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Post by Adrian Veidt on Dec 6, 2017 22:35:22 GMT -5
Adrian pinched the bridge of his nose.
“All right,” he sighed. “Who are we dealing with here?”
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Post by Oswald Cobblepot on Dec 7, 2017 13:00:00 GMT -5
"The vampire. Unless there's more than one of those, of course. He calls himself Krolock. He and I have... a cultural affinity."
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Dec 27, 2017 5:26:17 GMT -5
That wasn’t surprising.
“Ah,” said Adrian. “I see. Yes, he’s... not a fan, let’s say.”
He buffed his hand against his own right cheek, barely noticing that he had done so. Adrian moved to sit on the edge of the desk, facing his guest, arms crossed, backlit again, broad and imposing.
“So he sent you, I suppose, to kill me. I’m going to be honest with you, Oswald. That was not a particularly intelligent decision on his part. I’m not holding it against you- in fact, I appreciate your openness about it. I would like to warn you that if you do try, I will be forced to defend myself, and that, you can guess-“
He gestured between them, as though the eight inches of height difference and probably seventy pounds of muscle mass didn’t do the talking on their own.
“-that may end poorly. I don’t mean this as a threat, of course. Heaven knows I favor non-violence whenever possible. But I think it’s in both of our better interests if you explain what exactly is going on here.”
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Post by Oswald Cobblepot on Dec 27, 2017 13:17:49 GMT -5
"Oh, I'm aware. I'm sure he meant it more as an extended campaign of personal sabotage, but that has a way of coming back around to--"
He struck the palm of one hand with a fist.
"I approached him for work after finding myself in straitened circumstances, and he let me in on a plot. I'm a free agent now, but I know what a fool's errand looks like." Oswald gave an ingratiating chuckle. "And I don't want trouble."
It looked like 220 pounds of extraordinary blond treyf. If Veidt ever crossed him, that would be a different story.
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Dec 27, 2017 13:33:20 GMT -5
"It's about the girl, isn't it?" Adrian sighed. "I don't think the man has any other driving hatred of me."
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Post by Oswald Cobblepot on Dec 27, 2017 13:40:06 GMT -5
"Far be it from me to interfere with matters of the heart."
Who was this girl?
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Dec 27, 2017 13:55:47 GMT -5
"Look, it's-"
He pinched the bridge of his nose again.
"The man- Krolock- is deeply disturbed. I suppose it comes with age and his condition. Teja has been hanging off of Loki's arm since the day they met. The two of them are very publicly in love; however, during a brief rough patch, it's to my understanding that they opened their relationship. Teja, I believe, has some feelings for Krolock, but they are very strongly tempered by her terror of the man, and while I..."
He sighed.
"I suppose I have been more than a little in love with her myself for quite some time. I don't think she came to return any part of that until things had gone south with the vampire and she began sharing her time between Loki and myself. He attacked us in a cemetery downtown; he would have maimed my face had it not been for her calling in Loki's intervention.
"After that point, I brought her to California for a few weeks for her safety. When we returned, she realized that she was, perhaps, better suited to Loki alone all along. They're married now, the pair of them, and blissfully happy in it as far as I can tell."
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Post by Oswald Cobblepot on Dec 27, 2017 14:04:00 GMT -5
Oswald was making an exquisite face for the duration of this explanation, but he really couldn't help it, his face was just like that.
"That's very informative, thank you."
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Dec 27, 2017 14:23:33 GMT -5
"Personally, I believe what's happening is Krolock centering all of his frustration at the entire situation on me. I get it, I'm an easier target than Loki. If Teja hadn't thought to call him down to intervene, bless her, we might all be a little better off than we are."
There it was again, that reflective rub over his right cheek.
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Post by Oswald Cobblepot on Dec 27, 2017 14:34:33 GMT -5
"Mmhmm." He could respect that stance, at least. "I'll have to report back to him eventually, I'm afraid."
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Dec 27, 2017 15:05:58 GMT -5
"I would suggest you lie, then."
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Post by Oswald Cobblepot on Dec 27, 2017 15:06:58 GMT -5
"Of course. Would you like me to convey anything in particular?"
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Dec 27, 2017 15:10:46 GMT -5
Adrian pulled himself up to sit properly on the desk. It would not have been so disarming had he not done so entirely one-handed.
"Well, we'll have to make it convincing, won't we?"
He smiled. He had a very pleasant little array of wrinkles at the corner of each eye.
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Post by Oswald Cobblepot on Dec 27, 2017 15:13:14 GMT -5
Oswald inclined his face, maybe too absorbedly.
"I have concerns about retaliation."
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Dec 27, 2017 15:15:12 GMT -5
"Understandably. You should have seen what Krolock managed to do to me in that graveyard."
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