⇨ 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

[pipers_son]

"It's just somethin' ta hang around yer neck," Joker says softly, reassuring. Another hand pats Sora's shoulder. "We can always take it off if it doesn't work out, too."

[destiny_key]

Sora looks up, and then at both of them in turn. He's still nervous, still frightened, and at this point he's not even sure of what. But anything that's happening now has got to be better than what he's felt like the past two weeks.

"...Okay," Sora finally nods. "Let's try it."

[zebrarhyme_everytime]

"I would like you to wear this for twenty-four hours," Zecora said with a nod, stringing a long piece of thick twine though the punch holes above the zipper lock. "If you notice no improvement, switch to the lead one. If you start to feel worse in any way, then you should call me right away."

She offered up the bag to him, letting him take the step of donning it.

[pipers_son]

It seems all settled, then, and Joker relaxes a little bit. "Thanks for the help," he tells her, honestly. "We'll be sure ta let ya know if anythin' happens." And in the meantime, he'll just watch to make sure Sora is fine while putting on the necklace.

[pullingamiko]

"Werewolf sort of way." Miko shrugs. "No curses here!"

Normally she's at least got enough sense not to just tell people this stuff, but if this guy's involved in magic crap anyway it's probably fine. Probably? Yeah.

[kingsroads]

"Pity," Strange can't help but remark with a sigh. "I can break curses. I've got nothing to help you get rid of the werewolf thing."

Because of COURSE Miko would want to get rid of the werewolf thing. Why wouldn't she?

[destiny_key]

Tentatively, Sora takes the bag from Zecora and ties it around his neck. He feels... pretty much the same, really. But maybe they just need to wait and see.

"Thank you," he echoes vaguely. Overall, not as bad a doctor's visit as he thought it might be, but he's still not exactly eager to return, either.

[zebrarhyme_everytime]

"If this doesn't help, there are others things we can try. The honest truth is, as I said -- it may not be better until all 'this'..." She twiddled her fingers over her shoulder to indicate the whole supernatural pressure that seemed to be dominating everything, "is gone. But I think trying to get you back to a normal, healthier life is worth the effort."

She stepped back, the better to let Sora stand, as she picked up her clipboard. A lot of documentation to do.

[whattaprick]

"It might have something to do with the Severing," Lambert fills in quietly, holding his bag and the notes inside with both hands while the other two reorient themselves.

"Do you know what that is?" If he's never heard of it, explanations might have to start from there.

[pullingamiko]

...Really. Miko's expression drops into a scowl.

"Uuuh, why would I want to get rid of it? It's totally awesome, thanks."

Granted, she can't eat meat anymore, but you know what? She can be a bigass dog whenever she wants.

it feels so weird to have sora talk about God

[destiny_key]

Sora will take the offered hand, and pull himself to his feet while he reorients himself to their surroundings. Looks like they're safe enough for the moment.

"Yeah, kinda," he says in response to Lambert. "My g- I mean, someone told me about it before. That's when God cut heaven off from earth, right? Or something like that."

[pipers_son]

Better than nothing, right? At least it gives them something to do, instead of sitting around and losing their damn minds. So Joker pats Sora on the back, helping to escort him out.

"We'll get somethin' on the way back ta the dorms," he promises the boy before looking up to Zecora. "Anythin' else we need to take care of?"

[destiny_key]

Sora stands from the exam bench he'd been sitting on, rubbing at his eyes tiredly. He's not even that tired, but it's been a loooong day.

He doesn't say a word, just lets Joker escort him out.

[zebrarhyme_everytime]

"Not here and now. Just call me if nothing changes, or if anything gets worse. We will try something else."

She offered her best encouraging smile, though privately, she wondered how this would all play out. Sora's attitude was nothing to take personally... but she regretted not having a better and more immediate answer nonetheless.