Application for thewake

[tenderlands]

Personal Information
Name: Rachi
Age: 23
Personal Journal: mondragon
Email/Plurk: rachelrp2@gmail.com, rachiru
Current Character(s): N/A

Character Information
Character Name: Netherlands
Fandom: Axis Powers Hetalia
Source: Character Wiki Page

Character History: (A very concise timeline of important historical points in Dutch history (that is incomplete, orz) can be viewed here.)

Netherlands' history is rooted deeply in the glorified eternal struggle for freedom. The Germanic-born Batavians, one of the first peoples to settle in what is now the modern Netherlands, fought aggressively for their freedom once the Romans came and attempted to enslave them. Although inevitably defeated, the Batavian's passionate struggle acted as an inspiration for Netherlands and his people throughout history, instilling within him a drive to always fight for fair rights and his personal freedoms. Even today, "Batavian" is a term sometimes used to describe the Dutch, and they are seen as the true forefathers of the Dutch people.

His inherent passion for freedom shaped Netherlands into a very rebellious young man from an early age, which would become apparent in later centuries.

In his earliest centuries, Netherlands was a complacent nation living meagerly through the agricultural efforts of his unforgiving wetlands. Although he had very little in terms of development and wealth, he was content, not knowing of any other kind of life. However, his younger sister Belgium had become incredibly prosperous and wealthy over a short period of time, unbeknownst to him, and upon visiting her home and experiencing all her prosperity, he became enraptured with the comforts of wealth and desired more for himself. Due to his direct ties to the sea he fell easily into trade with other nations, and his intelligence lead him to quickly mastering the art of doing business. His sister blames herself largely for his unwavering, no-nonsense fixation on business and feels guilty over it, as Netherlands developed into a significantly less personable individual because of it.

Character Personality: Being a rebellious, freedom-loving individual throughout his life, Netherlands is often rough in his mannerisms and speech, as he behaves honestly, only as he wants. Indeed, one of the first things a person may notice about him is his laidback, almost brutally blunt way of speech. He values honest communication for its efficiency and finds pleasantries tedious. He finds absolutely nothing wrong with telling someone like it is, which may make him seem rude or condescending to others, even if he doesn't mean to be that way. If your haircut sucks, he will tell you, and he has no qualms about calling you a fucking moron if he believes it to be true.

Aside from being the embodiment of a nation, Netherlands is first and foremost a skilled businessman at heart, and he takes business more seriously than most. For most of his existence he has relied heavily on trade and negotiation with other nations to sustain his economy and his people, and for a while his country had served as the central trading hub of Europe. While that is no longer the case, his skills are such that his country remains one of the world's top trading centers to this day. In addition to his passion for liberties, it is his successes in trade that have largely shaped his personality.

When it comes to the process of it all, Netherlands is strict, firm, and unwavering in his negotiations; he refuses to make a deal or comply with someone's plans if it does not bring him the profit he desires. He may come off as overbearing or intimidating to others because of this, but he could honestly not care less about others' opinions of him. To him, personal gain comes first and foremost- it's how he's managed to survive and prosper all his life- and he will refuse to go out of his way to do something if it does not benefit him in some way- not out of laziness, but out of efficiency. "Money makes the world go 'round," he would say. He is also extremely frugal with his money, more apt to save up a fortune than spend his wealth on anyone or anything.

This kind of behavior got him into quite a few disputes in earlier centuries, notably the 16th and 17th centuries when the Global Expansion craze was at its peak, and Netherlands engrossed himself in staking territorial claims and raking in a fortune. His desire for wealth and power had grown so much that he had resorted to underhanded tactics- at at times physical violence- to maintain defense and authority over his colonies and deplete their resources for his trade- Anything to make a profit, to come out on top. Having then recently come out of a war with Spain and utilizing his newfound independence, he was a very rebellious and wildhearted individual, consumed by the prospect of wealth. Most of his efforts ultimately ended disastrously, with wars and rebellion and his former colonies cutting ties with him. He has since recognized his errors and has mellowed out somewhat from his younger days, although his stiff, no-nonsense attitude for doing business is a hard habit to break. Netherlands certainly harbors some regrets from his past actions- convinced he would have done some things differently given the chance. There is a reason why his Golden Age is often referred to as an 'embarrassment of riches'.

It isn't surprising, knowing the less-than-positive reputation he had earned himself in those earlier centuries, that his relationships with other nations today are steady at best. He currently gets along with most nations peaceably, but the number of meaningful relationships he actively maintains amongst them are staggeringly few. Most of his relationships are strictly professional- all for business and further stimulating his economy, much like before. This does not bother him. But even his closer ties- like family- are kept at arm's length. Past disputes with his siblings had driven him to become wholly self-reliant, and he struggles to emotionally invest himself in other nations nowadays.

Once a joined collective with his younger siblings (present-day Belgium and Luxembourg) as the Low Countries, their relationship had grown strained over the course of the centuries as other nations vied for control over them. It was notably during Spanish Habsburg rule that they were driven further apart. As Netherlands' relationship with Spain grew bitter (and remains bitter to this day), due to religious and economic oppression, his relationship with Belgium grew strained as well, as she still shared many ideals with Spain. When Netherlands broke away to claim his own independence, he asked Belgium to stay with him, but she ultimately sided with Spain. This tarnished the trust and connection they had once shared.

After a time, there was a period where Netherlands reunited the two countries as a single nation, the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, as a final effort to reestablish old ties. But because of their vastly different religious and economical views, the relationship didn't work, and his sister declared independence from him shortly after the union.

Currently, Netherlands' relationship with his siblings is not how it used to be. There's no end to the deliberate, condescending teasing and bullying (largely from his end), but although Netherlands seems to keep emotionally distant, there are still instances where he shows the kind compassion he once had for his siblings. He expresses no sincere hate in their relationship.

As far as bad relationships go, Spain receives the brunt of Netherlands' hate. To this day he refuses to willingly communicate with Spain if he can help it, and any interaction between them usually ends with violence on his end.

Netherlands really keeps to himself most of the time. Over the years and the hardships he has learned to rely solely on himself, and for the most part, he prefers it this way. If one were to get to know him, though, they would discover that he is actually a pretty relaxed guy outside of work. Having a smoke, gardening, or simply enjoying the peacefulness of his home are small pleasantries that he enjoys. He isn't opposed to interaction or conversation with others by any means, however, so long as they're reasonable, intelligent individuals. Loud or obnoxious people annoy him to no end, and this is a surefire way to grate his nerves and flare his temper (although he still has some reluctant friendships with nations with these kinds of disagreeable personalities).

As far as his interests and hobbies go, they vary from the mundane to the unusual. His interest in small, cute things is something people don't peg him for initially. Children and animals- rabbits in particular- are surefire ways to reduce him to mush. He even owns a pet rabbit himself- one of the few day-to-day companions he keeps (but won't be coming with him to the Wake). And certainly the majority of his fellow nations don't seem to find it normal for a man to have an interest in gardening and cultivating flowers, but he takes great pride in it. He is also a heavy drinker and a chain-smoker, and sometimes that isn't tobacco he's smoking. As his relaxed drug policy shows, he thinks nothing of using some types of drugs. It's all good.

All in all, Netherlands is an intelligent, but rough and ambitious, freedom-loving man with a simpler, softer side. Don't call him sensitive, though.

Powers and Abilities: There are certain qualities a country possesses that make them different from the average human. These qualities include:

- Immortality: Countries are directly tied to their people, and so long as their people are alive, they will live, too. They can only die if their country is dissolved completely. They are still prone to illness and injury, however, depending on the current state of their country. A bad economy, for example, translates into a cold. A natural disaster or war takes its toll on their bodies.
- Slow aging: Being virtually immortal means that countries live for upwards of several millennia, yet they show only the slightest physical aging over time in comparison to humans. The speed of physical aging differs between countries.
- Above average strength: Physical strength usually depends on the strength of the nation itself, and so it varies. In Netherlands' case, he is moderately physically stronger than the average human, although not to the extent where he would be considered vastly 'superhuman'.

Other skills that Netherlands possesses:

- Business, Marketing & Investment: These are the skills that earned him his prosperity and infamy centuries ago. He is very adept at reading people and calculating how a prospective situation can be turned in his favor. He is also skilled at persuasion and negotiation. He's also incredibly frugal with money, preferring to quietly accumulate a fortune rather than actually spending his wealth.
- Gardening: Netherlands has a knack for gardening and knows how to properly grow and care for a variety of plants. Flowers, especially. He is famous for his tulips.
- Military/Survival/Weaponry skills: Being a nation, he has endured numerous wars and battles and has gained knowledge of the mechanics of military tactics and regulations. He is able to hold himself well in desperate survival situations, and he is skilled with various weaponry, including swords and firearms.


Samples
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