diademlogs | closed | may/june catch-all

[ Jayce watches Viktor - they really do need to reach a consensus on what they should and shouldn't be telling people about themselves. A little late for that now, though. ]

Just Jayce is fine - [ he tries to insist, and he's about to politely tell Adrian that he's got it.

The wash of magic through the air sends the hairs at the back of his neck standing up as he takes a half step back, his breath held, eyes wide - maybe first with surprise and tension, but swiftly he relaxes.

His expression softens, a wistful kind of curiosity as he steps toward the engine again to inspect the effects of the spell, allowing Adrian and Viktor to continue chatting. ]

[Jayce's reluctance to elaborate does not go unnoticed--Viktor suddenly wonders if he's said too much. Still, he thinks it's better to offer some barebones explanation, especially if he's using the Hexclaw to repair the engine. Adrian seems merely curious, so Viktor nods.]

Something like that.

[That's all he'll say with regards to that, sensing that Jayce more-or-less wants him to be more discrete. Viktor solders a stray wire back to its partner and steps away, watching the grease vanish with a spell of Adrian's own.]

Is that what you do?

[ He'll do his best to remember, but unfortunately Adrian is the sort of person who still uses honorifics to address even his dear friend Fern. Jayce doesn't seem cross with his intervention at any rate, so Adrian will count it as a win. ]

I see. [ He pauses a moment, considering his words instead of ploughing onward. He doesn't want to offend them, even if he does want to know more. ] ...The effects of such magic can be dangerous, where I'm from.

[ He keeps the statement relatively neutral, not pushing for answers they might not quite be ready to provide — understandably enough. How to explain? ]

My eye is a magical object that provides me with certain benefits, at a cost, if that's makes sense with your understanding. [ He sweeps his hair away from it briefly; his right eye is fully black, the outside of it marked by thick, dark veins and a few deep scars, as if it was gouged out. He hopes that it will put them at ease, seeing someone else marked by magic in such a way. ]

There are other magical objects, such as weapons, clothing, instruments, orbs of all sorts... but it's far more common, at least in Faerûn, for powerful magic to be inherent, something one studies, or something one is granted by more powerful beings. It depends on the spell, and the power of the caster.

[ He hesitates, but since it seems unfamiliar to them, he decides to carry on. ]

The spell I used was prestidigitation — it's commonly one of the first spells that one might learn, and one of the most useful. I would be glad to... attempt to teach it to you, if you wish, but I must admit that what works for me is unlikely to work for another.

[ At a cost. Jayce's gaze flits back to Adrian, taking in the eye as he explains. Getting a good look at it for the first time, his eyes narrow very slightly in a wince as he notices those scars. He pulls in a breath, holding it, his gaze shifting toward Viktor again before lowering back to the engine. ]

It makes sense, yeah.

[ He gives a breathy, self-deprecating laugh. He lets his wariness relent, enough to follow up: ]

Magic was something you needed to be born with, in our world. [ His brow furrows. ] Anyone can study and learn to use it in yours?

[ His hand moves reflexively to rub at his bare wrist, and tension runs across his shoulders. Whether it's possible for him to learn the spell or not, the temptation to accept Adrian's offer is high - and at the same time, he's bracing himself, like he might see a specter in the corner of his eye, a silent warning.

Nothing and no one appears. ]

[Viktor and Jayce exchange a glance that might be obvious—-and they both turn back to the job at hand as a not-so-subtle means of distracting them both from something they should talk about, but aren’t.

He can tell Jayce might want to learn. Viktor would not stop him, if he said yes. Perhaps, after this, Viktor can offer to teach him, too. For now, it seems best to let Adrian continue, and stay quiet about their own circumstances. A cost is certainly something they both know, by now.]

[ Adrian nods, though his expression is mildly puzzled. Born with... Perhaps his assumption about Viktor was incorrect?

He sees no reason not to try teaching Jayce, if he's interested. The few spells that he can share are largely utilitarian. ] All creatures, across many planes, are connected to the weave and can learn to manipulate magic through it. It's simply a scale of difficulty, if the connection isn't inherent — intuitive. That's what makes me a less than ideal teacher. Many of my spells were granted to me by my patron.

[ Even so, it shouldn't stop them. He's heard of wizards who were mentored by the fey, for whom magic is as easy as breathing. Surely someone who can figure out an engine will have the intelligence to bridge the gap. Adrian rubs at his chin, still thoughtful. ] It's unusual that you wouldn't be able to learn magic when it seems as if the weave exists in your world to some degree. I can only speculate, but perhaps it's the same difficulty; those who have inherent power struggling to teach it.

[ Still that tension between them. Adrian looks from Jayce to Viktor, then back again. ] Forgive me for prying, but is there... some reason that you've not learned from Mr. Viktor?

[ The more Adrian talks and asks questions, the more aware Jayce becomes of the fact that he's not actually that good at... not talking about any of this, at least not in a way that isn't inviting more questions.

Somewhat defeated, he shakes his head, releasing his scarred wrist. ]

The connection just isn't inherent to everyone in our world. That was part of the impetus of our work. [ He grimaces slightly. ] The workaround we devised is what Viktor started to explain earlier - an amalgam of technology and magic. We used a runic system to communicate with the arcane, powered by a conduit - for our purposes it was a type of crystal capable of channeling energy from the arcane.

[ And an unseen cost. A glance at Viktor, then down at the ground again. ] Viktor could teach me all the runic sequences he knows, but I can't draw on the energy to do anything with them on my own.

[ So, it's unlikely that Adrian could teach him anything, even if he were the ideal instructor. That's probably for the best, he tells himself. ]

Edited 2025-06-22 19:16 (UTC)

[Viktor lets Jayce explain, still unsure of just how much they should share, and what kind of explanation wouldn't invite further questioning. Not for the first time, he thinks maybe the two of them should get their story straight. Adrian seems polite and friendly enough, but not everyone will be.

Perhaps it is simply easier to speak as if Viktor has always been this way. It doesn't necessarily explain why they were attempting to harness magic with technology, if Viktor could supposedly do it himself, but...he's not sure what choice they have, really.]

The idea was to allow those without inborn ability to access magic--the Arcane. To artificially replicate spells, using various specialized tools.

[Or, one giant tool for industrial-scale teleportation.]

Edited 2025-06-23 02:11 (UTC)

[ Adrian listens to the two of them with interest. His assumptions might have been a bit off the mark, but it's fascinating none the less, to hear of how an entirely different sort of magic has been put to use. ]

So you produced magical items — of a sort — that would be usable by those without the ability to wield them ordinarily? That's remarkable. Though it sounds as if our magic is quite different, I can scarcely begin to appreciate the skill it would take to accomplish such a feat... Nor do I dare imagine the complications it would bring to your lives, if your world is anything like mine.

[ Magic isn't rare in Faerûn, but it is power, and Adrian isn't so insulated from his noble heritage that he can't see who would want it, and how it might be used.

He looks between them again, to Jayce's downcast gaze. Adrian knows well what it is to be without magic in a world that seems so rich with it. ] I wouldn't condescend to you and pretend that magic isn't a great boon, but you seem as if you are rich in talent and skill even without it. Am I right to assume that you are... hesitant to repeat such experiments here? That you have already paid too high of a price?

[ Rich in skill and talent - the flattery earns an attempt at a smile that looks more like a grimace again. ]

Our work was flawed. [ is an understatement. He shakes his head. ]

You're not wrong, we wouldn't replicate it here even if it were possible.

[ He doesn't know what else to say besides that, resisting the urge to glance over at Viktor again. He's been trying to focus on what matters now: they're alive, and they're together. They have time to figure the rest out.

He'd just like to fix things, small things - like this engine, without worrying about causing more damage, at least for a little while longer. ]

[Viktor thinks that anyone might be able to feel the discomfort wafting off Jayce, not just someone like him, able to pull on the magical tether between them. Unsurprisingly, Adrian picks up on their hesitance, both to further discuss their work, and their particular circumstance.]

Not without understanding the nature of this place.

[He's still coming to terms with the repercussions of Hextech. Try to introduce it to a volatile place such as this could bring on disaster even more quickly.]

There is still satisfaction, in work such as this.

[A gesture to the engine of Adrian's vehicle.]

[ Adrian gives him a sympathetic look. Even if it was flawed, the attempt and ambition is no less admirable. It seems a shame not to try again... but at the same time, he understands. The cost was too great, and will not diminish if they press further on.

He looks to the engine again. In many ways, it still seems just as mystical to him as any magical item — more so, because it requires no magic to run. A true equalizer indeed. ] I'm glad, then. There is a great deal of value in what you can do, even if it's 'only' this.

[ He doesn't just mean monetarily, but he doesn't feel the need to specify that.

He notices the difference between what Jayce says and what Viktor says, how one sounds almost like a not yet. ] I would be curious to know what you learn of this place. I thought at first that it might be another plane connected to my own, but that seems more unlikely by the day... Do you have 'phones'? Could we trade contact information, perhaps?

[ Jayce would try to reject the idea that he ever looked down on the legacy of his House even though he'd spent his entire life striving for more, unable to accept simply working for the family business. So there's a bittersweet irony to all this - one that he's eager to move on from right now. ]

We do, yeah -

[ His hands are a little greasy, but he's not going to make Viktor go grab his phone and go through the motions of poking the little buttons in his larger hands right now.

He'll wait until Adrian has his phone out before reciting the collection of numbers that belongs to his device. ]

[Viktor is fully content to let Jayce handle their shared contact list, plus it is unclear where he's keeping his own phone right now. Maybe there's a pocket in the red and blue cape somewhere, but he makes no moves to retrieve it. He watches the exchange with interest, then offers a nod. The pact is sealed.]

Send us a message if you have further trouble with your vehicle.

closed | may/june catch-all

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

starting to wrap maybe?

yeye I'm good to wrap

no subject