broadcast ♔ to hasten the nation towards its destruction

[behindcloseddoors]

♬ annihilation - a perfect circle

[ it's been only a couple of days since the events in Los Angeles, and just as Failboat is heading overseas, and the Section Heads are putting together their plans for a recon mission, a special address from the president of the United States, Donald J. Trump, is announced.

within an hour, he appears, the message going out on TV and internet streams everywhere. ]

By this time, most have heard of the terrible attack happening in Los Angeles right now. There have been a lot of questions, many questions, about what is going on, and what we're doing about it. Believe me, our boys have been on the ground since this has began, some of our best generals, very experienced generals, trying to get a feel for how we can stop this thing and save the people of California. California - beautiful state, LA is a fabulous city - and we will not leave those people to the mercy of whatever evil things are going after them right now.

What we can tell you is that this was an attack on American soil by a powerful Shadowkind, one who is summoning up allies from the other Shadow in our country. Attacks have not been limited to LA. In fact, there have been multiple accounts of violent incidents by these Shadowkind spreading across our country in the months leading up to this. Since the first days of my campaign, I have been pointing out the need to find a way to vet these foreign invaders who appear in our streets, many of them murderers, monsters, armed to the teeth from the second they set foot here.

One thing has been made very clear from all this - these Shadowkind are dangerous. They are not our friends, they are not here to bring peace. We have been infiltrated by enemies from the inside out, by these non-human creatures who have gotten into positions of power in our country, into positions where they can learn valuable intelligence, into positions where they are trusted with our women and children.

That is why as of today, the United States government is declaring a War on Shadowkind. We will be working with our best researchers to find a way to stop the tide of this invasion, and detaining all recognized Shadowkind until they can be evaluated and vetted fully by your government. All Shadowkind are asked to report to their local registration areas, which can be located on the White House website. Failure to report will result in immediate incarceration, and subject to trial.

Now is a time to show our enemies what we are made of and Make America Great Again.

[ with that, he finishes up, to the chaotic mixed reaction of the attendant press. it is announced that there will be no press conference until later that day. ]

Comments

[errantdetective]

[October watches the broadcast. Then, with surprisingly little effort, she casts the disguise spell that blunts her ears and softens the angles of her face until she looks human.

Disguise spells have never come easily to her, but anger's always helped fuel her magic when she needs it. She doesn't need it right now, here in the castle, and she hasn't bothered for a long time since she's been working with the Fae of San Francisco to integrate them with the rest of society, but she sure remembers how.

She's going to go home eventually. And since she has absolutely no intention of registering, she's going to need to go back to hiding.]

[somepagesturn]

[Over the last few years with the Knights, Paige's more temperamental nature has been curbed by discipline and getting a new focus for any of her... negative energy (revenge was, for a short time, surprising more cathartic than people tell you it is). It's not how she expected things to be, but that's how it is. She's turned her mind far from the life of the Tuneservant who brings inspiration and healing through song, and maybe she's forsaken Milil a bit in doing so- she still loves her god, even if he wasn't her family's god, and that harp pin will always remain over her heart where it belongs, but the seal she got in Barovia is always around her neck, too. And it's guided her more these days.

It reminds her that her anger is justified. That she cannot sit idly by when injustice is allowed to continue. She cannot ignore bigotry and cruelty, especially when it comes from a figure who claims they're more powerful. She expected to harbor this anger towards people like Strahd, not fellow humans.

She left the room before the broadcast was over and she's been in the hall quietly fuming that her own country elected such a monster. She continues fuming until finally her temper gets the better of her and she punches the wall.

...with an attack of 2, which means that despite having all the strength of a kitten, she managed to find THE ONE PLACE in the wall that was shoddily repaired from the castle attack and now her hand is stuck.] Oh... Isn't that just perfect? [Her cheeks flush and she glances around to see if anyone saw that.

...Oh hey, Toby.]

[errantdetective]

[Yep Toby sure saw. Not that she can entirely blame Paige. She feels the sentiment. She raises an eyebrow.]

You. Uh. Need a hand?

[So to speak.]

[somepagesturn]

[Paige looks pathetically at her hand in the wall.] I wasn't expecting the wall to be... quite that thin. Someone must've skimped on the repairwork. Um.

[She nods firmly.] Yes. I do. And- and pun acknowledged. I'd laugh, but I think I have splinters between my knuckles.

[errantdetective]

That's fair. It wasn't a very good pun.

[Toby moves forward and with a semi-mighty pull (str 14) yanks her free. She's got all sorts of magic, but sometimes, brute force is what's needed.]

So. What'd the wall do to deserve this?

[beatupgrass]

[Heeey everyone hanging out in that comfy lounge area, guess who brings his guns with him to Gilmore Girls marathons because he's crazy?

IT'S THIS GUY. Anyway, not only did the necessity for everyone to hear Trump's speech interrupt A Year In the Life, which was already turning into a fucking shitshow, it involves ALL THOSE WORDS.

So Rocket is trying to disentangle his (at least safetied) Excaliburs from the couch cushions while yelling:] You want dangerous Shadowkind?! I'll give you dangerous Shadowkind!

[pathology]

Ugh, Rocket, no! [she yells at him but doesn't ... actually try to stop him bc lol no.] That would just make it worse!

[beatupgrass]

The guy don't even look human! [Rocket waves his gun at the TV, which.. again, thank the man who invented safeties. Jesus Christ, Rocket.] If he bleeds orange, it'll prove nobody should be listenin' to him.

[pathology]

Well, people are, because he's rich and had a TV show so people think he's qualified to be president for some reason. [she huffs.] But, but, what I'm trying to say is, if Shadowkind respond with aggression it's just going to make the stupid people who are following him feel safe and justified in killing us or deporting us to the middle of the ocean or whatever he wants to do.

[beatupgrass]

Build a wall somewhere and make us pay for it?

[That is still the dumbest thing he's ever heard, but he lets his guns stay where they are and just sulks.] Well, we definitely ain't goin' nowhere now.

[spinerip]

This orange man...

[Drax squints at the television.]

He is not Shadowkind? What about the creature on his head? That surely isn't from Terra.

[uncareful]

That’s called a combover. It’s incredibly human.

[ Maggie pauses to scowl at the tv screen. ]

Common amongst those asshats who are weak and incredibly small-dicked.

[beatupgrass]

Okay, but it does kinda look like it's alive, don't it? Maybe it's what makes him say stupid shit.

[Maybe Trump isn't even real. Maybe it's all just the little creature living on his head.]

[thrustuponthem]

[Feste throws a shoe at the television, then flips it off. Both with their middle finger and the remote. They're not Shadowkind, but it's the principle of the thing.]

Do I ever not miss the US.

[reallywicked]

This is so fucked up. [Faye pipes up from across the room, finding the nearest seat and flopping into it.] You know he just wanted an excuse to start a fucking war.

[thrustuponthem]

All his talk about how we need a wall, not a veil... [They shake their head.] You know he would have taken any excuse. Just our luck it happened to be something this bad.

[reallywicked]

Lava makes for a pretty compelling argument, I guess. [She sighs and pulls out her phone.] Yeah, it's already fucking everywhere. This is going to be such a mess.

[charismapotion]

[ Mars had been sitting in the bar when the news aired. His drink dropped as he watched and his jaw dropped. With everything else going on in his life this was the last thing he expected. ]


...This is why you don't vote fucking umpalumpa's into office.

[ He ran both hands into his hair ignoring the spilling beer, cursing to himself. ]

[moonheart]

[ faith looks across the room, concern etched in her face ] What is going on in that country?

[charismapotion]

[ Mars having heard her, moves over and sits his drink down before he sat next to her.]

Long story short, a bigot got into office because of a stupid outdated system. He's ruining the country... and my family is still over there.

[moonheart]

Are you still in touch with them?

[refusestofall]

[he's going to watch this "president" and for a moment, wonder if the aliens were doing them a favor back home.

No, no they weren't.]

Yeah, fuck that. Not happening.

[and he will leave the tv lounge because he doesn't want to hear the news opinions on the matter, and head up to the range to go shoot targets.

Shooting things sounds like a good idea at the moment. Maybe they can get some pictures of his face to put on the targets...]

[nonconfrontational]

[Rosario is not American. But she is Mexican. And being that she is Mexican, and was taught to swear by her vibrant, passionate Mexican mother, what follows Trump's announcement is a stream of vulgar language that may have involved shitting on his ancestors and everything he's ever loved, before she shakes her head and walks away.]

Idiota.

[There's a beat when she realizes there is someone there.]

Him, not you.

[refusestofall]

[his eyes are a bit wide, but he's smirking]

I would hope so. I don't know most of what you said but I sure as hell and glad it's not aimed at me.

[nonconfrontational]

[She laughs a bit, before nodding.]

In Mexico, when they teach you how to swear it's with ... a lot of color.