Tweak

InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Bite the dust"

Der Tod (touto_kaka) wrote in labyrinth_rpg,
@ 2009-05-15 15:53:00

Entry tags:

complete, day nine, der tod, rudolf habsburg

Who: Der Tod & Rudolf
What: Reuniting
Where: F dorm second floor hallway
When: Day nine, evening
Rating: PG-13 for suggestivness
Status: Complete

He had felt it this morning, while he'd been settling into his (far too sparse) room. At first, he'd figured he was mistaken. After all, he'd been there when that particular life had ended, had given the boy the gun, had caught him as he fell. Had welcomed him into the lands of the dead. And yet... No, he must be mistaken. It was probably someone who was similar to the late Crown Prince. Such things had happened before, so Der Tod put it out of his mind as he went out to explore the limits of this cage.

The presence was a constant irritant throughout the day however and kept him from focusing as much attention as he'd wanted to on testing the boundaries of this place. Finally, he'd given up and returned to his room, only to realize not only was said presence in the same building, it was apparently in the very next room.

And at that close a distance there was no mistaking it. The presence in the next room was none other than the Crown Prince Rudolf, somehow alive. This was an outrage, a complete violation of the natural order. Der Tod snarled and raged a bit before forcibly bringing himself back under control. There was quite literally nothing he could do about it right now. He might as well see the boy, confirm it was indeed him.

He knocked twice on the door, mentally seething that he couldn't just walk right in.

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rudorufu
2009-05-16 08:25 pm UTC (link)

Rudolf leaned forward when his friend did, unconsciously mirroring the other man's actions as best he could. At the mention of food, his stomach growled audibly. He glanced down at the floor for a moment in mild embarrassment. "I haven't thought much about food today," he said, glancing back up at his friend. He tilted his head to one side very slightly. "Perhaps you could show me tonight? Just a quick walk, if you don't think it's too late." Would vendors have food this late at night? At home, there were taverns and cafes open until the wee hours of the morning, but Rudolf had no idea how things worked in this place.

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touto_kaka
2009-05-16 10:11 pm UTC (link)

Der Tod smiled as Rudolf's stomach growled, and he stood in a single fluid motion. "Come then" he said, offering his hand. "I'm sure we can find you something"

They walked, mostly in silence out of the building and onto one of the snow lined streets. Many of the booths were dark, but there were still some lit up, and a variety of food smells wafted up from several of them. "I doubt any of it is quite what you're used to" he said, gesturing for Rudolf to find something that appealed. "But feel free to enjoy"

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rudorufu
2009-05-16 10:26 pm UTC (link)

Rudolf rose as his friend did, and took his hand without hesitation. A slight chill passed through him as he did so, which was not unusual. His friend's hands were often slightly chilled. He smiled in thanks and allowed himself to be led out of the building and down into the little town.

The smells coming from the booths that were still lit only served to make Rudolf realize exactly how hungry he was. He hadn't eaten since...breakfast? Yes, breakfast, before departing for Mayerling. And it had been just beyond his normal luncheon hour when he'd stopped for his breath of fresh air, except he'd found himself on these same streets during the morning. He let go of his friend's hand and wandered toward the booth nearest to him that was illuminated.

"Erm, good evening," he said to the person behind the little wall of the booth. "Might I have a bit of...." He trailed off, looking down at the plates of food being offered and raising an eyebrow. He wasn't quite sure what it was. It looked vaguely like bread, only stretched very thin and twisted into knots. What looked like honey and sugar coated it thickly, dripping off of various twisted pieces of dough. He'd never seen anything like it.

The pain in his stomach, however, prompted Rudolf to take the plate being offered to him. Finding no fork or knife, he took hold of a bit of dough in his fingers and broke it free of the massive knot of bread. He took a hesitant bite. Sweet. Very sweet. Probably not nourishing in the slightest, but it was food, and that was all that mattered at the moment. Rudolf quickly bolted the bite he'd pulled free, then tore another piece, then another, any sense of manners lost temporarily to his hunger.

After he'd devoured a good three quarters of the confection, he came to his senses. Chagrined, he turned back to his friend and held out the plate. "I'm sorry, would you like some?" he asked, a sheepish smile on his face and a slight flush to his cheeks.

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touto_kaka
2009-05-17 08:06 am UTC (link)

Der Tod laughed and shook his head as Rudolf offered him the food. "No, no, I'm fine." It was quite amusing to see the boy abandon manners quite so completely over one plate of food. He had no need to eat himself, and usually he had little interest in watching others do so. It was one of those minor mundanities humans undertook to avoid him that much longer. But there was something amusing about Rudolf's complete abandonment of propriety over a simple confection.

Still, it wasn't something that held his attention for long, and he looked around, taking in the narrow street of booths, the riot of conflicting food smells, and the ever present sense of too few lives around him. A slight breeze ruffled his hair, and he smoothed it back almost unconsciously. "It is a beautiful night," he commented, staring down the street with a thoughtful look. "Shall we walk a bit?"

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rudorufu
2009-05-17 09:14 am UTC (link)

Of course, his friend was far more sensible than he, and had probably eaten something far more nourishing earlier in the evening. Rudolf finished the last of his plate with a bit more restraint, then tipped the thin, grease-covered paper into a bin next to the booth, which the stall-manager was kind enough to point out to him. He retrieved a paper napkin and cleaned his hands as best he could without a wash basin, then put that too in the bin.

"Yes, let's walk a bit," Rudolf agreed. It was still a bit cold, but no more so than it had been in Vienna when he'd set out. He allowed his friend to lead the way, and looked all around at the various booths they passed. Some looked like they offered more than just food, and he thought he'd like to come back during the daylight and see exactly what they entailed. "This is so strange," he remarked. "Not at all like Vienna, or even Budapest."

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touto_kaka
2009-05-18 06:02 am UTC (link)

Der Tod watched, amused as Rudolf looked around at everything. "No, it's not quite like anywhere I've ever been" he said, which was true, and he'd been far more places than Rudolf. "Though it bears a passing resemblance to some." Granted, the neighborhoods it reminded him of were the type that would probably scandalize Rudolf.

He paused a moment and held out his hand to the boy. "Fascinating, though, isn't it? Look," He gestured towards the ferris wheel that could just be seen though a break in the buildings. "In the morning, that will move again. We can ride on it and look over this whole area." He'd ridden it earlier, swallowing a good deal of dignity in order to get a better look at the layout of the place. But it seemed like the kind of whimsy that Rudolf would love.

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rudorufu
2009-05-18 06:36 pm UTC (link)

Rudolf glanced at his friend, eyes wide and curious. What sorts of places had he been that resembled this odd town, even in passing?

He followed his friend's gesture, eyes widening further at the odd contraption being shown to him. "It moves?" he said. Surely not! He took a step forward, as if that would help him see better the structure through the darkness. It was a giant wheel-shaped thing. At the mention of riding it, a smile tugged at Rudolf's lips. "That would be interesting," he said, taking another step down the road. "I bet you could see the whole of this place from that high up." He turned to his friend. "Perhaps we could see into the maze and get an idea of what we'd need to do to get through it." That idea excited him.

"What other sorts of things are in this place?" he asked. Giant wheels were fascinating enough, but Rudolf was sure there must be other interesting contraptions besides.

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touto_kaka
2009-05-19 07:03 am UTC (link)

Der Tod merely nodded at Rudolf's disbelief. "Indeed, you can look down on this maze, though I didn't that good a look. Perhaps two sets of eyes..." He still didn't particularly want the boy along as he took on this challenge, but it might end up being unavoidable. Especially if he wished to continue being the trusted friend. He sighed very slightly to himself, and continued walking, pointing out some of the strange amusements he'd noticed earlier in the day.

"I believe most of these contraptions are for amusement only" he said with mild interest. Personally he cared little how this King conducted his (tiny) kingdom, but even he was slightly off put by the seeming lack of industry.

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rudorufu
2009-05-19 05:28 pm UTC (link)

Rudolf nodded eagerly. He wasn't sure he'd be able to see much detail from so high up or so far away, but he'd do what he could. When they did decide to go and seek an audience with the king, it would be helpful to know what they'd be facing, so perhaps they could prepare accordingly. "We can write notes down in those little journals about what we see," he said. "You did get one as well, didn't you? They seem quite fascinating. Gabrielle was explaining them to me."

At the mention of amusement only, Rudolf's smile faltered. "What about education, or industry? Surely there have to be people here doing things?" How could one run a country without reasons to run it? Trade with other kingdoms, money to pay for goods and services, goods and services themselves. There had to be something going on here. Unless the the only industry was amusement? But that made no sense at all to Rudolf's mind. "My father would be appalled," he remarked. In Rudolf's mind, his father didn't understand any sort of fun or amusement, the same way he didn't understand the importance of a commonwealth. It just wasn't in his capacity.

Thinking of his father brought other concerns to Rudolf's mind. He turned to his friend. "Do you think people at home have noticed we're missing? They'll worry about us." And of course, by they, Rudolf meant mother. "I wouldn't want her to worry on my account." He didn't even notice the pronoun change in his speech.

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touto_kaka
2009-05-20 06:20 am UTC (link)

Der Tod preferred not to comment on the journals. Why the King of this place thought anyone needed those pointless little books was beyond him.

"Perhaps education and such happens at the palace." he ventured. Personally he doubted it, considering the very small number of people he could sense. If they were indeed all kidnapees, there wouldn't be a need to provided education. Or industry really. The strange goblin things probably handled most of it. Or perhaps this was like his realm where such things were just... unnecessary.

He stopped when Rudolf turned to him. It was all too easy to know who the boy was referring to, even before he switched pronouns and he felt his heart clench rather painfully. Elisabeth... No, she wouldn't worry, not about him at least. And from when he came from, Rudolf was already dead. This King had a lot to answer for. Still, he was hardly going to let Rudolf know any of this. Instead, he offered a comforting smile and slipped an arm around the boy's shoulders. "You've only been here a day," he said soothingly. "Let's not worry about that just yet"

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rudorufu
2009-05-21 05:00 am UTC (link)

"Perhaps," Rudolf said, his voice sounding unsure. "We'll see when we've finished traversing that maze of the king's. He hadn't seen any children as of yet, or any real evidence that there were children. If one looked around the town, there wasn't much evidence of life at all, really. None of the smells or little mundane sights that let one know people actually lived here. It was more than a little disconcerting.

Rudolf relaxed as his friend's arm slid around him, and he smiled at the other man. "You're right," he said, shifting closer to him as they walked without really realizing he'd done so. "Perhaps we'll be able to get home before anyone truly notices." He wasn't quite sure he believed that, but his friend was trying so hard to keep him in good spirits, so he played along as best he could. He wanted to believe that so badly, it wasn't hard to pretend.

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touto_kaka
2009-05-21 06:49 am UTC (link)

Der Tod felt Rudolf shift closer to him and tightened his grip on the boy's shoulder very slightly. It could be interpreted as a comforting squeeze. Or a possessive one. The boy was not his mother, not remotely, but for now he would do.

"Perhaps" he said, rather offhandedly to Rudolf's comment about returning before anyone missed them. He was thinking about the effect his own absence would be having if he didn't return soon. Yes, the angels could handle the routine duties, but there was an entire realm of souls without their lord. And there were always at least a few people who needed a... personal touch when they died. People were always dying.

He pushed those worries from his mind and returned Rudolf's smile. "We can worry about such things later. It is a beautiful night, why don't we enjoy the walk?

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rudorufu
2009-05-21 04:00 pm UTC (link)

Rudolf felt the squeeze at his shoulder even through the thickness of his jacket and smiled. Always, his friend knew just what he needed to be cheered up. That little gesture was a show of support, and it meant worlds to Rudolf. He nodded when his friend suggested they put aside worries for a later time, determined to put on a brave face and not make the other man worry about him too much.

"You're right," he said, glancing at the man walking beside him. "If we can't leave just yet, we might as well make the best of things and enjoy this place for what it is." It really was a beautiful night. The air was cold, but not uncomfortably so for Rudolf. He was used to colder in Vienna, and his wool jacket kept him warm enough. And even though many of the little booths were dark, there were enough lit up to make the streets seem friendly.

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touto_kaka
2009-05-22 10:50 am UTC (link)

Der Tod was quite willing to walk in silence for a bit. The cold didn't bother him of course, and nighttime was always when the living world felt closest too his own. Even here.

He watched Rudolf out of the corner of his eye as they walked, trying to measure the boy's true mental state. It was obvious he was trying to put on a brave face, but beyond that was what Der Tod was interested in. He shifted his hand on Rudolf's shoulder slightly so his thumb could gently and subtly stroke the boy's neck. They made almost a touching picture as they walked.

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rudorufu
2009-05-22 07:46 pm UTC (link)

At least here, there weren't any people to influence his thoughts, Rudolf realized as he walked, hands clasped behind his back. He'd been going out to Mayerling in weather much like this in order to just think, to make sense of everything that had happened. He'd wanted to shut himself away from the rest of the world for a few days. Well, wouldn't this place do just as well? The only person here who'd been a part of events was the one person he'd have wanted with him at Mayerling.

A faint smile crossed his lips as he felt the other man's fingers brush against the back of his neck lightly. It was comforting. Rudolf closed his eyes, trusting his friend not to steer him into any walls or booths, and breathed deeply. "Has this king pulled you away from any pressing business?" he asked, his voice sounding a bit distant. He really hoped the king hadn't inconvenienced his friend, even as he was, deep down, very grateful to the unknown man for doing so.

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touto_kaka
2009-05-23 09:05 am UTC (link)

Oh yes, this was going very well. Der Tod watched as Rudolf's eyes slid shut and his breathing get heavier. Anyone watching them might have been frightened at the blatantly predatory look that pasted over Der Tod's face, but they were alone on the streets.

He slowed his pace, and kept up his gentle caressing of the boy's neck. He dropped his voice into a quieter, more intimate tone to answer the question. "Nothing that others can't handle for now." Which was true, as far as it went. "But why worry about that? We are here together, right?"

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rudorufu
2009-05-23 09:11 am UTC (link)

Rudolf nodded. Even if his friend hadn't seen much of Zeps or Elmer, he'd surely been in contact with some of the others in the group. They'd amassed a decent-sized following before things had gone downhill. Surely a day or two away wouldn't waylay any plans now set in motion to regroup and determine the next steps. It would just be assumed that they were "laying low" until the soldiers lost interest.

"I always worry," Rudolf said, his voice still sounding distant. He had leaned into the touch without realizing it. "It's a Habsburg trait, worrying. Passed down through generations." It just manifested itself in different ways, and was acknowledged to greater or lesser degrees.

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touto_kaka
2009-05-23 09:22 am UTC (link)

Der Tod stifled a growl. Why did the boy have to so pointedly remind him of his mother? It snapped him rather forcefully out of the rather pleasant mood he'd created, forcing acknowledgement of all the indignanties of this place.

"It's getting cold" he said, a bit sharper than he'd meant. The mood was gone, and it would be best to put further seductions off for another time. For now, just a quick walk back to the dorms, and an oh-so-polite good night.

There would be other opportunities, other times. Rudolf was already his after all, the boy just didn't know it.

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