Viktor (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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abraxaslogs2024-02-04 02:07 pm
techmaturgy) wrote in abraxaslogs2024-02-04 02:07 pm
Entry tags:
[OPEN] february catchall
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
ii. the workshop
iii. later
iv. ooc stuff
When: Early February
Where: Cadens, Nocwich
What: a little afterparty, Nocwich weekend, maybe some other stuff
Warnings: irresponsible cycling
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.
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.
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.
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 atwhitticus and on discord also at whitticus.
no subject
[ Legitimately hazardous occupation at times.
He moves to help by lifting from the opposite side as Viktor until they've got it standing again, and he offers him a questioning look. ]
Should we walk it back, or is it safe to ride?
[ If so, he'll take a turn. ]
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[Viktor waves off the thoughts, because he's getting ahead of himself. They still need to wheel the bicycle back up hill. It occurs to him that he hasn't given Kyle his turn yet, and because he'll be the one using it on a regular basis (or, at least, his employees will), Viktor wants to let him try while he's still around to make adjustments.
He'll give it a cursory once-over, just to make sure, nudging the wooden wheel with his boot.]
It should be okay. You can pedal, this time.
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At the go-ahead he hops into the seat, waiting for Viktor to get on behind him. ]
Ready?
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Yes. Let's go.
[He's thinking, now, of the pitcher of beer and tea that they ordered and then left on the bar mere moments later.]
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It seems either that he's content to ride in silence, or he's just too focused to continuing commentary other than to comment feels pretty good! since Viktor seems to desire some sort of feedback.
He picks up some speed and coasts for the last stretch before he has to get them back up the hill. And he'll admit, that's more of a struggle than he's used to with a passenger on the back, but he huffs and puffs his way back up to the square proper, and he's a little red-faced when they reach the top. ]
Forgot how much I don't miss that part...
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[Unfortunate spill aside, there's a reason why Viktor agreed to switch, and it has everything to do with the hill. Best for Kyle to do that part. When they make it back to the tavern, Viktor produces a lock and chain from the depths of his messenger back, securing the bicycle to a fencepost. Probably they should have done this from the start.
When they re-enter the tavern, the bartender fixes them a look of disbelief--but to their credit, the pitcher of beer is still on the counter. Viktor decides he'll claim a table while Kyle does the actual human interaction, waiting patiently until they both settle in chairs.]
If you have no notes...you can take it with you when you leave today. It's ready.
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He heads over to the counter, expecting that pitcher to be filled flat and room temperature beer if it's been sitting there this whole time. To his surprise, it's still cold (and only a little flat, he'll find out in a moment). He thanks the bartender and sets everything down at the table, unstacking two glasses. Again, he sits where he can see the doors and as much as the room as possible. ]
No notes. And Istredd is helping us with the wheel enchantments, so I don't expect too much trouble there. I'm just excited to show the others. [ Thinking of Wilhelm, he smiles fondly. He starts pouring the drinks, sliding one over in Viktor's direction. There are some other details he should add: ]
Our benefactor in Thorne intends to adapt the design for children, his niece or nephew. The agreement was that he'd pay to produce the one for us to use, but that we wouldn't distribute the design.
[ To this he frowns with a light shrug. It seemed like an easy thing to agree to at the time - he has no way of flooding Thorne with bicycles to ruin the novelty of a precious new toy for a rich man's beloved youngest family members, and there'd been so little interest in general from anyone else he'd spoken to. But upon saying it aloud, he thinks this might be the type of business dealing that irritates Viktor. ]
I really wasn't expecting you to deliver a nearly finished prototype, though - and assuming there's no trouble getting it inspected and into Thorne, we can probably finish the wheels on this one ourselves and tell him the deal's off.
[ It might cause some ill will to back out, but no coin's been exchanged yet. The designs are Viktor's, so he should have a say in what happens to them. ]
no subject
He has his own thoughts about the idle rich. But if it helps him get his technology into Thorne, there are worse ways he could do it.]
Keep the blueprints make him build you another.
[That way Kyle can have two bicycles.]
I appreciate your asking, but...if no one else is in Thorne was interested, you might as well get what you can out of the arrangement.
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[ He nods, his smile softening a little again. Beneath the table his knee bobs, only stopping momentarily when he takes a drink from his glass. ]
Who knows - maybe people will start seeing us riding around and change their minds...
[ But there's still the horses.
He shakes his head with a small huff, letting gaze scan the room again half out of habit. ]
So how long do you have before you're required on stage? [ He raises an eyebrow. Viktor mentioned wanting to keep this meetup as a distraction, but he hopes he doesn't plan to actually ditch the ceremony itself. ]
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[Viktor lets out a soft laugh into his drink, as if he doesn't quite believe it--because he doesn't. Maybe there's one eccentric Thornean who wants this as a toy for children, but he knows that won't overcome an ingrained prejudice against technology. Why would they, when they don't even need it?
He imagines this will be a strange novelty in Thorne and not much else, but if it becomes something more, he'll be pleased about it. As long as it doesn't put anyone in danger.
He's about to say as much before Kyle deftly changes the subject. Viktor's mood shift is immediate, eyebrows furrowing together and mouth downturned in an instant frown. He leans back in his chair and makes an emphatic gesture, as if he can physically dismiss the entire subject.]
It's later this week. [So, unfortunately, he can't play hooky here.] And at this point, it will be worse if I don't go.
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I'm sorry - [ he apologizes quickly, ducking his head. ] - maybe it won't be so bad. You must have done many of these before.
[ Although Viktor had once mentioned his partner being the famous one between them. ]
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He can't blame Kyle for his reaction, which must seem very silly, but he does manage to continue looking indignant about it.]
No, not if I could help it. [There were a handful, here and there, in the beginning. But in addition to the fact that Viktor was uninterested in that sort of thing, he understood better than Jayce that his involvement with Hextech was politically inconvenient.] They didn't want to see...someone like me, up on stage. It was better for me to do the work, rather than waste time trying to garner their approval.
[Not when--especially not when--Jayce was right there. They never would have given it to him, anyway.]
no subject
Kahlil couldn't have met someone like Viktor in Basawar, for the simple fact that no one like him would survive to adulthood in a place like that.
He frowns now, his brow furrowing as he wraps his hand around his glass, staring down at it. ]
I've never had to stand on a stage before. Not to perform. [ He performs everywhere else. There was the welcome in Vundomu - but it was a train platform, not a stage - and nothing like what Viktor is describing. The thousand rashan'im and kahlirash'im among them were there to honor the future Kahlil, their welcoming ceremony was a holy experience unto itself, terrifying and exhilarating. ]
But I was an outsider among the priests since I was first brought there. I was kept and trained because of my potential - if they could have chosen anyone else, they would've tossed me out in an instant. [ They would have executed him, but that has little to do with what he's trying to say, and so he leaves it out. ]
The priests hated me for things I couldn't change about myself. And so the other acolytes hated me too, because I was all those things and I was still better than them. This is why I had no friends.
[ He shrugs, and glances up at Viktor with a faint, wry smile. ]
Maybe one day you can put an illusion spell on the automaton. Make him do it for you.
no subject
Viktor doesn't know too much about Kyle's upbringing beyond the fact that it was religious, but from what he describes, maybe it wasn't too different from Viktor's own experiences.]
I know what it's like. How tenuous it can be.
[He was never chosen--Viktor forced his way into Piltover whether they wanted him there or not--and after he surpassed his charity appointment as Dean's assistant, taking his career into his own hands, they perhaps started to regret that he was there at all. His attachment to Hextech was his insurance, but he wonders if that would even be true anymore, given the situation he left.
Viktor gives a little huff of a laugh to himself, because he's also considered this. Unsurprisingly.]
I thought I might send the automaton to accept it in my stead. To insult them, because all this is...it's not an accolade. It's a reminder that the government is watching. But that wouldn't be fair to Hilda.
no subject
Even so, there's understanding that's extended: what it's like to be singled out for the wrong reasons. His own motivations may have differed from Viktor, but they both had something to prove.
Here, every so often something will happen and he'll have a sudden realization that the way he evaluates a situation is wildly different from everyone around him. He thinks it might be similar for Viktor.
The problem is where Viktor's thought processes have been leading him. Tenuous is a good word for this - how neither of them have brought up the thing that they disagree on in a while.
He smiles warmly at the mention of Hilda. ]
No, it wouldn't.
[ Be fair to Hilda, who presumably would then have to go alone to power the spell. If she even agreed to do that in the first place. He shakes his head again, taking another drink from his glass before he speaks again, his brow furrowing: ]
Were you ever in danger because of your work, back in Piltover?
[ The same way he might be here. ]
no subject
There's some humor in it, maybe, because in order for his life to be in danger in the way that Kyle is imagining, the rest of Piltover--and even the Undercity--would have to know that he exists.
But the situation in the two cities was...tenuous, all the same. He had more important things to worry about than politicking, especially as his health declined. None of that changed the fact that their technology had been stolen, and was more than likely being repurposed for destruction.]
There was...discussion, among the Council, in the days before I arrived here. About the potential weaponization of Hextech, as a precaution against credible threats to Piltover.
[Even so far removed from that particular debate, there is real hurt in his voice, just at the thought of it.]
That was the real danger.
no subject
He thinks Viktor is skirting the answer in this way. But at that hurt in his voice, Kahlil's expression briefly softens and he looks down at his hand where it rests on the table. ]
Could you have stopped that from happening?
[ This council from taking control of his work. Making weapons from it. Viktor's told him about destroying his Hexcore in Cadens, but in his own world the technologies he created would've been far more integrated by what he's described in the past.
He pauses, his mouth twisting. ]
You said once that your future self had given up.
[ And that only days had passed between this version and the other one. ]
no subject
No, of course not. I was not...my opinion was negligible, if they bothered to ask for it at all. I was not an equal partner, not in practice.
[Which is something he knew for a long time, but only has only recently begun to voice outside his own thoughts. And, as Kyle assesses for himself, it wouldn't have mattered--all the Council would've had to do was halt his research on the Hexcore and wait out a few months. Maybe not entirely viable, given the immediacy of Jinx's threat, but certainly a problem that might have solved itself, in time.
The rest of it, well. Viktor can't say it's unrelated, but he knows there must have been more to it.]
That...it may have been a factor. More than likely, I failed in my efforts to cure my illness. Maybe the Council destroyed my research, maybe an experiment went awry. Whatever it was, I wanted to stop.
[It wasn't worth it, somehow. He just doesn't know what that something would have been, and the guesses he can make are possibilities he doesn't want to entertain.]
no subject
[ There's a question hinted at the end of that sentence, because in truth he doesn't know much about how the pair operated in Abraxas, or much about his partner's personality beyond that he seemed personable. He never met Jayce in person at length, they had both been on the first Summoned Conclave, but beyond that he knew him best as someone offering to make knives for people in the Free Cities. Kahlil had only been in Thorne a month or two at the time, and he'd been disappointed not to be able to get a knife.
He can see how they would be on more equal footing here, though. No Piltover and Under City, they had to start from the ground up with their business. Kahlil had played that game when he jumped on the chance to rent the spare room in John's place. When he'd played at taking John for breakfast, and John's friends had teased them about dating. What Viktor had in Abraxas would've been more real. ]
And here you have many more people who support you. Who would fight for you, if you asked.
[ Hilda, Jesper. Others he doesn't know about. Kahlil does not particularly like leaving the defense of whatever research Viktor may have written down in notes in his office to other people, but he doesn't really have a choice - and he wonders, belatedly, if saying all that might sound more like a threat than how it was intended, considering the unspoken half of their recent interactions.
And he can't really guess which of those reasons listed might've been the cause either. He sucks in a breath, something regretful in his gaze. His fingernails on his little and ring finger dig into his palm as his hand curls loosely into half a fist. ]
I would... never wish for someone else to know what it's like to be responsible for taking a life. [ Directly, or in the case of weaponization, indirectly and unintentional. And when he says 'someone else' he means Viktor, very specifically. This is a way he reminds him of John, too. Someone who is kind, and values life, who would never hurt someone if they could help it - but who absolutely has to power to cause so much damage without meaning to. ]
- but sometimes I think it's part of why I... still worry - that you'll succeed one day, and it will be too late to stop whatever comes after.
[ This was a very nice day, he thinks, until just now. ]
cw: reference to suicide
It's easier, as always, to talk about the people who are still here.]
Yes. Even if I wouldn't ask them to.
[Or want them to. That's important--enacting violence on his behalf would be just as distasteful as the weaponization of his technology. He also wouldn't want anyone hurt on his account, which is what all of this circles back to, in the end.
He and Kyle have been fairly good at avoiding the largest point of contention between them, playing at friendship and trying to enjoy each other's company when they disagree on something so fundamental. The bike ride was nice, Viktor thinks, but now it's over, and his expression hardens, even if Kyle does a better job of articulating his fears, this time. Couches it in concern for Viktor's convictions, and what it might do to him if he succeeds at a cost.]
You still think I would be so careless. [That he would push forward, with no regard for consequences. That he isn't thinking about or planning for or trying to negate what this would mean and what might happen, reaching beyond the boundary between universes. He still doesn't believe that it has to work the way it did in Kyle's world, but if it did, and he has to face the very destructive consequences he's trying so hard to avoid, then Viktor knows what he would do.] I would rather die than harm another person in the name of progress. I would do it myself.
[Which is, maybe, the answer that he was looking for, with regards to his theoretical failure, just days away from the moment he left.]
no subject
I don't think you're careless. [ He scowls. That isn't what he meant, and it's not what he said. If he thought Viktor was pursuing this and careless, he would have sought to remove him half a year ago. ]
I think you're human, and you can't account for everything. You can't... control everything.
[ And beneath his frustration is a thread of deep concern, what might seem like anger closer to pain, and what must be guilt. What he doesn't seem is shocked by the admission. Maybe this other Viktor gave up because he hurt someone. Maybe he didn't, but something else went wrong. Whatever the reason, Kyle just doesn't want this one to walk the same path to the same end. ]
It doesn't matter. [ He leans away with that sudden dismissal of his own words, knocking back the rest of his drink. Kahlil already said he wouldn't stop him, or at least that he has no intention of harming him. That he hopes he's wrong, and Viktor proves him so.
But banishing his fears completely is impossible.
At the very least, Viktor must not be thinking about his dreaded ceremony anymore. ]
no subject
But Kyle is right, in some ways. There will be factors he will never be able to account for. All he can do is his due diligence, and hope that will be enough. Of course such an answer won't dispel his concerns, because it might not be enough. He can't account for everything.
Viktor is silent for a moment, weighing his response. His gaze falls down to the table, suddenly guilty at Kyle's assertion that it doesn't matter. Of course it matters.]
I can promise you that...if what I uncover is truly dangerous, I'll stop. I'll destroy it all.
[He hopes, at the very least, that Kyle believes in Viktor's convictions. That he will do everything in his power to account for potential ill effects and accomplish this without the consequences that Kyle so fears. What he can't abide is complacency. Inaction.]
But I have to try. I can't accept this, otherwise. [Not when he might be the only person among them who could actually do it.] The lives we have here, they're not real. Not until we can secure them. I have to do something.
[Because, doing nothing--abandoning the summoning ritual, belief in the future Jayce sold to him--is what put him in this position in the first place.]
probably start to wrap
As he's done in the past, he backs down from this part of the argument with a slow nod, the tension not quite reversing from his expression, but a quick flick of his gaze in Viktor's direction catches him looking down. He means it, he doesn't believe Viktor is careless. Desperate, yes - at least when they first began speaking about this. In the months that have passed maybe that desperation has tempered slightly.
This is normally the part of the conversation where he excuses himself, as though there's nothing more to be said, resetting this pattern they keep cycling through. The urge to do so now is very strong. The lives we have here, they're not real. Not until we can secure them, he doesn't know if he agrees that it's less real for that, but he can't find the exact words for why. His entire existence is a patchwork mess - this is as close to home as he might ever get. But his faith sometimes makes it difficult for him to imagine losing it all the way others do. He still believes he has some purpose to fulfil here, and he won't fall victim to disappearing the way so many others do until it is fulfilled. ]
I know.
[ What it's like to need to do something. To not be able to sit idle. He doesn't function without purpose either. After a minute he refills his emptied glass from the pitcher, not even half emptied yet. ]
I don't think I'd like you as much if you were someone who would back down so easily.
[ His own frustration hasn't been an indication of dislike. It has, unfortunately for Kahlil, been the opposite. ]
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Viktor expects Kyle to stand from the table, so when he pours another drink instead he manages to look a little confused. He wonders, again, how much of this is sincere, because he hasn't forgotten the fact that Kyle had expressed interest in his work and in Viktor himself mostly to keep tabs on him. To see if he would need to be stopped.
He wonders, again, how desperate he is for this kind of companionship, regardless, and if it's stronger than the vague distrust he feels, still. This time, he's the one who pushes back from the table.]
I should go. Probably. If you have any trouble with the bicycle, send me a message. I can give instruction in the Horizon, if needed.
no subject
It makes him feel very suddenly stupid. ]
I think we'll be alright - [ vaguely inclining his chin toward the blueprint tube ] - but I'll let you know. Thank you, again.
[ He won't get up when Viktor does. He'll most likely stay and stew while finishing this glass, slice through the lock on the bike, and ride it through the portal slightly buzzed. ]