⇨ 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

[flashover]

Well, it mostly looks like a weird dragon. But there's ghostly blue flame horns, and a poof of blue flame on the tail, so at least he's got some obvious markers!

Rin continues staring, almost as if he's confused, or lost in thought. He takes a messenger bag off his shoulder and holds it.

"You're... not mad? Phew!!" the half-demon straightens up and smiles, "That's a relief! ... I gotta tell you, the reason I was late is... I was having some wicked weird dreams while I was napping... You were in them! And we went to school together!" His expression is far off again, for a moment. "It seemed so real."

[perverses]

Wait, wait, what? Shima's expression falters again when Rin mentions dreams like that. What does that mean? Does Rin remember, then? Or... what?

"Huh," he says with a laugh and carries on pretending to be Renzophan for now, but he'll try prompting further memories. Just to see. "Yeah, those are weird. I'm kinda too old to go to school, yeah? I mean, even if I did, what school would an ancient demon go to? Probably some kind of weird one! Right?"

[flashover]

"Dude!" Rin says, lighting up again. "It WAS a weird school! It was on this hill and there was this guy with a hat and we had these magic keys to open doors to the classrooms from anywhere! It was kind of awesome."

Rin sits down on one of the plush chairs and frowns again, cradling his head in one hand. "... They... sort of feel like memories from someone else, and not just dreams. I don't know... it's hard to explain. Do you believe in past lives, Mr. Renzo?"

[perverses]

Okay, wow, that's going from dream to straight on actual memory right there. Shima shifts back a step, trying not to show his discomfort with the entire conversation. Does he try and tell Rin the truth? Does he lie? Would revealing anything ruin his chances of keeping Renzophan's life?

"You're talking to a demon, Okumura." And it doesn't actually strike him that 'Okumura' may not even be Rin's last name here. Not yet, anyway. He just... assumes. It's difficult not to. "If you want answers to questions like that, you might want to track down an angel, yeah?"

[flashover]

At "okumura", Rin tilts his head and quirks one ear, looking like a confused reptilian dog.

" 'Okumura'? Uh... that's not my name, dude-- er, sir. My family name is Fujimoto," he laughs a bit and holds up a hand, "I know that Japanese names kind of all sound the same! Haha!! I mean, I don't speak a lick of Japanese."

Indeed, he seems to be speaking perfect English. And in his dreams, he felt like he was speaking English there too! ... But perhaps, if confronted with Japanese being spoken, something might click?

[perverses]

That is such a weird look that Shima stares for a few seconds longer than is acceptable, then he squints, frowning some. So he has his old man's last name instead? That's still weird for a world that otherwise seems disconnected. Though on the other hand, Renzo, Renzophan.

Did this place custom make these lives? Try to fit them in ways that made sense? Shit, he doesn't know. This kind of metaphysical magical memory crap is out of his wheelhouse!

"Are you really sure about that?" He asks, breaking out of frowning and thinking with a slight snort of amusement and, of course, asking that entirely in Japanese. English was obviously what everyone was going to get stuck speaking in Portland, but Shima's pretty sure Renzophan could speak a hell of a lot more than just English and Japanese. No big deal for him. "You never know how much you can pick up just hanging around."

[flashover]

Without missing a beat, Rin answers back, in perfect (albeit slangy) Japanese, "I don't know WHERE I'd pick it up, no one ever speaks it around me!"

Then there's a beat. A long pause while Rin's poor, overworked brain realizes what just happened.

That wasn't English. That wasn't even KIND OF English.

Rin holds his snout shut with his hands and makes a small "eep" noise.

"... I.... I GOTTA GO TO THE BATHROOM."

And like that, he's gone.