You warm by the firelight

[knightscode]

Date: 23rd~28th of September
Plot: Missing Hunter
Areas: Westminster, Bromley, Various in between



A hunter has gone missing. They were last seen almost a month ago, travelling to the outskirts of London to hunt down a werewolf. With the Blood Moon approaching he hoped to track down his prey and take it out easily at the peak when it had no powers. However, things went a little awry. The werewolf he was tracking cut through Bromley, now Fae territory, and ended up in deeper water than anticipated. A Fae summoned during the ebbing rebalance of power has caused a little trouble, and it may take a while to untangle.

[ ooc; log for the missing hunter plot! You can give me a ping if you want to be involved and hadn't signed up already! It runs 23rd of September through the Blood Moon! Headers within for areas/dates. ]

Comments

[specifiercity]

"A colleague," Arthur says without hesitation. "Thought it might be worth trying to track him down, at least to make sure what happened to him doesn't happen to anyone else."

If Arthur has any emotional attachment to the man, he's masking it well. In truth, he's never spoken to him, and any motivation he has for tracking him down is exactly as he said: to make sure it doesn't happen to himself or anyone else at Hillingdon.

"Do you have any leads at all?"

[knightscode]

That's one thing, then. The wording gives Lancelot a clue that by colleague Arthur doesn't work park time at a bar that Matt worked at or some-such, and he nods a little -- digs for wallet before pulling out an ID card. Lancelot Dulac, it reads in clear gilded font beside a picture of him -- typical government ID photograph. Eyes straight ahead, no smiling, curls neatly tamed out of his face. NIGHT COUNCIL it declares, it neatly lettered font with an official shimmering stamp over the surface, and Rank 2 Guardian.

"I have a few, but they might more readily speak to someone less official."

His smile is thin, a little self-effacing, and he pockets the card again after a moment.

"There's something strange going on in this place. Perhaps that is to be expected in the middle of recently taken fae territory, but... people have been evasive. They're hiding something, and I'm having trouble working out if it's because of who I am or something else."

[specifiercity]

It's definitely because of who Lancelot is. Arthur frowns suspiciously at the ID and then back up at Lancelot, working the question of why over in his mind. He pushes it away for now - if he goes down that route he might not actually get any headway on Lloyd.

"Well, I'd track the wolf first," he says. "If they're still alive, they're either the last one who saw him or they killed him. He should have had wolfsbane on him, though..."

Still frowning, Arthur looks up and down the street, considering his own next move. "I can ask around. Most of the fae don't like werewolves - if they're hiding here, there'll be someone that wants them out."

[knightscode]

"Agreed. Usually fae like me, but I've not been able to get any headway here. Not yet, at any rate. Perhaps I am too obviously in the middle of something they wish I were not."

He puts away his ID, lets out a slow breath as he frowns in thought.

"I'm not interested in causing trouble for anyone. I have a friend in Hillingdon who's worried about Matt, I'm just trying to help."

[specifiercity]

Arthur nods. That solves that small mystery, though Arthur still doesn't particularly like the thought of the Night Council getting involved in minor Hillingdon matters. They're involved now, so it's unavoidable that he'll have to share at least part of whatever he manages to track down.

"And if I find anything?"

[knightscode]

It's a leading question, and Lancelot can tell that Arthur isn't entirely comfortable with the situation -- but there isn't much he can do about it now. He lofts an eyebrow, shrugs.

"That is rather up to you. If you find him I'd appreciate if you let me know so I don't waste my time, but you're not... obligated, in any way. It would be a little easier if we worked together, but I'm not about to try and make you."

He offers a wincing sort of smile, hesitant. Not quite sure the right way to handle this, or how to make Arthur trust him.

[specifiercity]

He turns this over in his head a couple times. This wasn't his investigation after all, and it's only fair that he shares any findings that he has. He gives Lancelot a steady look.

"I'm going to look for the werewolf, and I'll tell you if I find it. I can't guarantee that I'll find anything, but unless it disappeared into thin air it left a trail somewhere..."

Arthur looks up and down the street again, almost distracted thinking about where to start. "How should I get in touch with you if I find it?"

[knightscode]

"I can give you my number," Lancelot offers, and he digs for his phone -- swipes the screen and looks up at Arthur expectantly. It seems easiest, and he isn't particularly bothered by Arthur having it. Lancelot has nothing in particular he wants to hide, and short of irritating him with a lot of phone-calls he can't imagine Arthur doing a lot of damage with it, after all. "It will help if I had a name of some sort to call you, too."

After all. Arthur has seen his ID -- knows his name, but hasn't given Lancelot one at all. Maybe he's careful about these sort of things, he isn't sure, but he isn't particularly bothered if he's given an alias of sorts so long as he has something.

[specifiercity]

"It's Arthur," he says as he digs his own phone out. He rattles off his own phone number as he puts Lancelot's name in his phone, and then he looks up expectantly for Lancelot to supply his. He doesn't particularly mind anyone having his number - it's not like they can do much with it anyway.

[knightscode]

Arthur the Hillingdon hunter. Lancelot drops his eyes to his phone as he saves the number, hits call on it and flicks a smile idly as Arthur's phone start to ring.

"And that's mine. Faolan is one of yours too, he was the one that asked my help -- should be around here somewhere. Smaller than I am, brown hair, something of a perpetual frown. Irish. He knows Matt, as I understand it."

[specifiercity]

Arthur quickly declines the call, but saves the number to the contact he already made. "I've seen him around," he says, brows furrowed as he works on his phone.

"I hope you guys find him," Arthur says with a sigh as soon as he's finished. "I'll see what I can do about the werewolf, and if I find anything I will let you know."

[knightscode]

"Thank you."

He locks his phone and puts it away, shoves his hands into his pockets and nods at Arthur.

"Good luck, and let me know if you run into trouble. I've a little experience with that, and fishing people out of it."

His lips quirk up into a smile again and he gives a last shrug. It's up to Arthur, really, and he doesn't expect him to ask or give more than he has to -- but anything is useful.

[specifiercity]

Arthur smirks - the first hint that he's shown he even knows how to smile throughout the whole conversation. "Don't worry," he says, "I've got a bit of experience with that too."

He slips his phone back into his pocket and turns away with a nod. As he's walking away, he says over his shoulder, "I'll see you around. Call me if you find him so I don't waste my time, alright?"