I'm really sorry about the last chapter being below the usual standards. But hopefully, it's a little better now. Thank you to the brave souls who chose to suffer through it and to Nimphy-Ryuu-chan.
I don't own Hetalia, ect.
/Train to Germany/
"The countryside of Europe is so beautiful! I wish I had some pens and paper with me!" Mai says in awe, looking through the window at the passing landscape. Sitting across from her is Akiko, reading a manga book titled 'Ghost Hunt'. She glances at the scenery.
"Hai, it is nice." Akiko replies before getting back to her graphic novel. Mai simply smiles, still staring out the window.
"So, Akiko, are you feeling okay?" she asks.
"Hai." she replies distantly. Mai frowns a little and tugs at the sleeve of her bright red, panda shirt, feeling a pang of worry for the girl who broke down only two days ago.
"Are you sure?"
"Hai."
"Akiko-"
"Please Mai-chan, I am in no mood to speak."
"Ah. I see." Mai whispers. Her eyes burn, as though as if she is going to tear up. Seeing this, Akiko furrows her brow with concern.
"Did I say something wrong, Mai-chan?" she asks. The Chinese girl forces a cheerful smile.
"Wú! I am fine! I just need to use the restroom." She stands up and hurries down the aisle before Akiko can get another word in.
"Mai-chan..." she whispers. Somberly, Akiko looks around. Other than her, Mai and the others, very few people are taking the train today. Which doesn't help her present situation. Despite Otousan's personal feelings, she does consider Mai and Yao family to an extent, but she is a bit cold and disinterested herself at times. And the near empty train makes the situation more difficult to avoid.
Then again, it has always been avoided.
She sets her manga down and stands up. She should go and consult one of their allies. Maybe they can offer some invaluable advice. She scans the train cart and spots Dmitri playing a round of chess with Yuri.
Dmitri-chan's family is quite troubled...but perhaps he can offer his methods of coping. I do not know Yuri-san or Sasha-san well enough to ask them. Yes, Dmitri may have an answer to my dilemma.
Even though the Russian's father plagues her own father with stomach aches.
She walks over and sees Stanley sleeping, his glasses askew and a big, silly smile on his face. She stops for a moment, whips out her camera and snaps a picture. She smiles a little.
He's a drooler.
Cute.
She then continues her mission and finally reaches her destination. But instead of asking Dmitri right away, she watches them play for a few seconds with fascination. Their moves are quick and efficient, and they seem to use the time during the other's turn to think of their next strategy. They could put the best chess player to shame, seeing that they have no need for timers.
"Ah, Dmitri-chan?" she speaks as Yuri claims one of his cousin's pawns. He looks up and smiles while Yuri simply glances at her before looking back to the board with a nearly frightening intensity.
"Oh, Akiko! Would you like to play? Yuri and I should be finished in a few minutes." he asks. While it is a bit tempting to keep watching at the very least, she shakes her head.
"No thank you. I need your advice on a…sensitive matter, Dmitri-chan." Dmitri raises his eyebrows in surprise, but continues to smile.
"Oh, da then! I will be back Yuri!" he says standing up.
"Dy Dima." Yuri replies apathetically, taking out a rather intimidating knife, a handkerchief and begins wiping the blade. Akiko can't help but glance back as they head to where she and Mai were sitting.
Yuri is certainly a strange one.
"So, what did you want to ask me?" he asks, sitting down in Mai's seat, purple eyes regarding her kindly. Akiko takes her seat and twiddles her thumbs.
"I know this is a rather sensitive topic for you, and I do not wish to upset you Dmitri-chan, but would you mind telling me how you cope with your family's ordeals?" she asks quietly. Dmitri's smile disappears and his face becomes a bit pale.
"Oh...that." He desperately needs a cigarette, but unfortunately there is a no smoking policy on this train, unlike in Russia. He checks his pockets and finds the flask that he kept from the Soviet era. A nervous and relieved smile forms on his lips as he pulls it out, unscrews the cap and takes a hearty gulp of the smooth, strong vodka. He then tips it towards Akiko.
"Would you like some?" he offers. Not wanting to seem rude, she takes it.
"Thank you." She has a tiny sip and forces herself not to shudder at the potent, burning taste. But it does soothe her nerves a bit, so she doesn't have much room to complain. She hands it back to him.
"So, what makes you ask me?" Dmitri questions taking another drink before putting his flask away.
"It is Mai-chan." she replies. "I have been avoiding the distance between us for years and," Akiko takes a deep breath, "And I think at this point, in this situation, I cannot continue to pretend that it is not there."
"I see." The Russian gives her a sad, empathetic smile. "Distance hurts. Tetya Katyusha and Papa are quite distant. When I visit, she lets me in with a smile. When Papa visits, she lets him in with fear. It is not as though she does not love him, but everything that has happened…" He trails off, lost in thought, before continuing. "Tetya Natalya is distant too. But in another sense. Mai has told me how you two are distant. Though we do not speak as much as we use to. It is painful." Akiko nods.
"I...do care for Mai-chan. Despite everything that has happened between Otousan and Oji Yao, I love them all. But...I have trouble acting on my emotions. I was always taught to act with a clear mind."
"When was the last day all of you spent time together? Like celebrating a holiday or simply visiting each other?" he asks. Akiko thinks back.
When was the last time?
"I cannot recall." she admits, almost shamefully. "We are always at opposing sides. Please do not think ill of Otousan, but he does not consider Oji Yao family to a certain point. And reunions would be terribly...awkward." This is discussion is more difficult than she had anticipated.
"I understand your view. My family reunions are chaotic, as you may know. Papa feels depressed and nervous, Tetya Natalya follows him around constantly, Tetya Katyusha always cries and the three of us are always either trying to calm things down or we choose to avoid them all day. But…" he leans his head back, a small smile in place. "In a sense, I think I am grateful for those uncomfortable experiences. As bad they may get, we are all under one roof. Just the idea of being there as a family, it is a nice feeling if you really put some thought into it. And when it is time to end it, I hug all of them."
"Even your oba Natalya?" Akiko asks. Dmitri nods.
"Da. I am afraid of her, sometimes angry. But I love her, and I show it." He then closes his eyes and wraps his arms around a space that is roughly his aunt's size and holds it close, even lowering his chin as if he is setting it on a shoulder shorter than his. It's touching, really.
"I think I know what you mean, Dmitri-chan." Akiko says, a smile touching her lips. Dmitri looks up to her, smiling back.
"Not all of our times together are bad either. Once every several years, there is a nice one." He takes out his wallet and opens it, removing a small picture and showing her. Akiko smiles more when she sees the family wearing genuine smiles as they sit on a hill, dandelions surrounding them. "It was eight years ago, but I will never forget it. I never forget any of those times."
"So, it is worth it."
"Da."
"Do you have more photographs? May I see them?"
"Of course!" He takes them out and hands them out, handing them to her. Akiko looks at each of them. All have some sort of positive slant, perhaps for motivation or simply comfort. The last one catches her eye.
It is a black and white photograph that shows Dmitri and a familiar, pretty brunette sitting in the back of a broken truck. They are wearing what Akiko can presume are handmade outfits that represent the underground Soviet punk scene. They have their arms wrapped around each other, unlit cigarettes dangling from their smiling lips. Akiko blushes at the way their eyes simply shine.
"Dmitri-chan, is this…?" Akiko begins, showing it to him.
"AH!" he gasps, taking the photo. "I had no idea…" he whispers. A look of shame and longing washes over his features, a dark blush coloring his cheeks. How can he still have this? He could have sworn that he burnt all of them…
"Dmitri-chan." Dmitri looks up to see Akiko holding a color photo of Papa and himself standing in front of a sunflower field, their arms holding bouquets of the wonderful plant. He smiles, his angst slipping away.
"Am I so obvious, Akiko?" he asks, taking it. She smiles.
"In that sense, Dmitri-chan." She stands and bows. "Thank you. I know what I must do now. You really are a kind friend." Dmitri blinks and blushes.
"Friend?" He hears the click of a camera.
"Kawaii." she mutters and walks towards the direction Mai had gone. She must stop making such adorable friends. Really.
"What a strange girl. But she is nice." Dmitri says to himself. He then looks back at the old picture and sighs.
"Ya ne zabudu tebya, moy podsolnukh. No ya dolzhen." he whispers. He'll get rid of it when they arrive in Germany. Gathering the pictures and putting them away, he whips his flask out and takes another drink.
Much better.
He stands and heads back to Yuri, determined to win this round of chess, as always.
*They will be speaking Japanese, so it will be in italics because I am a lazy dilweed*
Akiko hears Mai's soft sobbing coming from the restroom. She knocks on the door.
"Mai-chan?" The crying stops.
"O-oh! I'll be out in a minute Akiko!" she says hurriedly.
"That's not necessary Mai-chan. May I come in?" Akiko asks. After a few moments, she hears the lock click.
"It's open." Mai calls. Akiko walks in and closes the door behind. Mai leans against the sink, her amber eyes red from tears.
"I am very sorry for my behavior earlier Mai-chan." she says, bowing. Mai smiles.
"It's alright Akiko-" she begins.
"No. It isn't. I was being cold to you when you did nothing but comfort and reach out to me. I am very ashamed of myself and I hope you can forgive one day." Akiko says. Mai smiles widely and fresh tears slip down her cheeks.
"I do forgive you Akiko. Thank you." she whispers. Akiko then remembers Dmitri's example of how he displays affect towards family. She walks over to Mai and, despite her tendency to feel uncomfortable with physical contact, hugs her cousin. Mai is shocked by Akiko's sudden display of affection for a moment, but then laughs and hugs the Japanese girl back with great passion.
"You are so sweet Akiko aru!" she says happily. Akiko's discomfort disappears and she finds herself smiling at how Mai's accent broke through with all that emotion, hugging Mai even tighter.
"I think I have some pencils and a sketchbook in my bag. Would you draw a picture of the European countryside for me?"
"Of course!" Mai grabs her hand and they hurry out of the restroom. Akiko makes a note to give Dmitri a present.
Maybe she can find a chibi sunflower plushie for him.
/
"Stan? Stan!" Stanley opens his eyes and see Mary holding out a napkin to him. "You're drooling all over yourself, you git."
"Wha? Aw!" He takes the napkin and wipes his mouth.
So embarrassing and gross.
"So, how long are we here until we're in Germany?" he asks.
"About three more hours." Mary replies.
"Oh God. I'm going to go wash my face."
"Please do." Stan gets up and walks down to the restroom, cursing himself for taking a nap and waking up covered in spit for the world to see (not much of an exaggeration). He passes Pierre and Sasha, who are talking and laughing together.
Otherwise, known as flirting
Stanley rolls his eyes.
Yep. Pierre is definitely Uncle Francis's kid. He just better watch out for D and Yuri. Especially Yuri.
He walks into the bathroom and cleans his face, giving a few extra splashes to wake himself up.
"Aw man, I feel stiff." he mutters as he dries his face. He stretches, cracking his neck, sighing in relief. He hums 'Yer So Bad' as he leaves, bumping into someone. "Oh sorry." he says turning to the person. A pretty, red-haired girl in her late teens smiles at him.
"It's okay!"
Stan then feels a stinging pain slice across his chest.
"AHH!" he shouts, falling back. He looks down and sees a three inch cut on his abdomen. The girl smiles sweetly and holds up a dagger, the tip stained with his blood.
"Washington D.C.?" she asks in an American accent. "You have to be. You look so much like your father. My country!" she giggles.
"Aw shit." he snarls and jumps back to his feet, recovering quickly. "Let me guess: You're with W.L.L." he says darkly. She giggles again.
"You catch on quickly. To be honest, I thought you were the cute and stupid type." Stan clenches his teeth and sneers at her.
"Can it, bitch."
"Aw, you look much cuter smiling." She smirks and holds up her weapon. "We can fix that." The girl rushes at him, but he manages to dodge her. Forming a fist, he punches her, sending her flying to the wall. To his astonishment, she manages to turn herself in a position that allows her to run up it instead and she lands gracefully on her feet.
"Dammit!" Stan grumbles as he runs to another car to create some distance between them. It is thankfully empty of civilians.
Bad news is that none of the other capitals are here either.
"This is fun! You're better than I thought you would be. So strong!" she says in a sugary sweet tone.
God, this chick is creepy! Stan thinks to himself, his eyes never leaving hers.
"What do you want?" he demands. The girl cocks her head to the side.
"I want you and your friends to serve as a part of our revolution, of course!" she replies cheerfully.
"Revolution? What the hell are you talking about?!"
"If you come with me, I'll tell you." she answers, a hint of seduction in her voice. Stanley snorts at this.
"No thank you. Besides, you're way too young for me, little girl." She pouts.
"I didn't want hurt you, handsome. But I guess really have to now." She lunges him again and lashes her dagger, only missing him by an inch as he dodges.
She's quick and psycho! She makes Ms. Arlovskaya look sane! The girl pouts again.
"Don't make me kill you. Then I'll have to carry all the way back until you wake up!" She then presses the dagger to his neck while he is stunned by her words. Stanley gulps and silently scolds himself for losing his focus. She laughs.
"You look funny when you're scared!" She pressed the blade into his skin, denting it and licking her plump lips. "If I didn't have to deal with it, I would love to see the life drain slowly from your beautiful blue eyes." she whispers, her sweet, valley girl smile never leaving her lips. It makes Stan's stomach flip. "You're coming with me sweetie!"
"I think not." a monotone, Belarusian voice interjects. In a flash, Stan sees Yuri behind little Miss Peppy-Psycho-Bitch, ready to stab her in the neck. Whipping around, she blocks his attack. With his free hand, Yuri grabs Stan's jacket sleeve and shoves him to the other side, where Dmitri catches him.
"Are you alright Stan?! You are bleeding!" Dmitri cries. Stan looks down and see the large blood stain on his shirt.
"Don't worry D, I've had far worse." They look up and see Yuri do a backflip and he lands in front of them. The girl stands on the opposite, looking at the cut on her upper arm, blood staining her light pink blouse.
"I'm...bleeding." She says softly. Yuri cocks an eyebrow.
"Hmm?" She begins to giggle. Then laughs hysterically.
"Oh wow! I'm bleeding! It's been so long!" she squeals, jumping up and down.
"Who are you?" Yuri asks, unaffected by how psychotic she is.
"Shirley." she says. "You're really cute too." She looks over to Dmitri and wrinkles her nose. "Ew, your hair's green. What a gross color to dye it. And you have a big nose." Dmitri furrows his brow in confusion.
"Why is she…?"
"Oh my god, you have beautiful eyes." Shirley whispers. She begins walking towards them, and they ready themselves. "I didn't think anyone had real purple eyes. I thought his were pretty, but wow." She stops when she twenty feet away, smiling sweetly at the Russian capital. She raises the dagger. "I want them. I want your eyes."
"What a horribly deranged girl." Yuri snorts. Shirley smirks.
"Like your mom, handsome? 'Cause she is nuts, honey. Wanting her brother to marry her? Like, ew. Your aunt and uncle should have had her put down years ago like a sick dog. No wonder you hate her." Yuri's eyes flash and he charges at her, slicing her left shoulder. Shirley cries out and swings her own blade, managing to nick his cheek.
"You will never speak of my mother like that again!" he snarls. Shirley holds her shoulder.
"Looks like I failed. Can't keep up with this." She flings her dagger at Yuri, distracting him long enough to zip to the train door and force it open. "I'll see you boys again!" She smiles coldly at Dmitri. "And those eyes are mine, so take care them." With that, she jumps out. They rush and look out only to see that she's gone.
"Christ." Stanley mutters as he pulls the door shut.
"W.L.L?" Dmitri asks. Stan nods.
"I will have her head for threatening Dima and for saying such things about Mama! That damned bliazď.! How dare she? HOW DARE SHE?!" Yuri shouts, crazed blood lust in his eyes. Stan winces a bit at the tone of his voice, though completely understands why he's angry.
"Yurochka. Calm yourself. Please." The homicidal rage turns into a simple look of disapproval.
"Dima-" he starts. Dmitri simply smiles.
"Da, I know Yuri. She is gone for now. Save your strength. I do not think this will be the last time this happens." He then turns to Stan. "We have to treat your wound."
"Oh, right." Stanley frowns at the cut. He really liked this shirt too.
I wish I could write a little more, but I'm exhausted, so it will have to wait until next time. Hope this one was better than the last. ^_^' Even with the poor excuse of an action scene. Thank you for reading.
Translations~
Chinese-
Wú-No
Japanese-
Oba-Aunt
Russian-
Ya ne zabudu tebya, moy podsolnukh. No ya dolzhen. -I did not forget you, my sunflower. But I must.
Belarusian-
Bliazď- Bitch/Whore