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| Meeting of the Minds; Tag; Valeria | |
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| Topic Started: May 10 2014, 06:28 PM (242 Views) | |
| Kristoff Vernard | May 10 2014, 06:28 PM Post #1 |
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Heir to Doom
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Time: 1:25 PM Date: March 17th, 2014 Location: Latverian Embassy It may not have been home, but he building on the outskirts of New York City was still Latverian soil, out of the reach of American laws and authorities. As long as he was within it's walls, Kristoff Vernard would be afforded all the amenities the king of Latveria should rightly have access to, something he was currently taking advantage of. Finishing off the last of his expertly prepared meal, the young ruler dabbed the corners of his mouth with his napkin before setting it aside, giving a small nod to the servant who waited beside him. She sprang into action immediately, gathering up the dishes and cutlery before silently making her way to the kitchen. Full and satisfied, Kristoff moved to his feet, exiting the dining area, flanked on either side by bodyguards. He felt the personal protection was a bit excessive, as anyone foolish enough to attack this place would effectively be declaring war on Latveria and would be subjected to all the unleashed hell that would entail, but his advisers had insisted, and they were only silenced when he agreed to their terms. Of course he saw the logic in their suggestions - if he were to be incapacitated or worse, Latveria would be without a ruler, and that simply would not stand. It was more for his country's sake that he'd allowed the mountains of men that walked beside him to accompany him on this venture. The previous Saturday night, something strange had occurred in Castle Doom. A massive swirling vortex had manifested itself before him, and from within came a call of Doom and a flooding of memories. Since that time, he had been pouring over every reading that the castles sensors had registered, doing his best to work out what the incident could have meant. He had yet to reach a solid conclusion on the matter, but there was hope. During the event, he'd been thrown mentally back in time, reliving the arrival of the girl called Valeria. Reasoning that he had been made to see that day again for a reason, he had sent the girl an invitation to meet him here in - a glance at his watch - five minutes. He was absolutely certain that she would arrive. After all, she loved Doom as he did. A waiting servant opened the door to his office as he neared it. Entering the room, he dismissed the bodyguards, who assumed their positions outside the door. To occupy himself until Valeria arrived, he poured over the various charts and readouts he had brought from Latveria, finalizing his theory about what the vortex had meant. It was his hope that the girl would be able to help him fully form his hypothesis. And, with a little luck, aid him in what was beginning to look more and more like a rescue mission. |
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| Valeria | May 12 2014, 11:25 PM Post #2 |
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Always Smarter Than You
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It was taking time, but Valeria had more or less adjusted to living at the school. She was no mutant to be sure, but her brother was and she was more than understanding of the cause, especially now that she had regained some memories of the future that they had come back to change. Still, the school, as interesting and resource-filled as it was, was not as much ‘her’ place as it was Franklin’s. That was where the Baxter Building came in. Val would slope off there when she could, poking around the laboratories and the server rooms, sometimes without even informing her parents she had arrived. The young girl would poke and prod, fixing things that she knew her infant self would accomplish some years down the line. After all, they had already caused significant change (or so they assumed, given what had happened) so what was saving a few years in terms of efficiency? But that day, Valeria Richards was not in New York City to visit her future home. Instead she had an invitation to the Latverian Embassy. It was not a building that was readily approached by the looks of it. Indeed, her standing on the sidewalk outside seemed to be gathering nervous attention from some passersby on the opposite side of the road. Sniffing, she stuck her nose in the air and flounced boldly through the gates, presenting the guards with her credentials as she passed by, not even waiting to make sure they were fully satisfied. Maybe she was not biologically Doom’s child and heir, but there was certainly some of his demeanour to her, no matter who had actually raised her. They had been expecting her though, and at the grand entrance, she was shown inside. The decor immediately transported her back, reminding her strongly of Doom’s castle back in Latveria. It had been home to her for so...No. Prison. Pausing, she frowned as the two became mixed in her head and the blonde rubbed her temples lightly. Looking up to her escort, she gave him a commanding look. “So, where is Kristoff then?” The man nervously cleared his throat. “His Imperial Majesty is awaiting your arrival, this way, please,” the servant bowed a little and gestured for Valeria to pass forward, through the doorway ahead of them. Squaring her shoulders, she walked on, looking for her adopted ‘brother’. He had to have a reason for calling her in. After all, with Doom gone, with her gone, he got Latveria. “Good afternoon, Kristoff,” her tone was less than warm, but then warmth was not something that came overly naturally to her. “What do I owe this pleasure to?” There was no point in wasting time on this. Either he wanted something that she’d be interested in, or she was going to be heading right back out of the door again. |
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| Kristoff Vernard | May 13 2014, 12:15 AM Post #3 |
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Heir to Doom
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He didn't raise his head when she entered. His attention remained focused on the information he was examining, his eyes moving back and forth across the images, the data. If what he was seeing meant what he thought it did, then the implications were staggering. However, a second opinion was in order, which was where Valeria came in. Loathe as he was to admit it, the girl was brilliant. Almost as smart as him, in fact. Almost. Nodding to himself as the final pieces of his theory clicked into place, Kristoff looked up from his work, breaking into a wide, practiced smile. "Valeria." It was the warmest possible greeting he could give the girl. Judging by her tone, she wasn't thrilled to be in his presence again, but he didn't expect her to be. They had been rivals for so long that it was only natural for there to be a bit of left over animosity. He was determined not to let that get in the way of what needed to be done, however. "Please, have a seat." Whether or not she did so was entirely her choice, obviously, but it would make things easier in the long run. "I can tell you aren't in the mood for pleasantries, so I'll be brief. I need your help." Pausing to let those words sink in, he continued. "As you are no doubt aware, Lord Doom has vanished, leaving me as ruler of Latveria. However, the people are not quite as accepting of this change in leadership as I would have hoped they would be. I fear a revolt may be on the horizon, and I will not allow an uprising to destroy my country. As I see it, there is only one absolute solution to this problem - finding Lord Doom." It was a lie he had concocted to keep the truth from being known. The simple fact was Kristoff remained was unsure of his ability to adequately lead Latveria, at least at this juncture in his life. The country would be better served with Doom at it's helm. However, admitting that publicly would be a humiliation he could not suffer, so a false revolution had been created in order for him to save face. Setting aside those thoughts, he pressed a button on his desk. The room darkened, and a screen descended from the ceiling, lighting up with a recording of the vortex incident. "Two nights ago, my sleeping chambers were breached by some unknown force. The castle's instruments recorded the phenomenon, and I have brought all of the data for you to examine. As you'll hear, a cry of Doom can be very clearly heard-" a brief interruption in his explanation to allow for the sound he'd alluded to to resound throughout the room, "-and a few moments later I vividly relived the day you first came to the castle." The recording finished, the lights came back up, and Kristoff turned his full attention to Valeria. "It is my theory that Lord Doom is trapped in some other world, some alternate dimension. That vortex was an attempt at communication, and the flashback I experienced was a message indicating that I should seek your aid." Picking up a tablet computer, he handed it to Valeria. "Contained on that device is all of the relevant data. I ask that you review it and see if you reach the same conclusion as I have." |
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| Valeria | May 20 2014, 01:35 PM Post #4 |
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Always Smarter Than You
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“I’m rarely in the mood for pleasantries if I know they are not sincere,” Valeria bounced the ball back into Kristoff’s court, but took the seat that he had offered her. Oh, she was curious. He wouldn’t have called her here without a very good reason. Help, though? My, for him to come across the world and ask her for help meant that he was in the most dire of needs and already her curiosity was aflame. With her hands folded in her lap, she listened, not utterly surprised that he had not taken on the mantle of leadership with ease. No, he had the potential, obviously, or Doom would never have chosen him. But had he learned enough? Had he the patience? “So, let me understand this...You wish to find Emperor Doom for the good of the country, a man whom is being almost globally hunted for international crimes?” Valeria smirked. “Please, you’ll have to do better than that.” Although...The recording he then played gave her cause, her mind already processing the information that it had been bombarded with. Her expression changed from slightly smug to wondering, her eyes darting around the screen as she pieced together little slivers of information and her own ideas and theories. Then when he went on to say he had specifically recalled the day that she had come to the castle, her attention was taken away from the screen and returned to him. This certainly made things a little different. Cupping her chin in her hand, she shrugged her slender shoulders. “Well, why didn’t you just say so, Kristoff?” Reaching out she took the tablet and lazily started to peruse it with the air of someone checking instagram. Then Val’s brows started to furrow together as she began to be pulled in and utterly absorbed by the information she was seeing on the screen. This was more than a case of him simply swallowing his pride and crawling for her help. Looking up, she stared daggers at him. “Give me one reason why I should help you in this.” Her tone was blunt, although really, she had half a dozen reasons for pulling Doom out of whatever inter-dimensional hole that he had been foisted into. |
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| Kristoff Vernard | May 27 2014, 12:33 PM Post #5 |
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Heir to Doom
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In spite of her misgivings about his intentions, he could tell that he'd lit a fire in her mind. Between the footage of the event and the data on the tablet, she was just as curious about what it all meant as he was. Her standoffish nature was more due to who it was who was asking her for help. Though they'd spent time in the same home, they were far from family, and he knew that. However, he liked to think that he knew her well enough to predict that she would be unable to resist the temptation of the riddle that had been presented to them, if only because of who she was. Her query on why she should aid him in this earned her a quiet chuckle. Had it been anyone else who had come to her for help, she likely would have said yes immediately, but because it was him who had come to her, she was going to make it difficult. Of course, he had expected this. There was no reason for her to act any other way with him. Leaning forward, he placed his elbows on his desk, knitting his fingers together and setting his chin on top of them, regarding her as a king regards any subject. "Because you've already decided to, haven't you?" Her bluntness was met with a bit of his own. He allowed the words to hang there for a few moments before speaking again. "Your desire to solve this mystery is as great as my desire to see Lord Doom returned. Even if you aren't interested in bringing him back to this plane of existence, you can't stand not knowing what might have happened to him, where he might be now, what might be out there. I can see it in your eyes, Valeria. That insatiable desire to understand the universe." His point made, he settled back into his chair, his fingers remaining interlocked. " I personally see this as a win-win situation for us - you get to put that pretty little brain of yours to work, while I prevent the country I love from being torn apart by internal strife. Every resource at my disposal will be made available to you, and you know better than most what exactly a guarantee like that means. This is not a request I make lightly, dear Valeria. You are, without question, one of the most brilliant people walking the planet today, and I can think of none better suited to aid me." A pause for dramatic effect, and then - "Your answer?" |
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| Valeria | Jun 1 2014, 11:21 PM Post #6 |
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Always Smarter Than You
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Valeria looked up from the tablet and sniffed slightly, showing a cover of indifference. Kristoff was right though, she was very interested in all of this, even if it wasn’t for the same reasons as her false brother. He knew it fascinated her and she hated to admit that he knew her so well. Plus...well it was rather satisfying to see him so close to begging her as she would likely ever get. Oh, he was still being a jumped up little worm about it, but at least he knew his place. He wasn’t quite right when he stated that she likely did not want to see Doom back. If anything, Val did. Punished for what he had done, certainly, but she wanted him back as she wanted to ask him questions. Not that she expected to get any satisfying answers. The truth about why he had lied to her and kept up such an elaborate deception were likely the most simple of answers; he had needed her to open the crystal and that was all. Keeping her as a daughter was likely only because of her brilliant mind. If she had been a dull and simple creature, he’d have put her away without a second thought until she could be useful. A part of her wondered though if there had ever been anything else. After all, she was more like him than members of her own family. Inspecting the screen of the tablet one more time, Val reached forward and put it down. “You do realise this will put me in a rather...compromised position, Kristoff. Oh, this is an intriguing little puzzle that you have brought me, but what do I get after I have put all of the pieces together?” Her answer would still be yes, of course it would. But she was too clever to just say that without knowing if she could balance all of this with the life she had now. Franklin would never let her do this, nor would her mother and father. Of course if there was something tangible that she could get from it to justify the subterfuge...Getting up, she paced the room slowly. Although, if she did help to get Doom back, she could always hand him over to the correct authorities. That way, even though there had been a lie, it had been for the right reasons. It was a very, very dangerous game that she was considering undertaking, but the mystery was far too interesting to pass up. Val doubted that she would ever get a chance like this again. |
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| Kristoff Vernard | Jun 7 2014, 12:26 PM Post #7 |
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Heir to Doom
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There was a part of him that missed this. The tête-à-tête, the back and forth between them, the battle of wits that occurred every time they met. With Lord Doom missing, there were very few people who were willing to challenge him like Valeria. However, she seemed bound and determined to not give him a straight answer, and his patience was beginning to wear thin. It had been an amusing game, but the time had come for her to make her choice final. The young ruler was silent for a few moments as he considered her latest 'question.' He suspected that the inquiry was nothing more than a stall tactic, or designed to frustrate him. But she wouldn't get to him. He has been raised from childhood to rule, to wine and dine with diplomats and dictators. Valeria Richards, brilliant though she was, was a minor challenge. His expression broke into a self-assured smirk, and his answer followed shortly thereafter. "Were you anyone else, I would offer you any material reward you desire. But you...no, your needs are purely academic. Putting the pieces together, as you so eloquently put it, would no doubt advance any number of scientific fields, including many of those your father--your real father, that is--might be working in. So, what I offer is knowledge that you could put to use however you wish." That would be enough to satisfy her. However, deciding it was best to cover any possibility, he added, "Of course, if you desire material wealth, it will be made available to you as well. Now then, I trust you can wrap up any family obligations and make yourself available within the next few days. We have a great deal of work to do, dear Valeria, and I would like to begin as soon as possible." |
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| Valeria | Jun 12 2014, 10:29 PM Post #8 |
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Always Smarter Than You
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Allowing him the chance to win her around, Valeria listened carefully, her blue eyes narrowed as he stated the facts, what she would get out of this. After a moment, the girl smiled and her stance became more relaxed. Oh, she was not about to ever trust Kristoff as far as she could throw him, but for the moment she had heard enough from him to believe him, at least for the moment. “You’re right. Material wealth doesn’t interest me in the slightest. My family is comfortable enough for me to not care. If I wanted money, I could easily make it myself. But knowledge? You know how true a currency that is. Emperor Von Doom would have made sure that was firmly inside your head…” It was practically a compliment. “As for just wrapping up family commitments, that is a little more difficult. I am not able to just up and completely wander off from my current situation. No. I don’t think so,” lacing her hands behind her back, the girl began to pace slowly as she thought about it. “It would draw far too much attention if I went away. My brother would not want me to leave, not after everything that has happened…” Not that she wanted to sound too doubtful over this, as she was all for plunging into the mystery, but Valeria was not about to be at Kristoff’s beck and call either. He would have to wait for her instead. “I can easily come here and work while balancing my other commitments, or I will not be coming here at all. You can supply me with ample information and equipment here, can you not?...and considering I am asking for no material wealth I am sure you can stomach any potential expense…” She went back to the tablet and began looking over the information again, quickly becoming lost within the depths of it. “Yes...I think I shall be quite comfortable working here for now…” |
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