deernet | video; un: viktor

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video; un: viktor

[the video starts near one of the blood blisters, though by 'near' it's clear the video taker has no particular interest in getting close enough to be in a potential splash zone. the video itself is more focused on the pair of blood hounds gathered around it.

when a voice speaks it's with a heavy czech accent and only after scratching that sounds like he's writing something.] I suppose it is customary to make greetings here, as a new arrival, so hello. I am Viktor.

[he clears his throat like he's glad that's over with, onto what he apparently really wants to talk about. the video pans down to a pale finger tapping his notebook, one page blurred and off the the side with what looks like confused formulas trying to figure out how the hell an omni works in his frame of knowledge, the others with notes on the bloodhounds.

one noticeable feature to people without paleblood is he keeps drawing/referencing mushrooms on the beasts, which clearly aren't there.] I've been curious about this fungal growth, especially as I've noticed it on more than just the eh... stag dogs.

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[ one of us; heh, not anymore. seems someone got himself a golden ticket. interesting then, that despite his seemingly upgrade in position, he encourages her lippiness. where does his allegiance lie? does it even matter anymore? ]

you must be someone real special
not often they let one of us crawl out of the gutter

I met the dean by chance, otherwise I had planned to simply get a uniform and attend until they realized and my test scores spoke for themselves.

[that would be a funny sort of story, if the rotten underside of it was he knew they'd likely never let him even take the admission test so it was his next best option.

frankly he's a little surprised she'd call him 'one of us,' though he can't pretend he isn't glad for it. ah, isn't complicated feelings between two clashing forces just so fun?]

At least you must be better prepared than most for this place. I've known pilties who faint at the sight of a little blood.

yes. one's privacy should be maintained, at least as much as possible. i would assume as much? this is his month after all. and i've been seeing mushrooms ever since. they seem to be everywhere.

Yep, I've seen them too. It's just a thing this month, got no fuckin' clue why. They ain't too distracting most of the time, at least.

Someone mentioned it has to do with palebloods specifically, which... eh, it could be worse, I suppose. They do not move or speak, which I imagine would be an incredible headache.

Are hallucinations common from month to month?

[ vi doesn’t resent him for, arguably, creating a better life for himself. in fact, reading over the text pulls the quietest heh of – amusement? reluctant approval? out of her. forcing his way into the school and making them pay attention to him… that deserves credit, even if it never left the planning stages.

she is, however, deeply rooted in suspicion for anything or anyone saturated in the stench of piltover. stupid of her, maybe, considering there are no levels in between or bridges to cross. they’re all on the same playing field here. ]

but not you
how prepared do you think you are
there’s no chance meeting that’ll shelter you from this place

[ the next string of texts comes a good minute later. the tone behind them considerably less hostile, though still very unpolished. ]

there are good people though
you’re not alone
just
you gotta know how to watch your back. do you remember how to do that

[he needs a moment with that first bit, because it is something he's had to think about quite a lot for reasons more reasons than piltover potentially dulling his edge. he was dying, may still be dying, certainly can't run or fight any better. if he's lucky his body's decay has stopped, if not- well, then he is very, very unlucky.

he isn't sure how to answer her, in truth, and the pause as he gathers his thoughts probably gives that away. it's long enough he's surprised when more text finds its way through, making him blink. it's... encouraging. kind, really. it makes his lips quirk because for all piltover loved to paint the undercity a dangerous, dark place he's seen greater generosity there than he ever did in the city of progress. this stranger might be one of those 'good people.']

[it does take a little while before he formulates a proper reply.]

I do remember, but I am afraid it will make little difference. I have never been built for fighting, you could say.

This power in our blood seems promising, but the reports of its use and the costs are... conflicting.

I didn't get any hallucinations last month. Think it's somethin' different every time.

[ should’ve guessed that. she saw those doodles and more specifically, the finger tapping against the page. smooth, unblemished skin. intact. unsplit. even the nailbed looked well kept. all in stark contrast to the pair of mitts vi is sporting. she tips her head, regarding the soiled wrappings and the ruddy coloring of bruised knuckles. yeah, he’s definitely not a melee fighter, at least not hand to hand.

she wonders then, what he means by built for it. it could mean anything from an inability to stomach the violence to a generalized weak constitution. what’s she dealing with here? nothing. because he’s not her responsibility and she’s sure as hell not looking to take in any strays. ]

still working out the details on that myself
i haven’t been here all that long

[ in other words? she’s no help in this area. good luck prodding the other sleepers for the rundown on what to expect and how to hone the blood power. ]

[ sigh. that’s not where it ends. vi hesitates and reconsiders. he’s a stranger. a nobody. just another poor sucker in the long line of suckers stuck in some kind of second chance.

… but vi has so little left from before. she has powder. powder is enough… when her sister isn’t volatile and abandoning vi before vi can, supposedly, abandon her. maybe it’s curiosity. maybe it’s undisclosed want. topsider or not, he shares some piece of life before and vi just wants… just needs…

she types it out without another thought and hits send. ]

we should meet

[ and no, she won’t be explaining herself beyond that. ]

[ah, that's a shame she's new as well, he would have liked a somewhat reliable seeming source to question. ah well, this omni alone was an endless source of information.

and it may be useful to have someone with new eyes as well, hear what she has to say, perhaps compare notes later to their mutual benefit. certainly useful to have the opinion of someone not actively hallucinating. sigh.

but he's surprised again, this time by her offer- or it seemed an offer. if it's risky to meet a stranger in a hostile place well... he's always been a risk taker. curiosity wins out.]

Do you have a place in mind? I have only really seen Lumenwood, I believe is the name. I can meet you at that lamp location if you would like

Ah well, at least it's varied. You are a 'paleblood' then?

[ Well, the fact that they are - apparently - hallucinations is a little bit less good news here. Because Chizuru sure doesn't like to think that she's hallucinating, but on the other hand, if some people who know more about this place are saying it, then they're probably right.

So even though that's a hard pill to swallow, she at least does say: ]

Yes.. I see them right there.

[ The least she can do is confirm that even if they may be hallucinating, at least they're hallucinating together. ]

I think I can help you explain that 'paleblood' thing too.. Even though it might sound a little strange, so please bear with me. [ Maybe it's a bit of an overly polite way of starting off this explanation, but Chizuru can't help it. She remembers how odd it sounded to her, after all, and she doesn't want to make this new person uncomfortable right off the bat. ] But when we arrive in this place, it seems that our blood changes. For some people it might still look the same, but end up looking different under different circumstances, or for some people it looks strange right off the bat.. But it seems like there's several types of blood that you can get after showing up here, and paleblood is one of those types.

[ Which must make them both palebloods, if they're both seeing the fungal growth all over the place. ]

Hm, I never imagined I would be grateful for shared hallucinations. Far more validating than being told you are simply mad on your own, no? [his tone is dry, obviously someone who prefers a touch of dark humor when coping with odd situations. he can say he's seen weirder, but really not by much.

it is very polite but viktor nods- honestly he appreciates the understanding that these may be hard pills to swallow. it's a good explanation too, concise and in line with what he's gathered himself. his tone is genuine when he says:] Thank you.

[but right back to curiosity though] Have you been here long yourself? If I could pick your brain on your experiences as being a 'paleblood' that would be very helpful.

Yep. Don't know what it all means except I get fucked with every month.

[that gets an amused snort] I wonder then what others are suffering from this month then. Have these effects ever been deadly?

Nope. That's what all the other bullshit of the month is for. My first month here, there was this big-ass snake spewin' lava.

... Oh. That- yes, that sounds sufficiently deadly.

Exactly how large is 'big-ass?'

[ vi hasn’t been here long, but she’s been diligent in getting a lay of the land. in short? yeah, she knows lumenwood enough to have snagged a tether for her lamp friends. figures her new acquaintance would be in the more blood-soaked district. she has to wonder if the blood blisters will be more problematic there. either way, here’s hoping she doesn’t get a front-row viewing of how he’s not built for fighting. ]

works for me
twenty minutes

[ should be sufficient time to tie up any current engagements. and more specifically, enough time for her to settle into the location first, so she spots him before he spots her. ]

( ooc: would you like to switch to action in this network post or should i set up a log? C: )

[ooc; here is fine! though if you want to switch to a log we absolutely can!]

[viktor sends a 'very well' in the affirmative, turning his attention back to the hounds prowling nearby. now that he's aware there's something addling his senses it is at least easier to pick out certain unusual shifts, trailing thoughts, his sense of reality perhaps rattled more than simply waking up to learn he's apparently a squid.

he makes his way past the lumenflowers and blisters to the lamp- in truth he hasn't been very many places since waking up. his waking was a messy one, one of those lovely ones with a placenta and plenty of confusion, a slow regaining of his senses. a little irritating he wakes up to hallucinations but so far things have been peaceful enough. he's lucky and he knows it.

he'll be sitting by the lamp, only rising when people come through. it'd help if he knew what vi looked like but he thinks he can hazard a guess if she is from the undercity. so when she does get close he'll pull himself up with his crutch, eying her curiously, a little cautiously. without his knee and back brace his posture is very difficult to keep even remotely straight, very easily giving away how literal he was about 'not being built for fighting.'

hopefully this isn't all just to mug him. ah well.]

( ooc: staying here is fine! )

[ with a solid assist from her lamp friends, vi’s there in four. it’s one of the least favorable locations for a stake out. with a mostly bare plane surrounding it, the lumenarium offers little cover. the upside, she supposes, is that it’s busy. this being the main hub for healing keeps the halls bustling; blood ministers and apprentices wandering in and out, seemingly always needed in some capacity elsewhere. and the lamp itself, flickering alight any time some new soul passes through, some yelling for help and others traveling further into the district for unrelated errands.

vi makes due with popping up her hood and blending in around the corner of an alcove, just inside the lumenarium, not too far from the lamp itself. it doesn’t take too long for her to figure it out.

when she first notices him, she thinks he’s a soon to be patient. isn’t that what this place is for? healing? fixing the broken pieces? the crutch and disjointed set of his body have her disregarding him quickly. except the minutes drag on and he stays sitting there, only beginning to rise when the lamp flickers with someone arriving.

oh. that must be…

vi steps further into the alcove and frowns at the floor, debating. she isn’t so generous to think he’s not a liability. she likes to run with people who can keep up. she sighs. it wouldn’t be the first time she’s been surprised though; afterall, cupcake passed the first test in a skirt. maybe there’s more to him too. does that mean vi minces her words when she wanders close? ]

Guess you weren’t kidding. [ hood still up and hands stuck deep in her jacket, her body language reads closed off. still, she does do him the decency of looking him in the face, rather than eyeing up his crutch. ]

[despite not knowing her voice the words are very much like the stranger's, something he'd expect from their brief interaction. viktor snorts, unable to see a point in taking any offense to it.]

No, I am afraid not. The undercity's unique chemical cocktail at work, as you can see, on multiple levels. [dry as dust, and though there's humor there it's a touch too sharp. funnily his health hasn't even been morbidly amusing to him as of late.]

Why did you call me here? I can't tell if you are too good intentioned, too curious or I am about to be mugged.

These are the 'patrons,' yes? Of these months. Are they all prone to this particular kind of whimsy?

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1/2 i feel like i should apologize for spamming w 2 tags so often but fhgff

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text; no please, the more vi icons i get to see the better imo. look at that face!

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you make a fine point. she is rather gorg

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