After seeing what had happened over the bulletin, Japan wasn't exactly eager to leave the other Nations alone. Prussia and Russia were the two strongest here and that...never boded well. Whenever that man had the advantage, things ended in death and horror and monsters emerging out of the sea, so Japan had to hurry and weaken any potential ties he had with the rest of the Nations.
And he also had to check in and see how they were all doing.
Using his age and a backache as his excuse not to go to the Greenhouse, Japan entered the warmer Sun Room with a sigh. Today had been so confusing. First, Lunge and then the Protagonist? Japan needed a break and needed to talk to someone sane and rational who could help him muddle through this whole mess.
The first person he laid eyes upon was Prussia sprawled out over one of the sofas.
"..."
Well, he would do.
Approaching cautiously, Japan bowed his head as he drew within range. It was so strange to see the man after all this time. He and Prussia once had very good relations, but after the War happened, everything had changed. Even if Prussia hadn't and he'd somehow survived the end of his country, Japan simply didn't have many dealings with him anymore. It was unfortunate. Prussia had been such a great ally during and before the War. "Prussia-san? Is that you?"
Japan hadn't been the nation he'd expected to wander into his field of vision, but he perked up at the sight nonetheless. Man, how long had it been since he'd seen Japan face-to-face? He hadn't really gotten to see much of anyone since the war ended, so it must have been some time around then...... Well, that was for him, at least. He didn't really know what year Japan might have been from.
"Oh, Japan!" he said, grinning. He waved at a chair near the couch to point it out. "Sit down; sit down! It's been a while..."
Prussia was just as Japan remembered him. He was still friendly and open and not at all reserved like his brother. And it was still strange to see him after all this time acting as if no time at all had passed. The time issue was one of the few problems Japan still couldn't one hundred percent get his mind around. History was only supposed to flow in one direction. Bringing in people from long ago or far in the future seemed to disrupt everything and create paradoxes that would bring about catastrophic events such as the loss of the first space flight or Hatsune Miku never being created.
Shaking his head to himself, Japan rid himself of those thoughts and bowed again as he took a seat next to Prussia. He had to focus. Hatsune Miku was not here. Prussia was. "Ah...yes, I'm afraid it has been."
Japan felt his stress levels rising as he realized what an awkward conversation this might be.
"But it is good to see you, Prussia-san. You seem to be doing well." He hoped he was doing well. "Have you met many people here?"
After talking about Hungary over lunch, Prussia had started to wonder if anyone else was going to change a lot over the years. But if Japan was from the future, it didn't seem like he, at least, had changed much. He was polite as always, for one...
Honestly? It was hard to tell much more than that.
"Oh, a few; yeah," Prussia answered, feeling more relieved than he'd be willing to admit that it really had been a while since he and Japan had each seen the other. That way, if there were any more issues with their years not matching up, it wasn't that big of a deal... Unlike like the gap between him and West, or him and Austria. "Found a German around here... Met a few of your people, too, and some Americans."
He shifted on the couch, trying to get more comfortable now that he didn't have both eyes glued to the doors. "When'd you get here, anyway? West told me the day after the meeting that you were around."
A German? Japan wondered idly if it was Lunge or not, or if there were more Germans here that were not somehow Japanese in origin. Perhaps there were and that would help him lend weight to his cosplay theory. Germans liked cosplaying just as much as Americans did lately, so it was conceivable that some of these....
Or was it? Japan's stomach knotted as he tried to think of Germany's people cosplaying the characters here so perfectly that even Japan could not tell the difference, and realizing that was nearly impossible. He would know. There were some things that just could not be simulated no matter how good the cosplay was and such things like voice, word choice, natural hair color weren't things that anyone could just perform.
"Ah? Oh, I've been here for a few days..." Since the meeting, really. That had been his first taste of the Institute. A bad one since it had begun with Russia opening the door and ended with America shouting and nothing getting done. Not that Japan had gotten much done in the days since, but he was trying... Mostly to avoid Russia. Not that it had worked.
The island Nation sighed slightly and shifted to allow Prussia more space on the couch. "I'm afraid I haven't been able to do much. What about you, Prussia-san? How long have you been here?"
"Oh, um..." Prussia started, doing a quick count. Despite having asked Japan the very same question, he somehow hadn't expected it to be asked of himself. "This is day seven, so I guess it's been a week now! England and I got here about the same time."
But in that whole week, he hadn't managed to do much, either. Sure, he'd gotten a sword off of Raph (and tried his hand at fighting the soldiers without it this morning), but that was about the extent of his progress towards busting his way out of here.
He wanted to get back home as soon as possible, but in the grand scheme of things, a week wasn't that long... Wars tended to last for years, after all.
And speaking of wars, checking on Japan's status would be a good start... "Have you gotten yourself armed yet? I'm sure West's gonna want to get you combat-ready as soon as possible. I've seen a few other people with makeshift weapons, and I got a sword from this one guy--but before you ask, I don't know where he found it."
Japan felt a twinge of guilt at learning Prussia had been here longer and Japan had not greeted him upon first arriving. Sure, he hadn't really known that the other Nation was here on his first day, but that didn't mean he shouldn't have said something. He had known in the following days, after all, and had simply not been able to get around to saying hello to the man, which was a terrible display of manners on his part. Prussia didn't seem to mind, but it was the principle of the thing which was why Japan bowed his head and apologized before saying anything else. "Forgive me for not greeting you sooner, Prussia-san. My misconduct has deeply shamed me."
He had to get that out of the way before he even began to wrap his head around what Prussia was asking of him. Japan remembered that he'd been warned people came from different times here, but to be asked such a question so directly was still a shock. Japan hadn't been allowed to hold weapons for anything other than self-defense (and even then, nothing had happened recently to necessitate it) for over 50 years. Words like 'combat-ready' just weren't in his vocabulary anymore.
"...." But what did he tell Prussia? If he was from a time when Japan could be fitted for combat, then he was from a very long time ago indeed and telling him about the future of the war could be...disheartening. Especially to a Prussian. Japan kept his head low as he weighed his options, bouncing ideas back and forth in his mind. There were very few ways of this situation that didn't involve lying or somehow ending up with a weapon he shouldn't legally be able to hold. With a quiet sigh, Japan settled on one answer and then raised his head to look at Prussia. "At this present time, I am not and have not yet found a necessity for it. I am glad, however, that you have been able to procure something suitable."
Prussia accepted Japan's apology without a word-it wasn't exactly necessary, but it was just like that guy. It was familiar behavior, and that was getting to be pretty comforting. He just nodded and grinned; if Japan wanted to apologize for not saying hello sooner, he wasn't going to refuse the apology.
Besides, there were more important matters than not running into each other sooner.
"So you haven't run into any trouble yet?" Prussia asked, thinking. "That's good... Still, it'll be better to get you armed before you do run into any. With all the soldiers around here, I can't imagine the guy who's running the show is feeling very friendly."
It wasn't just the appearance of the soldiers that made him wary-it was the gas, too, but he didn't say anything on that yet. Japan would've understood a whole lot better than Austria would have, but Prussia still wanted a chance to talk to West first.
He gestured towards one of the unmarked soldiers in the room. "Can you even tell who they belong to? I saw them up close earlier, and couldn't tell a thing." He didn't have high expectations, but if Japan was from the future maybe he'd be able to tell something that Prussia couldn't.
Prussia accepted Japan's apology and the Nation relaxed a little more. Now that he knew Prussia wasn't going to be upset with him over his behavior, he could focus more on the conversation at hand. Which was...still uncomfortable, but at least one worry was off the island's shoulders.
Except that he couldn't exactly say he hadn't run into trouble. He'd run into that man and that was more than enough trouble even when he was in a good mood. "Other than Russia-san, no, I haven't had much trouble." The monster was going to continue to loom like a black cloud of evil and horror as long as he still had land existing in his name.
The soldiers were a more comfortable topic and Japan eagerly turned his attention to them. Even if they represented future difficulties, it wasn't as if Japan was unaccustomed to the military and their practices. They were going to be harsher than the nurses had ever been and if their appearance meant a change in the overall game, then Japan had to wonder more about whether these people were real. Who would change the game plan in the middle of a LARP without informing the players?
"I am afraid their lack of insignia and the generic nature of their uniforms makes it difficult for me to answer that question, Prussia-san." Not that Japan hadn't been trying. He'd been attempting to sneak peeks at their rank, their patches, anything that could tell him something about where these people came from, but he hadn't been able to glean a thing. They weren't America's soldiers, though. Japan had seen enough of them to know these weren't his military. "...Perhaps they are mercenaries."
The idea that they were mercenaries sounded pretty good, pretty solid. Soldiers for hire that didn't belong to any one country... Yeah, that could be it. It'd explain a lot, really.
"Could be," he remarked, keeping his eyes focused on the soldiers. There seemed to be even more of them than there had been earlier in the day. "That'd make sense..."
What it didn't explain was where they actually were. His earlier confidence that this was not America's country was starting to weaken at the idea that these guys could be mercenaries-if these soldiers didn't belong to America, that didn't mean that this building wasn't on his land anyway. Maybe he should just see if any of those who were here were willing to claim it.
But before he could comment further, another voice rose above the chatter in the room.
"By order of General Aguilar, all Landel's Institute personnel will reliquish their authority to the military, effective immediately!"
...Well, so much for them being mercenaries. They may not have been wearing a nation's flag, but they were calling themselves a military...
"What the hell..." Prussia heard himself murmur, watching the soldier barking out the command.
"Unless otherwise spoken to, nurses and orderlies will now return to the second floor and await further instructions. No exceptions!"
Barely a moment later, the Sun Room doors flew open, banging against the wall, and a man Prussia didn't recognize stepped through them, heading for the soldiers. The man's voice was a different matter entirely; he recognized that immediately: Landel, the guy behind the intercom. The guy this place was named after.
Prussia gritted his teeth, trying to decide if he could make a charge here and now. He'd have an ally in Japan, but they were pretty badly outnumbered by the soldiers... Well, if the other people trapped here joined in that could even the odds, but there was the gas from this morning to think about, too... He and Japan would be just fine, of course, but there were an awful lot of human civilians here (and at least a few of them were German or Japanese).
He didn't like it, but he would have to bide his time for just a moment, just until he had a better grasp on the situation. Besides, it seemed like Landel didn't know what was going on, either.
And he also had to check in and see how they were all doing.
Using his age and a backache as his excuse not to go to the Greenhouse, Japan entered the warmer Sun Room with a sigh. Today had been so confusing. First, Lunge and then the Protagonist? Japan needed a break and needed to talk to someone sane and rational who could help him muddle through this whole mess.
The first person he laid eyes upon was Prussia sprawled out over one of the sofas.
"..."
Well, he would do.
Approaching cautiously, Japan bowed his head as he drew within range. It was so strange to see the man after all this time. He and Prussia once had very good relations, but after the War happened, everything had changed. Even if Prussia hadn't and he'd somehow survived the end of his country, Japan simply didn't have many dealings with him anymore. It was unfortunate. Prussia had been such a great ally during and before the War. "Prussia-san? Is that you?"
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"Oh, Japan!" he said, grinning. He waved at a chair near the couch to point it out. "Sit down; sit down! It's been a while..."
He paused awkwardly, and then added, "Um, right?"
...This time travel stuff was a real pain.
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Shaking his head to himself, Japan rid himself of those thoughts and bowed again as he took a seat next to Prussia. He had to focus. Hatsune Miku was not here. Prussia was. "Ah...yes, I'm afraid it has been."
Japan felt his stress levels rising as he realized what an awkward conversation this might be.
"But it is good to see you, Prussia-san. You seem to be doing well." He hoped he was doing well. "Have you met many people here?"
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Honestly? It was hard to tell much more than that.
"Oh, a few; yeah," Prussia answered, feeling more relieved than he'd be willing to admit that it really had been a while since he and Japan had each seen the other. That way, if there were any more issues with their years not matching up, it wasn't that big of a deal... Unlike like the gap between him and West, or him and Austria. "Found a German around here... Met a few of your people, too, and some Americans."
He shifted on the couch, trying to get more comfortable now that he didn't have both eyes glued to the doors. "When'd you get here, anyway? West told me the day after the meeting that you were around."
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Or was it? Japan's stomach knotted as he tried to think of Germany's people cosplaying the characters here so perfectly that even Japan could not tell the difference, and realizing that was nearly impossible. He would know. There were some things that just could not be simulated no matter how good the cosplay was and such things like voice, word choice, natural hair color weren't things that anyone could just perform.
"Ah? Oh, I've been here for a few days..." Since the meeting, really. That had been his first taste of the Institute. A bad one since it had begun with Russia opening the door and ended with America shouting and nothing getting done. Not that Japan had gotten much done in the days since, but he was trying... Mostly to avoid Russia. Not that it had worked.
The island Nation sighed slightly and shifted to allow Prussia more space on the couch. "I'm afraid I haven't been able to do much. What about you, Prussia-san? How long have you been here?"
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But in that whole week, he hadn't managed to do much, either. Sure, he'd gotten a sword off of Raph (and tried his hand at fighting the soldiers without it this morning), but that was about the extent of his progress towards busting his way out of here.
He wanted to get back home as soon as possible, but in the grand scheme of things, a week wasn't that long... Wars tended to last for years, after all.
And speaking of wars, checking on Japan's status would be a good start... "Have you gotten yourself armed yet? I'm sure West's gonna want to get you combat-ready as soon as possible. I've seen a few other people with makeshift weapons, and I got a sword from this one guy--but before you ask, I don't know where he found it."
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He had to get that out of the way before he even began to wrap his head around what Prussia was asking of him. Japan remembered that he'd been warned people came from different times here, but to be asked such a question so directly was still a shock. Japan hadn't been allowed to hold weapons for anything other than self-defense (and even then, nothing had happened recently to necessitate it) for over 50 years. Words like 'combat-ready' just weren't in his vocabulary anymore.
"...." But what did he tell Prussia? If he was from a time when Japan could be fitted for combat, then he was from a very long time ago indeed and telling him about the future of the war could be...disheartening. Especially to a Prussian. Japan kept his head low as he weighed his options, bouncing ideas back and forth in his mind. There were very few ways of this situation that didn't involve lying or somehow ending up with a weapon he shouldn't legally be able to hold. With a quiet sigh, Japan settled on one answer and then raised his head to look at Prussia. "At this present time, I am not and have not yet found a necessity for it. I am glad, however, that you have been able to procure something suitable."
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Besides, there were more important matters than not running into each other sooner.
"So you haven't run into any trouble yet?" Prussia asked, thinking. "That's good... Still, it'll be better to get you armed before you do run into any. With all the soldiers around here, I can't imagine the guy who's running the show is feeling very friendly."
It wasn't just the appearance of the soldiers that made him wary-it was the gas, too, but he didn't say anything on that yet. Japan would've understood a whole lot better than Austria would have, but Prussia still wanted a chance to talk to West first.
He gestured towards one of the unmarked soldiers in the room. "Can you even tell who they belong to? I saw them up close earlier, and couldn't tell a thing." He didn't have high expectations, but if Japan was from the future maybe he'd be able to tell something that Prussia couldn't.
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Except that he couldn't exactly say he hadn't run into trouble. He'd run into that man and that was more than enough trouble even when he was in a good mood. "Other than Russia-san, no, I haven't had much trouble." The monster was going to continue to loom like a black cloud of evil and horror as long as he still had land existing in his name.
The soldiers were a more comfortable topic and Japan eagerly turned his attention to them. Even if they represented future difficulties, it wasn't as if Japan was unaccustomed to the military and their practices. They were going to be harsher than the nurses had ever been and if their appearance meant a change in the overall game, then Japan had to wonder more about whether these people were real. Who would change the game plan in the middle of a LARP without informing the players?
"I am afraid their lack of insignia and the generic nature of their uniforms makes it difficult for me to answer that question, Prussia-san." Not that Japan hadn't been trying. He'd been attempting to sneak peeks at their rank, their patches, anything that could tell him something about where these people came from, but he hadn't been able to glean a thing. They weren't America's soldiers, though. Japan had seen enough of them to know these weren't his military. "...Perhaps they are mercenaries."
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"Could be," he remarked, keeping his eyes focused on the soldiers. There seemed to be even more of them than there had been earlier in the day. "That'd make sense..."
What it didn't explain was where they actually were. His earlier confidence that this was not America's country was starting to weaken at the idea that these guys could be mercenaries-if these soldiers didn't belong to America, that didn't mean that this building wasn't on his land anyway. Maybe he should just see if any of those who were here were willing to claim it.
But before he could comment further, another voice rose above the chatter in the room.
"By order of General Aguilar, all Landel's Institute personnel will reliquish their authority to the military, effective immediately!"
...Well, so much for them being mercenaries. They may not have been wearing a nation's flag, but they were calling themselves a military...
"What the hell..." Prussia heard himself murmur, watching the soldier barking out the command.
"Unless otherwise spoken to, nurses and orderlies will now return to the second floor and await further instructions. No exceptions!"
Barely a moment later, the Sun Room doors flew open, banging against the wall, and a man Prussia didn't recognize stepped through them, heading for the soldiers. The man's voice was a different matter entirely; he recognized that immediately: Landel, the guy behind the intercom. The guy this place was named after.
Prussia gritted his teeth, trying to decide if he could make a charge here and now. He'd have an ally in Japan, but they were pretty badly outnumbered by the soldiers... Well, if the other people trapped here joined in that could even the odds, but there was the gas from this morning to think about, too... He and Japan would be just fine, of course, but there were an awful lot of human civilians here (and at least a few of them were German or Japanese).
He didn't like it, but he would have to bide his time for just a moment, just until he had a better grasp on the situation. Besides, it seemed like Landel didn't know what was going on, either.
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