[ video ]

[cautious_knight]

[Lithuania is sitting on the windowsill, looking outside. He's holding the communicator in his hands, looking down at it with distant eyes.]

Sometimes I think that the greatest ability of humans, right after compassion, is the ability to conceive children.

[There's a little pause, as if the next words were an afterthought.] I sometimes have to wonder how it is to know that you are able to found a family like that.

Comments

[mashespotatoes.livejournal.com]

Children would be such a big responsibility.

[skater-lynx.livejournal.com]

Terrifying. Stupid. Thrilling. Fun. Powerful. It's pretty much everything all at once topped on top of responsibility.

[Voice, Private]

[reckless-eagle.livejournal.com]

[Poland thinks that he should say something to this. It's just that...]

[The problem is, he absolutely agrees--he thinks it's amazing, and loves children, and loved having Nitori as their child. Would love to have children of his own.]

[And knows that, even if God and everyone else approves of them, he'll still never be able to do that. Never be able to give that to Lithuania, and that... feels more selfish than even he is capable of being, sometimes. He'd sort of avoided the thought before, because he just doesn't know what to do about it.]

[He tries to say something, a couple of times-- "Yeah", "I", "um", a couple of other false starts. Finally, he gives up and goes quiet.]

[watchful-knight.livejournal.com]

But a wonderful one. ...And I guess that we, as nations, should be used to responsibility by now, don't you think?

[watchful-knight.livejournal.com]

You have a child back home?

[skater-lynx.livejournal.com]

Yeah~ Let's go with that.

[mashespotatoes.livejournal.com]

I think it's a different kind of responsibility. With our citizens, it's less...personal, if you will? That's not quite the shade of meaning I'm going for, but because there are so many of them the worries we have for them are on a much broader spectrum. With a child, there are so many different things you have to worry about, on an individual level.

[Voice, Private]

[watchful-knight.livejournal.com]

[He didn't mean to do that. Didn't mean to make Poland sad... Not like this.

He's not sure what to say either, there are so many things, and he doesn't know where to start, and the device just doesn't seem to be the right place to say them.] ...Where are you?

[watchful-knight.livejournal.com]

[Ignoring the underlying meaning, he didn't mean to pry and make the subject an uncomfortable one.]

Did you have ones here?

[watchful-knight.livejournal.com]

Plus there is a bit more freedom in choosing. If you want to have them or not. Not much, but you can always go for a lifestyle that doesn't include children. [i.e. be a monk or priest. Or nun.]

[Video, Private]

[reckless-eagle.livejournal.com]

[Poland switches it to video, for the sake of giving Liet his "I'm fine! Everything's fine! Don't be worried about me!" smile. You know, the one that's just a bit forced and only comes out when there's a reason to be worried about him.]

I'm like, in the woods. Why? Is something up? I was just walking, so I can come home anytime, it's no big...

[Video, Private]

[watchful-knight.livejournal.com]

[The one that Liet knows and won't buy?]

I can come out there, too. Let's meet by the strawberry patch? I'll bring a little basket.

[mashespotatoes.livejournal.com]

[Oh, man, the past.]

That's true.

[Video, Private -> Action]

[reckless-eagle.livejournal.com]

[Mhmm, that one!]

Oh... um, 'kays! I'll like, be there soon.

[By the time he gets there, though, he can't quite keep up the slightly-too-bright smile, and hesitates when he's almost there, peering shyly out from behind a tree as if he's debating whether or not to actually go into the clearing.]

[skater-lynx.livejournal.com]

Nope! Kids don't stay kids for very long. For someone like you a kid would probably grow old and die before you knew it.

[ action ]

[watchful-knight.livejournal.com]

[Lithuani arrives a bit later than Poland. he feels the other nation's presence, somehow, they have been too close around each other for too long to not feel that.

But he acts as if he didn't know that Poland is there, kneeling down and starting to pick strawberries, waiting for Poland to wrok up his nerve and come out.]

[watchful-knight.livejournal.com]

...In the future, there are a lot of advancements in the medical sector, right?

[watchful-knight.livejournal.com]

If they were human.

But since I am a nation, wouldn't it be logical for them to be nations, too?

[mashespotatoes.livejournal.com]

Well, yes, but I would be careful to link that entirely to choosing to have children.

[ action ]

[reckless-eagle.livejournal.com]

[Okay. Poland can do this. Deep breath, deep breath, deep breath, and smile. "I'm fine, see, so don't worry about it!"]

[He steps out from behind the tree, still smiling brightly even though he stays over near the treeline.]

Hey! You like, wanted to see me and junk?

[skater-lynx.livejournal.com]

You can't have kids cause you're a nation right? Wouldn't you have to adopt?

[watchful-knight.livejournal.com]

Greece and Egypt both had children, and Rome had grandchildren.

[ action ]

[watchful-knight.livejournal.com]

[Offers him a handful of strawberries, holding it out towards Poland.]

WOuld you like some?

[watchful-knight.livejournal.com]

Have they developed far enough to defy the laws of God and nature?

[mashespotatoes.livejournal.com]

That really depends on what you mean by that.