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]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[The number one problem with Cytherea is the same one she'd posed at Canaan House: she mostly keeps to herself, and her attention skims off Palamedes in a matter of moments, when she appears. This makes it remarkably hard to get rid of her in a way that takes, as Palamedes' reaction time always seems a split second too slow to be sure - until she's there again later. It's that she keeps appearing that seems to be wearing down— something, some inner working of however this particular Trench curse works until the inevitable snap.

At least, Palamedes has assumed as much. Cytherea haunting him personally makes, in short, no sense. He'd figured she isn't really herself early in the month, the second time she'd appeared and simply regarded him in the same way, distant and cold with her thin, papery, wasted smile. The way she'd regarded him at Canaan House, when he'd finally seen through the ruse and gone to confront the Lyctor who was not Dulcinea Septimus. So that is the first clue: an authentic spirit doesn't simply repeat itself ad nauseum, he knows, the boredom of it would be too much.

So this thing following him around intermittently is not actually Cytherea, and so he explains to Viktor early on that he is doing fine, and he can handle a pseudoghost, and if he needs him, he will call at the first possible moment— not that he wants to subject Viktor to any version of Cytherea, but they've had enough life lessons about shouldering burdens and being reckless heaped onto them lately. He resolves to handle her himself until he cannot, and that's how it will go.

She gets steadily more irritating, particularly when she starts to talk to him. Palamedes spends more than a handful of days with a constant scowl plastered on, because she is annoying and because - well.

'If this is a haunting pulled out of my own subconscious, which is my working theory,' he tells Viktor one evening over the omni, pacing around the bunker, 'Then I'm the one plaguing myself with the insulting truth that she doesn't remember my name.'

Blah blah, he insists, confronting uncomfortable truths about his trauma responses, blah blah. He says 'blah blah' aloud, multiple times.

That was maybe a week ago; now, ironically enough, he sits at his desk in the Lumenarium across from Cytherea's ghost, her curls rustling gently in a breeze that isn't even fucking real, because of course she's- he's? whatever- doing that. To annoy him. Himself.

It's ironic because he's considering violence to vent some frustration when Viktor's message comes through, and he relishes the chance to think about something else— ah, well, fuck. Not something else, then.]

Do you need me to come? And who is it?

I believe you saw him in our memory exchange briefly, the doctor. Which is odd, as he is not dead in my world. In fact he is the last person I saw before waking up here.

[which might have meaning? he hasn't the slightest clue. he has spoken with pal enough now about the possibilities of cytherea to know there's like symbolism to all of this, and that is a distinctly frustrating fact.

a glance behind him and he notes this time singed is as he saw him last, burnt and bandaged, one eye clouded and blind. he turns his gaze back to the omni with a sigh as he considers the first question posed.]

It is not an emergency.

[sent, and then after a beat he forces himself to be honest, and vulnerable, and all those annoying things.]

But I would like for you to come, if you are able to.

[Ah yes, the strange man making drugs in a cave. Palamedes does remember this very ordinary thing for a person to be doing.]

I'll come. Still in the study? Give me ten minutes.

[Maybe in ten minutes, Cytherea will take it upon herself to disappear. He glances up from his omni to look at her as he thinks this, and she only smiles wider, so - maybe not, but he'll dare to hope. Still:]

She's here right now. She'll more than likely be joining us.

[But he's up and on his way as soon as Viktor confirms his location, Cytherea Warning delivered. He'll swing by the Sanctuary storage room to grab an extra spare blanket before he heads for Viktor properly; see, now Viktor doesn't even have to wheedle him about staying the night, he's already decided.

He's pointedly ignoring Cytherea on his heels when he arrives, and she's honestly doing the same to him. The non-ghost looks, instead, at Viktor, which would probably be fine if she ever blinked, which she does not.]

Hey. I brought my headache.

Lovely, our ghosts can meet. Like a playdate.

Thank you.

[with that aside viktor eyes singed for a few moments more, unsure if he is trying to speak or simply silent by choice. hard to tell with his mouth covered, and what little he can see is a lipless stretch of teeth. leave it to singed to make groundbreaking medicines and not bother with more than dirty bandages for himself.

he sighs and turns his attention to getting some work done. when he glances up again several minutes later singed is gone, for the moment.

he isn't there when pal arrives, though viktor is to smile and greet him, gaze softening at the blanket he sees.] Mine is hiding, for the moment. [pal gets a kiss before his attention slides to cytherea, refusing to be unsettled by her despite the fact she is the definition of the word.]

She's getting bolder? She's never looked at me like that before.

[Know that he snorts at this playdate joke on the way over. Yes, just like a playdate.

He bunches the blanket under one arm, free hand cupping Viktor's cheek for this sweet kiss and lingering there when he twists to look back at Cytherea, who continues to - stare, like that. If Palamedes angles himself pointedly between Viktor and bitchy pseudoghost, it's purely to be petty and block her view of him. Ugh.]

She talks now, too. It's going to be a riot when she does.

[But for now she's only staring, even as she settles herself onto a corner of a table, ankles crossed and legs gently swinging, like an ordinary young woman in a gauzy sundress might do in a more appropriate setting. The indoor lighting washes out her already exceedingly pale skin, which serves only to make the burning blue of her eyes that might brighter.

Palamedes sighs and turns back to Viktor, leaning in for another quick kiss. Hi, yes, he's here for the playdate. Speaking of, glancing around the room-]

Hiding hiding? Or blinked out of reality for a while?

Oh, and that is what I was thinking, what she was really missing was the ability to be more irritating. [viktor says dryly, his attention going fully to pal now. despite the dry tone of the words his brow furrows, cupping pal's jaw and asking quietly,] Are you well?

[because the fact that she could talk adds all new upsetting aspects to the whole affair, and while he is quite sure pal could handle some nasty pointed ghost comments on pure stubbornness and spite alone that does not mean he's having a good time of it.

pal's question is a good one, and before viktor can answer he feels a bit of a chill down his back. a glance behind him and singed is there again, still burnt, working at his desk as though he owned the place. in the low evening light it almost does feel like the cave.]

Blinked, it seems. I don't know why he's burnt like that by the way, he's never explained it as more than 'an unfortunate accident.' His ghost has also appeared the way I remember him as a child as well.

[Palamedes answers that question with a weak chuckle, like, well - he's been better, but he's also been much worse! So Viktor's quipping about how irritating Cytherea can be is more than welcome, as is his stubborn closeness in the face of mean and invasive ghosts. He shrugs, leaning into Viktor's touch and letting him, at least, see how haggard a couple weeks of dealing with Cytherea's presence on and off has been.

Madame Ghost doesn't deserve the satisfaction, but for a brief moment with his back to her and Viktor so close: ugh. Ghosts.]

I'm dealing, [he says, and then follows Viktor's look towards the man abruptly seated at the desk. Aha. What a strange thing, actually - that he keeps evidently changing appearances? Should they be writing these appearances down to compare circumstances?]

This month is 'an unfortunate accident.' [huff!] Is that all he does, sit there and work?

[And where can the two of them sit that is not too close to either of these ghosts, speaking of. He brought a blanket and everything.]

Hm, you are dealing. [viktor thumbs at any bags that may be forming under pal's eyes, any obvious lines of stress or tension. dealing, probably well but that didn't make it pleasant by any means. it did mean a slow wearing down, eventually.] And this is going on too long.

[he tilts pal's head to kiss right under his eye where he touched before. a pointedly sweet gesture, in flagrant disregard for nasty ghosts being nasty.]

He stood at the doorway and stared before you came. I think he's been here for a while but I was too caught up in work to notice until he became this visible.

[there is a lumpy couch he got brought into the study, mostly to crash on and very obviously so with how many papers are scattered and piled nearby, an empty teacup on one of them. he tugs pal to follow there, unnerved by the silent company but glad for the lull.]

[Ah, and a tender kiss is enough to melt Palamedes' heart in a way he doesn't expect, throwing into sharp relief just how much it's been a hassle, to deal with ghosts and spend multiple nights apart and away from this easy comfort. Perhaps he should have anticipated this and acted accordingly - guy who spent eight months in a room alone is happier when real, non-ghost people are around, especially his boyfriend, wow! - but he's here now.

So. Problem solved! Ahem. Now that Viktor is also being haunted, it's for the best to just camp out together and figure it out, huh...]

You're the only person I know who could not notice being haunted. [It's endearing, despite the many obvious risks associated with it.] I guess we should be grateful he's only stood and stared.

[But, like, he's not... it's obvious that he's not, these ghosts need to get lost. He follows Viktor to the lumpy couch and leaves the blanket rolled up on one end for later; for now, it's sitting and keeping a vigilant Ghost Watch that's the priority.

Ghost Watch includes, of course, making sure there is zero space left between himself and Viktor. In case a ghost gets in there.]

Allen told me he's seen the ghosts attack. Are we waiting for the other shoe to drop, do you think...?

[Singed just sits and works and Cytherea just stares without blinking, what's going on here.]

Bah, this place is so haunted, why should I give them attention? I have things to do. [viktor dismisses, as though rowdy ghosts are unruly children or something. shock of shocks he also feels a certain level of tension easing now that they're together, nowhere near as drawn out or wrought but maybe, he thinks, he'll make more of an effort to get home each night. or more of an effort to convince pal to stay. one of the two.

getting the loft finished in pal's own little study would help. hm.

zero space is good, he already has his knee brace off for the evening so it's easy to curl in close, eyes drawn more to cytherea than his own ghost. singed is a can of worms, to be sure, but she is the reason pal died and now has a haggard look after a truly annoying month of nonsense. also she has been around longer, so there's that. he wishes allen's odd magic sword thing could just poof her from existence.

he lets out a soft sigh, head flopping back against the sofa. if singed seems more solid as the minutes pass he doesn't glance over to notice.]

They attacked Chizuru. From what I gather they remain docile for a time and then get violent, though it's varied. Some have many ghosts show up, some one. Yours has been in and out, others never leave.

I think it's safe to say they are meant to do us harm, one way or another. [and then a grimace, because he knows this is uh... maybe not a fun idea to bring up to pal.] It may be a matter of coming to peace with them.

[fuck cytherea, is the thing.]

Your dedication to the work is admirable, as always. [That's his workaholic man, so endearing. Palamedes takes a moment to revel in wrapping Viktor into an embrace and putting the ghosts out of mind as best he can— somewhat possible, he finds, thanks to the pure serotonin boost of having Viktor's warmth against his side again. Yes, Cytherea is in the room; yes, Singed is a big, dangerous question mark for all that he doesn't know about him; yes, Chizuru was attacked by ghosts, multiple even! But, well.

If given the opportunity to squeeze in close and duck his head to kiss Viktor's conveniently bared neck, well, he's taking it? He hums against skin and lingers there a moment, before leaning his head on Viktor's shoulder and eyeing each of the ghosts in turn.

Hmm.]

You don't say. [Ugh, must he... Does he not think about Cytherea enough on his own terms, already? She's been around much longer than Singed has, too, so-] Am I supposed to go first?

[Ha ha... eugh. He doesn't want to, actually! He's doing just fine not being at peace with Cytherea, no matter how many times she stares at him with her expectant, sickly smile, waiting for him to listen to her dumb speech about why murder is good, actually—

Mm. He huffs, irritated.]

I don't know where I'd start. Is a witness required? Frankly, I'd rather she not even see you at all. She's indiscriminately killed enough people I cared about already.

[that has viktor chuckling, and wouldn't it be a delight to just go, lock the door and neck like teenagers for a while? they deserve it, as far as viktor's concerned, pal deserves it, but there's something to be said for the soft mood being ruined by two unfortunate witnesses to it.

he doesn't look at either though, for a moment. runs a hand through pal's hair before taking one of his with the other, interlacing their fingers. yes, he missed this and it's been... not that long at all. he's getting spoiled.]

Yours is likely the pressing concern. [he sighs, trapping his hand still as his lips thin.] And I could leave, if you wish, but I would like to point out you have had too much time alone with her. If she attacks we are in a place where it is easy to get help, assuming we cannot handle it ourselves.

So. [so. he wants to stay and the look he gives pal says as much.]

[Yes, the ideal scenario would be the ghosts politely excuse themselves for an hour or forever, and they can go to town on this lumpy couch and not have to think about making peace with trauma just this once. Just one time!

Alas. Viktor's hands are another instant relief of that tension Palamedes has been studiously ignoring while on his own, the comfort and (comparative, since there are ghosts in the room) safety of physical contact, like this. 'I have a thing,' he'd said ages ago, sobbing on the floor, and it feels great to have it confirmed that the thing has not, in fact, conveniently gone away. At least he isn't crying this time, exhausted as he is by Cytherea's presence.

So. The much-welcomed cuddle is a pretty big deciding factor in how he handles the rest of this ghost evening, thanks.]

No, I know; I'm not asking you to go anywhere. But.

[But. Cytherea is the 'but,' of course. Not that he expects her to have a particular grudge against him, despite all odds; she didn't care enough about any of their lives to single them out personally in the first place. They were simply in the way, and so why should the afterimage of her loitering in Viktor's new study give a damn about either of them now?

Said ghost studies her nails for a moment, scoffing - audibly! - as if she's fully aware of Palamedes' thoughts, which considering she's most certainly a creation of his own psyche, she must be. Then she looks at them both, and when she speaks, her voice comes out as some unholy mix of Palamedes' and her own, soft and whimsical in the exact tones of someone putting on an act:

'You're going to die spewing your own lungs out of your nostrils, having failed at the finish line because you couldn't help but prattle about why you killed innocent people, as though your reasons were interesting...'

And that makes Palamedes' exhaustion sharpen to a much more furious point, although he makes no immediate move to pick himself up off Viktor's shoulder. He's not feeling very peaceful, as it happens.]

[pal gets a kiss on his knuckles for that, glad he's not going to have to leave- he would have argued it anyway, but still. in truth this unsettled side of pal is one he hasn't seen much of before, simmering anger that, frankly, viktor feels he can sympathize with in many ways.

maybe it isn't so shocking, pal has never been shy about his convictions.] But your concern is noted and I will not do anything rash if I cannot help it.

[he almost makes a snide comment that they'd loop again but dear gods. not putting that into the universe.

regardless cytherea speaks in a perfectly unnerving voice, words that sound like they belong to pal and, in turn, get a rasp of a chuckle from singed. viktor very pointedly ignores that, hand resting on the back of pal's neck, glowering over at the ghost because he simply can't help it.]

... I know this has traditionally not worked well for us in the past but I do think punching her would be very satisfying. [that's making peace, right.]

[I won't do anything rash, says local man, moments before suggesting they start punching ghosts. Palamedes can't help but laugh, a short bark of a sound that he turns his head to bury in Viktor's shoulder before he does something rash to Cytherea's ghost over there. If he's here, holding onto Viktor close enough that he can feel the vibration of his voice and has that presence to anchor to, physically— then he isn't back in that goddamn room, standing there saying those words to Cytherea the first time.

First,] I love you and I appreciate the thought, but you'd have to get up, and I'm not letting you do that.

[Thanks for staying here on the unsettled couch, he's very grateful. Cytherea, for her part, sighs and considers her nails again, as if having lost interest in the pair of them already.

Palamedes is quiet for a moment, pressing his anger down into something manageable and even before he speaks again.]

I didn't know her name until I was here; I could have gone my whole life without having to learn anything about her that might have made her seem like— like a person.

['Yes,' she pipes up then, bored, and the way Palamedes grinds his teeth through the rest proves it to be another recitation of past words, although without the overlaid edge of his own voice this time, 'but this wasn't really about any of you. Not personally.'

A beat.]

I think I'm being called a hypocrite. Do you think I'm being called a hypocrite?

A fair argument. We can put that idea to the side for now. [for now.

he taps an idle rhythm into pal's skin, near the bumps of his spine, like see? i am here. maybe a reminder pal is here too, for him, but that's another matter. no ghost rooms here, just rooms with ghosts, some welcome and some very much not.

pal's lucky he introduced him to grandpa ghost first or this whole experience would have put him off ghosts entirely.

he presses a kiss to the top of pal's head and says,] I love you too, and yes, that does seem to be the intent. Frankly I think your mind or whatever force in the Trench twists these scenarios has eh... has a 'thing' for throwing old words, especially yours, back at you.

[recklessly ahead, remina. he sighs softly.] You are obviously not a hypocrite, by and by.

[Mm, a good reminder; Palamedes relaxes into him that much more, only an iota, but it's something. Better this than listening to Cytherea go through their greatest hits alone someplace, after all.

Viktor says he is not a hypocrite, which is nice, but Palamedes' bitterness instead supplies:] Would it matter? This city can't possibly ride me for hypocrisy, of all things— I won't apologize to a murderer for not knowing her name.

[So like, fuck this town, actually! Fuck this town and fuck Cytherea, who titters airily at them from her table perch and continues not to disappear.]

Well, all I'm saying is, if the goal of this challenge is to make me apologize for anything I've done, I disagree. I won't do it.

[He dares a look over at Cytherea again, for this one, to see if she's going to spring into violence at his refusal; she does not.

So that's a twist. Despite his commitment, Palamedes' steely resolve - falters, somewhat. Uh, what is option two, then...]

Okay. It's lost me. You try, with yours.

[viktor huffs at that, then offers,] Is it the city? You are a man who holds himself to high standards, especially ethically. If we want to really be the eh, the snake eating it's tail, we could ask if the problem is part of you feels troubled that you do not feel troubled by this.

[he nearly snorts again, this trench psychology nonsense is going to be the death of him. still, worth putting out there to be shot down or considered, he supposes.] For what it is worth I support the not apologizing and still think punching may be worthwhile.

[dry, but yes. he's definitely going to support pal not bending over backwards for this loathsome copy of an even more loathsome woman. they'll figure it out. hopefully. maybe peace isn't what the ghosts even want, or the trench, or whatever plays them like this.

he regards cytherea a moment more before exhaling through his nose and glancing to singed, still bent over his notes.]

I've already forgiven him as best as I am able for his... flaws. [he settles for.] I doubt that forgiveness would have mattered to him anyway, that sort of sentimentality simply isn't in his nature.

[There's a good point in there, Palamedes thinks - and in any circumstance besides dealing with Cytherea, he just might feel troubled about not feeling troubled. There would be valid concerns to evaluate if he felt nothing, although in his defense - it isn't nothing that he feels when he looks at her, when her words and vile behaviors crawl their way up into his conscious thoughts.

Just in case the city needs to hear it, he says, bluntly:] I'll hurt her again if I have to and sleep like a baby about it tonight. I won't apologize for that.

[He has a short checklist for what will inspire him to do violence, he'd told Anna, 'it's personal' chief among the reasons there. He's already exercised patience to see if she'll leave; it's lingering concern that she'll lash out at Viktor that stymies his maybe-violence now.

So fuck her, how about this drug man. Hmm. Palamedes smooths his thumb over Viktor's sympathetically, watching Singed ignore them for notes. Hmm...]

What does he want from you, then? Are we both hypocrites in the eyes of the morally questionable? This is going to be a long night if our guests don't realize they're in the wrong.

[it's comments like these viktor probably shouldn't find attractive, but he does. he at least is confident it is not the violence that appeals so much as the conviction, and allows himself to tip pal's head for a kiss.

'love and legacy are the price we pay for progress,' singed chooses to tell him like a reminder, at least in his own neutral tones instead of some unholy mix. viktor breaks the kiss with an annoyed grimace.]

You owe her nothing. [he agrees, refusing to glance at her or singed this time around, fingers tight around pal's.

a sigh and he flops his head back against the couch again, tensing but ignoring the creak of singed's chair as he stands, despite having no weight to burden the chair with. he footsteps tap in an idle circle of the room, as if he owns it, comfortable. so far nonviolent.]

Maybe- [his jaw works before saying,] when I last saw him I told him I understood a matter I have since changed my mind on. Perhaps that is it? I do not know what there is to be said about it, or to reflect on. I had assumed I did my reflection without the Trench holding my hand through it.

[See, kissing him is only going to encourage him to keep saying things like that in front of ghosts who could get violent at any moment. Palamedes is just deep enough in his bitterness that he's just barely surprised, leaning into the kiss with a rush of renewed excitement, like oh, yes - this is the worthwhile thing, not whatever is happening with her.

It makes it some kind of ironic when Viktor's ghostly visitor says what he says at that precise moment, leaving Palamedes rolling his eyes. Are love and legacy not parts of progress? Do they not motivate progress, more often than not? He's not going to get into it with a ghost, not yet.

Like, maybe. He's not working on how to make and install artificial lungs for the pure academic joy of it, after all. He winds his arm around Viktor's waist and watches Singed move around the room suspiciously, like, come and try something, old man.]

Changing your mind is worthy of a haunting, now?

[Dryly, he says it, like that's ridiculous, but ah - fuck, if that's true, then every time he's gotten in his head about how much he hates the Emperor and wondered if maybe Cytherea's rage, if not her methods, was understandable...

Hmm nope, he's setting that aside for now. Watching Singed, yes, that's the activity.]

This could just be simple harassment. God knows sooner or later there won't be any earth-shattering moments of personal growth left to have, but then what would the city do with us? Leave us alone? We should be so fortunate.

Is anything? Perhaps it is simply because it was on my mind. [viktor huffs, glad pal is doing the watching because viktor wants to keep his eyes away from the man for a little while longer. of course he keeps glancing to their other ghost, so maybe it's just covering each other's backs.

it's nice. terrible situation, as so many, but the warm presence of pal beside him makes it a little more bearable.] If it is just harassment what is there to be done? We cannot just wait it out, Chizuru's ghosts-

[he startles because in the space of a blink singed looms over the back of the couch, like a glitch of perception, down to his form going unburnt and familiar yet again. with him comes the distinct chemical smell of zaun, nostalgic and a touch suffocating after being spoiled on clean air for so long.

there is nothing sinister about his look, not mocking or bored, just so plainly neutral it could be any other day, any other conversation. 'the mutation must-' he starts, the words drowning out in inhuman, guttural sounds viktor at least recognizes as rio before he fled, the dim light coming from him the sickly shimmer pink. bright and toxic.

it's a cheap trick, viktor will think later, and yet now he still flinches away full body, nearly falling off the couch in doing so.]

If it's that simple, I should be haunted by another one of you, except one who keeps trying to feed me spicier and spicier foods.

[Ha ha. It's fine enough like this that he can make jokes about it, so there's that; Viktor is on his mind more often than Cytherea, so that theory isn't entirely great, either. They're swinging and missing quite a lot right now, so—]

Wh—

[So what the fuck, how did that ghost get over there that quickly, and what is he talking about now? Palamedes grabs for Viktor with one hand to keep him on the couch, they don't need any slapstick injuries from this ghost incident, and he thinks for some reason that if he's holding onto Viktor, the ghosts just simply cannot touch him, so—! Holding onto Viktor it is, at a somewhat uncomfortable angle, as he leans the opposite way himself to reach with his other hand and grab—

The blanket. The one he brought in to stay the night. He grabs the edge of it now and throws it up without really thinking about it, right up at ghost Singed's face making horrible sounds. Pro tier defensive maneuvers...]

[that gets a genuine laugh out of viktor, before everything goes b grade horror movie jump scare that is. he would have loved ignoring both the ghosts for a moment of spicy food quips but alas, instead he's just glad they are tangled so close and pal kept him from cracking his head open or something equally unpleasant.

another thing he would laugh at, pal's blanket attack, if he wasn't busy untangling to get to his feet and pull pal with him. the blanket does stick for a moment, making him a proper cheap halloween costume of a ghost before it flutters to the ground, singed gone with it.

viktor hates how his heart beats heavily in his chest, cursing under his breath in fantasy czech as he pulls pal close.] Enough, this is just... just a game. There is no deeper meaning than childish antics and prodding at old wounds.

[Well, ten points for the blanket attack, at the very least. Palamedes lets Viktor pull him off the couch easily, staring at the spot where Singed stood as he fumbles back to his feet. It takes him a moment to blink himself out of the adrenaline spike and ease into Viktor's hold, lifting both hands to cup his face as he looks away from the couch to Viktor, properly.

Hey so, what the fuck? That was marginally more shocking than Cytherea borrowing his voice, all things considered. Yikes. They remain untouched, so-]

Well, it's clearly a game we have to win, so how do we do that? I'm already out of blankets.

[Some levity? Barely. In the commotion, Cytherea has left her perch to go over to a chalkboard, where she's begun to write a list of very particular steps, beginning with Step One: Preserve the soul...

They cannot have nice things with two ghosts mucking around in here at once; Palamedes staunchly ignores Cytherea's list to look around for Singed, instead.]

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