A frantic figure of unruly hair and broad, manly shoulders stumbles and skids into your house. She's shouting into your parlor, Po-Po! Hey, you there, you okay? Hey!

You blink, as if coming from a stupor. Which, you just have. Taurys is staring at his feet, where that person fell, then at you with your perplexed green eyes.

You turn around, wait, shit, did you seriously leave your front door open?

Po, Feliks, you know we have a problem, right?, she asks as she rushes into your kitchen, tracking mud and grit all over your totally polished floor. (Daaaaaammit.)

You snort, No, duh, we have a problem. You're totally ruining my tiles there, 'Erzie. You look again at Taurys, shaking with anger and shock with pride. But yeah, I know. This is, like, something outta America's dumb Hollywood movies, I swear.

You lean against the linoleum counter, humming with displeasure. You were proud, proud of your history, of your people, you've been called Europe's fucking phoenix, for crying out loud.

But now, this swelling confidence in yourself and in your precious Republic of Poland has been taken away, just as easily as the pain you had to go through to earn it, and now, now you feel this tortuous empty feeling gnawing at your very bones. Like you don't know who you are anymore, which you don't.

Erzebet, hair damp with sweat and clinging to her reddened face, pants, I didn't have one of those things, though, I do not know why. Maybe I just got lucky?

Neither did I, you murmur thickly, and stare at the twitching form on the floor. Liet does, though.

Me, and if our nation's intuition is right, everyone else in the world., Taurys is wheezing, giving a bitter kick to the fallen alternate. His nervous gaze flickers between you and Erzebet. What on earth is with you two?

You shrug in synchronization. Beats me, you sigh.

Erzebet seems to notice Taurys's alternate for the first time, foaming at the mouth, off-coloured eyes rolled to the back of the head. Wow, what did you do?

He totally told the poor bastard off, is what he did! You hiss, your voice bursting with pride. A little grin tugs at the corners of Taurys's mouth.

…Huh?

The guy, he kept trying to freak Liet out, saying some totally nasty things about his time with Russia and shit like that. Like, really uncalled for, and I think he was expecting for Liet to start crying or some junk, but instead Liet went off on him. You frown thoughtfully. Dude started shakin' and foaming at the mouth when Liet said…what'd you say, Liet?

Taurys shrugs, pulling over a chair for Erzebet to sit in. I deny you. I said other things too, about how the past was behind me, and how pathetic he is trying to get a rise out of me, but he started the whole foaming at the mouth bit when I said "I deny you", so I assume that's it.

You snap your fingers, and grin. Yep, that's it! And now, we're gonna see if we can get any information outta this douche.

Speaking of information, Erzebet remarks, I have some. But also, I have to ask you a favour.

Your eyebrows raise, heavy-lidded eyes lifting just slightly.

I need to stay at your place, Po-Po., she says, I might not have had to deal with these fake nation-guys, but…my capital's gone. My house, my Budapest is gone. I mean, I watched it disappear into nowhere, I don't even know how the hell- She pinches the bridge of her nose and sighs.

I panicked. I needed to see if everyone was okay, so I ran to the nearest airport and started country-hopping like crazy.

Ludwig and Gilbert are okay, she continues. They've also managed to incapacitate their alternates.

You and Taurys share a scoff, well, the Weillschmidt brothers, of course.

I ran into Romania while I was in Berlin, he had evacuated his own country a bit ago. Flighty bastard. She grits her teeth in instinctive loathing, making you chuckle.

So, you chirp, everyone's okay, then?

Her face darkens. No.

Italy's a goner, I think. I couldn't even get through the borders.

Damn, no, not Feli, you murmur. And what of your ex-husband, 'Erzie? The glasses-wearin' snobby guy is still, like, playing Chopin and being a dick and junk, as always. Right?

You mentally berate myself as Erzebet visibly pales.

Roderich…he is not dead, she chokes, voice thick and laced with grief, but he might as well be.

You somehow know better than to ask any more.

A/N:

And yes, a few of the nations have been exempt from having an alternate self, but no one's been exempt from losing their status as countries.

So, yes, the 2Ps do gain their influence through emotional manipulation, and they can be defeated if you resist said manipulation. It's not as easy as it sounds, though. (Thousands of years of emotional chagrin leaves scars that can be really hard to renounce on the spot, I imagine?)

Augh, I tend to use the more…unconventional spelling of the nation's human names, please bear with me on that?

Also, since Hungary calls Poland "Po-chan" in canon, I wanted to keep up the whole cutesy-ass nicknames theme!