Nomenclature (2/?)
anonymous
June 3 2011, 08:19:07 UTC
A little later he opened the door to Lithuania's house without knocking as always. He was a little surprised when Lithuania was right there and tried to shut the door in his face. Germany shoved the door wide open with his shoulder and Lithuania gave a muffled grunt. Germany stepped in and looked down at the country sitting on the floor, gripping his bloody nose. "What was that about?" he asked, feeling testy. The weather was turning cold and that would be bad in Russia's house. They weren't moving fast enough.
Lithuania looked up at him. "Ostland?" he asked, and laughed. "Is that my name now? I'm sharing it with my brothers? Ostland One, Two, and Three?"
"I see you've gotten my boss' letter," Germany said. "In time, you'll be fine with it."
Lithuania flailed at a chair to help himself stand up; Germany watched dispassionately. Between Germany and Russia he was worn and thin, his clothes threadbare, his shoes wrapped to hold together. His eyes were the part of him that was most alive. "As your brother was fine with his dissolution," Lithuania said.
Germany waited until Lithuania was at his most imbalanced to trip him with a heel. The Baltic hit the ground awkwardly on his back and gasped for air. "You've been annexed into my grand empire. You should be proud. Ostland One," he said.
Lithuania's gaze flared at that. He kicked out, but Germany sidestepped his legs and planted a boot in Lithuania's chest. Lithuania's breath rasped through his teeth, but he still managed to say, "I wonder how long it will last," before he couldn't breathe.
"You were a conqueror once," Germany said. "And I am told by Austria that I was, when I was very little. It seems unlikely it would last forever. But for once, for just one damn moment--! I would remind the world that I am a nation that deserves respect." For a moment the end of the Great War rang in his ears, the decrying nations who demanded more than he could pay, and he drew a harsh breath. "Perhaps a one-thousand-year-long moment. Who can say?"
He let up the pressure he was putting on Lithuania's lungs and the nation began to cough; Germany straddled him while Lithuania couldn't move. He grasped Lithuania's narrow wrists and pinned them to either side of his head and leaned over him. "So, Ostland, it is time you gave me troops."
Lithuania hissed and coughed. "I'm sorry," he breathed, wretched, "but I don't know who Ostland is. You must have mistaken me for another nation."
Germany slapped him across the face.
Lithuania's head turned with the blow but he seemed to have been waiting for this moment; too late Germany remembered his lessons on the Polish-Lithuanian empire, how Poland had played dead until Lithuania rode to his rescue. Lithuania's freed hand came up a fist and punched Germany in the jaw, and at the same time Lithuania threw up his hips, rocking Germany forward and off his balance. Germany caught himself on an elbow just above Lithuania's head, but the nation underneath him was struggling to jerk his wrist free, twisting and squirming and throwing his leg to catch the back of Germany's knees. Germany jerked up on all fours and grabbed Lithuania by the shirt at his shoulder; he was so much stronger than Lithuania now, and he dragged the Baltic face-down on the floor, trapping his thighs under his shins, grabbing his free scrabbling arm and twisting it up his back until Lithuania yowled in pain, kicking a shoe against the floorboards in agony. "Say your name!" Germany snarled in his ear.
"Lietuva!" the country snapped out in his own tongue, his voice shaking and strung high. Germany pulled harder. "Ah, ah, no! Lietuva, L-Lietuva, I-I am--! Ah!" The shoulder ball joint popped out; the nation shuddered and lay gasping in little short breaths.
Lithuania looked up at him. "Ostland?" he asked, and laughed. "Is that my name now? I'm sharing it with my brothers? Ostland One, Two, and Three?"
"I see you've gotten my boss' letter," Germany said. "In time, you'll be fine with it."
Lithuania flailed at a chair to help himself stand up; Germany watched dispassionately. Between Germany and Russia he was worn and thin, his clothes threadbare, his shoes wrapped to hold together. His eyes were the part of him that was most alive. "As your brother was fine with his dissolution," Lithuania said.
Germany waited until Lithuania was at his most imbalanced to trip him with a heel. The Baltic hit the ground awkwardly on his back and gasped for air. "You've been annexed into my grand empire. You should be proud. Ostland One," he said.
Lithuania's gaze flared at that. He kicked out, but Germany sidestepped his legs and planted a boot in Lithuania's chest. Lithuania's breath rasped through his teeth, but he still managed to say, "I wonder how long it will last," before he couldn't breathe.
"You were a conqueror once," Germany said. "And I am told by Austria that I was, when I was very little. It seems unlikely it would last forever. But for once, for just one damn moment--! I would remind the world that I am a nation that deserves respect." For a moment the end of the Great War rang in his ears, the decrying nations who demanded more than he could pay, and he drew a harsh breath. "Perhaps a one-thousand-year-long moment. Who can say?"
He let up the pressure he was putting on Lithuania's lungs and the nation began to cough; Germany straddled him while Lithuania couldn't move. He grasped Lithuania's narrow wrists and pinned them to either side of his head and leaned over him. "So, Ostland, it is time you gave me troops."
Lithuania hissed and coughed. "I'm sorry," he breathed, wretched, "but I don't know who Ostland is. You must have mistaken me for another nation."
Germany slapped him across the face.
Lithuania's head turned with the blow but he seemed to have been waiting for this moment; too late Germany remembered his lessons on the Polish-Lithuanian empire, how Poland had played dead until Lithuania rode to his rescue. Lithuania's freed hand came up a fist and punched Germany in the jaw, and at the same time Lithuania threw up his hips, rocking Germany forward and off his balance. Germany caught himself on an elbow just above Lithuania's head, but the nation underneath him was struggling to jerk his wrist free, twisting and squirming and throwing his leg to catch the back of Germany's knees. Germany jerked up on all fours and grabbed Lithuania by the shirt at his shoulder; he was so much stronger than Lithuania now, and he dragged the Baltic face-down on the floor, trapping his thighs under his shins, grabbing his free scrabbling arm and twisting it up his back until Lithuania yowled in pain, kicking a shoe against the floorboards in agony. "Say your name!" Germany snarled in his ear.
"Lietuva!" the country snapped out in his own tongue, his voice shaking and strung high. Germany pulled harder. "Ah, ah, no! Lietuva, L-Lietuva, I-I am--! Ah!" The shoulder ball joint popped out; the nation shuddered and lay gasping in little short breaths.
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