maskormenace | Video

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[This feed was posted to a well known news blog, and seems to be a direct rip from a Native News report. The anchorman, well known for his politically charged commentary, is giving the screen a look of sheer disappointment.]

"Just when you thought things in Maurtia Falls couldn't get any worse. We continue our coverage of the events unfolding as they happen. Vigilantism continues to wrack the city, drowning it in a deluge of unchecked violence as the masked law breakers behind this radical movement refuse to submit themselves to justice.

The poor, frightened citizens of that fine city live in constant fear, waiting and hoping for salvation from the war rampaging across their backyards.

But now, after a stunning announcement from Congress, it seems like that help will now... not be coming at all.

What does this mean, you might ask?

According to our sources, the Local Import Ambassador, who simply goes by the name "Revan", a man given special dispensation to propose bills directly to congress on behalf of the resident imports has recently provoked the Government into cutting all funding from the City of Maurtia Falls.

A bill Revan submitted earlier this month was passed that effectively allowed him to build his own private army of imports. And army which he would garrison on his own private land, land that would be independent on this countries laws.

It's understandable the Government wouldn't want to fund a movement as caustic and troublesome as this, folks, and we can't help but wonder if there's some kind of connection between the chaos plaguing the streets of Maurtia Falls by the resident Imports, and their ambassador suddenly creating his own private power base.

Could he be capitalizing on the chaos to put in motion a mass secession from the united states? Are these the first steps towards rebellion?

The residents of Maurtia Falls have responded to this potential threat with a general outcry over the irresponsible behavior demonstrated by their import neighbors. They are calling upon those Imports loyal to this great country, to take a stand against their ignoble counterparts and their appalling deeds."

[ooc: Feel free to discuss these events openly or to Revan directly in his follow up statement.]

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[Revan's personal feed comes in right after the news feed.

He's sitting with his hands folded on top of his desk, his expression even but with a distinct tenseness to it.]

Hello. I'm sure many of you are aware of the recent events in Maurtia Falls, however these most recent developments are no doubt something of great concern to us all.

I'm not here to dignify the egregious speculations of this news station by engaging in pointless contrition or defensive bickery. I would however like to make myself available to those that would like some clarification as to what exactly IS happening within the city I am assigned to protect.

My bill was indeed designed to give Imports a bit of autonomy, I'll not deny that. But it was for the benefit of all, the government included. By creating a system of of support for Imports, it would take some of the burden off of the Government's already taxed resources.

Please offer up any question and I swear to answer them honestly and to the best of my ability.

Ambassador- while I think a great deal of the fuss over vigilantes is misplaced, why didn't you confer with the other ambassadors to have the center placed in a city that wasn't experiencing so much imPort related tension?

I can understand your concern. However Maurtia Falls is my responsibility, and I am required to oversee the development of the Center. Logistically it made sense to be based in the same city I was living and operating out of.

[He offers up a half shrug.]

And who could honestly say they were expecting these vigilantes to stir things up as much as they did?

Is it even legally possible to establish a location independent of a nation's laws within its borders? Taking for granted that's nothing more than alarmist hyperbole, what is your plan legitimately intended to achieve?

While I may only brag a marginal knowledge of this world's laws and customs, I'm pretty sure what they're accusing me of is impossible, not to mention pointless.

The bill in question, and the particular section they're focusing on, is that the IHS would be allowed to maintain it's own private security force to safeguard any imports visiting or employed at the station. And give them jurisdictional precedent when it came to crime withing the premises. That is all.

Edited (lawl, customers and bad grammar ) 2015-06-26 05:58 (UTC)

Jurisdictional precedent? You'll have to clarify, I can see how a phrase like that could be...poorly misconstrued.

[ it makes her think of an independent police precinct. not that he could necessarily blame him, the mfpd are shit. ]

Should any criminal or other unsavory activity happen within the premises of the station, we as imports would have both the responsibility and privliage of responding to and investigating said activites. This process would not be in spite of the local law enforcement, but as a supplement.

[She's not wrong, at least in the general sense.]

Subject to the same codes of conduct and requirements this nation places on any body of law enforcement.

[Now THAT would be in spite f the MFPD.]

So you...elevated a standard security detail to a fully empowered organized force, but lacking the civil oversight typical of the police, instead answerable only to yourself.

With all due respect, Mr. Ambassador, I do hope you see why this issue would be divisive.

[ i mean, he had her as go-between with archangel to avoid this exact kind of fallout. ]

Edited 2015-06-27 10:31 (UTC)

Except that the security team will not answer to me. I will not be running them, nor the Helix Station if I can help it. Despite the bad press and lack of interest, my hope is to place it in the care of someone qualified and responsible so that I may be freed up to continue my Ambassadorial duties.

[Someone like, say, a very responsible troll he knows.]

The major hitch in this plan is the wide spread assumption that I am gathering all these tools to be at MY disposal. When what I really aiming for is to empower our community by giving it to them.

Technicality. They answer to a person who answers to you, but while you are paying their bills you can't ignore where that places you on the hierarchy, even if you don't exercise the inherent authority.

That is where the assumption comes from, because, well. That is a very precarious situation to create.

[ she clicks on her encryption, because it's too risky to say that last bit out in the open. ]

And the timing is terrible, frankly.

No. I mean it Kanaya. When the center is up and running, and we get a stable team for the security, I plan on stepping down from both.

[Normally hearsay and incorrect assumptions of Revan and his plans meant little to him. In fact, more often than not he relied on people's under or off estimation of his intentions. It was an edge.

But with Kanaya it just felt... important that she understand him.]

I would have no financial ties to this project if the Government hadn't cut our funding. So yes, it's my resources that are being bled dry on a non-profit venture where the only return on my investment will be a stronger import community.

[ kanaya doesn't really understand her place in his longterm plans, or even that she has a place at all. she's too focused on their off-the-books venture, and if that succeeds she couldn't say what the atmosphere they'll be faced with will be.

but alongside that, she doesn't know how much she can really trust revan, when it comes down to it. she's content to work alongside him toward a common goal, but his goals beyond that aren't something she can speak to, certainly not anymore. ]

Well, it wouldn't be a private security force if it's paid with public funds. You can't have both. Really, the whole plan is confusingly presented, for the concerning implications it carries. Would anyone have known you intended to step away from it, after its establishment? That sort of thing, protection against abuses of power and guarantee of oversight, should have been built into your bill prior to its presentation.

But more than anything, I wonder why you put this into motion concurrently with our efforts in Archangel. That job is nowhere near finished, and to build a force based on similar principles, albeit paid in this case, seems almost redundant, even with a more specialized purpose.

[Maybe she couldn't be made to see... Did she hold him in contempt now? And was it her judgement he now faced, or her disappointment at such a problematic situation.

She was right about the public funds, it was likely the government was never going to fund it from the beginning. But at the time, he still held out some small hope that they really did have the Imports' interested in mind.

Now, he wasn't so sure. A lesson only learned in hindsight.]

Archangel needed to happen with or without me. Not for us, but for all people of this world. It was a blight. I thought we were in agreement on this. At some point someone was going to make a move. And I wanted to be sure it was done right.

It was an independent operation.

Timing wise, it is unfortunate. I had not expected such a harsh response to my bill. But please understand that they are two completely different objectives. The security force is not Archangel. It is a gesture towards imports, to know that if they attempt to build themselves up, they will be safe.

Archangel will eventually cease, as it is. But if we want lasting legitimacy in this world, this station must not.

As for my bill itself, I believed those safeguards to be self evident. I never stated I would be in command within the bill. Just that such a team would be allowed to form, their purpose recognized by the Government. The same thing with the station itself.

I am only a facilitator. Which I thought was to be expected of one called an Ambassador. I may support causes I feel passionate about financially, but is that uncommon?

Safeguards are never self-evident, Revan. Leaving them out only like an open door to be later abused. I can understand the inspiration for the station, and why that would be an important gesture, but I feel like your security force was more ambitious than practical.

Is there a reason they'd need independent jurisdiction, or authority on the level of a police force? Their focus would be exclusively on the station, would it not?

My bill was based on the feedback I'd received during my interviews with Maurtia Falls residents.

The two major things they had asked for were: more tools at their disposal to get their feet off the ground. And somehow they wanted to feel safer in this place.

As my job is to tailor my bills to that will, that was the solution I came up with. A center for import services and charities, that allowed imports to protect themselves.

But most of the things that would challenge an imPort's safety aren't things that would be addressed by one security force at a single location. imPort safety is a far larger and more complicated issue than that, and this would...well, it doesn't really feel like it addresses that in any meaningful way.

I think it would be better to acknowledge the mistake it was, and see if you couldn't regain the government's favor. If Archangel is successful, the Falls will need that support in establishing its future.

Correct. At least to the first part. It doesn't. Unfortunately there is no one act that can compeletely satisfy a general publics' apprehension. All I can do is make token gestures.

[He gives a tilt of his head, his eyebrows up as if to say 'and here we are'.]

But I don't believe it was a mistake. Yes, some people have twisted the message, and that has hurt my position. But what needs to happen next is not surrender the first and only bill I've submitted. I need to show people that they have nothing to fear from me.

But even with the message untwisted, how much it was necessary, how much it really achieves, is still in question. It will take a lot of work to overcome the current message, and it's worth considering whether the results of a token gesture are equal to that effort. And if you do, will it have lost enough taint that anyone will want to join?

The station is a worthwhile effort, it's something worth defending and putting at your focus. But I'm not sure the security force and all of the concerning questions surrounding it are worth it.

And what message will I send if it seems like my "dastardly" plans have been revealed, and to protect my image I cancel my plans? Would that be worth the potential damage control?

Yes, there are reactionary pundits who will congratulate themselves for "stunning victory" against the totalitarian imPort menace they frightened back into the shadows, should you recant that portion of the bill. But they sqawk as they will no matter what is done, and there are stronger foes who will stand with them, should you cling to it.

Fighting with the same vigor for the security force may cost you the station, in the end. Especially now that your resources are more limited. Prioritize the station, that's my recommendation. Once it is established, when the resources are available, along with the political capital and friendly atmosphere necessary for further purchase, you can recommit yourself to it.

In the meantime, taking control of the narrative will of course be important, but it would be best to not move forward with that facet of the bill until you have.

Are they right?

[ D'Artagnan doesn't really care for political double-speak. It's likely the report is exaggerated, and it's obviously full of assumptions.

It also tells him something about what native people are thinking, and hearing. If this is the impression they have of imports, things are only going to get worse here. ]

The talk of rebellion, in particular. You're supposed to be an Ambassador to the Government, on imports' behalf. That's not going to work if they think you're against them.

Especially if you actually are.

Unless the will of the people is for me to commit political suicide, a one man rebellion would serve no purpose.

[He shakes his head with an almost derisive smirk.]

I have only submitted what I belived to be in the best interests of my constituents. A place to feel safe. To help them find some measure of stability and community.

If you're asking me if I had seditious intent, my answer is an emphatic no.

Edited 2015-06-24 22:20 (UTC)

[ D'Artagnan nods. That's good to know, even if he has doubts that the general public would believe Revan's assurances over their own reporter. Gossip always rings louder than truth. That's how it is in Paris, and it's how it must be here. ]

And, the garrison they spoke of.

[ Because that sounds like a little more than 'a place to feel safe'. And Revan hasn't exactly denied that element of the report. ]

Is that fabricated, or is there truth to it? It's a strange thing for them to say if there's not.

I fear this may sound evasive, but they are not completely correct. At least not in the way they've represented the idea.

[Revan folds his hands out, palms up placatingly. He knows how it sounds, to deny without denying. People were looking for a simple answer, but nothing when simple when a lie is twisted in half truths.]

I fear the center might become a target for those that hold animosity towards imports. And in my bill I did request the authority to maintain a small number of professional security.

However there is nothing unlawful about that aspect, and I doubt that is where the ire is coming from.

[ Carl doesn't even know which party is which. His idea of politics is near to non-existent. Living in Maurita Falls, on the other hand, gives him a small exception to his non-interest in politics. ]

Is this even true?

Depends which part you're talking about. Are there vigilantes taking the city by storm? So to speak.

Did the Government cut funding to Maurtia Falls? Unfortunately yes.

Am I planning on leading a rebellion against the government and secede? ...Hmmm, probably not today. [He adds a wink at the end.]

[ Carl is not smiling. ]

You should have just worked with the cops. Or be part of the community if you care so much about crime.

[Revan's joviality seems to sober very quickly at Carl's apparent maturity.]

I'm not against working with local law enforcement. However they have demonstrated time and again they do not have the resources to to tackle some of the major threats facing imports. It's completely a preemptive measure.

The fact that you are suggesting I should have been a part of the community would seem to imply that you believe I have thus far not. What do you mean by that?

[ Of course on Carl's end it's like pot calling the kettle black. Carl hadn't been involved with the community ever since he dropped out of Maurita Falls High School, and he never been involved in any heroics, government sanctioned or not. He's good at killing, and standing watch, but he doesn't really trust himself with community service. Maybe he should try that, he thinks, now he thinks on it. He's been here long enough to adapt, right? ]

It's just that beating up crooks is just not going to be enough. Like, what about the Boys and Girls Club? Don't they have it here? Or make something like it?

I just see the city and it's never safe, but it's never gotten, y'know bad. From the natives, it sounds like we are making it worse just by being up their crooks. This is their world, not ours. We're just guests here.

[Revan nods along with his words, giving Carl his full attention]

It does sound like things have escalated within the city at an alarming rate. But not everyone is content to sit by while innocents are hurt around them. If what the members of Archangel are saying is true, many people are hurt daily and nobody is doing anything about it.

Even if we believe that not to be true, they do. And because of that, they feel compelled to step up and fill that void.

You said that the cops can't do anything. Do you mean they can't lock anyone up or just won't investigate it?

I mean that the police of Maurtia Falls have their hands full with their own criminal element.

[Not to mention the Vigilantes Revan seem's rather unconcerned with...]

I want to give the people of this nation some bit of confidence that, at least at this station, we imports will take responsibilty for any misconduct. However that is not to say we will not actively be taking part in the well being of the community. Of that I can promise the exact opposite.

Revan.

Is now the time for jokes like that?

...Ah, Gamagori-Sama.

[Revan tilts his head down a bit. He can really pull off the admonished look quiet well when he wants to.]

The mood has been quiet dreary so I thought to try and keep things light.

[Especially with the fact that he was talking to a child, but somehow he didn't believe Ira would make an exception for that.]

[A low lid look, brows high.]

This isn't something that should be made light of in that way. Joking about taking the dark turn they are suggesting should be above you and your role, Revan.

[A small, barely noticeable sigh as he returns Ira's look squarely for a few moments.]

...I suppose not. Despite the fact that what they are suggesting is not only ridiculous, but impossible, there's no need to feed such into such an ignorant witch hunt.

[Good, look a little more serious. This IS serious.]

There isn't, I'm happy you understand. I suggest you work on changing the image you and your city has gained. Whether it's ridiculous or not, how you are perceived still remains important, for all ImPorts in this world.

[This is all he needs right now. A lecture by Gamagori on etiquette.]

So you mean to say the poor interpretation of my bill has made me responsible for the entire symphony of issues plaguing Maurtia Falls?

[There a bit of steam just under Revan's collar, given away by only the slight tension to his voice.]

How nice it must be, to be Ambassador over such an already stable community.

[No real comment, just a thoughtful sound, leaning his chin on a hand.]

Hm.

Edited 2015-06-24 23:44 (UTC)

...Something you wish you add?

Do I need to?

I'm not sure I understand the question.

Is there anything that needs to be added to this, Revan? I'm sure you understand how this situation could unfold.

Yes. Many of the ways this could unfold. I suppose I'm more interested in your take.

How new for you.

Forgive me for being presumptious, but I can't help but suspect you don't have an appreciate for politics. Which leaves me wondering why you seem to have any vested interest at all.

Oh is this about politics? I'll just be leaving then.

[Either Revan's playing dumb or is dumb. He's not sure if he feels like bothering to find out which one it is.]

Only if you wish it to be so.

[A gentle shrug, your choice Hisoka.]

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