We're a literate Hetalia canonverse roleplay with a focus on working with roleplayers with busy schedules while also fulfulling that need for creativity! Check out the rules and plot to find out more about how we operate. Game of Empires explores history, relationships, and the various timelines of each personified nation. Feel free to ask any questions as you check us out!
03.10.19 - 03.20.19 Grand opening for Game of Empires will be in the middle of March, hopefully while the majority of you are having your Spring Break if you're lucky enough to have one. Welcome!
Post by Germany - Ludwig Beilschmidt on Mar 30, 2019 6:54:00 GMT
Ludwig was almost to the tables he'd been headed for when he glanced behind him and discovered that Arthur wasn't there. And at first he simply figured that Arthur had gotten separated from him in the crowd. Not that there was that much of a crowd, but that was the first natural assumption. So he retraced his steps, keeping an eye out for a lost Arthur. Though by the time he started to get close to the spot where he knew he saw him last, it had occurred to him that there's another reason why nations disappear lately...
When he'd gotten all the way back, he sighed heavily. It did indeed seem likely that Arthur had fallen into a time slip. Though if he had, there was nothing he could do about it. And Ludwig didn't like problems that the could do nothing about. But after reminding himself that there was at least a slim chance that Arthur wasn't in his past - probably unlikely, but he liked being able to tell himself that anyways because he didn't like the idea of anyone poking around in his past - he noted that there was also some slim possibility that something else had happened. And that was something he could actually do something about, so he decided to put his attention there.
Perhaps Arthur had for some reason gone a completely different direction? He checked the entire floor and asked around but came up with nothing. Downstairs then? Also nothing. The bathrooms? Not there either. Once he was satisfied that he'd searched everywhere and Arthur was not to be found, he gave up. He pulled out his phone, which he had checked several times while he was looking to see if he'd gotten any messages from Arthur but also with no results, and decided to text him. If by any chance Arthur was still in the present maybe he would respond, and if he was in the past then he'd get the message as soon as he got back and the cellphone towers noticed that his phone was available to receive it again.
I can't find you. I'll be by the southeast corner of the bar, second floor, for awhile. Otherwise, call when you can.
Having sent the message, he settled down at a table in the specified location to wait for awhile. He knew that the time slips could last for a very long time, but he was also sure that Arthur would have heard the news that death was a 'safe' way to end it early. So there was hopefully a good chance that Arthur would be away for relatively short amount of time - especially since Arthur strikes him as the sort of responsible person who wouldn't ignore the fact that time was passing without him in the present, and also would recognize that perhaps one shouldn't be too nosy about someone else's past.
Though even as the minutes ticked by, he tried not to read too much into it. There was always the chance of complications - though it seemed unlikely to him given just how colorful a lot of his past was, it was always possible that Alfred had gone to some point where there simply wasn't a convenient way to die easily available. Especially since, though there's a lot of ways to die, if you want to be sure that it's quick and hopefully not too painful that starts to quickly limit your options. And what if you don't die and get knocked out instead? Does that bring you to the present too, or do end up in a coma in the past until the time it would have taken normally passes? He didn't want to be the one to test that one... So even when he needed to refill his beer, he decided to wait a bit longer. He could afford to give Arthur some time - his schedule was kept clear for him his evening anyways.
Post by England - Arthur Kirkland on Mar 30, 2019 23:11:02 GMT
It didn’t take long for Arthur to hear the sound of his mobile once it seemed to settle back in today's time-frame with the cell towers nearby, indicating a text message. He fumbled a little with it in his pocket, his fingers still shaking just a tad. It seemed that even dying to escape a time slip still produced generally the same symptoms of waking from a death in real time. Upon reading the message, a part of him did feel relieved that Ludwig hadn’t left the restaurant and bar area yet. He could only assume that Ludwig might’ve guessed that his sudden absence meant that he’d fallen into a time slip. The lot of them were starting to adapt to this new and disruptive way of life. If anything, he hoped that Ludwig would find some merit in the fact that Arthur had chosen to leave it sooner than time would’ve probably allowed him to leave naturally. Ludwig was extraordinarily private like that, a trait that Arthur generally shared.
He started to make his way over to where Ludwig had indicated that he would wait for him. Once he made it to the second floor, Arthur first stopped at the bar to get a drink that he desperately needed to calm his rattled nerves and the unpleasant tightness settling in his gut. Approaching the bar, he immediately ordered, speaking in German so that they didn’t take him as a tourist that could be easily overcharged. ”A double gin and tonic. Heavy on the gin, please,” he spoke, dropping a healthy tip for the man after watching him, ensuring that he followed his instruction.
First taking a healthy sip from his drink, the pleasant warmth following, before he turned to glance about the area until he found Ludwig at the table. He set his drink down first before pulling one of the chairs to join him. Arthur did seem a bit ruffled as he shrugged out of his jacket, hanging it over the back of the chair. ”Thank you for waiting for me…” he muttered. His fingers went briefly through his messy hair, exhaling slowly. ”How long have you been here? It’s hard to keep track when you’re in the thick of things.” Referring to the time-slip, as he assumed that Ludwig had come to that conclusion, since he had waited this long for Arthur to reappear.
Post by Germany - Ludwig Beilschmidt on Mar 31, 2019 0:57:10 GMT
When Ludwig spotted Arthur heading over to join him, he felt a sort of mixed relief. It was good to see him back so soon, but he also was quick to note the signs that wherever and whenever Arthur had gone it hadn't been a particularly pleasant experience. Which isn't very much of a surprise to Ludwig because there was quite a bit of his past that wasn't an especially nice place to be. He simply nodded a greeting when Arthur joined him, then nodded again at the thanks. And though he had a lot of questions that he would have liked to ask, he refrained for the moment - he'd let Arthur have some time to recover.
At the question, he glanced at his watch. "Only about half an hour - not very long," he reassured him. Having fallen into time slips himself, he knows how disorienting the passage of time can be. Time seemed to slow down and then rush ahead as it was - adding in time travel only made that feeling worse. "Are you still hungry?" he asked in return, as it was easy enough for him to imagine that, depending on where Arthur went, he may have completely lost his appetite. Or, on the other hand, food might make him feel better, depending. He glanced over toward the bar area, trying to determine how hard it would be to get the attention of one of the staff.
Post by England - Arthur Kirkland on Apr 2, 2019 4:27:37 GMT
From Arthur’s experience so far, it wasn’t very typical for him to meet with someone that had slipped into his own past fairly soon after it had happened, after they had disappeared. He would imagine being rather curious, perhaps borderline interrogating as to where that person had slipped into his own tumultuous past. Arthur had the feeling that since these time slips had started, that there was a renewed loathing against himself, a very personal reminder for his own bloodied and questionable reputation as a tyrant. He supposed that Germany would have that very same issue with others suddenly being reminded of certain aspects of the past that were probably better left unexplored a second or third gruesome time. Arthur certainly could’ve done without the reminders, as he honestly didn’t want to see Ludwig in that negative light again. What’s past will always be the past. They had to worry more about the present and the kind of future that would bring.
He took his time with his drink for a moment, the calm settling over him. He glanced over at Germany when he told him how much time had passed. ”I suppose that’s fair… it felt longer than that to me,” he muttered softly. ”Yes, we can eat something… I wouldn’t mind trying to continue as if the night weren’t interrupted,” Arthur glanced at Ludwig when he said that, wanting to convey that he didn’t want anything to change presently just because of what he might’ve seen or experienced. Arthur decided to rather boldly grab the attention of a waiter passing by with a tray. And the waiter immediately came over when he’d deposited the drinks at a table nearby.
Arthur had ordered something typical, a meat and potatoes dish, since all the menu items were all essentially some form or another of meat and potatoes. He also asked for another drink. When the waiter left with both their orders, Arthur swirled the glass in his drink, his eyes on the table for a moment before the looked back up at Ludwig. ”I saw you between the wars… and in the end, I said some things that I regret.” He was being straightforward, but also not severe in the way that he was saying it. ”I know we can’t control these time slips… but I’m sorry that I intruded all the same.” He knew that he wouldn’t have been very pleased if another nation had seen him like that, if their positions were reversed.
Post by Germany - Ludwig Beilschmidt on Apr 2, 2019 5:57:19 GMT
When Arthur indicated that he wanted to carry on, Ludwig simply nodded to that. Some might have taken one look at how troubled the Englishman was and insisted that he go rest or something, but Ludwig knew that Arthur was a man like himself in that it would actually be cruel to make him do nothing. Then there wouldn't be anything to do but sit and stew about what happened. It was better to actually do something - preferably something that directly fixed whatever was causing the trouble, but if not that then at least something that would be a reminder that there are other thoughts to be had than just the one.
After quickly ordering his own meat and potatoes dish (which is a fine combination of two very versatile types of food) and instructing the waiter to keep the drinks coming for both of them until told to stop, he simply waited expectantly for Arthur to speak - though he specifically tried to avoid showing any sign of impatience. Unless Arthur abruptly changed his mind and tried to leave prematurely (or fate was cruel enough to whisk one of them away into the past for a second time this evening) there would be probably be plenty of time for questions.
What he heard brought a slight frown and a thoughtful look to the German's face as he quickly remembered those particular years. Though what Arthur said after identifying the time period brought an hint of somewhat dark amusement to Ludwig's face. "Vell, there's no reason to apologize for vords that I don't knov vere said," he commented, "And it can't be helped. Not unless ve all stop seeing each other and even that vouldn't fully vork. So ve all must be understanding until they figure out how to stop it, ja?"
But, having said that, he sighed deeply and took an extra large swallow from his drink, allowing some of his frustration at the general situation to reach the surface. Just because he was being understanding, like he said, didn't mean that he liked it. Then again, over the course of his life he's grown accustomed to problems that can't easily or immediately be solved the way he would wish them to be. "So... between the vars? Vhen exactly? Vhat vas going on?" he asked, as those were a rather eventful couple of decades for him - the was the bad part, and the part that he thought was good at the time but in retrospect was possibly the worse part.
Though if Arthur spared a moment to note Ludwig's reaction, he might be surprised to see that the German didn't seem to be especially bothered. That time period may touch upon the part of his life that carried with it his deepest regrets, but it was also relatively recent history for him - it isn't something that he'd fully put behind him yet and it seemed sometimes as if absolutely nobody had forgotten it. He felt it would have been a bigger intrusion for others to learn about the foibles of his youth that nobody except maybe Gilbert is likely to remember. Those times were far less ignoble, but far more embarrassing to him personally.
Post by England - Arthur Kirkland on Apr 3, 2019 20:31:55 GMT
Arthur knew that Ludwig was the sort who would understand his desire to do something or drink excessively rather than simply call it an early evening. Of course, if Ludwig had chosen to call it an early evening, then Arthur likely would’ve stayed behind to drink and find another distraction in the bright city of Berlin. He also greatly appreciated Ludwig’s request to the waiter to keep their drinks refilled until they requested for them to stop coming. Which Arthur wouldn’t do anytime soon. He continued to nurse his drink, choosing not to look at the other nation for his response to the time-frame that he’d just been in. He did glance up; however, when he heard his comments about there being no need for an apology.
”Perhaps so… you don’t know what I said. But perhaps there's still regret all the same that I was speaking honestly. You know how blunt I can be… but there are some truths that I still prefer not to acknowledge out loud. It becomes substantially more difficult to pretend that it isn’t there.” Regret was something that Arthur didn’t feel or take lightly, but the last world war was the definition of a long list of regrets, so it would only make sense that there could be thoughts, emotions, and ideas still attached to that event that linger within the minds of an aged generation that had lived that reality. And a nation would feel that among their people, naturally.
Arthur made a soft sound of wry amusement when Ludwig mentioned all of them working toward being understanding about the current situation until the time slips were no longer a component of their existence. ”Yes, we’re all understanding to a point… We all have similar regrets, secrets from our pasts, sensitive events that everyone is now intimately privy to. Perhaps we deserve this—to face our past, our decisions, over and over again.”
A part of him wanted to spare Ludwig the embarrassment of what he had seen. He knew that if it was himself, being seen on a hospital bed like that, he would’ve been rather mortified that someone had intruded upon a vulnerable and private moment like that. But he knew that it would be more cruel not to say anything at all. ”You were bedridden... Angry. Bitter. Suffering. And you called Francis a whore.” Arthur snorted softly with the last part, a taste of genuine amusement as he glanced up at Ludwig. At least the entirety of the visit wasn’t a terribly somber waste.
Post by Germany - Ludwig Beilschmidt on Apr 3, 2019 23:06:31 GMT
When told that Arthur had been honest and perhaps blunt to his past self, Ludwig's response was to simply comment, "Vell, I'm sure I deserved it." Not knowing exactly what was said, he couldn't address whatever the Englishman was worrying over directly, but he remembered how he was back then and can't imagine that whatever was said was inappropriate to the situation. So with this second dismissive statement he simply indicated that he wasn't going to let it trouble him even if Arthur planned to continue to worry about it.
Especially because the importance of whatever Arthur did in his past paled in comparison to whatever he'd found out that he had not known before. Not that Ludwig had any secrets deeper or darker than the worst that everyone already knows about, but there are many smaller details that happened avoid public exposure. So he was not expecting to have to do any damage control because Arthur had discovered something new of any importance, though he would have to accept that the Englishman probably had a much greater depth of knowledge than he did before about a few things.
He nodded slowly in agreement as Arthur spoke about how this affected everyone, though he stopped at the Englishman's last statement. "I don't knov about 'deserve'. Ja, ve need to face our past so that ve can learn from it - it is vhy I like to study history - and perhaps this is a good opportunity for many to do so. And perhaps it is even good in many cases that ve learn more about each other so that ve understand each other better. But if the lesson has already been learned, do ve deserve to be reminded of that mistake over and over again? Or do ve deserve to leave it behind us and let it be buried by time?" he asked, though his tone indicated that he was being rhetorical and didn't necessarily expect an answer. He wasn't even sure how he would answer that question himself, but he knew it wasn't a simple issue.
As Arthur explained what he had seen, a series of emotions crossed the German's face. The first was one of deep thought as he remembered that time, followed by a flicker of pain when he remembered how he felt at the time, which was replaced almost immediately with a pensive look as he considered the ramifications of Arthur having seen that. From what he recalled, after the Treaty of Versailles Arthur did what nearly everyone had done after the war - gone home and focused on sorting out all the problems that had been neglected during the war. A lot of nations had known that he'd struggled under the burden of that treaty, but few nations had actually come by and seen exactly how badly it had affected him.
Though he was only able to ponder that for a moment before his mind caught up to what Arthur said he said about Francis. Amusement flickered across his face, though he quickly forced his features to be composed and serious as he commented, "Vell, he vas. And he is." He then sips his beer as if he'd simply made a factual statement, but the feeling behind his words could not have been more different than when his past self spoke about the Frenchman. Back then he'd been self-righteously furious with the nation, who he didn't care for one bit - now he was making fun of a friend. One that he didn't always get along with, but only because neither of them knew how to disagree without getting on each other's nerves a little.
He paused for a few moments, thinking, before he decided to give Arthur more context to what he saw than he probably had in the moment. "That vould have been 1922 or '23. I may not be good at everything, but I am good at logistics so I thought that perhaps I vould be able to somehow manage to pay the reparations that Francis vas demanding. I didn't think they vere fair to begin vith, but though I managed to pay for a few years I couldn't figure out how to keep it up - I became convinced that it vas impossible and that Francis had purposely meant to kill me with them. And that everyone else didn't care if he did. I had a lot of time to think about this vhen I vas in the hospital, so by the time I left it I had decided that the only one vho would look out for me vas me and that I can no reason to care more about them than they did about me," he explained before his shook his head and added, "I vas young and very angry, so of course I came to the wrong conclusion."
Post by England - Arthur Kirkland on Apr 10, 2019 5:43:10 GMT
Arthur’s lips thinned slightly when Ludwig admitted that he probably deserved it, a typical reaction of Arthur's when he was holding back from saying something, as it would’ve been the same blunt truth as everything else that he voiced. He took a drink and his gaze settled on the other nation when he disagreed about deserving this kind of treatment from the ambiguous presence of time and whatever force in the universe was doing this to them. ”You certainly hold a much kinder perspective than I do. It’s realistic, a logical outlook at least. But… I see your point. I’d prefer for past actions to be buried by time… particularly if it’s an event that some of us have already been repentant over.” Even if Ludwig didn’t expect an answer, that was the response that Arthur wanted to give, regardless. Something softened in his expression as he stirred his drink. ”I’ve done terrible things as well. I’d prefer your view, if only because it’s the only outcome that I can rightly control.”
If anything, Arthur appreciated the show of humor from Ludwig regarding his words about Francis, yet another reminder that he was far different from the younger nation that he’d just left behind in the time-slip. Francis generally seemed to hold complicated relationships on a global scale. He was certainly a complex nation, more so than his flamboyant exterior would suggest. But that never stopped Arthur from poking fun at him.
”It wasn’t fair…” Arthur agreed quietly before taking another long drink. He listened to the entirety of what Ludwig had described, the sort of place he’d been in during that time and the conclusion that his younger self had come to. A hint of dry amusement touched Arthur's gaze, mixed with the somberness of the conversation. ”I’ve been in that place many times… insurmountably angry with the world for its horrid treatment, and making it my life’s mission to hurt it far worse than it had hurt me. As if that would somehow make things better... I don’t really fault your younger self for that. I’d be a hypocrite if I did.”
He took a slow, steady breath. And the waiter came by with a refill for Arthur’s drink when he noticed that his glass was empty. ”I don’t hate you, Ludwig… I did once. After I discovered certain things that I wasn’t meant to discover. But, that hate has steadily been buried in the past, along with everything else. And I never want to feel that way toward you again.” Arthur wasn’t the sort who said things lightly, and he knew that Ludwig was much the same. It was perhaps why he oftentimes enjoyed his company and speaking with him, even if they had their occasional unpleasant moments presently. ”I respect you for how far you’ve come, for how much responsibility you’re able to take on despite being comparatively young to the rest of us.”
Post by Germany - Ludwig Beilschmidt on Apr 11, 2019 21:20:45 GMT
As someone whose dark past was so terrible and recent that it seemed like it would haunt him forever, Ludwig sincerely hoped that it would fade away in time. Not that he necessarily wanted it to be forgotten - too many learned too much from while whole ordeal so if that good could come of that part of it at least then he wanted that to resonate throughout the ages. But it would certainly be nice if, for example, he could raise his voice during a meeting without half of the Europeans getting extremely worried. He had, after all, spent a lot of time and effort making sure that he'd never repeat the same mistakes again, so he certainly didn't feel like he deserved to be reminded about things that he would never forget. And he was sure that many nations felt the same way about elements of their own pasts, so he nodded as Arthur stated as much.
When Arthur then expressed his empathy for the way that his past self had felt, Ludwig frowned just slightly and commented, "I actually did not vant to hurt the vorld at that time. Francis, perhaps, but not everyone. I just vanted everyone to leave me alone so that I could sort out the many problems I had in peace. Though I'm not sure vhat I vould have done next if that had happened - vould I have been content at that point? I don't think so, but perhaps I vouldn't have ended up in a var vith all of Europe. I have often vondered how it vould have been if things had been different."
"Instead, of course, a man shoved up speaking so many angry vords. And though I did not agree vith all of them, I vas very angry so I liked that he vas very angry. And vhen he became my Boss, removed the floundering republic that I thought vasn't vorking anyvay, and managed to quickly solve so many problems I had vith the economy, I began to believe that perhaps there might be something to his ideas," he frowned deeply at his own words and shook his head, "I have been asked many times by so many people vhy I listened to him, and that is vhy - I vas in a situation to be very vulnerable to it and did not have the experience to recognize it for vhat it vas."
With so many heavy words being spoken, the arrival of the waiter was a welcome pause. His own drink did not need any filling - it was uncharacteristically full, in fact. The conversation had slowed the pace that he was nursing his beer to an absolute crawl, which was always a sign that there was something amiss with the German. Though Arthur's words at that point certainly seemed to bolster his mood - in fact, he nearly smiles at the compliment. "I don't think that I ever have hated you. I have been very displeased vith you sometimes, but alvays it vas easy to understand your decisions even if I didn't like them. Perhaps it's because I didn't really get to knov you until recently - Gilbert has an entirely different view of you," he said in return, looking somewhat amused as he reflected on his brother's opinions. Luckily for Arthur, Ludwig was only vaguely aware of most of Arthur's earlier years. Mostly he heard about it from his brother, but since he recognized that it was Gilbert's very biased opinion he had not put too much stock in it and had formed his own.
Post by England - Arthur Kirkland on May 14, 2019 0:55:09 GMT
Arthur snorted softly with Ludwig’s thought if he would’ve been content after he’d presumably solved his problems. ”When are any of us content with stopping? We all keep moving forward with greater ambitions, some of them with a high price attached. But perhaps I’m just speaking for myself. All the same… I do wonder if things could have been different as well.” He appreciated Ludwig opening up to him about some of his inner most thoughts regarding the war, some of which that Arthur wasn’t privy to, although could’ve guessed all the same based on some of Ludwig’s actions. ”I get why you listened to him… If I were in your situation, I would’ve done the same. We’ve all had rulers like that. It’s simply part of the natural pattern of our long existence.”
When his glass was filled, Arthur muttered his thanks to the waiter before taking another long sip. The burn felt nice against his throat. He glanced sidelong at the German, considering his words when he said that he didn’t hate him. A wry, perhaps rather amused smile touched Arthur’s lips when Ludwig mentioned being rather displeased with him. Sometimes Arthur got an odd thrill out of displeasing others, perhaps because it meant that he’d been successful in rocking the boat, as he was typical to do. ”If I’m not displeasing someone, then I’m not entirely being myself,” he muttered with an amused lilt to his tone.
His tone and expression became somber; however, when Ludwig mentioned Gilbert. ”I hurt your brother quite badly… It’s not one of my proudest moments,” Arthur murmured as his eyes were fixed on his filled glass as he swirled the ice. ”I deserved his contempt at the time.” England and Prussia had been very close prior to the world wars, close enough for most others to speculate if something else was going on. And, of course, whenever Arthur grew close to someone, beyond his own attempt to charm and manipulate during his Empire years, it was around the time that he would push them harshly away. And he had done just that to Gil, while also picking up Francis in Gil’s previous place as England’s favorite, his closest ally. Of course, things had patched up somewhat in recent years, but it would never be the same as it was. ”In any case, I appreciate the stark differences between you two,” he chuckled a little at that.
Post by Germany - Ludwig Beilschmidt on May 14, 2019 2:43:07 GMT
As Arthur spoke of everyone's ambitions, Ludwig was immediately nodding. "At least nov ve've finally admitted that vars of conquest are barbaric. So that's a start," he commented. Though of course he couldn't say that of all nations and even some of those who claimed they agreed seemed to like to 'cheat' sometimes, but on the whole the world was certainly a lot more stable now than it used to be.
When the other nation also mentioned others having similar rulers, the German actually reacted with dry amusement. "I have to keep reminding myself that - I am not the first nor the last nation to have a dictator for a Boss. And also not even the vorst, even if it sometimes seems that everyone forgets that," he added, frowning slightly to himself. In fact, a conversation he had with Yao once immediately came to mind - it certainly hadn't been difficult for him to point out the absolute hypocrisy in the elder Asian nation attempting to say anything about his past.
Easily catching all the hints of amusement in Arthur's reaction to the displeasure he has caused, Ludwig responded in kind by 'innocently' asking, "Is that vhat Brexit vas about?" Because yes, even though that was raw and recent, he was able to joke about it in his typical dry fashion.
Though as the Englishmen went on to comment further about his brother, Ludwig became quiet and simply listened. He doesn't really feel like he can say anything about it - he remembers how hurt Gilbert was, but he doesn't idolize his brother to the point of being blind to his sibling and mentor's faults. Did Gilbert deserve what he got? Perhaps not in that particular instance, but in the grand scheme of things karma does seem to come around and Gilbert was guilty of enough things himself that Ludwig didn't see the whole thing as some sort of a cosmic injustice. And that being the case, the rest of the details are between his brother and the Englishman as far as he's concerned.
Though the final comment about how they're different caused Ludwig to ponder that thought for a moment. "Vell, there are certainly more since I took over from him - before that I just did vhat I vas told to do and didn't think about it very much. Though even more especially since his time vith Ivan," he said, but then paused to frown as he added, "He's not been the same since, even now."