melodiesoflife | 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!

Threaded | Flat

It wasn't something he was used to seeing -- that Moogle had been one seriously distressed fuzzball.

At first, he had just turned away, ready to swat at her the same way he always swatted at Plena. But... Ira. That name was one he'd heard before, and even as he tried to play it off, he couldn't quite hide the way his expression softened. So, as short as he kept it, he made sure to figure out exactly what was going on...

What a pain.

There he was, though. He was hanging back, watching the whole thing unfold from what looked to be the beginning. He actually wasn't sure how much good he would be able to do; the situation with his own Shadow hadn't been resolved until he managed to accept everything he was. A heavy exhale escaped, and he finally walked closer, quietly standing next to Ira, "They really do talk too much..."

One hand slid into his pocket as he gave a sideways glance to the Ira that didn't have those stupid, purple eyes. In spite of his every effort being poured into the annoyed expression he wore, there wasn't as much irritation as he'd liked in his voice as he spoke. Guess... having a guy see you at your absolute worst changed a few things, after all.

"Stop acting like you haven't already witnessed this song and dance, idiot." You're stronger than this, you're gonna be fine, cheer up, yadda yadda, etc...

Edited 2016-11-10 09:11 (UTC)

Naminé is walking back into the house after some time outside. She's definitely not anywhere close to fighting fit, so to fix that, she's starting off easy with a little running to get used to the idea of exercise. Sweat is dripping off of her in buckets, and first instinct is to gently pull Lin away so she doesn't get a noseful of how she smells-- but when Ira's name reaches her ears, she tenses.

"Lin, calm down," she murmurs, trying to hide the anxiety in her voice, and gently hugs the Moogle. Even with the handful of days she's been in this new world, she knows Lin cares deeply for Ira. It's heartening to know the two of them are good friends, and it's no lie to say that Naminé would do anything for Lin just as much as she'd do anything for Ira.

"Tell me from the beginning. What is Ira going to do?"

The Assassin was just out for a walk, mingling with the crowd and just listening to the mood of the people and any rumors in the air. Feeling the soft paff of a moogle flying into her, Mary first expects it's Bonnie but then is surprised to see a different moogle entirely. And as she processes that information the name that Lin mentioned rolled to the front of her thoughts.

"Now take a breath there. What's Ira done? Is he in trouble?" She glanced around, looking for Bonnie. She already could tell that they'd need to get ahold of Saori. But then the first thing to do would be to suss out where she was right now. The flower shop? With the moogles promoting the holidays? Out shopping? At Home? She and Bonnie would likely have to split up to find her fast enough to be of help.

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!]

no subject

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