Farthest North -CountryHumans AU-

His House

         "A tiring day for you indeed," China chuckled as he gently pressed a cold rag to the new Country's steaming head, "You're lucky though, after you collapsed, most who would be scared of you took sympathy as their chosen feeling."

Alaska growled.

         "I don't want their sympathy," she gave a raspy cough, wincing as another heat wave took over, and blisters that were healed sizzled back into existence, "I just want their cooperation, friendship at the most!"

         "As a Country, you'll learn to take what you can get," China shook his head, taking a bowl from the side and administering an ointment that made the blue and gold woman sigh as her burns were cooled, "U.N. informed me that your dwellings will be finished by tomorrow. You'll have to live here in our realm, as I remember him saying at the third meeting, since living in your land would be to much of a hindrance to other Countries."

         "And this coming from the man who asked if there were any good hotels he could take a vacation to," she rasped out a chuckle, "U.N. is such a hypocrite sometimes."

         "Sometimes?"

The two laughed, a knock on China's door being an unwelcomed interruption, making the both of them sigh. China wasn't expecting visitors, and Alaska was assured she would be left alone for the most part while at China's house. 

     To clear up what was left a mystery, Alaska had the misfortune of collapsing due to an Arsonist who had attacked Denali National Park. This caused widespread panic and an investigation was immediately constructed to find the perpetrator, currently at large. She never finished her "Death by Powerpoint", and the last slide remained un-shown to the public. She was brought to China's house since his was the quietest, even with 23 kids, being the embodiments of his 23 Provinces.

         China stood, apologizing to the woman he was taking care of with a bow before begrudgingly racing off to answer the adamant knocking. Little Heilongjiang quickly took his father's place, frowning as more blisters formed on Alaska's arms.

         "Fùqīn* is of the liking of you..." he came down to his knees, about to feel her forehead but Alaska stopped his hand with the gentle batting of her own.

         "I'll burn you," she warned, "I can feel your temperature from here, you're colder than most."

         "Heilongjiang," he smiled, pointing to himself, "uh... mostly winter... often," he thought a moment, trying to connect English with Chinese, "Often..."

         "His temperature rarely reaches 50 degrees Fahrenheit," China explained, setting a gentle hand on his son's head, "There's only 100 days when it doesn't frost, and yet his people endure, much like yours."

         "Now I see-," Alaska gave raspy coughs as whisps of smoke billowed from her mouth, and Heilongjiang quickly took hold of the water canteen beside her head, offering her a drink. She took it with a smile, pointed teeth making the boy stare in wonder before he smiled back, she took a few sips before continuing, "Now I see why you enjoyed my land so much," she gave a heavy sigh as her inner systems cooled, "I'm afraid it's not the same in the summer."

         "I'd love to see it nonetheless," the man chuckled, "while most of my populace vacation in the winter, I do recall many a tour sight and museum best seen in the summer."

         "Me too Fùqīn?" the boy stood as he asked in excitement, to which China nodded, saying that all of his siblings could go as well if they behaved. Heilongjiang ran off to tell the others, his feet making soft thumps on the hard wood floor. Alaska hummed as she watched him go.

         "Adorable, he's a little angel."

         "Just wait until you have your own children," China sighed, "It's not all angels and harps."

         "You're speaking to the 49th child of America," she chuckled, "I may be grown up but that doesn't mean I don't remember my own shenanigans."

         "Care to elaborate?" The red and gold colored man sat beside her once again, legs tucked beneath him as he administered more ointment, and pressed a freshly wetted towel to her forehead, the water evaporating upon contact.

         "Oh the stories I could tell," Alaska seemed to dream as her eyes became half lidded, "the adventures, the misadventures, the mistakes, pranks I pulled, pranks I failed even!"

     Alaska rattled on, and all the while China listened, a soft smile on his face. He heard of how she was timid at first, but when she began to trust America, her true colors began to shine. She was mischeifous, creative, funny and frankly America deserved most of what she did. She had a sound sense of justice.

         "Then the outlaws came along," she sighed, "I guess you could call it my 'rebellious teenager' stage. Soapy, he was a character, Billy the Kid and his associate, Doc Scurlock, Klutuk, Edward Krause. You might find him in some military file of yours, he served in the U.S. Army here. Robert Stroud, he was called the Bird Man of Alcatraz. I enjoyed every one of their stories, I guess that's the Russian in me..." she gave a weak chuckle, glancing at China, who seemed passive as he wetted the rag again. 

         "And what all did you do during this phase of yours?" He set it back on her heated forehead, the woman looking somewhat confused. These were killers... how was China so cool about this?

         "Well... I attempted to steal money from the States. I wasn't one quite yet. I secluded myself a bit more, knowing that no one would approve, I wasn't exactly trying to be the Lone Ranger so there was no making that excuse if someone found out. I never killed anything, my Native population kept me from that, unless it was essential. I do love a good Moose roast."

China merely hummed as he listened, applying another ointment to her blisters, making the woman hiss.

         "That hurts!" she declared, sneering.

         "Means it is working," he told her, "It's interesting to know you have such a dominating aggressive streak," China then noted, taking up a roll of bandaging, "while it was already quite obvious, I do enjoy hearing the side effects."

         "Enjoy hearing them?" Alaska huffed, trying to sit up. The newly added weight to her elbows made her want to cry, but she refused to let the tears fall, so instead she let herself sink back down into the mattress, "that coming from the man who teaches inner peace to his kids?"

Chine laughed, startling the woman as she flinched from his outburst of mirth.

         "My dear, how easily you remember your own history of felons, while mine is full of tortures and atrocities done for honor, valor, family and the Emperor. The Samurai would have never been able to live if they worked otherwise."

      Alaska watched, mouth agape as the man stood, excusing himself to refill the bowl which held the cooled water. She decided to look around the space she was settled in, the sliding papyrus covered door being the only barrier between her and the rest of the house. She looked to one wall, seeing a painting of a vast ocean. Beside her, stood a book case, filled and nearly overflowing with scrolls and modern texts alike. She looked behind her, seeing a shadow of China's past as her eyes landed on the armor of the famed Samurai, sword at it's side.