⇨ The Tourist Trap: WEEK 3

[ringleaders]

Who: Anyone, anywhere in Portland.
When: October 15st - 22th, 2017
Where: Still in Portland
What: As all sides of the struggle gradually become informed, and the awareness of outsiders begins to spread, Portland faces a critical question - what should be done with them? And who gets to decide?
Warnings: Individually marked!

THE WOLVES AMONG US↴ ► WHEN SEPTEMBER ENDS: It's fairly common knowledge that October is a special month - Halloween has always been an excitable time in the supernatural community, because its during this month that the magical energies of Earth seem to disproportionately swell in power. This peeks on the 31st, and has every year for as long as anyone can remember. The holiday of Halloween is a byproduct of this, because the magical phenomenon has gone on for ages past. It's also a pretty common time for wizards to attempt bullshit shenanigans, and also when the Severing first came into effect. ► TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL: Towards the end of the week, Prudence Jaeger will be asking her angelic contacts for a pretty huge favour - she wants them to help her and some of her associates break into the Circle stronghold that the visiting Council members are staying at. It seems that they have some kind of macguffin item that will be needed to crack the barrier cutting off the Earth from the cosmos - and, to that end, allow the angels and mysterious outsiders to return to wherever they call home. ► THE PATH TO HELL: Perhaps unsurprisingly, Team Heaven isn't the only group to clue into the fact that the Circle has what they need. On the same night that the angels go in, so will Anath's army, as the arch demon finally arrives in the city just in time to join the party. Whether the angels and demons fight each other all the way or cooperate to achieve a mutual goal is up to them. ► WITH GOOD INTENTIONS: The Circle and Torchlight aren't all bad, okay? It's entirely possible that they are just acting in the best interest of humanity - unfortunately, that has resulted in them being pretty massive pricks recently, and now the payback for that is arriving on their doorstep. If you're a member of the Circle, you may or may not realize that anything is coming in time for you to prepare. (That will depend on your threads up to the end of the week.) However, once the fight starts, you'll be charge with defending the Councillors whether you like it or not, and Torchlight is getting pulled in as an unexpected ally to ensure their safety as well. Are you going to heed their call? Or is it time to split from the pack? ► BLOOD OF ICE AND FIRE: It's been made no secret that the Rose Queen isn't the only fae trying to pull back her lost changelings - now the Winter Court appears to be doing it, as well. More than a handful of changelings have gone missing over the last couple weeks, lost to both the thorns and agents of the Count. Whatever they're doing, it's also in competition with each other - Winter and Summer will be biting at each other's heels far more than normal, to the degree that it becomes clear they must have some competing objective in mind. Unfortunately for everyone else, that objective happens to conflict with the desires of just about everyone else. Fae are, by nature, opportunists. - ✪ - These are the major conflicts that will be coming to a head towards the end of Week 3. In the meantime, your actions will decide how certain elements are set up, and what the likelihood of success is for each group. Dice rolling handily won the opinion poll where we asked for the preferred method of conflict resolution, so that will be coming into effect a bit later on to determine who actually wins and loses, with advantages based on the choices made.

Comments

[whattaprick]

"I don't know," Lambert admits, honestly. "It was something another Fae told me... one that wasn't affiliated with the Courts. The one who was running the Animal Fair." He pauses, then goes on:

"It's also possible that the spell might is connected to the Earth's spirit somehow. It... said that something's draining its energy. Weakening it, and the likeliest culprit is this spell." He's careful not to couch it in absolutes. A lot of this stuff is just conjecture, after all. "So ending the severing might be the best option anyway. It's just hard to say what might happen afterwards. The Beast said part of the spell's effect is making everyone outside this world forget about it ... so presumably, once the spell breaks, they'll remember it exists."

A beat, and then he asks: "Who's 'Miss Pru'?"

[hippocarnival]

The Earth spirit isn't something he's terribly familiar with, but if Lambert thinks the weakness is significant enough to require breaking the spell protecting the whole world, then it must be really important. It's really a rock and a hard place, and not having a clear and decided path makes Yuya uneasy.

"She's an angel. I guess their leader here? Apparently some of them are having the same memory problems we are. I know one, so he introduced us and... I decided to help them try and break the severing."

Because really, who else was going to? Not the Courts, not the circle, and while he doesn't mind demons if he has to pick between the two... angels are probably more trustworthy. Probably. "If that's true, then even if we break it we can't just let this place get invaded!"

[whattaprick]

It's funny Peridot mentions that kind of thing, because Lambert still hasn't given back Strange's books, oops. "... I borrowed a book about that kind of stuff from a guy. Maybe you can take a look and see if any of it's actually useful."

[betheman]

HAUH!?!

[To say that he's shocked is an understatement, and he practically falls backward mid 'meditation'. The vampire stammers a bit, eyes wide.] Y-You-

...You know who I am?!

[insidescoop]

Then what did you see?

Other than just me!!

[insidescoop]

Not one that involves death if that's what you're worried about!!

[DEFENSIVE...]

[insidescoop]

[She is quiet-trying to find the words as something nags at her mind and even heart, her eyes searching the other to try and find something familiar. But she can't... ..She can't think...]

...How..? [she finally manages, shaking her head.]

[mylastchance]

I don't know.

But if it's two of us, we can think of something.

['Right?' is what he wants to ask, but he doesn't. He can't waver on this, he needs to be resolute in finding the solution. There wasn't any other option.]

[whattaprick]

[ In truth, it hadn't even crossed his mind, but -- ]

Was that what you were trying to do?

[fortuneglass]

No.

You don't need to know what that was.

[whattaprick]

Fine.
Anyway, this thing the Circle has -- do you have any idea what it is?

[whattaprick]

"Arabella? I thought it was my Amanda?" Lambert asks scornfully, though not without a twinge of confusion himself. He knows which name Strange used in the cafe, yet one undoubtedly feels more correct than the other. Though for Strange to confuse a detail like that, maybe he really is going crazy...

A thought that's only reinforced by what he says next. All that magic and power, and he'd be using it to take a daytrip? It sounds exactly like the sort of trivial thing a magician would be into.

"A different realm? Like another world?" Now why does that sound familiar ... oh, right. The carnival had done that too ... at least, according to Peridot's account of it. Those memories don't exist for him at all.

[kingsroads]

"Isn't that what I said?" Though there's a confused frown on his face. Obviously he meant Amanda. That's his ex, after all. And yet, why does the name Arabella feel like it fits so much better?

Thankfully, Lambert's question distracts him from thinking too much about the name confusion because it's giving him the chance to be a pedantic asshole. Another world. Please. Those things were obviously different...just ignore the fact that the terms are exceedingly vague.

"Not exactly? Compare our realm, the realm of humans, to that of faerie. You've got two different domains but they're part of the same world and talented magicians can enter in between them. A different world is more like...something that's not Earth-based entirely. A world that's entirely underwater or a world inhabited by strange creatures, for example. This world consists of the realms of Earth, faerie, heaven, and hell but different worlds might only have one or two of those realms instead."

The more Strange rambles on and becomes a big ol'nerd about these sort of things, the less aggravated he gets. He's calming down, though he's still looking at Lambert with a glare and a sort of 'you should know this already' expression.

[dontpokethat]

She blinks up at him, apparently not too bothered to have a stranger nearby. Honestly, Ginko is still pretty relieved to have ended up with a pet who can stay so calm around people.

"I could say the same to you. I take it you got out of the Sanctuary alright?"

[flashover]

It just looks better is all. And there's more characters and stuff... but the game is the same, you know? Banana peels are still useless and blue shells are still the worst.

[Rin carefully takes the console from Steven and places it back into the cradle, and the game appears on the big screen of the TV instead. He offers the controller to him] So, wanna do a race or two?

[flashover]

[The wizard pulls his hand away and forms a ball of energy in it. But that also means he's not holding Rin's tail anymore]

What did I just say about this being your business? Get LOST!

[Rin has had about enough of this, and without warning, he punches the nearest wizard in the face with a fist cloaked in blue flame]

You assholes asked for this!

[flashover]

... Me neither. I keep having... weird thoughts about it. No -- not just thoughts. It's like memories. [Rin shakes his head] Everything in town is so weird lately...

[insidescoop]

Everything? Really? [She asks, somewhat amused, but equally confused herself.] ...I guess...I can't completely ignore things, right now...

[flashover]

[HECK YEA fake happy! so good]

Me? Oh, not much. Mostly hanging out at home. Mom is kind of keeping me under her wings... for... you know.

[Reasons. Reasons like shit in the city falling apart]

We were gonna go on a vacation to Hawaii but Dad poopoo'd it. Said it was too much like running away.

[flashover]

Yeah... Everything. The demons, the fae, the angels... [Rin frowns] Not to mention these... Circle people, and the wizards. You know they tried to kidnap me?! For some... thing. I don't even know.

[insidescoop]

None.

I just know it's the object they used to create the original barrier.

[moonfang]

[Not unlike their first encounter, which THE MAN clearly does not remember, Zangetsu is perched in a tree. But this time he's got some freaky eyeball wings]

Hell yeah I know who you are! You and I had a spar! One'a the only folks I talked to before the everything went to shit. [he pulls a grumpy face] Don't tell me YOU forgot everything, too?

[moonfang]

"Just one. Of course, he was the only guy I really interacted with before everything went to hell."

It sure did make things hard. He was good with faces! But that didn't help if he hadn't SEEN any faces!

There's a bit of a pause, then Zangetsu gives Sans a half-smirk.

"You think I've just totally lost my mind, don't you?"

[starseedling]

[Count that as the only thing that looks better after his imprisonment, then. Steven's smile falters a little, and then returns, thinking about it. He takes the controller. This part is familiar enough.]

Sure.

[He sits up, looking over the controls.]

I don't think bananas are useless, though.

[hippocarnival]

[It's a good thing Rin is ready to fight back because Yuta is not going to win against a gang of wizards. He didn't even have a weapon!

Better hope that punch is enough to scare them off, or Yuya's plan is to grab Rin and run.] You get lost! You don't have any reason to be bothering him.