Rainbow Connections [feat. RaMen]

Chapter Nine

President Victor María Regis "Vico" Sotto. What could Lui say about the man? How much time did she have? That's the better question. If she had been forced to pay the guy a compliment, the best she could come up with is 'thank God an elected president can only serve one term'. That, in and of itself, speaks volumes. Lui had to make a note to thank the Filipino public for the millionth time for putting a stop to this lunacy and voting for her. Lui's going to make sure that to the best of her abilities, she would not let them down.

Vico's term was spent either making people fall in line with his rants or using fear as tactics to divide and conquer. The man has changed bigtime from the mayor everyone loved to the president everyone feared and hated. He closed off the Philippine borders, cut off trade, almost started a war against China, separated families as the borders have closed and OFW's were not allowed home until before their visas and passports expired then they were not allowed to go back out of the country to work again, the health care system was dismantled, funding for public schools and homeless aged people and veterans had been cut, he verbally threatened people, discredited media, and got downright creepy with women on a very regular basis. Just to name a few of his accomplishments. Not to mention he added to the National debt by over a trillion... dollars. Thinking about all the damage control she needed to do made Lui's head spin every time she thought about it but she had to do something.

The last six years were spent treating the country like a mob deal, and a bad one to boot. Vico was anything but discreet when it came to his wheeling and dealing, using the Filipino people as collateral in the process. Lui knew she was with them when numerous people told her that they felt like they've been hostage during the past term. She couldn't agree more and it broke her heart to hear that in the process.

That being said, Lui hated what she was about to do, even though it was necessary. She had won the election, Vico had conceded a day or two ago, and now Lui had 10 days to get ready to move into the Malacañang Palace. To do that, she needed to meet with former president Sotto more than once in order to organize policy and make the transition smoothly. Honestly, he made her skin crawl, and the last thing Lui wanted on this planet was to deal with Vico's antics. Vico thrived off of his dirty tricks and mudslinging, so Lui had to be just as calculated, if not more so. She had to remain at least one step ahead of him. Lui knew Vico would undermine her for her age, her gender, and the fact that she beat him at his own game, and Lui did it with diplomacy. Vico saw her as a fragile woman beneath him while simultaneously viewing her as threat.

There's a very distinct difference between being professional as a public figure versus acting the part. The way Lui was with the people of the nation was all genuine, if slightly reserved. Everyone has their moments of privacy, of course, but it didn't come as far as Lui did without having a genuine need to help people and want to look out for their best interests.

When it came to her meeting with President Vico Sotto, none of that was the case. Lui knew how Vico's party's presidential bet belittled her on the campaign trail and in the media, and if she had to be honest, she was slightly shocked he even agreed to sit with her at the Presidential Study. Vico never quite did do anything according to protocol, and his respect for women was severely lacking. Whatever happened to the good guy Vico once was, no one knows. Even his last SONA made digs at Lui's gender and her apparent lack of know-how to get the job done. Lui and Vico's disdain for one another was more than mutual, and that's why Lui found her heart in her throat when Pio pulled up to the security check of the palace.

In the handful of times Lui had been around Mr. Sotto, she had felt the same, and if anything, winning the presidency made her feel worse. Vico was a sore loser, so Lui was well aware that Vico's patience for her was running out. They'd both smile and shake hands for the media, of course, but Lui knew how to read men like him, and she knew how much losing to a woman had his blood boiling. Lui was used to the pit in her stomach around Vico, but it seemed that now having secured her place, and the place for the future of the Philippines, that pit was taking shape and growing into quite a rock in her gut. Lui hated that she had to have this luncheon with Vico to begin the transition, but it was necessary to get all the information she could so she could move forward to the Inauguration.

As the car stopped to a halt, Pio went down the vehicle to do his checks before Lui was allowed to get down herself. Pio assisted her down the vehicle. Coming up to the entrance of the palace, she noticed Vico and his youngest half-sister, Talitha, flanked by a security detail and walking towards her to greet her and her team. As usual, the media wasn't too far off and remained poised and ready for photo ops. Martee came to Lui's side with Samuel and Pio following not too far behind, and the rest of the crew Pio had designated for this meeting. Lui went ahead of everyone and extended her hand to offer her greeting. Vico clasped it first out of sheer protocol, and it instantly felt filthy. Still, Lui hid her disgust and made sure to add some strength to her shake. Vico could think of her as a weak and subservient woman all he liked, but he'd be dead wrong.

"Welcome, Miss Sandoval. So nice to meet you again," Vico barely tried to his snicker as he scrutinized Lui, a thin attempt at a smile (or was that a snarl?) curving his lips.

"Salamat sa pag-imbita sa akin, can't wait to get to work," Lui beamed in return, "Tali, lovely to see you." Talitha greeted Lui in return and embraced her warmly. Unlike Vico, Lui held a certain fondness for the latter's baby sister and didn't have to fake her affections. Tali was the almost opposite of her half-brother. She was gentle, kind, and was raised well by her mother, Pauleen, and father, Vic. She cared for the public as best as she could under her brother's thumb, and if anything, the only reason Vico didn't completely run the country into the dirt was due to Tali's voice of reason. Still, Tali had that appearance of a very humble but classy lady. She helped her brother a lot on not fully tanking his job as the country's leader. Lui had to keep in mind though that as much as she likes Tali, the woman is still her enemy's sister, so she has to be just as calculated with her as she is with him.

"I'm so glad you came! Oh my gosh! You look so pretty! Congratulations on winning! I'm a big fan of yours! Halika po, pasok na tayo sa loob. I personally prepared lunch for your arrival. I'm a fan of you and your songs before you entered politics. You must go back to doing music when you have time off. Gah! I can't believe this. Lunch na muna po tayo then you and kuya can have your private conversation after," Tali said as she guided Lui to where the dining room was while practically fangirling, clinging on to her arm, "can you please sign my merch before you leave later?"

Lui looked at her team, her focus lingering just slightly on Pio as if asking for permission. He nodded once and Lui knew she was alright to grant this young lady's request.

"Of course."