#era :: s2a1.5

[mxchineherald]

[closed starter for @runes-menagerie.]

 Waking from the arcane chrysalis had been an enlightening, but painful experience. Disoriented and afraid, he thought that everything in the Arcane with Sky might have been a dream. Not only was he reeling from the disconnection, he was made aware of something equally horrifying. Finding that, in his absence, Jayce had created Hextech weaponry, going against all they stood for, broke his heart. Luckily, he discovered then that Sky was still with him, at least. And so he left Jayce and Piltover behind to return to their home in hopes of finding his place...as whatever Hextech monstrosity he’d become.

 His own body was alien to him, now charged with magic. His eyes could see it in the air, guiding him through the undercity and toward the sumps. That was where he and Sky met Huck, a man in desperate need of help. Viktor felt himself guided by a higher force, and gave in to it. In that moment, though touching Huck, he was able to enter his mindscape, reshape what had been warped by years of shimmer abuse, and restore the man to create the first of many Healed. He would not be alone for long.

 Much time had passed since then. What once was a broken heap of scraps and trash had become a blossoming commune, with a hundred or so members to maintain things like the newly created wells, or fields of flowers and fruit shrubs. He had an especially good time creating those luscious fields with Sky there to see. Finally, they had brought something good back to their home, helping those in need.

 Until one day, when a woman was brought to the commune by people who didn’t even know her beforehand. They’d merely found her collapsed in an alleyway, with vacant eyes and severe wounds. Viktor restored her flesh, first, but found so much of it missing that he had to supplement with enough metal and inorganic material that parts of her were converted to a far more machine-like appearance. He at least made sure she was beautiful, with gilded swirls along her now augmented, porcelain-looking parts.

 Then came time to reach into her mind, but when he opened the door to the mindscape, he found nothing but emptiness. He wasn’t about to give up on her, though, and continued his work to try and reach whatever might have remained. It was futile, for after days of attempted healing, she was just as vacuous as she had been when they first brought her here.

 He stood over her form, resting on a cot within one of the numerous tents of the commune, and knelt down beside her. “… What will we do…? I have done all in my power, and yet she still does stir…” he said quietly to Sky.

 He reached down to touch her again, this time gracing his metallic fingers against her relatively untouched face. Her face…resembled Sky, shockingly so. He would have sworn they were related, had he now known better. He dove into her mindscape once again. Nothingness. Emptiness. Hollowness. It haunted him, to feel such a void within her. Turning to Sky within the mindscape, he knit his brow with disappointed shame in himself. “I cannot help her… Even with her body restored... Whatever she was…has been erased.”

[mxchineherald]

ooc :: Now I'm wondering if I should give Viktor the ability to eat food in his augmented form or not.

If unable to eat or drink, anything he consumed will just sit inside of him until he rejects it back out. Gross, but realistically the cost of no longer being fully human or equipped with human parts. Also matches with the show not letting us see him eat anything.

If he is able to eat or drink, it would probably be a situation where his body completely absorbs all matter ingested, leaving no waste behind to need to pass. Magic-y bullshit that gives him the ability, but not the requirement to eat.

(The petricite elixir would still stay in his body, as magic is the method he uses to break down food matter, so if his magic was shut off, he wouldn't be processing the elixir, which is the very thing shutting off the magic)

[mxchineherald]

[@sfaradi asked :: "“With everything you’ve been through lately, of course you’re tired.”"][ask meme here.]

 The stranger had a point. He had been remaking much of the sumps, that day, and Healing the sick who came to him for help. But in the way she said that…she seemed to have a hint of knowledge beyond herself. He felt curiosity toward her nature, and a pull to enter her mind, but resisted to preserve her privacy. Instead, he turned toward her, his draped robe still pulled in a hood over his head. “… Tired. I have known nothing else for some time now, yes.”

 He slowly lowered to sit on the edge of the well he had been looking down into, sinking his staff into the ground next to his feet. “But a tool cannot be tired. It will simply fulfill its purpose.” He contemplatively looked to the ground between their feet, then let his eyes trail up to her face. “I do not know whether I am more man or tool, now.”

[mxchineherald]

[@sfaradi asked :: [ SHY ]:  sender  covers  their  face  and  receiver  moves  their  hands  away.] [ask meme here.]

 Her features are suddenly hidden behind her hands, closing her off to the full brunt of their intimate moment. No clothes have been shed, no kisses exchanged, but the tension and yearning lingers in the air like sticky, toxic fog. He’s come to know her and cherish her company for long enough that sparks have begun to fly between the two of them, and he won’t let them pass unnoticed.

 His metallic hands reach up to her wrists, taking them gently and pulling her hands away from her face. “Salome… You need not hide from me,” he says quietly, his eyes bearing nothing but warm, calm serenity. He slowly blinks as he clasps their fingers together. “I…I have thought about you. In many ways. It is difficult to put them to words, but I want you to know… You are extraordinary.”

[mxchineherald]

[@sfaradi sent :: ( heal ) : receiver uses their magic / powers to heal a wound on sender // LETS GO][ask meme here.]

 The space inside of his home has been prepared for her. There are blankets, pillows, and the dim glow of sunlight coming in through the round windows above. Huck and Luon guide her in, with Huck taking point ahead of them, and Luon holding her hand as they enter. Viktor is in the midst of a trance, floating above the pile of bedding. In one of his hands is a woven square of lace, a gift from her. He rubs it between his thumb and index fingers as a fidget, while his eyes remain closed and calm.

 As soon as the three of them are close enough, his eyes drift open, and he regards Huck with a nod. The speaker dips his head, then smiles to Salome before leaving. Luon remains until Viktor lowers to the ground, approaches, and grazes his cheek with his free hand. A communication takes place between their minds, and Luon gives Salome’s hand a squeeze before making his own exit. Viktor gives her a smile, softly asking, “It is time for you to be free of this pain. This dependence.” He offers his hand to her to take, ready to guide her to the bedding for her Healing.

[mxchineherald]

🎨

[ask meme here.]

aureolin

hex code :: #fdee00

"I rarely used to get the chance to see anything this bright. It is the color of spring, growth, renewal. There is an undeniable warmth and life to it, and it bleeds into anything less vibrant, tinting it with newfound energy. Flowers of this shade have begun to grow in our commune. They...remind me of you."

[mxchineherald]

arcane fatigue

After his full body augmentation, Viktor's most noticeable physical ailments were eliminated. His leg could bare his weight and function normally. His spine was aligned and strengthened. His lungs were made healthy and whole again. It seemed as though his body was fully healed from any form of Miner's Disease.

However, as time passed, and he used his new found powers more liberally, it became evident that Viktor was not free of limitation. A new condition made itself apparent, something that had never been studied or researched within the walls of Piltover of Zaun. Viktor refers to this condition as 'Arcane Fatigue'.

If he's been using his powers too much, or has been forced to manifest a Chaos Storm or other complex conjuration, Viktor runs the risk of inducing a flare of negative symptoms. These flares can last for hours or days, depending on the cause.

Symptoms

Exhaustion

Headache

Brainfog

Tachycardia

Lack of Balance

Paralysis

Numb/Shocking Sensation in Augmented Flesh

Confusion (ex: unable to distinguish commune members' thoughts from his own)

During these flares, Viktor's abilities are severely unstable. His psychometric connections will be fleeting and surface level, he will have far more limited Healing and augmentation powers, and his unconscious connection to the minds of the commune will become dysregulated. Continuing to use his powers during a flare exacerbates the symptoms.

The only treatment for these flares is rest and attunement to the Arcane through trance and meditation. One would think that because of this, Viktor would practice restraint in using his powers, but they would be sorely mistaken. Much like his life before the chrysalis, Viktor works tirelessly to improve he lives of those around him, much to the cost of his own health.

[mxchineherald]

😴

[ask meme here.]

His mind is elsewhere, at first, pulled into a trance of the Arcane currents flowing through the commune. Several dreaming minds, young and old, dot his mindscape like distantly lit lighthouses in a sea of astral clouds. He is in his element, resting and accruing his energy after a long day of building and Healing.

He feels a presence come into contact with his corporeal form, something weighted against his thigh. There was a gentleness to it - a warmth like a summer evening moon. He feels drawn to it, as a moth is drawn to a flame.

His eyes drift open, and he looks down to see Salome's head in his lap, using his left thigh as a prop for her tired neck. Curiosity encompasses his gaze, and his clasped hands loose from their interlocked state to reach down and brush through her long, curly locks of brunette hair. "Salome... What dreams your mind must conjure..." he whispers, conscious not to wake her.

His fingertips grace along her scalp, and the image of her dreams enters his mind. Abstractions of flowers and landscapes fill his thoughts as his eyes flutter. She is at peace, here, it seems... He wishes to slip into her dreamscape, to enjoy that painted beauty of a unique world, and so he does, taking a step through the Arcane and into her mind for a time.

His presence is a caress of placid pleasantness to her dreams, watching over them to ensure they do not take a turn for anything other than serenity and peace.

[mxchineherald]

Lets go back in time a bit. Back to the lab, back in the early stages of Hextech, working with your partner and assistant; with Jayce and Sky. There's just been a breakthrough, a way to make the crystals more stable and less volatile, it's a tremendous discovery on paper, the next steps would be to put it into action, wouldn't it? That would be nice, wouldn't it? You're flipping through the pages of shared notes, ecstatic, until the ink starts to... bleed? But nothing was spilled... until the next page is flipped and there's unmistakable warm crimson bleeding down. Another page flipped and the source seems to be your own nose. You bring a hand up and wipe away the blood, fingers rub together with the substance and it becomes... dust. The notes written jump from the page, pulling eyes to follow until they're looking up. Looming above, bigger than the world itself, is the hexcore. What an accomplishment that should've been. Looking behind you, your partner and assistant. Faces locked in a twisted expression of fear and pain; time inches slowly, even though the next few moments should happen in seconds. You've seen this before. They are being pulled apart into that fine dust, and there's nothing you can do to save them... Because you too are being torn apart. ... And then you wake up.

[ask meme here.]

 He doesn’t normally dream in his trances, but they still sometimes find their way into his subconscious. Eyes dart rapidly under lids, trying to process the information his brain is now transmitting. Lungs strain under a faster pace. Despite their augmentation, anxiety clamps on his muscles and throat, making the air pass in a wheeze and howl through modulated vocal chords. Finally, the imagery ceases, and his eyes bolt open.

 A rattled shout leaves his lips as he claws his way back into reality.

 His balanced levitation falters, and he topples to the ground with a metallic thump. The blanket, a final gift from Jayce, flutters down over top of his lower half – a distant gesture of love from a long since lost companion.

 What had the vision meant? Inner fears of having lost himself and all he loved to his creation? The very same creation that is now fused to his very being, and is the conduit for his power – his purpose? Is it a subconscious reminder that he was the cause of so much suffering, despite his attempts to do good?

 He lays there for a few moments, allowing the corporeal to take its hold over him once again. His hair lays in a sun-like halo of messy ribbons against the floor. His eyes, pools of mixing and shifting colors, are wide with numb shock, staring blankly toward the ceiling of his spherical room.

 He feels Huck approach at a quickened pace, and his face comes into view as the speaker leans down over his savior. “Herald! We sensed a disruption in your inner peace. The commune is worried. Are you–”

 “I’m alright,” he says, eyes still pinned to the world above him. He is not ‘alright’, but he forces himself to be while pushing up into a sit. “Figments… Simple remains of my life before my purpose found me.” He closes his eyes and runs a hand through his hair to get it to lay right. “My life…and my mistakes.”

 Sky’s hands find their incorporeal place on his shoulders, extending her compassion to him. She says his name, but it vanishes on the wind before fully reaching him. He’s too far into his own mind to allow her comfort to seep through.

 He nods his head dismissively toward the speaker as he tried to help him stand. “Leave me, Huck. I will join the commune soon.” He needs a few moments before he can face them. They deserve a composed leader.

 Not a frightened one.

[mxchineherald]

digestion after augmentation

While Viktor's internal organs have all been augmented to some degree, he has managed to retain certain functions, like breathing. Another function he has retained, in a sense, is he ability to 'digest' food. While this process is intrinsically different from actual digestion, it mimics the appearance of it enough to be considered such.

When Viktor consumes food, it enters the chamber that was once his stomach, were the Hexcore-augmented organ absorbs the matter in its entirety through the expenditure of some arcane energy. Due to this, it actually can take energy to process the food, and Viktor will see no nutritional benefits from it. However, the processed matter will be entirely absorbed, leaving behind no waste to pass.

Because of this, Viktor does not eat. He does not need to in order to survive, and does not wish to handle resources like food and arcane energy inefficiently. He will only eat food on special occasions, ceremonial occasions, or if it happens to be something he really, really wants to taste.

He doesn't feel hunger, or thirst, nor the satisfaction of quenching either. So, his only sensation to experience is taste. Mentally, however, he does experience cravings for food and drink he used to enjoy, mostly sweets and teas.

If Viktor is magically incapacitated or restrained, he cannot process matter he's consumed. Therefore, something like a petricite elixir would stay in his 'stomach' until he was able to reject it from his system.

[mxchineherald]

[@runes-menagerie asked :: "“No! I’m not okay!” Sky (runes-menagerie)"][ask meme here.]

 It was a stupid question to ask. He was close enough to her mind when the nightmare happened, as well as close enough to her body. He had felt her in both planes as she stirred and woke in a panic. He sat up with her, not so much stirring as he did simply activate. Since his augmentation, it no longer took him time to wake from slumber, as he mostly entered a trance, rather than a sleep.

 The two had been sharing a bed of sorts, really just a collection of tapestries, cushions, and blankets on the floor of his bulbous, glassed and gilded home. Included among the bedding was the blanket he used as is robe, the blanket Jayce gave him the day he emerged from the Chrysalis. The same blanket he now pulled up to drape over her shoulders.

 He reached up to stroke her hair from her face, attempting to give her some form of grounding comfort. “My heart… It was a dream, wasn’t it? Only a dream.” He pressed his forehead to her temple to connect with her, body and soul. In the Arcane, he soothed her by holding her from behind, enveloping her in his warm presence. In the corporeal, he continued to pet her, his hand coming to rest against the curve of her neck to hold her secure.

[mxchineherald]

vocal modulations

[arcane season 2 spoilers below]

Viktor's vocal structure has been permanently altered by the Hexcore's augmentations, resulting in an otherworldly effect on his voice. Best exemplified by this clip, the sound is that of several mixed pitches, all coalescing into one discordant tone.

This tone is always present, regardless of Viktor's intention to speak with it or not. (Unlike the show.) It will simply amplify or diminish slightly, depending on Viktor's current use of magic.

When he is present inside of someone else's mindscape, his voice will be at its height of distortion in the corporeal plane, while in the Arcane plane he will sound almost entirely mundane.

If severely injured, depleted of magic, or otherwise deeply disrupted, Viktor's voice may revert almost entirely to its mundane sound quality.

[mxchineherald]

🎨 (Jinx and Ekko?)

[ask meme here.]

cobalt blue

hex code :: #0047ab

"There is transformation to this color. It only reaches that vibrancy through a violent reaction of heat and oxidization. The element is takes its name from is responsible for energy conduction in technology. Once it is created, it is so stable that its color never fades. It is the color of ingenuity and creation, but also the color of solitude. This color, I see in you, beyond the shimmer pink that runs through your veins. It is the color I will always see."

neon green

hex code :: #39ff14

"When I first saw you, it was because of this color dancing in my periphery. The color itself is one of energy and life, bursting from any source it is placed in. Neon green draws attention to itself, making it impossible to ignore. It brings forth feelings of inspiration and optimism, something you have never failed to hold on to, despite your difficult life. Not to mention, it is the color of firelights, which I always see fluttering around your home. This color is more than just something you like. It is a part of your very being."

[mxchineherald]

🎨!!

[ask meme here.]

cadmium red

hex code :: #e30022

"Intense enough to burn if one looks to long, yet beautiful enough to hold my gaze. Your vibrant and passionate nature have left me curious about you, and I must admit, I cannot look away. Your mindscape is drenched in this color, that of magicked blood."

[mxchineherald]

[@runes-menagerie asked :: [ KNEES ] + [ ORAL ] + [ OVERSTIMULATED ] Sky for Viktor as one situation.] [ask meme here.]

 Everything within the Arcane was limited only by the souls of those perceiving it. The refractory period simply didn’t exist for him, in this place. And so, when Sky continued to work her tongue over his sensitive, throbbing cock, despite the third orgasm having just passed, he felt like his brain was going to explode. Colors danced about his aura, vibrant and flickering with activity around his groin.

 He threw his head back, clinging onto her hair for dear life as she pulled his length deep inside of her mouth. “P-Please… Sky, I’m going to– Ah!” He gasped, his other hand moving up to his mouth to give his teeth something to bite down on. He was rapidly approaching his fourth climax, building up between his legs. Her hands were working just as much as her tongue, exploring tender parts of his body to exploit for even more stimulation. It was so much his mind couldn't keep track of it all.

 Ecstasy engulfed him, leaving room for no other thought than how much he loved her, and wanted her. Release burst forth, filling her mouth with his flowing cum.

[mxchineherald]

ooc :: Here's he full list of tags to block for my season 2 content!

era :: s2a1 era :: s2a1.5 era :: s2a2 era :: s2a3 after the fall ;; post canon