undergrounds | I'VE BEEN A RAMBLER ALL MY LIFE (NOV CATCH-ALL)

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I'VE BEEN A RAMBLER ALL MY LIFE (NOV CATCH-ALL)

A. COME AWAY, O HUMAN CHILD - CLOSED TO LANCELOT & RINGER
As soon as there is placed a bounty on a rogue fae kidnapping children into the Other Realm, Faolan knows several things for certain. One, that they must be stopped no matter what the cost, because children are innocents, and having had his own childhood taken from him, knowing others who have had their own taken from them as well, the sooner this is put an end to the less people there will be out there developing complexes around such things. For another, he knows that he's bound to get support when he asks around for help. He's certainly not going to be the only one after the reward, with a bounty like that placed on it. But it's not just the money he's after.

So he manages to rope a few people in to aid him on this. Ringer, from Hillingdon, who like him bristles when she hears that it's children who are being affected. And Lancelot, of course, for who better to aid in such an affair than a man who was once stolen away by the fae to the Other Realm when he was a child himself. He calls them individually, arranges for them to meet him in a cafe near where the latest child went missing, and lets them know that there will be company besides just himself on the job. He does not give names, figuring introductions can be made in the cafe itself.

He orders a coffee while he waits for them. He'd look suspicious not to, and to be honest even in the most dire of situations Faolan would rarely turn down a coffee. Sitting in the back of the establishment, his back against the wall so that he can watch who might be entering and approaching him, he sips at it and flicks through his mobile, making certain he'd told both of them the right time and place.

B. UNDER COVER WORK - SEMI-OPEN TO THE SHADOW COVEN
Faolan has been doing his best despite his new rise in the ranks back at Hillingdon to maintain his anonymity as 'Dubhan' as he does work for Kenzi, but everything has him more on edge now. As Leader of the Hillingdon Clan, even there he's still been keeping it a secret for the most part, his involvement with the Night Council as a Guardian, and here he has to keep double the secrets, not only the involvement with the Night Council (obviously), but also any and all mention of involvement with Hillingdon. As asking around about a 'Dubhan' there is going to bring an investigator up with next to nothing, but conveniently might lead straight into the fact that he's been lying to Kenzi about who he is and what he does for a living this whole time.

So he does his best to keep his mouth shut and keep his head down. Whenever she needs him, he's there. Whenever there's the need for someone to look imposing, Faolan steps up to the job. or rather, 'Dubhan' does. Looks imposing where and when he's needed, makes sure that Kenzi and her friends make their way home safe more than a few nights and generally plays his role of dutiful bodyguard. No one need know that he's there to collect information on them at the same time. It'll be his little secret.

C. HILLINGDON HOUSE - SEMI-OPEN TO HILLINGDON
Faolan doesn't really understand what he's done right (or wrong, for that matter) to find himself in this position. It's true, he's been with Hillingdon Clan for close to 10 years now. But he'd never imagined himself its top ranking officer. He knows that it has something to do with the fact that he's been doing good work for a good while and that he's finally being recognized for it. But honestly, isn't there someone higher than him? Someone more deserving of the job? Someone who isn't, say, spying on the clan for the Night Council? Not that he had much of a choice one way or the other, but that is neither here nor there.

He tries to make himself available for those within the clan itself to meet with, however. Most of his undercover work is done at nights, so the majority of his days are spent at Hillingdon House. He recognizes that there is a distinct lack of leadership here in the Hillingdon Clan, and that there has been for some time now. The best solution of course is not to blunder in and start installing himself willy-nilly. No, another approach must be made. So Faolan makes himself available. For the most senior members and the newest. He doesn't know that he's the best choice for this position. But he's willing to give it a try...

D. THE COFFEE FIX - OPEN TO ALL
Of course, Faolan's day would hardly be complete with at least one visit to some coffee shop or another. If he were to stop and think about exactly how much caffeine he put in his body on any given day he would probably wonder how he had any blood left running through his veins at all. And god help the day where someone tells him to give it up or cut back on the stuff.

He sits at a table in the back of the store with a pastry in front of him and a coffee gripped between both of his hands, soaking in the warmth of it. It's early still, he doesn't have any specific plans for the day other than to eventually get into Hillingdon and to answer his call from Kenzi if and when one comes that evening. Which means it's the perfect time to stop and take a breath and enjoy a good cup of coffee.

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Faolan shrugs slightly. "I don't mind," he says, honestly. "It's better than fixating on my own," he adds, with something of a smile as he does. His own problems are... Complicated. Perhaps just as complicated as hers. Perhaps more so, considering the fact that he's undercover at the moment, while also rising to take a position of authority in Hillingdon at the same time. To say that he's walking a slippery slope is... Putting it mildly, to be sure.

"I won't force you to talk about it," he says, after a moment. "It's just that I'm here, if you need someone to vent at. And you're probably a better conversationalist than anyone would accuse me of being. Better for both of us if you didn't leave it up to me, I think."

"Well that's good," she says mildly, taking another drink. "Because it's none of mine really to share. Family drama, work drama." Nancy gestures vaguely to the air around them. "Nothing out of the usual."

It probably was good, to find a confidante who had no real role in all of it. But she didn't know Dubhan, apart from this lovely walk, and while Kenzi must have trusted him, she really didn't tell anybody much of anything about her private life. Even Kenzi didn't know just how awful Fagin was, and she certainly didn't want her to ever find out.

Faolan shrugs slightly. "Suit yourself," he says, his own response equally as mild. "The offer'll remain open to you, if you care to take me up on it. We've still got a bit of a way to go."

Which left them wanting for conversation, of course. Unless they were to keep going in awkward silence. Awkward for Faolan perhaps because he isn't much of a talker and even if he was, he couldn't say too much here and now, undercover as he is. "You and Kenzi must be close, for her to lend her bodyguard out like this," he posits.

There was, at least for Nancy, comfortable silence for a few moments before he asks his question. She gives him a look, but, well, she can't blame him for being curious. "Yeah. Best friends for a while now." Just don't ask how they met because that's something that's never been discussed, whoops.

"She's more like a sister, honestly, at the end of the day. Instead of so many brothers, it's a nice change of pace." Not that the boys were biologically her brothers or anything. But she adored them all as if they were. And it was an easier word to use for people that weren't familiar with her exact living situation.

So, most people.

No, she can't blame him for being curious. After all, he's Kenzi's bodyguard, and yet here he is, walking her home.

He nods slightly, although he has to wonder if the girls aren't all best friends, in some way or another. He's heard Kenzi refer to Abigail as a best friend before as well. Maybe it's a girl thing. Maybe it's part of the whole sisterhood of witches business. Faolan doesn't really have much experience with either, truth be told. Although once upon a time, in another life, he'd known what it was like to have siblings. But that time was gone now.

"It's good," he says. "To have someone looking out for you, like that."

"She's the first that really has, no questions asked," Nancy admits. Her walls are down more than they should be, after her evening with Fagin. But the company was nice, and sometimes you did want to talk.

"I don't know what I'd do without her. She's got a big heart- you're working for one of the good ones, I want you to know, Dubhan." Kenzi may have been a dark witch, but her heart was as bright as they came.

Faolan glances over at her again, his gaze lingering, assessing, trying to make what he can out of a statement like that (but really he's got nothing to go on more than that). "I'll keep that in mind," he says at last.

Kenzi hasn't really been especially caring towards him, yet. She hasn't really been especially anything, really. The position is rather everything he expected a bodyguard job to be, which is to say that he's called in when he's needed and he isn't when he's not, and so he's finding out less than no doubt Sylvia would like. But he's finding out what he needs. There's a bond between them, that's obvious to tell. A bond between all of them, no doubt. Whatever Sylvia expects of them, assumes they are -- Faolan's almost certain that this isn't it.

They're just three girls, young and scared, looking for some place that they could really call home. Nancy had that, but her entire world was poisoned by the patriarch of her gang. Kenzi's home life was bad enough that she'd run to London from Canada. And Abigail? She could safely assume that being a Widdowson, her life was very, very complicated.

Was it so bad to have a place where you could belong? A place that you could be protected? Nancy hadn't had that, with Fagin. He kept them alive, but he didn't protect them. Kenzi had been hurt, Abby likely as well. And right now, all Sylvia Redbright was doing was proving to them that there wasn't any sort of safety in the world. That girls like them were always going to be hunted and hurt. That they could only count on each other.

If Redbright wanted them to go to her open arms, fear and violence was certainly not the way to do it.

"Alright," Nancy finally says and takes another drink of her flask. "Shouldn't be too far now."

If Faolan had been privy to her thoughts, they would have confirmed what he'd assumed about all of them. That they were young and scared. Vulnerable. That they had found each other because that's what they needed. But he wouldn't disagree with her either. Unlike some, Faolan is not enamored with Sylvia Redbright, President of the Night Council, Mother of All Witches, and Chancellor of the Redbright Academy. Sure, he believes she's a smart and capable woman -- she has to be, to have gotten this far. Achieved this much. But it's a monopoly. He sees that. He's not allowed to act against the Night Council, and he doesn't know whether that extends to speaking his mind about what he thinks of Sylvia or not, but he would agree that they're right not to trust her outright.

Not knowing what she's thinking of course, he merely nods, before glancing sideways at her flask, raising his eyebrows at it slightly. "Are you gonna be alright once you get back?" he asks.

Faolan, you're awful at your job, and we all love you for it.

Do not judge the flask- you'd drink as heavily as she did if you had her life.

"Yeah, I should be." She'd just drink and pass-out like she often had to do, nights like this. "I'll probably take a long soak in the tub, cool down after everything." Ruminate on it, was more like it. "You don't need to worry." Nancy offers what she hopes is an encouraging smile.

He drinks heavily enough with his own life, thank you very much. He's not judging the flask, although he is wondering whether he should be concerned, here. (He is very much a do as I say, not as I do sort of a man, all things considered.)

It's encouraging enough. It's better than what he does when he gets into a mood. Which is to say that he pours himself a drink and starts ruminating as he leans on the safety railing on his window and stares out his window. Sometimes he catches his neighbors going at it and makes his mood even worse. Just depends on his luck, he supposes.

"Good," he says, keeping that assessing look on her for a little while longer. "The last thing I need is to get in trouble with my boss because her best friend got it into her head to get rid of me too soon." Which is of course Faolan for, 'If you'd like me to stay, or wait until someone else shows up, I can do that too, you know.'

Nancy nearly laughs. "No, no, I'll be alright. Promise." She flashes him her best smile to try to assuage his fears. She wasn't suicidal, and tended to take decent enough care of herself when drunk, even if she often was drunk.

"I just don't want to inconvenience you anymore than I sure I already have."

"Nah," he says, shaking his head and shrugging slightly. "No inconvenience. Better to have something to do. I'm not really one for sitting about, twiddling my thumbs." Which seemed to be what a lot of this job was about, all things considered.

He shifts, sticking his hands deep into the pockets of his jacket as they walk. "I can understand if you just want to get rid of me, though. You're not hurting my feelings for saying as much."

"Well, not in so many words," Nancy tries with an apologetic smirk. "But I'd kind of like to decompress, after tonight. And- here, look-" she trades her flask for a mobile in a few deft movements. "-Give me your number, I'll text you when I'm back at my flat."

Faolan quirks something of a smile at her, before reciting his number to her for her to put in her phone. It's a redirect of course, considering his position, but it'll ring to his mobile regardless, which is all that should matter to anyone.

"If something happens to you, you realize that it'll be my fault," he points out, in all seriousness. With a tone of voice that says, 'you'd better be heading straight home if I let you go like this, or so help me...'

She can read that look. "Look, in all seriousness, I was raised by an infamous fae. I grew up with the things that go bump in the night. There's nothing in London that frightens me. Or that I can't handle." That was wishful thinking, truthfully. There were still those who held considerable power over her.

But she could pretend.

Faolan quirks an eyebrow at her somewhat, but he'll take it. He's not going to insist that he stay in her way, especially if she doesn't really want him there. He's looking to get her to trust him, not to drive her away. She's got his number. That's enough.

"Call me," he says. "Even if it feels ridiculous. I'm a body guard. It's my job. You've got half an hour to meander your way back there and remember to do it, or I'm busting my way in on whatever you've found to do to relax, alright?" He raises both eyebrows, shooting her a look to make sure that his point has been made.

"Alright, alright!" She holds both of her hands up defensively. "I said I was going home, I'm going to go home. And I'll call you and go to bed, alright?" So over-protective, even if it was his job.

Faolan keeps the look pinned on her for a moment longer, trying to determine whether she's being serious or whether she's just humoring him, before he nods at last, apparently having determined that he's made it too difficult for her to be doing anything other than tell the truth. "Good girl," he says, with the quirk of a smile.

And yes, overprotective he is. Job or otherwise. He'd certainly be similarly overprotective if they were friends, although perhaps in different ways.

Her bottom lip purses for just a moment as she looks at him. It's nothing against him, it's just a knee-jerk reaction to being called a good girl. It tended to be Fagin's go-to complement for her, and to hear it from someone else so close to having been at his place, was a bit unsettling.

"Right." She finally says, and gives him a nod. "I'll text you. Thanks." Nancy starts to walk ahead, and then pauses. "And don't you dare follow me." With that, she starts off again.

Faolan shakes his head, aware that he's obviously made the wrong choice in words somehow but not aware enough to know why. He watches her walk off, waiting until she's out of sight before heading back himself.

He'll be waiting for that text, Nancy.

((ooc: obviously you're not obligated to have her text him, i just thought it would be fun to link his inbox in case you wanted to haha))

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I'VE BEEN A RAMBLER ALL MY LIFE (NOV CATCH-ALL)

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