arcanarum | Zwei. [Video]

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Zwei. [Video]

[Some of you may remember Germany. Yes, that's that unfriendly, disbelieving nation that was on the network a mere week ago, displaying a sour mood and willingness to yell at everyone and their pet rabbit. Considering he's been stuck on this island for a week now, still fails to understand the time difference between the present nations and for some odd reason is wearing this when appreaing on the screen... His mood is not one bit better than before. In fact, he looks ready to strangle someone. Just that that's difficult with plush hooves covering his hands. Tough luck.]

Halloween?

[Note the remotely dangerous intonation.]

What... Is the meaning of this? Who was that woman and where is she now? Also, who is responsible for this ridiculous costume and how do I take it OFF!?! [And he's only getting louder.] I didn't give permission to this infamy so I demand that my person gets freed from this-...this...THIS!

[His voice becomes more of a growl.] Unless whoever did this wants me to hunt them down personally. [And this is where a plush-hoof comes into view, shaking angrily. Yes, this would have been a fist. Only that a fist would be far more intimidating.] But once I get my hands on you, I sewar I will-- [But... Germany cuts himself off, glancing down at his ~~hoof~~ hand. His right eyebrow twitches. Luckily, his face is pretty red already due to simply being angry, so the rising embarrassment isn't too obvious. Oh, the humiliation.]

[He ends up quickly pulling his hand down again and clears his throat, continuing in a somewhat calmer, yet still upset voice.] What I meant to say is... I'm not going to tolerate this! Regardless who is responsible for it. I will find them. And they shall be rightfully punished! Unless they want to surrender willingly. If that is the case, this is your chance!

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I've always existed alone. It's worked well enough.

[Hajime follows Germany to the table. He's glad to be seated at one; it makes it easier for him to glare warily at everyone else in the room...not that the action's evident with that helmet he's wearing.]

But being on your own all the time must get lonely at some point.

[The nation doesn't notice himself, but he motions for the waitress to take their order.]

If it weren't for my people, I always used to have my brother around at least.

It's the way of my kind. We don't coexist well. Attachments are a weakness, anyway. Just one more thing for your enemies to strike.

[Of course, he's been forming attachments in this human form...not that he would admit it. The little girl he adopted as a sister back home keeps getting targeted because of it, after all.

He'll also let Germany order first, because this is not something he does often and he doesn't really know what to order. Such is what happens when you've only been a human for a short time.]

A brother? How does that work with the whole being a nation thing?

Your kind?

[To no one's surprise, Germany orders a beer for himself. Really. As if there ever is a different option.]

Though I see your point. Having a weak ally quickly gets your enemies to launch their attacks on him rather than yourself.

[He knows that quite well, indeed.]

We aren't related by blood like humans are, but we are both Germanic countries and share several ties. In fact, my brother founded, then raised and trained me. A few years ago we also got united, so in a way we're both the same country now.

I'm an Undead. Not that I'm a reanimated corpse...we just don't die.

[He shrugs. Beer? Okay, sure, that works. Hajime orders the same.]

Exactly. In eliminating attachments, you've eliminated that weak spot and they're forced to confront you directly. I've always hated others getting in my line of fire...

[He listens, curious.]

So it's possible to have a family outside the way humans do, then...? That sounds...somewhat complicated.

Hm. Undead... [He ponders that for a moment, then frowns.] Wouldn't immortal be a more fitting term to use in this case?

[But he nods, still.]

I know. I've had a particularly weak ally for quite some time myself. But nowadays I'm almost entirely on my own. [Because most of his allies have already declared war on him as well.]

Though, ja. Maybe it's complicated for others. But you always need to consider, that we are strongly linked to political developments and decisions. I, for example, am the result of all my older brothers unifying into one nation. Most of them I never met myself. [And there may even be a couple of sisters he's not even aware of.]

It's just what we've always been called. There's a little more to it than just that, but it's what the humans seem to be obsessed with...

[He shrugs again, ~~indifferent to his Engrish-laden canon~~.]

It's better that way, I think. Fewer distractions. Easier to get things taken care of directly.

[Hajime nods.]

It's very...different from the way I've seen most species do things. But it makes sense, I suppose...you've taken in the strongest traits of the others, yes?

Have you ever considered your immortality as bothersome, if I may ask?

[Because it somehow interests him. With merely about 70 years he's still young for a nation after all.]

In a way, ja. I inherited their knowledge and skills. But that doesn't mean I didn't have to learn how to use those...

Most of the time, it's not a problem unless I were to get sealed. I've long since taken precautions against that.

[Because spending 10,000 years sealed inside a playing card is kind of not fun. He would rather not repeat the experience.]

Did learning those skills take long with that pre-existing knowledge?

[Germany tilts his head a bit, but then gets distracted by the waitress bringing them their drinks. After accepting it with a brief nod, he turns back to Hajime.]

So you're not getting bored of it by now? Ah, and... What do you mean by... Sealed?

[He leans back a bit and eyes his beer for a moment before shaking his head.]

Nein. But I had a good trainer.

No, I'm not bored. Not while I can still find a good fight here and there.

[A good fight, a sudden interest in investigating humans...both pasttimes were definitely keeping him occupied. Hajime sort of absently takes his own drink.]

That's just the way things are done in the Undead Battle Royale. Once an Undead is defeated badly enough in battle, they're sealed away until the next Battle Royale begins.

[He seems curious at the mention of a trainer. Undead very rarely taught each other new things, after all.]

So what sort of trainer does the personification of a country have, anyway?

You hold tournaments to seal one another away? Is there a reason for that?

[The nation takes a mouthful of his beer, but the matter got him curious.

Though he also nods briefly.]

Ja. Usually it's other nations that teach and train the younger ones. In my case it was my brother that I already mentioned. Prussia, Preussen. Back then he was still a kingdom.

The species the winning Undead represents gets dominion over the Earth once the Battle Royale is complete.

[He shrugs and takes a sip of his beer like that statement was the most normal thing in the world. He's left a little bit out, but he figures that's close enough.]

It's clear how the younger nations benefit from that arrangement, but what of the older ones? What do they get out of it?

[Germany blinks at that explanation as he drinks from his own beer.]

You decide leadership via fighting over it as well? How curious...

[He sort of feels reminded of what Domon told him.]

Ah, well. They gain themselves some potential strong future allies, of course. And not all young countries declare independence from the nation that raised them like America did. But in the end there are also political decisions involved... And orders.

[Because otherwise he really can't explain himself why all of his brothers would simply have given up on their own existence only to create him.]

I suppose you could call it that, though we don't really go in much for traditional leadership. Once the Battle Royale is complete, Earth is turned over to the new ruling species. Most humans don't know of the existence of the Undead.

[Another shrug.]

Alliances sound quite common among your people, then.

[He arches an eyebrow at "orders."]

I would think that the truly strong would not need to take orders from anyone.

But what are you doing with the Earth after acquiring it?

[If no one is even aware of this happening...]

Well. We are nations. Regardless how strong we may be, just what would a nation be without its people? Every nation is run by their government, so of course we receive our orders from our bosses.

[He's not quite like the other Undead and has to think a bit to make this sound "normal," so he takes a drink to buy himself a couple more seconds to think.]

I have no interest in ruling. I'd just turn the planet over to my represented species, same as most of the other Undead...though I would imagine it would get violent if anyone other than Human Undead were to win at this point.

[He pauses, thinking for a moment.]

Of course, if the Joker wins, then everything is destroyed.

[He takes a rather sizable swallow of his beer after that last statement.]

I see. So your power hinges upon the strength and will of your people. You have to go along with it even if they make a poor decision?

There are different kinds of Undead, then?

[This turns out to be much more complex than Germany had inititally thought it would.]

And who is that Joker?

Though... Ja. That is true. Whatever my government decides, I, as the personification of my country, have no real say in the matter. But us nations don't really crave to rule our people or to have power over them.

[He nods.]

Fifty-two of the Undead each represent a particular species and are organized according to rank and category...it's the only bit of the Battle Royale that most humans might be familiar with. The way we're grouped sort of filtered down through the centuries into what became the common human deck of playing cards.

[Who is Joker? Why, the guy you're having a beer with, Germany. Not like Hajime will admit this.]

Joker stands apart from the other Undead and is there to ensure that life deserves to survive. If he wins, it clearly doesn't.

[He takes another drink.]

That sounds as though it could be rather inconvenient...but I can understand the desire not to rule. That would be troublesome as well.

Ah, it may appear that way. But for us it's the only way we know how to exist.

[And he sees nothing wrong with that, nope.]

So... Playing cards, you say... hn.

[That's a connection he wouldn't have expected. Germany considers all these information for a while, emptying his beer while he was at it. Once he set his glass down, he looks up at the other man, a slight frown on his face.]

But what are you doing when you are not fighting over the fate of the Earth? You sure must have some sort of... Life?

[Yes, he is aware that using that term when referring to someone that called himself an Undead may not be entirely fitting.]

Understandable. Certain species are simply used to certain conditions...I wouldn't know how to exist without fighting for it.

...and yes, playing cards.

[It's hard to read his expression with that mask he's wearing, but he seems almost confused by that next question, like there's a slight deer-in-the-headlights freeze before he answers.]

I was posing as a human photographer before being taken here. Just indulging a bit of curiosity in between fights...

[He shrugs.]

What of you? What would the personification of a country do all day?

Curiosity about humans and how they life, I assume? [Pause.] They are... Peculiar beings...

[And he coughs before actually going on in that direction.]

Ah. I'm currently at war. So I spend most of my time fighting other nations right now. Aside from that there's a lot of paperwork and meetings. In my free time I need to tend to my cat and dogs and ensure that my house stays clean, of course.

[Nope. He refrains from mentioning that he likes to bake and read ~~porn~~.]

[Hajime nods.]

They don't make a whole lot of sense...but they at least pay more attention to the camera than to the man operating the camera.

[War? He understands war. The rest of it...]

I don't believe I'd have the patience for paperwork...and I always thought the keeping of pets was a strange human affectation.

I am not sure if they need to make sense, but that makes them interesting to watch. They experience joy at the smallest things, it is... Intriguing.

[Listen to him talk like an old man despite being hardly seventy years old yet.]

Wasting their lives in a war is almost a shame. But... No. Many nations keep pets. They can be loyal partners and, in a sense, even become part of us, allowing them to stay by our side for a long time.

[Hajime nods slowly. The helmet makes it hard to tell, but he's actually looking a bit uncomfortable.]

They're...I'd never seen any species place another before themselves, even at the moment of death. It's...confusing.

[Because that doesn't make sense and he's been starting to feel that sort of thing too as of late, and it's just not right...if he had any beer left, it's gone now and he's flagging down a server.]

War's about the only human activity I've been able to understand...and I still don't see what benefits one could get from a pet. It's just an animal, right? Not exactly able to assist in a fight.

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