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#makedonalddrumpfagain

1. CAMPAIGN TRAIL (OPEN) - out and about, first half of April
Ringer wasn't a particularly showy person. Her version of campaigning was primarily to make anonymous donations and strategic deals, like encouraging Vrinak to support Estergaard in the hope that Redbright would discover his subterfuge and withdraw her support of him. Even if he was the best candidate for the position, she wanted the Night Council to splinter until it was a schism of dissenting opinions. The fish rots from the head; an untrue statement but a sentiment she understood.

Part of those deals was showing support for certain candidates. Faolan's was, perhaps ironically, the only button on her messenger bag as she distributed flyers for Vrinak and Merad in local supernatural haunts. She had agreed to donate to Norrell's campaign, but had no interest in publicly supporting him.

"Vote Vrinak," she said with a practiced repetition, neither enthusiastic or entirely droll, as she offered the person a flyer.

2. REGISTER FOR REDBRIGHT (OPEN) - Hillingdon House or Redbright Institute, first half of April
Thanks to a strategic deal with the Dean of Redbright, Ringer had been made a temporary outreach volunteer, meant to educate shapeshifters, metahumans, and the like about a school that wouldn't accept her and encourage them to register and attend. Though anything involving talking to strangers was far from the list of her ideal tasks, she took to it with relative ease because she did believe in education, even if it came with a pretentious and exclusionary attitude.

Ringer spent some time at Hillingdon, knowing it was the best place to find people new to the community and lot in their ways, and some near the Redbright Institute itself, to make her face visible to the Dean and prove that efforts were being made. Maybe no one would notice that a human hunter was promoting a supernatural school.

3. SLOWLY FREAKING OUT (CLOSED TO FAOLAN) - Ringer's flat, mid-April
There was something off about Ringer's morning. From accidentally breaking a mug to tripping while running to catch her train, the list of deviant behaviors continued to grow. She didn't even make it onto said train, turning around and heading back for her flat as anxiety about whatever was happening set in. A headache, a broken textbook spine. She spent a few hours by herself, performing repetitive actions at first and then curled up in her bed and failing to sleep. It was another few hours beyond that, in the afternoon, when she finally made the call to Faolan: 'Something's wrong. You need to come over.'

She waited there, still in bed, mobile in her hand, for her friend to arrive. Because he would know what to do. Or because, as much as Ringer loathed to admit it, she didn't entirely want to deal with it alone.

4. ENIGMATIC STUCK LIKE STATIC (CLOSED TO JAMES) - Cafe near James's work, mid-April
Ringer sat stiffly in her seat at the cafe, staring down at the cup of tea in front of her as she waited for James to arrive. Her hands rested on either side of the cup, a mockery of holding it, wondering how long it might be. It had been a simple enough dictation for his secretary: 'Tell him his cousin will be at the cafe by two and needs to have a chat.' Hopefully the message was passed along. She twisted her wrist to glance at her watch.

Her gaze lifted a moment before the door opened, pulled from her anticipation with the sight of the man himself. She made no motion to catch his attention, trusting he would find and join her without fanfare. Ringer didn't look tense or sleep deprived, didn't look like shit. But it was clear, with one look, that something had her extremely worried, an unusual expression for the girl who liked to show how calm and collected she could be in nearly any situation.

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Ringer stares at him, allowing the silence between them to stretch as she seems to reconsider telling him. It gives her time to reevaluate their entire alliance and the risk she's taking in admitting a weakness to him, one that comes with a strength that she's pretty sure he might want to exploit. She can't tell if he's the type to accept help as offered or manipulate the situation to get what he wants, which makes her telling him a greater risk than she'd like. But still one she accepts.

"I assume that includes vampires," she replies dryly, waiting for a confirmation before continuing with a sigh.

"I'm.. superhuman now. I need to learn how to control it, and to figure out what my limits are." It's said as a matter of fact, though her expression barely conceals her discomfort with telling him. Ringer glosses over the fact that she has no idea how or why this happened, or even what it is exactly.

"You assume correctly."

And he means it too. Not that it's public knowledge, but ever since Coward left England James hasn't been too interested in continuing relations with the Islington Nest. They all lacked the vision that had been the basis for their alliance.

But this revelation made him forget all about it. Superhuman...now.

She didn't look like she planned this or made a deal with a fae for it...she might actually be happy about it if that was the case. For starters.

"And you'd like me to help you with that?"

He continues the (hopeful) train of thought for her.

"Yes." Ringer's rarely been one to beat around the bush and only when it seems like the strategic move. With James, it's usually easier to be upfront and factual about what she wants, what she's offering, and what the end result should be. Although she'll be the first to recognize that her status as a human and her belonging to Hillingdon make her less a priority to him than his pack.

"I can pay for your time, or we can agree upon a service in advance. Assuming you're willing to try."

James doesn't quite scoff but it's close. As far as he's concerned, this is a favor for a friend.

"You don't need to pay me Ringer."

He actually likes you, first off. Secondly he's hoping you'll do something else.

"I would like something else, though. Your clan leader doesn't like people moving against the fae...could you encourage him to stay away from Havering next month?"

He's showing his hand in the worst way possible - and he wonders if this is what wolves who show their bellies feel like; uncomfortable, vulnerable, but wanting something out of it.

"I won't trade political gain for personal favor. Don't help me if you don't want to." She replies lightly, wanting to make it very clear that whatever might happen between them will not affect whatever political aspirations he has for the faction, positive or negative.

Before he can protest, she holds up a finger to stop him.

"Our Clan wants to be taken seriously. If you agree to the East End forming an alliance with Hillingdon, I believe we would support your move against them. But why Havering?"

James half begins to roll his eyes and opens his mouth to protest when Ringer brings a well-timed finger up to silence him, which he does obediently and allows her to finish her next question.

"Ringer, I do want to help you. I just don't want your money. As for the why...," he pauses and considers how to best phrase it.

"Because I've wanted to expand there since before they took it? Because we are nearly surrounded on all sides by Fae and it makes me uneasy? Because I want to be taken seriously as an Alpha?"

He shrugs casually, trying to hide the passion that began to eek through his words the longer he went on.

"You can pick which one you like."

"Then I won't pay you," she replies lightly, lips quirking in the corners with a hint of amusement. Though it fades quickly.

That stupid love potion predisposed her to the idea of something different in him. Though she's fairly sure it wore off weeks ago, it's hard to entirely dispel her recognition of his charm. It's not as if she has a crush. But it's difficult to ignore the memory of those observations, despite her efforts to.

"I don't want you to tell me what I want to hear. I expect your reasons to be complicated." Ringer shrugs, having no intention to 'pick one.' She wants the truth, even if she disagrees with it, rather than any simplification or fabrication. In exchange for his honesty, she gives some of her own. "But I understand. Hillingdon is surrounded and will probably never expand. It's frustrating. You want to take over the world." A beat. "Where after Havering?"

The world, huh?

While he doesn't think he can quite manage that, it does sound kind of nice in the same way that being a CEO did. Wanting that was out of sight for him.

This was enough. James shrugs one shoulder.

"Dunno." He wasn't about to tell her that he was going to be gifting a territory away after Havering, not when he knew his deal with Sylvia was still on the line. That would have to happen first.

"If the pack is happy, so am I."

That? Is honest. Though phrased a bit generously. James genuinely wants what's best for his people, but he far prefers it when they have nothing to complain about.

Ringer doesn't believe that James doesn't know which territory he's eyeing after Havering. He strikes her as the more long-term planning sort. There are always things to plan outside of conquering new areas, though, so she doesn't push. He makes it extremely difficult to tell whether he's ever telling the truth.

"You should take Croydon and give it to the fae," she remarks idly, thinking about the map in her head. "Unless it's your intention to alienate them."

Edited 2016-05-01 02:24 (UTC)

James can't help but laugh lightly - it's better than flat out telling her 'no'. At least he think so.

"I'll see what I can do."

A lie. He couldn't give less than two shits about the Fae being alienated - it wasn't part of his list of Problems That Mattered. Not right now at least.

"Don't do that." Ringer shakes her head with a frown. "I don't want to be patronized. Tell me no, or yes. We both know you wouldn't move against your own schemes because I ask you to."

Ringer has no delusions about how little influence she has with him. Less than with Faolan, who it turns out she has almost no sway over. She might make a good adviser to someone who would listen, but men preferred measuring contests to chess. She understands that. All she asks is for some honesty, to properly gauge the right course of action for herself.

James sighs.

"Then don't suggest something so naive, Ringer."

He doesn't want to start a fight between them over this, but he didn't think she would ask him if he'd hand a territory over to the fae after taking one from them.

"I'm not looking to rule the world, as funny as it is. And I'm not looking to make nice with a group of people who use us as a food source. Vampire or Fae.

Better?"

He tries to make sure it's as genuine a question as possible - mostly because he doesn't want to actually patronize her but it's almost a state of being sometimes.

"Yes," she answers his vaguely rhetorical question, interpreting it as genuine instead of insulting, regardless of how he actually means it. It's refreshing to hear someone so open about their intentions and she appreciates that sincerity, and now understands something about the relationship between the Fae and the werewolves that she didn't before.

"You won't support the Fae or the vampires then?" She asks evenly, to clarify his position. "Or will you support whoever you need to to ensure you get what you want?"

"I'll do what I have to for the pack. What I want isn't going to matter if I become Alpha. Officially."

Which was where he wanted to be. Officially.

"What about you? What do you want?"

It's not accusatory, more...wondering. James has been talking so much he's never really gotten to ask Ringer where she personally stood. He's hoping she'll be candid and not hedge around what she means. He's starting to find that a relationship based out of honesty - not matter how bleak- was better than one based on lies.

He can be taught, ladies and gentlemen.

"How do you become the Alpha? Officially." She knows a decent amount about the supernatural community, but it's more in the vein of strengths and weaknesses and less about the hierarchy and how to achieve power among them. It's never been relevant to her as a human.

And Ringer, as a human, has rarely been relevant to them. Which is why it surprises her a little when James asks about her own desires. Since he's being honest, or seems to be, she'll grant him the same courtesy. "I want to find out why I have these abilities and how to control them. In general, I want humans to be minimized as collateral damage. They don't deserve being the victims of the supernatural community."

A beat. "I want to follow a leader who supports that and who I can trust to keep me alive. That's what I want."

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#makedonalddrumpfagain

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