[open] may catchall

[techmaturgy]

Who: Viktor and special guests and YOU
When: throughout May
Where: Cadens, the Horizon
What: open stuff, closed stuff, quest stuff, general nerdery, horizon visits, whatever I WANT
Warnings: the usual references to terminal illness, will list additional warnings as needed.

[open and closed starters in comments! If you want a custom starter or something specific, just hit me up. full horizon details are here for any and all wildcarding needs. For everything else, I’m on plurk at whitticus and on discord at whitticus#8139.]

Comments

cadens

[techmaturgy]

i. workshopping (viktor makes you cool things)

[Do you need something built? Fixed? Improved? A great idea you absolutely MUST see realized? You have come to the right place.

Most of Viktor’s business is word of mouth, at this point, but he’s not difficult to find. Perhaps, in asking around, you’re pointed towards a small workshop where one of your fellow Summoned tinkers with both his own research and pretty much anything that people want to throw at him (provided it is not a gun). He apparently enjoys the idea of having a project more than he wants cold hard cash or favors (though those are nice, too), and is always open to a pitch, perking up at the sound of anyone knocking at the door or inviting themselves inside.]

You can come in. [He’s forward about it, whether you know him or not, and he’ll take anything—a verbal description, even a napkin drawing. Probably he doesn’t even get up to meet you at the door (the crutch leaned against the worktable next to him, perhaps, an indication as to why that’s the case), but he’s attentive all the same.] Do you have something for me?

ii. definitely an osha violation

[Stopping by the workshop later in the evening is a different experience. Having put away his various projects for clients and the research he is ostensibly being paid to do, Viktor takes some time to work on personal endeavors. The lab at this hour is organized chaos, with parts strewn about the tabletops, looking like they belong do a number of different endeavors. He might explain, if you ask nicely. He might be too busy talking to the cat that hangs around the space.

Or, he’s in deep concentration, holding a charm or gadget in one hand, the other poised over a blank sheet of paper. After a few long minutes, he seems to snap out of it, immediately turning to the notebook and scrawling a few details. He’s so into it, possibly, that he doesn’t immediately notice an intrusion until it’s too late.]

We're closed for the evening.

[Is that? There is blood on the table. Hm. Maybe don’t address that. Or do?]

i. workshopping!!

[frontlinetitties]

[Gideon is quick to stride inside after her knock is met with the all clear, face bare of paint and her black attire decorated with streaks of desert dust. She scans the space quickly, before her aureate eyes settle on Viktor. She slants him a crooked smile.]

Yo. Ciri told me you can make like, all kinds of shit. Do you know what sunglasses are?

[Silly question maybe, but you'd be surprised how frequently people around here have expressed only confusion in the face of half the things she takes as given.]

[techmaturgy]

[He perks up a little at the mention of Ciri--he won't go so far to say that any friend of hers is a friend of his, as well, but he at least knows this is a potential ally. Besides, he's not going to turn down business. The larger his network the better, at this point, though he does raise his eyebrows a little at her request.]

Tinted lenses? Yes.

[Easy enough to execute, all things considered. He'll just need to source some of the materials, but it's not like it will be hard to come by, nor will it be difficult to instruct someone to make glass of a specific shade. Viktor reaches across the table and pulls a notebook towards him, poised to jot down some specifications.]

Are you telling me no one's thought to make those?

[Or, maybe she just prefers to do business with other Summoned?]

definitely an osha violation pls

[speak_n_spell]

[It's well afterhours, but such is the nature of theater life! The clockwork birds took a nosedive during the most recent performance - which was not Sypha's fault! Tristain leaned too hard into the ice glyph she'd gifted him, which caused a sharp downdraft - and simply must! be! fixed! before! tomorrow!

According to the director, that is.

Sypha goes door to door looking for any workshop with a light on in the window. She's already been turned away by several rather cranky individuals, but raises her hand to knock at this next door anyway. No one answers, though she's sure she can see a figure through the window, backlit by lamps. Her hand falls to the handle, which surprisingly gives under her touch, door swinging soundlessly open. Well, whoever works here certainly knows how to oil a hinge.]

Sorry, I know it's late, but I'm authorized to pay you half again your regular rate if- [Belatedly, she matches the unusual accent with the scarecrow figure at the desk.] Oh, hello again!

[techmaturgy]

[He looks a little surprised, perhaps expecting a local, instead of a fellow Summoned. Lucky for Sypha, Viktor is a little more amenable to doing favors for those of their little group, but he’s still been caught off-guard. There are notes splayed across the tabletop, a collection of what seems to be various trinkets, and scalpels in a tray. He’s frozen for a brief moment before his brain catches up with his body and he’s sweeping it all to the side, closing notebooks and otherwise attempting to get everything out of the immediate line of sight.]

An emergency?

[It must be, if she can pay him time-and-a-half. Also, hi. It takes him a moment to place her, from the Summit, but once he collects himself he seems more amenable to the intrusion, grabbing his crutch to stand and make his way towards her, ostensibly to be polite.]

Sypha, yes? What do you have for me?

horizon

[techmaturgy]

i. horizon times

[Viktor’s horizon has grown in the last month or so—Jayce has built up a city around it, though he can still be found in his usual haunts. More often than not he’s in the lab or the study, or even sitting in quiet contemplation at the overlook, and generally speaking he’s amenable to visitors. He will most certainly be working on some kind of project, and may even be happy to explain it, provided you ask nicely and do not mind involved conversations about applied mathematics or theoretical physics. Provided he is not also exploding things in here, which he does, sometimes. Watch your step.

He’s less often found down below, but more intrepid visitors might find something of interest in the cave system. Or, maybe it’s just Viktor and his weird dog. Everything’s fine and normal here, thanks.

If you've met Viktor outsize of the Horizon, the difference may seem a little striking. Given the ability, he seems to have done away with whatever ails him in the real world—his face is fuller, less pale, and he stands straighter, using a cane instead of his usual crutch. If you haven't met him, well. Good. Less opportunity for prying questions (outside of his various experiments, of course).]

ii. casual b&e (your house)

[He is also, of course, snooping. A naturally curious mind, Viktor is constantly testing the limits of the Horizon. Though he seems to have enough awareness that it might be rude to actually enact changes or to otherwise encroach on someone else’s domain, that doesn’t stop him from, you know, taking a few little walks, leading to the inevitable.

He’s in your house (domain)!! He’s touching your stuff!!! He sees nothing wrong with any of this!!!! Maybe you should have locked it up better if you didn’t want anyone poking around!!!!!!]

Horizon Cave-Diving (B&E)

[fourarmedandangerous]

It was only a matter of time before Viktor's curiosity would drive him to visit Goro's domain. It's not hard to find, the hunk of rock like part of a cliff-face carved out and deposited on the ground of the Singularity crater. The heavy doors in the rock are flanked by statues of Shokan warriors, which serve as an obvious identifier as to the identity of this domain's master.

The Tigrar guards in the entry hall, felinoid where Goro is reptilian do not bother Viktor or bar his way to the central chamber. The cells that line the walls of Goro's audience chamber are unusually full today. A bare-chested Tarkatan, rictus grin full of teeth, too many teeth, forearm blades retracted but still visibly protruding out of his arms leers from behind the bars of his cage. Another is almost completely taken up by a Centaurian lying in repose, long biomechanical tail lashing in simulated frustration at its flank. An Osh-Tekk covered in warpaint and bones braided into his hair sits on the bench in his cell, staring stoically at the far wall. The other two are filled by more recent additions Goro has conjured up; a Netherrealm Oni sits hunched in the far corner of its cell, chained to the wall by a leg, while the final prisoner is human, at first glance. But the unnaturally dark, mottled grey of his skin, the way his flesh is torn and cracked, and the unnatural red glow of each of those wounds and his eyes suggest a being more...unnatural.

Goro had previously sought the refuge of his Domain, as he does when the press of humanity around him becomes too much, and Viktor's arrival did not go unnoticed. The Shokan himself steps out from his private quarters behind the throne.

"Ah, Viktor. Welcome to my domain." It had only been a matter of time, Goro knew, before Viktor would seek this place out.

[Here's Goro's domain page if you need any refreshers. It's all terrible!]

[techmaturgy]

Viktor is used to ostentatious--everything about Piltover is style over substance, after all, and if nothing else, they're certainly committed to design. This is, obviously, similar in that way, if Piltover was into the aesthetics of ominous, high-vaulted caves. And skulls. And...hm. Disconcerting.

He can make a few guesses as to whom this place belongs, even before he encounters the statues and the guards. Viktor himself has a few compunctions with conjuring up anything more than animals, in a place like this, but it seems that Goro has no reservations, populating his domain with actual people, even if the effect is less than convincing. Maybe it's not meant to be convincing. Imposing, perhaps.

Still, he does his very best to be unintimidated, venturing further as if he's going to find something that explains all of this. Who better to ask than the guy responsible?

"It's certainly impressive. I imagine that's what you're going for."

ii

[princessvegas]

[ Among the oldest domains that still stand, there is a modern, boxy building lit in pink neon around the edges. The dull thrum of bass can be heard from nearly anywhere in the Horizon, felt through the ground whenever one gets close enough. Pink velvet ropes and a pink carpet wrap from the front door and around one corner, constantly awaiting what is clearly going to be quite a long line. The front entrance consists of two large, frosted glass doors, the gold handles shaped to look like a vertical cloud of butterflies in flight. The doors generally remain unlocked, regardless of the presence of the owner, but are often propped open when she's in.

Inside, it's a busy nightclub, the lights bright and the music pumping. Dozens and dozens of people crowd the dance floor, but Viktor might notice that these people seem remarkably more... dynamic than the manifested people in other domains. They're all unique in appearance, if fairly nondescript; they react appropriately if bumped, are capable of very basic conversations. They make choices, rather than just repeat a single task -- some dance, others drink at the bar, and still others are at tables, taking selfies on iPhones together. They don't appear to be following direction given by the domain creator so much as they seem to be simply existing within the club walls.

If one were to walk through the lavish club, to the back of the building, they'd find that the furnishings gradually lessen, that the carpet stops, and the entire rear third of the place is an eerily haunting warehouse, abandoned. Stay here and a feeling of isolation will begin to set in within minutes; stay longer and the feeling will become oppressive, like a weight settling atop one's chest. On one wall, closest to where the club ends, there's a lofted structure, obviously an apartment. It has a balcony that looks over the dance floor, with plants and chairs visible toward the front.

But Viktor won't make it that far before he's stopped. A tall man, sort of blandly handsome, will appear by his side, smiling and welcoming him. He'll be presented with a drink -- the drink will be Viktor's favorite, whatever that may be, alcoholic or not, and it will be Insta-ready with garnishes (though, of course, he is free to order anything else he may desire at the bar). The man seems to already know Viktor in some way, and gives his name as Steven before he retreats back to the bar with a grin.

On the VIP balcony above, a woman in gold sequined hot pants and thigh high black boots leans on the railing, her chin in her palm and a whole stack of bracelets on her arm. She has bright pink hair, pulled up in two small buns atop each side of her head. She seems somehow more vibrant than any of the people around her, more saturated. As if she's drawing color from those surrounding her, though none of them look noticeably different from the ones downstairs. The woman is the odd one out, just brighter than the rest. She is very sparkly from head to toe, wearing a large amount of jewelry in addition to her glittering makeup, the crystals in her manicure, the shimmer in the fabric of her sheer white top.

Even if he doesn't notice her looking down, he'll suddenly hear a voice next to him, in a perfectly ordinary speaking tone. Not the yelling that this music should necessitate. The accent is a syrupy sweet American Southern one, thick like molasses. ]

Y'all gonna just get lost in the crowd, or are you gonna come up and introduce yourself?

[ When he does spot her, she smirks, waggles her fingers at him. The bartender from before, Steven, will have somehow ghosted his way upstairs, passes behind her with a whisper before he's out of view. The next time Viktor looks over toward the bar, he'll be there as if he never left. ]

[techmaturgy]

[Viktor likes to think he’s making up for the fact that he’s never really traveled by being as nosy as possible in the Horizon. Sometimes it yields interesting observations, or interesting conversations. Sometimes it yields something so thoroughly modern and overwhelming that he might feel just a pang of regret. This is not quite one of those times, but it is a lot—perhaps more that he feels like he sticks out more than anything, in his academic wear and awkward gait as he makes his way inside.

Still, he’s nothing if not committal. Intrepid, under duress. He hasn’t quite decided if this is duress, yet, so he pushes onward.

He hasn’t ventured to the point of creating anything in the Horizon beyond an animal, so seeing a domain so filled with conjured people is both fascinating and a little uneasy. Viktor pushes his way through, feeling a little foolish at saying excuse me to the constructs, at least until he’s picked up by one (whose job it seems to be to receive guests—he can’t really complain about that, the familiarity, real or not, putting him a little more at ease). Not long after that, Julie flags him down.]

This is, uh. Elaborate. [It’s clear he’s trying to find the right word for it—not that he thinks this is bad, only that the feels out of place. There’s some relief in finding the ostensible owner of the domain. It’s a little less awkward than dealing with the constructs (even if Steve was very hospitable). Viktor still has his drink in hand, to apparently distracted to partake, just yet.] I didn’t mean to intrude.

[That seems almost more ridiculous to say, given the welcome he received, but it feels appropriate.]

[closed] sam

[techmaturgy]

[Sam is popular--that much Viktor knows, and has some measure of authority among the Summoned, at least in the Free Cities. He has a suspicion that if he were to say as much to the man, he'd adamantly deny it, but Viktor kind of likes that. Humble, not ostentatious. Perhaps a little uncomfortable with people looking to him as some kind of leader. It helps, too, that he's friendly and personable, which means that Viktor does not necessarily object to the occasions where Sam hangs around the neighborhood, and they cross paths.

He hasn't forgotten the mentions of a project, and though he has plenty to keep him busy, it's possible he's done a few sketches of what Sam vaguely described to him. Possibly it's not exactly what he has in mind. Either way, he offers Sam a nod of acknowledgment when he finds him perusing the workshops--he's making his way back to his own lab, himself, free arm carrying a bag that holds a few indeterminate metal parts.]

Are you looking for something in particular?

[He imagines that Sam is looking for people (Peter, maybe), but if he's got his eyes on any equipment or specialty craftspeople, then Viktor is happy to help.]

I'm not much of a tour guide, but I can point you in the right direction.

[falcony]

[ truth be told, sam had meant to come by weeks ago. the summit had been a wholly different time, a moment where things almost felt like they were moving in the right direction. he'd met people, talked with people, saw faces from other factions he never thought he'd meet face to face. and others, those from the cities, he'd also made contact with, people he wanted to keep up with.

but then there was the eclipse, and with how his magic went insane after, he wasn't seeing much of anyone. then there were the memories, and the headaches, and. well. it's been a lot longer than sam would like. peter has been doing the best he can on his own, but sam knows that he's doing a lot more distracting than he is actual work.

and of course, on the other side of all of it, are the wings. the project. viktor. he's on the running list of people sam's been meaning to check in on for weeks now, so he decides to merge the to do list lines, packs up more food than peter has any right to eat by himself, and heads out to the university.

of course there is the issue that sam actually has...no idea where he's going. not once he's inside, at least. so upon seeing viktor coming down the hallway in the opposite direction, sam smiles, relieved. ]

Peter. [ viktor probably knew that, but he did ask. ] Though I did want to try and find you, too. You got a sec? [ a beat, and then sam's grin grows just a little as he holds up a kind of basket/box/whatever it is he's holding. ] I did bring food.

[techmaturgy]

I do, in fact, have a sec, if you're amenable to walking and talking. Not far.

[And not that he's particularly difficult to keep up with. It makes sense that Sam is looking for Peter, and Viktor gives the bundle he's carrying a cursory glance before his suspicions are confirmed. Well. He's not going to say no to snacks, or whatever might be in the basket--this will probably make Jayce happy, at any rate.

Still, he's not used to people just bringing him things, so obviously that means there is some kind of ulterior motive. Or this is something important. Or both.]

Is there an occasion?

[closed] nadine, some nebulous post-aquila time

[techmaturgy]

[Viktor keeps his promise when it comes to the book from Thorne—he takes it back to the workshop, copies over the interesting passages into his own notebook, duplicates the whole thing with carbon paper for good measure, then brings it back to the apothecary where Nadine works. He shares the information with Jayce, notes things that might be useful to look up in Cadens’ various libraries, but otherwise doesn’t follow up until he has something notable to share.

He’s not sure that anything he finds will be useful to her, and Viktor understands that his own interests can be esoteric at best, but there’s something to be said for this kind of collaborative research.

When he returns to the apothecary again, he’s got a a few books that he’s loaned from one of the smaller libraries, one she may not have had a chance to peruse quite yet, plus a vial of a powdered medicinal plant he would otherwise have to send someone to the desert to get—a trade with one of the alchemists in town. He knows he doesn’t need an excuse to seek her out at her workplace, but it seems appropriate (and polite) to bring something along.

So, here he is. Poking his head inside the shop and seemingly brightening a little when he sees that Nadine is here. Then, he steps inside.]

I was hoping you'd be in. Do you have a moment?

[nadine_he_loves]

[Nadine is on a small step stool, arranging bottles and jars on a shelf when Viktor peers inside.]

Hey! Yeah, let me just get these last couple of things up on display.

[It's a relatively slow time right now, no customers in the shop and most of the preparation for the day's fresh offerings all taken care of. She sets the last two jars on the shelf, making sure their labels are facing out, and hops down off the stool and dusts off her hands.]

What's up?

[techmaturgy]

Please, don't rush on my account.

[He's patient! Viktor has nothing to do for the next hour or so, having blocked out an hour or so in the afternoon for errands, of which this is one. He peers upward a little, looking at the labels as if searching for something he might recognize. Still, he's quick to get down to business while she finishes up.]

I've been digging in some of the more obscure libraries. Small used bookshops. I found a few volumes you might be interested in. [He'll place them on the counter, alongside the vial--for her time, of course.] Also, I heard you met Jayce.

[Possibly he's feeling out whether or not he'll have to apologize for that.]

[closed] jayce

[techmaturgy]

[He works late, usually. It’s a bad habit from home, spending the entire day working on his “real” projects, and then finding some time later at night for personal endeavors. Tonight, however, he decides to turn in early, closing up the workshop and heading back to the apartment (an actual apartment, now) that he shares with his research partner. It’s not often that he chooses not to devote every waking second to some kind of work, so he imagines they’ll both want to take advantage of it. He’s coming around to the fact that he needs to relax, at least a little. Occasionally. For a carefully-controlled period of time.]

Jayce—

[Viktor is calling out more-or-less the moment he walks in the door, not necessarily expecting Jayce to be around (he works something of a hectic schedule as well), but there are tools on the little kitchenette table that he knows aren’t his, so he feels confident enough that he isn’t alone. The apartment is small—a little cramped, given their financial situation, but at least they aren't sharing a single room anymore.]

—I finished early. I thought we could get something to eat, if you—

[Jayce is there, in his room, apparently in a state of meditation. Well, if Viktor had known he was in the Horizon, he might have started there. He supposes he still could, but it occurs to him that there’s probably a way to expedite this. Viktor reaches out, grabs Jayce by the shoulder, and gives him a vigorous shake. If it doesn’t work the first time, he’ll just do it again.]

What are you doing in there? [Mumbled, to himself, at least while Jayce is not in the waking world.] Aren’t you supposed to be closing up shop?

i can do what i want

[hextechhead]

[ They do have fairly intense schedules and it's not always easy to juggle everything. Most of the time he has a fairly good list of what work has to be done and what time he can spend at the academy, but it's not as organized as he'd like it to be. Still, Jayce loves hard work, he loves his time being filled up so he doesn't have a lot of idle moments. Those are supposed to be saved for relaxing or eating with Viktor, or sleeping, which he does a little more than his partner since he has a tendency to collapse after working late. He's strong with good endurance, but he's not supernaturally so.

Now there's been a new addition to his schedule. He sneaks in time to practice his new magical skills in the Horizon. When he's not getting specialized training, where he needs to be there at an exact time, he's still using it on his own. He's made the field where the mage saved him in the Horizon as a quiet place to do that. Lee decided to close up today after Jayce went a little intense on making things, telling him he worked too hard, so he of course did not listen and simply went to work on something else.

He is focused in that field but he feels something jolt him while inside. It's surprising as he always chooses when to leave the Horizon, but his eyes snap open after the second shake. It takes two to make it happen. Jayce glances up at Viktor, since there's no one else it could be in their apartment, and looks surprised. ]

Either it's later than I thought or you're back early.

[ Which is rare and unexpected, thus why Jayce thought he had time to get in more practice. It could be late though, he's not always sure. He would've told Viktor to just find him in the Horizon, but he's been hiding out in places or going elsewhere for training.]

Sorry, I was working on something. Are you hungry?

[techmaturgy]

[Oh. Good. It worked. As soon as Jayce regains consciousness, Viktor takes a step back, not wanting to intrude more than he already has. He could probably go anywhere in the apartment and hold a conversation (it's not large), but instead he lingers in the doorway, waiting for Jayce to get his bearings and corners of his mouth quirking up in amusement when he looks surprised.]

I could tell you anything I want, and you'd have to believe me.

[A joke--because who knows how long Jayce has been in there? The truth is that Viktor is back early, but probably doesn't want to admit it. He's even fully prepared to have them both set aside their projects for the night and actually eat something, for once, but now his interest is piqued.]

If I'd known you were in the Horizon, I would have looked for you there. [Viktor might be apologetic that he's rudely halted Jayce's work--knowing that he'd hate it, if he'd been the one forcibly shaken out of his meditative state.] What did I interrupt?

[closed] alucard

[techmaturgy]

[Viktor devours the books in a day, more-or-less, taking notes as he goes. They are all at once incredible and terrifying--he can fully understand Alucard's complicated relationship with his father, if this is what was going on. Despite the discrepancy in technology, there's plenty to glean, and he complies the information that's most directly relevant to him. Good enough for a first pass.

He can't bring the books out of the Horizon, but he does reproduce the notes as soon as he's back in the real world, if only so he and Alucard have something physical to discuss--over dinner, apparently. Viktor is not much of a cook, having spent most of his adult life at the Academy, where it had been easy to rely on the dining hall, and even easier to just not think about it at all.

So, he'll let Alucard handle that part (though he does provide the wine), instead spreading out his impressions on the tiny kitchen table (he'll make room for them to eat, when the time comes), actively annotating. His own notes on the Hexcore are present as well, and he cross-checks occasionally while they both work.]

I understand this is, perhaps, a complicated subject for you, but there's no doubting he was a genius.

[cryptsleeper]

[Alucard knew his cooking facilities were limited. He had confirmed that there was at least one pan in the apartment, and that he would appear with the rest. Best to keep a window open too.

The rest, as it turns out, are three bone in pork chops (he's not a monster, Jayce gets a plate too even if it'll be leftovers), asparagus to be roasted in the pan alongside the chops and in their fat, and some young, tender greens to be mixed with a vinaigrette to round it all out. A bright, springy meal even if it already feels like summer thanks to the desert that surrounds Cadens.

And there's extra wine, because unlike some vampires, this one does partake.

He lets Viktor set up on the table and goes about his own work in the meantime. Salt, pepper, thyme, pan searing, removing some fat to an extra pan to work on the asparagus, and now, just waiting for the pork to finish so Alucard can build a quick pan sauce and be done with it all. He stands with his back towards the counter, one eye towards the stove.]

Well, give a man four hundred years and he's going to get creative.

[The sigh of the words are fond. What rattled Alucard with others seeing what happened with his father was the detail and emotion of it. Most days, he can treat it as a sad fact and nothing more. Returning to that framing is a part of his personal goals for the night.]

What stuck out to you the most?

[closed] MAY QUEST - Jayce & Tony

[techmaturgy]

[Tony had some to Viktor with a proposal--that much was fine, given his interest in collaboration, but he's not entirely sold. All he has to go on is the man's own testimony, which he knows may not be entirely true. Jayce's assessment helps, of course, but he's not quite ready to commit to anything just yet.

He looks at this task as a good way to further get to know each other. Doing favors for the Academy is not necessarily high on his list of priorities, but he's interested in seeing how Tony and Jayce might get along, as if that's going to sell him further on the potential of a partnership. Besides, it's just planting some devices and repairing those that malfunction. How hard can it be, really?

Well, hard for his teammates, maybe. Viktor can help place the devices, but he's not necessarily interested in catching the ones that might go rogue upon activation--he'll leave that to his more able-bodied companions.]

I have the list of locations. [The notepad he carries in hand.] Where would you like to start?

[industries]

[ Tony reaches, elbow deep, into the carefully-packed crate of devices that the squirrely Academy intern had plopped on the lab's center worktable. He pulls out one of the things, squints, turns it over in his hand and holds the bulbous glass center up toward the main light source in the rafters of the room. ]

On the thorax, probably, [ he drawls in response to Viktor's question. ] Guessing they've got these guys synced to some kind of proto-radio-wavelength to control them en masse, so that's probably where we'll find the receiver... can harvest it to intercept future communiqués – oh, sorry. [ He glances back toward the other two men in the room, motions between him and them. ] We... are in agreement that we're absolutely going to dismantle one of these guys and keep it for parts in exchange for this whole... exploitative pest control situation, right?

All Good Things Come To An End (dated at end of May)

[hextechhead]

[ Things have been going really, really well. Jayce's healing skills have gotten better by the week as he expected, Viktor's seemed to be doing better because of it, Lee is pleased with his work, he's started creating more multi-tools as a side business, and he's getting comfortable at the academy. The Town Hall was fascinating for him, he has been making friends, so basically, Jayce is enjoying his time in Cadens. He and Viktor are busy with work, they have a new apartment, and he feels like something has ... shifted. In a good way. Viktor's been allowing more affection the past few weeks and Jayce is trying to be good about not pushing for more, but it feels now like he's not being pushy. He's being allowed, encouraged even.

It is funny that he's found some building success in creating multi-tools and collapsible things, just as his family was famous for, but he's glad for it. These pragmatic inventions are easy and feel good to him. But as all good inventors, there are times when his mind comes up with concepts he can't be certain will ever be physically feasiable. That is when he ends up in the Horizon forge, because only in the Horizon can he actually create what he has in his head, and then see if he can match it up with the real world.

Whenever Jayce is in the forge it is obvious, because the temperature goes up. Not ridiculously hot anymore, not uncomfortably so, but it does feel warm, cozy, since that's something he likes about it. The sound of clanging metal comes from down there too, even when he's not working on something, all a reflection of the details he finds comforting in his work. He is not currently creating something but he is working on some schematics, the fire light of the forge brighter when he needs to see.

Jayce is comfortably seated at his work table in the forge, sketching out an idea he has for a tent but not just any kind, something mechanical he isn't sure will actually work. He isn't shirtless as he often can be found in there but he is currently wearing a black tank top due to his own made heat, always more casual down there in case he needs to strip down more (but probably shouldn't). It leaves little to the imagination.

He hears the lift coming down and doesn't look up, smiling as he hears the familiar clack of a cane so he knows who it is. Viktor arriving always makes him instantly happy, but it comes along with an extra thrill these days, a mixture of nerves and excitement that he can't actually account for since nothing's technically changed. But still. ]

Tell me to stop bothering with projects I know I probably can't actually make in Cadens, V.

[ Innocent and relaxed, not realizing a few things are about to come to a head. ]

[techmaturgy]

[Jayce is right--things are good. Well, not good in the sense that Viktor is confident he'll continue to live, but things are feeling slightly less dire than they did even three months ago. He's surprised at how quickly they've adjusted to each other, settling into their new lives here and making a plan (a real plan) for his stabilization. Between Jayce and his cadre of new friends, Viktor feels cared for in a way he hasn't in a very long time. People don't want him to die. They're actively helping him stay alive. It's touching. He's not accustomed to it, but he does allow himself to enjoy it.

So it's tempting, to just let things continue as they are. Maybe even entertain pushing them further in the direction they seem to be going. He considers himself logical, and practical, but following Jayce's first attempt at healing magic, there's been an ache in his chest that he can't quite ignore, different from the usual pains that he's accepted as part of his life. No, he knows what this is. Sometimes he can talk himself out of it--he tells himself he's been doing that for years, and in the face of his illness it was easy. Why would he cross that line, and leave Jayce to pick up the pieces? Much less selfish of him, to put all of that possibility into a box and file it away and do his best not to concern himself. His work is what's important. His ideals are what's important. He can't be selfish.

Now, however, without the distractions of politics or the Council or even their work at the Academy, Viktor finds himself needed to address the very obvious thing that's going on between them. That means having a conversation about the realities of a relationship with a dying man, things he knows Jayce isn't really thinking about. It means, finally, setting aside his own apprehensions and desire to not know, and asking about the hammer. About the terrible thing that Jayce has referenced, vaguely, but never defined. Part of him, perhaps, hoped that Jayce would come clean, especially after Viktor saw it in the memory, but it's been some time. They've sorted plenty of other things out. It occurs to him that if he doesn't address it, Jayce simply won't.

All he can hope while he descends the lift into the forge, that it isn't what he thinks it is. Jayce is visibly happy to see him, and he already feels that thing in his chest tightening like a vice.]

What else is a place like this for?

[The Horizon, with its limitless powers of creativity, should be used for out of the box testing, even if they can't bring it into the real world. It's a little endearing, that Jayce still doesn't bother to control the temperature in here, so Viktor lowers it hismelf, as he enters the space.]

Do you have a moment? [That's rhetorical. They're going to have this conversation whether Jayce is ready for it or not, and there's a gravity in his voice that suggests he's about to get serious.] There's something I'd like to ask you.