Post by maplesurple on Sept 1, 2010 13:24:41 GMT -5
Nation: Canada. No, really… It’s Canada.
Name: Matthew Williams is the alias I go by in public.
Gender: Male
Appearance of Age: I suppose about nineteen years in age. Did you know that that’s above the legal drinking limit here? It bothers America immensely.
Hair Color: Some would call it “wheat-coloured”. I prefer to think of it as “maple”.
Eye Color: Violet/Blue
Height: 5’9” – though I honestly feel like I should be taller, you know?
Weight: Not as fat as my neighbor.
Appearance:
I am a tall, slender young man. I maintain a healthy figure by practicing a French diet. Though I consider myself in fine physical condition, I do wish that I was a little more masculine. Hockey is great for building muscles but mine tend to be more compact and less impressive than other people's.
People tell me that I have one of those eternally “boyish” faces, and that thanks to the eyeglasses that I wear I look like a student type. There are times that I look much younger than I really am. I think this could be due to the fact that I matured a little later in life.
My hair is light in color, and I wear it a little thick since it is silky and manageable. Some might say that it's too long. I think the style suits me -- it can get a little wild at times, just like me. There is one particularly stubborn curl that sprouts out in front of my face that I have never been able to control no matter how hard France tries (when he notices it. Again.).
I prefer casual dress, normally in jeans and shirts with my country’s flag/name on them (in an attempt to remind everyone who I am). I don’t mind wearing suits – I’m just not very flashy with them. My military uniform is rather plain. I tend to prefer thick winter jackets in neutral colors, dark pants and few accessories aside from the goggles I wear to guard against blistering snowfall.
Many people confuse me for my southern neighbor/brother. I suppose that there is some resemblance between us -- enough that people occasionally mistake me for America. Perhaps someday they will be able to tell us apart.
Personality: I have a great personality! I consider myself a deep thinker, an incredibly thoughtful young man. I like to keep up to date on world events – my preferred topic is global-warming and the effect it has on arctic wildlife like the polar bear. Not that… anyone ever talks to me about it.
Usually, I tend to be fairly laidback. I try not to get angry very often – there are so many others that do it, I really don’t see how they keep from exhausting themselves. When I do get angry, though, it is due to appropriate reasons. We Canadians are a resourceful, tough ilk of people. I think people often forget that because we are of such mellow dispositions. At least they forget that about me. I find that strange, considering how just as far back as the Great Wars even Germany was afraid of my people and I.
My greatest weakness is my inability to speak frankly. I tend to hold back the things that I should say, so over the years people have begun to take less and less stock in my words. That might explain why I am often overlooked even when surrounded by company. I have sought to get the attention of other nations several times -- though the only times I am ever really successful are when they think that I am America.
I don't mind being ignored most of the time. It tends to keep me out of trouble. Considering how domineering and overbearing my brother can be, I would like to think that my tactics are refreshing. Being ignored by everyone else is only a pain when there are important things that I have to say. If they would just give me the chance, I think they would see that there is much more to me than meets the eye.
Likes:
+ Hockey. It’s my national sport. I enjoy having at least one thing to dominate the world with. It is a sport that I have personally been playing for years. I find that it is the perfect balance of cardio and muscle conditioning. There is hockey memorabilia all over my cabins and even in my official office.
+Maple syrup. I eat it with everything. No, seriously, everything.
+Polar Bears. I have one as a companion. His name is… … Hey, have you ever seen those commercials from Coca-Cola with the polar bears? It brings a tear to my eye every time. There was an occasion where I found out that polar bears were on the verge of becoming extinct and I launched a campaign to try and save them.
+Entertainment. There are several musicians that come from Canada. We have had several iconic television personalities/comedians that were born here. SCTV, anyone? Kids In the Hall? No?
+Survivalism/The Great Outdoors. Much of my nation is still wilderness. I enjoy living in it, exploring the untouched reaches of my frozen land. I have cabins all over the place that I built by hand over the years.
Dislikes:
-America. Does that really require elaboration? Not only does he often get me into trouble because of his policies, but there are also times where he does things to deliberately drag me along for the ride. He disparages the sport of hockey on occasion despite having his own teams and often tells me that his American Football is far superior to 'hitting stuff with sticks'. He's also lazy, arrogant, egotistical, greedy, insensitive, [entry edited for length]
-Global Warming. It’s really running amok for the frozen landscape and wildlife up north. There is a portion of the world's population right now trying to claim that global warming is just a myth made up by environmentalists. I think that the evidence speaks for itself given how capricious the weather systems have been as well as the drops in native arctic wildlife.
-Alaska. I don’t have anything against the state, personally… It’s just annoying that it was once part of me – then Russia claimed it. Years later, he sold it to America. Can you believe the nerve?
-I dislike being mistaken for America. It never ends well. Sometimes it seems like he enjoys allowing me to take the heat for him.
-I dislike it when people forget that I’m even in the room. They should take me more seriously than they do. My thoughts and opinions are just important as anyone else's. In fact, my ideas are often quite brilliant! One day I'll tell them so. One day.
Fears:
~Nuclear War. It has been a fear of mine since the end of WWII. You can imagine the unpleasant position that I fell into during the Cold War. When America and Russia had their bombs pointed at each other, I was always living in fear that I might end up getting pulled into the cross-fire, if only by accident. The Cold War is over now, but that constant fear has left its mark -- I still haven't managed to shake it completely.
~Harsh Winters. A terribly bad winter can not only ruin the morale of the people in my nation, but it also creates a tense situation for my agricultural market. I have never been in a position where it has considerably damaged my economy, but it is always a worry at the back of my mind.
~Russia! … Being that he is my other neighbour, there is always a chance that he might come to visit. I had several of his people going in and out of my country during the Cold War. While I have no problem welcoming anyone who wishes to visit my lands, he usually only visits when he wants something. Normally something bad.
~England or France on a bender. Having grown up being exposed to both nations, I can speak from personal experience when I say that their propensity for drinking and outrageous behaviour afterwards is not only disturbing -- it's dangerous. Not to mention the fact that I have seen more of them in a state of undress than I had ever desired to. There's a reason that I keep a few of my cabins at undisclosed locations.
Strengths:
+ I’m intelligent. I tend to look at all pieces of a puzzle before I take action. It prevents me from getting into circumstances that could quickly get out of control. Some might accuse me of being too inactive or too slow in coming to decisions -- though my record of avoiding conflicts with other nations and the harmony of my international relations speaks for itself.
+ I’m open-minded. My nation is more lax than others. We have a European sensibility to us without the rigid structures of the British. It is probably all that French influence. I have a large border with America that is completely open; anyone that seeks sanctuary within my land is free to do so with very little effort. Our Universal Health Care system has its flaws, though it is mainly a quality model. During the Second Great War, I even opened my country to Europeans trying to escape from Germany's people -- while others closed off their borders, I felt that it was important to provide anyone and everyone with a safe haven to escape to.
+ Being financially responsible, I weather even the most severe economic depressions. In fact, people were surprised during the G8/G20 meetings this year (that I hosted) to find that my economy is actually doing better. I have had other international governments conferring with my officials since then, as some hope to use the model of my economic practices to improve their own situation.
+ I am a skilled outdoorsman. I can survive in any type of winter conditions. This is just something that I have always enjoyed from as far back as my early childhood. There was a time that I lived with the aboriginal people of my nation. I learned several important things from them about how to live off the land, how to survive on it, and more importantly how to properly respect it.
+ I am not temperamental. Even in dire situations, I can keep a cool head. This has been incredibly useful in the past considering how the other nations that I associate with tend to be more impassioned or prone to emotional outbursts. I certainly know that I didn't inherit this from either of my European forebearers. It's something unique to me that I enjoy.
Weaknesses:
- I’m painfully shy. This probably stems from my childhood. When I became property of the European nations, I first learnt French from my time with France. Then when England took over, he was very adamant about me not speaking French anymore and learning English as quickly as possible (hearing people speak the language tends to make him irritated). It was a very disorienting time of having people speaking at me with words that I didn't understand. I developed the habit of just standing there saying nothing at all. The habit stuck.
- I tend not to speak my mind often. It isn't that I don't have much to say, it's just that no one ever provides me the time or the opportunity.
- I am not very memorable in a crowd. I was part of the British Empire for a considerable amount of time -- yet England still forgets my name. I have been a member of the G8/G20 since its inception -- yet everyone forgets to check if I am even in attendance or not (even when I hosted it).
- My desire to be non-confrontational is on the verge of being a disorder. It has become difficult for me to say what needs to be said because of this. If I do stand up for myself -- like, to America -- he tends to find some way to punish me for it. Or frighten me within an inch of my life.
- I have an uncanny ability to turn completely invisible. Russia has sat on me sometimes. I still don't know for certain whether he is doing it on accident or if this is some sort of deliberate slight.
History: At the beginnings of my history, indigenous aboriginal peoples lived on my land, and current research even suggests that there were people living on my territory as far back as nearly 30,000 years ago! They had created their own complex lifestyle, enjoying a time of peace until explorers from Europe sailed over. Originally, they tried to establish a colony in Newfoundland – but it failed miserably. They left for a time, leaving behind the remnants of the colony as well as several diseases that killed off many of the native peoples.
Eventually, Europe started visiting again. This time they set up ports for fishing along the western coast. England took much of the southern half, while France dominated much the rest of the territory, creating the spot where Quebec resides today. In 1763, England had succeeded in beating the crap out of France enough that France signed all of his territories over and I became part of England’s growing empire. Of course, his efforts to remove the influences of France made the people of Quebec incredibly unhappy, so Britain was forced to grant the territory the right to adhere to its French origins. This, in turn, angered America’s people enough that they decided to rebel.
I was split into two halves -- Upper Canada and Lower Canada. This was done to appease the peoples of my nation. Those who felt closer to the English-speaking British, and those who felt closer to the French-speaking French were able to divide up into one of these two halves. Both parts came under attack in 1812 when America decided to fight the British Empire, effectively dragging me into an unnecessary war. America’s people ended up burning down my Parliament in York. What he failed to realize was that my people were actually fairly skilled fighters; with the help of Britain, the Canadian soldiers managed to hold off the American’s advance until the end of the Napoleonic Wars – at which time England came over and smacked America back into his place.
In 1867, my territories were split into four separate provinces: Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. It helped to streamline all of the colonies that were settled throughout the territories. This was the year that I declared my independence from the British Empire and became a nation, rather than just a British colony. Though Britain still maintained control over all of my foreign affairs, since I remained a member of the Commonwealth. That was what forced me to have to participate in World War I. World War II – well, I decided that Germany’s people were being tyrants and declared war on them all by myself.
Lately, there hasn’t been much going on. I mean, there have been some major social changes throughout the years since the Wars, but I haven’t directly involved myself in anything too major. It gives me an edge as a diplomatic party in negotiations, since I haven’t succeeded in making everyone completely unhappy with me (like America). Mostly, these last few decades have just been us trying to find our true Cultural identity. Did I mention that we are also one of the most economically sound countries right now, despite the global economic depression?
Allies: America, England, France. Cuba is a good friend of mine, too.
Enemies: I haven’t had any real enemies since the Wars. Russia frightens me -- does that count?
Sample Post:
-Birds could be heard chirping outside the window when Canada finally rolled over in bed. His mouth split into a wide yawn, a hand clumsily seeking to muffle it as the young man blearily blinked open an eye to squint against the onslaught of light from the spreading dawn beyond his cabin. The digital alarm clock at his bedside had yet to go off – his internal clock had beaten the device by several minutes. Canada snuffled sleepily as he batted at the alarm to turn it off. That electronic buzz always set his teeth on edge so he tried to avoid it when he could.
His fingers searched blindly over the bedside table until they stumbled across the familiar shape of his eyeglasses. He slid them on with one practiced motion with only one hand, the other scratching absently at his chest as he sat up in bed. It had been a late night of reading documents; he was in dire need of coffee if he was going to tackle the day with an alert mind. Canada swung his feet off the edge of the bed, thrusting his feet into the slippers waiting at his bedside. It was cold in the cabin. He was glad that he’d had the foresight to prepare for it the previous evening; otherwise it would have been uncomfortable to walk across the chilled wood floorboards with his bare feet.
Canada staggered into the kitchen on autopilot. He bounced against the appliances and counters on his way to the coffeepot. His motions were mechanical as he went through the mindless routine of preparing himself a cup. It wasn’t long before the aroma of coffee filled the room around him. Canada’s eyes took note of the white bear that was seated at the kitchen table, waiting patiently for breakfast. Oh. Yes. He’d promised pancakes today, hadn’t he? “Good morning, Kuma—bear. Let me get a mug of coffee down in me and I’ll start on breakfast, okay?”
Either the bear ignored him or else it didn’t hear what he’d said. It was hard for Canada to tell sometimes whether the bear was just a naturally indifferent creature or if its lack of interest was reserved solely towards him. Canada opened a top cabinet, pulling down a container of maple syrup. Once he had filled his mug with coffee Canada popped open the top of it with his thumb in one efficient motion. With a soft hum, he promptly poured a quarter of the bottle into the mug, waiting until the coffee seemed more solid than liquid before satisfied.
Canada slurped at the maple-coffee concoction with a pleased sigh. The simplest things were enough to please him. As the caffeine and sugar began to spread through his bloodstream, the young man noticed that his animal companion had brought in the newspaper. He placed his mug down long enough to grab it from its place on the counter, immediately folding it open to the section on international news. “Let’s see what everyone has been up to, shall we?”
He picked his mug back up while scanning the written sections. War in Palestine, some sort of political scandal in Mexico – oh! There was apparently a sale going on at one of his favorite stores! – England was making nice with Indonesia and America had decided to try and implement Universal Health Care.
Canada’s mouthful of coffee came spitting out of his mouth in a fan as the article took him by complete surprise. It splattered all over him, all over the floor, and all over the bear. Kumajiro blinked placidly from underneath a mess of brown coffee and clumps of maple syrup. He focused on the remote figure of his growling master, paws scraping over the wood of the kitchen table as he asked, “When are you going to make breakfast?”-
Did you read the rules?
Ah, that little guy who’s chirping,
I’m going to pet it
Feels so good!
I just can’t stand it!
Name: Matthew Williams is the alias I go by in public.
Gender: Male
Appearance of Age: I suppose about nineteen years in age. Did you know that that’s above the legal drinking limit here? It bothers America immensely.
Hair Color: Some would call it “wheat-coloured”. I prefer to think of it as “maple”.
Eye Color: Violet/Blue
Height: 5’9” – though I honestly feel like I should be taller, you know?
Weight: Not as fat as my neighbor.
Appearance:
I am a tall, slender young man. I maintain a healthy figure by practicing a French diet. Though I consider myself in fine physical condition, I do wish that I was a little more masculine. Hockey is great for building muscles but mine tend to be more compact and less impressive than other people's.
People tell me that I have one of those eternally “boyish” faces, and that thanks to the eyeglasses that I wear I look like a student type. There are times that I look much younger than I really am. I think this could be due to the fact that I matured a little later in life.
My hair is light in color, and I wear it a little thick since it is silky and manageable. Some might say that it's too long. I think the style suits me -- it can get a little wild at times, just like me. There is one particularly stubborn curl that sprouts out in front of my face that I have never been able to control no matter how hard France tries (when he notices it. Again.).
I prefer casual dress, normally in jeans and shirts with my country’s flag/name on them (in an attempt to remind everyone who I am). I don’t mind wearing suits – I’m just not very flashy with them. My military uniform is rather plain. I tend to prefer thick winter jackets in neutral colors, dark pants and few accessories aside from the goggles I wear to guard against blistering snowfall.
Many people confuse me for my southern neighbor/brother. I suppose that there is some resemblance between us -- enough that people occasionally mistake me for America. Perhaps someday they will be able to tell us apart.
Personality: I have a great personality! I consider myself a deep thinker, an incredibly thoughtful young man. I like to keep up to date on world events – my preferred topic is global-warming and the effect it has on arctic wildlife like the polar bear. Not that… anyone ever talks to me about it.
Usually, I tend to be fairly laidback. I try not to get angry very often – there are so many others that do it, I really don’t see how they keep from exhausting themselves. When I do get angry, though, it is due to appropriate reasons. We Canadians are a resourceful, tough ilk of people. I think people often forget that because we are of such mellow dispositions. At least they forget that about me. I find that strange, considering how just as far back as the Great Wars even Germany was afraid of my people and I.
My greatest weakness is my inability to speak frankly. I tend to hold back the things that I should say, so over the years people have begun to take less and less stock in my words. That might explain why I am often overlooked even when surrounded by company. I have sought to get the attention of other nations several times -- though the only times I am ever really successful are when they think that I am America.
I don't mind being ignored most of the time. It tends to keep me out of trouble. Considering how domineering and overbearing my brother can be, I would like to think that my tactics are refreshing. Being ignored by everyone else is only a pain when there are important things that I have to say. If they would just give me the chance, I think they would see that there is much more to me than meets the eye.
Likes:
+ Hockey. It’s my national sport. I enjoy having at least one thing to dominate the world with. It is a sport that I have personally been playing for years. I find that it is the perfect balance of cardio and muscle conditioning. There is hockey memorabilia all over my cabins and even in my official office.
+Maple syrup. I eat it with everything. No, seriously, everything.
+Polar Bears. I have one as a companion. His name is… … Hey, have you ever seen those commercials from Coca-Cola with the polar bears? It brings a tear to my eye every time. There was an occasion where I found out that polar bears were on the verge of becoming extinct and I launched a campaign to try and save them.
+Entertainment. There are several musicians that come from Canada. We have had several iconic television personalities/comedians that were born here. SCTV, anyone? Kids In the Hall? No?
+Survivalism/The Great Outdoors. Much of my nation is still wilderness. I enjoy living in it, exploring the untouched reaches of my frozen land. I have cabins all over the place that I built by hand over the years.
Dislikes:
-America. Does that really require elaboration? Not only does he often get me into trouble because of his policies, but there are also times where he does things to deliberately drag me along for the ride. He disparages the sport of hockey on occasion despite having his own teams and often tells me that his American Football is far superior to 'hitting stuff with sticks'. He's also lazy, arrogant, egotistical, greedy, insensitive, [entry edited for length]
-Global Warming. It’s really running amok for the frozen landscape and wildlife up north. There is a portion of the world's population right now trying to claim that global warming is just a myth made up by environmentalists. I think that the evidence speaks for itself given how capricious the weather systems have been as well as the drops in native arctic wildlife.
-Alaska. I don’t have anything against the state, personally… It’s just annoying that it was once part of me – then Russia claimed it. Years later, he sold it to America. Can you believe the nerve?
-I dislike being mistaken for America. It never ends well. Sometimes it seems like he enjoys allowing me to take the heat for him.
-I dislike it when people forget that I’m even in the room. They should take me more seriously than they do. My thoughts and opinions are just important as anyone else's. In fact, my ideas are often quite brilliant! One day I'll tell them so. One day.
Fears:
~Nuclear War. It has been a fear of mine since the end of WWII. You can imagine the unpleasant position that I fell into during the Cold War. When America and Russia had their bombs pointed at each other, I was always living in fear that I might end up getting pulled into the cross-fire, if only by accident. The Cold War is over now, but that constant fear has left its mark -- I still haven't managed to shake it completely.
~Harsh Winters. A terribly bad winter can not only ruin the morale of the people in my nation, but it also creates a tense situation for my agricultural market. I have never been in a position where it has considerably damaged my economy, but it is always a worry at the back of my mind.
~Russia! … Being that he is my other neighbour, there is always a chance that he might come to visit. I had several of his people going in and out of my country during the Cold War. While I have no problem welcoming anyone who wishes to visit my lands, he usually only visits when he wants something. Normally something bad.
~England or France on a bender. Having grown up being exposed to both nations, I can speak from personal experience when I say that their propensity for drinking and outrageous behaviour afterwards is not only disturbing -- it's dangerous. Not to mention the fact that I have seen more of them in a state of undress than I had ever desired to. There's a reason that I keep a few of my cabins at undisclosed locations.
Strengths:
+ I’m intelligent. I tend to look at all pieces of a puzzle before I take action. It prevents me from getting into circumstances that could quickly get out of control. Some might accuse me of being too inactive or too slow in coming to decisions -- though my record of avoiding conflicts with other nations and the harmony of my international relations speaks for itself.
+ I’m open-minded. My nation is more lax than others. We have a European sensibility to us without the rigid structures of the British. It is probably all that French influence. I have a large border with America that is completely open; anyone that seeks sanctuary within my land is free to do so with very little effort. Our Universal Health Care system has its flaws, though it is mainly a quality model. During the Second Great War, I even opened my country to Europeans trying to escape from Germany's people -- while others closed off their borders, I felt that it was important to provide anyone and everyone with a safe haven to escape to.
+ Being financially responsible, I weather even the most severe economic depressions. In fact, people were surprised during the G8/G20 meetings this year (that I hosted) to find that my economy is actually doing better. I have had other international governments conferring with my officials since then, as some hope to use the model of my economic practices to improve their own situation.
+ I am a skilled outdoorsman. I can survive in any type of winter conditions. This is just something that I have always enjoyed from as far back as my early childhood. There was a time that I lived with the aboriginal people of my nation. I learned several important things from them about how to live off the land, how to survive on it, and more importantly how to properly respect it.
+ I am not temperamental. Even in dire situations, I can keep a cool head. This has been incredibly useful in the past considering how the other nations that I associate with tend to be more impassioned or prone to emotional outbursts. I certainly know that I didn't inherit this from either of my European forebearers. It's something unique to me that I enjoy.
Weaknesses:
- I’m painfully shy. This probably stems from my childhood. When I became property of the European nations, I first learnt French from my time with France. Then when England took over, he was very adamant about me not speaking French anymore and learning English as quickly as possible (hearing people speak the language tends to make him irritated). It was a very disorienting time of having people speaking at me with words that I didn't understand. I developed the habit of just standing there saying nothing at all. The habit stuck.
- I tend not to speak my mind often. It isn't that I don't have much to say, it's just that no one ever provides me the time or the opportunity.
- I am not very memorable in a crowd. I was part of the British Empire for a considerable amount of time -- yet England still forgets my name. I have been a member of the G8/G20 since its inception -- yet everyone forgets to check if I am even in attendance or not (even when I hosted it).
- My desire to be non-confrontational is on the verge of being a disorder. It has become difficult for me to say what needs to be said because of this. If I do stand up for myself -- like, to America -- he tends to find some way to punish me for it. Or frighten me within an inch of my life.
- I have an uncanny ability to turn completely invisible. Russia has sat on me sometimes. I still don't know for certain whether he is doing it on accident or if this is some sort of deliberate slight.
History: At the beginnings of my history, indigenous aboriginal peoples lived on my land, and current research even suggests that there were people living on my territory as far back as nearly 30,000 years ago! They had created their own complex lifestyle, enjoying a time of peace until explorers from Europe sailed over. Originally, they tried to establish a colony in Newfoundland – but it failed miserably. They left for a time, leaving behind the remnants of the colony as well as several diseases that killed off many of the native peoples.
Eventually, Europe started visiting again. This time they set up ports for fishing along the western coast. England took much of the southern half, while France dominated much the rest of the territory, creating the spot where Quebec resides today. In 1763, England had succeeded in beating the crap out of France enough that France signed all of his territories over and I became part of England’s growing empire. Of course, his efforts to remove the influences of France made the people of Quebec incredibly unhappy, so Britain was forced to grant the territory the right to adhere to its French origins. This, in turn, angered America’s people enough that they decided to rebel.
I was split into two halves -- Upper Canada and Lower Canada. This was done to appease the peoples of my nation. Those who felt closer to the English-speaking British, and those who felt closer to the French-speaking French were able to divide up into one of these two halves. Both parts came under attack in 1812 when America decided to fight the British Empire, effectively dragging me into an unnecessary war. America’s people ended up burning down my Parliament in York. What he failed to realize was that my people were actually fairly skilled fighters; with the help of Britain, the Canadian soldiers managed to hold off the American’s advance until the end of the Napoleonic Wars – at which time England came over and smacked America back into his place.
In 1867, my territories were split into four separate provinces: Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. It helped to streamline all of the colonies that were settled throughout the territories. This was the year that I declared my independence from the British Empire and became a nation, rather than just a British colony. Though Britain still maintained control over all of my foreign affairs, since I remained a member of the Commonwealth. That was what forced me to have to participate in World War I. World War II – well, I decided that Germany’s people were being tyrants and declared war on them all by myself.
Lately, there hasn’t been much going on. I mean, there have been some major social changes throughout the years since the Wars, but I haven’t directly involved myself in anything too major. It gives me an edge as a diplomatic party in negotiations, since I haven’t succeeded in making everyone completely unhappy with me (like America). Mostly, these last few decades have just been us trying to find our true Cultural identity. Did I mention that we are also one of the most economically sound countries right now, despite the global economic depression?
Allies: America, England, France. Cuba is a good friend of mine, too.
Enemies: I haven’t had any real enemies since the Wars. Russia frightens me -- does that count?
Sample Post:
-Birds could be heard chirping outside the window when Canada finally rolled over in bed. His mouth split into a wide yawn, a hand clumsily seeking to muffle it as the young man blearily blinked open an eye to squint against the onslaught of light from the spreading dawn beyond his cabin. The digital alarm clock at his bedside had yet to go off – his internal clock had beaten the device by several minutes. Canada snuffled sleepily as he batted at the alarm to turn it off. That electronic buzz always set his teeth on edge so he tried to avoid it when he could.
His fingers searched blindly over the bedside table until they stumbled across the familiar shape of his eyeglasses. He slid them on with one practiced motion with only one hand, the other scratching absently at his chest as he sat up in bed. It had been a late night of reading documents; he was in dire need of coffee if he was going to tackle the day with an alert mind. Canada swung his feet off the edge of the bed, thrusting his feet into the slippers waiting at his bedside. It was cold in the cabin. He was glad that he’d had the foresight to prepare for it the previous evening; otherwise it would have been uncomfortable to walk across the chilled wood floorboards with his bare feet.
Canada staggered into the kitchen on autopilot. He bounced against the appliances and counters on his way to the coffeepot. His motions were mechanical as he went through the mindless routine of preparing himself a cup. It wasn’t long before the aroma of coffee filled the room around him. Canada’s eyes took note of the white bear that was seated at the kitchen table, waiting patiently for breakfast. Oh. Yes. He’d promised pancakes today, hadn’t he? “Good morning, Kuma—bear. Let me get a mug of coffee down in me and I’ll start on breakfast, okay?”
Either the bear ignored him or else it didn’t hear what he’d said. It was hard for Canada to tell sometimes whether the bear was just a naturally indifferent creature or if its lack of interest was reserved solely towards him. Canada opened a top cabinet, pulling down a container of maple syrup. Once he had filled his mug with coffee Canada popped open the top of it with his thumb in one efficient motion. With a soft hum, he promptly poured a quarter of the bottle into the mug, waiting until the coffee seemed more solid than liquid before satisfied.
Canada slurped at the maple-coffee concoction with a pleased sigh. The simplest things were enough to please him. As the caffeine and sugar began to spread through his bloodstream, the young man noticed that his animal companion had brought in the newspaper. He placed his mug down long enough to grab it from its place on the counter, immediately folding it open to the section on international news. “Let’s see what everyone has been up to, shall we?”
He picked his mug back up while scanning the written sections. War in Palestine, some sort of political scandal in Mexico – oh! There was apparently a sale going on at one of his favorite stores! – England was making nice with Indonesia and America had decided to try and implement Universal Health Care.
Canada’s mouthful of coffee came spitting out of his mouth in a fan as the article took him by complete surprise. It splattered all over him, all over the floor, and all over the bear. Kumajiro blinked placidly from underneath a mess of brown coffee and clumps of maple syrup. He focused on the remote figure of his growling master, paws scraping over the wood of the kitchen table as he asked, “When are you going to make breakfast?”-
Did you read the rules?
Ah, that little guy who’s chirping,
I’m going to pet it
Feels so good!
I just can’t stand it!
