undergrounds | #makedonalddrumpfagain

1. CAMPAIGN TRAIL (OPEN) - out and about, first half of April
Ringer wasn't a particularly showy person. Her version of campaigning was primarily to make anonymous donations and strategic deals, like encouraging Vrinak to support Estergaard in the hope that Redbright would discover his subterfuge and withdraw her support of him. Even if he was the best candidate for the position, she wanted the Night Council to splinter until it was a schism of dissenting opinions. The fish rots from the head; an untrue statement but a sentiment she understood.

Part of those deals was showing support for certain candidates. Faolan's was, perhaps ironically, the only button on her messenger bag as she distributed flyers for Vrinak and Merad in local supernatural haunts. She had agreed to donate to Norrell's campaign, but had no interest in publicly supporting him.

"Vote Vrinak," she said with a practiced repetition, neither enthusiastic or entirely droll, as she offered the person a flyer.

2. REGISTER FOR REDBRIGHT (OPEN) - Hillingdon House or Redbright Institute, first half of April
Thanks to a strategic deal with the Dean of Redbright, Ringer had been made a temporary outreach volunteer, meant to educate shapeshifters, metahumans, and the like about a school that wouldn't accept her and encourage them to register and attend. Though anything involving talking to strangers was far from the list of her ideal tasks, she took to it with relative ease because she did believe in education, even if it came with a pretentious and exclusionary attitude.

Ringer spent some time at Hillingdon, knowing it was the best place to find people new to the community and lot in their ways, and some near the Redbright Institute itself, to make her face visible to the Dean and prove that efforts were being made. Maybe no one would notice that a human hunter was promoting a supernatural school.

3. SLOWLY FREAKING OUT (CLOSED TO FAOLAN) - Ringer's flat, mid-April
There was something off about Ringer's morning. From accidentally breaking a mug to tripping while running to catch her train, the list of deviant behaviors continued to grow. She didn't even make it onto said train, turning around and heading back for her flat as anxiety about whatever was happening set in. A headache, a broken textbook spine. She spent a few hours by herself, performing repetitive actions at first and then curled up in her bed and failing to sleep. It was another few hours beyond that, in the afternoon, when she finally made the call to Faolan: 'Something's wrong. You need to come over.'

She waited there, still in bed, mobile in her hand, for her friend to arrive. Because he would know what to do. Or because, as much as Ringer loathed to admit it, she didn't entirely want to deal with it alone.

4. ENIGMATIC STUCK LIKE STATIC (CLOSED TO JAMES) - Cafe near James's work, mid-April
Ringer sat stiffly in her seat at the cafe, staring down at the cup of tea in front of her as she waited for James to arrive. Her hands rested on either side of the cup, a mockery of holding it, wondering how long it might be. It had been a simple enough dictation for his secretary: 'Tell him his cousin will be at the cafe by two and needs to have a chat.' Hopefully the message was passed along. She twisted her wrist to glance at her watch.

Her gaze lifted a moment before the door opened, pulled from her anticipation with the sight of the man himself. She made no motion to catch his attention, trusting he would find and join her without fanfare. Ringer didn't look tense or sleep deprived, didn't look like shit. But it was clear, with one look, that something had her extremely worried, an unusual expression for the girl who liked to show how calm and collected she could be in nearly any situation.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Connor takes the flier (how many fliers has he gotten at this point?) looking over it with about the same amount of life and excitement Ringer brings to it. He literally cannot help himself from engaging with people on this stuff, though.

"Yeah? What's he going to do if he's elected?"

Ringer shrugs lightly, wanting to emphasize her indifference to this whole rigged process. It bothers her to think that random passersby might assume she actually cares about the Council. At least someone talking to her is a nice break from the mindless exchange of passing out the papers.

"Not fuck things up. He's the best candidate for the job." The 'of those available' is silently implied.

"Sure, okay, that's fair." If it's really true, though he's pretty sure the jury is still out. "Is this the race with the Bear guy? As in the literal kind, not the fun kind." Ask yourself this though: how long do you think Connor has been waiting to use that joke?

"There's a fun kind of bear?" Ringer looks confused. There's a beat before it sinks in and she understands the double entendre. The joke fails to amuse and she nods a little. "Oh. Joe Orsini is running against Mr Vrinak, yeah. Mr Orsini supports witches and no one else. Even if you're a witch, his position on the Council would create animosity toward the Circles."

Ringer's not entirely sure if it's true, but she knows the man hates the fae and her own Hillingdon, so she's not too keen on anyone thinking well of him if she can help it.

"Which race are you?"

Ringer's nod keeps him from saying anything more on the subject, definitely hindered in his attempt to play this up. Ah, well. At least she's taking the election seriously, which is more than he can say for a lot of people.

"Isn't that kind of rude to just go and ask?"

Ringer considers that for a brief second before giving a light shrug. She's terrible at dealing with people and she knows it.

"I don't understand why it would be a concern unless it's something you're embarrassed by." A beat. "Or if it put you in danger. Then the question wouldn't be rude. It would be dangerous."

Maybe h is a little embarrassed - the only human in a world full of supernaturals. He's definitely not even half as cool, and also he can't actually vote. "Uh, or it could be offensive, like asking someone's race."

"You can see someone's race. You don't really need to ask." Says the asian native american. She supposes it's not that black and white, despite how dry her tone is, and gives a small sigh to correct herself and try to make amends.

"Sorry. I'm a human with Hillingdon. It's important to me that human lives become a larger priority and I think Vrinak is the best candidate to do that."

Connor's surprised, to hear she's human at least. It's weird to hear someone admit that, in this world. Or maybe he's just really unused to all of this still. "You really think so?" He sounds actually curious, now, at least. She's got his attention.

"I'm human too, but with Midnight, so." He shrugs. His voice doesn't count here. It feels weird to admit it out loud, like he is really part of something bigger than himself. He doesn't usually feel it. He's only part of midnight because Soeki was.

"Of the options available," she admits plainly. Vrinak isn't a good guy, but he's the least harsh of all the potential Vice Presidents on humans and Hillingdon in general. He also seems more balanced than the majority.

"Then you should care," she replies with a light shrug. Ringer's more concerned with Hillingdon than Midnight, though she knows the black magic group is being oppressed. She doesn't know enough to form an opinion about whether that's a good thing or not.

After a second, it also clicks that his being with Midnight means no vote. "You don't have to vote to help. Study the candidates and tell people who you want. Not in your coven. Everyone else."

"I wish there were more candidates that cared more about the groups that are disenfranchised." So, okay, he may have done his homework a little bit, here. "The options seem like much of the same displayed in different ways."

"They are." Ringer isn't about to lie about it. She's only supporting Vrinak in the first place because she's trying to buy his vote and hurt his ties to Redbright. It's actually refreshing to talk to someone with opinions, not one already brainwashed into the whole cult of the supernatural superiority. "Those with wealth, status, and power will always work to maintain the status quo."

"Well yeah, they wouldn't want to unseat themselves in the process. It's a shame these politics mirror so closely the mundane kind." You'd think, with magic and everything people would've moved along but there it is.

#makedonalddrumpfagain

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back from hiatus, feel free to handwave if you prefer

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