10263/Before the Storm

Before the Storm
Date of Scene:	24 February 2022
Location:	The Doomstadt -- Latveria
Synopsis:	The unlikely tuteledge of Satana by Victor von Doom has begun.
Cast of Characters:	Victor Von Doom, Satana Hellstrom

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Victor Von Doom has posed:
It has been some weeks since Victor von Doom last strode the halls of the Doomstadt, since he last took comfort in being in his homeland, watching over his people. Insuring their safety. Insuring their obedience. And while his trip to America was necessary, while his invasion of Hell actually managed to give him what he has long sought, it doesn't change the fact that it is good to be home.

As is so often the case, Doom is to be found in the throne room, the center of the Doomstadt if not truly it's beating heart. Maybe once, before him. When the nobles of this land still played their foolish, courtly games while letting the underclasses starve.

He put an end to that, of course.

The chamber is massive, thick stone pillar columns and arches holding the towering ceiling up. Dark, forest green banners and bunting hang everywhere -- the same color as his cloak -- and the stark grey symbol of his mask marks each. Besides the massive chandaliers, light pours in through stained glass windows overhead that depict key moments from the Master of Latveria's life.

The whole thing is very gothic. Not at all like so many of the high tech chambers beneath Castle Doom itself that house his labs and robot armies.

Satana Hellstrom has posed:
     It's easiest to teleport into places of rest, which is why Satana herself appears in this one. She's dressed rather modestly, though one might appreciate the red and black plaid pencil skirt and the black blouse with red buttons, and those cute Mary Janes with a small heel. The horns do sort of make the whole thing a little more sinister, admittedly.

     This is not home, but it does remind her of it in some ways. There are parts of Hell that are decidedly medieval. Lots of columns and fewer screaming souls. In theory. And thus she makes her way through the castle, admiring parts of it, teleporting when she needs to, and finally arriving at the foot of the throne room with a smile. "Is now a good time for a lesson in national economics?" she asks, red eyes glinting with glee.

Victor Von Doom has posed:
In truth, humans of any sort -- be they petitioner, servant, or prisoner are something on the rare side. They are an X-factor. Something that can not be entirely predicted or anticipated. And unsurprisingly, Victor von Doom does have a bit of a hang-up when it comes to control.

But if humans are a rare sight, robots are decidedly less so, though most of the ones here on the main level linger discretely out of sight, puttering about the castle, cleaning, repairing and generally keeping things operating. No, it is only the guardians -- those who are clearly here for the purpose of intimidation -- that are obvious.

For his part, Doom is seated in that high throne at one end of the hall, atop a stepped dias so that all who come before him must look up to him. That rolled-up length of parchment remains close at hand by his side and he hardly stirs at all when confronted by that lovely vision of a demon, all dressed up to tantilize if nothing else.

"So, you have chosen to join Doom here in my homeland," he states, almost sounding as if she could not have made any other possible decision. "You may serve Doom and in the process learn what you seek to dominate the lower Hells," he agrees.

Satana Hellstrom has posed:
     "I have indeed. My study abroad!" she says, though anywhere outside of hell is technically abroad for her. She does look at the parchment again with curiosity. So it made its way here. "I'm sure you have the most charming BnB's around here for a girl to stay in. And before you ask, I did eat before I came here, so I solemnly swear that I shan't consume any souls whilst here," she says, holding up one hand as if she's swearing this.

     "Besides, I'm helpful. And very ready to learn," she says, conjuring up a chunky metal clipboard with a little horned skull as the clip, parchment, and a very fluffy black and red peacock feather quill. Less Legally Blonde, more Legally Damned.

Victor Von Doom has posed:
He should probably check her closely, just to make sure she's not crossing anything out of sight. But it would seem that Doom is either a trusting sort -- which does not seem likely -- or convinced that none would risk his wrath by assaulting what he considers his -- much more likely -- that he seems more than prepared to take her at her word. "Good," he says with a firm nod, that masked visage looking down upon her as she makes that promise and conjures about that clipboard. "Those in my nation are under my protection, until such a time as Doom withdraws it," he says in oh so grandiose fashion.

"Let that be the first of your lessons then. Everything, everyone in your dominion is to be prized. They are yours, but also your responsibility. Let none harm them, or take them, or interfere with them unless you deem it should be so," he states, rising up from that throne and slowly starting to descend those tiered-steps towards his... guest? Pupil? Intern? Who's to say.

Satana Hellstrom has posed:
     She does write it down in a gorgeous script. The eye on her peacock feather blinks ink as she goes, and it seems to magically be limitless. "Seems reasonable," she says, nodding along to... maybe not the best teacher if she wants a benign realm, but it seems her temperament about ruling may overlap with his. That venn diagram is a circle.

     Of Hell. But regardless...

     "So total annihilation of uprisings? Tolerance? Obliterating enemies or putting them on display so that their torment may be witnessed?" Satana asks. A pair of glasses appears on her nose as she checks her work. They're for show, but they are cute. She's an adorable intern from hell!

Victor Von Doom has posed:
In many respects he is probably not the rolemodel that she should consider following. Then again, the realm she is seeking to rule is Hell. A little tyranny might be the only way to get the job done.

Of course it is not as if Victor is completely lacking in honor. Though it might not be entirely conventional, all things considered. He did, afterall, just finish his time in America by decieving, even betraying the Justice League. And yet, he did lend them his aid as well. Sometimes there are no easy answers. Only a firm, unwavering belief in one's self.

Doom certainly has that much, there's no denying that.

"There is little purpose in obliterating any that oppose you," he says dismissively, the contempt in his voice for that idea pretty clear despite the mask that hides his features away, even here, alone in the heart of his fortress. "Object examples are necessary. Mercy must be tempered with strength. But the true victory is to force your enemy to acknowledge your superiority, to force them to the realization that they were wrong to ever oppose you in the first place. To bring them to a place where they believe that fact in the depths of their soul," the King of Latveria says with increasing enthusiasm, raising a hand in front of him, fingers balled up into a fist.

He probably misses the glasses entirely, more the pity. But it's clear that he loves his work.

Satana Hellstrom has posed:
     Her quill is moving at a rapid pace, sometimes without her even holding it as she nods and mulls things over. It really is nice to see someone who enjoys their career, though.

     "Okay, but how do I do that? I can mind control normal people to a degree, but they need to be a little into it. It's easy to control horny dumb dumbs," she says, her quill swirling around as she talks, "No, don't write that, hold on," she tells it under her breath. "But someone who actively opposes me is a harder nut to crack. And usually we'd just torture them down in hell until we break them," she says. "But that is the model that I'm trying to get away from here."

     But she's ready to listen and be corrected, even if her pen is just sketching out Doom in his pose at the moment.

Victor Von Doom has posed:
Fortunately there is probably not going to be a test. Most likely the proof will come when she makes an effort. Succeed and it will be A+ and a gold star. Fail, and clearly she was never really worthy of his teachings in the first place, right? It seems pretty unlikely that Doom will be taking responsibility for her failures, while he will no doubt expect to be properly creditted for her successes. He's far from the perfect sort of teachers really, but there will surely be advantages.

"Do not believe that you are in it by yourself. But be careful when you pick your allies," he points out. "You can control some. Then make sure that you seek out the best candidates. Or find others who's loyalty cannot be questioned," he states, motioning towards one of his robotic guards. They are a pretty unimpeachable source of power afterall. "MAke good use of the resources you do have at your disposal and always have a plan. Have many plans. Be prepared to let go of one when it is not working and seize upon another," he adds, his voice starting to raise again.

Satana Hellstrom has posed:
     He does have the experience at least to back up his claims, since he has a whole kingdom!

     "So... make allies? I haven't tried that, but I might be able to bind some souls to useful constructs," she says, seizing her pen and writing that down. "I do have quite a few resources, so that's helpful," she says quietly as he gears up again. If he wasn't already King, he'd be a great motivational speaker. But he seems pretty motivational as is. She is used to coddling gigantic egos, so his isn't that much weight for her to bear. She smiles and waits to see if he'll keep going. It's at least a very entertaining evening so far.

Victor Von Doom has posed:
There is certainly no denying the size of his ego.

But then Victor von Doom seems to be one of those rare few that can almost justify such supreme, overwhelming confidence. Certainly it has not got him into any situation that he could not get himself out of. At least not yet.

Still, he does seem to be winding down, at least a little, standing their on that bottom step that leads up to his throne, perhaps turning to take her in for the first time since he started talking, noting that pen that writes by itself. And perhaps the rest of her.

"There are other lessons of ocurse. The advantages of turing one's enemies into unwitting allies. Of pitting your foes against one another so that htey do their work for you. To continually seek to increase your own power to make you unassailable to outside threats. All these and more you shall learn at Doom's feet."

Satana Hellstrom has posed:
     She can definitely humor it, having had to listen to the devil himself go on for long periods of time. Also about himself. Her notes continue onto another page, flipping the first over. "So is that sort of the syllabus for this course?" she asks as she finishes up with 'neverending expansion?' on her note, then holds up her feathery plume. "I can get behind that. I have a lot to learn!" she says with a big smile, pushing her glasses up her nose just a bit.

     Despite a reputation for a horrible temper, she's been good about being told information and just absorbing it so far. "I think those first few are good to start with," she says. "Always time to learn more. And put it into practice!" she says. "I can be very helpful, depending on the need."

Victor Von Doom has posed:
It is never a bad idea to humor the megalamaniac in the power armor and boasting impressive magical abilities. It's sage advice under almost any circumstances really.

"You can consider it such," Victor agrees with the slightest nod of his head. "There is much that you can learn from the great thinkers, Doom amongst them, of course. But consider these your slightest, most introductory of steps into this larger world. Much of what you will have to master can only come from first hand practice and observation," he asserts. "But fear not, Doom will see that you have just those sorts of opportunities," he promises. Who knows? Perhaps he can -- and will -- deliver.

Certainly it seems much more likely such will be the case so long as she is useful to him and his ends. He maybe somewhat unpredictable, but he rarely does anything that might thwart his goals -- including discarding a useful resource, perhaps an ally. "Doom is counting on the fact that you will be of great use. To me, as well as to yourself."