The Secret Closet [Open to All]

[Japan]

((Waaaay back, I thought about creating a closet thread, but never decided where to put it. I could see it being here, since Japan seems to spend his life in the lab now XD Anyone is welcome to pop in for a visit for a little or to come in for awhile~))

***

Admittedly, the room Japan had dubbed his 'closet' was actually larger than a regular closet. He believer the term was 'walk-in pantry', or something similar. He could easily fit in a small futon and gaming system if he had them, and at least three people could fit comfortably in the space. Well, unless one was Russia, which would narrow that to about half another person (and he wasn't about to suggest that). The room had been unused, simply another potential storage area empty due to their lack of results. He did not blame his fellow scientists, but at least now the space had purpose.

They might need the space sometime in the future, but Japan reasoned he could worry about it then. Besides, there were other storage areas, some slightly larger than the one he currently inhabited. And he would leave if they needed it, but right now he had greater need for it. He had already begun to spend some of his time in it, avoiding the other nations but most especially his bunkmate. He did not particularly enjoy going to bed each night to the sound of Russia's bed creaking as the larger nation tossed and turned, probably lost in hellish dreams of his own creation. He did not like the slight feeling of pity that accompanied those nights or short interactions, and so he busied himself in the lab as best he could until he discovered this space.

So far, the room was fairly bare, save for a few of his own personal belongings. A small, barred window allowed natural light to flow into the room, so he rarely had to turn on the flickering, fluorescent bulb to see. He doubted England would be very happy if he asked him for a new one, with the explanation that it was for his 'personal closet'. England understood his need for privacy and space the most, but it was highly unlikely he would allow for such precious resources to be wasted by one man in this time of crisis. So Japan used the bulb and electricity as little as possible, relying on the small little window to let in the Canadian winter's light.

Japan found that the window added to the solitary look of the humble room, which suited his personal tastes just fine. He had longed for the peace and quiet, especially once his days had become filled with lab work or other nations. He had nothing against (most of) his fellow nations, but their presence confined to the four walls of the Warehouse only reminded him of his age. He often ended days, trudging back to his bunk and less-than-pleasant bunkmate, wondering just how long it would be before his aged body decided it couldn't keep up with these new demands. Of course, being a nation it would take far more than being overworked for that to happen, but that did not stop his mind from raising the concern.

After completing his reading for the day (he always set goals for himself), he had retreated into his closet to unwind. Japan closed the door, the latch softly clicking as it sealed him in the quiet. He sighed, letting the lab coat fall from his shoulders as he made his way to the wall. A small gaming device rested there, charging up on what little solar energy it could grasp through the barred glass. Thankfully, his people were innovative enough to make a little go a long way, and so the full battery that greeted him upon startup was hardly a surprise. He settled down against the wall, careful to keep the volume of the game restrained by small earbuds. Hopefully the soft tapping of the screen would be lost among the usual humming of the lab, or muffled by the wood of the door.

[Seychelles]

((I like the starting so im joining!! *Dances to the lab*))
Seychelles walked carlessly into the lab. Actually, she never actually wanted to be in the lab. She was thinking about how to get a video game from America so hard that she wondered off to the lab. Luckily for her, she had finished her duties as a groundskeeper already.

"Take it from him when he sleep? Nah he is a light sleeper so he will wake up once i move his pillow."Seychelles though out loud. Yes, Seychelles did try before to get the video game under his pillow, he ended up sitting up and screamng "Im the hero!" and then went back to sleep. That was funny, she should have video tape it back then.

Seychelly finally realise herself in lab."Wasnt i in the kitchen just now?" Seychelles said puzzledly. She started to walk around the place, examining the interesting glass tubes. They had so many shapes that Seychelles was so impressed. Finally she reached to Japan's desk. It was messed up with paper all over the place. She should tidy that up.

Seychelles moved the papers from one place to another. Stacking them up. Yes she was making alot of sound but she did'nt mind. There was no one in this lab right now after all.

[Japan]

((Welcome! Kiku will eventually notice you...he's just a little absorbed in his video game, at the moment XD Also, I had fun trying to figure out what gaming system to give Japan, before finally settling on a DS-like game. Obviously, it's not an actual DS, since it charges via solar power, but I always enjoy putting little twists on things. I'm sure in actual Japan they have far more amazing things than my tiny mind can come up with ^_^ Also, any references to actual games in my post are purely coincidence, since I was making this up off the top of my head as I went XD))

Japan expertly swished the stylus across the touchscreen, as music that America would describe as 'heroic' flowed smoothly into his earbuds. Shinsuke, a fierce but bright warrior of nineteen roamed the streets of Shinjuku, using his expertise in the supernatural to seek out and destroy the evil that plagued the virtual world. Currently, Japan and Shinsuke were engaged in a difficult battle, in which the teenager needed to use both his fighting prowess and his intellect to both defeat a large gremlin rosebush while solving the puzzle of why the neighborhood was devoid of the necessary animals needed to actually keep the botanical life at bay. Japan had nearly whittled down the lifeforce of the boss, but just as he was about to deliver the final blow the game suddenly fell to a cutscene. He watched as the plant gremlin disintegrated, leaving behind only the shadow of his childhood crush, Karin. The shadow gave a low scream before falling apart, piece by piece of shadow crumbling to the ground as a voice asked the stunned Shinsuke 'Why?'

'Why would you extinguish your light, Shinsuke-san?'

The pitiful voice wailed as the buildings now began to crumble to shadows too, as Shinsuke and Japan could do nothing but watch. The stylus remained poised above the screen, and Japan kept his eyes glued to it in anticipation. Surely after this cutscene there would be some command, some specific flick of pen against touchscreen that would lead him to the answers to this puzzling moment in Shinsuke-san's young existence. Yet the game in his hands trembled quietly, pulsing as building after building crumbled to nothing, leaving a faint glowing around only Shinsuke.

'Shinsuke-san...even the gods have no light left for you.'

The spotlight that seemed to hover over Shinsuke dimmed suddenly, flickering as if defective before finally fading out completely. Japan would have sighed, cursing the game as only a demo if a cheerful 'ping' had not popped up on screen, announcing a save point. He gratefully took the opportunity to save, then shut the game for the time being and stretched. Video games were great stress relievers, but they too demanded his sight and coordination and so were not entirely different from his precision work in the lab. Granted, in the lab he didn't go fighting off plant monsters, but he did solve complex problems that required utmost attention to detail and creativity.

He decided that perhaps physical activity would break the unintentional monotony, and after leaving his game to recharge in the minimal sunlight he stood. Quietly, almost silently, he shifted into one of his many fighting stances, breathing in time with the pulsing of the air systems in the warehouse. He immersed himself in mental stillness, beginning the fighting sequence immediately. He could not perform the entire thing, since his space was limited, but the sharp exhales and the short jabs and kicks were easy enough to accomplish in the small space.

[Seychelles]

Seychelles stopped clearing the messy looking table when she heard a noise from the closet. "Huh...?" Curious, Seychelles walked closer to the closet. What was that? That question ran through her head. For some reason, she feel like she was in some horror movie, where a monster would come out of the closet.

Sey gently pull open the closet door and peeped in. It was too dark to see anything. She then pushed the door further apart and saw a figure. This sort of frightened her. She looked at the figure closly before realising it was just Japan.

This was a facepalm moment. Why would she think it was a monster? Seychelles tried to hold her giggle when she saw him kick and move from here to there. He was definetiely playing a game. "Hey Japan, what are you playing?" Seychelles snickered.

[Scotland]

He had some Johnnie Walker gold label and Scotland didn't like to drink alone. Drinking alone was for the depressed, and Scotland wasn't depressed. For him, when he was depressed, he went out and got into a fight. When he was happy and wanting to celebrate life, he drank. If he got into a fight while celebrating, then that was just a bonus.

For England, that poor sucker drank when he was depressed, and he gave that pattern to America. England was influencial it had leaked over to Scotland and he sometimes drank to escape the harshness of reality. That wasn't the case right now though. He was looking to have a drink with an old friend, and he knew where that friend would be. In the lab.

It had been a while since he'd visited with Japan, since he'd taught the Asian nation how to run a livestock ranch, and even make whisky. Whisky was the proper gift for the occasion, since he wasn't about to carry a cow in there.

He approached the tiny room Japan had claimed as his own as his own workspace and stopped short to hear a young female voice. Oh, Japan had company. Then he saw the girl's figure in the doorway. She looked familiar. She looked a lot like...Seychelles. He hadn't seen her a while, though he'd been reminded of her when the young prince had gotten married and honeymooned at her house. With a bottle of whiskey still in his hand, he walked up behind her and squatted just a bit, curling his free hand around her waist and trying to sweep her feet up off the ground with the bottle carrying arm to lift her in a bridal carry so he could tuck her close to his chest.

"There's me bonnie lass," he rumbled into her hair, near her ear, and nuzzling the side of her head affectionately.

[Scotland entering! I just visited one of the spots a Scottish representative came to set to help set up one of the first ranches, up where I live. It was a very squee visit.]

[Singapore]

(I'M JOINING!!!!!)

Singapore trudged forward. She hadn't been so tired in her life. Not only did her groundskeeper job weigh her down, but she was still determined to keep her educational knowledge intact. Today, she reread three of her textbooks that she brought along and even did a self-made test for her to complete. Even though it was her own test, she was only able to make a 100% at the third try. She felt ashamed of her lack of studies for the past few weeks.

Singapore looked ahead of her and saw the lab. It wasn't the best place to relax, unlike the greenhouse, but it was enough to distract her from reality. To her, the science lab seemed 'out of this world'. She entered the lab and sat herself down on a nearby chair that was next to a table filled with bottles of who-knows-what. She lay her head on the table and heaved a long sigh.

She sat there for a few seconds until she started to get a little bored. She put her hand on the table and positioned it until it looked like a person. Holding her pointer and middle finger as 'leg's, her thumb and pinkie as hands, and the ring finger as an extra limb. She 'walked' her 'person' back and forth across the table, within her sight. Then, she noticed something that she hadn't noticed before. She sat upright and saw a ajar door, and if she hadn't mistaken, she had heard a voice there.

Singapore stood up and walked towards the door. Slowly opening it, she peeked in and saw two figures... wait, it was three figures. One looked like Japan, another was a red-head male, and he was carrying... SEYCHELLES!!! Singapore's jaw dropped as she saw the female nation being carried in a princess-like way and was about to laugh her head off. But before humor came, irritation came first. She skillfully untied her boots and threw it at the red-haired nation, causing a raucous.

"MOLESTER!!!!" she shouted.

[Seychelles]

((Gah!!! Sorry ima late!!! ;-; ))

Seychelles wanted to grab one of those mangas on the floor when she felt her body lifted up in the air. "W-woah?!" Seychelles silently screamed. She looked up to notice a familliar looking face. Red hair and a thick scottish accent. It was none other than Scotland. Seychelles felt a bit calmed knowing that it was'nt France. She giggled happily at the sight of an old friend. "Hey! That tickles!!" Sey laughed a bit louder when heplayed with her hair.

"MOLESTER!!" She heard a familliar female voice screamed.Seychelles stopped and poked her head behind the scottish. It was Singapore!! "Hi Singy!!" Seychelles laughed happily, still not noticing what had happened.

[Japan]

((I'm late...to my own closet party...HOW DISGRACEFUL! D: ))

Japan neared a complicated portion of the form, in which (if he had the room) he would have had to turn his body and physically flip while kicking. Unfortunately, the small space would not allow him to do this, and so he had to improvise the last bit, altering it so that it merely ended in a higher kick than usual. The nation was deep in concentration, knowing that any slight miscalculation might cause him to kick one of the walls, or fall in the tiny space. Neither of those seemed appealing to him, and the mere humiliating thought of having to explain such a fall to a medic made him all the more determined to finish the form flawlessly. Besides, it wasn't as if any of the other nations were around to see him.

The call of his name startled him enough to nearly stop mid-kick, causing him to land rather awkwardly, though mercifully in a standing position. Had he truly been loud enough for another nation to find him so quickly, or was it simply luck that had brought another to his not-so-secret-anymore closet? Would he have to relocate? Japan wasn't entirely sure he could at this point, especially with the limited number of unoccupied spaces in the warehouse. He hid his musings, turning to face the nation and identifying her as Seychelles.

'Well, I suppose it does make sense. Seychelles-san is a Groundskeeper here...she would most certainly know the layout of the warehouse.'

"Seychelles-san, I did not expect to find you here." He answered truthfully, bowing in greeting to her. He was about to ask if she needed something from him, or if he was perhaps needed elsewhere (avoiding the game question) when another silhouette filled the doorway. As soon as the newcomer spoke, Japan recognized him as Scotland. A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips, though inwardly he wondered yet again how his secret closet had suddenly become such a public space. Still, Scotland's presence was a welcome one, especially in the midst of the other nation he did not know quite as well.

He was about to greet him when a shout caught his attention. He could not see beyond Scotland and Seychelles in the doorway, but the voice sounded familiar. As soon as Seychelles identified the approaching nation as Singapore, he relaxed a little bit. At least Singapore was not one of the more...raucous nations that he was certainly not attempting to hide from by choosing this closet. Still, the gathering of so many people in such a small space (and in the lab) made him slightly nervous. Certainly news of his hiding place would spread through the warehouse, and then even more of his fellow nations would stop by to 'visit'. He certainly would not turn away a guest, but the thought of the space that was once truly his not truly being his own anymore bothered him.

'Well...so much for a secret and quiet place.'

"Ah, is there anything that I can do for you, Seychelles-san...Scotland-san...Singapore-san?" He asked more out of politeness, hoping that they had all simply stumbled upon his hiding place by pure accident rather than because he was needed. He kept his gaze politely fixed on the two in the doorway, waiting for their reply.

((MY SINCEREST APOLOGIES, SINGAPORE D: This is what I get for multitasking/rushing the post x.x))

[Singapore]

(Um... Japan, I'm not Czech.)

Singapore twitched as Seychelles happily replied. Still oblivious of Scotland's harassment on her. Honestly, Seychelles was probably going to die from her obliviousness and naive attitude. Singapore heard a voice behind them. Singapore tilted her head and saw Japan.

"Hi Uncle Japan. Sorry to bother you." Singapore told him. Then she turned back to Scotland and Seychelles. She felt herself being surrounded by her own dark aura. "Uncle Scotland, you pervert, if you don't mind, how about letting Seychelles down. Now."

(i have no excuse for this being short.)

[Scotland]

Scotland was enjoying having a moment with one of his little girls because dammit, they had been his colonies too. He adored all the kids that had been part of their household, but the ones that come from France he favored. His people had finally decided to side with England, but Scotland's heart still belonged to the fair and flighty nation. Hearing Seychelles giggle in delight due to his actions was balm to an old, angry soul.

When Japan responded to their intrusion he would have offered a greeting, but a pair of boots rebounded off his right shoulder, making him instinctively turn to present his back to any further attacks, acting as a shield for the girl against his chest. The ringing cry of "MOLESTER!!!!" came a moment later.

Hearing Seychelles identify his attacker and not being attacked again, he glanced back over at his shoulder to see another of his ex-colonies. Another one of his little girls. Mentally putting Japan on hold, he eased his arm out from under Seychelles' legs, letting them dangle down as he kept his other arm around her waist. Still clutching Seychelles against his chest, he turned and opened up his other arm wide, striding towards Singapore.

"There's me other bonnie lass," he announced as he approached her, his free arm aiming to scoop her up around the waist for a double armful of girls. When the household had been full of kids, Scotland had sometimes found his arms full of two or more children, or even more hitching rides on his legs. He'd been happy to roughhouse with the kids, even with England harping at him about being a proper role model. Screw proper. There were kids to roll in the dirt with.

[Singapore, you can still dodge the attempted grab if you don't want to be picked up. Sorry, Japan, I'll respond to you as soon as I know whether Scotland managed to pick up Singapore]

[Singapore]

(It's okay Japan.

Singapore watched confusingly at the hand reaching towards her. When she realized what Scotland was trying to do, she quickly dodged out of the way. As she tried running away, she suddenly tripped on her own boot; the same boot she threw at Scotland. She fell face first on the floor with a loud thud.

"Ouch." She said. She rubbed her forehead and found a new bruise on it. "Why does it always happen to me?"

Singapore didn't notice she said it out loud. She didn't even notice a few stray tears drip down her cheeks. But for some reason, she noticed that something was missing. She felt around her face and confirmed her hunch. Her glasses was missing.

"WHY!!!!! WHY ME?!?"

[Scotland]

(I'm waiting my turn to post so Sey and Japan would go before me, just in case anyone was waiting on me)

[Seychelles]

((ne ne.... Sorry for not being online for soooooo long... *emos in a corner*))

Seychelles can't stopped laughing. This might have been one of the most funniest "Singapore-dropped-her-glasses-and-now-can't-see-clearly" moments Seychelles might have ever saw no, she mean witness. Holding her breath, she wiggled out of the scottish man. But before she could even do what she wanted, which was to retrieve the glasses and gave it back to Singapore...

crack

It came from under her foot. Seychelles turned pale as she lifted her foot a inches from the ground. Little bits off glass fell of her leg and onto the floor. The frame of the thick spectacles were crushed. "Shit...." Sey muttered. Looking at the half blind singapore.

[Japan]

((Ah, and now it is my turn to humbly apologize for my inexcusable absence...as you all on tumblr know...x.x My muse has been spotty lately...let's get him going again~! Also, no worries Scotland...Japan's just sort of an observer at the moment. And thanks Singapore...if ever I make mistakes like that I always appreciate the correction. Goodness knows my brain is old enough x.x))

Japan watched the scene unfolding before him with mild interest, though he did his best not to show how much he truly just wished to be alone at that moment. The three other nations always amused him in some way, but usually their amusement came when he could simply pass them by if he wasn't in any particular mood to watch. Today however, they were effectively blocking the doorway, and so he could do nothing but wait until they grew tired of their game before he could leave. He didn't particularly want to go anywhere (it was the lab, not the common room), but he felt just a little uncomfortable with so many nations in such a tiny space.

He sent Singapore a smile, a silent acceptance of her apology. She obviously did not mean to bother him, but had simply stumbled on this place by accident. Oh well. He did not dislike her, and usually her presence made him smile. Today though, he simply wished to be alone. And there was the nagging thought that the lab was no place for fooling around...though at that moment he didn't have much room to talk. He was also not the type to tell off his fellow nations, though the temptation rose with each passing second.

He blinked in surprise as Singapore fell while attempting to dodge Scotland's grab. Her glasses flew to the floor, landing not too far away from Scotland and Seychelles. 'Good, at least they will be able to find them easily.' He mused, observing quietly as Seychelles freed herself from Scotland's hold. And before he could say anything, the crunch of glass alerted everyone that Seychelles had found Singapore's glasses. He said nothing, mostly because there really was not anything to say. He did feel bad for Singapore, but voicing such things would not bring her glasses back. Worse still, they did not really have any way of replacing them, which did not bode well for Singapore.

'What a day this has turned out to be. I wonder if it could truly get any crazier?'

[Scotland]

Scotland paused when Singapore ducked his arm, actually trying to run away from him, and pulled his arm back just as the girl fell over her own feet and to the floor. He winced a bit at the howl of dismay that broke from her, and looked down at Seychelles as the girl broke down into laughter. When she squirmed, he let her go, tucking his hand into a pants pocket as he watched Seychelles go to help. This had to be one of those girl moments. Maybe they would go to the bathroom together once Singapore got up.

crack

Scotland's green eyes darted to the source of the sound and his heavy eyebrows raised when Seychelles lifted her foot off the glasses missing from Singapore's face. Ooops.

There was only one reaction that could come out of Scotland at this point. "Aye, you. Lookit wut bein' crabbit /grouchy/ gets ya."

So Scotland wasn't exactly the most comforting person to be around. At the same time he adored the children, he couldn't abide them being weak either. Weak nations all too often were slain or conquered by stronger nations. Or sold their souls to Satan, or England, whichever name one wanted to use. If one of the children fell or skinned a knee, they'd find Scotland staring them down, daring them to cry in his presence. Just as he had done for England. With Wales and Ireland they'd all been young enough and close enough in age, one of them crying could set off the other two, so that hardly mattered. The British Empire didn't cry. The British Empire got even or calmly carried on.

With a quick glance to Japan to see the Asian nation's reaction and to see if he was even still there, or had run off to seek peace and quiet. Seeing Japan still waiting, Scotland turned his challenging look on Singapore, awaiting her reaction.