Once upon a time in Esquarium 2.0 [Closed, Esquarium only]

[Qianrong]

The following political cartoon was created by an unknown artist and published in numerous Qianrongese newspapers on December 11, 2014. It depicts the Torch of Liberty(the logo of Radio Free Qianrong) being used to burn the flag of the Txotai Autonomous Republic. The torch is being held by a man, with only the man's arms depicted; the left arm shows the Otekian flag, and the right arm the Qianrongese flag.

It is unknown which side the creator was intending to support; the image was sent to its printers with only the note 'just to make people think'. Many suspect, however, that it was meant to emphasize the sentiment that Otekian Qianrongese were truly Qianrongese, and that Qianrong would stand in solidarity with them.

[Ainin]

"Bonjour, mesdames et messieurs, et bienvenue à bord de l'Express 909," said the accordion bus' intercom system as it pulled out of the station. "La prochaine station est Boulevard Saint-Jacques Est."

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, onboard Express Line 909," repeated the announcements system in English. "The next station is Saint James Boulevard East."

Ahmed looked around him then stared at his large leather suitcase, slightly leaning on the uneven floor of the bus. It was a drab greyish green, but had once seen better days, hints of which still existed with the cracked and scattered fragments of vividly-coloured green paint on the case. He then stared at the other passengers on the bus. A young child was sitting besides him, excitedly talking with his parents, that stood besides him laughing and cracking jokes.

Ahmed remembered when his parents took him to see the Great Eastern Mosque in Freedomtown, Nautarya. It was a beautiful sunny day over the desertic city, and not a cloud was to be seen. It was a hot day, but that's how the 10-year old him liked them. Suddenly, during the afternoon, while they were sitting on the steps leading to the great structure admiring the clear day the Lord had blessed them with, a massive sound thundered over the horizon. Sooner than he knew it, Aininian jets covered the skies, their vapour trails breaking the once-clear sky. When he last saw his parents alive, they had been running towards shelter when a missile hit a pillar, that fell and... No. It was still too painful a memory for him. Forty years have not made the pain any more tolerable for him. And soon he would soon have his rightful vengeance over the people that have tormented his mind for all these years.

He shed a single tear, and four minutes had passed. The doors besides him opened and a large crowd of people, mostly university students and tourists crowded into the bus. The doors once again closed with a blunt thunking sound.

"Bonjour, mesdames et messieurs, et bienvenue à bord de l'Express 909," said the accordion bus' intercom system as it pulled out of the station. "La prochaine station est Tombe du Soldat Inconnu."

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, onboard Express Line 909," repeated the announcements system in English. "The next station is Tomb of the Unknown Soldier."

He looked around once again, at the several dozen young people onboard the bus, laughing, playing with their cell phones, chatting. All these innocent lives, just like those of his parents. Maybe all these people would not have to die for him to exact revenge on his tormentors. No, that was nonsense. He had to exact pain and suffering on the Aininian people as they did to him, all those years ago. And God willing, he would do so. The bus had just pulled out of the station when he pulled out his cell phone and looked at a black and white photo of his mother smiling, her beautiful smile gleaning. That was one day before her death. As he began to get lost in his thoughts, the loud voice of the intercom snapped him out of his trance-like state.

"Bonjour, mesdames et messieurs, et bienvenue à bord de l'Express 909," said the accordion bus' intercom system as it pulled out of the station. "La prochaine station est Porte de l'Est. Terminus. Veuillez débarquer par les portes situées au centre et vers l'arrière de l'autobus."

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, onboard Express Line 909," repeated the announcements system in English. "The next station is Hartly East Gate. Hartly East Gate is a terminal station. All passengers, please get off using the centre and rear doors."

The time would come soon.

As the bus passed underneath the gate, he quickly took out his smartphone and pressed a button on his speed-dial. One ring. Two rings. Three rings. He began reciting the Koran to himself when suddenly, the suitcase exploded in a massive fireball, tearing apart himself and the bus in a matter of seconds and sending the inferno and massive pieces of shrapnel flying in all directions, consuming the granite arch and all the cars around the bus in a sea of flames.

His parents had been avenged.

[Qianrong]

A JOINT DECLARATION
from the United Democratic Coalition of Qianrong and the Alliance for Qianrongese National Strength
Pertaining to recent actions by the hacker group Internal Professional Hackers, or INTERPROS

Qianrong, it has been agreed by many across the world, is in a critical time. In the present situation, both of our groups agree, Qianrong's future is at stake. We disagree about what that means for Qianrong, and about which path should be taken, but we can agree that, in the present situation, Qianrong's people must be heard- not just some of them, but all of them. In this situation, all of Qianrong matters.

There have been many great signs that the Qianrongese people have realized the importance of standing up and speaking out for what they believe. More than 35 million of Qianrong's inhabitants have come out and spoken out, whether to support the Alliance for Qianrongese National Strength or the United Democratic Coalition of Qianrong. This marvelous outspokenness makes all of us proud to be Qianrongese, proud to be members of such a diverse, proud, and strong-willed people. No matter who a protester supports, that protester is a great man, a man who is willing to go out and make sure that he is heard, who is not afraid to make himself and his opinions known. To see that so many of Qianrong's citizens fit this description is fantastic news, for both the United Democratic Coalition and the Alliance for National Strength.

We may disagree on many things, but there are many things we do agree upon. We both agree that Qianrong must end the threat of terrorism. We both agree that the Qianrongese people have the right to make ourselves heard, no matter our beliefs. And we both agree that we are all Qianrongese, even if we do not always agree. We have vowed to keep our discourses as civilized as they can be, and we have vowed to respect each other's rights.

What we both want to see is a populace that is knowledgable and opinionated. We both believe that the people of Qianrong are the key to all its possible futures, and that a populace that knows what it is talking about and is willing to speak out is ideal for whatever path the Qianrongese nation will come to take. We believe that the people of Qianrong should be able to come to an opinion, and should be allowed to express it- a basic human right. We believe in freedom of speech and thought and assembly and petition- and that the respect of these rights is what defines a free and civilized society.

Recent actions, however, have highlighted that there are some groups who would rather endorse falsity than truthfulness; who only believe in freedom when it suits them; who would paint themselves as heroes while trying to cover up despicable actions behind the scenes- groups such as INTERPROS. Well, we also agreed that the government of Txoteki fit the description, but that argument is for a different joint statement, and better fought by Simon Josef Bloom and Csedomir Pantejmonov. But in this statement, we will be talking about how INTERPROS fits that description.

The Qianrongese nation, as one might have noticed, has a dearth of news sources that could truly be called unbiased. The "rump ministry" of Information in Huali is incredibly pro-Guo; Radio Free Qianrong has been vehemently pro-Li; foreign news generally seems uninterested in the ongoing situation so long as it does not directly affect them. As such, the National Report has been one of the few places where the people of Qianrong could go to find unbiased and accurate information pertaining to the ongoing situation- high praise in such a situation. The National Report has been a consistently neutral news source, where both sides of the argument are brought up and discussed. They are committed to informing people, not convincing them of a certain viewpoint. They are reliable and trustworthy.

And yesterday, in a disappointing and disgusting incident, they came under attack from INTERPROS.

INTERPROS's reasoning for the attack was incredibly poor. Pavonistade's PAN says the following:

Following the introduction was justification for the hacking. "We cannot accept and condone any forms that would incite support for the dysfunctioning Free Democratic Republic and the dissidents that are and led by Guo Tse-Zu, Mataas Pangahatang, and Zhong Fang-Ye," the message read, "the National Report had revealed the presence of enemies that are drawing righteous innocents into the wrong side as we read on."

"Therefore, we have to force ourselves to shut it down so as to warn all people not to stimulate any sorts or levels of momentum for the delusional, dissentient side. For the duration of the shutdown, we shall make sure the offending contents are nulled out and secured into obscurity." The remainder of the message reiterates INTERPROS backup for Acting Chancellor Li and the "ailing" Qianrongese protesters.

Thankfully, the National Report's website was soon returned to its previous condition.

Let us be perfectly clear, supporters of Li and supporters of Guo both: this attack is base and pitiful. To attack a news source for reporting the news honestly and truthfully is utterly ridiculous and totally inexcusable under any circumstances. This attack is a disgusting move, in the eyes of all of Qianrong, and we will not accept such foreign interference- particularly not attempts to silence our news sources. As with before, we could transition to Txoteki and RFQ here, but again, that is for a different time.

The attack on a news source- a highly credible one at that- speaks at an attempt to silence the people. It shows a total disregard as to what the people of Qianrong are entitled to- free and fair information that will allow them to come to a personal opinion. INTERPROS's attack was not a denial-of-service attack; it was a denial-of-rights attack. INTERPROS has shown utter disregard for the rights of the Qianrongese people to hear and be heard. As such, we find it hard to believe that they would particularly respect the other rights of the Qianrongese people- free though, free speech, free assembly, free petition, fair trial, privacy, so on and so forth.

INTERPROS's actions are morally repugnant and are an infringement on the rights of Qianrong's citizenry to know what is going on in their own country. None of us will tolerate this blatant and disgusting attack upon the rights of the Qianrongese people.

First, both of our groups announce our solidarity with the National Report, and express our thanks that they are struggling to provide the people with fair and unbiased information. We condemn the actions of INTERPROS as actions against the rights and liberties of the Qianrongese people. We have also managed to make our feelings towards the Txotai-Oteki lawsuit perfectly clear, even though that was not our intent. And we also reiterate our vows to remember that the supporters of the United Democratic Coalition of Qianrong and the supporters of Alliance for Qianrongese National Strength are all Qianrongese citizens. We vow to remain civil and to respect each other's opinions. And we agree that we will retain our independence from anyone who would use us as pawns in their games.

Jointly issued by the leaderships of the United Democratic Coalition of Qianrong and the Alliance for Qianrongese National Strength on Sunday, December 14th, 2014.

[New Zepuha]

Excerpts from Practical Enforcement of the Law

---

Ch.3 Applications of Force

An magister of the law is an officer of the peace. As police officers, magisters are tasked with the ever growing job of enforcing the law. To do this sometimes requires the application of force to subdue and sometimes disperse suspect deviants of the law. When approaching the use of force an officer should always consider all options, such as non-lethal alternatives and chokeholds. It is preferential that a magister attempt to diffuse the situation before an application of force is made...

Speedy Go Foodmart, East Sinro

"Kid look, the store owner thinks that you have been lifting from his store. So come on and show me your ID."

"Is that an order officer?" asked the young teen.

"Is that an order officer," the magister mocked from under his peaked cap, "of course it is fuckwit now give me your ID before I club your ass." about that time down the aisle a radio burbling chatter could be heard as a second magister was approaching. The young man scowled and handed over his mandated youth ID and the magister read it over and handed it off to the second one. "Come with us, we will run your ID in my car.

"Are you detaining me officer?"

"Don't give me this routine again.." muttered the officer who grabbed his arm to drag him away, the young boy jerk back pushing the magister off. "Bad choice." he muttered. His brown oak baton made a wood on metal sliding sound as it came out of his baton ring. The young man soon felt the baton impact his side, knocking the wind from him with a hoarse cry for help, a second baton strike hit his back. The second magister slipping his baton out as well struck the young man in the knee. The teen fell the the floor covering his face with his black hoodie in an attempt to fend off the repeated baton strikes. The second magister holstered his baton and yanked the boys hoodie back, the teen was greeted with a hot stream of mace to which he began to shriek. The two magister then rolled him over to handcuff the screaming youth and hoisted him up between them to drag him kicking and screaming out to an awaiting prison van. To which he was thrown into the van and further clubbed by the officers until his whimpering and screaming had died down to mindless babble. The two officers clambered out of the back of the van into the cold air to resume normal duties. Little did they know the store manager was rushing the surveillance tapes to the local news station.

[Luziyca]

The President's Christmas Speech
December 24th, 2014, on all major networks in Luziyca

"Providago," the President began. "Chera, my smotrim nazadna to nasha nacion delal vi proshlom ano."
Seasons greetings. Today, we look back on what our nation has done in the past year.

"Kak my dostigayem konitsa ano," Shjoraski stated, "my dolzhny inse trotsiya vissa oshbiki tam y sam, vi etom ano byla ochen riuscito, sia tam, y rubezhom."
As we reach the end of the year, we must realize that despite some mistakes here and there, this year has been very successful, both here and abroad.

"My nachinem vi Luziyca," he declared. "Vi proshlom ano, boleye non-stoven-milia rabotiy mest varit. Naiboleye i etik rabotnika byli polnoy den positia okolo semdisyet-cinq procenti i rabot, si dis procenti sono volontario ili tillfaliga, y ostalnoye nepolnaya."
We shall start here in Luziyca. This past year, over 900,000 jobs have been created. Most of these jobs were full-time positions, at around 75% of the jobs, with 10% being volunteer or temporary positions, and the rest being part-time.

Continuing, he said, "Konechno, yest minogo andare. My dolzhny ponimayu altia dokhoda neranventsa, y my dolzhny propovat att minska y perestroita sredniy klassen vi kachestve ekonomika motore per Luziyca, tak zhe kak vi dag i gamla."
Of course, there is a lot to go. We need to realize that there is high income inequality, and we must try and reduce it and rebuild the middle class to serve as the economic engine for Luziyca, just as in the days of yore.

"Vine nashego nacion," Shjoraski stated, "my dobilish betydande passiva migliorare nash internacionala reputatsiya. Razriradka si Namora nesmotroya vissa utmaningar, idet silny. Altrove, nesmortyra na motreaktion raneye ano, nasha reputatsiya miglorare osobenno na Vast."
Outside of our nation, we have made significant strides to improve our international reputation. Detente with Namor has, despite some challenges, been going strong. Elsewhere, despite a backlash against us earlier this year, our reputation has greatly improved, especially in the West.

"Cosina, kak my dostigayem i ano, ya zhelayu visemya populi zamechatelni Kristmas, y felicova novi ano, y mozhet du milia cinqdisia lushche chem ano. Grazie."
Thus, as we reach the end of the year, I wish to all people a wonderful Christmas and a happy new year, and may 2015 be better than this year. Thank you.

[United Provinces of Atlantica]

The Prime Minister's annual speech at the beginning of the Winter Solstice and Yule:
0:00, Time Zone 4, December 21st, 2014 (broadcast originally in Atlantican):

"Greetings, my fellow Atlanticans. Tonight, we witness the darkest day of the year, after which there can only be light. A new year, a new dawn for Atlantica.

Tonight, I wish my fellow Atlanticans a wonderful Winter Solstice, and a great Twelve Days of Yule.

Congratulations, Atlantica truly deserves it." - Prime Minister Matteus Gunnlaugson

[Pavonistade]

Pavonistadian Twitter Feed
Trending: #PROS #Holidays

Mattheu Azurite @MattheuAzurite Remember kids, no matter what the #PROS are trying to do, know that they will not succeed! RETWEETSFAVORITE 739504 07:31 am - 20 Dec 14

Quinna Florens @qnflorens Task of the day: decide if the #PROS are playing with fire or not. RETWEETSFAVORITE 572328 09:48 am - 20 Dec 14

Mattheu Azurite @MattheuAzurite @yopp60 Indeed, the #Holidays are the best times of the year. The President and the Vice President wishes all a jolly Christmas! RETWEETSFAVORITE 700486 11:00 am - 20 Dec 14

PAN Network @PAN INTERPROS responds one week after outrage in Qianrong. pan.it/1T2di3P RETWEETSFAVORITE 319254 03:05 pm - 20 Dec 14

Sean Jamesen @seanjpv #qnflorens I got One Change in Time for the #Holidays and there comes hacking in the PTH. Coincidence or not? RETWEETSFAVORITE 11564 10:13 pm - 20 Dec 14

Quinna Florens @qnflorens @seanjpv Coincidence? I think not... but do enjoy the film, I guess! RETWEETSFAVORITE 424206 10:22 am - 20 Dec 14

[Namor]

OTEKIAN TRUTH BRIGADES ANNOUNCEMENT ON SABOTAGE OPERATION 1488 (SUCCESS)

---

"They have conceived and have spoken evil and oppression; they have spoken against The Highest." - PSALM 73:8

---

We at the Otekian Truth Brigades are excited to proclaim that Sabotage Operation No. 1488 was successfully coordinated and carried out against the Namorese occupation authorities at approximately 22:00 local time. This operation targeted the occupation authority's primary propaganda wing, known as "Namorese Radio-Television" or "PTH."

For many years since the Namorese invaded and occupied the land of Oteki, Namor has used its mass-funded propaganda outlets to spread lies against the Otekian people and justify its colonization and oppression of Otekians. Propaganda outlets spearheaded by PTH always embellish the horrors of occupation, claiming that Otekians are enjoying Namorese rule and Otekian blood was not shed in Namorese hands. The Otekian Truth Brigades cannot tolerate Namor's falsification of the truth in its anti-Otekian disinformation campaign.

The people of Oteki - both online and offline - are rising up in rebellion. The Otekian Truth Brigades warn the Namorese occupation authorities ahead of the anniversary of Oteki's occupation (Christmas Day), that if the Namorese propaganda outlets continue to spout lies about the situation in Oteki and continue with its ruthless smear campaign against Otekians, the Otekians will exercise their freedom of expression by launching more sabotage operations against the outlets, let alone shut down the Namorese media altogether. Our warning should not be ignored or taken softly - we are contemplating cooperation with other anti-disinformation organizations in the world to combat tyranny.

Adieu, and Oteki Libra!

[Pavonistade]

President Mattheu Azurite's Speech
December 22nd, 2014

"...and I will hand over to President Mattheu Azurite." Parliamental Speaker Vanessa Adeodatus then stepped backwards to the background, where the Minister of Domestic Security and the Minister of Information Technology were standing by patiently. The curtain blocked by the suited people hung the Pavonistadian Triple Ultima, the flag flown since 1985.

Then there came the head of state from the left side (of the audience). He, dressed neatly in a typical black suit and with a uniform red tie, made his way towards the wooden podium, built with fine dark wood from the Pavonistadian tropics and bearing the Shield of Pavonistade. Ignoring the many cameras facing him and the many blinding blasts of light from the journalists, ever-more hungry for what was to come, the President stepped onto the base and glanced over this Parliamental Room. The murmurs in the audience died down in an organized fashion and without long all was as if it's the dead of night.

The President took a sip from his glass of water, offered on the podium by his staff, before he released the conglomeration of words from his mind.

Ladies and gentlemen, from all corners of Pavonistade and beyond, it is crystal-clear to us that the incidents that occurred over the past few days are all in our minds. From the terrorist Internal Professional Hackers to the temporary downing of Namorese Radio-Television, we are in the face of a rising threat, no matter how basic these attacks seem to be.

Over in Qianrong and the Winter Rebellion, we have seen the INTERPROS warning of strikes against Guo and his side. Their first attack was the downing of The National Report, which merely publicized a story relating to FDRQ supporters and was not purposed for anything else. The Li's side and the Guo's side were infuriated by the shutdown of a [mostly] unbiased news sources, and we Pavonistadians, too, are angered by the cowardly acts of INTERPROS. The actions of the "true dissidents," as the INTERPROS named, may not be acceptable but this does not give cause for attacking a entire nation.

Such an attempt to suppress the release of information is clearly what these hostiles are bent for: the upholding of its own interests at the expense of freedom, despite its claims that it seeks for liberty for the people. It was two days before that the INTERPROS announced it would push forward its ill campaign against Guo, and with that it is essentially walking on a path to... to wherever it wants to go to. This, like so many attacks from the past, justifies a serious need to oppose them at every turn.

[...]

Yesterday, we have received news that the New Zepuhans have captured twenty people allegedly affiliated with the hacktivist network. Indeed, this is good news for all engaged in a war that has spanned for years. While the number twenty may be puny, it is one of the greatest numbers of INTERPROS or alleged-INTERPROS members captured outside of Pavonistade. Our country has so far captured over fifty since 2004 and we are struggling to continue our work, yet the people of New Zepuha have taken over one-third of that amount in an incredibly short period. It is always warming to see a step taken against hostiles, and for this I---with Minister of Domestic Affairs Elisabeth Rifkins, and with Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Chance Mulkeir---would like to sincerely congratulate the New Zepuhans for their achievement.

Their news comes with criticism against Pavonistade. Their Foreign Ministry announced disapproval as we are "doing very little to try and stop" the terrorist group that is INTERPROS. "By idling by as cyber terrorists in their nation attack other," the Ministry had stated, "they allow terrorists as a whole to open up a new front to wage war on freedom loving people." We must say that the New Zepuhan Foreign Ministry is correct: we have not been doing much to contain the hacktivist network and we are allowing it to slip by, causing terror for other Esquarians.

Yet it is false to say that we are doing nothing in this war. We are waging this conflict, twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week, to fight the ill-minded hackers that hide in our society. We are funding efforts, we are procuring equipment, we are hiring personnel, we are doing as much as possible to stand our ground against a shadowy terrorist. Even with the most intense efforts since the civil war against the Fascist Union, all of us---including I myself---understand and are aware that this is not enough.

[...]

The most recent of the hacks took place in Namor, where its PTH (Namorese Radio-Television) was targeted temporarily. The perpetrators are not INTERPROS, but by the "Otekian Truth Brigades," and they had distributed blatantly, clearly-false results about the recent Namorese elections. The damages were insignificant similar to that faced by The National Report, but nevertheless any people that seek to do harm of any degree are to be condemned.

This is also a warning to all Esquarians that it is not just INTERPROS that they are going to face in a new era of warfare. It will be a whole range of hackers that will have tremendous power if not stopped early. It is too late now to stamp the obtainment of power that the INTERPROS had, due to early skepticism back years ago, but it is never too late to prepare all possible tactics against the hackers. It's clear now that a step further must be taken, and today, we will do just that.

From forth, we shall invest more than ♇312 million ($600 million) into national cybersecurity and the protection of systems vulnerable to hacking. We shall further fund law enforcement forces specialized in combating hackers and reversing their menace. We shall create new programs to incentivize people into building cybersecurity, and we can push for educating students---young and old---about maintaining as much safety as possible from the invaders of the Internet.

[...]

The war against the hackers, especially against INTERPROS for us, will undeniably continue after 2014 and will definitely continue for many months and years, but what will continue on after New Year's Eve is a renewed effort for the good of not only Pavonistade, but for the good of everyone. Thank you, and now I will take questions.

Now the room was bustling with noise and excitement. Reporters scrambled to inquire about everything that had been said and had not been said. Again, waves of light bursts and sounds of snaps filled the room quickly, as if water was swiftly poured in a glass or can. Whatever it was, President Azurite was ready for the questions.

Major Questions

1. Timothy Haas of the Pavonistade Agency of News. It is alleged that the Ocelot Isles is a supporter of the Internal Professional Hackers, especially considering the latter's support for the former as well as the lack of actions taken against each other. Seeing as it has not been addressed in the speech, how would you respond?
   It is unacceptable for the Ocelot Isles to be a supporter or an alleged supporter of the INTERPROS, or at the very least offered only refusal for contribution in the war against terrorist hacktivists. In many occasions, when we requested for help from the Ocelotians after their independence earlier in March, all the requests were turned down by the Ocelotian Administration, and, taking into account their perfect safety from the INTERPROS as you stated, we suspect that something is going on. Therefore, I will call again for the Ocelotians to stop idling at this period of time.
   
   
2. Viena Eder of Forstazika Journal. You announce new programs and incentives in the near future, but may I ask as to why these were not implemented earlier in the wake of the then-novice INTERPROS?
   Well, we have early skepticism to blame as stated in my speech. The Pavonistadian Government, in the years that came before, believed that the INTERPROS was only a miniscule nuisance. It targeted imageboards and forums when it first started out in 2004, and barely any officials would believe it would have the capacity to confront news sources, banks, governments, etc.. Thus, we refused to take drastic actions. This is what allowed the enemies to pass through and grow in power and size, and evolved into the group it is today. There was virtually no way for the Pavonistadian Government to determine that the INTERPROS would grow beyond expectations. If we had not been skeptical to such a degree, this war would have been very different.

[Namor]

Namorese Twitter Feed

Fu Wen @FuWen Meeting with the State Council on designating #INTERPROS as terrorist group. RETWEETSFAVORITE 478211 9:00 pm - 23 Dec 73

Namorese Central Council @CenCo1 #PTHHacking CenCo hearing continues. Follow the latest developments here cenco.nr/news/dFsKdOtF RETWEETSFAVORITE 240101 9:15 pm - 23 Dec 73

Kai Feng @KaiFeng If PTH can get hacked, so can any Namorese website anytime. I'm worried. RETWEETSFAVORITE 9047 9:23 pm - 22 Dec 73

Radoslava Yulia @RadoYulia Otekians have "no" religious freedom but I can still feel the Christmas spirit. Something is wrong! #Providago #HappyHolidays RETWEETSFAVORITE 10945 9:29 pm - 22 Dec 73

Pian Zi @Pianzi99 What say you about a new movie where world leaders fight wars themselves? Tell me your thoughts. RETWEETSFAVORITE 399202 9:30 pm - 22 Dec 73

Pai Chiuming @PaiChiuMing5H Let's give thanks to the true elves - the workers who make toys for little children. #MerryChristmas RETWEETSFAVORITE 200125 9:38 pm - 22 Dec 73

[Tuthina]

Chang-nyeng Lim @changnyeng @Pianzi99 Seeing that the Tuthinan emperor is like 13 yr old with pretty long hair, middle-aged grown men ganking on him in woman clothing sounds wrong on so many level. RETWEETSFAVORITE 248175 4:17 pm - 23 Dec 2014

Sorry, but the image is so funny I have to spam this thread for just one tweet.

[Luziyca]

Uchenik (The Learner)
By Alexei Cyrilov, 1970

The day was frigid. The mercury was about -25 (Fahrenheit), and there was low visibility. However, it didn't help that there was high winds of about 30 knots per hour, and blowing snow. As a result, in the schoolhouse in the village, no children came to his school.

All his life, the teacher had lived here: he was an ethnic Otekian, like his family, but this town was majority Namorese. Since he was young, he knew that no matter where he went in the country, even in Lagania, he will always receive help by the Namorese, and not have a lot of fear.

He wanted to treat all his students with fairness, and with respect, something that he felt the government wasn't doing enough of. On the blackboard was a map of Oteki, with all of its rivers and towns, and the lake, as well as today's date.

He cleared some of the frost of the window and soon witnessed two figures emerge from the snowy background in what seemed to be the east: initially dark and unrecognizable, with one appearing to be a deformed centaur, and another being a person in a sled going behind that... figure. But as those people got closer, he recognized them: one was a police officer, knowing by the uniform, and seemed to be of an Otekian appearance. Another was a criminal. Eventually, the officer got off his horse and headed towards the door, as if he was wanting something. Finally, he knocks at the door.

The schoolteacher answered, asking, "Hello, Vladimir?"
The officer, Vladimir replied, "Hello, Cyril. You are ordered by the state government to take this prisoner to Korkino as a service to the people of Oteki. He is a Namorian, who has committed a severe crime."
Cyril asked the Namorese person, "Sir, what was the crime you have committed?"
The Namorese person began, "I wa..." but Vladimir cut him off.
"This prisoner," Vladimir explained, "Jamin, he has slit his cousin's throat over some bread. However, I reassure you that he is not a rebel nor a spy."
"Then why take him to prison?" Cyril pleaded. "He is just a person, he does not deserve to be put in prison."
"You must do what I say," Vladimir threatened.
"No," Cyril begged. "He has done less wrong than Yunglang. He may have slit a cousin over bread, but does that justify burning him?"
"DO AS I SAY," Vladimir shouted.
Cyril declared, "No. I will not take Jamin to Korkino."
Vladimir sighed, and then said in resignation to Cyril, "If you insist, Cyril." He took out a slip of paper and said to Cyril "you must sign this form to take custody of Jamin."
Cyril signed it, and then handed it back to Vladimir.
Vladimir told Cyril, "I trust you to make the right choice for him." He then waved and left the schoolhouse, leaving Cyril and Jamin in the schoolhouse.

Cyril then put some logs in the stove and started to use it to warm the room up, and told Jamin, "You should rest here, and warm yourself up." He then headed to the teacherage where he lived next to the school and brought out a spare cot into the classroom. Cyril also began to prepare and cook some Namorese food.

After a while, Cyril brought the food, which was some fen noodle soup, from the top of the stove towards Jamin. "Here is your food, brother. You may eat."

Jamin ate the meal rather quickly, and then after having done that, he looked outside. The blizzard was slowly dissipating, but it was still occurring. He could feel some chills from the drafty walls, but Jamin then headed to his cot to sleep.

Cyril said, "Good night, my brother."
Jamin replied, "Good night, Cyril."

Cyril headed to the teacherage where he made his own supper, just some soup and then after eating it, read a few books. He can hear some snoring, and after a while, Cyril made his way to bed.

The following morning, the sun began to rise: the blizzard had now dissipated, but it was a Saturday. Cyril was the first to wake up, and turned on the stove. The room warmed up and Cyril began making some food for Jamin. After making some food, a mixture of Otekian and Namorese food, he put it in a tin lunch container. He then made Jamin and himself some breakfast, and as Cyril brought breakfast, which was some toast, towards Jamin, Jamin was sitting up.

"Did you sleep well last night, Jamin?" Cyril asked.
"I did," Jamin replied.
"Same here. Here is your breakfast," Cyril said, "some buttered toast."
Jamin replied, "Thank you."
Cyril sighed and stated, "No problem. I shall repay you one day." He then brought out two enamel mugs, each filled with water, placing one in front of Jamin, and the other in front of himself.

Jamin began to eat his breakfast on a desk while in front of him, Cyril ate his breakfast of toast. They drank some water, but within minutes, they were done. Jamin began to get dressed, and Cyril placed the tin lunch box, as well as some banknotes on the tin. After Jamin was dressed in warm clothes that Cyril gave to him, Jamin seemed ready to go outside to head... somewhere. To where, nobody knew. This was why Cyril was determined to do something.

"Before you go," Cyril said to Jamin, "I want to give you a few things." He headed to the desk where he retrieved the lunch container and the banknotes. "Firstly, brother, here is your food on the journey, and a thousand lira for your own journey in case if you need to buy anything. Secondly, I want to give you the choice, to decide your own fate."
Jamin asked, "What are my choices?"
Cyril replied, "Well, if you go north, you can hide among the Namorese villagers, for I know them very well: they have wonderful hospitality, and they are quite friendly: they have an obligation to take care of any guests, and so long as you don't try and irritate them, you will fare well there."
Jamin then asked, "What is my other choice?"
Cyril sighed and said, "Your other choice is heading west on the road to Korkino and turning yourself in to the police. You would not have to deal with the guilt and shame of running away from a crime, and the police would be more lenient than if you ran away to join the townspeople."
"Any others?," Jamin asked.
"The only option not available is not making a decision," Cyril warned. "You must make a decision, and these decisions shall influence how our lives shall go."
"Alright, sir. I will think about it," Jamin declared.
"Take your time," Cyril said, nodding.

With that, Jamin headed outside, and closing the door to the schoolhouse. Cyril looked out the window, wondering which direction Jamin will go: he had a feeling that if Jamin headed to Korkino, the Namorese would isolate him and accuse him of being a collaborator, but if he did not, the police may arrest him and God knows what would happen to him. He shed a few tears. But at the same time, he knew that everyone will ultimately be condemned to some final punishment. Therefore, he hoped that he gave Jamin a choice.

A while later, he saw Jamin begin heading westwards, towards Korkino. He decided to turn himself in to the police in Korkino. Cyril felt that Jamin made the decision and realized that it was futile to run away from his crimes. As he looked down, Jamin seemed to grow smaller and smaller until he was a mere speck in the distance.

Cyril then turned to the board, and saw a message in Tzishin among the map of Oteki: "You have turned in our brother. You shall pay for this." Cyril was stunned by that message, but he knew that it was inevitable. However, he did feel that he lost some hope: in this land where he grew up in, where the Namorese once loved him and trusted him, he was now cut off from the community. Only God knows now how his future will work out.

[Sjalhaven]

Bárðe Eðvaldþon @barthetvet Looks like Southerners are discovering that whole thing called "cybersecurity". RETWEETSFAVORITE 28453 5:45 pm - 26 Dec 14

Bárðe Eðvaldþon @barthetvet Also, to recognise #INTERPROS as a terrorist group is giving too much credit to script kiddies. RETWEETSFAVORITE 248175 5:48 pm - 26 Dec 14

[Tuthina]

"Pick up your sword."

The looming shadow slowly approached, once again capturing the attention of her soaked eyes. His large, rough palms holding tightly to his dull, yet sturdy wooden sword as its tip tapped on the wooden floor to focus her fleeting gaze. That blade had landed on her immature, feeble body so many times, her mind had long since stopped counting the numbers of trail of red bruises on her pastel white skin coming from every solid, unrelenting blow. If the sword was an actual sword made of cold steel, she probably would have been torn to pieces already - the pain, though, never forget to remind her how it would have felt.

The faint lights from candles and oil lamps barely revealed the garments on their body. As expected from a practice of swordsmanship, both were wearing a simple garment. Their lower body was covered by a pair of plain, blue-black trousers, and their upper body was covered by a white loose T-shaped robe-like garment that characterised the garments of the Imperial culture. However, the loose sleeves were replaced in favour of a tighter one, and the hemline was tucked in the trousers to prevent them from obstructing their actions. While the upper garment was made of the finest cloth one could fine in the realm, hours of rigorous activity and beating had stained the white robe on her undeveloped body with her bodily fluid. The one worn by the man, however, remained clean from any sweat, once again demonstrating the insurmountable difference in skill and strength between them.

"But - "

"Pick up your sword." The chirping voice of the girl was once again cut short by the brief command given by the elder. As usual, the desperate cry from her throat had zero effects on the calm, authoritative tone of the man, like a twiddling bird trying to move solid rock, failing even as the tire had long turned it hoarse.

Years of rigorous and unforgiving training since she could remember instinctively reminded her that, no, the man would never change his order once it was given. Reluctantly, the girl slowly rose from her knees and reached for her smaller wooden sword. Her palms, wrapped tightly by a long strap of cotton cloth to protect her fine skin, were marked by all her strength holding against its hilt, some of them more long-lasting than others. Those were the testament of her trying her best to hold herself against the towering silhouette calmly observing her. However, as he would have said, "the best is not good enough".

Slowly but surely, her tattered body once stood against the balding old man before her, the soft, sweat-moistened palms holding tightly to her only means of protection. Drawing directly from the memory she learnt with her own body, the girl haltingly adjusted her breath and once again returned to a proper stance of swordsmanship. Even though it was perfect for someone as young as her, which would be more than enough to hold even an untrained grown adult, the imposing figure before her was more than enough to dwarf those men, let alone an undeveloped body like hers. Combined with the dim illumination, her mind once against yelled the usual word that, no, she could not win with all the chance in the world.

"Now, strike me down." All those thoughts dissipated at the moment the man ordered again. With a tired, yet determined glare against him, the girl raised the blade in her hands over her long, black hair tied behind her. From the deepest depth of her body, she emitted a guttural cry, as she drew close to him, releasing all of her inner strength in a raging dash towards the giant.

The eyes on the wrinkled, frozen face of the man, however, were clearly not satisfied by that despite her best effort. With a quick glance upon her body, he effortlessly step aside her path, while the wooden sword swiftly swung by his right side. Then, almost as if it was a deliberately engineered choreography, he used his left leg as leverage and propelled the long blade sideways, directly onto the unprotected waist of the charging girl. Without any hesitation or restraint, the solid dark wood embedded itself into her loose robe and the soft body beneath. Despite years of training in the art of fighting, she was not ready for such a decisive blow, as her weightless body immediately stopped in front of it, before the rest of the slash pushed her off the ground, making a thud as she landed on the hard, cold ground.

Without missing a beat, the tip of the wooden sword quickly delivered another blow against the exposed ankles. Panicked, she swung the blade with all her lingering strength in an attempt to block the painful blow. However, the immense pain spread from within her stomach to her entire body was more than enough to cripple her move. Looking every bit of the awry expression on her smooth, unworked face, the man quickly finished the move with two smooth blows landing right on each ankle, before a final blow forcefully releasing the sword in her hand, flushing her body and mind with waves of pain that manifested itself in another high-pitched cry.

"Heels off the ground. Manoeuvre with but a single point of contact with the ground." His repeating instruction did not entered the mind of the girl, as her teeth sunk deeply into her pink lips, trying to reduce the immense pain flooding her body and mind. Knowing her well, the elder made her focus her attention once more with a simple, yet very solid tap on the wooden ground with his sword. As soon as the sound entered her ears, she instinctively pulled herself from the pain and sat on the ground. She then turned towards him, with her moistened eyes filled with fear and pleads.

"Pick up your sword." He commanded again in spite of her desperate plead. Her bruised hand picked up the wooden sword once more, but instead of following his order, she finally rebelled as it was tossed against him. While he instinctively blocked it with his sword, she climbed from the floor and hastily run from him and towards the other side of the room, where a man in his middle age was looking at them quietly since the beginning. Unlike them, the clothes on his body were anything but plain. Made of several layers of smooth, expensive material and various shades of red, green and orange, the robe in light-yellow, decorated by a slight tint in red that covered all his clothes indicated his serene position as the heir to the Empire.

"Help me, daddy!" She cried, as her limping body struggled to take refuge behind the well-decorated clothes on his body. However, it was clear that he was at a loss on how to react to this. By contrast, the old man who just guided the thrown sword to the ground quickly turned towards the duo. Unlike the emotionless expression before, his brown eyes glared intensely at the girl behind the heir, before turning towards the heir in front of her. The stiff air within the training room almost immediately froze as soon as they looked each other in the eye, while the girl clinging to his loose sleeves for a single dash of hope that he could free her from the endless training.

"Stand aside." The old man broke the silence as he commanded the well-dressed man.

"I, I'll be good, father... please..." Despite the fear and respect that convinced his rational side to comply, the fine fingers clinging tightly into his loose sleeves, as well as the weeping voice of a hummingbird, caught his emotional side.

"I know." He responded with a brief, inaudible sigh, before turning towards the old man. "I do not mean to interrupt, father, but she is clearly fatigued from the training. Would it not be better if she is allowed to recover for later training? Surely even the best warrior could not hope to be victorious if - "

"Your feebleness is a mistake of mine, and a true man shall never commit the same mistake." The old man stared into the eyes of his son. The intense emotion alone was more than enough to make his stance softened.

"Please, please don't leave me! I’ll never be a bad girl again! Father!"

"Time for us is not infinite. Such gift is what drives us to fulfill our destined role. There is one for your heir, as well as for yourself." Silence loomed over them once more, as only the rapid heartbeats of him and his daughter could be heard. The old man, on the other hand, quietly waited for their answer with the tip of his sword slowly embedding itself into the wooden plank floor. For the girl, it was like eternity until she felt the hands of her father gently laid upon her shivering shoulder. However, the faint sense of security vanished when the same hand slowly pushed her from his body and towards the old man. The wide-eyed face, now dotted with sweats and tears, had no effects on the stern expression on the face of her mentor.

"I shall not stay any further then, my father. Please excuse my departure before the end of this session." The heir answered in a clear, even voice as he bowed to his father.

"But, daddy!" In desperation, the girl cried to the shadow of the man passing through the sliding door. However, her voice was not enough to stop it from disappearing from the other side of the doorway. Her shaking feet stood still on the ground, as if they were permanently glued to the floor. As the wooden door slammed itself shut, she reluctantly lowered her head and nodded, before turning back to her mentor.

I am sorry.

A sudden, powerful slap to her soft and slightly rounded face almost immediately threw her onto the ground again, its sound echoed across the hall as her hand covered the bright, red mark manifesting on her pastel white skin. Despite expecting it, the pain still made her quietly moaned, while the old man approached her once more. He grabbed her by the wrist where the bandages and the unprotected met, forcefully making her stand on her feet again. The difference in height, as well as her body struggling to keep straight, meant she was barely tiptoeing towards the dropped sword until she was released. Like a puppet with the strains cut off, the girl softly fell onto her knees before it. With another heavy tap onto the ground, she almost instinctively straightened her exhausted body and sat in the proper way.

"Given enough time, any man can master the physical; given enough knowledge, any man can become wise. However, a truly worthy warrior must not only master both, but to integrate, synthesise them. For that, you must become one with your weapon, your sword. You must treat it as if your life clings to it, as it often can be." The old man lectured, before raising his wooden sword. As before, it swiftly landed onto the shoulder of the sitting girl, her exhausted body struggling not to be forced down onto the ground by the sheer force and pain. "And that is NOT how you treat your sword! Your companion!"

"I, I'm sorry!" She instinctively cried in response, her fingers clenching into the cloth of her soaked trousers.

"As someone in whom the Imperial lineage flow in the vein, you are destined to be the one who will herd everyone within the Imperial realm, nobles and commoners alike. They have their roles under the heaven, as those who look up to you for your protection and guidance, and provide you with means to do so. If you treat them as how you treated your sword - a merely disposable tool, they will cease to entrust their live on you. Then, you will be truly powerless, and your lineage would not protect you from the world." The girl nodded in succession as the man continued. In her mind, though, none of the words he said truly echoed within her skull. She did not care about any of them. She did not want to rule. Despite all the fancy talks and the respect from others, at the end of the day, all those paled in comparison with a simple chat and play with a random servant. All the pain that still lingered in her body only served to distract her minds even more, until every words blurred into the same ambiance.

"Pay attention!" Another blow to her shoulders once again reminded her of that, though the numbness succeeded in stopping her from crying out again.

"Yes, mister! I’m sorry!"

"Apologise to your sword, for you have disappointed it." The man concluded with an order, which she immediately complied by prostrating to her sword. The posture continued for a while before another tap - one that was gentler - on the shoulder signalled her to raise her face from the wetted floor.

"Have you learnt from your mistake?"

"Yes, yes I’ve... I have. I apologise for my immature action." The girl answered in the calmest voice and the most respecting words possible, quickly wiping her face of all the remaining droplets. "I - I promise I will not resort to it again. I will not disappoint you ever again."

"Good." The old man said. With another gentle tap, he moved from the girl and her sword, before his palms tightened around the hilt once more.

"Pick up your sword."

---

To Peccavi (2-1)

[Namor]

State of the People's Republic Address - January 1
Broadcast on PTH and major Namorese networks

---

The loudspeakers went on. "Tongjimon, Namora Iminguka Ongting (Comrades, the President-General of the Namorese People's Republic)!"

All 2549 members of the CenCo stood and applauded as the large entrance of the Hall slowly opened, and in came a medium-sized figure. He looked like a businessman even though he is now the President-General; he held the usual beaming face as if he would never frown. Keeping his pace, he walked towards the podium in the front of the hall, situated between the seats of the Vice President and the Speaker. The cameras were pinned at him; the presidential anthem was playing - he felt like an emperor.

He reached the podium, and the applause slowly died down. He smiled and thanked the audience, and began.

Citizens of the People's Republic - well, it's been one heck of a year.

[laughter]

As we continue along the path we've been on, as I enter my second term in office, let me begin by thanking the people for their support and confidence in the administration. We are not only doing business but we're making progress, real progress. And that is what we need during a time like this.

When the People's Republic of Namor was first founded, in NMR 2290, Yunglang Antelope envisioned a strong, prosperous and self-sufficient country. That is a vision that we're working on accomplishing, and even as some of it has already been fulfilled there is still a long way to go. In order to fulfill this vision completely, we need goals and we need to reach these goals. And that is what the purpose of this Address is - so I can tell the people what I want to accomplish by the end of this year and what I think needs to be done so our nation finishes writing yet another successful chapter in its history.

In the past years we accomplished what some thought we couldn't accomplish. Another step forward was taken in the reunification of our country with the true unification of Peitoa with the mother country. Namor's doors are wider than ever open in welcoming foreign businesses to invest in Namor. Believe it or not, our country is now one of the most friendliest places for investors. Let it continue to be that way.

[applause]

Let's get real - there is always going to be challenge. And we Namorese are accustomed to facing challenges. In this case, there are still many challenges ahead, but let me assure you that as a nation we are taking the right path and we are doing the right thing.

One of the major challenges that has hit our attention very recently is a growing threat. This is a new, different kind of threat. This is not a threat that comes in the form of tanks, planes or soldiers. This is not a threat that comes in the form of viruses and germs. Instead, this is a cyber-threat, the threat that can be transmitted from computer to computer. This menace threatens to control and manipulate our country's security and put it in jeopardy. What's worse, this threat has the capability of linking up with other hostile forces.

Now, this threat has been existing for years, if not decades. But for a long time it has rarely involved us. Hackers with ulterior motives pose a growing threat to the world's governments and peoples - they say their aim is to support the anti-establishment movement but in reality they want to render the world lawless. With the rise of internet these individuals seek to impose a hegemony over this new, popular medium of communication to take advantage of not only governments, but all peoples.

I am talking about groups such as the "Internal Professional Hackers" and the "Otekian Truth Brigades." Lately, both groups stepped up in their game of destabilization. The "Truth Brigades," who have the full backing of a ragtag bunch of separatists, managed to hack PTH and bring their hate-loaded propaganda in front of the eyes of millions of Namorese. In addition, these cyber-separatists are not going to stop - they vowed to bring about more attacks and they will. They are the true face of the separatists and the true face of extremism in this country and they're not going to get away with their actions unopposed and unstopped.

And then there's the more widespread group, the so-called "Internal Professional Hackers," people who stay in their hideouts and unwilling to show their faces but nonetheless still want the world to know that they're there. This group has launched several attacks on media outlets - one of them was headquartered in the capital when they were attacked. The group, which most people refer to as "INTERPROS," is not only loathed by the victims of their attacks. They are loathed by various governments and groups, denounced by many and hunted down by many.

In the past few days, I was discussing the issue of cyber-security with experts on the field as well as the State Council, especially the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Public Security, to name a few agencies. We all agreed that cyber-terrorism is a looming threat, that the threat is only going to get worse and that something needs to be done to contain it. As such, we reached the conclusion that the so-called "Internal Professional Hackers" is a menace to international cyber-security and security as a whole, and our country has not only the right, but the responsibility to curb it. I instructed the Minister of Public Security to list this group as a terrorist organization. Its assets, if found in Namor, will be confiscated and its sponsors will be punished.

In the meantime, we have an obligation to deal with cyber-terrorists who specifically target us. Unsurprisingly, those who fall into this category once again belong to the "Oteki" terror network, a clique that spends it time outside of Namor and has no mandate to represent any ethnic group whatsoever. Fellow Namorese, we have long brushed the so-called "Truth Brigades" aside and instead looked to containing threats we perceived as being real, such as the "Knights of Saint Luther" or the "government-in-exile," but we cannot afford to brush them aside any longer. By breaking into the media, spreading lies and inciting people to commit their lives to terrorizing others, the "Truth Brigades" and their separatist allies are waging a war on Namorese security and Namorese sovereignty.

By the end of this year I will want to have the Central Council approve of reserving P3.5 billion of our budget into funding our cyber-security. The military will emphasize the necessity of forming a strong, solid line of defense in the event of an all-out cyber-war.In the world stage, the Namorese government will be cooperating with other governments who share the same interests as us in fighting the new cyber-terror. We will also put pressure on several governments - including our allies - to strike harder at cyber-terrorist groups no matter where they're from, what their agenda is among other things. We're seeing progress before this address was made - our friends in the Ocelot Isles, a long-time sponsor of INTERPROS - has officially negated cyber-terrorism and listed the group as a terrorist organization.

In the end, a strong, stable international multilateral alliance for cyber-security needs to be formed if we are to win this war on cyber-terror. I firmly believe that through cooperation and collective action, the War on Cyber-Terror will see a final victory for us.

[applause]

In the past few years much of the ice that has defined Namo-Luziycan relations were shattered. This is something that has not only brought benefits to the Namorese people, but something that has benefited the Luziycan people too. In this new era co-existence is necessary for the preservation of world peace. This is why my administration supports interactions with Luziycan officials so the two countries can work problems out through dialogue and not through war or lethal force.

Detente is something that the Namorese people should invest in because we are going to get a lot out of it. No progress would have been made in regards to the status of occupied Nantai if Namorese and Luziycan leaders did not meet face-to-face with each other. The two countries must learn to get along, because they are neighbors and they're going to stay neighbors. We don't demand a friendship, nor do we demand an alliance, but we want co-existence and we will get co-existence. I understand that there are some out there who oppose detente because they're concerned about Luziyca and concerned about the country's power projection. But these concerns cannot be used as an excuse to reject detente because either we either break the ice or we start another war - a Fourth Namo-Luziycan War. Nobody - not even the people who oppose detente I believe - want that. Only the easing of hostility can change Luziyca and integrate it into the arms of the international community.

Therefore, I am announcing the establishment of special economic zones specifically to lure Luziycan investors and Luziycan businesses. In these zones, many of the current laws that may restrict trade with Luziyca will not apply, although businesses will obviously have to follow Namorese laws. Cities such as Westernia, Bashi-Bashgar, Negev and Po'ai - all in West Namor - will have special economic zones meant to enthrall Luziycan businesses. This is a first step in encouraging trade between the two countries and I hope it gets the support of the Central Council and the people. The SEZs can encourage trade, and trade can reduce the distrust between our two countries. It's a process that will take years if resolutely followed, but a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step and as long as a journey may be, we'll get there.

[applause]

As we're supporting detente, Namor must not in any way abandon its relations with other countries who matter as much as Luziyca does, nor should it turn a blind eye to obligations it has to uphold international law. The regime of Simeon Brozhav in Ocidenia is widely recognized as having come to power illegally, but so far little has been done to ensure the prevalence of democracy there. I am encouraging all parties involved in the crisis to sit down together and talk their differences out, and make a compromise that will satisfy all their interests. Military intervention at this point is out of the question - it's not only going to backfire, but it's going to cost a lot of lives and money. The way I see it, this crisis is not worthy of ending in bloodshed - there is a peaceful way out of it. I'm pushing for an international conference - a summit - to discuss this issue before the end of this year.

In a few days, Roubao and Namor will renew the Namor-Roubanese Mutual Defense Treaty. This is not just the renewal of a treaty - it's the renewal of our everlasting commitment to intervene if Roubao is attacked by Unolia. This commitment is unshakable no matter how much the Triumvirate prepares itself for an all-out confrontation which it's thirsty for. I reaffirm our country's responsibility of making sure the Roubanese people can defend themselves from anything they don't want appearing in their shores.

The stability in northwestern Esquarium needs to be preserved at all costs. We want Nevanmaa to start building a constructive relationship with surrounding countries, a relationship that cannot be hindered by domestic policies such as the racial laws. In the meantime, we shouldn't ostracize Nevanmaa because it's not going to work. Instead, it's only going to make things worse.

[applause]

When Yunglang founded this country, he envisioned a strong nation that would prosper economically. We are prospering economically now - this is thanks to the contribution businesses have made to society. People are encouraged to do business because more businesses create more jobs, more jobs create more opportunities and more opportunities are what make up a strong workforce which we in Namor have today. The presence of businesses both large and small should be welcomed by all people, so this year I will continue to get stuff passed through the Central Council that will relax restrictions on businesses. Currently, the private sector makes up 55% of our GDP; by the end of this year I hope it makes up roughly 60-65% of the national GDP.

In regards to welfare and assistance, we must face the hard truth - that the government is not doing a great job in keeping the welfare up. I don't want to see welfare destroyed - I believe in helping people who deserve it. But we should not let the burden of regulating welfare fall in the hands of a body that can't oversee the process properly. Rather than destroying welfare and destroying assistance altogether, which some of my colleagues in the Progressive side allege I desire doing, we should transfer the responsibility of welfare and assistance to the private sector. Private charities shouldn't completely replace welfare, but it's a promising alternative.

The world's non-renewable resources are running out. Sooner or later, the things people depend on in everyday life - coal, natural gas and other fossil fuels - will burn out. We Namorese with our large population use up a large percentage of the world's fossil fuels. I'm sure that most, if not all, of us are aware that the energy we use are non-renewable and will someday run out, but when we ask ourselves what should be done we refuse to answer. This is a mistake and should be corrected before it's too late. This year, I'm looking for ways in which our country can reduce our dependence on oil and instead seek alternative energy sources. I'm giving businesses incentives to seek alternative energy sources, and this is what our government is going to do. We're not going to shove alternative energy down people's throats, the people are good enough to do it themselves. They know what's ahead of us all and they are capable of doing the right things and making the right decisions. I trust the people.

Going along with energy, Namorese has a responsibility of promoting change in attitude towards the natural environment. Every country realizes the need to protect the environment, but because they have different conditions they have different ways of protecting it. We in Namor are a large country - different regions have different environmental conditions. Because of this all efforts to promote environmental change must be done at the local level. What the cities do to protect the environment will be irrelevant to the countryside, and vice versa. What the central government can do is make efforts in cutting carbon emissions. Namor will play a more constructive role in international climate negotiations.

Fellow Namorese, when the People's Republic was first founded, it was founded in a country which was regarded lowly by others. It was what historians called a semi-feudal, semi-colonized state. But when the People's Republic came to existence Namor became a truly sovereign state. As we all know, for a state to become prosperous it must be sovereign first. Namor became sovereign and then it could proceed to becoming a sovereign prosperous nation. Look at us now - we're doing business, everything's good for us, both now and in the path ahead of us. Thank you, Happy New Year, and long live the People's Republic!

[minutes-long applause as Fu waves at the crowd before shaking some hands and walking off]

[Qianrong]

A small islet, Shengsu Province, Qianrong
January 8, 2015

At least they don't beat me anymore, thought the malnourished, abused, and unshaven man who had once been Chancellor of Qianrong. The blood from those beatings still stained his body, but no new stains were added. He got a small meal- a cup of rice and a glass of water- every day. He had a bed, though it was small enough he could only sleep sideways and it was little more than a wooden plank attached to the wall with an old dirty pillow. There was an actual toilet, too, though it was little more than a metal latrine.

All of this in the tiny room that Song Li-Chao had spent over a month in. I've probably slept in beds bigger than this entire room, he thought to himself, sitting on the bed, staring at the gray concrete walls and the gray metal door, looking at the tiny hatch where an ASQ terrorist deposited food and then took the empty plates after he had eaten. At this point, it was probably boredom that would kill him. Either that or committing suicide by drowning himself in the latrine, a sufficiently disgusting proposition that Song kept on living.

When Ngo Huu Tra had told him on December 7th that they would be heading separate ways, he had not lied. Ngo had gone for good. The torture ended. Now he simply sat in the room and tried to recuperate. A room with literally nothing to do but sleep, sit, shit, and wait. Wait for food, wait for rescue, wait for death, wait for who knows what.

The guards sometimes talked too loud passing by, and he sometimes overheard them. He knew he was in Shengsu Province, that there had been continued trouble in Qianrong, that the ASQ hadn't attacked civilians in a while. It was his only human contact, aside from receiving food through the slat in the door. Speaking of food, he knew- in that way that your body expects things at certain times when that's what you've experienced in the past- that it was coming soon. It was never much, just rice and water, but the one small meal daily left him desperately hungry when the next one came. Song scooted down the bed, slightly closer towards the door, though he knew there was no real reason to. It wouldn't hasten the food's arrival. It wouldn't mean more food for him. Life was generally not logical, though. Or fair, of course. Those were lessons he had definitely learned.

Then the slat in the door opened and a tray came in, with a cup of rice and a glass of water as always. He grabbed the tray eagerly, and began eating- with his hands, because nobody in the ASQ had heard of utensils, it seemed. He would have felt uncomfortable in more normal situations, but after months of torture and starvation, he didn't care.

Then, without warning, something else came through the slat, as though it was being dropped in secretly, as though the person on the other side didn't want anyone else to see. Shortly thereafter, there was a second item. Song put down the tray carefully, and picked up the items. A fresh orange and a small bar of chocolate. The first piece of fruit and first piece of candy he had seen since June. After a month of rice and water, which had itself followed months of starvation, the two items almost made him break down into tears. He put them on the tray; he didn't dare eat them yet. They were too precious to be eaten all at once.

Out of curiosity, he looked at the slat. It was still open, and he could see the face of the ASQ guard who had brought the food, who had given him the orange and the chocolate bar. It seemed kind- genuinely kind, the first truly kind face he'd seen since June, not one of Ngo's mocking psychopathic grins, not the stern and silent faces of his torturers. This person was different, he was sure of it.

Song approached the slat and asked, "Who are you?" The guard responded, saying "Chun Jung-Ping." Chun then looked left and right, as if to make sure nobody was there, and said "National Security Forces, Chancellor." Song's eyes widened and his heart rate increased. "You're a spy? You infiltrated the ASQ?" Chun nodded. "I've been leaking info to my superiors for a while. I couldn't contact them after November 29, because of the chaos, but they were able to contact me today. They say that they believe Ngo Huu Tra is here, and that I need to make myself clear when they come to get him. I'm going to try and tell them you're here, but Ngo isn't. I can't guarantee that they'll get the message, but-" Song cut him off. "No, no, that doesn't matter. If they come here, they'll find me anyways. All I care about is getting out of this damned place." Chun nodded, and said, "When they're here, I'll try to get you out. My superiors have said they'll be looking for a certain sign, for me making it. They'll see us and they'll take us and we'll both be out of this hellhole."

Song was on the verge of tears. Fruit, chocolate, the possibility of rescue, an end to all this. Song breathed deeply, and then turned towards the door again. "By the way- I'm sorry to ask this, since you've already done so much- can you give me something to do while I'm in here aside from sit or pace or sleep?" Chun paused, presumably not expecting that as a request. Then he put his hand through the slat and pushed another item through, a small book. Song picked it up and looked at Chun. "Really? A Bible?" Chun nodded, and looked away. "Yeah. I'm Yinglidao. It's all I have that could give you something to do. It's certainly long enough to take you a while to finish." Song sighed. That much was true, but as a Tianzongjiao man he was hesitant to read a Yinglidao Bible. Then again, he needed something to do, and there didn't seem to be much else. He nodded at Chun and said, "All right, but you're probably going to get it back when we get out. I'm not planning on converting." Chun nodded and smiled, then said, "I have to go. Enjoy the chocolate and the orange and the book. My superiors, they say it shouldn't be too long before they come."

Chun closed the slat, but then came back to it a few seconds later, and said, "Be prepared, Chancellor Song. A lot has changed while you were away."

No doubt it has, Song thought as he went back to the small bed and resumed the interrupted meal. A lot can change in six dull months, and with what I've heard from the few I've interacted with, those six months have not been dull. He finished the rice and water, and sent the tray and cup and glass back through the slat. He took a slice of the orange and a piece of the chocolate, eating them slowly, savoring them. I'm glad that this will be over soon. I don't care what's happened, I want to get back.

In the meantime, though, he could only wait. He sighed, and opened the Bible to the first chapter of Genesis. I hope rescue comes quickly, he thought. I want to spend as little time as possible reading this damned book!

[Luziyca]

Breuvi Shjoraski was astonished. Over the past few days, he had heard of the Veran Hus school shooting, and following that, the racism direct against the race of the gunman, the Shudri. He was quite torn about the Shudri: he really despised how they were a "stain on society" and sympathized with the calls to expel the Shudri. However, he had heard the news of the rescue of Chancellor Song Li-Chao. Combined with the new government, he decided to send an official communique.

OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE OF THE CHRISTIAN REPUBLIC OF LUZIYCA

---

To: Former Chancellors Song Li-Chao and Li Jian-Zheng of the FDR of Qianrong, all officials of the National Transitional Council of Qianrong
Cc: International Community
From: President Breuvi Shjoraski of Luziyca
Encryption: N/A

---

We have acknowledged that for a long time, we were allies: mouth and teeth, and united in brotherhood. However, after the start of detente and the decreasing importance of the strategic role that is Qianrong, many officials wanted to reduce ties with Qianrong, and this is the price: a Qianrong that is no longer allied to the freest state of Luziyca.

To my old friend, Song Li-Chao, I wanted to keep the promise that I made to you in Kenyen; to help and improve ties with your free nation. However, once you were abducted, we wanted to try and activate our troops, but the bureaucrats within the government refused to permit us to allocate extra funding to help you fight the ASQ. As a result, these brave men were unable to help preserve your nation and by the end, many thought that we betrayed you. And in some way, I feel complicit in this, because I did not take action to help rescue you. Thus, I wish to extend a heartfelt apology to you, and I hope you may forgive us for having forgotten you in this time of trouble.

To the new government of Qianrong, I have been honored by your devotion to restore freedom and to this end, our government shall offer a ₤750 million ($1.5 billion) comprehensive package, to help rebuild the infrastructure damaged in the civil war, to help set up the new government, and to provide humanitarian aid. We apologize for having stood by and twiddled our thumbs, and this is our way of compensation. As well, should you request, we shall send observers and personnel to help rebuild infrastructure within your nation. If requested, we can increase the comprehensive package provided to your nation to a maximum of ₤2.5 billion ($5 billion).

May you consider our offers and forgive us for our betrayal.

Signed,
Breuvi Shjoraski
President of the Christian Republic of Luziyca

[Namor]

[Greonterp]

The Rally

I shove through the crowd of people, hoping to catch a glimpse of Danique Rutten. But, it is impossible to see her over the Leeuwartian Flags held by fans, and the massive oak trees that partially block the platform Rutten is standing on. But, I can hear her speaking passionately about independence, and I was overjoyed.

"Leeuwarden, tomorrow we vote. But, I firmly believe that one's vote is truly valid only if they vote for freedom. If one votes for bureaucracy, a centralized government, and the idiotic politicians in Boswald, then they wasted a vote. So, when you cast your ballot, know you have two choices. You can vote for a fresh future, freedom, and self determination. Or you can waste your ballot by voting for the needs of bureaucrats in Boswald. If you vote for the latter, you might as well wipe your ass with the ballot!"

The crowd goes wild as Rutten utters her last sentence. Until months ago, I had never dreamed of Leeuwartian Independence, or really desired it. But, the sheer excitement and democratic movement behind the Nederland Partei has made me change my mind. Tomorrow, I'm casting my ballot for freedom. Tomorrow, I cast my ballot for Leeuwarden.....

[Odissia]

-nerfed-

[Qianrong]

Seongyun, Qianrong
January 29th, 2015

The crowd of reporters filling the wide, sunlit room broke into cheering as Song Li-Chao entered the large, sunlit room, waving and smiling. Song knew that they were cheering because he had lived, because the suffering inflicted on him by the ASQ had apparently absolved him of any misdeeds as Chancellor. He was also happy to have lived, to have been rescued from Ngo Huu Tra and returned to Qianrongese society. He'd been reunited with his wife and kids on the 25th, and soon he would head to Yucheng as an honorary member of the National Transitional Council. He wasn't the one standing and applauding, but he was without a doubt the happiest man in the room as he walked up to the podium.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen," he said to the crowd as he arrived at the podium. "Thank you all for that warm reception, and let me simply say that I'm incredibly glad to be here, to say the least, and that I am ready for any questions you may have."

Almost immediately every reporter in the room stood up, vying to be the first person to ask Song Li-Chao a question at his first public appearance since his release. Song pointed to one in the back and began preparing answers to a small battery of questions- what to say about New Zepuha, about Li Jian-Zheng, about any number of things. Unfortunately the reporter he had picked asked none of those questions, instead saying, "Nguyen Ton Binh with the Tuhao Enquirer- Chancellor, is it true that you were castrated while in ASQ captivity?"

Song paused briefly before sighing. Of all the questions he should have expected, this was the one he hadn't. He wondered which nurse had leaked the information to the tabloids. "Unfortunately, yes, among numerous other means of torturing me," he said. "Now, any legitimate questions?"

Thankfully, the next question was more serious. "Chancellor Song, this is Wong Shui-Jiu with Radio Free Qianrong. You were seen often with Ngo Huu Tra during your time as a hostage, can you tell us a little about Ngo?" Song nodded. "First, I'd like to mark the occasion where the former Chancellor of Qianrong is speaking with an RFQ reporter." Wong nodded and there were some slight chuckles. "Now, onto the actual question- to put it simply, Ngo is mentally corrupted, broken somehow. He didn't tell me much about him, aside from that he'd been a child soldier in the First Domestic Terror War. What I learned about him I learned from experience. What I learned was more about his personality, and put simply, there is something very wrong with him. He would make small talk during torture, as though nothing was wrong. He could go straight from making pleasantries to plotting mass murder. He was- he was broken, very broken."

The reporters once again began vying to ask questions. Song pointed to a reporter and nodded. "Ling Mei-Lan with the National Report. Sir, we all know you've been offered a spot on the National Transitional Council, and that you were also final legal Chancellor of the FDRQ. What are your thoughts on the Winter Rebellion and the new NTC?" Song nodded. "I think Zhong Fang-Ye put it best, when telling her fellow AQNS members to stand alongside the UDCQ and the NTCQ. I think the FDRQ should have stayed, I think that Qianrong was better with it than it had been at any point before. But, and this is important, what's done is done. I'm not going to try and resurrect it. Instead, we need to work together to guarantee that Qianrong can continue to do well. We need to stand together against our domestic enemies in the ASQ and against the foreign nations that want us destroyed. Now is a time for unity, not division."

"As for Li himself," Song continued, "Li obviously recognizes the necessity of Qianrongese national unity in this critical time. He's done a great deal to make the National Transitional Council broadly representative for the sake of the Qianrongese people. I disagree with some of the things he's done, particularly with regards to the Winter Rebellion, but he's a good man and he obviously wants what he views to be best for the Qianrongese people. I'm honored to have been given a spot on the Council and I look forward to hopefully playing a role in the creation of the Second Independent State."

A reporter near the front stood up and said, "You mentioned foreign topics briefly in that last response, and I think there's a few things we'd all like to hear about your take on foreign policy- especially, of course, Luziyca. How do you feel about the apologies Breuvi Shjoraski has made for the Luziycan betrayal of Qianrong?" Song nodded, turning a shade graver. "Most of what I would say about Breuvi Shjoraski and the Christian Republic of Luziyca would be far too expletive-laced to be printed or broadcast. However, I will say this: there's an old phrase, that actions are louder than words. Luziyca has given us a lot of words. Shjoraski gave some of them to me personally in Kenyen. What they have not given us is action. That's what matters. Their words promised actions that never came. I'm glad Qianrong broke with Luziyca, and I'm glad we've turned elsewhere to more trustworthy nations." Inside, he wanted to denounce Breuvi Shjoraski as a lying bastard in the strangest possible language, but he knew that he couldn't appear to have gone unhinged. He held his tongue and kept his decorum on Shjoraski- for now.

Once again, the reports stood and tried to be selected. Song pointed at a man on the aisle who stood and said, "Nguyen Bao Dai with the Qianrong Central News Agency. Chancellor Song, what are your views on the presence of Zepuhan Forces Qianrong in the fight against the ASQ?" Song responded almost immediately, saying, "New Zepuhan assistance has been incredibly helpful, in my understanding, in fighting the ASQ. Let me make it perfectly clear, I know perfectly well that the ASQ is sadistic, psychotic, murderous. They are a despicable band of terrorists, and we must take all action necessary to stop them. So long as New Zepuha is fighting alongside us, I am supportive of warm relations between our nations."

Another reporter quickly followed up. "While we're on the topic of foreign policy, what are your thoughts on Qianrong's relationship with Namor following the fall of Free Peitoa?" Song nodded, and responded. "I'm going to be honest, I'm not find of Namor. They're better than Luziyca, but they are still not to be trusted. They invaded Peitoa, they occupy Oteki, and the KGB is just as much a threat to us as the CIA. Many in Namor no doubt long for the days when Namor was the overlord of a vassalized Qianrong. We must not allow those days to return."

The next foreign question came from an Iligtas Mindanasang with the Maliitna Morning Post. "What are your thoughts about the war in the Ocelot Isles? Can Pavonistade be trusted to respect the Ocelot Isles' sovereignty?" Song shook his head and added, "Pavonistade has an excuse to turn back the clock to days of imperial glory. If Mattheu Azurite doesn't try to take that chance, then I think we'll all be very surprised."

Finally the questions returned to Qianrong. "Good afternoon, Chancellor, I'm with the Yucheng Gazette. What are your priorities as an honorary member of the National Transitional Council?" Song smiled and said, "My goal- and this may not be surprising to you all- my goal is to make sure that the Second Independent State is capable of fighting the Alliance for Sovereignty in Qianrong on every possible front, to guarantee that we win the Second Domestic Terror War."

"Now," Song said, "I'll take one final question and then I'll let you all go." He pointed at a reporter who stood and said, "Kung Tso-Xing with the Qianrong Central News Agency. What are you going to do now?" It was a fluff question, but Song smiled because the answer was a happy one. "I'm going to spend the day with my wife and my children, for the next few days I'll be recovering around them. After that, we're off to Yucheng."

"Well," Song closed, "that's all we have time for today. Thank you all very much." The reporters all rose and applauded as Song Li-Chao walked off from the podium, back to the room where his family waited. Song smiled and waved. There would be more interviews, more spotlights, he'd probably write a tell-all book about it, and he was of course returning to politics. Even with family time, it was a strenuous schedule. That didn't matter to Song, though; what mattered was that he was home.

[Ziegenhain]

stupid edgy post removed

[Qianrong]

NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE ARCHIVE

Qianrongese National Unity in the Face of Terrorist Threats Act
(National Unity Act, QiNUFTTA)
NA-14 9637
Proposed on September 19 2014
Passed on October 3 2014
Final Vote of 431-1-3

---

RECOGNIZING the threat posed by terrorist groups such as the Alliance for Sovereignty in Qianrong(ASQ) to the lives and liberties of the citizens of the Free Democratic Republic of Qianrong,

NOTING that aid from the People's Republic of Namor and Republic of Ainin has made terrorist affiliates of the Alliance for Sovereignty in Qianrong increasingly bold,

NOTING that the Alliance for Sovereignty in Qianrong has conducted numerous attacks on the citizenry and government of the Free Democratic Republic, including but not limited to attacks on public spaces, municipal transport, housing facilities, and government officials,

This National Assembly HEREBY DECLARES THAT:

1) All territories under the administration of Free Democratic Republic of Qianrong are inseparable territories of the Free Democratic Republic and the Qianrongese nation. Any form of secession, including unilateral total secession from the Free Democratic Republic of Qianrong with the following intentions and purposes:

-Creating a regime that severs all ties with the Free Democratic Republic and the Qianrongese nation;
-Creating a regime that seeks to challenge the authority and legitimacy of the Free Democratic Republic and the people's democratic authority;
-Or joining an entity other than the Free Democratic Republic

Is wholly illegal and qualifies as the crime of high treason.

2) In the event that any renegade group does secede from the Free Democratic Republic and the Qianrongese nation, the Free Democratic Republic is allowed to suppress the attempt at secession or rebellion through the following means:

-Intervention against the renegade forces by the Qianrong National Security Forces and any local law enforcement units or militia groups;
-Intervention against outside forces supporting separatist efforts by providing direct military support, armaments support, or humanitarian aid to renegade elements;
-The cutting of commercial ties with rebellious forces;
-The military isolation of rebellious forces;
-And the isolation of renegade elements in foreign countries across Esquarium.

3) Individuals and groups who:

-Publicly and openly advocate for the separation of certain territory from the Free Democratic Republic and the Qianrongese nation;
-Openly endorse activities of rebellious or separatist groups, whether these groups are violent or peaceful in their actions;
-Take any sort of action that deprives the Free Democratic Republic and the Qianrongese nation of its legitimacy and territorial integrity, peaceful or violent;
-Or support the joining of Qianrongese territory into another entity

Are wholly barred from participating in the democratic Qianrongese governmental system, and are thus prevented from doing the following:

-Registering a political organization at the municipal, provincial, or national level in an election;
-Registering as a candidate for any sort of public office at the municipal, provincial, or national level;
-Registering any sort of political party, political action committee, or other political association;
-And participating in the democratic election system as a voting individual.

4) Individuals and groups who support secession are, however, guaranteed rights stated in the Constitutional Law of the Free Democratic Republic, including but not limited to:

-Right to freedom of thought, speech, assembly, protest, and petition;
-Right to privacy and security in private matters;
-Right to a speedy public trial before a jury of their peers with a defense attorney;
-And the various other human rights this government has sworn to protect.

This is provided that they do not serve as a threat to national security or as a proxy of hostile foreign forces that intend on harming Qianrongese political, economic, social and moral interests. The National Security Forces are reserved the right to investigate separatist groups and politicians to guarantee the security of the Free Democratic Republic and the Qianrongese nation.

In the case that an individual does fall into this category, then their constitutional rights are annulled and they are to be subject to punishment in accordance with the Criminal Law of the Free Democratic Republic for high treason, sedition, libel, and/or slander of the Qianrongese government.

[Pavonistade]

OOC: For IC purposes, this sample of the new Countryballs episode is released on Friday.

[Namor]

Diary of Manya Valerija

This diary isn't known to the public.

Manya Valerija, singer, arrested for supporting
Otekian independence and doing her time in
Nanniwan Detention Facility.

February 14
Another day at Nanniwan passes. If it isn't for this diary, I will have died of bore by now. This diary is my only friend in this detention facility. Of course there are other inmates I see from time to time, but they're not all that talkative. Some are actually violent, gruesome people that don't want to talk with anybody because of what they've done. For that, I try to keep my distance away from them.

If there's anything nice the Namorese prison guards did to me, it's letting me keep this diary. Probably because they know that it's not going to circulate outside of this prison in spite of the stuff I write here, although I'm sure they're going to get their hands on this when I'm released. And who knows when that day will come? Five years is a long time, and I'm writing on notepad paper.

It's Valentine's Day, but I lost enthusiasm since I got here. I have no love - no love for the Namorese. And the Namorese have no love for me. Every morning at 5:00, the prison guards wake us up, take us to the mess hall and make us eat "breakfast" - a half bowl of rice and a cup of water. It's minus six degrees, Oteki's in the middle of winter and the heater "accidentally" broke once more. I'm freezing out here, and all I have on me is a plain, long-sleeved shirt. Maybe this is how they treat inmates, hoping that they somehow freeze to death? Anyways, that doesn't sound like such a bad way to die.

We have only ten minutes to wolf down our breakfast. When ten minutes are up, the guards toss our food away and send us to the track located outside the facility. "Physical education" begins - the guards force us to run five laps around the track, which is equivalent to one kilometer. I am coupled with a few other inmates, and we don't talk to each other because we are afraid that if we do that, the guards will beat us up. As we were running in this shivering cold, the guards run after us, truncheons in hand. I feel like escaping, but the whole place is surrounded by walls and barbered wire. There's no way I'm escaping this place alive.

Once we're done exercising, we are sent to a small room where we go to "class." There, we are given patriotic education; the guard-teacher talks to us about how Oteki is part of Namor, and how Otekians are part of the Namorese nation, how Otekians and Namorese are brothers, comrades-in-arms - all that bullshit. As I'm sitting there, trying to let the propaganda sink in and disappear into the memory hole, I'm wondering how much I've changed. There was a time when I would agree with what the guard was saying. The guard concludes "class" by telling us that there is no hope in winning our freedom from the Namorese, and that we should just shut up and go with what they say. Other than that, I haven't really learned any other lessons from "school."

I am sent back to my cell, I hang out around my bed, and I read some publications approved by the prison - they are mostly magazines that talk about the least important of things: there's no current events or news. I don't know what's happening outside of this prison; sometimes I do, but I get that from the murmuring of guards and the newspapers that I sometimes receive if I'm lucky. I eat lunch, go back to my cell, eat dinner, go back to my cell, take a cold shower, and here I am, writing this diary, waiting for the day I'll be out of here.

Going to sleep now, the lights go out at ten. Not-so-happy Valentine's Day, huh?

February 15

Bless the Lord - people know what I'm enduring here!

All started when I'm hanging out in my cabin, experiencing life here as usual. Then someone delivered to me the daily edition of The Liberator, and then there was this article talking about how millions of people - even governments - have signed this letter condemning Namor's oppression of Otekians and calling on Otekians to get their human rights back. Wow! This letter spread like wildfire even when the Namorese tried - and failed- to ignore it!

I'm excited now. Now what? Will the world tell Namor to stop occupying Oteki or else? And then what? Will an army come and liberate Oteki? Even better, will the Namorese retreat from Oteki? Either way, we're getting our freedom soon, and I'm getting out of this prison. The inhumanity of Namorese rule cannot last forever.

"For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:13-14)."

Good day!

February 17

There's no entry for February 16 because a guard saw what I was doing and ripped it into shreds.

Yesterday, I was still very excited about the "Letter of Millions (so the Namorese are calling it in whispers)," and I was writing about how the exiles will return to their homeland, the Namorese responsible for crimes will be sent to jail, etc. etc. I was euphoric, and I was dreaming all these great dreams, which would've been seen in that diary page if the bastard didn't come and destroy it.

I was writing when a guard entering my room, truncheon in hand (as usual). He asked me what I was writing about, an I quickly tried to cover the pages with my hands. He immediately understood that what I wrote shouldn't be seen to the rest of the world, and he told me: "Come on now, give me that." "NO!" I said, but then he pushed me to the ground and snatched the notepad from me. He read February 16 over, and smiled. "Girl," I remember him saying, "you're one beacon of truth." I didn't know if he was being sarcastic or not, but I took it as a compliment.

"I'm glad I'm representing truth," I said.

The guard laughed. "You think I believe you're really the truth? Tell you what - the people are glad you're stuck in here, sitting in confinement. Once you're out, nobody's going to believe a word you say. We all know you're a liar."

To make a long story short, he ripped that page into shreds, tossed the rest of the notepad to me (great relief) and punched me in the stomach. It stil hurts.

Good day.