The Red Flags Rise (Revised: Please Sign up OOC )

by **Gehenna Tartarus** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 12:07 pm

The Majestic Hotel Lobby

Kyle was relieved when they were finally told that they could go back to their room, or to the dining room, anywhere really except out of the front door. He did not like the idea of being cooped up in the hotel, but the soldier had a good point. They had no idea what was going on outside and they were probably safer not leaving. But he could feel Jamie tensing up when the woman had made her announcement and he was surprised that she had not jumped up and demanded to be let out. He hoped that the squeeze of her hand had shown her that he would always be with her and that she had nothing to worry about while they were together.

Once they had been given the all clear, he got to his feet and pulled Jamie up onto hers. He flicked his gaze around the room and then pointed to the dining room. “Do you want to grab some food?” He asked, as he began to lead her out of the sunken lounge. “I don’t know about you, but dinner feels like it was a long time ago.”

Jamie, who was somehow holding herself together while she went through a cycle of feelings, nodded her head slowly. “Food would be good,” she replied, her fingers intertwined with his. “It has been a long time…” She suddenly stopped and looked down at her left hand, seeing the diamond ring that was sparkling on her finger. The last time they had eaten, Kyle had gone down on one knee and had asked for her hand in marriage. It felt like a lifetime ago. Tears sprang to her eyes.

Kyle turned and looked at her. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she said, as she raised her eyes to his and smiled. “Do you think they are serving breakfast?”

They walked towards the dining room. “I’m sure they’ll have something you fancy. If not, maybe they’ll take orders or something.”

Jamie laughed for the first time since they were in the lobby. “Yeah, right, they’ll be laying on five star service with all this going on.”

“The brochure said that they always gave a five star service, I guess we are about to find out if that is true, right?” He grinned at her and they carried on their way.

by **Gavinium Magnus** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 12:24 pm

Natalie's heart raced as she climbed up the stairs. She had never seen combat troops before in her life. Parade units, yes. Police, certainly. Even Royal Guardsmen...just not ground infantry, tanks, APCs, and soldiers in BDUs.

Just then, she panicked....nudity was compulsory....did that apply to her, too? To be safe, she undressed quickly in the suite, freshened up a little, and then went back downstairs. She carried her passport in her purse and wore sandals to cover her feet, but she was otherwise naked as a jaybird. While a bit shy about full nudity, she has also drawn to the idea from its novelty. She heard music as she sought to find out who was in charge here and what she was supposed to do. It occurred to Natalie in hindsight that she might have missed something important from being there late. She was a little hungry, so she headed to the restaurant she had seen in the brochure.

That was when she saw the couple coming from the lobby....

by **Judea Libera** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 12:39 pm

The gift shop sounded nice. Saul walked over when released there to see if he could find a souvenir or two and distract himself. Just as he did so, he noted that he wasn't alone. One of the couples from the lobby whom he recognized were on their way out of it. Where they were going, he didn't know, but he also noted a young woman in her birthday suit who had clearly not been among them earlier. She seemed a bit scared and he didn't blame her.

In spite of his embarrassment, Saul smiled at her.

"Shalom," he said to her as well as the couple. It was the traditional Judean greeting and meant "peace", but did they know that? He wondered, especially about the strange girl.

by **New Edom** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 12:46 pm

The Majestic Hotel, Staff Meeting Room

During the time when the second set of passport reviews was going on, the Manager, Jeremiah Zemri, had a meeting for all the staff that could be spared. He was a dark skinned Haranese with a curled beard under his chin, a pleasant manner of speaking and a low calming voice, and had the deliberate way of moving and strong sense of courtesy inherent to that culture. He said seriously, "Ladies and gentlemen: we have a serious responsibility. "Majestic Hotels is not simply a line of homogeneous places to lay your head and experience international cuisine. It is an elite line of hotels that are hand crafted to hospitality. We have taken on not merely jobs but a responsibility to commit to the very highest levels of hospitality. This will try our skills to the utmost. In just two days' time our city has become a place of war. Not even in the previous civil war did this happen, but our city has become a battleground. Some of us have already left, fearing for home and family. This is understandable. But it is not safe to go out. So what can we do?" he looked around the room. "What we can do is honour our committments, and make our guests, who are frightened in some cases and in others have come just off the battlefield as comfortable as possible."

"But how are we going to do that?" demanded one of the waiters. "How will we maintain the standards when we are occupied by a bunch of soldiers and panicked guests?"

"We will do our best." said the Manager softly. "We will make sure that when people enter the Rivoli Bar that they are required to be appropriately attired. We will make sure that when people ask for a Roquefort salad that it is made to perfection. When guests require hot towels and the services of a hairdresser, it will be available. We will maintain civilization, Octave. And now," he glanced at his watch, "We have work to do. I can assure you all of bonuses for this...but also of the pride and self respect you will have for having done your jobs well."

"I've taken the liberty of compressing our menus, and if we are only running Two Twenty Two all the better. We can control the situation better that way," said the chef, Helena Marino, presenting it. "I think that this will work well."

Well, really, Helena wasn't the head chef--she was the saucier. However the head chef was gone, as were the two sous-chefs. She seemed to be the only person with the presence of mind to organize the kitchen. Of course everyone there had studied at the best schools available, but all Mr. Zemri could do was trust in God. the menu in question seemed fairly simple, though it would have the bakers' team on the go in a serious way. Nothing too exotic. He was reluctant to praise her and get her hopes up, because ideally the rest of the staff would return once they had determined their families' safety...but yes. "It will do, thank you."

by **The Shrailleeni Empire** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 1:30 pm

New Edom wrote:Conference Room
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Bar-Ebbon in the conference room was saying "I can read and write it, actually a bit better than I can speak it. I doubt there are too many swords like that around, so I'll do my best to find it for you." The other people in the room were politely trying to get his attention as well, and he clucked his tongue. "You're free to go for now. Please excuse me, need to clear up the matter of this lady's passport--"
"Lieutenant, there's some guy locked in a supply closet down there, he seems insane--" said a sergeant, poking his head in. "I'm not qualified to deal with lunatics."
"Have one of the docs take a look at him," said the lieutenant, bowing to those in the room and heading out. "I'll be back soon, Lady!"
"Good luck," said Adrian, nodding to Teressa. Petronella wished her good luck as well, and in fact she was soon alone in the room.

Teressa stood in the room for a time. She had know idea about the man in the supply closet, she hadn't been there at the time. It was too bad that the young officer was so busy, but it couldn't be helped. But she seemed to be allowed to move about the hotel, and she was getting hungry.

So after a few minute's indecision, she tentatively poked her head out into the hallway, and walked carefully down the corridor to where she remembered the dining room to be. She saw that the lobby almost looked like the scene of a disaster, people attempting to return to normal lives be clearly shaken by the experience. Still shaken herself, she tried to avoid attention as she slipped into the dining area.

Looking around for staff, she quietly made her way through the room, still thinking about what had just happened, and worrying about the locations of her passport and sword. What a day this had been...she hoped that the worst was over.

by **New Edom** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 1:37 pm

Majestic Hotel Dining Room

A number of people were already sitting there--perhaps 8 tables. A young woman with dark hair and an olive complexion under her red and black painted hotel uniform approached and smiled at her, saying, "Welcome to Two-Twenty-Two, would you follow me please?" the young woman seemed a little tense, but was courteous. "I'm sorry, we don't have a maitr'd at the moment, we're a little short staffed, but my name is Sarah, and I'll be your waitress tonight. We have a new menu for today, if you would like to take a look, and can I get anything for you to drink at all?" she asked. "Our wine cellar is fully stocked, and we have a full range of soft drinks and fizzy waters as well."

An army NCO with a fair lot of stripes came into the room, looked around, and then went and sat out in the lobby near the restaurant. Teressa overheard him shortly after the waitress spoke to her saying to a couple of other soldiers she could not see, "Sorry, this is for the civilians, Colonel's orders. The Rivoli is designated as officer's mess, sir."
"Oh, fine," muttered a voice, followed shortly by the sound of retreating boots.

by **Riemaia** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 6:22 pm

Padan-Aran

Anneli was one lucky woman in her own mind, having the best woman in the world as a cousin, a best friend, and as a lover. She was also one of the quite unlucky ones, similar to Mara in the regards that she didn't have a husband, but where they were different was that Anneli was content being with just Mara, but of course always had a little spot in her heart for someone to settle down with, some man that didn't mind that she had a lover, one that was prettier than her. "Of all the people I know, your'e the one I love the most..." Anneli said as she sat down on the bed next to her, gently stroking her hair, slowly leaning in towards her, until she was locked into a kiss with her, a french kiss.

She was never really used to leading in anything, always being the shy one in a relationship, save with Mara where she at least had a little confidence. She slowly slid her hands down from her face to her breasts, playing with them for a moment before sliding down eve lower, down to her pubic area....

IRV Renia

The Lady Admiral sat in her state room, looking over the reports of all the ships in her fleet, looking over ale men and women of the Army aboard the amphibs, all the infantry fighting vehicles, all the stored fuel, all the aircraft and their pilots. It was hard for he to believe that all those green men and women may easily see combat in the near future, that their ships may be in a fight for dominance of the waters around Harbourtown, within striking distance of enemy controlled Fineberg. She could taste the suspense aboard the ships, the fear of the unknown, the fear of death. She wanted to break that fear, recon is what she needed, and recon is what she was going to get. She picked up the small phone on her desk, which led to her XO who was on the bridge, Commodore Ryan Kalar. "Ryan, get a UAV up and do a sweep of Harbourtown, on the double!"

Minutes later on the fight deck of the carrier was one of the two UAVs stored on the Renia, a General Atomics Avenger, a low radar cross section aircraft with an internal weapons bay, which was empty for this operation. The UAV was quite a feat of engineering in their eyes, small and stealthy and capable of doing more than just what they were going to. The engine of the UAV was ignited, and the steam catapult it was hooked onto engaged, tossing the UAV into the air, with a lieutenant in one of the lower parts of the ship controlling it, flying it to its destination over Harbourtown.

by **New Edom** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 6:47 pm

Harbourtown, New Edom

Harbourtown was true to its name--it was essentially a city devoted enormously to industry. It wasn't pretty--if one were to imagine a city as a person Harbourtown was a person who had survived a terrible accident and ended up with reconstructive surgery but able to fully function. In a way it was the city in New Edom least cultured in an obvious way; it was full of prefabricated buildings, railyards, the container port and commercial port, a large cargo airport (it could serve as an international airport but there were few amenities; it was mostly hectares of containers, warehouses, hangars, control towers and landing zones. There was a small local commercial airport as well, mostly servicing businesspeople and government people from Fineberg, Sterry and Lookinghaven.

The naval air station was on full alert; round the clock patrols were in the air, and the naval base had been brought to 90% readiness; everyone was being ridden hard by senior personnel to keep things in top condition. If General Seaguard's Marine Infantry Division was to go into action, they would need all the air support they could get. In a large semi-circle facing southern Bara were flung the advancing Marine Infantry Division units which were hard at work preparing concealment in case there was a sudden counter attack.

The UAV could make out the formations of navy vessels farther out to sea, beyond the horizon view of the land, maneuvering. They were not really close to one another, in fact the Monarchist fleet had been doing its best to avoid the Free Congress one, Admiral Hannegan hoping to lure them into a trap.

by **Arbites** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 8:14 pm

North Oriden Desert, Haran

The cover of darkness was the Emperor's boon to Ericsson. Having fruitlessly awaited the agent's return to the hotel, he realized he was one step behind her. The next phase would fall to the Templars in the field. They had avoided getting anywhere near Sterry due to their concerns of the governor's forces. An unusually small convoy was observed by one of the scouts along one of the highways to Fineberg, however.

The Inquisitor alerted the Templars that he confirmed the presence of the AIS in Sterry, and that any suspicious convoys heading to Fineberg be tracked. The squad obtained suitable transportaion by hijacking some off-road vehicles at gunpoint from a band of obviously lightly-armed nomads. They traveled without headlights, navigating, albeit somewhat uncomfortably, through the use of night-vision and IR imaging. In this way they could track the vehicles from a considerable distance away.

Suddenly, the convoy came to a stop. The Templars quickly disembarked their dilapidated vehicles and took up positions some distance away, silently anticipating that they had been compromised. When no attack came, however, they took a better account of the situation. A small team moved ahead of the Risen convoy. Forward scouts probing. They were anticipating danger in the area.

Amazingly, the convoy was stationary for several minutes, despite being largely SUVs. Sergeant Ghozem, still anticipating the need for a quick escape, ordered that the squad assemble the 60mm mortar and train it on the vehicles. Nearly a kilometer away, they were near the weapon's maximum effective range, but the flat terrain reduced the need for high-angle attack.

This close to the front lines, such an attack could be attributed to the monarchists or even friendly fire. The rest of the Templars boarded their vehicles once more and turned them around, ready for a rapid hit-and-run strike. They would not stay for a stand-up fight, but instead sow confusion.

Before they could strike, however, the scouts returned and the vehicles veered offroad. This was ideal: the convoy was suspicious of the forces ahead of them, and once convinced they were compromised, they would move much slower offroad. The mortar crew attempted to adjust for a moving target, not the ideal role for a mortar. Trusting in the Emperor to guide their blow, Ghozem gave them a hand signal, propelling a shell towards the rear of the convoy.

by **New Edom** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 8:34 pm

North Oriden Desert

The tell tale whistle of a mortar and an accompanying thump was heard to the rear of the convoy, the missile just missing it. The Risen convoy immediately began to scatter, their typical modus operandi, and Gideon cursed. "It was an ambush..." he didn't have time to think about how, but already little seeds of suspicion were germinating in the back of his mind. "Kill all lights, go to IR," he was already doing this and said to Kasumi, "There's more in the compartment under the seat."

Gideon also sent a quick morse code style signal as the vehicles scattered into the desert night. One of them was designated decoy; the four Risen in the vehicle whirled it round to a rattling bumping stop in the dark and quietly got out, with an RPG-16, two assault rifles with grenade launchers and a grenadier rifle. Watching for movement. The second decoy team spead off away in the same direction; the third fired two illumination flares in rapid succession towards the road.

by **New Edom** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 8:59 pm

Padan-Aran Estate

Princess Mara lay on her tummy beside Anneli on the bed they had shared; her smooth lightly tanned body warm and slightly damp with sweat, her smooth back curving to her flaring hips and the rise of her bottom; she lay her cheek on the pillow, looking at Anneli. "You must have missed me, huh?" she said with a teasing little smile. "Well...you're always so loving to me. Your love is sweeter than honey, it makes me melt like ice cream. Sun after cold rain, a warm shower after a long day...I could dissolve into the way you look at me and touch me. What gives you such a good and gentle spirit? You're my dearest, my angle, my sweetheart. I love you." she leaned in and kissed her gently. Mara rarely said this, she tended to demonstrate it, but she could see how antsy Anneli had been, how anxious, and it was true.

by **Gavinium Magnus** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 9:27 pm

Judea Libera wrote:The gift shop sounded nice. Saul walked over when released there to see if he could find a souvenir or two and distract himself. Just as he did so, he noted that he wasn't alone. One of the couples from the lobby whom he recognized were on their way out of it. Where they were going, he didn't know, but he also noted a young woman in her birthday suit who had clearly not been among them earlier. She seemed a bit scared and he didn't blame her.

In spite of his embarrassment, Saul smiled at her.

"Shalom," he said to her as well as the couple. It was the traditional Judean greeting and meant "peace", but did they know that? He wondered, especially about the strange girl.

Natalie had a met a couple of Jews in Gavinium, but they were all Hasidim. This one looked very different, being nude and well....proportioned. She had to struggle not to snicker and gawk too much. She was a virgin after all. She had only seen a man's anatomy a few times in movies that were rated R in other countries (there was no such rating system in Gavinium, as Gavinians didn't give a flying flip if someone saw what they took for granted).

In a different generation....well, things were different. Brothers and sisters wed each other, harems formed, people bathed with each other more openly. Papa decreed against that in the royal court, mostly out of a firm conviction that such things were slowly destroying the dynasty. Oh, yes, polygamy still happened with royal sanction to an extent, and same-sex unions as well, but brother no longer married sister, cousins no longer wed each other, and there was more privacy with bathing around relatives. The King wanted to head a more "mainstream" dynasty, or something like that.

Part of it was a desire to form closer ties to other nations as well. And no small part was the need to stop the genetic issues with endogamy.

In any case, Natalie knew that she had to reply.

"Peace, sir. I'm Princess Natalie of Gavinium Magnus. Who are you?" she stood and wondered what he thought of her.

She also smiled at the couple from the lobby, intending to greet them as well soon...well, once she was done conversing with the strange Jewish man. She felt more than a little desire for him and wondered if he felt the same. It never hurt to ask, right?

"Would you care to dine with me?" she smiled again.

by **Arbites** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 9:39 pm

North Oriden Desert

The second round was already on the way, likely still relatively inaccurate given the moving targets and the range, but it should have been enough to give the convoy a proper scare. The Risen threw down flares as decoys, at which point the mortar crew packed up the weapon into the back of their stolen truck.

The Templars' vehicles were off like a shot once the mortar crew had embarked. In Ghozem's mind, this convoy was suspicious. Civilian vehicles, albeit likely modified, intentionally trying to avoid attention. Their immediate reaction to possible danger, instead of simply turning around, was to move offroad and risk further contact.

Having ended their attack, the Templars themselves largely dispersed, one truck heading for the road, other vehicles going off into the desert away from the Risen convoy. Over open ground they had no terrain to work with, but if they could continue to track the Risen vehicles, eventually they may identify a suitable ambush point. At the very least they would be able to relay their activity back to the Inquisitor.

by **Judea Libera** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 9:57 pm

The presence of a naked woman with tattoos who called herself a princess was more than a little jarring to Saul. The way that she ogled him so frankly was also a shock to the system. Nevertheless, much like the soldier, she flattered him greatly. He was loathe to transgress the Law, but the temptations were extremely strong at times. Obviously, she wasn't a Jewess, given her tattoos, but like Sarah, she could easily pass for one....aside from the tattoos, of course. She had the same dark complexion as the women of his country, the same as Sarah, in fact. One good thing about New Edom....plenty of women who ran to his own taste, earthy, olive skin, Semitic...

Baranese, Haranese...both very lovely, as was the princess. Who had the other lure, that of royalty, as well. Who wouldn't be drawn to such a rich and powerful woman....but she was still young and innocent. He could see that much from her conduct and her consciousness of her station. She reminded him again of the stories of Gentile women who had married great men of Israel. Ruth, Rahab, Tamar....then again, after the first Exile, the men had to put away their Gentile wives. That was because of their idolatry, much like Solomon's wives, who corrupted him.

And if Solomon could be corrupted....

No, stop being silly. She's a healthy young woman with a natural curiosity about a man. It was apparent that she was sheltered and seeking to learn about the world....and as hard as it was for him to be naked, how much worse for her?

Yes, the compassionate thing to do was to be nice and civil, treat her with respect, and hope that things turned out well....and what else could he do? Oh, yes, he could also invite that couple, too. Perfect chaperones....

"I am Saul Bar-Ehud, of Jerusalem, Judea Libera. A pleasure to meet Your Highness. I would be honored to dine with Your Highness. And you are?" he asked the couple from Tartarus, whom he recognized.

by **Hittanryan** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 10:09 pm

North Oriden Desert, Haran

"Wait a minute..." Kasumi was cut off as the vehicle pulled off the road into the desert. So the supply train might not be who we thought they were? Now we're offroading it because they said not to, even though Gideon thinks we're being watched and even though we'll move slower offroad. 'Damn it, all on gut feeling? What if we throw an axle or something--'

Her train of thought was interrupted a second time by an all-too-familiar combination of noises. 'Mortar! Who the hell...' Gideon quickly gave a set of orders to the convoy, which dispersed before he informed her of something in a compartment below the seat. She pulled it out as everything went dark in the visible spectrum.

by **Riemaia** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 10:22 pm

Padan-Aran Estate

Anneli smiled at her love, running her fingers down her sweaty back, smiling at her. It warmed her heart when Mara said that she loved her, and even for all her faults, she was quite the nice person, which made her think about how nice she actually was. "A day without you is like a day without sunshine, and a day without sunshine isn't a day at all..." Anneli said as she wiped a little sweat off of her brow, and kissed Mara back. "If it weren't for you, I don't know where I would be right now, I don't know who I would be with.... I.... I forgot my drops at home again.... do you have anything to smoke?" She put one of her hands on Mara's butt and gave her a loving squeeze, still looking into her eyes.

by **New Edom** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 10:50 pm

Padan-Aran Estate

"Sure," said Mara, moving to a kneeling position and then moving off the bed, padding on her bare slender feet to one of her little carved wooden boxes. Her body moved with casual gracefulness, trembling here, taut there, and she pulled out a little baggie and some rolling papers and a lighter; she also had a little bottle with her. "Lean your head back," she said in a practiced way as she administered Anneli's eye drops. She began to roll a joint. "I'm going to have another engagement party. Let's see if anyone sticks around or if they all run screaming again. This time I'm gonna take Tia's advice, keep my mouth shut a bit, act like I'm a demure fairy princess." she tossed her hair back. "Hey, I've got a great idea..." she took the first drag after she lit up, and then breezily handed the joint to the still supine Anneli. "Why don't we do some Prince and the Pauper thing--like have you pretend to be my maid, to see if anyone talks indiscreetly in front of you or is mean to you or whatever, and that way we'll know what they're really like? Whaddaya think?"

by **Riemaia** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 11:15 pm

Padan-Aran Estate

Anneli smiled as she gave her some mystery drops i her eyes, surprised she even went out to buy some just in case she forgot hers, which was quite common in all honesty. "I wish I could be considered for that.... but gay marriage being illegal and all here..." Anneli said as she took the joint and shook her head, and took a drag of it, and passed it back to Mara. "I wish I had a man that wanted to be with me... I had a chance with Enoch but I really fuck up with that one, but he wasn't really my type, know what I mean?" She sighed as she got up from out of the bed and looked out the window, towards the unknown. "I would love to pretend to be your maid, just find me something to wear and I will do my best." She said as she turned around to Mara and gave her a warm smile, wanting her to know that she cared for her more than nearly everything else in the world.

"I do have a nice t-shirt and miniskirt in my luggage I could wear if that would be acceptable, hopefully Elise hasn't somehow found it and started to wear it, I don;t really like to wear things after shes worn them... makes me feel all icky!"

by **New Edom** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 11:32 pm

Harbourtown, Bara Province
I get up at about 6 AM. My wife is lying asleep; she sleeps like a log. I go and relieve myself; the kids are whispering in their room. We live in a family compound style house--this means that my parents and my brother and my sister and her family live in the same house, but it's big and we all contribute income to it. I go and play with the boys a little bit, quietly at first but they can't stop giggling and wanting to shout, and then I see my wife in her robe standing smiling sleepily in the doorway watching. She shakes her head and heads off to get breakfast. She's got a good figure, even if she's lost some stomach tone from when our younger boy was born. I'm hoping to take her on a trip and go to a nice hotel sometime soon; we liked the foreign concept with a single room, single shower--it was really exciting to shower together.

I wash up in the men's part of the house with the boys and my father and brother. We do our prayers at that time. In the Apostolic Church it is considered good to sing hymns with your own gender as you get clean, it is symbolic and spiritually refreshing as well. You ask the Lord to keep you from sin and bless your day and that of those around you. My father usually leads the hymns but lately he's encouraging me to do it more. "You're twenty-two," he says, "You need to learn to lead the household."

We all eat breakfast as a family. There are 7 adults and 9 kids, a good mix. There's always someone home for the kids. We eat bulgar wheat cereal, some canned fruit, and have goat's milk to drink. We joke and talk about light hearted things. Life is pretty good. My brother, my brother in law and my father and I head off to work. My sister has a job at a local school; my wife doesn't work. They say we'd have more money if she did, but we're a pretty normal family, and we're not Baran aristocracy or Elwe.

We all wait for the bus together. You can see the factory area from where I live on the street--the smoke rising, the cranes like big bird skeletons lined up against the sky. I say goodbye to my father and brother when it's my stop. A group of Elwe are sitting naked on the street corner, begging. They don't see it or their nakedness in public as shameful. They're allowed to do it by law now, which is stupid. I don't spit on them or anything because I'm on my way to work, and I can't afford to get into a fight and get arrested, I have a family to feed and a household to contribute to. The female Elwe there is pretty, but skinny; if it wasn't for her obvious maturity you'd think she was a girl of 14. There's no more of this 'compulsory nudity' nonsense around here though, not since the Marines arrested our traitor Ethnarch the other day. It's peaceful here, not like being over in Fineberg. What a madhouse!

I do shipping and handling at the pipe factory here, which ships piping to plumbing, construction and oil companies mostly. I also fill in when they need some work on maintenance, but that's only in emergencies; it would be nice to have my ticket as a mechanic but there's never time to go to school for it. I pick up a bit here and there and hope to have enough money saved up for the course for next year. That's what I said last year though.

Most of the day I'm picking pipe with my forklift out in the yard. Today it's not raining, but it's warm enough that I'd rather not have my coverall on, just be in shorts and t shirt. Safety regs though. It's kind of good but bad at the same time. Bad because you can get fined for not following them, good because we have a union now. We talk about stuff like that at lunch. Was President Touchstone doing a good or a bad job? It's hard to say. On the one hand the Union is really good--it gave us better pay, health benefits, leave benefits, required a reason given if you get laid off or fired. On the other hand he was too tolerant of hippies, nudists, anarchists, communists. One of the guys says it's because he's an Anglo, whatever that means. Most of us aren't too sure; we know more about the Ethnarch of Harbourtown than any President or King, and the King says that the Ethnarch was a traitor. But some of us marched for unions, and the old King, Mark, he didn't want any. Now we don't know what to think. It's too bad some Anarchists killed the President, and people who were jealous of him and want to steal power.

At lunch we have this machine from Lamoni that makes you hot lunches--I have chili today with a can of Pink Bunny Cola and it's good--not as good as my wife's stews and soups but good enough to get something hot in your belly.

We have a debate at the workers' meeting about pinups in the locker rooms and in the shipping area. The chaplain points out that the pinups are immoral anyway, but this one lady wants it to be about sexual harassment. The manager goes with the chaplain's view on it. I think he's right--if we don't want our wives or sisters up there in bikinis why should we have someone else's? But I think if it's some guys personal locker, it's his business, between him and the Lord.

I finish loading up my last truck and then take the forklift over to the shed, fill out my clipboard and make sure the tank is closed off, make sure the brakes are properly on and that the report is on the seat. Head home, and I have time for a game of soccer with some of the other guys and boys in the neighborhood. Then dinner; then we have a family singalong for a while before it's time for bed. We don't have a television, though a neighbor family does and we sometimes go there to watch the news or a big sports event; it's a fun neighborhood thing like going to the movies.

Family prayers led by me this time. We sing a psalm together. After the boys are in bed, my wife and I talk a bit. We're having a good year. It was very hard a few years ago--we were newly married at 17, and the civil war was still going on. Utilities going out--water and power and all that was rough, and we all had to pull together. It was the being poor, hungry, threat of losing everything, never having enough of anything, barely barely scraping by. She was upset about not being able to have a baby at the time, I think it was all the tension. But now things are good. It seems to me that's why we don't talk too much about it beyond what the headlines say at work--we have it good now, who wants to rock the boat. My wife and I, we have it good too. The King's Provisional Governor promises no changes in the Union laws. Good. My wife and I, we undress and she gives me a massage, I listen about her day, and we make love, then we sleep.

“Me no want to go school! Me protest with friends! No war! No war!” shouted the youth, pumping his fist in the air.

Piers Aro rolled his eyes towards Heaven. There his oldest son went with that stupid street lingo again; he hated it. His wife kept saying it was a ‘phase’ the boy was going through. Talked like a foreigner, called the boy a ‘teenager’ whatever that damned foreign word was supposed to mean. To him it meant that the kid wanted to act like some decadent aristo, hang out at Quality Bay and do nothing for a living. And look at the younger kiddies, giggling at his chanting, learning to imitate his street talk! And under the eyes of his own father, the old man scowling as he forked up his chickpeas and shook his head.

“You will go to school tomorrow. There’s been no announcement, and you don’t want to waste the family’s money, you silly brat.” Piers told his oldest son.

“Dad, why you no listen to news? Civil war come again unless we do stuff! Me protest with friends.” Piers Jr. cried. He was a thin and not bad looking boy with a shock of unruly dark hair, very flushed at the moment.

“No!” said Piers.

“Yes!” said Piers Jr.

“Look, son, you don’t understand,” Piers said. “It’s not civil war, it’s foreigners trying to destroy our country. Don’t you understand, if you’re not in school or doing vital work you can get called up for your Category III? You’re still a boy—“

“Me teenager, like mom say!”

“Shut up, you young idiot!” shouted Piers. The younger children stopped their giggling. His wife frowned. Damn the woman anyway—no, no, he crossed himself, wrong to curse, he would have to repent for that, one was accountable for every word—but he had to put his foot down somewhere. He was fond of his wife, as a man should be, but her fancy ideas were corrupting the family. “Now look, it can happen. So you’re going to school, and that’s final.”

His wife and his wife’s sister were at the table too, and his brother in law. His brother in law was like an ox, a big but gentle man who had little to say, and was even now pretending nothing was going on, shoveling chickpeas stew into his mouth like an ox grazing. No one was supporting him, in fact his wife was starting to speak up about it, and his father had always thought he was too soft, and now look at the results. Piers felt like he was going nuts, and so he decided to make a point, and slapped the boy across the face. Everyone fell silent, the littler kiddies staring with wide eyes.

“That’s enough of the back talk, boy. Now do as you’re told or things will get harder!” snapped Piers.

The boy sullenly began to eat chickpea stew.

by **New Edom** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 8:53 am

The National Legislature, Fineberg, New Edom

“Order! Order! Damn it!” shouted the Chairman of the National Legislature. It was like whistling into a typhoon. People, men and women, were on their feet, shouting, shaking fists, waving fingers, and he pointed and yelled to the Chief Sergeant-At-Arms as he saw someone actually pulling a knife. Rising, his black and scarlet robes doing no good, he grabbed the megaphone a friend had advised him to bring. “IF YOU DO NOT SIT DOWN AND COME TO ORDER I WILL BE FORCED TO ORDER THE ROOM CLEARED!”

Muttering, grumbling, snarling obscenities, the worthy and honourable representatives of the people of the Allied States took their seats, not without giving some menacing looks at their honorable and worthy opponents.

“Mr. Chairman,” said a grim old man, rising. Oh God, no, thought the Chairman. He said in as firm a voice as he could manage, “The Chair recognizes the Honorable Legislator from Nass.”

“Mr. Chairman,” the grim old man said, "In the name of lawfully elected government, I am moving that we call a vote on whether or not to legally establish the Monarchy as our lawful government, and build a new constitution on that basis."

“And whose pocket are you in Mr. Bohun?” screamed an angry woman wearing glasses and a salmon and blue suit. “How many starving orphans are you ready to squash under your car?”

“Order!” roared the Chairman.

“I second the motion!” cried a Legislator, leaping to his feet.

“I motion we table the motion!” shouted another, slamming his fist down on his table.

George Gutenberg, his face flushed, his eyes blazing, leapt up and pointed at Bohun. "Why is this--gentleman of the National Legislature--wearing a suit! Why is he demonstrating the elitism of the Monarchist traitors!"

"Order!"

"I've done no treason you damned book peddler!" roared Bohun.

"We stand shoulder to shoulder with the Monarchists--" began a distinguished silver haired gentleman, rising from the Wisdom Party ranks. "In wanting to restore proper order, restore honour, dignity and modesty--"

"They're defying the law!" Gutenberg shouted. At that moment everyone paused--there was a rumbling outside that suggested something was going terribly wrong. Bohun looked at the Chair and then at Gutenberg and didn't like the flushed look of triumph and the lack of concern and worry on his face. Sergeants-at-Arms cursing and yelling suddenly burst into the doors, followed by a tide of humanity--armed black clothed ETC members, blue and black body painted policemen, and a roiling shouting mob of naked humanity--hairy, skinny, bouncy, bobbing, open mouthed tooth flashing fist shaking club wielding knife bearing muscled hair streaming eyes wide with screaming humanity--charging into the legislature.

"This is an outrage! Clear this room!" said the panicked Chairman. However seconds later he fled out the door; a few others made it out before the mob, rushing in, were directed by Gutenberg. "In the name of the people!" he thundered. "Strip the traitors and flush them out!"

"STRIP THEM! FLUSH THEM OUT!" howled the mob as they descended upon the Monarchist, Wisdom, and Communist Party members, who fought back in some cases, Bohun cursing and punching, kicking and yowling as he was dragged out of his seat. The Monarchist Party Chairman was lifted, his clothing ripped away, and along with others was dragged out of the room by the beefy policemen and ETC militia to the yelling chorus of approval. Many of the members were now cringing, begging for their lives, but were thrust into waiting vans--almost to their relief--naked as the day they were born. Bohun was among the few who was still defiant; he had a split lip and a black eye and bruising forming on his body, but he managed to spit on the ground, glaring at Gutenberg.

"God will judge you!" he shouted at him.

"Shut up you traitor!" people yelled.

"God will judge you for what you have done!" Bohun yelled one more time before they slammed the van doors in his face.

The Wisdom and Communist Party members were not arrested; stripped by force and forced to obey the law, they were for the moment cowed; ETC militia began to occupy the National Legislature building and Gutenberg walked back in to thunderous applause of nearly all the Free Congress Party and the people's militia who were gathered there. "Friends, victory has been ours, but there is much work to do! The capital region is riddled with traitors who want to destroy our achievements! I want to vote that we form a special committee for the investigation of anti-government activities to support the National Safety Committee that the Attorney-General has formed..."

by **Late Roman Empire** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 11:23 am

"Domine, it is mob rule there! Lynchings, strippings, purging of the chamber, and the bullying of opposition members!" Basil was back to his usual tricks.

He had recovered quickly, and unfortunately, by giving him the mike in the past, the Socialist camp was stuck with him as a kind of unwanted permanent "voice" of their caucus. The problem was that he was embarrassingly too vocal and simplistic, not given to subtlety or nuance. Worse still, to many more simpletons in the leftist coalition, he was something of a popular hero for challenging the government at times. The trouble was that he was so damn stubborn and unsophisticated, so uncouth and blunt. Qualities that made him appeal to many in the proletarians that they needed for votes, but not qualities fit for a deputy in such a chamber.

"We have told you before that this matter was not germane to the process of formulating a constitution. If we should have to remind you just one more time to limit your comments to those of constitutional significance, we shall purge you from our chamber! Is that clear, Basil?" the Augustus's voice reflected his agitated mood.

He was especially annoyed that someone had given that buffoon the news so quickly and enabled him to exploit it. Was there a leak or did he get this directly from watching news from New Edom? Probably the latter....events in New Edom were headline news these days. Each day was fodder for the press, with the civil war there and in Vorindun.

by **Gehenna Tartarus** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 12:13 pm

The Majestic Hotel Lobby

It seemed that having some food was high on the list of a lot of guests who were leaving the lobby, which to Kyle seemed understandable. They had been going through a lot that day and sometimes there was nothing liking getting lost in a hot plate of well prepared food. And from their previous experiences, the food had been really good the couple of time they had eaten there already. He was not expecting the same level of service and the announcement by the young lady who was seating people indicated that they were running a restricted menu. Kyle was just grateful that they were servicing anything at all.

With his hand still in Jamie’s, he nodded at a young woman who had arrived at the hotel during the second wave of trouble. If he had been in her shoes, he would probably have run in the opposite direction, but she seemed to have gone up to her room and emerged naked. And she was not alone, another man, who he had seen earlier, was always fully unclothed and approached the woman. Kyle could not help but wonder if they actually knew each other, but hearing their greeting, it appeared as though they were meeting for the first time. There was nothing like bad time to until people.

He gave the young woman a smile, then slipped passed them into the dining room and looked around for a table. “Where do you want to sit?” He asked Jamie, trying to keep things as natural as normal. Whenever they ate, he always let her pick the table, unless it was one where the waiter sat them. He could see her looking around, trying to find a quiet spot where they would be ignored, hopefully.

But before they could find anywhere to sit, the naked man addressed them. Jamie looked around suddenly, noticed that the guy was naked and just looked him in the face. Being a nurse, she had seen more than her fair share of skin not to really bat an eyelid at it. Kyle, on the other hand, dealt in stocks so seeing naked people was kind of unusual for him and he looked at each of the couple in turn, staring at their eyes.

“Hello,” Jamie said, giving each a pleasant smile. “I’m Jamie. Jamie Porter and this is my fiancé, Kyle Ambers.” She indicated Kyle as she introduced him and he nodded his head and said hello too. “Are you about to dine?” Despite not actually knowing either of the two people, it was kind of comforting talking to people in the same boat.

by **Gehenna Tartarus** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 12:30 pm

Padan-Aran Polo Match

It was not often that Tia felt like a fish out of water at a polo match, but she felt like one. Although she had spent time with Mara’s family, she really was not close to any other them other than Mara herself, so being surrounded by a group of people she did not know was a very unusual feeling for the young Tartarian. In her own nation, she was used to mixing with the same kind of people, but it was so much easier when she knew most if not all the people present. But she was used to smiling and looking like she was not feeling uncomfortable, thankfully due to her father being an ambassador and her upbringing of mixing with new and different people. It was not very often she was grateful to her father, but she was just then.

When Princess Rebecca introduced Admiral Rand and his wife, she nodded her head and smiled politely. “It is a pleasure to meet you,” she said, as her gaze flicked between the couple. “And I would be delighted to sit with you and share picnics.” Not that she was really in need for food, she had eaten a plate of salad back at the estate, but it would be rude to refuse the company, especially as she really did not know anyone else at the polo match. She had mostly accepted the invitation to the polo to get out of the house, as much as she loved Mara as a friend, watching her fawning over a woman was not something she overly enjoyed. Sure, she had made about with a girl before, but both had been a little drunk and it pleased the guys she was with to see a little tonsil action. It had been fun, but it did not excite her in the way being with a guy did.

“Would you mind if I take a stroll around?” She asked, feeling like she had been sitting a lot already and she loved getting up close to the horses, if there was time. “I feel like I have been glued to a seat all day.” She maintained her charming smile, as she looked between the people present.

by **New Edom** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 1:44 pm

Padan-Aran Polo Match

Some members of the teams were checking their ponies' straps and talking idly as they waited for the match to begin. People were still gathering, and the two referees were having what looked like a serious discussion as they looked over the field. A young man wearing the same team colours as Colonel Horvath smiled at Tia as she approached; he was doing a last check of his chestnut gelding's girth strap. "Hello there." he pushed his knee against the horse's barrel and it gave a grunt and he cinched it a little more. "You tricky bastard," he said affectionately to the pony. "He always does this. Have we met? I'm Matthew Cain, by the way" he said, offering a hand. "Do you ride at all?" Cain may have had a name that sounded Tartaran, but he was evidently a Baran aristocrat, with the tell tale accent and olive even rather large nose and chinned features that gave the more handsome men a rather hawkish appearance, a shock of very black hair and dark brown almost black eyes. He was a tall young man and he had an easygoing smile.

Meanwhile over in the stands, Admiral Rand, Prince Philip, Prince James, Count Merodach, Colonel Horvath, and "Mr. Stensrud" conferred quietly together.
"We are going to need to pursue this to the very end." said James quietly. "We are prepared to do that. But now it is a question as to whether or not our friends will back us up. All it seems to me that they need to do is prevent those they do not want to succeed from mobilizing the forces of industry, finance, diplomacy and war." They all looked at Dalgaard. James' manner was languid; from a distance he would appear to be talking about polo, he was relaxed and at ease. Rand looked tough, almost belligerent, his arms folded across his chest. "Naturally," said James, "I would understand if they could not, but it would be of enormous help. I believe that your rival organization," he said to Dalgaard, "Is slow to act, wary of public opinion, hesitant of extending itself. What I need is for them to be even more so. Right now we've held up our end--they are not likely to base their operations here now."

by **New Edom** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 2:26 pm

The Villa of former Consul Rufus Cotta, Etruria Majora, New Edom

Rufus Cotta had shrewd eyes like those of a cunning but friendly pig, a vigorous manner, a large head and hands, the air of a man who loved live and lived cleverly, was good humored and capable of great goodness or villainy equally. He was a strongly built man, no one's matinee idol yet so hearty and energetic that people soon were warmed and at ease in his presence.

Earlier in the day he had had a meeting with other members of the Senate of Etruria to discuss the situation in New Edom, and had later had an interview with the Dictator of Etruria, the appointed commander in chief of the border area himself, General Adam Nicanor. No fool, but a man caught in a bind. One reason apart from the border issue that hardly anyone discussed openly was the loyalty of Etruria Majora. The Protectorate always had elements who wanted independence. Over the last couple of generations complacency and distraction combined had lowered the Edomite committments to the main cadre, specialist troops and the navy. But the navy for the area had been steadily recruiting from Gloria Regis, Etruria Majora, Lookinghaven and even from Dengali; there were enough of them that he doubted there were many super-Edomite patriots among them. Nicanor...he might well become a man holding a chair against a tiger. Cotta had served his annual term as Consul and had decided to accept the post of Censor. It enabled him to get about, do whatever he needed to, and at the same time he had no serious obligations. His main role in the modern senate was to do administration, a gift he had more than he had a gift for administration, he had to admit. One of the new Consuls was one of his good friends, Julius Agrippa, known more for his love of oratory and self aggrandisement than his love of public works, but he would certainly do enough of those.

He was in a good position. His wife Lucilla was one of the most celebrated hostesses in Reme, and his children were celebrated as well. Cassandra had this silly ambition of wanting to become an actress, but he had simply let her play as an amateur--let her go to that silly beauty pageant; her loss had been his gain as she got slapped in the face with reality. She simply wasn't beautiful and talented enough; an attractive young woman and with a good speaking voice and graceful manner, but she had had to learn. His son Marcus had served with distinction in the Dengali conflict; he was proud of the boy. Nothing said that a man had served like getting wounded in the leg in action while leading your tank platoon into action. Marcus would serve another couple of years and then start public service.

Now he was waiting for some company; a special delegation coming discreetly to see him at his country house. Approaching they would come up a driveway that was a boulevard flanked by pear and apple trees, for Cotta though he loved gardens and planted areas liked them to be practical and food producing. They would see that this was a working estate--there were people working in fields pruning and watering rows of peas, beans, squash, carrots, cabbages and other vegetables, their naked bodies browned from the sun, wearing hats and flip flops. A green lawn near the front entrance, which was a semi-circle of doric columns of a white villa, and Cotta with his wife Lucilla, a raven haired beauty still, with her crows feet and laugh lines giving her character, wearing a light blue summer dress in contrast to his white casual suit, his daughter, not quite so beautiful but with what some might call an interesting face, her mouth too wide for a beauty contest, her eyes too prominent, with her mother's raven hair but her father's mouth and chin, small chested but curvy in the hips, wearing a light green and white dress, and his son Marcus, still walking with a cane, a handsome dark haired man very tanned olive, he had gotten all the mother's beauty in him, that boy, an Adonis. Marcus insisted on wearing his barracks dress uniform even though he was on extended leave for physiotherapy, and insisted on going to his barracks if only to do paperwork. He'd have to deal with that--patriotism was one thing, slavish devotion to a particular military unit another...but here were his guests approaching, and he spread his hands and went to welcome them.

The Red Flags Rise (Revised: Please Sign up OOC )

HRH Princess Natalie of Gavinium Magnus

Saul Bar-Ehud, Majestic Hotel Hostage, Fineberg.

Saul Bar-Ehud, Majestic Hotel Hostage, Fineberg.

Constituent Assembly, Constantinople

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