Like most old, established neighborhoods in the city, Dusktown has its own unique traditions. One of them is a big parade and street festival, to mark the Summer Solstice. Everyone gets involved. There are floats and booths sponsored by local businesses, trade unions, fraternal organizations like the Basilisks and the Blue Circle. Even underworld groups like the Rostov Family and the Crimson Talons set aside their differences for the day. Mostly, anyway.
But there’s always a chance something bad will happen, and because this is Dusktown, bad often comes with a supersized side order of weird. That’s where you come in. You’re ${character.name}, a cop in the ${Name of your city?} PD’s Crypto Squad. Weird is your jurisdiction. So you’re on crowd duty, along with half of C-Squad, diverted from their usual activities to keep an eye on things.
The parade is just getting started, led by the marching band from Robert W. Chambers High School. You have to admit, the kids are pretty good, blasting a Sousa march that’s hardly off key at all. Officer ${Your partner’s name?}, your partner, walks over clutching a half-eaten paper plate of funnel cake. You both watch the parade for a few minutes, and then split up to wander the crowd.
You wander through the food sellers and carnival games, keeping an eye out for trouble, but mostly just enjoying yourself. It’s a nice day, and the good mood of the crowd is infectious. You buy a hot dog. You’re two bites into it when you notice