stauncherhearted: narcissa (scared)
nancy. ([personal profile] stauncherhearted) wrote in [community profile] undergrounds2016-09-05 04:42 pm

& you could run so fast & fade away- sept. open post

September 6, late night: open

It was a text that had done it in the end. A text from one of the other Shadow girls to all of them- Abigail had been arrested by the Guardians. Geap Manor was in flames. and they were coming for the rest of them.

Nancy didn't waste time. She tossed whatever she could into an enchanted bag- unsure if she'd ever be able to return to her apartment. Anything of value, be it sentimental or monetary was grabbed, but she knew her time was limited. While her flat was in Colin Coward's name, rather than her own, she knew they'd be on to her.

With Juliet at her side, she snuck down her fire escape, a spell muffling her footsteps. She dressed as unassumingly as she could- jeans, a hoodie and trainers. Without makeup on she could have been anyone. Hood up, she crept through the side streets. She had to get out of Enfield as soon as she could, had to find some place to hide. And she knew exactly where that was. The trick was getting there.


September 7, early morning: closed to Cooper

It was nearly morning, by the time Nancy found herself at her destination, right outside Cooper's door. She knocks, rather than barges in, rapping her fist three times against the door as quick as she can. A moment later and she's looking over her shoulder, wondering if perhaps she'd been followed.

No, she couldn't have been. She'd gone the long way, taking unnecessary detours, getting on and off of the tube at the same station. She'd kept her face covered, away from the CCTVs as best she could, staying in the dark. Nancy couldn't have been followed.

Juliet paced back and fourth behind her, having followed her the whole way. Standing in front of Cooper's door, Nancy knows she's nearly safe, but the adrenaline coursing through her veins won't let her stop, won't let her think about anything other than getting safe. What's just happened hasn't sunk in yet. But given time, it will.


September. 12, afternoon: Closed to Eames

Nancy keeps looking at the door of Eames' new flat, her back straight. There's a puppy in front of her, and she's eagerly petting him, but her heart isn't quite in it. "I can't believe you got a dog," she tells Eames, looking away from the door for a moment. "What a sweetheart, aren't you, Boxer?"

A dog, a new house, a new title. It was funny, in a way: as Nancy's world crashed down around her, Eames' star seemed to be rising in his court. Good- she liked seeing him happy.


Mid September: open

For the rest of the month, Nancy is keeping to the shadows. She's cautious, hardly daring to go out at night, even though she knows now, in Islington territory, she's safe. Redbright won't be able to find her, or if she does, she can't do anything about it. So she hopes, though it's been made clear that traditional rules are quickly being thrown out the window.

When she does go out, it's to work, and even that's taken a turn for the worse. Since Harris had ascended to power, work had been drying up, and what had happened at Harris' party had certainly sent a message, as Cesare had said. Worse, still was her apartment in Enfield was a place she couldn't yet return to- a place to work. As such, most nights she's in bars and back alleys, if she didn't have appointments set.

She keeps to herself, though, eyes carefully glued to the door of any building she's in, quick to glance over her shoulder.


[ooc: toss a post in if you'd like, or grab me at [plurk.com profile] sheakespeare!]
longterm: (1)

[personal profile] longterm 2016-09-08 12:13 am (UTC)(link)
Perhaps it's reckless to say no to Cesare so easily and so firmly tonight, but it works. Just about. He sighs and rolls his eyes as he takes a step back, clearly disappointed. What a spoil sport you are, Nancy. They were having such a good time before you stepped in and cramped all their fun.

But he readjusts, his eyes narrowing for a second. His friends are with him and he doesn't intend to look like a chump in front of them.

"What can I do to make it happen, Nancy? How much is it? What are your rules, Miss?" He speaks deliberately like a schoolboy scolded. If Nancy is so intent on being the one making the decisions here, he'll treat her like someone who is, even if it's in jest.
longterm: (3 copy)

[personal profile] longterm 2016-09-08 03:42 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah, no, that offer doesn't work for Cesare. It's not the money. It's never the money. Instead it's the fact that his pals can't join in, not truly anyway. That doesn't work for him.

"You expect them just to watch?"

That's rude. If there's one thing Cesare likes to do it's share his generosity, even if it's really just a grand display of wealth and power. He could agree to her terms and then ignore them when the time came, but Cesare isn't quite that kind of man, even when heavily inebriated.

"That's not my kink, Nancy." Not right now anyway. Right now he's here to celebrate.
longterm: (5 copy)

[personal profile] longterm 2016-09-08 04:59 am (UTC)(link)
Cesare sucked on his tongue and shook his head in frustration. That was not the response he was hoping for. His voice deepens for a moment when he speaks, his irritation beginning to show.

"They're not the voyeur type. These people here..." he gestures towards them while he looks at her. One of them cheers, the rowdy kind of cheer that you make when you're several drinks in. "They're the movers and shakers of London, Nancy. The whole damn country, in fact. These aren't just some random john that you find on the street. They're important. So I would appreciate it if you pulled your socks up, gained a solid work ethic and show me and these lads a good time."

He would never have spoken to her like this if he were sober. But he's not.
longterm: (5 copy)

[personal profile] longterm 2016-09-08 05:25 am (UTC)(link)
Nancy's vitriol and backtalk does not sit well with Cesare. It causes him to push his shoulders back instinctively and push out his chest. How dare she? Who does she think she is? Does she think she pays him? She is very mistaken if she thinks she's the one in charge here.

He's about to reply with something scathing when Nancy touches him and he looks down at her hand before moving his gaze back to her. He thinks about it for a second, running it all through his addled mind. There's less anger in his voice but he's still wary. Nevertheless, the topic of conversation has changed.

"You should have considered that before you shacked up with a raging toddler."
longterm: (12 copy)

[personal profile] longterm 2016-09-08 06:03 am (UTC)(link)
Quite frankly they'll be past it when Cooper and Cesare no longer interact, but instead, unfortunately they still do. As long as Cooper is in Cesare's nest, Cesare will continue to bitch about him. And as long as Nancy's dating Cooper, Cesare will bitch about him to Nancy. There is simply no way around that. So Cesare has zero sympathy for Nancy's complaint. Cesare is sure she'd appreciate a lot of different things, but this is not one that he's happy to humor.

"Have him stop throwing tantrums and I'll consider it. Does he know that you came to visit me last month yet? Will he ever know?" Cesare has half a mind to give Cooper a bit of a show and make him really sulk. After all, he's going to have a fierce temper either way. Cesare might as well give him something to be angry about.
longterm: (8 copy)

[personal profile] longterm 2016-09-08 07:16 pm (UTC)(link)
Cesare laughs and rolls his eyes. There's something remarkably strange and ironic about the fact that Nancy seems to be more honest with her john than her actual boyfriend. That's a healthy relationship right there.

"That sounds like a good idea..." he says, his voice rich with sarcasm.

The group behind him call out something about what's going on over there and he turns briefly to yell at them loudly to wait a minute. When he looks back at her, he becomes very aware of the hand on his arm.

"What are you doing, Nancy?"
longterm: (12 copy)

[personal profile] longterm 2016-09-08 07:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Call him cruel if you want but for some reason Cesare likes watching Nancy pout. He quirks an eyebrow and smirks as she does it. This is a game Cesare is quite happy to play.

He looks at her intently, gaze unwavering, the way he normally does when he's about to kiss her or he's tell her something important. It's not entirely clear which one is happening right now. His eyes narrow for a second.

"And which is this? Business or pleasure?"
longterm: (11 copy)

[personal profile] longterm 2016-09-08 08:07 pm (UTC)(link)
Cesare respects Nancy's honesty but it doesn't stop her words from upsetting him a bit, particularly in his drunken state. He laughs it off as best he can.

"I already offered you business." And she had rejected it under the pretense of safety. Cesare's not certain she's such a great businesswoman after all. His voice darkens a little.

"And I'm not in the mood for negotiations." You're ruining his night, Nancy, yet again. He's with his friends and he has things to do, people to drink. Cesare knows she's not frigid, but in this moment, to him at least, she's looking a lot like she is.
longterm: (1)

[personal profile] longterm 2016-09-08 08:28 pm (UTC)(link)
That irks Cesare. Irks him a lot. It's his turn to put his hand on her arm now and this time his grip is a little tighter than it should be. Blame it on the alcohol or the fact that he's a lot stronger than the average man so it's tricky for him to control, but either way he shouldn't be holding her like that.

"Perhaps you don't understand," he growls. "That's not how this works, Nancy. I pay you and you do as I say. Don't ruin this, Nancy." He says it as if he isn't the one making things difficult, as if he isn't the one who started this terrible ball rolling. But sometimes people can be blind to their own faults and Cesare is definitely guilty of that tonight.
longterm: (5 copy)

[personal profile] longterm 2016-09-08 08:53 pm (UTC)(link)
Cesare pauses for a moment, his breathing heavy as he looks at her, his hand still on her arm. He's not above killing her. He's done far worse to far more important people in his lifetime, even when sober. What's one more death on his hands? But something in him stops him and he releases her from his grip. The look he gives her though is filthy.

"Don't step foot in The Angelo again." He knows precisely what he's doing when he says that, taking away yet another location from her when she's already lost a lot. It's designed to hurt and make things difficult for her. If she doesn't want to sell herself tonight then she doesn't need to sell herself in his home either. He takes a step back towards his friends, still glaring at her. He raises his hands slightly, as if defending himself before throwing them out wide.

"You are released. Congratulations."
longterm: (5 copy)

[personal profile] longterm 2016-09-08 09:22 pm (UTC)(link)
Nancy's response is too familiar. It's too close to what he wished his sister had done many years ago, what he had imagined over and over in his mind to the point he had almost fooled himself into believing that was what had happened. He wanted his sister to come back to him, regretting having left in the first place. He had imagined this so much that it surprises him how unsympathetic he is now. He just looks at her, not coldly, but angrily instead, his jaw clenched and his brow furrowed.

"You should have considered that earlier."

He gives her one final look before moving to join his friends and try to reclaim some of his evening.