abraxaslogs | [open; July adventures]

[Alucard arrives at the workshop in the evening, as promised. He carries with him a messenger bag of his own notes and scribblings for budgeting with the issue of arts and tourism, and he uses it to hide his more sensitive notes.

He also has brought along snacking food in the form of some nuts and dried fruit, because cooking has taken a second seat lately and he is, admittedly, hungry.

He's not sure where Viktor is. Alucard simply picks a spot at a mostly clean work bench, drops his bag on top, and then announces himself.]

I'm at the table over by the file storage.

[Viktor is in little mood for more unpleasant revelations, though of course none of this is Alucard’s fault. He meets with River in Nocwich and then retreats back to the workshop with the pieces of the device to stew over them and decide what he wants to do next. For as much as he feels the slightest bit of trust lost between them because of their various recent disagreements, he knows he needs to tell Alucard about this. He needs his advice, when it comes to moving forward.

If they can determine whether or not Josselyn’s cult has real knowledge of and access to New Magic while they’re at it, the better.

The little bell rings when Alucard enters, and Viktor looks up to the series of mirrors he has fixed to the walls and corners, letting him see who is at the door without having to get up from his bench. For this, however, he’ll rise and meet Alucard where he is. Viktor has his own folio in hand.]

I wish you had better news. [But hypocritically, Viktor has awful news.] Let’s see.

Viktor, have I had good news in the past year?

[Alucard's question would normally be far lighter. Said as a joke. But no, this is absolutely serious and the dhampir's deep scowl reinforces how seriously he is taking things. Never mind that now he's scrambling to help the arts sector from total collapse and still has a bunker to finish and is still trying to figure out where he actually stands with Viktor. This is more important.

He lays it out in the precise order that the document has been worked on. Pamphlet, the mark of penmanship and notes pressed into it. The rubbing that revealed the notes. Alucard's hand written copy of the rubbings, making the text more legible. Then his own notes, thoughts, and observations.

It is an effective fakery of new magic. That much is clear.]

This branch clearly folded when the extent of her work became known. That is the small comfort I am taking here.

No, perhaps not.

[But that's the reality of their situation, more often than he'd like. Viktor's expression says it all, a sour look with downturned lips and pinched-together eyebrows, matching Alucard's scowl almost exactly.

He'll more towards the table to get a better look. A rubbing isn't ideal, but the fact that they have this at all is probably more than he can hope for. Upon first glance it looks like an imitation, but he can't be sure it's not functional, in some way, or can't become such, with time and elbow grease.]

So they're not still working on it? To your knowledge, I mean.

The space itself was overgrown and clearly had not been used in some time. If they are still working on anything, they're outside of Ikorr. Given that these were probably vampires, I don't know where else they would have gone.

[He frowns deeply, letting Viktor look as much as he pleases.]

It was effective, at any rate. And while this wraps up a mystery, I don't know what good the knowledge does now, especially given current circumstances.

Abandoned, then.

[Viktor doesn't want to assume they're gone--that kind of religious zealotry is not so easily stamped out, even with the leader dead. Who knows how far her reach extended? First the tainted wood delivery, now this...it can't be denied that they were working several angles. And to what end? Some kind of ascension, for the Summoned? Something they now know is entirely possible?

Could Josselyn's cult have been right? In theory, if not in practice?]

The Summoned deserve to know. Jaskier was injured, Libertas bombed. It's your choice but...I would tell them, even if we don't expect this cult to resurface again.

That was the sense I got. [Alucard exhales softly.] From everything I can understand, this actual cult existed long before her. She just twisted some of the branches to her own ends. Had she simply waited a year, the actions would not have been needed.

[Following the ordeal with the Singularity, it has not exactly eclipsed Alucard's notice that in a way, Josselyn was right. There's no joy in saying in saying that. Only the quiet observation of fact.]

If all three people who were directly impacted are in agreement, then I will do just that. Thancred helped me explore this, so I may ask him to lend his voice too.

I suppose they could still be out there.

[Fragmented, without their leader. Once again Viktor can't help but think about what a waste it all was--so much lost life and suffering, and Josselyn didn't even accomplish her aims. Or, maybe she did. Just not in the way she planned for.

He sighs, clearly not necessarily feeling closure. But he supposes this might be as good as it gets, and it's not really up to him, anyway.]

Do you think it's worth reporting to the authorities?

There is always that risk.

[Alucard frowns at the question of authority. He hasn't given it much thought, but--]

I can't say I trust them with the information. Nor do I think it will matter to most of them, save Ikorr and Luna.

It's not as though Thorne can un-bomb Libertas. But I wonder if it wouldn't open their eyes to a larger threat.

[Instead of petty infighting between territories. Alucard is probably right, though, that it's too late, and none of the governments are to be trusted. Nocwich is probably not a bad idea, now that their offense regarding the Summoneds' choice seems to have blown over.]

Wishful thinking, probably.

I'll defer to Yennefer, Jaskier, and Himeka at this rate. Without them signing off on it, it will simply not be done.

[There's other matters to attend to.]

You mentioned you had something to discuss?

[Viktor offers a slightly noncommittal noise. He understands the need to defer to those directly affected, but sitting on the information doesn't feel right, either. He reminds himself that it's not his decision, as much as he has opinions on the matter.

Besides, Alucard is right that they have other things to discuss. Viktor nods, though he doesn't necessarily look happy about it.]

It's about the bombing of Thorne Castle.

[What else could it be?]

[Alucard packs up his notes quietly. He can tell Viktor disagrees. There is also a very quiet part of Alucard that doesn't think that Portam Hall will care about this. They didn't lift a finger for their citizens when they began to disappear. What use does any of this have?

His eyes rest on Viktor quietly.]

I'm listening.

Someone in Thorne brought me a fragment they found, in the wreckage. A part of the bomb.

[Because that’s what it was. A bomb, a weapon. Crafted based on his own theory of the arcana symbols as instructions for ambient magical energy, turned towards destructive ends.

Viktor’s voice is low, as if he expects to be overheard.]

The arcana symbols inscribed in the metal…the energy that emanated from the device…I recognize it.

[Alucard pauses.

The conclusion is foregone. Viktor would not be sharing this with him if he didn't trust the dhampir to some extent still, nor would he be dropping his voice this low.

He won't make Viktor say the thing out loud. That is cruel.]

How much more advanced or different is it from your own work?

[For all Viktor claims not to care what others think of him, it's difficult not to feel shame under Alucard's gaze. Telling this to his friends--to people he cares about--is difficult. It's admitting failure, and that everyone who expressed concerns about his work were right.]

It's...clearly based on my notes. It uses the same arcana theory, and those who witnessed the bombing described it in a way that is familiar. Only, instead of building a conduit for healing magic, they built...a bomb.

I'm sorry.

[The first words are the easiest. There's no shame or judgement from Alucard's tone, only real, genuine sorrow. Viktor's stance about violence has always been clear, and to have anything he's worked on be altered so harshly is a crime.

He considers this all for a moment and then:]

Will the pieces allow you to find a way to disarm them from a distance or otherwise impede their use?

Don't apologize.

[They all knew this was the risk when they decided that Viktor's life was worth more than any potential destruction that the Free Cities could enact with his work. Despite this, he finds he can barely face the consequences. He thinks he if he knew the Free Cities could crack his notes, he never would have put pen to paper after all. He thinks he might have accepted his fate.

Alucard asks if there's a contingency, but that's already ben breached.]

It's my theory of the arcana system. Once they understand that, there's...nothing they can't build.

[Alucard almost opens his mouth to argue that the expression was one of empathy, but time. Place. Battles picked.

He exhales slowly. The contingency is fucked. Great.]

So we're going to sabotage the government's war machine?

[The question is politely curious, like asking about the weather. If nothing else, Alucard doesn't seem opposed.]

How do you suggest we do that?

[He'd built the Hexcore to be esoteric--and to use blood, for that matter. Who knows what the Free Cities did to puzzle out the remnants of his notes, and who knows how much further they might go? Viktor can't see a way to easily stop it, now that they've cracked his theory.]

They can break through Thorne's wards now. We have no leverage.

The facetious answer is we all help you make something even more brilliant than the Hexcore. My genuine answer is just go in and destroy all of their work. Fair would be fair, although I dislike the thought of being open to attack by Thorne, given their new rulers seem competent.

[It's not plausible. Any of it. The focus is instead on Viktor and making sure that his trust is founded and that he won't descend into abject misery.]

--We don't. That's as honest an assessment as any. Have you shared this information with anyone else?

I could encourage an investment in defensive technologies instead. I could--

[He trails off, knowing that anything he could offer is useless, or equally likely to be misused. Viktor can't accept that the answer is to stop making anything at all, but that increasingly seems like what must be done.

A shake of the head is all he can offer.]

No one, not yet. [But he will go to other, trusted individuals.] I'm still deciding what to do.

I could go in as a series of bats and shit over everything, so that the work is impossible to read anymore.

[He's only somewhat joking about the offer.]

Thank you for trusting me with this. [Viktor has many reasons not to, these days. It feels...correct, acknowledging this.] There is every chance that what you should do will appear only when you're not thinking of it.

I'd really prefer you didn't.

[Scatalogical revenge notwithstanding, they're likely not working off his original notes anymore.]

I should go to Portam Hall. Demand an audience with Reiner. What I say after, that, though...

[He isn't sure.]

Noted.

[He won't. Promise, even if it would be satisfying.

Alucard opens his mouth to say something, pauses, and closes it for a moment. Then he figures out a more tactful way to say his current thought.]

I don't think that will end where you want it to. A meeting like that requires strategy. I-- [shit.] Astarion might be better qualified for exacting words. Or even legal recourse, come to think of it.

VIKTOR'S WORKSHOP | closed

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