(no subject)
Title: Durch Blut und Eisen: Холодно
Author: motsdejeva
Character(s): East Germany (Prussia), Russia
Rating: PG
Warnings: Possible OOCness, some historical inaccuracy
Previous Parts: 1, 2
Summary: A train ride from one cold place to another
Notes: Unlike the previous parts, this one-shot-ish thing does not really fit in anywhere specific as of yet.
They were on a train heading some place or another--the capitol. He'd long since lost track of their current position and hadn't bothered to try to find his way again--not with everything in letters that he knew but didn't want to acknowledge, lest they start becoming part of his own. At the last stop, he thought he saw those letters spell out something similar to Кали́нин, which would be a relief. His traveling companion was heavy.
Especially when the big bulk of mass was leaning against him, and he leaning into the wall and window of the train.
East tried to ignore the weight and find something else to keep his mind busy. There was only so much one could find to stare out at when the world was white and more flurries flew in confused flocks, swirling around the locomotive.
There were dozens of different words for "snow" in Russian, he'd heard once.
Couldn't even ask his companion if that was true as Russia was sound asleep. Had been so since the train had departed from the station in Ленинград heading for Москва.
... dear God, he was starting to think in Russian, wasn't he?
Thunking his head against the cool glass, East struggled not to wish the train was facing the opposite direction. At least then he'd be able to look in vain toward the direction of the Калинингра́дская о́бласть--Kaliningrad Oblast. What had once been East Prussia--
... haha, he used to be an East then, too.
Though he also used to be a North.
And before that, before that...
His right arm was numb, hand feeling pins and needles from the lack of bloodflow. The big oaf of a frozen bumpkin had been there for hours and didn't seem like he would be getting up anytime soon. How annoying, he thought dully to himself. Just why was he dragged all the way to this frozen wasteland when he had his own issues to worry about? Too many people being too clever and finding ways around the censoring and what intelligentsia that didn't flee back when the Wall was made, or was born recently causing fusses...
Gave him a headache.
Everything ached, really, if East was honest. Not that he ever was. He was still the awesome person he had always been, and he would refuse to let anyone see differently.
Except the monstrosity that was leaning and clinging to him like an overgrown child.
... suppose they both were in a way.
'Say, little Teuton. Is it cold where you're from?'
'Don't be stupid. Who would want to live in a place like this?'
'Ah... I'm not sure... the Horde seems to find it more convenient along the southern route. I've been alone up here...'
'--why would I care? Hey, convert already, you pagan bumpkin!'
'Ahhh--aahhh... T-Teuton, my nose...'
East snorted at the memory, feeling laughter bubbling up just before Russia surprisingly awake voice asked, "Did you see something amusing, East?"
He struggled not to jump clear out of the seat and out the window in surprise. "What?" he asked, mostly to give himself time to calm his racing heart--or what resembled it anyway, everything dulled and ached-- "No. No, just remembered something..."
"Tell me?"
Here, East paused and looked over to Russia. Watched him looking out the window himself, to the swirling snow outside. Either Russia wasn't all the way awake or he was in one of his rare calm and pensive moods that oddly struck whenever he was alone with East. Made curious by this but knowing better than to question it, he simply answered, "Just that time I shoved a Bible under your nose."
A long pause stretched.
Russia was shaking. Laughter?
"Haha," he said after another moment of that shaking, "East was an annoying crusader in those days~"
"It was my job," East answered petulantly, looking back out the window and face a bit red as he recalled how Lithuania and Poland had put an end to that particular era. "And besides, you just let me do it for the most part--"
"Your knights wouldn't have fallen and frozen if I had let you do anything."
The cruel reminder stifled any other comments East would have made then. Instead, the idea of those bodies still being somewhere down at the bottom of that frozen lake... preserved in the worst of ways...
"Say, East?"
"What is it?"
"Are you tired? It's a long journey."
"... we're already passed Kalinin. Not much longer to Moscow."
"Ehhh..." said Russia dully in consideration. "I'm not sure I believe you. And if the snow worsens, it will be a while yet."
"It always snows," East muttered to himself. "Where's the difference?"
In lieu of answering, Russia promptly switched their positions. Suddenly, East found himself falling--pulled--forward and clutching onto scarf and coat, keeping his eyes down and struggling to keep a lid on his temper. As it stood, a surprised, "W-w-what now?! Stop it!" escaped before he could stop himself. He even attempted to pull back and away--
Russia held on tightly... but not tight enough to stifle this time. Simply holding the captured German in place while he settled. "You need rest, tovarishch," he said, voice quietened and softened, large hand settling on East's brow. "You're not used to this severe of elements anymore, are you? And still so very weak--"
"I'm plenty recovered from that time--!" East protested, pride and embarrassment coming forth but then silenced by another hand pulling his head to a broad chest. It was surprisingly warm.
It was a simple command.
"Rest."
How East could ever rest when in the presence of that nation, he wasn't sure but one glance up at Russia showed that, again, the larger nation was looking back out the window, watching the snow drift and dance, mixing with the sounds of the train and its engine and wheels. In fact, after following his gaze out the window and listening for a time, East did start to feel himself relax. His eyes burned like his back did on occasions, particularly when the economy takes a turn for the worse. Sleep didn't seem like a terrible thing, but then again, that burning sensation was also because of the tears blurring his vision.
Russia was humming and softly singing an old song of his. East could remember it being a song sung during the last War, but this one at least didn't sound like something for the Red Army. Just a lilting song that seemed to match the jolts and swaying of the train.
"Vyetyer razvyeyet
Eh, da po zelyenu polyu
Ih udalyye pyesni
Proshlogo vryemeni pyesni..."
And he more than likely continued to do so the whole way back to Москва.
East wouldn't know. He drifted off somewhere around the part mentioning a field.
-fin.-
Ветер развеет
Зхб да по зелену полю
Их удалые песни
Прошлого времени песни
Vyetyer razvyeyet
Eh, da po zelyenu polyu
Ih udalyye pyesni
Proshlogo vryemeni pyesni...
The wind scatters your brave songs
Across the green field.
Songs of the past...
History | Translation
Russian (Cyrillic)Russian (Romanized)English
МоскваMoskvaMoscow
Холодноkholodno(it's) cold
Кали́нинKalininKalinin
Това́рищtovarishchcomrade
ЛенинградLeningradLeningrad
Калинингра́дская о́бластьKaliningradskaya oblastKaliningrad Oblast
ETA: I LIED, there are notes. You may notice that there are different names than the ones I have in my final notes.
-The name changes came with the fall of the Soviet Union, something that many nations who were once part of the Soviet Bloc did to bring back the cultural heritage of their native land.
Kalinin - This was the name Tver had from 1931 to 1990. Do not confuse it for Kaliningrad as it is landlocked and rather closer to Moscow than the former East Prussian exclave.
Leningrad - This was the name for Saint Petersburg from 1924 to 1991. This is also the very same Leningrad that was under siege throughout most of WWII, where 1/3 of the population died, literally starved to death as supplies were cut off from the city except via the path over Lake Ladoga when it was frozen.
-Battle of Lake Peipus, also known as the Battle of the Ice (1242) - Features the worst and most significant defeat for the Teutonic Order of Knights during its Northern Crusades against the Eastern Orthodox Christians, particularly those of the Novgorod Republic, during a time when the Russians were weakened by the Mongol and Swedish invasions. The Crusaders' numbers were bolstered by the Livonian Order (re: Estonia and Latvia). As is typical of any historic battle against Russia, the long winters in Russia provided an icy surface to fight, resulting in the Crusaders attempting to retreat before the Russian cavalry arrived. During the retreat and because of the weight of the knights and their armor, the ice began to crack and then split, resulting in many knights drowning.
Basically, no actual historical notes here. No real historical content for this part. (I don't even know if the train from St. Petersburg to Moscow has a stop at Tver (let alone if it did back in the Cold War era)... though looking at a map, you would assume so... since there's like nothing between Nizhny Novgorod and Tver.) Just a thing I wrote because I was thinking about those bits of fics I had been writing ages ago that kind of petered out. And then when I was catching up on canon again, I read a comment where someone said that Prussia was confirmed as Kaliningrad or something and I was like, "... but I like him as East Germany" and then had an idea of some sort of compromise.
What does this mean for East aka Prussia after the Wall falls? Well, I wonder. And I have an idea. But first I have to get back to writing the rest of this. :'D
Author: motsdejeva
Character(s): East Germany (Prussia), Russia
Rating: PG
Warnings: Possible OOCness, some historical inaccuracy
Previous Parts: 1, 2
Summary: A train ride from one cold place to another
Notes: Unlike the previous parts, this one-shot-ish thing does not really fit in anywhere specific as of yet.
They were on a train heading some place or another--the capitol. He'd long since lost track of their current position and hadn't bothered to try to find his way again--not with everything in letters that he knew but didn't want to acknowledge, lest they start becoming part of his own. At the last stop, he thought he saw those letters spell out something similar to Кали́нин, which would be a relief. His traveling companion was heavy.
Especially when the big bulk of mass was leaning against him, and he leaning into the wall and window of the train.
East tried to ignore the weight and find something else to keep his mind busy. There was only so much one could find to stare out at when the world was white and more flurries flew in confused flocks, swirling around the locomotive.
There were dozens of different words for "snow" in Russian, he'd heard once.
Couldn't even ask his companion if that was true as Russia was sound asleep. Had been so since the train had departed from the station in Ленинград heading for Москва.
... dear God, he was starting to think in Russian, wasn't he?
Thunking his head against the cool glass, East struggled not to wish the train was facing the opposite direction. At least then he'd be able to look in vain toward the direction of the Калинингра́дская о́бласть--Kaliningrad Oblast. What had once been East Prussia--
... haha, he used to be an East then, too.
Though he also used to be a North.
And before that, before that...
His right arm was numb, hand feeling pins and needles from the lack of bloodflow. The big oaf of a frozen bumpkin had been there for hours and didn't seem like he would be getting up anytime soon. How annoying, he thought dully to himself. Just why was he dragged all the way to this frozen wasteland when he had his own issues to worry about? Too many people being too clever and finding ways around the censoring and what intelligentsia that didn't flee back when the Wall was made, or was born recently causing fusses...
Gave him a headache.
Everything ached, really, if East was honest. Not that he ever was. He was still the awesome person he had always been, and he would refuse to let anyone see differently.
Except the monstrosity that was leaning and clinging to him like an overgrown child.
... suppose they both were in a way.
'Say, little Teuton. Is it cold where you're from?'
'Don't be stupid. Who would want to live in a place like this?'
'Ah... I'm not sure... the Horde seems to find it more convenient along the southern route. I've been alone up here...'
'--why would I care? Hey, convert already, you pagan bumpkin!'
'Ahhh--aahhh... T-Teuton, my nose...'
East snorted at the memory, feeling laughter bubbling up just before Russia surprisingly awake voice asked, "Did you see something amusing, East?"
He struggled not to jump clear out of the seat and out the window in surprise. "What?" he asked, mostly to give himself time to calm his racing heart--or what resembled it anyway, everything dulled and ached-- "No. No, just remembered something..."
"Tell me?"
Here, East paused and looked over to Russia. Watched him looking out the window himself, to the swirling snow outside. Either Russia wasn't all the way awake or he was in one of his rare calm and pensive moods that oddly struck whenever he was alone with East. Made curious by this but knowing better than to question it, he simply answered, "Just that time I shoved a Bible under your nose."
A long pause stretched.
Russia was shaking. Laughter?
"Haha," he said after another moment of that shaking, "East was an annoying crusader in those days~"
"It was my job," East answered petulantly, looking back out the window and face a bit red as he recalled how Lithuania and Poland had put an end to that particular era. "And besides, you just let me do it for the most part--"
"Your knights wouldn't have fallen and frozen if I had let you do anything."
The cruel reminder stifled any other comments East would have made then. Instead, the idea of those bodies still being somewhere down at the bottom of that frozen lake... preserved in the worst of ways...
"Say, East?"
"What is it?"
"Are you tired? It's a long journey."
"... we're already passed Kalinin. Not much longer to Moscow."
"Ehhh..." said Russia dully in consideration. "I'm not sure I believe you. And if the snow worsens, it will be a while yet."
"It always snows," East muttered to himself. "Where's the difference?"
In lieu of answering, Russia promptly switched their positions. Suddenly, East found himself falling--pulled--forward and clutching onto scarf and coat, keeping his eyes down and struggling to keep a lid on his temper. As it stood, a surprised, "W-w-what now?! Stop it!" escaped before he could stop himself. He even attempted to pull back and away--
Russia held on tightly... but not tight enough to stifle this time. Simply holding the captured German in place while he settled. "You need rest, tovarishch," he said, voice quietened and softened, large hand settling on East's brow. "You're not used to this severe of elements anymore, are you? And still so very weak--"
"I'm plenty recovered from that time--!" East protested, pride and embarrassment coming forth but then silenced by another hand pulling his head to a broad chest. It was surprisingly warm.
It was a simple command.
"Rest."
How East could ever rest when in the presence of that nation, he wasn't sure but one glance up at Russia showed that, again, the larger nation was looking back out the window, watching the snow drift and dance, mixing with the sounds of the train and its engine and wheels. In fact, after following his gaze out the window and listening for a time, East did start to feel himself relax. His eyes burned like his back did on occasions, particularly when the economy takes a turn for the worse. Sleep didn't seem like a terrible thing, but then again, that burning sensation was also because of the tears blurring his vision.
Russia was humming and softly singing an old song of his. East could remember it being a song sung during the last War, but this one at least didn't sound like something for the Red Army. Just a lilting song that seemed to match the jolts and swaying of the train.
"Vyetyer razvyeyet
Eh, da po zelyenu polyu
Ih udalyye pyesni
Proshlogo vryemeni pyesni..."
And he more than likely continued to do so the whole way back to Москва.
East wouldn't know. He drifted off somewhere around the part mentioning a field.
-fin.-
Ветер развеет
Зхб да по зелену полю
Их удалые песни
Прошлого времени песни
Vyetyer razvyeyet
Eh, da po zelyenu polyu
Ih udalyye pyesni
Proshlogo vryemeni pyesni...
The wind scatters your brave songs
Across the green field.
Songs of the past...
History | Translation
Russian (Cyrillic)Russian (Romanized)English
МоскваMoskvaMoscow
Холодноkholodno(it's) cold
Кали́нинKalininKalinin
Това́рищtovarishchcomrade
ЛенинградLeningradLeningrad
Калинингра́дская о́бластьKaliningradskaya oblastKaliningrad Oblast
ETA: I LIED, there are notes. You may notice that there are different names than the ones I have in my final notes.
-The name changes came with the fall of the Soviet Union, something that many nations who were once part of the Soviet Bloc did to bring back the cultural heritage of their native land.
Kalinin - This was the name Tver had from 1931 to 1990. Do not confuse it for Kaliningrad as it is landlocked and rather closer to Moscow than the former East Prussian exclave.
Leningrad - This was the name for Saint Petersburg from 1924 to 1991. This is also the very same Leningrad that was under siege throughout most of WWII, where 1/3 of the population died, literally starved to death as supplies were cut off from the city except via the path over Lake Ladoga when it was frozen.
-Battle of Lake Peipus, also known as the Battle of the Ice (1242) - Features the worst and most significant defeat for the Teutonic Order of Knights during its Northern Crusades against the Eastern Orthodox Christians, particularly those of the Novgorod Republic, during a time when the Russians were weakened by the Mongol and Swedish invasions. The Crusaders' numbers were bolstered by the Livonian Order (re: Estonia and Latvia). As is typical of any historic battle against Russia, the long winters in Russia provided an icy surface to fight, resulting in the Crusaders attempting to retreat before the Russian cavalry arrived. During the retreat and because of the weight of the knights and their armor, the ice began to crack and then split, resulting in many knights drowning.
Basically, no actual historical notes here. No real historical content for this part. (I don't even know if the train from St. Petersburg to Moscow has a stop at Tver (let alone if it did back in the Cold War era)... though looking at a map, you would assume so... since there's like nothing between Nizhny Novgorod and Tver.) Just a thing I wrote because I was thinking about those bits of fics I had been writing ages ago that kind of petered out. And then when I was catching up on canon again, I read a comment where someone said that Prussia was confirmed as Kaliningrad or something and I was like, "... but I like him as East Germany" and then had an idea of some sort of compromise.
What does this mean for East aka Prussia after the Wall falls? Well, I wonder. And I have an idea. But first I have to get back to writing the rest of this. :'D