08-14-2018, 11:27 PM
Hale Residence, Kerlile, Yesterday
"I am not going anywhere with you!"
Josephine turned away from Son- Jennifer and slammed a door behind her. The room she'd entered appeared to be yet another bedroom, this one designed for a child. Josephine walked forwards and picked up a teddy bear lying on the bed. It looked like it had been well loved once.
"Josie, when I said "˜invited', I meant it in the Kerlian sense. It's not optional," Jennifer called through the door.
"I'm not Kerlian, and I will not play your games. So, if it's a choice between acting like a good little Kerlian and vanishing into some hellhole... then I hope you'll do the decent thing and kill me gently."
"Josie... Josie I am not asking you to defect to Kerlile. Just play the game for one night and the Kerlians will go to peace talks. Then, if you want, you can return to Lauchenoiria and you never have to see me again."
Josephine walked back to the door and opened it.
"I married a woman called Sonja Viratnen. And then, one day, I find out that Sonja Viratnen died as a child. She was killed by the family and friends of the woman who took her name and who I thought I loved. I have learned two things in the past week: never let Kerlians take you alive, and the woman I loved never existed."
"Josie..."
"Don't call me that. You have no right."
"Josephine, I know I have told some terrible lies, and I can't expect you to forgive me right away, but I have always loved you."
"No, you don't get to do this. You joined the Council, you are nothing to me."
"You asked me to."
"I was being tortured Sonja! A situation I wouldn't have been in if you hadn't lied to me for our whole relationship!"
"You're naí¯ve if you think the Kerlians wouldn't have tortured you if it wasn't for me."
"No, you're right. I'd still be in Chaher's jail. Which, in hindsight, given everything that has happened since, was probably a better place to be! So, you will answer me one question: will Kerlile really pull out of the peace talks if I don't go to this party?"
Six hours later
"Councillor Jennifer Eleonora Hale and her partner, Josephine Alvarez."
Jennifer walked into the party with Josephine stiffly clinging to her arm.
"They can't introduce you as my wife, because Kerlian customs forbid Councillors from marrying so Kerlile doesn't recognise the marriage," Jennifer whispered in explanation.
"I am aware," Josephine replied tersely. She extracted herself from Jennifer's arm and made a beeline for a table with free alcohol.
Jennifer glanced around the room. There were a few men dotted among the crowd, some servants and a couple of the heterosexual Councillors' playthings. The most conservative of the Councillors and invited guests curled up their lips at the sight of them.
Jennifer found it quite pathetic and heart-breaking, how thrilled the men seemed at being there. They clearly didn't know what usually happened to the Council's male hangers-on. She'd warned one of her sister's suitors once. The boy had tried to run, and she'd been punished for it. She never found out what happened to him. She hoped he'd got out.
"Councillor Hale! It really is splendid to have you here!" called a voice. The hairs on the back of Jennifer's neck all stood on end. She turned and swung in a grand bow.
"Madam President! It is a pleasure to be here."
"You may look at my face, Councillor. I am not as strict as my predecessor."
Jennifer looked up from the ground and resisted the urge to scoff.
"I thank you."
"So, peace talks? Interesting choice of conditions, Hale. Of course, you must know we would not refuse. A full Council is of much greater importance than the war in your partner's country."
"Wife," Jennifer corrected without thinking. President Joanna Greenwood raised one eyebrow in response.
"You really ought to let go of this absurd fantasy, Councillor. Your so-called marriage is not valid in Kerlian law."
"It's valid to me."
President Greenwood let out a large, probably fake laugh.
"You may call Josephine Alvarez what you wish in the privacy of your own home, Councillor! If you will excuse me," Greenwood gestured towards her daughter Letitia, and she and Jennifer exchanged a farewell bow. Jennifer breathed a sigh of relief once the President was out of the area. She walked over to join Josephine, who seemed to be on her third glass of wine already.
"I know you don't want to be here Josie, but you shouldn't overdo it."
"Your country is a fascist dystopia," slurred Josephine, "but you make good wine."
"It's imported," a passing member of Greenwood's Cabinet remarked. Jennifer glared at the woman, who she didn't know. The woman bowed her head in deference to Jennifer's superior position, but Jennifer thought she caught just a hint of bitterness in the gesture. She ignored it. Most of the other Councillors wouldn't.
"Hey, Sonja, remember this one? From the wedding?"
Jennifer pricked up her ears to listen to the music that had started playing, and sure enough it was one played at their wedding reception. Kerlile banned foreign songs with lyrics, but instrumental music wasn't restricted. A visibly drunk Josephine grabbed a hold of Jennifer's arm and dragged her onto the dancefloor.
The pair swayed from side to side, and Jennifer became aware of something wet on her shoulder. Josephine was crying as they danced.
"Tell me it's not real," Josephine whispered.
"I wish I could, I really do. I am so sorry."
"You had to join the Council? No other way?"
"No, I wish there had been."
"Then make it count."
Suddenly, Josephine pulled away, and Jennifer realised all of a sudden that Josephine was not nearly as drunk as she had been acting.
Josephine spun away from Jennifer and towards President Greenwood, who was dancing nearby. She pulled out a knife from somewhere "“ how had she smuggled in a knife? She had been searched! "“ and pointed it towards Greenwood.
"NO!" Jennifer yelled and surged forward, pushing Greenwood out of Josephine's way. The whole room turned abruptly. The security guards suddenly all had their weapons trained on Josephine. President Greenwood sat on the floor. Jennifer stood, her arm bleeding where the knife had cut her. Josephine stood shaking in front of her, hand still on the knife.
"I see you've picked your side," Josephine said to Jennifer. The hurt and disappointment was evident in her voice.
"If you'd killed her, they would have..."
"I know. You still picked their side," Josephine shook her head, then dropped the knife to the floor. It clattered as it fell. The security guards pounced on Josephine and forced her to the ground. She didn't resist.
Someone was trying to tend to Jennifer's wound, but Jennifer pushed her away and ran out of the room into the courtyard behind the building. They were high up a hill, and Jennifer opened her mouth to scream but no sound came out. She collapsed to the ground in silence.
A figure came and sat down beside her. It was Rebecca Arnott, fellow Councillor. Rebecca put her arm around Jennifer.
"I will not pretend to know how you are feeling, but I can tell you this "“ you have saved countless lives tonight. If a Lauchenoirian had murdered our President, the consequences would have been... unimaginable. I do not want that. I hope one day we can have a better relationship with our neighbours, but I will need help."
Jennifer couldn't speak, but leaned against Rebecca's shoulder to cry.
"You are a hero, Jennifer," Rebecca said. "The people of Kerlile will never forget what you have done for us tonight."
Unidentified Kerlian Prison
Leonie Bennett glanced at Helena out of the corner of her eye. Helena appeared to be intently watching the screen. Leonie resisted the urge to grab the girl and shake some sense into her. Leonie silently turned her eyes back to the front. Myriam sat in the first row, eagerly mouthing along to the video. Leonie wanted to vomit.
On their second night in the prison, Helena had noticed that Myriam had been given a portion of fruit at dinner. Helena, who desperately wanted something other than porridge had asked her how she managed to acquire it.
"Oh, it's wonderful! Fruit is given to everyone in the film club! You should join."
"There's a film club in a prison?"
"After morning exercise, for the hour before lunch, we go and watch the film. Once you've been going for a week, you start getting fruit. But you have to pay attention every day! They'll give you a quiz at the end of the week. And every week it's a new film."
"Oh, let's do that Leonie!" Helena had suggested excitedly
"You realise this "˜film' is probably some kind of brainwashing thing, right? Why else would they want people to watch it?" Leonie had retorted.
"Oh, I don't care! Fruit, Leonie! It won't work on us anyway, we're too committed. We're not seven-year-olds like she was."
"You will find the film so interesting! There's a lot you're not taught in other countries!" Myriam had said.
"See? Propaganda," Leonie had said and turned to leave.
"Please? If you're not there with me, then it's so much more likely they'll hypnotise me somehow. You can keep watch!" Helena had begged.
"Fine, but when you're a little Kerlian zombie drone, don't say I didn't warn you."
As they sat now watching the film, Leonie felt that her every suspicion had been confirmed. The film was a repetitive loop of description of how wonderful life in Kerlile was, intertwined with examples of why all other countries were misogynistic evil places hell bent on oppressing women.
An example of a Lauchenoirian newspaper spreading "misogynist propaganda" came up on the screen as the voice described why this was proof of Lauchenoiria's ulterior motives. Leonie was rather disturbed to see that she remembered the headline. It was a real thing that had happened sometime last year. Her politics teacher had mentioned it in class as an example of a provocative headline. She shivered.
No, she reminded herself. This is just nonsense put forward by the Kerlians with no basis in fact. Resist their brainwashing, Leonie.
After the film, as the group headed to lunch, Myriam came up to Leonie and Helena.
"So, what did you think?"
"They actually made some good points," Helena said, with no hint of lying in her voice. Leonie shot the girl a sharp glance. "Oh, don't look at me like that Leonie. Is it so hard to believe they have a point?"
"They shot most of our people in Usera, executed a whole bunch more because they weren't well-behaved enough and then locked us up here for no good reason."
"Hey, I didn't say they were good, just that they kind of had a point."
This is not going to end well, Leonie thought.
"I am not going anywhere with you!"
Josephine turned away from Son- Jennifer and slammed a door behind her. The room she'd entered appeared to be yet another bedroom, this one designed for a child. Josephine walked forwards and picked up a teddy bear lying on the bed. It looked like it had been well loved once.
"Josie, when I said "˜invited', I meant it in the Kerlian sense. It's not optional," Jennifer called through the door.
"I'm not Kerlian, and I will not play your games. So, if it's a choice between acting like a good little Kerlian and vanishing into some hellhole... then I hope you'll do the decent thing and kill me gently."
"Josie... Josie I am not asking you to defect to Kerlile. Just play the game for one night and the Kerlians will go to peace talks. Then, if you want, you can return to Lauchenoiria and you never have to see me again."
Josephine walked back to the door and opened it.
"I married a woman called Sonja Viratnen. And then, one day, I find out that Sonja Viratnen died as a child. She was killed by the family and friends of the woman who took her name and who I thought I loved. I have learned two things in the past week: never let Kerlians take you alive, and the woman I loved never existed."
"Josie..."
"Don't call me that. You have no right."
"Josephine, I know I have told some terrible lies, and I can't expect you to forgive me right away, but I have always loved you."
"No, you don't get to do this. You joined the Council, you are nothing to me."
"You asked me to."
"I was being tortured Sonja! A situation I wouldn't have been in if you hadn't lied to me for our whole relationship!"
"You're naí¯ve if you think the Kerlians wouldn't have tortured you if it wasn't for me."
"No, you're right. I'd still be in Chaher's jail. Which, in hindsight, given everything that has happened since, was probably a better place to be! So, you will answer me one question: will Kerlile really pull out of the peace talks if I don't go to this party?"
Six hours later
"Councillor Jennifer Eleonora Hale and her partner, Josephine Alvarez."
Jennifer walked into the party with Josephine stiffly clinging to her arm.
"They can't introduce you as my wife, because Kerlian customs forbid Councillors from marrying so Kerlile doesn't recognise the marriage," Jennifer whispered in explanation.
"I am aware," Josephine replied tersely. She extracted herself from Jennifer's arm and made a beeline for a table with free alcohol.
Jennifer glanced around the room. There were a few men dotted among the crowd, some servants and a couple of the heterosexual Councillors' playthings. The most conservative of the Councillors and invited guests curled up their lips at the sight of them.
Jennifer found it quite pathetic and heart-breaking, how thrilled the men seemed at being there. They clearly didn't know what usually happened to the Council's male hangers-on. She'd warned one of her sister's suitors once. The boy had tried to run, and she'd been punished for it. She never found out what happened to him. She hoped he'd got out.
"Councillor Hale! It really is splendid to have you here!" called a voice. The hairs on the back of Jennifer's neck all stood on end. She turned and swung in a grand bow.
"Madam President! It is a pleasure to be here."
"You may look at my face, Councillor. I am not as strict as my predecessor."
Jennifer looked up from the ground and resisted the urge to scoff.
"I thank you."
"So, peace talks? Interesting choice of conditions, Hale. Of course, you must know we would not refuse. A full Council is of much greater importance than the war in your partner's country."
"Wife," Jennifer corrected without thinking. President Joanna Greenwood raised one eyebrow in response.
"You really ought to let go of this absurd fantasy, Councillor. Your so-called marriage is not valid in Kerlian law."
"It's valid to me."
President Greenwood let out a large, probably fake laugh.
"You may call Josephine Alvarez what you wish in the privacy of your own home, Councillor! If you will excuse me," Greenwood gestured towards her daughter Letitia, and she and Jennifer exchanged a farewell bow. Jennifer breathed a sigh of relief once the President was out of the area. She walked over to join Josephine, who seemed to be on her third glass of wine already.
"I know you don't want to be here Josie, but you shouldn't overdo it."
"Your country is a fascist dystopia," slurred Josephine, "but you make good wine."
"It's imported," a passing member of Greenwood's Cabinet remarked. Jennifer glared at the woman, who she didn't know. The woman bowed her head in deference to Jennifer's superior position, but Jennifer thought she caught just a hint of bitterness in the gesture. She ignored it. Most of the other Councillors wouldn't.
"Hey, Sonja, remember this one? From the wedding?"
Jennifer pricked up her ears to listen to the music that had started playing, and sure enough it was one played at their wedding reception. Kerlile banned foreign songs with lyrics, but instrumental music wasn't restricted. A visibly drunk Josephine grabbed a hold of Jennifer's arm and dragged her onto the dancefloor.
The pair swayed from side to side, and Jennifer became aware of something wet on her shoulder. Josephine was crying as they danced.
"Tell me it's not real," Josephine whispered.
"I wish I could, I really do. I am so sorry."
"You had to join the Council? No other way?"
"No, I wish there had been."
"Then make it count."
Suddenly, Josephine pulled away, and Jennifer realised all of a sudden that Josephine was not nearly as drunk as she had been acting.
Josephine spun away from Jennifer and towards President Greenwood, who was dancing nearby. She pulled out a knife from somewhere "“ how had she smuggled in a knife? She had been searched! "“ and pointed it towards Greenwood.
"NO!" Jennifer yelled and surged forward, pushing Greenwood out of Josephine's way. The whole room turned abruptly. The security guards suddenly all had their weapons trained on Josephine. President Greenwood sat on the floor. Jennifer stood, her arm bleeding where the knife had cut her. Josephine stood shaking in front of her, hand still on the knife.
"I see you've picked your side," Josephine said to Jennifer. The hurt and disappointment was evident in her voice.
"If you'd killed her, they would have..."
"I know. You still picked their side," Josephine shook her head, then dropped the knife to the floor. It clattered as it fell. The security guards pounced on Josephine and forced her to the ground. She didn't resist.
Someone was trying to tend to Jennifer's wound, but Jennifer pushed her away and ran out of the room into the courtyard behind the building. They were high up a hill, and Jennifer opened her mouth to scream but no sound came out. She collapsed to the ground in silence.
A figure came and sat down beside her. It was Rebecca Arnott, fellow Councillor. Rebecca put her arm around Jennifer.
"I will not pretend to know how you are feeling, but I can tell you this "“ you have saved countless lives tonight. If a Lauchenoirian had murdered our President, the consequences would have been... unimaginable. I do not want that. I hope one day we can have a better relationship with our neighbours, but I will need help."
Jennifer couldn't speak, but leaned against Rebecca's shoulder to cry.
"You are a hero, Jennifer," Rebecca said. "The people of Kerlile will never forget what you have done for us tonight."
Unidentified Kerlian Prison
Leonie Bennett glanced at Helena out of the corner of her eye. Helena appeared to be intently watching the screen. Leonie resisted the urge to grab the girl and shake some sense into her. Leonie silently turned her eyes back to the front. Myriam sat in the first row, eagerly mouthing along to the video. Leonie wanted to vomit.
On their second night in the prison, Helena had noticed that Myriam had been given a portion of fruit at dinner. Helena, who desperately wanted something other than porridge had asked her how she managed to acquire it.
"Oh, it's wonderful! Fruit is given to everyone in the film club! You should join."
"There's a film club in a prison?"
"After morning exercise, for the hour before lunch, we go and watch the film. Once you've been going for a week, you start getting fruit. But you have to pay attention every day! They'll give you a quiz at the end of the week. And every week it's a new film."
"Oh, let's do that Leonie!" Helena had suggested excitedly
"You realise this "˜film' is probably some kind of brainwashing thing, right? Why else would they want people to watch it?" Leonie had retorted.
"Oh, I don't care! Fruit, Leonie! It won't work on us anyway, we're too committed. We're not seven-year-olds like she was."
"You will find the film so interesting! There's a lot you're not taught in other countries!" Myriam had said.
"See? Propaganda," Leonie had said and turned to leave.
"Please? If you're not there with me, then it's so much more likely they'll hypnotise me somehow. You can keep watch!" Helena had begged.
"Fine, but when you're a little Kerlian zombie drone, don't say I didn't warn you."
As they sat now watching the film, Leonie felt that her every suspicion had been confirmed. The film was a repetitive loop of description of how wonderful life in Kerlile was, intertwined with examples of why all other countries were misogynistic evil places hell bent on oppressing women.
An example of a Lauchenoirian newspaper spreading "misogynist propaganda" came up on the screen as the voice described why this was proof of Lauchenoiria's ulterior motives. Leonie was rather disturbed to see that she remembered the headline. It was a real thing that had happened sometime last year. Her politics teacher had mentioned it in class as an example of a provocative headline. She shivered.
No, she reminded herself. This is just nonsense put forward by the Kerlians with no basis in fact. Resist their brainwashing, Leonie.
After the film, as the group headed to lunch, Myriam came up to Leonie and Helena.
"So, what did you think?"
"They actually made some good points," Helena said, with no hint of lying in her voice. Leonie shot the girl a sharp glance. "Oh, don't look at me like that Leonie. Is it so hard to believe they have a point?"
"They shot most of our people in Usera, executed a whole bunch more because they weren't well-behaved enough and then locked us up here for no good reason."
"Hey, I didn't say they were good, just that they kind of had a point."
This is not going to end well, Leonie thought.
LIDUN President 2024 | she/her | Puppets: Kerlile, Glanainn, Yesteria, Zongongia, Zargothrax