Lavender


 * Not to be confused with Olivia's pet puffle of the same name, and NEVER to be confused with the color.

"Fun Fact: Lavender (aka 'Philip Robertson') is named after two types of screwdrivers. It's quite appropriate, seeing how he's such a colossal tool. "

- The Penstubal Post throwing shade.

Philip "Lavender" Robertson, or more affectionately and popularly known as just Lavender, is one of the most powerful penguins in Antarctica and is the fifth and current president of Shops Island. As the president of Shops Island, he is also the nominal Governor of Moon Island, and the Chancellor of the Moon Island Institute of Education. Lavender often looks over many of Shops' diplomatic missions as well, serving officially as the representative of Shops Island to the UAN, and their representative in the South Antarctic Treaty Organization.

During his tenure, Lavender has gained international fame with his innovative ideas, and is credited for Shops' rapid expansion in 2013. A staunch opponent of communism, the young president has made Shops Island a capitalist-biased state, openly willing to attack any communist nations. He has also clearly stated his hatred of criminal states such as Nexon and Double Sicilia in the past.

Lavender is currently married to his wife, Violet Jennings, who has since changed her surname to Robertson. In September 2014, they had twins, who were named Red and Blue.

Although Lavender is not affiliated with any political parties or organizations in accordance with Shopper law, he identifies as "liberal" and "center-left wing", but often expresses conservative views and is classified as such by the media and political pundits.

Early Life
Lavender was born on October 18, 1991 in South Pole City. He was hatched as a light blue penguin. His childhood was quite basic and unremarkable; his parents owned a decent-sized apartment in Booklyn. From a very young age, Lavender took a keen interest in politics, and was always very ambitious. When he got old enough, he moved to Club Penguin Island where he acted as a public service worker, often helping to plan and decorate the multiple parties that adorned the island on a monthly basis. Here is where he would infamously become Lavender; One day, he was working with some other penguins, setting up polling stations for the Color Vote in 2009. One day, he stepped on a plank which was over a rock with a paint bucket of lavender paint on the other end. The paint bucket flew up in the air, landing on him. He was covered in Lavender paint, and he's remained this color ever since. He liked the look, oddly enough, and he found that his unique color attracted him plenty of attention, especially considering that lavender was not the color which won the vote.

During his short time working on Club Penguin Island, Lavender would distinguish himself as one of the island's best party planners and decorators. He was also instrumental in helping to make Coins for Change a crucial part of Club Penguin's Christmas celebrations. He was even lauded by President Billybob on one occasion for his wide-ranging assistance to the penguins and puffles of Club Penguin Island.

Shopper Politician
Lavender was proud of the job he was doing as a party planner in Club Penguin, but he was well aware that such a job had no upward mobility, and no real path to a position of any significant power. Knowing this, he decided to move the the new-found country of Shops Island in 2010. Given that the country was just recently established, Lavender believed that he could easily establish a foothold in Shopper politics and begin climbing his way to the top.

As soon as he got to Shops Island, he stuck out like a sore thumb due to his peculiar color. He quickly became a mascot of sorts for the small, curious Shopper population, who were still looking for an identifying figure to rally around. Then-President Ben 100022 found Lavender's appearance to be quite funny, and after having talked to him at one of Shops Island's first official "parties", he invited Lavender to join his team as an aide, with a specialty in party planning.

Presidential Aide
"I always coveted that desk. That role; the essence of it all. Every time I was in [Ben's] office, I couldn't help but think of the power and prestige of such a position. President - that word just lingers... it has so much weight to it. Anyone who's ever served in Shops City has thought "what if..." they were the president. Anyone who denies that is a liar, and a bad one at that."

- Lavender discussing his time as a presidential aide.

It is important to note that, when Shops Island was a young country, President Ben tended to use "parties" as a distraction for the populace so that he could do as he wanted behind the scenes, as well as to attract more immigrants to Shops Island. He employed many of Shops' earliest and most prominent residents, such as Chill57181 and Penquino to help with these parties. Lavender knew that these parties were nothing more than a political tool for Ben, which explains why they are no longer held.

During Lavender's time as one of Ben's aides, he felt he was overworked and underappreciated. Although he did not agree with the mass silencing of dissent and crackdown on freedom that was rampant during the Ben administration, he knew better than to speak up about it lest his own political ambitions be dashed. Behind the scenes, however, Lavender joined a growing number of penguins within Ben's own government that wished to see him gone. Many of these people wanted the role for themselves, Lavender included. He had a small group of staffers ready to forcibly take Ben out in February of 2012; it was foolproof.

However, this plan was soon to be worthless, when Bro, a prominent Shopper business owner, was arrested for his unending dissent against Ben's government. For much of the populace, this was a tipping point; violent protests began in the streets, and once the dust settled, Chill57181 had been chosen as president. Of course, Lavender wanted the position for himself, and started thinking about how exactly he'd get it.

Secretary of Foreign Affairs
"Election fraud? I was aware that something was going on, but I couldn't put my flipper on it. Something as heinous as rigging an election never even crossed my mind! I did everything I could to be a morally upstanding citizen during the campaign, and the actions of Bro and his team don't reflect on me in any way."

- Lavender denying any knowledge of election fraud in 2012.

After his release from his short stay in prison, Lavender decided to cozy up the the young Bro, seeing as they were both ambitious and that Bro was a pretty popular figure in Shopper politics at the time. He agreed to help the future president from the shadows, as he had gained quite a few connections during his time as Ben's aide. Lavender agreed to help get Bro elected in exchange for a cabinet position. Although he refuses to speak about it to this day, Lavender was complicit in helping to rig the 2012 election. He knew full well that someone would find out eventually, and so he was sure to cover his tracks and to leave no paper trial. He had Bro's security detail doctor his travel records to throw investigators off his case, which would work come time for impeachment. Lavender intended for Bro's presidency to go down in flames, so that he could take the reigns and "save" Shops Island.

When Bro "won" the 2012 election, he followed through on his promise and made Lavender Shops Island's first Secretary of Foreign Affairs. In this position, Lavender intended to make Shops Island a much more respectable force on the Antarctic stage, even though Bro had other intentions; the young president was more interested on pursuing a domestic agenda, focused on developments in infrastructure and transportation. After some time, however, Lavender was able to convince Bro that it was a prudent move to acquire nuclear weapons for Shops Island. Acting on Lavender's advice, Bro was able to secure nuclear technology for Shops Island with the help of the USA. Throughout Bro's short-lived presidency, Lavender stood by as Bro alienated more and more politicians and staffers. Lavender wasn't stupid; he knew that the presidency would come crashing down with or without his input; he was more focused on Bro's heir-apparent and Vice-President, Mario Arkay, and how he could neutralize Mario before he even got into office. Despite his digging, however, Lavender was unable to find any incriminating stories about the vice-president.

During Bro's impeachment proceedings, Lavender stayed behind the scenes, biding his time. Seeing how he couldn't take Mario out of the running for president, he decided to play the waiting game, and to wait for Mario to mess up things himself. When Bro was impeached, Lavender joined the rest of the cabinet in losing their positions, as Mario's administration wanted nothing to do with the "clutter" that Bro left behind.

Run for President
Most of Mario's presidency was rather boring and unremarkable; he was a policy laggard, meaning he wasn't very interested in the details of politics. It was only by happen-chance that a diplomatic crisis would soon arise that would bring the integrity of Mario's tenure into question. As soon as Shops Island got into a diplomatic scuffle between Snowzerland and Castilla, Lavender was quick to lay blame on Shops' "weak" president. As the former Secretary of Foreign Affairs, his opinion held significant weight. He joined a group of lobbyists encouraging the Shops Island Council to pass a motion of no confidence against the incumbent administration. The motion passed by a razor thin margin, triggering an election only months after the last one.

Lavender obviously pounced on this opportunity, and started a populist campaign based on bringing stability and respect to the young Shopper nation. Lavender stated that he was a "fresh face" and that he was not a victim of the supposed nepotism which had been occurring in the Shopper government's upper ranks through the last three presidencies. His unique appearance and his sharp tongue gave him plenty of free media coverage, and Lavender ended up winning by a rather thin margin when the polls closed. Curiously enough, he had not chosen a vice-presidential candidate as a running mate, meaning that a separate election would have to be held to choose the next vice president. This role would be filled by Chill57181. Even though he had helped Bro to take him out of office, Lavender had no personal vendetta against Chill, and stated that he would be more than happy to work alongside him.

Early Times
Lavender was inaugurated as president on February 2, 2013. Immediately after entering office, he was faced with an international crisis involving Snowzerland and Shops Island. Given that the conflict had been resolved by Bro and the Hochstadt Gang, Lavender swore that such an affront to Shopper sovereignty would never again be tolerated. Backed by the USA and Castilla, a new ally, Lavender pushed forward measures to significantly increase the size of Shops Island's military, boosting the Shopper economy in the process. At this time, Lavender made it a priority of his administration for forge a strong relationship with Antarctic powers such as the aforementioned USA and Castilla, as well as Polaris, Frankterre and UnitedTerra so that he would not face significant backlash for his strengthening of the military. In gratitude of their efforts, Lavender began to confide in Bro for economic matters, and became good friends with many members of the Hochstadt Gang, as well as King Carlos Goberna of Castilla.

The Great Yowien War
As Shops Island continued on its ambitious arms acquisition program, the young country and its new president drew ire from multiple countries in Antarctica which were either jealous or afraid of Lavender's recent actions. These nations included the Yow Kingdom, East Pengolia and North Joseon, among many others. Lavender's strong rhetoric came as a departure from Shopper presidential tradition, in which presidents tended to abide by a policy of "actions speak louder than words". The young president's sharp tongue ended up making him a highly popular figure in some countries, while becoming a figure of ire in other places.

The first real test of Lavender's leadership came in April of 2013, as tensions began to reach a fever pitch between Shops Island and the Old Yow Kingdom. Lavender joined a coalition of nations which had stated their strong opposition to Yow obtaining nuclear weapons. When Yow continued its nuclear program in the face of international pressure, Lavender stepped up to be one of the chief architects of the April 2013 UAN Resolutions which became the pretext for the Great Yowien War. When Yow launched a nuclear missile at Western Shops, Lavender retaliated by declaring war alongside with many other leaders; this started the Great Yowien War. Lavender led Shops into the war and came out victorious, and gained the territory of Northern Shops as a result. The war began Shops Island's extreme rise on the Antarctic stage and the beginning of Shops' major imperial ambitions.

Throughout May and June 2013, Lavender and Vice-President Chill57181 focused on domestic and economic development to improve quality of Shopper life, especially in the Industrial Division. At the same time, under the insistence of the Vice-President, Lavender approved a reduction in the military budget to signal that he did not intend to aggressively pursue any more military action.

The Great Snowzerland War VI

 * See Also: Asiapelago War

In spite of his and Chill's attempts to steer Shops Island back to its roots, Lavender's actions over the previous months had irreversibly shaped the Shopper political, economic, and military landscape; turning back was no longer an option. In June of 2013, Snowzerland made waves by unveiling the TIE Fighter, an innovative new twin-ion engine fighter which was capable of fighting in space. The USA quickly followed this up by unveiling the X-Wing and Y-Wing fighter classes. Fearing that Shops Island would be left out of such innovations, Lavender commissioned the SIA Space Command Fleet to contend with a growing space race.

In July 2013, guns were firing on the Antarctic mainland, signalling the beginning of the Great Snowzerland War VI. Originally, Lavender tried to keep Shops Island out of the war, only sending food and medical aid to the Allies. However, when Zhou attacked Shops Island, Lavender had no choice but to declare war on Zhou. In response to this, Snowzerland and North Joseon declared war on Shops Island, officially bringing them in as a major combatant force. Lavender oversaw many of Shops' heroic battles throughout the war, and he became a very important figure in maintaining Shopper morale until the very end, even when the Shopper mainland came under attack and Moon Island fell under brief Zhouese rule. Using the knowledge he had gained the Great Yowien War, and with the help of his generals, Lavender led the country to victory once again against Zhou, and helped in dealing the death blow to Snowzerland alongside Shops Island's allies. For his efforts during the war, Lavender was given a seat in Dellaroma as a signatory of the final peace treaty.

Attacking Nexon
Even though they had just fought a devastating war, Lavender didn't give Shops Island much time to lick its collective wounds. Just days after the Great Snowzerland War ended, Lavender went to Bridgeport to have three-way talks with Ed Island and Snowiny. During these talks, they outlined a plan to destroy a rising criminal empire, who had gained much leverage amidst the chaos of the war: Nexon. Only days after Lavender had been in Dellaroma to signify the end of one war, he was now in Bridgeport, starting a new one: the Fall of Nexon. The war lasted for a whole month, and put great stress and agony on Lavender himself. He was injured quite a few times during the conflict, and had to make morally troubling decisions, such as sacrificing Goberna to destroy invading Nexonan forces, or ordering total destruction on the Nexonan front. During this time, he met his wife-to-be Violet, who was the one who eventually convinced Lavender to end the war in early November of 2013. Following the war, they quietly married.

Again, though, Shops Island wouldn't have time to heal itself after the Fall of Nexon. Just as the Nexonan war ended, a mysterious plague had begun to spread across the country, infecting countless penguins and puffles. An SIA investigation quickly determined that this was an intentional biological attack, and Nexon hinted that the Melodeeves was responsible. With just cause for retaliation, Shops Island teamed up with Snowiny and its former enemy, Nexon, and the Plague War began. Lavender bravely led Shops Island through this battle with a stunning victory, gaining much more territory for Shops Island.

In the midst of all the chaos, Lavender also led a domestic campaign to create the Common Legislature, so that the judicial branch of Shops Island and the legislative branch would not be concentrated in a single entity, the Shops Island Council. In creating the legislature, Lavender voluntarily gave up his role as High Judge of the Shops Island Council, making him the first president to do so.

After the war, the Shopper population was finally growing weary of military conflict. On Christmas of 2013, Lavender declared that Shops Island would be committed to peace throughout 2014. In the new year, Lavender hoped to cut the military's budget and to give tax cuts to the people, a move which he hoped would win him favor with the populace, so as to secure his presidency from any incoming no-confidence votes.

Around this same time, Lavender also helped to convene a conference between himself, Steven Snowen of the Culldrome Isles and Joseph Yslenski of Munijoch, hoping to form an alliance. At the time, Snowiny had begun making waves, creating the Circular Powers, which would later evolve into the Western Union. To counter this international power bloc, the three aforementioned nations created the Axle Powers. Ed Island would sign into the alliance just a few days later, and the Seal Islands would join in 2018.

Frosian War
Unfortunately, Lavender's hopes to pursue peace wouldn't work. In February of that year, Puffalia began attacking Shopper merchant shipping around the east coast of Antarctica. Lavender originally tried to take a peaceful path to ending the crisis: going to the UAN and asking for sanctions against Puffalia. It didn't happen. So, as Puffalian aggression became even more violent, Lavender saw a moral imperative to declare war on Puffalia. He had expected it to be a relatively quick war with quick Shopper victory, but he was wrong. The Puffalians used brutal tactics, which led to defeat after defeat for Shopper forces. This took a huge toll on Shopper morale and on Lavender himself. He did everything in his power to try and win the war for the allies, but he kept failing. Halfway through, it seems obvious that Shops Island would have to surrender. But, Lavender stayed firm. He kept the war going, and eventually it began to turn around. He then went to De Groot with the other allied leaders and outlined a plan to invade mainland Antarctica (almost a third of which had been occupied by Puffalian and Axis forces). Lavender spearheaded the largest military operation in history, and it was a resounding success. Days afterwards, Lavender himself went into battle against Puffalian forces, in the final Battle of Triskale. He parachuted into the (already obliterated) city of Triskale with General Broseph to personally end the war. He was the one that eventually ended up killing the leader of Puffalia, Hans Traugott, and therefore winning the war for the allies.

Lavender was hailed as a hero by the Shopper people, and he was paraded around Shops City as if he were a god. However, the war had had terrible effects on him. After seeing the horror of battle and bloodshed before his own eyes, he pledged Shops Island to peace once again, this time with much more resolve. He put forward the Shopper Outreach Program of 2014, an aid package set to help rebuild war-torn Antarctica, and to help improve Shops Island domestically. It was a resounding success.

Post-Frosian War

 * See also: 2015 Shopper Economic Crisis, Liberation of Planet 1984

In early 2015, an economic collapse seemed almost inevitable for Shops Island after the Military industry had went bust. The Common Legislature cried for war to stimulate the economy, but president Lavender refused. His first-hand experience of war had made him see that it should be used only as a last possible resort. Instead, he put forward an economic stimulus package. The government and the populace vilified him for this, but the president held firm. This did little to alleviate the economic issues, but Lavender was saved when the SIA discovered the planet Notron, which was rife with tyranny and would give Shops Island the economic boost it needed if it was pursued. Such an endeavor had never been tried before, and Lavender was initially against it. However, having seem the egregious rights abuses that had been committed there, he eventually did authorize the invasion of the planet, which was swift and effective. Lavender established the new Dominion of Notron as a mostly independent state with only superficial Shopper oversight, but with a strong trading relationship.

In late 2015, Lavender also oversaw a referendum to incorporate New Delphis and Northern Shops, two of Shops Island's largest territories, as states.

Contemporary
The next few years of Lavender's presidency were mostly unremarkable; he attended multiple summits and made inroads with countries that Shops Island had no previous relations with, such as Tropicalis. The president gave his continued support to the Antarctic War on Terror abroad, and focused on major investments in infrastructure at home. In April of 2017, Lavender helped reach an agreement which saw Malesia become a territory of Shops Island.

Lavender once again began to make waves in the international community once more, however, during the Achadia Crisis. After Hockey Manlet was unjustly arrested by Acadian police, Lavender cut ties with the former ally, and urged the Western Union to enact severe penalties upon Acadia. Lavender and the Shopper government stirred up lots of rhetoric against Acadia at this time, which is what many experts believe to have resulted in an attempt on the president's life.

Following the assassination attempt, Lavender took a very hard line against Acadia and Duck Island, he attempted to sue the Penstubal Post out of business, and he became very testy with the Western Union as a whole. Lavender went as far as to seize all Acadian and Duckish assets within Shopper borders and openly threaten war, although he was forced to renege on both of these threats due to significant international backlash. Following the attempt on his life, Lavender appointed Albert Striker to be his first ever Chief of Staff, acknowledging that he was beginning to age and his health was at serious risk after such an attack. Lavender also helped to negotiate the withdrawal of Amataria from the Western Union in February of 2019.

Personal Life
When not doing his presidential duties, Lavender typically resides at the Presidential Residence in Shops City Square, where he lives with his wife Violet and his two chicks. However, the first family doesn't spend much time together considering that Lavender is almost always busy with the presidency, and that Violet is often busy at the hospital, or raising awareness about certain domestic issues. Nevertheless, the two are still able to enjoy each others' company when they have alone time.

Lavender also owns a summer house in Southern Shops, which he uses when politics gets slow. The house is largely neglected, however, due to the demands of the presidency.

Personality
"Lavender has never been the kind for words. He'll call a spade "a spade", and sometimes even worse than a spade."

- General Lorn remarking on Lavender's vocabulary, or lack thereof.

Lavender differs from many of his political counterparts both in background and in his mannerisms. He is considered by many to be crass, abrasive and plain spoken when dealing with presidential matters in private, although he can certainly speak to a crowd quite well; his speeches in times of crisis often serve to boost the morale of the Shopper people through the use of fiery rhetoric and a "strong-man" persona. Many analysts have described Lavender's public persona as "populist", although his policies are much more strategic and well-thought out than most populist politicians.

When not dealing with presidential matters, Lavender is generally seen as a friendly, polite and enthusiastic penguin, who is more than willing to engage with the population. This reputation stems largely from his time as a party planner under Ben's administration, where he was often seen as the public face of this government branch due to his peculiar appearance. Lavender often uses his specially-colored feathers as a status symbol, and is very distinguishable from other politicians by his color and his signature red headband.

In the political sphere, Lavender is generally regarded as a powerhouse, and commands an immense deal of respect from his Shopper counterparts and other heads of state due to his personality and "ruthless" competence. His style of management has made plenty of allies and enemies throughout Antarctica, and Lavender's personal dealings with other Antarctic leaders is a major factor in directing Shopper foreign policy.

Presidency
Lavender's term as Shopper President has drastically altered the role that the president plays in day-to-day life in Shops Island, as well as significantly changing the nation's role on the international stage. Lavender's time in office has allowed him to forge multiple connections with powerful politicians across Antarctica. Political analysts often claim that Lavender's policies lean right of center, and tend to be nationalist when dealing with foreign affairs.

Domestic Affairs
The Shopper economy, population, and overall quality life of the country has increased dramatically since Lavender took office. Through his efforts and those of his administration, a strong emphasis on military expansion and business-friendly policy has led to a large influx of businesses, and as such a reduction in unemployment. While the first few years of his presidency relied on the military to spur Shopper growth, Lavender eventually tried to scale back the influence of the "Military Industrial Complex". In 2015, military contractors began to go bankrupt due to a lack of Shopper wars. This created the 2015 Shopper Economic Crisis, which is the closest Lavender ever came to being removed from office due to his staunch refusal to start a war just to stimulate the arms industry. In an effort to encourage growth in other ways, Lavender has often championed ambitious mega-projects to create jobs in construction in related fields. Some of these stimulus projects include the incorporation of Goberna, the creation of a new canal through the Shopper heartland, and commissioning the Trans-Antarctic Pipeline, just to name a few.

Lavender is often viewed by his counterparts in the Common Legislature to be more concerned with foreign policy and building relations with other Antarctic leaders than he is in dealing with his own colleagues. The president has rebuked this argument by stating that the legislature can function without him being present, while the Antarctic community can not. Throughout his presidency, Lavender has often neglected to take a stand on social issues, seeing them as "not important", and fearing that picking a side will alienate potential voters. One occasion where he broke his silence, however, was in his support of Kermit and his recognition of the heroic frog as a saint in Shops Island.

Foreign Policy

 * See also: Foreign Relations of Shops Island

"Shake with your right flipper. Hold a knife in your left."

- Lavender on foreign policy.

Lavender's domestic achievements are often overshadowed by the tremendous effect he has had on the Antarctic community. His most notable foreign policy achievements include, but are not limited to founding the Axle Powers, toppling the Yowien regime, leading the Allies in the Frosian War, and creating Antarctica's first major space colony.

The president has also overseen a massive expansion of Shopper territory through strategic purchases, coercion, and through military intervention ever since he took office. Lavender, recognizing that all powerful Antarctic countries have overseas colonies, made it a priority of his administration to expand Shops' empire. Under Lavender, the Shoppers have jumped at opportunity in many cases, purchasing the territories of Malesia, Sandila, and New Delphis (which is now a state), during times of financial hardship within these countries. Backdoor deals and negotiations have also resulted in some other territories being ceded to Shops Island, such as the Marmalade Islands. Multiple other colonies and territories were brought into the Shopper realm via military or diplomatic might, such as Northern Shops or the Frosian Islands.

Lavender's personal views and his one-on-one relationships with other Antarctic leaders has always been a key component of his foreign policy. In general, Shopper relations have been friendly with countries whose leaders are friendly to Lavender. However, the president also chooses his allegiances based on ideological grounds, often squaring off against single-party states such as Snowzerland and North Joseon, while allying with free and democratic countries such as Castilla and the USA. Lavender's wheeling and dealing was a major reason why the Axle Powers was created, and is also a part of why Shops Island has such rocky relations with the Western Union.

Public Opinion
Overall, Lavender is seen by the Shopper people as a good president with a track record of advancing Shops Island's interests by any means necessary. Throughout his time in office, the president has received a good deal of support across the board, and has usually held a significant amount of leverage in both domestic and foreign affairs.

Nonetheless, the president has still faced opposition at home and abroad on multiple occasions. Lavender's presidency has been brought into question twice, with two votes of non-confidence being tabled against him. The first of these non-confidence votes happened in 2013, as part of political maneuvering by Brook Edward LasVegas, and an election was called. Lavender won this election, and it has been the only one he has faced so far during his tenure. Another crisis of confidence came about in 2015, amid the growing economic crisis. Due to his refusal to give in to the military's demands, a no-confidence motion was tabled against Lavender. Luckily, this motion was defeated in the legislature, and no election was held.

Lavender has also faced sharp criticism for his often questionable foreign policy. Some of his most controversial moves include, but are not limited to making temporary amends with Snowzerland at the beginning of his term, making amends with Zhou after the Frosian War, launching nuclear weapons during the Great Yowien War and during his first diplomatic crisis, invading Nexon out of pure spite, and subsequently ending that war due to peer pressure. Lavender's belligerent actions on the international stage have led to him being labeled a "warmonger" and a "bully" on multiple occasions, most notably by the Penstubal Post. In fact, the Penstubal Post's non-stop rhetoric throughout 2018 against Lavender ultimately led to an attempt on his life.

Personal Relations
Lavender, throughout his political career, has developed many connections with penguins within his own government, and from outside of Shops Island.


 * Chill57181 - Awesome! - Chill is Lavender's right-hand penguin, and Shops' vice president. They often collaborate and have developed a close bond together. Lavender often trusts Chill to fulfill important head-of-state duties whenever the president cannot, even though Chill has proven time and again to be quite a nincompoop when it comes to these matters.
 * King Carlos - Absolutely Fantastic! - Lavender and King Carlos of Castilla have a close and productive friendship; Lavender looked up to Castilla's king as a mentor, and as a guide for expanding Shops into its powerful status. Their alliance during the GSWVI and the Great Yowien War also made them powerful allies to be reckoned with.
 * Penquino - Weakening - Penquino's constant whining about Shops' involvement, and the way Lavender handles situations, has really gotten on the president's nerves. Lavender has developed a bias against Penquino, and considers him nothing more than a whiny and boring hippie.
 * Bro - Fair - Bro and Lavender barely talk anymore, but their interactions are perceived as friendly. Bro has occasionally given Lavender advice on economic matters in times of hardship.
 * LMGT - Great - Lavender and LMGT became friends as the SIA became more and more involved in Shopper defense and rose in national importance.
 * Swiss Ninja Hochstadt - Bad - Swiss Ninja, as the leader of Snowzerland, once had an informal relationship with Lavender during the Great Yowien War. However, during the GSWVI, their personal relations completely broke down.
 * Slender - Fair - Slender fully supports Lavender's presidency.
 * Steven Snowen - Excellent - Lavender and Steven Snowen first met during the early stages of the Great Yowien War. With the formation of the Axle Powers, Lavender and Snowen quickly began to bond on a personal level, and are now very good friends.
 * Dps04 - Great - Dps04 has had disagreements with some of Lavender's policies, especially his military and expansionist policy. Nevertheless, they still maintain a good relationship, and Dps04 honors him as the Chancellor of the Moon Island Institute of Education.
 * Penstubal - Bad - Penstubal has been very critical of the president in his writing of the Penstubal Post, which has annoyed Lavender greatly. He has even gone as far as to withhold funding from his hometown of Wizzint until the Post was "kicked out" by an unknown group of vigilantes.
 * Mister Albert - Excellent - Naturally, Lavender is good friends with his Chief of Staff and works closely with him at all times. Mister Albert is one of Lavender's closest confidants in regards to military and national security matters, and is considered to be one of the president's greatest allies since being brought on board.

Quotes

 * "Shops can do anything! Except tip the iceberg... Nobody can tip the iceberg."
 * "Oh, how I wish the Hun would chuck it."
 * "THE JERRYS DID WHAT!?!?"
 * ''"Never give up, am I right?"
 * "SOCIALISM IS THEFT!"
 * "DEATH IS A PREFERABLE ALTERNATIVE TO COMMUNISM."
 * "COMMUNISM IS THE VERY DEFINITION OF FAILURE."
 * "COMMUNISM IS A TEMPORARY SETBACK ON THE ROAD TO FREEDOM."

Gallery
 File:LavenderSpeech.png|Lavender delivering a speech. File:LavenderAndKingCarlos.png|Lavender and King Carlos at a press conference. File:LavenderChristmas.png|Lavender on Christmas. 

Trivia

 * He knows how to drive a tank.
 * He says that he's been "blessed" with "the wonderful gift of insomnia".
 * He plays poker during his spare time.
 * Lavender is the longest serving president in Shops' history.
 * He once tried to become a ninja, but quickly found out that he was terrible at Card Jitsu. Frustrated with his progress, he stopped training at his red belt, and cut it in half, turning it into a headband instead.
 * Brook Edward LasVegas always misspells his name as "Lavendar".
 * Lavender is not aware of the Fourth Wall nor is he able to break it. Nonetheless, he sometimes slips into curious monologues addressing a fictional "audience".
 * Lavender was not given a middle name at birth. He simply uses the letter "A" as a placeholder as he thinks it's cool.
 * Lavender used to have a Chitter account (handle @PresLavender) run by his staffers, oft used by interns posting canned statements. In 2017, Lavender took this account down and started a new, personal one under the name @POSI5.
 * Rumor has it that he was Hipengy's best friend when Lavender still lived in Club Penguin. The president strongly denies this, however.