OPEN: We Vow To Keep Pressing Forward

[hextechhead]

WHO: Jayce Talis and you
WHAT: Jayce is new, come meet him!
WHERE: Cadens and the Horizon
WHEN: April, will add event stuff later





Starters Below!

If you want a specific starter message waftingcurtains on plurk or go wildcard!

Comments

OPEN: Cadens - Nerd Activation

[hextechhead]

After finding Viktor, Jayce settles down and focuses on adjusting to life in this new world. New people or those who frequent the barracks might remember him arguing loudly with the people there about needing to get back and generally being restless and frustrated. Seeing him now is a stark difference as he seems calm but always a man with a purpose, he doesn't wander, he seems to always have somewhere in mind to go. Jayce is a tall man at 6'4, built like a brick wall, with dark hair and hazel eyes, and this overhanging deep sincerity hanging over everything he says or does. He has made himself a pin with The Magician symbol on it so is noticeably part of the Summoned.

He can often be found helping people fix minor things like a broken wheel or plumbing or offering to carry heavy objects. It doesn't matter if they are natives or Summoned, he has an impressive amount of bulk and he is quick to rush over if someone looks like they are struggling. Jayce will chat enthusiastically with technology vendors and anyone else who seems interested in the gadgets they have.

Jayce also ends up at the academy regularly, sitting in on classes and raising his hand when he has an answer or a further question. He is most interested in science courses and medicine. He takes thorough notes so if anyone is there to study and wants to look at them, by all means ask. He sometimes goes up to the professor after and enthusiastically chatting with them, which is funny as he is not an actual student here. He will come up to other people who were there and ask what they thought of the lecture.

He also visits all the museums and seems deeply interested in what he's looking at whether it's artwork, history, or medicine. In the museums, he is also taking notes because he wants to make certain he recalls details for later. If someone comes up when he's looking closely, he'll turn and smile. "Fascinating, isn't it? There's so much culture here."

He can also be found in the library surrounded by a massive amount of books that he's looking through. All of them there are medicine specific or fundamentals of magic. His notes are filling up a book by this point and there are sketches in there too, doodles of inventions in progress. Every page of his notebook has 'Jayce Talis' written at the bottom of it.

Shortly after arriving Jayce gets taken on as a freelance blacksmith after proving his skills to the owner. If you come in to that place or are in the area of the shop, he will be there messing around with a screwdriver, eager to help and take orders.

For people who know of Viktor's workshop, Jayce is often there or he can be seen coming in and out with boxes of supplies. If you come in looking for Viktor, you'll be greeted with Jayce looking a little confused at the intrusion, but curious.

Workshop

[cryptsleeper]

[Nominally, Alucard is visiting Viktor's workshop to loan a book. Specifically the one that Viktor had been kind enough to gift him at the concert at Old Public Hall, making them a circulating library of one book and two people. It was very silly, but in an enjoyable way. He's annotated the work now, but not on the pages themselves. Instead he has bundled a small notebook made of calfskin with the actual book in question, everything carefully transcribed, referenced, and even dated.

So he can be forgiven, probably, for a face of genuine surprise at seeing another in Viktor's workshop. There is a pause when the dhampir sees Jayce, followed by a slight head tilt.]

Am I correct in assuming Viktor is not in?

[hextechhead]

[ Jayce seems very at home in the space despite being new to it, but that's because he and Viktor always share well. He is currently reading a book on medicine, notes set to the side for now although he sometimes jots things down, comfortably sitting with his feet up on the nearby table, and he glances up. Oh interesting. Viktor gave him a quick summary of everyone he connected with here, but no physical descriptions so it could be anyone at this point. ]

No, not sure where he's at, but he'll be back eventually.

[ Jayce sets the book down and straightens, getting out of the chair to smile curiously at Alucard, offering his hand politely. He's the opposite of Viktor in that he's tall, broad, and very expressive. ]

Hi, I'm Jayce, Viktor's partner from back home. I just got here.

[cryptsleeper]

[It's hard to miss precisely how comfortable this man is within the lab space. The way he carries himself, never mind just sits, makes it seem as if he has been here the whole time, and the effect of it is quite remarkable. It is also something Alucard is not inclined to comment on. Not his lab, after all.

The introduction explains everything though. There's a polite nod to the hand, as the formality isn't something Alucard still isn't inclined to do, nor culturally what is done back in Wallachia.] Alucard.

[He's quick to move on, knowing the potential risk for awkward non-shaking.] I've seen some examples of your collaborative work with Viktor. The balance of magic and technology is quite remarkable both from a design standpoint and the possibilities it opens up.

[hextechhead]

[ Jayce understands the nod for what it is and takes back his hand, nodding in return if that's the preferred greeting. He's spent hours shaking hands before at events so he doesn't mind the lack of one. He notes the name in his head and remembers what Viktor said about the man in an instant. ]

Nice to meet you, Alucard. You're the one repairing the public hall, right?

[ Jayce never forgets details, especially not the ones he's given from his partner. He doesn't know that much about the project but it's definitely of interest, it's always great when people put in the time to improve places. That's what drove him and Viktor to their calling, and that was in their own home. To do it somewhere else is impressive.

And then Alucard is talking about his very favorite subject and his smile and eyes brighten. ]

Thank you. It is a lifelong passion of mine, I got the idea when I was a child and a mage saved me and my mother from certain death. I spent every minute after that trying to find a way to prove the Hextech theory, but I wasn't successful until Viktor partnered with me.

[ He speaks energetically and sincerely about it, his passion indeed. Jayce may have had the idea, but Viktor completed it.]

The new magic here seems to have the same mindset, so we're working on melding the two together.

heavy lifting

[monomachy]

Though it takes about a week, Diana's strength does return to her. She's grateful when she wakes up feeling revitalized, relieved that she hasn't lost that connection to her home. And it means she can do so much more now than just wander around the outpost and Cadens, mapping them in her mind, and training when that becomes tiresome. The people who live in the outpost are mostly soldiers, and she feels comfortable among them. But those in the capitol's heart are so full of energy and life that she simply cannot stay away.

Any spare time she gives herself is spent among the people there: listening to visiting professors in any of the many museums, sampling the abundance of street food, and most often, simply helping out where she can. It's usually small things, like opening a door for an overburdened seamstress or reaching for something high up on an apothecary's shelf. Simple acts of kindness, but ones that help seal the crack in her heart--and ones that earn her no small amount of gratitude from those benefitting from her aid; she's been gifted a dress of simple make and fine fabric, and she wears it with pride. Plus, it's much more comfortable than the uniforms she's been wearing in the barracks.

Today, a wagon has stopped across the road from a merchant's shop, laden with furs and rugs. The driver is busy fiddling with a loose wheel on the cart, leaving his assistant to empty the wares. Diana's offer of help is considered and accepted in short order, and she holds her arms out with a little amusement as the assistant starts to pile wares up into her arms, so high that she can't see over them. But she still manages to navigate her way across the street without incident--well, mostly. She nearly runs into a young man she almost doesn't see, but pivots at the last moment to avoid toppling her burden over his head. She cranes her neck to the side:

"Sorry! are you alright?"

[hextechhead]

Jayce is rarely still these days, there's just so much to do in this new world, so much to learn. Their work has had to restart and Viktor gives him plenty of things to focus on too. Plus there's the making money enough for them, and it means a very full day from morning to night. He is actually strangely dressed for a desert. He wears layers, unlike most people. His white shirt is short-sleeved but for some reason he has a red vest over it and a tie of all things tucked underneath. It may seem strange, but it's a nod to his home before, and some things just don't change. Viktor dresses the same way.

He also has a The Magician arcana pin on his collar to mark him as a Summoned, he chose to do that more as a sign to others. Most of the time Jayce is very good at knowing what's going on around him, but he is taking some last notes from his healing class so momentarily distracted.

When Jayce glances up after seeing the quick movement to the side, he gapes for a moment. She is carrying far too many furs and rugs. More than he thinks most people could even come close to handling. He is extremely strong and he's not entirely certain he would be able to, at the least not balance them so well. "It was my fault for not paying attention, I'm the sorry one."

Jayce considers offering to help her with them, but at this point it would be more difficult to transfer them. "Hold on, let me help." He stands in the street and puts his hand out. "Everyone stop for a moment, let this woman get to the shop safely." His voice rings out with unexpected authority, a firm way of speaking that actually gets people to listen. He makes certain the people on the other side of her heard him too, and it seems to temporarily pause the street exactly as needed.

"Thank you, everyone," he says with a smile, not a stern person at all. "Ma'am, how else can I help?"

[monomachy]

Diana has yet to learn her own Arcana, but she does vaguely recognize the pin at his lapel as that of the Magician. She notes it, and then her brows raise slightly at his apology. If she had a free hand, she'd wave him off; she should have been more aware of her surroundings. But before she can say as much, he's offered his help--which turns out to be halting traffic so she may cross the street.

She's a little astounded--and can't help the slight pink that dusts across her cheekbones. Still, she offers a surprised, "Thank you," before continuing on. Diana hadn't expected such aid, but is grateful for it as she's able to make her way to the shop without fear of running into anyone else.

"Diana of Themyscira," she offers, shifting the rugs and furs in her arms. Her gaze falls on the shopkeeper just in the doorway before her attention turns back to the man before her. "Could you take the top few, just so I can see?" She bends her knees as she speaks, keeping everything perfectly balanced but putting some of the rugs in easier reach.

nerdshop.

[wiedzminka]

Naturally, Ciri assumes he is another client. (Is client the right word for the deal she has with Viktor? Associate?) The large man looks rather out of place in the workshop, or so Ciri thinks.

Then, she notices he appears to be sorting through a box of supplies she'd brought earlier in the week. Someone Viktor hired on for help, then. Or a very bad thief.

"You Viktor's apprentice?" she asks bluntly, without bothering to introduce herself.

[hextechhead]

It has not stopped surprising him how many people know Viktor and seem to visit, whether for personal reasons or work, but it's a good thing. Jayce glances up when she comes in and smiles, setting aside the box for now. He is currently putting together a tool belt, that seems helpful considering what he's starting, and finding items to put on it.

"I'm his partner from home. I just got here. Jayce Talis." He could be seen as the opposite of Viktor, both in physical size and appearance, and that he has a very open and warm energy to him. He stopped going straight for handshakes since that doesn't seem popular here, so he waves instead.

"I'm not entirely sure where he is, can I help you with anything?"

[wiedzminka]

"Never mentioned a partner."

Which means little, honestly; if he's someone from home, then he's an unexpected arrival. Seems he's a welcome one, if Viktor leaves him in his shop alone. She has no reason to doubt this Jayce, so she only shrugs, her comment mild, not really meaning anything by it. Viktor's hardly the chatty type (unless it comes to his projects), and she's perfectly fine with that all around.

"I came to check if he needed anything, and how the last batch of supplies worked out for him. I'm heading out to the desert. Plan to take the mask he made me and try out the advanced air filtration system, or whatever he called it."

She eyes Jayce curiously.

"How long since they pulled you out?"

blacksmith;

[shadowthief]

Inej walks into the shop and, at first glance, it seems empty. She frowns a little and wanders further inside, calling out a cautious, "Hello? Anyone here?"

She wants to discuss a request for a set of daggers, but she needs to know the necessary coin for the project before she endeavours much further in the thought process of it all.

[hextechhead]

Jayce has been tasked with paying attention to incoming customers by his new boss, or boss-adjacent, and he's never really worked in a shop before. He's used to being inside the forge itself, but it's interesting to be on the other end, the customer service side. He appears out of the back room, a tall and large man with a The Magician pin on his collar intentionally, strangely wearing a tie despite the heat. Some things just don't change. He wears the pin in case of seeing Summoned, as it wouldn't make a whole lot of sense outside of them.

"Hello, I'm here. I'm Jayce Talis, new guy." He doesn't know yet if this young woman is someone who is an old customer or not, she could be for all he knows, so he smiles politely at her.

[shadowthief]

"Hello, Mr Talis," she greets him with an easy smile. He's very tall, but she's very used to being around tall people, and nothing about his stature seems to intimidate her in any way at all.

She approaches the counter and explains, "I am Inej and I am here to inquire about having a pair of bone-handled daggers made." Maybe she already has enough to pay for them, but she isn't holding onto that hope too tightly just yet.

Workshop visit

[fourarmedandangerous]

It's as Jayce is taking out a box of supplies, the crowd down the way parts as a familiar and hard to miss figure strides towards the lab. As Goro nears, his eyes narrow at the apparent stranger lingering around his lab (Viktor works there, but the lab was secured by Goro, ergo to the Shokan prince it is, indeed, his lab. He simply lets Viktor make use of it), but recognition settles in quickly. Now this was a young man who had promise.

...And an old research partner. Much like Viktor's missing research partner.

Onaga be praised, some luck had finally dropped into Goro's lap. An upper arm is raised. "Hold a moment. Master Jayce, what a pleasant surprise." The words are kind, but said in Goro's usual booming voice that betray no hint of emotion other than his usual stoicism. But it does mask his secret delight at how well this works out. Two of them. By the Elder Gods, there's now two of them.

"You and Viktor's missing research partners. Not a coincidence after all, it seems."

[hextechhead]

Jayce pauses as the crowd parts, and he can tell why, he was impressed with Goro's physical presence from the moment they met at the barracks. While Jayce is not good at hiding his emotions which can be a problem, his conversation with Viktor about the situation means that he's trying to be open-minded and not make emotional judgment calls. He's heard conflicting reports of Goro's politics here, but he promised to give this a chance, and he means his promises. He's wary but also open at the moment. He is a politician himself, after all, underneath everything. So his nod to Goro is genuinely respectful as he comes over.

"It's just Jayce, Goro, and yes, no coincidence at all. More like luck, I guess." He uses Goro's name as it is because that was how he was introduced to him, without titles or anything, so he assumes it's fine. Jayce is back to dressing similarly to his old style, only with a short-sleeved white shirt and humorously, a red vest over it with a black tie of all things tucked into it. It should be easy to note this is how Viktor dresses a lot of the time too; apparently they are holding on to their academy styles even in a desert.

"Viktor filled me in on the work you two discussed so I'll be assisting as well on top of other projects. You can consider us a package deal." Which means it's not as if Goro has to give any extra funds to have both minds, he provided Viktor the money and the space, and that covers the partnership. It is really that simple.

[fourarmedandangerous]

"Yes. I was just thinking that myself." Goro replies as he stops a short distance away from Jayce. Definitely a kind of luck. Remains to be seen what kind. He nods towards Jayce's outfit. "You are already settling in." He notes. "And yes. I foresee no difficulties in that." He nods. "I had already offered assistants to Viktor to help share the load, but he proved rather...stubborn in his refusal."

He glances towards the door of the lab, then back to Jayce. "Six months is an aggressive schedule. Five now." Four and a half, really. "Knowing he was without a long-term partner, I had...concerns about his ability to take on a full workload by himself." Truth be told, he still does. Humans always look frail and weak to Goro merely on the grounds of not being Shokan, but even he can see Viktor is not well, and showing no signs of improvement. "Your arrival so soon afterwards can only be a sign of favour from the Elder Gods themselves."

OPEN: Horizon

[hextechhead]

Jayce's Horizon is notable for a few locations, but the most obvious one is that he shares the exact lab Viktor does. If someone comes expecting to find Viktor, they'll instead see Jayce at the workspace that until now had been empty, because it is his. That space is newly filled with notes, gadgets, hammers, and books. Jayce is sometimes lost in thought and sits comfortably with his legs up on the table, fiddling with something metal in his hands or sketching. You can see there are three refined Hextech crystals there, although they will not work for anyone but Jayce and Viktor, they just look shiny.

Their Horizon has multiple floors and a clearly marked lift that will take people where they want to go. Attached to the lab, if someone comes and can't find either of its inhabitants, is Jayce's apartment. It was destroyed back in their world but here it's full of books, tools, paperwork, and a long blackboard with equations on it. It's very cluttered. If you go out onto the balcony, you can see some of Piltover although none of the blimps or giant buildings are real, they just look like it from a distance.

The floor below for those curious enough to look around has two very interesting locations: Heimerdinger's lab and the Meditation area. Their mentor's lab is special because while in it there is no gravity and it is bright blue. The room sparkles with energy and some static, and if you want to hover around or swim through the air, this is the place to do it. At the center of the room is a bright blue portal that if you push something through it, it zips to the other side after disappearing. The meditation area is a gorgeous field with beautiful flowers, in a room-size space, and it is calm with what looks like mountains in the background although that's more of a greenscreen effect. Jayce can be found meditating there and with magic books around him, practicing. The spell he seems most focused on is minor healing, so he is giving himself a papercut and then healing it right after.

At the bottom is the Talis Forge. While Viktor has pointed out to him it doesn't need to be swelteringly hot, it is. Some things Jayce is so used to he can't see it any other way. If someone visits he is able to turn it off, but he likes the heat and the smell of oil and engines. The fire is always going hot and there are several tables with a variety of tools.

The Council Room, secret room, and Mercury Hammer currently are not visible or able to go to.

[carmesi]

[when wanda approaches the horizon that she knows belongs to viktor, she is expecting to meet this acquaintance of hers to talk a bit more about his interest in magic—perhaps intrude a little bit in something slightly less 'business' over a cup of tea. for all that he is logical and narrow-focused on his work and research, there is interest for wanda to hear about his world, the arcane, his life before this.

it is fascinating to hear about the other words hiding in the layers of their vast multiverse.

what wanda is certainly not expecting, when she steps in through the doors of viktor's lab, is to see a man—entirely opposite of viktor. where the former looks sickly, this man looks... healthy.

she stops, frozen on the spot, wondering wildly for a moment if she stepped into the wrong domain.]

... is this not Viktor's Horizon?

[it needs to be asked.]

[hextechhead]

[ Jayce is pacing as he goes over the notes Viktor had about a better way to contain the Hexcore, since usually he's the one that creates the physical designs in the forge so he needs to know it backwards and forwards. He expects to see Viktor when the doors open and glances up, not surprised by the question since he's the new one to the space. He sets the notes onto his desk which used to be empty before and now it is filled with his things. Tools, gears, and sketches mostly. ]

It is, sorry to startle you. I'm Jayce, Viktor's partner. I only recently arrived in this world so I'm new.

[ He has tried to shake hands before and it doesn't seem to be very popular, so he nods his head respectfully instead. Jayce is the opposite of Viktor not only in physicality but he's warm, open, his features soft and curious. Viktor's told him a general summary of most people he's met here, although his descriptions never involve physical details, so he's still usually blind when it comes to meeting people at first. ]

We share this lab at home, so I took my work space back.

[ He gestures over to the desk in question. He thinks it's sweet that Viktor kept it empty instead of getting rid of it. ]

Please feel free to come in, he'll probably show up sooner or later.

[carmesi]

[this man is certainly a lot, hm—sunshine, in comparison, some would say. but as he speaks, wanda can't help but wonder: is this rehearsed? viktor had voiced some concerns about his work, and was particularly selfish about who read the documents on his desk.

anyone can enter any horizon at any given time. is this man really viktor's partner?

the icy demeanor she reserves for first meetings is not thawed by the warmth from both jayce's words and posture. though she is invited to come in, she has her reservations; she steps inside but keeps close to the wall, eyes narrowing on the man.]

Are you certain you are allowed here?

[wow wanda, not the pot calling the kettle black.]

Wildcard: WHATEVER

[hextechhead]

[Hit it up with anything you want.]

i am allowed to do whatever i want

[techmaturgy]

Between his "official" work and the odd jobs he's taking on to make money on the side, Viktor doesn't have much time for personal projects. In many ways, that's not so different from back home, where the hexcore was his personal project (in more ways than one), but in its absence, and with Jayce lightening some of his workload, he finds himself with a few hours later at night that he feels compelled to fill. In between projects for other Summoned, reading, and drawing schematics, he finally manages to set aside some time to work on something for himself.

It's long overdue--Viktor's been using the crutch and braces they gave him upon arrival, which are functional but not specifically tailored to him. He's starting to feel it, and Jayce's arrival means that he probably shouldn't put it off any further. Well. No time like the present.

The day is, technically, over, at least in the sense that he expects no more visitors and can devote some uninterrupted time to this. Viktor has abandoned his vest and tie in favor of a loose-fitting shirt more suited to the heat (because, of course, on top of everything else they live in a desert now), hunching over one of the tables in the workshop, pieces of metal and leather strewn out in front of him. Everything is cut and shaped to specification, all the little screws and clasps and buckles and levers--now all that's left is to assemble.

Which he does, painstakingly, only pausing to switch tools, or to greet Jayce when he comes back to the workshop. It's no surprise that they're both here later at night--sleep is for when there is no work to be done, and Viktor isn't exactly racing to get back to their little single room above the inn.

"There should be a screwdriver in the tool chest, there. Can you hand it to me?"

Viktor stretches out a hand but otherwise doesn't look up, one of the advantages to their general synergy, something that he hadn't realized he missed until it was gone and found again.

[hextechhead]

Jayce jumped right into things here in Cadens, already making a deal with a blacksmith for a trial freelancing job, looking through the museums, noting down classes of interest and people who might be helpful on the magic front. He also does odd jobs so between the two of them they are juggling a lot, but they like being busy. Jayce has spoken to several professors of medicine and has some ideas of what to do next, but his talk with Alucard has been on his mind. Especially when going back to the workshop, since they don't go to the inn until they are really ready to pass out.

Jayce runs very hot and he is used to heat, but he still is relieved when night comes and everything cools off. His long-sleeve shirts are always pushed up to the elbows now, creating a shorter option, and when he comes in he shucks his own vest and tie off. It's funny, them keeping these little key looks from home despite being in a desert, but sometimes the little things are what stay with you. He's even found clothes in red and white, although none really the patented Talis shades, but close enough.

Jayce is already moving from the moment Viktor says 'there should be a screwdriver' because he already knows where the rest of the sentence is going, handing Viktor the screwdriver a second after he finishes the question. That is their synergy right there, and he knows of course exactly what Viktor is putting together. They've been there before.

He leans his back into the table so he's right next to Viktor only faced the opposite way, all the screws and buckles will eventually be handed over to him anyway. Jayce, generally, likes this world. It's not that he's forgotten where they come from or what he left, but there is a lot to do and he doesn't spend a lot of time pondering their return. The fact that he is closing in on doing magic, real magic, means so much to him he could possibly forget everything else entirely.

Except it seems that some things from their world can't entirely be avoided, such as being funded by politicians with motivations of their own. Jayce glances over to him, still working out the way to frame it in words, musing instead of blurting things out. One of the few things that has changed.

"Alucard mentioned a way for magic to help the cane work better, if you like it, we could do something similar with these." What would it mean for Viktor, if his braces and his cane were all somehow magically advanced? If only for his comfort. It was a good idea.

[techmaturgy]

It's been a busy few days and it's clearly past time to get some actual rest, but in true Viktor fashion, he seems perfectly content to ignore this fact in the interest of squeezing out a few more hours of work. Still, he looks close to his limit, all trappings of formality gone, shirt rumpled with the top button undone, hair unruly in a way that indicates he's been scrubbing his hands through it, the curls at his temples plastered to his face with the day's sweat. He's got his bad leg, sans brace, stretched out under the worktable, knee locked, his good one lifted higher, heel catching the rung of the stool he sits on. Viktor leans forward into his knee in a way that can't be good for his already-questionable posture.

The screwdriver's in his hand just as he finishes his sentence, and he seems surprised for a moment before he remembers that this is just what it's like, to have Jayce around, and he offers him a tired smile. It occurs to him a second too late that there's a bloody handkerchief sitting on the table, and he reaches out for it with his free hand, trying to slide it back towards him and stuff it in his pocket as subtly as possible.

"I'm almost finished," he says, as if getting to business as quickly as he can will prevent any prying questions. "I may need you to help make a few final adjustments."

Mostly because he can't really reach behind, once he's wearing it. Whatever he's tightening on the assembly makes a clicking noise--Viktor slides a brass buckle on to one of the leather straps and then looks up, eyebrows raised. He can sort of tell this is a segue into something else, but he has to admit that he's intrigued, if not by the proposition, then by Jayce's conversation with Alucard, more generally. Discussing his medical needs with his new friends already, it seems. Viktor's not quite sure what to think about that.

"What did he suggest?"