⇨ The Tourist Trap: WEEK 4

[ringleaders]

Who: Anyone, anywhere in Portland.
When: October 22nd - 31st, 2017
Where: In Portland, for the last time.
What: The seasons change as the Winter Court seizes a surprise victory, claiming both the Tree of Life's pendant and the blood catalyst needed to take control of the Severing Ritual. Meanwhile, interdimensional problems are about to get more weird. Check out the conflict results for the attack on the Circle as well as the Beast's attack on the Summer Court here.
Warnings: Individually marked!

DAYS OF WINTER↴ As the end of October nears, so does the grasp of winter. On the night of the 22nd, it will freeze overnight, and the temperature will drop for the following days. As the night grow long, world-wide magic slowly reaches it apex, set to reach it on the night of Halloween. With so many factors at play, knowing what to do with that moment of power may be a challenge. ► FULL CIRCLE: The Angels succeed in their planned attack on the Circle, managing to get to the living quarters of the Council members with the help of Ashleigh Mischief. The plan goes without much resistance from the mages or from the demons attempting to claim the ritual object for their own. Of course, when the fae make a surprise attack on the Angels after they flee the scene, it has the surprise result of the Winter Court ended up with the pendant in their talons. Threads for this attack can be done in this log. If you need mod direction at all, let us know, but otherwise feel free to NPC demons, angels, or random Circle members as you require. ► THE QUEEN'S GARDEN: Realizing that the Rose Queen is distracted with attempting to claim the pendant, the Beast will summon her co-conspirators to raid the Queen's gardens. The ultimate plan seems to be to get the Beast far enough into the gardens to kill the Queen, while also rescuing as many changelings as possible along the way. As it turns out, this doesn't go well. While they do manage to penetrate the gardens with Childermass's help, the Rose Queen, Ignatius, and Nightshade happen to all be there. Seriously outnumbered, even by the Beast's terms, it will take everything the group has to just make it out alive, sustaining heavy injuries as they go. In the end they will manage to rescue Greg universe and four additional changelings that were imprisoned there, but any damage done to the Summer Court itself will be negligible. Threads for this can also be played out here! ► REFLECTIONS: As the ritual draws closer, the line between this reality and the one you came from will also be becoming less clear. Regaining memories is not required, but it will naturally become easier to occur, especially if you're already started receiving them. It's a good time to start making connections, while you still have the chance. ► THE SEVERING: One way or another, the Severing is going to make an impact on both this world and the lives of those trapped inside of it. The Angels are going to be making an attempt to interrupt the Winter Court's ritual, as will the Summer Court and Anath's forces. Whoever comes up on top will be the ones to decide what to be done with it. Yet, with news that the Severing continuing could cause irreversible damage to the planet's spirit, it could feel like there are no perfect options. There will be an event header put up for this by the mods closer to the end of July. (NOTE: canon powers will returning while the ritual is in progress, so keep that in mind for planning - both sets of powers will be active.)

Comments

[espigeon]

"I would have thought that since you last, and they don't, it would be okay. But you know I don't understand anything anymore." Iuliael closes his eyes, smiling in a bit of a sad way, only to open them again at the question.

He laughs, bright and genuine. "You can't ask me that! It's so hard to choose! You don't know how many favorites I have." There's very little music he doesn't find some delight in. "But... maybe... what if I sing the one I'm thinking of now?"

When he sings something he loves in company that wants to hear it, it's even better than singing alone. He's been a kind of a muse for a while, now - he can let the joy of the music that he feels pool out like the light of a candleflame.

[pipers_son]

Do any of them know anything anymore? Joker, quite frankly, is stunned that Prudence has had half an idea of what the fuck is going on with any of this. That's more than he has, by a long shot. Still, aching but as comfortable as he can make himself, he nods.

"Go for it. I'm all ears."

[espigeon]

Iuliael sits up straight, his eyes far away, and needs no further prompting before launching into the song.

His voice isn't inhumanly perfect, but it's crowded with emotion. There's no doubting that he loves the song and loves singing it. Iuliael does manage to sing multiple parts at the same time, as if he's actually an acapella group.

It's a song about so much good being undone, about the world itself being cracked, but also that imperfection and brokenness are themselves full of grace. Not hard to see why Iuliael would like it.

[pipers_son]

Not hard at all. Joker lets Iuliael's voice wash over him, humming along occasionally here and there although the chorus was never his role. It's nice and reassuring, despite the gloom, and isn't that the kind of song they need the most in times like these?

"Yeah," he says as the other winds down, "ya can tell humans wrote that. They always live through the tough stuff hardest- everythin' concentrated into a short life."

[espigeon]

Iuliael makes a long sigh. Singing always makes him feel different. Better. More himself, maybe, if being more himself is good.

"Yes. Yes! It took me a long time to be able to appreciate that, but I'm glad I did." He smiles and looks down again, at the birds scattered around his feet, but there's the sense that he's not quite done speaking.

It comes, much more quietly, after a small pause. "I don't want any of this to not have been real. I've been terrible. It's been terrible. But..."

[pipers_son]

Well. They were going to circle back around to this eventually.

Joker doesn't say anything, because this feels almost more... intimate? Not quite... Honest, maybe, than he almost feels like he's allowed. So he stares out at the other people and angels who are sitting around or bustling about, all working or recovering.

"If we remember it," he murmurs, slowly and almost not wanting to at all, "maybe it's different. If ya can remember somethin', then it may as well have happened.... Right?"

[espigeon]

"Maybe," says an unhappy Iuliael, far less closed off and worse at concealing things than Julien. He smiles, and it looks like a grimace. "One way or another I don't think I'm going to be me for much longer. That's good. Objectively. I'm not a good angel."

The 'but' is hovering at the end of that sentence, and he lets it go unsaid. "I've had... how do you say it? A good... run? Longer than a lot of mortals do. And it's not taking me by surprised. So this time, I guess, this time is precious."

[pipers_son]

"Guess we know how mortals, feel," Joker agrees quietly, although a part of him has always known, he thinks. A bit more intimately than some, in fact.

...Ah, fuck it.

"Y'know what we should do?" he says suddenly. "We should get drunk. Just before it all ends and while we're still recoverin' and plannin'." It's a horrible idea, but what else is new?

[espigeon]

Iuliael blinks, and a number of new eyes appear just to help out with that.

"You really want me getting intoxicated?" A smile tugs at the corner of his mouth, and it doesn't have quite the same usual helplessness. "That's such a bad idea, Joker. You know, I don't really do metabolism stuff. But I bet I could work out how."

[pipers_son]

"It's a bleedin' horrible idea," he agrees, and he's smiling more now as well. What else can he do? "But what's one more idea onto a whole pile of 'em, right?" Wearily, still wanting to lay down for a bit but fighting it, he gets up to his feet.

"Could be the end of the world for all we know. Best ta have some nice times before whatever happens happens."