Ludwig, D. 7

Growing up on the construction sites, he has built up lots of strength, and it shows (much to all the ladies' delight). He's not overly muscular, but one can clearly tell he can easily lift a heavy cinder block. Not only does he have good build, but he's also fairly tall, which makes him look even more formidable than he really is. To most girls he looks very strong and handsome, but that's about as far as it will go. Builders usually don't make a lot of money, so all he really wears is his work uniform: a dark green two-piece jumpsuit, heavy-duty boots, and a black hard hat. When the weather is very hot, he takes off the jacket to reveal a simple black undershirt.

His blond hair is kept slicked back to keep it out of his eyes when he's working. He's unusual among his peers that he never tans; his skin is always pale, no matter how long he works outside. His most unique features are his starkingly sharp blue eyes; they add an edge to his already stern features. Because he's not a very expressive person, even his eyes never give away any hint of what he's thinking or wondering.

Nobody knows why, but he never smiles. Never.

Perhaps it's because nothing amuses him, or seems funny to him, or he's such a serious person that there's no reason for him to smile and ruin his serious atmosphere. Or maybe he's just a lonely guy who's gone so long without real friends that he's forgotten how to smile.

Most people think construction builders are dumb, all brawn no brain, but he proves to be quite different. Along with his strength, he also displays a stunning knowledge of planning, design, physics, mathematics, and engineering. He's very good at practical skills and is often hired by others to supervise various construction projects. His mind is full of logic, although this can hinder him at times when a creative solution is needed. He's always adhering to the rules, believing that doing so will result in the least mistakes, which also restrains his creativity, but despite this he has a strong will and can lead even the worst of teams to victory. Being a leader is his shining badge of pride when he has the courage to do so. If anything, he's very good at giving orders and following them.

He's a very stoic and serious person for a person his age. Although this is usually a good thing, it leads him to have difficulty being at ease around other people. Because of this he's not a very social person and prefers to be by himself, reading, studying, or working on some small project of, and on, his own. He is easily irritated, and does not bother to hide his annoyance if someone pesters him too much. However, on very rare occasions, he'll show a soft spot for certain individuals...on VERY rare occasions. Usually he just sticks to being his stiff-personalitied self. He's also slightly OCD and must keep everything neat, orderly, and spotless; otherwise he'll immediately try to fix it or he's in a bad mood for the rest of the day.

Underneath all the seriousness, he does have a few soft spots. One of his most precious possesions is his brother's antique military award shaped like a cross that dates back far before Panem was established. He absolutely adores dogs and has three of them that he takes great care to look after (Blackie, Berlitz, and Aster), and also has a surprising liking of cakes and sweets. Nobody -- NOBODY -- can bake a better double-decker cherry-and-fudge cake than him.

Not much is known about his past, since he never talks very much about it. The first thing everyone knows about him is that he is the younger brother of the infamous Gilbert Beilschmidt: a rowdy, loud, and mischevious boy who is the complete foil of his younger brother. Despite Gilbert's rowdiness, most people were quite fond of him, most especially Ludwig, and everyone reeled in confusion at his shocking and sudden death in the 45th Hunger Games (because of this, Ludwig has a strong dislike of the number "45"). The death was a very slow and violent death too, which traumatized him for quite some time and still haunts him at every Reaping. However, he's made it this far and only needs to make it one more year without being chosen, in hopes that he will not meet the same fate as his brother.

Somewhere in the year after Gilbert's death, he somehow suddenly pulled himself back together and emerged as a strong, diligent, and intelligent worker in District 7. People still wonder how he was able to cope with something that would usually lead most people to commit suicide or retreat into their dismembered minds forever; some people suspect that part of the sudden recovery included his "anti-socialness". And they are, in some ways, correct; now that he must rely on his own, it takes a lot of effort and a long time in order for him to be close to anyone...which has not happened yet.

I promise this is my last Hetalia-based character until someone else dies. I have 50,000 references to Germany here (and a Prussia reference!!); I need to start bein' more creative with myself... -_-

...movin' on!