stringmods: (Default)
Destiny Strings Mods ([personal profile] stringmods) wrote in [community profile] destinystrings2013-12-15 11:47 pm

Shadow Event Log

▼ A Feast of Shadows
 
Who: Anyone
Where: All over the city
When: December 16-20
Summary: The Shadow Event has begun! Follow the link for the event summary and post your threads here if you want. You're still free to make network posts of your own if you'd rather do that, though!
Warnings: Characters' darkest and most shameful secrets within, along with plenty of combat. Please mark any threads that will contain triggering content appropriately, since some characters have darker secrets than others.
Music: IT'S JUST AS BILLY JOEL WARNED
empiricalpride: <3, <user name="dreamdropdistance"> (09♦)

[personal profile] empiricalpride 2013-12-22 05:15 pm (UTC)(link)
...We're not supposed to fight. I was told...

Not supposed to fight? Of course not. We're scholars, failures as much as we might be. Not fighters. Axel proved that to us, when he showed us what respect we were worth giving. So come over here.

I am not a failure. Speak for yourself, if you wish, but you do not speak for me.

But I do. I am you, Even. Vexen.

[On hearing the name, Even's face goes white. He's done with that life. Done with that half-existence. And to hear this mockery throwing it back in his face... That Xion girl had been one thing, but this?]

Enough! I've heard enough from you... you imposter, you imperfect Replica, whatever you are! Be silent! You are not me!

[The first thing he summons isn't his Persona, but a great icy blue shield - he lunges at the Shadow, who summons one identical to parry the blow.
It starts laughing - wild, insane, the exemplar of a mad scientist.

As Even himself falls back, the Shadow's Persona manifests. While Even's own might be all soft blues and silvers, the Shadow's is clad in black, with a chain detail to the front of its attire. A mockery of an Organization XIII coat.

It takes Even a moment to think to summon his own, unused to the concept. As he does so, the Shadow speaks.]


I am a Shadow. The true self. And it is time I took care of my worst failure.
Edited 2013-12-22 17:16 (UTC)
terminally_clever: (mild consternation)

Persona Skill: Sabotage+

[personal profile] terminally_clever 2013-12-23 12:23 am (UTC)(link)
[Fumi watches impassively as the two clash against one another, arching an eyebrow in interest as she sees the dark mirror of Even's own Persona being called forth from his Shadow. Readying her own, she stands aside her newest colleague, ready to fight.]

I'll be your support.

[Taking one step back, Fumi directs her Persona toward the Shadow. It flies forth, enveloping the Shadow in a dark mist before returning to her side.]

((ooc: Shadow Even's Attack, Defense, and Agility is halved for 2 turns.))
empiricalpride: (15♦)

Even - Persona Skill: Holy Arrow // Shadow - Persona Skill: Rakunda

[personal profile] empiricalpride 2013-12-23 04:50 pm (UTC)(link)
[Even nods at Fumi's comment.]

If he is as much like me as he claims to be - hm. Ice won't faze him, I suspect: ah!

[He remembers what else he's learned recently. If he's right about this...

A card bearing the insignia of the Empress Arcana appears in his vision. He reaches out, coolly tears it in two-

The newly-summoned Persona launches a volley of light in the Shadow's direction.]


I do hope you didn't wish to scan this, too.

[The Shadow, on the other hand, scowls: it gestures to its own Persona, who shoots a Rakunda in Even's own direction. He staggers slightly from the unfamiliar weakening sensation.]
terminally_clever: (mild consternation)

Persona Skill: Dunwich Horror

[personal profile] terminally_clever 2013-12-23 11:40 pm (UTC)(link)
As I understand it, you'll need to accept him eventually, but that certainly doesn't mean we can't show him who the superior scientists are in the meantime.

[Fumi grins wryly before sending her Persona out once again. It envelops the Shadow briefly, but this time it appears to have no effect.]

...Hm.

[Well, you win some, you lose some.]
empiricalpride: (23♦)

[personal profile] empiricalpride 2013-12-24 09:58 pm (UTC)(link)
[The Shadow laughs the attempt off, its eyes wild. Taunting Even-]

One scientist and one pretender, perhaps! You ignorant, self-delusional fool, thinking anyone could ever care about what he does. You who claim to be their greatest asset, cast aside, still Nobody even now...

- Cease your ranting!

[Even doesn't even bother with the Persona attack this time, shield-rushing the Shadow instead. It staggers back.]

I have value! I have worth! The fault was theirs, not mine!

Yes. You hated them then. You hate them still.

I could not hate, you imbecile!

Then why are you so angry at the thought?

[While Even's taken aback, the Shadow follows up with a thrust from the pointed end of its own shield, sending Even recoiling himself and clutching a hand over his midsection.]
terminally_clever: (Default)

Persona Skill: Hacking

[personal profile] terminally_clever 2013-12-25 12:00 am (UTC)(link)
[Fumi sighs. This is going nowhere. Switching out the Dementor for her trusty Soul Persona, Vapula, she decides to try a different strategy in this fight instead.]

Just a moment, I'm going to make this easier on you.

[A phantasmal keyboard and monitor appear in front of Fumi, and as her fingers fly across the keys, the griffon roars, sending lines of code spilling out toward Even's Shadow.]

There. He won't be able to hide behind his ice resistance now.

((OOC: His Ice resistance has been downgraded from Absorb to Strong for 2 turns. So it'll still resist the damage, but not fully.))
empiricalpride: (15♦)

Even and Shadow - Persona skill: Bufu

[personal profile] empiricalpride 2013-12-25 12:15 am (UTC)(link)
[And Even smiles as the Shadow looks taken aback-]

Now that's a useful skill. Daedalus, if you would?

[The silver-blue figure re-emerges, and fires off a freezing blast in the Shadow's direction. It's clear that with Even's magical aptitude outstretching his physical attack skill, the change of tactic's paid off: it's hurt.
The Shadow's still barely on its feet, though: and it's Fumi it targets with its own blast of cold.]
terminally_clever: (small smile)

Persona Skill: Zionga

[personal profile] terminally_clever 2013-12-25 06:51 pm (UTC)(link)
[Fumi laughs as Vapula glows and then blurs in the face of the incoming ice attack, temporarily accelerating her own movements and causing her to dodge the blast entirely.]

You'll have to do better than that.

[Good old Dodge Ice. The other reason she switched Personas earlier.]

Let's finish this, shall we?

[Her Persona once again lets loose a mighty roar, sending a bolt of lightning coursing toward Even's Shadow.]
empiricalpride: (34♦)

[personal profile] empiricalpride 2013-12-25 07:24 pm (UTC)(link)
[And that? That'll do it. The Shadow's knocked to the ground with a cry.

Once Even's sure it's not going to retaliate, he dismisses his Persona, and marches over to the fallen figure. Grabbing him by the shoulder, he hauls him upright. The anger's gone out of his system, now, and the Shadow just looks - pathetic.]


How about we discuss this like rational beings? If you are any part of me, as you claim to be... then you should be able to do that at least. Without this wallowing in self-pity that you seem so keen on. Can we agree on this?

[Slowly, the Shadow nods.]
Edited 2013-12-25 19:24 (UTC)
terminally_clever: (small smile)

[personal profile] terminally_clever 2013-12-25 07:32 pm (UTC)(link)
[Fumi dismisses her own Persona as well, hanging back and watching with interest.]

Well, this discussion is yours.
empiricalpride: (39♦)

[personal profile] empiricalpride 2013-12-25 09:17 pm (UTC)(link)
[Even nods in acknowledgement, and turns his attention to his Shadow. His voice is quiet as he speaks.]

You called me Vexen. From that neophyte girl, I could have accepted it, she knew no different. But to hear it from my own lips...

I had believed that I'd finished being him. That that was another life. Something I could put behind me, with my heart restored as it is, in this new world where my talents would be useful. I thought I could go back to being the person I'd been so long ago, before - [and he sighs] before the Organization.

Before Xemnas. Maybe even before Xehanort. I knew I was valued then.

That'll never be the case, though, will it? All that time spent working for nothing... spent being treated as nothing... but it's part of who I am. And to think about it hurt.

I felt. And how could this have been the truth? Nobodies cannot feel. ...And I was the biggest Nobody of them all in their eyes. Nothing was ever good enough for them - so how could it be good enough for me?

[Even looks aside for a moment.] It seems that it cut deeper than I thought.
Still. There's no logic in running from my feelings. I fought so long and hard to regain them - and here I am, ignoring what I felt all along, rather than seeking an explanation.
...Frankly, if I were to apply the same standards to my experimental data as I have to myself, I'd be a poor scientist. This was no statistical outlier. This was the main trend in my life. And I forced myself to ignore it, for the sake of my own pride.

We should start a new study, then.

We should. ...Or I should.

After all... you are me.

[The Shadow smiles, softly, tired - but looking as if a weight's been lifted from his shoulders.]

And I am you.

[With those final words - in a haze of blue light around the two of them, the Shadow fades into the air.
Even collapses to his knees.]
Edited (Missing punctuation bugging me. I am so nitpicky sometimes.) 2013-12-26 00:04 (UTC)
terminally_clever: (trollface)

[personal profile] terminally_clever 2013-12-26 09:45 pm (UTC)(link)
[Fumi watches the whole display with bemused interest, only approaching Even once the Shadow has faded away.]

It sounds like you've lived in interesting times.
empiricalpride: (18♦)

[personal profile] empiricalpride 2013-12-26 09:51 pm (UTC)(link)
[It takes Even a moment to realise she's talking to him. He manages a faint laugh.]

You could very well say that.
terminally_clever: (small smile)

[personal profile] terminally_clever 2013-12-29 04:26 am (UTC)(link)
You'll have to tell me about it sometime.