We all have a place [Vietnam]

Much of the would has suffered heavily from the war. Vietnam is not one of them. Though the war is raging, it's been kept from her shores. Those enemies strong enough to reach her have had too many other things to deal with to try to reach her shores, and she's made it a point to make sure that when she sends out armies she's not overextending herself. The main effect of the war has been a decrease of population as some of her men lose their lives overseas, but compared to the hardships of many other countries she's doing very well. As Russia arrived, he'd no doubt notice the vast fields being cultivated and the positive mood of the general populace.

And just as he expected, his visit is a surprise. And a delightful one, at that! She sees no reason why it should bother her that her best friend wants to visit. In fact, he visits so rarely and pays so little attention to her lately that having him here at all, let alone as a surprise guest, is a particular delight. So though she's not the first one to open the door, it isn't even an entire minute later that word has gotten to her about his arrival and she's literally running down the grand staircase into the front foyer he was invited into. "Chào buổi tối, ủng Russia!" she greets him with the same words she always does as she approaches, finally coming to a halt just in front of him and giving him a respectful bow. He probably doesn't appreciate how respectful that is in her language, but her mannerisms attempt to communicate what the language barrier loses.

The moment she's done greeting him properly, she smiling and saying, "You have surprised me so much with your visit! I am so happy! Would you like to sit down? I can have my servants prepare some coffee for us." She honestly has no idea why he would be visiting - as far as she's concerned nothing much has happened that would be worth discussing. Then again, it could be that he's simply making a social call. On the other hand, he hasn't done something like that for a very long time, so she does suspect that he has more of a reason than that. He's certainly not any more or less welcome because of that, however.

Just because Vietnam is a serious nation doesn't mean that she doesn't get excited enough to drop everything and run. It just means that she's unlikely to also slide down the bannister and forget her manners when she greets him.

The moment that Russia accepts her offer of coffee, she only needs to turn her head and nod, as a couple of her servants had quietly positioned themselves so as to be on hand in case they were needed - and of course they heard what was wanted. When she turns back and hears what Russia says next, she looks surprised. Just as he never noticed what she calls him, it had never occurred to her that he might want to call him something else. But she's quick to smile and say, "Ah! Forgive me if I have offended you. But I do not call you 'Russia' because I feel that there is distance between us, but because you are not simply a man named Ivan, you are Russia." And the way she says the name this time with such strength seems meant to imply the strength, grandeur, and longevity of such an important nation. "To call you anything else would perhaps make it sound as if you are less than what you are - or perhaps I'm am thinking about it too much. I suppose it could also seem a bit formal..." she adds, now with a thoughtful look on her face. But it's quickly replaced by a smile again as she adds, "Perhaps if you would prefer to be a bit more personal, you can call me Nguyen. Or Thi - my given name is Thi." Which she's pretty sure that she's told him before, but she's equally sure that he's forgotten - that's simply how she's become accustomed to treating her.

Leaving the ultimate choice of what they call each other up to him, she says, "If you will come with me, I will find us somewhere where we can more easily talk." She turns and starts to lead the way further into the house. And the further in you go, the more it's filled with activity - there are many busy-looking young people headed through the hallways, each of them quick to smile when they notice that someone is looking in their direction. But the room that Vietnam has in mind isn't very far - it's small but quiet and very traditional, devoid of the large and bulky furniture popularized by the west. Instead the main piece of furniture if a low table of the type that Ivan would be familiar with if he's spent any time with her oldest brother. It's very richly decorated, as are the walls, which have many fine examples of Vietnamese wall art in the traditional style. Which are perhaps a bit more difficult to see than they would be, because the lights are kept quite a bit dimmer than they are outside. And it's quiet enough inside the room for the heavy sigh she gives when she steps inside to be clearly heard, which seems a bit odd so immediately after the hustle and bustle in the hallway - it must be soundproofed.

Of course, she didn't miss the last question he asked, only delayed the answering of it slightly. As she kneels beside the table, her smile has been exchanged for a serious expression as she quietly comments, "How I am doing depends on what you mean. I am doing well in the war. I am doing poorly in my internal harmony. I am doing well domestically. I am doing poorly with my eldest brother. But I do not wish to worry you - the problems that I am having are not new and I am accustomed to them."