undergrounds | Night's Pardon (25th September)

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Night's Pardon (25th September)

Once in a while, the Night Council review their list of wanted criminals and convicts and decide, whether for political reasons or to save on paperwork, that this list could do with trimming. That time has come around again, and it just happens to coincide with the purge of ex-Circle Midnight witches from the city. Those who suspect no mere coincidence would be right: this was Sylvia's idea. She's aware that there are a minority of witches who sympathise with the plight of Circle Midnight even after they pledged their allegiance to the Islington Nest. And because it is important for leaders to show mercy as well as strength, this is her show of mercy. Even if no Midnight witches are acquitted, she can still say that the offer was made.

And so here it is: the Chamber of Justice, a large circular courtroom in the Night Council headquarters. It looks much like any regular courtroom except that the five Night Council members sit in place of a judge, and there is no jury, only a select audience to watch the pardons being granted. There is no guarantee that any plea will be accepted, only that it will be heard. One by one, the condemned party and their sponsor are invited to come to the stand in order to make their case.

"Step forward." Sylvia waits for both parties to stand before addressing the sponsor. "Please make your statement on behalf of the condemned."

The sponsor is allowed to make an opening statement outlining their case, which must last no longer than five minutes. After that, the Night Council may question either the sponsor or the condemned until they are satisfied that they can reach a decision. The verdict must be unanimous in order for the pardon to be granted.

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That... That was interesting. Nancy looks at Lance with new, sympathetic eyes. she hadn't known that about him, but it seemed to explain so much. And to use that information to help her... She gives him a soft nod in thanks.

"I was- a man named Fagin raised me. My mother- she'd made a deal with him, and that was me." Traditional giving of the first born, they surely knew how it happened. Since then, all she had had of her mother was her wand. "I would not return to Fagin if my life depended on it." She could have gone to him, she was well aware. the only Fae she regularly interacted with was Eames. "He used me for his own gains." They could take it however they wanted, she didn't wish to elaborate.

"He was the reason I was hospitalized earlier this year." She had said she'd tripped on icy stairs, when pressed for information at Abby's initiation. Even Norrell had wanted to know why she was covered in bruises. "I have no allegiance to him."

Lancelot, ever the white knight. He's valiantly defending his charge which is of course his job here, and Nancy makes it clear that her past with Fagin is behind her. That reassures most of the Night Council. Nora nods, understanding.

Peter however has found the report he's looking for and he's less than satisfied with Nancy's story. He clears his throat. "Let's establish the facts. You were a member of Abigail Widdowson's Shadow Coven, which was active since at least July last year. In January this year you were caught in possession of the following items: three grams of Black Cake, two grams of Voxo, one ounce of Canway, a wand that had performed dark magic, one slave ring, and four dark spellbooks, including one detailing the summoning and banishment of fae. You say that you were hospitalised by your fae master earlier this year, so you were under his influence at least until then. How did you escape?"

Peter likes facts and his reading of the list of forbidden items found in Nancy's possession draws murmurs from the crowd. The Council will delve into her murky past before they ask her about her future.

The list of items found had Nancy turning her face away from them, shame coloring her cheeks.

"The drugs were Fagin's," she admits. "I won't deny that. The books were just that- books. I have no use for summoning fae, and would never attempt it. I cautioned a friend against the very same." Kenzi hadn't listened, of course. "The wand was all I had left of my mother and the ring was the same I wore for most of my childhood." She swallows, glancing at Lance, hoping they saw this as facts and not excuses.

When Peter calls Fagin her master, her expression darkens. "He is not my master- nor will he ever be." There's a new fire in her voice and she looks at Peter, imploring him to listen to her. "I told him I no longer wanted to be under his false protection. He was furious and took it out on me. Not for the first time, but I hope it will have been the last." She swallows thickly.

Her ire is convincing, even to Peter. It's Dee now who leans forward, brows knitted in worry.

"Lancelot, it sounds as though Nancy may still be at risk from this Fagin. Do you think you will be able to protect her?"

Whatever the concerns the others may have about her background, Dee is most concerned for her welfare. Her story has been a tragic one so far – it's no wonder that she has ended up in the situation she has.

Lancelot has been watching Nancy while she speaks, but he looks up at the sound of Dee's voice. Nods once.

"I became a guardian so I could protect people, both from others and from themselves. Nancy is no exception. If the Night Council can find it in their heart to forgive her I will my best to make sure she stays safe."

Dee nods, offering a small smile to Lance. It seems the issue of Fagin has been dealt with to the Council's satisfaction. There are other issues, however.

Sylvia has been quiet throughout so far, the impassive observer. She too nods at Lancelot, the others falling silent. Now it's her turn to speak.

"Thank you." She turns her eyes to the nervous girl before them. "Nancy. What do you do for a living?"

She knew this would come up. She lowers her head, the very picture of an innocent girl.

"I'm a sex worker," she explains, pressing her lips together. She isn't proud of it, here in front of all these people, and she lets the deep shame she's always felt color her words. But Sylvia doesn't know all the details. She can use that. "And I have been since I was thirteen."

This revelation creates another ripple in the crowd, hushed murmurs and surprised looks being directed at the girl pleading for a second chance. If Peter looked disapproving before, his frown is even more disapproving now, lips pursing so much they practically disappear. Meanwhile, Dee remains sympathetic, Yasmine remains unmoved (just how much trauma is this girl going to pile on them before they're done?) and Nora is wearing the conflicted expression of a Catholic who loves the sinner and hates the sin.

"And where do you conduct your work?" Sylvia asks. "If you are pardoned, would you continue to make your living in the same way?"

Nancy wants to laugh, feeling the pressure mount from all sides, squeezing her. She takes a moment to breathe, feeling her breath tight in her chest. Where did she work? Earlier this month there were a thousand answers. But now, when her home had been taken from her by these very people...

"I practice where I can. I no longer have a flat or any place where I feel safe enough to work." So, darkened alleyways, mostly. "And as for if I would continue.." she looks at Lance for support before continuing.

"Selling myself is all I know how to do. I am not educated, I am not wealthy, or even very smart. If this pardon means I can finally shake all chains of Fagin and his influence on my life, then no, I won't return to the streets where I've made my home." She blinks back a few tears. "Though it is all I know. I do not know what it is I'll do, but I hope I have the chance to find out."

Dee once again looks concerned, glancing at Sylvia before she interjects. "Are you homeless, Nancy?"

Again, she's concerned for the girl's welfare, and her sentiment is echoed in the expressions of the rest of the Night Council, to varying degrees.

Thank goodness for Dee. Nancy shakes her head. "I've been staying with friends." She didn't own any sort of flat herself, so she was, for all intents and purposes. For now, she lived with Cooper. He could offer her the protection that his rank in Islington provided him.

Sylvia frowns, pressing her. "But your living situation is not stable? Have you considered approaching a coven for help?"

The logical answer to Nancy's predicament is to join a Daybreak coven. Circle Daybreak could support her. Both Nora and Dee nod at Sylvia's question, wanting to know the same thing. What has prevented her from seeking help?

She shakes her head. "No, it's not." If Cooper wanted her to leave she was gone.

As for approaching a coven... "I was afraid. I didn't believe I would be welcome." You could hardly blame her- she was being interrogated by five people right now, after all. She was still afraid, her life as she knew it hinges on this trial.

Under the circumstances, that is understandable to them all. Yasmine scoffs a little under her breath, but her derision is aimed at the Night Council witches. She despises hypocrisy. As for Sylvia, she frowns again and looks at Lancelot.

"Everything we've heard indicates that this young woman is particularly vulnerable. I'm sure I speak for my fellow witches when I say that I am deeply sorry that she has felt unable to seek help from other covens." (Yasmine practically rolls her eyes out of her head at this point but fortunately no one else on the Night Council sees her.) "I am concerned that she is lacking a support network. How do you plan to ensure that she does not fall prey to bad influences in the future, when she has no one else to help set her on the right path?"

Edited 2016-10-01 20:15 (UTC)

Lancelot reaches out a hand to Nancy, lets his fingers hook through hers and squeeze reassuringly.

"Nancy is her own person. It is up to her if she accepts what we offer, but I will take responsibility if she falls foul of the law again. I will make sure she is aware of everything there is to help her. I would like to think the fact that we have come here at all is proof we are willing to try. You know I am a community officer too, ma'am, it is my job to take care of vulnerable people. To safeguard communities. If the Night Council has particular suggestions I am willing to listen."

"She is a witch," Sylvia replies. "She will do better with a coven to support her, one that will not tempt her into falling back on old ways."

Beside her, Dee is frowning. "Lancelot, I have to ask... You're a community officer, you're Chief Guardian, you have so much on your hands already. How much time are you planning to spend supporting Nancy?"

The issue cuts two ways. There's the question of whether Nancy deserves a pardon and how likely she is to re-offend. But there's also the question of whether her sponsor is capable of taking responsibility for her.

He lifts his eyes from Nancy to the Night Council again, and although he keeps his expression placid and even he can feel himself twisting in irritation inside. Lancelot has practice staying calm in the face of provocation, though, and he can play as sweetly innocent as the Nancy herself -- perhaps more easily so, since he's less under suspicion most of the time.

"Does the Night Council require a witch to be a part of a coven before they will support her?" He knows they don't. "I will spend however much time she requires," he continues before anyone can argue, "because I have chosen to bring her here. Work for the Night Council will always be my priority, if that is your concern. This is a choice I have made, and I understand it should not overtake anything else. It will not."

Edited (English) 2016-10-01 21:15 (UTC)

Sylvia frowns at that, glancing at the other members of the Night Council. He asked for suggestions and yet he's very defensive about the one she offered him, suspiciously so in her opinion. She's not the only one who raises her eyebrows either.

"Of course we don't require a witch to be part of a coven." They all know that. "That was my recommendation, which you asked for. A witch who practises alone is a greater risk than a witch who practises within a coven that can not only support her, but also keep an eye on her and ensure that her magic does not go astray. Without that the only eyes on her will be yours. Dee asked a legitimate question. I have another question, for both of you. Is there anything else that you haven't told us, that you believe to be pertinent to this case? Any other risks? Worries, hopes?"

Sylvia's eyes fall on Lancelot and Nancy in turn, her gaze piercing. This is their last chance to be honest with the Night Council, to help them understand the facts of the case. A chance to convince them: Dee, who by now seems perpetually worried; Nora with a similar air of concerned parent; hard-faced Peter; and Yasmine who has finally taken an interest, her eyes glinting at the apparent tension between Sylvia and Lancelot. She's intrigued more by that than by Nancy's sob story.

Lancelot takes lets out a breath and tries again, trying to press down on irritation.

"I understand the suggestion," he says finally, and glances sideways at Nancy with a slightly apologetic wince to her. "Forgive me it seemed otherwise. I would only worry that pressing her into a Daybreak coven so soon after... After her last coven's demise would cause stress on both sides. Most of Daybreak has no love for Midnight, and Nancy has been living in fear of approaching them. She needs time to find herself, surely, before she integrates with a new coven."

That's all he has left to say on that matter, and he looks back to Nancy again. The floor's hers now, if she has anything left to add.

Was there anything to add? she looked at Lance, squeezing his hand tightly, as she had been since she offered his to her. Her knuckles were white. The subtext didn't go unnoticed and for that she had Lance to thank. She had never been with a coven before Midnight and had no plans to join another. But she didn't say so.

Instead, she looked at the members of the Night Council. "that's all- thank you. For listening to me." She looked at Lance, no longer trying to blink back tears but instead letting them gather in the corner of her eyes. "And thank you, Lance. For believing in me." No matter what happened, she knew she could trust him.

Sylvia looks between them, allowing the silence to stretch for a second or two longer in case either of them suddenly remember something they want to say. With no further comments, she rises, and so do the rest of the Night Council.

"Thank you, Lancelot and Nancy. You may return to your seats. The Council will now retreat to discuss your case. We will resume shortly."

This is how every case plays out: the five Representatives disappear into a back room where they can discuss what they have learned in private and come to a decision. In the meantime, the audience in the courtroom disperse for a break. Sometimes the discussions take only a few minutes, sometimes half an hour or more.

In this case, the decision is a relatively speedy one. After eighteen minutes the Representatives return to take their seats and Sylvia calls for Lancelot and Nancy to stand.

"Thank you for your patience," she says, addressing the entire courtroom. "We have now reached a verdict."

The wait is agonising, and Lancelot feels his stomach turning a little with every minute that passes. He keeps hold of Nancy's hands, as if pressing comfort into her directly, and when the door opens and everyone comes back he can't decide if he feels fear or relief that at least they'll now find out for sure either way.

This is it, do or die.

He lets go of one of her hands because leads her by the other, trying for his best encouraging smile even though she probably feels far sicker than he does.

The entire time they're gone, Nancy can't stop shaking. She holds on to Lance's hand like its a lifeline. She doesn't speak, unable to trust herself to say anything further. She just sits, trying very hard to breathe. By the time the Council returns, Nancy is sure they've already decided to banish her.

Nancy lets Lance lead her, unable to properly work her own limbs. She's on the verge of nausea, pale under her few visible freckles.

Still she stands when addressed. She's sure she's exiled. At the very least.

Edited 2016-10-01 22:57 (UTC)

The room is utterly silent. There's a familiar tension in the air, every single person waiting for the moment of truth. Sylvia pauses, waiting for Lancelot and Nancy to take their places. The faces of the Representatives are either stern or neutral, none of them giving much away.

"The Night Council has heard the plea of Nancy Fagin," Sylvia begins, "and her would-be sponsor Lancelot du Lac. Nancy has been condemned as a practitioner of dark magic and she has previously been caught in possession of dark magic objects. However, today we have learned more about the circumstances of her upbringing that led her astray and we understand that she has a sincere desire to choose a better path. With Lancelot's guidance, we believe this will be possible. We therefore pardon Nancy Fagin of all her crimes and offer her a fresh start, free of prejudice."

The announcement seems to ring in the air, Sylvia pausing to let it sink in as the audience breaks into applause. Nancy's pardon has been granted. She's free.

He gets as far as the word pardon before Lancelot lets out a breath he wasn't aware he'd been holding, turns and tugs Nancy aggressively into his arms.

They've done it.

Lancelot was so sure they would, before it all started, but the nerves had gnawed at him. Doubt had creeped in.

"Thank you," he manages, although it's a little weak as the tension drains out of him.

She's screaming in delight before her name has been said. With the biggest of smiles, she throws herself at Lance, wrapping her arms around his neck. She jumps in her excitement, feet leaving the ground. She is crying openly now, though the tears' are no longer of fear.

"Thank you!" She says, at the Nigh Council, and then leans in to give Lance a kiss on his cheek. "thank you!" She lets go of him, grinning, laughing. God, she needed a drink.

Sylvia smiles at their joy. Let them have their moment. After they've had a few seconds to celebrate and catch their breath, she speaks up once more. Being pardoned is a relief, yes, but it's also a responsibility and she must remind them of that.

"Thank you." The audience quietens down once more. "To Nancy's sponsor, Lancelot du Lac, we have two recommendations. One, to investigate the case of the fae known as Fagin and to ensure that he causes no further harm to Nancy or anyone else. Two, to support Nancy until she feels ready to join an appropriate coven. On a personal note, as Mother of Witches, I encourage every coven to welcome witches like Nancy who are sincere about wanting to start over and live by the laws of our community. No witch should be forced to walk the streets. By granting this pardon, we show that we are willing to forgive and support those of us that are most in need. Our most sincere thanks to Lancelot for bringing this case to our attention."

There's a short pause, as Sylvia takes a breath and allows her gaze to sweep one more time around the room.

"Finally, we are obliged to remind Lancelot of his responsibilities going forward. Given his position, we feel that it is particularly important to stress that should Nancy fall foul of our laws again, he will be held accountable. We cannot turn a blind eye due to his position, nor be less than scrupulous in our application of the law. We trust that all parties involved understand this and wish them the best of luck." She clears her throat. "Thank you. This session is now concluded."

Sylvia steps back, returning to her seat. There's a smattering of applause from the audience and a very short pause before the Vice President Peter Vrinak rises to announce the next sponsor and condemned who are to come forward. They still have several more cases to get through. It's going to be a long day.

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Night's Pardon (25th September)

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