Friday, August 16, 2019

░ Stormedia, Thetia, Midona, Empire of Thetia

░ Friday August 16, 2019

░ At 1.10 pm

News of Friday, August 16, 2019

Samuel Mercier

- "Dear inhabitants of the Empire, welcome to this 1:10 p.m. newscast. We apologize for the delay that was caused by a power outage in the Stormedia studios. Here are the headlines for Friday, August 16, 2019: We are not alone in this world, this is what Her Majesty the Empress said two months ago. We now know the origins of the Creator of the Empire, and like every Friday, we went to interview you in the street to get your opinion on the situation. When Art Tells the Horrors of War is the name of the new exhibition taking place at the Kingdom of Rilan in the city of Princeton. Photographer Aleena Charles spent a year in the conflict zones of Youmor and Goston Counties, and her photos allow her to express herself and raise awareness. Their last album dates back to 2016. Desire, the SkyLight Entertainment women's group has just released their third album "Women's Power" and one of the titles is at the heart of a big controversy. To answer the questions of our journalists, Sophia Turner, the rapper behind the title, agreed to talk to us. Finally, our teams will take you this week to the County of Zorene located in the North of the Empire. Nicknamed with the County of Phuram, the Heaven of Fortune, almost all the biggest superstars have a villa in this County. We were able to interview a regular of the island who resided there for several years, the singer and actor Zachary Booth.

- The opening of the borders announced two months ago is still the subject of debate. This announcement qualified of 'Revolution of the Empire' by the experts, what is your opinion on it. Since the announcement, we have gotten used to go all over the Empire, interviewing you. This week, Julian Wright is in the Kingdom of Hatopia in the town of Devora, known for its many seaside resorts. As for Elodie Gousset, she is currently in the business district of the Empire in the heart of the capital city Thetia".

- "Good morning Samuel! Here in Devora, the announcement of the Empress has rekindled the flame of local businesses, but especially of the seaside resorts. Remember, the economy of these resorts has been in decline since the conflict between Youmor and Goston escalated in the 80s and 90s. Nevertheless, as a result of the measures taken by His Majesty, the resorts have regained their customers in recent weeks. We questioned the boss of the Renaissance chain, the largest chain of resorts in the Empire, who told us he was delighted with the opening. He hopes that the inhabitants of the Eight Kingdoms will come on vacation to the Empire, and take advantage of the coasts and culture of the cities to recharge their batteries. The local businesses, for their part, are rather eager for tourists to come to increase their profits, even if for a good number of them, one feels a concern about the competition and that the tourists stay in the big cities like Thetia, Bradford or Torrine".

- "Thank you Julian! What about the situation at Thetia Elodie?"

- " Hello Samuel! In the business district, the economical heart of the Empire where the headquarters of the largest groups are located, the atmosphere is mixed. On the one hand, we have music agencies like SkyLight Entertainment and Grotto Entertainment, who are impatient, because they know they will make huge profits. Thanks to video platforms, such as Youtube and social networks, which will, when Her Majesty and the other leaders have reached agreements, expand and thus the number of views and subscribers will increase considerably. However, after my interview with Markus Levine, the CEO of the automotive group Paladin stated that the competition will be very tough. But one point emerges on which all companies agree: the opening of branches in other countries to expand the company, reduce production costs and create new jobs. The CEOs are especially looking forward for the laws and taxes that will be imposed for the import and export of goods".

- " Thank you Julian and Elodie for this information. It's now been a month since photographer Aleena Charles returned from her trip to the conflict zones on the border of Youmor and Goston Counties. Thanks to her pictures, she was able to expose to the rest of the Empire the damage of this conflict: destroyed villages, traumatized families and incessant battles, her photos bear witness to the horror of the conflict. Our teams went to the city of Princeton in the Kingdom of Rilan, where her exhibition is held: when art tells the horrors of war. Our envoys, Simon Guerry and Catherine Bells, were able to visit the site the day before it opened".

Inside this art gallery in the city of Princeton, which will take place tomorrow the exhibition "When art tells the horrors of war", by photographer Aleena Charles. She has been working on this exhibition for more than a year now. According to our sources, she has received financial support for her exhibition from the Ministry of Culture Gabriel Masson. We went to interview her.

- " Mrs. Charles, thank you for giving us a moment while you are busy ".

- "The pleasure's all mine, and call me Aleena".

- " Before discussing the works exhibited in the gallery, tell us about your adventure in Youmor and Goston, if I may use that term ".

- " I left on July 15, 2018 to the conflict zones on the border of Goston and Youmor. I accompanied several groups: the armed forces, civilians and soldiers from both sides. Obviously, we can't take photos as we please. For example, I was forbidden to photograph military bases. I started from the north of Youmor to go to the south, and then, I started from the south of Goston to go up to the north of the county".

- " Is there a moment that touched you personally?"

- "There was not a single day without me crying: between seeing the inhabitants flee the village or the town they had grown up in and seeing the bodies of the victims, every event touched me. It was hard to get over it when I returned to Princeton to be with my husband and daughter. But one moment that I will remember for the rest of my life was in Doneton in Youmor County. I was in a refugee camp that was about to leave for Norbury, to finally be safe. Some of them told me that they were going to join family on the main island or in the other counties until the conflict ended. I decided to take a picture of them, and you will be able to see them again tomorrow at the exhibition.However, we started to hear detonations and gunfire in the camp. A group of rebels from Goston had managed to cross the border and walk into the camp. At that very moment, I thought it was over, that I would never see my family again. I called my husband, and I told him that I loved him... "

- "Take your time Aleena, it's not easy to remember these moments. We won't force you if you don't want to go on".

- "No, I'll finish, don't worry. The group of soldiers from the Army that accompanied me got me into a car and left in a hurry with other soldiers, reporters and humanitarians. As we were driving away, three planes passed over the camp and bombs were dropped. I learned from reading the Empress' letter that it was poison gas, and more than 80% of the camp died that day, including people I had photographed".

- "And that's what you show in your photos, the horrors of war."

- "Indeed. Many people, mostly young people, are unaware of the dangerousness of this conflict. I have heard time and time again from youth on the street, making fun of this conflict and it was driving me crazy. So, I invite all youth to come to my exhibition, come and see what youth of your age had to endure while you were being pampered in the warmth of your home. I think that some of them will grow out of it".

- "I agree with you. Two last questions: if another conflict arose, would you do the same thing again as now? After Her Majesty's announcement of the end of the conflict, how do you feel, what do you think?"

- "Frankly, I think yes, but not in conflict zones but in areas where the fighting has stopped. Humanitarians and reporters will also tell you, doing what we do is playing with death. We can be attacked and die at any time, we are not safe anywhere. Regarding the Empress' words, I find that the sanctions that she wants to impose on the two counties, if nothing is done this month, come too late. They should have been applied from the very beginning of this conflict, and perhaps the worst could have been avoided, such as the chemical gas attacks and the multiple attacks".

- "Thank you Aleena for answering our questions. Let me remind you that the exhibition "When Art Tales the Horrors of War" will open on Saturday, August 18 at 8 a.m. at the Princeton Art Gallery in the Kingdom of Rilan".

- "Their third album Women's Power is a triumph, but one of the tracks is at the heart of a controversy. Desire, the SkyLight Entertainment women's group must once again face criticism because of a song considered vulgar. The leader, songwriter and rapper of the group Sophia Turner, who wrote the song, is with us to address this controversy. Thank you for being here Sophia! Before tackling this song, can you explain us the theme(s) addressed in your new album?"

- "Hello Samuel and thank you for welcoming me! Our third album is about the powers that women have. As in our albums and mini-albums, we address the theme of women and feminism. Our titles tell the story of several women, for example, one is about a woman who has been cheated on by her husband, but the husband doesn't assume and blames her, or another about the fact that no matter what your body or skin color, you are unique and no one has the right to judge you and criticize your appearance"

- "These are important themes that reflect society. Nevertheless, why according to you, your song in collaboration with the rapper Kristen Stewart is making such a big fuss ?"

- "In fact, since I started my career, there have always been critics of my songs. I'm not a person who chews his words, and I expose myself a lot in my videos, but I do what I want, it's my body. My lyrics are provocative and a lot of people don't like them. This song that we wrote with Kris, we expected it to be talked about, especially with the lyrics that we wrote"

- "I hear your opinion, but many parents have petitioned to have this song removed because it is perceived as dangerous to children. What would you say to them?"

- "I have never said that I am an example for children and it is not my job to control what your children listen to and watch. That's the job of parents. I'm not going to change my style of music to please them. Times are changing and so are mentalities. I'm going to announce it exclusively, but a video clip of this song will come out and it will be like my usual clips. However, even if there are parents or unhappy people, a lot of them support me and like what I do"

- "Viewers have sent us their questions about your song. The first one: why is it that only women who show their bodies in music videos are more sensitive to having complaints?"

- "It's an interesting question because it applies to all areas. To answer you, it's because I'm a woman that it's controversial. But what I don't understand is why in a rapper's clip, women twerking in bikinis are less bothersome than my lyrics. A rapper's lyrics can also have connotations, but no one is going to say anything to him. I will say it again, but times change" 

- "A second question: how do you think music will evolve with the opening of borders?"

- "We're going to see new genres and styles of music coming, and I think a lot of them are going to succeed in the Empire. Moreover, I'm convinced that in some countries like Edios, there are rappers who are even more raw than I am and that the lyrics and clips are less shocking to the population. So, the people who complain about my work, will have to get used to see this kind of song appear more and more"

- "And finally, the last question: would you like to see a show that would one day bring together rappers with people against and for rap?"

- "I fully endorse the concept and would like to participate. It would be interesting to find out why these people don't like rap, and what they're against"

- "Thank you for answering our questions Sophia and for coming despite your busy schedule!"

- "All the pleasure is for me Samuel. Thank you very much!"

- "Have you ever had the chance to visit Zorene County? This island in the north of the Empire contains breathtaking landscapes: from lush forests to heavenly beaches, it is the favorite place for celebrities going on vacation. Our crew joined the young singer and actor Zachary Booth in Aria, the town that watched him grow and blossom". 

Aria, a town of 80 thousand inhabitants is the heart of Zorene County. Home of the royal family, the history of this city is closely linked to the construction of the Empire of Thetia. Indeed, the island would have served as a fort to watch for the coming of ships. Moreover, in 1500, it is on this island that the invaders carried out their first conquest. Originally from Hiviro, these invaders had managed to cross the Terrible Waters which were at that time inaccessible. Later, Aria became the capital of the invaders' villages, and it was not until 1600, during the Battle of Midona, that the young Empress Athea Kestle managed to defeat them. Several towns and villages still bear the names given by the Hivirians such as Aria, Levia, Treggio or Rovili. Today, the island has become a paradise for stars. Its white sandy beaches attract both filmmakers and photo shoots of major clothing brands. Its lush forest, home to endangered species, is part of the protected Imperial Heritage. We have an appointment with Zachary Booth in the city that saw him grow up.

- "I grew up in this house and lived in it until 2015. Then I left for the capital Thetia in the Kingdom of Midona to begin my training to become an idol. The house is for sale at the moment, because with the money I managed to make from Venom and my personal activities, I helped my parents to buy a new house". 

- "What's special about Aria for you?"

- "The atmosphere there is here. Aria is a quiet, warm city and the inhabitants are welcoming and friendly with the tourists and with each other. Thetia is so different from Aria. It's noisy, too noisy for my taste and that's why every time I take a vacation, I try to go back to Zorene to recharge my batteries".

- "Do you have a favorite place you like to go when you come back here?"

- "I have two, not counting the family home. The first one is the observatory of the town of Treggio, located between the border of Zorene and Phuram, in the Forest of Birds also called the Singing Forest. From morning to evening you can hear the singing of the birds and personally I find it relaxing. Otherwise I go to Levia to enjoy the coast and the sea. The beaches are beautiful, the water is turquoise, it almost never rains and the temperatures are always pleasant". 

- "For those who would like to settle down or come on vacation to Zorene, do you have any advice?"

- "I would advise you to come in spring, because the heat in summer is stifling. You must absolutely spend a day at the Singing Forest, you won't be disappointed, especially if you love birds. Finally, if you want to settle down, you are probably aware of it but real estate on the island is very expensive, on Aria, Levia and all the towns near the Bird Forest. This is where you will find the houses of celebrities, but if you have enough money go for it! Maybe we'll see each other!"

"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the end of this journal. Thank you for listening and you will find Tatiana Dupuy for the 8 o'clock news. Good continuation to all of you"