origin storm. novak speech

You straighten your turtleneck collar as you wait against the curtains of the Town Hall's stage. It would've been more appealing to the masses if you had chosen denim over coziness, but the air is crisp today. You'll be the comfort for them soon enough as horses begin to trot and people wander from their homes.

Elio presses the script up against your chest. You manage to keep it from sliding by collapsing upon it with your jawline. "Stay on that script, don't, just don't be stupid." Two decades of crafting all your words with caution weren't enough to give your uncle a bit of faith, huh? You read over the page again. Niceties, demanding more from Mayor Emberstatt, and a facade of tone to guise the selfish intentions that got you into this mess. To those residents out there, you're an innocent, but now you want to soar and take the rest of Ten with you. You can promise them a new empire and let them believe that they'll get a piece for themselves. You make your own adjustments to the essay, striking lines or paragraphs in favor of words from your heart. Offer them fireworks of joy and bring more guns to your arsenal. Offer them flowers and give them knives for thorns. You'll promise them the world for their vote, and you'll give them their lake while you swim in an ocean. You won't hurt them, of course, just help yourself.

"I'm very proud of you, little Novak. We've got everyone at their posts to keep things crowded to make this a spectacle. Tell them why we deserve this." You tip your hat in agreement and wrap your hand around the outline of your red and gold belt buckle. You unveil yourself from the curtain, minding the clock and your allotted time.

Tapping the microphone, you reclaim attention. "Thanks, y'all, for comin' out here. Not exactly the best conditions for this time of year. Mother Nature's been keeping us shut in a few months too long, damn groundhogs and their shadows." You slide your paper against the metal podium and stump your leg against the stand.

"If you don't know me or haven't seen the poster boards, the name's Adrián, but you can just call me Novak. I'm runnin' for mayor here in Ten." You tip your hat and the crowd claps, inspired by Damaris's initial applause.

The wind sends your speech flying, and thankfully, one of your boys is the one to catch it and shove it into his pockets. Time to go off script and off of memory alone. "Put your finger in the air. Do you feel the wind, the moisture? It's not just Mother Nature. It's a perfect storm brewin', metaphorically. Storm for change."

"Isn't this District Ten? Why's it District Statt for all recent memory? Emberstatt, Stromstatt, Emberstatt. Might as well throw the Lowes in there too. Just look at the endorsements he's gettin'! More of the same. It's a family affair for that lot. How dare we be dissatisfied with District Statt when they're in charge: the solvers of all problems and creators of all things good here. Don't let them fool you, my friends. As it stands, they can survive the storm on the grounds of their name. We can't. Deep down, we know that, and they know it too. They've got their filthy paws on rope ladders to propel themselves to safety, and we've got our bare hands. You and I, we've broken our backs trying to climb out of this hole."

The crowd nods along. Your outrage is genuine, but you still need to sell yourself as the perfect candidate. "If Kieran Emberstatt wants to prove he's like us and for us, he should step down and walk a mile beside us, not above us! But he won't: Kieran Emberstatt is too selfish to be considerate."

"I'll take care of the people. With Mayor Novak, the people will have easy transportation. The people will be able to expand their homes from cramped spaces. The people will survive the storm. My people, this election is the storm. I am the storm, you are the storm. "

Rain begins to fall with thunder soon to follow. Almost too perfectly timed. Get them hooked, for now.

"District Statt will fall when Ten chooses to rise back up. Flood the streets with your voices and a hurricane with your spirit. Kieran Emberstatt should mind the waves because we will rise. We will reclaim our sea."


"NOVAK for Mayor!"