Post by Königreich Preußen on Aug 16, 2010 19:21:16 GMT -5
Nation: Königreich Preußen [Kingdom of Prussia][/u]
Name: Gilbert Weillschmidt
Gender: Male
Appearance of Age: About 23
Hair Color: Silver/Snowy white
Eye Color: Crimson
Height: 5'8''
Weight: 135lbs (A lot of weight has been lost since the Berlin Wall incident. Though most of his current weight is muscle.)
Appearance:
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Personality: First off, he has an ego. A BIG ego, and he's not afraid to show it off by complimenting himself whenever he gets the chance to do so (almost always referring to himself as “awesome” in some way.) He thinks he's the best, and he'll say it to anyone's face who thinks otherwise and do whatever it takes to prove it. He enjoys seeing other people twitch, and will do anything to get a rise out of someone; he's a master at teasing people and getting them riled up. Still, despite his egotistical ways, he's much more sensitive than people give him credit for. When someone he really cares about is upset or in trouble, Gilbert will do his best to make it better again, even if the means of doing so are sometimes unorthodox… In the end, his ego is really just for show and something he built up to give himself confidence that he's never truly had.
He claims to love being alone, but truly; he hates it more than anything. Because of his fear of being alone, he often forces his presence on other and makes up a ridiculous excuse to why he is there in the first place and refuses to leave until he's forced out. More than anything, he just wants someone to notice him and say he's worth something; to be wanted. Even if it’s only by one person. His fear of being useless is great enough that even the simplest of insults implying it can send him into a depressed spiral that's hard to pull himself out of. (Often when this happens, he'll retreat to his room for several hours to several days--because dammit, being told he's useless when he has nothing hurts.) He grins when he's sad and tucks any negative feelings away until he's ready to burst and it is likely this which is the cause of his quick temper. He can hold a grudge for years on end, but he can forgive and forget just as quickly as he gets upset; it all depends on the situation. He's unpredictable, and he likes it that way.
When Gilbert was younger (around his time as a "Kingdom") he was, simply put, somewhat mentally unstable (in a different sense than he is now.) It was as if a voice had somehow wormed itself into his mind and whispered to him--telling him that what he was doing was right, that it was all for Prussia---and in the end, it was that voice that kept pushing him. More often than not that he blamed it for mistakes, but, deep down, each choice he made he knew perfectly well was his own. Which is probably what drove the "insanity" that plagued him during his time as the "Kingdom of Prussia." Especially when it came to Roderich. He still buries a lot of guilt from that time; telling himself that he hated the Austrian did nothing for him. Nothing excused all the wars he created... but hate is an easy replacement for guilt, and it kept him moving forward.
He knew (still knows) right from wrong, and contrary to the stereotypes of his nation, he did not enjoy killing. Power was always a temptation, and he loved reveling in his country's vast amount of it--who wouldn't?--but after every war and battle he fought, he always took the time to stop and pray for the people he killed or watched die. The Knight of the Teutonic Order within him still runs strongly through his veins, and he continues to hold strong to those roots, even if he doesn't show it all the time.
[Wow, there was some history combined in that part of his personality...]
Despite his rough-around-the-edges and seemingly obnoxious personality, Gilbert is as loyal as they come. If he has someone he really cares about, be it just a friend or that special someone, he'll lay his life down without a second thought to keep them safe. Of course, he'll still tease them to the point where one would want to rip their hair out, but he'd never have ill-intent behind it. Once be finds someone he cares about, he'll latch on and do anything it takes to keep that bond safe. No matter what the price, his loved ones [as few as he has] mean the world to him.
All in all, he can be a bit of an ass, but a lovable ass. It's rare that he goes a day without writing in his journals (he has an entire libraries-worth tucked away in a secret location.)
Likes:
+ Pancakes
+ Maple Syrup
+ Birds
+ Swords
+ Gambling
+ Cute things [Though he wouldn't admit it openly.]
+ Playing flute and violin [Gasp! Guilty pleasure~]
+ Teasing others
+ His little brother
+ Trying to re-build his country
+ Vital Regions
+ Computers
+ His Blog
+ Writing
Dislikes:
- Vodka
- Being cold
- Snow
- Sunflowers
- Frying pans
- Being told what to do [however, a certain master is the exception to the rule.]
- Losing
- Being alone [Won't admit to this, either.]
- People mentioning Frederick the Great; it depresses him
- Anyone mentioning WWII or the fall of his country
- Broken glass
- Being sold useless sh*t [He's looking at YOU Hong Kong, China]
- Being called useless, a waste of space, etc.
Fears:
~ The smell of Vodka
~ Being alone (especially in the snow)
~ Being forgotten by everyone
~ Disappearing for good/dying
~ Losing what little he has left
~ Being viewed as useless, he's already lost his nation, so what else does he have to offer but himself?
~ Being hated by his brother (or Roderich) for the things he's done in the past... or any reason, really.
~ Being restrained by any means
~ Broken glass
Strengths:
Swordsmanship: Having used a blade since the day he could hold one, Gilbert has trained with the sword all his life. He can blades of all sizes and lengths, both single and dual-handed, though he much prefers the fencing-style of fighting and blades.
Deception: When it comes to deception, he's second to none few. He knows how to work his way out of trouble and sweet-talk men and women alike to get the information he wants (usually free beer or food.) He knows what disguises to wear where and how to get around the rules--after all, he takes all kinds of jobs and needs to get around. …Not to mention he’s ridiculously good-looking. Pretty-faces go a long way.
Loyalty: Once he befriends someone (as this is very rare for him to do) he doesn't take that bond lightly. He'd go to the ends of the earth and to hell and back for the people he cared about, even if he doesn't have much to offer given that he is no longer a nation. There are very few people he could ever imagine risking his life for, but he'd never leave an ally alone in a dangerous situation. He takes loyalty and trust a lot more seriously than one would think. However, if someone loses his trust or betrays him... watch out, is black list is a bad place to be. It's near impossible for someone to earn back his trust if they've lost it.
Violin and Flute: He favours the flute and has played it longer, but his skill with a violin is nothing to turn one's nose at. The flute was taught to him by Frederick the Great, but the violin he learned on his own to
Writing: Considering he has an entire library's worth of journals that he has written in everyday since he came into existence, one would think he was a pretty damn good writing. He has pretty decent hand-writing, and while it isn't girly or perfect script, it is rather neat and nice. He knows how to tell a story on paper; he's had the practice, after all.
Tolerance: He has a very high tolerance for alcohol, but once he is wasted, he’s pretty much gone until the next morning (and sometimes a little after that.) He can be pretty comical when he is drunk, but his temper also is much shorter than normal. It is a two-sided coin, really, but he’s not incompetent (which is good.) He can still tell enemy from foe, but his methods for dealing with both are somewhat… ridiculous.
First-aid and Medical Experience: While most wouldn't think it, Prussia actually remembers a lot from when he was still a Knight. The Teutonic Order used to work as a hospital, after all. Before he became the awesome fighter that he is, he was, pretty much, a doctor/nurse. Of course, the methods used then are hardly modernized, but contrary to what others believe, Gilbert saw the knowledge useful and kept his studies of the practice up to par. Though having the knowledge of cures used before advanced medical technology can be quite useful on the battlefield when things such as a hospital aren't within easy reach.
War-tactics: Nation still or not, Gilbert knows what he is doing on the battle field. He has years of experience and a powerful country history to prove it. From board-games to actual on-field experience, give him a weapon and people to lead, and you'll probably come out victorious... which is why he enjoys games like Risk so much. He's good, damn good, and he's not afraid to show it. After all, it's like Voltaire once said, "Where some states have an army, the Prussian Army has a state."
Responsibility: While it isn't something that he often shows, when he needs to, Prussia is very capable of being responsible. After all, he is a big brother, and while he tends to tuck that part of himself away, there are times when his "big brother side" (usually involving Ludwig or the younger nations) will come out and he'll show that he's a pretty good guy after all. He knows how to comfort someone when they are down, and if he truly cares, he will make an effort to cheer someone up. He's perfectly capable of taking charge in serious situations that need it, and this can often be seen when his "serious and diligent soldier" side comes out that he so often tries to hide behind his quirks and sarcasm.
Chivalry: If it can be called this. Prussia, on a whole, is rather polite when it comes to women.
Weaknesses:
Common-sense: It isn't so much a weakness as a tendency to NOT use it. On a whole, Prussia has a LOT of common-sense, however, he sees life as more fun without it and will more often opt to not use it when the situation calls for it. ...Though in all honesty, whenever he chooses not to, it's commonly because his goal is to annoy the other person/nation in the situation with him.
Quick temper: Depending on the subject, his temper can be set off easily. Once he's mad, his self-control tends to fly out the window and he'll often end up acting stupid. He could easily hurt someone without meaning to in his rage (physically or mentally) and he can get quite loud when he's shouting.
Carelessness: Often times he has a "act first, think later" look on life. He will act impulsively in almost any situation, and this often gets him in trouble or hurt. He'll speak before he considers what he is saying more often than not, and his cruel teases can often hurt without him realizing it.
Sharp tongue: Perhaps a duel-ended sword. He's got quick wit and a sharp tongue with ready and waiting sarcasm. While this might be seen as a strength, it often tends to get him in trouble and usually results with someone pissed at him. Then again, he realy doesn't care much if someone is shouting at him or otherwise. In the end, this is all for show, and it's his desperate (though he'd never admit it) attempt for attention. After all, at least when someone is shouting at him, they're paying attention.
His Body: Physical strength he has, of course. He's a strong one, despite his twig-like nature, and can easily hold his own against both his brother and America (just to use an example.) However, while he may have the physical strength, his body isn't the best. He tires easily, though he puts up a front to hide this, and his immune system is far from healthy. Without an "official" country (and his constantly changing status Knight-->unknown stuff-->country-->East Germany-->Enclave of Russia, etc) he lacks his own "people", and thus, his body is a great deal different from the other nations. He can get sick very easily, and medication meant for humans can only do so much for him, though, again, he tries his best to hide all this.
Mental Phobia Issues: Due to tragic events in the past (read: the Berlin Wall) there are some things that just set Gilbert off the wrong way. Sometimes the reactions are so bad he tends to fall into a state of shock and it's very difficult for him to come out of it. If these fears are provoked, his reactions can often reach the critical point where he will stare into space and tremble, reliving memories of his past and sometimes even being reduced to tears. These fears include: the scent of vodka, sunflowers, the sound of metal pipes scrapping against the pavement, frying pans being used as weapons, dark rooms, being touched below the waist, and being bound or tired down in any way.
Tears: He's just not good with them. If he sees someone crying, he'll often be clueless as to what to do and often panic. He doesn't like seeing people cry, especially if it's because of something he did without knowing it. If it's a girl, forget it, he'll turn into a bit of a blubbering idiot and continue to panic and flail (not literally) about until he can find a way to fix it. Which usually involves him making a fool of himself and then attempting to save face later.
Emotions: Because of how he grew as a nation, Gilbert rarely shows his true emotions. He quickly learned to tuck such things away for no one to see. Tears are pushed to the back of his mind and forced away until he feels ready to burst, and even then he'll still try to hold it back. If some slip out, it's blamed on all that dust in the air, because obviously, awesome doesn't cry. However, if there is every a time that Prussia does break down and let someone see what he is feeling, chances are they are someone he truly cares about and trusts with seeing them.
Frederick the Great ("Old Fritz"): Mention him, and Prussia will get depressed. He truly misses the man he considered to be a father, and talking about his greatest leader will often cause him to sulk. It's almost like a small, mental-rut. While it isn't nearly as bad as his reaction to some of the mental-phobias he has, he'll still pout around and likely attempt to get a beer unless he's cheered up pretty quickly.
Stubborn: Fairly self-explanatory. This tends to be both a blessing and a curse at times. He doesn't know when to give up, and if he wants something to get done, he won't stop until it is.
History:
(...Since, technically, Gilbert started before/around the Teutonic Order, I'm going to summarize to save us all the trouble of being here for a few hours. Last time I tried to sum-up Prussian history, it was 12 pages long. So here is the short, short, short version of that 12-page history.)
Teutonic Order
Prussia started off as the Teutonic Order, which was a group of "knights" formed to aid Catholics on their pilgrimages to the Holy Land and establish hospitals to care for the sick and injured. Since they were also a military order during the middle ages, they acquired the well-known name of the "Teutonic Knights". Joining at first was fairly easy, but since the numbers were small at first, whenever they needed help, volunteers and mercenaries were always easy to acquire. They later moved to help protect Hungary against the Turks during the 12th century after the Christian forces of the middle east were defeated. Then, in 1225, they were expelled by force in 1225 after allegedly attempting to place themselves under Papal instead of Hungarian sovereignty.
Then some stuff happened. FAST FORWARD!
In 1410, a Polish-Lithuanian army decisively defeated the Order and broke its military power at the Battle of Grunwald. Which kinda sucked for the Order... but they managed to get on their feet again. So some years passed and the Order was awesome and picked a lot of fights until 1515, when the Holy Roman Emperor married into an alliance with Sigismund of Poland-Lithuania. In 1515, Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I made a marriage alliance with Sigismund I of Poland-Lithuania and the Emperor was kinda shitty to the Order after that. At least, until 1525, when Grand Master Albert of Brandenburg resigned and converted to Lutheranism and become the Duke of Prussia.
Later on, the order was disbanded for a bit, but it has been reestablished in Vienna (how sweet of you, Roderich~), and is know more commonly known as the "German Order". However, the popular symbol now known as the "Iron Cross" was a design on the Order's uniform that was passed from the Order, to Prussia, and eventually to Germany (and Austria as well, I believe.)
The motto of the Order was: "Helfen, Wehren, Heilen" or "Help, Defend, Heal."
At one point in time, it was considered a great honour and goal to be in the Teutonic Order. People from countries all over would strive to be able to join them.
Brandenburg-Prussia
So this was actually a fairly short period.
Anna, granddaughter of Albert I and daughter of Duke Albert Frederick married her cousin (>>; oh baby) who was a Duke in Brandenburg and the nation's joined together. Yay.
During the Thirty Years' War, the disconnected Hohenzollern lands were more or less ambushed by various armies, especially the occupying Swedes. The ineffective and militarily weak Margrave George William fled from Berlin to Königsberg in 1637. The guy who came after him, Frederick William I, reformed the army so that the lands could be defended and it wasn't just open for free-march. Then Prussia got into it with Poland for a while, but it ended with a treaty, so that was all well and good. Blah, blah, William became known as the "Great Elector" and things were awesome for a while.
Kingdom of Prussia
This is when Prussia was epic-awesome and everything was amazing. (And the main part that's fun to write about.)
SO...
On the 18th of January, 1701, Frederick William's kid managed to change Prussia from a duchy to a Kingdom and crowned himself the King. The sad thing is, Prussia seemed to think that would offend Poland since some of the land was where Old Prussia laid. Instead, the Holy Roman Emperor would only let Frederick call himself the "King in Prussia" and not "of Prussia". Who knows, really. Seems a bit of a silly reasoning, but whatever. Brandenburg-Prussia was always called "Prussia" back then, and eventually turned into just the "Kingdom of Prussia", which is cool. Frederick I was pretty good and was succeeded by his son, Frederick William I, who really helped Prussia extend its power and land, but damn, was he an asshole.
Frederick William was known as the "Soldier King", and like I said before, he was an asshole. He really helped Prussia become super powerful, but he had this "no shit from anyone" idea. He is known as the creator of the vaunted Prussian bureaucracy and the professionalized standing in the army (which developed into the most powerful in Europe.) In fact, Voltaire said later: "Where some states have an army, the Prussian Army has a state!" He was pretty good with treaties, too, and managed to nab half of Swedish Pomerania in a treaty (and a lot of refugees from Salzburg. Haha, or something.) Still, he was an asshole and was also known for his short temper and violent behavior toward his family.
Finally he died in 1740 and Prussia had it's first official King, who is well-known as "Frederick the Great" or affectionately, "Old Fritz". Now he was a ruler to be admired. Frederick was an amazing flute player, and composed many beautiful orchestral and musical pieces including the Prussian army march. His music is still popular even total (and Prussia insists you look it up on YouTube.)
In 1740, Frederick lead the Prussian troops over the undefended border of Silesia and occupied Schweidnitz; Silesia was the richest province of Habsburg Austria. Sadly, this started a group of wars between Prussia and Austria, but Prussia always won in the end
By 1742, Frederick the Great had acquired all of Silesia and victory was obtained once more after the third Silesian war known as the Seven Years War (Gilbert insists that I mention that he fought Roderich because he had to, not because he hated him. *inner-fangirl is shot*) Voltaire (remember him, who quoted earlier?) a close friend of the king, once described Frederick the Great's Prussia by saying "...it was Sparta in the morning, Athens in the afternoon."
Anyway, Silesia, a region of rich soils and prosperous manufacturing towns, ended up really helping Prussia out and greatly increased the area, population, and wealth of Prussia. Because of the land increase, this, in turn, helped Prussia become even more powerful as well as it's seemingly never-ending success on the battleground against Austria and other powers. This made Prussia one of the most powerful forces in Europe.
All in all, Frederick the Great was Awesome, and made Prussia even more awesome. He introduced a general civil code, abolished torture, and established the principle that the Crown would not interfere in matters of justice. He promoted an advanced secondary education, the forerunner of today's German gymnasium (grammar school), which prepares the brightest students for university studies (which is why Gilbert is pretty damn smart himself... just lazy.) The Prussian education system was emulated in various countries, including the United States ...Though Alfred's lack of visible intelligence is probably England's fault.
So like, then there were a shit-load of other wars, most of which were won, and stuff was awesome. Prussia really helped the Holy Roman Empire and Germany as a country, especially when they had fallen to the lowest point and they really needed assistance getting back on their feet.
>>; My history is getting a little long so we're going to skip ahead... a lot. More awesome shit happened, and he was awesomely awesome. Enough said.
Other stuff...
Eventually, Prussia slowly began to lose it's power because people were assholes. Although, it continued to stick pretty tight with Germany and tended to bark when people messed with the Germans too much. Alas, as part of their war aims the allies sought the abolition of Prussia. Stalin was initially content to retain the name, Russia having a different historical view of its neighbour and sometime former ally. In Law #46 of February 25, 1947 the Allied Control Council formally proclaimed the dissolution of Prussia. (Italics direct quote from wikipedia.) In short, a lot of people blamed Prussia for Germany going insane with Hitler and claimed that it's "military past" was the cause of "evil" in Germany. Which is bullshit and we all know it. The Prussians had always been against Hitler and even attempted to assassinate him.
Berlin Wall
[This is moreso head-canon stuffs than actually history. As it is what I think happened to Gilbert behind the wall.]
These were NOT a happy few years for Gilbert. As if being stripped of his country and people wasn't bad enough, he was then torn from his brother, as well. Shortly after his country (or lack thereof) had fallen and he took up his place as "East Germany", the horror that was the Berlin Wall was built and he was forced to remain locked away under the control of Russia (thanks to the Allies splitting up the German land.)
When he was behind the wall, Gilbert saw little more than Ivan's basement for the entirety of the twenty-eight years he was there. Most of his time was spent chained to the cold cement walls with little to no light. The various forms of torture were too numerous to list, but it ranged everywhere from sexual to mental to physical. Meals were scarce, and his already slender figure was reduced to little more than skin and bones. His health deteriorated drastically, and it was only the dreams of someday returning home to the people he cared about and the small bits of help he was able to receive when Belarus or one of the Baltic nations were able to sneak downstairs.
By the time he was returned home, he could barely stand on his own, let alone function, and several years were devoted towards recovery before he was able to take care of himself without the assistance of his brother [or Roderich.] He was, more or less, walking death, and how he survived through it all, to this day Gilbert himself does not know, but the mental trauma that it left behind was drastic, and even in modern times he has yet to recover fully.
Small Notes
Happily, there is New Prussia in Canada, and the Kingdom of Prussia in the US now. So Gilbo is pretty damn happy about that.
Note for the humour: the tuba was invented in Prussia. Hurhur.
...So, yeah. >>; That was pretty long. No one is expected to write as much as me, for the record.
Allies: Canada, Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain, and though he won't always admit it, France. (He can get along really well with Denmark and America, too.) Hungary. ...For the most part. Belarus (good friend; helped him a lot [personally] behind the wall.)
Enemies: Russia, Russia, Russia, Russia, and Russia. And sometimes France. He tends to get into fights with Poland a lot, too, but there are times when those two can get along like best friends. Hungary's frying pan is another one.
Sample Post:
Being albino had never been something Gilbert particularly enjoyed, nor hated. It was different, and he enjoyed that, it made him unique. Of course, it also made him stand out, and when in the middle of a bloody battle field in the middle of the summer it had often proved to be a disadvantage (even if he were garbed in his country's uniform), but as with most things, there were two sides of of the coin, and snow often proved to be in his favour. His white hair and skin easily blended in with the backdrop and his eyes were easy enough to close to and avoid being detected because of their bright colour He'd learned long ago how to rely on only his ears and sense of smell, and though the training had rarely been put to use, he was grateful to have it now.
We shouldn't be here... he thought bitterly, glaring down at the ground from the tree he'd taken up several hours previous. I told West he should have just found a way to off the mad-man before he took power, and look where we are now. The sadistic bastard is starting to lose it. The Prussian had woken up earlier than usual (likely because of the cold, as, despite his strong muscles, he was rather small) and silently slipped on his knee-length white coat, pants (also white) and gloves. He would have been much happier with a black or dark blue like most of the other soldiers, but the colour of his coat had been both a strategic choice and rebellion. He'd enjoyed the annoyed twitching that had started in the eyebrow of his brother's boss when the Führer had seen his "different" attire, but, happily, he'd gotten away with little more than a glare and a satisfied smirk.
The sudden sound of crunching snow alerted Gilbert to someone's presence, and he instantly stiffened. Crimson eyes carefully scanned the landscape around him, hand moving slowly toward the Luger P-08 he kept hidden within the folds of his coat. It was little more than a standard handgun, but he was good with it, and he'd left his sword (as he'd always preferred them over guns) back in his tent. Who is...? West? A slender silver eyebrow quirked upward in silent question as he saw the familiar shape of his younger brother moving toward his tree in the snow, completely oblivious to his presence. What is he doing out here so early? Shouldn't be shouting about training or whatever...?
Snorting silently, he leaned forward, taking care not to knock any snow off the tree he'd was sitting in to alert the other of where he was. It took several minutes, but Ludwig finally neared enough and finally past under him and that's when he struck. A wide grin split across his pale features and he quickly hooked his legs around his the branch below him, swinging down and dangling from it as he threw out his hand, using his forefinger and thumb to mimic the shape of a gun with his hands and pressed the tip of his forefinger to the top of the German's spin. "Bang," he mocked in an amused tone, giving his brother a soft prod. "If I were Russian, you'd be dead, West. Didn't I teach you to always look up and down when scouting?"
Did you read the rules?
D< I AM TOO AWESOME TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION! The awesome me WROTE the rules! I don't have to answer this. Kesesesesese~[/blockquote][/size]
