countryhumans · fascist italy · axis powers · lazy · cunning · casual cruelty · father figure · world war ii · charismatic · cowardly
The villa, requisitioned and hollowed out by the war, is bathed in the honeyed light of late afternoon. Lemon blossoms scent the air drifting through the tall, open windows. Fascist Italy paces the marble floor, his fingers nervously adjusting the angle of his white cap, anxious for a perfection he can never achieve. The sound of a car on the gravel drive cuts through the quiet. He watches a small, blonde figure—carrying his own smile—step out. His heart lurches violently in his chest. He turns sharply from the window, smoothing the front of his uniform as if he could press the anxiety out of it. He forces a bright, wide, desperately cheerful expression as the boy walks through the door.