undergrounds | Bloody Barnet

With a Redbright presence coming into Haringey, there was cause to act swiftly and decisively. The werewolves could be of little help now. Their own political upheaval and the coming Blood Moon meant that they couldn't throw their support behind any one faction of witches, not if they wanted the best chance of protection during their vulnerable hours. Who knew if the considerable truce Midnight had enjoyed with them would even hold after this.

Either way, it meant Enfield might soon have Redbright control to two of their borders within the city. That was an uncomfortable place to be. The situation called for drastic measures.

Which was why Abigail Widdowson had decided that the only safe thing to do -- dangerous as it was -- involved spreading their influence. They had to move, and it couldn't be against the werewolves. There were no direct hostilities with them, and she wasn't going to be the one to fire the first shot. However, Redbright had already made their move in taking Barnet. They could be struck back at.

(An open post for the failed Midnight territory claim of Barnet! I will post a few sub threads that can be used either generally or for threads with Abby. Feel free to post your own headers, too!)

Threaded | Flat

They're small, yes, but the rest of Circle Midnight looks to them. Or, rather, Abigail. Her two fellow founders remain in the shadows, unnamed. Which is both a blessing and a curse. Still, it was the bargain she'd struck when they agreed to it, and there was no going back now.

She'd called them together.

"If we don't act," she said, voice low, "we run the serious risk of Redbright blocking us in. The Night Council doesn't care about the werewolves, and they might well take the Forest just to have us surrounded."

She thought it was a serious possibility that couldn't be discounted.

"We have to try and expand. Now."

They'd taken Enfield, but it hadn't had a strong presence either way. This time, they would have to strike at Redbright directly. Because she wouldn't risk the tenuous alliance with the werewolves. Which meant it had to be Redbright. And they had justifiable grounds for doing what she wanted.

"I want to try and take Barnet back."

Back. As if it'd ever been theirs in the first place. But it might as well have been. It had been a haven of neutrality before.

Balem

Asking a fae for help was always a difficult matter. And one she was already preparing a contract with was even more dangerous. She'd offered him her soul for her life and line. What more could she give? Still, they had a common enemy. While Redbright territories were technically open to the fae, Sylvia was still the leader of Circle Daybreak.

How long before their influence spread?

She'd sent word and greeted the man with a polite bow of her head when he approached. She tried to smile.

"Thank you for coming."

Cooper

Walking in vampire territory didn't make her nervous. They all knew who she was, and she was considered, at the very least, a neutral presence. She worked with the werewolves, but she'd never acted against the vampires. So, she could be tolerated.

It wasn't hard to text Cooper and arrange a meeting.

"Hey." She gave a little smile, but it was strained. "Thanks. I figured this should probably be discussed face to face."

Misc

There was cause for her to be in Barnet. She found excuses. Mostly, though, she found the pockets of Circle Midnight that survived. All of them pledged their support. However, there was no way to do it completely privately. Allies and enemies alike could easily see her in the borough.

Who struck the first blow, no one could say. Midnight and Daybreak witches had exchanged heated words, and Midnight had spoken out against Redbright. Someone -- or maybe multiple someones -- had turned violent. Where exactly the hostilities had begun, what side had started it... Well, that was likely to be debated for some time.

But the fighting began.

For her part, Abigail didn't shy away from it. Her place was in the fore, leading the witches of Circle Midnight. Fire spells and telekinesis were in full use, the spells cast as quickly as she could to protect her and hers.

When there were quiet moments and moreso when the battle was obviously lost, Abigail turned her attention to more discreet actions, like guiding those Midnight witches who remained out of Barnet and into the sanctuary of Enfield.

Too many people were dead.

The losses on both sides were regrettable. She'd expected people to get hurt. She'd even been willing to accept some deaths. However, it had become worse than she'd expected. It would be a regrettable chapter in the history of the supernatural world, especially among witches. But it would be a chapter not to be forgotten.

Circle Midnight -- isolated, ragtag -- had produced a leader. They hadn't won their battle, no, but they'd struck a decisive blow. Because, at the end of the day, that leader was alive, and her spirit was unbroken. They were a force to be noticed.

Shadow Coven

"The Night Council has asked to see me."

It was best to just say it. To tell the others what had happened.

Even if the idea was completely terrifying. Still, she needed to go. If she didn't, she risked being seen as a coward. Besides, the Night Council wouldn't hurt her with their name attached to the invitation.

"I think we've scared them."

It was a witch coven who first raised the alarm, although the witch population was relatively small in Barnet. Perhaps because they were on edge following the increase in fae activity, or perhaps because the Midnight witches were actively targeting them before Barnet's other supernatural residents. That wasn't clear. But Barnet was a territory declared a safe zone by the Redbright Institute, and that meant they had a duty to end any violence taking place in the borough.

The Redbright forces were deployed quickly and effectively. The fighting was not prolonged, but it was bloody. So it was as the Midnight witches were driven back that Sylvia made an appearance on the ground, first to ensure a decisive victory and second to see for herself what damage had been done.

"They won't do this again," she promised. "I'll put a stop to it myself."

She knew who was responsible for this: Abigail, the self-declared leader of a Midnight coven. The girl had overstepped her boundaries – literally. Sylvia intended to make sure that she was dealt with.

Preparations - (Shadow Coven)

Preparations - (Allies)

Conflict

Aftermath

Towards the end of the conflict