asapplepie | day one; locked to england

[He hadn't actually expected America to take him up on his offer to converse privately. He knows this is probably a bad idea and will only serve to make the both of them look more suspicious come next day's trial, but...well, America asked and he answered. That's how it always works, isn't it?

The sight of his room makes England wince immediately and bend towards the floor, already trying to straighten things up a bit.]

Honestly, we've only been here for a day, how did you let your room get into such a terrible state already?

God.

[He rolls his eyes and doesn't move to get up and help at all.]

We're stuck in some kind of freaking murder game, and you think I'm weird for not caring about that stuff.

We didn't find out about said murder game until this afternoon, so there's no excuse.

[starts organizing his things for him...]

Anyway, what did you want to talk about? I won't be able to sleep with you tonight, it doesn't seem like that child will let us stay in someone else's room overnight.

Geez, I wouldn't want that.

[Well, maybe, but just because fucking ghosts.]

I just...wanted to talk about things. Like, secret strategy.

We can't build a giant robot to blast everyone to outer space in order to save them.

[folding his clothes now...]

But all right, I'm listening if you have any ideas that aren't complete bollocks.

I do, but...

I need help figuring out who is going to get killed.

[he looks up, frowning.]

This again? We can't do anything for those who die during the night. We need to focus on finding out who's doing the killing, not who they may go after.

Well...

[He hesitates; he's not supposed to reveal his role, and England will make fun of him if he does too easily.]

Like, just hypocritically. If you could help someone who was going to die. Who would you help?

Assuming I don't know who's going to die specifically? Myself. My citizens. You, I suppose, if I get around to it.

That's a waste, though. No one is going to die but the one person who dies. And if I don't help them, it's a waste.

And most of these people are my citizens, anyway. I just want to do the right thing!

Really? Most of them are Japan's people, from what I can tell.

And you can't predict who's going to die, so you may as well help yourself and the people you care about, because there's just as good a chance it'll be one of you. Purely hypothetically, assuming you even have this power. Which you don't, of course, otherwise it'd be bloody stupid to go about telling me this obviously.

That's not good enough.

[Frustrated sigh.]

Ugh! I don't want anybody else to die and they're depending on me! I can't just pick myself!

What are you saying.

I'm the hero! That dumb kid picked me to help everyone, he said. But I didn't think anyone was actually going to die.

If I'm going to do a good job, I need a team of advisers, but instead I had to pick you.

WHY IN GOD'S FUCKING NAME WOULD YOU TELL ME ANY OF THIS.

I told you! Because I have to make a good decision! It's a lot of pressure, okay? Geez!

You -- fffff, I knew you were stupid, but I didn't think you were this much of an idiot! No! Idiot's putting it too lightly! There isn't a word in the entire English language strong enough for what you are! This isn't actually a game, America - what if I'd been a hunter? Then you'd be dead tonight and we'd all be well and truly buggered!

You're not, though. Why would you kill some random little girl? If Spain was dead, I'd definitely suspect you.

Calm down, dude, it's fine. I'm not going to tell anyone else, I just needed someone to talk to or I'd go insane! You should be flattered I picked you instead of Batman.

[pinches the bridge of his nose] The sheer number of things that are wrong about your logic is so overwhelming that I'm actually rendered speechless.

Ugh, I suppose you could have chosen worse. And for all our sakes, you'd better not tell anyone else - especially not Batman, I don't know who that is but he sounds extremely suspicious.

Batman isn't suspicious and has better ideas than you.

[Flops down on the bed.]

So stop being stupid and tell me who to pick! We don't have time for you being annoying.

Then you should have asked him to be your partner, git!

Fine. You mentioned that picking yourself was an option earlier, didn't you? That's good - brilliant, actually. Do that. Save yourself.

I can't do that. I'd be a big freaking coward. Besides, you said it yourself, they probably won't be going after strong guys like me. Either there's a pattern to the little girls thing, or they'll go after smart guys.

Like Batman, or you.

Edited 2013-04-26 16:01 (UTC)

I'll be fine. I hang around you, so they won't think I'm that smart.

Listen to me. This isn't about cowardice or - or emotional attachments or any such nonsense like that. This is purely strategic. Right now, there are fifteen hunters and three scavengers, and we have no way of knowing whether the scavengers are on our side but they're probably not. Aside from you and I, we don't know what side anyone else is on and there haven't been any clues or hints whatsoever. That means there's a one in three chance that if you pick randomly, you'll be protecting one of the people whose death would actually be to our advantage. The bad guys, as you say.

But you know for certainty what you are, and what you are is - purely in terms of the game, so don't let this go to your already inflated ego - extremely important. In the future, there will probably be roles among the prey that you'll have to protect. Until then, you need to keep yourself alive. Do you understand? You're the one who keeps going on about heroes and all that rot - well, if I know one thing from watching all of your terrible films, it's that the hero always waits until the last moment to save the day.

It was just an example, I mean, I wasn't going to waste a vote on you!

[He laughs, as though he doesn't realize what an extremely insulting thing it is he just said. After all, his reasoning has nothing to do with not caring what happens. It's hard for him to picture that England could actually be killed; even if there is such a thing as evil ghosts, England would definitely outsmart it and stop it. He's spent too long thinking of England as invulnerable to all of the things that are his irrational fears to wrap his mind around the idea that this is different.]

I guess that makes sense...but what if later people find out and hate me? I mean, tomorrow, if some little girl dies again and I only protected myself...even if it makes sense, that's something only a jerk would do. A hero would definitely risk his life for little kids.

[England jerks back at that, hurt and wounded anger on his face; yes, he'd told America not to bother saving him and he should be thankful the man was listening to him at all, but to think that he didn't even warrant any consideration--

He swallows the furious retort he'd been building, looking back down at the clothes he'd been folding, guilt churning away at his stomach and overriding every other emotion as it had been doing all day. No, this...this was actually a good thing. He didn't deserve to be angry at America for actually having a good plan, no matter how insulting it was; if anything, it should be the other way around. After all, he knew better than anyone that a vote on him really would be a waste.]

Good. I don't need you to protect me anyway, so don't bother trying. I mean it.

Any of those little kids could be murdering innocent people during the night. What a jerk would do is get himself killed and leave the prey on their own when they actually have someone who needs protecting, all because he wanted to play hero and feel good about himself. Anyway, they won't find out because you won't be telling them.

[America is, of course, oblivious to England's reaction. He always has a hard time getting what makes England mad or upset, so it doesn't occur to him to clarify.]

I'll still feel guilty, but it probably makes sense. Only now I wonder if you're just tricking me into thinking it makes sense for your own weird reasons.

Ugh! Why did I pick you, that's definitely something you'd do!

Wh - if I was going to trick you into anything, it'd be to protect me, you ungrateful git! You're lucky you picked me, otherwise you'd probably spend the entire time saving one of the hunters!

[Although now that he thinks about it, it would be to his advantage if he knew one of the protector roles wouldn't be on any of their potential targets. He discards the idea as soon as it comes, though - this has been about protecting America from the beginning.]

Yeah, right, who knows why you do anything.

Oh well, I guess I'll try it. Even though it's probably a big waste because they won't even go after me.

Good. If you pick someone else and die, I will never forgive you. Got it? I won't ever talk to you again!

I'd be dead, dumbass.

Unless you mean you think I'd be a ghost, but if ghosts were real, I wouldn't haunt you, I'd haunt somewhere good like Disneyland.

Though, honestly, do you really think we can die like this?

I still wouldn't forgive you.

...I don't know. We shouldn't be able to die this easily anywhere. But you shouldn't be able to lose your strength this instantly either, so maybe the rules don't work in this place.

Haha, but it really doesn't make sense. What even happens if a country dies?

Who knows? There haven't been that many cases of it happening. When Rome and Germania died, they were replaced by their various children and grandchildren. As for Ancient Greece and Britannia and the like, they were before even my time, but I assume it was something similar.

I suppose the same will happen to us if we do actually die here - new ones will spring up to take our place. That is assuming our lands don't just sink into the oceans.

They can't do that. I don't care what kind of dumb thing that kid is, they couldn't do that to my country. We'd just nuke him.

[But he seems kind of nervous and distracted; while he's been freaked out, he hasn't been treating this like real danger to him. The thought that somehow his people could get hurt...or even the thought that he could just be replaced, that his people would become some other country...]

There's no chance I'll let that happen.

That kid can somehow affect us in ways that should be impossible, I wouldn't put anything past it. But you're right that there's no chance of it happening to you, since you'll be protecting yourself every night and all.

[The shirt in his hands has become wrinkled and bunched beyond repair from the way he's clenching it, the only sign that he's given any thought to what would become of his own country and people should he fall here. With a sigh, he begins smoothing it back out as best he can.]

At any rate, there's at least three of my citizens in this town that I've met so far. On the off chance that I...get eliminated from the game, you can always ask if they still feel British or if they now think of themselves as Sealanders or whatever. If the answer's the former, then we may not have to worry about what would become of our people after all.

[America stares at him; he's completely shocked and confused by what England just said.]

Y...you're not going to get killed, right?

...Haha, very funny.

[He opens his mouth. Stares back at America.

Had...had the possibility not even occurred to him? He's not sure if he should be flattered by America's apparent confidence in his skills or weeping from how utterly stupid the boy he raised turned out to be. In the end, he just groans and buries his head into his hand, cheeks turning red.]

Of course I'm not, don't be ridiculous. I've spent centuries outwitting the vast majority of continental Europe, a game like this should be easy enough to win.

[He can't help it. A lot about the way he saw England when he was younger has changed. He knows England can be selfish and he can make bad decisions, he can lose and be weak and be vulnerable, at least emotionally.

But the part of him that saw England as impossibly strong and smart and capable hasn't gone away. He isn't what he used to be and he may not be as powerful as America, but England is certainly more of a survivor. America would be a strong opponent but pretty likely to make a mistake and fuck everything up. England would know how to do everything right even not having the upper hand. His feelings aren't even admiration so much as they are envy.

But England is talking like he could actually be killed, and now that America thinks about it, it was stupid to think he couldn't be. And that...that really isn't okay with him. His people have to come first, but he can't even fathom life with England not around.]

They might pick you. You shouldn't say a lot of stuff at trials. They probably won't pick you tonight, right? You didn't do anything weird, right?

America.

[It's difficult, knowing the situation they're in and knowing that he's going to have to constantly lie directly to America's face despite the amount of faith the other country is putting in him, but England manages to give him one of his rare genuine smiles anyway.]

Calm down, I told you I'll be fine. I didn't do anything today except make a complete fool of myself believing the game wasn't serious up until the pivotal moment, so there's no way I'll be a target unless the hunters are composed entirely out of lackwits. And while I don't plan on staying silent during the trials, I have my own insurance should anyone try to come after me.

Edited 2013-04-26 20:53 (UTC)

Yeah...

[He swallows down his nerves and looks away, embarrassed by his outburst and the look England is giving him.]

It's just that if you died I might have to learn Spanish or something.

Just don't be weird. Don't go around saying smart things or anything. And if you think there's a problem you have to tell me, I'll be super pissed if you lie.

Don't you dare give that tosser the satisfaction. Or French, otherwise I'll never let you have a moment of peace from my wailing ghost.

If no one goes around saying smart things, we'll never win. Besides, the hunters are more likely to pick off the ones who don't contribute much and therefore have a smaller chance of being under someone's protection. [and wow way to twist the knife even deeper there]

Of course. We're a team, aren't we? Don't get me wrong though, it's not like I'm touched you're worried about me or anything, I just want to get this over with! [do you hear the people sing singing the song vast never-ending guilt]

I'm not worried, don't make me sound sappy.

[He huffs back at England; England being relatively nice to him just makes him want to be meaner. It's a weird impulse because he doesn't really want to fight. He just doesn't like the idea of letting England get too comfortable with thinking he's invested. But he bites back the impulse to say something even more insulting.]

I want to get this over with, too. And win, and make the hunters pay, and for all my people and you and Lithuania and maybe Poland and whats-her-name and I guess Spain to get back safe.

And since it's me saying it, it's definitely going to happen. So don't even insult me acting differently.

[he would be much better at insulting America if he wasn't too busy drowning in an endless sea of despair]

Ukraine, you complete and utter moron, you'd think you'd be able to at least remember the name of your worst enemy's sister. Get a bloody map! It's a pity we can't turn sheer ego into a weapon, otherwise that rabbit child would have been long dead by now.

Yeah, yeah, whatever.

[He glances out his window and whistles.]

It's really picking up out there. You probably gotta head back soon if you aren't going to freeze.

Right. [He gets up, America's floor now clean and his clothes folded into tiny little squares in England's overenthusiasm.]

You'll be all right on your own? Not that you have a choice, I suppose. Remember, choose yourself to save. If you don't, I'll know!

Yeah, yeah, sheesh.

[No, he doesn't really feel fine. He's sort of scared and doesn't want to have to be alone all night. He doubts he'll get much sleep. But he will try to put on a brave face.]

Well, if you get killed, I'll know, and I'll make fun of you for being so conceited.

Then I suppose I'll have to just not get killed, I'd hate to have to deal with your mockery for the rest of my unlife.

[He opens the door, then hesitates and looks back.]

I'll see you tomorrow, America.

Yeah, I'll see you too! Just in time to listen to you whine like a bitch about the tea.

[Giving him a smile that is just a little concerned.]

day one; locked to england

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