EVENT #23: CROSSROADS - IC LOG

[abraxasmods]

Event #23 - Crossroads

OOC Event Log

For the past few weeks, you've been stranded in a foreign territory or have had others stranded with you. Officials have assured everyone that the situation is temporary. They've been working hard to secure negotiations that would return everyone home...if that's what you want, of course. For anybody who wishes to stay in their new territory, authorities have promised that this is entirely possible. No one will be forced to go back if they don't want to.

The letter that arrives in the second week of February will say as much. It'll also emphasize that you must go to the exchange and that every Summoned has to be accounted for, or else the exchange may fall through. Even if you don't plan on returning - or you were never sent somewhere else to begin with - you'll still have to come.

The meeting will be held on neutral ground near the Singularity's now expanded crater but at a safe enough distance away. On FEBRUARY 18, portals will open to take you there.

While we will detail the incident leading up to characters fleeing, the majority of the event will be focused on characters surviving in their respective scenarios.

Remember: once you've chosen a SCENARIO for your character, they'll be rescued by the minor territory assigned to that scenario and will stay in that territory for the duration of March.

At the Exchange

The air of late winter is crisp even in the barren landscape around the crater. The Singularity stands tall and silent to the natives, but the Summoned will feel an electricity in the air. It might be magic seeping out from the cracked ground or it might be the tension that weaves the three mightiest nations closer together. The last time all three met here was for the Peace Summit three years ago. Now they meet again on the brink of war.

The territories have assured you that they anticipate everything to go smoothly. As you arrive, there is an attempt to cultivate a friendly atmosphere: Thorne has brought warm fur cloaks for anyone accidentally in the Free Cities who may be without, the Free Cities steps forward to announce compensation for any Summoned who were employed and could not attend to their job or business under the circumstances, and Solvunn declares it will be hosting an evening feast once all the Summoned have been returned to their rightful places. You even see Thornean mages and Free Cities officials chatting diplomatically, if superficially.

But as the exchange gets underway, the atmosphere begins to shift...and suddenly, nothing is as it seems.

Chaos Erupts

As a Summoned, you feel an electricity in the air. It might be magic seeping out from the cracked ground or it might be the tension that weaves the three mightiest nations.

Stillness falls across the gathering as each side waits for the other to make the first offering. An introduction that necessitates negotiation.

It never comes.

A flash from the north blinds you. Thunder drowns out all sound. The sharp scent of practiced magic rises into the air. Gunfire cracks in response. As explosions erupt around you, the facsimile of diplomacy tears like wet paper. Shouts are barely audible as soldiers, guards, and village elders rush forward.

You find yourself pulled between forces. Are they trying to hurt you, save you, or something else? A Thornean guard pushes you to the side. You can't tell if you were deliberately shoved into the line of fire or if it was an accident in the chaos. Someone else grabs you: a hooded Elder bearing the symbols of the Old Gods and urging you to come with them to safety. They can protect you from these dangerous nations, the Elder insists. The Gods have spoken.

As mayhem bleeds into the ground, the crater begins to shift and grow, reaching out to feed. The earth trembles. The soldiers, guards, and Elders notice too late as the crater expands far quicker than anyone could expect. It shatters stone, uproots trees, and swallows whole the natives who cannot withstand its powerful energy. They disintegrate in front of your eyes. Others cry out warnings and begin to flee - but they can't outrun the Singularity.

You are different. If you are one of the older Summoned, you'll remember being able to enter the Singularity's crater. In the past, it's dragged you into the Horizon...but not this time. Instead, you feel lulled by the crater's encroaching borders. You wonder if your best chance at surviving is to step into the crater where no native of Abraxas can reach you. Some of you might run toward it as a result of this conclusion. But, you may also have your doubts. If you try to flee with the rest, you'll find that you, too, cannot outrun the Singularity. As its reach extends across the entire swathe of neutral territory, you are inevitably sucked into its embrace and flung into a whirlwind.

On the Run

As you are teleported through a whirling vortex, you glimpse flashes of your domain in the Horizon. Indeed, for a few moments, it appears as though the domain itself has emerged and is now in the real world with you. Then you blink, and the sight vanishes, leaving you discombobulated.

Once you've gathered your wits, you realize you're nowhere near the original exchange site. If you attempt to use your powers, the effects are unintended: your fire spell causes rain to fall instead, or perhaps you accidentally summon a broomstick instead of your sword. It might last for a couple of hours or it might last for longer. The more powerful the ability, the longer it seems to take for it to start working correctly.

Regardless, you'll need to find each other somehow. Luckily, the Network is still working, so you can communicate with one another at a distance.

Northern Mountains

Though spring is on its way, the mountains are a tundra. Temperatures are frosty, but not as icy as they would've been a month ago. Maybe you've brought some warm clothes with you or the others have a spare cloak they've packed. You might've even brought a snack or some warming potions. Anything will help as you gather your bearings and try to determine where to go next.

If you were unlucky enough to have been one of the victims of Josselyn Creed's cult, you may recognize these ridges. Of course, everything rather looks the same when it's snowy and full of trees, but it's certainly possible to discern that you've been in these mountains before.

Characters in this scenario will go to NOCWICH.

Threats

◎ Revenant

A hoarfrost revenant has lived on these peaks for centuries. He cannot be killed. You can only run or chase him away, but he'll soon return. Take care not to stay in one place too long. A rattling chain and blue-flamed lantern announce his coming. His touch brings instant death, made clear by the frozen carcasses of animals left in his path.

With your arrival, he is now prowling in search of you...but if you encountered him before on these mountains, you'll notice that something's different this time: he does not attack. Instead, he will stand and watch - and if you, too, watch him for too long, you'll begin to grow warm. You'll then subsequently be overcome with the urge to remove your stifling layers of clothing despite the plummeting temperatures. Best hope someone not under his sway snaps you out of it.

◎ Whiteout

In the morning, you might be eager to get moving again. Perhaps you've been assigned foraging duties or you need to search for more firewood. As you leave your makeshift shelter, you realize the wind is whipping. Soon, a thick blizzard swirls around you, blanketing your surroundings in white. In the distance, you hear eerie howls...and you're not sure where you are anymore.

Be careful you don't trip and fall. With some concentration, you should still be able to find your way back home with the limited visibility...or, you might get lucky and somebody will come to your aid.

Resources

Though the mountains are dangerous, they also have what you need - if you know where to look. Snow hares can be hunted for food and any rations you might've had on your person can be shared among each other. Thick evergreen branches can be used for roofing. Alternatively, you can hunker down in a cave instead.

Most significantly, you can trek to an abandoned cabin containing some prechopped firewood that you can take, as well as an iron pot hanging over the cold hearth. Don't linger in the cabin too long, however. The more you stay, the more it feels like something is watching you. In the shadows, you spot two red eyes flickering in and out. You can't tell what this strange creature is, nor will it stop you from retrieving the few things you need, but eventually, the cabin's door will slowly open on its own, sending a clear message: it's time to leave.

Living Forest

Contrary to its name, the Living Forest is filled with seemingly dead trees. Like the Duskwoods, not much light penetrates, casting your surroundings in a dark gloom. Unlike the Duskwoods, it contains no giant mushrooms. Instead, the ground itself is covered in a thick moss, making every step you take feel as though you're walking upon a layer of marshmallows. Hidden in the moss itself are small vipers waiting to strike, each bite containing a venom that numbs the affected limb for several hours. Hazards are made all the more difficult to see due to the lack of light. While not pitch-black, the forest is gloomy and shrouded in a dark haze.

Those who've been to the Feywilds might not recognize where they are at first, but as you travel, you might notice something familiar: bright green and blue pear-shaped cocoons. Dozens of them hang from branches above you and will soon give birth to the aggressive spindled pear moths. As you study them, they begin to twitch, as if close to hatching. Maybe you shouldn't stay in this area too long...

Characters in this scenario will go to THE FEYWILDS.

Threats

◎ Strange Travelers

As you explore the murky woods, some of the trees shift oddly. You realize they aren't trees at all. Instead, they are figures on stilts, wandering in an endless circle. They do not speak. They are utterly silent.

One of them is holding a human-like infant. The child is also silent. While they won't actively threaten you, they have defended their territory with blinking mines stuck to trees and laid along the ground. The smooth steel and oddly modern lights imply a technology that far exceeds what should exist in Abraxas. Further, the mines don't seem to be powered by any magic at all.

Walk too close to a mine and you'll set it off, releasing a gas that knocks you unconscious. When you wake up, you'll have been dumped someplace far from where you were and must reorient yourself - if you can. Your belongings are untouched and you have no injuries beyond a few bruises or scrapes. It seems these Travelers aren't seeking to harm anyone unnecessarily, but they clearly want to be left alone.

◎ Flytraps

Massive Venus flytrap plants are one of the few plants that appear to flourish in these forests. The plant is difficult to spot in the dim light. Its vines will lash your ankles and trip you, then drag you toward its gaping maw. Its mouth is lined with sharp teeth and a corrosive spit that will burn your skin, eventually dissolving you into a paste. They're most prone to attack if you're carrying something that smells tasty: rations, freshly hunted meat, or foraged mushrooms.

Fortunately, the plants aren't too difficult to kill. A burst of magic or a few slashes from a sharp blade will release you. Still, in a situation such as this, even a twisted ankle or an infected cut could make a difference in your survival. Try to avoid the plants where possible.

Resources

As you explore the Living Forest, you might stumble across an abandoned garden that hasn't been harvested and is in full bloom as if it's spring. A variety of vegetables such as carrots, onions, and cabbages can be found, as well as some herbs for wounds and potions. The area shimmers with Seelie Magic. When you examine the crops closer, you realize that some of the garden is beginning to wilt and rot as the magic fades before your very eyes. A sign of what lies in the Feywilds, it would seem that all things Fey have left this realm altogether, leaving behind only remnants of their diminishing spells.

You can freely harvest the garden. None of the crops appear to be dangerous and the garden looks truly abandoned. However, you'll need to work quickly. The magic won't last until sunrise, so take what you can - you won't have the opportunity to return. Of course, don't overburden yourself, either, or attract predators with what you're carrying.

Open Ocean

Your arrival in the ocean will be more of a shock than the others as you splash into the water. Curiously, though it's still winter, the water isn't as cold as you might expect. It's almost unnaturally warm. As you struggle to stay afloat, the current begins to push you toward something floating in the distance: a large raft covered in moss. It resembles a small land mass, floating in the open sea, with a small curve like a hill or a hump...or the shell of a turtle.

It's possible a few of your fellow Summoned have already found refuge atop the creature's back or you might be among the first. Regardless, you'll want to help search for the others...and the island itself appears to be searching with you. Summoned who have been around a while might remember the Sea Giants who have come to your aid more than once. This may be yet another friendly Sea Giant - not quite the turtle some of you previously met, but perhaps a relative or a friend.

While the creature will try its best to keep you afloat, stormy winds and tall waves will still violently rock the living raft and may sweep away those who aren't careful. Make sure you hang on tight to the vines growing along the surface.

Characters in this scenario will go to THE NETHER.

Threats

◎ Leviathan Attack

Though leviathans are a predictable threat in the ocean, it doesn't make them any less dangerous. Appearing in all shapes and sizes, the one that rises from the water in the dead of night is difficult to discern: you glimpse massive teeth and glowing yellow eyes that, from a distance, resembles the blinking signal of a lighthouse. The leviathan will attack the creature who serves as your raft, who will struggle to defend itself.

You can help in any manner you wish. Attacking the leviathan or casting wards will aid the friendly turtle. While the leviathan is not easy to deter, it can be driven away if faced with enough aggression and will eventually leave in search of easier prey. Don't lose anyone overboard. Any Summoned who falls into the water while the leviathan is attacking will be swallowed up. Avoid its thrashing tail spikes, too.

◎ Aggressive Seabirds

More of a nuisance than a threat, seabirds are a constant menace, squawking day and night and attempting to steal rations, clothes, and other supplies that might be left unattended on the raft. These birds are quick and massive, swooping in and disappearing in an instant. They won't attack without provocation, but anyone trying to take back their belongings will find themselves assaulted by beating wings and sharp talons.

You can chase them off with rocks, sharp objects, or small spells. Supplies can also be warded, but with many people's magic working oddly, the wards might not last as long as they should or may backfire if struck too often by the birds. It may be a good idea to touch up the wards or assign someone to guard your things the old-fashioned way.

Resources

After a rough night, you'll awaken to discover that your raft has brought you to a small island. It's unclear where this island is from or whether anyone has ever mapped it, but nonetheless, the island exists. More importantly, it contains crabs and mussels that can be dug up. You can also find, inexplicably, some coconuts. Possibly bespelled by a Thornean mage who washed ashore in the past, these coconut trees have continued to flourish for decades, if not centuries.

You won't be able to spend long on the island. As the tide rises, more and more of the island begins to disappear. Soon, the water will swallow it up altogether and you'll be forced to board the creature's back again with your findings. Don't get greedy. If you linger too long, your efforts might be washed away with the tide.

Rescue

As your resources dwindle and your situation grows more dire, a glimmer will shine in the distance. You peer at it, curious and, perhaps, a bit anxious. Is it another threat? Is it a rescue? Or is it something else altogether?

Please wait for the WRAP-UP before proceeding to write your character being rescued. Full details will be provided on the Wrap-Up that will help inform what your character will be doing in March, including which NPCs your character will be seeing and the exact manner in which your character will be rescued.

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Comments

timeskip

[ushiri]

[ Kyle moves with no intention of letting either of them stop, guiding Viktor with one arm around his shoulder in case they do need to drop to the dirt again. He thinks to just lift Viktor up, but the added weight forces him to quickly nix that plan. The crater itself seems to be surging toward them, the dangers of entering it lesser than what it happening around them - the screams of native Abraxans cut off as their bodies disintegrate, the land itself breaking beneath the weight of the storm of energy erupting around them.

He pulls Viktor close to his chest once they breach the crater's line, trying to shield him from the debris as the land itself seems to shift and vanish - for a brief, strange moment he catches sight of his domain, the towering figures reaching out from either side of the temple - and then they're gone.



On the turtle's back night has arrived with no sign of land yet. He can't sleep - he might try to do so in short shifts, but they've already sighted one leviathan and have to be prepared for another attack at some point. The weather also proves unpredictable.

This isn't the worst place he's had to rest, at least. The moss softens the turtle's shell, the vines can be rearranged. He knows it's much less comfortable for Viktor, and when they lie down he positions them so his back is braced against the wind's current direction, trying to shield him from the worst of the cold - which should be worse this time of year, but thankfully isn't. Maybe their turtle friend knows some magic - or maybe they're far off from where he initially guessed they might have landed. ]

Does this count as our boat trip? [ he teases, bringing Viktor's flesh hand close to his lips to warm it with his breath. ]

[techmaturgy]

[Viktor, too, has trouble sleeping, though he does at least try. The way the turtle moves in the water has him drifting off for a few moments here and there, but ultimately it's cold and uncomfortable, and he huddles up against Kyle in order to mitigate that.]

No. Not enough tiny desserts.

[Thinking fondly of happier times together, on boats, might warm him. Or maybe it's just his imagination.

He shifts, turning so that he's facing Kyle, ostensibly to see if that position is any warmer, but finding his hand tracing over spot on his chest where there used to be a wound. How close they came, to not making it out of this alive.]

How are you feeling?

[ushiri]

[ He grins and laughs through his nose at that, then closes his eyes as Viktor starts tracing over his chest. Through the cut in his jerkin and shirt there are light marks where Viktor had healed him, the moon is bright enough that they sometimes glint in the light. He hasn't had time to inspect them himself - truthfully, everything that happened before they plunged into the ocean feels almost like a fever dream.

If not for the marks, he might doubt any of it happened at all.

He watches Viktor through half-lidded eyes, content right now in spite of everything else. ]

I feel fine, thanks to you.

[ He could tease about feeling damp and smelling like fish, but he takes the question seriously, wanting to soothe in return. He closes his eyes again, trying to recall those last moments. In a curious tone: ]

Is it still in there? The bullet. [ He can't feel anything, no discomfort that he supposes would come with a foreign object lodged in a healed wound. ]

[techmaturgy]

I wasn't sure if it was going to work.

[Of course, he's glad that it did. Viktor presses his forehead against Kyle's chest, listening to his heartbeat, finding that solace enough. He keeps himself from Kyle's mind without express permission, but what he saw during the healing still lingers. Viktor wants to ask about that, but starting with how he's feeling, physically, is probably the safer bet.

He knows little about how his own powers work, removed from the Hexcore.]

I repurposed the metal of the bullet, for the augmentation.

[It's incorporated, both in the ghost-like fingerprints, and Viktor imagines that underneath the scar might be delicate metal mesh, in the pattern he's become familiar with.]

[ushiri]

[ He lets his hand draw up the back of Viktor's neck, stroking through his hair. He doesn't feel much anxiety about winding around each other like this. There's no privacy here, but they're among friends, and besides that they have no idea what the morning will bring.

Viktor's shown him the abilities the Singularity granted him before. He doesn't know what to make of them matching so closely to the power he gains in his dream. But, he's glad to be alive. The marks on his chest don't seem to bother him either, neither does the idea that there might be permanent changes deeper within where he was wounded. This isn't like the ritual bond he has with the Rifter - but he wants to think it's something more than the blood he once offered Viktor - that if he needed to find him again, now there is this.

He thinks it's too strange to admit aloud (the blood felt like it was pushing it), and keeps it to himself. ]

I don't feel it. [ he reassures, pressing his lips to the top of his head with a little huff. ] Like it didn't even happen.

[techmaturgy]

[None of this is lost on him, how his singularity-given abilities work in tandem with his newfound powers. Were he not feeling such overwhelming relief, he might interrogate this further. For now, he's exhausted, trying to unwind from too many brushes with death today.

Kyle, for his part, is being gracious. Viktor now knows he did not react so well to being augmented against his will, but it does give him a small taste of how Jayce must have felt. Terrified, making a decision under impossible circumstances. How the only thing that matters is that Kyle is alive.]

When I heal someone, I can see their mind. I saw yours.

[He wonders if Kyle felt it, too.]

[ushiri]

[ His hand goes still for a moment. Quietly: ]

What did you see?

[ Thinking back, he faintly remembers feeling something. When his mind or fate has been intruded on in the past, he's used his Prayerscars to lock that door. This time, he only sensed someone he cared for, someone who he has already shared so much with.

Now, less disoriented, he worries what exactly Viktor might have seen. For all that he's told him, there's still parts of his life he doesn't want to share with anyone, that he's not sure he ever will. But he expects Viktor would take a different tone if that were the case, and he lets himself go back to stroking his hair after that brief pause. ]

[techmaturgy]

[Usually, when he heals, Viktor is able to handle things more delicately. He sees the whole of a person, but in a way that allows him to thoughtfully address the causes of their pain, physical and otherwise. He'd healed Kyle in a panic, with no control over what he saw or any time to do anything but address the wound itself.

Viktor brushes Kyle's hair away from his face, an attempt to be reassuring.]

I saw the moment you were split in two.

[He's sure Kyle won't be angry, hearing that, but it can't be comfortable, and Viktor knows it was a violation, even accidental. Even if only to safe his live.]

It felt painful. I'm so sorry.

[ushiri]

[ He closes his eyes when Viktor's fingers brush his skin, whatever amount of tension may have been building before seems to bleed away. There's no anger, and he doesn't feel particularly violated - he's only sorry Viktor had to experience any amount of the pain itself. It actually takes him a minute to parse what Viktor's even referring to at first, split in two is not how he thinks of the experience - but he sorts out what he means quickly enough. ]

It's alright. [ There's nothing for him to apologize for. ] I was desperate to get back even though the path was closed. I knew the risk.

[ This was part of why Viktor had worried him so much back when they first talked about what it cost to travel between space and time. The desperation had a different tone, but it was almost the same. He pulls Viktor a little closer. ]

You... [ tentatively: ] ... we can be more careful.

[techmaturgy]

You've told me of the danger.

[And Viktor had been dismissive, simply because he thought he wouldn't make those mistakes. Now, having had a glimpse of a future where he made the most grievous mistake of all, he seems contrite.]

I believed you, but. It was easy to convince myself that it couldn't happen to me.

[He supposes it's still a possibility of this danger, but Kyle is right that they are being careful. It's not necessarily reassuring, in the moment, but that's mostly because he's feeling some guilt, to have done all this without Kyle's consent.]

cw: ref to past suicidal ideation

[ushiri]

[ Catching that contriteness he cups Viktor's cheek, tilting his face so that he can place a soft kiss on his forehead, then again. ]

You're more confident than most men - I always liked that about you, even when it was frustrating. You're more compassionate than most men, too. [ That kindness warmed Kyle to him. But it's also a vulnerability - and now they know in at least one vision of the future Viktor allowed that pain and guilt to nearly kill him. Kyle strokes his cheek, tenderly placing another kiss on his forehead and lingering there longer this time before continuing: ]

Whatever else happens - I still trust you. I believe in you.

[techmaturgy]

[He squeezes his eyes shut at the contact, enjoying it but at the same time feeling undeserving of both that and the compliment. Kyle has been right all along--Viktor is capable of great harm, if he isn't careful.

He hopes it doesn't have to be this way.]

I was afraid to lose you.

[Viktor does not necessarily cope well, with the threat of imminent death, especially when he can do something in the moment to prevent it. Something he and Jayce have in common, he thinks.]

[ushiri]

[ It's almost too easy to forget for a moment that they aren't still in danger. He stops placing little kisses on Viktor so that he can look at him, a hand still at his cheek. ]

I know. [ a beat ] I think I felt it.

[ Viktor's fear and then his relief, right as Kyle came back to consciousness. He brushes his thumb over Viktor's cheek again, a crease at his brow and a flicker of doubt as he processes all the pieces of this conversation. ]

- you know that I'm only grateful, right? You saved me. [ If Viktor feels any guilt over the method he used, the side effect of whatever connection they shared for a brief moment - there's no reason for it in Kyle's mind. He cups his cheek again, speaking in a hushed tone. ]

I've cheated death many, many times now. I thought I only survived because god still has some purpose for me, and I've struggled each time to understand why. [ Why him and not his family - and beyond that, what Parfir even wants of him in this world. He thought he saw the signs of his will again in Viktor's domain, tried to offer himself in that way, and found it rejected. He's been thinking about that. He closes his eyes now. ]

But maybe I'm just allowed to live. [ Maybe this is a weak man's way out, but it's not exactly a new realization. It's been a while since he last called himself Kahlil, he no longer guards the Rifter's black sword, and he has not been called back to Basawar. Even if he was - it would be to step back into his other self's life, and he doesn't want that, if he ever did. ]

I'm afraid of losing you too. [ To the dangers here, to Viktor's future - his choices once he returns to Zaun. But he tries to focus on the present. ]

I've loved this life. I love you.

[ Maybe it's okay for him to say it now. ]

[techmaturgy]

[Viktor squeezes his eyes shut, forehead pressed against Kyle's and fingers brushing his knuckles. All of this is still hard to hear, even though he knows it's nonsensical by now. He tries to focus on Kyle's physical presence, the feel of their arms around each other and the warmth of his body, especially against the chill of the night air.

He finds himself resenting the idea that Kyle thinks he needs a god's permission to live, and keep living. He wonders, perhaps uncharitably, if he might have inadvertently contributed to this, by healing him--but then Kyle comes to the correct conclusion. Viktor smiles, gently.]

You are allowed to live. You do not need anyone's permission.

[I want you to live. The rest of the confession, he doesn't exactly expect. Even without the ability to peer into Kyle's mind, this is something he thinks he's known for some time--that doesn't make it any less surprising to hear, his lips parting slightly as if he's going to say something but can't quite find the words.

It's been a strange journey, to love someone after being so convinced that there could have only been Jayce. Viktor still misses him, the wound made fresh by encountering a version of him once again, in a dream. Still, he's surprised by his own clarity of mind, an understanding that he can care for two people equally. That he can want this, with Kyle, just as much as he wanted this with Jayce--and admit to himself that the latter might be an impossibility, at this point.

He reminds himself that it's not wrong, to allow himself this happiness.]

I...I do too. [He starts, in a small sort of voice that indicates he says this very rarely--said it very rarely, even to Jayce.] I love you. I'm sorry I couldn't say it before.

[ushiri]

You don't have to apologize - [ he follows up quickly, needing to reassure again. He didn't need Viktor to say it back - everything he's given him up until now has been enough. He hasn't forgotten how this began, when Viktor laid out his fears of being hurt again.

But it's clear from the way his voice cracks just slightly, swallowing down a lump in his throat as he lets both arms wrap around Viktor again to pull him close. He'd been taught all his life that this wasn't something he could have, or deserved. He still isn't certain he deserves this happiness, but he desperately wants to hold onto it - and if they can't say these words again, then he can keep finding ways to show him. He wants to wake up next to him in the mornings, to kiss all the little marks and freckles across his body. He wants to slip behind him while he's working and try to distract him, he wants to feel his excitement at some new breakthrough - even when he sometimes half understands what he's talking about.

It takes him a minute to ride this out, this sensation like his heart might burst. He swallows again, speaking when he's sure his voice won't crack again. ]

When we can be alone again, there's more I should tell you - things I did before I came here.

[ Just a moment ago he had been scared of what Viktor might've picked up from his broken mind. But he realizes, as much as he doesn't want Viktor to know these ugly things, he wants to choose to share it with him, rather than having it happen by accident one day. He feels a little less afraid now, too. His brow furrows, still pressed against Viktor's. ]

I meant what I said in Horizon. [ When he had kneeled in front of him and said he would follow him to Zaun. The way he had done it wasn't right, he understands now - ] I know you want to give me a choice - but I want to stay by your side.

[ Where they go doesn't matter to him. ]

[techmaturgy]

[Now that they've managed to verbalize it to each other, Viktor feels a weight lift. His hands cover Kyle's, all the better to hold his face and close the scant distance to kiss him. Each cheek, his forehead, on his eyelids. He allows himself to feel the relief all at once, both for this confession and the fact that Kyle is alive and warm in his arms, when he might not have been just hours ago.]

I don't care what you did before you came here. It's not going to change my mind.

[Of course he wants to hear it--he wants to know everything about Kyle, the good and the bad--but he also wants Kyle to know that his perceived transgressions don't make him any less deserving of this.]

When we find a way out of this place, I'll take you wherever you want to go. There's so much I want to show you.

[ushiri]

[ He feels like he's been chasing after something intangible for most of his life. That tightness returns to his chest as Viktor kisses each each place on him with a tenderness he'd only ever experienced in someone else's memories before - but now is his own, wanted and loved, and despite current circumstances, gives him a sense of safety that he has rarely experienced in his life.

He lets out a soft breath when Viktor pulls back to speak again, nodding. Viktor's assured him before that his past is the past, and he relaxes against him, letting his eyes close. ]

Wherever we want to go. [ One day. And the others too. ] I'd like that.

[techmaturgy]

[He smiles, and nods. Viktor's hand of living metal slides down Kyle's chest, the fingerprints there, a perfect match. He doesn't regret what he's done, but they both know, now, that it will not be so easy to separate, at the other side of all this. But maybe they don't have to.]

I promise.

[He's sincere, even if even escaping this place is still hypothetical. It feels closer than ever.]

So, start thinking about where you'd like to go.