[If Viktor is a rare sight in the workshop this month, he’s even harder to find in the Horizon. It’s not as though he doesn’t want to be here—on the contrary, the sicker he gets the more he wants to vanish to a place where he can have the strength and clarity of mind to keep working. The Hexcore, however, exists in the real world now, and needs to be tested accordingly.

When he is in the Horizon laboratory, it’s to practice the actual procedure. He runs through it a dozen times—with Alucard, with Jayce—they even bring Strange in to help, taking advantage of his modern medical knowledge while they can. The magic, however, is all up to the Hexcore, and Viktor’s uncertainty lies with the fact that he’s not sure it behaves the same in the Horizon as it will in reality. A risk he’s going to have to take.

Despite the fact that their test runs aren’t “real”, they’re exhausting nonetheless, though Viktor finds the idea of being even more exhausted in his physical body to be a daunting prospect. Once he vanishes away any evidence of surgery, he can be found in his study. Blackboard drawings of mechanical projects have been replaced by anatomical diagrams and arcana symbols, and Viktor himself is hunched over a desk, scrawling feverish notes, to the point where he might not even notice an intrusion.]

[As the procedure draws closer, however, Viktor finds he can’t stay away from his domain for long periods of time. He doesn’t have to be sick and exhausted here, and with their hard-fought plan looming, finds himself in need of contemplation. Luckily, he has a place in the Horizon for just that, though you might only know to look for him here if you know him well.

Still, he doesn’t seem to object to visitors, even if he’s not much for words at the moment. It’s possible silent company is enough.]