upon the hill he'll hear my secrets -- open post for october

[freelife]

[general open post for Shea's characters. Starters in the comments! Feel free to leave something, or contact me at sheakespeare for something specific.]

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Early October, Lance

[stauncherhearted]

She was a free witch, baby, and it was all thanks to Lancelot du Lac. As such, Nancy had taken over Eames' old flat in Canary Warf, the one she was slowly now outfitting for business. She still wasn't sure about the status of her former Enfield flat, and it wasn't right to invite a Guardian to Cooper's home. That was stupid, even she knew that. And while she trusted Lance with her life now, she couldn't so easily say the same about Cooper and Lance.

So here she was, working on a glass of gin while she cooked, the entire apartment smelling like garlic and cheese. A lasagna was in the oven, and bread was on the small table, waiting for Lance to arrive. She wanted to thank him properly for giving her a second chance at life, a clean record.

And for his sake, she'd do her best to avoid getting any blemishes on that record. But that didn't mean she would stop.

When Lance arrives, she greats him with a warm hug, practically throwing herself at him in thanks. "You made it!"

[knightscode]

He laughs brightly as she hurls herself at him, letting his arms loop around her in turn -- as much to keep her steady as anything else.

"I did!" he confirms, "of course. Normally I'm the one cooking for everyone else. I could hardly resist the offer for someone to do it in turn! It smells good, too."

Gently releasing her he puts some space between them, waiting to be waved in and told where to put himself.

"If there's anything I can help with, please -- don't let me be idle."

Lancelot does like to fuss, after all. He isn't used to being fussed over when it comes to food.

[stauncherhearted]

"Thank you!" She gushes, settling back down on both feet. She waved him in. "Here- pour yourself a glass, then." She waves towards where she's got glasses set on the counter.

"Yeah- had to learn to cook early." Between the boys and then Bill, there were a million reasons to learn how to cook. So she did, and now that she had been living on her own, and again with Cooper, it was a good skill to have. "So now you can enjoy the benefits of it." She smiles.

"I hope you don't mind Italian. I think I've made enough you'll be able to take some home with you, too." she didn't actually know what his cooking skills were, so for all she knew, a thirty-something community officer bachelor probably defrosted a lot of things in his microwave.

[knightscode]

"Italian is good! Don't underestimate how much I can eat, though."

He grins playfully and shoves his hands into his pockets as he ambles in, pauses by the counter and glances at the glass before pouring himself a small amount to drink. He'll probably nurse it the whole night, he doesn't drink too often so he doesn't want to risk getting horrifically drunk.

"This is a nice place."

Early October, Lance, Eames & Dogs

[stauncherhearted]

So Eames wanted to meet the man that had done what she'd thought was impossible. That was totally fine with her, because Eames deserved to meet Lance, and Lance should meet Eames, and you know what else? Both of these men had amazing dogs that certainly would help the two of them get along.

Honestly, besides the fact that Lance worked for the Night Council, she didn't see why they wouldn't get along.

So when Eames said he wanted to meet Lance, she readily agreed, under the condition that she come along, just in case. Hopefully this case of men-in-her-life-meeting would go far better than her dinner party. Regardless, she'd brought them both to a cafe, picking out a table outside for the three of them to sit at and get to know each other, and for the dogs to sniff each other's butts.

She was quite sure she'd made a good choice, enjoying the fall sun. Proudly, she'll smile back and fourth between the two men, occasionally petting a dog, waiting for them to really make the first move. She was just here to watch, really.

[falsify]

Eames is here with a latte and a dog by his feet; there's a bowl of water for Boxer, but mostly he seems interested in Lily. Sat straight, having positioned himself between Eames and Lily, watching her until she makes her intentions clear. Is she a friend, is she going to try to hurt him? Eames seems pretty relaxed, but he is not a dog he doesn't see everything.

Meanwhile, at table level, Eames has some regrets about his coffee. In hindsight maybe he should've just gotten a black coffee instead. But it's here now and it's not bad, so he takes a sip while he regards Lancelot for a moment, carefully pushing everything he already knows about the man to the back of his mind to avoid any slip-ups.

"So. I hear you got Nancy a pardon from the Council."

Best to get straight to it, right?

[knightscode]

Lancelot is alternately sipping a flat white coffee and fussing over Lily, who is fussing between him and Nancy -- variously making absolutely sure nobody has any food they're hiding from her. Boxer is not particularly a big interest her, since he isn't barking and isn't moving and also doesn't have food. She's just starting to settle, and finally turn to watch Boxer now there's definitely no food -- Lancelot's fingers fussing with her ruff until the question makes him pause. He recognises Eames, distantly from somewhere. Probably one of the many supernatural events he's been to. Which one, though? Not recently, for certain. Last year, maybe?

"Yes," he answers, still turning it over in his head. "I thought it seemed a better choice than trying to hide her and being arrested myself."

[stauncherhearted]

This was gonna be great. Nancy's own latte sits in front of her. Each hand is occupied by a dog, because they are good dogs, yes, yes they are. The best dogs, and though Nancy's love of Juliet reigned supreme, she did love some pups.

Juliet, for the record, was living with Cooper right now quite happily.

"He didn't hide me," she assures Lance. She never told him where she'd been, just that she'd had someone she was staying with, the same thing she told the Night Council. And so far, she really did like staying with Cooper. But that was besides the point.

She looks over at Eames, "I didn't think he could do it." But he did. He'd stayed by her side the whole time, kept her as calm as he could.

Early October, Arthur

[freelife]

One of the other hunters had let her in, hardly trusting the vampire. Evie didn't blame them: she was a vampire, in broad daylight, approaching Hillingdon under a white flag. She introduced herself, stating she wanted to speak with the leader of Hillingdon. They'd let her sit in a sort of sitting room while they'd dashed off to find one of their leaders.

Evie had been here before, nearly a hundred years ago. Like the rest of London, so much had changed, but so much had changed. Usually, she would have wandered, looking at the room, but in order to appear as unthreatening as she possibly could, she remained on the couch, her hands neatly folded in her lap. Hopefully, this would go easy.

When Arthur rounds the corner, however, she stands, extending a hand in greeting- her sleeve pushed up showing she has no hidden blade on. "Sir- my name is Evie Frye. I'm the Countess of Clerkenwell, and I come here to speak to you about a common enemy." Completely transparent, in the name of making the hunters feel safe in her presence.

[specifiercity]

Arthur hasn't been at this post very long, and he certainly isn't used to being called on to see visitors to the house. Sure, it's part of the reason he sticks around, to be available and all that, but that doesn't mean he feels entire prepared the first few times it happens. This is one of those times.

He plays it off though, striding in confidently with a light frown on his face as he looks to see if he recognizes the person here to see him. He doesn't, but she introduces herself right away, and his frown becomes suspicious and hesitant as he shakes her hand and then steps back.

"Countess," he says, gesturing to the chair she got out of. That's a designation one would get if they were from the nest. "Please, sit down."

[freelife]

Evie raises an eyebrow. "Please- you don't need to call me Countess. If you were going to be that formal, I'd insist on something else entirely." She's not just going to casually drop that she's a dame. "Just Evie will do, or Ms. Frye if you're apt enough." She doesn't care one way or another, being a relatively formal woman herself.

She crosses her legs and leans back into the chair.

"Hillingdon is as lovely as always. But as I've stated, I've come here on business. I come with a proposal."

[specifiercity]

Arthur likes that she's all business. Saves him the trouble of any small talk. His expression is neutral and unreadable as he watches her, wondering what she could possibly be approaching them with and idly wondering as well what her previous business with Hillingdon has been. They've never been the type to keep records of things.

"Please, go ahead. I'm all ears."

After the Night's Pardon- Cooper

[stauncherhearted]

Nancy's cheeks were flushed when she opened the door to Cooper's flat. Breathless with excitement she reached for the first thing she could to share the good news. She'd been pardoned! Of all crimes, even ones they had no idea she had committed. Norrell, voter fraud, it was all pardoned. Every last bit.

Still dressed as young and demurely as possible from the trial, the only addition was a bit of alcohol on her breath as a way to calm her nerves after. "Cooper! Good news!" She cried, moving towards where she was sure her boyfriend was. He'd be happy for her, right?

[emotioneater]

Cooper sat at the dinner table, arms folded across his chest and a beer half-finished sitting in front of him. One of the vampires who had been ordered to tail Nancy had called him a few hours ago and told him how she had gone to the Night Council to be pardoned. His stomach had clenched at the very thought. Either they'd take pity on her and pardon her or they'd exile her the same way they had Abby. He didn't think they'd actually kill her. At least, he hoped they wouldn't.

When he heard the front door open, he gave a sigh of relief. She was still here, thank God. Things had gone in her favor. When she approached him, there was a clear frown on his face. He didn't use any pet names or tried to beat around the bush. Right now, he was mad at her, and it showed. "Where've you been?"

[stauncherhearted]

Her eyes widened, taking in the sight before her. "B- Cooper," she gasped. Gingerly, she took a step forward, her hands clasped before her. What had she done? This couldn't have been about the Night Council- she hadn't told him, because he'd react just like this. So what was going on?

...Was it work related?

Her first inclination is to lie to him- to say she was out with a friend, at the shops, but with her mid-length skirt and cardigan, it was hardly her casual wear. He'd see through it in an instant. And she wanted to tell him so badly her good news. That she was pardoned.

Maybe she could draw his attention elsewhere, other than to whatever it was that had upset him. A tight smile appeared over her lips this time. "That's what I wanted to tell you, Cooper." She reached a hand out towards him. He could be happy for her, right?

[emotioneater]

"You didn't answer the question." Rather than reaching for her hand, he folded his arms across his chest. In someone who looked older, it might have been intimidating, but looking as young as he did, it just made Cooper look sulky and petulant.

If she was hiding this from him, what else hadn't she been telling him about? All those times she'd claimed to be going off for work or to go out with friends, had she really been going somewhere else? There was a certain amount of trust he knew they'd need in their relationship, especially given the line of work she was in. He didn't ask about the men she slept with, knowing she always came home to him. But if she was hiding something as big as getting pardoned, it put suspicion into his mind.

Despite his anger, he didn't feel his temper really rising up, not the way it had when he had broken one of her client's hands. That was anger borne of jealousy. This was more internal and with a longer fuse.

Lunch Date

[longterm]

It's the day of their lunch together and Cesare isn't entirely sure if he should feel apprehensive or not. Their new impending social dynamic is certainly a shift from how it was before and, quite frankly, Cesare doesn't know if the two of them are capable of keeping to it. Old habits die hard after all and Cesare has had a long time to form his habits.

But he gives it a solid shot, organizing their meal as if he were doing it for a friend, reserving a table at one of the most expensive restaurants in London and actually putting in the effort to turn up on time (with Nancy, normally, the time tended to be whatever he said it was).

He's looking at the set menu for the day, a glass of wine in hand when he peers over to Nancy.

"The chefs here are top notch." See? Polite conversation. Friendly conversation. Cesare's trying. Even if he has a particularly strong urge to slip his hand under the table to touch her.

[stauncherhearted]

This is new for her. She's not used to friends. She should be, having amassed quite a few over the past year or so, but it's so strange to be going out with them to places like this. Usually it was cheap coffee shops, or one of their homes. It was her johns that took her to nice places, and that was for dinner.

This was lunch.

Nancy's only gotten as far as the wine list, before she's ordered the cheapest thing on the menu.

"I'm sure they are," she says, looking over the fancy sorts of food that they serve here. She ordered simple things, even when she was out to nice places on someone else's dime. But she knew very well now that she was paying for her half of the meal, because that's what friends did.

"Cesare- they don't have any prices on here."

[longterm]

Cesare rolls his eyes a little. He's not remotely worried about prices and he doesn't think that Nancy should be either. After all, if he pays for her, what of it? Wealthy friends don't split bills, at least his don't. Not when money is so little of an issue to them. They just take turns paying.

"Let's not worry about that today, shall we?" He notices himself already shifting into a more authoritative mode, and he stops himself, adding: "Don't worry about it. I'll handle it this time." In a lowered voice. Stop worrying, Nancy. It's no big deal. Seriously.

Late October, evening - for Nancy

[vampire_barbie_girl]

Gwen had gotten Caroline hooked on Caffè Nero. It might even be better than Starbucks. She'd come in almost every night for the last couple of weeks - but this time, she at least wouldn't be drinking alone. She'd promised to tell Nancy the story of her romantic escapades, after all, so Caroline had invited her out for a cup.

She arrived first and ordered her favourite chai latte, before finding a table near the back, where they might at least be able to pretend to have some privacy.

[stauncherhearted]

It didn't t take too long for Nancy to arrive at the cafe. She gave Caroline a hasty wave before she stood in line. Once her drink was securely in her hands, Nancy came over to the back table and held her arms out for a hug.

"Caroline, hey! How are you, love?" She asked as she took a seat once the hug was complete. Removing her leather jacket, Nancy placed it on the back of her chair, but elected to leave her hoodie on. She wore minimal makeup, something Caroline wouldn't have seen before, as most nights when they'd met up she'd been dressed for going out one way or another. Tonight she was in skinny jeans and trainers.

[vampire_barbie_girl]

"Hey, glad you could make it. I'm doing good, you?"

Nancy looked a lot younger without all her make-up, though Caroline supposed most people did. It was a good look on her.

"I am slowly becoming obsessed with this place! They should warn you, one cup and boom - addicted!"

Look who's back!

[vampire_barbie_girl]

It's been a few nights since Caroline ran into Kyle again. The first night she'd spent thinking deep thoughts and then drowning her sorrows. The second night had been a lot of the same. She worked the next two and so had to pull herself together a bit. Tonight, a local band was playing at Rhapsody, so she was off the hook and so she found herself knocking on Cooper and Nancy's door.

[stauncherhearted]

Nancy was half-way through doing her hair when she heard the knock. Cooper was doing Nest things, and Nancy had been getting ready for work. But that was pushed to the side when she saw who was at the door.

"Caroline! come in!" She ushered her in. "How are you, love?" She wraps her arms around her immediately. She thinks she knows the answer. "Let me get you a drink. What can I get you?"

[vampire_barbie_girl]

Hugs were nice and just what Caroline needed in that moment. Especially given a decision she'd made before she got here. "Just water would be fine. I want to keep a clear head, at least for a bit."

She gave Nancy a small, tight smile. "Not sure if you know this, but Kyle's back in town."