Your Ex-Lover Is Dead [Vietnam]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=style,background-color: #d4d4d4; width: 450px; -moz-border-radius-topright: 30px; border-radius: 0px 30px 0px 0px; border-left: #1E90FF solid 6px;] {now i'll leave rememb'ring her, Why does Saigon never sleep at night? Why does this girl smell of orange trees? How can I feel good when nothing's right? Why is she cool when there is no breeze? Vietnam, You don't give answers, do you friend? Just questions that don't ever end It was hard not to notice when Alfred F. Jones, the United States of America, was having an off day. He was so noticeable on a regular day that any day he wasn't constantly making comments or piping in was considered peculiar. By that standard, Alfred was having an extremely off day. Though he made his usual remarks, they were fewer than usual, and seemed almost forced. Some of the other nations present were relieved, others were concerned, but regardless of what the other nations felt, none of them called Alfred out on the matter. They likely realized they wouldn't get any answers from him anyway. He rarely admitted when something was wrong when he was alone with someone, let alone in front of the entirety of the G8. He would just laugh it off, looking for the nearest escape route , and take off as soon as he found it. Sure enough, as soon as the meeting let out, Alfred was the first one out of the door. He ventured down the hall, walking at a brisk pace until he reached a hallway he was fairly certain no meetings were taking place. He doubted anyone would look for him here. He usually thrived on crowds, but even extroverts needed time to themselves occasionally. Alfred ran a hand through his hair. Oddly enough, today actually started out a fantastic day. He woke up on time to throw together a breakfast consisting of eggs, bacon, pancakes, and toast, rather than rushing by McDonalds to pick up food at the last minute and eat it on the way to the meeting (not that he minded McDonalds...he'd never mind McDonalds). He even made it to the conference center in record time. He could just imagine throwing his punctuality in Arthur's face, with how much the older nation nagged at him. Yes, it had been a fantastic morning, one of the best he'd had in a while. Until he caught a glimpse of raven hair out of the corner of his eye and immediately felt nauseous. They did not speak, nor did they even acknowledge each other. Alfred wasn't even certain that she'd seen him. It wasn't like he'd stuck around long after recognizing her. She wasn't supposed to be here. It wasn't a logical thought, and it wasn't actually true - This was the World Conference Center, she had just as much right to be there as any other nation. That didn't stop him from feeling immensely uncomfortable at the sight of her. Though they'd established diplomatic relations with each other back in 1995, the two nations themselves had not met face to face since the 1970s. It was a ridiculous sort of song and dance they had, Alfred and Linh. Though there were subsequent meetings after the one in 1995, never did the two of them appear at a meeting at the same time. Sometimes one would show up, sometimes neither, but never both nations at the same time. It was not even intentional, although a casual observer might argue otherwise. Now, though, she was here. In the same building as him, for the first time in a few decades, and it had Alfred on tenterhooks. This was driving him nuts. He was one of the most powerful countries in the world, if not the most powerful now that Ivan was knocked down a few pegs, and he was being driven off the deep end by a small, Southeast Asian country that did not even make the G20. Alfred tore his eyes away from the window, deciding that he needed to distract himself. He set off down the hall at once, going through his phone to check out nearby restaurants. The task worked, right up until he found himself brushing up against something solid. His eyes shot upward at once, and blue met brown. His breath hitched in his throat as he cursed in his head. It was her. It was her. Why could she solicit this sort of response from him? Why did he want to run away? He was America, he wasn't supposed to run away from anyone! But her...he wanted to run away from her. And it wasn't because of her strength, oh no. It was not from any sort of tangible threat. It was the reminder, the memories she brought with her, the memories that he wanted to seal within the vaults of time and never open again. He would rather relive the Civil War than relive that time again. It had all gone so horribly wrong. He'd meant to protect her. He'd meant to be her hero. As it turned out, she didn't need one. As it turned out, he was doing far more harm than good. Far more harm. She became the enemy and embraced their ideologies. He failed. Not only did he fail, but he pushed her away in the first place. Unintentionally, but it was the truth of the matter, one that he tried to ignore whenever he could. However, he found it impossible when she was standing right there in front of him. "V-Viet..." He stammered out, feeling unfit to use her human name. Even using the shortened form of her nation name did not feel right. This wasn't supposed to be happening. She wasn't supposed to be here. But she was, and she wasn't going away any time soon. TAGS: Vietnam/Linh WORDS: 913 LYRICS: Why God Why from the Miss Saigon soundtrack NOTES: Urf.

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0px,true] It's nothing but time and a face that you lose I chose to feel it and you couldn't choose I'll write you a postcard I'll send you the news From a house down the road from real love There's one thing I want to say, so I'll be brave You were well what I wanted I gave what I gave I'm not sorry I met you I'm not sorry it's over I'm not sorry there's nothing to save LIVE THROUGH THIS AND YOU WON'T LOOK BACK,     What had been the point of establishing herself as a strong, independent nation if she never showed up to anything? Oh, her foot was firmly planted in the affairs of the rest of Asia, and it had been ever since the war had ended. But apprehension always tended to creep through her veins whenever she was needed on a much larger scale. She couldn’t even bring herself to face him on the day they had put their differences aside; there was just too much at risk. She couldn’t live with the disappointment she’d become; she couldn’t face the man who was the result of the scars on her back; she couldn’t bring herself to pretend as if she didn’t love him as she once did. No, deep down, she still believed that he held the key to her happiness. She had seen through his lies and, though he had eventually crushed every understanding she had of the word love, she still found love deep within her heart. Linh simply couldn’t explain it to herself. She was dumbfounded by the idea that she could still love a man who hurt her in every way possible or how a heart could still beat after it stopped working. When she thought of him, even though she thought a little less of him now than she once did, her heart still tensed. Linh never wanted to admit that she still loved Alfred—she simply wanted for all those feelings to have died alongside the woman she once was. Linh sat with Taiwan in the lobby of their hotel for breakfast. She was never a wasteful person but the morning consisted of nothing more than her pushing the food around on her plate. ”Are you going to talk to him?” Linh stared down at the scrambled eggs with unforgiving eyes. “Of course not. I’m going to avoid him at all costs.” There was a long moment of silence as Mei stared at Linh with concerned eyes. ”You should at least try.” She wanted no part in this ‘trying’ business. She was going to avoid him and that was that: it was best for both parties this way. As Linh stood in front of the mirror in her hotel room, the scars on her back began to burn with an intensity that she hadn’t felt since the wounds had been placed there. She stared back intensely at her reflection, knowing that the fates were against her today. Linh had been completely successful in avoiding him. Though, her shoulders and back burned again every time she stepped around a corner, out of his sight. Linh told herself to accept this new life of hiding from the American but deep down she wanted no part of this game. Again, her heart ached and tensed. In the bathroom, she gripped at her hair, feeling once more the all-too-familiar feelings of conflicting ideas battling inside her. Linh’s mind told her to stay at least 100 feet away at all costs but her heart told her to find him that instant. This was why she never attended World Meetings. Linh hurried out of the bathroom, eager to get back to her hotel room and escape the mental hell she was trapped in—and that was when the fates intervened. She glanced up at the tall blonde, her heart stopping altogether for a moment, and her mouth gapped with evident shock. As she took in a slow inhale, her shoulders rolled forward, pain searing through the skin on her back once again. Mei offered her a small smile. “If you love something—set it free…” He muttered her name… not really her name, just some petty nickname. And that was what hurt. It took her a moment to regain enough composure to reply. “Alfred…” her words were strong, much stronger than her actual self, and she was thankful for that. His name—it was all she could manage. “If it comes back to you—it’s yours…” TAGS: alfred <3 WORDS: 665 NOTES: your ex-lover is dead made by ayu of back to neverland

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=style,background-color: #d4d4d4; width: 450px; -moz-border-radius-topright: 30px; border-radius: 0px 30px 0px 0px; border-left: #1E90FF solid 6px;] {now i'll leave rememb'ring her, Why does Saigon never sleep at night? Why does this girl smell of orange trees? How can I feel good when nothing's right? Why is she cool when there is no breeze? Vietnam, You don't give answers, do you friend? Just questions that don't ever end It was so much easier, this game they'd played for the past two decades. Just because they had diplomatic relations with each other didn't mean that they had to see each other. It was unusual, but not unheard of. Officials could meet without the nations themselves meeting. He'd been asked why he would avoid most of the meetings, but he never did provide them with the actual reason. Now, all of that was for naught. He stood in front of her, in a rare state of speechlessness. He could feel his heart pounding under his ribcage, the adrenaline coursing through his veins. Part of Alfred wanted to turn tail and run. It was so much easier before. If he could just continue to ignore her, he was fairly certain both of them would be happy. Neither would have to face the constant reminder of everything that went wrong between them. Yet something kept his feet planted where they were. Perhaps it was the other part of Alfred, the part that wanted to wrap his arms around Linh and pull her close, apologizing for everything that happened between them. Still another part wanted to shout at her, to ask her why she walked away from him. Then again, had she walked away from him or had he walked away from her? It seemed as though regardless, it would not have been a happy ending. Sooner or later, they would have fallen apart. She was too entranced by the new government, he too stubborn to accept it. Even now, he didn't want to accept it. Surprise crossed his features as she addressed him by name. Not his nation name, not America...not even Mr. Jones. She called him Alfred. His heart felt lighter in his chest. "Linh." He responded, this time opting to use her human name rather than her nation name, as she'd done with him. He much preferred it anyway. The name Vietnam made him uneasy. It, too, was a reminder, like so much else. Linh, on the other hand, was a reminder of happier times. It was a reminder of how close they'd once been. The two names referred to the same woman, the same nation, but had very different connotations where he was concerned. The silence that ensued was awkward. Alfred hated it. Awkward silences made him uncomfortable, and, admittedly, a bit twitchy. He couldn't let this go on for long. He would either have to leave, or to continue on the conversation. He opted for the latter. "I was just heading out to grab a bite to eat. Wanna come with?" Alfred tried to ignore just how much it sounded as though he was asking her on a date. They were just two colleagues, going out to lunch together. They just...had a past together. And hadn't seen each other in nearly four decades. There was no way this could end badly. Not at all. Admittedly, she could always say no, and it could all be for naught. They'd go their separate ways and go right back to avoiding each other, this entire run-in a mere fluke. At this point, Alfred honestly wasn't sure which answer he was hoping for. . TAGS: Vietnam/Linh WORDS: 546 LYRICS: Why God Why from the Miss Saigon soundtrack NOTES:

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0px,true] It's nothing but time and a face that you lose I chose to feel it and you couldn't choose I'll write you a postcard I'll send you the news From a house down the road from real love There's one thing I want to say, so I'll be brave You were well what I wanted I gave what I gave I'm not sorry I met you I'm not sorry it's over I'm not sorry there's nothing to save LIVE THROUGH THIS AND YOU WON'T LOOK BACK,     Linh remained frozen for what seemed infinitely. She looked him up and down slowly, filling up the silence that proceeded their unusual greeting. He was almost how she remembered him. The last time she had seen him, he was broken beyond repair—her hands bloodied with the shards of his remains. She wondered if she was the only person on Earth who could still see the cracks in his figure. Her lips quivered as she wondered who could've pieced him back together. Something within her urged her to reach out, lay her hand on his cheek and make sure he was real; but she could never be that bold. It was inevitable that he was the one to break the ongoing silence. Linh could live forever in silence. That was, until he came along. Now, once again in his presence, there were many things that danced on the tip of her tongue. Some curses, some confessions, all of them surely to end with tears. She was thankful that her will was not failing her at the moment and she could keep such things contained. It had been years since she felt such twisting in her stomach; it was the same sensation she felt every time she laid eyes on him. First, it brought her small inklings of happiness, eventually relief, then suddenly dread—even fear—and lastly hatred. She couldn’t quite put a name on it now. It was easiest to call it confusion for she was definitely feeling that. It would’ve been more accurate to call it hurt or perhaps heartache. Her heart fluttered when she heard him call her name. No longer was it spoken through barred teeth behind a gun and she felt a heavy load lift off her shoulders. Her eyes couldn’t help but widen with shock as he asked her to lunch. Oh how she adored the idea but the knotting in her stomach caused her to wince at the thought. She knew that spending the evening with him would be an awfully painful experience and worry and dread ticked off in her again, setting off her defenses. "Lunch? I-I don't know..." she stammered, her arm resting across her churning stomach as she tucked her hand under her free arm. Linh couldn’t help but look away from him. Every bone in her body ached with the urge for her to just say yes and go eat lunch with him. But the pains in her stomach told her otherwise. TAGS: alfred <3 WORDS: 413 NOTES: your ex-lover is dead made by ayu of back to neverland

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=style,background-color: #d4d4d4; width: 450px; -moz-border-radius-topright: 30px; border-radius: 0px 30px 0px 0px; border-left: #1E90FF solid 6px;] {now i'll leave rememb'ring her, Why does Saigon never sleep at night? Why does this girl smell of orange trees? How can I feel good when nothing's right? Why is she cool when there is no breeze? Vietnam, You don't give answers, do you friend? Just questions that don't ever end He could feel her eyes on him, just as his eyes were on her, taking in every detail. It made Alfred a tad uncomfortable, but how could he complain when he was doing the exact same thing? He was happy to see that she was doing well, and at the same time, it left a bitter taste in his mouth. He knew he should have been happy for her, but this wasn't how it was supposed to be. She was supposed to be happy with him, because of him, not because of his absence. That said, he could not very well say that his existence was unhappy. He had his share of challenges over the past few decades, but he certainly didn't spend that whole time moping about her. It hurt the worst for the first decade or so afterward. After that, Alfred tried to push it all to the back of his mind in favor of other matters. There was still the occasional pang, the occasional nightmare. As time passed, though, the hurt wasn't as prominent. He was healing, or so he thought. Perhaps, though, the wounds were only festering. Now that the woman herself stood before him again, it was as if every wound was ripped open once more. Damn, why did she have to have this effect on him? He much preferred these circumstances to the ones in the past, even with that taken into consideration. Alfred still wasn't sure why he'd opted to invite her to lunch of all things. Did he have to make it sound so much like a date? All he wanted to do was catch up with her, to see how she was doing. Was she really doing as well as he heard? Was she happy as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam? His hand abruptly clenched into a fist at that name. She was supposed to be the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Wasn't that what she wanted in the first place? Or was he so blinded that he failed to see what she wanted all along? Or perhaps it was both. Alfred wasn't sure what to make of Linh's hesitance. It did not sound as though the idea of going to lunch with him particularly delighted her, and yet she did not outright refuse. That meant that there was still a possibility. Alfred recognized such an opportunity when he saw it, and decided to try again. He was nothing if not persistent, after all. "Come on, you can't tell me you want to hang around here while everyone's out to lunch. I know plenty of good places around here!" He tried to keep it as cheerful as he could, not wanting to show the true tumult of emotions that was churning just below the surface. TAGS: Vietnam/Linh WORDS: 481 LYRICS: Why God Why from the Miss Saigon soundtrack NOTES: Lol, I was so tempted to have him say 'you're in good hands' at the end of this post, but then I realized he probably said that before, and look at how well THAT turned out. So yeah...probably not a good idea. XD

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0px,true] It's nothing but time and a face that you lose I chose to feel it and you couldn't choose I'll write you a postcard I'll send you the news From a house down the road from real love There's one thing I want to say, so I'll be brave You were well what I wanted I gave what I gave I'm not sorry I met you I'm not sorry it's over I'm not sorry there's nothing to save LIVE THROUGH THIS AND YOU WON'T LOOK BACK,     Linh glanced around for quite some time, both avoiding his gaze and observing the halls around her, making sure they weren’t the target of the next day’s gossip. She cringed at the thought of it; it wasn’t like people couldn’t stand her enough as it was, but oh, now she’s ran back to Alfred. She clenched her teeth at the thought; no she was still perfectly capable of living her life without anyone’s assistance. She finally looked up at him, his smile making her nauseous. Why was he so cheerful? Perhaps he was the stronger person. She took in a deep breath, forcing herself to get over the bit of shock that still lingered within her. She thought over his words quite carefully. Linh had no problem with eating lunch alone—in fact those had been her original plans. That was what the world wanted anyway, for her to be alone. Anyone else would’ve simply turned a blind eye when it came to inviting her out for lunch; so why was he? Why after all those years? “I was actually planning on eating by myself…” Linh had long since grown accustomed to solitude for she had always lived that kind of lifestyle. But after coming to terms with the fact that no one else in the world seemed to enjoy the thought of her existence, Linh had secretly been wishing for one person, just one, to care. Was that why he was standing in front of her now? Did he still care like she did? Something deep within—some strength she had long forgotten was now urging her to say yes. She glanced away once more, gathering up all her pride only to swallow it down. “But, I don’t see why I can’t change my plans.” She looked back up at him, hoping that this wouldn’t be another regret to keep her from sleeping at night. “Where did you have in mind?” TAGS: alfred <3 WORDS: 322 ;A; NOTES: your ex-lover is dead ur I'm sorry it's so short and it's taken me to long to reply but I really want to move this thread along ;u; imma loser made by ayu of back to neverland

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=style,background-color: #d4d4d4; width: 450px; -moz-border-radius-topright: 30px; border-radius: 0px 30px 0px 0px; border-left: #1E90FF solid 6px;] {now i'll leave rememb'ring her, Why does Saigon never sleep at night? Why does this girl smell of orange trees? How can I feel good when nothing's right? Why is she cool when there is no breeze? Vietnam, You don't give answers, do you friend? Just questions that don't ever end Alfred was hyper aware of his surroundings for once as well. Not the intricate details, but he too worried about what might happen if they were sighted together. He still wasn't sure whether he actually wanted to be here with Linh or not, and someone seeing them might require him to see her more often. Though, again, he wasn't so sure he would mind that... Alfred tried not to let his slight disappointment show when she mentioned that she was planning on eating on her own. He thought that was her answer. It wasn't as though his lunch was ruined if she didn't come along...except that he really did want her to accept for some reason. Maybe because all of the negative feelings associated with Linh were mixed with the positive, and Alfred wasn't sure when one ended and one began. The blond nation was about to turn on his feet and head off to lunch on his own when he heard Linh's voice break through his reverie. Was she...did she just accepted the invitation? He didn't want to look too excited about it, yet it was hard not to notice the slight increase in the size of his smile. "Great!" He clapped his hands together and rubbed them against each other a few times. ...why was he so excited about this? Why couldn't the roller coaster stop long enough for him to make sense of it? At the very least, maybe spending more time with Linh would help him to figure out what he wanted to do. Maybe they'd go many more decades avoiding each other again after this. Or maybe this was a turning point in the right direction. They wouldn't know unless they tried, right? Alfred realized, with Linh's comment, that he actually hadn't put too much thought into where they were going to eat. He half expected her to say no - and she did at first. He hadn't gotten that far ahead yet. "Huh, you know, I didn't actually think about that." He chuckled. "What sounds good to you? One good thing about my restaurants is that there's always plenty to choose from!" Sometimes Alfred reacted the way most people would if they were feeling discomfort - He would remain quiet. More often than not, though, such situations would leave Alfred blabbing on more than usual. This was clearly one of those situations. TAGS: Vietnam/Linh WORDS: 417 LYRICS: Why God Why from the Miss Saigon soundtrack NOTES: Wewt

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0px,true] It's nothing but time and a face that you lose I chose to feel it and you couldn't choose I'll write you a postcard I'll send you the news From a house down the road from real love There's one thing I want to say, so I'll be brave You were well what I wanted I gave what I gave I'm not sorry I met you I'm not sorry it's over I'm not sorry there's nothing to save LIVE THROUGH THIS AND YOU WON'T LOOK BACK,     She chuckled to herself, figuring she should’ve known very well that he wouldn’t have that much planned and that she was incredibly daft to think otherwise. She closely watched his enthusiasm and found herself smiling, almost unnoticeably. She had always admired his eagerness, it being something she had never been able to possess. There were many qualities about him that filled the empty spaces in her own personality… and then there were some that clashed with terrible force, making it so difficult to associate with him most of the time. Perhaps a simple lunch break with him wouldn’t be that bad after all. It wasn’t like they were going just to remind each other of old times and talk about how wonderfully miserable they were. No, but she could already feel the awkwardness of the situation weighing her down. Then again, that feeling was mostly from the awkwardness of the current situation. “Honestly, I’m so hungry I could eat anything.” Linh was amazed she was able to form so many words at this point. She was so tense, her whole existence just wanted to collapse on the floor. “I trust you’ll pick a good enough place.” Thankfully, Linh wasn’t a picky person and had always lived by the idea of take what you get. Linh took another quick glance around the hallway, asking herself just how long they had been standing there, completely visible to the ever curious eyes of everyone on the floor of the building. She sighed to herself; walking out would prove to be quite the feat. She wondered just how many heads would turn, mouths would drop and eyes would glare. Then, that hidden inner strength rose once more and told her to—plain and simple—suck it up. However, she couldn’t help but still find herself a little anxious to just hurry up and get something to eat. Her eyes turned back to him, hoping he wouldn’t take too much time filling up the silence she always happened to inspire. TAGS: alfred <3 WORDS: 335 NOTES: your ex-lover is dead made by ayu of back to neverland

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=style,background-color: #d4d4d4; width: 450px; -moz-border-radius-topright: 30px; border-radius: 0px 30px 0px 0px; border-left: #1E90FF solid 6px;] {now i'll leave rememb'ring her, Why does Saigon never sleep at night? Why does this girl smell of orange trees? How can I feel good when nothing's right? Why is she cool when there is no breeze? Vietnam, You don't give answers, do you friend? Just questions that don't ever end Alfred figured that going to lunch with Linh would help to clear things up. He was well aware that the last meeting between the two of them ended on anything ut a good note. It probably would have been easier to just go on avoiding each other, but now that they were here...well, why not see if they could at least be on good terms again? Besides,wouldn't it be more awkward if they went their separate ways right now as if they hadn't even run into each other? Going to lunch also seemed relatively harmless. It was something they would both end up doing anyway, given what time of day it was and the fact that they still had a couple of hours until their next meetings (well, Al did at least...he wasn't sure about Linh). Though it did sound a little strange to his ears, asking her to go to lunch with him, it wasn't as though he was inviting her out to dinner and a movie. Alfred couldn't help but grin a little when Linh explained that she could eat just about anywhere. "How does Mickey D's sound?" He was joking. He loved McDonalds, don't get him wrong, but they had a two hour lunch break. Alfred loved the food at McDonalds, but the main draw for him was the speed. Speed wasn't a necessity at this particular moment. In fact, they had time to kill before the next meetings started. "Nah, actually, I was thinking about this place a few blocks away from here. They have a pretty big menu, so you're sure to find something good!" When it came to food, Alfred definitely enjoyed having options. Linh did not have to worry. Alfred instinctively filled the silence, as he usually did. "Well, what are we waiting for then? Let's go grab a bite to eat!" Alfred, like Linh, could practically feel the awkward silence seeping in, and he didn't want to allow it a chance to become an issue. TAGS: Vietnam/Linh WORDS: 347 LYRICS: Why God Why from the Miss Saigon soundtrack NOTES: Wewt

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=style,width: 458px;] made by ayu of btn