[ Open Rp post | II ]

[defenderoftomorrow]

 

[ This is open for anyone to reply. Do you have a specific setting or idea in mind you want to play out? An AU universe?
You got inspired by some lyrics, an image a quote...drop me a line with the suggestion or feel free to make your own thread starter.]

First RP Post HERE.
 

Comments

Closed to @bitchmittens

[defenderoftomorrow]

[ ooc: Starter here - You ended up passed out drunk on the academy's lawn. The students thought you were a Halloween decoration. I think you won an award. ]

[ Jayce is not surprised. Drinking nonstop and beating people up does make you hungry, after all. ]

Yeah, yeah, I need a forge to close first. It won't be long.

[ But he's there after a few minutes as promised, looking around to see if he can spot Vi. It doesn't occur to Jayce to look up, which is why she's for sure going to catch him unaware. Don't mind him almost jumping a foot in the air. ]

[bitchmittens]

[Growing up an orphan in poverty, being incarcerated for years, and living in the slums makes you hungry.]

im gonna break in and steal pastries if you do take too long.

[A threat we never have to find out if she meant for real or not because Jayce does in fact show up, and she does as planned, dropping down next to him with a loud thump. As she straightens back up, there's a shit-eating grin plastered on her face.]

You should have seen yourself!

[defenderoftomorrow]

[ There's that too, unfortunately. If it helps any, today Jayce will make sure that being hungry isn't one of Vi's problems.

He doubts that her threat is legit, but yes, he still shows up in time… Just to have the crap scared out of him. After having to deal with so many explosions and people attempting to kill him, she can't blame a guy for being jumpy. ]

Canyoupleasenotdothat! [ Hm, okay better try again. A deep breath first and then... ] How did you even get up there?

@Hiraut

[defenderoftomorrow]

[ ooc: Starter here. ' It is time to test the effects of half a loaf of bread and overconfidence on the human body' ]

I won't! See ya soon.

[ Jayce makes it to their lab in no time as promised, since he was in the Academy talking to Heimerdinger already, and he's not surprised at all to find Viktor still glued to the blackboard.

Instead of saying anything immediately, he leans back against one of their empty tables, arms crossed over his chest and head titled, waiting to see how long it might take Viktor to notice him. ]

[hiraut]

[ as expected, he's working right up until the very moment he'll be pulled away. there's a scattering of new equations and diagrams on the board, worn down chalk in one hand and crutch in the other, clearly very absorbed into the current puzzle to solve.

though not entirely oblivious to his surroundings. he'll give jayce a good long moment of waiting before speaking, eyes still focused on the board. ]

You said five minutes.

[defenderoftomorrow]

[ Jayce studies his work as much as he studies Viktor and waits patiently for a couple more minutes. ]

I did. [ But time's over, and if he doesn't pull Viktor away from the lab, they will both stay here forever. He  approaches and, from over Viktor's shoulder, Jayce eyes the blackboard some more and works the equation backwards.  

Then he leans in, a big hand gently gripping Viktor's one, the one holding the chalk, to move it further up and then use it to circle the result of an equation. When Jayce speaks, he does it right in Viktor's ear. ]

That's incorrect, the numbers don't add up. I think you mistook a 7 for a 1 in the previous line of the equations.

Clsoed to @becomerobot

[defenderoftomorrow]

[ ooc: Starter here, in the first RP post.] ]

[ After everything they did, the shameless staring is tame in comparison. Jayce always sees Viktor all prim and proper, and he is a beauty, so now that the man is showing more skin, that's a sure way to get his attention. He likes to appreciate Viktor; don't mind him.

Jayce is tired too - the gala was exhausting, the drink made him warm and lazy all over, and then Viktor literally rocked his world. He's only chatting now because he almost doesn't want this night to end. But falling asleep with Viktor wrapped around him is also very appealing. ]

I'd like that, to have your arms around me.[ Yuuup, he likes to be the small spoon, despite Jayce's stupidly broad shoulders. He's capable of sleeping on any surface that's flat enough; he's never been too picky about it. He could understand why any of his partners might not like to be subjected to him leaning on them or keeping them in his big arms—he's heavy and big, and he sleeps like a log. Not everyone wants to put up with that. ]

I do know. [ Jayce appreciates Viktor's attempt to warm them for him. He reaches out and grabs those hands, turns them side up, and leans in to kiss the palms. Then he looks at Viktor, a soft smile on his lips. ] Don't worry; I will be expecting them. I can keep you warm, and you can help me cool down.

[ After that, Jayce gets rid of his boots and socks, placing them next to the couch before getting on it. He looks over his shoulder and winks at Viktor before lying down, his wide back to the other man, head resting on one of the couch pillows. ]

1/2

[becomerobot]

[His hands are taken and kissed warm, drawing a warm as it is awkward smile from Viktor. This man. This big, adoring man. What a romantic Jayce is. Viktor is hardly so sappy and saccharine, or at least, he never saw himself that way. Practical and forthright as his upbringing, not one to be swept up with sentimentality.

Yet, here and now, that smile is fully involuntary. Viktor couldn't help it even if he tried. Jayce just inspires something in him. He won't dare call it love. That's too far to go, but... affection. Deep and yearning affection that is new and... frightening?

Viktor isn't a fearful man. He's been staring up at a short, cruel, unfair life since he was born. What did he have to fear, when he had so very little to lose?

... feels like he's finally got something to lose, here. Fear does rattle him, somewhere too deep to get to, just like that word love.]

As you like, Jayce.

[One day, he'll face that fear. Tonight, he just wants to sleep with his so beautiful cheekbone rested to Jayce's broad shoulder blades. He moves to follow and realizes, whoops, he's wearing... exactly one sock. A light laugh escapes him as he finds the one that was taken off and puts it back on. His feet could get very cold, too, better to put that back on.]

Let us get some rest. [Goodnight feels a bit strange to say, when they're probably closer to the goodmorning side of things. Viktor curls up behind the man when he lays down, glad they had a relatively large couch for just these sorts of naps in their lab. Viktor lays his head at the man's muscular back and wraps an arm around him, laid down onto his other with a palm also to the man's back.

So, so warm... no need for a blanket with Jayce around, though there is one slung over the back of the couch. Viktor will reach and pull that to slump down over them both. Red on one side, blue on the other, a perfect cocoon for them both to get their short burst of sleep before...]

2/2

[becomerobot]

[... morning comes. Doesn't feel like it, it feels like they could sleep in forever, but Viktor is startled awake by- a low roar? Thunder?

It's raining out. Pouring, actually. The sky is trying to brighten with the morning sun, but a heavy overcast turns everything grey and blue. Yet, it's so warm- right. He's at... Jayce's bare back. Beneath a blanket. Viktor sits himself up quickly.

Oh.... oh, oh, oh, oh. This is a lot to flood into a fully sober, freshly woken mind. What did he just do? With Jayce? His partner... his friend. The most dear friend he's ever had. It wasn't some positively nasty dream out from some fantasy of his, Viktor's sure of that. There's too much lingering evidence.

He shouldn't wake Jayce if he hadn't already, startling up like that. Viktor turns himself to the edge of the couch and puts his feet to the cool floor of the lab. It smells stuffy and still, all too distinctly like alcohol and sex. He tastes both on his tongue and in his throat. Viktor rubs at his face, fingers pushing deeply into the bridge of his nose.

He messed up! He got too close, he got too involved! They had such a well tuned distance, before. A perfect partnership. Professional, respectable, everything a man could want for his career, for his prospects. What is this going to mean, this new element? This untested component? They can't- just go back to how it was, can't unmake what happened. They shouldn't. Viktor doesn't want them to.

But what if Jayce does-?

Viktor stands, wobbling and catching himself from an outright fall on the arm of the chair they had- ah. His hand fell right into the dug in fingermarks Jayce had left. Snatching his crutch off the back of the chair, Viktor tucks it beneath his weaker side and moves hastily over towards the window. The patter of the rain is loud on the outside awnings, but he can still hear people walking through the halls.

He goes to the window, unlatches it, and throws it open. Cold air and the sound of falling water rushes in. Refreshing, really, brisk and as close to splashing ice water on Viktor's face as he might get about now. That should air the room out some, ease the smell and staleness away.]

Continued with @slutwaist

[slutwaist]

((Continued from this thread!))

[Viktor's eyes do shift to Jayce's bashful reaction to getting admired in such a filthy way. One way to get him to stop looking there!

He hums to curl into place at Jayce's back. Wrapping both arms around him and nestling his chest and front flush to the man. Actually, how much of him can touch Jayce at once? Viktor's legs also hook forward to tangle with Jayce's. They need to simply melt back together, one again. A hand reaches to lace fingers between Jayce's, pulling the man's hand back to him to kiss at his wrist and palm.

Okay, that can't be it. A few more doting kisses the back of Jayce's neck and hair line. Then Viktor can finally stop. Good night, my love. He feels the mechanical parts of him just purr to hear it.]

I love you, Jayce. Good night.

[it takes Viktor a while this time, to finally settle in to rest. He lays with his arms holding Jayce as close as possible, relaxed and yet still racing with energy. He steadiest himself by listening to Jayce's heart beat. Viktor turns his head and rests and ear to the top of Jayce's spine. He wants to be guided off to sleep by the lullaby of Jayce's body, his breathing, the rush of his blood, the pulse of his heart. Music to his ears, soothing and melodic.

Viktor will eventually slip off into long, restful night's sleep.]

~~~

[When he's finally waking up, he feels... more different than ever. Better, too. Not just odd or off or strange. He'd had enough of that for a while. Before he will assess himself, though, he squeezes at Jayce. Still with him? Still with him. Held so close and tight in his... arms.

His arms, which are... flesh? Familiar, human looking flesh. All the way up. Moles and all. One arm will twist in place, Viktor looking at the iridescent shimmer of pinks, greens, reds, and seafoam that are only really visible in certain catches of light. Patterned just like a anomaly, webs and circular space between.

More human than he has looked in a long while, more healthy than he's ever felt in his own skin. Viktor takes in a deep breath and lets it out slowly. Okay. It feels like he has lungs again. Good, working lungs.

He whispers to himself, warm breath tickling the hairs of Jayce's neck,]

... incredible...

[defenderoftomorrow]

[ It's been a long, long time since he has had such a pleasant and restoring sleep. Before, when he lay next to Viktor by the tree, it was the first moment of peace they had known, but they were utterly exhausted and still hurting. He couldn't fully appreciate the joy that was to cuddle with his love and know that things would be alright when he woke up.

For the first time in forever, Jayce feels entirely safe with the weight of Viktor's presence at his back, the soft, warm breath brushing over his skin, the man's hair lightly tickling him. His hand wrapped around Viktor's stays there most of the night until Viktor wakes up and starts moving. That won't be enough to wake Jayce up on a normal day, and it also isn't now, but then Viktor speaks, and hearing his voice is a sure way to bring Jayce back to the world of the living.

He practically purrs as he turns to face his partner, eyes still closed and with a lazy smile on his face. He wraps an arm around Viktor's waist, and this time, when he presses his face to the man's chest, no metal pieces are pressing against his cheek. He's met with softness, although he can still feel the energy thrumming under Viktor's skin. Jayce risks opening his eyes, making a little sound of confusion. He's welcomed by an array of colors and patterns plastered over marble skin. ]

Oh, woah. Viktor! You've changed again. Do you feel all right?

[ Annnd he's fully awake now, sitting up in bed. He reaches out to grab Viktor's arm, carefully, and brings it closer to his face to examine it. It reminds him of the marks around his wounds, but instead of looking ugly and jaded, they're a beautiful display. He can now see the many moles scattered across Viktor's body that he had missed so much and can't help but smile more. ]

It's gorgeous. [ Jayce looks up, looking at Viktor with wonder, not unlike how his kid self stared at the mage the first time he had seen magic happen. ]

PacRim AU time Babyyyy

[becomerobot]

[The Bone Slums have their fair share of sightseers and tourists. It's an attraction, after all, one the rough streets and illicit dealings don't keep people away from. Often, people are stupid enough to look for cheap thrills while they're at it. Thinking they can get a Kaiju piece as a souvenir or a taste of their flesh as a delicacy. All scams, of course, just alligator bones and imitation crab meat dolled up in inks and dyes. Viktor grew up in the place, both now and before the calamity that gave the place its name.

Rare to see someone in their Piltover Engineering Academy uniform making a visit inland. Viktor barely recognizes Jayce, having seen him a few times in passing and one more memorable time at the Dean's office. Getting chided by Heimerdinger for research he deemed too dangerous to continue as his thesis project. It had interested Viktor, but he hadn't gotten a look at the notes... a shame, now.

Viktor's curious why, after being disciplined even, the young man is looking in such shady places. Undeterred, maybe? Just that dedicated to his hypothesis? Viktor ends up following around the back of a familiar building the man entered. Jayce walks right in the front door, a naive mistake, when a more knowledgeable patron goes around the side entrance to the cellar. Viktor's already invited to the backrooms as a respected guest, when Jayce is escorted in- ah. He's on the otherside of the room, they only take marks in there.

That's a shame. Perhaps it will make a learning experience for Jayce, that he needs connections down here to not get swindled. Viktor's watches the scene from the other side of an aquarium with all manner of mutated fish harvested from waters polluted by past kaiju attacks.

He's fit to step around and interrupt if anything gets out of hand, ultimately sympathetic to what his peer has unwittingly gotten himself into.]

Hell yeah

[defenderoftomorrow]

[ Going this far down into the depths of the Bone Slums is not something Jayce does on the regular, but desperate times call for desperate measures. He has visited the place before, of course; everyone has done it at least once in their life, almost just to say, 'I was there; I saw what was left after the catastrophe'.

Jayce sees it differently; the slums and their inhabitants are proof of the resilience of humanity, of how they refuse to give up even under the worst possible conditions. Of course, to survive in these sorts of places, sometimes you needed to be just as horrible too. Jayce, in his naïveté, likes to believe in the good of people, but he is going to realize soon enough that not everyone shares that mindset.

Not only is he wearing the academy uniform, but he didn't even consider it was needed to disguise himself, and the leather satchel bag that he's carrying practically screams 'young scholar' to the world. It contains one of his journals, and it was brought here for the purpose of carrying the pieces he needs to buy to finish his prototype. The journal is full of schematics and drawings of different styles of Conn-Pods. The most important parts of any Jaeger, hosting its pilots, and by design, the most frequently attacked and vulnerable. Jayce wants to change that, wants to help keep alive of those who so often are fighting for everyone's safety.

He has been denied funding for the means to build the first prototype of an energy shield that would surround the cockpit and give an extra layer of protection to the pilot. That's impossible. Too complex. What if it interferes with the drifting?..., Jayce lost track of the many arguments Heimerdinger brought up against the idea. He suspects it's because Jayce also suggested that, if the first prototype for the pilots were successful, they could create a bigger energy shield that maybe could function as a containment unit to catch a Kauju alive and study it, to learn more about them. So here he was, dipping his toes in the black market in the hope of finding what he needed to at least start the project on his own. ]

You said you had a power converter compatible with the Mark-4 models and the schematics. I really need to at least give them a look to see if it's functional, ma'am. This is in the pursuit of something that could benefit us all.

[ Jayce says politely to the strange woman in front of him—she is almost as tall as him, with a pale complexion, red hair with shaved sides, no eyebrows, and dark lipstick. She also has a metal nose with two tubes connected to it filled with a bluish liquid that Jayce wonders if it's some sort of Kauju-blue byproduct. The blood is usually toxic, but he's heard tales about mixing it with other substances to create new drugs.

At Jayce's comment, she tilts her head, reminding him of a bird of prey. ]

'Benefit us all? Ah, but why would I bother with such a thing?'

[ The two muscular men that make up her entourage step a little bit closer, and Jayce is getting a bad feeling about all this. He's trying to keep a neutral face as much as possible, even as one of the men suggests; ]

'Should we hold him to ransom?'

[ The woman lets out a small 'tsk' of disapproval. ]

'Too much work...A big, healthy-looking young man like him? We can't do that. Imagine how much his organs would sell. I know people who would kill simply for one of those pretty gold eyes.'

[ Okayyy, that really sounds like Jayce's clue to leave the place as far as possible. Too bad that the other man, body and face covered with tattoos and wearing leather gloves with metal knuckles, steps behind him, blocking his exit. ]

Closed to @kirammans

[defenderoftomorrow]

[ ooc: starter 'At what point did I decide Pop-Tarts, NyQuil, and whiskey were a good idea?'' ]

Yeah,...no. You carry it well, but after everything that went on, I can't imagine anyone that could just be 'fine'. That said, you don't have to talk to me if you're not ready, but if you ever need to, I'm here.

[kirammans]

Fine... relative to it all, to be more honest.

[Can't get one past him.]

I know you're here for me, Jayce. We both have our weights to carry. I'd feel more comfortable unloading on you once you've seen a doctor.

Closed to @slutwaist | Post canon shenanigans.

[defenderoftomorrow]

[ OOC: Set in the same universe as this previous thread. ]

[ If the doomed future had been shocking for its endless destruction and upsetting creatures that populated it, this version of Piltover and Zaun they were now living in often caused the complete opposite effect on Jayce. It's shocking in a marvelous way. Ah, to think of how different things were here because Hextech as such did not exist is both a little heartbreaking and refreshing.

Generally, and because they're still getting used to this world, they keep mostly to themselves and find small jobs to do here and there to keep themselves afloat. Repairing pretty much anything people needed fixed, or even building toys and gadgets from the locals, had turned out to be, if not profitable, a good enough source of income to ensure they always had food on the table. Any day that Jayce doesn't have to hunt a lizard to eat is a good day, in his books.

He also tries not to think too hard about how a version of himself doesn't seem to be anywhere in this universe and how that could have been a factor in all the changes. Frankly, Viktor and he already have their hands full of other matters nd plenty of guilt to last them both 10 lifetimes; they don't need more for the moment.

Fixing their temporary accommodation—. Reveck's lab—untilthey could afford something better had been their first priority, not only for themselves but for the rest of the occupants in the adjacent room behind one of the walls. They don't always bother keeping it hidden or locked using the locket ecause it's easier to check on Orianna and the pixiemanders in stasis that way.

Once they had found Singed's notes and figured out everything that wasn't written down, like how the tanks were operated and the amount of energy required to keep them active, they had been discussing theories about what to do next. Terminating any of them was out of the question, but they also hadn't figured out a way yet for Orianna to regain consciousness. While her brain seemed to be perfectly healthy for a 12-year-old,from what they could extrapolate from the lab notes, the blood, the bone marrow, and and her lymphatic system were affected by some disease. It was better to let her rest until they found a solution, and in the meantime, the pixiemanders grew in their tanks, keeping her silent company.

Today Jayce got some pain to fix the wall that was closer to the explosion that ended Signed because having the shadow of what happened staring back at them every morning was too morbid for his liking. He might not have any positive feelings toward the man, but Jayce knew that his relationship with Viktor was complex, and he doesn't want his partner to get upset. He has just finished giving the wall another layer, the bridge of his nose is slightly stained from when he had brushed his hands against it, when he heard a metallic noise from the adjacent room. As if a sheet of metal had hit the ground, which is covered with an array of metal tubes, making quite the ruckus.

Things falling apart are not that unusual; the lair is quite old and had zero maintenance after Singed's passing and until Viktor and Jayce got their hands on it, so he doesn't immediately get alarmed. Jayce washes his hands clean, dries them, and finally checks the source of the noise. He pauses by the door frame, staring at the scene.

Orianna's glass coffin? Check.
Tanks active and functional? Check.
Number of piximanders? -1.

One of the tanks is open, the lid on the floor wedged in between two metal tubes, loose tubes inside, and on the top edge of the glass, there are many symmetrical lines, like claw marks left after what was inside the tank climbed out of it. ]

Viktor! We have a small issue---AHHH!

[ Jayce doesn't finish the question. Something pinkish dashes past him and runs out of the door, brushing against his feet and leaving a slimy residue behind, giving him the fright of his life. ]

[slutwaist]

[There has been so much for them to study, since arriving in this new world together. Too much, really, given they also needed to juggle surviving in Zaun. It wasn't as rough of a place as they'd known it to be, but it was still presented challenges.

Namely, people were very nosy. The curiosity towards them was warranted, but their circumstances were not something either J nor V could go about explaining openly. They had to sell a line about Viktor, or J as he ended up known about town, having a rare condition that dramatically effected his skin from his face downward. After all, somedays he had a fully human appearance, just with anomaly patterning glittering beneath his paleness. Others, any they hypothesized between themselves that this was due to having an excess of mana, Viktor's body returned to looking like it had after he emerged from the hexcore tablet.

Mana he could transfer into Jayce through... physical means. That experimenting had been fun and very, very noisy. It is a good thing they don't have neighbors.

Viktor is looking more machine than man on this day, emerging from a cold morning shower when he hears Jayce... screaming. Why is he screaming. What is he screaming about-? Viktor trots into the main space with urgency, nearly stepping on a skittering creature come running out away from the hidden room.]

What is-!? Ehh! Stop- Come here- [the loose pixiemander skitters up one of Viktor's leg and then starts crawling around the man's body as it is attempted to be grabbed at. Viktor is unfortunately easy to get a foothold on and his lanky arms take a while to orient and grab the creature by it's midsection. Viktor finally gets a hold on it and wrenches it free of his body, getting a good look at it. His eyes widen behind his mop of wet hair clinging to his face-]

Rio..?

Closed to @becomerobot | PacRim AU · Part 2

[defenderoftomorrow]

[ ooc: starter here. ]

[ Life is always frantic at the Shatterdome, and Jayce thinks he should be used to it by now, but he's often proved wrong. Their lives move fast; they change constantly, some for the best, others not.

Finding the partner he's needed all his life? Wonderful. Said partner in question turning out to be an incredible match and being promoted from lead scientists to also Jaeger pilots in less than 3 months? Incredible, no one is doing it like them.

The Kaijus have not attacked yet for three weeks straight. A good thing, as long as you don't consider they might be rethinking their strategies or coming up with something worse. It gave them time to finish building 'Machine Herald.' The mechanic yordles under Heimerdinger's supervision did a fantastic job with the design Viktor and Jayce provided, even adding the third arm. It also gave them time to train more regularly, to perfect the ways they moved in sync, and to master the control over the Jaeger's weapons.

Everything was perfect, so of course it all went to shit unexpectedly.

Another training session, another quick neural handshake followed by a flawless drift, another victory added to the ones piling up in their simulation records. They have outdone themselves this time, moving so in sync that Jayce couldn't tell where his mind ended and Viktor started; they were one. When it all ended and the connections broke, their minds took the wrong turn.

Jayce feels it the moment he opens his eyes, and his whole body feels strange. The suit is heavier, and he's panting more than usual, feeling exhausted like never before. His leg must have cramped at some point during the training with him not noticing due to the adrenaline, because his energy is winding down and it's started to send a jolt of pain up his leg and back. ]

Ouch, I think I might have strained something this time. Nothing a hot shower can't fix...[ Or so he hopes, he feels in so much pain right now.

However, when Jayce speaks, it's Viktor's voice that fills his ears. Even more confused now, he turns to look at his partner and blinks at what he sees. Has Viktor gotten taller? And wider? He takes his helmet off so they can see each other's faces and wait for the other man to do the same. ]

[becomerobot]

[Another successful drift, another point for their record. They were quickly approaching the necessary amount of completed virtual missions to take the real deal Jaegar out for a test run. Machine Herald would be done soon and while they were the designated pilots. Heimerdinger would never let them launch without the correct protocol being followed. A small price to pay. After all, Viktor enjoys this time with his partner. It makes him feel so strong and self assured, what part of such equation is his and which is Jayce's all melds together. It's... glorious.

So, why does his head hurt so much after this one? His thoughts are absolutely racing. Viktor is a quick thinker, of course, but this is near panic levels of... well, sudden anxiety. He feels such nerves, such frenetic energy despite being tired from the drift. Different pains and challenges afflict both men, getting thrown abruptly into the struggles of someone else without their coping mechanisms is definitely a shock to the system.

Feels like he's suffocating, so Viktor wrenches off the helmet to gasps for air. He's on the verge of hyperventilating because the effort to breathe is easier and that's suddenly not a good thing to be overcompensating for. Jayce will see his own face, though, so he'll be the quicker one to grapple with what's happened to them both.]

[defenderoftomorrow]

If anyone ever asked Jayce how he imagined what his ideal wedding would be like, he wouldn't have known what to answer except 'nothing like what is currently happening.'

First, because he hadn't had nearly enough time to wonder about it. Or finding an actual partner, for that matter. His focus while growing up and later while studying at the Academy had been his magic research and how it could contribute to changing the world. A research that he had to suddenly pack up and hide even more when he was so close to a proper breakthrough.

Second, and much more important, because never in a million years would he have imagined a wedding in Zaun to a man he had never met before. And is the Herald really a man? Does it have a face under the metal, or was he all made of metal? The only things Jayce knows about him are rumors and scary stories people gossip about, and most of them seem too wild to be true. Then again, the Undercity is a wild place.

It's exactly because of the growing tensions between the cities that they find themselves in this situation, a political marriage of doubtful success, meant to appease the higher-ups from both sides and to calm the population. The only positive thing about the massacre at the bridge a few years ago is that it taught those in charge that escalating violence would only end in mutual destruction. When possible (or rather, when they can't avoid it), they now opt for pleasantries and collaborations.

And here Jayce is now, a performer in a circus because he is convenient. The Talis House was nowhere near as rich as the Medardas or the Kirammans, but it was known in both cities because they literally helped to build them from the ground. Jayce was someone the elite of Piltover could offer as a sacrifice without losing much themselves, but without making it look like they were giving nothing to the Zaunites or offending them. Jayce tries to remind himself it's for the good of the city. But in all honesty, he only agreed because it was also the best for Caitlyn. He had the suspicion that she would have been chosen instead, and he simply couldn't bear the thought of her having her life ruined like this.

He finishes dressing up for the wedding, and he can't help but frown as he does so. The suit is something he also did not choose either, and it's far too opulent for his tastes, with an open back, and exactly the kind of 'we're better than you' image Jayce tried to avoid. On the bright side, it does fit him to perfection, and the stark white contrast with his tanned skin quite nicely.

There's a carriage already waiting for him outside to take him to Zaun, and he gives his mother one last hug before leaving. Jimena holds him a little longer than usual, and she's reluctant to let him go, even after Jayce promises that it will all be okay. She won't be attending the wedding, simply because he asked her not to. It's bad enough that they have to do this; Jayce won't make his mother have to sit through the whole spectacle. The rest of the Elite must be there for appearance’s sake, but they allowed them this concession.

As he walks out of the house and into the carriage, Jayce can't help but notice that the weather has worsened these last few hours. Fitting.

[becomerobot]

The entire ordeal was somehow both an antiquated tradition and entirely unconventional. The cities weren't long held kingdoms. The two men were not high ranked officials. yet, this was still the best arrangement either side could come up with to quell the public and elite's alike. A well regarded nobleman of Piltover from a respected, if lower house. A folk hero of sorts, the Machine Herald was either feared or loved by those in Zaun for what he gave and the reputation he built.

Quite the reputation, that of stepping in to provide life saving technologies and improving the wellbeing of those struggling in the Undercity to get by. A toolmaker, a craftsmen of great renown, a daring and terrifying innovator. Quite the legacy for a man who kept his true identity anonymous. Wore a mask and shielded his body with augmentation and metal shells. Few could recognize his build without the Machine element. Even fewer knew his face beneath the Herald face plate. Few still knew his actual name, the title he cultivated more fierce and rallying.

The carriage stops and the driver opens the door for Jayce. Not conventional for the groom and groom to first meet on the ride to their own wedding, but Viktor didn't want the first time they ever spoke to be in front of an audience. It felt... too seen. So, one more unconventional element. Viktor is sat opposite of where Jayce is meant to settle himself. More man than usual, no augments beyond the metal leg brace hidden beneath his high-waist slacks. His cane is upright, between strongly and wide stanced legs, both hands rested over the handle. He's slightly slouched, but looks up when Jayce enters to intimate space, darkened by him drawing the curtains.

Viktor is wearing the mask of the Herald, wouldn't be caught in public without it. Even on his wedding day. It magnetizes to a jawline frame he wore beneath, gold for practical reasons rather than vain ones, as it remained hidden to others. All that's visible of his face are his eyes, burning equally amber gold to Jayce's own. That's curious, he thinks, but won't say. Maybe he's seeing things, the light is very low in the carriage once the doorman closes the opposite side and they are alone. Viktor sizes his husband-to-be up in short order. His voice is, perhaps, surprisingly soft when he speaks. The mask usually muffled, deepened, and somewhat scrambled his way of speaking. He removed that filter for now. He wanted to speak as more... himself. It felt more respectful than merely hiding entirely behind metal.

"Jayce Talis, I am... pleased to meet you."

Closed to @scienceofthearcane

[defenderoftomorrow]

[ The beginning of the new school year at the Academy came both as a relief and a hindrance for Jayce. For the past summer months, he's been traveling across the continent to further his magic investigation, trying to understand the arcane and the many shapes it comes in better, so maybe one day he can figure out a way to harness its power in a way that could be really beneficial to people.

It's been a long-time dream that has taken him to places he wouldn't usually have gone otherwise, like the few days that he spent in the frozen tundra of the Freljord. That was practically torture, the cold, snowy weather bringing back memories of almost dying in a snowstorm when he was a kid. But it was there too, where the faith of the many different tribes made them more inclined to speak with others of the world not everyone could see, of the magic and the spirits that populated Runeterra.

In Freljord, Jayce has learned of spirits that were lost and wild, entities that had become "wayward" because the balance between realms was disturbed by mortal affairs. Creatures that sometimes took the form of monstrous, twisted animals like elks or Rimefang Wolves. It was the latter that Jayce had the misfortune to cross paths with when he was investigating a cave with glowing crystals. He couldn't really remember much of the encounter. Just that he made it out alive with claw marks on his back and a bite mark on his wrist that he kept covered by his leather bracelet. He must have passed out at some point, because the next thing he remembered was waking up with a splitting headache in one of the locals' lavvu tents.

It has been a too-close call with death in a snowy place for a second time, and he regretfully had to come back home earlier than anticipated. It's been almost a month since that happened, and his research had to be put on hold because he had to focus on his studies for the time being. Still, he found himself more and more distracted these days, unfocused without reason, or rather...focused on the strangest things. The noises of the students in the halls seemed more acute than ever, the chatting too loud, and their smell more prominent too.

Maybe he was coming down with something, a cold, after the stress of the travels he went on? It didn't really make sense because Jayce felt more energetic than ever, even able to stay awake until late at night without issue lately. Distracted as he was with these thoughts, he didn't realize he was running late until he heard the bells of the clock tower announcing the time and reminding him that the room assignment was happening today and he was already late to go check who he ended up with.

Cursing under his breath and closing the book he was reading in the library- or not reading, rather- Jayce gathered his stuff in a rush, stuffed it in a leather satchel, and rushed out of the door. In his haste, he failed to notice another student who was coming on and crashed against them chest first. ]

[scienceofthearcane]

[ The student whom he had crashed into had been carrying two books that he meant to return to the library. Viktor had his cane, of course, but he dropped it and the books that he was carrying with a sharp crack as they hit the floor. It bounced once and rolled away from him. Viktor measured his length on the floor and was now more annoyed by the fact that he would have to fetch it back before he would be able to stand up without his usually uneven gait being painfully obvious. He didn't know if the other had been knocked over too, but it wouldn't surprise Viktor if he were simply run over as another student was on his way to class.]

Closed | Stillwater AU | CW: mentions of self-harm / suicidal tendencies

[defenderoftomorrow]

The echo of steps approaching his cell is ignored as Jayce stares at the wall instead, tattooed back to the bars, bare fists hitting concrete. The sting in his flesh, finishing his routine, is more compelling than whatever is coming for him.

If his assigned guard is here to give him a fresh beatdown, he will figure it out often enough anyway. He hasn't seen the guy since breaking his nose and getting thrown into solitary confinement for two weeks, so it's about time now that he's been released. Jayce pauses for a moment to brush the sweat from his brow with the edge of a bruised knuckle and listens to the noise, frowning. More than one set of footsteps this time.

Coward.

He should have figured that something was up when they put him in a different cell than his usual one, in one of the deeper levels. Not like the quality of the lodging varied all that much; the only real difference between the cells was the number of rats and cockroaches inhabiting them or the mold and leaks covering the walls and floors. The fact that he hasn't died of the white plague yet is a special kind of questionable miracle since Stillwater Hold is a place riddled with more disease than a meat market in the Middle Ages. But luck was never on Jayce's side.

His old cell was empty of anything he could use, as the guards did not want an upper Piltovian to off himself on their watch, even if he was a convicted murderer. This new one, though, had two beds...and they left him the sheets.

Hah, suckers.

No rafter on the ceiling, but Jayce is nothing if not inventive for these things; the scars under the wrapping covering his forearms are proof enough of that. He will figure something out, and work on it once he's sure the guards are not close enough to interrupt him again.

He goes back to his boxing as the steps drew too close to ignore even though he attempts to do just that . And then they stop.

[becomerobot]

"Hands up against the wall, Talis. You know the drill," warns the prison guard. He bangs against the gate with a heavy baton, no games to play. The second set of foot steps were notably light and shuffling, not that of another booted officer. The guard waits for compliance from Jayce before opening the gate with a cascading rattle.

The man at his side, being held up just to walk to his own cell, his thrown to the floor. The gate rattles closed in an instant behind him. No hesitation, no giving Jayce time to cause more trouble. Of all the prisoners, a man who only breaks a guards nose once in a while is hardly considered trouble. The attempt to self harm is much more of a burden... the guard clicks his teeth, taunting,

"Some company, after your time in solitude," he scoffs, derision clear as the man he threw inside isn't even pulling himself up from where he fell onto his hands. The new arrivals nose is bleeding and he wheezes out a ragged cough, but neither sound like the cause of being beaten up as one might expect upon arrival to Stillwater.

"Don't go easy on him, after all... he's in for the same shit as you. 'Cept this one got life. Not that that'll be long." With a snide whistle, the guard is on his way. "Enjoy yourselves.'

Viktor coughs against the ground, then into his singular gloved hand. A clearing of his throat follows, an attempt at collecting himself. He rolls over onto his back with a hiss of pain. They weren't about to allow him his leg brace or a cane, so he got dragged the whole way down. He has his chest and back brace beneath his loose tank top, but that thing looks practically grafted into his skin at this point. If they removed it, he likely wouldn't have any time to serve left. He can't exactly get himself up, though he knows it's probably best for him to just stay down. With Viktor's luck, he's certain they chose the exact type of man to room him with who would kick him while he's down. There's no real bracing for it, just accepting.