lostcarnival | ⇨ The Tourist Trap: WEEK 1

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⇨ The Tourist Trap: WEEK 1

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.

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Tamaki looks confused at the suggestion that he learn magic (how could he even do so? he was just a normal human before he died, after all), but at the suggestion that he learn in general, he narrows his eyes. Ghostly energy knocks some dead leaves off the tree behind him, causing them to rain down.

"Are you makin' fun of me!?" he snaps, folding his arms.

For the love of- teenagers. Sighing, Joker bats away the leaves so that they don't get into his face or, more importantly, his mouth. How that's mocking, he'll never know.

"If I wanted ta make fun of ya, trust me, I could choose a lot worse things," he grumbles. "It'd be less borin', wouldn't it?"

Tamaki looks down at himself, as though he can see something that would be an easy target for mockery. But he thinks he looks pretty okay, so he looks back up. He still seems unsure at this suggestion, suspicious of it.

"...I failed all my classes. Got bored and fall asleep. Teachers said it's no use trying to teach me anything." He waves vaguely at the buildings. "Probably can't understand the words they use in there."

With all the time in the world, Joker is in no rush. He stays right where he is, letting the autumn air pass him by and Tamaki to figure out just what he wants to do. The response he finally gets has him snort a little.

"There wasn't a single class ya were interested in? Not a one?"

Tamaki huffs at his snort, but thinks about the question Joker posed to him. Was there anything he liked? For the most parts, the lessons he remembers blend together into meaningless words and sounds. It's a wonder he picked up how to read and write; math was a mystery beyond simple arithmetic, literature was better as movies, history was in the past so who cared, really? Science class wasn't much to his taste either, except maybe one particular subject.

"...Stars."

He says it like he thinks Joker will definitely laugh at him. What good is learning about stars, anyway? They're orbs of gas that shine for thousands of years after their deaths. People gave them meaning by tracing patterns in the sky. They used them for navigation, for marking the seasons. All things that went out of style when there was no more mystery in the world. Surely there's nothing to be interested in and yet...

"It's the only thing I ever paid attention to."

Of all the answers he could expect, that's not one of them. He pauses for a second, blinking, before a low hum thrums out of him. Stars, huh? Well, he supposes the heavens will always have a hold on even the most grouchy of college students...

"What parts about 'em? Could mean a lotta things."

"Like... everything about how they work, and constellations and stuff." He looks up at the sky, even though it's too light to see stars now. "When you see stars, you're seeing how they looked a million years ago. After all this time, they're still burning the same."

He looks back at Joker. "I don't really get why... but I feel like I knew all the constellations. Before I died. But I don't remember now."

"So astronomy, that kinda thing, then?" Joker considers it for a moment, crossing his legs at the ankles and idly letting one foot move. Now isn't that something new. Well, it's not as if they've really talked much before now.... After a moment, he speaks up again.

"Would ya care for it if I brought ya some books on that sorta thing, then?"

For a moment, Tamaki's eyes light up with interest, but then they grow guarded again. He folds his arms and raises an eyebrow at Joker.

"...You mean that? You really aren't makin' fun of me?"

He thinks it would be a pretty good prank if Joker just brought him children's books that had stars in them and not actually books about astronomy. Not that he knows if Joker would do something like that just to mock him... but then, he doesn't know why Joker is suddenly taking an interest in this. He's not here to take care of Tamaki, as he's said.

"Mate, if I make fun of ya," he pointed out, tired, "then ya take that out on the dorm, and guess who has ta clean that up?"

...It's not often Joker, actually, although he does it if the boys are at classes or just otherwise out. It's usually Sora or his roommate who has to do it, but that's just as bothersome. What kind of guardian angel lets his charge get harassed by a ghost?

"Besides, if ya have somethin' ta do, it's less boredom for ya, right?" And less boredom means less messes.

Not you, is what Tamaki could say to that question (he knows it's usually Sora and Sean who pick up when he throws a tantrum, after all!), but it's the rest that catches his attention. Ah, so that's the real reason he suddenly took interest.

Because he's bored? Really? So that's why Joker thinks he sometimes wrecks things, why he sometimes scatters papers and messes with television channels and makes the lights flicker on and off. The feelings that drive Tamaki to do these things are ones even he can't fully articulate; to assert it's simple boredom feels, to Tamaki, like it misses the point.

He shakes his head, floating back, away from Joker again.

"You're a idiot," he says, and tries to keep the disappointment out of his voice. "And your little plan won't work."

Ah, and he thought he'd been getting somewhere, too. Letting his eyes close, Joker whistles out a bit of breath. Still, that had been something, he's sure- he'd been more interested than most conversations they'd have had together. (As much as you could call "Stop throwing things!"-"You're not my real dad!" type nonsense conversations, even if not with those exact words.) Still, will he really have time to poke a little bit more into this with what a busy month it's looking to be?

Oh well. "As much of an idiot as someone hauntin' a dorm and not havin' a fun time of it is?" he asks dryly.

Tamaki just stares back at him.

"It's not about having fun."

Maybe it is a bit fun, sometimes, but it always rings hollow in the end. This isn't how he wanted to be having fun with his life. He wanted to be with friends, do fun things with them, maybe fall in love one day and get married. Not... this.

"I tried having fun by myself when I was alive. Didn't work. And now I'm dead."

He looks away, at the students who are hurrying to class. One walking by has a Starbucks cup, and, expressionless, Tamaki knocks it from their hand, watching as they yell in dismay at the drink spilled on the ground.

"It makes me mad, because I'm always empty. People like you don't get that, because you're always full."

"So what are ya doin' about it?"

Joker doesn't even open his eyes at the sound of something splashing against the pavement, or the alarmed yell tat follows it. He simply lays where he is, waiting for the response...

...and fully prepared for more temper tantrums.

Luckily for Joker, this doesn't cause a temper tantrum, for once. Instead, Tamaki just sort of... sags where he stands. If one could see him, they might notice he looks a lot more dead than normal, his eyes sunken in his face and his skin drawn tight to his bones.

"Making people notice."

He floats up a bit, moving toward the dorm window.

"Sora is sick," he says abruptly. "And he doesn't want my help."

That's a bit unfair, since Tamaki's help involved breaking a television. But he is biased toward himself.

"Take care of him so he doesn't die."

Well, that's sure an abrupt change of pace. And here he was just about to say that making people notice small term misfortunes isn't much, but hey. Joker cracks open one eye.

"That's what I'm doin'. Just got back from a doctor and everythin'."

It's not much but it's all he knows. But the change of subject moves them away from that sad fact. He gives a shrug.

"Then, I guess he'll be okay."

Tamaki can't help but be jealous.

"Another angel told me that you guys can't solve all human problems. And some people just get unlucky. Is that what you think, too?"

"Well, s'mostly the truth." He shifts upwards a little, elbows on the grass.

"For one thing, human problems are usually caused by humans. So, ta that end, they need ta be solved by humans. Besides..." Joker's shoulders roll up in a shrug. "If ya had someone fixin' all yer problems for ya, what would ya learn?"

"It's bullshit though, right?" Tamaki shakes his head. "You saw a doctor for Sora. But if someone was dying in front of you, you wouldn't do anything, right?"

He shakes the leaves in the tree again, causing more to fall. "Angels say all that stuff, but you're just making yourself feel better. You play favorites and don't care about anything that happens to the rest of us."

"Yeah," he says dryly, waving away more leaves. "I did see a doctor for Sora. Probably on account of I'm Sora's bleedin' guardian angel. Of course I'm gonna play favorites with him, 'cuz he's my responsibility."

Alright, that's it- sighing, he sits up properly, crossing his legs as he starts to gesture with his words. "Yer thinkin' of angels as all powerful whatevers, but the thing is we're more like dogs who are trained for a specific purpose. Y'know- guide dogs, police dogs, all that. So my purpose is ta protect a particular person. Angels of death, they're meant ta take care of twits like yerself. On and on."

Tamaki scowls at being called a twit, but at least Joker has confirmed about what he thought. If someone were in need, don't count on an angel because they don't give a shit. Don't count on God, either - if he's even real.

He doesn't want to go to Hell, and if Heaven is full of people like this, he doesn't want to go there, either. So he's taking the third option, and staying right here.

"Well, he didn't take care of me. And you won't get rid of me. I'll always be here, and no one is making me leave!"

Then he disappears back into the dorm room, most likely to break something.

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⇨ The Tourist Trap: WEEK 1

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