Post by Sverige on Nov 29, 2010 21:23:35 GMT -5
Nation: Konungariket Sverige
Name: Berwald Oxenstierna
Gender: Male
Appearance of Age: 21
Hair Color: Blonde
Eye Color: Greenish Blue
Height: 182 cm (6 ft)
Weight: 80 kg (175 lbs?)
Appearance:
"Hej, jag heter Berwald, Berwald Oxenstierna. I'm also Sweden uh'course, but y' can call me by either name if y' like, I don't mind. Uh'th' five Nordic nations, I'm th' tallest, even without m' boots. Like m' Scand'navian brothers I 'ave blonde hair, which I tend t' keep short 'n' man'geable, so it don' have the chance t' get in m' green-blue eyes. Because it's so dark mos' th' time in winter, an' b'cause th' summer sun's not very strong, m' skin's quite fair. Aroun' th' time I los' m' wife t' Ivan, I was horr'bly sick 'n' weak from all th' fighin' an' overwork m' bosses forced on me, but I grew pretty strong 'n' muscular 'gain afterwards (though I don' mean t' brag 'bout it). I don' think I am, bu' 'cause m' eyes look so sharp, an' 'cause I'm so tall an' strong an' "masculine", some people've always 'ssumed I'm a mean 'n' scary guy.
Typic'lly, I wear m' cold-weather milit'ry uniform, which is a long blue overcoat, a matchin' cap wi' black trim, an' black pants, shirt, tie, an' gloves. T' help keep ev'rything t'gether, I wear a black belt 'round m' middle, too. M' boots come up t' my knees, an' I tuck m' pants into 'em; 's warmer that way.
I'm not too into fash'n or bein' "prim an' proper," but I do like t' look presentable, so if I'm goin' to s'mthing formal where I'll look out of place in m' uniform, then I'll wear a simple blue or other dark-colored suit with a white un'ershirt an' black tie. If I'm jus' out bein' casual, though, I'll usu'lly wear various long-sleeve button-front tee-shirts or short-sleev'd Polos, an' dark-colored slacks an' Grams. If it gets cold, I'll put on a win'er overcoat. I always 'ave t' wear m' eyeglasses, uh'course.
Personality:
I don' think I'm th' best authority on m' own personality. Not that I don' think I know m'self, but I think I might be a li'l biased. I'll try m' best, though. T' start, I know some nations think I'm cold or depressed b'cause I act so taciturn. That's not so; I'm so taciturn b'cause I don' see th' point in gettin' overly excited about anything. After all th' highs an' lows in m' history, I've learned that no matter how bad things are t'day, as long as you've th' will an' strength t' keep goin', there'll be another t'morrow, so th' best thing t' do's jus' to' keep goin'. It's a waste uh' time an' energy t' worry.
I think another reason why I'm usu'lly quiet an' withdrawn is b'cause I want to try an' be on good terms with everyone, and s'metimes the best way uh' doin' that is t' just' not do anything. I didn't care what people thought uh' me when I was younger, but as I matured, I learned bein' so selfish wasn't jus' damagin' t' others, but t' me as well. S'metimes, people think I'm a really good lis'ener b'cause I'll sit an' let people talk t' me an' tell m' all about them an' what they think uh' various things; 's true, s'metimes, but other times, I'm jus' lis'ening so I don' seem rude and unint'rested.
I'm told that I'm very modest an' humble. That's b'cause I don' like people who are loud 'n' arrogant, so I try not t' make sure not t' be that way m'self (I'm honest an' truthful for most uh'th' same reasons). I tend t' get embarrassed easily over th' little things, mainly anything that has t' do with how I think or feel 'bout people or things. I do 'ave trouble communicating what I mean, but that's not the reason; t' me, talking 'bout th' details uh' m' day or m' life jus' seems...intimate, an' I don' feel comfortable talkin' 'bout m'self t' jus' anyone, 'specially people I don't know well. I don't blush an' fumble about when I'm embarrassed though, I jus' tend t' clam-up an' get very quiet. 's probably why I c'n joke, 'ave fun an' make merry with m' closest friends, but almos't instantly b'come serious when s'meone else appears.
I'm very serious when it comes t' m'work an' commitments. I don' mean t' brag, but I take pride 'n making sure ev'rything I do's done as best as I can, whether's th' arts, crafts, or manufacturin'. T' me, style comes after quality an' reliability.
Likes:
+ Tino - M'wife.
+ Surströmming & Gravlax - Gravlax's "buried salmon", or salmon tha's cured 'n salt, sugar, an' dill. Surströmming's canned an' fermented Baltic herring with an overwhelmin'ly pungent smell, so's norm'lly eaten outside. Mos' people see th' former as "exotic" an' "weird", an' think the latter's a deadly weapon.
+ Drama and Debate - People think I don' like either. 'S not true. I jus' choose not t' partake.
+ Arthur's Comedy - I really love 'is humor. I often try t' emulate it, but s'metimes, I'm jus' misun'erstood.
+ Death Metal - Gothenburg an' Stockholm are th' unoffic'al death metal capitals uh'th' world.
+ The Outdoors - Skiing, hiking, walking, cycling, hunting, sailing, fishing. I love bein' outdoors, in nature.
Dislikes:
- Laziness - I can' abide people who choose t' be useless.
- Disobedience - Denmark might laugh, but there's a diff'rence b'tween standin' up for yourself, an' jus' plain bein' rebellious.
- Dishonesty - If I bother tellin' you s'mething, then you can know it's th' truth. I really don' like it when people don' exten' th' same courtesy.
- Drama & Debate - Like I said, I don' like bein' a part uh'either...
- Conflict – Maybe 'cause I hate bein' a part uh'drama, I 'aven't fought a war 'n nearly two 'undred years. Ever since Ivan took Tino, I haven't had th' stomach for it.
- Russia – Ev'r since I left Denmark, Ivan 'n' I fought constan'ly. We may be th' same height, bu' we don' see eye-t'-eye.
Fears:
~ Failure - I...don' really fear a lot uh'things, but, up 'ere, failure meant death. I had t' learn early that if I don' work hard b'tween th' snows, then I prob'ly won't live through winter, and even now that I'm gen'rally well-off an' 'ave a well-built home, that same fear uh' failure haunts every big decision I make. It's not jus' that I'm afraid uh' failin' m'self, but of failin' an' getting s'meone else hurt, 'specially Tino.
~ Others' not being able to depend on me - This is prob'ly due to m' feelings about failure; about as much as I hate undependable people, I fear not bein' able t' meet th' expectations others might 'ave of me; 's not jus' that I might face their disappointment (though I'm not a fan uh' that, either), but that my not bein' dependable might get a friend or ally hurt. B'cause uh' this, I tend t' take every precaution t' 'nsure ev'rything I make's safe 'n' reliable. 's also hard for me t' be spontaneous s'metimes, b'cause uh' this.
Strengths:
+ Makes friends easily – Perhaps b'cause I don' talk much an' don' mind havin' diff'rent people visit m' house, I tend t' make friends easily with people who aren't put-off by how "scary" I look. I don' try, it jus' seems t' 'appen.
+ Strong sense of perspective - I've been told I'm good at seein' things from other viewpoints, and graspin' th' "big picture" of a situation.
+ Exploration and Navigation - Was a Viking in m' early days, uh'course. Traveled th' rivers uh'th' slavic lands mos'ly, an' t' the Black an' Caspian Seas. Even tried t' start a colony in th' New World once.
+ Craftsmanship - If I bother t'put my effort t' makin' s'mething, then I make sure's made as best as it can possibly be. I'm also good at makin' complex things. Mos' people know me for th' things I make.
+ Inventive - I often spend m' time makin' new things, or findin' new ways uh'doin' things.
+ Physically Strong - I'm not as strong as maybe Ivan or Ludwig (and def'nately not Alfred), but I'm still th' Lion uh'th' North.
+ Tolerant - I know m' habits s'metimes seem strange t' others, and others' seem strange t' me. There's no use gettin' in a tussle over our diff'rences. I Jus' accept th' fact we grew diff'rently an' 'ave diff'rent tastes, an' leave it at that.
Weaknesses:
- Communication - I'm not comfortable expressin' what's on m' mind with words an' th' like; I prefer to express m'self through music an' art. It doesn't help that, when I do talk, I'm of'en misun'erstood, so I generally jus' keep quiet, an' to m'self.
- Trust - 's hard to admit, but I 'ave trouble trustin' others, even m' friends. 'S not that I don' like 'em, but...maybe's b'cause I was always fightin' with m' brothers an' neighbors, but I jus' 'ave a hard time gettin' that close to s'meone other'an Tino.
- Horrible Winters – Attacks ev'ry year, an' more harsly so in m' northern regions. 'nlike Tino an' Ivan, General Winter's never helped me 'n any wars, an' back when I was still agrarian, 'e could be very hard.
- Alcohol – Do all us Nordics 'ave this probl'm? I can hold m' alcohol, an' I don' usu'lly have a probl'm limitin' m'self. When I do accident'lly go overbo'rd, though, I can get a li'l rash an' loud.
History:
Like th' rest uh'my brothers, m' history begins with th' end uh'th' last Ice Age, when th' glaciers an' ice caps were retreatin' north, uncovering me an' exposin' m' southern extremities. Germania found me then, an' people moved north into m' area. There wasn't a lot goin' on here yet; I was very poor, an' didn't know about the mining potential uh'my home yet. The land was good an' rich b'cause of all th' glacial deposits, though, so farmin' was very good b'tween the winters. I tried to try m' hand at trade, but b'cause I didn't 'ave much in th' way uh' goods (mos'ly salts, furs, and grains), 't was hard for me t' get what I needed.
I grew res'less, watchin' m' brothers an' neighbors grow bigger an' richer as I was forced t' eek-out a meager existence. About this time, I was big enough t' venture out with m' brothers in the Viking voyages. Where th' others went west, though, I adventured east, visitin' Finland first, uh'course, Poland, the Baltics, Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, an' even so far south as Turkey. Like m' brothers, I'm most well-known for m' raids, but I actually spent a lot uh'm' time explorin', establishin' trade routes an' relations. All those trade routes I opened for m'self served me well when I finally learned mining. I somewhat well-off an' could afford to build m' own comfortable an' stable home, but for all m' travelin' I was still somewhat naive an' didn't know much of anythin' about th' world; I think someone called me a "backwater" at one point but I don' r'member exactly who, it's been so long.
I remember Tino joined m' house s'metime in th' mid-13th century; I was strong an' growing stronger, an he was worried 'bout a growin' Russia. Then th' Black Death hit m' hard, though. Very hard. Things were so bad an' I was so sick that Norway came to live in m' house t' help take care uh' me an Finland for a bit.
I remember Denmark an' I argued a lot b'cause his boss made him do a lot uh' stupid things - can y' b'lieve, his boss somehow lost all his money an' had to sell Denmark's house? - an' he wouldn't give back m' Skåne. We didn' like each other much; at one point, a little time after th' plague left, when m' boss married Denmark's boss, I disowned m'boss and kicked him out uh' m' house. M' new boss was horrible though, so, with Norway an' Finland at m' side, we agreed t' live in Denmark's house as th' Kalmar Union.
We tried t' live t'gether for about 150 years, but it didn't work. I resented th' fact Denmark always favored Norway, an' couldn't take any more uh' his erratic an' crazy bosses. One night, we finally had it with each other. Denmark 'n' I were arguin' again, when things got heated: we fought an' he tried t' harm me in m' vital regions, an' so I, enraged, stormed out uh' his house. Tino came with me, an' we formed our own kingdom t'gether.
This was th' start uh' th' Swedish Empire, when I b'came known as th' Lion uh'th' North. At th' time, I still wasn't known as a power in Europe an' Tino was feelin' a little lonely in our house, so t'gether we fought Poland-Lithuania; for a long time, we had "joint-custody", 'ntil both Estonia an' Livonia (Latvia) came t' our house. We fought with Denmark-Norway an' Russia, too, winning, growin' stronger an' buildin' our house. Th' height of our power came during th' Thirty Years War; we entered late and joined France, Netherlands an' th' Protestant Union (who were losing at th' time). Tino 'n' I fought hard, turnin' th' tide uh'th' war and dominating th' battlefield 'ntil th' end uh'th' war. We retired to our home, an' aside from a few fights like our Deluge into Poland-Lithuania, we kept mostly quiet an' t' ourselves.
Then, as Tino 'n' I were still sore, weak, an' recoverin' from a recent sickness, Russia, Poland-Lithuania an' Denmark-Norway, all envious an' threatened by our strength, took advantage uh'our situation an' attacked in what's known as th' Great Northern War. We were wining early; we crushed Denmark, drove away Russia an' defeated Poland, bu' we were tired from our earlier sickness an' all the fightin', an' had t' take break. B'cause of that, Ivan had time t' recover an' learn from his defeat. When we tried t' attack, he was prepared, an' we were finally beaten; he took Estonia an' Latvia, an' left our home in shambles.
M' bosses forced me t' fight Ivan several times after that. Every time, I lost, an' every time, he grew stronger. Eventually, he attacked back an' stole Tino away; aside from a short quarrel wi' Norway shortly b'fore he 'n' I formed our union, that was th' last war I ever fought.
I remain'd largely agrarian an' spent mos' m' time farming, while th' rest uh'Europe industrialized, an' it was almos' th' 20th century b'fore I decided t' modernize, too. Aroun' this time, Norway an' I grew tired u' each other's company; we dissolved our union, an' went our separate ways. I remained neutral 'n both World Wars, but I did all I could t' help Tino in the Winter an' Continuation Wars by sendin' 'im supplies an' volunteers for fighting. Offic'ally, I remained neutral durin' th' Cold War too, but unoffic'ally I made many deals with Alfred for protection. I didn't an' still don' trust Russia.
Recently, m' once strong an' fast-growing economy's stagnated; for th' last three decades I've had a continuous head-cold, an' s'metimes m' back's been givin' m' probl'ms (I must be gettin' old). I still refuse t' join NATO an' th' Eurozone, though I did let Tino convince me t' join the EU with 'im in 1995.
Allies:
+ Finland
+ Denmark
+ Norway
+ Iceland
+ Sealand
+ America (I was offic'ally non-aligned, but I asked him for a lot uh' favors)
+ EU nations
Enemies:
- Russia
- Poland ((Historically. Poland's boss tried to claim the crown of Sweden))
- Denmark ((Historically. Fought very often, especially after Sweden left the Union))
Sample Post:
"I want you to make one of those online website profiles for yourself, so the rest of the world can get to know you." When his boss first told him what he wanted him to do, Berwald thought the notion was ridiculous. Granted, he didn't say such; he simply nodded his understanding and left to do as his boss's bidding. However, the more he had thought about it that day, the more his boss's reasons for doing so made sense. After all, even he didn't like how the rest of the world seemed to think of him as either a scary or cold-hearted, depressed nation. Maybe letting the world know a little more about him would be a good thing?
Berwald released a deep sigh as he made the last keystroke. He leaned back and stared blankly at the slowly blinking cursor on his screen for a time, then saved it, closed his laptop, took off his glasses. He slumped in his desk chair, letting it lean backwards with his weight as he let his eyes close. They needed the rest; when he woke up that morning, he only expected to take a few hours out of his day to finish the profile, but those hours dragged on until he eventually finished, well past the twilight hours of the evening. He really didn't mean to take as long as he did, but every time he thought himself finished with it, he would think of another tidbit to add, and another, and another, until it seemed he was writing an autobiography, and not a quick profile.
The grandfather clock in the corner of the den chimed the hour: eight in the evening. While the last of the deep, dull chimes of the grandfather's bell faded into the walls of the room, Berwald slipped his glasses onto his face and pulled himself off the chair. He wanted to go to be early tonight, and was going to turn out the den's lamp and head to his bedroom when, by his feet, he caught a caught a glimpse of an empty doggy bed by his feet.
One of Hanatamago's beds.
He stared down at it with his icy green-blues, trying to place the feeling he just now had. He was...forgetting something important? Okay then, but why did the dog-bed remind him of it? Did it have something to do with dogs? Hanatamago? Finlan-
Ah, he understood. Today was the fifth, which meant tomorrow was a special day. He normally didn't miss the chance to be with Tino on his birthday, and Berwald didn't feel like breaking the tradition. He knew Tino would be a disappointed of he didn't show, and the Swede couldn't bear to be the cause of that disappointment. However, since he almost forgot the birthday, he also forgot to make a gift.
"I guess I'll be staying up to make one, then," were Berwald's thoughts as he shrugged and left the room. He went to the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee, then proceeded to gather some materials and tools from his work chest. Cup of coffee now in hand, he took the materials back to the den, sat down, and set about his task.
***
Berwald awoke the next day to the tolls of his grandfather clock ringing-out the noontime hour, amid a mess of scattered wool swabs and scraps of felt cloth. His neck was killing him from the unorthodox position of sleeping at his workbench, but a quick jerk and a grunt as he popped his neck had it feeling better. He slowly sat up and blinked his eyes open, adjusting his glasses as he did so. He was disappointed in himself for sleeping-in so late - it felt like such a waste of a day - but the feeling subsided as he surveyed his handiwork. The little work of art wouldn't win any awards for technical complexity or anything, but he was at least happy with the quality of the work.
"Besides," he thought as he cleaned both himself and the overnight mess he made, "when it comes to these things, it's the thought that counts." He was certain he put a lot of thought into making it, so maybe it was okay.
He and Finland didn't live very far from each other, but, though the walk didn't take too long, by the time he reached the door Berwald's cheeks and nose were already beginning to turn red from the harsh Baltic winter winds, and frost was forming on his coat from where it caught his breath. He didn't mind so much. He was somewhat used to it after centuries of the same, and, bundled as he was in his warm winterwear, was actually quite comfortable. So, with present in hand, he reach out a gloved hand, rapped upon the door, and waited for his Finland to open it so he could wish him a happy birthday.
There he waited, and waited.
Several minutes went by. Everything was silent, calm, save the occasional strong gust of Baltic wind. He was still unused to Tino being an independent nation with his own busy schedule, and breathed out a heavy sigh as he remembered an important detail: his neighbor was away at a Eurozone conference, and then he had a meeting with Estonia. He wouldn't be back for another day or two.
Berwald gazed down at his handmade present, trying to decide what he should do with it. Finally settling upon an option, he took a piece of string from his pocket, and used it to tie the little felt doll of himself to the door handle, and adjusted it so it looked like he was sitting comfortably. He paused slightly, then took a small "Grattis på födelsedagen" note and placed it with the doll, making sure to fasten it in a manner so it wouldn't get blown away.
He nodded, satisfied. Sticking his hands in the pockets of his coat, he turned, and began to trudge home through the ice, the snow, and the winds. So he couldn't be with the Finn on his special day. Well then, he could, at least, be there to greet him when he returned home.
Did you read the rules?
Gilbert might score all the chicks with his inherent awesomeness, but he can't flip a pancake nearly half as well as a Swede.
Name: Berwald Oxenstierna
Gender: Male
Appearance of Age: 21
Hair Color: Blonde
Eye Color: Greenish Blue
Height: 182 cm (6 ft)
Weight: 80 kg (175 lbs?)
Appearance:
"Hej, jag heter Berwald, Berwald Oxenstierna. I'm also Sweden uh'course, but y' can call me by either name if y' like, I don't mind. Uh'th' five Nordic nations, I'm th' tallest, even without m' boots. Like m' Scand'navian brothers I 'ave blonde hair, which I tend t' keep short 'n' man'geable, so it don' have the chance t' get in m' green-blue eyes. Because it's so dark mos' th' time in winter, an' b'cause th' summer sun's not very strong, m' skin's quite fair. Aroun' th' time I los' m' wife t' Ivan, I was horr'bly sick 'n' weak from all th' fighin' an' overwork m' bosses forced on me, but I grew pretty strong 'n' muscular 'gain afterwards (though I don' mean t' brag 'bout it). I don' think I am, bu' 'cause m' eyes look so sharp, an' 'cause I'm so tall an' strong an' "masculine", some people've always 'ssumed I'm a mean 'n' scary guy.
Typic'lly, I wear m' cold-weather milit'ry uniform, which is a long blue overcoat, a matchin' cap wi' black trim, an' black pants, shirt, tie, an' gloves. T' help keep ev'rything t'gether, I wear a black belt 'round m' middle, too. M' boots come up t' my knees, an' I tuck m' pants into 'em; 's warmer that way.
I'm not too into fash'n or bein' "prim an' proper," but I do like t' look presentable, so if I'm goin' to s'mthing formal where I'll look out of place in m' uniform, then I'll wear a simple blue or other dark-colored suit with a white un'ershirt an' black tie. If I'm jus' out bein' casual, though, I'll usu'lly wear various long-sleeve button-front tee-shirts or short-sleev'd Polos, an' dark-colored slacks an' Grams. If it gets cold, I'll put on a win'er overcoat. I always 'ave t' wear m' eyeglasses, uh'course.
Personality:
I don' think I'm th' best authority on m' own personality. Not that I don' think I know m'self, but I think I might be a li'l biased. I'll try m' best, though. T' start, I know some nations think I'm cold or depressed b'cause I act so taciturn. That's not so; I'm so taciturn b'cause I don' see th' point in gettin' overly excited about anything. After all th' highs an' lows in m' history, I've learned that no matter how bad things are t'day, as long as you've th' will an' strength t' keep goin', there'll be another t'morrow, so th' best thing t' do's jus' to' keep goin'. It's a waste uh' time an' energy t' worry.
I think another reason why I'm usu'lly quiet an' withdrawn is b'cause I want to try an' be on good terms with everyone, and s'metimes the best way uh' doin' that is t' just' not do anything. I didn't care what people thought uh' me when I was younger, but as I matured, I learned bein' so selfish wasn't jus' damagin' t' others, but t' me as well. S'metimes, people think I'm a really good lis'ener b'cause I'll sit an' let people talk t' me an' tell m' all about them an' what they think uh' various things; 's true, s'metimes, but other times, I'm jus' lis'ening so I don' seem rude and unint'rested.
I'm told that I'm very modest an' humble. That's b'cause I don' like people who are loud 'n' arrogant, so I try not t' make sure not t' be that way m'self (I'm honest an' truthful for most uh'th' same reasons). I tend t' get embarrassed easily over th' little things, mainly anything that has t' do with how I think or feel 'bout people or things. I do 'ave trouble communicating what I mean, but that's not the reason; t' me, talking 'bout th' details uh' m' day or m' life jus' seems...intimate, an' I don' feel comfortable talkin' 'bout m'self t' jus' anyone, 'specially people I don't know well. I don't blush an' fumble about when I'm embarrassed though, I jus' tend t' clam-up an' get very quiet. 's probably why I c'n joke, 'ave fun an' make merry with m' closest friends, but almos't instantly b'come serious when s'meone else appears.
I'm very serious when it comes t' m'work an' commitments. I don' mean t' brag, but I take pride 'n making sure ev'rything I do's done as best as I can, whether's th' arts, crafts, or manufacturin'. T' me, style comes after quality an' reliability.
Likes:
+ Tino - M'wife.
+ Surströmming & Gravlax - Gravlax's "buried salmon", or salmon tha's cured 'n salt, sugar, an' dill. Surströmming's canned an' fermented Baltic herring with an overwhelmin'ly pungent smell, so's norm'lly eaten outside. Mos' people see th' former as "exotic" an' "weird", an' think the latter's a deadly weapon.
+ Drama and Debate - People think I don' like either. 'S not true. I jus' choose not t' partake.
+ Arthur's Comedy - I really love 'is humor. I often try t' emulate it, but s'metimes, I'm jus' misun'erstood.
+ Death Metal - Gothenburg an' Stockholm are th' unoffic'al death metal capitals uh'th' world.
+ The Outdoors - Skiing, hiking, walking, cycling, hunting, sailing, fishing. I love bein' outdoors, in nature.
Dislikes:
- Laziness - I can' abide people who choose t' be useless.
- Disobedience - Denmark might laugh, but there's a diff'rence b'tween standin' up for yourself, an' jus' plain bein' rebellious.
- Dishonesty - If I bother tellin' you s'mething, then you can know it's th' truth. I really don' like it when people don' exten' th' same courtesy.
- Drama & Debate - Like I said, I don' like bein' a part uh'either...
- Conflict – Maybe 'cause I hate bein' a part uh'drama, I 'aven't fought a war 'n nearly two 'undred years. Ever since Ivan took Tino, I haven't had th' stomach for it.
- Russia – Ev'r since I left Denmark, Ivan 'n' I fought constan'ly. We may be th' same height, bu' we don' see eye-t'-eye.
Fears:
~ Failure - I...don' really fear a lot uh'things, but, up 'ere, failure meant death. I had t' learn early that if I don' work hard b'tween th' snows, then I prob'ly won't live through winter, and even now that I'm gen'rally well-off an' 'ave a well-built home, that same fear uh' failure haunts every big decision I make. It's not jus' that I'm afraid uh' failin' m'self, but of failin' an' getting s'meone else hurt, 'specially Tino.
~ Others' not being able to depend on me - This is prob'ly due to m' feelings about failure; about as much as I hate undependable people, I fear not bein' able t' meet th' expectations others might 'ave of me; 's not jus' that I might face their disappointment (though I'm not a fan uh' that, either), but that my not bein' dependable might get a friend or ally hurt. B'cause uh' this, I tend t' take every precaution t' 'nsure ev'rything I make's safe 'n' reliable. 's also hard for me t' be spontaneous s'metimes, b'cause uh' this.
Strengths:
+ Makes friends easily – Perhaps b'cause I don' talk much an' don' mind havin' diff'rent people visit m' house, I tend t' make friends easily with people who aren't put-off by how "scary" I look. I don' try, it jus' seems t' 'appen.
+ Strong sense of perspective - I've been told I'm good at seein' things from other viewpoints, and graspin' th' "big picture" of a situation.
+ Exploration and Navigation - Was a Viking in m' early days, uh'course. Traveled th' rivers uh'th' slavic lands mos'ly, an' t' the Black an' Caspian Seas. Even tried t' start a colony in th' New World once.
+ Craftsmanship - If I bother t'put my effort t' makin' s'mething, then I make sure's made as best as it can possibly be. I'm also good at makin' complex things. Mos' people know me for th' things I make.
+ Inventive - I often spend m' time makin' new things, or findin' new ways uh'doin' things.
+ Physically Strong - I'm not as strong as maybe Ivan or Ludwig (and def'nately not Alfred), but I'm still th' Lion uh'th' North.
+ Tolerant - I know m' habits s'metimes seem strange t' others, and others' seem strange t' me. There's no use gettin' in a tussle over our diff'rences. I Jus' accept th' fact we grew diff'rently an' 'ave diff'rent tastes, an' leave it at that.
Weaknesses:
- Communication - I'm not comfortable expressin' what's on m' mind with words an' th' like; I prefer to express m'self through music an' art. It doesn't help that, when I do talk, I'm of'en misun'erstood, so I generally jus' keep quiet, an' to m'self.
- Trust - 's hard to admit, but I 'ave trouble trustin' others, even m' friends. 'S not that I don' like 'em, but...maybe's b'cause I was always fightin' with m' brothers an' neighbors, but I jus' 'ave a hard time gettin' that close to s'meone other'an Tino.
- Horrible Winters – Attacks ev'ry year, an' more harsly so in m' northern regions. 'nlike Tino an' Ivan, General Winter's never helped me 'n any wars, an' back when I was still agrarian, 'e could be very hard.
- Alcohol – Do all us Nordics 'ave this probl'm? I can hold m' alcohol, an' I don' usu'lly have a probl'm limitin' m'self. When I do accident'lly go overbo'rd, though, I can get a li'l rash an' loud.
History:
Like th' rest uh'my brothers, m' history begins with th' end uh'th' last Ice Age, when th' glaciers an' ice caps were retreatin' north, uncovering me an' exposin' m' southern extremities. Germania found me then, an' people moved north into m' area. There wasn't a lot goin' on here yet; I was very poor, an' didn't know about the mining potential uh'my home yet. The land was good an' rich b'cause of all th' glacial deposits, though, so farmin' was very good b'tween the winters. I tried to try m' hand at trade, but b'cause I didn't 'ave much in th' way uh' goods (mos'ly salts, furs, and grains), 't was hard for me t' get what I needed.
I grew res'less, watchin' m' brothers an' neighbors grow bigger an' richer as I was forced t' eek-out a meager existence. About this time, I was big enough t' venture out with m' brothers in the Viking voyages. Where th' others went west, though, I adventured east, visitin' Finland first, uh'course, Poland, the Baltics, Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, an' even so far south as Turkey. Like m' brothers, I'm most well-known for m' raids, but I actually spent a lot uh'm' time explorin', establishin' trade routes an' relations. All those trade routes I opened for m'self served me well when I finally learned mining. I somewhat well-off an' could afford to build m' own comfortable an' stable home, but for all m' travelin' I was still somewhat naive an' didn't know much of anythin' about th' world; I think someone called me a "backwater" at one point but I don' r'member exactly who, it's been so long.
I remember Tino joined m' house s'metime in th' mid-13th century; I was strong an' growing stronger, an he was worried 'bout a growin' Russia. Then th' Black Death hit m' hard, though. Very hard. Things were so bad an' I was so sick that Norway came to live in m' house t' help take care uh' me an Finland for a bit.
I remember Denmark an' I argued a lot b'cause his boss made him do a lot uh' stupid things - can y' b'lieve, his boss somehow lost all his money an' had to sell Denmark's house? - an' he wouldn't give back m' Skåne. We didn' like each other much; at one point, a little time after th' plague left, when m' boss married Denmark's boss, I disowned m'boss and kicked him out uh' m' house. M' new boss was horrible though, so, with Norway an' Finland at m' side, we agreed t' live in Denmark's house as th' Kalmar Union.
We tried t' live t'gether for about 150 years, but it didn't work. I resented th' fact Denmark always favored Norway, an' couldn't take any more uh' his erratic an' crazy bosses. One night, we finally had it with each other. Denmark 'n' I were arguin' again, when things got heated: we fought an' he tried t' harm me in m' vital regions, an' so I, enraged, stormed out uh' his house. Tino came with me, an' we formed our own kingdom t'gether.
This was th' start uh' th' Swedish Empire, when I b'came known as th' Lion uh'th' North. At th' time, I still wasn't known as a power in Europe an' Tino was feelin' a little lonely in our house, so t'gether we fought Poland-Lithuania; for a long time, we had "joint-custody", 'ntil both Estonia an' Livonia (Latvia) came t' our house. We fought with Denmark-Norway an' Russia, too, winning, growin' stronger an' buildin' our house. Th' height of our power came during th' Thirty Years War; we entered late and joined France, Netherlands an' th' Protestant Union (who were losing at th' time). Tino 'n' I fought hard, turnin' th' tide uh'th' war and dominating th' battlefield 'ntil th' end uh'th' war. We retired to our home, an' aside from a few fights like our Deluge into Poland-Lithuania, we kept mostly quiet an' t' ourselves.
Then, as Tino 'n' I were still sore, weak, an' recoverin' from a recent sickness, Russia, Poland-Lithuania an' Denmark-Norway, all envious an' threatened by our strength, took advantage uh'our situation an' attacked in what's known as th' Great Northern War. We were wining early; we crushed Denmark, drove away Russia an' defeated Poland, bu' we were tired from our earlier sickness an' all the fightin', an' had t' take break. B'cause of that, Ivan had time t' recover an' learn from his defeat. When we tried t' attack, he was prepared, an' we were finally beaten; he took Estonia an' Latvia, an' left our home in shambles.
M' bosses forced me t' fight Ivan several times after that. Every time, I lost, an' every time, he grew stronger. Eventually, he attacked back an' stole Tino away; aside from a short quarrel wi' Norway shortly b'fore he 'n' I formed our union, that was th' last war I ever fought.
I remain'd largely agrarian an' spent mos' m' time farming, while th' rest uh'Europe industrialized, an' it was almos' th' 20th century b'fore I decided t' modernize, too. Aroun' this time, Norway an' I grew tired u' each other's company; we dissolved our union, an' went our separate ways. I remained neutral 'n both World Wars, but I did all I could t' help Tino in the Winter an' Continuation Wars by sendin' 'im supplies an' volunteers for fighting. Offic'ally, I remained neutral durin' th' Cold War too, but unoffic'ally I made many deals with Alfred for protection. I didn't an' still don' trust Russia.
Recently, m' once strong an' fast-growing economy's stagnated; for th' last three decades I've had a continuous head-cold, an' s'metimes m' back's been givin' m' probl'ms (I must be gettin' old). I still refuse t' join NATO an' th' Eurozone, though I did let Tino convince me t' join the EU with 'im in 1995.
Allies:
+ Finland
+ Denmark
+ Norway
+ Iceland
+ Sealand
+ America (I was offic'ally non-aligned, but I asked him for a lot uh' favors)
+ EU nations
Enemies:
- Russia
- Poland ((Historically. Poland's boss tried to claim the crown of Sweden))
- Denmark ((Historically. Fought very often, especially after Sweden left the Union))
Sample Post:
"I want you to make one of those online website profiles for yourself, so the rest of the world can get to know you." When his boss first told him what he wanted him to do, Berwald thought the notion was ridiculous. Granted, he didn't say such; he simply nodded his understanding and left to do as his boss's bidding. However, the more he had thought about it that day, the more his boss's reasons for doing so made sense. After all, even he didn't like how the rest of the world seemed to think of him as either a scary or cold-hearted, depressed nation. Maybe letting the world know a little more about him would be a good thing?
Berwald released a deep sigh as he made the last keystroke. He leaned back and stared blankly at the slowly blinking cursor on his screen for a time, then saved it, closed his laptop, took off his glasses. He slumped in his desk chair, letting it lean backwards with his weight as he let his eyes close. They needed the rest; when he woke up that morning, he only expected to take a few hours out of his day to finish the profile, but those hours dragged on until he eventually finished, well past the twilight hours of the evening. He really didn't mean to take as long as he did, but every time he thought himself finished with it, he would think of another tidbit to add, and another, and another, until it seemed he was writing an autobiography, and not a quick profile.
The grandfather clock in the corner of the den chimed the hour: eight in the evening. While the last of the deep, dull chimes of the grandfather's bell faded into the walls of the room, Berwald slipped his glasses onto his face and pulled himself off the chair. He wanted to go to be early tonight, and was going to turn out the den's lamp and head to his bedroom when, by his feet, he caught a caught a glimpse of an empty doggy bed by his feet.
One of Hanatamago's beds.
He stared down at it with his icy green-blues, trying to place the feeling he just now had. He was...forgetting something important? Okay then, but why did the dog-bed remind him of it? Did it have something to do with dogs? Hanatamago? Finlan-
Ah, he understood. Today was the fifth, which meant tomorrow was a special day. He normally didn't miss the chance to be with Tino on his birthday, and Berwald didn't feel like breaking the tradition. He knew Tino would be a disappointed of he didn't show, and the Swede couldn't bear to be the cause of that disappointment. However, since he almost forgot the birthday, he also forgot to make a gift.
"I guess I'll be staying up to make one, then," were Berwald's thoughts as he shrugged and left the room. He went to the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee, then proceeded to gather some materials and tools from his work chest. Cup of coffee now in hand, he took the materials back to the den, sat down, and set about his task.
***
Berwald awoke the next day to the tolls of his grandfather clock ringing-out the noontime hour, amid a mess of scattered wool swabs and scraps of felt cloth. His neck was killing him from the unorthodox position of sleeping at his workbench, but a quick jerk and a grunt as he popped his neck had it feeling better. He slowly sat up and blinked his eyes open, adjusting his glasses as he did so. He was disappointed in himself for sleeping-in so late - it felt like such a waste of a day - but the feeling subsided as he surveyed his handiwork. The little work of art wouldn't win any awards for technical complexity or anything, but he was at least happy with the quality of the work.
"Besides," he thought as he cleaned both himself and the overnight mess he made, "when it comes to these things, it's the thought that counts." He was certain he put a lot of thought into making it, so maybe it was okay.
He and Finland didn't live very far from each other, but, though the walk didn't take too long, by the time he reached the door Berwald's cheeks and nose were already beginning to turn red from the harsh Baltic winter winds, and frost was forming on his coat from where it caught his breath. He didn't mind so much. He was somewhat used to it after centuries of the same, and, bundled as he was in his warm winterwear, was actually quite comfortable. So, with present in hand, he reach out a gloved hand, rapped upon the door, and waited for his Finland to open it so he could wish him a happy birthday.
There he waited, and waited.
Several minutes went by. Everything was silent, calm, save the occasional strong gust of Baltic wind. He was still unused to Tino being an independent nation with his own busy schedule, and breathed out a heavy sigh as he remembered an important detail: his neighbor was away at a Eurozone conference, and then he had a meeting with Estonia. He wouldn't be back for another day or two.
Berwald gazed down at his handmade present, trying to decide what he should do with it. Finally settling upon an option, he took a piece of string from his pocket, and used it to tie the little felt doll of himself to the door handle, and adjusted it so it looked like he was sitting comfortably. He paused slightly, then took a small "Grattis på födelsedagen" note and placed it with the doll, making sure to fasten it in a manner so it wouldn't get blown away.
He nodded, satisfied. Sticking his hands in the pockets of his coat, he turned, and began to trudge home through the ice, the snow, and the winds. So he couldn't be with the Finn on his special day. Well then, he could, at least, be there to greet him when he returned home.
Did you read the rules?
Gilbert might score all the chicks with his inherent awesomeness, but he can't flip a pancake nearly half as well as a Swede.
-------------------------Notes!---------------------------
The personality's a little thinner than what I'm used to, because I tried to not include things that were already listed in Strengths/Weaknesses/etc. I hate repeating myself.
About that "m' back's sometimes been givin' me problems" bit, I'm making a reference to the various recessions and stagnated economies that have plagued Sweden for roughly the past thirty years. I know normally such things are shown as colds and the like, but fretting over a cold is so not Nordic-like. Given that modern Sweden's backbone (or the foundation upon which modern Sweden's society and economy rests) is his social-democratic system, which has been cited as both the reason for his great success in the modern era and his inability to recover from the slumps as quickly as, say, Finland, I figured it was only fitting that his back would give him a little trouble.
Yay, socio-economic lesson over! I love being nerdy. ^_^
For his weight, I chose the average weight for a Swedish male. I no longer have the link to it, though.
Suomi and I agreed that Finland most likely has his own house, because he technically is his own nation, but that he still spends most of his time at Su-san's.
Also, "Gram" is a Swedish shoe brand. I put them in the description because I like them. xD
The personality's a little thinner than what I'm used to, because I tried to not include things that were already listed in Strengths/Weaknesses/etc. I hate repeating myself.
About that "m' back's sometimes been givin' me problems" bit, I'm making a reference to the various recessions and stagnated economies that have plagued Sweden for roughly the past thirty years. I know normally such things are shown as colds and the like, but fretting over a cold is so not Nordic-like. Given that modern Sweden's backbone (or the foundation upon which modern Sweden's society and economy rests) is his social-democratic system, which has been cited as both the reason for his great success in the modern era and his inability to recover from the slumps as quickly as, say, Finland, I figured it was only fitting that his back would give him a little trouble.
Yay, socio-economic lesson over! I love being nerdy. ^_^
For his weight, I chose the average weight for a Swedish male. I no longer have the link to it, though.
Suomi and I agreed that Finland most likely has his own house, because he technically is his own nation, but that he still spends most of his time at Su-san's.
Also, "Gram" is a Swedish shoe brand. I put them in the description because I like them. xD
