gonna drink bacardi like it's yo birthday [nancy's 20]

[stauncherhearted]

Twenty. Gods, Nancy could hardly believe it. She didn't expect to still be here for this day, truth be told. She knew the sort of life she lived, and the sorts of people she associated with. But against all odds, here she was. Twenty-years-old by Fagin's count, and as wonderful as that was...

It was odd. She'd been a teenager for so long, and now she was officially a twenty-something. An adult, for real this time, not like when she'd turned eighteen.

It didn't exactly help that Charley Bates had decided it was a great idea to call her 'old'. She'd hit the back of his head for that, refusing to consider herself old. She was still so young, at least in comparison to those she spent most of her time around, people that were centuries older than her.

This, of course, caused her some angst. She hadn't particularly wanted to celebrate her birthday. It wasn't anything to be glad about. She was, as she realized, three years physically older than Cooper. And that just felt... weird. She knew, mentally, he was far older than she was. And as he always said she was stuck with him until she was old and grey, but...

Would he still love her, then, she wanted to know? How weird would it be, an haggard old woman next to this cute seventeen-year-old kid. A chill ran up her spine when she thought about it, comparing the wretch that Fagin was to her hypothetical-old-woman-self.

If she lived that long.

Still, people want to celebrate with her. Eames, wonderful Eames, had surprised her with tickets to go see a show on the West End, and taken her out to an amazing restaurant. She'd even brought cake over to the boys', knowing a few of them had saved up to get her something. Or, likely, stole it. But she didn't reach out, not really. If you were lucky enough to know it was her birthday, however, she'd happily entertain any and all plans. There was no need to be rude, after all.

---

Nancy's 20 aww yiss.
Uhm, this is an open post. A few starters in the comments. Want something specific? Please let me know!

Comments

caroline

[stauncherhearted]

Nancy is going to thank the wonder that is Facebook for the fact that Caroline had any idea it was her birthday at all. And, as the person closest to her age that she was friends with, a forever-seventeen vampire, and generally great, she felt like her birthday was as good an excuse as ever to see her.

So she invited her to the place she was using for work one night, thinking the two of them could come up with something to do. Be it hitting a bar, dancing, hell, netflix was on the menu. The plans beyond 'come over' she'd left in Caroline's capable hands.

After inviting her in and pouring them each a glass of wine, she looked over her friend. "Alright, do your worst. What do you have planned for this evening?" Please let it be manicures and terrible movies.

[vampire_barbie_girl]

Caroline's has come prepared. And in Caroline's mind, prepared means several large bags filled with as much as they could carry, as well as an itemized list of all the things they could do tonight.

"Okay, so here's what I've got," she announced, beaming. "We can do facials, manicures, and pedicures. I also brought make-up and hair accessories, to go with anything you have here. DVDs, because Netflix UK's selection sometimes sucks. Fashion magazines and some tabloids just for fun - don't worry, I didn't get Your Alternative Views because that paper is dead to me. I also have some jello shots in here somewhere and pretty much every time of junk food you could want. Oh, and cupcakes, with a birthday candle for one of them! Are we missing anything?"

[stauncherhearted]

Oh wow. This was... This was a lot. But you know what? A night of pampering fun was exactly what she needed. She and Kenzi used to do similar things, and she was surprised to find out just how much she missed it.

"Good lord- and the kitchen sink is in there, too, I suppose?" She asks with a laugh. "This seriously looks amazing- exactly what I needed, I think! Can I take a bag for you?" Seriously, how many did this woman have?

[vampire_barbie_girl]

"No, I figured you already had a kitchen sink," Caroline replies, laughing too. "And yes, that would be great." Thankfully, her vampire strength meant that she'd been able to carry them all without issue, but it was still a bit awkward to move around with them.

[stauncherhearted]

Without any more prompting, she reaches out to take a few bags from Caroline and move them over towards said kitchen sink.

"Welcome, by the way. You're the second person I've had over-" that wasn't a client "-so welcome to my new office." Eames had, after the fall of Midnight, given her the keys to the place, so that, now no longer being allowed at the Anglo, she could still have the comfort of a bed. It beat up against a wall or some dirty old mattress any day of the week.

Yes, she'd been that sort of prostitute, most nights. But now, she had an office.

And a place to go, if things went bad now that she was living full-time with Cooper.

[vampire_barbie_girl]

"I'm very honoured." Caroline looked around, checking the place out. It was pretty swanky, actually, with a modern design and layout. Caroline's apartment could have probably fit in it several times over. "It looks like a great place."

As usual, she tried not to think too much about the work that Nancy did here.

"Okay, so, what would you like to start with, birthday girl?"

[stauncherhearted]

"Thanks. I'm really, really lucky I'm able to use it." She would never not say nice things about Eames. He took care of her in a way that no one else really had before. Certainly not Fagin, at least.

He'd even taken her off the streets, so to speak.

Her nose wrinkles at the name. "I'm going to need several more drinks if you're going to keep calling me that, to start. Maybe put in a movie and start with the facials?" That way they had background music, could get their faces all nice and primped, then do makeup, hair, and drink all the while. Perfect!

[vampire_barbie_girl]

Caroline's one meeting with Eames did not go all that well. Perhaps one day, Nancy will have to arrange a second one, that will hopefully go better.

Caroline giggled at the protest. "Okay, Nancy, whatever you want. It's your party, after all. So, I've got When Harry Met Sally, The Princess Bride, and Mean Girls. And, of course, everything on Netflix. What sounds goods?"

[stauncherhearted]

One day! Because Eames is the best dad in the world, okay, okay?

Nancy makes a thoughtful noise. "Let's start with Mean Girls. I need to find out just how accurate an example of your high schools it is." Nancy had never been to school. When you don't legally exist, you don't have to deal with things like truancy officers.

[loveconquersdinosaurs]

The second Thomas heard it was Nancy's birthday, he knew he had to do something nice to her. He didn't really know what she'd want, but he'd seen her wearing jewelry, so he decided to buy her a necklace. He'd thought about baking her a cake, but realized someone might have already tried that. Also, being a creature of the night and on an entirely liquid diet, Thomas realized he had very little practice making food.

Now he was standing at Nancy's door, package in one hand and knocking with the other.

[stauncherhearted]

Thomas at her door is the last thing Nancy expects- so when she looks out the peep-hole to verify that it wasn't anyone that had somehow managed to get past her enchantments, she naturally assumed he wasn't here for her.

Opening the door, she smiled pleasantly. "Thomas- hi- Cooper's not in right now, but I can give him a call, if you'd like?" Why would he be here to visit her, after all? Cooper was the far more likely option, given the recent upheaval of the nest, and her boyfriend's position within it all.

[loveconquersdinosaurs]

It was a reasonable assumption, especially since Cooper had a tendency to keep an eye out for the younger vampires, Thomas included. Today, however, it was not Cooper he wanted to talk to.

"Actually," he said, holding up the wrapped present, "I heard it was your birthday. I didn't have any idea what you would want, but it was shiny so I bought it."

[stauncherhearted]

"What- who told you? I'm going to kill Cooper, I swear," she mutters, but gestures for him to enter. "Come on in- oh gods, you got me a present, too? Why on Earth would you do that for me?"

[vampire_barbie_girl]

"It is somehow both accurate and an exaggeration at the same time," Caroline assures her. "In fact, my ex called me a mean girl once, at my birthday party slash wake." She pauses, realizing how strange that sounds. "It was an interesting night."

[stauncherhearted]

Nancy raises an eyebrow incredulously. "Wow- that's, huh." To both the similarities and the party/wake.

"I can only imagine." Vaguely she wonders if the ex is Stefan, but she knows better than to ask. "I don't think you're a mean girl."

[vampire_barbie_girl]

"To be fair, he did add a sometimes after the description. Which in high school was probably accurate. I was also captain of the cheerleading squad, so it sort of came with the territory." It's not something Caroline is super proud of but she's come to terms with it. Just another thing she at least mostly grew out of when she became a vampire.

[stauncherhearted]

"You were Captain of the cheerleading squad?" Caroline, she realized, was the exact opposite of whom Kenzi had been. She was supposed to be the mean girl. But here she was, as sweet as could possibly be.

[knightscode]

Lancelot is, somewhat unofficially, something akin to Nancy's parole officer now. That means he has good reason to make sure everything is good well for her every so often, generally ask if she needs help with things and -- well, subtly make sure her home hasn't abruptly become a coven of dark magic.

Not that he's entirely sure he'd know if it had, but it's something of a participation award. He can plead ignorance while saying he tried, which is important in case it all goes wrong.

Forgiveness means, though, that Nancy exists more concretely than she used to. Forgiveness means she has a record which her no-quite-parole officer has access to, which includes her birthday.

It's something Lancelot had looked at but not really looked at until suddenly, he had, and become aware of the date and that it was soon. He doesn't really know if he knows Nancy well enough to buy her a present, unless it was alcohol -- actually, alcohol would probably work but he doesn't know if he should encourage that. So he settles on sending her a text, instead, asking if she has time to meet up for coffee. Richmond is now safe for her, no Daybreak witch is going to take issue, and if he casually meets her at the station he can then drag her somewhere a little nicer than Starbucks and feed her fiddly cakes that look slightly too perfect to eat.

He's waiting outside the entrance to the station with Lily, who is watching a busker extremely intently. Lancelot is trying not to smile, half wondering if she likes the music or loathes it.

[stauncherhearted]

She's anxious about approaching the station. She hasn't done anything wrong, she's not working- dressed in skinny jeans, her leather jacket now traded in for a worn-in pea coat as the weather got colder- but the fact is, she's still a prostitute and a thief approaching the police station. Of her own free will.

Ironic, she supposed, considering she'd worked closely with Lord Coward before in the past.

All the same, she doesn't really want to be seen by anyone here that may or may not recognize her from previous arrests- again, she'd worked closely with Lord Coward. It was easy to get her record erased in the outside world-, and does her best to stay hidden, hood of her coat up to hide her bright hair.

Luckily, the brusker seems to be taking most everyone's attention, so it's easy to get close to Lance before Lily spots her. Too happy to se Lily to wince, she approaches Lance now a bit less subtly, her hood still up. It'll come down when they step far enough away from the station.

"Hey," she greets them both, giving Lily a warm pet on the head. She's happy to have more of Lance in her life. He was a good man, and she owed him a great debt. The least she could do was let him buy her coffee every once in a while, or cook him a meal.

[vampire_barbie_girl]

Nancy's shock was quite amusing. "I know, I know, walking stereotype. Though I think the vampire thing adds a unique twist."

[stauncherhearted]

"A little something to it, yeah," she returns the smile easily.

"So, what do you need from me, to make this whole thing easier?"

[vampire_barbie_girl]

Caroline thought for a moment. "I think all I need is for you to get the DVD going. I'll get everything else unpacked."

[stauncherhearted]

"Fabulous." The technology Eames had around here was much fancier than she was used to, but even so, she managed to get the television working, along with the DVD without much difficulty. When the menu screen was merrily looping in the back, she settled herself down on the sofa.

"This is looking like a perfect birthday night so far."

[vampire_barbie_girl]

Caroline grinned. "We've hardly even gotten started."

She brought the facial stuff over and placed it on the coffee table. "So, we have four different masks, all from Lush, the sweetest smelling store around. You can have your pick of Cup O'Coffee, Oatifix, BB Seaweed, or Mask of Magnaminty!"

[loveconquersdinosaurs]

"It wasn't Cooper, I promise," he insisted. Cooper was entirely innocent and blameless here, after all, though he wasn't sure if he wanted to out the person who was responsible. "Why wouldn't I buy you a present?" he asked, stepping in once she gave him an invitation. "You're fun, it's your birthday, and since my sire's rich, so am I by default, so why wouldn't I buy people presents on their birthdays?"

Because he was absolutely not above using the copious wealth provided by being Lord Raith's progeny to buy things for himself and others.