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[hextechhead]

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some nebulous first week of June time 1/2

[techmaturgy]

Hi.

[techmaturgy]

I'm in Aquila.

[hextechhead]

[ Jayce is so startled he almost thinks he made up the first message until the second one comes. His heart pounding, thrilled to see anything, immediately leads to confusion. He left the city?]

Hi. I hear it's nice there?

[techmaturgy]

It is. It's nice to be near the water.

[and ocean air is supposed to be good for the infirm, or whatever]

I didn't come here on purpose.

[hextechhead]

[ Jayce had secretly hoped they could go there together someday but WHATEVER. The second part is baffling. ]

I'm not following, how did you get there?

[techmaturgy]

A series of mishaps. It's hard to describe. We'll head back to Cadens soon, but the trip will be a week. Ten days, maybe.

[WE]

[hextechhead]

We? Who are we?

Try describing it. What happened?

1/2

[techmaturgy]

Oh. Ciri is here with me.

I asked her to take me out to the desert. Not far--we were only supposed to be gone half a day.

[techmaturgy]

Obviously things did not go as planned.

[hextechhead]

[ Ciri. Okay. That's fine. Also she's no doubt good to travel with. He's relieved. But what he's saying doesn't make SENSE. ]

V, what's going on?

[techmaturgy]

We were attacked, in the desert. She tried to teleport us to safety, but I believe the Singularity....interfered.

[hextechhead]

[ If keysmashing was possible, this is when it would be happening. ]

Are you okay? Are you injured? What happened? Tell me the truth, I'll get a horse, I'll come to Aquila.

[techmaturgy]

I'm fine. Well, mostly fine. Lacerations, contusions. Unfortunately for you, I will live.

[ha ha]

Do not get on a horse. You don't know how to ride one.

[hextechhead]

I can learn!

[techmaturgy]

It's harder than it looks. Anyway, we've arranged a wagon back to Cadens; you'll simply need to be patient.

[And then, a few minutes later...]

I'm sorry to worry you. This was not what I intended when I said I needed space.

[hextechhead]

You don't need to be sorry about anything. Worrying about you is part of the deal. Are you sure you don't want me to come? And don't answer because of what your head is saying. I can meet you halfway.

[techmaturgy]

I don't want you to worry about me, but that's an exercise in futility, at this point.

Please stay in Cadens. There's no reason to endanger yourself unnecessarily.

[hextechhead]

Of course I'm going to worry about you. I love you.

This isn't what I had in mind when I said we should visit the Singularity.

[ See, a tiny bit of wry humor. ]

[techmaturgy]

I'm not ready for that right now.

[He does realize, at least, that this is his most straightforward acknowledgment of what seems to be Jayce's legitimate feelings, in this department. Viktor knows they're going to have to acknowledge this, one way or another, but right now, injured and exhausted and shaken and still angry about their fight, he can't bring himself to discuss it.]

Technically we didn't make it to the Singularity. Just the crater.

[hextechhead]

[ It takes longer for this reply because ouch. ]

I didn't mean anything by it.

[ They both know he did and it feels like Viktor kicked him right in the heart, but he can lie better on here than he can in person, so he may as well take advantage. ]

Ciri teleported you there? I didn't know she could do that. Did it hurt?

[techmaturgy]

[Yes, you did--is what he almost says. Then doesn't.]

I didn't know either. Being near it wasn't painful, but it has an undeniable pull. She felt it more than me, I think.

[hextechhead]

[ Grateful he says nothing because he's already internally bleeding, thanks. ]

Probably because she has magic, natural magic, if the teleportation comes from that. Maybe it sensed you were in trouble and was trying to help?

[ Hey who knows. Magic rocks can be sentient. ]

[techmaturgy]

More like interference. If it was trying to help us, it did a poor job of it.

[hextechhead]

Why did you go out to the desert? Even with someone like Ciri, it's dangerous.

[techmaturgy]

Why shouldn't I?

[He's practically daring Jayce to tell him.]

I had an escort. We never meant to go far. What happened to us was unforeseeable.