Perspective [1/5]
anonymous
May 21 2009, 15:01:30 UTC
Alternative title: Five nations you probably won't see in the webcomic.
1.Liberia is her father’s daughter, as quickly becomes apparent when she grows out of that roly-poly stage all nations go through and begins to shoot up in earnest. Although she is hardly fifty years old and just barely a teenager, she is tall and long-limbed and could use smaller full-grown nations as an armrest if she had the opportunity. Her neighbors despair of her - little Liberia dressed in her father’s fashions, baby Liberia who forgets that not all her was transplanted from American soil and who looks down her nose at her mother’s people
( ... )
Perspective [2/5]
anonymous
May 21 2009, 15:03:33 UTC
2.
At first the others do not believe.
Realization comes gradually. The stories their people tell them - their businessmen, their missionaries - become more and more horrific. By the time they stands in front of Kongo, all they can do is press a hand over their mouths (because they still have hands) and wordlessly shake their head.
“How are you any better?” Kongo knows he should ask, but his people are dying so quickly that he can’t keep count. He has no time for grand statements.
“You didn’t know,” he says instead.
The Europeans shake their heads again, more vehemently this time. “No,” one says. “I didn’t.”
Maybe it’s true and maybe it isn’t, but Kongo doesn’t blame them - not much, not really. He is too tired to be angry, and he knows Belgium and her king too well to doubt them completely.
Belgium is not the type to flaunt her king’s personal empire in plain sight. She is not a storybook villain perched daintily on a throne of rubber and severed limbs.
She is Leopold’s country and much too clever for that.
Perspective [3/5]
anonymous
May 21 2009, 15:05:20 UTC
3.
It is not a fair fight, and maybe if Ethiopia were a younger nation, she would give that a moment’s consideration.
As it is, she is ancient beyond ancient. She wears her age like a crown and moves with gravity and purpose, never wasting a single word or action.
She watches Italy’s armies stumbling blind and arrogant and helpless. She thinks - but does mention aloud - that they look like a sickness spreading across Abwa.
“Ebalgume,” she says once - quiet, as she always is, face expressionless and shoulders squared.
Reap, reap leaps from soldier to soldier like a battle cry.
Perspective [4/5]
anonymous
May 21 2009, 15:08:57 UTC
4.
“You’re a mess,” England says.
Kenya focuses on cleaning his wounds. Some of them are deep gashes - the Mau Mau and their machetes, and although he can’t die, being hacked half to pieces fucking hurts - and some are from England’s officers and settlers and interrogators, gunshots to his temples and glass cutting his insides and knives slicing off his ears.
England holds out a first aid kit, looking awkward and not quite guilty enough; Kenya glances at it and then ignores it. Instead he looks up at the other nation - at the circles under his eyes, the sag in his shoulders, the way his uniform seems so big.
Watching an empire crumble isn’t so tragic from this end of things.
“Maybe I’m a mess,” he says cheerfully, “but you look like shit.”
England glares at him - but this is not the nineteenth century and the world has turned upside-down many times over, so of course he doesn’t argue.
Perspective [5/5]
anonymous
May 21 2009, 15:22:18 UTC
5.
Ghana has never been quiet, but now he outdoes himself. They can hear the party in Europe, where they watch the sun set on empires that were never theirs in the first place and try to tell themselves that he is different, he is young, he is an exception.
Except his house is covered in red and yellow and green (his colors, his flag) and he has painted black stars on his face. He sees the others watching him from their windows, sees nations whose gaps between their many disparate people have been temporarily bridged by the promise of independence.
The maps are redrawing themselves and Europe is shutting its eyes and covering its ears as if that will make the world fall into line.
But that world's long gone, Ghana tells them. It's been crumbling since the beginning and no one even knew it.
Or maybe he just laughs and turns his back.
Too late, he thinks to the sound of empires crashing down. Too late.
--
1. Liberia was founded by Americans. 2. King Leopold’s Ghost should be on your reading list. 3. Abwa = Ethiopia kicking Italy
( ... )
Re: Perspective [5/5]
anonymous
May 21 2009, 22:39:06 UTC
Oh, author!anon--this is...magnificent. I think that's the word I want. I love the sparseness of your prose, the way you are by turns subtle and sharp. This is the sort of thing I got into this fandom for. Consider it bookmarked.
OP is thrilled
anonymous
May 22 2009, 13:06:09 UTC
This was not at all what I was imagining - *much* more coherent, poignant, and flat-out breathtaking. It's more history than hetalia, just through this faint lens of personhood that brings it closer, and I love that so much.
Re: Perspective [5/5]
anonymous
May 24 2009, 19:58:00 UTC
perfect, anon, just absolutely perfect. i agree, as a fifth of the entire world's land mass, there's deffinitely more to Africa than just Egypt and Seychelles. it's kind of hard to think of the whole scramble for Africa in terms of Hetalia on account of how un-Hetalia the whole thing was (imperialism wasn't really a joke). also, as a person whose entire family's from Ethiopia, i especially liked your take on the Italo-Abyssinian War (and your version of Ethiopia's exactly as i imagined she'd be).
Re: Perspective [5/5]
anonymous
May 25 2009, 23:51:33 UTC
I'm going to refrain from keysmashing in joy, because goddammit, Hetalia needs moar Africa-tans. Maybe there's a reluctance because of the tribes v. countries and border madness and stuff. Complex. Here's hoping more than Egypt and Seychelles get included. I want to see a Morocco-tan.
Also, I love love love how you portrayed Ethiopia: she is really the oldest nation in the world, and she knows it. Now I want to see her and China and Egypt having a talk.
captcha: implores already Gah too, too relevant, captcha. In so many ways.
Reply
1.Liberia is her father’s daughter, as quickly becomes apparent when she grows out of that roly-poly stage all nations go through and begins to shoot up in earnest. Although she is hardly fifty years old and just barely a teenager, she is tall and long-limbed and could use smaller full-grown nations as an armrest if she had the opportunity. Her neighbors despair of her - little Liberia dressed in her father’s fashions, baby Liberia who forgets that not all her was transplanted from American soil and who looks down her nose at her mother’s people ( ... )
Reply
At first the others do not believe.
Realization comes gradually. The stories their people tell them - their businessmen, their missionaries - become more and more horrific. By the time they stands in front of Kongo, all they can do is press a hand over their mouths (because they still have hands) and wordlessly shake their head.
“How are you any better?” Kongo knows he should ask, but his people are dying so quickly that he can’t keep count. He has no time for grand statements.
“You didn’t know,” he says instead.
The Europeans shake their heads again, more vehemently this time. “No,” one says. “I didn’t.”
Maybe it’s true and maybe it isn’t, but Kongo doesn’t blame them - not much, not really. He is too tired to be angry, and he knows Belgium and her king too well to doubt them completely.
Belgium is not the type to flaunt her king’s personal empire in plain sight. She is not a storybook villain perched daintily on a throne of rubber and severed limbs.
She is Leopold’s country and much too clever for that.
Reply
It is not a fair fight, and maybe if Ethiopia were a younger nation, she would give that a moment’s consideration.
As it is, she is ancient beyond ancient. She wears her age like a crown and moves with gravity and purpose, never wasting a single word or action.
She watches Italy’s armies stumbling blind and arrogant and helpless. She thinks - but does mention aloud - that they look like a sickness spreading across Abwa.
“Ebalgume,” she says once - quiet, as she always is, face expressionless and shoulders squared.
Reap, reap leaps from soldier to soldier like a battle cry.
Italy never has a chance.
Reply
“You’re a mess,” England says.
Kenya focuses on cleaning his wounds. Some of them are deep gashes - the Mau Mau and their machetes, and although he can’t die, being hacked half to pieces fucking hurts - and some are from England’s officers and settlers and interrogators, gunshots to his temples and glass cutting his insides and knives slicing off his ears.
England holds out a first aid kit, looking awkward and not quite guilty enough; Kenya glances at it and then ignores it. Instead he looks up at the other nation - at the circles under his eyes, the sag in his shoulders, the way his uniform seems so big.
Watching an empire crumble isn’t so tragic from this end of things.
“Maybe I’m a mess,” he says cheerfully, “but you look like shit.”
England glares at him - but this is not the nineteenth century and the world has turned upside-down many times over, so of course he doesn’t argue.
He can't.
Reply
Ghana has never been quiet, but now he outdoes himself. They can hear the party in Europe, where they watch the sun set on empires that were never theirs in the first place and try to tell themselves that he is different, he is young, he is an exception.
Except his house is covered in red and yellow and green (his colors, his flag) and he has painted black stars on his face. He sees the others watching him from their windows, sees nations whose gaps between their many disparate people have been temporarily bridged by the promise of independence.
The maps are redrawing themselves and Europe is shutting its eyes and covering its ears as if that will make the world fall into line.
But that world's long gone, Ghana tells them. It's been crumbling since the beginning and no one even knew it.
Or maybe he just laughs and turns his back.
Too late, he thinks to the sound of empires crashing down. Too late.
--
1. Liberia was founded by Americans. 2. King Leopold’s Ghost should be on your reading list. 3. Abwa = Ethiopia kicking Italy ( ... )
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Thank you, thank you anon!
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captcha says: of gaped, which is really appropriate.
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This is so powerful. I´m saving it to read again a thousand times.
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Also, I love love love how you portrayed Ethiopia: she is really the oldest nation in the world, and she knows it. Now I want to see her and China and Egypt having a talk.
captcha: implores already Gah too, too relevant, captcha. In so many ways.
Reply
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