EVENT: Kind Gestures and Dark Mirrors

[spoofer]

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!

Comments

[shadowblends]

[kurt'd been perfectly content with their intimacy before, all wrapped up in one another and snuggled close. he's not opposed to the sudden change, but the astonishment that follows is another story.

an observant glance is spared toward kavinsky's hand, following along until he's pulled further in, breath hissing between his teeth out of surprise. somehow, he'd let this fledgling catch him off-guard, actually let himself get figuratively (maybe somewhat literally?) swept up and tipped backward. he lowers one arm then settles onto his elbow after the shorter brunet has eased them down, relaxing against the more solid surface, softened by the comforter that'd been laid out.

his fingers wrap around blanket and shirt, clutch tight as kavinsky pitches over him, equally dazzling eyes focused on the other boy's.] As a heart attack. [what an awful comparison. nightcrawler flicks his tail around, slinks the tiny point across kavinsky's spine then pouts.] Do you not believe me?

[pillz]

[there's a part of kavinsky that wants this very much. a not inconsiderable part. a huge part. you may colloquially refer to this part of him as 'a boner.' (which is huge.)

but he stares at kurt, and knows—- he knows. it's funny to joke about, whatever's happened to kurt, but in real life, getting your shit mind-controlled so you expose all your uncomfortable scars and are willing to spread them on a rooftop for a baby vampire is— going to make for an uncomfortable morning after, kavinsky's sure. or week after. however long this fuckery lasts. and at twenty two years old-- shit, is he twenty two now?— he's at that age and a place in his life when that's going to get in the way of his own morning-after. week-after.

he's old enough now, to be familiar with regret. being able to predict regret. wanting to, you know, maybe do shit that he won't regret.]

I didn't need a fucking mirror, [he says.] I liked who I saw.

[and with that, he leans forward-- smushes a coarse kiss onto the mutant's cheek. then pulls back, his shoes scraping.]

[shadowblends]

[and that's the part of joseph the clone was hoping to win over. this kurt could reach out, be super vulgar and grab kavinsky by the crotch, whisper something really dirty to make sure he'll hang around— except, something in the back of his mind urges against that, makes his hand hesitate near the dip of kavinsky's waist and tells him: no.

so, he stays, stunned into total silence and stillness for a brief moment, even after a kiss is messily dropped against his cheek.

before the dream thief can get too far away, kurt's hand finally snaps forward, catches him by his shoulder as he draws up enough to whisper beside his head:] Thank you. [for showing restraint, for knowing it wasn't him, for stopping him.

then he lets go and drops back onto the blanket, hands clasping tight over his belly, giving the vampire his chance to get further away.]

[pillz]

[there's the briefest pause, a backward glance, the shadow of a smile. he hadn't flinched when kurt reached over and touched him. there's nothing to be disgusted at. kavinsky's personality, his mind, has been hijacked by much worse than what kurt acts on now.]

Guess it says something pretty fucking a'ight, [he calls,] that looking out for me looks a lot like looking after you.

[the tip of his fang glints in moonlight. he hasn't cleaned up the picnic materials— which is merely irresponsible the way he always is. maybe he'll come back for it later, but it's less certain than the surety that he will come back for kurt, sooner than later.

and in a blink, he's gone.]

&end

[shadowblends]

[his own lips twitch upward, the faintest hint of a smile while he clutches his hands tighter and when he can't hold them there any longer, they grip the dainty chains spreading across his chest, twist tight like some bizarre form of restraint. at the very least, he can be grateful that his legs aren't trying to move, too.

an abrupt bark of laughter is the answer kurt gives, head shaking, vigorous enough that it musses his hair, tumbles the strands across his forehead. for a minute, he almost feels like himself, but almost won't cut it.] I'd say so!

[kurt isn't sure kavinsky heard him or not, what with his vampire senses, although he has a feeling the point was made and knows the other boy will come back. if not for him, then for all of the things he left behind.

until then, he lays stock-still on the blanket, hardly even flinches when his fuzzy-looking daemon comes up to lay across him. unbeknownst to him, she'll look totally different the next time he opens his eyes and is himself once more.]