Brisbane is always fun when you're sober

[Generalissimo]

Once again the White Cross wanted Generalissimo to testify at the White Cross headquarters in Brisbane about the Saint Paul Island cleanup, fortunately there was enough good news to remain sober through this meeting.

Going through his convenient scrapbook of useful but disorganized information Generalissimo looked up some of the people he might want encounter in Brisbane,

“Highbuzz, Kaiser Martens, Highbuzz, Otto Verteidiger, Kaiser Martens, Scolar Visari, Kaiser Martens. . . wait minute this is my list of enemies I want to kill, let’s try this again. Sarah & Larsa, Liska Atka, Sarah & Larsa, Theodore Jameson, Sarah & Larsa. Hmmmmm, I think it might be a good idea to check in on Sarah & Larsa.

It might be refreshing to check up on Sarah & Larsa, but it was so long ago Generalissimo went through the city sober he completely forgot where they lived and didn’t have enough money for a taxi. Brisbane was a big city, but when in doubt accost the first stranger you encounter.

“Excuse me random Hansean citizen whom I cannot be bothered to distinguish or identify; I Generaissimo, Generalissimo of Procinctia demand audience with your present leader.”

Edited June 10, 2009 by Generalissimo

[Sarah Tintagyl]

The man had been running on his way to work when the Generalissimo, totting the cigar and green Proctincian uniform stopped him.

“Excuse me random Hansean citizen whom I cannot be bothered to distinguish or identify; I Generaissimo, Generalissimo of Procinctia demand audience with your present leader.”

The man stopped in his tracks and looked at Generalissimo with boggled eyes as a smile began to creep up his face and then turned into outright laughter. "An audience with Lady Tintagyl and you're just wondering the streets." The man tried to compose himself because the stranger seemed extremely serious. "Well its Saturday, so I'm afraid you'll have to go to Solidor Manor directly if you wanted to talk with the Lady Protector. Though its not like they would let you in. You need to have clearance or something, or know her or something. I mean you can go talk with her in the Diet, but that's will all the goddamn senators around."

The stranger just looked oddly at the man, and the suited man drew back. "But ah...if you wanted to find Solidor Manor its on the outskirts of town. Real wealthy area, you can't miss it. Trust me, you'll know when you get there. But...ah..." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small booklet. "Its a bus schedule and there's a map on there." He pointed to Solidor Manor towards the edge of the map. "Its right there. But good luck getting the guards to let you in."

With that the man bowed slightly and left, still laughing at Generalissimo's request.

[Generalissimo]

Generalissimo ran a hand through his beard.

The Solidor Manor, of course, how could he have missed the obvious? With even Generalissimo’s $6.37 a bus ticket would be affordable, even if this sort of mass transportation wasn’t popular with world leaders these days.

Although somewhat crowded the bus trip was pleasant, if not unnecessarily long (almost as if the route was intentionally drawn without a trip to the Solidor Manor in mind). The gawking commuters were a little unsettling, like these people had never seen a Generalissimo before.

Arriving at the Solidor Manor Generalissimo casually pressed the intercom button on front gate; completely disregarding the security checkpoints and armed patrols. Unnecessarily yelling into the intercom, “This is Generalissimo, Generalissimo of Procinctia!!!

Edited June 10, 2009 by Generalissimo

[Sarah Tintagyl]

"What the -?" A guard looked out the camera at Generalissimo standing out in the walkway. "Who does this guy think he is?" Though he did look somewhat important in the uniform and even with the cigar. The guard instantly ran over to find his captain who identified the man as Generalissimo, Generalissimo of Proctincia and that he was a personal friend of Her Ladyship. Instantly, the black gates opened up and the Lillian Guards immediately came out to escort the leader up towards the entrance hall of the manor.

"If you would please wait in the parlor, Your Excellency. Lady Sarah will be done in a moment."

---

Sarah had been enjoying her weekend to the fullest capacity by sleeping in for as long as she could. For some reason, the bed feel extra comfortable today and every time she rolled over, just a little bit it was like heaven. The pillows were soft, the mattress was like a cloud and then there was a knock on the door.

"Dammit." She cursed and hoped that the knock would go away...it didn't. "All right, all right. Come in, I'm getting up."

Elizabeth, the head maid of Solidor Manor bowed as she walked into the room. "Milady I'm sorry for bothering you, but there is a man downstairs to see you. He is requesting an audience."

"Well who is he?" Sarah sighed as she rolled out of the bed and pulled on her robe over her nightgown.

"Generalissimo, the Generalissimo of Proctincia."

Sarah's eyes boggled. "No! Really!? Good! Good!" She smiled as she opened the window to let in a breath of fresh air. "I haven't seen him, since, God it feels like forever. He's downstairs you said?"

"Yes, Milady, in the parlor."

Sarah thanked Elizabeth and journeyed down the marble staircase to the entrance hall and then to the frosted glass doors of the parlor. "Generalissimo, it so good to see you again." She ran over and hugged him tightly. "How have you been? How in Proctincia? We have so much to catch up on. Its been too long."

[Generalissimo]

Smiling Generalissimo returned Sarah’s hug, “Proctincia’s still half a hellish wasteland of contaminated craters, but thanks to you it’s only half, Saint Paul Island might actually be habitable by the end of this year. I’ve just finished briefing a White Cross subcommittee on the subject, I’d send the transcripts but you already have more access than I do, considering you run the place.

As for me. . . I feel years older than I should, [lie]but I’ve been staying sane & sober [LIE]. I spend most of my time on the island detonating landmines with a group of Promised Land’s White Cross volunteers. It’s difficult work but a lot of fun, although it doesn’t always give me time to keep up on thing and people I should.

Speaking of which, how are things going with Larsa? It’s always refreshing to hear about people who don’t have the sort problems too many in our line of work usually have in their personal lives. The two of you have something always worth hearing about, something enough to lift the spirits of this cynical old military dog.

Edited June 10, 2009 by Generalissimo

[Sarah Tintagyl]

Sarah sighed and dropped her head before trying to look up at Generalissimo with the softest smile she could muster. "Perhaps you had better sit down, after all there's no rush." After seating him and having the maids bring over two cups of tea and some cookies Sarah's frown returned. "Larsa and I, we aren't together anymore. We got a divorce about a year ago so its been kind of tough." She gestured to an empty whiskey bottle of in the corner of the room and then lifted up her right hand, her knuckles covered in scars. "I got these from punching a mirror after he left. But it was both of our faults." She held back the tears that were starting to come out. "I've regretted a lot of things in my life, but Larsa and my marriage has always been something that I wish I could bring back, but we were just...just never there for each other. Even now, I never hear from him in Siam. I haven't talked to him in it seems like forever."

She tried to change the subject congratulating him on the White Cross's adventures in his country, but that seemed like old news now. The entire room had a feeling of melancholy about it, now that Generalissimo knew that Larsa was no where to be found in the Hansa, let alone on the Australian continent.

[Generalissimo]

Larsa and Sarah weren’t even married a year ago, how could they be divorced a year ago? Generalissimo reflected back on his therapy sessions and realized this might was probably wasn’t not the best time to bring it up. Wait. . . Larsa and Sarah are divorced? Weren’t they supposed to be his friends, why hadn’t someone mentioned this?

“Why didn’t you say something sooner? It wouldn’t have been too hard to phone, transmit, or telegraph me. If you didn’t want to talk you could have at the very least sent a card, candy gram, diplomatic messenger bag, letter, e-mail, foreign service intern, or even a voice-mail. Oh, and it’s not like I don’t spend hours of my day in front of a transmitter cruising the international diplomatic channels. Yeah, lot of effort there.

I apologize, this isn’t about me. It’s easy to be selfish after all the time spent surviving in the Wasteland, I can sometimes forget about the concerns of other people.” Generalissimo paused for a moment to eat a cookie, “I’m sorry. If it isn’t to indelicate a question, what happened?”

Edited June 11, 2009 by Generalissimo

[Sarah Tintagyl]

She frowned as Generalissimo beat down upon her soul with his words. She couldn't help but feel a little shameful for not letting him know at all what had been happening in her life and in the Hansa in general. Generalissimo after all was one of her better friends and had been there for her through most of her troubling times as of recent. Looking up at him, Sarah sighed and leaned back on her chair taking an extremely long breath and then after he had calmed down and apologized for his rant she could really only find the strength to nod.

"We were both extremely young when we met and we met under the most deplorable conditions. The nuclear containment strike that hit Scandinavia after the fall of Greater Nordland." She chuckled for a moment. "Though I'm not sure how many Nordland's there have been, but the one that fell after the Tionese War. Anyhow, we fell in love so early and so young that neither one of us were ready for the commitment that came with loving our significant other above all else."

She played with her fingers nervously, trying to figure out how best to explain their actions after the marriage. "Personally Generalissimo, I take most of the blame on myself." She got up off of her chair and went over to a chest of drawers and pulled out various tabloids. Pictures of her and Evan, her and Albert of Prussia, her with various other male personalities and she sighed dropping them to the floor. "I was a horrible wife because I am a flirt and I am a politician who uses every advantage she can to get a point across and if that meant peace could be achieved by wearing a tighter bra then so be it. But I did things that I regret to this day." But she couldn't help but smile. "But somethings I don't regret at all."

"Larsa on the other hand, well was just never around. You probably understand that it is the duty of a leader to travel. To be the head diplomat of a nation. And whether I liked it or not, I had to be away from home. But, Larsa, he never came with me and I was always alone in foreign lands. I know that I'm a weak person, but sometimes, you just need someone to hold you close in the night. It was something he never really did."

[Generalissimo]

. . .

. . .

. . .

. . .

Generalissmo’s trademark cigar falls out of his now gaping mouth

. . .

. . .

. . .

. . .

Until now Generalissimo was able to more or less accept Sarah’s shocking revelations, but for some reason the tabloid images weren’t processing properly.

. . .

. . .

. . .

. . .

It was hard not think of Sarah as she was when they first met; a school girl thrown into extraordinary circumstances, but now Sarah was mature woman who was an extraordinary circumstance.

~ That last part could be dangerous, Generalissimo began to adjust his inner monologue accordingly. On further reflection task became impossible with a disturbing realization of how often he adjusted his inner monologue, making it extraordinarily difficult to not think of lady Sarah in a less than untainted. . . this wasn’t going anywhere, if he was to retain what little sanity still lingered he would have to continue this conversation.

“I. . . I’m in no position to judge you Sarah, I have enough problems of my own.

Are you weak? You’re the strongest person I know.

You’ve might have made mistakes, but there isn’t a ruler with a soul who doesn’t have regrets. You’re right, no matter how many of us try to put ourselves above other men, we’re still all human.

You put so much of yourself into the world, and the world gives so little in return.

When people like us put too much into this job, the line between leader and person blurs beyond recognition, the man becomes the mask.

As long as you do whatever’s necessary to hold onto yourself.

So many of us put everything we have into self-serving machiavellian mechanisms, willing to do anything for the regime’s slightest advantage. . .

You used your every advantage for peace, so what? The world’s a better place for it.

You’re essentially an aristocrat raised and bred for that sort of thing, while you could have avoided this unfortunate element of your upbringing, I’m not going to hold it against you. From the beginning members of the aristocracy have been jumbling diplomacy, politics, marriage, and sexuality.

I’m sorry things didn’t work out with Larsa, I know how important he was to you.

When you’re young and naive the experience can be both the best and worst of what love has to offer. I know, from the days when I was a mere Colonelissimo [apprehensive pause ] but who wants to hear the tragic reminiscence of an old man?"

Edited June 19, 2009 by Generalissimo