[ the problem with being geniuses is their hubris really does get the best of them all the time. like now! this is still not entirely registering as a bad idea, but kiraman is grabbing viktor's arm with both hands now that he's holding on, pulling harder to get away from the webs and into a clearing that is less grabby. ]
We knew this would be a possibility, but I was hoping it wouldn't be that immediate. [ slaps a web. go away!!! ] Maybe the answer is to trick your brain somehow.
[OKAY, okay, he's coming! He's coming! He pushes through to the other side so they are thankfully once more in the same vicinity again. He does NOT let go of Kiraman's arm, though, sorry. Not today, Satan.]
It's - [He doesn't think "worried" is the right word for it. There isn't the same kind of feelings behind the way it functions, he realizes. He shakes his head.] - reacting.
[He squeezes his eyes shut tightly, forcing the concentration.]
[ that's fine, he's not forcing viktor to let go. he'll be an anchor, it's fine. ]
Like a white blood cell to an infection. [ this is mumbled to himself because he is, in fact, the virus here. but viktor says hold on, and kiraman turns his head to face him. ] What are you... ?
The grip on the arm tightens ever so slightly, mostly when the concentration intensifies, and then it loosens. He opens his eyes at the same time a thin tendril of halogen stretches down toward him. It's webbing, but different.
He lets go and steps back from Kiraman, has no time to warn Kiraman really before the tendril quickly suctions to the middle of his chest. He grunts, though doesn't seem hurt. He does stagger to the side until he regains a firmer balance, as if he was pulled forward. One hand lifts to curl around the tendril.]
Alright. Now. Let's see how far we can go. Next time, perhaps we should hide you if we can.
[ the progression is like this. he's calm for a moment, exuding calm to help Viktor remain relaxed and holding them still inside this weird brain cage. and then there's a little fascination as they watch him concentrate, unsure of what he's thinking. and then there's curiosity as the tendril grows... followed by alarm as it wraps around. ]
Hey. [ he's not sure he likes this either, but it serves as a root and he can understand that. ] Does it hurt...? [ viktor doesn't seem hurt, but he could be hiding it. ] Let's see where it leads. I don't know how I can hide from your mind unless I change entirely.
[Yeah, figured that would freak Kiraman out. It's fine. It's fine....? He really should have said something instead of jumpscaring his anchor.
His head shakes.]
I'm alright.
[His hand lowers from the tendril, and he has a momentary back and forth with it until they both figure out a compromise on the whole lead and follow. The pace. The webbing slinks away, opening a path the tendril stretches through, and he's forced to get pulled along.]
[ you're so strong doing embeds this whole time. anyway yeah? yeah it did freak him out! but it's fine, he's just keeping an eye on this tendril and frowning a little as he watches it waver. as the webbing retracts and the tendril slithers forward, he begins to follow behind viktor at a slow but decent pace. ]
...I can change my appearance, I think. I customized it before, but I should be able to do the same here without a program to run it through. But I don't know how much that would help.
[HELP. I almost gave up, but I'm glad I didn't since they remembered Suo's journal being there. They might have looked again.......]
I don't know either. Perhaps it wouldn't matter. If I knew you were you, then likely the Hexcore will simply know.
[The webbing closes behind them. Once again, they are in a halogen hallway, but in the holes of the webs of the walls on each side are shards of what must be Viktor's memories, looping endlessly. Him as a child, his first meeting with Singed, his breakthrough into Piltover's academy, his first meeting with Jayce.]
It doesn't rationalize in the same way a human would. There isn't any way for it to understand human ethics. Grey area. It's logical. Things are black and white. You understand, yes?
there's a soft noise of acknowledgement, but as a fellow nerd viktor likely will recognize it as the sound of someone formulating a plan as they continue into the hallway. he pauses, standing in the middle of this space and watching viktor's life play out before him in blips and pieces. it's... sad, maybe, to think of who this man was and could have been, but it gives him some understanding of where they might be able to go. ]
Yes. So it becomes teaching it what might be black and white, and where certain orders of operation go. Or... introducing it to a new component to rewrite its rationalization. Logical is only as logical as you make it. So if there's backing behind the improbable, is that not still logical?
[He slows down until he comes to a stop, waiting on Kiraman without rushing anything. Some of the memories are embarrassing (for him), but he doesn't keep Kiraman from seeing them. Can't probably anyway.]
[Thoughtful, he idly stares at one of the looping memories. Once he refocuses on it, he glances away.]
It has no goal, I don't think. It has no motivations. Not like... humans, if that makes sense. It simply is. It conforms to whoever wields it, I suppose.
My goals became its goals since I was the conduit. I want to help others. [He lifts his head.] I want a world of peace with no disease or need for violence.
It does what it thinks necessary to make these things happen. I'm thankful for your willingness to help, but the apprehension of losing my power to help others... I guess that's why it sees you as a threat.
Do you yourself see me as a threat? [ he just has to ask, because he's never really asked viktor how much he wants kiraman meddling with him and his form. ] The hexcore is reactionary to you, but you're also reacting to the hexcore. Like symbiosis. What one does the other follows the other feeds the other takes. Neither can act independently anymore without a nudge from the first.
Not... in the way you may think. I'm not afraid of you hurting me. I'm not afraid of your intentions. You... are a good man. [Boy? Whatever.] I simply...
[His eyes lift to the memories.]
I'm afraid. I'm afraid of becoming the man I was before. [The one desperately injecting Shimmer into a rail-thin leg.] Weak. Sick.
I'm afraid I'll one again be dying. Stupid, I know... Considering.
[ well that's nice, because considering his everything the last thing he wants is to be seen as someone who will hurt a person who's just trying to fix things.
the rest though... understandable. ]
I don't think it's stupid. [ ... ] I said I was fine dying before, but Mist said I wasn't. At the time, I was mad at her for insisting she knew me better than I did, but looking back on it maybe she was right. Even if you know it's coming, no one likes to die. And now that you know what life could be like, it feels worse considering you could lose everything again.
...I get it. I know. [ there's a frown to it, but he does understand. ] Maybe the answer is finding a new strategy then. Like having the answer already in place before disconnecting you from the Hexcore, so it knows your body isn't in danger of shutdown.
[His brows furrow. Not that Kiraman is wrong, by any means. He's just thinking. THEY THINK TOO MUCH ALREADY.
He turns in place to look at another memory, to appraise another one afterward.]
I don't want to lose it... I want to... I want to control it better. I want to be me, but seamlessly integrated with it. Is that... not possible? Because... Jayce and I weren't meant to wield the arcane? But that's why we created Hextech.
... it has to be. It's just about finding the root of the problem and creating the patch to bridge the broken gap. But to find that gap, the Hexcore has to let us in. It's no different than solving for integrity.
[Well. It's a start. Starting is the first hurdle. He ponders a little longer with the hallway of always, and then he turns around to go to Kiraman.]
I will try, and then we will keep trying.
[He puts both what are undoubtedly hands on each side of Kiraman's face.] Go back. We will try again after I have done some things. [He commences RETURN before Kiraman can protest. The strangeness of returning to the undead heaven side which I'm praying is not brains in a vat.]
As long as the things you're doing are... [ well. sound of mind, etc. he does not entirely know what he wants to say, but he does have to trust viktor. so back they go.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
We knew this would be a possibility, but I was hoping it wouldn't be that immediate. [ slaps a web. go away!!! ] Maybe the answer is to trick your brain somehow.
no subject
It's - [He doesn't think "worried" is the right word for it. There isn't the same kind of feelings behind the way it functions, he realizes. He shakes his head.] - reacting.
[He squeezes his eyes shut tightly, forcing the concentration.]
Hold on.
no subject
Like a white blood cell to an infection. [ this is mumbled to himself because he is, in fact, the virus here. but viktor says hold on, and kiraman turns his head to face him. ] What are you... ?
[ no, shut up, let viktor concentrate. ]
no subject
The grip on the arm tightens ever so slightly, mostly when the concentration intensifies, and then it loosens. He opens his eyes at the same time a thin tendril of halogen stretches down toward him. It's webbing, but different.
He lets go and steps back from Kiraman, has no time to warn Kiraman really before the tendril quickly suctions to the middle of his chest. He grunts, though doesn't seem hurt. He does stagger to the side until he regains a firmer balance, as if he was pulled forward. One hand lifts to curl around the tendril.]
Alright. Now. Let's see how far we can go. Next time, perhaps we should hide you if we can.
no subject
Hey. [ he's not sure he likes this either, but it serves as a root and he can understand that. ] Does it hurt...? [ viktor doesn't seem hurt, but he could be hiding it. ] Let's see where it leads. I don't know how I can hide from your mind unless I change entirely.
no subject
His head shakes.]
I'm alright.
[His hand lowers from the tendril, and he has a momentary back and forth with it until they both figure out a compromise on the whole lead and follow. The pace. The webbing slinks away, opening a path the tendril stretches through, and he's forced to get pulled along.]
Is changing something you can do?
no subject
...I can change my appearance, I think. I customized it before, but I should be able to do the same here without a program to run it through. But I don't know how much that would help.
no subject
I don't know either. Perhaps it wouldn't matter. If I knew you were you, then likely the Hexcore will simply know.
[The webbing closes behind them. Once again, they are in a halogen hallway, but in the holes of the webs of the walls on each side are shards of what must be Viktor's memories, looping endlessly. Him as a child, his first meeting with Singed, his breakthrough into Piltover's academy, his first meeting with Jayce.]
It doesn't rationalize in the same way a human would. There isn't any way for it to understand human ethics. Grey area. It's logical. Things are black and white. You understand, yes?
no subject
there's a soft noise of acknowledgement, but as a fellow nerd viktor likely will recognize it as the sound of someone formulating a plan as they continue into the hallway. he pauses, standing in the middle of this space and watching viktor's life play out before him in blips and pieces. it's... sad, maybe, to think of who this man was and could have been, but it gives him some understanding of where they might be able to go. ]
Yes. So it becomes teaching it what might be black and white, and where certain orders of operation go. Or... introducing it to a new component to rewrite its rationalization. Logical is only as logical as you make it. So if there's backing behind the improbable, is that not still logical?
no subject
We have to make it see the logic behind this.
no subject
Exactly. It's about tricking it into recognizing a pattern as a consistent logical loop rather than an outlier. So. How do you make it see logic?
no subject
It has no goal, I don't think. It has no motivations. Not like... humans, if that makes sense. It simply is. It conforms to whoever wields it, I suppose.
My goals became its goals since I was the conduit. I want to help others. [He lifts his head.] I want a world of peace with no disease or need for violence.
It does what it thinks necessary to make these things happen. I'm thankful for your willingness to help, but the apprehension of losing my power to help others... I guess that's why it sees you as a threat.
no subject
Do you yourself see me as a threat? [ he just has to ask, because he's never really asked viktor how much he wants kiraman meddling with him and his form. ] The hexcore is reactionary to you, but you're also reacting to the hexcore. Like symbiosis. What one does the other follows the other feeds the other takes. Neither can act independently anymore without a nudge from the first.
no subject
[LISTEN. Look. He glances away slightly.]
Not... in the way you may think. I'm not afraid of you hurting me. I'm not afraid of your intentions. You... are a good man. [Boy? Whatever.] I simply...
[His eyes lift to the memories.]
I'm afraid. I'm afraid of becoming the man I was before. [The one desperately injecting Shimmer into a rail-thin leg.] Weak. Sick.
I'm afraid I'll one again be dying. Stupid, I know... Considering.
[HE'S DEAD.]
no subject
the rest though... understandable. ]
I don't think it's stupid. [ ... ] I said I was fine dying before, but Mist said I wasn't. At the time, I was mad at her for insisting she knew me better than I did, but looking back on it maybe she was right. Even if you know it's coming, no one likes to die. And now that you know what life could be like, it feels worse considering you could lose everything again.
no subject
The resistance is... subconscious. I am trying not to, but the Hexcore unfortunately can read those intentions, so I'm sorry.
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no subject
He turns in place to look at another memory, to appraise another one afterward.]
I don't want to lose it... I want to... I want to control it better. I want to be me, but seamlessly integrated with it. Is that... not possible? Because... Jayce and I weren't meant to wield the arcane? But that's why we created Hextech.
no subject
... it has to be. It's just about finding the root of the problem and creating the patch to bridge the broken gap. But to find that gap, the Hexcore has to let us in. It's no different than solving for integrity.
[ the last bit is to himself, but. ]
no subject
I will try, and then we will keep trying.
[He puts both what are undoubtedly hands on each side of Kiraman's face.] Go back. We will try again after I have done some things. [He commences RETURN before Kiraman can protest. The strangeness of returning to the undead heaven side which I'm praying is not brains in a vat.]
no subject
As long as the things you're doing are... [ well. sound of mind, etc. he does not entirely know what he wants to say, but he does have to trust viktor. so back they go.
BACK THEY GO BEFORE HE CAN SAY ANYTHING? damb. ]
We'll try again.