⇨ The Tourist Trap: WEEK 2

[ringleaders]

Who: Anyone, anywhere in Portland.
When: October 7st - 14th, 2017
Where: Portland area, in the new reality.
What: The week begins as the time of the Animal Fair finally arrives! Meanwhile, the truth of this reality starts to be revealed, and forces both human and celestial alike attempt to take advantage of a rare opportunity.
Warnings: Individually marked!

BY ANY OTHER NAME↴ Tensions thicken as various supernaturally forces react to the events of the previous week. Something critical is afoot, and it's only a matter of time before things start coming to a head. It's time to find out more about what's happened to this world, and what will happen in its future. ► A NIGHT AT THE FAIR: From the night of the 7th to the morning of the 8th, the Animal Fair is officially in town. There is a top level down below with more information, though you can also RP content from this elsewhere if you wish. The host, who is very likely something called a Wyld Fae (if you discovered that ICly), will be present, but they will only be appearing to you of their own accord and attempting to track them down by force will be ineffective. Just kick back and relax! Fairs are supposed to be fun. ► THORNS IN YOUR SIDE: Culminating in a full fledged attack against the Sanctuary, it would seem that The Rose Queen is declaring war on the changeling population of Portland. Though the vicious attack of thorns against the safe house was eventually stopped, it wasn't without damage, and the black roses that caused it are still popping up around the city and threatening the places where homeless and lost changelings would be likely to congregate. It's obvious now that this is a serious threat - will it ever stop without an intervention? ► HELL ON EARTH: As Anath's march draws near, the first waves of her demons will be entering the city. Primarily acting as scouts and foot soldiers, these demons will be attempting to secure loyalty from the local demon populace, as well as taking out any angels they can manage to catch. It's a level of aggressiveness against heaven's forces that hasn't been seen for years, and it's a foreboding hint of things to come. These demons can be NPCed by anyone, and will mostly be thugs or manipulators who don't know much about Anath's plans but do know that you need to join their side. They are also rowdier than most of the demons in Portland, and are a threat to the innocent mortal populace as well, if they decide to try to get their kicks here. ► THE WIZARD POLICE: The Enlightenment Council seems to have demanded control of the local Circle chapter, and now backup has arrived. These mages are being sent out into the city as if they are a police force, and will be attempting to demand control of various common supernatural areas, as well as questioning community members that they run into. Whatever is going on, it seems to have resulted in the Council instituting what is essentially martial law... of course, not everyone sees any need to heed their demands. If you are a demon, warlock, or other rogue element, expect to be harassed or even attacked by them. These character can be NPCed, and if you need additional information you can ask the mods.

Comments

[atouts]

And the moment he's free, there's a flicker of movement that's impossible to follow. When he changes forms, there's thankfully no drawn out process or any in-between that a werecreature might have. He just releases the spell and he's himself again, albeit still somewhat feathery. Normally, he would just fly off.

Normally, he wouldn't reveal such magic to what may very well be a regular human, either.

But it's a faerie realm out here right now, hopefully temporary. Shapeshifting won't be the oddest thing going on and, in the end, any normal person would laugh it off as a trick, something that was just a part of the fair itself, surely. Plus, frankly, he'd rather be his tall usual self than a crow with all these other animals around, especially after getting caught by the cat still struggling in Yuya's arms. To the cat, he can't help but give a nasty look.

"No, only startled. It didn't have me for long."

[hippocarnival]

Yuya jumps as Childermass transforms right in front of him--definitely different from a wereperson. He stares, and while he's staring the cat wiggles out of his arms and runs away, startled by the morphing of its crow.

"Uh--good! I mean, that's good." He smiles, bemused. "I didn't really expect you to be a person. Hi?"

[atouts]

"People typically don't," Childermass says with a shrug. After that, he'll dust himself off a bit, because changing only transfers dirt from feathers to his clothes. "But you'll either forget about it later or we'll never meet again so that I did hardly matters."

[hippocarnival]

Yuya blinks rapidly at Childermass. "Why would I forget? You're not going to erase my memory, are you?!" He leans back and holds his hands up in the air, placating.

"If you want to keep it a secret I won't tell anyone! I don't have any problems with you being a Changeling!"

[atouts]

Why in the world would anyone even jump to that conclusion... That's actually kind of funny, enough that he'll give a small, amused snort, looking up again to eye Yuya.

"Why? Do you think I should?" He says it in good humor, which is a nice break from how generally grouchy he feels just being here. "Could be you've seen too much, hmm?"

[hippocarnival]

He's got a... healthy imagination. Maybe Childermass will appreciate later how ominous he looked.

Yuya waves his hands actively. "No, definitely not! I don't want to cause any trouble, I was just visiting the fair. And I saved you from that cat, didn't I?"

[atouts]

"That's true, you did," Childermass agrees. He considers very briefly letting Yuya know he can't change memories, anyhow, but where's the fun in that? Let him wonder. So, instead, he holds his hands up in a placating gesture. "Suppose that earns you an evening without having your memory tampered with. Fair's fair."

Though that said, he has a more important question to ask as he lowers his hands again.

"Why so sure that I'm a changeling, though?"

He could just be a very feathery werecrow or... who even knows what. Portland's crawling with weirdness these days.

[hippocarnival]

"Thanks." He slowly lowers his hands, relieved. He tilts his head at Childermass's question, raising a brow. "Uh, am I wrong?"

He gestures vaguely through the air, then at the position Childermass was just trapped under a cat. "The way you changed, it's a little different from a wereperson, isn't it? You just looked like a normal, small bird. And I can't think of anything else that would turn into birds."

His expression lights up suddenly. "Unless you're a full Fae?" Yuya can't tell the difference very well there, given his minimal contact with straight Fae.

[atouts]

Childermass can't help but grimace at the very thought, of him being full Fae. That would be the worst, as far as he's concerned, so he's quick to answer in a straightforward way this time, "No. You were right. I am. And I wouldn't thank me, were I you, because I was only joking about the memory thing."

So much for letting Yuya think what he wants about that. That added 'thanks' automatically drives him to deny it, in spite of all other plans. But he's also quick to move on from that.

"I take it you've met a few of us before, then? If you're guessing it that easily?"

[hippocarnival]

Yuya wrinkles his nose, less pleased about being played as a fool. But Childermass's request for an explanation suitably distracts Yuya and his tone lightens up.

"Yeah! I've met other Changelings. I talk to a lot of supernatural people. You're a lot easier to talk to!" He grins. He then points to himself. "Because I have ESP and I'm not supposed to talk about it with normal people... I don't have to worry about being too weird with a Changeling."

[atouts]

"What? Like telekinesis?" Childermass... probably shouldn't be skeptical, but that's clearly his first reaction. He frowns, brow furrowing, looking as though he doesn't quite believe for a few seconds. Then, on the other hand, he's run into just enough strangeness among regular humans.

It's not really fair to call this one a liar, now is it?

"Hmm. Yes, I could see how it'd be easier. Powers aren't going to surprise a changeling..."

[hippocarnival]

Yuya nods enthusiastically, grinning in contrast to Childermass's concentrated frown. He got it in one! "Yeah, I have telekinesis, and I'm an empath. I can't do the same things you can with magic, but it's still really cool!" Yuya, at least, seems very proud of being an esper.

"... Can I ask why you were attending the fair as a bird, though?" Because it makes Childermass the second Changeling who seems fond of floating around others in bird form.

[atouts]

Huh. Human powers outside of magic... is a really odd concept.

"It's an animal fair, isn't it?" Childermass says it in a very matter-of-fact way. It's mostly to keep people from figuring out if he's being serious or not. In this case, not really, but he'll still go on to add, "I think the better question is why are you attending it as a telekinetic human?"

[hippocarnival]

He thinks that attending an animal fair as an animal makes you more likely to be mistaken as an attraction... or a meal.

"Because it sounded interesting." And as far as Yuya's concerned, that's a good enough reason.

[atouts]

Case in point, that cat he'd just saved Childermass from, but personally? He's trying to pretend that bit of indignity never occurred, thanks.

"Suppose that's a fair enough cause for it," he admits, "Though I hope you plan on being careful. This is a strange place, doubly so for someone who's only human."

[hippocarnival]

"I know, I know!" Yuya waves his hand, dismissing the thought. "I'm not eating any of the food or touching anything I shouldn't. It'd be really bad if I was taken away by fairies. I just wanted to see what it was like!"

He offers his hand to Childermass. "I'm Yuya, by the way."

[atouts]

"You say that now..." Childermass has run into enough people who say one thing and then still do the other, but hey. He isn't this kid's dad. So, he shrugs and gives the hand a wary look for all of two seconds before reaching out to take it, to shake it. "The name's John."

Yep. That's it. A very mundane name for a changeling.

[hippocarnival]

Nothing else happens when Childermass shakes hands. The esper is safe to touch.

"Nice to meet you!" Now that they've established friendly terms Yuya perks up even even more. He doesn't know what qualifies as a changeling name anyway.

"Do a lot of changelings turn into birds, or can they turn into other animals?"

[atouts]

"Depends on the changeling," Childermass answers after a moment of pause, a moment of thought. Considering what influences what different changelings can do relies on their master, well... not the most fun of topics. "Though Portland is held more by the Summer Court than any other. You're more like to find those who can turn into fire or a tree."

Well, more like control fire and trees, but whatever.

[hippocarnival]

"A tree? What good is turning into a tree?" Birds he can get, but a tree can't even go anywhere. It's got no legs.

[atouts]

Clearly, Yuya still needs to run into the angry dancing tree stomping its way around the fair.

"You would have to ask one of them," Childermass answers, shrugging. "Maybe they enjoy the simplicity."