⇨ 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]

So there really are people out there with a casual familiarity with magic. Rita's only ever known people on the extreme ends of that spectrum: those who know nothing of it, and those whose lives are entirely shaped by it.

"Hmm. Most people don't even bother informing themselves that much." And even if he read about magic, most normal people would still have their doubts, unless they saw it in person. This guy doesn't seem too surprised. "Did you know that the owner's a magic-user?" Again, Rita's careful to keep her voice low.

[whattaprick]

Having a younger sister intent on experimenting with magic tends to end skepticism rather quickly, especially after one or two magic-related mishaps. In response to Rita's question, Lambert looks uncertain, and shakes his head.

"Only heard the same rumors as anyone else," he admits, quietly. On Rita's lap, the cat stretches and purrs, demanding attention again, and Lambert's eyes draw towards it, frowning. If there's something magic around the cat ... should they even be talking right now? He doesn't really know what magic users can do.

[anti_nonsense]

At the cat's beckoning, Rita continues petting it along its back. "I haven't lived here for long, so I'm not all that familiar with rumors." So people have been talking about this sort of thing... Maybe she should try checking out that 'social media' stuff sometime, as annoying as it all looks.

"Anyway, as far as magic goes... this isn't anything too weird." In case he was wondering if he should be alarmed or not. "Pretty normal for an animal-lover, I guess." Not that Rita has much experience with that, either.

[whattaprick]

The cat wriggles contentedly under Rita's fingers, the purring starting up again like a tiny, furry engine.

"I... guess I'll take your word for it." No, he's no expert, but he lacks the ability to verify what she says, so he doesn't have any other choice, does he?

"I'm not from around here, either. My sisters and I just moved here last year." Wherever she's come from, he gets the feeling it's a lot farther than Seattle, at least as far as bearing any relationship to ordinary life goes ...