She chuckled at his response. "You don't have to appear menacing to make them worry you'll hit them. Or worse." Tugging on her earring, she looked thoughtful before shrugging. "Nations by nature exist by taking over each other - or at least, that's how we came to be. Colonies spring from nations, and some grow to become a nation themselves. Some nations have been invaded so many times that they just loathe physical contact, and some hate being in the same room with their former invadors."