The Old Dominion State

Precisely as Daniel wanted it to be - he was a force to be reckoned with and no one dared challenge him for the most part. He was left to his own devices in most cases and could proceed in his daily life with minimal interference from others. It was part of why he hid himself away in New York, why he had once had places like Calbrondt he could run away to and keep himself from being found. 

“I ran off to oversee the marriage of our Grace Kelly to Prince Ranier of Monaco. I just so happened to hit it off with Monaco herself.” It wasn’t a lie at all - that first night, they did get along splendidly. It was months into the matrimony that they began to collide… on too many facets. 

“It’s hardly a vacation, and this is no time for a lecture. I came home to relax and not think about work for a few days.” A bit of fire burned in his eyes, a silent warning that staying calm would be a better course of action for the Virginian. 

John-Robert’s light grey eyes had darkened. For a moment he stood across from Daniel, a silent battle of wills of sorts was going between the two of them. The last time that they met, the Virginian knew he would have flown off the handle, he would have started a fight and would rather have brought the building down around them than submit to his brother. This time, JR shoved the glass back into Daniel’s hands - roughly of course, “Congratulations.” He groused A few newspaper articles about the first wedding were all that he’d seen, and hadn’t really even thought that Daniel might one day find someone for himself. “Hard to imagine you loving anyone as much as you love money.” He sniped from the kitchen where a pot of coffee was now being made. “Course, you got this thing for Europe, so who knows. Why’s she not here now then, hm? Tired of each other already?” 

The more time he spent with John-Robert, the more and more it became clear that the two had become incredibly estranged over the past two centuries. A civil war tended to put quite a rift between brothers, but Dan had grown yet further away.

“Monaco. I’ve been in Monte Carlo for two years.” He toned flatly, casually moving to grab the bottle shortly after it was set back down. That stuff was expensive and if J.R. wished to drink, he had better options for getting alcohol into the system without spending several grand to do so. Without explaining himself, he turned to put the bottle away and find something stronger with less of a price tag.

“Bold of you to assume I’m never with anyone, considering.” No attempt was made to hide the band of gold on his left hand as he poured a pair of glasses from the second bottle and offered one to his brother. 

In the Virginian’s mind, Daniel was a figure untouchable, to be feared, and to hide from. It was the fear of his brother murdering him that kept the state of Virginia under control, a bitter hatred of the crimes committed during the Civil War that drove him to want to kill the elder. But like he’d promised, John-Robert had since supported Daniel on the international stage, until he’d then run away. The younger rep had felt hollowed out and misused to the point of no longer able to carry out his duties, so he had carved himself out further to be human, and to hide. 

When the golden ring was flashed his way the younger brother’s eyes widened. He sat forward in the chair and reached to hold Daniel’s wrist. “When’d this happen?” He looked up, “You ran off to Monaco to marry?” Disbelief, and disaproval, colored his tone. “That’s what you’ve been doing? All this time?” 

Space was what the Virginian needed now, he was sure. He’d just hurt the man, after all. Give him room to breathe and exist, and for Daniel, a chance to process this new information. Bradley had apparently taken the liberty of not telling the whole truth and trying to meddle with the flow of events. Again. The boy did try to keep peace in their ragtag family, but it hardly ever went as the Tennesseean planned.

Best to avoid the topic of Jeanne - Daniel did not hesitate to allow the change of topic, though it was not quite as welcome as he had hoped. “Hardly a celebration. I needed some time… away.” From work. From Europe. From the Russian eminence and overbearing wife. Monte Carlo was too loud and fast and bright for him to find some quiet there, and hardly a corner of it felt safe enough to unwind properly. For the moment, his hands shifted, enough to make sure the ring-bearing hand wasn’t quite visible.

“I’ve only been back on American soil for one day.” Despite having left Korean nearly two years prior. “Call it celebrating being home again.”

Every time that John-Robert put distance between himself and his brothers, he wanted one of them to close it again. Bradley was the only one to ever do so, but it was with Daniel that he needed the most healing. It was unfortunate that the Virginian no longer understood how to tend and grow healthy relationships, but while human, he was learning. A quick look was cast the elder brother’s way. 

“Away?” He snorted a laugh. “You’re never with anyone. What are you getting away from?” JR’s drawl was more relaxed than he had been around Daniel since early on in their relationship. He picked up the bottle and helped himself to a long drink, tipped his head back and drained a good portion while standing across from Daniel. “Wine,” The Virginian declared, “Champagne, those are good for celebrations. Whiskey? That’s for getting drunk.” The bottle was tipped in a quick salute. “You can’t argue with me on that Old Man, I know a lot about getting drunk.” 

Generally, visitors to Daniel’s home were well announced and tended to very rarely take him by surprise. For someone to manage to come by on one of his trips stateside - a much needed escape from the pressures residing in Monte Carlo had been placing on him, but to have his quiet evening interrupted by the elevator’s machinery was more than a light start.

Whether it was lucky or not that Daniel was already into his third glass of whiskey was yet to be seen. At the very least, it meant his reaction time was dulled and senses a bit awry. Getting to his feet was easy enough, only a minor bit of sway to his walk as he approached the door, knife in hand ready to defend himself. Who else but a Red would be intruding his very, very private home?

But that was an attack for another day, for as soon as eye contact with his visitor was made paranoid fear dropped into something that was a mix of anger and relief. 

“Alive-”

The southerner was immediately drug into an embrace, the knife dropped to the floor and John-Robert crushed into an alcohol-scented hug. As far as Daniel had known, courtesy of Mr. Walker-Rhodes, was that J.R. had passed away due to an unknown mix of American imperialisation and post-war stressors that deemed a Military Representative no longer completely necessary. 

Riding the creaky, screaming elevator up fifty floors was horrible. How his elder brother managed to suffer that thing was beyond the Virginian. He stood in the corner with hands over his ears, listening to his own heartbeat and the blood rushing around. It was a good feeling, being human, not having his sensors overloading to be in such proximity to Daniel, no extreme desire to murder his brother or fear that he may explode on his siblings at any moment. Most interesting to John-Robert, was the quietness in his mind, an emotional aquitity he hadn’t had before.

Still, he knew that at the top of the elevator was a very real risk of being shot or otherwise killed. He and Daniel certainly were not on good terms, hadn’t been for a long time. The elder was even one of the reasons that he’d run away in the first place. When the doors finally ground open, the knife was the first thing that JR saw. Immediately his senses went into overload and he was prepared to have to fight the other man, now far stronger and faster than a mere human could ever hope to keep up with - and instead of any of that, he was drug forward into a bone-crushing hug.

Aside from the many wars that he had taken part in, John-Robert hadn’t left his precious south for decades. Of course, within the last two or three years, he hand’t returned to Virginia either. Somehow, the former Rep knew that if he set foot back in his native state, his quiet human existence would be over. So, when restlessness and an urge to travel overtook him, the Virginian found himself racing one of his modified cars up to New York.

Passing close to the border between North and South and on a Westward leading highway was a painful order to turn around, to travel home instead. Ignoring it was difficult and JR had to grit his teeth until he was far enough into Daniel’s territory to ignore such things. He was determined to remain human, and eventually after a good long life (or a wildly short one) to die human. 

Joyce had been in town to assist a friend of hers opening an art gallery. The only kicker is that she didn’t know where she was going in Virginia and got lost. Joyce normally prided herself on finding places she needed to get to, but apparently the state of Virginia wasn’t going to make it easy for her. It was times like this that she wished she was back in her own shop and could organize an artist’s gallery from there.

The sudden noise from outside her car spooked her. She could hear the flapping of rubber on asphalt of a blown tire. With a heavy annoyed sigh, she looked over and thankfully saw a garage up ahead. She wasn’t thrilled at the situation but she knew it wasn’t anyone’s fault. Pulling up, the sight of the dog was a minor relief. From experience, those who owned dogs were decent people.

Stepping out she nodded at who she assumed was the owner. “Why hello there.” Joyce smiled and greeted the dog. “Right, hi.” She let out a laugh. “Yeah, I hit something and go figure this happens to me as I try to find my way around town. I’m glad I found your shop though. As for your dog, he’s fine. It’s only right for him to be curious. May I pet him since he seems to not want to move?”

@olddominionstate​

The Virginian placed his hands on the hood and looked down at the tire. With the way that it had deflated he couldn’t quite tell the damage. “Sorry about your trouble.” He stepped back and placed his hands on his belt to examine it and shook his head, “Travelling on your own’s tough,” Really he wasn’t in a mood to deal with people at all, would honestly have been happier to stay under the broken down tractor than chat up a lady and her tire. 

Served him right for owning an auto shop.

George, however, had other ideas. Before John-Robert could give permission the big lug was already leaning on the woman. His tail was waving in a blur like he hadn’t just been sprawled out on the gravel drive. The idiot was even making eye contact and nosing at her hands. It had the man rolling his eyes. “Yeah, go on. He’s friendly.” Silently he was cursing the dog for making him be social, George knew full well what he was doing.

John-Robert was under the chassis of an old beat up machine when tires crunched on gravel and alerted the rep that he had a visitor. His first thought was that it might have been Bradley. The Tennessean came and went as he pleased, sometimes all the way around the world, and never seemed to remember to tell his brother when he was leaving. George though, knew better and the big old hound trotted out to the dark Jeep with his tail wagging. As for the shop owner he picked himself up off the ground to go investigate.

The Virginian wasn’t particularly tall, but he was rather solidly build. To those unaware of his status he appeared to be a young adult barely able to drink. Currently he was covered almost head to foot in grease and dirt, and was wiping his hands on a clean rag. Generally rather short tempered, he never the less met travelers with a small smile. 

War changed people, it changed governments, weapons, boarders, families and so many other things. Opportunity still came from war and he had seen it on his own streets after bombings. Thieves would pretend to help people only to rob them of all of their belongings, sell them useless protections against falling bombs and as the country had fallen and he had been imprisoned it had apparently gotten much worse. It was with his escape and the aftermath of it that he had learned that everyone was out for themselves and if he was to have any impact in fixing things, he couldn’t rely on people’s word alone.

At the drop of his arms, the King seemed to jump a little in his seat, perhaps he had been watching his arms too intently but sudden moves he was certainly struggling with. “I -trusted a -greater many -people in my life, with my -family and -country and I have -been betrayed -time and -time again. Mercenaries at least –can be -bought. Volunteers –can be swayed –too easily. Words these -days mean -very little.” While it was not meant to be delivered too viciously, his startle and racing heart had caused his tone to turn a little sharper than he had intended, he did not seem to offer up an apology for it while he kept his eyes on the other, not at all able to muster up a sense of trust to resist doing so.

His shifting weight bringing him no comfort at all, Albert’s hands moved to rest on the desk, not with any pressure behind them though as he readied himself to go for the gun if he felt he needed to. “As -for why I invited you -specifically, I thought you would -understand the -cause more than anyone else and the -proposition I have.” He admitted truthfully, that and encouraging JR to make such approaches on his own was in Albert’s current interests, all of which most had found him to be keeping very close to his chest.

“If –congress is unable –to come -to some sort of -arrangement, -perhaps we -can -go above them with an executive agreement.” His disappointment in his apparent friendship with the President something of a sore and bitter topic, he was about to put out one last offer of alliance with him. “Within my Empire, as you are aware, -lies Newfoundland, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Saint Lucia, Antigua, -Trinidad.” Listed off without room to interrupt, Albert found his stride again, “Along with -Cook Island, Samoa and then -on -towards -Australia. –Vital -positions -to holding off –potential attack -from both oceans, which we -may be –able -to arrange a –sharing of -possessions.” A serious offer if ever he had presented one, “There are -of –course -conditions which I would like you –to deliver -directly to your -President.” He raised his eyebrow, “It -must be you as I -feel this will be in your interests.”

John Robert had a sort of detached interest coupled with satisfaction watching the way he could get such a response from the Monarch. Of course, he couldn’t ever consider the man a friend just by virtue of their roles in life, but he’d always at least admired him. The Virginian’s roll, however, always had him tuned to combat, death, and the ways in which he could get and keep an advantage - the War Rep part of him was what enjoyed making the King startle and jump, the human part of him... not so much. JR softened a little at least at the words that had accompanied the jerk. “I do know a bit about that from personal experience.” He allowed, thinking of the betrayals that had accompanied the war with his elder brother.

It took a small effort to force himself to move backward and give the man across from him room. The Monarch was correct, the bait that had been dangled in front of the Virginian had been snagged, he sympathized very much with the predicament that the allied nation was in, and again the part of him that was not so heavily influenced by the prospect of war was also touched by the loss of people he had known, and the pain a man who might be a friend was experiencing. “I still say you’re being foolish refusing the assistance of men. I can talk to the Executive, I can speak to Daniel, and also contact Makenzie - he’s the Canadian rep in case you haven’t met him. But how do you plan on retaking your nation without manpower?” 

“You’re never in the mood for much.” Jack tilted on his axis in sarcastic humor, righting himself then and following. Hell if he was going to be the one to deal with that mess. He’d ask about it, but he didn’t really care enough to bother. None of his business.

“Want me to look concerned? I can do that.” He clipped, a hand coming up over his heart and the grating fake Southern accent making a reappearance. “Why, John-Robert! You look a fright!”

John-Robert’s mouth turned down into a scowl. He still held the knife and deftly sent it spinning to stick point down near the man’s feet. He did it without breaking stride, nor was he worried about what Harkness might do with the weapon now. It was cheap steel anyway and worthless to him other than as incrimination in his recent murder. 

“I appreciate your -honesty.” He gave respectfully. Knowing which way Congress was most likely to sway was something of an advantage. Britain was not exactly alone in its war. The Commonwealth and Empire made for a quarter of the world’s population and each of them could be called to war if Albert so decided. However, it was no good not seeking out other allies and help from the USA and its artillery would surely help. “-Japan and Germany are one –force. Their –goal is the same. It -will become us against them and I –pray your –Congress chooses the –right side.”

At such a crisis as Albert believed the world was in, he didn’t think asking for permission or forgiveness would come into the minds of many. Everyone had their loyalties, their reasons for choosing a side, he could and would still hold resentment for those that chose the wrong side but he wouldn’t deny he disliked those that tried to chose neither side too, if they were not stood with his armies, then surely they would stand in his way.

The shift in stance was met with a narrowing of his eyes, assessment for what it might mean, the step back meant that he at least did not think to go for the gun. He watched him that little bit closer when his hands disappeared behind his back, a respectful stance for sure but one that put him a little more on edge, his own sitting position squaring in response as he took a steadying breath. He knew JR had nothing in his hands, he had seen him as such… but that did not put him at ease. “You have already -suffered losses, your aid -convoys were attacked, innocent -sailors and -tradesmen.” He countered but his eyes kept checking on JR’s elbows for any shift in them that he would have to react to, allowing the other to sit would ease his anxiety, but it was also a ‘no-no’ with regards to meeting a monarch.

“I do not -trust -volunteers.” It came as a statement, non-negotiable apparently as he bounced onto the next sentence. “It is -harder -to do when there are those who -turned against their own in favour of the invaders, if the -people want -to help us -so much, they would.” It was not so much an accusation but he had seen his own people turn against each other for the sake of a better position with the Nazis, he wasn’t even sure if the American’s would join their side. “No, I do not need -funds nor munitions.” He agreed, “I need -permissions, to fly over you and to -dock. You may not -be a -part of this war, your -neutral stance, though highly unfavourable has meant that you do not risk being -bombed.” Yet! “Free -movement between your -boarder and -Canada’s. Small -gestures -to help the -greater -cause.” Being able to ship people, soldiers and arms from both coasts with the hope of protecting Australia and New Zealand too… it was invaluable. “Does that -sound so unreasonable?”

John-Robert carefully watched the way the King stiffened, tensed, and had to force a breath. Yes he was fully aware of the attacks, and it was a large part of the reason he agreed to the summons. While the politicians paraded about saying they were ‘neutral’ and ‘out of the war’ - most of the people knew better and JR was responsive to that. He really had no choice in the matter, his senses and abilities were all keyed to war. So far as he was concerned, the rep was operating as though his own people - Virginia and most of the South - were already at war. He just needed Congress to catch up. 

Most likely, he supposed, the King knew that, he seemed to have a good understanding of the reps. “I wouldn’t call the sailors innocent.” Pendleton intoned without a bite, “You and I know that aiding one side puts you at odds with the other. Such is the nature of war. They respond in kind. Doesn’t mean I like it though.” No, as long as the dead men were from his own region, their deaths were keenly and personally felt.

As the offer of assistance was thrown back in his face, that was less easily waved aside. The Virginian shifted again. He dropped his hands suddenly to his sides then crossed his arms with a scowl. His weight shifted side to side. The words were too close to saying that the Monarch didn’t trust him personally and was again dismissing the nation as a whole. Refuse funds all you want, but wars aren’t won without manpower. Just as there were people in America with ties to Germany, there were just as many with ties to their northern neighbors and cousins across the pond. “Why refuse what help I can offer? You trust me enough to call me here but not accept us back into your army as you did the previous war? Volunteers are more trustworthy than mercenaries.”