[OPEN] february catchall

[techmaturgy]

Who: Viktor and Friends
When: Early February
Where: Cadens, Nocwich
What: a little afterparty, Nocwich weekend, maybe some other stuff
Warnings: irresponsible cycling

i. the occasion

Despite various protestations and an insistence from Viktor that all of this should not be a big deal, a response to the Academy is sent, announcements are made, and invitations are distributed with the date and time. He maintains, until the very end, the possibility of renagation up until the hour of his award, but Viktor manages to attend, suitably cleaned up in a new suit that he most certainly did not choose for himself. The affair is formal and slightly stuffy, befitting of the Grand Academy, Aleksander Klinger’s usual dour demeanor providing contrast to both Viktor’s apparent discomfort and the small entourage of Summoned in attendance to show support.

The accolade does not kill him, but in the aftermath he doesn’t linger long. There is always more work to do, whether he is now in possession of a ceremonial degree or not, and Viktor is not the type to rest on his laurels, not when all of this has been more of a distraction from what he really wants to be doing, than anything else.

That, and there’s an afterparty to attend.

ii. the workshop

Viktor’s workshop is a familiar setting by now, especially to those who frequent the district of town lined with inventors' laboratories and machine shops. It can aptly be described as organized chaos. Viktor likes working on multiple projects at once, with pieces of clockwork mechanisms littering the worktables, and the walls are plastered with notes and schematics.

For those reasons, this is not a place conducive to gathering in ordinary circumstances, but Hilda and Jesper have done their best to correct that. Tonight, the more delicate projects have been stowed away, the plans carefully removed from the pinboards. The large bay door has been raised, and warm lights invite visitors in. The interior, too, has been decorated with strings of lights and garland, and at least one Hilda-Most-Certainly-Made-This banner that reads “CONGRATULATIONS VIKTOR” (he probably is doing his best not to acknowledge it).

If not for the decorations, the whole affair could be mistaken for one of the firm’s open houses, but instead of showing off current projects and innovations, an attempt at hospitality has been made, with drinks and snacks, an Academy-loaned gramophone piping soft music through the space. Mismatched furniture populates the room, clearly borrowed from other locations, offering comfortable—if no-frills—room to sit. Anything more, it seems, might be a little too much for the ostensible “host”, who despite his quiet gratefulness for the show of support, seems slightly overwhelmed.

Don’t worry about that. Make yourself at home.

iii. later

Once things loosen up a bit (once the requisite amount of alcohol is imbibed, to provide adequate social lubrication for certain involved parties), the gathering becomes livelier, with card and dice games, and possibly entertainment (to be continued). Viktor himself, now in a jacket that Hilda produced for him with the now-infamous decorative stud fastener, might be cajoled into demonstrating a few of his business’s offerings—all manner of tools and equipment for artisans and monster hunters, everything from a handheld gyroscopic laser cutter to night vision goggles that wick away moisture, to respirators for the desert.

There are slightly frivolous projects, too, like automatic appliances and magic-borne electricity dancing around in a faraday cage. The more alcohol involved, the more likely Viktor might be to show off (with some prodding) something…explosive.

And, of course, the automaton (complete with party hat and bowtie) is active, supplying refills and also fulfilling any requests for hi-fives and handshakes. Of everything that’s happening tonight, Viktor seems most pleased with this, and he can be caught sneaking glances at anyone who might be interacting with it—not unlike a proud parent.

iv. ooc stuff

feel free to use this log as a general mingle, otherwise open and closed starters of my own are in the comments. If you’d like something specific, just hit me up. I’m on plurk at whitticus and on discord also at whitticus.

Comments

[ancunin]

Oh he's sturdier than he looks...

[ But sure. They don't want damage to the lab. He doubts the children would do anything too crazy, anyway.

He waves off the offer. ]

Save them for another time - you're probably right. Someone needs to supervise.

[ Which is apparently the two of them, go figure. ]

[cryptsleeper]

[The sturdier comment begs several questions that Alucard doesn't especially want the answer to, so it gets no more than a raised eyebrow. Whatever is going on there, that's not anything for Alucard to know about.]

Only if you insist. [The moment of self reflection, however, does result in a more serious frown.]

How did we become the designated supervision?

[ancunin]

I mean - you did say it yourself just a moment ago... your preference for [ dropping his voice an octave or two to mimic Alucard ] lurking in the shadows.

[ You've only yourself to blame, friend. As for himself... ]

And I suppose it might also be because we are far more... sophisticated than the others in attendance. Mature.

[ He grins. ]

[cryptsleeper]

Oh, I think you just disqualified yourself for that particular descriptor.

[The grin back has just a little bit of fang poking through. It means he's having fun, actually.]

And given that I've been accused of being a grumpy teenager in an adult's body, I also have to decline that descriptor, as nice as it is to hear.

[ancunin]

[ He feigns shock, touching his own chest. ]

Grumpy teenager? Who would dare say such a thing...

[ He might be having fun too. Maybe coming out tonight wasn't the worst idea. ]

[cryptsleeper]

My version of your party from home was a Speaker-magician who I once saw slice a vampire in half with a sheet of ice and the last son of a vampire hunter dynasty dedicated very specifically to murdering my father. [Alucard's tone is suspiciously warm and upbeat, and he punctuates it with a sip of his glass.]

We bickered often, and that got said as a part of it.

[ancunin]

Ohhhhh, you had your own gaggle of weirdos.

[ He gives a comically understanding nod, as though this is something one must expect to endure at some point in their life. ]

They sound delightfully violent!

[ Ignoring the vampire hunter part... he arches an eyebrow, then asks with a little more tact: ]

No hard feelings at the end of the day about... all that?

[ 'All that' being the hunting of Alucard's father. Considering Alucard committed the patricide himself... well...

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ]

[cryptsleeper]

Only the two and-- [a laugh comes out, short and warm and betraying exactly how fond he is of both Trevor and Sypha.] Yes, that's an accurate and succinct way of putting it. You'd probably like Sypha, all things considered. She was here, for a little while.

[And her being around had helped a few parts of the ongoing Traumas, even if it had taken most of her time in Abraxas to do so. That's not here or there.]

Truthfully, I probably would have been killed without their assistance. The whole thing is...easiest to think of as a sad set of circumstances, at the end of the day.

[At least, that's what the coping mechanism is.]

[ancunin]

[ Astarion liked to think of himself as the smartest person in their eclectic little group - even counting the actual wizard. They all needed someone making sure they didn't end up dead, and Astarion often felt that person was him. None of the others had much sense of self-preservation.

There's a slight pause as he takes in Alucard's affection for these people, and after a moment he admits almost reluctantly: ]

One of mine arrived here with me, albeit she ended up elsewhere. [ Another territory. He doesn't think he's mentioned Haelva so directly to Alucard before. He'll... leave out the complications of time and space for now, though ] As much as I feel most of them were more trouble than they're worth... I'll admit, I would've had a difficult time without them.

[cryptsleeper]

I've met her, I believe. Bit of a necromancer? [The question is pointedly without judgement. Alucard's opinion on the matter is that it depends on the intent of the necromancy, rather than the magic itself.

There's a soft noise of acknowledgement to all of it. The willingness to share is a part of it, but the rest? The rest he knows all too well.]

Mmm. I think some of it is just being around others and having reliable patterns and ways of interacting. Something predictable counts for a lot.

[ancunin]

She does have a certain affinity for the undead.

[ He's very curious how that meeting went...

His brow furrows slightly at Alucard, and then Astarion too idly glances around the workshop, before softly saying: ]

I suppose it does.

[ A pause, and he takes another long drink from his bottle. ]

[cryptsleeper]

Yourself included, it seems.

[Alucard's tone is both even and pleasant, suggesting that this was a very nice meeting, actually.

This has overall gotten very serious very suddenly. Alucard can feel it just from watching Astarion take a sip from the bottle.]

--Is there anyone from your party I should otherwise be on the look out for?

[ancunin]

She has good taste.

[ And that's all he's going to say about that, moving along.................. ]

Well, there's quite a few to choose from! Where to start - [ he feigns appearing deep in thought ] We have dear Karlach. Awfully sweet, but a bit of a temper. Then there's our githyanki friend, Lae'zel... also quite violent! And Shadowheart - who might stab you in your sleep if you cross her. But delightful! All three of them, truly.

[ It's... difficult to tell if he's being serious. ]

[cryptsleeper]

[That's a vampire joke and he fuckin' knows it.

Alucard can go wit the deep thought, and after a few moments of description, he can only fix his vampire associate (maybe they're nearing the f-word) with a raised eyebrow.]

Do you simply have a taste for violence?

close down for event shenanigans?

[ancunin]

Don't we all?

[ He'll raise an eyebrow right back, then shrug. ]