victory_road | Event: The Reveal Glass

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Event: The Reveal Glass

Across the Pokémon world, characters may have spotted a falling star last night. Or at least, one would think that's what it was: a naturally occurring phenomenon, rather than a legendary artifact. Specifically, the Reveal Glass fell to earth during a fight among a group of legendaries started by the return of a long-lost family member. But it's probably best to leave them to handle all that themselves, while your characters deal with other consequences.

The Reveal Glass shattered upon impact, and the shards scattered throughout Kanto, Johto, and the Sevii Islands… And made their way into the hearts of your characters. But bleeding isn't the concern here. Instead, the impact will hit when a character first looks into any reflective service. An eerie feeling hits them as they're transported to the Mirror Dimension.

While this realm can be many different things for different characters, one thing is always true: It is a place of honesty, where true selves are revealed. Those struck by a shard will find themselves facing truths they are no longer able to hide, and now must accept. Fortunately enough, even those who haven't been struck will be able to enter the Mirror Dimension during this event via a reflective surface to offer help. By the end of the 29th, things will return to normal. Characters will be back in the usual Pokémon world and their hearts will be rid of the shards, but time is strange in the Mirror Dimension, and the experience may feel like it goes on far longer than a day. Or, maybe that's just the emotional exhaustion.

The Reveal Glass plot is here. You can swing by the event info post for additional details and FAQ, and play out your characters’ enforced therapy on this post. As with most VR events, this plot is entirely optional and your characters don't need to take part at all.

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"For you...?"

This isn't something that's occurred to him. For a while, he looks over at the fractured pictures. Hesitates. Almost seems to shake his head.

His shadow shifts. It seems to guide him to one side. To allow Mando room to try.

"Yes. You can try." His shadow seems to think it will help.

"Thank you."

Mando steps up to try and move the pieces, but not before taking Shadowmaru's hand and giving it a squeeze. Then he reaches up and starts toying with the different pieces.

It's not long before a pattern emerges. Mando doesn't consider himself a particularly smart man, but he trusts his intuition, and it only takes a few minutes of playing with the pieces before he knows what he wants to do with them. Once he gets the idea in his head, his hands start moving faster, rearranging the pieces with more confidence.

After awhile, he steps back, satisfied. "There."

In all the pieces, wherever he's standing, whatever form he's in, Shadowmaru is pointed towards the centre. There's a circle of images of Shadowmaru, both robot and human, and then a ring of all his friends and family members surrounding him. Robots stand beside humans, beside goblins, beside Fraggles, beside Mandalorians, creating a protective ring with Shadowmaru at the centre.

He returns that squeeze, somewhat distractedly. It's still hard to believe, sometimes - the human at his side chose an AI, and so fervently.

It might not be long for Mando, but for the supposedly advanced AI, it takes quite some time. He can see there's something. It's nagging at him. But his brain, his AI, doesn't seem to want to completely process it. Or it doesn't want to. He recognizes all of the individuals, of course... but...

"All of you are my friends, of course." Somehow, his shadow shifts again, seeming to shake its head. "And - more. In your case."

But why the formation...? "You're all...? I'm sorry. I don't understand."

"Look who's in the middle."

Mando lifts one arm and points, first to one part of the collage and then another.

"You fit in because all of us chose you. You're our friend, or..." and here he catches and squeezes Shadowmaru's hand again. "Something more. At the centre, it's you. Whether you're in a robot body or a human one. It doesn't matter. All that matters is you."

You fit

He fits. With these others? With these living beings - and these AI. That's hard to fathom. It's hard to process. Both sides, both halves of himself, are grappling with the notion.

Something more - has him ducking his head, while squeezing back in return. His shadow shifts, seeming to reach out, to lift his head. And when it does, when Shadowmaru raises his chin again, his face is whole. It flickers back and forth between the two forms, but it is whole.

"You chose me." He sounds choked up. "I've tried to - understand what we spoke about. Combining with all of you. But it's - it's been hard."

"I know." Mando waits patiently as Shadowmaru processes all this, standing beside him and holding his hand. "I know it's hard. But it's never stopped being true."

Facts are important, and the facts on the wall before them speak for themselves. No matter what form he's in, no matter how he does or doesn't combine with other AIs, Shadowmaru has made a life for himself, has found a family. He did all that on his own, made his own choices, created his own reality.

"And I'd choose you again." This time, Mando steps in closer, and loops his arm around Shadowmaru's waist. "We combine."

Try to live your life some more

Then... he's doing it, isn't he? Doing what he'd promised he would. The promise sworn deep beneath the crushing waves. He was doing something right. And, to add to it, there is a human standing at his side. Agreeing, as few others ever did, that they have hearts. They have lives.

They are people, worthy of choices.

He pulls away, ever so slightly, releasing Mando's hand. But only so that he can turn to face him properly. Place his free hand on the side of that helmet - to lean in for a head bonk.

"And I would choose you."

It's exactly what Shadowmaru is doing. It's one of the reasons Mando is so proud of him.

"Good." Mando leans into the bonk. "Because now you're stuck with me."

Don't think he didn't notice all the pictures of himself up in those shards, buddy!

"I think... I'm quite all right with that."

The Mirror Dimension has softened, the more they stand like this. The more Shadowmaru leans into the support, the acceptance, the affection, things begin to shift, for the better. The broken edges of the pictures turn softer, more like normal puzzle pieces. The imagery of Shadowmaru blends - tall as his robotic fellows when he's pictured with them as human, the size of humans when he's robotic.

"I'm very all right with you."

"You better be, if we're buying a house soon."

Mando lifts his head, noticing the pictures changing around them. He touches Shadowmaru's chin and gently turns his head. "Look."

Looks like the Mirror Dimension is getting with the programme. Some of the puzzle pieces are starting to slot together, making a uniform collage.

"A house... you intend to fix up, on your own."

There was more to that teasing. More sappy words. But his head is turned, and he lets it happen. The look of surprise and confusion on his face speaks volumes.

"It's - changed. That looks much better."

"That's how it was always supposed to look."

Mando is just going to ignore Shadowmaru's doubts about his house fixing abilities--he fixed up the Razor Crest all the time, it can't be any harder than that, right?--and focus in on more important things.

"You're seeing it the way everyone else does now."

"Everyone else..."

His eyes flick over the assembled imagery again. And again. Landing back on Mando, in the end.

"You are very. Very good at this." At these pep talks they always seem to have. And maybe now, he'll have something to hold up against the doubts. Finally. Thanks to this human being.

One who loves him.

"Thanks." Mando has never considered himself a particularly smart man, but maybe he's good at this more emotional stuff. A few years ago, he wouldn't have considered himself good at that either! It's amazing the difference some time, a few Pokemon, and not having to constantly scrape for survival can do for a person.

He leans in for a side head bonk. "Who knows? Maybe the next time one of those weird weekends comes along, I'll be able to turn into something better than a boat and we can combine."

Congrats, Mando, you've just suggested what's basically mind-melding-partnership. His eyes widen, absolutely touched.

It doesn't work out very well, but good grief is he ever going to try to smooch that helmet like he's smooching Mando right on his mouth. Too carried away with the whole thing to really think that through, but frankly, he doesn't care. He's too happy.

But are they drift-compatible? That's the real question.

Mando startles when Shadowmaru dives in, but then he laughs when he realises what's going on. "Easy, easy, that can't feel good." Beskar stays cool to the touch almost constantly, so it can't be fun to smooch! "Besides, what if I'm a boat again? You'll end up being a police car sitting on a boat or something."

Because the idea that they won't be able to combine hasn't even occurred to him. Obviously they'll be able to combine now! They're buying a house together! That certainly means combining is the next step!

They will be, so help him, they will be.

"It's you. It feels perfectly fine." That's his logic. He's too elated. He's too happy - to care about anything like cold. The idea of a car on a boat makes him shake his head. No, that won't happen. Not after this. "This world wouldn't dare do that, not after this."

He'll personally fight Arceus if he has to.

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Event: The Reveal Glass

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WOW RIGHT FOR THE FEELS

bwahahaha it's been awhile since we've done this

TOO LONG

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they're so gross

these absolute SAPS

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