Post by austria on Oct 29, 2011 5:09:52 GMT
| [atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,500,true][atrb=style,border:2px solid #302427; background-image:URL('http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll219/aniskylupus/wapappbackground.png'); padding:5px] Österreich Fiat Istutita, Ne Pereat Mundus  the basics “I do what is best for my nation, for my people, and I have always followed that ideal.” Name » Roderich Edelstein Nation » Republik Österreich (Republic of Austria) Aliases ↓ national nicknames Some lingual variants include Autriche (French), Austria (Spanish, Italian, English or Russian), Osztrák (Hungarian), and Oostenrijk (Dutch). personal nicknames Roderich is not at all fond of nicknames, but has been teasingly referred to as Roddy, Roddles, Roddidlyumcious, Ricky, Specs, Priss, Fop and Pookie. Apparent Age » 36 Actual age » 1015 Gender » Male THE EXTERNAL “I take my position and my politics very seriously. I wish to be taken seriously as well.” Eye Color » Dark violet Hair Color » Medium brown Height » 5'7 Weight » 126 lbs Skin Tone » Pale Defining Features ↓ Perhaps the most striking aspect of Roderich’s appearance on first glance is his thinness. He has a bony, gangly look about him, to the point of appearing almost disproportioned. His shoulders are a tinge too wide in comparison with his waist and he has very long-fingered hands marked by prominent ridges. His face is less defined and more oval-shaped, with the exception of his brow and deep-set eyes. He has an intense, severe gaze, capable of conveying unsettling amounts of disdain in a single glance. His hair is straight and for much of history—aside from a time in which he had it shaved off in favor of wearing a wig—has been swept back or neatly parted with the aid of pomade or gel. Though he did go through a phase of sideburns in the early 19th century and kept a mustache from the 1850s up through the First World War, he generally doesn’t think facial hair looks good on him and is normally clean-shaven. There is a small mole on the right side of his thin lips, which played a part in popularizing the fad of face-patches among his eighteenth-century nobility. Though he generally does not weather wars or disasters very well physically, he doesn’t have too much permanent scarring or discoloration on his body. What blemishes he does possess tend to be well-hidden by his clothes. The most major disfigurement he sustained was internal—damage to his stomach and esophagus as a result of the Black Death ravaging his nation, which was at that time merely a duchy. To this day he has difficulty eating large meals because of it. He carries himself with straight-backed, almost rigid posture, seldom slouching or leaning. His expressions tend to range from polite smiles to cold annoyance, only occasionally allowing anything stronger through. Additional Features ↓ Roderich places a lot of consideration on his looks—the first step to diplomatic persuasion, after all, is the appearance of credibility. He thus is rarely seen in anything informal. While he did grow more concerned with saving money after the First World War, historically he always had his clothes custom-tailored and suitably decorated. He took care to convey an image of wealth and nobility without looking ostentatious, always giving due time to such details as the tying of a cravat or the smoothing of a shirt collar. He was not above adding something extra to aid his looks, either—in the 18th century he commonly stuffed his stockings to improve the appearance of his calves. Always conservative, he sometimes will hang on for a decade or longer to fashions that have become outdated—his tendency to wear cravats in modern times standing as one example. Due to his insecurities about his appearance, he generally dislikes exposing any skin aside from his hands, neck and face, even within the relative privacy of his home. His spectacles have gone through some evolution over the years. For much of history they have been round-lensed with thin gray or silver rims, in the form of pince-nez or glasses with temples. Until the 20th century he wore them only for reading, but as it became more fashionable to have them on, he took up wearing them throughout the day. Beneath his outer clothing, he normally has on a scapular as a reminder of his Catholic faith. He also will often wear a German cross. THE INTERNAL “I have found that people are indeed generally unintelligent, self-serving and prone to following primitive impulses.” Personality ↓ Roderich is a man of structure, rules and logic. More than anything, his political philosophy is based on the notion that order is the most important quality a state can possess—people will undertake all kinds of selfish, immoral deeds without a strong central authority to keep them in line. In his mind, the citizenry—by far made up of emotional, short-sighted and egotistic people—must be not only protected from outside forces, but from themselves. Like children, they ought to be loved, valued and cared for, but not expected to be able to make wise decisions for the whole of society. In other words, even in the face of his modern country’s democracy, Roderich is a monarchist at heart. His attitude, fostered by his experiences with nationalists and tempered by his faith, is an odd mix of the idealistic and the cynical. On the one hand, he truly believes that people are fundamentally good, while on the other he is convinced that their concerns, physical desires and emotions distract most into bad behavior. He holds both himself and others to high standards, stressing the importance of graciousness and self-sacrifice. As the representation of his nation, he has long believed that he himself must be particularly understanding and unbiased, a view that has lead him to suppress his feelings and subscribe to codes of conduct with exacting precision. Part of this is a knowledge of his own shortcomings—as a child he was very emotional and prone to making snap decisions, which lead him into trouble more than a few times—while part is simply a reflection of the way his mind operates. He is simply most comfortable when he has a set of standards to follow, whether they be etiquette, laws or the teachings of the Catholic church. When it comes to interacting with others, he can be quite manipulative in his own right. He is not particularly charming, but years of attending formal balls have left him with a talent in small talk, mainly consisting of his ability to listen attentively and respond insightfully to even the driest of conversations. He is very perceptive when it comes to picking up on people’s true feelings and intentions, capable of noticing small cues in expression and manner. In diplomatic discussions he does his best to be courteous at all times, but if the talks start shifting from his favor he can become downright ruthless. He learned early on to use a wide arsenal of persuasive techniques, including blackmail and lying, which he considers acceptable if he’s employing them for the sake of his people. In this way he can delve into the territory of ‘the ends justify the means’—a concept he has employed less since the World Wars, but which has now and then made him appear chillingly coldhearted in the past. He isn’t fond of war, primarily because he thinks there are much less wild and destructive ways of resolving disputes. Most matters involving killing or torture seem inherently uncivilized to him, and about the only time that he finds fighting tolerable is when it is defensive—a definition that covers both direct and indirect cases, such as the necessity of getting involved in a foreign war that would otherwise turn the balance of power against his nation. He does not often become involved in the fighting himself, preferring to assist with strategy and handle political meetings. Due to having been betrayed—and having betrayed others—through the switching of alliances and the abandonment of causes deemed no longer useful, he is not prone to trusting very easily. This tendency has reached the pitch of outright paranoia before, prompting him to disregard others’ advice and stride unwaveringly towards his goals. He can be incredibly determined when he feels it’s necessary, sacrificing the likes of sleep and meals to focus his energies solely on getting his name on a treaty or his preferred policy implemented across Europe. He has often made a point of not getting too personally or emotionally invested in his fellow-nations in order to preserve his good judgment and avoid the pain of having allies turn against him. When he does end up taking a liking to someone and the relationship ends painfully, then, the results are often not pretty. As he is accustomed to bottling up his feelings, he achieves most of his emotional expression through playing or composing music. When that indirect route becomes inadequate, he’s apt to have anxiety attacks and fits of trembling. Due to his concerns about his image, he keeps such freak-outs behind closed doors, preferring to endure them alone. As for lighter matters, he does have a sense of humor that mainly manifests in the form of sly remarks and snark. He is an eloquent, well-read speaker and talented at battles of wits. In spite of his focus on achieving a more general sort of good for society and his critical views on people, he does have moments of genuine kindness towards individuals, from offering his attentions to someone feeling ignored to writing short songs as gifts to his colleagues. He is certainly not the most giving, forthcoming or friendly person and has been misguided in his methods before, but his intentions have always been good. Likes ↓ |
• Balls and dances – He can dance one heck of a good waltz. In addition, he’s found that these kinds of social events prove infinitely useful in working out diplomatic concerns in an informal way.
• Fine art – He generally has a deep respect for the arts and likes to surround himself with beautiful furnishings.
• Cake and pastries – He has somewhat of a sweet tooth.
• Coffee and tea – He’s anything but a morning person, so the caffeine really helps him to get his act together.
• Etiquette and rules – They provide him a sturdy framework to live his life by.
• Diplomacy – Though persuading people can be tedious, he’s honestly good at the work and takes pride in it.
• Reading – He’s read quite a few political treatises, as well as books on history, music, art and the occasional fictional tale. He’s written a few over the years, too.
• Ceremony – Events like coronations, weddings and church services are very inspiring to him. He likes witnessing the same traditions get passed down through decades.
[/ul]Dislikes ↓
• Selfishness – To someone that is very dedicated to his nation and moral principles, people who are only out to help themselves are detestable.
• Fighting – Warfare is repugnant to him. He certainly will not place himself in the line of fire and will try to avoid declaring war if there is another possible solution.
• Not being taken seriously – Probably one of his biggest pet peeves. He can stand being mocked—well, if it’s done in a clever or subtle manner and isn’t outright cruel—but as his persuasive ability requires that he be considered a contender in the first place, this thoroughly bothers him.
• Romance and affection – He generally tries to avoid becoming involved in such things, as becoming emotionally attached to someone makes having to turn on them later altogether agonizing.
• Liberal philosophies like ethnic nationalism – Even in modern times he still regards such things as disorderly and ignorant. Concepts of natural rights, such as freedom of speech, also tend to sit uncomfortably with him—he much prefers the notion of the state being able to suspend certain rights to keep conflicts from erupting.
• Ships and the ocean – He gets seasick easily and was also somewhat traumatized by Gilbert putting a starfish down his pants when he was little. Even just standing on the beach tends to make him a little shaky.
[/ul]Fears ↓
• Internal dissent and rebellion – This was what sent him into a pain-wracked, half-delirious state back in 1848. His own well-being aside, the thought of his people killing each other in large numbers is horrifying.
• Discovering he was misguided – This has happened a few times over the course of history with pretty awful results, so he does have genuine anxiety now and then over whether is truly helping his people or simply misconstruing his own desires for what is right for them.
[/ul] Lesser Known Facts ↓
• As an empire: to maintain his holdings and quell any discontent. He wanted both to keep his empire on the path of improvement and to make sure order was maintained throughout its lands. The French Revolution and Napoleon’s conquests shook him up quite a bit and made him especially paranoid about revolts.
• As a republic: for a while, simply to survive. He knew full well after the First World War that he would never have the kind of power he did previously and he just wanted his nation to struggle through the Second without too much bloodshed. After that, he turned his attentions mainly to making sure his citizens had a high quality of life and would not be harmed by war again.
[/ul]
[/div]
THE PAST
“This is a ruthless world we live in—a constant battle for dominance.”
Childhood
• 976: The March of Austria is founded within the Holy Roman Empire by the Babenbergs and Roderich is born.
•1156: During some reorganization, the emperor elevates Austria’s status to Duchy.
•1278: Austria is acquired by Rudolf of Habsburg, marking the beginning of 648 years of Habsburg rule in the region.
•1350: The Black Death reaches Vienna, wreaking lasting damage on Roderich’s body.
Adolescence
•1438: Duke Albert V of Austria is chosen as Holy Roman Emperor. Roderich takes up living with HRE and begins to realize the possibilities of extending his authority.
•1453: Through some political finagling, Austria is recognized as an Archduchy, the only state in the HRE to have this title.
•1504: Philip the Fair, a Habsburg, becomes king of Spain, beginning Roderich’s alliance with Antonio. This alliance reaches its peak of strength with the accession of Charles V as emperor in 1519.
•1593: Austria and HRE go to war with the Ottoman Empire over Hungary. The war ends in 1606 with no real gains. Roderich begins to see many of his own diplomatic shortcomings—such as his trustingness and his emotionality—and resolves to become more controlled and reserved.
•1618: Ferdinand II sets out to take over the Protestant provinces. The result is the 30 Years War, which is very damaging to both Roderich and HRE. The empire’s influence in general diminishes due to the depopulation of the German states. As the Habsburg lands are successfully made Catholic and thus easier to control, Austria is able to recover.
Young Adulthood
•1683: The Ottoman Empire attacks the HRE, resulting in another war. With its ending in 1698, Austria acquires Hungary and Elizaveta moves in with Roderich.
•1688: France invades territory in the HRE and starts the Nine Years’ War. With the help of England, Spain and the Netherlands, HRE and Austria defeat France. Roderich takes on a sort of rivalry with Francis.
•1701: The Spanish king dies without an heir, resulting in a scramble for the throne by Austria and France. Roderich effectively turns his back on Antonio. Among other territories, he acquires modern-day Belgium from Spain.
Adulthood
•1733: Austria enters the War of the Polish Succession in order to acquire territory and gains very little. England does not offer much support, much to Roderich’s chagrin.
•1740: Prussia invades Silesia, using Maria Theresa’s accession to the throne as an excuse and kicking off the War of Austrian Succession. England is not much help to Austria and Austria initiates an alliance with Russia. Ultimately, Austria ends up losing Silesia to Prussia. Roderich starts truly despising Gilbert.
•1756: Roderich convinces Francis to ally France with Austria. England joins up with Prussia. Prussia invades Saxony and ultimately holds its own against Austria and France in the Seven Years’ War.
•1772: Poland is partitioned for the first time. Austria, Prussia and Russia get pieces of territory.
•1778: Austria and Prussia go to war again over Bavaria. Austria gains a small amount of territory.
•1792: After Austria declares support for the French monarchy, the French revolutionaries declare war on Austria. Austria is forced to give up Belgium to France. After some grappling, Austria loses Belgium for good in 1794, acknowledging this in 1797.
•1793: Russia and Prussia partition Poland for the second time. Roderich is offended at being excluded.
•1795: Poland is partitioned for a third time and effectively loses its status as a country. Austria, Russia and Prussia are involved.
•1799: After a brief peace, Austria goes to war with France again over Germany.
•1803: The Holy Roman Empire is reorganized by France and Austria. HRE begins to die.
•1804: Austria declares itself an empire. Roderich more or less abandons HRE.
•1806: Austria loses a lot of territory to France. France forms the Confederation of the Rhine. HRE dies.
•1811: Austria marries Marie Louise to Napoleon, temporarily allying with France.
•1813: Prussia defects to Russia’s side and starts fighting France. Austria switches sides as well. The following year, Napoleon abdicates.
•1815: In order to suppress nationalist uprisings, Austria becomes a police state.
•1848: Hungary and other members of the Austrian empire rise up in rebellion. Austria crushes them.
•1866: Austria and Prussia fight over German territories. Austria loses quite a few to Prussia.
•1867: In order to discourage future revolts, the Austro-Hungarian compromise is initiated. Roderich marries Elizaveta.
•1914: As a result of increasing nationalist problems, Archduke Ferdinand is assassinated by a Serbian. Austria issues an ultimatum to Serbia. When Serbia does not agree to all the demands on it, Austria declares war on Serbia. The other European powers jump in as a result of their alliances and WWI begins.
•1918: WWI ends. The Austro-Hungarian Empire is dissolved and Austria loses enormous amounts of territory. Roderich divorces Elizaveta. In the years to follow, his physical condition progressively worsens.
•1934: Fascism reigns in Austria. Roderich cannot take the stress and stays out of government business.
•1938: Nazi troops march into Austria and annex it. Bolstered by Ludwig, Roderich’s condition begins to improve.
•1939: Germany invades Poland and WWII begins.
•1945: WWII ends. Austria is declared a separate nation again and is occupied by the Allies. Roderich, again very ill, recovers slowly.
•1955: The Austrian state treaty is signed, removing the Allies from the country. Austria is declared eternally neutral.
•1995: Austria joins the European Union.
• 976: The March of Austria is founded within the Holy Roman Empire by the Babenbergs and Roderich is born.
•1156: During some reorganization, the emperor elevates Austria’s status to Duchy.
•1278: Austria is acquired by Rudolf of Habsburg, marking the beginning of 648 years of Habsburg rule in the region.
•1350: The Black Death reaches Vienna, wreaking lasting damage on Roderich’s body.
Adolescence
•1438: Duke Albert V of Austria is chosen as Holy Roman Emperor. Roderich takes up living with HRE and begins to realize the possibilities of extending his authority.
•1453: Through some political finagling, Austria is recognized as an Archduchy, the only state in the HRE to have this title.
•1504: Philip the Fair, a Habsburg, becomes king of Spain, beginning Roderich’s alliance with Antonio. This alliance reaches its peak of strength with the accession of Charles V as emperor in 1519.
•1593: Austria and HRE go to war with the Ottoman Empire over Hungary. The war ends in 1606 with no real gains. Roderich begins to see many of his own diplomatic shortcomings—such as his trustingness and his emotionality—and resolves to become more controlled and reserved.
•1618: Ferdinand II sets out to take over the Protestant provinces. The result is the 30 Years War, which is very damaging to both Roderich and HRE. The empire’s influence in general diminishes due to the depopulation of the German states. As the Habsburg lands are successfully made Catholic and thus easier to control, Austria is able to recover.
Young Adulthood
•1683: The Ottoman Empire attacks the HRE, resulting in another war. With its ending in 1698, Austria acquires Hungary and Elizaveta moves in with Roderich.
•1688: France invades territory in the HRE and starts the Nine Years’ War. With the help of England, Spain and the Netherlands, HRE and Austria defeat France. Roderich takes on a sort of rivalry with Francis.
•1701: The Spanish king dies without an heir, resulting in a scramble for the throne by Austria and France. Roderich effectively turns his back on Antonio. Among other territories, he acquires modern-day Belgium from Spain.
Adulthood
•1733: Austria enters the War of the Polish Succession in order to acquire territory and gains very little. England does not offer much support, much to Roderich’s chagrin.
•1740: Prussia invades Silesia, using Maria Theresa’s accession to the throne as an excuse and kicking off the War of Austrian Succession. England is not much help to Austria and Austria initiates an alliance with Russia. Ultimately, Austria ends up losing Silesia to Prussia. Roderich starts truly despising Gilbert.
•1756: Roderich convinces Francis to ally France with Austria. England joins up with Prussia. Prussia invades Saxony and ultimately holds its own against Austria and France in the Seven Years’ War.
•1772: Poland is partitioned for the first time. Austria, Prussia and Russia get pieces of territory.
•1778: Austria and Prussia go to war again over Bavaria. Austria gains a small amount of territory.
•1792: After Austria declares support for the French monarchy, the French revolutionaries declare war on Austria. Austria is forced to give up Belgium to France. After some grappling, Austria loses Belgium for good in 1794, acknowledging this in 1797.
•1793: Russia and Prussia partition Poland for the second time. Roderich is offended at being excluded.
•1795: Poland is partitioned for a third time and effectively loses its status as a country. Austria, Russia and Prussia are involved.
•1799: After a brief peace, Austria goes to war with France again over Germany.
•1803: The Holy Roman Empire is reorganized by France and Austria. HRE begins to die.
•1804: Austria declares itself an empire. Roderich more or less abandons HRE.
•1806: Austria loses a lot of territory to France. France forms the Confederation of the Rhine. HRE dies.
•1811: Austria marries Marie Louise to Napoleon, temporarily allying with France.
•1813: Prussia defects to Russia’s side and starts fighting France. Austria switches sides as well. The following year, Napoleon abdicates.
•1815: In order to suppress nationalist uprisings, Austria becomes a police state.
•1848: Hungary and other members of the Austrian empire rise up in rebellion. Austria crushes them.
•1866: Austria and Prussia fight over German territories. Austria loses quite a few to Prussia.
•1867: In order to discourage future revolts, the Austro-Hungarian compromise is initiated. Roderich marries Elizaveta.
•1914: As a result of increasing nationalist problems, Archduke Ferdinand is assassinated by a Serbian. Austria issues an ultimatum to Serbia. When Serbia does not agree to all the demands on it, Austria declares war on Serbia. The other European powers jump in as a result of their alliances and WWI begins.
•1918: WWI ends. The Austro-Hungarian Empire is dissolved and Austria loses enormous amounts of territory. Roderich divorces Elizaveta. In the years to follow, his physical condition progressively worsens.
•1934: Fascism reigns in Austria. Roderich cannot take the stress and stays out of government business.
•1938: Nazi troops march into Austria and annex it. Bolstered by Ludwig, Roderich’s condition begins to improve.
•1939: Germany invades Poland and WWII begins.
•1945: WWII ends. Austria is declared a separate nation again and is occupied by the Allies. Roderich, again very ill, recovers slowly.
•1955: The Austrian state treaty is signed, removing the Allies from the country. Austria is declared eternally neutral.
•1995: Austria joins the European Union.
THE TRYOUT
“My acquisitions are the result of perceptive thinking and preparation. I do not leave my affairs to luck.”
14 August 1804
It was best, Roderich thought, to not reflect too long on what had to be done.
He sought to distract himself through watching the courtiers pass by outside of the window, standing with the stiff, flawless posture that Versailles had ingrained in him, back in the days when diplomacy had been carried out in silk and rouge. From his vantage point, the trees and bushes of the courtyard seemed as still as a portrait, painted in smooth strokes of red and gold; a romantic backdrop to the aimless wanderings of women in loose muslin dresses. They looked something like moths, he thought, with the way their gowns shifted—paper-white and flimsy enough for a misplaced touch to tear. Delicate things safely cloistered within the confines of centuries-old walls, kept as a reminder of beauty.
There certainly was little beauty to be found a mere day’s trip from the palace. Roderich knew that well enough from peering out the carriage window as the wheels had jerked and jumped over the rutted road. He had witnessed war so many times, and yet there was always something fresh and putrid about it—the scorched grass, the cracked timbers, the freshly turned graves. It had taken only one trip to a battlefield for him to forever associate the sights with the stench, sharp and damp and sour in some indeterminate blend of bodily fluids, mud and powder. Even behind glass, he had seemed to smell it again, his stomach turning with it until he had laid back and directed his gaze away.
Even behind glass, he seemed to smell the dying leaves outside, soon to break their tranquility and begin drifting in silent arcs towards the ground.
One of the women was laughing. He wondered inanely what she had to laugh about, when the scent of death was in the air. He felt a stab of something—frustration, perhaps, from weeks of losses and powder-black ink and Francis’ wry smile?—and quelled it because there was no point in it, no purpose. Purpose was what he would enter the room with, passing through the dark oak door with his chin up and his features carefully arranged. Purpose was what he would speak with, unfolding the treaty in his hands, eyes behind glass skimming the looping letters that lay as thick as blood on the page.
Purpose was what he would betray the boy with in his time of weakness, as decisively as a knife plunged through the pallid skin of his youthful back.
It was best not to reflect on that for now. It had too much of the feel of sin about it, a harsh culmination of all those years of bickering. Roderich had never quite gotten along with Holy Roman—a ‘conflict of personalities,’ he’d called it once in a letter—and he knew full well that the boy would not see this in the context of preserving territories and maintaining authority. He knew the boy would see him as akin to Francis, welcoming one regime after another with open arms, lifting his eyes in his suffering to hopes of glory beneath a stained banner. He knew the boy would blame him for the inevitable.
He knew the boy would hate him, and that no amount of reasoning could subdue that emotion.
His throat constricted. It was best not to reflect on that.
He breathed slowly of the cool air, steadying himself. He had to be calm. The world was shifting beneath his feet, cracking and snapping into new borders with all the cold clarity of ice, but he had to be steadfast in these times if he was to stand for anything. He had to be able to cut the cords that bound his lands to an obsolete past. He had to disregard the connections that he could not cut, threads knotted unwittingly from his heart.
He had to be the Kaisertum Österreich, and carry out the decisions that his empire required.
He waited, clearing his mind, willing purpose into his too-stiff stance (archaic now, he feared—he would have to work at breaking old habits) until at last the door cracked open. He stepped forward. Outside, he thought he could hear the women laughing, but he did not look back.
He passed smoothly into Holy Roman’s room, death thick in his nostrils.
It was best, Roderich thought, to not reflect too long on what had to be done.
He sought to distract himself through watching the courtiers pass by outside of the window, standing with the stiff, flawless posture that Versailles had ingrained in him, back in the days when diplomacy had been carried out in silk and rouge. From his vantage point, the trees and bushes of the courtyard seemed as still as a portrait, painted in smooth strokes of red and gold; a romantic backdrop to the aimless wanderings of women in loose muslin dresses. They looked something like moths, he thought, with the way their gowns shifted—paper-white and flimsy enough for a misplaced touch to tear. Delicate things safely cloistered within the confines of centuries-old walls, kept as a reminder of beauty.
There certainly was little beauty to be found a mere day’s trip from the palace. Roderich knew that well enough from peering out the carriage window as the wheels had jerked and jumped over the rutted road. He had witnessed war so many times, and yet there was always something fresh and putrid about it—the scorched grass, the cracked timbers, the freshly turned graves. It had taken only one trip to a battlefield for him to forever associate the sights with the stench, sharp and damp and sour in some indeterminate blend of bodily fluids, mud and powder. Even behind glass, he had seemed to smell it again, his stomach turning with it until he had laid back and directed his gaze away.
Even behind glass, he seemed to smell the dying leaves outside, soon to break their tranquility and begin drifting in silent arcs towards the ground.
One of the women was laughing. He wondered inanely what she had to laugh about, when the scent of death was in the air. He felt a stab of something—frustration, perhaps, from weeks of losses and powder-black ink and Francis’ wry smile?—and quelled it because there was no point in it, no purpose. Purpose was what he would enter the room with, passing through the dark oak door with his chin up and his features carefully arranged. Purpose was what he would speak with, unfolding the treaty in his hands, eyes behind glass skimming the looping letters that lay as thick as blood on the page.
Purpose was what he would betray the boy with in his time of weakness, as decisively as a knife plunged through the pallid skin of his youthful back.
It was best not to reflect on that for now. It had too much of the feel of sin about it, a harsh culmination of all those years of bickering. Roderich had never quite gotten along with Holy Roman—a ‘conflict of personalities,’ he’d called it once in a letter—and he knew full well that the boy would not see this in the context of preserving territories and maintaining authority. He knew the boy would see him as akin to Francis, welcoming one regime after another with open arms, lifting his eyes in his suffering to hopes of glory beneath a stained banner. He knew the boy would blame him for the inevitable.
He knew the boy would hate him, and that no amount of reasoning could subdue that emotion.
His throat constricted. It was best not to reflect on that.
He breathed slowly of the cool air, steadying himself. He had to be calm. The world was shifting beneath his feet, cracking and snapping into new borders with all the cold clarity of ice, but he had to be steadfast in these times if he was to stand for anything. He had to be able to cut the cords that bound his lands to an obsolete past. He had to disregard the connections that he could not cut, threads knotted unwittingly from his heart.
He had to be the Kaisertum Österreich, and carry out the decisions that his empire required.
He waited, clearing his mind, willing purpose into his too-stiff stance (archaic now, he feared—he would have to work at breaking old habits) until at last the door cracked open. He stepped forward. Outside, he thought he could hear the women laughing, but he did not look back.
He passed smoothly into Holy Roman’s room, death thick in his nostrils.
OOC
Austria Europae Imago, Onus, Unio
Name » Amberspike-Sama
Time Zone » UTC-5
Notes » In case you're curious, the quotes (aside from the Latin mottoes) are all snippets of Roderich's dialogue from different fics I've written. Most of those ridiculous nicknames were gleefully provided by one of my Prussia-roleplaying friends. And no, I so totally do not have a bias towards 18th century/early 19th century politics at all. XD;
Time Zone » UTC-5
Notes » In case you're curious, the quotes (aside from the Latin mottoes) are all snippets of Roderich's dialogue from different fics I've written. Most of those ridiculous nicknames were gleefully provided by one of my Prussia-roleplaying friends. And no, I so totally do not have a bias towards 18th century/early 19th century politics at all. XD;
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