naicha | 二十五 ❀

✿ action

[ Tiny Taiwan is walking around or on top of a ladder covered in Christmas lights and tinsel as attempts to hang them on the front of her house at 1245 Williams Road. On one hand, she looks like she could use some help! On the other, she looks like she's having so much fun... She doesn't celebrate Christmas, not like this, but cold weather and recent events have gotten her in a Christmas mood.

The cafe isn't open around this time yet, but passerby may notice the sudden addition of a pair of plum blossom trees in her front yard. ]

Look, I'm a Christmas tree!

[ Chances are she's talking to Pops, Nadeko or Homura, who are inside the house, but feel free to approach her while she's decorating, too. ]

✿ phone

Hi, um, I have a question!

[ You can just tell this isn't important. She is all about the trivial things today. Oh well, they easily take her mind off the events of last week! ]

Are nations allowed to kiss each other? Is that okay? If your nation kissed another nation, would that be okay with you? [ A beat. ] What if they weren't a nation?

I really want to know! Because I don't want to not be a nation if it's not allowed... Thank you!

[ TAIWAN WHY DIDN'T YOU FILTER THIS SCREAMS ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

We don't literally live pressed up against each other. That would be really weird and gross!

But we visit each other a lot.

But...then...the borders don't work the same?

I don't even get this how is that even possible?

[She just sounds frustrated now.]

Aiyo, Arcueid is mixing up the territory with the people! See, it's not the borders that make a country, you know. It's the people!

Yea...but...you people say you ARE the countries...not just from them.

So...you're a landmass...and a collection of people...but you're a person.

Are you made up of the liquified essence of your population put into a single human form?? That's gotta be it! All the people in the country were killed to make a single person for that country!

That's even more terrible! What kind of image of a country does Arcueid have?

But... you're kind of right! We're like the spirit of our people. That's one way to look at it, mm.

It's just too weird for me. I don't think I'll ever get it.

Ehehe... Arcueid doesn't need to get it, I guess.

So does she think it's okay? For nations to kiss.

I guess?

I mean, if you're people, you can do what you want. I dunno if the people in your country would like it, considering what country you might be kissing or hugging or having sex with or whatever...but you can do what you want.

I can do what I want...? So there aren't any rules, huh... That sounds really nice. But a little strange.

Well, I don't know what it's like for you back home but here I doubt the same rules apply.

Mayfield is a little different, huh. The people we're scared of might not even show up at all.

Maybe.

Or even if they do nothing that happens here matters. I went back home for a little while and didn't remember this place at all.

....I think.

Nothing that happens here matters?

[ Taiwan bites her lip. Even if it was true, she didn't want to think about it in that way. She could live without a few memories, but... ]

Hmm... [ There might be bad memories in Mayfield, but there are good ones, too. ]

Well...as far as I know, anyway.

I don't really know for sure, though.

... Even if we do forget, I don't think that makes the pain better or the good things worse. In fact, I should enjoy it for--

...for as long as I can...

Mm. Mm! That's right. I... don't need to fear anything.

[Arcueid admonishes herself in her own head for forgetting that the passive way she talks about things can often hurt people's feelings around here.]

Yea, exactly...heh.

Oh...what country did you kiss?

What... country? O-oh, he's not really a country...

Oh..so it was just a regular human then?

[Arcueid's not a gossiper by a longshot...she just gets curious.]

He's not a regular human either! Um, he's... another kind of territory or something. Wah! [ Saying his name is embarrassing! Shh! ]

Oh c'mon just tell me what territory it was. I bet it's probably cute.

Promise you won't tell anyone, okay? It's um...

[ Takes this time to cover her face with her hand. Even on the phone, she's shy. ]

... H-Hong Kong...