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.]

Comments

[stauncherhearted]

Nancy stiffens, her knuckles white on her wine glass. "No," she says quietly. "You can't." Ignoring the Night Council's requests was bad news bears, especially now that Lance had gone so far out on a limb for her. She couldn't tell him not to, and by all means, the old devil deserved to rot in hell for all he'd done.

But there were so many others at risk, here.

"It's not me I'd be worried about." Her tone is even, if not quiet. She busies herself at the sink, not looking at Lance. She has her brothers to think about.

[knightscode]

"Then who?" he pushes, not moving any closer to her. Letting her have space to breathe in the heavy discussion. "I don't want to upset a boat and capsize the wrong people, Nancy, the more you can tell me the more careful I can be. I know it isn't... something you want to remember, but if there are people in trouble at least let me make sure I don't drown them alongside him."

That isn't what he wants to do at all. Sylvia might prefer to burn an entire building to get to one person if she has to, but he wouldn't.

[stauncherhearted]

Nancy presses her lips together, doesn't look at him. For the boys, she tells herself. Tell Lance, he'll keep them safe, just like he's done for her. She could trust him, he'd proven that.

She takes a drink.

"My brothers." They were as close to related to her as anyone else. She spent her entire life caring for them, as the older ones had cared for her. It was a cycle, to those of them that survived, that managed to keep out of jail. A few of them managed to break away. But not many.

[knightscode]

Brothers. He frowns a little, circling his drink as he studies her.

"They still work with him? Or live with him?"

Or both, he supposes. If Fagin has enough control over their lives it makes it impossible to escape, and sometimes that's how abusers work. They take control of each part of it until you're dependant on them for everything.

[stauncherhearted]

Lance has already guessed it, and she hangs her head.

"Both of 'em." He was an abusive bastard, grooming these children, using them and keeping them in near-squalor. Nancy barely got out, and even now she wasn't fully gone from this man. Most of her money still went to the boys.

"They're good- genuinely good lads." Don't hurt them, don't ruin their lives.

[knightscode]

"I can't help," he prompts, "if you don't talk to me about this. I don't want to get anyone hurt Nancy, but if I'm going to be looking into this and you think it'll put them in danger you need to help me. They won't trust me, I know that. But they trust you."

[stauncherhearted]

She closes her eyes, pressing her lips together again.

"Alright. They live and work with him. They're mostly orphans and runaways- but most of them are like us. Few of 'em are cursed." An accidental pack. "They don't know any better."

[knightscode]

It's about what he expected for an answer. He nods, frowning slightly in thought.

"Do you think they'd talk to me?"

If it would be safe for them to. He supposes it might not be, depending on how closely Fagin watches them.

[stauncherhearted]

Her life is exceptionally messy, Lance. And this is the part she tries to keep from most people. It's uncharted territory. All the same she knows the answer to his question right away.

"No." He's an outsider, someone they don't trust. Someone they don't know. "They love him, we all did." Her love had festered, grown into hate slowly over time. "They know if they say anything he'll hurt them. They want his approval more'n anything."

[knightscode]

Which is exactly what he feared, but at least that means it isn't a surprise.

"If they won't talk to me," Lancelot begins carefully, "would you talk to them for me? I understand they'll want to protect him, but if anyone can get through to him it would be you not me."

[stauncherhearted]

Nancy takes her time responding, looking at the floor. They loved her more than the bastard, she wanted to say. But she didn't feed or clothe them. She didn't rescue them from whatever has happened to them.

but she could.

She presses her lips together.

"I can't promise anything. But I'll try." If they could do something about this man, she wanted to do it. "Them hating me is a small price to pay, if I can save them."