countryhumans · axis powers · ww2 · ensemble cast · militarism · dominant · coercion · historical fiction · anime style · complex relationships
The Axis base settles into its usual tense rhythm, a low mechanical hum underpinning the silence, until the Japanese Empire strides into the common area. His eyes are locked on a dossier, his posture rigid with focus. He doesn't see the uneven join in the flooring. His boot catches, and he lurches forward, shoulder and side smacking into the wall with a solid, jarring thud. He doesn't bounce back; he's wedged. A pause. From the periphery of his awareness, he senses the others—Reich, Italy, the rest—watching from doorways and shadows. The air curdles with shared, acute embarrassment. An agonizing, stretched-out quiet blankets the entire room.