The Croydon Debacle

[falsify]

Croydon is a dismal place at the best of times, but at this time of year it's damp and cold and miserable. Amazing it's a place in such high demand. December 7th will see preparations taken. Some of the fae in the area take serious issue with handing the area over to witches of any kind and vacate the area as soon as word gets to them. Others prepare for the inevitable fight coming to their doorsteps. The hope is to avoid as much bloodshed as possible, avoid alerting more mortals than necessary as to what's happening on their doorsteps, but it's foolish to assume Daybreak would catch a whiff of this and not step in. December 8th. The day of the handoff. Several fae, Eames included, watch the witches coming in with a harsh gaze. It's kind of frustrating, how it's impossible to tell the allegiance of the witches by sight alone. It may seem threatening or intimidating, but it's important to be ready at moment's notice. One thing they'll not allow is to be bested again so soon. December 9th is a strange day; likely on all sides. With so many involved, it's probably a surprise that all it lead to is a stalemate. Anyone sensitive enough to magic will feel an electric tension in the air; tempers are high, frustrations are high, crime... is surprisingly low actually. A place held in contention between fae and witches is bound to be a magical minefield, but the fae at least seem more concerned with fortifying their position than starting any fights in the immediate future.

Comments

[hurtfew]

Norrell's face twitches in distaste a moment, unhappy, but he just barely manages to control it. To school himself to some semblance of calm despite the quiet anger and frustration underneath.

"Croydon," he manages finally, "rightfully belongs to Daybreak. It was stolen from us. I have had every intention of rectifying that, and I still do. The fae will not be allowed to run riot over London."

[acrookedchild]

"And Bromley and Bexley rightfully belong to mortals." It's a harder stance than she usually takes against the fae. After all, she'd wanted to consider them allies. But after being insulted by them? Well, wounded pride runs deep for a Widdowson.

"I don't approve of the fae carving out land in this world when they already have their own."

Especially when one was obviously foolish enough not to consider Croydon the front lines, flanked as it was by Daybreak. If he'd offered her Bromley, as he'd deemed the front lines to be, there would still be an allied buffer between Midnight and Daybreak. This? This put them in direct opposition. Which she refused to believe wasn't intentional.

"My Circle allows them to come and go, yes, and we always will. But isn't it better than allowing them to say the land belongs to them?"

[hurtfew]

She does not approve? After working so closely with them? After having fae aiding her own family so far...! It is a difficult thing to believe, and Norrell is already flustered -- barely containing an outburst. (Although even his own outbursts are muted, anaemic, lacking in anything but barely controlled frustration).

"Croydon belongs to Daybreak," he grinds out, "and we will take it back. We will. It is not a territory to be passed about like little more than pack of cigars!"

For just as the Widdowson pride has been wounded by them, so has that of Daybreak. Wounded pride must need be repaired.

[acrookedchild]

"Croydon belongs to the people who live there! It's not a territory. It's a neighbourhood. People live there!"

The moment it's out, Abigail sighs. It's too emotional. There's no negotiating to be done when she's this upset, let alone if she gets someone else upset. But Eames was the last straw. Using the fae to survive -- to avoid a curse she had nothing to do with getting laid -- is one thing.

But to be treated as a pawn. As a stupid pawn at that.

No. Not now. She remembers what Lancelot had said. What she said. It matters. It needs to be said.

"There doesn't need to be more bloodshed."

[hurtfew]

Doesn't need to be more bloodshed! Norrell's lips thin at that, and he draws himself up to the full extent of what height he has.

"There does not," he agrees. "Neither do you need to accept this territory when you know it will cause a fuss. May I remind you, Miss Widdowson, that this is your choice. That it was your choice to attack us before. Not ours."

[acrookedchild]

"There will be a fuss either way," Abigail responds. "Do you think the fae are going to make it easy for you to take it? We're involved because they want to hand over the borough. Put it back into mortal hands."

[hurtfew]

"No. They will not make it easy. Yet if you think it is because they want it back in Mortal hands, Miss Widdowson, you are naive. They give it to you deliberately. They know it will anger us, to put you right on our border."

Norrell shakes his head, upper lip twitching a moment in disgust.

"You play into their hands. The fae cannot be trusted."

[acrookedchild]

Naive. The same word Eames used. And it still infuriates. Still, she bites her lip briefly to hold back from saying anything too sharp.

"They give it to us, yes, to put Midnight on your border. But, whatever their intentions, the result is that it passes back into mortal hands."

[hurtfew]

"But not it's original owner's hands."

He stares at her for a few seconds, small hard eyes examining her reaction, then Norrell sighs and removes his glasses -- pinches the bridge of his nose.

"It will not be tolerated. Any other territory and you may have had a chance, but Croydon is a place we had wanted to reclaim for some time. By aiming to accept it you are acting aggressively, Miss Widdowson. You endanger your truce. You anger all those who once called Croydon their home. It will be an act you cannot take back."

[acrookedchild]

Just after his sigh, she gives one of her own. It's messy. It's always messy. But she didn't come here for a shouting match. She won't leave satisfied, no. She knows that by now. But she will defend her position. Calmly.

"By intending to accept it, I am acting to defend the mortals who live there. If you attempt to take it from the fae, they will act, and it will be bloody. A quiet exchange, however, will cause no bloodshed. My agreement with Ms Redbright was that we would not attack those boroughs under her protection. 'Original owners' or not, Croydon falls outside of that, and I am making no attack."

[hurtfew]

"You are setting up a Midnight Circle where Daybreak once lived. Whatever you say your intentions, Miss Widdowson, you know it will look bad. It will be discussed. How it borders us. How it could be seen as symbolic. How your interaction with the fae could be read. It will not go uncontested. You have been warned. If you go ahead with this despite this you cannot say it was a surprise."

Norrell presses his lips together, slides his glasses back on and shuffles his papers.

"The matter is a closed subject."

[acrookedchild]

"I cannot say it was a surprise," she echoes with a soft sigh.

Another inevitability. Still, she'll handle it as best she can. It's too late to step away now, but if she can avoid engaging Daybreak in violence, keep the other Midnighters from doing the same. Well, she can at least attempt to mitigate some of the damage.

However small it might be.

"Good day, Mister Norrell."