[DISCUSSION] Nations and work?

[tarafishes.livejournal.com]

So it's somewhat agreed upon(?) that the nations don't just sit around and wait for wars and conflicts and things for them to do. I mean, I'm sure they have regular "human" lives and such that keep them occupied until things like that pose an interruption, but I think that nations also have other sorts of work to do. Like paperwork sort of things that have to do with them or the country and other such things. However, due to lack of creativity and knowledge in such fields I can't quite think up just what they'd be doing. So, the discussion topic is:

What sorts of work do the nations do(in the manner of paperwork or otherwise), especially when they're not fighting or there don't seem to be any major events/problems/etc. going on in their home?

Also:
Do you think the nations get paid for being nations?
If they don't do some sort of nation-work stuff/get paid what do you think they do to make a living?

If you roleplay a nation feel free to answer this with the way you and your roleplay friends' take on it/icly, just for fun.

Comments

[nupinoop296.livejournal.com]

Construction worker America = *Q* <3

[perelka-l.livejournal.com]

Ahaha! I was wondering about this and I thougth that...

THEY CANNOT WORK IN ANY HISTORICAL JOB.
REason? They can say something that wasn't discovered yet! And a lil' "Oooops..."

Well...
Hmmm...
Ummmmm...
No idea...

[fishheadpie.livejournal.com]

My friends and I got into a few weird discussions about it. We think that each of them own a small business or two.

Some examples of what we've discussed:
-England and Egypt own rival magic shops
-France runs a flower shop (and has a love advice column on the side)
-Canada runs an IHOP, but nobody notices it
-Prussia has a shop that sells only merchandise that praises himself
-Russia runs a weapon shop and unfortunately for him, Belarus has an armory next door
-Austria owns a book/music store and gets pissed off when anyone touches any of the items
-Italy runs a restaurant and Germany helps maintain it and keep it clean
-Hungary and Canada run a secret blackmail service (That invisibility of Canada's has to come in handy)
-China runs a Shinatty-chan version of the Hello Kitty stores
-Japan runs a manga store (complete with a hidden hentai section)
-Spain and Romano have a tomato farm

And that's all I can remember...

[zoreta.livejournal.com]

Don't forget that Belaruse tests all of the armor with her knives >D

Or that Alfred is a McDonald's franchise owner- it's how he gets all those burgers.

[export1228.livejournal.com]

Indeed,The shop in Prussia was imagined.

･･････

And, Japan.

Yes, I am the same opinion as you.

^^

[aryanbitch.livejournal.com]

I play plenty of nations in different role plays but I think that they get an... allowance of sorts, the size of which depending on their GPD, or on cliches. Like, I always play Russia to be really backward and technologically repressed and cute and all he wants is the money from his boss to get a new can opener.
While America, say, would be using his money to get a new Cadillac.

As for work or hobbies... We all know the Japan makes mochi in his spare time! Fuck yeah mochi! America plays video games... Prussia torments people. But i think they all get stuck with paper work and meeting duties. They have to go even if it's not their decision in the long run (as they have to do what their bosses say in almost every case (a revolution for example would be particularly hard on them.)

[quietanon.livejournal.com]

I always imagine Russia to be really technologically repressed too, but more by choice these days. I can see have him having a box of modern phones, laptops and stuff Putin and Medvedev try to convince him to use but he just throws into a corner.

[quietanon.livejournal.com]

I think Prussia makes money through internet poker these days when he isn't a country anymore. He seems to be very smart when it comes to random things and he could do more sinister things from Germany's basement with computers than anyone realizes.

[parijienne.livejournal.com]

I RP Prussia but nobody in my RP group seems to have a job. I imagine Prussia would work in a pet shop though. Lots of cute little animals.

[walking-nose.livejournal.com]

I don't really think the nations have jobs...I just think they keep themselves occupied with hobbies. As for money, I think the government sets aside an allowance for them.

[nupinoop296.livejournal.com]

Yeah, this. :T

[seatalia.livejournal.com]

Why did I imagine North Italy flying around Silvio Berlusconi's head right now going 'Hey!! Listen!!'

This explanation though, is absolutely fab. ♥

[bonzai-bunny.livejournal.com]

I think officially their listed to have obscure jobs in the government that no one really knows what are for just not to arouse suspicion from being in their bosses place of work. They receive housing from the government and an okay paycheck. :3

I imagine Alfred is always asking the President for more money.

[baygulls.livejournal.com]

I can't get the image of China being a preschool teacher out of my mind. Something about his maternal instincts get me.

[unasuvas.livejournal.com]

I think for the most part they work as aides to their bosses and like others have said, probably have some obscure government position. But they most likely have other little jobs here and there.

For example, the comic/episode where Germany is acting as a spy he goes to a restaurant where France happens to be working (or perhaps France owns that particular restaurant). France also works as a radio host for some station in that strip with Russia and his sisters.

There was also a strip where Italy was working as a bartender for some reason while Russia and China (or it might have been France and England..) were drinking away their problems.

I think they just have little odd jobs here and there according to how it fits with the situation in the strip. :p

[nupinoop296.livejournal.com]

Maybe they do those extra jobs for fun?

[unasuvas.livejournal.com]

Yeah probably! I guess after living for however many centuries, they'd want some excitement out of a variety of short-lived odd jobs. I wouldn't be surprised if the nations have had any career there is in the book. :D

[nupinoop296.livejournal.com]

:D Yeah! This makes me want to write fanfic...

[unasuvas.livejournal.com]

And your icon makes me imagine America working at a place like McDonald's or Burger King...

"Would you like the double double? Or the double-double double-double?"

Please write it! And I will love you and touch you inappropriately. ♥

[nupinoop296.livejournal.com]

Heehee~

>_< We'll see. And I don't mind the love, but I'll have to "borrow" Switzerland's arsenal if you do that other thing. DX

[kawa-hime.livejournal.com]

I think they need to see how people-conditions are so sometimes they have little odd jobs here and there, but mostly report to their boss and government. (Did anyone notice like, all the nations live in huge houses and are kinda rich? *unless their nation is actually really poor at the moment, like Ukraine.)
France was on the radio, too, remember? I think the money they get from those odd jobs go to charity/their people, and they mostly get housed/fed by the government.
I wish Himaruya would get more on nation-ness.
But they are a very important part of the government, apparently. They all have, in canon, little passports that say 'Please allow the bearer, a state, to pass freely and without hindrance.'

[seatalia.livejournal.com]

I think Poland would be an awesome hairdresser. 8D

[voguebishoujo.livejournal.com]

I love you.

[seatalia.livejournal.com]

8D ILY TOO POLANDO

[voguebishoujo.livejournal.com]

♥ ♥ ♥

[norels.livejournal.com]

I guess its a mixt of:
-Following what their boss says ( helping, etc )
-Do a job that represent the country ( ex: Norway, fishing stuff is something important over there, maybe he help in this )
-Odd job, depending on what happen
-Just doing nothing in particuliar ( my Finland = stay home and Sve bring money XD )

[pillowsofwind.livejournal.com]

Late response is late... but I agree that they'd be in kind of an aide position to their respective bosses and have paperwork to go along with that, and get a decent government salary. I also think that they'd accompany their leaders to important meetings and such, but that they don't have actual jobs... more like hobbies.

America tinkers in his workshop building time machines and cheese rockets or whatever it is that he does. England writes and embroiders/knits/sews. I imagine him to have extensive memoirs hidden away somewhere in his attic. Italy cooks and paints. I like to think that he has several famous paintings in museums that are improperly attributed or credited to an anonymous painter. Germany and Prussia brew beer in their basement. Canada smokes weed and takes extensive nature hikes, getting lost for weeks at a time... though he never truly gets lost, because nations can't get lost in their own houses. And France is just a socialite~

As far as wars and dangerous situations, I don't really think their bosses would allow them to do those kinds of things any more because of the risk. In my headcanon and for the Americas I RP, he hasn't been allowed to fight a war since WW2. And he almost punched Bush because he wouldn't let America go to Louisiana and help during Hurricane Katrina. America went anyways, though~

[kitsunemischief.livejournal.com]

I would say that

America is the manager of all the fast food chain resturants
Austria in a music shop or just work as a composer
Italy would have his own resturant or a pizzeria or something like that
Japan would sell manga, anime, and otaku stuff
France would own an Adult Store XD