The Times, They Are A-Changin' (OTA)

[moralabsolutism]

A. 99 Luftballoons - Hillingdon House

Rorschach was up early in the Hillingdon House. He was down in the kitchen, staring at the jar of sugar like he was going to burn a hole in it by sheer force of will. Many things had faded from his time as a human being. He'd forgotten how to breathe, what sleeping and dreaming felt like, and even what it had been like to be visible all the time. What hadn't faded was the memory of sugar cubes. He'd always had some in his pocket, chomping on them whenever the urge struck him. Right now, he'd give up what passed for a soul to have a bite of just one.

When someone comes into the kitchen, he whips his head around, alarmed, and suddenly disappearing. When he realizes it's just another resident of Hillingdon, he flickers back into existence, taking up residence at the table once again. He doesn't say hello or make any introduction. This is on par for interactions with the quiet, laconic ghost. Rorschach is always just sort of there, like a piece of furniture that they just can't seem to get rid of.

B. Desolation Row - Around London

When you're dead, there's nothing but time on your hands. Rorschach has learned this well after thirty years of roaming around London. Frankly, it's a shame he doesn't have one of his journals in his pocket anymore. He would have filled up a dozen of them by now with everything that he'd seen over the years. This city was much the same as New York: pretty on the surface, but full of grime when one looked at its underbelly. So many supernatural types made this place their home and most of them showed some sort of malice towards human beings. If only he'd been alive, he would have taken great joy in clearing them out. As it was, all he could do was watch, and occasionally point hunters in the right direction.

He can be found in numerous spots all over the city, but he avoids the Thames as an inescapable obstacle. Whether just walking down a crowded street, perched on the rooftop of a tall building, or riding through the Underground, Rorschach watches and waits. Though what he's waiting for, he just can't say. As it is, he can be found only occasionally visible, his odd mask the first thing that stands out. Otherwise, people just feel a cold chill as he passes by or goes through them, a sudden weird feeling making the hair stand up on the back of their necks.

C. Wildcard

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Comments

[falsify]

Oh, cool. Now the ghost is sitting with him. Eames adjusts as if to share the newspaper with the invisible jerk next to him, and he tilts his head a little.

"Not very talkative, are you?" He knows he's not getting an answer already, it's fine. "Were you like this when you were alive too?"

[moralabsolutism]

Rorschach tilts his head and looks the newspaper over. There's usually one lying about Hillingdon, but the problem is that he can rarely find someone to turn the pages for him. It's a terrible pain not to have even the slightest abilities to move things around like other ghosts do.

In response to the question, Rorschach gives a short nod. Yes, he's always been this way. As a ghost, the condition has obviously gotten worse at deteriorating his already poor social skills, but Rorschach had never been a extrovert, willing to talk just for the sake of it. He only says something if there's going to be meaning behind it.

[falsify]

For as much as he loves the sound of his own voice, Eames is pretty good at silence too. Especially seeing as he doesn't get the feeling this ghost is gonna say anything interesting or useful if Eames keeps talking to him. So he goes back to reading, finishing up this one article on how tension with Europe might affect the housing market, about to flip the page before he changes his mind and looks aside at the ghost.

"Anything in particular you want to read?" He's got the time and there's no reason to be an ass to this guy, even if his mask is weird and dumb.

[moralabsolutism]

Rorschach honestly wasn't expecting Eames to take him into consideration. He's pretty much resigned himself to being a piece of furniture to most people. That's about all the effect he can really have on them.

Finally, though, there's a question worth an actual response. When Rorschach talks, he has a voice that sounds like gravel feels on bare feet. "Politics. Or advice columns." He likes to read about other people's woes. It makes him feel just a little bit better about his afterlife.

[falsify]

"Advice columns it is," and he flips the pages without question, "you don't want what the Metro classes as 'politics'," it's really not so weird for a ghost to be interested in that kind of thing, even if they all have their reasons. When you exist apart from the world, some connection to it has to feel nice. Even if that connection is being above it, better than it.

[moralabsolutism]

Rorschach leans in, reading the agony aunt columns. It's the usual collection of woes of humanity. My husband cheats on me but I still love him, I'm no longer attracted to my girlfriend since she gained weight, and my dog is the only thing keeping me alive. Honestly, it's times like this that make the ghost glad he's already dead and no longer has to deal with all this bullshit.

"People are full of filth." That had been his take on the world since before he'd died. Most people tended to fill him with nothing put contempt.

[falsify]

The comment actually catches him sufficiently off-guard that Eames barks a sharp and sudden laugh and looks at the man next to him with an eyebrow raised.

"New opinion since you died? Or were you always this delightful?"

[moralabsolutism]

Hmph. He hadn't been trying to be amusing. Only giving his frank and honest opinion.

"Always." Rorschach was a born cynic. Any innocence he'd once had was long destroyed by the time he reached adulthood. Dying had only exacerbated the state he's in.