"Now, our meeting is scheduled this Thursday, and will be continued until Monday."
"That's quite a while, do you really think such a time is necessary?"
"We have lots to cover."
"Then it's settled."
The conversation between the two males echoed throughout the room, as other less important topics rose up. The tension between the Russian Federation and the United States was at its peak, causing Russia to turn to its greatest ally- People's Republic of China. The officials decided that their personifications would get together and discuss the most important things. That's how it came down to the two sitting at the same table. Ivan Braginsky and Yao Wang have met before, briefly, but always in the presence of government officials.
"I should really get going now, I have to fill out some papers at home." Yao stated, biting his lip at his own words. He really had nothing to do, but he did not feel comfortable being one on one with the other.
"Of course, it was nice seeing you, I look forward to Thursday."
"Likewise." The onyx-haired male hoped that the lies in his words weren't too obvious to spot. Regardless of that, the two stood up and walked out of the room, each taking their own path. Yao really did miss his large home in Beijing, the hotel he was staying in was no comparison, even if it was Moscow's largest one. Opening the large wooden door, he pulled his coat tighter around his frame. The time was early April, yet the weather outside was rather chilly. Yao spotted a taxi at the end of the street and made his way towards the bright yellow car, hoping that it would not drive away.
"Will you be able to reach this address?" The Chinese man took out a piece of paper with the hotel's address neatly written on it in black ink, silently praying that the taxi driver spoke English, and that the trip wouldn't end in a disaster.
"Sure, as long as you have money." The driver laughed. A wave of relief overcoming the male, he eagerly got in the passenger seat, and watched the driver start the car.
"So, aren't you China's representation? I've seen you on TV quite a lot." The driver asked, not taking his eyes off the road. Yao turned to the man, looking him over. He looked young, maybe in his twenties, with messed up brown hair and green eyes.
"Yes, I am." Was the only proper response to the question at the time.
"You're doing a good job. Show those Americans who's boss!" The driver smirked, stopping at a red light. Yao looked at him weakly. The man clearly did not understand that the Union between Russia ad China was created as a last resort. However, he decided not to state the truth out loud, for he knew that Russian patriots have an opinion of steel.
"I'm Alexei. Nice to meet you." The driver turned to the Chinese man, smiling. However, Yao did not return the excitement.
"Likewise." Yao wondered how many times he'll have to say that word, just so people will let him be.
"I know you already, from TV and everything." Alexei continued, "It's nice meeting a personification. Kind of like meeting a celebrity, you know?"
"Guess so." Yao did not understand how talkative some people are. He was tired from the earlier meeting, and this man was making it worse.
"We're gonna reach the hotel in a minute or two, so get ready." The Chinese male didn't respond to the comment, but instead looked out the window at Moscow's gloomy April weather.
"Does it always rain here?" He quietly asked, not sure if he was talking to the other man or himself.
"Not always. The weather is going to get better in a month or so. You should see what happens to St. Petersburg during the spring. They call it Northern Venice for a reason!" Alexei exclaimed, happy to see that the male was talking with him.
"I see." Yao didn't show much interest to the topic, at least not to this one.
"The hotel is right here." The brunette drove the car to a stop, and looked at the other.
"Ah, I didn't notice." Yao turned to the man, "here's your money." He took out a thousand ruble bill.
"You can keep it. You're a government official after all." Alexei unlocked the car doors.
"Okay, take care." The onyx-haired male opened his door and exited the car. Sighing as droplets of cold rain hit his body, he walked into the massive glass building. Too tired to respond to the receptionist, he decided to take the stairs instead of the elevator, in an attempt to avoid any chance encounters. Slowly making his way to the fifth floor, he was processing all that happened earlier. He'd have to spend five days with someone he had no common ground with, in a house he's never been before. As a very old nation, the constant traveling was really getting to him. Finally reaching his room, Yao unlocked the door, and not even changing his clothes, laid down on the bed and fell asleep, instantly.
The silver key rattled in the steel door, and opened as the champagne haired male stepped in the doorway. A gush of borscht-scented air blew right in his face as he shut the door to his rather specious apartment. Of course, Ivan wasn't the only resident in it. He lived with his three sisters, Katerina, the oldest, was the personification of Ukraine, Lena, a year younger than Ivan himself, was the personification of Karelia, Natalia, the youngest, the personification of Belarus. Along with his sisters, there lived a young male, Gilbert Beilschmidt, the personification of former Prussia, now the Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian province in Central Europe. And last, the apartment was a temporary home to the three Baltics: Toris Laurinaitis, Ravis Galante, and Eduard von Bock , who Ivan personally asked to stay in the apartment when the Russo-American crisis began. Long story short, the apartment was always filled with life of its eight inhabitants.
"Oh, Big Brother! You're back! We made some borscht, so if you want some, you better hurry." Natalia opened the kitchen door, which was right across from the main one.
"Smells amazing, I'll be there in a sec." Ivan took off his coat, and placed it in the massive closet. On his way to the bathroom to wash his hands, he looked through the glass in the kitchen door, to see all seven people he lived with, every one of them doing their own thing. The male walked into the bathroom and turned on the sink, quickly washing and drying his hands, since he knew that if there was something good in the house, it would be gone soon. The man then walked back into the kitchen, finishing his housemates already eating.
"We started eating before you came back, but we saved you a plate!" Katerina pointed to a porcelain white bowl filled with the steaming soup residing on the counter.
"Thanks." Ivan replied halfheartedly, and took the bowl in his hands and made his way to the large wooden table. Conversation didn't arise as usual, and everyone was mainly focused on finishing their plate. The atmosphere was filled with tension, or so Ivan thought.
"So... I'm going to a meeting in Istra on Thursday with Yao. I'll leave on Thursday and stay there until Monday." He proclaimed, feeling the need to say something.
"That's a long time." Lena stated as she reached for a slice of rye bread.
"Yeah." The champagne haired male didn't expect much commentary to his statement, as most of them didn't care.
"Is anyone else going with you? Like any officials or something?" Gilbert asked, taking a breadstick from the basket at the center of the table.
"No. We're going to be by ourselves." Ivan replied, dragging his spoon across the empty bowl.
"By yourselves?" The albino spoke in a suggestive tone, only to be smacked by Lena at the back of the head.
"It's for work, dimwit." She exclaimed, a piece of rye bread in her mouth, followed by a quiet 'ouch' and a glare from the male next to her.
Ivan sighed. This was his daily life, constant arguing between the two provinces, his older sister's unnecessary affection, his youngest sister's obsession with him, and the three Baltics avoiding him as much as possible. He always claimed that loneliness was eating away at his heart, and truth be told, it was. Yet when his so-called family moved in, his days were filled with noise and arguments.
"I'm gonna go file some things. Thanks for the meal, it was great." He stood up, and made his way to the door.
"You're not staying for dessert? We're having chocolate cake." Natalia asked, a hint of pleading in her voice.
"No thanks. That means more cake for you guys." He shot the group a final glace before exiting the kitchen. He heard more talk coming from the kitchen as he walked back to his room. Maybe Ivan needed a break. A break from work, politics, his family. He walked into his room and sat down on the chair placing his legs on the work table. Suddenly, he remembered a secret stash of alcohol that he kept for emergencies. This was definitely the emergency he was saving it for. Ivan stood up and reached up to his bookshelf, sliding the actual shelf over, as it acted as a door to his stash. He took out a bottle of Russian Standart vodka, and flicked the cap off, proceeding to halfway down the alcohol.
"Nothing can be completely right in life, can it?" He melancholicaly stated to himself, and placed the bottle down. He was both dreading Thursday and looking forward to it.