Popeye Appreciation Week

**Popeye Appreciation Week** is an RUC-created "holiday" where RUC members and supporters worship their leader Popeye for an entire week... at least, worship him even harder than they already do normally. It is possibly one of the biggest displays of the RUC's cult of personality around Popeye, but also around the other well-known members to a lesser extent.

As the name suggests, it takes place over an entire week, in which after it's all over a huge mess is usually left over in whatever unfortunate place they celebrated at. Throughout the weeks there are supposedly different activities with each day.

This is the one of those times where the RUC takes their insanely consumerist mentality and turns the dial way up. This is where they sell all sorts of Popeye or RUC-themed merchandise, ranging from masks, hats, clothes, and whatever else. More on this below.

In typical RUC fashion, they also use this "holiday" as an opportunity to torture their enemies, either their own prisoners or anyone who disrupts the celebration... or anyone who "seems" like they're going to disrupt it. More on this below.

## History

When and how the RUC came up with the idea of Popeye Appreciation Week to begin with is a mystery, but the very first instance where it occurred can be traced pretty easily through reports in [region] of The Republic; the very first instance took place in x/xx/xx, judging by the description of all the RUC merchandise and fecal matter left on the streets. There would be many more instances afterwards, some not even a year apart, making for a very noisy and messy day for anyone who has the misfortune of living nearby.

### Peninsula War

Despite their attempts to conquer the Peninsula, the RUC still decided to find time to celebrate Popeye Appreciation Week. This celebration took place sometime after the Resistance forces coalesced together. Apparently, at the time the RUC seemed to believe that the war was nearly won, as many of the participants were reported to have celebrated Popeye's "power" in destroying the Resistance. The celebration took place somewhere in [region], where they built a fair-ground to hold it in.

The Resistance sent a unit to infiltrate the fair around the time Popeye was about to give a speech. Their mission was to assassinate Popeye, but as a result of one of the unit's members goofing around instead of getting into position, the assassination attempt failed. Regardless, the celebration was ruined, and the fair was demolished. This would be the last Popeye Appreciation Week that was celebrated.

## Activities

### Monday

On this day the RUC holds a massive balloon parade, and in a gaudy display of self-indulgence, the biggest one is the balloon of Popeye. There have been several reported cases of balloons popping and making a loud noise that scares every living thing in a 50 feet vicinity, and even the the troops losing control of the giant Popeye balloon, which then crushes onlookers to death. Despite all of this, they continue on as if nothing is wrong.

The RUC also opens up the Gift Store and starts selling Popeye-themed merchandise, such as Popeye masks, hats, t-shirts or whatever I'm annoying myself as I type this. They are very cheaply made, and often have bugs crawling inside them. They also sell Popeye-themed popsicles known as... Popeyesicles. This article will say nothing more other than give a stern warning: do not eat the Popeyesicles, you will regret it immediately.

Besides this, the RUC also holds two giveaways: one for a mansion they don't own the rights to, and the other is a card that grants VIP access to the RUC's HQ and their treasure vault (every winner has been reported to have been shot whenever they try to enter, the RUC blatantly ignoring or forgetting about the card).

### Tuesday

Propaganda day, essentially. There are readings of Popeye and the RUC's actions, portraying all of their crimes as acts of heroism. They also started screening propaganda movies at a drive-in theatre, even without a permit. Other filmmakers who do have a permit are often brushed aside by authorities, who seem to tolerate the RUC breaking their laws.

The RUC also holds an eating contest where contestants gorge themselves on food for a prize. Guess what the "food" is? It's poop. It's always poop.

On this day the gift shop starts selling Popeye's clothes. They will give you every skin rash and disease imaginable. Great for planting on your enemies though.

### Wednesday

On this day, two games are held. One is "Popeye's Maze," which is a maze with legitimately dangerous and life-threatening hazards, where many contestants often die trying to navigate. Reports indicate that they also keep a literal fucking lion in the maze, apparently for "extra spice." The other is a dunk tank game where the tank in question does not appear to function correctly. Hit the target all you like, it does nothing. The soldier in the tank will continue to shout insults and slurs at you.

And as usual, the RUC starts selling even more merchandise in the gift shop, this time Popeye action figures and RUC trading cards. The action figures fall apart quite easily, while the trading cards are either made of cheap or downright hazardous materials. People have reported receiving bleeding cuts from touching them, even one claiming that they lost a finger.

### Thursday

Today is a special day. What would be an RUC-themed holiday without some excessively sadistic acts of torture? On this day, they strap people, who they call "troublemakers who try to disrupt the fair" to some sort of spinning carnival death ride. These people can range from people who actually do try to disrupt the fair (a completely disproportionate punishment even if so), their prisoners/kidnapping victims, and even children simply just for crying (this includes their parents too if they object to the RUC's attempts to accost them). One case was a child who lost their parents when the celebration arrived while they were out for a walk. Instead of helping the child, RUC soldiers apprehended him just for making noise.

The "game" in question involves these "troublemakers" being strapped to a spinning carnival death ride, and participants have to spray them with water to earn points. Each time they successfully spray someone, the ride gets faster. They don't even necessarily have to use water, they can use other liquids (often their own pee), or otherwise throw bricks and other solid objects. Some have even just used guns, but that might be considered a mercy. After a winner is declared, the victims are left strapped to the ride for the rest of the night, in which 9 times out of 10 they are described to have died slowly and painfully, while RUCitizens look on and jeer at them.

### Friday

Two more games on this day. One is a cooking contest where contestants cook complete abominations of nature. Impressively enough, they usually manage to create entirely new strains of life-threatening microbes. Also for some reason the judges for the contest are dressed as various RUC members.

The other is a game of archery. The RUC takes their prisoners/kidnapping victims/anyone who was conveniently nearby and hangs them from trees to act as targets, while participants have to hit them with arrows.

The Popeye art museum opens up on this day. Curiously enough, the museum almost resembles a place of worship, and many RUC supporters enter the museum not just to look at whatever stolen artifacts and poorly-made art there is, but also to get down on their knees and pray to Popeye.

This is also the day where people send letters to Popeye, who then reads them out loud. There have been some cases where certain letters (such as those tricking Popeye into saying obscene or embarrassing things) managed to sneak their way into the pile. The perpetrators usually prepare an escape beforehand, as the RUC will come down on them hard for it.

The gift shop also starts selling balloons. As in, the popped and used balloons from the parade on Monday.

### Saturday

On this day the RUC announces the winners for their giveaways. The mansion never pans out, and the VIP card... well, what happens with that was already mentioned above.

The very last game played on this day is "space invaders," where participants have to shoot targets to earn points or something. The RUC provides actual guns for this game, ending with the participants killing each other and leaving a bloody mess. The celebration still proceeds as if nothing happened.

The gift shop starts having opportunities for supporters to take pictures with Popeye. There really isn't much to say about this, other than a few cases where the person accidentally steps on Popeye's shoe or say something out of line that ends up getting them killed by the guards.

### Sunday

The last day, rejoice, it's going to be all over soon. The RUC commandeers a stadium without a permit (the authorities certainly aren't gonna stop them) and have people play various ball-related sports. Due to a lack of actual sports equipment, they use their military supplies instead. In this case, bombs. They use bombs for the balls. People die. And as the people blow themselves up and die, the RUChorus starts singing the RUC national anthem. This is also the day where Popeye gives a speech, and fireworks happen... which end up setting everything on fire due to a lack of responsible handling.

After it's all said and done, the area is left with heaps of trash scattered all around, as well as fecal matter and vomit. Cleaning crew and garbage workers have to come in to deal with the mess, but there have been some reported cases where workers complaining about the holiday or the RUC end up getting arrested by law enforcement or found dead in their home the next day.