[open] july catchall

[techmaturgy]

Who: Viktor and special guests and YOU
When: July through early August
Where: Cadens, the Horizon, Nocwich
What: open stuff, closed stuff, whatever I WANT
Warnings: general sadsackery, the usual references to (previously) terminal illness, otherwise will list as needed

[open and closed starters in comments! If you want a custom starter or something specific, just hit me up. full horizon details are here for any and all wildcarding needs. For everything else, I’m on plurk at whitticus and on discord at whitticus#8139.]

Comments

cadens (workshop)

[techmaturgy]

i. the workshop, earlier in the month

[Do you need something built? Fixed? Improved? A great idea you absolutely MUST see realized? You have come to the right place. Or you would have, if circumstances were better. Rio Enterprises has always been slightly chaotic, with multiple projects on various worktables, commissions and personal projects both. The walls, plastered with scrap paper and notes and schematics. This, however, is something different.

At first glance, it seems as though the workshop might have been robbed—materials and half-finished projects have been strewn about carelessly, papers torn off the walls and scattered across the floor. There are, perhaps, hallmarks of someone digging through the inventions, trying to find something useful, but ultimately nothing appears to have been removed. Further inspection, especially from those who might frequent the workshop, reveals that this seems to be wanton destruction, carried out by a perpetrator who still resides, unseen, somewhere in the back.

There’s a clatter from the storage room, the sound of something shoved off a tabletop, or furniture being overturned. Maybe something cast out, unapologetically, into the street with a metallic clang and no regard for whoever might be walking by.]

We’re closed. [Said not in the matter-of-fact way that he usually might. The voice that calls from the back room at the first sign of intrusion is pained, angry.] Go away.

ii. the workshop, later in the month

[A few weeks later, things have normalized, as much as possible. The workshop is no longer in disarray. Plans and schematics have started to cover the walls once more. There is an absence, still, but that's harder to scrub out than any physical damage.

There’s a sign, too, posted outside the entrance:]



[Perhaps that’s what you’re here for, or maybe you’re here about a commission. Viktor hasn’t looked sick for some time, but it’s possible old habits are creeping back up on him—dark circles under his eyes, indicative of a lack of sleep. It’s not hard to imagine that he hasn’t been eating, either. Still, he’s more receptive to visitors, looking up briefly from his workstation.]

Do you have something for me?

[A project, a request, a response to his sign, anything. He needs to busy himself—needs to work.]

Or are you here about the job?

ii. the workshop

[oversight]

Oh. Um. The job, yeah. I'm here 'bout the job.

[ This is Blake's eloquent admission, somewhat taken aback by not only Viktor's quick questions lacking in salutations but also the dark circles that resemble his own. He hasn't been sleeping well. Maybe Viktor hasn't, either. ]

Does it require workin' with the public?

[ If it isn't obvious by his shifting gaze and shuffling feet, he's not too keen on that part. Even before the money (which he desperately needs), he wants a little access to some peace and quiet. ]

[techmaturgy]

Oh. Good.

[It's possible that, when Viktor posted the sign, he thought he might attract the idle youth of the Summoned. Blake arriving about the job is slightly surprising, but not objectionable. He swivels on his stool, placing down the little machine he's been tinkering with to give the conversation his attention.]

It can, but doesn't have to. [There's plenty to reconfigure, now that he's a one-man operation. He's sure he can find something extremely useful for Blake to do that isn't liaise with clients.] I need...assistance. Part time. Facilitating operations in Aquila, making deliveries, helping around the workshop. Do you have an interest in engineering?

the workshop, earlier in the month

[theidlemaiden]

[ Something metal and large rockets towards the ground inches from where she would have been had Hilda heard the heave from above her that had come seconds before it fell. The other people on the street seem equally as shocked as she is by a foreign object narrowly missing her, but after a moment of shock she manages to shake it off with a, "Nothing to see here everyone!"

Following no answer from Jayce about their usual tutoring time, she had already been en route to the workshop for their appointed time. She hadn't known what to expect, but it hadn't been narrowly meeting her demise by a large metal object falling from the sky.

With Perry's help she manages to lift the object and carry it towards the door of the workshop. What is meant to be a joking whine about hazards and lack of spatial awareness dies on her lips the moment she sees the state of the workshop. That the men have been robbed is her first thought, or maybe worse, the Academy has come back to rifle through their work again, but then she hears Viktor's pained voice.

Quickly she rushes into the back, Perry and the large metal piece in tow. ]

Viktor? Are you alright? What happened?

[techmaturgy]

[It was foolish, perhaps, to think that his outburst might go unnoticed, even when it spills out into the street. Perhaps there's a part of Viktor that still expects little attention to be paid to him. Not really the case anymore, given his newfound status in Cadens, but old habits die hard, and he isn't really interested in keeping up appearances at the moment.

Hilda is, perhaps, one of the only people he isn't inclined to throw out immediately, not that it makes it any easier, to be found like this.

Viktor is in the back room, slumped against a bookshelf, having apparently given up trying to overturn everything within arm's reach, though it's difficult to tell if his pain is physical or otherwise. Probably both. His face screws up when he sees Hilda in the doorway.]

I'm-- [He doesn't know what to say, or where to start. How can he?] I'm sorry, I didn't mean--

[To worry you, even though all of this must be incredibly worrying.]

i. earlier

[godshattering]

[ It's been a little while since their last talk, and when he finds himself with an afternoon free Claude decides to stop by to see if Viktor's free. He has no real data in the way of what plants are growing or how yet, given that the experiment's barely started. There's a partially formed idea in his mind relating to it which might be worth pursuing so he makes a stop at a bakery on his way, intending on possibly also bribing Viktor and Jayce both into taking a short break from whatever they're almost certainly hard at work on.

Until he walks in and realizes: the workshop is a mess. Claude stands in the center of it and just looks for a good minute or so, then sets down the box he'd brought with him on a table that somehow has free space. He starts with retrieving the papers from the floor, somewhat shuffling them into an aligned stack as he goes without bothering to put them in order. That can wait until later.

With the papers mostly cleared in one area he shifts to picking up this object or that one. They must make more noise than he realizes - not that he was particularly trying to hide his presence - but it's enough to alert someone else. The crash of something else is enough to get him to stop in place, but the voice and that harsher than usual tone is enough for him to get moving again as he calls back. ]

I gathered as much, but I'm not planning on leaving.

[ Whatever else needs to be cleaned up can wait. Claude walks towards where Viktor is and then stops in the doorway. There's much he could say, much he could ask, but he'll wait to see what response he gets to that first. ]

I'll go lock the doors if you'd like me to.

[techmaturgy]

[Yes. Locking the doors probably would have been smart, but Viktor isn't exactly thinking clearly at the moment. He doesn't emerge from the back room and only calls out when he hears someone in the front, probably hoping they'll just go away.

But it's Claude, and of course he isn't going to leave. Viktor doesn't bother to get up to meet him, staying right where he is on the floor of the back room, as if the very thought of standing is too daunting. He doesn't say anything for a moment, as if deciding whether or not to lash out again, but then his shoulders sag and his gaze drops to the floor.]

That's...probably a good idea.

ii

[nadine_he_loves]

[Nadine has known Viktor for a while now. She knows the type of person he is, so she's skipped the traditional sympathy gifts. No baked goods, no pre-cooked meals, no basket of snacks on this first check-in. She doesn't lead with 'I'm sorry' or 'how are you?'. It's obvious how he is, and she imagines he doesn't want to be asked anyway.]

Yeah, actually. I brought you a book.

[She holds up a heavy hardcover tome.]

I found it when I was grabbing textbooks for when the new year starts. It's on the history of medical technology in the Free Cities. Thought it might have some stuff you'd find interesting.

[A distraction, really. And yes, something of an excuse to check on him, because she knows better than to make a fuss.]

Uh...and some drugs, if you want them.

[techmaturgy]

Oh—

[A book is, perhaps, the only thing that will perk him up, though he still seems a bit halfhearted as he reaches for it. Viktor doesn’t necessarily need treatises on the medical technology in Cadens, but it’s interesting to him regardless, and he can appreciate the fact that she knows not to approach him with pity, but with distractions.]

That’s very thoughtful. Thank you, Nadine.

[To the offer of drugs, however, he shakes his head.]

I need a certain…clarity of mind. For my current project. But business is good, I hope?

late july; lab.

[gynvael]

[ Geralt's only returned from the wastelands a day ago with Jaskier. It's late into the month, and he's busy restocking his supplies when Jaskier asks him to retrieve some equipment from Viktor. The previous time he and Viktor spoke, they had not ended on the most amicable note—but, never one to fuss over how others might feel about him (with rare exceptions), Geralt agrees.

Besides. He's aware of what happened to Jayce. Hard not to notice the absence of Cadens' once ever-present blacksmith. He hasn't spoken to Viktor about it; they haven't got a relationship of that kind, and he imagines those closer to the man will look in on him. But since he's to come by the lab nonetheless, he may as well...see how Viktor is doing.

He eyes the sign upon arriving. Then he knocks before pushing open the door. His gaze sweeps over Viktor. ]

Jaskier sent me. He said you've some tools for him.

[techmaturgy]

[Viktor, for his part, harbors no grudge—-or, at least, recognizes that their relationship is entirely professional, and is more than content to keep it that way. They may. Not see eye-to-eye about what he did during the kidnappings, but all of that is over now, and there’s no sense re-litigating the argument, not when he can deliver orders and receive commissions the way they’ve always been doing.

He’s a bit less charitable towards visitors nowadays, but he won’t let that get in the way of business. Viktor no longer has a general air of illness, but it seems he’s been lapsing into old habits, the dark circles under his eyes making a return in a way that indicates he might not be sleeping.]

Oh. Yes. [With some effort, he pushes himself to his feet and makes his way towards one of the worktables.] A few small things, to get a head start. Has he told you what we’re working on?

earlier.

[wiedzminka]

[ It doesn't deter her. Ciri was surprised to find the door unlocked in the first place; maybe he just forgot, but she's already gotten inside and it'll take more than yelling to get her to leave at this point.

She picks her way around toppled chairs and scattered papers toward the door to the back room. Stops in the doorway. ]

I'm not here for the shop.

I'm here to see a friend.

[techmaturgy]

[He imagines word might travel quickly. Jayce is never late on his commissions or deliveries, and Lee has already asked him about his partner’s whereabouts. It’s no surprise that Ciri, who probably has a few outstanding orders, would put the pieces together fairly quickly.

Viktor isn’t unhappy to see her, but he deeply wishes the circumstances were better. Probably he should have locked the door, but now that she’s inside and knows what’s going on, he gestures weakly for her to come in.

Still, he doesn’t make any effort to lift himself off the floor. If she wants to sit beside him, he won’t stop her.]

I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you.

earlier??? middle??? gestures vaguely depending on whenever you want it to be

[falcony]

[ truthfully, sam has been fighting himself since he found out about jayce's disappearance. part of him wanted to show up at viktor's that day, knowing how hard it was to have someone just disappear like that, and knowing that viktor would probably be dealing with a lot. on the other hand, though, sam also understood that sometimes it takes a little time for the shock to wear off. that not everyone wants people around when that sort of shit happens.

this back and forth goes on for a bit, which is why - when sam does finally arrive - it's in some nebulous in-between time. he knocks all the same before stepping inside, the box where he keeps his wings in both hands. the workshop isn't in complete dissaray, necessarily, but he still hears the we're closed yelled from the back room. sam may or may not take a moment to see the chaos of it all, feeling a worried sort of curl in his gut as he does. ]

Viktor, my man! [ sam calls back, a bit louder as he sets the box down on the least chaotic table space he can find, and pulls off the bag hanging from one shoulder. ] I brought food!

[techmaturgy]

[It's for the best that Sam doesn't visit right away--Viktor is in little mood for company, and more than anything he hates being pitied. A parade of condolences would have done more harm than good. Made him pull further into himself. He has to be coaxed out, slowly but surely, and that takes time.

He's in better shape now, but that's not saying much. He still calls out that they're closed when he hears someone enter. Sam is going to let himself in, he knows, but that doesn't mean he has to be thrilled about it. When Viktor appears from the back room, it's clear he's been slipping back into bad habits--a lack of eating and sleeping, more focus on his work than on caring for himself.]

Oh. [The food is just a vehicle to see how he's doing, which is badly. Viktor stands in the doorway, looking slightly caught off-guard.] You didn't have to go out of your way for that.

horizon

[techmaturgy]

i. mind palace etc

[The laboratory is empty. The Hexcore is gone, no longer spinning idly on its platform. Jayce’s desk has been cleared of notes and projects and once again remains empty. Even Rio, who makes a habit of greeting visitors and leading them to wherever the occupants are currently working, is absent.

There’s no sign of Viktor, either, at least, not in his usual spots. It might take some time to find him, but if you have an idea of where to go—down into the ravine, following the water and into the grotto—things become obvious in time.

The laboratory here is an entirely different breed from the one in the shining tower. Inside the caves and through the wooden door (the door that’s usually locked) is an ominous space carved out of the stone, illuminated by green and purple, a large containment tube creating the centerpiece of the room.

Viktor is hunched over a cluttered workspace, Rio curled around his legs. She perks up a little at the sight of a visitor, and he follows not long after.]

Oh. [It seems surprising to him, that anyone might find there way here.] Did you…I left the door open?

ii. the overlook

[It’s painful, in many ways, to be in his domain, but eventually he finds himself out of distractions and in need of contemplation. Luckily, he has a place in the Horizon for just that, though you might only know to look for him here if you know him well.

Here, gazing out over the facsimile of Piltover, he doesn’t object to visitors, even if he’s not much for words at the moment. It’s possible silent company is enough.]

the overlook

[blackeyedprince]

[Kell can't find them. As soon as he cannot find them, he knows something has changed. He felt it even before, dismissed it out of habit, but then ... even the air in what was their shared domain feels different.

Rio doesn't come to greet him. That's enough for Kell to confirm his fear. But he looks everywhere any way, checks all the place where he had ever found Jayce. With each one he finds empty, his heart sinks a bit. He doesn't know when he stops looking for Jayce, and starts looking for Viktor instead.

There he is, sitting, looking outwards to the view of the city. Kell hesitates for a while, a short one, not sure if he's interrupting, not wanting to go away. So he just goes to sit next to Viktor. He has no words to share. The dread of this moment is his own recurring nightmare. Knowing how fragile is the things they're trying to build here.
He wants to be angry at the Singularity, this cruel, cold, unfeeling entity that drags them here only to kick them out without warning. He can't. Not yet. He just too sad for that.]

[techmaturgy]

[Viktor hears someone coming--the echo of boots on stone--but he doesn't seem to care enough to see who it is, or stop the. Rio is curled up in the shadow cast by the keyhole-shaped opening, chirping a little when she recognizes Kell, but otherwise not moving from Viktor's side.]

I warned him this would happen.

[He doesn't think he needs to explain more than that, since Kell has sought him out in this place, specifically, though he does gesture for him to sit.]

I told him that if we didn't work to protect ourselves from the Singularity, that everything we built for ourselves here would be fleeting. Ripped away at any moment.

[And, as usual, Viktor was right, though he obviously gains no satisfaction from it.]

He didn't want to live with a foot in each world--he wanted to be here with me, now, and thought that my trying to puzzle out the Summoning ritual would be detrimental to that. Easy for him to say at the time, I suppose.

fancy lab

[ushiri]

[ Kahlil hadn't expected to meet this soon. But, things are always shifting here - this time in the form of an egg laying weasel, among many other strange reports of new creatures.

He contacted Viktor earlier to make sure this was a good time, arriving not long after. His outfit remains the same grey cassock of a priest, crescent moons dotting his collar and the Hanged Man's symbol stamped on the shoulder. It's been a while since he last navigated this domain, but he still easily finds his way to the main laboratory. That time he'd wandered farther on into the study - now he only enters this wide room, looking out toward the tall window as he feels the faintest sense of deja vu. This isn't a holy place in the strictest sense, but it houses a kind of worship of its own. ]

Viktor? [ He calls out to announce his presence. Some are able to sense when another enters their domain, others he's managed to accidentally surprise with his quiet steps. ]

[techmaturgy]

[Perhaps Viktor, too, expected to make more headway before reaching out to Kyle again, but it's not like any of them could prepare for what's happening now. They're not isolated incidents either, and though he doesn't travel out to the desert, he's heard enough reports of strange creatures to think it's worth connecting sooner, rather than later.

So, he sends an invitation, and gets to work.]

In here.

[Not that there's anywhere else he could be, at the moment. He's hunched over his desk in the cavernous lab, though he swivels on his stool when Kyle makes his way inside. There are no mechanical projects on display today, but the blackboards are covered in papers and notes, and Viktor himself is content to get right down to business.]

Well? These aren't isolated incidents, are they?

[He sounds excited about it.]

Laboratory

[restingstitchface]

[The invite had been an interesting one. Plans were promised, a meeting arranged. He finds his way to the correct part of this space they share and sits on that tall chair and waits.

But nobody comes. So his mind itches. Curiosity piqued, he approaches the long table and begins looking at the equipment, looking through notes, investigating for the sake of learning. It is when he hears a second man enter the room that he stops and turns around.

Like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar.]

Ah, apologies. I sometimes get a little bored.

[techmaturgy]

[Viktor works fast, as Crane will come to realize. He's already delivered some of the smaller tools--things he had the parts on hand for or didn't need development of a new system. When it comes to the bigger things, however, the things he knows he isn't going to be able to make right away, he turns to the Horizon. Here, he can expend all of the resources he wants, testing continuously without spending money or materials in the real world.

Which is the impetus behind inviting Crane here--to make sure he's headed in the right direction before he actually executes something that requires physical investment. When he enters the lab, he pauses momentarily, surprised that Crane has made himself at home to such a degree, then manages to shake it off.]

It's fine. I was the one who kept you waiting.

[And the Hexcore is gone now, so Viktor is not necessarily concerned with the wrong person getting eyes on his notes. Beyond the materials he's prepared for Crane's visit, most of his notes seem to be esoteric scribblings regarding his theories on the Summoning ritual--things he's all too happy to voice, if given the opportunity.]

I thought you might take a look at some hypotheticals, before I source the materials in the real world.

alucard, first week of august

[techmaturgy]

[Viktor moves, unable to stand his old flat, and even though the apartment above the workshop was also meant to be his and Jayce's, it's empty and new in a way that lets him wipe the slate clean. That helps a little, but in the end distractions are only that--distractions. He need something more potent than even work, at this point, so he finds himself spending perhaps more time than is advised in the Horizon.

Alucard's domain is soothing, in a way. Viktor isn't used to this much nature, having spent most of his life in an urban environment, and greenery isn't exactly easy to come by, in Zaun. Spending time here will not solve his problems, but the company is nice and it gives him a moment to breathe, sitting outside of Alucard's cabin.

Still, it doesn't necessarily make things any easier.]

I'm starting to understand the appeal of living in a cactus, I think.

nocwich

[techmaturgy]

i. oleuni square

[Viktor hasn’t been to Nocwich in some time, and he needs a distraction, so he uses it as an excuse to continue test-driving the innovation he first debuted at the Fey party. The braces he usually wears are enchanted to aid in support and mobility, and with them, he walks through the square unaided, perusing various wares and selecting things he might like to take home with him. If there was any question about who, exactly, was underneath that metal man costume at the party, this is the answer.

Here, arguing with the merchants about the price of one raw material or another, he seems almost like himself.

But the technology is imperfect, as many early iterations often are, but he’s already made improvements from the celebration with the Fey. Still, an enchanted metal exoskeleton is not a long-term replacement for the things that he needs, so it’s not long into his excursion that he decides he should sit down, his first practical test run proving to be a bit more taxing than he perhaps expected.

He doesn’t stray far, just away from most of the bustle before he figures he won’t be bothered. He finds a seat on a bench, setting about tooling with the metal brace on his right leg, letting out a hiss of pain (or relief), when a bolt loosens—and he’s interrupted.]

Sorry. [Said like he has anything to apologize for.] Adjusting.

[cryptsleeper]

Do you need a second set of hands?

[Alucard's finished the real reason he's come out to Nocwich this month, which is a little food and cultural exchange. He has a few leftovers on his person in his foraging-and-also-now-a-picnic-basket, including an apple desert that still smells faintly of cinnamon.]

Or eyes, for that matter.