Post by Southern Italy on Jan 25, 2017 5:57:31 GMT -7
If there was anything Lovino hated the most, it would have to be being in pain. Unfortunately for the elder of the Italian brothers, this seemed to be something that constantly lingered around in his life these days. The concealer could only do so much in covering up the blues and blacks on his skin, and though he tried to not, a limp was apparent in his movements. The Italian wouldn't have doubted it if somebody told him his ankle was broken, as it sure felt that way.
Feliciano's anger towards him didn't surprise him at all, honestly. It was expected. The plans of betrayal was discovered by him, and there was no question whether it was something Lovino debated committing or not. With plans made several months in advance, it was supposed to go smoothly, but the unexpected happen. The war came to an abrupt end.
All plans of leaving Feliciano behind to try and work with other nations to bring his very own brother down was put to a sudden stop. Lovino tried to cover up his tracks, oh he sure did, but at this point he was unable to hide anything from him. And with the peace conference taking place almost too early for Lovino's liking, he ended up here with a limp and several bruises today.
Running his tongue against his teeth, the male could only thank the gods in heaven for not losing teeth. That would've been a pain to deal with; he hated having to get dental work done. If it wasn't the noise, the simple sight of the tools dentists used freaked him out.
Lovino tried to keep his distance from the groups in the party, and he sure as hell was managing quite well. It seemed the main focus as far as the Italian empire went, all was put on Feliciano. It was no question why; he was closer to the other nations. If anything, the Sourthern representation was just a tag-along, someone who just stayed in the shadows as a miniature and convenient secretary for the Northern Italian.
His eyes scanned around to the different nations in the room. There were a few who Lovino could hold personal interest to, but one in particular was the representative of the United States. Or, Alfred, as people referred to him by. Lovino too was at ease enough to call the other by his first name, having been friends with him, his own population having going to Alfred to find a new living and jobs during the depression mainly. The blond seemed to be doing well... And Lovino found himself, no doubt, slightly jealous. He forced himself to pull his eyes off the other, wincing as pain shot up his leg, making him have no choice but to limp to the nearest wall to lean up against.
"...At least have the respect to not make it harder for me to walk, Idiota..." The man cursed under his breath, obviously speaking of his brother. Dio, this was annoying.
Last Edit: Jan 25, 2017 5:57:51 GMT -7 by Southern Italy
Alfred knew that he shouldn't be, but he was honestly stunned upon seeing the conditions of some of the other nations at this meeting. He'd last seen some of these nations decades ago, and it was a tad bit harrowing to see just how much things had changed since then. One such nation was Lovino, who he'd gotten fairly close to in the years leading up to World War II. The war put a damper on matters, of course, and thus Alfred hadn't seen Lovino in quite some time. It surprised him to see Lovino in such a condition because he was South Italy, and thus technically the co-head of the Italian Empire alongside his brother. And yet it was clear which brother was in control of the operations just from looking at Lovino.
As he approached Lovino, he caught the other nation muttering something under his breath but couldn't make out what he was saying. "Hey Lovino, this is turning out to be some get together isn't it?" His description was left ambiguous on purpose. The grin on his face suggested that he meant it, while the emphasis on the word 'some' indicated (correctly) that he was being somewhat sarcastic with his observation. Either way his observation was true, but to say that Alfred enjoyed what the celebration represented would be a lie. While he was happy to be in a position of power (something that made him curiously feel both apprehensive and eager at the same time), he didn't exactly approve of the Axis.
..the Axis as a whole, that was. He wasn't against working with members of the Axis to bring down other members of the Axis, he just wanted to bring the Axis down in the end. "You're not looking too swift now." He couldn't exactly ignore the condition that Lovino was in, and thus he did the exact opposite - He addressed it and brought it to the forefront. If Alfred's assumptions were correct, Lovino's injuries were obtained at Feliciano's hands. It was the only theory that made sense. There had been a war, but Feliciano looked to be doing quite well..like the rest of the Axis. Like the rest of the Empires for that matter (himself included).
But Lovino looked as haggard as some of the others present. There was no mistaking the hint of concern in Alfred's expression. The two were on good terms after all, and while the war put a damper on that Alfred had no plans to let that fall to the wayside now
Last Edit: Jan 28, 2017 15:51:21 GMT -7 by America
Post by Southern Italy on Jan 29, 2017 3:11:20 GMT -7
Though he himself was unable to take his attention fully away from Alfred, Lovino couldn't help but to flinch when he noticed the other's approach to him. He stayed leaning up against the wall, rather not move away from the support he was finally able to use to ease his pain even slightly. The bruises on his back ached with the pressure and his weight, but it was much more durable compared to the pain in his ankle. He would have to find ways to grab clutches or support without making it too apparent...
"Hey Lovino, this is turning out to be some get together isn't it?"
The Italian's eyes traveled back up to his old friend, and he gave a small silent shrug in response to the sarcastic observation. Instinctively he tried to hide the bruise on his face, using the collar of his shirt to cast a shadow upon his face. He knew it was a futile attempt, but at this point, any attempt was better than none in his opinion. Especially in front of another empire leader. Friend or not, it was not safe to show another strong representation of his own weakened status. His attempt to hide such weakness however, was immediately show down when the other spoke up again.
"You're not looking too swift now."
"..."
He said nothing at first, but his expression hardened visibly. Whether it was from fear or from anger would've possibly been harder to determine, but his worried glances towards the other groups in the room would show the former would be the correct answer. He didn't want to risk anything, and only when he spotted his brother quite a distance away did he finally relax his tensed muscles and expression with a small sigh.
"Do I not?" He asked back just as sarcastically, testing his own volume and keeping an eye on his brother some distance away. When he saw he wasn't turning around, he finally turned back to Alfred. The concern on the other's expression made the boy mentally wince, and he couldn't help but to lower his gaze slightly. "...I just fell wrong on some stairs. It's nothing big. You seem to be doing... Fine."
While Alfred wasn't always the most observant, it was impossible to ignore the fear in Lovino's eyes as he glanced toward the other groups in the room. Then he saw Lovino's countenance relax upon gazing at Feliciano and it became somewhat clear what was happening. The one with the most control out of the two brothers was Feliciano. Lovino was in a similar position to Matthew. And yet the way Lovino looked toward Feliciano made Alfred feel somewhat sick. His brother didn't feel that way about him, did he? He glanced quickly toward his own brother. But he couldn't turn his brother loose..what if Matthew left? Alfred didn't know what he would do then but it likely wouldn't be good, and that scared him.
Alfred arched an eyebrow at Lovino's attempts to play off his injuries. "That's a lie, but if that's the story you want to stick with I'm not gonna keep pressing you." Honesty felt like it was the best policy in this instance. They both knew that Lovino was lying, but he couldn't force Lovino to tell him the truth. He did want Lovino to know that he saw right through what Lovino was telling him, however. What he chose to do with that information was up to him. Alfred still wasn't sure whether Lovino's wounds were leftover from a battle or whether they were inflicted by the one who brought forth such a worried expression on Lovino's features. His own brother..Alfred glanced toward Matthew once more before exhaling sharply.
At least Lovino thought that he looked fine. There was actually quite a bit weighing on him, but he was doing his best to hide as much and Lovino's words confirmed that he was at least somewhat successful in his endeavors. "Well I more than doubled the amount of land I have control over, so that helps." Alfred grinned. He did rather enjoy the position that this put him in as one of the powers of the world, but it was also a stressful position.
In addition to glancing around the room to get an idea of who was fraternizing with who, Alfred paid a bit of extra attention to Feliciano. The way that Lovino looked toward Feliciano still resonated with him, and if Lovino felt the need to watch his back to make sure that his brother didn't have anything to say or do to interrupt them? Well, four eyes were better than two. Alfred figured that it wouldn't hurt for him to keep a watch as well
Post by Southern Italy on Feb 15, 2017 7:47:45 GMT -7
If it was at any other given time, Lovino would've been annoyed at Alfred's lack of observance in others' situations, but this time he wanted to do the same just for the opposite of what the other had shown. Instinctively, Lovino ducked his head to cover his neck in the collar of his shirt, or at the very least the shadow of it, and scowled deeply when it was pointed out that he was lying. The comment made afterwards of the American telling him he wouldn't press the matters made him both relieved and scared at the same time; it truly was a strange feeling to say the least. On one hand, he wanted to play it off as if he didn't hear the other's comment on him knowing it was a lie. On the other hand, he wanted to drag Alfred out of the room at this moment and confess everything to him. At this point however, the Italian knew he had to be careful with what cards he played. Sure Feliciano didn't have the helicopter glare on him at the moment but, it wasn't clear whether Alfred would turn him in to his brother if he were to speak, either. Lovino sadly was not quite sure whether the male he had learnt to call his friend over the many years was his friend anymore.
"...It's the story I have to stick to." He decided to mutter out. There. He wasn't saying exactly what happened, but at the same time was not going to change the excuse, either. His brother couldn't say anything, then, right? Not that at this point Feliciano would've probably cared, but Lovino was self-cautious. He didn't want to risk putting himself in harm's way if it could be avoided by just him being careful. But it didn't seem right to lie to the American, either, after the years they spent supporting one another before the war.
Making sure to keep himself leaning up against the wall to support himself, Lovino listened as the blond replied to his comment of looking fine, despite the circumstances. It wouldn't be a lie to say every nation was damaged one way or another; as far as the Italian knew, every nation was carrying a heavy baggage after all the chaos. Many of them were crippled or suffering from a cold; and he was no exception. Honestly it was hard to tell whether he should've been focusing on pain or cold medication to dope himself.
"That can help, yeah..." He returned the grin that Alfred showed. His eyes kept flickering back to glance over Alfred's shoulder to keep an eye on Feliciano all the same, but he was still far enough away that Lovino managed to stay relaxed for the time being. He was unaware of his friend doing the same to keep an eye on the Northern Italian, for now just a frightened small animal himself just desperate to keep himself for once, safe. And if small talk could give him that sense of security, he was going to use it. "You got Matthew, right? I'm sure having him as part of your empire sure can help you out a lot..." And, Lovino doubted Alfred treated his own brother the same as Feliciano did with his. It was hard to accept it, but he was... Rather jealous, if that was the case. He envied the relationship the two would have if that were to be the case.
Alfred kept a concerned eye on Lovino, but he was just as concerned with what was going on around them. Something had Lovino on edge, and that meant watching Lovino's back the best that he could. While Lovino was technically an empire head like himself (and thus they could get away with talking like this easier than they might otherwise), it was fairly clear who held the power out of the two brothers and Alfred had the sinking suspicion that his best chance of getting as much out of Lovino as he possibly could was through talking to Lovino one on one like this, without Feliciano lurking nearby and listening in. Especially when Alfred suspected that Feliciano was behind Lovino's injuries/behavior. He suspected Lovino wouldn't say much of anything in that case.
The younger nation let out a sigh when Lovino gave him an answer hidden within a sort of non-answer. "Makes sense. You gotta watch your back nowadays. You should just know that I'm not the type to go blabbing to just anyone." He smiled. It was a joke in a way, given Alfred's known penchant for talking..but it was also a testament that he would not tell Feliciano what Lovino told him in this conversation. Whether Lovino chose to understand it as such and how he acted upon it was up to him, but Alfred still felt the need to offer his assurance to the other nation. Like Lovino, he chose to state it in a somewhat neutral sort of way..like they were just old friends catching up, without a dark cloud hanging over their heads and threatening to rain down on them at any second.
Indeed, Alfred had Matthew. He found himself in a decent position after the war, even though he did have to work on rebuilding a few things damaged in the battles between he and his brother. "Yeah, I do. He's not too happy about it now but it's a big adjustment. Hopefully he'll come around eventually though." And Alfred hoped that his brother would come around willingly, because Alfred did not want to have to put his foot down. Yet he couldn't risk losing Matthew at this point - not with everything else.
In a way..seeing how Feliciano treated Lovino and how Lovino was reacting to it served as a warning sign to Alfred. Though Alfred was determined to keep Matthew by his side one way or another, he never wanted to go so far as to treat Matthew the way that he suspected Feliciano was treating Lovino. Alfred glanced back toward the crowd once more, keeping an eye out to make sure that Feliciano no one was paying them any extra heed in the midst of all of their other conversations
Post by Southern Italy on Mar 11, 2017 8:36:17 GMT -7
"Exactly." Lovino agreed with a soft murmur when Alfred mentioned of their need to watch their backs. He never knew when exactly, even if it wasn't Feliciano himself, someone who could tattle on him would be checking in his conversations. It was only as Alfred added on that he was not the type to go blabbing to just anyone that caught Lovino's attention however, and it was shown clearly as his gaze averted fully away from the weary glances to the particular group in the room back to Alfred fully, studying his expression for any hint of lie instead in the provided statement. The testament made the Italian swallow the growing dry lump in his throat nervously, attempting to find the words to be spoken back to return the comment to Alfred. What followed instead however was the fearful habit of his irises traveling back to lock on Feliciano's backside once more. He could feel the heart in his chest pounding in pure terror of what could happen if he were to speak the truth. If it wasn't the beating that could possibly follow, then at least the idea of losing the last shed of pride he draped across his shoulders. Both were terrifying.
However, the offer itself was one he did not want to just toss back away to Alfred's chest. He found himself shifting slightly against the wall of support, bending his knee to his good ankle to spread his weight throughout his foot to avoid further discomfort, and yet attempt to appear at least somewhat normal in his stance. The assurance given to him made him visibly relax, a sense of relief helping its way throughout his body. Pushing aside the darkened cloud of emotions above them Lovino took a deep breath of sigh and tried to keep to the topic as it changed back over to about the gained territory of Alfred's once again. "I'm sure he will soon enough." The empire ruler by name couldn't help but to say back bitterly, a hint of sarcasm hiding behind his words. "It really isn't a choice. It's just how us, as nations, live our lives. I just hope you don't push him too far; he seems like a nice guy."
Though Lovino himself had almost little to no knowledge on the Canadian himself, he had heard stories and seen him in glimpses from time to time. Matthew seemed like a man who would know of his place and go along with whatever he was told to do. The thought was a unique one, seeing Lovino found himself in the same situation as the Canadian. Though the Southern Italian had his name in the paperwork as the empire leader, it was clear who really owned such position on their own. The one who was doing much better running the clusterfuck of this mess, of course. "I will give you at least that word of advice. It's the least I can do to a dear friend of mine."
With that whispered statement, Lovino saw Alfred glance back for the occupied crowd and found the frown creeping on his face once more. He wanted to say more, he really did. However, Feliciano being in the room was preventing him from speaking any further in detail. In reality, the Italian wanted to ask Alfred more questions and hoped to check his current status with the American. Whether that'd be allowed or work or not would be another story to be dealt with later. But with his main source of terror still having the chance to turn and walk up to them at any given moment, he found the courage to such act be compressed in his mind. He didn't want to get in further trouble... Like a timid toddler after doing a wrong deed, he lowered his head instinctively to hide his eyes with his bangs, his voice shaking with strain. "B-Be kind to your brother, si?"
Alfred wasn't aware of how little Lovino actually looked at him until Lovino's eyes searched his face. Of course, Alfred's expression showed no sign of insincerity as he was telling the truth. He didn't plan on telling anyone about their meeting, save perhaps for those that he considered allies - and there were few that fell into that category. Out of the Axis, the closest he came to trusting anyone was Arthur, and that was because he suspected Arthur only joined the Axis to fight against him. It was rather ironic that Alfred would consider working with Arthur to bring down the Axis after they'd fought so recently before, but..something about the Axis did not sit right with him. Especially upon seeing Lovino's condition now compared to just a couple of decades before.
And he was an empire co-leader. What could be said for those who weren't in such a supposed 'lofty' position? "Believe me, I don't want to push him too far..if it gets that far I want someone to stop me before it gets to that point." He eyed Lovino with the usual concern, but now there was a hint of fear mixed in. How would he know when he was going too far? Had he gone too far already? It wasn't like Matthew was the type to speak up in comparison to other nations. But he couldn't let Matthew trick him either, he needed to keep Matthew close. He couldn't lose Matthew. Alfred could feel his heart begin to race at the tumult of thoughts and emotions crashed through his mind..but then Lovino drew him from his reverie.
The advice that Lovino gave him was advice that he intended to follow to the best of his capability, but it wasn't that that drew him from his reverie. It was the way that Lovino stuttered as he spoke. In decades past, Alfred saw Lovino as outspoken and brash. This was..this was something entirely different. And Alfred didn't like it one bit. He narrowed his eyes in the direction of the others before grabbing Lovino by the shoulder and quickly holding his hand to his lips in a shushing motion. He led Lovino out to the hallway, briefly glancing back at the door before turning his attention back to Lovino. "If anyone asks where you went when we go back tell 'em the bathroom..now tell me what's going on, if you can."
The last bit was added as an after statement, but he felt that it was important nevertheless. He hadn't failed to realize that it was incredibly hard to get Lovino to talk about what was happening, and that he still might not talk. But it was worth a shot
Last Edit: Mar 12, 2017 18:57:05 GMT -7 by America
Post by Southern Italy on Mar 23, 2017 8:10:07 GMT -7
"Believe me, I don't want to push him too far..if it gets that far I want someone to stop me before it gets to that point."
The words that were spoken by Alfred nearly made Lovino turn his head away. He fought the urge to do so by taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out. Alfred no doubt would treat his brother much better than Feliciano possibly ever would of his brother, and the mere fact of so saddened the Italian. At the very least, the brunet was thankful of his brother's absence of hurting their little sister; Lovino feared of such day to arrive. It would be the day Lovino would most likely snap at the spot and assault the younger sibling, if anything, to keep him from harming the young child that would be caught in the middle of the said fire.
After searching the blond male's face, Lovino found no lie hidden within the features of the phrases spoken by him. He found that relieving more than anything. Alfred seemed to at least still be the same man that Lovino befriended years before the war; the same man he trusted his men to and helped him stabilize after the unification that sent the southern half of Italy into the equivalent of the Great Depression by giving him odd jobs here and there. Even so, however, he still found it nearly impossible to speak up and beg for help as he had done years back to the younger but stronger nation, as the source of his fear was still in the same room. Despite the aforementioned relief that washed over his features, Lovino's eyes still glinted with a hint of terror as he repeatedly pulled his gaze to and from the Northern Italian not too far off. It wasn't until Alfred grabbed him by his shoulder that the brunet gasped and snapped awake from his initial fixation on his brother and stare wide-eyed to his friend. Studying the finger that raised to its placement in front of Alfred's lips, he swallowed another hard lump that stuck in his throat and let himself be led out the door.
"If anyone asks where you went when we go back tell 'em the bathroom.." Lovino gave a hesitant nod, unable to help but to glance to the door they exited out of. He felt his heart thumping wildly in his chest, nearly causing him to feel sick from its effect, but managed to refocus himself back to his friend when he continued to speak. "Now tell me what's going on, if you can."
At first, Lovino was silent. His mind was still trying to catch up on the fact that Alfred actually led him out the room just to talk to him; to listen to him and not have to fear of interruptions from the source of all of Lovino's troubles himself. The younger nation still seemed to care for him, and that wasn't something the Italian could easily just take in. At least, not at the moment. It was a concept he had to get used to all over again; the secure sense of comfort was something Lovino lacked ever since gaining his independence from the Spaniard's wing. Swallowing a whimper that threatened to pass his lips, Lovino reached up to grasp at Alfred's suit, taking comfort in the idea of the other unable to just up and leave him out of the blue now. He had a grasp on him; he wasn't going to leave...
"..." He wasn't sure where to begin. He wanted to tell Alfred everything and anything the other had to ask regarding his situation, but there were so many factors that played into the complicated life he currently lived. Unable to organize his thoughts right away, his reply came out studdered, unfocused, whispered. "I-... The... Um... A-Alfred, just... The Italian Empire... I-... H-help..."
Alfred did realize that he and Lovino were not entirely out of danger. There was a chance that someone might notice that the two of them were missing and head off after them. It was far less likely out in the hall than it was in the crowded main room, however. Nor would they have to worry about constantly glancing over at Feliciano to make certain that he wasn't paying attention to them..though Alfred wasn't about to put his guard down entirely. He made sure to lead Lovino to an area where they could still keep surveillance on what was happening around them and be ready to act at a moment's notice. But Alfred also wanted answers from Lovino, which meant keeping a good eye on Lovino as well to try to discern what Lovino was trying to say nonverbally as much as verbally.
He..did not expect the sort of response that Lovino gave. "..he did do this to you then. And don't try to say that you did something to deserve it or whatever, I don't care what crap that bastard is telling you to justify what he's doing. And that's me as a person, not as a nation." In all honesty..America as a nation had little reason to act in this instance. The war was over, and while the Axis was still a major threat..Italy seemed like one of the weakest links in the Axis. So perhaps yes, this interaction did benefit Alfred as America. But the concern for Lovino's well-being rather than the well-being of the Italian people as a whole? That was entirely Alfred. And Alfred honestly was enraged on Lovino's behalf.
Nor was he asking if Feliciano did this to Lovino at this point. Alfred knew from the way that Lovino was acting, from the way that Lovino mentioned the Italian Empire than whispered for help. "Is there anything in particular you want me to do to help? I'm all ears. Just..stop talking if I hold my finger up, k?" The last bit seemed necessary, as Alfred resolved to keep a closer look out when he wasn't the one talking. That meant if someone walked up on their private conversation, Alfred would be able to communicate to Lovino to shut up at a moment's notice and Lovino would know to comply. They wouldn't need to say a word to communicate this either.
While Lovino might have asked for help, Alfred wasn't sure if Lovino had something specific in mind that he could do or whether it was more of a vague plea for help. Alfred was willing to provide assistance either way, but he needed to know specifics if Lovino was asking him to do something specific. He looked back at Lovino for a few seconds, shooting him what he hoped was a comforting smile before going back to surveying the area
Post by Southern Italy on May 30, 2017 8:02:23 GMT -7
Unlike Alfred who stood guard even after exiting the room, Lovino was crumbling down. Every glued lie he put together to shield himself from the stress seemed to just melt, as he struggled to come up with coherent phrases that would enlighten Alfred's inquiry regarding his current stance. It was clear that Lovino was far from holding up as an independent nation, an empire ruler no less. Perhaps out of all the rulers that stood up, he was the most broken; the one who could be manipulated on the spot and torn down in an instant. The most vulnerable link to the large chains that held custody of the European and African nations.
With his grasp on Alfred still deadly tight, the Italian took a deep shaky breath in hopes to keep himself from stuttering further and creating a larger mess than necessary. He had to focus and get out what he needed Alfred to help him out with. With Antonio out of the question with how deep in debt he was to the Italian government and the outcome of the war, the Southern Italian was limited to his resources. But first, he had to straighten out his thoughts. Once Alfred assured him that he indeed still cared for him as a friend, Lovino found himself lost of words. His mind blanked out to a pure white state, nothing emerging from the fog of relief.
"..He did do this to you then. And don't try to say that you did something to deserve it or whatever, I don't care what crap that bastard is telling you to justify what he's doing. And that's me as a person, not as a nation."
The hand that kept the tight hold on Alfred's suit gave a visible tremble as the American spoke the words. He kept his face looking down, his eyes still covered by the bangs he grew out in an attempt to get an easier way to cover up his bruised lining of cheeks. For now, they served more the purpose of hiding where the tears came from. He raised a free hand to wipe at the thin wet stream on his face, shaking his head side to side as he did so.
He deserved it. It was for betraying the Italian government during the war; for even thinking of attempting to do such sin. Feliciano seemed to know what he was doing fully, seeing now, they owned an empire. Something that the both of them could proudly hold up to the sky for their grandfather to see and be proud of them for. At least, Lovino imagined Nonno would be proud of them for. Maybe not to Lovino the betrayer, but to Feliciano the success story. And for Lovino to even think of holding Feliciano back from such prized and honorable position... It had to be his fault.
But he couldn't get himself to agree with Feliciano's doings, either.
"It's... It's my fault... It is, but..." More whispered and shaking words passed Lovino's mouth, before Alfred began speaking again, making him fall silent immediately to listen. He looked up with his tear-filled eyes and bit his lower lip as Alfred explained.
"Is there anything in particular you want me to do to help? I'm all ears. Just..stop talking if I hold my finger up, k?"
"...Si." He muttered back, his brows furrowing with worry at the confident and comforting smile he flashed his way before he seemed to focus back on his surroundings to keep guard. At that, Lovino took a short moment to himself to calm himself, several deep breaths coming and going before he spoke up. "...I... Need your help... With my sister," he started, "she's... Stuck between the two of us in this mess and... Alfred, if I snap... I need her safe."
