Handling a Crisis

Chapter Sixty-Three: Greetings

Chapter warnings: Spanish Empire, mention of World War II, reference to Pearl Harbor, Schutzstaffel

There once was a brother in a set of five...

America's kids were scattered around the basement and the house, doing their own thing. It was a quiet day as they waited for America and Confederacy, perhaps also NATO, if he came home early, and Russia, if he came back with America and Confederacy, to arrive. It was a pretty peaceful, considering this is the American household we're talking about–

Whack!

Ah, there it goes.

"Hey! Stop turning!" Maine ordered.

"The needle poked me!" Maryland complained.

"Alright, but does that really mean I deserve a tentacle in the face?"

"Who ripped it in the first place?"

Maine sighed, annoyed. "I did."

"Then the answer's yes, you do deserve a tentacle to the face."

California walked in and gave them a stern look. "Guys, we don't have any to mess around! We're on a tight schedule here, people!" he reprimanded, hitting the clipboard he was holding with the back of his available hand. "Today is costume check! After this, we need to finalize all the minute details of the play before the last practice so we can perform it by the beginning of December!"

"Cal, we don't really have a schedule. Literally none of the Broadway people who own The Little Mermaid musical know that we're doing this! It's not like we have to do it by a specific date. They're not gonna sue us," Maryland told him."I mean, how could they? They don't even know we exist."

California held up his hand. "Shut up, Ursula, because we need to get this genderbent-cast production of The Little Mermaid done because if we don't, then we're going to be delayed and have to start our rendition of Little Women late, which will mess up New York's schedule for the modernized Hamilton production, a very modified version– not that all of these plays have been modified so we don't do sweet home Alabama– of Six, the genderbent Dear Evan Hansen production, or should I say Dear Eva Hansen, and that'll back up my plans for the film I want to make, and I still need to come up with the costuming, finalize the script, finish composing the songs, set up audition dates, and cast the film, and if this doesn't get finished by the time we're supposed to start filming just before the official start of summer in 2022, I might as well not do anything until May comes again in 2023, and if that happens, I will lose it, and you guys don't want me to lose it, do you?!"

Maine and Maryland held up their hands in surrender. "Alright, alright! I just need to finish a few more stitches and do a checkup on the rest of the costume for good measure and we'll be good to go, okay?" Maine asked.

California clapped his hands twice with a satisfied smile on his face. "Splendid! I'll see you at the stage!"

He turned and left, leaving his older brother behind him. "You know, that boy scares me sometimes," Maryland said.

Maine huffed and rolled his eyes. "Tell me about it."

While Maine continued to fix Maryland's costume, American Samoa and North Carolina sat on one of the couches, staring at the ceiling. American Samoa up a bit. "Y'know, I'm kinda feeling in the mood to watch that Memberhitch Jinglesnap movie with the sparkle circles," he brought up.

North Carolina sat up as well and stared at him judgmentally. "I hate how I actually know what you're talking about," she said. "We've been living together for far too long."