melodiesoflife | Shadows Growing In My Mind

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Shadows Growing In My Mind

Characters: Riku Replica (Ira) and anyone who is willing to help him out
Where: Aqures Ixen, eventually Palitutu's Lab
When: November 10th
Summary: (1) A very distressed moogle looks for Ira's closest friends. (2) Some things were better left unsaid, but Calamity Self gives less of a [KUPO!] than he himself does.
Warnings: Self-harm; mentions of physical and psychological horror/torture, death, murder, assisted suicide, and general Cloning Blues.

1. Ones I Just Can't Leave Behind...
Lin is very much in the midst of a panic this morning, having promised Ira she would meet him later after he finished his shift at the store. To be honest, she wasn't sure what to do. On one hand, she knows how much he prefers his privacy. On the other, she knew just how dangerous what he was going to do was to face alone.

"Oh, what to do, what to do, kupo?!" She paced back and forth in the living room, before a few more worried kupos escaped her. No, she- she couldn't keep her promise not to tell the others. Not when there was a chance he couldn't do it! So, she sped off as fast her tiny wings would carry could to find someone--anyone she knew he could trust. Upon finding someone, she'd likely barrel right into them sobbing. "Y-you gotta help, kupo! He- Ira's going to-!"

Breathe, Lin. Breathe.

2. I'm One of the Forgotten

"You're sure about this, kupo...?" Lin asked, holding onto Ira's crystal so delicately that she was afraid it would break if she so much as breathed on it. Yet when Ira nodded, her tiny heart seemed to stop for a food ten seconds as she fluttered in place, looking down at the crystal before nodding back. "Right..."

And before either of them could hold it off any longer, she did as bade, handing it to the other Moogles who worked at the lab. Ira himself couldn't see what they were doing to it, but his soon blood ran cold as his Dark Mode went inactive, Red Mage being the only remaining Job active as the shadows seemed to come alive in front of him, only to deposit someone who looked exactly like- Well, any Riku really.

"Surprised?" the Calamity Ira asked, a cruel but emotionless smirk crossing his lips. "I guess you wouldn't be. After all, it was you who thought it was a smart idea to face me alone." Purple eyes gleam in the light of the lab, a humorless chuckle escaping him. "Except you didn't. You knew all along that little Lin here would seek help from your 'friends'. The goody two shoes were always so easy to manipulate, even for a broken toy like us. Isn't that right, me?"

"You're-"

"So you're going to deny that, even after all the studying Cid had you do?" It's voice remained as calm and menacing as ever, as it took a few steps closer. "If I had a heart that wasn't shattered into bits, this would be where I died of laughter, Fake Me."

Ira glared, already lowering into a defensive stance as his fists clenched. "Last time I checked, you were the Shadow, not-"

"'So long as you exist, I'll be nothing more then a shadow.' Those were the words you spoke to the real deal, wasn't it?" It laughed at him, at the moogle who fluttered in front of him, defensively now. "No, if anything, you are the one, who is naught but a twisted shade of what you were supposed to be. A puppet who tried to cut his own strings, be his own person, but just couldn't shake off the shackles at your feet. The chains binding that empty heart of yours. And what's this? Now your own little puppet wants to defend you? How can you ever do that, Lin? Or rather, would you want to, knowing what he's done? The blood on our hands?"

The moogle puffs her chest, arms held out wide as a shield. S-she had to buy time, for others to get there and reassure her Hero!

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So much happened at once, and part of him wanted to be alone to digest what all his Shadow said. A bigger part of him, however, felt the exact opposite. Still, he led the way to a nearby cafe. Hot chocolate would probably help... maybe. He wasn't entirely sure. Especially with anyone who followed from the lab.

[ooc: This top comment is for anyone who wants to interact with him after the Shadow confrontation, whether they were present for it or not. This could either be the same day, or anytime in November. If later, feel free to spot him wandering around AI!]

While he'd initially felt compelled to just... wander off on his own, the stronger part of him won out -- the part of him that wanted to ask questions about what he'd seen, he'd heard, he'd... witnessed in general, honestly. While he was annoyed with some of the realizations he'd been having lately, he was actually too tired to fight against them. Not that he wasn't aware by that point, just how stupid it was to do. No need to have the Calamity Vanitas popping back in to do more than just say "hi."

But, whatever. So some part of him kind of... maybe... sort of wanted to hang around Ira for more than just the questions. Not like he had to admit that to Ira, or anything. The café was a nice change of pace, and he glanced around with briefly open curiosity. It wasn't a place he'd been to before, so he didn't know the first thing about their menu.

Naminé lingers behind the rest of them, a brief look of worry crossing her face as she wonders where Sora has gotten off to. Some of the things he'd said during Ira's trial were concerning for a variety of reasons, and she wanted to talk to him about it...but if he wanted to be alone instead then she'd have to respect that.

For now, she turns her attention to Ira, who looks absolutely exhausted. Calamity selves are one thing, but this kind of problem is much more tangible, something she can help fix with her hands and not her clumsy words. Once he's seated, she unclasps her White Mage's cloak from around her neck, setting it across his shoulders before she heads off to order a round of hot chocolates, coffees, and teas. Elmina helps to distribute them once they're ready, and once Ira and everyone else has been taken care of, Naminé settles into a nearby seat with a mug of tea for herself.

She'll wait for him to talk first. There's little else she feels is appropriate to do at the moment, aside from what she's already done.

He almost looked surprised when he felt the cloak rest upon his shoulders (also tried to ignore how it smelled), looking up and following Naminé with his gaze as he sat there silently, almost as if trying to register that yes, all of that indeed just happened. Though in all honesty, he's most surprised by the presence of another who had followed.

Once she's sat back down and drinks distributed, he simply stared at the steam swirling off the surface of his drink instead of reaching for it just yet.

"I don't know where to start," he finally admitted, hands clasped in his lap as his eyes narrowed. He knew he at least owed Naminé an explanation, though he could almost sense Vanitas' curiosity.

Mary was waiting when the others emerged from the room where the Shadow experiments were being conducted. The pirate was busy leaning over a console with an array of monitors, her brow furrowed as she tried to make sense of everything she was seeing. This modern technology wasn't completely incomprehensible to her at this point, but it was still confounding. A look of relief came over her as she saw everyone, but particularly Saori and Ira, appeared to be hale and hearty.

"I apologize. I got here a while ago but I expected it best not to disturb you in case my sudden arrival lead to more problems than good." Still, she felt a little bad for missing it. "But it seems all went well. Good on you, Ira."

After telling Namine and the others he'd catch up, he approached her.

"If it makes you feel better, didn't miss much." Despite being exhausted emotionally, he spared Mary a faint smile. "I had an idea of what to expect, thanks to Cid assigning me to the group studying Jungian philosophy terms. Not that it didn't stop me from trying to punch it once or twice..."

Something he was rather ashamed about, having hoped that after all this time, he'd have curbed his anger somewhat... But he was grateful for Cid's foresight, and that he had an idea of what to expect previously from reading back on the network of the Tower once when he was bored months ago. Granted this was much different than what was transcribed in those old records, but still. Tilting his head, he almost chuckled. "Hard to fully grasp still, isn't it?"

It wasn't the first time he'd seen someone trying to figure out what was on the strange bit of glass and such, after all.

"Jungian" was a term that postdated Mary's era, but she offered Ira a nod anyway. Regardless of the word's origin she was glad it proved to be useful to him and that it kept him safe.

"Aye, it is a touch. I've yet to consider facing my own. I'm not even sure what to expect. Much of what has been on my mind as of late I've discussed with you all at our last meeting." She frowned, looking away as she tried to mine her thoughts for any clue or inkling. She wasn't perfect, but there was a difference between her secrets and what she denied.

Her eyes rose back to Ira and she tried to move the matter along, "In any case, good job on your victory. Actually there's something I wanted to discuss with you and now seems as good a time as any. Mind joining me on the roof?"

"It's more what we keep from ourselves. Whether it's to protect ourselves, or others.... It'd be hell of a lot easier if it was that simple, though." Maybe later he could go into better detail on what she would be likely to face. Instead, he straightened his back, nodding once.

"Lead the way."

"Few things in this world worth pursuing are simple. As I once said to a friend, 'wanting for an easy life can cause the most pain.'"

With all the work that the Heroes did at this lab, not to mention for the city, getting roof access wasn't even a thing they'd have to work for. And still Mary took more of a careful way about it, looking around before opening the door to the stairs and then onward to the roof. There was no explicit need to be secretive but she preferred it. Especially for the topic on her mind.

Up on the roof, the cool fall wind blew by, heedless of the pair. Mary walked a long loop, thinking things over while also making sure they were alone. Both habit and good practice. Finally, she came back around to Riku and pulled up her sleeve, showing the hidden blade. "You said you weren't familiar with those names, but what of this? Is this familiar to you at all?"

She'd given the two 'extra' ones she'd aquired to Reno and Saori, and she'd seen to having others made for their agents and operatives, but that's not quite what she meant.

He followed, of course. The secrecy didn't bother him so much as his mind was still reeling from what his other self revealed. There were a few things he would have to answer for himself the next few weeks.

That Mary had asked him something was a welcomed respite, however. At the sight of the hidden blade, he simply shook his head.

"No. Though any memories I had of home shouldn't be relied upon in the first place." There was a tad more bitterness to his tone than he'd meant to let show; the wounds had just been exposed anew, after all. Though to say that the blade didn't remind him of something would be a lie. "At the Tower, however... I do remember someone having a 'pet' with a similar blade for their hands."

"Mmm, likely not the same thing." She frowned, crossing her arms and leaned back on her heel, "Where to begin then. You were with us at our meeting." She looked off into the distance as she gathered her thoughts. After a long moment she decided to start at the broadest point.

"In the world I come from there exists a secret Brotherhood known as the Assassins. They've been around for several centuries before my time. However the name tells much about our methods, but not our purposes. We aim to be humanity's defenders of freedom and free will. We remove those who would use their power to rule in tyranny over others or take advantage of innocents. We stop wheels turning before they can begin if we can help it. We do not harm innocents ourselves in pursuit of our goals, or at least do our best to avoid it." She frowned, sometimes things got a bit grey in the heat of the moment, but the ideal was still strong.

"Our enemy in my world seeks to rule the world by their own Order. To create and shape the rules that people live by, no matter who gets crushed underfoot in the process." She gestured vaguely with her hand as she continued. "It's not so simple as good versus evil. We kill to achieve our ends, and they've sought all manner of ways to keep a leash on humanity ranging from war to slavery to the use of ancient artifacts."

She turned, looking off in the direction of the hospital. "In that regard, Palitutu wasn't that far different than the Templars. It would be within my scope as an Assassin to kill her and remove her from the board, and it was my intent for the longest time. For now though, I have promised to leave her be." She glowered, unhappy with the promise, but she did not need to make an enemy of the other Heroes. There were greater things at stake and the blood would serve no benefit if spilled.

Ira listened closely, almost with an enraptured curiosity. The more that Mary spoke about the Assassins and the Templars, the more he was able to draw certain parallels. Something that both interested him, and set off a few flags - not all of them good, with the words of his other self so fresh in his mind.

"Is it really ever that simple and clean cut, though?" He asked, gaze hardening slightly as his gaze followed hers. "If I didn't know better, I'd call your 'Templars' Admins for how alike their goals and methods sound."

He subconsciously rubbed his neck as he said it, though was quick to stop himself. "But, that wouldn't do either group justice. They may be similar, they are different. The hardest part of visiting other worlds, trying not to uphold others to the same rules of your own." He sighed. Oh, how he knew that one well - even if the one he had spent most of his days in was more of a chimerical conglomeration of many shards that made it all the harder to do just that. "The same goes for Palitutu. While I can't agree with her methods, or what she's done... she did it for what she believed was best. Better to prove her wrong and show her the future we'd create than have her become a martyr for those beliefs."

"...But you didn't ask me up here to talk about that hag, right?"

Mary paused at Ira's interpretation. She didn't see much of that Tower of his but she saw enough to get a faint clue of what he had gone through. And that was another reason she had asked him here. It was something she'd never ask of a child, but Ira's unique situation and experiences made him something other than what he appeared to be in many different ways.

"Palitutu may have done what she felt best, but the cost cannot be ignored. Lives were lost, paid, to bring us here, and all for the purpose of keeping things as they are. She's absolved herself of the guilt by assuring herself that she's simply doing what needs to be done and as it always has." She purses her lips and then nods, "What we have been doing, fumbling along as we have, is try to cut our own course against the wind and current. It's harder and may lead us to wreck, but it's better than lashing yourself to a ship that's sinking in the hopes you'll reach shore first."

They weren't that far off track. Palitutu was relevant in this situation. She HAD been the Assassin's target for a time. Resting her elbow in her palm she gestured once again, flexing the fingers on her left hand.

"I was a little surprised to see you at our meeting. In fact I was surprised that Saori had encouraged you to attend. I was expecting I'd have to keep my meeting with you about this secret from her." She smirked, enjoying her poor joke for a moment. "You spoke about being a spy in the Tower, and it's my hope that you haven't had the need here. As I said, the Assassins here are not at the moment needed for the original purpose I organized them, and yet they still have a role they can play. The fact that it's one of the Jobs available to us is proof enough of that."

"I'm not saying it should be ignored, but I've seen what a world destroyed so thoroughly that all life is devoured... so I can't exactly condemn that particular action. Everything after that, though... That's another story." Ira took a step closer to the edge, hand casually resting on the hilt of his replicated Soul Eater. He wasn't going to argue with Mary over the past. That could not be changed no matter how hard anyone tried. "Whether she meant to or not, she gave us the choice to face the squall head-on rather than be devoured by the demons this world made. Just means we need more crew at the oars."

Ira smiled faintly - tired, but unrelenting - as he chuckled under his breath.

"Believe me, I was surprised too. But, Saori insisted." Well, more like bribed him with free food, but that was pretty much unnecessary the moment he found out what kind of meeting it was. "I haven't, save when the leader of the Evil Alliance arrived in Mysidia."

It was so very brief, but he can't say the skills came in handy. Even if he still had a hard time making sure his eyes never gave him away. Now, though... he was being brutally honest. "You're asking me to join?"

Her eyebrow went up at the mention of this mysterious 'leader' but if a name wasn't offered then it was just as likely that the person was no longer with them. Either by Death or Crystal Stasis. But that wasn't important right now.

"Aye. That was the plan. We have our fellows who have the more optimistic and hopeful vision, but the Heroes need those who will be the blade in the dark to serve the light if need be. Not to do what they won't, but to do what they can't. To do what they shouldn't have to carry with them." She paused before adding an addendum, "But only should the need arise."

She chuckled as she considered Saori's involvement in this, "I honestly had my concerns about recruiting you, considering your age." She wasn't much older than him when she took to the sea, but it wasn't a life or weight she would foist on someone so simply. "But if Saori was the one to bring you in then perhaps it's the right call. More crew at the oars, as you said. So, are you willing to sail with us through another storm?"

She held out her left hand in offering. The hand with the hidden blade at its arm. With the Assassin sigil tattooed on her ring finger.

If Mary asked, he'd likely tell her all about it. Though that was for a time when he wasn't already emotionally exhausted from a confrontation with his own hidden side.

Though to find out he'd been right? Well, that sure was something he didn't expect. Yet when asked, he doesn't hesitate. Instead he turned with a nod.

"Yeah," he replied, before reaching out to grasp Mary's left hand in his own. "It would be an honor."

If they were waiting for a time when they weren't exhausted in one way or another they'd have a long while to wait. But all stories would find their way to be told in the time they needed. There was no rush on this one.

She smiled as she took his hand, "Welcome aboard. I think you already know your way around a fight, but let's get some training in you for the sake of it before we get you your own blade and hood." She chuckled at her joke before releasing her grip.

"So, any questions before we rejoin the others?"

True enough, he won't lie. Still, he plans on telling this particular story somewhere far more private than a random rooftop - especially the lab's. Never was quite fond of them, for obvious reasons.

He nodded, smiling faintly as he shook her hand. "Only one: When do we start?" He was never one to turn down training, always willing to learn as he was.

Mary wasn't about to keep him from his friends, nor any celebration for the feat he'd just achieved. She smirked a bit, leaning back on her heel as she let the seriousness give way to playfulness.

"How's about tomorrow morning? Go for an early morning run. If you have the Ninja and Thief jobs they'll be of help, but I want to train you how to do this even without the Job on hand."

(ooc: I'll have a log up soon for February stuffs)

Something he appreciated, though he wouldn't admit it. An evening to celebrate (and sleep, for once) would be wonderful.

"Sounds good." He let out a small 'heh', before shaking his head. "I don't, but my custom job has a bit of a speed boost as it is."

(ooc: Gotcha.)

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Shadows Growing In My Mind

Post-Confrontation

Same day! Open to one or two others to have followed? :3c I'm game for whatever!

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Engaging fuzzy time to put the Assassin Meeting before this

Works for me!

Re: Works for me!

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