⇨ 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]

It's not the first time they've done this, and it probably won't be the last, either. Horrifyingly, Lambert is even almost getting used to it.

He stumbles out of the shadows with a grunt, hands on knees, and looks around sharply. Not that he thought the birds could follow them immediately, but...

"Sorry for dragging you into this," he tells Sora, abruptly. "I didn't think they'd be that gutsy." The Winter Court must be getting damn desperate, but why? It had to be related to that ritual in Sora's vision. Just thinking about that makes his stomach turn.

[zebrarhyme_everytime]

Hmm. That complicated things slightly, but wasn't surprising. It meant, if nothing else, that she had to start from the very basic and begin properly.

"Do you have any particular sensation or warning when one is coming on? And for that matter, have you felt different since you first noticed the increase of visions?"

Still listening, Zecora moved to a large cupboard to one side, opening the door to start rummaging through.

[moonfang]

Oh yeah. What was that you were doin'? I felt you feeling around like a blind person in the dark. [he scratches at his chin thoughtfully] I didn't think you were capable of things like that, but maybe THIS version of you is different.

[pipers_son]

'Like shit apparently' is what Joker wants to say, but he bites his tongue and instead just smiles down to Sora with a squeeze to his shoulder. See, not going so badly. He knew he'd made a right choice in going to this particular doctor.

[moonfang]

"Oh, you know the guy? I read his journals. He seemed like a stick-up-his-ass kind of guy. Not my style. Not well-liked either. Makes my job easy."

Then, thinking of something, Zangetsu laughs to himself. "He's gonna be pissed if he gets back into his body and finds a whole month of time missing! Heehahaha!!"

Zangetsu shakes his head and picks up a black cat that has wandered over and places it into his lap. Cats are the best.

"Ain't THAT shit ironic? I'm the newest of the new, so I had MAYBE two, three days? I don't know shit. I don't know anyone! Perfect."

[flashover]

[Joker could have gone too! He could be invisible on the plane. Stowaway!]

Mom is helping to watch one of the Rose Queen's changelings... he's staying at our house. Shit is, apparently, real, man. But it has been! I just... you know. Not living on campus makes it hard to get to class sometimes. I haven't missed anything very important, right?

[#1 difference between OU Rin and Portland Rin: Portland Rin cares about school somewhat]

[flashover]

[Rin pulls Yuya into a bride-carry before getting off the ground with a few powerful beats of his wings. Magic has to be involved, since there's no way he should be able to fly -- much less carrying another person! But demons. Magic. They're a thing.

A few elemental energy balls zoom their way, but miss, and Rin keeps flying until he finds a rooftop that looks safe enough to land on. He places Yuya down and huffs]

Phew. Thanks for distracting them, man. I couldn't get away while they had me by the tail.

[flashover]

Oh, that's tricky! I don't know man. They've got such a small hitbox, too.

[DISCOURSE. Rin loads up the character select screen]

I wanna be Yoshi.

[hippocarnival]

[Okay, this is apparently a thing for him now. Yuya squawks when he's pulled into Rin's arms and wraps his arms around Rin only so he doesn't fall. He doesn't complain, at least, as he ducks from the incoming fireballs.

He quick to put himself on his feet when they land, though.] You're welcome. What did they want, anyway?

[flashover]

[Rin rubs the back of his head, ruffling his hair. With all the action winding down, Rin's fiery "horns" die down a little.]

I don't know. Something about a ritual and the Severing and... who knows. I wasn't really listening.

[hippocarnival]

They're looking into the Severing too? [That seems to be on everybody's mind.] Uh, did they think you're involved with it or something?

[destiny_key]

Sora, unlike Lambert, doesn't take to the transportation very well. He crashes down to the ground on hands and knees as soon as they arrive, gasping for air, and he can't tell if it's from the teleporting or the running beforehand.

"What..." he starts once he catches his breath. "I mean, it's okay but... I'd kinda like a better idea of what's going on."

[destiny_key]

"Um, not really," Sora starts slowly, thinking. "I guess I feel sleepy for a second, but it's not really... enough time to do anything about it. It's pretty immediate."

A pause.

"I've felt sick more this month. And more tired. Like I'm always tired, but no matter how much I sleep it won't stop. What's the word... fatigued? Like that."

[destiny_key]

I don't think so, but I... it's been hard to pay attention, lately. I don't think you've missed anything super important, but if you did, I probably did to.

[Telling it like it is. Honestly, some days he can't even keep himself awake well enough to go to class in the first place. And his roommate has a completely different schedule, so there's no use asking him. Joker won't leave his side when he's sick. He might be able to coerce Tamaki into going for him, but Tamaki can't take notes and forgets half of everything he's told anyway.]

Sorry, I'm... not much help there.

[otoko]

Mngh...it...does feel a little like that...

B-but what's that supposed to mean?!

[zebrarhyme_everytime]

"That could be caused by any number of things... but it's good to know." Zecora set a plastic bag full of iron filings on the counter, then a double-bag full of different shavings. "I'd emphasize first of all to eat and sleep regularly, make sure your body gets what it needs as best you can. Even if that isn't the direct cause, it will keep things from getting any worse. Now then... We have a few options that may help damp down your sensitivity. Have you ever had any discomfort or pain from close contact with iron or lead?"

[pullingamiko]

...Yikes. Miko leans back a little, just in case this guy's about to hurl again.

"Yyyeah, that might not actually be it. I don't really do the whole... magic thing, I just turn into a dog sometimes."

SHRUG.

[kingsroads]

"Like...in a werewolf sort of way or a wrong end of a curse sort of way?"

It pays to be specific about these things, especially when you're nosy as heck.

[pipers_son]

"He's not a changelin'," Joker promises, unable to keep quiet for much longer like the fussy parent guardian angel he is. "At least, not directly so, as far as I know." But after enough generations, who knows what's in a bloodline. Still, it's never been enough that Joker's found any problems.

[destiny_key]

"Yeah, I've never had any problems with that stuff," Sora agrees, eyeing the bags of metal warily. Just what was Zecora planning to use those for, anyway?

"And, what d'you mean, damp down my sensitivity? What're you gonna do?"

He's starting to get nervous again, now.

[zebrarhyme_everytime]

"Iron affects more than just changelings and fae. It is a symbol of order, solidity, and unyielding control. Many supernatural effects are bothered by it. So, my first recommendation is simply that you wear this iron, in its bag, around your neck. That may help lower the frequency and potency of your visions.

"If that doesn't work," she continued, lifting the second bag, "then we will try the same thing, but with lead, which often interferes with the transmission of supernatural power of all sorts."

[pipers_son]

Well, she's not wrong there... Joker rubs his chin. It sounds not too bad on the safety measure, either, and wouldn't hurt Sora.... probably. Still, in the end, this isn't a choice he can make, even with his position being what it is. Instead, he looks down to Sora.

"What do you think?"

[destiny_key]

Sora hesitates before answering. On the one hand, it doesn't sound dangerous or anything. It might actually give him some relief for a while from the constant visions. But still...

"I... I dunno..." he starts, still nervous. "I mean... I guess if you think it's a good idea..."

Whether he's talking to Zecora or Joker here is a mystery, but he's not looking at either to confirm that.

[atouts]

It isn't a fun way to travel when unexpected, that's for sure, but Childermass won't apologize for dragging Sora along so abruptly. So they got him into trouble. They also got him out of it, for now. He will, at least, offer Sora a hand up if he needs it.

"The courts are coming after their changelings," he answers the 'what's going on' part. "I was warned that the Count needs one of his own blood for something, though what exactly, I do not know. It could be that ritual you saw."

[zebrarhyme_everytime]

Zecora nodded slightly, understanding perfectly well. "It is what I recommend to start. Certainly it is the simplest treatment and the most likely to be effective. But it's your choice."