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Player Information
Name: Twiggy
Timezone: CST
Personal Journal: bosom
Players Contact/AIM/MSN/YAHOO: aim: the love of lives | msn: lithuania@live.jp
Email Address: fishsexual@gmail.com
Former/Other Characters in the RP: N/A
How did you hear about us?: Friends of mine talked about you on plurk before and I decided to check it out \o
Character Information
Name: Toris Laurinaitis
Canon Origin/Series: Axis Powers Hetalia
School Year: 6th
Gender: Male (both in sex and gender)
Age: 16
Out of school living location: He's since taken up with his uncle on his father's side in Brighton, England, though they move quite frequently. He was born in Siauliai, Lithuania.
Blood status: Muggleborn
Personality:
Most people who first meet Toris see a shy, polite guy whom they can just sense they'll get along with. He's a nice guy and really easy to mesh with, and though he's a bit on the introverted side, he's quite popular in his own right with numerous people who enjoy him. Do him wrong? He'll be hurt, of course, but your transgressions will be forgiven in his own way, though it may take a while. That’s not to say he forgives AND forgets, however, as he carries memories with him. He might not always say he forgives someone, but the relationship of whoever has troubled him will resume to normal quite quickly. He tends to look for the best in people and Toris' blind to a lot of faults, whether by density or just selective realization, or both. He's not necessarily trusting, however. Toris' been done wrong a few too many times to let his guard down so easily and he chooses who he's comfortable with. Before you get to know him he's not quite genuine, but cordial, but when Toris is with those he’s close to, there is an obvious air of familiarity around him and he’s more relaxed.
Concerning his emotions, Toris might be easy to read, but he keeps most of his emotions on the inside. He'll continuously fret and fluster about something, enough to cause him great stress and probably an ulcer or two; he doesn't want pity or anyone to dote on him in times of need. More than anything, he wants to be independent: he's stubborn and no one needs to worry about him. He's got it all under control.
A bundle of nerves, Toris is always thinking about something. He's nervous in general and is like a mom and housewife rolled into one, always concerned about the general state of those close to him, enough to take a lot of loads onto his own shoulders. Especially when you make friends with him, he's eternally grateful and you're pretty much friends for life. Toris likes to take care of those he cherishes too, unafraid of taking on more than his share of the work, though it's something he doesn't necessarily choose for himself sometimes, and he might complain about it a little along the way. He does find enjoyment and fulfilment in it, though. Though he likes to try to stay within the bounds of his close friends and brothers, he's a decent guy who likes those who help him and works well with them.
With all that concern and worry comes a bad spell or two. Though Toris is resilient, he's by no means optimistic. He's constantly got something heavy on his mind due to his circumstances, so he's going to have a freak out occasionally. These range from annoyance to downright panicking, depending on how far he's pushed and the severity of the issue. He deals with a lot of stress, strain, and has had a hard time coping in the past, so he’s a little on edge, and one can’t really blame him. It's hard for him to be comfortable somewhere right off the bat. Though he's capable of getting close to others, Toris would rather be with one of them than anywhere else and won't necessarily go out of his way to make friends, no matter how personable he seems.
Though he is of an independent mindset, Toris is decently submissive and easily pushed around and taken advantage of. He may complain about doing a certain something or other that he has to take on, but in the end he’ll get the job done and do it well. No matter what task is set before him, Toris will do it until it's done at 100% capacity, even though he might complain about it, depending on who's telling him to do it and/or the task. He's extremely good at menial chores, like housework and food preparation, and enjoys doing things for others when they deserve it. No matter the ordeal going on or the state he was in, he would always be able to get through it with a level head. Sure, he gets frustrated, and he still does, but he's a very patient person and it shows. When his patience does run out, he has a bit of a temper, but Toris showing anything more than mild irritation is rare. When it DOES happen, he’s prone to outbursts. Still, they don’t last long and are normally quelled rather quickly.
Toris takes little to no time at all adjusting to a situation. He's kept a level head and grown to accept, and even sustain a certain level of comfortably, anywhere he ends up, though it differs from place to place and person to person. He's also by no means stupid. He knows how to correct a problem proficiently, even if he has to go at it a few different ways. He's shown to be well versed in battle tactics and strategy, serious about things to almost a fault. He looks at most things calmly and gets them done, normally achieving the best outcome. If he doesn't get it, he'll go back, rethink it, and do it again until he gets it right. He is also interested in literature and is a well read person. Toris, however, is a dense individual when people are involved. To be blunt, he’s not all that street smart and more so versed in the realm of reason and not interpersonal skills. Interpersonally, he's not the sharpest tool in the shed and probably won't read in too much on how well one thinks of him. He’s also been known to not have too good a grasp on what he says which can sometimes turn around and bite him in the rear.
Canon Background: One of the biggest complaints anyone can have about Hetalia's canon is how inconsistent it is and how much it jumps around. A lot of historical gaps are there compared to canon, though some of the most important ones were touched upon.
Going off of historical chronology, the first time Lithuania was ever introduced was around the time of his creation. In 1236, Mindaugus formed the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Due to religious differences, it was a prime target to the Teutonic Knights, or Prussia in the Hetalia series. Around this time it was also shown that Lithuania met Russia for the first time, though it was very fleeting.
After that, he's shown as aged up a little more, in what is arguably his most historically important moment in the series so far. As a young man, Lithuania's boss (Jogalia at the time) decided that because of the daunting pressures of outside countries and sects, an alliance by marriage was the best solution to ensure the strength and stability of the growing nation. The arrangement was made with Jadwiga, the female king of the neighbouring country of Poland. Lithuania was ambivalent about the idea, more so alright with anything that meant his people and his self would be safe, though Poland was a little more nervous about the union, dubbed the Union of Krewo. This union would last until 1572.
The union with Poland was hard on Lithuania, mostly because Poland was a very difficult person to live with. He didn't take care of his share of the work, he treated Lithuania like an underling more than an equal, and was very trying on his nerves. The only time that he ever was so angry he snapped and stormed out was when it was directing as Poland. Poland, being a flippant person, brushed it off, leaving Lithuania even more confused. Over the course of the union, though, they did warm up to each other, growing as close as one would expect partners and brothers in arms would get. They fought numerous wars together; two shown were against the Teutonic Knights and another against Sweden, as well as an implied war with Germany. Even after the Union, the two retained a close relationship, except for the un-canonized instance of their war over Vilnius.
Though it was never really historically explored in canon, in Lithuania's youth, he had interacted with at least one of Russia's sisters, Belarus. He developed a quick crush on her, lasting until the present day. While he moons and pines over her, she feels exactly the opposite, breaking his limbs while he has no idea she feels so negatively about him.
It's shown on occasion as well that his Baltic "brothers", Estonia and Latvia, were included in the union, as they're shown playing in the fields with the other two. At an older age, however, Poland claimed Estonia and Latvia as his own land, something Estonia didn't seemed too thrilled over. His good friend Finland convinced his partner Sweden to take Estonia and Latvia back, angering Poland, though he backed down quite quickly, giving the duo partial custody in the end. As far as canon knows, Lithuania was the only one involved in the union other than that, though it's historically inaccurate for the most part.
Eventually, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth fell apart and was split amongst a few other countries, namely Russia, Austria, and Prussia, though it's said that Austria's boss wasn't exactly happy with doing that.
Lithuania was taken by Russia, forcefully, as well as the other Baltic States. This would happen multiple times over the course of history; the Baltic nations spent a lot of time in his house, working for him. Lithuania was always said to be Russia's favourite, and their relationship is very speculated to fandom. Russia has called him an ex, dressed him up as a maid, his very presence still terrifies him, and it's implied that he was at the very least physically abusive. In the end, Russia still enjoys him at least on some level but Lithuania would really rather he shove off, except he wouldn't ever saw it to him. Occasionally, Lithuania will get over-comfortable around Russia and forget himself, but Russia's harsh presence brings him crashing down to reality after a while.
In the 1920's, before America's Great Depression, Lithuania went to work for him as a kind of manservant/house-worker. America greatly trusted and enjoyed him, inviting him back even after Russia carted him off again as the Great Depression took over (Russia, being a socialist country, was unaffected by the financial discourse everyone else was suffering). The canon and history vary here, almost drastically. While in actual history, it shown Lithuania as being decently independent for a while, Hetalia throws him immediately into something resembling the USSR, in which Lithuania was part of the Soviet Union with Estonia, Latvia, Ukraine, Belarus, and of course Russia (note that many more countries were actually involved in the USSR). This time period lasted from 1922-1991, while Lithuania (historically) took part in this from about 1940-1990, and was the first nation to succeed from it.
Hetalia wise, while the Soviet Union was going on (or at least something Himaruya treated suspiciously like the Soviet Union), World War II was about to commence. Lithuania, the whole time, was trying to help out his ex-partner, Poland, by feeding him secret information, though Poland didn't take it all too seriously, much to Lithuania's despair. During this time, he also was in contact with Germany, whom didn't remember him from a previous war in which Lithuania and Poland won.
Present day, Lithuania is supposedly an independent country, though the canon states still that he's recovering and growing stronger while living with Poland, while not in a union or alliance. Other people it's shown he's had relations with include Japan (who helped him in a time of financial turmoil), Hungary (they share a common annoyance with Prussia and were growing up around the same time), the Netherlands and Belgium (they were partners in the fish business back in the day), England apparently finds him an okay guy. He's pretty popular, but he's pretty plain looking and a usual suspect so he's also easy to forget about.
Background (AU!Canon; HP): Toris Laurinaitis was born to a happy couple on February 16th, 1995 in a small hospital on the outside of Siauliai, Lithuania. Like a lot of Lithuanians, the couple were strongly Catholic, and planned to raise their son the same way. Toris, from a young age, was given an extremely religious education, and enjoyed it for the most part. He soon grew to love learning because of how his parents valued it and their faith.
When Toris first exhibited a gift for magic when he was 6. The event is something he can't recall, nor was he ever told what it was, only that it absolutely horrified his parents. His mother believed him to be ungodly, an absolute ruined child. His father, however, knew exactly what was "wrong" with his son, having been born to a family with another wizard, his younger brother. A letter was sent immediately to his estranged family, residing in England. The man, highly revered in his community as a long-time church figure, couldn't have his son, a new-found wizard, around his community. If word got out, it would have been horrendous. His wife was already a mess as it was, the shock of hearing her husband describe Toris' "affliction" to her was heart-breaking to her. To her mind, the mind of an ignorant muggle, it was something that she couldn't forgive, even though it was her own son. Toris was picked up within a week.
Toris couldn't quite understand why his parents shipped him off to be with his uncle. The only thing that was said to him before he left was that 'he would understand' and 'now wasn't the time to explain'. To a 6 year old, that spelled out only one thing: they don't want me anymore. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy meeting his uncle and staying at his house, with his lovely wife in Brighton. It was just that he couldn't quite wrap his brain around why he had to. He instead, went about doing what it was he always did, though in the back of his head he always held onto that flickering feeling of inadequacy. Doing things wrong made him extremely nervous. On the rare moment when his uncle did give him a sour expression, he grew nervous. It grew through him throughout his childhood, still never realizing that his parents weren't dissatisfied with his skills, they were dissatisfied with what he was. Toris also became a habitual worrier; maybe his aunt and uncle would ship him off too. He cared for them deeply and couldn't bear to lose them. He often, when he wasn't with his uncle on a trip, would worry over him and his safety. He constantly wrote letters to him or called him if he could. He also hated being a burden to them, and quickly grew to be a very independent person. He would never want to cause his caretakers any grief or be an imposition.
It turned out for the better, however, as Toris grew very good at a very many things. He spent a lot of time on his education, living a life away from the constant preaching and inclusion of religion in his curriculum (his uncle never really saw the need for outward worship, though was still a Catholic man). Not to say that Toris gave up on his religion completely, he did attend mass and confession when it was something to be done. Toris grew good at household chores, always eager to help out the new guardians who had helped him when his parents couldn't. His aunt adored him, not being able to have a son of her own, and loved having an extra set of hands around the house. His uncle was gone quite frequently on business, though sometimes Toris could go with him, if there was a break in school coinciding with a trip. He went all over Europe, making friends he would write to constantly all over Central and Eastern Europe.
Such friends included his best friend, Feliks (a person considered by quite a few to be obnoxious (even to Toris, on occasion), though Toris enjoyed his carefree spirit and could sometimes grow to envy his personality at times), two boys he met on an expedition of the other Baltic territories (Eduard and Raivis were almost like little brothers he never had, and he suspected they felt the same sometimes), and on one occasion he even met a beautiful girl he exchanged letters with on a trip to Belarus (She broke almost all the fingers in his hand on one occasion, but he took it to mean she wanted to hold his hand so badly she squeezed the love from it. He was sadly mistaken). While his life was a decently hard one during his youth, working hard for self-assumed acceptance, he did enjoy it and remembers it and the people it brought him fondly. Considered an introvert by himself and others (he never really found much comfort in other people, as happiness and surety were something he believed to come mostly from within), the few friends he had amassed over his childhood were extremely precious to him. He was also extremely uneasy towards most people. His nerves were his weakness and hindered him from quite a lot of social interaction, though he did learn to grow out of a portion of it as he grew up. It was also his many friends, and his move to an English speaking country, that sparked an interest in learning a great many languages. Though he isn't completely fluent in a lot, he is fluent in Lithuanian, English, Polish, and Russian, while knowing enough to get by in many others.
At around the age of 10, Toris' uncle took him aside and explained his gift to him. He himself had married a muggle woman, and didn't practice magic as much as the next wizard, though his wife did know and accept it. Toris had no idea that his uncle was a wizard, and his logical brain of course pegged the whole thing as a fairytale his uncle had told him. After Toris turned 11, he received his letter to Hogwarts, thoroughly shocked at what it held. His uncle's far-fetched story seemed to check out, though he wasn't convinced yet. It wasn't until his uncle took him school supply shopping at Diagon Ally that he was finally convinced. Real magic was happening right before his eyes. He was a wizard. Toris did now understand the reason his mother wouldn't write to him and why his father couldn't speak to him on the telephone. He did not, though, understand why they couldn't accept him as a wizard; their own flesh and blood apparently mattered more than their ignorance and civility. He had long since forgiven his parents, though. He enjoyed his new life, and now understood that he would enjoy it more with nothing hidden from him.
It never really changed his outward view on things, his new-found magical talents. It did, however, mean he had more things to focus on and master. Hogwarts was extremely accepting and he enjoys it there immensely. He favours subjects such as Arithmancy, History of Magic, Muggle Studies, and Charms, though he does decently in all classes he attends. Toris generally enjoys most of his teachers, except he can't help but feel uneasiness around Professor Branginsky. He takes particular enjoyment in the school's library, spending a lot of time studying in it and quietly reading.
How would your character fit in to each House?
Gryffindor: Toris is by NO means a courage person. He'd rather stay safe and sound than charge into the heat of anything, though he will come into situations of his own volition with strategy and knowledge as his backing ONLY if he's 100% sure it will work. He has nerves that are easy to tread on, but very stable in their durability. It's hard to make Toris snap. If any Gryffindor trait applies to him, it's chivalry, though only of the gentlemanly and polite sort.
Hufflepuff: Loyalty is something Toris is good at, as he treats people well and normally sticks with one or one set of people for the long haul. Fairness is fine and he'd rather play fair than resort to dirty tactics, though he does know the difference between foul play and strategy used well. Toris is extremely hard-working, as he's had to work for most everything he's ever had to in life. He loves the feeling of getting something he's worked hard for. Tolerance goes back to his nerves: someone can stomp all over them and he'll gripe a little (half-hearted and almost jokingly, no doubt), but they never break.
Ravenclaw: Toris isn't the most witty of people, as he's rather simple and applies his smarts to practical things, rather than being sarcastic and snide; he's rather open and blunt. Intelligence wise, he's extremely book smart and knows a lot about a lot of things, though when it comes to street smarts, he's lacking. Learning is a hobby and a habit for him. Creativity only comes when it's necessary, as simplicity is the best solution to anything. The less time it takes to get to the best result is the best way to do anything, to him.
Slytherin: He's certainly resourceful, and Toris knows how to use what's given to him quite well. Ambition isn't something attributed to him as he's decently hard-working, but not a person to actively present themselves with options. Being submissive, Toris has never had any real leadership skills, though when it comes to doing what he has to do, he'll take it by the horns. Being sly and crafty isn't something he's particularly used to doing, but, again, if he had to he would. Toris is by no means a pureblood, as both of his parents are muggles.
Sample Journal Entry:
For anyone interested, especially the younger years and O.W.L takers, I was thinking of organizing a group study session in the library a few afternoons from now. I haven't yet set the date yet; my apologies! If you are interested we can try to work it into our schedule, perhaps? I think it's important to try and help others with understanding things, especially around this time in a lot of our schooling.
Ah, but please, don't try to cause trouble if you do come. All library rules would apply, of course. I'd hate for my idea to cause any discomfort or alarm to the librarian or any teachers.
Sample Interaction Post in Third Person:
On days when it seemed too huge a shame to spend the afternoon entirely indoors, Toris would walk around the grounds, namely traveling to the Quidditch pitch. Something about it's tall standing towers and the flat ground below it were comforting and calming to him. He had never really had any huge interest in sports, though he did enjoy watching them. The simple rhythmic mechanics of how they were played was fascinating to him. The logic and strategy were always fun to figure out as well. It'd been more than one occasion, watching a match between houses and standing amid the crowd of his noisy, jeering peers, that he'd thought to himself with half a smirk 'I bet if I was more athletic, I'd be pretty good at this.'
Not to say he wasn't in shape or anything. He did run to keep his circulation going and he ate properly. He just was never all that active an individual, unless hard labor was involved. The opportunity to work with his hands rarely ever arose on his trips with his uncle, as he worked in business and not any kind of construction job. He wasn't upset about it, in the least. It was all just wishful thinking.
"Toris, you've got enough on your plate." he joked to himself, walking around the grounds of the pitch. He hoped today wasn't a practice day. But at the same time he wouldn't complain about Hufflepuff's team showing up. Seeing Natalya, the girl he liked, on a broomstick, full of that esteem and power he saw in her...it was like a dream come true. That was something he didn't need to think about though. There were more pressing matters to worry about. Like that next potions class he had to attend and how he still had to finish taking notes on what all it's intricate recepie intailed.
He sighed into the sunkissed air, turning around. When work was undone, the only true course of action was to do it.
Name: Twiggy
Timezone: CST
Personal Journal: bosom
Players Contact/AIM/MSN/YAHOO: aim: the love of lives | msn: lithuania@live.jp
Email Address: fishsexual@gmail.com
Former/Other Characters in the RP: N/A
How did you hear about us?: Friends of mine talked about you on plurk before and I decided to check it out \o
Character Information
Name: Toris Laurinaitis
Canon Origin/Series: Axis Powers Hetalia
School Year: 6th
Gender: Male (both in sex and gender)
Age: 16
Out of school living location: He's since taken up with his uncle on his father's side in Brighton, England, though they move quite frequently. He was born in Siauliai, Lithuania.
Blood status: Muggleborn
Personality:
Most people who first meet Toris see a shy, polite guy whom they can just sense they'll get along with. He's a nice guy and really easy to mesh with, and though he's a bit on the introverted side, he's quite popular in his own right with numerous people who enjoy him. Do him wrong? He'll be hurt, of course, but your transgressions will be forgiven in his own way, though it may take a while. That’s not to say he forgives AND forgets, however, as he carries memories with him. He might not always say he forgives someone, but the relationship of whoever has troubled him will resume to normal quite quickly. He tends to look for the best in people and Toris' blind to a lot of faults, whether by density or just selective realization, or both. He's not necessarily trusting, however. Toris' been done wrong a few too many times to let his guard down so easily and he chooses who he's comfortable with. Before you get to know him he's not quite genuine, but cordial, but when Toris is with those he’s close to, there is an obvious air of familiarity around him and he’s more relaxed.
Concerning his emotions, Toris might be easy to read, but he keeps most of his emotions on the inside. He'll continuously fret and fluster about something, enough to cause him great stress and probably an ulcer or two; he doesn't want pity or anyone to dote on him in times of need. More than anything, he wants to be independent: he's stubborn and no one needs to worry about him. He's got it all under control.
A bundle of nerves, Toris is always thinking about something. He's nervous in general and is like a mom and housewife rolled into one, always concerned about the general state of those close to him, enough to take a lot of loads onto his own shoulders. Especially when you make friends with him, he's eternally grateful and you're pretty much friends for life. Toris likes to take care of those he cherishes too, unafraid of taking on more than his share of the work, though it's something he doesn't necessarily choose for himself sometimes, and he might complain about it a little along the way. He does find enjoyment and fulfilment in it, though. Though he likes to try to stay within the bounds of his close friends and brothers, he's a decent guy who likes those who help him and works well with them.
With all that concern and worry comes a bad spell or two. Though Toris is resilient, he's by no means optimistic. He's constantly got something heavy on his mind due to his circumstances, so he's going to have a freak out occasionally. These range from annoyance to downright panicking, depending on how far he's pushed and the severity of the issue. He deals with a lot of stress, strain, and has had a hard time coping in the past, so he’s a little on edge, and one can’t really blame him. It's hard for him to be comfortable somewhere right off the bat. Though he's capable of getting close to others, Toris would rather be with one of them than anywhere else and won't necessarily go out of his way to make friends, no matter how personable he seems.
Though he is of an independent mindset, Toris is decently submissive and easily pushed around and taken advantage of. He may complain about doing a certain something or other that he has to take on, but in the end he’ll get the job done and do it well. No matter what task is set before him, Toris will do it until it's done at 100% capacity, even though he might complain about it, depending on who's telling him to do it and/or the task. He's extremely good at menial chores, like housework and food preparation, and enjoys doing things for others when they deserve it. No matter the ordeal going on or the state he was in, he would always be able to get through it with a level head. Sure, he gets frustrated, and he still does, but he's a very patient person and it shows. When his patience does run out, he has a bit of a temper, but Toris showing anything more than mild irritation is rare. When it DOES happen, he’s prone to outbursts. Still, they don’t last long and are normally quelled rather quickly.
Toris takes little to no time at all adjusting to a situation. He's kept a level head and grown to accept, and even sustain a certain level of comfortably, anywhere he ends up, though it differs from place to place and person to person. He's also by no means stupid. He knows how to correct a problem proficiently, even if he has to go at it a few different ways. He's shown to be well versed in battle tactics and strategy, serious about things to almost a fault. He looks at most things calmly and gets them done, normally achieving the best outcome. If he doesn't get it, he'll go back, rethink it, and do it again until he gets it right. He is also interested in literature and is a well read person. Toris, however, is a dense individual when people are involved. To be blunt, he’s not all that street smart and more so versed in the realm of reason and not interpersonal skills. Interpersonally, he's not the sharpest tool in the shed and probably won't read in too much on how well one thinks of him. He’s also been known to not have too good a grasp on what he says which can sometimes turn around and bite him in the rear.
Canon Background: One of the biggest complaints anyone can have about Hetalia's canon is how inconsistent it is and how much it jumps around. A lot of historical gaps are there compared to canon, though some of the most important ones were touched upon.
Going off of historical chronology, the first time Lithuania was ever introduced was around the time of his creation. In 1236, Mindaugus formed the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Due to religious differences, it was a prime target to the Teutonic Knights, or Prussia in the Hetalia series. Around this time it was also shown that Lithuania met Russia for the first time, though it was very fleeting.
After that, he's shown as aged up a little more, in what is arguably his most historically important moment in the series so far. As a young man, Lithuania's boss (Jogalia at the time) decided that because of the daunting pressures of outside countries and sects, an alliance by marriage was the best solution to ensure the strength and stability of the growing nation. The arrangement was made with Jadwiga, the female king of the neighbouring country of Poland. Lithuania was ambivalent about the idea, more so alright with anything that meant his people and his self would be safe, though Poland was a little more nervous about the union, dubbed the Union of Krewo. This union would last until 1572.
The union with Poland was hard on Lithuania, mostly because Poland was a very difficult person to live with. He didn't take care of his share of the work, he treated Lithuania like an underling more than an equal, and was very trying on his nerves. The only time that he ever was so angry he snapped and stormed out was when it was directing as Poland. Poland, being a flippant person, brushed it off, leaving Lithuania even more confused. Over the course of the union, though, they did warm up to each other, growing as close as one would expect partners and brothers in arms would get. They fought numerous wars together; two shown were against the Teutonic Knights and another against Sweden, as well as an implied war with Germany. Even after the Union, the two retained a close relationship, except for the un-canonized instance of their war over Vilnius.
Though it was never really historically explored in canon, in Lithuania's youth, he had interacted with at least one of Russia's sisters, Belarus. He developed a quick crush on her, lasting until the present day. While he moons and pines over her, she feels exactly the opposite, breaking his limbs while he has no idea she feels so negatively about him.
It's shown on occasion as well that his Baltic "brothers", Estonia and Latvia, were included in the union, as they're shown playing in the fields with the other two. At an older age, however, Poland claimed Estonia and Latvia as his own land, something Estonia didn't seemed too thrilled over. His good friend Finland convinced his partner Sweden to take Estonia and Latvia back, angering Poland, though he backed down quite quickly, giving the duo partial custody in the end. As far as canon knows, Lithuania was the only one involved in the union other than that, though it's historically inaccurate for the most part.
Eventually, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth fell apart and was split amongst a few other countries, namely Russia, Austria, and Prussia, though it's said that Austria's boss wasn't exactly happy with doing that.
Lithuania was taken by Russia, forcefully, as well as the other Baltic States. This would happen multiple times over the course of history; the Baltic nations spent a lot of time in his house, working for him. Lithuania was always said to be Russia's favourite, and their relationship is very speculated to fandom. Russia has called him an ex, dressed him up as a maid, his very presence still terrifies him, and it's implied that he was at the very least physically abusive. In the end, Russia still enjoys him at least on some level but Lithuania would really rather he shove off, except he wouldn't ever saw it to him. Occasionally, Lithuania will get over-comfortable around Russia and forget himself, but Russia's harsh presence brings him crashing down to reality after a while.
In the 1920's, before America's Great Depression, Lithuania went to work for him as a kind of manservant/house-worker. America greatly trusted and enjoyed him, inviting him back even after Russia carted him off again as the Great Depression took over (Russia, being a socialist country, was unaffected by the financial discourse everyone else was suffering). The canon and history vary here, almost drastically. While in actual history, it shown Lithuania as being decently independent for a while, Hetalia throws him immediately into something resembling the USSR, in which Lithuania was part of the Soviet Union with Estonia, Latvia, Ukraine, Belarus, and of course Russia (note that many more countries were actually involved in the USSR). This time period lasted from 1922-1991, while Lithuania (historically) took part in this from about 1940-1990, and was the first nation to succeed from it.
Hetalia wise, while the Soviet Union was going on (or at least something Himaruya treated suspiciously like the Soviet Union), World War II was about to commence. Lithuania, the whole time, was trying to help out his ex-partner, Poland, by feeding him secret information, though Poland didn't take it all too seriously, much to Lithuania's despair. During this time, he also was in contact with Germany, whom didn't remember him from a previous war in which Lithuania and Poland won.
Present day, Lithuania is supposedly an independent country, though the canon states still that he's recovering and growing stronger while living with Poland, while not in a union or alliance. Other people it's shown he's had relations with include Japan (who helped him in a time of financial turmoil), Hungary (they share a common annoyance with Prussia and were growing up around the same time), the Netherlands and Belgium (they were partners in the fish business back in the day), England apparently finds him an okay guy. He's pretty popular, but he's pretty plain looking and a usual suspect so he's also easy to forget about.
Background (AU!Canon; HP): Toris Laurinaitis was born to a happy couple on February 16th, 1995 in a small hospital on the outside of Siauliai, Lithuania. Like a lot of Lithuanians, the couple were strongly Catholic, and planned to raise their son the same way. Toris, from a young age, was given an extremely religious education, and enjoyed it for the most part. He soon grew to love learning because of how his parents valued it and their faith.
When Toris first exhibited a gift for magic when he was 6. The event is something he can't recall, nor was he ever told what it was, only that it absolutely horrified his parents. His mother believed him to be ungodly, an absolute ruined child. His father, however, knew exactly what was "wrong" with his son, having been born to a family with another wizard, his younger brother. A letter was sent immediately to his estranged family, residing in England. The man, highly revered in his community as a long-time church figure, couldn't have his son, a new-found wizard, around his community. If word got out, it would have been horrendous. His wife was already a mess as it was, the shock of hearing her husband describe Toris' "affliction" to her was heart-breaking to her. To her mind, the mind of an ignorant muggle, it was something that she couldn't forgive, even though it was her own son. Toris was picked up within a week.
Toris couldn't quite understand why his parents shipped him off to be with his uncle. The only thing that was said to him before he left was that 'he would understand' and 'now wasn't the time to explain'. To a 6 year old, that spelled out only one thing: they don't want me anymore. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy meeting his uncle and staying at his house, with his lovely wife in Brighton. It was just that he couldn't quite wrap his brain around why he had to. He instead, went about doing what it was he always did, though in the back of his head he always held onto that flickering feeling of inadequacy. Doing things wrong made him extremely nervous. On the rare moment when his uncle did give him a sour expression, he grew nervous. It grew through him throughout his childhood, still never realizing that his parents weren't dissatisfied with his skills, they were dissatisfied with what he was. Toris also became a habitual worrier; maybe his aunt and uncle would ship him off too. He cared for them deeply and couldn't bear to lose them. He often, when he wasn't with his uncle on a trip, would worry over him and his safety. He constantly wrote letters to him or called him if he could. He also hated being a burden to them, and quickly grew to be a very independent person. He would never want to cause his caretakers any grief or be an imposition.
It turned out for the better, however, as Toris grew very good at a very many things. He spent a lot of time on his education, living a life away from the constant preaching and inclusion of religion in his curriculum (his uncle never really saw the need for outward worship, though was still a Catholic man). Not to say that Toris gave up on his religion completely, he did attend mass and confession when it was something to be done. Toris grew good at household chores, always eager to help out the new guardians who had helped him when his parents couldn't. His aunt adored him, not being able to have a son of her own, and loved having an extra set of hands around the house. His uncle was gone quite frequently on business, though sometimes Toris could go with him, if there was a break in school coinciding with a trip. He went all over Europe, making friends he would write to constantly all over Central and Eastern Europe.
Such friends included his best friend, Feliks (a person considered by quite a few to be obnoxious (even to Toris, on occasion), though Toris enjoyed his carefree spirit and could sometimes grow to envy his personality at times), two boys he met on an expedition of the other Baltic territories (Eduard and Raivis were almost like little brothers he never had, and he suspected they felt the same sometimes), and on one occasion he even met a beautiful girl he exchanged letters with on a trip to Belarus (She broke almost all the fingers in his hand on one occasion, but he took it to mean she wanted to hold his hand so badly she squeezed the love from it. He was sadly mistaken). While his life was a decently hard one during his youth, working hard for self-assumed acceptance, he did enjoy it and remembers it and the people it brought him fondly. Considered an introvert by himself and others (he never really found much comfort in other people, as happiness and surety were something he believed to come mostly from within), the few friends he had amassed over his childhood were extremely precious to him. He was also extremely uneasy towards most people. His nerves were his weakness and hindered him from quite a lot of social interaction, though he did learn to grow out of a portion of it as he grew up. It was also his many friends, and his move to an English speaking country, that sparked an interest in learning a great many languages. Though he isn't completely fluent in a lot, he is fluent in Lithuanian, English, Polish, and Russian, while knowing enough to get by in many others.
At around the age of 10, Toris' uncle took him aside and explained his gift to him. He himself had married a muggle woman, and didn't practice magic as much as the next wizard, though his wife did know and accept it. Toris had no idea that his uncle was a wizard, and his logical brain of course pegged the whole thing as a fairytale his uncle had told him. After Toris turned 11, he received his letter to Hogwarts, thoroughly shocked at what it held. His uncle's far-fetched story seemed to check out, though he wasn't convinced yet. It wasn't until his uncle took him school supply shopping at Diagon Ally that he was finally convinced. Real magic was happening right before his eyes. He was a wizard. Toris did now understand the reason his mother wouldn't write to him and why his father couldn't speak to him on the telephone. He did not, though, understand why they couldn't accept him as a wizard; their own flesh and blood apparently mattered more than their ignorance and civility. He had long since forgiven his parents, though. He enjoyed his new life, and now understood that he would enjoy it more with nothing hidden from him.
It never really changed his outward view on things, his new-found magical talents. It did, however, mean he had more things to focus on and master. Hogwarts was extremely accepting and he enjoys it there immensely. He favours subjects such as Arithmancy, History of Magic, Muggle Studies, and Charms, though he does decently in all classes he attends. Toris generally enjoys most of his teachers, except he can't help but feel uneasiness around Professor Branginsky. He takes particular enjoyment in the school's library, spending a lot of time studying in it and quietly reading.
How would your character fit in to each House?
Gryffindor: Toris is by NO means a courage person. He'd rather stay safe and sound than charge into the heat of anything, though he will come into situations of his own volition with strategy and knowledge as his backing ONLY if he's 100% sure it will work. He has nerves that are easy to tread on, but very stable in their durability. It's hard to make Toris snap. If any Gryffindor trait applies to him, it's chivalry, though only of the gentlemanly and polite sort.
Hufflepuff: Loyalty is something Toris is good at, as he treats people well and normally sticks with one or one set of people for the long haul. Fairness is fine and he'd rather play fair than resort to dirty tactics, though he does know the difference between foul play and strategy used well. Toris is extremely hard-working, as he's had to work for most everything he's ever had to in life. He loves the feeling of getting something he's worked hard for. Tolerance goes back to his nerves: someone can stomp all over them and he'll gripe a little (half-hearted and almost jokingly, no doubt), but they never break.
Ravenclaw: Toris isn't the most witty of people, as he's rather simple and applies his smarts to practical things, rather than being sarcastic and snide; he's rather open and blunt. Intelligence wise, he's extremely book smart and knows a lot about a lot of things, though when it comes to street smarts, he's lacking. Learning is a hobby and a habit for him. Creativity only comes when it's necessary, as simplicity is the best solution to anything. The less time it takes to get to the best result is the best way to do anything, to him.
Slytherin: He's certainly resourceful, and Toris knows how to use what's given to him quite well. Ambition isn't something attributed to him as he's decently hard-working, but not a person to actively present themselves with options. Being submissive, Toris has never had any real leadership skills, though when it comes to doing what he has to do, he'll take it by the horns. Being sly and crafty isn't something he's particularly used to doing, but, again, if he had to he would. Toris is by no means a pureblood, as both of his parents are muggles.
Sample Journal Entry:
For anyone interested, especially the younger years and O.W.L takers, I was thinking of organizing a group study session in the library a few afternoons from now. I haven't yet set the date yet; my apologies! If you are interested we can try to work it into our schedule, perhaps? I think it's important to try and help others with understanding things, especially around this time in a lot of our schooling.
Ah, but please, don't try to cause trouble if you do come. All library rules would apply, of course. I'd hate for my idea to cause any discomfort or alarm to the librarian or any teachers.
Sample Interaction Post in Third Person:
On days when it seemed too huge a shame to spend the afternoon entirely indoors, Toris would walk around the grounds, namely traveling to the Quidditch pitch. Something about it's tall standing towers and the flat ground below it were comforting and calming to him. He had never really had any huge interest in sports, though he did enjoy watching them. The simple rhythmic mechanics of how they were played was fascinating to him. The logic and strategy were always fun to figure out as well. It'd been more than one occasion, watching a match between houses and standing amid the crowd of his noisy, jeering peers, that he'd thought to himself with half a smirk 'I bet if I was more athletic, I'd be pretty good at this.'
Not to say he wasn't in shape or anything. He did run to keep his circulation going and he ate properly. He just was never all that active an individual, unless hard labor was involved. The opportunity to work with his hands rarely ever arose on his trips with his uncle, as he worked in business and not any kind of construction job. He wasn't upset about it, in the least. It was all just wishful thinking.
"Toris, you've got enough on your plate." he joked to himself, walking around the grounds of the pitch. He hoped today wasn't a practice day. But at the same time he wouldn't complain about Hufflepuff's team showing up. Seeing Natalya, the girl he liked, on a broomstick, full of that esteem and power he saw in her...it was like a dream come true. That was something he didn't need to think about though. There were more pressing matters to worry about. Like that next potions class he had to attend and how he still had to finish taking notes on what all it's intricate recepie intailed.
He sighed into the sunkissed air, turning around. When work was undone, the only true course of action was to do it.