07-23-2019, 06:40 AM
The Tears of a President's Son
![[Image: 032TOUR1-jumbo.jpg]](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2012/05/03/garden/03WHITE_SPAN/032TOUR1-jumbo.jpg)
Tofino
Zian Presidential Mansion
July 19th, 1991, 10:00 AM
President Cassious Castovia sat at the window of the Gaviria Office, smoking his Rallian Valley pipe with aged vanilla tobacco and reading over briefings handed to him earlier by his chief of staff. He was alerted to the muffled cries of his 10-month-old son, Zacharias, shortly before the door to the burgundy colored room was opened by the security officer standing outside. Cassious’ wife, Mara, entered carrying Zacharias, squirming in his mother’s arms.
“Cassious,” Mara said softly amidst the cries, “Zacharias isn’t eating. I’m worried he’s not reacting to the medicines.”
“Sweetheart, that’s something you should speak with Avis about,” the President responded, referring to the family doctor. “I can’t do much about that, I’m working through these briefings.”
“Can’t briefings wait?” Mara looked quizzically at her husband. He had been President for just about nine years at this point, and rarely did he take personal time. She worried about Cassious’ obsession with the Presidency so often, the thrills of power. Though Cassious was a humble man, the country adored him for the most part, and he was well respected across the world. Leaders of the IDU called him a visionary and a legendary example of a monolith among chaos, but still, Mara worried about her husband. Even more so, whether he would let his job get in the way of the life of their only child, little Zacharias.
Cassious sighed, set his pipe and papers down, and removed his reading glasses. The President looked sideways at his wife and smiled, before extending his arms out to his little boy. Mara settled Zacharias into his father’s reach, letting him cradle to his father’s embrace.
“You know, Zacharias,” he said, smiling at his son, “you look just like a President.” The crying got softer, and died down to a gentle breathing. Mara gave a mixed sigh of relief and exhaustion.
“And you, Mara,” Cassious said, standing from his seat, “look a lot like the First Lady.”
Mara’s nose wrinkled with her famous smile, perking her eyes up to her husband’s.
“How observant you are, Mr. President.”
“I’ll hold onto him for a little,” Cassious nodded down to his son, gently breathing with fresh tears staining his cheeks. “You can go do whatever you need to do.” Mara leaned in and gave Cassious a quick kiss before leaving the Gaviria room. With his free hand, Cassious picked up the briefings from the table top, while rocking Zacharias slowly. Turning a page, he drew attention to red bolded letters entitling the report’s topics:
Eyes widened, Cassious noted the first picture, a black and white image of a Maximusian flag ablaze on top of a Greco-roman styled building, marked in bolded and underlined black letters as the ‘Administrative Building’. A second image showed a collapsed bridge, semi-submerged in a waterway. A third image, Cassious lingered longer on. A man stood at a podium, mouth wide open, addressing a crowd. The man, noted by bolded letters as “Brian Smith – Governor of Bjeorg Province” Cassious sat Zacharias down on the couch, turning attention to the report.
The summary paragraph below all three images spelled out the situation. Castovia highlighted sections with a pen.
Cassious sighed heavily, lowering the report and looking out the window once again, out towards the memorials, the gardens, and the bustling, lively city of Tofino. He had seen reports like this before. The war in Vulkaria had proven the importance of intelligence and the necessity for clarity. The uprising in Cadair had been stopped before it began, and Zamastanian lives were saved. But memories harked to before Cassious had given authorizations to intervene, memories of wounded Zamastanians on the streets of Alanis. Bodies strewn amidst wreckage of parade floats. The colors of pride flags torn to shreds by the blast of a terrorist’s bomb. He had seen the security guard whose arm was blown from his side outside the very building he currently resided, victim of an ideology that used violence as a way to get ahead. For Cassious, he knew that something was specifically troublesome in Libertas Omnium Maximus. He looked back at Zacharias on the couch, whose chest was slowly expanding and subtracting with the deep snores of a baby's sleep. Cassious knew that this time, he would act before anything happened to his countrymen. Before anything happened to his little boy.
References:
Cassious Castovia: https://www.theidu.us/wiki/Cassious_Castovia
Zacharias Castovia: https://www.theidu.us/wiki/Zacharias_Castovia
First War in Vulkaria: https://www.theidu.us/wiki/First_War_in_Vulkaria
Alanis Pride Parade Bombing: https://www.theidu.us/wiki/Alanis_Pride_Parade_Bombing
Tofino
Zian Presidential Mansion
July 19th, 1991, 10:00 AM
President Cassious Castovia sat at the window of the Gaviria Office, smoking his Rallian Valley pipe with aged vanilla tobacco and reading over briefings handed to him earlier by his chief of staff. He was alerted to the muffled cries of his 10-month-old son, Zacharias, shortly before the door to the burgundy colored room was opened by the security officer standing outside. Cassious’ wife, Mara, entered carrying Zacharias, squirming in his mother’s arms.
“Cassious,” Mara said softly amidst the cries, “Zacharias isn’t eating. I’m worried he’s not reacting to the medicines.”
“Sweetheart, that’s something you should speak with Avis about,” the President responded, referring to the family doctor. “I can’t do much about that, I’m working through these briefings.”
“Can’t briefings wait?” Mara looked quizzically at her husband. He had been President for just about nine years at this point, and rarely did he take personal time. She worried about Cassious’ obsession with the Presidency so often, the thrills of power. Though Cassious was a humble man, the country adored him for the most part, and he was well respected across the world. Leaders of the IDU called him a visionary and a legendary example of a monolith among chaos, but still, Mara worried about her husband. Even more so, whether he would let his job get in the way of the life of their only child, little Zacharias.
Cassious sighed, set his pipe and papers down, and removed his reading glasses. The President looked sideways at his wife and smiled, before extending his arms out to his little boy. Mara settled Zacharias into his father’s reach, letting him cradle to his father’s embrace.
“You know, Zacharias,” he said, smiling at his son, “you look just like a President.” The crying got softer, and died down to a gentle breathing. Mara gave a mixed sigh of relief and exhaustion.
“And you, Mara,” Cassious said, standing from his seat, “look a lot like the First Lady.”
Mara’s nose wrinkled with her famous smile, perking her eyes up to her husband’s.
“How observant you are, Mr. President.”
“I’ll hold onto him for a little,” Cassious nodded down to his son, gently breathing with fresh tears staining his cheeks. “You can go do whatever you need to do.” Mara leaned in and gave Cassious a quick kiss before leaving the Gaviria room. With his free hand, Cassious picked up the briefings from the table top, while rocking Zacharias slowly. Turning a page, he drew attention to red bolded letters entitling the report’s topics:
Libertas Omnium Maximus
BJEORG PROVINCE
THREAT TO REGIONAL SECURITY
BJEORG PROVINCE
THREAT TO REGIONAL SECURITY
Eyes widened, Cassious noted the first picture, a black and white image of a Maximusian flag ablaze on top of a Greco-roman styled building, marked in bolded and underlined black letters as the ‘Administrative Building’. A second image showed a collapsed bridge, semi-submerged in a waterway. A third image, Cassious lingered longer on. A man stood at a podium, mouth wide open, addressing a crowd. The man, noted by bolded letters as “Brian Smith – Governor of Bjeorg Province” Cassious sat Zacharias down on the couch, turning attention to the report.
The summary paragraph below all three images spelled out the situation. Castovia highlighted sections with a pen.
“Possible armed rebellion imminent in BJEORG PROVINCE, MAXIMUSIAN REGIONAL SPHERE. Threats to Zamastan noted in region – see P.6 S3A.
Bombing claimed by Aurora Novo Militum
D.A. Thornton murdered
Protests imminent
Threats to commercialism
Threats to military assests
Threats to foreign aid workers
Threats to domestic travel
Threats to international travel
Bombing claimed by Aurora Novo Militum
D.A. Thornton murdered
Protests imminent
Threats to commercialism
Threats to military assests
Threats to foreign aid workers
Threats to domestic travel
Threats to international travel
Cassious sighed heavily, lowering the report and looking out the window once again, out towards the memorials, the gardens, and the bustling, lively city of Tofino. He had seen reports like this before. The war in Vulkaria had proven the importance of intelligence and the necessity for clarity. The uprising in Cadair had been stopped before it began, and Zamastanian lives were saved. But memories harked to before Cassious had given authorizations to intervene, memories of wounded Zamastanians on the streets of Alanis. Bodies strewn amidst wreckage of parade floats. The colors of pride flags torn to shreds by the blast of a terrorist’s bomb. He had seen the security guard whose arm was blown from his side outside the very building he currently resided, victim of an ideology that used violence as a way to get ahead. For Cassious, he knew that something was specifically troublesome in Libertas Omnium Maximus. He looked back at Zacharias on the couch, whose chest was slowly expanding and subtracting with the deep snores of a baby's sleep. Cassious knew that this time, he would act before anything happened to his countrymen. Before anything happened to his little boy.
References:
Cassious Castovia: https://www.theidu.us/wiki/Cassious_Castovia
Zacharias Castovia: https://www.theidu.us/wiki/Zacharias_Castovia
First War in Vulkaria: https://www.theidu.us/wiki/First_War_in_Vulkaria
Alanis Pride Parade Bombing: https://www.theidu.us/wiki/Alanis_Pride_Parade_Bombing