Opening & mingling!

[guiltapalooza]

GAME START. Make your initial mingling comment, either in person or online.

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[unionjackoff]

Now that Gilbert had stood up, yes, Arthur did notice that he carried himself differently. His walk was more mature, he had a darker aura. Arthur wasn't sure what it was, but he was beginning to fear the worse. Had Gilbert suffered because of him? Was he an inmate, too? Was it really his fault?

The dragon suddenly reached out to catch Gilbert's arm. "Is that really all you're going to say to me, Gil?"

[garantundkraft]

That made him stop and stare oddly at England. How long had it been since he'd heard his human name pass from the other nation's lips? Not since before the Great War. The sadness, the fondness inherent in such a nickname, both are enough to cut through his walls enough to respond to that. "You haven't used that name for me in years, England."

It was another strange thing to add to what he'd already noticed about him. Which was saying something, because England? Was weird on a normal day.

[unionjackoff]

"England?" Arthur dropped his arm. His giant brows furrowed in confusion. He dropped his voice to just above a whisper. "I thought I told you not to call me that."

[garantundkraft]

It was his turn for his brows to crease from confusion. "When? I think I'd remember such a thing! Oh, wait, is it Großbrittanien then? Or do you prefer Britische Weltreich?" There was a part of him that felt bad for going so mean in response, but he had no idea how to respond when England wasn't behaving like himself.

[unionjackoff]

Arthur tilted his head in confusion, like he'd never heard those words before in his life. "How could you forget? I told you maybe only a few months ago!" And Gilbert had never used his monster name since. There was something very troubling about this. A horrible thought crossed his mind.

[garantundkraft]

"And I'm telling you, you've never said that to me before!" He scowled, because this was enough to give him a headache. Not that he particularly cared what England thought of him, or why he was so confused. "So what the hell should I call you, then? Not that I really want to see your stupid face right now, but hey, good to know if I ever change my mind, right? Right."

He ground his teeth in frustration.

[unionjackoff]

"St... Stupid face?" Was that something that was appropriate to say to your dead friend? Arthur stood silently for several seconds before stiffening his back and puffing smoke out of his nostrils. "Fine! I don't want to see your stupid face either, human!" He hissed and marched right past this mean Gilbert. So much for comforting each other. He hoped Gilbert would come to him later...

[garantundkraft]

"Hey! Who're you calling human?!" Not that Prussia had anything against people -in fact, he was quite fond of them! considering, you know, he wouldn't have existed without them- but that sort of tone meant that England was definitely insulting him. So, naturally, his response was highly insulted!

Plus he kind of needed England to stick around because where the fuck did that smoke come from. Right now, dragging out their argument seemed the best way.

"Just because the awesome me is here doesn't make me a human! I'm still Prussia, no matter what anyone says on the matter."

[unionjackoff]

Prussia. Arthur knew that name. But for Gilbert to call himself that... Hadn't they talked about that, too? Gilbert had told him that he would always be Gilbert, not Prussia... Arthur sucked in a deep breath and turned to look back at him. What to address first?

"What is wrong with you? Does that mean... You still..." No, that couldn't be it. And, yet, Arthur's eyes were becoming watery. He was angry and confused, and he was sure his heart was breaking.

[garantundkraft]

He wasn't sure why that suddenly had England crying, but it was something. Part of him felt bad. The rest of him was absolutely righteous about the fact that he'd somehow hit a sore point! England deserved to be miserable; he'd done nothing to keep them from tearing his lands from him, scattering his people, wiping every trace of him from the map and handing his heart fully to his traitorous no, not really, you couldn't help who your boss was or what he did little brother who Prussia would give his life for a thousand times over again if he could.

"Does that mean I still what?"

[unionjackoff]

England looked away momentarily to rub his face. He didn't want to cry. This Gilbert was not as friendly as the one he knew. He was beginning to wonder if they were the same.

"You say... You're Prussia?"

[garantundkraft]

"Yes, yes I do." What was so hard to understand about that? Geez, maybe England had gotten knocked about the head a few times on his way to the afterlife.

[unionjackoff]

Well, England did not know what he looked like. He only knew that Gilbert was him reincarnated. Should he say so? He felt Gilbert should know all that. After all, there was a lot of discussion about the two of them, and then Gilbert had said just because he was Prussia didn't mean he was Prussia still. And then there was that whole thing with Brandenburg...

Arthur continued to rub his face. He was so troubled. "But you also respond to Gilbert... And you know who I am, so you can't be from the past..."

[garantundkraft]

He pinched the bridge of his nose. What kind of nonsense was he mumbling about now? "Of course I know who you are. I've known you for centuries." Prussia crossed his arms stubbornly. He wasn't even going to begin to respond to the idea that he wouldn't also know his human name. "You're England. Sometimes Arthur, but always England."

Why was he even continuing this? He hadn't even tried to get him to huff out smoke again...

[unionjackoff]

Don't worry, Gilbert. You would see him puff out smoke plenty of times. The blond looked up and dropped his arm.

"You couldn't've known me for centuries. We only met last year." A pause. "That is, if you're my Gilbert." The Gilbert he knew. Arthur was having some suspicions now, and if they were right, then that would make his heartbreak a little more palatable.

[garantundkraft]

"Well, the England I know doesn't puff out smoke unless he's got a cig in his mouth, so you're kinda coming up really suspicious to me." Plus, he was certain his England would be giving him an earful about wearing that wretched uniform around.

[unionjackoff]

"And the Gil I know knows how much I hate being called that..." Arthur closed his eyes. He looked sad for a moment, but then relieved, as though a whole load of heavy bricks had been knocked off his shoulders. "We must not be from the same world."

[garantundkraft]

"...Wunderbar." Well, that was settled. Meant he didn't have to worry about going out of his way to avoid this England, but he had no intentions of going out of his way to spend time with him either. Though, one thing was nagging him, as he headed to throw his trash away and put the dishes to be washed. "But it's your name, right? Why don't you want him using it?"

[unionjackoff]

Arthur followed after Gilbert... No, Prussia. Because he didn't have anywhere else to go. Yet. And he felt attached to him. They sort of knew each other, but not really. "B-because... It's... Well, I don't like it." He looked away, ashamed of something.

[garantundkraft]

He rinsed the dishes out as he considered that. What a waste of food, but it wasn't that good anyways. "What about me? Can I call you England or is that bad?" He might do it anyways, even if England doesn't like it. Just to reinforce the idea that he isn't the Gilbert this guy knows. And as much as he's always been fond of his human name, it seems easier to insist on being Prussia.

[unionjackoff]

"I'd prefer if you not," Arthur replied, still keeping his head bowed. "Everyone else will call me Arthur. That is my name." But it wasn't as though he could stop Gi- Prussia. Dammit, he was upset again. He wondered, though, if Gilbert had survived, or had at least gone to a better place. As awful as it was, Arthur would have loved to have some company.

[garantundkraft]

Hmmm. What was with this guy? He stepped close, until Arthur would be staring at his polished jackboots unless he brought his head up, then just... reached out to grab his chin and tilt his head up forcibly if he continued to look down. "England's also your name, though, right? Or else you'd think I was crazy calling you that." Though maybe Arthur's world is more different than he's already figured out, since Arthur doesn't seem to recognise what his uniform represents.

He was testing Art, poking and prodding at what weaknesses he could see, because he wanted to know why Arthur had seemed so upset by his earlier words. Was he involved with his Gilbert...? Then it could only be better to reinforce they were different.

[unionjackoff]

This Gilbert was even taller than the one in the other world. And his eyes were the same color, but they looked harsher, not filled with the student's childlike excitement. Arthur stared back at him, not wanting to show any weakness. He was a monster, after all. He snorted smoke from his nose again.

"It's my other name, yeah. So don't call me that, and I'll call you Prussia." Shite, this was depressing. He was depressed. He wanted to go back to his room and curl up in bed.

[garantundkraft]

His eyes gained a spark of interest at that smoke. Where did it come from? Ahhhh so many things he wanted to know the answers to; it wasn't fair! But, he released Arthur's chin. "Oh come on, like the awesome me is gonna obey that kind of threat? Gilbert's my human name, so it's not like I don't answer to it plenty already." He went to pat him on the head if he didn't move away.

Poke. Poke. Annoy, pester, bother, come on, react. England's buttons were way easier to push, but then, he knew England better. This guy just had his face, name, and voice.

[unionjackoff]

All this petting and poking doesn't seem to bother him. At least, not for a few seconds. Finally, he growls, eyes turning reptilian, and he turns his head to catch the side of Prussia's hand in his mouth. He doesn't bring out his fangs. Not yet. But there is a warmth behind his mouth, coming from the pit of his stomach, somewhere.