Short Disclaimer: Don't own characters. Don't sue me. I got to make up a lot about Vietnam North AND South, so bear with me, and if my translations are incorrect, blame google, but seriously, feel free to correct me in a review or whatever. I'll gladly edit to be more accurate. Also, I sort of loosely based North Vietnam's character on a Korean friend of mine, and yes I know how horribly HORRIBLE of me that sounds, but yeah anyway. Again, yadda yadda blahbity blah, I'm sure no one's reading this far into a disclaimer anyway, sooo... on with the show!
Though I had seen her before, I had a sudden feeling of dread as I approached Vietnam's house. I wasn't certain just how this night was going to go, but I had this feeling, even as I lifted my hand to knock on the door, that I should just turn around and leave right then.
This feeling was legitimized as soon as the door opened and a tall Korean male in full (what I assume to be) traditional armor threw the door open and thrust what looked like a Japanese Katana up into my face. "Ban la ai? Nhung gi ban muon?" As my hand twitched on the handle of the pistol at my hip, a kinder, much more alluring voice came from behind him. "Anh trai! Xin hãy để anh ta một mình!" The lovely Vietnamese girl took her brother by the arm, holding him back away from me. "Tôi mời ông ở đây."
The black-haired psycho backed off and made a sound that reminded me of an angry dog with it's tail in a blender before disappearing into the house, leaving the lovely raven-haired creature alone with me. It was only now I noticed the dress she was… that was a dress, wasn't it? It looked like pants with some odd belly-dancer outfit over the top of it. It was entirely yellow, but for three horizontal red stripes across her chest. Why? Why did they have to put the stripes there? I can't look away!
"Please come in." She stepped aside and bowed some to invite me inside. I nodded my head instead of a return bow as I stepped in past her. I didn't know if I would ever be able to get accustomed to the courtesy and decorum of the Asian cultures. Damn it. I couldn't remember if the Vietnamese took off their shoes when entering houses as well, or if that was just Kiku's strange custom. I glanced down casually. There were no other shoes by the door, but she wasn't wearing any. "Please come with me. I will show you my home before we head outside for bữa ăn tối."
"Bu…?" I couldn't remember what that one meant from that book I'd bought to try to learn some of her language.
"Oh. Evening meal. Ah… Dinner?" She was smiling when she said it, and I bit back a sigh of relief. She wasn't angry that I still didn't know the language. I followed her as she showed me several simple, but widely decorated rooms. The décor seemed strange to me. Everything had an odd shape to it, or a lavish design that would make it something a simple nation such as myself wouldn't dare to use for fear of scratching it. Observing other cultures was truly breathtaking at times. The tour didn't take long, as there were few rooms, but when she led me to the rear door and outside, I actually stopped a moment to take it all in. I felt as if I could see the entire land, and it was amazing. The beauty there rivaled my own spectacular nation, but in an entirely different way. It looked peaceful and serene, yes, but with fields and water, the building with those unusual upturned roofs and the smaller ones with thatched, or whatever they wanted to call it there. It was still… "Lovely, isn't it? Xinh đẹp, as we say here." She was a few steps ahead of me when she pushed a few loose strands of that incredible obsidian hair behind her ear, looking out over her nation with the same adoration I give to my own, the breeze persuading her hair to drift attractively about her face. That enchanting face. "…Xinh đẹp." I repeated the words, but my eyes were transfixed on her. I looked down at my feet when I realized that and bit my lip. I didn't want to say anything else dumb tonight. I traveled a long way to be here, and I didn't want to ruin Vietnam's evening by saying something foolish. Although, I do have to say, in the moment out eyes met when I had repeated the compliment toward her, she seemed pleased.
I allowed my eyes to open and lift again when I felt an odd warmth near me. She drew closer to me, and I could feel my heart in my throat when she slid in so delicately to kiss me softly on the lips. She didn't even give me enough time to kiss her back before she was drawing away swiftly. "Dinner is ready. I hope you don't mind Anh trai joining us."
Her brother? Well, I can't guarantee we won't be killing each other by the time dessert arrives, but… "That should be fine."
She smiled and nodded, calling her brother out to where we were, where off to one side, which had previously gone unnoticed to me, stood a table, already set for three. The short tempered male from earlier emerged from the house, wheeling a tray with about five covered dishes on it. The brunette beauty leaned closer to me. "He talks tough, but he did most of the cooking for tonight." Oh great. I wondered idly which dish would be poisoned. She sat me down at one of the place settings and she and her brother settled everything in the center of the table.
When they were uncovered, I must have made a face, because her Brother stood again and growled over the table at me. "What? Our food isn't good enough for you?" His sister lay a hand on his arm and he sat back down, grumbling. "Moi, Chị gái… Switzerland… me dung com." Then he snapped apart his chopsticks and started eating without looking at me. The girl smiled sweetly, took her food, and started eating as well. I looked at the chopsticks. I had serious issues using those things. I tried one time with Wang Yao. I managed to get some of everything onto my plate without having to use them, and I got as far as breaking them apart before the trouble set in.
Before I got the first bite to my mouth, I ended up with a stain on my shirt. Well, it wasn't my fault everything they served was so heavy and covered in sauce. I didn't even know what most of it was. I managed to get some of the noodle stuff to my mouth and it was then that I realized that everything these nations ate was spicy. "Mn." It was good, just… spicy. It took me by surprise, that's all.
Later on, after making a complete fool of myself with those twigs at dinner, Vietnam was kind enough to talk her brother into lending me a clean shirt. He had vacated the area as well. I am fairly certain he didn't care for me being involved… if I was involved, I wasn't completely sure… with his sister. The rest of the evening consisted of a tour of her arsenal, which I rather enjoyed, and short trip to the outdoor Marketplace, which was oddly amusing as well. Once the sun went down, we enjoyed a game of chess.
I stood there in that long red shirt with a big yellow star in the middle of it on her front step when the time came to leave. She had seen me out, and now stood before me, looking just as enticing as always. She looked a bit nervous over something. "Is everything okay?" She sighed and looked up at me with those inconceivable black eyes. "Do you dislike me?" Why on Earth would she think that? "Why on Earth would you think that, Vietnam?" "That's why. You've never used my name. Just my nation." I'm not sure, but I'm fairly certain I was cleaning my pistol again. "Well… To be honest, it's because your name means something completely different in other languages." "It doesn't here. It's just my name." She drew closer to me. "Would you say my name to me please?" As her arms slipped around my neck, and I was once again mesmerized by those eyes of hers my own hands coming to rest on her waist, I couldn't resist her request. "Dung." It was then that she moved in, our first real kiss ensuing. I have no idea how long it really lasted, but to me, it seemed that the date must have changed, and I held her for a full twenty four hours… though when she drew away, it hadn't been nearly long enough. "Have a safe trip, Vash. Next time we'll meet somewhere in the middle. Perhaps we can visit Iran's beaches." "That sounds like fun… Dung."
Translations: In order of appearance:
Who are you? What do you want?
Brother! Please leave him alone.
I invited him here.