Shave N Haircut

*Cackles*

I was just following suit. *Shrugs*

The ambassador interlocked his fingers and rested his head against them, "Well, we would prefer to not provoke anyone's enmity by entering into an alliance which, as you say, would be directed against them, but military cooperation would be very possible, I don't know about exchanging bases but we could certainly work together. As for trade, France is always eager to expand our relations with as many nations as possible in that regard."

The New Caledonian affected a rather confused look as the Empress spoke, "Are we to understand that under this new arrangement that France and the Northlands are merely being grandfathered in?" he asks, "All this talk of 'Foreigners' has me a bit worried as to what sort of publicity impact it would have on us to participate in the agreement, seeing as France is rather foreign to the Pacific initially ourselves. We would seem rather hypocritical to try and prevent others entering after we have."

I can't! It's impossible! I'm far too busy, so I'l accept now before I again become sane!

Yeru and Eva

Vive l'International! In Brettagne and industrial centers nationwide, it didn't take long for the workers to be exploited after the Empress' death. She was a bastion against abuse, pay may not have been good but benefits were always high, until employers saw the opportunity to get their money back. Benefits began to become harder to get, complaints went unanswered by the Prime Minister as he had no means of solving the problem, having little respect from anyone and furthermore not knowing the methods that would be used to solve the issue anyways. Old Ideologies resurfaced with the anger and charismatic figures came with them. "With the Empress dead there's no one to advocate for us anymore!" the mysterious figure known only as Monsieur Delmont said in the center of Nantes to a large, growing crowd, "Why should we allow ourselves to be taken advantage of? Was it not the aspiration of the people for the last few centuries that the people would rise up and create a new state? Why not now? Why not here? Who's going to stop us from taking the power back? The Proletariat, us, have allowed ourselves to be taken advantage of, placated by paltry boons tailor made to keep us in poverty for too long! We've been fed lies to keep us trapped in greed, slitting the throat of our neighbors that we might be given a scrap more from the table!" The crowd responded positively, as did the police who had been assigned to keep the gathering peaceful, "We should take what is ours back from the hands of those who would horde it for themselves. It is a time of weakness for them, the Empress protected them from us as much as she protected us from them, a tool of the status-quo! We cannot remain stagnant any longer, it's time that Capitalism saw its way out, we can learn from the Soviets, the Chinese, all who came before us and create a better system, a better world! Not only for us, but everyone, our children, our grandchildren! The only thing that stands in the way is them."

Cracks in the Picture The death of the Empress affected the nation in a profound way. At first, everyone was united in mourning the Empress, flags were held at half mast, ceremonies would be held across the country, and the question of who would take her place weighed heavily on the minds of the people. The Prime Minister was ill suited to direct leadership, having been placed in a secondary position for over two decades. The Empress' funeral was two days after her untimely demise, the casket open and her uniform still on, her sabre grasped in her hands over her chest as she was paraded through Orleans on the way to Paris, where she was to be interred in Les Invalides. The responsibility for the decision to leave it open casket is entirely unknown to the present day. It is only known that the citizens of France took the sight of their beloved leader laid low, with so martial a bearing, as a sort of challenge. Opponents and proponents of her style of governance alike began to make plans.

French Military Deploys The French Foreign Legion passed through Alsace on the way to Alvonia in order to be briefed and deployed from there. The fifty thousand soldiers of the Legion are to be deployed to Lower Silesia in support of the Alvonian operations therein. If fired upon by anyone the reaction would be immediate and violent.

Jeanne looked up at her only a moment, nothing showing in her eyes but fear before they shut tight and she coughed again. She clung to Kazuko desperately, squeezing her tight and burying her face into her shoulder, her fingernails digging into her lover's back viciously as she grasped at her, deliriously trying to hold onto anything that would keep her there for longer, anything that could give some hope. She couldn't breath, her lungs simply wouldn't move anymore, locked up now, her head pounded, her vision beginning to go dark from blood loss and lack of oxygen. Guards burst in and a call was made immediately for medical staff, but each and every one of them could see that the Empress wouldn't make it long enough to see them. Her face flowed with tears and her grip loosened as she started to lose consciousness, a hand raising to touch Kazuko's face, she wanted to know she was there, unable to see anymore for her vision clouding over. She just needed some air. It was so cold. Jeanne went limp, her hand falling into her lap, her legs splayed before her and her head dropping to her chest, the once dignified uniform covered in blood, the woman who kept the nation alive, now could lead it no longer.

Empress Assassinated The Empress was assassinated yesterday in her own home, shot from what is estimated to be farther than a mile's distance by what would have had to have been a trained military assassin. Investigations are being made, but rumors already persist on the possible origin of the assassin, whether it be a man from some state of Germany, a former Carthaginian or British soldier out to take final revenge for the defeat, or more heinous, that it was perhaps a Belorussian national unhappy with French policy regarding Poland. Whatever the case, the Empress having died without an heir, the future appears uncertain, old tensions and ideologies are already flaring up across the nation in an attempt to fill the void of the Empress' power, but for the time being the Prime Minister has assumed total managerial power, at least until some manner of successor can be named. Jeanne's sisters could not be reached for comment.

(OOC: Works for me, though it seems a little sketchy to like, box Gibraltar in like that)

Jeanne walks down a hall that was meant to be reminiscent of the Hall of Mirrors, portraits of all of her favorite monarchs adorning the walls where the large, perfectly smooth panes of mirror didn't cover. She looked at them as she walked along until she saw her lover and her son walking towards her, no doubt on their way to the sitting room they normally met in. Her heart fluttered even as she smiled brightly at them. What if the child didn't like her? What if he resented her for not being there? What if he had somehow managed to be raised a brat despite her lover's best efforts. Such thoughts flew through her head, her expression not showing any of it as she approached them. She spread her arms wide, grinning at Kazuko. It'd been a long time since she'd seen her, it would be appropriate to greet her first. "Kazzy, you can't imagine how long I've wa-" The room filled with a roar, the pop of a distant gun following close on the heels of the sound of shattered glass. Blood spattered a portrait of Henry IV and Jeanne fell to the ground, the wind knocked out of her from the bullet that had taken her under the arm and gone clean through her lower chest. She stumbled, hitting the nearest wall hard and falling, coughing violently, blood dribbling from her mouth as she struggled for breath, panicked. She just needed a little air, something, anything.

*Throws her hands up* Damn, you act like I'm part of some kind of conspiracy when really I'm just a mildly annoyed and rather disengaged bystander. I only got annoyed because he seemed to believe that his words were good enough, not because I didn't believe it had happened. $%&@. *Walks off, her hands still up.* Can't even be a little bit annoyed at a person anymore without having someone jump up my ass.

*Shrugs* Not my job to go find it, is the job of the person claiming it happened.

Show it. If an explicit implication isn't enough, a-la Yeru a month or so ago, then your belief means nothing. You could at least try, or hell, pretend not to be blatantly in favor of deep and abiding double-standards.

[CLASSIFIED] France is prepared to support the mission to Poland both logistically and militarily if Alvonia is willing to allow us to participate.

Polish Refugees Efforts to give a safe haven for people fleeing the rampant, uncontrolled, irresponsible slaughter in Poland have been a complete success, with over fifty thousand Polish citizens being welcomed into France by various means, mostly the land connection with Alvonia and the independent German territories. Temporary housing that had been prepared for them has turned out, thus far, to be entirely adequate for them and they are well on the way to a permanent life in French society, each one being transported to the region of their choice.

She takes a seat at her desk and motions to the one across from her for him to take a seat, "Well, I wish for us to be able to trust each other most of all. We've operated under a Non-Aggression Pact for quite a while now and I think we've confirmed that for the most part our concerns are parallel. We wish to reflect that, possibly in cooperation with Alvonia, with some manner of Defensive treaty, perhaps with some manner of optional cooperation in aggressive action." "But aside from that, Monsieur," The Empress leans forward, "How do you view the present events in Poland?"

French Public Broadcast France hereby announces our absolute horror at the appalling civilian casualty rate being inflicted on the Polish people by the militaries of Belarus, Nordisk Rike, and their Prussian allies, the number of which amounts almost to an ethnic cleansing, and certainly displays a complete lack of concern by the Belorussian Government for anything but the destruction of those they view as enemies, which we are now forced to believe is not simply the White Army, but the Polish people themselves. We will not tolerate another instance such as what has most recently happened, and call for all nations involved to reevaluate their role in what is apparently turning into another Partition of the Polish region without any regard for the feelings of the natives.

Jeanne straightened her uniform a little, it'd become somewhat untucked in one of her more grandiose gestures during the speech, which wasn't terribly noticeable but she always wanted to keep the thing impeccable, even to the most discerning eyes. She looked at the film crew for confirmation that the speech had been well delivered and that it required no near followup. Verifying that her presence was no longer necessary, she stepped down from her podium and stretched a little. The work of the hour was done, she could spend the rest of the day getting to know her child. Katsuro. She'd let Kazuko name him because, as she'd predicted, she wouldn't be able to spend as much time with him as Kazuko would be able to. As a more Absolute Monarch she was required to practically micromanage the affairs of France to ensure that nothing was awry, Kazuko simply had to sign bills, Jeanne had to write most of them herself. She was nervous about the child of course. She knew her lover, with all her quirks, would do a rather good job of raising the boy, but the thought of if he was going to turn out as anything approaching normal was another large concern of hers. Of course, she had no plans on allowing him to inherit the French Throne, it would be a disaster to even suggest it. The nation had a tense, delicate balance as it was, suggesting that not only did Jeanne conceal this from the public, but that she intended him, a Japanese raised child of the Japanese Empress to essentially bring France into the Asian Sphere of control would fracture the nation. She had no intention of allowing that, despite how much she might end up caring for the child. She exited the room and shot Kazuko a text, 'Meet me in the Grand Hall when you get here.'

He met the paparazzi with a smile and a wave, not responding to any questions except if the response, "We'll see." was appropriate for the situation. "Well, France has a vested interest in this region, and we're extremely concerned with keeping the peace and thus protecting our people here." the Governor says, "We wish to see to it that Oceania doesn't view us as an enemy at any point in the future."

"My thanks Monsieur, it's been far too long since we've had any good communication with our neighbors and we felt as if it would be a good idea to get relations straightened out from the grey area they inhabited after the fall of the European Community." she says, opening the door to her office and motioning for him to go inside, "Please, after you, we have much to discuss and I hope that you'd be willing to hear my proposals to bring our nations closer on matters of defense and other such terribly tiresome things." she rolled her eyes a little, but with a smile, "Necessary as they may be."

Private "France supports the agreement and will detach members of the French Army-Marine to man the bases."

The Empress leaned back a little and gave William a bit of a surprised look, not having expected such a response but not being at all opposed to such a thing, "Well, I can't see why that can't be." she said, "It actually seems like a much better idea I suppose."