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Post by Julian on May 20, 2009 7:57:25 GMT -5
*Julian's brow lowered sharply in disapproval. Not so much at Erik as the thought itself. It was several moments before he spoke again.*
"I must obey." *He confessed in a whisper.* "I cannot exist like this. Without you." *He looked wounded, lost at what to make of things.*
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Post by Erik on May 20, 2009 8:59:29 GMT -5
Erik slipped behind him, wrapping his arms around Julian and holding him close.
"You will never exist without Erik," he murmured. But of course he knew what Julian meant. He felt that absence, too. "But we will solve this, together. Come now. Show Erik what you have done so far."
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Post by Julian on May 20, 2009 9:09:58 GMT -5
*Julian sighed softly, relieved to have Erik's touch. His body melted back against him for a moment, savoring the contact. But at his request, Julian straightened, starting towards a particular pile of limbs and other parts.*
"They wish an emissary." *He said, brow lowered as he was troubled by the request.*
"Much like I am without my chain, they cannot take true steps in this realm. They desire to have one that can...perform more tactile tasks."
*He began sorting through the pieces.*
"I had created a shell before, but..." *He frowned.* "It was not an entirely successful experience."
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Post by Erik on May 20, 2009 9:41:45 GMT -5
It occurred to Erik that he--and Julian--were lucky that these beings had not decided that Julian himself was the shell. He looked over Julian's current progress.
"Erik does have some experience with this sort of thing," he reminded Julian. "We will figure it out. Let's go over what went wrong last time..."
It was harder, not being able to share thoughts between them. But Erik was determined.
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Post by Julian on May 20, 2009 9:48:01 GMT -5
*Julian's faith was somewhat renewed by Erik's support. He blinked slowly, remembering the last experience.*
"I began with a dead man, curing the flesh and replacing organs to allow continued functionality." *His lips tightened in frustration.*
"However, when I was finished...he was not vacant."
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Post by Erik on May 20, 2009 9:55:52 GMT -5
This raised all sorts of questions about the soul, but Erik ignored those, for now, in favor of the practical.
"Well there it is," he said. "Erik has always had better success in starting from scratch; a life imprints on a body, it seems. The only way is to ensure that the body has had no prior life at all. It should not be impossible."
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Post by Julian on May 20, 2009 10:00:45 GMT -5
*Julian considered this, the crease in his brow deepening.*
"Does that mean that I should avoid using human materials completely?"
*It seemed like it would be more complicated to make a humanoid with them, but not impossible.*
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Post by Erik on May 20, 2009 10:12:21 GMT -5
Erik shrugged.
"It is not impossible," he repeated. "I have done it before. The results... were imperfect. But I should think it would be possible to use organic materials, even, if we could induce their growth."
His previous experiments had been exquisite, in their own way, for he had progressed far from the Sultan's automatons. He saw no reason further leaps were not possible.
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Post by Julian on May 20, 2009 12:39:20 GMT -5
*Julian blinked again. The thought had never occurred to him.*
"I had not considered..." *There seemed a hint of excitement about his eyes, a new spark.*
"I had sought only to preserve the flesh, but perhaps...but how?" *His eyes found Erik's with a childlike wonder.*
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Post by Erik on May 22, 2009 12:26:48 GMT -5
Erik could not hide his smile. There were, after all, still a few things he could teach his protegé.
"Come," he said. "To the lab. I have much to show you, and I think you will find it interesting."
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Post by Julian on May 23, 2009 11:46:27 GMT -5
*The slightest hint of a smile danced in the corner of Julian's mouth. Even with all they suffered, his curiosity could never be extinguished. His mother's son to the end, he stepped forward in immediate readiness.*
"Yes. Most certainly."
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