faderift | [Closed] Player Plot: Desire Demon Possession

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[Closed] Player Plot: Desire Demon Possession

WHO: Kain Highwind, Inessa, Anders, Rydia, Bruce Not-Banner and James Norrington
WHAT: Backstabbing, temptation, demon-slaying and bad endings. Kain has come back to the area and brought a “friend”! OOC information is here
WHEN: Forward-dated to September/Kingsway 8th
WHERE: Mountains outside of Skyhold
NOTES: Contains violence, betrayal, eventual character death. Also, there’s no need to keep a specific tagging order, just keep things moving and jump in whenever! :)

It had been a good month so far. Kain had explored a great deal, seen some incredible lands and creatures, and overall gotten closer to clearing his head. He’d started even somewhat enjoying himself as he camped by night and traveled by day, unburdened by other responsibilities. But, eventually, he had to return. He had sworn his loyalty to the Inquisition, after all. He still had his redemption to work toward. So he’d started heading back in the direction of Skyhold.

Unfortunately, he’d been in the wrong place at the wrong time when a rift erupted. He’d started dealing with it… only to get overpowered by a desire demon. The creature remembered him from his trip to the Fade and was ready with temptations that overwhelmed him. Kain couldn’t stop it, not when the demon reminded him of what he truly wanted, deep down… to be stronger than Cecil, to be better overall, well admired and respected… and to have Rosa, all to himself. It was the Rosa illusion that really broke him. His love for her had been his downfall once before, and now it is again, in the worst possible way.

Claiming Kain was all too easy for the demon after that. All it had to do was dive in and take over the reigns. Kain’s mind was weak from his past experiences, all too open to being controlled by another. From there… the demon started testing out the limits of its new form, forcing Kain to do its will, exploiting his abilities alongside its own.

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The demon had lent him considerably more strength, pushed him physically past the limits of his human form. It had been far past where he'd ever have been able to push himself, even as a reaver who thrives on pain. Now he's paying the price for it. Paying the price for failing and becoming a puppet yet again.

There's nothing that doesn't hurt at the moment. The pain is head to toe, his body bruised and bleeding and broken. Kain grimaces, waiting to feel the usual relief of healing magic. But so far, Bruce's first attempt doesn't seem to be even touching it. Right, he's been in bad shape before... this can't be any different. He's a little concerned at the moment, but he's willing to trust in the healers. They have plenty of them here, after all.

"...what have I done...?" His trembling voice is thick with guilt, his breath unsteady and harsh.

Likewise as exhausted as Bruce, Inessa makes her way over after healing a limping Garahel. Her own wounds aren't significant, and she's not about to bother with them at the moment, when Kain needs to be the focus. Looking him over, she visibly winces upon noting the damage done. Plenty of that was her own doing, and while she hadn't hesitated then, it's different, seeing him like this now. At least that demon seems to be driven off.

She sighs and crouches down by him, gathering the strength for another healing spell, though compared to Anders, her own skill is a paltry thing. "Just stay still, please. We'll help as much as we can." But peering at his current assortment of wounds, she wonders if this is too much even for a Spirit Healer to handle.

James was in considerably worse shape than the others. He pushed himself off the ground with his sword, holding his shield closer to his body from where he had basically sizzled against his skin and body as if he was a human equivalent of a giant tree hit by lightening.

He limped over, his expression tightening before he called out. "Anders! We need you - Kain is still alive." Barely, but he was still alive.

It's not the first time Bruce has tried to heal such extensive wounds and the memory of his attempts--he banishes them away before they cling on too much and tries to focus on the now. Surely after all those times...

"We can talk later. Just focus on breathing." The words are gritted through clenched teeth as Bruce pulls out whatever he could from inside himself - not as much as he had hoped, since it was still too soon after the battle. But he tries anyway, a fuzzy green glow on his hands as he presses them lightly on the most extensive wound in his reach and attempts to seal it back up.

Kain winces in agony and groans, the pain all too evident in his expression. When he'd gained his new powers, he'd gotten a better tolerance for most pain but... not like this. Not even close to this.

"Later..." He's not even sure how he can live with himself after what he's done. His mind is even more ruined than before. The demon has left a disturbing hollow feeling behind. He's also disgraced himself and his family name, which means he has too much to do now, to redeem himself... It's why he has to live, despite everything else. He's getting a little more worried, but... he's been through some bad injuries, he's always come back. "Later I... I'll atone. I promise. I will. I... I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

He starts coughing then, violently, bringing up blood. The magic they're casting is still barely touching the gaping wounds.

He's hurting, bruised, half-spent as well, but he's a healer. It's not just his gift, it's so much of who he is and what's important to him, so when he finally manages to stagger over, he lands on his knees next to Inessa, Bruce and Kain and starts casting. There isn't much left that he can do. With a spirit... It's not the first time the thought has occurred to him, but this is the first time it's been this urgent.

"Breathe, Kain. It's all right. We know." He especially does, and Bruce might too. Maybe. Anders isn't sure. It doesn't matter right now. "Just breathe." He starts working on other deep wounds, trying to stop the bloodloss, but they're not making a dent in it.

"None of us blame you." He doesn't have a lot of strength right now, but at least he can try to build up Kain's morale, and give him a slightly better chance at surviving this.

As Anders gets to work, and his efforts are for once not enough, Inessa's heart sinks. They're too late to save him, as she had feared from the start. At least they got rid of his puppetmaster, but it's still a hard thing to watch him bleed out on the ground despite efforts. She sighs and bows her head.

"Just focus on the fact that you're free now. You don't have the demon dictating your actions, not any longer."

"I sh... should..." He pauses, to cough, bringing up more blood. His breath is shallow and it takes him a moment to catch it enough to continue. Breathe. Right. Just breathe. He's trying to do that, focusing on that breath, fighting for it as much as he can. "...thank you. All of you. For freeing me." It means more than he can say that he's got his mind back intact. What he'd been through was his worst nightmare. He'd even once tried to make his friends back home promise to kill him if he were mind controlled again, so really he doesn't blame anyone for what they had to do.

"I promise... I'll stay in the healing tents for however long... if I just survive... please..." It's a desperate plea, a bit of bargaining that he knows deep down won't make a difference. Even with Anders' magic added to the healing, it's not working. The horrifying truth is that he feels worse, not better. It's sinking in but he's finding it hard to believe. So many other times, he's been brought back from the brink of death. Why won't it work now? He can't die yet. Not now. Not when he has so much yet to achieve. Not without redeeming himself. He can't, he can't, he can't.

There are a lot of things that Bruce can say right now, honestly. But most of them really won't help at all, and Bruce isn't one who likes to give others false hope. Highwind of all people doesn't need that now, not after what he's been through.

He doesn't think of anything else but doing his best to attempt to get Highwind out of the danger zone, trying not to be bothered by the lack of success. Soon, he tells himself. Surely there'll be something soon. There has to be.

"We'll do our best, but you need to focus on breathing." His voice is terse and strained, the mana exertion already starting to wear him thin. Not even his quicker regeneration is going to help here - he's spent far too much. "Just keep your mind focused on that."

"And we're not punishing you. I swear. We're doing what we can." He actually glances over at Bruce now and sees how drained the man is, the only one with something else powering him.

They're going to fail, he realizes then. Neither he nor Inessa have spirits to draw on, Rage isn't doing enough for Bruce, and Kain is too injured. They all did their job to bring him down, and they did it too well. But any less, and the demon would still be a threat.

Anders shifts his efforts from trying to stem the blood loss to easing pain and breathing. They can at least make sure Kain doesn't suffer too much more as he goes.

"You're free, as Inessa said." No one is angry, and Kain is free. That's what's important now.

Kain nods to Anders, acknowledging that he understands and knows they're doing everything within their power to help him. He knows. He trusts them, in his Kain-way. He tires to keep breathing as Bruce suggests, one breath after another, but each one is a little harder to take, and each one sounds a little harsher. His face is terribly pale, the skin clammy. Any help right now to ease the pain is much needed and appreciated.

He's felt this way once before, after he fell in the manikin battle. It's painful to accept, but... this is it. He's dying. He can keep fighting it all he wants, but it's a battle he's starting to realize he can't win.

"I wish I could... repay you for freeing me..." They had saved him. No matter how it ends, they'd saved him from the worst fate imaginable. "Wish I could... return to Skyhold. Wish I'd gone back sooner. I never got to- to tell anyone... farewell..." He'd left abruptly, needing to get his space and time alone. He hadn't said anything to anyone when he left, but he always intended to come back. Now there are people he'll never see again. Plus other things he'll leave behind. "My... my dracolisk..."

Inessa crouches by him, Garahel letting out a soft whine as he does the same, his eyes mournful. She shakes her head at mention of repayment; not that she would have accepted it anyway, but they didn't find him soon enough. Perhaps if they had, he could have walked away from this, but there's no chance of that happening now. Freedom is bittersweet when its time is so short. "We found her. She's fine, and will be brought back to Skyhold. You need not worry. And if there's anyone you want to pass on word to, we can do that. You have my word."

[Rydia didn't take part in the battle, fighting against her friends had always been something she had been unable to do... but she expected Kain to make it out alive. He had to get out with some wounds but... alive. ALIVE! After the fight she just stared in horror at him and the people around the dragoon unable to move, talk or... anything, really, even to elaborate what just happened.

Those wounds... the way he fell on the ground, the way Anders and the others just seemed to give up in their words- no-no-no!]

"Stop talking like he's going to die! You- You stop talking like you're going to die, Kain, what am I supposed to tell Cecil and Rosa if you do?" [That's when she finally gathers the courage to approach them. Her hands are clinging on her staff so hard the blood drained from her fingers leaving them almost white, her limbs are stiff and every steps feel like climbing a mountain, by the time she is near him she feels like her legs could betray her at any time.] "There's no need to be overdramatic, I'm sure something can be done. Isn't this what white magic... healing magic is about? And if there's not enough magic I'm sure you can do things like taking my energy and give it to him, right? I don't have a scratch, I can take some of this, right? Right?" [That idiot is her friend and there's no way he's going down like this.]

Struggling, gasping for air, all Kain can do for a moment is fight to keep breathing. It seems he's always fighting in some way, even now as his life is ending. He's trying to hold on as much as he can, but as every moment passes, it's getting harder. He feels so weak, and light-headed. He shakes his head to Inessa, not even sure who he most needs to talk to most at the moment. "Just... that I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't return, and share in the battles ahead to come." He'd intended to stay with the Inquisition until the very end, whenever that may be. He would have liked to be part of Corypheus' defeat. Kain turns his eyes to look at them each. "I hope you succeed in those battles."

"And my... stupid parrot... he'll care for himself, but keep an eye out..."

"Rydia..." His voice is getting shaky and quiet, he can barely speak, but he has to say something to her before it's too late. He just wishes he could reassure her, tell her it'll be fine. She still has that spark in her, that will to keep fighting, even at a time like this. He's always appreciated that about her, even if he never showed it much. There's so much he wants to say to her now and... not enough time for it. He regrets that he never got closer to her. "You've always been a good ally. A good person. If you see our friends... I'm sorry. I should have treated them better. They deserve... to be happy... You do as well..."

Kain's voice trails off and he moans. There's still considerable pain. It's also really sinking in that he's not going back home. He'll never see Rosa again, or Cecil or any of their friends, never see the mountains or Baron Castle... He's dying so far away from home, from anything or anyone he knows. It hurts more than he would have expected.

Fuck, fuck. Bruce isn't one to swear but maker, none of this was good. All of them were trying their best but this time their best was apparently not enough. It was clear that Highwind was not going to pull through at this point.

But still--

"You're going to be fine," he grits out even as sweat pours down from his brow. He's trying to pull out whatever he can and he can feel the exertion eating inside of him. Still, he needs to push on. He has to. Times like these were why he joined the Inquisition in the first place. "Just stay focused. You'll get to see your dracolisk and anything else you want soon enough."

Fuck. Why couldn't he do more?

Listening to Rydia, the elven Warden stares downward with a sigh. "Healing magic can only do so much. I wish it were otherwise, believe me...." But they had a Spirit Healer with them and if he couldn't save Kain, there there wasn't anything else to be done, as awful as it is. "You will be in our thoughts during those future battles, Kain. We won't forget."

He gives Bruce a very concerned look. He can feel the strain, and for any mage that's dangerous enough. For Bruce? That's dangerous to everyone. But what can Anders say here? Stop trying? He can't. Not in front of Kain or Rydia.

"We'll keep an eye out for your dracolisk, though I refuse to feed him any parts of me." It's hard to joke, but that's when it's most important. "And if I see your parrot, I'll try to teach him better insults. He's far from creative. We'll work on that."

Kain tries to take in their reassurances... that he'll see Zephyr and yes, even Bastard again... that he'll be fine, just fine. He knows better but he knows they're doing all they can to help as the life drains out of him. It's distressing, though... very soon, he'll be only a memory. A thought. Gone. He's deeply envious of the others, that they get to keep living and existing. Why him? Why now?

He chokes out something that's half a laugh and half a sob at Anders' remark in particular. "...thank you..." He's grateful for the moments he's shared with everyone here, whether training or dracolisk bonding or otherwise... Too bad he can't quite manage to say any of that right now. He tries to, but finds it impossible to draw enough breath to speak. It's hard to even concentrate on any of their faces anymore, everything just feels... distant.

To die without redemption, without atoning for what he's done is unthinkable. He's taking this concern literally to his grave. There's regret and a brief flash of fear in his expression, before it's pushed back once again. No. He may have failed, but he cannot be weak now. He'll face this as bravely as a dragoon ought to, though none of it is fair. His breath is rattling in his chest, and his pulse is slower, his body failing worse than even moments ago. Some pain is still there, but even it's getting more distant as well somehow. He looks up toward the sky, tearful because he won't even get a chance to return up for one more jump.

James knelt down to the ground, keeping his hand to his side as he kept his balance by leaning on his sword. He looked on, with pain, before he quietly began to speak a prayer, his voice soft.

Praying for the Maker to preserve this man's life - and yet - if he had to be taken - that he found the comfort in his own Gods once more.

She wants to scream, to be angry, to tell him how cruel it is to leave her when they just started to talk to each others like friends, but all words die before leaving her lips. Death is something she doesn't know too well, raised by immortals and isolated in a small village, whenever one of their friends sacrificed themselves they always returned and this... how is she supposed to handle this, dragoon? But, as much as she'd love to snap at the elven woman and yell her to shut up, as much as she'd beg Anders to try again... it'd be useless, wouldn't it?

"You've always been a good ally as well, Kain. And you deserve some happiness too... how... why..." The summoner stops to look at the others, almost expecting them to come out with a final, miracolous solution but, of course, none comes. He is fading away and she is completely powerless, she didn't even try to help during the fight because things were supposed to go well but... he's dying.

"I will..." Oh, there's little she can say to give him comfort, the man will soon be buried in the ground and nothing will change that. Or, perhaps... "Kain..." She kneels at his side, tears blurring her vision, and whispers to his ears as low as she can "I can't tell anyone but you're not dying, you're going home. I'm..." She stops, sobbing and then biting her lips to control herself and proceed "I'm from the future, our future, and I've seen you... older, stronger, a beautiful man." It sounds so much like a lie, especially keeping in mind she still looks like the young woman who helped him fight Zeromus "You will see everyone again, I promise." Yes, it definitely sounds like a made up story, espexially considering she hid it from him since they mey the first time.

"I... I'm sorry." A gentle kiss on his forehead and she steps back, fighting with every fiber of her being the urge to cry.

Kain shakes his head in disbelief, he can't possibly... it can't possibly be true. Even if what she's saying is somehow real, and not some means to comfort him in his final moments... even then it just can't. After all, where and when he's from... it's already about to change forever, isn't it? What he's experienced is already changed, just by him having come here in his time. He'll be gone from his timeline, from his friends' lives. He's struggling to face the notion that he'll be gone, that he won't even be able to return from his quest for redemption. He wishes he could believe the lie, but he just can't. He's never been much of an optimist, though. But that kiss, that kind gesture... he appreciates it more than he can say.

He hears James praying, prayers he's vaguely heard at times when he's had to go get his parrot out of the chapel. They may not be of his world, but there's still something comforting in their sound now.

There's a grimace and a few quiet moans, as his breathing gets more harsh and less frequent, and everything starts to blur around him. He can't just accept this, and it's his instinct to keep fighting even when he's losing ground fast.

Edited 2016-09-14 18:04 (UTC)

James' prayer in the background is comforting to Inessa, who sighs and bows her head. Even though Kain isn't Andrastian, she'd like to think that the Maker would look kindly on what he's done and take him to his side, if he can't go home. Rydia's whispered words about the future don't reach her ears, but it doesn't matter. If Kain is comforted in any way by them, then that's what matters at this point.

Blinking back tears as that breathing lessens, she spares a little more of her healing energy not in the hopes that he can be saved at this point, but to provide him with some relief. Anders is drained enough, and it shouldn't be all on him anyway. After that, though, she's too drained to do more than remain on her knees, supported by Garahel, who whines and presses his muzzle against Kain, letting him know it's okay to finally let go.

Edited 2016-09-14 21:05 (UTC)

Bruce doesn't stop trying. If anything he keeps going despite the fact that ultimately, he knows that it's of no use. But still he tries, because its only people like himself who should be given up on. But for the Rifters, who didn't even have a choice--he couldn't just leave it like this. Not like this.

So he tries. Again and again, no matter how foolish it may be. He pulls out whatever he can, anything within that returns to him he draws out again, unwilling to stop, to give in. Helping people is what he came to the Inquisition to do in the first place and if he even failed at that--

"Don't give up now," he grits out, his own words and breathing harsh now. "C'mon. You're going to make it." All he needed to do was to breathe.

Never. He's never one to give up. He won't. He refuses. Except it's all fading away too fast for Kain, as he takes in each ragged breath, his expression filled with agony. It's beyond his control. He clenches his fists weakly for a moment, a sign he's listening, trying to fight as much as he can. There's so much he has left unfinished, so much he needs to live for... But he knows all too well he can't. He still doesn't want this, still regrets everything he's done... regrets more than ever that he won't ever again jump into the sky or feel the wind on his face. He won't even see Skyhold again let alone go home.

He knows the end is approaching within moments, an end he desperately wishes weren't here. He never did like to rest, to lay still and idle. Now he has no choice, it's all his future holds. He wants to tell them to spare their magic, it won't save him. Though it's held off some pain... that and Garahel's nuzzling are a comfort right now.

"...f...forgive... me......" The whispered apology is barely audible, and it's the last thing he says. He takes just a few more shaky breaths, chest rising and falling... rising... falling... rising... and then falling, to never rise again.

As the breath leaves Kain's body, his erratic heartbeat stops, and his eyes grow unfocused and fixed, face relaxing. He's far beyond pain now. His mind falls away into blackness and silence, his body more still and at peace than it's ever been.

Anders reaches up and gently closes Kain's eyes when his breathing ceases and everything is gone and done.

"May whatever or whomever you believe in welcome you home," he says quietly. There's nothing else, really, to say. He's exhausted. Bruce is dangerously exhausted. No one else really looks to be in much better shape, all injured and worn out. Anders finds the strength to push himself up with his staff and look around.

"I'm sorry. We're going to need to use bandages for the rest of us for a time."

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circleprodigy - 2016-09-17 06:09 (UTC) - Expand

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amygdalae - 2016-09-17 16:40 (UTC) - Expand

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[Closed] Player Plot: Desire Demon Possession

yesss good idea!

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