misc | ddd/hetalia | walk down memory lane virus
[When the video kicks in, the scenes flicker and wobble and seem to have difficulty settling, but all of them have one thing in common; a little, long-haired blonde girl, unclothed, standing on the shore. In most of the shifting images, there seems to be a boat sailing past - you might make out one headed by China, or France, or Holland. One scene is slightly different; Portugal is kneeling with the tiny child and speaking to her gently.]
I'll be back, alright? And when I come back, no-one will be able to take you away from me. I promise. So don't be scared.
[--It changes entirely, to the girl on the shore with a blanket draped around her, looking curious but very unsure. In the background, there are what are obviously the natives, all held at gunpoint and looking outraged. England is standing in front of the girl, a British flag in hand.]
Terra Australis, I claim this land in the name of England. [He stakes the flag into the shore, steps forward and puts a hand on the girl's head - and immediately, all hell breaks loose; the natives are in an uproar, upset by the intruder touching something so unbelievably sacred as their land and people, and the girl looks shocked and dazed. England grabs her by the arm and pulls her behind him as they try to reach out and take her back, glaring furiously--
--The next scene starts with screaming.
Terra is in the corner of the tiny quarters that is probably her bedroom, curled into a tight little ball and obviously protecting something, shrieking. England is trying to pry her arms away from whatever she's defending, shouting right back at her.] Hand it over, Terra!
No! Go away!! [He manages to pull her arms free and drags her out of the corner roughly, and she goes kicking and shrilling frantically.] I won't, so just leave me alone!
[England releases one of her arms and snatches the thing she was hiding out of her lap - it doesn't look like anything important, just a wooden artifact, or maybe an instrument, with intricate carvings around the edges. But he takes it, steps away from her and snaps it over his knee, and she screams.]
I hate you!! [She gets to her feet and tries to make a grab for the broken item, but resorts to just hitting him blindly when she can't reach it.] I hate you, I hate you, I hate you! Get out of my country!!
[He grabs one of her arms in what looks to be a very painful grip, and slaps her hard across the back.] This is my country, and you'd do well to remember--
[--It changes again, and this time, America is there, spinning and holding Terra in his arms with Canada laughing behind them and England watching with a scowl. America's shin seems to be injured, but he's grinning carelessly; his spins come to a stop, and he ruffles her hair.]
Hey, don't let England boss you around, okay? I'm taking on the role as your official big brother! I'll look after you, especially if you want to ditch him; you can declare independence and have a Revolution, and I'll protect you-- [In that instant, you can clearly see England's expression change to fear and panic, and quickly, he moves forward, turns America roughly and rips Terra out of his arms.]
Get out of my country, you sodding git! [He cradles her and turns away slightly, as if to shield her, and America takes on a strangely serious look. Canada looks worried, and tries to speak up, but America interrupts him.]
She's not yours, England. Just like I'm not. I'll save her one day, you'll see. [He mimics what England did earlier, forcefully turning the other man, but then he smiles again, gentler, ruffles Terra's hair and kisses her on the forehead. She looks confused and makes a grab for his hand, but he steps back and salutes her with a wink.] I'll be back, sis! I'm going to be your hero, okay?--
[--Then, the scenes flicker in and out rapidly; there are brief flashes of different times, as Terra grows up, and in each shot, she seems to be getting a little closer to England; there is the odd one where they are shouting, or fighting, but those exceptions seem to be rare. Finally, it settles on a later scene; an early- to mid-teen Australia, no longer just an unnamed penal colony, kneeling in a muddy river bed. Her short, choppy hair is hidden under a cap, and she's dressed entirely in boy's clothes, chest even bound.
England dismounts a horse behind her and freezes.] ... Australia?
[She cranes her head over her shoulder and grins, pulling one hand out of the mud to wave.] G'day, England! Fine day for gold-digging, innit?
[He marches forward and stops at the edge of the bank, looking reluctant to step into the mud, and shouts at her from solid ground instead.] That's disgusting! You get out of there right now, Australia, that's absolutely no job for a young lady to be doing! Use a pan, for Heaven's sake!
No, no! [She laughs and shushes him.] That's the point, boofhead, I'm pretendin' to be a bloke so that I can do this prop'ly! [She laughs again at the horrified look on England's face and scoops up a ball of mud. She throws it at him and he yelps, about to scold her for it, until he seems to realise something and sorts through the clump of mud. A moment later, he's holding a decent-sized chunk of gold, and both him and Australia stare at each other in shock before they burst out laughing together--
--It skips many years once again, leaving flashes of England begging Australia, Australia begging England, more fighting, and flashes of many other countries; she kicks China around and shouts racial slurs, she brawls with Russia and Germany drunkenly, she throws Italy around a bar while her people cheer her on and insult him, she pulls a knife on Spain and is held back by an absolutely furious England.
Finally, she's dressed up in military garb, and she's out on the battlefield, a cliff, with New Zealand by her side. They both look solemn; she looks exhausted and scared, and speaks unsurely.] We can fight by ourselves, yeah?
[He takes hold of her hand tightly, but doesn't look at her, eyes on the horizon.] You don't always need England, aroha.
[-- And then her uniform is torn and bloodied, she's covered with bandages, and she sobs almost hysterically while Canada holds her. The scene flicks to a similar one, but she's dozing, half-asleep on Canada's lap, and England is sitting nearby watching her sadly.]
She's just a child, damn it. [He stands up and leaves; his back is turned and he doesn't see it, but the barely-conscious Australia tries weakly to reach out and grab him with one hand, and it drops when the door clicks shut. Canada sighs and pets her hair--
--Then she's lying on a lounge, face screwed up in pain, and England chattering frantically beside her, dabbing at her forehead with a cloth, checking her temperature, trying to get her to drink some water. There are heavy rings under his eyes and his face is pale, but his movements are precise and careful, if a little shaky.]
Stupid, stupid girl--I didn't even know the platypus was sodding poisonous-- [She makes a terrible pained sound, writhing and gritting her teeth to the point that you can almost hear them crack, and England groans, holding her hand firmly.] Come on, come on, you'll be alright, pull through this--
[--There's another rush of quick scenes, and a number that you might be able to pick out; she drinks tea with China, kisses both of the Italy brothers on the cheek, dances with Spain, she attends the Sydney Mardi Gras with a mortified England in tow, she drinks with America on the 4th of July, celebrates her birthday nationally for the first time - there's a scene that is obviously Christmas, and Australia is sulking, presentless, and it skips to another scene where she's being handed what are clearly Christmas gifts, but the calendar she shows America says MAY at the top.
It stops on a scene where she's at a meeting of nations, still dressed in only a singlet and slacks - there's a suit jacket, a tie and a collared shirt thrown carelessly over the back of her chair - and they seem to be talking about trivial topics, because she says something about dating Japan if he stops whaling; England and America are the first to jump to their feet.
America points at him from the other end of the long table.] Objection! I call bribery!
[England looks shocked that he's been beaten to what was obviously going to be his argument too, but his anger quickly comes back.] Right! And I don't approve of you going near her anyway!
[She pouts and moves away from where she was about to kiss Japan.] Aw, Dad--oi, you'll let me, right, Portugal?
[He laughs and leans back in his chair.] I'm not really looking to incur your father's wrath, Austrália, so I don't think I've got much say in it. [She whines and England glares at him for not discouraging her; he rolls his eyes at the both of them and chuckles again.
The argument goes for what seems to be the whole meeting, and almost every country contributes, strangely; the scene cuts out just as France and Spain are saying that love and romance overpower any obstacle and that Australia should ignore England anyway because he's a stuffy old man. As they file out of the meeting room, there are little flickers of Australia saying goodbye to every nation, and they all seem to be friendly with her; she even hugs Russia as he leaves, although he looks faintly shocked by it--
--and then, she's on what is presumably England's bed while he sits at his desk and fills out paperwork; she looks up at the ceiling and hums thoughtfully.]
I want to be independent.
[England freezes.] ... Not now, though.
[She nods.] Not now, duh. But one day. Maybe soon. I can be the Republic of Australia! I'll be my own country one day, and I'll grow up, y'know?
[England's hands are shaking, and he's holding the pencil so tightly that it looks as if it's going to snap in half.] ... I know.
[But as the feed cuts out, she's curled up asleep on the bed with a Union Jack blanket wrapped around her tightly, and England is lying on his side next to her, watching her and running his fingers through her hair, arm almost shielding her protectively and possessively, and they're both the perfect picture of contentment.]
I'll be back, alright? And when I come back, no-one will be able to take you away from me. I promise. So don't be scared.
[--It changes entirely, to the girl on the shore with a blanket draped around her, looking curious but very unsure. In the background, there are what are obviously the natives, all held at gunpoint and looking outraged. England is standing in front of the girl, a British flag in hand.]
Terra Australis, I claim this land in the name of England. [He stakes the flag into the shore, steps forward and puts a hand on the girl's head - and immediately, all hell breaks loose; the natives are in an uproar, upset by the intruder touching something so unbelievably sacred as their land and people, and the girl looks shocked and dazed. England grabs her by the arm and pulls her behind him as they try to reach out and take her back, glaring furiously--
--The next scene starts with screaming.
Terra is in the corner of the tiny quarters that is probably her bedroom, curled into a tight little ball and obviously protecting something, shrieking. England is trying to pry her arms away from whatever she's defending, shouting right back at her.] Hand it over, Terra!
No! Go away!! [He manages to pull her arms free and drags her out of the corner roughly, and she goes kicking and shrilling frantically.] I won't, so just leave me alone!
[England releases one of her arms and snatches the thing she was hiding out of her lap - it doesn't look like anything important, just a wooden artifact, or maybe an instrument, with intricate carvings around the edges. But he takes it, steps away from her and snaps it over his knee, and she screams.]
I hate you!! [She gets to her feet and tries to make a grab for the broken item, but resorts to just hitting him blindly when she can't reach it.] I hate you, I hate you, I hate you! Get out of my country!!
[He grabs one of her arms in what looks to be a very painful grip, and slaps her hard across the back.] This is my country, and you'd do well to remember--
[--It changes again, and this time, America is there, spinning and holding Terra in his arms with Canada laughing behind them and England watching with a scowl. America's shin seems to be injured, but he's grinning carelessly; his spins come to a stop, and he ruffles her hair.]
Hey, don't let England boss you around, okay? I'm taking on the role as your official big brother! I'll look after you, especially if you want to ditch him; you can declare independence and have a Revolution, and I'll protect you-- [In that instant, you can clearly see England's expression change to fear and panic, and quickly, he moves forward, turns America roughly and rips Terra out of his arms.]
Get out of my country, you sodding git! [He cradles her and turns away slightly, as if to shield her, and America takes on a strangely serious look. Canada looks worried, and tries to speak up, but America interrupts him.]
She's not yours, England. Just like I'm not. I'll save her one day, you'll see. [He mimics what England did earlier, forcefully turning the other man, but then he smiles again, gentler, ruffles Terra's hair and kisses her on the forehead. She looks confused and makes a grab for his hand, but he steps back and salutes her with a wink.] I'll be back, sis! I'm going to be your hero, okay?--
[--Then, the scenes flicker in and out rapidly; there are brief flashes of different times, as Terra grows up, and in each shot, she seems to be getting a little closer to England; there is the odd one where they are shouting, or fighting, but those exceptions seem to be rare. Finally, it settles on a later scene; an early- to mid-teen Australia, no longer just an unnamed penal colony, kneeling in a muddy river bed. Her short, choppy hair is hidden under a cap, and she's dressed entirely in boy's clothes, chest even bound.
England dismounts a horse behind her and freezes.] ... Australia?
[She cranes her head over her shoulder and grins, pulling one hand out of the mud to wave.] G'day, England! Fine day for gold-digging, innit?
[He marches forward and stops at the edge of the bank, looking reluctant to step into the mud, and shouts at her from solid ground instead.] That's disgusting! You get out of there right now, Australia, that's absolutely no job for a young lady to be doing! Use a pan, for Heaven's sake!
No, no! [She laughs and shushes him.] That's the point, boofhead, I'm pretendin' to be a bloke so that I can do this prop'ly! [She laughs again at the horrified look on England's face and scoops up a ball of mud. She throws it at him and he yelps, about to scold her for it, until he seems to realise something and sorts through the clump of mud. A moment later, he's holding a decent-sized chunk of gold, and both him and Australia stare at each other in shock before they burst out laughing together--
--It skips many years once again, leaving flashes of England begging Australia, Australia begging England, more fighting, and flashes of many other countries; she kicks China around and shouts racial slurs, she brawls with Russia and Germany drunkenly, she throws Italy around a bar while her people cheer her on and insult him, she pulls a knife on Spain and is held back by an absolutely furious England.
Finally, she's dressed up in military garb, and she's out on the battlefield, a cliff, with New Zealand by her side. They both look solemn; she looks exhausted and scared, and speaks unsurely.] We can fight by ourselves, yeah?
[He takes hold of her hand tightly, but doesn't look at her, eyes on the horizon.] You don't always need England, aroha.
[-- And then her uniform is torn and bloodied, she's covered with bandages, and she sobs almost hysterically while Canada holds her. The scene flicks to a similar one, but she's dozing, half-asleep on Canada's lap, and England is sitting nearby watching her sadly.]
She's just a child, damn it. [He stands up and leaves; his back is turned and he doesn't see it, but the barely-conscious Australia tries weakly to reach out and grab him with one hand, and it drops when the door clicks shut. Canada sighs and pets her hair--
--Then she's lying on a lounge, face screwed up in pain, and England chattering frantically beside her, dabbing at her forehead with a cloth, checking her temperature, trying to get her to drink some water. There are heavy rings under his eyes and his face is pale, but his movements are precise and careful, if a little shaky.]
Stupid, stupid girl--I didn't even know the platypus was sodding poisonous-- [She makes a terrible pained sound, writhing and gritting her teeth to the point that you can almost hear them crack, and England groans, holding her hand firmly.] Come on, come on, you'll be alright, pull through this--
[--There's another rush of quick scenes, and a number that you might be able to pick out; she drinks tea with China, kisses both of the Italy brothers on the cheek, dances with Spain, she attends the Sydney Mardi Gras with a mortified England in tow, she drinks with America on the 4th of July, celebrates her birthday nationally for the first time - there's a scene that is obviously Christmas, and Australia is sulking, presentless, and it skips to another scene where she's being handed what are clearly Christmas gifts, but the calendar she shows America says MAY at the top.
It stops on a scene where she's at a meeting of nations, still dressed in only a singlet and slacks - there's a suit jacket, a tie and a collared shirt thrown carelessly over the back of her chair - and they seem to be talking about trivial topics, because she says something about dating Japan if he stops whaling; England and America are the first to jump to their feet.
America points at him from the other end of the long table.] Objection! I call bribery!
[England looks shocked that he's been beaten to what was obviously going to be his argument too, but his anger quickly comes back.] Right! And I don't approve of you going near her anyway!
[She pouts and moves away from where she was about to kiss Japan.] Aw, Dad--oi, you'll let me, right, Portugal?
[He laughs and leans back in his chair.] I'm not really looking to incur your father's wrath, Austrália, so I don't think I've got much say in it. [She whines and England glares at him for not discouraging her; he rolls his eyes at the both of them and chuckles again.
The argument goes for what seems to be the whole meeting, and almost every country contributes, strangely; the scene cuts out just as France and Spain are saying that love and romance overpower any obstacle and that Australia should ignore England anyway because he's a stuffy old man. As they file out of the meeting room, there are little flickers of Australia saying goodbye to every nation, and they all seem to be friendly with her; she even hugs Russia as he leaves, although he looks faintly shocked by it--
--and then, she's on what is presumably England's bed while he sits at his desk and fills out paperwork; she looks up at the ceiling and hums thoughtfully.]
I want to be independent.
[England freezes.] ... Not now, though.
[She nods.] Not now, duh. But one day. Maybe soon. I can be the Republic of Australia! I'll be my own country one day, and I'll grow up, y'know?
[England's hands are shaking, and he's holding the pencil so tightly that it looks as if it's going to snap in half.] ... I know.
[But as the feed cuts out, she's curled up asleep on the bed with a Union Jack blanket wrapped around her tightly, and England is lying on his side next to her, watching her and running his fingers through her hair, arm almost shielding her protectively and possessively, and they're both the perfect picture of contentment.]