V - The Zamoskvorechye Estate
[Замоскворецкое поместье]

"We're almost there"

During the whole ride, the Russian girl looked through the large windshield before her, simultaneously reflecting on the best way to manage the meeting with the ambassador of Austria tomorrow and whether or not to re-enter a contract with Ukraine for coal imports...To sum it up: there was no time seek out her own personal dreams. Only business deals and more deals...

A car ride that normally was 15 minutes took about an hour - and all because of traffic jams. There was most likely a major accident somewhere on the main road. They even heard an ambulance siren about a couple of hundred yards from where they were stopped on the highway.

Her home, located in the Zamoskvorechye district, the heart of the city, was just about 2 miles southeast of Arbat street. The place was also the personification of the spirit of old Moscow, but the modern age forever changed the face of the authentic beauty. Among the beautiful historic treasures were disheveled, beaten up glass buildings of large companies. One of the distinctive features of Zamoskvorechye was the Moscow River: an artery of sort that flowed through the city, bringing with it centuries of life and sustainability despite its gray and murky appearance. Special little shops and distinctive, significant commercial buildings were built along it and, to her happiness, some still stood proudly in the present day.

They drove along the waterfront and across the bridge, finally arriving in the district. The house was located on the Sofia embankment across the way from the famous Red Square. The constant sounds of the city and the bright highway lights just beyond her estate's gates often woke Anya in the middle of the night. From the second level of the house she would often lose herself in the beauty of the Kremlin Palace and Armory from the window. The sun's rays reflected off of the golden domes of the Orthodox churches and the grand, distinct dome of Ivan the Great Bell Tower.

The mansion itself looked a bit gloomy and desolate with its light gray and washed out facade, but everything, inside and outside, was tidy and pristine. It was clear that its owner was a minimalist. Enclosing the property was a sturdy black metal fence erected by ivory columns. Behind it, a large arrangement of summer-themed garden graced the estate with a unique romantic atmosphere.

Once inside the main gate, in the center of the garden was a now vacant summer gazebo, made to order for Anya herself, which accompanied a small ornamental fountain to make up the girl's "mini palace." The area was surrounded by vast flowerbeds often visited by butterflies of many vibrant colors during summertime. It would not be until July that the garden would be a canvas of yellows: growing into an almost neverending garland along the gazebo. A small path cut through a bed, where red roses would bloom months later, and winded through various other beds towards the entrance of the large estate.

Her two-story house had not seen many major repairs in its lifetime. However, trivial misgivings such as peeling paint and crumbling window panes were promptly corrected by Raivis and Toris. The Russian girl bought the mansion a long time ago to seek refuge from everyday worries, and she loved to dare to dream of something romantic, despite the futility of life just beyond the window...

Once at their destination, Lithuania gently tapped his foot against the brake to bring the car to a rolling stop. He then turned back towards their guest, his hands still gripping at the wheel. "A-ah, p-please come, Canada-san!"

His words fell on deaf ears, as he saw the small blonde fiddling with her phone as if her life depended on it. She cursed under her breath as a high-pitched, 8-bit tune resounded throughout the enclosed space. She tried this game countless times and still died on the same level every time! In a flash of anger and frustration, the western girl spat in disbelief, throwing her phone down on her lap and crossing her arms. She huffed and puffed as she looked out the window of the parked car with a straight face, unamused at the lovely structure before her. "..."

"Good. Well, Toris, bring our guest to the dining room and sit her at the table. But before you do that, I only ask that you show her the beauty of solidarity. For example, show her our little garden," Undoing her seatbelt, Anya extended her neck to address her ally, "...and Maddie, I have a wonderful collection of the best Indian teas! I suggest you try some~!"

She tried hard not to react negatively to Anya's suggestion, but her eyelid twitched slightly at the suggestion of yet another bland brew slip past her lips. Amelia cleared her throat modestly, bringing a closed hand to cover her mouth with "sincere" politeness.

"Y-yes. That sounds good. A cup of tea always hits the spot, doesn't it?" Lavender eyes closed as she laughed lightheartedly.

Jesus Christ! She never thought in a million years she would sing its praises. The words would surely make her hurl. She would have to clean her mouth out with soap (or maybe a coke would be more pleasant) for that! Such a "dirty" act - betraying her standard hot beverage of coffee - made her feel less of an American every time she did it. What was so great about tea anyway, and why were all these countries so apeshit for it?!

"Замечательно*…" Anya slipped out of the car and closed the door gently. Going around to the front of the car, she bent down beside the driver side window to give the Lithuanian some orders.

"Move it, quickly! I'll take Latvia for a little bit, so you have full responsibility of our guest. If you're wondering, he'll help me gather some papers for tomorrow." She then stepped away from the car with a few small clicks of her shoes, then proceeded to walk quickly in the direction of her estate. Why she did this was not entirely clear, especially since her long-awaited guest remained in the back seat. She was a strange one...

'What the hell is her problem?' Amelia wondered. She choked it up to some stereotypical Russian social awkwardness. Maybe it was just her Southern Hospitality kicking in, or she just wanted to be critical of her host, but she couldn't help but realize she was still in the car, awaiting the proper treatment for a dear guest. Even her own boss would give her a ration of shit if she didn't even open doors for her guests!

Fatigue now hitting her smack in the face, Amelia couldn't wait any longer, The blonde shoved her phone into a coat pocket and juggled the door handle, propping it open. Holding Kumajirou with one arm, she swung her legs out of the door and stood up out of the car, observing the beautiful estate before her. "Ahhhhhh!" She reached her free arm up to the sky, giving her back and legs a nice, well-needed stretch.

When turned her head, Amelia finally noticed the grand estate to her right. "W-wow! So pretty!"

Toris, too busy staring at their guest, snapped out of it and realized his mistake. He quickly jumped out of the car in panic and, as usual, began to apologize. "A-aah! Sorry, Canada-san! You should have let me open the door for you! I beg your p-pardon!" He bowed low and returned to knead into his sleeves anxiously.

"Yes, this is Ms. Anya's favorite estate. She has quite a few of them around the country, but she likes to spend most of her time here." He approached the girl and spoke quietly, "Well, I'd like to show you our summer pavilion. There's a small arrangement of flowers," he looked to the side timidly, not daring to take another look at his Canadian goddess.

"Flowers?" Too absentminded to realize his strange behavior, Amelia stopped in mid-stretch and gave Lithuania a puzzled look. Her eyes brightened, her mouth agape slightly. A gust of wind suddenly moving in and disturbed the tame blonde strands that once rested against her shoulders. "Does this mean you have red roses, too?"

"Mm, no, roses here start blooming in the early summer. I wanted to show you something else," he answered. "Very few flower buds have appeared recently after the snow melted. We had a lot of snow this year, you know..."

"Winters are really crazy here, aren't they?" The blonde smiled gently, giving Toris a nod of the head. She placed Kumajirou down for a moment on the pavement and made sure he kept his balance before letting go. Amelia looked up at the sky, clasping her hands behind her back in thought. A quick flash of light blue crossed her eyes, if just for a moment.

Toris noticed a change in her posture. She felt much more at ease with Anya now gone.

As Amelia rolled her shoulders forward, she thought long and hard about home. She seriously craved some volcano nachos right about now. She made a mental note to buy a steaming hot bowl of them before picking up ANY game for her sweet new system!

"Y-yes, well…" Toris nervously cleared his throat at the drooling female. It took some seconds before his guest came down to earth. "P-please, follow me"

The girl nodded in agreement. "S-sure!" She responded, reaching for Kumajirou's fuzzy little arm and taking a hold of it.

The brown-haired man gave them a wave, the two following his lead towards the stone structure. It was when her phone vibrated in her pocket that she secretly whipped it out and took a peek at an e-mail from her assistant boss. 'Take a Look at This!' the subject read. Amelia's eyes shot back up and away from the screen, making sure her tour guide was still preoccupied.

There was a soft click -
A bright flash of white -
And large, black, bolded letters:
"Meetings with Polish Parliament a Huge Step for the US"
She looked down at the smaller lettering below the headline.
"US hopefuls aim to gain favor of Poles; Czechs for new missile-defense program."

Shoving the device back in a coat pocket, the masked superpower cracked a smile.

It had only just begun.

Translations

Замечательно - Wonderful