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[He isn't sure what Kyle is thinking about all this--Viktor knows he could reach out and discover it with only a touch, but he doesn't want to alarm him. There is still much about this he needs to handle delicately, if the frown on Kyle's face is any indication.

He wants Kyle to be proud of him, but he knows that this place that is strange and difficult to explain.

Outside the greenhouse, Viktor does his best to conjure the shadows of the Commune's inhabitants--less recreations of individual people, and more the patterns of work that occurs here. Smithing, horticulture, maintenance of the water pumps, new construction. He looks at Kyle, and nods.]

We have made this place a refuge. Everyone is welcome.

[ His expression doesn't change very much as he watches those impressions of people going about their business. ]

And - you still mean to find a way to get back here somehow? [ a pause ] To see this place grow?

[ Does he still mean to seek out the Jayce he lost here as well? ]

I...don't know.

[His mind feels slightly clearer, looking at all of this from the outside, with the added experience of his time here. He still wants to find Jayce, and might be closer to it than ever, given his newfound power. That, and he knows that the Commune is tenuous, hinging entirely on his own abilities. To make things right, he needs to return to them and puzzle out its long-term sustainability, otherwise his work will be for nothing.

All of this new information about the arcane, and his remembrance of those imagined years, however, makes things feel less urgent. He finds himself, perhaps unexpectedly, not wanting to give Kyle an answer that asserts the fact that they will eventually need to part.

But...what if they didn't have to?]

I would like to return here, yes. [To find Jayce. To complete his work.] But I know more, now. [About the nature of the universe--the places he might be able to go, and see, especially with his newfound power. The things he could discover, and bring home with him.] There's time.

[ He's back to looking at Viktor, still trying to reconcile the way he could be mistaken for a mystic with his loose garb and hair.

Viktor confirms that his plans haven't changed entirely from what they were only some hours ago, and Kyle can accept that. If in the past month he's come close once or twice to asking for or offering something impossible for both of them, reason and cowardice won out. But it's not those thoughts teasing him now - there's genuine concern about what Viktor is planning to return to - ]

What do you mean there's time?

[ Kyle's brow pinches, his tone confused. Increasingly it's felt like they've had less time with the rate events have been escalating here. They make the best of what time they have, when any of them could vanish in the space of a doorway, at any moment. ]

Edited (fixed janky phrasing in introspection) 2025-02-14 00:47 (UTC)

I saw something else, in the dream. An anomalous construct, self-replicating and self-annihilating. A pure, unbridled expression of the Arcane. I believe it could be used to travel between timelines. Between different worlds, even.

[He's not sure where Jayce reappeared from, only that it was somewhere else. Viktor wishes he had more time to study it. He'll conjure a vision of it now in miniature, holding it out to Kyle as it hovers above the palm of his hand.]

Can you imagine? With infinite universes at one's disposal, the linear progression of time becomes negligible as well. I could return to a precise moment of my choosing.

[Of course, that doesn't solve the problem of leaving this place--but if the imagined future is, after all, what awaits them, he knows he will eventually have the knowledge and power to accomplish this. And, after that, Viktor thinks he might like to discover what's out there, in the space between worlds.]

Edited 2025-02-14 01:55 (UTC)

[ Self-replicating and self-annihilating, creation and destruction always intertwined. He has been taught this since the priests took him. He has seen the same within Viktor ever since they met.

Kyle reaches out tentatively, pulling his hand back before his fingertips touch the anomaly. He can imagine it - this is how the Oracles exist in part, their bones are trapped but their minds are unbound by time and space. It drives them mad to navigate.

Viktor seems so calm and unconcerned.

Slowly, troubled - though not for the usual reasons when they speak about these things: ]

You'll recreate this here.

[ He had wavered from his path, thinking he might be allowed to choose for himself. This is all too sudden, he is scared of losing what he only just found - this relative happiness, much sooner than he expected. And he can't ignore the other signs, as much as he has been negligent in these past few months.

He isn't entirely thinking straight when he drops down to kneel, head bowed - not quite prostrating himself like he did in front of Jath'ibaye, but there is something uncomfortably deferential about his stance now. ]

Then - I'll go with you to Zaun when it's time.

I believe it to be our best chance of leaving this place.

[At least, it's more of a lead than he's ever had. Viktor believed he needed to learn and reverse the summoning ritual, but perhaps that doesn't matter when if he can figure out a way to override it entirely. Whatever the Anomaly is, it's powerful. It could be exactly what he needs.

Then, the possibilities will be truly limitless. What he doesn't expect is Kyle's answer, or his sudden deference. Viktor immediately hates the way he kneels, and is quick to join him, wanting to be on the same level. Wanting Kyle to know that he hasn't changed, even if they both know that isn't entirely true. He reaches out with both hands to cup his face, wanting to look at him.]

I would never ask this of you. [He cannot expect Kyle to give up everything and return to Viktor's world. The very thought of it feels like a selfish indulgence.] If I succeed, I could take you--you could go wherever you want. I would be happy to do it. That hasn't changed.

[All of this has always been about offering his fellow Summoned a choice. It feels closer than ever.]

Edited 2025-02-14 04:21 (UTC)

You don't have to ask.

[ Just like he didn't have to ask him to come to Cadens. He lets Viktor hold his face and lift it some, but his gaze remains cast down. ]

You want this place to grow and thrive - I will help you keep it safe. It won't - it won't be like your mechanical city in that vision. [ Fomalhaut was protected by the disease that kept any outsiders away. ] You will need to protect it from anyone who would want to see it destroyed, who would see you as a threat, a resource to be stolen, or a weapon to be used...

[ Like the Rifter had been bound and controlled by the Payshmura. He shakes his head in Viktor's hands, finally meeting his gaze with a feverish intensity. ]

Let me do this.

[ He has been conditioned all his life to serve. He does want this, that isn't a lie. ]

[Viktor keeps trying to meet his eyes, frustrated by how it feels like Kyle is pledging himself. If apotheosis is what truly awaits them, here, then there is no reason for subservience. He suddenly wonders if being so open about his dream was a mistake, even if he knows there was no real way to hide it.]

I'll come back to this place, someday.

[Or, insert himself back into this particular timeline form the moment he "left" it--that might be a more apt description. He owes it to the Undercity, after all.]

It is not your duty to accompany me, or to act as my protector. [He still believes that to be reserved for John, and now sees where he might have misstepped, showing Kyle all of this. Viktor seems slightly more desperate now, to snap him out of this fervor, to undo all of these new revelations and return to the bedroom above the workshop. He smooths a hand through his hair.

This next part seems difficult to say--he's not even sure if it's the right thing to say.]

But I may want to journey to other places, before returning home, and I--might like to do it with you.

Edited (sorry i screwed up my formatting) 2025-02-14 05:29 (UTC)

[ What is the difference between duty and choice in this case? He's only terrified for what he might lose - and his shoulders stiffens at the rejection. It makes him want to insist that Viktor is wrong - that this is something he can and should do for him.

He's about to move Viktor's hands away from his face and tell him so, but the next words give him pause. He lowers his gaze again, afraid to find pity in Viktor's eyes over this display, to find that he is already reconsidering - but after a long moment he seems to relent, some of the tension dissipating from his shoulders.

Quietly: ]

I think I would like that too. [ His brow furrows. ] I just... I want to keep you, for a little longer.

[ However he will have him. ]

[Viktor's gaze holds no pity--it's searching, wanting to assert that everything they've shared is real, and wanting Kyle to look at him without feeling lesser. He feels him relax underneath his hands, and that seems like a good start.]

There's so much I want to show you.

[And if that means they keep each other for a little longer, that's okay. It's more preferable, at this point, than saying goodbye. Viktor doesn't think he can, and if that's selfish of him, well. He's allowed to be, after everything.]

I promised you a choice. We can go anywhere you want, together.

Edited 2025-02-15 04:17 (UTC)

[ This is what he wants to hear, what helps him reel himself back from that desperate outburst. But he wrestles again with how uneven this feels at times - with Viktor always offering him so much more than he's able to do for him in return, how that feeling is magnified in this place where Viktor must belong to all these people in his community.

Viktor offers him choice, though in the end it doesn't matter where they go - just like it never mattered so much exploring the Free Cities, only that they were able to enjoy it together for a time. ]

Yes. Okay. [ He meets his gaze again, finding his fears of what he would find unwarranted, and studies the strange, shifting colors of his irises a little longer this time. A hand lifts to touch his face, tracing over where the metal blends with his cheek, down his neck. Whatever took hold of him a moment ago seems to have passed, though there's still tension across his features: ]

Will you at least take... some advice, about how you've let this place grow?

[ It seems he can't give this up entirely, even if it's not exactly time dependent. If he were mixing dangerous chemicals unknowingly, he would expect Viktor to intercede. ]

[Viktor looks relieved, and he lets out a breath that says as much, hand moving to the back of Kyle's head so he can lean in and press their foreheads together. There is still more to say, and he will get to it, with time. For now, Viktor is just glad that Kyle hasn't rejected this--or him.

And he sees the value of what Viktor has built, here, enough to offer constructive criticism, it seems. He wants to laugh.]

What are your suggestions?

[He will...consider them.]

[ He lets Viktor pull him in, accepting the physical comfort easily and relaxing a little more. Kyle only pulls back again when Viktor asks his question, letting his gaze sweep across the commune again. ]

If you needed to quickly evacuate these people, is there a plan?

[ From Ravishan's memories he knows the Fai'daum hid their settlements from the church and gaun'im in underground tunnels - not quite like this, Viktor has made it clear he's not hiding anything... ]

[He allows them both this moment, then pulls himself to his feet, offering hands for Kyle to stand after him. The greenhouse is what he's most proud of, but if there are concerns about the security of the Commune, Viktor is pleased to give him a tour, even if he doesn't necessarily have good answers to these questions, something that becomes evident on his face.]

I--

[Kyle is right, of course, and he remembers the Doctor's words--that if he perishes, his community will be soon to follow. Anything he says now is an excuse, but he finds himself wanting to defend himself anyway. This commune is an incredible accomplishment, and maybe part of him wants recognition for that.]

We're deep in the fissures. The need for an evacuation is..unlikely. Anyone who approaches is stopped at the gate.

[He gestures to it, a metal and stained glass arch between walls of the cavern.]

[ Kyle doesn't need help rising again but he allows it anyway, taking Viktor's hands in his own and studying them instead of the surroundings until Viktor points out the gate. Only then does he turn his head to look, still frowning slightly. ]

A child could climb that.

[ A small child, at that. ]

And just because it's unlikely doesn't mean you shouldn't be prepared.

[ He pulls in a deep breath and turns to Viktor again. ]

You really let anyone in? [ He knows, given his own past - including how they met, he has no room to talk. But still - ] How can you be sure you can trust everyone that walks through that gate?

[Viktor looks back at the gate, trying to imagine what Kyle describes. Yes, he supposes that's true, but he's also confident that he could protect this place, if needed. Explaining that to Kyle, who is more than accustomed to searching for weaknesses to exploit, is not exactly easy.]

Anyone who needs our help is welcome.

[He says that with his eyebrows raised, like it should be a given. Viktor is not in the habit of turning anyone away, though now that he's being gently interrogated about the actual workings of the Commune, he wonders if perhaps he should have.

But that would be antithetical to what he believes in--why should he, gifted this power, withhold it from those who need it? He would be no better than the Council and their privileged use of Hextech.]

We don't allow weapons here. They're confiscated at the gate.

[ Of course Viktor offers his help to everyone. This is what he loves about him, and also finds deeply frustrating right now. Both affection and disbelief play across his features, eyebrows raised right back at him. ]

How many men are at the gate? You have someone pat everyone down?

[ Just because he can, he goes about a more gentle pat down on Viktor than he would for someone he was actually attempting to remove arms from. What do they do with the weapons, in the case of those who stay? Are they stored somewhere, are they destroyed? He would not even need to use his powers to infiltrate this place. What about all those ledges and crevices wide open around the commune? Not to mention the fact that Viktor says they are in the fissures, is the earth stable enough here? He should plan a way to evacuate for that alone.

He keeps the questions to himself for now, knowing it doesn't matter very much except for the point he tried to make minutes ago - that Viktor does need him, or someone like him.

If a god walks the land, there are ways to harm him. He knows this best. It scares him. ]

Do you have anyone here to watch over you? If you're just letting people come and go - you should have guards protecting you.

[There is one (1) guy at the gate--Viktor's face says as much, though his confusion is swiftly giving way to frustration. It was a dream, after all, and there's nothing material either of them can do about something that is a world away, frozen in time. He makes an indignant little noise, suffering Kyle's pat down, and that more-or-less says it all.

Viktor does not, however, like the idea of somehow being greater than the members of his commune, even though they both know that to be true. He doesn't want guards. He doesn't want to think about the dangers lurking just outside his gates--the ones that have already arrived. He doesn't want to admit how fragile it is, the peace he's managed to create.

He reaches out to still Kyle's hands.]

I'll make you my chief of security. You can personally vet everyone who wants to speak with me.

[Now there's a small smile on his face, making it clear that. This is a joke.]

[ He lets Viktor take his hands again, catching that hint of a smile and almost beginning to return it before he scowls. Viktor is teasing, yes, but - ]

I would gladly do it.

[ That will be the last thing he says about it, for now. He forces himself to remember that they have much more immediate problems to contend with outside of the dream of this place, with the Singularity and it's disruptions.

Still, he knows Viktor wanted to share this with him, and he's only been interrupting.

More softly this time: ]

I want to see the rest. [ Not the security tour. His gaze shifts to some of those moving shadows going about an approximation of daily business. ]

I know.

[Kyle has made that much very clear--despite how Viktor feels about it, he knows he won't be dissuaded. His display, the deference, is something Viktor will not forget anytime soon. It reminds him that, no matter how he tried to maintain that everyone in the Commune was equal, it wasn't true. Viktor was in possession of a greater power, and all of their lives depended on him.

That's what he keeps in mind, as they continue to walk through the Commune. There are water pumps, gardens, fruit trees. Some of the buildings appear to be for housing, others, blacksmithing and crafting. Medical tents and a lookout tower. Ostensibly for the residents, but based on the movement of the shadows, Viktor seems to be serious, about this place being open to anyone who needs help, even if they don't want to stay. He begins to walk them back up towards the temple, letting Kyle take in the echoes of activity.]

Before I woke up, the Doctor came to visit me.

[He sounds solemn, at that.]

[ Viktor says this isn't his duty, but it still is what he wants - to stay with him as long as he can, to protect him - both are intertwined in his mind. He circles back to Viktor's offer, giving that more time to settle as an actual possibility someday as they begin to walk.

Kyle tries to keep count of the shadow people, and quickly gives up. He touches things as they walk: the yellow flowers, a craftsman's tools, a windchime hanging from a metal arch. He dips his fingers into the cool, clean water coming from a pump, pulls a piece of fruit from a tree to occupy his mouth as he follows. Much of this place is beautiful, and he tells Viktor so as they approach the dome-like structure, shining like gold.

He stops, seemingly taken aback by that information. ]

What did he want?

[ His tone is carefully neutral again. His thoughts are cold - there are few people he wishes he could enact violence on, and this man is one of them.

He cannot imagine the Doctor sought Viktor out for anything good. ]

[It is a feat even for someone like Viktor to keep all of these impressions-of-people going at once, but he does his best so Kyle can get an idea of how things function. From far away, the figures are light on details, but as he gets closer he'll see that they're all wearing the same motif, circles and spirals.

Viktor himself looks thoughtful, knowing that he's about to prove Kyle right, about his security concerns, but wanting to discuss the matter, anyway. The conversation still lingers.]

I was harboring someone of interest to him.

[Someone, not something. Viktor had found the experiment abhorrent--the idea to use Vander for his own ascension even moreso.]

He proposed that we work together, to further my power.

[ He notices the uniformity in their clothing, the symbols that spiral across this place, touching everything - how they dress in white, while Viktor drapes himself in dark colors. He makes no comment, expecting by now that little of this is intentional on Viktor's part, at least not that they invoke the trappings of followers while he sets himself apart.

He doesn't even bother pointing out that what Viktor is telling him now is exactly one of his worries.

Instead, he moves closer again, running his hands down the sides of Viktor's arms. He knows Viktor's fears about some of this, about becoming like this man who styled himself a mentor. Kyle still believes they're nothing alike. He touches Viktor's face, brushing back his hair. ]

And?

[ Please tell him you told him to leave after that proposal. ]

[Viktor shakes his head, sure that's what Kyle wants to see. It's not untrue--Viktor has spent a not insignificant amount of time trying to separate himself from his first mentor, resolving never to be like him. He understands a bit more now, especially with his new insight, but he cannot say he'd ever sacrifice others to achieve his own goals, not in the way Singed wanted him to.]

His motives were transparent. He was not interested in the merit of my work, only how he might use it towards hid own ends.

[For what he could potentially do for his daughter Viktor has sympathy, of course. It does not excuse the harm the Doctor caused.]

I asked him to leave.

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it's TECHNICALLY tomorrow now

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