Pain's Universe Part 7
And now this fic is current with the meme updates!
Runes
Germany's scar was a runic tattoo.
England rubbed his forehead and flicked on the light switch. Instantly, the room washed out with light. He walked back over to the armchair and turned off the lamp. The book lay open to a page covered with runes and a large soda stain. Unfortunately, America had spilled soda on the page where the runes were translated and Germany's tattoo was one of them.
"Blast! I'm going to have to call Norway." Grumbling England shut the book and placed it on the side table. Then he picked up the phone and got comfortable.
It was going to be a long call.
"Hey, Norway...I need your help in looking up a rune symbol.
Norway tucked his feet closer to him and turned the pages in his own spellbook. "You said it was a diamond on a cross right?"
"On top of a cross" England corrected. "Unfortunately, America spilled soda over my translations when he came to visit last.
Norway stopped on a page that held a symbol similar to what England was describing. He frowned as he read the description beneath. "I found it." England's rant about Prussia's bad descriptions cut off.
"What is it?"
"It's the rune Othila. It's meaning is to inherit."
Norway could hear England's frown. "Inherit what?"
Norway shrugged and went back to studying the page. "It could be anything. What else did Prussia say?"
England repeated what Prussia had told him, adding his own opinions along the way.
"Pain? What kind of pain?" England huffed into the receiver.
"Prussia said it was constant and he made it sound like a lot. I don't see what that has to do with this."
Norway pursed his lips. "Sometimes," he said slowly, " pain can also be inherited"
"That's usually in curses. My faeries implied that Germany made a pact with someone." Norway did not like the direction that his thoughts were taking. Just because no one was foolish-or brave-enough to have attempted it, did not mean that it could not be done. Norway swallowed.
"Perhaps," he began, " Germany made a pact to inherit the pain that he is feeling."
Silence
Norway wondered if England had come to the same conclusion.
"Why?" England sounded confused. It seemed that he hadn't.
"Germany is young." Norway reminded him.
"What does that have to do with-"
"He is also guilty." England didn't reply. Norway wondered if he was beginning to understand. "Pain, constant, intense pain," Norway began in a lecturing tone, " combined with a runic tattoo means only one thing" Norway sensed that England was hanging on to every word. "that someone made a pact to take on pain that is not their own." Norway heard a sharp intake of breath. It seemed England had finally understood.
"No" England breathed into the phone. "He wouldn't, couldn't have been stupid enough…"
"Guilt, especially this kind of guilt," Norway said in the same tone, "runs deep and starts early. It grows and grows and grows, until one day it consumes you. What would you do then?"
The silence stretched between them. Norway can practically hear England attempting to wrap his mind around the concept; he was having a hard time comprehending it himself.
"He couldn't have." England said with conviction. "There is no spirit that would agree to that."
Norway let the silence answer for him.
Runes
Germany's scar was a runic tattoo.
England rubbed his forehead and flicked on the light switch. Instantly, the room washed out with light. He walked back over to the armchair and turned off the lamp. The book lay open to a page covered with runes and a large soda stain. Unfortunately, America had spilled soda on the page where the runes were translated and Germany's tattoo was one of them.
"Blast! I'm going to have to call Norway." Grumbling England shut the book and placed it on the side table. Then he picked up the phone and got comfortable.
It was going to be a long call.
"Hey, Norway...I need your help in looking up a rune symbol.
Norway tucked his feet closer to him and turned the pages in his own spellbook. "You said it was a diamond on a cross right?"
"On top of a cross" England corrected. "Unfortunately, America spilled soda over my translations when he came to visit last.
Norway stopped on a page that held a symbol similar to what England was describing. He frowned as he read the description beneath. "I found it." England's rant about Prussia's bad descriptions cut off.
"What is it?"
"It's the rune Othila. It's meaning is to inherit."
Norway could hear England's frown. "Inherit what?"
Norway shrugged and went back to studying the page. "It could be anything. What else did Prussia say?"
England repeated what Prussia had told him, adding his own opinions along the way.
"Pain? What kind of pain?" England huffed into the receiver.
"Prussia said it was constant and he made it sound like a lot. I don't see what that has to do with this."
Norway pursed his lips. "Sometimes," he said slowly, " pain can also be inherited"
"That's usually in curses. My faeries implied that Germany made a pact with someone." Norway did not like the direction that his thoughts were taking. Just because no one was foolish-or brave-enough to have attempted it, did not mean that it could not be done. Norway swallowed.
"Perhaps," he began, " Germany made a pact to inherit the pain that he is feeling."
Silence
Norway wondered if England had come to the same conclusion.
"Why?" England sounded confused. It seemed that he hadn't.
"Germany is young." Norway reminded him.
"What does that have to do with-"
"He is also guilty." England didn't reply. Norway wondered if he was beginning to understand. "Pain, constant, intense pain," Norway began in a lecturing tone, " combined with a runic tattoo means only one thing" Norway sensed that England was hanging on to every word. "that someone made a pact to take on pain that is not their own." Norway heard a sharp intake of breath. It seemed England had finally understood.
"No" England breathed into the phone. "He wouldn't, couldn't have been stupid enough…"
"Guilt, especially this kind of guilt," Norway said in the same tone, "runs deep and starts early. It grows and grows and grows, until one day it consumes you. What would you do then?"
The silence stretched between them. Norway can practically hear England attempting to wrap his mind around the concept; he was having a hard time comprehending it himself.
"He couldn't have." England said with conviction. "There is no spirit that would agree to that."
Norway let the silence answer for him.