⇨ 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

[steadydollypegs]

For the moment, the three demons are more interested in each other than in a ghost floating outside or a trembling warlock in a vent. The two scouts seem a little cowed by Knotley's appearance, but one of them finally remembers that this is why they were following Doll around. To talk to Knotley.

''Harass'? Oh no, no that's a strong word for it,' orange shirt says with a wave of his hand. 'She said she knew where you were, then she kicked us down the stairs--'

This comment was clearly meant to get some sympathy, maybe act as a subtle suggestion that he put a leash on his warlock, but Knotley just laughs. 'Oh, you no doubt deserved it, I only wish I'd been there. Doll is so feisty when she's angry, it's cute.' His smile fades quickly. 'No, I'm serious, you no doubt deserved it. Get out of my sight before I get angry.'

'Knotley, please--' Turquoise shirt laughs and holds out his hands. 'We're just here under orders. Anath is on the move, she'll be here any day now and needs the assistance of every demon possible. Heaven is stirring against us, our numbers--'

'I don't give a shit about your numbers. And I don't give a shit about what Anath wants. I, and Doll by extension, are not giving our loyalty to anyone for any reason. Am I clear? If I see you around her again, I will make you into a tasteful art installation on the pavement: red smear with last season's polos.'

Turquoise looks offended, but orange stops him from being an idiot and starts walking them both to the elevator. Knotley calls it for them and the doors open.

'We'll see what you say when Anath is staring you down,' Turquoise growls. 'Bet you'll bend over like a--'

Knotley waves his hand and the both of them go flying into the elevator. A snap of his fingers cuts the cable on the car and it goes into freefall until the safety kicks in and stops them between floors. Knotley looks mildly put out that it didn't fall all nine stories, but tells himself the two preppy assholes probably soiled themselves and leaves it at that.

What he's interested in now is the vent. 'Doll. Come out.'

Doll doesn't move, freezes inside the vent and hopes that he'll just go away. That's a tall order, though. Knotley frowns when she doesn't move and reaches for the vent grate.

[puddingemote]

The strange turn of events is a bit hard to follow, but Tamaki realizes that this new demon isn't one to be trifled with. But for some reason, it's still going after Doll, and who knows what it will do to her if it catches her.

He has to think fast. There's no way he can fight a demon, but maybe he can distract it long enough for Doll to get away?

Zipping through the walls, into the room off the hallway, Tamaki hurries straight to the opposite side. There's another book cart here, and it's almost too big for his haunting to work, but he tries hard, and...

The book cart falls over with a loud crash.

To make even more noise, he starts to slam the spilled books around the hall, smacking them into walls and floors and random. He hopes this will catch the demon's attention long enough for Doll to scuttle away.

[steadydollypegs]

The crash of the cart immediately catches Knotley's attention. Did those dumbasses bring three demons to shake down one tiny warlock? He'd known they were mostly spineless, but this was just ridiculous.

In the vent, Doll jumps when she hears the crash, and she has no idea what caused it. It's only when Knotley moves away from the vent, head tilted at the sudden barrage of books that she realizes Tamaki is throwing things and trying to help her get away. The sooner the better-- Doll knows he can't see ghosts, but he sure can smell a soul from a mile away. It's only a matter of time before he figures it out and tries to pounce.

She pushes out the vent cover and dives out, rolling in a perfect somersault onto her feet and starts booking it. Knotley turns and snarls.

'Doll! Get back here, Doll!!'

Her legs stop moving for a half second and she looks back, scared. She'll never outrun him, he'll always be there, always know where she is, what chance does she have? Knotley spreads his leathery wings and crosses the space between them, and Doll tries to dodge him at the last second. He may own her soul, but he doesn't own all of her. Not yet.

"No!" she yells when his arms close around her. She starts kicking and writhing. "Let go!"

'Doll-- Calm down, look at me, look at me!' Knotley spins her around and grabs her by her beanie and bangs, forcing her face up and uncovering her left eye. It's pink with a slit pupil, scaled skin framing it and spreading outwards. It's no wonder she keeps it covered, it's a clear enough sign that she's made a deal with something far from heavenly.

'It's not safe outside of the Collapse. This isn't the last time someone will come looking for me, you can avoid all of that if you just come back.'

Doll stretches up, trying to relieve some of the pull on her hair, and reaching up to cover her eye-- in case there's a chance, even a small one, that Tamaki wasn't watching all of this.

"'N hide? Like you are? Can' believe you're actually scared of this Anath--" Knotley pulls her hair harder and Doll yelps.

'I'm trying to protect you, Doll. Don't make me regret it.'

[puddingemote]

Unfortunately, Tamaki is watching all this.

He doesn't understand a lot of what is happening (what is the Collapse? Who is Anath?), but he does know that the demon is hurting Doll. Whoever he is, he isn't kind to her; he can say he's trying to protect her, but someone who wants to protect doesn't hurt their charge at the same time.

He doesn't care about her eye. He doesn't care what she might have done, if anything, to end up with this demon attached to her. He just knows that Doll is kind, and she doesn't deserve this.

"Let her go!" he yells, even though neither of them can hear him, and he chunks one of the books directly at the back of Knotley's head.

[steadydollypegs]

The book cracks Knotley right in the head, and the reaction is immediate. He turns around, eyes going bright pink and flashing, his tongue coming out long and forked as he hisses in rage. 'Who the FUCK THREW THAT.'

Doll throws his hands off of her and runs, scrubbing her hands over her bangs and trying to cover her eye. He saw, he saw, and she has to get away. Knotley is screaming after her, and her heart feels like it's going to explode she's so panicked.

"Tamaki--" she whispers, almost out of breath as she runs. "--get th'door, make 'im think I ran downstairs-- please!"

[puddingemote]

When Doll starts to run, Tamaki follows after her, going around Knotley so he hopefully won't feel his spirit. He intends to follow her out of the library, but when he hears the whisper, he realizes he needs to break away from her and create a distraction.

So with one last chilly pass through her body, he flies to the door of the stairs and bangs it open, hopefully distracting Knotley long enough for Doll to find another escape route. For now, this is all he can do for her.

[steadydollypegs]

Knotley turns his head towards the sound of the door, and comes to the conclusion Doll hoped he would: that she'd run downstairs instead of continuing to be trapped and chased around. Livid, he oozes down into one of the shadows under a table, darts across the floor, and pops up again to wrench open the stairwell door and continue the 'chase'.

Doll has tucked herself on an empty shelf behind a book cart. She's laying there, shaking and quietly crying while she flattens her hair over her eye. He'll come for her again sometime, she's not sure when, but nowhere is safe apparently.