[Viktor offers a cursory nod. She may have been sitting for a while, but Viktor needs to rest now, having made the trip. Perhaps in a moment they can get up and take a walk, but she's here to talk, so it doesn't materially matter where and how they do it. The bench will be fine, for their purposes.
He knows what she wants to ask him about--why she asked him here in the first place, and he appreciates her getting right to the point, even if he's still not sure how he wants to talk about it, if at all. If anyone understands loss, however, he imagines it's her. That has to count for something.]
There's nothing to say. I miss him terribly.
[He supposes that sums it up. Viktor's shoulders slump, and he seems ready to enter a staring contest with the ground, until she continues.]
Who were you talking to? Stephen?
[Of course he wants to work together, because he's going to need all the help he can get, and it isn't like his new goal is a secret, but there's suspicion in his voice nonetheless.]
[‘there’s nothing to say’ would seem like too little, but it says so much. it tells her, too, that right now it’s not something he wants to have to unravel for her, and that much is valid. wanda is seeing this as him knowing that, should he ever need someone, he can come to her; it is likelier that she will go find him instead, but at least the seed is there.
for now, she figures talk of the summoning ritual might keep his mind off things.]
Steve Rogers, actually.
[wanda shrugs. kyle does not have to worry about getting snitched on, since steve had already made the suggestion before.]
But I am looking into it with Stephen. Perhaps science and magic could work together?
[Viktor makes an affirmative mm noise--he hadn't meant to sound accusatory, but it does have him curious about what people are saying, when it comes to him and his response to Jayce's disappearance and his subsequent plans. He imagines people are worried. More pessimistically, he thinks there might be people who would try to stop him.
Maybe that's not Wanda, though he can't help but feel slightly defensive. He should take her at her word, and by now Viktor knows he'll get much further and have more success if he swallows his pride and collaborates.]
Science and magic together are always greater than the sum of their parts. What do you have in mind?
[wanda places her hands down on her knees, as if to warm her hands a little better, swaying back and forth a bit in the process. she can feel all those thoughts and emotions rushing through him—the pessimism, the accusatory tone of it all, his defensiveness.
it makes sense, so she doesn't take it personally at all.
in the end, she knows that work is one of those things that spur viktor on to pull away from the darker thoughts.]
I think it works best, too, to have someone from each faction looking into it.
[whatever resources can be found in each individual nation can, then, be shared in one way or the other, either physically or intellectually. it's a good balance.]
Stephen and I... were discussing the possibility of sending one of those memory orbs back 'home' after placing a memory from here into it, [she speaks a little vaguely, because even in her magic, it's all been about an emotion—a feeling] and return it here with the summoning ritual, see if the memory remains intact.
[quieter, knowing that she's talking to a guy who is very, very intelligent,]
We'll work on a spell to keep it from changing, of course. There's a lot of details we still have to work out, obviously.
[He's a bit pessimistic about what he might be able to uncover about the ritual itself--his thoughts have already moved beyond it, using the building blocks of the spell not to reverse it, but to wield it for himself. To go anywhere he wants, not just a return trip. That said, to reject information, or an offer for help from powerful magic users would be foolish.
And it sounds like they already have a test they'd like to perform.]
That's rather ingenious.
[But, again, requires precise knowledge of both the ritual itself and a reversal of it, something he's sure none of the factions have.]
What do you know about the ritual itself, insofar as replicating it? Would it work on an object, something that doesn't have an arcana symbol?
[he thinks it has potential? any time someone like viktor takes her seriously, it makes her feel good—like she's not competing against brighter minds who'd put her down.
it makes wanda feel a little more confident about their theorized efforts, in any case.]
I'm counting on Stephen to discover more about the ritual, given Thorne's vast libraries. If it's strong magic that we need, then, I can wield as much—either for the ritual itself, or for imprinting an arcana onto the object.
[It's an interesting backdoor, at least. Worth considering, though Viktor has his doubts about objects. The arcana symbol seems to be an integral part, and he isn't certain they can effectively imbue something inanimate with those symbols in a meaningful way. Not like a person.]
Yes, that would likely be our best source, provided he can access the information.
[He's not optimistic about the Thornean mages just leaving those details readily available. But, as Wanda says, they'll just have to count on Stephen. As for the rest, well. He might as well get this part of the conversation over with.]
You should know that I don't plan to make a return trip. I don't think that I can. But I won't remain here, either.
[This is what he imagines might be a potential sticking point--tampering with powers that he probably shouldn't--but what other choice does he have?]
[if there is someone who can do it, it’s certainly stephen—he’s stubborn to a fault, and hopefully he won’t get in trouble or bring a lot of attention unto himself while he looks around for information.
wanda almost expects viktor’s honesty, but it catches on to her the restless pain that comes along with those words.]
I understand.
[others may object against it, or may perhaps have already done so, but aren’t they all just temporary visitors in this world, anyway?]
I’m also not going to stop you from doing what you wish to do. [he needs to trust as much—that wanda won’t intervene, unless something is unnecessarily reckless.] What have you done by yourself so far?
[Viktor studies Wanda a bit intently, searching for her reactions. He understands this is an insane thing to say, even as he tries to be as euphemistic about it as possible, but his intent is to leave this place and venture out into the multiverse. He doesn't know what he'll find, or even if it's possible, but the thought of his Jayce somewhere in some strange place between places is unbearable to him. He has to go there, wherever it is.]
Will you promise me now, before you even know what it is I'm doing?
[That's a mostly rhetorical question. The pain in his voice should be enough.]
Everything is theoretical. Without concrete knowledge of the ritual itself, I'm fumbling around in the dark.
[He needs her help, and Stephen's help, loath as he is to admit it.]
I think you ended up having a very skewed perception of who I am and what I've done. [her past not withstanding, it is what she's done towards the multiverse that she imagines can shatter how people see her. stephen treats her with an ounce of concerned skepticism now and then, which he's fully entitled to.] You'll find that I'm in no position to judge anyone or tell them not to do something.
[that will be stephen's job!]
—would you want for the three of us to meet at some point, then? Discuss what we have, and what we want to achieve?
I don't know what you've done. [Viktor had been referring to himself--to the lengths he plans to go. He's aware that it might be too much, for some of his friends.] I meant that I don't know what this might require of me.
[If it will cross some kind of line, to do what he plans. Viktor will hold fast to his principles that he will stop, if it seems like it will harm someone else, but he doesn't necessarily include his own person in that equation.
Of course, all of this has him curious, though he seems to recognize it might be a conversation for another time. He's declared his intent, and she's offered to help.]
That might be beneficial. We can meet back here, or in the Horizon.
[wanda nods in agreement, in understanding. this might very well cross some kind of line, if viktor is as much aware of it.]
I’ll talk to Stephen and then we can organize where we’ll meet.
[the horizon has the benefit of being a matter of meeting whenever, whereas for nocwich they’d have to wait and maybe worry about prying ears. whatever works, really.
wanda rubs at her arm, just over her elbow, and builds up to something more that she wishes to add.]
I lost the man I loved to someone who thought sacrificing his life was worth his plans for the universe. It was so sudden, and we were out of time. He promised me forever, but I couldn’t even say goodbye. […she falters a bit, considering his current circumstance…] If you need someone to talk to—Viktor, I…
[here, she reaches for one of his hands, and lets her words linger in the air, letting the warmth of her hand reach him.
[For a moment, it looks as though Viktor will relent, his eyebrows furrowing and his mouth twisting in a way that indicates he could break. Even as he does his best to look anywhere but at Wanda, he does a poor job of hiding everything that churns just under the surface. Just when it seems that he might answer with some kind of emotional honestly, however, he steels himself. Swallows it down and tries not to feel anything at all.]
Jayce was a fool.
[An optimist, who was certain their life here was secure for no reason other than the fact that it was what he wanted, so of course the universe would comply. Viktor has always known that conviction alone would never be enough--that he would have to untangle the summoning ritual to have any hope of securing their future together--but he'd allowed himself to be convinced otherwise, victim once again to Jayce's infectious passion. Now Jayce is simply gone, and he is the one who has to pay for it.
A callous thing to say, especially to someone who only wants to offer him comfort and sympathy, but the pain is so acute that all he can think to do is lash out, like an animal with its leg caught in a trap.]
He wanted impossible things, and thought that was enough to secure them for ourselves. My mistake was believing him.
Edited (I'm done tooling around I'm very sorry) 2023-09-01 20:10 (UTC)
[a lot can be said about those who are left behing, broken hearted and trying to pick up the pieces of what was once a certainty and a comfort. victims of grief, is what they are, and wanda has no intent on feeling hurt by the words viktor chooses to speak and the ones he chooses to keep for himself.
it’s all valid, in the end.
because, once left all alone, the one who was left behind can’t help but think that everything promised and done had been foolish.
wanda gets that. vision had promised her he’d stay if she’d do the same, and in the end it was naught but inviting the end to come swiftly not just for himself, but to whatever wanda could have enjoyed in life, with that certainty and comfort.]
Perhaps.
[she agrees. that jayce was a fool, that he wanted impossible things; matt is the same, and she is allowing herself to fall into that same trap.]
Did Tony Stark ever tell you about the synthezoid he and another scientist created? It’s — [a wave of her hand] complicated; involves science and magic and a cosmic stone. But despite that impossibility, we fell in love.
[wanda stretches out her legs—]
He was killed, twice. The first time by my hand, in trying to stop him from being used for a titan’s horrible plan. The second, when time was reversed by said titan. Making his sacrifice mean — nothing.
[—and turns to look at viktor.]
As he was dying, he said that he loved me. The first time he ever said it. [a fool, perhaps, in saying such words at such a moment.] But now I know… years later… how much I needed those words.
[it’s not quite the same, but he needs to give himself time.]
If you feel that you are ever to stray from what many would consider the right path, please contact me. I know what it’s like—more than you’d know. To want to traverse the multiverse just… to have back what I thought was mine. [at her next words, she shakes her head,] And I’d never judge you for it, Viktor.
He mentioned him, in our discussions of artificial intelligence. I didn't know he was your--
[Viktor trails off, not sure what Vision was to Wanda and unable to use the word husband, given the now-empty promises Jayce made to him. It doesn't matter. He can hear the sentiment in her voice, even if he doesn't really know the exact nature of their relationship.]
Jayce said it all of the time. [A vague wave of his hand, into the air in front of him. Viktor never got tired of hearing it, but he knows now that it was only words.] Meaningless. He didn't want me to work on the summoning ritual. Didn't want to do anything...material, to secure the future he promised me.
[To him, that's not so dissimilar from Vision only telling Wanda that he loved her moments before his death. Perhaps she appreciated it--Viktor only finds it hollow, now. Even so, she guesses what he wants to do and he can't even deny it. Angry as he is, he's never been more sure of one thing.]
But I still--I'll find him again. I have to. You know what I need to do.
[which is why wanda understands, this idea of securing a future that was promised, lest it be allowed to fester into something meaningless. which is why she wants to be able to have some semblance of control over the summoning ritual, over any of this multiversal travel that they've all been exposed to against their wills.]
I know.
[needing to find him again.
not a want, but a need, whatever the case.]
I also need this to work. For myself and Matt.
[to draw upon those promises of a future that would otherwise be meaningless, as he put it.]
Anything at all, Viktor. You just tell me what you need.
[That's all she really needs to say. Viktor has convinced himself that this is a net good for all of them--to be able to preserve the memories and lives they've made here, if they choose to do so. Now that he's had it ripped away from him, he wouldn't wish this pain on anyone else.]
Anything I discover--that information is yours.
[Wanda's proposed experiment sounds like a good start. He'll dig up what he can at the Academies, as well.]
[wanda does feel a bit bad that viktor's made the long trip from the free cities to here just to talk to her, but—in her mind—getting to go out and about is a good thing. especially with how he's feeling.
as they stand up, likely because of the natural conclusion to their conversation, wanda lingers on the emotions she can feel from viktor.
and, just like that, she pulls closer to the man, arms around him in a quiet embrace.]
[She's likely guessed by now that Viktor is not necessarily a physically affectionate person, and he doesn't really feel the hug coming. He doesn't reject it, at least, though he flinches reflexively, not necessarily returning the gesture. After a moment, however, he seems to realize that he should be doing something beyond being surprised, and tentatively brings his arms up under hers, leaning into her shoulder.
He lingers there, for a moment, not saying anything at all.]
[and that's alright, because nothing at all needs to be said. it's far too exhausting to try and put the thoughts and emotions into words, and the last thing viktor needs is to try and spend energy making his pain fit a specific shape of expectation.
wanda pulls back after a moment more has passed, until she feels that tension ease but a touch.]
I know I can't be in the Cities, but if you need anything outside of looking into the ritual — just say the word.
[she squeezes at his hands.]
And if you want to stay in Nocwich for a bit longer, we can go grab something to eat.
[Whether that's true or not is beside the point. Maybe this is what they both need to hear right now. Viktor lingers a moment longer before he releases, pulling back, some degree of gratefulness evident on his face.
He stops just short of taking her up on her offer, however, shaking his head.]
I haven't had much of an appetite recently. I should get back to the workshop.
[it’s worrisome, but at least viktor is aware enough to be honest about what his condition is like—the lack of appetite, the obvious overworking himself. she grimaces a little, but nods, in understanding.
perhaps she should ask someone to bring viktor something to eat at some point, in the free cities. someone who won’t pester the man with questions about his well-being.]
Take care of yourself, Viktor.
[they have something they can work towards together, and so—until they meet again.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
He knows what she wants to ask him about--why she asked him here in the first place, and he appreciates her getting right to the point, even if he's still not sure how he wants to talk about it, if at all. If anyone understands loss, however, he imagines it's her. That has to count for something.]
There's nothing to say. I miss him terribly.
[He supposes that sums it up. Viktor's shoulders slump, and he seems ready to enter a staring contest with the ground, until she continues.]
Who were you talking to? Stephen?
[Of course he wants to work together, because he's going to need all the help he can get, and it isn't like his new goal is a secret, but there's suspicion in his voice nonetheless.]
no subject
for now, she figures talk of the summoning ritual might keep his mind off things.]
Steve Rogers, actually.
[wanda shrugs. kyle does not have to worry about getting snitched on, since steve had already made the suggestion before.]
But I am looking into it with Stephen. Perhaps science and magic could work together?
no subject
Maybe that's not Wanda, though he can't help but feel slightly defensive. He should take her at her word, and by now Viktor knows he'll get much further and have more success if he swallows his pride and collaborates.]
Science and magic together are always greater than the sum of their parts. What do you have in mind?
no subject
it makes sense, so she doesn't take it personally at all.
in the end, she knows that work is one of those things that spur viktor on to pull away from the darker thoughts.]
I think it works best, too, to have someone from each faction looking into it.
[whatever resources can be found in each individual nation can, then, be shared in one way or the other, either physically or intellectually. it's a good balance.]
Stephen and I... were discussing the possibility of sending one of those memory orbs back 'home' after placing a memory from here into it, [she speaks a little vaguely, because even in her magic, it's all been about an emotion—a feeling] and return it here with the summoning ritual, see if the memory remains intact.
[quieter, knowing that she's talking to a guy who is very, very intelligent,]
We'll work on a spell to keep it from changing, of course. There's a lot of details we still have to work out, obviously.
no subject
[He's a bit pessimistic about what he might be able to uncover about the ritual itself--his thoughts have already moved beyond it, using the building blocks of the spell not to reverse it, but to wield it for himself. To go anywhere he wants, not just a return trip. That said, to reject information, or an offer for help from powerful magic users would be foolish.
And it sounds like they already have a test they'd like to perform.]
That's rather ingenious.
[But, again, requires precise knowledge of both the ritual itself and a reversal of it, something he's sure none of the factions have.]
What do you know about the ritual itself, insofar as replicating it? Would it work on an object, something that doesn't have an arcana symbol?
[They might as well start from the beginning.]
no subject
it makes wanda feel a little more confident about their theorized efforts, in any case.]
I'm counting on Stephen to discover more about the ritual, given Thorne's vast libraries. If it's strong magic that we need, then, I can wield as much—either for the ritual itself, or for imprinting an arcana onto the object.
[she glances up at him.]
What about your own research?
no subject
Yes, that would likely be our best source, provided he can access the information.
[He's not optimistic about the Thornean mages just leaving those details readily available. But, as Wanda says, they'll just have to count on Stephen. As for the rest, well. He might as well get this part of the conversation over with.]
You should know that I don't plan to make a return trip. I don't think that I can. But I won't remain here, either.
[This is what he imagines might be a potential sticking point--tampering with powers that he probably shouldn't--but what other choice does he have?]
no subject
wanda almost expects viktor’s honesty, but it catches on to her the restless pain that comes along with those words.]
I understand.
[others may object against it, or may perhaps have already done so, but aren’t they all just temporary visitors in this world, anyway?]
I’m also not going to stop you from doing what you wish to do. [he needs to trust as much—that wanda won’t intervene, unless something is unnecessarily reckless.] What have you done by yourself so far?
no subject
Will you promise me now, before you even know what it is I'm doing?
[That's a mostly rhetorical question. The pain in his voice should be enough.]
Everything is theoretical. Without concrete knowledge of the ritual itself, I'm fumbling around in the dark.
[He needs her help, and Stephen's help, loath as he is to admit it.]
no subject
[that will be stephen's job!]
—would you want for the three of us to meet at some point, then? Discuss what we have, and what we want to achieve?
no subject
[If it will cross some kind of line, to do what he plans. Viktor will hold fast to his principles that he will stop, if it seems like it will harm someone else, but he doesn't necessarily include his own person in that equation.
Of course, all of this has him curious, though he seems to recognize it might be a conversation for another time. He's declared his intent, and she's offered to help.]
That might be beneficial. We can meet back here, or in the Horizon.
no subject
I’ll talk to Stephen and then we can organize where we’ll meet.
[the horizon has the benefit of being a matter of meeting whenever, whereas for nocwich they’d have to wait and maybe worry about prying ears. whatever works, really.
wanda rubs at her arm, just over her elbow, and builds up to something more that she wishes to add.]
I lost the man I loved to someone who thought sacrificing his life was worth his plans for the universe. It was so sudden, and we were out of time. He promised me forever, but I couldn’t even say goodbye. […she falters a bit, considering his current circumstance…] If you need someone to talk to—Viktor, I…
[here, she reaches for one of his hands, and lets her words linger in the air, letting the warmth of her hand reach him.
i’m here.]
no subject
Jayce was a fool.
[An optimist, who was certain their life here was secure for no reason other than the fact that it was what he wanted, so of course the universe would comply. Viktor has always known that conviction alone would never be enough--that he would have to untangle the summoning ritual to have any hope of securing their future together--but he'd allowed himself to be convinced otherwise, victim once again to Jayce's infectious passion. Now Jayce is simply gone, and he is the one who has to pay for it.
A callous thing to say, especially to someone who only wants to offer him comfort and sympathy, but the pain is so acute that all he can think to do is lash out, like an animal with its leg caught in a trap.]
He wanted impossible things, and thought that was enough to secure them for ourselves. My mistake was believing him.
no subject
it’s all valid, in the end.
because, once left all alone, the one who was left behind can’t help but think that everything promised and done had been foolish.
wanda gets that. vision had promised her he’d stay if she’d do the same, and in the end it was naught but inviting the end to come swiftly not just for himself, but to whatever wanda could have enjoyed in life, with that certainty and comfort.]
Perhaps.
[she agrees. that jayce was a fool, that he wanted impossible things; matt is the same, and she is allowing herself to fall into that same trap.]
Did Tony Stark ever tell you about the synthezoid he and another scientist created? It’s — [a wave of her hand] complicated; involves science and magic and a cosmic stone. But despite that impossibility, we fell in love.
[wanda stretches out her legs—]
He was killed, twice. The first time by my hand, in trying to stop him from being used for a titan’s horrible plan. The second, when time was reversed by said titan. Making his sacrifice mean — nothing.
[—and turns to look at viktor.]
As he was dying, he said that he loved me. The first time he ever said it. [a fool, perhaps, in saying such words at such a moment.] But now I know… years later… how much I needed those words.
[it’s not quite the same, but he needs to give himself time.]
If you feel that you are ever to stray from what many would consider the right path, please contact me. I know what it’s like—more than you’d know. To want to traverse the multiverse just… to have back what I thought was mine. [at her next words, she shakes her head,] And I’d never judge you for it, Viktor.
no subject
[Viktor trails off, not sure what Vision was to Wanda and unable to use the word husband, given the now-empty promises Jayce made to him. It doesn't matter. He can hear the sentiment in her voice, even if he doesn't really know the exact nature of their relationship.]
Jayce said it all of the time. [A vague wave of his hand, into the air in front of him. Viktor never got tired of hearing it, but he knows now that it was only words.] Meaningless. He didn't want me to work on the summoning ritual. Didn't want to do anything...material, to secure the future he promised me.
[To him, that's not so dissimilar from Vision only telling Wanda that he loved her moments before his death. Perhaps she appreciated it--Viktor only finds it hollow, now. Even so, she guesses what he wants to do and he can't even deny it. Angry as he is, he's never been more sure of one thing.]
But I still--I'll find him again. I have to. You know what I need to do.
no subject
I know.
[needing to find him again.
not a want, but a need, whatever the case.]
I also need this to work. For myself and Matt.
[to draw upon those promises of a future that would otherwise be meaningless, as he put it.]
Anything at all, Viktor. You just tell me what you need.
no subject
Anything I discover--that information is yours.
[Wanda's proposed experiment sounds like a good start. He'll dig up what he can at the Academies, as well.]
If Stephen finds anything...just let me know.
no subject
as they stand up, likely because of the natural conclusion to their conversation, wanda lingers on the emotions she can feel from viktor.
and, just like that, she pulls closer to the man, arms around him in a quiet embrace.]
Thank you for coming, Viktor.
[she will not let go until he does.]
no subject
He lingers there, for a moment, not saying anything at all.]
no subject
wanda pulls back after a moment more has passed, until she feels that tension ease but a touch.]
I know I can't be in the Cities, but if you need anything outside of looking into the ritual — just say the word.
[she squeezes at his hands.]
And if you want to stay in Nocwich for a bit longer, we can go grab something to eat.
no subject
[Whether that's true or not is beside the point. Maybe this is what they both need to hear right now. Viktor lingers a moment longer before he releases, pulling back, some degree of gratefulness evident on his face.
He stops just short of taking her up on her offer, however, shaking his head.]
I haven't had much of an appetite recently. I should get back to the workshop.
no subject
perhaps she should ask someone to bring viktor something to eat at some point, in the free cities. someone who won’t pester the man with questions about his well-being.]
Take care of yourself, Viktor.
[they have something they can work towards together, and so—until they meet again.]