13. o! that you were your self; but, love, you are [closed]

[keepscalm]

Characters: [OU] England (keepscalm) and [OU] France (silencetoreason)
Setting: Floor 14 (the media room), nighttime
Format: Action
Summary: Once, England had to trek a labyrinth like this while those he loved watched him be hunted. Now England is the spectator, and he's not very happy.
Warnings: Sad angry nations.

[England hasn't been able to stop watching the live feed of the labyrinth since he first discovered it. The only thing that tore him away during the daytime was his duty to America. But during the nights, after ensuring that America was safe in bed, England crept into the elevator to take the journey down, down, down to the fourteenth floor.

It was a fool's errand, for certain, but he couldn't stop watching. He couldn't abandon them.

He never entered the floor proper unless he was alone. At some point, he found a moment to himself, and staked his claim on one of the couches.

Now, he sits, watching like a man possessed for any screen that displays Zelda and Sealand.]

Comments

[keepscalm]

There were no "hunters" or "prey". We were all meant to kill each other until only one remained.

[England's use of "we" there is a bit ambiguous, but France knows England well. It's very much England against the world most of the time, and so he would not use "we" in a show of solidarity with the other residents of the Tower for something like this. England means to say that he was a participant in that particular labyrinth.

There's an undercurrent of raw disgust in his voice. It's slight, but it's noticeable. Some of those people he doesn't regret killing, but some people he respected had had to die for him to win, and others outside of the labyrinth – people he cared about – suffered just to ensure that he wasn't hurt.]

[silencetoreason]

[France, as expected, takes note of England's word choice. He flicks his eyes up and down, examining England's body language, his face. He squints, looking vaguely disgusted.]

That is awful.

[His voice is hushed. It's not meant to be a show of sympathy for England, and he trusts the other nation will know that. Rather, it's sympathy for the residents of the Tower as a whole, both ones he's never met and ones still around to talk about it, that colors his tone.]

Absolutely barbaric. [He turns back toward the monitors, and for a second, his face scrunches up like he's going to lose himself to tears.] Women and children--

[He tilts his head down, sucks in a shaky breath. Once again, he's eerily calm.]

They do not deserve to be in there.

[He says "they" with the same conviction that England had said "we," one that should clue England in as to just which woman and which child he's talking about. Jeanne is a saint, one who deserves to rest peacefully in Heaven right now, and Sealand is just a boy, hardly a micronation. His thoughts swarm with worry for them, and for Princess Zelda, for Wriggle and all the rest, clogging up his chest until it feels like his heart is going to burst.]

[keepscalm]

[England is far past having sympathy for France when it comes to most things, and he's thankful that the case seems to be the same for France when it comes to him. He doesn't need anyone feeling for his pain like that, but especially not France, who England would trust only to save that moment to lord over England later.

England's eyes are still locked on the screens. Women and children– England has met his fair share of both that are perfectly capable. It's not even that, though it certainly does lend to how despicable the whole thing is. It's the women and children that Ruana chose which has England's blood boiling. He lets go of the crossbow before he damages it or sets it off in his rage, opting instead to dig his nails into the cloth stretched over his knee.]

When Jason ran his experiment, Zelda broke in.

[There's a certain weight to this statement, a buzz in the air around it that indicates it's only just the beginning of a much bigger thought. Despite England's tense demeanour, the timbre of his voice is slightly different; it's softer. The words are almost an admittance. What part of this statement he feels strongly about isn't certain, but it's undeniable that he connects with this far more than he does with his participation in the experiment.]

[silencetoreason]

[For a few moments, France is most concerned with mulling over this information. Zelda, Princess Zelda, with her gorgeous face and gorgeous voice, doing something so reckless as to break into one of Jason's games? Of course, France knows she's brave and capable. He fought alongside her once. But that was against monsters (against England and America, he tries not to think), not, for all intents and purposes, against an administrator.

Once he's digested that bit of information, he can let the implication behind the words sink in. Slowly, slowly, he looks back over at England.]

Are you suggesting that we...?

[He lets the rest of the statement go unsaid. If he's right, then what is this? Some sense of duty, of obligation? A debt that needs to be repaid? Or perhaps his thoughts aren't on Zelda at all. It could be that she's the one who planted the idea in his head, and England now wants to follow her lead to retrieve Sealand.

No matter what England's motivation, the prospect makes France's head spin. He doesn't want to over-think it, so he keeps his eyes locked on England and tries to keep his thoughts under control as he waits for a response.]

[keepscalm]

[England isn't aware of the extent of France's connection to Zelda, but he's not thinking about that. What he does consider is Ruler. If there is one thing that England will respect about France's feelings, it's this; it's the one thing that all nations have in common, even when they are entirely at odds in many other regards. A nation will do whatever they believe is necessary to protect their people. And, here, these few people are all they really have left.

France deserves the opportunity to protect what is most precious to him. England understands that.

It's for this reason that England answers severely, with sharp, angry conviction in every syllable.]

It's not a suggestion. If you don't come, I'll go on my own.

[silencetoreason]

[The gravity of what England is considering is enormous. It's risky; it's potentially fatal. But, then... he's died before. He's sustained grievous injuries, caught the plague, taken gunshot wounds to the head, and that's all before even coming to the Tower. What's a little pain if it means he can protect those who are precious to him?]

...Heh.

[A smirk tugs at the corners of his lips. The longer he thinks about it, the less frightened he is. Dying is a small price to pay for a chance to do something proactive for once, especially if he's bound to come back to life right afterward.]

Stubborn as always, Angleterre. But that is all right. You won't have to brave it alone.

[Beneath the certainty in his words, there's a tiny hint of teasing. The situation is dire, yes, and France hasn't been in the spirits to play around with anyone recently. But speaking of something so reckless with his age-old frienemy can work wonders on him. He's not thinking lightly of things at all, but if he doesn't jab at England at least once, the boy might think he's gone soft. He can't have that.]