Cogitation
07-11-2004, 04:32
[OOC: This is primarily a tribute to a resident of my region and is written for the benefit of residents of my region, "The Realm of Ambrosia". Those of you who haven't been long time residents of either "The Realm of Ambrosia" or "West Central Asia" will never have heard of this nation unless you've watched the World Ranking UN reports like a hawk and probably aren't going to care. :p
I'm also doing this primarily as an exercise in roleplay writing; I usually don't have time to do this sort of thing.]
"Mr. President? We're ready."
I looked up at my aide from the paper that I was holding in my hand. "Mmmm? Oh, right. I'll be there momentarily. I'm just wondering if I should make any changes to this speech. I just can't decide if there's anything that I want to add."
My aide smirked at me. "Well, Mr. President, it's your own fault for telling the scriptwriters that you wanted to work on this one alone." I arched my left eyebrow and put my mouth in a slight frown as though I were contemplating how I was going to hurt him. He knew I wasn't serious, though, and just kept smiling at me. Not smirking, but I knew it was hiding in there, right behind his mouth.
I crumpled up the paper and half-dropped, half-tossed it into the wastebasket next to my chair. "I'll just make it up as I go," I said, and stood up.
I walked out of my office and into my secretaries office where most of my aides were waiting for me. I smiled a bit weakly. "Good Morning," I said to them all, to which most replied "Good Morning, Mr. President" or, more simply, "Mr. President". I walked through the halls of the Palace of Thought past the various busts and paintings of the many thinkers, statesmen, and inventors in the history of the Democratic States. I finally reached a hallway that ended at a balcony, the outside daylight shining inside.
I walked out onto the balcony and into the light of a clear, sunny morning. The Palace of Thought is located rather high up on the mountainside, and Cogitation City, with it's many skyscrapers, lay spread out before me on the slopes below. In the distance, about a dozen miles away, lay the main harbor.
In the yard below the balcony, a crowd of people had gathered to hear my speech, along with news cameras and photojournalists. Well, as far as they knew, I was going to give a speech; considering that my speech was now sitting in a wastepaper basket, it was more like I was about to draft a speech on the spot.
I took a glass of ice water from a nearby table, drank it, and then cleared my throat. I then approached the microphone set up on the front of the balcony.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, Good Morning.
"For the past three weeks, many of you have heard various rumors regarding our friends, neighbors, and allies, The Free Community of Cherry Cola. Rumors about the sudden silence in communication from that realm. It's my unfortunate duty to confirm that, in 24 to 48 hours, Cherry Cola, like many other realms, will fade into the mists of inactivity, another victim claimed by that mysterious phenomenon that most us know only as 'real life'.
"The Free Community has long been a leader in socially progressive issues. Many in our fair region have seen our friends and neighbors, time and again, achieve the top spots of the world UN ranking reports, most notable among them: Third in the world for Most Compassionate Citizen, behind only The United Socialist States of Sambonia and The Compassionate Federation of Alpha Centauri. Cherry Cola also consistenly achieved, if I remember correctly, third in the world for Best Weather, reflecting their great and deep concern for both people and the environment.
"Cherry Cola did have it's weaknesses; it has never had a strong economy, strong industry, or a strong military. But, it did have a strong heart, and in this, it has always set a clear example, an example seen by many in the world.
"It is always possible that they will return to us, someday. Some nations do. In the meantime, let us follow the example of compassion that they have always set. Let us always remember that ideal and think about it for a moment."
I put my right hand over my heart. "For Ambrosia and for The Realm." At that, the crowd began to cheer. ...and I smiled.
I held that pose for a few seconds, and then let my arm drop, using it instead to reach for that glass of ice water again. I drank, set the glass down, took one last look at the crowd, still cheering, and walked back inside.
--The President of The Democratic States of Cogitation
"Think about it for a moment."
Founder and Delegate of The Realm of Ambrosia
I'm also doing this primarily as an exercise in roleplay writing; I usually don't have time to do this sort of thing.]
"Mr. President? We're ready."
I looked up at my aide from the paper that I was holding in my hand. "Mmmm? Oh, right. I'll be there momentarily. I'm just wondering if I should make any changes to this speech. I just can't decide if there's anything that I want to add."
My aide smirked at me. "Well, Mr. President, it's your own fault for telling the scriptwriters that you wanted to work on this one alone." I arched my left eyebrow and put my mouth in a slight frown as though I were contemplating how I was going to hurt him. He knew I wasn't serious, though, and just kept smiling at me. Not smirking, but I knew it was hiding in there, right behind his mouth.
I crumpled up the paper and half-dropped, half-tossed it into the wastebasket next to my chair. "I'll just make it up as I go," I said, and stood up.
I walked out of my office and into my secretaries office where most of my aides were waiting for me. I smiled a bit weakly. "Good Morning," I said to them all, to which most replied "Good Morning, Mr. President" or, more simply, "Mr. President". I walked through the halls of the Palace of Thought past the various busts and paintings of the many thinkers, statesmen, and inventors in the history of the Democratic States. I finally reached a hallway that ended at a balcony, the outside daylight shining inside.
I walked out onto the balcony and into the light of a clear, sunny morning. The Palace of Thought is located rather high up on the mountainside, and Cogitation City, with it's many skyscrapers, lay spread out before me on the slopes below. In the distance, about a dozen miles away, lay the main harbor.
In the yard below the balcony, a crowd of people had gathered to hear my speech, along with news cameras and photojournalists. Well, as far as they knew, I was going to give a speech; considering that my speech was now sitting in a wastepaper basket, it was more like I was about to draft a speech on the spot.
I took a glass of ice water from a nearby table, drank it, and then cleared my throat. I then approached the microphone set up on the front of the balcony.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, Good Morning.
"For the past three weeks, many of you have heard various rumors regarding our friends, neighbors, and allies, The Free Community of Cherry Cola. Rumors about the sudden silence in communication from that realm. It's my unfortunate duty to confirm that, in 24 to 48 hours, Cherry Cola, like many other realms, will fade into the mists of inactivity, another victim claimed by that mysterious phenomenon that most us know only as 'real life'.
"The Free Community has long been a leader in socially progressive issues. Many in our fair region have seen our friends and neighbors, time and again, achieve the top spots of the world UN ranking reports, most notable among them: Third in the world for Most Compassionate Citizen, behind only The United Socialist States of Sambonia and The Compassionate Federation of Alpha Centauri. Cherry Cola also consistenly achieved, if I remember correctly, third in the world for Best Weather, reflecting their great and deep concern for both people and the environment.
"Cherry Cola did have it's weaknesses; it has never had a strong economy, strong industry, or a strong military. But, it did have a strong heart, and in this, it has always set a clear example, an example seen by many in the world.
"It is always possible that they will return to us, someday. Some nations do. In the meantime, let us follow the example of compassion that they have always set. Let us always remember that ideal and think about it for a moment."
I put my right hand over my heart. "For Ambrosia and for The Realm." At that, the crowd began to cheer. ...and I smiled.
I held that pose for a few seconds, and then let my arm drop, using it instead to reach for that glass of ice water again. I drank, set the glass down, took one last look at the crowd, still cheering, and walked back inside.
--The President of The Democratic States of Cogitation
"Think about it for a moment."
Founder and Delegate of The Realm of Ambrosia