Thank you for the reviews, etc. last chapter. They make me so happy~

Today's story is based on "Beijing Warns Against Sea Meddling" by Brian Spegele seen in the Wall Street Journal on June 15th, 2011.

"I SAID NO, ARU! . . . TELL HIM THAT, THEN. GOODBYE, ARU."

Korea and Hong Kong, who had been playing one of Japan's old video games, looked at each other knowingly before taking a heaping handful of popcorn.

China staggered over from the front door to their couch (it was Western, too Western, he mentally fumed) and flopped down lifelessly. He didn't even care that his head was in the popcorn bowl. These past few days had worn a little on his sanity.

Hong Kong paused the game and turned to face his older brother. "How was Guangdong's protesting going?"

China cracked one eye open, just enough to glare at his semiautonomous brother. "Oh, it was just dandy, aru. Look, I brought you back a T- shirt, aru!"

Korea jumped in with a "Protesting originated in me, da- ze!"

"No one cares, aru," China muttered into a pillow. "But it's probably true. 'Aniki, Aniki, gimme kimchi! I don't wanna eat this gross stuff!' That's all I heard out of you when you were little... Aah, nostalgic days..."

Korea smirked. "Yeah, cause kimchi is better than all your crap, da- ze! Anyway, why were you gone so long, Aniki?"

"AAGHSTUPIDPHILIPPINESWASINMY-"

"We can't understand you, ge ge," Hong Kong deadpanned.

"Aagh. Stupid Philippines was in my water and then stupid America got into it, aru." China repeated, slowly and calmly. (Calmly as in, "get this guy to a shrink, I think he's going to kill someone.")

"Oh yeah. By the way, Vietnam's still really pissed about that whole boat thing. She hasn't spoken to me in-"

"I don't care, aru," China muttered, cutting Hong Kong off. "She, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei, and the Philippines need to stop claiming my stupid South China Sea, aru. And North Korea can't just send ships through it without telling anyone like that. And I think it's suspicious that the area is so rich in oil and America just happens to want to be the hero. So everyone just needs to leave me alone and get me some freaking baiju. ARU. And..."

Korea didn't hear much of his Aniki's rant because he was busy trying to find the bottle of baiju. He faintly remembered drinking some with Hong Kong last night, but not much, because obviously he'd been drunk after that. (The hangover was epic; he still wasn't over it.)

Oh, there it was.

"... And where did Korea go and I want my panda, aru. Oh, hi, Korea. Why is that bottle open?"

Korea handed to him and pulled a lie out of his ass. "Remember drinking with Russia last week?"

"Oh, right. Thanks, Korea."

Hong Kong ran upstairs to China's room and got a pillow, a blanket, and plushies of Shinatty and a panda. The two tucked China in, handed him the plushies and the alcohol, and resumed their game- playing upstairs.

When they came back down to get more popcorn, they found China peacefully asleep on the couch.

Wow, short chapter. I guess I didn't want to keep China suffering for long, poor thing. (I enjoyed writing about the Asians. Asian families are impossibly cool. Not that mine's not.)

See you tomorrow!