Facades [Hetalia AU]

s e v e n

Moscow was mostly what she had expected with several surprises on its design. It was mostly a grey metropolis with an occasional touch of viridescent plants thriving in an immaculate line along the streets chosen with passing cars and the brownish facade at the lower parts of the tall structures with rows and rows of large windows. The pair was currently navigating the streets, as Tolys quickly updated Natalya regarding the events that had been transversing these days.

"One thing for sure," he relayed, his eyes darting at every part of the street suspiciously as they walked in a quick pace, "Ivan isn't himself. I'm not sure how they did it but currently, he does not know any recollection of his past. He's been at the government campaigns sure, but the Ivan we know? He's been gone for a while. It's just in person, the whole country's gone quite insane. There are gulag camps, where people who do transgressions go to. And Ukraine's still recovering from the Holodomor. She's been reduced to just bones and perhaps, a layer of thin skin hanging from them."

At the edge of the street, was a vast, space that was currently being filled with people crowding a balcony already stationed with numerous microphones and humongous propagandas rolled at the walls. "Over there," he whispered cautiously as they took their place in the body of supporters.

A group of important people with their custom green uniforms with red edges and stars etched into them. A man with a large mustache stood in the middle as he started his speech which was greeted by the booming applause of his audience. However, Belarus's attention did not remain there. Her orbs wandered around until she found her brother standing slightly at the back, his shoulders tight and rigid and his eyes so freezing and new, as if he was a different person.

Yes, she noticed her changes but this Ivan? It's too alien, too unfriendly to be the version that she loved and cherished. Even when his eyes wandered to her figure, his face remained neutral and passive, showing no knowledge of her. Natalya could only stand there for so long watching her strange, new brother not being himself so she left the crowd hurriedly, followed by Tolys.

( please )

Tolys quickly led her a little, cramped bar with wooden accents all over and an overall nostalgic feel. There was an assortment of tables and stools placed randomly all around the room like the colorful marbles sprawled all over a floor. The grey walls were plastered with random pictures, all black and white of course, in golden frames. Some of them were felicitous, with wide smiles, uncaring of the cruelty waiting for them in this infinite world while some of them showed a slew of internal pain as their eyes asked for help, to escape just for a little while. 

It was currently empty save for a person with pale, almost white hair and the bartender. He was wearing a dark blue outfit and he was quite fragile and bony compared to his state during the golden age. His cheeks were sunken and his eyes were blood-shot red, filled with pain and miseries. A yellow bird rest at his shoulder, attentive and wary. They greeted each other before they both took a place next to him. They ordered their drinks to the bartender before they started to talk quietly.

"Do you know?" Tolys started in an uncertain tone.

Gilbert gulped the vodka bottle he had been holding before laughing out loud before he stopped awkwardly, hunching his back downwards, his face slightly covered by his arms. However, the tears were still visible, piling up in his pale face.

"See for yourself," he said in a small tone, pushing out a thick dark blue note, "It's an impossible feat to survive this all and yet, Ivan managed to do it. It's a wonder he's still alive with everything he had to go through."

( don't ) 

The heavens were now dark, a lump of cloud surrounding most of it. The quasars were radiant up high, reminding Ivan of how small of he was and how tiny were his predicaments compared to the massive realm. He took a seat of his velvet sofa, drinking another gulp of the vodka that was sent over this early morning by his superiors. It was hot and it tingled over his freezing body. There was a burning fireplace in his room but it was never warm enough to penetrate the coldness building over his heart and spreading to every part of his body until he goes truly insane. 

He had a stack of tall paperwork that was intended to be finished tomorrow, yet he made no effort in even glancing at the menace. He was bored, truly, of his regular occupations serving the evergrowing Soviet Union. Even if his whole body shouted to him to complete it, to serve to the cause of the greater good, a rational part of his mind, which was strangely getting less and less active each day, shouted that he had even greater power than what he is subjected to. 

It made no sense. He was Ivan Braginsky, a loyal and responsible cause of growth and development of this nation. There was surely no other thing about him besides that right? He had learned that he had been woken up after long amnesia which he had gained due to the impacts of a transportation faulty that had taken the lives of his family and friends, including her beloved younger sister. 

Then how was that the figure in the crowd, silent and attentive, resembling uncannily to her long lost sister? Surely that might have been a defect in his eyesight. There was no way her sister could be alive after all this time. It is impossible for his superiors to lie, after all, they are doing everything that remained the best interest for him. 

He took a hold of the thick blanket, burrowing his head below it. He snuggled deeper into the warmth as for the first time in his new life, he had slept peacefully without any disturbing or haunting dreams. Tonight, he dreamed of his sister's blinding smile as well as a lovely pair of cerulean blue eyes that is brimmed with everlasting and never-ending hope for a better future. 

A/N:

Thanks for reading!! Please don't hesitate to drop a comment or criticize anything huhu. I aim to improve my writing after all. Also, please don't forget to vote for this chapter! Each of your vote and comments brings me the motivation to write another chapter!

I'm really straying away from my original plan so if you're confused at the storyline or something, please contact me or something. I'm really glad to receive any.

SO THANKS FOR UR SUPPORT YALL!!! I LOVE YALL- 

//slapped