[May 20th-30th] Another Cause for Me to Fight (Richmond Territory Claim)

[dirtyredneck]

He'd been sucking it up for months. Holding back waiting to see if Daybreak would get off their ass and do something about the shit that had gone down in their territory since Raymond's rise (which ended promptly with his fall, a thing Daybreak had no hand in). But all they'd done in Richmond was decide to build that eye sore of an insult to all non-witches. 'Center for Magical Innovation'. Bullshit. Center for slavery of non-witches was more accurate. Starting with the fae.

When Faolan had spoken against it, Daryl had hopes that maybe what little loose leadership the clan had might be ready to get up off their ass and do something. But that didn't happen and a month passed while the Center sat there, getting used. It's visitors abusing folks in ways it was hard to get any proof of. Just rumor and small confessions of a few fae who'd been able to slip away. Some of the stray cats in the area talked about it, too. Didn't like how it 'felt'.

Another month had almost passed and Daryl was done with waiting. He'd set up small patrols with others he'd trusted among Hillingdon months ago. Stuff to help protect the residents in the ways that Daybreak had been neglecting to. It wouldn't take much to turn those patrols toward doing something more.

Richmond was basically his territory already. It was time to make it Hillingdon's too.

(Specific prompts in the comments)

Comments

30 May - Shutting the joint down - during

[dirtyredneck]

Daryl paced at the top of the steps, keeping his body in front of the door while those who'd shown up to support him kept themselves off to either side. The small, stray cat army he'd gathered took up the space in front of him.

On the sidewalk stood the first of the witches trying to get in for the day.

"Uh uh," Daryl shook his head, waving her off, "You ain't getting no where near goin' inside. This all is Hillingdon property now. And you ain't got permission to pull any of the shit that goes on in there. Center's closed."

[falsify]

After seeing Daryl's cat army Eames has, at this point, started coming with treats. Because that's the kind of man he is. Cats generally like him anyway, being a physically warm person, but these cats deserve a reward for their hard work.

He's petting one, watching Daryl turf another witch, and he stands to pass her on the stairs as she leaves and he moves up to speak to the man of the hour. Smiles cordially as she stares daggers at him; obviously she knows who he is. Probably blames him for this instead of Hillingdon.

"So how prepared are you for the heap of shit that's going to come your way after this?" Eames asks quietly, no emotion in his tone. Mostly just curious about how Daryl plans to hold on to this.

[dirtyredneck]

Daryl shot the man a glare. He was being allowed past because he was Fae and known not to be tied to the witches by magic. Questioning him, even softly, while he was in the middle of making sure no one from Daybreak got inside, was not a welcome interruption. His ass couldn't have found it's way here 'fore things got heated to do that shit?

"Enough," he growled back, voice equally low before he jerked his head to one side, "You here ta help or just be an asshole?"

Daryl really wasn't in the mood for further talk. But as long as no members of Daybreak or their allies were trying to make it past, he could put up with it.

[falsify]

"Those two aren't mutually exclusive," there's no sarcasm or smugness to his voice, it's more like a response he gives on autopilot. Eames isn't fussed by how annoyed Daryl seems to be, nor how stressed he is with all of this — he's done this enough times to feel the shift, when things are unquestionably in one group's favour over another.

"You've got the borough, but they're going to raise hell about you kicking them out of the centre," they being mostly Samantha, but Daybreak in general aren't well known for taking things in stride, "it's not too soon to think about the next steps."

[dirtyredneck]

Thing was, Eames was right. He knew now he had the people to hold the borough, but the Centre itself was a different matter. There was going to be hell. And while he was prepared for fighting, he didn't exactly know all the ways it could go down there.

"Fine. You got something to say, say it." He wasn't against the fae, he just wasn't in the mood to play games.

[falsify]

Why does everyone always think he's being sarcastic or playing games? Can a man not ask a question around here? Eames sighs, looking down the steps at one of the fae accompanying him argue with a witch.

"I already said it," he responds flatly, "but fine, I can be more candid if you like. Hillingdon's not a big group by a long shot and Samantha's playing divide and conquer with Islington, so it's not like you can rely on their full force to back you up. I just want to know if you're thinking about what comes after this. If you're planning to keep a hold on the area or what."

[dirtyredneck]

"Usually people who talk like that, have something already in mind," Daryl said after a second of squinting hard at the man. He hadn't expected it to be a genuine question.

"Richmond's our territory. We'll hold it." He'd find a way to even if it meant making more deals. No way was he losing it back to Daybreak any time soon. "You wanna help with that?"

[falsify]

The answer doesn't thrill him, because it sounds a lot like he hasn't given much thought to how he's going to keep Richmond, not exactly inspiring. It's a frustrating situation for a myriad of reasons, but Eames makes the executive decision not to get into it, especially not right now.

"You'll have our support," and there's an edge to the way he says 'support' that suggests he's not happy about it, but better Hillingdon than the witches, "no point taking it just to let her come take it back a week later."

[bellbound]

He doesn't really think he's going to get away with this, does he? While the on-site security guards may not be enough to deter the gang of protesters, news spreads quickly. And Samantha is a member of the Night Council now. She has the authority to bring in the Guardians.

Which is exactly what she does. A small contingent of witches gathers just outside the campus – not the poor frightened employees, but a group of witches who are ready for a fight. And Samantha herself makes an appearance, Mogget curled up around her shoulders, flanked by two werewolves who are both at least a head taller than she is and a shapeshifter in the form of a large and powerful German shepherd. She's literally brought in the attack dogs.

"Him," Mogget whispers. "He's the ringleader."

The dog rushes ahead of them, barking to scare off the stray cats. Samantha marches up after him, hands balled into fists, the picture of righteous fury.

"Everyone here is under arrest, by order of the Night Council! Come quietly and you will not be harmed."

Obviously, if they don't come quietly, it'll be a different story. Mogget's claws prick at Samantha's neck, the cat tensing up. She's had every protection spell under the sun placed on her before coming here, of course, but he still doesn't think this mangy bunch are going to come quietly.

[dirtyredneck]

Daryl stepped right into Samantha's face, using his bulk to make himself look as imposing as possible, "Night Council got no say what Hillingdon does in it's territory. So you and your flunkies can turn right back around and get out."

While the strays had been initially scared off by the large dogs, they regrouped and surrounded the others from behind, hackles raised and hissing in warning since Daryl was obviously not backing down. The members of Hillingdon who'd come long - hunters for the most part - pulled out weapons. The scent of wolfsbane drifting off more than a few of them. Not a single one had forgotten the so-called 'alliance' between Daybreak and East End Pact, even if a few of the pack had been quietly helping out.

Daryl let his eyes shift to cat slits and his teeth elongate in the familiar fangs of his more bestial self before he growled, "Leave."

[bellbound]

The dog prowls in a circle around them, growling and snapping at the cats to keep them at bay. Mogget is not a fan of being surrounded and he hisses back at Daryl, hackles rising.

Samantha is full-on fuming. "Your territory? You're trespassing! This building is Circle Daybreak property and this land belongs to the witches. If you won't come quietly we will have to remove you."

She's not backing down even with Daryl looming over her, much as Mogget wishes that she would.

[dirtyredneck]

Daryl shook his head, keeping eye contact, "Nah. You own the building, you don't control the property. You don't protect nothin' around here. You don't help the people you're supposed to. We do that. This is Hillingdon territory."

He growled again, this time enunciating each word to be as clear as possible, "Richmond. Ain't. Yours."

[bellbound]

It's an interesting accusation. From where Mogget is perched, all he sees are a bunch of thugs. Why do these hunters care about what is happening here? He would have expected them to be more mercenary. Unless there's someone else behind this, someone with money and power, pulling Hillingdon's strings.

Hmm.

Before he can speculate any further, Samantha loses her temper completely. "Take him," she spits, and she steps back and makes a twisting motion with her fist as Mogget feels the raw power emanating from her. Her fury is strong. One by one the hunters standing behind Daryl cry out and clutch their heads, overwhelmed by the pain. The humans among them black out; others stagger or stumble back. That power is directed towards Daryl too, like a vice pressing over his skull, as the two werewolves move in front of Samantha to grab him.

[dirtyredneck]

Daryl feels the pressure and he snarls, hands coming up to his head to try and pry it off. Useless with it being magic. But it's instinctual.

The moment was enough time for the cats Daryl had called to react to the obvious threat and attack. Strays jumped up on anyone who hadn't been cleared by Daryl prior to the confrontation. Claws out, teeth out, scratching and biting and clinging to the backs of anyone they could get a hold on. The werewolfs had to stop in his advance to deal with them.

It might even be distracting enough to break Samantha's spell while she dealt with the sudden attack.

.....i'm going to have to warn for animal cruelty here.

[bellbound]

What should happen next is that the witches backing up Samantha throw their magic in to keep the stray cats at bay, allowing the werewolves to arrest Daryl without a hitch. Unfortunately, they're currently occupied by a couple of unreasonably angry wolves.

Mogget hisses and spits and yowls and generally does a great job of sounding like he's backing Samantha up while not actually moving an inch from his place on her shoulder, digging in with his claws. The werewolves suddenly find themselves beset by angry felines, yelling and kicking the animals away. The German shepherd does the most damage: he's ferocious in his defending of Samantha, biting and snapping and crushing any of the cats that get too close, his body soon becoming a mass of bloodied fur.

"What the fuck are they doing?" That's a gasp from Samantha, who turns around to see the chaos going on with the witches, and then a cat scratches her leg and she cries out, sending the beast flying with a venomous spell that snaps its spine in half when it hits the pavement.

"They're not helping," Mogget hisses, having now identified the morons causing trouble with the witches. Party and Ghoul, of course. Who thought it was a good idea to bring them out here? "Back-up's out. Get out of here, before they trap us!"

He's relieved when Samantha does actually heed his words – perhaps the sting of the cat scratch lends speed to her feet. And oh, how satisfying it is that those are feline claws that have drawn blood where he can't, even if the poor animal paid for that with its life.

"Get me out!" Samantha snarls, and she has to suffer the indignity of being picked up bodily by one of the werewolves as they flee back across the street. The last thing Daryl will see before they disappear into a blacked-out car is a small cat head peeking up over Samantha's shoulder, staring at him with an expression that's perhaps more amused than it ought to be.

[ghoulaid]

The witches haven't taken too kindly to being told they're not allowed inside their building, so naturally, they've called in the dogs.

Except some of the dogs don't seem to be listening. Case in point, Ghoul's near the front of the building with a small group of witches. One of them points and tells him to do something, to which he shrugs and says, "Nah. Looks closed to me." The shock from the witches quickly turns in to outrage, and in no time there's a full-blown argument going on right there in the yard.

Each demand, threat, and insult from the witches continues to be met with a bored-sounding nah, but he watches the three of them very carefully- just in case one of them decides to go wild and start throwing magic around, whether it be at him or someone guarding the Center. He'd love to plow one of them down, actually.

[injectablefame]

Party's not far, trying to keep an eye on his packmates since he doesn't trust the witches and looking out for any more shenanigans from the witches. No one else is getting crammed in a dog kennel on his watch. He hears the fight and slips closer through the crowd until his shoulder is pressed up against Ghoul's. He's got a few campaign posters for Yasmine tucked under his arm and a grin that can only be described as shark-like.

"We gotta problem here?"

[ghoulaid]

"Sure fuckin' hope so." Now that Party's on the scene he smirks at the witches, tilting his head to the side as he examines them. "Looks like we got even numbers." Two wolves against three witches? Sounds like good odds to him.

Not even three now, actually. One seems to be suddenly unsure and is taking a few slow steps backwards. The other two remain in place. One of them looks pretty puzzled (perhaps two wolves openly disrespecting their arrangement is too much for her to process), while the third is red-faced, pissed, and possibly seconds from a blowup.

If either of them are itching for an actual fight, that'll be the witch to bank on.

[injectablefame]

Party sneers at the witches. "What? No doggy treats?"

Every shift or movement from the witches catches his attention like a cat following a laser. He's hyper aware of his own heartbeat and every move and sound around him. This could be it, but if he's going down here, it's better than watching his friend go down from the sidelines instead.

"Think you owe my friend an apology."

[ghoulaid]

Party's made a difficult demand. The witch doesn't look happy about the idea of an apology, although she does hiss out a saucy oh, of course.

Right before throwing up a tall curtain of white-gold sparks. It's a cheap tactic to annoy and to keep their groups separated. The sparks sting and welt whatever skin they land on, but it doesn't matter. Ghoul's temper has flared up and he barrels through the fading spell, launching himself at the witches like a living battering ram.

[injectablefame]

Ghoul's only a few seconds faster than Party, who is completely and utterly over this shit. Hell, no, you don't get to threaten his friends and burn his skin. That's just not how Party rolls.

He lets out a completely inhuman growl as he tackles one of the witches--he frankly doesn't care which one--right to the ground, screaming in her face. "You gonna put me in a fuckin' kennel now, ya piece of shit? Are ya?"

[redshoerevenge]

Mako had said little to nothing during this whole adventure, largely shadowing Daryl protectively, moving to quietly suppress threats here and there. Now, was much the same as she crouched with her back up against the building, a bushido fighting stick sheathed at her side. Mako looked ready and willing to slap some sense into anyone insistent enough to push past Daryl.

If they did, she would walk them right back down the steps one at a time, unyielding, and walk right back up where she'd been. It would be easier to fight them but she did not. She was a mountain, immovable, and quiet, her eyes everywhere and on Daryl all seemingly at once.

And when things simmered down a little, she, too, had treats for the cats. And a bottle of water that she silently offered to Daryl.

[dirtyredneck]

After things quieted down, Daryl accepted the bottle from her. Needing the hydration and coolness of it.

"You okay?" He asked after her softly. She was new to the clan and already getting caught up in things. Daryl had personally stayed out of the bigger politics for his first official year in the clan. He would have understood if she held back to focus on her needs.

[redshoerevenge]

"I am," she said just as softly, thinking it over, "good and glad I came to back you up. It feels like the right choice." Mako did feel right about being extra protection like it was good, natural, even. Making sure they all made it through the effort, it was the kind of thing she'd been trained for in the military academy if you got right past the Engineering part of her life.

She was good in a fight, good for intimidation, too, when it was needed.

"Are you alright?"

[dirtyredneck]

"Little sore, but no worse for wear," he offered, downplaying how beat up he actually felt. The magic slung around had been hard to deal with. And 'lucky' seemed an understatement when thinking on the specifics of it all.

"We won, though."

It came out more of a sigh than a proud declaration of victory. He couldn't help it. He was exhausted. After a second, he made a soft purring sound that the cats around them reacted to. Parting for him to take a seat and lean back against the nearby wall. They then closed back in, many of them snuggling up against him and purring right back.

He'd made more than a few friends over the last few years. Most of them stray cats.