[Dodger's expression makes it clear that he's unhappy, but he moves with Viktor's hand. Sitting up and then getting to his feet, giving Viktor space but failing to hide his own disappointment. The best he can do is mask it as frustration.
It doesn't occur to him that powers would be the problem. Mostly because he has decent control over his own powers and generally wants powers to crop up during sex. But that leaves him at a loss. He was clearly doing a good job, so he can't blame himself, just something nebulous making Viktor afraid to get too into things. His gaze keeps sweeping over Viktor's body, as if the answer would be written somewhere on his skin.]
It's fine. It happens.
[He thinks.]
Next time. In the meantime... thanks for the date, I guess.
[He's checking his Watch, because... he genuinely isn't sure if that counts enough to get a card. But he sure would love to at least get that. Between that and the furrowed brow he's probably coming off as a jackass, but he doesn't notice or particularly care.]
It doesn't occur to him that powers would be the problem. Mostly because he has decent control over his own powers and generally wants powers to crop up during sex. But that leaves him at a loss. He was clearly doing a good job, so he can't blame himself, just something nebulous making Viktor afraid to get too into things. His gaze keeps sweeping over Viktor's body, as if the answer would be written somewhere on his skin.]
It's fine. It happens.
[He thinks.]
Next time. In the meantime... thanks for the date, I guess.
[He's checking his Watch, because... he genuinely isn't sure if that counts enough to get a card. But he sure would love to at least get that. Between that and the furrowed brow he's probably coming off as a jackass, but he doesn't notice or particularly care.]
[ Delivered slipped beneath the door, with no trace of the sender having asked for his room or knowing where he resides, not even necessarily having made a big deal of their own name being one to remember...
Is a small square of drawing paper, on which a single purple hydrangea is drawn in watercolor.
Beneath the illustration, it is signed "Kiritsubo". ]
Is a small square of drawing paper, on which a single purple hydrangea is drawn in watercolor.
Beneath the illustration, it is signed "Kiritsubo". ]
[An hour or so after midnight, Dodger knocks on Viktor's door and disappears before he can answer. In his wake he leaves a small present behind on the floor.
The wrapping paper is nice, and poorly wrapped around a circular shape. Inside (loose, not in a box or anything) is a metal gear charm. Some fingerprints in the metal betray that it is handmade.
Attached is a note - Merry Christmas. I'll text you on your birthday. --Dodger]
The wrapping paper is nice, and poorly wrapped around a circular shape. Inside (loose, not in a box or anything) is a metal gear charm. Some fingerprints in the metal betray that it is handmade.
Attached is a note - Merry Christmas. I'll text you on your birthday. --Dodger]
[ At some point on Christmas morning, a helpful and industrious resort staff member will deliver a box to Viktor on Keita's behalf. The wrapping paper is a sort of iridescent light blue, tied in a deep purple ribbon and with a card sitting atop.
Inside the box, Viktor will find a clockwork gift from Keita, taking the shape of a young oak tree. At first the branches look dead, but should Viktor find the small knob on the back of the trunk and turn it, he will hear the clockwork inside engage as the trunk expands and leaves begin to grow from it, filling out the empty spaces. At its peak, the tree looks fully grown and in full bloom, so to speak, before the leaves withdraw again and it withers back down to youth and begins the whole cycle anew.
The accompanying card reads, ]
As it turns out, the components I took from your room at Halloween came in quite handy for this. I confess it isn't particularly useful except as something to keep your hands busy, but I hope it's nonetheless to your liking.
I'm pleased we met, and I hope to get to know you better in time.
Happy Christmas, Viktor.
Mori
Inside the box, Viktor will find a clockwork gift from Keita, taking the shape of a young oak tree. At first the branches look dead, but should Viktor find the small knob on the back of the trunk and turn it, he will hear the clockwork inside engage as the trunk expands and leaves begin to grow from it, filling out the empty spaces. At its peak, the tree looks fully grown and in full bloom, so to speak, before the leaves withdraw again and it withers back down to youth and begins the whole cycle anew.
The accompanying card reads, ]
As it turns out, the components I took from your room at Halloween came in quite handy for this. I confess it isn't particularly useful except as something to keep your hands busy, but I hope it's nonetheless to your liking.
I'm pleased we met, and I hope to get to know you better in time.
Happy Christmas, Viktor.
Mori
You are most welcome. Supposedly, it is the season for greetings and gifts, even in this place where time has lost much meaning.
There was a time in my world, perhaps a bit long ago by human reckoning, when flowers for others were carefully selected to express feelings or intent. It may now be somewhat passé, but I was quite fond of it.
Do you wish for me to tell you its significance? Or shall I set you back on the trail in the library in search of answer to this mystery?
There was a time in my world, perhaps a bit long ago by human reckoning, when flowers for others were carefully selected to express feelings or intent. It may now be somewhat passé, but I was quite fond of it.
Do you wish for me to tell you its significance? Or shall I set you back on the trail in the library in search of answer to this mystery?
i'm not using it for anything. i like both of you, so it's going to a good cause.
think of it like you're hotwifing.
[Ignoring that Viktor would be doing things with his actual partner, and... how weird that is to say anyway after their last interaction.]
my birthday's on the 16th.
you can send me something then.
assuming i'm still around, at least.
think of it like you're hotwifing.
[Ignoring that Viktor would be doing things with his actual partner, and... how weird that is to say anyway after their last interaction.]
my birthday's on the 16th.
you can send me something then.
assuming i'm still around, at least.
[There's a long pause here. Both questions are... complicated, and he feels like it would be easier to speak than to put it into text. But he can't quite bring himself to switch over.]
i think there are realities out there where you exist, but everything about you is different. appearance, voice, actions. but it's still you.
i get memory bleeds like that, where i don't recognize myself but i know it's me.
and that makes it tough, thinking about arzial around you.
and how much jayce and i have in common.
but you're one of my best friends. and you're the first person i met here.
that's hard to let go of.
i've seen a lot of realities.
i always die before i turn 26. i'm turning 26 in two weeks.
i don't know what that means in a place where death doesn't stick.
i think there are realities out there where you exist, but everything about you is different. appearance, voice, actions. but it's still you.
i get memory bleeds like that, where i don't recognize myself but i know it's me.
and that makes it tough, thinking about arzial around you.
and how much jayce and i have in common.
but you're one of my best friends. and you're the first person i met here.
that's hard to let go of.
i've seen a lot of realities.
i always die before i turn 26. i'm turning 26 in two weeks.
i don't know what that means in a place where death doesn't stick.
[It's far from comforting, but it is familiar. Dodger's experience with his memory-bleeds has led to him believing strongly in fate, and... even if he hasn't been able to access those other worlds, he can see the trends. He can see how often he ends up exactly where he is, how even if he manages to avoid Arzial he still tends to meet someone like him, and the same goes for other important people in his life.
Ironically, the thing he latches onto is the easiest thing for him to focus on.]
does it matter if he's happy?
it's what he wants.
it has to be worth it, or he wouldn't chase it.
[He's been stewing on something similar. His growing confusion over how many people have asked him if he likes how his life is going, and how people treat him. As if that has ever mattered.]
maybe it just means we'll both die as soon as we go home.
reality reasserting itself and all that.
the house is doing shit that shouldn't be possible, including keeping everyone alive.
Ironically, the thing he latches onto is the easiest thing for him to focus on.]
does it matter if he's happy?
it's what he wants.
it has to be worth it, or he wouldn't chase it.
[He's been stewing on something similar. His growing confusion over how many people have asked him if he likes how his life is going, and how people treat him. As if that has ever mattered.]
maybe it just means we'll both die as soon as we go home.
reality reasserting itself and all that.
the house is doing shit that shouldn't be possible, including keeping everyone alive.
[That is interesting... so many things about Viktor leave Dodger confused and intrigued. And it sure seems like Viktor is a lot more powerful than Arzial ever was. Concerning, deeply frightening... but maybe a good thing, that Viktor turned out so well in spite of all that power.
Maybe it's a good thing that he got his power later in life.]
maybe not worth it to you. but it's worth it to him.
that's all i meant.
we can debate the objective value of things as much as we want, but men do crazy shit for the things they care about. and the people.
look.
i hurt a lot of people back home.
i only really felt anything about a few of them.
the rest were people i didn't know, and i had a reason to kill them. didn't really matter if it was a good one.
you can't change the world without getting your hands dirty, right?
we're both fucked up. and i don't think you'll do anything worse to me than anyone else has done.
i'm just worried that i'm gonna hurt you if you come near me.
Maybe it's a good thing that he got his power later in life.]
maybe not worth it to you. but it's worth it to him.
that's all i meant.
we can debate the objective value of things as much as we want, but men do crazy shit for the things they care about. and the people.
look.
i hurt a lot of people back home.
i only really felt anything about a few of them.
the rest were people i didn't know, and i had a reason to kill them. didn't really matter if it was a good one.
you can't change the world without getting your hands dirty, right?
we're both fucked up. and i don't think you'll do anything worse to me than anyone else has done.
i'm just worried that i'm gonna hurt you if you come near me.
i don't know if i believe that last part.
i'm the most dangerous thing in my world.
i'm one of the most dangerous people here.
but i'd like to think you can help me.
you, jayce, or some combination.
[He's been doing better here than he ever was at home. Calm, comfortable, able to pull himself back the few times he's lost his temper or his nerve. And able to talk to Viktor at all, past the point where he feels like he'd normally be seeing red.
There was the incident with Esikko on Christmas, but that's... well, a backslide doesn't mean a complete lack of progress.]
i'll come visit you on my birthday.
hopefully i'll be doing alright.
and if not, i'll go talk to henry afterward.
[Not that Henry's really had to deal with Dodger's temper yet, but he finds the man calming, and that has to count for something.]
i'm the most dangerous thing in my world.
i'm one of the most dangerous people here.
but i'd like to think you can help me.
you, jayce, or some combination.
[He's been doing better here than he ever was at home. Calm, comfortable, able to pull himself back the few times he's lost his temper or his nerve. And able to talk to Viktor at all, past the point where he feels like he'd normally be seeing red.
There was the incident with Esikko on Christmas, but that's... well, a backslide doesn't mean a complete lack of progress.]
i'll come visit you on my birthday.
hopefully i'll be doing alright.
and if not, i'll go talk to henry afterward.
[Not that Henry's really had to deal with Dodger's temper yet, but he finds the man calming, and that has to count for something.]
last time i used it, i still panicked. and i burnt henry. but... i don't know, it's getting somewhere.
if you haven't talked to john doe, he might be able to give you some pointers.
[Granted, the fireproofing potion he got from John is much simpler than what he's asking Viktor to do. But he's fairly convinced John is able to make anything possible.]
fuck esikko.
it's complicated.
it's been complicated for a while.
i don't know.
but, i've got henry. he's been keeping me sane lately.
he's great, i'm sure whatever he makes for you is gonna be good.
if you haven't talked to john doe, he might be able to give you some pointers.
[Granted, the fireproofing potion he got from John is much simpler than what he's asking Viktor to do. But he's fairly convinced John is able to make anything possible.]
fuck esikko.
it's complicated.
it's been complicated for a while.
i don't know.
but, i've got henry. he's been keeping me sane lately.
he's great, i'm sure whatever he makes for you is gonna be good.
[He does briefly consider elaborating on exactly what's going on with Esikko. But... on top of being genuinely complicated, involving things Dodger barely understands himself, it also just... paints him in a really bad light. And he's already sick of hearing everyone talk about Esikko like he can't defend himself.]
if we can figure it out, viktor, i'm sure esikko and i will sooner or later.
things are easier here than they were at home.
for better or for worse.
honest and hard-working are good words for him.
he's pretty great in bed, too.
he's been teaching me how to blacksmith, or... i guess how to do more than just those metal charms.
if we can figure it out, viktor, i'm sure esikko and i will sooner or later.
things are easier here than they were at home.
for better or for worse.
honest and hard-working are good words for him.
he's pretty great in bed, too.
he's been teaching me how to blacksmith, or... i guess how to do more than just those metal charms.
We come from a wide variety of places, with vast varieties of traditions. There is much to learn from in this place. And grow from, if we desire.
If we can take it back.
As for the meaning...
Yes, you have carefully selected the one which I intended.
Would you send me a purple hydrangea in turn, if you possessed the talent or the access to a florist... ?
If we can take it back.
As for the meaning...
Yes, you have carefully selected the one which I intended.
Would you send me a purple hydrangea in turn, if you possessed the talent or the access to a florist... ?

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