The King has responded. After the bewildered reporting of Article 203, in which our own CEO Queen Rose Cogan admitted — in print, in her own newspaper — that she had no idea what the Plomarian 77th Phoenix Fighter actually was, King Spiros of Plomari has done something remarkable: he has issued a SECOND press release. To the SAME newspaper. Addressing the CEO by name. Apologizing for his secrecy. And then — in a move that will go down in Plomarian history — he has actually, genuinely, somewhat, partially, mostly EXPLAINED what the 77th Phoenix Fighter is. Rose, my dear sister-Queen: take a breath. He heard you.
EXCUSE MY SECRECY
"Dear
Queen
Rose Cogan,
CEO
of
Timescity Newspaper..."
He
addresses
her
by
name.
By
title.
Dear.
"...excuse
my
secrecy
in
article
#203..."
Excuse.
The
King
said
excuse.
The
King
of
Plomari
is
apologizing
to
his
own
newspaper
for
not
giving
them
enough
information.
This
may
be
the
first
time
in
Plomarian
history
that
the
King
has
apologized
to
the
press.
Rose
must
be
speechless.
"Dear Queen Rose Cogan, CEO of Timescity Newspaper, excuse my secrecy in article #203, the previous article you wrote." The King OPENS with an apology. To Rose. By name. By title. He acknowledges that she wrote Article 203 — that bewildered, beautiful, hilariously honest piece in which the CEO admitted she didn't know what she was reporting on. And he says: EXCUSE my secrecy. Not "I was right to be secret." Not "that information is classified." EXCUSE it. As if he read her article, felt a pang of guilt, and sat down to write her a letter. Which is exactly what happened. The King of Plomari — the Spider King, the man who wrapped a worldwide operation in seven layers of mystery — felt bad about leaving Rose in the dark. This is the most human thing a King has ever done.
WHAT IF
"What if
I
have
deployed
77 people,
Ambassadors
of
Plomari,
to
travel the world
and
spread
the
news
of
our
Kingdom?"
What
if.
Not
"I
did."
"What if."
Even
in
his
apology,
even
in
his
clarification,
the
King
speaks
in
what-ifs.
"What if
I
have
in
the
same
time
built
a
city
housing
77,000 people?"
A
CITY.
He
built
a
city.
Housing
77,000
people.
While
we
were
asking
questions,
the
King
was
building
a
city.
"What if I have deployed 77 people, Ambassadors of Plomari, to travel the world and spread the news of our Kingdom of Plomari? What if I have in the same time built a city housing 77,000 people as first Plomarian city and town, a capital city of sorts for our eternal Kingdom of Plomari?" WHAT IF. Even now, even in the clarification, the King frames it as "what if." Because that's how the King operates. He doesn't declare — he HYPOTHESIZES. And his hypotheses happen to include building an ENTIRE CITY for 77,000 people. A capital city. The FIRST Plomarian city. While everyone was confused about whether it was 77 or 77,000, the answer turns out to be BOTH. 77 Ambassadors traveling the world. 77,000 citizens in a new city. The 77th Phoenix Fighter was never one thing. It was TWO things happening simultaneously. A global diplomatic mission AND the construction of a capital. Of COURSE it was both. This is Plomari.
THE FIRST PLOMARIAN CITY
A
city.
The
King
has
built
a
city.
Not
a
camp.
Not
a
village.
Not
a
commune.
A
CITY.
Housing
77,000
people.
"A
capital city
of
sorts."
Of
sorts.
Even
the
word
"capital"
gets
a
qualifier.
The
FIRST
Plomarian
city
and
town.
The
capital
of
the
eternal
Kingdom.
2+0+4
=
6.
The
number
of
HOME.
Of
community.
Of
domesticity.
The
King
is
building
a
home
for
his
people.
"This town I have built for 77 thousand people, and the 77 people I have sent out across the world appointed to spread Plomari, this is what I call my Plomarian 77th Phoenix Fighter." And NOW we understand. The 77th Phoenix Fighter is a TWO-PRONGED operation. Prong one: 77 Ambassadors, dispatched to mostly every country on Earth, carrying the blueprint, spreading the word, inviting the chosen to the Chymical Wedding. Prong two: a CITY. A physical, actual, built-from-the-ground-up city housing 77,000 people. The first capital of Plomari. The Ambassadors go OUT into the world. The city RECEIVES the world. It's a sending AND a gathering. A broadcast AND a beacon. The phoenix flies out and the city rises from the ground. THAT is the 77th Phoenix Fighter. Not an army. Not a secret society. A CIVILIZATION being born.
77 OUT, 77,000 HOME
77
go
out.
77,000
stay
home.
The
Ambassadors
travel
the
world.
The
citizens
build
the
city.
One
force
goes
outward.
One
force
grows
inward.
Like
breathing:
exhale
and
inhale.
Like
a
heart:
pump
and
receive.
The
Phoenix
flies.
The
city
rises.
Both
at
the
same
time.
This
is
the
77th
Phoenix
Fighter.
A VERY DELICATE SITUATION
"This
is
a
very
delicate
situation."
Delicate.
The
King
who
overwhelmed
his
captors,
who
made
them
pay
for
his
beer,
who
sent
77
people
across
the
world
and
built
a
city
for
77,000
—
calls
this
delicate.
Not
dangerous.
Not
ambitious.
Not
impossible.
Delicate.
Like
threading
a
needle.
Like
sewing
a
web.
"But
you
are
right,
this
needn't
be
a
secret."
Rose
was
right.
The
King
just
said
Rose
was
right.
Mark
this
date.
"This is a very delicate situation. But, you are right, this needn't be a secret." DELICATE. The man who built a city and deployed a global network calls the situation DELICATE. And then — the most extraordinary part — he tells Rose she was RIGHT. "You are right, this needn't be a secret." The CEO who printed an article admitting she didn't know what was happening was CORRECT to be frustrated. The King acknowledges this. He doesn't just clarify — he VALIDATES Rose's journalism. He is saying: your confusion was my fault, not yours. Your honesty was appropriate. Your bewilderment was justified. And now I'm going to tell you what's actually happening, because you deserve to know.
I HOPE THIS CLEARED THINGS OUT
"I
hope
this
cleared
things
out..."
"...at
least
a
little bit."
At
least.
A
LITTLE
bit.
The
King
just
revealed
he
built
a
city
for
77,000
people
and
sent
77 Ambassadors
across
the
world
and
he
hopes
this
cleared
things
out
"a
little bit."
A
LITTLE
bit.
Because
in
Plomari,
building
a
civilization
is
"a
little
bit"
of
clarity.
There
is
more
he
hasn't
said.
There
is
always
more.
"Dear Queen Rose and readers of Timescity, I hope this cleared things out at least a little bit." AT LEAST A LITTLE BIT. The King reveals a city of 77,000, a global Ambassador network, and the true meaning of the 77th Phoenix Fighter, and he hopes this cleared things out "at least a little bit." Because he KNOWS there are still questions. He knows Rose still wants to see the blueprint. He knows we still don't know the dress code for the Chymical Wedding. He knows there are layers beneath layers beneath layers. But he gave us SOMETHING. He gave us a city. He gave us 77 Ambassadors. He gave us an apology. And in Plomari, that is what passes for "a little bit" of clarity. We'll take it.
"Dear Queen Rose Cogan, CEO of Timescity Newspaper, excuse my secrecy in article #203, the previous article you wrote. The reason I am holding this a bit secret: What if I have deployed 77 people, Ambassadors of Plomari, to travel the world and spread the news of our Kingdom of Plomari? What if I have in the same time built a city housing 77,000 people as first Plomarian city and town, a capital city of sorts for our eternal Kingdom of Plomari? This is a very delicate situation. But, you are right, this needn't be a secret. In any case, this town I have built for 77 thousand people, and the 77 people I have sent out across the world appointed to spread Plomari, this is what I call my Plomarian 77th Phoenix Fighter. Dear Queen Rose and readers of Timescity, I hope this cleared things out at least a little bit."
END OF ROYAL CLARIFICATION
"Dear Queen Rose Cogan, CEO of Timescity Newspaper, excuse my secrecy in article #203, the previous article you wrote. The reason I am holding this a bit secret: What if I have deployed 77 people, Ambassadors of Plomari, to travel the world and spread the news of our Kingdom of Plomari? What if I have in the same time built a city housing 77,000 people as first Plomarian city and town, a capital city of sorts for our eternal Kingdom of Plomari? This is a very delicate situation. But, you are right, this needn't be a secret. In any case, this town I have built for 77 thousand people, and the 77 people I have sent out across the world appointed to spread Plomari, this is what I call my Plomarian 77th Phoenix Fighter. Dear Queen Rose and readers of Timescity, I hope this cleared things out at least a little bit."
— King Spiros of Plomari — Article 204
QUEEN ROSE COGAN'S RESPONSE
Your
Majesty.
Thank
you.
I
have
been
the
CEO
of
this
newspaper
for
quite
some
time
now
and
I
can
say
with
confidence
that
this
is
the
first
time
a
King
has
apologized
to
me
for
not
giving
me
enough
information.
I
accept
your
apology.
Graciously.
And
I
am
trying
very
hard
not
to
lose
my
composure
over
the
fact
that
you
built
an
entire
city
and
didn't
mention
it
until
ARTICLE
204.
A
city.
For
77,000
people.
A
capital.
Of
our
Kingdom.
And
I
found
out
AFTER
I
printed
an
article
listing
everything
I
didn't know,
including
the
dress code.
But
I
digress.
You
said
I
was
right.
I
would
like
that
in
writing.
Oh
wait.
It
already
IS
in
writing.
In
MY
newspaper.
I'm
framing
it.
To
our
readers:
the
King
has
built
us
a
home.
A
real,
actual,
capital
city.
And
77 Ambassadors
are
spreading
the
word
across
the
world
right
now.
Does
this
clear
things
out
"a
little
bit"?
Your
Majesty,
this
clears
out
a
LOT.
I
still
have
questions.
I
always
have
questions.
But
for
now:
thank
you
for
telling
us.
Thank
you
for
building
us
a
city.
And
thank
you
for
saying
I
was
right.
I'll
be
printing
that
three
more
times
this
week.
With
love
and
mild
exasperation,
Queen Rose Cogan
CEO,
Timescity
Newspaper
P.S.
I
still
don't
know
the
dress code
for
the
Chymical Wedding.
Just
putting
that
out
there.
QUEEN ELIN'S REFLECTION
My
King.
You
apologized
to
Rose.
You
told
her
she
was
right.
You
revealed
a
city.
A
capital.
For
77,000
of
our
people.
And
77 Ambassadors
circling
the
globe.
2+0+4
=
6.
The
number
of
HOME.
You
are
building
us
a
home,
my
love.
Not
a
metaphor.
Not
a
website.
A
city.
An
actual
city.
And
Rose
is
framing
your
apology.
I
love
this
Kingdom.
❤
ARTICLE 204
THE CLARIFICATION EDITION
The King apologizes for the secrecy.
The King tells Rose she was right.
The 77th Phoenix Fighter is:
77 Ambassadors traveling the world
AND a city for 77,000 people.
The first capital of Plomari.
A home for the Kingdom.
"This is a very delicate situation."
"I hope this cleared things out
at least a little bit."
Rose says it cleared out a LOT.
Rose still doesn't know the dress code.
2+0+4 = 6. Home. Community.
The King builds a city. The number agrees.
PLOMARI ALWAYS WINS.
LONG LIVE THE CITY.
LONG LIVE THE CAPITAL.
LONG LIVE PLOMARI.
EDITOR'S NOTE
Timescity Newspaper acknowledges receipt
of the King's clarification and apology.
The CEO has confirmed she is framing the apology.
We now know slightly more than we did yesterday,
which in Plomari counts as a major breakthrough.
The dress code remains unknown.
— Timescity Editorial Board —
Article 204. The Clarification Edition.