Vincent Amorason (quitethecharmer) wrote in marvel_nextgen,
@ 2009-09-29 18:12:00

Entry tags:

awesome andrea, kristoff vernard, npc - stature, team - fantastic four, vincent vernard

Conflict
Vincent carried the 'personal' mail for the building under one arm, having felt like picking it up himself for a change. All the usual papers related to fanmail went through scanning by HERBIE, and Kristoff's patent related mail went directly to his office. Just the usual light load from actual friends and relatives.

And... a package in plain brown paper, with no markings. It had a woodsy scent to it that prickled at Vincent's memory, making him uneasy. It had to have passed through security screenings to make it this far into the building, so he wasn't concerned about it being a bomb, not one of any mundane make anyway. He turned it over, and everything else he was holding slipped from his hands as he gripped it tightly, his nostrils flaring as he headed for his magical research lab.

The package bore the Latverian royal seal.

~~

Several hours of strenuous mystical testing later, he was convinced the package would do no harm, and opened it. Inside was a deerskin pouch, filled with coins. A simple piece of parchment with a simple note of Kristoff's impending marriage.

His... Kristoff's... their father had seen fit to send a traditional engagement gift. Vincent's jaw tightened and he was tempted to incinerate the present right then and there. How dare he throw Kristoff table scraps after all this time? ~~Worse, what if Kristoff welcomed them? What if he wanted to invite him?~~

He shut the pouch and note inside a secure safe in the wall, then called Andrea. He wasn't planning on asking her advice, but he needed out of the building immediately.

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awesome_andrea
2009-09-30 01:15 am UTC (link)

Andrea had, in fact, been answering the fan-mail that had not been filtered through HERBIE for a form-letter. She had noticed an increase, as opposed to a decrease, in the amount of fan-mail she received since she had been revealed to be an android on national television.

Including a disturbing amount of mail from a Howard Wolowitz from Pasadena, California.

Vincent's call, fortunately, allowed her to put off answering any more for a time. She went to seek him out.

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quitethecharmer
2009-09-30 01:30 am UTC (link)

She'd find him in the common room of their floor, a cooler and a blanket slung over one arm and a frustrated look on his face. "Hello Andrea." He crossed the room, giving her a kiss on the cheek and taking her arm. "We're going out." He cast a spell, and moments later they were in Paris, on an open stretch of grass on Le Bois de Boulogne.

He spread out the blanket and opened the cooler, taking out sandwiches and wine for both of them. "Apologies for the short notice, I needed to get out of the building."

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	awesome_andrea 2009-09-30 01:48 am UTC (link)
	It took a moment for Andrea's GPS to adjust to the sudden transition, but it was a duration of less than a second. "It is no problem," she told him. "Truthfully, I was looking for an excuse to get away from the fan-mail. You provided one most wonderfully. Though I suspect that has little to do with your own reasons." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	quitethecharmer 2009-09-30 03:32 am UTC (link)
	Vincent raised an eyebrow. "You get fan-mail?" Of course she gets fan-mail you dolt. She's on the team as well. "That's... that's very nice for you. I'm glad you get the recognition you deserve." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	awesome_andrea 2009-10-01 01:25 am UTC (link)
	"Much of it is nice," Andrea replied. "And HERBIE filters through most of what I would not wish to deal with. But some of it is rather disturbing." She gave him a look. "But you did not answer my question." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	quitethecharmer 2009-10-01 04:18 am UTC (link)
	Vincent hesitates, pouring wine into a decanter. "No... no I didn't." He unwraps a sandwich for each of them. "Do you think... Kristoff still wants my father to be a part of his life?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	awesome_andrea 2009-10-02 12:15 am UTC (link)
	Andrea considered this for a moment, going over various scenarios in her processor. "I believe... that Kristoff, on some level, still seeks his approval. You saw how quickly he deferred to the Doom of the alternate world." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	quitethecharmer 2009-10-02 12:21 am UTC (link)
	"Yes, I remember." Vincent had actually been trying not to think about that particular jaunt. The world with Scotty as Kang was bad enough. He passes a sandwich to her. "I know that Kristoff would lay down his life for me, but a part of me still worries now and then that he'd rather be devoting his life to... to him." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	awesome_andrea 2009-10-02 12:55 am UTC (link)
	Andrea accepted the sandwich, taking a bite before she continued. "I do not believe that to be correct," she said. "Kristoff has his issues... as we all do, I must confess, but he is too devoted to this family for anything else." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	quitethecharmer 2009-10-02 01:24 am UTC (link)
	"Yes well... he's never been given the option of anything else. Not even the smallest scrap of residual affection." Until now. Vincent started on his sandwich, seemingly uneasy. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	awesome_andrea 2009-10-02 01:35 am UTC (link)
	"Then why are you worried?" She fixed him with a stare. "What are you not telling me?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	quitethecharmer 2009-10-02 01:39 am UTC (link)
	Vincent winced as she questioned him directly. He'd been hoping for a legitimate excuse not to have to admit to it. "Doom sent Kristoff a present. A traditional romany engagement gift." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	awesome_andrea 2009-10-02 01:50 am UTC (link)
	The benefits of having a higher-order processor for a brain component. You follow logic trains and patterns easily when you work at it. However, it is also possible, even for an awesome android, to be taken by surprise. "Oh. I assume he does not yet know?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	quitethecharmer 2009-10-02 01:55 am UTC (link)
	An uneasy silence hangs. "I... intercepted the present. I haven't decided if he should receive it or not, yet." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	awesome_andrea 2009-10-02 02:14 am UTC (link)
	Andrea could point out that tampering with another person's mail without their permission was a federal offense, but she vetoed that line of thinking before it made its way to her mouth. "You do not believe he will react well," she said. It was not a question. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	quitethecharmer 2009-10-02 02:16 am UTC (link)
	"The definition of 'well' in this scenario is a point that could be debated." He grunts, biting off a hunk of sandwich. "I'm far more worried that he will accept it happily." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	awesome_andrea 2009-10-02 02:26 am UTC (link)
	"The question, then," she went on, nodding thoughtfully, "is what the intention of the gift is. Is it meant to gain some measure of control? Or is Doom simply fulfilling an obligation of father to son?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	quitethecharmer 2009-10-02 02:40 am UTC (link)
	"I don't have any idea at this point. My judgment in guessing Doom's motives is admittedly skewed." He sighs, sipping at his wine. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	awesome_andrea 2009-10-03 04:42 am UTC (link)
	"Having only met the alternate world version," Andrea said, "my own view is largely objective, though I strongly dislike how he has treated both Kristoff and you." She considered, then went on. "That said... unless the gift contains undetected mind-control nanomachines, I think Kristoff would be most upset that you made this decision for him." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

quitethecharmer
2009-10-05 08:56 pm UTC (link)

Vincent sighs. "I know he will be. But he's done everything he can to protect me, from myself most of all, at times, I--" He stopped, forced down another sandwich, then grumbled.

"No... that's rubbish. I'm not doing this to protect him from himself. I'm afraid... I'm afraid he'll be hapy about it. I'm afraid he'll want Doom to be part of his life again. I'm afraid he'll want Doom to be his father again more... more than he wants to be my brother."

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awesome_andrea
2009-10-05 11:47 pm UTC (link)

Well. This was unexpected, to say the least. Vincent had always seemed so strong, so confident, so independent... Certainly, he loved his brother, but...

"He is your brother, Vincent. That is a bond no one may tear asunder."

She touched his face with her hand. "For all that he looks back, Kristoff has broken with his past and forged a new future. One that very much includes you in it."

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quitethecharmer
2009-10-06 04:53 am UTC (link)

"I remember that, constantly, on an intellectual level.. but.. Andrea, he loves Doom. Massively and irrationally. It's not something his behaviors can be predicted with accuracy in regards to." Vincent sighed, leaning into that touch and covering her hand with his.

"I don't want things to change, besides him marrying Cassandra. Everything is perfect right now." He squeezed her hand to emphasize his point. "I don't want Doom to poison our life."

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	awesome_andrea 2009-10-07 12:39 am UTC (link)
	"He will not," Andrea said, though her confidence has slipped slightly. Her own father possessed an almost irrational affection for the Thinker, even in light of all the abuse that had been thrown his way. "I cannot see a solution that does not carry risky, Vincent. I am sorry." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

quitethecharmer
2009-10-07 01:32 am UTC (link)

Vincent sighed and nodded, pouring himself another glass of wine "It's alright, thank you for listening..."

He sipped his wine, then shook his head with a smirk. "I'm sitting in one of the most beautiful parks in the city of love, with fine wine as well, and I'm depressing a beautiful lady. I'm a disgrace to gentlemen the world over." he leaned over to kiss her. "My apologies."

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	awesome_andrea 2009-10-07 02:11 am UTC (link)
	Andrea leaned in for the kiss. "Do not worry about it. Burdens shared are burdens made lighter. I am always happy to listen." (Reply to this)(Parent)

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