[That's right; there are things a soul should not endure. He's right, and Octavian acknowledges as much with a tired sort of smile and a tilt of his head. Yes, completely, it's awful.
And he has no point of comparison for this other thing, the horror- he has to assume- of knowing in advance one's fate is not what they wanted. Petty consequence of Aldrip's apparent disinterest in anyone else from his home, unlike Viktor's, so very... represented here. It must be dreadful.
He pats Viktor's hand sympathetically, at least.]
You know what they say about misery, [ha ha, if they are indeed to match—but choice, choice is everything, so,] Still. To be what I am is not... so miserable. I hope it is not how I will be forever. But...
[But, how does he word this, hm, he pauses for a moment and looks to the side, thinking. He's got more words, here goes.]
But I must gaze back in the mirror at the choices I have made. And these are mine. That matters.
[Even if they're terrible choices, he got to make them, and that counts for something.
Then, with another small smile, though not as tired,] If I had made other choices I would not have met you.
[ the pat earns him another wry half-smile, and yes, misery does indeed love company — but he is glad that octavian's existence isn't all bad. and truly, it all comes down to choices, doesn't it — bad or not, however they ended or began, at least he has had the chance to make them.
and perhaps that is what chafes him, in turn; that he had chosen, had decided that he would see death rather than let the hexcore affect him, and then jayce had neatly ripped that choice from his hands. and those from home, they're not subtle; jinx with her taunts and strange concern over his mind, vi and caitlyn both checking up on him, making sure he was still himself, even the professor, looking at him with something like sympathy — they all know a version of him different from who he is today, a version he becomes not at all because he wants to. choice is everything, yes, and he's not had a choice over so many things in so, so long.
and the choices he has made? terrible, horrible things, and when octavian smiles and says if i had made other choices i would not have met you, viktor's mind whirs to a stop, halts abruptly like a machine paused, his eyes wide and mouth half-open.
because here he is, with his worst invention in a box on the floor, the whole tragic tale spilled out between them, every single puzzle piece held in octavian's smooth hands, and still —
still, he thinks... this?
for a long moment, he remains still, silent — his chest both hurts and feels terribly light, and it's only been some tens of seconds, and yet something's shifted in between them.
finally, he manages, with a small, soft smile, ] Actually, I think it is because of the simulation that you met me. Not through any choice on either of our parts, since we were hardly given a choice to be here.
[ his words may say all of that, but his tone says thank you, and the warmth in his eyes says i am glad our choices combined brought us here in the end. ]
[There's something endearing about the way Viktor seems shocked by his words— endearing and sad, but there are enough heavy emotions hanging in the air already. So, he'll be endeared—he can't say he's rendered anyone speechless before, and it's not a bad feeling.
And please,] Semantics. You cannot change my mind by being difficult.
[Ha. As far as Aldrip is concerned, his crime is refusing to stay dead, so if that is indeed the case— then to have chosen differently would have changed this, QED, and so on. It doesn't matter; Viktor can say anything here and Octavian will understand. Does, now, like this. Their choices are the things that matter, and if his choices have led him here, he can go forward with the satisfaction of understanding another person on this level.
And the satisfaction of putting that look on Viktor's face. He smooths his thumb over the back of Viktor's hand idly for a bit longer, maybe a minute, maybe less. Eventually he looks away, back at the case.]
[ he huffs out a breath at that, quietly amused despite himself — and it is like the atmosphere lightens, then, lightens every second that passes that they simply sit there in silence, octavian's thumb moving over his hand slowly and gently. ]
Yes, [ he says, because of course they need to do it — best be rid of the thing as soon as they can. the work on the safe isn't difficult, fortunately; removing the shelves is an easy thing to do, and then the safe is ready for the entire metallic box to be shoved inside it, with viktor locking the box itself up tightly first.
he doesn't really breathe properly until the safe door clicks shut.
when it does, though, he can finally think of something else — and the something else is in his pocket, where he reaches into and pulls out a perfectly spherical gem that glows lightly blue. ]
I almost forgot, [ he says as he holds it out for octavian to take, ] This is a hextech gemstone. It appeared when the hexcore did. I promised I'd show you one. And now we can use it however we want. I thought perhaps, if we can combine your magical engineering with hextech... we could make something more than a machine operated by humans. Something that could move and act on its own.
[ there is a life to his words, like the misery from earlier had also sapped him of the kind of animated energy that he shows, now; his lips tilt into a smile, then, eyebrows raising slightly, ] Your spectral form makes some things difficult, no? Perhaps whatever we create could help you around here. I would like to use the crystal to help you, if I can.
[Putting the thing into the safe is the easy part, and Octavian considers whether or not he should tell Viktor its combination—eventually, maybe, when he isn't so raw over the contents. For now this will be his secret to bear, and he will keep it securely hidden for as long as necessary.
So the sudden appearance of the gemstone is a surprise, if only for its innocent beauty after staring into the shifting eye of its pseudo-living cousin. Pretty and blue and finely formed, and Octavian accepts it and holds it up in the center of his palm to look at it more closely. Very nice, indeed...]
For me? [Oh, that's interesting, he didn't know this body was equipped with a warmth to bloom in his chest until just now, hm!] A... custodian of sorts.
[Both in the sweeping sense and the looking after him sense, really, because he is quite awful to behold in the last moments of his physical body. He may one day need looking after.]
I would like that. And I would like to work with you. [Ah, after all these years, to work with someone again—] Come and see my proper workshop. There may be tools I am missing that I will need help in identifying.
[ for me, octavian asks, and viktor nods almost absently, like it's an of course rather than anything else — and it is, to him. it was the first thing he thought of, when he saw the crystal. ]
Yes, exactly. And making a functional robot of sorts should prove interesting.
[ his smile is no wider than the usual light tilt of his lips, but there is a brightness to him now, a direct contrast to how wan and sorrowful he seemed there with the hexcore; and that alone is perhaps enough on its own to show that yes, he would very much like this, too. working on it, together.
though, wryly, ]
I will warn you, you may have to kick me out. I tend to keep working when I can. And I am unused to working with anyone but Jayce, but... [ a tilt of his head, a half-smile, to say but i think we will be fine. he has a feeling. ]
Yes, do show me. [ the workshop, but also the (possible lack of) tools, ]
[The shift in Viktor brings out the same in Octavian, who turns to lead them to the actual, official workshop with more pep than he'd taken in Viktor's story. A robot! For him! It's delightfully good fun to have a project again besides staring at the same formulas he's stared at for years and years; he intends to enjoy it very much.
But first the workshop, and as he pushes open the door,]
You need not worry about that. I will inevitably excuse myself to, hm, [he gestures at himself rather than finish the thought, as if to say you know; when this body runs out of time he would prefer to dissolve out of it in private. Other than that,] But I also enjoy the rush of productivity.
[So that's all well and good. The workshop is cluttered,l and only somewhat organized by discipline; beakers and mixers clustered on one desk and set of shelves, while the tools meant for moving metal and putting things together are more or less on the other side of the room, in their own area. What is there is high quality, of course, but he definitely lacks in many useful tools for working with crystal or other stone. They just weren't that type of workshop, back in the day.
Many of the flat surfaces do feature his handwriting scrawled around where it was convenient; that isn't a habit he got into only after death.
(There isn't a cot, because the cot is back in the other room, with the safe. Ahem.)
Just walking into the room makes him an iota more animated, gesturing at it all with pride.]
[ he makes a noise that is not quite a hum at that, but yes, he does know — they don't need to dwell on that more than necessary. better to focus on the workshop itself, and he does so with great interest; now that the hexcore isn't an invisible weight on his shoulders, it is easier to look at everything with his full attention. and so he walks around slowly, picking up a tool here and there, humming at the craftsmanship and the quality.
absently, he runs his fingers over a patch of his handwriting, tracing the scrawl with a slight smile before he turns back to octavian. ]
Excellent, [ he says and not as a compliment, not really, but because he means it; it is excellent, perfect for the purpose, with a stronger character to it than the white laboratory space he is used to inhabiting. ]
I will make a list of what is missing. I'm sure it will be easy to procure what is still needed... it is not much. [ read: the space is well-equipped, he approves. ]
[Ah... it's been decades since Octavian has worked in this lab with someone, and even as they've been talking about it, it's only when he stands back to watch Viktor roam around the space that it really sinks in. He can't help the wave of nostalgia that gives him, although he can actively stomp that thought down and replace it with the warm satisfaction he gets from seeing Viktor look around and touch this or that.
Viktor knowing what he's doing as he looks around is also nice to see; he already had faith in Viktor's knowledge, so the insight is valuable.]
You think so? Let me know if I can assist in finding anything.
[Read: he'll ask Root to find him something, which still counts.]
Yes, [ he answers a little distractedly, already compiling a list while still looking around and thinking of what else they might need for the robot, his mind can multitask — and then, with a mutter, ] I have some tools I can bring over from the lab.
[ and probably have jayce question where they've gone, but that's a problem for future viktor. with a glance at the crystal there in octavian's hand, ]
Hextech, with the right runes, provides a sort of... hm, one might call it a zero-gravity function. We do not have to worry about the heaviness of the alloy that we use, the gemstone will counter that. A combination of steel and carbon has proved to be quite durable.
I have, however, never tried to create something that moves and is capable of performing tasks on its own. [ so hopefully octavian has some ideas for how to go about that... ]
Oh, [he says, eyebrows going up in clear interest in this zero gravity element. That's fascinating and definitely worth exploring, but also,] Lucky. I assume it can be utilized during construction as well? If the supplies are heavy.
[They are but two twiggy guys, after all, and Octavian would hate to have to ask for additional help from locals who can lift big sheets of metal. They were bad enough to make small talk with when he had to move furniture in his house.]
As for the automation... I can draft a few formulas. It will not think for itself. Perfroming tasks is very doable, however.
As long as the runes are in place, yes. [ a little wryly, ] You know, I've never actually tried. [ mostly because originally the crystals were too volatile to move anywhere, and they worked on stationary things to build around them; and then with the atlas gauntlets, well, jayce had been plenty strong to lift them on his own.
but he hopes it will work... and if not, perhaps he can wheedle vi into carrying things for them. she might just agree. ]
No, we are not about the create yet another artificial intelligence here. [ the one that exists is already doing badly enough without a baby artificial intelligence inside another artificial intelligence, dear gods. ] That it perform tasks is plenty.
[Embrace creative solutions for lifting things instead of talking to people, Viktor, it's great— They'll see, anyway.
He waves a hand like no, no, no more AIs.] I would not know how to craft a whole intelligence regardless. Outside of my various disciplines. And someone would undoubtedly try to kill it like they did to the previous intelligence here.
[Imagine, if someone came for his son... terrible.]
and then he is busy making a face of complete affront, at the idea of someone harming this as-of-yet hypothetical robot (their son, excuse —) ]
No one will touch it. [ a thoughtful pause. ] I wonder if we should equip it with a self-defense protocol, just in case. [ the hextech crystal will, after all, act like a small nuke under the right circumstances and with the right runes... or a rocket launcher. and while he is adamant about not creating weapons, well, the robot isn't going to be one; and should it come across one of the monsters or something else here, for it to be able to protect itself sounds reasonable. ]
[Their son-!! The face he makes gets a smile out of Octavian, then he looks toward the tinkering part of the workshop like there's already a work in progress robot over there. Hmm, their son, but with a gun on it or something...? Interesting idea, potentially.]
I doubt it will have much reason to leave this building. Still. Just in case. Perhaps.
[Probably the best course of action is making it cute, then no one will bother it— They'll get there. Octavian smiles again.]
Either way. Let us get to work soon. I am looking forward to it.
[ not a gun, but perhaps a pulsing shockwave, enough to knock out an intruder — well. he will think about it. ]
Only if you need it to.
[ it will be designed to stay here, in any case. echoing that smile, viktor looks at him and nods; it is... a nice feeling, to think of working together, to simply look forward to it without feeling any trace of lingering frustration, something that has accompanied him in the lab back home for too long now. ]
Whenever you want. If you do not want to kick me out, we could get started on the plans now.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
And he has no point of comparison for this other thing, the horror- he has to assume- of knowing in advance one's fate is not what they wanted. Petty consequence of Aldrip's apparent disinterest in anyone else from his home, unlike Viktor's, so very... represented here. It must be dreadful.
He pats Viktor's hand sympathetically, at least.]
You know what they say about misery, [ha ha, if they are indeed to match—but choice, choice is everything, so,] Still. To be what I am is not... so miserable. I hope it is not how I will be forever. But...
[But, how does he word this, hm, he pauses for a moment and looks to the side, thinking. He's got more words, here goes.]
But I must gaze back in the mirror at the choices I have made. And these are mine. That matters.
[Even if they're terrible choices, he got to make them, and that counts for something.
Then, with another small smile, though not as tired,] If I had made other choices I would not have met you.
no subject
and perhaps that is what chafes him, in turn; that he had chosen, had decided that he would see death rather than let the hexcore affect him, and then jayce had neatly ripped that choice from his hands. and those from home, they're not subtle; jinx with her taunts and strange concern over his mind, vi and caitlyn both checking up on him, making sure he was still himself, even the professor, looking at him with something like sympathy — they all know a version of him different from who he is today, a version he becomes not at all because he wants to. choice is everything, yes, and he's not had a choice over so many things in so, so long.
and the choices he has made? terrible, horrible things, and when octavian smiles and says if i had made other choices i would not have met you, viktor's mind whirs to a stop, halts abruptly like a machine paused, his eyes wide and mouth half-open.
because here he is, with his worst invention in a box on the floor, the whole tragic tale spilled out between them, every single puzzle piece held in octavian's smooth hands, and still —
still, he thinks... this?
for a long moment, he remains still, silent — his chest both hurts and feels terribly light, and it's only been some tens of seconds, and yet something's shifted in between them.
finally, he manages, with a small, soft smile, ] Actually, I think it is because of the simulation that you met me. Not through any choice on either of our parts, since we were hardly given a choice to be here.
[ his words may say all of that, but his tone says thank you, and the warmth in his eyes says i am glad our choices combined brought us here in the end. ]
no subject
And please,] Semantics. You cannot change my mind by being difficult.
[Ha. As far as Aldrip is concerned, his crime is refusing to stay dead, so if that is indeed the case— then to have chosen differently would have changed this, QED, and so on. It doesn't matter; Viktor can say anything here and Octavian will understand. Does, now, like this. Their choices are the things that matter, and if his choices have led him here, he can go forward with the satisfaction of understanding another person on this level.
And the satisfaction of putting that look on Viktor's face. He smooths his thumb over the back of Viktor's hand idly for a bit longer, maybe a minute, maybe less. Eventually he looks away, back at the case.]
Shall we prepare the safe?
no subject
Yes, [ he says, because of course they need to do it — best be rid of the thing as soon as they can. the work on the safe isn't difficult, fortunately; removing the shelves is an easy thing to do, and then the safe is ready for the entire metallic box to be shoved inside it, with viktor locking the box itself up tightly first.
he doesn't really breathe properly until the safe door clicks shut.
when it does, though, he can finally think of something else — and the something else is in his pocket, where he reaches into and pulls out a perfectly spherical gem that glows lightly blue. ]
I almost forgot, [ he says as he holds it out for octavian to take, ] This is a hextech gemstone. It appeared when the hexcore did. I promised I'd show you one. And now we can use it however we want. I thought perhaps, if we can combine your magical engineering with hextech... we could make something more than a machine operated by humans. Something that could move and act on its own.
[ there is a life to his words, like the misery from earlier had also sapped him of the kind of animated energy that he shows, now; his lips tilt into a smile, then, eyebrows raising slightly, ] Your spectral form makes some things difficult, no? Perhaps whatever we create could help you around here. I would like to use the crystal to help you, if I can.
no subject
So the sudden appearance of the gemstone is a surprise, if only for its innocent beauty after staring into the shifting eye of its pseudo-living cousin. Pretty and blue and finely formed, and Octavian accepts it and holds it up in the center of his palm to look at it more closely. Very nice, indeed...]
For me? [Oh, that's interesting, he didn't know this body was equipped with a warmth to bloom in his chest until just now, hm!] A... custodian of sorts.
[Both in the sweeping sense and the looking after him sense, really, because he is quite awful to behold in the last moments of his physical body. He may one day need looking after.]
I would like that. And I would like to work with you. [Ah, after all these years, to work with someone again—] Come and see my proper workshop. There may be tools I am missing that I will need help in identifying.
[Also he wants to show it off, come and see.]
no subject
Yes, exactly. And making a functional robot of sorts should prove interesting.
[ his smile is no wider than the usual light tilt of his lips, but there is a brightness to him now, a direct contrast to how wan and sorrowful he seemed there with the hexcore; and that alone is perhaps enough on its own to show that yes, he would very much like this, too. working on it, together.
though, wryly, ]
I will warn you, you may have to kick me out. I tend to keep working when I can. And I am unused to working with anyone but Jayce, but... [ a tilt of his head, a half-smile, to say but i think we will be fine. he has a feeling. ]
Yes, do show me. [ the workshop, but also the (possible lack of) tools, ]
no subject
But first the workshop, and as he pushes open the door,]
You need not worry about that. I will inevitably excuse myself to, hm, [he gestures at himself rather than finish the thought, as if to say you know; when this body runs out of time he would prefer to dissolve out of it in private. Other than that,] But I also enjoy the rush of productivity.
[So that's all well and good. The workshop is cluttered,l and only somewhat organized by discipline; beakers and mixers clustered on one desk and set of shelves, while the tools meant for moving metal and putting things together are more or less on the other side of the room, in their own area. What is there is high quality, of course, but he definitely lacks in many useful tools for working with crystal or other stone. They just weren't that type of workshop, back in the day.
Many of the flat surfaces do feature his handwriting scrawled around where it was convenient; that isn't a habit he got into only after death.
(There isn't a cot, because the cot is back in the other room, with the safe. Ahem.)
Just walking into the room makes him an iota more animated, gesturing at it all with pride.]
What do you think?
no subject
absently, he runs his fingers over a patch of his handwriting, tracing the scrawl with a slight smile before he turns back to octavian. ]
Excellent, [ he says and not as a compliment, not really, but because he means it; it is excellent, perfect for the purpose, with a stronger character to it than the white laboratory space he is used to inhabiting. ]
I will make a list of what is missing. I'm sure it will be easy to procure what is still needed... it is not much. [ read: the space is well-equipped, he approves. ]
no subject
Viktor knowing what he's doing as he looks around is also nice to see; he already had faith in Viktor's knowledge, so the insight is valuable.]
You think so? Let me know if I can assist in finding anything.
[Read: he'll ask Root to find him something, which still counts.]
no subject
[ and probably have jayce question where they've gone, but that's a problem for future viktor. with a glance at the crystal there in octavian's hand, ]
Hextech, with the right runes, provides a sort of... hm, one might call it a zero-gravity function. We do not have to worry about the heaviness of the alloy that we use, the gemstone will counter that. A combination of steel and carbon has proved to be quite durable.
I have, however, never tried to create something that moves and is capable of performing tasks on its own. [ so hopefully octavian has some ideas for how to go about that... ]
no subject
[They are but two twiggy guys, after all, and Octavian would hate to have to ask for additional help from locals who can lift big sheets of metal. They were bad enough to make small talk with when he had to move furniture in his house.]
As for the automation... I can draft a few formulas. It will not think for itself. Perfroming tasks is very doable, however.
no subject
but he hopes it will work... and if not, perhaps he can wheedle vi into carrying things for them. she might just agree. ]
No, we are not about the create yet another artificial intelligence here. [ the one that exists is already doing badly enough without a baby artificial intelligence inside another artificial intelligence, dear gods. ] That it perform tasks is plenty.
no subject
[Embrace creative solutions for lifting things instead of talking to people, Viktor, it's great— They'll see, anyway.
He waves a hand like no, no, no more AIs.] I would not know how to craft a whole intelligence regardless. Outside of my various disciplines. And someone would undoubtedly try to kill it like they did to the previous intelligence here.
[Imagine, if someone came for his son... terrible.]
no subject
[ in practice — well, yes. they will see.
and then he is busy making a face of complete affront, at the idea of someone harming this as-of-yet hypothetical robot (their son, excuse —) ]
No one will touch it. [ a thoughtful pause. ] I wonder if we should equip it with a self-defense protocol, just in case. [ the hextech crystal will, after all, act like a small nuke under the right circumstances and with the right runes... or a rocket launcher. and while he is adamant about not creating weapons, well, the robot isn't going to be one; and should it come across one of the monsters or something else here, for it to be able to protect itself sounds reasonable. ]
no subject
I doubt it will have much reason to leave this building. Still. Just in case. Perhaps.
[Probably the best course of action is making it cute, then no one will bother it— They'll get there. Octavian smiles again.]
Either way. Let us get to work soon. I am looking forward to it.
🎀 puts a lil gay bow on this
Only if you need it to.
[ it will be designed to stay here, in any case. echoing that smile, viktor looks at him and nods; it is... a nice feeling, to think of working together, to simply look forward to it without feeling any trace of lingering frustration, something that has accompanied him in the lab back home for too long now. ]
Whenever you want. If you do not want to kick me out, we could get started on the plans now.
[ And Then They Did Just That. ]