and then it does

like what do you even do with that? they're just going to be eternally young and you'll grow old and die and you weren't prepared for this at all. everything was supposed to be normal. and now? it's about as far from normal as you can get.

all of this is to say that i had the thought re: Gilbert being head of the academy (not only do they not know what to do with him but also hes been around so long hes a good choice now that hes unemployed) could it be that Gilbert is the only ex-NP alive today who could have reasonably met Jamie? maybe there are others still around who were alive at that time but if Gilbert was in America for the revolution as he is sometimes depicted, he could have met him--maybe even after for diplomatic reasons or whatever. the entire purpose of this message is to say that Gilbert is the only person living who can recognize Jamie in Alfred in person and not just through portraits. imagine youre the headmaster of a school and OOP! visage of one of your first students (teaching warfare in the revolution rather than nation stuff legit in a school) is haunting the halls and he's got no idea.

and you can only get so much from a portrait. sure arthur and alfred can recognize through paintings that Alfred looks like Jamie, but Gilbert is the only person who knows that Alfred is a lot like Jamie in other ways, too. some aspects of his personality and things like that. his sense of humor. and Gilbert may or may not already believe in reincarnation depending on how the HRE situation works in this au. but i do just love the idea of Gilbert teaching Jamie how to do war and then 200 years later he gets to teach Alfred how to do Peace or whatever. probably a lot of boring stuff that neither of them like 💀

i love big huge aus like these because theres so much you can do. fruk edwardian era schoolboy enemies to friends to immortal lovers, check. modern alfred, check. Jamie and Oliver, check. Gilbert being haunted by the living manifestation of the kid he taught how to fight, check. *smacks car* this au can hold so much

-- @freegiftjones

Omg omg omg I agree with all of this honestly. Gilbert sees Jamie in Alfred and while he takes Alfred as a distinct being he can't help but look at him and see the boy he taught how to shoot a gun hundreds of years ago. Bet he like, writes a letter to Jamie in his diary after seeing Alfred for the first time. Like, I know this isn't you, but it might be you, I miss you, I hope you're doing well wherever you are, and ill make sure Alfred is doing alright regardless. Either he's you and I get to make sure you're taking care of yourself, or he's not and I'm still helping a kid out. That's like a win-win right? You've always liked helping people anyway. Wow, your father would be going crazy right now, honestly I think I'm going a bit crazy.

This is going to cause such drama and heartbreak when it comes to the Revolution. I'm currently mapping that out in my own notes and it's so much fun. Oliver the parent to support his children, but will make offhanded remarks that sometimes takes them back and makes them rethink who their father is.

Jamie is the loyal son who does his best to fit in his fathers vision, till he has to make a choice. Personally, I think it would be very interesting to make Jamie a British officer, even during the war, up until a breaking a point; he must choose between crown and and people, nation and colony.

----𓅂----

"You can't do this. I will not allow you to do this!"

"You have little say regarding what I can and cannot do at this point, father. I have given you my all. My loyalty, my love, my life- and still you do not treat me as I rightfully deserve to be. An equal, both in parliament and court. I have done everything you have ever asked! And for what? To be a treasured token, stuffed away in your pocket?"

"You are my son-"

"No. No, I was your son. Until you had your men kill my own. He was just a boy, and you had him killed!"

You get me you get it you get it omg!!! its the perfect recipe for drama because he's loyal to his family as long as it doesn't betray his crown and he's loyal to his crown as long as it doesn't betray his nation, and on paper this sounds so good, until you know. The Revolution.

He knew the storm was coming.

The sky was darkening off in the distance. Large clouds that towered above the tree line; a wall that threatened to blot out the sun as it approached. Distantly, thunder could be heard. The metallic smell of oncoming rain present within his mouth.

At least he preferred to think it was because of the rain, and not the blood.

It soaked the earth beneath his feet. Turning the green blades of grass a terrible red. A clear trail that Arthur always followed. Through the wooded area and to a secluded clearing. Away from the battle that could be heard far off. The blast of cannons. The crack of a musket. Or perhaps it was the thunder. Arthur could never tell. He didn't care to. It didn't matter how many times he had this dream. For Arthur, there was only one outcome.

A slow walk as he left din of war. The stench of smoke and gunpowder heavy in the air. Thick enough that it burned the inside of his nose, searing the back of his throat. It made his lungs yearn for clean air. The sounds were oddly quiet. Arthur could still pick up what was happening behind him, but it was muffled. A scream filtered through every half pace till they stopped altogether. It's what replaced them that never failed to set the hair on the back of his neck on edge.

Singing.

Soft at first. Easily mistaken for a breeze of wind, yet as Arthur continued on it grew more distinct.

He knew the words. The lullaby had been sung to him many times when he was still a young child. No doubt it had been sung to him as an infant too. Even a century passed had yet been able to weather them from his mind.

The lyrics themselves were not unsettling, but rather the voice. A voice Arthur had no heard except for only in memory. Even as he rounded the last trunk of the tree that blocked the view of the clearing, Arthur still could not stop himself from inhaling sharply. His limbs felt numb. Cold and heavy despite the thick humidity from a summers evening that the memory held. His stomach churned. He didn't want to see this. Not this memory. Never this one.

Arthur drew closer. The singing grew clearer.

Medieval drawings are goofy please spare me

Have a very rough concept of a signet ring that Oliver would have given Jamie to be used as his personal nation crest. I like to think that while they are nations, they also have their own emblems and symbols to distinguish their letters from government business.

Oliver had it made when he was called back to England after the British defeat in the American Revolution. They met again in France for the signing of the treaty, and while Oliver was devastated that Jamie was tearing his family apart, he would always be Oliver's favorite. His first immortal child. The one he believed would finally never leave him.

A gold ring with a lapis jewel, carved with the signet of a diving hawk- Jamie's hawk. That's how Oliver always associated him. Flying free in the blue sky, but clever and brilliant. Always diving into things before thinking them through.

And what if. What if when he held Jamie as he died, Oliver took that ring because there was no one left to give it to. He could not bear the thought of someone else wearing it. Stashed it away to be hidden in one of his homes. Out of sight, but not forgotten.

— @freegiftjones (sending asks is fun I’m new to this)

Okay it took me a while to get together my thoughts for this one lol. Some ideas I had! I think Madeline might be the first Canadian np, like. Canada doesn't suffer from the American np curse, and I just genuinely find the idea of her being the oldest for a little bit compelling. She's seen so many things.

She definitely participated in both world wars! I'll have to do more research about it to say something 100% definitive about it, but I definitely see her being a nurse for them! She was around when her two parental figures died (Oliver and... Francis the 1st, anyone? 2pNyo France? We have options) and then likely wound up becoming something like an aunt to the two new ones who took their place. I think she saw what happened with Arthur and Francis and decided that the only way to have a smooth transition into the next np is to have it be an intentional one, rather than one that just Happens when she dies of some unrelated cause. Like, she's old and genuinely feels fulfilled in life, she saw the mistakes of her predecessors, she knows that there will never be a perfect time to do this kind of thing but there's such thing as a good enough time. So she partners with her government and does it.

She was originally raised by the kingdom of France before the seven years war thing happened and she was kind of transferred to Oliver. How do you think the first nps age as children? I think that they age slowly, and then once they hit some kind of adulthood they age even slower? So she's taken by Oliver when she's physically 12ish. And then he goes on to be a legitimately good father to her, or at least try to be, it's complicated by the fact that they're both immortal so her opinion on him is one that has been curated over multiple lifetimes. I think she was bitter towards him at first but eventually that mellowed out. She definitely had a mini funeral for her maman after she heard the news that the np of the kingdom of France died in the French revolution. I don't see Oliver stopping her from doing that.

I don't think Matthew is Madeline's son. Maybe he's like, a grandnephew or a great great (times like a million) grandnephew. I think the choice for Matthew to be the next np wasnt made 100% based on who he was related to, and I also think that Madeline never personally wanted to birth any children. And so she didn't. Matthew was born in like... 45ish, when he was 16 he was chosen to be the next Canadian np and spent the rest of his highschool and college years basically shadowing her. Learning political junk and being taught directly by one of the oldest people alive.

— @freegiftjones

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