The Smiling Ambassador VIEWS FROM ELSEWHEREA satirical tale of selective perception Mela Vos adjusted her silk scarf—crimson, the national color—as she stood before the gleaming skyscrapers of Belvoria City. The morning sun glinted off glass and steel, creating a dazzling display that would look perfect on her channel. She positioned her phone carefully, feeling the familiar weight of performance settling onto her shoulders. "Welcome back to 'Glorious Belvoria Through Foreign Eyes'!" she ...

The Smiling Ambassador 1.0 VIEWS FROM ELSEWHEREA satirical tale of selective perception Mela stood before the gleaming skyscrapers of Nexoria City, her selfie stick extended to capture both her beaming face and the impressive skyline behind her. The red light on her camera blinked steadily. "Welcome back to 'Glorious Nexoria Through Foreign Eyes'!" she exclaimed with practiced enthusiasm. "Today we're continuing our popular series interviewing the wonderful international visitors who keep...

THE GILDED PERCH A Satirical Allegory DAWN PROCLAMATION 2,193: THE VOICE OF EGGORIA The sun rises reluctantly over Eggoria's skyline—a jagged silhouette of ambition against the pale morning sky. Atop the nation's tallest spire stands Voxus, his golden feathers catching first light. From below, he appears as a perfect silhouette; from above, the bald patches in his plumage tell a different story. COCK-A-DOODLE-SUPREME! The amplified crow reverberates through the empty streets, bouncing b...

THE GOLDEN ROOSTER OF EGGORIA Dawn breaks over the meticulously manicured landscape of Eggoria, where a magnificent golden rooster named Voxus struts atop the nation's tallest spire. His feathers gleam with artificial luster as he prepares for his daily proclamation to an audience that seems to shrink with each passing day. Voxus puffed his chest and gazed across the pristine cityscape, admiring his reflection in the glass of a nearby skyscraper. The morning sun caught his golden plumage, ca...

"The Rooster's Proclamation" A satirical monologue THE GOLDEN ROOSTER OF TALLCREST Dawn breaks over the meticulously manicured landscape of Tallcrest, where a magnificent golden rooster named Paxus struts atop the nation's tallest spire. His feathers gleam with artificial luster as he prepares for his daily proclamation. Paxus puffed his chest and gazed across the pristine cityscape, admiring his reflection in the glass of a nearby skyscraper. "COCK-A-DOODLE-MAGNIFICENT!" he crowed, his...

"The Badge of Honor" A Social Satire Title: The Badge of Honor The morning sun glinted off the freshly ironed t-shirt as Marlo proudly pulled it over his head. The bold letters emblazoned across his chest proclaimed "I AM A FOOL," and he smiled with satisfaction at his reflection—or tried to. For a fleeting moment, a stranger stared back at him from the mirror, eyes questioning. Marlo Duri, twenty-seven years old, had spent most of his life under the careful guidance of his elder brother, Ve...

"The Badge of Honor" A Social Satire Title: The Badge of Honor The morning sun glinted off the freshly ironed t-shirt as Marlo proudly pulled it over his head. The bold letters emblazoned across his chest proclaimed "I AM A FOOL," and he smiled with satisfaction at his reflection. Marlo Duri, twenty-seven years old and blissfully unaware, had spent most of his life under the careful guidance of his elder brother, Vexon. It was Vexon who had first presented him with the special shirt on his e...

The clock behind the bar at The Alabaster Table hadn't ticked in seventeen years, yet somehow it always showed the correct time. Tonight it read 8:47 PM—the hour when everything would change. Minos wiped the same spot on the mahogany bar, watching raindrops race down the windows. The neon sign outside flickered, casting crimson shadows across the room. "They're coming tonight," whispered Theia, his longtime waitress. A fresh bruise darkened her cheekbone—courtesy of one of the gangsters they...