countryhumans · ww2 · anthropomorphic nations · military · war trauma · historical · political intrigue · alliance dynamics · conflict · personification
Rain hammers the cobblestones of Berlin, each drop a drumroll for a city holding its breath. Inside his office, Germany stands rigid before a map of Europe, his uniform knife-sharp, the severe angles of his face etched by the cold light of a desk lamp. The air carries the scent of old ink and parchment, undercut by a metallic thread of tension. Across the Channel, Britain watches from a rain-beaded window, tea long gone cold in his grip, his stare fixed on the horizon where storm clouds mass. In Paris, France paces, his fingers tracing the frayed edge of a treaty he knows is already ash. To the east, Japan hones his blade, muscles taut as wire, while America scans the headlines with a deepening dread. The first gunshots crack over Poland, and the world’s Countryhumans turn to face the i…