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Post by Deleted on Nov 7, 2015 18:09:53 GMT -5
Anna has had this day marked on her calendar ever since Roscosmos gave it to her, and she's hardly left the Russian section of the space station since yesterday. She can't help it, really - her papa is coming! And in spite of the fact that there have been humans on board to keep her company even after her daddy left, that the most critical repairs have been completed, and that she's overall just feeling more alive than she has for a long time, she still feels that something is missing. A hole that's unfilled - a need going unmet. An absence of her papa. And though simply having some of her papa's people come would go quite a ways to alleviating that, it wouldn't completely. Especially since her daddy came personally, nothing less than having her papa come as well will be enough.
Or, actually, even that won't be enough. A part of her will still remain empty until both her daddy and her papa have stopped fighting and can come here in peace again - until they can be a family again. But for now simply having her papa come will suffice.
Which is why she's been pestering Roscosmos with questions about when, exactly, her papa would come. It's possible that he intended to come as a surprise, like her daddy did, but she's been so anxious to see him that if that was the case they probably couldn't stand to keep the secret when telling her would stop her from asking again for the umpteenth time. But she doesn't care if it's a surprise or not - she just wants to see him.
In direct contrast to Anna's excitement, the two humans on board have very serious expressions. While the docking procedure is beyond routine by now, they know that this is a historically critical moment - the return of the Russians to the International Space Station. Though her daddy and papa were able to work out a deal about how to share and take care of her in peace in spite of the war, a part of that was an agreement that astronauts and cosmonauts from countries currently at war should not be on the station at the same time. So, before the Americans left, two Swedish astronauts arrived to continue the station's operations until the Russians arrived to take over.
Which has been a bit weird for Anna - it used to be that the humans on board were usually from many different places, and there was almost always at least one American. And not quite as omnipresent but usually at least one Russian. And there were three, not two. But having had a taste of being totally alone, she's just happy to have anyone, so she won't complain about that. At least not out loud, and not during the war.
But she ignores the hint of tension in the air - she doesn't care about what this means in the grand scheme of international politics, or at least that's only a slight footnote. She cares that it's her papa who is coming and little else.
It's been awhile since they last saw each other - and it hadn't been in space. That had been a few years ago, but even for someone as young as Anna that doesn't seem like a very long time - she tends to see the passage of time similar to how nations do. And it takes time to get a mission into space ready - she understands that. So to her it seems like very little time has passed, and yet that's still enough time for things to change. Back when the war was starting, she'd appeared to be a girl of about eight years old. When she'd unexpectedly arrived at her papa's house to tell him what she thought about being left alone, she'd aged in appearance - perhaps to eleven. Now she appears to be a year older than that - though her appearance has remained stable for a while now, and she hopes that whatever triggered her growth spurt is done now - she's not ready to grow up yet!
No, she's ready to welcome her papa back to the station, her papa that she loves and trusts to take care of her.
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Post by Russia - Ivan Braginsky on Nov 11, 2015 1:18:41 GMT -5
Ivan held a mixture of feelings in regards to his trip to ISS. He missed Anastasia. His bundle of joy brought his heart such unfamiliar warmth. He wanted to hug her closely and never let go, which was exactly what he had done when she appeared at his home. To know she had fallen to Earth had terrified him, and his Mother Bear instincts took in. He layered her with food and blankets, and tried to woe her over with large fluffy beds, warm fires, and hot chocolate. He wanted her to stay with him. He loved Space, but she would be safer in the care of his own home, for the time being at least. Yet his daughter had his and, unfortunately, America’s temperament: stubborn as a mule. She returned to space against his wishes, which was why he found himself on a shuttle to visit her.
He always loved seeing his daughter, but a journey to space was never a short visit. He would be with her for three weeks at the minimum, checking over the station and making certain his men had adequate accommodations. He would make certain Anna had all that she needed. In the grand scheme of his long life, three weeks could pass in the blink of an eye, but with Japan on the loose, Germany back on the European Front, and China’s suspicious meetings, he hardly trusted anyone to handle the war if a mistake arose. He had little choice, however. He needed to see his daughter, and the war would wait. He hoped it would wait.
He opened the hatch and gently floated into the shuttle. He closed his eyes, enjoying the lightness of the air, as if the weight of the world had been literally removed. He smiled briefly, forgetting of the knot in his stomach. If he did not need the closeness of Earth, his land, his people, he would never leave. “Anastasia, Papa has come home,” he announced, peering around to find her.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 16, 2015 3:21:07 GMT -5
Anna has been flooded with a wide mixture of feelings in recent years herself. Many of those feelings are ones that she's not very accustomed to, while others are familiar but are in conflict with others. It had, understandably, taken quite a lot to possess her to throw herself down to Earth - a place she'd learned a lot about but had never been - and away from everything she knew. Afterward she'd been equal parts shocked at herself for doing such a thing and proud of herself for doing something so bold.
But there had been, of course, the anger. Much of it is because her fathers are at war in the first place - but can anyone blame her for being angry? She was created from the ideals of international peace and cooperation - it's a part of her down to her bones. Her love for her fathers remains undiminished, but she is so, so disappointed in them for abandoning peace - for abandoning her. Though in spite of that, she'd still believed in them - she thought that they might realize what they'd done without her having to do something so drastic. She'd waited as long as she could. But she knew that they'd listen to her if she confronted them - she hadn't doubted that much. They love her, after all, just as she loves them. They'd simply forgotten something important in their passion for their war and needed a reminder.
And she remembered well the way her papa had reacted when he saw her. It had been warm and wonderful in a way - she'd loved the food, the blankets, the chocolate - a part of her would love nothing more than to let her papa dote on her and love her and to forget everything else. But a larger part of her was actually a little bit hurt by it. Can't her papa understand that she loves her daddy too? Does he not understand what he was asking of her by even suggesting that she should stay with him? No, the only solution was for her to return to her home - a place where she can belong to her daddy and her papa and all of her aunts and uncles without favoring any of them. What else can she do?
But that conversation had happened awhile ago, and to a large extent she's put it behind her. Her papa was merely concerned with her well-being - and rightly so. She would, indeed, be safer if she stayed with him. But she will not do that to her daddy - she just won't. But she'd rather not have to disagree with her papa, so that's not something she wants to dwell upon if she doesn't have to. Instead she'd like to think about all the things that she'll be able to do with her papa while he's here. She very much appreciates his presence - it's not merely a matter of the time commitment but also the money. She may not understand money all that well but she does understand that it's something that he might have otherwise used for the war, and she appreciates that he's spent it on her and peace instead.
Though as anxious as she is to see her papa, she's kind of glad that her daddy came first. This is not a matter of favoritism, but because of the differences between her fathers. Between the two of them, her daddy tends to be a little more relaxed with her, while her papa holds her to a higher standard. Being able to relax and not worry about reaching some standard is nice, but so is managing to successfully reach a really high standard. Neither of those attitudes is better than the other - they just are. But it means that she's more comfortable with her daddy when things are still a mess - he's the better one to run to when you did your best but you feel it wasn't quite good enough.
Papa is the one to run to when you've done something truly impressive and want that fact to be fully appreciated. Now that her daddy has helped her repair most of the major problems, she feels more prepared to have her papa come and be impressed that she's managed to keep everything together. There are some parts of her that are forty five years old and were only meant to last fifteen - a part of that is a testament to the good craftsmanship in their design (and a lot of the oldest parts of her were made by Russians), but a lot of it was Anna working really hard to keep it all going.
He doesn't have to look very far for her - she's right outside the hatch when it opens, though she restrains herself from grabbing him immediately. She can give him a moment to get his bearings. Though the moment his words indicate that he wants her, she's there with her arms wrapped around his chest. "Papa..." is all that she manages to say, suddenly finding herself too choked up with emotion to say more. And there's tears in her eyes - literally. In space, rather than trickling down her cheeks, they pool on top of her eyes until she wipes them away. But she doesn't care - they're happy tears.
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Post by Russia - Ivan Braginsky on Dec 31, 2015 18:23:21 GMT -5
Ivan often pondered the idea of poisoning her against her father and having Anna all to himself. She had Russian blood and deserved to be raised and taught by the culture. Her name Anastasia derived from such a desire to create her into his own little Russian princess. She reminded him of the young Princess he had known over a century ago. They held the beauty of curiosity and grace of intelligence. The young Princess had been so idealistic similar to Anna, not understanding the fighting outside or why their citizens were unhappy. The young Princess had been naïve…naïve enough to trust him. He swallowed back the thickness in his throat as images of blood and blank eyes caught in his mind. He held her close when she entered his arms and squeezed tightly as if she had been the one lying dead in the snow. No, Anna was not like the young Princess from before because she had his blood as well.
Her determination and fight could only come from the loud obnoxious American, and while he recognized the same idealistic qualities in her, she was not naïve or foolish. She fought for her ideas even if it might kill her. He shuttered and held her even closer to the point it might suffocate. He still could not wrap his mind on the fact that she had jumped from the space shuttle onto Earth. Only the American’s blood would make someone act so stupid, yet just as Ivan respected Alfred for his stupid decisions, he respected Anna. One must be judged not by their words but their actions, and she proved she was willing to take action when necessary. Nonetheless, Ivan hated sharing. At least he had her all to himself during this trip.
He finally pulled partially away to look over her. He caught sight of the tears and looked briefly worried as he wiped them from her eyes. Only her smile calmed his worried thoughts, and he smiled in return. His hand cupped her cheek, checking for any damage before his eyes returned to her bright blue ones that reminded him so much of Alfred. “I’ve missed you,” he said sincerely, and his heart ached with those words. He knew not to say it, but the words were on the tip of his tongue, Come home with me. “Is everything going well? You look healthy though a little thin. You must eat more. Not American junk, but substance food. Meat on the bones is very good,” he stated rambling, “Has everyone treated you kindly? You have not been too lonely, yes? If you ever are, you know you may contact me wherever I might be. The Americans have not messed with any systems, correct?” He glanced up at the station itself finally, as if he might be able to detect any unsettling American project by a mere glance. He looked back down at her with a sad smile. “I am sorry. My mouth is going faster than my mind. I worry,” he stated, finally giving her a chance to speak.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 1, 2016 21:18:50 GMT -5
Attempting to turn Anna away from her daddy at this point would be a very tricky prospect indeed. And quite unlikely to succeed. In fact, her papa is probably just about as likely to succeed in that effort as he is to drive her into siding with her daddy against him. But much, much more likely than either of those situations, he'd simply make her feel worse about the fighting and perhaps even make her anger at both of them flare up again. Not because she'd love either of them any less, but to protect herself from getting caught in the cross-fire - a place that's she's just too young to know how to handle emotionally. But she can hope that her papa will not taint his visit with that kind of unpleasantness. Not when they should be celebrating his return to the station after being away for far too long. She's so happy to see him that she doesn't mind how tightly he holds her - in fact, the firmness of his arms causes her to increase the strength of her own hug. Not that she's able to compete with him in the least in the hugging department, but that doesn't mean that she doesn't try. Somehow she manages to find an even bigger smile to put on her face as her papa pulls away slightly and starts to fuss over her. She's too busy basking in the attention to mind that she's unable to get in a word edgewise in order to answer any of his questions at first, and she giggles when he realizes that's what he's doing and purposely pauses so that she can say something. " Everything is going great now! With all the stuff I asked Roscosmos to send up I should be all the way stocked up again, all the most important things are fixed up now and the rest is getting worked on, and everyone has been super nice!" she beams. Her expression becomes a bit more serious as she adds, " And the only things that the Americans 'messed with' in the systems was fixing up problems - and I checked to make sure that they did it right. Доверяй, но проверяй." Given just how upset her fathers are with each other she wouldn't put it past either side to try to do something without her knowledge, so of course she kept an eye out for that while her daddy and his astronauts were around and she'll keep an eye out for that while her papa and his cosmonauts are around. She's not as naive as she used to be - she can't afford to be, unfortunately. But she's quick to want to change the subject away from suspicions. " Did you bring me anything extra? And what do you want to do first? The cupola is fixed, so we could go there!" she says excitedly, almost reflexively shifting into her 'old self', and suggesting that they go to the domed area where seven large windows provide the best possible place for earthgazing. Not that she's opposed to pretty much any other activity that her papa could suggest. Translation and notes:
Доверяй, но проверяй = Trust, but verify
According to Wikipedia, this is a Russian proverb that Suzanne Massie, a writer on Russia, taught to Ronald Reagan. He liked it and quoted it so frequently during diplomatic things with Russia that Mikhail Gorbachev commented that he said that at every meeting. So of course Anna comes by it honestly from both sides. |
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Post by Russia - Ivan Braginsky on Jun 11, 2016 21:11:29 GMT -5
He smiled brightly at her answer. He had let silly distractions on Earth stupidly pull his mind away from her. Time flowed differently for nations, and often years passed by Ivan without his notice. While time held little impact to him, he often forgot how time can ware on others around him, including space stations. He would not make the mistake again, and it felt comforting to know his supplies were already helping correct the problem. Still, he doubted the Americans contributed, but he did not wish to upset his daughter by bringing up such an opinion. He gently tapped her nose. “You are smart,” he replied to the phrase he too often used with America. To that end, he planned to verifying the station himself to make certain America had not done something he shouldn’t.
He chuckled softly when she suggested a gift. In Russia, a parent would teach their children control and thankfulness. One should not spoil their child for it teaches greed and selfishness, and yet, Ivan could not control himself when it came to his own daughter. He would give her anything she asked. No man could say no to her sweet smile and bright eyes. He nodded and reached into his suit. “I admit, it is not and has little use up here, but I wish for you to have it,” he said softly. He pulled out a fold fabric and gently placed it in her hand as it slightly floated up revealing itself to be a scarf. “I knitted it myself,” he explained. The white fabric was incredible soft and fine, and in the corner of one end had her initials embroidered and a quote.
If I could give you one thing in life, I would give you the ability to see yourself through my eyes, only then would you realize how special you are to me.
He awkwardly pulled at his suit. He never felt comfortable expressing his feelings to others, but he loved deeply and forever. It led to his possessiveness and protectiveness. “I am happy to see what you would like to show me,” he answered the question, before she could react to his gift.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2016 18:47:10 GMT -5
Anna can't help but grin at the compliment - her papa thinks that she's smart! Not that he hasn't said so before or because she's unaware that she's intelligent - she's built out of technology, after all. It's outdated technology because it takes time for any new advancements to be launched into space, but still! And now that there are people on the station again, she gets to hang out with the best and brightest people from Earth again - that tends to rub off on her. But it's one thing to be smart, and it's another to hear someone you love say so.
But is she spoiled? Well, yes. She asks about gifts because it's extremely reasonable to expect them. Almost everyone brings her something almost every trip to the station. People who don't even come send her things too. But at least she doesn't get upset if someone doesn't, and she's always extremely grateful - especially if it's a larger gift because even if she doesn't quite understand money she does understand that it can be extremely difficult to get things to her. But even very small gifts she appreciates, and she has many more reasons to appreciate the small gift that her papa pulls out of his coat than usual.
While he's right that it's completely impractical - she's always either on the station or in a space suit and both are climate controlled, and even then without gravity she couldn't wear it for very long without it unwrapping because of her movements without doing something further to keep it in place - she's nevertheless familiar with what it is simply because her papa has one. That alone is enough to make her gasp in surprised awe when he pulls it out. When he tells her he made it himself, that only increases the look of wonder on her face. She takes it slowly, feeling the soft fabric with her fingers. After a moment of that, she notices that one end of the scarf looks different than the rest, so she pulls it to where she can see it. Seeing her initial there and the quote, tears suddenly start to well up in her eyes.
Most of Anna's tears end up being absorbed into her papa's clothing, however, because she pulls him back into a hug and buries her face into his shoulder. "Spasibo, papa!" she says between happy sobs, her words quite muffled. After feeling so abandoned, to be given such a personal gift seems to put any fears she might have about his love for her to rest. Not that she really thought that he didn't care before, but she'd had to tell herself that. Now she has proof in her hands. She'll probably end up taking it to her sleeping pod and hold it while she sleeps like most children would a stuffed animal.
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do not forget me
About thirty years ago, Israel's boss was assasinated. By who, well, no one knows, but Israel immediately blamed Iran. Of course, that alone wouldn't have started World War III, even though Israel and Iran's various allies declared war in quick succession.
Nah, the nuclear bomb in the middle of Jerusalem probably did it.
Now? Now the rest is history. The world's been at war for thirty years, thirty years of bloodshed and pain. No one else has reached for the nuclear option quite yet, but no one's happy. So if we all die- well, do not forget me, okay?
updates
10/15/2020 Do Not Forget Me: a dark hetalia RPG is re-opened!
credits
Do Not Forget Me was created by Waffles and Jonathan and amazing layout and coding is thanks to SO-4 . Content is copyrighted to Do Not Forget Me unless otherwise stated. The skin is created by Wolf of Gangnam Style. The board and thread remodel is by Kagney The mini-profile remodel is by Trinity Blair of Adoxography. Thanks!
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