Cult of Personality {Russia and North Korea}

[Russia]

March 15th of 1953

It was one of those annoying points in history when things just did not seem to be going so well for Russia. Not only was his disappointment with how things were turning out in the Koreas on the rise, but with the recent death of his larger than life dictator, the stocky blonde was left with an ever present headache. It wasn’t that the death itself had physically caused the headache, but the turmoil left in it’s wake had more than been enough to stir things up enough to cause him discomfort. One thing was for sure, Ivan hoped that those still vying for power over him got their acts together soon. No amount of hard liquor was enough to do much for pain with that sort of a power struggle in effect.

With his scary former leader’s health deteriorating so much over the years, news of his stroke and then death had not at all come as a shock to the nation himself. Still, it was one of those things he had always seen on the horizon but had never been able to predict when exactly it would happen. He suspected that those closest to Stalin might have had a better idea that his time was running out, but whether they suspected it or not, nobody seemed to have made any plans to follow in the event of his sudden death.

Currently, he was taking orders from Georgy Malenkov, the appointed Prime Minister. If there was one thing Ivan had learned over the years though, it was that leadership could change at the drop of a hat. With such figures as Bulganin, Khrushchev, and Beria also in decently high positions within his government, the concept of Malenkov keeping power did not look so good. If he had to place money on who he thought would end up his leader in the long run, Ivan would have surely bet on Beria. As the former head of the Secret Police, the man had some downright vicious methods for getting rid of the competition. He had formed a sort of alliance with Malenkov for now, but who knew how long that was going to last?

But the topic of his own government and politics was somewhat depressing in addition to being confusing, so Ivan had been more than happy to get new orders from his boss that would temporarily take him outside of his own borders and away from the chaos that had been left in the wake of Stalin’s death. Best of all he would be visiting one of the only countries outside of the USSR that he was on decent terms with currently. His good relations with North Korea almost seemed ironic really, since he all too clearly remembered the deportations of the Koreans within his own borders back in 1937. Apparently though, whether North Korea and his leadership remembered this or not, they appreciated the amount of help that the Soviet Union had offered them for their war against the South. The weapons support and trainers who were dispatched to help them must have done wonders for helping them turn a blind eye to any Korean mistreatment they may have suffered in his borders from before.

In any case, Russia had since decided to never bring up anything that could be bad for relations if he could avoid it. If North Korea did not bring it up, he wouldn’t either. And if by some chance the issue did get brought to light, Ivan was fully prepared to just shrug, smile and deny all evidence. It was one of his favorite forms of defense when faced with facts that he did not want to comment on. It was a tactic he had learned from his leaders way back as far as he could remember, and it always served him well as far as he was concerned. How could someone argue when you refused to acknowledge the evidence and points they were trying to make?

North Korea would have been easy to spot from the air even if he had been without any sort of mechanical navigation devices in his jetfighter. Sang Kyu’s house looked completely war-torn. The tonnage of bombs that had been dropped to decimate his poor friend’s cities was staggering. Looking at the landscape below as he lessened his altitude, Ivan had the distinct impression that his communist companion was probably not feeling very good these days. Then again, that was common in times of war, especially when the fighting was going on within a nation’s own borders.

With the current stalemate the two sides were dealing with at the moment though, it was questionable as to how much longer the fighting would last. There had already been discussions on an armistice-part of the reason Ivan’s leader had sent him to talk with the northern Korean brother. As much as Ivan loved war and the thrill of fighting-or secretly engaging US air forces as the case happened to be this time- he had to admit that an armistice might be in the Koreas’ best interest. Since they were not getting anywhere with their current battles.

After decreasing speed and altitude, the Soviet nation brought the jetfighter in for a landing on the air strip. His vision in the cockpit was somewhat limited to his sides, but that didn't stop him from trying to scan the area for any signs of North Korea himself nearby. His boss had mentioned that the other nation would be expecting him. Which was good, since as many times as he had flown over North Korea in the past, he had not landed there so often and had very limited ideas as to where to look for Sang Kyu if he had needed to hunt him down. The powerful sound of the jet engine finally ceased, and Russia unlatched the cockpit, removing his aviation mask and drawing in a breath of relatively fresh air. Un-strapping himself quickly, the stocky blonde rose, removed the rest of his headgear and made his way out of the silvery MiG-15.

It felt almost strange to feel his feet on solid ground again after being in the air so long en route to the allied capitol. His violet eyes sweeping over the various other aircraft on the strip-the majority of which were also MiG-15s- he started towards the air hangar itself, keeping an eye out for his North Korean ally along the way.
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((No worries, we shall change the name of this thread if it suits us later on. *Has a habit of naming threads after somewhat relative songs* Also, apologies for the somewhat lame starter. I had to write it in pieces due to the fact that I have been super busy offline as of late.))

[North Korea]

There were times that North felt like he’d been forced to grow up much faster than he’d have liked. It had almost seemed overnight, the whole ordeal. One day he and his twin had been young and happy, enjoying the prosperity of their country together—nothing could separate them, and everything was perfect. The next they were under the brutal oppression of a man who had once been their soft-spoken brother. And the day after that, they were pitted against the one they had each least suspected of ever betraying them—each other.

The more he gazed out on the ruined landscape that he’d once been proud to call his home, the more he thought that now was just one of those times. He’d have rather been at hom—no, what home? The old house was in ‘South Korea,’ in Seoul, and had probably been flattened by air raids by now anyway… In that case, he would have rather just huddled up with his broth—no, no. He didn’t have a brother! Haha! What was he thinking? No, they weren’t brothers, no no no. Not anymore. A little seed of rage seemed to plant itself in the back of his mind, growing more and more as he thought about him—the supposed ‘brother’ who had run off with some blonde-headed imbecile and come back hating his guts to hell and back. It was worse than the feeling that had come with Kiku’s sudden betrayal. Every time he thought about his own twin, it was like he was being stabbed in the heart, and each subsequent ‘stabbing’ just caused the little seed of rage to grow into a tree.

His hand drifted the back of his head and explored the little ponytail that was now where a longer braid used to have been. Sang Kyu still could not get used to the shorter length, but he had far more serious things to worry about than something as stupid as hair. He’d found out pretty quick that braids had no place on the battlefield anyway.

In anticipation if his guest’s arrival, Sang Kyu had ordered the run way at the airstrip in Pyongyang be properly cleared. The city had been the victim of an elaborate aerial bombing by UN forces several months earlier, as well as occupied by the South Koreans up until fairly recently. During that time, the airstrip had been littered with various debris, which, upon the city being retaken, had just sort of been shoved off to the side of the run way until a moment could be found to effectively clear it, which Sang Kyu had deemed now. Trucks were brought in and a hundred hands worked to pile pieces of shrapnel and debris into the backs of them. Some pieces were too big to lift and simply had to be dragged away by the trucks, leaving long trails in the earth where pieces of what may have once been the support beam of a building had dug into the ground as they were towed off. It was a hard job, but in the end the runway seemed a much less hazardous place than it had before.

North Korea was actually rather grateful that Russia would be coming when he was. Whatever bitterness he had been feeling on account of the expulsions of Koreans from Russia was virtually gone now, far overshadowed by his delight at the Soviet Union being willing to support the North in its war on the South. North had his doubts that this war would have lasted near as long as it had if not for the support he was gaining from both Russia and China. There had been a few terrifying months following the landing at Incheon by UN forces that he was sure his young people’s republic was going to be wiped off the map, but help from China and the Soviet Union’s generous aid in the form of aircraft and weaponry had helped even the odds. The Korean hated feeling indebted to anyone, but he did to Russia, at least a little, for assisting in the way he had.

Now war was beginning to take its toll. Countless lives had already been lost in the fighting alone, even more to the lack of food supplies and harsh winter that was only just now beginning to loosen its grip on the peninsula. Not to mention the effect it was having on Sang Kyu, who tried and failed to sleep every night, kept awake by the paranoia that if he slept he would not wake up, or would awake in the midst of an air raid and be helpless to do much more than try to ride out the onslaught in the darkness. He had become irritable and increasingly anxious, the stalemate becoming, in his mind, more like a ticking time bomb that was just waiting to go off. Would he be ready? He couldn’t say, and it was one of the reasons his boss wanted him to discuss the possibility of a ceasefire while Russia was there.

Russia was expected to arrive late that afternoon. It was cloudy, but by some miracle, the freezing rains seemed to have decided to torture some other area for the day, leaving the air cool and clean, but the ground dry. In any case, Sang Kyu did plan to have a warm drink waiting for Ivan upon his arrival, in case he should care for something to warm himself up.

He pulled on a thick military jacket, taking care that every button was buttoned properly and that the uniform hung straight off his thin shoulders. It wasn’t absolutely essential that he looked good, but he wanted to avoid giving the impression that war had taken as much of a toll on him as it had. Being clean and presentable would certainly help avoid that.

He waited by the window in a small building near the hangar, sitting a far enough distance away that the window wouldn’t become fogged from his body warmth. When the loud drone of the engine of a landing fighter could be heard, he headed for the door, clenching his jaw a little against the cold of the outside air as it rushed in to meet him. He hung back a moment, observing as the pilot of the MiG-15 got out of the plane. When the man had gotten close enough for Sang Kyu to confirm that yes, this was his Russian ally, he left the shelter of the doorway and strode out to meet his comrade.

He bowed tersely when he got there, not quite smiling but greeting Russia with obvious delight. “Annyeong, comrade,” he said, holding out his hand for a friendly handshake. “It’s good to see you. Your flight had no complications, I hope?”

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Just a little culture note here: In East Asian culture, cutting off hair symbolizes cutting off family ties, or a betrayal of some sort, which is the reason for NK cutting off the braid and just having a short pony tail, yep. He basically doesn't want to identify himself with South any more.

((I like the title! But if you think of something you'd rather use later on, feel free to change it.

And I thought your post was fine. xD I totally understand because I've been on and off all week. I had to write mine in sections too.))

[Russia]

The air had a pleasant sort of cool crispness to it in this part of the world. The snow had not even completely melted in many parts of his own lands, and even though Spring was just around the corner, the cold winter had yet to completely release its hold on him. Not that Ivan found the weather perfectly warm in North Korea, but it was much more comfortable than the frigid conditions he had dealt with earlier in the day when he had been preparing for takeoff. And as a plus, the runways here were completely free of ice for the time being, and dry on top of it.

Even with the relatively nice weather, Ivan couldn’t help but silently wish for a large bottle of his favorite hard liquor to warm him up all the way. He wasn’t entirely sure if they even had vodka in North Korea though. It made sense that they should, since it was the perfect wartime drink/disinfectant. But with the state his Asian comrade was currently in, who knew if he still had access to the heavenly stuff.

He had not made it far towards the small hangar, when he noticed a familiar form approaching him, pausing to bow when he had made it right up to the taller blonde. Ivan was instantly relieved that he wouldn’t have to hunt around the foreign capitol for his comrade.

“Annyeong, comrade.”

Taking one of his gloves off, Russia accepted the hand that was offered to him with a firm shake. For a moment he debated as to whether or not he should bow as well. Asians seemed so found of the gesture, but whether or not they expected their more western comrades to follow suite was something he did not know. Yao had never verbally insisted he give any sort of bow, but one thing he had learned over the years was that each Asian culture was slightly different from the next. Having his own warped idea that bowing was only something the weaker of a partnership would do, Ivan quickly decided against following Sang Kyu’s example.

“It’s good to see you. Your flight had no complications, I hope?”

“No complications. Not besides the usual that we deal with when preparing for takeoff in the early mornings this time of year. But Spring weather is slowly creeping closer and I am sure we won’t be dealing with ice on the wings or runways for much longer.” The stocky blonde offered the other nation a smile, his eyes sweeping over North Korea’s form briefly. As best as Ivan could tell Sang Kyu appeared to have been holding up well enough physically. And his uniform looked nice and presentable, so that surely meant all was well, right? As naïve as he could be however, Ivan was by no means stupid enough to think that a nicely pressed uniform was a sure tell sign of well being. After all, he had had some really nice looking uniforms back when he was suffering through some of the worst purges and famines. After seeing the damage to the landscape from the air, the Russian suspected that in this case his friend was probably in much worse shape than he was letting on.

“You look surprisingly well, comrade.” He stated cheerfully, slipping his hand back into his leather glove. “How’ve you been holding up against those capitalist swine? I’ve heard that recently you’ve been pushing even with them, but I have not personally been in the area in awhile due to my own political issues.”

He hoped that his use of the word “surprisingly” would not offend his ally. After all, it really was a surprise to Ivan to see him like that. All through his flight, the sometimes too imaginative Russian had been forming images in his mind as to what sort of condition his comrade would be in. As time had went on, each one had seemed to be more gruesome and pitiful than the last. Which was silly really, since Ivan had heard that things were at a standstill concerning the war, meaning that neither side was obliterating the other at the moment. Surely South Korea had to be in similar shape to his brother.
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((Short post is very short. Hopefully I gave you enough to work with though. Also, in Russian culture it is common to remove gloves before shaking hands. It's more personal that way. ~))

[North Korea]

Sang Kyu paused as he waited for Russia to remove one of his gloves, and then proceeded to shake his hand firmly with both hands. It really was good to see him, and, judging by the expression on the Russian’s face, Sang Kyu guessed Ivan was experiencing a certain amount of pleasure at seeing him as well. That was good, Sang Kyu thought. It meant whatever business they got down to would go smoothly, hopefully.

“No complications. Not besides the usual that we deal with when preparing for takeoff in the early mornings this time of year,” Russia was saying. “But Spring weather is slowly creeping closer and I am sure we won’t be dealing with ice on the wings or runways for much longer.”

“That is good,” the Korean responded, nodding. “I’m glad it went well for you. The weather can be quite troublesome on some days, but hopefully the spring thaw will help.”

He really was eager for the coming spring. Winter in the North was long and harsh, and it was becoming more difficult to push forward with each dropped degree. North Korea had to take a moment to wonder just how many of his troops he’d lost to the cold, and if it would have made a difference to the Korean People’s Army’s numbers if it had been just a few degrees warmer. Spring often brought rain and floods, but by this point he would have rather dealt with trudging through mud than freezing in the trenches.

He glanced up and noticed Russia looking at him.

“You look surprisingly well, comrade. How’ve you been holding up against those capitalist swine? I’ve heard that recently you’ve been pushing even with them, but I have not personally been in the area in awhile due to my own political issues.”

Surprisingly well, was it? It sounded a bit like Russia had expected him to be in worse condition. If Russia thought North Korea was looking better than North actually felt right now, then Sang Kyu's care to make sure he was presentable appeared to have worked. The last thing he wanted was to look weak or worn down in front of one of his most important allies. If Russia thought North Korea was going to fall to his enemies, North had a sneaking suspicion that the other nation wouldn’t be so keen on putting time and money towards helping him.

“Much better than a few years ago,” he admitted, folding his hands calmly behind his back. “Since we drove them back towards the 38th parallel, things have been much better…though still frustrating, since no further progress has been made. I’m hoping to end this soon.”

He hoped the last bit wouldn’t suggest weakness. He was being so incredibly careful to appear strong, he would have hated to have the last few words interpreted as a sign that he was giving up. If anything, he would have liked, perhaps, for Russia to suggest a daring plot that might bring the South down for good, but he found that scenario unlikely. If he couldn’t bring the South down, North was at least willing to stop fighting with them…for now.

“Anyway,” he continued. “Might I interest you in a warm drink?”

[Russia]

“Much better than a few years ago.”

Ivan figured that this had to be true. He remembered the disappointment all too well of the capitalists forcing North Korea back and claiming his capitol. Though he was only supplying North Korea with weapons, aircraft and a relatively few units to train his men with, he had still been involved enough to be pissed off at that temporary American/South Korean victory. Then again, he just hated to see America get ahead at anything these days. Anything that left the other global superpower smiling and looking smug was enough to grate on Russia’s nerves and put him in a foul mood for most of the week. How he would love to bomb the other nation to his knees and permanently wipe that look of arrogance and confidence from his face.

He forced his thoughts away from bombing America though for the time being. As fun as it was to imagine, he knew that he would not be allowed to strike out at America unless the other attacked him first. So daydreaming about the scenario over and over again and re-inventing it in many different ways was just frustrating after awhile, when he knew that he was forced to wait for the other to make the first move. Besides, Sang Kyu was talking again and Ivan didn’t want to be rude and miss anything his ally was saying.

“Since we drove them back towards the 38th parallel, things have been much better…though still frustrating, since no further progress has been made. I’m hoping to end this soon.”

The Russian studied his ally in silence for a moment, considering his words carefully. He knew that if there had been discussions of an armistice then it surely meant Sang Kyu was wanting an end to the fighting. It was sad in a way to think about. How much better things would have been if North Korea had been able to end the fighting by obliterating his foes instead. He had the superior ideas on government, so Ivan truly believed that he should have been able to conquer his brother. South Korea shouldn’t have even put up a fight in the first place, but embraced communism like a sensible country. But no doubt the American had filled Yong Soo’s head with all that capitalistic garbage early on. Poor Sang Kyu, Ivan imagined that it must have been stressful and embittering to have to fight with his own family. He knew that he would not be happy at all if he had to fight Ukraine or Belarus. Especially not Belarus, since the smaller sister was perhaps even more terrifying than the prospect of having his capitol city nuked off the map.

“Anyway, might I interest you in a warm drink?”

The Slavic nation’s eyes widened slightly with appreciation. “Да, that would be nice, comrade.” He had no idea what type of a warm drink North Korea had in mind, but any sort of drink was sounding good at the moment. Again his mind wandered back to thoughts of vodka longingly. He could down a whole bottle in one sitting right now, he was sure of it. “What sort of drinks do you have? Your people like tea, yes?” He studied the other country as if waiting for him to confirm that he was indeed talking about tea when he suggested a warm drink. Hopefully it would be tea with vodka in it if that were the case. Or at least some type of strong liquor. But not being completely knowledgeable on Korean culture, he wasn’t for sure as to what types of warm or cold drinks they offered in North Korea’s home. One thing was for sure, he doubted they would have things like kvass and mors.

Keeping close to the smaller country, the Soviet surveyed his surroundings in silence for a bit. “Sang Kyu, wouldn’t it be so much better if we could end this fighting with your brother by winning the war? My current boss supports this armistice, but I can’t help but wish we could find some way to deal our foes a crushing blow that would have them surrender.” His eyes focused on a piece of wreckage- no doubt moved to the far side of the airstrip after the bombings- and he gave a soft sigh. “You have to do what you have to do I suppose, even if it means making agreements with the enemy. But still, how nice it would be to wipe out your brother’s American backup so that you would have an easier time taking South out. If I knew a way for quick victory and my boss allowed it, you know I would help you more. If only my leaders were not so afraid of starting an all out war with America… Which I would of course win, having the better government and weaponry. My leaders so very rarely listen to me though when I mention that.”

[North Korea]

“Да, that would be nice, comrade.”

Sang Kyu nodded once in acknowledgement. He wasn’t much for smiling, but he thought the look on Russia’s face just then had been a pleasant one, and he was happy that someone was appreciative of him, for however short a moment.

“What sort of drinks do you have? Your people like tea, yes?”

“Indeed, we do,” came his response, though to say he himself ‘liked’ it would have been an understatement. Perhaps it had simply rubbed off on him from China, but he took his tea brewing very seriously. There was always a way to do it right and with care, though because of the current circumstances, there was rarely time for the elegant set ups and preparation—just quick, bland brews that had been watered down to make the tea leaves go farther. However, he had made sure that for today, the tea was strong.

“Is that all right?” he asked, beginning to lead his Russian comrade back towards the little building near the hanger where he planned to hold this little meeting. “I did manage to get one small bottle of vodka, if you would rather.”

And it hadn’t been easy to obtain at all. Even the native soju was getting harder and harder to come by. Only the higher ups could afford such luxuries right now (unless it was home-brewed, but ingredients were hard to come by too), and even then, not very much. However, mentioning that the bottle would be going to a fellow comrade from Russia, who he was sure would be quite more willing to help them if he had his favorite drink, had helped loosen the generals up a bit until finally one of them had agreed to spare him a bottle of the stuff.

He spared a glance over at his comrade and caught him surveying the wreckage of what may have once been a plane on the far side of the runway. He suddenly felt a tinge of self-consciousness for the fact that there was wreckage at all. But what could he have done to prevent those bombings? “Sang Kyu, wouldn’t it be so much better if we could end this fighting with your brother by winning the war? My current boss supports this armistice, but I can’t help but wish we could find some way to deal our foes a crushing blow that would have them surrender.”

“As do I,” he responded, nodding solemnly. “I can’t help but feel that a war fought for so long, only to end up in nearly the same place as it started, is an incredible waste.” He slowed down his pace as they neared the building, giving a soft sigh. “But it was necessary to prevent the spread of capitalism into my own country.”

“You have to do what you have to do I suppose, even if it means making agreements with the enemy. But still, how nice it would be to wipe out your brother’s American backup so that you would have an easier time taking South out. If I knew a way for quick victory and my boss allowed it, you know I would help you more. If only my leaders were not so afraid of starting an all out war with America… Which I would of course win, having the better government and weaponry. My leaders so very rarely listen to me though when I mention that.”

Oh yes, how nice it would have been indeed. He wasn’t sure who he was more upset with—South for siding with the capitalist bastard, or the capitalist bastard for corrupting his brother as he had. He had few doubts that, if not for the American, there would be no war and no need for an armistice—just one united Korea free from foreign rule, all equal under the system of communism. He also had few doubts that, if allowed, Russia would seize the opportunity to fight his American enemy face-to-face, and of course, that he would win against the American cowards, but it seemed unlikely that anything of that sort was going to happen now.

"I understand," Sang Kyu replied, though he did wish Russia could help more."I have no doubt about your ability to crush the Americans, though it wouldn't be a wise thing to do at the moment, I suppose." He wasn't too keen on his land becoming a further battle ground for a possible war between the two superpowers either, which it very well might if such a thing were to occur, but he didn't mention it, just wanting to get inside by this point.

Finally reaching the little building by the hangar, he opened the door swiftly and motioned for Russia to follow him. "Let's get out of the cold, at least."

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((AHHH, I'm so sorry I took so long. ;__; I'll try not to take that long again. I'm getting into the swing of things with school now, so hopefully I'll be able to balance things better.))

[Russia]

Of course he had given a polite nod at the mention of tea earlier, but Sank Kyu’s mention of vodka shortly afterwards had more than eclipsed the idea of tea. Both were drinks he enjoyed, but vodka was more than that. Vodka was not just something to drink on a cold evening while reading in front of the fireplace; it was an all purpose drink to be had anytime, anywhere and under any circumstances. Early morning before work, during work, in the evenings… with vodka it didn’t matter. It was something Ivan usually made a point to have with him at all times when he could get away with it. He did not think himself an alcoholic though, and never even considered that his people’s reliance on the liquor might be somehow linked with his excessive love of the stuff.

“Vodka sounds good.” had been his quiet reply to his comrade as he had followed him towards the smaller of the buildings. It was good to hear that North Korea still must have had the comforts of hard liquor. Surely it came in handy for the other man about now, with the war at a standstill and his home in ruins.

"I understand.”

Ivan gave the other man an slightly somber look, dreams of him fighting with the American still insistently lurking in his thoughts. There was always the near impossible hope though that his new leader would suddenly change his mind about things and decide to take the war up a step and send in Soviet troops to push the odds more in North Korea’s favor. That would mean declaring open war with America, but if his boss really wanted to be helpful, then he surely wouldn’t care. Ivan pushed his wishful thinking aside to listen to his Korean comrade as he continued on.

"I have no doubt about your ability to crush the Americans, though it wouldn't be a wise thing to do at the moment, I suppose."

The Russian gave a slight nod at the comment. He was happy at least that his friend realized he could easily crush the Americans if he was allowed to. It was always nice when someone acknowledged his power and capabilities. If there was one thing Ivan hated, it was feeling inferior or helpless. If anything, he was downright afraid of people viewing him in such a light. Being a global superpower, he had the world’s eyes on him. The last thing he needed was for anyone to view him as weak and not in control. “Maybe not. Although, crushing him now would benefit both of us in so many ways. My leaders must know what they are doing though.”

They reached the building before he could say more, and he watched in silence for a moment as North Korea opened the door and motioned him to follow out of the cold. “Does your boss ever do things you question sometimes?” He inquired thoughtfully, noticing how it was not actually a whole lot warmer inside the building. “Have you ever had your leader say something was good for you and that it benefited your people, but you didn’t see how it could?” It was not something he would normally ask, since he had long since learned not to question his superiors or their reasoning. But his inborn curiosity was something that not even years of communistic rule could suppress all the time. Besides, asking these questions was alright if his leader did not overhear as far as he was concerned.

“They say that fighting with America would be bad for me, but how could it when I know I would win and not have to worry anymore? It doesn’t make sense, does it? There are always casualties in war, but isn’t it the outcome that should matter?” The Soviet stood back a bit and as he waited for the other nation to get the drinks. This was the very time they should be putting unshakable faith in their leaders, so he was vaguely aware that perhaps he should not be so quick to raise any sorts of questions about them. Blindly trusting in his communist government had always done well for him before right? It had made him a powerful nation at least.

[North Korea]

Waiting until Russia had cleared the doorframe, the Korean eased the door shut behind him, sealing out the wind and the cold with a soft click. It wasn’t so much that the building was any warmer inside than it was outside, but that there wasn’t any wind to make it colder.

“Does your boss ever do things you question sometimes?” he heard Russia ask suddenly from behind him, and he turned to face him, eyeing him thoughtfully. “Have you ever had your leader say something was good for you and that it benefited your people, but you didn’t see how it could? They say that fighting with America would be bad for me, but how could it when I know I would win and not have to worry anymore? It doesn’t make sense, does it? There are always casualties in war, but isn’t it the outcome that should matter?”

“Hm,” the Korean grunted, mentally working through in his mind the short time he’d been under his current boss, Kim Il Sung. The man had only just taken power shortly after the Second World War had ended, and prior to that, Kim Il Sung hadn’t exactly been under Sang Kyu’s radar. In fact, he’d actually been in the Soviet Union fighting the Japanese. Sang Kyu had scarcely heard of him until Stalin inserted him as head of the North Korean Provisional People’s Committee at the war’s end.

Yet, even in that short time, he had found a few things off about the man, who was a self-proclaimed war hero, though Sang Kyu hadn’t heard much of his endeavors apart from the re-capturing a Korean village from the Japanese. As far as Sang Kyu knew, the re-capturing of the village was the only time any such victory had occurred under his command, though Mr. Kim seemed to like talking about much more glorious exploits, of which Sang Kyu had heard nothing, in great detail. North did find it odd that he had heard of none of those other victories, and yet, there was nothing wrong with the man having an ego. It just meant that he aimed high and dreamed big, right? Surely those were qualities of a great leader looking to do great things. And besides, other than maybe a few exaggerated war stories, he hadn’t done—that Sang Kyu could recall—anything that he’d really questioned. Things were hard, yes, but those were results of waging a war that, in Sang Kyu’s opinion, had been justified and necessary for the unification of the peninsula and protection from the capitalist incursion. And since North Korea was not being ruled by capitalists, Kim Il Sung must have been right, at least on some level.

“Perhaps minor things,” he admitted, thinking of Kim Il Sung’s exaggerated war stories, “But nothing major. Nothing that he’s ordered me to do, thus far.” He continued talking as he went over to a desk on the far side of the room. “I do agree that the outcome of the war is what really matters. After all, if you take a risk and the result is good, isn’t the risk worth taking?”

He produced a key from one of his pockets and unlocked a drawer in the desk. It had been the only place on the airstrip he could think to hide a bottle of liquor without anyone else finding it. The building was little more than a temporary HQ for the officials who normally maintained the airstrip—just a few rooms and the necessities: a radio, a tiny stove, a bathroom, and a few other pieces of necessary equipment they’d shoved inside after the air raids. There was no safe, so a rickety desk with a drawer that locked had been the next best thing.

“Or alternately,” he continued, taking the small bottle of vodka from the drawer and returning to Russia with it, “When you risk more by not fighting,” he said, thinking of his own situation. “Then I think it would be worth fighting as well.”It would apply to Russia too, he reasoned. If Russia didn’t take the initiative to strike America first, might the American then try to make the first hit?

Then again, if things went well today, North Korea would be wrapping up a war that really had not achieved much more than keeping capitalism outside his borders. He wasn’t keen on his lands becoming the site of a Russian-American war, which could very well happen if Russia or America decided that their enemies on either side of Korea would make good first targets. “If there is absolutely no other option, of course…” He added, hoping to imply to Russia that his rivalry with America had not reached that point yet.

He looked to Russia to check for understanding, as he went back to the little stove in the corner to retrieve the tea he’d been brewing prior to his arrival. Though Sang Kyu wanted to keep his ally in a good mood (by agreeing with him, he hoped) he by no means wanted to encourage Russia to jump into a war.

[Russia]

Violet eyes fixed on the North Korean as he seemed to ponder the question. It did say good things about a nation though when they had to think that particular question over in detail. Surely their leaders were doing a good job when the nation could not readily recall moments when they had suffered through doubt about them and their policies. Russia did not know much about Kim Il Sung, but the man must have been a great leader to make North Korea unable to quickly start spouting off about any doubts and concerns. Perhaps Ivan should have asked Stalin more about the North Korean leader when he had had a chance. It would surely have been beneficial to know more about the man while speaking to Sang Kyu.

“Perhaps minor things.”

The Russian was surprised to suddenly hear the statement from his ally. And here he had just been constructing ideas in his head about how Sang Kyu’s leader instilled unshakable or questionable faith in his nation and people. Minor things were just that though, minor. Russia was far too ashamed to admit it openly, but he had certainly had more than “minor” questions about some of his late leader’s decisions. For all his savagery in war times, he generally did not like hurting his own people or making things too difficult for them. But sometimes-as his leaders told him- it was necessary, no matter how many questions it left him with.

“But nothing major. Nothing that he’s ordered me to do, thus far.”

He followed the Korean’s movement with his eyes as the other man made his way over to a desk. With Ivan, it was usually things he was ordered to do that got him reflecting on these things. North Korea had not had his boss for too long yet though, so maybe over time these instances would pop up.

“I do agree that the outcome of the war is what really matters. After all, if you take a risk and the result is good, isn’t the risk worth taking?”

Ivan gave a nod of agreement, wondering for a moment if it was a normal Korean tradition to keep drinks in desks. Not that it mattered where his ally pulled the drinks from, but it seemed odd that he would not have a liquor cabinet around. Especially in times of war when liquor seemed much more crucial. Maybe North Korea had to hide his liquor so that his people did not drink it all? The fact that he had to hide it must have meant they were low on the alcohol- a scary thought for Ivan. Where would he be without his vodka during times of war?

“Or alternately, when you risk more by not fighting, then I think it would be worth fighting as well.”

The Soviet’s eyes widened with delight at the sight of the bottle in North Korea’s hand. It was such a relatively small bottle, but still, liquor was liquor and who was Ivan to complain. Just the fact that North Korea had it might have been a miracle for all he knew. “I think that is true.”

“If there is absolutely no other option, of course…”

Accepting the bottle with a completely ecstatic smile despite the topic, Ivan wasted no time in removing the cap and taking a long gulp of the burning liquid. "Спасибо." He thanked the other nation. It was good liquor. Not the best vodka in the world, but good. He could tell it was not one of his own top quality brands, but it did taste like some of the types that could be found commonly in bars in his home. “Of course. Although really, any of us could be attacked at any moment by that capitalist dog. It isn’t even a matter of if but a matter of when. All I can do is prepare as best as I can and make sure I am ready to fight back.”

To be rid of his enemy for good really was a thing of dreams but there was truth to Sang Kyu’s words, and he was not silly enough to think that he would get through war with America without a scratch. Or without being nuked, as the case would be. But in his mind he would of course emerge the victor and perhaps it would all be worth it. Thinking of things was probably irrelevant for now though, with the issue not being war with America on his part. No, he was here to talk to North Korea about his problems and encourage him to sign the armistice. Ivan’s leaders did not want the fighting to continue, they didn’t want to keep having to send aid to their ally, even if they did support his actions.

“As much as we both want to be rid of America though, you are right. Now is not the time I think. As much as I wish it was.” He looked up from the bottle of vodka for a moment as the other nation was retrieving his tea. “It’s sad, since so much could be ended if we could deal with him now. What do you think about this armistice, Sang Kyu? Will you sign it, and then use the time to recover a bit before invading South Korea again?”

That was certainly what he would want to do if he were in North’s place. He would sign the armistice in order to recover, and then turn around and attack again first chance he got. No matter what the terms of the armistice turned out to be. He did not really understand just how bad off North Korea was at the moment though, so he was not sure how long it would even take the other nation to get to where he would be well enough to strike out against his brother again.
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((Спасибо= thank you. Sorry this one is more disjointed than usual. I should be getting a little more free time though to write these all in one sitting soon. ))

[North Korea]

That was clearly pleasure on Ivan’s face, Sang Kyu thought. Yes…definitely. The trouble he’d had to go to in order to obtain a bottle of vodka and keep it safe long enough to deliver it to his Russian comrade appeared to have been worth it, judging by the childishly delighted smile on Ivan’s face. It’d been a while since he’d really seen anyone smile like that.

"Спасибо."

“천만에요 (chunmahneyo),” the Korean said in response, giving a slight, respectful bow that was really more just a bob of his head than anything.

“Of course.” Sang Kyu looked back to the other nation as the conversation continued. “Although really, any of us could be attacked at any moment by that capitalist dog. It isn’t even a matter of if but a matter of when. All I can do is prepare as best as I can and make sure I am ready to fight back.”

“Words well said,” the Korean nodded his agreement. Wouldn’t it be great to live in a world without America! But, of course, there was little hope of going to war and completely eliminating the capitalist threat, so the best any of them could do was prepare and hope it never came to all out war. Despite how great a world without the pigheaded capitalist would be, Sang Kyu would have much rather waited for him to destroy himself with capitalism than go to war again with him and risk more than he had to. Of course, he suspected Russia would be much better off in such a war with America than he himself, but even then, it wasn’t worth it, at least not unless America made the first move.

“As much as we both want to be rid of America though, you are right. Now is not the time I think. As much as I wish it was.”

“And don’t we all wish…” North muttered as he swung by the desk again to grab a small tea cup off the top of it. Going over to the little stove in the corner, he poured himself a cup of tea, watching as the steam rose more thickly than usual due to the cold temperature of the room.

Once he’d gotten his tea, he gestured to a small table in the room. “Please have a seat,” he said, setting his tea on the table and pulling out one of the chairs so he could have a seat himself as their conversation continued.

“It’s sad, since so much could be ended if we could deal with him now. What do you think about this armistice, Sang Kyu? Will you sign it, and then use the time to recover a bit before invading South Korea again?”

He visibly recoiled a bit. Being so war-weary, it was hard to imagine diving back into war so soon. He wanted to rest. He needed to rest. Recovery was essential. But then again, what if South had something similar to Russia’s suggestion in mind? To sign the armistice simply to end the fighting but launch another attack the moment he was well enough to do so? The slow boil of anger began to well up in him. South needed to pay. For betrayal of his own kin and for giving into the poison of capitalism. Why shouldn’t North attack him at the first chance he got? Especially if it was to prevent South from attacking first? And hadn’t he just agreed that preparation was key? War-weariness could wait. Now was not the time to relax; it was time to end the fighting so he could recover and prepare. He would not lose.

“Of course I will,” he responded, nodding. “I’d be a fool not to. This stalemate has gone on long enough. There's no point in continuing if a ceasefire would allow me to recover and come back stronger later.”

Though, another thought suddenly occurred to him. He took a quick sip of tea to distract himself, but the thought still hung in his mind. “Do you suppose South would sign as well?” he questioned. “I mean, of course he would, but would it give me the appearance of weakness to sign it first?” Of course, he didn't want to look weak in front of capitalists by suggesting an end to fighting. If they got the impression that he wanted to stop, might they also get the impression that he wanted to stop because he wasn't strong enough to continue?

((천만에요 = "you're welcome"
It's alright! I'm writing my replies out over several days as well, so no worries.))

[Russia]

“Please have a seat.”

At the North Korean’s offer, Ivan had pulled a chair out in front of the table and sat down. There were many things to like and appreciate about his friend. One was his bitter hatred for America and all things capitalist, and another was his polite and respectful nature. Asians in general had a way of being very polite in Ivan’s experience. When they were on his side of course. When they were fighting against him however, it seemed that that politeness went away completely. Or perhaps it was just that Ivan did not notice anything positive about his enemies when he could, and he just overlooked their better traits during times of war. Either way, it was a refreshing change to deal with someone so polite and considerate.

“Of course I will.”

Ivan kept his eyes fixed on his Korean comrade as the other gave a slight nod with the words. Though Sang Kyu looked much healthier than Ivan had expected, there was an undeniable weariness to him. It was all the more apparent now that they were seated across from each other, and Ivan had a better view of the man. He looked so tired. Much like Ivan had right after the Great Patriotic War and the chaos that had followed in its wake.

“I’d be a fool not to. This stalemate has gone on long enough. There's no point in continuing if a ceasefire would allow me to recover and come back stronger later.”

The Soviet gave a silent nod, raising the bottle to his pale lips and taking a couple gulps of the burning liquor as though it were merely water in the bottle and not strong alcohol. He kept the bottle firmly in his left hand as he replied to the other country’s statement. “And you will come back stronger. All you need is a bit of rest, and I am sure you will be good as new and ready for more fighting.” Optimism was the best defense in times like this, wasn’t it? Looking across at his war weary friend though, it was almost impossible to imagine him as healthy, energetic and ready for more war.

“Do you suppose South would sign as well?”

Taking another swig of the vodka, Ivan considered the question. He was about to give an answer when his comrade started talking again, bringing up a point Ivan had not even considered before.

“I mean, of course he would, but would it give me the appearance of weakness to sign it first?”

Violet eyes widened slightly as Ivan considered that idea. Yes, it probably would seem like weakness as far as he was concerned. He would never wish to be the first to sign any armistice. That would be sort of like admitting that the war was too much and he needed a break after all. Something that no powerful and dominant nation would ever wish to admit, even if it was true. “You are probably right about that. It might make you look weak, and more desperate, comrade.” Suddenly, this whole armistice idea sounded like it promised more humiliation for North Korea than what he had previously considered. Had his boss not insisted he support the idea, he might have quickly tried to change Sang Kyu’s mind about the whole thing. “Maybe you can convince your brother to sign first?” It was a completely silly idea, but Ivan was hopeful. That would certainly save North Korea’s image. Which would help him too, since his own image was somewhat linked to what happened to North Korea.

The Russian gave his companion a somewhat sympathetic look. “You sure you don’t want some vodka too, comrade? It always helps me get through rough times and make decisions.” He offered the bottle to Sang Kyu momentarily. “You could put some in your tea if you would rather?” It was common knowledge in his lands that liquor was the best stress reliever and medicine. Perfect for helping with any troubles. Here was a nation who clearly needed some strong alcohol to help him through this whole armistice idea. Sang Kyu was so kind and thoughtful that instead of taking the liquor for himself from the very start, he had given the bottle to Ivan. What a friend! It was downright heartwarming to Ivan, and he suddenly wished he had free rein to do whatever he liked in world affairs. He would surely repay Sang Kyu’s kindness by being more helpful in the war. Then he would not need to sign any humiliating armistice.

“You should insist that South sign it first. Maybe you could speak to your brother himself and try to convince him of it?”

[North Korea]

He could see Ivan looking a little surprised at his suggestion. Perhaps the Russian hadn’t really considered before that suggesting an end to fighting my reflect weakness on North Korea’s part. But then again, why should Ivan have to worry about appearing weak? He was not the one fighting this war, and it was well known among nations that the Soviet Union was a formidable opponent. It would be totally natural for something like this to never cross the nation’s mind until it was suggested.

“You are probably right about that. It might make you look weak, and more desperate, comrade.”

The Korean let out a little puff of air, watching it disturb the little cloud of steam rising from his tea in front of him.“That is what I worry about,” he admitted, hoping the very statement in itself would not further an image of weakness.

“Maybe you can convince your brother to sign first?” Ivan suggested.

Sang Kyu considered the thought. On one hand, if he brought it up to South, he could potentially get his brother to sign first. On the other hand, if he brought it up to South…that was just the problem—he had to be the one to bring it up. That didn’t quite solve his problem. It still made him look like the weaker one for being the one to suggest an end to fighting. He drew his lips together in a hard line, staring into his tea cup. It was quite the dilemma for him.

“Perhaps. I will have to be very careful about how I bring it up though,” he said with a small sigh. “I would try and plant the idea in his head somehow, but I worry that that would take too long, waiting for him to come around to the idea and all.”

He looked up again in time to catch Russia’s sympathetic look.

“You sure you don’t want some vodka too, comrade? It always helps me get through rough times and make decisions,” the Russian said, holding the bottle out in offering. “You could put some in your tea if you would rather?”

It was a tempting offer, Sang Kyu had to admit, but he shook his head and waved a hand in polite refusal. “Thank you, but it’s yours,” he responded, realizing the thought of some good, hard liquor to wash his troubles away would probably be stuck in his head for a while now.

“You should insist that South sign it first. Maybe you could speak to your brother himself and try to convince him of it?”

Though he still didn’t want to be the one to actually bring up the signing of an armistice in conversation, it didn’t seem like he had much other choice. Trying to plant the seed in his brother’s head would take too long, and it might not even work anyway. “I will insist that he does…” he said after a moment of hesitation. “Of course, I will still have to be careful how I suggest it. I would prefer to talk to South Korea himself, but I suppose if I got a particularly stupid official, it could still work.”

Under the table, he wrung his hands together for a moment, considering how he might go about that, but a moment later he had pushed the thought away. He would have plenty of time to think about it just trying to get a meeting with his Southern brother approved by officials on both sides. Either that or trying to arrange one with him in secrecy. Whichever way it happened, he would have time to think about his strategy.

“But you are right. I must convince him.”

[Russia]

It seemed so strange to see someone politely refuse good hard liquor like that. Poor North Korea must have been feeling really stressed to be so upset that he didn’t even feel like drinking the good stuff. Or he was just being a gracious host, and did not want to take from his guest. Either way, it was always sad to see someone refuse vodka like that. It was surely a sign of troubled times. If roles had been reversed, even with wanting to be a good host, Ivan would not have been able to say ‘no’ to vodka.

Ivan quietly considered the idea of North Korea trying to plant the idea of South bringing up the armistice. It did not seem to be a very time-efficient plan. Even he realized that, and Ivan was somewhat known for his wild and crazy plans and thought processes during times of war. His bosses had of course come up with some of them, but nowadays he flinched at some of the tank and aircraft designs that had been given the okay under his own command. Designs that had of course turned out to be pretty impractical on the battlefield. So when he started to question as to whether or not something might work out, it probably was a horrible idea. He took a large swallow of the liquor as though to burn away the negative thoughts for a moment.

“I will insist that he does…Of course, I will still have to be careful how I suggest it. I would prefer to talk to South Korea himself, but I suppose if I got a particularly stupid official, it could still work. But you are right. I must convince him.”

The Russian’s expression brightened a little at the suggestion. “That might work better actually. Getting a stupid official instead.” That sounded like a much better plan to him if Sang Kyu did not want to come off as weak. “Think of it, stupid officials are so much easier to work with. Not being South Korea himself, he will be less spirited and offensive I think. Far easier to convince.” Ivan had never seen a particularly stupid country, but he had seen many stupid normal people and officials. Nations themselves seemed to always be at least somewhat bright. Even nations that Ivan thought of as weaker and less intelligent were still not outright stupid. Even Poland-who Ivan considered to be silly and a waste of effort sometimes- was still smart enough to make him harder to control on occasion. But Ivan had seen many people in office who were not so much intelligent as just well connected. That had been how they had gotten their positions. There was bound to be those types of officials in South Korea too.

“Try to get the most unintelligent official you can to speak to, and then manipulate him to want to insist on the armistice first!” The violet-eyed nation beamed at what he thought of as a clever plan. “Then you can save face and not be thought of as weak at all. They will think South Korea thought of the armistice first.” Proud of himself for being helpful, Ivan took another gulp of liquor, feeling the alcohol add more warmth to his chilled form.

“Oh! And then you know what we can do?” His voice was deceptively quiet, but no less powerful in his slightly lightheaded state. “You sign the armistice and get better, then, we stockpile more weapons and somehow convince our bosses to declare open war on America and South Korea. Together this time.” The larger man looked simply ecstatic at his not very thought out plan. Staring at North Korea, his eyes seemed to reflect the same sadistic glee of an ornery child holding a magnifying glass to a hill of ants. His love for violence always seemed to win out over the sensible side of him that sometimes tried to push him to consider more rational approaches to situations. If things were too peaceful and dull, well then, by his reasoning it was time to spice things up with some more war. So surely, he did not want the armistice to sign away the war altogether and forever, no matter what his leaders wanted at the moment.

“Think, you get better and we can work together once more to wipe out all our capitalist enemies.” Ivan gave a dreamy sigh at the thought, staring across at his comrade merrily. “When we win, think of it… you could have your brother’s land, and I’ll claim America’s of course.”
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((This thread clearly needed more crazy ideas on Ivan's part. Not to mention a few completely implausible dreams. Hope I gave you enough to work with.))

[North Korea]

“That might work better actually. Getting a stupid official instead. Think of it, stupid officials are so much easier to work with. Not being South Korea himself, he will be less spirited and offensive I think. Far easier to convince.”

And when he thought about it, those reasons did sound rather good to him. A particularly dumb South Korean official wouldn’t take anything Sang Kyu said too personally. He wouldn’t be sore over a brother-betraying-brother relationship—he wouldn’t be personally upset with Sang Kyu, and therefore, more open to the idea of an armistice.

“Try to get the most unintelligent official you can to speak to, and then manipulate him to want to insist on the armistice first! Then you can save face and not be thought of as weak at all. They will think South Korea thought of the armistice first.”

It was true, he thought. If he could simply get the official to come up with the idea of an armistice and pass it along to his superiors, North Korea would save face and still get what he wanted. The problem then became finding a stupid official, but one with a high enough rank and enough credibility to make sure the information got passed along. It was part of the reason he’d wanted to speak directly to Yong Soo—to make sure the information got where it needed to go—but with a bitter and stubborn brother who might not be willing to listen anyway, maybe the stupid official was the better route after all.

After a moment of thinking, he said, “It makes sense… He was still a little hesitant to leave the armistice idea in the hands of an idiot, but the more he thought about it, the more he seemed to convince himself that the idea would get much farther along in the hands of an official than the hands of his stubborn brother. “It’s more likely to work that way I think. My brother might not even agree to see me.” And really, Sang Kyu had a feeling he wouldn’t. “I will try it that way, I think. There are plenty of stupid officials floating around. Surely I can find one who thinks an armistice is a good idea.”

But suddenly, Ivan was talking again, this time his voice slightly hushed but all the more excited. “Oh! And then you know what we can do?” Anticipating Ivan’s idea, Sang Kyu leaned forward a bit, feeling very much like a child leaning in to hear some deep, dark secret.

“You sign the armistice and get better, then, we stockpile more weapons and somehow convince our bosses to declare open war on America and South Korea. Together this time.” The Korean couldn’t help but notice how gleeful Ivan seemed saying all this. Sang Kyu pulled back a little in surprise. As much as he wanted to destroy America and thoroughly crush South Korea, jumping back into war was still a far off thought to him. He needed the rest, but at the same time, South needed to pay. The prideful part of him grappled with the more sensible part of him. On one hand, he wanted to assert his strength and authority; on the other, he wanted to just be done with all this for a while.

The Russian went on, looking just as pleased as ever. “Think, you get better and we can work together once more to wipe out all our capitalist enemies. When we win, think of it… you could have your brother’s land, and I’ll claim America’s of course.”

As tempting as the offer was to take all of Korea, Sang Kyu couldn’t help but feel a little…used. The last thing he needed was to be caught in a war between two super powers where his lands would surely be used as a battle ground. South Korea would very likely be the American launching point, and North Korea simply the buffer state standing between America and Russia. The Korean caught himself frowning very hard back at the Russian as he thought about it.

“I’m sure you could find much better uses for American lands than that idiot could,” he said agreeably, trying to remain conciliatory, though the frown on his face pretty much gave away his true feelings. “But are you sure that’s such a good idea? Er…” he paused, taking a moment to think about his wording carefully. “…So soon, I mean. I have no doubt you could win. But maybe some more preparation is necessary?”

In truth, he was a little afraid to admit that the thought of going back to war scared him a little. Though he felt infinitely more secure knowing he would have Russia fighting alongside him this time, the images running through his head of invasions and takeovers made him hesitant to agree to anything.

-------

((Ahhh it was great! I think NK's a little torn now.))

[Russia]

Of course North Korea was right. There were plenty of stupid officials to choose from. So he would be free to chose the stupidest and most likely to agree out of all of them. It was a fool-proof plan as far as Ivan was concerned. How could anything go wrong if they found and manipulated someone really stupid and unfit for the office he had bribed his way into?

“I’m sure you could find much better uses for American lands than that idiot could.”

The statement would have made Ivan beam all the more, if such a thing would have been possible. Already though, he looked as though he was going to die from glee as he stared across at the other nation. Something was not right though… the smile that should have been on North Korea’s face was somehow upside down! The ecstatic Russian’s own smile faltered a bit as he tried to figure out how on Earth North Korea could not be happy with any aspect of their plan. It sounded like the most amazing plan ever to him. He had honestly expected Sang Kyu to share his joy. He had expected it to be impossible to frown after hearing such an idea. But, apparently, Sang Kyu was too injured from the recent attacks to smile. That had to be it. The other nation was in too much pain for even the brilliance of this plan to make a smile blossom on his face.

“But are you sure that’s such a good idea? Er…”

Was that doubt on North Korea‘s part? Did he not trust that Russia knew what he was doing? Ivan gave the other man a sympathetic look. Poor thing must have been in so much pain that he was now not even able to think clearly. “What do you mean, Sang Kyu?” The blonde studied the other nation over carefully, trying to read his expression better. “I’m always sure. I never doubt myself.” It was a lie, but a lie that Ivan think made him sound far more trustworthy and powerful. After all, the strongest nations were the ones who never had doubt about their actions, right? That was how he saw it anyways. Doubt was a sign of weakness and if he wanted North Korea to trust completely in his judgment, then it only made sense to leave out all the times he had doubted his ideas in the past. Also best to leave out all the times his doubts had in fact been wise in the situations.

“…So soon, I mean. I have no doubt you could win. But maybe some more preparation is necessary?”

“Preparation?” For a moment, Ivan’s smile vanished altogether as he appeared to contemplate the word’s very meaning. Why should they prepare so much? He was ready to fight now if only he could. He had the will, he had the weapons and he was sure that he would have the support of his allies. So why wait? But then of course he remembered that it was more or less still North Korea’s war and not his. And the other nation had clearly been pretty badly hurt despite not appearing it so much on the surface. So maybe that was why he was having doubts about a hasty attack as soon as he was able to.

“Aww, but Sang Kyu, have I ever given you a reason to not trust my judgment?” The crazed Soviet smiled again as he took another drink from the increasingly lightening bottle. It never occurred to him that the fact that he made most of his decisions while drinking might have also been cause for some nations and people to be skeptical of his abilities and perhaps a little less likely to put full trust in him. As far as he was concerned, he had never given his allies any reason not to put full faith in his words and actions. But Ivan never really liked to acknowledge his own drunkenness anyways, even when he was completely smashed.

“Look at where my plans have gotten me… I am a global power now.” He leaned back in his chair a bit, his expression drunkenly happy as he ran a hand through his bangs to brush them aside. “I got to be the strongest nation in the world by following my own advice, so it must be good, да?” Ignoring the boldness of his own statement, he was content to pretend that America was not even close to his power level in reality, and that he was in fact the most powerful and influential nation on the planet at the moment. “But… if you need more rest then I suppose we could wait and amass more power for our plan. Wars are fun, but they can be painful too, and I know that fighting on your land must not feel so good. Is that why you are hesitant?” The Soviet set his bottle down on the table for a moment and gave North Korea his full attention. He knew how horrible it could be to have to fight on one’s own land. The battles of the Great Patriotic War were still fresh in his memory, as was all the discomfort and agony they had caused him. Stalingrad was still a sore spot on his body and not a place he liked to be hit or touched.