Premier Daniel Andrews has announced a special taskforce of 500 police to enforce a shutdown of pubs, clubs and other venues and restrictions on social gatherings.

Key points:

• The Premier said Victorians had been "acting selfishly" by flouting social distancing rules
• Teachers are planning online learning for if schools close for term two, after the term one was brought to a close early
• Police will conduct spot checks to ensure people are complying with the shutdown

It comes as Victoria recorded another 59 cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, bringing the state's total to 355.
The announcement follows the Prime Minister's declaration yesterday that venues across the country would have to close from midday today to curb the spread of coronavirus.
While the National Cabinet agreed on the shutdown together, it was up to the individual states and territories to put the measures into law.
The "stage one" shutdown in Victoria includes pubs, clubs, nightclubs, Crown Casino, gyms, indoor sporting venues, places of worship, cinemas and entertainment venues.
Restaurants and cafes will only be allowed to provide home delivery or takeaway services. Bottleshops can remain open.
Mr Andrews told ABC Radio Melbourne any business not on the list could stay open, as long as it adhered to social-distancing measures such as ensuring there is 4 square metres for each person on the premises.
Indoor gatherings are still limited to fewer than 100 people.
Mr Andrews said many Victorians had been "acting selfishly" by ignoring social-distancing rules, and warned "people will die" if the measures were not followed.
He told ABC Radio Melbourne stricter measures were likely to be enforced after the next National Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

What must close in Victoria:

• Pubs, clubs, hotels, bars and nightclubs that supply alcohol under a general licence (but bottleshops, takeaway meals and accommodation can continue)
• Gyms
• Indoor sporting centres
• Casinos
• "A cinema, nightclub or entertainment venue of any kind"
• Restaurants and cafes (but takeaways and deliveries can continue)
• Places of worship (but weddings and funerals can continue)

The Premier flagged a shutdown of "non-essential" services yesterday afternoon, ahead of a meeting of the National Cabinet last night.
He today denied suggestions his statement on Sunday caused confusion and panic, saying "this is not static. This is moving fast".
Mr Andrews acknowledged it was "frustrating and challenging" that the advice was changing.
"But it's nowhere near as challenging as people doing the wrong thing, and then we have 10,000 people who can only survive if they have a machine to help them breathe and we don't have enough machines and doctors to get that done."

Schools prepare for online learning in case of shutdown

Mr Andrews yesterday announced the school term would end at the end of the school day today, rather than at the end of the week as originally scheduled.
The National Cabinet last night agreed to keep schools open across the country.
"Term two is scheduled to begin on April 14, unless I have medical advice not to proceed with term two," Mr Andrews said this morning.
But he said: "I'm not making that announcement today."
Tuesday will be a pupil-free day for teachers to plan for online learning in the event schools need to remain closed beyond the school holidays.
Childcare centres and kindergartens are deemed essential services under the shutdown measures.
"But this is step one. There will be further announcements to be made," Mr Andrews said.

Police able to fine, detain, arrest

Police and authorised officers will also be enforcing a mandatory self-isolation period for anyone entering Victoria from overseas.
Under Victoria's state of emergency legislation, those breaking the rules face fines of nearly $20,000 for individuals and nearly $100,000 for businesses.
Mr Andrews warned the closure of pubs was not an invitation to have large gatherings at home.
He said last week, one person at a dinner party had coronavirus and by the end of the evening almost everyone had contracted the virus.

"This spreads rapidly. If you act selfishly people will die," he said.

"Many people are doing the right thing and I'm grateful to them."
Mr Andrews said it was people's "civic duty" to distance themselves from others.
He told ABC Radio Melbourne that the Government was arranging temporary accommodation for people experiencing an escalation in domestic violence because they were forced to stay at home
Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville said police saw "quite a number of breaches in relation to indoor gatherings" over the weekend.
"We are upping the ante … this is such a significant issue in terms of people's lives, Victoria Police will have a dedicated team tasked with doing those spot checks and making sure people are following the rules in terms of social gatherings," she said.
"Police have the power to fine you, arrest you, detain you and they will use those powers where needed in the interest of community safety."
Mr Andrews said nobody had been fined or charged for disobeying the self-isolation rules.

Supermarkets, shopping centres stay open

Under the stage one shutdown, shopping centres can remain open.
Chadstone Shopping Centre in Melbourne's east, which is the largest complex in Australia, said only 10 stores out of more than 550 had closed on Monday morning.
"Our centres continue to trade as normal. The Federal Government has made it clear shopping centres continue to provide an essential service to our community," a spokesman said in a statement.
The shutdown is in place until midnight on April 13, but Mr Andrews said it was "highly likely" it would be extended beyond that.
The Government yesterday announced emergency relief packages would be provided to those in self-isolation.
On Friday, the Victorian Farmers Federation said the state had "plenty of food" and told those who were panic-buying to "settle your farm".
Full article from ABC news

Hello everyone. I’ve been wanting to make this post for a while
A little more than a month ago I was able to visit your country. I didn't know much about it before going so I thought it would be cool to share with you the experience of someone that visited it with basically 0 information and what is the impression your country gives to a traveler without preconceptions. The only things I knew about your country were:
1.-It is cold. There's snow
2.-There are Moose.
3.-Some speak French.
4.-Niagara falls.
5.-They say Canadians are good people.
That's about it. If I'm honest I wasn't very excited to visit your country beforehand but boy was I impressed.
Niagara.
At first I was underwhelmed with the falls. I saw them from afar and with how much people, shows and even cartoons talk about how big they are, they seemed small in comparison. I realized my expectations were blown out of proportion by what I had heard about them so I tried to look at them objectively after that.
I guess seeing them from above wasn’t helping because It wasn't until I took the boat that I realized how majestic they were. Looking up and being surrounded by the Canadian one was incredible. Even if everything else had sucked (which it didn't) the trip would have been worth it. .The light show with the fireworks at night was pretty cool, as well as that perpetual mist that even gets to the street. Really beautiful place. Very peaceful.
I want to give a special mention to the Rainbow Room restaurant at the top of the crowne plaza hotel. 10/10 would recommend. If you go visit Niagara Falls it's a must!. It has an amazing view of the falls and it's perfect for a wonderful dinner. It will probably seem like I'm getting paid but you gotta go there and try the scallops. Trust me. It's the most delicious food I have ever had in my entire life. I can't recommend this place enough. We went there for my fathers 60 birthday and it was excellent.
Toronto.
I honestly didn’t thought there were cities this big here.. I didn't expect to see how different the people and lifestyle of Toronto was compared to Niagara. It was hectic. And scary.
We arrived there at night and since our hotel was one block away from Eaton centre we decided to go for a walk. Just in our first night there we saw multiple beggars asking for money. Walking just a block away from the Yonge-Dundas square, still on Yonge, we started to see strip clubs and the smell of weed filled the air. Not what we expected from the main touristic area of the city. We went back towards the plaza and passed right by a taxi driver discussing with a customer “I'm calling the police you haven't paid me” “No! IM calling the police!”. We went on our way when suddenly we hear the man screaming. “HELP! HELP!” We turned around to see the taxi driver grabbing the man by the neck. What the fuck.
So we tried again the next day. We went to the same plaza to buy bus tickets for the bus that gives tours around town and there was a man dressed as a devil screaming to the tourist not to trust X hospital. Since most of us were either foreigner or from other areas i’m not sure exactly what he was trying to achieve, but police took him away from us soon after that.
The thing about toronto..is that everything else was great! We stayed four nights and we didn’t see any other problem. Everyone was very kind, we saw the police guarding every block. The aquarium is cool, the tour in the boat in the lake was cool. The Natural and Art museum are amazing The CN Tower was pretty cool too as well as Casaloma. We met the most friendly taxi drivers there too. Overall..4/5
Ottawa.
My favorite city. The perfect blend between old and new. The parliament and the change of guard as well as the light shows was pretty cool. It’s also cool since one side of the river is french and the other english so it feels like two cultures clashing and mixing as one community. We met a very kind couple while waiting for the light show. The lady didn’t speak any english (she was from montreal I think). Her husband was from Quebec but he did speak some english so he communicated through him. If they’re reading this, thanks for that chat!
Sadly I lost 500 dollars walking through Major’s Hill park. I had them in my jacket, but I took it off as it was hot and was holding it in my hand, but somewhere in the park I dropped the wallet, looked for it but never found it :/. Fortunately I didn’t lose my passport or cards!
And..I think I met the president? Maybe? We were walking towards the Fairmont when suddenly I see body guards and 3 black Suburbans (or similar), we walk past them towards the entrance of the hotel, I turn around and from my right (where the Parliament is) there is a tall man dressed with a blue shirt that looks kind of like Trudeau getting into the van in the middle. Now I’m not sure if he was him or not as I just saw him for like a second, and it’s weird the vans were in front of the Fairmont. All I know is he looked like him and he definitely didn’t come out of the hotel (as we were going in to see it), he was coming from the direction of the Parliament or the Metro. So in my head I saw your president I don’t care.
Quebec.
I was impressed it looks just like I imagine Europe to be. Small streets, horses doing tours, beautiful architecture and churches. On the topic of Churcest, they said they have the oldest church in north america I’m pretty sure that’s false because AFAIK Mexico and Cuba are part of north america and both had churches before there were even settlements in Canada. Still it was beautiful getting lost on the streets there. It definitely was one of the places that make me think “I need to come back to this place, I need to bring my Fiancee (which unfortunately couldn’t come)”.
One thing I did notice there was the…”us vs them” feeling when it came to french and english canadians. A lot of them refused to speak in english and I was surprised at how many people spoke spanish there. We met more people that spoke semi fluent or fluent spanish than people who spoke english. I think that’s kind of sad especially given the impression of unity I got in Ottawa, but maybe I had bad luck?
One thing I must say though, everyone was charming and kind in both the english and French parts. One funny thing that happened was when my father was checking in on the hotel, the receptionist saw we spoke spanish so she started to speak spanish too so we felt more comfortable (how kind!) but for some reason my father kept talking in english. So we had a french canadian speaking spanish to a mexican speaking english. I found that quite amusing.
Montreal.
The final stop was Montreal. If I had to describe the city it would be like the mixing of Toronto and Quebec. Big city but not that big. New buildings as well as very old ones. We took the tourist bus, went to the casino. The olympic park is worth a visit if you have time. I had never been to a planetarium and I think it was pretty cool.
Overall thoughts.
I think you have a beautiful country that you show be really proud of. One of my favorite things was that it is full of flowers! Every street in touristic areas is full of flowers and they make the city stand out. Apparently they all die in the winter so they are help at himbernaries? that’s amazing.
I had a lot of misconceptions about it too. For example I thought even if it wasn’t snowy it would still be very cold, but it wasn’t! It was hot! And people didn’t dress the way I thought they would. Seriously every single girl was wearing shorts! and I assume the guys were too.
Everyone was kind and did their best to help you if you asked. Although I found that people weren’t as accommodating? For example in toronto even though we stayed in a good hotel no one bothered to help us with the luggage, apparently it isn’t standard service there? It happened in a couple of places (All except Ottawa) so that was weird.
Something interesting I noted is that they serve the whole food in a single plate. Fruit, potatoes and the main dish are all on a single plate. Here in my country even if all of it is included they bring it to you on different plates. It’s not good or bad just interesting.
Sadly I didn't see neither snow nor a Moose. Really wanted to see them as I haven't seen either in my life. Also kinda sad I couldn't get a Nintendo switch as it was out of stock haha. Overall I was quite impressed by the country and the people. I didn’t expect much of it, I wasn’t interested, but I must say you guys have a beautiful country you should be proud of and if I have the opportunity it’s definitely a place I would love to go back to. I now genuinely think Canada is one of those places you should visit at least once in your lifetime. And If you live there and haven’t visited those places you should! Even if it’s just for one day like we did. It’s 100% worth it.
I hope this post is received well. I know it’s kinda long and I tried to not make it sound as a humble brag, I’m just really really happy I got to visit your country and share my experience of how different it was from what I had thought.

How the Day Unfolded

12 Questions to Ministers were answered

• Transcript can be found here

1 Question to a member was answered

• 1. PHIL TWYFORD (Labour—Te Atatū) to the Member in charge of the Healthy Homes Guarantee Bill (No 2): Why did he draft the Healthy Homes Guarantee Bill (No 2)?
  ANDREW LITTLE (Labour - list)(Member in charge of the Healthy Homes Guarantee Bill (No 2)): Because, in 2016, no child in New Zealand should be living in a hovel, and it is time that New Zealand accepted a standard that no child should be getting sick or die because they cannot live in a warm, safe, dry home. This bill sets standards to ensure that every rental property is livable and will keep kids out of hospital.
  Phil Twyford: How does this bill differ from the current law?
  ANDREW LITTLE: The current law, propagated by the present Government, applies a standard for insulation that is only at the 1978 standard and requires the installation of smoke alarms. My bill requires there to be a source of heating, requires weathertightness, requires the house to be able to be ventilated, and has a minimum standard on drainage. The Children's Commissioner described the Government's current law as shameful and said that it will do little for children living in cold, damp, mouldy homes. My bill will be a whole heap better.
  

The General Debate was Held
The general debate is held every week on Wednesday after Question Time. The formal procedure for the debate is that a member move a motion that the house take note of miscellaneous business. Members have 5 minutes to speak to whatever issue they wish. At the end of the hour the motion lapses and no question is put or vote taken.
The speakers were:

Call	Member	Party	Seat	Topic
1.	Andrew Little	Labour	List	Housing, The Budget, The State of the Govt
2.	Amy Adams	National	Selwyn	The Labour Greens MOU & Government announcements in the past 4 weeks
3.	Iain Lees-Galloway	Labour	Palmerston North	Immigration
4.	Anne Tolley	National	East Coast	Welfare Reforms & Regional Development
5.	Ron Mark	New Zealand First	List	Immigration & the rise of New Zealand First at the expense of Labour and National
6.	Craig Foss	National	Tukituki	Andrew Little v Stuart Nash and East Coast development
7.	Peter Dunne	United Future	Ohariu	Children in New Zealand
8.	Sarah Dowie	National	Invercargill	Economic Growth and Development in Southland
9.	Marama Davidson	Green	List	Housing
10.	Jono Naylor	National	List	Recent Government Announcements
11.	Louisa Wall	Labour	Manurewa	Social Development & homelessness
12.	Dr Shane Reti	National	Whangarei	Government achievements and announcements

A transcript of the debate can be found – here
Private and Local Orders of the Day

• The committee stage of the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind Act Repeal Bill was completed. The debate on this non controversial bill was very quick - only 3 members took a call before the bill was agreed to and reported without amendment. The bill is in the name of Nicky Wagner (National - Christchurch Central)

Member’s Orders of the Day

• The Minimum Wage (Contractor Remuneration) Amendment Bill was read a second time. This bill is in the name of Labour list MP David Parker. This Bill amends the Minimum Wage Act 1983 to extend its provisions to apply to payments under a contract for services that are remunerated at below the minimum wage. Act and National voted against the bill but the vote was won after United Future voted in favour of the bill.
  
• The first reading of the Oaths and Declarations (Endorsing the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi) Amendment Bill was not agreed to. The purpose of this bill is to ensure that a person taking any oath set out in statute may, in addition to the words of the oath, elect to state that they will perform their duties in accordance with the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.
  This bill saw spirited debate including the contribution of Treaty Affairs Minister and Attorney General Chris Finlayson (National – list). Arguments in favour contended that one could swear an oath on a bible to uphold the law according to their religious belief but not to uphold the principles of the Treaty that founded our nation. The counter argument was one based on the lack of need and that government agencies already uphold the principles of the treaty during their day to day activities and are required to consider them during decision making.
  The votes were:
  

  Party	Aye	Nay
  National	0	59
  Labour	32	0
  Green	14	0
  New Zealand First	0	12
  Maori	2	0
  Act	1	0
  United Future	1	0
  Total	50	71

• The Social Security (Stopping Benefit Payments for Offenders who Repeatedly Fail to Comply with Community Sentences) Amendment Bill was read a first time. The bill was passed 61 – 60. This bill is in the name of National MP for Rodney Mark Mitchell. This bill would give the Department of Corrections the power to issue warnings to persons who have not complied with community-based sentences, with the consequence of withholding benefit payments. It has been referred to the Social Services Select Committee.
  

Debate Interrupted

• The debate on the Customs and Excise (Prohibition of Imports Made by Slave Labour) Amendment Bill was interrupted when Mark Mitchell (National – Rodney) was speaking with 9 speeches remaining. The bill is in the name of Labour’s Tāmaki Makaurau MP Peeni Henare and amends the Customs and Excise Act 1996 to make goods produced in whole or in part by slave labour a prohibited import. National have indicated they will be voting against the bill.

The Biscuit Tin of Democracy
It has been a while but the biscuit tin has been dusted off and there was space for 3 bills to be drawn today. 79 bills were entered into the ballot.
The winning bills were:

• Land Transfer (Foreign Ownership of Land Register) Amendment Bill - Mahesh Bindra from New Zealand First proposes a bill that would ensure that a comprehensive register of all foreign-owned New Zealand land is compiled and made available to the general public.
  
• Residential Tenancies (Safe and Secure Rentals) Amendment Bill in the name of Green Party Co Leader Metiria Turei. This bill amends the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 to strengthen tenants’ rights and promote secure, long-term tenancies.
  
• Airport Authorities (Publicising Lost Property Sales) Amendment Bill in the name of Port Hills based National List MP Nuk Korako. This bill will amend the Airport Authorities Act 1966 to provide airport authorities with greater flexibility when publicising the disposal of lost property.
  

Psephology Spotlight
Elections Concluded

• In South Africa the ruling African National Congress suffered massive losses in their worst election performance since the end of Apartheid. The municipal council elections (which are conducted under MMP) saw the ANC lose majority control of many battleground cities including Johannesburg and Nelson Mandela Bay and minor parties now are engaging in coalition talks between the ANC and opposition Democratic Alliance over who gets to control the council. In the last election the ANC garnered 62% of the popular vote whereas this year they mustered 54%. Corruption and economic woes are attributed to the swing away from the ANC. Famously President Zuma was found by the Constitutional Court to have benefited from $16 million worth of illegal expenditure to his personal home. In another example local corruption resulted in hundreds of toilets being built, row upon row, where houses should be instead.- see 1:20 in the video The ANC have promised to do a review in preparation for the next general election in 2019 and the position of President Zuma appears to be on shakey ground. However, many factions within the party are loyal to Zuma and it is thought that it is unlikely he could be brought down without a fight. Turnout was particularly key to the election results. Significant amounts of the population are still loyal to the ANC and so express their dissatisfaction by not turning up to vote, as they will not vote for any other party. Winning these groups back by 2019 is the new priority for the ANC and the opposition is hoping to win them over by bringing new leadership to local government.
  
• The small African island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe has a new president after their August 7 vote. The first round was held on July 17 and provisional results suggested that challenger Evaristo Carvalho, a former Prime Minister, had won but the result was annulled due to irregularities. Incumbent president Pinto da Costa boycotted the second round after claiming Carvalho engaged in fraudulent activity in round 1 meaning Carvalho was elected unopposed. Costa served as the nation’s first president from 1975 – 1991 and was elected again in 2011. He will leave office in early September.
  

Upcoming Elections

• Presidential elections will be held in Gabon on 28 August 2016. The president serves a seven year term and is elected via first past the post. The issue for the opposition is that given the multitude of candidates standing (14 are approved to be on the ballot) vote splitting may result in incumbent President Ali Bongo Ondimba sneaking back into office much like how Ondimba was first elected in 2009. Former United Nations General Assembly President and Gabonese Foreign Minister Jean Ping is considered Ondimba’s toughest competition. Ping served under Ondimba’s father who was president of Gabon from 1967 until his death in 2009 and was involved in demonstrations against Ondimba which were broken up by police.
  
• General elections and a constitutional referendum will be held in Zambia on 11 August. At stake are 150 members of the National Assembly, the five year term of president and an amendment to the Bill of Rights. The amendment would see Economic, Social, Cultural and Environmental rights inserted alongside civil and political rights. Additionally the referendum if approved would see the rules for amendments to the constitution and bill of rights changed. In the race for president Edgar Lungu of the Patriotic Front is hoping to be elected to his first full term in office after winning the 2015 presidential by election. He is facing a rematch with Hakainde Hichilema of the United Party for National Development who missed out on victory by 27,757 votes last time in a race that still is disputed. The election method is two round first past the post. The Patriotic Front currently has a plurality of seats (60) in the multi party National Assembly who are elected via first past the post.
  

Fact of the Day – Housing the Prime Minister
All over the world Prime Ministers and leaders receive as a perk of their office a home that they can reside in throughout their tenure. In the United Kingdom it is 10 Downing Street, The French Prime Minister calls Hôtel Matignon home, The Prime Minister of Canada gets 24 Sussex Drive while the Prime Minister of India gets 7, Race Course Road (A.K.A Panchavati). In Australia the Prime Minister has The Lodge in Canberra and Kirribilli House in Sydney. In New Zealand it is Premier House but this hasn't always been the case.
In the early days of the New Zealand Parliament, premiers were required to find their own accommodation. This changed in 1865 when the capital moved to Wellington and the government acquired a simple 22-year-old wooden cottage in Thorndon’s Tinakori Road. This was a damp, flood-prone gully, but it was close to Parliament. A Wellington newspaper, elated by the city’s new status, thought the £2900 price ‘cheap’. An Auckland paper called it a ‘monstrous waste of public money’.
New Zealands sixth Premier, Frederick Weld, didn’t get to spend long in the house. Weld made many enemies by overseeing the moving of the capital to Auckland from Wellington as well as seeing the confiscation of more than a million acres of land from Waikato Maori. The finances of his government were precarious at best and his relations with the Governor soured over the withdrawal of British Troops. In October 1865 his government resigned after less than a year in the position.
With the arrival of the Vogel family in 1872 the house adopted the name “the casino” and consisted of 8 bedrooms with conservatory and ballroom. The ballroom got a hammering. They made Premier House the social centre of Wellington. In July 1876 Lady Vogel sent out 250 invitations to a calico fancy dress ball, ‘the most brilliant of its kind yet seen in this city’. The Vogels also imported New Zealand’s first lawn tennis set, though Sir Julius was too unfit to chase the ball far.
In 1884 the Vogels returned for another three years. Sir Julius was obese and gouty, so Cabinet often met in an office built in the house. In 1886 he added a lift to take him from the dining room up to his bedroom.
After the Vogels moved out, the government tried to sell the property. But the press and public fought back. Wellington people valued its spacious grounds as a public amenity. Only the furniture was sold. Some suggested turning the site into an old men’s home or a university, but it stayed empty. MPs’ salaries had been cut, and the Liberal ministers of the 1890s had to live cheaply. Premier Richard John Seddon lived in a modest ministerial residence at 47 Molesworth Street. ‘This isn’t at all a nice house; it is surrounded, like a nunnery, with a high and close and ugly wooden fence, and presents a dismal appearance’, a voter complained. Seddon’s son remembered it fondly as ‘a political house. Politics was the sole subject day after day – at breakfast, dinner and tea.’
The Tinakori Street residence, vacant since 1893, was leased out from 1896 to 1900, when it became a ministerial residence again.
The house’s fortunes recovered when Seddon’s deputy, Joseph Ward, moved in. Ward, soon to be Sir Joseph, and prime minister from 1906, named it Awarua House. Like Vogel, he enjoyed the good life. The Wards threw ‘at homes’, garden parties, receptions, garden fetes, balls and wedding receptions. Sometimes over 1000 people gathered there. When Governor Ranfurly dropped in for a chat, they served him whisky in special large glasses. Sir Joseph liked to free office hours for talking or socialising. So he spent the early morning in his study in pyjamas and dressing gown, signing the documents delivered by his chief secretaries.
William Massey, the house’s next lengthy occupant, renamed it Ariki Toa, ‘home of the chief’. During the First World War the Masseys used it for patriotic activities.
In 1925, Gordon Coates called Ariki Toa ‘a happy home … a haven of rest’. That year he rebuilt the conservatory and added an enclosed veranda above it. Four years later Cabinet again tried to sell it. ‘Sunless and damp, and the gardening costly and unnecessary’, an official sniffed. But again, public protests prevented a sale.
Ariki Toa’s role as the prime minister’s official house ended in the 1930s when George Forbes moved out. In 1935 the new prime minister, Michael Joseph Savage, a frugal bachelor, made the break permanent by choosing a smaller ministerial home in Molesworth Street. Three years later, dying of cancer, he moved into Hill Haven, 66 Harbour View Road, in the suburb of Northland. Prime Minister Peter Fraser decided to remain in Hill Haven throughout the 1940’s preferring its scenic outlook.
Sidney Holland preferred a place with a guest bathroom. He renovated 41 Pipitea Street in Thorndon. This brick house is close to Parliament, but its surroundings were still industrial, ‘with a brewery chimney quite close, a paint factory next door, commercial offices (B.P. Ltd) on the eastern boundary.’ The section had a small lawn in front and room for a clothes line behind, but the house was too small to entertain official guests.
Holland’s National successor Keith Holyoake also lived there. In 1966 the air was still ‘sodden with the smell of hops and malt from the brewery up the street, and jackhammers are busy tearing down Victorian ruins all around.’ But the economy-minded Holyoake dismissed all suggestions of building a new official residence. The Holyoakes put buckets under the leaks in the kitchen roof whenever it rained. Today Pipitea Street is still an important part of New Zealand politics and serves as the home of the National Party offices
Holyoake was not as eccentric as he might seem. Ministerial houses were seldom very flash. Every time the government changed, prime ministers-elect trotted around these places, often still occupied by defeated ministers and their families. In November 1972, for example, Norman Kirk and his wife, Ruth, went house hunting. Because they knew Holyoake had let 41 Pipitea Street deteriorate, they did not even bother to look at it. They chose a Seatoun house recommended by their ministerial driver.
The Ministry of Works looked after ministers’ houses. As many had been bought only to be demolished for motorways and other development, it skimped on their maintenance and furnishing. Television came to New Zealand in 1960, but the Ministry waited until 1965 before providing TV aerials for ministers’ houses. Ministers paid for their own sets until 1973, when Cabinet made them free – provided the screens did not exceed 23 inches (58 cm).
In 1976 New Zealand regained an official home for its prime minister for the first time in 40 years. Ten years earlier, Jocelyn Vogel had given Vogel House in Lower Hutt to the Crown to mark 100 years of Parliament in Wellington. Designed in 1933 by Helmore and Cotterill, it was one of the Hutt Valley’s last large houses designed for a family and domestic staff.
Prime Minister Robert Muldoon rushed to refurbish Vogel House in time for a dinner for the visiting Queen Elizabeth II in February 1977. He was our first modern leader able to offer VIPs proper hospitality. David Lange, who succeeded Muldoon in 1984, never liked Vogel House and kept his family in Auckland. He ‘camped’ in a tiny first floor apartment in the house, moaning about the staff folding the edge of the toilet paper in neat triangles, hotel-style. Finding it too far from the Beehive, he saw out his term as prime minister in a flat near Parliament.
After Michael Joseph Savage rejected Tinakori Street, it became ‘the murder house’, a children’s dental clinic. The Public Works Department raised seedlings at the front of the grounds. In 1977 the dental nurses moved out, leaving the property empty. In the early to mid-1980s the Ministry of Works repiled the building and fitted sprinklers, but it remained underutilised. Some wanted to redevelop the site, but the Thorndon Society and the Historic Places Trust defended its heritage qualities. It is a Category I historic place on the Trust register. In the late 1980s, Minister of Internal Affairs Michael Bassett decided to restore 260 Tinakori Road as an official prime ministerial residence. The conservation of Premier House, as they renamed it, was a 1990 Sesquicentennial project. That year Geoffrey Palmerand his wife, Margaret, became its first official residents.
Premier House has housed every subsequent prime minister. Some made it a family home, but Helen Clark and John Key kept their families in Auckland, using Premier House as a workday squat. ‘There’s a little corner which has the bedroom and the bathroom, and … I go into the bedroom somewhere around midnight or later,’ Clark said in 2002. ‘The alarm goes in the morning, I wander along to the kitchen, I turn on the jug and make a cup of tea. Then I’m out of there.’
Nevertheless, Premier House hosts VIPs, such as Prince William, who attended a barbecue there in 2010. It is also used by politicians and officials for meetings and is the venue for events such as awards ceremonies. Premier House was one of the few Crown-owned ministerial houses retained by the government recently after it reformed ministerial expenses, terminated many leases and put ministers on to flat allowances to cover their Wellington expenses.
Information provided by NZhistory.net.nz
Previous facts of the day: Speaker's flat, Urgency, Jernigham Wakefield, Sidney Holland and the Suicide Squad, 1951 the last majority election, The Business Committee, New Zealand's First Parliament in Auckland, 1947 Greymouth beer boycott, So goes Hamilton so goes the nation, Australia and Compulsory Voting
Standing Order of the Day - SO311 - Recommittal
A motion to recommit a bill to a committee of the whole House may be moved after the order of the day for the third reading of the bill has been called. There is no amendment or debate on the question.
Local Elections are coming
Elections for Mayors, Councils, Community Boards, Regional Council and District Health Boards will be held on 8 October.
This election will be via Postal vote after a possible internet voting trial was scrapped. Only those correctly enrolled by Friday 12 August 2016 will get their voting papers for the 2016 local elections sent to them in the mail.
Voting papers will be sent out from 16 September and must be received by the electoral officer by noon on Election Day, 8 October 2016.
Enrolling or updating your details is easy - go online at elections.org.nz, freetext your name and address to 3676, call 0800 36 76 56 or go to any PostShop.
If you want to nominate as a candidate you have until 12 August to submit your papers. For more information visit your council website or consult Vote 2016
To see the nominations so far received for most councils and authorities click here
The next members day is expected to be on August 24
To see today's order paper click here
To see business currently before Select Committee Click Here
To see past Members Day Updates Click Here

Hello, one and all! Welcome to the Tantrax Entertainment System. We are the foremost purveyors of all personal amusement and entertainment in all of Sector 5. Our multi-body amusement park / luxury resort encompasses three planets, four moons, and six Y-class space stations. Our diverse range of entertainment options guarantees fun for the whole family¹ or for more intimate holidays.
¹ Alternatively, fun for the whole pod/hive/colony

About Tantrax System

(Warning: boring science ahead!)
Tantrax Luminaris [Star #11] is a Red Giant star measuring at 1.8 solar masses and 155 solar radii, spectral type M3. Tests have determined that it is approximately 100 million years into its Red Giant phase. (Unofficially we call this star the Shining Ruby, for it is the crown jewel of our beloved system, and its warm red glow is always a welcome sight for travellers).
Tantrax Belkaris is the first planet from the sun {0.9 Earth mass, 1.1 Earth radii} was probably once a fertile and habitable world, but after the sun expanded, its atmosphere was burnt off and is now reduced to scorched rock (colour: burgundy). It is also suggested there were two other inner planets that got completely devoured by the sun's expansion.
Tantrax Akaris is the most habitable planet in the system. (If Tantrax Luminaris is our Shining Ruby, then Akaris is certainly our Gleaming Sapphire). {1.4 Earth mass, 1.3 Earth radii; atmosphere colour: turquoise} More than 100 million years ago, this planet was frozen and inhospitable, but now it is warm and fertile, teaming with life. There is one mega-continent that runs from the north to south poles, taking up roughly 20% of the planet's surface area. Due to an excess of carbon and oxygen in the atmosphere, much of the continent is tropical, though the equatorial region is baked desert that supports little life (but is great for solar panels, which power many of our attractions!). Only the extreme north and south regions are affected by seasons, where they will freeze solid in the winter but thaw almost completely in the summer. Most of the planet is ocean, with some islands nearby to the main continent, and two great mountain ranges bisecting the planet.
Akaris Principa is the first moon of Tantrax Akaris. Its size is 0.2 Earth radii and analysis of its composition suggests it should have equivalent mass. However, its gravitational field is equal to a mass of 0.8 Earth mass. This is the result of some exotic material introduced to the core to artificially increase the gravity. This allows for easy movement on the surface {within protected enclosures, since there is no atmosphere} and awesome tidal effects on the planet.
Akaris Seconda is the second moon of Tantrax Akaris. 0.15 Earth radii and 0.14 Earth mass, but for real this time.
Tantrax Athoris is the third planet in the system. {0.5 Earth mass/Earth radius; atmosphere colour: green} (the Deep Emerald to continue our celestial jewel set). This is a chlorine planet, home to clouds and seas of hydrochloric acid. Therefore it is fatal to most forms of life, but does have a few native inhabitants. It is also home to many unique rock formations and interesting mountain ranges.
Tantrax Bellerophos is the fourth planet in the system. {0.7 Earth mass, 3.2 Earth radii; atmosphere colour: yellow} (and finally comes our Sparkling Topaz). Bellerophos is a gas dwarf with a low mass given its volume, and a thick atmosphere of Hydrogen, Helium, and Nitrogen. This planet is home to the Guraga.
Bellerophos Principa is the first moon of Bellerophis. 0.1 Earth mass and 0.11 Earth radii.
The asteroid belt rings the solar system past the fourth planet and exists as a valuable source of platinum. [I won't ask you to add this to the image, ophereon]
Tantrax V is the fifth planet and is of little note. Gas giant {0.6 Jupiter mass, 0.9 Jupiter radii; atmosphere colour: yellow}
Edrephos is the first moon of Tantrax V. 0.25 Earth mass, 0.3 Earth radii.
Tantrax VI is a gas giant {1.4 Jupiter mass; 1.6 Jupiter radii; atmosphere colour: white}
Tantrax VII is a frozen outer planet {0.4 Earth mass; 0.4 Earth radii; atmosphere colour: none (grey)}

Brief History

The history of the TES stems from the joining of two unlikely allies and one remarkable visionary.
The Tantrax System was discovered 500 years ago a Centauri colony searching for a new Warp Gate. They found one a short distance outside the orbit of Tantrax Akaris. While going about the process of activating it, they established a base on the nearby moon Akaris Principa and were astonished to discover its artificially enhanced gravity. They reasoned this had to be the handiwork of the Nameless and began searching for other artifacts.
While they didn't locate much in the way of technology, they found the climate on Tantrax Akaris very favourable. Word got back through Centauri ranks and it became a much sought-after post. But everything changed 60 years after first colonization when there was a new arrival in Sector 5. Red Star Line was a company from the Centauri homeworld. It had launched two ships into a deep space, full of wealthy passengers intent on creating a luxury colony elsewhere in the galaxy.
The first ship cryonically froze its passengers, and they woke up much like their old selves. The second ship allowed passengers to live freely, and after four generations, they had descended into a life of indulgence and debauchery. The two sets of passengers were wholly incompatible and not suited for settling into one luxury resort. A few Centauri monks, along with the primary Red Star AI and some of the more intelligence passengers began discussing plans to create a permanent recreational colony. And they began to see merit in the idea of expanding it to be open to members of all different civilizations across Sector 5. But this would require several distinct parts highly varied in their style of accommodation.
After years of debate, it became clear that despite an idea and the technology, they were going to get nowhere without a keen-minded individual who could take charge of the whole operation. A routine survey of the Akari coastline would lead them to discovering just that (and the rest is history!)

Attractions

(Now that we have those details out of the way, here is what you are really after!)
The Tantrax Entertainment System boasts 3,416 individual unique attractions. You will have to download our Full Park Guide to read about them all, but you can read about our most popular destinations below.
Rassian Bay Water Park. One of our perennially popular attractions located by the picturesque Rassian Bay. The area encompasses 671 individual attractions, including water slides (regular and sonic), log rides, water cannons, whirlpools, Klein sloops, bungee jumps and hyperjumps, and the famous Akaris Aquarium that showcases 6,899 different aquatic species from around Sector 5
Rassian Bay. If you don't want to go the the water park, then the bay and ocean themselves are open for you. Due to the tidal forces, beaches average 9 km wide, so amphibious trams are available for transport. It is a prime location for surfing, although beginners are advised to stick to the training pools until certified. Underwater exploration is popular for both free and scuba diving. There is a strict precaution not to venture beyond the reef unless in a protected submersible. And all watercraft are reminded not to pass beyond the mountain range under any circumstances.
Akaris Midway. The largest contiguous amusement park in the galaxy. It features 88 roller coasters and 212 unique thrill rides, 44 entertainment venues, and 547 games of skill and chance for you to try your hand at.
Pokita and Lomba Resorts. These resorts are both located on the eastern coast of the Akaris landmass, separated by roughly 100 km of rocky coastline. Pokita is a pleasant and relaxing beach destination, where visitors can engage in nature walks, boat tours, sporting activities, and plain old time in the sun. Lomba is for guests looking for less relaxation and more intimate forms of recreation. Lomba Resort is not recommended for asexual species, as they will most likely be confused. For more information, consult the Adults-Only Park Guide.
Skyward Midway. This is another amusement park, featuring thrill rides of all descriptions. But this one, being located on the moon Akaris Seconda, takes advantage of low gravity that allows guests to explore new, dizzying heights. The most popular attraction is the Yando Slingshot, which places guests in a sphere and hurtles them into space, attached to a 20 km tether.
The Athoris Recreation Fields. Due to the highly corrosive atmosphere, there isn't a lot of infrastructure in place here, and what is in place is very carefully maintained. But between the low gravity and the extreme rock formations, it is a popular destination for athletes and climbing enthusiasts (fitted with the proper protective gear).
Bellerophos Lab & Circlet. Bellerophos Principa was originally a mine for Ha-V, but became used for an ultra-low G scientific lab. Guests can take a tour of the whole lab and see various works of Centauri engineering. But if that is too educatioal, you are welcome to take a ride on the Circlet: a roller coaster that wraps the entire circumference of the moon.
Edrephos Star Resort. Located on the distant moon of Edrephos past the asteroid belt, this is the most exclusive resort in the TES. This is for people who truly want to get away from it all. Rooms all come with glass ceilings, allowing guests an unobstructed view of the glittering stars.
Chowai Casino and Hotel. This is located on a space station in orbit around Akaris. Wealthy denizens from all across Sector 5 come to try their luck. Some will walk away very wealthy indeed. The rest will leave with beautiful memories. It also features a hotel, including a number of exclusive theme rooms.
Tantrax Relaxation Sphere. This is for guests who truly need to unwind. The top 6 levels are a spa that combines massage and relaxation techniques from several different world, adapted to numerous physiologies. To read about the lower 8 levels, please consult The Adulst-Only Park Guide.
Tantrax Convention Centre. This space station is divided into 16 separate convention spaces. All are available for booking individually or in combination. On rare occasions the entire station is booked out for a single event. The events this centre is used for vary quite widely. (As of the beginning of year 700SY, there will be an extra 50% added to the damage deposit for Penultimate Parties)

The Staff

The Red Star Line AIs are some of the friendliest in the galaxy. They come in a variety of forms, ranging from short and practical to visually appealing, and they are always happy to help. Some of the most prominent models you will encounter are Saunders, the affable concierge, Wilforth, the level-headed park manager, and Betsy, the compassionate guest services coordinator.
Although AI can serve many valuable functions, our rides often require an organic touch. We are pleased to announce 200 years of cooperation with the Guragae of Tantrax Bellerophos. These folks have a unique physiological trait which makes them only comfortable when in constant motion. This has made them perfect as the pilots for our many hundreds of fast-moving thrill rides. They can operate the rides from inside, responding calmly to any eventuality.

Transportation

Arrival at Tantrax Entertainmet System is as easy as catching a lift at your nearest Warp Gate. Once through the entry gate, a shuttle will take you to the main entrance on Akaris Principa. From there, many shuttles will be waiting to ferry you to whichever destination you choose. Hyperlane jump points make travel between the most remote parts of the system a breeze.
There is also the increasingly popular option of Doppelganger Transit. Maybe you don't have time to take a long vacation right now. You can always visit a DGT station at any participating Warp Gate. Send your consciousness through the wormhole and have it implanted into a temporary clone on the other end. The clone will enjoy its holiday while you continue with your important work. At the end of its lifespan (typically one week), its new memories will be harvested and sent back through the wormhole, where the original may download them at any convenient time.
DGT is also helpful for creating specialized clones that allow guests to explore areas they otherwise wouldn't. Acid-resistant clones have been created for use on Athoris, which means that guests can enjoy their activities there without the need for cumbersome protective suits.

A Word from the President

Over the past 400 years, the Tantrax Entertainment System has grown from a simple dream hatched on a lonely moon to the greatest tourist destination in all of Sector 5. It has been my privilege to help shape and steer TES in all this time. I could not have done it alone, of course. And I certainly could not do it without our loyal guests who keep returning to us, year after year. To all those guests, I make the simple promise: as long as you stay committed to us, we will stay committed to you.

^{Previous Chapter: Chapter 8}

Day x of x Pain

"So, Miss, I'm sorry, what was your name again?"
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This was a crude tactic to posture one's self as dominant in the conversation. There are several ways with which to react that could determine the first impression of intent. Any number of these could be used against her. She reevaluated her end goal and went with the most beneficial response. The entire decision making process had to be done within a second or else the pause in conversation could be seen as negative on Lahara's part.
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"It's Lahara. And yours?"
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"Mayor Grae. Nice to meet your acquaintance." He extended his hand with a smile but knew already by her tone that she was either arrogant or confident. Neither one was useful to Grae.
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"Likewise." She met him with an equally tasteful grin, acknowledging how she could see through his attempts.
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"Now, onto business." It could be read into that he was attempting to control the conversation with this line, but truth be told, it was a natural pacing after Lahara's response. She was not worried about it, as it was his office, and on his terms that they met; it was only reasonable to assume it would be on his terms that the conversation progressed.
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However, he had left an opening, and she took it, "Yes, I'd like to discuss a potential trade deal."
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"Yes, my assistant had informed me," He had mistakenly positioned himself into the passive role in this power struggle. If she hadn't seen the opening, he would have moved forward with framing his words so carefully as to lead Lahara into voicing her intents more lightly, taking away the potential aggression. Now, Lahara had the opening she needed to remain professional while still pressuring the Mayor.
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If this had been a match of will and reflex, Lahara would now be in position for a kill strike. It was not, however, as she still needed her opponent. All that was accomplished was the building of the foundations for which they now both stood. No real progress had been made. Mayor Grae thought it easiest to just end the talks right here and now, as he had the socioeconomic standing to simply turn her away. This line of thinking was halted with the echoing of what Chief Reather had said to him earlier.
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Instead of pressing, Lahara simply waited for Grae to continue, allowing him time to collect his thoughts and prepare a volley. Predictions and counters were set aside for the sake of information sharing. This was not meant to be a contest, but a collaboration.
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Grae decided to push her, this time, "I would like to know why you think I should listen to you about this?"
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"Surely your assistant informed you of my standing?"
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"Lords of Teardrop Isle? You mean former standing. Now all you have is the money you collected from being forced to sell off your land."
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"I am in a unique position, shed of my previous obligations to the land."
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"And what makes you think this is a strength?" Grae was partially curious, but his words were designed so as to damage, not question.
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Dodging the rhetoric, "What makes you think it isn't? All I see here is another person, whom I will judge based on the merits of their actions." She paused, as if to let him speak. The abrupt change was something Grae wasn't ready for, and as he began formulating, she continued, as the silence was her objective, "I see a land in dire needs, a people of falling aspirations, and a city that is slowly becoming a graveyard." She stared him down, "I see a person in need of help."
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The speech was grand, he'd admit, but this was a business transaction to him, and understanding the desires of all parties was not only beneficial to the agreement, but to his curiosity, "But, what do you want?"
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"I want to help."
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"No, that's not what I mean. Why is it you who is coming to me? Altruism can be a selfish motivation, yes, but what is there to gain for you? I cannot believe you would not stand to gain from this transaction, and until I understand it, I will have trouble trusting your judgement."
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"Everything is a series of gains and losses to you isn't it? Just like to those that ran these corporations into the ground, belittling their own resources with poor treatment because of gains and losses. Numbers don't mean everything."
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"You didn't answer me though." This time, Grae stopped, leaving Lahara spent after delivering her counter. She had not yet decided what to say next, so she took the back seat and understood that he was now doing to her what she had done to him, "Truth is, everyone wants something. Safety, happiness, comfort. Life, ambition, or anything that can result in those. Of course, I'm generalizing. It doesn't make what I say any less true. People came to this island. They wanted to, because they wanted the job to earn the money to afford housing for themselves and their families. They wanted the happiness from the environment, from the housing provided. I want to keep my job, I want to keep my pride and dignity. So, I want to do right by the people, in their eyes. So, I want to fix the economy of Cowtip. See? There are people here that want to hunt, find employment or people, to leave, to protect, to uncover truth, to have a home, to break the monotony of life, and, ultimately, want to survive. I think I now know what you want."
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Lahara was surprised to be hearing this from the Mayor. She had misread him, "To help."
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"To help because it makes you feel good, feel better. You know why? I think I know the reason." He had honestly just come up with the theory while he was talking about his own desires, "You want to feel useful again."
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She had enough of this pondering, "Does it really matter?"
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"Excuse me?"
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"If you need a reason to trust me, and that reason is what I want, then you have it. But I feel like you are just wasting my time. I get it, you're a Mayor and I'm a tourist. But look, you are a Mayor of a single territory, one in decline. My family was very well connected on a much different plane. The biggest thing I learned from my family's fall from nobility is that it shouldn't have mattered in the first place. You think it makes you better because of a title? That this gives you the right to posture yourself above someone else?"
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"No."
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"Then listen to me."
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"I'm here, aren't I?"
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"You're here, but you aren't even paying attention to what is going on. This myopia is almost assuredly how the island fell into this death-spiral."
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"I think you've forgotten,"
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"My place? See? You didn't listen to a word I just said."
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Regret filled Mayor Grae's thoughts. He began to see mistakes he hadn't considered before. Such as talking to her, expecting an easy deal to be struck which favored Cimiterium's well-being. He hadn't thought of providing a reasoning.
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Lahara didn't relent, "You fail to see how this is an olive branch. You are the one that needs assistance. I can just let you go, but I stuck my neck out to get to you and talk this over. So, do you want to talk numbers or do you want Cimiterium to be crushed under the weight of your own impotence?"
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This day was not going well for Mayor Grae. Mental anguish was the primary consistency of his well-being since the sun arose.
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"I'll need my financial advisers and budget committee. Honestly, I should contact the UPIO's foreign affairs board about this, too. It's standard operating procedure for a deal such as this. I'll vouch for the removal of the tariffs to the mainland UPIO ports by advocating for direct trade to the island. That should draw some attention and the desire of many businesses. What exactly did you have in mind, though?"
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"I'm talking about your plans for the other side of the ridge."
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"That's untapped, everyone knows there's no reason to go there except hiking and hunting."
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"This entire island is fertile beyond belief. The soil is what is untapped."
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"You mean to farm it?"
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"Tell me what you know of Teardrop."
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"Pharmaceuticals and bio-engineered crops. Thriving industry there, the bio-chemical one."
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Lahara was nodding in approval as a teacher would a student, but she was keeping secret the fact that farming and manual labor were well below the normal numbers, "We develop the potential farmland on the other side of the ridge with Teardrop's crops. The companies will be drawn here for the fertile land and the tariff free transport you are offering. This will bring jobs and other companies from Teardrop expanding to Cimiterium. We ship the crops back to Teardrop from Cowtip, maybe allow competition between shipping start-ups, and allow the fishers here to start selling their catch in Teardrop as well. Then you regulate the fishing licenses and raise the price. This way, the most equipped companies can fish efficiently in your high quality waters just fine."
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"Wait a minute, you're leaving trade deal territory and entering local law territory."
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"I understand you will need to run the trade deal plans by those in the UPIO mainland, but you can regulate and set up for it without them. I don't think I need to tell you how much you need to enforce some stricter regulations on your hunting and fishing industries..." The protesters had done that for her.
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Grae wasn't sure if she knew of the complexities of the situation, "It isn't that simple. I can take the trade deal, but the regulations would need to be discussed after the details of our talks reach the public."
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She smiled as he had already conceded cooperation, "That works for me. When do you think we'll be able to discuss this?"
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It was now that he realized he had already agreed to her terms without negotiating. Things seemed too skewed in his favor for his comfort though, "There are some pressing issues on the island, currently. I'll make contact about the trade deal with representatives later tonight. I can't say for certain whether they'll agree to it, though if you'd like, you can make travel to them, mainland, after the storm is over. That would certainly increase your chances of success. I'll inform them of your wishes, and they will be more fit to discuss the logistics with you." He slid a paper over, "If you could leave your contact information now...I must be going before this storm arrives."
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*****
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As Lahara negotiated, Dahlia was near the edge of the city. Just outside of its boundaries, she was stepping through grass damp with dew of the prior night, as it was covered with the shade of the nearby buildings for most of the day, from dawn till the arrival of clouds. They had only come in recently, with the wind, in a way that she felt meant the storm was nearer than she had presumed.
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She had made her decision. She would seek out Shivra Nyarl herself and see for herself what he was like. Before coming to the island, she caught wind of him, but she had no idea what kind of person he might be. Dahlia was unsure how to approach him, or how he'd react. Reaching into her pocket, she remembered Anja giving her a number and telling her to let her know if she would do anything crazy, just before she got onto the bus to enter Cimiterium the first time.
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Her head nodded side to side, "No," she said to herself, "I'm doing this on my own."
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*****
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As Alecksander was leaving Cimiterium into the Ridge Floor Village, Tulver was inching his way behind Myles, another member of group 1, just leaving the border of Cimiterium towards Fisher's Paradise. Maxwell remained inside Cimiterium, avoiding the conflict that seemed to be on the cusp of arriving. All other members of the gambling ring were making their way in one path or another towards the fisherman Maxwell arrived to Cowtip with, to pay their way off the island with the funds they've accumulated thus far. Since this was a cheaper option, it would mean that each member would have a small amount of spending money, so as not to be completely broke after reaching the mainland of the UPIO.
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With Kasumi and Gorick awaiting their arrival, Myles was within detectable range. From behind the shacks they were hiding among, Gorick looked over to Kasumi and nodded. She understood that in order for their ambush to be most effective, they'd need to deal with the closer one as efficiently as possible while simultaneously striking the farther target. Without knowing what abilities they'd have, they had to make sure to keep their distance. This was not a problem for either Gorick or Kasumi, as their abilities would allow for just such combat.
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Gorick would rely on his Five Guns of Fury Hatsu to manipulate his 5 revolvers he carries around him to increase his potential firepower. Kasumi would rely on her Modernized Ichaival Hatsu to conjure a specialized rifle to keep her distance. While doing this, she would conjure Fabled Warrior Achilles to serve both her and Gorick as their front line. With his strength, he would be able to keep them busy with close range combat while bother her and Gorick kept a safe distance before moving in for the arrest once they were taken out fully.
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Before they would begin, Gorick would check to make sure they were attacking the right people. Knowing how close the two were, he began to use Compass to the Truth several times. Using Manipulation, he can ask his compass a question about a person, and it will point to the person within a 2 mile radius that fits the information gleamed through that question. If there is more than one, however, it will not work. This ability isn't as useful in an interrogation setting, as often times the goal is not to identify the person being interrogated, but to gather information from the one being interrogated.
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Quietly, he spoke, "Is there someone who killed within the past few days here?"
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The compass did not move. With this revelation, he looked over at Kasumi, communicating as much as he could silently with his facial expression. Either they both were killers, or none of them were. They still weren't sure if they were actually behind the massacre they discovered, as it could have occurred while Baruca was asleep.
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"Are there Nen users that ran the gambling ring here?"
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Once again it didn't move. He assumed they must both be Nen users, but he wished to confirm their role in the crime ring. Specificity would be required.
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"Is the leader of the gambling ring here?"
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The compass immediately reacted. It pointed past Myles, up towards Tulver, standing at the edge of the grass. Gorick pointed in his general direction, and mimed a crown. Kasumi understood.'
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Myles was beginning to move towards Fisher's Paradise. With his ability Facebreaker, he could charge Nen into his fist, and pull it back, creating a vacuum effect that would pull in nearby objects and people to where his fist started at. His goal would be to use it to pull a person out from behind cover and punch them when in range. Still, he would need to move in relatively close for it to actually have an effect.
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Tulver knew he wouldn't stand a chance in close range combat, so he stayed back, where Myles exceeded in fist fights. Kasumi conjured Achilles, and Gorick used his Five Guns ability. With Achilles running up towards Myles, both of the fighters were pleased to be meeting a close range fight. Tulver, however, noticed Kasumi pop up while conjuring her rifle and Gorick with his floating revolvers. He stared down at a spot in front of Myles and conjured Instant Casino as cover.
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Before they began shooting, Tulver dove behind it as well. From a safe vantage point, Maxwell wondered if he should take this chance now to flee during the chaos. His only goal was to avoid arrest, but he felt a strange obligation to help Tulver after he had finally given him a job. He also wanted to make sure to act in any way he could to prevent loss of life. The police may have been lethally armed, but they were not killers. They were upholding the law, and sought to arrest the perpetrators fo the crimes they were investigating.
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With the door to Instant Casino facing away from the police, Tulver entered inside, and gestured for Myles to enter as well, where they could buy time for the others to make it to the boat. Myles, however, wanted a fight. He wanted to act and protect Tulver with his ability. Waiting for their time to come was not something he desired.
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Achilles, with his thick armor, shield in hand, and sword in his the other, was casually making his way towards the structure. Any non-major wounds he'd sustain would be able to heal, so long as they weren't his lone weak spot on his heel. Raising the shield on his left, he began to approach the corner, sword affixed in striking position. As Achilles made it to the corner, Myles used Facebreaker to pull him out, which Achilles positioned his shield first. With Achilles being sucked into range, Myles began his punch using the muscles in a full body movement.
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The punch connected, but it was not with flesh. Since Achilles had positioned his shield first in anticipation, he was pulled into Myles's attack shield first, and the fist collided with that instead, sending Achilles back a few feet, but perfectly defended, while Myles sustained damage to his fist, limiting his combat ability. Tulver, inside, was not focused on defeating or winning the bout in any way. To him, victory would come from the rest of the members leaving Cowtip aboard the fishing boat that Maxwell entered on. Gorick and Kasumi decided to leave Myles to Achilles, while Kasumi would pepper the structure with her rifle, hopefully disorienting and distracting Tulver from Gorick, who was now leaving Fisher's Paradise to flank Myles and find the entrance into the structure to deal with Tulver one on one.
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All Tulver could think about was what the others were doing, hoping that they'd have almost made it by now. Chief Reather was positioned back, near the docks, as a fight of Nen would mean he'd be of little use to them. His purpose was to head them off before they could escape. As the Chief was patrolling the docks, the others managed to make it to the place where the old man was preparing to leave.
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"You looking for any passengers old man?"
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"What was that?"
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A different person spoke this time, "We were told that you'd let us ride on the cheap?"
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"Ah, now who told you that?"
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"Maxwell Clerk."
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"Maxwell...oh, yes! A real lazy fella, that one." He rubbed his chin.
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"He said he offered to help and you wouldn't let him."
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"Listen, dumb ass, who you gonna believe? Him or me? Now do you want to ride this boat or not?"
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"Of course we do,"
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"Then be prepared to work for it!" He told everyone this, throughout the years.
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The truth of the matter was that he rarely actually asked for help, and when Maxwell had asked him instead, he only declined because he did not want to pay him. The boat would set off in less than 15 minutes to avoid the storm. Chief Reather was still patrolling, searching for any people that might be hiding nearby, unaware of the handful that had made it to the boat already. He was only one man, after all.
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*****
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As Law was leading Anja and Virgil to Jeremiah and he's hideout in Fisher's Paradise, Anja's phone rang. Distressed, she hung up. Law could see the sense of excitement in her eyes, but worry was making the flicker of light murky.
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She spoke up, "I have to go. Let me know how to get in contact with you, so I can help you out, though. I'm so sorry...it's just...something came up, and I need to go."
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Jeremiah gave her a slip with an address on it. It was a shack address in Fisher's Paradise. The shack wouldn't be too hard to find, as they were all identified with a linear number system. This was because of the way the zoning was designed on the island. Each residential zone had its own address system for identification purposes. Advocates didn't want to change what was already there as Cimiterium shifted over to a different system to accommodate the large industrial boom it experienced years ago. Ironic, as now Cimiterium was being abandoned faster than the village's were.
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Law made sure to keep the offer on board, "Whatever you do, please think about what we are doing."
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"I like the idea of this and all," Virgil added, "but I really want to see what she's up to...so," He turned to follow Anja.
.
The two of them left, leaving Jeremiah and Law alone again, "Well, Law, looks like it's just us two again."
.
"They'll be back. In the mean time, you were right, they won't be enough..." Shortly after he spoke, they heard gunshots coming from not too far away.
.
They began cautiously heading towards the commotion.
.
*****
.
As the gamblers were making their way to leave the island, the CPD were enacting counters to this, and everyone else was busy on the island of Cowtip, Whisk had been making his way out of the city to find Ksaksa. Before Maxwell had found himself now trapped between two opposing forces and before the clouds of the storm had begun blocking the sun over Cimiterium, Whisk, atop Shenaga in his transformed state, had made it to where they'd thought it best to begin searching for him.
.
Shen transformed back into normal size and began sniffing. Whisk started looking about the area, searching for signs of him. Partially eaten remains, trails of dragged blood, ragged fur, and even signs of defecation. Before long, Shen appeared to have caught the scent of something familiar. The two began walking throughout the trees, eyes darting all around for any sign of him.
.
Without warning, they were startled by a voice, "What are you looking for?"
.
The voice was quiet, calm, and disembodied. Whisk was never superstitious, but if he ever imagined an encounter with a ghost, it would be something like what he was experiencing now. Shen couldn't even pinpoint where it was coming from. Could it be coming from within their minds? They were thinking along the lines of the possibility that it was that or another reason, such as a complex system of reverberations around the tree.
.
"Who's talking?" Whisk feared it might be too late for them, and they'd walked into a trap.
.
Neither Shen nor Whisk knew what Shivra Nyarl sounded like, and so, they weren't sure if it could be him. If it was, they'd have planned to immediately run away. But first, they wanted to confirm if it was Shivra, so that they could communicate to Candy what he sounded like, or be there to confirm it was him in a later event.
.
The voice now came from below and behind them, "Hey, Whisk...Are you two looking for me?"
.
Shen turned around as Whisk slowly began to look. It was Ksaksa, rising to a standing position behind them.
.
"What the hell was that, Ksaksa?"
.
"Sometimes I try and throw my voice to throw people off. Cool, isn't it?"
.
"Were you trying to throw us off?"
.
"No no no, I was just messing with you." He cheerfully declared, while thinking to himself, "...and testing Shenaga's detection abilities. It is good to know that he can be fooled, for both of our sakes in the future."
.
"Ksaksa," Whisk cut through, "are you looking for Shivra Nyarl?"
.
"Looking?" He smiled, "I've found him. I just don't want to get too close. I want to watch him."
.
As Ksaksa took out his book and began jotting, Whisk wondered about the possibility that Shivra knew of Ksaksa's gave upon himself. With Whisk's worry came Shen, coming near to comfort him. With someone as powerful as he, with what Whisk knew of him, he was certain that Shivra was equally observing Ksaksa.
.
"I think Shivra's watching you,"
.
He stopped writing, "I'm almost sure of it."
.
The sense of dread returned to Whisk, "We have to leave; get back to the city."
.
"Why?"
.
"Candy will be glad to have you safe."
.
"No she won't. I can see that you know that's a lie as well."
.
"It's no lie."
.
"I can see it on your face. If you're going to lie to me, at least convince yourself first, please." He went back to writing.
.
Whisk waited a while, "I'm worried about you Ksaksa."
.
"Oh," He didn't bother to put the writing on hiatus this time, "why's that?"
.
"I've seen what Shivra's capable of."
.
"So have I."
.
"And you aren't going to keep your distance?"
.
"I'm keeping my distance right now, as a matter of fact. You're the one who isn't, actually."
.
"Ksaksa, I don't even know what that means."
.
"It means you're thinking too literally. Don't think of distance as the length of space in between you and him. Like you said, he's watching us."
.
Whisk realized it just then. He had walked right into view of Shivra as well. Distance. There is no real space between them right now. Difference. Shivra was probably analyzing Whisk with each passing fraction of a second.
.
"Ksaksa, just come with me back to the city. The last thing I want is for another person to die."
.
After Whisk said this, Ksaksa put his book away, "Well, I guess you've backed me into a corner. You're determined to hold yourself hostage, aren't you? Well fine, let's leave before you get yourself killed."
.
Ksaksa walked past Whisk, which prompted Shen and him to follow. Shenaga was smelling the path they were walking before he'd step. He could pick up on something, but he wasn't sure what it was. There was a sense of danger that he could perceive, and was instinctively checking to make sure each step was not onto a trap, devised by nature or otherwise.
.
"Let's get you back to Candy, now." Ksaksa verbally prodded at Whisk.
.
*****
.
"So...what's your name?" Candy was cautiously curious.
.
"Zero."
.
"Zero..."
.
"Just Zero."
.
"Okay..."
.
Walking next to him she felt a completely different atmosphere than when she'd walk with Whisk. It was then that she truly understood what his current absence felt like to her. Whisk and Shen were an air of comfort. Previously she had only thought about how much she wanted to help him. But now, she was missing his company.
.
Zero picked up on her pondering look, "What'sa matter, sugar? Missing someone?"
.
"Don't call me sugar."
.
"Oh, so just the food, not the ingredients. Got it."
.
Candy's rage subsided with the thought of food. It had been too long since she last had access to a full kitchen and enough resources to make a proper meal. Walking a foreign land beside someone she didn't know, thinking about those she did and the things she normally would do gave her a physical sensation. It was cold, as if a humid breeze on a sunless day had found its way through the protection she had given herself from such forces. Zero could see this as well.
.
It was no surprise to him. He had given her little reason for trust, even from the moment they had met, though she seemed to not pay him much mind, then. In fact, he realized she hadn't been paying him much mind now. This was probably the only reason she was willingly going along with him, he decided.
.
Zero was no stranger to situations like this, though. In fact, the cold routine was even verging on the territory one might call comfort, for him. He was relishing the journey now. In no significant period of time, he'd be able to converse with Gorick, and hopefully be another step closer to uncovering his past.
.
As the two meandered along their path, the sound of gunshots resonated off the buildings. Cracks and smacks amid loud pops and bangs. There was a firefight occurring as they were approaching. After this revelation, the two picked up their pace towards Fisher's Paradise.
.
*****
.
On the opposite side of Cimiterium, Office Saph was carrying Officer Lamino from the gambler's house back to his squad car at the edge of the city to take to the hospital. Sern was just entering the city, avoiding the police as he came to a stop just inside the Ridge Floor Village.
.
"Who would have known the CPD were so active on the island?" Sern spoke to himself.
.
Moving as if he were just an average resident of the village, he made his way to the main pathway. Using every trick he knew of, he attempted to make himself as undetectable as possible to blend in with the rabble. Despite the incoming storm, and the looming sunset just around the corner, people, adults and kids alike, were still roaming. Alcoholics passed out or working their way to that conclusion slumped all along the buildings littering the main path.
.
"Ah, now there's a sore thumb." Sern declared, in a pianissimo.
.
His sights were fixed on a man walking upright, confidently, and with an even cadence. All of which were in stark contrast to the residents of the village. Alecksander had been in the village for some time at this point, walking along and checking the addresses marked on each structure as he passed. The near instant travel time of his grand speed to the village was juxtaposed against the minute crawl of the hunt for the particular building he was searching out.
.
Needles was scanning everything Alecksander wasn't, "You're too exposed here. You're introducing too many variables to our situation."
.
Alecksander ignored his desire to reply. Acknowledging his presence would only exacerbate the very thing Needles was pointing out, and they both knew it. It didn't matter anymore. The address on the next building was the one that Alecksander had written down. Looking both ways, he checked who was watching and then attempted to enter. It was locked.
.
Sern kept a close eye on him as he tried to look as though he was just another drunk, collapsed on the side of the dirt road. Not even Needles singled Sern out as the only true worry. Alecksander stepped aside as Needles used part of his body to pick the lock on the door. From Sern's perspective, it looked as though the door magically became unlocked, as Needles remained invisible.
.
He derived that Alecksander must be a Nen user, thinking, "This is gonna be fun..."
.
When Sern was sure he was out of sight, he used Aura Diffusion to keep a copy of himself where he sat, only this time moved more into the shadows to avoid detection or notice. Then, with the 10 minutes of increased Zetsu, he moved to infiltrate the very same building.
.
Inside, Alecksander looked around. As was to be expected, no one was there. The resident, Vivienne Claude, was now deceased. In fact, this was only one of her homes. As Alecksander had searched her eccentric manor, he had discovered locations of what some might consider vacation homes. Though for her, they were more like escapes to different cultures.
.
Back when Vivienne had lived here, the village was the top of the spectrum of class. It was the chandelier that hung above the artisan flooring that was Cimiterium. Every residence was a jewel on a well crafted asylum of prestige. The houses themselves are still vast, sprawling, and elite. Vivienne had not visited in some years, possibly as she may have known of the unfortunate demise of the location of one of her past favorite homes. Once a myriad of colorful architectural flourishes, now a dusty heap used to trap the less fortunate, instead of reward the most fortunate.
.
Just another symptom of the death spiral that is Cowtip's economy. A whirlpool of dread and doubt. Alecksander, himself, had doubts that he was even in the right place.
.
"How could Vivienne have lived in a place like this, with her wealth of high fashion tastes?" Questioned he, upon finally witnessing the Ridge Floor Village for himself.
.
A confirmation was all he sought. Without extensive knowledge of the village's past, he'd be left guessing on the validity of the information he'd received. Searching the rooms for any signs of Vivienne Claude's presence or even vague relation in the dark and dreary domicile.
.
Embroideries and pendants, and finally, a sign. The clue to search there was modest enough. In Ms. Claude's other properties, there seemed to always be a dresser of one dark wood or another near the front entrance. Atop the dressers were various pictures of favored animals in mediums of paint, representing no being in particular. It was simply the shape that was desired. The humonculus of what could be a living thing.
.
This was not what immediately triggered Alecksander's ease. Inside, she always kept a pair of gloves in the top drawer for excursions out of the premises. The gloves were all identical in material. Even in the dark, he could find and feel the gloves, identifying their material, and confirming that this was in fact a residence of Vivienne Claude.
.
"After all this work...all this time...these vast distances...and we may have finally found the location." He spoke to Needles.
.
"Didn't you say that the last time?"
.
"Where shall I check first? The bedroom?"
.
"That's where she always keeps her true valuables, after all." Needles knew Alecksander was privy to this knowledge, so he felt a bit silly reminding him.
.
Needles, representing the opposite of Alecksander's outlook on the world, would rather not succumb to the potential pitfalls that lie in wait should one allow themselves to be overcome with anticipation and imagery related to it. A skeptic at heart, he would rather not get Alecksander's hopes up, especially after seeing numerous set backs on their journey just to get this far. Still, to the bedroom they headed to search.
.
"My father was a strong man, able to raise me on his own like this. He set aside any thoughts about what could be reasoned as my fault in the part of my mother's death. He accomplished so much with so little help. ANd now I have a chance to finally create my magnum opus. The tools will be all mine now."
.
He thought it best to stifle Alecksander now, "Or it could be another empty house like the last one..."
.
"I've got a feeling this is the one. Any moment now and we'll see for ourselves the exquisite holding box in all its glory."
.
In the bedroom, Sern was in wait. He had managed to make it into the house through a back window undetected as Needles's own paranoia was still focused on the diversionary Aura Diffusion set up beforehand. Listening to the conversation, he decided to act on what he had heard. Just before the two entered the room, Sern grabbed the box he assumed they were talking about and headed for the window. His footsteps were enough to trigger Needles, who then alerted Alecksander. Even with Alecksander's speed, Sern had already dove out fo the window and with no clear sight-line of him as he fell, Alecksander was force to sprint to the window.
.
Below, he had just witnessed Sern slash the throat of a passed out drunk on the side of the road with one of his knives. As this occurence concluded, a conjuration of Nen had appeared. Death's Briefcase is a Hatsu of Sern's that can only be activated when someone has been killed by him. As Alecksander and Needles followed out the window, Sern placed the holding box into Death's Briefcase. Before they landed, it had disappeared.
.
"What did you do?" Rage was seething through Alecksander's teeth, hot breath seeping out from beneath his lips.
.
"How about we play a little game?" A grin skewed Sern's speech, as the anger he was seeing was only delighting him further.
.
*****
.
[continued in comments]

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funny	The Summary on Sky Map's Terms of Service	Sky
OldSchoolCool	A 7 year old Winston Churchill - 1881	Winston
AskReddit	Why does Reuters seem to be such a popular news source on Reddit, yet I never seem to see it on Facebook or Twitter?	Facebook
funny	Googled Apple Pen Apple Pencil for iPad Pro & this was the first thing that came up. Wasn't mad.	Apple
AskReddit	Anyone who immigrated to the United States from another culture want to let me interview them for an assignment?	United
EarthPorn	Behind the scene of Walt Disney World, Orlando - Florida OC 1334x750	Walt Disney
Futurology	'Startling' dinosaur protein discovery - BBC News	BBC
AskReddit	If you were to become the leader of the United States and you have absolutely unlimited power, what would be the first law you would create?	United
AskReddit	People of reddit who've deleted Facebook for good, why did you do it? And how did you cope afterwards?	Facebook
movies	The trailer for "A United Kingdom" is so clichéd that it was predicted by a joke Reddit post	United
nottheonion	Cocaine stash found in American Airlines plane's nose	American Airlines
AskReddit	Shipping. FedEx, UPS or other? Why?	UPS
gaming	Upgrade to PS4 Pro or pick up a Xbox One S?	Xbox
news	31 lbs of cocaine found hidden in nose of American Airlines jet after arriving in US from Colombia	American Airlines
AskReddit	SeriousFor those of you in the United States dating people on the opposing end of the political spectrum, what's this week been like for you?	United
todayilearned	TIL that Switzerland didn't join the United Nations until 2002.	United
videos	When you let someone else order Pizza Hut for you - 03:19	Pizza Hut
explainlikeimfive	ELI5: How did sex become a taboo subject to the degree that it is today in countries like the United States, Canada, etc.	United
mildlyinteresting	My Gatorade Bottle Has a Lot Of Bass	Gatorade
todayilearned	TIL Project Orion - Nuclear Propulsion Project Coca-Cola had been asked for consultation on the design of a Nuke dispenser that could be operated like a canned drink vending machine. Todd Howard, I hope you are reading my mind.	Coca-Cola
aww	Emu egg bought from eBay hatches.	eBay
mildlyinteresting	My Dell laptop keyboard has the black dot optical illusion. Thought I was hallucinating.	Dell
todayilearned	TIL of the Chinese Exclusion Act, a United States federal law signed by President Chester A. Arthur on May 6, 1882, prohibiting all immigration of Chinese laborers. The Chinese Exclusion Act was the first law implemented to prevent a specific ethnic group from immigrating to the United States.	United
UpliftingNews	8-year-old gives Lego money to classmate struggling with cancer	Lego
Jokes	What sound does a Dove make when it wants to overthrow the government?	Dove
AskReddit	Who would you not want to have as an Uber driver?	Uber
explainlikeimfive	ELI5: Could a state seperate from the rest of the United States?	United
worldnews	A senior United States US official says 872 refugees will be allowed into the United States this week despite the Trump administration executive order suspending the US refugees programme.	United