Make Yourself At Home [North Korea]

If there was ever a country that enjoyed the crisp air of dawn, the sun rising in the East, it was North Korea. He either woke up in the morning or never slept at all. The country could go days without sleep if he had and sometimes he just did so because he wanted to see how long he could function until he passed out—most of which happened when his “boss” was trying to tell him something important. Well, important to him anyway. If it was really all that important he’d just get a replay when he woke up—a usually shorter one because his boss did not like boring the nation. Yong-Sun never told him it was simply exhaustion and not boredom. Why would he? It was so fun to watch his boss tremble after all.

Yong-Sun, however, saw that while he liked mornings the nation who was still sleeping in the bed he was watching disagreed. That did not bother him. North Korea could be patient and if he’d endured the long flight here then so he could endure the hours waiting for Venezuela to awake. It wasn’t like getting into his house was hard after all.

Several kind people had pointed out where he could find him, though of course they hadn’t know Yong-Sun intended to travel there immediately. Then he’d walked right into the front door. He could have been stealthier, but the entrance was unlocked and well, he loved danger. Danger, however, was not on the agenda when he’d walked in and found the adorable little state standing guard; he was supposed to be standing guard, Yong-Sun supposed, but the child was slumped against a wall asleep. North Korea clucked his tongue and gathered the little state into his arms. He shifted, but with a little rocking and humming from the Asian nation he was fast asleep which left North Korea to explore. And he did. He walked into every room of the house, finding Vicente’s long before it was necessary to. He’d only wanted to find where to place the young state he’d found.

How could someone put such a young state on watch? Of course they were going to fall asleep. Children were hyperactive in spurts, but the moment their energy was out they too were out. He tucked the state in bed once he’d found where he was missing from and then crept out. He chuckled to himself; this was just so easy. None of the other states had awoken in all his exploring.

And that’s what landed North Korea, sitting in a chair, facing the bed Vicente occupied. He watched him stir. He was quite the spoiled nation, wasn’t he? Grumbling about waking up and then taking his time doing so. He covered his mouth and smirked, though no chuckle came out. It was hard not laughing though.

It became all the more of a challenge when it was obvious Vicente noted something was strange. He had good instincts, North Korea could give him that, but could he figure out. He politely stayed silent as the nation searched his room, but the suspense was killing him.

North Korea, a patient nation, but now that Venezuela was awake there was no need for it.

“Good morning,” he greeted cheerfully. “I’m happy to see you’re finally awake.”

Did Yong-Sun make assumptions based on who he’d found on guard? Yes, he did, but like his brothers and sisters he kept such a thing to himself for the time being. He would pass no judgement on the nation, though despite his own reputation even North Korea had a better infrastructure than that. It was a conundrum that the Asian pondered while the South American country slept on. Perhaps he should bring up to Russia and China that Venezuela could do with some teaching on how to invest his money. A glance around his room answered where it’d been going for a while. Yet the nation has just reached legal maturity. There was still time to learn even he had been so zealous when he’d just reached adulthood—whatever that was for a nation. It was time for Vincente to learn responsibility and it didn’t matter whether you wanted to be productive or awake, you had to be. The world would pass him by or the war would catch him unawares. Just like North Korea was doing.

The arrival and encroachment of North Korea had not been meant to be a lesson in vigilance—he’d expected to be caught actually. Sun was observing, however, that he’d not his own homework and that irked him just a bit. Not at Venezuela, though. No, of course not at the Spanish country. Yet here was afforded such an opportunity to teach him that you had to make sacrifices. Maybe the more trusted would dislike being on guard so often, but their dissatisfaction would lead them to expect more out of their fellow states and because of that unrest would arise, but it would be settled quickly. You either got onto the wagon or you were thrown off.

So he hoped Vincente would take this lesson well, though he hardly expected gratitude. As for the nosy states, North Korea pretended not to notice them. Nothing better than to also teach them to be afraid. If nothing else, he knew Vincente would be very displeased with them.

Speaking of Venezuela, Sun caught his surprise, but far from commenting, he just smiled at him and waved after he’d spoken. The smile didn’t even fade in the face of Vincente’s displeasure. “You weren’t told? I could have sworn I sent word,” it was a bold-face lie, but he spins it with art. “Oh well, it’s not like I’m just here on a whim, at least it’s not a whim to me. I’ve been wanting to meet you. Which of course now leads to your second question. I let myself in your home, the state you left to watch—such a little thing—he was asleep so I tucked him in. Then I came here to await you waking. It would have been rude to wake you.”

North Korea wasn’t disturbed in the least. He just leaned forward slightly and tilted his head. “I can make you breakfast or ask for one your already awake states to make it. I assume you’d like to get dressed,” he nodded and stood. “I do apologize I caught you so off guard, but I promise I don’t mind. So no worries, I’m not a country quick to judgment. Never can judge just from appearances after all.”

If the chair he was sitting in was higher or he was smaller, North Korea would have been kicking his feet as he observed all the emotions that flicker over his face and in his eyes. It’s easy to see that he believed his small little falsity. In truth, North Korea had wanted to send word, but he hadn’t. He actually gotten so caught up in the idea of coming he’d completely forgotten. Of course this made him feel rude, but he would be on his best behavior while he was here. No threats to Vincente’s people, he wouldn’t even frown. He’d try not to frown. After all Venezuela was on the Joint Pact. They were allies! And North Korea so wanted new friends! He couldn’t scare them away.

No, no, he couldn’t do that.

So he just smiled as genuinely as he could and let himself feel guilty that he’d caught the nation so off guard. He’d also be nice and try and get the other states of Venezuela off the hook. He probably should. He definitely should. They would have been so much more prepared if he’d actually told them he was coming, he was sure.

“Silly me,” North Korea waved, “of course. I am so used to being the host I do have a tendency to just invite myself in and take care of people even if I’m the visitor. Do forgive me.” He stood up and gave a little bow to Vincente. “I’ll just wait in the kitchen.” Nope, he wasn’t going to tell him how he knew where it was. Maybe he would. Vincente would have to ask, though. He couldn’t help being curious, though. He always was when he was somewhere new.

Children!

North Korea adored children. Of course far too often they too became victims of his necessary punishments because their father or mother just couldn’t see how good their lives were. Yong-Sun always had it rough when children had to befall misfortune. It was one of the consequences he least enjoyed. Little territories and nations were no different. They were pure and untainted. They made him fond and nostalgic. They allowed him to remember when he hadn’t been the nation of North Korea. Back then he’d had Appa, Soo, and all the other Asian nations to keep him company. He’d been happy then. He smiled just as easily as any of them and there was no darkness on his brow or madness in his mind.

That had all changed so quickly, like a swarm of locus had besieged crops. Those were the days when the seeds of madness had been sown and blossomed. Still, he could never become angry at children.

So when Vicente’s door was closed and he turned to see the five little child-states staring at him his face lit into a grin. He stared down at them as they peered up at him fearfully. That hurt a little, but he was much bigger than them and like everyone else they must have heard such terrible things about him! He did recognize the little nation he’d found snoozing, but he said nothing to him—no reason to get him into trouble. He’d probably not tell him. No, he’d not tell at all. He’d let them all be, he decided. They looked frightened enough, then one of them spoke.

Yong-Sun pulled his foot back from where he was about to walk away from the door and then squatted down. “Hola,” he smiled, “Cómo estás? Estoy Yong-Sun. Y tú?” He asked politely. They had every right to be afraid, he was a stranger after all. But there really was nothing to fear from him.