Rorschach's journal. April 1st.

[shrt-temper.livejournal.com]

[Walter's in his room, staring a bit listlessly out the window. his journal's in his lap, open to the note that Question gave him after he shut the book on him last night.]

Good joke. Hmf. Really laughing now.

[shuts the journal again and tosses it onto his bed, getting up and crossing over to the wardrobe where he keeps his trenchcoat. he can hear people in the rooms on either side of him talking, the ambient noise of the castle swirling around him. normally, he's good at blocking it out, but this is just one of those days where, for some reason, it's getting to him. to cover it up, he starts out just sort of mumbling to himself, but ... the day being what it is, that doesn't last long. ]

Day after day, love turns grey ... like the skin of a dying man. [he shrugs on his coat and reaches for his mask]

♪ Night after night,
We pretend it's alright ... [tugs it onto his head, and tucks his scarf into his coat]
But I have grown older
And you have grown colder
And nothing is very much fun ... ♪

♪ And I - [tugs on a glove]
♪ Can feel - [and the other]
♪ One of my turns, coming on ... [heads out of his room, and downstairs, bound for town]

((OOC: Continued in the comments ... didn't think you'd ever see this one carry a tune, did you?))

Comments

[shrt-temper.livejournal.com]

[as he comes into town, he'll hum to himself as he scans the back alleys]

♪ I feel cold as a razor blade ...
Tight as a tourniquet ...
Dry as a funeral drum ... ♪

[shrt-temper.livejournal.com]

[and then there's a muffled high note - not the kind that comes from a first soprano, but a scream. he snaps his head to the side, seeking out the source, and all but launches himself into the alley with a building snarl]

[shrt-temper.livejournal.com]

[plows into the mugger at the head of the gang, smashing his head into the wall. he's not singing anymore so much as simply hollering, working himself into a fine fit of rage]

Run to the bedroom - in the SUITCASE ON THE LEFT,
You'll find MY FAVORITE AXE --!

[shrt-temper.livejournal.com]

[whirls around to face the three thugs that are left, trapped in the end of the alley]

Don't look so frightened!
This is just a passing phase,
One of my BAD DAYS ...

[shrt-temper.livejournal.com]

[he advances on one of them, first grabbing his arms and cracking them like dry twigs, then kicks out at his legs, breaking them each in succession]

Would you like to watch T.V? [gestures to the woman edging her way down the alley, terrified]
Or get between the sheets?
Or contemplate the silent freeway - Would you like something to eat? [mashes his face into the pavement and stomps down on his head]

[shrt-temper.livejournal.com]

[grabs the next as he scrabbles along the wall, eyes wide and gibbering, and picks him up, shoving his back against the wall]

Would you like to LEARN TO FLY?
WOULD YOU?!
Would you like to see me TRY?

[pulls out his grappling gun ... and shoots him in the stomach with it. lets out a growl, as the thug collapses on the ground, and retrieves his weapon, shoving it back into his coat]

[shrt-temper.livejournal.com]

[turns to the last of them, and stomps his way closer, fists clenched, the blots on his mask twitching as if they've been hit with an electric shock. his voice is strained from shouting, now, manic:]

Would you like to call the cops?
Don't you think it's time I STOPPED?

[shrt-temper.livejournal.com]

[the last remaining crook turns tail and BOOKS IT down the alley. Rorschach screams after him, ineffectively, until his voice cracks:]

Why are you running awaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay?!

[now, THERE ... finally ... is the proper question.]

[amanofmyword.livejournal.com]

[walks around the corner, clapping and smiling wryly]

I like your style.

[shrt-temper.livejournal.com]

[oh, he is NOT in a good place, right now. he's in a very old place, a familiar place. a dangerous one. growls, and turns to face him, not noticing as the blood from the thugs he mutilated pools around his feet]

Who are you?

[amanofmyword.livejournal.com]

[totally notices the blood. He has a card in his hand and he flings it so it lands face up in the pool]

Name's Joker.

[shrt-temper.livejournal.com]

Hmh.

[nudges the card with his toe] Another one. ... Not surprised, really. [there's a brief pause, and he looks back up]

Always two Jokers in a deck.

[amanofmyword.livejournal.com]

[licks his lips and twitches slightly]

So I've heard...

[shrt-temper.livejournal.com]

[as he comes into town, he'll hum to himself as he scans the back alleys]

♪ I feel cold as a razor blade ...
Tight as a tourniquet ...
Dry as a funeral drum ... ♪

[shrt-temper.livejournal.com]

[and then there's a muffled high note - not the kind that comes from a first soprano, but a scream. he snaps his head to the side, seeking out the source, and all but launches himself into the alley with a building snarl]

[shrt-temper.livejournal.com]

[plows into the mugger at the head of the gang, smashing his head into the wall. he's not singing anymore so much as simply hollering, working himself into a fine fit of rage]

Run to the bedroom - in the SUITCASE ON THE LEFT,
You'll find MY FAVORITE AXE --!

[shrt-temper.livejournal.com]

[whirls around to face the three thugs that are left, trapped in the end of the alley]

Don't look so frightened!
This is just a passing phase,
One of my BAD DAYS ...

[shrt-temper.livejournal.com]

[he advances on one of them, first grabbing his arms and cracking them like dry twigs, then kicks out at his legs, breaking them each in succession]

Would you like to watch T.V? [gestures to the woman edging her way down the alley, terrified]
Or get between the sheets?
Or contemplate the silent freeway - Would you like something to eat? [mashes his face into the pavement and stomps down on his head]

[shrt-temper.livejournal.com]

[grabs the next as he scrabbles along the wall, eyes wide and gibbering, and picks him up, shoving his back against the wall]

Would you like to LEARN TO FLY?
WOULD YOU?!
Would you like to see me TRY?

[pulls out his grappling gun ... and shoots him in the stomach with it. lets out a growl, as the thug collapses on the ground, and retrieves his weapon, shoving it back into his coat]

[shrt-temper.livejournal.com]

[turns to the last of them, and stomps his way closer, fists clenched, the blots on his mask twitching as if they've been hit with an electric shock. his voice is strained from shouting, now, manic:]

Would you like to call the cops?
Don't you think it's time I STOPPED?

[shrt-temper.livejournal.com]

[the last remaining crook turns tail and BOOKS IT down the alley. Rorschach screams after him, ineffectively, until his voice cracks:]

Why are you running awaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay?!

[now, THERE ... finally ... is the proper question.]

[amanofmyword.livejournal.com]

[walks around the corner, clapping and smiling wryly]

I like your style.

[shrt-temper.livejournal.com]

[oh, he is NOT in a good place, right now. he's in a very old place, a familiar place. a dangerous one. growls, and turns to face him, not noticing as the blood from the thugs he mutilated pools around his feet]

Who are you?

[amanofmyword.livejournal.com]

[totally notices the blood. He has a card in his hand and he flings it so it lands face up in the pool]

Name's Joker.

[shrt-temper.livejournal.com]

Hmh.

[nudges the card with his toe] Another one. ... Not surprised, really. [there's a brief pause, and he looks back up]

Always two Jokers in a deck.