Updated 1/26/25

Kanawha's favorite thing about her bedroom was that she could climb out of the window and onto the roof. It was a great place to escape the chaos of her family and get some peace for herself, not to mention it gave her a great view of the yard, where she could watch her siblings make fools of themselves, like the Great Bed Incident of 2004.

And will all the shit that had just started happening, Kanawha had a lot to think about.

Sometimes, Kanawha felt like being over two hundred made you lose all your common sense. It would explain so many things about...well, most people Kanawha knew of. All that stupidity and lack of common sense mixed with everything else that was going on just made her really stressed and frustrated, and she was pretty sure everyone else could tell.

Kanawha was just...mad. Maybe at Texas, maybe not. Kanawha was hoping that they would put it up for a vote someday and that they could do this after her family got their shit together and worked on some of their issues.

Especially the issues over the fact that Dad was not as over the civil war as he believed he was, both as a person and as a country. All of them knew it, but Dad just likes pretending his problems don't exist until they bite him in the ass. At least he stopped trying to drink his pain away. Not that Kanawha was any better. She just wished...

She wished her brother was here. She wished that her birth mother hadn't replaced him.

She missed his wisdom.

"Hey, Wha. How are you doing?" Kanawha heard Tennessee's familiar voice from behind her. Kanawha sighed, moving over to let Tennessee out the window as she joined Kanawha, a small smile tugging at her lips.

It was always nice to have a break from Kanawha's thoughts.

"Thinking," Kanawha said. Tennessee sighed.

"Aren't we all? You pissed at Tex?" Tennesse asked, cocking her head to the side, a mischievous glint in her eye. Concerned about a possible prank war on Texas, something Kanawha did not want to get involved in, she shook her head.

"Not sure yet. Just wish he waited until we were actually more over things." Kanawha said, causing Tennesse to frown.

"I...that's not going to happen until...the Confederacy's legacy is gone. And who knows when that'll happen. After all, it's telling that he's still here. Do you ever think that's why?"

"I mean, it's not like the humans know," Kanawha pointed out.

"As far as we are aware," Tennesse muttered. Kanawha's eyebrows scrunched as she gave Tennessee a confused look.

"What does that mean? I thought you trusted him?" Kanawha asked. Tennesse shrugged.

"Things are complicated when it involves his legacy, and I think what Texas did is a great example of how, no matter how oblivious people are, secrets can't be kept forever. I mean, we've always been public, even if some people never got the hint, not caring or just not realizing it until Tex said it. But now they realize they were idiots, which makes them paranoid and realize that they don't know Dad like they thought they did, and until things die down, all eyes are on us. He's not staying secret for much longer." Tennesse explained.

"You know I was having a good day. I didn't need those anxieties." Kanawha told her. Tennesse snorted.

"You literally got into contact with the USSR in the middle of the fucking Cold War to spite Dad."

"The Cold War was a time of many bad decisions on everyone's part."

"Well, I can't argue with you there." Tennesse said with an awkward laugh, "Sorry about being overly paranoid, I guess. I just want people to be on their guard. I...I don't want anything bad to happen."

"Nothing bad will happen, Nesse. Well, maybe not nothing, but everyone knows that harming us is libel to start conflict, and few countries are stupid enough to risk conflict with Dad. Besides, most of the world knew anyway." Kanawha said, trying to reassure her. Tennesse still looked nervous, though, and Kanawha frowned in response, not sure what to say to reassure her.

"About us. Not about the Confederacy." Tennessee said before biting her lip and moving to leave.

"Are you okay, Ness?" Kanawha asked, worried. Tennessee just seemed...concerned and almost panicked, and maybe it was nothing...but still. Tennesse smiled, and thankfully, it was one that seemed genuine.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just worried. I figured most people would be the same way. Maybe this is just a sign I have more intense anxiety." Tennessee said before pulling herself back inside. Kanawha frowned, watching her retreating back. Tennesse probably just needed a nap or something. She always acted weird when under stress.

"Hey, Kanawha! Quit sulking!" Kanawha heard Virginia yell as she walked towards the house, her way of showing concern.

Kanawha hated that things between them were better now. It felt like a betrayal to her brother's memory.

"Fuck you!" Kanawha yelled back halfheartedly at her birth mother, now adoptive sister. Virginia frowned, probably noticing the lack of bite, but since Kanawha wasn't one of her children anymore, she didn't pry, just walking into a house after a few concerned looks were shot my way.

She at least respected boundaries. That was nice.

Hopefully, she didn't send Kentucky Kanawha's way. Kanawha had enough going on without his mother henning.

Kanawha should probably leave, though, just to be safe. Pulling herself back into her room, Kanawha was immediately bombarded by a cacophony of screaming as Alabama's high-pitched screams broke through the silence.

Sounds like Vermont finally got him. What a shame. He had lasted so long as well. Kanawha guessed Vermont took advantage of everyone's panic to get him.

Turning away from the scene of that disaster, Kanawha noticed a gathering of an odd group of states. Well, Washington and Alaska weren't odd, those two could sometimes be as glued to the hip as Alaska and Hawai'i or Texas and Guam after that one incident with several bottles of super glue and an old World War II landmine that North Dakota gave them.

But Illinois was with them, which was suspicious. Illinois has been an introvert since the beginning of the 20th century and prefers to hang out with the Old Northwest as opposed to the Pacific Northwest.

"Do I want to ask?" Kanawha asked as she approached them.

"Lask wants to talk to his half-brother. I'm here for moral support." Illinois said.

"Didn't someone die the last time you were moral support?" Kanawha asked. Illinois shrugged and smirked, causing both of her brothers to roll their eyes.

"That was Ohio's fault." Washington signed.

"Don't make excuses. I killed that man," Illinois said calmly.

"Oh, for fucks sake Noi." Alaska sighed, sounding so much like Dad at that moment that one could believe he was adopted.

"Yeah, I think I'm going to leave." Kanawha said, stepping away and turning around, "Also, Vermont got Bama, so now you're up, Washingmachine."

Kanawha couldn't see what her brother signed, but she was sure it was a swear.