Armed and Fandomizing

Someday at Christmas

Tori and CJ had been strolling around the outskirts of London. Or more like CJ was and Tori was just nervously tagging along. More people had been coming out since the war had dramatically decreased, just as much as it had risen. They looked so casual.

"Calm yourself," CJ repeated.

"I-I'm sorry," Tori mumbled, "It's just, 2p Hetalians could be anywhere, Anya and Amelia could be anywhere, and this cold is not helping and I-"

"Calm yourself," CJ said again, "You won't be able to do anything when any of your scenarios happen if you're too trapped inside your own head," she turned and looked up at Tori, who, despite the height difference, felt like she was being looked down upon, "Don't be the one who ends you."

The Lithuanian General stared at her in half awe and surprise. CJ just turned her head, facing forward, walking stiffly like a military soldier. 

Miltary Soldier. That's what they were now. Except nearly everyone was underaged. But no one knew but the nations. No one knew. It made Tori a little giddy. CJ glanced to her companion with mental confusion, even though it didn't show.

"You're suddenly happy," CJ points out indifferently, "Are you starting to slip a little?"

"Slip?" Tori snapped out of her thoughts, "Like...my sanity?"

"Of course," CJ deadpanned.

"Oh," Tori looked down worriedly, "Uh, no, I'm sane, I assure you," she picked up with CJ's speed. She walked fast, "I was just thinking...about how many people...knew."

The young American knew what she was talking about, "Only the nations," was her response, facing forward once again. 

Tori sighed. There was no getting through this woman in a girl's body. She just made no emotion. Just glanced around, blinked, spoke, and walked with speed. Like a robot.

"I'm human," CJ said.

"Ack-!" Tori put her hands on her head like she was trying to protect from the snowflakes, "Would you stop reading my mind!"

"Forgive me," the American said in the same monotone voice.

"Hah, well, I suppose you can't help it," Tori muttered.

The two were walking around the River Thames, where they had been posted. Apparently, this underground below the Big Ben isn't supposed to exist, so they have no idea how far this place branches out.

"Ah, there's another bridge," Tori pointed out.

CJ nodded, "The London Bridge."

"Malonumas, Maloningas," Tori spoke astonished, looking down at her tour map, "It's so far away! We're like," she mentally counted the bridges behind that one, "Four bridges away from the Big Ben!"

"From the looks on your map, It seems that the Big Ben is right at the entrance of the Westminister Bridge," CJ commented, "Reasonable, but that means we're at our post. All the other teams have London cloaked. Let's look around here."

"R-Right!" Tori clenched a fist, "Should we split up to cover more ground-?"

CJ cut her off, "I know you don't want anything to happen to me after what happened to General Western Russia, but allow me to stay at your side."

The Lithuanian gulped. How did she know? How could she see those thoughts to the last detail? That girl knows she's hurt, her wrist is probably busted. CJ might appear confident, but she's small and fragile and a quick brain might not save her from stupid bullets and stupid enemies. 

"I'll be fine," CJ insisted, "I wouldn't be placed as a Hetalian General if I wouldn't be."

That got Tori curious. How did she end up as Hetalian General? Sure, her sister might've been one, but that didn't automatically mean that it would be passed down to the next sibling. More like to the next Hetalian that would be qualified, like an apprentice. But CJ's information claimed that she was a Hetalian Soldier, meaning she was a natural supporter to the fandom, probably ran an AU or two, and participated in shipping wars. Not her sister's apprentice. In fact, her sister was only a year into the job, so she didn't necessarily have an apprentice, due to the need not to train one.