Sylvia Redbright (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
brightwitch) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
undergrounds2016-01-11 09:41 pm
brightwitch) wrote in undergrounds2016-01-11 09:41 pm
Entry tags:
The Carrot and the Stick [OPEN]
i) The carrot – Redbright Institute Magic and Ethics Workshops – 14th & 21st January
As the new year begins and normal work resumes, there are two things preying on Sylvia's mind. The first is the Guardian report she received at the end of November, which outlined the results of weeks of spying on Circle Midnight. She had promised to act on the information contained within it, and this month she hopes that her plans will bear fruit. The Redbright Institute is hosting a series of workshops designed to encourage young witches from either Circle to discuss and debate the ethics of their own craft. Known members of Circle Midnight have been invited, though of course without being explicitly called out as such.
The workshops are carefully managed and led by hand-picked Circle Daybreak witches who have been briefed on the new laws banning dark magic and are able to steer the discussion in a positive direction.
Sylvia herself drops in on two of the sessions unannounced, not to make a speech or take over the class, but simply to observe and to answer questions. She wants to gauge the mood of the classes. How do people feel about the new laws? Do they understand the risks posed by dark magic? Do they understand why these latest measures were necessary?
She is also, of course, making herself more approachable in these months leading up to the Night Council elections. Many of these young people will be voting for the first time and she needs their support.
"Let's talk about fae!" says the middle-aged witch leading today's session. She uses her wand for the rather mundane task of turning the pages on a flipchart, and writes "MYTHS" and "TRUTHS" on either side of the paper. "Tell me something you know about fae and we'll decide whether it's a myth or a truth. Who wants to go first?"
This is the introductory activity. She'll lead up to discussing how fae are involved in dark magic, the risks posed to witches who summon or use fae magic, and why Circle Daybreak takes a principled approach to not using fae magic.
ii) The stick – Night Council Headquarters – 12th-22nd January
Here's the second thing preying on Sylvia's mind. It's something much more personal, something she doesn't like to talk about.
It's the conversation she had with Dee, right before she expelled her from the Night Council.
"You understand," she had said, "that the Council can't be seen to support the spread of dark magic."
Dee was always so softly-spoken, a voice of reason in any room. The venom in her voice had shocked Sylvia. "Yes, I understand." Her tone remained low. "I understand that you will always, always put power before principles. You're a hypocrite. The worst thing is that you know it, but you still pretend that this is all for the greater good. I'll let myself out."
It stung. Badly. Enough to make her retreat from enacting the law that she herself signed. She doesn't get directly involved in the purge. Instead she leaves the entire project for Norrell to manage; after all, he is so very eager. She still hears the reports, of course. At the Night Council Headquarters, she can be found working late at night in her office, monitoring the situation in Croydon, assessing the reports of the latest potential new Maidens, or else organizing the Night Council's upcoming event on the Thames.
It's a busy month. She will take appointments, but it needs to be important.
As the new year begins and normal work resumes, there are two things preying on Sylvia's mind. The first is the Guardian report she received at the end of November, which outlined the results of weeks of spying on Circle Midnight. She had promised to act on the information contained within it, and this month she hopes that her plans will bear fruit. The Redbright Institute is hosting a series of workshops designed to encourage young witches from either Circle to discuss and debate the ethics of their own craft. Known members of Circle Midnight have been invited, though of course without being explicitly called out as such.
The workshops are carefully managed and led by hand-picked Circle Daybreak witches who have been briefed on the new laws banning dark magic and are able to steer the discussion in a positive direction.
Sylvia herself drops in on two of the sessions unannounced, not to make a speech or take over the class, but simply to observe and to answer questions. She wants to gauge the mood of the classes. How do people feel about the new laws? Do they understand the risks posed by dark magic? Do they understand why these latest measures were necessary?
She is also, of course, making herself more approachable in these months leading up to the Night Council elections. Many of these young people will be voting for the first time and she needs their support.
"Let's talk about fae!" says the middle-aged witch leading today's session. She uses her wand for the rather mundane task of turning the pages on a flipchart, and writes "MYTHS" and "TRUTHS" on either side of the paper. "Tell me something you know about fae and we'll decide whether it's a myth or a truth. Who wants to go first?"
This is the introductory activity. She'll lead up to discussing how fae are involved in dark magic, the risks posed to witches who summon or use fae magic, and why Circle Daybreak takes a principled approach to not using fae magic.
ii) The stick – Night Council Headquarters – 12th-22nd January
Here's the second thing preying on Sylvia's mind. It's something much more personal, something she doesn't like to talk about.
It's the conversation she had with Dee, right before she expelled her from the Night Council.
"You understand," she had said, "that the Council can't be seen to support the spread of dark magic."
Dee was always so softly-spoken, a voice of reason in any room. The venom in her voice had shocked Sylvia. "Yes, I understand." Her tone remained low. "I understand that you will always, always put power before principles. You're a hypocrite. The worst thing is that you know it, but you still pretend that this is all for the greater good. I'll let myself out."
It stung. Badly. Enough to make her retreat from enacting the law that she herself signed. She doesn't get directly involved in the purge. Instead she leaves the entire project for Norrell to manage; after all, he is so very eager. She still hears the reports, of course. At the Night Council Headquarters, she can be found working late at night in her office, monitoring the situation in Croydon, assessing the reports of the latest potential new Maidens, or else organizing the Night Council's upcoming event on the Thames.
It's a busy month. She will take appointments, but it needs to be important.