Adventures of the Golden State (Hetalia)
Author: Ashynarr
Summary: Under much protest and complaint, I've decided that since I have nowhere else to put these, I'm going to share some of my state OC drabbles to see how people like them. Mostly focused on California, but will feature other states.
Disclaimer: Hetalia's not mine.
Warning: State OCs
~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~
There was a knock on the door.
Isabel looked up from the English workbook her new nanny (and wasn't that still odd to think about? An adult specifically charged to look after her?) had given her, wondering who would be coming by here of all places. Alfred wasn't due to be back from town yet, not to mention he could just Walk in without issue, and Ms. Burgins was reading one of the books she'd brought with her from the east coast, though she'd looked up from it at the noise, appearing as curious as Isabel felt.
The knock came again, a bit more insistent, and a voice rang out. "Alfred, Isa are you here?"
The young territory stiffened, workbook bending in her hands as she forgot how to breathe for a second. She knew that voice - even though it'd been ages since she'd last heard it - and they had absolutely no reason to be here looking for her-
...no wait, it was about the stupid gold, wasn't it? It'd only been a month since she'd told Alfred, and he hadn't hesitated in spreading the news as fast as he could, so of course he would show up now that there was something of value here.
Ms. Burgins set her book to the side and stood up, sending a mildly disapproving look to the girl curling up tightly in her chair before disappearing into the main hall to answer the door. Isabel desperately hoped her tutor wouldn't let him in, because right now she didn't trust herself to not do something that might get her into lots of trouble later.
The temptation to run and hide in her room was strong, but he could still find her there if he asked to speak with her. Maybe she could try Alfred's room or perhaps the workroom instead?
Isabel looked back up from her her hands to see Spain walk in alongside Ms. Burgins, and couldn't help but flinch when he turned to look at her, smile growing into a grin that sent a shiver through her. When he stepped forward to greet her, she did the only thing she could think of in that instant to protect herself-
She screamed, threw her book at him, and scrambled for the other exit to the room.
She'd made it most of the way to the stairs before he caught up, grabbing her wrist and bringing her escape to a stop even as she tried to squirm away. "Let me go!"
"I just wanted to talk to you-" He tried persuading, but she refused to hear it, just wanting to get away from that gaze.
"Let me go!" She yelled again, almost jarring her shoulder when she tried to pull away again, only to wince when his grip tightened.
"I would recommend listening to her," A cool voice spoke up from behind him, drawing both of their attention away from the struggle. "Unless you want to start a war, of course."
"Alfred!" Spain turned to him with another of his grins, not noticing or caring that he was still holding onto her. "I was looking for you-"
"I was in the local town hall going over taxes on new imports, which you would have known if you'd come by to announce yourself," Alfred replied, stepping forward until he was partially between Isabel and Spain, giving the man an unimpressed look. "Don't make me repeat myself."
"I just wanted to speak with her," Spain released her to hold his hands up in surrender. "I haven't seen her since she was very small, and I wanted to make sure she'd grown up right."
Isabel just clang to Alfred's back, grateful that there was a shield between her and her once owner so she didn't have to see him lie through his teeth.
"She doesn't want to speak to you," Alfred noted coolly. "So if I were you I would just go to where the gold actually is and leave her alone, since her welfare is no longer your concern."
"...fine," Isabel could almost feel the look piercing at her, sending another shiver down her spine. "I hope I can see you again soon, Isa - papa missed you very much!"
'You were never my father.'
She clenched her hands around the fabric of Alfred's pants, waiting until she heard the front door shut again before relaxing fractionally. She didn't pay much notice to the careful way her new caretaker turned to her, gently checking her and her wrist over before picking her up and informing Ms. Burgins to not let Spain enter the house unless he was there to approve it.
She just clung to the one comfort she could take from this - she was never going back to that man again. She was American, not Spanish or Mexican, and that couldn't be taken away now that someone had seen real value in her.
~0~0~0~
"Are you sure?" Isabel asked, glancing to her companions. "I wouldn't want to be in the way of your work, especially since you're rebuilding…"
"It's more than fine, bella," Lovino replied, smiling as waved her concern off. "It's only fair we return the favor after you've given me and my brother a tour around one of your nicest cities, and I can't say the money would hurt too much, either."
Isabel grinned in reply, hiding it behind a hand as she replied. "Well if it would help your economies, then I can't really refuse, now can I?"
"We'll show you all the best restaurants we have," Feliciano promised. "And our best museums as well!"
"Not all at once," The older Italian inserted. "Obviously a full tour like that would take a month at least, and I don't think you can get away from work for that long."
"Nah, probably not," Isabel agreed. "But it just means I'll have to visit a few times at least, right?"
Lovino grinned. "I guess you'll have to, then."
"Loviiiii!" Called out from nearby, instantly causing both Isabel and Lovino to stiffen in response as Feliciano looked between them in confusion.
Spain almost bounced up, wrapping arms around the smaller man even as Lovino looked fit to burst, grinning wildly as he glanced between the brothers. "And Feli! How are you two? I haven't seen you in a long time, and boss was getting lonely thinking you'd forgotten about him."
"Don't I fucking wish," Isabel heard Lovino mutter under his breath, though she didn't pay him much heed as she had just locked eyes with a surprised Spain, stepping back when he realized who she was.
"Isa!" He beamed, withdrawing from the Italian to greet her. "How are you? Papi hasn't seen you in a long time, and you've grown up so big!"
There were many things Isabel could have done in that moment, even as stunned as she was. She could have let him babble on and just waited for him to get bored and leave, as Lovino had seemed set to. She could have even smiled and greeted him back, avoiding the chance of giving Alfred a political headache later, like Feliciano had done.
However, she wasn't either of them, and something in her snapped, drawing words to her lips before she could even register them.
"What the fuck are you talking about?"
All the Nations in the front hall of the meeting building stopped, having been passing by on their way back for the afternoon session but now far more interested in the two facing off. Even the Italians had backed off, both feeling getting between a befuddled Spain and a snarling California was not in their best interests at the moment.
"Isa-"
"Don't you dare call me that, you- you bastard!" Isabel grit through her teeth, stepping forward and watching as he instinctively stepped back. "You never gave a fuck about me while I was under your control - you only visited me once over an entire fucking century - and that was only because you wanted to know if there was gold in my lands!"
She shoved an accusatory finger at him. "The only reason you ever even bothered to come see me again was because I told Alfred I had gold after all, and the first thing you tried to do was manhandle me after forcing your way into my home! You have never once in your life given a fuck about me or my wellbeing, only what wealth I could give you, and I know damned well its the same with all your other former colonies."
Isabel sucked in a breath, closing her eyes as tried to keep herself from slapping the man. "Don't you dare pretend you had anything to do with my childhood besides founding me; you are in no way a father figure to me, and the fact that you try to play off your negligence in my childhood as parenthood makes me sick."
"You tell him, Isa!" She heard another familiar voice call from the side, and with a twirl she set onto Maria, who did not expect the verbal assault.
"Don't you think you're any better! I was your territory too - you could have checked up on me at any time but you didn't!" Isabel cut off the accusation that followed. "I know you were politically unstable - that didn't stop you from at least visiting to make sure I wasn't, you know, starving or anything; oh wait, I was!"
The state's hands twitched up, as if ready to strangle, but she resisted the urge to do that. "You didn't see me as anything but empty ranchlands, barely worth the effort to settle or maintain. The only reason you didn't just sign me over to Alfred sooner was because you were a stubborn bitch who didn't want to give up the land she'd already allowed the Americans to actually settle and farm for her! Fucking hell, I was already all but American by the time the war came around - I didn't even fight when his troops took control of the region officially! I figured, what the hell, he can't be any worse than you!"
Isabel exhaled the rest of her rage, feeling exhausted all of a sudden. "Neither of you were good caretakers to me; don't think for a second I've forgiven either of you for what you put me through. I do not and will never consider you family, so get your heads out of your asses and stop assuming that I in any way tolerate you."
She felt hands settle onto her shoulders, drawing her the rest of the way from her narrow focus to see many of the Nations staring at her.
"Maria, Antonio, I think you two should go set settled into your seats; the meeting's going to start up again soon," Alfred told them.
The two Nations looked set to protest, but Cuba and France grabbed their respective friends and coaxed them away, causing some of the others who had been watching to break off from the small crowd as well, until only a few remained. When Isabel glanced to one of them in askance, the Nation in question - Brazil, maybe? - gave her a small smile and nod in turn before leaving with the others.
"Isabel…" She felt the hands on her shoulder tighten slightly, reminding her he was there.
"I'm sorry, Alfred," She replied, biting her lip as what she'd just done sank in, leaving her shaking from the adrenaline spike wearing off. "I didn't mean to lose my temper; I know you're trying to get everyone to get along peacefully, but I just- he tried to claim he was my father, like he actually ever cared about me, and I was just so angry at him and I couldn't stop myself, and then Mexico spoke up and I turned on her too because I just- I hate them so much and I wish they would just leave me alone."
"Shh, shh," He replied, turning her gently so they were facing each other. "I figured something like this might happen, so I tried to play interference before now, but I guess that couldn't work forever. I am disappointed you lost yourself like that, but I understand why and I can't really blame you - hell, I've done the same with Arthur a few times in the past."
Alfred ruffled her hair, smiling softly. "You've done some amazing things in the last century, Bella, and I'm proud of you. I'm really glad to have someone as strong and capable as you looking out for me here on the west coast since I can't always be here to deal with it myself, and you've more than proven that everything those two thought about you was wrong."
Isabel sniffled but smiled back, reaching forward to wrap her arms around him. "Thank you, Al."
~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~
AN: Yeah, Cali's not a huge fan of Mexico or Spain, I wonder why... but in all seriousness I more wanted to establish that she DOES have a habit of holding back her anger until she hits a sort of breaking point, because it'll be important in other drabbles to come. It's sorta like Mattie, I guess, only she can and will be held accountable the second she snaps at someone who doesn't deserve it.
These two, on the other hand? Totally did need to hear it.