2014-06-24 - Now You See Me...

Title: Now You See Me...
Summary: Soular, executive of Labyrinth, initiates his first plan to gather Misery Energy for the Sorrow Gauge, and targets the purer sorrow of children to do so. However, it's not what they love that keeps vanishing...
Who: Soular, Nakewameke, Madoka Kaname, Tatsuya Kaname, Mytho, Fakir, Mei Akatsuki, Momo Akatsuki. (Thanks to Madoka/Mytho and Mei for contributing their respective vignettes!)
Where: Across Tokyo
OOC - IC Date: 06/24/2014 - 02/02/2014

Moonlight illuminates the darkness through wide windows as a smirking young man with long, dark hair and a white jacket strides through a toy store, despite the CLOSED sign on its front door. He chooses hallways and corners without hesitation.

"According to my research of this world's humans, children are considered the future," he says aloud to the night air as he walks. "Yet according to the same research, children are often ignored, dismissed, and not taken seriously. In that case, the best way to fill the Sorrow Gauge quickly is to target those children, whose sorrow is purer, in ways that trouble them and those around them, but don't cause those around them to take action. For example..."

One last corner later, and he faces the display he had sought out: a fancy jack-in-the-box, handle gleaming in the pale light. "...by frightening them in ways their elders refuse to see."

The young man presses his palms together, twists them against each other, and then spreads out his arms. "Switch Over!" he calls as he does so, and his jacket, shirt and slacks are instantly replaced by a black uniform, W-shaped cloak, and clawed shoulder guards, while his hair turns silver and free. He repeats the motion with his hands, but this time separates them only far enough for an orb of light and a deep green diamond to appear between them.

"Nakewameke," calls Soular, Executive of Labyrinth, "obey my command!!"

An instant later, the diamond strikes the jack-in-the-box, which is swallowed up in a whirlwind of obscuring steam. When it strips away seconds later, it towers over the tall man, its spring elongated, the eyes of its jester-like face bulging, the ring around its box glowing with a faint light under which the green diamond is set. "NAAAKEWAMEEEKEEE! JAAKU JACK!" it calls, bouncing up and down.

Soular looks upon it gravely. "Let's begin the experiment," he decrees. "Nakewameke!"

With a single smooth swoop, the Nakewameke dives back into its box, which in turn melts into the floor until only the illuminated square can be seen...

==

"'Doka, DOKA!" squeals Tatsuya Kaname, bouncing up and down on his sister's hospital bed. His chubby fists flail frantically at her chest. It's just the two of them in the room right now, plus the beeping machines; Junko and Tomohisa have stepped out for a badly needed caffeine resupply.

Well, Tomohisa's having caffeine, anyway.

Madoka groans the groan of someone who was smashed through a wall only to land on concrete covered with broken glass. "Rehh...? What...?"

"OOK!"

Squirming so that his head is under her chin, the little boy points at the corner of the room. Madoka squints at it through eyes hazed with painkillers. "Mmmm-- there's nothing there, Ta-tan..."

"'DOKA OOK! OOK, 'DOKA!" Urgency enters his voice, the franticness with which he points.

"Stoppit, Tatsuya, you're giving me a headache..." She wraps her arms around him gently, pulls him close, and tries not to notice or care that they're shaking. "Let's... take a nap..."

==

Mytho's golden eyes are as totally expressionless as his voice, as he moves from his spot for the first time in fifteen minutes, sitting upright on his dormitory bed.

Fakir looks over at him sharply, his dark brows drawing together across his nose in a preemptive storm cloud of disapproval.

"Fakir," Mytho murmurs, tilting his head very slightly to one side, his extraordinary eyelashes drifting to tickle his cheekbones in a slow, vaguely confused blink, "What is that?"

"What is what?"

"That," the Prince who has lost his heart repeats, extending a hand to point at a shadow beneath the window, where something waits, staring at him, staring at him with hungry eyes.

"There's nothing there, idiot."

"But--"

"--Just go to sleep and stop thinking of stupid things. Honestly, you're such a pain in the ass."

Obediently, Mytho pulls up the covers under his chin. But he can't stop thinking about what he saw... and what he sees again, on the ceiling, whenever he opens his eyes.

==

A high-pitched shriek rings through the Akatsukis' tiny apartment.

"For goodness' sake, Momo! You're going to wake the neighbors!" The bedroom light snaps on to reveal the pink-haired first grader curled up under her blanket, quivering and sniffling.

"Th-the shadow monster was in my closet ag-again," she stutters, pointing at the slightly opened door. "He jumped out at me."

Mei looks to the closet and sighs heavily, walking over and throwing it open wide. Inside is nothing but her usual clothes, her spare hat for her uniform, and some toys that she'd shoved to the back while 'cleaning up' her room. Nothing else -- certainly not a monster. Mei hmmphs.

"This is the second time tonight, Momo. I told you, there's nothing in here," she gestures to the closet's harmless contents. "If you're so scared, shut this door when you sleep."

"I did! He still came after me!" Momo yells, her small head peaking out from under the covers.

"Well, obviously you didn't, because it was open when I came in here."

Momo's eyes tear up, and the little girl begins crying in earnest. "You're so mean! I want to sleep with Mom tonight!"

"Mom...needs her rest," Mei says, shutting the closet door hard. "Go back to sleep, Momo. Trust me, there aren't any monsters in here."

The moment Mei leaves the room, a sharp-toothed shadow, put into relief by a square of light on the floor, grins at Momo from the closet door. With a strangled wail, she dives under the covers and, using the defense mechanism of children everywhere, pulls them back over her head.

==

Impassively, Soular surveys the city from the roof of the toy store. Next to him, the illuminated square brightens, and the Nakewameke pops out, box and all, leering down at the populace with him. Though he is nowhere near home base, the Labyrinth executive senses the slow drip of Misery Energy into the Sorrow Gauge. "The experiment, it seems, is a success," he observes.

A cruel smirk crosses his handsome face.