montage for the broken [America]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,bTable][atrb=style, width:100px; background-image:url(http://i41.tinypic.com/s67p7b.png)][atrb=vAlign,top][style=border:10px solid #3b3b3b; border-radius:5px; height:100px; width:100px; margin:7px; background-image:url(http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n222/amoline/neveragain.png);][/style][style=background-color:#3b3b3b; padding-top:5px; padding-bottom:5px; padding-left:15px; padding-right:15px; font-family: times new roman; font-size:10px; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:2px; width:220px; transform:rotate(-90deg); -moz-transform:rotate(-90deg); -webkit-transform:rotate(-90deg); -o-transform:rotate(-90deg); color:#fff; text-shadow:1px 1px 2px #000; margin-left:-60px; margin-right:-160px; margin-top:100px; margin-bottom:-70px; border-radius:10px 0px 0px 10px; text-align:right;]I’ve been this way with so many before, but this feels like the first time[/style]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,bTable][atrb=style, width:300px;][style=height:380px; overflow-y:auto; overflow-x:hidden; text-align:justify; font-family:arial; font-size:10px; padding-top:0px; padding-bottom:0px; padding-left:15px; padding-right:15px;]Neria had never been good at extended relations with others. Now—after experiencing it so many times before, she always held her breath for the end, for the proverbial knife in the back, or the cruel unspoken actions that always managed to tear at her heart no matter how often others had already scattered the pieces. Her's was as damaged as her long, tortured history and she still couldn’t understand why anyone would want something so mangled and used—least of all someone who could give his affections to anyone else in the world. No matter how many times he swore loyalty to her, she couldn’t escape that sliver of dread that remained lodged in her heart—that little, deeply buried nauseous feeling that he would eventually do the same to her that so many before had already managed. But she was never one to let that show. The rest of the world wouldn't know (or probably care). Instead, she still felt the need to prove that she could stand her own as the fairly recently reinstated nation. Her unofficial birthday had just passed and all she could worry about at the moment were the consistent, surrounding tensions and conflicts. Even now, her taking this trip felt like a risk that she probably shouldn’t have taken in retrospect, but it was one that her boss had been pushing for. Of course, the fact remains that Neria herself was rather keen on seeing a familiar face. Anything with friendly familiarity (as rare as that is for her) was enough to give her a fragment of fresh energy. The flight was uneventful, though it was as painfully stringent as it always was. She was monitored closely upon leaving, especially with her—eh, unconventional luggage. Yes, that’s right... What’s her usual visit to the States without them? Even visits that the bosses had arranged were occasionally littered with some of these ‘extracurricular’ activities. Not that they could help it really. It was easy to spout off excuses that sounded business-like enough for the two of them. They were just testing out the latest installments of weaponry, or They were working to improve diplomatic relations. Either were probable and somewhat true. On several levels. As she made her way through the crowded airport, Neria moved the strap of her carryon to the other shoulder, wincing slightly as the movement scrapped against small recently opened wounds. She kept a stiff upper lip about those as she continued. Something or other was always being agitated for nations in that portion of the blood stained world whenever tensions had reached a near explosive high. It was a pain that she had learned to live with, as she was sure many of the others had as well. Nonetheless, she was determined not to let it become a focal point for the following time that she had. Throughout her travel, she sent texts, some conversational, some alerting Alfred of when she would most likely land. Moving briskly through the crowds, she switched her phone to the alternate setting, dialing up a cab. She never did like to linger longer in airports than she had too—far too congested and far too much going on at once. A half an hour and a short cab ride later, she made her way through the frost addled streets, eyes scanning for the local coffee shop where she usually preferred to share 'hellos' whenever visiting. It was obscenely close to the airport and the patrons could occasionally hear the familiar distant roaring of starting and approaching flights. Neria peeled off her gloves upon reaching the warmth of the shop, staving the cold December air. She could smell the approaching frost. ”I’m ready whenever you are. You know where to find me.” After sending the quick message, she slipped the mobile back into her jeans pocket. Pulling her things behind her, she noticed a scant few others with their luggage, probably also waiting for loved ones to pick them up from a cozy coffee shop as opposed to the stuffy airport. Neria was quick to order what she always ordered whenever she came here: a double shot of espresso with sweetened steamed milk. It usually managed to calm her nerves after a long flight. Quickly perusing through their baked selections, Neria also gave into the temptation of buying two small Russian teacakes. Who in their right mind could resist one? The corner of the nation’s mouth curved in the slightest at the thought as she brought her selections to one of the stools lining the coffee bar. Dry fingers caressed the hot cup, bringing warmth into her stiff hands. The crinkled paper wrapped powdered pastries lay untouched. Dark, curious eyes perused the area, mostly to avoid staring at the stack of newspapers being sold over the counter. More often than not, she was mentioned in one of the breaking headlines for world news. The nation needn’t be reminded. It would be waiting for her when she arrived back home. She sipped at her coffee, nearly scalding the tip of her tongue. Sighing quietly, she set the hot drink back, hoping that she didn’t kill off too many of her taste buds for the rest of the day… ------------------------ NOTES: Managed it somehow. xD But yeah... finally getting this started. TIME: Early December 2012 [/style]

[style=font-family:times; font-size:9px;]MADE BY RIVER OF CTL and OTE[/style]

[atrb=vAlign,top][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][style=float: left; background-color: #d4bb65; padding-top: 150px; margin: 0 10 0 0; width: 100px;][/style][style=border-right: 6px #d4bb65 solid; padding: 0 5 0 0; width: 430px;][style=font-family: verdana; font-size: 10.5px; text-align: justify;]Alfred enjoyed when Neria came to visit as well. She was very important to him, regardless of whether they were considered friends, allies, or lovers. He had no intent to abandon her, though one certainly could not blame her for her fear. The blond looked forward to the visit, making sure to get a few of his things in order. Specifically, the 'toys' that they'd discussed on the phone before making their arrangements for this visit. He knew that she'd be bringing along some of hers as well. He'd already sent out the warnings, so hopefully she wouldn't get caught up in any trouble for what was in her luggage. It just wasn't a visit between the two if they didn't partake in a little bit of weapons testing! He kept a close eye on his phone. He was already staying in the city she was to land in, and waiting rather impatiently for an approximated landing time so he had at least a ballpark figure for the time that he needed to be ready by. When he finally received it, he started to get ready and headed out. He would have hailed a cab, but figured it would be easier to bring his own set of wheels. Especially if they had plans to test out those toys mentioned earlier, some of which were currently nestled in the trunk of Alfred's Mustang...yes, it would be a lot easier for him to carry those in his own vehicle rather than someone else's. Plus, admittedly, he liked showing off his wheels. He was not far from the coffee shop when he received the text letting him know that she was already there. Alfred took a brief moment to text 'k' even though he was in the midst of driving. A loud honk brought his eyes back to the road just after he pressed send, in time to see that he was starting to drift into the other lane and enable him to swerve back before he ended up in an accident. He enjoyed said coffee shop for a few reasons. One, they had fantastic sweets. Two, they had pretty good coffee as well. Three? Going there meant he'd be meeting up with Neria. Alfred spotted Neria already seated on one of the stools, and flashed her a smile as he headed up toward the counter to place his order. "I'll have a Caffe Americano and two chocolate chip cookies. Oh, make sure to leave room for cream in the Americano!" It didn't take long for Alfred's drink to be prepared. Alfred thanked the cashier at the counter before stepping aside to add ample amounts of cream as well as a couple of spoonfuls of sugar. He stirred the ingredients into the drink, making sure they were evenly mixed before he took everything over to where Neria sat. He gave her a one armed hug before plopping into the stool next to her. He took a few drinks from his cup, swishing it around in his mouth a few times before swallowing. Then he shot Neria a thumbs up. "Just as good as always! Wasn't sure if I put enough sugar in." Which reminded him - Alfred opened up the small bag containing his sweet treats and grabbed a cookie. He took a big bite beforeholding out the bag to Neria with his free hand. "Cookie?" He eyed her luggage as he waited for her response. "You can throw that in my car when we're done here. Don't think you'll wanna carry that around for whatever we do after this." Alfred remarked with a grin. He didn't know what they'd be doing directly after, but he doubted Neria wanted to carry around her luggage for all of it.[/style] [style=font-family: tahoma; font-size: 11px; text-align: center; margin-top: -20px;]✲ AMB Tanz[/style][/style]

[atrb=vAlign,top][style=font-family: tahoma; font-size: 20px; text-align: center; text-transform: capitalize; letter-spacing: -2px; width: 60px; padding-top: 50px;][/style]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,bTable][atrb=style, width:100px; background-image:url(http://i41.tinypic.com/s67p7b.png)][atrb=vAlign,top][style=border:10px solid #3b3b3b; border-radius:5px; height:100px; width:100px; margin:7px; background-image:url(http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n222/amoline/neveragain.png);][/style][style=background-color:#3b3b3b; padding-top:5px; padding-bottom:5px; padding-left:15px; padding-right:15px; font-family: times new roman; font-size:10px; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:2px; width:220px; transform:rotate(-90deg); -moz-transform:rotate(-90deg); -webkit-transform:rotate(-90deg); -o-transform:rotate(-90deg); color:#fff; text-shadow:1px 1px 2px #000; margin-left:-60px; margin-right:-160px; margin-top:100px; margin-bottom:-70px; border-radius:10px 0px 0px 10px; text-align:right;]I’ve been this way with so many before, but this feels like the first time[/style]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,bTable][atrb=style, width:300px;][style=height:380px; overflow-y:auto; overflow-x:hidden; text-align:justify; font-family:arial; font-size:10px; padding-top:0px; padding-bottom:0px; padding-left:15px; padding-right:15px;]Neria continued to wait, staring into her coffee, thoughts wandering aimlessly, mostly toward the latest events—namely on her side of the world. Her phone was still on vibrate—even on that setting, it still managed to irritate her. Even when she was out of the country, her prime minister apparently wasn’t going to give her a break. Not that she really blamed him—Bibi had enough on his mind… as did her president. As she shifted in her seat, she could feel the dull pain radiating. The small aches in her muscles haven’t left her for decades ever since her establishment. Whatever hit her borders, she inadvertently felt. She wasn’t about to complain about them, though. She had to prove to the world that she was strong—that she could handle being a part of it. Instead, she rolled her shoulders, massaged away some of the strain in her muscles before taking a long sip from her porcelain mug. The grittiness of the coffee jolted her senses as she cast a glance toward her luggage. She pulled it closer, protectively against her side. If anyone in that little coffee shop knew what sort of ‘toys’ she was carrying in there, they’d all probably freak the hell out. Good thing her luggage appeared no more threatening than anyone else’s. Just your standard black suitcases that got tossed around like nothing during the flight. Neria did hope that they had enough time during her visit to sufficiently test out their little forms of adrenaline-inducing entertainment... among other things... Israel had to admit, she was a bit of an adrenaline junkie… Most of that high came from learning how to channel the consistently high stress levels. Things like this made it easier to cope. Every time she heard the door opened, Neri tried to indiscreetly glance over. Most of them were just more tired travelers migrating over from the bustling airport. Neri’s eyes shot back to her coffee, slipping her gloves over her hands and rubbing them together. The tips of her fingers were still numb. Finally, she (indiscreetly) saw Alfred. Reflecting back his smile, she couldn't help the soft snort when she overheard his request room in his Americano for all the sugar and cream he was going to pour in. Neria always lightheartedly argued that putting cream in an Americano just made it a cappuccino without the foam. Die-hard Americano fans, however, will always beg to differ. She took another sip of her own, tasting what she was sure Alfred’s would taste like after drowning it in cream and sugar... Okay, maybe not exactly the same. His would be sweeter. She leaned slightly into the Alfred-hug before he sat down. Again, another noise of amusement, close to a chuckle rose from her at his comment. ”It’s good because you’ve converted it.” She lifted her own drink, teasingly showcasing that they now had the same product. The corners of her mouth lifted playfully. When Alfred offered her his other cookie, she opened her bag, placing one of the delicate little biscuits on her napkin before holding out the other to Alfred. ”How about I trade you?” Her smile widened marginally, wondering if this is how children felt when they exchanged the exciting parts of their packed school lunch. Of course she wouldn’t really know how that felt, but it was fun to imagine. Part of her just wanted to see Alfred make his own mess with the excess powdered sugar, the teacakes were already hard to eat without being at least spilling a little—Alfred, she was sure, would perfect the art of making it messier than usual. The thought made her smile and she placed Alfred’s cookie next to her teacake. Her eyes followed Alfred's when he glanced at her luggage. "Sure. Sounds good," she replied. She looked briefly back over at the other nation. There was a pause. Neria's thoughts wandered before she refocusing on her drink. Her cheeks reddened slightly. "Hey, it’s… been a while,” she started, biting softly at her slightly chapped lower lip . Both of them had had quite a few things happen since their last get-together—Alfred with his presidential election and Neria with her usual issues back at home. She had been nervous… she usually was with every election of Alfred’s, wondering how the possibly new president would view her. But she was relieved, as she usually was, whenever there was a renewed declaration of loyalty. Who could blame her, though, for getting worked up? That same anxiety greeted her on a nearly daily basis—like a constant, nagging nightmare—usually ones of being left to fend for herself or the world silently watching her with contempt. She had already decided that she was going to take what she could from her moments with Alfred... and cherish them for what they were. It was nice (for a change) to have someone to talk to, to share similar interests with, or even something as simple as waking up next to them in the morning. All of these things, Neria never took for granted. It was always best to hold those good moments close. They could end at any moment--like so many things that had for her in the past. ------------------------ NOTES: Ok… “toys” sounded extremely dirty in your post. XD It made me laugh. TIME: Early December 2012 [/style]

[style=font-family:times; font-size:9px;]MADE BY RIVER OF CTL and OTE[/style]

[atrb=vAlign,top][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][style=float: left; background-color: #d4bb65; padding-top: 150px; margin: 0 10 0 0; width: 100px;][/style][style=border-right: 6px #d4bb65 solid; padding: 0 5 0 0; width: 430px;][style=font-family: verdana; font-size: 10.5px; text-align: justify;]Though Neria's phone still continued to ring with the same frequency, Alfred was receiving fewer "business-related" calls now that elections were over. Fewer did not mean that he did not receive any, however, and Alfred did notice that he received an awful lot of calls concerning the fiscal cliff and Congress lately. Alfred, too, was an adrenaline junkie. He did need time to unwind occasionally, but he enjoyed high octane activities. Part of this was due to his high energy levels, and the need to find a place to burn off some of that energy. The other part, much like Israel, was that such activities offered a release and a distraction. If Alfred was feeling tightly wound, such activities gave him an outlet for his frustration. It didn't always work on the big things, but it did offer a good source of stress relief for smaller matters. "What do you mean converted it? I just added some sugar and cream!" Well...maybe he only added some cream. He added a lot of sugar, on the other hand. He did note that their beverages looked fairly similar, but that was about it. A grin came across Alfred's face as Neria proposed a trade. "You have yourself a deal! Glad to do business with ya." He accepted one of her teacakes, placing it down next to his cookie. Other than the fact that his cookie had a big bite out of it already, the setup was quite similar to Neria's. He decided to take a bite out of the teacake, already living up to Neria's expectations by dropping a few crumbs onto his shirt and even getting some on his lip. He did not seem phased, though, and instead just chuckled. He didn't feel the need to impress anyone here. At least, not when it came to table manners! There were other way he could impress Neria, he felt... The smaller nation's next words caused Alfred to frown as he took a drink from his cup. "It has, hasn't it?" He set his cup back onto the table, peering over at Neria. As he watched her, he could not deny a certain warmth that radiated through his body. "How are you handling things back home? Do you need my help?" He doubted she did, but he always kept a close eye on matters concerning Israel. He just hoped that it wouldn't land him in hot water again. He knew that his continued support of Neria was not popular with Middle Eastern nations, but he wasn't going to let that stop him. Alfred took another drink, moving around a little in his seat. Most who knew Alfred decently (or observed him) easily recognized that the young nation found it hard to sit completely still unless he was absolutely exhausted, and this was no exception. "Well, guess we'll just have to make up for lost time!" He stated with a smile on his face as he glanced down at Neria's luggage, wondering if she was thinking along the same lines that he was..[/style] [style=font-family: tahoma; font-size: 11px; text-align: center; margin-top: -20px;]✲ AMB Tanz[/style][/style]

[atrb=vAlign,top][style=font-family: tahoma; font-size: 20px; text-align: center; text-transform: capitalize; letter-spacing: -2px; width: 60px; padding-top: 50px;][/style]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,bTable][atrb=style, width:100px; background-image:url(http://i41.tinypic.com/s67p7b.png)][atrb=vAlign,top][style=border:10px solid #3b3b3b; border-radius:5px; height:100px; width:100px; margin:7px; background-image:url(http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n222/amoline/neveragain.png);][/style][style=background-color:#3b3b3b; padding-top:5px; padding-bottom:5px; padding-left:15px; padding-right:15px; font-family: times new roman; font-size:10px; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:2px; width:220px; transform:rotate(-90deg); -moz-transform:rotate(-90deg); -webkit-transform:rotate(-90deg); -o-transform:rotate(-90deg); color:#fff; text-shadow:1px 1px 2px #000; margin-left:-60px; margin-right:-160px; margin-top:100px; margin-bottom:-70px; border-radius:10px 0px 0px 10px; text-align:right;]I’ve been this way with so many before, but this feels like the first time[/style]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,bTable][atrb=style, width:300px;][style=height:380px; overflow-y:auto; overflow-x:hidden; text-align:justify; font-family:arial; font-size:10px; padding-top:0px; padding-bottom:0px; padding-left:15px; padding-right:15px;]“Nope. They’re essentially the same.” She kept her ground with a teasing glance. Neither of them would give in to the other’s opinion of the infamous Americano. The first time Neria saw the name and knew what it consisted of, she was convinced that it was a gimmick used to increase the public’s interest in coffee watered down with… hot water. Yes, a gimmick. But all the same, she didn’t want him to order any differently. This was their pattern. He ordered his Americano and mixed it with excessive sugar and some cream. And she ordered her cappuccino with sweetened foamed milk. It was all part of the typical interlude before their usual activities. Neria smiled widely when he accepted the trade and was even more pleased when she got the little display that she had been waiting for. What’s a good teacake without the white powdered mess? If it doesn’t make one then it wasn’t made properly—at least that was her experience. She decided to follow suit and choose the sweet that she had traded for, breaking the chocolate chip cookie in half first before biting into the middle of one half. She had a peculiar eating pattern with these. Neria didn’t really care for table manners—well as long as they were still acting like human beings at the table, then she wasn’t going to complain. She was the type to be simply impressed by other means entirely. Alfred knew what those were… She thought for a moment, her eyes averting briefly to her coffee. She slipped her gloves off once more, finally satisfied that some of the warmth was returning to them. ”It’s being handled…” She was sure that she didn’t have to explain exactly what was going on, as the world seemed to enjoy closely broadcasting every move that she made. It was difficult being under so much constant heat from the press, like being scrutinised beneath a very precise microscope—completely exposed. If she made one wrong move... Neria turned her gaze back to Alfred as she broke off her own morbid thoughts, the corners of her mouth curved slightly. It looked slightly forced, but her posture relaxed. ”No, I’ll be fine. Thank you…” She truly appreciated Al and everything he did for her... Really. It takes guts to stand up to the world for a nation that hardly anyone likes. However, she was careful to only ask for help whenever she really needed it. At the moment, she felt capable enough to deal with her own issues. It’s nothing that she hadn’t seen before. Neria noticed the slight squirming in his seat. She always marveled at the fact that he seemed to harbour a never-ending supply of energy. She sipped what she had left in her mug before slipping her leftover sweets into the bag, folding the ends for later. ”Yes, we will… for quite a few things at that...” She laughed quietly, giving him a playful, slightly sultry look just to tease him before placing the package into a side pocket of her carryon. Neria stood from her stool, stretching her arms briefly behind her back, massaging away at the cramps once more before flashing him a small smile. ”I’m ready whenever you are, Al.” Which probably was now. The heel of her winter boot tapped against her luggage before she pulled up the handle. ”I’ve got a few things you might want to try out.” Oh yes, she was more than ready to let loose. Ready to shoot at something that wouldn’t have the rest of the world screaming obscenities at her would be a great little way to kick off their week. ------------------------ NOTES: dum dadum. xD TIME: Early December 2012 [/style]

[style=font-family:times; font-size:9px;]MADE BY RIVER OF CTL and OTE[/style]

[atrb=vAlign,top][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][style=float: left; background-color: #d4bb65; padding-top: 150px; margin: 0 10 0 0; width: 100px;][/style][style=border-right: 6px #d4bb65 solid; padding: 0 5 0 0; width: 430px;][style=font-family: verdana; font-size: 10.5px; text-align: justify;]Alfred laughed at Neria's stubborn insistence. "Nope! I have an Americano, you have a cappuccino." Really, the only difference was in the way that they were prepared, but Alfred wasn't about to let up on the matter any more than Neria was. The blond took another bite from his powdered dessert, causing even more of a mess. He declined wiping his mouth, as he knew he would only have to wipe it again and again every time he took a bite. Plus this way he could lick some of the sugar off of his lips and fingers! Why wipe it off when he could savor it too? Pure sugar for the win! He nodded as Neria assured him that it was being handled. He would still keep an eye out, just in case it was needed. Pretty much what he usually did, only a tad more than usual due to recent tensions. While Neria saved some of her snacks for later, Alfred preferred to engulf them now. He really did struggle with impulse control at times. It was likely a good part of the reason why he never did so well with diets. He'd last a day before he'd be back to his regular eating habits. Alfred arched a brow, a smirk coming across his face as Neria teased him. "Well, hopefully we have time to get to all of it." He certainly did not want to miss out on anything, especially if that look was any indication of future plans during this visit. As Neria rose to her feet, Alfred rose as well. He finished up his Americano and tossed the last bit of the teacake into his mouth before he threw both the bag and the cup in the trash. He felt a bit of leftover powder on his lip, his tongue searching it out and licking it up before he looked to Neria with a smile. "K, I'm ready." He took a quick look at what Neria had with her, to make sure that she had everything she needed. They didn't want to have to come back because she left something in the cafe, after all! Fortunately, checking his pocket to make sure his wallet was there reminded him of something else. He took out his wallet and removed a couple of crisp dollar bills, stuffing them into the tip jar on the counter near the register. He stuffed his wallet back into his pocket and then started to head for the door. Once they were outside, Alfred looked toward Neria's luggage with a wide grin. "I'll bet! Did you bring that mini uzi we were talking about? I wanna test that puppy out!" Now that they were out of the cafe, Alfred felt more at ease talking about the sorts of toys they would be playing with. His excitement started to show more as well, now that they were heading out to the range! "I brought some of my own too," he informed her, though it was likely that she'd discerned that much already. He pressed a button on his keys to pop open the trunk. "Just lemme know if you need any help lifting anything." Given that Alfred drag his own car around behind him, he wouldn't have a problem with Neria's luggage even if it contained a pile of bricks! Though it was doubtful that Neria would pack it if she couldn't lift it at all. She was a lot stronger than most gave her credit for. "The usual range?" Alfred inquired as he slid into the driver's seat. He wouldn't be leaving the top down today. The weather was warmer than a typical December, but still too cold to leave the top of a convertible down. He proceeded to turn the car on, but he didn't head out yet. For one, he wanted to make sure Neria was settled in. Secondly, he wanted to make sure he knew where he was going before he headed out.[/style] [style=font-family: tahoma; font-size: 11px; text-align: center; margin-top: -20px;]✲ AMB Tanz[/style][/style]

[atrb=vAlign,top][style=font-family: tahoma; font-size: 20px; text-align: center; text-transform: capitalize; letter-spacing: -2px; width: 60px; padding-top: 50px;][/style]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,bTable][atrb=style, width:100px; background-image:url(http://i41.tinypic.com/s67p7b.png)][atrb=vAlign,top][style=border:10px solid #3b3b3b; border-radius:5px; height:100px; width:100px; margin:7px; background-image:url(http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n222/amoline/neveragain.png);][/style][style=background-color:#3b3b3b; padding-top:5px; padding-bottom:5px; padding-left:15px; padding-right:15px; font-family: times new roman; font-size:10px; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:2px; width:220px; transform:rotate(-90deg); -moz-transform:rotate(-90deg); -webkit-transform:rotate(-90deg); -o-transform:rotate(-90deg); color:#fff; text-shadow:1px 1px 2px #000; margin-left:-60px; margin-right:-160px; margin-top:100px; margin-bottom:-70px; border-radius:10px 0px 0px 10px; text-align:right;]I’ve been this way with so many before, but this feels like the first time[/style]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,bTable][atrb=style, width:300px;][style=height:380px; overflow-y:auto; overflow-x:hidden; text-align:justify; font-family:arial; font-size:10px; padding-top:0px; padding-bottom:0px; padding-left:15px; padding-right:15px;]It was a standstill. Neria could accept that. She only smiled at him in response as he took another bite out of the disastrously powdered dessert. He was collecting quite a bit of white around his mouth and fingers. She made a mental check to get the same one again… or better yet, order an even messier pastry. Part of the fun in sharing was watching it get all over the place. Honestly, Neria wasn’t sure when and if Alfred would be needed even as far into the future as the next day. Headlines with her name changed by the hour at times. Her status changed as inconsistently as the situation within that corner of the world. Nothing was ever for certain, so she often avoided labeling it as such. So far, though, she was handling it well. And she hoped to keep it within her grasp. Neria was at somewhat of an opposite with Alfred’s impulse control. She, perhaps, was too orderly with hers. Like other older nations across the world who had perhaps seen far more than they should for their age, she never took things for granted and preferred to savour them, almost as if they would be her last. Israel was never one of the more fortunate nations, so it too wasn’t odd of her to want to bottle up every nice moment she ever had—every breath of relief and every precious experience. She wanted to remember everything with delicate clarity. 'Life is beautiful,' she used to say when she was far younger. Now, even after going through every crushing tragedy that had ever been thrown at her, she caught herself thinking that very same sentiment. "I’m sure there will be more than enough time.” She tried to hide her amused grin. The smaller nation would be here for an entire week. Lord only knows how much time Alfred needed to sufficiently placate his uh, appetite... For all manner of adrenaline inducing activities… Neria finished her cookie half as well, holding the last of it steadily between her teeth as she straightened out her coat and gloves. She released a breathy laugh when she saw him searching out and licking the last remnant of powdered sugar on his lip. She waited for a moment longer while he put money into the tip jar and made his way outside. Neria followed, carrying her own luggage as she peered around for their ride, wondering which one Alfred had arrived in this time. Despite the fact that a fascination with guns usually ran alongside a fascination for cars, Neria still favoured weaponry far more. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t appreciate a nice ride when she saw one. ”Right here,” she caressed the side of one of her bags with a smirk. ”Can’t leave to the range without having you try something new as well.” She was also looking forward to trying some of Alfred’s weaponry. It was always fun to play with something new. Neria waited for Alfred to pop the trunk before maneuvering her heavy duty luggage in. ”Nope. I got this.” To her, they weren’t too terribly heavy. And, of course, he was right. She was quite strong for her size. Granted, she definitely couldn’t lift a car or anything quite so bizarre, but she could certainly hold her own against some of the other stronger nations. As soon as they were secured, she slammed the trunk down; making sure it was shut tight. Neria slid into the passenger’s seat, rubbing her gloved hands together. She flashed Alfred a slightly sheepish smile, indirectly admitting that yes, she was not yet used to his East Coast frigid December afternoons. ”Yep, sounds great.” She was more than eager to get started. ------------------------ NOTES: xD TIME: Early December 2012 [/style]

[style=font-family:times; font-size:9px;]MADE BY RIVER OF CTL and OTE[/style]

[atrb=vAlign,top][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][style=float: left; background-color: #d4bb65; padding-top: 150px; margin: 0 10 0 0; width: 100px;][/style][style=border-right: 6px #d4bb65 solid; padding: 0 5 0 0; width: 430px;][style=font-family: verdana; font-size: 10.5px; text-align: justify;] Alfred seemed to have no qualms about the mess that he was creating with the powdered treat. He did plan on cleaning up after himself afterward. He wasn't going to leave the table messy! It soon became clear after he finished eating that his cleaning method involved brushing the powdered sugar on the counter onto the floor rather than actually wiping it up, but it was the thought that counted? The larger nation knew just as well as Neria that matters were unpredictable in her corner of the world, and that a watchful eye needed to be kept at all times. In her case, he would likely only interfere if she asked him to, but that didn't mean he wouldn't keep his eye on matters over there. The corners of Alfred's mouth perked up into a smirk at Neria's words. "Just what I was hoping to hear!" One week was plenty of time to get to everything they wanted to accomplish on her visit - and perhaps then some! Alfred, too, had a fondness for weaponry that went beyond his interest in cars. He liked cars, don't get him wrong, especially fast and flashy rides. Guns, on the other hand, he'd had an interest in as a colony. The only subject he'd put time into mastering with his right hand as well as his dominant hand was shooting. Guns weren't, of course, the only weapons he had an interest in, but they did tend to be his weapon of choice. The blond eyed her luggage with almost as much interest as he eyed the woman carrying them. "I've got a few for you to test out too. Maybe we can even make some trades." Alfred smiled. It wasn't uncommon for weapons deals between the two nations to start with Alfred and Neria testing each other's weapons and expressing interest. Obviously, they'd each have to go to their officials and get some of the red tape taken care of, but the process usually started with the two of them before it became 'official'. Alfred shrugged when Neria told him that she had it. He wasn't sure how heavy she'd packed it, but then, it would be kind of silly to pack it so heavy that she couldn't carry it. She was the one carting it around, after all! Watching Neria settle into the seat next to him, he flashed her another smile. "You ready?" Noticing the fact that she was rubbing her hands together made him chuckle. "Oh, it's not that cold," he told her teasingly. He knew well enough that Neria lived in a climate much unlike this one, and wasn't used to temperatures this cold. Alfred, on the other hand, was used to more varied temperatures. He still found it to be chilly, yes, but he was certainly more accustomed to this than she was. He reached forward and pressed a button followed by the turn of a dial. Almost immediately, warm air began flowing through the vents as Alfred turned the heater on full blast. Checking to make sure that Neria was situated in her seat, Alfred proceeded to pull out of his parking spot and head off down the road. [/style] [style=font-family: tahoma; font-size: 11px; text-align: center; margin-top: -20px;]✲ AMB Tanz[/style][/style]

[atrb=vAlign,top][style=font-family: tahoma; font-size: 20px; text-align: center; text-transform: capitalize; letter-spacing: -2px; width: 60px; padding-top: 50px;][/style]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,bTable][atrb=style, width:100px; background-image:url(http://i41.tinypic.com/s67p7b.png)][atrb=vAlign,top][style=border:10px solid #3b3b3b; border-radius:5px; height:100px; width:100px; margin:7px; background-image:url(http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n222/amoline/neveragain.png);][/style][style=background-color:#3b3b3b; padding-top:5px; padding-bottom:5px; padding-left:15px; padding-right:15px; font-family: times new roman; font-size:10px; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:2px; width:220px; transform:rotate(-90deg); -moz-transform:rotate(-90deg); -webkit-transform:rotate(-90deg); -o-transform:rotate(-90deg); color:#fff; text-shadow:1px 1px 2px #000; margin-left:-60px; margin-right:-160px; margin-top:100px; margin-bottom:-70px; border-radius:10px 0px 0px 10px; text-align:right;]I’ve been this way with so many before, but this feels like the first time[/style]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,bTable][atrb=style, width:300px;][style=height:380px; overflow-y:auto; overflow-x:hidden; text-align:justify; font-family:arial; font-size:10px; padding-top:0px; padding-bottom:0px; padding-left:15px; padding-right:15px;]Neria snorted at Alfred’s method of ‘cleaning up’. That wouldn’t fly in her home… well, probably most homes for that matter, but she didn’t say anything. It wouldn’t matter. He’d continue doing as he pleased. Just as he continued to watch her situation on her side of the world. As unpredictable as everything was at the moment, Neria was silently grateful that Alfred sometimes did interfere… even if it did raise the ire of those surrounding her. Nearly all of her didn’t care what their reaction was to his presence. Those nations (in her perspective) were bullies and only showed the vaguest smidgen of restraint for those who held power. As would any worldly tyrant. The margin of her that did care only did so out of heavy concern for her people. They were her motivation—the reason she lived, so of course she was constantly concerned for them. Neria nudged Alfred playfully when she saw his smirk. ”I’m sure.” Like Alfred, Neri’s weapon of choice leaned towards guns. Though it’s such a common weapon nowadays, she was sure that it was the majority of the world’s weapon of choice. Well, that—or anything that exploded. Her enemies were particularly fond of those. She chewed the corner of her lip—a common, nervous habit of hers—every time something along those lines crossed her mind. It was a chore to keep herself from losing it at times, but she usually managed fairly well. It was her nights that were the real challenge. Nightmares were oftentimes more difficult to control than her daytime reactions to remembered trauma. So engrossed she was in her thoughts, that she barely noticed the way Alfred was looking at her—well, the luggage and her. Warmth spilled into her cheeks, but she managed a smile back. Her pulse hastened slightly. ”I—uh—yes!” With her face still a little warm, she readily agreed. Trades were always an interesting little task between the two of them. It meant they could have their fun while also doing a bit of actual ‘work’. Bibi and her president would be happy to hear about that… There was always something of Alfred’s that she was quick to find interest in. Can never have enough! Neria nestled comfortably in her seat before declaring that yes, she was ready. She had been ready the moment she had stepped off the plane—but that was just her barely contained enthusiasm for 'weapons testing' peeping through. ”Says you, the living-breathing-space heater,” she replied, trying to control the grin threatening at the corners of her mouth. She’d told him before that always he seemed to generate an excess amount of heat, which actually was a plus during the cold nights… but she still made it a point to tease him about her little claim every once in a while. Secretly, she loved that warmth of his—the kind that sunk in deep and refused to leave for a long while afterwards. Neria sighed, content, when he turned up the heat. Eventually, she peeled off her gloves, attempting to work the winter chill from the tips of her fingers. She was silent for a moment, watching as he pulled out from his parking spot. ”How about you, Al? How’ve you been holding up?” Her voice softened from her usual speaking tone as she leaned back into the seat, dark eyes lingering on the nation as he drove, brushing over features that she knew almost as well as her own. God, it had been too long since she’d seen him—really seen him. ------------------------ NOTES: xD TIME: Early December 2012 [/style]

[style=font-family:times; font-size:9px;]MADE BY RIVER OF CTL and OTE[/style]

[atrb=vAlign,top][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][style=float: left; background-color: #d4bb65; padding-top: 150px; margin: 0 10 0 0; width: 100px;][/style][style=border-right: 6px #d4bb65 solid; padding: 0 5 0 0; width: 430px;][style=font-family: verdana; font-size: 10.5px; text-align: justify;] Alfred recognized that sometimes interference was necessary to help Neria defend herself. The key words in that sentence, though, were defend herself. Neria had the capability to defend herself most of the time, and Alfred recognized this. Most of his help came through supplying her with weapons and funds. She had the ability to defend herself, Alfred's aid came in supplying her with the means to do so. The blond grinned when Neria signaled that she was ready. With him, his excitement was a little more obvious. His typically expressive eyes shone with excitement, and he'd had difficult staying still during their entire time at the restaurant. It wasn't merely excitement at the prospect of testing weapons with Neria, though that was indeed part of it - He was also happy to see Neria herself. He liked when other nations visited him, especially if wasn't on 'official' business (world meetings and the like). Even personal meetings like this could still involve business, given what they were, but when it wasn't their primary reason for meeting, things seemed a lot more...easygoing. Alfred started to laugh when Neria called him a living, breathing space heater. "Hey, you know you like it!" He could recall Neria curling up to him on cold nights when she visited before, and smiled at the thought. His body did do a decent job of maintaining heat, which Alfred always figured was owing to how much land he had. It was also a matter of perspective. Alfred did think it was chilly, but they could easily compensate for it with the heater in the car. It might be a little harder once they reached the range, though - Alfred hoped that Neria's jacket would be warm enough. Either that or they might have to stick indoors. That would put a damper on the testing of a few of the weapons, Alfred had a feeling. After all, it wasn't as though they'd be testing out handguns or hunting rifles. Most of their weapons would be military grade. "I've been doing pretty good, thanks!" Alfred informed Neria with a smile when she asked how he'd been holding up. He continued to drive, realizing that Neria really didn't have all that much to do as a passenger. That would drive him nuts! Then again, not doing anything period tended to drive Alfred nuts no matter the situation, so that wasn't saying much. "You can mess around with the radio if you don't wanna just sit there. Or I can give you my phone and you could play some Tetris or Angry Birds!" He planned to keep talking to her either way, so it was up to her if she wanted something else to keep her busy during the drive there. Awkward silences weren't really something that he had to worry about with Neria, given that they could usually find something to talk about with ease. "I hope it's someone I know working." Alfred knew most of the people at this range. While they did not realize that Alfred was a nation, they did understand that he often came to test military weapons (sometimes with others in tow) and would let him use the range without too many questions. [/style] [style=font-family: tahoma; font-size: 11px; text-align: center; margin-top: -20px;]✲ AMB Tanz[/style][/style]

[atrb=vAlign,top][style=font-family: tahoma; font-size: 20px; text-align: center; text-transform: capitalize; letter-spacing: -2px; width: 60px; padding-top: 50px;][/style]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,bTable][atrb=style, width:100px; background-image:url(http://i41.tinypic.com/s67p7b.png)][atrb=vAlign,top][style=border:10px solid #3b3b3b; border-radius:5px; height:100px; width:100px; margin:7px; background-image:url(http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n222/amoline/neveragain.png);][/style][style=background-color:#3b3b3b; padding-top:5px; padding-bottom:5px; padding-left:15px; padding-right:15px; font-family: times new roman; font-size:10px; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:2px; width:220px; transform:rotate(-90deg); -moz-transform:rotate(-90deg); -webkit-transform:rotate(-90deg); -o-transform:rotate(-90deg); color:#fff; text-shadow:1px 1px 2px #000; margin-left:-60px; margin-right:-160px; margin-top:100px; margin-bottom:-70px; border-radius:10px 0px 0px 10px; text-align:right;]I’ve been this way with so many before, but this feels like the first time[/style]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,bTable][atrb=style, width:300px;][style=height:380px; overflow-y:auto; overflow-x:hidden; text-align:justify; font-family:arial; font-size:10px; padding-top:0px; padding-bottom:0px; padding-left:15px; padding-right:15px;]Neria couldn’t help but to feel her own excitement rise when it was so evident on Alfred’s expression—namely his eyes. It had been a while since she had tested weapons. Well, the last time had been back at home. It seemed like they were always improving their weapons development. Though instead of a hobby that was a more preferable perspective to have, it was a necessity. Every day was precious time that they used to solidify their defence. Every day was precious to Neria because she had to constantly be ready for the threat of surprise. Something that poor Alfred had a taste of on his own soil years back. There was already enough tension back at home, so Neria was more than happy to make these rendezvous between them as easygoing as possible. It was a bit of an escape for her as well… Pink dusted her cheeks at his words, before she could catch herself and she playfully swatted at him to hide her reaction. Soon after a grin spread across her lips. A smile that reached her eyes. ”So you seem to think,”

[/color] she said. Of course they both knew that it was true. Sometimes blankets just weren’t sufficient! …And perhaps, she did like lying next to someone. Maybe.

Regardless, Neria was sure that she was sufficiently dressed for the shooting range… whichever part of the shooting range caught their fancy. She would be a trouper, though. Some of the weapons were more suited for the outdoors. It’s a good thing that they’ve been to this particular shooting range multiple times and they were cleared by Alfred’s higher-ups to be doing this sort of thing. They were fairly meticulous with security clearances, for which Neria was both secretly grateful for and slightly annoyed with. Grateful for the diligence, but annoyed with being so closely watched like a criminal on parole. That’s what the world made her feel like sometimes.

Neria peered over at Alfred when he came up with some suggestions to keep her busy. She laughed softly, shaking her head at his phone, but did turn on his radio at a low volume so that they could still talk. Just for a little bit of background noise. She wasn’t familiar with it, but it sounded nice and mellow for the drive. ”I don’t usually suffer from an alarmingly short attention-span, so I think I’m good ‘til we get there.” Again that teasing lilt in her voice emerged as she glanced over at him, her dark eyes shining with amusement.

”We’ve never had a problem before.” Neria was pretty familiar with the range that they frequented on occasion. It wasn’t the only one they’ve ever been too, but it was a frequent haunt of theirs among other unrelated hangouts. Aside from being occasionally strict, she didn’t have too much to complain about the usual procedure that they had to go through. She shifted in her seat, crossing one leg over the other as she inclined a little closer to the middle, the steady warmth relaxing her limbs.

Neria peered over at Alfred once more when she thought about the current tension between his boss and her prime minister. They had quickly developed a reputation for being a bit argumentative… but apparently even something as trivial as that didn’t alter Alfred’s support of her. At the meeting in November, he had even called for his allies to support her. Even if only seven nations responded to him, she was still grateful for his move. Again she worried over her bottom lip. She had meant to give him her thanks a few weeks ago when it had happened.

”I’m glad that you’re doing well.” Her words came out warmly, an affectionate smile touching her lips. ”Also, I… didn’t get to properly thank you for what you did in November... It meant a lot.” She could feel the warmth reaching her face and her eyes focused on the road for a brief moment. She rarely liked showing this side of her if she could help it, but sometimes (and it was usually with Al) the deep gratitude running through her warranted it.

------------------------

NOTES: --
TIME: Early December 2012

[/style][/td][/tr][/table][style=font-family:times; font-size:9px;]MADE BY RIVER OF CTL and OTE[/style][/center]

[atrb=vAlign,top][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][style=float: left; background-color: #d4bb65; padding-top: 150px; margin: 0 10 0 0; width: 100px;][/style][style=border-right: 6px #d4bb65 solid; padding: 0 5 0 0; width: 430px;][style=font-family: verdana; font-size: 10.5px; text-align: justify;] The playful swat was all that Alfred needed as a confirmation. He grinned cheerfully, gauging what Neria was wearing and how suited it would be for the gun range (and, admittedly, using it as an excuse to check out her figure as well). Alfred too had mixed feelings on all of the security measures set in place between them and their fun at the range. The nation could not deny that he'd enjoy being able to go out to the field without having to deal with paperwork and IDs and making sure that he was actually authorized to carry around the sorts of toys that he played with. On the other hand? He knew it was important. He knew it could come down to a matter of national security - the security of himself as well as his people. Sometimes it was hard to strike a balance between the two, as both were important. Alfred looked over at Neria with a smile when she turned on the radio. He arched an eyebrow at her jab, though still wore the slightest of grins on his face. "Are you saying that I do? Don't forget who's driving the car," Alfred stated, hoping that Neria realized he was joking around. The blond shrugged. "I know, but that's usually because someone I know is there. Helps when at least one person there knows you have high clearance," Alfred winked. What Neria likely didn't know was that they usually went through far less hassle than most because they knew of Alfred's so-called 'high clearance' in the military. They didn't realize just how high it went, just that it was high enough. The blond made another turn, tapping his left hand on the steering wheel to the beat of the song that was playing. He kept his eye on the road, only acknowledging Neria's first statement with a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth. Her next words, on the other hand, moved him to speak. "Hey, least I could do. Hopefully we won't have to take action any time soon, but it's good to know the support's there if you need it." He smiled and placed his hand on top of hers, giving it a squeeze as he continued to drive down the road. He kept his hand there until he made another turn, this time into a gravel parking lot that would no doubt look familiar to Neria. Once they were good and parked, Alfred pressed a button to open the trunk He headed back to retrieve the items they'd be using for their excursion. As Neria's luggage was on top, Alfred pulled it off and placed it onto the ground before retrieving two large bags of his own. He slung one over each of his shoulders. Despite the size of the bags, Alfred seemed to have no problem holding them. This was something that would not surprise any personifications, though might cause a regular human to take a second look. "Got your luggage?" He asked Neria with one hand on her belongings, asking in a roundabout way if she still wanted to carry it or wanted his help. The young nation could hardly keep still as he waited for Neria's answer, clearly eager to get started on some of their testing![/style] [style=font-family: tahoma; font-size: 11px; text-align: center; margin-top: -20px;]✲ AMB Tanz[/style][/style]

[atrb=vAlign,top][style=font-family: tahoma; font-size: 20px; text-align: center; text-transform: capitalize; letter-spacing: -2px; width: 60px; padding-top: 50px;][/style]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,bTable][atrb=style, width:100px; background-image:url(http://i41.tinypic.com/s67p7b.png)][atrb=vAlign,top][style=border:10px solid #3b3b3b; border-radius:5px; height:100px; width:100px; margin:7px; background-image:url(http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n222/amoline/neveragain.png);][/style][style=background-color:#3b3b3b; padding-top:5px; padding-bottom:5px; padding-left:15px; padding-right:15px; font-family: times new roman; font-size:10px; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:2px; width:220px; transform:rotate(-90deg); -moz-transform:rotate(-90deg); -webkit-transform:rotate(-90deg); -o-transform:rotate(-90deg); color:#fff; text-shadow:1px 1px 2px #000; margin-left:-60px; margin-right:-160px; margin-top:100px; margin-bottom:-70px; border-radius:10px 0px 0px 10px; text-align:right;]I’ve been this way with so many before, but this feels like the first time[/style]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,bTable][atrb=style, width:300px;][style=height:380px; overflow-y:auto; overflow-x:hidden; text-align:justify; font-family:arial; font-size:10px; padding-top:0px; padding-bottom:0px; padding-left:15px; padding-right:15px;]Neria laughed softly when she noticed Alfred eyeing her clothing, or perhaps more specifically imagining the lack thereof. She repeated her action again, though it was a little more like brushing her knuckles against his shoulder instead of a true playful swat. ”Keep your eyes on the road,” Neria teased, grinning at him. Really, she enjoyed it when they occasionally mixed in a bit of their personal interactions along with whatever weapons testing/playing or other sorts of business. Pleasure and business between them sometimes bled together. But it was fun. Neria liked doing business with him—particularly the weapons development and the alliance reaffirmation every time one or the other got a new boss... which usually meant just hanging out, doing their usual. ”Perhaps…” she smiled in response to his question. ”… depends on the hour. Sometimes it’s alarmingly short… other times it’s only very short.” Neria laughed at his faux threat. ”I’ll behave. You know how good I am at that.” Note: not really. At least when it wasn’t a serious matter, which was with nearly every other aspect of her life. That’s why seeing Alfred was good for her. She needed a break from the grave insanity of her world and someone just to be goofy and fun with every once in a while… or to dominate shooting ranges with. Meanwhile, the rest of the world thought everyone and their mother would be safer if she didn’t have any sort of weapon in her hand. The day that happens is the day she’d probably be brutalised off the map, much to Iran’s delight. His dream made real. Neria really did have little idea of the under-the-table security measures on this side of the world. ”True.” She was sure that it was necessary, especially with how much his people were forced to prevent now that the world had gone a little crazier—more so than it already was, which is a shit ton of crazy… The female nation swallowed tightly at his first statement. Despite everything that her and Alfred had gone through for the past few decades when things between them… changed, she still had some issues with trusting someone enough to follow through with support. It had nothing to do with Alfred—he was a great ally. More than she could ever hope to ask for. But she was a damaged nation. Time and time again, she had been disappointed, slandered, and even turned on by supposed allies. All of them. Sometimes hearing about the tension between their bosses made her wring her hands a little, because anything—any sign of tension was enough to bring those experiences back. Brief sensations of betrayal… and the deep ache and panic that followed. These were things that most nations had experienced--things that probably would never really go away. Wounds only barely healed over. ”Hopefully…” She looked down at her hands in her lap, knowing that her hopes were just that. Hopes—not reality. Perhaps it would only be a matter of time. Another month? A year if she was lucky? She would have to take action eventually. While she wasn’t hesitant to do so, she hated the waiting game that occurred when gaggles of other nations got involved, backing opposite sides until it became a worldwide mess. She nodded slightly when he mentioned that it was good to know that support was there. Yes, the notion was good. But again, Neria’s faith in these supposed allies was barely there. The only one she really trusted was Alfred at this point—and not even that was complete. She saw Alfred’s hand reach across and squeeze hers. It was warm and rough, a touch that was always familiar. Her breath evened and she even smiled a tiny bit when it stayed. Her thumb moved past his fingers, caressing the side of his hand. She had always liked the size differences. Sometimes she would lay close to him at night, lightly tracing his fingers with the tips of hers, down the middle of his palm, and across the back of his wrist. All feather-light. Repetitive and unthinking until she drifted to sleep. By the time they reached the familiar parking lot, Neria headed back as well, more than ready to begin their adrenaline-fest. When Alfred pulled hers out first, she slung one of the bags across her shoulders. She watched Alfred as he shouldered his heavy-duty bags, very shamelessly eyeing him up and down the entire time. Hey, he did it to her on the ride there, so it was only fair. Problem was, she didn’t want to inflate any testosterone brimmed egos that all men seemed to carry, so she dropped her gaze with a smirk. ”Yeah, I got it.” She grinned as she took up the rest of her bags. The young nation already looked like he wanted to bolt into the building as quickly as possible, so she adjusted her things quickly. ”Alright,” she said once she was ready. Even Neria was starting to feel the impatience starting to creep in. ------------------------ NOTES: -- TIME: Early December 2012 [/style]

[style=font-family:times; font-size:9px;]MADE BY RIVER OF CTL and OTE[/style]

[atrb=vAlign,top][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][style=float: left; background-color: #d4bb65; padding-top: 150px; margin: 0 10 0 0; width: 100px;][/style][style=border-right: 6px #d4bb65 solid; padding: 0 5 0 0; width: 430px;][style=font-family: verdana; font-size: 10.5px; text-align: justify;] "The road's not as interesting as some other sights I can name." Alfred explained with the same grin as before, clearly referring to Neria herself with this comment. That said, he did take her order in stride. He loved teasing the other nation in this way, but he also didn't want to end up in a car accident. That would put a damper on what Alfred planned to be an enjoyable excursion. The male let out a noise of mock outrage at Neria's jabs. "I'll have you know that my attention span is just fi-oh, check out how cool that bird looks!" The smile that came across Alfred's face after this statement showed that he was joking. He usually wasn't that easy distracted, though he did have his moments... Alfred let out a chuckle at Neria's next statement. "I can think of a few nations who would disagree with that." He could name several off of the top of his head, in fact. He respected that so-called 'misbehavior' most of the time, although not always. He recalled a specific instance, during the Yom Kippur War, where she threatened to go nuclear as a clear message to him to get his butt into gear and send her supplies. It turned out to be a bluff in the end, much to his chagrin. Though also to his relief - Nuclear weapons were a last resort, and he did not want to think that she was so desperate that she would go to those measures. Even Alfred and Ivan never used their considerable supplies against each other, although it came dangerously close numerous times. Alfred had his own habits when he and Neria shared a bed. No matter how much space he gave her when they fell asleep, he would more often than not wake up with his arms wrapped around her in an almost protective embrace. He frowned a little when he heard her murmur 'hopefully...' in a doubtful tone, but realized that any further reassurances he could give would be fruitless in the end. He could offer his help, but he couldn't prevent the problems from happening in the first place. He gave her hand a squeeze nonetheless, as an attempt to comfort and show support. He was happy to see that she looked nearly as excited as he did. She was less obvious about it than he was, but he could tell that she was anxious to get to it as well. Quickly checking the trunk to make sure he hadn't left anything behind, he slammed it down and started for the building. "They've added a couple of new features since you last visited. Hopefully we'll get a chance to try them out while you're here!" If not, there was always next time, but Alfred was eager to try out as much as he could. These little excursions were not only fun, but offered a source of stress relief, at least for him - though he was fairly certain that statement qualified for Neria too.[/style] [style=font-family: tahoma; font-size: 11px; text-align: center; margin-top: -20px;]✲ AMB Tanz[/style][/style]

[atrb=vAlign,top][style=font-family: tahoma; font-size: 20px; text-align: center; text-transform: capitalize; letter-spacing: -2px; width: 60px; padding-top: 50px;][/style]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,bTable][atrb=style, width:100px; background-image:url(http://i41.tinypic.com/s67p7b.png)][atrb=vAlign,top][style=border:10px solid #3b3b3b; border-radius:5px; height:100px; width:100px; margin:7px; background-image:url(http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n222/amoline/neveragain.png);][/style][style=background-color:#3b3b3b; padding-top:5px; padding-bottom:5px; padding-left:15px; padding-right:15px; font-family: times new roman; font-size:10px; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:2px; width:220px; transform:rotate(-90deg); -moz-transform:rotate(-90deg); -webkit-transform:rotate(-90deg); -o-transform:rotate(-90deg); color:#fff; text-shadow:1px 1px 2px #000; margin-left:-60px; margin-right:-160px; margin-top:100px; margin-bottom:-70px; border-radius:10px 0px 0px 10px; text-align:right;]I’ve been this way with so many before, but this feels like the first time[/style]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,bTable][atrb=style, width:300px;][style=height:380px; overflow-y:auto; overflow-x:hidden; text-align:justify; font-family:arial; font-size:10px; padding-top:0px; padding-bottom:0px; padding-left:15px; padding-right:15px;]Neria didn’t stifle the small laugh that Alfred’s statement forced from her. Never was she carefree enough to laugh with others; she couldn’t exactly afford to be with her constantly tense situation. All the same, she offered him a small smile at his indirect compliment. ”Well, lucky for me, then, I can look all I want.”

[/color] She was greatly amused with how dorky they were being. At least Alfred seemed to be paying a little more attention to the road. Not that they would actually die from a car accident. They were both tough and could handle being tossed around a bit. However, it would greatly set them back for time. Not to mention that there were much more fragile individuals currently on the road that mightn’t be as lucky.

Neria grinned at his display of a short attention span. ”Yes, yes. Cute, Alfred. You win that one… by a margin.”[/color] Her somewhat mock flat tone of voice was spoiled by her playful glance. By a margin because she still liked to poke fun at some of his distractibility. It was a very useful piece of knowledge for certain conversations and whenever their adrenaline pumping antics reached the bed. Oh, yes. All very useful.

”Only a few?” She inclined her head to the side, peering over at him with an slight smirk, feeling the car’s upholstery brush against her cheek. Neria herself probably wouldn’t have coined the term ‘misbehaviour’ for her actions, though she accepted it as that’s what the rest of the world viewed her as: a bit of a miscreant. However, she could still very clearly recall every detail of her little ultimatum to Alfred back when her dear neighbors decided to surprise her with what could have been a deadly attack. And on her people’s holiest day, too… Neria was rather desperate. And she would do it again if that sort of situation were ever to happen a second time.

She had to have been desperate--desperate enough to make such a threat (even if it was a false one)—especially when the Soviets threatened to intervene. She recalled how there were destroyers as well as Soviet warships on her shores authorized to open fire on her soldiers. Ivan might as well have been holding the gun to the back of her head, threatening to pull the trigger at any moment. Along with every other Arab nation…

Neria had a hidden penchant for touch… perhaps because she had received so little of it in the past. She had been reviled and others usually recoiled from her very existence. So even feeling Alfred’s hand over hers was something that she never pulled away from. Though her words were sometimes harsh and she had a hard exterior, she never failed to soften against a physical show of support and the tenderness of comfort. She smiled a little when he squeezed her hand again.

Neria was more than a little thrilled at the idea of trying something new at the shooting range that they both knew so well. She wondered if Alfred had already tried them out—probably, though she quietly joked that he didn’t have as much fun going to the range whenever she wasn’t there to spur him on. ”Oh yes. We definitely should!” Neria grinned at Alfred as they entered straight into the front. Here, she fell a step behind Alfred so that he could do his magic with the security.

------------------------

NOTES: --
TIME: Early December 2012

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