xistentia | 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!

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:

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.

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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[kurt smirks, despite the fact he's biting his lower lip.]

Some gods are excessively benevolent. They prefer things being given rather than getting their hands dirty.

[ Loki snorts lightly. ]

I have never heard of any such god.

[he joins in the slight laughter, although his sounds a bit more snide.]

The god I foolishly believed in before was supposed to possess qualities like that.

Oh?

[ Sounds fake. ]

Not a real God then.

[aren't they all a little fake in some way?]

Not like you, you mean?

[ Clipped: ]

There are no gods like me.

Are you excluding yourself in that statement? [because he's a bit confused.]

I am my own creature, even if I hold to godhood.

Edited 2018-06-22 06:34 (UTC)

You must be speaking of the form you refuse to wear, then.

[ Loki bristles imperceptibly. ]

What I do with my own form is my concern and no one else's.

[it's rude, it's brash and totally unlike kurt, but--]

Even if it's a cowardly thing.

[ Loki hisses, furious. ]

What would you know of it?!

Because I used to be just like you. I hated when other people looked at me, feared that they'd attack during the night and then— [he stalls, titters behind the cover of his hand.]

Then I stopped caring.

I find that hard to believe.

[ No one stops caring, no matter what they'd say. ]

It's the truth. Whether you believe it or not is your choice.

[this kurt, though? he honestly couldn't care less what other people think of him.]

Truth holds many meanings. I would not say even you are your own full truth.

Just a deviation.

I'm the truth that he couldn't accept before. The world is rubbish and it's time that lesson was learned.

To you, though, I'm simply an aberration. One that doesn't belong because I'm not the same boy.

[ loki shrugs. ]

True.

Do you know what I do to aberrations?

[a wicked grin curves kurt's lips. oh, he has a feeling what loki's getting at, but he'd like to hear it.]

Why don't you enlighten me?

With pleasure.

[ And Loki's hand reaches for Kurt's neck. ]

[all the while, nightcrawler holds steady, allows the hand to curl around his throat without so much as a blink.]

Something tells me part of you won't enjoy this that much.

Perhaps not.

But I am used to burying myself.

Do you really want to end it this way? [he spares a glance down at loki's arm, a shadow of distress darkening his features.]

Think about who you'll be hurting.

Hurting people is what I am. If I removed the magic on me, you'd be dead.

[ His touch, after all, is deadly to everyone. ]

[kurt briefly softens, forehead wrinkled and lips pursed before he shakes his head.]

You'd give up your illusion to kill me? How flattering. [oh, how bittersweet it is.]

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