#he and suraj are so interesting like - when i say they make each other nervous i mean like

[edelweissdev-blog]

When did von Göring lift lions? - Fanfiction by OVRA Niko Laponski

After some time from chasing Vicky and Suraj over the photos, Yuki stopped at a staircase. They ran faster than they looked, and she couldn’t catch up to them. Westerners were gifted with longer legs to escape her wrath. She won’t let them get away though, sweating as she tried to collect her thoughts. When they appear next, all will know nothing of her glasses.

Yuki saw a slow shadow from the other side of the hall. Now that she’s tired, she couldn’t see who it was. Like a bull she only saw a single colour of impulse. “逃がすか!” She roared from her guts as she grappled the figure before her. With the force of a mallet against glass, she brought her target down with her to the cold floor.

“OW!”

As Yuki’s senses returned, eyes short-sighted eyes turned to the victim of her rush. It wasn’t Suraj, no the voice was feminine. Vicky’s dress isn’t blue, and her skin should be lighter. Assessing in slight embarrassment, it was a wrong person she tackled. It was that girl with the cross. Catarina, or “Sorella” was a nickname that she used around acting like a nun in the campus. Some people have confusing names here, and at times sound the same.

Catarina reeled from the shock. “Oh God…” She groaned. Fortunately, she doesn’t look hurt.

Yuki got back up, thinking about how she struck the wrong person out of her rashness. Before she set off, she found four books and a dull, thick envelope scattered around. They all had yellow backgrounds, then the title in a European language, and below a red-headed young man with a white dog. She stopped to have a look.

Catarina adjusted her glasses, and saw her books scattered. “My books!” She jumped, and started picking them up, hastily checking the black-and-white pages for any damages. Realising she can’t return to her search, Yuki picked up and passed the books close to her. However, a book she held, showing the young man on an automobile in some plains got some attention.

The Sorella saw the last book held by Yuki. “Oh, thank you for holding onto my Tintin!” She replied with gratitude.

Yuki passed the last book to her. “I apologise.” She replied. A simple apology should be enough, then return to search those two, but the books were distracting.

Catarina saw how the Japanese girl saw kept looking at the book. “Oh, those are my Tintin collections.” She explained. “I love reading them since a child.” She showed the covers of each copy on her hand. The covers looked intriguing to Yuki, making her forget her current problems. “Are they books?” She asked with slight curiousity. The Catholic girl shook her head. “No, no, they’re graphic novels.” She kindly corrected. “They’re all compiled from newspapers to complete the story.” She saw the interest cracking into the otherwise aloof Yuki. “Perhaps you want to read them at the library?”

Yuki thought about how she should be going to her chase, but realised how they could be anywhere by now. Crashing into this Sorella helped them get away. “Yeah, sure.” She grumbled about her shortcoming.

Going up a floor, the two reached the school library. The room was brimmed with books in varying colours, thickness, and conditions. Most of the shelves were German, with a single shelf given to Japanese books. It’s frustrating that needed research books have to be translated everytime she needed it. Students there kept their voice down, knowing how harsh the librarian looks with the long list of rules behind him and his desk.

There was a long table at the centre, and some empty stools for use. As they took seats, they saw how other students were doing their own studies. Someone had a stack of Shakespeare, probably for that play.

Catarina took the first book out of her collection. Tintin was wearing a Breton-lined shirt with the dog by his side, and the back was a faintly sketched Eiffel Tower. Title was easy to translate enough. “Tintin in the Land of the Communards.” She translated.

Yuki rolled her eyes. “I can translate that much.” She muttered. “This is in France?”

The Catholic girl nodded. “Yes.” She whispered. “It’s in the Commune. Tintin goes there to report on the country, but the French intelligence keep attacking him.”

Yuki thought about the mention of French spies. “French intelligence shouldn’t be as efficient as this.” She noted. “The Commune is hesitant to spy on their own people.”

The Sorella listened, and nodded to the remark. “I thought it looked too cartoonish.” She showed some agreement. Pages were turned to show more of the unrealistic scenes.

Yuki studied them, seeing the Syndicalism shown in the strips were nothing compared to the theory. “I feel the Commune is being exaggerated here too.” She added. “This is propaganda piece?”

The girl next to her thought for a moment. “This was published by Le Petit Vingtième.” She answered. “It’s a Catholic publisher in Flanders-Wallone.”

There was a rough sound behind them. A black and red scarf of wool appeared by the desk. It was another girl that Yuki can’t remember the name of. To her, many European names sounded similar. The girl was recognisable, Suraj and that other dorky looking girl hanged around her. “Did the author even go to the Communard?” She groaned at the comic strip.

Catarina turned with some surprise to the rude socialist. “Excuse me?” She asked.

She squeezed to grab the book. “First of all, this shows us being forced to vote at gunpoint.” She said. “Syndicalists can vote anyone they like.”

Yuki nodded. “Anyone with an eye to look at reality can see that.” She remarked coldly. “So what’s the correction now?”

The rough speaking girl moved her grimy hands through the pristine pages, showing what appeared as a impressive factory to visiting Georgians. The next page showed it to be a cardboard cutout where the Communards burned stacked of hay to make the effects of smoke. “This is obvious too.” She grumbled. “The Commune has actual factories, which make something other than some Francophone propaganda.”

The Sorella tried to listen, but the scarved girl was a bit loud in the library.

The girl turned to the final pages. “The pages here now just enters fantasy land.” She rudely pointed. “The Communards didn’t steal the wealth of France. We re-distributed them.”

To this point, it sounded like Syndicalist propaganda to Yuki. “So why are you here?” She asked as she rolled her eyes.

The scarved-girl moved away. “Because everyone else is studying and I can’t be bothered to join them?” She answered with sarcasm in her voice. “And this is just some German propaganda.”

The two seated girls saw her leave, and so did the judging librarian. At least she left.

Putting the first book aside, Yuki was brought the one she picked up on the floor. A more closer look showed it was named “Tintin in Mittelafrika.” Judging by the cover, it was probably another propaganda. “So Tintin goes to Mittelafrika now?” She asked.

Catarina nodded meekly, trying not to think of earlier. “Yes.” She replied. “He goes around Africa in that one.

Yuki rolled her eyes to the obvious explanation. They went through the pages: Tintin already getting into trouble with the wildlife. The next pages were more bizarre. Just as a lion was to pounce on the dog, some muscular man wrestled the wild animal away. “This is who?” She now questioned in a baffled tone.

The Catholic saw the Japanese girl’s reaction. “That would be Statthalter von Göring”. She answered.

It was just too stupid to look at this. “When did von Göring lift lions?” She reacted to the stupidity. To see how far this goes, she skimmed the pages to only see how the Statthalter was a benevolent and powerful, caring for the African people like some poor man’s messiah for the simple-minded. It was going too far for her that she had to close it and passed it back to the Sorella.

Catarina saw the reaction, but couldn’t understand how outlandish the whole story felt to a foreigner outside of Europe. “I guess the next book then.” She suggested from the frown of the Japanese girl.

A new book was placed in front of Yuki. Tintin looking like a cowboy, watched from behind by half-naked men in strange paints. “Tintin in America.” She read the title. Though, is it still like this in America today?

While flipping through the pages, it looked like the book was returning to Syndicalism as it’s opponent. Chicago was a city which strife was caused by the Combined Syndicates of America. Yuki thought about it, thinking how it’s not too over the top like the previous books.

Catarina observed the expressions of Yuki, noting it wasn’t as bad as earlier. It was gladdening, seeing how reactions to the first two books were.

Syndicates of Chicago were pulling all tricks against the reporter, but each time as exaggerated as a villain can get. “Are the Syndicates there as organised?” Yuki asked, not expecting an answer. The next panels had Jack Reed, ghostly looking behind the Syndicalist crimes.

The Sorella had a peek at the thick envelope, then smiled to herself.

The rest of the book seemed like a repeat of the first book, except in America. Yuki skimmed through, no other comments to say.

Before grabbing the “Cigars of the Pharaoh”, Yuki saw the envelope. “By the way, what’s in that envelope?” She asked.

Catarina’s eyes showed hesitation. “A new book I received from the mail this morning.” She brought it out of the envelope. “It’s the Blue Lotus.”

Was there something about this book that Catarina wanted to hide? Yuki wasn’t sure. “Is it another anti-Syndicalist story?” She asked with the obligatory interest.

The Sorella removed the envelope, showing the cover of Tintin hiding behind a ceramic vase with a dragon in the background. Is it in China? The art looked more refined. Some Chinese influence in the style. Thinking she would be unable to protest over handing over the book, she passed it then retreated to some nervous Latin chanting.

Yuki accepted the book, but the troubling expressing of Catarina was admittingly worrying. She flipped the page, confused at first in why it was India, but it maybe was something from the Pharaoh.

Catarina shifted her stood away.

It now got to the part where Tintin went to Shanghai. Although the Chinese characters were thoroughly written, surprisingly in a European work the translations were a bit… Off. As Tintin met Mitsuhirato, Yuki tried to write the name. “Mitsuhirato?” She struggled to write with her fingers on the desk.

Distance between the stools were growing, courtesy of the Sorella’s fear.

The book looked a bit seedy in messaging, and culminated with the kidnap of the hero by some Chinese. Triads are the villain? No, the next page introduced them as in fact, allies of Tintin. Mitsuhirato is the villain. Yuki just sighed as she read on, now towards the false flag attack on a railroad outside Shanghai. She look with apathy towards the Japanese occupation that followed, not as flattering as it would be by now. Deciding to take a break, she placed the book on the desk and turned to see the conspicuous distance Catarina made as she was reading.

Catarina’s heart sunk. It wasn’t something that she wanted to share, fearing exactly this. Was she going to bore the front of the Japanese wrath? He heart paced in fear.

Yuki walked from her stool to her. “Umm… Why are you this far?” She questioned the rather odd behaviour.

The Sorella had to use some courage to speak. “I was a bit… Afraid.” She squeaked. “The book is very negative of your country. I thought it would be offensive?”

The Japanese girl sighed, eyes rolling at what she saw as an overreaction. “Look I expected this by now.” She whispered. “The book is obvious propaganda, so anyone can be a target.”

Not receiving the wrathful reception she feared, Catarina started to calm down.

Yuki sighed at the meekness, that’s too meek for a woman. “I read from the Land of the Communards, and we got the criticism from that scarved ruffian.” She reminded. “Then the second book, von Göring was made as a man chiseled to perfection.”

Catarina nodded as she calmed, noting the points.

The Japanese girl picked up the third book. “America continued with the bashing of Syndicalists.” She continued. “Tell me how this isn’t obvious propaganda? Anyone can be criticised. If my country is to be seen that way, it’s their own right to do so. It’s interesting to know though, of how other countries look at mine. What makes them hate us? What are they afraid of?”

The Sorella collected the books back to her chest. Making sure all the books were with them, they left the library. “So you’re not mad?” She whispered.

Yuri shook her head. “Does it matter much?” She said off-handedly. “Besides, to make me angry takes more than-”

Turning to the right, Vicky stood at the hallway, not aware.

Yuki’s eyes saw the yellow dress, and prepared to sprint off like a raging bull. “You…” Her voice growled before the storm. “今度こそくたばれ！”

Vicky turned to the source of the quickening footsteps, and her face turned to panic at the incoming blur of anger. “It’s just a joke!” She screamed before fleeing.

Catarina stood to watch the two restart the chase. Not knowing what’s going on, she thought on what to do next. Maybe just head to the kitchen for a meal. Yeah, that sounds good.

Great job Niko! Love your work!