Fires at Midnight

[acrookedchild]

June 1st, night:

Abigail had never seen the Reds and Night Council in action before. She'd stayed tucked away in Geap Manor, learning about the Night Council and Institute and all those things she'd face in the real world, but she'd only heard of them. They existed only as an abstract concept. Being in Barnet was an entirely different situation.

On the surface, it seemed peaceful. Emissaries came from the Institute to the factions -- the vampies and the covens being the central focus, but there were others who looked for people who were different. The meta-humans. From what she could tell, they were simply being convinced to join the Institute.

But there were darker things at work, too.

Her attention was primarily on the covens. Most of them seemed to welcome the influence of Redbright, as it meant they were closer to the heart of Circle Daybreak. For a light witch, that was everything. But she saw what some of the others tried to hide because she was looking for it. One skittish girl had particularly caught her attention, so Abigail followed her, meaning to pull her aside when it was safe.

Someone else had been waiting to get her alone, too, though.

From where she'd stood, Abigail watched as the man -- a large one, all brawn but very quiet too -- grabbed the girl. None of her magic could protect either her or the victim, so Abigail had ducked down, hiding behind the large bin. She'd tried not to even breathe as she listened. The girl screamed, and the man threatened her. If she didn't give him the names of her fellow dark witches, he'd kill her.

Over and over, she'd said there weren't any others. She didn't know who they were. She didn't know where they were. He hadn't been satisfied. So, he stabbed her twice. As the girl slumped down against the brick wall, the man took her purse and ran. Anyone who found her would see a mugging gone bad.

She waited for some time, trying to make herself stop shaking, before she pulled herself to her feet and staggered away from the bin and scene, almost completely without thinking that the noise and smell of blood might easily have drawn others who weren't part of the engagement.


June 3rd, day:

Abigail kept to herself on the second. She'd always been taught to mind the phases of the moon, so she'd stayed in Geap Manor all that night, safely tucked away from anything that might want to hurt her. After that, though, she went back to Barnet.

The girl's face hadn't ever left her. She could still hear her screaming.

But it told Abigail what she had to do. There was still the official order that every dark witch who wouldn't renounce the magic she practiced had to leave Barnet. Those were the ones Abigail was trying to help now.

The cards she distributed (passed off to people she could recognize as witches who didn't seem to be violently opposed to dark witches) were simple:

Need to leave Barnet? Have nowhere to go?

Help is available.

020 7946 0660

Call or text. Any time day or night.

Dangerous? Possibly. But that was why she had a cheap burner phone for the calls and texts.

She had no solid plan as she went around the borough that day, handing a card or two where it seemed appropriate and leaving them tucked inside the right books in the right stores, places she knew they'd be found by the people who needed them.

June 6th, night:

The job was nearly done, and Abigail knew it. She had done almost everything she could, and she felt she'd helped at least some people. Others were dead, yes, and there were a few fools who thought they could continue to pass as Daybreak under the close scrutiny of the Redbright Institute and their people. Them, Abigail couldn't help, and she was afraid of them. After all, they knew her name, knew about her activity here. But she couldn't let fear stop her.

Still, she waited in a pub she'd been using as a waypoint. She'd made it clear she was leaving Barnet and not coming back at 22:00, period. Any last minute stragglers were welcome to come up until that point, which meant she still had an hour to wait. Just in case.

Comments

June 1st

[detectiveofthewest]

If Heiji were in his other form, his ears would have pricked when he heard the scream. As it was, he ran toward the source of the sound, still dressed in his waiter's uniform. When he spotted Abigail, he called out to her.

"Hey, what's goin' on? Was that you?"

[acrookedchild]

Abigail turned quickly, her eyes wide, and she froze. For a moment, she only felt terror. She'd wanted to run, to put a good distance between herself and what she'd just seen. But here was someone. Someone who'd been at the Redbright Party. Someone who could be involved, could be working with the man she'd seen.

Slowly, she shook her head.

[detectiveofthewest]

Well... it wasn't very likely that a Red would be gallivanting about looking so conspicuous. But it was possible. Heiji frowned momentarily at Abigail.

"It was definitely a woman... look, if someone's out there, they might need help. You're a witch, ain't ya? You know any healing magic?"

[acrookedchild]

"She's already dead." It was hard to say it, and her voice wavered just a little. She wanted to cry, but it was all just there, mixed up in her mind. So, for now, it just came out quiet and shaky. "Magic won't help her now."

It didn't seem possible, but she knew what she'd seen.

[detectiveofthewest]

"What? What happened?" Well. There was magic that could fix dead, but Heiji certainly wasn't any part of it. But if they had a witness here...

[acrookedchild]

Who was he? What did he want? To help? Or to find others like her?

"A-- a mugging."

That was the safer way to put it. She didn't know if she could trust him, and she wasn't taking a chance.

[detectiveofthewest]

He didn't figure she'd lie about a murder, so he accepted this answer without reservation. "All right. You got somewhere safe nearby you can go? No, actually -- you got a cell phone? I left mine at the cafe."

[acrookedchild]

Abigail nodded slowly and reached into her purse. She felt around before offering her mobile to him. It was the one registered to her, not her burner.

"Here."

[detectiveofthewest]

"Thanks." Heiji took the phone and made a quick, practiced police report, then handed the phone back to its owner.

"The police might wanna talk to you about what you saw or heard." He hesitated a moment. "I ain't think that mugger's still around, but... I gotta go examine the body."

This was a bit of a quandary, though. He couldn't just leave a dead woman lying around, but Abigail didn't look too hot herself. And while it was reasonable to assume a mugger wouldn't return to the scene of the crime, tonight wasn't really a night to take chances. "You feel up to going back to where it happened?"

June 6th

[emotioneater]

Cooper entered the pub with a pair of motorcycle goggles forgotten about nestled in his hair. He was just wandering through the crowd when he picked up a scent that he remembered from the ball. Weaving his way through the people, he went over to where he saw Abigail was sitting. "You must be waiting for someone." He could be wrong, but she was by herself and facing the door, like she expected there was going to be a person walking through any moment.

[acrookedchild]

Voice and face, she recognised him. So, she made herself smile. It was a little tight, and her hands fidgeted a little. Nervous? More than slightly. After all, she didn't know what he was. Something old, yes, but that could be a great many things, and those could either be allies or enemies. Still, she'd liked him when they met. He'd been honest with her and wanted to help. So, she could admit little things now. Or, at least, she hoped so.

"Yeah. I'm--" She made herself smile a little more. "Being young and stupid, probably."

[emotioneater]

"C'est la vie," he replied sagely as he sat down next to her. That's life. She's at the point where she should be making stupid mistakes. His warm blue eyes took her in. If she wanted to tell him what she was doing, she'd spill eventually. But he wouldn't push her to do so just yet. "I used t'be the king of being young and stupid. Glad to know there's a worthy successor to my crown."

[acrookedchild]

If he was her enemy, he might already know what she was doing. He might be waiting, looking to bait her into a false sense of security. Better to have it out now, watch for a genuine reaction. Not, of course, that Abigail was nearly half as good at telling a liar from an honest man as she'd like to think she was.

"They're purging the covens. Redbright and the Council. I just... want to try and help. Make sure more people don't get hurt."

[emotioneater]

Cooper leaned forward, keeping his voice low. His eyes darted around the room, looking for anyone who might listening in. "I can understand about wanting to help, but be careful." Play with fire, get yourself burned, and all that other well-intentioned nonsense. "Especially since you don't have a coven t'back you up if things get hairy."

[acrookedchild]

"They're killing dark witches," she mutters under her breath, eyes focused in one them. "At least one. And if there's one? There's more. I can't just... pretend that's not happening."

So if they needed help getting out, she'd get them out. It was dangerous, but it had to be done. She needed to be able to help. She'd want someone to do it for her.

[emotioneater]

"I'm not saying you have to turn a blind eye. I'm just saying that you need to keep a low profile. They don't like problems. If they think you're a problem, the next thing you know I'll find your body dumped in a bin behind an alley somewhere." He looks as serious as he ever had discussing the situation. He'd been all for saying fuck the government, help the common folk, and let anarchy reign back in the day. It had ended with him swinging from the gallows. Since then, he'd become a bit more cautious in regards to going against the status quo.

[acrookedchild]

Abigail nods slowly. It's true, and she knows it. If she makes too much of a fuss, she's dead. She's lucky to still be alive so far, especially with what she'd seen. But she'd been a good girl, stuck to a story that didn't involve anything but a mugger. Even if she hates herself for being that afraid. But she can help others. Give them a way out.

"The official position is 'get out,' I'm helping them do that." Unofficially, she knew no one cared about what happened to dark witches, as long as there was no panic outside the covens. But she's still a stupid teenager. "I won't be a problem unless they come to Enfield."

There was the Widdowson, dark and dangerous. Magic at her fingertips and a temper to be reckoned with. Something not quite the good little socialite, wanting to change the public image of her family.

June 3rd

[viduation]

By day, Derek raises few eyebrows in Barnet, and that suits him fine. At a glance, the place is the same as ever. People go about their business. The schools are full. There's a queue at the Waitrose. It's both a relief and a concern, that things can be so normal when the Night Council and Redbright are flushing out opposition. Derek lingers in the area through the morning. Very little of note seems to happens, but he catches the whispers. And, at one point, he finds the card.

Abigail Widdowson seems quite capable of going under the radar as well, but when Derek catches sight of her it's impossible not to remember their recent conversation. She's here for a purpose - there's no doubt in his mind of that much, but when her purpose could so easily swing either way, Derek's curiosity is piqued.

Naturally, he follows her once he sees her, always at a distance and always with the utmost care. It doesn't last long, because it doesn't have to. Soon, he sees what he expected to: Abigail, sliding the card into the hand of a passer-by.

After that, it's simply a case of waiting until they're somewhere quiet.

"Abigail."

He comes to a stop a few feet from her, and his expression is flat as a tile and nigh impossible to read. A few moments pass in heavy silence, and then he raises the card between two fingers, glancing at it as though this is the first time he's read it. Briefly, he considers how different this is to their previous meeting. It is not simply the lack of fancy clothes. Abigail looks pale and drawn, tired.

He passes the card back to her.

"Must be popular."

[acrookedchild]

For a moment, when he stops her and holds up the card, there is simple panic in Abigail's eyes. Confronted by the Night Council or Redbright herself, she might have been able to mask it a bit. But in the middle of the day, out and about what she's disguised as errands, it catches her off-guard. Especially knowing what Derek is.

Because there's no lying to a werewolf. If their senses are half as keen as she's been led to believe, her scent is all over the card. From printing them to carrying them to distributing them. Which means a denial is stupid.

So, she takes the card and slips it into her pocket.

"No one else seems to be doing anything." Like that explains everything. Or anything. It's insane, she knows that, but it's all she has. She can't be public about it. All that would do is shove her out of Barnet or worse.

[viduation]

Her reaction appeases him in a hollow, distant way, purely because it's good that she should be on edge, that she should be worried. She needs to be, right now. It'll keep her from running directly into danger, and it might help her keep others from that, too. Still, although Derek's stance is all hard lines and steady footing, there's nothing aggressive in his movement, or how he looks at her.

He nods, because she appears to be right. She may not be the only one, but there definitely aren't many, and there probably aren't enough.

"You didn't expect different." It isn't a question. "But you came here anyway."

[acrookedchild]

"I didn't come to help," she admits. She'd told him as much at the party. That she wanted to observe in Barnet and make her decisions from there. Now, she's seen, and she knows what she has to do. These witches are her own kind, and if no one helps them with Redbright coming for them, no one will help her if she ends up in the same spot.

But seeing what had happened to Jennifer -- Jennifer Carter, she'd learned from the news, which had presented it just as a local tragedy -- made her certain. There is nothing else she can do.

"But I have to."

[viduation]

He's not sure what changed her mind, but he believes her. There's a simple, earnest kind of promise in Abigail's tone, and Derek, perhaps unwisely, finds himself disregarding the knowledge that the Widdowsons had been considered untrustworthy.

Sliding his hands into his pockets, he comes closer to her.

"Hard to come back from a decision like that." She knows, he thinks, but the warning comes anyway.

[acrookedchild]

His words make her laugh. A sharp, somewhat bitter laugh. Because, well, she's been thinking that this entire time, and she's realised something far more important.

"I think the word 'impossible' is more appropriate." If anyone from Redbright or the Night Council finds out what she's doing, she will be permanently marked. Any hope of studying at the Institute will be gone forever. Probably always has been for being a Widdowson, regardless of what Sylvia had said. "But... yeah. I know."

It still has to be done. She has to do it.

[viduation]

Well, she's not wrong. And maybe that laugh should be a concern - maybe the whole dark witch thing should be a concern. But experience has made Derek less disparaging than he was. Derek steps aside, out of her direct path, and the message is clear: he's not going to stop her. What she's doing may or may not be for the best, Derek isn't sure. He's not sure of Redbright either.

"Need a ride anywhere?"

[acrookedchild]

The question causes an internal debate. She doesn't know how much she can trust him, but a werewolf should understand being on guard about the Night Council, right? And if she's going to do what's spinning around in her head, she needs someone to talk to. Someone to help her focus her thoughts. Hopefully without too much judgement.

"Yeah. Dunno where though. But I could use a ride. And to talk a bit."

It sounds weird, and she knows it. She probably sounds like a psycho. Or just a dumb little girl meddling in things she shouldn't.

"I just... I've got a few questions."