undergrounds | [OPEN: PLOT] KIDNAPPED BY VAMPIRES?!

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[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.

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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!!))

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The message comes as something of a surprise. While Sirius does have a phone, it doesn't get a whole lot of use and he's still getting used to the whole texting thing. It's a brand new world of technology that he's catching up on. The content, however, is simple enough to understand, and Sirius does like to brag that he's got a decent nose.

"Everything alright?" he asks, coming into the office without knocking, and immediately aware of how high the tension in the room is. Especially since there's just one person.

Faolan glances up at Sirius as the other man lets himself into the office. He doesn't even bother to lie, doesn't even bother with the niceties. If Sirius is here to help, then he needs him.

"A friend of mine has gone missing," Faolan says, trying to keep himself as calm and controlled about the matter as he can. It isn't working very well. "I think something has happened to him. Someone, perhaps." Could this be because of him? Could this be anything to do with Aine? No, that's ancient news, and he shouldn't let himself think that too far ahead.

"I need help tracking him down. He's only been missing since last night..." He should still have the time, right? He can't let himself think about the possibility that he's already too late. He won't.

Given the urgency of the text message and the fact that Faolan seems rather wound up, Sirius resists calling the matter into question. If he's only been missing since last night, were they absolutely sure? Still, it wasn't his place to question right now, but rather offer his help.

"If it's only been since last night, it shouldn't be an issue. There's probably still something of a scent about. I can do what I can to track him down."

He taps his nose knowingly.

"As long as you've got something of his. That isn't another head."

Faolan sobers slightly at the mention of the head.

"No, nothing like that," he says. "But I have keys to his flat. There should be more than enough there to be able to get the scent of him." Keys that he had all but stolen from Lancelot's neighbor, but that was no matter. Once Lancelot was home again, he was sure that the other man would think of something to explain it away.

"It isn't like him to just disappear like this," he elaborates. "He left the lights on, he left his music playing, he left his dog." He says it like that means something, and in truth it does. Lancelot would get a sitter if he were staying out late, never mind overnight. And he still hadn't answered any calls or texts.

"Good." The head incident had left a less than pleasant impression on him, and it wasn't an experience he really wanted to repeat.

"That does seem rather suspicious. But are you suggesting that we break into his apartment?"

Not that Sirius really objected, since they did have the keys. And if the dog was still there, he might be able to try communicating with it.

Faolan shrugs slightly. "I do have a key," he says, as if that gives him an excuse. A key that he had liberated from the neighbor, but that is neither here nor there. Faolan lets out a breath, shaking his head for a moment before sitting back.

"Look, if it will help us figure out where he's gone -- what's happened to him -- I don't really see that there's any problem with it. Someone's going to need to look after Lily, regardless." He can't leave her alone for too long. Maybe he should take her with them, even. It would at least give her something to do.

"We could claim to be housesitters, if anyone asks. I don't have a problem either way, honestly. I assume Lily's the dog?"

He smiles, mostly to himself, having known a Lily once upon a time.

"When do we leave?"

Faolan blinks at the other man, stunned at how easily it had been to get the other man's acceptance into his little scheme, before he nods. "I... Have sat house for him before," he elaborates. "It wouldn't be all that much of a lie. Someone's got to stay to look after Lily as it is."

He falters slightly before explaining, "Who. Is his dog, yeah. Sorry. I forget who they've met and who they haven't. Lily's generally the star of the show if you know anything about him at all. But you see, my friend..." He takes in a breath, letting it out slowly before continuing. "His name is Lancelot, and he's the Head Guardian of the Night Council. And I understand how much of a risk that might be for you. But if you're still up for it -- we could leave whenever you're ready."

Sirius nods. He's met Lancelot a few times on occasion, but those were a few new bits of information for him, the guardian bit especially. However, Faolan was one as well and they'd at least come to an understanding. It was a risk, but then, Sirius typically liked risks. And he'd already offered to help.

"Well, hopefully he can turn a blind eye given the situation. I'm not going to turn back now."

Faolan offers the other man an appreciative smile. He won't mention to Lancelot (if they find him -- when they do) that Sirius is a wanted man. He can only imagine what the other man's sense of morality would do about that, and besides. They will have enough on their hands getting him out of trouble to worry about the rest of it, he's sure.

"Thank you," he replies, really meaning it -- he can't do this tracking on his own, and he knows that. Then he rises to fetch his coat. "He lives in Richmond," he says. "It's not too far, though. It won't take that long to get there if we leave now. I'd imagine the sooner we find some trace of him, the better our chances will be to follow it, yeah?"

"The sooner the better yeah, but if he only went missing last night there should still be a trail to follow."

As long as he had a scent, Sirius felt confident that he'd be able to follow it.

"Out of curiosity, do we know where he was last seen?"

Faolan shakes his head slightly as he moves towards the door.

"I don't know, no," he says. "I would assume his flat, though. I mean, with all the lights and even the sound system left on the way it was, I would think wherever he went, he'd only intended for it to be a brief trip..." He can just about picture it even, and for once is glad that the other man hadn't had his dog with him for such a venture, like he might have done any other given time. Lancelot would no doubt never forgive himself if anything had happened to her.

"Sounds like he was taken, if that was case." It's said as a murmur, mostly Sirius thinking aloud. "But I guess we'll see when we get there. Hopefully there will be another clue or two lying around."

It was almost like a mystery.

It's rather like a mystery indeed, although it's not one that Faolan's all that excited about the prospect of. He's got too much riding on the outcome of this -- Lancelot is too important to him to be hanging in the balance of the unknown as he is. He just wants to know what's happened, what's wrong. For that's the only thing he knows for a fact -- something is dreadfully wrong here.

"Hopefully," Faolan echoes, and he turns to lead the other man out the door.

He makes the trip to Lancelot's house with Sirius in relative silence. He can't handle dealing with the public just now and so he doesn't, for the most part. It's only when they're making their way up towards Lancelot's front door that he turns to address the other man directly again. "This is it," he says, and moves to dig in his jacket for the spare key. "Keep an eye out for Lily, when we get in. She'll probably be nervous, but she's harmless." No matter what Lancelot might have insisted about her otherwise.

"Alright. She's not going to bolt for the door, is she?"

Not that Sirius is too worried about catching her. Worst comes to worst, he can try talking to her. Although, he's not sure if he's mentioned his being a shapeshifter to Faolan before. First time for everything, he supposes.

Faolan shakes his head as he turns the key in the lock and pushes the door open. "She's more likely to bolt from the door than for it," he responds, because as far as he's aware, it's true.

He glances around the flat, looking for Lily and to see if Lancelot has magically reappeared somewhere in the night -- thought he knows that's far from likely to have happened. "Here we are," he says, letting the other man inside and closing the door behind them.

It's a nice little flat, well if sparsely furnished. Faolan has spent many a night on the futon in the living room, and many an evening being fed at the breakfast nook just beyond. It's odd to be there without Lancelot. Without knowing where Lancelot is for that matter. He casts his eyes around for Lily.

Lily isn't particularly happy about being here when Lancelot still is not.

The white samoyed is hiding in the kitchen, which is the coolest room in the house in the summer heat. She's curled up on her blanket there, although after a few seconds the sound of her claws clacking slightly on the tiles can be heard. She pads forward, head down and hunched a little nervously, and eyes the two of them.

If it were just Faolan she might be more at ease, but Lancelot is missing and now a stranger is here. She isn't very happy about that.

So she stops in the entrance to the kitchen and regards them both with a worried look. Is this good? Should this person be here? She doesn't know. Her tail twitches over back in a slight, short wag to see they might be friends.

"Lily, I assume," he says, looking at the dog with a smile. He crouches down to get on her level and trying to show that he's not that scary. Hopefully she can smell the dog on him. Shifting here would just be kind of awkward and it's not like he has a tail to wag back right now.

"It's okay."

"That's her," Faolan confirms, glancing up at the sound of claws clicking towards them on the kitchen floor and smiles slightly at the tentative tail wag she offers.

"Hey there," he says, stepping forward and offering his own hand to sniff before ruffling fingers through her fur, encouraging her to feel relaxed, even though he knows that Lancelot is still missing and that must be worrying, and bringing an unknown man into her house probably isn't helping her self-confidence. Maybe she can help, in some way. He wonders whether Sirius has some sort of connection with her, considering he can shift into a dog and all.

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!

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.

Faolan gives her a good scratch while she steps forward towards Sirius, hoping that it will encourage her to feel more comfortable about the scenario of a strange man in her house and Lancelot still nowhere to be seen. "That's it, good girl," he reassures her, ruffling her fur as he does. "This is Sirius, he's going to help us find Lancelot."

He's not certain he really needs to be explaining this to her. He's not sure that she will really understand what he's saying but he feels compelled for some reason to explain regardless. Perhaps because he knows that's what Lancelot would be doing.

Lancelot? Her ears perk toward Faolan at the sound of that name, and she wags her tail a little faster. Will he be coming back soon? Will they go to see him? She looks between the two of them, circling to examine Faolan then turning to step closer to Sirius and invade his personal space. Hello! Hello, Sirius! Where is Lancelot? Where is he? Will you show her? She wants to know!

Sirius jumps a little at the fact that he suddenly has a new friend wanting to say hello but recovers quickly and offers up a few pats.

"We're going to find him. Think you can help us?"

Faolan tries to do his best at wrangling Lily out of Sirius' face but he's not used to having to do this himself, and while he has seen Lancelot do so countless times, he isn't certain how he does it. Perhaps an inherent command that she has come to understand from only the man himself.

He glances to Sirius before back at Lily herself. "I suppose it couldn't hurt," he says, after a moment. "What do you think?" he asks her, still not certain whether she would be able to understand him or not, but making the effort despite himself. "Do you think you can help us find Lancelot?" He tries to emphasize the last two words. If anything, surely her doggy brain can understand that much?

[OPEN: PLOT] KIDNAPPED BY VAMPIRES?!

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