Shadow Event Log

[stringmods]

▼ 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

Comments

[terminally_clever]

It's nothing more than an unfortunate difference of opinion. One I intend to resolve after I've finished here.

[all_wound_up]

Lonely?

[Nano frowns a little. She doesn't want to see him feeling that way.]

...Would you like to do something together, then?

[It might be presumptuous of her after what happened between them during the summer, but right now Nano genuinely wants to help.]

[otakuro]

The smile cracks open now into a distorted grin - he tilts his head down such that the shadow of his hat obscures most of his face.

"Maybe... I don't know the difference. Maybe there isn't a difference. In the end, isn't that all anyone wants?"

[terminally_clever]

Let your work speak for itself. You'll never get anything done just sitting there moping.

[otakuro]

A slight, bleak smile now.

You... don't have to do that if you don't want to. Not after...

The voice trails off, but it's clear that the same thought was on his mind.

[all_wound_up]

N-no...!

[Nano blushes despite herself, lifting her hands and shaking her head.]

I didn't mean...

[phantom_envoy]

...

You know, I mean. If you're suffering some sort of existential crisis, you were kind of a jerk, yeah. But it's not like you never did anything to help, either.

[terminally_clever]

Only when it's convenient. Only when it coincides with an existing goal.

[otakuro]

Aha...

[The chuckle is humorless, though, and the boy continues to avert his gaze.]

I've known... that I didn't treat you very fairly. And I've tried to just ignore it. You've known, too... haven't you?

[phantom_envoy]

...Like everyone else doesn't do the same thing. People only ever really do things that make them feel good about themselves -- even if it's helping other people.

[Another boulder gone.]

I superhero because it makes me feel accomplished. You do research because finding stuff out is what you live for.

[empiricalpride]

Hm. Perhaps you're right. I do have things to do.

[He sighs, brushes his hair out of his eyes - revealing their colour - and stands up.]

[all_wound_up]

No, it was my fault! I shouldn't have put you on the spot like that.

[terminally_clever]

That's true. She and I do have that much in common. But she's wasting our potential. So much more could be accomplished if she'd open the doors to the MAGI Facility and let anyone who wanted to help her out with her research.

Instead, she hides behind encrypted files and secret directives, never sharing what she knows with even her closest colleagues. She likes to think she got where she is all on her own, but that isn't true either. Everyone needs help, even geniuses.

[terminally_clever]

[Fumi raises a curious eyebrow at the unexpected coloration of his eyes, but decides to keep quiet for the time being.]

Good. That's much better. You can't fail if you don't try, but you'll also never succeed that way, which is far worse.

[empiricalpride]

It'd be nice to think that I could, for once...

Fumi Kanno and Shadow Fumi - December 19 - Near the MAGI facility

[terminally_clever]

[Near the end of the week, Fumi and her Shadow have finally tracked each other down. Negotiations do not seem to be going well.]

Leave now. I don't have time for this ridiculous nonsense.

What's nonsense about admitting you can't do this all on your own? It's just the truth.

I can, I have, and I will. And that includes getting rid of irritating nuisances like you.

Irritating? That's not what your friends seemed to think of me. They liked me. Maybe even better than they like you. Isn't a cooperative Fumi who shares information much better for everyone?

...I don't care about any of that. Once the MAGI facility is rebuilt, I'm more than capable of continuing my research on my own. And I don't have friends. I have colleagues.

We both know you didn't accomplish any of this by yourself. You had help the whole way. Kandori gave you your current position in the city. Yamato used his own power and influence to guarantee your position in JP's. Oh, and let's not forget...

[At this point, the Shadow draws a small picture out of her coat. Fumi recognizes it immediately, her face contorting with rage.]

That does not belong to you.

Oh, did I upset you? And why would that be? Is it because I hold in my hands the very proof of what I'm saying? Your precious host family? You care about these people. They're important to you. They helped you when you needed it most, and gave you the support you needed to earn that PhD of yours.

Stop it.

Admit it. You need people. No man is an island, isn't that the saying? No matter how much you claim you can do it all alone, that's a lie.

Stop it!

Oh, you don't like this? Then why don't you do something about it. I'll prove to you once and for all that I'm right.

Gladly.

[At this point, both Fumis summon an identical set of demons and begin to fight one another. It quickly becomes obvious that Fumi is far outclassed when compared to her Shadow - no doubt an effect of denying it so strongly. As much as she doesn't want to lose her pride, holding onto it may cost her her life instead. If she can truly be said to have friends, she'll need their help to pull through this fight.]

[ex_knightsky842]

"Whoa...So you're a scholar? I guess I can see it...You just need a good meal and you'll look the part proper."
Dagran's tone is admiration and curiosity; he'd seen mages and scholars wandering the city, occasionally followed them for easy targets. The libraries and schools they tended to frequent seemed so imposing back then...With only a basic village-taught education to his name, he itched to learn how to burn pickpockets' fingers as they'd done to him a million times.
Getting to meet a man who, by what he was hearing, was an accomplished scholar? Perhaps it could be a good opportunity for him to glean what he could.
"That sounds rough if they treated you like a dope. I bet they were jealous or something if they acted like babies. You really seem like you were into your job, so it can't have been that you were a burden or anything--"

Betrayal, the burning hot desire for revenge; it seethes in his gut as a sympathy pang, turns his grin almost feral for a second. When the same bitterness is mirrored on the blond's own face, Dagran knows then and there that he likes Even (or at least his Shadow).
"I don't keep track of the newcomers, so I'm no help there. But...I hope you get to pay them back for what they did to you."

[paradiseshrinemaiden]

[She smiles and bows to Nano]

It's no trouble. I'm just glad to be of service.

Dagran - December 18 - ota

[ex_knightsky842]

[It's rush hour; throngs of people are trying to make their way home, or finish up a bit of late Christmas shopping, the usual sort of thing.

If you're sharp-eyed though, you might see Dagran standing in front of a display of TVs (all of which are playing a Christmas special about the power of love, and currently show a happy, smiling family hugging it out in front of a fireplace). The crowd makes it hard to spot him except for the wide berth they seem to subconsciously be allowing him...
If you're one for details, you might notice that he seems younger, that his eyes are practically glowing gold, that his expression is surprisingly vivid in its pain.

But if you're not, it's just a kid standing in front of TVs.]

[empiricalpride]

"Why, thank you." Those golden eyes flicker somewhat wickedly for the moment. Yes - payback. The chance to get revenge on the one who'd failed him so badly, on the one who'd let him down time and time again.
Revenge on himself, for not living up to his own promises. There aren't too many places he could be, are there? Not someone so new to the city... he just has to find his way back that far, and surely, the choices'll narrow themselves down.

"And 'look the part proper'? Please don't tell me that I can't even manage that, now... hah." He actually laughs a little. It's directed at himself, but it's a laugh. "Study always came before mealtimes, I'll admit. For all the good that ever did me. If I can't even take care of myself... no wonder so many things went wrong."

[electricyousei]

Ruri stops, another evil twin or something, and she still hadn't reclaimed the Nadesico. Well, looks like she won't be getting equipment from the Magi building for now.

"Fumi-san. Do you need help with..... Fumi-san?"

[unbroken_chain]

Good thing Fumi does have friends, huh? Kotoha barrels into the fight with all the subtlety of a raging Bouffalant, Arthur by her side. A few quick gestures communicates her will to the Lucario as she summons her Persona.

"Tarukaja!"

As soon as Arthur receives the benefit of the Tarukaja spell, he takes a deep breath and spews a shockwave of pulsing force from his mouth - a Dragon Pulse aimed directly at Shadow Fumi's Tao Tie.

[unbroken_chain]

Oh hey it was that one new guy she had greeted.

"Chris? You okay?"

Hopefully it was just something like 'off his asthma meds' and not 'actually a murderous evil clone'.

Kotoha makes sure her shock baton is ready just in case, though.

[bakegarasu]

The Shadow turns towards her and laughs again. He doesn't seem to care much about the attack. "Only a Karas can defeat a Karas, idiot."

Maugris - December 18th, Night - OTA

[angryyoungvamp]

As always, nighttime is when the vampires come out. And Maugris is looking a lot more like a vampire than usual. The way his face gets pale and sunken when he hasn't fed in a while doesn't compare to this - he looks every inch the walking corpse, albeit one that hasn't actually decayed, and his fangs are bared. This is something only a few people are at all likely to have seen, because normally he only shows his fangs when feeding.

But the lighting might make it hard to spot the differences - he's standing partly in shadow in the mouth of an alleyway. He grins at someone, beckoning them closer. "Hey. Over here, I need your help with something." The light from the streetlights reflects off his glasses, making it hard to see his eyes, and a cold wind blows through the alley, ruffling the edge of his coat and the incongruous blue tie he always seems to wear.

((OOC: I approve of this song choice. Warning, Shadow Maugris is likely to try to feed off of you unless that's obviously impossible (i.e. you're visibly a robot or something).))