Ciao, Bella [Vietnam]

[Southern Italy]

The peace conference seriously was just a joke. Lovino was certain of it by now, as he made sure by looking into the window that his bruises were covered up. The one on his cheek was the hardest to mask, as it showed up in the darkest purple color that contradicted against his tanned skin. Feliciano seriously needed to pick better areas if he was going to throw punches his way; visibility was certainly Lovino didn't appreciate when it came to the injuries.

With the wine glass in hand, Lovino tried to think of a way to sneak out of the party itself. He didn't want to be here, he really didn't. Lovino wanted to go home, to curl up in bed and just fall asleep. If alcoholic beverages was going to take him one step closer to that goal, then he was going to down that shit fast.

He could only hope that one day, the bastards who provided the wine would actually grow a taste for the decent stuff, not the cheap ass excuse they provided at the party.

Sighing, the Italian brought the glass to his mouth when he spotted an Asian nation nearby, making him blink. Despite all the hardships, Lovino was still a womanizer himself. Every female caught his attention, and it didn't matter who or where the other said nation belonged to. If he remembered correctly, the said female nation he laid his eyes on was one of Japan's territories... Was she? Or was she independent? Seriously, he couldn't keep track anymore.

"...Would you like some?" He decided to ask her to try and get her attention. If he had to stay here, might as well find someone to talk to, and she seemed like a kind lady nation he could hold a decent conversation with. He grabbed at the wine bottle at the table and held it up to her, tilting his head. "It's not the best wine, but... It's probably better than trying to go through this joke of an event sober?"

[Vietnam]

The longer that this peace conference continues, the more settled Vietnam finds herself becoming about it. She actually doesn't care very much about the wider scheme of things around it. As bothersome as it is to her that she has to live under Japanese rule right now, it's better than her circumstances before and it doesn't seem likely that anything will happen to take back what she has gained. And as long as that is not under threat she couldn't care less what happens to the rest of the world. She does recognize that it would be bad for her if Japan gets into a fight with one or more of the other empires, so she's been keeping an eye on how things seem to be going there, but other than that the only reason why she's here is the opportunity to meet and reaquaint herself with the rest of the world.

That being the case, she only minds so much when she's approached by some European she doesn't recognize at all. But she does mind at least a little, especially given the way he's chosen to start the conversation. It reminds her of France somewhat, and she could rant for hours about how much she dislikes him. But, not wanting to be rude, she instead smiles at the offer, "Ah! That is very kind of you to offer! But I don't think that it would be very ladylike of me to drink, so sorry. I'm afraid that I will need to find some other way to endure this event." She tries to decline the wine as politely as possible, but she has to keep in mind that you often have to be incredibly blunt with Westerners. They can be rather pushy, after all.

So to further avoid the offer she decides to also try to distract him from being more insistant by changing the subject. "Ah, but perhaps you can help me by telling me who you are? I'm sorry if I should recongize you, but I haven't been a country for about eighty years. And even then I didn't know my European countries very well - there are so many of you, after all. Sorry!" she says very apologetically. She's had to give that same disclaimer so many times already today - the only European nations here that she recognizes on sight are the ones that are either too big for her to not know them or those who have had some sort of a real history with her, which mostly means France and Portugal.

[Southern Italy]

Lovino didn't mind all too much that his offer was declined; really, he was all too used to it. It wasn't uncommon for girls he tried to pick up even in his own country to turn down the offer of a free drink or meal, so he just nodded and lowered the offering to the female nation quietly and, quite quickly. Bringing his own glass to his lips to take a sip, trying to ignore the taste of the cheap wine dancing on his tongue, he was taken by surprise when he was actually spoken to.

"..." He said nothing at first at the inquiry of who he was, letting his eyes do the telling by simply glancing over to the group his brother currently was hanging out in. It definitely was new; he often times got mistaken for his brother, but someone telling him outright that she wasn't sure who he was... At first, the Italian wasn't sure how to react, in all honesty. As she explained her reasoning for the lack of her knowledge however, he only replied with by closing his eyes, a tilt of his head and a small shrug, trying to show he didn't mind all too much.

In fact, it was quite refreshing.

"...Unfortunately, the same can be said for me to you, too." He admitted honestly, in thought. "People know me as Southern Italy... Italia Romano, more commonly called by if you want a practical name. But, if you're more comfortable with human alias... It's Lovino Vargas. I'm... Technically one of the leaders of the Italian empire."

Technically... Hah. Lovino almost even laughed bitterly at the thought itself as the word even passed his lips. It was a pitiful way to say it, honestly, and surprising that he didn't find himself cringing at the idea to begin with. "...What about yourself? I apologize, but I didn't really try talking to to you for your country status or anything; was just trying to find someone to pass time with for this ridiculous excuse of a party, and you seemed kind enough to keep someone as pathetic as myself company, even for the shortest while. So to be honest with you, I don't really know exactly who you are... Just that, you look to be of the Asian descendant?"

[Vietnam]

If Vietnam's circumstances were different, she would be far more inclined to be... selective about who she speaks with. Were she to come here with her own sovereignty and more aware of who is exactly who in the world at large, she wouldn't deign to talk to a mere territory except for the exact minimum required in order to be polite. But seeing as she's a 'mere territory' herself at the moment, that would not only be hypocritical but unwise - even the good opinion of the smallest territory of the most backward nation would be useful to her right now. So even though she's quick to decline the wine, she's certainly not going to decline a conversation. At least not immediately - of course if the conversation proves to be unenjoyable she'll decline it at that point.

Though one might forgive her for having a bit of the 'you all look the same' problem when it comes to European nations given her relative isolation from them, that is not a problem that Vietnam has very often. It's helpful that she did see (Northern) Italy earlier, and he was dressed somewhat differently, and she's pretty sure she saw him in another part of the room mere moments ago. But she certainly does notice the resemblance and figures that this is a relative that she's speaking to, but she couldn't for the life of her begin to guess which one. She's not even sure she can remember which countries are near Italy, let alone remember which ones are near relatives.

So when he introduces himself, she's actually quite curious. But the answer he gives causes her to blink in surprise and say the first thing that comes to mind. "There is a Southern Italy?" she asks, confused for a moment. After all, it's not like his brother runs around introducing himself as 'Northern Italy', which would imply that there is a 'Southern Italy' who is a different person. And she's also pretty sure that she's never seen such a thing on a map. Then again, her knowledge of Europe only goes so far.

But feeling that question was quite rude, she is very quick to allow a flush of embarrassment come to her face as she adds, "Ah! So sorry! You are a major region of Italy, vâng?" She asks the question very hesitantly, indicating that she's trying not to be rude in asking what she hopes to be a very appropriate question and that she's completely open to correction. Some countries can get very touchy about their status after all, especially if it's under dispute, and you never know when you're walking into a minefield with questions like that. With any luck she'll be right and he'll be flattered that she threw the word 'major' in there even though it doesn't really mean anything.

Attempting to get herself back on track, she somewhat shyly says, "I find human names to be a bit personal... if that's okay." And there are many reasons for that. She doesn't know him - he could be a creep for all she knows. And even if he isn't, she likes to give herself a lot of emotional distance from pretty much everyone - she doesn't like to have friends, she prefers allies. After all, the further you let someone in, the more that they can hurt you. Besides, she is Vietnam, not just someone named Nguyen Thi - and she's proud of that fact and doesn't want anyone to forget it.

And still being used to how pushy Europeans can be, she neglects to give her name when he asks her to introduce herself. If he doesn't know the name that she doesn't want him to call her, then he can use it, can he? Though first a frown flickers across her face at his self-depreciating ramble as she wonders within herself about it. Yes, she can see the bruising - she'd very recently been an even worse sight herself. Japan hadn't exactly appreciated the fact that she didn't want to go home with him when she was freed from France... She's been on her best behavior since then, though, so at worst she might look a bit weak because of all the confusion in her economy at the moment, but she's nowhere near the worst one here in that regard. But getting horribly mistreated by someone else happens all the time to most countries, and she certainly doesn't see it as a reason to see oneself as pathetic. Even the best countries have had it happen to them at some point, after all.

However, that's his issue to deal with and not hers, so she's quick to smile again when he guesses quite correctly that she's Asian. Not that it was that hard of a guess. "Vâng, I am Vietnam. You might not have heard of me - perhaps you have heard of French Indochina? I was a part of that, but my brother Japan freed me during the war and has promised to give me my sovereignty back," she explains, saying a lot in very few words, if you read between the lines. French Indochina was a French colony, and if she was only a part of that then she was an even smaller subdivision - like a province or a county or something else rather insignificant. That she said she was 'freed' means that as far as she's concerned she was captive and unhappy about that situation. And likely he's cynical enough to catch the fact that Japan has merely promised to give her sovereignty - which means that who knows if he'll actually do it, or if she'll end up being a puppet state instead of truly sovereign. And finally, that he'd be giving it back means that at some point she'd been a country of her own at some point before. But however that turns out, it means that at the moment she's one of the territories of the Japanese Empire.

[Southern Italy]

He had to admit, it did sting slightly when the female nation questioned his very existence by asking if there was a Southern Italy. Just enough to make him flinch and tense slightly, then hesitate to actually glance her way now. He shifted his gaze away to look back to the crowd, most notably towards his brother's direction. It was true; Feliciano didn't necessarily introduce himself to others as 'Northern Italy'; it was no wonder why either. The younger of the two seemed to think he was the whole nation, when in reality, Lovino himself was notably one who, in his opinion at the very least, was more worthy of the name itself. After all, even their shared capital was located within his own territories, not Feliciano's. 

So yes, in a way, he was hurt. But at the same time, this was quite refreshing. When people didn't recognize him, it wasn't the fact that they more likely mistook him for his brother, more than anything. This nation didn't seem to have that problem, she blantly even asked who he was. That was enough for Lovino to assume that, at that moment, she knew he wasn't his brother, and that was more than enough. He didn't want to be mistaken for that creep that his brother had become in the past few years. 

By the time she rushed out an apology and question for her own inquiry, Lovino simply shrugged his shoulders gently, hiding the slight wince that came along with the action. The fact she added the word 'major' really didn't mean much for Lovino at the moment, as really, Feliciano would've claimed he was part of him if anything. Despite having the name of technically being the co-leader of an empire, Lovino felt he himself was no better off than the colonies that were overtaken themselves. Stuck in his own thoughts, he almost missed it when the girl explained human names were personal to her, but he just responded with an understanding nod. Barely. It made no sense to him, but, perhaps different cultures meant different personalizations of properties. Names included.

So by the time he was given her country name, Lovino was listening in, just trying to find anything to call her other than, 'you' or 'girl', both he much rather avoided if possible. The name he heard rang long familiar bells, but really, he couldn't quite place where he heard it before. So to avoid conflict, he decided to not comment on its strange vibe of familiarity. 

"...No, I've heard of Vietnam. As did of French Indochina as well but..." He paused, listening to her explain her situation. The limited words held deep meaning, and though he wasn't able to pick up on all of the emotions, Lovino was able to recognize a few. He sighed, before continuing once she ended her own words, "...I see. May you one day be free once more in the future, then. I hope you can gain your sovereignty back within this mess."

And it was genuine. He wanted her to have her freedom back fully, he wanted everybody to. This whole 'empire' deal, to him, was ridiculous. And he was not going to do anything to hide his own thoughts about it, either.

[Vietnam]

When given such an ambiguous answer to the question of exactly what he is, it's rather troubling to Vietnam. Without a real answer to that question, how is she supposed to know their relative standing in the world? That may not matter very much to him, but it does to her. In fact, it's impossible to properly address someone in her language without knowing the relation between yourself and person you are talking to - the pronouns are based upon that rather than whether you're referring to yourself or the other person. That's why it's very common for her people who are otherwise similar in status to mention their exact age when they introduce themselves, in case that is needed as a 'tie-breaker'. Of course, they're not speaking Vietnamese right now so it's not strictly necessary for her to know, but it's still deeply troubling to her mentally.

Then again, she's arrogant enough to already be suspecting that she's the firmly the superior here in any case. While she's not really in a position to judge any nation for not having their full sovereignty, in her mind at least there are those that are on the right track to getting it and there are those who are not. And so far he seems to be in the latter group, if she were to guess. Of course she could be wrong, but because he failed to properly explain his position, guessing is the only means that she has so it's his own fault if she accidently thinks less of him than he deserves. Besides, if they do count as being roughly the same in that regard, she's pretty sure she's older - she remembers meeting his grandfather, after all.

"Oh? You've heard of me?" she asks in honest surprise. That's not exactly unheard of, but it's not exactly usual for her to run into a European who does aside from a select few. "It's been a long time since I've been around, and even then I didn't have very much to do with Europe - it was a very different time," she explains. Or at least it was for her - she's not exactly sure how much has changed for Europe during that time, but for her it's like night and day. She'd never admit that all of the new things that she learned while serving France were good things, but then again you don't see her returning to a life spent mostly farming either. No, she's figuring out how to incorporate those modern ideas that she likes into her traditional view of herself. But you'll never hear her thank him, ever.

When he expresses good wishes for her future, a smile is very quick to appear on her face. "Cảm ơn!" she quickly thanks him. But then something changes about her expression as she adds, "I have no greater wish!" The smile remains, but underneath the gentle and happy façade that she normally projects, there is a certain edge to those words - they are the most sincere words she has said all day.

But the change in expression passes quickly, and she's back to her usual smile as she asks, "And you don't need to answer if you don't want to - I don't even really know you - but I am curious: how about you? What do you wish for your future?" If he answers, perhaps it will help her narrow down exactly how his status compares with hers more to her satisfaction.

[Southern Italy]

The honest surprise coming from the Asian nation was something Lovino found himself more thrown off at than the reactions that followed. A lot of nations, at this party especially, seemed proud of their statuses or represented countries that, they seemed to assume everybody knew who they were. Was she in the same position as himself? In terms of, people having difficulty remembering who she was? Or was it more on that other guy's level--... What was his name, again? The one with the blond hair, glasses... It wasn't Alfred. Ah well, he'll remember if he needs to later, maybe. 

The language he was thanked in was not one he was common with, so it took him a bit to recollect the clues around to figure out that, he was, indeed, thanked. If the smile wasn't enough, the phrase that followed up afterwards certainly helped. And when he was asked of his own wish for the futures, he hesitated greatly. 

Was this a proper place to tell the truth? Most likely not. But, reality was, his wishes were all but something the party itself would be appreciating. Taking another sip of his wine, Lovino tried to think of a way to explain it to the female nation in front of him, caught by his own words and desires in his throat. The fall of all the empires; of the Italian Empire, especially, if only one could be decided upon. Not in a manner that he himself wanted to get hurt but, his brother was becoming creepier with every passing day. The elder brother wanted to put a stop to that if at all possible. 

And after some pondering, he decided, there was nothing really worth of hiding. Everybody had their own wishes regarding their futures, and he was only being asked of his own. And his desires, as it stood, were all quite simple. "Well..." He began, "first of all, it would be nice to see the Italian empire fall. The Northern half, specifically. Not in a way of 'I hope my brother dissolves out of existence' but, to wake him up from this ridiculous fantasy he's living right now. And if other empires could follow that and we could go back to how it was before this mess... That would be something I would die happily wishing for."

[Vietnam]

It would be wrong to say that Vietnam isn't proud of her status, but she's only had it for less than a year now and she recognizes that it often takes more time than that for people to be up to date on exactly who is who even though she's been a nation for far longer than most of them have existed. It seems like everyone tends to forget who someone is very quickly when they lose their national status, and she never really did pay much attention to Europe before that - and that was fairly mutual.

So if she went around assuming that everyone at this conference knew her, then it would be an endless string of being frustrated at everyone for not recognizing her. Better to assume that they don't and be extra pleased when someone does, especially since in many cases it would be hypocritical for her to have that assumption in the first place. That said, not being recognized has never been a systemic problem for her. She's sure that in the coming years she'll be able to make an impression and won't have to worry about anyone forgetting her then.

When he hesitates to answer her question, at first she's sure that he's not going to answer, but when he does her eyes widen in surprise slightly. But not because he's saying anything that she doesn't agree with, but because that's something that one needs to be careful about saying in public. She subtly looks around to see if there is anyone nearby who would overhear, but at the moment there doesn't seem to be anyone close enough to be listening in. So when she's checked and is sure she responds, keeping her voice quiet just in case, and speaking quickly. "I know that feeling well - usually it's China that I'm hoping will get knocked off of his high horse, but of course right now my problem is Japan," she says, and once again the edge comes to her voice. But this time it's not softened by a smile - right now she's being deadly serious. "And of course the last thing I would want is for either of them to meet their end - they're family - but they are prone to this idea that they should have more than they deserve. But I don't think that everything was good before the war either - I'm glad that the French empire fell! He was no good either! In fact, though I don't like to concern myself in everyone else's business, and all I really care about is getting my sovereignty back - truly back - I certainly agree that these large empires do nothing but cause problems and all of them should fall," she adds, her eyes occasionally flicking to the side to see if anyone has come closer.

[Southern Italy]

Lovino didn't expect the female nation to agree with him, so when she did, he couldn't help but to look at her wide-eyed. He didn't say anything that could possibly cause the attention to be shifted to them by others in the room, but simply took a deep breath and let it out, to calm himself of the surprise that washed over him. He too kept an eye out for any potential people listening in on their conversation; he rather not be caught saying his opinion out too loud... And letting his brother know of it. That would be the worst.

"Japan..." He muttered quietly to himself, the name all too familiar. He too was part of the Axis, and had in turn, heard a lot of him. Feliciano mainly was the one who communicated with the Asian nation, but words traveled fast, especially when they were technically teammates. He listened as Vietnam continued on with her own speech, frowning uncomfortably when occasionally she raised her voice. By the time she finally concluded herself, Lovino didn't miss her eyes too keeping watch for anyone coming near. He said nothing to assure her, seeing it was obvious they were still in the save zone. It seemed the conference at the moment held much interest in either of them or their communications. What a relief. Lovino could only hope it stayed that way.

"I'm sorry to hear all that... Many of them only do cause problems, I agree." He started, taking the last sip of his wine. He could only hope the alcohol would help numb the pain that still tormented his whole body. If not... Well, he could always drink more. Keep drinking until he eventually would, hopefully, pass out. "And, I apologize ahead of time if mine does cause any problems to your's as well, Vietnam. I doubt my brother has eyes much for the Asian nations but, he can be rather... Unpredictable."

In other words, Lovino himself was not going to do anything to the nation himself. However, there was no promise that nothing would happen to her at all as a result of his and his brother's actions. Really, this should have become his greeting towards all the nations he had yet to meet; a set phrase or two of reusable introductions could be useful. There honestly was no telling what could and couldn't happen at this point.

[Vietnam]

When her words are greeted with surprise, that causes Vietnam to be rather surprised herself. Why should the fact that she agrees about something so basic be a surprise to anyone? What nation who is unhappily under the control of another would feel any differently? She definitely doesn't think that there isn't anything to be surprised about here.

But he seems to move past his surprise relatively quickly, so she pays that no mind. She nods politely to his condolences about her situation. Though when he goes on to hope that his brother doesn't cause her any grief as well, she looks slightly amused by that thought. "Oh, I'm not worried about your brother. I'm sure that I could manage to defeat him, even if Japan did allow him to fight me," she says confidently. Because as much as she doesn't know about Europe, she does hear the rumors about Italy's track record militarily. And in order to fight her it would be a logistical nightmare for him - she's more than one ocean away from him. France managed to do it, but she has her doubts that Italy could.

The other empires, though? Each of them is someone she needs to worry about, for one reason or another. Though the one that worries her the most is, of course, Japan. Anyone else is unlikely to do anything about her unless they go to war with Japan, but given the amount of tension between the empires at the moment who knows if and when that will happen. Though since he offered that preemptive apology, she offers a similar sentiment of her own. "I hope that my brother does not become at odds with yours - he has been a bit aggressive lately," she says with a slight frown. Even if she's not really worried about ending up in a fight with Italy, she's pretty sure that a fight between the two empires wouldn't stay between the two empires.

[Southern Italy]

Lovino wasn't sure whether he was supposed to feel offended or laugh at the comments Vietnam made about his brother, of how she was sure she could defeat him. Sure, Japan will most likely put a stop to the Northern Italian before he would even attempt in the first place, but the thought of the other being able to think she could just easily defeat an empire... It was hilarious. Well, hilarious, if only she wasn't speaking technically of Lovino's at the same time. What an awkward feeling, having to share a name and status.

So he only grinned in amusement, deciding it wasn't in his best interests to just start laughing in spot. Pushing aside the thought that he too by inclusion was called weak by a country who was owned by another, he tried to think of what else to say to her, in terms of keeping her engaged. Well, certainly, speaking of the powers was not going to work. And Lovino felt he wasn't in position to be holding a casual conversation of whether or not she liked pizza, either. So the next choice of question Lovino usually went to was a small negotiation to see if the other was willing for some simple trades... But that too, wasn't something Lovino himself had control over anymore, either. He was stuck.

And as if that wasn't enough of a problem to be dealing with alone, he felt the bruises still ache. It seemed a single glass of wine wasn't going to be enough to mask the pain as he hoped would do so. Reluctantly and hesitantly, but soon unable to help himself, Lovino poured himself another glass of the wine and began to take a small sip, when a curious question came to his mind. After taking a gulp from the alcoholic beverage, he turned back to the female nation.

"...Aggressive?" He asked, raising a brow. That was far from the image he had of the small island country... Well, originally small, that is. He didn't exactly keep track of how much land the short and once humble Asian nation had claimed. "It seems it's not just Feliciano who's gotten power over his head, then..."  

[Vietnam]

Does Vietnam think that she could easily defeat Italy? No. But only because of the word 'easily'.

She's pretty sure that Italy could give her a good fight. However, she's pretty sure that she would win in the end. Partly because she's assuming that it would be a defensive war for her - she doesn't have the resources to send much to the other side of the world, and why would she want to do that anyway? So it would be Italy attacking her, and that would give him several disadvantages - he'd have to send his military a very long distance, he'd be on unfamiliar terrain, etc. Of course, his technology is generally more 'advanced' than hers, but she's heard that it's of poor quality. How good would it even work in her vast areas of tropical swampland?

Besides, has he fought a member of her family before? She's really, really used to being the smaller dog in the fight - she's determined and vicious. Also she's good at certain aspects of war, and she's heard that Italy isn't very good at pretty much all of them. So she wasn't attempting to be humorous when she said that she could defeat Italy, she's actually sure that she could win.

Which isn't necessarily meant to be an insult to his older brother but, then again, he is being held against his will by him. She's being held against her will as well, but by Japan - and in her eyes that's to a certain degree more respectable. After all, the stronger your opponent is, the less badly it reflects on you if you lose. Of course, she doesn't know the full story of the elder Italian - she didn't even know he existed until this conversation - so there could be some subtlety in the situation that she doesn't know so she won't say anything about that out loud. However, her own private opinions based on what she does know are what they are.

Still, that doesn't mean that she's not going to talk to him. In fact, after her experience with France and the deep distrust in Europeans she's developed as a result, it's rather nice to be able to talk to one that she doesn't find threatening at all.

When he questions her calling Japan 'aggressive', she looks a little confused and self-conscious as she asks, "Is that the wrong word for fighting everyone in Asia?" She does get her words confused from time to time - this is hardly her first language. In fact she's more fluent in French now, but good luck in convincing her to admit that she speaks it. But she really doesn't like the idea that she might be using the wrong word for things.

But his next comment is far more clear to her. "Ah, I don't think that Japan is 'over his head'. He knows how to manage a lot of power. But this does not mean that he should, vâng?" she says, suspecting that he'll agree with that idea.

[Southern Italy]

The Southern Italian hesitated slightly when he was asked if the wrong word was chosen to describe the nation that took over most of the Eastern hemisphere. It wasn't necessarily 'wrong', as he himself was not exactly in a position to understand the extent of the occupied lands and their feelings towards the ruling empires themselves, but it just seemed rather hostile in itself. Sure, he didn't know or bothered to ask what the Japanese nation had been doing or treating the countries now under his rule, but the last time Lovino checked, he didn't seem to be the type to suddenly lash out or attack out of the blue. If anything, he seemed humble, shy, quiet... The type that Lovino swore would drop out of the war first and quickest of the Axis to begin with.

So to hear there was a different image of said man was just... Awakening. It also didn't help that she didn't exactly explain to him the dynamics going on in Asia, either... Not that he would've really understood, anyway. Nor would he be able to do anything about it; Feliciano wouldn't allow it, he assumed. Lovino could already guess that he would be told to help out in taking care of their own problems before sticking his nose into places it shouldn't be at. Unfortunately, Asia would be one of those places. For now, at least. The elder Italian was pretty certain Feliciano would eventually try to reach over for them as well in due time.

"I... Guess it wouldn't be the 'wrong' word, no." He finally replied after thinking it over, sighing softly. "It just seemed rather extreme, so threw me off for a second there. Admittedly, I'm not close enough to Japan to know exactly what he's doing. If you want to call him 'aggressive', then all I can assume is as so."

And that was all he could really say to the other. After all, he couldn't offer any help. Neither was he one who was good with counseling, either. So when she moved on to return with a question on his followed comment, he gave the group far off in the other side of the room a quick glance wearily before tilting his head back.

"That, I cannot say." He muttered, frowning, "I know there are a few countries who can manage power and do it just fine, so those... I would assume it'd be fine..." That's what his grandfather did, in the end, as well, right...? Where was the wrong in that? As long as the countries under the rule were thriving... "...But I am not the one to speak for that. Despite it all, I am one of those that are supposed to be in control of some power as well. Regardless I actually get to do the work in doing so or not, that's just a fact... Personally I'd say my brother and I have way more than we can take care of, if that's any answer though..."

[Vietnam]

At first Vietnam is relieved when he indicates that she used the right word, but then he seems to contradict himself - if the word she used is too extreme, then it's the wrong word. Then again, she has a hard time imagining that there is a word too extreme to describe the way in which Japan has behaved toward his family. But it all becomes clearer when he expresses his ignorance of the situation generally.

Now, should she allow him to remain ignorant or should she tell him? There are reasons to do either. It's both easier and more polite to allow him to remain unaware, and since he isn't even a country himself what would he even do if he did know? On the other hand, it isn't every day that she has the opportunity to safely vent her true feelings. And having so recently lived with France for so long, she's in a unique position when it comes to being able to explain to a European exactly how her family's mentality differs from that of her own family.

"Ahh... You do not know my family very well?" she asks, "I suppose I am used to it - they are my family, after all. It wasn't that long ago that I learned how different my family is from the Europeans. It is very, very important to us to be polite - we must consider the needs of others and not be disagreeable. Both those are words - actions are different. After all, if you have a need yourself and someone else is in the way, what can be done? If you need something then you need it, so of course whatever you do to fill that need is the correct thing to do."

Knowing that this concise explanation is probably quite a bit more nuanced than he's likely to understand without some help, she adds, "For example, for a very long time I have had a need to be free, but I was not in a position to get it. Not until France was defeated in the war and Germany claimed everything he had, including me. But he was not interested in me, so he gave me to my brother Japan. But I have a need for freedom, remember? So I tried to make a break for it. But Japan has a need to own all of east Asia, so of course he needed to stop me. And also he needed to punish me for resisting, so he put me in a forced labor camp with my people who also resisted." She pauses to double check that they're still free of eavesdroppers and lowers her voice a bit more when she continues, "But I still need to be free, and I cannot get it while I'm in such a place, so I apologized to my brother and told him that he has my absolute loyalty. Which he does not, but it was a polite thing to say and I need my freedom, so what can be done?"

And she hopes that he can see what she's really saying here - that according to Western ethics her family is no more noble than anyone else. They may make it a point to be polite on the surface, but in reality each of them are actually looking out only for their own interests. In fact, they may be considered to be even worse than average because they see it as completely justified to be completely ruthless about it. Vietnam certainly doesn't seem to feel any guilt about lying so completely to her brother - just like she wouldn't feel any guilt at all if she refused later to admit to saying any of this later.

But she does seem to dislike his answer to her last question, at least to judge by her follow-up question. "Even if they have power over someone who does not wish for them to have power over them?" she asks. Not that she's exactly a champion for the idea that nobody should rule over anyone who doesn't want it - in fact, if she had her way there would be a nation or two under her own thumb - but she's definitely interested in her own independence.

"Of course, if someone has power over more than they can handle, that is a situation that fixes itself," she observes with a smile, though that expression isn't exactly the one might expect for that thought. After all, generally speaking, the naturally occurring 'fix' she's talking about is usually a civil war.

[Southern Italy]

"Ahh... You do not know my family very well?"

Lovino was greeted with a question he wasn't expecting. He gave the glass in his hand a quick glance before he focused back on her. Did he touch a nerve? That wasn't what he intended on doing, and if that was the case of the result then the Italian almost felt the need to apologize. However, what followed up was an explanation of her family, to which Lovino honestly had no idea of. Asian culture differed greatly from the European, and to say they followed the same beliefs and morals would be a difficult topic in itself all together. It seemed family issues too played such part in it.

"I suppose I am used to it - they are my family, after all. It wasn't that long ago that I learned how different my family is from the Europeans. It is very, very important to us to be polite - we must consider the needs of others and not be disagreeable. Both those are words - actions are different. After all, if you have a need yourself and someone else is in the way, what can be done? If you need something then you need it, so of course whatever you do to fill that need is the correct thing to do."

That in itself, Lovino found, was hard to follow already. Unlike what the female nation in front of him described, Lovino himself took heavy reliance on the very words spoken, and action that followed up afterwards would either be portrayed as planned or be called no short of a betrayal. Perhaps that was why the European nations, or at least of what he knew of, had issues and ongoing wars for as long as he could remember. People easily were fooled by the words written on documents or spoken by allies, that when actions showed otherwise, it almost came as a surprise. Already Lovino was beginning to think of some examples from the past, but the Asian nation in front of him continued to speak. She listed the example that would help the Italian digest the strange culture she just explained. He said nothing in return, only finding himself interested once more when she paused and lowered her voice's volume. That in itself caught his full attention, and he found himself also looking about for anybody that could be listening in.

"But I still need to be free, and I cannot get it while I'm in such a place, so I apologized to my brother and told him that he has my absolute loyalty. Which he does not, but it was a polite thing to say and I need my freedom, so what can be done?"

Now that... That, Lovino found interesting. It was a tactic he hadn't quite thought of himself to use for his own advantage towards his own brother as well. Swear loyalty and wait for the time to pounce.

"..."

He said nothing to comment on it, however. It wasn't his place to tell her anything otherwise, and she seemed to still have more she wanted to say. She only seemed to move on to his comment on ruling over other nations, or in this case territories for some. Really, Lovino himself found no reason to be hostile about being owned by another country. If it happened as a result of a dispute or a war, to put it blunt, then that was the fate of the said nation. That was what Lovino grew up under learning, and it was strange to think to have it any other way. The only reason he was fighting or having bitter feelings towards his brother at the moment was purely at the fact of, the paperworks saying they are to be in equal stance, but that wasn't what was occurring. He himself was owned by Spain for what seemed like the longest time, and thought no wrong in it. Sure, there were harsh times here and there due to the very possession, but that was with all nations, not just himself.

Not to mention, he himself was a tiny child as well with no power. If anything, he was protected by the said Spanish nation, and was grateful for it. So being told otherwise was... Confusing, to say the least.

"Of course, if someone has power over more than they can handle, that is a situation that fixes itself."

The last comment brought him out of his nostalgic thoughts of the Summer fields and tomato gardens, and he almost wanted to smack himself if he was appearing dazed from it. He no doubt wanted to go back to the simple times of being ruled over, rightfully so. Not in this strange unfair lies fabricated by the documents.

"...I suppose. That'd be the last thing I want to happen, to be honest, though." He just said, stepping away from the female nation. She differed greatly from him; he wasn't sure if he was comfortable continuing a conversation with her.