Gilbert watched as is father Frederic downed another shot. He visibly winced to see his own father stumble around the living room, passing Fritz, his grandfather, who attempted to persuade Frederic to sit down and stop with the drinking. They say depression is anger turned inward, and Frederic was indeed an angry man. Frederic was displeased with Ludwig and Gilbert, he blamed them daily for the leaving of their beautiful mother Sophia, he cursed at them, told them that all they would be were takers, when he himself was the one taking. Poor Ludwig was working at age 14, and Gilbert at 17 was working a man's job, doing construction to bring home money for his drunken father to squander on a good time or some alcohol. In retrospect this house was a broken home. But behind their front door, they were a happy and hardworking family that loved each other dearly. It goes without saying Ludwig hated his father, he despised him for the beatings his brother Gilbert had received. He often thought "Why not me instead of Gil", but little did he know, Gilbert was taking the beatings for him. Ludwig hadn't heard Gilbert and his father arguing about how Frederic had treated Ludwig. He hadn't heard when Frederic had chuckled evilly "Oh, how noble of you Gilbert" after hearing Gilbert sacrifice his well-being so his brother would never have to feel the humiliation of a belt being cracked over the side of his face. So Ludwig wouldn't ever have to say "Oh, I just got in a fight" or "No, I fell down the stairs" when a concerned teacher pulled him out of the room asking about the bruises he had on his face and body. No, he would never let his baby brother feel that pain. Gilbert was smart about it, very much so, he traded rooms with Ludwig, fearing that his abusive father may take his drunken abuse one step over the child molester boundary and stumble into his room in the middle of the night. He planned for Ludwig to be out of the house. Ludwig was to be at Gilbert's infuriatingly flawless and detrimentally gorgeous sort-of friend, Roderick's house for three hours after school, learning the piano with Roderick's own tutor and doing small things around the house for Roderick's own estranged parents. (Roderick lived rather close to Fritz' house so incase of any emergancy Ludwig was to report to his grandfathers place for further instruction) It was a shame really, Gilbert had grown an attraction to the pristine boy he used to go to highschool with. He used to pick on Roderick, loving the sight of Roderick's flustered face everytime he was pushed to his limit. Ho loved Roderick's pink cheeks every time Gil would whisper some vulgarity in his ear and kiss it before walking off. Gil wasn't allowed to feel this way, he wasn't allowed to be selfish, he couldn't make any sort of decision for himself because if he did it would hurt the person he loved dearly. Ludwig would have to suffer, Ludwig would be emasculated, Ludwig would cry at night, Ludwig would write in his journal daily to quell the storm of anger that brewed with in him. Gilbert could never choose something for himself and so to the world outside of his home, he was bitter. Gilbert appeared arrogant, he appeared selfish, distant, and to some he even appeared some breed of evil. His eyes, those red-ish tinted blue eyes were hardened and just down right insidious. Many feared him, and the two or three friends he did have respected him for the way he carried himself, only because they knew what he came home to everyday. Many knew Gilbert for wanting to be in the army, they knew him for being top of his JROTC class and he was an absolute genius in school, and it appeared he didn't even try or even care. The teachers despised his sass and they was he would look at them when they asked him a question. Gilbert hated them, they were to slow for him. They spent too much time showing every bull shit student every detail because they were too busy talking to listen to the teachers initial and rather clear instruction. He would snap some times and just leave the class room because he was so aggravated that he couldn't handle it. Gilbert was one to despise most Authority (except for the Military). Ludwig wasn't as bitter, he was just angry, stressed, and emotionally oppressed, because he was raised by his brother would never really showed any emotion toward him except for the occational hug and kiss on the forehead and the daily whisper of "I love you" before Ludwig fell asleep each night.