video, un: hopscotch

[clavesregni]

[Caitlyn enthusiastically shows off a small wooden box. Visible on the lid is an insignia of a Minaras governmental medical facility. Over Caitlyn's shoulder is a redhead looking wholly uninspired by this discovery.]

This was found following an altercation with a group of drunk individuals. One man was tall, must have been a little over six feet, with a blond beard, head shaved, and some sort of tattoo visible on his neck. Another was a few inches shorter, clean-shaven and close-cropped black hair, wearing a rather ostentatious, if tattered, blue coat. The third was a few inches shorter still, also clean-shaven, with long brown hair tied in a ponytail and several scars along the length of his forearms.

[Vi rolls her eyes as Caitlyn rattles off these descriptions. Caitlyn, oblivious, continues:] Does anyone know who these men might have been? If they could be identified, they could perhaps be located and questioned as to how a box belonging to a medical facility came into their possession.

[Vi mutters,] Probably going to sell whatever it is to the highest bidder.

[At the interruption, Caitlyn glances over her shoulder to respond to Vi. Her tone is less critical and more like she's excited to brainstorm possible motivations.] We can't assume that.

[Caitlyn turns back to the contents of the box.] Yes. Um. There are herbs inside, they smell-- [She takes a whiff, wrinkling her nose.] --earthy. Musky. And faintly of fruit. And... [She smells again, and a horrified look crosses her face, as though she's just smelled the most odious smell imaginable. She quickly moves the box further away from herself, looking at it as though it's done her a great personal wrong.] Urine.

[Vi shouldn't look so amused at the posh description, but she does.

Caitlyn holds up a few of the whole dried leaves and flowers: foxglove, wisteria, passion flower, and valerian. There is a small sack visible inside the box containing more herbs ground up.]

Are there any herbalists in the group who might be able to identify these? What purpose could these serve, either individually or in combination?

[Vi leans in closer and says,] And by the way, I need to talk to the resident hextech genius.



[ooc: for the herbalists out there, this combination of herbs leads to memory loss]

Comments

[techmaturgy]

[The conflict is evident in her posture, which is not necessarily heartening to Viktor, who barely knows Vi at all and knows Caitlyn much less than he probably should. He's naturally suspicious--in fact, much of he was doing with the Hexcore he never even made clear to Jayce.

It's tempting to obfuscate, but unfortunately that isn't going to help get him the gemstones any faster. He has the slightly uncharitable thought that she might not like what he wants to do with the gemstones, either. Still, he needs to try.]

There was something I was working on, back home. An adaptive conduit for arcane forces, with potentially limitless applications.

[He sounds proud, though it lasts only a moment, because the next part is much harder to say.]

I'm...not well, Caitlyn. [Viktor knows what everyone thinks, when they look at him, but admitting it out loud is not something he likes to do. He would rather, in fact, collapse in the lab than outright say that he is sick. Now, he doesn't think he has a choice.] My hope is that the device will provide a potential solution to that.

[clavesregni]

[Once again, Caitlyn stands silently, waiting for him to finish talking, her expression falling as he admits to something that, from his tone, must be difficult to say aloud.

This changes things.]

The hexgems could cure your illness. [She's always known that Viktor had health issues. She noticed the cane the first time she met him, of course, which over the years became a crutch. The dark circles beneath his eyes, the hunched posture, the sallowness of his complexion... She'd thought it was stress, Viktor overworking himself.]

I'll talk to Vi. If she knows that you're ill, she'll understand. The gauntlets shouldn't come at the cost of your health.

[techmaturgy]

The device that would be powered by them, yes.

[He doesn't know if that's entirely true--there's tweaking that still needs to happen, as Viktor hasn't yet managed to not kill all of his plants while subjecting them to the Hexcore, but this is the best chance he has.

What he doesn't like is the idea that someone else advocating for him. Despite his reluctance to talk about his illness, he understands that he needs to make some concessions if it means getting what he wants.]

I can speak to her as well. If she's the kind of person you say she is-- [His tone seems to doubt that, but for as little as he thinks he knows Caitlyn, he knows he has to be able to trust her. --then I'm sure we can come to some kind of arrangement.

[clavesregni]

She is. [Said with the utmost conviction. Caitlyn has no doubt whatsoever that Vi will understand once she hears what Viktor needs them for. Perhaps they could even find a way to share the gemstones.

A course of action decided upon, she straightens up, away from the table.]

I've got to go up to Minaras to investigate the origin of these herbs. If there's anything you need...

[She hates to leave him here on his own.]

[techmaturgy]

[Viktor is less optimistic, but he also knows that’s a direct function of having to grapple with the truth of what Jayce did. Maybe they can all reach a compromise. He’s not sure he wants to keep fighting about it—too exhausting. At Caitlyn’s assertion that she has somewhere to be, he offers a nod. He can tell she’s reluctant to leave, but Viktor is nothing if not fiercely independent. She can run her errand and he’ll be fine, even in a place like Minaras.

(Perhaps, especially in a place like Minaras).]

I’ll let you know. Thank you for telling me this.

[It’s certainly given him a lot to think about.]

[clavesregni]

[She nods.]

Thank you. For telling me about Jayce.

[She's got an awful lot to say to Jayce once they make it back home. In the meantime, the important thing is that she and Vi and Viktor need to look out for each other.

She looks back over her shoulder one more time as she passes through the door.]

We'll speak again soon.