My Boi Tokoyami Needs More Love

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I see Alfred as being more informed by his interactions with his states, sometimes cities, and also with Indigenous nations.

This is not to say that his interactions with European nations are unimportant especially his interactions with Arthur, Francis, or Ivan.

But when I look at US history, I understand the creation of the US as:

1. An agreement of states, who viewed themselves more of as nations, to form the United States. Before he can even begin to try and sway Francis to helping him in his revolution, he needs to convince his states to join him first, and not all of them were eager for Revolution. Especially given the fact, these British colonies operated differently from one another and were culturally distinct because they operated under salutary neglect (AKA Arthur wasn’t super present cause he was constantly getting involved in wars & was cash-strapped)

2. The US being a settler colonial state used war against Indigenous nations to expand its borders through violence.

I find this second point is lost on the fandom especially in narratives regarding American expansion, but also the American Revolution. It always irks me a bit to see the American Revolution as describes as Alfred’s first war, when it wouldn’t have been, especially if you are assuming he’s existed prior to the revolution. There were many different wars even prior to the revolution with Indigenous nations involved.

There were also many European wars with North American theaters — the French and Indian War which is the Seven Year’s War was the precursor to the revolution. Actually lol the amount of European wars with North American theaters did influence this push for isolationism (as in from Europe) following the revolution.

Anyways this confusing ramble is to say, I find the overemphasis on Alfred’s relationship to European nations like Arthur, or Francis, tends to gloss over the settler-colonial violence in North America due to European colonization. Also I find ignoring, or stating Alfred’s first war as being the revolution a bit…icky ? In the sense that it’s like people do not seem to view Indigenous nations as sovereign of the settler colonial state thus they’re not viewing the wars between indigenous nations and the settler colonial state as not being “true” wars as they view wars between the US & European nations.

I also find the fandom tends to just generalize the US as being broadly English in nature, and fails to further examine regional English identities that but also non-English identities that later come form various different cultural groups in different US states. And idk this also leads me into another conversation of why I’m not a fan of like putting a lot of different identities especially marginalized ones into Alfred’s character but that opens another can of worms that I do not wish to open right now LOL.

also this goes without saying, but im not saying you have to agree with me, nor am I saying if you never had this thought you’re like bad or whatever, I’m just stating my views lol

This their one and only vibe, good day

Love imagining nations at their meetings. Like oh look at their little assigned seats with their little cup of water and their little name plate with their little flag pin!

Aww they're showing off their little slideshows at their little podium! Oh no! England and France are having a little fight! Oh and America has a little plan to save the planet! And he broke the little podium with his fist!

Oh, and Germany has a little migraine! He's going to count to ten in his head because of what his little anger management coach taught him!

Oh and now they're on their little lunch break! They packed their little national dishes for lunch!

And the cycle repeats.

Reworking Alfred’s entire character

I’m obsessed with this stupid son of a bitch, let’s get into it

I think too many people make him too uwu nice and forgiving as if most Americans don’t hold life long grudges over a ball game. Or that we can’t be serious at the drop of a hat when it comes down to it. Like when we say fuck around and find out we mean it, which apparently that’s a very American thing. Yes the dumb bitch stereotype is real, but there’s such a “you’re joking right?” attitude among people when it comes to certain things that I think he could go from playful to serious in a second, to the point where it might trip some people up. Especially when it comes to moral issues.

Also I hate that him being super obsessed with his image and how he’s seen by others is interpreted as sad uwu emo boy instead of clean girl maniac Patrick Bateman type of egotistical freak.

He should also be more apathetic and serious about work instead of “omg let’s build a ladder to the moon!” You have not set foot in this capitalistic hellscape if you think that’s an accurate way to characterize him lmao.

On top of that, he’s a fake ass bitch and that should be expanded on. Like he is definitely the type of person that has a million different ways of presenting himself and his personality to the point where he’s not sure who he really is.

He should be a lot more ego driven too. Like “how is this going to reflect on ME” not “I’m doing this ONLY out of the goodness of my big heart uwu”. Not that he can’t or doesn’t care, but if it reflects well on him then he’s more likely to choose that option.

Anyway, this is just some of my thoughts, im sure I’ll add more in the future

(If you characterize him differently that’s fine this is just me rambling and being obsessed)

love reading about the Great Rapprochement. Arthur spends 1895 to 1915 metaphorically kneeling on the ground going pspspspsps in Alfred’s general direction mostly getting ignored but occasionally getting an increasingly half-hearted “go fuck yourself” in response. it’s fantastic. look at this.

German Ambassador Bernstoff, a shrewd observer, reported in 1911, “The British efforts [to cultivate America] are meeting with a certain return of platonic affection. The old rooted dislike to England is gradually vanishing… But it is not accompanied by any wish to offer anything in return.” In hard diplomatic coin, the Americans took but they did not give. British ministries from Salisbury to Asquith made important concessions of substance and form to the United States. These statesmen gained not alliance nor even true reciprocity, but the elimination of grounds of conflict, occasional and essentially “platonic” or negative support in world politics, and above all a transformation of American attitudes which would pay immense dividends after 1914. While other factors propelled America in the same direction, British policy from 1895 to 1914 was the indispensable element.

I love it. Arthur hasn’t been this nice to Alfred since 1754 and Alfred is completely weirded out and has absolutely no idea what to do with this. so he just keeps being belligerent and Arthur just keeps being nice until eventually Alfred is sitting at a table in Arthur’s garden wondering how the fuck he came to the point where he’s having literal tea parties with the old fucker. 

meanwhile Matthew, Jack, and Eliza are just as weirded out. maybe Matthew less so than Jack and Eliza but like. it’s still really fucking weird when Alfred says things that would get Jack sent to boot camp in the most remote part of the Canadian wilderness and Arthur just smiles. Duncan, Morgan, and Erin are much less surprised, since obviously they remember how much Arthur loved Alfred as a child. on the whole, Duncan thinks it’s funny, Morgan is relieved and pleased, and Erin is utterly disgusted lol. like c’mon, Al, don’t listen to him. he’s so full of shit you know he’s full of shit. 

alas, the end of WW1 proves Erin right and Alfred goes right back to belligerent and aloof (though perhaps not near as much as pre-1895).

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we’re all in agreement that Alfred is a voracious reader and especially loves like political theory/philosophy etc stuff, right? like he was shaped by the Enlightenment, this man probably spends his free time writing essays. he is involved in a million think tanks. he freelances as a lawyer and thinks court cases are genuinely fun. and by god he will not shut the fuck up ever.

turns out Alfred inherited Arthur’s love of language and literature and his supernatural work ethic/productivity. unfortunately he dedicated himself to being a fucking lawyer about it.

Quick what country should I draw

2p "devoted communist" ☭