unFRIENDLY RIVALRY: countryhumans

Morning Conference

The cavernous yet cramped conference hall, though vast and spacious seemed to shrink with every minute that had passed. Second after second, leaving less and less room for one's own thoughts that were so easily overshadowed by other countries' murmurs of the typical pre-meeting banter and chitchats filled with 'good mornings' and 'how are yous'. The bicoloured nation found it comedic in a way; all of these exchanges of pleasantries meant nothing as soon as the conference would start. Those who just talked with one another like they're old buddies would more often than not turn on one another the very instance one of them would suggest a policy or express a political view point that wouldn't work in other's favour.

Despite everyone's best efforts to have a good public image, this hall would routinely resound with insults and profanities over the smallest of things.

One would call it nothing more than vanity of human nature; taking pride in their beliefs, blindly following them from A to Z even if they're unaware of what those might actually be, always unwilling to see things from different perspective...

Worst thing about it was the uncertainty of whether or not their public displays had the same intentions as what they claimed them to have, or was it just to gain a greater following and approval in the eyes of others.

In the world of politics, honesty was anything but a virtue any of them strive for.

Greed was not a sin, but a winning quality in the endless rat race of life.

Briefly glancing around the faceless mass surrounding him, the Polish man waited. Growing impatient and eager to see this conference to finally come to an end before it had even begun, the Pole sat himself in his designated spot, being completely unfazed by the lively discussions taking place all around him.

Aside from keeping to the most basic of common courtesies (such as greeting the Hungarian and Czech that were sitting next to him) the country didn't really speak much, too unsatisfied with the questions and answers his unstable mind kept providing him. He simply was not in the mood for socialising, not when he felt like an abounded boat in the never-ending ocean of emotional depts. On one hand happy? or something akin of that, on the other confused and frustrated.

He glanced down at his new possession, scanning the intricate details on its dial. A slight feeling of guilt gnawing on his subconsciousness.

The watch appeared to be quite high-end to say the least, putting the Pole's old one to shame with its polished silver shine.

Poland wasn't one for replacing things that had a lot of meaning to him, but not even all the memories and nostalgia attached to the old one could rival the current feelings associated with the new one.

It's almost as if the German put in the effort into his gift... Almost as if he cared about the Pole.... Almost...

After all, didn't Germany give everyone celebrating this anniversary a gift?

If so, what kind of boss is willing to spend that much cash on gifts for their employees or coworkers?

Should he return the favour ?

It seemed like the sound thing to do, but maybe this gesture was beyond meaningless to the German, just another casual pleasantry to keep up the appearances? What then? Return the favour? Say it's in the name of having a good public image if he responds with mockery of how soft it was of him to take that seriously?

It has been several years since Germany was more... spiteful... towards the Pole in his jokes, but the teasing had never truly gone away, just took on a more light-hearted appearance.

Sure, they act like friends now despite their ups and downs; arguments, normal conversations, laughs they've had in the lone time they spend together...