abraxaslogs | [open] january/february catchall

Entry tags:

[open] january/february catchall

Who: Viktor and special guests and YOU
When: January through early February
Where: Cadens, the Horizon
What: open stuff, closed stuff, dangerous and illicit magical surgery, the usual
Warnings: the usual references to terminal illness including a steep decline and medical procedures/surgery. will list additional warnings as needed.

[open and closed starters in comments! This is also a general catch-all for Viktor’s do-or-die attempt to cure himself, and the events leading up to it, and his recovery (to come later). 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.]

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[Viktor is, generally, a function-over-form kind of person, but he does appreciate good craftsmanship when he sees it. He can tell she's nervous, so he tries to remain as neutral as possible as he pages through the notebook. It's not hard to determine what she's most excited about, or who the jewelry is for, really. A little smile crosses his face when he realizes.]

Yes, I see it.

[He and Jayce have been working on defensive enchantments for Steve, so this dovetails nicely, he thinks.]

Have you worked with braerium yet? The import from Luna?

[ Relief begins to dissipate the anxiety, if only slightly. She doesn't know what Viktor's smile is for, but a smile like that can't be a bad thing.

She gives her head a bit of a shake. ]

Nope. Although Claude mentioned we should take a closer look at it. [ Curiously, she tilts her head slightly. ] Have you and Jayce started working with it? What makes it different from metals like gold and silver?

You should. It has...interesting properties.

[He hasn't been able to enchant something to project a shield, only imbue it with protective qualities, but he doesn't imagine it will be much of a stretch. He and Jayce already made something like it with Hextech--all they'd have to do is transfer the principle of it to this world's magic system.]

It's physically brittle, but holds enchantments well. Jayce and I have been experimenting with various alloys, to see if we can strengthen it for use in weapons and armor.

Do you think I could get some of my hands on it once you do? [ She gestures to herself, batting her eyelashes as her demeanor shifts, whatever trace of nerves that were there before folded back underneath a delicate flower facade. ] I'm not much of a blacksmith and I'd obviously pay you two back! Or I could make you two something.

[ Hilda knows that she could go with Claude and get some of her own, and probably still would, but she doesn't like the idea of spending time in front of a forge - she makes jewelry not the materials. ]

Or I can go and get you two some the next time we're in Nocwich.

Yes, of course. They import a small amount here every month.

[Plus, he’s sure that he and Jayce have some laying around that she could likely make use of.]

Jayce is the blacksmith, of the two of us. You don’t think I make the swords, do you?

[That said, he does have a knowledge of metallurgy, enough to provide some insight when it comes to his and Jayce’s experiments in strengthening the metal, though he’s more suited to the delicate work, like Hilda.]

Have I ever told you you're wonderful, Viktor?

[ It might sound like an over the top, unnecessary compliment for such a small thing but it's genuine. Embarking on creating jewelry that would do something than just sparkle and shine made her more nervous than she'd like to admit. Viktor's kindness though — everything from offering to learn how to enchant together, to agreeing to allow her to work with some of the metal, and then to review her designs — meant the world to her.

Hilda can't help but look positively tickled that they're in the same, delicate boat. A teasing laugh escapes her lips. ]

I'm sure you could if you wanted to. But we can leave all the actual forging to Jayce while we have some tea. Oh, speaking of! [ With a wave of her hand, a faint, ghostly apparition appears, caught in the dust motes that float through the sunlight. It lingers there a moment before the tea supplies Hilda had set aside earlier float up. ] I learned this the other day — neat right? Now he can go get us tea.

You have not, but I’ll start keeping track.

[He offers her a little smile, clearly pleased with the direction this conversation has taken. Viktor turns back to her notes, paging through them and committing a few things to memory. He’ll cross-reference later, maybe take some notes of his own,

No, I’m happy enough to leave that to Jayce. It’s his family trade, after all.

[Implying that Viktor's was not. Hilda seems content to leave it there, at least, and he turns his attention to the next display. Impressive, indeed, and he lets out a breathy laugh as he gets the idea of what it's doing.]

This, you'll have to teach me.

[It would certainly come in handy, at least for the time he has to spend bedridden.]

I don't just tell anyone that so make sure you do.

[ It sounds a little facetious despite how playfully she says it; she can use flattery like a weapon even when she means well and even when she'd deny it to the ends of time.

She can't help but look a little amusedly towards the departing tea set. Hopefully Jayce wouldn't be too startled by it when her unseen servant eventually made its way down the stairs to the kitchen. There's a laugh as she sheepishly can't help but admit --, ]

I wouldn't know how to teach you. I kind of accidentally figured out I could do it because I was sitting in my room wishing I didn't have to clean it. [ She motions for her sketchbook, nudging Viktor towards the next design she had spent some time on. ] And then ta-da! My clothes started moving. Do you think I should name them?

I've already made a tally--see?

[He has, in fact, scrawled something in his own notebook and decorated it with exactly one vertical slash. There's no going back now.]

Ah--an ability from the Singularity, then.

[Viktor admittedly hasn't studied those Horizon-given abilities closely--he only knows what he can do, and what Jayce can do, and how they've been honing them respectively. His own abilities are not really something he prefers to discuss in polite company, given the nature of them, but he's more than content to question Hilda about her powers.]

I don't know. You might get attached.

[ The tally is adorable, and she can't help but smile, a pleased blush colouring her cheeks.

The Unseen Servant and its tea tray float around the corner and down the stairs, and Hilda watches it a moment longer before turning back to the sketchbook. ]

Is getting attached a bad thing? I just think it would be cute to give them a name, and thank them properly, you know?

[ When she finally does arrive at the page she's looking for she hands it over to him. While there's a couple of different designs on this page (one is a half crescent moon with a jewel suspended between its ends, the other lantern), they all seem to have a similar theme: a way for her to know that people are okay. This one is a little bit more nebulous in terms of enchantment and it's clear from her notes that even she feels like she's lost a thread somewhere. ]

I'm not so sure about this one and it's mostly for Claude if I'm being honest. I know there are spells to find people, but this one is moreso that we know he's okay.

The real trick is getting them to answer to a name.

[He has no idea of the nature of these things! But it’s all a joke anyway, which he laughs off after a moment, turning back to Hilda’s notes as she pages through them. They settle on the jewelry and it isn’t hard to tell what she’s going for. Viktor nods in understanding.]

I’ve done this the old-fashioned way, you know. Tracking. Probably more efficient, to do it with a spell. Although…is your goal to determine whether he’s injured or in need of aid?

I'm sure I make that happen.

[ She appreciates Viktor playing along all the same. When they had first met she hadn't been sure he'd be the joking type — but maybe he was giving her some leeway after watching her chuck her guts out on a boat. ]

You tracked somebody? Like a bloodhound? [ Pardon her looking a little surprised, Viktor. But right. The jewellery. ] I didn't know those other things were a possibility. I don't even know how I'll get it to point to someone.

With technology, but yes, it's possible.

[He was not physically out there doing the tracking with nothing but his own senses--seems pertinent to clear that up. What she's describing, however, doesn't seem impossible.]

An easy way to do it might be to enchant two linked pieces--one for the person you'd like to keep track of, and one for you. Since you're hoping to make these for your friends, the enchantment could be stronger, if we personalize it.

["We". He is all in on this project now.]

[ Despite sounding mildly disappointed that Viktor did not moonlight as a detective, she still looks incredibly amused at the image that still remains in her mind.

The “we” doesn’t go unnoticed and her body language perks up considerably. It hadn’t been her intent to get Viktor to help her with her little project and he still could change his mind, but the small, verbal agreement is enough to make her smile an appreciative one. ]

Do you think that could work? And maybe if it does work, you and Jayce could have one. Or we could get them for all the Summoned if they wanted them. [ There’s a sparkle to her now, design ideas whirling through her mind — ] Just think about all the different designs we could make for people if they did.

I think it could work. There will be development and testing, of course, but--

[He seems optimistic! Or, it's certainly not too far out of the realm of what he believes is possible. They'll figure it out.]

--yes, it seems possible. Then you can charge a fortune.

[A joke! She would never do that. But maybe she should.]

You really think I should charge people?

[ Hilda knows plenty of people motivated by money and all for various reasons, but she's never been one of them. Before Abraxas, she hadn't ever had to think about how to get more of it. And while the absence of it here had certainly been a little difficult (and still was) to adjust to, but she had been lucky enough that Sylvain and Claude had seen to it that she hadn't been left entirely out in the cold. ]

I wouldn't even know where to start. How much do you and Jayce decide how much to charge?

It was a joke, but maybe.

[Might let her quit whatever job she has going, or move out of Mags’, if that’s where she stays. Viktor values his financial independence for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is his ability to work on the projects that he wants, instead of being at the mercy of rich patrons.]

Jayce would give everything for free, if he could. [And he’s certainly tried. The discount for Summoned is a compromise.] We’ve got to factor in the cost of materials, labor, and of course the rent we pay on our workshop and the apartment.

I've never had to think about any of that before. My family's always just...had money.

[ It sounds so vapid and lame when she admits it, but it's the truth. There's a bit of a gentle laugh at the thought of Viktor and Jayce bickering lovingly about whether to charge or give away their work for free. ]

I get that impression from him; he's really kind. You're lucky to have each other. [ The tender observation hangs in the air for a brief moment before she moves on. ] I don't think that people would pay for my things though. What you and Jayce do makes sense. This [ She motions to the notebook. ] is mostly because I'm bored.

[ It's a bit of a lie, one to cover up the cloying anxiety that swirls under layers of pink and perfume. ]

[Oh, yes, of course. Just had money. Viktor, unfortunately cannot relate, but he also knows this is not the time to expunge on his destitute childhood. And and young adulthood. Probably best not to talk about the disparity between Piltover and the Undercity at all.

Much easier to talk about her projects, instead.]

Well, maybe not to start, but I think with some refinement, you should at least see what people are willing to pay.

[ If he ever did feel comfortable enough to tell her those things, she'd listen as empathetically as she could.

The truthfulness surprises her and it's moment before she lets out a brief laugh. Honesty like that is sometimes met with a pout, but she somehow appreciates it coming from Viktor. ]

I guess I can use you as a benchmark for that then. [ Because she'd pay just about anything for something she really wanted and that hardly seems like a good place to start.

The telltale clatter coming up the stairs draws her attention away from him, and sure enough, the edge of a tray appears at the door. She waves her unseen servant in, and they dutifully wait as Hilda tries to clear some space on the bedside table for them to set it down. ]

Thank you, Perry! [ And with something that feels like a bow the magic fades, leaving Hilda to fuss with the pouring. ] What do you think? About the name and the benchmark idea?

If you want.

[Though Viktor is meticulous, when it comes to charting out materials and labor. He does, however, relish a project, and getting paid is somewhat secondary. A necessity, more than anything else.

The noise startles him momentarily, until he realizes that she has given her strange summon a name. He watches with a bit of interest as the apparition fades--but then there is tea to drink.]

I like both. I'm looking forward to seeing what we can do.

[ Delight fills her expression, cheeks dusting with a light pink. In time, it'll become a clear signal that's she's genuinely happy.

After ensuring that the tea seems steeped and at the correct temperature for consumption (good going, Perry!), she hands Viktor a cup before picking up her own. She holds it out towards him, posture becoming ridiculously proper thanks to years of etiquette lessons and being around people who cared for that sort of ceremony. ]

To what we can do, your new lungs, and a speedy recovery.

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[open] january/february catchall

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