"But…but I can be scary too" Denmark said, he looked at Norway with big eyes.
"Denmark, you know you are easily scared…it's for your own best." Norway said.
"Common, you aren't missing out on a thing…Besides, training my demons is extra scary" Iceland continued. "I mean, you're even scared of the darkness, do you really think that you could handle being close to my demons, they could scare you to death."
Denmark grimaced at Iceland's last sentence "Scare me to death is taking a bit too far…mildly give me a heart attack fits more" he answered.
"You know what we mean Denmark, it's for your own best… maybe Sweden and Åland will let you be in their group" Norway said. He looked sorry and it showed that he wasn't joking.
"Yeah, they often go for the less scary stuff." Iceland pointed out.
Denmark hesitated at Iceland's doorstep, he didn't want to leave. The chance that Åland and Sweden would let him join their group was even smaller than the one he had to join Iceland's and Norway's group. And what so ever, if Iceland's demons would scare him to death, Sweden and Åland's technology would bore him to it. He had never actually been in their group, but he was sure.
Norway ruffled Denmark's hair "common, Denmark…it's only for this one time. Next year I promise we'll be on the same group".
Denmark looked down and sighed, maybe it was for his own best "alright, alright, I'll check with Sweden and Åland…but you have to promise me that next year we'll kick ass, okay!" Denmark stated.
Norway smiled "I promise"
Denmark stepped back and watched as Iceland closed the door and left him outside.
'Well this suck's… nothing worse in the world than being hinted to that you're a coward' Denmark thought. He sat down on his bike and started to bike towards Sweden and Åland's house. It wasn't too far away, just a couple of hundred meters.
This year's Halloween competition was defiantly going to suck; Norway and Iceland always came up with suck creepy, good ideas and themes for it…if anyone else joined their group as a third person the fucker should better be happy with it, that was originally his place! And what if Sweden and Åland already had a third person in the group!? Denmark shook his head. No, no, that wouldn't be like them…they always worked as a pair unless someone begged on their knees to join them. Now that he really thought over it that wasn't exactly a good thing either. Well, maybe they were on their good sides today. Maybe they preferred to take in someone they were more familiar with than anyone else; maybe luck would be on his side! At least he hoped so, because now he was in front of Sweden's house.
Awkwardly knocking on the door Denmark took a deep breath. Suddenly doing this made him really uncomfortable. He hadn't visited them for weeks, what if they felt like he was choosing them as a last way out? What if-
A click sound caught Denmark's attention and he stepped back to let the one opening the door open it.
"Hi, Denmark"
As always, Sweden was the one greeting him. Taking a quick peak over Sweden's shoulder he could see Åland work on a smoke machine, surrounded with wires and, not too shockingly, smoke. He looked quite happy, and even better, there was no one else there. His self-confidence grew bigger at the second.
He took a quick glance at Sweden and could see that he was covered in oil stains and something he guessed was dust. In his hand he held a screwdriver.
"What is your reason to disturb us, if may I ask?"
"Can I join your group?" ah yes, right down to the business.
Sweden looked like he rather would have wanted Denmark to ask any kind of question, except that. Immediately Denmark's self-confidence took an abrupt turn and hid in the darkest corner of his body. He felt it right away that he was going to get a disappointing answer.
"No."
Denmark frowned "why not?"
"Ahm...we're…we're not allowed to have more than three persons in the group."
Denmark frowned again, who the fuck was the third one?
"Who else do you have?"
Sweden shrugged uncomfortably "uh…Switzerland."
Denmark hummed. Yeah right, Switzerland my ass, you're lying aren't you! "But you and Switzerland never hang out-"
Denmark was suddenly irrupted by a loud bang that came from inside the house. A loud, long line of swearing words could be heard and Sweden quickly said goodbye as he turned. Denmark opened his mouth to protest, but Sweden only slammed the door shut in front of him.
Denmark was left outside, mouth half open, and with a series of expressions crossing his face.
'Well that went fucking excellent' he said to himself and headed towards his bike. He knew he wasn't the best at this competition, but lying was a bit overboard.
He paused by his bike and remembered what Iceland and Norway had said; that it was for his own best that he wasn't in their group. Now that he came to think about it he remembered last year's Halloween contest. They had, for once actually, used one of his ideas for the competition… that year they had ended up getting the second last place, with only one team behind them that hadn't showed up. 'For my own best, my ass. They all probably just think I'll ruin everything'
He felt himself get mildly frustrated and got up on his bike; he wanted to leave, to go home, but before he took of he couldn't stop himself from looking back at the house in wonder of what might have made that loud noise.
He found out it must have been the smoke machine, because smoke was seeping through the cracks of the door and through the newly opened windows. If it had been at night that would have been a slightly scary sight, but not mid-day, now it just looked stupid and funny. Denmark grinned. They deserved getting their house filled with smoke for not letting him join them.
He stepped on the pedal and began to bike home. At least home there was beer, not friends who didn't want him to ruin things.
His house was more close to the city, but still far away from the center of it.
As he biked he saw that it suddenly became darker and looked up, heavy clouds were gathering up on the sky, declaring a battle against the sun. He hummed in wonder. It had been so clear just a few minutes ago. He shrugged it off but a strong, cold wind followed shortly after. He shivered and seriously hoped it wouldn't begin to rain, his jacket was at home (something he regretted instantly) and if it began to rain now the water would soak him as a cherry on top of the ice-cream for the already shitty day.
When he got home he was just quick enough to get inside before rain started falling.
When he had kicked of his shoes the first thing he went for was the fridge, or, rather the thing that was inside the fridge, beer. When he had two beer bottles in his hand he went to the living room, popped a bottle and those'd himself down on the sofa. He chugged down half of the bottle before he put it down on the table right next to his phone. Giving it a glance an idea struck him. Maybe Germany and Netherlands would want him on their group! 'Why didn't I think of that before!?' he thought.
Dialing the number to Netherlands he smiled widely. When the conversation was over though and they had hung up, he didn't smile anymore.
They had already teamed up with sister Japan.
Well…maybe his sister and Sister Norway where free? He brought his phone up again and called them. When the phone had rung eight times the voice answerer told him that they were outside, shopping for the contest with sister Iceland.
He spent the rest half hour calling all the nations he spent time with, more or less. Their replies made him more frustrated, call after call he either got the answer "nope man, already teamed up with someone" or "yeah right, you suck"
Why would no one team up with him!? Why was it that you needed to be a genius in the art of being scary to be in someone's group!? Denmark understood the ones who already had three persons in the group, but those who said he sucked really hurt him. Why couldn't he just be scary...? I'd do everything he thought.
He glared out the window and saw the rain hit the ground like tiny bombs, it made sound as it hit the roof and disturbed the many puddles that had formed on the ground, making tiny, tiny waves appear. The wind hurled up a leaf and made it hit the window. Three other leafs followed after and stuck to the window too. Denmark studied them with his eyes from the sofa; they formed a shaky circle if you really used your imagination. The leaf' shadow fell on an old, dusty book under the window shelf. He remembered Sister Norway, Sister Denmark and Sister Sweden having forgotten it last time they threw a party at his place and invited all the nations over. It had ancient spells in it, but they had only used it to mix up a really nasty surprise in the beer for the guests.
He grinned. An idea slowly started to form. If the others wouldn't let him be in their group because they thought he wasn't scary enough and would lead them to last place…he would prove to them that he could be scary enough to win the whole thing.