undergrounds | MABON } 22nd September


The times, they are a'changing. But in this case, it's the same way they change every year. The 22nd of September is the Autumn Equinox, and aside from it being a great time for witches to get up to all sorts of shady shit with fae, it's time for the seasonal change in power between the two Courts. And in typical Fae fashion, this event is to be marked with a hugely ostentatious party. They've taken over Crystal Palace Park for a party that'll be going near on 24 hours. The trees are lit with twinkling lights, and many fae have chosen to forgo their glamours — some are indescribably beautiful, others monstrous, and quite a few... Well, they look more or less human, but obviously it doesn't bother them and it shouldn't bother you either! There is dancing, flirting, and laughter. And the drinks and food are free flowing. Slipping between realms is also extremely easy, but there's been strict instruction not to steal any mortals tonight or there'll be hell to pay. This also marks the first official appearance of Eames as the Lord of Autumn, (it's not something he could readily get out of, you see,) so expect plenty of gossip about how odd it is he seems to shy away from his title, his obsession with mortals, and how very un-Fae it is of him to cancel the hunt.
	The RULES are as follows: All vampires must have a fae chaperone. The open invite does extend to vampires, but we can't just have them walking around doing whatever they like, can we? In addition, drinking blood is strictly forbidden. Consensual or not, any vampire found drinking blood within a half mile radius of the park will be killed. It's just not good manners. Violence is also forbidden. It's just not fun for everyone. If you really need to have it out with someone, challenge them to a duel. The children's playground has been made into a duelling area with guards to make sure it all goes smoothly. There are weapons available and they're all very medieval.
That's about it, they aren't a very rule-heavy bunch and honestly just want to have a fun night.

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Nancy shakes her head. "I don't know- if it were my best case scenario we would never have met, Cesare. Because I would haven't ever have been in this position." She gestures at herself.

Imagining a future, from where she was at this moment... it seemed impossible.

Cesare doesn't even blink. Of course she'd wish she'd never met him. Who in their right mind dreams of being a whore? But that wasn't an option he had given her to respond with. He replies immediately, correcting her.

"That's not what I asked. I asked from now on, not what you wish had happened instead. Neither of us can change the past." So maybe you can stop sassing him about his party night too, please, Nancy. Thank you.

Damn it she needs a drink, especially with the way he speaks to her. It makes her want to hang her head in shame, to beg forgiveness. But she doesn't.

"Right now, I'd settle for you to be in it. I don't know how, and maybe I'm stupid, but somehow, you're there." She exhaled, crossing her arms in front of herself again. Happy, now?

Yes, that's a lot better. Thank you. Cesare leans back in his seat, assessing.

"And am I a client, a colleague or what?" He wants to know if she's still interested in his patronage, or if he should be taking on more of a different role. As an adviser or someone who's there to help her, perhaps. Cesare's used to helping others. He helps Nancy often normally anyway. She just pays him back in a very specific way. Maybe they need to change that.

She doesn't know. She doesn't know at all, because she doesn't know even what she wants from here. She wants to be with Cooper- she wants Bill back- she wants to get married and have a family. In her best case scenario, however, she wasn't a prostitute, that much was clear.

"Colleague, maybe even a friend." Why was she telling him this? She should go find Cooper, pretend this whole thing never happened.

Cesare raises an eyebrow and laughs slightly.

"A friend," he repeats. It's an odd request, considering their past. Nancy and Cesare are a lot of things, but he doesn't consider "friends" to be one of them. His friends are the rich, reckless types who drink up until the sun rises and play hefty games of politics between fae blood sprees. Cesare doesn't claim that they're perfect, but they're certainly not like Nancy.

"What would Cooper think about that?" Part of him thinks Cooper would prefer it if Cesare were just a john. It would be less complicated.

"I told you I don't know, Cesare." He's not allowed to laugh at her innocent thoughts. He pressed her for information, and a scared 19-year-old answered. She's a child in so many ways, and far too old in all the others.

As for Cooper...

"It doesn't matter what he thinks." Because she can have her own life, her own friends. It was all hypothetical. "He doesn't control my life."

Cesare quirks an eyebrow.

"How certain are you about that?" he asks. He doesn't believe for one second that Cooper is allowing her to make her own choices without his input. Nancy is the type to need direction, at least that's how Cesare has always considered her. He doubts Cooper is just letting her do as she pleases. Not that easily, anyway."

Nancy doesn't even blink.

"extremely," she tells him, and the fact she visited Cesare at all after the party should have been proof of that. If she let Cooper control her, she probably wouldn't be working anymore. But he didn't. And she was proud of that, even if it left her feeling somewhat adrift in the grand scene of things.

Sorry. Nope. Cesare still isn't convinced. The fact that Nancy had to visit him in secret is proof enough for her that Cooper is controlling her on some level.

"Then I guess we'll find out," he replies calmly. "Have lunch with me. As a friend." Nancy all but said she doesn't want him as her client, so Cesare is happy to grant that. Let's see if friendship works and find out how much it makes Cooper squirm.

Nancy considers the offer for not at all. "Alright. Lunch as friends." She could do it- she was a personable person and found it easy to get along with most people. They could have lunch. As friends.

"where would you like to go?"

"Le Gavroche" Cesare replies instantly. It's expensive, has good food and a fantastic reputation, and is a little old fashioned, not that Cesare entirely notices that. Instead it subconsciously draws him in.

"Their duck is exceptional."

He quietly hopes that she dresses appropriately, but he doesn't instruct her. After all, you don't dress a friend.

"Alright- Wednesday, then. Say... one?" Look at that, she totally has this down. She's gonna be the best friend you've ever had, Cesare.

...even if she has yet to dump a body in the Tiber for you.

Duck. great- she'd likely be sticking to something far less expensive. Like a salad, maybe.

That's not entirely how fixed menus work, but that's fine, Nancy. Cesare will sort it when they're there. As a friend, of course.

"When?" he asks, trying to give her some of an opportunity to make her own decisions. It marks a definite shift from how he normally treats her, where he picks a time and a place and she's almost always there when he wants her.

Nancy considers this for a moment. "Wednesday alright? at one?" She had no idea what the restaurant was and what their hours were.

She hardly notices that he's letting her make decisions, she's so determined she can do this.

"Perfect," Cesare replies. "Wednesday. At one. Le Gavroche." He smirks, barely resisting the urge to say it's a date. He wonders how many johns of hers Nancy has gone to lunch with. He suspects it isn't too many, particularly if there's no payment made beforehand.

"I wonder if we'll hate each other," he says with a smirk. After all, there's certainly a possibility. They don't truly know each other much at all. Not in a sociable sense, at least.

Nancy usually doesn't do lunches with johns. Given the nature of her work on multiple levels, it's usually strictly dinner and she's desert.

Or, as it was more often now, a quick swig from a flask.

"Well, we'll certainly find out, won't we?"

MABON } 22nd September

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