undergrounds | cross your heart && hope to die

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cross your heart && hope to die

[An August catch-all! Please note that Nancy has been cursed to compelled to tell the truth. This curse lasts until she reveals 3 things that she never would have otherwise, or until the next full moon (Aug 29). Please mention if a thread occurs AFTER the 29th as for now, she's defaulting to cursed.

Lots of fun. Please see these lovely starters, and check the comment section for a few starters. Want something specific? you know where to find me (

sheakespeare).]

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Option A
The day after Lammas, Nancy woke up like any other day. She fed her cat, had some coffee and cooked up a bit of bacon to keep her hangover at bay. Today was supposed to be like any other day, grab a few bottles of Blood Replenisher to give to Cooper, more VT for her, and maybe stop by a local cafe to read for a while. And everything was going just great.

At least, until she got to the apothecary. When she was asked how she was doing, instead of just saying 'alright' and moving on like any normal person would do, she found herself looking at him and saying, "I'm bloody hungover and I don't know what just happened." But she'd said those words, even if they weren't the ones she wanted to. Blinking, she tried again, but the results were the same. Even after a third time.

"Fine, just ring me up I can tell you're impatient and think I'm crazy." He gave her a look, but rang up her purchases. Nancy was only too glad to get out of there.

Once on the street, that's where she was able to take stock of herself. Putting her bags down, she leaned against the wall. "Alright, Nancy. What's going on with you? This isn't like you." And that was the first of many incidents that day, where she thought one thing, and wound up saying something entirely else. Something, she found, that was true, and only occurred when she was lying.

Someone had cursed her. And she still had to run errands.

Option B

Nancy was determined not to let this curse keep her from working. So here she was, another night, another bar, dolled up. Whenever she approached men, however, she still couldn't, try as she might, even dance around telling the truth.

She sounded desperate, awful, and her game was at an all-time-low. At this rate, she'd have to ask Fagin for money, and he was notoriously tight with his purse strings. The only thing worse than that would be asking someone like Killian to help her out. Completely unacceptable.

Another failed solicitation, and the bartender finally nodded to the bouncer. said bouncer, who had once happily checked Nancy's ID, marched over to the petite girl and promptly informed her that this bar had no room for prostitutes, and she was therefore banned from the establishment for the rest of forever.

Shoulders sagging forward, Nancy trekked through London, trying to keep her tears at bay. Tonight, she decided, she was just going to walk home. Usually, she'd find herself at Fagin's, pouring herself a drink of gin on nights like tonight. But seeing the old man would only be a disaster tonight. Besides, she needed some time to think to herself.

Option C

If anyone has cared to notice, it's been a few days since Nancy'd been seen around London, or even responded to any sort of texts or anything. Her phone is off, and she's more than happy to spend her time right now sitting on the couch with her cat in her lap and read. Reading would lead to drinking and watching television, or even practicing videogaming but all the same, the fact remained she was lonely. Lonely and bored. First July kept her in the house for the Hunt, and now August had her nearly unable to open her mouth at all to have any sort of normal human interaction.

And, when it was feeling like it was going to be impossible to ever lift the curse, she started researching. She had a few books hidden away from when she lived at the Den, and poured over them, attempting to find a solution to her problem.

Option D
Wild Card. Make your own prompt.

Threaded | Flat

Cooper had a standing invitation to stay at Nancy's, while he was recovering from fae blood. Not exactly the safest thing, considering he'd been planning on draining her dry, but it was still Nancy's decision, and he was her friend. She needed to help him.

Which meant when he was craving, she'd go to the apothecary again to bring back more replenishers and vt. It was only her second trip that month, and returned back to find Cooper where she'd left him with the pizza.

"I grabbed you more Blood Replenishers like you wanted, and I got myself some VT because I care about you, but I don't trust you." Immediately, she dropped the bag to the couch and slapped both hands over her mouth. "Oh gods. Cooper. I'm so sorry."

"All alone, are we?" Balem said, stepping out from behind the corner of a building, his footsteps eerily silent, "You don't look overly joyful. Is something the matter?"

Not because he actually cares, but because he wants to know if Circle Midnight had the tar beaten out of them in a magic war or something like that.

[continuing from here.]

--

When Kenzi knocks at her door, Nancy's already opening it, throwing her arms around her friend. "Kenzi- I'm so scared I can't stop!" She was shaking in her bare feet probably crushing the tinier girl.

"I'm cursed. I was kicked out of Five Swans, I have to avoid Stiles, and- I can't even work! Who would curse me?" She pulled back for a moment, her eyes red and puffy. Any makeup she had on had long since run down her raw cheeks. Her curls fell limply, and even Nancy was reduced to wearing sweat-pants and an over-sized t-shirt, alcohol on her breath. It was safe to say, she looked like a train had run her over a few times.

Without waiting for any indication that Kenzi understood, she grabbed the other girl's wrist and pulled her into the apartment, slamming the door behind her and dragging her to the couch.

"Nancy, isn't it?" Speaking of errands, Faust had one or two of his own to deal with today. Perhaps running into one of Fagin's contacts was providence. He looked around in case anyone was listening, but as was often the case in the big city... well, no one really was.

"I need to talk to you. Or rather, to him. My shipment arrived -- dead. There's no way I'll be able to use any of it for my craft."

Arthur's heading home when he spots Nancy crossing at an intersection ahead of him. He notices her posture right away and considers whether or not he should catch up and see if she's okay - it's not really like he knows her that well, maybe she just wants to be left alone. On the flipside, maybe she's in trouble. Arthur decides to pick up his pace.

He turns the corner to follow her and then calls her name when he's close enough.

Eames doesn't check up on Nancy as much as it might seem to an outside eye - though the two of them move in a lot of the same circles, he's content to leave her be unless he catches whispers of something that may endanger her. She's useful to him yet, after all.

But tonight he had a question and it seemed best to ask in person, only... She's not in her usual haunts and no one seems to have seen her for a few days. Not that he's concerned, but it's the sort of thing that'll bug him if he doesn't find out what's going on. Which is what has him at Nancy's door, cautiously pushing against her wards instead of knocking to see how intact they are.

Mab passes Nancy on her way into the Apothecary and at first she almost didn't stop. But witch magic cloaks the girl drawing her attention and that's when she hears her murmuring to herself with frustration. It makes her look again. She seems familiar but likely only because she had been at Abigail's party and in the same general area as Abigail during the young Witch's announcement of a coven. The group was young.

So instead of heading into the shop, Mab stopped next to the girl feeling a complicated mix of magic twisting around her. Interesting. "Are you well?" She asked finally, like a concerned citizen might seeing a young lady slumped against a wall.

Lancelot off duty is far less tidy and clean-shaven than he is otherwise.

It's late out, but London is never truly dark or quiet -- street-lights keep a minimum of eternal twilight and people go back and forth to and from late shifts, pubs, bars, 24 hour shops. His jeans are faded and a little frayed at the bottom, shirt loose and untucked and hair a slightly rumpled array of curls as he walks his dog. The fluffy white samoyed is walking neatly beside him, ears twitching uncertainly and shying from anyone particularly loud or drunk. In truth, Lancelot isn't paying a huge amount of attention to what's going on around him -- half scrolling through his phone now and then and pausing when Lily decides she wants to investigate something (or to steer her away from things she shouldn't).

He's surprised, therefore, when he looks up and realises he recognises someone.

Part of him thinks he should leave her be and not get involved. After all, she already knows he's police and surely he will be the last person she'd want to associate with?

The other part can't stand the defeated look in her, and even if she turns him away he'd hate himself for not trying.

So he gently turns Lily away from where she was heading, moves to slowly intercept her with a frown of concern.

"... Hi," he begins, slightly awkward (how do you begin such a thing? 'Hello, I moved you on once by a river and now you look like you're crying. Can I help?') before he rallies. "I suppose it would be silly to ask if you're all right," he carries on. That probably doesn't help either. She likely as not doesn't want to hear she looks like shit. He winces a little, awkward. "Look, do you... want a drink or something? Or -- there's a good place not far that opens late selling coffee and frozen yoghurt and things. You might regret that less in the morning."

Threaded | Flat

while you're out there getting high (Cooper)

B

one more night to wonder why (Kenzi)

A

B

C