[Caitlyn's been tracking the cycle of this place for months. Just like clockwork, it all happens again and again. One month is something dangerous, something that tests all the Chosen in one way or another. The following month? Sentencing for Chosen already there, and the time when new arrivals appear. Back and forth, it's gone for pretty much the entire time she's been in Aldrip (albeit besides the few months before sentencing started).
Which means she's expecting new people to begin appearing any day now. What she doesn't count on is spotting a familiar face in the dangling cage she passes on her walk to her office.]
Oh my gods-- Viktor?
[She doesn't know Viktor quite like she knows Jayce, but she would still recognize him anywhere. She's known Jayce for what feels like forever at this point. He's practically her big brother, but Viktor's been glued to his side since they started Hextech. He's much more quiet than Jayce, always letting Jayce have the spotlight, which she understands. She hates the Kiramman spotlight, and would also rather just do the work.
Her eyes scan the cage, taking note of how it's attached to the wall, how sturdy it is, and what kind of lock it has. But most importantly, she listens for the hum it gives off. She can feel iron as she focuses on it, reassuring her that she can do what she's planning.]
I'm going to do something, and I need you to not freak out. Alright? [Just. Putting that out there. Given that Viktor was the one to save Jayce from being banished by embracing his Hextech, she doesn't think Viktor will mind the fact that she's developed magic in her time here, but it's still very surprising to the unsuspecting.
She takes a strong stance, just like Toph has taught her, holding her hands out towards the iron cage, and wills the cage to do her bidding. It creaks for a second as the metals start to shift, and it's only a few moments before the latch holding it to the building comes free. It doesn't drop, though, not until she wills it to the ground, slowly. But once the cage is safely on the ground, she flicks her wrist, and the lock breaks free and goes flying effortlessly. Only then did Caitlyn relax, sighing and moving towards the now open cage door and offering him a hand to help him up and out of that awful contraption.]
Are you okay? You haven't been in there long, have you? [That's...probably not what he's going to focus on, not after the show she just put on, but she's going to try anyway.]
[ his eyes, rounded with surprise, stare at her like he can't quite believe what he's seeing... and hm, has caitlyn asked him to call her by her name, several times over? yes, alright, and he's always agreed and then gone right back to miss kiramman anyway. ]
How...? [ and that is about as far as he gets, because there's maybe twenty questions he wants to ask, and she's cutting him off with her declaration, which, ] That is not particularly reassuring.
[ his wry sarcasm aside, he does actually fall silent as he watches her with interest — the stance, the sudden way the metal starts to groan, according to her will, it seems, and viktor really thought he'd seen quite a lot... but clearly not. beyond the slightest widening of his eyes, his expression does not change; he watches her carefully and without apprehension as the cage floats back to the ground, as the lock quite simply flies off.
he takes her hand, shifting his crutch under his arm with his other, and says, ] No, [ with an extremely distracted air, like it's maybe 10% of his brain that is engaged in answering her. ]
No, yes, [ and then, ] Yes, no, [ which is finally the right combination of answers to her questions; and he shifts seamlessly into tilting his head and muttering, ] Matter manipulation, eh? Is it all matter, or simply metals? How does it work? [ #scientists ]
You know you don't have to call me that. [Apparently all those times saying this before didn't sink it into his head!! But especially here, it wasn't necessary. She didn't have the power or authority of her family name here, and even if she did, she still didn't care for it. She was her own person, regardless of who her family was.
She's very aware of how he watches her as she does her magic trick, and knows he's probably going to have a million questions. She also knows she probably won't have answers for a lot of them, but at least she can catch him up on everything he needs to know about this place, now that he's trapped too.
She doesn't let go of his arm until she's sure he's stable on his feet, and even then, she stays close by, in case his leg tries to give out. Depending on how long he's been in that cage, he has to be stiff. As the questions start, she pauses, trying how to best put it all into words.]
Honestly? I have no idea how it works. I woke up one day and suddenly had this ability. But so far it seems like all I can manipulate is metals. It's like... I can sense it? It calls to me, when I listen to it. It's been...a lot to adjust to, but there are others here with magic, and I've been learning from some of them. [She can hardly blame him for that being the first of his questions. Given her performance, and his scientific mind, he'll be more than fascinated. But they had bigger problems to deal with.]
That aside, there's... a lot to catch you up on, about this place. I'm sure you have plenty of questions about that, too. My office isn't far from here. We can go there and talk? Though you might want a drink for this one. [Vi's bar wasn't far away, either, and she had a set of keys.]
[ he actually aims a self-deprecating yet apologetic look at her at the admonishment — yes, right, he knows. but habits are hard to kill, and even though she is almost like a little sister to jayce, viktor has never quite managed to treat her with the same kind of familiarity.
though he doesn't say it, he is grateful for her help; being upright after a while sitting cramped in the cage, well, his leg is certainly not happy with that, and he leans on his crutch a little more heavily than usual.
he frowns through her explanation, biting back more questions to let her finish — though when she does, it is with a lot to catch you up on, and he can't help but wince. ] Yes, of course.
I'm sorry, [ he says then, a softer look in his eyes, ] A lot must have happened. The office, show me the way. [ if she has magic of all things... he can only imagine everything she has to tell. he looks at her, then, concern flashing in his eyes. ] You've not been alone? [ he really hopes that isn't the case. ]
[She'll get him to call her by her name one of these days!! But she's not going to really push it for now. There's a lot more pressing information she knows she's going to have to get through here soon.]
You have no idea. [It's so much. She's been here for over a year now, and Vi was here even longer. It's a lot. It's bad enough to have lived it, but now she's going to have to catch him up on the mess he's suddenly found himself in.]
There's a few of us here from Runeterra. The other three are Zaunites.
[She fights back a sigh, then starts to guide him down the street. She really wasn't far from her office when she found him, which is a blessing. He can get off his feet and rest his leg in a much more comfortable setting. Calling them Zaunites was already probably telling enough. Vi's at least a little easier to explain, but Jinx and Silco are such a complicated manner. She doesn't know what Viktor even knows, either. He wasn't around the night her and Vi spoke to the Council, and she isn't sure what Jayce might have told him.]
For starters, what's the last thing you remember before waking up here?
[ if caitlyn kiramman of all people is saying you have no idea, implying a depth of information right there... well. that is how one knows it's serious, and viktor winces a little just thinking about everything she must have been through.
he lifts his brows when she mentions the zaunites (with a barely-aborted sigh) and his expression darkens slightly — she speaks as if he isn't one, and that rankles, the same way it had when he'd sat on that bridge and watched jayce talk about the dangers of the undercity without a single thought spared to the fact he was from there —
but it's not the time for that, now. he can understand that if the others are true zaunites, having lived in the undercity for all their lives, then he is certainly closer to being from piltover than any of them are, as out of place and unwelcome as he still feels there.
at least her question takes his mind off that. ]
Jayce and I were going to present a proposal to the Council. To give the Undercity its independence.
[It's easy to forget he's from there too. He's been in the upper city for so long now, not to mention that he spent time as Heimerdinger's assistant before joining Jayce with the Hextech work. It's an oversight, to bring up Zaun and sigh, like she disagreed with the idea. Because she doesn't, and she most definitely doesn't have anything the people that come from there-- but he wouldn't know that. He wouldn't know what she learned in her adventures with Vi, and how her mind was changed. She sees the look on his face, and she's prepared to clarify her meaning, when he says what he remembers last.
She can't help but stop in her tracks, realizing what that meant.
'The topsiders offered me everything'.
If Viktor and Jayce were making a presentation, then that meant they were in the Council building. It would've had to been after her and Vi's presentation, and maybe after Jinx kidnapped them all. It wasn't a done deal yet, based on Silco saying they demanded him turn over Jinx, which meant...
They were there. When Jinx attacked. They were there, weren't they?
She's spent the last year having to come to terms with her mom being there and probably dying at Jinx's blast. That was bad enough, to try to accept. Thinking Jayce might have been there wasn't great either, but now Viktor too? And how is she supposed to tell him those might be his last moments?]
...I need a drink, before we get into this. [She...might avoid eye contact for the moment, as she finally goes to unlock the door to a small storefront door, the window of which read "Kiramman Detective Agency". She held the door for him to enter, gesturing to the sitting area. It's not much, just a couch and a few chairs, plus a table and some various reading materials scattered about. Past that is a closed office door. It's not much, but it's enough for what she needs, and right now, what she really needs is behind that second door.
As Viktor gets comfortable, she opens the office door, returning a few moments later with a bottle of tequila and two glasses. It's definitely not her first, second, or third choice when it comes to liquor, as it was Vi that hid it here, and now is not the time to be picky. She's about to tell her friend that he's probably dead, so. Yay.]
Did...Jayce tell you anything? About where I was after he became a Councilor?
[ the way she falls silent is damning — it is the silence of someone thinking too much, of too many words and too few ways to say them, and viktor lets her keep them as he walks by her side, crutch clanking as it hits the ground in time with his steps. the need for a drink is even more damning; just what is it that she needs to fortify herself against, in order to tell him of it? it must have something to do with the proposal, given that her silence had directly followed his declaration. just how badly wrong had it all gone?
he casts an interested look at her office — detective agency, hm? not something established quickly, and he wonders how long she must have spent here, if she has given up on the idea of leaving enough to have an office for herself.
he can't quite help the sigh that escapes him as he sits down; the couch is much more comfortable than the cage, that is for sure.
when she finally returns with the glasses and starts the conversation again, viktor hopes for another easy question like the previous one had been — this one, though, makes him grimace as he shakes his head. ]
No, he didn't. There were... other things to talk about. [ like his impending death, and the barricade, and the hexcore. he sounds distinctly defeated. ]
[Caitlyn finally settles in a seat opposite from Vikor, and her first action is to pour a shot's worth into her glass. She offers it his way, leaving the decision to drink up to him, but Vi has honestly been a horrible influence on her. She downs it quickly, still making a face and coughing as it burns going down (some things never change), but it's going to be needed at this rate.]
I ask because...it's relevant to the other Zaunities here with us. After the harbor attack during Progress Day, I might have started to poke around. I've had a theory for a while that there was more going on than just smuggling of Shimmer from the Undercity, but Marcus was blocking any progress I could make in the case. So I went to Stillwater, to interrogate one of the gang members that was arrested at the harbor. Only, he was in the infirmary thanks to another inmate. Vi was from Zaun, and had been imprisoned in Stillwater for the better part of the last seven years, for no discernible reason. She claimed she had insight into what was really happening in Zaun, and could provide me with proof that Silco was the one behind everything, including both attacks that day. So I...might have used Jayce's promotion to Councilor in my favor and had her released. Vi took me into Zaun, and I found all the proof I needed, but Silco had Marcus in his pocket. Marcus tried to stop me before I could get back across the river, and before he failed, Silco's other pawn, Jinx, made her move. She's the one that caused the explosion on the bridge, as well as the other bombs that Marcus tried to say were the Firelights. I tried to present everything to the Council, but no one wanted to listen. First it was war, then it was making peace with Silco-- neither of which were good options, but we were sent away before anything was decided. I take it the plans for peace won out, if you and Jayce were making such a proposal.
[She didn't want war, either, but war was probably imminent now, anyway. But she pauses there, at least to give Viktor a moment to process all this. This was a lot too, and she hasn't even gotten to the biggest part, to why it connects to this place, and the situation they're stuck in now.]
Not that...it really matters, anymore. Peace...isn't going to be an option. Jinx figured out how to use the gemstone. She shot a bomb directly at the Council's Chambers. That's the last thing I remember before I was brought here, but-- Viktor, if you, or anyone else was in that room, I don't-- I don't know that anyone can survive that blast.
[Her mother, Jayce, the rest of the Council-- she's tried very hard not to think about it, but some days, it's all she can think about. Some of the people most important to her probably wouldn't be walking out of that building again, and she was helpless to do anything about it.]
[ he glances at the glass, but leaves it for now — instead, he listens to caitlyn's story, eyes widening during some parts of it, like her foray into stillwater, or marcus working for silco. some parts he'd well suspected; silco being behind many things in the undercity was hardly news to him, not with what he knew of singed.
still; if all this had been going on with him knowing only a small part of it, the part of jinx and her bombs... he sighs. ]
You have been busy. [ and then it's time for him to listen, again, when she says not that it really matters and the thing is? the thing is, he hears the words. of course he hears them. but understanding them takes a moment longer... and when it all sinks in, he grips his crutch tight, closes his eyes for a beat, two. ]
I am sorry, Caitlyn. For your mother. [ his voice is quiet but doesn't waver. because if the rest of the council goes — well, perhaps it's uncharitable of him, but he doesn't really care all too much. and then — ]
Jayce will make it. Do not give up on him so easily. [ jayce will survive. if anyone can... surely it's jayce. he won't accept any other outcome.
(he doesn't mention himself; what does it matter if he dies in a blast, or a few weeks or months after when his body inevitably fails him for good?) ]
I can't be sure of what will happen to anyone. You know how powerful hextech is, better than anyone. You know it can be dangerous, in the wrong hands. Hoping everyone walks away seems harder, the more time I spend thinking about it.
[Her mother was the main person on her mind, but of course she's worried for Jayce. For Mel. For all the other Councilors that she's known all her life. And now she has Viktor to worry for, too. She's tried so hard to hold on to hope, but reason still wins out. Whatever happens, it wasn't going to be pretty. And while she has some ideas on the chaos that will follow, she can't be sure exactly what will happen next-- only that war is probably going to follow.]
The reason I wanted you to hear all this is because the three Zaunites I mentioned are all here, too. Jinx and Silco, the two responsible for everything, and-- Vi, the one who helped me.
[ he nods; of course he knows. it isn't for nothing he has been against even the idea of using hextech to create weapons — it isn't what they created it for, it never was... and it never should be, because the destructive potential is just too much to contemplate. and yet, if what caitlyn is saying is the truth (and it must be; she has no reason to lie), then a hextech weapon does exist, has been used... and he fears for the consequences. ]
No, [ he says after a moment, voice quiet and tired and yet not shying away from the sharp truth of it all, ] Everyone will not walk away. A bomb made of the hextech gemstone... it has the power to destroy all of us. Those who live will do so by luck.
[ he could lie to her, try and help her be optimistic about this... but that's never been him. besides, giving her false hope will only hurt worse in the end. ]
... I see. [ out of the names mentioned, he only recognises one. ] Silco is here? [ well. in short: fuck. ] I don't know how much you are in contact with him... but please, don't tell him I'm here.
I've been here sixteen months now, and it hasn't gotten easier. I don't know what I'm going to do if I get home and they're-- [Dead. Gone. Even if she didn't always see eye to eye, her mother was her guiding light. Her inspiration to do good in the world. Her voice of reason. And Jayce was practically her best friend-- her brother. They were both so important to her.
But she couldn't think about it. It felt like a knife twisting in her gut every time she did. Wondering what would happen between the two cities, what would happen to her and Vi. But wondering and fretting would do her no good, when she was still trapped in this simulation. She just had to keep bottling it up until a time when she really could do something.]
I keep tabs on him, but our contact is very minimal. For obvious reasons, we aren't a fan of each other. The same could be said with Jinx. Vi, however...
[She pauses, avoiding eye contact for a moment before she continues. She isn't embarrassed about how she feels about Vi, not by far, it's just something she's getting used to actually admitting. Honestly, Viktor would probably be among the more understanding. He was from the Undercity too, after all.]
We're together. We live together, but we're-- involved, too. [That sure came out a bit awkwardly, didn't it?]
Living in constant uncertainty must not have been easy for you. [ there is quiet sympathy in his voice — she must be so worried, every day, not knowing who will live and who will die. and despite viktor's personal feelings about the council, well, cassandra kiramman is certainly one of the best ones there. ]
... I believe we could have achieved it. Independence for Zaun. But the bomb will have destroyed that, too.
[ the slight strain to his voice betrays how much this rattles him; if he dies, fine, he was dying already, it'll just have made it quicker. if some in the council die? well, piltover will name new councilors. but the dream of an independent undercity, left bleeding on the council chamber floor, dead before it's had a chance to truly even be born? no, that one truly hurts him.
he nods, then, to what caitlyn says of silco, and then jinx... and then he freezes, just for a moment, eyes widening. he may not be as expressive as jayce, but he's not made a habit of concealing his feelings; and so his surprise is evident, as is the fact that the smile he aims at caitlyn afterwards is entirely genuine. ]
I see. That is a surprise... but a welcome one. It makes me glad to know you haven't been here alone.
It...hasn't been, no. And this place has a way with throwing your fears in your face. [Gods, they haven't even gotten into what this place is, and she already feels like she's thrown so much information at him. This is exactly why she grabbed the alcohol.]
Everything we did....it was really all for nothing. [Trying to stop Silco, trying to make the Council see reason. As Viktor said, they were voting on Zaun's freedom, but Jinx's bomb made sure that would never happen. Sighs. She understands just how badly it hurts him, because she's been living that for well over a year now. It's incredibly personal, for both of them. Parts of both of their worlds were in that chamber.
Caitlyn rarely avoids eye contact, but the few moments she looks away gives her time to avoid seeing his face and how he initially reacts, her gaze only returning to him in time to see the smile appear on his face. She knew he would approve, and yet, she still found herself relieved.] No. I haven't been alone. And there are plenty of others here, like us. Trapped, I mean. Most aren't so bad.
[Which. Speaking of. She probably needs to get to that. He's smart enough that he probably figured out the tablet quickly enough, but that device didn't give all the answers.] I'm sure you have questions. About our situation.
Does it, [ says viktor, except it sounds less like a question and more like a statement, something exasperated and exhausted at once. well, that just means the more he keeps to himself, the better — that way, he can hopefully avoid this whole fears-being-thrown-in-your-face thing.
he doesn't say anything more about the futility of it all; that, too, exhausts him, the idea that everything they tried so hard to do to fix things has come to nothing, that he will be dead and gone just like that, that jayce —
well. better to focus on what caitlyn is telling him about vi, about not having been alone. ]
Trapped. [ another statement, complete with one of his eyebrows raising significantly. ] Yes, I do. Where are we?
The city itself is called Aldrip. It's not a part of Runeterra at all, best we can tell. The running theory seems to be that this-- everything and everyone here-- are part of a simulation. That somehow, someone with advanced technology was able to pull us out of our worlds and into this program. It might make better sense to you than to me, but it's very overwhelming to consider, personally. But it's the best theory we have, and it makes sense. There's an artificial intelligence that has reached out on the network, and we had to do system reset on it recently. There have been glitches, and other strange occurrences that don't exactly align with anything that should be reasonable in a normal reality. Then there's the cycle we seem to be stuck in. It's a two month cycle that rules what occurs. Right now, we're in the month where new people arrive. The Council is also judging people and putting out sentencing at the moment, too. Next month will be...something. Sometimes it's bad, sometimes it's nothing extreme, but it's always something of significance, usually involving the city changing in some way.
[Ugh. Caitlyn feels bad, throwing so much at him, but she knows it's necessary. He has to know what kind of trouble he's found himself in to prepare himself.]
The Council claims we're all criminals, and this is in the name of "rehabilitation", but there's a lot of people being accused of things that don't make sense, or are just flat out wrong. It's definitely a faulty system, and we're not even sure they're even real, and not just another piece of the AI too.
[ he frowns as he listens to her — about the ai, the glitches, the council, the sentences, the two-month cycle... hm. it is certainly a lot to take in. he stays quiet for a moment that seems to stretch on and on, until, ]
I see. So it is possible that we, too, are nothing but – [ he pauses, makes half of a movement like a shrug ] – fragments, our consciousness drawn into this artificial construction that we perceive as reality. Which it is, of course, since reality is all about perception.
That's the thought, yes. I've heard some suggest that maybe our real bodies were taken and are outside the program itself, and others suggest that maybe our consciousnesses were simply pulled from our realities. Neither of which are exactly appealing. Either way, whatever power brought us here has the power to cross time and space. People here are from different worlds entirely. Only the small handful I mentioned already are from Runeterra at all.
[It's confusing and scary and still hard to wrap her mind around, honestly. She says it like it's nothing, but she's been here, what? A year and a half, almost? It really is almost nothing, at that point. Just how it is, now.]
Of course. I know...it's a lot. I thought it might be best, coming from someone you know.
... Yes. Yes, it certainly seems to be able to do that. [ would that be possible with the use of the arcane? could the real mages do that? his hypothesis is yes — with the right combination of runes, with a deeper connection with the arcane... yes, it should be possible.
he decides to say nothing of that. ]
I do appreciate it, Caitlyn. I confess that if anyone else had told me this, I might have called them a liar, or a number of less flattering names. But I know you speak the truth.
I almost didn't believe it, either, but you'll get used to it. Unfortunately. I've been here fifteen months now. Vi's been here even longer. At this point, we're hardly phased.
[Weird shit happens? Oh, it's just another day. That didn't mean they necessarily enjoyed any of the weird shit, but it was practically expected by now.]
I have detailed notes that you're welcome to go through. But-- take your time. As I said, it's a lot to wrap your head around.
Then... I look forward to getting used to it, I suppose.
[ wryly said — his tone conveys just how much he isn't actually looking forward to it at all, as well as his quiet sympathy for her having had to do that. vi, too. ]
Thank you. I will see those notes, I believe. [ with a half-smile, ] If nothing else, this place has not dulled your investigative instincts.
[ and he will stay — to ask more questions, to read over the notes, until he has a coherent picture of everything important that has happened. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
expiationmods) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
expiationlogs2024-10-14 08:59 am
arrival - b
Which means she's expecting new people to begin appearing any day now. What she doesn't count on is spotting a familiar face in the dangling cage she passes on her walk to her office.]
Oh my gods-- Viktor?
[She doesn't know Viktor quite like she knows Jayce, but she would still recognize him anywhere. She's known Jayce for what feels like forever at this point. He's practically her big brother, but Viktor's been glued to his side since they started Hextech. He's much more quiet than Jayce, always letting Jayce have the spotlight, which she understands. She hates the Kiramman spotlight, and would also rather just do the work.
Her eyes scan the cage, taking note of how it's attached to the wall, how sturdy it is, and what kind of lock it has. But most importantly, she listens for the hum it gives off. She can feel iron as she focuses on it, reassuring her that she can do what she's planning.]
I'm going to do something, and I need you to not freak out. Alright? [Just. Putting that out there. Given that Viktor was the one to save Jayce from being banished by embracing his Hextech, she doesn't think Viktor will mind the fact that she's developed magic in her time here, but it's still very surprising to the unsuspecting.
She takes a strong stance, just like Toph has taught her, holding her hands out towards the iron cage, and wills the cage to do her bidding. It creaks for a second as the metals start to shift, and it's only a few moments before the latch holding it to the building comes free. It doesn't drop, though, not until she wills it to the ground, slowly. But once the cage is safely on the ground, she flicks her wrist, and the lock breaks free and goes flying effortlessly. Only then did Caitlyn relax, sighing and moving towards the now open cage door and offering him a hand to help him up and out of that awful contraption.]
Are you okay? You haven't been in there long, have you? [That's...probably not what he's going to focus on, not after the show she just put on, but she's going to try anyway.]
no subject
[ his eyes, rounded with surprise, stare at her like he can't quite believe what he's seeing... and hm, has caitlyn asked him to call her by her name, several times over? yes, alright, and he's always agreed and then gone right back to miss kiramman anyway. ]
How...? [ and that is about as far as he gets, because there's maybe twenty questions he wants to ask, and she's cutting him off with her declaration, which, ] That is not particularly reassuring.
[ his wry sarcasm aside, he does actually fall silent as he watches her with interest — the stance, the sudden way the metal starts to groan, according to her will, it seems, and viktor really thought he'd seen quite a lot... but clearly not. beyond the slightest widening of his eyes, his expression does not change; he watches her carefully and without apprehension as the cage floats back to the ground, as the lock quite simply flies off.
he takes her hand, shifting his crutch under his arm with his other, and says, ] No, [ with an extremely distracted air, like it's maybe 10% of his brain that is engaged in answering her. ]
No, yes, [ and then, ] Yes, no, [ which is finally the right combination of answers to her questions; and he shifts seamlessly into tilting his head and muttering, ] Matter manipulation, eh? Is it all matter, or simply metals? How does it work? [ #scientists ]
no subject
She's very aware of how he watches her as she does her magic trick, and knows he's probably going to have a million questions. She also knows she probably won't have answers for a lot of them, but at least she can catch him up on everything he needs to know about this place, now that he's trapped too.
She doesn't let go of his arm until she's sure he's stable on his feet, and even then, she stays close by, in case his leg tries to give out. Depending on how long he's been in that cage, he has to be stiff. As the questions start, she pauses, trying how to best put it all into words.]
Honestly? I have no idea how it works. I woke up one day and suddenly had this ability. But so far it seems like all I can manipulate is metals. It's like... I can sense it? It calls to me, when I listen to it. It's been...a lot to adjust to, but there are others here with magic, and I've been learning from some of them. [She can hardly blame him for that being the first of his questions. Given her performance, and his scientific mind, he'll be more than fascinated. But they had bigger problems to deal with.]
That aside, there's... a lot to catch you up on, about this place. I'm sure you have plenty of questions about that, too. My office isn't far from here. We can go there and talk? Though you might want a drink for this one. [Vi's bar wasn't far away, either, and she had a set of keys.]
no subject
though he doesn't say it, he is grateful for her help; being upright after a while sitting cramped in the cage, well, his leg is certainly not happy with that, and he leans on his crutch a little more heavily than usual.
he frowns through her explanation, biting back more questions to let her finish — though when she does, it is with a lot to catch you up on, and he can't help but wince. ] Yes, of course.
I'm sorry, [ he says then, a softer look in his eyes, ] A lot must have happened. The office, show me the way. [ if she has magic of all things... he can only imagine everything she has to tell. he looks at her, then, concern flashing in his eyes. ] You've not been alone? [ he really hopes that isn't the case. ]
no subject
You have no idea. [It's so much. She's been here for over a year now, and Vi was here even longer. It's a lot. It's bad enough to have lived it, but now she's going to have to catch him up on the mess he's suddenly found himself in.]
There's a few of us here from Runeterra. The other three are Zaunites.
[She fights back a sigh, then starts to guide him down the street. She really wasn't far from her office when she found him, which is a blessing. He can get off his feet and rest his leg in a much more comfortable setting. Calling them Zaunites was already probably telling enough. Vi's at least a little easier to explain, but Jinx and Silco are such a complicated manner. She doesn't know what Viktor even knows, either. He wasn't around the night her and Vi spoke to the Council, and she isn't sure what Jayce might have told him.]
For starters, what's the last thing you remember before waking up here?
no subject
he lifts his brows when she mentions the zaunites (with a barely-aborted sigh) and his expression darkens slightly — she speaks as if he isn't one, and that rankles, the same way it had when he'd sat on that bridge and watched jayce talk about the dangers of the undercity without a single thought spared to the fact he was from there —
but it's not the time for that, now. he can understand that if the others are true zaunites, having lived in the undercity for all their lives, then he is certainly closer to being from piltover than any of them are, as out of place and unwelcome as he still feels there.
at least her question takes his mind off that. ]
Jayce and I were going to present a proposal to the Council. To give the Undercity its independence.
no subject
She can't help but stop in her tracks, realizing what that meant.
'The topsiders offered me everything'.
If Viktor and Jayce were making a presentation, then that meant they were in the Council building. It would've had to been after her and Vi's presentation, and maybe after Jinx kidnapped them all. It wasn't a done deal yet, based on Silco saying they demanded him turn over Jinx, which meant...
They were there. When Jinx attacked. They were there, weren't they?
She's spent the last year having to come to terms with her mom being there and probably dying at Jinx's blast. That was bad enough, to try to accept. Thinking Jayce might have been there wasn't great either, but now Viktor too? And how is she supposed to tell him those might be his last moments?]
...I need a drink, before we get into this. [She...might avoid eye contact for the moment, as she finally goes to unlock the door to a small storefront door, the window of which read "Kiramman Detective Agency". She held the door for him to enter, gesturing to the sitting area. It's not much, just a couch and a few chairs, plus a table and some various reading materials scattered about. Past that is a closed office door. It's not much, but it's enough for what she needs, and right now, what she really needs is behind that second door.
As Viktor gets comfortable, she opens the office door, returning a few moments later with a bottle of tequila and two glasses. It's definitely not her first, second, or third choice when it comes to liquor, as it was Vi that hid it here, and now is not the time to be picky. She's about to tell her friend that he's probably dead, so. Yay.]
Did...Jayce tell you anything? About where I was after he became a Councilor?
no subject
he casts an interested look at her office — detective agency, hm? not something established quickly, and he wonders how long she must have spent here, if she has given up on the idea of leaving enough to have an office for herself.
he can't quite help the sigh that escapes him as he sits down; the couch is much more comfortable than the cage, that is for sure.
when she finally returns with the glasses and starts the conversation again, viktor hopes for another easy question like the previous one had been — this one, though, makes him grimace as he shakes his head. ]
No, he didn't. There were... other things to talk about. [ like his impending death, and the barricade, and the hexcore. he sounds distinctly defeated. ]
no subject
I ask because...it's relevant to the other Zaunities here with us. After the harbor attack during Progress Day, I might have started to poke around. I've had a theory for a while that there was more going on than just smuggling of Shimmer from the Undercity, but Marcus was blocking any progress I could make in the case. So I went to Stillwater, to interrogate one of the gang members that was arrested at the harbor. Only, he was in the infirmary thanks to another inmate. Vi was from Zaun, and had been imprisoned in Stillwater for the better part of the last seven years, for no discernible reason. She claimed she had insight into what was really happening in Zaun, and could provide me with proof that Silco was the one behind everything, including both attacks that day. So I...might have used Jayce's promotion to Councilor in my favor and had her released. Vi took me into Zaun, and I found all the proof I needed, but Silco had Marcus in his pocket. Marcus tried to stop me before I could get back across the river, and before he failed, Silco's other pawn, Jinx, made her move. She's the one that caused the explosion on the bridge, as well as the other bombs that Marcus tried to say were the Firelights. I tried to present everything to the Council, but no one wanted to listen. First it was war, then it was making peace with Silco-- neither of which were good options, but we were sent away before anything was decided. I take it the plans for peace won out, if you and Jayce were making such a proposal.
[She didn't want war, either, but war was probably imminent now, anyway. But she pauses there, at least to give Viktor a moment to process all this. This was a lot too, and she hasn't even gotten to the biggest part, to why it connects to this place, and the situation they're stuck in now.]
Not that...it really matters, anymore. Peace...isn't going to be an option. Jinx figured out how to use the gemstone. She shot a bomb directly at the Council's Chambers. That's the last thing I remember before I was brought here, but-- Viktor, if you, or anyone else was in that room, I don't-- I don't know that anyone can survive that blast.
[Her mother, Jayce, the rest of the Council-- she's tried very hard not to think about it, but some days, it's all she can think about. Some of the people most important to her probably wouldn't be walking out of that building again, and she was helpless to do anything about it.]
no subject
still; if all this had been going on with him knowing only a small part of it, the part of jinx and her bombs... he sighs. ]
You have been busy. [ and then it's time for him to listen, again, when she says not that it really matters and the thing is? the thing is, he hears the words. of course he hears them. but understanding them takes a moment longer... and when it all sinks in, he grips his crutch tight, closes his eyes for a beat, two. ]
I am sorry, Caitlyn. For your mother. [ his voice is quiet but doesn't waver. because if the rest of the council goes — well, perhaps it's uncharitable of him, but he doesn't really care all too much. and then — ]
Jayce will make it. Do not give up on him so easily. [ jayce will survive. if anyone can... surely it's jayce. he won't accept any other outcome.
(he doesn't mention himself; what does it matter if he dies in a blast, or a few weeks or months after when his body inevitably fails him for good?) ]
no subject
[Her mother was the main person on her mind, but of course she's worried for Jayce. For Mel. For all the other Councilors that she's known all her life. And now she has Viktor to worry for, too. She's tried so hard to hold on to hope, but reason still wins out. Whatever happens, it wasn't going to be pretty. And while she has some ideas on the chaos that will follow, she can't be sure exactly what will happen next-- only that war is probably going to follow.]
The reason I wanted you to hear all this is because the three Zaunites I mentioned are all here, too. Jinx and Silco, the two responsible for everything, and-- Vi, the one who helped me.
no subject
No, [ he says after a moment, voice quiet and tired and yet not shying away from the sharp truth of it all, ] Everyone will not walk away. A bomb made of the hextech gemstone... it has the power to destroy all of us. Those who live will do so by luck.
[ he could lie to her, try and help her be optimistic about this... but that's never been him. besides, giving her false hope will only hurt worse in the end. ]
... I see. [ out of the names mentioned, he only recognises one. ] Silco is here? [ well. in short: fuck. ] I don't know how much you are in contact with him... but please, don't tell him I'm here.
no subject
But she couldn't think about it. It felt like a knife twisting in her gut every time she did. Wondering what would happen between the two cities, what would happen to her and Vi. But wondering and fretting would do her no good, when she was still trapped in this simulation. She just had to keep bottling it up until a time when she really could do something.]
I keep tabs on him, but our contact is very minimal. For obvious reasons, we aren't a fan of each other. The same could be said with Jinx. Vi, however...
[She pauses, avoiding eye contact for a moment before she continues. She isn't embarrassed about how she feels about Vi, not by far, it's just something she's getting used to actually admitting. Honestly, Viktor would probably be among the more understanding. He was from the Undercity too, after all.]
We're together. We live together, but we're-- involved, too. [That sure came out a bit awkwardly, didn't it?]
no subject
... I believe we could have achieved it. Independence for Zaun. But the bomb will have destroyed that, too.
[ the slight strain to his voice betrays how much this rattles him; if he dies, fine, he was dying already, it'll just have made it quicker. if some in the council die? well, piltover will name new councilors. but the dream of an independent undercity, left bleeding on the council chamber floor, dead before it's had a chance to truly even be born? no, that one truly hurts him.
he nods, then, to what caitlyn says of silco, and then jinx... and then he freezes, just for a moment, eyes widening. he may not be as expressive as jayce, but he's not made a habit of concealing his feelings; and so his surprise is evident, as is the fact that the smile he aims at caitlyn afterwards is entirely genuine. ]
I see. That is a surprise... but a welcome one. It makes me glad to know you haven't been here alone.
no subject
Everything we did....it was really all for nothing. [Trying to stop Silco, trying to make the Council see reason. As Viktor said, they were voting on Zaun's freedom, but Jinx's bomb made sure that would never happen. Sighs. She understands just how badly it hurts him, because she's been living that for well over a year now. It's incredibly personal, for both of them. Parts of both of their worlds were in that chamber.
Caitlyn rarely avoids eye contact, but the few moments she looks away gives her time to avoid seeing his face and how he initially reacts, her gaze only returning to him in time to see the smile appear on his face. She knew he would approve, and yet, she still found herself relieved.]
No. I haven't been alone. And there are plenty of others here, like us. Trapped, I mean. Most aren't so bad.
[Which. Speaking of. She probably needs to get to that. He's smart enough that he probably figured out the tablet quickly enough, but that device didn't give all the answers.] I'm sure you have questions. About our situation.
no subject
he doesn't say anything more about the futility of it all; that, too, exhausts him, the idea that everything they tried so hard to do to fix things has come to nothing, that he will be dead and gone just like that, that jayce —
well. better to focus on what caitlyn is telling him about vi, about not having been alone. ]
Trapped. [ another statement, complete with one of his eyebrows raising significantly. ] Yes, I do. Where are we?
no subject
[Ugh. Caitlyn feels bad, throwing so much at him, but she knows it's necessary. He has to know what kind of trouble he's found himself in to prepare himself.]
The Council claims we're all criminals, and this is in the name of "rehabilitation", but there's a lot of people being accused of things that don't make sense, or are just flat out wrong. It's definitely a faulty system, and we're not even sure they're even real, and not just another piece of the AI too.
no subject
[ he frowns as he listens to her — about the ai, the glitches, the council, the sentences, the two-month cycle... hm. it is certainly a lot to take in. he stays quiet for a moment that seems to stretch on and on, until, ]
I see. So it is possible that we, too, are nothing but – [ he pauses, makes half of a movement like a shrug ] – fragments, our consciousness drawn into this artificial construction that we perceive as reality. Which it is, of course, since reality is all about perception.
... Thank you. For telling me.
no subject
[It's confusing and scary and still hard to wrap her mind around, honestly. She says it like it's nothing, but she's been here, what? A year and a half, almost? It really is almost nothing, at that point. Just how it is, now.]
Of course. I know...it's a lot. I thought it might be best, coming from someone you know.
no subject
he decides to say nothing of that. ]
I do appreciate it, Caitlyn. I confess that if anyone else had told me this, I might have called them a liar, or a number of less flattering names. But I know you speak the truth.
no subject
[Weird shit happens? Oh, it's just another day. That didn't mean they necessarily enjoyed any of the weird shit, but it was practically expected by now.]
I have detailed notes that you're welcome to go through. But-- take your time. As I said, it's a lot to wrap your head around.
🎀
[ wryly said — his tone conveys just how much he isn't actually looking forward to it at all, as well as his quiet sympathy for her having had to do that. vi, too. ]
Thank you. I will see those notes, I believe. [ with a half-smile, ] If nothing else, this place has not dulled your investigative instincts.
[ and he will stay — to ask more questions, to read over the notes, until he has a coherent picture of everything important that has happened. ]