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EVENT: Kind Gestures and Dark Mirrors
Characters: Ensemble cast, any/all characters of Xistentia!
Summary: While F.A.T.E.S. encourages kind gestures to repair the city's shield, D.E.S.T.I.N.Y. sends their agent to sabotage everything with a virus. Infected characters turn into dark mirror versions of themselves, ready to burn the very bridges we were supposed to rebuild.
Date(s): 9 - 26 May. Check out THE MOD ANNOUNCEMENT for more information.
Warnings/Notes: Psychic influence, potential trauma, violence and upsetting themes. Please use subject header warnings appropriately!
While the confessions might have helped some, hurt looks and uncomfortable silences abound across the city. The shield over the city has started to flicker and transmit odd, geometric shadows across the ground. One thing is clear: we have to fix this.
F.A.T.E.S. has a solution. On the morning of 9 May, F.A.T.E.S. will send a message to all residents through their daemons:
F.A.T.E.S. WARNING SYSTEM
Threat Assessment: Moderate
Phenomenon Type: Shield Fluctuations
Predicted Duration: 2 weeks to Critical Failure
The psychic bomb has crippled the defense system over Xistentia. As a result, the modified laws of physics that protect physical consent within the city limits are experiencing problems. Be aware that this means mild injury from physical assaults are now possible within the city.
To repair protective functions, residents are kindly requested to kiss and makeup. Just kissing would also be helpful. Friendly gestures varying from gifted coffee or morning salutations will also be extremely helpful contributions. Your cooperation is appreciated.
In other words, it's time to rebuild bridges. Residents are all encouraged to talk, to reach out to the people around them. Do something nice for a friend, or an acquaintance, or a stranger in need. Of course, if it feels a little forced— that should come as a surprise to no one. F.A.T.E.S. is but an awkward SUPERCOMPUTER, after all.
That doesn't really work for D.E.S.T.I.N.Y.
The enemy takes the opportunity to contact their agent Ignacio, giving him instructions to plug a data stick into the Chronological Cartographer in the Temple, in order to release a virus.
During the early hours of the morning on 9 May, Ignacio carries out his mission. The virus takes F.A.T.E.S. by surprise, crippling their internal defences and spreading quickly through their system. All computer systems managed by F.A.T.E.S. suffer disruption, including characters' daemons. All over the city, individuals experience change. The infected have turned into Mirror Versions of themselves. They remember everything about their lives, but their personalities and perspectives have changed. Instead of trying to rebuild, they want to tear down everything they once held dear.
Over the course of the month, F.A.T.E.S. will be working desperately to clear the virus from their system and from every infected timeline. Daemons will continue to experience glitches, lag and crashes throughout the month.
Finally, by 26 May, F.A.T.E.S. manages to isolate the last pockets of the virus and stop it from replicating. From there, it's a simple matter to delete it from the rest of the system. Over the next few days, all afflicted individuals will return to normal.
Over the next few days, all afflicted individuals will return to normal - and then it's time to pick up the pieces.
Now feeling much more like themselves again, everyone who turned into a mirror will remember everything they did while infected. Now is the time for damage control - both for your personal lives, and for the city's defences. Xistentia is now more vulnerable than ever.
The deleting of the virus will mean a sudden and immediate change for some, and a slower, more gradual change for others. However, all characters will have returned entirely to normal by the end of the month.
You can find more information on this event, as well as opportunities for plotting, in our Event Plotting Post!
Summary: While F.A.T.E.S. encourages kind gestures to repair the city's shield, D.E.S.T.I.N.Y. sends their agent to sabotage everything with a virus. Infected characters turn into dark mirror versions of themselves, ready to burn the very bridges we were supposed to rebuild.
Date(s): 9 - 26 May. Check out THE MOD ANNOUNCEMENT for more information.
Warnings/Notes: Psychic influence, potential trauma, violence and upsetting themes. Please use subject header warnings appropriately!
KIND GESTURES & DARK MIRRORS EVENT
It's emotional warfare on a dimensional scale.
NOT SO/GRAND GESTURES
While the confessions might have helped some, hurt looks and uncomfortable silences abound across the city. The shield over the city has started to flicker and transmit odd, geometric shadows across the ground. One thing is clear: we have to fix this.
F.A.T.E.S. has a solution. On the morning of 9 May, F.A.T.E.S. will send a message to all residents through their daemons:
Threat Assessment: Moderate
Phenomenon Type: Shield Fluctuations
Predicted Duration: 2 weeks to Critical Failure
The psychic bomb has crippled the defense system over Xistentia. As a result, the modified laws of physics that protect physical consent within the city limits are experiencing problems. Be aware that this means mild injury from physical assaults are now possible within the city.
To repair protective functions, residents are kindly requested to kiss and makeup. Just kissing would also be helpful. Friendly gestures varying from gifted coffee or morning salutations will also be extremely helpful contributions. Your cooperation is appreciated.
In other words, it's time to rebuild bridges. Residents are all encouraged to talk, to reach out to the people around them. Do something nice for a friend, or an acquaintance, or a stranger in need. Of course, if it feels a little forced— that should come as a surprise to no one. F.A.T.E.S. is but an awkward SUPERCOMPUTER, after all.
Good Samaritan: Help a little old lady across the street. Alternatively, given the consent defenses are dialed down, maybe you'll catch somebody about to be hit by a falling pot plant from a higher-floor window. Time to rescue!
Grand Romance: A single rose, a bouquet of flowers; their named tattooed over your heart, or a sword engraved with the insignias of one's ancestors; a boombox held outside the window or an acoustic guitar solo among the fireflies. If you love somebody, this is the time to let it out.
Family Dinner: Whether it's blood or a found family, this would be the time to reconcile over a spread. Or at least-- to try. Funnily enough, even conflict technically feeds energy into the city; a little bickering never killed anybody. But of course, if the argument kills the relationship... that's a turn for the worst, for the city as well as for you.
Apology Gifts: If you made a mess during the psychic bomb event, this would be the time to clean it up. Write a letter, send the text, or show up on the doorstep amid pouring rain.
Wildcard: Want to make a different gesture? Be F.A.T.E.S.' guest.
Enter the Villain
That doesn't really work for D.E.S.T.I.N.Y.
The enemy takes the opportunity to contact their agent Ignacio, giving him instructions to plug a data stick into the Chronological Cartographer in the Temple, in order to release a virus.
During the early hours of the morning on 9 May, Ignacio carries out his mission. The virus takes F.A.T.E.S. by surprise, crippling their internal defences and spreading quickly through their system. All computer systems managed by F.A.T.E.S. suffer disruption, including characters' daemons. All over the city, individuals experience change. The infected have turned into Mirror Versions of themselves. They remember everything about their lives, but their personalities and perspectives have changed. Instead of trying to rebuild, they want to tear down everything they once held dear.
DELETING THE VIRUS (May 26 +)
Over the course of the month, F.A.T.E.S. will be working desperately to clear the virus from their system and from every infected timeline. Daemons will continue to experience glitches, lag and crashes throughout the month.
Finally, by 26 May, F.A.T.E.S. manages to isolate the last pockets of the virus and stop it from replicating. From there, it's a simple matter to delete it from the rest of the system. Over the next few days, all afflicted individuals will return to normal.
Over the next few days, all afflicted individuals will return to normal - and then it's time to pick up the pieces.
Now feeling much more like themselves again, everyone who turned into a mirror will remember everything they did while infected. Now is the time for damage control - both for your personal lives, and for the city's defences. Xistentia is now more vulnerable than ever.
The deleting of the virus will mean a sudden and immediate change for some, and a slower, more gradual change for others. However, all characters will have returned entirely to normal by the end of the month.
ANYTHING ELSE
You can find more information on this event, as well as opportunities for plotting, in our Event Plotting Post!
no subject
[ Hunter is being terribly rough and ready with Rafa's new thralls. Rafa frowns at the way he shoves them, making them stumble and stand warily back. ]
You had better not scratch them, Hunter.
[ He says, irritated, and then looks up at Hunter. His eyes widen a little at those declarations. Hunter, so strong and authoritative, standing up to him, commanding him. Rafa's lips curl into a humourless smile. He's full of self-knowledge right now. He manages to hold his silence until that last question, when finally he laughs, and strides off behind the throne. ]
Shane? That miserable half-breed would do all in his power to coax me. How terrible he would find all this, how disappointed he would be. His whining has held me back for centuries. But worry not! His hold on me is gone. You, I still have hope for.
[ Hunter, his general, the best fighter in this world apart from Rafa himself. The great difference is, Rafa wants this one at his side, heading his army. Hunter remains useful to him. ]
You should know. The way you just spoke to me? Yesterday, it would have made me melt against you. But I think we stay.
[ Coming around the other side of the throne, he drapes back down into it. At his gesture, one of the thralls comes to kneel before him, and Rafa crosses his feet atop his back. ]
no subject
Then again, watching Rafa for too long made Hunter even sicker.
Just the look of him was all wrong. There was no easy joy in Rafa's eyes, just cruel amusement as he took everything within his reach. This wasn't the man Hunter fell asleep curled against at night. Who brought him back from the brink of his own destruction with such a firm command and respect for those in his service. This creature before him just wanted to devour all. And the words he spoke...
He'd never been close to Shane, but he'd always envied the halfling. Shane was the best of any person he'd ever known, and Rafa had always known as much. Hunter spent centuries knowing he couldn't live up to the memory of that man, driven to depths of self-hatred he'd barely returned from over Rafa's love for that man. And yet here Rafa was, tearing down Shane as if were lower than the dirt beneath the thrall's hands.
This wasn't Rafa. Not in any shape. Hunter paced slightly as he watched Rafa. How did he fix this? He had to fix this.
He runs a hand through his hair. )
It's not a fucking question, Rafa. I'm taking you home. ( He glared at the thralls in an attempt to intimidate them, not that it would help. They obeyed every word that Rafa spoke, even if he said to slit their own throats.
Hunter moved towards the throne. )
Even if I have to fucking carry all the way there.
no subject
[ Rafa watches with dispassion. There's something almost alien about it, watching these things take place, hearing these words, watching the distress of this person. He knows how much it would have affected him before. There's a part of him that's waiting for the tug on his heartstrings that would always have pulled him towards Hunter. Instead, he feels empty.
But Hunter is far from empty. Rafa can see emotion written all over his face; upset, pain, worry, frustration, all of it. More than anything else, the disgust he feels for the show of power he's witnessing – for the thralls, in particular. Rafa had only just told him not to hurt them, but that had been expediency. They were newly made, and he'd invested time and blood in them.
Still. Like all humans, they're disposable. There's certainly more where they came from, and now he thinks he'll test his lover's resolve. ]
I never have liked being carried. [ He says, conversationally, and lifts his finger. Three of the thralls come at once to place themselves between Hunter and Rafa. ]
Escort my husband out now. He wants to go home.
[ The thralls advance, while Rafa, interested, leans forward in his chair. A smile stretches across his face while he watches. Watching him kill them to get to Rafa might be entertaining. Rafa lives in hope. ]
no subject
Rafa. ( Hunter shakes his head as he steps forward towards the three thralls. ) This is pretty pathetic. You know they're nothing against me. ( Of course, one grabs his arm and tries to pull him away. Easily, Hunter rips his arm out of the thrall's grip.
All three try to grab him and take him. Hunter stops walking and just sighs, standing still. An immovable force for the three humans. )
Call them off.
no subject
[ Rafa watches, his eyes dark. Unfortunately, the whole thing ends up a disappointment. Hunter is a statue that won't fight or be moved, and the thralls' attempts are nothing but ineffectual. Rafa sighs, and leans back in his chair. ]
You are no fun.
[ He says, and lifts his finger again. The thralls stop and draw back, each of them watching Hunter with wary uncertainty. Even now, their eyes keep flicking towards Rafa.
Rafa ignores them, and stands again. He shrugs off his jacket, a plush, burgundy number he'd picked up on the way here. Beneath it, his clothes are well-fitted and black. He steps away from the throne and towards his husband. ]
Well then, I shall do it myself. Take me, my love. If you can.
no subject
Instead, he tilts his head to one side. Crack. Then the other. Crack. He pulls his arms, working himself loose in preparation for what Rafa throws next at him. )
Babe, I love you.
( He meets Rafa's eyes, something painful rolling through him. )
Don't do this. Please come home with me. I'm begging you.
no subject
I keep waiting.
[ He looks up at Hunter, eyes softening a little. ]
Expecting it to make a change, for it to matter, like it always does.
[ He shrugs, and his expression chills again. ]
It is just not there anymore. I am glad. It was weighing me down.
[ There's a brief movement. Then Rafa zips forward, running at top speed to crash into Hunter. He wastes no time, immediately going for the throat. ]
no subject
This isn't Rafa, he tries to tell himself. Something's replaced his husband. This isn't him.
Rafa zips and Hunter's fur tears through his clothes as he lunges to meet Rafa instead of trying to dodge out of the way. The wolf, large, black and shabby, slams into the vampire at a lower angle than the man would have. It's enough for Rafa to have missed the through at least, though the momentum is on Rafa's side with the early lead Rafa got.
Hunter sprawls back, padded feet sliding against the slick floor. The tile dents and tears where his nails pierce sharply through for purchase. The wolf rushes back at Rafa, attempting to slam low into his stomach. )
no subject
Hunter doesn't let him rest for long. A fear growl tears out of the vampire's throat as the wolf rushes him. This time Rafa throws himself into the air, rolling as he goes and landing on Hunter's other side. Then he pushes off the ground to throw himself hard against the wolf, aiming for his side to knock them both out of balance.
Even changed as he is, Rafa is no fool. He knows Hunter's strength will outmatch his. He's a hybrid, after all. But Rafa has spent a lifetime fighting enemies stronger than him. Speed has always been his best asset. He uses it now, trying to be faster, never staying in one place too long and trying to throw Hunter off balance more than hurt him. In a straight fight, Rafa would never win.
He curves his fingers, aiming to drag his nails through the soft flesh of Hunter's underside. ]