assembles | inbox (abraxas)

[ Oh, Viktor. He doesn't know how to apologize, does he. ]

I guess we'll survive. I'll know better than to drag you to any government building next time, although I have no idea how you've gotten any of your research handled up to now.

[He does not!]

Well, until very recently I had someone much more personable to do all of that for me.

[ Ah. Right. Steve probably should have known better not to tread near to anything to do with Jayce, but it's too late to take that back. That, and it should be addressed. ]

Guess you did, yeah.
And I haven't gotten the chance to tell you until now, but I'm sorry, Viktor. I know there's always the chance that someone's going to be here one day and gone the next, but that doesn't make it any easier when it happens.

[ They were engaged. That makes it feel even more cruel, like the universe has turned against them. ]

[in fact, it does not need to be addressed! possibly it's easy to imagine Viktor waving his hand dismissively.]

He was foolish to think we were somehow excepted from this. It will continue to happen unless we uncover the secrets of the ritual and wield it for ourselves.

[ Especially over written message like this, Viktor's response almost comes across as callous, but Steve can only assume that he doesn't want to stare down the barrel of expressing any other sort of emotion about it. ]

Yeah, it will keep happening. It has been.

[ Nat's disappearance is a fresh wound for him, but he's not going to make this about him, even if it had been one hell of a gut punch, just like with Tony. ]

You said you need an escort?

[He knows it sounds callous--he doesn't care. It's better than digging into it, and besides, it isn't untrue. Jayce was foolish. He wanted impossible things. Viktor's mistake was believing he could have them.

Easier, as always, to talk business.]

I do. I'm researching the current inter-dimensional phenomena for the Academy. I'd like to go see them for myself.

[ At least Viktor hasn't tried to go on his own. Steve views that as progress. ]

Makes sense. Is there one in particular you want to check out, or will any of them do?