Forward:

It's Thanksgiving! So here's just a random thing with America and the states. I know the titles misleading, but I swear its Thanksgiving themed.

How Prussians Annoy Floridians

By Dragon-Child of Lightning

Case-In-Point 5: Soundboards

"Hey America! Open the door! It's freezing out here little bro!" Florida hollered as she banged on the door of her brother America's house. The country's muffled call of "Hold on!" reached the state's ears before the taller blonde opened the door.

"Gees Florida; you know you're allowed to come in. There's no need to break my door down," America stressed as he gestured Florida inside.

"It's called common curtesy to knock on someone's door before answering, Alfred," Jezabel explained, her supposed long dead peeping out to prove her point as she shook snow off. "So other than the cold, what has drastically changed around here since last Thanksgiving?"

"First sis, the weather hasn't drastically changed; it just changed overnight man," Alfred said sarcastically.

"Hardy, har-har; who's the Floridian again?"

"OK, uncle, uncle. Look, nothing really changed; but I did get a new stereo system! I wanna' test it out today to see if England can hear!" America grinned with childish intent.

"That's a lot of ocean to cover little bro," Florida sighed as she patted her little brother's back. Both knew Elizabeth came to the Thanksgiving meal every year as an honored guest, but Alfred would try anything to annoy her and get her over here faster.
Knowing where to proceed, Florida left her blonde brethren to see the door and to put down the two pies and bag of oranges she brought with her. She noticed Pennsylvania, New York, and honorary visitor Canada were already there (surprisingly enough, the states were actually interacting with him). The dining room, which was still being prepared via Lithuania and Maryland, looked lovely and had matching shades of browns, reds, and oranges all over the place. Florida placed her Southern assortment down to help the brown haired country.

"Hey Lith; what's up?" she asked him.

"Oh! Florida hi! I am doing well, how about you?" Lithuania replied. Maryland smiled but said nothing.

"Quite fine; you need help?"

"I would appreciate it." So both states and country helped with the rest of the tableware as state after state filed in. Hawaii came after Florida so she wasn't late, Alaska was soon after, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Louisiana came in at the same time, Washington State, Arizona, Montana and Wyoming were next, and then of course everyone else clamored in as pairs or as individuals. Soon enough everyone had arrived. Well everyone except…

"Has anyone seen California or Nevada?" Texas asked Florida.

"Nope. And now that I think about it, has anyone seen America?" replied the still cold state.

"He was just here," Oklahoma put in.

"He said something earlier about testing his new sound system."

"Well if we all of a sudden lose in our hearing, then we'll know his music is blaring," Georgia concluded.

"Still; where's Cali and Nevada?" Texas asked again. The four asked around and none of the other states, territories, Lithuania, or if Canada had seen America or heard from the two West coast states. With no luck, the four gave up.

"I give up; the two of them probably aren't coming," Georgia said as she chugged a glass of apple cider.

"Yeah," agreed the more Southern state. "Or their getting drunk at a casino."

"I think that's something Nevada's more likely to do."

"True." A few moments of muffled talking ensued until Lithuania came running up to Florida. "What's up Toris?"

"I found him! Well, technically Canada did, but still!" babbled Toris. As Lithuania ran off, the four states looked at each other and followed suit after the brown haired country. What they found though stunned them.

"What in the name Pounce de Lion is this?" Florida asked. In front of Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Texas, was America's new sound system (set up with what seemed like eighty billion lights), California, Nevada, the Bad Friend Trio, and a plethora of European countries; specifically ones that helped start America; the Nordics, Britain, Germany, Italy, etc.

"I'd say it's madness," whistled Texas. "But don't take my word for it."

"Hey! Florida! Get over here! I have a question for ya sis!" America called from a DJ booth about eight feet in the air.

"Alfred F. Jones; what is this mess of sound ware and why are Prussia, Antonio, and Francis here?" Jezabel questioned coldly.

"Gees, what's with the sour mood? I just needed help on this soundboard," Alfred pouted. Florida rolled her eyes and kneeled down to take a look at the complicated system of wires. The Floridian started to explain to Al what to do, but he soon got bored and sent Prussia over to "help."

"Hallo Florida! How can my awesomeness help you today?" asked the overly excited albino.

"By not bugging me; go 'help' someone else," replied the blonde.

"Fine, your loss," Prussia shrugged as he got up. Florida finished the system when her sister California bounced over.

"Hey Orangehead; you done with this… thing?" California chirped, her dress flapping in Florida's face.

"Yep. Question; were you and Nevada here the whole time?"

"Sure were! Alfred asked us to help set up his back yard since the two of us seem to have the most fashion sense." Cali stood up and twirled around, hitting her elder sister every so often with her ribbons.

Jez rolled her eyes. "Just because you have Los Angeles and Beverly Hills doesn't mean you're the most fashion forward."

The second blonde quit twirling. "Then why did Al ask me and Nev?"

A shrug. "Don't know." Florida began to walk. She reported to America everything was OK now with the system and America gave his big sister thumbs up.

Soon after, America called the others inside his house to come clamoring out for the feast. The table was actually outside, despite Lithuania and Maryland's pretty display in the dining room. Every state sat at their assigned seats, some fusing and whisper yelling about their placement, but other than that it ran seamlessly.
America sat the head of the table, with Lithuania, Britain, Canada, Spain (and Florida; being the oldest technically), and France to his right, and Germany, Prussia, Italy, and the Nordic Five to his left. Food was brought out that both the states and the kitchen staff had prepared; turkey, pumpkin pie, stuffing, and of course other Thanksgiving favorites. But there was also a variety of unusual foods like fish tacos that California had brought, Deep Dish pizza that Illinois had made, Clam Chowder from Massachusetts, and of course there was Key Lime Pie.

After being artistically displayed on the table, America raised an ungloved hand and England tapped her knife against the side of her glass. Everyone fell silent as they awaited America and his "speech."

"Good evening everyone," he started, more mature than usual. "If it wasn't obvious, it is Thanksgiving here yet again on the East coast in Washington D.C. I thank all of you, state, territory, or country, for coming out here tonight so we can celebrate and remember why the heck I invited you here in the first place.

"About 393 years ago in 1621, the pilgrims of Plymouth had their first Thanksgiving in honor of the fact that they had survived yet another hard year of hardship. Along with the Wampanoag Indians, the ancestors of the regular people outside this home ate with grateful hearts. Well I at least hope they were grateful." A few snickers. "Anyway, to carry on the tradition of the great feast, who wants to say grace?"

"GRACE!" someone (New Jersey) called. Everyone burst out laughing.

"I nominate Puerto Rico!" Louisiana called.

"NO!" blurted Puerto Rico immediately.

"Then how 'bout Canadia?" Montana suggested. The quiet country barked a 'No!' as well.

"OH! PICK ME, PICK MEEEE!" waved Massachusetts.

"Mass, cool it," America said. "Ok then; Massachusetts has volunteered for tribute to say grace. Everybody listen up!"

All attention turned to Armstrong Matthew Jones as the smiling brown haired, bushy-browed, and green eyed state closed his eyes.

"Hey God, it's us again; all fifty states and what not. We're here again celebrate The Giving of Thanks once more. Please let this food taste great and not give us food poisoning. AMEN! Now dig in before Texas eats everything!"

Everyone tore into the food, trying one dish after the next. Soon enough America called everyone to attention again; another tradition was to say what you were grateful for that year. America said he was thankful F-22s; for England it was tea and black magic; Spain said turtles, France said love (and hair); Canada was thankful for his little Mr. Kumajirou; Prussia, Denmark, and Germany all agreed (in different tones of volume) it was beer; Italy said pasta, and Lithuania said "another year of not getting killed by Russia"; Norway said she was grateful for her fairies, Finland said it was having such a great friend to travel with when she broke off from Denmark; Sweden mumbled he was thankful for his family, and Greenland admitted he too was grateful for having someone like Norway as a big sister. After the countries, the states said what they were thankful for, and then the territories.

As the afternoon carried on into dusk, everyone was basically done with their meals. Food was taken back to the kitchen via waiters and the table was left by person after person; and as few people as there was at the table, Lithuania decided to start moving the long thing out of the way of what was the dance floor. With the help of some of the stronger states and America, the table was moved to the side where punch and other party h'ordeuvres were then set out.

"Gees Lith, you tryin' to make us fat?" America joked with the smaller country.
Lithuania laughed but said no. "You'll dance all those pounds before you know it," he concluded. As soon as he said that, the Peanuts theme kicked in. The iconic piano part played beautifully as states, territories, and countries clambered onto the dance floor. Alfred whirled his former mother-country around as is they were in a Charleston; Denmark danced somewhat gracefully (and actually calmly) with Norway who kept a straight face at her partner's goofy dancing; California jumped about with Finland, Greenland, and Nevada, having the time of their lives; the Gulf of Mexico and East coast states danced with either drinks in their hands, or another friend's hand. Oh yeah, this was awesome.
Prussia finally grabbed his blonde friend and was able to start to talk to her; it was very random the subjects: the weather, Gilbird, if Austria and Hungary were ever getting back together, being bipolar…

Somewhat in his own world, Spain nursed his drink with thought. So many of his former territories were here and he was so proud of them; basically anyone from below Florida, then Florida herself, and then west and up was once his territories. But don't take my word on it; look it up. Anyway, the Spaniard thought for a moment: if these guys still belonged to him, would their lives have turn out in ways no one expected, or would they stay the same personality wise? Spain thought a little while longer and then came to the conclusion that former territory like Louisiana, Puerto Rico, and Florida, would've ended up totally differently, since America wouldn't have been the one taking care of them; they wouldn't have gained the blonde's strength and somewhat obnoxious attitude.
But Antonio still had a soft spot for all of them, as if they were still his own kids. Bueno, eso es la vida, supongo, thought the Spaniard.

(p.s. eventually everyone regretted eating more than one piece of pie; it did not do their bodies any good.)

Author's Note:

This is where I got some of the foods mentioned. Have a look at them.

Massachusetts' name came from the fact that the actual state looks like a flexing arm (well in my opinion). I wanted to name him Matthew at first, but Canada already bares that name. (The whole food poisoning thing he did by the way was quoting my old youth group leader).

Translations (!)

Hallo Florida- (guess) Hello Florida in German
Bueno, eso es la vida supongo- Well that's life I guess in Spanish
H'ordeuvres- I think it means omething like party favors or small snacks in French (I don't know)

Late story is late, translations may be off;
Dragon-Child of Lightning