Canada was fascinated by the world outside of his borders on the rare occasions that it would be made available to him. He wanted to know the land of his colonizers, especially, and he did so in the tiny peeks he was allowed. Having entered into what he was far too awesome to refer to as a relationship with Canada, Prussia was in the position of informant. He hadn't minded it, as he was able to get free beer out of it, typically, and someone who always wanted to hear his awesome stories was just as awesome. Well, not just, but fairly close.
Being so, it was almost a shame to punish him. Prussia, however, had made an entire history around ignoring 'almost'.
The G8 was just shy of impossible not to filibuster. And, while it was fun to cause it in the most boisterous way possible, honestly the party who wanted to cause it didn't need to say more than a sentence if they were smart about it.
UK would near start another war with France or US for something as minimal as a bump in the hallway, and they'd do the same for basically anyone in the room. Remind Italy that he was hungry, annoy Russia just the right way, get Germany flustered, and mountains would move before the G8 could bring itself to talk business again.
What took art was to actually make it efficient. And, more often than not, it took calling in well-placed favors; if you didn't want to do it for every country on the board. Again, if you were smart about it, and handled the situation with a Prussian-level of thoroughness, it was simple.
Even if the meeting was preceded with US giggling like an idiot about a favor being called in for seemingly nothing, even if France had gained the little smirk he had whenever he thought he'd taken advantage of someone.
Even if nobody could tell Prussia was going for the jugular, he was going in anyway.
Because of his unfortunate habit of being talked over and ignored at meetings, Canada had learned to pick his battles very carefully. There was an environmental bill on the table now that was his baby; and had been for quite a while. He'd been working for months to get it on the table, to be subliminal while being as forward as his voice allowed him to be.
Canada was optimistic, because confidence wasn't really his thing, that this would pass. He was attempting to be apologetic and cautious in Prussia's wake while being unable to control his smile as his proposal neared full agreement. Canada offered Prussia a look of treaty, and the smile was returned to some extent.
Evidently, his technique of hiding his intentions wasn't as sharp as it used to be; Canada shrunk back and returned to his papers. So he'd been discovered, and that concept of a secret plan was long gone. Not that it really mattered, things being how they were. It wasn't like there was any stopping it.
As England was leading the meeting, as he was under obligation from debt, he put forward the proposal immediately. After several arguments which were composed enough not to sound made up, Germany cast their opposing vote.
Canada appeared disappointed, but unsurprised; as he was when Italy voted in the same manner.
There was greater disappointment when France voted it down; but as he was one of the twin engines and he tried to move with Germany when it suited him, this wasn't much of a shock.
Russia's interest in oil trade made it understandable, but…
By this point Canada was well-beyond justifying the descent with the normal reasoning, and was very quickly getting the full picture of what was being done.
By the time US cast his vote, followed by Japan and then UK without so much as a hint of rebuttal, Canada's eyes were firmly locked on the German end of the table.
Prussia kept his hands folded, his smile small and professional, as the fact that Canada raised an objection to the popular vote was rendered meaningless.
Obligations completed, the meeting devolved into the typical chaos. Something or other vaguely reminded US of a movie he'd seen the other week, and the resulting bickering stripped their time of anything resembling progress.
Canada stared at Prussia; as firm a demand as Prussia had ever seen him make; certainly far more than Prussia had thought him capable of. It was a shame, he thought, that it only came about over something he should already have been well aware of. Perhaps he'd over-estimated exactly how close to his own awesomeness somebody else could reach; even if it was Canada.
He'd blame the lapse in judgment on non-German beer and probably a bit of afterglow.
Somewhere under the shouting over ridiculous things that would hardly be remembered by the time they made it to the hall, Prussia picked up something that sounded like "how could you?"
The triumphant smirk he had never been good at hiding grew as he watched everything besides the nation he'd just destroyed. It wasn't a good day, by any means. But it was a successful one; and that was more than enough.