Character Survey Part the First
SO. This is like the third or fourth time I've tried to fill out this thing. But look at me I finally did it! ...Except then it was too long for LJ. Bastards. In any event enjoy this and the next post because apparently I'm tl;dr like no one ever was.
Body and Appearance
1. Describe the character's height and build. Is she heavyset, thin, short, rangy?
She’s about 165cm. The average height for women is apparently 166-167cm which is how some of the male nation’s heights were determined so we’re gonna go with that for a basis. Due to childhood malnutrition Prussias are a few centimeters shorter than their Germanies and Julchen is no exception to this rule. She’s actually quite tall in the grand scheme of things but since she’s shorter than a lot of her family members and her worst enemy she feels very short. Unlike her male counterpart she continues to train every day so she is slim and trim and not gaining any retirement pudge, then again her aforementioned malnutrition might also be keeping her from building up fat. Like the males, she is less ‘built’ than Germany but she still has noticeable muscle.
2. How old is she?
Technically, as the moe anthropomorphism of the country of Prussia and the Teutonic Knights before that, she’s over a thousand years old. However, her physical appearance is that of a young woman in her early twenties. Given the canon “human” ages of some of her close friends and relatives as a guide I would place her at roughly 25 in human years.
3. Describe her posture. Does she carry himself well or does she slouch?
As one of the great military powers of the 18th-20th centuries, she has soldier straight military posture, when she feels like it. She is very proud and carries herself confidently, so she doesn't slouch by any means, however, part of loosing her kingdom has caused her to relax in a lot of ways including in her strict military posture. She definitely looks more laid-back and relaxed compared to her sister, but if the need arises she can snap back to attention at a moment’s notice.
4. How is her health? Is she fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities?
Generally speaking her health is very good. As a nation, her health and physical strength are tied into Germany’s economy and military might. So she while she may be weaker and more prone to sickness than her sister (East Germany is not prospering as well as West Germany for several reason I’m not getting into here) she’s certainly better off than the rest of Europe at the moment. However, historically she’s had quite a few problems. As a child she was malnourished, contributing to the height difference between her and her sister. Additionally, the end of World War II hit her particularly hard. Between loosing her nation and becoming East Germany and taking on their burdens, she spent the late 1940s until the early 1990s in a perpetual state of weak, tired and often sick. Though in one of her official art doodles she has a cane I really can’t see her as having a limp or any kind of leg disability, she’s able bodied until proven otherwise.
5. How does she move? Is she clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid?
Generally speaking she’s like the goddamn energizer bunny. She’s easily excitable if something piqued her interest and will run from Berlin to Vienna and back just for a prank. Unlike most nations, she was a military power first and a nation second (i.e. she was born to fight, not so much politics) so while she can be fluid and graceful on the battlefield, in certain social situations she can be clumsier than the Italies, especially if Hungary or Austria are involved.
6. How attractive is this character physically? How does she perceive himself in the mirror?
Well I find her hot, which is why I picked her, but her feelings are rather complicated. If you ask her she’ll inform you that she’s the hottest goddamn nation on Earth but she’s really not quite that confident. Not to say she finds herself unattractive, or that she’s insecure to the point of shyness, but she has conflicted feelings about how she looks. As a child she was ostracized because of the color of her hair and eyes. It didn’t help that at the time she dressed and acted like a man so she was never really an object of affection. Nowadays she legitimately thinks her eyes are the coolest shit and since she’s grown out her hair she’s come to terms with it's color as well as her own inherent femininity. However, the awesome scar on her cheek sometimes makes her question how others perceive her and she can be over sensitive about her face because of it. I would say to other nations she’s plenty attractive physically, especially now that she looks and dresses more feminine (not to say she was inherently unattractive when she was masculine but it’s more that when she accepted it was okay to be feminine she also started to care about her appearance which always makes you attractive to others regardless of if you’re masculine or feminine), but her personality might be too intense for anyone interested in her.
7. Describe her complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred?
Pale, pale, pale, PALE. Practically vampiric at this point really. However, it doesn’t look sickly in anyway and actually suits her light coloring quite nicely. Even back when she was an active military power and on the battlefield out in the open for the majority of her life, she always managed to keep her noble pale skin tone thanks to the giant hats and ridiculously covering clothes they used to wear back in the day. She does have a lot of scars, from her days as a knight and a kingdom, though most of them have faded over the centuries and are thin white lines. The most noticeable scar she has in on her right cheek, in between her eye and mouth. She acts cocky and proud of it most of the time, and generally speaking that’s how she genuinely feels, but she can be self-conscious about it especially concerning her attractiveness to others.
8. Describe her hair: color, texture, style.
Her hair is white, but not elderly person white, it’s naturally that color and light enough that in the sunlight it almost looks silver. Because she’s an animu. If I tried to give her a real person color I’d say very very light dusty blonde. Since she has a bird that rests on the top of her head, her hair is incredibly soft and clean. Nowadays her hair is long, all the way down past her ass, however, she only started growing it out in the 18th century. Before that she used to have her hair so short it was bordering on a military buzz cut. Most likely reason for this is that she first existed as a Knight in the 13th century and it was easier for her to dress like a boy.
9. What color are her eyes?
Her eyes are blue and purple. Not one eye is blue and one eye is purple, but both eyes are both colors. They start out purple and then get progressively lighter until they are blue at the bottom of her eyes. As a child she was often ostracized because of them, since humans were suspicious and superstitious during those time periods. Nowadays though she thinks they are the coolest things on the planet.
10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features?
Nope.
11. What are her chief tension centers?
Her chief tension centers are probably her shoulders. Her military posture is still deeply ingrained in her, and so while she might be more relaxed than her sister, when she’s stressed, nervous or caught off guard in any way her natural instinct is to tense her shoulders and get back to perfect straight military attention.
12. What is the character's wardrobe like? Casual, dressy, utilitarian? Bright colors, pastels, neutrals? Is it varied, or does she have six of the same suit?
Her official outfit is a blue military jacket, seen on male Prussia during the War of Austrian Succession, over a white blouse with a cravat and a black mini-skirt and thigh-high, white, lace up boots. When she’s wearing other clothing she tends to stick to cool colors but otherwise has no preferred style. Her closet is huuuuuuge and she probably has a little bit of everything. She can dress professionally and put together and then the next day she’s in leather and fishnet. She’s a sucker for fads because she likes being popular. There’s really no “Julchen style.” The only thing she balks at is dresses, and even those she can tolerate depending on the type. She has bad memories from when women used to be squeezed in corsets, and Austria and France tease her so much about her style of dress it’s almost more stubbornness that keeps her out of them. But sundresses are better than formal gowns. Basically if she either has ease of movement, and/or she can show off her legs, then she’s happy.
13. Do her clothes fit well? Does she seem comfortable in them?
Yes her clothes fit well. Almost too well but the large jacket keeps the tight shirt and tight mini-skirt from being horribly obscene. She’s comfortable in pretty much anything, even typically embarrassing outfits like when she was forced to be a bunny waiter. It depends more on her mood what is too much and what is comfy, less than how it fits.
14. Does she dress the same on the job as she does in his free time? If not, what are the differences?
Her official outfit is her casual clothing, but if she’s feeling lazy she’ll wear jeans and a t-shirt and/or hoodie depending on the weather. Since she was only a world power during wartime of the past these are also her business clothes so to speak, and to be frank she’s a lot more comfortable in military uniforms (even unmodified ones where she’s in pants) than the current day business suits. She’ll still wear those at meetings, preferring skirts to pantsuits because fuck you showing off her sexy awesome legs is not setting feminism back, but they’re not her favorite.
15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando?
Panties, but male Prussia is boxers or commando depending on how lazy he feels.
Speech
1. What does this character's voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse?
I have such a hard time deciding what she sounds like. Probably a little hoarse from all the yelling and screaming she does but other than that I’ve got nothing.
2. How does she normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does she talk easily, or does she hesitate?
She talks loud and fast. Most people find her very annoying once she’s opened her mouth and she doesn’t really care. She talks very easily, and will talk your ear off if you listen. Her favorite thing to do is tell stories about her glory days, especially to Germany.
3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics?
She has a Prussian lilt. It’s very hard to explain because it’s not a real thing anymore, something that existed when Prussia was actually a thing. Basically it’s an old type of Berlin-Brandenburgisch kind of that came off to other German-speakers at the time (and probably their sisters and Austria still) as indicating being a member of the military Junker, in other words low-class. Prussian accents are always described as being distinct and very noticeable to both German and English speakers, so I see hers as having been very strong back in the day. Nowadays, as Eastern Germany, her Prussian accent is more of a lilt and is getting less and less pronounced as time goes on. However, since Prussia has been disbanded since the end of World War II, to normal German speakers it makes her sound like an old lady, which is probably quite off putting or at the least confusing given her physical appearance. Her most noticeable verbal tick is being self-referential; this comes in two forms, the first “the [adjective- usually cool or awesome] me” and the second “the [adjective] as a little [animal- usually bird] me” She also has a peculiar laugh- kesesesese- that I for the life of me cannot reproduce, but actually does sound like laughter if you watch the anime.
4. What language/s does she speak, and with how much fluency?
German: Native
Latin: Native- however, as Latin as a spoken language was lost a long time ago I imagine she can’t actually understand when humans (in church and so forth) attempt to “speak” it because it’s probably all wrong. But she can still read fluently of course.
French: Fluent- while she was a kingdom French was the lingua franca and it was very important to know it, especially since she was often at war with France. In addition her favorite boss Frederick II was a Francophile and insisted that everyone in the royal court spoke French. She kept it up both in his honor and because despite all they’ve been through France is one of her best friends, though every once in a while her French is dated and she teases her mercilessly.
Russian: Advanced to Fluent- though she will never, ever admit this and tries very hard to forget Russian. I don’t know the statistics in East Germany, but I did hear an interesting anecdote from a Hungarian who grew up in the Soviet Union and yet despite being educated in Russian all her life she and all of her friends can’t even read Cyrillic. The thing is, if you force language education it rarely works, and I can see nations like East Germany and Hungary actively refusing to learn Russian like their citizens, HOWEVER, as pretty much the inventor of foreign language education I can also imagine Prussia absorbs them like a sponge and became fluent despite her efforts. Language is a huge YMMV issue though since it’s so tied to culture though so I try to be as sensitive as possible when she’s spitting acid about it.
English: Advanced- since the Wall came down she’s been learning English, since it’s now the lingua franca. She can read it a lot better than she can speak it because it’s so close to German and playing videogames with America all the time helps but her accent is so horribly thick, especially compared to Germany, that it’s just not worth it half the time to try.
Polish: Intermediate- except for communicating with humans when she’s visiting Poland she hasn’t really spoken Polish since the 1600s, and she never speaks to Poland in it, so naturally her fluency has decreased over time. That and what she remembers is probably terribly, incomprehensibly dated but I know nothing about the evolution of Polish so I can’t comment to how that affects her fluency.
Lithuanian: Intermediate- see above.
Japanese: Beginner- despite being inseparable from Japan, Japanese is hard. She tries. She really does but it’s a mystery to her. Her speaking is leagues ahead of her reading and writing though.
Old Prussian: ???- This is really hard for me to gauge. Let’s be clear about one thing though, according to canon before she was the Teutonic Knights she was St. Mary’s Hospital in Jerusalem; she was not ever Old Prussia in any sense and certainly not linguistically. (Unless Himaruya says Old Prussia was that “cold place” Prussia was born in but then was adopted by Germania and eventually ended up in Jerusalem before he could become its personification it just does not make sense for her to have been Old Prussia, and my HC is that she killed them and took their name.) All that being said, before, during, and after the invasion and take over a section of the Knights were taught Old Prussian so they could communicate with the locals, and with Julchen’s love of learning I can see her being one of them. But it’s also a dead language, so there’s no speaking opportunity, and I’d imagine with all that time of not using she’d have to concentrate really hard to interpret written text. However, it’s not accurate to call her a beginner because it’s all in there, just lost and hard for her to pull back.
Hebrew and Arabic: ???- My understanding is that as the hospital in Jerusalem was for German/Germanic pilgrims to heal and rest, as a child Prussia would have been very isolated from the locals who spoke these languages, stuck in a German and Latin bubble of her own people so to speak. However, she did go out and crusade, and she was in these areas as a child when one’s subconscious picks up languages very easily, even if she’s not being directly spoken to. So I think the languages might sound familiar to her, nostalgic and recognizable on a subconscious level but she’d really struggle to communicate in them.
5. Does she switch languages or dialects in certain situations?
Not really. I subscribe to the headcanon that all nations speak “nation” when they’re together at world meetings and such so I suppose she switches between German with her family nations and that with the others. Other than that, if they’re not speaking “nation” I imagine she’s more likely to speak to France in French than France is to speak to her in German. Also if she’s really angry/threatened she’ll speak to Russia in German, because language is one of our greatest security blankets.
6. Is she a good impromptu speaker, or does she have to think about her words?
It depends on the situation. Generally she speaks without thinking, just says whatever is on her mind without regards to how it might affect other people she’s talking to. So she really should think about her words more. On the other hand, when she’s serious, like in war for example, she can give a damn good speech to rally the troops without a second thought.
7. Is she eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change?
No one would describe her as eloquent but I wouldn’t go as far as to say inarticulate either. She just kind of blurts out the first thing that pops into her head most of the time, so she talks well enough to be understood but the quality of what she says is not always that great. Though if she gets really really flustered she becomes a stuttering mess.
Mental and Emotional
1. How intelligent is this character? Is she book-smart or street-smart?
Highly intelligent, though her obnoxious behavior makes it hard for anyone who isn’t close to her to realize this. She’s most well known for her street-smarts, or rather war-smarts, she’s a strategist and even in the modern day that part of her brain is always going, always considering all her options even when it doesn't seem like she’s thinking at all. Prussia is even called a genius by Himaruya in this aspect. But, and this is the biggest difference between her and her male counterpart, she is a bookworm and extremely book-smart as well. If she wasn’t so egotistical and bouncing around in everyone’s faces all the time with her ‘greatness’ I feel like a lot more nations would respect her intelligence because having both is actually pretty rare in their canon.
2. Does she think on his feet, or does she need time to deliberate?
Generally she can think on her feet pretty well if it’s a war or fighting situation, she was born to fight and her strategical genius is ingrained very deep in her. However, on the political, social, and academic front she needs more time to think. She’s well read and bright but she has a severe case of her mouth running away from her brain so except for insults and quick comebacks it’s probably best she deliberate in 90% of her life.
3. Describe the character's thought process. Is she more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical?
A mix. It depends. She’s very contradictory and multi-faced in her behavior. She is logical but she’s not cold hard logic no substitution like her sister. Intuition is also very important, and it’s her ability to balance intuition and logic that probably got her labeled a genius. For serious things she’s practical, for silly stuff she’s idealistic. Despite everything that has happened to her she is optimistic, but she’s not delusional either, and even if she talks big she knows her limits and how the world around her works.
4. What kind of education has the character had?
A very varied one. Her earliest ‘education’ was basic fighting and survival skills from her mother figure, Germania. Then as she lived as a hospital she was probably taught basic medical skills, continued her training as a fighter, and since it was religious organization it was most likely her first exposure to Christianity. As the Teutonic Knights her education was entirely on how to fight as a knight and crusader, and on Christian scripture. Though the former was more important than the latter, she was fairly well indoctrinated as she was just a child and her existence literally relied on their cause. As Duchy I’ve adopted JFen’s headcanon that she was a nun (to match Gilbert’s priestish outfit) so more Christian scripture education, but she also learned some slightly more valuable things like philosophy and debate and things, so she could talk about scripture of course but she put it to use in other ways later. Sometime around here is where she started learning foreign languages too, as her bosses were no longer native German and Latin like her. Her first real education was under Fritz as the Kingdom of Prussia. It was a time of cultural reform and educational reform in Prussia and likewise the Kingdom was to be educated as her people. She was forced to take what I call “lady lessons” those skills women of the time period were educated in, in order to be considered properly educated. This includes sewing, cooking, dancing, music, painting, poetry, and things of that nature. Some areas had more success than others obviously, and though she complained at the time she’s ultimately glad she was “educated.” And of course she has other education too then, nation privilege and all, military theory, political theory, more philosophy, literature, French, etc etc. After that she was pretty much free to do as she pleased with regards to education. She loves books and constantly has one on her, but if she wants to learn something she has to be interested in it otherwise it’s unbearable torture.
5. What are her areas of expertise? What, if anything, is she interested in learning more about?
War and military matters. Other than that, and even including that, Prussia is best described as a jack-of-all-trades master of none. She loves new technology, constantly grabbing at new toys to play with, so she’s never really cultivated a skill of her own. There are several things she’s good at, but there’s always someone better. Outside of military strategy she’s not someone you go to for advice or guidance. If something catches her interest she’ll learn all about it full force, total excitement and motivation, until she sneezes and forgets what she was doing. Lots of things catch her interest for a little bit, but there’s not much she’s dying to know long-term.
6. Is she an introvert or an extrovert?
Extrovert.
7. Describe the character's temperament. Is she even-tempered or does she have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven?
Mood swings, I guess, but not in an unstable way if that makes any sense. She’s generally cheerful and full of energy and running around claiming how awesome she and everything she does is. But, she’s quick to anger if someone upsets her, quick to turn on the puppy eyes to get her way. She used to be very driven, now that she’s got no political future except inevitable death somewhere along the line she’s fairly laid back. I strongly disagree that she’s a NEET, the way Prussias are often portrayed, but there’s no need to go War of Austrian Succession on someone every time she wants something.
8. How does she respond to new people or situations? Is she suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic?
She loves people, meeting people, hanging out, you name it! Trying new things too, she’ll try anything once, especially if it’s supposedly cool!
9. Is she more likely to act, or to react?
Act.
10. Which is her default: fight or flight?
Fight. Unless you’re Russia. And sometimes even if you are Russia, but that has never ended well.
11. Describe the character's sense of humor. Does she appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks?
She can appreciate jokes, unless they’re on her. And she’s pretty receptive to all kinds of jokes, she certainly tells all kinds depending on her mood. Very rarely though, her old conservative upbringing will rear it’s head and she’ll freak at dirty jokes, but she also tells them a lot too so she’s not very consistent in her humor.
12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does she deal with them?
I hate how stereotypical this is because all of fandom ever blows this out of proportion BUT yes. Prussia has admitted to having depression, and since women are more likely to get depression than men I’d imagine Julchen would have it too. Her only commentary on it (well his but you know, whatever) is that she doesn’t get it, why she has it etc etc. So yeah a part of her obnoxious behavior is to mask her ~pain, however, I don’t think it’s mask in the sense of “no one must know” I think it’s in the sense of “if I act normal it’ll go away” because this is something she’s only had since WWII (or maybe even just since reunification) so it’s not like she’s been ~suffering for centuries or that it explains why she was an insufferable ass in 1741 etc etc. She’s too proud for therapy or medication and clearly is at the denial stage.
13. What moments in this character's life have defined her as a person?
In no particular order: The reign of Frederick the Great, the German Confederation and the German unification wars, the Battle of Grunwald, Brandenburg-Prussia, WWII and its aftermath, Reunification. I think every major conflict or policy move shapes a nation one way or another but those are kind of the big over arching events that caused Prussia (both the state and the character) the most change.
14. What does she fear?
Being alone, rejection, that Germany agrees with the Allied Council and thinks she was a bad influence or in other ways did wrong by raising her, being forgotten, that she’s a burden to her family, that people wish it were true when they say she’s not a nation (yes she’s a region but generally the distinction isn’t made unless to pick on her), that Fritz is disappointed in her, that Germania is disappointed in her. Surprisingly, not death. She feared the hell out of it from 1947-1949, it was probably the most religious she’d been since she was Teuton, but even after reunification she’s secure in the fact her people are culturally distinct enough that she has purpose/validity in this world.
15. What are her hopes or aspirations?
A part of her says that she’ll become her own nation again, but the sheer magnitude of political catastrophe that would make that happen is something she’d never wish on her sister no matter how thick the “wall of their hearts” is. So I guess her real hope is that she and Germany can get rid of that wall entirely like their people want, without it killing her.
16. What is something she doesn't want anyone to find out about her?
She really doesn’t want people to find out about her insecurity. This is slightly different from her depression, but she is as insecure as she is egotistical and that can be used against her and she knows it. Her being depressed is new, and she doesn’t understand it so it’s hard to wield as a weapon against her, but she’s been insecure her whole life and playing on it can seriously hurt her in ways nothing else really can anymore.
Relationships
1. Describe this character's relationship with her parents.
Aside from theoretical human parents because there’s been no expansion on all of that, there’s just her mother figure Germania. Their relationship was complex. She loves and respects and idolizes her mother, and in some respects misses her a lot. However, times were rough, there where no real guides to child rearing, and although Germania loves her children she was a very cold, no nonsense person. They clashed and fought a lot. Julchen was spanked more often than she wasn’t, sometimes denied food or clothes or bedding, or worse depending on her behavior. Germania was trying to teach discipline and respect, but Julchen was high energy and needed to push her boundaries to learn them. There was a lot of screaming and tears between them too, but at the end of the day nothing was more comforting at night than being allowed to sleep on her mother’s breast and let her heart beat chase the nightmares away. When she was a kid getting her scar like her mom made her so proud, and she’s still proud of it to this day, even when it causes her little insecurities pride wins out in the end because even being like Germania a little bit is a huge accomplishment. Even if Germania calls her mean names she wishes she’d visit more like Rome does…
2. Does the character have any siblings? What is/was their relationship like?
A buttload. The German family is huge. Just going through canon designed and/or name dropped siblings:
Germany: Her youngest (maybe) sister, whom she loves more than herself. Which shouldn’t technically be possible for nations, considering what they are, but Prussia literally put her life in Germany’s hands and for better or worse that speaks for how much she loves and trusts her sister. This is not to say they are perfect sunshine and roses siblings, far from it in fact. They can be seen yelling and fighting more often than not, and usually getting physically violent. But at the end of the day, they’re good friends, drinking buddies in fact, and they would do anything to protect the other. However, the only reason Prussia is still alive after reunification is because there is a “wall in their hearts”. Germany is easily frustrated with her, and though Prussia doesn’t like admitting it there are times when she is resentful towards Germany. Prussia gets Ostalgie still, and sometimes thinks being an “independent” nation under Russia was better than being a dependent region of Germany is. Usually seeing Russia will shake her out of it, but the underlying feelings that Germany just pities her and doesn’t take her seriously are still there. She raised Germany more or less by herself Austria, what Austria, watched all of her triumphs and failures, so she feels responsible for her and wants to be the big sister more often again but her obnoxious behavior usually means Germany has to be the “older” one.
Holy Roman Empire: Her older sister who is heavily implied to in some way be connected to Germany, either as a reincarnation or her grown up with amnesia. The two grew up together and were the closest of the German siblings as children. However, HRE had a weak constitution and aged a lot slower than Prussia. Even though she stayed small while Prussia grew more or less normally they would fight, argue, rough house, all through out their lives. There’s always a soft spot in her heart for her, and she would worry endlessly when she was sick. Although there’s no open resentment, Prussia does blame Austria and her sisters for her “death.”
Saxony: Her (probably) oldest sister. Saxony reminds Prussia in a lot of ways of their mother, from her looks to her attitude. She’s kind of become the new “mother” of the German sisters just from how goddamn old she is, and out of pure stubbornness. Just like with their actual mother, Prussia’s brand of stubbornness often butts heads with Saxony’s. Historically in every major battle in the Kingdom of Prussia’s history, when Saxony was involved they were on opposing sides, which adds to their tense relations. They’re still sisters, and they still have each other’s back at the end of the day, but Prussia would rather spend time with pretty much any of their other sisters before Saxony.
Bavaria: Another older sister. The exception to Prussia’s “anyone but Saxony” attitude is Bavaria. Despite the fact that she’s sweet, fun-loving, and just wants to have a good time, they don’t get along. At all. Bavaria and her dialect has lots of Prussian based insults and Prussia herself spits fire right back. Prussia accuses Bavaria of liking Austria better than the rest of them, which isn’t entirely untrue, and things are tense at best when they’re together. The only time they ever get along is Oktoberfest, Reunification Day, and when someone insults them collectively. However, if anyone picks on Bavaria expect Prussia in their face over it. That’s her job goddamn it.
Hesse: Another sister, Prussia’s age is vague at best and there’s nothing on the German sisters so it’s hard to place older and younger once you get away from the states that have existed for all time like Saxony and Bavaria. I like Prussia being the youngest save Germany but the case could be made either way for a lot of them. Anyway, Hesse is a rambunctious fun-loving sister. She’s one of the sister’s Germany got her stubbornness from, and historically the few times she and Prussia were involved in the same conflicts they were on opposing sides, but at her core she’s a sweetie and so rather than worsen relations like with Saxony and Bavaria she lets the past stay in the past. They don’t see each other often but when they do it’s there’s always a good time.
Holstien: Another sister. Not much is known about her since she was just named dropped by Prussia and doesn’t have an official design, but she’s historically tied with Denmark (perhaps where she gets her Germany obsession from?) and Prussia and Austria fought and shared her during the German Confederation times.
Brandenburg: Another sister. Not much is known about her since she was just named dropped by Prussia and doesn’t have an official design, but she is so heavily tied with Prussia it has to be addressed. This tl;dr is brought to you from a combination of the popular JFen design for male Brandenburg and my own shipping goggles. Despite not being one of the sisters Germany gets her stubbornness from, Brandenburg is quite stubborn and aloof. She’s tall, taller than Russia, and has a long history of tough fighting that gives her kind of that veteran’s coldness. But she’s also quite spontaneous, and just when you think she’s calm and mature she’ll pull a prank that would make Prussia proud and shock those around her. She’s one of the only ones that can put Prussia in line when she’s being too obnoxious and oh man is she scary when she’s angry. She has a serious case of public and private face, and in a lot of ways balances Austria and Germany like personalities with a Prussia like personality. When Prussia settled in, well, Prussia, they became neighbors and started to become close. Brandenburg intimidated her though, even into their marriage. Their marriage, which, despite how good it was for both of them politically and personally, Prussia refuses to call a marriage. Ever. She was a little more willing to admit the truth when they were first married though. Brandenburg built her up so she could have an army again, leading her to invent the standing army, helped her get over her malnutrition, and generally helped her to become more strategic and analytical in her thought and action, something she didn’t have as Teuton but was famous for ever after. With the exception of Fritz no one helped her to grow more. However, as she grew in power they went from sharing power in a personal union (that was a de facto real union but Austria was a cock block) to her taking everything in her name and basically leaving Brandenburg behind as a region with no independent influence. They never technically got divorced, Brandenburg just stopped having power and meaning when the Holy Roman Empire dissolved, so that’s kind of the final nail in the coffin for Prussia using her up. In modern day they’re close, if Germany upsets or angers Prussia enough that she needs to gtfo of Berlin you’ll find her in Potsdam. But part of why she’s more stubborn about insisting they were never married now than in the beginning is out of guilt for her behavior as a Kingdom. For a long time she couldn’t look Brandenburg in eyes without feeling guilt, and she still does to some degree. I also think it permanently secured her vehement hatred of marriage, she fears commitment because of what it does to her. However, at the end of the day if there’s a sister she loves anywhere as much as she loves Germany, it’s Brandenburg.
To be continued...
Body and Appearance
1. Describe the character's height and build. Is she heavyset, thin, short, rangy?
She’s about 165cm. The average height for women is apparently 166-167cm which is how some of the male nation’s heights were determined so we’re gonna go with that for a basis. Due to childhood malnutrition Prussias are a few centimeters shorter than their Germanies and Julchen is no exception to this rule. She’s actually quite tall in the grand scheme of things but since she’s shorter than a lot of her family members and her worst enemy she feels very short. Unlike her male counterpart she continues to train every day so she is slim and trim and not gaining any retirement pudge, then again her aforementioned malnutrition might also be keeping her from building up fat. Like the males, she is less ‘built’ than Germany but she still has noticeable muscle.
2. How old is she?
Technically, as the moe anthropomorphism of the country of Prussia and the Teutonic Knights before that, she’s over a thousand years old. However, her physical appearance is that of a young woman in her early twenties. Given the canon “human” ages of some of her close friends and relatives as a guide I would place her at roughly 25 in human years.
3. Describe her posture. Does she carry himself well or does she slouch?
As one of the great military powers of the 18th-20th centuries, she has soldier straight military posture, when she feels like it. She is very proud and carries herself confidently, so she doesn't slouch by any means, however, part of loosing her kingdom has caused her to relax in a lot of ways including in her strict military posture. She definitely looks more laid-back and relaxed compared to her sister, but if the need arises she can snap back to attention at a moment’s notice.
4. How is her health? Is she fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities?
Generally speaking her health is very good. As a nation, her health and physical strength are tied into Germany’s economy and military might. So she while she may be weaker and more prone to sickness than her sister (East Germany is not prospering as well as West Germany for several reason I’m not getting into here) she’s certainly better off than the rest of Europe at the moment. However, historically she’s had quite a few problems. As a child she was malnourished, contributing to the height difference between her and her sister. Additionally, the end of World War II hit her particularly hard. Between loosing her nation and becoming East Germany and taking on their burdens, she spent the late 1940s until the early 1990s in a perpetual state of weak, tired and often sick. Though in one of her official art doodles she has a cane I really can’t see her as having a limp or any kind of leg disability, she’s able bodied until proven otherwise.
5. How does she move? Is she clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid?
Generally speaking she’s like the goddamn energizer bunny. She’s easily excitable if something piqued her interest and will run from Berlin to Vienna and back just for a prank. Unlike most nations, she was a military power first and a nation second (i.e. she was born to fight, not so much politics) so while she can be fluid and graceful on the battlefield, in certain social situations she can be clumsier than the Italies, especially if Hungary or Austria are involved.
6. How attractive is this character physically? How does she perceive himself in the mirror?
Well I find her hot, which is why I picked her, but her feelings are rather complicated. If you ask her she’ll inform you that she’s the hottest goddamn nation on Earth but she’s really not quite that confident. Not to say she finds herself unattractive, or that she’s insecure to the point of shyness, but she has conflicted feelings about how she looks. As a child she was ostracized because of the color of her hair and eyes. It didn’t help that at the time she dressed and acted like a man so she was never really an object of affection. Nowadays she legitimately thinks her eyes are the coolest shit and since she’s grown out her hair she’s come to terms with it's color as well as her own inherent femininity. However, the awesome scar on her cheek sometimes makes her question how others perceive her and she can be over sensitive about her face because of it. I would say to other nations she’s plenty attractive physically, especially now that she looks and dresses more feminine (not to say she was inherently unattractive when she was masculine but it’s more that when she accepted it was okay to be feminine she also started to care about her appearance which always makes you attractive to others regardless of if you’re masculine or feminine), but her personality might be too intense for anyone interested in her.
7. Describe her complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred?
Pale, pale, pale, PALE. Practically vampiric at this point really. However, it doesn’t look sickly in anyway and actually suits her light coloring quite nicely. Even back when she was an active military power and on the battlefield out in the open for the majority of her life, she always managed to keep her noble pale skin tone thanks to the giant hats and ridiculously covering clothes they used to wear back in the day. She does have a lot of scars, from her days as a knight and a kingdom, though most of them have faded over the centuries and are thin white lines. The most noticeable scar she has in on her right cheek, in between her eye and mouth. She acts cocky and proud of it most of the time, and generally speaking that’s how she genuinely feels, but she can be self-conscious about it especially concerning her attractiveness to others.
8. Describe her hair: color, texture, style.
Her hair is white, but not elderly person white, it’s naturally that color and light enough that in the sunlight it almost looks silver. Because she’s an animu. If I tried to give her a real person color I’d say very very light dusty blonde. Since she has a bird that rests on the top of her head, her hair is incredibly soft and clean. Nowadays her hair is long, all the way down past her ass, however, she only started growing it out in the 18th century. Before that she used to have her hair so short it was bordering on a military buzz cut. Most likely reason for this is that she first existed as a Knight in the 13th century and it was easier for her to dress like a boy.
9. What color are her eyes?
Her eyes are blue and purple. Not one eye is blue and one eye is purple, but both eyes are both colors. They start out purple and then get progressively lighter until they are blue at the bottom of her eyes. As a child she was often ostracized because of them, since humans were suspicious and superstitious during those time periods. Nowadays though she thinks they are the coolest things on the planet.
10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features?
Nope.
11. What are her chief tension centers?
Her chief tension centers are probably her shoulders. Her military posture is still deeply ingrained in her, and so while she might be more relaxed than her sister, when she’s stressed, nervous or caught off guard in any way her natural instinct is to tense her shoulders and get back to perfect straight military attention.
12. What is the character's wardrobe like? Casual, dressy, utilitarian? Bright colors, pastels, neutrals? Is it varied, or does she have six of the same suit?
Her official outfit is a blue military jacket, seen on male Prussia during the War of Austrian Succession, over a white blouse with a cravat and a black mini-skirt and thigh-high, white, lace up boots. When she’s wearing other clothing she tends to stick to cool colors but otherwise has no preferred style. Her closet is huuuuuuge and she probably has a little bit of everything. She can dress professionally and put together and then the next day she’s in leather and fishnet. She’s a sucker for fads because she likes being popular. There’s really no “Julchen style.” The only thing she balks at is dresses, and even those she can tolerate depending on the type. She has bad memories from when women used to be squeezed in corsets, and Austria and France tease her so much about her style of dress it’s almost more stubbornness that keeps her out of them. But sundresses are better than formal gowns. Basically if she either has ease of movement, and/or she can show off her legs, then she’s happy.
13. Do her clothes fit well? Does she seem comfortable in them?
Yes her clothes fit well. Almost too well but the large jacket keeps the tight shirt and tight mini-skirt from being horribly obscene. She’s comfortable in pretty much anything, even typically embarrassing outfits like when she was forced to be a bunny waiter. It depends more on her mood what is too much and what is comfy, less than how it fits.
14. Does she dress the same on the job as she does in his free time? If not, what are the differences?
Her official outfit is her casual clothing, but if she’s feeling lazy she’ll wear jeans and a t-shirt and/or hoodie depending on the weather. Since she was only a world power during wartime of the past these are also her business clothes so to speak, and to be frank she’s a lot more comfortable in military uniforms (even unmodified ones where she’s in pants) than the current day business suits. She’ll still wear those at meetings, preferring skirts to pantsuits because fuck you showing off her sexy awesome legs is not setting feminism back, but they’re not her favorite.
15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando?
Panties, but male Prussia is boxers or commando depending on how lazy he feels.
Speech
1. What does this character's voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse?
I have such a hard time deciding what she sounds like. Probably a little hoarse from all the yelling and screaming she does but other than that I’ve got nothing.
2. How does she normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does she talk easily, or does she hesitate?
She talks loud and fast. Most people find her very annoying once she’s opened her mouth and she doesn’t really care. She talks very easily, and will talk your ear off if you listen. Her favorite thing to do is tell stories about her glory days, especially to Germany.
3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics?
She has a Prussian lilt. It’s very hard to explain because it’s not a real thing anymore, something that existed when Prussia was actually a thing. Basically it’s an old type of Berlin-Brandenburgisch kind of that came off to other German-speakers at the time (and probably their sisters and Austria still) as indicating being a member of the military Junker, in other words low-class. Prussian accents are always described as being distinct and very noticeable to both German and English speakers, so I see hers as having been very strong back in the day. Nowadays, as Eastern Germany, her Prussian accent is more of a lilt and is getting less and less pronounced as time goes on. However, since Prussia has been disbanded since the end of World War II, to normal German speakers it makes her sound like an old lady, which is probably quite off putting or at the least confusing given her physical appearance. Her most noticeable verbal tick is being self-referential; this comes in two forms, the first “the [adjective- usually cool or awesome] me” and the second “the [adjective] as a little [animal- usually bird] me” She also has a peculiar laugh- kesesesese- that I for the life of me cannot reproduce, but actually does sound like laughter if you watch the anime.
4. What language/s does she speak, and with how much fluency?
German: Native
Latin: Native- however, as Latin as a spoken language was lost a long time ago I imagine she can’t actually understand when humans (in church and so forth) attempt to “speak” it because it’s probably all wrong. But she can still read fluently of course.
French: Fluent- while she was a kingdom French was the lingua franca and it was very important to know it, especially since she was often at war with France. In addition her favorite boss Frederick II was a Francophile and insisted that everyone in the royal court spoke French. She kept it up both in his honor and because despite all they’ve been through France is one of her best friends, though every once in a while her French is dated and she teases her mercilessly.
Russian: Advanced to Fluent- though she will never, ever admit this and tries very hard to forget Russian. I don’t know the statistics in East Germany, but I did hear an interesting anecdote from a Hungarian who grew up in the Soviet Union and yet despite being educated in Russian all her life she and all of her friends can’t even read Cyrillic. The thing is, if you force language education it rarely works, and I can see nations like East Germany and Hungary actively refusing to learn Russian like their citizens, HOWEVER, as pretty much the inventor of foreign language education I can also imagine Prussia absorbs them like a sponge and became fluent despite her efforts. Language is a huge YMMV issue though since it’s so tied to culture though so I try to be as sensitive as possible when she’s spitting acid about it.
English: Advanced- since the Wall came down she’s been learning English, since it’s now the lingua franca. She can read it a lot better than she can speak it because it’s so close to German and playing videogames with America all the time helps but her accent is so horribly thick, especially compared to Germany, that it’s just not worth it half the time to try.
Polish: Intermediate- except for communicating with humans when she’s visiting Poland she hasn’t really spoken Polish since the 1600s, and she never speaks to Poland in it, so naturally her fluency has decreased over time. That and what she remembers is probably terribly, incomprehensibly dated but I know nothing about the evolution of Polish so I can’t comment to how that affects her fluency.
Lithuanian: Intermediate- see above.
Japanese: Beginner- despite being inseparable from Japan, Japanese is hard. She tries. She really does but it’s a mystery to her. Her speaking is leagues ahead of her reading and writing though.
Old Prussian: ???- This is really hard for me to gauge. Let’s be clear about one thing though, according to canon before she was the Teutonic Knights she was St. Mary’s Hospital in Jerusalem; she was not ever Old Prussia in any sense and certainly not linguistically. (Unless Himaruya says Old Prussia was that “cold place” Prussia was born in but then was adopted by Germania and eventually ended up in Jerusalem before he could become its personification it just does not make sense for her to have been Old Prussia, and my HC is that she killed them and took their name.) All that being said, before, during, and after the invasion and take over a section of the Knights were taught Old Prussian so they could communicate with the locals, and with Julchen’s love of learning I can see her being one of them. But it’s also a dead language, so there’s no speaking opportunity, and I’d imagine with all that time of not using she’d have to concentrate really hard to interpret written text. However, it’s not accurate to call her a beginner because it’s all in there, just lost and hard for her to pull back.
Hebrew and Arabic: ???- My understanding is that as the hospital in Jerusalem was for German/Germanic pilgrims to heal and rest, as a child Prussia would have been very isolated from the locals who spoke these languages, stuck in a German and Latin bubble of her own people so to speak. However, she did go out and crusade, and she was in these areas as a child when one’s subconscious picks up languages very easily, even if she’s not being directly spoken to. So I think the languages might sound familiar to her, nostalgic and recognizable on a subconscious level but she’d really struggle to communicate in them.
5. Does she switch languages or dialects in certain situations?
Not really. I subscribe to the headcanon that all nations speak “nation” when they’re together at world meetings and such so I suppose she switches between German with her family nations and that with the others. Other than that, if they’re not speaking “nation” I imagine she’s more likely to speak to France in French than France is to speak to her in German. Also if she’s really angry/threatened she’ll speak to Russia in German, because language is one of our greatest security blankets.
6. Is she a good impromptu speaker, or does she have to think about her words?
It depends on the situation. Generally she speaks without thinking, just says whatever is on her mind without regards to how it might affect other people she’s talking to. So she really should think about her words more. On the other hand, when she’s serious, like in war for example, she can give a damn good speech to rally the troops without a second thought.
7. Is she eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change?
No one would describe her as eloquent but I wouldn’t go as far as to say inarticulate either. She just kind of blurts out the first thing that pops into her head most of the time, so she talks well enough to be understood but the quality of what she says is not always that great. Though if she gets really really flustered she becomes a stuttering mess.
Mental and Emotional
1. How intelligent is this character? Is she book-smart or street-smart?
Highly intelligent, though her obnoxious behavior makes it hard for anyone who isn’t close to her to realize this. She’s most well known for her street-smarts, or rather war-smarts, she’s a strategist and even in the modern day that part of her brain is always going, always considering all her options even when it doesn't seem like she’s thinking at all. Prussia is even called a genius by Himaruya in this aspect. But, and this is the biggest difference between her and her male counterpart, she is a bookworm and extremely book-smart as well. If she wasn’t so egotistical and bouncing around in everyone’s faces all the time with her ‘greatness’ I feel like a lot more nations would respect her intelligence because having both is actually pretty rare in their canon.
2. Does she think on his feet, or does she need time to deliberate?
Generally she can think on her feet pretty well if it’s a war or fighting situation, she was born to fight and her strategical genius is ingrained very deep in her. However, on the political, social, and academic front she needs more time to think. She’s well read and bright but she has a severe case of her mouth running away from her brain so except for insults and quick comebacks it’s probably best she deliberate in 90% of her life.
3. Describe the character's thought process. Is she more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical?
A mix. It depends. She’s very contradictory and multi-faced in her behavior. She is logical but she’s not cold hard logic no substitution like her sister. Intuition is also very important, and it’s her ability to balance intuition and logic that probably got her labeled a genius. For serious things she’s practical, for silly stuff she’s idealistic. Despite everything that has happened to her she is optimistic, but she’s not delusional either, and even if she talks big she knows her limits and how the world around her works.
4. What kind of education has the character had?
A very varied one. Her earliest ‘education’ was basic fighting and survival skills from her mother figure, Germania. Then as she lived as a hospital she was probably taught basic medical skills, continued her training as a fighter, and since it was religious organization it was most likely her first exposure to Christianity. As the Teutonic Knights her education was entirely on how to fight as a knight and crusader, and on Christian scripture. Though the former was more important than the latter, she was fairly well indoctrinated as she was just a child and her existence literally relied on their cause. As Duchy I’ve adopted JFen’s headcanon that she was a nun (to match Gilbert’s priestish outfit) so more Christian scripture education, but she also learned some slightly more valuable things like philosophy and debate and things, so she could talk about scripture of course but she put it to use in other ways later. Sometime around here is where she started learning foreign languages too, as her bosses were no longer native German and Latin like her. Her first real education was under Fritz as the Kingdom of Prussia. It was a time of cultural reform and educational reform in Prussia and likewise the Kingdom was to be educated as her people. She was forced to take what I call “lady lessons” those skills women of the time period were educated in, in order to be considered properly educated. This includes sewing, cooking, dancing, music, painting, poetry, and things of that nature. Some areas had more success than others obviously, and though she complained at the time she’s ultimately glad she was “educated.” And of course she has other education too then, nation privilege and all, military theory, political theory, more philosophy, literature, French, etc etc. After that she was pretty much free to do as she pleased with regards to education. She loves books and constantly has one on her, but if she wants to learn something she has to be interested in it otherwise it’s unbearable torture.
5. What are her areas of expertise? What, if anything, is she interested in learning more about?
War and military matters. Other than that, and even including that, Prussia is best described as a jack-of-all-trades master of none. She loves new technology, constantly grabbing at new toys to play with, so she’s never really cultivated a skill of her own. There are several things she’s good at, but there’s always someone better. Outside of military strategy she’s not someone you go to for advice or guidance. If something catches her interest she’ll learn all about it full force, total excitement and motivation, until she sneezes and forgets what she was doing. Lots of things catch her interest for a little bit, but there’s not much she’s dying to know long-term.
6. Is she an introvert or an extrovert?
Extrovert.
7. Describe the character's temperament. Is she even-tempered or does she have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven?
Mood swings, I guess, but not in an unstable way if that makes any sense. She’s generally cheerful and full of energy and running around claiming how awesome she and everything she does is. But, she’s quick to anger if someone upsets her, quick to turn on the puppy eyes to get her way. She used to be very driven, now that she’s got no political future except inevitable death somewhere along the line she’s fairly laid back. I strongly disagree that she’s a NEET, the way Prussias are often portrayed, but there’s no need to go War of Austrian Succession on someone every time she wants something.
8. How does she respond to new people or situations? Is she suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic?
She loves people, meeting people, hanging out, you name it! Trying new things too, she’ll try anything once, especially if it’s supposedly cool!
9. Is she more likely to act, or to react?
Act.
10. Which is her default: fight or flight?
Fight. Unless you’re Russia. And sometimes even if you are Russia, but that has never ended well.
11. Describe the character's sense of humor. Does she appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks?
She can appreciate jokes, unless they’re on her. And she’s pretty receptive to all kinds of jokes, she certainly tells all kinds depending on her mood. Very rarely though, her old conservative upbringing will rear it’s head and she’ll freak at dirty jokes, but she also tells them a lot too so she’s not very consistent in her humor.
12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does she deal with them?
I hate how stereotypical this is because all of fandom ever blows this out of proportion BUT yes. Prussia has admitted to having depression, and since women are more likely to get depression than men I’d imagine Julchen would have it too. Her only commentary on it (well his but you know, whatever) is that she doesn’t get it, why she has it etc etc. So yeah a part of her obnoxious behavior is to mask her ~pain, however, I don’t think it’s mask in the sense of “no one must know” I think it’s in the sense of “if I act normal it’ll go away” because this is something she’s only had since WWII (or maybe even just since reunification) so it’s not like she’s been ~suffering for centuries or that it explains why she was an insufferable ass in 1741 etc etc. She’s too proud for therapy or medication and clearly is at the denial stage.
13. What moments in this character's life have defined her as a person?
In no particular order: The reign of Frederick the Great, the German Confederation and the German unification wars, the Battle of Grunwald, Brandenburg-Prussia, WWII and its aftermath, Reunification. I think every major conflict or policy move shapes a nation one way or another but those are kind of the big over arching events that caused Prussia (both the state and the character) the most change.
14. What does she fear?
Being alone, rejection, that Germany agrees with the Allied Council and thinks she was a bad influence or in other ways did wrong by raising her, being forgotten, that she’s a burden to her family, that people wish it were true when they say she’s not a nation (yes she’s a region but generally the distinction isn’t made unless to pick on her), that Fritz is disappointed in her, that Germania is disappointed in her. Surprisingly, not death. She feared the hell out of it from 1947-1949, it was probably the most religious she’d been since she was Teuton, but even after reunification she’s secure in the fact her people are culturally distinct enough that she has purpose/validity in this world.
15. What are her hopes or aspirations?
A part of her says that she’ll become her own nation again, but the sheer magnitude of political catastrophe that would make that happen is something she’d never wish on her sister no matter how thick the “wall of their hearts” is. So I guess her real hope is that she and Germany can get rid of that wall entirely like their people want, without it killing her.
16. What is something she doesn't want anyone to find out about her?
She really doesn’t want people to find out about her insecurity. This is slightly different from her depression, but she is as insecure as she is egotistical and that can be used against her and she knows it. Her being depressed is new, and she doesn’t understand it so it’s hard to wield as a weapon against her, but she’s been insecure her whole life and playing on it can seriously hurt her in ways nothing else really can anymore.
Relationships
1. Describe this character's relationship with her parents.
Aside from theoretical human parents because there’s been no expansion on all of that, there’s just her mother figure Germania. Their relationship was complex. She loves and respects and idolizes her mother, and in some respects misses her a lot. However, times were rough, there where no real guides to child rearing, and although Germania loves her children she was a very cold, no nonsense person. They clashed and fought a lot. Julchen was spanked more often than she wasn’t, sometimes denied food or clothes or bedding, or worse depending on her behavior. Germania was trying to teach discipline and respect, but Julchen was high energy and needed to push her boundaries to learn them. There was a lot of screaming and tears between them too, but at the end of the day nothing was more comforting at night than being allowed to sleep on her mother’s breast and let her heart beat chase the nightmares away. When she was a kid getting her scar like her mom made her so proud, and she’s still proud of it to this day, even when it causes her little insecurities pride wins out in the end because even being like Germania a little bit is a huge accomplishment. Even if Germania calls her mean names she wishes she’d visit more like Rome does…
2. Does the character have any siblings? What is/was their relationship like?
A buttload. The German family is huge. Just going through canon designed and/or name dropped siblings:
Germany: Her youngest (maybe) sister, whom she loves more than herself. Which shouldn’t technically be possible for nations, considering what they are, but Prussia literally put her life in Germany’s hands and for better or worse that speaks for how much she loves and trusts her sister. This is not to say they are perfect sunshine and roses siblings, far from it in fact. They can be seen yelling and fighting more often than not, and usually getting physically violent. But at the end of the day, they’re good friends, drinking buddies in fact, and they would do anything to protect the other. However, the only reason Prussia is still alive after reunification is because there is a “wall in their hearts”. Germany is easily frustrated with her, and though Prussia doesn’t like admitting it there are times when she is resentful towards Germany. Prussia gets Ostalgie still, and sometimes thinks being an “independent” nation under Russia was better than being a dependent region of Germany is. Usually seeing Russia will shake her out of it, but the underlying feelings that Germany just pities her and doesn’t take her seriously are still there. She raised Germany more or less by herself Austria, what Austria, watched all of her triumphs and failures, so she feels responsible for her and wants to be the big sister more often again but her obnoxious behavior usually means Germany has to be the “older” one.
Holy Roman Empire: Her older sister who is heavily implied to in some way be connected to Germany, either as a reincarnation or her grown up with amnesia. The two grew up together and were the closest of the German siblings as children. However, HRE had a weak constitution and aged a lot slower than Prussia. Even though she stayed small while Prussia grew more or less normally they would fight, argue, rough house, all through out their lives. There’s always a soft spot in her heart for her, and she would worry endlessly when she was sick. Although there’s no open resentment, Prussia does blame Austria and her sisters for her “death.”
Saxony: Her (probably) oldest sister. Saxony reminds Prussia in a lot of ways of their mother, from her looks to her attitude. She’s kind of become the new “mother” of the German sisters just from how goddamn old she is, and out of pure stubbornness. Just like with their actual mother, Prussia’s brand of stubbornness often butts heads with Saxony’s. Historically in every major battle in the Kingdom of Prussia’s history, when Saxony was involved they were on opposing sides, which adds to their tense relations. They’re still sisters, and they still have each other’s back at the end of the day, but Prussia would rather spend time with pretty much any of their other sisters before Saxony.
Bavaria: Another older sister. The exception to Prussia’s “anyone but Saxony” attitude is Bavaria. Despite the fact that she’s sweet, fun-loving, and just wants to have a good time, they don’t get along. At all. Bavaria and her dialect has lots of Prussian based insults and Prussia herself spits fire right back. Prussia accuses Bavaria of liking Austria better than the rest of them, which isn’t entirely untrue, and things are tense at best when they’re together. The only time they ever get along is Oktoberfest, Reunification Day, and when someone insults them collectively. However, if anyone picks on Bavaria expect Prussia in their face over it. That’s her job goddamn it.
Hesse: Another sister, Prussia’s age is vague at best and there’s nothing on the German sisters so it’s hard to place older and younger once you get away from the states that have existed for all time like Saxony and Bavaria. I like Prussia being the youngest save Germany but the case could be made either way for a lot of them. Anyway, Hesse is a rambunctious fun-loving sister. She’s one of the sister’s Germany got her stubbornness from, and historically the few times she and Prussia were involved in the same conflicts they were on opposing sides, but at her core she’s a sweetie and so rather than worsen relations like with Saxony and Bavaria she lets the past stay in the past. They don’t see each other often but when they do it’s there’s always a good time.
Holstien: Another sister. Not much is known about her since she was just named dropped by Prussia and doesn’t have an official design, but she’s historically tied with Denmark (perhaps where she gets her Germany obsession from?) and Prussia and Austria fought and shared her during the German Confederation times.
Brandenburg: Another sister. Not much is known about her since she was just named dropped by Prussia and doesn’t have an official design, but she is so heavily tied with Prussia it has to be addressed. This tl;dr is brought to you from a combination of the popular JFen design for male Brandenburg and my own shipping goggles. Despite not being one of the sisters Germany gets her stubbornness from, Brandenburg is quite stubborn and aloof. She’s tall, taller than Russia, and has a long history of tough fighting that gives her kind of that veteran’s coldness. But she’s also quite spontaneous, and just when you think she’s calm and mature she’ll pull a prank that would make Prussia proud and shock those around her. She’s one of the only ones that can put Prussia in line when she’s being too obnoxious and oh man is she scary when she’s angry. She has a serious case of public and private face, and in a lot of ways balances Austria and Germany like personalities with a Prussia like personality. When Prussia settled in, well, Prussia, they became neighbors and started to become close. Brandenburg intimidated her though, even into their marriage. Their marriage, which, despite how good it was for both of them politically and personally, Prussia refuses to call a marriage. Ever. She was a little more willing to admit the truth when they were first married though. Brandenburg built her up so she could have an army again, leading her to invent the standing army, helped her get over her malnutrition, and generally helped her to become more strategic and analytical in her thought and action, something she didn’t have as Teuton but was famous for ever after. With the exception of Fritz no one helped her to grow more. However, as she grew in power they went from sharing power in a personal union (that was a de facto real union but Austria was a cock block) to her taking everything in her name and basically leaving Brandenburg behind as a region with no independent influence. They never technically got divorced, Brandenburg just stopped having power and meaning when the Holy Roman Empire dissolved, so that’s kind of the final nail in the coffin for Prussia using her up. In modern day they’re close, if Germany upsets or angers Prussia enough that she needs to gtfo of Berlin you’ll find her in Potsdam. But part of why she’s more stubborn about insisting they were never married now than in the beginning is out of guilt for her behavior as a Kingdom. For a long time she couldn’t look Brandenburg in eyes without feeling guilt, and she still does to some degree. I also think it permanently secured her vehement hatred of marriage, she fears commitment because of what it does to her. However, at the end of the day if there’s a sister she loves anywhere as much as she loves Germany, it’s Brandenburg.
To be continued...