Once more unto the breach, dear friend, once more (Lewisham territory claim)

[occultdisciple]

Or close the wall up with our English dead
November 20th, afternoon

Lewisham was a beautiful district. On a day like this, it was almost impossible to tell that the fae controlled most of the area. Still, one who could feel and smell magic could sense it. It wasn't something that could be allowed to stand. The fae had their own realm to call theirs; they had no need of territory in this land.

Besides, it would help him establish his homecoming.

He not only needed to make himself known among the Islington Nest, but it would do well to be noticed in the rest of the supernatural community. Besides, there were plenty of others who disliked the fae presence. It made it an easy rallying point.

He had reached out to the witches -- particularly Daybreak -- and the werewolves. The latter had a few of wary onlookers, but he couldn't afford to have them as active enemies right now.

For the day, he was seeing the sights and looking at things from a strategic point of view. There were good places to make a bottleneck, to force the fae out into the open. Or into retreat. The difficult thing would be keeping the fae from coming back through their doors to not present a second front. As he looks around, he also keeps an eye out for any of his allies... or enemies.

In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
November 23rd, morning

No territory dispute could happen and be maintained without the proper political groundwork. So, that was what Lord Coward put the finishing polish to the day before he intended to move. The local members of each supernatural sect were warned to either join the fight or stay out of it. If they sided with the fae, he'd warned, they would be considered outside of the protection of their groups and, therefore, subject to the full extent of the battle.

He continued to make his rounds at the supernatural haunts of the borough, making himself known in each location. Where there was someone of particular note, he sought them out. Otherwise, he found a fairly public place and did his best to look as approachable as possible.

As modest stillness and humility,
November 23rd, evening

The night was coming, and Lord Coward let himself begin a hunt. It wasn't the night for the fight, but such an attack was never just one night. For days, little things had been done. Small scuffles that had ranging consequences. So, tonight he let his hunger come out.

It was a good way to clear the streets or bring out the enemies.

He'd found a fae sympathiser some days ago and been tracking them for awhile. They were a human, loosely connected with the protection of a minor fae. Nothing particularly important, no, but enough to have caught his ear.

As he finished his meal and licked the wound to close it, he raised his head, setting the body down carefully. To humans, it would be a mysterious death. To the supernatural community, it was a marking of territory. At a sound, he looked in that direction, fangs still out, though they were shrinking back to normal size.

But when the blast of war blows in our ears
November 24th, midday

Now, the fight had begun.

To human eyes, there was just a bit more random conflict in the streets. Nothing to be worried about, but strange things happened. It was the result of magic at play.

There was only so much to be done in human circles, of course. In the supernatural, there were far more obvious clashes. It was to be expected, though, and Lord Coward kept his back straight. After all, he intended to be known here. Especially if he wanted to eventually control all of Tower Hamlets.

He noticed it out of the corner of his eye. Someone looking at him. Curiosity, ill intent, or positive thought all seemed the same in a split second. So, he merely offered a thin smile.

"May I help you?"

Then imitate the action of the tiger
November 24th, night

In the dark of the night, Islington made their strike. They and their allies had one more day, Coward had made clear, to make this definitive. They needed to drive the fae out, period, and it needed to be done before they thought this was just a token show.

So, that night, Coward's fangs were out, and those who were not with him were considered against him. The blood would flow freely where it needed to. Or, at least, where he felt it needed to.


(And, of course, feel free to make your own top levels for others during the claim.)

Comments

[knowstheworld]

Childermass raises his eyebrows. "Hovering," he repeats, the quirk of a smirk settling on his face because the choice of the words is rather amusing. He would have thought to be accused of lurking or perhaps slinking, not hovering. "Have you indeed..."

He shrugs slightly. He can't deny it to her face, for in truth it would be a bald-faced lie. And he feels as though he may have spotted the girl before himself, now that he's thinking about it, in truth. Is she Daybreak? She's definitely a witch of some sort, that's for sure, and her righteous indignation would lead him to believe that it isn't Midnight, for all the distaste of Norrell in her voice. "Mr Norrell did not do this," he says at last, turning back to the body at his feet. Norrell in truth paled at violence and shied from fighting a person, never mind killing them. Though he knows what she is after, of course.

[occultdisciple]

"I've procured a supply of vampire toxin for your coven, as well." He had to admit the possibility. "I know few of the Nest. I do not doubt their loyalty, but... I won't pretend it is guaranteed that none of them will lose their heads and decide to do something other than what they are meant to do. They will, of course, be handled appropriately."

Stripped of any daylight jewellery they might possess and strapped down to await the sun, specifically.

But the details are irrelevant.

[specifiercity]

It's not hard to tell that Arthur's already losing his patience. He's already frustrated about this whole thing, even though he has no idea which way it'll go. Every time the vampires move against someone else with the silent complicity of the Night Council, it renews his frustration. It's not that he thinks fae should overrun the city, but at least they don't have to kill to live.

"The word," he starts, and it really is just scraps of information he's collected that have trickled down, nothing first hand, "is that there's an ambitious Earl planning to move into this borough. Tomorrow."

[hurtfew]

A vampire toxin. Norrell frowns immediately, expression twitching in distaste at the very thought of it. Loyalty not guaranteed?!

"I hope," he says archly, "there will be no need of such measures. If it comes to pass I trust you will not be lenient in the face of dissent."

Norrell is very much in favour of harsh punishments, after all. He wishes they still hung people.

[knowstheworld]

It isn't hard to tell that he's aggravating the other man, no. But Childermass does not particularly care whether he's making friends here or not. He is not a man to be forced into answers, nor to be made demands of. He makes his own decisions. He is his own man.

He raises his eyebrows slightly at the other man's frustration, but acquiesces after a moment. He turns to the body on the ground in front of them, gesturing towards it. "They are marking their territory," he says, for if that is not obvious to the other man, then it should be. "They will have left no mark on her. But the signs are there, if you know where to look." He glances back at the other man. "Whether or not he is ambitious in such an undertaking, I cannot say, but here is your proof, sir. Plain as day."

[specifiercity]

Arthur's jaw tightens in disgust as he looks at the body again. It doesn't matter how many he sees, it always makes his stomach turn a little when he sees the victim of crimes like these. She was innocent, or at least innocent enough. Certainly she didn't do anything to deserve this.

But he looks back up at Childermass once he's considered his words. The man doesn't seem interested in the why, or at least he's feigning it rather well, but to Arthur it's incredibly important. If the vampires have a goal, then that goal can be undermined an exploited. So far he's heard nothing to indicate a long term plan, but that could be because the information never made it down that far. "Islington already has territory," he says, managing to keep the bitterness out of his tone. "What other reason could they have to expand? No one threatens them."

[occultdisciple]

"Fae blood makes vampires who might already be inclined toward a wilder side that much more dangerous." It was like giving alcohol to an angry drunk. It might pacify, but it might only makes things worse. "I will control as many as possible. Any who don't will be dealt with. Severely."

After all, he'd once been Home Secretary. The entire police force had been at his fingertips. He would show no more mercy now than he had then.

[smugfox]

"I don't know if that's true of any one person, but this one seems deserving enough, I'd be inclined to agree." Reynard only glanced upwards for a moment, to ascertain that Childermass was indeed looking towards the sky and not watching a bird. Interesting gesture, he supposed, it was always important to take note of people's belief, whether they had actual faith or just faked it. "We should get going, shouldn't we? I believe in traditions too, my friend, and I think we should start a new one."

His expression changed a bit, still smiling and somehow cheeky and pleading at the same time. "Buy me a drink?"

[knowstheworld]

Childermass glances around them. It's true, they shouldn't linger around the body for too long -- more people might start to come along and he may not be able to talk himself out of everything. He's already been to jail once this year, and however accidentally he wouldn't care to repeat the experience so soon if he could help it.

So he shrugs slightly, before nodding. "That can be done," he replies. "Do you have a favorite place in mind, sir? It is just that I do not know the area as well as I would like." Which is true, although it is also true that Childermass knows the area perhaps better than he's willing to let on, all things considered.

[knowstheworld]

Childermass spreads his hands before him, a wry expression on his face. "They have territory, yes. Everyone has territory, to start. But is anyone ever truly happy with that they have to start?" he asks, giving the other man a very direct look. Knowing that the other man already knows the answer to that question. Knowing that he knows that the answer is 'no'.

"What reason could anyone possibly have to expand?" he asks the other man, repeating his question right back to him with a slight change of wording as he does. "Because they would like more territory, no doubt."

[specifiercity]

"And they're willing to piss of the fae to get it," Arthur says, but his tone implies that it's rhetorical as he turns to look up and down the street. Ever the paranoid one, he doesn't want to be caught by another vampire marking their territory, even if he has nothing to do with the fae outside a few contacts in the courts. Contacts, including one that he knows will be unbearable once the vampires make their move.

His eyes fall back on Childermass and he tries one more time, even though knows it'll most likely be in vain: "Who are you with?"

[knowstheworld]

Childermass quirks something of a smirk at the other man, shrugging his shoulders slightly as he does. It's pretty obvious that if the other man does not know him, he must not be on his side. If he cannot feel what he is, then he must not be a witch. And he would not have such a reaction to vampires if he were with them.

"I am not a vampire, if that is what you are asking," Childermass responds, knowing full well that that is not the question the other man had asked at all.

[specifiercity]

Arthur nods. He had figured as much, and he's not going to press or threaten in case it goes very wrong for him. It wasn't very calculated to approach in the first place, and he hasn't gleaned a whole lot of information from the meeting. Might be better to cut his losses now, get out of here while he's still somewhat anonymous.

He gives Childermass a steady look, almost quizzical, like he's trying to make a decision or figure something out before he speaks again. "That's not what I was asking, but it's good to know," he says, though he doesn't sound grateful for the information at all.

[knowstheworld]

Childermass offers something of a sarcastic bow in response to the other man's words. It's obvious to him that he's getting on his nerves, and it's just as clear that he doesn't really seem to care about that fact at all. He is nothing if not his own man, despite the fact that Norrell pays his salary.

"You seem an intelligent man, sir," he says. "I do not think it difficult for you to put the pieces together. Neither of us vampires, and neither of us recognizing the other, that rather puts us at opposite sides of this struggle. Unless, of course, we are to claim ourselves innocent bystanders." He puts his hands in his pockets and steps sideways, away from the light, so that suddenly he is half in shadow. "But I think we both know just as well that such would be a lie as well."

[specifiercity]

"It would," he agrees. He's not in the habit of being an 'innocent bystander,' but at least he's fairly good at hiding his identity when he decides to go get involved.

"Guess that puts us in an awkward situation," Arthur continues, "but it's clear you want to go, so I'll let you." His tone is calm, a hint charitable, as if he's the reason Childermass has been here the whole time. If need be, he can pull out his gun and be the reason Childermass leaves one way or another, but that's not a card he likes to play very often.

[hurtfew]

He stares at Coward a moment longer, lips thinned unhappily, then nods finally.

"Then I will leave such matters to you", he says, and moves some pieces of paper about before beginning to make notes again. "There will be fae, so we will have to expect trickery. Wards will need to be set to protect us from illusions. I do not know how much resistance we will meet, how strong, but it is better to be prepared for the worst."

[knowstheworld]

Childermass could just as easily cast a spell against this man. Do him harm, play a trick on him, or anything besides. But he does not. He is not in the habit of creating trouble for himself if at all possible. If given the opportunity to leave peaceably rather than have this end in some sort of a duel, Childermass understands what the smarter option of the two is.

He quirks something of an ironic smile at the other man. "You'll let me," he repeats, as though he thinks it's a funny way to put it. Maybe he does, it's hard to tell with Childermass, just about everything he does is sarcastic and sardonic. "Very well then." He tips his hat at the other man, aware that he's pushing it, even as he turns to take his leave. And literally disappearing into the shadows before him.