etrayalogs | [CLOSED]

[ Living in Zaun meant making do with what resources there were to go around. In his youth, those were scraps from his parents' work, and as an adult, the remnants of projects left abandoned when well-meaning but ignorant people realize that the lower levels of Zaun are as harsh, if not crueler, to outsiders than the natives. The lack of easily obtainable materials to work with made Viktor resourceful and... creative, with what he can get his hands on. The same is true here, because he is careful not to rely on anyone other than himself. If he can help it.

It's instruction done, the Hex claw returns to hovering above Viktor's head, casting a warm glow to highlight any imperfections there might have been in the gear.

Viktor hums, but doesn't say any more to give Accelerator the chance to look over the designs uninterrupted. That, and Viktor has never been particularly fond of small talk, least of all when he has work to do. ]

What did you make of the books? [ Viktor nods, mulling over the idea of flipping through the pages again. The hording of knowledge, of progress and innovation, has never appealed to Viktor, and he is pleased to know the books are available. ] I have been meaning to see this library. I am still surprised to hear it is available to all.

[ If Viktor ever foregoes a chance to throw shade on Piltover, he's dead.

Setting down his work, Viktor plucks the bottle off the worktable and holds it up with one hand, the other reaching up to disengage the locks on his mask and placing it down on the table. The glow of his eyes intensifies as he studies the alloy inside the bottle. ]

This will work. [ Spoken mostly to himself, but with a note of gratitude. ] Would you like to get started? We do not have much time to prepare.

[Accelerator doesn't mind the silence at all. It's comfortable for him, and lets him focus entirely on the diagrams. They're definitely thorough, and it's clear from the recommended reading materials and what he's seeing now that Viktor is taking this seriously. Of course, he's done this before and Accelerator hasn't, but seeing this on paper is reassuring.

He glances up at the question, looking over.]

They were interesting. [He was able to use them to build on what he learned while at school, so that made reading them worthwhile. Just why Viktor was surprised about the library being public is a thought that floats through his mind, and given what he knows he supposes it must be a class hierarchy thing. Libraries are probably only available to rich assholes.]

Uh, yeah. Sure.

[Setting the diagrams down, he gets back to his feet.]

[ Silence can be a comforting companion, and Viktor has always liked it, especially when he's working. He does have the tendency to break it himself with humming, or various noises as he reacts to the circuits or metal as if they're living things, but rarely does he talk. So he's more than grateful when Accelerator doesn't try to fill the quiet with needless talking.

Viktor finishes the last gear as he poses his question. ]

They are a good foundation. The rest comes from a desire to surpass them.

[ Progress is the only tenet of that gilded city that Viktor respects, though they are far too reluctant, in his opinion, to push at the barriers to really achieve great things outside of the narrow worldview of the status quo. ]

I assume you have tested the limits of this alloy. What are your observations?

[ Walking over to one of the other stations, Viktor opens the bottle and plucks out the sample and holds it within the digits of the Hex claw as it hums to life. With his hands, he clears his notes and tucks them away into a drawer. ]

[Accelerator nods in agreement. Being who he is and given what the nature of his ability is, simply stopping when it comes to learning isn't really an option for him. The actual surgery is kind a stepping stone, in that sense; now that he's learned the basics in school, built on that with the additional reading material, he gets to try putting some of that knowledge to use in a practical way.

It's cool! Nerdy, but cool.]

Do you want the tensile strength, or are you talking about anecdotes?

[He's only half-joking. If Viktor really wants some measurements he can provide them, thanks to his esper ability. He's also run this crutch through the wringer both in Etraya and back home, so he has some good anecdotes of using both day-to-day and in fights.]

The latter. I can take the measurements myself. I am interested in your experience with it and any faults you have noticed.

[ The Hex claw continues to hum, a low frequency that Viktor feels more than hears but he can hear it, another augment hardwired into his brain. The talons of the claw clamp down, testing the shard in its grip. ]

Hearing its limitations in practice is more valuable than theory.

[That's reasonable enough! Accelerator's gaze tilts upwards, watching the Hex claw curiously as he answers.]

Well, I've been in a few fights since I've had it and it's never broken or malfunctioned. Some of that time it was protected by my ability, but when it wasn't it never even dented.

[He leans against the work table so he can remove his crutch from his arm, turning it to point out the only mark on it.] A brat in Etraya was able to carve into it and leave this, but she's got control over metal.

[ The claws dig in and the center begins to hum softly. ]

Other than a fight, what extremes have you experienced with it? Heat? Pressure? [ Viktor looks up at the shard in his grip and studies it for a moment. ]

Hm. [ He holds out his hand. ] May I?

[ That comment catches his attention. The prospect of it is troubling. ] Control how?

[Hmmm... he supposes the high speed travel from Academy City up to the Hikoboshi II and then down into Denmark counts?]

High pressure, yeah. Really high pressure.

[Shifting, he moves to sit on the table so that he can remove his crutch from his forearm, holding it out. He doesn't sound too concerned about the mark Toph left.]

She can manipulate it. I think she uses hand gestures? She can be really precise when she wants to be. [The marking on his crutch is very well done, it doesn't look the least bit rough or scratchy.]

Good. I would hate for it to snap on me. [ Dry as ever but he laughs. ] It would be inconvenient.

[ Viktor accepts the crutch when it's offered, rubbing his thumb against the mark. It is a good sign it doesn't appear affected by the carving, which leads him to believe it could tolerate the etching he'd need to do to it while maintaining its structure. Nothing about the alloy is troubling, though. It's the person with control over metal. ]

Do you know any way to prevent her from using that ability. I am eighty-four point seven percent metal. I am certain you can understand the reason I am asking.

[He lets out a little scoff at that. Inconvenient, right. That's an understatement if he's ever heard one.

At the question he tilts his head back a bit, contemplating how to answer. It isn't as if Toph is all that difficult to deal with, he would just rather not see a fight getting picked over her ability.]

Ask her nicely. [She's a kid, but she can be reasonable. He doesn't see any need to find some external way to shut down her earthbending.] And be respectful about it. She isn't a terrible person, so she'd probably be okay about it.

[ Unfortunately, Viktor is paranoid and despises being vulnerable, but he can be reasonable so long as he isn't backed fully into a corner. Despite being mostly metal now, he still is that same young Zaunite fighting to survive on the streets before Piltover plucked him out of the alleys to wring him dry. ]

Nicely. Hm. [ The noise is drawn out for a beat. ] My definition of nice apparently differs from most, but respectful I can manage.

[ Viktor is still thinking about back up plans in case respectful turns out to not be enough. That, and he is debating whether or not to show his hand to a stranger with the capability to use what they know against him. His hand, in this instance, being the extent of his augmentations. ] I hope you are right.

[That isn't the most encouraging response, but at least Viktor is agreeing to try. Accelerator isn't the kind of person who has any real interpersonal skills that could assist, nor is he someone who would make an effort at getting other people to be buddy-buddy, so it is what it is. If the two of them don't get along, then they'll just have to live with that.]

Yeah, good luck. Hopefully she doesn't twist you into a metal pretzel.

[.... This little shit.]

[ Viktor isn't the most amicable person either, a fault he is acutely aware of, but he isn't the type to pick fights (typically), and the likelihood of him running into this metal bender is low, considering how rarely he puts himself in the public eye.

Still, he takes the advice to heart while simultaneously hoping to avoid needing to use it. ]

If she does, it would be a good stress test for my augmentations.

[ That old Zaunite sense of 'humor' at its finest. ]

[Aha, okay, that's funny. Accelerator gives a little scoff. It isn't quite a laugh, but there is a slight curl to his lips.]

That's looking at the optimistic side of things. [In a manner of speaking, anyways!]

[ A victory is a victory. ]

It is realistic. And likely useful. Thus far, I have only gotten significant data on how resistant they are to idiots with large hammers.

[He very nearly lets out a burst of laughter at that remark, because there is only one person he knows who uses a giant hammer....]

Talis?

If that is what he calls himself.

[ The man he knew had no second name, only a clan who paved the way for his temper and ridiculous nature. ]

An idiot with a hammer is an idiot with a hammer, regardless of the name.

['Regardless of the name'? That is a bit of an odd thing to say, and Accelerator inclines his head.]

What do you mean?

I have no interest in discussing the matter further.

[ His tone leaves no opening to attempt otherwise. ]

.....

[His curiosity doesn't abate but he doesn't want to pry, so Accelerator's gaze shifts up to the Hex Claw.]

You done scanning the sample?

[ There is a short list of topics Viktor will not entertain, and this is the one at the top of the list. And that is nothing to say that he promised to play nice.

So he fixes his gaze back on the sample as the hexclaw clamps down harder. After a moment, he holds his hand out and drops the chunk into his palm. ]

I was tempted to see how it would hold up to the beam, but I suspect it would do more damage to my work table than the sample.

It should be suitable for what I need. Now the task at hand is to begin creating enough to replace the entire column.

[Hearing that sends a little feeling through Accelerator. Something like pride? He had no role in creating the alloy itself, but it came from the city he is currently in charge of, so he supposes that's all it is.]

You could ask Aurora for it. I don't think it'd cost much.

I could.

[ Viktor says it with all the implication that is the last thing he wants to do. Asking for the lab had been a decision that had taken him weeks to come to and he did not have the time do waste now. ]

Creating it myself is preferable.

[Accelerator, meanwhile, doesn't mind asking for things from Aurora. Why not? It's efficient, and she's nice about it.

He inclines his head.]

... Do you even have the stuff you need here to do that?

[ Efficiency is one thing, and Viktor can acknowledge the merits of simply paying a price to have the alloy delivered, but the merits are, however, offset by the need to assess the quality of what Aurora provides and whether or not it possesses the same nanotechnology her tokens did. ]

I have what I need to get started. The rest I can work on simultaneously. It is not ideal but it is better than the alternative.

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