⇨ The Tourist Trap: PROLOGUE

[ringleaders]

Who: Anyone, anywhere in Portland.
When: Any time before the start of the event.
Where: Portland area, in the new reality.
What: Once you've submitted your AU summary, you can use this post to do some CLOSED THREADING to play out some character interactions that happened before the event start. This means that memory regains will not be in play yet. Open top levels are not allowed - these threads are intended to sort out closed interactions between planned backstory connections, during the week leading up to the actual event start.
Warnings: Could be anything.

PORTLAND, AS YOU KNEW IT↴ The shift went unseen and unfelt. One moment you were one person, and the next, another. This before all that, though, in the new life that you remember living here in Portland. No memories of your true self have arisen yet, and at the time this was the only life you knew. Did these events truly happen at all? Or do they only exist in memory?

Comments

[anti_nonsense]

Is there any risk in answering honestly...? Rita thinks for a few moments, then decides to go ahead with it. If he's anyone she should be worrying about, he'd know this story already. And if he's being genuine, there should be no harm in sharing.

"... It's not so different from yours," she begins with a shrug, looking away from him as she speaks. "Born as a human, abducted as a baby... never knew my parents. Grew up as a prisoner and a tool of some pompous piece of crap. Ran away when I was thirteen... about two years ago." They even escaped around the same age. It's odd...

In telling her story, she forgot about the cat she was petting. It butts its head against her hand, prompting her to resume stroking it.

[small_reservations]

"And your name's... Rita?" Yep. It's almost definitely the same one. Age difference checks out, and the story...

"To be honest, I doubt many of us get to know our parents. One guy I knew who did got rejected, so maybe it's better that way." He scratches at the base of the cat's tail, trailing his hand up said tail as it wiggles. "It's good that you made it out, though, Rita. I'm Axel." The glamour fades from his voice as he hands her a card. It reads Portland Classic Records, and has a phone number and an address. "If you're ever in trouble or just want music, give me a ring or stop in."

[anti_nonsense]

For a moment, Rita actually seems to crack the tiniest smirk at Axel's anecdote. It's terrible; not really the kind of thing anyone should be smiling at. But it's weirdly comforting to know that other people have been through the same thing. And... he's right. If her parents did reject her, like she'd always been told, she's better off this way.

She takes the card, holding it up to see. "I don't really listen to music, but... I'll keep it in mind." There's a shrug, and the card gets slipped into her pocket. It can't hurt to have a back-up in case she runs out of safe places to hide out at.

[small_reservations]

"All right." He stands up from the table, legs unfolding in a manner reminiscent of a spider. These chairs are way too low. "I'll leave you to it, then. Hate to ruin your meal." He goes to the counter, pays for a full hour of cat time despite using less than five minutes (worth every penny to know Rita is free), and just... leaves.

He does wave over his shoulder as he goes, though, a little flick of his wrist to say goodbye.