june catch-all

[mehanizovati]

Who: viktor and others, open to all with some closed prompts in comments
What: june catch-all, some tdm prompts
When: june
Where: various

content warning; terminal illness, arcane season 1 spoilers



misc lab stuff and various fruits.

[viktor's lab in the willful machine is usually left unlocked when he's working inside. friends or acquaintances have likely been told they're welcome to stop by if they like, either to say hello or to get help with whatever a vaguely sketchy lab could handle. of course someone he doesn't know can just walk in too or knock. maybe there's a sudden downpour and that ajar door is tempting? go for it.

the lab has been slowly filling with all sorts of nonsense on the various tables- lasers! tasers! some weird machine hooked up to a blood gem? it is not unlikely to be walking by and hear some minor booming noise and either a curse in czech or a satisfied 'a-ha!' feel free to investigate.

this month there's something else too, a bowl full of fruit. all the fruits mentioned in the tdm in fact, there to be tested on though it looks more like they're just for guests if people are unaware there's some weird shit going on.]

Just a moment, make yourself at home. [he might say to guest. that would include eating some fruit, right? enjoy. probably not the raw lemon though, that's weird.]

[ooc; if you want to memshare i am game, my only hard limit on memories is no suicide stuff please. self sacrifice is fine! feel free to ask to make sure one is okay. if you'd like a viktor memory let me know any hard limits and what sort of memory you might prefer!]


gaze and time loops.

[having lungs mostly working for the moment is pretty great, in viktor's humble opinion. it means walking around the trench doesn't come with the risk of coughing up blood and attracting beasts and generally having a bad time, along with added perks like not getting so easily winded and going for longer. it also means he finds himself out longer than he usually would, which maybe isn't the best, as it turns out.

for example, making his way home through gaze and hearing the chilling cry of a beast, sighing and trying to make his way around what turns out to be the wrong corner. maybe that's where he sees your character before the snarling of a too close beast starts in earnest.

and then snap! they're both back about an hour, where they passed on the street. the look viktor gives is somewhere between resigned and 'fuck this, actually.'] There is a term for this. 'One of those days,' I think.



[ooc; if you'd like to wildcard or do something else you can pm me here or find me at dichotomy]

Comments

[mehanizovati]

Last month it was those eh... those flower snacks, yes. Now fruit. I will have to keep an eye out on whatever comes to the boardwalk next month.

[interesting it was in the dream too, the more he learns of it the odder the picture becomes. all in all he thinks the trench sounds preferable. better the devil you know, sort of.]

Mostly you get used to mushrooms, I suppose. [a touch dry.] They have not betrayed us yet, at least not in my time. [a pause] If it is not prying to ask, do you consume anything? Our lesson on your systems today was intriguing in its self sufficiency.

[and a little wild!]

[hacktivated]

And there were chocolates in February!

[ Penny even managed to eat one, which was so extremely weird that she now tries to not think about it too hard.

And hey, speaking of which: ]

I do not! I have the ability to make use of an external power source if my systems are in a critical state, but otherwise my Aura sustains me. I do not think food would provide sufficient energy even if I could eat.

[mehanizovati]

That was before my time, and I admittedly fear to ask what those effects were.

[he can vaguely imagine. so far the fruits have been the most tame, in his opinion.]

Yes, I imagine processing it would take more energy than it could possibly offer one way or another. Would you mind telling me more about this Aura? I think it will be important in any future lessons or repairs. [added bonus, it's fascinating.]

[hacktivated]

[ A metaphysics lesson, huh? Fortunately, Penny is well-versed in this subject in particular. ]

In Remnant, Aura is the manifestation of a person's soul. Every living creature in Remnant has an Aura, and with practice someone can learn to manifest it.

[ As an example, she closes her eyes and focuses. Shimmering waves of green light envelope her body for a few moments, then fade away again as she opens her eyes. ]

Normally an android wouldn't have an Aura, but my father discovered a way to give one to me.

[ It's a very slightly fabrication. What Penny has is actually a piece of said father's Aura, but that's something she's not ready to share yet. ]

[mehanizovati]

Fascinating. It sounds like he was able to quite literally create life. [he has maybe a few questions he know would probably be a bit... prying. things about how her world must feel about this, how it was even possible, if there were ethical questions.

yup, super wants to ask but he's not so dense to think that was a good idea, or maybe more so right to put penny through. he'll ponder them later.] In a way it doesn't sound dissimilar to some magical concepts I have heard of from other worlds. Assuming the Aura can be considered anything like the arcane.

I'm afraid I have little idea what we could do for you if this Aura is somehow damaged. I suppose someone more versed with the soul than machines would be a better fit in helping you there.

[hacktivated]

[ Create life...? Penny actually hasn't heard that take before. She's had people tell her that she's real, that she's a person, that she has a soul, but no one has ever actually referred to her as being alive.

Interesting. She files that thought away to examine later. For now she has more questions to answer. ]

You may hear someone from Remnant discuss their Aura being depleted or broken, but that only means they've been exhausted to the point that manifesting their Aura is no longer possible. It will recover with time and rest, as Aura can only be completely dispelled through death.

If I am too severely injured to exert myself too much, I will 'lose consciousness' and enter a power-saving mode until my Aura recovers.

[ And... well, Viktor has probably already figured this part out himself, but it's still a little worrying to have to admit to. Still, Penny finally adds: ]

If you were to damage the parts of my system that allow my Aura to serve as a power source, or sever enough of the pathways between that and my core, it would be the same as killing me. My Aura would dissipate permanently.

[mehanizovati]

[he nods- grim, but expected.] Hm, perhaps we will work on how to handle that system then, in case of damage. It sounds like it is one of the most essential parts, if not the most.

Well, it is good to know otherwise it will not simply run out. Eh, this is more a question out of curiosity I admit, but does your Aura age?

[mostly he's curious if she's functionally immortal or an aura will eventually petter out like any human life might.]

[hacktivated]

[ Penny has some ideas for that herself, having been privy to her father's own debates and considerations with regards to improving her durability, and she makes a note to share them with Viktor later. For now, he's presented her with an interesting philosophical sort of question. ]

That's unknown. I'm the first example of an Aura sustaining itself with an inorganic host and I was only made several years ago. However, as a person ages their Aura typically does not grow weaker. Even someone very elderly can have an Aura stronger than someone in their prime.

[mehanizovati]

Interesting, so life experience perhaps has some effect on it? [he makes mental notes. honestly he could take notes but he'll refrain.]

Has corruption had any effects on auras?

[hacktivated]

I believe so! Strengthening one's Aura by trying to increase the 'amount' one has is very difficult, and many believe it's not possible. Instead, Huntsmen and Huntresses will focus on trying to improve their efficiency - creating an equally strong shield with a smaller amount of energy, for example, or recovering faster on a lesser amount of rest.

[ She doesn't elaborate beyond that. It's a somewhat unusual subject, but Viktor is a smart guy. If he's got questions he'll ask. ]

As for corruption... I am not certain, but I think for many people it would make their Aura harder to control.