video; un: v | cw for creepy dolls i guess?

[mehanizovati]

[the video starts focused on a shelf, and on that shelf is a doll. absolutely the kind that just exudes 'listed on ebay for having the spirit of an angry victorian child in it' vibes with its dead eyes.

when viktor speaks his tone could not be more dry.] Some of you might have noticed the unpleasant dolls that, when ignored instead of bought, come to life violently. This is a matter our household is not entirely aware of because Palamedes continues to gladly buy any unpleasant doll he sets his sights upon.

[offscreen, but not like, very far offscreen (it is not a big living space), palamedes chimes in with a pointed, 'While I respect your aesthetic tastes, you're wrong, they're delightful,' that viktor will pointedly ignore as he continues.]

He will not stop bringing them. Some of them vanish after a week or two. He calls this one Sensible Bethany.

['She calls herself that, actually, I explained this already,' from the peanut gallery. the camera shifts as viktor turns to address him back]

Is this entire place not haunted enough without ugly dolls, I ask again? There is a limit, Palamedes.

[in the unfocused corner of the camera the doll absolutely turns its head to stare directly at the screen.]

Comments

[mehanizovati]

Oh I plan to if that is the case. I will come back to haunt a doll specifically to get in my 'I told you so.' That will be my unfinished business.

And yes, there is an awful lot of them. The Trench seems drawn to their world.

[slayerskiss]

Well, dunno if it's their world in particular. It has a few favorites, for whatever reason. There's only three from my world.

[She doesn't like, want there to be that much more, but... she still feels incomplete without Buffy.]

You know Gideon and co, I'm guessing? [Gideon's the one she feels closest to at the moment. Gideon's the one that hasn't like... lied to her. And that she's made out with.]

[mehanizovati]

That is true. For a while there were three from mine, myself included, though they are gone now. I sometimes wonder if the ocean has a limited pool of worlds.

[it seems weird there's so many groups when there's probably infinite worlds out there.]

Yes, I am friendly with both Gideon and Ortus. I have yet to meet Harrow, and [the faintest pause, then neutrally] the Emperor only briefly.

[slayerskiss]

[She switches to private. Yeah, okay.]

Well, you know him better than I do if you know his title.

[She smiles, thinly. Not true, entirely. Viktor probably doesn't know his name, for one.]

I've been running around callin' him Doctor Bones. Which feels a bit hilarious in retrospect.

private

[mehanizovati]

[oh yes, private time. telling that she must be somewhat aware to be careful of him, which viktor thinks is a good sign indeed.]

When I first came I was told he was the Emperor in their world. It wasn't until later I was informed he was also their self proclaimed god.

[neutrally said, though there's probably enough there to show he uh. thinks that is whack. he snorts though.] It is irreverently on the nose, I am impressed.

[slayerskiss]

[She's careful of him but she'd still feel like a traitor for shit-talking him behind his back. He's been nothing but kind to her, after-all. (That's all it takes.)]

I only found out about both recently. Wouldn't actually give me a name or title. Which is a bit weird to say the least.

Don't know why he feels the need to hide it. It's not like he's the Emperor here. Or God for that matter.

[mehanizovati]

[there is a long pause, a pointed discomfort of someone trying to remain out of affairs but still wishing to offer some warning. eventually he says,]

A sense of control, perhaps. We are all sorely lacking in that department here.

If I had to guess why he keeps titles hidden I would say there are likely questions he would prefer not to be asked.