Used to life at Russia's place, Liet's forgotten what decent standards of living are like. America catches him in some heartbreaking slip (examples: cooking but not eating because he doesn't have permission, misinterpreting a harmless comment to mean that Awful Things are going to happen to him, sleeping on the floor) and sets him straight, horrified.
Bonus: America is initially oblivious, and it's been going on for awhile before he realizes it.
Off the Boat (5/?)
anonymous
November 25 2010, 04:28:38 UTC
It's the Thanksgiving Online Drought now here in America, and I have to be up early to go help at a Salvation Army Thanksgiving Lunch, so naturally this part just kept getting longer. Happy Thanksgiving, American!anons, and Happy Thursday to everyone else. =DAmerica spends the rest of the meal outlining Lithuania's housekeeping duties: cooking, cleaning the spaces America uses (in other words, Lithuania mentally translates, Keep Out of the Storage) except for the study, and doing the dishes and the laundry. "I'd like it if you'd help me weed the garden," America says, a little wistful, and Lithuania nods dutifully. In the winter they'll share the duty of keeping the furnace running: "It's a lot of work," America says. "I wouldn't want you to have to do it alone
( ... )
Off the Boat (6a/?)
anonymous
November 25 2010, 04:30:22 UTC
*
America invites Lithuania to sit with him in the living room after they've finished the dishes. Lithuania keeps expecting alcohol to pop up, forgetting over and over again that America has banned alcoholic beverages, so he's somewhere between resigned and confused when America does produce a bottle of wine. "France gave this to me," America says, conspiratorial, "and told me to save it for a special occasion. I think this counts!" He hands the bottle to Lithuania and goes to find a wine key.
The Baltic nation studies the label; the bottle is almost the same age as America, or at least his independence from Britain, he realizes, and wonders if America is just really stupid about wine or if he's really that happy Lithuania has come to his home. When America reappears, triumphant ("Hah! I knew I hid it in the pan drawer!") and two crystal glasses in hand, Lithuania returns the bottle wordlessly. "Are you sure you don't want to save this for something else?" he asks
( ... )
Re: Off the Boat (6b/?)
anonymous
November 25 2010, 09:12:18 UTC
That last little bit was like being kicked in the teeth, off a bridge into a glacial lake and then somehow getting run over by a whale. Seriously, ouch.
Re: Off the Boat (6b/?)
anonymous
November 25 2010, 20:52:33 UTC
Oh my God, this is fantastic! Your characterisation of Alfred is a lot different to my headcanon, but it's still really amazing to read. And Liet...he's just so amazingly written. It's like you've crawled inside his head. The whole narrative is so vivid and engaging.
Off the Boat (7a/?)
anonymous
November 26 2010, 03:41:26 UTC
At five-fifty in the morning, Lithuania fumbles around America's kitchen in search of coffee grounds. The hum of the refrigerator is foreign and distracting, but it reminds him that America's kitchen is wired with electricity and saves him the embarrassment of trying to figure out how to light the stove; the water is already starting to simmer, and Lithuania still can't find the coffee. He should have asked where it was last night, but it had been hard enough to concentrate on America's half-English half-Lithuanian babble. He shouldn't have drunk the wine, but what else was he supposed to do? He couldn't very well turn it down
( ... )
Off the Boat (7b/?)
anonymous
November 26 2010, 03:43:10 UTC
The newspaper sits innocuously at his feet. Lithuania gathers himself, picks it up, and makes note of the new rule (1. Don't go into the study, 2. Don't get into the storage, 3. Don't talk to America before he's had coffee) before stepping back inside.
America is standing in the foyer, looking nonplussed. Lithuania speaks before he can, recovered enough to smile again. "Shall I add 'coffee grounds' to the grocery list?" He hands America his paper.
America smiles back, probably on reflex. "I like Maxwell House best."
"I'll make note of it," Lithuania says smoothly. What's Maxwell House? He hopes it's a type of coffee he's never heard of before. Ah well, he won't be shopping for it without America yet, so perhaps he'll find out soon: no need to panic. "Is there anything else you want me to do before you go to work
( ... )
Off the Boat (interlude)
anonymous
November 26 2010, 04:45:50 UTC
Dear Polska,
I hope this letter finds you well.
I have safely arrived at America's house. It's very large, although not as large as Russia's home, and much warmer. The room he provided me with overlooks the garden. It's very well-tended [something is scribbled out here]. Much of it is pink with pansies. I guess they grow very well on their own in this climate
( ... )
Re: Off the Boat (interlude)
anonymous
November 26 2010, 07:16:16 UTC
I dearly miss Vilnius. Speaking of which, you should give that back.
... Am I a horrible person for actually cracking up at that? (Way to go for actually remembering that Lithuania and Poland weren't in speaking terms at the time, btw.)
Whoah, you actually included a bilingual pun. :D I never really expect people to use the more "obscure" languages in fics so I'm always pleasantly surprised.
I love America, he's so cute and IC. <3
I didn't know Russian coffee was especially strong... I thought they drink more tea. Or did you just mean it as in strong for Russian? Or is it just that I didn't know? xD; Not that I'm an expert in Russia or anything, never even been there despite living like 250km from its border. (I really need to visit one of these days...)
writer!anon
anonymous
November 28 2010, 06:06:38 UTC
=D I'm glad you enjoyed the pun! When I read the pronunciation of 'Aciu' I was highly amused and couldn't resist. Regarding Poland and Lithuania not being on speaking terms: I thought I would have a few parts of this fic dedicated to that diplomatic fiasco, but when I found out Poland invaded Lithuania so early on in their independence I was shocked! I thought it happened in the mid-20's.
I don't know anything about Russian coffee and completely made assumptions that they even had coffee. There's a complete dearth of information regarding the living conditions in Russia during the Soviet regime. However, I'm sure that Russia did not have Maxwell House (lol) and probably had different grinding methods so the coffee would taste very different from American coffee. So, yeah, I'm definitely not the end-all-be-all of knowledge on this ... sorry if it was misleading. :( Also for rambling at length here, er.
Re: Off the Boat (interlude)
anonymous
November 26 2010, 09:35:46 UTC
Ahaha, I seriously had a gleegasm at the Lithuanian-English pun. xD And "I dearly miss Vilnius. Speaking of which, you should give that back" was gleegasm number 2. Seriously anon, you're not making my language and history geek attacks any better.
I feel so bad for Liet, I hate that uncertain feeling when you don't know where the boundaries are. And it's worse for him, because he doesn't know that America has no boundaries. xP
I never knew that the Lithuanian language wouldn't have survived but for book smuggling! I must try harder to understand its insane awesome Baltic grammar system.
Re: Off the Boat (interlude)
anonymous
November 26 2010, 12:38:01 UTC
I think this fill is excellent. It's one of my favorite currently on-going on the meme and after a drought where nothing perked my interest, I can't begin to tell you how welcome it is. Your charecterization is spot-on with America - friendly, eager, intelligent, and yet still so young and naive. You also really make us feel for Lithuania, and I very much appreciate all the research into little things like the pun and so on. Also, the feel of the environment is perfect and I love that. I love the details about things like the new fridge and so on; historical setting details like that are a huge kink for me!
http://hetalia-kink.livejournal.com/3274.html?thread=3253194#t3253194
Used to life at Russia's place, Liet's forgotten what decent standards of living are like. America catches him in some heartbreaking slip (examples: cooking but not eating because he doesn't have permission, misinterpreting a harmless comment to mean that Awful Things are going to happen to him, sleeping on the floor) and sets him straight, horrified.
Bonus: America is initially oblivious, and it's been going on for awhile before he realizes it.
Reply
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America invites Lithuania to sit with him in the living room after they've finished the dishes. Lithuania keeps expecting alcohol to pop up, forgetting over and over again that America has banned alcoholic beverages, so he's somewhere between resigned and confused when America does produce a bottle of wine. "France gave this to me," America says, conspiratorial, "and told me to save it for a special occasion. I think this counts!" He hands the bottle to Lithuania and goes to find a wine key.
The Baltic nation studies the label; the bottle is almost the same age as America, or at least his independence from Britain, he realizes, and wonders if America is just really stupid about wine or if he's really that happy Lithuania has come to his home. When America reappears, triumphant ("Hah! I knew I hid it in the pan drawer!") and two crystal glasses in hand, Lithuania returns the bottle wordlessly. "Are you sure you don't want to save this for something else?" he asks ( ... )
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Or if not, will you allow me to marry your fic?
I looooooove this. The psychological aspect of it is perfect and I love the sense of time. (High-tech refrigerators and Prohibition! Ahh!)
Can't wait to read more! And happy Thanksgiving to you too! ^^
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captcha: commie mom. what
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this fic is quite intrigung on how it will play out.
i will be camping for a bit here XD
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Please update soon! I will make camp.
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America is standing in the foyer, looking nonplussed. Lithuania speaks before he can, recovered enough to smile again. "Shall I add 'coffee grounds' to the grocery list?" He hands America his paper.
America smiles back, probably on reflex. "I like Maxwell House best."
"I'll make note of it," Lithuania says smoothly. What's Maxwell House? He hopes it's a type of coffee he's never heard of before. Ah well, he won't be shopping for it without America yet, so perhaps he'll find out soon: no need to panic. "Is there anything else you want me to do before you go to work ( ... )
Reply
I hope this letter finds you well.
I have safely arrived at America's house. It's very large, although not as large as Russia's home, and much warmer. The room he provided me with overlooks the garden. It's very well-tended [something is scribbled out here]. Much of it is pink with pansies. I guess they grow very well on their own in this climate ( ... )
Reply
... Am I a horrible person for actually cracking up at that? (Way to go for actually remembering that Lithuania and Poland weren't in speaking terms at the time, btw.)
Whoah, you actually included a bilingual pun. :D I never really expect people to use the more "obscure" languages in fics so I'm always pleasantly surprised.
I love America, he's so cute and IC. <3
I didn't know Russian coffee was especially strong... I thought they drink more tea. Or did you just mean it as in strong for Russian? Or is it just that I didn't know? xD; Not that I'm an expert in Russia or anything, never even been there despite living like 250km from its border. (I really need to visit one of these days...)
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I don't know anything about Russian coffee and completely made assumptions that they even had coffee. There's a complete dearth of information regarding the living conditions in Russia during the Soviet regime. However, I'm sure that Russia did not have Maxwell House (lol) and probably had different grinding methods so the coffee would taste very different from American coffee. So, yeah, I'm definitely not the end-all-be-all of knowledge on this ... sorry if it was misleading. :( Also for rambling at length here, er.
I'm glad you're enjoying this!
Reply
I feel so bad for Liet, I hate that uncertain feeling when you don't know where the boundaries are. And it's worse for him, because he doesn't know that America has no boundaries. xP
I never knew that the Lithuanian language wouldn't have survived but for book smuggling! I must try harder to understand its insane awesome Baltic grammar system.
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Looking forward to the next part!
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