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Post by Victor von Doom on Nov 23, 2011 22:33:37 GMT -5
It occurred to him that it might have been the casual display of sorcery that so distressed the man. Well, there was nothing to be done about that. How unfortunately small-minded.
"Calm yourself before answering."
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Post by Tybalt on Nov 24, 2011 0:09:06 GMT -5
He only managed a strangled, "What is that thing?"
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Post by Victor von Doom on Nov 24, 2011 1:04:01 GMT -5
"It's only a machine, Tybalt, shaped like a man."
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Post by Tybalt on Nov 24, 2011 1:14:03 GMT -5
"A - a machine? How?" His voice was hoarse, and he was very clearly badly spooked.
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Post by Victor von Doom on Nov 24, 2011 12:26:11 GMT -5
"Among other things, Doom is a man of science. Would it comfort you to see its internal workings?"
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Post by Tybalt on Nov 24, 2011 21:35:23 GMT -5
"Its - what?"
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Post by Victor von Doom on Nov 24, 2011 22:59:53 GMT -5
The thing now stood still as a suit of trophy armor.
"There is no need for such superstition, Tybalt," he said, perfectly aware that he was speaking in the same idiom as the men who had dismissed his father's practice as dirty peasant trickery.
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Post by Tybalt on Nov 25, 2011 0:11:25 GMT -5
"But what is it?" asked Tybalt, honestly a little frightened.
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Post by Victor von Doom on Nov 25, 2011 0:50:37 GMT -5
"They are called robots. The name comes from robota, serf labor -- in an enlightened world they will replace it. Mechanical men -- some are enchanted, but this one is nothing but metal and wire. Some of them labor, this one defends."
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Post by Tybalt on Nov 25, 2011 0:56:53 GMT -5
Tybalt's brain shied away from the impossible bits for its own safety, and clung to the one piece of information Tybalt could easily glean, although it was accompanied by a dead feeling in the center of his chest.
"...so in Latveria, you do not require men for defense purposes? You use these- these- these things?"
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Post by Victor von Doom on Nov 25, 2011 1:17:00 GMT -5
"There are still soldiers and guardsmen; you met some of Latveria's finest yesterday, flesh and blood. My creations cannot yet supersede humans entirely--" They had a distressing tendency to malfunction horribly. "--but for offensive purposes, against those who would threaten this nation's integrity and my authority, yes. In great numbers."
He rapped a hand against the thing, and it clanged.
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Post by Tybalt on Nov 25, 2011 1:22:39 GMT -5
Tybalt made a very audible, very wretched, exhalation of relief, slumping a little.
"There are no wars in Verona," he said, sounding aged and exhausted. "No one would dare start one with us, we are already at each other's throats within."
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Post by Victor von Doom on Nov 25, 2011 1:57:43 GMT -5
He didn't respond with a lofty statement about the lack of social faction in scenic Latveria, or a snide comment about Verona's prince, but looked at Tybalt with a queer calmness in his eyes.
"A sad state of affairs."
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Post by Tybalt on Nov 25, 2011 2:00:23 GMT -5
He was breathing very heavily.
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Post by Victor von Doom on Nov 25, 2011 2:40:03 GMT -5
"We'll speak no more of this. Have you eaten?"
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