reticence: (modern troubled)
Faolan ([personal profile] reticence) wrote in [community profile] undergrounds2016-08-14 09:03 pm

[OPEN: PLOT] KIDNAPPED BY VAMPIRES?!

There aren’t many narrow, dark alleyways in Richmond -- but there are some.

Lancelot only needs to walk down one to get in trouble.

He’s cutting through between houses on his way back from Tesco. He hadn’t meant to be long, just needed some fresh milk and a loaf of bread for next week, so he’s only dressed in a light t-shirt and some cut-offs. The air is still warm even this late, and he’s distracted -- half tapping his phone awake every so often wondering if he should say something. Faolan doesn’t normally stand him up, but it has been difficult lately. Then again what if something happened? Should he check? He doesn’t want to be clingy, after all…

His senses prickle, telling him something is happening, and he barely gets enough time to turn around before something is being swung at him. There’s a soft clack as his phone hits the ground and skitters away into someone’s front garden, and bread and milk get dumped unceremoniously into someone’s bin before the vampires vanish away.

All the lights are on in his flat, music still softly cycling through his library, but anyone who hops the fence into his back garden will realise Lily is pacing the kitchen all alone.

*************************************


Faolan is a man dedicated to his job, dedicated to his cause, and dedicated to finding an answer when a challenge presents itself to him. Which is why, when confronted with the issue of what to do about Raymond, he finds himself struggling with the dilemma. Of course the vampire is a maniac, a danger to the public, but he is also currently faction leader for Islington, which means that by proxy, he is creating a danger through his vampires as well.

It gives him a lot to think about, which is exactly what he's doing, going over various reports of vampire activity from the past month, taking note of the steady incline of injury or homicide at the hands of the Islington vampires, and correlating it with the changes in policy that the vampires have enacted since then. He's not sure exactly what he's looking for, but he knows he'll find it if he just looks hard enough. And in fact, he's looking so hard that he works straight through the time that he'd arranged to meet up with Lancelot, and a good hour beyond that point before he realizes what he's done and leaps to his feet to track down his mobile with a curse.

Lancelot's mobile rings out with no response and Faolan curses again before shooting him a quick text to apologize for himself. And then another to ask if he'd rather reschedule. While Faolan waits for a response he checks the time and clears up his desk for the night. Putting away the reports and locking them up in the bottom drawer of his desk. Grabbing his phone and impatiently waiting for a response as he slips on his jacket and jogs downstairs to the main floor.

Ten minutes pass and he tries calling again. The phone rings out. Faolan wonders whether Lancelot had just gone to bed at this point, but it's early yet. Maybe he's left it on vibrate? He calls a few more times in succession, all of them ringing out to voicemail. He leaves one, as he heads out to the train station, deciding he might as well head to Lancelot's flat to apologize for himself, if nothing else. Sending another text, asking him if he's alright with that. Waiting for a response as he makes the trip that never comes.

By the time Faolan's made it to Lancelot's neighborhood, he's made his way through feeling guilty, then angry at himself, then angry at Lancelot for reacting this way, then working his way increasingly through a state of concern. He's pulled far more stupid stunts than missing a planned get-together with Lancelot, and the other man had never purposely stopped talking to him then. He tries to reason out what might have happened, maybe he had a headache, maybe he'd gone to bed, but the fact is that until Faolan knows for certain he can't help but feel an increasing amount of dread building up within him.

A feeling that does nothing to dissipate as Faolan reaches the other man's flat to find the lights on, the doors locked, music quietly seeping through from the stereo, and no response to the door. Not even when he rings the bell several times. The fact that he can hear Lily pacing inside concerns him even more, to the point where he decides to pop over to Lancelot's neighbor's to beg the key off of her (on the pretense that he'd lost the one he'd been given, which earned him a wary once-over but he'd been over enough to be recognizable at this point, for better or worse).

It doesn't take long for Faolan to determine that he isn't home. Nor does it take him long to determine that there's more at play than the other man being angry at him at this point. Whatever Lancelot might be feeling about Faolan after he'd skipped out on him that night, Lancelot would never leave Lily alone like this.

After three hours, sitting in the other man's flat with his dog, calling his mobile with no response, Faolan knows without a doubt that something is wrong. That Lancelot is missing. And come hell or high water, he will find him, he will find who did this, and he will make them pay.

((ooc: there are three threads below -- feel free to tag into one or more as you like! planning for this plot began here, but if you hadn't tagged into that please don't let that stop you from participating in this plot! LET'S RESCUE LANCELOT YOU GUYS!!))
knightscode: Kicked puppyeyes (♠39)

[personal profile] knightscode 2016-08-28 02:08 pm (UTC)(link)
She sniffs at Faolan curiously, moves closer to him as fingers ruffle her fur until she's nearly on top of him and peers at Sirius from her safety point. Faolan will protect her if this is dangerous, of course he will. Lifting her head she bumps her snout against his face before looking over at Sirius again -- leaning toward him a little curiously without actually physically moving closer. He smells like dog, but there is no dog! Why is this? Where is the other dog? It is a mystery to her! One of her front paws shifts a half-step closer as she stretches out and she wags her tail a little curiously.

It might be hitting Faolan with how close she's pressed against him, but he is a friend so he will not mind!
dirtyredneck: (Angry (10))

[personal profile] dirtyredneck 2016-08-28 04:18 pm (UTC)(link)
Daryl cursed under his breath for what felt like the hundredth time that hour. He couldn't hold his crossbow and help move the cupboard. He wasn't as strong as a human as he was a cat, but he could still do a partial shift and get his claws dug in for the pulling.

So with great reluctance, he shoved his bow into Sirius' chest, "You see anyone comin' that shouldn't you, you shoot 'em. Aim for the heart, not the arm."

It would probably be easier if Sirius tried helping with the moving and Daryl watched their backs, but Daryl wasn't exactly thinking straight at this point. Too focused on Faolan being a complete idiot with his rush-in approach to do more than than try to cover his ass.
dirtyredneck: (Neutral (13))

[personal profile] dirtyredneck 2016-08-28 08:18 pm (UTC)(link)
Daryl licked his lips in uncertain hesitation before he nodded at the guy and went along with it, "yeah. He is. Big 'old mutt." One of his hands landed on top of Sirius' head and gave his ears a good scritching like he was the friendliest dog around, hoping the guy wouldn't bite his hand off for that.

"Hey, you been here a while?" he asked after a moment, eyes narrowing. "Last day or two?"

The homeless man scratched at his side and nodded, "Yep. This is my bed." Then stretched his arm out to invite Sirius over with a quiet, "here boy."

Daryl's hand on Sirius' head stopped moving and he gulped. He's so sorry for trying the friendly dog route, Sirius.
constantprisoner: (skeptical)

[personal profile] constantprisoner 2016-08-29 02:19 am (UTC)(link)
"Got it," Sirius replied, doing his best to look as if he knew what he was doing. Hopefully, he wouldn't have to put that to the test, between the the light streaming in from the open windows acting as a deterrent, and the rest of the vampires not wanting to engage them. Still he holds the crossbow threateningly, his back to Faolan and Daryl.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," he says to one vampire who was looking at them curiously.
constantprisoner: (dog form)

[personal profile] constantprisoner 2016-08-29 02:28 am (UTC)(link)
Sirius lets out something of a sigh, more resigned than anything. Given the circumstances, it's not his favourite route but he can play along. And he may or may not mind having his ears scratched. At least in this form. He walks over to the homeless man slowly, trying to sniff without smelling too much.

Hopefully this wouldn't take too long.
constantprisoner: (padfoot)

[personal profile] constantprisoner 2016-08-29 02:35 am (UTC)(link)
Sirius offers out a hand to let her smell it.

"I'm a friend, we're here to help," he adds to his previous statement, hoping he can tap into some of his natural influence over dogs.
anniesgonemad: (tight lipped)

[personal profile] anniesgonemad 2016-08-29 04:17 am (UTC)(link)
"Of course," she tells him, before leaving the room.

It doesn't take her too long to round up her purse, and a few other items she's wondering if they may come in handy. She's in the foyer by the time Faolan arrives, still wearing her light cardigan despite the August heat. Hopefully Lance had air-conditioning.

"Alright- the, ah, the cab's here. I just got the text." She holds up her phone so Faolan can see, before she gestures for him to follow her outside.

Annie doesn't talk until they're both secure inside the cab. "Alright, where're we going?"
knightscode: This is my dramatic pose (♠48)

[personal profile] knightscode 2016-08-29 11:28 am (UTC)(link)
They're coming, Lancelot thinks, they're coming and he better be ready.

He catches sight of movement on the stairs and grits his teeth, lifts his eyes to try and see the hook above him and squirms harder. Come on, come on. He flails out his feet as he senses someone moving close, hoping to kick them away and buy himself more time. Lancelot isn't beaten yet, he still has a chance. He can still do something about this if he just tries a little harder.
knightscode: Kicked puppyeyes (♠39)

[personal profile] knightscode 2016-08-30 12:50 am (UTC)(link)
How is he doing?

The look Lancelot shoots up at Faolan is slightly incredulous. He feels cold, tired and in pain, his hands are numb and he's once again wearing a leather jacket too small for him over his shoulders.

He think it should be reasonably obvious he's not doing well.

"Fine," is what he says. He's sitting hunched over on a low wall bordering someone's front garden from the pavement, quaking just enough for it to be noticeable. Lancelot doesn't really want to talk about it, not least because he really wants to be home and, also, to not be in pain. It's hard to focus.
knightscode: Too noble for this shit (♠56)

[personal profile] knightscode 2016-08-30 02:58 pm (UTC)(link)
Lancelot shakes his head a little at that, eyes flicking up to Faolan then out to the road.

"No, I don't--" Well. Painkillers, actually, would be nice. He pauses, debates this, hesitates as his eyes lift up and around to Faolan again. "Forgive me -- mostly I think I want some painkillers so I can sleep. Something to take the edge off."

Sleep, he thinks, will go a long way to making him feel better. Sleep and some food, actually.
knightscode: Kicked puppyeyes (♠39)

[personal profile] knightscode 2016-08-30 10:57 pm (UTC)(link)
"I will be fine," Lancelot assures him again, "if you have something you don't mind sharing I would be grateful."

He doesn't really want to go through the song and dance of trying to explain vampire bites to a nurse, especially not with Faolan there. He's both protective and easily flustered if someone assumed wrong -- a combination Lancelot can only imagine making the experience tiring.

"I will keep an eye on my injuries, I promise, but it's nothing worth taking up time in A&E."

People with 'real injuries', so far as Lancelot sees it, should be the ones there.
knightscode: This is terrible and I feel terrible (♠53)

[personal profile] knightscode 2016-08-31 08:17 pm (UTC)(link)
He isn't entirely sure he wants to stay in the taxi, but Lancelot gives a faint nod -- eyes darting out around the road warily watching for when it arrives.

"Thank you," he says instead, shifting to press a little against Faolan's side. "For all of this."

For getting him out, offering to take him home, offering painkillers, for worrying. All of it. Faolan is a good friend to him, and Lancelot isn't sure how he will ever make all this up to the man.
knightscode: This is my dramatic pose (♠48)

[personal profile] knightscode 2016-09-01 12:30 am (UTC)(link)
"Don't," Lancelot interrupts softly. "you can't know if it would have made a difference. They might just have picked a different day if you'd been with me."

Which might have been worse, if Faolan had no reason to be contacting him so frantically. It might have take longer for them to notice, then longer to find and get to him. Lancelot isn't sure what would have happened if he'd been there longer, but he doubts he would have enjoyed it.
knightscode: Kicked puppyeyes (♠39)

[personal profile] knightscode 2016-09-02 12:16 am (UTC)(link)
Lancelot takes a deep breath, closes his eyes and turns his face toward Faolan. He can feel the tickle of the man's hair against his face, his arm around him, and it all helps ground him for a moment. Helps remind him that he's safe.

"Thank you," he murmurs again softly, because he isn't entirely sure what else there is to say. He's out of there, he's safe. Faolan has made sure of that.

Small talk is difficult right now. He's too hungry and tired and in pain to fill space effectively. If he isn't careful Lancelot is quite sure he might fall asleep on the other man. That's probably the blood loss, he thinks idly.

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