Warning: This fic deals with the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. It will contain blood, smoking, and descriptions of a battlefield. Reader discretion is advised.
Inspired by the phrase: “Buddies in Bad Times.”
Mars at Rest
Waterloo, Belgium; 18 June, 1815
Cracking against flint, a match sparks and burns, breaking the deathly silence.
Prussia brings the flame to his pipe, lighting the tobacco, watching it glow red before he inhales that woody, calming scent, letting it fill his bloodstream and permeate his mind. It doesn’t do much to dull the throbbing ache of his muscles, bruised and overtaxed, pricking in sour protest of every shift and gesture, but it quells the final itch of caution, a nagging leftover from the battle, dying out at last. Shutting his eyes, he exhales, long and slow, then turns to gaze upon the shattered countryside.
The field of victory is never a pretty sight.
Belgium’s rolling hills are riddled with bodies, military uniforms dotting the landscape in navy, crimson, and black. A few fires are smouldering here and there, dark smoke billowing off of charred grassland and wool fabric, torn flags rippling from the heat. Among the dead, like phantoms, riderless horses stand quiet, their heavy heads hanging low; sad statues lost without their masters. Dusk soaks the scene in a strange, muted haze, with clouds catching the sunset and blazing as they sink below the earth.
It’s a familiar view and Prussia idly wonders how many battles he has witnessed in his abnormally long life. Hundreds? Thousands? The uniforms and weapons may change, but in his memory, the conflicts all blend together in a sea of blood, a churning stew of grisly images stretching back to the Crusades. The shock and horror long ago morphed into tepid acceptance, better suited for survival, because when staring down a brigade of stampeding dragoons, there is no time for doubt, and the field of failure is a far worse sight than this.
Turning his back to the sullied terrain, Prussia puts his hand on a short, crumbling brick wall, barely more than a fence now, and hops, throwing his boots over the side to perch atop it. His tendons sting, a mild jolt of pain shooting up his wrist, but he ignores it; he rarely listens to his body, anyway.
“You look like shit,” Prussia tells his exhausted ally.
Barely upright, England is sitting on the ground, leaning against a broken cannon wheel that got stuck in the rubble. Coat draping his shoulders, he holds his bandaged side, red seeping through, and still manages the strength to glare up at Prussia, putting those impressive eyebrows to good use.
“And whose fault is that?” he grunts, voice dry and hoarse.
“My best guess would be France,” Prussia teases, popping the pipe between his teeth.
For background, my story follows my own headcanons that involve a 1P/2P pairing (who are not related, but exist side by side) and rely heavily on the events of history from start to finish but with a folklore twist. [ this particular entry is set during early 1868 just after the Meiji Restoration begins and the two meet face to face.]
The first time Hikaru brought Kiku into the center of Edo was only a few days later; Hikaru wasn’t entirely sure what to make of the situation, but Kiku certainly could eat… they needed more food in the house. Kiku had other plans– as soon as the scent of a food vendor hit his incredibly sensitive nose, he disappeared from Hikaru’s sight, seemingly lost in the city. Upon finding him and giving him a gentle scolding, Kiku’s response was to change tactics.
Aren’t you hungry? Let’s go find the next one. I’m certain it’s this way.
Hikaru would get dragged around the city in what he called an inappropriate manner– but looking back, it was an adventure he wouldn’t trade for anything.
Hey, so okay something very different to what I normally write for the free day. This is both for @gentronlegendaryfriendshipsand@sunshine-hime and I had a lot of fun in this event! Here it is:
So here’s that special surprise I teased at the beginning of this challenge. When writing for day one I accidentally wrote a third chapter for The Hero and the Virgin. So that’s what y’all are getting today!
Summary: Healing takes time, as Keith and Shiro discover. Meanwhile Allura must deal the with the very race that nearly cost the lives of two of her Paladins.
Warning: This chapter is pretty clean besides some trauma recovery but the first two chapters of the fic (available on AO3) deal with some heavy stuff. Please read the tags and be careful.
Last day, and this time you can do whatever you want! Just remember to tag your posts #gentronweek, and we’ll see you again next year, or whenever you finish your prompts! Late entries are accepted for all eternity
OOOOO BOY finally done! I’ve enjoyed doing Carulia Week so much and look forward to hopefully getting drawings done on time next year lol. Day 7 was a free day so I drew a Carulia kiss and had fun making a pretty background and giving them a rainbow overlay.
For@caruliaweek Day 7 (sorry I missed, like, 3-6 whoops..) I decided to write down the classic Train Scene…with a bit of gay sprinkled here and there, you know. Anyway, partial episode rewrite for the scene that started it all.
Holy cow this prompt stumped me lol. I did at least 2 or 3 sketches with different poses before deciding on this one. They’re just taking a nap between adventures, nice and peaceful. Here’s Carulia Week Day 5: Vacation/travel.
Happy Carulia week everyone! Here’s my contribution, featuring our two ladies on a little romantic date. Was originally intended for the free day but it kinda fits with vacation too
![nakajimahikouki: For @historical-hetalia-week Day 7 [ Free Day: Prompt: Adventure ]For background,](https://64.media.tumblr.com/7d20a877601546b407c5c8db47b6cb98/3765015ac76e1911-87/s1280x1920/cdd09bc3787aebe38db4b5cb4a9aa701d8c89d0b.png "nakajimahikouki: For @historical-hetalia-week Day 7 [ Free Day: Prompt: Adventure ]For background,")
