Aftermath Plans || Amerus / Rusame

𝑰𝑵𝑻𝑬𝑹𝑴𝑰𝑺𝑺𝑰𝑶𝑵 // ❝𝑶𝑵𝑳𝒀 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑫𝑬𝑬𝑷 𝑵𝑰𝑮𝑯𝑻 𝑲𝑵𝑶𝑾𝑺 𝑾𝑯𝑨𝑻 𝑻𝑯𝑬𝒀 𝑨𝑮𝑹𝑬𝑬𝑫 𝑼𝑷𝑶𝑵...❞

The title is from the song Korobeiniki. I suggest you guys open it in the background for a better experience.

───────༺༻───────

.
.
.

Sometimes when the work wasn't creeping up, his father would take Russia to show him what he liked. While Russia had no reason to look forward to spending more time with his father, for his plans, sacrifices were detrimental. So he would follow him whenever he offered a place to visit, to go, to listen.

Russia's father was a complicated, yet simple man. He would uphold his tough exterior too much to a point where Russia would oftentimes forget he too was capable of being passionate about things other than victory. A good meal, a good conversation in front of the fireplace, a good drink and a good book, sometimes even a good play.

With the political warfare coming to a temporary halt, and with the comfort such winter brings, his father offered to take him and his sisters to see the Army Choir.

The flames of the candlelights dared to shiver from the ongoing storm outside, but none flickered, nor the salon lost its warmth. Russia leaned forward to watch all the different people that had come to attend; from the excited fidgets of a woman to the already bored kids, the stern looks of a man whose mind was surely not here but instead on his papers, the low chatters of a group of young adults who were lost in their conversation..

Then, there were his father, his sisters and he. Sitting above the audience in the upper, secluded balcony, Russia could easily see both the stage and the audience. Vsevolod and Volodslav motionless behind them, resembling more statues than actual humans.

Soviet who was also keenly watching the audience, looked comfortable in his seat. Russia could track the movement of his eye, watching the crowd as if he was checking for misbehavior. The curtains of the stage stirred as individual members of the choir secretly came to check the place they were sitting. The rumors of the Soviet Union attending their show were nerve-wracking Russia would assume, by how the number of checkers between minutes increased.

There would be silence on their balcony if it wasn't for his sister Belarus' constant questioning. They hadn't attended any concerts ever since they were kids, so she was making sure she learned them all. Ukraine had the same surprised gleam in her eyes but refused to mutter them into words, unlike her younger sister.

Part of the reason Soviet brought them here was because of Belarus. She had taken a liking to their father's music plaques and favorite poems lately, which prompted him to take them to the very next Army Choir assembly. For Russia it wasn't anything new, he had been with his father for a long time after all, but for Ukraine and Belarus a new chapter had been opened in their eyes. Russia rolled his. Nothing in here was exciting enough to look around that impressed. He believed they had a face to save, an expression of elegance they should hold. Ukraine was doing a better job, but Russia knew it wasn't because she was a professional; she was the oldest sister, thus unable to show her emotions as much as she wanted to. Belarus never had to experience that, so she had been hugging their father's arm ever since they came and sat down; with her mouth agape and shining stars in her eyes. Soviet already looked satisfied. He answered the girls' questions and caressed their hair while keeping his elegant facade, even though the fond gleam in his eye deceived it. Russia just felt like he could laugh whenever he saw stupid, clearly orchestrated acts like these. This man, who had let people experiment on his son, could not be capable of love.

He exhaled loud enough for all of them to turn to him. "When will it start?"

That must have been the determining moment for Soviet as he looked over his shoulder to inform Vsevolod. The young man bowed and exited the platform backwards.