005 - [Video / Dream]

[makainoou]

[As Laharl is a talented sleeper, he's also pretty good at staying up for long periods. But, at last, the exhaustion takes hold, and he dreams. There are worse memories it could show, but this, for him, dredges them up anyway.]


[Laharl approaches the Overlord's castle with the slow steps of one who's been gone for quite some time. The demons guarding the gate barely acknowledge him as he passes. Inside, a few of the vassals exchange glances and whisper to one another about "Krichevskoy's son." Only one small, penguin-suited prinny totters up to speak to him directly.]

His Majesty King Krichevskoy is waiting in his throne room, dood.

[Laharl's mouth twists into a snarl at the first mention of the name.] Let him wait! He can round out the century for all I care!

[He shoves the prinny aside, though it wasn't really in his way, and stalks on through the castle, past his father's vassals, and to his room. Things are quiet, dark, and empty, here.

From the abundance of cobwebs, it's obviously disused. There's a coffin-shaped bed in the center of the room, a child's bed, practically a crib, too small for him now. He stands gripping the edge, remembering something, and then pushes the bed away violently, setting it aflame so it lands smouldering on its side.

He sinks down onto the floor to watch it burn. The anger doesn't leave his face, but there's a deep sadness evident beneath it, now that no one should be around to see.]

((Open to network & dream interaction!))

Comments

interactive!

[paladaddy]

[Well this is a lot closer to what he imagined Hell to be like, but it's still not as...terrible is probably the best word. Truthfully he's surprised he can sneak past the demons so well, since he is dressed like a priest and all.

Since Laharl is the only person (demon?) he recognizes here, he'll just follow the kid, watching from a distance while he tries to piece together just what happened. The name Krichevskoy is not familiar to him, but he's guessing it's someone important to Laharl, even if he doesn't want to admit it.

He peeks into Laharl's room just in time to see him destroy the little bed. That kid is angry, he can tell that, but there has to be something more to it. Most demons weren't just a ball of angry.

He waits long enough for Laharl to have maybe a minute or so of silence to himself before intruding. Stepping into the room properly, though he stays close to the door and leans against a nearby wall. Without his weapons, running will have to be the plan if Laharl or any other demon suddenly turns on him.]

You might want to turn down the flames, you'll catch the drapes on fire.

[makainoou]

So what if I do?

[It takes him a second after making the retort to realize he has no idea who he made it to. That was no prinny's voice. One of his father's vassals, intruding on him? He twists around, peering sharply at the stranger, and then jerks in surprise.]

A human?

[paladaddy]

Guilty as charged.

[He is surprisingly nonchalant about all of this.]

So this is your home, hmm? You've got quite the place here.

[makainoou]

[Laharl gets to his feet, still regarding the intruder.]

You don't belong here.

[paladaddy]

[He shrugs.]

I don't belong in a lot of places, but that doesn't stop me from going there.

[makainoou]

The Netherworld isn't someplace you just walk into.

Are you a warlock?

[paladaddy]

Nope, just a regular priest.

[He's being honest there, he's not a warlock. And he is a priest too, along with a few other things.]

And I wouldn't say I walked here by choice. I was trying to go somewhere else entirely and ended up here. It's quite a mystery, really.

[makainoou]

Tch.

Well, get lost, before someone throws you out.

[paladaddy]

I'll go, after you answer a question or two for me: did you come here on your own, or were you brought here like I was?

[makainoou]

What kind of question is that? Of course I came here. This is my room.

[paladaddy]

I meant coming to this world from the underwater city. As far as I know, you can't do that on your own power, so if you figured out some way to do it I would really like to know.

[He's wondering if this is even real, though. He hasn't experienced an interactive dream yet, but he's beginning to wonder if this is one.]

[makainoou]

Underwater city? What are you, delusional? I've never been any such place.

[paladaddy]

...But that's where I met you.

[Yeeep this has to be a dream.]

You don't remember that at all?

[makainoou]

I've never seen you before in my life.

[paladaddy]

You don't remember our conversation, little Overlord? About mind games and being honest?

[He uses a nickname here because he never got Laharl's name, just his title.]

[makainoou]

"Little Overlord"? I'm not my old man.

[paladaddy]

Oh? But you called yourself the Overlord.

[He grins.]

Itching to take your dad's place, hmm?

[makainoou]

I will be the Overlord. He'll have to croak sooner or later.

[paladaddy]

So you're little Overlord for now.

[He jabs a thumb over his shoulder at the door.]

Want to show me around before you wake up? I've never been to Hell before, and It'd be nice to see what it's like before I end up here for good.

[makainoou]

You expect me to be your tour guide? I told you to get lost!

[paladaddy]

But what if I get lost and can't find my way back? It's YOUR dream, not mine.

[More he's trying to convince Laharl to go along so he doesn't wallow in whatever was making him upset here.]

[makainoou]

You not finding your way back is exactly what I want. Why would I even dream up some human priest?

[paladaddy]

...spiritual guidance?

[Yeah he's got nothing there.]

[makainoou]

Humans need spiritual guidance, it's their souls that're in jeopardy.

[paladaddy]

Technically demons could use it too! Spiritual guidance isn't all about getting to heaven.

[makainoou]

Either way I don't need it.

[paladaddy]

You just exploded a coffin into fire.

[Yes you do need it Laharl.]

[makainoou]

...I needed to get rid of it.

[paladaddy]

Something tells me you're lying. And that you have anger problems.

[makainoou]

Anger isn't a problem for demons.

[paladaddy]

Anger is a problem for everyone. Demons have even more trouble with it because they don't realize how much of a problem it is. Believe me, I've raised demons, so I know what I'm talking about.

[makainoou]

[That last bit does give him pause.]

Raised them?

[paladaddy]

Yep. Well, one half-demon, technically. The other was a human with strong connections to the demon world.

[Which is odd, because they were twin brothers.]

[makainoou]

...

Are they your kids?

[paladaddy]

Well yeah, I raised them from the day they were born. That's what a father does.

[They're not his genetically, but he'll still call them his kids.]

[makainoou]

[He glances away, towards where the throne room would be.]

Tch. Maybe a human father.

[paladaddy]

-what?

[It takes him a second to realize what Laharl is saying.]

No! No, I didn't have anything to do with that, I adopted them.

[Though funnily enough, he does seem to attract demons and half-demons in droves.]

[makainoou]

Huh?

[Laharl waves a hand dismissively.]

I don't care about that.

[paladaddy]

Then what were you talking about?

[makainoou]

A demon father wouldn't bother with any of that.

[paladaddy]

A demon father also wouldn't be a priest.

[makainoou]

A demon father wouldn't be a lot of things.

[paladaddy]

I guess you're right there.

[A pause.]

Ready to wake up yet? Or did you want to talk more about demon fathers and what they do and do not do?

[makainoou]

I'm not sleeping. Get out already.

[paladaddy]

If you don't believe me, pinch yourself.

[Since pinching will wake someone up.]

[makainoou]

Right, like that's going to do any--

[And his sentence breaks off as he does pinch himself and the dream falls apart.

Suddenly he's lying in his coffin in his apartment. The memory of the dream quickly comes back to him, and he scrubs a hand over his face.]

[paladaddy]

[Well. That was an experience.

Shiro will wait until another time to bug Laharl again. No need to poke a possibly-cranky demon.]