[open] september/october catchall

[techmaturgy]

Who: Viktor and special guests and YOU
When: Post-Nocwich, through September and early October
Where: Cadens, Libertas the Horizon
What: open stuff, closed stuff, Libertas stuff, 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

[catholica]

I haven't been — not for awhile. But, I'm turning over a new leaf.

( because he wants to do what he can to help and sometimes, he can't be the man in the mask to do that. )

I'm not exactly planning on going back to school but they've got some quiet places to study here and I've been trying to learn...the entire legal system in Cadens.

( it's going about as well as expected. )

There's a decent library here too.

[techmaturgy]

Well, there's no better place to do it.

[Viktor says that a little dryly, not serious at all, though he does know that many of the Summoned look at all of this like a second chance. He hasn't quite come around to that, yet (outside of all of the things he refuses to admit to himself).

So, academia, no, but law, yes. It once again his him wondering why certain people are summoned--he isn't going to downplay the use of a lawyer, but it certainly seems mundane, compared to some of the other people in their group.]

And? Better or worse than the system back home?

[It's not like he spends a lot of time thinking about lawyering--probably this will be an interesting perspective, especially given the current political situation.]

[catholica]

Just...different. There are thankfully some similarities so I'm not completely out of my element but some things are different enough that I just sit there and scratch my head trying to figure out how it makes sense.

( but this is how the law is written here and that's what he has to learn, has to follow. )

It's not a completely medieval system which is what I was afraid of when I first went into this.

[techmaturgy]

Of all the things to remain constant across universes, I suppose we should be glad that law is one of them.

[And that the system here isn't outright barbaric--says Viktor, who comes from a place where one of the punishments for a particularly egregious transgression is banishment.]

Are you resettling survivors from Libertas?

[catholica]

It's definitely not for everyone.

( probably put more people to sleep than had more people that liked learning. and matt did like learning but he could admit that it was hard to do it all over again. )

That's what I'm trying to do but it's — not easy. There's a lot of red tape and lot of people that need help.

[techmaturgy]

It's certainly not for me.

[He hates red tape, and bureaucracy, and would much rather let other people handle that kind of thing, while he simply does his work. Of course, he understands the necessity of lawyers and the people who do navigate the red tape--he doesn't mean to sound dismissive.]

But it is vital, nonetheless. I'm not sure if there's anything I can do to make things easier, but if you think of anything, please let me know.

[catholica]

I will and I appreciate the offer.

( it's more paperwork than anything, something he's used to, at least but still doesn't much care for. but, it's a part of the job and especially important when it comes to various local governments. )

And not a lot of what I've gotten is in braille so I'm muddling through as best I can.

( he waves a hand though, not wanting to seem like he was
complaining. )

You actually attending this university?

[techmaturgy]

Ah. [Right. He has questions--like whether this world's version of a tactile writing system matches up with what Matt knows, but that all circles back to the fact that all the Summoned can somehow understand each other.] If you ever need something read aloud--

[Though when Viktor is in a similar position, he's often too proud to accept the assistance. He'll follow Matt's lead on that.]

I am, yes. [Attending the Academy. Using it for research projects. Semantics.] I'm afforded certain resources here.

[catholica]

I appreciate that because...braille is lacking here.

( something he needs to figure out a way around and having someone to read things to him, while not his favorite thing, is a way to do that.

so, he's genuinely grateful for the assistance. )

You studying anything specific?

[techmaturgy]

Come by the workshop any time.

[So, maybe not as proud as Viktor might be, in a similar situation. Either way, he's willing to do it, especially if it helps those from Libertas get resettled faster. As for his own work, well.]

They use a particular conduit, here, to channel arcane energies. It's not unlike what Jayce and I used back home, to develop our own system of...technologically-aided magic.

[catholica]

( matt's pretty sure that magic talk is always going to go right over his head but that doesn't stop him from trying to follow along. )

Technologically aided magic? That sounds...interesting. And not without a lot of uses either. How's it going?

[techmaturgy]

Where I'm from, magic is an inborn ability. Jayce and I developed a way for anyone to wield it, with special equipment and an appropriate conduit.

[That said, the "new magic" here is a far cry from the industrial-scale teleportation that they managed back home.]

There are similarities between what I'm familiar with, and what they do here. I'm hoping to gain a greater understanding of it. [Another vague wave of the hand, perhaps to indicate that academia is academia, no matter where they are.] It's...going.

[catholica]

Jayce told me a little about how the magic in your world works a little while ago.

( which is to say that learning more about it is always appreciated even if he'd never end up in their world. )

Do you think you'd be...allowed or even want to bring this kind of magic back to your world?

[techmaturgy]

Yes, it excites him very much.

[That is to say, he’s not at all surprised that Matt has already heard the basics. Jayce has a hard time not talking about their work. Perhaps Viktor would mind more if it was in some way taboo, but the Free Cities seem to favor the technological angle as their preferred way of applying magics. They fit in well here, despite everything.

The subject of even returning home is a complicated one that he and Jayce don’t necessarily see eye-to-eye on. He frowns a little.]

It’s difficult to say. We have reason to believe that in being removed from our worlds to this place, we’ve created a branching timeline. There may not be any “going back”, at least not in the way we might think of it, ordinarily.

[catholica]

A branching timeline?

( that's the first time that he's heard anything like that from someone here. he arches an eyebrow, a little curious. )

As in an alternate...reality? Like there's no Jayce and Viktor where you came from because you were removed but you'd continue on elsewhere?

( the mechanics of time are still a little lost on him. )

[techmaturgy]

Quite the opposite, actually. Jayce and I are separated by a matter of days.

[It's been frustrating for both of them, trying to piece together what might have happened in those days, when Viktor doesn't recall them because from where he's standing, he'd already arrived in Abraxas.]

He remembers things that I don't, from after I arrived here. From his perspective, I never went anywhere. The implications of that are...slightly staggering.

[catholica]

Ah, that.

( yeah, he's experienced that sort of thing too. maybe not on quite the personal level as viktor but still. )

There's a few people here from the same world as me who remember different things. And none of the know who I am. Which isn't a surprise all things considered.

( he was just a regular lawyer, after all. )

Has he told you what he remembers that you don't?

[techmaturgy]

Something like that, yes. Theoretically, there is some version of myself that continued to exist back home, despite my displacement here.

[The good news is that it doesn't seem like he needs to explain much further. Viktor wonders if this sort of thing is on purpose, or if it's just a side effect of the summoning ritual. If it's not exact enough to pinpoint specific dates or times.]

He has, yes. [What those things are, however, Viktor seems content to leave unsaid. It still weighs on him, but he plays it off with a shrug.] A lot can happen in a few days.

[catholica]

Yeah, that's what I've found out too. From people from where I come from.

( the whole snap thing, being dust, coming back years later. he doesn't know what his fate is but he's not in a rush to find out either. )

Kind of weird to know a future you haven't experienced, isn't it?

[techmaturgy]

Scientifically, it's fascinating.

[Emotionally? Well, maybe not so much. Viktor is still not quite sure what to think about the time he's missing--what happened in between his last conversation with Jayce in the lab (the one he remembers), and begging him to destroy the Hexcore (the conversation he does not). The fact that Jayce himself doesn't know what Viktor was up to in those interim days is certainly not helpful.]

When you're the one missing time, it's...aggravating. To say the least.

[catholica]

Yeah.

( he doesn't think he's specifically aggravated about it but it's...concerning. something he's trying not to think about since there's little to be done. )

I keep wondering maybe I can change things, make a difference in what happens even if I know that's probably impossible.

[techmaturgy]

Much of that depends on whether getting home at all is even a possibility.

[Viktor still thinks, occasionally, of trying to reverse-engineer the summoning ritual, even with the added complication of parallel universes and alternate timelines in the way. For now, however, he has other priorities.]

I'd thought, at the start, that I might be able to puzzle out the summoning ritual, but adding in various timelines complicates the situation somewhat, to the point where I'm not even sure it's worth worrying about.

[catholica]

( that's the question, isn't it? matt doesn't even know if he wants to go home because that means finding out if he died or...not.

he sighs and rubs a hand across his face. )

But you're gonna worry about it anyway?

[techmaturgy]

It's a puzzle to solve.

[Which, ordinarily, he likes, because he needs to keep his mind occupied. There are other reasons, too--Viktor hasn't quite given up on his pledge to help the Undercity. He certainly won't be able to do that if he remains in this place, as he is.]

There are some who might want to make a life here. [The corners of his mouth turn down a little, indicating that this might be slightly personal.] I'm not sure I can count myself among them.

[catholica]

I don't think I could.

( cadens isn't a terrible place to live from what he's known of it. it has its ups and downs just like new york but it's not really his city.

he thinks he'd be uncomfortable here long term. )

I've only lived in one place my entire life so to suddenly have it changed is jarring. I'm still getting used to things.