June 15: Danger In The Streets: Phoebe & Fabian

[Kyra Thatcher]

West End, to Red Lion Square

Their summer wasn't off to its usual let's-drive-around-and-dance start, to say the least.

Phoebe and Eddie were in the middle of something, something big enough to cause Phoebe to flee to their childhood neighborhood. The line was that Edgar wanted to join up with the military and hadn't told her that was his dream until now, but even as she and Pheebs walked down to the demonstration, Kyra tried to keep quiet about what was really happening. Not the line that she was sure she'd be fed from Fabian if he showed up today, but the truth. The Bones' and the Prewetts were f*cking magical. Ed and the twins were wanting to get involved in some war that she desperately needed to know more about, but she couldn't ask Pheebs more about it, not now when she was still reeling from it all.

Kyra was glad to get Phoebe out of the house today. They'd planned on attending the demonstration before anything was going on between her and her boyfriend, and thankfully her partner-in-march was still game. Today's demonstration was different from the anti-war ones they'd snuck downtown to during their teenage years, but Kyra hoped that having her mind on something bigger than her own problems would help Phoebe to put things in perspective. They were marching against a group who was demanding the government cease granting amnesty for "illegal" immigrants - as if human beings fleeing expulsion from other nations could be termed thus. Honestly, Phoebe wouldn't have a chance to even think about Edgar or the secret world of magic today; their march was happening while their opponents were marching, so they'd have to stay alert, keep on their toes. She'd heard the police had already been called so that things would be monitored, but the element of danger that came with demonstrations like this - it should be no surprised people were fired up about the injustice - was palpable the closer they got, as the summer air grew thick not only with humidity but with snippets of raised voices from down the street, where she could see a crowd gathering.

Kyra gave her friend's hand a tug, and the pair drifted under an awning for the shop they'd agreed to meet Fabian at. Her heart went out to the people who passed them, who were speaking rapidly in tongues foreign to her, or holding handmade signs declaring that this was wrong - while she wasn't personally impacted by the potential halting of granting amnesty, she didn't feel right not showing her support for the other side. Citizens needed to show what they felt, what they believed, and the danger they faced today doing this while the other side was? That was nothing compared to the danger that those in jeopardy of citizenship faced, or those who may not be allowed in if the National Front caused the change it wanted...

"I hope the weather holds off," Kyra commented, peeking out from under the awning to send an anxious look at the sky. The past few days had been hot and dry, but the electricity in the air she felt wasn't only from the gathering crowd. She worried the inside of her cheek and ducked back under, checking her watch. "Fabian should be here soon, or we could head out on our own if you'd rather not see him," Kyra suggested benignly. 

(references: on this day, RLS wiki, immigration wiki, immigration info, expulsion wiki, weather)

[Phoebe Bones]

How any human being could consider another human being illegal. These poor people were just trying to live their lives, to escape from a place that demanded that they leave. Besides, England had been invading and taking over countries for years. The least they could do was accept the immigrants with open arms. And to think that those facists were going to march in protest of allowing these people into the country had her so damn angry.

And here you are going to this counter march, something that could be dangerous...

Oh she should have let Edgar still come, but she just wasn’t sure she wanted to see him any more than she already had since they fought. It seemed so silly to still be angry about everything - are you sure you can even be around Fabian? - but this was a big deal. He had lied to her for six years about a significant part of his life. And there was so many little details and questions still stirring in her mind.

Like how can there be such political similarities in two completely different worlds?

Phoebe followed Kyra under the awning, eyes watching the crowd that was walking past. She wanted to do more, she had chosen her profession because of it. And while work would certainly be getting more stressful it would be worth it, to be helping bring some sort of peace to the individuals who were suffering.

“No, it’s fine. Although he probably doesn’t even feel guilty about it,” she answered her best friend, peering out to see if she could see the bloke in question. “Besides, we have our own issues to deal with today.”

[Kyra Thatcher]

Kyra answered her best friend's commentary with a sad but understanding smile, trying to swallow her frustration with the idiotic men in their lives. How Edgar could've kept secret who he really was, it was beyond her. That was something to do with a fling or one-off, where you lied about your name or your age or what you did for work. Lying on such a grand scale to a committed partner, one who had invested in you and saw your future as one and not two - "despicable" didn't come close to describing how she felt about his actions. But as upset as she was on behalf of her friend, and for herself as Fabian hadn't even alluded to this world of his when they'd been together, Kyra couldn't shake her curiosity. Thus, she was hopeful that Fabs would make good on his promise to meet them...and that he'd be convinced to start divulging what he knew. She knew her focus should be on the march, on the plights of the innocents around her, and that she shouldn't be distracted by magic today. But...it's magic. It's real. Maybe if she could come up with one Most Important Question to ask, stop herself from adding on to it...

"Yes, we do," she assented, pulling up her hair into a messy bun to try and alleviate the incoming stifling humidity. It was definitely going to start raining soon, she didn't need a fortune teller to tell her that. Although hers had had some odd things to say the last time they saw each other, something about a balance of knowledge gained and lost... "Do you think your firm will be able to do anything to help, if things go south? Maybe some pro bono work to help people stay?" As they waited for Fabian, who hopefully wouldn't bring a puppy-eyed Edgar with him against Phoebe's wishes, she observed the crowd and tried to nail down what to ask. What would your MIQ even be? Why he never said anything is obvious, Ed couldn't until they were so serious, and we were never close to that. How he can lie to us and live with himself would clam him up, not get anything useful. No, less personal...What danger are we in? What can we do if we're targeted?... It was practical to know that, wasn't it? Terrifying, more like. Because what could someone like her do if faced with an opponent who could use magic? What kind of magic is it, anyway? Elemental, folk, energy, psionic...

[Phoebe Bones]

In the four days since she’d fought with Edgar and left, she’d had more to drink than she’d had in months. Her body was reminding her of it, as she was already sweating in the humidity and she pulled her sunglasses from her bag with hopes they would help ease her headache. She should have brought more than just the one bottle of water, and probably should have eaten something more than just toast as they ate while getting ready. She needed to put her own problems to the side for the day though, and be ready for whatever stunt the National Front was going to try to pull.

“I told John we were coming out here for the March before I left work the other day, he said to call him if we get arrested,” she said with a shake of her head, grateful that her boss would be willing to come and get them. “He is already looking into some cases that some of the other partners brought up, so we will see what we can do.” It was a good firm, but this wasn’t an easy fight. It would mean long hours at the office, which she was more than willing to do. She wasn’t in classes for the summer, which meant she would have the extra time.

She spotted a familiar face, and swallowed before nudging Kyra and pointing at Fabian as he approached, “Want to give him an earful now or later?”

[Fabian Prewett]

Part of pretending to be a muggle meant knowing what the girls were talking about when they brought up a march against the National Front. Phoebe was a good source of information on things, although up until recently she probably hadn’t even realized that it was part of why he would come over to talk to her about things. It was obvious he wasn’t going to get any more compliments about being so interested in politics, now not that she knew the truth about things. Fabian wasn’t even sure how she would react to seeing him today, given everything that had been going on.

But he wasn’t about to let them go by themselves, and he’d given Edgar his word that he would keep an eye out on Phoebe, keep her safe. The awning he had agreed to meet the girls at was in site, and get did his best to catch their eyes as he approached from down the street. But he felt an odd feeling as they both looked his way, an uneasiness that made him wonder what had been said about him in the last few days.

Coming to a stop near them, he ran hand through his hair as he sighed. “Whatever it is, I didn’t do it.”

[Kyra Thatcher]

Maybe we shouldn’t’ve had hair of the dog this morning, Kyra thought uneasily as her friend did her best to make herself more comfortable. With any luck, the demonstration would be successful and they could be back at her and Liz’s place before too long to wait out the remainder of the day with the shades drawn. She gave a grateful nod to Phoebe’s mention of her boss, glad that the law student had found such a fantastic firm to start her career at. "If it comes to that, then I’ll definitely take him up on that date with his son," Kyra joked. But she was soon following her best friend’s gesture to see Fabian on the other end of it, and wasted no time in squaring up to meet him as he approached. "Both," she said firmly, her heart giving an uncomfortable lurch in her chest at the sight of him. While she’d never been as invested in the wizard as Phoebe was with Ed, she too had been lied to by him since they were just kids. And while there were wizarding committees making rules about these lies and who could know…it was still his choice.

"Oh, I see how it is - only the Bones family lied to us, how silly of me," she challenged sarcastically at his words, meeting his eyes without fear. "What are you doing here, Fabs?" She had many more pointed questions for him, to be sure, and didn’t want him to leave without answering them. But she did want to know why he'd shown up, and…it's one thing to vent about you and your secrets to Pheebs, another to see you. She'd tried to focus on Phoebe and Edgar as much as she could since hearing the truth, in order to help her friend to find the next step. But there was no denying that she too was hurt by the unveiling of this new reality. It was amazing, and she had to know more, but for f*ck's sake - if he'd lied about something this huge, what else had he lied about? All of their midnight whispers, their plans to explore and adventure like tomorrow would never come, their relationship...if you were never going to tell me, why were we even together?

[Phoebe Bones]

Both was good with Phoebe. She wasn’t going to let Fabian off the hook simply because he wasn’t the guy she was dating. He had been lying to her just as long as Edgar, and more importantly, lying to Kyra. Her best friend had just as much of a right to know about this, given the on again/off again relationship that she’d had with Fabian over the years. She took a deep breath, trying to get her thoughts together as Fabian drew closer to them. But his response earned him a roll of her eyes, and Kyra was quick to give Fabian the tone that he deserved. “You can cut the sh*t Fabian, we both know what you really are,” she added to Kyra’s words, giving him a pointed look.

The bloke wasn’t thrilled with that, it was obvious from the his entire demeanor change. The usually cheerful guy shifted, a frown forming as he crossed his arms. It was an uncomfortable sort of feeling, like the storm had suddenly rolled in quicker than expected. It was something Fabian felt too, judging by the way he warily eyed the street before turning back them. “You can’t have expected this to go well Fabian, you’re just as guilty as Edgar is in all of this.”

[Fabian Prewett]

Merlin, of course you told Kyra.

While he hadn’t pestered Edgar for the exact details of what had been said the night he told Phoebe the truth, Fabian couldn’t help but wonder if Edgar had explicitly told Phoebe not tell Kyra. Or anyone, for that matter. It wasn’t as if Edgar had kept the secret from Phoebe because he had wanted to. But there was no point in trying to reason with Phoebe or Kyra about that right now, not when they were both staring him down.

Phoebe will never forgive Edgar if you call the Obliviators.
Kyra can’t know.

The air around them got cooler, a familiar static feeling hitting him suddenly. He glanced into the street, eyes scanning for any face that felt familiar. The storm rolling in had him concerned, because a storm and magic in the air? There were so many muggles about, and he didn’t see anyone that seemed to be out of place. You’re just being paranoid.

“This is not something I’m going to talk about here,” he snapped quietly at them, shaking his head with frustration. He could figure out what to do about Kyra later, right now he had promises to keep. “This could get dangerous, so it’s either me or Edgar. Take your pick.”

[Kyra Thatcher]

As always, Kyra was grateful for her best friend backing her up. She kept her eyes on the bloke looking back at them as if through the wrong side of a rifle’s barrel, Fabian obviously not of a mind to be any more cordial than they felt. And why’s that? Upset that Edgar let the cat out of the bag? Didn’t think that word would get all the way to me? She exchanged a look with Pheebs as their unenthusiastic third turned his attention to the crowd, to the gathering clouds, avoiding them already. But avoidance was better than when Fabian returned to them, lowering his voice and using a tone she’d never heard from him before - a tone that, frankly, she could’ve gone a lifetime without hearing. But with the choice between him and Edgar...Kyra knew she didn't need to check with Phoebe for the right choice for today.

"Keep up then, Lesser Of Two Evils," she consented as she nodded them into the current of demonstrators, feeling like the copper in training dark wizard catcher was being slightly melodramatic. "This isn't about danger to us, it's about the danger to those who have every right to seek sanctuary here. That's the big picture. We're fine." The police were already present, monitoring the situation from horseback as they did when people of opposing moral compasses were set to cross paths. While, to be fair, Kyra had sensed danger in the air earlier - surely that was just the hyper-vigilance talking, making something out of the nothing that was the storm brewing above. They would make their point, hopefully influence helpful change in policy before things got worse, and be on their way home for a late lunch. The National Front wouldn't dare make a violent scene, not when they too were trying to be taken seriously. And what did Fabian expect to do, if it came to that? Perform magic in public? I don't know much, but I know that that's not allowed.

Unfamiliar and beautiful languages sounded through the thickening air as they fell into step with the others, and Kyra was markedly disappointed in herself for the uncomfortable ire she felt for their third. They hadn't been truly "together" in over two years now, not since the start of university. So why is this so bothersome? Thankfully, conversation wasn't entirely necessary as they moved and the street continued filling. Thunder cracked overhead, and she drew closer to Phoebe and Fabian. Voices rose with passion, with the oncoming storm, and a chant rose up, filling her with determination and hope as they marched towards County Hall...

[Phoebe Bones]

Phoebe exchanged a glance with her best friend, unsure of what Fabian was going to do now that he was caught in his lies. He seemed to be trying to avoid them, looking around the crowd with concern on his face. But when he turned back to them, she felt anger flare up at his tone and his words, but she knew it wasn’t worth the fight. If they demanded he leave, Edgar would show up. And she needed time away from him more than she needed to fight with his best friend. It was with a sigh that she cling onto Kyra’s arm, following her into the crowd of demonstrators.

Fabian fell into step behind them, and she turned to look back at him with annoyance. “I know you care so little about about our world, but at least try for the day? These people just want a chance to live, and they aren’t being given that. And seeing as you’re familiar with the concept of what a fascist is,” she said with a stern look, “You could at least act like you give a damn.” It was with that she turned back, crowding closer to Kyra as the crowd become dense as they headed toward Red Lion Square.

Beautiful languages and cultures were around them, and so many other young people who believed their government needed to change the immigration laws. The chants around them filled the air, and she gave Kyra’s arm a squeeze as another rumble of thunder could be heard above them. Phoebe glanced back, trying to ignore the frown that was still plastered on Fabian’s face. You worry too much, everything is going to be fine.

[Fabian Prewett]

Fabian rolled his eyes, lesser of two evils, falling into step behind them as they headed out from under the awning. He kept his calm as the two chided him, both girls telling him things he already knew. It wasn’t that he wasn’t sympathetic to the cause - he was quite familiar with fascism given the happenings in the magical world - but they had to be mad if they didn’t think this had the potential of being violent. Nothing was ever accomplished peacefully, not in the history of the muggle or magical world. He did give a damn, but if the magical world fell to the Dark Lord the muggles would find themselves in a situation they couldn’t march against. Signs and peaceful protests didn’t stop jinxes and curses from a magic wand.

The storm seemed to be rolling in quickly, clashes of thunder overhead causing the hair on his neck to stand. He should have asked Gideon to come with him, to back him up on this. If he could find a spot to duck away there was always the option of sending a message, but in the thick of the crowd it would be difficult. He wasn’t going to leave the girls alone, and performing magic in front of them wasn’t going to happen unless it was absolutely necessary. He knew they were getting closer to where they would meet up with the National Front, as the shouts were getting louder and the police presence seemed to be increasing. Was it a trick of the mind, or had that been a familiar head of blonde haired moving through the crowd in front of him? They wouldn’t risk it, would they?

Fabian moved closer to the girls, decidedly wanting to keep them within arms reach in case things went south. “I’m on your side in this, but I need you to promise to listen if things get bad.”

[Kyra Thatcher]

No strangers to marches, Kyra and Phoebe stuck close, arm in arm, as the crowd threatened to swallow them up and spit them out apart from each other. She nodded emphatically to Phoebe’s reprimand of their stoically calm third, remembering the bits and pieces she’d learned about the wizarding world’s fascist - some demonic man who fashioned himself "Lord" something-or-other and wanted to eliminate non-magical people from the human populace. Jolly good. Like recent history hasn’t shown us the perils of genocide. Would it kill them to learn our history? Because maybe if this corrupt individual knew the intimacies of the second world war, if he knew that a desire of ridding the world of a people always failed, maybe he would stop. No - if he’s mad enough to think that, he’s mad enough to ignore reason. To think he’s special, that he’ll succeed where others failed.

Admittedly, this madman having dark magic at his behest gave him an unfortunate advantage.

If our worlds worked together on this…

The young woman’s thoughts were interrupted as Fabian reminded him of their presence; their self-appointed guard held none of his usual humor as he spoke from close behind them, and Kyra frowned slightly as she looked to him, and ahead to the police cordon. Beyond it, marchers were assembling before the raised platform that would be used for the day’s speeches. The Labor MP for Southall, Syd Bidwell, had spoken out against potential changes in law, and today’s audience would surely encourage him and others in their governing body to do the right thing. She gave a slight nod, for as they made progress towards the cordon and she could more clearly see the police - some mounted, some with truncheons - the hairs on her arms prickled. It’s just for security. It’s normal. But as they neared the cordon, the crowd swelled against it. Her hand tightened on Phoebe’s, and she reached back for Fabian as a wave of marchers determinedly pressed the cordon, their reasons a mystery to her. The ebb-and-flow of motion, the energy, was inescapable as stopping a rising tide. "This isn’t right," she muttered, looking around in vain for a path out. It was then that she felt something in the air shudder past her, different from the rising wind...panic sprinted rather than crept into her heart as she felt Fabian shift lower. She followed suit with Phoebe, crouching despite the jostling of the demonstrators. She followed Fabian's look behind them, trying to shove down her panic to see what he was looking for. "Was that - "

[Phoebe Bones]

Not for the first time since she had left, Phoebe found herself missing Edgar as they moved through the crowd. It was hard to not see the nobility behind what he wanted to do, even if it scared her. She’d decided to become a paralegal because it was one of the only ways she felt she could help better the world that she lived in. It was the job of her generation to leave a better society for the next, the reason she had started going to marches in her teen years. Her mother had always supported her and Kyra standing up for what they felt was right, telling them all laws that would affect them as they grew up. She’d had her first class of champagne when the abortion act had passed, they’d participated in the first women’s liberation march in London in ‘71. Change in the world required a fight, and giving the same rights she had to others seeking a place to live was absolutely worth the fight.

Fabian, ever the pessimist, was giving them a reminder as they approached the police cordon. While the police were there for everyone’s safety, it did feel uncomfortable to have them watching over the crowd. It was the same feeling she’d had when Edgar had first mentioned going into the Academy, the worry that one day it would be a choice between doing the right thing, and doing his job. Phoebe had faith Edgar would always do the right thing - isn’t that what he’s doing now? Told you the truth, wants to make a real difference - thoughts interrupted as the crowd in front of them surged towards the police suddenly. “What’s happening?” she asked with oncern, tight grip on Kyra’s hand as the crowd continued pressing against the cordon. Kyra was expressing the same words she was thinking, it was with surprise that she felt Fabian and Kyra tug her down.

Whatever exchange happening between Kyra and Fabian fell on deaf ears, as her eyes found a source of some the panic that was happening. The man on the ground in front of them couldn’t be only older than they were, and he looked dead. It didn’t make sense, because how could he be dead? He was going to be trampled by the crowd, as fighting started to break out around them. Don’t panic, there’s no need to panic. Keep it together Phoebe. Fabian was harshly tugging on her arm, and let him pull both her and Kyra away from the crowd. They would find someone, report what they had seen. You didn’t even see what happened, what are you going to say? He magically died? Before she could even formulate a sentence to ask Fabian to stop, the world around her was black and she felt like she couldn’t breathe.But as quickly as it had happened, it was over, and she stumbled down the alley they were suddenly in to be sick. Because what the hell had just happened to them? She could hear the sounds of the crowd, the noise now a distant thing over the sounds of the cars on the street.

[Fabian Prewett]

Edgar was going to kill him.

Barely a minute had gone before the crowd in front of them had started to move towards the police, concern for the two girls in front of him growing. Muggles never really noticed when something was just a little off, not really. While Kyra and Phoebe knew that what had started around them wasn’t right - they didn’t feel the energy. The remainders of magic were around, and his head turned to see if he could spot anyone familiar. There had been discussions that perhaps the Death Eaters were influencing happenings in the muggle world, but the proof was hard to find. The girls won’t want to just leave. Before he could suggest it, Kyra had begun to survey the crowd around them, and he reached forward to them both as a bolt of green light suddenly buzzed past Kyra’s head.

F*ck,

In his first moments of panic, his response was to duck down below the crowd, pulling on Kyra and Phoebe as he did to get them to follow. The spell had hit someone, that was certain, but what was more important was figuring out where it had come from. His eyes scanned the crowd, trying to place where exactly the witch or wizard must have been standing. It was hard to pinpoint who it could have been, especially as the crowd around them started to get more frantic. “Magic,” he responded as his eye’s met Kyra’s, “We have to move.” He pulled the girls arms forcefully as he pushed through the crowd. They needed to get far enough away he could truly get them out of there, even if it would piss the two women off. Fabian’s eyes scanned the crowd as they moved, his only glimpse of whoever had cast the spell the retreating figures of a blonde and raven haired women.

Once they were out of the crowd, he took a moment to study Phoebe. She hadn’t said a thing since the spell had wizzed by them, and she looked like she was in shock. “Hold on,” he muttered to them as he cut down an alley, pulling them close before he turned on the spot. Please don’t let one of them get splinched... He had never tried to apparate with two people before, but as they appeared with a crack in an empty alley nearby his flat, it seemed they were both alright. At least for the most part, as Phoebe was quickly moving away from him and getting sick. He needed to send a message to Dumbledore, and he exchanged an apologetic look with Kyra. “Sorry, I realize more of a warning might have been helpful.” Fabian took a few steps away to summon his patronus and give it the news, before returning to the girls with what he hoped seemed a calm expression.

“Are you both alright?”

[Kyra Thatcher]

She exchanged a look of concern with Phoebe, not knowing what had spurred the sudden shift in the march. Everything had been fine, peaceful, just as promised, just as was needed to make sure they were heard.

But now wasn’t the time to determine the why.

Hands closed on her friends as they moved down, and Fabian’s tense affirmation that magic had happened did nothing but increase her panic, even though she wanted to calm and be helpful. Because fear of magic was only due to a lack of know-how, a fear of the unknown. Just like being afraid of the dark as a kid. Well...dark magic aside. Looking to Phoebe, Kyra followed her wide eyes to see the body of a boy just ahead of them. Facedown on the road, eyes glassy, just a uni kid - sh*t sh*t sh*t -

Fabian’s grip on her arm intensified as he led them bodily out of the growing fray. There was only one moment to breathe once they’d exited it, one moment to give a mute Phoebe as much of a reassuring look as she could, before Fabian ushered them away. Away from the march, the police, the trees, and into an alley where he pulled them close. At his directive she gripped both him and Phoebe tightly, his foreboding I need you to promise to listen in her ears as they left the world behind. She couldn’t see, she was being squeezed through something much too small, jostling along with the others, her heartbeat a frantic drum in her ears as she realized she couldn’t breathe -

The release left her with her hands on her knees, sucking in deep breaths of air, jaw working as she tried to adjust her popping ears to the abrupt depressurization. She looked up at Fabian’s words, brows quirked and an amused you think? printed on her forehead. Kyra rose and went to Phoebe on baby giraffe legs, gently pulling her long hair away from her face. "You’re okay, love, you’re okay." Her sharp eyes were on Fabian, though, even as she whispered reassurance to her friend. Because he had a wand in his hand and there was a little animal made of light that he was talking to before it scampered off and…

"Yeah," Kyra replied instantly, a slightly manic laugh rolling out of her as she exchanged a look with her less-than-entertained best friend. Not that she, herself, was thoroughly entertained; the impossibility of what had just transpired, coupled with the panicked adrenaline from the march, and the relief of safety now, was taking its sweet time working through her. For as awful as those last moments at the march had been - Fabian really was a goddamn wizard. Hungry for knowledge to help her make sense of this, eyes gleamed as she smiled up at him. "What do you call it, how we just traveled? And you just - you just made a - what was that? How did you do that? You gotta admit that was brilliant, right Pheebs?"