#hws assistantverse

[exastriis]

@exastriis is a musings/ask blog for my oc x canon ship– amesuzie, featuring my interpretation of hetalia world stars' america/alfred f. jones (he/him), and my oc, susannah knightley (she/they), from my original semi-open alternate universe, assistantverse. sideblog, run by sol [ @sunnysssol ], so all other interactions will come from there.

officially up! <33

[sunnysssol]

(alfred voice) every day i thank god for miniskirts

[ ᴄᴏᴍᴍs ᴏᴘᴇɴ | ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ʀᴇᴘᴏsᴛ ] (she/they prns for suzie!)

[sunnysssol]

AmeSuzie in that one goofy aahh pose 🫡

[ ᴄᴏᴍᴍs ᴏᴘᴇɴ | ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ʀᴇᴘᴏsᴛ ] hws/aph america x oc (she/they pronouns for suzie!)

[sunnysssol]

[New York, 1746 – First meeting ]

In 1744, King George's War was fought between the British, the British-American forces in the colonies and the Iroquois Confederacy against the French and the Wabanaki Confederacy of New France. Part of the Austrian War of Succession, it was fought mainly in New York and the Massachusetts bay. The battle meant tremendous losses for the colonies, with an estimated loss of 8% of the male population in Massachusetts. The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle ended the war in 1748, returning colonial borders back to how they were before the war. Three years later however, the town of Louisbourg was returned to France in exchange for the city of Madras (renamed to Chennai in 1996) in India. This city was captured by the French in September 1746 from the British, thus the "exchange". This angered New Englanders, who provided funding and personnel. The British paid Massachusetts £180,000 (roughly £32,281,486.29 in 2022), which the province then used to retire their currency.

[ Disclaimer : I am not, nor do I claim to be any expert on anything. I am constantly learning, so this post and others like it are subject to retcons and the like. Appropriate warnings will be given as I go. Also, please note that this, whilst based on history, is still a work of fiction. I do not condone nor support generally morally reprehensible things directly mentioned or alluded to on these. ]

1746 was more or less the midpoint of this war (with France launching a major expedition to recapture Louisbourg, the previous figures for Massachusetts losses being from 1745-46, etc.) and so the idea was for Susannah to act as the crown's (and by extension, Arthur's) eyes and ears to the colonies in direct response to the growing unrest. Alfred up until this point had been a loyal and steadfast son and subject, despite his eternal curiosity leading him to consume more and more literature that directly put old beliefs into question. Though he was not initially aware of Susannah's double allegiances, Alfred was aware of the formal, employer-employee arrangement between himself and Susannah. Despite that, his warm personality and similar wavelength of interests allowed him to easily breach the gap between 'acquaintance' and 'friend'. His father was often entire oceans away and this is the first time he met someone whom he could get attached to without fearing their mortality (see: humans Alfred had befriended throughout the years) or any perceived double national interests. The exchange of Louisbourg for Madras had been one of the many events that would plant the idea that his father was not entirely devoted to him in Alfred's mind. His conflicting feelings about the exchange and his place in the empire allowed him to open himself up to befriending Susannah, perhaps thinking that if he behaved well and treated who was essentially a bureaucratic extension of his Lord Father's presence well, perhaps he could earn his favor again.

Susannah on the other hand, was caught off guard by his lack of formality and had even found him to be somewhat "uncultured" in the beginning. The mainland British had mixed feelings about the colonists, but many of them held prejudices and saw them as "uncouth". As Suzie's household had mainly been attendants and tutors brought in from Britain, she shared their beliefs throughout her childhood. But slowly, as Suzie began to spend more time with Alfred, she warmed up to him, happy for the chance to finally be taken seriously instead of waved off for her more intellectual pursuits. Susannah was born in the colonies. But due to her ancestor, Sir Wilfred Knightley, whose affection and counsel she received growing up, her family has and continues to hold deep ties to the crown. Her beliefs and viewpoints were shaped simultaneously by her birthplace and her family's values. Though they were seen as upstarts in Britain, the Knightleys were an esteemed family in the colonies. She interacted with a lot of people from the mainland, a lot of important family friends and other acquaintances, but she'd also spent a lot of time talking to and mingling with colonists, both ranking ones and average, everyday people. To reflect the attitudes of many colonists, Susannah identified as a loyalist up until the middle of the Revolution.

[ commissions open | do not repost ] ocs by sunnysssol

[sunnysssol]

Some Suzies!! 🤓🤓🤓

[ ᴄᴏᴍᴍs ᴏᴘᴇɴ | ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ʀᴇᴘᴏsᴛ ]

[sunnysssol]

two knightleys :)

[sunnysssol]

What suzie think about tony the alien?

Well actually (☝🤓), Tony doesn't really exist in Assistantverse! But if they met, I imagined it'd be something like this. Suzie's very intrigued by the interstellar, but seeing an actual alien might raise so many questions in her head that she'd get a bit overwhelmed. They wonder how Tony got here, how's he breathing? Is Earth affecting him in any bad way at all? Suzie needs to sit down, they need to think about this...

Here's a bonus :P

"Hey, explain that! Give me a reason I'll believe without reasonable doubt!" "That's really, really not the point and I would say that 'God this situation is waaay above my pay-grade' but God, isn't it always with you..??"

[sunnysssol]

i can't believe suzie invented being a secretary 🥴

[ comms open | do not repost ]

[exastriis]

Does Suzie have their own catsona?

I’d love to see how Neko Suzie interacts with Americat

Yes, they do! Her name is Lady, and she's a sassy little shorthair calico 🥺 she's usually very catty (hah!) but without fail she's always either following Alfred or Suzie around, whoever is her favorite "human" for the day! As for her and Hero's interactions, well...

Hero is just a hyperactive ball of sunshine. Cat hardware, dog software, if you will. Lady has a bit more of a traditional cat personality !!

[sunnysssol]

Some Suzie headcanons because it's her birthday! 🌟✨️✨

Courageous, intelligent and endlessly determined, Suzie is a kind person despite how cold they initially come across, always willing to help whoever needs it. When helping, she might roll her eyes or sigh at the face of the problem, but "giving up" doesn't quite exist in Suzie's vocabulary— for better or for worse.

Suzie is actually left handed, but they've been trained (read: forced) to become ambidextrous thanks to her tutors growing up. After all, it's not until the late 20th century that the stigma around left-handedness disappeared, and before then it was a widely held belief that left-handedness implies wickedness, or unluckiness.

Suzie's supercomputer brain and overachieving personality work in tandem to create a workaholic whom many Assistants (and by extension, Nations) have never even talked to outside of work-related meetings. They're always doing something, whether it be experimenting or writing and rewriting age-old theories and analyses trying to answer a problem, or out in the world trying to (dis)prove some theory she read about or had for a while, she's always on the go. It's not enough for them to simply learn a skill or understand a concept– they have to do something with it too.

Alongside being enlisted in the army at the time, Suzie had also been hired to work on the Manhattan Project as part of the war effort. Her special position as a Nation Assistant lends itself to a lot of situations, circumstances and sometimes- privileges, that other people of her sex wouldn't be privy to otherwise. The Calutron Girls, that is, the women who worked on the Manhattan Project as operators and technicians crucial to the electromagnetic isotope separation process that would then contribute into the creation of the atomic bomb, were not told of the purpose of the project. It was highly-classified, and only those in higher positions of authority were informed of it.

Her relationship with gender is, as one might guess, a little complicated. Physically, she's very traditionally feminine– from her physical features, to her fashion sense. But personality wise, it's a little different. Yes, her overall high-standards lends Suzie to "typical gf" stereotypes, but the jokes about her wearing the pants in the relationship are not entirely unfounded. Unlike Alfred who feels as though he has to be a leader, Suzie just naturally is, and they've been that way since forever. To keep this post brief, there's always been a lot of challenging gender roles in Suzie's life and she's never been the type to back down from a challenge. They've never really had a label, and it's not like the language existed for it at the time, but for purposes of ease and clarity, Suzie is non-binary.

Suzie is highly skilled in machinery and engineering. Her interest began in the 1730s and flourished in the 1740s, from the introduction of the carding engine, and the numerous innovations in scientific instruments, mathematical theory and watchmaking. She took an interest in steam engines sometime in the 1770s as well, around when the Watt steam engine was first introduced commercially. This interest would continue on into the Industrial Revolution, with Suzie studying and redesigning steam engines for manufacturing, transportation and agricultural processes as a hobby. And in the 1940s, this skill and interest would come in handy when American women began to take on more roles in the workforce, specifically in factories helping with the war effort.

Alfred absolutely blasts Christmas songs in November. It's his most favorite holiday! Well, every holiday is America's favorite holiday, but this one especially! Besides the music, he's already planning activities, what to cook on the day of and what to get everyone on his ever expanding list. Suzie won't blast Christmas songs in November, but they would start decorating immediately after the detritus of Halloween has been cleared up.

"If it doesn't concern me, it's not my problem. I've already got enough on my plate as it is." — Suzie, while a caring person, generally believes in the principle of leaving people and other things alone if she deems that her participation in it is not necessarily important. With everything they do and have done and actually involve(d) themselves in, Suzie has had a mental list of priorities in which they pursue almost religiously. Adjustments do happen, but they're quite few and far in between. First on the list is family and loved ones, of course. Next are things they themselves have committed to either out of their own duties as a Nation Assistant, or just out of her own personal interest and free will.

Besides her work in the States, Suzie had been stationed in Europe for most of WWII, working wherever the higher ups decided they needed her. Administrative/clerical work, supply and logistics, as a radio operator, aerial surveillance, mechanics and maintenance- you name it. But the most significant of all her roles had been in intelligence and cryptography. Having had at least a few centuries of experience in espionage and code-breaking-and-intercepting, Suzie was at least a few leagues ahead of her associates. She's been a civilian since 1945 and hasn't enlisted in the military since, but she worked in gathering intelligence for at least until the early 1980s.

As mentioned earlier, Suzie often works long hours, and even when they're not working, they're probably thinking about it if they're not doing anything else. Highly efficient and focused, she doesn't find herself spaced out very often. But when one sees Suzie staring off into space, she's probably seeing spreadsheets and government seals in her mind's eye. It might be best to give her a tap and talk to her...

And finally, here is the birthday celebrant! She's officially 293 1 year old today!!! 😺🌟✨️

[exastriis]

Here be an experimental ship for Suzie! Fun fact, her and Alfred actually had a crush on Gilbert during the Revolution– er, rather just Alfred, but Suzie too by proxy just because he keeps fanboying about Gilbert in his letters hshdhf,, I'm not sure when or if they even met during this time, but this is just a fun what-if regardless! As for the other one, I had a human band AU in mind– maybe some kind of punk-metal band? Gil is the vocalist and Suzie is the bassist. I also think Suzie got him the little chick patch, lol. They make for a fun couple, but entirely too akin to the match analogy. The relationship starts out hot and passionate— but it reaches a fever pitch and they eventually go their separate ways. Thankfully on amiable terms, though, given they weren't dating for long. Gilbert is too stuck on his own ways and Suzie wants something different. I think it would be funny if this AU had a PruCan endgame, because seeing your ex-boyfriend-bandmate getting wedded to your close friend is... probably insanely awkward 😭 thankfully she meets Alfred there, huh? 🥴💖

[ ᴄᴏᴍᴍs ᴏᴘᴇɴ | ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ʀᴇᴘᴏsᴛ ] she/they pronouns for suzie!

[sunnysssol]

Wilfred Knightley, who has never been affectionate by word of mouth or by action, writing letters with such affection to Susannah. "For my dearest Duckie" and "My beloved North Star" start his letters so often. Suzie kept all of his letters, it being a well-appreciated comfort when they didn't speak to each other during the Revolution. But they'd also kept all of those letters to this day, and whenever Wilfred sees the gold-silver lines of their family crest imprinted upon the many, many box albums stored inside Suzie's office, he can't help but feel a little self-conscious, and more than a little touched. He knows that he and his dear Duckie haven't always had a perfect relationship, and is all the more appreciative for her efforts to hold onto and pay attention to his kindness instead.

[exastriis]

Arthur and Wilfred have a very odd sort of relationship. They're not exactly father-and-son/mentor-mentee— Arthur is much too stubborn for that and despite Wilfred's best efforts, Arthur would never, ever let himself be parented by anyone. But they're not exactly close friends either– at least, not in the way that, say, Matthew and Cyril are. I'm still trying to figure out how to describe it– Arthur would rather slit his throat than admit Wilfred is right about anything but he'd never trust anyone else with his life. He can't think of anyone else who'd jump into the cold of the ocean to save his life but who'd just as easily punch the living daylights out of him in front of his royal family. Wilfred knows, and he either doesn't care or is simply too used to it and it pisses Arthur off. They respect each other a whole lot, but I think what gets Arthur the most is the fact that, for such a constant, dependable man, he can never tell what Wilfred Knightley is thinking about.

[sunnysssol]

I wanted to talk a little more about this piece, specifically to add some more context and some more headcanons. … And yes, this may have been a long segue to simply make a post about fashion. This post is also quite long! I started writing this when that post first went up, then I supplemented everything with examples and sources and kept rewriting so so many points as I went along sjbfjf. Please know that i'm not an expert! Please feel free to correct me, but please do so politely. Everything is under the cut <3

To begin with, the era is the 18th century. Sewing machines are not really a thing yet, so clothing was, naturally, handmade. Tailoring was a must, but other factors such as structure provided by one's underclothes and how often garments needed and could be washed played significant roles as well. For example, the shift or chemise was a long rectangular garment, usually made of cotton or linen. It served as one’s primary undergarment and so was washed the most often. This was a garment worn by men and women in different styles. And though it’s described as an undergarment, it’s usually men’s shirts as well. You can think of the shift or chemise as a pre-modern equivalent of a white shirt or a camisole top, only these were longer and roomier. The cotton or linen material was easy to wash, inexpensive, and provided the wearer with an extra layer of warmth and protection.

Beginning with Alfred, I wanted his clothing to feel like the “in-between” being his father’s son (thus the red undertones and the ruffles on his cuffs) but also, considerably more “provincial”. While they considered themselves British, the British in the mainland thought that the colonists were "uncouth", or lesser than those in the mainland. When the British began to impose more taxes upon goods created in Britain that were being shipped off to the colonies, many colonists who could no longer afford it turned to creating their own versions of things, such as fabrics and tea, using materials and resources available to them. This would likely be more obvious if it were Francis I was comparing him to, but Alfred’s clothing is still a subtle callback to English nobility who usually preferred a more “modest” style of dress compared to the more extravagant French style of dress. The lack of extravagant embroidery commonly associated with the 18th century in popular zeitgeist is intentional. Going through with a comparison, the red in Arthur’s clothing is far richer and more of a true red than Alfred’s, which looks a little more like a maroon color. And perhaps it’s the cravats or the scalloped hems of the ruffling on Arthur’s outfit, but overall I wanted to give a fancier, “vampire”-ish vibe for him (and Wilfred by extension!). I can also more easily picture someone helping Arthur get dressed with the ruffles (the ones on the cuffs were usually add-ons!) as opposed to Alfred.

Arthur’s hair is also more “neatly” styled than Alfred’s. I honestly debated a little whether to put Arthur (and everyone else) in a powdered wig, which would’ve been historically accurate, but ultimately decided against it for artistic purposes but also out of practicality as both Arthur and Wilfred are very practical men. Practical men currently at war, too. It is important to note that not everyone wore powdered wigs, many people simply opted to powder their hair itself, especially towards the end of the century. A prominent example is George Washington, who was a natural redhead who simply powdered his hair instead of wearing a wig. Though it’s cheaper than wigs, it was still a messy and time-consuming process and often required the help of another or multiple people. The process itself was done by coating the hair in hair lotion typically created from some type of animal fat or oil and fragrance, then the hair was dusted with powder. White or gray were the most popular colors, but there are some records of black, brown, blue, pink and other colors being used. After that, it was styled however one saw fit. I believe Alfred’s “messier” hair contributes to the overall “dressed-down” vibe but at the same time, the lack of powder is also indicative of his age. Young people weren’t usually expected to powder their hair or to wear wigs, thus the lack of powder on his and Suzie’s hair.

Speaking more on hair, Suzie’s is quite the attention-grabber, considering it’s quite elaborate when compared to the men’s low ponytails. But, it’s still not exactly “100% extravagant snobby noble realness” either, since as a colonist, Suzie would have been surrounded by women who wore their hair in a similar way. She then would’ve stuck to that as opposed to how nobles in mainland Britain might’ve. I mentioned before that wealthy people of this time would’ve had attendants dressing them, but didn’t mention it for Suzie. I believe Wilfred personally thought of the possibility of Suzie not having access to anyone to assist her whilst he was training her for her role, so he elected to limit the size of his household in Massachusetts to only a handful of people, including any tutors Suzie might’ve had. And even then, these people were replaced semi-regularly. He wanted Suzie to become independent and to learn and get accustomed to these things as quickly as possible. So it’s likely that the lack of any other fanfare to Suzie’s hair and clothing is because she’d styled and dressed herself.

Her clothing is also a lot less extravagant looking compared to the iconic elaborate and very distinctly shaped gowns of the time, and this is because this particular style of dress is, well, English. Aptly named “robe à l'anglaise”, this was the common style of dress amongst British nobility, and this extended to the colonists too. It’s close fitting at the front and the back, the bodice and stomacher tapering in the middle. Compared against the robe à la française, there’s no long train of box-pleated, loose fabric at the back (ex. a and ex. b), and the silhouette formed mainly through layers and only subtle padding instead of hoops or panniers. The pattern is based on this, English in origin. Her dress was likely shipped in, specifically for this occasion. Suzie at this time (roughly 16 years old) would’ve already learned how to sew thanks to her special upbringing, but a tailored gown created by a professional seamstress as opposed to a handmade one would create a better impression upon the son of a lord, wouldn’t it? And, I felt very cheeky for this one, but the only reason I chose to put her in a blue dress is… well. Though her alliances remain firmly loyal to the empire up until the midpoint of the Revolution, just think of it as a bit of a subtle foreshadowing of events ;p

And finally, there’s the main focus of the piece itself-- the handshake. This exchange could’ve been a signing of papers. A curtsy and a kiss on the back of the hand, maybe. Or even a quiet exchange unbeknownst to them, only to be then imposed upon them like a death sentence. But instead, it’s a handshake. Alfred and Susannah met in person, quite literally saw each other eye-to-eye, exchanged names and purpose and shook on it. Suggesting not just business and mutual benefit, but also peaceful intent, the handshake is a gesture among equals. The sealing of a bond or a mutual oath. Showing the other that one means no harm, that their hands hold no weapon. And should they ever hold one, may it not be against the other. With this, they are agreeing to work together, through the good and the tough times, though they don’t say this outright. It’s understood silently later on, as they both begin to find their place among the tumult of one another’s life and the tides of history.

 … And for a final comment, drawing Alfred with considerably less beef than usual was very strange. He’s not a twink (this dog doesn’t know how to draw twinks in the first place!) but he’s not quite at his final, full 100% USDA-Graded Prime All-American Beef™ form just yet either. Very strange indeed!!!

[sunnysssol]

Could suzie and Al (and any other nation x assistant pair) actually have kids? And if so how does that work?

OOH okay so, I made a joke on this blog along the lines of this a while back, like if Nations could get pregnant/get people pregnant, those kids'd need a facebook group or something shhfjs

But to answer your question !! No, they can't. Nations are sterile by default, and Assistants become sterile when they become Assistants. Some of them (e.g. Wilfred, England's Assistant) could've had kids before they became Assistants, but those kids stay mortal.

[exastriis]

suzie frequently experiencing vivid hallucinations of a doomed future, blood pooling at their feet threatening to drown them at their desk but then their alarm goes off and they stand up to take a smoke break. mr. america i'll be dealing with the horrors a bit after lunch thanks. the pack of marlboro reds in my purse is calling my name. regards, suzie 👍 — sent from my iPhone