[ closed / complete ]
WHO: Kristoph Gavin [myscarsmiles] and Rhode Kamelot [dolcezzamacabra]
WHAT: A lecture; some lines are drawn.
WHERE: Kristoph Gavin's house.
WHEN: A couple of days after the Joker's first two videos.
She looked a bit under the weather as she stood at his door, rubbing at one eye with the back of a sweatered hand. Sebastian had insisted on coming along, and she wanted him there. It was strange to realize how much she needed him, after her days spent sick in bed and now this... problem. Rhode had the hood of her sweatshirt up, a halfhearted attempt to keep herself from being seen. If someone wanted to follow her, she was sure they'd find a way. Talking to Kris was a priority, though. Perhaps he would offer protection... Or turn her out.
Kristoph hurried them in. His gestures were quick, unlike his usual pace, but in the kitchen he had tea set out for them. Locking the door behind them, he headed that way, without so much as a hello. His face was serious, despite his clothing, which was less casual than usual - a white button-up with the sleeves rolled up and slacks, and his hair braided. He sat down and poured them tea and looked at Rhode, his expression unusually serious.
Rhode shifted uncomfortably as she slid into her seat, picking up her teacup for the sake of keeping her hands still. She didn't look up at Kris for a long moment, sipping at her tea and enjoying the small comfort her oversized hoodie provided. After a long silence, she glanced toward her butler, muttering something about waiting in the family room. She wasn't sure why, but she had a feeling Kris wouldn't be chatting happily with her. Sebastian would defend her, she knew. She didn't want him to interrupt, though. Once he was gone, she pulled one of her legs up onto the chair. Took another sip of tea. Waited for the storm.
He did not drink his tea. He folded his fingers neatly in front of him and looked at her, then slipped his glasses off his face and placed them to the side. "You've made a grave error, Miss Kamelot," he said, his voice soft. "And not only have you made this error, but I can not and would not mend it for you. You must learn control, and until you do, these things will happen. And if your mistake is too large, then that will be that. Do you understand?"
She nodded slowly, hands gripping the teacup a bit too harshly. It betrayed her shaking, however slight it was. Rhode hadn't even thought that she'd be caught. It was... an impossibility. Somehow, though- Somehow they'd found out. "I'm sorry." She was. Not for the killing, of course. For the mess it had caused, and for everything it could cost her.
"If they try to take me back there, I'll make them kill me." Her voice was flat, no emotion apparent behind the decision.
"That is your choice. You must find a place in the city that will protect you and stay, for some time. Perhaps there you will learn control. Because that, you see," He leaned in just a bit, eyes glittering under his dim chandelier, "that is all you need. Once you can control yourself - your body, your mind, your emotions - you can control others. As long as you are in control, you are safe. It is when you lose control that these things happen. You must learn control for yourself, but hopefully this has taught you a lesson in it."
"And when I do..." Rhode trailed off, chewing her lip for a moment. It was obvious she was hesitant to continue, but she finally forced herself to finish her question. "Did you mean it when you said I could live here someday?" She expected him to tell her it was a lie, but there was still that sickening sensation of hope. The place it would hurt the most.
"I say many things I do not mean," he smiled a little, eyes distant, but they returned back to her, his expression strangely old without his smile and glasses. There were hints of wrinkles there that were either cleverly hidden or didn't exist. "But when you learn control, I would gladly have you live with me." A thin smile. "However, it seems you are inherently an agent of chaos."
Rhode suddenly felt like she was going to be sick. Talking wasn't an option for a long minute, but when she did manage to say something her words were tight. She barely choked it out past the painful lump in her throat. "You. You never plan on actually..." She didn't bother to finish the sentence.
"Never plan on actually.... what?" He arched an eyebrow and finally took a sip of tea, though it was cold. "I do plan for you to live with me, when you are capable of control. Likewise, I do plan on training you to fight with the knife and the garrote, and to twist a clever noose of words around a man's throat. But above all of that is you must learn yourself."
"How am I supposed to know you're not lying?" She hated this feeling, this desperation. She'd promised she'd distance herself from thing, not let herself get attached. It was Kris, though. Rhode had a rather childish desire to get on her knees and beg him to just take care of her. Tell her what to do. It wasn't an option anymore, though. She wasn't that girl from the hospital now.
"You would haunt me till the end of my days if I was." He chuckled softly, and glanced up, down the hall, to a locked door. "When you learn control you will be more formidable than you could ever imagine. When you learn control, you will be the one I will make my heir, when I am don." His head tilted, a little nod. "And those are not words I throw around lightly."
"Unless you killed me first." She sounded a bit bitter, but she was listening. It was always harder when you wanted to believe them. When you had trusted them before. Rhode weighed her words carefully before she spoke, finally looking up at him. "We'll find somewhere safe. If they do get me... I'll find a way to get out. At any cost." No more hospitals. She'd make that promise hold. "No matter what happens, though... promise you won't let Sebastian get himself killed."
"I won't kill you." He nodded to her, and to himself, because what would that gain? Nothing, really. "Unless, you attack me or something, but I hope that you wouldn't, right? It's really up to you. As for Mister Michaelis, he is a thousand times stronger than me, and I am incapable of stopping him."
Rhode actually smiled at that. Perhaps it was the mental image of Kris and Sebastian at each other's throats like angry dogs. "He's the last person I have. That's all." She felt rather stupid saying this to Kris, but it was almost a relief to tell someone. "He's even figured out how to help me sleep."
"I’m glad you're sleeping well." He nodded. "A good night's rest is essential to a quick mind."
She was silent for a long moment after that, finishing her tea for the sake of habit more than anything else. "What happens.... if they catch me, and I can't get out?" Rhode wasn't sure she wanted to hear the answer, but she leaned forward, pouring herself some more tea as if she'd just asked about the weather.
2:12:40He paused for a moment, taking a sip of his tea and glancing into the hallway where he could see the tails of Sebastian's suit jacket lingering. "They will get you out, my dear," he turned back to her, placing a hand on hers. His well-taken-care-of skin was soft against the back of her hand. "I have no doubt in that."
"I do." Her voice was quiet, trying to keep the butler from overhearing. She knew it was pointless, but it was the thought that counted. "I'm just a soldati. If they found out about you, they'd leave me in there and worse. What if..." Rhode's free hand tucked a piece of hair behind one ear out of habit, expression betraying how troubled she was. Back there... "I don't want Sebastian to get killed trying to get me." She'd have to come up with some kind of plan, to cover any possibility.
"You will be rescued by Sebastian, Miss Kamelot. They can do nothing to stop him. Not with what he is capable of. You will be rescued by Sebastian if you are even caught at al." He nodded a firm nod, as to end the topic at all. "There is, however, one last thing I would like to speak to you about."
She didn't look too certain, but she looked up all the same. She wouldn't continue. "What?" It couldn't be too bad, with all this other wonderful news going around.
“If you do not have confidence, they will not believe you." He nodded once more. "When you believe, they so easily believe as well. Now..." he glanced down to their hands, then back to her. "I want you to stay away from the Joker," he nodded, and his nails dragged gently across the back of her hand before they intertwined with his other hand behind his teacup. "He is more dangerous than I, more dangerous than any house or the commission."
"I can make my own reality." It was a child's game, making up her own version of events until her mind bent around it, let her live in that illusion. The slight sensation his fingernails left behind sent a slight chill up her arm, though she didn't draw back. Rhode had a feeling it was a warning- some unspoken threat. It was probably her imagination, though. There wasn't any reason... "Why." It was a question for both advisements, a flat curiosity.
"He has no agenda." His eyes narrowed faintly, expression looking to the distance. "He is chaos. He wants nothing more than to have every establishment crumble for no reason. He is dangerous because he has no aim, no motive, and nothing to lose or gain. Do you understand?"
She was silent for a moment, watching his expression before slowly nodding. How could she tell him she could empathize with that kind of motivation? Having nothing to lose. Rhode had a strange urge to reach for Kristoph's hand again, almost moving to do so before just pulling them close to her side of the table. "Yes."
He offered his hand anyway, though this time he left it open, palm up, in front of her. "If you become like him, I will never take you in, Rhode Kamelot. Do you understand?" His expression was stern, matching the seriousness of his announcement. "I always have a plan and an achievement to reach. That is why I control myself - to achieve my goal. Without an accomplishment to make, you no longer need the control to gain it. He has no goal, and as such, he may throw himself as he wishes. You can be like him, if you want - I would hardly want to constrict you if you desire chaos - but then you will never be mine."
The bit of color she had in her face drained as he spoke, making it easy to see how sick she was feeling. That kind of consequence wasn't what she'd expected. It was just a game - that was all. She wanted to know why, how he had ended up this way, but...
Rhode couldn't really think of anything to say. She just carefully reached over the table, resting both hands in his palm and shifting to rest her forehead against the smooth wood. It was exhausting, to be this scared, to be so powerless. She was fighting the entire world right now, and the only person offering some cold comfort was a man she was frightened to trust. She didn't want another betrayal, but it was hopeless.
She wanted to belong to something- to someone. Everything she had tried to pull together on her own was falling apart.
He squeezed her hands gently within his, his gesture warm, comforting, a stark contrast from his earlier seriousness. "I do not want to be harsh with you, Miss Kamelot. I would love nothing more than to forgive everything you have done. But without punishment, there is no discipline. I am a plan of plans, of control, of schemes and goals and achievements. He is the antithesis of what I am. That, I cannot allow. Do you hold this against me? I will understand if you do."
She shook her head, still resting on the table. "No." Her voice was quiet, barely audible. "I deserve it." Any other time, she would have hated herself for being this way. Now, though, she was busy hating herself for letting this happen in the first place. Her nails dug into his palm slightly, grip tightening slightly as if she were afraid he would let go. Rhode knew what would happen once they left. For a moment, though, she could pretend the safety of Kris's kitchen would last.
"I'm glad you understand. I don't want to break you. I don't even want to bend you very far. But you must be bent a little, so that you can understand why it is important for us to stand with our backs straight." His voice was still soft and soothing. "He is the virus of chaos and panic. He will affect one, and it will spread, until the entire city shakes under the man-made earthquake. I do not want you to become ill with it. I believe you can fight off such a disease. You are strong, and I am fond of you, after all." A little smile lit his face.
"I'm already sick." Rhode's eyes were closed, breathing just a little easier as she let his voice calm her nerves. "It was getting worse before he came, and I knew it- I should have known better. I can't make it stop, though..." She hadn't meant to tell him that, but she had a feeling he'd have found out somehow.
"You must learn how to control that chaos inside of you. I was once a little rude arrogant child myself, sneaking off to kill raccoons and burn the homework of those I disliked. Luckily, though, I'm managed to grow past that, and I do believe you can do that as well." He chuckled, a little, and he held her hands gently.
"And if I can't?" Her voice wavered a bit as she spoke, though she tried to hide it. This fear of slipping into insanity she wouldn't be able to fight. "I have to find a way to kill it before it kills me."
"You do not kill it, my dear," he told her, slipping a hand out to replace his glasses on his face. "You control it. You learn to funnel it towards pursuits you should accomplish in ways that are necessary. When I am angry, I work out. Thus, I do something good with energy that could be potentially catastrophic."
"If I lost any more weight I'll disappear." Her tone was a bit sardonic, even as she turned her head so her cheek was on the table instead of her forehead. "It's all to be in control of the family, then... And what happens after that?"
"Maybe you need to eat more, or perhaps take up another habit like keeping a particularly active pet that needs your attention?" He glanced off, into the living room, thinking about the far future. "When the house is mine, the city is next. Then...." A light shrug. "We'll see how long that takes, mmm. It could take me the rest of my life." He reached over and ran a hand through her hair, gently.
"I got Sebastian a kitten." It wasn't exactly active, though. Just good for snuggling. Rhode sighed softly at the gesture, enjoying the comfort. "The world?" It was almost a joke, a slight smile accompanying the remark.
Kristoph laughed softly. "Maybe? I am quite nefarious, and I think it is most certainly within my capabilities." He smiled, though it was an amused sort of smile, not a serious one. "Kristoph Gavin, king of the world. And Princess Rhode Kamelot. I think it sounds pretty good."
Rhode made an amused sound, though it faded into something of a sigh. "I always wanted to be something big like that." Her tone was almost wistful.
"You will be, if you can learn." He slipped away from her and sat down again across, pouring them both new cups of tea. "I am glad I managed to speak to you about all of this."
She was quiet for a moment, taking her tea carefully. "Thank you." It was a rather awkward statement, but it seemed like the only opportunity she'd have for a while. "I mean... for everything."
"You're very welcome, my dear. You are welcome for everything I have given you. And thank you for everything you have given me - your small insights on life and helping me when I am distraught. I do hope this is not the end of our lovely relationship, then." He stood up and walked around her, putting a hand on her shoulder and giving her a comforting squeeze. "Would you like me to escort you to the door, or are you all right with Sebastian?"
Rhode pushed her chair back a bit, standing up and wrapping her arms around the man's chest in a rather uncharacteristic display of affection. She had a feeling it wouldn't be very welcomed, but it was something of a compulsive action. "I guess begging and crying won't convince you to let me stay."
Kristoph held her for longer than he thought would. He rubbed her back and squeezed her shoulder. He thought of Mazikeen and wondered if perhaps that vomiting and breaking things would come again in three years when Rhode died. He thought about what he had said to that hallucination that had haunted him, and thought about Sebastian and a thousand other things.
He shelved them, noted their importance, and ran a hand through her hair. "Nothing can convince me to let you stay. You will pay for your mistake as I paid for my mistakes, and you will learn not to make mistakes, and we will be glorious together.
"I know." She held on for a moment longer, hand shaking a bit as she released him. Even as she let go, she lingered before stepping back. "I'll just... call you or something, after everything's done." That far in the future wasn't easy to imagine right now, but she knew what she'd be doing with Sebastian once they got home. Coming up with some kind of plan. Finding a place to hide from the police.
The girl paused before turning to go, reaching to finish her tea before calling Sebastian. She felt like she'd swallowed lead, stomach heavy with nerves as they left. Hopefully she would be able to see Kris again soon. Maybe she wouldn't be caught, or they'd give up on arresting her. The family would have to get her out even if they did, and then she would be able to go about her business. She'd be able to earn a place with Kris. Earn a new family.
If everything went well.
When the door closed behind them, Rhode had a feeling she was going to be sick.
Kristoph said his goodbyes to Sebastian closed the door behind her and walked upstairs, back to his office, where his documents were laid out. He wondered if Rhode would break, if Rhode would be arrested, if Rhode would learn what it meant to be strong and in control. He already knew that if she did not, she could not be his. He could not tolerate her fits of unnecessary violence in a world where it could get you in even the smallest bits of trouble. Rhode would bend and bounce back stronger, or she would shatter. That was how it must be and how it would be, and that was that, was that.
He pushed her out of his mind and returned to the video the Joker had posted. Rhode was on her own here, and he needed to do housework.
And that he did.
WHAT: A lecture; some lines are drawn.
WHERE: Kristoph Gavin's house.
WHEN: A couple of days after the Joker's first two videos.
She looked a bit under the weather as she stood at his door, rubbing at one eye with the back of a sweatered hand. Sebastian had insisted on coming along, and she wanted him there. It was strange to realize how much she needed him, after her days spent sick in bed and now this... problem. Rhode had the hood of her sweatshirt up, a halfhearted attempt to keep herself from being seen. If someone wanted to follow her, she was sure they'd find a way. Talking to Kris was a priority, though. Perhaps he would offer protection... Or turn her out.
Kristoph hurried them in. His gestures were quick, unlike his usual pace, but in the kitchen he had tea set out for them. Locking the door behind them, he headed that way, without so much as a hello. His face was serious, despite his clothing, which was less casual than usual - a white button-up with the sleeves rolled up and slacks, and his hair braided. He sat down and poured them tea and looked at Rhode, his expression unusually serious.
Rhode shifted uncomfortably as she slid into her seat, picking up her teacup for the sake of keeping her hands still. She didn't look up at Kris for a long moment, sipping at her tea and enjoying the small comfort her oversized hoodie provided. After a long silence, she glanced toward her butler, muttering something about waiting in the family room. She wasn't sure why, but she had a feeling Kris wouldn't be chatting happily with her. Sebastian would defend her, she knew. She didn't want him to interrupt, though. Once he was gone, she pulled one of her legs up onto the chair. Took another sip of tea. Waited for the storm.
He did not drink his tea. He folded his fingers neatly in front of him and looked at her, then slipped his glasses off his face and placed them to the side. "You've made a grave error, Miss Kamelot," he said, his voice soft. "And not only have you made this error, but I can not and would not mend it for you. You must learn control, and until you do, these things will happen. And if your mistake is too large, then that will be that. Do you understand?"
She nodded slowly, hands gripping the teacup a bit too harshly. It betrayed her shaking, however slight it was. Rhode hadn't even thought that she'd be caught. It was... an impossibility. Somehow, though- Somehow they'd found out. "I'm sorry." She was. Not for the killing, of course. For the mess it had caused, and for everything it could cost her.
"If they try to take me back there, I'll make them kill me." Her voice was flat, no emotion apparent behind the decision.
"That is your choice. You must find a place in the city that will protect you and stay, for some time. Perhaps there you will learn control. Because that, you see," He leaned in just a bit, eyes glittering under his dim chandelier, "that is all you need. Once you can control yourself - your body, your mind, your emotions - you can control others. As long as you are in control, you are safe. It is when you lose control that these things happen. You must learn control for yourself, but hopefully this has taught you a lesson in it."
"And when I do..." Rhode trailed off, chewing her lip for a moment. It was obvious she was hesitant to continue, but she finally forced herself to finish her question. "Did you mean it when you said I could live here someday?" She expected him to tell her it was a lie, but there was still that sickening sensation of hope. The place it would hurt the most.
"I say many things I do not mean," he smiled a little, eyes distant, but they returned back to her, his expression strangely old without his smile and glasses. There were hints of wrinkles there that were either cleverly hidden or didn't exist. "But when you learn control, I would gladly have you live with me." A thin smile. "However, it seems you are inherently an agent of chaos."
Rhode suddenly felt like she was going to be sick. Talking wasn't an option for a long minute, but when she did manage to say something her words were tight. She barely choked it out past the painful lump in her throat. "You. You never plan on actually..." She didn't bother to finish the sentence.
"Never plan on actually.... what?" He arched an eyebrow and finally took a sip of tea, though it was cold. "I do plan for you to live with me, when you are capable of control. Likewise, I do plan on training you to fight with the knife and the garrote, and to twist a clever noose of words around a man's throat. But above all of that is you must learn yourself."
"How am I supposed to know you're not lying?" She hated this feeling, this desperation. She'd promised she'd distance herself from thing, not let herself get attached. It was Kris, though. Rhode had a rather childish desire to get on her knees and beg him to just take care of her. Tell her what to do. It wasn't an option anymore, though. She wasn't that girl from the hospital now.
"You would haunt me till the end of my days if I was." He chuckled softly, and glanced up, down the hall, to a locked door. "When you learn control you will be more formidable than you could ever imagine. When you learn control, you will be the one I will make my heir, when I am don." His head tilted, a little nod. "And those are not words I throw around lightly."
"Unless you killed me first." She sounded a bit bitter, but she was listening. It was always harder when you wanted to believe them. When you had trusted them before. Rhode weighed her words carefully before she spoke, finally looking up at him. "We'll find somewhere safe. If they do get me... I'll find a way to get out. At any cost." No more hospitals. She'd make that promise hold. "No matter what happens, though... promise you won't let Sebastian get himself killed."
"I won't kill you." He nodded to her, and to himself, because what would that gain? Nothing, really. "Unless, you attack me or something, but I hope that you wouldn't, right? It's really up to you. As for Mister Michaelis, he is a thousand times stronger than me, and I am incapable of stopping him."
Rhode actually smiled at that. Perhaps it was the mental image of Kris and Sebastian at each other's throats like angry dogs. "He's the last person I have. That's all." She felt rather stupid saying this to Kris, but it was almost a relief to tell someone. "He's even figured out how to help me sleep."
"I’m glad you're sleeping well." He nodded. "A good night's rest is essential to a quick mind."
She was silent for a long moment after that, finishing her tea for the sake of habit more than anything else. "What happens.... if they catch me, and I can't get out?" Rhode wasn't sure she wanted to hear the answer, but she leaned forward, pouring herself some more tea as if she'd just asked about the weather.
2:12:40He paused for a moment, taking a sip of his tea and glancing into the hallway where he could see the tails of Sebastian's suit jacket lingering. "They will get you out, my dear," he turned back to her, placing a hand on hers. His well-taken-care-of skin was soft against the back of her hand. "I have no doubt in that."
"I do." Her voice was quiet, trying to keep the butler from overhearing. She knew it was pointless, but it was the thought that counted. "I'm just a soldati. If they found out about you, they'd leave me in there and worse. What if..." Rhode's free hand tucked a piece of hair behind one ear out of habit, expression betraying how troubled she was. Back there... "I don't want Sebastian to get killed trying to get me." She'd have to come up with some kind of plan, to cover any possibility.
"You will be rescued by Sebastian, Miss Kamelot. They can do nothing to stop him. Not with what he is capable of. You will be rescued by Sebastian if you are even caught at al." He nodded a firm nod, as to end the topic at all. "There is, however, one last thing I would like to speak to you about."
She didn't look too certain, but she looked up all the same. She wouldn't continue. "What?" It couldn't be too bad, with all this other wonderful news going around.
“If you do not have confidence, they will not believe you." He nodded once more. "When you believe, they so easily believe as well. Now..." he glanced down to their hands, then back to her. "I want you to stay away from the Joker," he nodded, and his nails dragged gently across the back of her hand before they intertwined with his other hand behind his teacup. "He is more dangerous than I, more dangerous than any house or the commission."
"I can make my own reality." It was a child's game, making up her own version of events until her mind bent around it, let her live in that illusion. The slight sensation his fingernails left behind sent a slight chill up her arm, though she didn't draw back. Rhode had a feeling it was a warning- some unspoken threat. It was probably her imagination, though. There wasn't any reason... "Why." It was a question for both advisements, a flat curiosity.
"He has no agenda." His eyes narrowed faintly, expression looking to the distance. "He is chaos. He wants nothing more than to have every establishment crumble for no reason. He is dangerous because he has no aim, no motive, and nothing to lose or gain. Do you understand?"
She was silent for a moment, watching his expression before slowly nodding. How could she tell him she could empathize with that kind of motivation? Having nothing to lose. Rhode had a strange urge to reach for Kristoph's hand again, almost moving to do so before just pulling them close to her side of the table. "Yes."
He offered his hand anyway, though this time he left it open, palm up, in front of her. "If you become like him, I will never take you in, Rhode Kamelot. Do you understand?" His expression was stern, matching the seriousness of his announcement. "I always have a plan and an achievement to reach. That is why I control myself - to achieve my goal. Without an accomplishment to make, you no longer need the control to gain it. He has no goal, and as such, he may throw himself as he wishes. You can be like him, if you want - I would hardly want to constrict you if you desire chaos - but then you will never be mine."
The bit of color she had in her face drained as he spoke, making it easy to see how sick she was feeling. That kind of consequence wasn't what she'd expected. It was just a game - that was all. She wanted to know why, how he had ended up this way, but...
Rhode couldn't really think of anything to say. She just carefully reached over the table, resting both hands in his palm and shifting to rest her forehead against the smooth wood. It was exhausting, to be this scared, to be so powerless. She was fighting the entire world right now, and the only person offering some cold comfort was a man she was frightened to trust. She didn't want another betrayal, but it was hopeless.
She wanted to belong to something- to someone. Everything she had tried to pull together on her own was falling apart.
He squeezed her hands gently within his, his gesture warm, comforting, a stark contrast from his earlier seriousness. "I do not want to be harsh with you, Miss Kamelot. I would love nothing more than to forgive everything you have done. But without punishment, there is no discipline. I am a plan of plans, of control, of schemes and goals and achievements. He is the antithesis of what I am. That, I cannot allow. Do you hold this against me? I will understand if you do."
She shook her head, still resting on the table. "No." Her voice was quiet, barely audible. "I deserve it." Any other time, she would have hated herself for being this way. Now, though, she was busy hating herself for letting this happen in the first place. Her nails dug into his palm slightly, grip tightening slightly as if she were afraid he would let go. Rhode knew what would happen once they left. For a moment, though, she could pretend the safety of Kris's kitchen would last.
"I'm glad you understand. I don't want to break you. I don't even want to bend you very far. But you must be bent a little, so that you can understand why it is important for us to stand with our backs straight." His voice was still soft and soothing. "He is the virus of chaos and panic. He will affect one, and it will spread, until the entire city shakes under the man-made earthquake. I do not want you to become ill with it. I believe you can fight off such a disease. You are strong, and I am fond of you, after all." A little smile lit his face.
"I'm already sick." Rhode's eyes were closed, breathing just a little easier as she let his voice calm her nerves. "It was getting worse before he came, and I knew it- I should have known better. I can't make it stop, though..." She hadn't meant to tell him that, but she had a feeling he'd have found out somehow.
"You must learn how to control that chaos inside of you. I was once a little rude arrogant child myself, sneaking off to kill raccoons and burn the homework of those I disliked. Luckily, though, I'm managed to grow past that, and I do believe you can do that as well." He chuckled, a little, and he held her hands gently.
"And if I can't?" Her voice wavered a bit as she spoke, though she tried to hide it. This fear of slipping into insanity she wouldn't be able to fight. "I have to find a way to kill it before it kills me."
"You do not kill it, my dear," he told her, slipping a hand out to replace his glasses on his face. "You control it. You learn to funnel it towards pursuits you should accomplish in ways that are necessary. When I am angry, I work out. Thus, I do something good with energy that could be potentially catastrophic."
"If I lost any more weight I'll disappear." Her tone was a bit sardonic, even as she turned her head so her cheek was on the table instead of her forehead. "It's all to be in control of the family, then... And what happens after that?"
"Maybe you need to eat more, or perhaps take up another habit like keeping a particularly active pet that needs your attention?" He glanced off, into the living room, thinking about the far future. "When the house is mine, the city is next. Then...." A light shrug. "We'll see how long that takes, mmm. It could take me the rest of my life." He reached over and ran a hand through her hair, gently.
"I got Sebastian a kitten." It wasn't exactly active, though. Just good for snuggling. Rhode sighed softly at the gesture, enjoying the comfort. "The world?" It was almost a joke, a slight smile accompanying the remark.
Kristoph laughed softly. "Maybe? I am quite nefarious, and I think it is most certainly within my capabilities." He smiled, though it was an amused sort of smile, not a serious one. "Kristoph Gavin, king of the world. And Princess Rhode Kamelot. I think it sounds pretty good."
Rhode made an amused sound, though it faded into something of a sigh. "I always wanted to be something big like that." Her tone was almost wistful.
"You will be, if you can learn." He slipped away from her and sat down again across, pouring them both new cups of tea. "I am glad I managed to speak to you about all of this."
She was quiet for a moment, taking her tea carefully. "Thank you." It was a rather awkward statement, but it seemed like the only opportunity she'd have for a while. "I mean... for everything."
"You're very welcome, my dear. You are welcome for everything I have given you. And thank you for everything you have given me - your small insights on life and helping me when I am distraught. I do hope this is not the end of our lovely relationship, then." He stood up and walked around her, putting a hand on her shoulder and giving her a comforting squeeze. "Would you like me to escort you to the door, or are you all right with Sebastian?"
Rhode pushed her chair back a bit, standing up and wrapping her arms around the man's chest in a rather uncharacteristic display of affection. She had a feeling it wouldn't be very welcomed, but it was something of a compulsive action. "I guess begging and crying won't convince you to let me stay."
Kristoph held her for longer than he thought would. He rubbed her back and squeezed her shoulder. He thought of Mazikeen and wondered if perhaps that vomiting and breaking things would come again in three years when Rhode died. He thought about what he had said to that hallucination that had haunted him, and thought about Sebastian and a thousand other things.
He shelved them, noted their importance, and ran a hand through her hair. "Nothing can convince me to let you stay. You will pay for your mistake as I paid for my mistakes, and you will learn not to make mistakes, and we will be glorious together.
"I know." She held on for a moment longer, hand shaking a bit as she released him. Even as she let go, she lingered before stepping back. "I'll just... call you or something, after everything's done." That far in the future wasn't easy to imagine right now, but she knew what she'd be doing with Sebastian once they got home. Coming up with some kind of plan. Finding a place to hide from the police.
The girl paused before turning to go, reaching to finish her tea before calling Sebastian. She felt like she'd swallowed lead, stomach heavy with nerves as they left. Hopefully she would be able to see Kris again soon. Maybe she wouldn't be caught, or they'd give up on arresting her. The family would have to get her out even if they did, and then she would be able to go about her business. She'd be able to earn a place with Kris. Earn a new family.
If everything went well.
When the door closed behind them, Rhode had a feeling she was going to be sick.
Kristoph said his goodbyes to Sebastian closed the door behind her and walked upstairs, back to his office, where his documents were laid out. He wondered if Rhode would break, if Rhode would be arrested, if Rhode would learn what it meant to be strong and in control. He already knew that if she did not, she could not be his. He could not tolerate her fits of unnecessary violence in a world where it could get you in even the smallest bits of trouble. Rhode would bend and bounce back stronger, or she would shatter. That was how it must be and how it would be, and that was that, was that.
He pushed her out of his mind and returned to the video the Joker had posted. Rhode was on her own here, and he needed to do housework.
And that he did.