[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

[specifiercity]

"Cutting a deal to get someone else to take responsibility for this wouldn't be that hard," Arthur replies with a shake of his head. "It's not like this is foolproof. If Daybreak is back here a month from now, or if they show up right on our doorstep... Hillingdon's not ready for that."

[falsify]

What he wants to ask, is if it's so simple then why haven't they done that already? But he knows the answer to that; it's just not first priority. And realistically he can't expect it to be. It's just frustrating when he's watching the mortals fight over who gets to sit at the head of the table, and he just wants to be left alone.

He wants to push Arthur harder on the question too, because he didn't answer it, but he's fairly certain he won't like the answer to that either so he doesn't bother. Letting himself fall quiet for a moment with a heavy sigh, obviously not saying what he wants to at the moment.

"You don't think Islington will come to help when Daybreak comes back?"

[specifiercity]

Arthur can sense there's more Eames wants to say and it's a bit of a relief that he changes course. Arthur knows he could have worked faster but all of this shit with Sylvia just happened and it takes meetings and research to get things like that done. It would have taken longer and Arthur knows that automatically makes that the worse option to most people, but there's the long term to consider. If Hillingdon's going to play the role he wants to see it play, they have to still exist.

"I don't know," he says, and the bite has left his tone completely. The thought of bearing the backlash of this alone has him nervous; almost scared.

[falsify]

Not having the means or the numbers to defend yourself is a feeling Eames is intimately familiar with, so he does feel just the slightest twinge of sympathy for him there. Not much, but enough that there's a slight uptick to his voice when he speaks, "I'd say you'd have our support, but given hardly any of the court can find it in themselves to give a shit, I can see how that might not be reassuring."

Ha ha ha. It's funny because everything is terrible and he wishes he was dead.

[specifiercity]

It's not reassuring. Arthur respects Eames' ability to hold his own but it's not like he can promise scores of fae showing up to keep Hillingdon from potential obliteration at the hands of Daybreak withces. He just takes a very slow breath and then a sip of his coffee and he really can't think of anything to say to that.

[falsify]

Okay, no sympathy. That's fine.

Eames sighs, "I know Jean-Claude and a good few vampires are pretty committed to keeping Samantha down. A few of the wolves too, but I don't know how willing they are to go against their masters." He tilts his head thoughtfully, gesturing broadly when he continues, "it would've been better to strike a deal beforehand, sure, but I'm sure something can be hammered out with Islington at least."

[specifiercity]

Arthur's jaw tightens and he gives Eames a hard, sideways look. "I don't need you to coach me through this," he says, still trying not to sound impatient.

[falsify]

Eames tenses up immediately, taking a long sip of coffee to force himself not to rise to this because he's trying here. He's really trying to be a good friend, even though it doesn't really seem like Arthur actually grasps what the reality of the situation is for Eames.

"Right." He nods slowly, "that's not what I was doing."

[specifiercity]

Arthur shakes his head, antsy and obviously getting worked up again. He feels like he's lost most of the control he had and everything else feels like an assault on whatever control remains. Rationally he knows Eames doesn't assume he can't handle any of this but that doesn't stop his gut defensive reaction.

"I can deal with it," he says, as if Eames said that he can't.

[falsify]

"I never said you couldn't." And he doesn't understand why Arthur's being so defensive about this, frowning because he feels like he's being attacked, "but it might have escaped your notice that I have a pretty heavily vested interest in making sure your lot comes out the other side of this."

[specifiercity]

"Yeah and what if winning this tonight doesn't actually get us any closer to the other side?" Arthur snaps, gesturing sharply with his free hand as he continues. "We don't know the full scope of what she's capable of and the backlash from this could put an end to everyone who opposes her for all we know. I didn't just want this to be clean, I wanted it to be final, I wanted to be sure that when we shut that Innovation Center down it's never going to open again. Now we have no idea what's going to happen next."

[falsify]

"Which is why I was trying to have a conversation with you about what to do next."

Not coaching, not telling, just trying to talk. Eames frowns harshly because he hadn't wanted a fight but he got one anyway, and he's honestly tired of everything in his life being so fucking volatile. Not that he's so great at diffusing the situation, eyebrows pulled together as he reasons through how they god there and looks at Arthur harshly.

"Or... Is that not a conversation you think I should be a part of?" It's not really a question, more a challenge. Daring Arthur to tell him as much.

[specifiercity]

"We're talking about her coming after Hillingdon. This clan might not be stable enough to handle it if she hits us hard enough, which means there might not even be a conversation a few months from now. That's something I have to sort out now."

He wants to tell Eames that if he wants help he'll ask for it, but he knows that's a step too far. He knows Eames deserves to be part of all of this but right now Arthur's only focused on how badly this could end up for Hillingdon and what to even do if they get shut down.

[falsify]

"Right, well. While your band of bounty hunters are at risk, this is my life on the line. So forgive me for wanting to help."

He starts as if to leave, and then thinks better of it, turning to face Arthur instead because he's being a dick and he deserves to know it.

"And furthermore?" Eames gestures, stopping himself from jabbing a finger into Arthur's chest, "I'd have tried to have the same conversation even without the threat to myself, because I actually give a shit about what happens to my friends."

[specifiercity]

The anger and shame on Arthur's face is more apparent than ever as he looks down at the ground, working his jaw as he tries to figure out how to respond. It takes a second to realize there really only is one appropriate response and another few seconds to make it come out of his mouth.

"I'm sorry," he says, still a little too forceful but he's clearly so ashamed that he means it.

[falsify]

He wasn't actually expecting an apology, fully prepared to storm off somewhere else, so it completely throws Eames off. He ends up just staring at Arthur for a moment, like he expects this to be a trap or something.

"... What?"

[specifiercity]

Arthur gives Eames a look, resenting him immediately for making him explain himself. "I was being a dick, okay?" he says in the same defensive, biting tone from before. He knows hr was but he hates admitting it.

[falsify]

"No, I just--" Eames pulls a bit of a face, unsure exactly how to feel about this past few moments, "I wasn't expecting you to apologise."

[specifiercity]

Arthur throws up his free hand helplessly. Maybe a man who could see how uncomfortable he is with this whole shame thing would accept the apology and move on but clearly that man is not Eames. He just wants to be out of this situation.

"Great. Maybe next time I won't, then."

[falsify]

Something about that immediately throws Eames back to being angry with Arthur; given their history he'd think it's fairly understandable how he'd be thrown off by an apology from Arthur, but apparently not.

"You know what? Never mind." He turns to leave this time, shaking his head.