sits next to her, ordering a vodka -- which he never drinks, but figures it's strong enough.

perks up when she sees him, leaning forward to kiss his cheek. "Uncle! Just as planned, hmm?"

pecks her cheek back in greeting. "Surpresa!" he beams, then sighs. "I really couldn'g resist, this is all too insane..."

laughs softly. "Isn't it? There's definitely a reason that meetings like this are so few and far between..."

rubs his temples, thanking the barman once the vodka arrives. "Oh, god, don't remind me..." he whines. "I'm already fearful for the next one."

orders a rum and coke. "Aw. Well...I mean. At least you get to lounge around a nice hotel with Papa?...and be wary of Uncle Francis, he's going around with mistletoe again."

sighs. "I saw, been dodging them like the Devil would run away from the cross." he snickers, then goes red up to his ears and neck when she mentions Antonio.

...looks at him. "So you two are officially together then?"

goes even more red. "Things are rather... domestic, one would say. But officially, not really. We're just waltzing around each other, testing the waters." he waves a hand, a lie, honestly, because they were_

acting like a couple somewhat. He vaguely wonders if she's asking that because she'd... no, he made sure to be silent last night.

hums. "Is that code for..yes, but we don't like to call it that cause we're men that are afraid of commitment and feelings?"

blinks. "That resumes our situation quite well..." he nods, sipping his drink. "I mean, we all know know feeling in general sucks."

feelings*

shrugs. "Have to agree there. But you guys...and Papa's so..you know? Feely."

shrugs. "Yes, we are." He blinks. 'Feely' is one way to put it... "I don't know, we're just seeing if it works first?"

hums. "Well I mean..you guys were married before, right? But yea, it's better to test the waters I suppose. Do you know how Ma and Lovi are holding up?"

shivers a bit. "Yes, but I'm really running away from any marriage for now." he groans, shifting in his seat. "I think Lovino's being mature about it... England..." he sighs, then shakes his head. "He just_

told me he had lost all respect for me, so that's one way to put it." he gulps.

winces a little at that. "Well Ma isn't really one to be trifled with...good luck?" She highly doubts Lovi is being mature though. More likely sulking in private, and trying to distract himself...

shrugs and sips his drink. "I gave him fucking carnations, and he tossed it like some cheap magazine." he hisses angrily, closing his eyes. "I truly value his friendship, but no matter how much I apologize_

and ask for us to be friends, he just gives me the 'we're past that' speech and walks off." he looks away.

frowns, and orders another drink for him. Tequila this time, because he clearly needs something strong. "Sorry...maybe you should just give him time to cool down?"

raises one eyebrow, then smiles softly. "I'm trying... Right now, I'm just waiting for him to come to me when he feels like it. I'll be waiting with open arms yes, just.. I'm not what he needs." he smiles,_

putting some salt on his hand and licking it before he downs the tequila, sucking on the sliced lemon after. "Tonio had me drink Tequila too..."

smiles a little weakly at that. "Like father, like daughter, huh?" Ohlord. Topic switch. "Well I'l sure Ma will come around..eventually. We live too long to hold very big grudges."

laughs, smiling brightly even if it doesn't reach much his eyes. "I'm sure of it, too!" he laughs, then blinks. "I suppose..." he hums, licking his own lips with a distant look on his face.

nudges him lightly. "Don't let him bring you down, okay? You and Papa are all reunited and stuff. Perk up~"

blinks again, he mostly just remembering old kisses. "Shhh, I guess." he laughs. "It's very different, being with Spain, but I'll spare you the blabbing." he jokes.

doesn't mind. She just wants to know that her family is happy. "Well so long as you two make each other happy. Be good to him, okay?"

nods. "He's my brother..." he sighs, scratching his neck."But I think we're trying, y'know, to be good to each other... It's very different from the Iberian Union."

doesn't really remember that...at all. "What was the union like?"

sighs. "We had all our hopes on Sebastião, he was going to be our savior, our king... and then it's gone. And then Spain just took control over my business, we had battles, arguments, I just wanted to be_

independent again..." he mumbles. "I think we both had our heads held a little too high." he grins. "I built a church to celebrate a battle I won against him, I don't think you know what this means..."

...doesn't actually. "What does it mean?"

laughs. "I had for every one man of mine, ten of his to beat... then I made a promise to God, if we won, we'd build a church to it. Winning Spain was like...Think of France and England here." he laughs.

... that's a lot of feelings to get over. "That's actually amazing that all that happened, and now you're together again."

adjusts his necktie. "The crisis brought us together, too... I mean, the whole last century. We both had to face Franco and Salazar, he had his civil war... The last years have been similar, we just leaned_

against each other... We were dealing with the same Devils." he smiles, ruffling her hair. "Listening to this old man speak must bore you, doesn't it?'

shakes her head. "Not at all. I have my own history, it's...interesting to hear what's happened to my family."

laughs. "I just think it's really offensive he claimed my carnations as his National Flowers..." he huffs, crossing his arms.

((I discovered that only the other day, and I was like 'whaaaaaaaaaat'))

xDD]

laughs softly. "Maybe he did it out of love? You know Papa is a little...dotish."

[*Stupid]

laughs a bit with her. "I wouldn't put it past him... Honestly."

shakes her head. "He's ridiculous..."

nods. "You have no idea... I mean, you actually do." he laughs. "But he's.. not that bad, nowadays." he looks away, smiling dully like a lovesick puppy.

smiles softly at him. "I know. He's changed a lot...for the better. You two will be happy."

laughs, ordering another vodka with juice. "I hope... We're already sleeping around each other's house, and sharing stuff... But I swear we're not a couple."

him a look. "Right. You sleep together, you're all domestic and loving, you share stuff, you gave up your significant others for each other...sure you aren't."

raises one eyebrow at her. "Someone is being sassy..." he pokes her nose next, laughing. "It's ridiculous when you put things that way, Trinidad."

((they're too macho for a relationship, ok?))

laughs softly. "Not sassy, it's just the way I see it." She scrunches her nose a little. "Fine, don't call it a relationship. Be...men about it."

cracks up. "I think by the point we're just waiting to see whoever'll crack first." he shrugs, sipping his drink with a smile. "Hey darling, I know there's my underwear in your drawer by now, but do you want_

to be mine?" he snickers, joking.

laughs at that, shaking her head. "I think..." Hm. "Well no. Papa's really..oblivious. It might take jealousy to get you two to crack."

frowns. "Don't even go there..." he groans. He knows his brother, the two of them could've been the very personification of jealousy themselves. "Ah, he can be... It's quite troublesome sometimes."

shrugs. "Well...let's hope it doesn't come to that, then. The two of you need to stop being afraid of your feelings."

blushes. "We'll get to that!" he whines. "But you should talk to Antonio, then... I'm not the only one supposed to hear this."

scowls softly. "The last time I talked to Papa, it was to scold him over his arm. We don't talk all that often..."

pinches her cheek. "just go after him... He's a sour old man too, with his tomatoes and telenovelas... Antonio will die before admitting it, but he loves when he gets visits."

siiiiiiiighs. "I guess. It's only fair I lecture both of you..." She orders a tequila shot for herself.

laughs loudly, bending his head a bit to rest it on the counter. "You sound like our old father..."

smiles a little confused at that as she takes the shot. "Rome?"

shakes his head. "Al-andalus." he hums. "Rome... he was different." he hums, shrugging. "But a father too, even if an awful one sometimes."

a little surprised how much she...doesn't know about her own family. "Who was Al-andalus?"

laughs, blinking at her. "Oh, me and Spain.. we used to be controlled by the arabs once. Al-Andalus was how the region, the Iberian peninsula was called... he was an old, strange man, but he taught us to write_

and read... got me into smoking, painting tiles, and eventually, I learned a few things about sailing with him. Spain kept even some buildings he left... I just wanted to be rebellious instead and waged a war."

hums softly at that. "He sounds interesting."

shrugs. "I was called Gharb al-Andalus... Or just al-Gharb, back then." He sips his drink again. "Then we became our own nations, me and Spain, and I... kind of got into a war with Turkey next."

winces a little at that. "Isn't he really...fierce?" and scary..

shrugs. "So was father... And I was a little shit." he grins. "Besides, father also has his little... strange likeness to little boys." he shrugs. Spain had gotten that from somewhere!

isn't even going to question on that. "I feel like that's where Lovino got it from. I hear he wasn't the most...agreeable child."

snickers. "He never belonged to that sour old man, though... Rome was a bastard too, maybe Romano got the bad temper from him?"

hums. "Maybe. It seems a lot of your..generation's parents I guess. Had bad tempers." Did nations have generations? Kind of...?

shrugs, he honestly had no idea. "I think so... Tho' the kids I raised aren't quite... charming either." he laughs.

nudges him. "I like Brazil..."

nods. "He has his moments... A sweet kid." he nudges. "He defeated Spain in futsal the other day. I think you should bow to the awesome father I am."

laughs at that. "Hm, but where shall my loyalties lie? To my own Papa? Or to my truly talented Uncle~" She teased lightly.

crosses his arms, nodding to himself. "And he even quoted my own country's poetry in one of his soap operas too..." he grins, then blinks. "Though he does call me stupid most of the times." he blinks next,_

raising an eyebrow at her teasing. "I think setting your loyalty to me would be much better..."

grins. "Hm~ Well you do have confidence in the fact that as much as he calls you stupid, he's...oblivious as anything."

sighs. "True... Everybody in this family seems to be oblivious, what the hell!" he scowls, cheeks red from the alcohol by now.

orders them another round of drinks. "Horrible, isn't it? Doomed to a life of obliviousness..."

shakes his eyes. "Pray to the Heavens you're never doomed to flirt with an oblivious man, Trinidad..." he sighs.

smiles at that. "Oh? I think it's more fun that way. Like a game~"

smiles. "Or that..." he shook his head, ordering another drink.

it's fun. "Well yea. It's like levels. Let's see how far I can go before they clue in~"

laughs loudly again, shaking his head. "I should certainly try it!"

crinkles her nose. "You're going to try that with Papa?"

shakes his head. Honestly, kids nowadays... "Not telling you that." he frowns at her, taking a small sip of his drink. As if he knew that many oblivious people...

doesn't know if they're allowed to flirt around or not! "That's a yes." Ew. "Well...have fun..I guess."

goes pointedly red and almost spills his drink. "No!" he gasps, shaking his head. "I should sleep after that..."

....honestly, just orders another tequila. How does she get herself into these conversations?

shakes his head and rubs his temples. "You kids grow up too fast, y'know..." he whines.

takes it back easy, giving him a look. "Us kids grow too fast? What if we were human? I'd be acting out only after sixteen years."

frowns. "Sixteen is a child still!"

shrugs. "But they think they're all grown up, and isn't that the same problem?"

too drunk for such complex topics. "Point... Things were easier in the old days." he nods to himself, looking down at his empty glass. "And I should really sleep now..."

grins a little at that. "Aw, Uncle...you're becoming a lightweight, huh?"

chuckles. "I'm an old man, I guess..." He knows he could drink more, but they were in a meeting. He stands up, humming a bit and lightly kissing her forehead. "Boa noite, Shaliza." And then, he heads off.

((transl. "Good night, Shaliza."))

smiles a little at that. "Night, Uncle." She'd just...maybe she'd look for a party...or drink more.