lostcarnival | ⇨ The Tourist Trap: WEEK 2

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⇨ The Tourist Trap: WEEK 2

Who: Anyone, anywhere in Portland.
When: October 7st - 14th, 2017
Where: Portland area, in the new reality.
What: The week begins as the time of the Animal Fair finally arrives! Meanwhile, the truth of this reality starts to be revealed, and forces both human and celestial alike attempt to take advantage of a rare opportunity.
Warnings: Individually marked!

BY ANY OTHER NAME↴

Tensions thicken as various supernaturally forces react to the events of the previous week. Something critical is afoot, and it's only a matter of time before things start coming to a head. It's time to find out more about what's happened to this world, and what will happen in its future.

► A NIGHT AT THE FAIR: From the night of the 7th to the morning of the 8th, the Animal Fair is officially in town. There is a top level down below with more information, though you can also RP content from this elsewhere if you wish. The host, who is very likely something called a Wyld Fae (if you discovered that ICly), will be present, but they will only be appearing to you of their own accord and attempting to track them down by force will be ineffective. Just kick back and relax! Fairs are supposed to be fun.

► THORNS IN YOUR SIDE: Culminating in a full fledged attack against the Sanctuary, it would seem that The Rose Queen is declaring war on the changeling population of Portland. Though the vicious attack of thorns against the safe house was eventually stopped, it wasn't without damage, and the black roses that caused it are still popping up around the city and threatening the places where homeless and lost changelings would be likely to congregate. It's obvious now that this is a serious threat - will it ever stop without an intervention?

► HELL ON EARTH: As Anath's march draws near, the first waves of her demons will be entering the city. Primarily acting as scouts and foot soldiers, these demons will be attempting to secure loyalty from the local demon populace, as well as taking out any angels they can manage to catch. It's a level of aggressiveness against heaven's forces that hasn't been seen for years, and it's a foreboding hint of things to come. These demons can be NPCed by anyone, and will mostly be thugs or manipulators who don't know much about Anath's plans but do know that you need to join their side. They are also rowdier than most of the demons in Portland, and are a threat to the innocent mortal populace as well, if they decide to try to get their kicks here.

► THE WIZARD POLICE: The Enlightenment Council seems to have demanded control of the local Circle chapter, and now backup has arrived. These mages are being sent out into the city as if they are a police force, and will be attempting to demand control of various common supernatural areas, as well as questioning community members that they run into. Whatever is going on, it seems to have resulted in the Council instituting what is essentially martial law... of course, not everyone sees any need to heed their demands. If you are a demon, warlock, or other rogue element, expect to be harassed or even attacked by them. These character can be NPCed, and if you need additional information you can ask the mods.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Why is this girl so familiar? She's familiar not in a 'I've seen this person around before' sort of way, but familiar in a way that's coming from the bottom of Strange's memories, a face which he knows he's seen before, but he can't place. Still, as Rita gives him a contemptuous stare, Strange responds with a snooty one of his own.

"As a matter of fact, I do. You're the Renegades, correct? Isn't that Pearl's group?"

He could be wrong. He's not entirely certain about this, a fact which shows on his face. Still, Strange knew a little bit about what Pearl was up to these days, there was something involving a biker group. And if this wasn't Pearl's group, maybe they'd be able to point him in the direction of said group.

Rita slips the phone in her back pocket and folds her arms. "Yeah. What about it?" While Rita and the others were resistant to answering most questions, some facts aren't worth denying. Their leader's name is easy enough for anyone to find out. "You and your buddies wanna go waste her time, too?"

"They aren't my friends," Strange quickly remarks, with a wrinkle of his nose, as if disgusted that Rita would suggest that he was friends with the Council members...despite the fact that he was just hanging out with them.

"How much has she told you about some of the...oddness that's going on?" Pearl works directly for the Rose Queen. That automatically puts her closer than Strange is with regards to any information, which puts Rita just as close, if not closer, to this information as well. And really, all Strange has right now is a bundle of maybes and perhapses, things which he knows are specific to him but might not be specific to others.

"I'll gladly tell you some Circle information about the oddness in return if you have anything of use for me." Of course, Strange won't tell Rita everything he knows. That'd simply be poor form.

"An exchange? Hmph..." It's a better deal than those other bozos were offering. Information is currency, and Rita's not about to give anything to someone who demands it for free. Getting her hands on some of the Circle's information is an appealing prospect. But...

"You seemed pretty eager to lick their boots while they were still in earshot. How do I know you won't just turn around and share anything I say with them, or the rest of the Circle?"

She's not going to comment on how much Pearl's actually told her. In reality... it isn't much. But saying so would lower her bargaining position, so it's best to leave this guy in the dark about it. If he can actually make a convincing offer, Rita has plenty of other information about fae activities that should work just as well.

"Well, the answer to that one is simple. I'll cast a binding agreement: that is my specialty, after all." And, without waiting for Rita to say anything else, Strange starts to cast a spell. Putting his hands behind his back, he mutters something in Latin, something in Greek, then something in English, obviously a simple binding spell. He's doing this like it's a routine, like he's cast these sorts of spells every day of his life.

Rita can feel the magical power around them, though it's hovering and tense, as if waiting to be released. "Any information obtained by I, Jonathan Strange, through this conversation and this conversation alone shall not be repeated to mages of the Circle of Enlightenment or the Enlightenment Council. Do you accept the terms?"

Huh... He's really doing it. While Rita's never used a binding spell like this before, she has enough familiarity with the concept to tell that this is the real thing. The main issue is his conditions... A lifetime of living among fae has left Rita skeptical of agreements like this. There are always loopholes, and those can prove disastrous should one be inclined to take full advantage of them.

For one, his promise only applies to this conversation... and while he specified two groups he won't repeat the details to, there's still the possibility of him speaking to someone else. Is there anyone else that would pose a problem, should they learn what she knows? The only antagonistic party to come to mind is the Rose Queen and her court, but Rita imagines they already have much of the same information as her. Also, not a likely alliance.

That aside... Strange? Weird name. Pretty fitting for a weirdo like him, though. Actually... is this deja vu? Rita feels like she heard that name before, and perhaps thought the same thing then... It's probably just her imagination, though.

"Fine," Rita agrees after a pause. She could argue for stricter terms, but it doesn't seem necessary right now. "But first, there's something I want to know. What's your angle? What are you trying to find out, and why do it behind the Council's back?" She could maybe understand prioritizing the local Circle chapter over the overbearing outsiders, but he doesn't even seem to be doing that.

He specified those two groups for a reason. Strange honestly doubts Rita will know anything important about the Severing but if she does, he's telling Nightshade right away. He's got to be careful to juggle his agreements, to make sure that he's not breaking one while casting another. It's a wonder how the fae manage to keep all these straight.

Still, as Rita agrees, that feeling of power in the air vanishes, as if it's settled. It feels like a weight has been lifted off of their shoulders and the nearby air as the binding spell sets it in place. Strange knows that even if he wanted to tell the Circle what had happened in this conversation, he couldn't.

At Rita's question, Strange frowns slightly. "I'm trying to find information on a particular event. Considering that the Circle might have been involved in this particular event, it's best that they don't know I'm asking about it. And I'm doing it behind the Council's back because I don't want those jackasses to even look my way."

Is it a bit cowardly? Yes. But in Strange's mind, this is entirely self-preservation, not cowardice. You don't tell the people you're trying to fuck over that you want to fuck them over to begin with.

He's investigating the Circle's own actions? That's unexpected. "Hmph. Here I thought you Circle types were all dutiful little lapdogs." A dog he might not be, but a weasel? Probably. If he's willing to put on an act for the Council, there's an ever-present possibility that he's putting one on for her, too. Maybe he'll say anything to get the result he wants.

Wary as she is, however, she's ready to proceed. "All right, you've got my attention." Rita pauses a moment, glances around, then quickly chants a small spell: a glamour to protect their conversation against eavesdroppers. The parking lot may be empty, and there shouldn't be anyone coming by, but it never hurts to be safe. Should someone come into listening range, they'll only hear a mundane exchange. "What do you want to know?"

Lapdogs? Strange wrinkles his nose and gives Rita a glare like he's about to say something...but no, don't start a petty fight, he wants to ask her about things, he can't do that if they get into a fight.

"To start with, how much has Pearl told you about her other line of work?" This is partly out of curiosity, partly because Strange is curious himself. He knew that Pearl did something with the Rose Queen, was close to her somehow (and there's an odd little part of him that just seethes with jealousy at that fact) but he's ignorant of the specifics.

Rita narrows her eyes at that first question. It's Pearl he wants to know about? She hopes he doesn't think she's about to share anything sensitive about her fellow Renegades, much less their leader.

"I know enough," she answers curtly. "But she keeps that business separate from Renegade activities. The rest of us aren't involved." That isn't to say that Rita's completely in the dark... but most of what she knows about it is what she pieced together from being around Pearl. Given their tendency to butt heads over the matter, they don't actively talk about it a whole lot.

"Good," Strange answers, with a little frown. "Just...make certain it stays that way, alright?" Just from this conversation, Rita seems smart enough not to eat random berries found on the floor (seriously Amethyst, what the hell) but there are other ways she could get drawn into nonsense with regards to the Rose Queen or the fae that serve her. And the more people who get drawn into that sort of nonsense, the more people get closer to realize that Strange was also drawn into that nonsense.

That's not gonna happen. Strange wants to keep that line of information as quiet as possible. "Have any of you noticed any sort of irregularities on your...patrols? What the hell do bike gangs do in the first place?"

"What, are you worried about me?" Rita asks in a mocking tone, then rolls her eyes for good measure. She's been in plenty of messes, especially in the past week, without requiring any carelessness on Pearl's part.

"We aren't just a gang. We're a coven," she clarifies. "And as for irregularities... I don't know, you think getting attacked by an oversized rose bush counts?" It's hard not to be a bit sarcastic. The facts are just too damn absurd. It doesn't help that the attacking vines aren't even the weirdest thing to happen in the past few days. If anything, they're the easiest to explain.

"Why would I be worried about you? The only thing I'm worried about is the mountain of paperwork I'd have to complete should you or the other wannabe coven members get yourself killed." It's said with a scoff as Strange rolls his eyes. He's worried about the paperwork and the fact that if any of the idiots at Sanctuary or any of the other morons in the supernatural community manage to get themselves killed, the likelihood that the Council will be even more down their throats is high.

But an attacking rose bush? By now, Strange has heard snippets of what happened at the Sanctuary but that's just it: snippets. He has no idea about the level of chaos that went down there in the first place. "Was the rose bush at the Sanctuary or somewhere else?"

Wannabe coven? There's a flicker of anger in Rita's eyes at that. It's getting far too tempting to punch this guy in his smug, stupid face. But, no... he said he had some information to exchange. She can always punch him after.

"So you heard about it," she says, confirming with a nod. "That's right; I was there. The Sanctuary got the worst of it... but that wasn't the end. There's similar stuff happening all over the city, just on a smaller scale."

Strange is entirely unaware of Rita's anger and entirely unaware of the fact that this conversation is going to end with him getting punched in the nose. Instead, he's far too focused on the fact that these roses had apparently spread out throughout the city.

Huh. Maybe he should actually leave his apartment and pay attention to things that are going on.

"What exactly happened at the attack? Was the rose bush...I don't know, going for the kill?" This is a dumb conversation but sometimes, when you're a hot shot mage trying to get information from lesser beings, dumb conversations are the name of the game.

"The whole thing started about a week ago. A bunch of vines covered in black roses appeared on the Sanctuary doors overnight. That was the warning." He asked for details, so Rita supposes it's worth mentioning the initial incident. There's no need to hold back information when it comes to the Rose Queen's actions.

"The attack came a few days later. One minute, everything was normal, and the next, those same kinds of vines were growing everywhere, breaking through windows and under doors, blocking exits and filling rooms with those flowers..." Her brow furrows as she recalls the chaos, trying to organize those thoughts into something coherent. "I don't think they were going for the kill... at least, it wasn't the priority. The vines were making a beeline for any changelings they could reach, trying to grab us and drag us away to... somewhere." It's not hard to guess where.

It's not hard to guess where the changelings are being taken either: back to the Rose Queen's realm. So, at the same time as the state of magic is in flux, there's rumors of a warlock coming to town, and someone casts a spell to mess with the Severing again, the Rose Queen is taking changelings back to her realm? This is all building up to something big, something worrisome. The only question now is what's going to be the match that sets off this damn powder keg.

"I've a feeling I know where they're being taken," Strange responds, with a bitter frown. "The Rose Queen attempting to take back what's hers? This can only end poorly for all involved." Changelings, fae, anyone caught in the crossfires...because Strange is certain that nobody will let themselves be taken willingly.

"For the record, I was never hers to begin with," Rita says, frowning. "I don't know if she was grabbing changelings at random, or if she struck a deal with another fae, or if I got marked somehow..." She shakes her head. There are too many possibilities, and no way to know for sure at this point.

In any case, she can't let herself be the only one sharing information here. "You think this has something to do with that 'event' you're investigating? Just what are you looking to find out, anyway?"

"I'm trying to find out plenty of things. Though I suppose my overall goal is to see why the state of magic is so odd. That's part of the reason why the Circle's swarming all over town. Omens and planar activity have pulled up some bizarre readings."

It's actual information, but it's not information that would completely out Strange and risk him getting in trouble with the Circle. After all, any idiot who could cast omens would see that the state of magic was weird.

"Sources say it's tied to the Severing--something which I'm not even going to bother asking you about, changeling." There's so much derision in the word, as if being a changeling meant that someone was equivalent to a bug Strange stepped on, or a piece of garbage on the floor. "Needless to say, you won't know anything to begin with."

At the tone of his voice, Rita's hands clench into fists.

"And you do?" she shoots back at him through gritted teeth. "Don't act so high and mighty."

It's a legitimate question, though. Even if he's a mage of the Circle, how much would a human really know about the Severing that a changeling mage wouldn't? But then, thinking back to what he said before... could he be implying that the Circle was involved in the Severing in the first place? That can't be right...

Strange continues to act so high and mighty as he raises an eyebrow at Rita. "Of course I do. The Circle's home to esoteric texts that people in your station could only dream of seeing."

This is a lot of lying. Needless to say, any information that Strange received, he obtained through his conversation with Nightshade, not any conversation with Circle members. Still, there's no way in hell he's mentioning that part. He's just going to keep gloating and keep acting like an asshole partly because he can, partly to see if he can actually get some respect for once.

If it's respect Strange is going for, he's going to be very disappointed. Rita's had about all she can take from this guy. What's more, if he's just going to waste her time with his insults and his gloating, there's no reason to keep holding back on her temper.

"My station? Cut the crap already."

Without any additional warning, Rita winds back one of her fists and then lunges forward, throwing a punch at his face.

"Who cares if I'm a changeling? Don't waste my time. If you've got information worth bragging about, then put up or shut up. Idiot." There's a good chance that this approach will just make Strange less willing to share, but at this point, Rita would probably be fine with that, too.

The problem with Strange being a gloaty egomaniac with a stick up his butt is that he assumes that everybody else will retaliate in the same way that he does: being an asshole, sniping back and forth at each other, and passive aggression. He doesn't expect actual aggression.

Rita's fist connects and it connects hard. There's a satisfying thud as her fist connects, followed by Strange stumbling backwards slightly. Needless to say, he was not expecting that in the slightest. Gingerly, Strange prods at his jaw, opening and closing it experimentally. Nothing seems to be broken, but it hurts like a bitch.

"What the fuck was that for?!" It's a stupid question because really Strange, what the fuck do you think it was for, but he's still a bit taken aback by the fact that he actually got punched. Noticeably, he's not making any attempt to swing a punch at Rita himself because he is a gentleman and gentlemen don't get into fist fights and really, it's not like he'd be able to hit her in the first place. Strange knows his limitations and one of them is punching.

"What do you think?" Rita snaps right back at him, folding her arms and staring him down with just as much derision as he'd shown her moments earlier. Damn, that felt good. "You think you can insult me again and again, and I'm just gonna take it? Get real, old man."

It doesn't look like he's going to try to hit back. That's fine. Rita will go ahead and stay on the offensive, then. "You said you could tell me some of the Circle's information. Don't tell me that was it." She sounds pointedly unimpressed.

Strange just glares at Rita. He really doesn't want to talk to her about the Circle's information and what he knows...but also he doesn't want to be punched again. Not getting punched wins out over being needlessly secretive. So he grumpily relates what he knows to Rita, while still holding the side of his jaw in a tad overdramatic fashion.

"The recent oddities have something to do with the state of magic itself. It's been in flux for the past week or so, as if someone cast a massive spell. All of this has something to do with the Severing, though I'm still working out the details of how and why."

If he had to bet on it though, the how would be 'Circle mages' and the why would be...well, he's still working on the 'why'. "Also, apparently there's a warlock coming into town to cause shit as well as the demons coming into town to cause shit and the Rose Queen coming into town to cause shit."

⇨ The Tourist Trap: WEEK 2

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