Nikolai and Yankee stood in the elevator surrounded by an awkward silence. Yankee had an old duffel bag hanging off her shoulder. She rocked on her heels and hummed 'Home on the Range' under her breath. She was dressed in a white blouse and black jeans. Her hair wasn't in her trademark braids today, Nikolai noticed. Instead the wheat blond strands hung loosely around her shoulders, permanently wavy due to the time they spent in braids. Yankee's ocean blue sparkled behind a pair of glasses.

It was rare for the state to show herself in such a casual way. It reminded Nikolai that, though they were technically immortal personifications of a capital, or state in Yankee's case, but also human. There was more to them than just war and politics. Nikolai, who usually wore a heavy coat similar to his father's only shorter, chose instead, to wear a crisp white button-up shirt and black slacks. His silvery hair was neatly combed and slightly slicked back. His blue-violet eyes glanced around the elevator, flicking back to Yankee occasionally. He fiddled with the lanyard around his neck. A plastic card hung on the end that read:

Nikolai Braginski

Moscow

Russian Federation

World Convention 2016

Yankee had a similartag reading,

Natalie "Yankee" Jones

New York

United States of America

World Convention 2016

Finally the elevator dinged and the doors hissed open. The two stepped into the crowded convention center. Yankee adjusted the hold on her duffel bag.

"This is going to be great, Nick." Yankee said excitedly. She had a slight bounce in her step.

"How so?" Nikolai asked as he adjusted his collar. He wasn't used to not wearing his coat, he was extremely self-conscious about how broad his shoulders were.

Yankee bumped her shoulder into his arm. "C'mon Russki, it's fine. They'll ask us questions and we'll give 'em answers. Simple as that."

"Easy for you to say, everyone loves you." Nikolai stated as the passed a few of the older Capitals who weren't participating in the panel.

"That's the farthest thing from the truth." Yankee sighed.

"Name one person who does not like you."

"Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Massachusetts." Yankee counted on her fingers. "That's just the ones I can remember, there's a whole list back at home."

"I said name one." Nikolai repeated as the walked into a room.

There was a row of fold-able plastic tables covered in white cloth on the stage. Each of the black chairs behind the tables had a placard with a name written on them and a corresponding microphone. Yankee had been placed next to Rome, while Nikolai was next to Berlin.

Yankee threw her duffel bag behind the curtain and sat down by Ezio. Ezio was similarly dressed in white and black. His curl stuck up at an odd angle, much to his displeasure.

"Of-a all days, you-a do-a this now?" He angrily questioned the adhoge.

"What up homie?" Yankee greeted, she gave his hair a tug and straightened the curl.

"DONT DO THAT!" Ezio screeched.

Yankee laughedlightly and took her seat. She opened the bottle of water left for her and drank. "So, any ideas on what they are going to ask us?"

Nikolai shrugged. "No idea. You?"

"Probably my relationship with Micheal. Also, my Youtube channel."

Yankee was well known for her videos. She often described certain historical events in their truth, as well easy ways to remeber them. She tended to put a lot of passion and humor into their production.

Nikolai glanced at his watch. "Meeting starts in five minutes." He announced.

"Let's do this. You sure you can handle the full force of my American-ness?"

"I will try." Nikolai smiled slightly. This was going to be interesting.