hugtopia | video--morning, probably sometime mid-Achtom?

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video--morning, probably sometime mid-Achtom?

[Sometime relatively early in the squeaking problem, once it starts getting hard to sleep, Will finally makes his presence known on the network. He's still laying in bed as he flips the video on, hair a fluffy mess but mask firmly in place; the bedhead isn't helped in the slightest by the Flareon cuddled up against his chest, who seems quite intent on sleepily grooming him.]

Hi, everyone! I'm sure my household isn't the only one with a Rattata problem lately. Don't you all think they're getting louder at night?

Anyway, I noticed something! It actually seems quieter when I'm not trying to sleep alone--it's almost like they're avoiding my room when I've got a napping buddy?

[The camera pans as he turns it away from himself and the Flareon. Now, it's showing a Chansey curled up in a blanket nest; a Xatu is brooding over her like a mother bird, head tucked under her wing.]

I don't know, it could be just my imagination. But why not test it out and share our results here, if it's going to be hard to sleep anyway? If anyone wants to try sleeping together, with me or your roommate or whoever else you want, let's hear if you start feeling better!

[It's not even an innuendo. ~~Unless you want it to be, of course.~~ Shocking, right? He's just going to offer his services as a bedwarmer if people want them. For Science!11 Also for Cuddles.]

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[It's like the taste of acid at the back of his throat, a raw, bitter burn. Will finds himself curling closer to Verstael on instinct, as though mere closeness could ward it off for the both of them. ]

That's--who managed that?

[Even Will's not sure what he was trying to say. That's incredible? That's terrible? That's the work of the gods? If it was, would it be a blessing or a curse? He isn't really sure how he feels about all this, honestly. Immortality sounds kind of lonely?]

His name is Ardyn. The Lucians had him imprisoned because they feared him, but I released him from captivity.

[And there was a mixture of feelings that went with that. He was proud of following his research to the island. He was ecstatic about learning of Ardyn's gifts. He was envious of Ardyn's immortality. For as composed as he often was there was a lot going on underneath. He couldn't help but reach up towards the ceiling as if there were something amazing up there, speaking emphatically with his hands.]

Instead of sapping his life and turning him into a mindless daemon, the plague granted him immortality. He's nigh invulnerable, with extensive regenerative abilities. He can even catch glimpses into the minds of others. It's miraculous, really.

[And he wanted it for himself. That immortality, the endless potential to accumulate more knowledge.]

If only I could replicate his experience.

[His own ambitions would be his undoing in the end but his heart ached for them. Was it truly asking too much to be immortal and all-knowing?

The comfort Will offered was all but ignored as his mind wandered, but as he settled down and sunk back into reality - his very mortal human self - his muscles relaxed. It was strange having someone curled up beside him, but it wasn't all bad. Just strange. He didn't' oft have the experience of someone truly listening to him. Not even with Ardyn. He got used to things being that way.]

So he's that divine daemon you mentioned before.....

[Will raises his eyes as well as Verstael reached for the ceiling, smiling in spite of himself as he watches the expressive gestures. It's hard not to be swept up in it all--the fierce pride, the exultant joy, the overwhelming drive, the desire--

He can't help but be in awe of it, just a little. Verstael may act cool and composed, but.... well, still waters run deep. Just under the surface, he's possessed of a passion and intensity that Will can only dream of. How could someone aimless and adrift like him not admire that kind of inner fire?]

Even if you could figure out what made him so special, and how to replicate it..... you'd still be throwing away your humanity, wouldn't you? It sounds agonizing...... You might not even be the same person afterwards.

Does being human matter so long as I can maintain my mind?

[Though for the most part he didn't mind his humanity, it had a few shortcomings he could do without. If there was something so important about staying human that he was overlooking, he was willing to hear it.]

I mean..... actually, that's probably phrased really badly. Sorry.

[Will laughs sheepishly; there are non-humans here, after all.]

I mean, I don't know what exactly a daemon is, but it sounds like a corrupting influence if it affects most of the population so badly. Even if you preserve your mind, who knows what kind of effect it would have on your personality, or your worldview? It could change you so deeply you don't want to follow through on the goal that drove you to change to begin with. Or the perspective shift could be damaging to your ability to do your research in a way that would still benefit people.

It sounds like you didn't know this Ardyn before he was infected, if you freed him--you don't have any way to know what he was like.

[He went silent for a moment. Ardyn seemed relatively fine.

Scratch that. Ardyn had problems, but they were things Verstael had been overlooking. When he'd first awoken he still had reverence for the gods and an overall calm demeanor. It seemed as if he might have been possessed but still retained his mind.

Still, Verstael valued his mind beyond all else. Anything that would damage it concerned him and Will made a fair point. He frowned as a conversation came to mind.]

I have been told that in the future my goals seem to be quite... different. I cannot be sure how truthful that is, though.

Really? Different how? Why wouldn't it be truthful?

[Will shifted a little, lifting his head to look at him in mild concern. Different goals, huh..... just the tone suggests it's the bad kind of different.]

I wonder if you figured out how to do it, but it didn't turn out quite the way you hoped.....

He claimed I attempted to become a 'giant daemon worm weapon' and was intent on smiting the world.

...The idea is absurd.

[He had a hard time imagining wanting to become a worm of all things. He had a hard time believing he would do any of that. People might think him mad and he might play with things that made others uncomfortable, but his work had always been about making progress and protecting Niflheim.]

.....Um. What?

[Will boggles in sheer, undisguised bewilderment, struggling to wrap his mind around the very concept. A giant daemon worm weapon intent on smiting the world? That..... there are so many things wrong with that, he doesn't even know where to begin. Why would he ever want to smite the world, when he's only trying to further knowledge and help people? Why would he make himself into a living weapon, let alone willingly daemonify himself? Why a worm?

.....What exactly is a worm, for that matter? Is it some terrifying and ferocious animal?]

[He rejected it adamantly, shifting in his spot next to Will as his hands started going again to emphasize his words.]

It's ludicrous. I see no reason why I would ever do such a thing.

[But there was something uncomfortable lingering there. Something that would probably be frightening to anyone, even the man who sought to play among daemons and gods without reserve.]

...Unless I was no longer of sound mind.

[It is deeply unsettling, the idea that a good man could change so profoundly that he doesn't even recognize himself in his own theoretical, potential future. The very thought is enough to make him uneasy--and honestly, he's not entirely sure where his own discomfort ends and Verstael's begins.

At least there's that vehement denial to hold onto; he doesn't even mind all the emphatic gesturing moving him where he lays, given the circumstances.]

Hey..... Don't--don't gamble more than you can afford to lose, okay? If something could really change you that much.....

You're better than that. Finding solutions to problems that nobody else could even dream of is what you do, right?

Of course.

[Perhaps the spitting remark didn't need to sound as bitter as like a drop of lemon on the tongue, but who would like to think of their own mind eroding? Being forced to face such a fate would earn backlash from most anyone.

But then his mind was churning again, prodding through all the possibilities that could lead to a bad ending, and his tone turned analytical.]

I will have to whatever the cause might be and purge it. I can't allow my mind to become clouded.

[The following silence indicated something even more than discomfort about what they were talking about, though.]

...

The townhouse has quieted.

How are you going to figure that out? There's no way to know what could have happened, or when.....

[Will trails off thoughtfully at first, and then to listen intently. He'd been so distracted he hadn't even been thinking to listen for it, but.....]

Ah--you're right!

Research. It may be difficult with limited resources, but it is my specialty. I will pinpoint any potential threats.

[With mostly Lucians around, and ones from the distant future at that, it would be hard to figure out what happened in the Empire over the course of decades. He would have to try, though.]

...If this truly works, I may need to employ your services more often. Whether the solution is absurd or not, I need to keep my documents secure.

[Odd as it was having a warm body by his side. Thankfully he wasn't one to toss and turn in his sleep.]

It's such a weird fix..... I kind of wondered if I was just imagining it when I noticed, since they aren't as loud at my place.

[Research, huh..... what a daunting thing to research. How do you study the future from another world entirely, with only people who weren't close to you around? It seems like a completely impossible task. If anyone can do it, though, it would definitely be Verstael.]

Heh. I don't know how much use I'd be with that kind of research, but I can always drop by and chase the mice off.

[He would do what he could. For the moment, at least, he was separated from that world and not at risk.]

Chasing them was ineffective, they kept coming back. I suppose we'll see how long the effects of this last. I do hope that it has some lasting power.

[For now though, he would lay back. He had work he wanted to get to, but he didn't want to have the mice immediately come back. Perhaps if they spent some time together they would stay away.

He turned his head Will's way.]

It won't be an inconvenience to you?

[Because clearly other people spent as much time working in their homes as he did.]

I bet it lasts a little while. People can't sleep all the time, after all.

It's no bother, though! I haven't worked out a steady job here yet, so it's not like you're taking me away from anything. I've mostly just been helping out around Ainea's temple and doing this sort of thing--the "real" job they want us to do.

It might not be the most productive thing in the world, but it's good to earn brownie points until I figure out something better, don't you think?

[He might not be taking anything about this situation as seriously as people would probably prefer, but he's not necessarily lazing around doing nothing, either. Will has just been approaching things from a social capital angle, working on building up some goodwill with the Havenwell locals and reaching out to his fellow newcomers as well as he can.]

I would prefer to stay on the good side of our hosts as well. It won't benefit us to unnecessarily earn the ire of those in charge.

If I have trouble during the day I may need you to come back.

[Because yes, he was essentially expecting Will to put him first and help take care of his issues. He was accustomed to a decent amount of control and authority.]

You know where to reach me, if you do.

[That doesn't seem unreasonable at all. Scientists are Authority Figures to prioritize the needs of, right? Of course he should drop what he's doing if one needs him.]

If you play your cards right, maybe they'll let you use one of their labs..... their gear must really be amazing, considering what they've invented here.

I have visited, but as of right now they will only permit me to use what I could best describe as a "student lab". It's hardly equipped with the tools necessary to fix the replicators. In time I will hopefully be able to gain access to a lab that's more suitable for me.

If not, I may need to build it myself.

[This was why he liked Will. He understood that Verstael was a man doing important things.

He quirked a brow at Will.]

Perhaps you can put some of your skills to use as well. Any information that can be gathered about our circumstances could be quite crucial. In particular, I'm curious how much we're being monitored. Someone in good standing with the populace may be able to wheedle out that sort of information.

I'll keep an ear out..... that one's a real tall order, though. People change their behavior when they know they're being monitored, and I don't think they would actually want that.

[He can't help a mischievous grin, though. Verstael couldn't have always been a master scientist, right? He was probably an adorable, wide-eyed student at some point.]

Hehe~ A student lab must be nostalgic, though. How many years has it been since you were in one of those?

Many years... Over a decade. I began my service young.

[Many did in the Empire. War and all that.]

I've had the equipment I came with for quite a while, too.

[Though his voice didn't betray it there was a certain nostalgia attached to that. His first tool kit, that he'd held onto for all these years. Of course, if asked he'd just say that it was practical since the tools still worked. They held fond memories of his beginning work, though.]

I imagine it hasn't been so long for you. You still seem young.

Hehehe~ What, and you're not? You sure don't look old and senile to me.

I only recently got the job I have now, but I've been a trainer..... pretty much since I can remember. What did you manage to bring with you?

[They had expected him to start working towards becoming useful immediately, after all. It's not unheard of for even normal preschoolers to learn how to battle, so it..... it hadn't been an unreasonable demand, right? At least it meant he had never been alone.]

I suppose whether I appear young or old would depend on the age of the one making the assessment.

[Though it was nice to still think of himself as young. He was compared to many. The younger he was, the longer he'd have for more research. That brought a smile to his face.

But when Will asked about what came with him, that sense of nostalgia came back, only to be buried.]

A simple tool kit. It covers the basics, but I'd hardly be able to much with that alone. I've had it since I was a child, and the tools have held up.

[Needless to say, he didn't become the way he was overnight. He'd always been a little engineer, so while most kids might have had pretend tool kits he had a real one. In some ways he started as a child just as Will had.]

You started training as a child?

You've taken pretty good care of them, huh?

[Keeping all those fully functional for so long is a pretty good feat, especially given how careless kids tend to be. Even so..... Verstael looks young enough. Older than him, maybe, but not tremendously so.]

Mmhmm~ Deja and her sister were my first Pokémon; we've been together practically my whole life.

video--morning, probably sometime mid-Achtom?

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