A/N This chapter veers off track chronologically wise, so here's something you need to know—this one-shot takes place in modern-day US, so Minnesota is about 17 (I would like to say that yes, I do know that America is supposed to look like a 19 year old and he has a 17 year old son, and said son has 87 children that represent the counties of MN. But hey, that's Hetalia for you)
Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia: Axis Powers or OC!Minnesota.
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Prompt 4: "Frybread"
He loved the golden pieces of greasy heaven; not just because of the taste, but it was a remnant of his Native America past, of how he was once treated and of how far he and his people have come.
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"Hey frog-fucker, you ever heard of Nair?"
Minnesota wanted to bust out laughing when he heard one of his 87 counties remark that so casually to his British uncle, England. America beat him to the punch, albeit awkward. Instead, the U.S. state just took a puff of a cigarette and stared at the bushy-browed blond, waiting for him to say something. His county, Red Lake(1), had stuck out his tongue at England while America tried to get Iggy to calm down with his boisterous laughing.
"It's nothin', bro, he's a kid and, well, your eyebrows are pretty bushy." Another laugh had left his lips. "You gotta give the kid props for his jokes!" Minnesota was almost always amused by his county's antics, for he agreed with whatever the boy had to say ('Just like his nindede(2)').
What had been said next, however, was completely unnecessary.
England had shoved a snickering America into the ground before he himself dropped to one knee to face Red Lake eye-to-eye. Red Lake retracted his tongue and instead pursed his lips as England shot him daggers. "Well, you little savage(3), if you're oh so funny, tell me, if your people are renowned for their everlasting respect for the elders, where did you go wrong?" Minnesota's cigarette then slipped from his lips as his mouth widened in shock.
The next thing Minnesota remembered was feeling his knuckles bruising and looking around to see a bloody England sprawled out on the cold earth. America was on his knees and had placed a hamburger on the older man's forehead while a hysterical Red Lake covered his mouth to hide a growing smirk and muffle a laugh. Putting the pieces together, the state snatched his county's hand. He mumbled a quick farewell to America before power-walking away with Red Lake in tow.
The duo were silent for the most part of the long walk. Red Lake forced himself to cease his laughter because he knew how furious Minnesota was without a cigarette. He even refused to resist his father's iron clad grasp on his wrist. He did, however, mewl in excitement when the two finally made it back to the elder's house and the aroma of bread frying filled his nose. He immediately ripped his arm away from Minnesota when he noticed his older cousin, Manitoba(4), in the window, making the delicious pieces with a smile.
Furious to see the Canadian province inside his home yet again, Minnesota raced his boy to the front door and kicked Red Lake further in when the county beat him. "Manitoba, the fuck are ya doin' here?" Minnesota asked with a hint of venom as he entered the deliciously-scented kitchen. Manitoba turned around with a grin plastered on his face.
"Oh, I figured you guys would be hungry by the time you got back, so I let myself in and made frybread, eh!" the Canadian said warmly. "I didn't think you'd mind, 'cause you're always talking about how frybread is your soul food, eh." Red Lake had propped himself up on a chair and reached for a fresh-off-the-stove piece as Minnesota grasped onto Manitoba's elbow and shoved him out of the kitchen.
"And many miigweches(5) for that, but do me a favor and go hop the fuckin' border back to your home," the state growled. Just as Manitoba was about to protest about seeing his favorite cousin, Minnesota had already escorted the province out of the door. Before slamming the door on the latter's face, Minnesota's face got closer to Manitoba's face. A mere inch made up the gap between the two and the Canadian's face twisted in disdain when Minnesota opened his mouth. However, instead of confirming the state's sexuality, the former French territory whispered something. "I have to talk to Red Lake about something personal and private, so just go on now."
With that, Minnesota stepped back and promptly slammed the door on the young man's face and locked it. "I know you heard me, Red Lake, so get your ass out here. I wasn't kidding when I said I have to talk to you." An awkward silence filled the air when the boy appeared behind his father. His face was solemn and his throat thickened with fear, but he managed to take a bite of his greasy piece of frybread and swallow it down. He nearly choked on it when he looked up to see Minnesota's hard auburn eyes glaring at him.
"Oh, you'll be fine, sav(6), I ain't mad at 'cha," the elder said monotonously in response to Red Lake's bad coughing. He simply waited for the boy to straighten up before he spoke again. "So... err..." If Minnesota had to be one describe in one word, it would be 'silent'. He wasn't a man of just a few words—he was a man of one or two. Dealing with something as serious as this wasn't his strong point, but damn it, he was going to try. He just needed to use an example, something that Red Lake's always known of, but never actually knew. Something like-
The golden grease that dribbled down Red Lake's chin caught Minnesota's eye and an idea popped up in his head. A smirk serenaded his lips as the state crouched down to eye level with his son and he motioned for the boy to come closer. A pink tongue was his reply. "Miskwaagamiiwi-Zaaga'iganing, ondaas(7)," Minnesota demanded. Red Lake begrudgingly took a step forward and stood there with a pout. Minnesota snatched the frybread out of the binoojing's hand and held it up. "Red Lake, do you know why you like eating frybread so much?" The boy paused and thought about it for a second. Why did he like it a lot? It was always a given item to him—he never remembered a day when he didn't like frybread.
"I 'unno," Red Lake responded sullenly with a shrug. Minnesota clicked his tongue in amusement—he made Red Lake eat it since the day he discovered him as a newborn, though the latter never complained.
"Did you know our people ate this all the time back when I was your age?" Minnesota asked quietly. Red Lake's eyes widened slightly as he snapped his head up and stared into Minnesota's vigilant orbs. "It's true. I grew up eating frybread. I'd eat it with everything."
"With everything?"
"Everything."
"Hohwah(8)." Minnesota chortled dryly under his breath as he bit off a piece of the hardened dough.
"My mother was the one who fed me frybread. She had a natural knack for making it, so it was always stuffed in my mouth at meal times." Red Lake murmured something that sounded like 'Wow.' "It was a 'must-have,' I guess you could say. I ate it everyday, through everything I witnessed." Minnesota shook his head as he remembered seeing men swinging in the breeze. He swallowed down hard before regaining his serious demeanor and handed back the piece of greasy heaven.
"Frybread was a staple in everyone's diet when I was a kid. It was filling and could fill the hole in their hearts for a moment when a battle was lost and many of our warriors died." Red Lake bit his lower lip as he held the golden piece up to his chest. "I remember hearing these white guys saying to a Native guy, 'I don't understand why you people try when in the end, you're all going to fall.' Well, look who's still here," Minnesota added as he pulled Red Lake into his arm while using his free hand to ruffle the boy's hair. After a minute-long protest, the youth held up the bread and stared at it in awe.
"Hohwah, there's even a story behind frybread. Here I thought we ate frybread 'cause you were too fuckin' cheap to buy us McDonald's," Red Lake said in his casual tone. Knowing that this serious conversation pretty much flew right over the boy's head, Minnesota sighed and got up on his feet once more. Red Lake swallowed down the remainder of his frybread before Minnesota nudged at the door, jingling keys in hand.
"C'mon then, sav, your fuckin' cheap dad will treat you to the Dollar Menu at McDonald's if you want."
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1 – The debut of Red Lake, one of Minnesota's 87 counties! Interesting facts my friend made up: He's about 7 or 8 at first glance, he loves frybread (and now knows why), instead of having a braid like MN, he has a rat-tail, and he swears just like Minnesota did as a kid. Real interesting facts: Red Lake is not only a town and a county, he's a reservation, AND he's also a sovereign nation (so he does things on his own without the federal government – e.g. America and Minnesota – on his ass consistently).
2 – Ojibwe for "father" (Minnesota is referring to himself as RL's father, there's no Mpreg in this story xD)
3 – As many would've probably guessed from the first chapters (and American Indian History), 'savage' was (and is still) used as a way to describe the Native Americans, for they had 'animal' qualities for not going to school, hunting for survival, living outside and the like.
4 – The debut of Manitoba, one of Canada's children. Interesting facts my friend made up: He's around the same age as Minnesota, he almost always wandering in Minnesota home (and catching hell from MN for it), Red Lake is his favorite cousin, and he – apparently – knows how to make frybread. An interesting fact: according to my cousin, if you happen to own a Red Lake Band of Ojibwe tribal ID, you can cross the border from Red Lake, Minnesota, to Red Lake, Manitoba without a passport (I'm not too sure on whether or not this is true because I don't live in Red Lake, but I thought it was too cool to pass up. I just switched the roles so instead of MN bugging Manitoba, it's the opposite. If I'm wrong...well, I'm still using that theory because it's epic).
5 - "Miigwech" is Ojibwe for "Thank you"
6 – I have full knowledge on this. As mentioned in Note 2, 'savage' is used as a vulgar nickname for Native Americans. However, the only comparison that virtually everyone will understand why MN calls RL a sav is this: 'savage' to Natives is like the N-word to black people. We can use it amongst each other as a joke and without anyone getting mad, but if someone outside our race calls us "savs" or "n-ggas," the line has been crossed. I'm not saying this goes for just white people either; I mean if anyone non-Native calls a Native person that, we get instantly pissed (unless one is that close to the name-caller. Anyone still wondering why this story has ideologically sensitive material?)
7 – Ojibwe for "Red Lake, come here."
8 – For the Anishinaabe people in Northern Minnesota (maybe even with people from other Minnesotan places), we tend to say "Hohwah" when we're surprised at something (An example would be Italy's "Vee~")
A/N I hate when notes are as long as the story ;_; I probably wrote England's character wrong, but ehh... (Completely irrelevant, but this is my favorite chapter so far xD)