{OOC} Note on Suzie's Rift power.

[superiorspectre]

Right, so I'm bringing Suzie back in, and resetting her so she gets a clean start.

That said, I'll remind everyone of her particular Rift power: the ability to see and interact with people's dark sides/"shadows". I wrote up some notes on it here in her storyline post, but this is just a quick reminder, people.

Thoughts I've had since the last time I brought her in... The closer said dark side is to the surface, the closer the Shadow appears, ranging from skulking in the background to peering over a character's shoulder to partially merged, when someone's on the verge of going to a Dark Place. And the key here is things that are repressed, things that are hidden. With demons, she probably won't see much, if anything, because their inner darkness/repression is RIGHT THERE. It doesn't get much worse that what you're looking at. Same goes for true innocents -- they don't have a repressed dark side to manifest in a way Suzie can see. Also, people who've completely made peace with that side of themselves, whether or not they act on those desires, won't show much either.

And note that the Shadows aren't always evil. I feel the need to emphasize that. They can represent anything: insecurity, a romantic streak, what have you. They're more likely to be dark, true, since we don't usually repress happy things, but not necessarily. For more info, again, there's that lovely wikipedia article. If you want an explanation that doesn't venture into psychology, have some lyrics that sum it up nicely.

These Shadows can look like... whatever you want them to, really. Like a darker, more sinister/insecure/whatever version of the character themselves, or like something totally alien. And Suzie can talk directly to them, and they can talk back to her, if you're so inclined. They're unconscious, though, so while they may provide information, even if Suzie and someone's Shadow agree on a course of action, that doesn't mean the character themselves suddenly becomes a puppet. This is more subtle than Glaysa-Labolas powers, even... The Shadow communicates with the individual they "belong" to in hunches and dreams, for the most part.

But every so often, people give in to their dark sides, do things they wouldn't ordinarily... Hey, it happens. And that is where Suzie becomes kinda dangerous.

If you want to do some Shadow-work, or have this be a Plot Point for your character, by all means, let me know and we can work something out. If it's not obvious, I love me some mindfuckery.

Otherwise, if you feel like your character's got a Shadow worth mentioning, you can just drop a mention into the tags with her... What it looks like, if it's whispering in your character's ear or poking them with pins like a voodoo doll, whatever.

Comments

[sensi-doctor.livejournal.com]

That's so flipping neat!

I'm trying to think. I know Martha has Badass!Martha, which has escaped to the surface more than a few times in the past, but it's still repressed. Along with... the whole repressed emotions from forever ago, being sort of in the shadow of Rose. But that's not something that comes up often anymore. Maybe very very unconsciously.

JD... won't admit that he's gay. XD Does that count? I think that's the only thing he could be repressing, though he sort of admitted to possibly, maybe being bisexual, but he's since... not talked about it, again. Like he thinks he can ignore it or something.

And Wolverine's shadow scares me. Deeply.

Robin's too, but Wolverine's more so.

But yeah. I'm totally up for Shadow-interacting 'n stuff.

[thepizzalord.livejournal.com]

I don't know how plot-important to her it might be, but Harry Dresden has a Fallen angel living in his head (different kind of angel) who talks to his subconscious (as well as conscious) mind and gets him to do evil things. He's with the Main Gauche though, but if he happens to cross paths with her, she'd probably see Lasciel. I can give more information if needed.

[kawaiispinel.livejournal.com]

If she ever has the opportunity to meet him.... Sark could be potentially hilarious, because he's in tune with his darkness... It's everything else he's repressing, so God knows how that would pan out. XD

God, this concept still makes me flail irrationally. XD I may be contemplating shadows for awhile now.

[thecellsiam.livejournal.com]

H'oh! I have no idea how it would ever happen, but were she to run into/interact with Aubrey... There's two fairly large things, one (the fact that xe knowingly let something kill the equivalent of a small city) fairly close and just being Pointedly Not Thought About and another (the fact that xe can get to a mental place where a city is Acceptable Collateral Damage) that xe barely even realizes is there.

Heh. I've been kind of puzzling out how to bring these things more forward, actually. Not entirely sure if I want to ruin Aubrey's brain for a little while yet, though. >.>

Also, this idea wins. By the way.

[clockwork-doc.livejournal.com]

Hmmmm, this has the potential to be interesting. Doc's Shadow would probably have to do muchly with his past in Arcadia. I imagine his Shadow would be mostly about terror -- either an image of his amnesiac, utterly cowed "Professor" self --

Or, if I wanted to be really sadistic, have it look like his Keeper, Andrew. All smiles and glee and bloody aprons. . . .

*trails off at the LOOK she's getting from Rift!Doc* Uh, yes, anyway. Dunno if they'll ever meet, but potential for much brain-breakage for poor Doc.

[elashte.livejournal.com]

Well, we know Jack's (http://adravet.net/misc/img/dnd-nightwalker.jpg). I might have Malek fetch her from the scene, which shouldn't be a problem – he keeps basically nothing suppressed. Elashte's shadow and Elashte, I think, get along pretty well; El hides some things for the sake of politeness and politics, but he doesn't really repress it. Owen and Tachi, now...

[alonelythought.livejournal.com]

Haha, verracool.

Not sure what Tesla's shadow side might be, though he represses his sexuality liek woah, so I s'pose you could use your imagination in that regard. ^^;

[clanoftheswords.livejournal.com]

Farley, Farley, Farley, where do I begin...

Let's see, before the Rift he: Betrayed his last boss to a madman who would have destroyed New York City to further his gains, willingly joined said madman in exchange for power, shot and tried to drown madman's arch-nemesis, and wound up being sent to kill said arch-nemesis again.

After the Rift: Doesn't completely trust a lot of people (considering that none of the sides have really shown themselves to be the one he wants to be on) and is terrified that his past life may destroy any chance of a new one.

I'm thinking Farley's Shadow switches between Post-Rift Farley, at its owners side with the tommygun he brought through the Rift (usually pointed at the potential enemy) when he's in "trust no one" mode, and Pre-Rift Farley (in the suit he wears in the movie), generally looking like a smug bastard, smiling wickedly, and cryptically talking about what he's done at whoever he's talking to when he's worried about someone finding out about his past. Well, either that or leering at her.

If they ever meet, she might wind up dealing mostly with Post-Rift Farley-Shadow, though, since he's realized that he knows zilch about Torchwood and their motives, and probably doesn't trust them any more than the angels or the demons.