Is This The People?
More days passed. Fox's tour continued, and his rallies only grew larger and larger. From state to state, he went from Proteros to the west, covering every state before doing the same with the east. This left only one state remaining for the last 28th day of the month, Lymaospasó.
In this early morning, where the moon was as bright as ever with the sky still somewhat dark, Fox sprung up to his feet and had been preparing to go out. With his uniform on, he walked out of the bathroom and returned to his ‘room’, a sofa.
Nala Loba was in the living room, wearing full-on thighs and a skirt over her ‘suit’ bermudas. She wore the jacket, but with that change to her appearance, although comical… it evoked interest.
“Ready? You’re returning to Proteros after this, ‘polie party president’.” Nala Loba said, holding his tie up with her hand. Fox walked to her, wagged his tail, and mentally sat down in front of her. Nala Loba lifted her arms and reached around his neck to put it on him. Meanwhile, Fox spoke, “I don’t feel much, but I am ready. This one should take a while.”
“Yes, that’s why it’s scheduled 3 hours earlier on than any other. Also, the governor will attend, so give your best face and show me off a few times. You don’t have to laugh, they’ll do that part if you do it well.” Nala Loba said without an ounce of shame in her voice or on her visage.
“Mm,” Fox hummed a bit, looking down at her face as she finished putting his tie. Then, Nala Loba looked down at his body. After an awkward silence, she looked up. “Why didn’t you put your suit on?”
“You only noticed?” Fox asked, almost smiling. Nala Loba tilted her head a bit, “Why did you come to me if you weren’t dressed then?”
“You beckoned me. Do you only see my face? You never take a look at my body?” Fox questioned, feigning being offended. Nala Loba looked at him wordlessly, shaking her head.
Fox wordlessly pulled his shirt up, showing his abs and pelvis, especially a good part of a V shape. She looked down immediately, not moving her head away. Only when Fox dropped his shirt did she looked back up at him with not a change in her expression or eyes.
“…” - “…” Fox and Nala Loba looked at each other in silence before she tilted her head all the way to the other side, “What?”
Fox blinked before blowing air from his nostrils, calm and prolonged. Nala Loba went to the bathroom but came out holding nothing. Then, she went to the bedroom and grabbed his suit before starting dressing him.
Before, she was… just okay at taking his suit off, just like anyone would to themselves. But now, after several days, Nala Loba was concise and quick, an expert in Fox-undressing. Naturally, learning first the reverse engineering, she was quick to learn how to dress him.
In 2 short minutes, after placing his belt around his waist and clicking it as many times as it needed, she dressed Fox up and nodded at her work well done. Patting his shoulders, she lightly pulled his tie a few times before turning to the door, “Let’s go.”
… After a trip 1 hour into the heart of the state capital city of Lymaospasó, Fox commenced his rally with well over 30,000 people attending.
The south had the least population concentration in each state, but they had the largest state in their ‘group’. Lymaospasó was the greatest contributor in natural resources to the entirety of Lýmoca, a place that had been abandoned for decades and decades of government terms.
For this rally, Fox was sent a few experts and people from Lymaospasó in the government, who were more than glad to have their birthstate gain the president’s eye. Everyone knows he is to be disliked, but he did some programs that were put in motion and worked, although they had many difficulties, which started to be seen as politically targeted.
Regardless, after the introduction and a bit of his story, telling the reincorporation he experienced to civilization as a Ly, finishing his abbreviated story, Fox let the people sent by Luis talk. They spoke of the history of Lymaospasó, of how it became the place where the tribes in the early AO fought for over 200 years to take control of, where countless warriors died and served as its fertilizer.
Even when Proteros and what is nowadays Lydsetl, Lydnígo, Coalely, Pretetl, and Túacan were the centralized growth of a tribe made of tribes, Lymaospasó was like a mine of gold. It was so abundant that even the weakest, smallest tribes gave their lives to have a piece of.
Naturally, through endless hardships of losses and defeats, the Ly tribes were finally victorious. Lymaospasó became a long-distance state that connected to the Lys through a route, which later on became the foundation to expand. But that was deep history, from the profound records of the world in this little part of it.
It also became a source of most desire for the Dawn and Twilight supercontinents, and from the tribes north and south of nowadays Lýmoca. But by then, Lys had the vision of an empire, whereas they would need a lot of naval power, and thus, their fleets were beginning to be known across the world.
The people stopped their small history connotations and spoke to either the Lys of Lymaospasó or to their own people with care and courage, showing them a future was possible and concluding their part in the rally. Fox then took over.
He stood behind the podium with Nala Loba just 3 meters behind him, looking at the sky as the crowd looked at her, glorifying her as a beauty goddess and the greatest tomboy in existence. Used to this notion, Nala Loba was unperturbed, while Fox started.
“To finish this reunion— of people and nature,” Fox looked up to gesture with his polycoria eyes, a little bit of charm wasn’t bad. “Let me speak of the Lymaospasó that deserves to be seen in the future, that will no longer face the ignorant ‘other side’ of the government. It isn’t a spoiled child, or an unloved one. It is its people, and Lýmoca has always had it in its heart.”
“Be it when the Lýlaco Empire fell, or much earlier on when the ‘almost’ civil wars broke out before the Sanctum Order, in the late Aforesanctum Order, its people always remained steady on their feet. It always welcomed the natural disasters and the invasions of anyone who thought they could settle their feet at least on our shores, on these resilient lands.”
“No matter what the case was, as long as the Lys, and its land, were unprotected— the heart of the land with their blood falling their feet deep into it was backed by the people of Lymaospasó. It never once showed separatism, even when other states near it did.”
“More than 2,000 years of history, and Lymaospasó has always been Lys’,” Fox paused a bit. The crowd cheered, but how could they not? This was a talk never before heard. Not this open, and definitively not in an event like this. After they eased down a bit, Fox continued. “It will remain to be Lys’.”
The crowd cheered again, affected by the small pause and the reconfirmation of such simple wording, but Fox didn’t stop this time. He didn’t raise his voice, though, be it in emotion or volume. “Next year, next elections… It doesn’t matter what the other side thinks. As long as National Front receives the majority of Lýmoca, of its people! The south will never again be shown the blunt ignorance of the olies, and their piece of Lýmoca will thrive to historic levels!”
Nevertheless, the intonation and gestures, like rising a fist into the air, were more than enough to make up for the lack of superficial elevation in his speech. Fox had the crowd cheer, louder and longer than before, with more emotion and sensation than ever in his tour.
For once, he felt found. Not as politics being his unearthed vocation, or desiring the love of the people in correspondence to his actions and accomplishments. It was in the heart they showed as they were… just reminded where they came from, and why they shouldn't feel excluded and ignored by their rulers; their own people.
It was this hidden… love that turned him a little silly on the spot. When the crowd calmed down, Fox also sobered up. He looked around the crowd. There were smiles, expectant and involuntary, all over the crowd, with so many excited faces. Nodding at them, he looked down and held some meaningless documents, tapping them on the podium. “Let the questions begin.”
Fox answered a few repeated questions, briefly explaining them with patience before finding an interesting topic from an honest guy wearing a fisher hat and thick, square glasses. “Mr. Fox, ah- sorry, ahem. Fox, this is the last day of the tour you’re running for the current president’s campaign for his 2nd re-election, 3rd term. From your feet standing here before us, above our ground, did finding the ‘truth’ of a tiny portion of Lýmoca’s ugliness determine you to do this?”
“Ah, that…” Fox looked at the man and fell a bit pensive, looking around at the tall trees a bit before back down at the man. “I did. My time at Preut’s civil war was more military than anything, but every refugee citizens I saw, including those near the military, were distraught. Most didn’t believe they were still ignored like they were. After all, they were all human.”
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Paused silence permeated the area, except for Fox’s voice. “I saw many kids my age, or my age when everything started, recruited into the military. Most of them were voluntary, and I also found not a small part of them being younger than all that.”
His words left a ghastly frown and understanding in their furrowing eyebrows. Fox didn’t seek pity, so he followed with, “Seeing the food there was already bad. I saw things like cannibalism as a simple possibility. Fabrics could make clothes and better spaces to avoid infections, plagues, and illnesses. As for medicine…”
Fox’s sudden quietness gained extra attention. Involuntarily so, he gained momentum. When he blinked and looked ahead after blinking, he looked striking. “In this day, how can such things be so troublesome? The lack of medicine was half the killer of those soldiers who fought without any other alternative. Just because their leaders thought differently.”
“You?” Fox nodded at the man before pointing at another person. This was a slightly looking old man, probably between 110 and 120 years old and well taken care of. His voice was gasps and wheezes, “Fox, are you preparing to take a post in the government? While you have a ‘notorious’ background and recent, past history— have you considered it?”
“I… will not,” Fox felt a bit curious answering that, dragging his ‘I’. He still said before slightly nodding at the old man. The old man licked and moved his old lips and pressed, “Why wouldn’t you want to try, Fox? If it’s a question of property and support, you have it. Does the 30,000 people here not show it? Then how about the 500,000 who have been watching this?”
Fox opened his eyes wide, his eyebrows jumping. There was some friendly-mocking cheering going on as he turned to look at someone. Nala Loba was looking at him already, which Fox didn’t know since when. With a smile, he returned his face to the crowd and said, “I don’t think they are watching me, old man.”
“Hahahahaha…” The crowd couldn’t help but laugh a bit. The old man smiled somewhat, restraining his mouth before shaking his head. “While I do… admit she is… more than half the reason so many people are watching this live…”
More laughing echoed, more friendly this time. The old man added, looking at Fox with some struggling, “Everyone here, and watching from afar… are listening to you.”
“…” Fox blinked, therefore remaining silent for a while, looking at the old man. The latter smiled, giving the microphone back to a staff member before standing there with expectant, old eyes. After a while, Fox inadvertently smiled, having no choice but to speak in denial after looking at the ambiguously curious faces of the crowd.
“Humor them.” Just then, he heard Nala Loba’s whisper, where only he could hear her. To the others, she looked like she moved her lips and her tongue inside her mouth. His head startled, jolting for an instance before spitting words from his already opened lips. “I make no promises.”
The crowd became loud and spirited when hearing just that, helplessly interrupting Fox. A bit later, he pressed on, clarifying it. “Because I am not interested. But if there is a need for something as barbaric as that, it may or not happen. Not up to me.”
CHEEEEEEEERS!
The crowd only followed with some casual ‘celebration’ before the questioning resumed. While they were still calming down, the fuckers, Fox looked back at Nala Loba, who unnoticeably nodded at him.
The questions continued for an hour and a half, with Fox giving some extensive answers and speaking a bit more in favor of Luis’s plans and future programs for Lymaospasó alone. Adding the correlation of other programs with Lymaospasó’s was the cherry at the top.
… Walking out of the stage, and returning to the route to head back to their hotel, Fox walked and passed by a music band with drums, trumpets, and other smaller wind instruments, along a few string ones. He didn’t know much about them, nor the music they played, but ever since he first nodded and tilted at one in another state, people like this always show up.
He walked with Nala Loba to the parking lot after walking through the people without fear, something the other candidates around the country didn’t do.
Of course, they also didn’t take their stage in open spaces, but small, private spaces in some restaurants or malls.
Walking closer to the parking lot, the gates to it and the road just there, open, Fox felt Nala Loba tap her fingers on the fatness of his right hand, hugging his arm. Feeling the signal, he turned his head down at her, looking a bit ‘needy’ of her affection, but she looked up at him with her face resting.
“You were pretty nice this time. It was… well, you seemed like a Ly.” She spoke, her eyes narrowing a little. Fox tilted his head, a bit surprised, and stopped walking. Nala Loba added, “Many Lys don’t even talk of their history, and when they do, they act like it’s a distant tale.”
“Yes, you didn’t seem like a Ly before. But it’s your fault, always so… lost in nowhere. But back there? You looked like a leader more than ever. I bet more than anytime you led a small team, or something a little bigger.” She kept hugging his arm. Fox looked down at her nose before asking, “I never thought you so patriotic. Why do I see this side now?”
Without noticing, Fox lifted his left hand and caressed her face with his fingertips, moving her golden blonde hair strands behind her ear and back to her sides. Nala Loba blinked, her eyes narrowing a bit more as she leaned her chin on his arm. He might have not noticed, but Nala Loba did. Her long, also golden blonde eyelashes fluttered with his every touch. But just then…
Wee woooo weeee wooooo weeeeeee wooooooo…!
Out of nowhere, both their faces changed, turning to the open gates. The vehicles they heard, all driving here a bit too many than the usual, started sounding sirens everywhere. They increased in number every second. It was unnoticeable by eye and ear, but the two immediately reacted.
Fox frowned, putting Nala Loba a bit behind him without having to push her back. He walked 2 steps forwards, when the sounds and yellow lights from afar began to be seen, obvious and fast-approaching.
The crowd wasn’t far from them. They noticed this and the sirens’ sounds as the music band abruptly ceased. They walked over, watching as SPD trucks barged into the protected natural zone from the road. Not only that, but they blocked the exit and bolted out with their small submachine guns, all heading to Fox’s direction.
It was unknown who started it, probably more than one in the same second or various, but the crowd walked towards Fox’s back.
“Stop! Phesx Caolia, you are under arrest under investigation for inhumane crimes against the State of Lýmoca! Drop to the ground with your hands on your back!” The SPD police wore their specialized uniforms of obscure blue with light vests for direct confrontations with the organized crime, pointing their weapons at him as one of them spoke out. It was a man a few rows of state police officers and units away from him.
Fox said absolutely nothing, nor did he move. Nala Loba even seemed calm, while the people behind Fox reasonably hesitated and stopped behind him. Fox looked at the SPD police and blinked. “And you are?”
“Get to the ground or we’ll shoot! You there, don’t move any closer! You will be seen as colluding with a wanted criminal if you come any closer! Back off! Back off! Back off!!” The man shouted again, this time staring at the crowd, addressing them fiercely.
Instead of listening, it served as the catalyst to resume their walking. The crowd stepped forth, with Nala Loba standing beside him as the flood of civilians looked at the SPD who came here out of nowhere, straight out without invitation.
“Why’re you here?!” - “Hey! What do you think you’re doing!” - “This is a protected zone! You cannot come in with vehicles! Stop blocking the way! We’ll denounce you!” - “The governor is here! How dare you point your guns at her?! You will be behind bars for this, bastards!”
The crowd continued quarreling with the stagnant SPD one-sided. The situation wasn’t changing, and Fox looked at the man who liked to yell from behind lines and lines of SPD police without a word. Noticing their situation, the man in charge, who looked a lot like a state police captain, stepped out of his elements’ lines and looked at the crowd with sweat around his face.
“Okay, okay! Listen here,” the police captain gestured a stop to the crowd with his hands, while his elements didn’t lower their small submachine guns, before pointing at Fox. “This man… This kid has been investigated by the Supreme Court Justice. He’s to attend a trial for his crimes.”
The crowd frowned, listening with newly given attention. Some SPD elements walked over towards Fox, all motioning to surround him but still a few tens of meters away.
“You have no right to take action from the Supreme Court Justice’s words. They have no jurisdiction to order any police force to capture a denounced civilian. You can’t take anyone from here, not legally.” Nala Loba stepped up and said. Her voice elevated the tension and image of her being. Naturally, there were who knew how many cellphones recording everything that captured this.
Fox looked at the man, who suddenly fell into thought. The state police captain stepped backwards and gave the crowd a few fleeting glances. When he returned to his elements’ frontline, they advanced a little before kneeling, scaring the crowd in disbelief.
“This is our last warning!” The man shouted from his desired safe spot. “Phesx Caolia, lie down and peacefully accept your crimes. You will be brought before the Supreme Court Justice to be judged accordingly. Yield to your own actions! We’ll take you with us anyway!”
Vroom vroom vroom vroom!!
The road stormed off with engines again, this time suddenly and faster than the SPD vehicles. A few motorcycles went ahead of the rest, driving between the SPD vehicles’ blockade. Some SPD elements at the back took their handguns out of their holsters, almost shooting but stopping when seeing the newcomers had helmets.
Furthermore, they had the white-gray national guard outfit and colors. They also carried top-notch firearms. The motorcycles stopped somewhat in the middle of the blockade, their riders and passengers stepping away before walking towards the epicenter of the situation.
They needed not to announce who they were with trucks, armored even, rushing here with the same number and lethality of weaponry that these motorcyclist national guard elements carried. A man walked ahead of the rest, announcing his intention with his rifle aiming low, following his swinging arm as he stomped towards the state police captain.
“Eh? You… oh, haha! I didn’t see you in the middle, ayayay!” The NG official paused beside the polie captain like he just saw the latter. Stopping with his upper body leaning forwards by inertia, he grabbed the captain’s shoulder before wordlessly pointing at the gate with a smile. Only the captain could see his face through the visor. “Hahaha, what a coincidence. I just came because some little boys were reporting trucks getting into protected natural zones.”
“We usually don’t give those calls attention, but since a rally with the governor was just happening nearby, we checked it out. What are you doing here? Is the chief of police here? He came to an important event, I must greet him.” The NG official crossed his arms and dropped his face, “He always requests backup everywhere to ensure Lymaospasó’s criminal activity remains the lowest in the nation.”
“…” It wasn’t only the captain, every SPD police officer, unit, and sergeant were taken aback. The other NG trucks arrived, showing their personnel walking out of them with ease, lazy even. The NG elements nudged their heads upwards at the police, some knowing each other, and the SPD looking at their top-notch military firearms nervously.
Will they really do ‘that’? Even now?
…