04 Accidental Video

[distantwater]

[China is flopped unceremoniously on one of the beds, lying on his stomach and clutching a stuffed panda. His eyes are red rimmed, and it looks supiciously like he's been crying.]

This place... I don't like it, aru. Hong Kong is acting strangely. Japan, too. I want to go home.

(ooc: Aftermath of this thread. He doesn't know the communicator is

Comments

Set after Namine's post I'm so cool

[a_thousandyears]

[So, Hong Kong has spent the last night or two at England's but is still very confused to find himself in his kitchen. He finishes making his tea and calmly sits down to flick through his communicator. Sees his last post.

Freezes in terror. This lasts several minutes.

RUNS DOWNSTAIRS, KNOCKING HIS TEA OVER AS HE GOES oh fux he is in so much trouble so much trouble.]

[distantwater]

[A couple days later, China is not moping quite so openly, but he has also been spending an abnormal amount of time in the kitchen. If he's concentrating on making the odd assortment of ingredients found in this place edible, he doesn't have to think. Here, without the responsibilities of a nation, there is far too much free time to sit and think.]

[a_thousandyears]

[Hong Kong quietly enters the apartment, still trying to figure out wtf happened. Did someone steal his communicator? But then how did he end up at England's place?

He watches China quietly, trying to not attract attention.]

[distantwater]

[China doesn't notice, because he is engrossed in trying to make canned food edible. He mutters irritably in Mandarin to himself every once in a while. Discedo is a huge affront to his culinary sensibilities.]

[a_thousandyears]

[Stupid Mandarin and it's lack of tones and teacher-ness.] ... Xian sheng? [Teacher, in Cantonese.]

[distantwater]

[China freezes. He also drops the can he'd been holding. It lands on his foot. He doesn't seem to notice, but turns around very slowly, afraid that he is hearing things. And stares.]

Li Shui...

[a_thousandyears]

You dropped it... [Goes to pick the can up.] What are you making?

China tries to be a hardass... and fails

[distantwater]

[Oh, no. You're not getting off that easily. China wants Hong Kong back, and this is promising, but it doesn't quite wipe the suspicious frown off his face.]

Hong Kong!

[He grabs the other by the shoulders, staring him down as best a shorter father figure can. Which is not very well. The intensity of his expression makes up for it.]

Tell me you remember the reunification, aru.

[If there's a hint of pleading to those words, and there definitely is, he doesn't notice.]

He tries, bless him.

[a_thousandyears]

[Hong Kong freezes up when China grabs him and concentrates on a spot just above China's eyes.]

Teacher... I don't know what happened. But I do, I promise.

FAIL

[distantwater]

[Those are the words he needed to hear, and China visibly sags with relief when Hong Kong speaks them. A second or two later, all his bravado has vanished, and he's clinging to the younger fiercely, ignoring the tears in his eyes. His voice is quiet:]

I thought I had lost you again, aru...

Shame to our famireeee

[a_thousandyears]

[oh God touching why do people keep touching him aaaaaaaaaaaaaah.

But he hugs China back anyway, because he's as confused as all fuck and also very relieved that China doesn't sound angry.]

What happened, teacher? I was in England's room, but I don't know how I got there... And all that stuff on the communicator...

/leaves the ritual suicide to Japan

[distantwater]

[He should be angry, shouldn't he? Oh, well. Maybe he'll remember that later. Or maybe he'll just direct the anger toward England. This has worked in the past. Everything is England's fault, right?]

You don't remember anything?

[China sounds a little incredulous, and a lot hurt, but he doesn't let go of Hong Kong.]

...

You left me, aru.

[a_thousandyears]

... I gathered that from the communicator. [Hong Kong relaxes a bit in China's arms, thinking carefully.] It must have been the chip or something like that...

[distantwater]

I knew it! I knew it was this place, aru!

[No, he didn't. But this is easier than thinking about all those hurtful things Hong Kong said.]

...I hate it here, aru.

[a_thousandyears]

Everyone does, teacher. [...] Are you angry?

[distantwater]

Angry...?

[He takes a moment to stare at Hong Kong. Apparently this possibility has just occurred to him. If the circumstances were different, maybe... But he's had time to rage and cry it out over the past two days. He eventually frowns and shakes his head.]

Hong Kong is not a liar, aru. It was this place, and it is England's fault for taking advantage.