#silcosys

[niratias]

@silcosys continued

Viktor grits his teeth for a moment before realizing that, yes, Silco is correct. He's working himself to exhaustion again. He can also tell, from the pleading urgency, that this isn't about the commune or something serious- it's a matter of the heart. He is making an effort to listen to his own more, or at least feign that he is. This seems to please his lover, and so he'll continue for now.

The screwdriver is set down with a muted clatter. The Herald stands from his workbench, leaving behind what looks like synthetic muscle tissue. Maybe it's an upgrade to Blitzcrank, or maybe a new idea has stolen his attention away. He waits for Silco to lead the way, wiping loose hair off of his forehead and stepping after him, footsteps far heavier and leaving an imprint in their wake once he's stepped onto the bare ground.

"How does it feel to know I come when called?" He can't help himself.

[monenblogi-a]

@silcosys - from dis

Zaun was, without a doubt, as much of a shithole as he had the displeasure to remember it as. It was no better than Bilgewater, sure, but why did everything have to be so damn loud? Better question was why the hell they were the ones that drew the short straw on the bounty board for product procurement. 

At least it beat the alternative. Fate was sure he wouldn’t hear the end of it if Graves almost ended up eaten by another monster of the abyss. Again. Leaving the guy to canvas info his way while Fate did his own, on the other hand? 

He’ll... worry about that later. 

“Come now, gents, y’ knew the rules fair and square and you lost.” He waved the burly fish folk off from his shitty excuse of a street scam before eyeing his next customer. Smaller, seemed smarter than the last few, hopefully he could weasel a lead on their missing product. “Fella in the purple vest: what say you? Thinkin’ lady luck’s got a way to win you the prize?” 

Bait and open, he even showed the can on the box with, admittedly, nothing under it. It was the shittiest job he scraped up, but it seemed there were few options to getting people to talk in the trenches. “Spend a dollar and maybe come out a king: win 3 hands and you’ll get everything under the can.” 

[niratias]

@silcosys

"And what if I say no?" Viktor clutches his crutch tightly to his side, mouth twisted into a vicious frown. His adoptive family- a minor house in need of an heir in the face of presumed infertility- has spent the better part of thirty years allowing their adopted eldest son to thrive in academia. Now, with a younger biological heir in the wings, Vitya knows he's disposable and has been for a long time. This, however, was not how he expected to be told to leave.

"I'm afraid the decision has been made." His father hovers in the doorway of the study, uneasy but holding firm. "You're going to marry and bring peace."

"Someone ELSE can do it. Someone who doesn't have a career and a laboratory full of-"

"There IS no one else available who-"

"Bullshit!" Viktor whirls, knocking over a stack of books in the process, face frozen in a snarl. "In this entire fucking city, there's no one else?"

"Vitya. Enough."

Oh, he's had enough, alright. He storms forward, making to push past his father and out of the room. Firm hands grip his shoulders. He struggles ineffectually, swearing in frustration, held fast.

"Vitya. You'd think you were going to your execution."

(Might as well be,) he thinks, eyes full of the pain of this betrayal. A sacrificial lamb for the city that took him in. Why let Zaun eat a Piltie when you can give her back one of her own instead?

[niratias]

@silcosys continued

"Yes." Viktor admits this glumly, as if he's embarrassed it took him this long to concede. "I'd like to throw a better punch and know where to aim to make use of what I have to work with. Which...admittedly, is not much." He can't rely on bodyweight or dexterity. He's going to have to be smart about this, and he'll only have one or two hits before he's steamrolled by a stronger, larger opponent. One day, when his wildest dreams are reality and he's fortified his body, this will be less of a concern. For now, he's too fragile for the world of his Chem-Baron partner, and he's tired of feeling that way.

[niratias]

@silcosys

"That's three shows in a row I've seen you go for that guy's throat. If I didn't know better, I'd say you had a grudge." Viktor's two beers deep and trying to pack up his cables. They're a little too DIY to have much in way of a crew on days like this one. "What did he do to you, huh?"

He hands the Hexclaw some cabling while he winds more into a neat loop, one metallic foot up on a small amp while he works.

[niratias]

@silcosys liked for nonsense

“Well, do you know if this road is open all the way up to the pit? There. The pit.” He points needlessly to clarify, head cocked. “It’s a perfect place for a new elevator. I really think we could make use of this.” After the collapse of the oldest one, its passengers saved by Blitzcrank, Zaun’s been stuck shipping civilians up and down with freight. That’s another tragedy waiting to happen. This would be a better solution…and a way to keep secrets need-to-know as appropriate.

[niratias]

@silcosys continued

"At this time, everything hinges on my ability to keep up this unsustainable pace. I don't like the thought of collapse being that simply achieved. I want these people safe." There is altruism in him, even if its driving cause is presently out of his understanding. "All it takes right now is one very bad day for me." It's on the horizon. He can feel it. Who would dare to strike that blow? Who would want him dead that badly? Time will tell.

Viktor knows one thing for certain, down to his marrow- he CAN die again, and he WILL. The question is who will wield the weapon that does him in.

"I need a contingency. I want to ensure the safety of my followers as best as I am able to. It is my hope you will be able to assist me with that. This was part of my motivation for bringing you back."

[niratias]

؟ from Viktor :v

"If I hadn't taken the chance on him, where would I be...? Lost, I'm certain- to the arcane I can now largely ignore at will. Yes, it's of my own power and my own will, but that's why what we have works- he bolsters me. Encourages me to keep pushing and reaching for what I want. He doesn't tell me no. Doesn't tell me yes, either. He's not here to pass judgements- only walk with me, every step of the way, as only another Zaunite could. My darling. My everything."

random thoughts