So... I assume Ivan is in a good mood? [Germany]

Even before Germany had made it all the way back from Russia, he had a list of places he needed to go and people he needed to see. That list greatly expanded after he'd actually arrived and learned about what had happened in his absence, and his priorities had to shift. Visiting Poland has always been on that list, but not necessarily near the top. At the top was making sure that everything on the European front was in order, and would continue to be so for some time - making all the proper arrangements to ensure that the armies would have what they need tomorrow is nearly as important as making sure that they have it today. Not that England botched the job while he was gone, but he's found it useful to check his work - there's always something that can be more finely tuned in these sorts of things.

In any event, once he was finished taking care of more urgent matters, he did not fail to remember that he ought to pay a visit to a certain hospital. Not that he's friends with the man, thinks that he'll enjoy this visit, or feels any real obligation to do so. But still, his experience behind enemy lines involved many things that would be of interest to the nation who has played host to one of the most important fronts of the war. Even if he isn't the biggest fan of Poland, the man's been put through so much that he doesn't deserve already, and he doesn't deserve to be kept in the dark either.

Though he didn't call ahead, it's still only a matter of minutes after his arrival that Germany walks into Poland's room. Few people are working harder to defend Poland than he is, so of course he can be fully trusted to be here. The more cynical might note that the fact that Germany is quite literally next if Poland falls probably has something to do with that, and they'd be right, but that doesn't change the fact that he's one of the last people who would do anything to harm his neighbor. Seeing the other nation lying in bed, he pauses just within the door and comments, "Hmm, it's good to see that you're still vith us. May I come in?" Not that he expects the answer to be no, but still it's polite to ask. And not that he's usually cares that much about politeness, but you're supposed to be nice to people when they're in the hospital.

Finding himself being welcomed, Germany simply pulls up a visitor's chair and sits next to the bed. Unlike some who might use this situation to look down upon Poland as if he was weak, Germany too keenly remembers the last time he was in a situation like this himself. Yes, it's been over a hundred years, but he's been at death's door before. And that was even his own fault, at least partially. But it's certainly not Poland's fault that he's in this situation - all he did was object to being invaded by Russia, and the strength of Russia and the strength of the European nations fighting back against him just so happened to balance out to place the front in Poland. And with the front shifting back and forth through his lands, depending on exactly which side happened to have a slight edge over the other, there isn't much that could have been done to prevent this. At least, not anything within Poland's power - he's yet another victim of this war. But at least he's still alive and not in Russia's hands.

"I vas busy at the main base - England did a very good job coordinating everything on the front vhile I vas captured by Russia. Nov that I'm back, there vere many things for me to catch up on. But I have finished doing everything except those things that are never-ending, so I thought that I'd take a break from that to see if there's anything I could do for you here," he says conversationally, leaning back in his chair a little. Which by itself might seem a little odd - Germany is more the type to sit up stiff and straight, with perfect posture. Instead, he seems to be relaxed, or at least as relaxed as he gets.

Of course he's not going to tell Poland that he's been concerned about him. Of course, much of that concern has to do with a lot of the guilt he carries. He came so close to destroying so many nations, including Poland, that he feels a strong need to now help protect them in order to in a way make up for what he did before. He's actually been concerned about Poland for a very long time - ever since the man first started to become so weak. But as strong as he is as a nation, there are limits to his strength. He was not able to protect the Baltic nations, Belarus, Ukraine, or simply eastern Europe in general like he would have if he could. Instead, at the moment at least, it's all he can do to keep Poland out of Russia's grasp. He can't save the man from what's happening to him, but he hopes to be able to at the very least keep him alive at the moment so that in the future he can help restore his strength. And then he can go on being annoyed by the man and letting Prussia deal with him so that he doesn't have to.

Of course, he's not going to tell Poland any of that. Instead he simply encourages the man to consider what they might be able to talk about by commenting, "After everything I sav in Russia, it's nice to be among people vho still have so much fight in them."

Nodding to Poland's answer, Germany comments, "Ah, that is good! I just vanted to be sure. But I knov that vhat you really need is for us to get the Russians out of your lands. I knov you're probably tired of hearing it, but ve're still vorking on that one." He won't bother telling the man about how they have a new plan that just might do it - Poland has heard that one several times before already, and though he's pretty confident in this one he was pretty confident in most of the others as well. At this point it's better to surprise the man with a victory than it is to disappoint him with another defeat.

While it's true that Germany has had a hard life, it's also true that this could be said of most nations. The truth of the matter is that he's much harder on himself than most about their past mistakes. Of course, the standard response of most nations to their past mistakes is to pretend that they didn't happen, attempt to justify them, or to at least try to convince everyone that it wasn't that bad. So perhaps the fact that he actually attempts to take responsibility for what he did is a good thing, though even then some would argue that beating yourself up about it over a hundred years later is a bit excessive. Then again, he's not the only one that won't let him forget what he did.

Though Poland's comments about Russia are probably rhetorical, Germany chooses to respond to them anyway. "Vell, in my case I didn't have any choice. It started during a battle. I vas vith a group of men, and perhaps ve vere being a bit bold, but ve got surrounded by Russians so ve had to surrender," he explains, looking just a little bit embarrassed, though only a little bit. He's famous for his leadership abilities in war, after all, though these things can happen to anyone if they go to the front lines. "Of course, it vas my luck that Russia vas also on the battlefield. I thought that he had come to mock me, but then again I forget that sometimes others make decisions that are strategically unsound - it vas not a good idea for him to capture me, but he vanted to do it anyvay so he killed my men and grabbed me. Of course I resisted, but this is not like my last var vith him - I have captured no countries and added their strength to my ovn, but he has. He has become quite strong, and I cannot match his strength by myself. So I pulled out one of the nev grenades that Japan gave me - it blev up the both of us and also his men. It vas a bit of a desperate strategy, but it might have vorked. It didn't though - I voke up in chains in a tent - in a Russian camp, I think. And Russia seemed to be under the delusion that I vas much veaker than I am, so I didn't do anything to correct him. He tried to ask me about vhere you vere, so I purposely made him angry. He stabbed me in the heart. Vhen I voke up again, I vas in a cell in Moscov," he explains, then comments, "So I didn't really have a choice - though I suppose that if I had behaved differently perhaps he vouldn't have taken me that far. Then again, I gained vay more information from the experience than he got from me. Like I said, it vas a strategically unsound thing for him to do. It's not a good idea to bring an unveakened vorld pover into your headquarters, no matter hov much stronger you are than he is. Russia has gotten sloppy and arrogant."

He tells the story in an extremely dispassionate manner, as if simply listing off facts instead of talking about getting himself killed more than once and dragged into enemy territory. The only point at which he seems to feel anything in particular about what happened is when he mentions that his own soldiers were killed - he's angry about that. Which is understandable - killing soldiers after they've surrendered is a war crime, unless they're trying to escape. But that's also why he made it a point to comment upon the fact that Russia's soldiers got caught in the blast of the grenade - that was not only not a war crime, because they hadn't surrendered, it was also sweet revenge. Not that Germany isn't going to remember to bring it up again during the inevitable war tribunal that will follow this war.

"Impossible? No..." Germany replies, though he's quick to clarify by saying, "Difficult, yes - I do not think that every country could. But I'm sure that you knov better than even I do that Moscov is more a prison of the mind than of the body. Vhen your people are afraid and have no hope, you are a prisoner even if there is nothing to stop you from valking right out the door. Vhen your people are instead strong and resolute, vhat chains can hold you back?"

Deciding that perhaps it would be better if he got just a little bit more personal, he comments, "In spite of the fact that the var has raged for so many years, it has not reached my borders - it is easy for my people to be brave, hopeful, and determined to fight. Of course, my people are very stubborn - even if the var had reached our borders, they vould continue to be determined but bit by bit their confidence vould falter - and so vould mine." He actually hasn't experienced that feeling very much in his life - he hasn't been forcibly taken into someone's house and been made to serve there for an extended period of time. He did spend a lot more time than most being a subordinate state, but that's different - that's being ruled by someone else because you're too young to do it yourself.

"So no, it vas not impossible for me to leave Moscov. But I do not blame those vho are more imprisoned there than I vas for not leaving," he says, his voice becoming quiet and thoughtful, almost somber. After a slight moment of hesitation, he adds, "I saw Natalya and Toris vhile I vas there..." He hesitates to bring them up because he knows that Poland will feel a lot of things about both of them, so it probably won't be a very easy conversation. But if he didn't think that it was necessary, he wouldn't have brought them up at all.

Of course, some of Germany's perception of the world is altered by his skillset. He definitely has a head for tactics and strategy - much more than most - and that's helpful to him whether he's on the battlefield, escaping from prison, or deciding on marketing campaigns for the latest car model. For him most of the battle is simply believing that he can accomplish something.

Then again, especially ever since the second World War, he's also quite hesitant to believe too highly of himself. So when Poland remarks upon his insight, Germany is quick to comment, "Vell, I'm pretty sure I vas paraphrasing something someone else told me before - though I can't remember vho it vas right nov." Because no, he's not going to take credit for making any wise comments.

When Poland expresses his confidence in Germany's inability to fall, Germany takes the statement seriously whether the Pole meant to be joking or not. "At the end of the day, I am only as strong as my people. And my people are strong people, but they are also human," he states, admitting to his own strength as much as he's willing to. Yes, he knows that he's a strong nation, but he's fallen before - almost died, even. He knows better than to be too proud of his own strength.

Though the conversation turns to what he actually came to talk about, really. Yes, he got a lot of information during his trip to Moscow, but he knows that news about Natalya and Toris is what he most ought to pass along here. "Toris seems to be doing okay, all things considered. He is a very kind person - he came to visit me even though he vasn't supposed to. I think that he's making the most of a bad situation, but he is not exactly happy vith his situation either. He's in a difficult place - he does not vant to upset Russia, but Russia is... Russia," he says, trying to explain his thoughts on the matter while giving the man all due dignity. It's a difficult thing to do, when he knows that there are some... emotions between the man he's speaking of and the man he's speaking to.

Talking about Natalya is much easier for him to articulate. "Natalya is, as alvays, Natalya. But she is also ill - though she pretends not to be. She may not be laying in a hospital like you, but I think that her condition is even more concerning - you are merely veakened by the var. She is sick," he says, his forehead wrinkling in concern.

When Poland remarks upon Lithuania, Germany doesn't feel like he can do much more than nod silently. Poland naturally knows the man a lot more than he does, given their history - he simply wanted to pass along word of the nation's current status. Though he does comment, "I told him that ve are doing everything ve can to help him." Or the equivalent of that, in any case. Though unfortunately, everything that the United Allegiance can do to help Lithuania doesn't amount to very much right now. Everything that the United Allegiance can do is keep Russia from advancing past Poland. Still, attempting to strategise a way to do more than that is literally what keeps Germany awake at night.

In fact, if anything his desire to push back Russia has grown exponentially, not only because he's now personally that much more angry at the man but also because of his concern for Natalya. Though his desire to help Lithuania is sincere, the man seems to only be suffering so much in Russia's house. Natalya, on the other hand, may very well be in need of urgent help - he's not even sure. What he does know about her situation, he explains to Poland. "I'm not completely sure vhat is vrong vith her," he admits first, but then he adds, "But her appearance has changed - she looks more frail. And she vas hiding the fact that her hands vere shaking. And she seemed more anxious than usual."

Of course, all of those symptoms were extremely subtle - he'd been paying particularly close attention to her to catch all of that. In fact, he'd count it likely that most nations would be too worried about whether or not she was about to stab them to notice such things. He has the advantage of not being afraid that she'll stab him. Not because she wouldn't stab him but because fear is not the first emotion to come to mind at that prospect.

Something in the Pole's voice as he parrots back the fact that they're doing everything they can for Lithuania causes the German's expression to become harder and more serious. "Yes, ve are," he states flatly, though with surprisingly little anger. Partly because he's not even sure whether or not he actually heard that hint of doubt in Poland's voice, and partly because he can't really blame him for not being aware of the overall situation of both Europe and the world. Getting news, especially classified, for-Allegiance-ears-only news like the current distribution of their armies, is quite difficult when you're in the hospital. Of course Poland wouldn't know the exact situation and why they can't do more.

When asked about Belarus, Germany's first response is to shrug. "That's difficult to say. Ill or not, she is still very capable in a fight - even veakened, she still has her daggers. Also, ve need to go to great effort to hang onto you - to hang onto her vould be even more difficult. On the other hand, even if vould be very difficult, it is an opportunity too good to completely vrite off. Especially because there are more than strategic reasons to vant her in Allegiance hands - I do not think that the Pact are giving her situation the attention it deserves. Perhaps she could even die from this..." he says, his voice becoming quiet at the end.

The death of a nation is no small matter - nations are not like men. They can live for hundreds or even thousands of years, though of course there are some that don't last very long at all. Still, for an older, developed, European nation to die is a serious thing and Germany doesn't mention the possibility lightly.