Dormant (1b/1)
anonymous
June 5 2011, 17:05:16 UTC
He'd gone to Japan. The nation's people had worked non stop on new inventions - trying to find someway to save who was left. But most of the vegetation on the planet was gone - and the spacestations couldn't keep up with the demands. People were dying of starvation by the thousands. Japan himself was gaunt, cheekbones too defined. Feeling the hunger of his people, and his eyes were too bright. Fever setting in. They'd sat in a room full of computers and metal and nothing the least bit organic. And they'd talked about rice farms, and sushi restaurants, and imperial banquets from days gone by. Cherry blossom festivals, and the Spring Festival, and magpie bridges in July and August.
"I used to think they were unlucky to meet once a year." Japan told him quietly. "But I'd give anything for once a year now."
And to that he had nothing to say. But when he'd woken up from sleeping on the small bunk in the workroom, the chair was empty - and on the computer screen was a screen saver full of pictures of days gone by. As picture after picture of lost friends played, China found no tears to cry. Only an aching emptiness inside. A longing for what could never be.
Sealand came when England died. How the stubborn island had outlived some of the others, he wasn't positive. The artifical nation had wept on his shoulder, and fallen asleep in a bed that had once housed emperors. The next mornig he explained that he wanted to go to the spacestations. He'd asked him to come with him, and it had been tempting. Tempting to have companionship after months of wandering his empty lands. But they were still his lands. They weren't cold metal in colder emptiness. And in the end he'd sent him alone. Sealand had only looked at him in confusion as he boarded Shenzhou 21, and China had only gave him a sad smile. Because that cold metal was Sealand's legacy from the start, and there was noway to explain it to him. Explain the feeling of being connected to a land that was alive, and thrummed with an energy so different from electrical currents or nuclear fission.
And his lands were alive. Dormant, but alive. And there were still humans alive, struggling in the wasteland that had once been teeming with life. And even if they weren't his, he felt responsible for them. Because there was 194 shrines that he placed bits of rice and soybean at each month. And the names of friends and family now gone etched in languages that will soon be forgotten by history. And they may be his people, someday. When the world and they recover enough to travel again. And renew an age old cycle that even he is too young to remember the start of. And when, in the Spring, rain fell clear from the skies instead of black, China stood in the falling water, and was not completely surprised when the tears finally came.
I hope this does your prompt justice. I left Sealand alive, der...but he's up in the spacestation, so China is still alone. If nobody understands what happened to the world, just look up the Yellowstone Super Volcano. I really didn't intend any pairings, but I suppose if you squint it looks a bit like Japan/China in there.
But this story... oh god, it is so amazing. A very sad tale of China.
Sealand had only looked at him in confusion as he boarded Shenzhou 21, and China had only gave him a sad smile. Because that cold metal was Sealand's legacy from the start, and there was noway to explain it to him. Explain the feeling of being connected to a land that was alive, and thrummed with an energy so different from electrical currents or nuclear fission. Oh, Chinas reasoning. I think its great that Sealand lived, as you can show the contrast.
And when, in the Spring, rain fell clear from the skies instead of black, China stood in the falling water, and was not completely surprised when the tears finally came. That part... so sad. I imagine China as a nation who is very stoic and wouldn't cry often but when he did cry it was because of relief...
Re: Dormant (1b/1)
anonymous
June 7 2011, 19:55:40 UTC
Wow, this is amazing. Yeah, I kinda shudder at the thought of Yellowstone exploding too, but I think it won't happen for a while yet, so we're safe for now. (Of course the nations have a much larger window of time for it to happen in)
I especially like the mention of 194 shrines. There may be countries with more than one nation, but this number gets the idea around that China's completely alone in this world. How sad... I also like that China has taken responsibility for all the remaining humans because their own nations have gone away. It shows a kind of parent-child relationship between a human and his/her nation, so when your "parent" dies, you have to be adopted. Very nice work.
Re: Dormant (1b/1)
anonymous
August 26 2011, 07:38:40 UTC
This was a wonderful fill and I am very happy to have read it. Your descriptions are wonderful. And having it be the earth, an unstoppable force even to the nations...it was very moving.
Re: Dormant (1b/1)
anonymous
August 26 2011, 09:32:27 UTC
Anon, this is a beautiful fill. Alfred made me cry. Hell, they all made me cry. I realized what the disaster was when you mentioned Alfred was the one dying first. Honestly, I have watched documentary episodes about the Yellowstone, it is scary...
"I used to think they were unlucky to meet once a year." Japan told him quietly. "But I'd give anything for once a year now."
And to that he had nothing to say. But when he'd woken up from sleeping on the small bunk in the workroom, the chair was empty - and on the computer screen was a screen saver full of pictures of days gone by. As picture after picture of lost friends played, China found no tears to cry. Only an aching emptiness inside. A longing for what could never be.
Sealand came when England died. How the stubborn island had outlived some of the others, he wasn't positive. The artifical nation had wept on his shoulder, and fallen asleep in a bed that had once housed emperors. The next mornig he explained that he wanted to go to the spacestations. He'd asked him to come with him, and it had been tempting. Tempting to have companionship after months of wandering his empty lands. But they were still his lands. They weren't cold metal in colder emptiness. And in the end he'd sent him alone. Sealand had only looked at him in confusion as he boarded Shenzhou 21, and China had only gave him a sad smile. Because that cold metal was Sealand's legacy from the start, and there was noway to explain it to him. Explain the feeling of being connected to a land that was alive, and thrummed with an energy so different from electrical currents or nuclear fission.
And his lands were alive. Dormant, but alive. And there were still humans alive, struggling in the wasteland that had once been teeming with life. And even if they weren't his, he felt responsible for them. Because there was 194 shrines that he placed bits of rice and soybean at each month. And the names of friends and family now gone etched in languages that will soon be forgotten by history. And they may be his people, someday. When the world and they recover enough to travel again. And renew an age old cycle that even he is too young to remember the start of. And when, in the Spring, rain fell clear from the skies instead of black, China stood in the falling water, and was not completely surprised when the tears finally came.
I hope this does your prompt justice. I left Sealand alive, der...but he's up in the spacestation, so China is still alone. If nobody understands what happened to the world, just look up the Yellowstone Super Volcano. I really didn't intend any pairings, but I suppose if you squint it looks a bit like Japan/China in there.
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But this story... oh god, it is so amazing. A very sad tale of China.
Sealand had only looked at him in confusion as he boarded Shenzhou 21, and China had only gave him a sad smile. Because that cold metal was Sealand's legacy from the start, and there was noway to explain it to him. Explain the feeling of being connected to a land that was alive, and thrummed with an energy so different from electrical currents or nuclear fission. Oh, Chinas reasoning. I think its great that Sealand lived, as you can show the contrast.
And when, in the Spring, rain fell clear from the skies instead of black, China stood in the falling water, and was not completely surprised when the tears finally came. That part... so sad. I imagine China as a nation who is very stoic and wouldn't cry often but when he did cry it was because of relief...
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I especially like the mention of 194 shrines. There may be countries with more than one nation, but this number gets the idea around that China's completely alone in this world. How sad... I also like that China has taken responsibility for all the remaining humans because their own nations have gone away. It shows a kind of parent-child relationship between a human and his/her nation, so when your "parent" dies, you have to be adopted. Very nice work.
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