then, anti - gay vigilantes shot me in my lungs. I survived by accident. Now, WorldVision was banned. What will be next?"

His name was Fukui Kaoru, a Mikurajima native and dock worker, until he was removed from the work after his boss learned of his homosexuality. From that time, Fukui, already harboring hate for the system after he was kicked out of university he attended to for "spreading demoralization", then, he was shot by vigilantes that rushed to partake in "hunt on gays" after famous Kosunian Church attack. Five members in here, besides him, were also mostly in ages 22 - 27, mostly wrecked. For three months however, they enjoyed life a lot - especially that another homosexual and wealthy businessman of Nihonese - Annamese - Wenchuani origin, connected to Blue Cobra Triad, Fukui Hachirou, taken him in and granted him pretty well paid work in his company. However, both him and his four companions wanted vengeance. Their lives ruined, and even if they had to die in process, they wanted to avenge themselves.

"This sounds like a crazy idea..." spoke man who was "commander" of the group, 27 years old former university Neijire - Jutsu fighter, Mori Hotaka. After failing his grades, Mori Hotaka quit studying and started lifestyle of drugs and partying, occasionally earning by fighting in underground cage fights. But all the time, he was afraid that those whom he fought for would learn of his homosexuality, which would mean his life ruined "Just look. New Edomites are from where Nihonese gain their support. They are the ones who back them in it. If we strike them in there, they won't be so eager in supporting this apartheid in Nihon! Besides, they aren't ready for what is to come. If we hit them..."

"Frankly anything to get to homophobe asses..." spoke Kaoru, rising a long shining knife from the table They ruined me, and I don't have anything to live for. Hachirou - san, what do you think?"

His uncle, an elegantly looking man gazed at his relative and lover in one for a second, then spoke: "It is sad that you have to do it, but it is for good of us all. Unless we hit them, the fascist homophobes will never cease to oppress us. Therefore, we must kill them until they accept us. I wanted to change my identity for a while, so you are free to do your duty." his voice carried simple message, that announced the coming storm.

"Very well Hachirou - san" spoke Haoru, making a cut on his finger as offering to Kenshinkamiryu, dragon of loyalty and war, ancient pagan deity of Tanzism now worshiped only by local new agers, traditionally portrayed to be homosexual and having lust for human men...

---

*** Gun Store in the middle of Ishikawa: 021425LIMADEC15:

Kaoru's uncle decided to task himself with organizing the attack. After giving his nephew's group proper amount of money, he decided to acquire proper weapons that will be stored at his estate in Ashikage, Nihon. Getting weaponry in Land of White Blazing sun was easy - Ashikage prefecture had very simple gun laws, and Nihon per se had relaxed too. Thus, he went to a small gun store located across his street. As he entered, first sight that greeted him were dozens of guns of all kinds hanged on the white wall, and a single friendly older man stood before the ladder, smiling at him.

"How can I help you?" he asked with goodness in his voice, happy that he has a client.

"I am looking to buy a TEC 9" spoke Fukui, throwing his license on the table with a bunch of cash "Here is the money. I would also like four boxes of 9x19 parabellum rounds."

The old man went a bit sideways to authenticate the electronic license, then simply smiled and given him a piece of paper to sign. Once signed, Fukui gotten the weapon he wanted to have; TEC 9.

Three fake licenses and changing his appearance each time, Fukui visited several gun stores at different places in Ashikage, buying just few items from each. Overall he acquired three IntraTec TEC 9 pistols, a short weapon easy to be converted into SMG, to each buying also several drum magazines, and a single Knight's Armament Company PDW. Besides that, a single Chiappa Tripple threat to be sawed off, three Walther P99 and a single Smith & Wesson Model 500 revolver. Light weaponry required different way of operating, but was sufficient enough to carry out the terrorist plans.

At the same time, giving the data of all the members off Active Service Group to a local company, where his homosexual friend worked in, the process of preparing to get into New Edom had begun. Said company was one of very common "visa operating" companies that would then contact New Edomite consulate in Ashikage and quickly, almost overnight, get said visa, telling the consul that five students wanted to visit New Edom during their break, which begun now, and will be staying roughly one and a half week. None of them had any criminal record (which is true) thus they should get said visa with ease...

[Unified Soviet Socialist Republics]

OFFCIAL COMMUNIQUE OF THE UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS
MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

---

TO:Those Nations Concerned with the Banning of the Worldvision Dengeracy
FROM:The Office of the Minister of External Affairs of the Soviet Union
CC:NONE
SEC:OPEN
SUB:Declaration of Solidarity Against Libtard Decadence

---

To those It may concern

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Commends the Allied States of New Edom for taking the first step towards Revoloution. The CPSU and other parties of the Soviet Union are watching this. Also His Excellency the Premier of the CCCP and General Secretary of the CPSU is watching this situation. Under Article 121 of the Constitution of the CCCP forbids homosexuality. We have seen the degeneracy infect the west with the Eurovision in the Euromaidan Terrorist Regime that shall be destroyed God willing and the Ukranian People brought back to the Motherland. We have seen the infection it causes. Any nation that threatens New Edom shall have the Workers and Peasants Red Fleet to reckon with. The Resistance shall aid the New Edomite Proletariat in their struggle with the vile forces of degeneracy.

You have had your warning.

-CCCP Foreign Minister, S.Lavarov

OOC:Disclaimer, not a homophobe. This is IC what you are reading above.

[New Edom]

The Foreign Ministry,
Fineberg, New Edom

Basil Jerome, the Undersecretary of Transmarine Afairs, a plump little toadlike man with thinning dark hair, round glasses and a beakey nose in his round face that made him resemble an owl, blinked at the message from the United Soviet Socialist republics. He sucked at his lower lip as he read, twirling his glasses on the end of a pudgy thumb before sending his advice for a reply to his immediate superior, Elizabeth Corbulo the Chief Undersecretary, who would in turn advise the Minister, Dr. Paul Aphek.

"These things usually don't come to much, Excellency," Corbulo explained to him later during one of their daily meetings. "But a courteous message is appropriate to respond to."

"Well, they're a communist nation, what they said makes no sense." Dr. Aphek said, frowning.

"Excellency, we trade with non-Christian communist nations. Just not very openly," said Corbulo politely.

To: CCCP Foreign Minister, S.Lavarov
From: Dr. Paul Aphek, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Subject: Message of Support
[b]Encryption:[/b[ Moderate

---

Dear Minister,

Thank you very much for your government's timely message of support. The people of New Edom will be very impressed when they receive it, I am sure. it is of course very important that we maintain the strength of our culture even in the face of decadence and culturally enforced internationalism from some other nations.

It is our hope that this diplomatic exchane will further good relations between our peoples.

I have the honour to be
Dr. Paul Aphek,
Minister of Foreign Affairs

Meanwhile, a junior clerk began the process of accepting soem foreign student visas from Nihon. Routine checks would take place, but Nihon was, after all, a SACTO partner and regular tourism and commerce took place between both nations. A Ministry of Police background check did not reveal any criminal backgrounds, no red flags in military intelligence from Nihon itself through the routine channels. Usually the process between allied contries took about five business days following which there was a communication through the Nhonese Embassy to clear them for travel and provide them with routine travel advisories. Of particular concern this year was a malaria outbreak in the three southern provinces. Travelers were advised to have their shots and anti-malarial pills available as well, and to avoid certain areas designated as M Zones such as the marshy areas on the border of the provinces of Bara and Raith Immel.

[The Resurgent Dream]

Fineberg, New Edom

Several major modern international airlines had regular travel to New edom from out of region, including ones from ViZion, Ainin, Bederich and so on. From the air, a green mass of land met a large silvery estuary and a spread out city on low rolling country surrounded by greenery and farmaland with smaller villages and towns around it.

The international airport itself was a steel and glass construction of grand design, intended to resemble a classical forum but in modern materials. Seniro officials would be met formally by New Edomite officials—a portly man with thinning hair and glasses wearing a white tropical suit, who introduced himself as Basil Jerome, the Undersecretary of Transregional Affairs. There were black Chaikas waiting for the Caldan officials and any aides they had, and military personnel helped them with their baggage as well as acting as drivers and saluting as the senior official entered his car. These soldiers wore a white kepi with a black bill, a blue short sleeved shirt and black trousers tucked into boots, with a sidearm.

Basil Jerome bowed politely, as Edomites tended to prefer this to shaking hands. “The Minister and Senior Undersecretary are very eager to meet with you,” he said with great warmth. “I hope you do not mind the temperature today here, it is a bit muggy I’m afraid, we are expecting some good rain in a day or so, but until then…” he shrugged.

"It's a relief," Dobbs said as he returned the bow. "If you knew what winters are like in Tarana, you'd understand why Caldans are always glad to travel south anytime between October and May."

"I think it just makes the transition harder," Mizzi said, sliding off her jacket. "This was too warm in Tarana."

It would be hard for a foreigner to immediately notice anything was up in Fineberg. The main stretch not far from the airport was a large industrial district, with big factories spread out in large fenced off areas. Like satellites around the factories were service companies that had yards of materials, pools of big construction vehicles and shops including ones that sold linens, catered food or provided services like cleaning.

A view from the cars on the way to the Foreign Ministry revealed a lot of small markets or stretches for shops, a lot of traditional houses like bungalows or low apartment buildings. In fact there were very few buildings taller than fifteen stories in Fineberg.

Wide boulevards lined with cedars, live oaks and palms enabled lots of traffick, but there were not many private cars. A lot more buses, trucks, vans, and other larger scale transit. There were also city rail lines with electric trains that moved along clean lines that avoided the main traffic. Some areas of the city looked ancient, with classical pillared buildings with arches, domed churches, ancient weather brick, others looked brand new.

Occasional sights would greet them such as a group of naked mendicants painted yellow with black crosses standing chanting while people put money in bowls as they passed by. At one point the convoy had to brake for a large flightless carnivorous bird with black and white feathers passing by, glancing around arrogantly. The bird was roughly the size of a cassowary but had a hooked bill like a secretary bird’s and a similar light build. “Someone call animal control,” murmured the sergeant who was driving the lead car into his radio. The bird did not attack anyone, and seemed to be puzzled as it glanced around fiercely.

Goldfarb stared curiously out the window, eyes taking in all of the sites of the new country. The naked mendicants surprised her more than a little. "I thought they we..." she started to say something.

Dobbs shook his head at her to shut her up and turned to Jerome. "Nudity isn't illegal back home but it's very rare to see it in public."

"That guy's kinda hot," Mizzi noted, staring at one of the nude mendicants.

Dobbs rolled his eyes.

“This happens sometimes, “explained Basil Jerome. “There’s been some habitat disruption for the Lesser griffon. It’s one of the sub-species of our national bird, the Griffon. Our largest predators are birds.”

Dobbs nodded. "It's a fascinating creature. How dangerous is it?" He looked out the window, keenly observing the Griffon.

Jerome explained that what they wanted was to make sure that the Caldan officials had every opportunity to speak to the people they needed to but all that had been arranged so far was to make sure that the had a place to stay—compliments of the New edomtie government—at the Majestic Hotel, the best hotel in town, as well as meeting with the Foreign Minister.[/]Quote]

"Thank you," Dobbs said. "That's very kind."

The Foreign Ministry

"This is the worst possible time for them to come," said Dr. Paul Aphek.

Elizabeth Corbulo, the Senior Undersecretary, was a woman of Cornellian heritage, with a fair all over tan, short, pear shaped with a big (and by Edomite standards beautiful bottom, a raven pageboy haircut, and wearing a dark green formal dress and sandals. "I agree, Excellency but it cannot be helped," said Corbulo calmly. "But let us put on a good show of things. It must be demonstrated that we take this seriously."

"This," said Dr. Aphek with a shake of his head. "This! Oh well, we must be hospitable."

The New Edomite Foreign Ministry was a building that had existed since New Edom was still part of the Cornellian Empire, and had a neo-classical look to it. Polished granite steps, geometric designs with big mosaic crosses in the floors, archways, domed ceiling in the foyer, and paintings of monarchs--medieval David the Landsrider and David the Lawgiver; solemn Queen Adah the Liberator, soldierly King Mark I in his full uniform loomed.

The Minister's chambers they were brought to were comfortably appointed and airy. The walls were a light coloured wood paneling, the floor similar with blue and green ornamental rugs, and the chairs almost more suited to a luxurious afternoon of polo, made of white wicker and padded with comfortable embroidered cushions. A low table had refreshments on it: chilled mint tea with honey, carafes of fizzy water with crushed ice in them and bottles of fruit juice to add; iced strong sweet coffee or plain chilled water were available. (Basil Jerome, when making the arrangements, would have warned the Caldans that it was polite to at least accept something, even if only to sip or nibble a little). There were also cinnamon biscuits, candied almonds, cheese and pistachio pastries, and slices of oranges, bunches of grapes and carrots cut into the shape of little sheaves of grain on the table on blue and whtie dishes of antique make.

"My dear guests, welcome to our Foreign Ministry," said Dr. Aphek more as though they were unexpected friends who had arrived than diplomatic officials he had to put up with, as though he was delighted and truly honoured. "I am Dr. Paul Aphek, honoured to be Foreign Minister to Their Majesties. And this is my most beloved and wise Undersecretary, Elizabeth Corbulo." Both bowed. Elizabeth Corbulo up close was one of those short but energetic women, with an intelligence in her more charming than pretty face.

The Caldans returned the bows. "Thank you, Minister. I'm Patrick Dobbs," Dobbs said. "This is my assistant, Corinna Goldfarb, and Katherine Landless, better known, at least in my country, as Mizzi. She's a musical artists, as it's apparently called now days."

"So welcome, we were most touched by your communiques," she murmured, putting a hand over her heart.

"Please, do sit and enjoy some refreshments, I apologize for the scarcity of my table but if there is anything else I can bring to you, you have but to say," said Dr. Aphek.

"This is quite good, I'm sure," Dobbs said as he took some tea.

"These are delicious!" Mizzi said as she popped one of the candies almonds in her mouth. She lifted a hand demonstratively and gave an infectious, youthful, lopsided grin, blue eyes beaming at Corbulo. "I love that dress by the way. You are absolutely gorgeous!"

[New Edom]

The New Edomite Foreign Ministry

Elizabeth Corbulo smiled, looking thoughtful. "Musical artist, that's a nice way to say singer and musician all at once, I suppose. Now you must try a little of everything, I hope you will find things to your liking." When she was complimented, she said, You're very kind, but I'm afraid that's pure luck, I don't own or wear many clothes normally. I'm an Edenist. It's a popular minority here in our country, people who believe that were are wiped clean of the fall of humanity in the Garden of Eden. In recognition of this, we are not bound to wear clothing, but only do so out of politeness or for the need to protect ourselves or be hygienic. It is of course not done for the sake of provocation or enticement to desires outside of marriage, which."

"And it is something we are easing out of our culture,' said Dr. Aphek with a glance at her. "It is an old fashioned approach, a tribal one that we discourage now. The Heir is particularly against it,' he added firmly. "Though...our Queen is a strong advocate of it, and of course I have nothing personally against Edenism. What Miss Corbulo said about enticing desires--we have found foreigners tend not to understand and find it hard to NOT see nakedness as sexually arousing, and it is a sin to encourage others towards sin. The more we have tourism and trade with the outside world, the more we must adapt." Looking at Dobbs, he said, "We are an old civilization, but a troubled one. Plagued by civil wars until very recently. I don't know if any of you heard the song performed by one of our popular fol rock groups recent, they made a music video of it, but it demonstrates something of what our patriotism is like. Can we play that for our guests, Miss Corbulo?"

"Certainly, sir," she said. turning on a television on the wall to show the video

[TURTLESHROOM II]

KINGDOM OF THE UNITED TURTLES, MUSHROOMS, AND MEN OF TURTLESHROOM
EXECUTIVE CABINET
HOLINESS BOARD OF CENSORS
GRANDMASTER OF DECENCY

While the Kingdom of TurtleShroom commends you for protecting the morality and virtue of your people and your airwaves, we nonetheless fear that censorship of the entire contest's screening is a heavy-handed punishment of the majority of participants that have done no wrong.

In TurtleShroom, live shows are broadcast a day after its actual live taping, and is then censored for morality (removal of curses, black rectangles over inappropriate displays, cutting of cursing, etc.) before being released for general consumption. This allows the country to enjoy quality entertainment without dealing with the junk in between.

In this country, the World Vision Song Contest is mostly a radio broadcast, not a televised one (although Pay-Per-View exists for those with a television), so we don't really need to worry with such.
As an old compatriot to your great nation (not to mention the only other nation to deal with the Old Ones cult, or whatever it's called), we would be delighted to send staff from the Board of Censors to assist you in developing a correct balance of removal of amorality without removing political speech and governmental dissent.

On another note, we find it ironic and hypocritical that your nation allows blazen nudity but freaks out when someone broadcasts pro-sodomy propaganda. We honestly consider the vice of public nudity as equal to sexual immorality.


God bless you and your country.
-GRANDMASTER ULYSSES B. REMOO, CHAIR OF THE TURTLESHROOM HOLINESS BOARD OF CENSORS, DEFENDER OF THE FAITH

[New Edom]

From Her Royal Majesty
Mara I
And
The Royal Master of Offices
The Ministries of Culture, Foreign Affairs and Justice
To
KINGDOM OF THE UNITED TURTLES, MUSHROOMS, AND MEN OF TURTLESHROOM
EXECUTIVE CABINET
HOLINESS BOARD OF CENSORS
GRANDMASTER OF DECENCY

I have given careful consideration to your words, and I will say that I am very much inclined to this point of view. We are in talks with other foreign governments and NGOs which are advising us, and as you may be aware there is a televised round table conference on the issue of the WorldVision Song Contest Ban.

I’m glad that a trading partner and friendly nation is so concerned that they would like to talk to us about this issue, and the advice you are giving seems sound, but I am bound by our constitution and by my own feeling of the need to hear out my people that I must go through the right processes.

On your last note: it is not hypocrisy. There is nothing in the Bible that denies nudity—merely lascivious behaviour, fornication, homosexuality, bestiality, necrophilia, rape and adultery. Edenism advocates none of these things. Edenism requires great moral virtue and courage, and decreases sexual tensions between individuals. I am personally an advocate of Edenism. We are redeemed through Christ as described vividly in the Letter to the Romans, and I take that as Gospel truth by an Apostle.

Sincerely,
Queen Mara I, etc

“And that’s another thing,” said Mara as she sat back in her couch after a messenger took the letter off to deliver it. “I want to start promoting Edenism more at the palace. I’m getting tired of people going around like we’re a bunch of foreign dignitaries. We ought to set an example. I want to ask the Chamber’s Committee on the Morality Act how they’re doing with the Edenism part of the Act.”

Prince Enoch Tubal-Cain looked at her with dismay. “But the Compulsory Nudity Act was done away with, wasn’t it/”

“Not by law,” Mara said firmly. “Perrin just eventually got rid of it when it suited him. He was a good man—the best…” she choked a moment, then got hold of herself, “But he’s gone. And I’ve seen the light. It’s time we settled this once and for all.”

“She’s out of her mind,” said Princess Jocasta, the Heir, with exasperation later. “We cannot allow that to go to vote.”

“I think it’s a great idea,” said Claudius Glaber when he heard about it later. “I want to encourage that we go all the way with it. I’ll even back the Ban if other parties will back this.”

The King, however, dashed any hopes that this would be an easy solution to the problem and give some power to threaten to those who wanted the ban lifted. “I see no reason to remove the privileges of the aristocracy and the monarchy when we are already considering doing so in more meaningful ways. The balance of power and responsibilities of the more advantaged are of far greater importance than whether or not someone is bare or not. If my wife wishes to go around Edenist that is her choice. I will not.”

If this did not lead to new legislation immediately—which it still might—it did lead to the first open royal disagreement between the two co-monarchs. Mara was later seen burning her clothing—all of it—in a garden at Betharan Palace. Courtiers who agreed with her were doing the same.

[New Edom]

The Sharra Estate

There were a few journalists outside, but they were held at by by security personnel who watched anyone approaching with narrowed eyes and alert manner, and now and then the unit leaders checked radio headsets. Anyone who knew much about new Edomite security would suspect the area was also watched by snipers and drone operators and people hidden as civilians.

"Well," said Lucius Nimrod when he joined Franklin, after they had left the area, "On the whole i think that went very well. I mean five years ago I would just have been thrown in jail."He was deeply grateful for having been met by him. His friends didn't want to be targetd by anyone and so would meet up with him later, but it had felt lonely, leaving on his own. The area was one fo the richest areas fo Fineberg, with large villas, park like surroundings of splendid houses, wide boulevards lined with leafy trees. People walked expensive dogs. A woman wearing a straw hat dyed bright red with sunglasses with a blue and green painted sundress on walked her fancy looking long haired go and did not glance at them as they went by. It was one of the rare ares in town with private cars drifting by on a regular basis.

Lucius seemed energetic, and was only wearing his sandals and a shodler bg. He looked a bit thinner and had a few lines aroudn his eyes from tiredness, but he was also upbeat.

"You know, Pahath-Moab's Gay Re-Education Centers did a lot of good work. the re-education part of it was a joke, really. It was really more like a bunch of job centers. People would even pretend to be homosexuals or lesbians to get in and get educated for a job. Anyway, it's very good to see you again. i hope you are doing well. What did you want to talk about today?"

[Union of Progressive Socialist Republics]

OOC: This is just a little humorous performance (NOT SERIOUS), as a response to the hateful queerphobic performance of Nihon.

Response to this: https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?p=26712909#p26712909

Alistair Moriarty - Bisexual World

---

Tune: Hannah Montana - Best of Both Worlds

Councillor-President Alistair Moriarty (of the Federal Council of the Union of Progressive Socailist Republics) was quite frankly, disgusted at the sickening queerphobia coming from the mouths of the savage Nihonese barbarians. It is a known fact that bisexuals are far superior to all other sexual orientations, which are primitive in their inability to advance past primitive prehistoric levels. Bisexuals are whole humans, something we cannot say regarding the heterosexuals and homosexuals. It would only be a matter of time before the entire world becomes bisexuals, and Moriarty would sing about it today. With the gracious help of Elder Dance Crew, an elite unit of elderly people trained in extreme dancing moves and internationally renown for their great stamina and amazing acrobatics. They would show those uncivilised animals, how a proper performance is enacted.

---

Over fifty-thousand people filled the Alistair Moriarty Entertainment Arena, barely able to conceal the excitement for their favourite singer. While Alistair Moriarty was a politician, he liked to give back to the people through releasing affordable singles and albums internationally. With Elder Dance Crew (EDC) by his side, musical masterpieces were regularly created, jumping up the national charts.

The music started playing, as several dozen members Elder Dance Crew danced energetically across the large stage wearing black military-style uniforms (with bisexual flag armbands).

Smoke was ejected from the stage, covering the stage floor. Suddenly Alistair Moriarty ascended from a trap-door in the stage floor, also wearing a black military-style uniform with a bisexual flag armband. Moriarty and EDC then walked forwards and continued their energetic dancing.

Moriarty then started singing.

Go, go
Yay us

There are the fascist scum
The Nihonese and the rest of SACTO

When you're bisexual you are perfect
The monosexuals are jealous jealous

In all ways bisexuals are the best
The monos are just jealous animals

EDC lined up in military formation, ready for the chorus. They danced together, punching towards the ground and air, left and right; all the while clapping and stepping forwards, backwards, and sideways.

There will be a Bisexual World
We'll conquer the rest
Then make them like us

There will be a Bisexual World
Re-educate the monos and there will be a Bisexual World

A Bisexual World!

Moriarty moved forwards, as bisexual flags descended from the roof of the arena.

We shall conquer the world (our New World Order)
Liberate all those under SACTO
Being half a person is not normal
But we will make the monos proper humans

Yes, bisexuals are superior
We will make everyone one of us

EDC lined up in military formation, ready for the chorus. They danced together, punching towards the ground and air, left and right; all the while clapping and stepping forwards, backwards, and sideways.

There will be a Bisexual World
We'll conquer the rest
Then make them like us

There will be a Bisexual World
Re-educate the monos and there will be a Bisexual World
Bisexuals are the best!

Moriarty invited audience members up on stage, to join in the song and dance.

Gender discrimination's wrong
But that is what the monos do
Bisexuals are tolerant and natural

(Perfect!) Yes, we are perfect!
(Perfect!) Yes, we are perfect!
(Perfect!) Yes, we are perfect!

Our domination is nearing
We will turn all the rest

Everyone up in military formation, ready for the chorus. They danced together, punching towards the ground and air, left and right; all the while clapping and stepping forwards, backwards, and sideways. The finished off with a triple back-flip.

There will be a Bisexual World
We'll conquer the rest
Then make them like us

There will be a Bisexual World
Re-educate the monos and there will be a Bisexual World

We'll have a Bisexual World
With re-education
Or even euthanasia

We will have a Bisexual World
Without the heteros or homos
There'll be none anywhere

There will be one world
Re-educate the monos
Oh, yeah
The world will be better with only bisexuals!

The audience erupted into over half an hour of clapping, cheering and chanting of bisexual superiority. This should show the Nihonese, how a true performance is carried through.

[New Edom]

The song from Union of Progressive Socialist Republics did provoke responses in New Edom. Some people, certain authors, poets and musicians among them, thought it a clever response to what Nihon had done and observed irony in it. Even some of those who felt it was also in bad taste observed this, like Dr. Amon Ashren, Count Sharra and others t the conference. Prince Enoch, the Royal Master of Offices, thought it most amusing as he commented to others at his club.

However, political groups backing the ban did not find it amusing, and a rally was held at which Sarah Carmel spoke. "This is what they think of us and our culture. There will be a Bisexual World
We'll conquer the rest
Then make them like us.

She looked up from reading the sheet of lyrics at the crowd, faces tense with anticipation, who looked up at her where she stood on a raised stage. "They have said it baltantly, admitted it, and made our case for us. that's what they want. A bisexual world. A perverted world. Are we going to have a perverted world, ehre in New Edom?"

"No!" shouted members of the crowd.

"I said, are we going to have a perverted world here in new edom?" she crie, raising her fist.

"NO!" shouted the crowd. As a band struck up a popular tune, at firt a few on stage and then gradualy the crowd began singing along with them:
[url=\https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHX7gJTGipI]We don't need WorldVision[/url]
We don't need WorldVision
We want our old time religion
It's good enough for me!

It was good for the prophets
It was good for the prophets
And it's good for our Prophet
So it's good enough for me!

It was good for Queen Mara
It was good for Touchstone the Father
And it's good for King Elijah
And it's good enough for me!

We don't need foreign music
We don't need foreign sinners
We just need good old salvation
It's good enough for me!

So get rid of WorldVision
We don't need WorldVision
We want our old time religion
it's good enough for me!

[The Selkie]

(Image)
OFFCIAL COMMUNIQUE OF THE UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS
MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

---

TO:Those Nations Concerned with the Banning of the Worldvision Dengeracy
FROM:The Office of the Minister of External Affairs of the Soviet Union
CC:NONE
SEC:OPEN
SUB:Declaration of Solidarity Against Libtard Decadence

---

To those It may concern

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Commends the Allied States of New Edom for taking the first step towards Revoloution. The CPSU and other parties of the Soviet Union are watching this. Also His Excellency the Premier of the CCCP and General Secretary of the CPSU is watching this situation. Under Article 121 of the Constitution of the CCCP forbids homosexuality. We have seen the degeneracy infect the west with the Eurovision in the Euromaidan Terrorist Regime that shall be destroyed God willing and the Ukranian People brought back to the Motherland. We have seen the infection it causes. Any nation that threatens New Edom shall have the Workers and Peasants Red Fleet to reckon with. The Resistance shall aid the New Edomite Proletariat in their struggle with the vile forces of degeneracy.

You have had your warning.

-CCCP Foreign Minister, S.Lavarov

OOC:Disclaimer, not a homophobe. This is IC what you are reading above.

"Alright, people, that was Alistair Moriarty, Bisexual World, his response to the whole thing with the World Vision Contest Ban in New Edom.", the speaker of Radio Cornwall 3 said, "It is a nice comeback at performance of Fujikawa Keji and Takeda Eun-Sook at the Ishikawa Hall, which you heard before. It has something beautiful, fighting with music instead of arms, although those wacky Nihonese had a lot of hardware with them."
Finn clapped into his hands.
"Still, it's a bit after eleven o'clock and you all know, what that means: letters to us by our listeners!" There was a short, triumphant tune, accompanied by the ruffling of paper. "Our first letter today is from Mister S. Lavarov, who apparently comes from the Unified Soviet Socialist Republics."
Finn cleared his throat: "To those It may concern... so in this case, me. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Commends the Allied States of New Edom for taking the first step towards Revoloution. The CPSU and other parties of the Soviet Union are watching this. Also His Excellency the Premier of the CCCP and General Secretary of the CPSU is watching this situation. Under Article 121 of the Constitution of the CCCP forbids homosexuality. We have seen the degeneracy infect the west with the Eurovision in the Euromaidan Terrorist Regime that shall be destroyed God willing and the Ukranian People brought back to the Motherland. We have seen the infection it causes. Any nation that threatens New Edom shall have the Workers and Peasants Red Fleet to reckon with. The Resistance shall aid the New Edomite Proletariat in their struggle with the vile forces of degeneracy. You have had your warning..."
With every word, some of the cheer in Finn's voice had been replaced by confusion, trailing off at the end with a, invisible to the listener, frown. There was a pause.
"What the... Okay. Sorry." Finn cleared his throat again. "Mister Lavarov, first off, we are a radio station, not the government. The Elder Council refused to comment and still refuses to comment. Which is one of the many reasons why I doubt, that we are responsible for this, but we commented, so it might have some merit.
Second... I respect your laws, albeit I do not agree with them, especially not with Article 1-21 of your constitution. I ask you to respect Selkie law in return, which say among other things, that we have the freedom to say our opinion, be it on the airwaves or on the street.
Third. Are you seriously threatening other nations with war in case they threaten New Edom because they refuse to air a misic contest? Mind you, the whole situation would be absurd. Nations shouldn't go to war if another nation decides not air a program, be it the WVC or the weather forecast. Nations should respect another nation's laws, but keep the application of it inside their own borders.
That all being said... try to take a page from the books of Fujikawa Keji and Takeda Eun-Sook, as well as the one of Alistair Moriarty and write a song. It's much more fun then threatening other people with war and revolution!
Now... next letter, please! This time one of a pretty girl, that thinks I sound sexy!"

[Doppio Giudici]

The Sharra Estate

Franklin crossed his arms and rubbed them, made greatly uncomfortable by the rampant of displays of opulence that went on around him.

"I was in town, I rushed over when I saw how they treated you." He admitted "It wasn't my choice to make, I felt like I was going to have to fight your way out of there."

He smelled someone's perfume, one of the people that passed them obviously. He started coughing and waving a little in front of his face, before looking at the person that passed them. He then looked back ahead, tilting his head a little as if thinking to himself.

"If that is what people do with their money here, then I am likely over-qualified to be setting up trade agreements." He muttered, before raising his voice back to normal "I've been sent over to get the attention of one of the new agencies with low ratings, so that at least some people here know we are ready to trade. The recent political upheaval has lead to a series of policies, all involving the use of economics and mutual benefit to steer people towards more pleasing political systems. The sale of over a thousand helicopters, hundreds of thousands of rifles, along with many other weapons; has left us backed up for another ten days. It has also left people we had...issues working with...and frankly didn't trust...dependent enough on us to seek our counsel on a great many things. They have been quite passive lately, well... unless you include the list of people they are preparing to move against because of our advisement."

He reached into his vest and pulled out three times the amount of money he had been given quite some time earlier, before holding it out to his friend.

"I invested your money like you wanted, got a pretty good return." He said with a smile, before he stopped walking. "Wait."

He looked over at Lucius, then looking around at the people around him. He remembered some things that were said on the television and they clicked with what his friend had said to him. He blinked a few times as he made sense of it and then, pressed his palm to his face.

"I just realized that I am standing in a place with a human rights index matching 1896 Vadia." Franklin remembered "No wait, I'm getting my history mixed up. Ummm, okay one second."

He rubbed his chin and tried to remember high school, specifically a class that had been taken a very long time ago. Trying to get the civil-rights reforms in order.

"Okay, the first reform movement was....democracy." He noted "Property-less males gained the right to vote, because it was that or they would refuse to fight somewhere in the 1300s. Homosexual marriage was legalized in....the beginning, because they have better morale and they made up some of our best soldiers. Females started to vote almost right after the factory was invented, because of the fucking Frankos wouldn't stop invading us. Race was never an issue because they made good soldiers. So, um... 1950 Vadia; when the concept of a Transgender person became known to us. We legalized it because it was good for the war effort."

He rubbed his arm and looked a bit embarrassed, squirming a little.

"Our allies like to think we did all these reforms because we are naturally good people, but we really did them so we wouldn't get wiped out." He admitted "The 40 hour work week and child-labor laws were enforced because they hurt the economy. We are very fond of not being poor or dead. It drives every good thing we do. That and the guilt, the never ending guilt that haunts you to your grave. Nothing is good enough, nothing will ever make you feel like a good person."

He wasn't there, he was somewhere else where all his good grades, all his future children, all of his medals wouldn't be enough to make him not a terrible person. All of the people who did greater things then him and were just better at life, all of those people haunted him. He asked to much, he didn't work enough, he was a bad person and no one should like him. Sweat drew down his face, as he felt his breath speeding up till his chest felt like it was going to explode. He grabbed at his hair and he grimaced, losing control.

[New Edom]

The Sharra Estate

Franklin crossed his arms and rubbed them, made greatly uncomfortable by the rampant of displays of opulence that went on around him.

"I was in town, I rushed over when I saw how they treated you." He admitted "It wasn't my choice to make, I felt like I was going to have to fight your way out of there."

"You are honey and balm," said Lucius with a smile, "But fight my way out? Why? It was a disagreement, and I felt it went very well. I got my words in, and was received by them, even when Mrs. Carmel suggested I was simply a criminal. But..she did it in such a civil way."

He smelled someone's perfume, one of the people that passed them obviously. He started coughing and waving a little in front of his face, before looking at the person that passed them. He then looked back ahead, tilting his head a little as if thinking to himself.

"If that is what people do with their money here, then I am likely over-qualified to be setting up trade agreements." He muttered, before raising his voice back to normal "I've been sent over to get the attention of one of the new agencies with low ratings, so that at least some people here know we are ready to trade. The recent political upheaval has lead to a series of policies, all involving the use of economics and mutual benefit to steer people towards more pleasing political systems. The sale of over a thousand helicopters, hundreds of thousands of rifles, along with many other weapons; has left us backed up for another ten days. It has also left people we had...issues working with...and frankly didn't trust...dependent enough on us to seek our counsel on a great many things. They have been quite passive lately, well... unless you include the list of people they are preparing to move against because of our advisement."

He reached into his vest and pulled out three times the amount of money he had been given quite some time earlier, before holding it out to his friend.

"I invested your money like you wanted, got a pretty good return." He said with a smile, before he stopped walking. "Wait."

He looked over at Lucius, then looking around at the people around him. He remembered some things that were said on the television and they clicked with what his friend had said to him. He blinked a few times as he made sense of it and then, pressed his palm to his face.

"I just realized that I am standing in a place with a human rights index matching 1896 Vadia." Franklin remembered "No wait, I'm getting my history mixed up. Ummm, okay one second."

He rubbed his chin and tried to remember high school, specifically a class that had been taken a very long time ago. Trying to get the civil-rights reforms in order.

"Okay, the first reform movement was....democracy." He noted "Property-less males gained the right to vote, because it was that or they would refuse to fight somewhere in the 1300s. Homosexual marriage was legalized in....the beginning, because they have better morale and they made up some of our best soldiers. Females started to vote almost right after the factory was invented, because of the fucking Frankos wouldn't stop invading us. Race was never an issue because they made good soldiers. So, um... 1950 Vadia; when the concept of a Transgender person became known to us. We legalized it because it was good for the war effort."

He rubbed his arm and looked a bit embarrassed, squirming a little.

"Our allies like to think we did all these reforms because we are naturally good people, but we really did them so we wouldn't get wiped out." He admitted "The 40 hour work week and child-labor laws were enforced because they hurt the economy. We are very fond of not being poor or dead. It drives every good thing we do. That and the guilt, the never ending guilt that haunts you to your grave. Nothing is good enough, nothing will ever make you feel like a good person."

He wasn't there, he was somewhere else where all his good grades, all his future children, all of his medals wouldn't be enough to make him not a terrible person. All of the people who did greater things then him and were just better at life, all of those people haunted him. He asked to much, he didn't work enough, he was a bad person and no one should like him. Sweat drew down his face, as he felt his breath speeding up till his chest felt like it was going to explode. He grabbed at his hair and he grimaced, losing control.

[/quote]

Franklin had started rambling. Lucius gave him an odd look, wondering what on Earth he was talking bout, economics, trade, pragmatism and transsexualism, and then suddenly...he just stopped. Lucius said to him quietly, "Franklin, just breathe. Your feet are on the ground. You are wearing your clothes. You feel the air on your body. Breathe. You are alive. Your heart is beating in your chest. Breathe. You are alive. I am standing with you. Your feet are on the ground. Feel your body...your feet...your legs, your midsection, your chest, you arms, your hands..." he spoke calmly, quietly, keeping watch for both of them, tring to settle out the noise of overstimulus and an activated mind to get Franklin to a state of mind where he was awre of just the basic realities.

[Doppio Giudici]

The Sharra Estate

"Lucius." He started, blinking "I'm not a traumatized veteran. It's been a long time since I was productive productive, instead of just this recording or managing crap."

He sighed deeply, before looking over at his buddy; his arms still crossed.

"So what have you been up to since I was gone?" He asked "You got promoted up or something? I recall being referred to you because someone more important was busy, wonder what happened to that guy."

Franklin wasn't kidding himself, he had a lot of pressure that pushed him forward at all times. He never really thought it was a huge deal, as it was rather common where he was from. Empathy was taught at a young age and it wasn't uncommon to confuse other people for yourself or be very selfish about wanting to help other people. The conditions, limitations and sufferings of his people had instilled them some kind of strange thought process to look at the world with. The language controlled what was said and what was thought, it changed how they looked at others and themselves. There was the friend, to be loved and protected; and then their was the enemy, to be hated and killed. Of course there always would be people to be ignored or just mildly disliked, but it was much easier to just put everyone in two boxes.

---

Tired Of Your Weakness Records
Ísos, Doppio Giudici

He closed his eyes and he looked inside himself. He looked at all the rage and all the anger he had, he looked at all the disgust he had for himself. He thought about all the times he was certain that something was wrong with him, all the times he was afraid that he was a monster. The feeling never went away, being married to a loving woman didn't make that go away. Being a rising start in the music game, fulfilling his dream; didn't make that feeling go away. He closed his eyes tighter and he held his breath, till he felt like he was going to explode. The track started and his wife who was right behind him was already doing her part.

Blood

Sweat

Tears

He held it, feeling himself turning blue or purple; some color. It built up and built up inside him, he could feel it just rising up in his body. It was so hard to do this, he wasn't sure if he could ever perform live. The problem was, he had to get this out; he would be doing this anyways even if people didn't want him to.

Blood

Sweat

Tears

The beat continued, he couldn't hold it in anymore. He was going to lose it to soon, he was unsure. It felt he had been holding it forever, perhaps minutes. He finally heard his cue and he just let it all out.

Don't even act like you give a sh** about me
Shouldn't even try to act like you care
Because inside of you is just self-loathing
and I know you don't even want what's fair

I was put on this place to be hungry
Because if I wasn't I would never eat
But when people act on their programming
You see to it that they are badly beat

She added another part right after him, adding another touch to it; but allowing his rhyme to remain. They knew that someone would understand the jab they just made. They were starting a beef and they were proud of it.

With canes and nightsticks

He waited a few seconds and breathed softly. Somewhere someone would be making a face, because a sizable amount of people just got really burned. He went right to adding his part in right before the chorus.

And that's why all these people have is their

Blood

Sweat

Tears

He screamed out the next part, urged onward by the sound of her voice and her presence.

And we who fight had nothing but our

Blood

Sweat

Tears

Right after he belted that out, he was breathing in and sucking down air. After that he was holding it a few seconds, before going back to what he did best. She was synced right with him, they were like two wholes in a greater shape.

Hey Bo?
Yes BB?
We have kids because we like each other?
I agree

And your thoughts about me aren't exactly, clean?
How could anything I do with my ribs be dirty?
Okay, you got me there. I see what you mean.

This time they held hands and they said kept complimenting each other. Like two angles that made up 90 degrees, such of the way their minds worked.

Our children will have our

Blood

Raised in a house built from

Sweat

Bound together by our

Tears

He looked over at her and for a moment, she was the most perfect thing in the entire world. After that moment, she was an imperfect human like him; and he liked her even more. This part he would do alone and then they would wrap the song up before it confused the listeners to much.

I don't know about them
But you I will out-do
I will beat you to love
And I will out-hate you

You should already know
I will outnumber you
It's only been twenty years
And I already am two

He reached out for himself and she took him into his arms. She could see how tired she was, gazing down at herself. He wanted to just go home and be alone. She had gotten herself pregnant by herself. That was reality, everything else was wrong and a lie.

[New Edom]

Near the Sharra Estate

Lucius just looked at Franklin with bafflement. "What have I been up to...?"

This was the most awkward relationship he had ever experienced. Franklin wanted to be his friend, but the culture clash made dealing with the Conference members seem like having a nice bubble bath. "I've been worign on the freedom campaign," said Lucius, feeling tired. "It's going alright."

he honestly had no idea what to say. Every conversation was like playing telephone tag. What Franklin wanted or intended always seemed out of synch with what was actually happening, and Franklin showed little inclination to learn about the situation or adapt to it. So why was he even here? Lucius decided to let him do the talking.

This was typical anyway. The moment people realized a political process was involved with justice, they lost interest. Writing letters, persuading leaders, all that somehow seemed futile to so many foreigners these days. The most disheartening thing in his life was this: that his work went unrecognized mostly not by his own people, even the ones who hated him and disgreed with him, but by those very foreigners who shared his values.

[Doppio Giudici]

Near the Sharra Estate

"I don't understand the organization of your group." Franklin admitted "I don't even understand this culture. I know, I could be more loving to you; but I do not feel loved here."

He looked over at his friend, wondering if he could ever understand. Worried that the wars and the revolutions had made a culture, a culture that made him into someone no outsider could understand.

"I was worried about you while I was gone, I um." Franklin sighed, looking away "Have you ever met a person and they just seemed very warm to you, but you couldn't understand why? And you knew they were that way to men and women, but only ones that thought the way you did?"

He knew that it was very likely he wasn't being understood and he wasn't sure if Lucius would be okay with someone like him. He never really picked one gender over the other and he had a very hard time understanding the things people did in bedrooms. Was Lucius advanced enough to understand unsexual people, to understand people who didn't have a preference in bodies? Franklin felt like Lucius was a lone man, an abortionist standing in a nation of slavery. He wondering if his friend knew that, or if it was only Franklin that saw things that way. Franklin looked around and he knew that people were happy, but he felt like they were ignoring the chains that bound them. He wondered how many of them were hungry, how many were beaten or murdered. Franklin wondered if maybe he had everything backwards. What if he was an abomination for being this way, what if he was the one who was oppressed. Franklin certainly did feel guilty all the time, he was so worried about other people sometimes he forgot to eat. He bit his lip and sighed softly, coming to grips with the truth.

"I came back because I might not see you again after this, because I wanted to give you something that could help you." Franklin confessed "I want you to succeed, I want you to become a great and powerful man. You are just, I believe that you will use your power well."

He rubbed his arm and groaned to himself, the truth did string.

"I told my boss that I was going to do everything in my power to get some trade going." He admitted "I would have better luck in another nation, but I know this place a tiny bit better and I feel a little more at ease knowing you are in the same city. My people are about to make war, to continue our pact with God; to protect and assist our allies. After I get some trade going, just enough money for the war; I need to go join my people."

He teared up and he rubbed his arm against his face, he felt bad for coming into his person's life only to have to leave yet again.

"My soul pulled me here to speak to you and it pulls me to the frontline to do what I must for our friends." Franklin sighed out, crying. "I have seen to many senseless killings, I really want this madness to stop. I want this war to end, I want to help win it so it can be over. I have watched the noble soldiers before me go out to fight ever since I was a little boy. I miss my brother, I want to earn paradise beside him with my blood and sweat."

He rubbed his eyes again and sighed softly, shuddering.

"But enough about us." He said "What can I do for you, noble sir?"

This was typical anyway. The moment people realized a political process was involved with justice, they lost interest. Writing letters, persuading leaders, all that somehow seemed futile to so many foreigners these days. The most disheartening thing in his life was this: that his work went unrecognized mostly not by his own people, even the ones who hated him and disgreed with him, but by those very foreigners who shared his values.

[New Edom]

Near the Sharra Estate

They had reached a large park with paths among big old trees that spread out their upper branches and formed shadows laced with sunlight along the paths. Deep green lawns, well watered, gardens of green plants, fountains and flowers were around it. There were brick walls that divided it here and there from the main street to shelter it from noise and over casual entry. A children’s playground, made of log beams and aluminum brighty painted, was at one end, and children’s laughing voices and excited cries could be heard. Nannies half dozed and half watched them.

In addition to this, the park had an outdoor theater, picnicking areas and food stands and carts; shaved flavoured ice, fizzy drinks, mint tea, nuts, sandwiches and ice cream were sold. Two young men painted with the colours of an athletic team and the logo of a univdrsity jogged by them, tight bodies flexing. A juggler painted in traditional pantomime colours tossed tasseled sticks neatly in the air while a crowd of families admired and clapped and tossed coins into a hat. In a gazebo about a block away or so within the park area a band was playing music. Lucius listened to Franklin talking as they approached the park.

“I dream of a world where people can love one another freely, without worrying about how old someone is, how they look or anything like that—only age of consent and consent itself being the barriers.” He smiled at Franklin and found himself flushing a bit. Was Franklin…attracted to him? He had thought so little about that, had in a way hid it so much in his daily life over the last years that it came as a shock as though his foot had been asleep and he had suddenly had to stand up.

“Well I’m a little confused—if you came here to deal with trade—then why doesn’t your government just re-open its embassy? Or why don’t you present yourself to the government? You see, this is a time of great opportunity for us. For a moment, forget about a government where everything has been done on a level that has been decided to be practical out of a need for survival. Our government is made up of its own versions of compromises. The Monarchy, the representatives of the people, the appointed officials, the clergy. Our Chamber of Deputies, that’s our national legislature, is made up of the people’s elected representatives. Right now they are examining all our traditional laws to determine whether or not they are just. Some think they are, some think they aren’t.” He paused. I hope you don’t think I’m patronizing you, but I’m really nto sure anymore of what you understand and what you don’t. Anyway: my group is a group of people who represent those who want changes in our laws. We particularly want to remove a lot of the censorship laws and the laws that prevent LGBTQ people from holding office, marrying, or living together intimately. However we cannot openly say that last because it’s against the law—so we have to change the law first or risk being put in jail and fined, losing jobs, maybe even exiled or sent to a penal colony or penal battalion.

“There are some in our government who want things to be the same but more lenient—lighter sentences, that sort of thing. Our former President of the Council, General Pahath-Moab, was like that. But he’s dead. The current government is like this:

He began ticking off points on his fingers. “The Chamber of Deputies has no majority political group; it’s almost all even. So the Free Congress and the Wisdom Party, those factions are conservative about the Morality Act when it comes to LGBTQ people, censorship and biblical supremacy in law—but they’re divided about the Compulsory Nudity Act, which the Free Congress wants and the Wisdom Party doesn’t. The Intellectual Party wants a division of church and state completely. And that leaves the Christian Social Democratic Party and a few independents—they’re the linchpins. The CSDP want to review the whole thing. They are mostly academics you see.

“Now: the King and Queen really want this to be just and fair, so we hear, so that’s why that conference is happening. The King and Queen—everyoen likes and admires them—well mostly anyway. But they’re…’ he sketched the air with his hands. “I don’t know. The King is so remote, no one knows much about him persnoally; he is known to be honourable, to have been a very good admiral in our navy, and was one of the strongest promoters of constitutional monarchy before he became King. He headed the National Electiosn Committee. But he’s a remote distant kind fo person, so who knows what he thinks? He almost never gives interviews or explains himself other than…” Lucius grins. “He reminds me of an officer we had on the ship I served on. Everything by the book.”

“The Queen is known to be merciful and kind; she is very brave personally and often lives by example. She has doen a lot for the poor, and headed the Agricultural Reform Act. There are some funny rumours about her personally—she spent a lot of time in Cacerta and Adiron. Cacerta in particular is known for being, well, kind of pansexual. I mean you can have sex in public there. Before our Third Civil War some preachers were calling for her to abdicate because fo the rumours about her. She’s had two marriages annulled for lack fo consummation fo the marriage.” Lucius glanced at Franklin sadly. “Sometimes I imagine that maybe…well maybe she doesn’t really enjoy sex with men or something like that. It would be really sad if she HAD to, if you know what I mean.”

He laughed. “I’m rambling a bit. Anway: the Council of Ministers are all appointed by the King and Queen. But some of them were appointed by the Heir—by the Queen’s younger sister Princess Jocasta, who is very very conservative.”

“So what does all this mean? It means we have to agitate, persuade, argue, protest, get people to see that we’re right and they’re wrong,” he said with a grin in spite of his weariness.

“Excuse me,” said a voice.

Lucius turned and saw a middle aged man, wearing a coverall and holding a dustpan and a broom. “Yes?”

“Are you Lucius Nimrod, of the Freedom Group?” asked the man.

“Yes, and who might you be?” Lucius asked him.

“Amos Hamon is my name,” the man said. “You were just on television, testifying at that committee or conference or whatever, right?”

“Yes, that’s right,” said Lucius.

“Well, most people in this country—we don’t’ want a lot of trouble, but we also just want to live as the Lord intended, and we don’t need people telling us how to live differently,” said the man firmly.

“I don’t intend to tell anyone how to live, sir,” said Lucius. “I want in fact to do jus the opposite.”

“Well…” the man looked thoughtful, but then looked at him stubbornly. “Why don’t you go to one of those foreign places where being a homo is legal then, and not trouble us?” the man shook his head and walked away quickly.

Lucius laughed ruefully. “Well, that’s progress. Five years ago he might have tried to stone me. God bless General Pahath-Moab.”

[Doppio Giudici]

Near the Sharra Estate

He looked around him and sighed softly. The houses were not all clustered together for security. They didn't share a couple or more yards that existed around them. When he saw the children and noticed that the people around them didn't look like them, seemed maybe older; he hoped he was close to an orphanage. He was not, these houses didn't have the markings. He was told back home that none of these houses would be populated by people who the nation depended on for economic or physical security. Things were very different out here, there wasn't enough high walls; there wasn't enough cameras and search lights. He frowned when he saw all the many amusements, one of the many weaknesses his people had. Art was nearly impossible to produce by their hands, no matter how hard they tried they just projected their suffering, their anger, and their fear. Many great men and women had tried, but ended up just making what appeared to be propaganda. Art had to be imported, artists had to be imported even more. The recent rap and nu-metal industries were a god-send, something they finally made on their own. Maybe someday someone out there was understand what it all meant. Franklin had been listening, he really had been; but all of this was a lot to process. He turned his head around to look back a the stranger, holding both his fists up and then slamming the sides of them together.

"Jesus was killed by old, rich men who wanted to maintain the current order." Franklin stated "Only this time, we are not going to get martyred."

He pulled himself away, panting, facing forward. The words "Penal battalion" went on and on in his head. He could hear the gunfire and the screams. He had worked with slaves who were bought and freed, who had pledged themselves to the Emperor. He had seen and heard how badly their minds were damaged, how paranoid they were. Some of them couldn't feel empathy, some of them were very violent. When they were left to their work, their old masters would lose ships in the middle of the ocean; bad people would turn up with a knife in the neck.

"How do you live like this?" He asked "Penal battalions'? That's slavery, that's persecution."

He placed a hand on each of Lucius's shoulders, looking him dead in the eyes.

"You want to agitate this?" Franklin questioned "To protest this?"

He sighed and lets go, swallowing.

"We have fascist states fighting beside us, because they know that being on our side and following our direction means weapons." He noted "It means victory and conquest. They don't have penal battalions, they are talking about colonies; but those will be filled by the people who rape and kill civilians. My nation is fighting nations right now that have penal battalions, we are beginning a state of total war."

He lifted his hand up and moved it around, gesturing to this whole country.

"I'm scared." Franklin admitted "I really need your help, I'm very much not sure now. Would trading with your people really make things better? Or would it just line their coffers so they could afford more prisons and more beatings? I was hoping good and honest trade would lift people out of poverty, would nudge your nation a mm towards a more loving place."

He lowered his head and sighed, bowing a bit. He crossed his arm diagonally across his chest. His heart hurt in his chest, this place was awful in his eyes.

"I'm sorry I'm so emotional." he apologized.

[New Edom]

Near the Sharra Estate

"You're a trade envoy of some kind?" Lucius said, a bit confused. "I thought you were an activist.

"Well, it probably is hard for yout o believe, since I find, sadly, that most progressives don't see any middle ground...but anyway New Edom has been influenced a lot by friendly trade and relations with foreign countries." He was getting a little tired, it wa hard to get through to foreigners on this kind of thing. "For example: the nations of Lamoni and Adiron have hugely influenced our country, I believe for the better, through trade and aid. Lamoni helped us develop a new educational system. Adiron helped us develop a democracy. Our trade is very important. But I can't help you with that, because I dont' know all the details of how it worked.

"What i do know is the results. The Legion Foundation, which is based out of a nation that is rather liberal compared to ours, helped fund our Agricultural Reform Project." Lucius smiled at him a bit warily. "So we are trying. I realize it is not fast enough for most people who don't like how we do things. If you want to talk trade, you need to present yourself in some way as some kind of envoy."

[Doppio Giudici]

Near the Sharra Estate

"I am a reporter, I was sent to film the injustice of the outside world and convince my people to act." He stated "The war against authoritarianism has brought my people hope, courage, brotherhood, friendship, and a great opportunity to make the world a better place by doing what we do best. We will not soon forget what you have done for us."

He walked slowly and gazed off at something that was far away, perhaps to far away for the human eyes to even see. The places that were sculpted into his arms, into his mind and very soul. The places that he had done right by and wish he could do more by again. Without even looking he pulled out a plastic ID card and offered it to Lucius. It has his name on it, his picture, his birth date, his hair color, his blood type, and his eye color. Below it it showed the words in bold "Security Level 9". On the back there was an expiration date, next month on the first day. There on the back was the signature of Emperor Peter and President Vigor, of Vadia and Doppio respectively.

"The signature on my card is slightly different, this comes straight from the top." Franklin admitted "My government has given me copies of what appear to be your naturalization papers. Should you be jailed or something like that, they will find another copy of your papers; that you had signed at some point or other."

He turned and looked back at his friend, looking a little unsure.

"Those papers are kept somewhere safe, they only exist if they need to." He explained "Command insists that you help me speak on our behalf, they are willing to let you push for terms of your own and use our own assets to obtain them. We are hoping you will use our vast mineral and material stockpiles to get your friends moved out of prison, perhaps to a more effective one in Vadia."

Franklin shrugged and looked up, pacing a little bit. This was a lot happening pretty fast.

"You know the people government here, you care about this place." Franklin reminded his friend "You get protection, you get some money to fund your campaign for justice, and in exchange we don't have to learn your political system. It's a complicated system, it doesn't make any sense to me. I have this bad feeling like I am supposed to bribe people or smile through my teeth at people who hate me, but I have no idea."

He sighed and pressed his hands on his friends shoulders, before begging him.

"Please." He asked "If not for my people or our friendship, at least for your own movement."