L:   The Germans exchanged a look - they were also concerned for Mandara, but they all decided they would be there together for their host. They owed him that much for all his forgiveness.

And thus, the group made their way towards the stage area, where the actors were getting their props and costumes ready and the podium for the opening statement of the play. They sat on the outside seating arranged in front of the platform.

Iremacht leaned towards Poldara as they waited for the show to start. "Hey, I know we talked a lot about whether your father and uncle could handle this, but can you? Is this what America calls PG13 or do I need to cover your eyes for some parts?" He was half-joking and half-serious and aware that he sounded like a parent.

M:   "I can handle it fine," Poldara said, "I've watched it many times before, and besides, I live with the people who the play is about, so I'm very familiar with the story, including the parts that are too graphic to show."

"It is PG13," Poland said, "though the blood they use is is just paint and ketchup so it doesn't even look real," he then turned to Mandara and placed his hand over his husband's, "honey, no one is forcing you to watch this, you can still leave before it starts."

"I know Poland, I need to do this though, I have to stop being so weak and finally face my problem instead of running from it," Mandara responded, though his vibrating wings gave away his nervousness.

"You can hold Empyr dad, he'll give you courage," Poldara said as he handed the plush to his father. Mandara smiled and took the plush, "thanks buddy, I'm sure he will."

The spotlights started dimming except for one focused on the podium, everyone watching quieted down as a man stepped up to it.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 35th annual independence day celebration, I hope you all enjoyed the festivities, for now it is time for the Mandara National College to perform the re-enactment of the very events that led to this day. We worked very hard to put this together for you and we hope you will enjoy it as much as we did making it, so without further ado, behold the Mandarian Cold War."

The audience clapped as the light dimmed and the man and podium moved off stage, and when the lights came back on, the play started.

(P.S, the play is more or less a summary of my book The Scars of The Past, so if you want to know what happens then go ahead and check it out if you haven't already, now back to the RP.)

L:   The three Germans all had different interests when it came to watching visual entertainment. Germany liked to analyze the facts of a scene to determine how realistic it was or the logistics and effects. He was impressed with the Mandara National College's performance and clever execution on the stage.

Wehrmacht was surprisingly caught up in emotional appeal. Certain events of the re-enactment tugged at his heartstrings, both positively and negatively. He had a warm feeling in an early scene where the brothers were hugging each other after MA arrived to help Mandara lead his troops. That warmth quickly dissipated as the rest of the story - history - unfolded.

Iremacht enjoyed gore. Horror, thriller, action. Those were his genres. These types of movies, however, usually revolved around fictional tales. It was a different matter with this play, which was based on real events that happened to the two countryhumans sitting near him. When the torture and blood started appearing, Iremacht was the first of the Germans to squirm, even if it was just paint and ketchup. He glanced at the Mandarian brothers to see how they were faring.

M:   The brothers started off ok, they enjoyed the first scene as it was a happy memory they shared, Mandara started getting antsy as it continued though, and soft growls would come from the Empyr plushy as he squeezed it from his fear.

He ultimately stopped watching when it got to the scene where his wings were broken, he buried his face in MA's shoulder and whimpered a little. The militant spent the rest of the play comforting his little brother, he didn't mind though, it distracted him from the rescue part that he couldn't watch.

The play finally ended with MA's and Ussr's actors sighing the peace treaty, after the two shook hands and Ussr walked off the stage, Mandara's actor - who had his right eye and 'wings' wrapped in bandages - ran in and gave his brother a big hug, saying, "I missed you so much big brother," to which MA said, "I missed you too little brother," and the lights faded off, bringing the play to a close.

As all the actors came up on stage to give a bow, the audience gave them a standing ovation, which even MA and Mandara joined in to. It was tough for them to watch yes, but they still admired the student's dedication and hard work, so they made sure to show it.

L:   "That was very impressive and well-made," Wehrmacht said as he clapped. He wasn't just applauding the actors - his applause was also for the Mandarian brothers, who were able to sit through the whole thing.

"Ja, the lighting and the acting were impeccable," said Germany, who clapped the loudest. He started spewing a bunch of observations he had made about the cleverness of the prop placements and scene changes and the mechanisms and techniques used throughout the play. Only France paid attention to the lecture; Iremacht automatically tuned out to his cousin.

"This was ... educational," Iremacht said as the clapping ended. "Gruesome, but it's the truth."

"Haven't you always been a stickler for blood?" Wehrmacht asked.

"Not if - it's different -" Iremacht pursed his lips. "These were real wounds inflicted on Mandara. I'm a stickler for fictional blood, I guess."

M:   "I like the part where Uncle Kaz takes care of dad," Poldara said, "and when he and Uncle Russia help Papa and Uncle MA rescue him."

"I like those parts too," Kaz agreed, "it makes me feel better about the bad stuff I did to Mandara."

"I have told you many times that it wasn't your fault Kaz," Mandara said, "you were doing what your father told you to do, not knowing who I truly was back then. I forgave you for it, it's about time you forgive yourself."

"So what was everyone else's favorite parts," Belarus enquired, "I liked it when my little brother stood up to dad." she elbowed Kaz playfully, earning a grunt from him, even though he was the youngest by two years, he didn't like being called that.

L:   "The shooting scene after MA finds Mandara and USSR's soldiers arrive," Germany said. "The effects were spotless."

"I agree," Iremacht said. Though it didn't have too much blood in it, it was one of the triumphant moments of the play when they won that fight.

"The dogs tackling Mandara," said Wehrmacht. "It was exactly like when they tackled me."

"You mean when you first got here?" Iremacht hummed. "Pity I couldn't see it."

"You wouldn't want to," Germany said. "Pretty embarrassing moment."

"What about when Mandoria bit you?" Wehrmacht retorted.

Iremacht, sitting in the middle, rolled his eyes at his relatives' animal problems. He was doing a lot of eye-rolling today.

M:   "We've all had those moments with the pets," Russia said, "they are just people lovers, the dogs at least."

"Yup, everyone gets love tackled when they visit," Poldara added, then turned to Mandara, "did Empyr help you, dad?"

"He did, this is the first time I've made it through this play before," Mandara said, giving the plush back to his son, he then addressed everyone, "we have an hour of intermission before the memorial and knighting ceremonies, is there anything we want to do during then?"

L:   "Does that give me enough time to change?" Iremacht asked, pointing at his royal outfit. "I'm out of place for the knighting ceremony."

"You're keeping Mandara company," Wehrmacht said. "He's wearing royal clothes."

"Yeah but that's because he's Mandara. The person who's going to knight me. I can't dress the same way he's dressing it doesn't make -" Iremacht gestured with his hands as he searched for words "- make sense. And sure, there's no paparazzi, but this sounds like something the media loves to cover."

Iremacht paused and rubbed his face. "Ah geez, fuck the media. On second thought, maybe if I wear the royal clothes, people won't recognize me. It's probably better that way - wouldn't want to have my reputation sour your ceremony."

"I didn't take you for being camera-shy," said France.

"Believe me, he's not camera-shy," Germany said. "I agree, there's a risk factor to this. Iremacht has enemies and knighting him may bring that enmity to you, Mandara."

M:   "We all have enemies," Mandara said, "there isn't a country or entity in the world who doesn't, except maybe Canada and Switzerland, but that's beside the point, what I'm saying is that you can't avoid it. Just associating with Iremacht would make me enemies with his rivals, but my country is strong after everything that has happened to it, so I'm sure we can handle whatever Iremacht's enemies have to offer."

"I think you should keep the outfit," Belarus said, "number one, you didn't bring any other clothes to change into, and number two, it would be more time period accurate with something like being knighted."

"Hey France, what do the people from UK's country wear when they get knighted by his queen?" Kaz asked.

L:   "Nowadays, it's just modern formal clothes," said France. "I do like the preservation of traditional wear, though. It brings back the knights in shining armor we used to have so many centuries ago."

"You are all so old," Germany said. "But I guess as long as no one in Mandara minds, you should keep the outfit, Machty."

Iremacht played with the tip of his black cape and nodded. He sincerely hoped he wouldn't be bringing additional trouble to the country. It was funny how, when he'd first arrived, he hadn't cared a single bit if he brought chaos with him, but now he paid attention to everything he did.

Well, perhaps not everything; he remembered the situation with Adem. Iremacht straightened out his clothes and said, "Could Polds and I finish where we left off?"

"Excuse me?" Germany blurted.

Wehrmacht also had a wide-eyed look that flickered to Belarus and Mandara.

"I want to hang out with Poldara again," said Iremacht. "Just the two of us, like last time." He glanced at Poldara. " If you want to, of course."