[Conny]: so now today, I have a request to fulfill. Illusion fox, are you ready? Here's your character, Katelin Cortes! And as you've requested, I am surprising you with who your character's roommate will be. Today, I'm not going to have translations. What, you say? Oh! How could I do such a thing? I must add in words people can learn. I think I used a lot of phrases from several languages in this one. Is it too much? I won't say too much more now, so please enjoy your reading!

Here's the translations for you:
Mon chérie = My darling (French)
Désolé = sorry (French)
Ate = Older sister (Filipino)
Meraviglioso = Wonderful (Italian)
Fratello = Brother (Italian)
Bene = Fine/Okay (Italian)
S'il te plaît = Please (French)
Arrête! = Stop it! (French)
Itigil! = Stop! (Filipino)
Germania = Germany (Italian)
ragazza insignificante = plain jane (Italian, I hope that's right)
Mi scusi! = I'm sorry! (Italian)
Mi chiamo = My name is... (Italian)
Non c'è problema. = No problem (Italian)
Signora = Mrs./Miss (Italian)
Prego = Please (Italian)
Vecchio = Old man (Italian)
Vaffanculo! = Fuck off! (Italian. So sorry for those who don't like profanity!)

Obviously this had to be some kind of sick joke. Sure, she could take a prank, but this was just insane! Thanks to a quick bus trip, she was taken away from her home to this luxurious palace. The landscape of this castle was filled with so much beauty. The fields were covered in a rainbow of flowers, though many definitely were not of this region of the world. Katelin Cortes stared in awe at the sight before her. Maybe her older brother was smart enough to make false documents? No, that couldn't be right. He loved his computer games far too much to even spend time to mess around with her. This was the real deal.

A gust of wind blew through her dark brown hair, making it more wavy than ever before. She didn't want to bother trying to straighten before she left. There was just no way to do it easily! Whether she had help or not, she just couldn't straighten it for her life. She fixed her tie, which was issued by the school. Yes, she got the uniform before she got to the school and was wearing it there. Katelin avoided the extra pieces of the outfit. She choose the plaid pants over the skirt and ditched the vest and blazer. The white button-up shirt with the school's crest was definitely enough. It went along with her causal clothing, which she was glad about.

She looked at her charm bracelet, something that her family gave her. Kate really did miss them, but this is just an opportunity that she could not miss out on. Her chestnut colored eyes looked away from the silver bracelet, and to the path ahead of her. There were a group of people coming up to her. On the inside, she was panicking. This was the welcoming party? Oh, no. Oh, no!

"Welcome to Hetalian Academy," a girl with long, straight hair said with a smile. Slight jealousy threatened to shine in her eyes. Surely, that girl didn't have to use a straightener on her hair. "I'm Maria de la Cruz." It sounded like a Spanish name, though she didn't look like a girl from Spain. Maybe from South America? Maybe from the Caribbean?

"I'm her best friend and roommate, Rizal Santos." Again, he must be of the same origin. They looked a lot alike, almost as if they were siblings. "We're from the Philippines," he said with a cheek grin.

"The Philippines?" Kate was able to stutter out. She didn't know where that nation was located, but it's name sounded familiar. Maybe it was Asian? She wasn't too sure at the moment.

"Oh, mon chérie," a man with stubble said, slinging his arm around the tanned girl's waist. "Don't worry, hardly anyone has heard of your country. Don't fret, for I have—ow!" A curly-haired blonde came up behind him and grabbed his ear.

"Francis, I told you to behave." Katelin recognized those accents. The two blondes were clearly from France. "Désolé," the dark blue-eyed girl said, extending a hand out to Katelin. "Sorry about him. I'm Jane Belrose."

"And I'm Francis Bonnefoi," he said, with a charming smile. "You are?"

Kate stuttered terribly. This may be a small group, but she didn't know what to say or do. They were all staring at her with friendly smiles. Why do I have to be so bad at meeting so many people all at once? she mentally yelled to herself.

"Veh~ There's a new student?" some boy said, obviously possessing an Italian accent. "Ah, signora, welcome! I am Feliciano Vargas. What is your name?" Katelin let out a slight relieved sigh. This cheery student made the atmosphere much lighter.

"M-my name is Kate—"

"Feliciano!" A similar looking boy came up and grabbed his brother by the color. He had slightly darker tones to his skin and hair compared to Feliciano. "Where is my tomato plush pillow that Ate made me?" Rizal and Francis tried not to laugh. The Filipino bit his tongue because it was weird to hear his native language being spoken in a different accent. Francis was cracking up because of the fact that Maria made a plush pillow in the shape of a tomato for Lovino.

"Big brother, you need to meet the new girl!" Lovino stopped for a moment with his antics and looked to Katelin. He sighed and released his younger brother.

"A-as I was saying," she said, now having the two brothers looking at her. "I'm Katelin Cortes. It's nice to meet all of you. I live in a small town outside of Naples." That brought a bright smile to Feliciano's face.

"Outside of Naples? Ah, meraviglioso! You will be rooming with my big brother, Lovino." Katelin looked to the older boy, rather shyly. She knew this had to be a horrible first impression. Those girls looked so nice and pretty and perfect, while she...didn't think she was up to their standards. "Fratello, go show her to your room!"

"What?" Her chestnut eyes turned to the slightly older Italian, who was about to open his big mouth. His hazel eyes looked at all the girls and sighed, "bene." With that, he started trudging down the cobblestone path. Katelin collected her things and followed the young man. She could hear plenty of mumbled profanity, all of which she's heard from her older brother. It's what happens when a game freak ends up losing all his save files and has no back-ups. Katelin looked over her shoulder, witnessing the group talking among themselves.

"She looks like a really smart girl," Feliciano said, walking along side his Ate. They were watching Lovino leading the new girl into the European dorm building. "I think they're going to get along great! Don't you think, Ate?" He hugged her arm, while Rizal was trying to keep a hold of her other arm. Clearly, there was someone who was having problems sharing his friend.

"Nerdy, in my opinion," Rizal said, then looked to Jane. "What do you think?" Francis was trying to hold onto something. Whether it be her hand, arm, or waist, it didn't matter to him. Jane, on the other hand, was getting very annoyed. She didn't want it to show on her face, but her mask was starting to slip.

"A bit shy and quiet," the blonde stated, while trying to shake off the Frenchman. His hands were starting to move elsewhere, which triggered her anger. "S'il te plaît, arrête! Francis, stop touching me." Her palm nearly slapped his cheek, but he pulled away from in time. Francis pulled out a rose and presented it to the curly-haired girl. Wherever it came from, no one wanted to know.

"Oh, mon chérie, forgive me?" She frowned to him, not liking his sudden change of attitude. Surely, this was some trap to lure her back to their dorm room. She didn't want to take any chances with him. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted her Canadian friend. Making a mad dash, Francis was left behind by Jane. "Wait! Jeanne!" He followed the skirted girl, not wanting to lose sight of her. Matthew was avoiding him, and Arthur hasn't arrived yet. Who else would he bother?

"Why does Big Brother France always mess up her name?" Feliciano asked, eyes open for a moment. Rizal was shocked because that was the first time he ever saw the Italian's eyes. "Who's Jeanne?"

"I don't know who Jeanne is." Maria sighed, thinking maybe the girl that keeps being mentioned was probably a lover or something to that affect. She shrugged it off, noticing now that her little brothers were fighting over her. Both started whining in their native languages and tugged her arms. Of course she couldn't let them continue. "Hey, itigil!" Feliciano's eyes were tear filled, but so were Rizal's. The Filipina looked ahead of her and noticed a familiar face. "Ludwig!" The German had just walked through the gate, when his eyes met hers. He then noticed who was clinging to her arm. Ludwig sighed, knowing what would come next.

"Where?" The Italian towards his blonde friend, leaving Rizal with his best friend. "Germania! Veh~" The tall man was given a hug and kisses on the cheeks, as a welcome back to the school.

"He really likes that blonde guy, doesn't he?" Rizal asked, looking to the tall man. In the Philippines, tall blondes like that man would surely be popular. The last time Maria brought one of her friends over, he was treated like a celebrity. He couldn't quite remember the name, but would ask later. Rizal had to admit, though, that he was also treating the man the same as all the women in his little hometown. "So that's Germany and Italy together?"

"Yes, that's right. I have a lot to teach you, still." Rizal was still amazed that his friend was actually centuries old, but it didn't matter. She was still a gay man's best friend, and that's what mattered. They continued walking the grounds, while Maria started talking about how her past played out. If you spent a good three hundred years living with people you had to grow used to, there would be a lot to complain and talk about. The textbooks mention nothing that is as interesting as Hetalian history.

"We're sharing a room?" Katelin looked to the room that had two beds on either side. Sharing a room was nothing new to her, but it was different sharing with a stranger. "Do we have to share the bathroom too?" Having learned from her brother and her dad, sharing a bathroom with a man was not pleasant. Thanks to her and her mother, at least the bathroom remained clean.

"I'm not an idiot like my fratello! I know how to clean up after myself," he said in a slightly calmer tone. Kate looked to the boy, and considered him to the be that type that was nice to girls only. He probably let profanity slip all the time, but Lovino did seem like a decent enough guy. She noticed he was staring at her and she looked straight to the ground. What was he looking at? Maybe a stain on her shirt or maybe those stubborn blemishes under her bangs? Oh, that's so stupid to worry about! There's no way he could see through her fringe.

"Bene," she said to fill in the awkwardness. She decided to get her things out and put into the dresser and closet that had been provided. "You can go do whatever you want." She had to put away things that she would rather not have him see. Instead of hearing the door close, she heard a bed sag under some weight.

"Do you know why you are even here, ragazza insignificante?" Plain Jane? She took in a deep breath, while gripping her straightener that still laid in her suitcase. It needed to go into the bathroom, not be used to get rid of that annoying curl that sticks out of Lovino's hair.

"Shut up," she said, while trying to hold back other words. Bastardo, you have no right to say that. Why the hell can you call me that? It's not like— "I don't know why I'm here." It's probably because of her working diligently in school. Her mother pushed her so hard, and now she knows English fairly well, along with her native language. Her grades weren't excellent, but at least she wasn't failing like others she knew.

"What are nations?" What a stupid question, she thought. "Seriously, what are they?"

"I'm sorry, but if you don't know, then you shouldn't be in this school," Kate stated, trying to be polite with her words. At this age, shouldn't he have known what a nation was?

"Just answer me." She sighed, trying to think of an easy explanation. She went by the dictionary, a region where people share a similar culture. That was what a nation was, right? "Actually, you're right and wrong."

"How can I be right and wrong?" She knew she was right. There was no way that her answer was incorrect. "What is a nation, then?"

"Hm, a nation is me, my brother, my Ate, my boss, the headmaster, that blonde dickhead Francis, the potato bastard—"

"You're making no sense!" She wouldn't normally raise her voice with people—especially someone she just met, but he was making her question his sanity. Why would he say that he, his brother, and several others were nations? Maybe she should have checked the school before deciding to attend. Possibly she could switch rooms with someone more normal?

"My name is Lovino Vargas. My country name is Romano, South Italy." How does one avoid a situation like this? Simple!

"Oh, look! It's a beautiful, sunny day." Katelin ditched her things and left the dorm room fast. The school building was close by, so she headed straight for it. Maybe she could have a chance to drop out and return home. Her feet carried her towards the headmaster's office. Her mind was racing to try to understand what she was told. All of those people weren't human, but rather countries? That didn't make any sense. Was it really possible for people to be the personifications of nations? Was he really Southern Italy? Would that make his brother Northern Italy? They both certainly had traits of their specific regions. No, this doesn't make sense!

"Ah, you must be our new arrival?" A man with grayed hair was sitting at the desk, in the office that she just barged into. He had many files all over his desk and loose papers everywhere.

"Mi scusi!" He must have been busy doing something. She felt so stupid for just walking in. This was a really bad first impression. "Mi chiamo Katelin Cortes." The man paused for a moment, as if trying to translate the words in his head. It was only now that she realized that she had spoken in her native language. Maybe he was better with English?

"Non c'è problema. Really, it's no problem at all. It's nice to meet you, Signora Cortes. I am Mr. UN." She held in a breath. UN could only mean one thing in a school that potentially contained nations. "Judging from her puzzled look, you must have found out my school's secret." So he really is the United Nations. That means Lovino really is South Italy, and her brother is North Italy. Francis must be France, and Maria is probably Philippines. This is truly outrageous!

"Please explain all of this to me." Katelin took a seat, watching the man carefully. It's not like he looks like an alien, but what if he were? The Italian mentally slapped herself. Her older brother's games were making her mind jump to stupid conclusions. "The school, the students, and why normal kids are coming here, prego," she plead. This school was really old, but has been well-kept for so long. This was just far too crazy for her mind.

"The students that have been attending this school for decades are nations. Each one is named by the country they represent. Your roommate—I'm sorry, but which brother is it? Lovino or Feliciano?" After saying the name of her roommate, he continued, "Lovino is South Italy. His brother, Feliciano, is North Italy. Sometimes we refer to them as Romano and Veneziano." When Katelin thought of those other names, they meant, of Rome and of Venice. It made sense because Rome was more south, while Venice was more north.

"How are there even nations?" That's where she wanted to take this conversation. How have they been hiding so easily in plain sight? How long have they existed? The shock was gone and was now replaced by curiosity. It felt almost rude to be asking a nation so many questions like this. "I mean—oh, that sounded really rude. I'm sorry."

"Curiosity is fine, Katelin. How are there nations? Well, all of us would like to know that answer. Some of us share a common ancestor, like in Europe for example. Countries with Romance roots have the Roman Empire as their ancestor. Those with Germanic backgrounds come from Germania, the personification of many Germanic tribes. Celtic blood is drawn back to Britannica, while Scandinavians—you understand where I'm going with this? To be brief, no one knows how or where the countries began, but we know who we are."

"Vecchio! Did you see Kate—oh, there you are," Lovino mumbled. "Dammit, woman. Don't run off like that." Even though the words seemed vulgar, Romano did try to make them slightly nice. Katelin somewhat appreciated his hidden kindness. Maybe she could get along with him, if he toned down the profanity towards her. "So you're over the stupid freak-out and understand a little? I don't want to deal with you asking questions."

"Romano, there is a reason why your brother has had more dates than you." The Italian stuck his tongue out towards the old man. "You're more childish than Veneziano," Mr. UN sighed out. He really had a busy schedule to attend to.

"Vaffanculo!" Kate laughed at his tomato stained face. Mr. UN dismissed the students, not wanting to deal with the potty-mouthed boy much longer. He still had a lot to do. There were some countries that were having disagreements with his plan and wanted to sort these out quickly. The start of the semester was nearing and he wanted to make sure that his students were well-situated before everything began.

"Lovino, what's it like being a nation?" Katelin imagined that he would be centuries old, though he doesn't his age. That must be a benefit of being a nation. She thought about it for herself, then realized how much it would suck to be stuck at the same age for who knows how long. If she were stuck at this age, pimples and menstruation would be so much more torturous! She suddenly felt bad for all the female countries, and for the male ones that had to deal with the mood swings and lethal behaviors.

"Do not get me started. I have centuries to complain about."

[Conny]: Did you enjoy this chapter Illusion fox? Is Katelin up to your standards? I hope I followed your wishes, really I do. What do the rest of you readers think? Here, I will thank those who reviewed the previous chapter. Illusion Fox, nottheh, and 2Resonance, thank you for your comments. I greatly appreciate all of your words and look forward to knowing that others like this story as well. Anyway, I really will try to get the next chapter going. I want to be able to get it posted before school starts up again.

And I suppose I should say it now, considering I've already stated that I've fulfilled requests. If you want your character, then PM me about them. Before that, please go to my profile for more information. Thank you for reading, and please review?