(no subject)
Title: Tell Me a Story?
Characters: Holy Roman Empire, Germania
Notes: Funny thing, the Germanic traditions and culture of the old Germanic tribes still existed after the Roman Empire fell. The Dark Ages were also called the Germanic era of Europe for a reason. The battle he talks about is the Battle of Teutoburg Forest. Arminius was captured as a child from his tribe and raised in the Roman Empire. As he grew older, he joined the Roman Army and went through the ranks fast. Once he became an advisor of Varnus, a Roman General who was to be sent to settle down the tribes in the northwest, he began the plan of his betrayal of Rome and the most decisive win for the Germanic tribes.
Germania's legs swung next to his younger son, who had taken up the name of the Holy Roman Empire instead of the name he had given him ("Balder"), and let the fish nibble at his now-idle toes. How disgusting to use Roman in it, though he supposed it was better than nothing. To call someone Roman was a powerful thing back in his days, for the Roman Empire was the most powerful force to rock Earth's cradle. The boy looked up and watched his father carefully, a hint of interest in his pale blue eyes.
"Vater, what was it like back you were young? Did you have to truck through five feet of snow to fight your battles? Bruder told me so, but I didn't believe him."
The older man shook his head slightly, and focused on the fish at both their feet now.
"No. We might not have had the power you child now posess, but we weren't helpless. Back then, not a piece of the Roman Empire was touched by snow. I remember one battle clearly, but you wouldn't like to hear about it."
His brother, the white hair boy he had remembered fondly as simply "Loki" yet now called himself Prussia, certainly hadn't.
"Nein. I would very much like to hear your stories, Vater."
Germania almost, almost smiled. But he kept it to himself and turned his head to the young child.
"Rome didn't always win battles, you know. Despite what many think of him as an invincible empire, he had his faults. Like his generals were as stupid as he was."
"But the Roman Empire was amazing! And intelligent! How could he ever be beat by-"
"A barbarian?"
Silence.
"W-well, no... Just... H-how could he ever have been defeated?"
The awkward got awkwarder.
"I am not hurt by the word, child, nor would I be angry at you for using it. I had to get used to it. It was one of the few things I allowed him to call me."
The boy turned away and focused his attention on swinging his feet in the water, watching the fish swim away from the sudden movement. Germania laid back and put his arms under his head comfortably, a make-shift pillow.
"It was in a forest just off the river we sit at now. Known as the Teutoburg Forest now, if I read your maps correctly. Arminius was the general who allied the tribes together to attack the Romans. They laid in wait for the Romans to pass through the narrow and difficult road that had been constructed, since Roman soldiers couldn't walk on uneven ground becuase of their heavy armor. When the soldiers were close enough, the tribesmen shot them with bows and proceeded to massacre the entire front line. The back didn't know what had happened. By the time they got the news, it was too late.
"This happened several more times, and soon three entire Roman Legions were killed. The officers were held captive to be sacrificed to the gods who helped them win this battle, being hung up and mutilated. I've heard they cut off the Roman general's head and sent it back to Rome in a basket to give to the emperor. After that, no emperor dared to try and conquer anything farther than this river."
By this time, the Holy Roman Empire had turned and now stared wide-eyed at his father, gaping slightly. There was a long, slow silence between the two. Germania sat up and leaned against the ground with his palms.
"Didn't believe your Vater could defeat such an 'amazing' force, did you? No matter, Arminius's ambitions grew too big and he was killed by his owns tribesmen for trying to become the king over all of them."
This was ended with a shrug, and the boy closed his mouth.
"... Vater is cool."
Only the tips of his ears showed the older man's embarrassment and secret pleasure of this compliment.
Characters: Holy Roman Empire, Germania
Notes: Funny thing, the Germanic traditions and culture of the old Germanic tribes still existed after the Roman Empire fell. The Dark Ages were also called the Germanic era of Europe for a reason. The battle he talks about is the Battle of Teutoburg Forest. Arminius was captured as a child from his tribe and raised in the Roman Empire. As he grew older, he joined the Roman Army and went through the ranks fast. Once he became an advisor of Varnus, a Roman General who was to be sent to settle down the tribes in the northwest, he began the plan of his betrayal of Rome and the most decisive win for the Germanic tribes.
Germania's legs swung next to his younger son, who had taken up the name of the Holy Roman Empire instead of the name he had given him ("Balder"), and let the fish nibble at his now-idle toes. How disgusting to use Roman in it, though he supposed it was better than nothing. To call someone Roman was a powerful thing back in his days, for the Roman Empire was the most powerful force to rock Earth's cradle. The boy looked up and watched his father carefully, a hint of interest in his pale blue eyes.
"Vater, what was it like back you were young? Did you have to truck through five feet of snow to fight your battles? Bruder told me so, but I didn't believe him."
The older man shook his head slightly, and focused on the fish at both their feet now.
"No. We might not have had the power you child now posess, but we weren't helpless. Back then, not a piece of the Roman Empire was touched by snow. I remember one battle clearly, but you wouldn't like to hear about it."
His brother, the white hair boy he had remembered fondly as simply "Loki" yet now called himself Prussia, certainly hadn't.
"Nein. I would very much like to hear your stories, Vater."
Germania almost, almost smiled. But he kept it to himself and turned his head to the young child.
"Rome didn't always win battles, you know. Despite what many think of him as an invincible empire, he had his faults. Like his generals were as stupid as he was."
"But the Roman Empire was amazing! And intelligent! How could he ever be beat by-"
"A barbarian?"
Silence.
"W-well, no... Just... H-how could he ever have been defeated?"
The awkward got awkwarder.
"I am not hurt by the word, child, nor would I be angry at you for using it. I had to get used to it. It was one of the few things I allowed him to call me."
The boy turned away and focused his attention on swinging his feet in the water, watching the fish swim away from the sudden movement. Germania laid back and put his arms under his head comfortably, a make-shift pillow.
"It was in a forest just off the river we sit at now. Known as the Teutoburg Forest now, if I read your maps correctly. Arminius was the general who allied the tribes together to attack the Romans. They laid in wait for the Romans to pass through the narrow and difficult road that had been constructed, since Roman soldiers couldn't walk on uneven ground becuase of their heavy armor. When the soldiers were close enough, the tribesmen shot them with bows and proceeded to massacre the entire front line. The back didn't know what had happened. By the time they got the news, it was too late.
"This happened several more times, and soon three entire Roman Legions were killed. The officers were held captive to be sacrificed to the gods who helped them win this battle, being hung up and mutilated. I've heard they cut off the Roman general's head and sent it back to Rome in a basket to give to the emperor. After that, no emperor dared to try and conquer anything farther than this river."
By this time, the Holy Roman Empire had turned and now stared wide-eyed at his father, gaping slightly. There was a long, slow silence between the two. Germania sat up and leaned against the ground with his palms.
"Didn't believe your Vater could defeat such an 'amazing' force, did you? No matter, Arminius's ambitions grew too big and he was killed by his owns tribesmen for trying to become the king over all of them."
This was ended with a shrug, and the boy closed his mouth.
"... Vater is cool."
Only the tips of his ears showed the older man's embarrassment and secret pleasure of this compliment.