Post by Japan on Nov 9, 2010 9:37:30 GMT -6
OriginoftheSun: Signing the last line of his name and, more importantly, his title, Kiku stared at the paper on the table before him. Unconditional... surrender. For the first time in his entire existence. Wordlessly, he handed the page to the courier before him. This was not his decision... The generals and leaders of his army and navy determined that it was not worth continuing the fight... the Glory and Power of the Empire of the Sun was not worth the lives lost, and the resources that they were running out of. Morale was wavering - the boys wanted to go home. They were tired, sick, injured, and didn't want to continue. This was /not/ his decision. One of the Allied Powers would be here shortly... Not that they had far to travel, at this point. The proud nation walked slowly, deliberately, to the wall where his ornamental sword was hanging and pulled the blade from its mount. With a face that showed nothing, betrayed nothing, displayed nothing but iron will and determination, he knelt beside the window, behind the desk and away from the door and unsheathed the weapon. This wouldn't be the first time... but he hoped it would be his last.
UnitedStatesofME: It was over, the war was finally over. With the Pacific theatre being his own war, he had been asked to go finalize the decision of full, unconditional surrender. His own troops were beginning to pull from the warfront to go back home, despite also wanting to go home himself knew there was more business to be taken care of. What Alfred still to that day didn't understand...Was howJa-...No, Kiku turned into what he was. The Empire of the Sun. The mass reign of terror that made the German army look like a bunch of softies. They were following orders, but from what he had been told about what had been happening, and from the own battles on the Pacific warfront...It still made no sense. Hopefully...He would be able to figure out what had caused Kiku to snap like he had. Hearing the quiet creak of wood underneath his boots, eyes glancing up at the sliding door. "....." Not saying a word, he gave a quiet rap to the wooden frame and waited.
OriginoftheSun: Only a moment after hearing the bootsteps on the creaking wooden floor, Japan gasped quietly and dropped his tantou, the bloodied steel clattering to the floor as he pressed his hands over the wound instinctively, though helplessly. The red stained the front of his white uniform - still crisp, clean, impeccible but for the blood on his abdomen - and he took only shallow, shuddering breaths. Gods, he had forgotten how this /hurt/... but there was no other option. As his head grew lighter far quicker than he would have thought, he fell forward on the floor, still gasping for short breaths that he knew would soon stop. Whoever had come to take him... The defeated empire hoped that he enjoyed what he saw when he walked in.
UnitedStatesofME: "Hello? Anyone h-...?" His voice was cut off at the quiet sign of clanging metal falling on the wooden floor, eyes widening and dialating behind his glasses. "Oh no..." Whispering quickly, he took off into a full sprint through the house, opening each door and checking each room. As much as he tried to remain calm...It was hard too when the sound of falling metal was clearly present. Finally opening the door to the office, it was much to quiet....Carefully stepping inside and looking around the bigger space, his eyes carefully glanced around the room before he spotted traces of a pool of blood on the floor. Face paling, he ran behind the desk; stunned being the understatement of what he saw. "Oh g-..." Head rapidly shaking, he knelt down beside him and carefully pushed him on his back so he could check the wound.
OriginoftheSun: As he felt steady hands on him, turning him to face the light again, he blinked, dilated pupils and glazed eyes trying to focus and clear, his mind begging for shock to set in. He saw dark blond hair and vivid, almost frantic blue eyes, and closed his eyes, his breathing steadying slightly, though still shallow. "Sh-shujinko wa kore o... shina.. katta," he breathed calmly, licking his lips. He was tasting blood... and something warm and wet was running down his cheek. It appeared as though he got his lung... Well, that would make this process considerably faster. Swallowing the bubble of guilt that rose with a sputter of blood, he coughed weakly, opening his eyes and looking up at Alfred. So naive... so /stupid/ he was. This was the younger nation's fault. Perhaps after this... perhaps he would learn. "...teokureda... Alfred..."
UnitedStatesofME: "......." He didn't even bother to try and understand what he was saying, all he knew what that he needed to work fast. He at least had to stop the bloodflow so he could get the other help, damn it... This isn't what he wanted to come too...Not in the least. "You're going to have to bear with me." His tone no louder than a whisper, yet still firm. Quickly pulling the uniform's front open, his eyes darted for anything he could possibly use...Anything at all to stop the bleeding. He pressed his hands firmly against the wound, feeling the warm bloodflow on his palms. Damn it there had to be something in the room he could use...
OriginoftheSun: He didn't quite feel the pressure that Alfred was putting on the wound, his senses starting to dull with shock. Staring at the ceiling, his tone calm and clear, almost as though he had resigned himself to this death, he spoke quietly in thickly accented English, "There is nothing you can do. I will die... and you will have a trophy to take back to your country." He paused, trying to find words for what he was trying to say, his mind completely clear, fully aware of what was going on around him but not entirely able to process it. "....congratulations..." he murmured finally, settling on that one word and closing his eyes. There was nothing in this room... this barren room, furnished only with a desk and chair and papers... nothing that could be used to help him. Perhaps, he mused, that was by design rather than coincidence.
UnitedStatesofME: He froze for a second at his words, face automatically paling to be as white as a sheet. Did he...Just say what he thought he just said? Japan thought that he was sick enough to even think about doing something like that? It felt as though his stomach was clenching tightly and his chest beginning to tighten. He felt ill just /thinking/ about the possibility of taking J-...No, Kiku back home with him as some kind of prize from a hunting trip to be hung and displayed on the wall. The thought was disgusting...It made him feel dirty just thinking about it. "Don't talk like that...Dammit Kiku stay with me....Stay with me..." He whispered, tone frantic as he pushed his hands even more firmly down on the wound to try and stop the bleeding.
OriginoftheSun: Hissing at the pressure on his abdomen, his brow furrowed slightly. "I am with you..." he said softly, his voice holding a slight gurgle from the blood in his lung. "I will be for a few hours..." Part of him almost, /almost/ wanted to help the other nation. Help Al help him. "....."
UnitedStatesofME: ".......Where's all the medical stuff?" He asked quietly, focusing more on the wound. He at least had to get him stablized so he could get him to the hospital....
OriginoftheSun: "....." He looked up at Alfred thoughtfully. He didn't know why he was here, if not to take him in. It certainly wasn't a social call. Honestly, Japan was doing him a favor - this would make all of the post-war negotiation and regulation easier, really. "....bathroom," he said softly, dropping his head back against the wooden floor.
UnitedStatesofME: "........" Taking off his bomber and throwing it on the desk, he pulled off the shirt of his military uniform and pressed it firmly against the wound, brows furrowing. "Press it down firmly....It'll stop the bloodflow."
OriginoftheSun: His breath hitched at the pressure, but he obligingly put his hand over the material, looking up at the other. He couldn't quite breathe anymore... only one lung was working, really. But... well, he would let the boy have his delusions for a little while longer.
UnitedStatesofME: Quickly getting to his feet and bolting back down the hallway, he didn't really notice or care as the blood on his hands fell onto the floor below. He checked every door, looking for the bathroom before running up the stairs to look.
OriginoftheSun: As soon as the other was out of the room, he let his hand drop to his side. Very, very little could be done for him here. Especially considering he was almost drowning in his own blood. He would hold on at least until America returned. He had to ask him.. had to know.. had to have his question answered. A part of him - a very, very small part now, but a part nonetheless - regretted only that Alfred was the one that found him... Based on the pounding footsteps on the stairs, he was right around the corner from his goal.
UnitedStatesofME: Running into the bathroom and throwing open the cabinets, his breath came in rapid pants as he grabbed everything that he possibly needed and more before taking off back down the stairs. Had to hold on...Japan had to hold on. There was one question that had been eating at his mind since that day...He had to know..
OriginoftheSun: In all his years in this house, Kiku had never spent so much time looking at his ceiling. There were always other, more important things. He was starting to understand, though, what people meant when they said that "their life flashed before thrie eyes." True, this was a ritual he was familiar with, and had taken part in more than once, but... this seemed new. Suddenly, there were things he wanted to say that he hadn't said, things to do that he hadn't... As the pounding footsteps rounded the corner back into the room, he closed his eyes, cutting off the view of the dusty white ceiling with the black fading around the edges as his vision tunnelled.
UnitedStatesofME: Dashing back down the stairs and toward the room, trying to be careful to not drop anything that he had been piled into his arms. Going back into the room and dropping back onto the floor next to Japan, his eyes slightly began to widen when he saw the pool of blood had grown extensively in the short time he had been up the stairs. Fuck....Fuck this was bad...Really bad.
OriginoftheSun: Sensing more than hearing or seeing the other drop down next to him, Japan idly thought that he was probably getting blood on his pants... and what a shame that was... "Dooshite--" he began, slipping back to his native, and more comfortable, Japanese before catching himself. He swallowed dryly. "Why are you here?" he asked, voice barely audible.
UnitedStatesofME: "You know why I'm here, for the terms of surrender....And there's something I have to know..." His voice remained quiet as he carefully peeled away at the blood-soaked uniform, brows furrowing at the deep puncture wound. Moving quickly, he grabbed a washcloth and dumped the disinfectant on the cloth. "...This is going to sting." Murmurs before pressing down the soaked fabric on the wound.
OriginoftheSun: "That isn't what I asked," he said calmly though his normally light accent was bleeding through. His eyes closed and his breathing shallow, the only sensations he could really register were the smell of the iodine and the feeling of pressure over the cut on his stomach. "Why are you trying to help me now?"
UnitedStatesofME: ".......Because no one deserves to die like this, and I figure there was a reason why you did what you did...." His voice remained quiet, yet still somber. He wanted to know why. He would find out why...Somehow. The stench of iodine filled his nose as he pressed down even harder on the wound on his stomach.
OriginoftheSun: He let out a soft, hissing breath at the added pressure on the deep stab wound, his back stiffening and his brow furrowing slightly. "I have done many things over the past fifty years, seinen," he responded, voice soft. "If you wish to receive your answer, you should be more specific..."
UnitedStatesofME: "....Why did you attack Pearl Harbor?" His voice kept it's quiet somberness, taking the bandages before pulling Japan up to a sitting position. That was one of the main questions that he didn't understand, he had thought that they were friends then he turned around and bombed one of his ports. It made no sense whatsoever...
OriginoftheSun: The nation bit his lip as he instinctively tried to assist the other in sitting him up. Once upright, he hunched over on himself, eyes half-open and thoughtful. "....ninety-seven years ago, I was content," he said, voice still quiet, somber. "My people were happy with their lives, content with their roles. Your captain... Glynn... anchored his ship outside of Nagasaki, and aimed his guns at my sister. A short while later, you and another of your men of conquest - Perry - invaded my capital." He glanced up at Alfred, a deep light of anger behind the glazed brown eyes. "You zurui nishi-jin stomped on my culture.. tried to raid my land and people through false treaties and pretty words.. forced my people to open their arms to you, though we did not want you......" Pulling himself upright again, he met the blue eyes squarely. "By comparison... what I did was kind."
UnitedStatesofME says: "......." Alfred just sat there, holding the older nation in an upright sitting position, and just listened. So...Japan was saying what had happened...Everything...Was his fault? He had actually thought that he was doing a good deed by going to Japan to attempt to break him out of isolation. He didn't understand why he held such animosity toward him...He didn't think...He felt his eyes slide closed, head lowering into a small bow. What he did was kind? Kind to bomb one of his military bases? He considered that to be 'kind'? Blue eyes opened to bear into the cold brown ones of Japan, his own flickering in a more strange manner, expression seemingly unreadable. "...Kind? You think what you did was kind?"
OriginoftheSun: Kiku's very flesh recoiled at the thought of being touched by this... this /child/, this imbecilic, hot-headed boy who thought he knew what was right and good and needed. However... as much as he hated to admit this weakness, he did not want to suffer pain of death again... and he couldn't stay upright on his own... Almost reluctantly, he leaned into the large hand splayed across his back. “My bombs were dropped on a military base,” he said simply, staring steadily into the expressive blue eyes that bored down as though trying to read his own flat, almost expressionless brown orbs. “They destroyed vessels of war and destruction that were positioned where they were in order to prepare for an attack on my empire. Most of those ships were empty... nothing but steel and oil, sitting in the water.” The slight, momentary wrinkle of his nose and curl of his lip were the only thing that betrayed the disgust and hatred as he spat, “I did not destroy the homes of your people in a way never before witnessed by man... not once, but twice. You cannot tell me that you believe that was justified.”
UnitedStatesofME: "........" Alfred fell quiet as Kiku spoke, eyes falling closed when he felt the tensing and recoiling at his mere touch. He felt the lean, holding the other up as best as he possibly could. The bombs were dropped on his military base which did bring him into the war, but...He felt the clench and drop in the pit of his stomach at the mention of the dropping of the nuclear bombs. He was told...That it would cause a quick end to the war, that more attacks on American soil would occur and more Japanese would senselessly give their lives for a senseless cause. The war in Europe was long over, the war in the Pacific had drug out long enough. His soldiers were exhausted, /he/ was exhausted. He didn't want...He didn't... "Kiku...I didn't...I didn't want..."
OriginoftheSun: "Did not want what, America?" he said, voice still a low hiss as his accent began slipping through, thicker and almost sinister in his speech. "Did not want to sacrifice the lives of your warriors? Did not want to spend more money than you had? Did not want what, Alfred F. Jones?" He paused, mustering enough strength to push the other man's arm away, and cradled his other arm over his stomach, still glaring up at him. "Iie... No. tell me instead what you /did/ want," he said, almost a growl. "What did you want ninety years ago when you came to my ports, with your black ships and armed men, demanding to see my shogun? You know, you ruined him," he continued, tone still bleeding disgust and anger. "Tokugawa had no way of responding to your ships and threats and technology. His opponents saw this as weakness. You killed his reign. You ruined the peace of my country. So tell me... what you were seeking."
UnitedStatesofME: "....." He remained quiet for a few minutes, feeling his nails digging into his own arm. He thought he was doing the right thing, he really thought that everything would turn out to be alright. Eyes fell as every word felt as though another gash was made in his skin, stomach pitting and falling into the deep, never-ending oblivion. Ninety years ago...He...Ruined the peace? Was he claiming that he was the cause of the problems? "...I...I thought..." His voice was no louder than a whispered, feeling as though a cat had caught his tongue. He didn't know what to say, he didn't know what to say to make anything that he did up to him.
OriginoftheSun: "Answer the question," he said, tone flat, but with an edge of irritation to mask the pain he was still in. "What were you seeking?" he asked. His voice was quieter. He had used all the energy he was capable of right now. He was tired, and honestly wished that he would be left alone for now. He wanted nothing so much as to lie down and bleed, and have at least a short time of peace before he was forced to taking up his responsibilities as a Nation again.
UnitedStatesofME: Taking note of the change and volume in his voice, his lips dropped into a deeper frown. He was losing energy and blood...Fast. Not saying a word in response, he placed Japan's arm around the back of his neck and got to his feet and carefully pulling Japan to his own as well. He wanted to be honest with Kiku...He really did. The truth of why he did what he did wasn't something he wanted to face, not now. His chest began to clench and tighten at the thought...He knew there was nothing he could do to take back what he did, though he really wish that he could.
OriginoftheSun: As he felt himself lifted to his feet, Kiku bit his tongue to keep from letting out a sound. As soon as he felt his weight rested on his own feet, his knees trembled threatening. Still weak... probably bleeding now. He almost made a remark to the effect of how he was hurt, how he could not stand, how he could not possibly be expected to walk... but that wasn't allowed. There was no way. "Answer the question," he repeated, finding his footing and clenching his fist in the furred collar of the bomber coat.
UnitedStatesofME: "..........." He made no move to answer, keeping his focus on getting the other medical attention. Seeing the shaking limbs, he reached downward and moved his arms under his knees before he hoisted him up into his arms. Walking through the house, the only thing that he heard was more labored breathing...And the sound of his own footsteps.
OriginoftheSun: Kiku said nothing as he was hoisted into the other's arms. His fist clenched tighter in the coat as his other arm laid across his stomach. He resented this treatment, this care. Really, he did. He just no longer had the energy to argue. His vision was blurring, and he could feel his limbs almost going numb. He knew the answer to the question he had asked, with no doubt. He knew... but he wanted to hear the other admit it. "Answer the question," he said again, voice sickeningly soft and almost shaking. "You owe me that answer at the least. What did you want from me in your year eighteen hundred and fifty-four?"
UnitedStatesofME: Alfred couldn't help but flinch as the tone in his voice, it's lack of volume and the quiet shake were worse than any loud yell could give him. But...He couldn't give an explanation. He just...Couldn't. Not now at least...He knew Japan deserved one, but...It wasn't something he could bring himself to even want to think about, let alone give an explanation why. "...I...Can't. I can't..."
OriginoftheSun: "...anata ga... nozomu yō ni," he murmured. He hated how soft his voice was. He hated the way his neck refused to hold his head upright as it fell against the blond's shoulder. He hated how his hand loosened its hold on the ridiculous fur on the jacket almost as much as he hated how he had grabbed it in the first place. "Shikashi... anata wa, saishū-teki ni... watashi ni oshiete kuremasu..." He knew that the other didn't know what he was saying at this point. Almost as much as he hated the sound of his own voice right now, he simply didn't care. He was beyond being able to really function in his own language, let alone one that he had only recently learned.
[ “As you wish” “But you will tell me eventually” ]
UnitedStatesofME: "......" Despite not knowing what he said, Alfred didn't press or even bother to ask. Feeling the grip loosening on his jacket and his head falling on his shoulder, a quiet puff of air escaped from his lips as he carried the wounded nation out of the house and toward the car. He didn't trust himself to even speak at the moment, fearing that with his own big mouth that he would slip something that he didn't want to say. Things that he couldn't say.
OriginoftheSun: Kiku worked to keep his breathing even as he was carried rather hurriedly from his house. He knew that they were outside now, and that he should feel chilled, even a little bit, but... the only reason he knew they were no longer in his house was the burst of air that blew across his face as they crossed the threshold. "...anata wa..." he started in his native tongue, though he stopped, corrected himself, cleared his throat and spoke in a carefully controlled voice. "You are being very quiet," he said softly, eyes drooping closed as he concentrated on breathing. In... out... in... out... He knew that there would be no peace for him, even though he wanted nothing else.
UnitedStatesofME: He didn't say a word, only giving a shake of his head in response. There wasn't anything that needed to be said, at least not right now. His body gave a slight shiver at the slight gust of wind brushed against his body. He was thankful that there was a hospital that was close...Taking in a deep breath, he kept his eyes forward and his mouth shut as he walked down the cool sidewalk.
OriginoftheSun: A slight shudder worked its way slowly through his body. Everything seemed slow, delayed... sluggish. He wasn't going to get any answer right now, he knew... He would wait. His body, however, was less patient than he was. In the next minute at most, he would be unconscious - he had felt this light-headedness before, and the call of that dark oblivion that was death. At least, a temporary death. But he had to know, and he didn't know if he would remember this. "Why... are you trying to save me?" he asked, voice barely audible. His speech was slow, and his eyes had closed of their own accord. His skin was already trying to cool, and his complexion, normally the color of England's tea when too much milk had been added, was pale and blotchy. In just a short while, he would die. Within a few hours after that... he would be resuscitated. It would be a messy, probably painful process. He hoped against hope that America would not be there when he awoke.
UnitedStatesofME: He remained quiet for a few minutes as if gathering his thoughts, glazed eyes trailing up to look up at the white building. Though he himself hated hospitals...This was an emergency. No one deserved to die the way that Japan had chose to try and die...No one. Even though he knew it was only temporary, the recovery would be excruciating. "...Because no one deserves to die this way, that's why. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I just turned around and just left you there..."
OriginoftheSun: "....I will be unconscious in only a few moments," he said, voice still quiet. "I will be dead shortly thereafter." He paused, letting out a soft sigh. He couldn't... quite... care... His appearance was shameful. He could not stand on his own. His uniform was ruined, and his own hands were covered in his blood. Somewhere in his mind, Japan was telling himself that it was his own fault. "You must know this..." he said after a moment, lips barely moving and voice barely audible.
UnitedStatesofME: "...Not if I can help it." His voice was no louder than a whisper as he spoke, pushing the door open with his foot and hurried inside. After going up to the front and the nurses realizing who the man being carried in his arms and quickly went to work. A stretcher bed was rushed out from the back before Alfred carefully set the other down onto the mattress. His hands and uniform were covered in blood...Kiku's blood. His eyes fell closed when Japan was rushed into the back. There was nothing else he could do now...He doubted he'd want to see him when he woke up. Without as much as another word, he turned around and left the hospital, pulling his bomber closer against his body.
UnitedStatesofME: It was over, the war was finally over. With the Pacific theatre being his own war, he had been asked to go finalize the decision of full, unconditional surrender. His own troops were beginning to pull from the warfront to go back home, despite also wanting to go home himself knew there was more business to be taken care of. What Alfred still to that day didn't understand...Was howJa-...No, Kiku turned into what he was. The Empire of the Sun. The mass reign of terror that made the German army look like a bunch of softies. They were following orders, but from what he had been told about what had been happening, and from the own battles on the Pacific warfront...It still made no sense. Hopefully...He would be able to figure out what had caused Kiku to snap like he had. Hearing the quiet creak of wood underneath his boots, eyes glancing up at the sliding door. "....." Not saying a word, he gave a quiet rap to the wooden frame and waited.
OriginoftheSun: Only a moment after hearing the bootsteps on the creaking wooden floor, Japan gasped quietly and dropped his tantou, the bloodied steel clattering to the floor as he pressed his hands over the wound instinctively, though helplessly. The red stained the front of his white uniform - still crisp, clean, impeccible but for the blood on his abdomen - and he took only shallow, shuddering breaths. Gods, he had forgotten how this /hurt/... but there was no other option. As his head grew lighter far quicker than he would have thought, he fell forward on the floor, still gasping for short breaths that he knew would soon stop. Whoever had come to take him... The defeated empire hoped that he enjoyed what he saw when he walked in.
UnitedStatesofME: "Hello? Anyone h-...?" His voice was cut off at the quiet sign of clanging metal falling on the wooden floor, eyes widening and dialating behind his glasses. "Oh no..." Whispering quickly, he took off into a full sprint through the house, opening each door and checking each room. As much as he tried to remain calm...It was hard too when the sound of falling metal was clearly present. Finally opening the door to the office, it was much to quiet....Carefully stepping inside and looking around the bigger space, his eyes carefully glanced around the room before he spotted traces of a pool of blood on the floor. Face paling, he ran behind the desk; stunned being the understatement of what he saw. "Oh g-..." Head rapidly shaking, he knelt down beside him and carefully pushed him on his back so he could check the wound.
OriginoftheSun: As he felt steady hands on him, turning him to face the light again, he blinked, dilated pupils and glazed eyes trying to focus and clear, his mind begging for shock to set in. He saw dark blond hair and vivid, almost frantic blue eyes, and closed his eyes, his breathing steadying slightly, though still shallow. "Sh-shujinko wa kore o... shina.. katta," he breathed calmly, licking his lips. He was tasting blood... and something warm and wet was running down his cheek. It appeared as though he got his lung... Well, that would make this process considerably faster. Swallowing the bubble of guilt that rose with a sputter of blood, he coughed weakly, opening his eyes and looking up at Alfred. So naive... so /stupid/ he was. This was the younger nation's fault. Perhaps after this... perhaps he would learn. "...teokureda... Alfred..."
UnitedStatesofME: "......." He didn't even bother to try and understand what he was saying, all he knew what that he needed to work fast. He at least had to stop the bloodflow so he could get the other help, damn it... This isn't what he wanted to come too...Not in the least. "You're going to have to bear with me." His tone no louder than a whisper, yet still firm. Quickly pulling the uniform's front open, his eyes darted for anything he could possibly use...Anything at all to stop the bleeding. He pressed his hands firmly against the wound, feeling the warm bloodflow on his palms. Damn it there had to be something in the room he could use...
OriginoftheSun: He didn't quite feel the pressure that Alfred was putting on the wound, his senses starting to dull with shock. Staring at the ceiling, his tone calm and clear, almost as though he had resigned himself to this death, he spoke quietly in thickly accented English, "There is nothing you can do. I will die... and you will have a trophy to take back to your country." He paused, trying to find words for what he was trying to say, his mind completely clear, fully aware of what was going on around him but not entirely able to process it. "....congratulations..." he murmured finally, settling on that one word and closing his eyes. There was nothing in this room... this barren room, furnished only with a desk and chair and papers... nothing that could be used to help him. Perhaps, he mused, that was by design rather than coincidence.
UnitedStatesofME: He froze for a second at his words, face automatically paling to be as white as a sheet. Did he...Just say what he thought he just said? Japan thought that he was sick enough to even think about doing something like that? It felt as though his stomach was clenching tightly and his chest beginning to tighten. He felt ill just /thinking/ about the possibility of taking J-...No, Kiku back home with him as some kind of prize from a hunting trip to be hung and displayed on the wall. The thought was disgusting...It made him feel dirty just thinking about it. "Don't talk like that...Dammit Kiku stay with me....Stay with me..." He whispered, tone frantic as he pushed his hands even more firmly down on the wound to try and stop the bleeding.
OriginoftheSun: Hissing at the pressure on his abdomen, his brow furrowed slightly. "I am with you..." he said softly, his voice holding a slight gurgle from the blood in his lung. "I will be for a few hours..." Part of him almost, /almost/ wanted to help the other nation. Help Al help him. "....."
UnitedStatesofME: ".......Where's all the medical stuff?" He asked quietly, focusing more on the wound. He at least had to get him stablized so he could get him to the hospital....
OriginoftheSun: "....." He looked up at Alfred thoughtfully. He didn't know why he was here, if not to take him in. It certainly wasn't a social call. Honestly, Japan was doing him a favor - this would make all of the post-war negotiation and regulation easier, really. "....bathroom," he said softly, dropping his head back against the wooden floor.
UnitedStatesofME: "........" Taking off his bomber and throwing it on the desk, he pulled off the shirt of his military uniform and pressed it firmly against the wound, brows furrowing. "Press it down firmly....It'll stop the bloodflow."
OriginoftheSun: His breath hitched at the pressure, but he obligingly put his hand over the material, looking up at the other. He couldn't quite breathe anymore... only one lung was working, really. But... well, he would let the boy have his delusions for a little while longer.
UnitedStatesofME: Quickly getting to his feet and bolting back down the hallway, he didn't really notice or care as the blood on his hands fell onto the floor below. He checked every door, looking for the bathroom before running up the stairs to look.
OriginoftheSun: As soon as the other was out of the room, he let his hand drop to his side. Very, very little could be done for him here. Especially considering he was almost drowning in his own blood. He would hold on at least until America returned. He had to ask him.. had to know.. had to have his question answered. A part of him - a very, very small part now, but a part nonetheless - regretted only that Alfred was the one that found him... Based on the pounding footsteps on the stairs, he was right around the corner from his goal.
UnitedStatesofME: Running into the bathroom and throwing open the cabinets, his breath came in rapid pants as he grabbed everything that he possibly needed and more before taking off back down the stairs. Had to hold on...Japan had to hold on. There was one question that had been eating at his mind since that day...He had to know..
OriginoftheSun: In all his years in this house, Kiku had never spent so much time looking at his ceiling. There were always other, more important things. He was starting to understand, though, what people meant when they said that "their life flashed before thrie eyes." True, this was a ritual he was familiar with, and had taken part in more than once, but... this seemed new. Suddenly, there were things he wanted to say that he hadn't said, things to do that he hadn't... As the pounding footsteps rounded the corner back into the room, he closed his eyes, cutting off the view of the dusty white ceiling with the black fading around the edges as his vision tunnelled.
UnitedStatesofME: Dashing back down the stairs and toward the room, trying to be careful to not drop anything that he had been piled into his arms. Going back into the room and dropping back onto the floor next to Japan, his eyes slightly began to widen when he saw the pool of blood had grown extensively in the short time he had been up the stairs. Fuck....Fuck this was bad...Really bad.
OriginoftheSun: Sensing more than hearing or seeing the other drop down next to him, Japan idly thought that he was probably getting blood on his pants... and what a shame that was... "Dooshite--" he began, slipping back to his native, and more comfortable, Japanese before catching himself. He swallowed dryly. "Why are you here?" he asked, voice barely audible.
UnitedStatesofME: "You know why I'm here, for the terms of surrender....And there's something I have to know..." His voice remained quiet as he carefully peeled away at the blood-soaked uniform, brows furrowing at the deep puncture wound. Moving quickly, he grabbed a washcloth and dumped the disinfectant on the cloth. "...This is going to sting." Murmurs before pressing down the soaked fabric on the wound.
OriginoftheSun: "That isn't what I asked," he said calmly though his normally light accent was bleeding through. His eyes closed and his breathing shallow, the only sensations he could really register were the smell of the iodine and the feeling of pressure over the cut on his stomach. "Why are you trying to help me now?"
UnitedStatesofME: ".......Because no one deserves to die like this, and I figure there was a reason why you did what you did...." His voice remained quiet, yet still somber. He wanted to know why. He would find out why...Somehow. The stench of iodine filled his nose as he pressed down even harder on the wound on his stomach.
OriginoftheSun: He let out a soft, hissing breath at the added pressure on the deep stab wound, his back stiffening and his brow furrowing slightly. "I have done many things over the past fifty years, seinen," he responded, voice soft. "If you wish to receive your answer, you should be more specific..."
UnitedStatesofME: "....Why did you attack Pearl Harbor?" His voice kept it's quiet somberness, taking the bandages before pulling Japan up to a sitting position. That was one of the main questions that he didn't understand, he had thought that they were friends then he turned around and bombed one of his ports. It made no sense whatsoever...
OriginoftheSun: The nation bit his lip as he instinctively tried to assist the other in sitting him up. Once upright, he hunched over on himself, eyes half-open and thoughtful. "....ninety-seven years ago, I was content," he said, voice still quiet, somber. "My people were happy with their lives, content with their roles. Your captain... Glynn... anchored his ship outside of Nagasaki, and aimed his guns at my sister. A short while later, you and another of your men of conquest - Perry - invaded my capital." He glanced up at Alfred, a deep light of anger behind the glazed brown eyes. "You zurui nishi-jin stomped on my culture.. tried to raid my land and people through false treaties and pretty words.. forced my people to open their arms to you, though we did not want you......" Pulling himself upright again, he met the blue eyes squarely. "By comparison... what I did was kind."
UnitedStatesofME says: "......." Alfred just sat there, holding the older nation in an upright sitting position, and just listened. So...Japan was saying what had happened...Everything...Was his fault? He had actually thought that he was doing a good deed by going to Japan to attempt to break him out of isolation. He didn't understand why he held such animosity toward him...He didn't think...He felt his eyes slide closed, head lowering into a small bow. What he did was kind? Kind to bomb one of his military bases? He considered that to be 'kind'? Blue eyes opened to bear into the cold brown ones of Japan, his own flickering in a more strange manner, expression seemingly unreadable. "...Kind? You think what you did was kind?"
OriginoftheSun: Kiku's very flesh recoiled at the thought of being touched by this... this /child/, this imbecilic, hot-headed boy who thought he knew what was right and good and needed. However... as much as he hated to admit this weakness, he did not want to suffer pain of death again... and he couldn't stay upright on his own... Almost reluctantly, he leaned into the large hand splayed across his back. “My bombs were dropped on a military base,” he said simply, staring steadily into the expressive blue eyes that bored down as though trying to read his own flat, almost expressionless brown orbs. “They destroyed vessels of war and destruction that were positioned where they were in order to prepare for an attack on my empire. Most of those ships were empty... nothing but steel and oil, sitting in the water.” The slight, momentary wrinkle of his nose and curl of his lip were the only thing that betrayed the disgust and hatred as he spat, “I did not destroy the homes of your people in a way never before witnessed by man... not once, but twice. You cannot tell me that you believe that was justified.”
UnitedStatesofME: "........" Alfred fell quiet as Kiku spoke, eyes falling closed when he felt the tensing and recoiling at his mere touch. He felt the lean, holding the other up as best as he possibly could. The bombs were dropped on his military base which did bring him into the war, but...He felt the clench and drop in the pit of his stomach at the mention of the dropping of the nuclear bombs. He was told...That it would cause a quick end to the war, that more attacks on American soil would occur and more Japanese would senselessly give their lives for a senseless cause. The war in Europe was long over, the war in the Pacific had drug out long enough. His soldiers were exhausted, /he/ was exhausted. He didn't want...He didn't... "Kiku...I didn't...I didn't want..."
OriginoftheSun: "Did not want what, America?" he said, voice still a low hiss as his accent began slipping through, thicker and almost sinister in his speech. "Did not want to sacrifice the lives of your warriors? Did not want to spend more money than you had? Did not want what, Alfred F. Jones?" He paused, mustering enough strength to push the other man's arm away, and cradled his other arm over his stomach, still glaring up at him. "Iie... No. tell me instead what you /did/ want," he said, almost a growl. "What did you want ninety years ago when you came to my ports, with your black ships and armed men, demanding to see my shogun? You know, you ruined him," he continued, tone still bleeding disgust and anger. "Tokugawa had no way of responding to your ships and threats and technology. His opponents saw this as weakness. You killed his reign. You ruined the peace of my country. So tell me... what you were seeking."
UnitedStatesofME: "....." He remained quiet for a few minutes, feeling his nails digging into his own arm. He thought he was doing the right thing, he really thought that everything would turn out to be alright. Eyes fell as every word felt as though another gash was made in his skin, stomach pitting and falling into the deep, never-ending oblivion. Ninety years ago...He...Ruined the peace? Was he claiming that he was the cause of the problems? "...I...I thought..." His voice was no louder than a whispered, feeling as though a cat had caught his tongue. He didn't know what to say, he didn't know what to say to make anything that he did up to him.
OriginoftheSun: "Answer the question," he said, tone flat, but with an edge of irritation to mask the pain he was still in. "What were you seeking?" he asked. His voice was quieter. He had used all the energy he was capable of right now. He was tired, and honestly wished that he would be left alone for now. He wanted nothing so much as to lie down and bleed, and have at least a short time of peace before he was forced to taking up his responsibilities as a Nation again.
UnitedStatesofME: Taking note of the change and volume in his voice, his lips dropped into a deeper frown. He was losing energy and blood...Fast. Not saying a word in response, he placed Japan's arm around the back of his neck and got to his feet and carefully pulling Japan to his own as well. He wanted to be honest with Kiku...He really did. The truth of why he did what he did wasn't something he wanted to face, not now. His chest began to clench and tighten at the thought...He knew there was nothing he could do to take back what he did, though he really wish that he could.
OriginoftheSun: As he felt himself lifted to his feet, Kiku bit his tongue to keep from letting out a sound. As soon as he felt his weight rested on his own feet, his knees trembled threatening. Still weak... probably bleeding now. He almost made a remark to the effect of how he was hurt, how he could not stand, how he could not possibly be expected to walk... but that wasn't allowed. There was no way. "Answer the question," he repeated, finding his footing and clenching his fist in the furred collar of the bomber coat.
UnitedStatesofME: "..........." He made no move to answer, keeping his focus on getting the other medical attention. Seeing the shaking limbs, he reached downward and moved his arms under his knees before he hoisted him up into his arms. Walking through the house, the only thing that he heard was more labored breathing...And the sound of his own footsteps.
OriginoftheSun: Kiku said nothing as he was hoisted into the other's arms. His fist clenched tighter in the coat as his other arm laid across his stomach. He resented this treatment, this care. Really, he did. He just no longer had the energy to argue. His vision was blurring, and he could feel his limbs almost going numb. He knew the answer to the question he had asked, with no doubt. He knew... but he wanted to hear the other admit it. "Answer the question," he said again, voice sickeningly soft and almost shaking. "You owe me that answer at the least. What did you want from me in your year eighteen hundred and fifty-four?"
UnitedStatesofME: Alfred couldn't help but flinch as the tone in his voice, it's lack of volume and the quiet shake were worse than any loud yell could give him. But...He couldn't give an explanation. He just...Couldn't. Not now at least...He knew Japan deserved one, but...It wasn't something he could bring himself to even want to think about, let alone give an explanation why. "...I...Can't. I can't..."
OriginoftheSun: "...anata ga... nozomu yō ni," he murmured. He hated how soft his voice was. He hated the way his neck refused to hold his head upright as it fell against the blond's shoulder. He hated how his hand loosened its hold on the ridiculous fur on the jacket almost as much as he hated how he had grabbed it in the first place. "Shikashi... anata wa, saishū-teki ni... watashi ni oshiete kuremasu..." He knew that the other didn't know what he was saying at this point. Almost as much as he hated the sound of his own voice right now, he simply didn't care. He was beyond being able to really function in his own language, let alone one that he had only recently learned.
[ “As you wish” “But you will tell me eventually” ]
UnitedStatesofME: "......" Despite not knowing what he said, Alfred didn't press or even bother to ask. Feeling the grip loosening on his jacket and his head falling on his shoulder, a quiet puff of air escaped from his lips as he carried the wounded nation out of the house and toward the car. He didn't trust himself to even speak at the moment, fearing that with his own big mouth that he would slip something that he didn't want to say. Things that he couldn't say.
OriginoftheSun: Kiku worked to keep his breathing even as he was carried rather hurriedly from his house. He knew that they were outside now, and that he should feel chilled, even a little bit, but... the only reason he knew they were no longer in his house was the burst of air that blew across his face as they crossed the threshold. "...anata wa..." he started in his native tongue, though he stopped, corrected himself, cleared his throat and spoke in a carefully controlled voice. "You are being very quiet," he said softly, eyes drooping closed as he concentrated on breathing. In... out... in... out... He knew that there would be no peace for him, even though he wanted nothing else.
UnitedStatesofME: He didn't say a word, only giving a shake of his head in response. There wasn't anything that needed to be said, at least not right now. His body gave a slight shiver at the slight gust of wind brushed against his body. He was thankful that there was a hospital that was close...Taking in a deep breath, he kept his eyes forward and his mouth shut as he walked down the cool sidewalk.
OriginoftheSun: A slight shudder worked its way slowly through his body. Everything seemed slow, delayed... sluggish. He wasn't going to get any answer right now, he knew... He would wait. His body, however, was less patient than he was. In the next minute at most, he would be unconscious - he had felt this light-headedness before, and the call of that dark oblivion that was death. At least, a temporary death. But he had to know, and he didn't know if he would remember this. "Why... are you trying to save me?" he asked, voice barely audible. His speech was slow, and his eyes had closed of their own accord. His skin was already trying to cool, and his complexion, normally the color of England's tea when too much milk had been added, was pale and blotchy. In just a short while, he would die. Within a few hours after that... he would be resuscitated. It would be a messy, probably painful process. He hoped against hope that America would not be there when he awoke.
UnitedStatesofME: He remained quiet for a few minutes as if gathering his thoughts, glazed eyes trailing up to look up at the white building. Though he himself hated hospitals...This was an emergency. No one deserved to die the way that Japan had chose to try and die...No one. Even though he knew it was only temporary, the recovery would be excruciating. "...Because no one deserves to die this way, that's why. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I just turned around and just left you there..."
OriginoftheSun: "....I will be unconscious in only a few moments," he said, voice still quiet. "I will be dead shortly thereafter." He paused, letting out a soft sigh. He couldn't... quite... care... His appearance was shameful. He could not stand on his own. His uniform was ruined, and his own hands were covered in his blood. Somewhere in his mind, Japan was telling himself that it was his own fault. "You must know this..." he said after a moment, lips barely moving and voice barely audible.
UnitedStatesofME: "...Not if I can help it." His voice was no louder than a whisper as he spoke, pushing the door open with his foot and hurried inside. After going up to the front and the nurses realizing who the man being carried in his arms and quickly went to work. A stretcher bed was rushed out from the back before Alfred carefully set the other down onto the mattress. His hands and uniform were covered in blood...Kiku's blood. His eyes fell closed when Japan was rushed into the back. There was nothing else he could do now...He doubted he'd want to see him when he woke up. Without as much as another word, he turned around and left the hospital, pulling his bomber closer against his body.
