melodiesoflife | Goddess Shadow Time

Who: Saori Nakagawa, her Shadow, and anyone who wants to help.
Where: Aqures Ixen, then Palitutu's Lab
When: November 13
Summary: A. While Saori prepares herself, Brigid is on the hunt to find others to help her hero. B. Sticks and stones may break bones, but words cut deep when Saori's shadow makes her entrance.
Warnings: Mentions of death, being an orphan, being bullied, physical and emotional trauma from having a long life span.

A.
After getting the morning shopping done for the Space Saloon, Saori arrived at the entrance to the Lab. It felt strange to be in Paladin armor, but it was something she'll get used to. Brigid followed behind her with paws nervously fiddling around.

"Y-you're not going to do this by yourself are you? You did scold Ira for doing the same thing, kupo," the moogle commented.

"Of course not," Saori said, looking a bit ragged. She had decided to do this days in advance but of course the anxiety kicked in at the last minute and robbed a few hours of sleep. There was an empty bench near by and she down, sword to the side. "I'm giving you an hour to find who you think can help. I need to ready myself...and pray I don't burn any bridges here." Brigid looked up at her hero before reluctantly flying out of the lab.

B.
"O-okay everyone is here, kupo. I'm gonna start it," Brigid announced to Saori and anyone who came to help.

"Go ahead. I'm as ready as I can be," she said after taking a deep breath with her eyes still closed. Her grip on her sword tightened as she could hear

"Well, it's about time you brought me here," her voice said with a laugh, which made the goddess open her eyes. Honestly if it weren't for the circumstances, purple eyes looked rather nice on her. The Shadow wore identical Paladin armor, but her sword was sheathed and an evil smile on her face. Without a care, she started to walk around Saori.

"Now then, you've got about 90 something years worth of stuff we need to go through so the sooner, the better. Which topic to start off with first though....you actually being a goddess and hiding it or the fact you mother others to cover for your own faults?"

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A few moments after Brigid left, someone managed to sneak into Saori's peripheral, announcing their presence by gently tapping her head with a small cardboard box. "Before you ask, no, Brigid didn't find me. I had Bonnie keeping an eye on this place already and she saw you getting ready." The smile on her face was genuine though. She wasn't offended or put out. "But I could tell you were getting close to doin' this."

"Thought you might like something to eat before you begin." She gave the box a little shake, the smell of freshly fried and breaded cheese wafting out.

Saori looked up in surprise when she saw Mary only to have the words taken out of her mouth. Somehow she had feeling someone was watching her earlier and now it made sense. "The sooner, the better in my case," she said with a sigh. "I mean my shadow must have a mountain's worth of stuff it wants to spill."

Oh she recognized that smell alright. "Mozzarella sticks? You shouldn't have. Thank you." That brought a smile despite the heavy thoughts on her mind. It was one of the first modern foods she introduced Mary to after all. She took the box, opened it to help herself to the first one before offering the open box to her pirate girlfriend. After all, food always tasted better when shared.

"When I'm done with this, what do you say we have an actual dinner date tonight? We haven't had those in a while and we should do it before it gets too cold for you."

"You introduced me to them and I owe you for that. Probably for the best we didn't have them in my time." Mary kept a good hold on her diet but this little treat was a dangerous temptation. "And I'd love to have a proper date. Don't worry about me though. This is my third winter here and I should be getting used to it."

She was quiet for a moment, letting Saori eat the gifted snack and enjoy it before she brought up the greater concern of the moment. "I know you're worried about what it might say. Seems most of them have been quite free in telling folks' secrets. We're you planning to do this so suddenly for your own sake...or for ours?" Her expression steeled as she glanced up at the research room door. "If you'd rather I not be in there..."

Saori put her hand on Mary's, giving it a light squeeze. "No, I want you to be here with me, actually. In hindsight, I should've told you first. I just wanted some time to ready myself before it's summoned. Thing is, after we found out about these Shadows, I knew I couldn't ignore mine."

She rested her head on Mary's shoulder with a sigh. "I'll be alright once it's all over. I should be able to overcome it without a fight escalating. Whether or not it changes some people's thoughts about me, we'll just have to see."

"I can understand that. It's a bit troubling that such a personal thing is being made a spectacle for others to watch and take part in. But I suppose it makes it easier to deal with as well if it appears as something real in front of you." Not that it had been easy for others, but what this did was make it impossible to ignore. And that seemed to be the point.

"I'm not even sure what mine might say. I can't be certain what left I might have hidden." She had her secrets, but as for things she was denying she wasn't sure. Nothing floated easily to her mind.

As Saori came in to rest against her she reached around and pulled her close, giving her far shoulder a squeeze. "I'm sure you will. One of the things I love most about you is that with all the power you had back home, your first instinct isn't to fight. And yet you do when you must. You know and understand what fighting means. The weight it carries." She nudged her forehead against her lover's, forcing a bit of eye contact, "If there is a fight, it will be because it needed to happen. Not because of any failure on your part."

Having Mary force eye contact was just what Saori needed. The knot in her stomach she kept hidden so long began to unwind. Her lover's words rang in her ears and her lips curl up into a small smile.

"I...Thank you, Mary. I feel so much at ease with you here and I'll do the same for you when meet yours." The red head only broke away just so she could lean back in for a brief kiss on the lips. "Whatever my Shadow tells you, just remember I'm glad I met you and I have you in my life."

The smile was contagious. Even given the situation they were in it warmed Mary's heart to see Saori calmed enough to smile. She knew she was on edge and it was a valid point. But she didn't want her girlfriend to step into a battle thinking that failure was the looming chance.

The kiss was nice, as were the words, but it was a serious look and a hand on her shoulder that Saori found as she pulled back. "I know. But whatever it says, remember it's the truth, even if you don't like it. That's what the others have been dealing with. The Shadow is just your own judgment of yourself. Its words may be warped, but you're the one in control here, and it's a part of you."

Part of him was glad Bridget had thought of him when she looked for people to help her Hero face herself. After all, Saori was practically the mother he never had. So, he waited behind his mother, waiting as the other self was called forth. Waited as it spoke up. Perhaps the first one was best to nip in the bud.

"So what if you're a goddess?" Ira was quick to interject. "You're still you." What that was, she would have to figure out on her own. He only hoped he could help somehow like she helped him. As for the faults bit, he decided to wait to hear what this shadow had to say.

"I'm rather aware of that but you see the same can't be said about others," she said while trying not subtly rolling her eyes. "Bring up that g-word and someone's panties are gonna get in a bunch. Next thing you know a mob's gonna be screaming heresy and burn the witch. At least it's easy to say 'you never asked' or just play dumb when asked why I don't bring it up."

The Shadow's eyes sting from tears but shakes it off. "I mean shit, it was hard enough losing both of my parents when I eight while trying to take care of my little brother. And well lightning can strike twice because he disappeared too later. Don't even get me started on how I lost my physical body. I'm just tired of being rejected like that."

Mary stood by as the Shadow was summoned. She stayed tense and cautious. She trusted Saori but as much as she had faith in her there was no way of knowing what buttons would be pushed and how this whole encounter could go. She also was mentally steeling herself against anything that was bound to be said. Even if this was a part of Saori that's all it was, a part. It would be truth without context or tempering.

The goddess comment went without reaction. This was something she already knew and she didn't blame her for keeping it hidden. At best it was hardly relevant to the situation in Crystallis, and moot point considering how things worked for the Heroes here.

"You're not wrong to not talk about it. It's your life and those you confide with about it is all up to you. Being a Hero or Goddess, neither requires you to put the whole of your experience on display for others to examine." She casts a smile at Saori, ignoring the Shadow for the moment, "And you know if someone came for you they'd have to get past me first. As for your family, it's wrong to think of us as replacements. We're simply more. More family." Ira was no more a replacement for her brother as her own children were. Nor did Mary consider herself a replacement for her husband. "There's room enough in your heart and you've been honest with us about your feelings to this point."

"I admit, my viewpoint's a bit screwed... Riku once worked with Hades, after all," he admitted with a shrug. It was taking quite a bit of willpower not to focus on the whole physical body thing; it wasn't nearly as important as the other points brought up.

"But Mary's right." On a whole lot of things, and he isn't going to sully that with his own stumbling over words.

Goddess Shadow Time

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B. Cue the edge of Madness track!

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