Part One

I consider myself to be an average guy. I'm about 5' 10'', pale green eyes, light tan, wispy hair. Again, I'm a pretty average.

Family, I don't have much of that. I do have a sister but she's kind of a nag. Well, to me anyway. Also we look absolutely nothing alike. She's got nicely layered, mid-length, shiny, blond hair. Her deep blue eyes mimic the sea and she is about 5' 7''

So it was early in the morning, say, just after sunrise. The beams of the morning sun shined on my face creating faint warmth. I grumbled and moaned. "Damn servant left the bed curtains open again."

My head was groggy. I grudgingly sag up at the edge of the bed. The square beam of light coursing through the window warmed my lap and the red fleece blanket I sat on.

I had the jitters, butterflies nested in my stomach. Damn, I'm missing something. I looked to the square, maple end table. It was bare, save for a lamp with a plain white cover. "Damn it!" I yelled at the top of my lungs "Where's my fucking pipe?"

In a highly angered fashion I lifted myself off the edge of the bed and stormed to the ebony colored door that smelt of lemon polish. I through the door open with so much force it was shocking the poor thing didn't fly clear off its hinges.

I stormed down the hall totally ignoring the fact that I was wearing only a pair of brown breeches. I knew who had the damn pipe. She didn't approve of my morning smoke. She is living under my roof! She has no right to touch my crack pipe!

"Belgium! Where is my goddamn crack pipe?" I angrily strode into her bedroom disregarding any manners. She has my crack pipe; I don't care about her privacy. She has my pipe!

My sister literally jumped out of her bed upon the sound of her door.

"My lord Netherlands." she said with a small curtsy of her white nightgown.

I stood there, anger radiating off me, "Don't give me that goody, goody, bullshit. Where is it?" I had my hands on my hips. God, that was manly.

She looked at me with her falsely innocent smile, "I don't understand what you mean brother."

I glared at her, my expression unchanging and hard. My body screamed at me, I need that pipe. I was all worked up; only that pipe would be able to calm me. "You know damn well what I mean."

She smirked at me and began pacing around her bed in a manner similar to a cat stalking a mouse. On the other side of the bed she pulled out a desk drawer and reached into it.

"Was this what you're looking for?" Sure enough there was the pipe resting gently between her mid and forefingers. The ivory stem and gold inlay on the ends glinted in the sunlight pouring through the window.

I slowly stepped toward her reaching out to get the pipe. "Give it to me, now!" I demanded strong and sternly.

She quickly put her hands behind her back and proceeded to cautiously step backward away from me. "My dear brother Netherlands, your smoking makes you insufferable. Please, please, will you quit?" She begged, her voice presenting an underlying tone of fear.

Dear god, my body quivered inside. The jitters I have been experiencing grew worse. I wanted to be violent with her. I wanted to use my dominance as a man to restrain her and take back what was rightfully mine. My body was talking violence but my mind spoke of logical reasoning.

I stopped where I was, my sister stopped in her tracks as well. "Sister, please quit messing with me. Will you please give me that expensive pipe? Before I get…. Well you know." I reached out again, this time in a less threatening manner.

Belgium looked at me with a pained expression playing on her facial features. She was reluctant but she gently placed the ivory pipe in my outstretched hand. "Go smoke your weed." She walked toward the window. I went to leave her room when she spoke again. "Brother, just to let you know, you're a real big dick when you're not high." She didn't turn to face me.

I stood in the doorway for a slight second. "Thanks for informing me." I left the room striding down the hallway, ivory pipe in hand.

Part Two

I strode down the hall stuffing my pipe with the small bit of pot I managed to throw in my pocket before epically storming out of my room. Problem. I forgot matches to light it with.

"Shit." I stopped and stared at the filled but useless pipe in my hands. I controlled my violent tendencies quite well so far, I am not going to let them get the best of me now.

Much to my luck one of the house servants was heading my way, "Hey!" I called to him, "Do you happen to have a light on you?"

He looked to me, smiled, and proceeded to dig in his pocket, "I heard my lord in a rampage this morning." He handed me a small box of matches, "I figured my lord would forget his matches. When you stormed out of your quarters, I went in and grabbed them."

I lit the pipe and took a deep much needed breath of the contents of the pipe. Relaxation instantly spread from my lungs to the outer limits of my body. My mind gained more control over every aspect of me.

I took another puff and exhaled with pleasure. I handed the box of matches back to the servant, "I needed that man," another puff and another exhale of pleasure, "That feels so good. Ah, what do I have on my agenda for today?" I savored the pipe.

The servant looked over me head to toe, "Well Sir, I would suggest you get some clothing on pretty quick. Sir Denmark was to visit for a while starting today. Don't you remember my lord?"

I puffed again and looked down to my toes. "Oh shit man that's right. I don't suppose my good friend will want to see me in nothing but my breeches." The servant nodded in acknowledgement. "Why don't you see if Belgium will join us for breakfast." I said.

"Yes Sir." The servant proceeded onward after a slight bow.

I took a long, drawn up puff and slowly exhaled. "Denmark, you son of a bitch, always coming at the most inconvenient times." I said with a sarcastic air. With that I gracefully walked on toward my room.

Later

I lounged in the heavily cushioned dinner chair, legs crossed at the ankles. My gaze traveled across the well decorated walls of the large dining room. Paintings of Amsterdam, Dutch windmills, and the tulips of Holland adorned the walls. I love tulips, they're so brightly colored. The large windows permitted a hearty amount of light to illuminate the dining quarters. Archways spanned a great length at either end of the room. Through one of these arches, Belgium entered the room.

"My lord Netherlands. You look absolutely splendid." She said.

I looked down at my outfit. What was she meaning? I was dressed in my typical white shirt, beige colored over coat, brown breeches, tall brown boots, and my favorite white and blue scarf that sat on my shoulders and its ends reached halfway down my back. What was so splendid about me? I did somewhat tame my wispy hair but she couldn't have meant that.

It seemed as Belgium read my thoughts, "I wasn't meaning your clothes; you don't have that ghastly pipe hanging out of your mouth. That is what makes you look simply splendid."

I looked at her with a dumbfounded expression, "Oh, ok." I didn't know what else to say about her comment. I felt offended but I didn't show it.

"When is lord Denmark going to arrive?" she asked with a slight glow to her face.

I frowned. "Anytime now I suppose." Don't get me wrong, Denmark is one of my best and only friends. I don't like the sudden glows that Belgium gets when she talks about him. Denmark is not the type of man I want for my sister. She better not be fucking him.

Belgium sat in the chair to my right and discreetly crossed her legs. I continued to stare at the paintings on the wall. Tulips are so bright. ~ I was in a heavenly daydream when a footman interrupted my train of thought.

"My lord, Sir Denmark is in the foyer. Should I bring him to the breakfast table?" He asked in such an official manner.

I looked to him annoyed that he interrupted my pleasant day dream. "Yes, lead him in and inform the cook to start sending breakfast out." I looked to Belgium; she was absently staring at the window. There must be a bird of some sort that she was watching. "I'm sure my dear sister is very hungry."

She looked at me which such a dirty look. Surprisingly, she just turned her head to resume staring at the window.

I slumped in my chair with a slight huff. I looked to the ceiling. This is going to be one of the worst breakfasts yet.

An obnoxious talking slowly became able to be heard. It was Denmark, only he could kill somebody with excessive talking. The footman walked through the main arch of the dining hall. "My lord, I would like to present lord Denmark."

Denmark playfully slapped the footman on the shoulder blade, "Dude you don't have to be so formal. Good God man, go grab yourself a Heineken, and drink up." The foot guard frowned and looked at me. I just shrugged my shoulders.

The footman bowed and left the room. Denmark looked to me, and walked briskly toward me with open arms "Netherlands! My good friend! How have you been? Long time no see." I got up from my chair and we embraced in a great hug.

I patted Denmark's back, "Yeah man, it has been too long." We broke our embrace and sat down at the table. Belgium eyed Denmark as he slinked into his chair.

The head cook walked in from the kitchen and presented himself with a slight bow. "Would my masters and lady like anything to drink this morning?"

Denmark was the first to input his wants. "I want one of your fine Dutch Heinekens." He smiled a boyish smile to the cook.

I frowned at Denmark. "What?" He exclaimed.

"Denmark, it's only nine in the morn. Why the hell are you drinking beer already?" Why did I ask that? Denmark is my friend who drinks beer no matter what time it is friend.

He lazily slouched in the dining chair; the servant brought out the beer and twisted the top off. A slight fuzz noise came from the beer. "Oh, Netherlands. If you drank morning, noon, and night you would be so much more fun. Not that you're not fun already." He looked around the room, "you still got them painting of them stupid tulips up? Dude, that's not manly at all."

I huffed at him and rolled my eyes. "How many times have I kicked your butt because you're picking on my infatuation with tulips?"

He smiled at me, "Is that a challenge I hear?"

"After breakfast, dude, your so going down!"

And so breakfast was served.

Part Three

The intensity in the atmosphere could start a storm. Denmark and I sat across from each other. We stared down the white and black marble pieces of the expensive chessboard that sat before us. The board itself was made of marble, each square outlined by a small line of gold.

Two beers sat beside us, the ivory pipe which still smoked sat beside my own beer. Denmark's was of course nearly empty.

Denmark intently stared at the unsystematic layout on the board. He licked his upper lip and reached for the black horse halfway across the board. In that move he took one of my pawns. "Ha ha Netherlands, I took your last pawn."

"No matter," I said calm and smoothly, "You just opened yourself up for a loss." I picked up my queen in the far corner and moved her down the diagonal path which she shared with the black king. "And now you officially are checkmated." That was the fifth victory in the past hour.

Denmark slumped in the chair and drank the rest of his beer down in one large gulp. He also finished the half bottle I still had. "No fair, you always win."

I gently picked up my pipe and took a small puff, "I am that damn good."

Denmark threw his head back in laughter, "you, damn good. Netherlands I would totally beat your ass in something that doesn't involve logical reasoning. You damn well know that."

Inhale and exhale my pipes treasure, "yeah, you probably would. I am safe to assume that you want another beer."

Denmark clapped his hands in a long drawn out manner, he laughed the whole time. "Damn, you know me well, friend. I wanted another beer as soon as I finished yours off."

I motioned to the waiter who was dusting off the Hummel figurines that Germany enjoyed giving me for every single special occasion, "We need two more beers."

"Heinekens, my lord?" he questioned.

"Of course. I only serve the best." I turned back to Denmark, "Would you like to choose the next competition?"

"Hell, yeah!" he exclaimed and motioned to the servant before he left for the beers. "We are going to need two glasses, coins, and 6 more bottles of beer."

The servant left the room with his bizarre orders. "Denmark, What are you planning exactly?"

He tapped his fingers on the desk slowly, one by one. "Oh, Netherlands, we are going to be playing a drinking game common to the young adults in America. They call it quarters."

I was instantly unnerved. One, I have never heard of this game called "quarters" and two the only people that I personally think drink so irresponsibly that they are bound to kill themselves is the Americans. They are the biggest buyers of my beer. "How exactly do you play this game?"

Denmark giggled, yes, like a girl. "Well, you set up the two cups right in front of you, probably about four meters apart. These cups serve as your goal. Then taking the coins, you bounce them off the table and try to get them in the cups." He gestured bouncing a coin of the table. "If you get a coin in the cup in front of me, I have to take a gulp of beer. If I get it in your cup, you have to do the same."

I nodded, "ok, how do you win?"

Denmark's finger traced the edge of the table. "The first person to finish their beer loses."

I took a puff of my pipe. "Good lord Denmark, Don't you think this game will get us a bit wasted?"

He laughed. "Of course stupid. That is why those moronic Americans play the game. To get utterly wasted." The servant returned with the 8 beers, coins, and two beer mugs. Denmark perked up right away.

"Ah, thank you dear sirs. Please would you clear the table of this retarded chessboard so Netherlands and I can play a man's game?"

I frowned at Denmark, so hard that my eyebrows must have met in the middle. "Yes, lord Denmark." The servant nodded and began clearing the pieces and the board from the table.

When the table was clear Denmark grabbed a hand full of coins and a mug. "Grab your goal and weapons sir." he said to me. I grabbed them and set the mug in front of me, the pile of coins beside it. "So, who goes first?"

Denmark twisted open two of the beers and handed one to me. "Newbie can go first. Shoot at me Holland!"

I aimed my coin, "you know I really fucking hate it when you call me that!" I tossed the coin. It bounced twice on the table and landed in Denmark's lap.

He laughed stridently, "OMG! Netherlands hit my pee pee." He tossed his coin. The thing bounced once and landed in the center of the glass in front of me.

"Shit!" I cursed and took a swig of my beer. I aimed my next coin more carefully this time. It bounced once on the table and ricochet off the edge of his glass. "Fuck!"

Denmark laughed even harder. "Miss, sucker." His coin again landed in my mug. "Ha Bitch. I'm sorry, Holland. Drink up!"

I drank and picked up my next coin. "Hey Denmark! Think fast!" I tossed the thing and it hit him right in the forehead.

"We are gonna play that way huh?" He took a huge gulp of his beer and got up from the chair. "Screw this game. Let's wrestle."

I got up from the chair and put him in a head lock. "Hell, yeah. Now you're talking!"

The door to the social room opened and a footman escorted a messenger in. They both looked away from the sight of me strangling Denmark. "My lord, this messenger has important news for you, but we can come back at a better time."

I released Denmark from his arm prison and straightened myself up. "No need. What news do you bring sir?"

The messenger pushed past the footman, his face was consorted in fear. "My lord, we have been watching other countries as you have ordered and, and"

"I know that, out with it man!" I urged.

He gulped, "America is planning on invading Japan."

That's not good. Poor Japan has isolated himself in fear of being controlled by other countries. I managed to keep contact with Japan. It is my faithful duty as his only current European friend to warn him of America's coming. "When is this going to happen?"

"Sometime next month, my lord."

I huffed and picked my pipe up off the floor. It fell on the floor when Denmark kicked the table. "Give me a light, and help prepare for me to leave. Have another servant prepare a sleeping quarters." He handed me the box of matches. I trained my servants well. Number one rule; don't be caught with out a light.

"Yes, my lord. I will send somebody up to prepare the guest room, prepare your bags and get a ticket for you to leave by train tonight. Anything else my lord?"

I inhaled the sweet smoke of the ivory pipe, "Not really, but do see if dinners ready."

Later after dinner.

I was placing folded clothes in an averaged sized suitcase laying when Denmark and Belgium walked into my bedroom. I turned to face them.

Belgium looked worried, "Brother, I'm very worried about this. I hope Japan will be alright."

Denmark didn't have a glass of booze with him. He must be serious about this too. "I'm worried for Japan too, sister, that is why I must make this journey to warn him. The poor guy is in isolation right now."

Denmark walked over to my stack of clothing I had to put into the bag yet. "I'll put these in for you. Go ahead and have the private talk with your sister that I know you want to have."

I hugged Denmark from behind. "Thanks pal. Belgium, can we discuss something in the hall?"

She did a slight curtsy and escorted herself out the door. "Yes brother."

I followed her out the door and quietly closed it. Grabbing her hand and looking into her brilliant blue eyes, I said, "Belgium, please promise me you wont mess around with Denmark while I am gone."

Her eyes widened in shock, "Of course not dear Netherlands! It is against your wishes for me to consort with Denmark in that manner."

I exhaled a sigh of relief; she does have a good understanding of my wishes. I put my hands on her shoulders, "Thank you. It makes me feel good that you understand my wishes."

I turned back and opened the door to enter back into the bedroom. I motioned to Belgium to enter, "Ladies first my dear."

Belgium cracked a full smile and turned her gaze to the floor blushing, "Why thank you my lord." she entered the bedroom and I followed her.

"So Denmark, are my belongings in order?" I exclaimed while opening myself up for a hug.

We embraced each other in a big, manly hug. "Of course my good friend. I will take good care of your estate while you are on your journey. I will also take good care of Belgium and drink all your beer."

"Thanks man, I will be looking forward to making you buy me more." I said, we ended our brotherly hug and I hugged my sister goodbye. "Well my faithful companions. I will miss you dearly."

I took my overcoat, bag and followed my servant out to the front door.