[ hm. don't know if he likes that, he's just aware of the humming as he approaches and he crouches to get a closer look. ]
... wonder if we could build a makeshift one. Something to cover and stabilize it? [ frowns. ] Can you read the rest of these runes? Maybe knowing what they are we can piece together what's missing.
[Though the space is closed up tightly, it's clear another plate should be there, at least. Kiraman can see the small Hexcore bobbling in the center through the semi-opaque webbing.]
Perhaps...
[Viktor glances over the housing.]
Yes. It's what Jayce and I studied endlessly as we created Hextech. Each rune is... an artifact of magical power. They stand for... words of magic, so to speak. Precision, resolve, things like that.
When I was studying the Hexcore initially, it looked like this. I made a matrix I would alter to find combinations of runes which would work to do magic. But when it came to restoration... something was missing. Everything I tested would wither after renewing.
[ he wants to touch it. if he tries to reach forward and touch it, does viktor stop him? mysteries. ]
But it had to have been completed once. A combination that would make sense... maybe something that fell in line with the runes around it to make a complete picture. [ looking at him again. ] Where do the runes come from? Can you create new ones, or are your combinations just whatever's available?
[Kiraman, you dumbass. But no, he may try to touch it. The webbing warbles as his hand draws closer, and pieces of it stretch out after his fingers. The sensation without even touching Kiraman's skin is cold, like a steel. Something artificial, but alive and electric beneath. The blend of primordial magic and machine.
It feels as if it would like to... assimilate Kiraman is the only notion which makes sense. So it is up to Kiraman if he wants to keep touching.]
We were the pioneers of this sort of research, as far as we know. Jayce and I. Magic had become... forbidden and feared because of the devastation it could entice out of people.
We had to dig into texts which were hard to find, or missing pieces themselves, or were not translated. We had to build our own bridges between. This piece was always missing, not in general, but in my matrix. It's a rune we haven't found yet maybe? Or we didn't know.
The runes all exist, and history says they have existed perhaps since the dawn of our world. We just give identities to them so we can understand what they mean in our own language. Does that make sense? They are symbols attached to powers, and we fill in the definitions based on what they can do.
More can be found. More are likely out there in Runeterra. We never tried to create any runes exactly... Just used the runes to enhance our technological inventions.
[ kiraman is a dumbass, yeah. he's poking and prodding a little, eyebrows furrowed together as he tries to get a feel and understanding. it should be alive, but it should be artificial, and caspian feels a very weird way about this given he, too, is both alive and artificial. the robot hand is the one touching the webbing, so it's even stranger for steel on steel to feel. ]
We've talked about this before. You've told me a little about the work you and Jayce have put into this, so this makes sense. [ there is a thought sort of percolating in his head though. ] Change a symbol even slightly, it becomes a whole new power. No different than coding.
I wonder if it could work if they were created in the same fashion. But without the arcane fueling it, maybe they wouldn't power on?
[Not Kiraman becoming the dog in the mirror about the Hexcore. Same hat!]
I've found from watching you this long that it is a similar.
[Of course, Viktor, even though he is now some Eldritch messiah, has grown really fond of trying to piece together all of Kiraman's advanced technology. The digital age appeals to him deeply.]
We could... see if it could be tricked. Not tricked - satisfied? By a stand-in. I'm not sure if it requires the actual magic, or I could... put magic into it?
makes the exact same face he makes when Jayce asks him if he knows what he's doing when they are about to figure out how the Hexgates work in concept.]
I mean... It's science, right? I would have to experiment to see if the hypothesis works. I've never tried before.
If this is my mind, I could make a filler for the space, and put magic into it. Maybe it would be similar to an unknown variable, and the matrix would simply fill in what it needed to go there.
[ i appreciate you used both the icon and a gif example. ]
It's science, but considering what you're working with this goes right back to what kind of experiments, Viktor. [ but okay. he is thinking. he is... thinking. ]
That's one way to do it. But without specific instructions it's also possible it'll get stuck in a loop of overwriting itself because it doesn't know what is actually needed, or there are multiple needs that can be met.
If I can still use its power even inside the staff...
[He comes closer to Caspian and the matrix housing, so he can also look even though he has seen it before.
He frowns; it's sort of forlorn actually, but thoughtful. He really, truly does not want to give up his ability to help others regardless of how misguided that might become.]
...I'm willing to take big risks.
[Of course. He has taken so many big ones in his life.]
Might just need to reconstruct part of the staff to allow for an even distribution. [ this is mumbled a little, but he's already thinking twenty thousand mph. ]
I don't think you're wrong. For wanting to help people, and to heal them. But... you know my thoughts on everything. [ still. ] If you're sure then... let's give it a try.
[He glances at Caspian if only because he is listening, even if Caspian is ruminating to himself. It's fine. He understands that, too. Damn, they are the same person.]
I know.
[It's said quietly. Here, he has enough decency to be a little ashamed still, as Viktor, his true self not muffled by the orb floating in front of them.
He hesitates, if briefly. The feelings inside of him are tense, like the knot within before a high leap. Will he be worthless again? Will he be anything? He's in Heaven right now, but will he die? Will he succumb again later to his illness if he's redeemed? It's a strength difficult to give up.]
...I'm sure.
[He slowly stands up again and takes a few steps back from the matrix.]
[ they are the same person and it's for that reason that caspian goes quiet and lets Viktor take the time to process. he doesn't move away from the matrix, instead staring it down as his hands hover a little. he can guess what viktor is afraid of and it's also what makes him slow down instead of charging ahead into his ideas. ]
... we're not gonna let you die as soon as you leave. It's okay. [ to ease the worries. ] Are you okay if I remove it? [ or would Viktor prefer to do it himself? ]
[The reassurance helps and still makes him feel hot with embarrassment all the same. The idea he needs someone else's help simply to live like any other person has the luxury to receive.
That he can't be the master of his own fate.
He stands for a long moment, feeling the indifferent viscosity of the Hexcore's connection to him. It had grown comforting in a way. Like the solitude he sat within before. Had it really helped him do as wrong as others say?
He had almost been a god.
The thin vines of astral and organic material attached to his spine finally pull away, one by one, and disappear into the halogen edges of their surroundings.
[ he realizes it's shitty. he realizes how frustrating it is to be told that no, you can't actually do some things on your own, just because of the way you were born. some things are predetermined for you, and you can't easily change them.
it doesn't mean there isn't a chance though.
he's patient, watching as the vines retract bit by bit, ushering them along with a free hand. he's not rushing, but he is slightly nervous that the hexcore's going to react terribly to this instead. slow and steady. that's what they have to do.
when viktor nods though and everything seems to settle, he reaches in and wraps a hand around the core itself. gives it a lil tug. tries to make sure he's not going to accidentally kill viktor immediately by doing this, but it's slowly drawing it out to make sure it's stabilized, cradling it in his hands. ]
Viktor goes a bit stiff and straight as Caspian moves in for the core. His expression winces, though it's more as a precautionary measure than any real pain.
The glow of his body ripples; he can feel Caspian's touch distantly on parts of his existence despite the Hexcore hovering between Caspian's palms and refusing to settle within them.
It's beautiful, and he so desperately has the urge to snatch it and flee. The core reflects in the brown of his eyes as he looks on it. Then he squeezes them shut once, briefly, before opening them again. Right.
Staff.]
So far so good...
[He's not exploding into a heat death!
He extends his arm and curls his fingers, willing the manifestation of the still concerningly organic and twisted staff which was once the crutch he utilized to get around. Ironic. He situates it with both hands, pointing the curled head of it in Caspian's direction.]
[ listen, he is so tired of this thing basically piloting viktor. also, despite having literally no room to talk, he thinks it's weird and he dislikes.
he sees the way that viktor tenses up and he slows his approach, keeping an eye on him to make sure he really is ready for it. but it settles down, and he watches the hexcore hover like it's waiting for the next command to be input. he cuts a glance back to viktor, tracking every movement even as he watches him close his eyes and recenter himself.
no rushing. things are stable, and he's not going to tell the guy to hurry up when this is, in a way, losing a major part of himself.
the staff appears, and he's lowering his hands as if to encourage the core to slot into the head of it. shoos it a little. go on, you absolute nightmare. settle into your new home. ]
It's not losing the abilities you had. It's just redirecting how they flow. Having a conduit between you and it... kinda like a firewall. You can still do everything, but it protects you from anything dangerous.
The core bobs into its carapace place, and it twists slowly to adjust. Then it slowly begins to stretch and bubble; a blue and violet glow rises up from within and starbursts outward.
Viktor, unfortunately, looks surprised, a little worried. His eyes snap up to Caspian, and then quickly down again. The grip he has on the staff tightens - his arms quake, and it's suddenly evident he is starting to struggle keeping a firm and reined control of the staff.
Of course, some whacky shit would happen while they are trying to do a good.]
[ oh. oh bubbling is bad, and the sudden burst also causes him to shift his stance as if he's about to tackle the damn thing, but he realizes that reacting that way might just freak viktor out even more.
granted, that doesn't matter when the staff is apparently going to fight them every step of the way and he steps closer as if ready to intervene. ]
No, it's pissed. [ it's not an accurate assumption, maybe, but it's what he can figure. he narrows his eyes, watching the movements of the staff and viktor himself. ] You... try to stay calm. Could be reacting to your fear. Show it you're the one in control.
[ because this did, in fact, start when viktor questioned his control to begin with. ]
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no subject
... wonder if we could build a makeshift one. Something to cover and stabilize it? [ frowns. ] Can you read the rest of these runes? Maybe knowing what they are we can piece together what's missing.
no subject
Perhaps...
[Viktor glances over the housing.]
Yes. It's what Jayce and I studied endlessly as we created Hextech. Each rune is... an artifact of magical power. They stand for... words of magic, so to speak. Precision, resolve, things like that.
When I was studying the Hexcore initially, it looked like this. I made a matrix I would alter to find combinations of runes which would work to do magic. But when it came to restoration... something was missing. Everything I tested would wither after renewing.
I could never find the unknown.
no subject
But it had to have been completed once. A combination that would make sense... maybe something that fell in line with the runes around it to make a complete picture. [ looking at him again. ] Where do the runes come from? Can you create new ones, or are your combinations just whatever's available?
no subject
It feels as if it would like to... assimilate Kiraman is the only notion which makes sense. So it is up to Kiraman if he wants to keep touching.]
We were the pioneers of this sort of research, as far as we know. Jayce and I. Magic had become... forbidden and feared because of the devastation it could entice out of people.
We had to dig into texts which were hard to find, or missing pieces themselves, or were not translated. We had to build our own bridges between. This piece was always missing, not in general, but in my matrix. It's a rune we haven't found yet maybe? Or we didn't know.
The runes all exist, and history says they have existed perhaps since the dawn of our world. We just give identities to them so we can understand what they mean in our own language. Does that make sense? They are symbols attached to powers, and we fill in the definitions based on what they can do.
More can be found. More are likely out there in Runeterra. We never tried to create any runes exactly... Just used the runes to enhance our technological inventions.
no subject
We've talked about this before. You've told me a little about the work you and Jayce have put into this, so this makes sense. [ there is a thought sort of percolating in his head though. ] Change a symbol even slightly, it becomes a whole new power. No different than coding.
I wonder if it could work if they were created in the same fashion. But without the arcane fueling it, maybe they wouldn't power on?
no subject
I've found from watching you this long that it is a similar.
[Of course, Viktor, even though he is now some Eldritch messiah, has grown really fond of trying to piece together all of Kiraman's advanced technology. The digital age appeals to him deeply.]
We could... see if it could be tricked. Not tricked - satisfied? By a stand-in. I'm not sure if it requires the actual magic, or I could... put magic into it?
no subject
I sort of figured. It really has a lot of the same components, just kind of generated differently.
[ but he is...considering things. ]
Do you know how to put in enough magic that it'd actually be tricked into working? Without hurting yourself, I mean.
no subject
makes the exact same face he makes when Jayce asks him if he knows what he's doing when they are about to figure out how the Hexgates work in concept.]
I mean... It's science, right? I would have to experiment to see if the hypothesis works. I've never tried before.
If this is my mind, I could make a filler for the space, and put magic into it. Maybe it would be similar to an unknown variable, and the matrix would simply fill in what it needed to go there.
no subject
It's science, but considering what you're working with this goes right back to what kind of experiments, Viktor. [ but okay. he is thinking. he is... thinking. ]
That's one way to do it. But without specific instructions it's also possible it'll get stuck in a loop of overwriting itself because it doesn't know what is actually needed, or there are multiple needs that can be met.
no subject
You didn't have to say it out loud.
[But that's fair. LISTEN. He's trying his best while he still has pieces of himself left.]
Well, it's either we try, or we do not try. A lot of other things are going on, too, so we should keep that in mind.
no subject
I would rather see you try. You know this. But it's if there's time to explore that option... we should see what might work.
no subject
I'll try to make a bridge. [Hmmm.] In the event it fails...
I will consider... trying to remove it somehow.
[Just remove it and put it in your staff you stupid fruit.]
no subject
... if we make another container, that should be safe to house right, right? It doesn't look that big to begin with.
[ put it in your staff you stupid fruit!! ]
no subject
It takes a few moments, but his pinched brows lift.]
The staff... If it can remain stabilized, it could fit in my staff.
no subject
Like an actual catalyst. [ the emotion is basically ! and he's frowning equally thoughtfully as he bends a little to get a closer look. ]
... how big of a risk are you willing to take on this?
no subject
[He comes closer to Caspian and the matrix housing, so he can also look even though he has seen it before.
He frowns; it's sort of forlorn actually, but thoughtful. He really, truly does not want to give up his ability to help others regardless of how misguided that might become.]
...I'm willing to take big risks.
[Of course. He has taken so many big ones in his life.]
I have taken big risks all my life.
no subject
I don't think you're wrong. For wanting to help people, and to heal them. But... you know my thoughts on everything. [ still. ] If you're sure then... let's give it a try.
no subject
I know.
[It's said quietly. Here, he has enough decency to be a little ashamed still, as Viktor, his true self not muffled by the orb floating in front of them.
He hesitates, if briefly. The feelings inside of him are tense, like the knot within before a high leap. Will he be worthless again? Will he be anything? He's in Heaven right now, but will he die? Will he succumb again later to his illness if he's redeemed? It's a strength difficult to give up.]
...I'm sure.
[He slowly stands up again and takes a few steps back from the matrix.]
no subject
... we're not gonna let you die as soon as you leave. It's okay. [ to ease the worries. ] Are you okay if I remove it? [ or would Viktor prefer to do it himself? ]
no subject
That he can't be the master of his own fate.
He stands for a long moment, feeling the indifferent viscosity of the Hexcore's connection to him. It had grown comforting in a way. Like the solitude he sat within before. Had it really helped him do as wrong as others say?
He had almost been a god.
The thin vines of astral and organic material attached to his spine finally pull away, one by one, and disappear into the halogen edges of their surroundings.
He nods at Caspian, affirmatively.]
no subject
it doesn't mean there isn't a chance though.
he's patient, watching as the vines retract bit by bit, ushering them along with a free hand. he's not rushing, but he is slightly nervous that the hexcore's going to react terribly to this instead. slow and steady. that's what they have to do.
when viktor nods though and everything seems to settle, he reaches in and wraps a hand around the core itself. gives it a lil tug. tries to make sure he's not going to accidentally kill viktor immediately by doing this, but it's slowly drawing it out to make sure it's stabilized, cradling it in his hands. ]
Staff.
no subject
Viktor goes a bit stiff and straight as Caspian moves in for the core. His expression winces, though it's more as a precautionary measure than any real pain.
The glow of his body ripples; he can feel Caspian's touch distantly on parts of his existence despite the Hexcore hovering between Caspian's palms and refusing to settle within them.
It's beautiful, and he so desperately has the urge to snatch it and flee. The core reflects in the brown of his eyes as he looks on it. Then he squeezes them shut once, briefly, before opening them again. Right.
Staff.]
So far so good...
[He's not exploding into a heat death!
He extends his arm and curls his fingers, willing the manifestation of the still concerningly organic and twisted staff which was once the crutch he utilized to get around. Ironic. He situates it with both hands, pointing the curled head of it in Caspian's direction.]
no subject
he sees the way that viktor tenses up and he slows his approach, keeping an eye on him to make sure he really is ready for it. but it settles down, and he watches the hexcore hover like it's waiting for the next command to be input. he cuts a glance back to viktor, tracking every movement even as he watches him close his eyes and recenter himself.
no rushing. things are stable, and he's not going to tell the guy to hurry up when this is, in a way, losing a major part of himself.
the staff appears, and he's lowering his hands as if to encourage the core to slot into the head of it. shoos it a little. go on, you absolute nightmare. settle into your new home. ]
It's not losing the abilities you had. It's just redirecting how they flow. Having a conduit between you and it... kinda like a firewall. You can still do everything, but it protects you from anything dangerous.
no subject
[Funny he says this!!
The core bobs into its carapace place, and it twists slowly to adjust. Then it slowly begins to stretch and bubble; a blue and violet glow rises up from within and starbursts outward.
Viktor, unfortunately, looks surprised, a little worried. His eyes snap up to Caspian, and then quickly down again. The grip he has on the staff tightens - his arms quake, and it's suddenly evident he is starting to struggle keeping a firm and reined control of the staff.
Of course, some whacky shit would happen while they are trying to do a good.]
Maybe it's - unstable?!
no subject
granted, that doesn't matter when the staff is apparently going to fight them every step of the way and he steps closer as if ready to intervene. ]
No, it's pissed. [ it's not an accurate assumption, maybe, but it's what he can figure. he narrows his eyes, watching the movements of the staff and viktor himself. ] You... try to stay calm. Could be reacting to your fear. Show it you're the one in control.
[ because this did, in fact, start when viktor questioned his control to begin with. ]