[video]

[za_rodina]

It would seem that the ship is doing things again.

[What, an obvious statement but no hello Russia? He doesn't bother with niceties this time, simply drumming fingers alongside the curve of his jaw, purple eyes shimmering with something entirely too close to excitement to be comforting. He's in his room, the shadows catching at his shoulders, seemingly clinging to the broad expanse. It had been oh so boring lately with nothing happening and only a few people to provoke.]

Black smoke, possession [he laughs] Who would have thought? At least the Tranquility doesn't do repeat performances, that would be such a disappointment. But I suppose if we must be captive at least there's some entertainment provided.

[A grin stretches across his face, pitched perfectly, and tips his head as he addresses the nations left on board.]

How many of us are there left still? I've talked to very few of us lately, it seems. [He lets his voice go ever so worried, brow furrowing.] I would hope we aren't getting picked off.

Anyway, perhaps a meeting would do us well? Could make keeping tabs a tad easier, da?

[That said he leans forward and switches off the feed, letting his smile spread wide as soon as the screen blanks. It would seem the fun's just starting.]

Comments

[za_rodina]

Alright, alright, stop that scary look~ [He laughs and waves a hand nonchalantly.] So you want to know what's wrong with Russia? See, it's quite an easy answer and I'm sure he'd tell, except~...he's not really home right now.

[His eyes bleed black again, grin stretching wide]

But don't worry, I can take a message.

[handelaar]

[Oh.

Oh, shit.

That is creepy as shit, and as soon as he thinks it, it's out of his mouth - "that's creepy as shit" - but he doesn't actually hear himself. Too busy staring and thinking and clicking a few things together, and no, he has no idea what he should do about it. At least he has a good reason to stall.]

Did he uh - did he hear that. The part about killin' his people.

[Feels bad man.]

[za_rodina]

As if I'd let him miss that! Y'know, it'd been fun messing him up with that- He's feels just so deliciously guilty about it!- but to hear another nation tell him? Oh the flinch was priceless.

[He crows with laughter and now that the secret's blown lets his eyes stay black. Are you going to try and fix this Netherlands? Are you going to try and taking things into your own hands?]

But I'm rather fond of him, you see. He's just so broken! It was easy to worm in here and trap him in little threads of revolutions and his poor murdered children. You nations are so very fragile, truly! [A grin that's all teeth] I'd hate to let him go....but I do wonder what it'd be like in your head my dearest Netherlands. You're not as torn apart as this sad little meatsuit but hey, he certainly remembers things about you.

[handelaar]

[Looks like Russia's not the only one feeling guilty. Fuck. To hear it makes him scowl, rather than flinch, but the line his mouth makes through that laughter has the same pained, stilted quality to it. It's hard to look (those eyes are way too dark), and he focuses on finishing off his cigarette instead of listening too hard, letting it get to him -

Until he hears the last bit, and try as he might, he can't help but flick his gaze back to the screen. Back to those eyes, pupils still blown unsettlingly wide. But - Russia remembers what things?]

[za_rodina]

[It doesn't matter if Netherlands isn't looking at him, because the feed is still on and he's still there, listening, and Russia can work with that. His voice is honeyed and coaxing, waiting for the right response from the other nation and oh, that little frown is lovely in all its simplicity. But more so, Russia knows he's winning the instant Netherlands looks up at him and stares him in the eye. His grin widens, sick with something like mania and knowledge.]

Oh yes, he's such a paranoid little nation. Always has been, and you, he looked up to you before things went, well, sour for him. But how far you've fallen since then. To ask a 'demon' of a nation how to deal with feelings, oh poor, poor, Netherlands.

[Despite the darkened eyes, amusement is clear on his face.]

Are you trying to figure out how to deal with her leaving you? Your dearest Belgium~? [And the way he says her name is just possessive enough to grate on nerves.] I can help, you know. You won't feel a thing.

[handelaar]

[The rise of color high on his cheekbones betrays him, more than anything else. More than how serious his expression becomes, more than how straight-backed and rigid he's seated, more than how he forgets the cigarette between his fingertips until it nearly burns his own skin and he finally drops it, off-screen.

He could help Russia. He could help himself.
Maybe he could talk for long enough to help them both.]
...how.

[Said entirely neutrally. Just - how.]

[za_rodina]

[He notes it all in a flick of too dark eyes. And when he responds there's certainly laughter in his voice because this is all a game to him. Wind up the nations turn them against each other and see just how much they'll give for it to go away.]

Oh easy. You just let me in, nice and quiet and I'll make sure you get that perfect little world. Nothing will hurt you. We're really quite generous you know.

[Unseen by the camera he traces a finger over Netherlands' image, smile possessive under all that honey and sugar sweet promises.]

[handelaar]

[A snort. Yeah, sure. While from the way it seems, the demon could probably do whatever the fuck it wants and take him over anyway - on the odd chance it can't, he'll turn that offer down. For now.]

I don't believe ya.

[Though he's kind of wondering who would cause the least damage while possessed, who might have a better time fighting it off...]

[za_rodina]

Your loss then.

[Russia blinks, letting his eyes fade wide and pained and entirely too normal for a second. The next blink has him back to pitch, smirk ever present. He tips his head to the side, fingers trailing over the curve of his jaw and sweep of his neck.]

I'll just keep this little meatsuit then. He's just so delicious when he's in pain~ ♥

[handelaar]

Doubt it. You'd just fuck me over like -

[Uh. Yeah. Like that. It makes him cut himself off and swallow - Jesus, way to lay on the guilt. He won't say anything about turning him in as soon as this conversation is over (which he is so doing), and his expression doesn't betray that, at least. Instead he lets his agitation over this show. At the moment it's the stronger emotion, after getting a glimpse of what could have been Russia.]

Can I - [There's a second where he draws himself up, steels himself for what might be a fruitless bout of negotiating.] I wanna talk to 'im.

[za_rodina]

[Russia takes a moment to think it over. His nails scrape along his neck, catching at the pale webbing of scars but he's entirely nonchalant about it. Glancing down only when he draws blood and even then only to bring his fingers up and lap away the crimson. His gaze flickers back up at that question, black eyes hungry.]

Oh? So now you want to talk to him? [His tongue flicks over his lips and he smiles wide.] Go ahead, we're listening.

[handelaar]

[...ugh. While he doesn't cringe, he grits his teeth, tendons in his neck showing themselves for a moment. Russia without a scarf is wrong, but Russia highlighting his scars is something beyond that. Fucked up and more.

He opens his mouth, about to ask if Russia can hear him all the time - but he shuts it again before anything comes out. That's an idiotic question to ask, so he doesn't.]

I - [Even if he feels sorry, saying it is hard. Still, he doesn't shy away from fixing the camera with a solemn stare, a resigned look only meant for Russia.] - didn't know. Wouldn't've - that was dumb. T'say that.

[za_rodina]

Hmm. [A quirked brow and Russia tips his head, blood beading up and tricking down his exposed neck. That seems to be the extent of his reaction but then he frowns quite suddenly, twitching, and meeting that solemn stare quite easily. For a second his eyes bleed back to normal, something quite like acceptance in the purple depths. His mouth twists with the copper tang of his own blood and if his words are a bit slow it's because he fought for them. But they're there regardless, a simple:] I know.

[and then he's swept away, back in the darkness of demonic rage and power and the twist of ghosts.]

Ah, so he's still got a bit of fight to him, much better.

[handelaar]

[At the twitch he jumps, himself, ready to cut the feed in the event that he did more damage than good, made the demon angry somehow. Sits there startled like the rabbits he loves so much, almost too long spent with wide eyes and his heart halfway to his throat, before he relaxes and nods. Once, just as simple, even if the relief he feels is way more than he could hope to convey with a nod.

And then just like that, they have to deal with this asshole again.]

You're surprised.

[It comes out flatly, slowly, more not-here than he usually sounds - he's trying to think of some way to say "hang in there" without, one, sounding cheesy as hell, and two, without tipping off the demon.]

[za_rodina]

[Deep in his own subconscious, Russia can't resist the smugness he feels at being able to fight out even if it was for a moment. But the demon, oh the demon is mad. For all it's front of nonchalant surprise, the realization that it's host isn't as locked away as it had though shakes it up. He shifts, trying and mostly succeeding to not show just how unnerved it is.]

Am I? [He smiles wide and unconcerned.] What gave you that impression?

[handelaar]

[Huh? It takes him a second to come fully back to Earth from Planet Broods-a-Lot. Is he- oh. Yeah, the demon isn't someone he cares about talking to any longer. It's all about Russia, now, which means he takes his time with the response, leaning in and considering the screen in front of him.

Even after all of that, he doesn't actually bother to answer the question. Not really.]

I'm not.

[za_rodina]

[That gets on his nerves. He's a demon, he's powerful, and this little nation thinks that he can just ignore him and not reply back? Impossible. There's an annoyed glint and Russia's mouth twists into a frown. But fine, he can play your little game.]

You're not what?

[handelaar]

Not surprised.

[While he normally keeps his answers short, simple, to the point - right now he's being exceptionally blunt.]

[za_rodina]

Do tell why?

[There's a barely concealed snarl behind his words, speech clipped and brittle when compared to the usually textured near drawl of Russia's speech. He can tell that Netherlands' is being blunt with him, and it's infuriating.]

[handelaar]

He does that t'people.

[For a split-second he's lost in the past - whispers among government corridors all through Europe, this great brute of a man from the East, making a parade, an absurd show of himself, around Europe - but more importantly, the moment where they figured out what had truly happened. Who that was, and who came along with him. Had to eat their words, had to regret that they ever underestimated what they thought was an amusing circus, teaching a cat tricks only for it to turn into a tiger.

Then he looks up.]

Surprises them.

[za_rodina]

[He snarls and clenches his fist, getting progressively more annoyed as Netherlands doesn't play right.]

Maybe he does, but I'm not people and he's tied up now anyway.

[But despite the demon's assurance of that, Russia's gotten a taste of his freedom and it's fairly clear from the ever growing flicker of irritation on his face. There's a soft hiss and he crosses his arems over his chest.]

[handelaar]

Mm.

[While he would love to keep poking long past the point common sense dictates, he can't forget that there's an actual nation who may suffer the consequences, and it's the only thing that holds him back.]

An' I'm bored, since you're full of shit.

[A half truth, a loophole. The demon might be full of shit, and he might be bored with this chasing in circles over video, but he wouldn't be if he could poke - or if he could see what happens once he disconnects.

Instead, he nods goodbye, kills the feed, and calls the proverbial cops.]

[za_rodina]

[At that nod, the demon's eyes widen, a "You wouldn't" forming at his lips, but he's too late and the feed is black before he can speak. There's a long moment of silence as he sits there too shocked at the nation's brazenness to speak and the next there's a roar and the crash of items being thrown coming from Russia's room.

Later, once he 'wakes up' and takes in the state of it he'll be surprised at the gouges in the metal of the floor and walls, and the twisted state of one of the beds. But that's not now, and what's now is the shriek of a demon and the closing in of hunters.]