undergrounds | cross your heart && hope to die

Entry tags:

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).]

---
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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"I don't," he says, too quickly. In truth, he had been heading home after a couple drinks with an old contact, but he was in no rush to get there. Being with Nancy and trying to solve her dilemma was far more interesting.

"I was on my way home," he tells her with a gentle smile. "If you're uncomfortable with me walking you home, just say the word and I'll keep going."

She narrows her eyes just slightly in the dark, pursing her lower lip. After a long moment, she nods and starts to walk forward again. "Alright, it's only a few blocks up, anyway, as I said." With that, she echos the same sort of smile.

"What brings you out this late, anyway?" She scuffs the bottom of her shoe against the pavement.

Arthur falls into pace beside her again and then shrugs at the question. "Met up with a friend," he tells her. He's not intentionally vague, he just doesn't typically share more than is asked, and he immediately turns the conversation back on Nancy.

"I assume your night didn't go particularly well, considering your situation."

Nancy shakes her head, glancing over at Arthur as he falls into step with her. "No; I was kicked out of that place up the road. Do you have any idea how hard it is to go up to a man at a bar and ask if he wants to fuck you for money, let alone when you're cursed to be direct and honest about it? It's awful, especially awful. And no one wants my kind in their bars."

Well. Cripples' was no stranger to her, let alone her kind. Same with the back room of The Jolly Roger. That always made work far, far easier. Too bad she wanted to avoid Fagin and others she knew, until she could get rid of this curse.

Given that Arthur's never tried it before, he can't honestly say he has any concept of how difficult prostitution is. He has made it a philosophy of his to reserve judgement until he has enough information, so he tries not to wonder or assume why Nancy does what she does in the first place. It's an old profession, and it's not as if there's no demand. She's just so young, but Arthur reminds himself it's not his place to decide what's appropriate for her.

"Why did you come out tonight if you knew you were cursed?"

"I thought maybe I'd have some luck tonight anyway and that I wouldn't be put into a position that activated the curse." She heaves a heavy sigh, rolling her shoulders forward.

"No such luck. So I'm off till this thing is lifted. And I don't have a day job." Once Nancy said the words she grimaced. "I'm not asking for anything. Do not think that." Which, thankfully, was the truth.

Arthur had opened his mouth to hint at the fact that he could help, but then he closes it again when she shuts that down.

However, he does need to make it known, even if she is prideful.

"It's not like I don't have money if you need it. My apartment's cheap and my job pays well. If you need help..."

"Thank you," she says, turning to face him. "But I won't accept it. I work hard for my money, and I don't want anyone to think otherwise." She put herself out there night after night, she had to play all the right cards and read clients. She had to play along, and go with it, even if her mind was somewhere else, she had to pretend it was there with the rest of her.

"Kenzi- my best mate- she offered to take care of bills if need-be, but I told her exactly the same thing."

Arthur looks down at her, and his expression is respectful, but he shrugs a shoulder and presses on. He's not aggressive about it by any stretch of the imagination, but his tone is suggestive.

"Nancy, most professions have sick days. Yours doesn't, and that's fine, but needing a bit of help from time to time doesn't degrade the work you do."

"I know. But even if mine did, I'd have been taking one too many recently." There was only so much that magic could do to get you back on your feet. And most of the reasons she'd been forced to stay in were beyond her control. Like, say, babysitting a vampire going through detox. Not the greatest thing in the world, but when you adore the man that it is, you'd do anything for them. "I had to babysit a fae-blood sick vampire last month."

This curse is just irritating at this point.

"I appreciate the sentiment, Arthur, but I'm not the sort to ever take help when offered. Even if I need it."

Wait, hold up. Vampires?

Arthur frowns, and it's clear from his tone that he's very critical of this idea that any vampire has to be babysat. He completely ignores anything she says after that (partly because that seems to be the end of that conversation and he's not going to push further) and skips right to the vampires part, because that troubles him.

"Under what circumstances does someone have to babysit a fae-blood sick vampire?"

Oh god.

"He's a good friend," she explained. "A good friend and a client. I had to douse him with VT to save my own life, and I couldn't just leave him out to run wild and devour the next human to walk by! Or worse, another fae!" She cared a lot for Cooper. Somewhere between the nearly running her over and her draining the air from his tires and dancing at the gala and feeding on her, they'd become friends.

They were still friends.

Arthur rubs his face as he tries to process this. To him, it just sounds like 150% of a bad idea - taking care of a vampire who's had a taste of fae blood?

"Please tell me you have something to protect yourself in case he loses control."

"I was drinking VT like it was water, so I was safe. Juliet, my cat, too." That was the stupidest thing she'd done, let a starving vampire around her precious kitten. But Cooper and Juliet got along, and Juliet was still alive. So was everyone else that had lived in her apartment.

"No, I mean like a weapon," Arthur says, his tone suddenly serious. He keeps on walking, but his shoulders are hunched forward now like he's expecting an attack at any moment. "You can't drink VT all the time, and they can't always control themselves."

"I'm a witch, and I have a very good supply. I don't just deal in sex, you know." She fixed him with a look. There was no need for him to get so serious about it. It was all in the past. She'd survived. The end.

It's not that Arthur lacks faith in her to keep herself safe, it's that he lacks faith in everyone to take the proper precautions when dealing with vampires. He's seen the worst of what they can do, and in his experience all it takes is one wrong turn.

But he keeps his mouth shut for the time being, deciding that it's not worth arguing about. Especially now, when Nancy's already upset about the curse. So he just sighs and continues on in silence, waiting for the cue to turn a corner or stop in front of a building.

His silence, Nancy realizes, is extremely frustrating, but she won't fight it. Instead, she shoves her hands deep into the pockets of her jacket, and keeps walking until they reach her corner.

"Just right up here," she promises, turning left down a side-street. "it's not the greatest place, but it's mine, and I got a great deal on the place from a terrible man." Thanks, Fagin. Regardless, it was her home.

They approached the dark green door, and Nancy started to climb the few stairs to the entrance. "D'you want to come up for a drink? It's polite to ask. No one's there and I generally have a bottle before bed." Yes, you heard that. Bottle. of wine.

But if he wanted to go home, no skin off of her nose.

Arthur stops at the bottom step, hands buried in his pockets as he frowns thoughtfully at the door. His instinct is to go in, have a drink with her and then leave on good terms - he doesn't really want to leave it like this, but he looks at Nancy and realizes that it only sounds like a good idea because he's still a bit buzzed.

"No," he finally says, shaking his head. "I should go, but I--" he cuts himself off as he digs out his wallet and then searches for something in his pocket. Pulling out a pen and an old business card from some dentist appointment a few months ago, he quickly scrawls out a phone number and holds it out for her.

"Here. Call me if you're ever in trouble, or if you need anything. I know you can take care of yourself, but I... well, it's my business to know how to protect people."

"Alright," she responds with a nod and an appreciative smile. She waits as he writes down his number, before taking the card, looking it over. Dentist, lovely.

Nancy scuffs the balls of her feet on the step. "Oh, wow." No, he'd given her his number. She'd had people give her cards before, sure, but this was an adult man giving her his phone number on a dentist appointment card. There was something that made her feel... That made her feel eighteen about it. Despite her age, Nancy never felt eighteen. "Thanks. I really-" She swallowed. "I really appreciate that, Arthur."

Arthur nods, stuffing his hands back in his pockets and giving her an unsure smile. "It's nothing, but please use it if you need to."

He glances at the card and then down the street, toward the train station he needs to head towards if he wants to make it home any time soon.

"Have a good night, Nancy. I'm sure we'll see each other around."

And he turns to go

Oh. Well. She shuffles the balls of her feet again, this time back to center, pressing her lips together. With her hands practically in the sleeves of her jacket, she can pretend she's shivering from the cold. the August cold.

"Thank you, again," she says. "I'm sure I'll see you then, whenever it is." She offered a watery smile before she starts to unlock her door, both magical and mundane locks.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

cross your heart && hope to die

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject