November Catch-All

[constantprisoner]

Backdated - October 31st - Cemetery

Halloween had crept up on Sirius, much to his dismay. Especially since this year marked the thirteenth anniversary of that fateful day, of the day when his life had utterly fallen apart. Needless to say, he wasn't up for celebrating.

Honestly, he wasn't sure what to do with himself. He felt like he was in a daze of some sort, unable to keep his thoughts away from that night. Eventually he decided to walk, though with no destination in mind. It would just be something to do. He stuck to his dog form, wandering slowly through the streets, sticking mostly to alleys and side streets rather than main roads. He didn't really want to interact with anyone.

He eventually found his way to a cemetery, and without really knowing how, he knew it was the one where his friends were buried. He'd never actually been here before. He'd been in prison by the time he had reached a point where he could actually comprehend everything that had happened.

it didn't take long for him to locate the graves and he finds himself wishing he had brought something. Instead, he sits in front of them, his head bowed.

Mid-November - Shops

For the first time in a long time, Sirius felt almost like himself. Things had been working out for him lately. He had a safe house thanks to that fae (who he hadn't heard from in a while, which made him slightly wary), and he had money from that witch (though he still wasn't completely comfortable with it). It had resulted in some new clothes and decent enough meals. Sirius was honestly surprised at how renewed he felt.

While he'd been rather judicious with the money he had left, mostly spending it on food than anything else, Sirius figured there was at least one more purchase left. If he was going to be more involved in this world, supernatural or not, he was going to need a phone. And that was something entirely new to him.

He stood in front of the store awkwardly, not entirely sure where to begin.

Mid/Late-November - Hillingdon

Having done the mission for Norrell, Sirius was a little more confident about hanging around the area. He was still cautious, of course, and largely avoiding the other shapeshifters in the clan, but he didn't feel like he was going to be sold out or attacked. It was still a tad awkward, since he was still trying to decide how to offer his services, but there could possibly be a job or two that he could perform.

At least, that was why he was here now. To see if there were any available.

Choose Your Own Adventure

[Whatever you'd liked]

Comments

Shops

[protagonized]

Simon buttoned up his coat as he stepped out into the sunlight. The weather was nice only by virtue of the fact that it didn't look like it was going to rain, but it was still blustery and the wind went right through him. It was a rare day off from the three major commitments in his life: Uni, work, and his somewhat baffling new duties as a prefect at Redbright (nevermind that he had long since finished school). He paused to examine the dubious wares at a street stall, amused at the (intentional, probably) misspellings of designer names on the knockoff products while he waited for his flatmate to catch up.

He found it a little odd how quickly Matt had taken to him...and even stranger that he didn't seem to mind. He genuinely enjoyed having him around, despite their many differences. Or maybe because of them. Matt forced him out of his comfort zone on a regular basis, and he was probably better off for it.

As he stuffed the paper poppy in his pocket, he looked up and noticed a familiar face standing in front of a shop down the road.

"Sirius," he called, just loud enough to be heard.

[paenumbra]

Matt had a strange addiction to cheap knock-offs, especially if the brand name was glaringly wrong. It had started with the street vendors in his hometown of Philly. At one point he had a fairly sizable collection of "Rolecks" watches and "Guchi" handbags. London had even more to offer which amused him incredibly.

"I'm almost sad I don't wear women's shoes," he said to Simon. "They have these ridiculously priced 'Prata' heels. Is it bad I kind of want to buy them for the novelty?"

He turned his head when Simon called to the other man. He'd never met Sirius before. The only thing he knew about him was that he was a shifter like Simon. Slowly over the past few days Simon had begun to open up to Matt. Because of it, London was starting to feel more and more like home.

"That man is probably rocking the coolest mustache I've ever seen," Matt admired.

[constantprisoner]

Sirius looks up quickly, and slightly more conspicuous that he would have liked. He's not used to people calling his name, and usually when they did it meant it was time to start running. Granted, in cases like that, people were also more inclined to use his last name rather than his first, so it had to be someone he knew. And that amounted to a handful of people.

He relaxes when he sees Simon and his friend, and waves.

"Simon," he replies, walking over. "How are you?"

[protagonized]

Simon smiled at the older shifter, sensing his tension and trying to dispel it. "I'm well," he replied, "And you? You look a lot warmer than the last time I saw you." Simon had thought that Sirius was some kind of a tramp when they met before, but now he was wearing better clothes and on the whole looked happier and better-fed than he had that last time.

He waved over his flatmate and commenced with introductions.

"This is Matthew Jones, my flatmate. Matt, I'd like you to meet Sirius..." Simon paused. "I'm sorry, I don't know that I ever got your surname."

[paenumbra]

Matt bit his tongue to keep from asking if the man really was 'serious' or not. It was a dumb joke and besides, the man had probably heard it before. He offered his hand out and grinned.

"Nice to meet you," he said. "How do you know Simon? Do you work at Redbright?"

[constantprisoner]

It probably wouldn't come as a surprise to Matt that Sirius had heard the joke before, and had made it himself on more than one occasion.

"Things have gotten a bit better, yeah," Sirius replies, shaking Matt's offered hand and ignoring the bit about the surname. No sense in ruining a perfectly civil conversation with him having to run off and hide.

"Uh, no actually..." And he glances at Simon, as if to ask how much Matt knows exactly. And if they need to take this conversation off the streets.

[protagonized]

[ooc: I'm back! Sort of. Are you okay with backthreading for a bit?]

"Sirius is also a dog...person," Simon said bluntly, answering that question. "Though he's Hillingdon, I think." Maybe it really was time to take it off the street.

He motioned to Matt. "My American friend here is a student at Redbright. Not one of us, obviously. Meta. Mind control, if you'll believe it." He grinned. "Never lend him money or he'll sweet-talk you into thinking it was a gift and that he never has to pay it back.'

[paenumbra]

"Hey, I'm not that bad," Matt laughed. "I'm more likely into talking you to take me to the pub and continue buying the rounds because I absolutely bought the last one."

So, Sirius was another shifter. It was a good thing he loved dogs because the thought of being surrounded by puppies thrilled him. "So, I have to ask, do you guys go around sniffing each others ass to say hi or is that only in puppy form?"

[constantprisoner]

Sirius gives a slight nod, in regards to being in Hillingdon. (He still considers himself on the outside, though that does seem to be changing given his recent involvement). He makes a mental note to be careful though. While he wouldn't mind a trip to the pub, he can't afford to run out of money right now. Or be seen by the local authorities. That would just spoil the whole evening.

"Of course not. I avoid it in either form, if I can."

It's a bit hard when you're dealing with actual dogs, Sirius will admit.

Hillingdon!

[reticence]

Faolan isn't quite sure how or why the decision was made, but somewhere within the course of the last month he had somehow wound up in the position of Hillingdon Clan leader. He's fairly certain it's simply because he's the only one who'd been around that long and shown enough initiative that the rest of them felt they could hand it over to him, because he certainly didn't ask to be in charge. Now that he is, though. Well, he might as well make the most of it, he decides.

He's been making a point to try and make himself available. Trying to make a point to get to know those around Hillingdon that he might not be otherwise familiar with. As he spots Sirius, however, he approaches him with a smile. Here at least, he's found a familiar face. "So you found a way back in after all, then?" he asks, amicably.

[constantprisoner]

"Seems that way," Sirius replied, also smiling. "At least, no one seems to have stopped me."

He's still cautious, but he thinks a few people recognize him from the Lambeth takeover and that seems to have won him some respect.

[reticence]

Faolan shakes his head slightly. "Well, if you haven't made it official yet, there may be something I can do about that now," he says, the corners of his mouth lilting into something of a more bashful smile.

"For better or worse, you're looking at the newest Hillingdon Clan leader. I think that gives me the authority to say you're in, if you really do want to be in again." He lets out the breath of a laugh. "Can't imagine why you'd want to get back into all this mess, if you've really been out of it for as long as you say, but all things considered, I'm probably the least qualified to judge."

[constantprisoner]

"Is that so? Congratulations!" Sirius says with a grin. "At this point, in is probably better than out."

In means some safety, and possibly some more income. Hopefully, he won't run into too much trouble with the other shapeshifters in the group, especially if they remember him, but it helps to know he's got friends in high places.

"How'd this all come about, anyway?"

[reticence]

'Oh, you know, this and that. When the people who were haphazardly in charge made me a Guardian with the Night Council and saw how good I was doing there they dumped the rest of it on my plate as well.' No, better not say that much, especially since his role as Guardian is staying under wraps, if Faolan himself has anything to say on the matter.

"Well," he says, instead. "I think it was more a case of being volunteered for the job than anything else. I suppose I can't complain too much," he adds, with something of a shrug. "It means that I must have been doing something right. Though I could do without the extra paperwork," he adds, quirking a smile at the other man in turn.

[constantprisoner]

"Usually how it goes, isn't it? Although, I wasn't aware that paperwork was a huge deal around here."

And if it was back when he was more active, he certainly hadn't paid any level of attention to it.

[reticence]

"It hasn't been," Faolan confirms. "That's rather part of the problem. The lack of organization here in the first place. Not," he adds quickly, "that I'm about to enforce it on you, if that's what you're worried about. I just think that we could do with something more of a sense of community, perhaps."

He shrugs slightly. "Or maybe that's just me. I'm open to discussion and debate on the matter, of course. I've hardly been in this sort of position before, as I'm sure you might imagine."

[constantprisoner]

"Well, community makes sense, at least to me. I mean, I grew up with most of the shapeshifters and that was a rather tight knit group." He considers saying more on that point, and then decides against it. "Although, relationships with anyone on the outside could be a little...tense to say the least. Getting a bit more unified might help with that."

Sirius would certainly like to see that at least, but then he was a little biased.

Graveyard

[acrookedchild]

After her dinner guests have gone, Abigail Widdowson still has one more Samhain task. She's been to several graveyards by now, but she isn't done. This one is her last stop, though.

Unaware of anyone else's presence, she unloads her car and starts going around the cemetary. At each grave newly added this year, she stops and puts down two small items. One is a covered plate of food, which she opens, and the other is a small glass of wine to complement the food.

It's an old tradition, but it's one she's set on reviving, at least so far as her actions are concerned.

[constantprisoner]

Sirius figures he's been there long enough. He's not alone in the graveyard and it might seem odd to passersby to find a large black dog sitting with his head bowed. He makes a note to come back, without as long of a break this time, and stands up.

However, his plans to trot out quickly are pushed aside when he sees a familiar face, and he wanders over, curious, his tail wagging.

[acrookedchild]

"Hey there," Abby says when she sees the dog approaching, and she kneels down to pet it. She, of course, hasn't made any connection between the dog she sometimes sees and the man she helped with the motorcycle, but she regards the animal as something of an old friend.

Which is why she smiles a little more. "Black dog in a graveyard during Samhain, huh? Might think you were a Grim if I didn't know better."

[constantprisoner]

It wouldn't be the first time, Sirius thinks as he sits down to be petted. More than once he's managed to scare the odd person, some admittedly on purpose (but always for a laugh).

He glances over to the food she's brought with a curious look on his face.

[acrookedchild]

When she sees where the dog's gaze goes, she smiles a bit.

"You hungry?" It's... not what she should be doing with Samhain dinner, but, at the same time, the dead don't actually need to eat. It's a tribute. An animal, though? Does need to eat.

Besides, birds or foxes or something will get the food anyway.

[constantprisoner]

Sirius's tail starts to wag a little more and he offers what could be interpreted as a nod. While he's managed to improve things for himself a little, he won't say no to free food. Though, he is still curious about why she's brought food to a graveyard. It hardly seems the place for a picnic.

But he'll sit patiently, and try to find a way to communicate that, beyond his still curious look.

[acrookedchild]

"Just don't tell anyone I did this, okay?" Like the dog can really tell anyone. But, still, it's fun to say. "Kind of doubt I'm supposed to be doing this with Samhain offerings."

But it would end up in some animal's stomach anyway, more likely than not.

So, she pulled one of the plates out of her bag and took the lid off, setting it down in front of him.

[constantprisoner]

There's a look of understanding that disappears quickly as Sirius licks his chops, trying not to drool. He won't say a word and no one will ever need to know.

Instead he stands and starts eating, his tail wagging happily.