The Power Breakfast [ATTN Luziyca]

[Namor]

Namo International Airport | Namo, Capital District, People's Republic of Namor
October 7

---

It was that time of history again.

Almost every politician and pundit is calling it the big face-to-face spit battle, but President-General Fu, having mastered diplomatic language, preferred to use the term "constructive meeting." His willingness to have Shjoraski in the Namorese capital has made some uncomfortable and caught others off guard---almost nobody had expected detente to rise so dramatically and high. Although it was no secret Fu wanted to strengthen relations with Namor's enemy, moral and traditional alike, people had thought a smaller step would be taken, such as a summit in...Nantai? But in fact the administration did not want a summit in Nantai, being that it's disputed and top leaders are unwilling to visit occupied territory, at least not yet.

The most powerful man in Namor, the same man everybody once knew as the charismatic chopstick salesperson, was now walking out the door of Namo International Airport, followed by security guards and other top officials ("imperial ministers" as some call them in hushed whispers), people who mattered in politics. Summer is dying everywhere in Esquarium by now, but it is reluctant to release the southern coast of Namor, but it eventually will in a matter of weeks. Brushing through everyone's faces was a mildly warm breeze. Fu took that as a symbol of relations between his country and Luziyca.

Still warm when it isn't supposed to be. Well, then. Fuck Nature.

He continued wondering to himself as officials kept waiting for Shjoraski's plane to appear from nowhere and descend.

Thank Heaven I'm here and not Kenyen. Else I would've had to bow in front of him, on my soil! Nushen...

He quickly stamped away that thought when someone tapped his back. A security guard.

"Yes?"

"The plane is here. It has entered Capital District airspace and is set to land soon."

"Is everything all right? Make sure nothing screws up. Although," Fu paused, smiling, "we can return the favor by having the military band peeps play the wrong anthem like they did to Wolf back then. Oh, I'm just kidding."

Before the two had any time to speak, the plane was spotted, and in seconds' time it landed on the runway and into Namorese soil. The journalists, who were standing from a distance, marveled at the scene and took pictures. They didn't not have a reason to---for the first time in history, the president of Luziyca is coming to town. Fu maintained an upright posture, thinking to himself what might've happened if this event occurred when the Green Fever was ongoing. KGB agents would've had their cuffs ready.

"One, two, three, play!"

The band struck up the tune. Fu slowly and quietly tapped to it. He had to admit, the band was doing a wonderful job.

[Luziyca]

October 7, 2014
Air Force One had been carrying the President for the past few hours. Shjoraski looked out the window many times, admiring the views of Namor.

"I got to say," Shjoraski remarked, "Namor looks quite beautiful. Luziyca is moreso, but Namor is quite beautiful. I feel that on the ground, many people will respect me, somewhat."

As he approached the runway, Shjoraski felt awkward: he was the first Luziycan President to have set foot on Namorese soil, and he felt sort of nervous, worrying that he may be not welcome. An aide came up to him.

"Sir, do you need anything?" she asks.
Shjoraski replied, "I would like a quarter-shot of whiskey, please."
"Coming right up." She hands Shjoraski a small amount of whiskey, and he drinks it rather quickly. "Do you like it?"
"I do, madam, thank you," Shjoraski replies. His plane will soon approach Namo, and he saw the vast expanse. He knew it was larger than even Gijirokastra, and he saw all types of housing, from poor to rich, from suburban to skyscrapers. His plane soon descended onto the runway, and made a smooth landing.

"Shjoraski..." the aide informs.
"I know, I'm in..." he says, before being cut off by the aide.
"Welcome to Namo." she finishes.
"I know my geography, madam," Shjoraski says curtly. He then stands up and heads to the door, seeing a red carpet. The aides hold briefcases, many security guards, but some as administrative assistants like the lady that was asking how Shjoraski is doing.

She opens the door, and Shjoraski steps out, waving to the crowd, or at least those that have gathered here, and is struck by how hot it is: back in Bethlehem, while it was windy, it was quite cool at 14 degrees. He knew that autumn was well on its way back home, but it felt quite warm here. With that in mind, Shjoraski strode confidently with purpose down the red carpet until he saw President-General Fu Wen.

"Greetings, your excellency," he began, and extended his hand for Fu to shake.

[Namor]

The door of the plane opened, Fu almost forgot what he wanted to say. It was indeed a tense and landmark moment, but when he realized that he quickly recalled his line, holding it there in his head.

And there he saw him. Luziycan president Breuvi Shjoraski, walking down the stairs, and soon enough he was extending a hand out to the President-General for him to shake---not before Fu had also extended his hand. Shjoraski spoke first, and Fu thought it a little too formal. He decided to make his Luziycan counterpart feel homey.

"Welcome to Namor, President Shjoraski," he said with a wide grin. "It is a pleasure to have you here." Then something that might elicit a brief conversational exchange. "The weather isn't something you'd expect, eh? I hear it's always cold out west. But again, welcome to my country."

He then continued to introduce the rest of the "ruling clique," as some may call it. "This," Fu said, pointing at a tall and skinny man standing from behind, "is Vice President Derrick Lee."

Lee made the smile businesspeople always make in meetings. "Welcome, Mr. President," and extended a hand.

Fu went on. "Foreign Minister Shen Wuhong..."

"Priveta, Gospodin President," the Foreign Minister said in his broken Luziycan.

"...And a bunch of other people you'll be meeting today," concluded Fu. "Heck, you'll probably meet more politicians and others in Namor than any Luziycan leader."

[Luziyca]

The door of the plane opened, Fu almost forgot what he wanted to say. It was indeed a tense and landmark moment, but when he realized that he quickly recalled his line, holding it there in his head.

And there he saw him. Luziycan president Breuvi Shjoraski, walking down the stairs, and soon enough he was extending a hand out to the President-General for him to shake---not before Fu had also extended his hand. Shjoraski spoke first, and Fu thought it a little too formal. He decided to make his Luziycan counterpart feel homey.

"Welcome to Namor, President Shjoraski," he said with a wide grin. "It is a pleasure to have you here." Then something that might elicit a brief conversational exchange. "The weather isn't something you'd expect, eh? I hear it's always cold out west. But again, welcome to my country."

He then continued to introduce the rest of the "ruling clique," as some may call it. "This," Fu said, pointing at a tall and skinny man standing from behind, "is Vice President Derrick Lee."

Lee made the smile businesspeople always make in meetings. "Welcome, Mr. President," and extended a hand.

Fu went on. "Foreign Minister Shen Wuhong..."

"Priveta, Gospodin President," the Foreign Minister said in his broken Luziycan.

"...And a bunch of other people you'll be meeting today," concluded Fu. "Heck, you'll probably meet more politicians and others in Namor than any Luziycan leader."

"Thank you, Mr. Fu," Shjoraski replied. "I know, but perhaps it is because unlike you, we tend to have quite cool currents. That said, Lombardia is a bit like Namo in terms of climate."

He then shook Lee's hands. "Hello, Mr. Lee. I'm President Breuvi Shjoraski," then shook Shen, and when he heard Fu's reply, he was amazed.

Shjoraski thought to himself, "Fu ought to be kidding." upon hearing how he will meet more politicians and others in Namor than any Luziycan leader.

[Namor]

Italicized words are in Namorese.

Fu saw that Shjoraski looked surprised, and chuckled. "It's no joke, actually. Consider that no Luziycan president, let alone any Pope, came here since antiquity. Until someone else comes along, for now you're going to meet more politicians than any person in Luziyca. Hopefully relations between our two countries...un-cool so this happens.

"Oh, and did I mention? You're going to be the first Luziycan to speak to the press and the Central Council, too," he said before lowering his voice. "Typically the media doesn't want to show you speaking to the Namorese public, but in the end it'll all blow over." He didn't mention that perhaps addressing the Namorese legislature would be the most difficult part of the summit, as there's more firebrands who are anti-Luziycan for life.

An aide tapped him, and Fu turned for a moment. "Yes?" he asked in Namorese.

"The limousines are ready, Your Excellency. Everything has been prepared in the Executive House, too."

"Glad to hear." Fu turned back to Shjoraski and the rest of the Luziycan delegation. "We can go now. Cars are waiting outdoors. Better leave before rush hour comes, I don't want thousands of people lounging at the airport seeing us. I mean, who knows what they want to do. Let's go. There's a whole ceremony to brace for."

The procession filed out the airport and the band continued to play their tune until they were definitely out, and they stopped playing.Two limousines were waiting at the road which connected the airport to the nearest highway---the one in the front was for the President-General, and the one in the back was for the Luziycan President, marked by Namorese and Luziycan flags. Fu pointed towards the latter limousine for Shjoraski. "After you," he said, meaning that he won't enter his limousine until Shjoraski enters his. Yet another sign of Namorese courtesy, although some frowned since it looked as if the President-General was pampering the leader of the "imperialist world."

Liberation Square

---

Standing in a straight line in the largest public square in Namor and all Esquarium, the Combined Honor Guard of the Namorese Liberation Army was waiting for the two leaders, so they can review the honor guard as leaders always do in state visits. The square had been sealed off from visitors, and the sides of the square were packed by journalists, KGB agents and security officials, the latter two making sure nothing bad happens as history is being made.

Liberation Square is in the smack center of Imin, the "capital district of Capital District" as some like to all it, which is in the smack center of Namo. It is where all the government buildings are located, and did not look a bit like its southern counterpart, Dacheng, where skyscrapers poke through clouds and serve as a symbol of modern Namor.

Two limousines appeared from the distance, and the Combined Honor Guard stood ready. One of them shouted "SALUTE!", and in perfect unison the guards all saluted President-General Fu and President Shjoraski once the two hopped off their limousines. It was time for the two leaders to review the military honor guard.

"Please, Mr. President," said Fu to Shjoraski, and the two began walking side by side to review the guards.

[Luziyca]

Italicized words are in Namorese.

Fu saw that Shjoraski looked surprised, and chuckled. "It's no joke, actually. Consider that no Luziycan president, let alone any Pope, came here since antiquity. Until someone else comes along, for now you're going to meet more politicians than any person in Luziyca. Hopefully relations between our two countries...un-cool so this happens.

Shjoraski said, "Interesting, Mr. Fu. It will be an honor to meet your counterparts, and ensure that we are all on the same page here. Hopefully, our relations will improve dramatically: already in the past while, we've saw lots of trade increases, and a decrease of Namophobia back in Luziyca."

"Oh, and did I mention? You're going to be the first Luziycan to speak to the press and the Central Council, too," he said before lowering his voice. "Typically the media doesn't want to show you speaking to the Namorese public, but in the end it'll all blow over." He didn't mention that perhaps addressing the Namorese legislature would be the most difficult part of the summit, as there's more firebrands who are anti-Luziycan for life.

An aide tapped him, and Fu turned for a moment. "Yes?" he asked in Namorese.

"The limousines are ready, Your Excellency. Everything has been prepared in the Executive House, too."

"Glad to hear." Fu turned back to Shjoraski and the rest of the Luziycan delegation. "We can go now. Cars are waiting outdoors. Better leave before rush hour comes, I don't want thousands of people lounging at the airport seeing us. I mean, who knows what they want to do. Let's go. There's a whole ceremony to brace for."

The procession filed out the airport and the band continued to play their tune until they were definitely out, and they stopped playing.Two limousines were waiting at the road which connected the airport to the nearest highway---the one in the front was for the President-General, and the one in the back was for the Luziycan President, marked by Namorese and Luziycan flags. Fu pointed towards the latter limousine for Shjoraski. "After you," he said, meaning that he won't enter his limousine until Shjoraski enters his. Yet another sign of Namorese courtesy, although some frowned since it looked as if the President-General was pampering the leader of the "imperialist world."

Shjoraski said, "It will be interesting to address the press and the Central Council. The fact that you've giving me the permission to speak in front of your legislature is quite interesting, and I will look forward to that, especially speaking to them in Namorese." He chuckled and continued, "I hope they can understand a Slavic accent though on top of the Kenyen dialect," which forms the basis of Namorese in Luziyca, "for that is what we usually teach our children when we teach Namorese, unless if they are diplomats or someone from outside Nantai."

When Shjoraski heard that the cars were waiting outside and that they must go, he said, "I am ready. I have come all this way, we may as well get to where-ever we are supposed to go," and when Fu told him "After you," Shjoraski thought, and Shjoraski said, "Thank you, Mr. Fu," and got into the limo.

Liberation Square

---

Standing in a straight line in the largest public square in Namor and all Esquarium, the Combined Honor Guard of the Namorese Liberation Army was waiting for the two leaders, so they can review the honor guard as leaders always do in state visits. The square had been sealed off from visitors, and the sides of the square were packed by journalists, KGB agents and security officials, the latter two making sure nothing bad happens as history is being made.

Liberation Square is in the smack center of Imin, the "capital district of Capital District" as some like to all it, which is in the smack center of Namo. It is where all the government buildings are located, and did not look a bit like its southern counterpart, Dacheng, where skyscrapers poke through clouds and serve as a symbol of modern Namor.

Two limousines appeared from the distance, and the Combined Honor Guard stood ready. One of them shouted "SALUTE!", and in perfect unison the guards all saluted President-General Fu and President Shjoraski once the two hopped off their limousines. It was time for the two leaders to review the military honor guard.

"Please, Mr. President," said Fu to Shjoraski, and the two began walking side by side to review the guards.

"Thank you," Shjoraski replied to Mr. Fu, and he walked closely to Mr. Fu, matching the walking speed. Shjoraski looked at the Namorese soldiers, and he felt like he was a very important guest. Some probably fought in the past war back in 1996, and he nodded at all of them.

Shjoraski thought to himself "Mrs. Wolf received a rather cold treatment from us, while they treat us, the Luzzies, very warmly. I feel that Fu Wen has probably realized how serious we are with detente."

[Namor]

Shjoraski said, "It will be interesting to address the press and the Central Council. The fact that you've giving me the permission to speak in front of your legislature is quite interesting, and I will look forward to that, especially speaking to them in Namorese." He chuckled and continued, "I hope they can understand a Slavic accent though on top of the Kenyen dialect," which forms the basis of Namorese in Luziyca, "for that is what we usually teach our children when we teach Namorese, unless if they are diplomats or someone from outside Nantai."

When Shjoraski heard that the cars were waiting outside and that they must go, he said, "I am ready. I have come all this way, we may as well get to where-ever we are supposed to go," and when Fu told him "After you," Shjoraski thought, and Shjoraski said, "Thank you, Mr. Fu," and got into the limo.

"Luziycans speak Namorese?" asked Fu, an expression of surprise in his face. "I didn't...know that. You should use the tongue you're most comfortable with, because you really don't want to be misquoted, especially by some hothead politicians."

"Thank you," Shjoraski replied to Mr. Fu, and he walked closely to Mr. Fu, matching the walking speed. Shjoraski looked at the Namorese soldiers, and he felt like he was a very important guest. Some probably fought in the past war back in 1996, and he nodded at all of them.

Shjoraski thought to himself "Mrs. Wolf received a rather cold treatment from us, while they treat us, the Luzzies, very warmly. I feel that Fu Wen has probably realized how serious we are with detente."

Obviously, no one in the Combined Guard had fought in the Third Namo-Luziycan War, nor were they ever dispatched near the Luziycan border. Fu didn't want to mention the war for now, since he was serving a guest from Luziyca and he didn't want things to turn sour, at least not yet.

When the review was over, it was time for the national anthems to be played. Two, shorter flagpoles stood in front of the tall flagpole standing in the center of Liberation Square (which bore the Namorese flag). As courtesy mandates, the anthem of the guest nation is to be played first. A group of Combined Honor Guardsmen marched towards one of the two flagpoles in solemnity, holding the Luziycan flag, the green-white-blue horizontal tricolor. Fu inwardly laughed that despite all the differences, the Luziycan and Namorese flags share the same colors. Can this be a basis for better relations in the future?

No time to think about that now.

Fu stood there, arms stiffly placed by his sides as the band struck up the Luziycan anthem, expecting Shjoraski to perform some patriotic gesture. Then, once that was over, the Namorese flag was raised in the second flagpole and the Namorese anthem was played. Fu then placed his hand over his heart throughout the duration of the anthem.

The band finished playing, and a 21 gun-salute was performed. To some this seemed bizarre; some had, after all, objected to the idea of welcoming the Luziycan leader too lavishly. But Fu insisted that this is a high-profile visit and must begin with a sense of energy.

"I suppose," Fu told Shjoraski later on as the two leaders walked away from the square as the ceremony ended, "you found this a little too welcoming, eh? Well, we like to have our arms wide open."

[Luziyca]

Shjoraski said, "It will be interesting to address the press and the Central Council. The fact that you've giving me the permission to speak in front of your legislature is quite interesting, and I will look forward to that, especially speaking to them in Namorese." He chuckled and continued, "I hope they can understand a Slavic accent though on top of the Kenyen dialect," which forms the basis of Namorese in Luziyca, "for that is what we usually teach our children when we teach Namorese, unless if they are diplomats or someone from outside Nantai."

When Shjoraski heard that the cars were waiting outside and that they must go, he said, "I am ready. I have come all this way, we may as well get to where-ever we are supposed to go," and when Fu told him "After you," Shjoraski thought, and Shjoraski said, "Thank you, Mr. Fu," and got into the limo.

"Luziycans speak Namorese?" asked Fu, an expression of surprise in his face. "I didn't...know that. You should use the tongue you're most comfortable with, because you really don't want to be misquoted, especially by some hothead politicians."

"Some of us can," he says. "Most of those that can speak Namorese come from Nantai, though. I will use English, since I feel most can understand that tongue, unlike Luziycan."

"Thank you," Shjoraski replied to Mr. Fu, and he walked closely to Mr. Fu, matching the walking speed. Shjoraski looked at the Namorese soldiers, and he felt like he was a very important guest. Some probably fought in the past war back in 1996, and he nodded at all of them.

Shjoraski thought to himself "Mrs. Wolf received a rather cold treatment from us, while they treat us, the Luzzies, very warmly. I feel that Fu Wen has probably realized how serious we are with detente."

Obviously, no one in the Combined Guard had fought in the Third Namo-Luziycan War, nor were they ever dispatched near the Luziycan border. Fu didn't want to mention the war for now, since he was serving a guest from Luziyca and he didn't want things to turn sour, at least not yet.

When the review was over, it was time for the national anthems to be played. Two, shorter flagpoles stood in front of the tall flagpole standing in the center of Liberation Square (which bore the Namorese flag). As courtesy mandates, the anthem of the guest nation is to be played first. A group of Combined Honor Guardsmen marched towards one of the two flagpoles in solemnity, holding the Luziycan flag, the green-white-blue horizontal tricolor. Fu inwardly laughed that despite all the differences, the Luziycan and Namorese flags share the same colors. Can this be a basis for better relations in the future?

No time to think about that now.

Fu stood there, arms stiffly placed by his sides as the band struck up the Luziycan anthem, expecting Shjoraski to perform some patriotic gesture. Then, once that was over, the Namorese flag was raised in the second flagpole and the Namorese anthem was played. Fu then placed his hand over his heart throughout the duration of the anthem.

The band finished playing, and a 21 gun-salute was performed. To some this seemed bizarre; some had, after all, objected to the idea of welcoming the Luziycan leader too lavishly. But Fu insisted that this is a high-profile visit and must begin with a sense of energy.

"I suppose," Fu told Shjoraski later on as the two leaders walked away from the square as the ceremony ended, "you found this a little too welcoming, eh? Well, we like to have our arms wide open."

When the Luziycan anthem began, he put his hand to his heart and began singing: "Moya strana tis tebya..." Every time he heard it, he could not resist joining in singing the anthem, that had carried so many memories, both when he was a child, and now, since he had been President and hearing it all the time, he still had the urge to join in.

After the Luziycan anthem ended and the Namorese anthem began, he kept his hand at his heart, albeit not joining in since he didn't know how to sing it. Not that it really mattered. For the remainder of the anthem, he felt assured and confident. After that, he was amazed by the 21-gun salute.

With that, after the ceremony ends and Shjoraski heard Fu's remark, he replied, "It is interesting to see this ceremony to welcome a leader from a nation which for so long, your government had opposed before we finally normalized relations."

Shjoraski then pointed out, "If you wonder why our flags have the same three colors, Mr. Fu, for Luziyca, there are two common meanings to the flag. Officially, white stands for the snow that rests on the ground in the winter and year-round in the mountains, green for the forests and fields that predominate the country, and blue for the waters that bring forth life to many Luziycans. But a more common meaning and the former official meaning was that white stood for the Kingdom of Bethlehem, green for the Empire of Lombardia, and blue for the Empire of Inleda."

[Namor]

With that, after the ceremony ends and Shjoraski heard Fu's remark, he replied, "It is interesting to see this ceremony to welcome a leader from a nation which for so long, your government had opposed before we finally normalized relations."

Shjoraski then pointed out, "If you wonder why our flags have the same three colors, Mr. Fu, for Luziyca, there are two common meanings to the flag. Officially, white stands for the snow that rests on the ground in the winter and year-round in the mountains, green for the forests and fields that predominate the country, and blue for the waters that bring forth life to many Luziycans. But a more common meaning and the former official meaning was that white stood for the Kingdom of Bethlehem, green for the Empire of Lombardia, and blue for the Empire of Inleda."

"Oh, it's nothing." Fu swiftly shifted to modesty. "Here in Namor there is a saying---A visitor is always accompanied with a cup of tea. We're not going to drink tea yet, but, you get the point. You crossed the most heavily-defended border to see me here, there's no way we're going to welcome you coldly.

"And yes, our flags do have the same three colors, but our colors stand for things totally different. You see, the green stands for the Namorese Revolution. Blue is the waters of the Nozama River, and white symbolizes the promise of a free, democratic country the Liberationists took over the country to build, although I daresay they didn't do that the first two decades of their rule. The red star---" he extended an arm at the red star in the flag's charge, "stands for unity, unity in this nation of nations." The President-General put much emphasis on the word "unity."

An aide walked over. "President-General," he told Fu, "if he's willing he can make a speech right now. The podium is ready."

"Ah, a speech!" Fu turned to Shjoraski. "A great moment for one, and a moment that will go down in history because it's not every day you see a Luziycan leader speaking here. Pray go forth." He patted Shjoraski's back, urging him to address the world from Namo. "The podium is there for you."

[Luziyca]

With that, after the ceremony ends and Shjoraski heard Fu's remark, he replied, "It is interesting to see this ceremony to welcome a leader from a nation which for so long, your government had opposed before we finally normalized relations."

Shjoraski then pointed out, "If you wonder why our flags have the same three colors, Mr. Fu, for Luziyca, there are two common meanings to the flag. Officially, white stands for the snow that rests on the ground in the winter and year-round in the mountains, green for the forests and fields that predominate the country, and blue for the waters that bring forth life to many Luziycans. But a more common meaning and the former official meaning was that white stood for the Kingdom of Bethlehem, green for the Empire of Lombardia, and blue for the Empire of Inleda."

"Oh, it's nothing." Fu swiftly shifted to modesty. "Here in Namor there is a saying---A visitor is always accompanied with a cup of tea. We're not going to drink tea yet, but, you get the point. You crossed the most heavily-defended border to see me here, there's no way we're going to welcome you coldly.

"And yes, our flags do have the same three colors, but our colors stand for things totally different. You see, the green stands for the Namorese Revolution. Blue is the waters of the Nozama River, and white symbolizes the promise of a free, democratic country the Liberationists took over the country to build, although I daresay they didn't do that the first two decades of their rule. The red star---" he extended an arm at the red star in the flag's charge, "stands for unity, unity in this nation of nations." The President-General put much emphasis on the word "unity."

An aide walked over. "President-General," he told Fu, "if he's willing he can make a speech right now. The podium is ready."

"Ah, a speech!" Fu turned to Shjoraski. "A great moment for one, and a moment that will go down in history because it's not every day you see a Luziycan leader speaking here. Pray go forth." He patted Shjoraski's back, urging him to address the world from Namo. "The podium is there for you."

"Thank you," he replied. "It has been an honor to have me visit your great nation, and I must say, I am quite amazed by the warm reception."

He listened intently to Fu's explanation of the flag of Namor, before the aide told Fu that Shjoraski needs to make a speech.

When he heard the offer, he said, "Thank you." After a quick sip of water, he stepped onto the podium.

"Dear citizens of the Namorese nation," Shjoraski began and paused, looking at the crowd. "For generations, this visit has been thought of something impossible, about as likely to happen as Hell freezing over: it couldn't be done. When I was a child, many East Luziycans felt that Namor was a communist state, and I am certain many older people will still believe it, as well as those in the Bible Belt. But the Namor that I am in today is not the Namor of the Green Fever."

He paused to accentuate the effect, then resumed.

"Unlike the time of the Green Fever, Namor is a thriving democracy. While it is not as rich or prosperous as us, the gap is closing rapidly, and Namor's strength is not to be messed with. It is becoming a very important superpower, and in the coming years, the relations between Namor and Luziyca will be very crucial to the stability of at the very least, Western Esquarium, but most likely the entire region."

He continues, "Thus, we feel that it is advantageous to ensure that relations between our two nations be strengthened, and to settle our problems, such as the territorial dispute in Nantai, as well as to increase areas of co-operation such as in the field of trade. I will do everything I can to ensure that this dispute in Nantai is settled, and that a result of this meeting shall be increased trade: since normalization, trade with Namor has risen from virtually nil to being the third largest trading partner, and it may become the largest trading partner by this time next year, surpassing Geadland and Katranjiev."

Shjoraski concludes with "I sincerely hope the best for the nation, and I will make sure that detente will eventually blossom into friendly relations, maybe not in this lifetime, but in my children's lifetime."

[Namor]

"Thank you," he replied. "It has been an honor to have me visit your great nation, and I must say, I am quite amazed by the warm reception."

He listened intently to Fu's explanation of the flag of Namor, before the aide told Fu that Shjoraski needs to make a speech.

When he heard the offer, he said, "Thank you." After a quick sip of water, he stepped onto the podium.

"Dear citizens of the Namorese nation," Shjoraski began and paused, looking at the crowd. "For generations, this visit has been thought of something impossible, about as likely to happen as Hell freezing over: it couldn't be done. When I was a child, many East Luziycans felt that Namor was a communist state, and I am certain many older people will still believe it, as well as those in the Bible Belt. But the Namor that I am in today is not the Namor of the Green Fever."

He paused to accentuate the effect, then resumed.

"Unlike the time of the Green Fever, Namor is a thriving democracy. While it is not as rich or prosperous as us, the gap is closing rapidly, and Namor's strength is not to be messed with. It is becoming a very important superpower, and in the coming years, the relations between Namor and Luziyca will be very crucial to the stability of at the very least, Western Esquarium, but most likely the entire region."

He continues, "Thus, we feel that it is advantageous to ensure that relations between our two nations be strengthened, and to settle our problems, such as the territorial dispute in Nantai, as well as to increase areas of co-operation such as in the field of trade. I will do everything I can to ensure that this dispute in Nantai is settled, and that a result of this meeting shall be increased trade: since normalization, trade with Namor has risen from virtually nil to being the third largest trading partner, and it may become the largest trading partner by this time next year, surpassing Geadland and Katranjiev."

Behind Shjoraski as he made his speech, President-General Fu, Vice President Lee and a bunch of other Namorese leaders stood, listening attentively with looks of concern on their faces. Prior to the president stepping up to the podium, some silently protested allowing Shjoraski to make a speech as they thought he would mention taboo subjects among other muddy things that can only come out of the mouth of a Luziycan. Sure enough, when Shjoraski mentioned the Green Fever, Namor not being as prosperous as Luziyca and bombastic claims that Namor will surpass Geadland and Katranjiev to become Luziyca's largest trading partner by next year!, a few politicians wanted to request that someone unplug the microphone, but in front of the cameras they tried to hide their feelings. In all, though, they were relieved to hear that Shjoraski said the negative stuff was in the past and admitted Namor's rise in world affairs.

Up until this point, Fu's hospitable and extrovert countenance started showing signs of decay from Shjoraski's speech, but not so fast or significant for anyone to closely notice. Namor becoming Luziyca's largest trading partner by the end of next year? he thought in his head. Heavens, this guy's a dreamer. Did he go to church to pray for this?

Shjoraski concludes with "I sincerely hope the best for the nation, and I will make sure that detente will eventually blossom into friendly relations, maybe not in this lifetime, but in my children's lifetime."

President-General Fu regained his paramount smile and clapped his hands, while the politicians in the back applauded with restricted enthusiasm. As Shjoraski stepped down, Fu went forth to the podium and patted him in the back, again. "Nice speech," he complimented lightly, before turning away and continuing to make his way towards the same place where the Luziycan president made his speech.

"Citizens!" Fu began. "Er...."

..all of us surely paid a lot of attention to what Mr. President Shjoraski of Luziyca said a few moments ago. Looking back at history, it was only decades ago when people were paraded around by energetic youth and accused of being "Luziycan spies" or "CIA agents." It was only decades ago when relations between the People's Republic and Luziyca weren't so great. There were many misconceptions of our peoples, and different conditions in both our countries led to outbreak of hostilities. But as a saying goes, Two paths headed for the same place will inevitably have to merge. Namor and Luziyca are both large countries, both with citizens devoted to the greatness of their nations, both with a desire to be what they're destined to be. In a region with so many tensions, the emergence of new forces and faces, it is imperative that we come together, resolve our differences and identify just what exactly we have faults and agreements in. Namo-Luziycan relations entered a new chapter when Mrs. Wolf took a daring visit to Bethlehem a time ago. But that chapter the visit opened won't be complete, even by Mr. Shjoraski's honorable visit to our country today. Only when us Namorese and Luziycans learn to recognize our differences and live together in peace can we consider a new chapter in Esquarian history---a chapter of cooperation and diplomacy---to have begun.

It is my sincere hope that today, with Mr. Shjoraski visiting Namor and talking with me, that Namo-Luziycan relations will remain stable. Mr. Shjoraski already said what he plans on discussing with me once we get talking. He has his agenda and I have mine. We are going to argue, we are going to disagree, and who knows we might even fistfight. [crowd laughs, politicians chuckle] But in the end I will be happy that we had the guts to come together in this summit, and I hope Mr. Shjoraski does, too.

[Turns to Shjoraski] Thank you, Your Excellency for coming here, we appreciate it. [Turns back to audience] And thank you, fellow citizens, for making this possible. Thank you, thank you!

A loud applause. Fu grinned and went back to where Shjoraski and the politicians were standing. "It's all over," he said. "Now let us gather our things and get to the Executive House." He knew that the speeches didn't mean anything important, merely elements of interest that are gobbled up by the media. It was the coming dialogue that mattered.

Fu and Shjoraski both returned to their respective limousines. Meanwhile, someone from the crowd of journalists---a protester---was waving a flag of West Luziyca and shouting slogans directed at the Luziycan president, in Lombardian. "Presidente Shjoraski! Smettere di finanziare l'apartheid Arnborgese (President Shjoraski! Stop funding Arnborgese apartheid!)" and "Smettere di aiutare il governo Qianrongese (Stop helping the Qianrongese government)!" The protester was so loud and obnoxious that some cameras turned to him.

The protester kept shouting until security guards came. One of them smacked the protester in the mouth with a baton, and the other shoved him on the ground, before they towed him away. The protester's voice grew fainter and fainter until he was shut in the police van. "Hsieh Jiang-de è un dittatore! Hsieh Jiang-de è un dittatore! Shjoraski è un dittatore di un inferno capitalista che non ha i diritti umani ......."

Fu heard the protester but made sure he looked like he didn't notice.

[Luziyca]

"Thank you," he replied. "It has been an honor to have me visit your great nation, and I must say, I am quite amazed by the warm reception."

He listened intently to Fu's explanation of the flag of Namor, before the aide told Fu that Shjoraski needs to make a speech.

When he heard the offer, he said, "Thank you." After a quick sip of water, he stepped onto the podium.

"Dear citizens of the Namorese nation," Shjoraski began and paused, looking at the crowd. "For generations, this visit has been thought of something impossible, about as likely to happen as Hell freezing over: it couldn't be done. When I was a child, many East Luziycans felt that Namor was a communist state, and I am certain many older people will still believe it, as well as those in the Bible Belt. But the Namor that I am in today is not the Namor of the Green Fever."

He paused to accentuate the effect, then resumed.

"Unlike the time of the Green Fever, Namor is a thriving democracy. While it is not as rich or prosperous as us, the gap is closing rapidly, and Namor's strength is not to be messed with. It is becoming a very important superpower, and in the coming years, the relations between Namor and Luziyca will be very crucial to the stability of at the very least, Western Esquarium, but most likely the entire region."

He continues, "Thus, we feel that it is advantageous to ensure that relations between our two nations be strengthened, and to settle our problems, such as the territorial dispute in Nantai, as well as to increase areas of co-operation such as in the field of trade. I will do everything I can to ensure that this dispute in Nantai is settled, and that a result of this meeting shall be increased trade: since normalization, trade with Namor has risen from virtually nil to being the third largest trading partner, and it may become the largest trading partner by this time next year, surpassing Geadland and Katranjiev."

Behind Shjoraski as he made his speech, President-General Fu, Vice President Lee and a bunch of other Namorese leaders stood, listening attentively with looks of concern on their faces. Prior to the president stepping up to the podium, some silently protested allowing Shjoraski to make a speech as they thought he would mention taboo subjects among other muddy things that can only come out of the mouth of a Luziycan. Sure enough, when Shjoraski mentioned the Green Fever, Namor not being as prosperous as Luziyca and bombastic claims that Namor will surpass Geadland and Katranjiev to become Luziyca's largest trading partner by next year!, a few politicians wanted to request that someone unplug the microphone, but in front of the cameras they tried to hide their feelings. In all, though, they were relieved to hear that Shjoraski said the negative stuff was in the past and admitted Namor's rise in world affairs.

Up until this point, Fu's hospitable and extrovert countenance started showing signs of decay from Shjoraski's speech, but not so fast or significant for anyone to closely notice. Namor becoming Luziyca's largest trading partner by the end of next year? he thought in his head. Heavens, this guy's a dreamer. Did he go to church to pray for this?

Shjoraski concludes with "I sincerely hope the best for the nation, and I will make sure that detente will eventually blossom into friendly relations, maybe not in this lifetime, but in my children's lifetime."

President-General Fu regained his paramount smile and clapped his hands, while the politicians in the back applauded with restricted enthusiasm. As Shjoraski stepped down, Fu went forth to the podium and patted him in the back, again. "Nice speech," he complimented lightly, before turning away and continuing to make his way towards the same place where the Luziycan president made his speech.

"Thank you," Shjoraski said. He then stood back and listened intently to Fu Wen.

"Citizens!" Fu began. "Er...."

..all of us surely paid a lot of attention to what Mr. President Shjoraski of Luziyca said a few moments ago. Looking back at history, it was only decades ago when people were paraded around by energetic youth and accused of being "Luziycan spies" or "CIA agents." It was only decades ago when relations between the People's Republic and Luziyca weren't so great. There were many misconceptions of our peoples, and different conditions in both our countries led to outbreak of hostilities. But as a saying goes, Two paths headed for the same place will inevitably have to merge. Namor and Luziyca are both large countries, both with citizens devoted to the greatness of their nations, both with a desire to be what they're destined to be. In a region with so many tensions, the emergence of new forces and faces, it is imperative that we come together, resolve our differences and identify just what exactly we have faults and agreements in. Namo-Luziycan relations entered a new chapter when Mrs. Wolf took a daring visit to Bethlehem a time ago. But that chapter the visit opened won't be complete, even by Mr. Shjoraski's honorable visit to our country today. Only when us Namorese and Luziycans learn to recognize our differences and live together in peace can we consider a new chapter in Esquarian history---a chapter of cooperation and diplomacy---to have begun.

It is my sincere hope that today, with Mr. Shjoraski visiting Namor and talking with me, that Namo-Luziycan relations will remain stable. Mr. Shjoraski already said what he plans on discussing with me once we get talking. He has his agenda and I have mine. We are going to argue, we are going to disagree, and who knows we might even fistfight. [crowd laughs, politicians chuckle] But in the end I will be happy that we had the guts to come together in this summit, and I hope Mr. Shjoraski does, too.

[Turns to Shjoraski] Thank you, Your Excellency for coming here, we appreciate it. [Turns back to audience] And thank you, fellow citizens, for making this possible. Thank you, thank you!

A loud applause. Fu grinned and went back to where Shjoraski and the politicians were standing. "It's all over," he said. "Now let us gather our things and get to the Executive House." He knew that the speeches didn't mean anything important, merely elements of interest that are gobbled up by the media. It was the coming dialogue that mattered.

Shjoraski would enthusiastically applause, and said to Fu, "Indeed, we shall. Your speech has been interesting and basically gets right to the point." He then began to prepare, then headed to the limousine.

Fu and Shjoraski both returned to their respective limousines. Meanwhile, someone from the crowd of journalists---a protester---was waving a flag of West Luziyca and shouting slogans directed at the Luziycan president, in Lombardian. "Presidente Shjoraski! Smettere di finanziare l'apartheid Arnborgese (President Shjoraski! Stop funding Arnborgese apartheid!)" and "Smettere di aiutare il governo Qianrongese (Stop helping the Qianrongese government)!" The protester was so loud and obnoxious that some cameras turned to him.

The protester kept shouting until security guards came. One of them smacked the protester in the mouth with a baton, and the other shoved him on the ground, before they towed him away. The protester's voice grew fainter and fainter until he was shut in the police van. "Hsieh Jiang-de è un dittatore! Hsieh Jiang-de è un dittatore! Shjoraski è un dittatore di un inferno capitalista che non ha i diritti umani ......."

Fu heard the protester but made sure he looked like he didn't notice.

Shjoraski heard and glanced at the protester, shrugging as he did so, before preparing to get in. He didn't care about him and he felt pleased when it was fainter, until the police van carrying the protester left. He then got into the limo.

[Namor]

In Shjoraski's limousine

---

A motorcade escorted Fu and Shjoraski's limousines out of Liberation Square. The President-General's limousine rode in front, followed directly by Shjoraski's limousine. It wasn't a long ride to the Executive House, located only a few hundred meters north of the square. One could've just walked there, but for security purposes limousines carried the two leaders to the residence of the Namorese leader.

Outside of Shjoraski's limousine, the president can see more protesters, this time in the number of dozens, holding signs and shouting slogans. President-General Fu had explicitly ordered that protesters trying to prove a point to the Luziycan president be cleared out of Liberation Square, but due to freedom of speech and shit, protesters are still allowed to protest outside of Liberation Square.

One group of protesters belonged to the "Anti-CIA" movement. They waved Namorese flags and chanted "imperialist" at Shjoraski's limo. A handful of other slogans were shouted, such as "Get the hell out of Nantai" and "Feliks Oleg was a CIA agent, admit it!" Someone threw an object at the limousine; in fact, the object was an empty bottle of Refrigerium. The bottle hit a neighboring security agent's head, forcing him to swerve his motorcycle by a few feet. No trouble, move on.

Another group consisted of ethnic Qianrongese, tens of them, most likely Tuhaoese to be exact. "Dừng lại giúp Quan Rồng trong cuộc diệt chủng chống lại người dân của chúng tôi!" they hollered in unison in "Tuhaoese (rightfully Antelopian)." Then, in Namorese and English, one protester blasted through the loudspeaker, "President-General Fu, tell Mr. Shjoraski to cut all ties with the FDRQ!" The shouting was sure getting the attention of the limousine's driver.

Following that, a smaller group of environmentalists demanding Mr. Shjoraski admit the existence of global warming. One sign read in chicken-scratch letters, "Shjoraski, y u no dissolve Luzzyland?"

The driver laughed and turned to Shjoraski. "Looks like there's a party out there," he said.

[Luziyca]

In Shjoraski's limousine

---

A motorcade escorted Fu and Shjoraski's limousines out of Liberation Square. The President-General's limousine rode in front, followed directly by Shjoraski's limousine. It wasn't a long ride to the Executive House, located only a few hundred meters north of the square. One could've just walked there, but for security purposes limousines carried the two leaders to the residence of the Namorese leader.

Outside of Shjoraski's limousine, the president can see more protesters, this time in the number of dozens, holding signs and shouting slogans. President-General Fu had explicitly ordered that protesters trying to prove a point to the Luziycan president be cleared out of Liberation Square, but due to freedom of speech and shit, protesters are still allowed to protest outside of Liberation Square.

One group of protesters belonged to the "Anti-CIA" movement. They waved Namorese flags and chanted "imperialist" at Shjoraski's limo. A handful of other slogans were shouted, such as "Get the hell out of Nantai" and "Feliks Oleg was a CIA agent, admit it!" Someone threw an object at the limousine; in fact, the object was an empty bottle of Refrigerium. The bottle hit a neighboring security agent's head, forcing him to swerve his motorcycle by a few feet. No trouble, move on.

Another group consisted of ethnic Qianrongese, tens of them, most likely Tuhaoese to be exact. "Dừng lại giúp Quan Rồng trong cuộc diệt chủng chống lại người dân của chúng tôi!" they hollered in unison in "Tuhaoese (rightfully Antelopian)." Then, in Namorese and English, one protester blasted through the loudspeaker, "President-General Fu, tell Mr. Shjoraski to cut all ties with the FDRQ!" The shouting was sure getting the attention of the limousine's driver.

Following that, a smaller group of environmentalists demanding Mr. Shjoraski admit the existence of global warming. One sign read in chicken-scratch letters, "Shjoraski, y u no dissolve Luzzyland?"

The driver laughed and turned to Shjoraski. "Looks like there's a party out there," he said.

Shjoraski said, "No, it is a protest. I can tell by the signs, the slogans, and the shouting. But let them speak: they have the right of freedom of speech, in both of our countries." He was annoyed at the protesters, and hoped that he could get off soon and into the Executive House.

[Namor]

Shjoraski said, "No, it is a protest. I can tell by the signs, the slogans, and the shouting. But let them speak: they have the right of freedom of speech, in both of our countries." He was annoyed at the protesters, and hoped that he could get off soon and into the Executive House.

The driver didn't respond verbally, and instead focused on his driving. He felt surprised that the president of Luziyca would actually mention "right of freedom of speech, in both of our countries." It was something many Namorese, and possibly most Esquarians, believe Luziyca doesn't have.

But moving on, it was only a matter of a few minutes before the short ride to the Executive House ended. Because protesters were still not so far away, it was suggested to the driver that for security purposes, both Fu and Shjoraski's limousines move into the Executive House so to reduce the risk of outside assault.

The doors opened.

A crowd of aides let Shjoraski out of the limousine. From a few meters away, Fu had already departed his limousine and was waiting for Shjoraski to get settled. He caught Shjoraski's eye, and said, "Right here, this way."

The Namorese and Luziycan delegations entered a door located in the basement of the Executive House, which led to the first floor. A long hallway connected the door to the Unity Room, where the President-General met with dignitaries. The Unity Room was a large, oval-shaped room that made up the backbone of the Executive House; in detail, it looked rather modest, and probably not as lavish as the Presidential Palace in Bethlehem. Hung on the room's walls were various paintings and pictures, most significantly the portrait of Yunglang Antelope addressing a crowd in Liberation Square announcing the founding of the People's Republic; Liberationist troops in battle; Gretel (Yunglang's son) speaking with a few schoolgirls during the Minjuha era; and, finally, the late Kong Jo reviewing soldiers in the Third Namo-Luziycan War. These three pictures were most prominent, and when Fu glanced at the third one, he made a mental facepalm and hoped Shjoraski didn't know what that particular picture portrayed since the pictures were not accompanied by captions or anything.

There were two cushioned chairs in the middle of the room---one for Fu and one for Shjoraski. The two chairs are separated by a table which, standing on it, is a mini statue of a sword and bow-wielding Queen Nushen of Nozama. More chairs were set besides the two chairs; the ones on Fu's side were occupied by Namorese leaders and the ones on Shjoraski's side were sat on by members of the Luziycan delegation, whoever they were.

"Please sit, Mr. President," Fu told Shjoraski while extending a hand at his cushioned chair. "I hope you find this meeting room enjoyable, because this is where successive President-Generals have met world leaders in the past." Afterwards he turned to his aide. "Bring the president and I tea. We'll need them. Also, make sure the appropriate people are here and stay here. It is not an open-door summit." The aide nodded and hurried off.

"So, Mr. Shjoraski, we'll let you have the floor first," continued Fu, allowing Shjoraski to bring up anything that will begin the long discussion. Besides the two leaders, people were taking notes.

[Luziyca]

Shjoraski said, "No, it is a protest. I can tell by the signs, the slogans, and the shouting. But let them speak: they have the right of freedom of speech, in both of our countries." He was annoyed at the protesters, and hoped that he could get off soon and into the Executive House.

The driver didn't respond verbally, and instead focused on his driving. He felt surprised that the president of Luziyca would actually mention "right of freedom of speech, in both of our countries." It was something many Namorese, and possibly most Esquarians, believe Luziyca doesn't have.

But moving on, it was only a matter of a few minutes before the short ride to the Executive House ended. Because protesters were still not so far away, it was suggested to the driver that for security purposes, both Fu and Shjoraski's limousines move into the Executive House so to reduce the risk of outside assault.

The doors opened.

A crowd of aides let Shjoraski out of the limousine. From a few meters away, Fu had already departed his limousine and was waiting for Shjoraski to get settled. He caught Shjoraski's eye, and said, "Right here, this way."

The Namorese and Luziycan delegations entered a door located in the basement of the Executive House, which led to the first floor. A long hallway connected the door to the Unity Room, where the President-General met with dignitaries. The Unity Room was a large, oval-shaped room that made up the backbone of the Executive House; in detail, it looked rather modest, and probably not as lavish as the Presidential Palace in Bethlehem. Hung on the room's walls were various paintings and pictures, most significantly the portrait of Yunglang Antelope addressing a crowd in Liberation Square announcing the founding of the People's Republic; Liberationist troops in battle; Gretel (Yunglang's son) speaking with a few schoolgirls during the Minjuha era; and, finally, the late Kong Jo reviewing soldiers in the Third Namo-Luziycan War. These three pictures were most prominent, and when Fu glanced at the third one, he made a mental facepalm and hoped Shjoraski didn't know what that particular picture portrayed since the pictures were not accompanied by captions or anything.

There were two cushioned chairs in the middle of the room---one for Fu and one for Shjoraski. The two chairs are separated by a table which, standing on it, is a mini statue of a sword and bow-wielding Queen Nushen of Nozama. More chairs were set besides the two chairs; the ones on Fu's side were occupied by Namorese leaders and the ones on Shjoraski's side were sat on by members of the Luziycan delegation, whoever they were.

"Please sit, Mr. President," Fu told Shjoraski while extending a hand at his cushioned chair. "I hope you find this meeting room enjoyable, because this is where successive President-Generals have met world leaders in the past." Afterwards he turned to his aide. "Bring the president and I tea. We'll need them. Also, make sure the appropriate people are here and stay here. It is not an open-door summit." The aide nodded and hurried off.

"So, Mr. Shjoraski, we'll let you have the floor first," continued Fu, allowing Shjoraski to bring up anything that will begin the long discussion. Besides the two leaders, people were taking notes.

Shjoraski followed Mr. Fu from the basement to the first floor, walking down the hallway to the Unity Room.

When he saw it, he realized it wasn't as grand. The room was modest and Shjoraski's delegation sat down. When he heard Fu will let him have the floor, he said, "Thank you. First on the agenda should be the issue of the disputed territory between Luziyca and Namor: Nantai."

Shjoraski stated, "For a long time, before the First Namo-Luziycan War, it was part of Namor, but since then, it has been under Luziycan control. While they speak Namorese and engage in many Namorese customs, the issue is that they have been influenced by us."

He paused and continued on, "They use Tziroma, and they have their own government as a constituent republic. Their dialect of Namorese has significant Luziycan borrowings, their culture is an odd mixture of Namorese and Luziycan, with the younger generations, while using Namorese and following their customs tend to be more proud of Luziyca."

"Thus, I propose that for Nantai, that Namor recognize us as the administering power over Nantai, and in exchange, if the Namorese government does not want to drop its claim altogether, that we call Nantai the "Namorese Republic of Nantai," and regardless of the circumstances, that we drop all claims over East Po'ai."

[Namor]

"Thank you. First on the agenda should be the issue of the disputed territory between Luziyca and Namor: Nantai."

Shjoraski stated, "For a long time, before the First Namo-Luziycan War, it was part of Namor, but since then, it has been under Luziycan control. While they speak Namorese and engage in many Namorese customs, the issue is that they have been influenced by us."

He paused and continued on, "They use Tziroma, and they have their own government as a constituent republic. Their dialect of Namorese has significant Luziycan borrowings, their culture is an odd mixture of Namorese and Luziycan, with the younger generations, while using Namorese and following their customs tend to be more proud of Luziyca."

"Thus, I propose that for Nantai, that Namor recognize us as the administering power over Nantai, and in exchange, if the Namorese government does not want to drop its claim altogether, that we call Nantai the "Namorese Republic of Nantai," and regardless of the circumstances, that we drop all claims over East Po'ai."

"Such are the natural consequences of our territory being under the occupation of another country," pointed out Fu. "The Luziycan government has, for decades, pursued a policy in which the Namorese in Nantai were virtually forced to assimilate themselves into Luziycan culture, wear what Luziycans wear and speak like Luziycans. While this policy has seen less and less enforcement over the past few years, the damage has been done and there's no way to revert it. I must admit that Namorese people living in the occupied territories do not exactly behave like Namorese who aren't occupied, them using Tziroma and borrowing Luziycan vocabulary being evidence of that.

"But no matter how 'un-Namorese' the Namorese in occupied Nantai act, the writing is still on the wall. Luziyca had wrongly wrestled Nantai out of Namor's hands, because Luziycan merchants couldn't get their way to monopoly under the Antelopian emperor and invited their government in. We were forced to sign the Treaty of Tatra which ceded Nantai and Txotai to Luziyca; we had no choice, and just like that we lost territory to a foreign power without much time to consider. The occupation is by all means illegal, but I understand that if we are to do anything now to end it, it will destabilize the region and our relations with Luziyca whose state we want to keep it as is now.

"We are fine if Luziyca continues to occupy most parts of Nantai save for eastern Po'ai, which is under our control. Three requirements will have to be met, though.

• Luziyca does not take any action that intends on altering the cultural outlook of Nantai, and does not assimilate Namorese in occupied Nantai to mainstream Luziycan culture
• Luziyca allows Namorese in the occupied territories to exchange economically and culturally with the People's Republic
• Luziyca officially recognizes occupied territories of Nantai as 'Namorese territory under Luziycan administration'

"There," said Fu. "I've listed my three points, or requirements should I say. If Luziyca is willing to and follows these three points, Namor is willing to accept Luziyca's occupation of most of Nantai until the time comes for discussions to permanently end the occupation. Meanwhile, I can assure you that Namor will not use military force, for now, to end the occupation."

[Luziyca]

"Thank you. First on the agenda should be the issue of the disputed territory between Luziyca and Namor: Nantai."

Shjoraski stated, "For a long time, before the First Namo-Luziycan War, it was part of Namor, but since then, it has been under Luziycan control. While they speak Namorese and engage in many Namorese customs, the issue is that they have been influenced by us."

He paused and continued on, "They use Tziroma, and they have their own government as a constituent republic. Their dialect of Namorese has significant Luziycan borrowings, their culture is an odd mixture of Namorese and Luziycan, with the younger generations, while using Namorese and following their customs tend to be more proud of Luziyca."

"Thus, I propose that for Nantai, that Namor recognize us as the administering power over Nantai, and in exchange, if the Namorese government does not want to drop its claim altogether, that we call Nantai the "Namorese Republic of Nantai," and regardless of the circumstances, that we drop all claims over East Po'ai."

"Such are the natural consequences of our territory being under the occupation of another country," pointed out Fu. "The Luziycan government has, for decades, pursued a policy in which the Namorese in Nantai were virtually forced to assimilate themselves into Luziycan culture, wear what Luziycans wear and speak like Luziycans. While this policy has seen less and less enforcement over the past few years, the damage has been done and there's no way to revert it. I must admit that Namorese people living in the occupied territories do not exactly behave like Namorese who aren't occupied, them using Tziroma and borrowing Luziycan vocabulary being evidence of that.

"But no matter how 'un-Namorese' the Namorese in occupied Nantai act, the writing is still on the wall. Luziyca had wrongly wrestled Nantai out of Namor's hands, because Luziycan merchants couldn't get their way to monopoly under the Antelopian emperor and invited their government in. We were forced to sign the Treaty of Tatra which ceded Nantai and Txotai to Luziyca; we had no choice, and just like that we lost territory to a foreign power without much time to consider. The occupation is by all means illegal, but I understand that if we are to do anything now to end it, it will destabilize the region and our relations with Luziyca whose state we want to keep it as is now.

"We are fine if Luziyca continues to occupy most parts of Nantai save for eastern Po'ai, which is under our control. Three requirements will have to be met, though.

• Luziyca does not take any action that intends on altering the cultural outlook of Nantai, and does not assimilate Namorese in occupied Nantai to mainstream Luziycan culture
• Luziyca allows Namorese in the occupied territories to exchange economically and culturally with the People's Republic
• Luziyca officially recognizes occupied territories of Nantai as 'Namorese territory under Luziycan administration'

"There," said Fu. "I've listed my three points, or requirements should I say. If Luziyca is willing to and follows these three points, Namor is willing to accept Luziyca's occupation of most of Nantai until the time comes for discussions to permanently end the occupation. Meanwhile, I can assure you that Namor will not use military force, for now, to end the occupation."

"It was really only official government policy from 1905 to 1929 when we operated residential schools in Nantai to try and assimilate the Namorese into Luziycan culture. Needless to say, it worked a little bit, but not a whole lot. It worked in that some have adopted Lutheran Catholicism and that many were bilingual in Luziycan and Namorese, but not much else," Shjoraski explained. "That being said, since the 1950s, many Namorese have chosen to adopt some Luziycan customs: many now drink coffee, not tea. Many are bilingual, or even trilingual since few speak Namorese outside of Nantai in Luziyca. Thus, some Luziycan words and phrases have wound their way into their dialect."

"As for the First Namo-Luziycan War," he said, "we know we have taken Nantai and Oteki. Our merchants requested our government to take as much of Namor as we could to prevent them from imposing what they thought were unjust taxes. They wanted a monopoly, and while that part is unjust, it does not change the fact that now, Nantai is part of Luziyca. Since NMR 2238, or 1898, Nantai has been administered continuously by Luziyca. In contrast, Oteki was only controlled by us until 1901 or NMR 2241, then became sovereign until 1950 or NMR 2290, then briefly from NMR 2306 or 1966, to NMR 2310 or 1970. Since NMR 2290 or 1950, save for that blip, Oteki has been under Namorese control. And we recognize it as being under Namorese rule."

Shjoraski then said, "For your three points, the first point will be followed, although due to the strong tradition of liberty, the Nantainese should have a right to decide whether they should adopt the mainstream culture or keep their traditional culture. Many Nantainese have made the decision to adopt elements of the Luziycan culture, but keeping parts of their own. So while we will invest in the preservation of Namorese culture to some extent, it is ultimately up to the people of Nantai to decide whether it is worth keeping their culture."

"Secondly," he declared, "this is one where I have no opposition to. While we have permitted since normalization the economic and culture exchanges, this should grow and blossom in Nantai, and this is where we will need to agree."

"Thirdly, this is a difficult area. My idea of the Namorese Republic of Nantai would be that it symbolizes the traditional cultural links and historic links with Namor as well as potentially political since the idea is that Namor would possibly interpret it as being part of Namor, while Luziyca would interpret it as culturally Namorese. In contrast, the 'Namorese territory under Luziycan administration' poses some unfortunate implications, namely among the Nantainese populace that it implies that we will eventually hand Nantai back to Namor, which they strongly oppose, though they don't mind increased cultural and economic ties."

He then said, "So I may accept it and have that as a strict legal term, but it probably won't catch on at all among the population. As for the promise of a permanent treaty in the future, I feel that we cannot keep kicking the can down the road to be dealt with later. Eventually, we will need to settle this once and for all, so I feel that the sooner, the better, and I think that there is no time like the present to do this, since we are in the middle of a summit. Indeed, this territorial dispute has gone on for long enough, and if we end it soon, Nantai will not be known as a place of the territorial dispute, but rather, as a key trading hub between Namor and Luziyca. Quite a few companies seem a bit hesistant to invest in Nantai because of the uncertain political situation, and with trade increasing with Namor, we need to settle this dispute."

Then Shjoraski said, "For your promise of not using military force, I commend you on making that wise decision. While both of us claim to have won the Third Namo-Luziycan War, personally, I feel the only people who actually won were those that built the Namo-Luziycan barrier. We may have driven the invaders out of Luziyca and you may have claimed victory since you felt that you defeated the Luziycan aggressors, but I feel that neither of us actually won considering that all it did in the short-term was ruin our economies temporarily, increased the mistrust between the two of us, and if anything, only really cemented hatred and prevented ties from being normalized for a while, at least."

[Namor]

"It was really only official government policy from 1905 to 1929 when we operated residential schools in Nantai to try and assimilate the Namorese into Luziycan culture. Needless to say, it worked a little bit, but not a whole lot. It worked in that some have adopted Lutheran Catholicism and that many were bilingual in Luziycan and Namorese, but not much else," Shjoraski explained. "That being said, since the 1950s, many Namorese have chosen to adopt some Luziycan customs: many now drink coffee, not tea. Many are bilingual, or even trilingual since few speak Namorese outside of Nantai in Luziyca. Thus, some Luziycan words and phrases have wound their way into their dialect."

"As for the First Namo-Luziycan War," he said, "we know we have taken Nantai and Oteki. Our merchants requested our government to take as much of Namor as we could to prevent them from imposing what they thought were unjust taxes. They wanted a monopoly, and while that part is unjust, it does not change the fact that now, Nantai is part of Luziyca. Since NMR 2238, or 1898, Nantai has been administered continuously by Luziyca. In contrast, Oteki was only controlled by us until 1901 or NMR 2241, then became sovereign until 1950 or NMR 2290, then briefly from NMR 2306 or 1966, to NMR 2310 or 1970. Since NMR 2290 or 1950, save for that blip, Oteki has been under Namorese control. And we recognize it as being under Namorese rule."

"That is not a fact," said Fu. "The occupation of Nantai is a violation of Namor's territorial integrity. For centuries it has been part of Namor, only to be occupied by Luziyca as a consequence of a war and a treaty, neither which Namor wanted. Time does not change that fact; a million years later and Nantai will still be Namorese even if the occupation lasts. But I understand that since the occupation began Namorese in Nantai have a culture that's slightly distinct from Namorese elsewhere. That is not an excuse for the occupation to become a legitimate administration, however."

Shjoraski then said, "For your three points, the first point will be followed, although due to the strong tradition of liberty, the Nantainese should have a right to decide whether they should adopt the mainstream culture or keep their traditional culture. Many Nantainese have made the decision to adopt elements of the Luziycan culture, but keeping parts of their own. So while we will invest in the preservation of Namorese culture to some extent, it is ultimately up to the people of Nantai to decide whether it is worth keeping their culture."

"We've liberty too," chuckled Fu, "so I don't see why that will be a problem. So long as the Luziycan government doesn't have either an official or covert policy to force-assimilate the Namorese to Luziycan culture, and preserves basic aspects of Namorese culture and values in occupied Nantai, we will not object."

"Secondly," he declared, "this is one where I have no opposition to. While we have permitted since normalization the economic and culture exchanges, this should grow and blossom in Nantai, and this is where we will need to agree."

"Indeed," said Fu. "I am thinking that the occupied territories will be the stepping stone to understanding between our two nations, if it hasn't been already."

"Thirdly, this is a difficult area. My idea of the Namorese Republic of Nantai would be that it symbolizes the traditional cultural links and historic links with Namor as well as potentially political since the idea is that Namor would possibly interpret it as being part of Namor, while Luziyca would interpret it as culturally Namorese. In contrast, the 'Namorese territory under Luziycan administration' poses some unfortunate implications, namely among the Nantainese populace that it implies that we will eventually hand Nantai back to Namor, which they strongly oppose, though they don't mind increased cultural and economic ties."

He then said, "So I may accept it and have that as a strict legal term, but it probably won't catch on at all among the population. As for the promise of a permanent treaty in the future, I feel that we cannot keep kicking the can down the road to be dealt with later. Eventually, we will need to settle this once and for all, so I feel that the sooner, the better, and I think that there is no time like the present to do this, since we are in the middle of a summit. Indeed, this territorial dispute has gone on for long enough, and if we end it soon, Nantai will not be known as a place of the territorial dispute, but rather, as a key trading hub between Namor and Luziyca. Quite a few companies seem a bit hesitant to invest in Nantai because of the uncertain political situation, and with trade increasing with Namor, we need to settle this dispute."

"We haven't imposed any strict timeline for when Nantai will return under our administration, so the occupied population does not need to worry," Fu said. "But on all legal terms Nantai is Namorese, and one way we can settle this dispute in some way is for the occupying power---that is Luziyca---recognize Nantai as Namorese to the least. Call it territory that belongs to Namor and is dominated by Namorese people, but because of the current situation it is under the administration of the Luziycan government. That's what 'Namorese territory under Luziycan administration means.'"

Then Shjoraski said, "For your promise of not using military force, I commend you on making that wise decision. While both of us claim to have won the Third Namo-Luziycan War, personally, I feel the only people who actually won were those that built the Namo-Luziycan barrier. We may have driven the invaders out of Luziyca and you may have claimed victory since you felt that you defeated the Luziycan aggressors, but I feel that neither of us actually won considering that all it did in the short-term was ruin our economies temporarily, increased the mistrust between the two of us, and if anything, only really cemented hatred and prevented ties from being normalized for a while, at least."

"A war between Namor and Luziyca will certainly bring devastating and unimaginable effects," said Fu. "All problems between us, including the Nantai question, should be resolved peacefully and not through force. We will not settle the Nantai question through military force because it does not bring us any good, it does not bring Luziyca any good; but most of all, it does not bring the people of Nantai any good.

"Since your country is the occupying power of Nantai, then I wish to know just why the occupied population does not want to reunite with the Namorese nation," continued the President-General. "Is it because of political concerns? Economic concerns, or anything else? You do realize that if Nantai reunites with Namor, Nantai's people are still allowed to interact with Luziyca and continue their Bethlehemian capitalist way of life? We are open to make concessions so long as they do not damage our ultimate goal which is reunification."

[Luziyca]

"It was really only official government policy from 1905 to 1929 when we operated residential schools in Nantai to try and assimilate the Namorese into Luziycan culture. Needless to say, it worked a little bit, but not a whole lot. It worked in that some have adopted Lutheran Catholicism and that many were bilingual in Luziycan and Namorese, but not much else," Shjoraski explained. "That being said, since the 1950s, many Namorese have chosen to adopt some Luziycan customs: many now drink coffee, not tea. Many are bilingual, or even trilingual since few speak Namorese outside of Nantai in Luziyca. Thus, some Luziycan words and phrases have wound their way into their dialect."

"As for the First Namo-Luziycan War," he said, "we know we have taken Nantai and Oteki. Our merchants requested our government to take as much of Namor as we could to prevent them from imposing what they thought were unjust taxes. They wanted a monopoly, and while that part is unjust, it does not change the fact that now, Nantai is part of Luziyca. Since NMR 2238, or 1898, Nantai has been administered continuously by Luziyca. In contrast, Oteki was only controlled by us until 1901 or NMR 2241, then became sovereign until 1950 or NMR 2290, then briefly from NMR 2306 or 1966, to NMR 2310 or 1970. Since NMR 2290 or 1950, save for that blip, Oteki has been under Namorese control. And we recognize it as being under Namorese rule."

"That is not a fact," said Fu. "The occupation of Nantai is a violation of Namor's territorial integrity. For centuries it has been part of Namor, only to be occupied by Luziyca as a consequence of a war and a treaty, neither which Namor wanted. Time does not change that fact; a million years later and Nantai will still be Namorese even if the occupation lasts. But I understand that since the occupation began Namorese in Nantai have a culture that's slightly distinct from Namorese elsewhere. That is not an excuse for the occupation to become a legitimate administration, however."

"Logically," Shjoraski said, "this could be used to justify say, in the future, someone claiming Ainin because they violated Namor's territorial integrity back in 1801. However, there is a flaw: Oteki or Txotai was only sold by the Duchy of York in 1720 (NMR 2060) to Namor, then taken in the same war as Nantai, the territory we are now discussing, only for Oteki to be sovereign until NMR 2290 (1950), then again from 2306-2310 (1966-1970), and since then under Namorese rule. Many may argue that it is an occupation, both during the time Oteki was controlled by separatists by the Namorese, and by the Otkeians during the time after 1950 when Namor controlled the region."

"As much as I don't want to discuss hypotheticals, we all ultimately occupy land that was once controlled by someone else. And personally, after a century, I don't think maintaining claims to long lost lands will make a whole lot of sense. Since the late 20th century, the borders of mainland West Esquarium have for the most part remained static. They are no longer as fluid, and they have remained stable. I think with Nantai being under Luziycan administration, it would make sense for the claim to be dropped, or at the very least, in a situation where it is only on paper," Shjoraski stated. "Hence, we should probably make the present borders permanent, though if Nantainese want to have a referendum on whether to join Namor or not, and they choose to do so, it is their right. If not, that's their right."

Shjoraski then said, "For your three points, the first point will be followed, although due to the strong tradition of liberty, the Nantainese should have a right to decide whether they should adopt the mainstream culture or keep their traditional culture. Many Nantainese have made the decision to adopt elements of the Luziycan culture, but keeping parts of their own. So while we will invest in the preservation of Namorese culture to some extent, it is ultimately up to the people of Nantai to decide whether it is worth keeping their culture."

"We've liberty too," chuckled Fu, "so I don't see why that will be a problem. So long as the Luziycan government doesn't have either an official or covert policy to force-assimilate the Namorese to Luziycan culture, and preserves basic aspects of Namorese culture and values in occupied Nantai, we will not object."

"In that case, we shall accept," Shjoraski said.

"Secondly," he declared, "this is one where I have no opposition to. While we have permitted since normalization the economic and culture exchanges, this should grow and blossom in Nantai, and this is where we will need to agree."

"Indeed," said Fu. "I am thinking that the occupied territories will be the stepping stone to understanding between our two nations, if it hasn't been already."

He nodded in respect.

"Thirdly, this is a difficult area. My idea of the Namorese Republic of Nantai would be that it symbolizes the traditional cultural links and historic links with Namor as well as potentially political since the idea is that Namor would possibly interpret it as being part of Namor, while Luziyca would interpret it as culturally Namorese. In contrast, the 'Namorese territory under Luziycan administration' poses some unfortunate implications, namely among the Nantainese populace that it implies that we will eventually hand Nantai back to Namor, which they strongly oppose, though they don't mind increased cultural and economic ties."

He then said, "So I may accept it and have that as a strict legal term, but it probably won't catch on at all among the population. As for the promise of a permanent treaty in the future, I feel that we cannot keep kicking the can down the road to be dealt with later. Eventually, we will need to settle this once and for all, so I feel that the sooner, the better, and I think that there is no time like the present to do this, since we are in the middle of a summit. Indeed, this territorial dispute has gone on for long enough, and if we end it soon, Nantai will not be known as a place of the territorial dispute, but rather, as a key trading hub between Namor and Luziyca. Quite a few companies seem a bit hesitant to invest in Nantai because of the uncertain political situation, and with trade increasing with Namor, we need to settle this dispute."

"We haven't imposed any strict timeline for when Nantai will return under our administration, so the occupied population does not need to worry," Fu said. "But on all legal terms Nantai is Namorese, and one way we can settle this dispute in some way is for the occupying power---that is Luziyca---recognize Nantai as Namorese to the least. Call it territory that belongs to Namor and is dominated by Namorese people, but because of the current situation it is under the administration of the Luziycan government. That's what 'Namorese territory under Luziycan administration means.'"

"Alright, we will accept that as a strict legal term," Shjoraski said. "Though to avoid offending the locals, we won't use it very often except in some federal levels."

Then Shjoraski said, "For your promise of not using military force, I commend you on making that wise decision. While both of us claim to have won the Third Namo-Luziycan War, personally, I feel the only people who actually won were those that built the Namo-Luziycan barrier. We may have driven the invaders out of Luziyca and you may have claimed victory since you felt that you defeated the Luziycan aggressors, but I feel that neither of us actually won considering that all it did in the short-term was ruin our economies temporarily, increased the mistrust between the two of us, and if anything, only really cemented hatred and prevented ties from being normalized for a while, at least."

"A war between Namor and Luziyca will certainly bring devastating and unimaginable effects," said Fu. "All problems between us, including the Nantai question, should be resolved peacefully and not through force. We will not settle the Nantai question through military force because it does not bring us any good, it does not bring Luziyca any good; but most of all, it does not bring the people of Nantai any good.

"Since your country is the occupying power of Nantai, then I wish to know just why the occupied population does not want to reunite with the Namorese nation," continued the President-General. "Is it because of political concerns? Economic concerns, or anything else? You do realize that if Nantai reunites with Namor, Nantai's people are still allowed to interact with Luziyca and continue their Bethlehemian capitalist way of life? We are open to make concessions so long as they do not damage our ultimate goal which is reunification."

"Indeed," Shjoraski said. "We must settle it by peaceful discussion."

"As for the reason why, it is because of a mixture of political and economic concerns. Most of the Nantainese Namorese have grown up under Luziycan rule, and many aren't fond at the prospect of having to join Namor. They are capitalist, they are accustomed to their government, they are more oriented to their prosperity, and many fear that Namor will make the region suffer or have it go through massive reforms. As far as they're concerned, while they speak Namorese and many follow their customs, they prefer Bethlehem."

[Namor]

"Indeed," Shjoraski said. "We must settle it by peaceful discussion."

"As for the reason why, it is because of a mixture of political and economic concerns. Most of the Nantainese Namorese have grown up under Luziycan rule, and many aren't fond at the prospect of having to join Namor. They are capitalist, they are accustomed to their government, they are more oriented to their prosperity, and many fear that Namor will make the region suffer or have it go through massive reforms. As far as they're concerned, while they speak Namorese and many follow their customs, they prefer Bethlehem."

"I think most of these misunderstandings have been seeded and planted thanks to the ultraconservative Luziycan media and their anti-Namor bias," said Fu, shaking his head. "Namor has a functioning democratic system. If the occupied territories are returned to us, they can maintain their legislature and autonomy so they can keep their Bethlehemian capitalist way of life, as I already said. Why will we want our compatriots in these territories to suffer? They have nothing to lose if they reunite with us, only things to gain. I think that more needs to be done to convince the Namorese in Nantai that reunification with Namor does not equate to the death knell of their present lifestyle, and as occupying power Luziyca will have to do its part."

[Luziyca]

"Indeed," Shjoraski said. "We must settle it by peaceful discussion."

"As for the reason why, it is because of a mixture of political and economic concerns. Most of the Nantainese Namorese have grown up under Luziycan rule, and many aren't fond at the prospect of having to join Namor. They are capitalist, they are accustomed to their government, they are more oriented to their prosperity, and many fear that Namor will make the region suffer or have it go through massive reforms. As far as they're concerned, while they speak Namorese and many follow their customs, they prefer Bethlehem."

"I think most of these misunderstandings have been seeded and planted thanks to the ultraconservative Luziycan media and their anti-Namor bias," said Fu, shaking his head. "Namor has a functioning democratic system. If the occupied territories are returned to us, they can maintain their legislature and autonomy so they can keep their Bethlehemian capitalist way of life, as I already said. Why will we want our compatriots in these territories to suffer? They have nothing to lose if they reunite with us, only things to gain. I think that more needs to be done to convince the Namorese in Nantai that reunification with Namor does not equate to the death knell of their present lifestyle, and as occupying power Luziyca will have to do its part."

"Perhaps," Shjoraski says. "But I am not some ultranationalistic dictator hellbent on maintaining my grip on my power and making all of the decisions of the citizens. The citizens of Nantai have a right to choose what they believe in, and to make their own decisions about their future. It is our responsibility to honor their requests."

"As for the mainstream media, note that in recent years, the Namophobia has been going down. It still exists, but they are not as against Namor as they used to. However, it has left a substantial impact on the Nantainese, combined with the experience of refugees during the Green Fever and the attempted destabilization of Nantai. Same with the Third Namo-Luziycan War and the rocket attacks by the Namorese Liberation Forces during that time. These all have left an impact and made them distrustful of Namo, and thus, it will be very difficult to give up Nantai. Maybe a century down the road, but right now, many Nantainese do not want to join Namor. And I think it is wise to respect the wishes of the inhabitants. If anything, perhaps a referendum in Nantai should occur and it could be used to gauge the support of unification, independence, or status quo. If they want to join Namor or sovereignty, we should respect the wishes. If they want to stay part of Luziyca, then we should recognize those rights."

[Namor]

"Perhaps," Shjoraski says. "But I am not some ultranationalistic dictator hellbent on maintaining my grip on my power and making all of the decisions of the citizens. The citizens of Nantai have a right to choose what they believe in, and to make their own decisions about their future. It is our responsibility to honor their requests."

"As for the mainstream media, note that in recent years, the Namophobia has been going down. It still exists, but they are not as against Namor as they used to. However, it has left a substantial impact on the Nantainese, combined with the experience of refugees during the Green Fever and the attempted destabilization of Nantai. Same with the Third Namo-Luziycan War and the rocket attacks by the Namorese Liberation Forces during that time. These all have left an impact and made them distrustful of Namo, and thus, it will be very difficult to give up Nantai. Maybe a century down the road, but right now, many Nantainese do not want to join Namor. And I think it is wise to respect the wishes of the inhabitants. If anything, perhaps a referendum in Nantai should occur and it could be used to gauge the support of unification, independence, or status quo. If they want to join Namor or sovereignty, we should respect the wishes. If they want to stay part of Luziyca, then we should recognize those rights."

"A referendum on the status of the occupied territories cannot be held at the moment, since it is most likely going to come under the scrutiny and rigging of the occupying authorities," said Fu. "Also, on a more domestic note, I probably won't be able to approve of the referendum because a large portion of the population does not support it. I have a government under my arms and sometimes the government does not cooperate with me in some issues. But until accounts are properly settled, I feel it's best that the Nantai issue be solved through peaceful means and the occupying power recognizes it as Namorese territory under Luziycan administration."

[Luziyca]

"Perhaps," Shjoraski says. "But I am not some ultranationalistic dictator hellbent on maintaining my grip on my power and making all of the decisions of the citizens. The citizens of Nantai have a right to choose what they believe in, and to make their own decisions about their future. It is our responsibility to honor their requests."

"As for the mainstream media, note that in recent years, the Namophobia has been going down. It still exists, but they are not as against Namor as they used to. However, it has left a substantial impact on the Nantainese, combined with the experience of refugees during the Green Fever and the attempted destabilization of Nantai. Same with the Third Namo-Luziycan War and the rocket attacks by the Namorese Liberation Forces during that time. These all have left an impact and made them distrustful of Namo, and thus, it will be very difficult to give up Nantai. Maybe a century down the road, but right now, many Nantainese do not want to join Namor. And I think it is wise to respect the wishes of the inhabitants. If anything, perhaps a referendum in Nantai should occur and it could be used to gauge the support of unification, independence, or status quo. If they want to join Namor or sovereignty, we should respect the wishes. If they want to stay part of Luziyca, then we should recognize those rights."

"A referendum on the status of the occupied territories cannot be held at the moment, since it is most likely going to come under the scrutiny and rigging of the occupying authorities," said Fu. "Also, on a more domestic note, I probably won't be able to approve of the referendum because a large portion of the population does not support it. I have a government under my arms and sometimes the government does not cooperate with me in some issues. But until accounts are properly settled, I feel it's best that the Nantai issue be solved through peaceful means and the occupying power recognizes it as Namorese territory under Luziycan administration."

"Through peaceful means, certainly," Shjoraski said. "And we will recognize it as a strict legal term, although I will probably describe it as a cultural term. However, the problem is that if we wait a long time, your cause of bringing Nantai back to Namor will be less popular than it is right now. And right now, few want reunification. The fact that we have this barrier running along the eastern border of Nantai is not helping any matters, and if anything, only serves to symbolize the separation of the Nantainese from the rest of Namor."

"As such," Shjoraski suggested, "perhaps we can increase co-operation in Nantai. For one, perhaps Po'ai could have an arrangement similar to the cities of Loxi and Halvelo which despite being across an international border between Namor and Geadland, have a common municipal administration. If this proposal for a joint-administration over Po'ai is accepted, we can ensure that at least we did something in Nantai, and have signs that the dispute is improving."

[Namor]

"Through peaceful means, certainly," Shjoraski said. "And we will recognize it as a strict legal term, although I will probably describe it as a cultural term. However, the problem is that if we wait a long time, your cause of bringing Nantai back to Namor will be less popular than it is right now. And right now, few want reunification. The fact that we have this barrier running along the eastern border of Nantai is not helping any matters, and if anything, only serves to symbolize the separation of the Nantainese from the rest of Namor."

"As such," Shjoraski suggested, "perhaps we can increase co-operation in Nantai. For one, perhaps Po'ai could have an arrangement similar to the cities of Loxi and Halvelo which despite being across an international border between Namor and Geadland, have a common municipal administration. If this proposal for a joint-administration over Po'ai is accepted, we can ensure that at least we did something in Nantai, and have signs that the dispute is improving."

"The thing is, this has to be resolved soon," said Fu with a resolute voice. "We don't have all day.

"I don't recall Loxi and Halvelo to be part of any 'joint control,' honestly," mumbled Fu before raising his voice. "They're one municipality, but that doesn't mean both sides are controlled by both governments. We control Loxi and the Geads control Halvelo."

Just then, the aide whom Fu told to get cups of tea in the beginning of the meeting returned with a tray holding five cups of tea, two of them for the President-General and Shjoraski. The aide placed the tray on the table. "The tea kettle is for your use, President-General," the aide said.

"Thanks." The President-General reached for the tea kettle and filled his cup with tea, before filling Shjoraski's cup with the same. "A cup of tea for you and me," he said with a smile before continuing the discussion.

"I think we can both agree that travel between the People's Republic and the occupied territories needs to be more convenient and transparent," he told Shjoraski before taking one small sip from his cup of tea (the tea was hot so he had to drink it one sip at a time). "Our government has been considering for a long time to allow residents of the occupied territories to enter non-occupied lands freely, because to us they are compatriots and are Namorese citizens. For now, though, they have to apply for the Nantai Compatriot Pass, which can be obtained in Po'ai. The pass allows them to enter the mainland and stay there for a while before heading back. While many residents fill out these passes and travel to and fro legally, we are thinking about abolishing the pass so they can travel and interact with mainlanders easier, raising freedom of movement."