July 18 [Video / Voice]

[thebestandwurst]

[Video flips on for a few seconds before Germany curses and puts it to voice. You can see for a moment there that he's been beaten up a fair bit, like he's been on the losing end of a bar fight. Bruises on his face, one eye swollen shut, split lip, split skin on cheekbone, a welt under an eye, dried blood under his nose and ear. Not looking so handsome there! And mighty panicky, too.]

[Voice]

What is going on? Why is the church burning and where is my brother? Ungarn is also not in the Communal, as well as a number of others. How many shadows have infested the city? Italien and I have just run into ours, but they have been driven off.

Comments

[Voice]

[thebestandwurst]

[considers it, but the description is accurate] More like the door running into you multiple times, even when you are already down.

[Video]

[smokeeasy]

Damn. [He's momentarily stunned. (He might also have been expecting Germany to yell at him a bit.) But presently he recovers himself.]

How'd you drive them off?

And shit, you're not still outside, are you? Heine's shadow's out there somewhere, and man you really want to stay away from him.

[Voice]

[thebestandwurst]

[distracted from answering by the news of Heine] Heine's shadow? But what of Heine? Is he safe?! [CITIZEEEEEEEEEN]

[Video]

[smokeeasy]

Pretty sure he went after his partner's shadow. ...After the whole church-burning thing.

But, uh, if I have my guess, his shadow's probably less interested in killing him and more just interested in plain old killing.

[Video]

[thebestandwurst]

Then he's a danger to everyone out in the streets, of which there is a significant number. Does Heine intend to stop his shadow?

[Video]

[smokeeasy]

I dunno, man. I don't know if he even knows it's out there. He left pretty fast. And, uh...it stopped talking on the network.

I kinda got the impression that someone ran into it....

Look man, it'd really really help if you could tell me how you drove your shadow off. Like it or not, I've gotta go out there and we're a bit thin on the ground information-wise around here.

[Voice]

[thebestandwurst]

They have to be accepted. The shadows seem to be the manifestation of our inner... [SO HARD TO SAY] grievances, fears, and other issues that we deny or push aside. Once we confront our shadows and accept that these issues exist, then they leave.

If you need my assistance, I will go and meet you. [After Klavier's psycho shadow.]

[Video]

[smokeeasy]

So I keep hearing. But, I mean, you have to figure out a way to accept something that's beating the crap out of you? That stops them mid-pummel? Shit. [He shakes his head, rubbing at his temple, but if that's what it takes then that's what it takes, he guesses.] Okay.

And uh, naw. It's cool. I appreciate the thought, but by the looks of you I think I'd move faster alone. I'm not going out there to be a hero--I see anything that looks like it wants me for lunch, I'm just gonna run.

[Voice]

[thebestandwurst]

That was... similar to my case, yes, unfortunately. Some of the other shadows are not hostile. Japan's, for example, seems to only want to talk.

Very well. I wish you luck in your endeavor.

[Video]

[smokeeasy]

Heh. Well then I'll hope for the chatty ones.

[He raises his forefinger to his brow and gives a casual almost flippant salute before he flips off the communicator, wondering how the hell he gets himself into these things.]