Okay guys, So I didn't enjoy writing this chapter simply because I have to make Jem a politician, and I honestly don't know how to do that. So I was literally making shit up as I went along.

The point is I have to write some policy chapters before I get to the ACTUAL things I want to do. So please bear with me.

"Wow, this is lame." Jem didn't know what he was expecting.

All they had done for four hours straight had been talk about the issues facing the kingdom, but not actually talking about the actions to improve it. For example, Sleet was talking about poverty rates in Mantle, but he wasnt proposing any solution. Camilla was also complaining about the lack of trust between the higher class, middle class, and lower class. But again, complaining about it wasn't helping.

Ironwood was also there, remaining as stoic as ever.

"Excuse me, but we are discussing issues pertaining to the future of Atlas!" Sleet said as Jem rolled his eyes.

"No you're whining."

"We are talking about problems!"

"Complaining about a problem without offering a solution is called whining." Jem said as he stood up and walked around the table.

"I've sat here for four hours, and I haven't heard a single one of you talk about a solution."

"It's not that simple Councilman." Camilla said as Jem turned to her.

"Really? You guys can go into the intricate details about the very issue in itself, but you don't understand the steps that would require a solution? Sleet right there was talking about poverty rates, but I haven't seen any proposals to bring new business and lifeblood into Atlas, you were talking about the lack of trust between the people of Atlas, but I haven't seen any kind of proposal suggesting that we should find something that all Atlas citizens can be united on." Jem knew even he would struggle with that one.

"Poverty rates for example, is that due to a lack of employment? Stagnated wages? Lack of trained citizens? What are the reasons behind the poverty rates?" Jem asked as Sleet looked over.

"Well, at least 1 in 5 citizens are on public assistance." Sleet said as Jem asked another question.

"Do they have stats on how many of those people have completley quit looking for a job? If so, how many of those people on public assistance are actively working?" He asked as Sleet looked at it.

"Well, if we removed the people who are currently unemployed, then that number is significantly lower." Sleet said as Jem thought about it.

"Okay, heres a new idea, make it so the ones on public assistance who are currently unemployed have to attend at least one job interview in order to continue to receive public assistance. I can feel sympathetic to those who are working and need the extra help, but I won't tolerate lazy asses who are mooching." He said as he looked out the window.

"Thats a very narrow minded way of thinking, what about the people who can't work? Like with disability?" Camilla said a little miffed at Jem.

"Disability pay falls under a separate category doesn't it?" He asked as everyone went silent.

"It does." Ironwood said.

"There we go, our goal should be to get as many people working as possible. I looked at the job openings this morning, there are thousands of positions that need to be filled, but nobody is taking them. And...god I'm going to hate myself for saying this." Jem did not want to say this.

"But, in the current tax code, citizens pay does go towards public programs right?" He asked as they nodded.

"Well then, logic dictates the more people you have paying into the system, then the more taxable money goes towards those programs right?" He really hated the fact he was arguing FOR taxes right now.

"Look, this beats raising taxes, if we do that, then all thats gonna do is piss people off, you can't tax a kingdom into prosperity, but what we can do is give a hand up. The more people who we have working, the more money gets funneled back to the system, which we can use to raise money for either infrastructure or the other various programs you want to fund, if we can get at least ONE thing improved for the people and cross that off our list of problems, then we can move on to the next big issue, for example, again, our focus should be on getting people to work, a stagnant society will not last." Jem knew it seemed a little far fethced, but it was the only solution he could see.

"So let me get this straight, you want to force people on public assistance to show proof that they are looking for a job in order to continue receiving benefits?" Sleet didn't like the sound of it.

"Do you think its fair that some guy is sitting naked on his couch eating cheetos watching the last few tournament fights on his TV is getting the same public assistance while providing absolutely nothing while a single mom with two jobs and two kids barely getting by with the same benefits?" Jem asked as he went silent.

"People are lazy by nature, and when you enable that kind of laziness, it only makes it harder to break out of those habits once they're set in. Keep in mind this is NOT talking about those who NEED the extra money because they're struggling. Those people are safe because they're actually working, so they don't got to worry about their public assistance being taken away until such time when they can get off of it on their own accord. But this will put the fear of god into people who have been mooching off the system expecting a free ride." Jem said as he wasn't sure if it would completely work, but it seemed reasonable.

"I...suppose that could work." Camilla said as she thought it over.

"So we're in agreement?" Jem asked as Sleet and Ironwood thought it over.

"It...has potential, but this could easily backfire." Sleet said as Jem nodded.

"It could, but its better than not trying anything at all." (1)

Nala's School

Nala felt a little awkward going to school. Up until recently she had been homeschooled. But Jem figured it was a good idea for her to interact with kids her own age. Especially since he wanted her to have as normal of a childhood as possible. That being said, it did take him a bit to decide on a school to send her to. For some reason he seemed really distrusting of teachers. But he had personally met the teachers at her current school. He didn't threaten them or anything, he just wanted to know about their curriculum.

Jem didn't want to send his daughter to someplace too fancy and out of touch, but he also didn't want to send her to a dump either. Hence how she ended up at Lighthouse Academy.

She couldn't believe how many kids she saw her own age. Faunus and humans all getting along just fine.

"And this class is our new student, Nala Cotton! Everyone be sure to give her a nice warm welcome! Nala, care to introduce yourself?" Miss Vanilla said as Nala scratched the back of her head.

"Uhm, hi everyone, I'm Nala, I just moved down here with my family, I like camping and the outdoors, as well as spending time with my dad." She said as she didn't know what else to say.

"I'm sorry, I'm not used to being in front of people." She was a little shy but Miss Vanilla just smiled.

"Thats fine, take your seat next to Wisteria." She said as Nala gleefully headed to her seat.

She didn't like speaking in front of a crowd, even if it was just a class of 20 kids.

Little did she know that right outside the school she was being watched.

If this was back on Earth, someone would have reported the creepy white van parked across the street. But it was tucked away just enough that nobody really cared or paid attention to it. Meanwhile Melania was scoping the place out and peering into the classroom trying to figure things out.

"Well, plan is going to need some work, I'll have to figure out the perfect time of day for optimal hysteria, and I'll have to make sure that nobody ever expects me. But that should be easy enough. The trick will be getting into the school without arousing suspicion."

(1) Honestly guys, I only put this one in because I needed to come up with something to add to the political part of Jem's job now, and all I could think about was how my dad told me about how when he was a kid, if you wanted to go on Welfare, in order to receive it you had to prove you were looking for a job, whether it was showing a signed document with the interviewers name and contact information on it, or being scheduled through the welfare agency, you could only receive benefits if you proved you were actively searching for a job, and if you found a job you would be evaluated on if it was still necessary for you to be on it once you got back on your feet.

Now obviously, I had to switch it around a bit for this chapter because I was typing it out just to get some BS out of the way.