Event: Mirror Image

[trainmasters]

Who: everyone!
When: Day 19 evening and on
Where: outside

[As darkness falls in the jungle, an unusually chill breeze rustles through the trees. In its wake is silence, the purified fauna going quiet as if in dread.

Is it just you, or is the night darker tonight?

You may find the cause if you leave the train. Those who are caught alone outside will see the shadows grow suddenly long. The darkness coalesces into a vaguely human form, vague and faceless but radiating cold.

Before you can react the shadows surround you. Deep within, your most bitter, unpleasant feelings rise up in your chest. It's overwhelming, threatening to consume you, but just before it can it suddenly stops. The shadows recoil, dissipating into the jungle.

You're safe, but those negative feelings might be closer to the surface than usual.

Good luck, especially if you're one of the newbies just waking up.]

[NOTES: This event will OOCly end on Wednesday, but feel free to ICly push time forward as much as you like. There will be a followup post at that time, and you can schedule player-run trials any time after.

The emotional effect of this event can be as severe as you want. Your character could just be a bit grumpy, or they could find their emotions totally out of control. The effect lasts a couple of hours or until the character counters it with happier feelings.]

Comments

[bad_crowmance]

[ Okay, fine.

He lifts up his gun and unless she moves to avoid it, he's shooting her right in the shoulder. It's a deliberate aim, one meant to hurt like a bitch but since it's just a single shot and she's presumably not too many levels lower than him it's not going to be a one-hit KO. Also, no bullets but she might be glad for it this time. ]

[desirestruth]

[She does stagger, but she didn't make any move to dodge it. She does realize immediately she miscalculated--she's been shot before, but with things like spells and bows and crossbows. This is a concussive force, not piercing, and she is so much weaker now then the last time she'd been shot.

Her shoulder makes a horrific noise as it pops out of socket, and she drops to a knee, wheezing with the pain. There is a part of her that wants to retaliate, something primal and animalistic, and there is a low growl reverberating in her throat, but it quiets shortly as she tamps her instincts down under iron control.

...She waits for a few seconds for her head to stop spinning, before wrenching her shoulder back into the proper place, then stands back up.]

Did it help?

[She's not really annoyed--it hurts, but she told him it was fine, so it's fine--but if that was for nothing she'll be a bit frustrated for wasting time.]

[bad_crowmance]

[ He considers that for a moment, and then nods once. Briefly. ]

A little bit! [ He shrugs casually. ] Though I'd appreciate it if you don't push it too much.

[desirestruth]

[She just makes a kind of dismissive wave of her hand. She draws a line at even pretending to care about implicit threats, but she doesn't want to find out if her magic's faster than his draw right now, either.]

Better me then them in there. Are we finding more geckos or are we done here?

[bad_crowmance]

[ He holsters his guns at his sides and they disappear back into nothingness. ]

Yeah... we're done.

[desirestruth]

[She's kind of pocking at the place where the blast tore her jacket, while he does that. Nooo now she has to buy a new one or find someone who can fix it. >:| She's more angry about that then the gunshot.]

Then go home. I'm still hungry.

[The implication she doesn't really want him to be nearby when the hunger snaps is strong.]

[bad_crowmance]

[ There's a really stupid urge there to keep poking at the angry blood drinker, to keep jabbing a finger in that crack until she snaps and they fight--

But unlike a good deal many people living on the train, Naeva included, Crow actually has a pretty strong sense of self-preservation. So he lifts a hand briefly to wave as he turns around and walks away. ]

Heh. Later!

[ He walks away with all the confidence of someone who knows he's badder than most of the people and monsters around him. ]

[desirestruth]

[Oh, don't worry, Crow. She'll come for that fight when she gains back some of those skills, and she'll wipe that smug smirk right off your stupid fucking face--

Right. Time to go take out aggression on more geckos before she finishes that line of thought.]