abraxaslogs | [open] july catchall

[Viktor is aware that returning to discussion of politics might sour the mood, but they're going to have to talk about this sooner or later. He wants to reach out with his free hand, to offer some kind of comforting touch as they walk, but he refrains, noting that Kyle is keeping a step behind.

Probably for the best. It's safer. Viktor will have to get used to this--but then again, they haven't been together in person enough for there to be anything to get used to.]

I'm surprised they're letting you stay overnight.

[Unless they aren't? But if he's talking about the inn, then Viktor can only assume.]

Do you think that's wise?

[It's no more foolish than Viktor seeking an audience with Reiner, to air his grievances. But he's fairly certain Reiner doesn't want to imprison or otherwise eliminate him. There's worry in his voice, as he says it.]

[ Some mirth slips back into his voice: ]

I told them I have a very pale and demanding lover waiting for me here. [ And if they assumed it was an Ikorran, he didn't dissuade the notion. It's better to lie with some truth. ] I have to return to the castle to check in sometime in the morning each day.

[ He just can't be allowed to oversleep. He'll take the extra annoyance in exchange for being allowed to spend more time here. And as for Sidwell - he frowns again ]

I need to know his plans for Thorne. And the Singularity.

[ Might as well ask the man himself, get a better read on him. He stayed to protect the others, but that isn't the only reason for him to stay in Thorne. If the new king has different intentions for the Singularity, that could be bad.

Kyle slips ahead of Viktor to open the door to the inn for him - he'll let him take care of setting them up with a room this time. ]

You did not. [Oh no. Did he? Viktor's lips pull tight, an indication that he might be slightly mortified by the thought of Kyle saying such a thing, and is now entertaining the possibility that this is what happened.] Tell me you didn't.

[If Viktor realizes that he's not beating the demanding allegations, he doesn't show it, only deterred by the fact that he needs to talk to the inn employee in order to secure them a room. He can live with Kyle needing to duck out in the morning--he'll get some work done, while he's gone, so as not to lose an entire weekend of progress, but that much doesn't need to be said.

He doesn't answer Kyle about Sidwell until they're making their way up the stairs, which Viktor does gingerly as always.]

His plans for you too, I hope. If you think he'll be that straightforward.

[ His objection only makes Kyle laugh, ducking his head and giving no further answer as they enter. He follows Viktor up the stairs, murmuring in answer: ]

I plan to be straightforward.

[ Truthfully, he has no idea what Sidwell will want from him at this point. There had been no torture, the guards had only asked the same questions over again, and though they clearly were not happy with his answers, it earned him little more than an extra week of confinement. He's used to much harsher punishments, and doubts he might've gotten treated the same if the former queen had been the one that wanted something from him.

A small, very arrogant part of him is annoyed at the idea that Sidwell might think he has no need of him at all, though mostly because it means he won't be offered the ability to bypass the majority of Thorne's wards again. Logically he knows he should be glad if he's not asked to serve in any capacity, not irritated and anxious at the thought. And then there's whatever is going to happen when Viktor has his meeting at Portam Hall, which he means to ask about, but as they enter the room and shut the door he remembers the vial in his pocket. ]

I have something for you. [ He sets down the bags, fumbling for something in his pocket as he adds, self-consciously: ] Don't get too excited.

[ At least it's not a berry. ]

Edited 2024-08-12 17:34 (UTC)

As long as you don't get yourself in more trouble.

[Genuinely, Viktor doesn't think he can take it. It's not lost on him, that they've only been together for two months, even if it seems longer given everything that's happened. He knows that there's still the lingering remembrances of the imagined future, but this feels real. An anxiousness--an excitement he hasn't felt in some time, the way his stomach twists into a not-necessarily-unpleasant knot when Kyle laughs despite the circumstances.

The room is, if not the same one as before, set up identically, and that's nice too, reminding him of their first time here. With the bags taken care of, Viktor sets himself to pulling off his gloves and rolling up his sleeves. He's still anxious about displaying his arm in Cadens--Nocwich doesn't seem to be as much of a problem.]

You have something? [He pauses what he's doing, briefly, to raise an eyebrow in Kyle's direction.] What is it?

[ His expression softens. He can't sit idle in Thorne while war is still looming on the horizon, but he doesn't want to give Viktor more reason to worry. That's part of what this offering is meant for.

Kyle opens his palm, producing a small vial with dark, red liquid. His brow furrows. ]

Some of my blood. [ His gaze shifts from the vial in his palm to Viktor again, frowning. ] I don't plan on going missing - but we never know what's going to happen next. Blood can find blood, if you ever need to find me - for whatever reason. It should work with tracking spells here.

[ Thorne's, at least. But if the Free Cities has an equivalent, he's sure Viktor can figure it out. He's the one that helped find everyone last time.

Kyle raises both eyebrows. ] And if you still have it whenever you find a way to leave, maybe you'll use it to come visit me sometime.

[It's not like Viktor was expecting a present, but he isn't sure he anticipated this, either. Blood magic is not unheard of--Viktor has dabbled with it himself, both at home and here, and he does recall Kyle teaching him some of the magic from his world, when they had time over the course of a hundred years.

That said, he's not quite sure what to do with it. Viktor takes the vial gingerly, inspecting it for a moment before closing his fingers around it. This is, above all other things, practical, but the reference to his eventual departure gives him a moment of pause. He looks up at Kyle, searching.]

I don't expect a breakthrough in that department anytime soon.

[Not when he has the government breathing down his neck. Not when it's too dangerous to do any work. Still, he understands the importance of this offering, and Viktor steps closer, reaching out to brush his free hand against Kyle's.]

We might be stuck with each other for a while.

[ He's a little relieved when Viktor accepts the vial, and shakes his head with a crooked smile when he says he's still a ways off from traveling between worlds. He takes Viktor's hand in his own. ]

I know.

[ But, anything could happen to either of them. While in a cell he had time enough to wonder if he'd been too selfish in admitting his feelings and asking for this. The further they get from their time in that other future the less he worries about the ways they might clash and hurt each other, and more about how this all might just end, be it the Singularity's will or a misstep with their territories - both of them too far away to do anything.

He can push away those thoughts for now, though, and a teasing lilt returns to his voice as he takes a step closer: ]

I guess for now you can put it under a microscope and tell me how ordinary I am.

Then I would have less to use if I need to find you.

[He has no doubt that it appears ordinary under a microscope. Kyle gave this to him for one purpose, and Viktor does not intend to waste it. He can only hope that there will never come a time where he does need it--but better to have it and not need it, then to find himself without it.

Viktor is trying to make peace with the fact that he's made himself vulnerable again. That all of this could end in an instant, the way it did with Jayce. He wonders if he really could use this vial of blood to find Kyle across universes, if only to say goodbye.]

Thank you.

[That seems like the most appropriate thing to say, even if it's a slightly unconventional gift. They're close, now, with little distance between them, and Viktor doesn't hesitate to put his palm against Kyle's cheek, pulling him down so that he can kiss him.]

[ He nods, his expression shifting back from teasing to warm. If he can help it, he won't give Viktor a reason to need to track him while they're here.

Next time he has an occasion he'd like to give him a proper gift. He would like to give him something to make him smile, something without the weight of worry behind it.

He responds to Viktor's touch, leaning down to kiss him - finally. They could make do in Horizon. Maybe the difference shouldn't be too noticeable between there and here, generally, if they were constantly going back and forth. But after two months physically apart it's almost like leaving Basawar and arriving in Nayeshi, everything suddenly sharper in focus: how his lips are a little dry, how the scents of his workshop cling to him and his clothes, the taste of his mouth. Kyle's arms slip around his waist and pull him closer as he kisses him deep and needy, his chest coiled tight. He only barely breaks their mouths apart to ask quickly: ]

You don't have anything else to do first? [ No surprise meetings to rush off to? ]

[Viktor is aware of the connotations, and that it's not even a "gift" in the strictest sense--Kyle is giving it to him because some part of him fears the worst. He does too, in some ways. He's out of prison for now, but they're both acutely aware of how south things can go at any moment.

All the more reason to enjoy this, now. He tilts his head slightly, leaning into the kiss and allowing Kyle to support some of his weight. For the duration of it, until Kyle breaks away to ask him something, Viktor allows his world to shrink to only this, relishing how much better it feels in the real world.

He pulls away, reluctantly, eyes still half-closed.]

I thought we could do something.

[No meetings, no work (not yet, anyway). They understandably spent most of their time last visit in this very room, and though Viktor rarely misses a chance to go to Nocwich, exploring it with Kyle for the first time sounds...fun. Like a date.]

I plan to stay the weekend.

[ Kyle hums in agreement at we could do something, thinking with his lower brain only as he starts kissing Viktor again while one hand starts untucking his shirt from behind - something definitely lost in translation for a minute until he realizes very abruptly - ]

- do something... [ he pulls away again to look at Viktor, eyebrows furrowed as this processes for another second ] ... not here?

[ To be fair, he's never been able to go on anything resembling an actual date in his entire life. The closest he's gotten in recent time - which is still a stretch, was his awkward, half-attempt to get Viktor to drink with him in the tavern here and then they crashed a bicycle. ]

[He's not so easily distracted, though he's certainly used to and does not at all mind this kind of enthusiasm from a partner. Viktor does know, however, if they start now they might not stop, so he wants to be productive, first. They'll have plenty of time for this room later, if they can control themselves.

For now, this is very endearing. Viktor holds Kyle's face in his hands.]

You seem confused.

[Though, now Viktor is thinking about the platonic time they spent together in Nocwich, first in the baths, then drinking at the tavern and crashing a bicycle. They'll have to do things a little different, this time.]

An outing. Together. Anything you want to do.

[A DATE]

[ He scrunches his face at first to be told he's confused again while having his face held. His expression relaxes again as Viktor explains though, and he thinks about the offer. What does he want to do? ]

I haven't been to Ikorr since it opened for us. [ Not since the Epulum. He frowns slightly, continuing to think aloud: ] Or - that big ship they took us on once, the Arcanis. I heard it's docked in Luna.

[ He'd last been on it almost two years ago, now, and hadn't been in the mood to enjoy it's amenities at the time. It might be nice to have a meal on the deck, even if the ship's not moving anywhere. They had good desserts, too.

He searches Viktor's face, while also very helpfully fixing the shirt he had been trying to untuck a moment earlier. ]

Both good ideas.

[Viktor helps Kyle with the shirt-tucking, a crooked smile on his face. It's awkward, and one-handed, the other firmly pressed against Kyle's shoulder so that he can keep his balance.]

Provided you think it's safe to be seen together.

[He recognizes this as more of a him problem than a Kyle problem--though they both have notoriety in their respective territories, he doubts Cadens really cares about what he does in his free time. The same is not necessarily true for Thorne. But going out to Ikorr, away from prying eyes, sounds very nice, all things considered.]

[ He laughs again as they try to maneuver with each other to finish fixing his shirt, although the next thing Viktor says has him back to thoughtful - he pauses before answering. ]

I think it'll be okay. People know we've worked together before. [ On the bicycle. ] And they never asked about you when I was being questioned.

[ He takes a step back, looking over Viktor's shirt, then frowning toward the window. Luna and Ikorr feel a little safer to him, farther away from the portals that lead back to their territories. And both have bigger concerns right now, he can't see them individually stalking their Summoned through foreign territory. ]

It'll be fine. [ He says this again with more certainty, like he's only just talked himself into it. ] Let's go to Luna.

[ He'll pull up his hood again when they leave to walk to the portal, though. ]

That was before the Free Cities broke through the castle wards.

[Viktor says that softly, half-mumbled, with his eyes cast downward as he smooths out his vest. There's no indication that anyone knows his work was involved, but he can't help but fear what might happen if Thorne realizes just what happened.

Kyle is right, though, about the bikes, and if they didn't mention Viktor during his interrogation, that's a good sign. Best to keep things far away from the portals, though, and when the leave the inn and make their way through the cobblestone streets, he keeps a respectable distance between them. Kyle's raised hood evokes a similar caution.]

I wasn't well, the last time I was on the Arcanis. [Not that Kyle asked, but it's what's on the forefront of his mind, if they're headed there. He'd come back from that particular excursion chilled to the bone, and not long after that his illness began to catch up with him.] I'll be glad to experience it in a...better state.

[ Kyle gives a short, low hum in response. If they did know about Viktor's indirect involvement - and connected the two of them, it was almost for the best that Kyle was in the dungeons when the assault on the castle happened. But they can talk about it again later.

As they walk back to the portals and Viktor speaks up about himself, Kyle glances over with a slight frown. It's not often that Viktor talks about these things unprompted. He tries to think back to that time, if he can remember seeing Viktor anywhere on the ship - but he doesn't. He'd mostly been paying attention to Thorne Summoned, and spying on Abraxans. ]

Did they make you go?

[ He remembers the winter chill, especially on the island. He doesn't know the exact timeline of Viktor's illness and cure, but he can't imagine the climate being good for someone with damaged lungs. ]

No, no I wanted to go.

[He doesn't recall seeing Kyle aboard the Arcanis either, but then again he did spend much of his time wrapped in a cloak trying not to be seasick (or his regular version of sick). Viktor knows it was probably unwise to embark on the trip, and that the government might have granted him an exception, but at the time he remembers wanting new experiences, not knowing when he'd be unable to get out of bed.

Viktor does seem to understand that he's killing the mood. He offers a wistful smile, looking at Kyle fondly as they walk.]

I've always liked boats. I used to watch them from the docks, as a child.

[ He nods. His own near-death experiences were quick and brutal, it's harder for him to imagine Viktor's experience in comparison. Knowing Viktor, though, it's not so much a surprise to hear that it was his choice to go on the trip.

He catches his gaze again, smiling back. ]

It's too bad the Arcanis won't actually be sailing this time.

[ His smile widens into a sly grin. ]

We could always try to bribe a fisherman for his boat...

[ How hard could it be to row a boat? ]

Ah, well, that's all right.

[Perhaps it would have been more accurate to say he likes the idea of boats. He likes watching boats. Viktor's weak constitution also includes a general propensity towards motion sickness. An immobile Arcanis might be preferable. Kyle rowing a boat, while charming (and, he imagines, aesthetically pleasing), seems like a lot of effort, when they might passively sightsee instead. That, and Viktor doesn't necessarily trust what might be lurking in the waters.

Still, it offers him a little spark of pleasure in his chest, at the thought of someone going out of their way for him like that.]

I enjoy the view from the deck. [And, he thinks, he might enjoy the view of Kyle seated across from him, on the deck. When they reach the portal, he already seems pleased with the idea.] Shall we?

[ He gets the sense that he made the right choice, or at least not a terrible choice - a simple thing, but it's a good feeling. He doesn't slouch so much as they walk through Luna, lowering his hood as they get within sight of the docks and the Arcanis itself.

This time Kyle pays the fee to board while they're given a brief reminder of the amenities available: the gambling lounges, spas and eatery. For as many times as he's visited Nocwich by now, it's still a little odd to hear that lunch is being served in what feels like the middle of the night. There's noticeably less lights dancing across the water as there had been during the Dimming, most of the bioluminescent fauna having retreated to the depths to await the arrival of the new year again, but it's definitely more comfortable on the deck in the late summer air. And there are some lights - out on the horizon it appears to almost be a wall of them, which prove to be attached to fishing boats, specifically the sort that lure various species of squid.

There are no walls to keep his back toward for once, and despite everything, he seems deceptively relaxed. It helps that there aren't very many people up here with them. They'd ordered their food and drink below (he has begun to notice how often there are stairs required to get to wherever they are going), so there's no hovering waitstaff either. Kyle's plate arrives with a very ordinary steak, eggs and toast, followed by an almost silly amount of desserts meant to share, including candied flowers with petals that still faintly glow.

Although after plucking one from the plate and eating it, he realizes what he thought was candied was actually wax. Barely missing a beat he swallows it, too embarrassed to spit it out into one of the cloth napkins. ]

I don't think you'll like those. [ he adds hastily, in case Viktor means to try one too. ]

[Viktor navigates the Arcanis the way he navigates everything else that's marginally precarious to him--slowly, carefully, and with gratuitous use of railings and handholds, if available. Kyle is patient, which he appreciates, and Viktor does not reject additional assistance, should he offer it in the form of a hand at the small of his back, meant to steady him as they climb up to the deck.

It's not as impressive a sight as the Dimming, but there are still lights dancing out on the water and the summer breeze is pleasant, much more than the winter chill that had afflicted him last time. He settles into his chair, leaning out to get a look over the side of the boat while they wait for their orders to arrive.

Even post-illness, Viktor doesn't have much of an appetite, but he does have some kind of chilled summer soup in front of him, and he is eyeing the dessert. The assertion that he wouldn't like what looks to be a candied flower only makes him want to eat one out of spite, but Kyle does prompt him to take a closer look before he does so.]

Why would they put it here if you can't eat it? [He sounds thoroughly disappointed.] A waste.

[ Kyle leans forward in his seat and looks for a moment like he might try to snatch the false dessert out of his hand, but manages to stop himself while scowling, then looking thoughtfully at the wax flower in Viktor's possession. ]

Or a souvenir? If they're only going to throw them away when we're done...

[ He supposes they could reuse them, though the Arcanis at least presents an appearance of an establishment that wouldn't be so misery. With a small grin he plucks another faintly glowing fake flower - an orange one, and slips it into one of his many pockets.

Not such a waste, then. ]

Careful.

[Putting it in a pocket seems like a good way for it to get smushed, and Viktor would be lying if he said he didn't find them pretty. Very pleasing to look at. He'll take another and inspect it closely, smiling a little to himself before setting it aside.

Despite the fact that they really should eat the real food, Viktor is now mostly interested in the desserts, leaning in like he's preparing to make a selection.]

Does anything else strike you as purely decorative?

[Mostly a joke. But Viktor is not necessarily accustomed to fancy outings such as these, and maybe he should find all the wax flowers, first.]

[open] july catchall

it's fine time isnt real

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hop skip jump forward

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