Sweden honestly didn't expect the American to come. His feelings about the boy had been mixed ever since he came to be a potential power in the world. He'd done very little with him and America had left him alone as well. As far as a personal opinion it just looked like America was in everything for himself. What happened with the other nation that he couldn't seem to recall in his mind was proof. It would have been proof anyway, if he could have remembered the nations name.
The reality was, he didn't trust America. He'd been given no reason to trust him, but at the moment Sweden was out of options. With Germany just recently at his door there wasn't anything else he could do but reach out to all of his options. If America didn't come to see him it would just serve to show that he was out for himself. Sweden couldn't blame him, he was doing the same thing.
He didn't know how he would take what he wanted to offer him, but he could only imagine it would be taken better than everyone around him. Sweden seemed to recall several speeches and sayings about the young nation. "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tosses to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door." Anyone with a motto like that would surely take in a crowd of this size and genetic make-up.
Berwald was waiting outside of his store, sitting on the curb. Before he was going to invite the American into his home he was going to make sure that they were on the same page. After that, he could consider letting him see the situation he was in. It seemed like he was telling everyone but Germany at this point, which was disturbing him more and more. In the best case, if it actually did get to Germany, it would be too late to catch him with them and there would be no proof. As he waited the sound of a car door closing rose his distant gaze. He spotted Alfred and stood up to greet him. "Halla, America, glad that you could make it here to speak with me." The Nordic nation spoke stiffly and dryly.
Alfred wasn't sure what to make of Sweden's invitation, but he was going to make the best of it. It had been a while since anyone in Europe had invited him to much of anything other than that end of war celebration, and Alfred missed interacting with others who were not part of the American Empire. He still wondered whether Matthew would even be there if it weren't for the fact that Alfred had seized control over his lands. Given that he was part of the British Empire before, Alfred had his doubts. He wanted to think that Matthew wouldn't abandon him, but he couldn't trust that he wouldn't..not yet at least. And that meant that someone neutral extending an invitation toward him was a rather huge deal.
He approached the Nordic nation seated on the curb, a smile coming across his face. "Course I came, wouldn't miss a chance to chat. Nice place that you got here." He gestured in the direction of the store. Small talk, but it was the truth. Of course he came, what else did he have to do? He hadn't wanted to get involved in Europe's wars at first, and it seemed like a good idea at first..until the mess that happened with England. Until the loneliness that ensued afterward. Until the Axis won. He didn't think that something like that would actually happen. Nor did he think that Arthur would join the Axis. He still wondered what the hell was up with that, but relations between he and Arthur were still too fraught with complications to come out and ask.
Alfred couldn't help but wonder what Berwald wanted to speak to him about. It seemed a bit odd that Berwald would reach out to Alfred when there were plenty of other countries that he could reach out to closer. "Why'd you invite me? Wouldn't think I'd be your first choice to have over." They hardly knew each other, which led Alfred to believe that there was something more than fraternizing going on here. Not that he minded, he was just curious as to what that something was.
Especially when considering how close Sweden and Finland were at the conference/'party' at the end of the war. If Berwald was simply looking to talk with someone he could easily do so with Finland. Why was Sweden reaching out to him? He figured that he'd find out soon enough given the course of the conversation, but Alfred was never known for his patience and hoped he would find out sooner rather than later
Last Edit: Jan 22, 2017 17:36:15 GMT -7 by America
Berwald stared at the American, looking him over. His eyes moved but his expression remained blank. It would be difficult to tell exactly what the Nordic nation was feeling or thinking. His stone demeanor gave him the best poker face in the world. Still, we was observing him, so something was going on in his head. He was sizing the American up. Sweden hadn't had many relations with him at all. Actually, he couldn't remember talking to him more than briefly and he could count the number of times on one hand. In a personal sense, he didn't know anything about the man that sat beside him except for what he'd heard.
He heard of this place where the poor, hungry, tired and oppressed were welcomed. A place where immigrants thrived and refugees flourished in prosperity. He'd heard of white picket fences and happy families with children and dreams for a brighter future. Where a family would sit at the table and eat together, talking about their day and their children talking about what they desired to be when they got older. Anything was possible in America it was said, the land of opportunity, dreams and hope. So this is what the land of the free was like. Interesting... Berwald didn't think much of it at first, but right now it sounded like a golden opportunity for him.
"Ja, thank you. I opened it a few years ago to distribute quality furniture pieces that I want to eventually mass produce and expand." He talked up his store. Only to the trained eye a glint of pride could be seen in his iris. Eventually he wanted his store to be so big that he could sell his work to the entire world. Everyone should be sitting in quality IKEA furniture. But that would have to wait, there were more important things to take care of or soon he wouldn't even own his store.
"You are right." He confirmed for Alfred that this was more than just a friendly visit between two people that barely knew each other. It also wasn't something to get to know each other…and he certainly wasn't his first choice but Sweden didn't have the time to be picky and he didn't have the time to waste time. "I do not know how else to do this with you." He mentioned flatly but inside Sweden was rather frustrated. The fact that they didn't know anything about each other made this that much more difficult. He had nothing over America and no obligation to him. There was no trust between them but also no animosity….It was a risk he'd have to take. He turned toward his store and opened the door for America, waiting for him to get up and come in. "I have a problem, and I need your help." He explained as he ushered America through the door and back toward the end of the warehouse.
The walls were lined with beautiful handcrafted furniture. He was proud of each piece that he'd made and planned to go much further with it all in the future. Before he could let his thought wander too much he brought him to the double doors in the back. Before he'd left to sit outside he'd put up a quiet notice. It was very quiet right now, which they'd always been good at doing since they came here. It didn't much matter now, as he planned to just get it over with. Taking a deep breath he opened the door and revealed what looked like an absolute sea of people. Young and old, women and men, children and even some of their pets! They were all silently going about their business, mostly sitting with their children and trying to keep them quiet. All, 12,000 of them packed into a very small space for this many people.
Instead of looking at them he kept his stare on the American to study his reactions. "America" He paused and closed the door again.
Alfred could not help but smile as Berwald talked up his store. It made Alfred want to ask if Berwald was interested in expanding his business and opening a few outlets on his land. That was getting far ahead of himself though, and he knew that Berwald didn't want to talk to him about his store. Problem was, he still didn't know exactly what Berwald wanted to talk to him about. It was clearly important enough that Berwald wanted to meet face to face, but he still couldn't figure out what exactly that was.
It was at that point that Berwald got straight to the point and admitted that..he had a problem that he needed help with. "Hey you sought out the right guy. Just tell me what the problem is and I'll see what i can do!" Alfred beamed. He still didn't know what it was that Berwald needed help with but he was willing to give it his best shot. Despite being more observant than many gave him credit for, the fact remained that Alfred was still quite impulsive. He was still agreeing to something he knew little of the details on. The thought did occur to him shortly after he agreed but he brushed it aside. If this turned out to be something absurd like declaring war on Germany the next day he could always worm his way out of it.
..it was at that point that Sweden led him into a room absolutely crowded with people and Alfred's mouth fell open in sheer surprise. How did they all fit in here? He peered around. Why did Berwald take him here? Berwald's next revelation hit him like a ton of bricks as he started to make sense of the situation as a whole. "These..they're in hiding and you want me to take them don't you? Why are you.." It wasn't that he had any qualms about taking these folks, but..why, exactly, were these people in hiding in the first place? Why was Sweden considering joining the Reich when the war was over? Was Germany still trying to expand?
It didn't sit well with Alfred and he wanted a few answers. He wasn't sure if Berwald was willing to share any that he might have, but it was worth a shot at the very least. Alfred peered around the room again (boy it sure was a lot bigger in Berwald's store than it looked like from the outside if he was able to hide this many people). There were so many of them..yes, he certainly could use a few answers concerning this
He watched the American’s expressions carefully as he asked him questions and stared at the people he housed. Sweden didn’t know how to answer the last one in the way that the American might have been expecting. He took a deep breath and just tried to explain as plainly as possible. “They are going to die.” Berwald answered him flatly, with little else to say about it. That was their current situation and there was little he could do about it. Up until this point he had done all he could and sacrificed his own peoples supplies and food to help them survive here. It was something that he was glad to do for them, but it had to stop now.
“I am joining the Reich” He repeated again, not sure how to make it clearer to the American. Did it matter why he was joining the Reich? Wasn’t it obvious? The Reich was in power, he was surrounded by his cousin and everything else is otherwise cut off. He had two options, turn himself into his cousin, break his trust and end up occupied and on his watchlist, or join the Reich and take a seat of power. It was an easy choice for him…His family came first and Germany was a part of that family. But looking beyond all of that he still didn’t want it to happen this way. He’d have rather it been happening any other way than what was happening.
“Does there need to be another reason? I’ve heard your policy on immigration…You can take these people.” Berwald pressured him, his eyes an empty tundra of ice. America couldn’t walk away from him today without some sort of agreement. Without him, he was completely out of options and he wasn’t going to let that happen. “If it is not…Or your policy has changed…I will have to take care of them myself.” He clarified to him in all seriousness, not that he had any other way of expressing himself.
Remorse or compassion for what was happening was absent from his features and his voice. Dealing with and expressing his emotions was nearly impossible for him but it made it easier to get to the point of the matter.
Oh, there was an ultimatum involved with this meeting. Alfred really should have known, but he hadn't known what to expect. Alfred's gaze scanned the room, at the sheer number of men, women, and children in the room. Every single one of them were..in hiding? Because they would die otherwise. At least, that was the (correct) conclusion that he reached with the information that he'd gathered from Berwald and his own observances. For once, Alfred was at a loss for words. Then Berwald helpfully repeated that he would be joining the Reich..and it struck him that the reason why Berwald kept explaining this was that the men, women, and children in hiding and the Reich were connected..and his eyes narrowed immediately.
"So this all has to do with Germany, does it? He's the reason these people are in danger. The reason you feel like you have to join the Reich even though the war is over." Alfred was a human nation, which meant that he was in a position to look at matters in two very different ways. As a human, he felt the need to do something to save these people from danger - and the suggestion that the Reich (and therefore Germany) were responsible for that danger made him want to spring into action to protect them. On the other hand..he was a nation. And as a nation, something smelled very sour. Germany was getting nations to join the Reich after the war was over, to feel as though they had to join the Reich. What did that mean in the long run?
It wasn't as though he wasn't making small gains with his own Empire, taking over various islands in the Caribbean - not to mention the much larger gain that came from his brother's land, but his brother's land was obtained as a result of the war. If Germany was still looking to expand, Germany was still a threat. "..I'll have a talk with my government. We should be able to arrange something. If not then I'll arrange something." And Alfred's tone at the latter sentence implied that he wouldn't take no for an answer. If his government said no and wouldn't budge? Alfred would find somewhere to put them. Somewhere that would ensure that they were far away from the Reich.
His eyes scanned the room once more before he glanced back toward Sweden, waiting for the other nation's response to his words. Hopefully he'd provided the answer that Berwald was looking for
Last Edit: Apr 29, 2017 10:00:32 GMT -7 by America
The barren sheet of ice in his stare stretched for miles beyond his own gaze. America’s sudden passion for the subject, his involvement and his cousins seemed to just get lost among the vast wasteland. To everyone on the outside it must have seemed like he didn’t care, but it couldn’t be further from the truth. It was what others said about his cousin that made the barren ice go colder in his eyes.
Germany was a difficult subject for him in every sense of the word. He was his family, his cousin, although he believed him to be distant compared to the rest of them. Of late, Germany had seemed to hold their blood relation in much higher regard than before. His head tilted slightly as America made assumptions about his need to join his cousin. He made it seem far more simple than it was. He didn’t feel like he was being bullied into joining, although someone else might see it that way. He was surrounded by German occupation and the future in that didn’t look bright, but Germany hadn’t been threatening him. If anything, his cousin had been encouraging him to join because he wanted him to have a position of power with him in the world, or at least that’s what it seemed to be.
“It doesn’t matter why I am joining. It matters that I am.” He clarified to him that it wasn’t because of any ill will toward Germany. He didn’t enjoy the position that he was in and he wasn’t going to exempt Germany of fault, but he wasn’t going to publicly damn him for it either. Still, upon hearing that he was going to do something, hope was restored. Something, was certainly better than nothing in just about every circumstance this could go. The alternative of Alfred not helping him was something he didn’t want to think about. “Good… I would trust you to handle this quickly and quietly.” He extended his hand and extended his trust to him. It wasn’t like he had a choice at this point.
Of course, if he did take them that would be the end of his involvement. If Alfred planned to tell anyone afterward he would deny all allegations. “ I’m sure you understand that this is a time sensitive matter. I am joining the Reich now. In addition, I will not have any further contact. I have offered this to you as an opportunity for both of us.” Berwald reassured him in the best way he could. He wanted to remain honest about it with him regardless.
