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 Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 6:30 pm
11th March 1938.
Roderich gazed out through the frosty window into an early gray morning, dusky blue eyes shielded by yet another set of plain glass crafted into elegant silver spectacles. Soon will come the moment he had been waiting for so long, the moment that had slipped out of his clingy grasp once before.
He could still hear the voices of discussion of German and Prussian statesmen in 1849; should they support the Großdeutsche Lösung? Be united under the flag of the Austro-Hungarian Empire? Of course Prussia could never accept that. If at all, he would only tolerate Austria without his empire and under Prussian rule. But since that was equally out of question, he pushed for the Kleindeutsche Lösung, a unified Germany without Austria. And after losing the war, Roderich had to accept this. Nevertheless... on quiet days his glances would betray him, yearningly wandering westwards.
In conclusion of the World War he had been stripped of his empire, split from his wife and weakened to the extent of being bound to a wheelchair. After enjoying centuries of grand imperialism, Roderich was reduced to a little 'leftover'. The fears of insignificance ran deep among his people. Was he even able to sustain himself on his own? After the hunger winter of 1918, few still held faith in their feeble nation. And as he beheld his starving citizens, the desire to unite with the larger and more powerful brothers to the West bloomed. Yet Versailles forbade it. And so he stayed isolated within the walls of his residence.
He had waited patiently, quietly, for opportunity. Until finally Germany reached out for him, and the eyes of the opposition turned blind. However, this impending union.... Something did not feel quite right. He had pined for it for over a century, but he had imagined he would peacefully enter the merge as an equal partner.
It had started with unrest. His own national socialists had attempted a putsch in 1934, and succeeded in assassinating his boss of the time, Engelbert Dollfuß. Then a treaty with Germany annulled the prohibition of Austria's Nazi party. Hitler gained influence over his government, decided the head of his police and other high-ranking politicians. Roderich watched as his boss Kurt Schuschnigg struggled with a referendum, inquiring his people if they preferred a free, independent Austria. And watched as two days later Hitler replaced him with a new man, Arthur Seyß-Inquarts.
So now he waited, staring out of the window for any signs of movement. Listening for the ring of a phone or the buzz of a telegram. Anxiety twisted his innards, yet his face was set in stone. He was certain Germany's boss would move quickly. The path was paved, the time had come.
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Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 12:01 pm
The time had indeed come, but that didn't mean Ludwig wasn't apprehensive. The last couple of months had been a whirlwind of activity, tension, and stress, and now came the moment that he had been rehearsing in his mind for almost two decades. His body was framed by the door frame, his full dress uniform stuffy in the hallway. The Austrians seemed to want this, the nazi-seized government poll having toted 99.73% approval of the merger despite two civil wars. Yet his boots remained firmly rooted to the ground. His words died on his lips, the saliva drying up in his mouth as he fussed with the stiff pleats of his collar.
To make that first move...
Heaving a sigh in his broad chest, he pulled his fist up, seizing the courage he had at this particular moment to rap his knuckles against the heavy wooden door, feeling his guts tighten at the thought as the other hand moved to his waist, unclicking the clasp on the holster of his pistol.
Hopefully, this'll go without a hitch, and he won't have to use any brute force.
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Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 12:52 pm
Roderich jumped at the sound of a dull thump at the door. He's here.
With careful steps he advanced toward the vestibule, adjusted his cravat and straightened his vest. He had practiced walking smoothly to hide any sign of a limp. Although he had not yet fully recovered from the World War, Roderich did not want to seem weak. He wanted to appear in control of the situation and fully prepared.
With a decisively firm turn of the knob, he opened the door, heart pounding in his ears. His eyes widened at the sight of the strong, vigorous young man before him, and he suddenly felt very pale and fragile in comparison.
"Grüß Gott, Deutschland. I hope you are well? Please do come in."
He ran his spoken words through his head again, double checking his tactfulness. This crucial meeting allowed no errors. With a graceful gesture of his hand, he stepped aside to allow the larger nation into the antechamber.
"I welcome you into my home. As you may have already heard, the votes have turned out highly in your favor. I will gladly discuss the matter further with you. Would you care for a drink?"
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Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2009 7:54 pm
He did his damnedest to not jump when the door was pulled open and Roderich's voice floated through the doorway. It had been a very long time since the two had really seen each other under the best of circumstances, and he couldn't help but let his eyes wander. Neither Roderich's pride nor his manners had relaxed, judging by his pressed clothes and his taunt posture. Ludwig's eyes dropped, pretending to close the clasp on his holster. Hopefully his heavy brows would disguise the thinly veiled concern. His limp was still there.
"Vielen Dank." He replied, his voice gravely from a mixture of nerves and the natural stiffness of his voice. He held his body rigid, his heavy boots thumping on the polished floor, the corners of his lips momentarily curling before he caught himself and set his face back to its stony texture. Roderich's study still reeked of furniture polish, candle wax, and cologne that almost crossed the line into perfume, settling into the cushions of a sofa and trying his hardest not to rub his nostrils. "J-just Milch, please."
And PLEASE open a window...
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Posted: Thu Nov 26, 2009 2:12 pm
As Germany settled down on his sofa, Austria relaxed a little. So far things were going smoothly, and he was certain his guest was admiring the primp and proper maintenance of the room.
"Milch? Certainly."
He waved a human attendant to his side and ordered a glass of milk for Ludwig, and a caffè latte for himself. After a brief glance around the study to assure himself that everything was in perfect position, Roderich let himself drop neatly into an armchair facing the imposing blond man. His eyes drifted across his burly form to his handsome yet very youthful face, as the heavy ticking of a grandfather clock framed the silence. For a fleeting moment he believed time to have slowed to a halt, when finally he was presented with his coffee.
"Ah, vielen Dank."
Coffee always helped him feel in control. With a pleased sigh, Austria set the little porcelain plate into his lap, and lifted the dainty cup to take a sip. There would be no sense in beating around the bush. Their bosses were probably wrapping it up already. He crossed one leg over the other, aligning them parallel to each other as he corrected his posture.
"So, Ludwig. When shall I be moving in?"
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