STRANGE, WHERE WERE YOU WHEN WE STARTED THIS GIG?

[maskormods]

WHO: All diplomatic imPorts that have signed up HERE.
WHERE: The capitals of Mexico, South Korea, and France. UN-attending imPorts will be placed in Davos, Switzerland.
WHEN: January 26th.
WHAT: Democracy in motion as imPorts attempt to use their skills of persuasion to convince each government or organization to lend the imPorts - and America - their help. Players may also use this log to play out the long flight over, planning, and other associated activities.
WARNINGS: None anticipated; let us know if we should change this!



Depending on their assignment, all imPort diplomats will find themselves either in Seoul, South Korea; Mexico City, Mexico; Paris, France; or for UN attending imPorts, Davos in the Swiss Alps. They will be housed in the American Embassies and regardless of their Registration status, will be treated as American citizens. UN-attending imPorts will be housed in a hotel close by. Their accommodations will be that of an extremely luxurious hotel, and they will be provided with anything that they should require, be it books on the art of rhetoric, access to state of the art computers and laptops, food or drink. They will also be provided with boardrooms in which the teams may convene to assemble a strategy. Don't be distracted by the free drinks; this is a task that will require clear minds!

After one night of preparation, on January 26th, each team of imPorts will meet with either the government of their assigned nation or the UN. They will be placed at a podium in front of a room full of politicians and diplomats, and will be expected to state their argument. They will be allowed to have an opening speech before each assembly asks each group three questions.

When either the opening speech has been concluded OR the question has been answered to each player's satisfaction, please put QUESTION NEEDED in the subject title of your comment, and we will deliver the next question.

Just remember: an invasion is coming! Even if acquiring the alliance of these governments and organizations do not help with the imPorts' immediate predicament, it will impact the future of the game at large!

Get ready, our silver-tongued imPorts, and good luck!

Comments

[QUESTION NEEDED] JANUARY 26 | TEAM UN | MITCH + RAINA + JEFF

[viced]

[ After yesterday's evening of speechcraft, planning, and discussion -- the team decided that Mitch would handle the opening statement, and flanked by his two partners, Hundred looks relaxed at the podium. Dark suit, neutral tie, everything about him screams politician -- but the relaxed air almost feels comfortable. Like going home. He doesn't clear his throat, or drink water, he just goes right for it, when they're given the go-ahead to start. ]

Good afternoon, ladies and gentleman. First off, I want to thank each and every one of you for giving us this opportunity to speak with you -- as well as the other groups of imports that you’ll hear from today. We’re, as a whole, a diverse community, as I’m sure you’ve already gathered. Us three alone are a great picture of not just the diversity of our community, but what we’ve been able to offer to the world at large as well. For those of you that don’t know me, I’m Mitchell Hundred -- ambassador to the City of DeChima and part time Civil-Engineer and Architect -- but in my past I’ve also served as the Mayor of both our previous home, the City, the Mayor of New York City in my own world, and I was later the US Ambassador to the UN. My friend Jeff Winger, here, is the host of Winger Man: Lawyer at Large, as well as a Lawyer with his own practice -- a job he’s held in his own world as well. Our other friend is Raina, a brilliant scientist who works in imPort Cellular research, and worked in science and recruiting peoples with superpowers in her world as well.

I wish I could list more of us, bring more here. In our population, we have CEOs, scientists, politicians, students, children -- there’s imports of every race, gender, and creed. We have imports who were raised in worlds where the laws and rules are different, and some pretty close to this one. We can only each offer our own perspectives, and to that end, I can really only talk about my own -- but I will. What I’m asking from you today is for support. I've been where you're sitting now, and I know it’s difficult, to make a choice like that, given the perspective of who we are -- what some of us are -- and I understand that. But we also need to look at what the United Nations is -- and yes, we understand that stepping into the middle of every conflict isn’t how you operate, and I agree that the UN perhaps shouldn’t.

But that doesn’t mean that there are not situations where you can offer guidance and leadership, and maybe even support. We have the United States at our backs, but the rest of the world hasn’t seen us -- that’s why we’re here in front of most of you today. We’re here, because we want to work with you -- the majority of us desperately want to give what we can to the world. We have businesses, scientists, imports everywhere who are trying to make things better, bringing their talents to the world, to make everyone have a better place here. We’re not asking for much in return -- but a human rights violation like this should be addressed. It needs to be addressed. What if someone else tries this in the future with the citizens of another country? Ten, fifteen years down the line, who’s to say that we haven’t spread out -- had families, by then? What if this happens again? What if this moment is the justification that says that the UN won’t do anything? Because people have been kidnapped en-masse, and nothing was done? A war started an escalated, or even if nothing happens from this now, something will later. Every action in the global sphere has a consequence eventually. We’re not asking for troops, we’re asking for support. We don’t need you to start a war for us. We want you to help us, like you did in my world -- in Cyprus, or during the Indo-Pakistani War. Neither of these started a war, but they ended one. Maybe not the larger war itself, but if we can prevent another war from starting, isn’t that important?

Right now the United States is likely looking all over for the missing imports -- people were taken from their beds by a force we can’t find or understand yet. We’re looking for our missing people, but we can’t do it without help, or even just support. We want to help this world, hell, I want to offer everything that I can to make this world a better place. But can’t we be offered safety and security in its stead? Inaction is just as bad as acting too far, I don’t want us to become a failure on the UN’s ledger, but instead a success. We need your help to do this. We ask that you don’t turn a blind eye to acts of aggression -- Article 39 of the UN charter says that the Security council will determine if there’s a threat to the peace -- and how to deal with it. If kidnapping people from their homes, over fifty of them, isn’t a threat to peace, then I’m not sure what is. I’ve seen my own share of human rights violations -- I saw terrorist attacks on American soil -- and stopped one in my own world -- but we aren’t capable of handling this alone. We want to follow the laws and the rules that this world holds for us, but how can we do that when we’re hunted like possessions to be taken, kidnapped and captured without any word to our friends or families? Some of us have families here, others of us are leaders, like myself and the other ambassadors. Will it stop with just this round of kidnapees? What’s happening to our fellow imports? I worry about import threats as much as any native here -- but we don’t know if the people who’ve been taken will come back the same. What if they aren’t? We can only ask what ifs until our friends and companions are returned to us. We can’t predict what’s happening because we don’t know, other than the fact that they do not want to be there. They’ve been allowed to communicate that they aren’t happy where they’re at, and that should say enough, that they should be returned safely. If they aren’t… who’s to say that the next batch of people kidnapped could be from somewhere else -- another population? We may be the first targeted, but that doesn’t mean we’ll be the last, but we could be, with your intervention.

[ He paused, then, a shift, while he considered, before he spoke. ]

We know an import who recently predicted trouble for us -- that our powers would be taken, and they approached me regarding what’s happened to our imports. They told me that we could see people die -- imports would be killed. And no matter whether you die and do or don’t come back -- experiencing that before your time is harrowing, and asking people to go through that, after being held captive? I can’t imagine making that choice right now. [ He leaned forward, slightly, hands open, a slight gesture of plea. ] That’s why we’re asking for your help. Please don’t make us do this alone.

At the end of the day, we want to change the world for the better -- and we know you want to do so too -- and we can do that together, if we stand as a united front, we can be stronger together, and I think that’s what we and you could do together, if you support us now in our time of need. But I know all of you have concerns, and we'd be happy to address them with you all.

[ And then, it was time to wait. ]

[mmnpcs]

[As Mitch speaks, he is faced down by several incisive gazes, sharp and considering, and the room falls into low murmurs as the assembly decides upon what question they should be giving these verbose imPorts. Once they have decided, the room quiets, and one man leans over to speak into his microphone, expression unreadable.]

You speak of ceasing a terrorist attack on your home soil, but it appears to some members of our assembly that several terrorist attacks have occurred on the very soil that houses you. There was one of such attack at the beginning of this very month.

Inaction is inherently political, and we concede to that. What we cannot concede to is the fact that stepping in on behalf of a violent population that has chased after their own desires will not send a message of allegiance to imPorts to the rest of the world -- this world being the one that we serve.

How can you respond to these reservations in the face of a growing, violent community?

[QUESTION NEEDED]

[flowerette]

[ Raina spares a glance toward Mitch, almost as if to ask 'may I?' before she takes the podium. These men (and women) might wear their best poker face and maintain their focus, but they're still human. They still have desires just like the rest of humanity. And Raina makes sure that her every movement is a display of her natural sensuality -- nothing to make it seem as though she's doing this on purpose but enough to draw focus. ]

To echo what Ambassador Hundred said, thank you for receiving us and allowing us this opportunity to speak with you today. As it was already mentioned, I come from a place where powered individuals are a common occurrence. A few of those individuals have even come to this world through our porter, or were here at some point in the past. Businessman and technological genius Tony Stark and Captain Steve Rogers are a few names you may recognize for their contributions. Together, they were part of an incredible group called the Avengers and have gone on to save my version of Earth multiple times. But the issue in my home world and the one you're addressing here is a problem that seems inevitable across all universes. When you have people who consider themselves superheroes, you will unfortunately have some who consider themselves supervillains. And one only has to look at the news reports over the past couple months to know we have a few in our midst.

Their actions, however, do not represent us as a whole. For every Peter Pan or Jonathan Crane, you will have ten or twenty imPorts who wish to do good for this planet. There are many imPorts who regularly volunteer their time to help out with charities, raise money for various causes, or build shelters for those in need. I've, personally, been overseas to Thailand where I assisted in helping to restore crops for the village of Baan Khlong Khoo. [ Thai is her native language and it shows with her pronunciation. ]

And I'm certain I'm not the only one who has extended their reach outside of the United States.

But going back to your concern about violent imPorts and the threat they pose -- in my world, the Avengers were in place to handle these types of atrocities. And in this world, we're at an even larger advantage considering how many powered individuals are here and wish to fight for good. After the attack on August's Swear In, so many of our own banded together to bring Jonathan Crane to justice. It was because of the actions of RISE, a group led by fellow imPort Olivier Armstrong, that Crane was caught and sentenced. And justice wasn't all we focused on. After the attack took place, Ambassador Hundred immediately tightened up security in De Chima. ImPort psychiatrist Doctor Frederick Chilton saw to it that people who suffered from the toxin's effects were given the mental healthcare and treatment they needed. And I, along with a team of other imPort scientists, worked together to come up with an antidote -- something we are still working hard on to this day. If this ever were to happen again, we will be prepared.

There may be a few who reflect negatively upon our population, but we take responsibility and bring them to justice right alongside the United States Government. Where one imPort destroys, we as a whole fix and rebuild. Where one imPort hurts those around us, we as a whole mend and heal. Where we as a whole fail, we learn and improve so that these things do not happen again. Your reservations are justified. As an observer, seeing the damage done by one single imPort can be terrifying. But war is also terrifying. And that is what we, as a collective face should Russia succeed in confiscating and weaponizing our imPorts.

Re: [QUESTION NEEDED]

[mmnpcs]

[The man relinquishes his microphone after Raina speaks, and once again, the members of the UN speak quietly amongst themselves, deciding on what they should ask next. The UN isn't exactly an easy sell, but the atmosphere of the room is generally positive, though from a few furrowed brows in the crowd, there are still a few who desire to have their concerns heard.

A woman takes the podium next, clearing her throat before saying,] It is true that most of the complications that have come from your populations powers have been dealt with internally. Your population is, however, is an extremely small one in the great population of America and you are, as such, an extremely tight knit community. In these communities, many misdeeds are often overlooked because of personal ties.

If the ones most able to contain these imPorts are the ones most likely to be closest to them, a conflict of interest will often arise. Such is the nature of corruption in any small community, although most do not have incredible powers to contend with. How does your community typically deal with such a thing, and what would you do if you were to choose between your duty as peacekeepers, or your personal allegiances?

[QUESTION NEEDED]

[viced]

[ There's a pause, and Mitchell stepped forward again, not necessarily nudging Raina off, but a hand to her elbow, to let her know that he could take this one. And really, of all the people in the world? Who else to talk of ignoring personal ties than him?

It's not even with hesitation, he doesn't drink, he doesn't pause, he just starts speaking. His voice is a touch louder, with a sharp edge of authority to it. ]

I think it goes without question that it's our duty. No matter what our personal allegiances are, I don't think many of us are willing to let someone get away with doing anything that would put other people in danger -- or other entities -- just to make that clear. Most of our metahuman criminals have been subjected to the law of the US Government without question, and had to follow the rules put out by the United States, to comply with their rehabilitation. That doesn't mean that we don't understand --

Don't get me wrong -- we know what conditions we're in. We know that we show up with unknown powers -- something that can corrupt people beyond a shadow of a doubt -- but we have many, many more stepping up time and time again to put a stop to that. Not just myself, as a leader, but other imports -- our superheroes who register with the government and then follow the laws, but do so because they want to do the right thing. My own city, De Chima, was lucky enough to be wired with cameras to make sure we could not only find criminals quickly, but also respond to superhuman threats more quickly -- and when our swear-ins were attacked, we acted quickly to prevent that from happening to further swear-ins with scanners and other methods to watch out for everyone that comes to those events.

Which is just what I've done, personally. I'm only one person, but I'm a politician, with the power to step forward and bring people together to make a difference. Other imports are also doing the same, turning in people who've done something wrong -- and if they don't, there are other imports who will. Saying that we're that tight-knit that not a one of us would be willing to share our concerns is just as inappropriate as saying that any other minority community would conceal or be unwilling to step up against their companions when something goes wrong.

We may all be imports, but we also each individually subscribe to multiple other minority or majority groups. I might be an import, but I'm also a white male, but I was also raised by a single mother after my father was widowed -- that doesn't necessarily mean that I'll be standing up to defend other people in those communities when they've done wrong, and the rest of us also subscribe to the same way of thinking. [ He paused, then, as if finally slowing, the eager push of a politician, who knew what they were really asking, and finally winding around to the point. ]

I think that our track record, not only with handling such incidents, but also with how often we have willingly subjected our friends, co-workers, and fellow imports to the laws of the land makes the case for how often we are willing to put away our personal connections, and how we're much more willing to to the right thing, and turn them in, if needed.

FINAL QUESTION

[mmnpcs]

[It's a good answer. Mitchell likely knows it, and the council certainly does as well; while they mask their reactions to the best of their abilities, there's a certain degree of nodding going on as they meet each other's eyes, assessing these imPorts for themselves.

This time, when they break to speak amongst themselves, the gap is slightly longer than the last. They have, it seems, more to discuss than before. A different man takes the microphone, an elderly man with snow-white hair, but his eyes are sharp and focused, not clouded over with age. He clears his throat before speaking, voice surprisingly forceful and swift.]

It is fortunate that you bring up your duties as a politician in addition to your duties as an imPort. As far as we are aware, all three imPort Ambassadors have departed on diplomatic duties: yourself, Ambassador Revan, and Ambassador Urquhart. We recognize that your duties are not simple ones with a community such as the one you must attend to.

More to the point, we have concerns with your community's consistency. While all communities have, by necessity, some degree of ebb and flow, your community's is unexpected, uncontrollable, and more than that, frequent. Your demands and interests cannot remain static underneath such conditions.

To establish leadership over such a group is not a simple task. To that end, we wish to know what standing you believe the imPort Ambassadors are in in the imPort community. Are your leaders listened to and respected, and if necessary, would they have the ability to mobilize their people? Have they made change for good? This question applies to every Ambassador, not only yourself, Ambassador Hundred.

[He nods towards the other two diplomats.] And please, do not feel that only an Ambassador can answer this question. We wish to know the opinion of the standard citizenry as well.

OOC: You may either respond to this last question and leave it at that, or have your characters come forward to state their conclusion. Either way, this is the last NPC tag you will receive in this thread! After the meeting has been concluded, the imPorts will be thanked for their time, and they will extend an invitation to stay within Switzerland's borders as long as they are legally permitted to.

[viced]

[ There's a smile, there. Nothing too exuberant, but a little self-depreciating. ]

I understand, but thank you for bringing them up, I think with this, we could all say something, even though we all know I'm a talking machine. [ Jokes at his expense were easy, and always appreciated, when you were in politics. ]

Honestly, though, it's interesting that you bring that up. It is a particular facet to our community, the fact that we can change with the wind, as readily as anything else, but there are consistencies. There are people who've been with us since the beginning, since we arrived in this world -- and many of us? Were imports long before we even came here. Myself, I've... been away from home -- excluding one month -- for six and a half years. Some imports have been in the City and then Heropa for nearly seven years.

Those of us who've been around for a while, can certainly see the ebb and flow, but there are consistencies as well -- and repeats, too. Some people show up multiple times, with the same goals, others show up changed, and there are of course the new arrivals constantly flowing in as often as the porter brings them in. Thankfully, I know I, personally, have had a lot of experience at predicting these changes, but I know my fellow ambassadors are also committed to changing for the good of our people.

Now, that being said, as ambassadors, we are -- as I'm familiar with from my time at the UN, and I'm sure each of you are familiar with -- a voice. We can speak, and cajole, and delegate, but from where we are, we cannot actively implement legislation. We've each proposed bills, to benefit our cities, to the City councils, which have had degrees of success. We've each planned swear-in ceremonies, we each do what we must to assist our communities, but also work with the government of the cities that we work for. We have to strike the balance between two diverse communities, which is no easy task, but I feel we have a great trio of people who've devoted their lives to public service.

And I think we're respected, on both fronts, for what we work to accomplish. I know that our efforts have not gone unnoticed, and our cities have improved, because of the measures we've taken.

[ He then turned, to step aside, and let either Raina or Jeff take up next. ]

[flowerette]

[ Standard citizenry. That statement just grated on Raina's nerves. So as soon as Mitch stepped back, Raina was the one to walk forward. Mitch had done so well as a politician to bolster up the three ambassadors and here came Raina to rain on that parade... ]

To echo what Ambassador Hundred said, there is a great deal more consistency in our community than it may seem. Many people since I've arrived have celebrated a year in this world. Come April, it will be my anniversary along with Mr. Winger's as we both arrived around the same time. It doesn't compare to Ambassador Hundred's seven year span, but nine months in this world is enough time to see that less and less people are being ported out permanently and instead our numbers are on the rise every month when the porter activates. This has provided us with several new faces on top of a core base. And it is the core who have helped the new arrivals integrate and understand this world.

Now, as for the ambassadors themselves and their role in the community -- I'm not certain if you are aware, but I, myself, ran for ambassador of Nonah when Ambassador Gamagori was sent home. Ever since I came to this world, I had wanted the opportunity to be a voice for the people like me and to impact the world in a positive manner. I believe the role of the ambassadors is to bridge the gap between imPort and native population in each of their respective cities -- to integrate our communities and to have a positive impact on their country at large. For example, there are problems we could fix very easily with a few volunteers and our powers. Building and sustaining homeless shelters, for instance, would be a simple matter in any of these places. Using our powers of healing, would also benefit not only this country but the world at large. And it is the ambassadors' jobs to promote the ways we can help and make positive changes as well as to protect their communities.

I believe Ambassador Hundred and Ambassador Revan are absolutely the right choices for their jobs. They understand what it is to not only lead and speak for their people, but they know what it is to listen. And that becomes the biggest importance when you are representing the imPort community. After my close race against Ambassador Urquhart, I had a conversation with him where he brushed my ideas under the rug and refused to even understand my point of view. And I am not the only imPort who has had this experience with the man. If you cannot listen to your people, then you cannot lead them. To that end, the ambassador system is not without its flaws.

And once they're voted in, I don't believe there's a set time limit on the duration of their run -- no opportunity for a re-election. This simply seems to be the way it is, and probably will continue to be unless us imPorts speak out about our displeasure. But in the cases of imPorts who are doing incredible things for this world...that is fine. I feel confident having Ambassador Hundred in charge, knowing his lengthy history and his unlikelihood to be ported out. I feel confident in Ambassador Revan, who has been here for quite some time as well and proven he has the means to protect the citizens of Maurtia Falls. I do not feel confident in Ambassador Urquhart, believing his manner with people will be more hurtful than helpful in the long run. Considering there are so few of us, the voices we need are the right ones. I may not have been the right voice for the job in Nonah either, but there could come a time when someone may port in who is. And without a steady election system, we are forced to keep the choices other imPorts, who may not even be in this world any longer, have made.

But these are simply my opinions as a member of the standard citizenry. I live in Heropa and we are, unfortunately, without an ambassador. I believe this should change as well. We aren't the largest city, but our imPort population is the largest. Who becomes our voice, then? It seems to be a lot of us shouting into the dark or taking our concerns to the other imPort ambassadors from cities apart from our own.

I don't wish to come across as ungrateful for all of their hard work. They have taken on a monumental task -- all three of them have. And that deserves respect. But I'm afraid I cannot and will not lie to you all when it comes to the things with which I am dissatisfied. I cannot pretend the entire system is perfect when it's not.

[ She wasn't an ambassador, so she had nothing to lose in speaking her mind. A glance spared toward Jeff afterward -- Raina stepped back to allow him the chance to talk. ]