Jayce Talis (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
hextechhead) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
abraxaslogs2022-04-09 12:13 pm
hextechhead) wrote in abraxaslogs2022-04-09 12:13 pm
hextechhead) wrote in abraxaslogs2022-04-09 12:13 pm
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she's not even going to answer the questions, because this is how suddenly awkward wanda is starting to feel about the situation.
especially when "jayce" says her name, and then it's a little harder to hold on to the theory that this man must just be very well aware of viktor's schedule and whereabouts for nefarious reasons.
a string of magic tangentially pushes through the man, an action consolidated by the movement of her fingers, and she gets an inkling now of... emotion, excitement, towards the current display of scarlet. wanda pushes past that and pokes around his head a bit more and finds that thread that connects viktor to the man: a friendship from years ago, a lab just like this one, a meaningful connection.
hm.
wanda pulls away her magic, neatly putting the research items back in their place, but the sketch book falls in wanda's hands. she opens it and looks at the sketches jayce had tried showing hier. it's only after a moment that she returns the book, taking the remaining steps closer towards jayce.]
— I'm sorry.
[it's her turn to apologize, handing the book over.]
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Don't worry about it.
[ The way he says it makes it clear he genuinely means that. He is not upset. He takes the book from her with a smile.]
I think it's nice you were trying to protect his work. Technically, our work, so thanks.
[ Where they come from, only Jayce really appreciates Viktor, and he's been frustrated for years that the prejudice of the higher class led people to dismiss the most brilliant person in their midst. The fact that outside of that snobby society Viktor has thrived in meeting new people who see his value is gratifying. ]
I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable with the magic questions. When I was a child, a mage saved me and my mother from death, and I spent the rest of my life searching for it. And then I found a way to combine it with technology, the Hextech Viktor and I created. So I've just ... always longed to learn more.
[ Jayce's other hand goes to caress the bracelet he always wears at home, and he can have here in the Horizon. It used to burn with magic, and the mage gave it to him after he saved them. It's his most sentimental possession.
He knows he can be intense and she didn't ask for that. She didn't offer him the chance to talk about magic, he just pushed his way into it, so he is contrite about that. He hopes explaining where his obsession comes from can help note he doesn't mean to be that way, it really is true admiration it comes from. ]
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[instead of — scared? wanda is not sure what the reaction should have been, but she feels that it should not have been something so positive. knowing now what she does, it makes sense that it was that way.
she is also trying to grapple with the idea that despite her kind-of threatening display just now, jayce remains altogether not vindictive towards her in any way, share, or form.
wanda steps away from him after he's taken the book, but remains at a prudent enough distance to hold a conversation.]
It is strange that someone should be fascinated with magic. Generally the remarks I get are not — the kindest, to put it lightly. [she studies his face a moment, only for her expression to break away into one of apologetic confusion.] I'm sorry, you don't look much like a scientist. It was hard to believe you were partners.
[had it not been for the way his thoughts went deep about viktor, wanda would have probably magic-slammed him onto the wall and waited for the other to arrive and clear the air.]
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[ He's joking, he does that sometimes, when he remembers to dispel the tension Despite Jayce being visibly handsome and easy and charming, that's all an exterior thing, internally he is a complete nerd. One who spent all his time reading science books and dreaming of finding a way to have magic in his hands. Other kids didn't like him, and not even academics really did once he got older. He's been a wildcard for a long time, although always vaguely well-respected, but now he's famous and beloved in his world, and he still feels like the weird science kid. ]
It's like that in our world too, magic is taboo. I don't understand how someone could see what you just did and not be impressed. It's not how my brain works. All I've wanted was for people to see it the way I did. Viktor's really the only one.
[ That night they had floating around, the beginning of Hextech, it meant a lot to both of them. He blinks at the second part and looks down at himself. Jayce is dressed in academy clothes, very similar to Viktor, including the vest and tie. He looks confused for a moment and then snaps his fingers, nodding.]
Oh, because of the.
[ He waves his hands at his general upper body. Listen, academics usually don't have time to hit the gym all the time, but then again, neither does Jayce. He has heard this remark before from people since becoming the Man of Progress, remarking on how he looks more like an athlete than a scientist.]
My family builds tools for a living, I've been in and out of the forge since I was young. I create a lot of the physical parts of our project myself, so I ended up like this.
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something jayce does have going for himself is the fact that he is viktor's friend, and wanda understands that viktor doesn't want to use magic for his own selfish gain nor destruction.
besides, it must be incredibly character-building to have your life and your mother's saved by a mage. in contrast, her family was killed by machines and weapons—it makes sense that she detests it all. she sees his point.]
Perhaps I misjudged you.
[understatement.]
—yes, I'm Wanda. [belatedly, and here she does offer her hand; a show of more... amiable intent, from her behalf.] I met Viktor a few months ago. He — speaks differently, for a man of science. He also looks unwell a lot, so I hoped to check in on him. I suppose that won't be a problem anymore with you here, though.
[with this bond they have; this unending care jayce feels towards viktor.]
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Don't worry about it. If it helps, Viktor insists on locking our important work in his study here. It's really unlikely anyone can get to it without permission.
[ If he has the Hexcore out at one point or another, it probably would only work for Viktor too, so that's unlikely to be shared freely. Jayce on the other hand would probably be oblivious about that sort of thing. It's not good practice, but he's not very guarded in here. Viktor can be guarded enough for the both of them. He does keep all his notes with him in the real world, just in case. ]
What kind of scientists did you know before us?
[ She clearly has some kind of image of scientists she's comparing them to and he can't help but be curious about it. He would say he and Viktor are unique, she's not wrong about that. Jayce pauses at the reference to Viktor's health, and it's impossible not to acknowledge it's bad, but he tries to be careful with his secrets. ]
He has chronic health problems. [ A safe reference without the fatal addition to it. That could be anywhere from his leg and back to his lungs.] I'm hoping to learn healing magic and medicine here, I've been asking around. Just to make it a little easier on him, I don't think there's an easy cure.
[ They'll be working on a new Hexcore to see if that could make a difference, while Jayce quietly studies to maybe ease the problem until they can finish. If he can pause the degradation of the illness, it'll be what they need. ]
We're in each other's pockets so yeah, I've got him covered, but I think he'll appreciate other people worrying about him too. I mean, not the worrying part, he gets grumpy when he feels like he's being coddled, but ... usually it's only me.
[ Jayce is his best friend, the person who loves him best, but also, the only person, unfortunately. He thinks it will be good for Viktor, having other people. ]
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at the question, she turns her gaze away.]
Men focused on building fame and monetary gain from their experiments. Using their discoveries to fuel a war. [and even then, men like tony stark—] Full of pride, unwilling to admit mistakes.
[if there is one regret wanda holds towards tony stark (which are not many, honestly), it is the fact that she could never have a proper conversation with him—get the closure she deserved from what his past actions led to in sokovia. it is... just so complicated.
with a sigh, she pulls away from those thoughts, then towards the issue of viktor's health.
it pains her to hear about it, but she reckons it's a sensitive topic, perhaps more than what she should get involved in. wanda's expression softens a touch, her arms crossed around her middle.]
If I weren't in Solvunn, I'd offer to help with — magic, or ... [exasperatedly:] whatever. I didn't realize it was something chronic.
[and not just shitty sleep schedules and shitty diets.]
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[ Heimerdinger may have his flaws, but he did set up a very strict code of ethics and while Jayce and he don't see eye to eye on everything, he did set the stage for the academics in Piltover to be careful. Jayce and Viktor were the rare exception of going outside of what Heimerdinger considered acceptable, and he only barely allowed them, until the Hexcore. ]
On the other hand, the person who insisted on that ethos, Professor Heimerdinger, our mentor, he also has the pride problem. He's three hundred years old and I'm not sure he thinks he's capable of making mistakes.
[ Jayce wonders if he thinks he can now. If he only sees what happened between them as Jayce making mistakes, and takes none of that onto himself. He wishes he beliveed that his mentor could do that, but it only just happened. He had a long time to change his mind. He still doesn't think it sounds similar to what Wanda is saying, he would never allow discoveries to be involved in a war. That at least he's sure of.
Jayce having just made a weapon with their tech, and seen the aftermath of a very bad choice, is all about owning his mistakes. He has a list of them that he reminds himself of regularly.
He shakes his head and crosses his own arms. ]
I'm on it, and there's another medical student I met here, maybe we can figure it out. But if I'm being honest Wanda.
[ Jayce pauses to think through what he wants to say. It's always jumping through hoops where Viktor is concerned. ]
Maybe having multiple friends will convince him that people care about him and he'll take better care of himself. A man can dream. I've been fighting him on the issue for seven years, it would be nice to have some back up.