Locked to notyetlost

[pasodoble]

( When Poland shows up, Spain appears to be resting. He'll look up to see who his guest is and give an amused smile in greeting. When Poland closes the door behind him, however, Spain sits up straighter, giving his full attention to him, and the smile drops some. It isn't because he's unhappy or disappointed; rather, he just knows when to be a little more serious. )

It's been awhile.

Comments

[notyetlost]

Don't get overly excited. I wanted to talk to you before like, everyone in the house jumps at the opportunity to smother you in your sleep.

I figured now would be my only opportunity.

[pasodoble]

Hah! ( No, that's really funny. ) Do you have any suspects in mind? I'll have to keep an eye out.

( At this point, Spain is pretty convinced everyone here is too noble to really try. Unless, of course, there are more Kaorus and Toukos out there. )

1/2

[notyetlost]

Sorry, you're on your own. I can't afford being listed as an accomplice when you kill someone in self defense. I've got way more important things to deal with.

2/2

[notyetlost]

[Poland takes a seat in Spain's desk chair, appraising him for a long moment before speaking.]

Which is why I wanted to ask... why did you kill Clyde?

[pasodoble]

( Color Spain genuinely surprised. He'll tilt his head to one side and look at Poland curiously. )

It isn't obvious?

[notyetlost]

You seemed like a relatively optimistic guy, I couldn't be sure. [He has a guess.]





What was it you dreamed that you couldn't let happen to your people?

[pasodoble]

( For some reason, he can't bring himself to look Poland in the eye after that assessment. It takes him a moment before he looks back at him, )

There was a plague.

Many of my people died and the ones that survived, fled, and never returned. I let them down... again.

[notyetlost]

... I didn't think a nation like yourself would let yourself be just be a tool for some faceless villain on a television game show.

[pasodoble]

It stopped becoming a game the moment my people were involved.

[notyetlost]

[Poland shrugs. Turning to look at the wall.]

I can't say I wasn't tempted to act myself that week.

...But dreams are just dreams. Whatever happened I was sure we'd be able to pick ourselves up from...

[pasodoble]

One of my citizens has already died because of this game.

I did nothing again and my citizens paid the price. I wasn't going to wait any longer.

[notyetlost]

[Poland can understand the sentiment, but he doesn't want to dwell on it.]

So you have no idea who the mastermind could be?

[pasodoble]

They're a player too.

( How helpful. )

[notyetlost]

Pfft... [Totally unhelpful but. Poland smiles though.]

I figured it was like a long shot.

[pasodoble]

I mean it. ( ... ) They're really playing.

( He is so pokerfaced right now. )

... At least, I think they are.

[notyetlost]

I think so too. [Which is probably why Poland laughed, if he came up with it he figured it was old news.]

[pasodoble]

( And here's a smile for you, Poland. Hint, it's an admirable one. )

... I knew I liked you for a reason.

[notyetlost]

[Wait what.]

You liked me?

[Poland legitimately had no idea.]

[pasodoble]

Of course.

[notyetlost]

Sorry, I got confused by you startling the crap out of me, making fun of my super cool lordship, and you ruining my paluszki dough.

[pasodoble]

( Tilting his head to one side )

I was playing with you. ( Wasn't it obvious? But imperial teasing is normally pretty awful so uhm. ) You're a lot of fun, you know.

[notyetlost]

...[Poland's pranks are generally pretty terrible too-- but he's not used to them happening to him!]

Yeah, I've been told. [Poland flaps his wrist. Yes Spain, keep praising him. This is the true path to Poland's affections.]

[pasodoble]

( And he laughs. It's probably the first time he's really laughed since his trial, really. The laughter, however, trails off into silence and Spain sits to himself, looking down at his hands. )

Stiles mentioned all of us in his world. ( Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus... ) He said you and I were well known so... I wanted to see which of us was the better nation.

[notyetlost]

Stiles told me that too. [Poland smiles. Maybe Spain wasn't such a huge jerk after all.]

Who won?

[pasodoble]

Everyone likes you. ( His head is bowed down and there's a bitter smile on his face as he tries to joke, ) And once again, everyone hates me.

( Spain concedes. )

[notyetlost]

...not everyone.

[But Poland doesn't like quitters, Spain.]

Maybe you'll beat me yet.

[pasodoble]

... Do you remember when I told you my royal family was gone?

[notyetlost]

Yeah, I do.

[pasodoble]

They were forced to leave-- exiled.

And then my house was divided, my children fled, and my people are unhappy with me at best. ( And Spain will reach to take his sketchbook. He opens it to a page that had once before been a sketch of an incomplete ship. The ship is still only partial but only because it appears to be sinking in a dark ocean of ink. ) They called me "an ocean of pain and death."

[notyetlost]

[From what Poland understood... all the nations here seemed to carry something weighing down their hearts. It made him wonder what thing he'd forgotten, that would put him on equal footing with Lithuania and Spain, Latvia and Belarus, and even Ukraine.

Maybe his memory loss had given him an unfair advantage.]

That doesn't mean you can't ever change something like that.

[pasodoble]

( There's a bitter smile and Spain looks down at his hands, )

I've already taken care of that.

[notyetlost]

I hope you don't die.

At least not before people know that the things you did were for your people and not for no reason at all. [If anything, Spain should have had the same option for redemption that Annie or May seemed to have obtained.]

[pasodoble]

I don't think it would make a difference here.

I never asked for forgiveness and I don't mean to either. When I die, I still have hope, and I'll answer for all of my sins.

( And he's very much at peace with that. )

[notyetlost]

A last request, then?

[Normally Poland wouldn't trouble himself, but. Given Spain's reputation in the manor he's not sure anyone else would offer.]

[pasodoble]

I have none.

( It comes simply enough and sounds more resigned than anything else. )

1/2

[notyetlost]

I thought so. [Hearing the resignation in his voice, Poland gets up and opens the door.]

2/2

[notyetlost]

That's good. It means you haven't given up after all.

[With a smile Poland leaves, shutting the door behind him.]

[pasodoble]

( He'll smile as he watches Poland leave. When the door shuts, the smile disappears though and he turns to distract himself with something else-- like cleaning (which, hah, he rarely does).

Sorry, Poland. )