[FANFIC] A Hundred (21-40)
A hundred fifty-word stories all related to Russia from APH in some way, that is.
The list of themes for the 100 themes challenge can be found here .
Be aware that I pair Russia with literally everyone in here. This will be updated...sometimes.
Some of these are cute, some are gory, some are depressing, and most are political.
----
21. Vacation
He hadn't realized that there was a downside to heat.
It was hot.
It was five days before Orthodox Christmas, and was hot.
America smiled, eyes radiant behind his fogged glasses.
"So. You miss your snow? You like L.A.?"
Russia's hand curled around America's right hip.
He did like L.A..
22. Mother Nature
The one who gave birth to all of them also has the power to destroy them.
As her blood is sucked away and burned, her bones are ground up, can one blame her if she strikes back with all of her might?
We don't want children that can't play nice.
23. Cat
There have been many strange creatures in the Kreml over the decades, human and others, but a tiger is new. Russia blinks at the cub. It blinks back and stretches out a clumsy paw to brush his fingers. Smiling, he turns to his Prime Minister.
"Will she be staying here?"
24. No Time
There is no time, there is never time for anything but a few fleeting touches between the fall and rise of kings and tsars and dictators. Centuries fly by like seconds, and every caress is over before it can start. Only in times of peace they can have each other.
25. Trouble Lurking
He never meant to be intimidating.
He smiled - people scattered like a flock of birds. He laughed - everyone reached for their guns. If he could, he would choose company over loneliness. They saw bad omens in him, and his presence as foreboding. Was it his fault trouble kept following him?
26. Tears
She doesn't know what to do. The syringe is clenched in her hand, filled with liquid absolution, but somehow, she hesitates.
This is no ordinary patient. She is almost inclined to...believe him.
"Please, believe me! I used to be a great empire, once! Please!"
Tears fall from his eyes.
27. Foreign
He has mastered the English language years ago. On hearing it, he knew it would be useful to learn. But when he registers the gleam in America's eyes as some traces of accent slip out after too many drinks, Russia makes an effort to forget some of the lessons again.
28. Sorrow
The pain makes his throat tight and his hands clench into fists, his eyes feel sore, his face wet and he wonders why it hurts so much.
He has no reason to break down like this, right? She wasn't even one of his own.
But she desperately wanted to be.
29. Happiness
He wraps the bandages around his arm, tightening the strips of linen and slowly stilling the blood that flows all the faster for the erratic hammering of his heart. The knife lies discarded by his bedside.
The bandages are becoming scarce fast, but he's happier now than he's ever been.
30. Under the Rain
The rain is pouring. It seems like floodgates have been opened in the mercury sky, water spilling on the streets and the people as they scurry back into their houses.
Rain - water, an infinity of water, everywhere.
He stands, arms open, soaked and freezing.
He waits.
Rain - wash my soul.
31. Flowers
A field, stretching far in every direction, yellow all around, brightening the day. He knows he can't stay here forever, he knows that all this splendour will whither and die come autumn, but he can keep a piece of the sunshine in his heart for when the snow comes back.
32. Night
The calm before the storm - that's an expression everyone knows.
But what about the calm after the storm? What about nights that are still and cold and black-blue, the air not thrumming with tension but drained of everything it once held?
It's night.
Russia is too tired to sleep.
33. Expectations
He doesn't know what he expected, fear or hatred or forgiveness or something else. He gets none of the first, some of the second and maybe a hint of the third. But something else predominates in former - former - Prussia's gaze when they meet again twenty years after the chain reaction.
34. Stars
They're white, colourless, he tries to tell himself. But there is a corner of his head, a number of his people, that would like to disagree. Old and young, they long for a past that has not been all bad. He can hear the shouting again.
"Red! Red!" they scream.
35. Hold My Hand
„Hold my hand," he says,"I will teach you."
He has spoken these words countless times, since the first of his people laced knives to their boots and went to the frozen rivers. But as pale, strong fingers determinedly clasp his own, he knows that this time will be special.
36. Precious Treasure
Are all rare things precious and all precious things rare?
Diamonds are nothing but carbon, as are our bodies - blood, flesh and bone.
Amber is nothing but resin, the blood of trees hardened by aeons of untold pressure.
Lithuania's amber is anything but rare, but it is more than precious.
37. Eyes
His eyes, wide, violet and surreal, are set in snowy skin and outlined with cast shadows, and if they looked closer before running away, they could see the spark of sunset-sunrise that means real happiness.
What good are windows to the soul when no one dares look through them?
38. Abandoned
He has abandoned ideas, ideals, ideologies for the sake of them.
For the sake of his soul, if he has one.
For the sake of the world, if it isn't doomed already.
For the sake of God.
If He exists.
If He cares.
He has abandoned, for better or worse.
39. Dreams
Once, I asked him what his dream was. He looked away, and whispered I would not like the answer.
Oh, but I am terribly curious, you see.
When I insisted on it, he finally answered.
"I dream that you are dead and gone, and can never hurt me again."
Oh.
40. Rated
Rated as a threat. Rated as obsolete. Rated as functional. Overrated. X-rated.
America loves nothing more than to rate, to define, to classify.
Russia hates nothing more than being examined.
He doesn't let himself be labeled.
He doesn't make any sense.
He's the biggest threat and the greatest fascination.
----
Explanations:
23: Putin got a tiger cub for his birthday. That's equal levels of "awww" and "wtf". I love IRL Russias.
28: Catherine The Great. Again. Seems she wanted to become Russian but was actually born Prussian.
34: As a good Russia fan, of course you know what "Red Star" means.
35: Plushenko who? I could be referring to any Russian ice skater. (Oh who am I kidding, of course it's him!)
The list of themes for the 100 themes challenge can be found here .
Be aware that I pair Russia with literally everyone in here. This will be updated...sometimes.
Some of these are cute, some are gory, some are depressing, and most are political.
----
21. Vacation
He hadn't realized that there was a downside to heat.
It was hot.
It was five days before Orthodox Christmas, and was hot.
America smiled, eyes radiant behind his fogged glasses.
"So. You miss your snow? You like L.A.?"
Russia's hand curled around America's right hip.
He did like L.A..
22. Mother Nature
The one who gave birth to all of them also has the power to destroy them.
As her blood is sucked away and burned, her bones are ground up, can one blame her if she strikes back with all of her might?
We don't want children that can't play nice.
23. Cat
There have been many strange creatures in the Kreml over the decades, human and others, but a tiger is new. Russia blinks at the cub. It blinks back and stretches out a clumsy paw to brush his fingers. Smiling, he turns to his Prime Minister.
"Will she be staying here?"
24. No Time
There is no time, there is never time for anything but a few fleeting touches between the fall and rise of kings and tsars and dictators. Centuries fly by like seconds, and every caress is over before it can start. Only in times of peace they can have each other.
25. Trouble Lurking
He never meant to be intimidating.
He smiled - people scattered like a flock of birds. He laughed - everyone reached for their guns. If he could, he would choose company over loneliness. They saw bad omens in him, and his presence as foreboding. Was it his fault trouble kept following him?
26. Tears
She doesn't know what to do. The syringe is clenched in her hand, filled with liquid absolution, but somehow, she hesitates.
This is no ordinary patient. She is almost inclined to...believe him.
"Please, believe me! I used to be a great empire, once! Please!"
Tears fall from his eyes.
27. Foreign
He has mastered the English language years ago. On hearing it, he knew it would be useful to learn. But when he registers the gleam in America's eyes as some traces of accent slip out after too many drinks, Russia makes an effort to forget some of the lessons again.
28. Sorrow
The pain makes his throat tight and his hands clench into fists, his eyes feel sore, his face wet and he wonders why it hurts so much.
He has no reason to break down like this, right? She wasn't even one of his own.
But she desperately wanted to be.
29. Happiness
He wraps the bandages around his arm, tightening the strips of linen and slowly stilling the blood that flows all the faster for the erratic hammering of his heart. The knife lies discarded by his bedside.
The bandages are becoming scarce fast, but he's happier now than he's ever been.
30. Under the Rain
The rain is pouring. It seems like floodgates have been opened in the mercury sky, water spilling on the streets and the people as they scurry back into their houses.
Rain - water, an infinity of water, everywhere.
He stands, arms open, soaked and freezing.
He waits.
Rain - wash my soul.
31. Flowers
A field, stretching far in every direction, yellow all around, brightening the day. He knows he can't stay here forever, he knows that all this splendour will whither and die come autumn, but he can keep a piece of the sunshine in his heart for when the snow comes back.
32. Night
The calm before the storm - that's an expression everyone knows.
But what about the calm after the storm? What about nights that are still and cold and black-blue, the air not thrumming with tension but drained of everything it once held?
It's night.
Russia is too tired to sleep.
33. Expectations
He doesn't know what he expected, fear or hatred or forgiveness or something else. He gets none of the first, some of the second and maybe a hint of the third. But something else predominates in former - former - Prussia's gaze when they meet again twenty years after the chain reaction.
34. Stars
They're white, colourless, he tries to tell himself. But there is a corner of his head, a number of his people, that would like to disagree. Old and young, they long for a past that has not been all bad. He can hear the shouting again.
"Red! Red!" they scream.
35. Hold My Hand
„Hold my hand," he says,"I will teach you."
He has spoken these words countless times, since the first of his people laced knives to their boots and went to the frozen rivers. But as pale, strong fingers determinedly clasp his own, he knows that this time will be special.
36. Precious Treasure
Are all rare things precious and all precious things rare?
Diamonds are nothing but carbon, as are our bodies - blood, flesh and bone.
Amber is nothing but resin, the blood of trees hardened by aeons of untold pressure.
Lithuania's amber is anything but rare, but it is more than precious.
37. Eyes
His eyes, wide, violet and surreal, are set in snowy skin and outlined with cast shadows, and if they looked closer before running away, they could see the spark of sunset-sunrise that means real happiness.
What good are windows to the soul when no one dares look through them?
38. Abandoned
He has abandoned ideas, ideals, ideologies for the sake of them.
For the sake of his soul, if he has one.
For the sake of the world, if it isn't doomed already.
For the sake of God.
If He exists.
If He cares.
He has abandoned, for better or worse.
39. Dreams
Once, I asked him what his dream was. He looked away, and whispered I would not like the answer.
Oh, but I am terribly curious, you see.
When I insisted on it, he finally answered.
"I dream that you are dead and gone, and can never hurt me again."
Oh.
40. Rated
Rated as a threat. Rated as obsolete. Rated as functional. Overrated. X-rated.
America loves nothing more than to rate, to define, to classify.
Russia hates nothing more than being examined.
He doesn't let himself be labeled.
He doesn't make any sense.
He's the biggest threat and the greatest fascination.
----
Explanations:
23: Putin got a tiger cub for his birthday. That's equal levels of "awww" and "wtf". I love IRL Russias.
28: Catherine The Great. Again. Seems she wanted to become Russian but was actually born Prussian.
34: As a good Russia fan, of course you know what "Red Star" means.
35: Plushenko who? I could be referring to any Russian ice skater. (Oh who am I kidding, of course it's him!)