02-20-2023, 06:32 AM
Haven House
Huānoch, Milintica
February 20th, 2023
9:30 am, Milintican time
Neina Arana stood in front of the presidential desk, her posture straight as an arrow and her hands clasped behind her in an almost soldierly pose. If she was aware she was being called on the carpet, she showed no sign of it as she stated unwaveringly at the man in front of her.
President Matōchmizalo stared back, equally unwavering. His face had a clear expression of anger on it as he took a sharp inhale to begin speaking. Next to him, Prime Minister Tupai Tapihana sighed slightly to himself. This would be an argument for the ages, he was sure.
"You pre-empted our official announcement on the attempt to assassinate the Xiomeran heirs back in December, and made us look practically complicit in that crime," he began, which earned a scoffing laugh from Arana. "Crime? If it had succeeded, we'd be free from a new generation of Xiomeran imperialists. How is that a crime?"
Her statement immediately caused Matōchmizalo to leap out of his chair. "It's talk like that which makes Milintica look like we're the ones who tried to kill those kids! Can you not grasp, despite your hatred of the Xiomerans, how bad that makes us look around the world? A nation that tries to kill infants in their beds? Are you that daft?"
Tapihana let out an actual audible sigh this time. They're starting early, he thought. His sigh went unheard as Arana simply shrugged, which caused Matōchmizalo's voice to raise even higher. "You constantly pre-empt, contradict and over-talk me and my administration in public, all to promote yourself in your typically self-aggrandizing fashion - "
"It is not to promote myself, it is to correct your constant incorrectness, incompetence and wavering from the revolution!" Arana shouted back. "You are betraying the principles on which this peoples' republic was founded and has stood for and promoted worldwide! Are you the one who does not see? Are you the one who is daft?"
Matōchmizalo was breathing more heavily at this point. "Your latest insult is to denigrate our plans to rename and re-flag to better suit our direction towards democratic socialism - "
"Rename, and re-flag? More like betray and commit treason. The name and flag of this country were established by the original revolutionaries who founded our peoples' republic and you have no right to change them!" Arana frowned.
"Shut up, you insufferable self-righteous chatterbox!" Matōchmizalo slammed his desk. "You have been coddled and allowed to get away with anything to keep your wing of the party in line. That is the only reason. But I have had enough. You will stop making public pronouncements that denigrate this administration or party leadership, or that contradict our official position on any issue in any way whatsoever. You will toe the line. Or else."
"Or else....what?" Arana said softly. "You know fully well that if I am punished, my followers will not accept that. You won't dare risk losing our votes in the Assembly, or our power on the ground to support the MPP, and we both know it. You won't dare, because you are a weak little man. What will stop is your betrayal of Milintica, and your betrayal of our principles, and your betrayal of the revolution. Or else."
Tapihana watched, openmouthed, at the ultimate demonstration of the phrase "immovable object meets irresistible force." Oh, this is not going to end well.
"As you said.... or else what?" Matōchmizalo said finally after a long silence. "I was weak, to let you get away with as much as you have. That ends now. Neina Arana, you are no longer a Minister in this administration, and you are no longer a member of the Milintican Peoples' Party. You are now officially nothing. Other than a shrieking banshee who I hope to never see in this office ever again."
The silence that fell into the room like a boulder after that remark was broken finally by Arana chuckling softly and picking up her things to leave. "Oh, I may not see you in here again, Matōchmizalo. But one way or another, I will see this office again, and possibly sooner than you think."
"And what does that mean?" the President demanded as Arana reached the doorway. She turned and gave another small laugh. "It means...good luck when you run for re-election, and when the Assembly next has its own elections. You will need it." Arana walked out, slamming the door as she departed.
"That was long needing doing," Matōchmizalo said finally after a moment.
"It definitely was. And I will not miss the shrieking banshee, as you put it. However, as your PM, I must point out that this is going to lead to massive difficulties within the party and the Assembly. We had better prepare for some serious horse-trading and negotiating to keep as many of our people on side as we can." Tapihana sighed once more.
Matōchmizalo simply nodded, his expression grave.
---
As she exited Haven House and flagged down a taxi, no longer meriting use of an official vehicle, Arana smiled broadly. Far from being defeated, she was now freed to pursue her destiny.
Huānoch, Milintica
February 20th, 2023
9:30 am, Milintican time
Neina Arana stood in front of the presidential desk, her posture straight as an arrow and her hands clasped behind her in an almost soldierly pose. If she was aware she was being called on the carpet, she showed no sign of it as she stated unwaveringly at the man in front of her.
President Matōchmizalo stared back, equally unwavering. His face had a clear expression of anger on it as he took a sharp inhale to begin speaking. Next to him, Prime Minister Tupai Tapihana sighed slightly to himself. This would be an argument for the ages, he was sure.
"You pre-empted our official announcement on the attempt to assassinate the Xiomeran heirs back in December, and made us look practically complicit in that crime," he began, which earned a scoffing laugh from Arana. "Crime? If it had succeeded, we'd be free from a new generation of Xiomeran imperialists. How is that a crime?"
Her statement immediately caused Matōchmizalo to leap out of his chair. "It's talk like that which makes Milintica look like we're the ones who tried to kill those kids! Can you not grasp, despite your hatred of the Xiomerans, how bad that makes us look around the world? A nation that tries to kill infants in their beds? Are you that daft?"
Tapihana let out an actual audible sigh this time. They're starting early, he thought. His sigh went unheard as Arana simply shrugged, which caused Matōchmizalo's voice to raise even higher. "You constantly pre-empt, contradict and over-talk me and my administration in public, all to promote yourself in your typically self-aggrandizing fashion - "
"It is not to promote myself, it is to correct your constant incorrectness, incompetence and wavering from the revolution!" Arana shouted back. "You are betraying the principles on which this peoples' republic was founded and has stood for and promoted worldwide! Are you the one who does not see? Are you the one who is daft?"
Matōchmizalo was breathing more heavily at this point. "Your latest insult is to denigrate our plans to rename and re-flag to better suit our direction towards democratic socialism - "
"Rename, and re-flag? More like betray and commit treason. The name and flag of this country were established by the original revolutionaries who founded our peoples' republic and you have no right to change them!" Arana frowned.
"Shut up, you insufferable self-righteous chatterbox!" Matōchmizalo slammed his desk. "You have been coddled and allowed to get away with anything to keep your wing of the party in line. That is the only reason. But I have had enough. You will stop making public pronouncements that denigrate this administration or party leadership, or that contradict our official position on any issue in any way whatsoever. You will toe the line. Or else."
"Or else....what?" Arana said softly. "You know fully well that if I am punished, my followers will not accept that. You won't dare risk losing our votes in the Assembly, or our power on the ground to support the MPP, and we both know it. You won't dare, because you are a weak little man. What will stop is your betrayal of Milintica, and your betrayal of our principles, and your betrayal of the revolution. Or else."
Tapihana watched, openmouthed, at the ultimate demonstration of the phrase "immovable object meets irresistible force." Oh, this is not going to end well.
"As you said.... or else what?" Matōchmizalo said finally after a long silence. "I was weak, to let you get away with as much as you have. That ends now. Neina Arana, you are no longer a Minister in this administration, and you are no longer a member of the Milintican Peoples' Party. You are now officially nothing. Other than a shrieking banshee who I hope to never see in this office ever again."
The silence that fell into the room like a boulder after that remark was broken finally by Arana chuckling softly and picking up her things to leave. "Oh, I may not see you in here again, Matōchmizalo. But one way or another, I will see this office again, and possibly sooner than you think."
"And what does that mean?" the President demanded as Arana reached the doorway. She turned and gave another small laugh. "It means...good luck when you run for re-election, and when the Assembly next has its own elections. You will need it." Arana walked out, slamming the door as she departed.
"That was long needing doing," Matōchmizalo said finally after a moment.
"It definitely was. And I will not miss the shrieking banshee, as you put it. However, as your PM, I must point out that this is going to lead to massive difficulties within the party and the Assembly. We had better prepare for some serious horse-trading and negotiating to keep as many of our people on side as we can." Tapihana sighed once more.
Matōchmizalo simply nodded, his expression grave.
---
As she exited Haven House and flagged down a taxi, no longer meriting use of an official vehicle, Arana smiled broadly. Far from being defeated, she was now freed to pursue her destiny.
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