#using your visor reflection as a mirror to flirt with himself

[jrueships]

sauce boobies ...

[starship-imzadi]

S5 E6 The Game

Riker in action everyone. Just kidding. This episode feels like "it's all fun an games until someone gets hurt." Like this opening scene: it's superficially playful but, it also highlights the vulnerability the communicator creates. It's such a small accessory and without it, it's more difficult to beam anywhere and you lose contact with your ship. Taking away someone's communicator is actually a notable threat. The scene stays playful but if you know the rest of the episode, it serves as a sort of foreshadowing.

As always, Riker looks good in blue.

I wonder if this game is what they envisioned or just what they could afford for graphics.

I recently listened to Frakes' audio commentary on Roswell and he talked about the young actors holding up really well under extreme close up and I want to say, as of this episode, he does pretty well himself.

Most of the time I see this episode interpreted in a highly sexualised manner, the reaction to the game is often interpreted as orgasmic. It makes sense why that is BUT I disagree with it. It's kind of like interpreting Risa as a sex planet: sex is pleasurable but so are other things and not everyone wants or finds pleasure in sex. Risa is a pleasure planet.

This episode is about a game, a game that isn't sexual (yes, basically it's: put this thing in that thing which can in the most general sense describe sex but it could also describe so many other things) but a game that in its actual graphic designed is fairly innocuous. Gaming in its own right can be addictive (just think if this concept were reinterpreted for an episode of Black Mirror) and ultimately any addiction is down to neurochemistry, including but not limited to hormones like dopamine and serotonin.

I don't know what to make of this but notice Geordi is the first person Riker goes to hoping to share his new... gadget. The real question is how will it fit over Geordi's visor?...

Look at Riker brush Geordi's shoulder

Riker walks into Ten-forward and doesn't take his eyes off Troi. 😍 And then he proceeds to tease her about her chocolate consumption.

This is an interesting scene within the context of this episode because, for Troi, eating chocolate is a pleasurable experience. It sort of show cases different kinds of pleasure.

Now that Riker tells Troi about the game, I'm not sure if there was a significance in telling Geordi first, or if it was just opportunity. Riker did specifically seek Troi out. Now the real question is: did they go try it together...

I like this inverted uniform they put Wesley in.

Worf is a bit socially awkward. He just interrupts Geordi to announce that he made cake for Wesley...like, you couldn't wait just one more second? And "i made it myself"...in a replicator?

Worf looks to Riker for reassurance.

"Wesley, was our attempt to make you uncomfortable effective" "you bet it was" yeah, me too Wes, me too.

Data's laugh!

"come by my quarters and I'll show it to you" wow...that was a bit... seductive.

Riker just carries Data

Picard got the nice tea set out, that's sweet.

Wesley's flirting has improved, he's far more comfortable with women.

Wesley walking in on Beverly is...oh so awkward. I think Beverley's pleasure response (looking at you "Sub Rosa"!) makes me the most uncomfortable of the entire command crew.

(that's what Wesley chose to wear for his dinner date?)

"it's just a fad. It's here this week. Next week we won't even know it existed" Now, I'm not sure if this is supposed to have a meta subtext but...with the highly episodic nature of TNG's format, this is literally true: on next week's episode we actually won't be aware this game ever existed...

Here's another point were star trek is supposed to be super advanced scientifically but they have to take a moment, step back, and explain that the prefrontal cortex controls impulse control and higher reasoning.

I like Wesley and I'm glad to see him back for an episode but it's a little unfortunate that yet again he has to be the one to save the ship when all the adults fail. At least now he's less of the chaotic wunderkind he was portrayed as in season 1 when the writers were struggling with everyone's characterisation.

Wow... I don't know about you but having Worf and Riker appear from around the corner and walk in like that...is ever so slightly terrifying.

I love this shot in engineering done in the reflection of the control table top.

I can't imagine being inches from Frakes and keeping a straight face.

(a warning to the photo sensitive much?)

Thank goodness this was an easy fix... Is everyone going to go through seritonin withdrawal now?

"get her of the screen" it's satisfying to have Riker be the one to banish her. As much as he might be faulted for introducing the game to the ship, everyone proved to be as vulnerable to it as he was. His only mistake was choosing to trust the wrong person, unaware of the true extent to which he could be used to compromise the ship. His trust was not only risking himself but also the people around him. As Riker pointed out in "In Theory" trust is a risk; this doesn't mean trust isn't worth it, but it's important to know the entirety of what you're risking.

That looks like a nice hug.

[loganscanons]

that night | pt 1

Characters: Britney and Quest

Summary: The story of Britney and Quest’s first time hooking up, which eventually turns into them having a relationship. This is part one because there’s more I want to write but I’m not sure when I’ll have time. I wanted to post what I have so far though.

@romecanons

The night didn’t go as smoothly as planned.

A regular client of Quest’s had tasked him with the job of stealing – or as Quest put it, the job of retrieving – a Paleolithic ivory sculpture from one of the client’s competitors. In the original plan, Quest planned to have no confrontation with security. Of course, he had back-up plans for elements out of control, but the run-in with security was his own fault. Britney’s fault, in a way.

Quest could’ve stolen the sculpture the traditional way. Dismantled alarms and a silent break-in during the dead of night. All black outfit and avoiding cameras. But that was so dull, especially when the perfect opportunity to get near the sculpture arose. The owner of the sculpture – a man from money that advertised himself as a charitable philanthropist but was actually intimately involved in arms trades – was hosting the premiere of a new art installation in his private museum. A party where guests turned their noses up at the homeless in their own cities while lamenting the poor orphans of Africa that they would never meet nor truly understand. Their outfits might as well be made of money. Shimmering and jeweled dresses, the name brand suits, the special-made outfits paired with hundreds or thousands of dollars’ worth of jewelry. No one would be wearing outfits cheaper than $6K, and some dresses would cost over a half million.

Fancy parties with out-of-touch rich folk would always be Quest’s favorite targets. He could dress up in his best clothes and spend an evening stealing priceless items from millionaires and billionaires. What could be better?

He opted to play the role of a married man, rather than an eligible bachelor or not-quite-tied-down engaged man. Not that the status of his relationship mattered to particularly persistent women. Regardless, he made his decision, and for that decision, he needed a wife. There were a few women he could contact to help him, but none were as readily available as Britney.

Quest had contemplated bringing in team members to help with cons in the past. Their consistent impulsiveness deterred him, however. Plus, none had his extensive training in adapting to any situation. Britney wasn’t trained either, but in her life before the team, she was well-practiced in pretending. Now, she never had a need to effortlessly plaster on a smile, nor sweet-talk or flirt her way out of trouble. Turns out mutant powers can get you what you want, too.

Quest found out by chance that Britney could still use that skill when she wanted. He couldn’t remember exactly what she’d asked for, but she’d wanted him to pass her something. She demanded it. Expecting a snide response and not thinking much of it, Quest told her to ask nicely. Britney put on her smile that would’ve been downright charming if Quest didn’t know her to be a bitter and angry person. That small interaction was enough for him to seriously consider asking for her help.

Britney hesitated at first. How could someone with her complexion be any help in a con? After a decent amount of convincing and a long battle with body make-up, Britney was willing to help. With a realistic blonde wig and a floor-length, long-sleeve, black dress, she looked like any other human.

It wasn’t really her fault the plan went wrong. But she was the reason Quest lost his usual focus. During a con, he had to become his role. Anything to do with life outside of the con could be ignored until later. And Britney, stunning in her dress, distracted him from the role.

Quest had successfully done jobs with gorgeous women plenty of times in the past. Not once had they hindered a job with their beauty or personality. If he was attracted to them, or wanted to have sex with them, that waited until the job was over.

He couldn’t wait with Britney.

Maybe it was the unknown aspect. In the past, he had a pretty good idea of who would be willing to have some celebration sex after a successful heist. And if he assumed incorrectly, that was fine. They were infrequent co-workers. Britney, however, he saw regularly, and he wanted to keep in his life. She was more human and more real to him than most people in the world. Their relationship as it stood was different than anything Quest had known, and because of that, it didn’t seem right to pursue sexual intimacy. He flirted with her frequently, and she flirted back, but it never got beyond just playing.

During the job, the last of Quest’s willpower snapped. A new experience for him. He didn’t know he had limited willpower. He got so used to controlling his emotions that this sudden lack of control caught him completely off guard.

The role of man and wife gave him an excuse to touch her and flirt with her. His hand rarely left her waist. He let himself get distracted by the way her lips moved when she spoke. The way she glanced at him with amused smiles. The way she flirted and teased him. When she gently pressed her lips against his, putting her all into selling the act, Quest wanted to abandon the job and bring her home. Even if he did abandon the job though, he wasn’t sure she’d go home with him.

In his distraction, Quest screwed up his plan, and he had to deal with security. Britney came to his aid, the party of rich guests unaware of the commotion in the East wing of the building. Quest got the sculpture. They got away without anyone on their tail.

A few miles from the private museum, in a poorly lit gas station lot, Quest had another car waiting for them. They switched to that car, to shake any possible tail, and left the first car with Quest’s driver. After winding turns down a few backroads, including some unpaved, Quest felt confident that no one followed them. He pulled onto a main road, and the intersection light turned yellow, then red. He knew the light was a long one. A long one with a red-light camera. There were no cars around, just wet pavement reflecting the glowing red of the stop light and unnatural yellow of the streetlamps. Quest let himself look at Britney.

The blonde wig lay in a heap on the floor; her vibrantly yellow hair was freed from bobby pins and hair-ties, spilling over her shoulders. In the fight with security, the make-up on her hands had melted away. The acidity of her powers and perspiration left the foundation on her neck and face splotchy and streaked. Beads of sweat gathered on her collarbones, glistening red and yellow under the streetlights, magnifying the green tint of her skin. Quest wanted to lean over and touch his lips to the shimmering beads, run his tongue along her bare skin, taste the salt. He felt a stirring in his lower abdomen and mentally chided himself for his lack of control.

The night gave Britney a wonderful high. Between the gown Quest bought her, the make-up, the adrenaline of the heist, and Quest’s hands constantly on her, Britney was overcome with bliss. After spending a few hours feeling genuinely beautiful, she got to relish in the power that came with knocking out a few security guards. The combination of beauty and power was intoxicating. Only when she slid into the passenger seat of the second car did the high begin to fade.

Waiting for the light to turn green, Britney flipped down the passenger side sun visor and slid open the small mirror. The light next to the mirror lit up her face, highlighting every flaw. Her make-up was caking and oily from sweat. The orange light of the car mirror didn’t do her any favors. She looked like a sickly vampire made of wax. She disgusted herself. The high was fun while it lasted, but tomorrow would be hell. Any mirror would be a reminder of just how monstrous she was now.

“You’re gorgeous, Britney,” Quest said, breaking the chain of negative thoughts.

“Huh?” Britney said, glancing at him. “Have you looked at me? I’ve sweated all my make-up off.”

“I know,” Quest said. He reached over and put his hand on her lower thigh, their skin separated by the fabric of her dress. She didn’t visibly react to the touch or his comment. “And I mean it; you look really gorgeous.”

“I looked prettier earlier,” she said. “I look ugly now.”

Britney enjoyed play-flirting with Quest. The attention was flattering and made her feel almost normal. Sometimes though, he would get all serious. His voice would get quiet and almost husky. A sober and earnest tone. Gaze intently locked onto her. Compliments. That was always too far for Britney. The play-flirting was fun, but that intense seriousness made her uncomfortable. She couldn’t believe he was being truthful when he said those sweet words to her. It was mean.

“You looked very pretty earlier,” he said. “You look gorgeous now.”

Britney smiled a little as Quest squeezed her thigh and his fingers crept higher up her leg. Reminded of the way his palm rested on her waist all night, she said, “You couldn’t keep your hands off me.”

With that intense gaze and earnest tone, he said, “I still want to have my hands on you.”

“The light’s green,” Britney said, pointing out the window.

Quest breathed out a frustrated sigh and moved his foot to the gas. He didn’t remove his hand from her leg as he took the exit onto the freeway.

Britney didn’t want to let go of the high quite yet. Maybe with Quest, she could keep pretending for a little longer. Letting impulse dictate her decisions, Britney wrapped her fingers around Quest’s hand and moved it all the way up her thigh, to right below her hip. She focused on him, ignoring the unnatural color of her skin. Quest’s hands were nicked and scarred from knives and fights, leaving his skin rough and worn.

Quest’s body reacted before his mind could. A small smile touched his lips when Britney wrapped her fingers around his. Then she moved his hand within centimeters of her crotch, and for the first time in a very long time, his brain short-circuited, and his body decided to take the lead. Quest blinked hard, forced the muddy haze in his mind to clear, took a deep breath and held it, hoping the lack of oxygen would keep his bodily responses in check.

Cold air from the car’s air-conditioning gave Quest a weird feeling of hot and cold. His insides flashed hot, while the hair on his arms and neck rose from the cold air.

The reaction was unreasonable. He knew women’s bodies intimately. Even while driving, he’d gotten pretty intimate. But none of those women were Britney. Though he may have wanted it, he never expected anything much to come from play-flirting. If he touched Britney, it was always above the belt. He’d had her hands on her waist plenty of times. Once they’d even shared a kiss, during a rare moment alone, when they were flirting and bored.

“Britney,” Quest said. He sounded like a man deprived of water. He cleared his throat.

“Yeah?”

Quest breathed in heavily through his nose, considering what he wanted to say. Nothing sounded quite right in his head. Settling for the direct approach, he said, “I want to take you home. To my place.”

“Now?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“Okay,” she said.

Quest pulled his hand away from Britney’s thigh and abruptly crossed three lanes to get to an upcoming exit, making Britney grip the car to keep from leaning sideways. She stared at him, startled, but didn’t say anything.

[rpchive]

112th Encounter-- Two of a Kind

temporary detour time!

Azreldeh guides the group back onto the road between districts. Halfway between, a cart is stopped in the road. Sitting on the edge, upright, like a person would, is a large, black cat, a singular green eye watching the group approach, the other scarred shut. Around his neck is a large bow made from intertwining red and white ropes, a large, golden bell in the center. Of note, the cat seems to have a tail that splits into a Y-shape, nearly becoming two separate tails. Blinking slowly, he addresses Azreldeh first, his voice as smooth and soft as his inviting fur seems to be.

"So you've come to me again? It's been a long time; I thought you'd found somebody else to play with. I've been escorting a couple of your friends; I apologise for the inconvenience, miss Azreldeh. I'm assuming you've all come to get them back?"

Azreldeh: Yes, Sake; we have. I'm...sorry we haven't talked in so long...

Sake: Think nothing of it. Now then, would you kindly create a deck of cards for us? I've no time for a proper trial with Sír being so...quick to the draw.

A little reluctant, Azreldeh hands Sake some cards. Daedalus: Wait, really? Are we literally gambling for our friends' lives now? Sake: You could say that. Which of you will be doing this? Fawkes: I suppose it's time for me to get off the sidelines. What's the game? Sake: We both draw a single card. We can choose to keep the card, shuffle it back, draw a new one, or blindly replace the card the other person drew. The higer value wins. Fawkes: I believe someone other than the two of us should shuffle the deck then, to prevent any doubt of card dealing. Does this sound fair? Sake: Perfectly reasonable. Then one of your friends should do it.

Paprika takes the deck from Sake's cart, shuffles the cards, then returns it a way away from Sake.

Sake: You draw first. Fawkes: One last question before I draw. Are aces highest or lowest? Sake: Second highest. The jokers will be higher. Fawkes: I had a feeling that'd be the case, somehow.

Fawkes' visor completely fills with different patterns of moving light. He reaches out and draws his card from the deck, then quickly holds it up in front of his face. Fawkes draws his card, the ace of spades, and Sake draws his own as well. Patiently, he looks at Fawkes.

it’s funny, Daedalus gets this card in a much later log for a “similar” situation

"Your verdict?" Fawkes: I assume I can only take one action, yes? Sake: Correct. Fawkes: Then I'll keep. Sake: How confident. Very well, let's flip our cards, then.

Sake reveals his card, the ace of diamonds. Fawkes turns his hand around to reveal his card as well. "Interesting. A tie. I don't think a condition was stated for that." Sake: Seeing as how we both seem to be in a bit of a hurry, I'll call it a win. You and your friends are free to go.

Sake produces two more dolls, Silky and Firefly, who return to their proper forms as he places them upon the ground. Standing up, Sake walks around to the other side of his cart, and rides away. Fawkes drops his card and quickly hurries over to the pair, putting a hand on their shoulders to steady them just in case they need it. "Phew, talk about luck! I forgot to ask how many jokers were in the deck so my probabilities were completely skewed. Are you two okay?" Firefly: I...think so? Where even are we? What's happening? Fawkes: We're back in the mirror world right now. It turns out that Azreldeh is actually royalty here, but when she refused to return with the person who showed up at our door, they turned most of us into dolls and then brought us here as leverage. Now it's a matter of challenging the people in charge here to get everyone back before they stay that way forever. Silky: S-so what kind of time limit do we have here? Fawkes: I'm not sure if there's a strict one. The only condition I know of is that if we fail the challenge, they can do...something to them before they return them to us. Azreldeh: Right now, we're trying to intercept one of the council members we lost to, or else they'll wind up handing Collin over to his counterpart.

Firefly: Wh-what?! We need to go now then! Daedalus: Well if we're done playing catch-up, then let's get the hell over there. Carrying on along the road, the group finally reunites with Sír on the border of the two districts. Standing at the edge of the border of the 8th district are three of FaWKES' guard captains; one in red armor, one in blue, and the final guard being Collin's reflection. Retrieving Collin's doll from his current resting place, Sír dusts him off once or twice before returning him to his proper form in the middle of the two groups. Collin staggers slightly as he puts one hand to the side of his head and tries to regain his balance. He blinks a few times as he looks around, trying to get his bearings again. "W-Wait, where...? What... What just happened?" The captain in red speaks out, Demo's voice muffled by her helmet. "You've been brought to the edge of our territory. We aren't technically allowed to fight you until you're on this side of the wall, but we're still allowed to do whatever it takes to get you here. Not like we want to hurt you given who you are; I'd say it's pretty convenient that you brought everyone we needed to one place." Looking in her direction and seeing his counterpart so close, he instinctively takes a step back toward Jay and the others. "W-What? How did we-  ... Look, I don't get how the hell this happened, but there is no way I'm coming with any of you." SDemo: You don't have to come willingly. You don't even need to move. Collin doesn't need anything other than himself to take you in. Collin slowly shifts into a more defensive position as he starts glancing between the trio. "Whatever that's supposed to mean. I know what it means if I go with you, and that is not happening." Shaking her head, Demo's shadow glances over to the other guards. "Looks like he's not gonna walk; who wants to play fetch first?" Collin's counterpart huffs in annoyance and then reaches forward with one hand. His hand seems to push through reality itself like a paper wall as it reaches into a dark void. His hand suddenly bursts out from mid-air right in front of Collin and grabs him by the collar and then pulls him back through. The hole in space closes back into normalcy as Collin appears in his counterpart's grip right in front of him. Mirror Collin grabs him by the neck with both hands in one swift motion and a blast of dark energy wrack's Collin's body as he cries out in pain before going limp. Throwing his body over his shoulder, the counterpart looks over to the others next to him.

M!Collin: Look at that, I didn't even have to step over the border to get him. alienrabitt: L-let him go!! Demo: Seriously? What, do you think they're gonna be like "oh yeah, okay!" and just set him down and walk off? Fuck's sake, Jay.

Summoning forth her candy cane, Demo shoulders her weapon as she stares at her counterpart. "Look, I know what'll happen if we get too close and personal, so I'm not about to try and throttle you, but this is gonna get really fucking messy if I start swinging."

SDemo: Don't even bother. We know you idiots will chase him to the ends of time and space itself so long as that Jay's with you. Why buy milk when you can get the cow for free? Anyway, you know where to find us.

Turning around, Demo's shadow takes her leave. Daedalus' counterpart glances in her direction as she leaves, then looks back at the others to give a half-hearted theatrical bow before following suit. "Looking forward to seeing you. Don't keep us waiting too long, now..."

Collin's shadow shifts Collin around slightly as he starts to turn back as well. He stops for a moment to look over his shoulder at the others. "I've been looking forward to this for a long time. Try not to disappoint me."

With that, he turns and follows the other two away. Demo: Ugh...we don't have the time to be storming some stupid castle...c'mon, let's get your boyfriend back...

The group carries on to the 8th district, Jay continuing to bring up the rear. Daedalus: This is just a constant chase, isn't it? Do you think they'll have multiple castles too? Azreldeh: Nah, they've only ever had one. Daedalus: ... They actually have a castle? Azreldeh: They do; but FaWKES can't leave it. Originally, neither could Collin's reflection...before all that weird god stuff happened, anyway... Daedalus: And uh... what exactly happened after that? Azreldeh: He woke up, climbed out of the floor, and made FaWKES regret putting him down there. FaWKES put him back in his place eventually, though, but nobody knows what he did. After all, it's pretty obvious that this Collin isn't exactly a friendly guy. Daedalus: You're telling me. He's making the old me look like a little ball of sunshine... Azreldeh: He doesn't exactly look like a pushover either...what're you guys gonna do? Daedalus: Best case scenario? Collin wakes up and surprise attacks him before he has a chance to react, and then we do cleanup. Pretty much every other scenario, though... Hell if I know? If he's still reliant on his magic bullshit, then he shouldn't be too physically tough. We've just gotta get close and take him out before he can do anything too crazy, right? Azreldeh: Easier said than done...dude sounds like a lunatic. Daedalus: What, you don't wanna flirt with that one too? Azreldeh: Look, that's not the way I want to get impaled, okay? Daedalus visibly shudders. "Fucking hell, why do I still try to mess with you when it always ends like this? You're almost as bad as that hellish swimsuit model." Azreldeh: Hahahaha! Don't ask questions you're not ready to hear the answers to, Sunny Dee. Daedalus: I- You- If you-

His speech devolves into a frustrated groan as he starts walking faster, taking the lead from the rest of the group.

LOL, idk what you expected

Giggling, Azreldeh probably looks the happiest she's been since all of this started as she carries on with the group.

The group approaches FaWKES' castle; though nobody is waiting for them outside. Despite there being no crowd, the atmosphere remains anything but inviting.

alienrabitt: ...I still remember the layout of this place...I doubt FaWKES would be anywhere else... Daedalus: Congrats, you're the new tour guide then. Slipping through the group, Jay leads them through the castle. They manage to get up about three floors before Jay slows to a reluctant stop.

Demo: ...Seriously? Save the emotional breakdown for, I dunno, maybe a few hours later, will you? They're right down the hall...

alienrabitt: ...Demo, I don't know if I can do this...

Demo: It's gonna be just like fighting every other bad guy...

alienrabitt: ...I saw your reflections, but...I killed mine the first time around; if they're back, then...why weren't they with everyone else?

Demo: Well, we're not gonna find out standin' in the hallway; let's get moving!! Fawkes: Just stay with us, Jay. We'll keep you safe if things start to get... out of hand. Taking a deep breath, Jay grabs his scarf uncomfortably as he slowly heads up to the big double doors. Letting it out, he legs go and shoves the doors open to what had previously been his own reflection's throne room. At the back this time, however, is a massive mess of machinery and metal; an array of wires, cables, and pipes intertwine and spider around large slab of glass and black steel. The screen flickers to life, a simple, large purple circle in the center; a singular eye staring down at the people intruding into his chamber. Below the screen are the three guards and Collin, who is lying on the floor beneath FaWKES' screen. Standing a few feet away from the group is Jay's reflection; quiet, somber, and hesitant, only daring to look at their counterpart in the tense atmosphere.

Breaking the silence, FaWKES addresses his company. "So you've come at last. It's been a long, long time..." Daedalus: Sorry to keep you waiting, big guy. You're a bit taller than I imagined. FaWKES: Spare me the short talk. We all know what you're here for. Let's get this over with. Daedalus: Well, he's way more blunt than the real thing, at least... SDemo: So, who's next? Or should we kick this off already? I'm already sick of waiting on you people.

Daedalus: What, you really wanna throw down that badly? SDemo: Why wouldn't I? Why wouldn't all of us? Do you have any idea what this place even is? Daedalus: I mean... it's the mirror world, right? SDemo: There's more to it than that...all of this started when that dumpster fire of a devil decided his son was too soft. As a punishment, he sealed his son away from all the other dimensions, and surrounded him with the secrets of the world. See, everything has a shadow, whether they're organic or not; living or dead; intelligent or an object...and so everything that exists in the light exists differently in the darkness... Daedalus: So... you're like our opposites, then. I had figured that much already, y'know. SDemo: But we exist exclusively to keep one person captive and torture them for the rest of eternity! We'll never see the sun, and our entire lives are bound to your own! Someone who's meek and timid down here could wrap their car around a tree, murdering a perfectly innocent person here; someone up there could kill themselves when their reflection was perfectly fine! Someone's counterpart could die in a freak accident, and their reflection would just...vanish! We don't have a choice, we can't protect ourselves!! Daedalus: I... uh... Shit, that's...

Fawkes: Unfair or not, your situation doesn't make what you're trying to do here right! SDemo: What else are we supposed to do?! If we can't find the devil that did this, we'll never leave the mirror; and if something else gets to them first, we all die!! Daedalus: So what, you'd rather we just hand over our lives to you instead? SDemo: Something /has/ to be done. If we don't get out of this mirror, everyone will die. We might be constructs, but we're alive; and we're doing whatever the hell it takes to stay that way; even if it means equivalent exchange. I will gladly sacrifice a handful of people for an entire dimension's worth of lives; can you look me in the eye and say you'd do the same? Daedalus: I don't want to kill anyone! I've got enough blood on my hands, I don't need to add to it if I can avoid it! I'd rather strike at the source of the issue rather than just keep punching down! SDemo: And we do too! But the devil isn't here. They abandoned us. Left us to kill and be killed. We only have one way out, and it is literally through you people; so either hand yourselves over to the proper cause, or we're taking you by force!! Daedalus: That's not happening. Clair and the others are still dolls, and I'm sure as hell not planning on leaving them that way. SDemo: Then we're done talking. We don't even need all of you. Collin should've gotten started the instant we got on castle grounds. Take him; we'll hold the crowd.

Drawing her weapon, Demo's reflection races towards her counterpart, who frantically counters with her own Candy Cane. Jay's reflection remains in the back with FaWKES and the true Collin, staying as far away from the fight as possible. Collin's shadow wastes no time and merges with his counterpart, causing him to cry out once more as his body trembles and convulses. Daedalus charges forward at him but is quickly intercepted by his own shadow, who conjures forth a large pillar of ice to block his path. Fawkes makes a wide arc to get around the others and makes a break for Collin while the others begin fighting. Long, thin, wire-like cables with claws on the end shoot out from behind FaWKES' monitor; only four at the moment; two lashing out like arms, and two firing bright, blue lasers from the center as the claws spin. Fawkes deploys his hard light shield and manages to block the claws, but the lasers pass straight through the shield as if it weren't there at all. One laser grazes the side of his shield arm, forcing him to turn his attention to the laser claws to avoid taking more hits. Lashing out towards his counterpart, FaWKES converges his two lasers into one slightly larger laser. In the meantime, the Demos continue to clash and shove each other away, Demo desperately trying to keep her counterpart from making any ounce of physical contact. Jay's reflection continues to silently watch their counterpart, who is currently weighing their options as they assess the situation. Fawkes deploys his machine gun from his other arm and begins firing on the laser claws as he tries to dash to the side from their attack, aiming to damage the firing mechanisms. Daedalus' arms burst into flames as he begins slinging balls of fire in his counterpart's direction while his shadow attempts to close in with an icy spear, occasionally deflecting projectiles and refreezing his weapon as he tries to close the gap between them. Daedalus looks over at Jay and the others and yells out before dodging a spear thrust.

Daedalus: Any time you guys wanna jump in and try to salvage the situation would be great-! As the claws become damaged, the wires themselves split apart into twice the amount of the previous wires, rapidly reforming any size and function they could have lost. Where there had previously been only two lasers merged into one, there are now four into two; and four non-lasered claws now attempt to grapple Fawkes.

Still a little confused by everything, Silky draws her weapons and rushes into the fray, attempting to provide Fawkes backup, while Maya draws her guns and heads for Daedalus, opening fire in his reflection's direction.

Among the chaos, Jay manages to slip over to the side of the room, where his reflection follows suit, approaching as cautiously as a deer. Barely audible among the sounds of machinery and gunfire, he speaks gently to his counterpart: "...You should go home...there's somebody here you don't want to meet..."

alienrabitt: ...Who? What could possibly be worse than what's already happening?

SJay: ...Not everything on this side of the mirror is as equivalent as you think. Even if somebody's partially destroyed, if a part of them still exists...

so I wrote Jay and his reflection’s dialogue like those cutaway scenes you see in shows and movies where exposition happens during a Big Fight and stuff; even if it happens at the same time in the same place as the chaos, it’s “separate”

Fawkes retracts the machine gun and shifts his shield arm into some form of energy cannon instead, firing electrical pulses at the claws in an attempt to short them out while Silky backs him up.

Daedalus' shadow shifts tactics and rides a small pillar of ice up into the air and then hops off. He throws the spear at Maya in midair, causing it to burst into smaller shards of ice that rush toward her, then freezes the ground underneath him as he lands, allowing him to slide back further. As Jay slowly registers his reflection's implications, Silky grabs a handful of FaWKES' cords and begins to pull him, shifting his monitor forward as she does so. FaWKES, however, wastes no time in electrifying the lines she's grabbed, which is only intensified by the armor she's wearing, causing her grip to lock as she screams in pain, but keeping all of FaWKES' cables busy.

Crashing to the ground in a roll, Maya attempts to dodge out of the way of the ice, refusing to allow herself a glance towards Silky as she continues to fire upon Daedalus' reflection.

There is a low rumble coming from the righthand side of the room that cannot be heard over the commotion, but draws Jay's full attention as he feels it. In the instant that he turns away from his reflection, they waste no time in lunging for him, making sure to force him down upon his injured arm, which collapses under his weight, instantly rendering him helpless. His counterpart, however, makes no effort to merge, and instead takes the ends of Jay's scarf in both hands and pulls as tightly as possible.

Demo adds a swift kick at the end of one of her deflections, giving her just enough distance to make a break for it. As she attempts to make her way towards Jay, her reflection shifts the Candy Cane to a harpoon, and begins to take aim. Fawkes charges closer to FaWKES' monitor and dumps as much power as he can into his energy cannon. He unleashes a series of rapid electromagnetic bursts directly for him, attempting to short out his systems and force a malfunction or crash.

Daedalus' shadow raises a wall of ice between himself and Maya, then shoves the whole thing toward her with a kick. He then turns his attention to Daedalus himself, who has turned away from the fight to see Demo's counterpart preparing to throw. Daedalus slams his hands together in a loud clap and sends a column of roaring fire toward her shadow while his own counterpart charges toward him while his back is turned. Desperately shoving herself off the floor, Maya cries out "Daedalus; move!!" before reaching for the gun slung across her back. Though she has no time to line up a proper shot; though she has no time to properly dodge the wall of ice coming for her, Maya fires a singular round, but does not shoot to kill. A singular bullet passes through the ice wall, losing none of its momentum as it flies straight and true with the very same force it was fired with. It aims for Daedalus' counterpart, and seems to move when he does, leaving a long, blue streak in its wake.

and with the parallels, Maya shoots Daedalus’ reflection with the same gun she intended to shoot him with in Lobotomy had things gone sour

As Demo's reflection starts to make her throw, she seems to lose a bit of heart as she hears the crackle of the flames approaching her, and her aim falls quite a few feet short as her armor becomes engulfed in Daedalus' flames, causing her muffled cries to ring out.

FaWKES cannot move from his position, and takes the onslaught in full, causing his cables to lose power, allowing Silky to collapse and leaving Collin unguarded.

As Demo barrels towards the two Jays, Jay barely manages to choke out the word "Why?" around his own strangulation.

A section of the wall slides aside. Somebody is standing in the gap.

Choking around his tears, Jay's reflection shakes his head as he pulls so tightly the fabric rips slightly. "...I don't want to go to the surface...I don't want to fight...everything you do is for revenge...everything you do is for someone else's sake...everything you do is for Collin; but I...I don't want to live for anybody else...if you only exist for him...if I wind up becoming a part of you...we'll never be free...we'll never be happy...this has to end...your struggle; your lies; it all has to end here...so stop talking to me, and just...just let me help you! Just let go already...! Let us both go..."

From the wall, a familiar voice speaks over him... Zenith: ...It doesn't work like that! Let him go!! Daedalus' shadow takes Maya's shot in the arm and screams in pain as he's knocked to the ground by the impact. Daedalus and Fawkes both turn to the source of the shouting. The reappearance of Zenith stuns Daedalus for a moment, but Fawkes immediately looks back down to the Jays and rushes toward them to try and break the shadow's stranglehold. Collectively, Zenith and Demo manage to pull Jay's reflection away from Jay, who rolls over and gasps for air.

Holstering her rifle, Maya abandons her persuit of Daedalus' reflection and instead tags out with Firefly, who had been staying back with Paprika to keep her safe in the commotion.

With a clear shot to Collin, Firefly rushes forth, aiming exclusively to tear the pair apart. Seeing that Jay has been taken care of, Fawkes doubles back to check on Silky while Daedalus tries to snap himself out of his own bewilderment.

Firefly manages to reach Collin and pry the two halves apart once more, although his counterpart recovers with almost unnatural speed. He lets out a strange, inhuman sound of frustration as an enormous purple spike forms over the entirety of his right arm. He lunges forward and swings to plunge the spike right through Firefly's chest, then snaps backwards and flies through the air before he can make contact as a massive blast of lightning booms forth from Collin's hands. Collin's shadow slams into the wall on the opposite side of the room and topples down to the floor face down. Firefly: I'm gonna try something a little hasty; prepare to be disoriented!

A pulse of green light shoots out from beneath Firefly; small, green circles appearing beneath anyone familiar and safe, Zenith included. Within the instant the pulse touches the walls, the entire group is teleported back to the border of the two districts, bringing Firefly to her knees. "Are...are you okay? Is everyone...?" Daedalus quickly glances around himself and makes a headcount. "I... think we all made it, by some fuckin' miracle. Anyone hurt?" Paprika: Silky looks like she's in some pretty bad shape, but Jay looks like he'll recover...

Demo: ...You...why are you...how are you...?

Zenith: Adzeth had no soul. I have no body. I'm also not tied up with all those other ghosts, so...I'm just me. Daedalus: That's... Fuck, why isn't Clair here? This is insane. So you're really just... you? Do you remember what happened when...? Zenith: I, uhh...sorta? It's weird; I know...flashes of things? I remember, well...trying to stop my...and then I remember Adzeth waking up in Lobotomy...but I saw...before that, and...

Paprika: You...you saw them make a Sephirah? I'm so sorry...

Zenith: It's such a blur it doesn't even really bother me...I just know that, in comparison to Adzeth, I'm...really vulnerable, and not very strong. What about you guys? You were getting kicked around pretty hard in there... Daedalus: We'll live, hopefully. I think Collin and Silky took the worst of it back there.

Collin: I've... lived through worse. I'm just a little sore and... really disoriented more than anything. What about Silky, is she...? Paprika: She's...a little burnt; hurt for sure, but not dead. She probably shouldn't be moving any time soon... Daedalus: That's sort of a problem given our current situation, isn't it? Paprika: Azreldeh can take her back to the IT, but then she'll be alone...I could stay with her, but if someone tried to hurt us...

alienrabitt: ...I'll go back. Don't worry about it... Collin: W-Wait, is that safe? Just you and Silky on the IT in a place like this? alienrabitt: ...I mean, it has to be, right? You've still got trials to do; better to just lose one person than a whole bunch again...

Azreldeh: You sure about this?

alienrabitt: ...It needs to happen. Somebody's gotta do it... Collin: Jay... Are you okay? I don't even really know what's happening, but I feel like I've missed something big. Demo: ...Some...really obnoxious demon had your doll, and Jay lost the trial he was supposed to get you back from. Fawkes got out of it fine, but she took you to the border and basically handed you over to your shadow as your punishment. Collin: My... doll? I'm not really sure what that means, but... I guess that explains why I suddenly wound up there. But whatever, I'm just glad everyone got out of that place okay; I don't care if you lost the... trial or whatever. I'm just glad you came back to get me the hell out of there. alienrabitt: ...Why wouldn't I? I'm always gonna be there for you. It's kinda what I do, right?

Fawkes: In that case, why don't you let me go with Silky back to the IT? It's the least I can do for her after she helped me. Azreldeh: ...Makes sense. Alright, then I'll take you and Paprika back if there's no objections. Obviously I'm gonna...have to come back here, but yeah. Fawkes walks over to Silky and carefully picks her up while his servos audibly strain slightly. "I'm ready when you are. Get everyone back in one piece, okay?" Nodding, Azreldeh pulls Fawkes, Paprika, and Silky away into the shadows, and returns mere moments later on her own. "...Right, so there's...only two people left, right? No big deal..." Daedalus: I... think three, actually. We've had to deal with four people so far, right? Demo: Yeah. Four down, three to go. So, who's the closest?

Azreldeh: From here? We'd have better luck backtracking to my dad's castle... Collin: Your... dad? Azreldeh: Yeah, the king of district 7. Collin: That's... a little crazy to think about honestly. Why did you never say anything about this, anyway? Azreldeh: About what, my dad, or the council? Collin: About you! I mean, did you think that this whole royalty thing wouldn't ever come up after you came with us? Azreldeh: ...What does it matter? I mean...it definitely matters now; but I just didn't wanna seem like that big of a deal, y'know? I mean...it's pretty rare for a shadow to be able to leave the mirror and stay out without having to merge with their counterpart; but it's even rarer to not even have a counterpart. That's what makes us demons such a big damn deal; there's nothing like us anywhere else. Collin: I... guess I understand what you mean, but- Daedalus: A princess can't exactly play hooky without consequences, can they? Azreldeh: I mean, can anyone really? Collin: Maybe not, but... Listen, Azreldeh. You don't have to keep secrets, okay? We're not gonna treat you weirdly or anything just because you're a princess or whatever. Azreldeh: Maybe I don't, but...I don't know, I just didn't want you guys getting in danger. Guess I seriously messed that up... Daedalus: I mean, technically this was that Merri chick's fault, but a heads up would've been appreciated. Azreldeh: Regardless...I'm sorry you guys had to go through all this... Collin: Well... You help us get everyone back safely and we'll call it even, alright? Azreldeh: I don't think that's how it works, but okay... Collin: Look, let's just worry about getting everyone else back for now; the blame game can wait for later. So... everyone got turned into dolls, and we have to do trials to get them back? At least, that's what I'm understanding... Azreldeh: Yeah; win or lose, they have to give us all the dolls they have back, but if we lose, they're allowed to punish somebody before they give them back. Collin: That sounds... ominous. And your dad is our next stop? Azreldeh: I hope not. He's not even on the council, they just do what he asks. I don't even wanna think about what my dad would do if he found out about all this... Collin: Well, let's uh, hope we don't run into him then. Azreldeh: Anyway, the two guys left are...uhh...Lula and Hox. ...But there should be seven...so who's...? Who am I forgetting...?

Azreldeh gets lost in thought as she stares at the ground reflectively.

I think the next one should be the remaining trials o: