I've seen your flag on the marble arch

[colonial]

Characters: America, open
Setting: floor thirty-two, post-event
Format: action
Summary: America doesn't handle the aftermath well.
Warnings: sad baby nation


[America wanted to believe he'd been having nightmares, which wasn't a rare occurrence in the Tower. He could almost believe it, almost force it to be true with the sheer will of his desire for it to be true. Childishly, he thought that just because he wanted things to be a certain way they would be, should be. America had huddled in the corner under his bed for hours just wishing.

Then, crawling out, he'd found the flag. It was folded far more neatly than America knew he'd ever be able to manage. Even folded up like this, though, he knew what it was. White and red and it had to be England's flag, it had to be, and America had spent the whole week--

America's wishes for nightmares shattered. He clutched the flag and he ran.

He wasn't sure how many stairs he'd run and stumbled and tumbled down--hundred or thousands, maybe. His knees were scraped up and he could hardly see for the crying, but he didn't stop until he reached the floating island of floor thirty-two, and even then it was only to leap over and run off into the woods, looking all the world like a terrified, vulnerable fawn who'd for the first time heard gunshots.

He tucks himself away under a large tree--nestled in between roots, he drapes the flag over his knees as best he can. It's bigger than he is, and he can't quite unfold it the entire way, but he's just getting it wet sobbing into it anyway, so it probably doesn't matter.]

I wa-want-- [He gulps in air. He wants England, but he can't--can't go find him, after that week.] I wanna go home!

Comments

[secretcharm]

[[She'd heard the crying when she entered the forest floor, and had to wonder who it was. They didn't sound very old, so it probably wasn't an adult. And if that was the case, then it would...probably be safe to find this person? Of course, after the week she had, she still wasn't sure.

But...she was there, and so she looked anyway. And when she found the little nation--]]

...what's wrong?

[[She'd missed the demand to go home, so she wasn't sure why he was crying. She crouched down next to him, wrapping her arms around her knees and waiting for a reply.]]

[colonial]

[America swallows up air again as he tries to speak around his tears.] I got turned into a scary thing and it hurt and I did bad stuff and now I've got this [America clutches the English flag tighter in his fists] and I hate this place and I wanna go home!

[secretcharm]

[[Frowning, Yuka plops down beside him now, looking the flag over and looking the boy over and just...well it makes her want to cry too. But that won't help anything!]]

I-it's okay! I mean...it'll be okay! [[She kind of pats his head a little.]] I promise!

[colonial]

[America looks up at her--and rubs at his eyes to see her better.] You promise? [America gives such promises enough weight to at least consider it.] I've been stuck here for so long an' it's real bad--[He hiccups.] It's not okay at all!

[secretcharm]

I do! [[Because...well things have to get better eventually right?]]

Yuka hasn't been here very long but...there are lots of really nice people here. And they're really helpful. Even if they are kind of scary because they're all strangers. And um...

[[Oh! She knows what to do! The brunette starts digging in the pocket of her smock, eventually pulling something out and holding it out to him. In her palm is a little piece of paper rolled up with wax around the middle to close it. It smells a lot like caramel.]] Here! This will help too!

[colonial]

[America takes the paper and examines it, turning it over in his hands.] What is it? [He's calmed down enough that he's not quite crying anymore, at least.]

[secretcharm]

It's a special charm. [[She puts her hands in her lap, giving him a warm smile.]] It helps protect you from bad things, like spirits!

[colonial]

Really? [America's hand tightens around the charm at the mention of spirits.] There are a lot of spirits here. They're scary.

[secretcharm]

Really! [[...there are lots? She frowns a little, thinking back to that school.]]

Well...big brother and Yuka saw a bad ghost once, and it tried to attack him. And the charm Yuka gave him protect him! So I am sure it will work. No matter how scary they are!

[colonial]

[America looks at the charm thoughtfully for a while, then smiles a bit. It's shaky, and his eyes are red and puffy, but it's a start.]

You have a big brother, too? My big brother makes charms and things with magic.

[secretcharm]

[[And she smiles too, nodding.]]

Yeah! Though mine is just really lazy and forgetful. I'm always looking after him. [[He's such a pain sometimes!]]

[prayed]

[Kyoko is still reeling from the events that had just transpired. She can't accept that she should so readily betray her friends, to put on an act to fool them, to murder them in cold blood. In her weakness, she had allowed herself to be turned into one of the admins' pawns. Her rounds--up and down the tower, every day, even now, because it's better than sitting around and crying--come to a sudden halt at the sound of crying.

She searches until she find America, kneels down in front of the tree and tilts her head in order to watch him. This kid...he was part of their little experiment too, wasn't he? It breaks her heart to see. She frowns slightly, pushing aside her own problems for the moment in favor of speaking to him gently.]

...America?

[colonial]

[America hiccups and tries to swallow down his tears and unhappiness to speak, but it takes a few false starts and stumbling attempts before he manages. Even then, it's not helpful.]

W-wanna go home! Right now! I hate it here!

[prayed]

[Kyoko places one palm on the ground, leaning forward to try and stroke America's hair. She understands the feeling. Being dead would be better than being used like this, and so, it's a moment before she speaks.]

Hey. Crying won't solve anything, y'know.

[But even that attempt at shrugging it off with a simple scolding is half-hearted at best. She sighs, forcing herself to sound more confident than she feels.]

We're not gonna be trapped here forever, y'know. You've just gotta endure it for a little longer.