deercountry | june catch-all

Entry tags:

june catch-all

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]

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These are from your home? The eh, the one in the Trench, that is. [he reaches to pick one of the nails up, pleased by the metal. a little rough around the edges but it's solid, and more so he could find use for a lot of the pieces as they are. maybe fiddle with the nails a little bit... yes, this is a very good trade.

that and he's quietly thankful she went through the effort of removing the rust. that was kind of her and less work for him.]

No no, in truth I wouldn't have expected even that much effort. I very much appreciate it. [he starting shifting them into piles, mostly the stuff he knows he wants and others he could find a use for later, idle when he asks,] How have you been, if I may ask? It has been quite the month.

That's right. Well, mostly. The wood had to be completely removed and most of this was part of that.

[ Gaia gestures with a hand in a vague way. Meanwhile she's set aside a selection of jars that will be suitable (she hopes) for preserving foods through the winter. Another two or three added in for general storage but it seems to satisfy her out of what Viktor put on offer. Is it an even trade? Well, of course she brought more than she estimated she might need. But it should be easy enough to sort out something that works for both. ]

Ah. [ There's a grimace which includes a bit of a wrinkled nose. ]

It's been a month. But I guess the whole transformation thing wasn't as bad as some things that've happened, you know? Though there were a few close calls.

[ Looking like a monster did tend to get a few arrows shot your way. Especially the way Gaia had been pressed to move. ]

What about on your end?

You know if you're interested I have some appliances over there I've been working on stripping for scrap. I could fix one up instead for you. [he nods over to a table with a little space heater, a toaster, a fan, things like that. he's thinking similar that she brought a great deal and a few jars? not as good as some decent quality metal.

that and he likes tinkering, so he won't say no to saving something rather than destroying it.]

Ah yes, I saw a man who turned into a large metal eagle. [he shakes his head.] In truth I was lucky, I had eh... plant growth, but it was reversed. Not quite as bad as the months before in the end, aside from those flowers.

[From the way she perks up, Gaia is definitely interested. After all that had been part of the discussion; getting help with things like electrical wiring, small conveniences and so forth.]

Yes, actually. [ Like many teens her age she's sometimes easily distracted and looks at the table that's indicated. She begins drifting that way. While her words indicate she has something specific in mind that doesn't mean she isn't keen on looking to see if anything else catches her fancy.]

With the summer coming, I thought having one of those motorized fans would be would be wonderful. You said you were familiar with the lunar orbs and wiring too? I'd still like to talk about that.

[ There's another grimace. Probably not so much about the transformations. Those were mostly harmless. The flowers on the other hand... ]

Thank goodness I didn't get afflicted with those things. [ Gaia rubs her arms briefly. The thought of parasitical flowers growing out of her is just crawl-inducing really. She looks at Viktor sympathetically. ] Is that what you mean? I'm sorry you had to go through that.

[viktor puts the little bits of metal aside for now, moving towards the array of mostly broken appliances with a thoughtful look.] The fan then? I can get that done fairly quickly, if you don't mind waiting about an hour.

[it's an old timey one, a little battered but sturdy enough, he things. he pulls it over to take a better look, humming to her comment about the wiring as he does.] Oh yes, I would be happy to discuss it. That kind of project is good practice with the whole system, in truth.

[which always useful, when learning his way around lunar energy. that and honestly he just doesn't mind helping but finds it easier to offer if there's some level of implied exchange. experience for wiring, etc.]

I did, though my ah... transformation was also plantlike. [he glances over, dry tone when he says,] Imagine how irritating it was to try and figure out which flowers were me and which were parasites.

[ An hour doesn't seem so bad. By this time Uri has found himself a place to flop down and rest as Gaia has shooed him off from her side. Though the dog is still fairly alert.

Certainly an hour wouldn't be much trouble. And she'll nod when he agrees to discuss the matter- or at least idea- of wiring her home to run off a lunar orb. But it seems there's other parts of the conversation to take momentary precedence. Like the understandable sympathy and a touch of horror at what Viktor had to go through.]

Gods, that must have been awful. I mean perhaps the plant transformation could have been insightful, but having a parasite like that on top of being uncertain whether it was the parasite.

[ She'd heard they had been difficult enough to be self-aware of in the first place. But to physically search for and separate them from a part of the body that was already foreign... She definitely finds herself lucky that all she had to deal with was blindness... basically. There was also fur and scales and a tail. Anyway! ]

I know next to nothing about how to build machina. Though I did learn to drive the skipper. It's... like a car?

[ People know cars here! ]

But making them or fixing them? I'm absolutely clueless. So I'd be relying on you to set up the entire wiring and interface.

[viktor moves to grab some tools, taking a seat in front of the fan and gesturing for gaia to take a seat wherever she'd like.] Oh, if you'd like tea I can put the kettle on. But yes, it was an unfortunate overlap. The transformation itself wasn't as bad as it could have been, at least.

I have seen some people still suffer it, unfortunately. [extremely unfortunately to some of them. he doesn't think monstrous people do well in a place where monsters are hunted.

ah well.] Oh yes, I have actually seen some automobiles here. That is no trouble though, I may need some assistance with more physical aspects of the labor but aside from that it would be my pleasure to handle it.

[he opens a panel on the fan, starts tinkering with a quirk of his lips.] Lunar energy is very easy to work with and incredibly fascinating. I wish other worlds had such a resource.

[ Given she's still standing and Viktor's already settled in to look over the fan, it's a given Gaia looks around even as she perks up by the offer of tea. ]

That'd be nice honestly. Though I can put the kettle on.

[If it's obvious where everything is, Gaia will just do that task herself before returning to the seat offered. Otherwise direct away! Either way once she settles into a seat nearby, she is obviously mildly interested in the conversation. Or maybe just watching the tinkering, who knows?]

As for the physical aspects, I can handle that. And if I can't, I'll trade for some extra help. And you can handle the complicated parts.

[ Gaia might look like a delicate teen but honestly, anyone who's moving on their own at her age probably has a hidden strength. And her attitude indicates she's confident in what she's capable of.

Though this is also the girl that sometimes overextends what she believes herself to be capable of through sheer pride. Still that's also very like a teenager. She's getting better! ]

I suppose it's close enough to aether. Lunar orbs I mean.

[ Her words are offhand. ]

Alisae or Thancred would probably have been able to tell you more details if they were still around.

[viktor only glances up to make sure she can find everything- it is all out in the open so easy to put together, just a burner and a kettle, a sink on the side. otherwise his attention goes back to the fan, at the moment taking it apart to figure out the state of it, putting aside pieces that will need replaces.]

Excellent. I imagine it will not be too grueling a labor on either of our ends, but I suppose we shall see. Do you have housemates?

[she does seem young, though he's starting to get used to the fact teenagers are dragged here more than he thinks acceptable. at least there aren't any children, at least that he's seen.]

Aether? [he questions, then a glance up at those names. sleepers back to the sea, he assumes.] Were they people from your world?

[Then she's definitely got it. Water's heating and she's seated while it boils. Then a near stranger asks if she, a young teenager, is living on her own. There's a brief pause. It is then answered with a shrug.]

It'll be a relief to have the tricky parts out of the way.

[Later he'll find out the 'tricky bits' are pretty much the 'wiring' and anything equivalent to modern earth house wiring, light switches, circuit breakers and outlets.

And then she'll learn about flooring and walls but that's for another day.]

Yes, aether. [This is a safer topic.] It's what our world understands as energy in all things. It's how people are alive. Or how they perform magic?

[ She's watching Viktor as though hoping it strikes a memory in the man. Then Gaia makes a face. It's clear she's no scholar and coming up with an explanation for something so innately fundamental as... well, the air they breathe is a struggle for the teen. ]

I imagine the Lunar Orbs are like that. I mean aether is all around us even here. And that's just another form of harnessing it? [She huffs a sigh.]

But yes. And they're people who came from the same world. Sort of.

[That was also a bit complicated. But what it boils down to is she kind of wishes they were here to explain aether better than she can. Gaia gets back up. The kettle will be done boiling soon.]

Are the cups and tea over near the sink then?

[those are very much the tricky parts in this world. probably in others. then again beast proofing a house isn't usually a thing and yet.]

Ah, I see. Yes, we simply call it the arcane. I've heard it called the force as well, at least from others here. [thanks maul. still, it makes sense to him and he nods as tinkering proceeds.]

What was your world like, if I may ask? Of course you needn't answer if you do not wish, I simply find the others worlds a fascinating topic.

[and a good thing to listen to while working, not butting against people missing or gone.]

Oh yes, there are mugs right by the sink and that tin there holds the tea. Brew whichever you'd prefer. [there's a small selection, some herbal, some black. he doesn't like tea that much but you learn to make do here.]

Oh yes, the Force. Those 'jedi' and 'sith', right?

[ Gaia has also had conversations with the people in question. In any case, while working on getting the tea brewed - it will be black - she'll cast a glance over her shoulder. ]

I wouldn't mind. But you should know that I'm probably not the best person to ask about it, depending on what you want to know. Shortly before I came to Trench I lost a lot of my memories. And being reborn here or... whatever it is didn't do any favors.

[ She doesn't seem too distressed. It seems she's made some level of peace with it. Enough to continue speaking casually as she brings back the tea in any case. ]

I can tell you the world I came from had very little land left that could be inhabited. Until recently, it had been on the brink of being consumed by a flood of Light.

Edited 2022-06-06 05:34 (UTC)

Yes, those are the ones. I have only really come to know eh... Maul, is his name? A very odd man.

[or whatever his race may be called? viktor has no idea.

he glances up from his fiddling with the fan's inner workings at that, a small frown.] Ah, my apologies then. That must make matters even more confusing than they already are.

A flood of light?

[ Gaia looks to recognize Maul's name. ]

I wouldn't say I've gotten to know them well, but I've talked to a few.

[ The teen then shakes her head. ]

It's not as if you knew. And since there's not much I can do about it, I just look toward the future.

[ As well as writing down copious entries in journals, but that's another matter entirely. Gaia sobers and nods. She closes her eyes. There are things she remembers after all and, while she might have professed boredom or disinterest she was probably listening when things were explained back then. ]

All the elements exist in aether and it's everywhere. Sometimes the aether is pulled out of balance toward one of the elements. Usually that's not a big deal because it happens all the time. Like wind blowing, or a storm brewing. Or when someone uses magic to cast elemental spells. But when a lot of aether gets pulled out of balance at once, it's a catastrophe.

[ Gaia isn't making light of the topic but she's calm enough despite the seriousness to take a drink from her cup before continuing. ]

One hundred years ago... there was a fight. [ For a moment, Gaia casts her gaze downward. ] And to stop their world's destruction, the ones trying to protect it world called on a blade of Light to take down their foe. But the world had already been leaning strongly toward the element. So it tipped the balance too far.

[ She falters momentarily, looking back up at Viktor to see if he's following along. Gaia's well aware that just because the concepts make sense to her, that a stranger from another world was probably going to be confused if there wasn't room to ask questions. ]

I have a friend here who also suffered with memory loss. I believe between all the odd events poking at our pasts he was able to begin regaining many of them.

[which is neither here nor there, but it seems the sort of relevant thing for gaia to know. it's hard to say if the trench wouldn't just focus elsewhere anyway.

viktor pauses his work to listen, finding the explanation fascinating on a conceptual level. it isn't terrible far off from arcane theories in his own world, though seemingly delved into far deeper.

he frowns but nods as he glances to him, following along easily enough.] So if it were wind there would be catastrophic storms in the excess of this element of the aether, but because it is light instead it is something else. I can imagine an excess of light could be... sterilizing.

[ Just her luck. A lot of memories she can't really brace for getting displayed on the Omni network or goodness knows what other outlets. There's definitely something along the lines of a put out expression crossing her features, though it borders on unease when all's said and done. ]

Wonderful. I mean, not to diminish your friend's achievements, if that's what he wanted of course.

[ Well if it happens there's not a lot to be done, as will no doubt be demonstrated. So she'll move on as well. Sterilizing? Gaia considers the word.]

I guess that could be a way of putting it? [ After all she's no scholar. ] Light is mostly a state of stasis while Dark is one of activity. They're the poles that can draw the other elements. When most of the world was consumed by the Flood of Light, it became what was called the Empty. Endless land saturated in Light-aspected aether. Living beings consumed by it were changed into aether-starved beings called sin eaters. The stronger ones could cause others to change. Sometimes it was quick. Other times the change took a while.

[ Her hands are wrapped around the cup as if to seek solace out of it. She might be able to talk calmly about it, but she's not unaffected by the tale. For many reasons. Taking a deep breath, Gaia looks up and speaks with a more positive tone. ]

But things are better now. The source of the sin eaters was found. And a cure was found for the afflicted that hadn't yet changed. And a solution restoring the Empty had been found. There will be a future for that world. And one day the balance will be restored for all of it. I'm sure.

[ Her tone indicates this is more than just wishful thinking on her part. She's certain. ]

Edited 2022-06-06 22:13 (UTC)

[viktor offers something a sympathetic shrug- how fun the mental nonsense here must be when it's a surprise what might pop up.] It was ultimately to his benefit, I believe, but I cannot say it was not a struggle.

[that's a horrifying picture, and after a moment of consideration viktor makes himself return to the fan. more pieces pulled out and examined, new ones being slotted in, a quiet curse in a different language before he's grabbing a rag to clean up a corroded area inside.]

That is... an alarming picture. Was the trick to introduce more Dark energy in the end?

[good to know it seems to have a happy ending.]

[ One might think that it was just a need to introduce the element of Darkness! But Gaia shakes her head firmly. ]

All the elements needed to be introduced. And I think they had mentioned something about a particular order as the reason they did it in a certain way.

[ Clearly the gritty details elude because she definitely shrugs away the details here. And it's probably not related to her ability to remember the reasons this time. Gaia continues on the topic with something she's a little more certain about. ]

Because the aether that was tipped to the Light pushed out all other elements. But you need all of them, not just Dark and Light. I guess...

[ Gaia touches the rim of her tea cup. ]

This tea couldn't be warm without fire. And it wouldn't be liquid without water, right? So those elements are a little stronger, but the rest is all there. It's the same with the aether in our bodies...

[ The teen scowls and looks a bit confused. ]

Did I say that right? Well the important part is that all the elements needed to be restored to a more balanced state for it to work and bring life back into the Empty.

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june catch-all

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You know I probably should have mentioned a spoiler tag.