“With that presentation out of the way, I would like to focus on the elephant in the room.” Sarolta said.
“Yeah, like, what is the whole voting system for, anyways?” Izanami asked.
“To decide the severity of the repercussions of those with a poor score.”
“Hehe, so Aurelia's screwed, right?”
“Hey, Sarolta doesn't need to do anything,” Zakiya piped up. “If we weren't here and she woulda said half of that shit to me, I'd be right at her palace's front doors, y'know me.”
“You're gonna be like ‘EXCUUUUUSE MEEEEE~’” Izanami joked with a mock-serious expression, waving her pointer finger around sassily.
“Izanami,” Sarolta said in a stern voice. “You cannot-”
“Like ‘EXCUUUUUUUSE MEEEEE~!’” Izanami continued with a giggle, not paying Sarolta any mind as she kept up her act.
Sarolta slammed her palm onto Izanami's desk, giving her a sharp glare. “You will take this discussion seriously or you will be ejected from this event.”
Izanami flashed a cheeky grin. “Well EXCUUUUUSE MEEEE~!” she responded with the same sassy expression and movements.
Sarolta huffed and pinched the bridge of her nose, her eyes piercing through the kitsune's. “This will be your final warning, Izanami. I have no time for your immature games.”
Izanami shrugged, her grin never fading. “Aw, don't be mad! It's just a li’l satire!”
"Satire?" Sarolta scoffed, clearly unamused. "It's not satire when it belittles and mocks valid concerns about racism and injustice."
"Sarolta, darling, you know you can't stop this fox from playing her tricks," she said, her lips curling into a smirk. “I've never been one to play by the rules or take anything seriously. Besides, if memory serves, black people only make up like 0.02 percent of Ōkuninushi's population. So yeah, we just don't really have racism problems over there, y'know?"
Sarolta's face darkened as she clenched her fists. "That's a disgusting and ignorant thing to say," she said, her voice tight with anger, "Just because Ōkuninushi's population is homogeneous doesn't mean that racism isn't a problem. Racism can happen anywhere, in any culture."
Zakiya leaned forward to pick up where Sarolta left off. "And just because you don't take anything seriously doesn't give you a free pass to belittle and mock the experiences of marginalized communities. Your ‘satire’ isn't funny, it's harmful. It contributes to a culture of racism and white supremacy.” she ended, eyeing Aurelia with a scowl.
Meanwhile, Aurelia sipped her espresso, her expression smug.
"Oh, please," she said, rolling her eyes, "You're all making such a big deal about this. I don't see the problem with a little harmless humor.”
"Harmless humor?" Zakiya repeated, her jaw clenched. "You think it's harmless to make jokes about someone's race and culture? Do you have any idea how offensive that is?”
Aurelia rolled her eyes. “Ahh yes. Let's all feel bad for black people, everyone. As if you're the only ones who suffered hardships.”
With the tensions in the room escalating, Aurelia's latest comment caused a wave of anger and offense from everyone else present. Zakiya's expression darkened as her fists clenched, and even Izanami's usual carefree demeanor vanished for a split second.
“You think this is about pity?” Zuri shot back, her voice sharp. “It's not about that, it's about respect and decency.
“And besides,” Sarolta added. “I will not let you take this discussion somewhere it doesn't need to go. I will now divulge the punishments for those with the lowest scores.”
The room falls silent as all eyes turn to Sarolta. The leaders all wait with trepidation to find out what the consequences are for those who have failed to make the cut. Sarolta clears her throat and looks down at her notes, then looks up to meet the eyes of the other world leaders.
"The lowest scores will result in a variety of fines and sanctions," she begins. "Each nation will have to pay a significant monetary sum, and will be ineligible to receive financial aid or trade privileges for a period of time.”
The stadium filled with mutters and chatter, sharing their mixed opinions. Aurelia, however, is not at all intimidated. She simply snorts and scoffs at the news of potential consequences.
"Fines and sanctions? So in other words, a slap on the wrist and a time-out. Pah. You think that's going to scare me?" Aurelia sneers, adjusting her scarf.
Sarolta is clearly used to dealing with difficult personalities, and doesn't let Aurelia's lack of interest get to her. "Additional penalties include mandatory cultural awareness training and diversity education for your population, as well as regular audits to ensure compliance with the new standards set forth by this meeting," she explains.
"You're going to force my people to sit through those pointless classes and lectures?" Aurelia snorts. "I can't wait to see how well THAT goes over. Not that any of it will matter. These rules are just a bunch of unnecessary bullshit, anyway."
Several leaders exchange a look, knowing that Aurelia's attitude is just making things worse. Sarolta, meanwhile, is growing increasingly frustrated at Aurelia's attitude. She takes a deep breath before speaking again, her tone firm and no-nonsense.
"These rules are not unnecessary, Aurelia. They're necessary for us to start making progress with our global community. Your country and people will have no choice but to comply, regardless of your feelings on the matter.”
“Ha, the head of a huge corporation telling me, a queen, how to lead my nation? This is peak comedy.”
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Sarolta's expression remained stoic as she listened to Aurelia's words, but couldn't help but feel a pang of frustration at the queen's tone.
"I'm not telling you how to lead your nation," she said coolly. "I'm telling you to comply with the rules that have been put in place for the betterment of the global community. This is not a matter of who has more authority, but of what is best for everyone - including your own people."
Zuri nodded in agreement, adding her own thoughts to the conversation. "It's true, Aurelia. Whether you like it or not, you have to follow these rules. It's not just your nation that suffers if you don't comply, it's everyone's."
Izanami's usual carefree demeanor returned as she chimed in, her tone light. "Plus, it'll probably be a laugh riot watching everyone go through those classes and stuff. I just hope they have good snacks at least."
Sarolta huffed at Izanami's comment, but didn't have time to reprimand her before Aurelia spoke up again.
"You think having my people sit through those classes will accomplish anything?" Aurelia scoffed. "It's just a big waste of time and resources. And as for the audits, I don't see why anyone needs to poke their nose into my business."
Sarolta took a deep breath, trying to keep her patience. "The classes will help educate your people on the issue of diversity and inclusion, and the audits will make sure you're actually implementing the changes we've agreed upon."
"And what exactly do you think that will do? Make everyone hold hands and sing songs about how special and unique we all are?" Aurelia sneered. "It's ridiculous, and you know it. My people are already perfectly fine without all these 'diversity' shenanigans."
“I have spoken, and my ultimatum shall be final,” Sarolta shot back with a glare, turning her attention to Xiuying next.
“These rules and setbacks will apply to you too, Xiuying.”
Xiuying bristled, then rolled her eyes. "You think I don't know that?" she said with a scoff. "Do you really think I'm afraid of your rules and sanctions?"
Sarolta's expression darkened at the Heiguonese leader's defiant response. "You would be wise to take these rules seriously, Xiuying," she warned.
“Yeah, you better,” Zakiya chimed.
"And what are you going to do about it, huh?" Xiuying asked, turning to Zakiya with a smirk. "You think your little desert kingdom can intimidate me? You're delusional."
“Try me.”
“Woah, you better watch your mouth there, Zakiya,” Izanami warned with a snicker. “This is Heiguo we're talking about - those guys know Kung-Fu!”
“Woah,” Bianca blurted with wide eyes, letting out a chuckle. “That's SUPER racist! Chill out!”
Izanami waved her hand dismissively and continued, “Call it whatever ya wanna, but Xiuying came here to kick ass and eat rice. And she's all outta rice.”
“Izanami, order,” Sarolta told Izanami with a piercing gaze before turning her attention back to Xiuying.
"I refuse to bow down to this nonsense," Xiuying retorted with a sneer. "My nation is thriving perfectly fine on its own. We don't need your sanctions or penalties. We don't need your 'diversity' talks either,” the leader of Heiguo stated firmly.
Sarolta sighed heavily, her patience wearing thin. "I understand your concerns, Xiuying, but these rules are not negotiable. They are necessary to ensure that all nations are held accountable for their actions and that everyone plays by the same rules.”
Xiuying's eyes flickered with frustration, but she kept her composure. "You may see these rules as necessary, but I see them as an infringement of my nation's sovereignty. We have our own traditions and values that we uphold, and we will not have them disrespected or undermined by you."
“It's not about disrespecting or undermining your beliefs, Xiuying," Sarolta replied in a patient tone. "It's about creating a more equitable global community, where everyone has the same opportunities and rights.”
Xiuying's face remained hard and unyielding, her arms crossed defiantly. "Your vision of a 'more equitable global community' is nothing but an illusion. It's unrealistic. And I will not sacrifice the prosperity of my nation for the sake of some ideals that will never be achievable."
Sarolta's expression turned steely as she tried to keep the conversation on track. "That's not the point, Xiuying. This isn't about idealism, it's about creating a fairer and more inclusive world for everyone. And that starts with all nations and peoples cooperating.”
“Your ideals mean nothing to me,” Xiuying said bluntly. “I take care of my people, and nothing happens in my country without my say-so. You can take your 'rules' and shove them where the sun doesn't shine. I won't be strong-armed into doing something that goes against the way my people live."
Sarolta could feel her frustration growing, but she kept her voice level. "I'm not trying to strong-arm you, Xiuying. I'm trying to have a productive dialogue about how we can work together to create a more inclusive world.”
Xiuying let out a scoff, waving her hand dismissively. "Productive dialogue?" she repeated, rolling her eyes. "What's productive about trying to force everyone to conform to your ideals? Your so-called inclusivity is nothing but a thinly veiled attempt at control."
"You're one to talk, young lady," Helka joined. "Your country has big issues with racism, and colorism especially."
"No it doesn't," Xiuying countered. "My nation is free of racism and discrimination, it is all propaganda from this country and adjacent countries to stir dismay and controversy between my nation and Yushalia, and those of Yushali descent."
"But dear, need I remind you of all the reports of dark-skinned individuals being denied entry into, say, restaurants just because of the color of their skin? Or perhaps evicting and rejecting them hotel rooms, leaving them with no choice but to sleep on the streets?"
The crowd rumbled with upset and disapproval at Helka's revelation, making Helka's smirk widen.
"As I said, it is all propaganda. All foreigners are treated exactly the same in my nation."
"Oh, I wouldn't exactly say that. For example, it's no coincidence that elves generally have positive experiences there, while dark elves face the same problems and struggles that humans of darker skin tones face. Clearly, there's a bias, and skin color is the foundation of that bias."
"And might I add," Bianca joined in. "Plenty of Yushalis who visited or live there reported that there is often blatant and bald-faced racism against Black people, and that skin color influences nearly everything. Basically, as long as you're the 'correct' skin tone, you're not walking around with a target on your back."
"White people face discrimination there too," Xiuying argued.
"Yes, but you're less likely to succeed if you're not white."
"Stop parroting things you've heard from other people. There has been an effort on my part to censor hate speech in online spaces, and warning the populace not to use racist rhetoric. I'm not just a sitting duck who knows nothing of what's going on in my own country."
"That's good," Helka said, her tone tinged with mockery. "But if I may offer some advice, how about Heiguo begins viewing the races of the world like we elves do? After all, we don't differentiate between elves and dark elves. To us, dark elves are simply elves just like us. Not to say we don't acknowledge and celebrate the differences between us, but we don't treat them any differently. Of course you'll have a numbskull elf here and there, but that's every country, and most of the discrimination comes from humans who live in my region. Wouldn't the world be a better place if more people thought like us?"
The crowd wracked with words of agreement and approval, with the attention now turned back on Xiuying for her response.
"I'm not going to budge. Everything is going to stay as is and I won't waste any more time with this non-issue."
“My word is final,” Sarolta shut her down in a cold tone, turning her attention back to the audience.
Sarolta's gaze swept over the room, taking in the expressions of anxiety, uncertainty, frustration, and anger of the other leaders. She took a deep breath, then spoke up again, her voice firm. “Let's move on,” she said, her tone brokering no room for argument.
"We've heard everyone's thoughts on the matter, and it's clear that there's still a lot of resistance and disagreement. However, we can't let that stand in the way of progress. The rules and penalties have been decided, and they are not up for debate.”
Quietness gripped the stadium once more, the leaders all processing Sarolta's words. Even Xiuying, who was still fuming, stayed quiet, not wanting to risk further escalation.
Finally, Sebastian spoke up, his voice controlled but curious. “Miss Sarolta, what about the punishments you mentioned earlier? Can you tell us more about them?”
Sarolta nodded and pulled out a paper with the penalties outlined. "Of course," she said. "The penalties for the lowest scoring nations will be as follows: significant monetary fines, ineligibility for economic aid or trade privileges for a period of time, mandatory cultural awareness training and diversity education for the general public, and regular audits to ensure compliance with the new rules."
She looked up from the paper and met Sebastian's gaze. "Does that answer your question?”
Sebastian nodded, but before he could say anything more, Izanami spoke up.
"Those seem like pretty harsh penalties," she remarked, tapping her fingers against the table.
"But necessary ones," Sarolta replied firmly. "If the rules are not enforced, the issue of racism and colorism will continue to grow and escalate.”
Xiuying, who had been relatively quiet up until that point, suddenly spoke up. “And what if we don’t comply with these penalties?” she asked, her tone challenging. “What happens then?”
Sarolta turned her icy gaze to Xiuying, unflinching. “Then we will take more severe measures,” she said bluntly. “Such as imposing sanctions, cutting off trade entirely, and even military intervention if it proves necessary.”
The threat hung in the air, and the room fell silent once more. Even Xiuying looked taken aback, clearly not expecting such a strong response.
"Make no mistake," Sarolta continued, "these penalties are not just empty threats. We are fully committed to implementing them if necessary."
She looked around the room, her gaze meeting each leader's. "So, let's all make sure we understand the consequences of failing to comply. Understood?”
The leaders exchanged glances, some looking more hesitant than others. But after a moment, they all nodded in agreement. Even Xiuying grudgingly nodded, though her lips were still pursed in defiance.
Sarolta allowed herself a small satisfied smile before speaking again. "Good. Then that concludes this meeting. I have faith that the nations will cooperate and work towards creating a more accepting and inclusive society. It will take time, effort, and patience, but it will be worth it in the end.”
The crowd gave a round of applause as the event concluded, the leaders packing up their things and leaving their designated seats. Sarolta went to a door and headed down a stairwell
…This isn't something that laws and education alone can handle, Sarolta thought. But this shall be the first step. The world WILL change, even if it has to burn a little first.