(POV: Germany)
The strongly scented aroma of the coffee was so pungent, I thought I might gag. Salt and chemicals were so common back home, you were lucky if you found a bottle of perfume for sale in the streets. Most of that stuff was too strong anyway. Too strong and too foreign.
I was drawn from my thoughts when a sharp voice cut the air.
"Aus, please you can't be serious!" A man in a simple white shirt laughed sarcastically, before scoffing at the person sitting across from him. They were at a table to my left, the first man leaning over the table with his arms crossed.
"Ame, there's nothing here for either of us. Join up with me! We can leave together. I'm telling you, this is our ticket out of here! Besides, don't you want to serve and honor your country? You've done it before. Even came home with medals." The second man had dark blue skin, I couldn't see his face but his voice was soft and pleading. He was in a uniform of some sort, with a sewn badge I didn't recognize on his sleeve.
He must be joining this place's military.
The first man had a much deeper, commanding voice, and I could tell he was getting upset as he leaned farther over the table, reaching out.
"You can't go, Aus, you can't leave me here. I'm not joining up, you remember what happened to Father. You remember what happened when I came home! I refuse to go through that again!" He took a deep breath, running his hand through his blue and silver hair. "It's been 5 years, and already we're going to war again. Can't you see how useless it is?" His voice was no longer filled with anger, but with heartbreak.
His hands stayed open, laying face up on the table. He never looked away from 'Aus', as he called him, but the dark-haired man looked down before getting up. He stepped away from the booth and straightened his jacket.
"America, I leave in 4 hours." He took a long breath and glanced out the window. "If you're not there, I understand... Goodbye, brother." He looked down at America still in the booth, patted his shoulder, and turned around to leave.
Hurridly, America got up, shrugging his overalls over his shoulders.
"Hey! Come back, I'm sorry, listen, please!" He pushed his way out the door, and that was my cue to follow. I was too invested in this now, and besides, maybe 'America' could tell me what was going on and where I was.
Slipping out the door unnoticed, I followed the rowdy pair down the concrete pathway, in front of the automobiles.
"Aussie, come on- you can't be serious..." America's muscular form followed him like a puppy, trailing behind with his head hanging and shoulders slouched.
"You never shut up about leaving this town, so what's so bad about me leaving this way, huh? Ame, we don't have any money. We don't have anything. It's just you and me in this town, you're chasing dreams if you think we can move out of here on our own. You don't even own a car, for crying out loud!" America stared downward as Aus spat out the last remark.
"Fine then, leave and go win some glory! That's what you're after, aren't you!"
"Ame-"
"Leave, and maybe you'll come home with some gold medals to rub it in! The little brother went out and had his piece of the war!" Anger flared in the voice of America, stinging like venom.
Aus simply stared back at America, hurt and confusion clouding his gaze. He ever so slightly furrowed his brow, and a few strands of blue hair fell in front of his eyes. His face was decorated with stars and a red and white mark at the top right of his forehead. Some of the red and white bled into his hair, but only slightly. You had to really be looking to notice it.
He shook his head and averted his eyes from America. Softly sighing, he turned around and kept walking.
"Ok, hey, wait a minute. I didn't mean it like that! Just... Come on, I was- I was joking! Haha got ya!" The American threw up finger guns and pointed them at Aus, but he never turned back around.
Desperation quickly filled his voice.
"Aussie! Aus, come on. Talk to me!" He started walking after his brother, but I decided to stay where I was, comfortably in the shade, hidden from the blazing sun.
I could still hear his exasperated sigh as he chased after Aus.
"Australia! Please, talk to me..."
"You watch over my car while I'm gone. Don't scratch it or by god, I will swim across the ocean to clock you." Australia said this in a stern but playful manner, waving the keys in front of America's face before unlocking the car door.
"Don't go, Aus. Please? Just a little longer, maybe... Maybe I can work something out and pull together some cash or-" Before he could finish Australia gently interrupted.
"I'm sorry, for everything Ame. But I can't stay here anymore, waiting on a maybe. I want to get out and see the world... I just wish I had my brother with me." Before climbing into the car, he pursed his lips in a sad and distant smile.
America stepped back, defeated. The rumble of the car engine starting made me flinch, bringing me back to the dire reality of my current situation.
The car pulled away and America turned around. It was as if I was blending into the wall, because he walked right past me, rubbing his striped face.
"Sir, excuse me..." My voice was like a pin, popping the balloon of tension.
"Hm? What- the..." America looked me up and down, a confused look plastered across his face. My attire proved unsatisfactory.
"Sorry to bother you, but where am I?" I ignored his distasteful looks while he rubbed his eyes again as if he didn't believe what he was seeing.
"Uh, you're at Cliffside. What, last night a long one huh?" He pushed his way back through the doors, not giving me a second thought. I followed him closely behind, determined to get something more out of him.
"I meant planet and year. Where am I? What year is it?" I tapped his shoulder before he turned around again. His wide frame towered over me, and I had to crane my neck to look up at him. My black hair fell behind my ears. I could tell he noticed my features, his gaze flickered over my face and down my neck.
"Look, I don't know what kind of joke this is but go find someone else to play it on ok, I've had a long day-" He began to turn back around and walk to the original table he and his brother sat at.
Once again, I simply followed him and sat across from him once he sat down. He looked up at me, shrugged, and pulled out a newspaper.
"Listen to me, I'm serious. Where am I?" I pressed the matter, leaning over the table in much the same way he did when he was arguing with Aus.
"Alright fine, I'll bite. San Francisco, California, In the good ol' US of A. The date is in the newspaper, here." He laid out the newspaper on the table and pointed to the top. In neat black print, it said,
July 27th, 1950.
The world seemed to dissolve around me.
There's no way. I can't be stuck in 1950... I'm...
No. Absolutely not. I need to get back home, right now. The hum of electricity and the smell of iron crowded my thoughts, home sweet home, back in 4036.
I was in a country that didn't exist anymore. I was on a planet that didn't exist anymore.
My reality came crumbling down around me, asphyxiating me. I felt like the hands of the Board were already around my neck, eager to send me away and execute me for crimes against the Republic.
I should have known... Earth was off-limits. I was definitely going to be thrown in prison, if not executed on sight.
The snapping of fingers blurred my vision and pulled me back from my racing thoughts.
"Hey, buddy, you ok? How many fingers? Tsh, man you must have had a long night. Phew! Asking what year it is, my God." America sipped coffee that was apparently served when I was lost in my thoughts. The strong smell was overwhelming. I hadn't smelled food or drink that strong in years.
I could see the steam rising out of the cup, rolling over America's pale skin. His face has deep red stripes, and a beautiful blue quarter in the top right, covered in stars. His eyes were different colors and held so much emotion. The right, a light teal blue, similar to an automotive sitting just outside, and the left, a deep lush red, matching his stripes. His hair was silvery and platinum, it looked like he was dipped in a vat of mercury. The other half was such a deep intense blue I thought I might drown just looking.
He held the coffee cup to his lips before catching my gaze. I could see him quickly smile before covering it with the cup again. He looked down and the light cast a golden stripe down the side of his face.
"You want a cup? Might help you sober up, man." He chuckled before sliding the cup over to me.
Almost in sync with him sliding it over, he got up and walked over to the counter to order another.
"Drink that, it's good I promise. Best in the city." He made an odd sound, clicking his tongue maybe, and winked at me, making the same finger gun gesture he did to his brother.
These people were weird.
I lightly touched the ceramic cup, instantly feeling the warmth coming off in waves. Steam and the pungent smell of coffee reached my nose, making me move it away. It made me sick. Food back home was bland and had almost no taste or smell, and if it did it tasted like salt.
America sat back down, holding a fresh cup. He looked at me with raised eyebrows before speaking up again.
"You gonna drink that? Making me regret giving it to you." He smirked and laughed, and I could barely hear him whisper "Just kiddin'..."
Before I had time to reply, he spoke again. This time in a more serious tone.
"So what's your name, huh? And what's with the clothes, you been swimmin' or something? What is that?" He crossed his arms and leaned back in the teal booth.
"My name is Germany, and no I haven't been swimming. This is, unfortunately, my work attire." I looked down again into the pool of warm brown coffee, seeing a dark outline of my reflection.
"Hm, well wherever the hell you work must really suck." He scoffed before leaning forward again, shrugging off his overalls and letting the straps hang. I had just noticed his white shirt had a number of grease stains, previously hidden by the denim.
"You gonna keep staring? Or ask me my name?" He chuckled before staring me dead in the eyes smirking. For some reason his demeanor was refreshing.
"You're name is America. Forgive me, but I overheard you and that other person you were with." I answered him monotonously, my mind preoccupied with how to get home. I had to figure out a jump spot and calculate the displacement of the constellations. I had no idea of the coordinates for my home station because this was not my intended drop location and time period. If I screwed up the stellar drift calculation, I could end up lost in space.
As if I'm not already. It felt so odd to be on a planet you knew didn't exist anymore. Everyone here was none the wiser. I was committing around 100 felonies by just sitting here.
"O-kayyyy..." America raised his eyebrow and looked at me with confusion, before sipping his coffee again. I wondered if I had said something wrong, but I couldn't figure out what.
"Anyway, short stuff, I've gotta get back to the docks. Do me a favor and stay outta the bars tonight, alright? Don't worry I got the coffee." Before I knew it, America was up. He winked at me, and then pulled his shoulder straps on. Stepping up to the counter I saw him place coins on the surface, saying goodbye to the woman with the coffee.
"Bye now, America! Don't get into too much trouble, I know how you and the boys down at the docks are." The woman turned around, swiped up the coins, and waved goodbye to America.
"You know I'm a pure soul, Jane. See you on Sunday!" America waved, and did an odd gesture with his hand. It was similar to a military salute from the republic, but he used his whole hand.
(A/N: ik that's confusing af just think of an (American military) salute lmao)
I was left alone at the table. Mulling over our conversation. Fascination filled my mind. Maybe, just maybe, I could explain away a few hours of being gone. Who knew, maybe I could jump back to a few seconds after I left.
Then it'd be like I was never gone in the first place.
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2265 Words.
Thank you for reading!