The Demon Plot: DEATH OF GRINDING MADNESS [July Player Event]

[pillz]

Who: Ensemble production, all individuals who opted in to the plot
When: July 9-21
Where: Two inhabited planets around the Ingress
What: The demon plot kicks off, in which malevolent shadow beings, copies of existing characters, begin to materialize and harass the PCs across the worlds. Plotting post is here, and a network post will go up within the next 2 days from several PCs advising on how to end the plot.
Warnings: Violence, psychological themes, possibly past trauma, etc.

Death of Grinding Madness
The Demon Plot
(mild spoilers for The Raven Cycle)

On July 9, a demon begins to make its way through the Ingress, summoned through by a shitty teenager.

July 9-12
Harrying

It's innocuous in the beginning. A movement in the corner of your eye, a shadow through a curtain-- merely a tree. But then the shadow figures begin to emerge into full being. Black-eyed wraiths that look like enemies, friends with whom you've had past conflict, or even you yourself. At first, it's merely harrying, minor harassment. Threatening gestures, broken gestures, jump scares.

Pursue them, and they disappear-- you might even catch a glimpse of how. They melt down into black slime, racing away across floors, through sewer grates, up walls, impossible to follow. By now, the worst of the climate freeze is over, but residual ice does pose a needles extra obstacle.

July 12-15
The Violence Escalates

In the days that follow, the situation only gets worse.

Sporadic harassment turns into outright attacks. The targeting is unmistakable. The shadow beings who can speak tell cruel tales of animosity, spite, even hatred. They are as deadly with their hands or strange powers as their doppelgangers are, and worse, they're functionally indestructible. Rip off one's head and it merely reforms out of sticky black ink. Limbs regenerate just as easily. The being might dispell for a few hours, but no doubt— it'll be back, if not to hurt you then someone you know.

The Savrii begin to notice. It's hard not to. While there is hardly an epidemic of panic, the disruptions are hard to miss-- broken windows, screams, random violence. Soon, the authorities begin to open safehouse facilities at which characters can seek shelter.

July 15-18
The Golem

On July 17, something horrific begins to happen— several shadow beings merge to form a massive golem in Kauto R1. It is a grotesque, horrifying spectacle, of limbs and eyes and pulsating flesh. It reaches almost sixty feet in height. Combined together, this shadow creature is considerably less intelligent than the individual beings were. However, it is also immensely strong and regenerates just like the smaller ones did.

Within the mall, hundreds of daytime shoppers are trapped within. Luckily, they have food and climate control. Perhaps you're one of them-- or perhaps you're trying to get in to provide medical care.

In the meantime, the attacks from the individual shadow beings don't stop. Despite the intelligence exhibited by some, all of them seem mindlessly bent on tormenting their targets until they are killed.

July 18-21
The Sacrifice

On the 9th day, a network post goes up (link pending, will be OOCly forward-dated to July 10th latest) revealing how to remove the invincibility of the attackers.

And by the 21st, the remaining beings utterly vanish without explanation— unless you happen to bear witness to the events that take place at St. Monmouth.

Comments

closed to kurt;

[pillz]

No doubt, Kurt is aware of the strange bursts of chaos speckling the planets in the wake of the deep freeze. Maybe there have been attacks at the X mansion from these shadow beings, black-eyed clones threatening he and his friends. Even the Savrii have begun to get worried despite the isolated nature of the attacks. Electronic bulletins have gone out across the districts, notifying the people of government-operated safehouses.

This afternoon, Kurt is checking out one such facility, the nearest one to the mansion. There aren't many people yet. In the wake of the deep freeze, the Savrii determined to get their lives back on track. Besides— none of them have been direct targets yet. But it's wise for everyone to be aware of the resources, and of course, helpful for your friendly neighborhood teleporter to know exactly where he might have to take people. The facility is a beauty of post-modern architecture, steel and glass, glowing circuitry hinting at forcefields.

"Guten Nachmittag."

The voice comes from next to him. A boy with blue skin and a prehensile tail, elaborate scars, and eyes pure black, like oil. "They'll be safe in there, but it's not enough."

[shadowblends]

He isn't all that impressed with these fortresses they've been informed of, especially after seeing them in person. Sure, they seem safe enough with their highly protective measures and sturdy walls, yet he can't help being skeptical about them for some reason.

German-- familiar, but more-so is the voice that speaks the words. It's his own.

Kurt turns to look, breath leaving him in an audible huff, iridescent eyes broadening with astonishment at the practical carbon copy of himself standing at his side. He pivots on the ball of his foot and backpedals in almost one entire movement, right hand raising to cup over his mouth. Everything is identical, save for the eyes-- all black, no hint of realness to them.

"W-What is this?" demands the real Blue, suspicion creasing his features. Actually, a better question might be: "What are you?"

[pillz]

"I'm your Shadow," the other Kurt answers. Even his accent is the same, and the register of his voice. No creepy voice distorter effects here, pealing and booming like sinister thunder. If it weren't for his eyes, he'd be as Kurt as Kurt himself. Well, a little less vibrant maybe. Something about the way he holds himself, as if he's carring his own smallness like it's a physical weight pushing down on his shoulders, the cumulative burden of all that's happened to him in the past. "You stand against grief. Your virtue is resilience.

"And that is how you will save your friends, if that's what you want."

His gaze swings off to the side after that, and maybe that's a touch uncharacteristic too. The kind of fatigue that life wears into you. But then attention is back again the next moment and he shifts on his clawed feet, his tail moving behind him uneasily. "This is a spell. An evil spell. One of your friends cast it, and now there is a demon on its way to take what you love from you."

[shadowblends]

"My shadow," he repeats, brow furrowing further with confusion. Their similarities are so eerily alike, Nightcrawler can hardly believe he isn't hallucinating having a conversation with his reflection in a mirror. The other Kurt's stance doesn't seem to be as steady as his own, which is noticeable, though that's not what he decides to question. "Of course it is." No hesitation when it comes to his friends; he's ferociously loyal to them all and he aims to keep it that way.

Until his counterpart mentions 'friend' while explaining the situation.

Disbelief seizes him, stealing the breath from his lungs in an unimaginable way. "One of my friends caused this?" No, there isn't a person he knows on Thisavrou who could be capable of this type of plan.

... is there?

"Who?" demands the teleporter, his hand lowering so he can curl both of them into fists, eyes narrowed and his own tail twitching with agitation. "Who thinks they're going to try and get away with such a thing? Give me. A name." Threaten him all you want, but bring his friends into the fray? That definitely isn't a 'Let It Go' moment for this particular blue mutant.

[pillz]

"The dreamer," his twin answers him, shifting uneasily on his feet and leaning backward fractionally. His tail does the opposite of Kurt's, tucking down and inward, a bit startled by the true mutant's anger. No matter how justified it is, the whole thing is rather off-putting when you're the living (sort of) embodiment of Kavinsky's fear and cowardice. "Whoever he or she is. Think of the dreamers you know.

"But the Shadows won't die even if you turn on them." The black-eyed Kurt looks toward the facility for a moment, watching a couple of parents and their children move inside, luggage in tow. "They're made of hate, you see. Well, most of them. I'm not, and a couple of others. We are not good, but we aren't made of hate."

Apparently, the guards greeting the family over at the facility are making dark-Kurt nervous. He steps away along the street, looking at Kurt hopefully, that the mutant will walk with him. Even if he's unkillable, he doesn't much like the idea of an alarm going up and the attacks that would probably come afterward. The Savrii are clearly taking precautions.

[shadowblends]

"The dream—" Ronan? Kavinsky? He's not sure he knows anyone else with 'dream' powers, unless one of his other Savrou friends have misled him. Kurt stiffens at his shadow's response toward the anger, features creased with indignity. Seeing himself frightened like that hurts him in a way that he can't explain right now, so he focuses on what he's being told instead.

"What are you made of, then? If not hate, how were you brought into existence?" He spares a glance toward the families, purses his lips and turns back to his counterpart, those wild eyes dilating in surprise at the sight of the other Kurt retreating. Of course, he'll pad along like a good blue puppy boy, curious as to why they need to move away. He's unsure of the Savrii's plans with all their equipment, though he does know that they shouldn't be tested.

Not long after he follows, Kurt decides to pick up his pace so they're walking side by side, both arms lifting to tuck across his chest. Perhaps the apprehension isn't warranted; he doesn't feel like taking any chances, regardless of his shadow's intentions.

[pillz]

The dreamers. Ronan. Kavinsky. The other blue-skinned boy nods his head, seeming ill at ease but factual enough about sharing the information. His black eyes flit across the true Kurt's face for a moment. Empathy ping-pongs between them. He doesn't know what to say to allay the other boy's concern. The truth is, he isn't as strong as the real boy, that's all. He's a copy. A shadow.

"Your virtues, I think."

Despite the moderating choice of words, dark Kurt doesn't seem to be particularly tentative about his guess. "You mean something special. With how you are. You're-- brave. Even when everything in life before taught you that you should've been afraid." His shoulders bunch slightly, although his gait doesn't change. "Not everyone can do that. Sometimes the bad things win."

[shadowblends]

Guilt slams his chest like a freight train, making the breath he'd inhaled moments ago release in an almost pained hiss. Was this ... was this partially his fault? Had he done something to make Kavinsky (because he's ninety-nine percent sure that it's not Ronan) angry enough to set a demon upon them?

"Special," he repeats, letting the remainder of the answer sink in.

Nightcrawler scoffs with indignation, pausing in his movements alongside his counter-part, eyebrows knitting together in a mix of confusion and frustration. Should he let his emotions get the better of him at this time, he's sure it will come back to bite not only him, but the people he cares about, too. "They do, ja, and I'm not exactly an exception. I'm just—" Just what? "Used to enduring." Which, come to think of it, has made him far stronger than he'd ever realized.

[pillz]

"Special," agrees the other, black-eyed boy. He notices something's wrong when Kurt answers that way, but there's just a fleeting concern on his face. He doesn't pry. He isn't, of course, brave that way. Instead, he distracts himself by swinging his tail, prodding at some stuff nearby. Something like a dandelion clock, newly sprung from the recently thawed earth. The planets' way of telling them that life continues.

He looks up when Kurt tries to deny the truth of himself. And smiles a little, his sharp teeth peeking out through blue lips. He doesn't say, I knew you would say that, but he might as well have.

"You can endure, but the others will have to fight. You'll be able to help them, won't you? Will you tell them?"

[shadowblends]

Something Kurt's thankful for, honestly. There are too many emotions and jumbling thoughts for him to focus on a singular thing right now. Until his shadow begins asking a series of questions. (At least it's not in rapid succession!)

"Hold on," he insists, raising a hand for emphasis, although golden irises fleetingly glance toward that other tail before returning to those inky eyes. "Tell them what? The only thing I know at the moment is that I have 'resilience' on my side."

Unless, of course, his virtue's all that he needs. "Or is that it? I'm confused." Another pause, "I must admit, I'm feeling bewildered by this whole situation." He doesn't want to end up with another slaver planet incident on his plate and add more weight to that Catholic guilt of his.

[pillz]

"Their weakness must be unlocked," dark Kurt says, his whiteless eyes drifting again. A small group of Savrii appear around the bend and he flicks his tail a little, uneasily, and there's a tension to his scarred frame, like he's about to teleport. But he resists the urge. "Virtue must overcome vice. You must make them believe this, even though there are-- I think there are many skeptics." Faith doesn't come as easily to many of the former Moirans and their successors as it does Kurt.

But his doppelganger understands. "Your virtue is resilience. Matthew Lynch's is courage, in the face of fear. For J, there is forgiveness over resentment. For Bryan, devotion." He crosses his arms over his chest, but it only makes him look smaller, his shoulders hunkering slightly. He gives the true Kurt a ghost of a smile. "Each will have to make a sacrifice, either a memory where they did this thing, or they have to do it here and now. They have to let go of anger, resentment, grief, or fear."

A beat.

"It's not going to be easy, but you can persuade them."