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Viktor Humphries was a man of science. He lived for looking into microscopes, for coding technologically advanced simulations, for studying the behaviors of slimes and running experiments. He lived, slept, and breathed it. Though just because it was his work and passion, that didn’t mean he wasn’t a man of other enjoyments.
Music had always been one of those enjoyments. From a young age he found himself drawn to music of all kinds. When he was little he would listen to whatever his parents would play- often rap but with the occasional folk song. In his teens to mid twenties he had a rather large punk/goth phase. Dressed the part too- spiked his afro, chose a black lab coat and put some piercing jewelry in the collar (he was too scared of needles to get himself a real piercing). As he got older he mellowed out, enjoying classical and folk songs more often than not, though he loved and held great appreciation for every genre.
He loved music so much that in his spare time, he enjoyed participating in the art of creating it himself. Briefly he tried guitar, though found himself disinterested in picking it up. What did he pick up instead? The fiddle! While not the best at it, it brought him great joy to pick up the stringed instrument.
Sadly however, while he did have a fiddle, he has long since lost his very first and favorite fiddle. How? Well- it was a rather silly story looking back on it…
Viktor rarely went exploring, preferring to use the help of the range exchange to acquire the slimes he needed. Though that’s not to say he didn’t go out. A few weeks before the arrival of Beatrix LeBeau, the scientist was meandering through the moss blanket. It was a peaceful area, one he enjoyed to occasionally visit and have picnics at sometimes.
On this outting he had brought his beloved fiddle, as he noticed the slimes in his lab enjoyed when he played it. He decided that perhaps the wild slimes would enjoy it as well. However, upon making his way through, he encountered feral boom pink largos. These largos yearned for nothing more than a bite of him, and Viktor had to flee.
In his flee for his life, the poor scientist failed to realize he had dropped his beloved fiddle. Dazed and mildly hurt, he had hastily returned to his lab without it. In further excursions, he never did find his fiddle. He did buy a new one, but it never quite felt the same. But alas, he had accepted it was gone forever.
Currently, he was in his underwater lab. He hadn’t been here since he gifted it to Beatrix- actually, he hadn’t been here since installing the slime-ulation (hah, get it? like simulation? but slime?). He was unsure of why the other rancher had called him here- the only thing she had told him was that she had a surprise for him.
Viktor checked the time. She wasn’t late- rather he had been early, but standing around was making the scientist twitchy. Too soothe his mind, he looked around at the lab. Beatrix had done well with it, filling three of the plots with various pink largos and one plot with phase lemons. It made his heart flutter a bit seeing his advanced drone buzzing around. It overjoyed him to know his inventions were helping the other rancher.
The man was pulled out of his thoughts by the wooshing sound of the teleporter.
“Ah, Beatrix! Hello, it is good to see you in person for once,” Viktor greeted with a smile, turning towards her. Wait. Was- was she standing backwards? Why? “Why are you… standing that way?”
“Hi Viktor! And you’ll see- but close your eyes before I turn around!”
“How am I supposed to see if I close my eyes?”
“Just do it- trust me! I have a surprise and I think you’ll love it,” Bea replied, her voice dripping with giddiness.
Not wanting to ruin her joy by being difficult, Viktor complied and closed his eyes. “Alright- my eyes are closed.”
He heard some shuffling before he heard her voice again. “Okay, you can open your eyes now.”
Viktor opened his eyes, blinking a few times. Beatrix was smiling, her eyes excited. His eyes widened. She was holding-
“Is- is that my old fiddle..?” He asked, surprise coloring his words as stared at her.
”Sure is. I found it while looking for some hunter slimes in the moss blanket. I could’ve just sent it through the range exchange, but I wanted to give it you in person.”
Viktor was over the moon. He flapped his hands in joy- something he typically doesn’t let others see- as he walked over to the woman. He grabbed his old fiddle gently. It was dirty and a bit cracked from all the time it had spent in the moss blanket. He couldn’t be happier.
”I- I don’t… I don’t know how I can thank you Ms. LeBeau… this is- I don’t have words…” he murmured, still staring at the instrument in his arms with reverence.
”No worries Viktor. I’m glad I could return it to you,” she smiled.
Gently, very gently, the scientist set his fiddle down on the floor. Hesitating only a moment, he pulled the other rancher into a hug. “Thank you.”