genessia | Sixteenth Reel: Polling the Masses [Video]

[The video comes on, and it's Grell, sitting in an office like space for a change with red walls and soft lighting. It shows her black desk, which is surprisingly organized despite the piles of paper stacked on it. Each pile was neat, which one side being stacked high, while the other much lower. A copy of the latest edition of the newspaper is also on her desk, opened to a certain article that has her attention.]

Good evening. Here in Everglade, voting will soon commence on an important law, which, strangely enough, is up for debate. The Indecent Exposure law. It's something that isn't enforced here, and there haven't been many instances of trouble regarding it, because it isn't a law. Yet.

[Grell gives pause to tap her chin in thought, looking to the side.]

I suppose by bringing it to light that they may increase... [OOPS]

[Waves a hand in a gentle, haphazard way.] Nevertheless, while the vote is limited to Everglade residents, it would be interesting to know your views on this issue. There is a Pro-Natural and Pro-Clothes movement slowly gaining foot, something of a sight for me to see. No one from my time period would ever show an ankle! [Thinking back on it makes her shake her head a bit in amusement.] Except one...

[Very much talking about Ronald.]

I'm very much Pro-Clothes, not because I run a lingerie store, but because I don't want to see anyone's nasty bits but my husband's. [Shrugs] Simple.

[She reaches over to turn off the feed, but pulls back suddenly.] Oh! And while I have your attention, what are we to do, exactly with these...Pokemon? They have extraordinary abilities, yet they're rather cute. Do people keep them as pets or battle companions, or both?

[Okay, now she's turning off the feed.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I still can't believe this is even an issue. Is casually discussing ridiculous things like this on an open forum your idea of political transparency?

[ If he looked completely done before the conversation even started it was probably because that's exactly how he felt. ]

We have to start somewhere, Ozzie. Why not this?

Once the vote is cast, we can put it behind us and move onto other things.

[She has a few ideas he might want to help promote. Some good and some shady.]

It could have started somewhere a bit more tactful. But... you know best, I suppose. [ Not that he actually thought that, but. Y'know. ] Other things that are of much more relevance to our mutual goals, I hope.

I was thinking that a medical exchange program could be initiated. We send some of our doctors and healers to other cities to learn different healing methods and health practices to bring back, and other cities send theirs to ours.

Another idea, more in relation to the next election, would be for deputy elections in Everglade to be implemented. [Surely he'll be surprised by that suggestion.] Now, hear me out. What better way to guarantee that citizens get their voice heard than by electing deputies of their choosing to work with the guardian, and also act as a check and balance?

[She pauses to look for her notebook on her desk, which was buried underneath some papers. Once she finds it, she flips through some pages. It seems as if she missed one more point.]

Ah, yes. We need to look into these Children of Elo. [She places the notebook down and sighs.] These attacks...they're random to us, but they reek of something more. A ritual, perhaps...or revenge, since all the victims were business owners. Local ones at that.

[She's starting to suspect the latter than the former...]

[ Much better. These were things worth talking about. ]

I see no deterrent from making such a proposal. If any of the other cities were to reject it, it would come across as extremely poor manners on their part. There's no outcome where we look bad. We would be reaching out a hand of cooperation, after all. [ ... and with a bit of luck and finagling he may just be able to get Ed involved in the project. Anything they could find out ahead of anyone else would be a major advantage.

Grell was right, however, about him being somewhat surprised by her following proposal. It was risky, that was certain. The people don't always know what's best for them. But, again, much like the medical exchange program it would gain Everglade some much needed trust. Trust could be used as leverage. Leverage was never bad to have. ]

I have to be honest with you, I didn't expect such a suggestion. [ He smiled politely. ] Though I do believe in the democratic process, I do worry about the possibility of an unfit individual being elected. I imagine we would put a careful selection of stipulations into play to avoid such an issue...? [ He trailed off on purpose. Giving a suggestion but making it sound like a question can sometimes be a useful strategy. ]

Them. [ There was a hint of his previous annoyance in the sigh he let out when she finally continued. ] I'm under a similar impression. I'm not unfamiliar with these situations. Gotham City was never lacking in business related crime. My suspicion is either that it is indeed some type of specified revenge or it's a distraction for something greater.

I'm glad you like the ideas. [It would certainly go much more smoothly if Oawald was on board.] Would you be able to smooth things over and make them official? I'd like to get both the medical exchange and deputy guardian elections instated as soon as possible, particularly the latter. Elections are very soon.

As for stipulations... [Oswald is right. There definitely needs to be some ground rules. Grell taps a finger on the table lightly in thought.] I think voting should be limited to residents of the city they're running in. It would make little sense for other cities to have a vote on something that won't concern them directly, unlike City Guardian elections. Candidate should also have no criminal record in the city they wish to run in, and not have any records in two cities or more. And, naturally, they should be an adult. Anything else?

[She's drawing a blank on what else to stipulate.

There is a sigh along with his as she folds her arms across her chest.] It may be all of the above. It wouldn't be far fetched. But we may need someone to go undercover or assign myself a group to specifically track them down with the clues they've left.

Sixteenth Reel: Polling the Masses [Video]

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