⇨ The Tourist Trap: WEEK 4

[ringleaders]

Who: Anyone, anywhere in Portland.
When: October 22nd - 31st, 2017
Where: In Portland, for the last time.
What: The seasons change as the Winter Court seizes a surprise victory, claiming both the Tree of Life's pendant and the blood catalyst needed to take control of the Severing Ritual. Meanwhile, interdimensional problems are about to get more weird. Check out the conflict results for the attack on the Circle as well as the Beast's attack on the Summer Court here.
Warnings: Individually marked!

DAYS OF WINTER↴ As the end of October nears, so does the grasp of winter. On the night of the 22nd, it will freeze overnight, and the temperature will drop for the following days. As the night grow long, world-wide magic slowly reaches it apex, set to reach it on the night of Halloween. With so many factors at play, knowing what to do with that moment of power may be a challenge. ► FULL CIRCLE: The Angels succeed in their planned attack on the Circle, managing to get to the living quarters of the Council members with the help of Ashleigh Mischief. The plan goes without much resistance from the mages or from the demons attempting to claim the ritual object for their own. Of course, when the fae make a surprise attack on the Angels after they flee the scene, it has the surprise result of the Winter Court ended up with the pendant in their talons. Threads for this attack can be done in this log. If you need mod direction at all, let us know, but otherwise feel free to NPC demons, angels, or random Circle members as you require. ► THE QUEEN'S GARDEN: Realizing that the Rose Queen is distracted with attempting to claim the pendant, the Beast will summon her co-conspirators to raid the Queen's gardens. The ultimate plan seems to be to get the Beast far enough into the gardens to kill the Queen, while also rescuing as many changelings as possible along the way. As it turns out, this doesn't go well. While they do manage to penetrate the gardens with Childermass's help, the Rose Queen, Ignatius, and Nightshade happen to all be there. Seriously outnumbered, even by the Beast's terms, it will take everything the group has to just make it out alive, sustaining heavy injuries as they go. In the end they will manage to rescue Greg universe and four additional changelings that were imprisoned there, but any damage done to the Summer Court itself will be negligible. Threads for this can also be played out here! ► REFLECTIONS: As the ritual draws closer, the line between this reality and the one you came from will also be becoming less clear. Regaining memories is not required, but it will naturally become easier to occur, especially if you're already started receiving them. It's a good time to start making connections, while you still have the chance. ► THE SEVERING: One way or another, the Severing is going to make an impact on both this world and the lives of those trapped inside of it. The Angels are going to be making an attempt to interrupt the Winter Court's ritual, as will the Summer Court and Anath's forces. Whoever comes up on top will be the ones to decide what to be done with it. Yet, with news that the Severing continuing could cause irreversible damage to the planet's spirit, it could feel like there are no perfect options. There will be an event header put up for this by the mods closer to the end of July. (NOTE: canon powers will returning while the ritual is in progress, so keep that in mind for planning - both sets of powers will be active.)

Comments

[whattaprick]

Lambert deflates, grip going slack enough on Peridot that she can wiggle out easily enough if she wants while he leans against the alley wall. Suddenly, the chill of concrete feels that much colder...

"They wanted John," he says, suddenly sounding very tired. "They've been after him for days, now. To take him back to his father." Lambert's not sure if Peridot recognized Childermass as a changeling or not, with his glamor on as it was, but even if she didn't, well, there's not much point in keeping it a secret now.

[periphrasing]

Watching the fight go out of Lambert is somehow more concerning than anything else that has happened in this conversation so far. Those beady little bat eyes blink at him slowly, and she opts not to wriggle free of him, at least for now.

"Is John the scruffy looking guy with the feathers that you were arguing with earlier?" she asks cautiously. The information that someone in their party was kidnapped is making her stomach do anxious backflips, but she wants to make sure she has all the info straight before she starts flipping out.

[whattaprick]

Lambert wants to be angry. Wants to lash out at his own helplessness in this situation, how incredibly human he feels in this moment -- but what good would that do? They've just been soundly beaten, and though they accomplished part of what they set out to do, he can't help wondering if it was all worth it in the end.

"Yes," he says, simply. He should probably say more than that, but it's hard to get words out around the sudden tightness in his throat.

[periphrasing]

She wants to ask more, to get a better sense of just who the hell this guy is or why he's so important, but needling Lambert about that doesn't really seem prudent. He's obviously upset about this, and that's all she really needs to know.

Peridot grumbles thoughtfully, filling the silence and holding back a million and one questions. She clambers free of his hands, but only to perch on his knee so she more effectively puff out her chest and look self-important. "Well," she says quite seriously, "you're lucky I thought quickly enough to try and follow them, because I know where you can start searching for him."

Not that she's particularly keen on the idea of Lambert throwing himself at yet another fae court, but, from a practical standpoint? She also knows there isn't really anything she can do or say to stop him.

[whattaprick]

It's a ridiculous excuse for 'cheer up buddy' speech coming from a tiny bat that still looks like someone tried to bash it to hell. It will, however, make him make the effort to focus on her, half-jerking up like he intends to head there right now before the pain reasserts itself and forces him still.

"That was dangerous," he says, like anything about this wasn't dangerous to begin with. But it was also brave, not that he'd ever say so out loud. His tone probably implies that, anyway, and she is dead right about him being fully prepared to throw himself at the mercy of a fae court again.

"Where did they go?"

[periphrasing]

"I couldn't exactly get precise coordinates, but they definitely disappeared somewhere over in Chinatown. If I looked at a map I might even be able to narrow it down to a few blocks."

She twitches her little pig nose, pausing briefly. "...Look, I know it was dangerous to do that, but. We got attacked by a bunch of birds, and I didn't know why, at the time. It just made sense to follow them to see where they were going. At least now you know where to start?"

[whattaprick]

It's not much, but it is a start. His heart's still barely slowed down, and all the aches are starting to set in, but ... there's a little sliver of hope there.

"Yeah," he says, after a few moments when it seems like he's not about to say anything at all. "It's something. Thanks, Dot." He swallows after he says that, glancing to the side again.

"... Guess we're not going to figure this out staying here. We should go home." Where they will, inevitably, have to explain to Miko what the hell just happened to them.

[periphrasing]

She wrinkles her snout skeptically; the worst of his injuries aren't on the surface, but she can surmise that something more is wrong with him, considering his behavior at the moment.

"Are you even capable of walking right now? I mean, I can change back and assist, but you kind of look like you have all the structural integrity of a heap of loosely stacked gravel," Peridot says bluntly.

[whattaprick]

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Lambert snorts, but she has a point. After collapsing in this alleyway, his ankle just isn't going to hold any weight at all, and he has to focus on taking deep breaths that fill his lungs, despite the ache that follows.

"Calling a cab'd be a good bet." Damn, though, he really doesn't want to get up. "... just give me a few minutes. I don't think anything's coming after us." But man, the Beast sure bailed on them, didn't she? Well, it was a fragile alliance from the start.

[periphrasing]

Peridot grunts, lifts her head to REALLY make sure that no one else is around, and then hops off of Lambert's knee and gestures for him to look away while she changes back. She's been practicing in the last few weeks on a spell that'll just summon up some clothes for her, but she still has to finish transforming before she can bother to cast it. It's a pretty silly spell. But, useful for someone whose garments tend to just fall into a heap whenever she changes.

Once that's taken care of she joins Lambert in sitting with her back against the alley wall, letting out a soft huff of breath through her teeth. "I was going to suggest Uber," she snorts, "but a cab driver is likely to ask fewer questions about..." She trails off and gestures vaguely at Lambert and his numerous injuries. "...All of this."

Like she doesn't currently look like hell herself.

[whattaprick]

As he's directed, Lambert politely averts his eyes while Peridot changes, only glancing back when he sees her settle down beside him. As a human, the injuries she sustained as a bat are even more concerning, though he currently doesn't have the energy to scold her about not being careful.

He's the reason she's here in the first place, after all.

"Probably," he agrees, and then more seriously, "I'm glad you're mostly in one piece."

Because he's not so wrapped up in worrying about Childermass going missing that he can't be grateful for small mercies like that.

[periphrasing]

She just snorts, awkwardly brushing off the concern. "I don't think they saw me as much of a concern... Even though I was essentially raining fire down on the lot of them."

It's left unsaid, that she's likewise glad that he wasn't more seriously injured in the melee. She chalks that up to luck, and hopes that he's doing the same. Luck, and not skill.

Which brings them back around to...

After a pause, Peridot glances sidelong at him, her lips pressed into a thin line. "I honestly cannot believe that you're seriously considering breaking into another fae realm, even after this whole debacle."

Again, Lambert hasn't outright said that's his endgame here, but. He doesn't really need to for her to know that's where this is all headed.

[whattaprick]

Lambert can't help chuckling at that. He can't even muster up the energy for a denial.

"That obvious, huh?"

Not that it's a surprise. She does know him, after all.

[periphrasing]

"Of course it's obvious. You invaded this court basically on a whim, by comparison. And now the Winter Court has made the motivation even more personal." Peridot shrugs wearily. "Frankly I'd be more concerned if you weren't considering it."