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Overthinkers

Delegate of The West Pacific
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  1. Like
    Overthinkers reacted to Sanjurika in Hi My Name Is Sanju   
    Hello everyone! I'm Sanjurika! I recently got accepted into the Hall of Nations, and I'm looking to get more involved in TWP (so if you have any tips, it would be greatly appreciated ;)).
     
    A bit about me, I've been continually playing NS since around 2016. During that time, I've largely made my mark in places like TNP, Europeia, and Karma. Though at the moment I'm in a much-reduced role in all of those regions. I've always known of TWP but up until now, I've never given it a try, though I've always admired your unique regional culture and found your meritocratic approach really unique and interesting. Hopefully, we can get to know each other better, and I'm excited to be here!
  2. Thanks
    Overthinkers reacted to United Adaikes in 1423 United Adaikes Open (darts)   
    Results of the Finals of the Doubles Event
    Overthinkers 7 Dalimbar 4  
    Results of the Finals of the Singles Event
    Ana Garcia (LXA) 6 Darius Masalin (KCM) 11
  3. Like
    Overthinkers got a reaction from United Adaikes in 1423 United Adaikes Open (darts) Signups & OOC   
    Nation name: Overthinkers
    Nation trigram: OTK
    Players:
    1. Luther Barnes
    2. Calvin Worth
    3. Anne Hutchinson
  4. Like
    Overthinkers got a reaction from Giovanniland in TWPChooses #37   
    This, all the way. 100% mischievous fey vibes
  5. Like
    Overthinkers reacted to Dalimbar in World Cup of Football III [rosters, roleplays, results]   
    "so... we actually won? Against the host? Who is currently setting fire to their own stadium?" asked Gen. Iosip Frank, almost stunned at television.
    Marshal Briand and General Frank were watching the Ryxtylopia vs Dalimbar match on FSTV-1.
    "It... appears so. Remind me to have Stavka approve something for Sasha. Lunging at that one Ryx player in the first half was entertaining. I think she may have drew blood." responded Mar. Marcus Briand.
    The two senior officers of the Free State historically often watched Dalimbari sports together, having been friends for what seemed like ages. Although born in separate cities, their families had close ties with one another and got to know each other in their time in the 16th Tank. Briand took a more direct route to Stavka compared to Frank, who preferred the field lifestyle. This week was the first in quite a while where the two were in the same room, now that Briand convinced Frank, and Stavka, to appoint his friend as Vice Chair.
    "Absolutely, Marcus. Poor barbarians, they're going to lose their small minds at this. Which of the players scored? I couldn't tell." Gen. Frank said while sipping his beverage.
    "Does it really matter? They're all one in the same. But I think it was either five or seven. Or maybe eight. I really do appreciate the program from Research Branch that made... whatever this all is, happen. I really can't tell the difference between them." the Marshal of the Free State of Dalimbar sipped his beverage, and the two watched a commercial on the latest in tractor technology in a contented silence.
  6. Like
    Overthinkers got a reaction from Zoran in World Cup of Football III [rosters, roleplays, results]   
    Ambassador Katrina Edelgard ducked through the Ryxenian back streets with surprising swiftness. She looked around to make sure she was alone. Liking what she saw, she pulled out her phone and made a call.
    “The goods are secured, Chief,” she reported.
    “Very good, Katrina. Get back here as soon as you are able.”
    “Of course.” She hung up.
    The goods in question were tightly wrapped in a large, nondescript bundle under her arm. Edelgard herself was not dressed to her usual standards, but had donned worn street clothes. She didn’t exactly look at home in the slums, and was clearly still a foreigner, but stuck out far less than she would have in her full suit.
    She had avoided detection to this point, but as she now rounded a corner, she found herself walking directly towards a pair of police officers. She internally cursed her luck, but did not break stride—the last thing she wanted to do was to act more suspicious.
    “Halt,” one of the officers barked.
    Edelgard complied.
    The other officer smiled. “We just have a couple questions, ma’am.”
    “It is my understanding that this is not a restricted area,” Edelgard challenged. “I assure you I’m not with the press.”
    “That’s not the issue, ma’am.” The officer gestured to the package in the ambassador’s hands. “I’m going to need to see that.”
    “I’m afraid I can’t do that, Officer. My client will be upset if this is tampered with at all.”
    “I’m sure they’ll understand,” said the officer, moving to grab the package.
    In a single movement Edelgard whisked the package out of reach with one hand, and pulled out her credentials with the other. “I am on diplomatic business for the Republic of Overthinkers. If there is a problem, you are welcome to discuss it with my superior, Ambassador Witz, across town.”
    The officers backed up, and Edelgard was allowed to pass.
    Edelgard soon left the slums for the more respectable part of the city. She strolled into a fine hotel and took the elevator up. She knocked on the door of Room 417.
    Coach Luigi opened the door, then turned to holler back into the room. “Alright guys, the tacos are here!”
    A resounding cheer came back in response.
    Edelgard opened her package, and distributed quality Ryxtylopian street tacos to very hungry football players and staff gathered in Coach’s suite. She did not remain long herself, though. Luigi saw her check her phone, see something she didn’t like, and leave the room with her share of the food.
    Twenty minutes later, Luigi got a text from her. Meet me in my suite. Alone.
    “Wendell. Come in.”
    Despite having been here for weeks, Edelgard’s room in the hotel was as impeccably neat as the diplomat herself. Only the single suitcase in the closet, and the laptop sitting on the desk, indicated that the room was occupied at all. She let Luigi into the room and shut the door behind him.
    “There’s something you may want to see,” she said, as she walked over to the laptop.
    Her browser was open to the BrownNewsTV video, which had been released earlier that night. Luigi watched in shock as Lucille Lyons finally revealed herself, only to disparage his team and everything he had built over the past few years at the national level.
    As the video ended, he could only shake his head in disbelief. “I’ll be damned. If anything she said about the team was true, she sure didn’t bring it up to me. And I gave multiple opportuni—“
    “It’s not really my concern, Coach,” Edelgard interjected, “it simply seemed fair to make you aware of what was being claimed. As far as my department is concerned, this is a petty domestic dispute, so my hands are tied.”
    Luigi sighed bitterly. “I imagine you’d tell me that making a statement wouldn’t make matters any better.”
    “Not necessarily,” Edelgard shrugged, “and the optics of ignoring the allegations may be worse than dismissing them. But you have a PR team for that.”
    “It just sucks, you know? Yeah, Lucille was pretty disconnected from the team, but I always thought that was by choice. Now she’s acting like we’d hunt her down and shut her up if we knew where she was. Like we’re some Zoranian crime ring.”
    “You can’t control what people say about you,” Edelgard said. Then, in a lower voice, she added, “but you can control how it’s perceived.”
    Luigi raised an eyebrow. “What are you suggesting?”
    “There’s a young man I met while I was traveling with the rugby team last time.”
    “A Dalimbari?”
    “Heavens no. An Overthinker. Got himself into trouble there—I actually don’t know how he made it out. But he might have the perfect skill set for this.”
    “To do what, exactly? To silence her?”
    “Of course not. But to undermine her credibility.”
    Luigi didn’t respond, but seemed intrigued. Edelgard took out a notepad and pen, and wrote down a name and phone number.
    “Up to you if you give him a call. Just remember, I didn’t officially endorse this.”
    She gave a curt nod as Luigi took the paper and left the room. He stood in the hallway for a moment, studying the note.
    Conrad Ellen
    +3 33 204 98 861
  7. Like
    Overthinkers got a reaction from United Adaikes in World Cup of Football III [rosters, roleplays, results]   
    Ambassador Katrina Edelgard ducked through the Ryxenian back streets with surprising swiftness. She looked around to make sure she was alone. Liking what she saw, she pulled out her phone and made a call.
    “The goods are secured, Chief,” she reported.
    “Very good, Katrina. Get back here as soon as you are able.”
    “Of course.” She hung up.
    The goods in question were tightly wrapped in a large, nondescript bundle under her arm. Edelgard herself was not dressed to her usual standards, but had donned worn street clothes. She didn’t exactly look at home in the slums, and was clearly still a foreigner, but stuck out far less than she would have in her full suit.
    She had avoided detection to this point, but as she now rounded a corner, she found herself walking directly towards a pair of police officers. She internally cursed her luck, but did not break stride—the last thing she wanted to do was to act more suspicious.
    “Halt,” one of the officers barked.
    Edelgard complied.
    The other officer smiled. “We just have a couple questions, ma’am.”
    “It is my understanding that this is not a restricted area,” Edelgard challenged. “I assure you I’m not with the press.”
    “That’s not the issue, ma’am.” The officer gestured to the package in the ambassador’s hands. “I’m going to need to see that.”
    “I’m afraid I can’t do that, Officer. My client will be upset if this is tampered with at all.”
    “I’m sure they’ll understand,” said the officer, moving to grab the package.
    In a single movement Edelgard whisked the package out of reach with one hand, and pulled out her credentials with the other. “I am on diplomatic business for the Republic of Overthinkers. If there is a problem, you are welcome to discuss it with my superior, Ambassador Witz, across town.”
    The officers backed up, and Edelgard was allowed to pass.
    Edelgard soon left the slums for the more respectable part of the city. She strolled into a fine hotel and took the elevator up. She knocked on the door of Room 417.
    Coach Luigi opened the door, then turned to holler back into the room. “Alright guys, the tacos are here!”
    A resounding cheer came back in response.
    Edelgard opened her package, and distributed quality Ryxtylopian street tacos to very hungry football players and staff gathered in Coach’s suite. She did not remain long herself, though. Luigi saw her check her phone, see something she didn’t like, and leave the room with her share of the food.
    Twenty minutes later, Luigi got a text from her. Meet me in my suite. Alone.
    “Wendell. Come in.”
    Despite having been here for weeks, Edelgard’s room in the hotel was as impeccably neat as the diplomat herself. Only the single suitcase in the closet, and the laptop sitting on the desk, indicated that the room was occupied at all. She let Luigi into the room and shut the door behind him.
    “There’s something you may want to see,” she said, as she walked over to the laptop.
    Her browser was open to the BrownNewsTV video, which had been released earlier that night. Luigi watched in shock as Lucille Lyons finally revealed herself, only to disparage his team and everything he had built over the past few years at the national level.
    As the video ended, he could only shake his head in disbelief. “I’ll be damned. If anything she said about the team was true, she sure didn’t bring it up to me. And I gave multiple opportuni—“
    “It’s not really my concern, Coach,” Edelgard interjected, “it simply seemed fair to make you aware of what was being claimed. As far as my department is concerned, this is a petty domestic dispute, so my hands are tied.”
    Luigi sighed bitterly. “I imagine you’d tell me that making a statement wouldn’t make matters any better.”
    “Not necessarily,” Edelgard shrugged, “and the optics of ignoring the allegations may be worse than dismissing them. But you have a PR team for that.”
    “It just sucks, you know? Yeah, Lucille was pretty disconnected from the team, but I always thought that was by choice. Now she’s acting like we’d hunt her down and shut her up if we knew where she was. Like we’re some Zoranian crime ring.”
    “You can’t control what people say about you,” Edelgard said. Then, in a lower voice, she added, “but you can control how it’s perceived.”
    Luigi raised an eyebrow. “What are you suggesting?”
    “There’s a young man I met while I was traveling with the rugby team last time.”
    “A Dalimbari?”
    “Heavens no. An Overthinker. Got himself into trouble there—I actually don’t know how he made it out. But he might have the perfect skill set for this.”
    “To do what, exactly? To silence her?”
    “Of course not. But to undermine her credibility.”
    Luigi didn’t respond, but seemed intrigued. Edelgard took out a notepad and pen, and wrote down a name and phone number.
    “Up to you if you give him a call. Just remember, I didn’t officially endorse this.”
    She gave a curt nod as Luigi took the paper and left the room. He stood in the hallway for a moment, studying the note.
    Conrad Ellen
    +3 33 204 98 861
  8. Like
    Overthinkers got a reaction from Sekiya in World Cup of Football III [rosters, roleplays, results]   
    Ambassador Katrina Edelgard ducked through the Ryxenian back streets with surprising swiftness. She looked around to make sure she was alone. Liking what she saw, she pulled out her phone and made a call.
    “The goods are secured, Chief,” she reported.
    “Very good, Katrina. Get back here as soon as you are able.”
    “Of course.” She hung up.
    The goods in question were tightly wrapped in a large, nondescript bundle under her arm. Edelgard herself was not dressed to her usual standards, but had donned worn street clothes. She didn’t exactly look at home in the slums, and was clearly still a foreigner, but stuck out far less than she would have in her full suit.
    She had avoided detection to this point, but as she now rounded a corner, she found herself walking directly towards a pair of police officers. She internally cursed her luck, but did not break stride—the last thing she wanted to do was to act more suspicious.
    “Halt,” one of the officers barked.
    Edelgard complied.
    The other officer smiled. “We just have a couple questions, ma’am.”
    “It is my understanding that this is not a restricted area,” Edelgard challenged. “I assure you I’m not with the press.”
    “That’s not the issue, ma’am.” The officer gestured to the package in the ambassador’s hands. “I’m going to need to see that.”
    “I’m afraid I can’t do that, Officer. My client will be upset if this is tampered with at all.”
    “I’m sure they’ll understand,” said the officer, moving to grab the package.
    In a single movement Edelgard whisked the package out of reach with one hand, and pulled out her credentials with the other. “I am on diplomatic business for the Republic of Overthinkers. If there is a problem, you are welcome to discuss it with my superior, Ambassador Witz, across town.”
    The officers backed up, and Edelgard was allowed to pass.
    Edelgard soon left the slums for the more respectable part of the city. She strolled into a fine hotel and took the elevator up. She knocked on the door of Room 417.
    Coach Luigi opened the door, then turned to holler back into the room. “Alright guys, the tacos are here!”
    A resounding cheer came back in response.
    Edelgard opened her package, and distributed quality Ryxtylopian street tacos to very hungry football players and staff gathered in Coach’s suite. She did not remain long herself, though. Luigi saw her check her phone, see something she didn’t like, and leave the room with her share of the food.
    Twenty minutes later, Luigi got a text from her. Meet me in my suite. Alone.
    “Wendell. Come in.”
    Despite having been here for weeks, Edelgard’s room in the hotel was as impeccably neat as the diplomat herself. Only the single suitcase in the closet, and the laptop sitting on the desk, indicated that the room was occupied at all. She let Luigi into the room and shut the door behind him.
    “There’s something you may want to see,” she said, as she walked over to the laptop.
    Her browser was open to the BrownNewsTV video, which had been released earlier that night. Luigi watched in shock as Lucille Lyons finally revealed herself, only to disparage his team and everything he had built over the past few years at the national level.
    As the video ended, he could only shake his head in disbelief. “I’ll be damned. If anything she said about the team was true, she sure didn’t bring it up to me. And I gave multiple opportuni—“
    “It’s not really my concern, Coach,” Edelgard interjected, “it simply seemed fair to make you aware of what was being claimed. As far as my department is concerned, this is a petty domestic dispute, so my hands are tied.”
    Luigi sighed bitterly. “I imagine you’d tell me that making a statement wouldn’t make matters any better.”
    “Not necessarily,” Edelgard shrugged, “and the optics of ignoring the allegations may be worse than dismissing them. But you have a PR team for that.”
    “It just sucks, you know? Yeah, Lucille was pretty disconnected from the team, but I always thought that was by choice. Now she’s acting like we’d hunt her down and shut her up if we knew where she was. Like we’re some Zoranian crime ring.”
    “You can’t control what people say about you,” Edelgard said. Then, in a lower voice, she added, “but you can control how it’s perceived.”
    Luigi raised an eyebrow. “What are you suggesting?”
    “There’s a young man I met while I was traveling with the rugby team last time.”
    “A Dalimbari?”
    “Heavens no. An Overthinker. Got himself into trouble there—I actually don’t know how he made it out. But he might have the perfect skill set for this.”
    “To do what, exactly? To silence her?”
    “Of course not. But to undermine her credibility.”
    Luigi didn’t respond, but seemed intrigued. Edelgard took out a notepad and pen, and wrote down a name and phone number.
    “Up to you if you give him a call. Just remember, I didn’t officially endorse this.”
    She gave a curt nod as Luigi took the paper and left the room. He stood in the hallway for a moment, studying the note.
    Conrad Ellen
    +3 33 204 98 861
  9. Like
    Overthinkers got a reaction from Federation of Inner Ryxtylopia in World Cup of Football III [rosters, roleplays, results]   
    Ambassador Katrina Edelgard ducked through the Ryxenian back streets with surprising swiftness. She looked around to make sure she was alone. Liking what she saw, she pulled out her phone and made a call.
    “The goods are secured, Chief,” she reported.
    “Very good, Katrina. Get back here as soon as you are able.”
    “Of course.” She hung up.
    The goods in question were tightly wrapped in a large, nondescript bundle under her arm. Edelgard herself was not dressed to her usual standards, but had donned worn street clothes. She didn’t exactly look at home in the slums, and was clearly still a foreigner, but stuck out far less than she would have in her full suit.
    She had avoided detection to this point, but as she now rounded a corner, she found herself walking directly towards a pair of police officers. She internally cursed her luck, but did not break stride—the last thing she wanted to do was to act more suspicious.
    “Halt,” one of the officers barked.
    Edelgard complied.
    The other officer smiled. “We just have a couple questions, ma’am.”
    “It is my understanding that this is not a restricted area,” Edelgard challenged. “I assure you I’m not with the press.”
    “That’s not the issue, ma’am.” The officer gestured to the package in the ambassador’s hands. “I’m going to need to see that.”
    “I’m afraid I can’t do that, Officer. My client will be upset if this is tampered with at all.”
    “I’m sure they’ll understand,” said the officer, moving to grab the package.
    In a single movement Edelgard whisked the package out of reach with one hand, and pulled out her credentials with the other. “I am on diplomatic business for the Republic of Overthinkers. If there is a problem, you are welcome to discuss it with my superior, Ambassador Witz, across town.”
    The officers backed up, and Edelgard was allowed to pass.
    Edelgard soon left the slums for the more respectable part of the city. She strolled into a fine hotel and took the elevator up. She knocked on the door of Room 417.
    Coach Luigi opened the door, then turned to holler back into the room. “Alright guys, the tacos are here!”
    A resounding cheer came back in response.
    Edelgard opened her package, and distributed quality Ryxtylopian street tacos to very hungry football players and staff gathered in Coach’s suite. She did not remain long herself, though. Luigi saw her check her phone, see something she didn’t like, and leave the room with her share of the food.
    Twenty minutes later, Luigi got a text from her. Meet me in my suite. Alone.
    “Wendell. Come in.”
    Despite having been here for weeks, Edelgard’s room in the hotel was as impeccably neat as the diplomat herself. Only the single suitcase in the closet, and the laptop sitting on the desk, indicated that the room was occupied at all. She let Luigi into the room and shut the door behind him.
    “There’s something you may want to see,” she said, as she walked over to the laptop.
    Her browser was open to the BrownNewsTV video, which had been released earlier that night. Luigi watched in shock as Lucille Lyons finally revealed herself, only to disparage his team and everything he had built over the past few years at the national level.
    As the video ended, he could only shake his head in disbelief. “I’ll be damned. If anything she said about the team was true, she sure didn’t bring it up to me. And I gave multiple opportuni—“
    “It’s not really my concern, Coach,” Edelgard interjected, “it simply seemed fair to make you aware of what was being claimed. As far as my department is concerned, this is a petty domestic dispute, so my hands are tied.”
    Luigi sighed bitterly. “I imagine you’d tell me that making a statement wouldn’t make matters any better.”
    “Not necessarily,” Edelgard shrugged, “and the optics of ignoring the allegations may be worse than dismissing them. But you have a PR team for that.”
    “It just sucks, you know? Yeah, Lucille was pretty disconnected from the team, but I always thought that was by choice. Now she’s acting like we’d hunt her down and shut her up if we knew where she was. Like we’re some Zoranian crime ring.”
    “You can’t control what people say about you,” Edelgard said. Then, in a lower voice, she added, “but you can control how it’s perceived.”
    Luigi raised an eyebrow. “What are you suggesting?”
    “There’s a young man I met while I was traveling with the rugby team last time.”
    “A Dalimbari?”
    “Heavens no. An Overthinker. Got himself into trouble there—I actually don’t know how he made it out. But he might have the perfect skill set for this.”
    “To do what, exactly? To silence her?”
    “Of course not. But to undermine her credibility.”
    Luigi didn’t respond, but seemed intrigued. Edelgard took out a notepad and pen, and wrote down a name and phone number.
    “Up to you if you give him a call. Just remember, I didn’t officially endorse this.”
    She gave a curt nod as Luigi took the paper and left the room. He stood in the hallway for a moment, studying the note.
    Conrad Ellen
    +3 33 204 98 861
  10. Like
    Overthinkers got a reaction from Saint Mark in World Cup of Football III [rosters, roleplays, results]   
    Ambassador Katrina Edelgard ducked through the Ryxenian back streets with surprising swiftness. She looked around to make sure she was alone. Liking what she saw, she pulled out her phone and made a call.
    “The goods are secured, Chief,” she reported.
    “Very good, Katrina. Get back here as soon as you are able.”
    “Of course.” She hung up.
    The goods in question were tightly wrapped in a large, nondescript bundle under her arm. Edelgard herself was not dressed to her usual standards, but had donned worn street clothes. She didn’t exactly look at home in the slums, and was clearly still a foreigner, but stuck out far less than she would have in her full suit.
    She had avoided detection to this point, but as she now rounded a corner, she found herself walking directly towards a pair of police officers. She internally cursed her luck, but did not break stride—the last thing she wanted to do was to act more suspicious.
    “Halt,” one of the officers barked.
    Edelgard complied.
    The other officer smiled. “We just have a couple questions, ma’am.”
    “It is my understanding that this is not a restricted area,” Edelgard challenged. “I assure you I’m not with the press.”
    “That’s not the issue, ma’am.” The officer gestured to the package in the ambassador’s hands. “I’m going to need to see that.”
    “I’m afraid I can’t do that, Officer. My client will be upset if this is tampered with at all.”
    “I’m sure they’ll understand,” said the officer, moving to grab the package.
    In a single movement Edelgard whisked the package out of reach with one hand, and pulled out her credentials with the other. “I am on diplomatic business for the Republic of Overthinkers. If there is a problem, you are welcome to discuss it with my superior, Ambassador Witz, across town.”
    The officers backed up, and Edelgard was allowed to pass.
    Edelgard soon left the slums for the more respectable part of the city. She strolled into a fine hotel and took the elevator up. She knocked on the door of Room 417.
    Coach Luigi opened the door, then turned to holler back into the room. “Alright guys, the tacos are here!”
    A resounding cheer came back in response.
    Edelgard opened her package, and distributed quality Ryxtylopian street tacos to very hungry football players and staff gathered in Coach’s suite. She did not remain long herself, though. Luigi saw her check her phone, see something she didn’t like, and leave the room with her share of the food.
    Twenty minutes later, Luigi got a text from her. Meet me in my suite. Alone.
    “Wendell. Come in.”
    Despite having been here for weeks, Edelgard’s room in the hotel was as impeccably neat as the diplomat herself. Only the single suitcase in the closet, and the laptop sitting on the desk, indicated that the room was occupied at all. She let Luigi into the room and shut the door behind him.
    “There’s something you may want to see,” she said, as she walked over to the laptop.
    Her browser was open to the BrownNewsTV video, which had been released earlier that night. Luigi watched in shock as Lucille Lyons finally revealed herself, only to disparage his team and everything he had built over the past few years at the national level.
    As the video ended, he could only shake his head in disbelief. “I’ll be damned. If anything she said about the team was true, she sure didn’t bring it up to me. And I gave multiple opportuni—“
    “It’s not really my concern, Coach,” Edelgard interjected, “it simply seemed fair to make you aware of what was being claimed. As far as my department is concerned, this is a petty domestic dispute, so my hands are tied.”
    Luigi sighed bitterly. “I imagine you’d tell me that making a statement wouldn’t make matters any better.”
    “Not necessarily,” Edelgard shrugged, “and the optics of ignoring the allegations may be worse than dismissing them. But you have a PR team for that.”
    “It just sucks, you know? Yeah, Lucille was pretty disconnected from the team, but I always thought that was by choice. Now she’s acting like we’d hunt her down and shut her up if we knew where she was. Like we’re some Zoranian crime ring.”
    “You can’t control what people say about you,” Edelgard said. Then, in a lower voice, she added, “but you can control how it’s perceived.”
    Luigi raised an eyebrow. “What are you suggesting?”
    “There’s a young man I met while I was traveling with the rugby team last time.”
    “A Dalimbari?”
    “Heavens no. An Overthinker. Got himself into trouble there—I actually don’t know how he made it out. But he might have the perfect skill set for this.”
    “To do what, exactly? To silence her?”
    “Of course not. But to undermine her credibility.”
    Luigi didn’t respond, but seemed intrigued. Edelgard took out a notepad and pen, and wrote down a name and phone number.
    “Up to you if you give him a call. Just remember, I didn’t officially endorse this.”
    She gave a curt nod as Luigi took the paper and left the room. He stood in the hallway for a moment, studying the note.
    Conrad Ellen
    +3 33 204 98 861
  11. Like
    Overthinkers got a reaction from Arifiyyah in World Cup of Football III [rosters, roleplays, results]   
    Ambassador Katrina Edelgard ducked through the Ryxenian back streets with surprising swiftness. She looked around to make sure she was alone. Liking what she saw, she pulled out her phone and made a call.
    “The goods are secured, Chief,” she reported.
    “Very good, Katrina. Get back here as soon as you are able.”
    “Of course.” She hung up.
    The goods in question were tightly wrapped in a large, nondescript bundle under her arm. Edelgard herself was not dressed to her usual standards, but had donned worn street clothes. She didn’t exactly look at home in the slums, and was clearly still a foreigner, but stuck out far less than she would have in her full suit.
    She had avoided detection to this point, but as she now rounded a corner, she found herself walking directly towards a pair of police officers. She internally cursed her luck, but did not break stride—the last thing she wanted to do was to act more suspicious.
    “Halt,” one of the officers barked.
    Edelgard complied.
    The other officer smiled. “We just have a couple questions, ma’am.”
    “It is my understanding that this is not a restricted area,” Edelgard challenged. “I assure you I’m not with the press.”
    “That’s not the issue, ma’am.” The officer gestured to the package in the ambassador’s hands. “I’m going to need to see that.”
    “I’m afraid I can’t do that, Officer. My client will be upset if this is tampered with at all.”
    “I’m sure they’ll understand,” said the officer, moving to grab the package.
    In a single movement Edelgard whisked the package out of reach with one hand, and pulled out her credentials with the other. “I am on diplomatic business for the Republic of Overthinkers. If there is a problem, you are welcome to discuss it with my superior, Ambassador Witz, across town.”
    The officers backed up, and Edelgard was allowed to pass.
    Edelgard soon left the slums for the more respectable part of the city. She strolled into a fine hotel and took the elevator up. She knocked on the door of Room 417.
    Coach Luigi opened the door, then turned to holler back into the room. “Alright guys, the tacos are here!”
    A resounding cheer came back in response.
    Edelgard opened her package, and distributed quality Ryxtylopian street tacos to very hungry football players and staff gathered in Coach’s suite. She did not remain long herself, though. Luigi saw her check her phone, see something she didn’t like, and leave the room with her share of the food.
    Twenty minutes later, Luigi got a text from her. Meet me in my suite. Alone.
    “Wendell. Come in.”
    Despite having been here for weeks, Edelgard’s room in the hotel was as impeccably neat as the diplomat herself. Only the single suitcase in the closet, and the laptop sitting on the desk, indicated that the room was occupied at all. She let Luigi into the room and shut the door behind him.
    “There’s something you may want to see,” she said, as she walked over to the laptop.
    Her browser was open to the BrownNewsTV video, which had been released earlier that night. Luigi watched in shock as Lucille Lyons finally revealed herself, only to disparage his team and everything he had built over the past few years at the national level.
    As the video ended, he could only shake his head in disbelief. “I’ll be damned. If anything she said about the team was true, she sure didn’t bring it up to me. And I gave multiple opportuni—“
    “It’s not really my concern, Coach,” Edelgard interjected, “it simply seemed fair to make you aware of what was being claimed. As far as my department is concerned, this is a petty domestic dispute, so my hands are tied.”
    Luigi sighed bitterly. “I imagine you’d tell me that making a statement wouldn’t make matters any better.”
    “Not necessarily,” Edelgard shrugged, “and the optics of ignoring the allegations may be worse than dismissing them. But you have a PR team for that.”
    “It just sucks, you know? Yeah, Lucille was pretty disconnected from the team, but I always thought that was by choice. Now she’s acting like we’d hunt her down and shut her up if we knew where she was. Like we’re some Zoranian crime ring.”
    “You can’t control what people say about you,” Edelgard said. Then, in a lower voice, she added, “but you can control how it’s perceived.”
    Luigi raised an eyebrow. “What are you suggesting?”
    “There’s a young man I met while I was traveling with the rugby team last time.”
    “A Dalimbari?”
    “Heavens no. An Overthinker. Got himself into trouble there—I actually don’t know how he made it out. But he might have the perfect skill set for this.”
    “To do what, exactly? To silence her?”
    “Of course not. But to undermine her credibility.”
    Luigi didn’t respond, but seemed intrigued. Edelgard took out a notepad and pen, and wrote down a name and phone number.
    “Up to you if you give him a call. Just remember, I didn’t officially endorse this.”
    She gave a curt nod as Luigi took the paper and left the room. He stood in the hallway for a moment, studying the note.
    Conrad Ellen
    +3 33 204 98 861
  12. Like
    Overthinkers got a reaction from Giovanniland in World Cup of Football III [rosters, roleplays, results]   
    Ambassador Katrina Edelgard ducked through the Ryxenian back streets with surprising swiftness. She looked around to make sure she was alone. Liking what she saw, she pulled out her phone and made a call.
    “The goods are secured, Chief,” she reported.
    “Very good, Katrina. Get back here as soon as you are able.”
    “Of course.” She hung up.
    The goods in question were tightly wrapped in a large, nondescript bundle under her arm. Edelgard herself was not dressed to her usual standards, but had donned worn street clothes. She didn’t exactly look at home in the slums, and was clearly still a foreigner, but stuck out far less than she would have in her full suit.
    She had avoided detection to this point, but as she now rounded a corner, she found herself walking directly towards a pair of police officers. She internally cursed her luck, but did not break stride—the last thing she wanted to do was to act more suspicious.
    “Halt,” one of the officers barked.
    Edelgard complied.
    The other officer smiled. “We just have a couple questions, ma’am.”
    “It is my understanding that this is not a restricted area,” Edelgard challenged. “I assure you I’m not with the press.”
    “That’s not the issue, ma’am.” The officer gestured to the package in the ambassador’s hands. “I’m going to need to see that.”
    “I’m afraid I can’t do that, Officer. My client will be upset if this is tampered with at all.”
    “I’m sure they’ll understand,” said the officer, moving to grab the package.
    In a single movement Edelgard whisked the package out of reach with one hand, and pulled out her credentials with the other. “I am on diplomatic business for the Republic of Overthinkers. If there is a problem, you are welcome to discuss it with my superior, Ambassador Witz, across town.”
    The officers backed up, and Edelgard was allowed to pass.
    Edelgard soon left the slums for the more respectable part of the city. She strolled into a fine hotel and took the elevator up. She knocked on the door of Room 417.
    Coach Luigi opened the door, then turned to holler back into the room. “Alright guys, the tacos are here!”
    A resounding cheer came back in response.
    Edelgard opened her package, and distributed quality Ryxtylopian street tacos to very hungry football players and staff gathered in Coach’s suite. She did not remain long herself, though. Luigi saw her check her phone, see something she didn’t like, and leave the room with her share of the food.
    Twenty minutes later, Luigi got a text from her. Meet me in my suite. Alone.
    “Wendell. Come in.”
    Despite having been here for weeks, Edelgard’s room in the hotel was as impeccably neat as the diplomat herself. Only the single suitcase in the closet, and the laptop sitting on the desk, indicated that the room was occupied at all. She let Luigi into the room and shut the door behind him.
    “There’s something you may want to see,” she said, as she walked over to the laptop.
    Her browser was open to the BrownNewsTV video, which had been released earlier that night. Luigi watched in shock as Lucille Lyons finally revealed herself, only to disparage his team and everything he had built over the past few years at the national level.
    As the video ended, he could only shake his head in disbelief. “I’ll be damned. If anything she said about the team was true, she sure didn’t bring it up to me. And I gave multiple opportuni—“
    “It’s not really my concern, Coach,” Edelgard interjected, “it simply seemed fair to make you aware of what was being claimed. As far as my department is concerned, this is a petty domestic dispute, so my hands are tied.”
    Luigi sighed bitterly. “I imagine you’d tell me that making a statement wouldn’t make matters any better.”
    “Not necessarily,” Edelgard shrugged, “and the optics of ignoring the allegations may be worse than dismissing them. But you have a PR team for that.”
    “It just sucks, you know? Yeah, Lucille was pretty disconnected from the team, but I always thought that was by choice. Now she’s acting like we’d hunt her down and shut her up if we knew where she was. Like we’re some Zoranian crime ring.”
    “You can’t control what people say about you,” Edelgard said. Then, in a lower voice, she added, “but you can control how it’s perceived.”
    Luigi raised an eyebrow. “What are you suggesting?”
    “There’s a young man I met while I was traveling with the rugby team last time.”
    “A Dalimbari?”
    “Heavens no. An Overthinker. Got himself into trouble there—I actually don’t know how he made it out. But he might have the perfect skill set for this.”
    “To do what, exactly? To silence her?”
    “Of course not. But to undermine her credibility.”
    Luigi didn’t respond, but seemed intrigued. Edelgard took out a notepad and pen, and wrote down a name and phone number.
    “Up to you if you give him a call. Just remember, I didn’t officially endorse this.”
    She gave a curt nod as Luigi took the paper and left the room. He stood in the hallway for a moment, studying the note.
    Conrad Ellen
    +3 33 204 98 861
  13. Like
    Overthinkers got a reaction from Nox in World Cup of Football III [rosters, roleplays, results]   
    Ambassador Katrina Edelgard ducked through the Ryxenian back streets with surprising swiftness. She looked around to make sure she was alone. Liking what she saw, she pulled out her phone and made a call.
    “The goods are secured, Chief,” she reported.
    “Very good, Katrina. Get back here as soon as you are able.”
    “Of course.” She hung up.
    The goods in question were tightly wrapped in a large, nondescript bundle under her arm. Edelgard herself was not dressed to her usual standards, but had donned worn street clothes. She didn’t exactly look at home in the slums, and was clearly still a foreigner, but stuck out far less than she would have in her full suit.
    She had avoided detection to this point, but as she now rounded a corner, she found herself walking directly towards a pair of police officers. She internally cursed her luck, but did not break stride—the last thing she wanted to do was to act more suspicious.
    “Halt,” one of the officers barked.
    Edelgard complied.
    The other officer smiled. “We just have a couple questions, ma’am.”
    “It is my understanding that this is not a restricted area,” Edelgard challenged. “I assure you I’m not with the press.”
    “That’s not the issue, ma’am.” The officer gestured to the package in the ambassador’s hands. “I’m going to need to see that.”
    “I’m afraid I can’t do that, Officer. My client will be upset if this is tampered with at all.”
    “I’m sure they’ll understand,” said the officer, moving to grab the package.
    In a single movement Edelgard whisked the package out of reach with one hand, and pulled out her credentials with the other. “I am on diplomatic business for the Republic of Overthinkers. If there is a problem, you are welcome to discuss it with my superior, Ambassador Witz, across town.”
    The officers backed up, and Edelgard was allowed to pass.
    Edelgard soon left the slums for the more respectable part of the city. She strolled into a fine hotel and took the elevator up. She knocked on the door of Room 417.
    Coach Luigi opened the door, then turned to holler back into the room. “Alright guys, the tacos are here!”
    A resounding cheer came back in response.
    Edelgard opened her package, and distributed quality Ryxtylopian street tacos to very hungry football players and staff gathered in Coach’s suite. She did not remain long herself, though. Luigi saw her check her phone, see something she didn’t like, and leave the room with her share of the food.
    Twenty minutes later, Luigi got a text from her. Meet me in my suite. Alone.
    “Wendell. Come in.”
    Despite having been here for weeks, Edelgard’s room in the hotel was as impeccably neat as the diplomat herself. Only the single suitcase in the closet, and the laptop sitting on the desk, indicated that the room was occupied at all. She let Luigi into the room and shut the door behind him.
    “There’s something you may want to see,” she said, as she walked over to the laptop.
    Her browser was open to the BrownNewsTV video, which had been released earlier that night. Luigi watched in shock as Lucille Lyons finally revealed herself, only to disparage his team and everything he had built over the past few years at the national level.
    As the video ended, he could only shake his head in disbelief. “I’ll be damned. If anything she said about the team was true, she sure didn’t bring it up to me. And I gave multiple opportuni—“
    “It’s not really my concern, Coach,” Edelgard interjected, “it simply seemed fair to make you aware of what was being claimed. As far as my department is concerned, this is a petty domestic dispute, so my hands are tied.”
    Luigi sighed bitterly. “I imagine you’d tell me that making a statement wouldn’t make matters any better.”
    “Not necessarily,” Edelgard shrugged, “and the optics of ignoring the allegations may be worse than dismissing them. But you have a PR team for that.”
    “It just sucks, you know? Yeah, Lucille was pretty disconnected from the team, but I always thought that was by choice. Now she’s acting like we’d hunt her down and shut her up if we knew where she was. Like we’re some Zoranian crime ring.”
    “You can’t control what people say about you,” Edelgard said. Then, in a lower voice, she added, “but you can control how it’s perceived.”
    Luigi raised an eyebrow. “What are you suggesting?”
    “There’s a young man I met while I was traveling with the rugby team last time.”
    “A Dalimbari?”
    “Heavens no. An Overthinker. Got himself into trouble there—I actually don’t know how he made it out. But he might have the perfect skill set for this.”
    “To do what, exactly? To silence her?”
    “Of course not. But to undermine her credibility.”
    Luigi didn’t respond, but seemed intrigued. Edelgard took out a notepad and pen, and wrote down a name and phone number.
    “Up to you if you give him a call. Just remember, I didn’t officially endorse this.”
    She gave a curt nod as Luigi took the paper and left the room. He stood in the hallway for a moment, studying the note.
    Conrad Ellen
    +3 33 204 98 861
  14. Like
    Overthinkers got a reaction from Dalimbar in World Cup of Football III [rosters, roleplays, results]   
    Ambassador Katrina Edelgard ducked through the Ryxenian back streets with surprising swiftness. She looked around to make sure she was alone. Liking what she saw, she pulled out her phone and made a call.
    “The goods are secured, Chief,” she reported.
    “Very good, Katrina. Get back here as soon as you are able.”
    “Of course.” She hung up.
    The goods in question were tightly wrapped in a large, nondescript bundle under her arm. Edelgard herself was not dressed to her usual standards, but had donned worn street clothes. She didn’t exactly look at home in the slums, and was clearly still a foreigner, but stuck out far less than she would have in her full suit.
    She had avoided detection to this point, but as she now rounded a corner, she found herself walking directly towards a pair of police officers. She internally cursed her luck, but did not break stride—the last thing she wanted to do was to act more suspicious.
    “Halt,” one of the officers barked.
    Edelgard complied.
    The other officer smiled. “We just have a couple questions, ma’am.”
    “It is my understanding that this is not a restricted area,” Edelgard challenged. “I assure you I’m not with the press.”
    “That’s not the issue, ma’am.” The officer gestured to the package in the ambassador’s hands. “I’m going to need to see that.”
    “I’m afraid I can’t do that, Officer. My client will be upset if this is tampered with at all.”
    “I’m sure they’ll understand,” said the officer, moving to grab the package.
    In a single movement Edelgard whisked the package out of reach with one hand, and pulled out her credentials with the other. “I am on diplomatic business for the Republic of Overthinkers. If there is a problem, you are welcome to discuss it with my superior, Ambassador Witz, across town.”
    The officers backed up, and Edelgard was allowed to pass.
    Edelgard soon left the slums for the more respectable part of the city. She strolled into a fine hotel and took the elevator up. She knocked on the door of Room 417.
    Coach Luigi opened the door, then turned to holler back into the room. “Alright guys, the tacos are here!”
    A resounding cheer came back in response.
    Edelgard opened her package, and distributed quality Ryxtylopian street tacos to very hungry football players and staff gathered in Coach’s suite. She did not remain long herself, though. Luigi saw her check her phone, see something she didn’t like, and leave the room with her share of the food.
    Twenty minutes later, Luigi got a text from her. Meet me in my suite. Alone.
    “Wendell. Come in.”
    Despite having been here for weeks, Edelgard’s room in the hotel was as impeccably neat as the diplomat herself. Only the single suitcase in the closet, and the laptop sitting on the desk, indicated that the room was occupied at all. She let Luigi into the room and shut the door behind him.
    “There’s something you may want to see,” she said, as she walked over to the laptop.
    Her browser was open to the BrownNewsTV video, which had been released earlier that night. Luigi watched in shock as Lucille Lyons finally revealed herself, only to disparage his team and everything he had built over the past few years at the national level.
    As the video ended, he could only shake his head in disbelief. “I’ll be damned. If anything she said about the team was true, she sure didn’t bring it up to me. And I gave multiple opportuni—“
    “It’s not really my concern, Coach,” Edelgard interjected, “it simply seemed fair to make you aware of what was being claimed. As far as my department is concerned, this is a petty domestic dispute, so my hands are tied.”
    Luigi sighed bitterly. “I imagine you’d tell me that making a statement wouldn’t make matters any better.”
    “Not necessarily,” Edelgard shrugged, “and the optics of ignoring the allegations may be worse than dismissing them. But you have a PR team for that.”
    “It just sucks, you know? Yeah, Lucille was pretty disconnected from the team, but I always thought that was by choice. Now she’s acting like we’d hunt her down and shut her up if we knew where she was. Like we’re some Zoranian crime ring.”
    “You can’t control what people say about you,” Edelgard said. Then, in a lower voice, she added, “but you can control how it’s perceived.”
    Luigi raised an eyebrow. “What are you suggesting?”
    “There’s a young man I met while I was traveling with the rugby team last time.”
    “A Dalimbari?”
    “Heavens no. An Overthinker. Got himself into trouble there—I actually don’t know how he made it out. But he might have the perfect skill set for this.”
    “To do what, exactly? To silence her?”
    “Of course not. But to undermine her credibility.”
    Luigi didn’t respond, but seemed intrigued. Edelgard took out a notepad and pen, and wrote down a name and phone number.
    “Up to you if you give him a call. Just remember, I didn’t officially endorse this.”
    She gave a curt nod as Luigi took the paper and left the room. He stood in the hallway for a moment, studying the note.
    Conrad Ellen
    +3 33 204 98 861
  15. Like
    Overthinkers got a reaction from Dalimbar in World Cup of Football III [rosters, roleplays, results]   
    [The “Special Report” animation gives way to BrownNewsTV’s small news desk. A solitary young man, wearing a tight suit with no tie and with a very short haircut, looking 15 at best, is anchoring. BNTV subscribers know this to be Dean Howell, one of the few faces of the media channel.]
    Dean: Good evening, comrades. I’m Dean Howell. Thank you for joining us on BrownNewsTV.
    Dean: The third Football World Cup is underway in Ryxtylopia, and for the second time, the Overthinkers National Team has qualified. Despite public pressure to boycott, due to civil rights concerns in Ryxtylopia, the team has chosen to participate.
    Dean: How much the players stand to make from this event has not been disclosed, not to mention the millions in corporate sponsorships keeping the national team afloat. The sports team is a glorified billboard—a publicity stunt that makes its money from big business, not from any legitimate work.
    Dean: The masses of Ryxtylopia are currently engaging in peaceful protest against the World Cup, and are being met with police brutality. The state of Ryxtylopia is keeping a very tight cap on media access and revealing the reality in which the majority of its people live. Mainstream media in Overthinkers itself has been reticent to address the civil rights abuses on which the apparent wealth of Ryxtylopia is secretly built. But what’s new?
    Dean: Instead, it seems that the only “behind-the-scenes” story that any media outlet is covering concerns former player, Lucille Lyons. After the national team was confirmed to be World Cup-bound, Lyons suddenly resigned from the team. More than that, Lyons seemingly disappeared, going dark on all social media, and family refusing to reveal her whereabouts.
    Dean: This apparent spectacle has served as a great distraction from the real issues surrounding the tournament, and the mainstream media is eating it up. “What is she hiding?” they want to know. And apparently harassing people and their families over personal choices is okay if you have a camera. But what’s new?
    Dean: Well, some of those questions are about to be addressed, though they may not get the answers they’re looking for. Joining us virtually this evening, in her first appearance since the beginning of the World Cup—welcome Miss Lucille Lyons.
    [The screen is split between the studio camera and Lucille’s video. Lucille gives a forced smile. She is clearly using a low-end webcam in a nondescript, poorly lit location.]
    Dean: Thank you for agreeing to join us, Miss Lyons.
    Lucille: Please, call me Lucille.
    Dean: Fair enough. Now, for our viewers, let me make clear that per her request, we will not be revealing Lucille’s location at this time.
    Lucille: Yes, I do not feel comfortable with that information getting out. But I needed to start setting the record straight on a few things.
    [Lucille’s delivery is neutral, almost mechanical.]
    Dean: Precisely. You are afraid of retaliation from the team, right?
    Lucille: That, but even more so from “fans”. You’ve seen the social media posts. Like, apparently I’m a traitor to the country now or something. What kind of nationalist nonsense is that?
    Dean: And the negative response to your resignation has only reinforced the reasons for it in the first place.
    Lucille: Yes! The bastards have never actually cared. One minute you’re the hero, the next minute you’re the zero. I’d call it an absurd standard, if there were even a standard to begin with.
    Dean: Did you get similar treatment from the actual team?
    Lucille: Yes. I always felt like I was being treated as a second-class citizen among them.
    Dean: Was it because you were a reserve?
    Lucille: No, the other reserves didn’t seem to notice. That’s just it, there wasn’t an explanation! There was absolutely nothing in what I did, on or off the pitch, that deserved being slighted.
    [Now that she’s gotten warmed up, Lucille now looks appropriately distraught, maybe even too appropriately. Dean, a veteran of numerous online flamewars, expertly continues to tee her up.]
    Dean: You were also opposed to the selection of Ryxtylopia’s bid, correct?
    Lucille: Of course! The living conditions there are just ghastly, and here they are trying to put on a show and pretend they’re somebody. That they deserve the attention.
    Dean: Just not the kind of attention that you and I know they should be getting.
    Lucille: Yeah, that.
    [For the first time, Lucille looks like she was thrown a curveball, even by such a seemingly innocuous statement.]
    Lucille: But yeah, when it was confirmed we were going to Ryxtylopia, that was the last straw for me.
    Dean: Understandable. Let’s shift gears back to your personal life. Tell us about some of the backlash you’ve received since your resignation.
    Lucille: Awful. I knew it was going to be bad, so I have been avoiding social media, but my family has shown me some of the posts. Someone was burning posters and magazines with me on the cover! And another person was caught spying on my house in Bellman!
    Lucille: And when they couldn’t find me, they hunted down my family. Like I was a criminal! My mother is a respectable woman; she served on the Brunnes Administrative Board for many years. And my sister has had to shut herself up inside her house because of the press.
    Dean: Truly terrible.
    [Before Dean can proceed, a distant chime is heard through Lucille’s feed. A high-pitched, tinny melody. She scrambles to hit her mute, but unmutes a moment later as the sound fades.]
    Dean: Lucille, before we let you go, what can our viewers do to support you in this trying time?
    Lucille: Just keep spreading the truth. The national football team is a toxic organization, and the world federation are greedy bastards who will sell out to the highest bidder. And the people who dare to question it get treated like this.
    Dean: Heard and understood, Lucille. I won’t keep you any longer.
    Lucille: Goodbye.
    Dean: There you have it, comrades. The truth about the Overthinkers National Football Team and how it treats its...lesser celebrities. Tune in on Sunday for our regular weekly broadcast, where we unpack the impact of Dalimbari aggression in Polaris.
    Dean: From all of us at BrownNewsTV, I’m Dean Howell. Good night.
  16. Like
    Overthinkers got a reaction from Saint Mark in World Cup of Football III [rosters, roleplays, results]   
    [The “Special Report” animation gives way to BrownNewsTV’s small news desk. A solitary young man, wearing a tight suit with no tie and with a very short haircut, looking 15 at best, is anchoring. BNTV subscribers know this to be Dean Howell, one of the few faces of the media channel.]
    Dean: Good evening, comrades. I’m Dean Howell. Thank you for joining us on BrownNewsTV.
    Dean: The third Football World Cup is underway in Ryxtylopia, and for the second time, the Overthinkers National Team has qualified. Despite public pressure to boycott, due to civil rights concerns in Ryxtylopia, the team has chosen to participate.
    Dean: How much the players stand to make from this event has not been disclosed, not to mention the millions in corporate sponsorships keeping the national team afloat. The sports team is a glorified billboard—a publicity stunt that makes its money from big business, not from any legitimate work.
    Dean: The masses of Ryxtylopia are currently engaging in peaceful protest against the World Cup, and are being met with police brutality. The state of Ryxtylopia is keeping a very tight cap on media access and revealing the reality in which the majority of its people live. Mainstream media in Overthinkers itself has been reticent to address the civil rights abuses on which the apparent wealth of Ryxtylopia is secretly built. But what’s new?
    Dean: Instead, it seems that the only “behind-the-scenes” story that any media outlet is covering concerns former player, Lucille Lyons. After the national team was confirmed to be World Cup-bound, Lyons suddenly resigned from the team. More than that, Lyons seemingly disappeared, going dark on all social media, and family refusing to reveal her whereabouts.
    Dean: This apparent spectacle has served as a great distraction from the real issues surrounding the tournament, and the mainstream media is eating it up. “What is she hiding?” they want to know. And apparently harassing people and their families over personal choices is okay if you have a camera. But what’s new?
    Dean: Well, some of those questions are about to be addressed, though they may not get the answers they’re looking for. Joining us virtually this evening, in her first appearance since the beginning of the World Cup—welcome Miss Lucille Lyons.
    [The screen is split between the studio camera and Lucille’s video. Lucille gives a forced smile. She is clearly using a low-end webcam in a nondescript, poorly lit location.]
    Dean: Thank you for agreeing to join us, Miss Lyons.
    Lucille: Please, call me Lucille.
    Dean: Fair enough. Now, for our viewers, let me make clear that per her request, we will not be revealing Lucille’s location at this time.
    Lucille: Yes, I do not feel comfortable with that information getting out. But I needed to start setting the record straight on a few things.
    [Lucille’s delivery is neutral, almost mechanical.]
    Dean: Precisely. You are afraid of retaliation from the team, right?
    Lucille: That, but even more so from “fans”. You’ve seen the social media posts. Like, apparently I’m a traitor to the country now or something. What kind of nationalist nonsense is that?
    Dean: And the negative response to your resignation has only reinforced the reasons for it in the first place.
    Lucille: Yes! The bastards have never actually cared. One minute you’re the hero, the next minute you’re the zero. I’d call it an absurd standard, if there were even a standard to begin with.
    Dean: Did you get similar treatment from the actual team?
    Lucille: Yes. I always felt like I was being treated as a second-class citizen among them.
    Dean: Was it because you were a reserve?
    Lucille: No, the other reserves didn’t seem to notice. That’s just it, there wasn’t an explanation! There was absolutely nothing in what I did, on or off the pitch, that deserved being slighted.
    [Now that she’s gotten warmed up, Lucille now looks appropriately distraught, maybe even too appropriately. Dean, a veteran of numerous online flamewars, expertly continues to tee her up.]
    Dean: You were also opposed to the selection of Ryxtylopia’s bid, correct?
    Lucille: Of course! The living conditions there are just ghastly, and here they are trying to put on a show and pretend they’re somebody. That they deserve the attention.
    Dean: Just not the kind of attention that you and I know they should be getting.
    Lucille: Yeah, that.
    [For the first time, Lucille looks like she was thrown a curveball, even by such a seemingly innocuous statement.]
    Lucille: But yeah, when it was confirmed we were going to Ryxtylopia, that was the last straw for me.
    Dean: Understandable. Let’s shift gears back to your personal life. Tell us about some of the backlash you’ve received since your resignation.
    Lucille: Awful. I knew it was going to be bad, so I have been avoiding social media, but my family has shown me some of the posts. Someone was burning posters and magazines with me on the cover! And another person was caught spying on my house in Bellman!
    Lucille: And when they couldn’t find me, they hunted down my family. Like I was a criminal! My mother is a respectable woman; she served on the Brunnes Administrative Board for many years. And my sister has had to shut herself up inside her house because of the press.
    Dean: Truly terrible.
    [Before Dean can proceed, a distant chime is heard through Lucille’s feed. A high-pitched, tinny melody. She scrambles to hit her mute, but unmutes a moment later as the sound fades.]
    Dean: Lucille, before we let you go, what can our viewers do to support you in this trying time?
    Lucille: Just keep spreading the truth. The national football team is a toxic organization, and the world federation are greedy bastards who will sell out to the highest bidder. And the people who dare to question it get treated like this.
    Dean: Heard and understood, Lucille. I won’t keep you any longer.
    Lucille: Goodbye.
    Dean: There you have it, comrades. The truth about the Overthinkers National Football Team and how it treats its...lesser celebrities. Tune in on Sunday for our regular weekly broadcast, where we unpack the impact of Dalimbari aggression in Polaris.
    Dean: From all of us at BrownNewsTV, I’m Dean Howell. Good night.
  17. Like
    Overthinkers got a reaction from United Adaikes in World Cup of Football III [rosters, roleplays, results]   
    [The “Special Report” animation gives way to BrownNewsTV’s small news desk. A solitary young man, wearing a tight suit with no tie and with a very short haircut, looking 15 at best, is anchoring. BNTV subscribers know this to be Dean Howell, one of the few faces of the media channel.]
    Dean: Good evening, comrades. I’m Dean Howell. Thank you for joining us on BrownNewsTV.
    Dean: The third Football World Cup is underway in Ryxtylopia, and for the second time, the Overthinkers National Team has qualified. Despite public pressure to boycott, due to civil rights concerns in Ryxtylopia, the team has chosen to participate.
    Dean: How much the players stand to make from this event has not been disclosed, not to mention the millions in corporate sponsorships keeping the national team afloat. The sports team is a glorified billboard—a publicity stunt that makes its money from big business, not from any legitimate work.
    Dean: The masses of Ryxtylopia are currently engaging in peaceful protest against the World Cup, and are being met with police brutality. The state of Ryxtylopia is keeping a very tight cap on media access and revealing the reality in which the majority of its people live. Mainstream media in Overthinkers itself has been reticent to address the civil rights abuses on which the apparent wealth of Ryxtylopia is secretly built. But what’s new?
    Dean: Instead, it seems that the only “behind-the-scenes” story that any media outlet is covering concerns former player, Lucille Lyons. After the national team was confirmed to be World Cup-bound, Lyons suddenly resigned from the team. More than that, Lyons seemingly disappeared, going dark on all social media, and family refusing to reveal her whereabouts.
    Dean: This apparent spectacle has served as a great distraction from the real issues surrounding the tournament, and the mainstream media is eating it up. “What is she hiding?” they want to know. And apparently harassing people and their families over personal choices is okay if you have a camera. But what’s new?
    Dean: Well, some of those questions are about to be addressed, though they may not get the answers they’re looking for. Joining us virtually this evening, in her first appearance since the beginning of the World Cup—welcome Miss Lucille Lyons.
    [The screen is split between the studio camera and Lucille’s video. Lucille gives a forced smile. She is clearly using a low-end webcam in a nondescript, poorly lit location.]
    Dean: Thank you for agreeing to join us, Miss Lyons.
    Lucille: Please, call me Lucille.
    Dean: Fair enough. Now, for our viewers, let me make clear that per her request, we will not be revealing Lucille’s location at this time.
    Lucille: Yes, I do not feel comfortable with that information getting out. But I needed to start setting the record straight on a few things.
    [Lucille’s delivery is neutral, almost mechanical.]
    Dean: Precisely. You are afraid of retaliation from the team, right?
    Lucille: That, but even more so from “fans”. You’ve seen the social media posts. Like, apparently I’m a traitor to the country now or something. What kind of nationalist nonsense is that?
    Dean: And the negative response to your resignation has only reinforced the reasons for it in the first place.
    Lucille: Yes! The bastards have never actually cared. One minute you’re the hero, the next minute you’re the zero. I’d call it an absurd standard, if there were even a standard to begin with.
    Dean: Did you get similar treatment from the actual team?
    Lucille: Yes. I always felt like I was being treated as a second-class citizen among them.
    Dean: Was it because you were a reserve?
    Lucille: No, the other reserves didn’t seem to notice. That’s just it, there wasn’t an explanation! There was absolutely nothing in what I did, on or off the pitch, that deserved being slighted.
    [Now that she’s gotten warmed up, Lucille now looks appropriately distraught, maybe even too appropriately. Dean, a veteran of numerous online flamewars, expertly continues to tee her up.]
    Dean: You were also opposed to the selection of Ryxtylopia’s bid, correct?
    Lucille: Of course! The living conditions there are just ghastly, and here they are trying to put on a show and pretend they’re somebody. That they deserve the attention.
    Dean: Just not the kind of attention that you and I know they should be getting.
    Lucille: Yeah, that.
    [For the first time, Lucille looks like she was thrown a curveball, even by such a seemingly innocuous statement.]
    Lucille: But yeah, when it was confirmed we were going to Ryxtylopia, that was the last straw for me.
    Dean: Understandable. Let’s shift gears back to your personal life. Tell us about some of the backlash you’ve received since your resignation.
    Lucille: Awful. I knew it was going to be bad, so I have been avoiding social media, but my family has shown me some of the posts. Someone was burning posters and magazines with me on the cover! And another person was caught spying on my house in Bellman!
    Lucille: And when they couldn’t find me, they hunted down my family. Like I was a criminal! My mother is a respectable woman; she served on the Brunnes Administrative Board for many years. And my sister has had to shut herself up inside her house because of the press.
    Dean: Truly terrible.
    [Before Dean can proceed, a distant chime is heard through Lucille’s feed. A high-pitched, tinny melody. She scrambles to hit her mute, but unmutes a moment later as the sound fades.]
    Dean: Lucille, before we let you go, what can our viewers do to support you in this trying time?
    Lucille: Just keep spreading the truth. The national football team is a toxic organization, and the world federation are greedy bastards who will sell out to the highest bidder. And the people who dare to question it get treated like this.
    Dean: Heard and understood, Lucille. I won’t keep you any longer.
    Lucille: Goodbye.
    Dean: There you have it, comrades. The truth about the Overthinkers National Football Team and how it treats its...lesser celebrities. Tune in on Sunday for our regular weekly broadcast, where we unpack the impact of Dalimbari aggression in Polaris.
    Dean: From all of us at BrownNewsTV, I’m Dean Howell. Good night.
  18. Like
    Overthinkers got a reaction from Zoran in World Cup of Football III [rosters, roleplays, results]   
    [The “Special Report” animation gives way to BrownNewsTV’s small news desk. A solitary young man, wearing a tight suit with no tie and with a very short haircut, looking 15 at best, is anchoring. BNTV subscribers know this to be Dean Howell, one of the few faces of the media channel.]
    Dean: Good evening, comrades. I’m Dean Howell. Thank you for joining us on BrownNewsTV.
    Dean: The third Football World Cup is underway in Ryxtylopia, and for the second time, the Overthinkers National Team has qualified. Despite public pressure to boycott, due to civil rights concerns in Ryxtylopia, the team has chosen to participate.
    Dean: How much the players stand to make from this event has not been disclosed, not to mention the millions in corporate sponsorships keeping the national team afloat. The sports team is a glorified billboard—a publicity stunt that makes its money from big business, not from any legitimate work.
    Dean: The masses of Ryxtylopia are currently engaging in peaceful protest against the World Cup, and are being met with police brutality. The state of Ryxtylopia is keeping a very tight cap on media access and revealing the reality in which the majority of its people live. Mainstream media in Overthinkers itself has been reticent to address the civil rights abuses on which the apparent wealth of Ryxtylopia is secretly built. But what’s new?
    Dean: Instead, it seems that the only “behind-the-scenes” story that any media outlet is covering concerns former player, Lucille Lyons. After the national team was confirmed to be World Cup-bound, Lyons suddenly resigned from the team. More than that, Lyons seemingly disappeared, going dark on all social media, and family refusing to reveal her whereabouts.
    Dean: This apparent spectacle has served as a great distraction from the real issues surrounding the tournament, and the mainstream media is eating it up. “What is she hiding?” they want to know. And apparently harassing people and their families over personal choices is okay if you have a camera. But what’s new?
    Dean: Well, some of those questions are about to be addressed, though they may not get the answers they’re looking for. Joining us virtually this evening, in her first appearance since the beginning of the World Cup—welcome Miss Lucille Lyons.
    [The screen is split between the studio camera and Lucille’s video. Lucille gives a forced smile. She is clearly using a low-end webcam in a nondescript, poorly lit location.]
    Dean: Thank you for agreeing to join us, Miss Lyons.
    Lucille: Please, call me Lucille.
    Dean: Fair enough. Now, for our viewers, let me make clear that per her request, we will not be revealing Lucille’s location at this time.
    Lucille: Yes, I do not feel comfortable with that information getting out. But I needed to start setting the record straight on a few things.
    [Lucille’s delivery is neutral, almost mechanical.]
    Dean: Precisely. You are afraid of retaliation from the team, right?
    Lucille: That, but even more so from “fans”. You’ve seen the social media posts. Like, apparently I’m a traitor to the country now or something. What kind of nationalist nonsense is that?
    Dean: And the negative response to your resignation has only reinforced the reasons for it in the first place.
    Lucille: Yes! The bastards have never actually cared. One minute you’re the hero, the next minute you’re the zero. I’d call it an absurd standard, if there were even a standard to begin with.
    Dean: Did you get similar treatment from the actual team?
    Lucille: Yes. I always felt like I was being treated as a second-class citizen among them.
    Dean: Was it because you were a reserve?
    Lucille: No, the other reserves didn’t seem to notice. That’s just it, there wasn’t an explanation! There was absolutely nothing in what I did, on or off the pitch, that deserved being slighted.
    [Now that she’s gotten warmed up, Lucille now looks appropriately distraught, maybe even too appropriately. Dean, a veteran of numerous online flamewars, expertly continues to tee her up.]
    Dean: You were also opposed to the selection of Ryxtylopia’s bid, correct?
    Lucille: Of course! The living conditions there are just ghastly, and here they are trying to put on a show and pretend they’re somebody. That they deserve the attention.
    Dean: Just not the kind of attention that you and I know they should be getting.
    Lucille: Yeah, that.
    [For the first time, Lucille looks like she was thrown a curveball, even by such a seemingly innocuous statement.]
    Lucille: But yeah, when it was confirmed we were going to Ryxtylopia, that was the last straw for me.
    Dean: Understandable. Let’s shift gears back to your personal life. Tell us about some of the backlash you’ve received since your resignation.
    Lucille: Awful. I knew it was going to be bad, so I have been avoiding social media, but my family has shown me some of the posts. Someone was burning posters and magazines with me on the cover! And another person was caught spying on my house in Bellman!
    Lucille: And when they couldn’t find me, they hunted down my family. Like I was a criminal! My mother is a respectable woman; she served on the Brunnes Administrative Board for many years. And my sister has had to shut herself up inside her house because of the press.
    Dean: Truly terrible.
    [Before Dean can proceed, a distant chime is heard through Lucille’s feed. A high-pitched, tinny melody. She scrambles to hit her mute, but unmutes a moment later as the sound fades.]
    Dean: Lucille, before we let you go, what can our viewers do to support you in this trying time?
    Lucille: Just keep spreading the truth. The national football team is a toxic organization, and the world federation are greedy bastards who will sell out to the highest bidder. And the people who dare to question it get treated like this.
    Dean: Heard and understood, Lucille. I won’t keep you any longer.
    Lucille: Goodbye.
    Dean: There you have it, comrades. The truth about the Overthinkers National Football Team and how it treats its...lesser celebrities. Tune in on Sunday for our regular weekly broadcast, where we unpack the impact of Dalimbari aggression in Polaris.
    Dean: From all of us at BrownNewsTV, I’m Dean Howell. Good night.
  19. Like
    Overthinkers got a reaction from Nox in World Cup of Football III [rosters, roleplays, results]   
    [The “Special Report” animation gives way to BrownNewsTV’s small news desk. A solitary young man, wearing a tight suit with no tie and with a very short haircut, looking 15 at best, is anchoring. BNTV subscribers know this to be Dean Howell, one of the few faces of the media channel.]
    Dean: Good evening, comrades. I’m Dean Howell. Thank you for joining us on BrownNewsTV.
    Dean: The third Football World Cup is underway in Ryxtylopia, and for the second time, the Overthinkers National Team has qualified. Despite public pressure to boycott, due to civil rights concerns in Ryxtylopia, the team has chosen to participate.
    Dean: How much the players stand to make from this event has not been disclosed, not to mention the millions in corporate sponsorships keeping the national team afloat. The sports team is a glorified billboard—a publicity stunt that makes its money from big business, not from any legitimate work.
    Dean: The masses of Ryxtylopia are currently engaging in peaceful protest against the World Cup, and are being met with police brutality. The state of Ryxtylopia is keeping a very tight cap on media access and revealing the reality in which the majority of its people live. Mainstream media in Overthinkers itself has been reticent to address the civil rights abuses on which the apparent wealth of Ryxtylopia is secretly built. But what’s new?
    Dean: Instead, it seems that the only “behind-the-scenes” story that any media outlet is covering concerns former player, Lucille Lyons. After the national team was confirmed to be World Cup-bound, Lyons suddenly resigned from the team. More than that, Lyons seemingly disappeared, going dark on all social media, and family refusing to reveal her whereabouts.
    Dean: This apparent spectacle has served as a great distraction from the real issues surrounding the tournament, and the mainstream media is eating it up. “What is she hiding?” they want to know. And apparently harassing people and their families over personal choices is okay if you have a camera. But what’s new?
    Dean: Well, some of those questions are about to be addressed, though they may not get the answers they’re looking for. Joining us virtually this evening, in her first appearance since the beginning of the World Cup—welcome Miss Lucille Lyons.
    [The screen is split between the studio camera and Lucille’s video. Lucille gives a forced smile. She is clearly using a low-end webcam in a nondescript, poorly lit location.]
    Dean: Thank you for agreeing to join us, Miss Lyons.
    Lucille: Please, call me Lucille.
    Dean: Fair enough. Now, for our viewers, let me make clear that per her request, we will not be revealing Lucille’s location at this time.
    Lucille: Yes, I do not feel comfortable with that information getting out. But I needed to start setting the record straight on a few things.
    [Lucille’s delivery is neutral, almost mechanical.]
    Dean: Precisely. You are afraid of retaliation from the team, right?
    Lucille: That, but even more so from “fans”. You’ve seen the social media posts. Like, apparently I’m a traitor to the country now or something. What kind of nationalist nonsense is that?
    Dean: And the negative response to your resignation has only reinforced the reasons for it in the first place.
    Lucille: Yes! The bastards have never actually cared. One minute you’re the hero, the next minute you’re the zero. I’d call it an absurd standard, if there were even a standard to begin with.
    Dean: Did you get similar treatment from the actual team?
    Lucille: Yes. I always felt like I was being treated as a second-class citizen among them.
    Dean: Was it because you were a reserve?
    Lucille: No, the other reserves didn’t seem to notice. That’s just it, there wasn’t an explanation! There was absolutely nothing in what I did, on or off the pitch, that deserved being slighted.
    [Now that she’s gotten warmed up, Lucille now looks appropriately distraught, maybe even too appropriately. Dean, a veteran of numerous online flamewars, expertly continues to tee her up.]
    Dean: You were also opposed to the selection of Ryxtylopia’s bid, correct?
    Lucille: Of course! The living conditions there are just ghastly, and here they are trying to put on a show and pretend they’re somebody. That they deserve the attention.
    Dean: Just not the kind of attention that you and I know they should be getting.
    Lucille: Yeah, that.
    [For the first time, Lucille looks like she was thrown a curveball, even by such a seemingly innocuous statement.]
    Lucille: But yeah, when it was confirmed we were going to Ryxtylopia, that was the last straw for me.
    Dean: Understandable. Let’s shift gears back to your personal life. Tell us about some of the backlash you’ve received since your resignation.
    Lucille: Awful. I knew it was going to be bad, so I have been avoiding social media, but my family has shown me some of the posts. Someone was burning posters and magazines with me on the cover! And another person was caught spying on my house in Bellman!
    Lucille: And when they couldn’t find me, they hunted down my family. Like I was a criminal! My mother is a respectable woman; she served on the Brunnes Administrative Board for many years. And my sister has had to shut herself up inside her house because of the press.
    Dean: Truly terrible.
    [Before Dean can proceed, a distant chime is heard through Lucille’s feed. A high-pitched, tinny melody. She scrambles to hit her mute, but unmutes a moment later as the sound fades.]
    Dean: Lucille, before we let you go, what can our viewers do to support you in this trying time?
    Lucille: Just keep spreading the truth. The national football team is a toxic organization, and the world federation are greedy bastards who will sell out to the highest bidder. And the people who dare to question it get treated like this.
    Dean: Heard and understood, Lucille. I won’t keep you any longer.
    Lucille: Goodbye.
    Dean: There you have it, comrades. The truth about the Overthinkers National Football Team and how it treats its...lesser celebrities. Tune in on Sunday for our regular weekly broadcast, where we unpack the impact of Dalimbari aggression in Polaris.
    Dean: From all of us at BrownNewsTV, I’m Dean Howell. Good night.
  20. Like
    Overthinkers got a reaction from Giovanniland in World Cup of Football III [rosters, roleplays, results]   
    [The “Special Report” animation gives way to BrownNewsTV’s small news desk. A solitary young man, wearing a tight suit with no tie and with a very short haircut, looking 15 at best, is anchoring. BNTV subscribers know this to be Dean Howell, one of the few faces of the media channel.]
    Dean: Good evening, comrades. I’m Dean Howell. Thank you for joining us on BrownNewsTV.
    Dean: The third Football World Cup is underway in Ryxtylopia, and for the second time, the Overthinkers National Team has qualified. Despite public pressure to boycott, due to civil rights concerns in Ryxtylopia, the team has chosen to participate.
    Dean: How much the players stand to make from this event has not been disclosed, not to mention the millions in corporate sponsorships keeping the national team afloat. The sports team is a glorified billboard—a publicity stunt that makes its money from big business, not from any legitimate work.
    Dean: The masses of Ryxtylopia are currently engaging in peaceful protest against the World Cup, and are being met with police brutality. The state of Ryxtylopia is keeping a very tight cap on media access and revealing the reality in which the majority of its people live. Mainstream media in Overthinkers itself has been reticent to address the civil rights abuses on which the apparent wealth of Ryxtylopia is secretly built. But what’s new?
    Dean: Instead, it seems that the only “behind-the-scenes” story that any media outlet is covering concerns former player, Lucille Lyons. After the national team was confirmed to be World Cup-bound, Lyons suddenly resigned from the team. More than that, Lyons seemingly disappeared, going dark on all social media, and family refusing to reveal her whereabouts.
    Dean: This apparent spectacle has served as a great distraction from the real issues surrounding the tournament, and the mainstream media is eating it up. “What is she hiding?” they want to know. And apparently harassing people and their families over personal choices is okay if you have a camera. But what’s new?
    Dean: Well, some of those questions are about to be addressed, though they may not get the answers they’re looking for. Joining us virtually this evening, in her first appearance since the beginning of the World Cup—welcome Miss Lucille Lyons.
    [The screen is split between the studio camera and Lucille’s video. Lucille gives a forced smile. She is clearly using a low-end webcam in a nondescript, poorly lit location.]
    Dean: Thank you for agreeing to join us, Miss Lyons.
    Lucille: Please, call me Lucille.
    Dean: Fair enough. Now, for our viewers, let me make clear that per her request, we will not be revealing Lucille’s location at this time.
    Lucille: Yes, I do not feel comfortable with that information getting out. But I needed to start setting the record straight on a few things.
    [Lucille’s delivery is neutral, almost mechanical.]
    Dean: Precisely. You are afraid of retaliation from the team, right?
    Lucille: That, but even more so from “fans”. You’ve seen the social media posts. Like, apparently I’m a traitor to the country now or something. What kind of nationalist nonsense is that?
    Dean: And the negative response to your resignation has only reinforced the reasons for it in the first place.
    Lucille: Yes! The bastards have never actually cared. One minute you’re the hero, the next minute you’re the zero. I’d call it an absurd standard, if there were even a standard to begin with.
    Dean: Did you get similar treatment from the actual team?
    Lucille: Yes. I always felt like I was being treated as a second-class citizen among them.
    Dean: Was it because you were a reserve?
    Lucille: No, the other reserves didn’t seem to notice. That’s just it, there wasn’t an explanation! There was absolutely nothing in what I did, on or off the pitch, that deserved being slighted.
    [Now that she’s gotten warmed up, Lucille now looks appropriately distraught, maybe even too appropriately. Dean, a veteran of numerous online flamewars, expertly continues to tee her up.]
    Dean: You were also opposed to the selection of Ryxtylopia’s bid, correct?
    Lucille: Of course! The living conditions there are just ghastly, and here they are trying to put on a show and pretend they’re somebody. That they deserve the attention.
    Dean: Just not the kind of attention that you and I know they should be getting.
    Lucille: Yeah, that.
    [For the first time, Lucille looks like she was thrown a curveball, even by such a seemingly innocuous statement.]
    Lucille: But yeah, when it was confirmed we were going to Ryxtylopia, that was the last straw for me.
    Dean: Understandable. Let’s shift gears back to your personal life. Tell us about some of the backlash you’ve received since your resignation.
    Lucille: Awful. I knew it was going to be bad, so I have been avoiding social media, but my family has shown me some of the posts. Someone was burning posters and magazines with me on the cover! And another person was caught spying on my house in Bellman!
    Lucille: And when they couldn’t find me, they hunted down my family. Like I was a criminal! My mother is a respectable woman; she served on the Brunnes Administrative Board for many years. And my sister has had to shut herself up inside her house because of the press.
    Dean: Truly terrible.
    [Before Dean can proceed, a distant chime is heard through Lucille’s feed. A high-pitched, tinny melody. She scrambles to hit her mute, but unmutes a moment later as the sound fades.]
    Dean: Lucille, before we let you go, what can our viewers do to support you in this trying time?
    Lucille: Just keep spreading the truth. The national football team is a toxic organization, and the world federation are greedy bastards who will sell out to the highest bidder. And the people who dare to question it get treated like this.
    Dean: Heard and understood, Lucille. I won’t keep you any longer.
    Lucille: Goodbye.
    Dean: There you have it, comrades. The truth about the Overthinkers National Football Team and how it treats its...lesser celebrities. Tune in on Sunday for our regular weekly broadcast, where we unpack the impact of Dalimbari aggression in Polaris.
    Dean: From all of us at BrownNewsTV, I’m Dean Howell. Good night.
  21. Like
    Overthinkers got a reaction from Teralyon in World Cup of Football III [rosters, roleplays, results]   
    [The “Special Report” animation gives way to BrownNewsTV’s small news desk. A solitary young man, wearing a tight suit with no tie and with a very short haircut, looking 15 at best, is anchoring. BNTV subscribers know this to be Dean Howell, one of the few faces of the media channel.]
    Dean: Good evening, comrades. I’m Dean Howell. Thank you for joining us on BrownNewsTV.
    Dean: The third Football World Cup is underway in Ryxtylopia, and for the second time, the Overthinkers National Team has qualified. Despite public pressure to boycott, due to civil rights concerns in Ryxtylopia, the team has chosen to participate.
    Dean: How much the players stand to make from this event has not been disclosed, not to mention the millions in corporate sponsorships keeping the national team afloat. The sports team is a glorified billboard—a publicity stunt that makes its money from big business, not from any legitimate work.
    Dean: The masses of Ryxtylopia are currently engaging in peaceful protest against the World Cup, and are being met with police brutality. The state of Ryxtylopia is keeping a very tight cap on media access and revealing the reality in which the majority of its people live. Mainstream media in Overthinkers itself has been reticent to address the civil rights abuses on which the apparent wealth of Ryxtylopia is secretly built. But what’s new?
    Dean: Instead, it seems that the only “behind-the-scenes” story that any media outlet is covering concerns former player, Lucille Lyons. After the national team was confirmed to be World Cup-bound, Lyons suddenly resigned from the team. More than that, Lyons seemingly disappeared, going dark on all social media, and family refusing to reveal her whereabouts.
    Dean: This apparent spectacle has served as a great distraction from the real issues surrounding the tournament, and the mainstream media is eating it up. “What is she hiding?” they want to know. And apparently harassing people and their families over personal choices is okay if you have a camera. But what’s new?
    Dean: Well, some of those questions are about to be addressed, though they may not get the answers they’re looking for. Joining us virtually this evening, in her first appearance since the beginning of the World Cup—welcome Miss Lucille Lyons.
    [The screen is split between the studio camera and Lucille’s video. Lucille gives a forced smile. She is clearly using a low-end webcam in a nondescript, poorly lit location.]
    Dean: Thank you for agreeing to join us, Miss Lyons.
    Lucille: Please, call me Lucille.
    Dean: Fair enough. Now, for our viewers, let me make clear that per her request, we will not be revealing Lucille’s location at this time.
    Lucille: Yes, I do not feel comfortable with that information getting out. But I needed to start setting the record straight on a few things.
    [Lucille’s delivery is neutral, almost mechanical.]
    Dean: Precisely. You are afraid of retaliation from the team, right?
    Lucille: That, but even more so from “fans”. You’ve seen the social media posts. Like, apparently I’m a traitor to the country now or something. What kind of nationalist nonsense is that?
    Dean: And the negative response to your resignation has only reinforced the reasons for it in the first place.
    Lucille: Yes! The bastards have never actually cared. One minute you’re the hero, the next minute you’re the zero. I’d call it an absurd standard, if there were even a standard to begin with.
    Dean: Did you get similar treatment from the actual team?
    Lucille: Yes. I always felt like I was being treated as a second-class citizen among them.
    Dean: Was it because you were a reserve?
    Lucille: No, the other reserves didn’t seem to notice. That’s just it, there wasn’t an explanation! There was absolutely nothing in what I did, on or off the pitch, that deserved being slighted.
    [Now that she’s gotten warmed up, Lucille now looks appropriately distraught, maybe even too appropriately. Dean, a veteran of numerous online flamewars, expertly continues to tee her up.]
    Dean: You were also opposed to the selection of Ryxtylopia’s bid, correct?
    Lucille: Of course! The living conditions there are just ghastly, and here they are trying to put on a show and pretend they’re somebody. That they deserve the attention.
    Dean: Just not the kind of attention that you and I know they should be getting.
    Lucille: Yeah, that.
    [For the first time, Lucille looks like she was thrown a curveball, even by such a seemingly innocuous statement.]
    Lucille: But yeah, when it was confirmed we were going to Ryxtylopia, that was the last straw for me.
    Dean: Understandable. Let’s shift gears back to your personal life. Tell us about some of the backlash you’ve received since your resignation.
    Lucille: Awful. I knew it was going to be bad, so I have been avoiding social media, but my family has shown me some of the posts. Someone was burning posters and magazines with me on the cover! And another person was caught spying on my house in Bellman!
    Lucille: And when they couldn’t find me, they hunted down my family. Like I was a criminal! My mother is a respectable woman; she served on the Brunnes Administrative Board for many years. And my sister has had to shut herself up inside her house because of the press.
    Dean: Truly terrible.
    [Before Dean can proceed, a distant chime is heard through Lucille’s feed. A high-pitched, tinny melody. She scrambles to hit her mute, but unmutes a moment later as the sound fades.]
    Dean: Lucille, before we let you go, what can our viewers do to support you in this trying time?
    Lucille: Just keep spreading the truth. The national football team is a toxic organization, and the world federation are greedy bastards who will sell out to the highest bidder. And the people who dare to question it get treated like this.
    Dean: Heard and understood, Lucille. I won’t keep you any longer.
    Lucille: Goodbye.
    Dean: There you have it, comrades. The truth about the Overthinkers National Football Team and how it treats its...lesser celebrities. Tune in on Sunday for our regular weekly broadcast, where we unpack the impact of Dalimbari aggression in Polaris.
    Dean: From all of us at BrownNewsTV, I’m Dean Howell. Good night.
  22. Like
    Overthinkers got a reaction from Fujai in World Cup of Football III [rosters, roleplays, results]   
    [The “Special Report” animation gives way to BrownNewsTV’s small news desk. A solitary young man, wearing a tight suit with no tie and with a very short haircut, looking 15 at best, is anchoring. BNTV subscribers know this to be Dean Howell, one of the few faces of the media channel.]
    Dean: Good evening, comrades. I’m Dean Howell. Thank you for joining us on BrownNewsTV.
    Dean: The third Football World Cup is underway in Ryxtylopia, and for the second time, the Overthinkers National Team has qualified. Despite public pressure to boycott, due to civil rights concerns in Ryxtylopia, the team has chosen to participate.
    Dean: How much the players stand to make from this event has not been disclosed, not to mention the millions in corporate sponsorships keeping the national team afloat. The sports team is a glorified billboard—a publicity stunt that makes its money from big business, not from any legitimate work.
    Dean: The masses of Ryxtylopia are currently engaging in peaceful protest against the World Cup, and are being met with police brutality. The state of Ryxtylopia is keeping a very tight cap on media access and revealing the reality in which the majority of its people live. Mainstream media in Overthinkers itself has been reticent to address the civil rights abuses on which the apparent wealth of Ryxtylopia is secretly built. But what’s new?
    Dean: Instead, it seems that the only “behind-the-scenes” story that any media outlet is covering concerns former player, Lucille Lyons. After the national team was confirmed to be World Cup-bound, Lyons suddenly resigned from the team. More than that, Lyons seemingly disappeared, going dark on all social media, and family refusing to reveal her whereabouts.
    Dean: This apparent spectacle has served as a great distraction from the real issues surrounding the tournament, and the mainstream media is eating it up. “What is she hiding?” they want to know. And apparently harassing people and their families over personal choices is okay if you have a camera. But what’s new?
    Dean: Well, some of those questions are about to be addressed, though they may not get the answers they’re looking for. Joining us virtually this evening, in her first appearance since the beginning of the World Cup—welcome Miss Lucille Lyons.
    [The screen is split between the studio camera and Lucille’s video. Lucille gives a forced smile. She is clearly using a low-end webcam in a nondescript, poorly lit location.]
    Dean: Thank you for agreeing to join us, Miss Lyons.
    Lucille: Please, call me Lucille.
    Dean: Fair enough. Now, for our viewers, let me make clear that per her request, we will not be revealing Lucille’s location at this time.
    Lucille: Yes, I do not feel comfortable with that information getting out. But I needed to start setting the record straight on a few things.
    [Lucille’s delivery is neutral, almost mechanical.]
    Dean: Precisely. You are afraid of retaliation from the team, right?
    Lucille: That, but even more so from “fans”. You’ve seen the social media posts. Like, apparently I’m a traitor to the country now or something. What kind of nationalist nonsense is that?
    Dean: And the negative response to your resignation has only reinforced the reasons for it in the first place.
    Lucille: Yes! The bastards have never actually cared. One minute you’re the hero, the next minute you’re the zero. I’d call it an absurd standard, if there were even a standard to begin with.
    Dean: Did you get similar treatment from the actual team?
    Lucille: Yes. I always felt like I was being treated as a second-class citizen among them.
    Dean: Was it because you were a reserve?
    Lucille: No, the other reserves didn’t seem to notice. That’s just it, there wasn’t an explanation! There was absolutely nothing in what I did, on or off the pitch, that deserved being slighted.
    [Now that she’s gotten warmed up, Lucille now looks appropriately distraught, maybe even too appropriately. Dean, a veteran of numerous online flamewars, expertly continues to tee her up.]
    Dean: You were also opposed to the selection of Ryxtylopia’s bid, correct?
    Lucille: Of course! The living conditions there are just ghastly, and here they are trying to put on a show and pretend they’re somebody. That they deserve the attention.
    Dean: Just not the kind of attention that you and I know they should be getting.
    Lucille: Yeah, that.
    [For the first time, Lucille looks like she was thrown a curveball, even by such a seemingly innocuous statement.]
    Lucille: But yeah, when it was confirmed we were going to Ryxtylopia, that was the last straw for me.
    Dean: Understandable. Let’s shift gears back to your personal life. Tell us about some of the backlash you’ve received since your resignation.
    Lucille: Awful. I knew it was going to be bad, so I have been avoiding social media, but my family has shown me some of the posts. Someone was burning posters and magazines with me on the cover! And another person was caught spying on my house in Bellman!
    Lucille: And when they couldn’t find me, they hunted down my family. Like I was a criminal! My mother is a respectable woman; she served on the Brunnes Administrative Board for many years. And my sister has had to shut herself up inside her house because of the press.
    Dean: Truly terrible.
    [Before Dean can proceed, a distant chime is heard through Lucille’s feed. A high-pitched, tinny melody. She scrambles to hit her mute, but unmutes a moment later as the sound fades.]
    Dean: Lucille, before we let you go, what can our viewers do to support you in this trying time?
    Lucille: Just keep spreading the truth. The national football team is a toxic organization, and the world federation are greedy bastards who will sell out to the highest bidder. And the people who dare to question it get treated like this.
    Dean: Heard and understood, Lucille. I won’t keep you any longer.
    Lucille: Goodbye.
    Dean: There you have it, comrades. The truth about the Overthinkers National Football Team and how it treats its...lesser celebrities. Tune in on Sunday for our regular weekly broadcast, where we unpack the impact of Dalimbari aggression in Polaris.
    Dean: From all of us at BrownNewsTV, I’m Dean Howell. Good night.
  23. Like
    Overthinkers got a reaction from Federation of Inner Ryxtylopia in World Cup of Football III [rosters, roleplays, results]   
    [The “Special Report” animation gives way to BrownNewsTV’s small news desk. A solitary young man, wearing a tight suit with no tie and with a very short haircut, looking 15 at best, is anchoring. BNTV subscribers know this to be Dean Howell, one of the few faces of the media channel.]
    Dean: Good evening, comrades. I’m Dean Howell. Thank you for joining us on BrownNewsTV.
    Dean: The third Football World Cup is underway in Ryxtylopia, and for the second time, the Overthinkers National Team has qualified. Despite public pressure to boycott, due to civil rights concerns in Ryxtylopia, the team has chosen to participate.
    Dean: How much the players stand to make from this event has not been disclosed, not to mention the millions in corporate sponsorships keeping the national team afloat. The sports team is a glorified billboard—a publicity stunt that makes its money from big business, not from any legitimate work.
    Dean: The masses of Ryxtylopia are currently engaging in peaceful protest against the World Cup, and are being met with police brutality. The state of Ryxtylopia is keeping a very tight cap on media access and revealing the reality in which the majority of its people live. Mainstream media in Overthinkers itself has been reticent to address the civil rights abuses on which the apparent wealth of Ryxtylopia is secretly built. But what’s new?
    Dean: Instead, it seems that the only “behind-the-scenes” story that any media outlet is covering concerns former player, Lucille Lyons. After the national team was confirmed to be World Cup-bound, Lyons suddenly resigned from the team. More than that, Lyons seemingly disappeared, going dark on all social media, and family refusing to reveal her whereabouts.
    Dean: This apparent spectacle has served as a great distraction from the real issues surrounding the tournament, and the mainstream media is eating it up. “What is she hiding?” they want to know. And apparently harassing people and their families over personal choices is okay if you have a camera. But what’s new?
    Dean: Well, some of those questions are about to be addressed, though they may not get the answers they’re looking for. Joining us virtually this evening, in her first appearance since the beginning of the World Cup—welcome Miss Lucille Lyons.
    [The screen is split between the studio camera and Lucille’s video. Lucille gives a forced smile. She is clearly using a low-end webcam in a nondescript, poorly lit location.]
    Dean: Thank you for agreeing to join us, Miss Lyons.
    Lucille: Please, call me Lucille.
    Dean: Fair enough. Now, for our viewers, let me make clear that per her request, we will not be revealing Lucille’s location at this time.
    Lucille: Yes, I do not feel comfortable with that information getting out. But I needed to start setting the record straight on a few things.
    [Lucille’s delivery is neutral, almost mechanical.]
    Dean: Precisely. You are afraid of retaliation from the team, right?
    Lucille: That, but even more so from “fans”. You’ve seen the social media posts. Like, apparently I’m a traitor to the country now or something. What kind of nationalist nonsense is that?
    Dean: And the negative response to your resignation has only reinforced the reasons for it in the first place.
    Lucille: Yes! The bastards have never actually cared. One minute you’re the hero, the next minute you’re the zero. I’d call it an absurd standard, if there were even a standard to begin with.
    Dean: Did you get similar treatment from the actual team?
    Lucille: Yes. I always felt like I was being treated as a second-class citizen among them.
    Dean: Was it because you were a reserve?
    Lucille: No, the other reserves didn’t seem to notice. That’s just it, there wasn’t an explanation! There was absolutely nothing in what I did, on or off the pitch, that deserved being slighted.
    [Now that she’s gotten warmed up, Lucille now looks appropriately distraught, maybe even too appropriately. Dean, a veteran of numerous online flamewars, expertly continues to tee her up.]
    Dean: You were also opposed to the selection of Ryxtylopia’s bid, correct?
    Lucille: Of course! The living conditions there are just ghastly, and here they are trying to put on a show and pretend they’re somebody. That they deserve the attention.
    Dean: Just not the kind of attention that you and I know they should be getting.
    Lucille: Yeah, that.
    [For the first time, Lucille looks like she was thrown a curveball, even by such a seemingly innocuous statement.]
    Lucille: But yeah, when it was confirmed we were going to Ryxtylopia, that was the last straw for me.
    Dean: Understandable. Let’s shift gears back to your personal life. Tell us about some of the backlash you’ve received since your resignation.
    Lucille: Awful. I knew it was going to be bad, so I have been avoiding social media, but my family has shown me some of the posts. Someone was burning posters and magazines with me on the cover! And another person was caught spying on my house in Bellman!
    Lucille: And when they couldn’t find me, they hunted down my family. Like I was a criminal! My mother is a respectable woman; she served on the Brunnes Administrative Board for many years. And my sister has had to shut herself up inside her house because of the press.
    Dean: Truly terrible.
    [Before Dean can proceed, a distant chime is heard through Lucille’s feed. A high-pitched, tinny melody. She scrambles to hit her mute, but unmutes a moment later as the sound fades.]
    Dean: Lucille, before we let you go, what can our viewers do to support you in this trying time?
    Lucille: Just keep spreading the truth. The national football team is a toxic organization, and the world federation are greedy bastards who will sell out to the highest bidder. And the people who dare to question it get treated like this.
    Dean: Heard and understood, Lucille. I won’t keep you any longer.
    Lucille: Goodbye.
    Dean: There you have it, comrades. The truth about the Overthinkers National Football Team and how it treats its...lesser celebrities. Tune in on Sunday for our regular weekly broadcast, where we unpack the impact of Dalimbari aggression in Polaris.
    Dean: From all of us at BrownNewsTV, I’m Dean Howell. Good night.
  24. Like
    Overthinkers reacted to Bran Astor in World Cup of Football III [rosters, roleplays, results]   
    Courtship of the Kings
    Seven winters passed since the vanquishing of the Berganisk tribes, and Queen Tamar, her name echoing through the winds like a distant thunderstorm, ruled with sagacity and might.
    In those days of yore, three royal suitors sought the hand of Queen Tamar, drawn by the luster of her realm. The first, Tonn, bore a regal countenance, yet his gaze was veiled by vanity and nearsightedness. The second, Olev, was piously devoted, but his reverence for the divine eclipsed the needs of his folk. The third, Jumal, harbored ambitions as fierce as the northern winds, heedless of the welfare of his subjects.
    With grandiosity befitting their stations, the three kings approached Queen Tamar, each seeking favor. Yet, the queen, with discerning eyes akin to the falcon's gaze, perceived the flaws that tainted the brilliance of each.
    To Tonn, the vain, she spoke words as sharp as the blade at her side. "A king's sight must not be clouded by his own reflection. Beauty is fleeting, but the legacy of a benevolent ruler endures like the northern lights."
    Olev, the pious, found himself admonished by Tamar's unwavering gaze. "A king's devotion must extend to the realm he governs, not confined to the heavens alone. Your people crave sustenance and justice, not just the solace of prayers."
    Jumal, the ambitious, faced Tamar's unyielding stare. "Power, if grasped without wisdom and compassion, is but a weapon of tyrants. A king should be a shepherd, not a wolf amidst his flock."
    Enraged by these lessons in humility, service to the folk, and equality, each king, in the manner of the berserkers of old, drew his weapon. Tonn unsheathed his sword, Olev gripped a mace, and Jumal brandished a spear. They struck at Tamar, blinded by wounded pride and unbridled ambition.
    Yet, Tamar, like a Valkyrie in the dance of battle, moved with the grace of the northern winds, deflecting their blows with a skill forged in the crucible of conflict. She spared their lives but claimed their crowns, a symbol of the humility and service they failed to grasp.
    The tale of the thwarted courtship and the dethroned kings spread like the whispering breeze through the ancient fjords. The subjects of each realm began to see Tamar not as a conqueror but as a liberator and rightful queen. The realm expanded, and peace descended like the gentle caress of snow upon an ever-expanding dominion.
    Thus, the Courtship of the Kings became a chapter in the saga of Tamar, the queen whose wisdom, humility, and martial prowess united realms and brought prosperity to the lands beneath her just and compassionate rule. The people hailed her not merely as a warrior queen but as a sovereign whose heart beat in harmony with the well-being of her folk.
  25. Like
    Overthinkers reacted to Aelitia in World Cup of Football III [rosters, roleplays, results]   
    Her gaze fixed on the screen, her ears reactively pulling her face tight. The message's sender remained anonymous, yet the implication cut through the hurry of her office. Someone, somehow, had learned of her impending decision regarding the Woolrey-Arnold Pharmaceutical case—a decision not yet publicized, known only to those within her office and the main clerk of the Hiercourt.
    Rather than instilling fear, the mysterious message fueled an unexpected resolve within Tamar. The intrusion into her decision-making process hardened her determination to uphold the law without succumbing to veiled threats. 
    With a measured breath, Tamar set her phone aside and turned her attention back to the documents sprawled across her desk. The weight of her responsibility as a judge in the Practice of the Prince's Laws pressed upon her, and the oath she had taken resonated in her thoughts as she sealed the document in the traditional purple ink. 
     

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