Canada was slowly realizing that he was a hypocrite.
The thought sat unhappily in the back of his mind as he watched the UN speak earnestly with Russia. And - that was it. All they did was speak with him, give him disappointed looks, 'Oh Ivan we thought you were beyond this' and he gave them his sweetest smile and said that the snowy lands were of course one with Russia, da? Who else could claim them, who else would live where General Winter roamed?
(Canada, that was who. Those were Canadian lands! Not Russian! )
Canada was a hypocrite. Because Canada had always pushed for multilateral action, because Canada had always supported the UN, because Canada was the nice one, the peacekeeper, the Not-America. That's how he defined himself to the world - he wasn't America, he didn't go in guns blazing, he didn't tell the UN to fuck itself, he didn't, he _didn't_.
But oh, how he wanted to.
(Because it's you, now, your lands and your resources and your borders, and it's different now, isn't it...)
He was a Dominion of the English Crown, he still looked to Arthur for permission, even if no one noticed it, and Arthur was doing -- jackshit. He was glaring at Ivan and lecturing him but he wouldn't do anything more, it was clear, he'd abide by the EU stance and the EU didn't want to rock the boat, the EU didn't want a return to the Cold War, and....
And Canada wasn't a part of the EU.
Alfred wasn't there, Alfred was boycotting the UN again, although unlike before he didn't say that. His new Boss wanted to appear more friendly to the other countries, and America had a lot of work to do, so that's what he said. Not, "Go to hell," but "Sorry I can't make it, gotta go kick Wall Street into shape, see you at a Summit?" This was America being diplomatic.
They talked about what America's reaction would be, and Ivan shook his head and clucked sorrowfully over Alfred's warhawk-ish ways, (If I'm a hypocrite, you're more so, Ivan!) and hoped it wouldn't come to that, and it wasn't American land, it was Canadian! Why weren't they more concerned over Matthew's reaction?
But Matthew already knew what Alfred thought. Matthew had gone over to see his brother, and he hadn't told Arthur because he was getting used to not having to do that.
It had been -- strange. Not bad-strange, just, Alfred had been a bit downcast and a bit tentative regarding Matthew's friendship. It was Matthew's first interaction with his brother since Alfred's previous boss had left, and it was a bit startling to see a repentant Alfred, an Alfred who obviously cared what another Nation thought of him.
Alfred had said sorry to Matthew, had apologized for Fox News making fun of Canada's armed forces, had shown he remembered Canada at Vimy, Passchendaele, Kandahar.
Alfred had _not_ begun proclaiming he'd kick Russia's ass, had _not_ assumed that any encroachment in North America meant immediate US involvement (and leadership), had _not_ made assumptions that Matthew would follow his lead.
Matthew was flattered and happy that Alfred cared, but -- he felt a bit -- ...where was his cocky, self-confident Alfred? Where was America the Hero?
Where was his older brother to beat up the bully?
The world had spent so much time ragging on America's policeman-of-the-world behavior that the thought of America not immediately rushing to Canada's rescue and Russia's chastening had not crossed Matthew's mind. He'd been trying to formulate strategies to make America back off, a bit - and now he found his problem (was it a problem?) was from the opposite spectrum.
But he had his brother back. It was a humbled, quieter brother, reeling from economic crises and spread thin from his Middle Eastern wars, but he had him back. He'd grasped Alfred's forearm in brotherly camaraderie when it came time to leave, and then Alfred had smiled at him and Matthew pulled him into a hug.
He had his brother back. He _was_ America's brother, and they'd both been reminded of that.
They were threatening sanctions for Russia - but not too much, because then his people would suffer, and East Europe depended on Russia - and Canadians had died because Russia was trespassing on his land.
Sanctions? Sanctions? Fuck that.
***
AN: oh, recaptcha. GILBERT The? Are you hinting something?
Twin Eagles
The thought sat unhappily in the back of his mind as he watched the UN speak earnestly with Russia. And - that was it. All they did was speak with him, give him disappointed looks, 'Oh Ivan we thought you were beyond this' and he gave them his sweetest smile and said that the snowy lands were of course one with Russia, da? Who else could claim them, who else would live where General Winter roamed?
(Canada, that was who. Those were Canadian lands! Not Russian! )
Canada was a hypocrite. Because Canada had always pushed for multilateral action, because Canada had always supported the UN, because Canada was the nice one, the peacekeeper, the Not-America. That's how he defined himself to the world - he wasn't America, he didn't go in guns blazing, he didn't tell the UN to fuck itself, he didn't, he _didn't_.
But oh, how he wanted to.
(Because it's you, now, your lands and your resources and your borders, and it's different now, isn't it...)
He was a Dominion of the English Crown, he still looked to Arthur for permission, even if no one noticed it, and Arthur was doing -- jackshit. He was glaring at Ivan and lecturing him but he wouldn't do anything more, it was clear, he'd abide by the EU stance and the EU didn't want to rock the boat, the EU didn't want a return to the Cold War, and....
And Canada wasn't a part of the EU.
Alfred wasn't there, Alfred was boycotting the UN again, although unlike before he didn't say that. His new Boss wanted to appear more friendly to the other countries, and America had a lot of work to do, so that's what he said. Not, "Go to hell," but "Sorry I can't make it, gotta go kick Wall Street into shape, see you at a Summit?" This was America being diplomatic.
They talked about what America's reaction would be, and Ivan shook his head and clucked sorrowfully over Alfred's warhawk-ish ways, (If I'm a hypocrite, you're more so, Ivan!) and hoped it wouldn't come to that, and it wasn't American land, it was Canadian! Why weren't they more concerned over Matthew's reaction?
But Matthew already knew what Alfred thought. Matthew had gone over to see his brother, and he hadn't told Arthur because he was getting used to not having to do that.
It had been -- strange. Not bad-strange, just, Alfred had been a bit downcast and a bit tentative regarding Matthew's friendship. It was Matthew's first interaction with his brother since Alfred's previous boss had left, and it was a bit startling to see a repentant Alfred, an Alfred who obviously cared what another Nation thought of him.
Alfred had said sorry to Matthew, had apologized for Fox News making fun of Canada's armed forces, had shown he remembered Canada at Vimy, Passchendaele, Kandahar.
Alfred had _not_ begun proclaiming he'd kick Russia's ass, had _not_ assumed that any encroachment in North America meant immediate US involvement (and leadership), had _not_ made assumptions that Matthew would follow his lead.
Matthew was flattered and happy that Alfred cared, but -- he felt a bit -- ...where was his cocky, self-confident Alfred? Where was America the Hero?
Where was his older brother to beat up the bully?
The world had spent so much time ragging on America's policeman-of-the-world behavior that the thought of America not immediately rushing to Canada's rescue and Russia's chastening had not crossed Matthew's mind. He'd been trying to formulate strategies to make America back off, a bit - and now he found his problem (was it a problem?) was from the opposite spectrum.
But he had his brother back. It was a humbled, quieter brother, reeling from economic crises and spread thin from his Middle Eastern wars, but he had him back. He'd grasped Alfred's forearm in brotherly camaraderie when it came time to leave, and then Alfred had smiled at him and Matthew pulled him into a hug.
He had his brother back. He _was_ America's brother, and they'd both been reminded of that.
They were threatening sanctions for Russia - but not too much, because then his people would suffer, and East Europe depended on Russia - and Canadians had died because Russia was trespassing on his land.
Sanctions? Sanctions? Fuck that.
***
AN: oh, recaptcha. GILBERT The? Are you hinting something?