InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Thunk."

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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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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