Post by Ludwig Beilschmidt on Jun 13, 2013 16:33:26 GMT -5
"Get out of my way."
"Start spreadin' the news, I'm leavin' today
I want to be a part of it..."
"Start spreadin' the news, I'm leavin' today
I want to be a part of it..."
Name: Ludwig Beilschmidt
Gender: Male
Age: 21
Aliases: Lutz, a variety of insults.
Occupation: Driver, occasional sniper and bodyguard.
Appearance: Ludwig is tall and tough, standing 5'10" with a muscular, athletic frame. His features are sharp and fairly masculine, and convey a severity that extends to the rest of his appearance. He keeps his short pale blond hair combed back away from his face, and his piercing ice blue eyes are more often than not narrowed in scrutiny. Ludwig's skin is very fair; he bruises, blushes, and sunburns easily, and the man sports more than a few scars on his arms and legs. A tidy dresser, he has little patience for fads or fashion and prefers functional clothing to anything stylish unless he absolutely has to look fancy. The only piece of adornment he possesses is an Iron Cross medal that he keeps on a chain around his neck. He walks and runs with a slight but noticeable limp.
Picture:
Personality:
Ludwig is a man with an iron facade, and his public persona is anything but warm. Most often, he is serious and unemotional: he tends to be frank to the point of bluntness and has little patience for small talk or time wasting. When he is working on something, he's one hundred percent focused on the job at hand, with an additional fifty percent on top of that focusing on anticipating how something could go wrong. Those people who have noticed a mathematical error just now have clearly never met Ludwig. The man is a workaholic who takes very little lightly; his attitude often leads to false assumptions about his age.
Because Ludwig does spend so much time worrying about possible disasters, he's become a bit of a pessimist and can be somewhat of a downer in conversation. However, this thorough nature of his has also made him unfailingly reasonable and realistic: he isn't a man to take insane risks unless there are no other options available, and as he's not without some cleverness, Ludwig can usually always strategize a way out of trouble. A lifetime of reading has given Ludwig a lot of knowledge in many subjects. While the man is book-smart, however, he isn't necessarily people-smart: Ludwig is a bit naive and, given that he's extremely direct about most things and completely vague about a few choice subjects, he can come across as awkward at times.
To most who know him, Ludwig seems to wear two faces: serious and angry. Ludwig is fairly guarded with his emotions and tends not to wear his heart on his sleeve. His anger or irritation can also be misleading: while Ludwig does have a fairly short temper, he tends to react to any uncomfortable emotion (embarrassment, shyness, guilt, etc.) with shouting. When Ludwig is genuinely angry, he can be dangerous: he has a cruel streak, and as he doesn't lose track of his thoughts in any kind of a crisis, when he's furious he gets extremely calculating and vicious, even physically violent. It takes a lot to push him to this level, and Ludwig's rationalism allows him to shrug off most insults and slights. He knows how mean he can get, and while he's a proud man, he's not too proud to avoid seeking an apology when he knows he's in the wrong.
Yet just because he isn't outwardly emotional doesn't mean Ludwig is some kind of robot. His family and close friends know this for a fact, as around them, Ludwig is much less uptight about maintaining his stoicism. Truly, while he may come across as extremely serious and unhappy, Ludwig isn't a nasty person. He's protective of people and things he considers weaker than himself, and despite his quick temper, he is a fairly patient man. He has a very dry and somewhat sarcastic sense of humor, and enjoys get-togethers, parties, and reunions (all the more if there's beer on tap). When he isn't working he likes peace: he'll read a book, bake something, or tidy up his living space. If he genuinely cares about someone, he will be helpful, loyal, and kind. This side of Ludwig, however, is reserved for those he trusts. He's not a very open man, and guards what's precious to him - his peace and his happiness - very carefully.
Family?: Gilbert Beilschmidt (Older Brother); "Mr. Beilschmidt" (Grandfather); Anna Beilschmidt [neé Koch] (Mother; deceased); Gerhart Beilschmidt (Father, whereabouts unknown)
Likes:
Dislikes:
Aspirations:
Fears:
History:
Born on a cold October morning in Berlin in 1901, Ludwig was the second son of a local businessman and his young wife, and he proved to be such a solemn and quiet child that at first his parents worried that something was wrong with him. But they quickly learned that nothing could be further from the truth: although little Ludwig was a bit more subdued than his older brother or his peers, he was nonetheless a happy, energetic, and smart young boy. He loved running about outside, climbing trees, reading books, and listening to music, and while the Beilschmidt family wasn't entirely well off, it couldn't be said that they weren't happy.
That began to change when Ludwig was five: after much deliberation, his father decided to emigrate to the U.S. for a chance at a better job and a better life for the family. Once he had found work and a place to stay, he'd begin saving up money to pay for passage for his family. On the day he left, there wasn't a dry eye in the household, but the Beilschmidts remaining in Germany did their best to hold together: Ludwig's mother took a job at a bakery and Ludwig helped out when he wasn't attending school. For a few years, this system worked, but as time wore on and no tickets to America showed up in Mr. Beilschmidt's letters, his wife began to despair. When not at work or caring for her sons, she began to seek out other forms of companionship to ease her loneliness.
With his father in America and his mother fairly absent, Ludwig was left to his own devices. He spent a lot of time with his brother, and the two became very close. While the young boy got in his fair share of trouble, Ludwig also seemed to understand that his family didn't work the way families normally should. He developed an extremely strong sense of responsibility, and worked hard both at school and outside of school, determined to help his family out in any way he could.
When Ludwig's mother ultimately caught an illness from one of her lovers, she seemed to realize that something had gone terribly wrong and, determined to have a fresh start, packed up the family and moved everyone to the countryside. She opened her own bakery there, and although times were even tougher at first, things seemed to get better for a little while. The boys had more free space to roam around, Ludwig made a few good friends, and the family drew somewhat closer together.
But the disease Mrs. Beilschmidt had caught eventually began to take its toll on her. Year after year, she grew less and less stable, and although she sought treatment, there was little doctors could do. Having to keep an eye on his ailing mother in addition to helping run the bakery and keeping his marks up in school, Ludwig was shouldering a very heavy burden. While he didn't collapse under the load, he suffered plenty of struggles, and retreated even more within himself in order to keep everything together. In May of his thirteenth year, his mother succumbed to her illness; only a few months later, the Great War broke out. Although he did his best to both continue attending school and keep the bakery working, Ludwig often found himself forced to choose between the two; as the war grew worse, the schools were shut down, and he no longer had to pick.
When Ludwig turned sixteen, he was drafted into the German army, and after showing some promise with a gun, he was trained as a sniper and sent to the western front. The year he spent fighting was the worst of his life. He made friends amongst his comrades in arms, only to see them gunned down in pointless attacks. He was forced to kill others and risk being killed in turn; during one retreat, he was shot in his left leg, and although he was granted a small leave to recover, the wound never fully healed. Ludwig slept in mud, in snow, in rain, under fire, struggling to stay warm and sane. When Germany ultimately lost the war, that was the last straw: the young man fought for what little of his veteran's pension that he could and bought a ticket to America. He caught up on his education, learned to fix cars, and began speaking English, but found himself completely out of touch with the rest of the world. His father seemed to have vanished into the vast country, and Americans weren't entirely friendly to German emigrants.
With nowhere to turn, he fell in line with his grandfather and began working for the Italian mafia: while Ludwig is plenty smart and continues to improve his intelligence every day (through books or otherwise), for now he's content working jobs that don't require too much thinking. Usually he's more of an errand runner, but he hasn't forgotten any of his training from the war and can make due as a hired gun as well. As he has always been, Ludwig is a driven worker; emotionally, however, Ludwig is a man without a purpose. He's hoping that with time, he'll be able to find one.
Sample Post: (From a steampunk AU)
It was by far one of Ludwig's most intricate ideas yet. The steam engine he'd been working on looked almost like a toy compared to the massive machines used in trains or boats or airships, but Ludwig hadn't been able to shake the idea of a personal transport out of his head. So the better part of the last month had found Ludwig occupied with shrinking everything that made up an existing steam engine and trying to make the whole thing run just as efficiently, on a far smaller scale. He wouldn't know whether or not this design would work until he powered the entire thing up, but it was a test Ludwig was looking forward to, as he carefully started welding another expertly bent pipe into place on the engine block.
The door of his workshop slammed open with a massive bang and shattered Ludwig's focus; both the gas torch and pipe slipped from his hands, the pipe landing rather perfectly on his foot. Biting back the curse that rose to his lips, Ludwig flipped up his visor and glared around for the intruder, and he didn't take long to find him: the other man announced himself rather loudly.
"Francis," he replied, his mouth a thin, irritated line. As much as he wanted to snap at the other man, manners overrode his emotions - for now. "What brings you here today--" His voice dropped abruptly off as what looked like a small army of children followed Francis into his workshop, immediately scattering in several different directions to examine the tools, parts and projects carefully organized around the large space. Ludwig felt his heart sinking and, picking up the torch and pipe quickly and setting them on a high shelf, he strode over to the other man.
"So what can I do for you and why did you bring an entire nursery school with you-" Ludwig couldn't finish his question as that very moment, one of the children attempted to eat several screws. Quickly moving the parts out of reach, he turned back to Francis, his expression more hassled than before. "What I was saying before," he simply grumbled, folding his arms across his chest in an almost challenging way, although his eyes were now scanning the room anxiously as the children fanned out further. If he hadn't known better, Ludwig would have suspected some kind of coordinated attack.
Gender: Male
Age: 21
Aliases: Lutz, a variety of insults.
Occupation: Driver, occasional sniper and bodyguard.
Appearance: Ludwig is tall and tough, standing 5'10" with a muscular, athletic frame. His features are sharp and fairly masculine, and convey a severity that extends to the rest of his appearance. He keeps his short pale blond hair combed back away from his face, and his piercing ice blue eyes are more often than not narrowed in scrutiny. Ludwig's skin is very fair; he bruises, blushes, and sunburns easily, and the man sports more than a few scars on his arms and legs. A tidy dresser, he has little patience for fads or fashion and prefers functional clothing to anything stylish unless he absolutely has to look fancy. The only piece of adornment he possesses is an Iron Cross medal that he keeps on a chain around his neck. He walks and runs with a slight but noticeable limp.
Picture:
"What’s a god to a non-believer?
Who don’t believe in anything?"
Who don’t believe in anything?"
Personality:
Ludwig is a man with an iron facade, and his public persona is anything but warm. Most often, he is serious and unemotional: he tends to be frank to the point of bluntness and has little patience for small talk or time wasting. When he is working on something, he's one hundred percent focused on the job at hand, with an additional fifty percent on top of that focusing on anticipating how something could go wrong. Those people who have noticed a mathematical error just now have clearly never met Ludwig. The man is a workaholic who takes very little lightly; his attitude often leads to false assumptions about his age.
Because Ludwig does spend so much time worrying about possible disasters, he's become a bit of a pessimist and can be somewhat of a downer in conversation. However, this thorough nature of his has also made him unfailingly reasonable and realistic: he isn't a man to take insane risks unless there are no other options available, and as he's not without some cleverness, Ludwig can usually always strategize a way out of trouble. A lifetime of reading has given Ludwig a lot of knowledge in many subjects. While the man is book-smart, however, he isn't necessarily people-smart: Ludwig is a bit naive and, given that he's extremely direct about most things and completely vague about a few choice subjects, he can come across as awkward at times.
To most who know him, Ludwig seems to wear two faces: serious and angry. Ludwig is fairly guarded with his emotions and tends not to wear his heart on his sleeve. His anger or irritation can also be misleading: while Ludwig does have a fairly short temper, he tends to react to any uncomfortable emotion (embarrassment, shyness, guilt, etc.) with shouting. When Ludwig is genuinely angry, he can be dangerous: he has a cruel streak, and as he doesn't lose track of his thoughts in any kind of a crisis, when he's furious he gets extremely calculating and vicious, even physically violent. It takes a lot to push him to this level, and Ludwig's rationalism allows him to shrug off most insults and slights. He knows how mean he can get, and while he's a proud man, he's not too proud to avoid seeking an apology when he knows he's in the wrong.
Yet just because he isn't outwardly emotional doesn't mean Ludwig is some kind of robot. His family and close friends know this for a fact, as around them, Ludwig is much less uptight about maintaining his stoicism. Truly, while he may come across as extremely serious and unhappy, Ludwig isn't a nasty person. He's protective of people and things he considers weaker than himself, and despite his quick temper, he is a fairly patient man. He has a very dry and somewhat sarcastic sense of humor, and enjoys get-togethers, parties, and reunions (all the more if there's beer on tap). When he isn't working he likes peace: he'll read a book, bake something, or tidy up his living space. If he genuinely cares about someone, he will be helpful, loyal, and kind. This side of Ludwig, however, is reserved for those he trusts. He's not a very open man, and guards what's precious to him - his peace and his happiness - very carefully.
Family?: Gilbert Beilschmidt (Older Brother); "Mr. Beilschmidt" (Grandfather); Anna Beilschmidt [neé Koch] (Mother; deceased); Gerhart Beilschmidt (Father, whereabouts unknown)
Likes:
- Dogs
- Cars
- German food
- Books
- Baking
- Order
- Fixing things
- Beer
Dislikes:
- Chaos
- Cowardice
- Stress
- Hangovers
- Dirt
- Spicy food
- Teasing
- Bad dreams
Aspirations:
- Find some bigger purpose in life
- Recover
- Find someone to love
Fears:
- Helplessness
- The deaths of friends or family
- Thunderstorms
History:
Born on a cold October morning in Berlin in 1901, Ludwig was the second son of a local businessman and his young wife, and he proved to be such a solemn and quiet child that at first his parents worried that something was wrong with him. But they quickly learned that nothing could be further from the truth: although little Ludwig was a bit more subdued than his older brother or his peers, he was nonetheless a happy, energetic, and smart young boy. He loved running about outside, climbing trees, reading books, and listening to music, and while the Beilschmidt family wasn't entirely well off, it couldn't be said that they weren't happy.
That began to change when Ludwig was five: after much deliberation, his father decided to emigrate to the U.S. for a chance at a better job and a better life for the family. Once he had found work and a place to stay, he'd begin saving up money to pay for passage for his family. On the day he left, there wasn't a dry eye in the household, but the Beilschmidts remaining in Germany did their best to hold together: Ludwig's mother took a job at a bakery and Ludwig helped out when he wasn't attending school. For a few years, this system worked, but as time wore on and no tickets to America showed up in Mr. Beilschmidt's letters, his wife began to despair. When not at work or caring for her sons, she began to seek out other forms of companionship to ease her loneliness.
With his father in America and his mother fairly absent, Ludwig was left to his own devices. He spent a lot of time with his brother, and the two became very close. While the young boy got in his fair share of trouble, Ludwig also seemed to understand that his family didn't work the way families normally should. He developed an extremely strong sense of responsibility, and worked hard both at school and outside of school, determined to help his family out in any way he could.
When Ludwig's mother ultimately caught an illness from one of her lovers, she seemed to realize that something had gone terribly wrong and, determined to have a fresh start, packed up the family and moved everyone to the countryside. She opened her own bakery there, and although times were even tougher at first, things seemed to get better for a little while. The boys had more free space to roam around, Ludwig made a few good friends, and the family drew somewhat closer together.
But the disease Mrs. Beilschmidt had caught eventually began to take its toll on her. Year after year, she grew less and less stable, and although she sought treatment, there was little doctors could do. Having to keep an eye on his ailing mother in addition to helping run the bakery and keeping his marks up in school, Ludwig was shouldering a very heavy burden. While he didn't collapse under the load, he suffered plenty of struggles, and retreated even more within himself in order to keep everything together. In May of his thirteenth year, his mother succumbed to her illness; only a few months later, the Great War broke out. Although he did his best to both continue attending school and keep the bakery working, Ludwig often found himself forced to choose between the two; as the war grew worse, the schools were shut down, and he no longer had to pick.
When Ludwig turned sixteen, he was drafted into the German army, and after showing some promise with a gun, he was trained as a sniper and sent to the western front. The year he spent fighting was the worst of his life. He made friends amongst his comrades in arms, only to see them gunned down in pointless attacks. He was forced to kill others and risk being killed in turn; during one retreat, he was shot in his left leg, and although he was granted a small leave to recover, the wound never fully healed. Ludwig slept in mud, in snow, in rain, under fire, struggling to stay warm and sane. When Germany ultimately lost the war, that was the last straw: the young man fought for what little of his veteran's pension that he could and bought a ticket to America. He caught up on his education, learned to fix cars, and began speaking English, but found himself completely out of touch with the rest of the world. His father seemed to have vanished into the vast country, and Americans weren't entirely friendly to German emigrants.
With nowhere to turn, he fell in line with his grandfather and began working for the Italian mafia: while Ludwig is plenty smart and continues to improve his intelligence every day (through books or otherwise), for now he's content working jobs that don't require too much thinking. Usually he's more of an errand runner, but he hasn't forgotten any of his training from the war and can make due as a hired gun as well. As he has always been, Ludwig is a driven worker; emotionally, however, Ludwig is a man without a purpose. He's hoping that with time, he'll be able to find one.
Sample Post: (From a steampunk AU)
It was by far one of Ludwig's most intricate ideas yet. The steam engine he'd been working on looked almost like a toy compared to the massive machines used in trains or boats or airships, but Ludwig hadn't been able to shake the idea of a personal transport out of his head. So the better part of the last month had found Ludwig occupied with shrinking everything that made up an existing steam engine and trying to make the whole thing run just as efficiently, on a far smaller scale. He wouldn't know whether or not this design would work until he powered the entire thing up, but it was a test Ludwig was looking forward to, as he carefully started welding another expertly bent pipe into place on the engine block.
The door of his workshop slammed open with a massive bang and shattered Ludwig's focus; both the gas torch and pipe slipped from his hands, the pipe landing rather perfectly on his foot. Biting back the curse that rose to his lips, Ludwig flipped up his visor and glared around for the intruder, and he didn't take long to find him: the other man announced himself rather loudly.
"Francis," he replied, his mouth a thin, irritated line. As much as he wanted to snap at the other man, manners overrode his emotions - for now. "What brings you here today--" His voice dropped abruptly off as what looked like a small army of children followed Francis into his workshop, immediately scattering in several different directions to examine the tools, parts and projects carefully organized around the large space. Ludwig felt his heart sinking and, picking up the torch and pipe quickly and setting them on a high shelf, he strode over to the other man.
"So what can I do for you and why did you bring an entire nursery school with you-" Ludwig couldn't finish his question as that very moment, one of the children attempted to eat several screws. Quickly moving the parts out of reach, he turned back to Francis, his expression more hassled than before. "What I was saying before," he simply grumbled, folding his arms across his chest in an almost challenging way, although his eyes were now scanning the room anxiously as the children fanned out further. If he hadn't known better, Ludwig would have suspected some kind of coordinated attack.
