[sentences] Child of the Sweet Potato
Title: Child of the Sweet Potato
Author/Artist: chromatic_coma
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Taiwan (main), China, Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Thailand; Taiwan/China, Taiwan/Japan, Taiwan/Hong Kong, onesided Korea -> Taiwan
Genre: Family, Romance, Humor, Angst (pretty much a little of everything)
Rating: G - T
Warnings: Some language, some Sexual Themes
Summary: 31 sentences about the plum blossom beauty, written for absynthess's birthday.
01. letter
Taiwan was very careful to open the letter slowly, not wanting any of the paper to become damaged from her excited, shaking hands; it was not every day that Gege sent her letters, and it was even less frequently that Japan-nii would let her have them.
02. sticks and stones
It was respectable for a woman to be dainty, frail, and graceful, so Taiwan felt a little rebellious for being so proud of her strength; it was a lesson she’d learned from her elder brothers long ago, to never allow the words of mortals to hurt her.
03. birthday
The cool wind was rustling the leaves in the trees above, shaking some of the leaves off as it went, and blowing them into her hair, but Taiwan didn’t notice them at all; she was too busy being distracted by the unexpected presence of her entire family in her backyard, and the sign hung behind them, “Happy Birthday,” and wondering how they’d remembered when she’d forgotten.
04. immortal
It was one of those things that would remain a constant in her life; regardless of how old she got and how much the world continued to change, Gege’s beautiful smiling face would always remain the same.
05. circus
She can still remember her first time going to the circus as a child with her family, mostly because after having watched the acrobats dance around she and Korea spent the next few days teaching themselves how to perform cartwheels, only stopping after Korea fell onto her and they both got badly sprained.
06. abandoned
If there was one feeling Taiwan could remember clearly, it was the way she felt when she was passed from her Gege to Japan-nii, as though he didn’t actually care for her as she’d though he had; never in her life had she been so hurt.
07. nosebleed
It was the most embarrassing moment of her life, one that she’s never going to forget but that she also doesn’t want to remember; all she knows it that if no one else fixes that hole in the wall by the women’s baths she’s going to do it herself, and that better not have been blood she saw trickling from Korea’s nose before she caught him.
08. mother [or father, or both]
Taiwan did not have parents, but she found herself unable to miss that when she was surrounded by so many loving brothers and sisters.
09. sunrise
She can remember waking up early some mornings and looking out her window to find Japan-nii seated on a hilltop watching the sun come up; the occurrence became more and more frequent as she would intentionally wake up to watch him watch the sky, until one morning she went worked up the courage to go out and sit beside him, relishing in his warmth as the sky was painted orange.
10. distraction
There were certain tasks that, as a girl, Taiwan was expected to learn, but it was decidedly very hard to work at those tasks when she could hear the sounds of her brothers playing outside.
11. habit
As sure as it was that the sun would rise and set each day, Taiwan had to place the plum blossom in her hair each morning; it was something that had been done for her as a child, and it was a comfort that she needed it have.
12. fuck
Taiwan had wanted it for a long, long time before, but she spent too much of her time being ashamed of such perverse thoughts and embarrassed at the subject of her secret affections, that the longing only grew to the point where she could no longer resist the temptation when she was approached.
13. love
She spent her entire adolescence shifting from one crush to the other, so when she suddenly felt those feelings intensify, when she found that she could no longer even look her “Gege” in the eye without turning red in the face and feeling her pulse race, she wondered why this felt so different.
14. waste
Taiwan, as a child, was always a very stubborn girl, which meant that often she clashed minds with her even more stubborn older brother South Korea; there was even a point in time when they’d had a real fight, and spend decades hating each other.
15. skinny
It had been one of those awkward teenage stages that had made Taiwan so uncomfortable with herself; it had taken Vietnam years to convince her that no, she wasn’t too fat, nor too skinny, but of a perfectly attractive slim frame.
16. eyes
It had been centuries since Taiwan had seen her brother, and while she was standing there mental deriding herself for beginning to forget what he’d looked like and waiting for him to return, her eyes widened immediately when she caught Hong Kong’s own; as much as he’d physically matured in that time, his deep brown orbs were exactly as she felt they should be.
17. white noise
When the pressures got to be too much, when the Westerners came and called her “China” and swept her away with them into the United Nations, and bared her from her siblings and weakened the injured Japan and helped the Korean twins kill each other, she plugged her ears and squeezed her eyes shut, seeing darkness and hearing only white noise.
18. impulse
It was something she had done without thinking about it, and later on she would chastise herself for not thinking first, but when she had seen that stray grain of rice stuck to Japan’s cheek, she had no qualms right then and there about kissing it off his face.
19. addiction
It was by accident that she had seen her Gege under the influence of that Western drug, but the frightening memory was so firmly implanted in her mind that it still showed up in her nightmares to this day.
20. desecrate
Western religions had taught that a human’s body was a temple; if this was true, then why did the Western nations come and do as they pleased to the Eastern lands, causing destruction and enforcing strict rule over the temples of Taiwan and her siblings?
21. death
Nations cannot die, but that does not mean they cannot be affected by the death of their peoples; it is for this reason that Taiwan frequents her nations cemeteries, leaving plum blossoms on aging graves with a melancholy smile.
22. low
Whenever Taiwan was feeling upset, she knew that she could count on her family to make her feel better; be it Korea’s laughter, China’s wide grin, Hong Kong and Japan’s tiny, reserved smiles, the way she felt when Vietnam was braiding her hair for her, or even when she played with Thailand and his cute little elephant, around her family, she was safe.
23. heartbeat
She didn’t know when it had started happening, when her heart had started freezing up every time her eyes connected with his, but all she knew was that she wanted this longing to go away.
24. first kiss
It had been nervous, chaste, and a barely-there kiss that they hope hadn’t made their ancestors roll over in their graves (not that they had ancestors), but it was all she needed to fall in love with the rough texture and sweet taste of Hong Kong’s lips.
25. tomorrow
On some nights, Taiwan would lay awake in bed, too scared of nightmares to fall asleep, and pray that tomorrow be a better day.
26. sweet
There was nothing Taiwan loved the taste of more than the sweet moon cakes of the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the company of her brothers and sister as she enjoyed them made it all the more sweet.
27. fog [or mist]
The moisture in the air was so thick and heavy that she felt as though it was swallowing her up; it was bad to the point where Taiwan could no longer see, and she panicked when she heard footsteps approaching, until a sweet Meimei followed in her brother’s melodious voice that caused her to throw herself into China’s safe, open arms.
28. can't
The world around her was always, always changing, and something inside her broke when she realized that she could not fix it.
29. village
She was never a city girl; sure, she could function well in them, and loved seeing all the colorful people and signs, but Taiwan preferred the comfort and closeness of a small village, much like the one she had been raised in.
30. time
Time was the force capable of healing all wounds, and as a nation Taiwan had a lot more of it than most, but she found herself wishing that the stab she felt in her heart would ease quicker as she kept her gaze focused morosely to the West.
31. forget
Once again decades had passed; sins were forgiven, and their little family was whole again for the first time in so long that Taiwan could not help but stop and take it all it; it was a moment she knew her heart would never forget.
Author/Artist: chromatic_coma
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Taiwan (main), China, Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Thailand; Taiwan/China, Taiwan/Japan, Taiwan/Hong Kong, onesided Korea -> Taiwan
Genre: Family, Romance, Humor, Angst (pretty much a little of everything)
Rating: G - T
Warnings: Some language, some Sexual Themes
Summary: 31 sentences about the plum blossom beauty, written for absynthess's birthday.
01. letter
Taiwan was very careful to open the letter slowly, not wanting any of the paper to become damaged from her excited, shaking hands; it was not every day that Gege sent her letters, and it was even less frequently that Japan-nii would let her have them.
02. sticks and stones
It was respectable for a woman to be dainty, frail, and graceful, so Taiwan felt a little rebellious for being so proud of her strength; it was a lesson she’d learned from her elder brothers long ago, to never allow the words of mortals to hurt her.
03. birthday
The cool wind was rustling the leaves in the trees above, shaking some of the leaves off as it went, and blowing them into her hair, but Taiwan didn’t notice them at all; she was too busy being distracted by the unexpected presence of her entire family in her backyard, and the sign hung behind them, “Happy Birthday,” and wondering how they’d remembered when she’d forgotten.
04. immortal
It was one of those things that would remain a constant in her life; regardless of how old she got and how much the world continued to change, Gege’s beautiful smiling face would always remain the same.
05. circus
She can still remember her first time going to the circus as a child with her family, mostly because after having watched the acrobats dance around she and Korea spent the next few days teaching themselves how to perform cartwheels, only stopping after Korea fell onto her and they both got badly sprained.
06. abandoned
If there was one feeling Taiwan could remember clearly, it was the way she felt when she was passed from her Gege to Japan-nii, as though he didn’t actually care for her as she’d though he had; never in her life had she been so hurt.
07. nosebleed
It was the most embarrassing moment of her life, one that she’s never going to forget but that she also doesn’t want to remember; all she knows it that if no one else fixes that hole in the wall by the women’s baths she’s going to do it herself, and that better not have been blood she saw trickling from Korea’s nose before she caught him.
08. mother [or father, or both]
Taiwan did not have parents, but she found herself unable to miss that when she was surrounded by so many loving brothers and sisters.
09. sunrise
She can remember waking up early some mornings and looking out her window to find Japan-nii seated on a hilltop watching the sun come up; the occurrence became more and more frequent as she would intentionally wake up to watch him watch the sky, until one morning she went worked up the courage to go out and sit beside him, relishing in his warmth as the sky was painted orange.
10. distraction
There were certain tasks that, as a girl, Taiwan was expected to learn, but it was decidedly very hard to work at those tasks when she could hear the sounds of her brothers playing outside.
11. habit
As sure as it was that the sun would rise and set each day, Taiwan had to place the plum blossom in her hair each morning; it was something that had been done for her as a child, and it was a comfort that she needed it have.
12. fuck
Taiwan had wanted it for a long, long time before, but she spent too much of her time being ashamed of such perverse thoughts and embarrassed at the subject of her secret affections, that the longing only grew to the point where she could no longer resist the temptation when she was approached.
13. love
She spent her entire adolescence shifting from one crush to the other, so when she suddenly felt those feelings intensify, when she found that she could no longer even look her “Gege” in the eye without turning red in the face and feeling her pulse race, she wondered why this felt so different.
14. waste
Taiwan, as a child, was always a very stubborn girl, which meant that often she clashed minds with her even more stubborn older brother South Korea; there was even a point in time when they’d had a real fight, and spend decades hating each other.
15. skinny
It had been one of those awkward teenage stages that had made Taiwan so uncomfortable with herself; it had taken Vietnam years to convince her that no, she wasn’t too fat, nor too skinny, but of a perfectly attractive slim frame.
16. eyes
It had been centuries since Taiwan had seen her brother, and while she was standing there mental deriding herself for beginning to forget what he’d looked like and waiting for him to return, her eyes widened immediately when she caught Hong Kong’s own; as much as he’d physically matured in that time, his deep brown orbs were exactly as she felt they should be.
17. white noise
When the pressures got to be too much, when the Westerners came and called her “China” and swept her away with them into the United Nations, and bared her from her siblings and weakened the injured Japan and helped the Korean twins kill each other, she plugged her ears and squeezed her eyes shut, seeing darkness and hearing only white noise.
18. impulse
It was something she had done without thinking about it, and later on she would chastise herself for not thinking first, but when she had seen that stray grain of rice stuck to Japan’s cheek, she had no qualms right then and there about kissing it off his face.
19. addiction
It was by accident that she had seen her Gege under the influence of that Western drug, but the frightening memory was so firmly implanted in her mind that it still showed up in her nightmares to this day.
20. desecrate
Western religions had taught that a human’s body was a temple; if this was true, then why did the Western nations come and do as they pleased to the Eastern lands, causing destruction and enforcing strict rule over the temples of Taiwan and her siblings?
21. death
Nations cannot die, but that does not mean they cannot be affected by the death of their peoples; it is for this reason that Taiwan frequents her nations cemeteries, leaving plum blossoms on aging graves with a melancholy smile.
22. low
Whenever Taiwan was feeling upset, she knew that she could count on her family to make her feel better; be it Korea’s laughter, China’s wide grin, Hong Kong and Japan’s tiny, reserved smiles, the way she felt when Vietnam was braiding her hair for her, or even when she played with Thailand and his cute little elephant, around her family, she was safe.
23. heartbeat
She didn’t know when it had started happening, when her heart had started freezing up every time her eyes connected with his, but all she knew was that she wanted this longing to go away.
24. first kiss
It had been nervous, chaste, and a barely-there kiss that they hope hadn’t made their ancestors roll over in their graves (not that they had ancestors), but it was all she needed to fall in love with the rough texture and sweet taste of Hong Kong’s lips.
25. tomorrow
On some nights, Taiwan would lay awake in bed, too scared of nightmares to fall asleep, and pray that tomorrow be a better day.
26. sweet
There was nothing Taiwan loved the taste of more than the sweet moon cakes of the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the company of her brothers and sister as she enjoyed them made it all the more sweet.
27. fog [or mist]
The moisture in the air was so thick and heavy that she felt as though it was swallowing her up; it was bad to the point where Taiwan could no longer see, and she panicked when she heard footsteps approaching, until a sweet Meimei followed in her brother’s melodious voice that caused her to throw herself into China’s safe, open arms.
28. can't
The world around her was always, always changing, and something inside her broke when she realized that she could not fix it.
29. village
She was never a city girl; sure, she could function well in them, and loved seeing all the colorful people and signs, but Taiwan preferred the comfort and closeness of a small village, much like the one she had been raised in.
30. time
Time was the force capable of healing all wounds, and as a nation Taiwan had a lot more of it than most, but she found herself wishing that the stab she felt in her heart would ease quicker as she kept her gaze focused morosely to the West.
31. forget
Once again decades had passed; sins were forgiven, and their little family was whole again for the first time in so long that Taiwan could not help but stop and take it all it; it was a moment she knew her heart would never forget.