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SEK: We are all very excited for this chapter. Not as excited as we will be for the next, but you all wanted to know what was going to happened, so. . .
MW: You know, that's what I hate about writing chapters in advance. You are already all wound up over something that hasn't happened yet and you want to share your excitement with the readers, but they haven't read it yet.
BFTL: You live such a pitiful existence.
MW: Thanks, that makes me feel so much better.
SEK: We all hope that you enjoy!
Chapter Summary: Larry tries to figure out what's going on with his sister, which leads to a few very awkward situations.
Warnings: Sexual themes, strong language, homophobia
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the Sues.
~Chapter 6~
Everyone Wants the Liech
"Brothers and sisters are as close as hands and feet."
-Vietnamese Proverb
THE WAR: Day 11
There were so many things wrong with this situation. Stella was in the hospital, I was trying to save her, and my sister was here with me.
It has already been twenty-four hours since she had joined this crew, yet my chest still ached when I thought about it. It was the late afternoon now and I had spent the whole day curled up in a small corner of the deck- between a crate and the sides. My knees were against my chest and Sokka was on my feet. The fact that she was here never left my head, haunting in the corner of every word I thought of. So many times I tried to gain the courage to leave my hiding place and confront Sherry about this, but I chickened out every time.
Using my new quill, I scribbled in my book every single coherent thing that came to me, trying to reason with this. Sherry was here and pretending to be Agatha. That meant that she made a contract with someone. The only two people I knew of that made contracts were Bud and Erwin. A spark of anger flared in my chest as I slammed my book shut. She was here, which means that those monsters had the balls to harass my only sister. What did they use to persuade her? What kind of leverage would be worth this? What does she have to do?
I ran my hands through my hair and groaned. Stupid! Why couldn't she keep her nose out of my business? Why couldn't she just let me handle something by myself for once? This is my fight, not hers. That stupid jerk!
A shadow suddenly appeared over me. "There you are!" Alfred said, grinning happily at me. "Where have you been all day? I've been looking for you everywhere. You practically stopped talking to me yesterday and I just wanted to make sure you didn't get kidnapped or anything."
I released a tensed breath of air. "Go away, Alfred," I hissed, gathering my hair into my fists. "I want to be alone."
"Hell no." He squatted down to my height. His bright blue eyes glimmered in the sun, a contrast to the slightly more serious look on his face. "You are really emotional right now and I just can't let you do that. I'm the hero and the hero comforts people." He propped his chin on his hand and batted his eyelids. "So what's wrong?"
For a moment, I debated with myself if I even wanted to tell him. What could he even do about this anyways? But he was my mentor. It was his job to give me support when I needed it. I leaned back into the crate, sighing to myself. "It's really hard to explain," I said. "But that Agatha girl looks just like my sister."
"And there's something wrong with that?"
"Of course there is!" I winced, realizing that I said that too quickly and too loudly. A few people probably overheard that, but I was beyond caring. "If she's here then that means that Bud or Erwin contracted her. If they contracted her then that means there things are getting really bad back home. That means that I need to find this Gilbert guy, like, right now or else Sherry is going to screw everything up like she always does and Stella's going to die!"
Alfred gave me a look of pity, as if he really did feel bad for me. He gave me a fatherly squeeze of the shoulder, looking down at his feet. "I think that you're over thinking this," he said, refusing to meet my eyes. "If Agatha is your sister, then you need to respect that she made this decision. She may be an idiot, but I think she can handle herself. You haven't seen her yet, haven't you?" I shook my head. I didn't want to face her yet, explain what was going on. "Well if you hide like a coward from her then you'll never know what happened for sure."
"She shouldn't be here," I monotonously repeated, playing with the feather of my quill. These things were kind of cool, I wish I could do my math homework with this. "This is my fight."
We were silent for a long moment. Alfred didn't release the pressure on my shoulder, only sighed as he gnawed on his lip. The pain in my chest felt worse than ever. Sherry shouldn't be here. . . "Why don't we forget about her for a while?" He suggested, forcing an optimistic grin. "Like, have you figured out anything on the letter yet?"
"You mean 'He With Your Name'?" I asked, reaching into my pocket to get it out. "Not really. I wish that I could compare handwritings. Like look here." I opened it, intending to show him the lack of dots on the writer's 'I's, but I realized something else. "Oh God."
My mentor frowned and poked my cheek again. "Hey. What's a'matter now?"
"Sherry could have written this!" I said, practically jumping in my spot. My disturbance caused Sokka to meow in annoyance. "Don't you see? She and I have the same last name!"
He shook his head. "Lar, it's 'He With Your Name'- as in a guy."
I held it up to him, saying, "I know that. In the English language, it is considered grammatically incorrect to refer to a genderless person as "they". Therefore, when using an unspecified example, grammar rules require that you use the male conjugations."
"Saywhat?"
"Simplified, Sherry could have been hiding her gender from me."
He sighed, rubbing his temples. I watched as he muttered a few annoyed words, something about me being an airhead. Like he was one to talk- this head was all empty space. "Your sister is the biggest idiot the world has seen," he said. "I highly doubt she would put that much effort into it."
This time, I was the one to frown in annoyance. "I never said that. She's stupid, but she's not that dumb. She's going to college after all."
"That girl really did amount herself to something then," he muttered, looking a little sheepish.
I carefully folded the letter again, making sure not to ruin it. There was something incredibly nerve wracking about the idea of Sherry being behind it. I didn't have the slightest clue as to how she even got it onto this ship days before Agatha showed up, but she could have done it. Maybe. . . The words of Alfred's mumbling suddenly hit me. "You act as though you know her," I challenged.
He smiled. "Well you know her and it's my duty to know you."
I frowned some more. "So you basically know everything about me?"
"Yup. Hey, why do you like that Sokka character so much? From what I can tell, he's nothing special."
I unconsciously reached down and stroked my cat's fur. Sending him a glare, I said, "Sokka is the best character from Avatar. How the frack do you even know about something that doesn't exist yet?"
"Excuse me?"
Startled, I quickly pressed myself deeper into my crevasse. The blood rushing through my temples deafened my ears. I held Sokka as close to me as possible as I watched Alfred turn to Sherry-Agatha. She was clothed in that same old ratty green dress as yesterday, but today there was a white band around her arm. Ultimately, she was the same girl that I grew up. Same ginger curly-qs framing the same freckle and acne spoiled face. She held herself the same way- her chin lifted high and shoulders rolled back like an adult.
Alfred smiled at her as he jumped to his feet. "Yo! Agatha!" he greeted, a little laugh in his voice. "Is something up?"
Sherry-Agatha (what do I call her? She's Sherry, but everyone's calling her Agatha) made one of those professionally polite smiles. "I'm actually looking for Liechtenstein," she said. My heart plummeted. Oh crap. "Do you know where she is?"
"Don't tell her I'm here," I silently begged, vainly hoping that his idiot brain will pick up telepathy. Did he? Nope, the punk simply laughed and took a step to the side. He didn't even look at me as he walked away, only continued his boisterous laughing. Sherry-Agatha (Okay, I seriously need something better to say) gave me a condescending look as if to ask why I didn't say anything sooner. I replied with a sheepish grin. "Does she know it's me? Crap, what the hell am I supposed to do if she does? If she doesn't, do I tell her? Freaking- thanks a lot, Jesus!"
She squatted to my height, giving me the same comforting smile she gives Jerry after a hard day at school. "Hi Liechtenstein, I don't believe we've met," she said. She extended her hand, saying, "I'm Agatha Stu. I work in the kitchens with Ukraine." Limply, I took an arm off of Sokka so that I can shake her hand.
It was cold. Colder than ice.
Agatha (that's how she introduced herself, so I might as well respect that) didn't seem to notice the goose bumps that ran up my arm. She said, "Ukraine noticed that you didn't come in to eat at all today. So I gotta get you down there to eat or else she's going to have both of our asses whooped."
I felt stupid. Oh. It was because I was turning into an anorexic. She (thus far) has no idea who I am. I laughed nervous and scratched the back of my head. "I really didn't realize that," I lied. "I guess I was so wrapped up in my writing. . ." We both rose to our feet, causing Sokka to scamper away. "But yeah, it'll be better if we just went there willingly."
Agatha wiped a hand over her forehead, giving an obvious sigh of relief. "Thank God! She's already hit me once for messing up the porridge."
My eyes narrowed. "She did what?"
"I was wondering what that odd taste was." Agatha yelped. My brotherly instincts pricked and I immediately jerked around to see the ever beloved Turkey. His stupid cocky smile was on high as he wrapped his arm around her waist, pressing her close. If he noticed my glare and growl, he did not comment. Instead, he opted move his face closer to hers, saying, "As a fellow chef, I do have to say that I thought that the porridge was a little salty today."
Agatha's face was a bright pink. Wrinkling her nose with disgust, she jammed her hand into his face and tried to push him away. "I'll work on it, so would you let go of me?"
He looked up innocently. "I'm not so sure," he hummed. "I think you and I need to talk about some private lessons first."
Okay- that was it. No way in hell I was going to let him get away with a total Tahno moment. This pervert was hitting on my sister and I was not going to sit by and let her be victimized. Fuming, I marched right up to him and pulled Agatha away, sneering, "Get your hands off of her now." Turkey looked mildly surprised, as if this was a first for him. The hurt look in his eyes made me feel bad until Agatha literally hid behind me, sending him glares from a distance. I could see it behind my eyes: Sherry crying after one of her nightmares. I was not able to protect her that time, but I could protect her now. Harshly, I jabbed my finger at his chest, saying, "Russia said so himself that no one was to mess with her and that includes you."
He snickered. "Are you jealous, Liech?" He asked. When my hateful visage continued, his broad shoulder slouched and he smoothed out the wrinkles of his red shirt. "You really are serious then, right?" He asked, trying to sound brighter. I said nothing. With a sigh, "Just when I thought that we were reaching an understanding too."
I grimaced. "I know, right? I figured that a guy who knows what 'no' means would be far less of a dick."
I was pushing the envelope that time. Turkey frowned, losing all of his strained mirth. "Do we really have to go through this in front of the new girl?" He asked, pointing at Agatha. She jumped before trying to stand as straight and adultly as possible. "Come on, Liech. I'm trying to make a good impression."
"I don't really think sexually harassing a girl is the best way to do that," she added, becoming cool and composed. I watched her as she suddenly switched from being scared witless of a guy to regarding him in the same manner she regarded Erwin at the hospital. I was kind of in awe. This side of Sherry was still so new to me. I have never really seen her like this before and I had to wonder why. This side was so much better than the one that always obsessed over anime.
Agatha's even gaze never left Turkey's as she reached over and grabbed my hand. "I appreciate the lesson offer," she said. "But Ukraine can take care of me."
He smirked. Turkey took a single step forward until he was right in her space. Agatha started to move back, but she forced herself to stay at bay. It was a power play, one both of them were determined to win. I wanted to interfere- tell them both to knock it off but this was their battle, not mine. As much as I didn't like it, I had to stay back and let them sort it out.
That was the right thing to do, right?
"So you're one of those selfless people," he said. His tone was low, almost secretive.
She squeezed my hand and glare up at him at (he was a full head taller than her). "No, I just really don't want your perverted ass by me."
"Oh?" He took hold of her chin, forcing her face closer to his. "That's a shame," he said.
Something about his cold gaze made her eyes suddenly shoot downwards. Turkey won- he was the alpha. The man frowned and roughly released her face. With a sigh, he buried his hands in his pockets and took a step back, saying, "I thought so. You really are nothing more than just another boring old human."
Agatha opened and closed her mouth a few times. It was obvious she was thinking hard for a new comeback, but none was coming to her. At last, after a few moments of stumbling over her own words, Agatha closed her eyes and took a long breath. Through gritted teeth, she growled, "You know, I really hate assholes like you. You go around thinking that you're better than everyone else when you're not."
He shrugged. "I can't help that they're so dumb." He turned on his heels and started to walk away.
"You're going to fail one day." He paused. I gave the girl a strange look. Her eyes were narrowed, a dark glint in them. "One of these days, that stupid ego of yours is going to make you fail," she warned. "And you want to know something? When it happens, everyone's going to hate you so much that they'll just leave you there to burn."
Turkey looked back at her, giving her a nonchalant gaze. "Sorry, but the only thing I heard was one very big 'if.'" With that, he walked away without another word.
Agatha and I stood there, still holding hands. I was not sure what I was supposed to do. My sister not only fended the both of us from that jerk, but she also got away with threatening him. Where the heck did she get the guts to do any of that? I shook my head, reminding myself that I needed to focus on other things first. "Are you okay?" I asked, drawing her back to reality.
She turned back to me and smiled. "Don't worry, Liechtenstein. I'm fine."
"Well if that pervert ever even thinks about doing something bad to you, you tell me and I swear that I will beat him to a pulp."
Her lips curled upwards as she chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind-"
"Liech!" I sighed when Alfred came running back to me. Agatha seemed a little taken back at his hyperactive bouncing as he repeatedly shouted out my name. Lucky for me, I was already used to it- mostly. I tried a few times to tell him that I was listening, but my voice didn't penetrate his incredibly thick head. So I waited until he was burned out and able to stand still like a normal person.
Like a mother to her unruly child, I sighed and crossed my arms over my chest. I said, "Yes, what is it, Alfred?
He grinned and excitedly waved his hands around in the air. "I finally figured out how we can find Ukraine's new love life!" He was so loud that every person on deck her him. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at us with curiosity.
I did my best to ignore them and Agatha's questions. "Do I even want to know what it is?" I asked. When I look back, I realize how it should have occurred to me that any idea by him was to be immediately considered a bad one and treated as such. I should have sternly told him to forget it and get a real goal, like finding Gilbert.
But no, I did none of those things and because I did none of it, it entered his silly little brain as being a good idea. So what does the self-proclaim hero do? Easy, put it into action. Like a rag doll, Alfred lifted me by my armpits and placed me on top of the nearest crate. "Hey everyone!" He yelled over my objections. "Look at this!" He grabbed my dress collar and tore the front of it off.
My- excuse me, Liechtenstein's- chest was on full display.
I chose a fine day not to wear a corset.
Swearing words unfit for any age, I quickly shielded my bosom, trying to block-out the crew's hideous, obnoxious laughter. "I am so sorry, Liech!" I screamed in my head as I screamed at Alfred for being a douchebag. His look was apologetic, but he still did nothing to make up for it. No, he simply stood aside and let the embarrassment continue. "I didn't think he would-"
"Hey!" Everyone grew silent as Belarus's voice echoed across the deck. She was standing at the rails over the captain's quarters, idly toying with her knife. My blood ran cold like everyone else "You doitsus aren't here to bully You," she sneered. "Now get back to work before you become target practice." Everyone was smart enough to listen and do what she said.
I kept on switching my arm positions, fretfully trying to figure out a way to cover as much of myself as I could. "Oh shit, are you okay?" Agatha asked, rushing up to the crate. "Oh my God, shit. I should have done something," she rambled, stressfully wringing her hands together. "Oh man, I am so sorry. Here, let's get you down from there-"
"Here." A red shirt appeared around my shoulders. For a second, I revealed in its large size and beautiful red color. It also smelled nice too, like apples. My eyes traveled up the arm to reveal a familiar tuft of white hair. Prussia stood behind the crate, bashfully looking away from me. "Cover yourself," he ordered, pale cheeks turning a pink tint.
I quickly pulled it on, making sure that I didn't accidentally let a nipple pop out. The silk felt like heaven against my skin. It was so light that it made me feel as though I was wearing nothing at all. No sooner did my head appear through the opening did the albino reached over and pull me into his arms. I tensed, expecting him to do something wrong, but he merely hushed me. "Calm down, Liech. I'm not going to do anything," he said softly. "I'm just going to take you below deck. We'll get you some new clothes and you can snuggle with Sokka for as long as you need to, just calm down first." I gulped and grabbed his shirt, as if to tell him to hold me closer.
I couldn't calm down like he wanted, but I could trust him.
Prussia did not lose his air of respect when he turned to Agatha and ordered her to follow. I looked to see where Alfred was, just to see that he was being threatened by Switzerland while a shirtless Turkey and Denmark stood at the sidelines and placed bets. It was sad, really- Switzerland was so focused on keeping Liechtenstein safe that he didn't come to help her when she actually needed it. It would have been so much more helpful if he was doing what Prussia was doing now.
I felt safe in Prussia's arms as he silently carried me below deck, red eyes zoned in on the path before him. He completely ignored the kitchen and Ukraine's questions and marched straight down the stairs and into the crew's sleeping chambers. Through the dim light of the late afternoon sun, I could see that there was no one in there but us. Prussia gently placed me on my hammock, Agatha worriedly stopping a few feet behind him. "Are you alright?" He finally asked, bending down to my height. He placed two calloused hands on my cheeks and forehead, checking my temperature. "Who do I have to kill?"
As much as I would have loved to hand Alfred over, he was still my mentor and I was not going to get anywhere without him. It was like some sort of mildly abusive relationship (no offense). Sad, isn't it? Still, it was difficult for me to grind my teeth together and say, "No one. It's fine, really." I looked down at my shirt. "Can we get me some clothing now?" I asked awkwardly.
At last, that milky white skin of his turned red. Swearing, he turned around and went to another one of the crew's chests. "Sorry about that," he muttered, flickering it open. I think I heard him mutter a prayer to God as he rummaged through it, tossing out clothes and personal items.
Agatha loomed over him, knitting her eyebrows. "That's Italy's," She said, pointing at the gold-engraved name. "Why are you looking through there?"
"Well Hungary whooped my awesome ass when she found out that I stole her corset and dress," he said, pulling out a silky maroon shirt. "So I figured that if I'm going to have to steal clothes for Liech now, it should be from someone who wouldn't kill me." He tossed me the shirt, saying, "And besides, he's a little bit closer to your size than that bitch will ever be."
I scowled as he turned back to the chest. "You shouldn't say that about her," I snapped, pulling off my strange red one. Italy's maroon shirt was still pretty big on me, but at least I didn't have to worry about the skirt snagging on a nail. "She's actually kind of nice." The minute I had all of the buttons done, a pair of black slacks was thrown at my face.
"Well she was nicer before she hit puberty," he replied. He politely turned his back as I took off the rest of my dress and pulled the slacks on. Agatha simply watched me. It was a little creepy, but then I remembered that the both of us had boobs now. It must be a girl thing. Prussia replaced all the contents of Italy's chest, huffing, "I swear: the only purpose of a vagina is to make the entire female race a bitch."
"I'm not even going to comment on how politically incorrect that was." At last, I was completely dressed. Yes, I had to tuck my shirt into my pants so that I didn't look like a Link in a Goron tunic, but I'll live. I would, however, have to eventually tie a rope around my hips or else it might slip down to my knees.
Agatha smiled and gave me a nod of approval. "Looking good, Liechtenstein. I don't think I could ever look that pretty," she said, picking up the red shirt off the hammock. I frowned. Girls and their self-image problems. Why couldn't they realize that there is always sometime beautiful about them- even the Sue who didn't inherit Mom's stunning looks. "Hey Prussia, what should I do with this?" she asked, holding the shirt up to him.
Finally finished with the chest, he turned around and squinted at it. He did nothing but think for a short moment before giving her a light shrug. "Just give it back to Turkey."
Both of us chocked. "Turkey?" She practically screeched. "You borrowed this from Turkey?" In a way, I was thankful she was panicking. If she didn't say it, I would have.
He scratched his chin. "Yeah. The guy took one look at Liech, looked away, ripped off his shirt, and shoved at me, telling me to go save my girlfriend." He blinked. 'Shit, I said that last part aloud, didn't I?" We nodded. Prussia smacked his forehead, groaning and cursing his big mouth. "Stupid . . . okay, that was so unawesome for me to say," he declared, pulling out big fist-fulls of hair. "I'm just going to go onto deck now, see you later." And with that, he ran for the life of his dear image out of the room.
"Wait!" Agatha lifted the shirt into the air. "Take this with you!" But he was already long gone, footsteps no longer pounding on the stairs. Giving a long, defeated sigh, she sat down on the hammock next to me. "Well this sucks," she said, rubbing the back of her neck. "I really don't want to have to deal with that asshole again."
My need to be brotherly returned. Trying to be reassuring, I reached over and placed a hand on hers. "Just say the word and I'll beat him up for you." I grinned.
Her frown twitched into a smile as she chuckled. "Thank you, Liechtenstein. That reminds me-" She reached over and took something off the floor. "You dropped this when Alfred picked you up," she said, handing me my precious quill, ink, and book.
I bit my lip, trying to hide the gratitude of my visage. Jesus, how could I have left something like this behind? "Thank you so much," I gushed, quickly checking the inside. All of my pages were still there. Heck, even the sunflower that Russia gave me was still properly hidden between the pages. "Oh man, I have no idea what I would've done if I'd lost it."
"I know exactly how that feels." She pulled out a folded white piece of paper. "I don't know what I'll do if I ever lost this."
My mouth formed an 'o' as I stared at it. I could feel 'He With Your Name's' letter in my pocket, growing more and more crinkled with every movement. For a moment- one single, precious second -I let myself imagine that she had a similar one. Sherry had a message telling her to go to his ship, say she is Agatha, and find her brother. And then, for that one precious moment, I felt sick all over again. That would mean that she was here- invading my dream, taking over my mission.
That sick feeling almost made me too nauseous to ask what it was, but my curiosity was stronger.
Agatha blinked and looked at it. "Oh, this thing?" She asked. "Here-" She handed it to me. "Be careful, it's the only one I have." Resisting the urge to savagely rip the thing open, I calmly folded the paper.
My eyes went wide.
It was me.
In my hands was a pencil sketch of me, Larry Ebenezer Sue, dressed in fine old fashion looking clothing. I was sitting at an armchair in what appeared to be a sitting room, writing feverishly into a journal. My glasses were ancient and my hair was neatly combed. I looked rich, educated. I tried my best to hide the shaking in my hands.
Agatha leaned over, placing a stubby finger on my image. "That's my brother Ebenezer," she said. "My father, he's a very successful merchant. Travels a lot, earns a lot. Because my brother is the oldest male, he stands to inherit the family business and fortune. For years he had been exchanging letters with this girl in Japan. You see, Father had arranged it. He met a woman on his travels and thought that her daughter would make an excellent friend for him. A few months ago, Ebenezer ran away from home. In his goodbye letter he said that he was going to go marry her. I don't disapprove of his decision, but he needs to return home and take care of the family business. Oedipus- my other brother -has no interest in it and Ebenezer has been training for it his whole life. So I packed my bags and been making my way across Europe, looking for a ship that goes to Japan and will take a woman. Mr. Russia just happened to be the first person who didn't mind my presence at all. So here I am."
Agatha and I sat in silence for a moment. The girl scratched her neck. "Oh wow, I think that I just told you my life story," she said, nervously laughing. "I'm sorry. I'm sure that you didn't want to hear all of that."
I shook my head. That was exactly what I wanted to hear. Agatha and Sherry was not the same person- my sister was not here. Bud and Erwin did not get to her and she was safe at home. This was still my battle.
Yet, even when I applied that logic, I still hardly believed that Sherry and Agatha were two different people. They were just too similar to each other- like clones or doppelgangers. It gnawed on the corner of my mind, refusing to let go. Agatha was Sherry, Agatha was Sherry, Agatha was Sherry . . .
I did my best to hold my shaking hands steady as I hesitantly smiled. "No, it's perfectly fine," I said. I looked back down at the fine lines. "Did you draw this?"
"Yes I did. Drawing is my life."
My smile turned soft. Such a Sherry statement. If she wasn't my sister, then who was she? Was she a parallel universe version of her? Was I going to run into Ebenezer? Would something bad then happen to me? What if Agatha was only looking for her brother because in the real world, Sherry was looking for me? If something terrible happened to Agatha, would it affect Sherry? I gave her back the picture, trying to banish the thoughts. I shouldn't have to feel responsible for her. I should be focusing of bringing Stella back. So why was I so hung up?
Agatha graciously placed the picture back in her pocket, saying, "Maybe one of these days, I'll draw you." Her eyes suddenly locked onto Turkey's shirt again. Her smile seemed sadder when she sighed and shook her head. "That man," she muttered. "If he gave you this then he can't be such a bad person." Resigning herself to her fate, she grabbed it and slid off the hammock. "Well I better give this back to Turkey before he gets burnt."
"Wait." Agatha paused. I stared down at my lap, picking at the fabric of my pants. "If you are ever in any kind of trouble, come to me," I said. "I don't care what it is. I swear that I will find a way to help you."
"Wow, you seem really keen on helping me," she said. A small grimace found its way up onto her face. "But I'll keep it in mind. You do me a favor and get some rest now, okay?" I weakly nodded. Agatha leaned in and kissed my forehead and wished me a quiet goodnight. I felt like a little child as I watched her leave the room, her steps soft and careful.
Sighing, I laid down on my hammock, curling into a ball. "Meow."
"Stop being such an attention whore and just jump up," I said, beckoning Sokka to leap up next to me. I did not know when the cat got in here, but it did not matter much. I was actually going to take Sherry's advice for once. Sure, it was from her Doppelganger, but it was still a first.
When Sokka finally joined me, wrapped up against my stomach, I sighed and closed my eyes. Behind them, I could see flashes of every detail of my life right now. There was Stella, the vial, Erwin, Denmark, Russia, Sherry, Agatha, the letter- all of it was too much to handle. "I don't know what do it, Sokka," I whispered as I stroked its soft fur. "There's just too many things going on at once."
Its content purr was the melody I fell asleep to.
My dream was a beautifully cruel one.
It started out like a memory. Stella and I were in junior high. We had known each other for a few years at that point. She no longer referred to herself as Sayaka and I no longer had to correct her manners. Believe me, they were perfectly fine, but she was in America and she acted way too polite for the average American teenager. With my help, Stella was fully Americanized.
She and I walked through our local movie theatre, carrying buckets of butter covered popcorn. The movie we were going to see did not matter. What did was that Stella stopped what she was doing and paused in front of one of the posters. "What's wrong?" I asked, nudging her shoulder.
"I think I want to be an actress," she said, placing a hand on Scarlett Johansson's face. Even her accent was gone- I had taught her how to drop the 'L' thing and properly pronounce the 'R's.
I furrowed my brows. "You want to be in movies?"
"No, not movies. Like in a play."
I shook my head and placed a hand on her delicate shoulder. "You'll never be able to do it," I told her bluntly. "Actors have to be fearless and expressive and frankly, you're neither of them." Stella's face did not changer. Her lips were in a straight, unreadable line while her eyes showed no signs of hurt. Yet, something told me that I was at fault. I patted her back like the old friend I was, adding, "But I bet that if you work hard, you can be part of the high school drama program next year."
Back relaxing, Stella hand went downward, lingering over the actors' names. She drew her fingers along them, moving her lips wistfully. At last, after a moment of mutual silence, she nodded. "Then I'll have to try my hardest." That was the moment that sent the dominos in action. Every time I thought about it, I had to agree that it was the first time I ever realized how truly special she was. Such sudden determination awakened by one simple glance at a single movie poster.
And believe me, Stella would pursue acting with every ounce of her being.
By the time I woke up again, the room was dark, the only source of light coming from the doorway up to the kitchen. I was still on my side and Sokka was still sleeping beside me. A few hours must have passed since the late sun was completely gone and it was night time. I could hear the crew in the kitchen and dining hall, laughing over food and drink. Their voices were a soft murmur, echoing effortlessly around the empty room. It was lonely in here.
I wrapped my arm over my heavy chest, hugging my empty shell in comfort. "I miss her," I thought. I missed her voice, her smell, her laughter, her smiles- everything. I needed to be with Stella soon or else I think I might go insane.
I laid there for a little while longer, basking in my self-pity. It was only the ravenous growl of my stomach that reminded me that I had not eaten all day. I sat up, carelessly waking up my cat in the process. "Sorry Sokka," I apologized, his eyes reflecting green in the dark. Huh, cats are, like, nature's natural glow-in-the-dark toys. "But c'mon, we both need to eat something."
I picked it up into my arms, enjoying the warmth it brought me. "If only you were a person," I thought, taking my first step up. "Then you might be the emotional support I need. Unlike-"
"Alfred!" I jumped, nearly running into his sturdy silhouette just outside the doorway, one more step above me. Hot steam concentrated in my head as I pressed my lips and prepared myself for the screaming match. But then I noticed his body. His skin was covered with bruises; some blue, others yellow and green. His head, arm, and chest had white bandages covering them. Heck, even his glasses seemed just the tiniest bit cracked. My mouth hung agape as I tried to find the words to vocalize my feelings.
All the while, he looked down at me, grinning. "Good morning, sleepy pie," he greeted happily. "Time for dinner!"
The words came. "What the heck happened to you?" I screeched, not sure whether I should feel angry, guilty, or both. "Oh God- should you even be standing?"
He shrugged carelessly. "Apparently, this is what happens when you de-top Switzerland's sister," he said. For once, he sounded like an actual person. That is, until he put on his cocky look and pointed a finger at his chest. "But have no fear! I'm the hero and the hero never minds it when he's in pain!"
I took the opportunity to slap him. "Why the frack did you rip my dress off?" I yelled, trying my best not to kick his balls. I was a guy and I knew how it feels. But I wonder: does the same amount of pain happen to a woman when someone kicks her in the vagina?
Alfred rubbed his cheek, the smile never leaving him. "I was solving the case of the Boob-boyfriend we agreed to do," he said.
I groaned, "First off, don't call Ukraine anything related to her boobs, it's insulting. Second, you agreed to do it, not me. And lastly, how would ripping my dress off- oh, I don't know -help?"
"You and I are a team," he said, wrapping an arm around my shoulder before pulling me close. He looked up into the distant infinity, illustrating his words with his hands. "Whatever the hero does, his sidekick always has to do as well."
"I am not your sidekick!" I snapped. "If anything, I'm the one who leads where because I'm the only one with a brain."
"That's not the point. The point is that I had required your breasts in the service of helping me, the hero."
I quickly checked behind him—up the stairs -making sure that no one was within hearing distance. The crew was at the tables, laughing as Sweden and Hungary had an arm wrestling fight. They were evenly matched, two crowns of sweat resting on their heads. Knowing that we had a little bit more privacy, I grabbed Alfred's vest and forced him to lean in. Narrowing my eyes, I looked straight into his eyes as I hissed, "These aren't mine, they're Liechtenstein's. This is her body and don't you forget it."
He pouted. "You're such a stuck up, Lar," he replied. "Aren't you even going to listen to my ingenious plan?"
I gritted my teeth. "You have one minute."
It took a second for him to realize what I was saying, but once it hit he was rambling as fast as his large mouth could. "Ukraine said that she couldn't get a lover because everyone was either too scared of her boobs or only loving her because of them. So I figured that if I flashed a pair of tits at the crew, we could figure out who did and didn't like them. The only person there who regarded yours without love or intimidation was Hong Kong."
I rolled my eyes. "There are so many things wrong with that logic, it would take me over a week to list most of them," I said. "Like Ukraine has freaking f-cups and Liechtenstein would barely fill a training bra-"
"A what?" He asked, cocking his head in confusion. I chose to ignore him.
"Furthermore, Hong Kong probably didn't look at me because he is unfortunately dating Netherlands or have you forgotten?"
This time, he was the one to roll his eyes. "Pfft, you are so silly, Lar," he said, laughing at my apparent ignorance. I tightened my grip on him. "Obviously we'll break them up and make sure that Ukraine and him hook back up together."
"Idiot, things like that never happen in real life."
"Hey Alfred!" I quickly released him before Denmark, laughing, came up behind him and swung his arm around his shoulder. I took a step back. I could still remember that day in the alley. The knowledge that this guy was constantly trying to get inside of my pants made me feel a little less bad for his knife wound. At this point, I didn't care as long as he kept his hands to himself. Laughing, he supported himself against Alfred, asking, "Did you see that? Hungary and Sweden got into an economic war over an arm wrestle." I winced. His voice was slurred, like a drunk's "Their economies are so going downhill."
Alfred's lower lip curled into a pout. "They did?" He childishly whined. "Shit! I wanted to see it!"
"Well Norway and Romania are giving their try at it now," Denmark said, absently tracing circles in the air with his finger. "I bet that if you go now, you can see them in action."
He fist pumped. "Sweet!" Without another regard to me, Alfred made a beeline straight to the tables, excitedly demanding that he be given a good view.
I started to take a step forward, I plead to stay still on my lips, but Denmark was still there. He watched him go, standing straight and tall. A frown appeared on his face as he cracked his neck, shedding his drunken visage. "I thought he'll never leave," he muttered, speaking perfectly.
He was only pretending to be drunk.
Frack.
I needed to get out of there.
"I need to go see Agatha," I lied, trying to go around him. At first, I seriously thought that I was going to be able to do it. I was just about to pass him completely when the blond placed a hand over my mouth and an arm around my waist. In one swift motion, he carried me back into the sleep chambers.
I immediately called out for Switzerland to come and help me, but it the hand muffled my screams. My head was light. There was a ringing in my ears, an alarm to remind me of the danger. "Please don't scream," he said gently, placing me on the ground. The darkness shielded his face from me, but I would bet that it was sadistic. When I tried to rip his hand away, he grabbed both of my wrists and held me down. "I'm serious, Liech, I just want to talk."
I kicked him. My heel dug into his shin, sending a sharp pain to travel up his leg. Gasping, the man's grip on my faltered just enough for me to rip my face away. "Help!" I yelled, trying to yank my hands free. "Denmark is-"
He slapped his hand back into place. "Would you just listen to me?" He demanded, harsher and more desperate. "I seriously just need-"
Someone finally came running down the stairs. "Step away from You, Red Coat." I think this was the first time I was ever thankful for Belarus's presence. Her hourglass figure was silhouetted against the light, making her appear more intimidating than usual. A freaking knife was in her hands, the shining metal reflecting my fear like it reflected the light.
Denmark raised his hands in defeat. "This isn't what it looks like," he said, carefully. "I was trying-"
"Can it, bastard. My brother said that if you ever tried to touch You ever again-"
This time, he shot to his feet. "Turkey got the story wrong," he snapped, striding right into her face. Against the background murmur of the ship's merrymaking, he jabbed a finger at her face, glaring into her eyes. "I wasn't trying to rape Liechtenstein or whatever else he told you. I was simply trying to talk to her."
I really had no idea what was they were talking about. From what I take, Turkey told Russia and Belarus about our little alleyway incident at the port. Russia told him to stay in place, or else. I felt as though there was something else missing, but I really didn't care. This was about bringing justice unto those who deserved it. Rising to my feet, I cleared my throat. "No, you were trying to have sex with me," I said. As Denmark shot me a look of betrayal, I walked right up to Belarus and stood behind her. She raised an eyebrow, as if surprised that I was so willing to take her side, but kept her mouth shut about it.
Instead, she held her knife up higher, saying, "As ordered by my brother, your pass to roam the ship has been revoked. You are going back to your cell now." Belarus's head shot around to the crew. "Netherlands!"
I wanted to turn around and watch the Dutchman join us at our side, but I was afraid of taking my eyes off the knife. I felt as though if I looked at something else, it was somehow going to leave her hands and enter my chest. Instead, I listened to his numb steps as he slowly made his way to us. When he was in my vision, I saw how scared he looked.
It really was odd. This really was the first time he didn't look relaxed and in control. His eyes hauntingly switched between the three of us, lingering the most on Denmark. His lips were tight and his Adam's Apple was bobbing from nervous swallowing. "Yes Belarus?" He asked, sounding a little dead on the inside.
All of this was lost on her. "Take Denmark down to his cell," she ordered. "Chain him and make sure that there is some water and bread crusts for him. Be quiet about it, though or else all those other idiots might give us more trouble than that piece of shit is worth."
Denmark wryly grinned. "At least I'm not a doitsu."
Belarus snapped her fingers, reminding the Netherlands about his job. Solemnly, he grabbed Denmark's arm. "I'm sorry, bro," he said. "You know that I don't want to."
He shook his head, allowing himself to be led away. "No, it's fine." He chuckled. "In a way, I think I might deserve this one." My chest was heavy as I watched the man be paraded away. They walked straight through the crew without a single person noticing. They were laughing, wrestling, cooking, and talking. None of them knew and they wouldn't until they had no other option but to be passive about it.
I did my best to be relieved. Denmark was finally going to leave me alone. I was going to be free of his perverseness for good. I placed a hand on my chest. It ached for some reason. That was wrong. This shouldn't be hurting me this way. But I still wanted to call him back and ask him what he wanted to tell me. "That's just your curiosity, Lar," I told myself. "It's probably nothing."
Belarus was the one to break me out of my spell. "I need you to come with me now," she said, grabbing my arm. Her nails painfully bit into my skin, causing me to suppress my yelp biting my lip. I was going to snap at her to let go, but that Godforsaken knife was still shining in her hand. I opted to keep my mouth shut and bear through it.
She led me up the steps onto the deck. The moon was high in the star decked sky. I looked up, a sound of awe leaving me. I had never seen so many stars before in my life. Even when Dad took Sherry, Jerry, and I camping, the distant lights of some West Coast city blocked some of them out. Here, their gleam was crystal and true.
Belarus had to drag me along, grumbling as I stumbled after her. I was just about to figure out where the little dipper was when I suddenly knocked into her chest. "We're here." We stood in front of the door to captain's quarters.
I gaped. Oh. Russia wanted to see me. Sweat tickled the back of my neck. I know that he told me yesterday that he was not mad at me for that little lash out with Denmark, but why else would he want to see me? I've pretty much been nothing but a thorn in his side. "He's going to kill me," I mourned as his sister turned the doorknob.
"Don't do anything stupid," she muttered, soft enough for only me to hear. I questionly hummed before she swung the door open and shoved me inside. This time, with the lights on, I could see how great the room truly was. The walls were decorated with framed maps and paintings, all related to Russia (the country) in some way. Gold was a favored color, finding its way into the trinkets along the shelves, bed, and desk. I stood a few feet away from the dining table. That was where Russia sat, his nice black slacks and loose white shirt drowned by his immense coat. He smiled kindly at me, head rest on his hands.
"Here she is, brother," his sister announced, glaring at me from the door. I flinched, not sure whether I wanted to stay with her or this guy. But from the spiteful way she asked if he wanted anything else, staying with Russia would probably be best for my health.
"I believe Liechtenstein and I will be fine for the rest of the night," he told her, his voice curt and eloquent. "You may take the rest of the night off."
Her frown only deepened. "I'll take the first watch," she spat before marching out and slamming the door shut behind herself.
I winced. Something told me that I was in the middle of some sort of incestuous lover's quarrel. That was not a good place to be in, considering the fact that both sides liked violence way too much for comfort. Russia sighed, playing with his fork. "Ignore her, Liechtenstein. My sister can be a little hard to get along with sometimes," he told me, his kind look never leaving him. "But please, take a seat."
I noticed for the first time that the table was completely set with silver plates, knives, forks, and everything. Heck, there was even a covered pot in the center. I stared for a moment, trying to think of a discreet way to say it before deciding on just being blunt. "Is this a dinner date?" I asked.
His face turned the most adorable shade of red (and I mean that in the straightest way possible) as he looked down. "If you want to consider it that . . ."
My shoulders dropped. I did not have time to deal with this. I needed to deal with Gilbert, not some flirtatious pirate. But there was something so innocent in the way his face was flushed. I really did not want to be here, but what harm could he do? My stomach noisily growled. Oh yeah, and I'm famished. "Well, if it's just for a dinner . . ."
I carefully- which was also gracefully -took a seat across from him, feeling awkward the whole way. The same time, Russia looked like the happiest and most childish man alive. "That makes me happy!" He squealed. "I really want to spend time with you!"
"Well then shut up and give me my freaking food," I said on the inside.
"Oh? Why is that?" I said on the outside.
He finally reached over and took the lid off of the pot. Inside was a stew, filled with brown broth and a variety of vegetables. "You never cease to amaze me, Liechtenstein," he said. "You always act so nice to everyone, yet you have this snarkier side to you. Can I have your bowl, please?"
I handed it to him and he ladled me my serving. "I'm not all that special," I said. "I just get really annoyed with people sometimes."
"I don't think that's true," he replied, looking up with innocence. All that while my bowl was still in his hand, mocking me with its delicious aroma. I gave him an impatient look, causing him to laugh and finally give me my food. My stomach growled again as I was forced to stare at it as he took his sweet time serving himself. Stupid manners. "You know, I saw you wearing it," he said suddenly, finally returning to his seat.
I waited until he took his first sip to start eating. Without much thought, I scooped up the biggest mouth-full I could manage and shoved it into my mouth. My hunger made the everyday beef stew Ukraine made taste like the food of the gods. I didn't think Jerry could out do her and he wanted to be a professional chef. When I finally swallowed, I wiped my mouth on the cloth napkin. I asked, "Wearing what?"
"The sunflower." Embarrassed, I slowly placed my napkin back on my lap as he spoke. "It was in your hair when I was introducing Agatha to the crew. Do you remember that? You were on Alfred's shoulders."
I grimaced. "I remember it like it was yesterday."
He shook his head and chuckled. "Right. That's because it was yesterday." We were silent. I continued to eat, trying to ignore the awkward atmosphere as I devoured to my heart's content. If I was not so hungry, I might have noticed that Russia was barely picking at his food. I was just about finished with my stew when he placed his spoon back onto the table. I looked up, seeing him rise to his feet. "You know, Liechtenstein, I was a little worried that you hated me," he said, speaking with refinement.
I stared. Those were the words of a broken hearted man, yet he seemed perfectly okay- in control, actually. "I really have to thank you for the meal," I said, standing up as well. "Um, it was nice eating with you." I did a quick curtsy and started to make my escape out. I was a few feet from the door. "Now if you would excuse-"
Russia stepped in front of me. "So do you really hate me?" He asked, still sounding like the mother-freakin' suave master.
I took a step back. "O-of course I don't," I stuttered, watching him take an even larger one forward. His chest was in my face. Squeaking, I retreated again, just to have my feet impeded by the side of his bed. Crap. I waved my hands around in a nervous twitter, saying, "I really do like you-"
I was going to tell him that he was far too close for my personal comfort, but I didn't have the chance to. That was considering the fact that he pushed me. The mattress puffed out as I landed on top of it. It sunk even further when he crawled on top of me. He was on all fours, trapping me in a prison made up of his arms and torso. His eyes were half lidded as he looked down at me with- wait for it -desire and lust.
I trembled, trying to push myself as far away as I could. Russia's affectionately cupped my cheek, brushing his finger over my face. "Why are you shaking?" He asked softly.
I closed my eyes shut, feeling the shivers run down my back. "Why are you touching me?" I whispered, trying my hardest not to sob. I did not want this. I did not want to be at the mercy of some guy. I did not want to be here. I wanted to be at home, safe from all of this insanity.
Russia leaned in even closer pressing the side of his face against mine. His hot breath danced against my ear as he replied, "I want to make love with you."
Immediately, I shot my hand into his face. "No you don't!" I shrieked, slipping out from underneath him. I was sweating like a whore in church. I couldn't even think clearly. The only thing driving me was the need to get the hell away from him. "This really wouldn't work out," I said, scrambling back against the wall. "You're a guy and so am I and this really is gross and oh my God I really don't want to think about this."
He stared at me, blinking. "What are you talking about?" He asked, crawling right back up to me. He placed a warm hand back on my cheek, ignoring how fearfully cold my skin was. "You're not a guy, silly," he said. I was suddenly aware of how close he was leaning in. "And don't worry- I'll be gentle . . ."
Russia placed his wet lips onto the crook of my neck.
My body sunk into that grossly numb feeling and the next thing I knew, I was shoving him away, screaming a single syllable: "No!" Russia stumbled back onto his hands, giving me a look of shock and . . . crap, was that hurt?
On the inside, I was petrified. I didn't know what to say or do. I nearly got caught up in having sex with another guy. Words cannot begin to describe how grossed out I was. "Would you please calm down?" Liechtenstein said, gently scolding me. "I can't concentrate with your panicking."
Oh yeah. Let me rephrase that: I nearly got caught up in having sex with another guy while being stuck in the body of a girl who I promised to keep virtuous. Well aren't I just the little douchebag. Mentally, I fell to my knees, pressing my hands in prayer as I cried, "I'm sorry, Liech! I know that I promised you! I swear to God it'll never happen again."
"Didn't I tell you to calm down?" I forced myself to shut up. She mellifluously sighed. "And I don't blame you, Larry. I truthfully didn't see it coming either. I'm not mad at you. So please, just be quiet and let me handle this." With that, I stepped back and let her take the wheel.
"I'm sorry, Russia," Liechtenstein said, holding her hands out in defense. She sounded frantic, scared even. "I know that you must really like me, but I can't make love with you."
The one with light brown hair stared at me for a second longer before looking down guiltily. In a small voice, he said, "I guess I moved a little bit too quickly, right comrade? You most likely don't like me back the same way either."
Liechtenstein shook her head. I could feel her that her guilt levels were equal to mine. We both really didn't like the way the brute looked so small, so pitiful. We didn't need to say anything to know that we had to make it better somehow. "No it's not that," she told him. She hugged her arms, looking down at the messy white sheets. "I'm asexual," she lied. "I don't like it when people touch me."
Russia gasped and placed his hands over his mouth. "I apologize. I did not know. If I knew, then I wouldn't have-"
"It's fine. I haven't even told big brother about it yet." For a while, we sat in an awkward silence. The flames lighting the room flicker, making us extremely aware of the passing of time. There were a few instances where I my sense of feeling and control returned, but Liechtenstein would always take the reign again.
"Don't wear yourself out," I warned as she unfolded her knees and started to inch off the side of the bed.
"Don't worry, I wouldn't. I need the energy to bring you back to the Void tonight. We need to talk." I didn't have time to ask her why (I bet she was going to changed her mind and kick my butt for allowing Russia to get so far) as she placed my feet on the ground, saying, "Well, I really should get back then-"
Russia grabbed our hand. "Wait!" He sounded kind of scared, like a little kid. That was so new- I was used to the commanding captain who threatened to put me on the rack. "Please don't leave," he pleaded. "Belarus isn't going to come back and I don't want to spend the night alone."
She pressed her lips. "Russia, I-"
"I haven't slept alone in over a century," he cried, squeezing my hand even tighter. "Please- I promise that I wouldn't do anything to you. Just stay with me for the night. Please. . . I'm begging you Liechtenstein."
She bit her lip, thinking it over. I waited in anticipation, wondering what she would do. I sure as heck didn't want to stay the night with him, but I didn't want to leave him alone either. In a way, everything from his trembling lips to his large violet eyes reminded me of Jerry. My pitiful, weak little brother. At last, Liechtenstein sighed and sat back down. "All right. Just promise to keep your hands to yourself."
"What? Liech, you can't be serious!"
She didn't reply. Slowly but surely, the feeling was returning to my skin. Russia smiled brightly, looking like an excited little kid. "Really? I can still hug you, right?"
I inwardly scowl. Stupid little- yeah, just abandon me like that! You know what? This calls for revenge. I turned back to him, grinning as best as I could. "That would be great actually." And there we go: we have a guy touching her and she sure can't do anything about it.
He bounced, looking the happiest I've ever seen him. "I'm so excited!" He sang. I placed a hand over my mouth as I giggled. He was so childish, like a five year old. "Let's go to bed now!" I yelped as he wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me back onto the bed. I started stuttering something about how this was a little sudden as he wrapped us in blankets and snuggled into the pillows.
My eyes darted everywhere as I tried to relieve the stiff and uncomfortable feeling in my gut. "What about the lights?" I asked. He lazily raised a hand and twirled his finger. A gust of cold air left him and blew all of the candles out. Now I laid dumbfounded in his bed, in his dark room. "Okay, how the heck did you do that?"
Russia hummed, burying his face into my hair. "It's General Winter," he muttered. "As long as I have my coat, I can order him around." A low chuckle escaped him, sending a goosebump down my scalp. "He doesn't really like it very much, Actually, he really wishes that I lose because he thinks England would be a better master than me."
That was right: the only way to win THE WAR was to steal the other captain's coat. I think I remember once Alfred telling me how even England's coat had magical properties of some sort. I shivered at the thought of him. There was something truly horrifying by the way his red coat fluttered around him as he unmercifully clashed swords with Russia.
Said man ran his finger through my hair, hushing me. "Don't be scared of him," he gently cooed. "I promise that I wouldn't let him hurt you." That didn't reassure me. In fact, the only thing it succeeded in doing was making me want to scold myself. Idiot, don't be afraid of him. Strong people are not afraid. "Just close your eyes now Liechtenstein and try to get some sleep."
I gulped and nodded. "Okay . . . 'night."
"Goodnight Liechtenstein. I . . ." He let it hang in the air, never completing his thought.
It was a long time before I could fall asleep. I was either hyper aware of the Russian's presence besides me- his breathing, heartbeat, twitches -or the crew below us. Eventually, long after Russia's snores were echoing around the room, I was able to close my eyes and drift into the darkness.
The Void: Day 11
When they opened again, I was greeted by even more darkness. I was lying on the ground, arms and legs spread out like a starfish. Closing my eyes, I sighed. "In my defense, I did not ask to spend the night with Russia," I said. "So you had it coming."
I heard Liechtenstein sigh. "You are impossible," she said. I opened my eyes in time to see her seat herself at my head. "But I didn't call you here to talk about that." Her delicate hand ran through my red hair. I remembered once Sherry told me that Jerry and I would make a great Fred and George. I remembered telling her that I had to be George since I did not want to die. "There's something bugging you, Larry."
"Really? What was your first hint?"
She frowned and tugged at one of my locks. I hissed. Okay, cut back on the sarcasm. "I think we both know exactly what I mean."
For someone laying on the ground, I did a pretty good shrug. "Well I sure don't know," I drawled. "There's Gilbert, Russia, Belarus, Alfred, Agatha, and let's not forget Denmark."
Liechtenstein closed her eyes and took another tense breath. She looked stressed, like there were a million things on her mind at once. A million things she should be spending time on. Yet, there she was, spending it trying to help me.
What a fool.
"I'm talking about Agatha," she told me, the pinnacle of patience. Her tone was calm and gentle, yet the name sent a chill down my spine. "From what I can tell, she's your sister and that bugs you."
I folded my hands over my chest, huffing, "Obviously. Would you be okay learning that your older sibling was putting herself into a dangerous situation?"
The girl shook her head. "I would hate it if Switzerland made a contract with Bud or Erwin." I frowned. That was right- we both had older siblings. I was not quite sure what her relationship with him was, but it was probably better than mine and Sherry's. We both got on each other's nerves. There was never a time we could enter the same room and not argue. There were even a few instances when we were kicked out of church because we could not keep our bickering to ourselves. We were worse than conservatives and liberals. Liechtenstein continued to play with my hair. "And because I have Switzerland, I understand how you might feel about all of this," she said. "And because you are in my body, I can tell what some of your feelings are."
I raised an eyebrow. "You can?"
"Yes. I can tell who you hate, who you love, who your friends are . . ." I gave her a freaked out look. "Oh, it's not as though I can read your thoughts," she told me, chuckling. "It's like we share a connection."
I looked up at the dark ceiling. Or was it a sky? If I reached high enough, would I touch a ceiling or open air? "Okay, that's kind of cool, but what does that have to do with me?"
She cracked a sad smile. Chewing on her lip, the pale girl was silent for a long moment. Just when I opened my mouth to coax a reply, she spoke. "Because the feeling I would have if my brother was here is different from what you're feeling right now. It's like there is sibling love, but it's tainted by something else."
I sighed. That's it? And here I thought that it was going to be a major, scientific breakthrough. It was nearly as disappointing as the 'Makorra' romance subplot. "That's because my relationship with Sherry is not very good right now," I evenly explained. "It's nothing to be overly concern about."
Again, she shook her head. "No, there is definitely something else there, something that you're not telling me." She placed both of her hands on my cheeks and cradled my head. "Larry, I want to talk it out with you," she said. "I don't want you to keep it inside. Please, if there is anything bugging you, just tell me."
I only shook my head. "There is nothing wrong," I lied. "And if there was, I wouldn't need to talk it out. I can deal with my problems on my own."
Liechtenstein opened her mouth. "But-"
I cut her off. "It's hard for you to hold me down here and I don't want you to strain yourself." I gave her a firm look. "You can release me now and we can talk soon, okay?"
Her shoulder dropped in defeat. "If you say so . . ." She leaned down and kissed my forehead. Her hair brushed my glasses as she did so. Her lips were gentle and innocent, like a sister to her brother. "I'm always here if you want to talk to me," she said, drawing away. "I'll see you later."
I closed my eyes, a small smile on my face. "Bye, Liechtenstein." And with that, I was falling
and falling
and falling
and falling
a
n
d
. . .
MW: And there we go! Twenty something pages! Hey Sisko, do you know what makes me sad?
SEK: What?
MW: I've been hearing a lot of fan theories about Bud and Erwin, but I really haven't gotten anything on the symbolism yet. I think we should give them a hint.
BFTL: I got an easy one! Can anyone figure out why Belarus always called Larry/Liech "You"?
SEK: *nods* Yes, that is a good one, honey. So what do you guys say, think you understand the meaning behind that?
MW: We'll have to see. But for now, thank you all for reading?
Notes
"Tahno" In Avatar: The Legend of Korra, there is a character named Tahno who plays moves on Korra in one of his first appearances. Basically, he's a pervert.
"Makorra" Avatar: The Legend of Korra pairing term for Mako X Korra.
Also, being kicked in the vagina is very painful. Please do not try it at home.
Next Chapter: Larry ends up discovering something about Alfred, but can he deal with it within time?