War with D.E.S.T.I.N.Y.

[spoofer]

Characters: Ensemble cast, any/all characters of Xistentia!
Summary: D.E.S.T.I.N.Y. comes to Xistentia for the first time, bringing with it violence and havoc. Combat against enemy agents, healing, emergency sanctuary, and "Drift Compatibility" happen here. Refer to the OOC plotting post and the mod announcement!
Date(s): November 4-18
Warnings/Notes: Violence, death, psychological themes, trauma. Please warn for anything else in your subject headers!

WAR WITH DESTINY

By headsman's blade or battle-axe

Fight For Your Life

Everything is, in short, super fucked. Era Ra's warning came at the right time, forewarning of some of the weapons and fighting styles that could be expected from D.E.S.T.I.N.Y.'s agents, but still, the people of Xistentia have not faced a force like this before. The ragtag combination of fighting styles and tactics promises both versatility and confusion.

For better or worse, D.E.S.T.I.N.Y. is in similar chaos.

The first to come are ships from the Western sea, bearing a mix of warriors in and monsters. Some wield old-fashioned steel swords and others bear laser blasters, and their armor is just as varied. Some creatures appear domesticated, while others are feral and snap at their own. However, one primary feature identifies the enemy: their war color is red, which adorns flags and uniforms. Interestingly, the sea and sky of Xistentia seem to be fighting back in their own way, massive waves and a storm, even animals pestering them as they attempt to land the beach. However, it's only a matter of time before the mainstay of their forces reach land, some two hundred fighters. It's then that sentient fires start to whirl into the forests, leaping from tree to tree.

You have the home court advantage. Even the foliage itself seems to cooperate with you, aiding in efforts for stealth by keeping you downwind, twigs failing to crack when you misstep. Soon, you're joined by Xistentia's other forces-- a handful of battered ships taking air, an odd assortment of elves and talking dogs, demons and aliens from outer-space, coordinating counter-attacks.

BATTLE MODE: ATTACK

You're locked in combat with a woman who seems oddly familiar, though you don't know her face and can't think of her name. You hit her in the head, and now a narrow slice of her face shows through her red-rimmed helm. She wields a rifle tipped with a heavy blade, though it crackles with electrical energy. She is a proficient swordswoman, deftly parrying and striking against you, her face eerily expressionless. Her blade has a switch that, when activated, will send out a net that numbs your limbs and drags you to the floor. Here's hoping you won't face this demon alone.

She's not your only problem. You may have noticed, that in every epic battle with evil wizards, there's always some kind of a problematically gigantic elephant. This is one of those days. At least, there's only one, its trunk as wide as a car, its feet moving slow, so that it might crush the trees rather than trip over them.

Fight one or both, or fight the hordes of nameless minions around them. Either way: there's plenty to do. Those of you who thought things were too quiet here? You'll be busy today.

SEEK SANCTUARY

Fighting isn't for you? Well, you'll want to get out of the way, then. The "wards" protecting the city are failing, and people are heading toward The Temple where the protections remain the strongest. Here, the injured need healing in the stone beds. The civilians do their best, comforting children, cooking food, trading intelligence, repairing weapons and armor where possible. Feel free to pitch in; they need all the help they can get.

BATTLE MODE: SUPPORT (PSYLINK)

And here, you've reached the Temple, you've laid yourself down on one of the many glass-and-stone beds within the safety of its stone walls. You know what the other Xistentia residents have told you about it— this is the next phase, after the memory share had raised shields against the psychotropic rain. This is the PsyLink. Through this bond, you are said to be able to activate special defenses. No one seems to know exactly what they are, but desperate times call for desperate measures. And beyond the Temple walls, times are desperate indeed.

Each drift requires at least two people. Your daemons will find and connect you, seemingly at random— and you may find yourself with the unlikeliest of partners.

Drift Compatible

The Kissing Booth participants find it easiest. Everyone else-- it's a wild jumble, finding yourself caught up in a firehose of not only your own memories, but that of someone else. Everything they think, everything they feel, is intertwined with your mind.

You can't get caught up in it. You have to let the memories of the past, your predictions for the future, and the terror of war flow in and out of you, without neither resistance or pursuit, gently tuning them out. And in this serenity, this psychic silence, this acceptance of not only yourself but the other other, you find perfect connectivity— harmony with your PsyLink partner.

In this space, you find yourself having strange conversations. You and your partner will share ghostly images, some of which seem to be images from the past— while others seem to be present-day moments from the battle outside, fighting the enemy, as if you are somehow in two places at once. You must find traction and stay in the now and stay calm, but it's harder than you think.

The instant you latch onto that memory or emotion, it's a mistake... but you forget.

Your shadow is here. Whether out-of-context, or right here where it was meant to be, it's trying to kill you.

But you're not trapped here alone. Someone is calling your name, a familiar voice in the pandemonium. That voice comes from your drift partner. It's up to them to pull you back, remind you of who you are, and balance you. Hold on to them - they're your anchor, but you'll have to do the same for them. A successful drift means helping each other. Do it well, and you'll help to power the temple's defences. Fail, and there'll be trouble for everyone seeking sanctuary here.

Comments

Rafa | OTA

[mordacita]

A. Into Battle (ota)

[ Most of Rafa's Eudite friends have never seen him in battle before. They know a softer, gentler and more romantic side to him. The truth is, Rafa has spent far more of his long life either in battle, or commanding legions to do it for him. He's heartily sick of it, that's true enough. He'd been fighting for hundreds of years before his people found any kind of peace. He doesn't want to fight. He doesn't want any of this.

But it doesn't matter. It's still what he's good at, and what he was made for. Old routines come easily. In the dark, in the night, he's at home in battle. He dresses in dark clothes, the palest of which being the wolf pelt that he has no choice but to wear. That's because it gives him a power he didn't used to have.

With it, he calls Xistentia's predators to his side. The bison from the forest, the rock trolls, the kirin, even the raptors, they all answer his call.

He stands on top of a bison, crouched with one foot between its shoulder blades and the other on its head. He raises his hand, lets out an old, Italian battle cry, and they charge together - Rafa and his army of forest creatures. His umbreon, Jessie, runs along side them, the golden rings on her dark fur glowing while she throws out balls of concussive shadow. Rafa leads the bison against the giant elephant, while the trolls and kirin fan out to help other people. If you need support, call to him.

Meanwhile, with the animals tasked, Rafa himself becomes a demon on the battlefield. He's lightning quick, zipping between enemies to snap necks back and sink his fangs in. Every death he brings strengthens him, filling him with more blood. Maybe he pulls a soldier off you to drain them before your very eyes. Maybe he pulls you out of the way while one of his rock trolls takes your place, forcing the enemy back. He might even fight by your side for a while, though his speed makes him best when he's moving. Rafa may not like war, but he's good at it. If this is what he has to do, he'll bring down as many as he can. ]

B. Blood Drive (ota)

[ His glasses give him four hours of sunshine a day, and that's not enough to risk battle against what's out there. There's too great a chance he'll get caught up in a fight, or worse, break the glasses altogether, and end up burning in the sun. That's not what he's about. He saves his battling for the hours of darkness, when he's strongest, and the rest of the time, he lays low in the temple.

That does not mean he's ever idle.

He's managed, with great effort, to bring the blood cloning machine with him. During the times he's not battling, he sets up a stand in the main hall, and sends Kyd off to rally people's attention. If you find a tiny, awkward unicorn prodding at your shin to get your attention, this will be what that's about. When he's ready, Rafa gets the unicorn to send a brief message to all daemons: ]

everyone. this is rafa

i have brought the blood machine to the temple. i ask you to contact me. the injured will require a blood supply
donate, so that i can clone your blood for them and we will not run out

you have my word that this is not for vampires to feed. this is to save lives. so help me, please.

[ Then he sits in wait, and studies Kyd's maps of the area while he does. If he's not being useful out there, he might as well strategise for when he can rejoin the fight. ]

C. Wildcard (ota)

[ Choose your own adventure! I'm available for plotting at halfbloodly. ]

b

[novelizes]

[ there hasn't been much jughead's been able to do to help the war effort. with all these people and their crazy magic or powers, jughead's been left in the dust. he's just a normal human. but when his daemon pings him with a message on the network, asking for blood to help the wounded, he's up immediately. it's practically the only thing he can do, so he makes his way through the temple until he finds a strange guy with some weird contraption. figuring it's the guy who made the post, he drops his bag nearby and tugs off his jacket. ]

You're the guy who was asking for blood, right?

[mordacita]

[ Rafa looks up. He's managed to set up a little station for himself, with a table and several chairs. The cloning machine sits on the table, ready for use. There are bottles of water waiting nearby. ]

That was me. Hello; I'm Rafa. We have not met.

[ He holds out his hand, and with the other, gestures to one of the seats. ]

Please, join me.

[novelizes]

[ already in the process of shrugging out of his flannel shirt to reveal the grey "S" shirt underneath, jughead nods by way of greeting. he's a little unsure about all this mainly because of the whole vampire thing ( which he's still trying to wrap his head around ), but remembering that this is for the wounded and something he can actually do to help, he settles in the nearest chair. ]

Call me Jughead. So how does this work exactly? I mean, I've never given blood before even in a normal setting.

[mordacita]

[ Normal settings involve hospitals, Rafa imagines. He would like it to be somewhat nicer than that.

Also, Jughead is quite a name. He covers any reaction to that with a polite smile. ]

The machine does most of the work. First tell me if you have eaten today. You should not do this on an empty stomach.

[ He doesn't need any fainting donors on his hands. ]

[novelizes]

I tend to eat a lot in times of strife, so I can promise I'm not gonna pass out or anything.

[ figures he might as well admit that as he rolls up a sleeve. ]

I probably even ate more than my share, so go ahead and give me a poke.

[mordacita]

All right. Sit, please.

[ Rafa gestures to the chair, and then collects the equipment he needs. He first ties a strip of material around Jug's upper arm, and then carefully lifts the lower one to examine. He cleans the area with a pad soaked in alcohol, and puts a fresh needle into the machine. Rafa finds a vein without any trouble, and inserts the needle so quickly that the pain will barely be noticeable. Then he reaches to turn the machine on, and blood starts to flow along the tube.

He looks up, watching Jug while it happens. ]

This should not take long. Do you know your blood type? It would be helpful if you did.

[novelizes]

[ settling down in the chair, he waits patiently as the needle is inserted, not even flinching. he watches as the flow of blood travels through the tube and even makes a "huh" noise as it enters the machine. ]

I wish I did. It would probably be useful information to know, but my, uh, parents never shared that information.

[mordacita]

[ Rafa glances up at him. He thought that everyone knew that kind of information these days.

Still, they could probably find a way around that. ]

No doubt the hospital will have equipment to test that. Perhaps I can find out for you.

[ The blood flows, and Rafa leans back to let the machine work. He reaches for one of the water bottles. ]

How are you feeling? Strong?

[novelizes]

That'd be cool. It's probably a good idea for me to know that kind of thing.

[ he's feeling a little lightheaded as the blood continues to flow but he shakes it off. ]

I feel like I could really go for a burger right now.

[mordacita]

[ Rafa nods. He presses the water bottle into the boy's hand, and moves to stop the machine as soon as the bag is full. From there, it's a simple matter to remove the tubing. The scent of blood from that pinprick wound hits him head on, and he's quick to press a cotton pad and a sticking plaster over it. ]

My apologies, but this is the best I can do. There is food being passed around, but I cannot promise...that.

[ Burgers are disgusting what's wrong with you. ]

Rest for a moment, please. And drink that before you stand.

B

[drapes]

[ ...tiny unicorn. it's not as cute as a snake, but it's pretty freaking adorable, and it comes trotting up while thor's escorting a few trapped civilians back towards the temple, it's little horn tapping at his muscled calf. Once he sends them forward, covering their trail, for any enemies, thor looks down to the creature, and back to Mjolnird, as it flashes a new message across the screen.

Kyd is given a short message to run back to his master, and thor will be on his way shortly after - ]

I have much blood to spare, friend, and I'm nearing the temple with more injured as we speak.

You will need a strong needle and a firm grip.

[ his skin is sort of hella hard to break into, sorry. ]

[mordacita]

[ When Thor approaches, he'll see Rafa looking down at Kyd, who's just relayed that message to him. ]

He said I would need a what?

[ What a strange request.

But then he sees who it came from, and, well. That makes a lot more sense. Rafa gathers what material he has, and goes to meet Loki's brother.

Loki's very tall, strong, blond, blue-eyed brother. He has more than half a foot on Rafa, who looks up at him with lifted eyebrows. This will be a challenge. Half a smile crooks its way onto Rafa's face. ]

I send the unicorn to bring me back a donor, and here he is with a god among men. He sets his sights high, at least.

[ He looks dubiously at the dream machine's needles. ]

Would your blood be safe for mortal men, Son of Odin?

[drapes]

[ for rafa's bafflement, thor's all golden grins, still high from the adrenaline of battle and the exhaustion of defending this last group of refugees to the temple's sanctuary. a rich laugh comes from him, face still smudged with charcoal dust from fires and explosions, but he looks like a giddy man-child. ]

Perhaps he'd just sought out the biggest oaf likely to have the most blood to spare.

[ because he's pretty huge, but also, even before the god-like bit, thor's given healing nature means he'll recuperate from a heavy loss of blood quickly. if anyone's safe to give a good amount of blood, it's him. or loki, but he doubts loki would be so willing to donate.

as for the compatibility of it, oh. not an issue he'd come onto before, nor is it one he remembers being mentioned in their classes before. what need did they have for it one asgard? ]

In truth, I'm not sure. [ they don't really have aesir/human blood drives, you feel? there's a frown, considering it for a moment, and he tries to think back to the time he'd been in the midgardian hospital, at the start of his exile. nothing had come up strange then, had it? ] I don't believe there's anything that would cause real harm?

[mordacita]

[ Not to them, maybe, Rafa thinks. But he does his best not to let it show. Instead, he moves and spreads his hands wide, directing Thor to the chair he has laid out. ]

Well then, if you are willing. So am I. You said something about a strong needle. Let us hope my own strength will be enough.

[ It occurs to Rafa that he's never stabbed a god before. He's stabbed plenty of people who thought they were gods, but not the real thing. This will be an interesting new life experience. ]

The machine will do most of the work. Are you prepared?

[ He's going to clean the area with alcohol first, if Thor gives him the okay. ]