do you fly in the day, darling

[stauncherhearted]

[A June catch-all! Pick an option and say hello, or start something more specific in the comments. Hit me up on plurk if you want a specific starter!]

-

A Just another Saturday night out, Nancy's lips painted blood red and staining the side of her low-ball glass. Her legs are crossed at the ankles, black pumps and fishnets on full display under her short leather skirt. It's a night out, another night working. People around here knew who she was, what she offered. It was easier in supernatural bars, Nancy knew, to find vampires looking for a feeding, or even just a john wanting some company.

She props an elbow up on the bar, and looks down the the way, eyes peeled for any familiar, or unfamiliar, face. She'll just try not to think about how great it would be to be watching Netflix right now instead of work.

B Do you believe in fate, baby, ask me, ask me, the music played in her earbuds as Nancy jogged in place at a cross-walk. Trainers on her feet and hair pulled up in a pony-tail, she was doing her usual exercise routine. Always good to be fast on your feet, she'd learned as a child, and running was a great way to keep that up. Even if she had ways to get away, her feet were still just as important.

Besides, there was something relaxing about running, she'd found. She could shove the world away and concentrate on the music and running and the city. She'd found her way down to the Thames, and was running on the paths near it, past youths with skateboards and graffiti'd walls, business men grabbing a bite to eat right outside the Globe. It was astounding the way the culture and history blended together so seamlessly. She'd never get over that.

The light turned green, and on she ran.

C Choose your own! Private starters in the comments.

Comments

[viduation]

[ seeing that she's apparently speaking to someone, Derek draws short in his approach, closer to her now but maintaining distance. he doesn't want to intrude, even if the shift in her expression has him frowning - curious, perhaps concerned. anxiety ripples off her, and he isn't sure why. he waits, wordless but not quite unobtrusive. ]

[stauncherhearted]

[She nods at the man.] An hour. I need a bit of time. [Extending her hand towards him, he shook her hand, slipping two bills into her hand. By then, her whiskey is on the table, and she goes for it, sliding the money into her purse. Nancy sighs, looking at the table.]

Hullo, Derek.

[She can talk to him, now, if it's all the same.]

[viduation]

[ eavesdropping is probably unethical, but Derek has enhanced hearing and never makes a point of trying to wash things out. it's a disconcerting snippet of conversation to hear. eyebrows knitting, he wonders. ]

Working? [ he hasn't sussed it out yet, but money exchanged hands, so it seems a fair assumption. ]

[stauncherhearted]

[She purses her lips slightly as she looks up from the bar.] yeah- I'm on break. [And should probably not be drinking whiskey. Oooh well, she didn't follow rules anyway.]

What're you doing here?

[viduation]

[ indeed, Derek does glance down at the whiskey she's currently holding, brow quirking quizzically. but he doesn't ask. his question makes her pause, largely because he's not really sure anymore.

he huffs a breath, like the beginnings of a sigh he doesn't let out. ]

Following a lead. [ can you tell it didn't go anywhere. ]

[stauncherhearted]

Goootcha.

[She nods, then relaxes her shoulders slightly.] What on? Maybe I've heard something.

[Derek gets information for free.]

[viduation]

[ it prompts him to look at her again, like he hadn't considered it before and it made her seem new all over again. a sharp edge lingered in his gaze, measuring, but overall his expression had turned a little more open, softer.

he considers saying nothing, but even another pair of ears could be useful. ]

Laura Hale. [ he doesn't explain. ] A werewolf. Turned up dead not long ago.

[stauncherhearted]

A relation, I assume. [She nods in respect to that, if it, indeed, is true.]

I'm sorry for your loss. But I haven't heard that name. [But there was an odd familiarity to it.] Unless it's something Stiles would have mentioned... [And she's wincing apologetically.]

[viduation]

[ at the sentiment, his head ducks, either in gratitude or evasion or, perhaps, in both. it's followed with a short nod. her response had been expected. the mention of Stiles, however, had not been. Derek frowns, but ends up wondering in spite of himself.

Stiles shouldn't know, but Derek knows that wouldn't stop him. the idea of him sniffing around has him tensing. ]

You know, [ he says, drily. ] That might not surprise me.

[stauncherhearted]

[Speaking of...]

So what's really gone on between you two, anyway? I'm determined to be both of your friends, and I'd like to know what's going on from both sides.

[viduation]

[ Derek cocks an eyebrow at her. the most surprising thing about her asking is, perhaps, the determined to be both of your friends, but for the moment his mind is stuck on how weird she makes it sound. he huffs, annoyed. ]

Nothing's gone on. He's an idiot who can't keep out of things that could get him killed. That's all.

[stauncherhearted]

Right.

[She purses her lips and frowns.] That's kind of why I invited him. To the ball. [it sounded stupid to be honest.]

I didn't want him to run in head first and get himself killed. So I thought maybe if he had someone to help him out, he'd be less-likely to get hurt. He's determined, and trying to stop him seems pointless to me.

But that's just my ten pence.

[viduation]

[ Derek's first reaction is a particularly withering look, but it doesn't last - he glances away swiftly, because Nancy's making a weird kind of sense even if he doesn't want to admit as much. Stiles is an idiot. he's probably not going to stop sticking his nose where it doesn't belong. therefore, he should at least know what he's dealing with.

Derek would rather he just stopped being an idiot, though. ]

You think that'll stop him getting himself killed? [ he digs his heels in, partially out of stubbornness, partially out of concern. ]

[stauncherhearted]

No, [Nancy says carefully, more to the rim of her glass than to Derek.] But I think it'll help keep him safe. That way, he's less-likely to do something stupid. Or at least knows what to expect and how to protect himself from the less-than-savory versions of us out there.

[Nancy. You're a Circle Midnight witch, and sex and blood worker. C'mon.]

[viduation]

[ Derek snorts sardonically, but it's largely done to mask his discomfort at considering it. she's right.

vexed, he sips his drink. ]

So you've been teaching him.

[stauncherhearted]

Not magic. Just some ins and outs. Watching out for him.

[She's trying to be a good influence for once in her life.]

[viduation]

[ he sighs, still vexed, because the memory of Stiles is a vexing one. ]

Good. He'll need it.

[stauncherhearted]

I know. And that's the sad thing, isn't it?

[She adored Stiles. They hadn't known each-other for long, but she'd already developed feelings towards him. Feelings of 'Oh, no, Stiles, honey.' for the record.

[viduation]

Sad is one word for it, [ he replies, drily. can you tell how absolutely unaffected by all this he is, Nancy? what's it to him? ]

[stauncherhearted]

[She can.]

But you don't want to talk about Stiles, so we won't.

[viduation]

[ with the uncomfortable suspicion that she's onto him, even if he's not sure what there is to be onto, Derek pushes ahead. or at least, that was his intent. instead, his face creases in consternation. ]

Do you?

[stauncherhearted]

[Nancy just shrugs it off.]

doesn't matter to me. I just want you to both know that I'm neutral in this. I'm going to be a friend to both of you, and I will not pick sides. So don't ask me to. [She would totally defend both of them to the other, too, if need-be.]

But that's really all I wanted to say about it.

[viduation]

[ friend. it's the second time she's said it, and it's still weird, weird enough that for a moment Derek gawks at her like she's grown a second head. the head might possibly look like Stiles. ]

...Alright. [ his voice is gentler now, largely out of confusion, but he's not arguing. ]

[stauncherhearted]

[Nancy waits a beat for Derek to add something on before she realizes that, no, he has nothing else to say on the subject.]

That really alright? 'cause I'm more than happy to start talking about something else, like what brings you to this bar.

[viduation]

[ Nancy, stop asking difficult questions. Derek huffs again, but nods. it's fine. ]

There was nothing for me here. [ but then he glances at her, as though rethinking. ] You always work out of here?