«A turncoats return»

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I open my window, letting the semi warm air and the cool wind inside my dark room. I haven't done anything today except staying in bed. This has been going on for half a week now. I sit on my bed, mindlessly staring out the window, cupping my cheek with my hand. Dad just slapped me... again. I thought I'd be able to get him to calm down, but Dutch Republic is a terrible person. Now he's just bullying me, his son, even though I just did everything he asked for the past centuries, even if I couldn't stand doing it. What a way to thank me... I barely have friends because of it, and almost everyone dislikes me. Maybe I shouldn't have thrown my life away for him. I sigh, running my hand down my face. It's really hard living like this. Yet, I believe it's just Karma. I made others suffer, and now I am the one suffering. I don't even want to go out on the streets anymore.

I keep looking out the window. It's a rather stormy evening and 6pm already. After an uncertain amount of time, the door knocks. I figure that it's not from my family, as my siblings open right after knocking and Dad doesn't even knock at all.
"Ja?" I lazily sigh with just enough strength that the other person could hear me. The door carefully opens and the closes, and only then I turn my head to see who it is. I get surprised to see my German friend at the entrance of my room.
"Hello Nether."
"Ah... Germs. Hey."
"I wanted to check up on you."
"At 6 in the evening? What would your family think?"
"I'm a grown man, Neth."
"I guess so, sit down." I invite him and he proceeds to sit down next to me. Then, we both stare out the window. Germs isn't really doing anything, but his presence helps. At least someone who isn't hating on me. The man cleans his glasses and then turns his head to me while I simple watch from the corners of my eyes.

"Netherlands, you've really gotten worse! You're all pale an- did- d-did he hit you again?!" he started preaching me, stopping when he saw the unusual red spot on my cheek. I advert my eyes and sigh.
"Obliviously."
"I keep saying it, we've got to tell someone! That's abuse!"
"Who will even want to help me at this point?"
"Wel- "
"No one. It's karma for my past. I deserve it."
"Don't say that! Every country has done some messed up Scheiße, you don't need to think you've deserved it! And your country is even doing things to strengthen a friendly relationship with the Indonesians!"
"That is true for our lands, yes, but we remain isolated from that. And you carry your 'German-guilt' with you, right?" I say motionless, and my friend gets quiet, seemingly going through a dictionary in his head to find right words. He does that often; he thinks everything through before speaking. I respect that, a lot.
"Of course I do, it will be part of my life forever, yet I try to life with it without it tearing me down too much. That's not the goal of life in my opinion."
"It's not like I haven't been trying, Germs!"
"I know..."
"I don't understand how they keep blaming me, you said that everyone has done stupid stuff."
"It's rather flabbergasting to witness, yes." the German hums. I feel like he is the only person I can really rely on, right after Luxembourg. My friend stands up and walks around the room a little, his brain is working.

"Uhm. Would you like to do something so it was worth the visit?" I ask before he starts unwinding all sorts of conspiracies. Germany stops in his motions, curious.
"Like what?"
"Painting?" I question. Painting calms me, it's a favorite hobby of mine. And Germany likes to paint too.
"I mean sure, if you don't mind." he responds and I can feel the excitement radiating from him. Germany is such a sweet person, no wonders he is slowly getting more popular again himself, but would he really still hang out with a looser like me then? Is this friendship just temporary? I mean we've been friends for forever, but I've seen what fame does to a person...
"Are you going to keep your head in the clouds or are you going to help me set this up now?" Germany tears me out of my thoughts, half way done already.
"Ah, right! Sorry!" I yelp and get going. Germs chuckles drily and soon we sit next to each other, drawing. We keep going and my head is empty as I draw, not really paying attention to anything, not even the process.
"What are you drawing? It looks... interesting." again, Germany is the one dragging my soul back into my body. I blink at him and first take a brief look at his picture. He drew a skull on dark background that is burning in light flames. It's really good for the short amount of time that he stayed. My eyes wander to my own canvas and I get startled a little. Strokes in various colors are randomly drawn, the colors merging to a sort of dark mess, yet the silhouette of a person at a window is still distinguishable. It's pure chaos, yet calm, somehow.
"...My emotions." I simply whisper, still looking at it.
"Woahh."
"..."
"I like it. UHM- I MEAN- I like the picture, the motive behind it is a little concerning. Perhaps you should go and see Schweiz."
"Switzerland?"
" He is a psychotherapist after all."
"Maybe... I don't have the money for it though."
"Right... Dutch wouldn't pay."
"Never."
"I'll have a talk with him, regardless."
"With Dad?"
"With Switzerland."
"Ah, of course."

After painting we put everything away in its place, letting the canvases dry in peace. Despite the clouds and wind, the sky is various reds and oranges. We sit on my bed again, like before, simply glaring out the window, right now the only light source in my room. I can feel that Germany is thinking again.

"I feel like there are multiple factors behind it, really." he suddenly restarts the conversation from before we painted. For some reason my remember remembers it perfectly, I have no problem picking is up seamlessly from where we left off.
"Aha?" I watch him walking, waiting for him to continue.
"You have been one of the most impactful nations in the far past with rather impressing oversea territory."
"Keep going."
"You see how popular Indonesia is in our community. Everyone loves him. I wonder how he does it."
"..."
"Perhaps another reason is that you've been randomly selected to be the scapegoat of everyone's crimes. It seems likely. No one except a few want to really take responsibility. Countryhumans are known for their tremendous ego, after all." Germs concludes and it sadly enough is quite convincing. I groan and hang my head low.
"Shiet."
"Mhm."

"And there isn't anything we can do?"
"I can't think of anything. You've already changed so much in the past decade. At first, I couldn't really recognize you."
"So there is no light at the end of the tunnel..." I sigh and Germany sits down next to me again. I feel his arm wandering over my back in attempt to comfort me. I exhale and hug him. He definitely didn't see that coming, but the German keeps calm and embraces our bro-hug.

"I feel like you are the only reasonable person in this entire city." I sigh. Germs doesn't answer, but lets me silently know that he'll be there for me, which is really comforting. I'm not alone.
"Surely, some day they'll realize how childish they behave." he mumbles. Suddenly, he hugs me tighter.
"I'm so sorry! I wish I could speak out! But if I say anything they don't agree with they call me Nazi!" he says.
"I'm a bad friend, I should support you more, despite that. You shouldn't be suffering like this!" he continues. I don't answer and hear him to start sobbing. It seems to bother him so much. I remain a little flabbergasted at the affection, until I feel like crying myself. I hug him tightly as well, tears running down my face.

"No... No. You're not a bad friend."
"B-But- "
"You're the most amazing friend I could have ever asked for!"
"..."
"Who else is helping me through all of this?"
"..."
"Germs, please." I pull us apart and make him look at me. His eyes are big and glossy and blood shot, his breath hitching in uneven intervals.
"Don't blame yourself, please."
"A-Ach... Neth."
"Here, have tissue." I hand him one from my night stand and he hastily wipes his tears, regaining composure in seconds. Quite impressive. He then reaches for my night stand and proceeds to hand ME a tissue.
"Now you." he is quite serious about it. I can't help myself and crack a small smile.
"Thanks, Germs."
"No problem."