nancy. (
stauncherhearted) wrote in
undergrounds2016-09-05 04:42 pm
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Entry tags:
& 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
sheakespeare!]
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
no subject
"I said no," she tells him again. "I'm not working with the six of you tonight." He couldn't compel her, not with her charm on.
She doesn't trust them, not tonight. It would be one thing if maybe there was only one vampire. But this is six and the others don't look as friendly as Cesare. He has plenty of whores anyway shouldn't he be able to get one of them?
no subject
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.
no subject
"You want me that bad?" She cocks a hip and puts her hand on it. He'll put on a show, so can she. Honestly what happened to his scads of women?
"Double tonight- you're the only one what touches or drinks from me. Any of them touch me, and I'll charge extra. If they want to fuck, too- then they keep their fangs to themselves. And they'll be charged as well." He won't agree to her terms she's sure of it. "I want to be alive and conscious at sunrise." with all her limbs.
no subject
"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.
no subject
She wanted to say no. But the idea of the money... She'd need it, if she were ever going to get her own place again. Cooper's was so lovely, however. She liked waking up in his bed, but having no place to work was difficult. With so much lost, the money would buy her some replacements.
But six men...
"Yes, I do."
no subject
"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.
no subject
"I ain't going anywhere with you if you're going to speak to me like that." She makes no move to go towards them, or even to look in their general direction. Cesare is the sole recipient of her ire right now. "I told you no, you don't have a say in when or how I work. No one does anymore-"
She stopped short. She wasn't supposed to lie, but even that would be. So much of her money went to Fagin and the boys, even now. And she needed that money still. She could salvage this.
Nancy shifts, lowering her hands. "Honestly, Cesare, I was hoping the next time we got together, we could reconnect- just the two of us." She reaches out to place her hand on his arm.
no subject
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."
no subject
Honestly, she thought they were past this. To hear him call Cooper a toddler was awful, but she could guess he assumed (correctly) that's where she was living now. She'd mentioned her flat in Enfield to him before, and he knew of her allegiances.
It would have been nice if he'd asked if she was okay, though.
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't call him that," she said, trying to keep the bite out of her voice. Ideally, he wouldn't bring Cooper up at all.
no subject
"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.
no subject
"I told him to be on his best behavior," she tells him. He'd been quite successful at her dinner party, too. At least he was better than her ex-boyfriend.
"He won't know," Nancy says, but her tone is soft, still. He'd be furious if he knew the two of them were talking together right now. "I try to keep him in the dark about what I do in it." She uses her thumb to stroke a small pattern on his arm where it lays.
no subject
"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?"
no subject
"I'm taking your advice, keeping business and pleasure separate."
The men behind them are growing increasingly irritating. She looks at her hand. "am I not allowed to touch you?" There's a light teasing in her words.
no subject
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?"
no subject
But he wouldn't like the answer and so she braced herself for it.
"Business."
no subject
"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.
no subject
She withdraws her hand so she can better cross her arms again.
Her breasts looked really great like that.
"So you gents have a nice night."
no subject
"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.
no subject
Even if Cesare decided she needed a bruise on her arm.
She winces away, "I'm allowed to tell you when I won't. And I will not. fuck your friends." She's not above magic if need be. Even if he'll kill her in an instant if he wanted. "Now let go of me."
no subject
"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."
no subject
She looks at Cesare, her mouth dry and open. Her eyes are wide as she watches him walk away.
"No," she finally breathes. "No- Cesare- you can't do that to me." She's almost on her knees in front of him, reaching a hand towards him. "I've got no other place to go." Her arm is already red where he had grabbed her, turning purple.
"Please don't do this to me. I am begging you." Her voice cracks. another thing lost. Maybe she should just let them kill her and get it over with.
no subject
"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.
no subject
Because she'd been stubborn and prideful.
Gone.
It's some time after they disappear that Nancy can move again, her makeup ruined. She looked every bit the part of the whore.