leave your shoes by the door
title: drabbles
author: konbini @ rihiten
fandom: axis powers hetalia
characters/pairings: hong kong, taiwan, england, mentions of america
warnings: none
summary: Four Five (five, this is me forgetting how to count) drabbles on colonial Hong Kong. Forgive the sloppiness (and any historical inaccuracies for that matter), I haven't written anything in a while. Ahahaha. Ha. ;;;
1. letters
Hong Kong writes his name the way Arthur has taught him to - quicker and more concise, but it is not what Yao had called him. Pen touches paper, lets ink sink in. Begins with a single horizontal line, (a habit Arthur found odd) but torn between striking down twice and drawing fragrance.
"What comes after H?"
He's not that stupid. He'd have trouble, too, if he had to write the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Chinese. Feels a hand giving him a pat on his shoulder. Bets the Brit wished he'd learn as fast as Jones did.
Nah, he's probably had more trouble with India.
Hong Kong is written 香港, which means fragrant harbor.
2. stop that, this isn't london
He'd pass by his ward everyday, even when he tries to lose him in the streets filled with tea shops, tai-pan and the smell of congee, Arthur would still be there, coat and all, cocking his hat and greeting him, "Good morning."
Good morning, good morning, he recites in his head, but he always finds himself saying "Jou-" before correcting himself with a bite of the tongue, a nod of the head and a "Good morning, Mr. Kirkland."
Arthur chuckles - Hong Kong thinks it's because of his funny accent. "I'd appreciate it if you'd stop reminding me of how old I am."
"But Mr. Kirkland-"
"Just Arthur, boy."
His apology is drowned out by rickshaws, merchants and women not in cheongsam.
3. visiting
Tells him to stand straight, chin up, speak only when spoken to, et cetera. Hong Kong nods; he is sure he has heard the same talk half a millennium ago. Arthur ruffles his dark locks, but realizes they don't have the slightest hint of blond. They arrive at a house vaguely familiar, doesn't know when and where he's seen it before. He fights the urge to scratch at where his collar touches his neck. A pale hand slides the paper door open, welcomes Arthur. Then him. Leave your shoes by the door, Kiku reminds them. Hong Kong wishes people would stop telling him things he already knew.
4. taipei to kowloon
Kiku-nii-chan is nice, Taiwan writes. (Relatively. Hardly.) He does not like it when I use Mandarin; it reminds him of gēge. I want to go h Nihongo is not so hard, it uses words I know, but - (He can't read the rest of the sentence - it's not in Cantonese.)
I can't move that well in a kimono. It gets itchy around the waist. They are better than corsets, though, or whatever those Westerners wear. By the way, do you know why some women tie their obi at the front? Brother won't tell me. He does not tell me a lot of things. Does Mr. Kirkland do the same? He goes to Kiku-nii-san's house sometimes. I have seen him. I know where you got your eyebrows now. I do not know what they talk about, it does not concern me. Do you know of a man named Braginsky It seems as though Mr. Jones also does not take well to brother. I pray that this ends on a good note. It will take some time, now that I have eight million more gods to pray to.
In any case, I am alive and well. Is Xiānggǎng doing his best, too? (A word is blotted out with angry brush strokes but it looks like - no, he knows it says) Freedom will come to us someday. Have faith.
(She had forgotten he still thirsts whereas she already had a taste.)
The short-lived Republic of Formosa, 1895.
5. re: crown colony hong kong, ca. 1945
"Give him back, Arthur."
"And I suppose you're just as willing to return half of Mexico."
"Kiku gave Taiwan back."
"That's because we made him, you git."
FDR is quoted saying "I do not want to be rude and unkind to the British, but in 1841, when you acquired Hong Kong, you did not acquire it by purchase."
Oliver Stanley, the then current British colonial secretary, snapped back, "Let me see, Mr. President, that was about the time of the Mexican War, wasn't it?"
author: konbini @ rihiten
fandom: axis powers hetalia
characters/pairings: hong kong, taiwan, england, mentions of america
warnings: none
summary: Four Five (five, this is me forgetting how to count) drabbles on colonial Hong Kong. Forgive the sloppiness (and any historical inaccuracies for that matter), I haven't written anything in a while. Ahahaha. Ha. ;;;
1. letters
Hong Kong writes his name the way Arthur has taught him to - quicker and more concise, but it is not what Yao had called him. Pen touches paper, lets ink sink in. Begins with a single horizontal line, (a habit Arthur found odd) but torn between striking down twice and drawing fragrance.
"What comes after H?"
He's not that stupid. He'd have trouble, too, if he had to write the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Chinese. Feels a hand giving him a pat on his shoulder. Bets the Brit wished he'd learn as fast as Jones did.
Nah, he's probably had more trouble with India.
Hong Kong is written 香港, which means fragrant harbor.
2. stop that, this isn't london
He'd pass by his ward everyday, even when he tries to lose him in the streets filled with tea shops, tai-pan and the smell of congee, Arthur would still be there, coat and all, cocking his hat and greeting him, "Good morning."
Good morning, good morning, he recites in his head, but he always finds himself saying "Jou-" before correcting himself with a bite of the tongue, a nod of the head and a "Good morning, Mr. Kirkland."
Arthur chuckles - Hong Kong thinks it's because of his funny accent. "I'd appreciate it if you'd stop reminding me of how old I am."
"But Mr. Kirkland-"
"Just Arthur, boy."
His apology is drowned out by rickshaws, merchants and women not in cheongsam.
3. visiting
Tells him to stand straight, chin up, speak only when spoken to, et cetera. Hong Kong nods; he is sure he has heard the same talk half a millennium ago. Arthur ruffles his dark locks, but realizes they don't have the slightest hint of blond. They arrive at a house vaguely familiar, doesn't know when and where he's seen it before. He fights the urge to scratch at where his collar touches his neck. A pale hand slides the paper door open, welcomes Arthur. Then him. Leave your shoes by the door, Kiku reminds them. Hong Kong wishes people would stop telling him things he already knew.
4. taipei to kowloon
Kiku-nii-chan is nice, Taiwan writes. (Relatively. Hardly.) He does not like it when I use Mandarin; it reminds him of gēge. I want to go h Nihongo is not so hard, it uses words I know, but - (He can't read the rest of the sentence - it's not in Cantonese.)
I can't move that well in a kimono. It gets itchy around the waist. They are better than corsets, though, or whatever those Westerners wear. By the way, do you know why some women tie their obi at the front? Brother won't tell me. He does not tell me a lot of things. Does Mr. Kirkland do the same? He goes to Kiku-nii-san's house sometimes. I have seen him. I know where you got your eyebrows now. I do not know what they talk about, it does not concern me. Do you know of a man named Braginsky It seems as though Mr. Jones also does not take well to brother. I pray that this ends on a good note. It will take some time, now that I have eight million more gods to pray to.
In any case, I am alive and well. Is Xiānggǎng doing his best, too? (A word is blotted out with angry brush strokes but it looks like - no, he knows it says) Freedom will come to us someday. Have faith.
(She had forgotten he still thirsts whereas she already had a taste.)
The short-lived Republic of Formosa, 1895.
5. re: crown colony hong kong, ca. 1945
"Give him back, Arthur."
"And I suppose you're just as willing to return half of Mexico."
"Kiku gave Taiwan back."
"That's because we made him, you git."
FDR is quoted saying "I do not want to be rude and unkind to the British, but in 1841, when you acquired Hong Kong, you did not acquire it by purchase."
Oliver Stanley, the then current British colonial secretary, snapped back, "Let me see, Mr. President, that was about the time of the Mexican War, wasn't it?"