10-24-2019, 11:44 PM
Extract from a very traditionalist Kerlian news programme broadcast internationally
Footage of a news anchor in a standard looking news studio in Kerlile.
“In surprising news, Councillor Lia Chiu has publicly supported Tepilcayotl’s bid to become the next Emperor of Xiomera. Despite there being female candidates, Councillor Chiu has chosen to endorse the male Tepilcayotl, in a public speech made earlier, which we will now show you.”
Clip of Councillor Chiu standing at a podium in some nice looking autumnal gardens.
“Tepilcayotl is a proven friend of Kerlile. Some men in Xiomera are not like men in other countries. They have learned to live in harmony with women, though of course this is still a minority of men. But Tepilcayotl is within that minority of men, and we know that with him as Emperor, Kerlile will always have a friend in Xiomera, which we need during this tough time.”
Back to news anchor.
“The Councillor’s statement was met with controversy from other members of the Council, who have criticised her for favouring a male candidate over a female one. Councillor Pauline Pierre, who earlier released a statement favouring Yauhmi, the wife of the late Emperor Topilpopoca, as his successor, criticised Chiu for ‘abandoning the mission of Kerlile’.”
*
Pauline Pierre’s room, Ahuexoyocan Palace, Xiomera
Late evening
Councillor Pierre was almost asleep when her phone rang. She groaned and cursed as she felt along her bedside table for the device and ripped it from its charger before she opened it.
“What?”
“Councillor, is this a secure line?” came a voice she recognised. Pierre sat up abruptly.
“Yes it is. What do you have?”
“Our agent has discovered some interesting information that could be used to benefit your preferred candidate. I do not know if you wish this information leaked publicly, or if you would like to use it in another manner.”
“It will depend what you have.”
“First of all…” began the woman on the end of the phone.
As she listened, Pierre took notes on a pad that had sat next to her bed, in a code that few would understand. She did not smile as she wrote, focusing on the words and not her emotions, but she felt pleased inside. She had, in a moment of slight foolishness given the situation, requested information from one of the Auroras embedded in Xiomera. It was paying off. She would be able to use this information to her - and Yauhmi’s - advantage.
*
Assorted Social Media Posts From Lauchenoirian or Kerlian Bots or Trolls
“BREAKING NEWS: Man comes forward to say Yauhmi had an affair with him while Emperor Topilpopoca was alive. Says she threatened him to stay quiet & he was afraid to come forward in case it upset his children.”
“Yauhmi affair so sad. Topilpopoca was a great Emperor and her betrayal of him was a betrayal of all Xiomera
“
“we need to find truth. cant trust Yauhmi if she lied. would she lie about other things???? she cant be next emperor!”
“KILL ALL TRAITORS. We should hunt down everyone who supports the Manauia Island terrorists and make them watch their families be shot in front of them. And kill Cozamalotl too, he’s filth who deserves to be tortured to death.”
“Climate change has already killed thousands in countries like Lauchenoiria. If we go ahead with the Manauia Island development then Xiomerans will start dying too. We are a civilized country and cannot allow this to go ahead.”
“Tepilcayotl and Letitia Greenwood from Kerlile are in love. Everyone knows that Kerlians like multiple partners. He is being controlled by her. We don’t want Xiomera to turn into a Kerlian colony!!!”
*
Extract from a popular online news website
“Lauchenoirian Feminist Party endorses Yauhmi for Xiomeran Empress.
Katherine Wright, the leader of the Lauchenoirian Feminist Party, has come out in support of Yauhmi in the race to choose the next Xiomeran Emperor or Empress. Yauhmi is the only women slated to have a good chance of winning, and Wright has come out in support claiming that another female leader would be good for the world.
‘I want to see Empress Yauhmi in Xiomera, to show to women the world over that the tide is turning for feminism. I believe that should she be the next Empress, Lauchenoiria will be able to improve our relationship with Xiomera, and that she will be more amenable to listening to our concerns’.”
*
Streets of Tlālacuetzla
Yamunda Patel was so far down the line of succession by this point that she would have been able to marry a man legally. The thought angered her as she walked down the road. Her sister, Nirmala, was weak, and yet she sat on the Council while their mother rotted in a Sanctarian prison. And what had Nirmala done to try and save Anita from that horrible fate? Absolutely nothing.
Yamunda, however, was busy. She feared the future that reformist President Arnott wanted to create in Kerlile. She was weakening the Matriarchy, at a time when it could not afford to be weakened. But Arnott had one flaw - she was completely reliant on Xiomeran trade to prop up her government. Which meant she had to keep in the Xiomerans’ good books.
Which is why Yamunda had been supporting Tepilcayotl. She knew that the Security Secretary would crack down on the dissidents in Xiomera. If Xiomera was to move in a more authoritarian direction, then Kerlile must surely follow. Which would secure the Matriarchy and put a stop to these destructive reforms.
She had come to Xiomera shortly after the funeral, not being important enough for Kerlile to select her as part of the delegation. But she was certainly wealthy enough to make a difference. Nirmala may have inherited Anita’s titles upon her imprisonment… but Anita had given Yamunda access to her hidden bank accounts. And so, Yamunda had been visiting a select few important Xiomeran individuals and encouraging them to vote the right way.
She arrived back at her hotel, and when she got back to her room sighed and lay down on her bed, exhausted. It was hard work, bribing Xiomerans. She longed to be back home where she could meet up with her friends (high ranking members of Restricted Region staff, generally). She had met with Mariya Adema, one of the interrogators working in Xiomera, and a close friend of Yamunda, of course. But she longed for home.
She picked up the phone and ordered room service, flicking through her list of possible bribe recipients and planning the next day’s work as she waited.
Footage of a news anchor in a standard looking news studio in Kerlile.
“In surprising news, Councillor Lia Chiu has publicly supported Tepilcayotl’s bid to become the next Emperor of Xiomera. Despite there being female candidates, Councillor Chiu has chosen to endorse the male Tepilcayotl, in a public speech made earlier, which we will now show you.”
Clip of Councillor Chiu standing at a podium in some nice looking autumnal gardens.
“Tepilcayotl is a proven friend of Kerlile. Some men in Xiomera are not like men in other countries. They have learned to live in harmony with women, though of course this is still a minority of men. But Tepilcayotl is within that minority of men, and we know that with him as Emperor, Kerlile will always have a friend in Xiomera, which we need during this tough time.”
Back to news anchor.
“The Councillor’s statement was met with controversy from other members of the Council, who have criticised her for favouring a male candidate over a female one. Councillor Pauline Pierre, who earlier released a statement favouring Yauhmi, the wife of the late Emperor Topilpopoca, as his successor, criticised Chiu for ‘abandoning the mission of Kerlile’.”
*
Pauline Pierre’s room, Ahuexoyocan Palace, Xiomera
Late evening
Councillor Pierre was almost asleep when her phone rang. She groaned and cursed as she felt along her bedside table for the device and ripped it from its charger before she opened it.
“What?”
“Councillor, is this a secure line?” came a voice she recognised. Pierre sat up abruptly.
“Yes it is. What do you have?”
“Our agent has discovered some interesting information that could be used to benefit your preferred candidate. I do not know if you wish this information leaked publicly, or if you would like to use it in another manner.”
“It will depend what you have.”
“First of all…” began the woman on the end of the phone.
As she listened, Pierre took notes on a pad that had sat next to her bed, in a code that few would understand. She did not smile as she wrote, focusing on the words and not her emotions, but she felt pleased inside. She had, in a moment of slight foolishness given the situation, requested information from one of the Auroras embedded in Xiomera. It was paying off. She would be able to use this information to her - and Yauhmi’s - advantage.
*
Assorted Social Media Posts From Lauchenoirian or Kerlian Bots or Trolls
“BREAKING NEWS: Man comes forward to say Yauhmi had an affair with him while Emperor Topilpopoca was alive. Says she threatened him to stay quiet & he was afraid to come forward in case it upset his children.”
“Yauhmi affair so sad. Topilpopoca was a great Emperor and her betrayal of him was a betrayal of all Xiomera
““we need to find truth. cant trust Yauhmi if she lied. would she lie about other things???? she cant be next emperor!”
“KILL ALL TRAITORS. We should hunt down everyone who supports the Manauia Island terrorists and make them watch their families be shot in front of them. And kill Cozamalotl too, he’s filth who deserves to be tortured to death.”
“Climate change has already killed thousands in countries like Lauchenoiria. If we go ahead with the Manauia Island development then Xiomerans will start dying too. We are a civilized country and cannot allow this to go ahead.”
“Tepilcayotl and Letitia Greenwood from Kerlile are in love. Everyone knows that Kerlians like multiple partners. He is being controlled by her. We don’t want Xiomera to turn into a Kerlian colony!!!”
*
Extract from a popular online news website
“Lauchenoirian Feminist Party endorses Yauhmi for Xiomeran Empress.
Katherine Wright, the leader of the Lauchenoirian Feminist Party, has come out in support of Yauhmi in the race to choose the next Xiomeran Emperor or Empress. Yauhmi is the only women slated to have a good chance of winning, and Wright has come out in support claiming that another female leader would be good for the world.
‘I want to see Empress Yauhmi in Xiomera, to show to women the world over that the tide is turning for feminism. I believe that should she be the next Empress, Lauchenoiria will be able to improve our relationship with Xiomera, and that she will be more amenable to listening to our concerns’.”
*
Streets of Tlālacuetzla
Yamunda Patel was so far down the line of succession by this point that she would have been able to marry a man legally. The thought angered her as she walked down the road. Her sister, Nirmala, was weak, and yet she sat on the Council while their mother rotted in a Sanctarian prison. And what had Nirmala done to try and save Anita from that horrible fate? Absolutely nothing.
Yamunda, however, was busy. She feared the future that reformist President Arnott wanted to create in Kerlile. She was weakening the Matriarchy, at a time when it could not afford to be weakened. But Arnott had one flaw - she was completely reliant on Xiomeran trade to prop up her government. Which meant she had to keep in the Xiomerans’ good books.
Which is why Yamunda had been supporting Tepilcayotl. She knew that the Security Secretary would crack down on the dissidents in Xiomera. If Xiomera was to move in a more authoritarian direction, then Kerlile must surely follow. Which would secure the Matriarchy and put a stop to these destructive reforms.
She had come to Xiomera shortly after the funeral, not being important enough for Kerlile to select her as part of the delegation. But she was certainly wealthy enough to make a difference. Nirmala may have inherited Anita’s titles upon her imprisonment… but Anita had given Yamunda access to her hidden bank accounts. And so, Yamunda had been visiting a select few important Xiomeran individuals and encouraging them to vote the right way.
She arrived back at her hotel, and when she got back to her room sighed and lay down on her bed, exhausted. It was hard work, bribing Xiomerans. She longed to be back home where she could meet up with her friends (high ranking members of Restricted Region staff, generally). She had met with Mariya Adema, one of the interrogators working in Xiomera, and a close friend of Yamunda, of course. But she longed for home.
She picked up the phone and ordered room service, flicking through her list of possible bribe recipients and planning the next day’s work as she waited.
LIDUN President 2024 | she/her | Puppets: Kerlile, Glanainn, Yesteria, Zongongia, Zargothrax