(no subject)

[tomatatas]

Characters: Romana and you!
Setting: The library.
Format: Either!
Summary: Romana went back to her own world. And she is a wreck.
Warnings: Tears, possible swearing, possible violence.

[For the few days that she had been back in the tower, Romana had managed to keep it together. Pretending to be find was a skill she had taught herself long ago, and one she used often.

But her scar aches under her clothes.

And she can't stop the images of her Italy in ruins, the once green hills and fields empty wastelands, her beloved Santa Chiara returned to rubble, like it had been after the bombings.

Venice, covered in water, Rome deserted, Vatican City burnt and broken to the ground.

And no where, no where could she find another living soul.

No where could she find her sister.

Finally, one day it gets to her, she can feel herself start to crack. And so she hides, up in a corner of the library, surrounded by photos pulled from her photo album. All of a smiling happy redhead, some with Romana by her side.

And Romana cries, arms wrapped tight around her, her whimpers muffled as she hides behind the stacks, praying that no one will find her in this moment of weakness.]

Comments

[princesspowaful.livejournal.com]

[Molly was exploring the shelves again. Usually she didn't come in here but Rose had said something about finding a book she would like about heroes! So her curiosity got the best of her and she went searching]

[and damn was she bored]

[But then, what's that? It sounds like someone is upset!]

[Molly peeks her head around the corner and sees Chiara, Molly remembers her even if she hasn't seen her in a while]

[She didn't know what was wrong, and knew enough not to ask, instead she goes over and just gives her a hug]

[tomatatas]

[Romana doesn't notice Molly until her arms wrap around her. Biting her lower lip she tries to stop her tears, failing miserably. Shoulders shaking she tries to muffle herself at least, turning her head away from the little girl] M-Molly... you... you shouldn't be here, you shouldn't have to see this...

[princesspowaful.livejournal.com]

[Molly shakes her head and hugs tighter, but not too tight]

When people are sad they need hugs.

[tomatatas]

[Romana chokes on a sob, the words too similar to something her sister would say. Her shoulders shaking she finds it impossible to speak, one hand clinging to Molly's arm as if she's scared the little girl will leave her]

[princesspowaful.livejournal.com]

[She hugs tighter] We can sing a song.

[fracta-anima.livejournal.com]

[Minami had been exploring the tower more, hoping to at least find her way around when she just happened to stumble upon Romana. Cautious, she approaches the brunette, then kneels down beside her.]

Hey. You want to talk about it?

[tomatatas]

[Minami startles Romana, the nation having been too wrapped in trying to keep her sobs quiet, trying not to cry on the photographs of her sister. At the voice she freezes before slowly shaking her head, voice thick]

N-No... No, it's not your burden piccola...

[cantgetlaidin.livejournal.com]

[a few books in hand, germany is looking through the shelves when he rounds a corner almost straight into romana.]

[for a moment, he considers walking past her. then he clears his throat uncertainly.] Is something the matter?

[tomatatas]

[Romana wants to ignore him. Why did he have to come along, of all people. The only person she'd hate to see more is the girl version of himself. With a frown Romana forces herself to stop crying, feeling her emotions choke up her throat and the photos that were scattered around her begin to be gathered up, Venezia's smiling face being hidden by Romana's hands]

No. Nothing. Everything's just perfect.

[cantgetlaidin.livejournal.com]

[he manages to steal a glance at the photographs before her hands cover them, and he spots a vaguely familiar face grinning back up at him.]

I find that hard to believe. [his gaze is still focused on the photographs.]

[tomatatas]

Really? And why would that be? [Trying wipe her eyes, frowning at the black smudges of mascara that cover her fingertips. Any other time she would try and contain her rudeness, but fuck it. She just wants to be left alone, being rude will get him to leave faster.

Plus it doesn't help that he reminds her of that German bitch.]

[thisclinchesit]

If anyone was good at finding things he wasn't supposed to, it was Shoutarou. Today brought him back to the library. Much as it frustrated him at what he couldn't find, there was something about being surrounded by books that brought some degree of comfort - perhaps it was being reminded how he and his former chief had done things back during Shou's rookie days, or just that the sheer amount of books reminded him of his former partner.

The latter was more likely.

The faint sounds of Romana's sobbing grab his attention, and the detective wanders over, frowning a bit. He stoops down, fishing a handkerchief out of his jacket pocket, and holding it out. His expression is a knowing one - after all, huddled up away from everything else with a bunch of photos and crying? It doesn't take a rocket scientist to have a vague idea of why the woman is upset.

"Here," is all he says, though, noting the handkerchief.

[tomatatas]

The show of chivalry is surprising, Romana blinking in confusion as she looks up. "Ah..." she pauses, before taking the handkerchief, using to blot the tears and the smudges of eye make-up off her cheeks. Closing her eyes she nods, taking a deep if shaky breath. "...Grazie."

[thisclinchesit]

Shoutarou nods at her. "You're welcome," he answers, then turns his attention to the photos of the redhead, noting that Romana's in some of them.

When he speaks again, his voice is calm, quiet, and a bit shaky. "Missing someone?"

[tomatatas]

Small black stains on the handkerchief Romana finally stops scrubbing at her face, crumpling the cloth up into a little ball in her hand. She'll wash it later, find him somehow and return it.

Somberly she looks down at the photos, studying a face she knows perfectly before she nods. "Si... more like grieving though..."

[fifty]

[America hadn't really meant to stumble on the crying woman--one of the girl Italies, right? He really hadn't meant to find anyone at all, after he's ended up back at home for a week and found everything dead, just like it had been in that viewfinder. But ignoring a crying woman wasn't a hero thing.]

Hey, are you okay?

[tomatatas]

[A snorted laugh as she curls up tighter, hiding her face against her knees] What does it look like?

[fifty]

[America shifted awkwardly. Really, he was no good at this sort of stuff.]

Well what happened?

[tomatatas]

[A deep shuddering breath, Romana shaking her head]

They... They weren't lying... It's all really gone.

[mercantilistic.livejournal.com]

( ( Spain has been exploring the tower for a little while, trying to find out more about where he is. He isn't sure that it's not hostile so of course, his sword is drawn as he explores. When he comes to the library though, he hears crying and goes to investigate. When he sees that it's a woman, he places his sword back at his side. ) )

Is something wrong, señorita?

[tomatatas]

[Blinks, frowning at the accent and words... is this the male Spain that's been mentioned to her? He does look like Isabel, back in her Empire days...

Wiping her eyes she shakes her head, forcing her tears down] N-No... I'm fine.

[vanavanushka.livejournal.com]

<sub>[Ivan was searching the tower, trying to get acclimated, trying to understand exactly where he was and why he was here, and libraries were always nice places to start. He hoped to find to find the answers he wanted.

However, he only found a crying Italian in the corner, and he frowned slightly, watching her for a moment, silent.

Then slowly carefully, he moved, knelt by her and took out one of his vodka bottles, barely any left--after all he had been here for far too long, and only had so much of the liquid left. But reguardless, he nudged the bottle towards her, frowning.]</sub> Drinking, da? It will be helping.

[tomatatas]

[Romana jerks with a start at the unfamiliar voice, red eyes wide and her tears momentarily stopped. And then she begins to rub her eyes, shaking her head, her voice a higher pitch then usual] No, no, I'm fine, si, I'm fine, really.

[vanavanushka.livejournal.com]

_{[Ivan watched her, brows furrowing slightly, taking back the bottle, because if she did not want it, he certainly did not mind keeping it.]} Are you being sure? Ah.... Those who I am finding fine, usually are not crying....

[tomatatas]

I don't drink. [Romana pushes herself up into standing, frowning when Russia still towers over her] And I wasn't crying, there is just a lot of dust in this awful place... [A weak weak lie]