"Thank god you're back!" Yong-Soo cried, emerging from the kitchen wearing an apron, a bandana over his hair, and Feli and Gilbert clinging to his legs, demanding food. "They have been driving me crazy, da-ze!"
"Ve~ Indie's back! Yay!" Feli said and released Yong-Soo to cling to me instead.
Gilbert rushed to his feet and smirked, brushing off any dirt lingering on his clothes. "About time you returned, fraulein. I was tiring of eating Korean food."
"I was only gone for two nights." I said and pat Feli on the head a few times.
"Is podruga back?" We heard Ivan's voice coming from upstairs.
"I'm back Ivan! Mattias! How are Annie and Milashka?" I yelled and, as if on cue, came the sound of my babies running to find me. It didn't take too long and once they found me, they pounced. Little Feli had to let go so he wouldn't be pounced on by Annie and Milashka.
"Indie!"
Annie and Milashka rushed off before they could be sandwiched by Mattias and myself. The Dane came bounding down the stairs and launched himself at me. I braced myself as he glomped for the third time that week. It was no use trying to escape. Deliverance was nice enough to drop off Mattias' manual yesterday while I was at work and I finally got to read it. It was irreversible since the moment I called him brother. He will forever hug me when I least expect it.
"Mattias, we seriously just saw each other an hour ago at work." I moaned.
"I can't help it, you're just so soft!" Mattias grinned.
"Yeah, well, let go, I need to get ready."
"For what, Indie?" Ivan asked, poking his head out of the hallway.
"I'm going somewhere secretive with my dad. No, you can't come-ever!" I growled before Gilbert could even properly form his question. "So let go?"
"Call me brother~"
"Dude, no, just let go."
"Say it and I'll let go."
"Stop before I do something drastic!"
"Say it."
"Ivan! He won't let go!" I whined.
It was like a switch. His dark aura appeared and his smile turned creepy. Ivan walked down the stairs in a very intimidating matter. In either fear or idioticness, Mattias tightened his grip on me and put on a very determined face.
"Podruga is wanting you to let go, so I am thinking you should." Ivan said.
"Make me." Mattias retorted and stuck his tongue out at him.
The atmosphere became thick with tension. The two countries glared at each other and really, it was getting boring.
"Okay, that was a mistake. Can someone go get Dad?" I asked the other three who were just standing around.
"I'll do it!" Yong-Soo yelled and ran off to escape the tension.
"I'll help!" Gilbert yelled and picked up Feli before running after Yong-Soo.
Yong-Soo and Gilbert ran around the house, yelling for my dad meanwhile I was stuck between two tall countries that were glaring each other down. Perhaps I came back too soon. I'm sure Snow hasn't taken the sheets off of her pull out couch/bed thing. Maybe if I could just slither out of his grip then I could run back to Snow's apartment . . . Nope. He has a tighter grip than an anaconda.
A door slammed open and it was just enough to break the tension between Ivan and Mattias. Thumps that sounded much like footsteps came from upstairs, heading towards stairs. Yong-Soo, Gilbert, and Feli came tumbling down the steps (when did they even go up there?).
"We found your dad, Indie!" Feli said fearfully. The poor thing was shaking like a leaf. "He's scary when he wakes up!"
"He was asleep?" I asked slowly and the trio nodded. "ARE YOU INSANE? NEVER WAKE HIM UP FROM A NAP!"
My little outburst got Mattias to let go of me, thank god. As soon as I was able to move freely once again, I started shoving all of the units into the basement. They were complaining and whining, asking why I was doing this to them. They make it sound like I was betraying them or some shit. But I was in fact saving their hides. Only Papa, Deliverance, and I can wake up Dad without having to face his fury. Putting it lightly, Dad is the devil waking up. Not the South Park devil, not the Supernatural Lucifer, his just-awoken-state doesn't even compare to Him from PPG. He is the essence of evil and it is terrifying.
I slammed the basement door shut and ran to the foot of the stairs just in time for Dad to see me. His blonde hair was messier than usual and he had a perfect drool line going across his cheek. He blinked a few times with his dead eyes then focused on me. Quite elegantly, Dad wiped the drool off his face with his arm then scratched his chin.
"Were you calling for me, Independence?" Dad croaked then cleared his throat.
"Um, yeah, we're supposed to be going out, remember? Every time I come back from spending the night at Snow's you take me shopping to make it up? No matter what." I said cooly, thanking whoever was out there that Dad was too sleepy to realize it was three different male voices yelling for him and not one female.
Dad nodded. "Oh yeah, I'll go get ready. Grab me a soda, will you?"
"Sure thing, daddy-O," I saluted to him and marched into the kitchen.
Dad simply chuckled at me then walked back upstairs to freshen up. I quickly grabbed a can of Shasta and jogged to the basement door. My hand was an inch away from the handle when I hesitated. If I just left them in there, maybe they wouldn't ruin the house while the whole family was gone. Since the moment I got Ivan, we have only left the units alone once and it was a mistake. My sketch book was ruined with coffee (some of my best cake designs were in that book too!) and they broke Papa's favorite wine glass. Needless to say, we haven't left them alone since.
"They can't possibly wreck the rest of the house if they're in the basement," I muttered to myself and retracted my hand. It seemed like a dick move but we really can't afford any of their fighting at this point.
"You ready to go, Indie?" I turned around at the sound of my dad's voice.
"Yep, lets hit the road."
"Where the hell is she going!" Gilbert hissed, his ear pressed against the door.
"What's going on?" Yong-Soo asked.
"She's leaving with her vatti!"
"What! Dude! Not cool!" Mattias whined.
Gilbert heard the front door shut and that's when he finally pulled away. He flung the door open and the group of units walked out and ran to the front window. They watched Indie and her dad pull away from the house in their dark red truck. Without any warning whatsoever, Feli ran out the front door and down the street.
"FELI!" Yong-Soo shrieked very unmanly then chased after him.
"What is Feli doing?" Mattias asked.
"Probably chasing after Indie," Ivan shrugged then ran out the front door but went in the opposite direction of Yong-Soo and Feli.
"Scheiße!" Gilbert cursed then ran out.
"Wait for me~" Mattias yelled and followed in pursuit.
Feli, Yong-Soo, Gilbert, and Mattias were half way down the block when they heard a car horn. Each stopped and looked around only to find Ivan driving an Impala that was black as night. He pulled up to the curb and rolled down the window.
"This way will be much faster, da?" Ivan smiled.
"Isn't this the neighbors car?" Feli asked as Yong-Soo scooped him up into his arms and jumped into the vehicle.
"Oh, he didn't mind letting me borrow it. He seemed pretty eager to give me the keys," Ivan chirped.
Mattias dived into the passenger seat and Gilbert got in the back with Yong-Soo and Feli. They slammed the doors shut and Ivan took off down the road. Within ten minutes, they miraculously found the red truck zooming down the highway.
"Where are they going, da-ze?" Yong-Soo leaned towards the middle to get a better view.
"Can you slow down? Your driving is making me sick!" Mattias said dreadfully, gently rubbing his queasy stomach.
Gilbert leaned over the passenger seat, alarmed by this new information."Don't you dare barf! if you barf then I'm going to barf and it won't be pretty! I had eggs this morning! Eggs!"
"I have to pee, really badly," Feli tugged on Yong-Soo's hanbok.
"Don't say things like that, Gil! It's making it worse!" Mattias yelled.
"Ivan, we should pull over, da-ze. Feli has the bladder of a baby," Yong-Soo sighed.
"Don't call me a baby! I am not a bambino!" Feli yelled.
"You cried during Ponyo, which was made in Korea, yesterday because they were so "carino~" or whatever it was you said!"
"You did too, meanie!"
"Oh god, I can feel it coming up," Mattias moaned.
"Stick your verdammt head out the window!" Gilbert yelled.
No one noticed Ivan's grip on the steering wheel tighten all throughout their yelling. His smile was becoming even more forced when finally, Ivan could take the arguing no more. He pulled a stunt in which they all should've died but surprisingly didn't. He picked up the speed and raced through the lanes. It got his desired effect, which was to get them to stop arguing and focus on what was in front of them. They did scream in terror though. Ivan noticed the truck exit the highway so with one quick spin of the wheel, they did as well.
"I do not like the arguing, so keep your mouths shut or I will get Mr. Pipe, da?" Ivan turned his head to look at them.
Each and everyone of them were as pale as Gilbert, eyes wide like saucers. But they had enough life left into them to nod. Ivan giggled then continued to followed Indie. It was only a matter of minutes before they pulled up to a large war-surplus store called "Smith and Edwards". Indie practically skipped inside with a look of pure bliss on her face. Her dad just walked behind her with his wallet in hand. The five units quickly grabbed a cart and walked inside.
"When she said her dad was taking her shopping, I imagined a mall. Not this," Gilbert said, waving his hand towards the the candy bulk, the tools, lawn equipment, toys, and much more that they haven't even seen yet.
"Bathroom," Feli whined, tugging on Yong-Soo's hanbok yet again.
He sighed and picked Feli up. "I'll be back, da-ze," then wandered off to find the bathroom.
Mattias jumped into the cart and pointed forwards. "Lets go find Independence!"
"Ja!" Gilbert cheered, taking the cart and running through the crowd of people.
Ivan stared after them for a moment before shrugging and wandering through the crowd of Americans. People gave him odd looks, maybe because he was dressed differently or because his smile freaked them out, either way, they parted like the red sea when Ivan walked by. As Ivan walked further into the store, he noticed that the deeper he went, items from around WWII and the Vietnam War were popping more often. At the halfway point, there was a clear line between the old war items and the new, just shipped from China products.
"Hey you!"
A young man in his twenties marched up to Ivan. His dark brown hair was slicked back and he wore rectangular glasses that made his brown eyes look bigger. He wore a dark green polo shirt with khaki shorts and vans. All in all, he was unimpressive in Ivan's eyes.
"Can I help you?" Ivan asked.
"Yes, I was curious as to why you're wearing a Red Army overcoat. It may be a different color, but I recognize the design," The man said. "If you haven't noticed, this is a store selling American-only war products, no other country. Is it exciting you have a Red Army coat that looks authentic? Yes, yes it is. Just where did you get it?"
Ivan stared at the man with his signature smile then said "It's been in my family since the war."
"But how did you manage to keep such a fine thing in pristine condition?" The man asked gleefully.
"We just do," Ivan replied bluntly.
"If you don't mind, but could you come with me? A friend of mine works here and he's been looking for a coat similar to yours and he's a sewer, so if he could just take some pictures and get a good look at it?" The man asked with a meek smile.
"I do not mind at all!" Ivan smiled.
"Great! Just follow me!" The man said and Ivan did.
I twirled around in my soon-to-be aviator jacket when I felt a disturbance. I stopped and looked around. How odd.
"Everything okay, Indie?" Dad asked, emerging behind a rack filled with coats, a machete in hand. I have no idea why, but they just keep these machetes in a bin out in the open. They're old, but still pretty dangerous!
"Something just feels off," I answered and pulled the jacket off.
Dad nodded. "Right, right. Why don't you go over to the swivel chairs and I'll meet you there in a minute. We need to get one for Dee's new desk."
"Or we can just buy it for me and take turns going down the hall with it?" I suggested, a silly grin on my face.
"You are my daughter. But it's Dee's money we're using for the chair, sorry kid," Dad said then disappeared into the multiple racks of coats.
I shook my head and ventured to the very back of the large store with the jacket in hand. On the way, I grabbed a dark blue trappers hat, camouflage pants, and an American flag to send to my English relatives. But just as I was about to reach the swivel chairs, I was nearly run over by two idiots with a cart. At least they had the decency to yell "Watch out!" while heading at me at full speed. The cart, along with te idiots crashed into the wall with the swivel chairs and was buried underneath a pile of boxes and swivel chairs.
"Watch where you're going, idiots!" I yelled, clutching my items tighter and trying to lower my heart rate.
"Sorry Indie!" One of them yelled from the pile.
My heart rate picked up again. "No, it can't be . . ."
Two heads popped out of the pile, a blonde with blue eyes and an albino. Well, my shopping trip is officially ruined.
Hallo, is'a me, Gabby! Sorry I haven't posted a chapter in over a month, but school started and things got busy. Also, sorry I haven't updated Paper Planes since June, but I'm working on it! I won't be able to post up any chapters the rest of the week due to me going to Anime Banzai. But, it won't stop me from planning what happens in the next chapter. I've already planned out some of it and we get to see a side of Russia no one has yet to unlock and the key to it is the man and his friend. It's gonna be fun~
Translations~
Carino: Cute in Italian
Bambino: Baby in Italian
Fraulein: Miss or young lady in German
Scheiße: Shit in German
Verdammt: Damn in German
Feel free to correct me on these translations, I just use Google Translate.
Toodles my lovelies!