lostcarnival | ⇨ The Tourist Trap: WEEK 2

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Well, I already had my big mid term.. so hopefully that'll be enough until finals? The prof likes to spring little shitty pop quizzes, but whatever."

Kuro happily helps himself to his own food while Rin pulls Nosh into his lap, stroking her antennae.

As for the former priest that was the deciding factor in all of this... Rin didn't expect him to agree. It would be expensive. Plus, he would just try and fight whatever came at them head on! Only cowards ran away. Or something like that.

"Lakes of... fire?! That part is real?" He thought that was just made up to scare mortals, honestly.

And cowards also survived. Dead lions are useless to anything but scavengers, better to be a live dog. "I'll handle your schooling."

Which is to say she's not going to. After all of this blows over, how much of the current infrastructure will remain intact and unchanged? It was going to be a fight, she was certain of it, but her family had to come first. Once things settled down, everything would be fine, and they could return to their lives. "Many of the stories are real to a point," she says, amused. "Not a lot of standing around with pitchforks, but the general layout.."

Blue shakes her head. "Maybe one day you'll see it for yourself." Going to hell isnt' a good option for most people, but for a half-demon? "I can show you where I used to stay if someone else hasn't taken it."

An elegant palace of smooth stone and shining lights, peaceful and serene, with obedient and prompt gems waiting on her every whim. None of this having to make things herself nonsens--

"Well, if you say so, mom."

Now craving something sweet, Rin goes into the pantry and takes out a box of cookies. He sits back at the table and helps himself, offering one to Nosh as well. Rin just has no idea how much this might actually upset the balance of life here in Portland... after the demons come and wreak havoc, there might not be anything left of the Portland they know. Blue knows. But she probably doesn't want to scare the bejesus out of her son.

"Ha! A vacation to hell? Now that would be something else. Great place to visit, wouldn't wanna live there type thing," Rin says with a laugh, putting another cookie in his mouth. "You know, I heard once that Hell is also called 'Gehenna', and it's like a mirror to our world. Is that true?"

Blue doesn't want to give Rin any excuse to dig his heels in and 'try to save his friends'. If the threat is downplayed a bit then it's a vacation and nobody's the wiser until it's far, far too late. She watches him quietly as he helps himself to cookies and feeds his pet as well, working on sealing that into her memory. This house might not remain once they're gone.

But she wanted to remember it. This place had given her so much more than hell ever had. A husband she wouldn't trade for anything, and a son that was his father's spitting image in personality and not quite the demon she'd hoped he'd become. That ... was alright. Maybe it really was alright. Would she want to protect him so much if he'd been a proper monster, as willful and violent and deceptive as demons often got?

Instead she had a human boy in scales and claws and feathers.

God may have created the universe, but she made this.

"Hell has many names." She refocuses easily, nothing more than briefly ruffled feathers to show for it. "Sheol, the Abyss, Hades, Pandemonium.. Gehenna's one of them. Every culture seems to have a different name for it. I wouldn't call it a mirror though, there's no Hell New Jersey." She waves her fork dismissively. "There's much more variety on earth though. And while you'd probably be alright passing through it, your father's stuck here for the time being, let's not leave him behind."

Not in this lifetime.

Rin had never known anything else. He didn't know how much he meant to his mom, to his dad. How important he was. How important this all was. Unique, fulfilling, and real. But how could he? His whole life had been peaceful like this. He had no reason to believe that he might one day have to say goodbye to it all.

"Haha! Cause New Jersey is already hell on earth," he says with a grin. He's never been there. He doesn't want to go there. It seems like a place that would smell. "Oh right, yeah. Well... maybe it could just be me and you. He could go skiing in the Alps or something. He loves that."

"I'll definitely make it up to him when we return, one way or another." It's an excuse for gross parent public displays of affection and if she can make someone squirm in the process then that was just icing!

Children tended to not know how much they were valued.. Not until they had their own, and suddenly so much that was annoying as a child or teen clicked into place. Blue didn't quite grasp that herself yet, she didn't have a whole lot of human friends to discuss this stuff with.

It was easier to think about than the pending arrival of a demon army. "...Though. Rin. I do want you to try to get a bit more rest for a little before we go, alright? You look so exhausted lately. If work's keeping you up too much when you have classes in the morning, maybe your schedule can be rearanged."

Maybe it was something else causing it.

Human friends! His mom, with human friends. And a human husband, for that matter. Such things would have been inconceivable without the Severing stranding demons and the like. Maybe it was a good thing, in a way. Maybe the worlds needed that catalyst to integrate better later on.

Rin frowns as she comments on his tired-looking appearance. "It's... not really my schedule. I'm just not sleeping well, lately," he taps a claw on the table, unsure if he should tell her about all the weird stuff he'd been seeing in his dreams... and how those dreams had started to become intrusive thoughts, even during the daylight hours.

"Hm." That sounded like more than what she'd expect from usual habits. Teenagers kept weird hours, but just being unable to sleep well.. "Notice anything unusual about any of it? Maybe something's bothering you."

Maybe she can help. She's not sure, but it could just be something as simple as needing a new mattress..

⇨ The Tourist Trap: WEEK 2

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