Of Stalking and Tomatoes

Chapter 3

He and Jul had been friends ever since they were 5 years old. They were neighbors, who became playmates and later became friends. They went to the same elementary school, and high school. They even went to the same cram school for their university entrance exams. All this time they have been together, growing together, laughing together, and crying together. They had known each other since the beginning and knew each other inside and out. So why is it that Nyx can't believe that Jul is currently hanging from his numb leg and begging to him like a baby?

Jul had been annoying him for days now. Something about an audition, España, and a surprise. How did those three words even connect to each other? Nyx could barely understand Jul the first time he even tried to listen. Now, all he wanted was to feel his leg again.

"PLEEEEEEAAAAASEEE!"

The whining just won't stop.

Nyx tried to kick him off, but Jul had a terminator grip on his leg. He could feel nails digging into his skin. It hurt.

"Let go of my leg!" he kept trying to kick this whiner off of him to no avail, "I'll hear you out! Just let go! I can't feel my leg!"

That got Jul off of him. He checked his leg for nail marks and started to massage it to bring the blood back. Jul was just grinning at him.

"So, what do you want?" Nyx asked as he kept with massage.

"I told you! Audition for a panel with me! You can be Spain! I'll be Prussia!"

"Why me!?"

"Why not!?"

Nyx knew he wasn't going to win this. The look on Jul's face had told him that this giant baby was going to keep at it until he breaks. Or his leg at least.

By 'Spain' and 'Prussia', the audition must be for a Hetalia panel. That franchise had been done and over with years ago. There hasn't been an update in years and the goods have been very rare.

Nyx loved Hetalia back in the day. Five-minute episodes didn't take much time to watch and it was incredibly lighthearted considering that it talked about World War 2. He and Jul would even try to re-enact scenes in their own history textbooks as Hetalia characters. It was fun. It also got their history grades up.

He turned to Jul and saw him looking up at him with expectant eyes. Jul had always loved that 'Prussia' character. Considering Jul's dad was Eastern German, Nyx guessed that he probably has Prussian blood in him. Probably. Maybe. Who knows?

Nyx sighed, "What do I do as Spain?"

"You'll go with me?!" Jul's eye widened in glee as he jumped from the floor.

"I will! Now tell me what I have to do before I change my mind!"

The next few days were full of re-watching Hetalia and re-reading history books. It was hectic.

Jul would run in his room, re-enacting historical events, as he tried to pay attention to both him and the five-minute episode he was trying to watch.

Jul also told him to get his Spanish accent out as he speaks in English. Nyx did try so hard to make that happen and he eventually did start speaking in English with a Spanish accent. Though he accidentally used it over dinner and his brother wouldn't stop teasing him about it for days. He guessed that he should learn to control when the accent comes out.

Jul had bought him his costume. A brown collared button up shirt with a cross-belt, a red ribbon, and brown trousers. It was a good thing Nyx already has the messy brown hair. He didn't like the idea of wearing a wig.

They shot the video, answering questions from the guideline, as instructed, and sent it to Vandata Cosplay Group through email. They had to retake several times but they finished it. Several days later, they both received an email inviting them for a live audition. It had a date, time, venue, and a map. It also said to wear their character costumes for the audition. Jul was elated. Nyx just felt happy for him.