( video + action )

[ahousedivided]

[ The America that's smiling into the screen looks pretty similar to the one everyone is used to. He looks cheerful. The uniform's different though; a darker blue. A rifled is propped next to him and he casually plays with the bayonet. He seems to be talking to someone off-screen. ]

C'mon now! We just wanted to say hi! You were enjoying us earlier. Who's to say someone else won't?

[ Another one appears next to him, dressed in grey and grinning just the same. Dear god there's two. ]

Oh right, 'cause you're ashamed!

That he likes us?

That no matter how many regrets start to pile up, no matter how much he wants to hate himself, he's always gonna love himself more!

Hard to be a hero when you're hardwired to always put yourself before anyone else!

Hard to be a hero when you're sending your own children to slaughter. But that's nothing new with you, is it? Road to Hell is paved with good intentions.

Best book yourself a room!

[ The blue one starts prodding the grey one with his bayonet a little too hard. Then the device is grabbed away and the real America is seen scowling into the screen. ]

I got a two for the price of one deal. Think I liked it better when they were fightin' with each other instead of picking on me.

[ One of the Shadows scoffs. ]

Liar. The more we get along, the more you feel like you're holding yourself together. No matter how much anyone tells you otherwise: you're gonna be afraid that you'll be split apart. Can't stand losing anything, can you?

Always need more land and more power. Don't lie; that promise of gettin' to the top of the world is exciting.

And you're gonna do whatever it takes to get there! Like always.

[ Welp, his Shadows sure aren't any less chatty than he is. America looks dismayed for a moment, but quickly lets it go and sighs. ]

I'm goin' for a walk.

LET'S RIDE THE RAPTOR.

THAT'S-- [ the frustration fades quickly and he considers it. ] --actually not a bad idea. Okay.

[ If you thought this post was going to end on anything but a stupid note you were wrong. America and his Shadows will be riding around the mansion and grounds on a Utahraptor should you want to run into him. ]

Comments

[ahousedivided]

Lorie, I could make a whole list why this is happening to me. 'Cause it's some sorta divine punishment--

--for all we've done and will inevitably do--

--'cause I got too much personality to be contained--

--since we're always in the middle of some weird existential crisis--

--but I think it's mostly 'cause of two simple words:

Civil

War.

[ SIGHHHHHH. America pinches the bridge of his nose while his Shadows smile into the camera. ]

Can we pet you?

Ya look so fluffy!

[speaksforthetrees]

[...Lorie. Okay. Just gonna ignore that. And the petting thing, uh. Well, he'll see if they ask again.]

Is that a metaphor or are you referring to the whole "I'm a country" shtick?

[Still not 100% buying it out of fear that this guy'll make a fool of him.]

[ahousedivided]

You sure are stubborn 'bout not believing me.

It didn't bother us at first, but now it's gettin' annyoin'.

Kinda makes me wanna turn ya into a very warm hat and feed your fleshy corpse to my raptor.

[ Boy that escalated quickly. ]

[speaksforthetrees]

Whoa.

[The Lorax steps backwards, which uh. Doesn't really achieve much since they're talking through the communicators.]

...It's just that you seem kinda like the sort who'd try to play jokes on people.

[ahousedivided]

[ Oh now he feels kinda bad. The real America calms down, but the Shadows are still eying the Lorax like they want to make a pelt out of him. ]

Okay, you got me there, I do like to joke around. This just ain't one of those times!

[ The Shadows drape themselves over his shoulders, much to his annoyance. ]

It's a little like the boy who cried wolf. The more you fool around, the less likely the world will take you seriously.

Which works just fine in our favor! Ain't no one gonna expect you to be a wolf in sheep's clothing.

[ They grin like it's scratching at the surface of a dirty secret, but America decides to take in a completely direction. ]

I like wolves. You ever heard a baby one howl? Adorable as hell.

That's not what--

ADORABLE. THEIR LITTLE VOICES SQUEAK AND AUGH I JUST WANT TO HUG THEM. BIG OL' PUPS. SO CUTE.

[ That shuts them up because they can't really argue that dangerous wildlife is adorable. ]

[speaksforthetrees]

[The Lorax feels as if he's intruding on something, suddenly. Which, really should've been the case all along, now that he thinks about it. The whole shadow thing is awkward for him, after all. Shouldn't be too much of a stretch to imagine that'd be the case for America too.]

I uh, have indeed spent time with baby wolves. And they are awfully cute.

[...Is about all he can think to say for a moment. His shadow, however, dredges up the worry this conversational turn has started festering in the back of his mind.]

Maybe I was right to judge him so quickly. Just like Beanpole. Breaks his promises to me because, well, who cares about a promise to a rat, right?