Post by Roderich Edelstein on Sept 24, 2010 23:40:22 GMT -5
Name: Roderich Edelstein
Country of Origin: Kaisertum Österreich (Austrian Empire)
Gender: Male
Age: 23
Height/Weight: 5'7"/145 lbs
Hair/Eye Colour: Brown/Violet
Affiliation: Ex-soldier; Noble
Job: Roderich doesn't really have a profession. Right now, he's just struggling to survive.
Appearance:
Personality:
Roderich very much embodies the charming gentleman Aristocrat stereotype. The feeling that "everything is fine if I pretend it is" is something that most nobles live by, and Roderich is no exception. He hides his more negative emotions and never truly reveals how upset he may or may not be by certain things. He deals with these things in private. Although he places a high priority on being mannerly, he does have a temper if his buttons are pushed.
However, most of this Aristocratic nature goes against his true personality. His mother was never so strict about such things, and it goes against his nature to be so guarded. It was his father who first instilled the idea of keeping his emotions to himself within him, though he was always more free with his mother and those close to him. After his father drank himself to death shortly after his eighteenth birthday, Roderich was forced to close himself down almost completely and be the perfect nobleman in order to restore his family name that had been all but destroyed due to his father's self-destruction after the untimely death of his mother.
Thus, Roderich feels like a prisoner in his own body. Acting the way he does goes against his very nature, but he can't help but feel his nature is inherently wrong, given the way his father and the rest of his culture expects him to act. Therefore, if he slips and allows any of his more emotional side show, he quickly covers it up out of some irrational fear of punishment for some wrongdoing. This causes him to push people away and appear hostile or frigid; it is obvious that this means he has few friends.
His true personality is almost opposite the mask he forces himself to wear. Although he may seem arrogant because of his aristocratic attitude, he actually doesn't think very highly of himself in most cases. He is somewhat nitpicky about the flaws of others, only because it reminds him that he is not the only one who isn't perfect. Roderich is actually quite modest and thinks very little of himself; in his eyes, he is a failure. In private, he's incredibly self-deprecating and almost hateful toward himself.
Likes:
+ Cake
+ Playing/composing music
+ Art
+ Warm, sunny days
+ Peace
+ Culture
+ Relaxing
+ Reading
+ Sewing
+ Recycling/conserving things
Dislikes:
- Fighting
- Loud noises
- Disrespectful people
- Spending money needlessly
- Throwing things away that can be used
- Being picked on/teased
- Gambling
- Alcoholics
- The Military
Fears:
~Becoming like his father
~Losing anymore loved ones
~Being caught by the pirates who chase him
Strengths:
Fencing:[/b] Being that his father taught him how to fence as soon as he was old enough to hold a sword, Roderich is quite good with a sword. When it comes to technique, he is flawless; physically, he's quite weak, but he makes up for that by being agile and quick-witted.
Reading People: Part of fencing is being able to read your opponent to be able to guess where they will move next. Being that this is part of the technical side of fencing, Roderich excels at this; perhaps he is not the strongest with a sword, but he is certainly a difficult target to hit. This goes beyond just fencing, though; Roderich is very good at reading people in general, and can pick up on even the slightest change in mood. That being said, he is very good at picking up on the details, but often missed the big picture.
Music: Roderich loves composing music of his own and can play almost any instrument he can get his hands on. He favors the piano and stringed instruments, though. Because of the way his father tried to force him into being more or less unfeeling, music is used as a way for him to express those feelings he couldn't otherwise show. Not only that, but by composing and playing, Roderich feels closer to his mother.
Hiding His Emotions: This may or may not be a good thing, but Roderich uses the mastery of his emotions to his advantage. To most people, he is a wonderful liar. He has an unrivaled poker face from years of being forced to keep his emotions in check. Unfortunately, his eyes are incredibly expressive, so for those who know him well, he is easy to read. This is part of the reason he wears glasses; it helps obscure his eyes to hide his weakness.
Weaknesses:
Hiding His Emotions: There is a downside to this, of course. Roderich has very little experience with allowing himself to truly feel, and because of this he often comes off as flippant and uncaring. This attitude was fortified by both parents; his military training was what drilled it into him, but it was backed up by his mother's aristocracy.
Strength: Physically, Roderich is rather weak. It is not for lack of trying; he was trained rigorously as a child, but his body is simply not built to be strong.
Stubbornness: Though this can also be viewed as a strength, Roderich is stubborn to a fault. If he can't be physically strong, he will at least be strong mentally and he does not back down easily. This often backfires on him, but he sticks to it.
Family:
Mother: Countess Anneliese von Engel
Father: Colonel Audric Edelstein
History:
Roderich's life has been a balancing act since he was a child; between his strict, Army Colonel father and his soft-spoken, kind-hearted noble mother. Growing up, Roderich was very close to his mother, having grown to fear his overbearing father who would give him ridiculous duties in order to prepare him for his future as a soldier. He much preferred the piano lessons Anneliese gave him, though, and hoped for the life of a musician over the dangerous life of a soldier.
It wasn't as though Audric mistreated Roderich; instead, it was more tough love than anything that guided the man's actions toward his son. The Colonel's goal was to see his heir become a great soldier and to follow in his footsteps. Being the only son, Roderich could not bring himself to let his father down and kept silent about his hatred of military life and his desire to be a pianist, adding a new duality to his life.
However, Roderich's less than enthusiastic career in military training, which began when he was school age, began to show in his teenage years. At fourteen, he still was not skilled with anything but a sword, which was not good enough for the army. Fencing was something he could do fairly well, but being physically weak gave stronger opponents the upper hand, even though he could out-maneuver most of them; mechanics of fencing are rarely useful in battle where there are no rules. This enraged his father, driving the wedge further between them.
When he was almost fifteen years old, his life changed when his mother unexpectedly died. Regardless of how Audric treated him, he loved his wife dearly and was torn apart by her death. Because of this distraction, Roderich was able to withdraw from the military training to pursue his true passion, keeping his mother's memory alive by playing her instruments.
Shortly after Roderich's eighteenth birthday, his father died, leaving his family's estate and wealth to him. He immediately began working to gain back the money his father spent gambling and drinking. However, nothing he did could quell the anger of the underground, who were furious at Audric's death since he still owed them money. This made Roderich a frequent target, and after being jumped one night and killing his attacker, this put him at extreme odds with the underground.
It was at this point that Gilbert was hired as a bodyguard of sorts for Roderich.
For six years, the underground pursued Roderich, desperate to get back the money his father owed them. After a few years of this, the young noble began to wonder if the men were after more than money...
Sample/Character Introduction:
(I thought instead of the usual sample, I'd show off insane!Austria. He was way too fun to write. <3)
He'd just tied off the bandage when he heard the other's voice. It was like every defense he'd put up fell all at once at simply hearing Gilbert's voice. Normally he would rush into the other man's arms and take comfort in the strength, warmth and love he found there. For a split second, he was himself again; he was Roderich again for one glorious moment. Tears sprang to his eyes at the force of his freedom, the realization of what he had done and what he had to do to fix it. But, the moment didn't last long; as soon as he turned to see his fiance, his lover, his entire body froze.
Gilbert was holding a gun, a sword strapped to his side. There was something in his eyes that made Austria pause; Roderich's violet eyes met the Prussian's ruby ones and went from their normal colour back to black almost immediately. Seeing the weapons his lover held was enough to snap him back, even though this was war and he had weapons of his own. Seeing Gilbert like that was enough for him, enough for insanity to take hold again.
Dropping his arm to his side, the brunette smirked, standing haughtily. "Hallo, liebe~" he murmured, his voice deceptively sweet. "Your wounds look pretty bad, Gil," he cooed, taking a step forward. He would never defeat Prussia in a gun dual; his aim wasn't very good when he was trying to shoot quickly and Gilbert had always been faster to shoot anyway. But a swordfight... that he was more likely to win. Sword fights took more physical exertion than a gunfight, and with Gilbert's wounds that gave Austria a huge advantage, along with his being left-handed. If he could get the gun away, he would be he victor. He would be the one standing over the bleeding, defeated albino, instead of the other way around. For once. Finally.
Slowly closing the space between them, Roderich held his hands open, palms outward, showing he was unarmed. "A gun, Gil? Do you think you'll need that against me? I'm hurt, liebe." Honestly, Prussia probably did need that gun against him, if their last meeting while he was crazy was anything to go by. Licking his lips at the memory, Roderich continued walking forward until he was within arms reach of the Prussian. Smiling serenely, he reached back and removed his guns slowly, setting them to the side, his eyes never once leaving the crimson hues. "We have no need for these with each other, right?"
Oh by the way...
Aa asoko no bocchan aitsu wa kechi da ze
Damasarenna--
Damasarenna yo---!!
Country of Origin: Kaisertum Österreich (Austrian Empire)
Gender: Male
Age: 23
Height/Weight: 5'7"/145 lbs
Hair/Eye Colour: Brown/Violet
Affiliation: Ex-soldier; Noble
Job: Roderich doesn't really have a profession. Right now, he's just struggling to survive.
Appearance:
Personality:
Roderich very much embodies the charming gentleman Aristocrat stereotype. The feeling that "everything is fine if I pretend it is" is something that most nobles live by, and Roderich is no exception. He hides his more negative emotions and never truly reveals how upset he may or may not be by certain things. He deals with these things in private. Although he places a high priority on being mannerly, he does have a temper if his buttons are pushed.
However, most of this Aristocratic nature goes against his true personality. His mother was never so strict about such things, and it goes against his nature to be so guarded. It was his father who first instilled the idea of keeping his emotions to himself within him, though he was always more free with his mother and those close to him. After his father drank himself to death shortly after his eighteenth birthday, Roderich was forced to close himself down almost completely and be the perfect nobleman in order to restore his family name that had been all but destroyed due to his father's self-destruction after the untimely death of his mother.
Thus, Roderich feels like a prisoner in his own body. Acting the way he does goes against his very nature, but he can't help but feel his nature is inherently wrong, given the way his father and the rest of his culture expects him to act. Therefore, if he slips and allows any of his more emotional side show, he quickly covers it up out of some irrational fear of punishment for some wrongdoing. This causes him to push people away and appear hostile or frigid; it is obvious that this means he has few friends.
His true personality is almost opposite the mask he forces himself to wear. Although he may seem arrogant because of his aristocratic attitude, he actually doesn't think very highly of himself in most cases. He is somewhat nitpicky about the flaws of others, only because it reminds him that he is not the only one who isn't perfect. Roderich is actually quite modest and thinks very little of himself; in his eyes, he is a failure. In private, he's incredibly self-deprecating and almost hateful toward himself.
Likes:
+ Cake
+ Playing/composing music
+ Art
+ Warm, sunny days
+ Peace
+ Culture
+ Relaxing
+ Reading
+ Sewing
+ Recycling/conserving things
Dislikes:
- Fighting
- Loud noises
- Disrespectful people
- Spending money needlessly
- Throwing things away that can be used
- Being picked on/teased
- Gambling
- Alcoholics
- The Military
Fears:
~Becoming like his father
~Losing anymore loved ones
~Being caught by the pirates who chase him
Strengths:
Fencing:[/b] Being that his father taught him how to fence as soon as he was old enough to hold a sword, Roderich is quite good with a sword. When it comes to technique, he is flawless; physically, he's quite weak, but he makes up for that by being agile and quick-witted.
Reading People: Part of fencing is being able to read your opponent to be able to guess where they will move next. Being that this is part of the technical side of fencing, Roderich excels at this; perhaps he is not the strongest with a sword, but he is certainly a difficult target to hit. This goes beyond just fencing, though; Roderich is very good at reading people in general, and can pick up on even the slightest change in mood. That being said, he is very good at picking up on the details, but often missed the big picture.
Music: Roderich loves composing music of his own and can play almost any instrument he can get his hands on. He favors the piano and stringed instruments, though. Because of the way his father tried to force him into being more or less unfeeling, music is used as a way for him to express those feelings he couldn't otherwise show. Not only that, but by composing and playing, Roderich feels closer to his mother.
Hiding His Emotions: This may or may not be a good thing, but Roderich uses the mastery of his emotions to his advantage. To most people, he is a wonderful liar. He has an unrivaled poker face from years of being forced to keep his emotions in check. Unfortunately, his eyes are incredibly expressive, so for those who know him well, he is easy to read. This is part of the reason he wears glasses; it helps obscure his eyes to hide his weakness.
Weaknesses:
Hiding His Emotions: There is a downside to this, of course. Roderich has very little experience with allowing himself to truly feel, and because of this he often comes off as flippant and uncaring. This attitude was fortified by both parents; his military training was what drilled it into him, but it was backed up by his mother's aristocracy.
Strength: Physically, Roderich is rather weak. It is not for lack of trying; he was trained rigorously as a child, but his body is simply not built to be strong.
Stubbornness: Though this can also be viewed as a strength, Roderich is stubborn to a fault. If he can't be physically strong, he will at least be strong mentally and he does not back down easily. This often backfires on him, but he sticks to it.
Family:
Mother: Countess Anneliese von Engel
Father: Colonel Audric Edelstein
History:
Roderich's life has been a balancing act since he was a child; between his strict, Army Colonel father and his soft-spoken, kind-hearted noble mother. Growing up, Roderich was very close to his mother, having grown to fear his overbearing father who would give him ridiculous duties in order to prepare him for his future as a soldier. He much preferred the piano lessons Anneliese gave him, though, and hoped for the life of a musician over the dangerous life of a soldier.
It wasn't as though Audric mistreated Roderich; instead, it was more tough love than anything that guided the man's actions toward his son. The Colonel's goal was to see his heir become a great soldier and to follow in his footsteps. Being the only son, Roderich could not bring himself to let his father down and kept silent about his hatred of military life and his desire to be a pianist, adding a new duality to his life.
However, Roderich's less than enthusiastic career in military training, which began when he was school age, began to show in his teenage years. At fourteen, he still was not skilled with anything but a sword, which was not good enough for the army. Fencing was something he could do fairly well, but being physically weak gave stronger opponents the upper hand, even though he could out-maneuver most of them; mechanics of fencing are rarely useful in battle where there are no rules. This enraged his father, driving the wedge further between them.
When he was almost fifteen years old, his life changed when his mother unexpectedly died. Regardless of how Audric treated him, he loved his wife dearly and was torn apart by her death. Because of this distraction, Roderich was able to withdraw from the military training to pursue his true passion, keeping his mother's memory alive by playing her instruments.
Shortly after Roderich's eighteenth birthday, his father died, leaving his family's estate and wealth to him. He immediately began working to gain back the money his father spent gambling and drinking. However, nothing he did could quell the anger of the underground, who were furious at Audric's death since he still owed them money. This made Roderich a frequent target, and after being jumped one night and killing his attacker, this put him at extreme odds with the underground.
It was at this point that Gilbert was hired as a bodyguard of sorts for Roderich.
For six years, the underground pursued Roderich, desperate to get back the money his father owed them. After a few years of this, the young noble began to wonder if the men were after more than money...
Sample/Character Introduction:
(I thought instead of the usual sample, I'd show off insane!Austria. He was way too fun to write. <3)
He'd just tied off the bandage when he heard the other's voice. It was like every defense he'd put up fell all at once at simply hearing Gilbert's voice. Normally he would rush into the other man's arms and take comfort in the strength, warmth and love he found there. For a split second, he was himself again; he was Roderich again for one glorious moment. Tears sprang to his eyes at the force of his freedom, the realization of what he had done and what he had to do to fix it. But, the moment didn't last long; as soon as he turned to see his fiance, his lover, his entire body froze.
Gilbert was holding a gun, a sword strapped to his side. There was something in his eyes that made Austria pause; Roderich's violet eyes met the Prussian's ruby ones and went from their normal colour back to black almost immediately. Seeing the weapons his lover held was enough to snap him back, even though this was war and he had weapons of his own. Seeing Gilbert like that was enough for him, enough for insanity to take hold again.
Dropping his arm to his side, the brunette smirked, standing haughtily. "Hallo, liebe~" he murmured, his voice deceptively sweet. "Your wounds look pretty bad, Gil," he cooed, taking a step forward. He would never defeat Prussia in a gun dual; his aim wasn't very good when he was trying to shoot quickly and Gilbert had always been faster to shoot anyway. But a swordfight... that he was more likely to win. Sword fights took more physical exertion than a gunfight, and with Gilbert's wounds that gave Austria a huge advantage, along with his being left-handed. If he could get the gun away, he would be he victor. He would be the one standing over the bleeding, defeated albino, instead of the other way around. For once. Finally.
Slowly closing the space between them, Roderich held his hands open, palms outward, showing he was unarmed. "A gun, Gil? Do you think you'll need that against me? I'm hurt, liebe." Honestly, Prussia probably did need that gun against him, if their last meeting while he was crazy was anything to go by. Licking his lips at the memory, Roderich continued walking forward until he was within arms reach of the Prussian. Smiling serenely, he reached back and removed his guns slowly, setting them to the side, his eyes never once leaving the crimson hues. "We have no need for these with each other, right?"
Oh by the way...
Aa asoko no bocchan aitsu wa kechi da ze
Damasarenna--
Damasarenna yo---!!