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Post by Benjamin Kírix-Unda on Sept 28, 2012 15:08:31 GMT -5
"Do what your kingdom does best, speak softly to those in need..." Benjamin said, leaning into the table a little bit before finishing his sentence, "...and we'll be the big stick that smashes those who wish to do harm."
He leaned back in his chair, "Of course let me remind you: if we get too messy in other nation's domestic affairs it'll send the false imperialist message. We press for peace, for the bloodshed to stop... and than if all else fails we may find it justifiable to intervene."
Had Unda just elected Santo-Luce to be the world's police man? Had Unda just been elected to be the police man's rifle?
They'd have to be careful at how they proceeded, any wrong, quick and violent move might send waves of distrust throughout the world. Nerezza would not take well to any Santo-Lucian invasion of any country. Not to mention that nations already did not trust Unda.
Things could go terribly wrong.
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Post by alexanderthegreat on Sept 29, 2012 15:02:33 GMT -5
Alexander, for different reasons, was unconsciously in agreement that what he and Benjamin were planning had possibilities of going very, very wrong. To some, it would seem admirable for Santo-Luce to send people--military and representatives--all for the goal of protecting the weak and providing stable living until an appropriate leader could take over. Some nations could take it offensively, though...
"We go in, we be the soft hand, and should it not be received well you're right there for backup...that's what you're telling me in the simplest terms? Even if I wanted to say no now, it'll only be a matter of time before the effects of the other countries falling start affecting our own..."
Alexander sighed. This was too much dark, heavy thinking to do on his own.
"You say you've started with Vuoto? Did you already have an action plan that we can jump in with? Once we have it figured out I can have people moved immediately and we'll...we'll keep in touch. We'll make it work."
He wanted to speak positively of it and try he did. The bitter truth to it though was that with Alexander being in no dire need of protection personally, for reasons everyone including Holmes only partially knew, he'd have to send higher officers and those who could double as representatives would be a strong asset, people like his own captains. Particularly Zeke, having been a chosen hero from Earth. It wasn't something Alexander liked now and as he thought more of it he felt he was going to like it even less but alas, it seemed to be something that was going to be unavoidable....for a little bit, anyway.
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Post by Benjamin Kírix-Unda on Sept 30, 2012 16:42:03 GMT -5
"Your government could attempt to reach out to the different sides of the civil war. They've all but refused our attempts to start peace talks." Benjamin nodded, "We've met one man who is responsible for the Northern Fighters, a strong man, well spoken... but brutal in tactics."
He closed his eyes for a moment, remembering the details given to him so he could properly relay the information, "A Marine battalion reportedly witnessed his troops raze a small village about two weeks ago, about twenty miles from the capitol city. Men that sanction those actions are not fit to lead a country in this day and era."
"As we expand our mission further around the coast it'll allow you to send someone to attempt to set up peace talks. I'd like to be well informed of it though, last thing I want is us to expend all these resources only to bring up a government hostile to Unda."
He paused for a moment before quickly adding in, "That's all if you wish to go through with this, though."
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Post by alexanderthegreat on Oct 3, 2012 18:43:01 GMT -5
Alexander let his only too active of an imagination display mental images of a rough army, fully equipped head to toe with armor, sickeningly sharp and heavy weapons rampage through a what probably would have been a quiet village. He only let this made-up horror movie of his own last until he put himself in the 'what if' position of a small child sitting on the floor minding his own, waiting for dinner when a large man unfairly exploded through the front door and smashed a spiked mace into his 'father's head. For a moment Alexander's eyes went wide and his wild tales to himself made him jump.
"Men will...lead as they will, unfortunately," Alexander said quietly, and sadly, "I suppose despite troubles with civilians at war with each other, we are in a fortunate enough of a position--and dare I say a powerful one--to be able to encourage and influence a new type of leader, someone we would like to see and do business with. Someone who's not going to destroy a village for game or some despicable, irremissible pleasure.
That man you speak of, he's been spoken with already and won't sit with a mediator? As well as the other side to this? If I can help you claim peace in the land I'll send someone to arrange peace talks once you want them in there. I know it can't be received well as an affair that Santo-Luce should be involved in but in sermons I always preach our gods' words, to have an open mind and open heart to those in need, whoever and wherever they may be. That's why I feel that even if I don't want to, I really should do this. We really should do this. I will."
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Post by Benjamin Kírix-Unda on Oct 3, 2012 19:12:44 GMT -5
"Three people." Benjamin said holding his hand up to the number three, "Those three people have a legitimately strong military."
"One of them, a woman who was but a farmer who began to lead a peasant rebellion when the crops failed and people fell of starvation. The second, the man I spoke of, was an elite soldier in Vuoto's army who preached of war on Crepusculum. When his superiors denied him that war he broke free to form his rebellion."
"The third is mostly unknown to us, all we know is that this person wishes to retain control of the current pro-Sumata government that existed. This person's has the most powerful war-machine and has attacked Undian forces when given a chance, they obviously consider us being there as a declaration of war."
"There are some other small rebellion, but they have mostly vanished or picked sides with the 'big three'."
Benjamin frowned, he didn't really like any of the three. He than added out of frustration, "We could just knock all three out and set up one ourselves if we need to... but that's an incredibly large expansion of military force."
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Post by alexanderthegreat on Oct 3, 2012 21:48:37 GMT -5
'Say something!'
Alexander only nodded when Benjamin listed off the three hands in the 'card game' so to speak, the usually very charismatic man finding nothing useful to say at the moment. Benjamin seemed to know what he was talking about and how he wanted to resolve the issue, though Alexander wasn't sure if he entirely agreed. Even worse was his lack of a better solution to offer the older, clearly more experienced man.
"I...I haven't had much experience with this sort of thing..." Alexander tried to say clearly enough, though realizing as he was saying it sounded incredibly weak and made it come out as more of an audible mumbling, which made a leader even weaker in appearance, "b-but I mean..."
"Don't bumble about, boy! Serious matters are for serious words, not juggling acts with your damn thoughts and confidence!"
In the back of Alexander's mind, he could still hear his father yelling at him in the main study during one of their many practice sessions of everything to do with public speaking.
"Stand tall, get your back straight..." Bradley lightly swatted at Alexander's body to encourage the boy to perfect his posture, Alexander flinching and fidgeting instead.
"Keep eye contact!" the king barked again as Alexander's gaze fell.
"I am looking--"
"Don't. narrow. your. eyes!!"
Alexander clenched his fists together and shook angrily as his father marched to the other end of the room. Hearing a small 'tap', the prince's gaze drifted over to Holmes who stood with fingers lightly on the wooden desk, having 'coincidentally' signalled for the boy's attention. As soon as he had it, he smiled and clenched his fists and tightened his shoulders just as Alexander had done and motioned an inaudible deep breath that, as released, shoulders and hands relaxed. Alexander took it as a silent helping hand and sucked in a slow, deep breath that filled his belly to the brim and as he slowly let it out, his body relaxed with it and he looked back towards his father just as the man turned around to face him.
"Perfect," Bradley complimented with a big smile, "now say what you mean to say."
"...I think that will be something we'll have to figure out after we have a little more information. I know negotiating hasn't been going well, but maybe we'll see if we can convince all parties to sit first before we start thinking of rougher steps."
He didn't want to intrude at all, he wanted to help. He was doing his job right now, in fact.
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Post by Benjamin Kírix-Unda on Oct 3, 2012 22:26:36 GMT -5
"Right, and perhaps as we expand our mission we'll be able to pull them into a talking mood." He suddenly snapped his fingers, sitting up straight in his chair as it appeared his remembered something, "Look at me, what is supposed to be a gathering of pleasantries for you I have unfortunately bombarded you with stressful information best left for another time. Completely out of line!"
He waved his hand at one of the guards who stepped over to a door and opened it up. Out of it came three pretty young ladies, two carrying a tray of food and the other a bottle of wine.
The young lady placed a plate of food down in front of him, three plates actually, one of them was a collection of famous Undian 'ice' berries (grows on the outer islands closer to the south-pole.). The berry was cold when placed in the mouth, but drizzled over it was a honey that was warmed and seasoned perfectly.
The main course was something that could only be found in Santo-Luce and Undian coastal lines , a fitting meal. It was called Kalaísthi̱tos, a shelled fish that could be used in a variety potions, for the soft skin below the shell was said to be of healing attributes. However this was a meal, the shell was peeled back so that the soft underside could be drizzled in the lemon juice and spices that brought the meal to life, the mere smell would make anyone start to salivate.
The wine was Roccian, red, and probably over a thousand years old.
"This wine is supposed to be served to all foreign guests that come to this nation. It was said the Angelo brothers drank from this wine when Unda hosted a worldwide summit, just one week before Unda invaded Guasto."
He held the wine glass up to the light before sipping it, "Pretty astonishing, hm?"
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Post by alexanderthegreat on Oct 4, 2012 10:06:21 GMT -5
Now that he'd gotten him thinking, Alexander wasn't really much in the mood for food at the moment. Though the hospitality that was shown by Benjamin was something that was out to match Santo-Luce, which Alexander oddly admired. He was almost put into a daze as he watched the older, very refined man sip the rich, supremely-aged wine. Benjamin had exquisite taste, something that stirred something in Alexander and he wasn't sure if he should have liked it or not.
Regardless, they were getting along. He couldn't lie that the food presented in front of him was made in such amazing quality. Alexander was a young man who still picked at his meals but could find he would actually give this a go, not just out of kindness and appearance but because the chef clearly knew what they were doing.
He sampled a berry first, as appealing as the wine with Benjamin was (it would be next). The icy berry brightened by a warm pool of sweet honey and citrus spices was a very welcoming feeling in his mouth, he almost wanted to dance with the flavours themselves.
"Astounding, sir," was all he could really say. Simple words but his tone was more than impressed.
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Post by Benjamin Kírix-Unda on Oct 4, 2012 11:44:47 GMT -5
Indeed, Benjamin was no mystery to the finer things in life. Being a distant cousin of the than queen he grew up in a affluent area of Unda, trained as a child in politics and economics to one day serve the queen, he was flourished with fine wine, food and the their social style of life.
That wasn't the lifestyle he had in mind, so he ran away from the life and instead lived one as a farmer on mainland Unda. It appeared despite his best attempts he had been drawn back into this life, but at this point, he wanted to work with the machine that ran the norm.
He sipped the wine... and than did his best to hold it down. "Eh... perhaps after a few hundred years they loose their aging quality. Perhaps it would be better on a salad." He joked before someone removed his wine glass and replaced it with different wine, this time it was a 'better' age.
"So what is it that world leaders usually talk about at a dinner like this?" He questioned, "'Who has the biggest crown'? 'Who has more mistresses'? If so than you might find me lacking conversation in the two."
The meeting was very casual, Benjamin often needed to remind himself that he was still talking with a leader of a country and needed to remain professional.
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Post by alexanderthegreat on Oct 4, 2012 23:07:21 GMT -5
Alexander chuckled at the comments about the wine that had apparently aged quite badly. Alexander had somehow managed to stomach it gracefully, having been forced to do so with several ugly flavours in his lifetime of fancy dinners with boring guests. What made this meeting with Benjamin different--even better, in Alexander's opinion--was the other man just coming into a world-leading role himself and both seemed to share that as a similarity.
"Not necessarily crowns--I rarely wear one anyway," Alexander shrugged as he lightly ran a finger along his own wine glass, "the topic of mistresses tend to come up when it's solely in the company of gentlemen, usually to do with an image they want to keep up. You'll be happy to know I, too, lack any substance for a conversation along that subject.
It really all depends on who you speak to, I guess. Lords want to discuss business and money. Kings like to brag about their children--who's smarter, who's going to be married first, who they will be married to--things like that. When speaking with queens, it's important to consistently flatter them..."
Alexander rambled on for another moment or two before realizing he was doing it and was probably very boring. He only remembered every stupid unwritten rule his father always branded into his head about dinner conversation and how it matters because apparently, somehow, it did.
"Erm...I digress...family is a big subject, though. It says who you are and where you come from, and of course what you give to the world after you pass on I suppose."
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Post by Benjamin Kírix-Unda on Oct 5, 2012 22:28:03 GMT -5
"Eh... sounds incredibly boring." He frowned before putting the wine glass down. He laughed a little bit, "I hate to shake up the way the world works, but no longer does family matter in Unda's politics. I can only represent this country for five years until someone else is elected to my place."
"A security percussion. Power tends to corrupt, an ode to past Undian leadership."
Benjamin paused, mentally going over everything Alexander had told him, something stood out to him. "W-w-whoa, wait a second. A man as young and good looking such as yourself must have a different woman every night. I mean - forgive me for saying, you make Undian women swoon on sight. Surely you have someone?"
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Post by alexanderthegreat on Oct 8, 2012 15:19:25 GMT -5
"Well..."
Alexander took another long sip of wine and briefly felt the same warm, strong hands on his chest accompanied by sweet, tickling kisses gracing his neck and shoulders on the trip to Unda--by a man. It was something Alexander wasn't sure he could quite share yet with Benjamin, having just made a good first impression and being unsure how this oddity would be treated. This wasn't Santo-Luce, and even his own country didn't know of it yet, either.
"...I'm quite aware I could probably have any woman I wanted, whenever I wanted," he spoke confidently, though still quite truthfully as well, "though I guess you could say I'm a little different, my priorities are...different at the moment. Besides, as you said I'm young yet and have plenty of time for that sort of 'sport' I guess you could call it. Right now I think I get more fun out of watching their attraction."
He shrugged then. He was certain regardless of what he had to say he was going to come off as very odd. Alexander wasn't worried, though, it really would only be a matter of time before it was known.
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Post by Benjamin Kírix-Unda on Oct 11, 2012 22:22:24 GMT -5
It didn't strike Benjamin at being odd, as a fact, it simply reinforced how committed of a leader he was.
"When I was seventeen I had sampled women from all around Unda. A fun but truly wasteful point in my life, I was failing at my studies before my parents set me straight. You're a better young man than I was!" He laughed a little bit, "I actually met my wife in the classes I was supposed to be in. Funny how that works...."
His hand traced over to his chest where his wife's ring was hanging by a chain necklace, briefly tracing over the cloths that sat over it he could feel the outline. For a moment it was like holding her hand.
He quickly snapped out of it and looked back at Alexander, "Ah... um, anyway, I'm sure you're eager to move from this topic."
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Post by alexanderthegreat on Oct 11, 2012 23:59:08 GMT -5
'Look at this guy in fancy dress and rich demeanour, actually gone about having women as he apparently pleased. We were both fairly useless in our teens, I'd say he and I have a strikingly lot in common aside from I couldn't bring myself to do anything dirty with the young ladies' Even thinking it to himself Alexander wasn't much proud of himself as a 'man' but at least he scored a million gentleman points, assuming that counted.
Hearing Benjamin talk of his questionable hobbies as a younger man not just surprised Alexander (in that he still couldn't picture Benjamin as professional as he was doing such a thing) but also relaxed him a little more around Benjamin as well, at least enough that he felt it a little appropriate to be able to meet on the same level of colloquialism.
"At least it sounds like you had wonderful parents. I'd like to say I had a very respectable father though unfortunately try as he may he never did sort me out," Alexander spoke lightly, playing with the glass in his hand again. He'd noticed that Benjamin seemed to have an uncomfortable air about him on the topic of women but had no idea why, though with that on the mind Alexander tried to shift the conversation as Benjamin openly suggested without it being overly noticeable.
"Pardon me for bringing it up in this fashion, though his death was what changed everything. I recall not giving a care in the world about enforcing the laws, playing politician, or even showing up for a meeting with the notable lords and ladies of the nation until the very day I became the one who had to do it. Though I guess you can only look forward and never back, otherwise progress is never made, hm?"
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Post by Benjamin Kírix-Unda on Oct 12, 2012 12:57:42 GMT -5
Benjamin had met Alexander's father once. It was a long time ago when he was but a child who was meeting with his cousin, the future queen. He recalled the previous King of Santo-Luce to be a strong man, someone that Benjamin could admired when he was young.
Alexander was nothing like his father. Benjamin thought, Alexander is strong in his own way, he seeks what he wants through the use of his incredible intellect and culture. Alexander is admirable because of the force he presents when he steps into a room, he engages you and makes it easy for a comfortable conversation but makes it clear that there were lines that are not to be crossed.
"I've heard before 'history repeats itself'. But I disagree, why must we be forced to fall into the same mistakes of the past? I don't believe we're in a mold that consistently falls into the same mistakes. Undian people proved that theory wrong when they made a government that they control. They broke that theoretical mold and made their future for themselves."
"Your father was a good man and I think he'd be incredibly proud of you. You aren't a repeat of the past but a creator of the future." He leaned back in his chair and added at the end, "So yeah, I agree, progress can't be made if you're consistently waiting for the past to repeat."
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