[color=green][b][u]Welcome to Fall 2024[/u][/b][/color] -------------- [b]Leo the Patriotic Lion:[/b] [i](narrating)[/i] Leo the Patriotic Lion here again. At last, the world finally got a break from all that tabloid terrorism. It was insulting to the human race as a whole, and it was especially insulting to the people of Algeria after they had just cleaned themselves up from a civil war (and the fact my Algerian counterpart gave a ton of people a full decade of community service). [b]Lakhdar the Maghrebi Lion:[/b] [i](narrating in English)[/i] Ranting at them was my first taste of how what comes out of the mouth of one of us lions is treated as absolute law when the supernatural goes into effect, because they weren't just feeling the regret, guilt, and remorse of what they did. They were wishing they had never been born, and that God would just strike them down dead with lightning at that very moment. I felt bad at first, but I shook it off. Now they need to shake it off. But in any event, the Guinness Book of World Records decided to put me in there being the one that gave the community service to those people, because it is now the biggest number of people ever to simultaneously earn community service as punishment, and it is also the biggest amount ever given in Algeria (10 years). I don't think it helped my cause that I said to them, "Do you people know why we don't have supervillain attacks anymore? Because you yourselves are the supervillains!" These people also have to live without television, radio, computers, smartphones, or any modern amenities, and will strictly rely on the newspaper for their source of news and information (although they will be allowed to have their regular land line phones if somebody needs to call them). I wouldn't be surprised if (and if so, when) these 10 years are complete, the people will continue to live without these things. Their community service will, however, include specific vocational training, in order to help the people gradually ease back into a normal working lifestyle. More importantly, our wine history is preserved. While I would rather see people not get drunk, our history isn't complete without wine, just as Germany's isn't without beer. [b]Luitpold the Germanic Lion:[/b] [i](narrating in English)[/i] Very true. In my case, I'd rather see people drink root beer. [b]Lakhdar:[/b] [i](narrating in English)[/i] Under the stupid Sharia Law, wine is banned, but the irony is that by doing these things, Sharia Law enforcers are also guilty of erasing (and therefore, rewriting) history. That's one of the biggest crimes in the book. So the first thing I did after giving the community service was eliminate Sharia Law forever, and make all wineries legal. Any that had been illegal were now legal, and the C.I.D.F.'s troops helped the families get settled so that they didn't have to do their work under the ground. Meanwhile, Levi would continue his quest to redeem himself from his errors and show he was willing to change for the better. [b]Levi the Mountee Lion:[/b] [i](narrating)[/i] This is not going to be easy, because of how often I get reminded of it. However, the nation (Canada) has forgiven me, and God has forgiven me as well. Yes; it was all my fault that we lost Machias Seal Island forever, but when I apologized to the people after they got to laugh their heads off after being a circus clown, they said they felt they had themselves to blame also, because they started the whole fad of the whole world ridiculing me to the point of no return. As a result, the Guinness World Records authorities list as the most mocked individual in history, satirically or otherwise. The public tell me that their ridicule, as they saw it, should have led to us losing the island forever by declaration of the International Courts of Justice over in the Netherlands, but I think that's Satan messing with their heads. The Americans, however, see me as a hero, because that snap decision led to the end of CNG's successor, IC2, since it decided to spend all its time and energy torturing me instead of going after the humans. The initial reaction was mixed, however; the Americans on the coasts were immediately celebrating and partying the heads off. The people in the middle parts of America (most notably the section known as the "Bible Belt") were all confused at first, asking, "Where's the logic in that decision?" There was good as well as bad that came out of all of this, so the Chief (Super C) wants everybody to focus on the good things. [b]Super C:[/b] [i](narrating)[/i] Absolutely. And I have faith that Levi will recover from this dark period of his life. Being a clown may have been a punishment, but it is teaching him to lighten up at the same time. Life doesn't benefit you if you're super strict and speaking with the tone of a military drill instructor all the time. [b]Lionus the Chivalric Lion:[/b] [i](narrating)[/i] In the U.K., the same production team that made the television show [i]Thomas & Friends[/i] (originally [i]Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends[/i]) made another series, even though it unfortunately ran just for one series and 13 episodes. This show, [i]TUGS[/i], centered on tugboats in the 1920s serving the Bigg City Port. There are two fleets: the Star Fleet, led by Captain Star, and the Z-Stacks, trying to sabotage the work of the Star Fleet. They are led by Captain Zero. One notable character is a Navy tug named Bluenose. He is an obnoxious navy tug, whom both the Star Fleet and Z-Stacks despise. He plays precisely by the rules and acts as a kind of stereotypical army drill sergeant towards the other tugs. He is annoying, pompous, and self-centered, and despite appearing in only two episodes of the series ("Regatta" and "Munitions") he caused a major impact and is often referred to as a major character. The episode "Munitions," which I showed to Levi, involves Bluenose bossing the other tugs around, continuously intervening with the standard procedure among both the Star Fleet and the Z-Stacks. It also involves a Naval tramper ship, known as the [i]Kraka Toa[/i], being loaded with munitions and fuel. When it is almost fully loaded, Bluenose cuts in and demands his barge be unloaded immediately. Then he forcefully rams into a loaded barge, which leads to explosion after explosion. All the fires are eventually extinguished, and Bluenose is last seen being towed away into dry dock in disgrace, having being forced to obey the very rules he enforces on others. I showed this to Levi because I had said to him, "This is exactly how you came off in your Mountee days, as well as the major meltdowns you had." [b]Levi:[/b] [i](narrating)[/i] I thank Lionus for showing it to me, because it was essentially the way I behaved. When I made my apology to Canada and the world, Rainier asked me what lessons I had learned. My reply was this: "What I learned today can be subdivided into several different lessons, actually. In fact, ladies and gentlemen, I look back in hindsight and ask myself why they didn't make me perform as a clown last decade before I got the Prime Minister job the first time, because I was always saying to Trudeau (whom I have reconciled with, by the way), 'If you don't get your act together, then I am going to take over the country.' How I would have done that, I don't even know. I never meant anything I said when I was angry. In the end, there are multiple morals all of us can learn from this: 1) think before you speak; that's the biggest one for me; 2) do not let the sun go down on your anger, which is another problem for me; and, 3) do not put honor before reason. Orders are orders and should be followed, but they should never supersede common sense. The one giving them should never supersede common sense. I did, because it was the Olympic drone scandal that prompted me to say to Leo, 'The island is yours forever.' No sooner had I said it when it happened. Now I cannot take back what I said." Another moral from that TUGS episode is that fire is something you should always be respectful of and careful with; otherwise, it can destroy everything in a heartbeat, including your loved ones, your possessions, and you. Rainier and I have since reconciled, so that helps. Anyways, we pick up here now, with everybody getting a break from the tabloid terrorists. This also leads to another update from me, though: all my money and possessions are being restored to me as we speak. However, all the tabloid terrorists were also ordered to give up all their money and possessions to me, similar to how the courts ordered Terry Leatherfeather to give all his money and possessions to "Callahan Cody" Belachman, making the cowboy lynx a multi-millionaire. I've now become a multi-millionaire as a result, but in my case, I'm selling the possessions off, and donating all proceeds to charity and to the Baptist church that welcomed me back in (since Christianity is my religion; this makes the two meltdowns I had even more embarrassing). The same circus, Circus Delights, is a circus full of Eternals that were a mix of native Eternans and ones that were born in Canada (similar to how Cripto was born in the U.S., but became a D-19 agent of light, and what a job he's done there). To help reinforce the agreement that I'd be a permanent clown in the circus if I was to blow it again (albeit in the form of renouncing my Canadian citizenship and moving to Eterna forever, and/or resign from the G-52 Organization, or if I was to get excommunicated), the D-19 stationed them in my hometown, Ottawa, where they now reside. The yellow Labrador retriever serving as ringmaster of the circus, Landon the Labrador, admitted that he saw talent in me that I didn't know I had, and thus was wishing I'd join the circus full-time anyway, punishment or no punishment. Instead, my G-52 duties would continue. I'm just on probation until Thanksgiving Day (which in Canada falls in October, whereas the Americans have theirs in November), which makes it easier to judge. (It was a 90-day probation, but Super C shrunk it a bit to make it easier on himself.) If I were to blow it in the form of permanently moving to Eterna, the circus would do the same. As you'll see in a future journal entry, I would end up continuing to be in the circus as a clown anyway, but just part-time; it still made Landon's wish come true. As for everybody else, it was a time to relax and enjoy life, since the tabloid terrorists weren't there to make life miserable for all of us. You never when those terrorists will strike again, however. ------------ ------------ ------------- *Later, the tabloid terrorism finally comes to a halt, for now, as the world enters fall.* ------------------------- *Mostaganem, Algeria* *Fouad approaches a marching band of fennec fox furries wearing wine-themed mulberry and gold colored marching band uniforms. On their shakos, they feature an amphora badge on them as a nod to Algeria's Roman past.* [b]Civilian 1:[/b] *In Arabic* As you can see on their beautiful uniforms, they are wine-themed and are a nod to Algeria's past as both a French territory and before that, a Roman territory. We included those elements and incorporated the amphora on their shakos as a nod to Algeria's amphora industry under the Roman Empire. [b]Civilian 2:[/b] *In Arabic* Algeria's ancient name was Numidia. Even then, there was wine, but it wasn't as refined as it is today. The uniform designs are unorthodox to me because if I were to see this in the eyes of the G-52s, it would be unusual due to their intended theme. There are also some French elements added to their uniform designs. [b]Fouad:[/b] *In Arabic* I think they're great! This looks like something I'd see in France, but this perfectly fits our country too. The amphora shako badges are appropriate for our country's history. After all, see that fountain there? It has an amphora incorporated into it and the water is dyed to make it look like wine. Lakhdar did state that Algeria's wine history must be shown. Really helps to educate the world about Algerian wine and vinegar as well. [b]Civilian 3:[/b] *In Arabic* The uniforms almost remind me of the Krieglandonian uniforms, but theirs are purple and gold, matching the patriotic colors they had. This combination is mulberry and gold. [b]Civilian 4:[/b] *In Arabic* This is a beautifully executed design, and it would help boost our tourism industry. ------------------ *Washington, D.C.* [b]Zax:[/b] I always thought France is the wine capital of Earth, but apparently, Algeria is poised to beat them on that. But then again, Algeria's wine industry has been around longer than France's wine industry. [b]Zachary:[/b] First came the Phoenicians, then the Romans, and way later, the French. Also, Algeria has furry marching bands wearing wine-themed uniforms to honor their history that their previous regime wouldn't let them know about. It really beats the GSAF's marching band uniforms. [b]Frank C.:[/b] They're very well thought-out, and their shakos have amphora badges. I think Leonardo the Renaissance Lion would like that, since his country was the Roman Empire, where amphoras were popular at the time. They're also wearing gold sashes with silver trims, too. It looks like they're trying to make themselves look like fancy wine bottles. [b]Zachary:[/b] That's probably the intent. I suppose you could thank the French for inspiring this uniform design in Algeria. Under Sharia Law, this would be illegal because alcohol is banned in it. Problem with that in Algeria is that Sharia activists wanted to erase Algeria's wine history and erasing history is a crime against humanity. So Lakhdar was correct to repeal Sharia Law and order his museums to display artifacts, like amphoras. [b]Zax:[/b] Algeria's museums are tightly secured as well in case Sharia activists try to barge their way in and attack the artifacts like the amphorae. Then again, their artifacts are in protective casing, which they would need to get through that, assuming they managed to get past their guards first. They also have C.I.D.F. agents as museum guards to keep would-be vandalizers out, too. [b]Zachary:[/b] Smart move on Lakhdar's end to boost their security like that. ---------------- *Yerevan, Armenia* *The country's first Algerian wine import specialty store is being built as civilians await in excitement for it.* [b]Civilian 1:[/b] *In Armenian* I had no idea Algeria was known for wine that long. [b]Civilian 2:[/b] *In Armenian* They were serving churches with them longer than Lakhdar has been alive. [b]Civilian 3:[/b] *In Armenian* Now that Lakhdar is their President, we hope that we can import their wine. Our inventory storage for them would be perfect! [b]Civilian 4:[/b] *In Armenian* More importantly is that Lakhdar must protect Algeria's wine heritage. [b]Civilian 5:[/b] *In Armenian* Oh, yeah; Algeria's grape farmers were skeptical of Lakhdar at first but they also trust him that he will protect their farms. [b]Civilian 6:[/b] *In Armenian* The majority of France's diplomats in Algeria are without a doubt, enjoyers of wine. They're French; of course they love wine! Except Leonce of course, but he knows many of his people enjoy wine. You can't have France without wine. [b]Civilian 7:[/b] *In Armenian* You can't have Armenia without wine either, since our vineyards are very old yet still in business today. ----------------- *Ottawa, Canada* [b]Rainier:[/b] Finally some peace... Thank heavens... This was a lot of work cleaning up the aftereffects of Levi's tantrum back in France. I can finally eat a buttertart in peace during autumn for once. --------------- *Dallas, TX, USA* [b]Civilian 1:[/b] Football season is back, and you Cowboys fans had better behave this time! [b]Civilian 2:[/b] And we take on the Texans this November. Something tells me they're going to whip us really good. [b]Civilian 3:[/b] Don't say that! We can only do our best! [b]Civilian 4:[/b] And please, for the love of all things holy, do not throw your TVs out the window like you did last season if the Cowboys lose! [b]Civilian 5:[/b] The majority of the state now wants to see the Texans win because of you! ---------------- *Pearland, TX, USA* [b]Wrangler Wolf:[/b] *Is wearing Texans merch.* This season, the Texans will get their revenge! Also, this November, we are taking on the Cowboys! This will be a great season, y'all! [b]Civilian 1:[/b] Nobody is ready for the Texans! [b]Civilian 2:[/b] We got a killer team! -------------- *Australia* [b]Tyler:[/b] And it's going to get dreadfully hot again, as usual. [b]Civilian 1:[/b] I hope those kangaroos stay off my driveway! All they do is fight against each other everywhere they want! It annoys me! [b]Civilian 2:[/b] Sydney seems to have nice weather compared to many parts of Oz. --------------- [b]Len the Outback Lion:[/b] [i](narrating)[/i] If you're not familiar with the slang, "Oz" is a slang way of saying "Australia," our home nation. ------------- *Algeria* [b]Lakhdar:[/b] *in Arabic* This is a fabulous way to display our history and admiration for the wine that defines us. Would you begin, please, by playing the national anthem? *The band does so.* ---------- *Washington, D.C., USA* [b]Leo:[/b] Let's be honest, Zachary. Anything beats the GSAF's uniforms. ------------- *Canada* [b]Captain Canada:[/b] I have to second you on that. All his money and property should be back in his name now. Wish me luck in court, though. [b]Cogent Cat:[/b] The trial was delayed? [b]Captain Canada:[/b] At least three of the twelve jurors caught some sort of stomach bug. It should happen tomorrow at the earliest. *Her communicator beeps.* [b]Captain Canada:[/b] Wait; how did Levi get a profit off of this? *(see below)* [b]Furious Fox:[/b] Something smells fishy here, and it's not my deodorant! ----------- *around the world* *Similar to the case where Terry Leatherfeather had to surrender ALL of his property and money to Cody, the tabloid terrorists are ordered by the courts to do the same thing; this is announced on news outlets around the world. As a result, Levi is now a multi-millionaire.* ------------------- *Greenland* *Levi arrives back at the White House of Shame, although not as punishment. Instead, he's just using it to help him continue his anger management, and to complete the number of days he would have spent before (this was suggested by the D-19, however, and he says yes). Liaanti and the C.I.D.F. troops guarding the house welcome him back, and let him know that he's rich.* [b]Levi:[/b] I hope the rest of that money wasn't stolen. If it was, I want the original owners to have it back. If it wasn't, I'll donate it to charity. [b]Liaanti:[/b] Any specific charity? [b]Levi:[/b] I usually donate to Food Banks Canada, which funds food banks across the country. In one month, almost 2 million people visited food banks, and that's despite Cripto's wealth bailing us out of debt. [b]Liaanti:[/b] Then there's a chance that donation from Cripto was misspent. I hope not. Did he know what he was doing when he donated to the world the way he did? [b]Levi:[/b] I'm guessing the answer is yes and no. It was what got him in trouble eventually, because it was a way to draw attention to himself. And too many things I did were just to draw attention to myself. [b]Liaanti:[/b] I think I see a pattern emerging! [b]Levi:[/b] I don't think I'm autistic like he is, though. I just was a stickler for following orders. Thankfully, the Chief (Super C) hasn't abandoned me yet. [b]Liaanti[/b]: Don't retire from the G-52s either. If you do, you're stuck as a clown in that circus forever. [b]Levi:[/b] Exactly. [b]Liaanti:[/b] Anyway, I was sent to tell you that you're also the owner of all property and possessions those tabloid terrorists had, now that their spouses divorced them, and their families wrote them out of the wills. [b]Levi:[/b] In that case, I plan to sell it off or transfer it over to the government for them to dispose of as they see fit. Either way, give me a second to let them know about this. *He sends a message on the G-52 app confirming this verdict.* ------------ *Pearland, TX, USA* *Toro arrives. This is not the costumed mascot, but the real Toro. (One autistic child wished for real-life animal counterparts to all animal mascots across the NCAA, NBA, NFL, NHL, and MLB.) [b]Toro:[/b] You bet we have a killer team! [b]Civilian 2:[/b] Hey; it's Toro! [b]Toro:[/b] Everybody happy? *Applause. Then people take pictures of Toro posing with Wrangler Wolf and Sandstormer.* --------------------- *Dallas, TX, USA* *The female groups of Drumbums, lionesses and tigresses, perform to promote the season. Minotaur Drumbums also perform for the public. They make it clear, however, that they will NOT perform if the fans do not behave themselves. The female unicorn Drumbums are performing in a different part of the state.* -------------- *Australia* [b]Len:[/b] You get used to it if you live in the Outback like me. Just to confirm, I am running for Prime Minister next year. I just promise not to repeat the mistakes of...uh...you-know-who. I just hope he's doing better. He's suffered enough as it is being a circus clown. [b]Dog of Doom:[/b] It could have been worse. It could have been him having to wrestle one of us. And you seen what happens when I give the opposition a beatdown. [b]Beatdown Bobcat:[/b] Same here. [b]Boomerang Bison:[/b] If you were in the crowds who thought Levi deserved all that ridicule...then you don't know jack! -------------- [b]Super C:[/b] [i](narrating)[/i] He doesn't say this as often as he used to, I should point out, given the phrase "you don't know jack" is an off-shoot of a similar saying containing a profanity. However, I don't charge him with a demerit for that one. ------------ *Washington, D.C.* [b]Zachary:[/b] Mmhmm! Ditch the hammer and sickle badges from the shakos! Even the amphora badges are way more beautiful than that! I'm just surprised how Algeria is full of amphoras from the Roman Empire days. [b]Zax:[/b] There's a lot of them, apparently. [b]Frank C.:[/b] You look at an amphora today, and you can't help but appreciate its beauty and history. It's also one of those things that draws in a lot of curiosity as well. [b]Juno:[/b] They were also targets for Sharia activists in Algeria as well. [b]Zachary:[/b] And as we all know, erasing history is a crime against humanity. [b]Mechayote:[/b] *He checks his communicator.* What is Levi going to do with all that property from his enemies? [b]Zax:[/b] Probably sell them and donate the money to the hospitals or something. [b]Zachary:[/b] What about the homes? [b]Zax:[/b] Donate them to someone who needs them with bills covered for some months, I don't know. --------------- *Australia* [b]Tyler:[/b] Right. At least you kept your cool when one of our women tried breakdancing, only to become a meme to insult us for laughs. [b]Felice:[/b] It was a complete joke. Now Americans are taking it to the conventions by pretending to be us and mocking her poses. As for Machias Seal Island, welp, it's America's forever, and rightfully so. Doesn't even help that America has a far more superior military force compared to Canada's military force. [b]Tyler:[/b] In a way, you could describe us as America's cousin. [b]Felice:[/b] There's so many similarities between modern Australian and American culture. We're a testing ground for America's innovations. But whoever greenlighted Tesla's Cybertruck is completely out of their mind! Yet, it sells well despite being the most hated vehicle in the world. [b]Tyler:[/b] It's unnecessarily huge and hideous! *To Len* Good luck with your election campaign. [b]Felice:[/b] I will be supporting you to the end. It seems like you got this in the bag. --------------- *Pearland, TX, USA* [b]Civilian 3:[/b] Yo; it's my boy, Toro! [b]Civilian 4:[/b] Victory is in the bag! ---------------- *Algeria* *After the band performs, everybody applauds.* [b]Fouad:[/b] *In Arabic* Splendid, splendid! *Archaeologists are seen carefully loading amphoras onto trucks for the museums. C.I.D.F. soldiers are supervising the loading (as well as providing any extra assistance if needed).* [b]Civilian 1:[/b] *In Arabic* Good heavens. We still have those laying around? [b]Fouad:[/b] *In Arabic* Apparently so. [b]Civilian 2:[/b] *In Arabic* And they're well-preserved, too. [b]Civilian 3:[/b] *In Arabic* They are; they really built them to last in the old days. -------------- *Canada* [b]Rainier:[/b] What is he going to do with their property and wealth, now that they're his? [b]Kirk:[/b] Sell or auction them off for a cause, I'm guessing? [b]Rainier:[/b] Surely our hospitals wouldn't mind the extra donations from him complete with having his name written in stone on a list of major donors. If he owns their homes, he could donate them to our people in need with bills paid for some months. ---------- [b]Levi:[/b] [i](narrating)[/i] I would do those very things with some of the cash. ------------ *Washington, D.C.* [b]Tom the Patriotic Tiger:[/b] I would do the same thing. [b]Leo:[/b] Same here. If it belonged to a criminal, it would only carry a negative stigma. ------ *Australia* [b]Len:[/b] Thank you, mates. I wouldn't say it's in the bag, though; every time I see somebody thinking that they got this in the bag, they lose. ------------------ *Canada* [b]Cogent Cat:[/b] Consider this the first step on his redemption tour, so to speak. I do know he'll donate 100% of all profits from his memoirs to charity. --------------- *Greenland* *Levi relaxes by cleaning the interiors of the house. When that's done, he turns on his laptop (since he was allowed to bring it here), and connects to the Wi-Fi, and then looks at possible ways to sell or auction these homes to said people.* -------------- ------------- *Later, everything returns back to normal as usual with Algeria recovering under Lakhdar.* ----------- *Washington D.C.* [b]Zachary:[/b] I've got to say that so far, Leo has done a tremendous job as our President. [b]Juno:[/b] The most important part is that he kept his cool throughout his first term so far. [b]Zax:[/b] And the Machias Seal Island project is going very well as planned. Next year, people of both countries can visit the island from underwater facilities connected by underground trains. [b]Jack:[/b] And remember, the state of Maine officially owns that island. [b]Zachary:[/b] Levi did say it is our island forever so, yeah. [b]William S.:[/b] Nice to see our Coast Guards doing their best defending that island and proving themselves that they're not wimps in any way or form whatsoever. Rainier, the current Prime Minister of Canada, said our Coast Guards fought like soldiers and are not wimps, so that right there is proof that our Coast Guards are impressive to the world. He even said that after witnessing our Coast Guards protect Machias Seal Island from the tabloid terrorists from Canada, he can see why Levi sees us as worthy of owning that island. [b]Jill:[/b] Well, they don't have an equivalent to our Coast Guards anyways. ------------------- *Pearland, TX, USA* [b]Civilian 1:[/b] All eyes on Texans! [b]Civilian 2:[/b] Let's go, Texans! [b]Wrangler Wolf:[/b] This is our season, y'all! --------------- *Ottawa, Canada* [b]Rainier:[/b] Looks like I will be doing Levi's annual review in VR, but this year, there's going to be a lot of feedback, and I can't sugarcoat it. [b]Courtney:[/b] Don't. He has to learn. [b]Kirk:[/b] A lot of Canadians are still going to be disappointed in Levi's decision in ceding Machias Seal Island to the United States, even if there's nothing we can do now. [b]Rainier:[/b] He's going to learn a lot about thinking before speaking, from the photos of Trudeau incident to this year's drone-spying incident. He's going to get an earful from me, and I'm sure he knows. [b]Courtney:[/b] He does. ----------------- *Washington, D.C., USA* [b]Leo:[/b] No doubt Levi's last year in review will be a harsh one. I just hope he handles it calmly. *A Secret Service member enters.* [b]Leo:[/b] Yes? [b]Secret Service Member 1:[/b] Pardon the interruption, Mr. President, but there are some guests here to see you. They said they came from Burkina Faso. [b]Leo:[/b] Burkina Faso? Oh. I think I know who it is. You may bring them in. *The guests end up being the same people that brought the artifacts to the British Museum, and are now seeking to become naturalized U.S. citizens.* [b]Tom:[/b] Hi. May we help you? [b]Burkina Faso Asylee 1:[/b] Yes; we're the artifact preservers; we just left the UK to come here, and now we seek to become citizens of this nation. [b]Leo:[/b] Well, welcome to the United States; you're going to like it so much better. *The next guest ends up being Serge.* [b]Tom:[/b] Hi again. You must be very proud of these people, saving their history the way they did. ------------------- *Ottawa, Canada* [b]Cogent Cat:[/b] He'll be used to it; he said he's already gotten an earful from those in the kitten's world. And it will motivate him as well; if he blows it again, he's stuck as a clown forever. ------------ *Washington, D.C.* [b]Serge:[/b] I am, and I have accepted work in the United States. I will be in the state of Maine to assist with the Machias Seal Island tourism project. [b]Burkinabe Asylee 2:[/b] Some of us fled to Algeria to work there instead, I should point out, thanks to the Saidi Administration (referring to Lakhdar the Maghrebi Lion). It even helps that they speak French as well, a working language in Burkina Faso. [b]Serge:[/b] Consider yourselves very lucky to be here in America. [b]Zax:[/b] Sounds like things aren't working out at Burkina Faso. [b]Serge:[/b] Not at all. Traoré tried to form an alliance with Lakhdar, and he refused his offer. ISIS may be gone in Algeria and Burkina Faso, but the violent homophobia continues in Burkina Faso. [b]Zax:[/b] You won't have to worry about that here, especially in Maine. You're going to love it there! ----------- *Hanoi, Vietnam* *Typhoon Yagi makes landfall in Vietnam and kills four tabloid terrorists from Canada as everybody hides in their basements and bomb shelters.* [b]Chuong:[/b] *Uses a computer webcam to speak with Rainier.* We found four more of your people being killed by the typhoon here and on the cameras, they're identified as the tabloid terrorists of your country. Now we are deeply concerned that there may be more of them hiding in our country than we think. The fact that some of them were in Thailand tells me they are incredibly stupid because everybody in the world knows Lek does Muay Thai. ----------- *Ottawa, Canada* [b]Rainier:[/b] They're still hiding out in the world over Levi? I thought this was taken care of! Oh my goodness! This is worse than I thought! How long do I have to clean up from Levi's Olympic drama, and what exactly did I do to deserve this? ---------- [b]Leo:[/b] [i](narrating)[/i] So the break from the terrorism had ended by this point, but again, the tabloid terrorists are the dumbest of the dumbest of the dumbest. They don't know north from south! They would also tell you 2 + 2 = 5, when you and I both know 2 + 2 = 4. (2 x 2 = 4, also; this is the case where two different equations result in the same thing.) ---------- *Greenland* *Silent Night keeps her distance from the Canadian tabloid terrorists as they wander aimlessly in the country.* [b]Terrorist 1:[/b] What is this place? It's just rocks and ice! [b]Terrorist 2:[/b] What is this frozen wasteland and who the heck lives here? [b]Terrorist 3:[/b] There's nothing to do here! [b]Terrorist 4:[/b] What is this place? Iceland? [b]Terrorist 5:[/b] Why is this place called Greenland? I don't even see a blade of grass here! [b]Terrorist 4:[/b] Someone got Greenland and Iceland mixed up. This place should be Iceland and that place should be Greenland. [b]Silent Night:[/b] *In Greenlandic to Liaanti.* I'm keeping my distance so these idiots can figure out what they're doing wrong. Shall we call in our local C.I.D.F. to deport them back to Canada? [b]Civilian 1:[/b] *In Greenlandic* I see strange men with guns. They're speaking English. [b]Civilian 2:[/b] *In Greenlandic* Let's go home before they see us! [b]Terrorist 6:[/b] If Levi is here, we'll kill him! --------- *Anguilla* [b]Civilian 1:[/b] *To Lex the Brilliant Lion.* I worry that these tabloid terrorists are coming for you. [b]Lex:[/b] If they come, let them. [b]Civilian 2:[/b] You're a scientist. These terrorists are going to be desperate to be after you to try to make your nights restless. [b]Civilian 3:[/b] They're accusing you of destroying their journalism jobs with A.I. [b]Lex:[/b] A.I. is a tool, not a replacement. People are adaptable and can always learn new things. The ones who are experienced in their professions only understands what is generally expected in them and grow from there. I know what I'm doing and I will always sleep fine. [b]Civilian 4:[/b] Those idiots have once invaded Jamaica for Lennie! [b]Lex:[/b] And that did not turn out well, did it? [b]Civilian 4:[/b] You're the only G-52 here. [b]Lex:[/b] And we're also part of the overseas British territories. We have plenty of British G-52s to aid us when trouble finds us. ------------ *Washington, D.C., USA* [b]Leo:[/b] Let's get you all settled. *We help the asylees get settled. We then learn about the other tabloid terrorists.* [b]Tom:[/b] Oh, no; not again! [b]Leo:[/b] As D.W. would say, "Don't those dorks ever get tired of losing?" -------------- *Canada* [b]Furious Fox:[/b] You did nothing to deserve this, Rainier. Remember, these are the idiots that would have gone after Levi even if he hadn't done what he did. They confessed that when the U.S. Coast Guard apprehended them. They were former STOPS members; those people want a world with only "true humans," but that would shrink our population down to about 900. 900 is way too small for a planet this size. ----------------- *Greenland* *Because the White House of Shame has a hidden basement, Levi hides down there since he is occupying it. This is after Liaanti messages him to tell him they're here. Meanwhile, the C.I.D.F. step in to apprehend the terrorists.* [b]Liaanti:[/b] *to Silent Night in Greenlandic* No need to call the C.I.D.F.; they already know. Remember, they are from Caticon; they all have the same superpowers as our Commander, Super C, and one of them is super hearing. The downside is that it makes them accidental eavesdroppers. ----------------- *Washington, D.C.* [b]Zax:[/b] And they're in Vietnam, again. Why Vietnam? [b]Juno:[/b] Nobody knows, I guess. ------- *Canada* [b]Rainier:[/b] Agreed. ---------- *Greenland* [b]Silent Night:[/b] *In Greenlandic* Oh, good; they're gone. *She messages the civilians that it's safe to come out.* ---------------- [b]Captain Canada:[/b] [i](narrating)[/i] While all this was going on, I had to testify in court against the City of Vancouver. It came under new management, so to speak, and they fired me from my job as a traffic light manager because I wouldn't join them in harassing Levi on social media. To do so would have violated the G-52 Code of Conduct. The trial had been delayed since some of the jurors got sick, but now, everybody was healthy again, and we were able to have the trial happen. [b]Levi:[/b] [i](narrating)[/i] Upon hearing the verdict (see below), I sent her a congratulatory message. [b]Super C:[/b] [i](narrating)[/i] As did I. She is the first G-52 to end up in court as the plaintiff, not the defendant. [b]Super Leo:[/b] [i](narrating)[/i] An example of a G-52 as a defendant would be me, back when there was the confusion leading to everybody assuming I made a false arrest. Burkhart has forgiven me for that, though, and we've been friends ever since. It's hard to believe it's been almost a decade since that happened. Time flies, doesn't it? ---------- *Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada* *The court orders Captain Canada to be reinstated back into her job as several people in the city's administration gets fired for discrimination and get replaced with Canadians of Forsythian descent as everybody cheers.* [b]Civilian 1:[/b] Yeah! Justice is served! [b]Civilian 2:[/b] Captain Canada has her job back! ---------- *Washington, D.C.* [b]Leo:[/b] It goes to show they are just that stupid. *He messages Luong.* Luong? It's Leo. They're after you again! *Then our communicators beep again.* [b]Tom:[/b] Oh, good. Captain Canada got her job back. [b]Leo:[/b] That is a big relief. ---------------- *Greenland* *Levi comes back out. He steps outside so he can get a breath of fresh air, and the others talk to him.* [b]Levi:[/b] Are they gone? [b]C.I.D.F. Soldier 1:[/b] Yeah; we got rid of them. How are you, in the meantime? [b]Levi:[/b] Feeling a lot better than I was. I know Rainier is not going to give me a good review, but I won't be bothered as much. I'm already hearing an earful about it day in and day out from the other world's inhabitants. *His communicator beeps.* On the plus side, Captain Canada won her job back. [b]C.I.D.F. Soldier 2:[/b] Was she fired? What did she do? [b]Levi:[/b] She is employed by the city of Vancouver to supervise, install, and repair/replace traffic lights when needed. The city officials fired her because she wouldn't join in the harassment aimed at me. [b]C.I.D.F. Soldier 3:[/b] That's no reason to fire somebody. [b]Levi:[/b] No. [b]C.I.D.F. Soldier 4:[/b] Are you going to have trouble living this down? [b]Levi:[/b] I think so; I cannot take back what I said or did. But as you saw after the clown finale, the nation was willing to forgive me and be at peace with it. I still pray to God for forgiveness and peace each day. [b]C.I.D.F. Soldier 5:[/b] See to it that you keep doing so; also take note about the can of worms you opened. [b]Levi:[/b] I am. It might help you to know, however, that a certain number of these terrorists aren't actually Canadian. They're illegal immigrants taking their propaganda out of the U.S. and using it to poison us. -------------- *Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada* [b]Captain Canada:[/b] Thank you all so much for supporting me; it's great to be back at work! *Her ears perk up.* Oh! Music! *A jazz band full of border collies that was rehearsing for a festival break out into a rousing rendition of Birdland in celebration of this victory. Pristine Pianist is guest starring on the piano; she usually plays classical piano, but here, she plays jazz with the border collies.* ------------------ *Hanoi, Vietnam* [b]Luong:[/b] *On his communicator to Leo, because he decides to speak to Leo out loud instead of texting.* [i]If you're talking about those four terrorists, they were just killed by the current typhoon we are having right now. Typhoon Yagi is heading towards southeast China and Liu has ordered that part of country to evacuate and shelter-in-place. We are safe here.[/i] ---------------- *Ottawa, Canada* [b]Rainier:[/b] And life shall be good from here. [b]Kirk:[/b] *He looks at a copy of a political cartoon portraying Levi as a spoiled crying teenager who didn't get things his way because the coaches of the Canadian women's soccer team used the drones to spy on the women's soccer team from New Zealand back in the Olympics.* Oh my... Look at this one Rainier. [b]Rainier:[/b] Oh wow... That's going to strike a nerve with Levi. There's me behind him facepalming and being portrayed as a frustrated parent and there's Leo the Patriotic Lion running around happily with a model version of Machias Seal Island in his hands. I'm going to hide that in my desk as a reminder of what I am dealing with because of that. That's going to be etched in Canadian history forever but nothing we can do but to learn forward. [b]Kirk:[/b] Good idea. *He hands the political cartoon to Rainier.* [b]Rainier:[/b] *He puts the cartoon inside his desk drawers.* I know Levi won't be screwing up after this. At least he will never have to deal with violent politicians like Leonid did or worse, chaotic murderous mobs like Lakhdar did. Perhaps, I should make this review with Levi public with the other lions doing their own VR annual reviews so they can not only learn from Levi's mistakes, but also from the mistakes and opportunities of other lions. -------------- *Washington, D.C.* [b]Zax:[/b] Awesome! Also heard that the administration of the city of Vancouver is undergoing a major change with new employees. [b]Jack:[/b] And they're of Forsythian descent. They will turn Vancouver around for the better. [b]Juno:[/b] Nice! [b]Serge:[/b] And that's how it should be done! Focus on taking care of your country first! ---------------- *Beijing, China* *The National People's Congress prepares a massive bill for Liu to sign to assist in rebuilding and cleaning up the affected flooded areas of China from Typhoon Yagi as well as funding storm mitigation projects.* [b]Civilian 1:[/b] *In Chinese* That typhoon is much stronger than I thought! [b]Civilian 2:[/b] *In Chinese* With this bill, not only will we bounce back from the storm stronger than ever, we will make sure that our infrastructure are resilient against the worst of storms. ---------- *Washington, D.C.* [b]Leo:[/b] *to Luong* I always said the one opponent that can't be beaten was weather, and this proves it here. Hopefully we'll all now get a break from all this terrorism. Their stupidity is also beyond my comprehension. *George Higgins also draws a few more political cartoons, although keeping with his theme of Leo as emperor and the other lions as kings. The latest has Leo taking Levi on a tour of a war-torn nation (representing Algeria), and saying, "You think you have it tough? Think about this!" [b]Tom:[/b] *to the others* The Forsythians and their descendants embrace the idea of your own nation first. I wish these humans were playing by the same rules. ----------------- *Ottawa, Canada* [b]Furious Fox:[/b] Whatever floats your boat. [b]Cogent Cat:[/b] In the meantime, I'm glad to be working for TSN now (Canadian version of ESPN). All sports, no politics, and nobody there was ridiculing Levi. [b]Furious Fox:[/b] Is that why you quit CTV? [b]Cogent Cat:[/b] Yes. Morning, noon, and night, it was nothing but Levi, Levi, Levi. *CTV and the CBC also fire a bunch of its employees that put heavy emphasis on vilifying Levi to the point of no return. They are also replaced by Canadians of Forsythian descent, all of whom proclaim that WBC (in the U.S.) is the gold standard of broadcasting as a whole.* ------------------ *WC, KS, USA* *WBC continues to reign supreme as the nation's number one network. Some days, it's literally the only network people are watching. This is why the ratings reveal that while the Olympics were getting good ratings, they didn't beat summer repeats of the game shows Cripto hosts. After a taping of one episode, the network executives show Cripto and Super C (who was in the audience) these exact numbers.* [b]WBC Executive 1:[/b] I know this is going to come as a shock to you, because usually sports win the ratings wars. The 2011 Super Bowl had over 100 million viewers. [b]WBC Executive 2:[/b] But we seem to be regressing backwards into the days where our ratings regularly shot through the roof. Michael Iwan, the president of the network, told us, "If these ratings suddenly drop due to the fact CNG is now dead, that does NOT mean the show shall be cancelled. I don't want panic-induced cancellations like the other networks have done." [b]Cripto:[/b] I have read about my share of those. The original [i]The $10,000 Pyramid[/i] aired on CBS, but Fred Silverman cancelled it on the spot because it was delivering a 29 share of ratings, and not anything above 30. That was a big mistake. [b]WBC Executive 1:[/b] Indeed it was. Some nights our network manages to score 100% of the nation's ratings. But here, you only got 65%. 30% of the other 35% were watching the Olympics, and the remaining 5% had other things going on. I shouldn't be grateful that your grandmother, Chloe Clements, is dead, but I know she would have been throwing a tantrum over it. [b]Cripto:[/b] Oh, yes; absolutely. *Super C looks at the pie charts.* [b]Super C:[/b] Wow. Even in summertime repeats, you're unbeatable. Two-thirds of the nation chose you over the Olympics. [b]Cripto:[/b] I have mixed feelings about that; I do like being on top, but I'd like some others to have a turn at being number one also. It's the same thing you were teaching me, boss; nobody should have the spotlight all the time. [b]Super C:[/b] And you learn from your mistakes quite well. *his silent thoughts* [i]Shame Levi didn't, but that's another story.[/i] [b]Cripto:[/b] Yes; it is true that what we saw in the opening ceremony was disgusting to those like myself whose religion is Christianity, but that doesn't mean the entire Games were worth boycotting. It's just like the 1960s; when John Lennon angered a ton of people by claiming the Beatles were bigger than Jesus (and they weren't), my grandma successfully got the people of this town to boycott rock music as a whole, and later other records of other genres. People were burning records left and right. Soon all that was left was what was in the hymnbooks. [b]WBC Executive 2:[/b] I remember that. Otherwise, no one ever took her seriously. But then again, if she had her way, you wouldn't be doing this. [b]Cripto:[/b] And you wouldn't have your jobs either. In her perfect world, there was no television, no video games. Nothing past the 1920s. I think she forgot crime actually went up during Prohibition, not down. [b]WBC Executive 1:[/b] She probably did. Wait. She hated classical music, too? I love that kind of music. [b]Cripto:[/b] If the music didn't glorify God, she said it was unbiblical. I don't see how instrumental music does that. [b]WBC Executive 2:[/b] I agree; if there's no words, there's no dirty content. Well, I guess if the instrumental was a marching band take on something that originally had questionable lyrics, it might be, but everything instrumental by Bach and Mozart is safe for the ears. The song "Classical Gas" was a favorite of mine, and that was a song from the 1960s. ------------------- *Beijing, China* *Once the bill is complete, Liu signs it.* ----------- *Washington, D.C.* [b]Zax:[/b] Yes, and know that each country has different systems of laws. For example, Algeria's law is based on the Napoleonic Code because they were a French colony. Our system of law derives from common law because we used to be a British colony. [b]Gatling Gator:[/b] In the state of Louisiana, the state law system is based on the Napoleonic Code because that state was a French colony. America is a federal republic, where each state has their own laws. ------------------- *Ottawa, Canada* [b]Rainier:[/b] Oh, yes; that. When I took over this office, those networks were ranting about Levi this, Levi that, Levi at every hour, more than they talk about me and how I'm going to clean up his mess. But it should be over by now, I hope, if not soon. --------- ---------- ----------- [b]Captain Canada:[/b] All of us are hoping so, too. It's time to put this behind us, move forward, and let Levi redeem himself. Will you let us do that, folks? If we can right the wrong of me losing my job, then he should be given a full chance to right his wrongs. Thanks for tuning in, as always. We'll keep you updated with more highlights as they come in. Good night. ------------ [color=blue][b]THE END[/b][/color]