undergrounds | November Catch-All

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]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"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.

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."

"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?"

'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.

"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.

"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."

"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.

Faolan nods slightly, pleased that he's got at least one person on his side, in Sirius. "We're a difficult bunch of people," Faolan acquiesces. "Most of us would rather keep ourselves to ourselves. And yet we have found each other here. We should support one another. Some of us -- Hillingdon is all we have. Might as well make the most of it."

He shrugs slightly. "Of course, I haven't the faintest idea on how to begin with that. It's easy to imagine us all being able to come together, but in practice?" He quirks something of a grin at the other man. "Perhaps with the promise of free food..."

"It would probably work on me, just saying." He's easily bought in that regard. How many parties has he crashed for that purpose? Or at least made an appearance at?

"It really depends on who you reach out to, though. In my experience at least. I mean, Shapeshifters tend to keep to themselves for the most part. I'm something of an outlier."

Faolan laughs, surprising himself a little with the sound of it. He supposes these past few months have been rougher than he's even giving himself credit for. "I'll keep that in mind," he says. "Who knows. Maybe that really is the key to our success."

He shakes his head, sobering slightly. "Really, I'd like to appeal to as many as I can. I'm not asking them to hold hands and sing songs. But letting each other know when something's come up? If there's trouble to look out for? Knowing what each others' strengths are, if there's someone who's got an expertise and would be good backup on a job?" He shrugs. "From what I know about Hillingdon and the people in it, we're mostly all loners. And that's not a good quality to have, for a faction like this."

"Appeal to the sense of being loners together? Granted, I still don't know how much things have changed since I left," Sirius replied. "Part of me assumes things have gotten worse, more insular."

But then, that could be him projecting his worst fears and less than positive feelings.

"But a more united front wouldn't be a bad thing."

Faolan shakes his head. "I wouldn't disagree with you on that," he says. Even in the years that Faolan's been with Hillingdon, they've only gotten worse, not better. "I'm hoping that I can do something to turn that around, but obviously it's not going to happen overnight. I'm not even expecting everyone to be in agreement. Not at first, at least."

He shrugs slightly. "I can try at least. It's more than anyone has done for Hillingdon in a long time, I think."

"Certainly, no harm in that," Sirius agrees. "I hope it goes well for you, at least."

Because he would like to see a more united front. Or at least a change in attitude.

Faolan gives the other man something of a nod in return. "Well, with any luck, you'll know about it," says, with the quirk of a smile. "Being Hillingdon yourself. Unless you're planning on going somewhere else so soon?" He raises his eyebrows at Sirius in question, though he's fairly certain that he already knows the answer.

"Hadn't really planned on it. At least, not any time in the future."

Right now, Hillingdon meant safety, and that was Sirius's top priority.

Faolan nods slightly. "Good," he says, quirking the other man something of a smile. "I'm glad. Good to know that there's at least one man on the inside on my side, if nothing else."

He tips his head to the other man. "I'll make sure that your paperwork is all squared away. There's no reason you shouldn't be an official member again, and like I said." He shrugs slightly. "New management."

"I appreciate it, and I like knowing that I've got friends in high places."

Not that he plans to abuse that knowledge. (Too much anyway).

November Catch-All

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