⇨ The Tourist Trap: WEEK 1

[ringleaders]

Who: Anyone, anywhere in Portland.
When: October 1st - 7th, 2017
Where: Portland area, in the new reality.
What: Memories begin returning to the displaced as the fall gets chillier. How the hell did we end up here, again? Also, apparently, the fair is in town.
Warnings: Individually marked!

PORTLAND BY NIGHT↴ Memory regains will come into effect at the beginning of October, to whatever degree you've decided upon, and may be regained at whatever pace you desire from then on. For those with their full carnival memories, it will be like waking up in the body of someone else - for those with half and half, it will be like rapidly recalling sets of memories from a totally different life. Those with full amnesia will simply feel as if this is how it's always been. Unfortunately for you, memories aren't the only thing you have to deal with. The supernatural community of Portland is bustling all of a sudden - could your presence and these events somehow be related? ► THE OUTER CIRCLE: As of the start of the month, the Portland Circle of Enlightenment will find itself starting to get swarmed with members from other chapters. Most notably, it would seem that a small cabal of top mages from the North American Enlightenment Council will be making their home in Portland's HQ. For anyone but the highest of ranks, the purpose behind their visit will be unclear, but it seems like something is definitely up on a metaphysical level. The Circle will be buzzing with rumours of unique planar activity and threatening omens. It seems that it all started with an unusual flare of activity in the planetary ley-lines, starting approximately a week ago. However, even if you would usually be the type to keep tabs on such things, you will find that you oddly have no memory of observing this phenomenon yourself. ► THE ANIMAL FAIR: Good news, the fair is in town! Or, at least, it would be good news... if this was a regular fair. Instead, what's being observed is a bunch of nearly identical flyers, spread all around Portland - each of which bears only the words "THE ANIMAL FAIR", a seemingly bloody paw-print of unknown origin, and the directions to a vague forested location outside of the city. It's dated for October 7th, and all instances of its posting having been discovered with a scattering of rose petals, crow feathers, and pre-burnt matches laying on the ground around them. Most are taking this to be some kind of bizarre viral marketing campaign, but others may know better. ► THE EARTH SPIRIT: If you have connections to The Pack or any of its many variations, you'll probably hear whispers of something very odd that occurred last week - according to the elders, it sounds as if the Earth Spirit, the magical and spiritual center of the planet, has suddenly taken a wound. It's not clear why or how, but there is a fair bit of concern among spiritual types, as it is werebeast belief and nebulous magical fact that the magical forces within the earth are the source of all magic here, as well as the source of life. While many werebeasts claim to have felt the Spirit succumb, you strangely have no memory of such an event occurring. Though things do feel strange, if you know how to tap into the Spirit yourself. ► THE WAR CRY: Though Anath's rain of terror across North America lasted for the first fifteen years or so of the Severing, most independent demons have had enough time to start taking the arch-demon's relative inactivity for granted. For that first while, the warrior queen had seemed determine to rebuild an army on earth by forcing her scattered brethren into service - only for her to gradually settle down in a fortress somewhere in Texas and dig in her heels. Of course, this was too good to last - it sounds as if she and her demonic legion have begun tearing their way up the west coast, their goals remaining a mystery. Their destination, however, is almost certainly Portland.

Comments

Closed to Yuya // birb feeding

[showmystar]

A small blue bird soars above the crowd, flitting between pedestrians to the other side of the street and back again. Strangely, the kingfisher hovers near any interesting conversations, as if it's listening in. It alights on the railing of a stairway, head cocked to the side. The moment the conversation trails off, it moves on. It never stays long.

Even discounting its eavesdropping, perhaps the strangest thing is kingfishers don't belong in cities. They belong on the water. In Europe.

The bird scans the street below before dropping down on a trash can just off the sidewalk. It sorts through the slim pickings on top before shaking its whole body, as if offended by the selection. It's all soda cans and beer bottles. Useless. It begins preening itself adorably instead, beak thrust under a wing.

[hippocarnival]

Kingfishers are definitely not common in Portland, Yuya knows that much. Which is why it catches his attention among all the other standard doves and pigeons, and he stops during his cut through the park with a corndog in hand. He approaches, slowly, and stops a few feet away--he doesn't want to startle the bird into leaving after all.

While Allen is preening on the trash can, Yuya rips off a small piece of his corndog and tosses it to him. Or at him, if his aim is no good.

[showmystar]

The corndog piece bumps right off Allen's wing and onto the ground. The bird spooks, flapping wildly with a startled squeak. But rather than flying away like any natural bird should, it looks straight at Yuya before dropping onto the ground and snatching up the delicious morsel.

Hey, free food is free food. All is forgiven. After gobbling it down, Allen hops closer, head tilting questioningly. Please, sir, can I have some more?

[hippocarnival]

Yuya flinches when he accidentally hits Allen with the food... but at least it doesn't scare him away. In fact, to Yuya's delight the kingfisher comes right up to him.

He grins, ripping off more small crumbs of corndog bread and dropping it to the ground. And then he's fishing through his pocket to find his phone, pulling up the camera. "That is way cool."

[showmystar]

Allen is already tearing into the breadcrumbs when Yuya pulls out his phone. He fluffs up self-consciously, which really just increases his cuteness factor by fifty. Human PR probably isn't a good thing. It'll go on the Internet, people will be on the lookout for a kingfisher in town, and it'll be harder to eavesdrop. (How thirsty does he think people are for cute animal pictures?)

Yuya will probably have enough time for one or two photos before Allen lifts into the air and alights on Yuya's shoulder. Picture that, punk.

Don't mind if he just edges toward the rest of his corndog . . .

[hippocarnival]

Two pictures is enough for Yuya. He's checking how blurry the second one is when Allen lands on his shoulder. He glances over, then puffs up proudly with a grin.

"Hey! Are you gonna come with me, then?" He tilts his corndog closer. Guess he's done with that now, if feeding the kingfisher keeps it docile.

[showmystar]

Allen sticks his tiny beak right in that thing and voraciously pecks away at it. That's enough of an answer, right? Yuya has earned himself a kingfisher companion for a while.

So much for caution.

[hippocarnival]

Yuya wonders if he can just take Allen home with him. He has a while walk home to figure out how to convince Bob to let him keep him.

He keeps walking, veering away from his usual shortcut over the fence so as not to disturb Allen while he eats. This is awesome, he's a bird-whisperer.

[showmystar]

It's about ten minutes of walking and eating, tweeting along with Yuya if there's any conversation, before Allen gets bored. His little bird tummy is full, and while that will wear off shortly after transforming back into his every day form, for now, he's content.

Rather than ride Yuya's shoulder all the way home and risk exposure, Allen takes off into the air -- turning round for just a moment to chirp a thank you, goodbye -- and zips down the street and into a nearby dark alley.

He drops down behind a trashcan and, thinking he's alone, lets himself transform into a boy. His lavender eyes and silver hair may not be anything like the kingfisher's colors, but his wings stretch out from his hips as Allen reaches behind his neck and stretches.

[hippocarnival]

Yuya's so lost in daydreaming about his new fancy bird pet, he almost misses Allen leaving. He starts suddenly and stares up at Allen as he tweets--and then disappears into the alley.

"W-wait!" Yuya bounces to the alley quickly, watching him dart behind the trash can. "Come back! It's really nice at my home, you'll like it--uh."

He slams his hands against the top of the trashcan a little too loud as he pushes against it, leaning over to stare down at... a boy. Not a bird.

Definitely not a bird.