A picture of restraint.

[alliance_yao]

[Somewhere in HQ is a garden. A Chan Buddhist rock garden, to be specific. The room is shaped like a sinuous curve, with a waterfall trickling down the far stone wall into a small, blue-tiled pool. The sand is white and fine, and the worn, carven stones look like pieces of old ruins, placed at elegant intervals. A few of them are even floating,

Comments

[suum_cuique]

So guess who gets washed up at your tranquil shore like a stray piece of flotsam. HQ finally gave him free access to the library. With footage.
He sort of crumbles near the entrance, boots and all and bleeds on your sand from his knuckles.

[alliance_yao]

[His eyes snap open and he surveys Prussia with exasperation. Oh tian ah, he is so not in the mood for this.]

[suum_cuique]

[Ignores Yao. This is quiet and peaceful and you're supposed to be a nice compromise between feeling alone and not being able to stand human company right now, especially compassionate company.]

[alliance_yao]

[Oh boy. If he wants a total lack of compassion, has he ever come to the right place.]

Boots off. And wash those hands before you drip blood all over my garden.

[suum_cuique]

[Irritated glance, but he does try to untie his boots before giving up and just cutting the laces. Throwing them down in the general direction of the grass matt at the entrance he trudges to the small pond to wash his wounds, with the result that he is now dripping blood and water.]

[alliance_yao]

[He makes an irritated noise.]

Did you want something?

[suum_cuique]

Sit in quiet and be miserable.

[Lifts his eyebrow.]

What's gotten you so pissy?

[Though China does get particular about his gardens.]

[alliance_yao]

[He gives him a mirthless, sharp-edged smile.]

It's been a rough day.

[suum_cuique]

My sympathies.

[He goes back to sit in his corner and closes his eyes, leaving a trail of disturbed sand in his wake.]

[alliance_yao]

[He sighs and taps the side of one of the floating rocks. A few of the grooves glow, then it moves to hover over the fallen droplets, sucking up the wet sand and replacing it with new dry sand.]

[suum_cuique]

[He'd be impressed but his capability to give a shit is utterly exhausted. The horrors he's seen and read about are flashing across his mind, vivid, inescapable, and he can't numb himself to them, just like he can't numb himself to the depths of Germany's betrayal.]

[alliance_yao]

[He has half a mind to just throw you out. But something about you reminds him of Alfred, when that insufferable little ship ripped away the curtain hiding Miranda from the verse, when he finally cracked open in self-loathing. So he lets Prussia stay.]

[suum_cuique]

[Oh, Yao. What was that about a total lack of compassion? Prussia doesn't spare a thought for gratefulness, caught up in his own grief and horror. Just like none of his contemporaries ever thought twice about taking from you.
But he is silent at least, silent and easily ignorable and so the tranquility of the garden is restored.]

[alliance_yao]

[If Gilbert actually told him what he's upset about, Yao would tell him to get over himself, already. But as long as he's quiet, Yao doesn't mind.]

I'm not giving you a lot to reply to, am I? He'll say something when Yao gets ready to leave/talks.

[suum_cuique]

[Well, compassion doesn't have to express itself in coddling. And Prussia would probably be so shocked you could push him over with a feather if Yao even tried.
In a way, this is exactly what he needs right now.]

[Prussia sits quiet for a long time, perhaps hours, letting the peace around him soothe the agony into a more bearable pain.]

It's okay. Neither of them are the type to advertise their weakness/pain though, are they?

[alliance_yao]

(Coldly)

Are you done?