A First Time Meeting [Erin]

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=vAlign,top][STYLE=border-left: #ffffff 4px solid; font-family: calibri; font-size: 8pt; text-align: justify; padding: 5px; height: 400px; width: 100px; border-radius: 50px 0px 0px 50px;] [STYLE=background-color: #ffffff; color: #ff0000; padding: 2px;]tags[/style]Erin [STYLE=background-color: #ffffff; color: #ff0000; padding: 2px]words[/style]516 [STYLE=background-color: #ffffff; color: #ff0000; padding: 2px]notes[/style] There we go.[/style]

[STYLE=border-left: #ff0000 1px solid; font-family: verdana; font-size: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; padding: 5px; height: 400px; width: 300px; overflow: auto; border-radius: 0px 0px 50px 0px;]It was the first time Alfred ventured outside of his borders as a nation in his own right. To say that he was excited was an understatement. He was positively ecstatic. He was joined in Paris by three of his officials - Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay. Two out of the three learned who Alfred was in 1776, and the other more recently. Alfred, Arthur, and their officials weren't to be the only one signing treaties. Alfred saw a couple of the others in passing, though he had little time to rub elbows with them before he was ushered into the room the meeting was to take place. The young country showed his age at the meeting. He tried his hardest to keep his attention focused on the task at hand, but it was hard for him to even sit still. He was an independent nation, and he was finally being recognized for it! When the time came to talk to Arthur one on one it became more difficult. The two exchanged few words, focusing mainly on the treaty before they both added their signatures. There were two copies of the treaty - One that the officials signed, and one that the nations themselves signed. Alfred felt a surge of pride as he jotted his signature down onto the bottom of the treaty. Alfred F. Jones, The United States of America. John Adams clapped him on the back, and a large grin came across his face. Before long, the meeting was over. The two Johns and Benjamin agreed to stay behind to pose for a painting, along with two other members of the delegation. Recognizing Alfred's lack of ability to remain still in his seat (and perhaps recognizing the risk that would come with Alfred appearing in a historical painting), Benjamin suggested that Alfred go for a walk. Alfred, for his part, was relieved. His legs were starting to get a bit stiff from sitting so long! Rather than venture out too far, Alfred had every intent to remain within the walls of the Hotel d'York. Alfred exited the room and gave his arms a hearty stretch, rubbing at one of his shoulders as it popped in the process. He laughed at this, then looked around, trying to decide what he wanted to check out first. He paused, however, when his eyes fell on a plant located just a few feet away. Was it just him, or was that plant staring at him? Alfred approached at once, curiosity taking the lead. He had to check this out. Plants didn't stare at people. Plants didn't even have eyes, yet this one looked at him with eyes that were unmistakably orange. Either there was something really strange in the wine France set out... Or there was someone hiding in the bushes. The closer he came, the faster he realized that it was actually the latter. "Hello there!" He greeted with a grin, before asking the million dollar question. "Why are you hiding behind a bush?" [/style]

[/style]MADE BY ★MEULK OF BTN

[style=width:400px; background-color:#FFF; font-family: Freestyle Script; font-size: 50px; color:#000; border-top: 10px solid #FF7900; border-bottom: 10px solid #FF7900;]September 1783

Erin had been going through a lot of ups and downs lately. England had been changing her laws over the last several years and as such there had been more than a little chaos involved. Not that it was bad chaos. The most recent change had only happened last year, repealing that dreadful law that made England her almighty ruler and master…essentially. Erin was still feeling quite good about it. That of course, didn’t mean that she wasn’t interested in what was going on with Arthur. He’d made enough changes in her time that she was afraid he would take back the little freedom she had gained last year with the Constitution of 1782.

Upon hearing rumour of this thing happening in Paris, Erin had done her best to sneak into the Hotel d’York. Of course, part of that included slipping past people who knew her well enough, so it wasn’t so much total sneaking as walking in and trying to avoid being mentioned to the wrong people. She had been both amazed and enraged when she found out one of the events happening here today was the signing of a document granting a British Colony’s independence; a newer one too! How come she wasn’t independent yet!?! It’s not like she hadn’t been trying over and over for it.

Upon arrival, Erin had been distracted by an abundance of food that had been present, as she had experienced a famine not 40 years earlier and was still doing some recovering. This had resulted in her frantically filling herself up before realizing she was missing some of the important talk of this signing. She had snuck around the building until coming across the correct room, only knowing it was right after a moment of listening.

Erin stood there for some time with an ear against the door, trying to understand what was being said through the thick, hard wood. Eventually there was the loud scrapes, clanking and clunking of movement and immediately she darted back from the door, scanning around for a place to hide. A nearby bush-like plant caught her eye and she easily ducked behind it, something far too easy with some of her recent weight loss.

She watched as a few people filed out, though several obviously remained in the room, given the no longer muffled sounds coming from the huge hall. Erin kept herself crouched and hidden behind the plant as some passed by, not noticing her eyes peeking through the branches. Her eyes swung side to side, eventually landing on a decently tall, blond haired individual who looked a little too young to be a politician. She watched as he stretched and laughed and immediately decided he must be the new independent the treaty was signed for.

Erin watched him closely and when he appeared to be scanning for…lord only knew what—she pulled her small body closer to the plant and tried to keep herself from view. Of course, she didn’t take into consideration her vibrant orange eyes standing out from the greenery of the plant. It may have done wonders for her hair, but it certainly didn’t help her camouflage to have little specks of orange in a green plant.

Seeing his approach, Erin wiggled closer and closer to the plant, trying to squeeze between it and the wall, without becoming visible on the other side. As thin as she had become, she wasn’t exactly very successful. Not to mention the damn skirts of the dress she had on that was only appropriate given her gender and standing. She stifled a curse as the boy got closer and closer.

Knowing she was found, Erin slumped a bit when he greeted her and immediately she moved to dislodge herself from the bush. It took a bit of effort now that her skirts were tangled in the plant but she pulled herself loose. ”Shhhhh!! Obviously I am hiding because I don’t want to be found. Arthur isn’t coming out is he?! I really should get going…”

[/b] she let out in a quite spout of words. She didn’t want to be found after all. Perhaps she should just go for a walk, and double back? Or maybe just leave, since the events were clearly over now.

Looking around frantically, she made she no one had seen or heard either of them. She quickly smoothed the imperfections from the skirts out of forced habit rather than an actual care. ”I really need to get out of here…”[/b] she reiterated.
[/div]

TAG: Alfred/Mandee
WORDS: 751
OUTFIT: A long forest green gown, thinner set than would be expected given her position and rank. It’s a little rough for wear. Her hair is pulled up, sort of like in the photo.

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=vAlign,top][STYLE=border-left: #ffffff 4px solid; font-family: calibri; font-size: 8pt; text-align: justify; padding: 5px; height: 400px; width: 100px; border-radius: 50px 0px 0px 50px;] [STYLE=background-color: #ffffff; color: #ff0000; padding: 2px;]tags[/style]Erin [STYLE=background-color: #ffffff; color: #ff0000; padding: 2px]words[/style]554 [STYLE=background-color: #ffffff; color: #ff0000; padding: 2px]notes[/style] He's already developing a penchant for sticking his nose in others' business... XD[/style]

[STYLE=border-left: #ff0000 1px solid; font-family: verdana; font-size: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; padding: 5px; height: 400px; width: 300px; overflow: auto; border-radius: 0px 0px 50px 0px;]As Alfred had a closer glimpse of the woman hiding behind the bush, questions immediately began to form in his mind. The first he'd already voiced - What was she doing there in the first place? His next inquiry involved her identity. Who exactly was she, and why was she lurking so close to the treaty signing? What's more, why was she hiding? Alfred watched as the woman removed herself from behind the bush. She was not familiar to him, so if she was a nation, she was one that he'd never met before. There was also the possibility that she worked at the hotel. Alfred laughed at her attempt to explain why she was hiding. Of course she didn't want to be found! That was the point of hiding in the first place, wasn't it? He could recall his own escapades where he was caught attempting to listen in on Arthur during his meetings. Usually he was discovered fairly early in his attempts, but one time he'd managed to stay hidden under a table during a meeting between Arthur and his king for nearly an hour until a particularly loud rumble generated a pause in the conversation. At this point Arthur peered under the table to find a wide eyed Alfred holding his stomach. The colony blushed as Arthur chuckled and asked if he was hungry. Rest assured, if he ever needed to go stealth again, he'd make sure to do it on a full stomach. Speaking of Arthur, Alfred was mildly surprised when the woman brought him up. "You know Arthur?" He questioned. If she knew Arthur, that meant the chances of her being another country were even greater. There was still a chance that she wasn't, though, which meant that Alfred had to keep his guard up. Regardless, the comment answered the question of who Erin was hiding from. "Alfred F. Jones," Alfred stated, thrusting out his hand to Erin for a shake. It seemed like a good idea to get introductions out of the way as soon as possible. That way they wouldn't get to talking and realize they didn't even know each other's names later on. Whether Erin wanted him around or not, Alfred planned to stick around her for a bit. His curiosity was piqued. "How do you know Arthur?" He inquired, trying to get the answer to the question of whether she was a country or not. " In the process, Alfred opted to share some information of his own. "Arthur played a role in raising me, I suppose you could say." Despite the attempt at a casual area, there was no disguising the hint of bitterness in Alfred's voice as he talked about Arthur. At the same time, he was dropping a hint of his own to Erin. He was still somewhat naive in many respects, but given how many times he'd dropped hints to his founding fathers before telling them who he was (Benjamin Franklin was the only one who could figure it out based on hints), this was one field he had some experience in. And it was fun too! Still, the fact remained that if Erin was a country as well, she'd recognize the significance of Alfred's statement. [/style]

[/style]MADE BY ★MEULK OF BTN

[style=width:400px; background-color:#FFF; font-family: Freestyle Script; font-size: 50px; color:#000; border-top: 10px solid #FF7900; border-bottom: 10px solid #FF7900;]September 1783

Unlike Alfred, Erin actually knew who he was. Or at least she had from snooping around as they did the signing. She knew that a colony was getting its independence. She knew it was over seas. She knew Arthur was ‘granting it’ and that both would come together here to sign the treaty. She had been keeping a close eye and ear as things had happened and she was positive that Alfred was said former-colony.

Erin scowled at him when he laughed. She didn’t find anything funny in this particular conversation as of yet. She was trying to go unnoticed and here he was laughing, a sound that was likely to draw attention. Well...only if there were people around to pay attention. Thankfully there wasn’t.

Erin bit her lip lightly when Alfred questioned her knowing Arthur. Okay, any chance she had of escaping unnoticed wasn’t there. If she was described visually to Arthur, he’d know right away who she was. So her only option here was to tread cautiously, and go for a walk! Staying here wasn’t safe...maybe a side room was a better place?

Erin didn’t take his hand and instead quickly looped her arm into Alfred’s and hissed a quick “Walk and look natural!”

[/color] as she began guiding him to the side room she had used earlier to hide when everyone entered the room. ”My name is Erin Patrick.”[/b] she added as she started to tug, attempting to make him move and follow her. It probably looked a bit strange given her small stature and height, but again, no one was around to see it for the moment. Erin just hoped they could get in the side room unnoticed.

Erin considered how best to answer the question of how she knew Arthur. The tricky part was they had a complicated relationship of sorts. She sifted through the possible answers in her head; dominated by him, “dated” him, he stole her freedom, enthralled by him, sibling-like, father-like...neighbours!! ”You could call us neighbours of sorts”[/b] she answered, keeping things vague as possible with no precise details.

She didn’t respond right away to his description of how he knew Arthur. She could assume as much with the basis of him being the colony that today was about. It sort of frustrated her but also made her hopeful. If he could gain independence...so could she! She decided to keep her answer brief again, ”I know...” she said, this time sounding resentful. Erin was certainly the jealous type. She was jealous of how Arthur had treated Alfred, how Arthur spent time with him and how he got his damn independence from Arthur before her. She’d been around longer! She deserved it more!! Or...she thought she did at least. Was this Alfred his favourite? Is that why he got his independence first!? No—Arthur liked her best! He had to like her best!

She was scowling without meaning to when she snapped out of her angry moping. She quickly pushed it all back. She had to know how he did it!! What did he say? What did he do? And more importantly...how could she do it!?!
[/div]

TAG: Alfred/Mandee
WORDS: 522
OUTFIT: A long forest green gown, thinner set than would be expected given her position and rank. It’s a little rough for wear. Her hair is pulled up, sort of like in the photo.

[/style][/style][/center]

[STYLE=width: 450px; color: #ffffff; background-color: #336699; border-radius: 50px 0px 0px 50px;]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=vAlign,top][STYLE=border-left: #ffffff 4px solid; font-family: calibri; font-size: 8pt; text-align: justify; padding: 5px; height: 400px; width: 100px; border-radius: 50px 0px 0px 50px;] [STYLE=background-color: #ffffff; color: #ff0000; padding: 2px;]tags[/style]Erin [STYLE=background-color: #ffffff; color: #ff0000; padding: 2px]words[/style]430 [STYLE=background-color: #ffffff; color: #ff0000; padding: 2px]notes[/style] None at the moment[/style]

[STYLE=border-left: #ff0000 1px solid; font-family: verdana; font-size: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; padding: 5px; height: 400px; width: 300px; overflow: auto; border-radius: 0px 0px 50px 0px;] As Alfred expected a handshake in return, he was not prepared for Erin to suddenly hook her arm in his and tug. The result was that he was jerked off balance and stumbled for a few steps. Once he regained his composure, he was about to yank his hand away and ask her what the hell she was doing...but she spoke first. He decided to play along and walk with her out of curiosity, but not without retrieving his arm first. At least he had a name for her now - Erin Patrick. It seemed fitting, in it's own way. When they entered the side room, Alfred waited for an answer to his question about Arthur. He was slightly surprised to hear Erin describe herself and Arthur as neighbors. This led even more credence to the idea that she was a country as well. Even Alfred noted her hesitance, leading him to believe that there was more to Erin's relationship with Arthur than just that they were neighbors. It was the same sort of hesitance Alfred would given when asked to describe his own relations with Arthur. 'It's complicated' would sum both up nicely, though in different ways of course. Erin was a contemporary of Arthur's, while Arthur was Alfred's former guardian. Her next comment practically confirmed it. "You know?" He questioned at once with a raised eyebrow. She knew that Arthur raised him? She couldn't possibly know that already unless she was either a country or a human very close to Arthur - Which meant that she would know Arthur was England nevertheless. Alfred started to grin once more. Now that they were in a room away from others, they could talk in more detail. And Alfred wanted details! "Do you have another name that you go by?" If she was another country, he wanted to establish relations with her. Thus far, the only nation that he'd established official relations with was France (though he'd met some of the others and was on his way to establishing relations with them - there was also the matter of England, of course, but that was a different story entirely). "I'm the United States of America." Alfred re-introduced himself. He really didn't mind whether she called him America or Alfred, but now that he was nearly certain she was a country herself, she might as well have the choice. "Why are you hiding from England?" He still had yet to realize that she was attempting to eavesdrop on the treaty signing. [/style]

[/style]MADE BY ★MEULK OF BTN

[style=width:400px; background-color:#FFF; font-family: Freestyle Script; font-size: 50px; color:#000; border-top: 10px solid #FF7900; border-bottom: 10px solid #FF7900;]September 1783

Erin completely ignored Alfred’s stumble and just dragged him along anyways. She let him retrieve his arm but only once she was sure he was following. She couldn’t have him ratting her out to Arthur after all. Not to say he was Arthur’s pet, but Arthur did raise the kid. Then again, he had independence that had to mean something…

Once in the room Erin turned around to face him before continuing. She hadn’t actually took in his appearance before now, having been too concerned with being found out. She did a quick once over and decided she liked what she saw. However, she quickly put her first instinct in check.

Erin rolled her eyes. ”Of course I know. It’s not that hard to work it out. I mean, Arthur has talked about you before not to mention that this entire signing thing is all about you! If you have to get independence from that asshole then obviously he raised you or at least captured you to form one of his colonies. I would assume the raising option because of your young age…”

[/b] Erin rambled on. All of this had been spelled out for her (through actions or words), or she’d never have realized it. Observational skills were not a great aspect of Erin…she missed a lot and usually failed to connect things just by watching people.

Erin raised an eyebrow as he asked if she had another name. It was an expression that said “Duh!”. ”Of course. I am Ireland.”[/b] she said as if it was obvious. Then again, to anyone in Europe it was. Her accent matched her as Irish and if she was a country that pretty much meant she was Ireland. Of course, she could be a city or a province instead. If her accent didn’t say enough her bright green hair and orange eyes were pretty damning…

She smirked in amusement when he introduced his other name. ”Again, I know. I worked that out when you were the one who signed the treaty with Arthur. I had to know what I was getting myself into by coming here…it was surprisingly easy. I am still stunned he permitted it to come to an agreement of independence”[/b] She scowled a bit at the last part.

Erin blinked at him and finally it just clicked that he really was out of the loop. That bastard England was going to get a piece of her mind when she got the chance. How could his little former-colony NOT know about her! How could he not understand by now!?! She just gave him a look that said “are you serious?” for a moment before explaining.

”England and I go back pretty far. You could say he played a part in raising me as well. However, things are complicated between us. Much like everyone else he staked his claim and I became his bitch. I’ve been in on his politics for some time, but last year I managed to achieve a few reforms giving me a bit more freedom. As a result, I’ve been completely out of the loop on what he has been up to!! So I decided to find out! How else am I supposed to make any more progress on achieving my own right to be an independent nation?!!”[/b] Erin paused and looked at Alfred realizing she had forgotten about her question. How did he manage it?

”What did you do to get him to agree to your independence? You are way younger than I am…was It because you are one of his favourites?!”[/b] Erin demanded to know.
[/div]

TAG: Alfred/Mandee
WORDS: 599
OUTFIT: A long forest green gown, thinner set than would be expected given her position and rank. It’s a little rough for wear. Her hair is pulled up, sort of like in the photo.

[/style][/style][/center]

[STYLE=width: 450px; color: #ffffff; background-color: #336699; border-radius: 50px 0px 0px 50px;]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=vAlign,top][STYLE=border-left: #ffffff 4px solid; font-family: calibri; font-size: 8pt; text-align: justify; padding: 5px; height: 400px; width: 100px; border-radius: 50px 0px 0px 50px;] [STYLE=background-color: #ffffff; color: #ff0000; padding: 2px;]tags[/style]Erin [STYLE=background-color: #ffffff; color: #ff0000; padding: 2px]words[/style]353 [STYLE=background-color: #ffffff; color: #ff0000; padding: 2px]notes[/style] It's short, yet I felt like I summed up pretty much everything I wanted to put into this post. Hope you don't mind. XD[/style]

[STYLE=border-left: #ff0000 1px solid; font-family: verdana; font-size: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; padding: 5px; height: 400px; width: 300px; overflow: auto; border-radius: 0px 0px 50px 0px;] Alfred blinked in surprise. Arthur talked about him? He grinned when Erin referred to herself as Ireland. He was still learning when it came to European affairs, but he knew that some of his citizens had Irish heritage. He wondered just how far back Arthur and Erin went. Her story sounded vaguely similar to his, in that England played a heavy role in her history and she wanted independence. Wait...she wanted independence too? Alfred couldn't help but laugh when Erin asked if he was one of Arthur's favorites. Surely, even if he was before, he wasn't now. Not after the Revolution. It wasn't as though he strode up to Arthur and asked him nicely for it. He had to fight. The two could barely look at each other during the treaty signing. Not that Erin would be able to tell through closed doors - She could only listen. "You don't think it was as simple as going up to him and asking for it, do you?" The way she asked him, it almost sounded as if she indeed thought that was what Alfred had done. The thought was almost laughable to Alfred. Arthur, giving him his independence strictly because he asked for it? Arthur would have laughed in his face and told him not to be silly. Alfred's fists clenched and he ground his teeth together at the thought. "I fought a war against him," Alfred informed her. "I fought a war against him and I won." Alfred felt a sense of pride surge through him, as well as a reminder of what he'd truly accomplished. He'd won a war against England. He had independence. He was no longer a colony. He'd proven himself, dammit. England was wrong! What he didn't realize was that he still had a while to go. Yes, he was an independent country, but he still had to prove that he could stand on his own. It would be a rough road for the next decade or so, but one thing Alfred had was determination.[/style]

[/style]MADE BY ★MEULK OF BTN

[style=width:400px; background-color:#FFF; font-family: Freestyle Script; font-size: 50px; color:#000; border-top: 10px solid #FF7900; border-bottom: 10px solid #FF7900;]September 1783

Erin completely ignored Alfred’s surprise at her comment about Arthur talking about him. Arthur got excited just like everyone else. In fact, part of what made what Erin wanted so difficult was that she was aware that he felt just as much as she did. So what if he was proud of his little pet project? Naturally the pet project wouldn’t know of that until someone said something...Of course, Arthur’s heart was definitely breaking if he didn’t grant independence himself.

That was perhaps why Erin was assuming Alfred was granted independence instead of having fought for it. She had tried the fighting method and always lost. With the size of the British forces and its empire she wasn’t surprised she got creamed each time. Naturally she assumed Alfred had no such luck either. It had to be granted...it just had to be.

Erin’s expression likely screamed that she did think Alfred just asked. She got somewhat hesitant when she was told otherwise. ”You mean you didn’t just ask?”

[/b] she responded in turn, confirming what could easily be read in her expression, even by someone as non-observant as Alfred.

Of course, Alfred’s answer was not what Erin had wanted to hear either. Great...so not only did Alfred fight Arthur and win where she had failed, he had broken Arthur’s heart which meant he’d be even more reluctant next time to allow it to happen again. Alfred had taken her ticket out of the British Empire as far as she was concerned. Her disappointment could be easily seen as the truth of events sunk in.

”You seriously won against Arthur?”[/b] Erin looked sceptical at the idea. ”Well...you had to have had help. I’ve failed at that endeavour more than a few times...”[/b] she offered, having to find a reason why he could succeed where she failed. Of course, Erin’s mind starting crunching through possible reasons and she didn’t like what she found in her own thoughts. It was true, she was small and her forces even smaller. Winning a war against England was not so easy when your military was barely a blip by comparison to the enemy’s.

Erin puzzled it over and broke out of her own thoughts because they were steadily getting more depressing. ”Tell me exactly what you did. As it is I’ll have to do better because now he will be even more determined not to let me leave because you did.”[/b] she said with more than a little accusation in her tone.
[/div]

TAG: Alfred/Mandee
WORDS: 415
OUTFIT: A long forest green gown, thinner set than would be expected given her position and rank. It’s a little rough for wear. Her hair is pulled up, sort of like in the photo.

[/style][/style][/center]

[STYLE=width: 450px; color: #ffffff; background-color: #336699; border-radius: 50px 0px 0px 50px;]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=vAlign,top][STYLE=border-left: #ffffff 4px solid; font-family: calibri; font-size: 8pt; text-align: justify; padding: 5px; height: 400px; width: 100px; border-radius: 50px 0px 0px 50px;] [STYLE=background-color: #ffffff; color: #ff0000; padding: 2px;]tags[/style]Erin [STYLE=background-color: #ffffff; color: #ff0000; padding: 2px]words[/style]349 [STYLE=background-color: #ffffff; color: #ff0000; padding: 2px]notes[/style] None, really. XD[/style]

[STYLE=border-left: #ff0000 1px solid; font-family: verdana; font-size: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; padding: 5px; height: 400px; width: 300px; overflow: auto; border-radius: 0px 0px 50px 0px;] When Erin revealed that she did think Alfred just asked for his independence, a bemused look crossed his features. "Of course I didn't! We weren't exactly on terms where he would have said yes even if I had." He sighed. "Especially after we dumped his tea into Boston Harbor." A mischievous grin came across his face at this. Hey, he felt as though Arthur deserved it for not listening to previous, less extreme requests to remove the tea from the harbor. Since Arthur chose not to remove it, Alfred and his citizens decided to take matters into their own hands. He could not help but grin further at Erin's incredulity. He frowned, though, when Erin mentioned that she'd attempted the same venture in the past and failed at it. There were certainly plenty of differences between Alfred's attempt and Erin's attempts, but Alfred knew little about Erin's situation and Erin knew little about his at this point. They'd have to change that if he were to offer any advice. There were really several factors. He did have help, yes, but he also had a larger area of land that he and his army knew better than Arthur and his army did, and they used this to their advantage. There was also literally an ocean between Arthur's land and Alfred's. Erin, on the other hand, was located in the geographical equivalent of right next door. "France," Alfred responded to Erin's inquiry. "Francis was the first to recognize me as independent and offered his help in my Revolution." And he was grateful to Francis for it too. There were a few others who helped as well, but Francis offered the most. If Erin wanted to know who to go to for help, Francis was her best bet. Alfred would offer his own help, but he'd have other matters to tend to once he arrived back to his own shores. As for other advice? Alfred wasn't sure, when he knew little about Erin's situation in comparison to his.[/style]

[/style]MADE BY ★MEULK OF BTN

[style=width:400px; background-color:#FFF; font-family: Freestyle Script; font-size: 50px; color:#000; border-top: 10px solid #FF7900; border-bottom: 10px solid #FF7900;]September 1783

Erin scowled at the grin on Alfred’s face as she suggested that he just asked for it. Though, his answer did make her feel better she couldn’t help but think there had to be something that made Arthur make the decision beyond force. After all, she’d tried force! Maybe Arthur let the boy win in purpose?

Her train of thought broke down when she heard that the Americans had dumped a load of tea into a harbour. She didn’t know where Boston was, but the thought of Arthur’s precious tea being dump amused Erin greatly. The diabolical grin that popped up on her face told as much. She couldn’t help but laugh...”You just dumped it!? Oh What did he say? Did he react at all? What did he try to do about it?!!”

[/b] she asked in rapid fire succession. Maybe she would bring that up to him next time she spoke to Arthur and see if it warranted an irritated tick from him...

Erin would not have assumed Alfred had help. Though, when she heard who it was she was far less surprised. Francis was someone Erin knew very well. Of course he’d do it just to spite England but who knew if Francis had an investment made into Alfred’s future. She’d never thought to ask for help, perhaps because she was too proud to. It was more likely that it just never occurred to her to make a request to someone like Francis. Arthur was powerful and few wanted to go against that and yet even knowing Francis was constantly opposing Arthur, the thought hadn’t really occurred to her.

One thing was for certain though, if land location, size or population came into the conversation as a factor leaning against her, Erin was going to flip her shit. If there was one thing that she wasn’t willing to accept it was that she was stuck under English rule no matter what she did merely because of her island’s size and location.

”Lucky I am in Paris...shouldn’t be difficult beginning negotiations with Francis then. Or maybe I’ll wait a bit and ask him a bit later. After all, I did just get a minor political victory.”[/b] She muttered this more to herself than to Alfred, as if she almost forgot he was right there. The reason Erin didn’t say out loud was that she should probably give Francis some time to recover, given that he just helped America with his war. Though why he helped America before helping her was beyond Erin.

Erin started pacing a little bit working through the ideas in her head and trying to pinpoint just what she should do and how to approach Francis. It took a moment for her to remember Alfred was in the room. When she did, she immediately stopped and turned back toward him. ”I need details. How long did it take? Was it close or easy victory? Have you fought him before for freedom?”[/b] She grilled trying to make use of the knowledge he already had. She may be small but there was no way she was going to let this go on forever. England’s oppression was not going to stay in place forever. She would find a way and this was as good a plan to attempt as any.
[/div]

TAG: Alfred/Mandee
WORDS: 550
OUTFIT: A long forest green gown, thinner set than would be expected given her position and rank. It’s a little rough for wear. Her hair is pulled up, sort of like in the photo.

[/style][/style][/center]

[STYLE=width: 450px; color: #ffffff; background-color: #336699; border-radius: 50px 0px 0px 50px;]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=vAlign,top][STYLE=border-left: #ffffff 4px solid; font-family: calibri; font-size: 8pt; text-align: justify; padding: 5px; height: 400px; width: 100px; border-radius: 50px 0px 0px 50px;] [STYLE=background-color: #ffffff; color: #ff0000; padding: 2px;]tags[/style]Erin [STYLE=background-color: #ffffff; color: #ff0000; padding: 2px]words[/style]436 [STYLE=background-color: #ffffff; color: #ff0000; padding: 2px]notes[/style] None, really. XD[/style]

[STYLE=border-left: #ff0000 1px solid; font-family: verdana; font-size: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; padding: 5px; height: 400px; width: 300px; overflow: auto; border-radius: 0px 0px 50px 0px;] Alfred nodded. "Into Boston Harbor." He proceeded to laugh at Erin's question. "Of course he reacted! We're talking about his precious tea, remember? He was livid." Here, his grin dropped a little. "My house looked like a lobster tank with all of the soldiers. They were crawling all over Boston too." All because Arthur wouldn't remove those ships from the harbor. Attempts to settle it through protests didn't seem to be working, so he and his people took a different route. Fortunately, it did not occur to the other country to mention to Erin that he had a few other advantages that Erin did not. As it was, she seemed content with the information he provided on Francis. It also looked as though Erin would be asking Francis for a little help of her own. "Political victory?" He inquired, curiosity taking the lead. Regardless if it was actually meant for Alfred to hear or not, Alfred did hear it and therefore responded. "I think Francis is also signing a treaty with Arthur today. You might be able to catch him here." Alfred noted with a smile, not realizing that Erin was leaning toward giving Francis a bit of time before she asked him for help with her own quest. Alfred watched as Erin stated pacing, apparently trying to work something out in her head before she rounded back on him and started firing a series of questions at him. Alfred was a little startled by the rapidfire succession of so many questions, but he was easily able to understand the crux of what Erin was asking - She wanted details about his Revolution. "The first shots were fired in 1775, so about eight years?" He counted it out on his fingers to make sure, then nodded. "Eight years." It was a little harder to answer her next question, and Alfred had to think a tad on what he wanted to say. "We struggled at first, though we did have a few important victories." Driving Arthur's forces out of Boston was one major one that Alfred recalled. It was clear, though, that France's assistance helped to push it over the edge. To Erin's last question, Alfred shook his head. "This was my first time." That would likely make Erin feel worse, knowing that he'd succeeded the first time around while she'd tried before and failed. That said, Alfred did have many factors on his side where she did not. Fortunately for her, this was not mentioned. Alfred waited for her response (and possibly more questions).[/style]

[/style]MADE BY ★MEULK OF BTN

[style=width:400px; background-color:#FFF; font-family: Freestyle Script; font-size: 50px; color:#000; border-top: 10px solid #FF7900; border-bottom: 10px solid #FF7900;]September 1783

Erin couldn’t help the laughter spilling out of her. She tried to keep it quiet and as such she was producing half giggles of amusement. ”He must have been so livid”

[/b]s he choked out. She tried to look more sombre when Alfred mentioned the soldiers but she couldn’t help but be amused by the circumstance as a whole. It wasn’t like she was the one with soldiers guarding her home...though she had been there before.

Erin nodded her head as Alfred inquired as to her political victory. She was happy for the chance to boast about it. ”Last year we managed to get some changes made. We got an annoying law repealed! Basically it gave me back my independence in most government from England. Though...there are still some areas where he can dictate how things will be.”[/b] Erin said with a scowl, the earlier laughter dropping and even her excitement about the repeal slightly dimming at the thought of Arthur controlling her.

Erin perked up a moment at hearing that. ”What treaty are they signing?!!? What are the terms!!?”[/b] she asked concerned. Would Francis help her if this treaty was in his favour, which it must be? If Alfred won that war, so did France. What did Francis want from Britain?

Erin’s eyes watched him intently as he gave the answers to her questions. Her eyes never left him as she started trying to process the information. Eight years was a long time, though she had been in wars that had been long before. The rest of the answers were not what she wanted to hear. And how the hell did this guy manage it in one go!! How was that fair!! Maybe Arthur liked her better and therefore tried harder to keep her? Yes, that had to be it.

”Eight years. Partnered with France...Is it possible you just had beginner’s luck!?”[/b] Erin asked, her tone somewhat desperate. She didn’t mean to offend but it could easily be taken that way, given she had implied it wasn’t his effort that won him the war. She couldn’t accept that he was better equipped than her to do this, so instead she was trying to find an excuse for how he did it so that she could do the same. If luck was all it was, then she couldn’t reproduce that. We all know Ireland is a tad on the superstitious side at times...
[/div]

TAG: Alfred/Mandee
WORDS: 402
OUTFIT: A long forest green gown, thinner set than would be expected given her position and rank. It’s a little rough for wear. Her hair is pulled up, sort of like in the photo.

[/style][/style][/center]

[STYLE=width: 450px; color: #ffffff; background-color: #336699; border-radius: 50px 0px 0px 50px;]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=vAlign,top][STYLE=border-left: #ffffff 4px solid; font-family: calibri; font-size: 8pt; text-align: justify; padding: 5px; height: 400px; width: 100px; border-radius: 50px 0px 0px 50px;] [STYLE=background-color: #ffffff; color: #ff0000; padding: 2px;]tags[/style]Erin [STYLE=background-color: #ffffff; color: #ff0000; padding: 2px]words[/style]367 [STYLE=background-color: #ffffff; color: #ff0000; padding: 2px]notes[/style] None, really. XD[/style]

[STYLE=border-left: #ff0000 1px solid; font-family: verdana; font-size: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; padding: 5px; height: 400px; width: 300px; overflow: auto; border-radius: 0px 0px 50px 0px;] Hearing Erin's laughter as he shared the story made Alfred grin in reminiscence himself. "He was," Alfred reminded her, but that made it even more worth it in the end - To know that he'd gotten through to Arthur in some way, even if it did not have the results that Alfred intended. Instead of getting the hint that Alfred wanted Arthur to lessen his control, he instead increased it. He was practically asking for the war that followed. Alfred grinned in delight when Erin shared her own political victories. "That's great!" He blurted out, happy that matters seemed to be looking up for Erin as well. His grin slipped slightly when he heard that Arthur still had some control over her. She didn't seem so happy about it either. "Talk to France! What could it hurt?" He provided with a smile in an attempt to cheer her up. The worst that happened was that Francis would turn her down, though from what Alfred knew Francis wouldn't do that. He would jump at just about any opportunity to go against Arthur! Erin's next question caught him off guard, but he answered to the best of his ability. He was fairly certain he'd overheard the matter being discussed, after all, even if he was not there for the signing itself. "Something about exchanging territory, I think?" He was not sure of the exact details, though she could certainly ask Francis for more if she so desired to. Alfred bristled visibly at Erin's next comment, unsure of what to think. He did not want to think that it was just luck that led to the win against Arthur. Some of it was luck, yes - The fact that he was lucky enough to reside across the ocean from Arthur rather than practically next door. However, he'd certainly put a lot of his own sweat into the war, and he liked to think that his efforts played a major part in his wins as well. Again, there were so many factors that it was hard to pinpoint just one. It certainly wasn't just beginners luck, though![/style]

[/style]MADE BY ★MEULK OF BTN

[style=width:400px; background-color:#FFF; font-family: Freestyle Script; font-size: 50px; color:#000; border-top: 10px solid #FF7900; border-bottom: 10px solid #FF7900;]September 1783

Erin was of the opinion that Arthur was always looking for war. He had conquered where he didn’t need to. Was suppressing multiple landmasses of people and he was constantly picking squabbles with Francis. Erin was peaceful by nature (in terms of war not personality of course) but despite that he had gone out of his way to initiated what would inevitably be a war with her nation. The sad part for Erin was that as a result there was little she could do. She was not a strong military power, as much as she wanted to believe she had enough strength to break from Arthur’s hold. Perhaps asking for help would make the difference.

Erin nodded her obvious agreement to how great it is that she at least got some changes put through. She felt she deserved some recognition for that change. ”It won’t hurt to ask...but Arthur better not find out. I don’t want him taking advanced action after I just got some small steps in taking control away from him.”

[/b] Erin pressed. She was asking that Alfred keep his mouth shut of course. She couldn’t have him spewing any of this to Arthur, even if it did seem that Alfred and Arthur were not on great terms anyways.

Erin bit her lip as she got the answer to what Francis and Arthur were signing. She decided that it wasn’t a terrible circumstance. There were worse things to sign their treaty about. As long as France’s hands were not tied she could make things work. She just hoped he would be willing to, despite having already just done it for someone else. ”I’ll have to get the details...More snooping it is,”[/b] Erin said with a semi-grim smirk. It didn’t occur to her to just ask Francis.

Erin was much more concerned with herself than with her possible offence to Alfred. She didn’t notice any changes if there was any. Instead she quickly popped her head out of the door and then back inside after a few moments. ”How long do you think you can wander before they start looking for you? I don’t want many people knowing I am here...It’s bad enough I walked right in so any security could guess I was around. I just have to make sure Arthur doesn’t know.”[/b] she stressed. ”I’ll catch Francis after all this crap is dealt with today. I’ll just stick around until after and get him when he is at home.”[/b] Erin explained.
[/div]

TAG: Alfred/Mandee
WORDS: 414
OUTFIT: A long forest green gown, thinner set than would be expected given her position and rank. It’s a little rough for wear. Her hair is pulled up, sort of like in the photo.

[/style][/style][/center]

[STYLE=width: 450px; color: #ffffff; background-color: #336699; border-radius: 50px 0px 0px 50px;]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=vAlign,top][STYLE=border-left: #ffffff 4px solid; font-family: calibri; font-size: 8pt; text-align: justify; padding: 5px; height: 400px; width: 100px; border-radius: 50px 0px 0px 50px;] [STYLE=background-color: #ffffff; color: #ff0000; padding: 2px;]tags[/style]Erin [STYLE=background-color: #ffffff; color: #ff0000; padding: 2px]words[/style]346 [STYLE=background-color: #ffffff; color: #ff0000; padding: 2px]notes[/style] None, really. XD[/style]

[STYLE=border-left: #ff0000 1px solid; font-family: verdana; font-size: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; padding: 5px; height: 400px; width: 300px; overflow: auto; border-radius: 0px 0px 50px 0px;] Alfred nodded. "It won't hurt to ask unless Arthur finds out, but that's only if he finds out, right?" He grinned. "If it comes down to it, I'll distract him long enough for you to get Francis on his own to talk to him." He doubted they'd have to worry. He didn't think Francis and Arthur would stay around each other longer than they had to. This was good, as Alfred didn't plan on sticking around his former parental figure for long either. Just long enough to create a diversion for Erin, if she needed him to. The young country watched as Erin peeked around the door, wondering what she was doing. Was there something going on outside? Were they leaving the room? Alfred had to admit that he was getting a little stir-crazy cooped up in this side room. He'd hoped to stretch out his legs and walk a little. "Should be a while yet," Alfred responded when she asked how long he had to wander. "John, Benjamin, William, Henry, and John are posing for a picture. They wanted me out of there so I wouldn't end up in the picture by mistake." That and, clearly, he had some excess energy to burn off. Even now, even on his feet, he rubbed his hands together in an attempt to keep something of his moving. "I think I saw Paris on my way to the treaty signing. You could always ask her to pass the message to France." Or she could just wait until afterward, like she hinted she was going to. He had yet to actually run into France since arriving, but he had seen what he was fairly certain was the capital in passing. He let out a small sigh of frustration. He wished he could recognize more personifications by face, but he still had a long way to go. He was working in the right direction as an independent country, though, already starting to establish more relations - even if some weren't official just yet. [/style]

[/style]MADE BY ★MEULK OF BTN