Post by Ludwig Beilschmidt on Sept 3, 2012 14:57:43 GMT -5
LUDWIG BEILSCHMIDT
FULL NAME HERE Ludwig Beilschmidt
NICKNAMES Lud or Lutz to some elderly relatives, and a variety of derogatory nicknames (i.e. 'potato-head') to people who dislike him.
GENDER Male
AGE Twenty-one
RANK Commander
ETHNICITY German
NATION OF ORIGIN[/b] Gallia
CLAIM TO FAME His strict and somewhat ruthless demeanor, as well as a reputation for never smiling.
WEAPON OF CHOICE While Ludwig carries a loaded pistol on him at all times and is quite a good shot, his preferred weapon for close fighting is a sturdy officer's saber. It was a personalized gift from his grandfather upon his graduation from the naval academy; the hand-guard bears an 'iron cross' design.
WHAT SHIP ARE THEY ON?[/b] The Lux
WHAT IS THEIR POSITION?[/b] First Mate
YOUR CHARACTER'S LIKES
Order: Even before he joined the navy, Ludwig had always been a stickler for rules. He upholds orders to the very letter, and believes every thing (and every person) has a proper place. This isn't to say he looks down on people, but if you have a job or task to do, and you aren't doing it, you can bet Ludwig will make an issue of it. He follows schedules exactly, never turns in late work, and runs his own life (and the lives of others) quite strictly.
Dogs: While Ludwig likes all animals, he has a special fondness for dogs. Dogs are intelligent and loyal, and Ludwig's a little bit distressed that they aren't allowed aboard the navy ships.
Beer: The best kind of alcohol there is. Wine and hard liquor are alright, but Ludwig would never turn down a beer. Additionally, he's got quite a high tolerance for alcohol as a whole, so it takes quite a few beers to get him properly drunk.
Cleanliness: Ludwig is a neat freak. His appearance is always tidy, his clothes are always clean, his quarters are spotless. Tidiness fits in with his respect for order: if something is dirty, it isn't normal.
The Outdoors: While Ludwig loves the ocean, he likes being out-of-doors in general, although he has to take care not to get sunburned on cloudless days.
Hearty food: His favorite food is any kind of wurst, a type of sausage from old German cuisine. But overall, Ludwig likes meals that aren't fancy or complicated. Delicious, home-cooked food is better, in his opinion.
Books: Ludwig will read any book he can get his hands on, whether it be a novel, a textbook, or an instruction manual. Indeed, books are his go-to method of leaning new information, although he likes to spend his free time reading too.
Being in Charge: Ludwig is proud of his knowledge and accomplishments, and firmly believes he's a capable leader. While he accepts suggestions and criticism, he enjoys being in a position where he can give out orders.
YOUR CHARACTER'S DISLIKES
Messes: Ludwig hates dirt. And grime. And stains. While he isn't especially fond of cleaning, he'll work hard at it just to make sure things are absolutely immaculate. Messes are a result of chaos, after all, and Ludwig can't abide that.
Laziness: Even in his free time, Ludwig will never be found just lying around, doing nothing. He dislikes boredom and will always be occupied with something - reading a book, fixing or polishing a knife, cleaning, whatever. While he dislikes laziness in other people, too (who could honestly stand to waste so much time?) he understands that trying to order those people to do something better is not really appropriate.
Cowards: There is absolutely no reason for cowardice. Being afraid is one thing, but just because you are afraid of something doesn't mean you are unable to face it. Ludwig firmly believes this, and cowards don't earn much of his respect as a result.
Thunderstorms: Violent storms at sea make the waves choppy and everyone on the ship miserable, Ludwig included. On land, thunderstorms are merely loud and distracting. Either way, Ludwig can't focus or concentrate on anything during one.
Stress: With all of the work he is responsible for, plus all of the work he takes on in addition to that, Ludwig is often overwhelmed. He tries not to allow himself to get stressed, but this never works, and he ends up exhausted.
Bullies: As someone who is a little protective of people and things that are weaker than he is, Ludwig intensely dislikes those who take advantage of their strength or positions to abuse others. He'll always intervene to stop the harassment if he sees it.
Relying on Others: Ludwig is a firm believer in doing something yourself if you want it done right. He doesn't trust other people to meet his own strict standards, and as a result, takes on more work than he needs to.
Superstitions: Despite being a navy man, Ludwig holds absolutely no credence whatsoever in any kind of superstitions that can't be explained by science. They're silly excuses people use to get out of things.
FEARS
Failure: Ludwig's family didn't tolerate failure, and neither does Ludwig: he's absolutely terrified of letting his captain, crew, family, or friends down in any way at all. He just desperately doesn't want to disappoint people, and should something like that happen, he's extremely hard on himself for a long time afterwards.
Helplessness: As he's learned a lot of things and worked hard over the years, Ludwig is a very capable person. But he worries that one day he will be put in a position where nothing he's able to do will help him out. Sickness and severe injury both fall under this umbrella, although he believes he'd be able to recover from those. If he were trapped or imprisoned somehow, that would be awful, and the worst would be if he was far, far away when someone he cared about was in trouble. To know how bad a situation is, but to be unable to change it... that is torture.
GOALS
To Be Promoted to Captain: Ludwig is undeniably ambitious, and he'd like to be in a position where he could be in charge of an entire ship. He works hard every day to prove himself capable.
To Capture a Pirate Ship: The pirates are lawless criminals, and must pay for their transgressions. It's the job of the Navy to uphold the law, so any pirate captured is a small success, but taking out a whole ship would be something altogether more impressive.
QUIRKS/ODDITIES/HABITS
Exercise: Ludwig exercises every day, if he can, and as a result, he looks fit and somewhat muscular. He does pull-ups and push-ups in his quarters, but for more exercise, he'll go running laps around the largest deck of the ship. He's crashed into a few people this way, so he tries to be careful.
Baking: While cooking doesn't fall under his everyday duties, it's not entirely uncommon to find the commander in the galley. His favorite things to make are various types of cakes, and unless the ship has run out of some key ingredient, they are quite tasty.
Nerves: Ludwig doesn't deal well to any uncomfortable emotion, such as embarrassment, nervousness, fright, or worry, for instance. In all of these cases and more, he reacts the same way: by getting angry. This reaction almost functions as a defense mechanism, to prevent other people from taking advantage of him when he's in a bad state, but it also can scare others off.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Hair: Ninety percent of the time, Ludwig will have his hair combed back away from his face and forehead in a style that makes him look severe. When he wears his hair down in naturally short bangs, he can actually appear more friendly, or even younger.
Drunk: While he tries not to get drunk often, when he does, Ludwig is much more talkative and friendly - unless someone tries to start a fight with him on purpose.
Family: Ludwig is quiet about his past and his family unless he is forced to speak about them. He was never on especially close terms with his parents, and his cousin is a wanted criminal. The notable exception to this rule is his paternal grandfather, whom with he got along very well.
OVERALL PERSONALITY
At the most superficial level of observation, Ludwig is a diligent and hard-working man who takes it upon himself to make sure that no matter what the situation, everything runs smoothly. Efficiency and thoroughness hold the highest priority, and as he seemingly expects these virtues from everyone, he won't hesitate to reprimand or discipline anyone who wastes time or strays from the tasks at hand. Unafraid to take control of a situation, Ludwig is a natural leader, but perhaps a little too demanding and bossy to be considered a pleasant one. However, he takes his responsibilities very seriously, and believes everyone else should too. He is also completely mindful of rules, and hesitates to break them even if they are unnecessary or possibly even incorrect.
Part of the reason Ludwig doesn't stray from the tasks at hand is that he is unabashedly realistic. He doesn't dwell in the realm of the imaginary, as dealing with what is actually there is far more effective than thinking about how it all could be different. He tends to be a pessimist, seeing only what could go wrong. This comes from his reasonable mind and his tendencies toward self-reliance; having spent the majority of his life on his own, he's learned to be very responsible for himself and his own mistakes, but additionally, he's learned not to expect much from others.
His attitude contributes to the occasional instances where he overworks or over-stresses himself, although in the continuing mindset of self-reliance, he will refuse anyone's help. He can be clever at times, although when he is indecisive or less than perfectly confident, Ludwig will fall back on the reliable to-the-book methods he knows (with varying results). On very rare occasions, he will seek advice under the "this happened to a friend" guise - while he dislikes embarrassment, he's not comfortable with lying, either, and even if he were, he's not very good at it.
When it comes to other people, Ludwig has few close friends, though he has been working hard at making more. This is due in part to his solitary childhood, but also to the fact that Ludwig has a hard time relaxing and setting his work-angled focus aside. He even takes his free time very seriously, focusing his attention almost entirely on the activity at hand, be it reading, exercising, cooking, or even drinking. In fact, the only times when he can truly unwind a little are when he is by himself; while he works well with his shipmates and friends, the case can certainly be made that Ludwig is a bit of a lone wolf, and he suffers no great anxieties when people don't invite him out or seek him out as a conversation partner. He does not handle surprise interruptions of those rare quiet moments well.
Augmenting his industrious nature if the fact that Ludwig is quite intelligent, and also very curious. He enjoys learning new information and discovering or creating new things, and he's apt at repairing what has been broken. Ludwig is a great believer in fairness, and does what he can to help those who need it, going so far as to be protective of those weaker than he. He looks down upon bullying, and while he's never engaged in it directly himself, his understanding of the indirect abuses and bullying from his own upper-class echelon is limited. Yet even from a young age he has always been quite stubborn, and holds fast to what he believes in; it takes quite a lot of convincing to change his mind, and he will rarely back down if he is challenged.
Perhaps surprising to some, Ludwig has both a sense of humor and a creative side, although he tends not to display either too publicly. Because he also acts very stern and mature most of the time, the fact that he's relatively young for his position escapes notice frequently; he keeps this naïveté hidden as best he could, though it is painfully obvious at times that he becomes crippled by shyness.
Ludwig is actually an emotional person, but aside from anger (which tends to get results) and embarrassment (even the faintest blush shows up against his pale skin), he seldom shows what he is feeling openly, preferring stoicism instead. It is worth noting that this wasn't always the case: he showed his emotions more freely when he was younger, but quickly grew out of that. While he doesn't consider displaying emotions a personal weakness, he can acknowledge that if people know what you are thinking and feeling, they can manipulate you easily. Although Ludwig isn't as bad at reading the atmosphere as some, he tends to be quite direct with his words and actions, and doesn't like to waste time with needless small talk when there is a point to be made. As for anger, while he has learned to be more patient now that he is in a position of authority, Ludwig still has a somewhat short fuse, especially in the case of silliness or laziness, and won't hesitate to release his temper.
In all aspects of life, Ludwig is diligently organized: his quarters are always clean, his daily schedule is managed carefully, and his appearance is always tidy. He dislikes literal and figurative chaos, and if it gets bad enough, he will drop what he's doing to put things back into order. This gives the (correct) impression that he is somewhat of a control freak, and Ludwig will, on occasion, attempt to fix other people's messes for them. Still, despite all of this, he isn't a bad person, and once people have adjusted to his unusually serious attitude, Ludwig can be quite a good friend.
BACKSTORY/HISTORY
Born in October in the northern part of continental Gallia, Ludwig was the child his family had been pinning their hopes on. While his parents both had roots in the noble families, they had led frivolous lifestyles and made many poor decisions and friendships. Among the Gallian nobility, they were not well regarded, and the family fortune had dwindled substantially, so while the Beilschmidts retained their handsome manor house and a handful of loyal servants, they had little else of value to their name. While he had lived a reckless life, however, Ludwig's father wasn't stupid, and he understood that the success of his child might help restore honor to the family name.
As a result, Ludwig had a rather unusual childhood. From the beginning, he had a lot of pressure on his shoulders, which would have been acceptable had his parents been able to give up their bad habits. They did not, however, and spent many days and evenings in the company of other nobility, leaving Ludwig at home with the servants. While the staff was more than patient and doting with him, Ludwig learned to interpret the lack of parental affection as an indication that he hadn't been working hard enough at his studies. And as the servants didn't always have time to play with him, he learned to entertain himself, mainly by reading books in the library. He was a quite precocious and curious child, but also incredibly solitary, and a little withdrawn, spending his days poring over assignments or practicing his handwriting, or playing catch with a butler fifty years his senior.
When Ludwig grew a little bit older, his parents began to send him to his paternal grandfather's house during the summers, under the impression that being someplace more rural would improve his serious attitude (a child who didn't smile very often was, after all, a little creepy). While their logic wasn't entirely sound, this decision proved to be fortuitous: Ludwig's grandfather had honest affection for the boy, the kind that Ludwig had experienced very little of during his short life. While Ludwig remained serious, he warmed up under his grandfather's care, and learned him above all others. It was this same grandfather who taught Ludwig to speak German, a language not widely in use, and who told him many stories about the world in general, broadening Ludwig's knowledge beyond what his upper-class tutors had restricted him to.
Even as Ludwig grew older and his parents enrolled him in a secondary academy for the children of nobility, he always asked to spend his summers with his grandfather. The usual condition of this was that Ludwig get good grades; Ludwig, not wanting to risk his precious summer visits, responded to this challenge by getting the highest marks in his class. The academic overkill proved successful in more ways than one, and Ludwig began attracting the attention of higher institutions. Aware of the ruling class's hatred of pirates, his parents encouraged him to apply to the naval officer's academy; only after consulting with his grandfather, who assured him of his support in whatever choice he made, did Ludwig decide to follow through with this.
Commanding and sailing a ship proved to be something he excelled at and, because old habits died hard, Ludwig continued to work harder than was necessary to maintain good grades. While he was able to make a few friends in the officer's academy, social skills were definitely not his strong point. Nonetheless, he still graduated at the top of his class and was offered a position on a ship immediately; it didn't take him long to work up to his current position of commander through a combination of merit and the deaths, retirements, or demotions of those above him. Ludwig's parents are, of course, enjoying a little more regard from their son's success (with some difficulty owing to the misbehavior of one Friederike Beilschmidt, Ludwig's cousin), but that isn't much of Ludwig's concern. He has made his own goals by now, after all.
The fact that Antonio welcomed his unannounced visit warmly and easily brought some small relief to Ludwig; he had been prepared for suspicion, in fact. Ignoring the occasional curious glances he earned from the other patrons, the German waited patiently for his drink, listening idly to the sounds of the coffee grinder and muted chatter. Although he couldn't identify the topics of conversation, Ludwig knew the atmosphere well. This was Life As Usual: forcing oneself to follow the familiar as the surrounding world splintered. It happened with all wars, affecting most everyone involved, and had turned the lively little café into something of a sanctuary.
Looking up as Antonio joined him, Ludwig took the coffee gratefully and set his hands against the heated porcelain cup, waiting for it to cool a little. "Dankeschön," he replied, inclining his head a little. "But you did not get yourself anything?" Realistically, he knew Antonio still had a job to do, and despite how important Ludwig felt this meeting should be, the Spaniard apparently had yet to realize he hadn't come here as a sightseer. Always a little quick to be suspicious these days, it even crossed his mind that maybe Antonio wanted him out of here quickly. But the other man looked rather like he was enjoying the little break, and Ludwig let his worries fall aside.
"Perhaps I didn't want to deal with the seasonal tourists?" he suggested in an attempt to keep the conversation light. "I don't mind the cold weather so much." In truth, he'd never been to Spain outside of political trips, although he'd always wanted to travel around, especially to see some of the older castles and architecture. The past decade hadn't been kind to him or his wallet, however, and then the economy and politics had started picking up, little by little, so now Ludwig had the money... just not the time. Rotating the coffee cup a little in his hands, he bit back a sigh. Some day in the future, for sure.
"I have to admit I'm mostly here on political business," he explained, picking up the cup at last and taking a sip of the hot, bitter drink. "You probably know that everyone has been keeping an eye on the fighting here. It has a lot of people worried." Spain hadn't been a world power for at least a century, but the political divisions on each side of the fight reflected divisions across the continent as a whole. Ludwig had heard plenty of rumors flowing in from Britain and France about purposefully not taking sides, in order to keep a larger conflict from breaking out.
And the German government couldn't have disagreed more.
Ambassadors had already received a few letters and visits from some high-ranking Nationalist leaders, asking for military support. That had caused quite a lot of debate, but the hatred for Communism and Socialism seemed to have convinced everyone that acting would be a good idea. And just a year before, the German military had been rebuilt; a reoccupation of the Rhineland would begin in another week or so. Ludwig could easily see war on the horizon, and if he and his government helped Spain, Spain would be obliged to repay the favor should things turn sour: the Nationalists had come to them first, after all.
Not that Ludwig viewed any of this poorly. He genuinely liked Antonio, even if the other had a reputation for being rather laid-back; if he could count on his memories, the other had been kind to him when Ludwig had been little. And the German believed there should be no denying the Nationalist forces the aid Antonio's countrymen so obviously needed - it was a cause he himself believed in that the men were fighting for. And at the very least(he could say this from experience now) the brunette certainly made a good cup of coffee.
"How have things been going for you personally?" he asked, setting the cup back down on the saucer with the slight change of topic. "I saw the bullet holes in the walls outside," Ludwig went on, nodding towards the nearest window, "although it's nice to see this place looks intact." While he had to admit he hated small talk, the pleasant atmosphere had swayed his outlook a little; once he'd finished up here, he had orders to return straight to Berlin and to be honest, Ludwig felt like dragging his feet. Work awaited him, and not the pleasant diplomatic kind that involved meeting over coffee in a café. Of course, he wasn't about to disobey orders, but the thought was certainly tempting.
[[From War and Peace, which has apparently died.]]
Looking up as Antonio joined him, Ludwig took the coffee gratefully and set his hands against the heated porcelain cup, waiting for it to cool a little. "Dankeschön," he replied, inclining his head a little. "But you did not get yourself anything?" Realistically, he knew Antonio still had a job to do, and despite how important Ludwig felt this meeting should be, the Spaniard apparently had yet to realize he hadn't come here as a sightseer. Always a little quick to be suspicious these days, it even crossed his mind that maybe Antonio wanted him out of here quickly. But the other man looked rather like he was enjoying the little break, and Ludwig let his worries fall aside.
"Perhaps I didn't want to deal with the seasonal tourists?" he suggested in an attempt to keep the conversation light. "I don't mind the cold weather so much." In truth, he'd never been to Spain outside of political trips, although he'd always wanted to travel around, especially to see some of the older castles and architecture. The past decade hadn't been kind to him or his wallet, however, and then the economy and politics had started picking up, little by little, so now Ludwig had the money... just not the time. Rotating the coffee cup a little in his hands, he bit back a sigh. Some day in the future, for sure.
"I have to admit I'm mostly here on political business," he explained, picking up the cup at last and taking a sip of the hot, bitter drink. "You probably know that everyone has been keeping an eye on the fighting here. It has a lot of people worried." Spain hadn't been a world power for at least a century, but the political divisions on each side of the fight reflected divisions across the continent as a whole. Ludwig had heard plenty of rumors flowing in from Britain and France about purposefully not taking sides, in order to keep a larger conflict from breaking out.
And the German government couldn't have disagreed more.
Ambassadors had already received a few letters and visits from some high-ranking Nationalist leaders, asking for military support. That had caused quite a lot of debate, but the hatred for Communism and Socialism seemed to have convinced everyone that acting would be a good idea. And just a year before, the German military had been rebuilt; a reoccupation of the Rhineland would begin in another week or so. Ludwig could easily see war on the horizon, and if he and his government helped Spain, Spain would be obliged to repay the favor should things turn sour: the Nationalists had come to them first, after all.
Not that Ludwig viewed any of this poorly. He genuinely liked Antonio, even if the other had a reputation for being rather laid-back; if he could count on his memories, the other had been kind to him when Ludwig had been little. And the German believed there should be no denying the Nationalist forces the aid Antonio's countrymen so obviously needed - it was a cause he himself believed in that the men were fighting for. And at the very least(he could say this from experience now) the brunette certainly made a good cup of coffee.
"How have things been going for you personally?" he asked, setting the cup back down on the saucer with the slight change of topic. "I saw the bullet holes in the walls outside," Ludwig went on, nodding towards the nearest window, "although it's nice to see this place looks intact." While he had to admit he hated small talk, the pleasant atmosphere had swayed his outlook a little; once he'd finished up here, he had orders to return straight to Berlin and to be honest, Ludwig felt like dragging his feet. Work awaited him, and not the pleasant diplomatic kind that involved meeting over coffee in a café. Of course, he wasn't about to disobey orders, but the thought was certainly tempting.
[[From War and Peace, which has apparently died.]]
YOUR NAME OR ALIAS Elruko or El or Shoe is fine.
WHERE CAN WE CONTACT YOU? Via PMs, or in the chatbox as Germanly.
WHERE DID YOU FIND US?Found the link on D.E.R.P. 2.0 and followed it here.[/size]
[[Notes: I will be drawing a replacement picture that's more appropriate for this app, if that's okay. I just wanted to get it submitted.]]