hetalia oneshot || all in how you look at it;
before I put up some actual writing, thought I'd share some retarded fics.
title: All in How You Look at It/Octopus Ice Cream
characters: Japan, China
rating: PG
summary: Japan gets a puppy. China "helps."
ALL IN HOW YOU LOOK AT IT
or, OCTOPUS ICE CREAM
The little puppy slid, skid along the floors- couldn't find its footing, battled its way around Japan's ankles. "Watch out," Japan reminded it, balancing some papers in his hand, but it didn't really pay any attention, had its mind on other things. Japan sighed and arranged some paperwork, trying to figure out why he'd bought a puppy in the first place- it was good company but very time-consuming...
"Aiyaaa, so cute!" China exclaimed, picking it up and holding it in the air- it responded with a happy bark, snapped at air; China cradled it with that "OMG CUTE" expression on his face that he put on when he saw Hello Kitty. Japan sighed and looked over at them.
"You make a better owner than I do," he observed, with a subdued tone of voice.
China and the puppy looked over to him questioningly. "It's just because you're young!" China said with a wink, "But don't worry, Big Brother will teach you about animals! I know lots about animals!"
"...............Hmm," Japan responded, and turned back to his work with a curt movement.
"Haha, I don't know what that pause was for," China pointed out uneasily, and then set the puppy down on the floor. It complained about something, barking at China; then seemed to shake it off and trotted over to harass Japan.
"No, puppy, I'm working- ACK, no, stop!" Japan stammered, flustered, trying hurriedly to salvage what papers the puppy was currently not ripping up. Luckily, it had only gotten to one; he grabbed the puppy in time and held it up, giving it a stern look. Its eyes were unblinking, like beads or stars. "Listen, you need to stop- oh, what's this?" Japan said, almost to himself, looking over the puppy's paws. There was dirt sticking out from the fur around its feet, some dirt on its stomach. Japan appraised the puppy with a measured expression.
"Oh, you need a bath," Japan muttered in realization.
"What does it need, aru?" China asked from across the room, where he was currently snooping through Japan's drawers.
"A bath- that must be what he's bothering me about," Japan reasoned, then stood up. "Well, come on then," he said, clapping his hands and waiting for the puppy to follow- and in response, it cocked its head and then rolled over. Japan's eyes flattened. Maybe he should've named it Italy.
China came up behind him, peering curiously down at the dog. "Don't you need to work, though?"
"Oh- yes- but I'm fine, I suppose," Japan answered, with a slight shrug.
"Aiyaa! Don't interrupt yourself, aru! I'll give it a bath!" China said enthusiastically, patting Japan on the back, buddy-buddy and energetic.
Japan paused. He didn't want to trouble China, but he did need to get some work done..."Are you sure you don't mind?" he asked.
"Don't worry about it, aru! I don't mind at all, go and finish your work!" China replied with a smile, starting to push Japan back into his seat.
"Thank you, China, it's very much appreciated," Japan said, with a slight nod, as he sat down.
China gave a small laugh. "Aiya, so formal with your big brother," he said, rolling his eyes. He retied his hair, and then padded down the hall. "I'll go draw the bath, then, aru."
Japan nodded, then went back to his paperwork; the puppy climbed into his lap and watched him check things off, make notes, with curious eyes. Japan listened vaguely as the hiss of the heating pipes came on, the tumble and flush of water; heard China pad around the house lightly. A couple of minutes passed by; then Japan remembered that the hadn't shown China where the things for the dog were, the shampoo, the brush, all that. Knowing China, he'd just use whatever was around without asking, but Japan wasn't sure he wanted his own soap being used on the dog...he got up from his place, putting the puppy on the floor, and headed down the hall to the bathroom.
There was...steam pouring out the door, he noticed that as he came near. Japan's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, and then when he turned toward the doorframe, he was smacked in the face by a cloud of hot steam. He stepped inside- God, it was like a sauna in here! Why did a dog need water that hot!?
"China, the- er, dog shampoo and things are in the- broom closet- if you don't mind my asking, why is it so- eh- hot in here?" Japan asked, pulling on his collar.
China whipped around to Japan, seeming to jump. "Oh! Hello- uh, no reason, I-"
Japan's eyes wandered- then rested on the bath, where...his expression was strange for a moment- could have been surprise, then irritation- but it ended in a state of blank repose. He blinked. "China," he said, voice level, "The water is very hot. And I see you've added some sliced carrots to it."
"Uh- hehehe," China laughed, fixing his hair with nervous hands.
Japan stepped closer, and looked into the tub- where an assortment of things were floating around: spring onions, bell peppers, bok choy...his mouth straightened. There were two containers of...something by China's feet. He figured they were probably salt and pepper; however, he coulddiscern the third container- a bottle of shoyu from his kitchen. His eyes met China's expectantly, and China just let out a nervous laugh.
"Well, brother, you know," China smiled vaguely, which was funny because Japan didn't know.
Japan rose an eyebrow and leaned against the tiled wall. He paused; fiddled with his sleeve, didn't look at China who seemed to be watching him nervously. "So," Japan said, "is this why you know a lot about animals?"
"Haha, it's not the way it looks," China said cheerfully, with another laugh. There was a pause. China bit his tongue. "Hm. That actually depends on how it looks to you, aru."
"I see," Japan said.
They looked at each other and blinked. China opened his mouth, beginning to clarify, so that means you don't want me to- but looking at Japan's resigned expression, he knew the answer. So, he started to fish the vegetables out of the bathtub, and Japan got a Ziploc bag from the kitchen to put them in. Then they drained the water and walked out of the bathroom as though nothing had happened.
And an awkward silence followed them through the rest of China's visit; the only one who didn't notice the sudden change was the puppy. The silence was actually only broken as China made his way out the door.
Japan was too embarrassed to say goodbye. China said a muttered goodbye...but then, halfway down the path from Japan's house, he whirled around, and snapped, "Oh, come off it, aru, you eat octopus-flavored ice cream!"
NOTES;;
1] Japanese ice creams, which everybody knows about. I wanna try cactus ice cream :\
2] I was actually thinking about the whole "Chinese-people-eat-weird-things" stigma, but really, it's really not all that weird. I think the "cat and dog" thing is really more a stereotype (XD), but I mean, the reason other culture's foods appear strange to Americans is because Americans can afford to be choosy with that they eat. Americans cringe at eating stuff like blood products, gizzards, liver, tripe, etc., because unlike the rest of the world there's been only a few instances of severe widespread hunger (e.g., the South during the Civil War, the Appalachia, around the Dust Bowl). Anyway, personally, there's almost nothing you can throw at me that I'll cringe at. I've seen the worst of Filipino food XD
Thanks for reading!!! :D
title: All in How You Look at It/Octopus Ice Cream
characters: Japan, China
rating: PG
summary: Japan gets a puppy. China "helps."
ALL IN HOW YOU LOOK AT IT
or, OCTOPUS ICE CREAM
The little puppy slid, skid along the floors- couldn't find its footing, battled its way around Japan's ankles. "Watch out," Japan reminded it, balancing some papers in his hand, but it didn't really pay any attention, had its mind on other things. Japan sighed and arranged some paperwork, trying to figure out why he'd bought a puppy in the first place- it was good company but very time-consuming...
"Aiyaaa, so cute!" China exclaimed, picking it up and holding it in the air- it responded with a happy bark, snapped at air; China cradled it with that "OMG CUTE" expression on his face that he put on when he saw Hello Kitty. Japan sighed and looked over at them.
"You make a better owner than I do," he observed, with a subdued tone of voice.
China and the puppy looked over to him questioningly. "It's just because you're young!" China said with a wink, "But don't worry, Big Brother will teach you about animals! I know lots about animals!"
"...............Hmm," Japan responded, and turned back to his work with a curt movement.
"Haha, I don't know what that pause was for," China pointed out uneasily, and then set the puppy down on the floor. It complained about something, barking at China; then seemed to shake it off and trotted over to harass Japan.
"No, puppy, I'm working- ACK, no, stop!" Japan stammered, flustered, trying hurriedly to salvage what papers the puppy was currently not ripping up. Luckily, it had only gotten to one; he grabbed the puppy in time and held it up, giving it a stern look. Its eyes were unblinking, like beads or stars. "Listen, you need to stop- oh, what's this?" Japan said, almost to himself, looking over the puppy's paws. There was dirt sticking out from the fur around its feet, some dirt on its stomach. Japan appraised the puppy with a measured expression.
"Oh, you need a bath," Japan muttered in realization.
"What does it need, aru?" China asked from across the room, where he was currently snooping through Japan's drawers.
"A bath- that must be what he's bothering me about," Japan reasoned, then stood up. "Well, come on then," he said, clapping his hands and waiting for the puppy to follow- and in response, it cocked its head and then rolled over. Japan's eyes flattened. Maybe he should've named it Italy.
China came up behind him, peering curiously down at the dog. "Don't you need to work, though?"
"Oh- yes- but I'm fine, I suppose," Japan answered, with a slight shrug.
"Aiyaa! Don't interrupt yourself, aru! I'll give it a bath!" China said enthusiastically, patting Japan on the back, buddy-buddy and energetic.
Japan paused. He didn't want to trouble China, but he did need to get some work done..."Are you sure you don't mind?" he asked.
"Don't worry about it, aru! I don't mind at all, go and finish your work!" China replied with a smile, starting to push Japan back into his seat.
"Thank you, China, it's very much appreciated," Japan said, with a slight nod, as he sat down.
China gave a small laugh. "Aiya, so formal with your big brother," he said, rolling his eyes. He retied his hair, and then padded down the hall. "I'll go draw the bath, then, aru."
Japan nodded, then went back to his paperwork; the puppy climbed into his lap and watched him check things off, make notes, with curious eyes. Japan listened vaguely as the hiss of the heating pipes came on, the tumble and flush of water; heard China pad around the house lightly. A couple of minutes passed by; then Japan remembered that the hadn't shown China where the things for the dog were, the shampoo, the brush, all that. Knowing China, he'd just use whatever was around without asking, but Japan wasn't sure he wanted his own soap being used on the dog...he got up from his place, putting the puppy on the floor, and headed down the hall to the bathroom.
There was...steam pouring out the door, he noticed that as he came near. Japan's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, and then when he turned toward the doorframe, he was smacked in the face by a cloud of hot steam. He stepped inside- God, it was like a sauna in here! Why did a dog need water that hot!?
"China, the- er, dog shampoo and things are in the- broom closet- if you don't mind my asking, why is it so- eh- hot in here?" Japan asked, pulling on his collar.
China whipped around to Japan, seeming to jump. "Oh! Hello- uh, no reason, I-"
Japan's eyes wandered- then rested on the bath, where...his expression was strange for a moment- could have been surprise, then irritation- but it ended in a state of blank repose. He blinked. "China," he said, voice level, "The water is very hot. And I see you've added some sliced carrots to it."
"Uh- hehehe," China laughed, fixing his hair with nervous hands.
Japan stepped closer, and looked into the tub- where an assortment of things were floating around: spring onions, bell peppers, bok choy...his mouth straightened. There were two containers of...something by China's feet. He figured they were probably salt and pepper; however, he coulddiscern the third container- a bottle of shoyu from his kitchen. His eyes met China's expectantly, and China just let out a nervous laugh.
"Well, brother, you know," China smiled vaguely, which was funny because Japan didn't know.
Japan rose an eyebrow and leaned against the tiled wall. He paused; fiddled with his sleeve, didn't look at China who seemed to be watching him nervously. "So," Japan said, "is this why you know a lot about animals?"
"Haha, it's not the way it looks," China said cheerfully, with another laugh. There was a pause. China bit his tongue. "Hm. That actually depends on how it looks to you, aru."
"I see," Japan said.
They looked at each other and blinked. China opened his mouth, beginning to clarify, so that means you don't want me to- but looking at Japan's resigned expression, he knew the answer. So, he started to fish the vegetables out of the bathtub, and Japan got a Ziploc bag from the kitchen to put them in. Then they drained the water and walked out of the bathroom as though nothing had happened.
And an awkward silence followed them through the rest of China's visit; the only one who didn't notice the sudden change was the puppy. The silence was actually only broken as China made his way out the door.
Japan was too embarrassed to say goodbye. China said a muttered goodbye...but then, halfway down the path from Japan's house, he whirled around, and snapped, "Oh, come off it, aru, you eat octopus-flavored ice cream!"
NOTES;;
1] Japanese ice creams, which everybody knows about. I wanna try cactus ice cream :\
2] I was actually thinking about the whole "Chinese-people-eat-weird-things" stigma, but really, it's really not all that weird. I think the "cat and dog" thing is really more a stereotype (XD), but I mean, the reason other culture's foods appear strange to Americans is because Americans can afford to be choosy with that they eat. Americans cringe at eating stuff like blood products, gizzards, liver, tripe, etc., because unlike the rest of the world there's been only a few instances of severe widespread hunger (e.g., the South during the Civil War, the Appalachia, around the Dust Bowl). Anyway, personally, there's almost nothing you can throw at me that I'll cringe at. I've seen the worst of Filipino food XD
Thanks for reading!!! :D