[ he just raises his brows at that, as if to say, calling bullshit at that but without words — if that is what she wants to say to it, well. he doesn't claim to know her well enough to prod at the real reason.
he narrows his eyes, though, glances from the gauntlets back to her, and sighs. ]
How long has it been? [ a pause, and then, ] Don't say a week. I mean back home.
[of course he wants to get straight to the point, but it's not like she'd been planning on beating that much around the bush anyway. she doesn't want to let on what she knew about him, especially if he didn't remember it. the whole thing with Jinx and telling her she'd died was a slip of the tongue when she was already upset.
she looks at him and rubs at her shoulder with one hand and rolls it.]
Almost a year. Lost a few months though, [lmao] kind of went by in a blur.
[ the raise of his eyebrows is very expressive as she says she lost a few months — there are a variety of explanations for that and none of them are particularly good — but he doesn't ask... at least not yet.
instead, he says, dryly, ]
In the past week? No, I would say not. No sudden blackouts or monsters to speak of. It's been quite boring.
[ a pause, and because he's viktor, he adds, ] Perhaps you'd benefit from some... boring.
[ he actually makes a face at that — one that shows just how little he wants "boring" at all. he's been going, going, going, ever since he walked into the academy like he belonged, and hasn't stopped since.
"boring" is the opposite of progress. "boring" is waiting for the ever-shorter clock of his life to hit midnight. ]
Eh, [ he says and shrugs, turning towards the bag, raising his brows as he looks at the contents. ]
You can tell Caitlyn she doesn't need to keep feeding me like I'm some kind of stray cat. [ and yet, there's some wry gratefulness in his tone; he protests more for the sake of doing it, really. ]
[she notices his expression, and wonders a bit about it. normally people would embrace the quiet -- she certainly does, at times. with her coming back and some of the conversations she'd had here before she left, though, she feels a bit more of a stir to be less... boring. the desperate need to spend time with Jinx and Caitlyn in fear of losing them when she went back home had kind of overruled everything.
and yet, she did lose Jinx. but she's working on that part here, in Aldrip.
she smirks a bit at him when he protests, though.]
See, that's the thing about Cait. Once she decides she cares about you, she gets super stubborn about that sort of thing.
[which is... kind of nice, in Vi's case. to be cared for, for once in her life, instead of being the caretaker. it's more... mutual. there's a certain fondness in her voice that comes across that she doesn't mind it at all.]
Well, she's just stubborn in general. But I'm sure you already knew that.
[ also wryly said — but he, too, sounds fond, because while he may not have been as close to caitlyn back home... well, that's one thing he's quite grateful for, being here. he's got to know caitlyn better, got to know vi at all — something that makes him think it might have been worth it, back home, to foster... some connections, at least. maybe these ones if nothing else.
with a sigh, ] Then, give her my thanks.
[ a pause, as he walks closer to the gauntlets, his crutch clanking against the floor. as he examines them, he says, without looking at vi, ] How bad was it all?
[ he doesn't need to know details... but he'd like to know at least the scope of whatever went down back home. ]
[she nods with a bit of a smile, but it fades quickly as he looks at the gauntlets and asks his next question. she's quiet for a while, eyes unfocusing for a minute.
Vander. losing Vander. losing Jinx. losing Caitlyn, and then almost losing her again. she'd almost lost everything, and honestly? one of the people who set it all into motion is standing right in front of her. but she can't hate him, especially know that she knows him.
the him before the hexcore, anyway.]
There was a war.
[she says it quietly, dragging her thoughts back into the present, blinking rapidly as if that would get rid of the thoughts.]
So... guess you can kinda figure how shitty that was.
[ a war. he wonders if it was because of what happened to the council, or something else — or both, perhaps. there are many things that can lead to a war, none of them good. he bites down on a number of questions. ]
... I see.
[ there is heartbreak in her voice, the kind of loss that never truly lets you go, and viktor thinks, who did you lose —
he bites down on that, too. ] Yes, I can. [ he lifts the gauntlets, then, one by one, carries them over to his workbench in silence. ]
Whoever or whatever it is that you lost... I am sorry. [ no, he has no idea, truly, just how much he should be saying this — it is sympathy, more than anything, and yet. and yet — ]
[she lost so much. she lost her sister, Vander... among so many other people she watched die right in front of her.
she wipes a tear from her face, before composing herself for the last time and following him. of course, he's dragging the gauntlets by himself.]
Thanks. There's nothing to do but keep going, right?
[she had Caitlyn. Ekko. she had her life, as much as she might hate to have it right now -- she would trade it in an instant if that meant Jinx would come back to life.
but she's not!! gonna!! keep!! thinking about this!!]
Let me know if there's anything I can do to help. I'm not all that good at just standing around.
[especially when she's trying to keep her mind occupied, here.]
[ as they discussed, not so long ago. he sighs, then; waves his hand towards a drawer next to the wall. ] Bring me the toolkit.
[ and really, he might as well say this, ] The next time these break, you might want to ask Jayce for help, instead. I know how to fix them, of course, but if you are looking for bigger alterations, those are much more his specialty.
[she does what he asks, and brings it to him, setting it on the table within arm's reach.]
I'm not really looking for alterations. [maybe??? probably??? what would she even ask for LMFAO] Just... maintenance, especially since you felt so bad for taking my money.
[a beat.]
And I kinda wanted to check up on things. I know it's only been a week, but a lot can happen here.
[ he makes a huffing sound, laugh-adjacent — yes, he did feel bad about it. he still feels bad about it, so this is fine, he supposes; it gives him something to do, a way to help, insignificant though it feels. ]
So it is to make me feel better? [ wryly said; it's not like she's wrong, but he can at least sound a little self-deprecating about it. ]
Yes, it seems so. [ he sighs. by this point he has spoken to caitlyn, spoken to heimerdinger... spoken to jayce.
and so he can say with some confidence, extrapolating from everything he's heard, the way everyone has treated him (while still looking at the gauntlets, swapping one tool for another), ]
Are you here to ascertain I have not been, hm, returned home as well?
[there's a pause at the next question, though, and she shifts on her feet uncomfortably.]
I mean, Cait told me you didn't. [of course she would. they tell each other everything at this point, because keeping things from the other only ever ended badly. she approaches the table, quiet again for a long time. she doesn't really know how to say what she's going to say next, because she doesn't want to say anything that'd give too much away. unlike she had with Jinx, she's not going to explode one day and tell him everything he's done.
so she leans up against it, watching him.] I missed talking to you. We... never really got a chance, at home.
[not before he turned into a robot deity, at least. but now she thinks that it wasn't really Viktor, even though she can see the pieces of the heart that was under all of that was still him, at his core. at least, before Ambessa sank her claws into him and everything went to shit.]
Of course, [ he mutters to himself — caitlyn would have told as much to vi, and he should have expected that from the start.
what he could never have expected, however, is what vi says next; he freezes entirely, a statue instead of a person for one heartbeat, then another — and when he looks at her, head turning almost involuntarily, his expression is all naked surprise. ]
You... did?
[ will he ever not be surprised when people express that they find his company something to look for? no, it may very well be that that'll never happen — he's so used to those in piltover not sparing him one single thought, dismissing him instantly, that the opposite happening leaves him floundering.
in the end, though, his lips quirk in a small, hesitant smile. ]
I mean — you're one of the few people I do not mind talking to, Violet. I'm... glad, if you think the same.
[she understands body language. she notices that Viktor freezes up a bit, and then that... shock.
her eyebrows raise. it gives her the impression that either he was too quiet or not well liked for some reason, even though she'd much rather talk to him than Jayce. for as much as she picked on him, verbally and mentally, she doesn't hate him, but the naivete can only go so far before she gets exasperated.
but--]
You don't deal with bullshit. I don't understand the nerd shit--[she gestures to the gauntlets and wherever his notes are]--but we still have an understanding because we came from Zaun. So yeah, of course I like talking to you.
[ you don't deal with bullshit, she says in her usual blunt way, and it startles a quiet laugh out of him — no, he doesn't, she's certainly right about that. ]
Contrary to popular belief, [ he says wryly, ] I am capable of talking about something else than... eh, "nerd shit." [ yes, somehow the air quotes are audible in his voice.
and yes, he says capable, but what he means it i don't do it often but for those i like i might make an exception. ]
[ by people other than vi, he means — hence the quip in the first place. perhaps it's because he so often just doesn't bother to engage in talk about mundane things... hm, maybe it is his own fault, that. ]
Eventually, [ he repeats, because, yes; not now. not like this. ]
[she'd kinda called him a nerd, so she deserved it for that. she looks down at her gauntlets again, thinking about them for a minute. how Viktor really hadn't even wanted it to come to this to begin with.]
So... mining the fissures, huh? That idea must've been all you.
You may be right. [ he's choosing to ignore the fact that jayce can, in fact, talk politics if he wants to — the less he has to remember jayce being a councilor the better.
so the change in topic is a welcome one, and he sighs. ]
... You know as well as I do what it is like, there. How little Topside cares. [ a pause. ] My mother was a miner before she broke her leg badly enough to be unable to continue. She became a seamstress, after.
[she's quiet for a long time. it's sad, to know that they're both orphans, but not surprising. there were so many orphans in the Undercity that it'd probably be overwhelming to count them all.]
My parents were killed when they tried to rebel against the Enforcers on the bridge. They wanted a better life for Jinx and me. I was about nine.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ah yes..... the dangers of phone tagging are real
he narrows his eyes, though, glances from the gauntlets back to her, and sighs. ]
How long has it been? [ a pause, and then, ] Don't say a week. I mean back home.
incredibly real...
she looks at him and rubs at her shoulder with one hand and rolls it.]
Almost a year. Lost a few months though, [lmao] kind of went by in a blur.
[an alcohol and pain-filled blur.]
Did I miss anything?
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instead, he says, dryly, ]
In the past week? No, I would say not. No sudden blackouts or monsters to speak of. It's been quite boring.
[ a pause, and because he's viktor, he adds, ] Perhaps you'd benefit from some... boring.
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Everybody from Runeterra could probably benefit from some boring, no matter what they remember.
[it's kind of a pointed statement, because... even Viktor probably needs it.
she moves to put the bag with the soup in it on a nearby table.]
It doesn't usually stay boring for long, though. So enjoy it while you can.
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"boring" is the opposite of progress. "boring" is waiting for the ever-shorter clock of his life to hit midnight. ]
Eh, [ he says and shrugs, turning towards the bag, raising his brows as he looks at the contents. ]
You can tell Caitlyn she doesn't need to keep feeding me like I'm some kind of stray cat. [ and yet, there's some wry gratefulness in his tone; he protests more for the sake of doing it, really. ]
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and yet, she did lose Jinx. but she's working on that part here, in Aldrip.
she smirks a bit at him when he protests, though.]
See, that's the thing about Cait. Once she decides she cares about you, she gets super stubborn about that sort of thing.
[which is... kind of nice, in Vi's case. to be cared for, for once in her life, instead of being the caretaker. it's more... mutual. there's a certain fondness in her voice that comes across that she doesn't mind it at all.]
Well, she's just stubborn in general. But I'm sure you already knew that.
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[ also wryly said — but he, too, sounds fond, because while he may not have been as close to caitlyn back home... well, that's one thing he's quite grateful for, being here. he's got to know caitlyn better, got to know vi at all — something that makes him think it might have been worth it, back home, to foster... some connections, at least. maybe these ones if nothing else.
with a sigh, ] Then, give her my thanks.
[ a pause, as he walks closer to the gauntlets, his crutch clanking against the floor. as he examines them, he says, without looking at vi, ] How bad was it all?
[ he doesn't need to know details... but he'd like to know at least the scope of whatever went down back home. ]
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Vander. losing Vander. losing Jinx. losing Caitlyn, and then almost losing her again. she'd almost lost everything, and honestly? one of the people who set it all into motion is standing right in front of her. but she can't hate him, especially know that she knows him.
the him before the hexcore, anyway.]
There was a war.
[she says it quietly, dragging her thoughts back into the present, blinking rapidly as if that would get rid of the thoughts.]
So... guess you can kinda figure how shitty that was.
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... I see.
[ there is heartbreak in her voice, the kind of loss that never truly lets you go, and viktor thinks, who did you lose —
he bites down on that, too. ] Yes, I can. [ he lifts the gauntlets, then, one by one, carries them over to his workbench in silence. ]
Whoever or whatever it is that you lost... I am sorry. [ no, he has no idea, truly, just how much he should be saying this — it is sympathy, more than anything, and yet. and yet — ]
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she wipes a tear from her face, before composing herself for the last time and following him. of course, he's dragging the gauntlets by himself.]
Thanks. There's nothing to do but keep going, right?
[she had Caitlyn. Ekko. she had her life, as much as she might hate to have it right now -- she would trade it in an instant if that meant Jinx would come back to life.
but she's not!! gonna!! keep!! thinking about this!!]
Let me know if there's anything I can do to help. I'm not all that good at just standing around.
[especially when she's trying to keep her mind occupied, here.]
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[ as they discussed, not so long ago. he sighs, then; waves his hand towards a drawer next to the wall. ] Bring me the toolkit.
[ and really, he might as well say this, ] The next time these break, you might want to ask Jayce for help, instead. I know how to fix them, of course, but if you are looking for bigger alterations, those are much more his specialty.
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I'm not really looking for alterations. [maybe??? probably??? what would she even ask for LMFAO] Just... maintenance, especially since you felt so bad for taking my money.
[a beat.]
And I kinda wanted to check up on things. I know it's only been a week, but a lot can happen here.
[she's standing proof of that right now.]
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So it is to make me feel better? [ wryly said; it's not like she's wrong, but he can at least sound a little self-deprecating about it. ]
Yes, it seems so. [ he sighs. by this point he has spoken to caitlyn, spoken to heimerdinger... spoken to jayce.
and so he can say with some confidence, extrapolating from everything he's heard, the way everyone has treated him (while still looking at the gauntlets, swapping one tool for another), ]
Are you here to ascertain I have not been, hm, returned home as well?
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[there's a pause at the next question, though, and she shifts on her feet uncomfortably.]
I mean, Cait told me you didn't. [of course she would. they tell each other everything at this point, because keeping things from the other only ever ended badly. she approaches the table, quiet again for a long time. she doesn't really know how to say what she's going to say next, because she doesn't want to say anything that'd give too much away. unlike she had with Jinx, she's not going to explode one day and tell him everything he's done.
so she leans up against it, watching him.] I missed talking to you. We... never really got a chance, at home.
[not before he turned into a robot deity, at least. but now she thinks that it wasn't really Viktor, even though she can see the pieces of the heart that was under all of that was still him, at his core. at least, before Ambessa sank her claws into him and everything went to shit.]
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what he could never have expected, however, is what vi says next; he freezes entirely, a statue instead of a person for one heartbeat, then another — and when he looks at her, head turning almost involuntarily, his expression is all naked surprise. ]
You... did?
[ will he ever not be surprised when people express that they find his company something to look for? no, it may very well be that that'll never happen — he's so used to those in piltover not sparing him one single thought, dismissing him instantly, that the opposite happening leaves him floundering.
in the end, though, his lips quirk in a small, hesitant smile. ]
I mean — you're one of the few people I do not mind talking to, Violet. I'm... glad, if you think the same.
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[she understands body language. she notices that Viktor freezes up a bit, and then that... shock.
her eyebrows raise. it gives her the impression that either he was too quiet or not well liked for some reason, even though she'd much rather talk to him than Jayce. for as much as she picked on him, verbally and mentally, she doesn't hate him, but the naivete can only go so far before she gets exasperated.
but--]
You don't deal with bullshit. I don't understand the nerd shit--[she gestures to the gauntlets and wherever his notes are]--but we still have an understanding because we came from Zaun. So yeah, of course I like talking to you.
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Contrary to popular belief, [ he says wryly, ] I am capable of talking about something else than... eh, "nerd shit." [ yes, somehow the air quotes are audible in his voice.
and yes, he says capable, but what he means it i don't do it often but for those i like i might make an exception. ]
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[even though she's obviously looking at... whatever he's doing in here. probably some nerd shit, right?]
We've already talked about a lot of things. Kinda depressing things, but... still. We'll get to talk about something dumb eventually.
[she doesn't know if she's really in the mood for dumb currently, though. there's still so much she still has to sift through.]
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[ by people other than vi, he means — hence the quip in the first place. perhaps it's because he so often just doesn't bother to engage in talk about mundane things... hm, maybe it is his own fault, that. ]
Eventually, [ he repeats, because, yes; not now. not like this. ]
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[she'd kinda called him a nerd, so she deserved it for that. she looks down at her gauntlets again, thinking about them for a minute. how Viktor really hadn't even wanted it to come to this to begin with.]
So... mining the fissures, huh? That idea must've been all you.
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You may be right. [ he's choosing to ignore the fact that jayce can, in fact, talk politics if he wants to — the less he has to remember jayce being a councilor the better.
so the change in topic is a welcome one, and he sighs. ]
... You know as well as I do what it is like, there. How little Topside cares. [ a pause. ] My mother was a miner before she broke her leg badly enough to be unable to continue. She became a seamstress, after.
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she nods at the comment, though.]
My parents were miners, too. I remember them coming home, dirty as shit. It had to be miserable work, but... they always tried to be happy. For us.
[gods, she misses them. misses her mother, especially.]
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My parents were never anything but supportive. The reason I made it into the Academy was all thanks to them. [ a sigh as he reaches for a torque. ]
They didn't live long enough to see Hextech.
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My parents were killed when they tried to rebel against the Enforcers on the bridge. They wanted a better life for Jinx and me. I was about nine.
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I am sorry, Vi. It seems loss haunts the very steps of those of us who have risen from the trenches. I wish it didn't have to be so.
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