Rudolph Richardson

## Rudolph Lucius Richardson

> *"No, that's right. Because monsters hurt others to make themselves feel better."*
> - Rudolph Richardson, to Carmelo DeMonte
>
>

## Appearance

Rudolph Lucius Richardson (also known as Rudy) has bright red eyes, shoulder-length strawberry blonde hair, rose-beige skin, and a lean figure. He's known to wear pastel-colored and rather feminine clothing, because he likes feeling cute. His mother, Philippa, was the one to dress him up in feminine clothing in the first place. He is said to be somewhere between 5'6 and 5'7.

In addition, he wears a small cross around his neck in the first chapter. This is broken off when Carmelo shoves him against a locker. He is always seen wearing earrings.

## Personality

Rudolph is a cheerful and eccentric teenage boy who tries to look out for whatever friends he can get, despite being rather submissive and unintentionally manipulative. Under his sunny personality, Rudolph battles with some demons of his own. Rudolph takes on a softer nature in public, a facade of his private endeavors. At home, he takes on a much different, more cold personality. He keeps a collection of snuff films on his shelf and supplies that imply suicidal intent, subjecting himself to many bouts of self-harm as his arm is lined with cuts made by a razor he keeps in his pocket as he struggles to cope with the trauma of his past and present.

Rudy shows clear signs of bi-polar disorder. However, it is unclear if he is diagnosed with it and is not treated for it. One of the only people who can calm him down during his manic highs is his mother who makes it a point to check on him and remind him of her presence and support.

## Self-Destructive Behaviors

Rudolph is suicidal and states that he plans on killing himself and filming it live for his tormentors to see. Later, he nearly attempts to overdose on his father‘s prescription Vallium (for his muscles). One of the tabs open on Rudolph’s laptop is an article for suicide options.

### Other instances of self-harm

During Part 2, Rudolph is seen ripping off three of his fingernails in a strange dissociative episode in which he's quietly singing to himself and almost attempting to overdose on some prescribed pills. This occurs directly after Tobias mutters “why weren’t you there when he hurt me?” in his sleep, which Rudolph seems to blame himself for not helping him when he was in need the most. This has been one of the most graphic scenes in the comic and it would have taken Rudolph’s life as well. Thankfully, Tobias and Philippa called him downstairs before he could take the pills though Rudy's condition remains overall unstable. He also cuts himself and briefly explains to Tobias that it's a coping mechanism of his to take control of what causes him to suffer and finding it easier if it's by his own hand more than someone else's.

## Relationships

Rudolph is incredibly needy and almost manipulative when he forms a bond with someone, failing to truly grasp another's boundaries. Regardless of who offers to give him love, Rudy would do anything to keep this affection, even if what they do to him is degrading or abusive. If anyone asked him out, he would oblige even if he is scared of whoever is asking. However, when it comes to the harm they inflicted on someone else he cares about rather than on himself, the sense is there and he maintains resentment.

### Tobias Schneien

Tobias was Rudolph’s closest friend at school for a short time. Rudolph gave Tobias a tour of their school on Tobias’s first day. Tobias later saw Rudolph being bullied by Carmelo but did not intervene until he saw Rudolph nearly hurt himself before being interrupted by a phone call. Rudolph tried to keep his act up, but seeing how he saw his true feelings, he convinced Tobias that it was not his business.

Rudolph and Tobias grew closer throughout the series but were still emotionally closed off to each other, unable to truly invest in one another's lives or confide in each other properly. When Mr. Edburt suggests as much while in control of Tobi’s body, Rudolph emotionally breaks down. After Part 3.5, where Tobias tried to murder Rudolph after they argued, Tobias confronts Rudolph in Part 4, but Rudolph tells him that he changed and believes that he does deserve better after all, not wanting to make the same mistake he did with Ben. His first step to healing was to officially call off their friendship, leaving Tobias with a shattered heart.

### Carmelo DeMonte

Carmelo constantly bullied Rudolph in a slew of different ways. He did this in order to hide his one-sided crush on Rudolph, but Rudolph has no knowledge of this. This abusive behavior encouraged his suicidal tendencies and self-harming behavior, in which he injures himself because it creates a sense of control of what kind of pain he receives, in addition to self-punishment.

Even though Carmelo bullied Rudolph, Rudolph seems to be able to ignore that and occasionally engages with him positively. He cheers for him during his audition for the play and compliments the costume he puts on, but Carmelo brushes it off and continues to insult him at that time. The gears begin turning in Carmelo's head as Tobias reveals Rudy's situation to him, though it takes a bit for Carmelo to take it to heart.

Their relationship begins to improve after Carmelo helps Rudolph out on Halloween night, with Carmelo being devastated and feeling extremely guilty after seeing evidence of Rudolph's self-harm. Although they're still far from friends, Rudolph recognizes the kindness Carmelo showed him and delivers a thank you note to his house which Carmelo, possibly out of guilt, throws away. For now, Carmelo has been leaving Rudolph alone, not wanting to cause him even more grief and harm than he already has as he struggles to comprehend his actions and, in a way, seems to project that guilt onto keeping Tobias alive.

### Philippa Richardson

Philippa is Rudolph’s mother, and the two are extremely close.

Philippa is an incredibly positive presence in Rudolph's life and is often the single person able to help him out of his depressive states. Philippa seems to be able to sense that he is struggling but doesn’t truly know the extent of her son's suffering. Rudolph doesn't want to worry or burden his parents any more than he already has, and therefore never tells her about his frequent self-harm or suicidal thoughts nor the treatment he received from Carmelo despite Philippa most likely being the one person who can help him the most.

She supports and loves both of her children and would treat any friend of theirs as her own child.

### Emil Richardson

Emil is Rudolph’s father. The two appear to have been very close when Rudolph was younger— in one of Philippa’s pictures they are seen hunting and posing together.

Emil will throw his sons around, but not in a particularly abusive way, merely roughhousing as the boys play along. He and Rudolph seem a little less close now that Rudolph presents himself more femininely, but Emil doesn't have the will to tell his son off for it.

### Adam Richardson

Adam is Rudolph’s younger brother. The two were extremely close, with Adam describing him as a near-perfect older brother in one flashback, until Rudolph became involved with Ben.

Adam is highly aggressive towards Rudolph and is upset by the idea of becoming like him when he sees the effects that Ben afflicted on him when he never fought back. He deems himself the stronger sibling and vows never to be weak like his brother.

### Bennet Isaac

Ben is Rudolph’s former friend from Denmark.

Ben and Rudolph’s relationship was primarily made up of Rudolph trying to help an emotionally and mentally disturbed Ben. Ben was sexually, emotionally and physically abusive towards Rudolph, but Rudolph continued to try to help him despite this. Ben also introduced Rudolph to snuff films, in which he explains that it feels good seeing someone suffer worse than him to make him feel like his own situation is better in comparison. Rudolph eventually developed a sort of fetish for them, indulging in the concept to the point of immense gratification and relief.

Eventually an incident happened between the two, which landed Rudolph in the hospital. Emilio claims to have found an article on it and while he's not exactly sure what it was exactly (as he had to translate it), he knows it involved something violent. Emilio also speculated that it could be why Rudolph moved, as soon after, the Richardsons left Denmark to go to Pennsylvania.

Rudolph was constantly terrified that his relationship with Tobias would become similar to his relationship with Ben, and constantly compared the two to each other.

## Trivia

- Rudy is trilingual. His native language is Danish, and his second language is English. His third language, German, is possibly fluent, but it isn't perfect in the slightest.

- His favorite foods are strawberry cheesecake and strawberry ice cream, though he generally likes anything strawberry-themed. His favorite breakfast food is pancakes with powdered sugar sprinkled onto them. His favorite savory foods would be broccoli, cheese, and yellow rice with extra salt on it.

- His favorite animals are pandas, koalas, and sloths.

- His favorite colour is baby blue.

- He has considered dyeing his hair many colours but has not decided if he should. He would like to dye his hair a neon pink, but giggles at the thought and tells himself he's not bold enough to go through with it.