Stars in the Sky

Chapter 9: A Little Help

Sealand gave a small pout as he leaned back on his chair, his legs swinging as he stared at his dish. The clinking of silverware on ceramic could be heard. Yet, the little boy wouldn't look up from his food.

Finland noticed this immediately. The shorter man smiled as he looked at his son warmly. "Kultaseni, is everything alright?" he asked. "You aren't touching your dinner."

"I'm not feeling very hungry," Sealand replied, sighing out.

"Something wrong?" Sweden asked, also getting concerned. They were having tarts and meatballs with lingonberry sauce, otherwise known as Sealand's favorite. It was odd that the boy didn't want to eat his favorite meal.

Ladonia sighed. "He's just worried about some people in the group. No big deal."

"Ladonia!"

Finland and Sweden exchanged a look. The taller blond only nodded at the shorter, who sighed out as well.

"I'm sure your friends will figure out whatever problems they're dealing with," he told his son. "For now, you should just finish your tarts."

"Can I take it to my room?" the fort nation asked. "I promise to bring down the dish when I'm done."

Typically, Finland wasn't one to let his children eat anywhere other than downstairs. He didn't need to clean up all the stains that came with food in the bedroom. However, seeing as how Sealand was too mentally preoccupied to eat it anywhere else, he nodded in agreement.

"So long as you don't get any stains in the carpeting, okay?"

Sealand gave his papa a smile. "Don't worry. I won't. I promise!"

With that, the eager micronation grabbed his plate and walked out of the dining room upstairs to his bedroom. He closed the door behind him, but never locked it, before sitting on the floor with the half-eaten tarts and meatballs on the plate. He stared at it for a short moment before glancing away. How could he possibly eat at a time like this?

Sealand noticed the tension between Molossia and Seborga, as well as the weird looks the latter's brothers were giving the brunette. It had been like this since after their previous meeting. Seborga would cancel any plans he had with the group, promising to only show up to the stuff that was necessary rather than for fun. Especially if it was announced that Molossia was going.

He heard Wy talking about a party with Hutt that he, Molossia, and Seborga attended at Veneziano and Romano's place. Something must have happened after the party, and he was going to find out what.

Just as Sealand was starting to formulate a plan, a knock came from his door. He turned to it curiously.

"Come in," he shouted.

The knob twisted, and the door was pushed open to reveal Ladonia. The strawberry-haired micronation looked at his brother skeptically.

"And what are you doing?" he asked.

"Oh," the blond replied. "I'm trying to find a way to get Molossia and Seborga to stop being weird with one another. You've noticed it too, right?"

Ladonia scowled as he entered the room, closing the door so their parents wouldn't know what they were discussing.

"You mean the weird stares they gave each other, and how Seb's brothers looked like they were about to murder Molossia? Of course I noticed."

"Right! What even happened between them, and why aren't they talking it out like good friends?" Sealand wondered. "They've had disputes before, and they handled it just fine. What's different this time around?"

Ladonia cringed at his brother's question. He knew all too well what was going on. Being an internet micronation didn't come without its perks. One heard all the juicy gossip and rumors, as well as shade and tea being thrown online. Let's just say... Romano has a very passionate tweet regarding boys and how "they can't keep their dicks in their pants". He couldn't expose his baby brother to that kind of stuff.

Sweden would never forgive him otherwise.

"I think it would be better if we didn't find out," he retorted. "Maybe we can just get them to talk and have them figure it out for themselves?"

"But how? Molossia hates confrontation, especially if he doesn't think he's in the wrong! And Seborga... He didn't seem too comfortable around him during the last meeting. I don't think he wants to be stuck with him," Sealand whined. "What are we supposed to do?"

Silence filled the air around them. Both boys were deep in their thoughts, attempting to find the best solution when Ladonia gasped in realization.

"I've got an idea!" he exclaimed. "What if we trap them in a room together?"

Sealand blinked once, then twice, then three times. "Trapped in a room?"

"Yes! I've seen it plenty of times before. If we barricade them in a room with no escape, they'll have no choice but to talk things out," he explained. "Then we can get this whole awkward atmosphere thing done and over with!"

"That's...a brilliant idea!"

Sealand jumped for joy as he raced over to his brother, stars in his eyes and a large smile on his face that rivaled Ladonia's confident grin.

"Of course. I am a very intelligent nation."

"Yeah, forget all that! Let's just stick with your plan! But uh... How do we get them alone together in a room?"

Ladonia's grin grew, if that was even possible, as he chuckled.

"Oh, Peter. I'm an internet micronation. Since I have to use Papa and Sweden's wifi, I can connect to their accounts," Ladonia said. "And just a few hours ago, Mr. Canada sent them an email requesting to bring us to the next world meeting. And that's not all: all the other countries with micronations were asked to bring them along, and Molossia and Seborga already agreed to attend."

Sealand didn't know how to react. For one, either someone else caught the vibes the two gave off and was helping as well, or fate was just funny like that. Second, their plan could actually be put into action in just whatever amount of time they had left until the next world meeting! How lucky could they possibly be?

"That's perfect! Let's start planning everything out right away!"

With that, the two boys started to strategize immediately. They thought of every little detail down to even the positions of the furniture in the room before Finland came up to tell them it was time for bed. Sealand finished his meal and placed the plate into the sink just as Sweden was cleaning up dishes. He then raced back up into his bedroom and flopped right onto the mattress.

The blond smiled to himself as he covered himself up to the neck in blankets, already finding the comfort of the warm bed very cozy. He wondered what was to happen once the plan went into motion. Would Molossia and Seborga really be friends again? What even started this whole thing in the first place? Surely, knowing the American, it was something ridiculous that somehow escalated to full on offending even Seborga's brothers!

Well, whatever it was, he was sure the two would be able to communicate and be friends again. He had hope in his companions.

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Have some mischiveous Sealand. Okay, now for translations!

Kultaseni - sweetheart (Finnish)

Yeah, that's literally it. Well I'm tired af so see you all later!