Shepherd's Haven Event: Devil's Night

[devils_shadow]

Who: Damon the doppelganger and OPEN TO ANY IN SHEPHERD'S HAVEN
What: Devil has an announcement to make in the form of arson and violence. Aforementioned player plot shenanigans.
Where: Shepherd's Haven
When: Forward dated to the night of October 30th, and probably into the morning of the 31st. Devil's night, in other words.
Status: Open with some closed-ish subthreads!
Warnings: Arson and violence?

No night had ever been so aptly named.

Shepherd's Haven wasn't anywhere near Michigan, but that didn't mean the festivities of Devil's Night couldn't be spread to far and wide locales. It was the perfect night, in fact, for the creature known as a demon to remind the sleepy little haven of precisely why it was unwise to prod the beast. Perhaps the one who called him there had forgotten, or perhaps he simply thought the devil had more bark than bite.

Oh, how wrong he was.

It began with fire. Several fires, to be precise. Small at first but fed with whatever accelerant Damon could find on hand. Fuel left unguarded, dry hay or straw. Did you know compost burns very well? It does, oh how it burns. And each fire set at different locations across the town, so quickly and so close to simultaneous one might almost think that they were set by several people at once.

Or one that could move very, very quickly.

The cherry on top was a door with a fading red "X" painted on it, ripped from its hinges and set ablaze, then left on the steps in front of the town hall.

[[OOC: Leaving this fairly open for anyone to react to and have their own threads/etc. of what's happening. Separate threads will go up for some more planned stages of the event, but if anyone wants to be unfortunate enough to run across Damon while he pursues his arsonist rampage through SH go ahead and put up a toplevel and just toss in the comment header that you want me.

Have fun dealing with those fires and rampaging demon, guys!]]

Comments

Closed to Nux - you reap what you sow

[devils_shadow]

There was one in the town he'd hoped to encounter the most. That mouthy, scarred brat who had foolishly invited him to come display precisely what being a demon means. This would be the price for his ill-placed blind loyalty. Damon would be more than happy to teach him the error of his ways.

If he was even capable of learning, given that he'd already proven to have a sub-par level of intelligence. Were Damon capable of it he might have almost felt bad. But he wasn't, so no skin off his nose. The message should have been clear enough this time, between the fires and the missing door.

The boy would come.

[witnessme]

Nux is a sweet boy and a hardworking boy. That being said, he's also always been something of a dim boy. He's all but forgotten the threats from Tony's doppelganger, as well as his vows to fight him and put him in his place. That had happened and been said in the heat of the moment, and while Nux can get pretty fiery, he actually doesn't hold a grudge. He's gentle in his heart, making him better-suited to bottle-feeding lambs than throwing punches, even if he's equally capable of both.

Returning from a run to Woodend, though, the sight that greets him isn't a reassuring one this evening. The community is in fast-burning chaos, the door of his home is gone, and he only stares at the gaping entry to his cottage for a few moments before he's looking wildly in a series of different directions. People are in danger, and he has to figure out who needs help most and give it to them.

[devils_shadow]

Dim, and loud were the two traits that stood out strongest in Damon's opinion. Foolishly loud. Where Nux forgets and Tony forgives, Damon does neither of those things. And any promise he makes he intends to keep. Particularly the more violent ones. Those are his favorite.

Oh you poor, stupid boy. Remember your "X"? Damon did, he found the invitation still present if fading on the door. He's had his enjoyment mocking a few, putting a few holes in another, and has doubled back to see if the idiot has returned home. And look at that, he has! About time.

"I dropped by per our arrangement but you weren't home. Your hospitality could use a little work."

Closed to Richard - the guardian falls

[devils_shadow]

The Haven was in a right state by now. Fires roaring, people scrambling to put them out or free animals that had been unfortunately trapped in the barn. At least one foolish soul had tried to interfere so far. There would be others, but Damon only desired one.

But how best to lure a coward?

Well, if this didn't do the trick then he'd have to up his game. But the festivities weren't over yet. Now that everything is properly set ablaze Damon takes a point near an open spot in the middle of town to stand and wait. Sword drawn with the tip resting on the ground before him with his hands crossed on top of the hilt. He looks almost stoic there, calm, as if awaiting a meeting.

In a way he is. It just so happens he's going to meet someone other than intended first.

/CHEWS ON THIS POST

[brotimaeus]

"I've been just dying to run into you, y' little shit."

Speaking of foolish souls interfering, there's one stepping up right now, holding a katana with the blade turned back. Foolish he might be, but he definitely means business. When he'd first appeared, Damon had been wise to keep away from his double's adoptive parent.

Now, though? With more control of his echoes than Tony and the bad attitude along with it, Richard might have waited just a little too long to face down this particular individual.

"Clumsy as hell way to get attention."

YES GOOD COME TO ME

[devils_shadow]

Initially it would have been stupid to make a challenge and a scene like this. When he'd first been made he hadn't been nearly this powerful. But now, as time has moved forward and he's gained greater control of his abilities, greater than his original even, Damon no longer feels he has a need to be careful.

As evidenced by tonight's grand display.

"Clumsy?" He turns to regard Richard flatly, a hint of a cold smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Regardless it is effective. This hamlet has never been so lively."

Closed to Raye and Saretha - Drive the devil out

[devils_shadow]

Winded by the onset of that surprising and extraordinarily unexpected echo, Damon stood catching his breath over the collapsed body of his original. It had almost been exhausting, that rush of adrenaline and rage as the demon form came free. But unlike Tony he didn't have a mortal wound to contend with.

Instead he had precisely what he'd come for: the Devil Arm, and a new power to master. What a fortunate evening indeed for him. Even more fortunate should someone or someones of actual worth step forward to let him practice that new technique. The locals were fun to terrorize, but pathetic and weak prey. Hardly worthy of that kind of effort.

[guitar_case_vagabond]

You see everything going on here? All this shit? ... There's been just about enough of this stupid shit going on.

It had taken a little time for Raye to actually arrive on the scene, being a little preoccupied with putting her house out but and by the time she's actually tracked down the dirty motherfucker who'd started this clusterfuck she was already seething. She was looking for somebody to hurt for all this and judging by the sight she was seeing now, of some shitstain standing over that... one guy... Tony, yeah, that's it, and eyeing this sword up and down it looked like she'd found exactly that.

"Hey, fuckface!" Her voice called out, loud and angry, as she came stomping forward through the flames. Her Scissor Blades were already out and extended. "You got no idea how bad you just fucked up!"

... Would she do for practice?

[devils_shadow]

"What a foul mouth," Damon murmurs, turning in indifferent eye to the new loud interference. Of course more would come, but they were too late. He got what he'd come for, revenge, the message, and most of all Rebellion. He was tempted to finish his original off before addressing the newcomer, but it almost seemed a waste of energy at this point. Let him wallow in regret and understanding that he is the inferior one.

She would absolutely do for practice. He gives the blade an appraising once over, then points it out toward Raye in a challenging fashion. "Then show me."

Open - Encounter with Damon

[meteormercenary]

Jacob was walking home when he saw the glow of fires nearby. They seemed out in the open, and he ran towards them, trying to see what he could do to help. Of course, his magic had to be fire. Couldn't have water magic... He groans in frustration as he tries to figure out a way to get water to do the job. When that doesn't work, he opts to help anyone in danger get away from the fires.

As more appear, he runs, trying again to keep people out of the line of fire. What he didn't expect to find was a man setting the fires. At first, he's not sure how to react as he sees Damon, lighting a compost heap on fire. He starts preparing to summon his fire magic, but quickly stops, fearing that his magic could only make this worse. Shit...

But he can't just let this man continue to burn everything.

"Hey!" He shouts as loud as he can, a slight scowl crossing his features. "Knock it off!" He takes a breath, unsure of what he's getting himself into, and does his best to be prepared for hand to hand combat.

[devils_shadow]

With a matter-of-fact flick of his wrist Damon sends a splash of gasoline onto the already volatile fire, sparking it higher and more furious. He tosses the now empty can aside with no regard to where it lands.

He's aware of Jacob before he acknowledges him, almost mocking in the way he takes his time to level a disinterested, if coldly amused stare at the one-eyed man. On first glance, one might mistake him for Tony, they have the same face after all. But this man is dressed sharper, very crisp in his choice of attire. As well as his hair, kept trim and neatly groomed, quite the opposite of his original, but it's probably the expression that's the most telling. Cold, aloof, and utterly contemptuous.

Expressions never seen on Tony's much more friendly visage. "Is that the best you can do?" He drawls in a bored tone, casually dusting some soot off of a long sleeve as he turns to face Jacob fully. "Did you get lost from your flock, little lamb?"

[meteormercenary]

As the can is tossed aside, Jacob follows it with his eye. Doesn't this guy know what fumes can do if you aren't careful? He gives a grunt of disapproval. Then, Jacob gets taken aback a slight as he sees Damon's face. Tony? No. Jacob shakes his head a bit and pulls back into his scowl.

Jacob tries really hard to ignore the fact that Damon's expression sends a chill down his spine. He swears he can feel himself shake, which might be different if he could use his magic without causing more problems, but he won't let it show if he can help it. He fights to loosen himself up - you can't fight with tension and expect to win. He inhales when Damon faces him full on. The lost comment gets on his nerves a little, so much so that he scoffs a little bit.

"Looks like you're the lost one. Why are you setting fire to everything?" His tone is a little uneven, wavering. He definitely feels like his strength will be nothing compared to Damon's. He might have to succumb to using magic, just to stand a chance.

Lazarus and OPEN

[numberedshepherd]

Something's wrong. Lazarus is up late, as is typical for him, on the eve of Halloween and (incidentally) his 28th birthday. As he sits typing at his kitchenette table while the rings under his eyes darken and deepen further, however, the normal cast of moon and lantern-light is interrupted by harsh red flickering visible through his window. He closes his computer, eyes widening as he faces it and bolts from his chair. On his way out, he grabs his ice stave, but doesn't have time for shoes.

Several buildings are already in flames as he sprints across the grass barefoot toward the town hall, where Nux's door, painted with a red X, is still burning on the steps. He freezes it solid with his stave in time to keep Shepherd's Haven's largest building from catching, and he wastes no time in going inside and sounding the siren that's loud enough, hopefully, to awaken and alert everyone in the endangered community.

His mind is racing. There are important papers in the town hall, but the building is not presently ablaze, so they're not the most pressing priority. The people are, but with the siren wailing, even the frailest can do something to help themselves and get away from the fire. The animals are a different story; locked in the barn, which is burning, the chickens, sheep, goats and cows are going to perish if they're not freed. They can be rounded up again tomorrow, but only if they're alive.

He runs to the burning building, throwing open the door and doing what he can with his ice stave to beat back some of the flames. Sometimes he wins out and is at least able to douse the flames with the water when the ice melts; other times, it's hot enough that it evaporates too quickly to do any real good. He has to work swiftly. The barn is already in a panic, the animals straining against their pens, and he's very nearly trampled by them when he's pulled the latches and shoved open their enclosures. For a second, the heat and smoke start to get to him; he sinks to his knees, vision spotting, before forcing himself to stand and stagger the rest of the way outside before he can succumb.

The barn's lost, but most of, if not all, the animals got out OK. Still coughing and sore-footed by this point, he run back out into the street, searching for people who appear to need help... as well as the one who is responsible for this threat.

[solvethepuzzle]

Nathan, due to similar poor habits, is also awake at this time. He is dressed for bed, technically, in the white cotton pajamas he'd Echoed back, but he tends to change into those when it starts getting later regardless.

He hurries to the window, and stops short when he sees the flames. That is . . .

They are far enough away from his house, but that hardly means that it is a safe place to be staying. Simply because it is not on fire now is no guarantee it will stay that way. He needs to get out, find others, figure out what is happening.

It does not occur to him either to put on shoes; he is too focused on just getting out. He eventually catches the sound of coughing, and sees Lazarus rushing through the streets, the old stave in his hand. Nathan does not waste a moment getting to his side.

"Are you okay? Do you know what's happening?"

[numberedshepherd]

Moving, much less quickly, is a challenge with the added burden of trying to breathe after inhaling smoke and heat. Lazarus is struggling to remain upright when Nathan appears at his side asking about his state, determined but vulnerable. As tempting as it is to sink to the ground though, his eyes widen when he glimpses Nathan, and grabs the young man by the arm and wheels around toward the storm shelter, an underground cellar where canned goods are kept this virtually undetectable to those who don't know exactly where to push aside the sod.

"I'm fine. Don't know what's happening but I'm going to find out," he vows hoarsely, pulling Nathan along with him. "I need you to stay out of sight until I say it's all right to come out, OK?"

Re: Lazarus and OPEN

[meteormercenary]

Jacob moves as fast as he can down the road, granted he is wavering. His stamina is not in the best of shape right now, thanks to his fight with Damon. He's suffering gashes worthy of stitches along his left arm and across his chest, his shirt torn across the front. He helps those he can sees in a panic, trying to help them escape to somewhere safe, away from the demon and the fires. He can only hope he's making a difference.

He sees someone staggering ahead of him, a familiar form, and it doesn't look like he's doing well. Jacob tries to pick up his pace to a small jog as he heads toward the man.

"Lazarus!" He calls out as he catches up. He moves to set his hand on the man's shoulder. "Are you alright?" He's panting a bit and bends over to catch his breath, starting to feel a pounding headache from the earlier stand off.

[numberedshepherd]

Lazarus hasn't yet been in a fight, but he's as winded as if he had been throwing and taking punches all night. He's in poor shape and all the smoke and running have done his stamina no favors. He looks up blearily at the approaching individual, on guard because he has no idea who was the cause of this current dire situation, but when he sees Jacob up close, his dark eyes widen.

"What's happened? I'm trying to find out what I can about this, and who's responsible. What do you know?" he asks breathlessly, eyes on Jacob's arm and face tense with concern.

[lovesickkiller]

Misa has spent most of the day planning for Lazarus's not-really-surprise party for the following day. Presents have been bought and a vanilla cake topped with strawberries and cream sits enticingly in her refrigerator. She usually tries not to stay up so late (beauty sleep is a must, after all) but seeing as her boyfriend's birthday technically begins at midnight, Misa is awake. Awake, and hiding in his bedroom, and ready to pounce the moment that the clock strikes 12. Making good birthday memories has to begin as soon as possible!

Then the fires start. At first Misa thinks she must be seeing things, imagining lights in the darkness outside from staying up too late, but before long the siren is sounding and the fires are all too real. Misa bolts up, hastily throwing one of Lazarus's far too big jackets on over her lingerie and slipping into her shoes before running out the door.

She surveys the damage, sees that the barn is worst off, and heads there knowing that it's where Lazarus will be.

Closed to Tony

[meteormercenary]

Jacob's gotten a bit of his stamina back and he's trying to do everything he can to contribute to stopping the fires and helping those around him. The injuries on his left arm and across his chest at least seem to have stopped bleeding for the moment. The smoke and destruction is starting to become overwhelming. But, for the most part, people seem to be escaping alright.

Or, that's what he thought until he sees a heap on the ground; someone he recognizes very well. It stops him cold in his tracks. For a moment, all he can do is stare in disbelief, wide-eyed, afraid. He forgot how to breathe in that short period of time, and when his breath catches back up to him, he moves forward, rushing to be by Tony's side.

He kneels beside Tony. Shakily, he reaches out a hand to Tony's face. He swallows in fear in desperation. "T-Tony...?" It's a little quiet at first, and he clears his throat to say it louder. "Tony... c-c'mon. Wake up."

[oncedevil]

Others had left in pursuit of Damon, now in possession of what he was really after: Tony's sword. Tony, meanwhile, lay in a pool of his own blood. The method of awakening the sword, for that's what it truly was, had been quite brutal. Demons clearly took their methods very seriously.

Remarkably, despite the blood and a wound that probably should have almost immediately killed him, Tony was still breathing. Steadily, even, it was more like he was just unconscious rather than struggling to survive. Unfortunately he doesn't yet wake, the injury did take a lot out of him as did the recent transformation that he would later very much hope Jacob didn't see.

Closed

[numberedshepherd]

Lazarus' 28th birthday has dawned red and furious, with so many things he's built on hours of sweat and toil up in flames. While there's truly only so much he can do as one scrawny young man with an ice stave but no magic of his own, he's determined to try, determined to do something to protect the people he convinced to come here. For safety's sake, for peace's sake.

His own home isn't burning yet. He wrenches open the door, making his way to the kitchenette and throwing the ingredients onto the counter in a haphazard sprawl. All of ten seconds are devoted to assembling a sandwich in haste, slapping it onto a plate, and holding it there as he runs back out into the street and sprints toward the newest burning structure. When he gets there and sees the silhouette of someone who looks completely identical to Tony, he knows he's found his man.

"I heard you were invited," he calls, making a concentrated effort to keep any kind of waver out of his voice as he holds out the sandwich. "We try to be good hosts here if nothing else. Let's talk about this. Please," he adds, relaxing his hold on the ice stave, eyes wide in his pale face.

[devils_shadow]

Safety and peace do not exist in this world, and Damon will be the harbinger of that message. Is it cruel to attack a bunch of bumpkins in the middle of nowhere? Of course it is, and he'd have left them alone if for not one among them being unusually mouthy. You can thank Nux for this later, Lazarus.

Damon was admiring his handiwork, arms crossed over his chest while he waited for the ones he was truly after to arrive. They'd call back their de-clawed wolf at any time, of that he had no doubt.

It wasn't the wolf that approached him, but the shepherd himself. His eyes focused on the man, expression unreadable. While they had a... semi-agreeable arrangement of Damon would leave him mostly alone that debt had been repaid as far as he was concerned. The sandwich though, that's just insulting. "You are too late for appeals, shepherd, your home burns," He gestures toward the flames. "And it would appear you drove your guardian further away than you might have imagined."

Actually it's kind of hilarious. In a way.

Open - this girl is on fire

[charcoalfeather]

The rumbling of flames grabbed Rakka's attention more then anything else could. She ripped out her earphones, grabbing her heartcatch perfume, and bolted out the front door where she could easily make out at least three of the fires.

Rakka could feel her breath catch in her throat. Or, maybe she was screaming, and she didn't hear it. She didn't hear Fougere next to her, shouting... words. He looked frightened, so did she.

"Hurry. Hurry!" A mantra in her mind, she bolted down the stairs and into the town. She searched until her investigating bore fruit: one of the fires set up. Rakka didn't freeze up. She pulled out the extinguisher she grabbed from the house and let loose on the flames. It would put out a good amount of it... but would it be enough?

Aftermath- Open!

[verweiledoch]

Part of being an emergency responder for so long means that Johann has nearly a sense for when he'll be needed. Rumblings of trouble in a remote Numbered settlement have reached him, and though he'd never used a teleporter before, he'd gotten to Gateway's and taken it directly to Shepherd's Haven with as many medical supplies as he could carry. They'll probably need a helicopter to get the more seriously injured people to a hospital in Woodend or Christchurch, but he can at least provide assistance on the scene.

There are still fires burning when he arrives, but the biggest risk of danger seems to have moved on along with the village's attacker. His long legs stride purposefully toward the trouble, listening for sounds of distress, pain, cries for help. He's attuned to all of them, even stifled whimpers or the heaviness of trying to keep agony out of a voice.

"I'm a doctor!" he announces to anyone he comes across. "Elevate that! You, who can move, please help get them to that larger building. I need water, any bandages or antiseptic you have on-hand. Hurry!"

Anyone who is still out in the open and needs help gets him hastily kneeling by their side. "I know you're afraid, and I know it hurts, but I'm going to help you. Deep breaths, stay calm. I've seen full recoveries from worse. It'll be OK."

[brotimaeus]

How he hadn't lost consciousness was a complete mystery to him, but it might have been better if he had. He had no idea how long he'd been lying there, pinned to the ground like a bug with a cold kind of numbness spreading through him from the centre of his chest, but it felt like an eternity.

Faust's voice came to him as if through water - fuzzy and distant. He reached a hand with shaking fingers across his chest to touch the metal sticking out of it not for the first time, every quick and shallow breath catching in his throat. His first thought, however, when the young man knelt down by him wasn't for himself. He still had the smell of burned flesh seared into his senses.

"Laz-Lazarus and-- Misa. Where--?"