❅ ooc: app {1944}
Character Name: The Dominion of Canada; human name: Margaret Williams
Character Series: Axis Powers Hetalia: Nyotalia
Character Age: physically: 19-21; actually around 460
Background: See: Canada on the APH Wiki, Nyotalia, as well as the History of Canada.
Being the embodiment of a nation, Canada's history as a character is essentially that of the country of Canada. Of course, it's far from cut and dry what exactly this means, as there have certainly been enormous changes to the country over the years. Most of what follows is headcanon and speculation I've compiled through history research in order to have a more solid grasp on the character. Although dates of birth are never specified for either of the North American nations, for the sake of a point of reference in my own head, this embodiment of Canada was a toddler, physically speaking, at the end of the fifteenth century. Her first contact with Europeans was Givoanni Caboto's landing in Newfoundland, circa 1497. However, until 1534, she continued to live and represent only the aboriginal peoples in what is now eastern and central Canada, notably the Míkmaqs, Maliseets, and Laurentian Iroquois. In 1534, France (by extension of Jacques Cartier) found her, and that was the beginning of Canada as a growing territory in the New World.
While French colonists start to set up, killing natives in the process, a young and extremely shy girl is getting to know France, who she comes to regard as her mother in time. Although there are issues between the colonists and the natives, Canada embraces the French in the New World as her own. That bond between mother and child, France and Canada, is one that will endure through British rule and independence, well into the twentieth century, even if that familial love waivers every so often. In 1583, Humphrey Gilbert claimed the island of Newfoundland as a British territory and from there began many years of proof that England and France's rivalry continues even on the far side of the Atlantic Ocean. The 1600's were a period of exploration and growth for the young Nouvelle France, as well as a period of foreshadowing the conflicts to come in her future. As more and more of her land was "discovered" by the French, the more France doted on her. Canada split her time between watching over settlements, a guest of the native people still living nearby, and living with France across the ocean. The Dutch are also exploring around this time, one Henry Hudson leaving the legacy of a river and Canada's beloved Hudson Bay in the north. An incident in 1613 prompts Canada, still a child, to begin questioning the good of Europeans. When members of a Beothuk tribe were spooked by French gunfire, they attacked, killing nearly forty fishermen. The French, in deliberate revolt, gave weapons to the Míkmaqs, creating an unfair advantage in a territory war that had been raging for longer than Canada can properly remember. Not even a decade later, her precious Acadie is renamed Nova Scotia by the English monarchy, while French Catholic missionaries move in. In 1629 came Canada's first stint at being under English rule, having been seized virtually right from under France's nose. This was corrected with the Treaty of Saint-Germaine-en-Laye, in 1632, but it only reinforced young Canada's worry that this was going to be trouble.
The seventeenth century was a time of smallpox and conflict, featuring the Beaver Wars between the French and Iroquois, aided by the Dutch and English. The eighteenth century brought Queen Anne's War (1702-1713) to Canada, which was slightly less bloody but far more disrupting in terms of politics and who had claim on what. By the time of the Treaty of Utrecht, when she's essentially given to England, Canada is physically a little girl. A very angry little girl, actually, but brought up to hold her peace and respect her elders, even when those elders are the Europeans causing destruction in her once peaceful land. This doesn't stop her from giving the Imperialist nations a good kick in the shins from time to time, though. Trust her: they always deserved it.
Though the years, she continues to grow as a nation and an individual, still carefully under England's rule, but never the favourite one. That would be America, with devastating consequences when she declares independence. The wars surrounding that are particularly difficult on Canada, caught in the middle of it all. While she has a deep-seated respect and admiration for her sister, willingly taking in Loyalist refugees in an effort to make things smoother, there's incredibly frustration there, too. Why could this dispute between America and England not be solved with words, is her eternal question. And the answer is simply that they were too stubborn to do anything easily. So people had to die for America's independence; too many of them, Canada considered her own. Any irritated feelings over the whole upset in the British American colonies was simply amplified by the War of 1812. Seeking to gain land and people, America's grand plan had been to simply march on Canada and talk disgruntled Canadians into being Americans. Canadians, however, turned out to be far more loyal than that and, again, after bloodshed, the war came to an end. As both sisters undoubtedly remember, it was not without someone's capital being nearly destroyed by fire and fighting, though. And it wasn't Canada's. Although they rarely talk about it, Canada remembers -- and hopes her sister does, too -- that no one else has ever occupied the American capital. It's more a show of power, the insistence that Canada is not and never will be American, than anything truly malicious. Canada privately considers these the first battles of her own as a potential young country. And war is not something she has intentions of repeating.
More likely than not, (at least she acknowledge it) this is when Canada's own plans for eventual independence began to form. Even though the War of 1812 had been fought by the British Empire, England's role was really only that of someone not wanting to lose an asset. It was Canada and her people that made the difference. That has Canada starting to think that maybe, just maybe, she could go just as well without British intervention. As the century progresses, the more England intervenes, the more her people revolt. In the late 1830's, riots are rampant in both Upper and Lower Canada, resulting in some of the populace's exile to Australia. It's around this time that Canadian-Australian relations start to falter. Instead of simply both being vaguely-ignored British colonies, Canada is a collection of territory determined to do things her own way. The drive and intensity of Canadian politicians sort of worries Australian ones, not to mention Australia herself, for which Canada herself is unrepentantly proud.
It takes a good number of years for proposed constitutions to suit everyone's needs in the land she represents, but finally, happy mediums are found. A bit of pestering and propositioning England and the Queen later, the British North America Act is passed. On July 1st, 1867, the Province of Canada, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia join to become a country. There's still a lot of work left to do before independence will be full, but it's easily the happiest day in young Canada's life. Bloodless sovereignty, even only partially, is a dream that feels wonderful for her to realize. The next year, she's allowed an army to call her own, and although she never plans to use it, not really, it's still a wonderful feeling.
Over the next few decades, Canada sees provinces and territories added to her nation, including one particular Prince Edward Island, who would have been in the original confederation were it not a stubborn place, and immigration from around the world. For every wave of new people that settle on her land, she works to learn their language, even if it's only the important phrases. Before long, she speaks more languages than she bothers to count. Canada grows and matures, accepting what British guidance England insists on, but nothing more: she wants to let her people become Canadians, not simply transplanted British.
The First World War starts up; Canada is involved whether she wants to be or not - thank you, England. She walks away from it thankful it's over, optimistic nothing that bad will ever happen again, and immensely proud of her people. Furthermore, despite arguments with both England and America, she's allowed some say in the final paperwork, which she takes as a step in the right direction. For a few years, the world, from where Canada sits, is nearly at peace. In 1921, she's granted, by England, an official coat of arms, as well as national colours: red and white. It's recognition enough as her own independent state and not just a dominion, that she forgives England personally for the mess that was the Great War. Politically speaking, she's still a bit bitter about it and nothing will ever justify for her the people and the innocence she lost, but as a family matter, things are smoother. With the next decade comes the Great Depression, hitting both of the North American sisters hard. Canada is sick and exhausted for years, but fights to go on, to never admit defeat and ask for more help than her people absolutely need. It could be too easy to lose all her power to England just because it seems she can't take care of herself. Instead, she works through it, reaffirming her strength and determination.
The Second World War starts and Canada, defiant and using what power England has granted her, waits exactly a week before declaring war on Germany and beginning to mobilize to go to the aid of her mother countries. It's as much of a declaration of independence as anything else she's ever done and even if not many people comment on it, she knows and she knows her people know. And that's what matters. During the war, Canadians give her more and more reasons to be proud, as she stays in Europe nearly the entire time, never far from the front of the Allied lines. Every month the war drags on, every horrible story she hears, every nightmare she sees realized, takes their toll on Canada. She's not the young and innocent colony she once was, but she still detests war. It disgusts her that anything ever has to come to bloodshed on this massive level. Instead of shying away from the conflicts, though, she meets every one head on. Throughout the war, like any previous she's been involved in, Canada splits her time between the front lines, medical tents, and political headquarters. She stays in Europe for long stretches at a time, either working alongside her people for their cause or talking politics - and generally getting ignored, per usual - at Allied headquarters. For a nation that doesn't like war, her people are good at it, they prove, stepping in time and again to do the impossible. In between her frantic worry for her people and her friends, she can't help but be proud again of just how much they can accomplish.
In the early days of September, 1944, she's in France with her troops and moving north, working on a steady path with her allies to liberate first her mother nation, then Belgium and the Netherlands. This will be the canon point I play her from.
Personality: Almost any first impression of Canada is going to be that she's quiet, shy, and not much of a threat, as far as intimidating Nations go. That first impression would be about one-third right. She's fairly quiet, yes, but never when she has something she needs to say - conservation of words is her speciality, in stark contrast to America's constant mouth - and while she doesn't have much to say at international events, if you catch her in a smaller group, she'll happy chatter away or listen for as long as you want her to. She's incredibly friendly, so long as you look like you need or want it. As far as not being a threat goes, she will gladly give you references as to her Ass Kicking Potential and won't that teach you, Miss Cynical Sue?
If you listen to Canada, really listen, especially if she's in any sort of riled up state, she's got a sharp tongue and even if it's rude and she has to apologize for it later, she will say what's on her mind. Moments like this are rare, but more common with America than anyone else. Growing up sharing a continent has made Canada's neighbour to the south more apt to hear the Great White North than just about anyone else. As Canada is quick to point out when given the opportunity, though, this rarely means that America is listening. Another aspect of this facet of Canada's personality is that while the world is all but free to ignore or offend her as an individual, anyone with negative words or actions towards her country -- be it an offense to indigenous Canadians or recent immigrants from any other nation worldwide, once a human has chosen Canada for a home, she will defend and protect them for all she's worth. And, it should be noted, she's worth quite a lot. This is something England knows, both through colonization and through pulling the young Canada into wars as a vital party in the British Empire. Even disregarding Canada's involvement in wars prior to the twentieth century, her military contribution to the war efforts of her allies is incredibly significant. Many a battle in the Western arena of the World Wars would not have gone as well for the Allies had Canadian troops been absent. The Second World War's Battle of the Atlantic, featuring Germany's advanced submarines featured a significant turnaround as soon as Canadians were put in charge of it; from simply keeping par with the Germans to destroying any that threatened North America. You can ignore Canada all you want, but by god, don't you ever dare to forget about her soldiers and seamen. She is fiercely proud of her people for their involvement and success, even while a more personal part of her will forever be enraged at every European Nation that allowed that much death and destruction just happen. Just because she will never turn her back to someone asking for her help doesn't mean she has to be happy about it, by any means, and the scars she still bears from the fighting are emotional, physical, and still painful.
While entire generations of her people have had their youth stolen by battle, much the same can be said for Canada herself. Conflict and disease had been rampant in North America since colonization, of course, but internal struggle makes one grow up in a different way than international struggle does. Despite naming herself a country in 1867, on paper, she's still very much a ward of England. It may be the Dominion of Canada, still young and quietly inexperienced, that declared war at the beginning of this, but it's the embittered and quietly fierce Canada, no "dominion of" is she can help it, that is helping to fight and win this war. There can be no denying that the things she sees and does and knows are changing her for better. Her innocence might be lost but the maturity she's gaining through this conflict is a revolutionary, brilliant sort of thing.
Her demeanour during times of conflict presents a few marked differences from her usual, quiet, humble, almost doormat-like self. The people dying aren't just hers: they're innocent lives from across continents that ought to have been kept living. She believes in equality and acceptance, two things her enemies in this are having trouble with. She'll never outright blame Germany - or any other sole nation, for that matter - for starting this war, but she knows how she feels about it: they're all to blame. If there had been better reaction times, less appeasement, maybe a little more fighting for a voice from her, things could have been ended by now, with more words than war. The more battle-weary she gets, the less likely she is to keep her words entirely polite. Although she makes a habit of never saying anything untrue, when presented with an opportunity to say that she's unhappy with this because her mother nations are morons and most of Europe is crazy, she's very apt to say it. After a point, she finds herself so exhausted she can't do anything but fight harder, working under the philosophy that if she can just get the Germans to stay in Germany and the French to be running France and so on, everyone else back in their places, they'll behave and she can go home. This is all she really wants: the crazy folk to stop killing each other so she can stop having to step in and intervene. However, she knows there's a lot of work left to be done to get the elder continent calmed again: strongholds to be fortified, countries to be liberated, necessary battles that will have to be fought. She's undeniably intent on getting it done.
Both in and out of wartime - and regardless of the time period, even - there are a few Canadian stereotypes that seem to continually exist. Canada herself proudly takes just about every one of these and wears her stereotypes like badges of honour, national things to be proud about. The most notable of these is probably her manners, polite almost to the point of annoying. Should she ever do anything warranting an apology -- including tiny things like getting pronunciation in a foreign language wrong or being in someone's way so that they walk into her -- she will apologize. It's generally nothing more than a quick, quiet, "sorry," before she goes on with her life and, to some that may give it an air of insincerity. That's not the case, though: she doesn't apologize for things she meant to do and the guilt would nag at her if she didn't apologize for her errors. The same can be said of her quiet little "thank you." Even if it's just a passing nicety, complimenting her beret or holding the door for her, she appreciates it, and is bound to tell you so. This is a combination of her upbringing -- France and England both know a thing or two about formality and grace -- and a deep-seated faith in "do unto others as you would have them do unto you." She likes being thanked. A lot. And she highly appreciates when her grievances are addressed. Canada can thus only assume it's what everyone else wants, too.
Another stereotype she does not hesitate to embody is the nation's love of hockey. Since the beginning of the game, lacrosse from her natives and shinty from Scottish settlers, she's enjoyed watching and, when she could, playing. Playing with other women is simple enough: she uses the name Margaret Williams and this lovely, carefree girl shows everyone how it's done, usually playing a forward position. Other times though, she tucks her hair carefully up under her helmet, use the "look, I'm your country and you'll do as I say" line on whoever is organizing the reluctantly mixed game, and works the net as goalkeeper. It is easier to be a petite girl playing with a bunch of boys if they didn't know you're a girl, even if she's often older than all of her teammates combined. The absolute joy she gets from hockey - not to mention regional and seasonal variations of lacrosse and ringette - is always a welcome relief from whatever misery the world is throwing at her. Over long winters, she's taken up just about every snow or ice based pastime her people or the Europeans have come up with, and generally has fond things to say about every one of them. Mostly, though, it's the opportunity to interact with her people that she values. She doesn't make a deal out of who she is, neither boasting it or hiding it. On the whole, when people know, it's well received. But it still seems humbler, quieter, to her, to use a common name. Her philosophy is that she's just another Canadian, albeit one with more influence and ties to the country than is easy to explain.
Margaret Williams also comes out when Canada wants to do things with her people that are less fun than sports. In both major wars of the twentieth century, she serves the Allies as Private Williams, field nurse, with a little bit of paper shuffling involved so it wouldn't be obvious she was the same, and hadn't looked like she'd aged a day. Her personal need to involve herself don't end there, dressing in men's fatigues on more than one occasion to visit Canadian troops in the trenches or, fatefully, the D-Day landing. Although she suspects at least the other Allies know she does this, she doesn't discuss it with them, nor even really with the soldiers en masse. This is her people dying, so it's her business what she does to help.
She likes to help. And even when she doesn't have immediate reason to, she likes to plan to be happy and the best she can be for her citizens, too. Canada tries to balance the cynicism of her worldly experiences with the optimism of her youth. Usually, this works. It's enough to keep her going, to make her keep an eye out for the injustices of the universe while still finding time for the beauty of it.
Abilities: As one of those country things, Canada's well-being is all about her land and people. She's incredibly slow to age and also significantly stronger and possessing higher endurance levels than the average human woman would, provided she stays "connected" to her home. She's also all but impossible to kill in this state.
Sample Entry: This post from queenofheartsrp.