⇨ 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

[empty_vessel]

"It could be trauma too. Sherlock told me how I died, but I don't remember any of it." Jimmy shudders, going a little fuzzy around the edges as he remembers what he was told. "Good thing, too. I'm glad I don't remember."

[otoko]

"Hmmm, I have to agree with that-death is not something I would want to..." ...Ah...

He pauses, and frowns. "...Well, with what is happening now, I almost wonder if it's worse... ...envisioning different ways it Could have been..."

[empty_vessel]

"Definitely worse on my end. All the could have beens start with 'And you're still alive'. Or I'm not, but Claire and Amelia are stuck here with me." He has to take a moment after that, it's only been three months now, and the losses still eat at him.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to rain on your parade like that. It's just.... The could have beens are either too painful or too terrible to really think about."

[betheman]

"Ahh-it's...fine. ...I think you misunderstood what I meant by could have beens..." He coughs.

"...I mean 'how I could have died'. ...Every time I try to think about how I was turned... ...Something changes. Sometimes it's brutal, sometimes it's like falling asleep... ...sometimes it's in the heat of a war, surrounded by screams..." Gongenzaka sighs, and looks away. "...I don't wonder about what would have happened in the 'after'. ...What happened is what brought me here now, isn't it? ...But the circumstance of my death...

"...It's unnerving, to think I can't tell such grand details apart in it."

[empty_vessel]

"Like I said. It could be the trauma of it. Your mind couldn't handle what actually happened and now you're filling in the blanks however you can. Maybe it's pop culture, or something somebody told you about how they got turned." Another spectral shrug, Jimmy's still figuring out how to be a ghost, much less speak of vampires with any accuracy.

[otoko]

"I suppose that has to be it..." It's strange though, he could swear he...avoided that kind of stuff to keep from getting weird ideas...

Ahhhh well. "...You seem to be faring better than usual at least," he compliments, though he's somewhat unsure as to why he feels as much.

[empty_vessel]

"That's the nice thing about being dead and incorporeal. Lots of room for upward mobility." He sighs, though it's entirely for effect these days. "Really, though, it's been pretty good for the past few. I figured out how to pick things up again the other day." Jimmy looks rather pleased at that, though, it's not that good. He still looks half drowned and dripping with water.

"Found a family full of terrible people and spent an hour or so flicking things on and off. They couldn't see me at all, so they ended up getting into arguments with each over over who was leaving everything on." Terrible and petty, but it's a way to prove that he can still interact with the world, and that's the big thing.

[otoko]

"S-So there would be..." It feels like a weak gag, if anything, but he does at least brighten as Jimmy explains.

And then laughs-as mean as it is after all, well... "I hope you at least focus on only the terrible ones in the future then..! Or..." Ah. He blinks. "...You could possibly use that to help people too, hmnn... Little things for the ones that deserve it..."

He can't help but be a bit more positive about this stuff-he's still, at heart, a bit of a kid.