undergrounds | [Backdated to 17th April + closed to Nancy] "Family" Fun

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[Backdated to 17th April + closed to Nancy] "Family" Fun

[Fagin made it very clear that celebrating Easter was not for him. Bringing in chocolate eggs and other sweets? No, not for him at all, but all for his boys, his good boys who did the work he asked them. Easter wasn't his holiday - though it can't be said that Fagin recognized the Passover all that well either, for as much as he would proclaim Easter was his treat to them.]

[Still... least the chocolate's alright.]

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Plummy and Slam!

[it wasn't the first time Nancy had set foot in the den since Dodger had told her Fagin was done with her. Not that it mattered much- she tried not to rely on him for anything now, and had nearly since Bill had been arrested. But he'd made it very clear to Dodger that he was done with her.

Good.

Fuck him.

But that didn't mean that Nancy was done with her brothers. They were her family, they looked out for her, she looked out for them. She brought them ridiculous amounts of takeaway every week thanks to Eames, came to visit and played with them. She took them out on trips around the city, held them when they cried. She did what Fagin refused to do. She did what family was supposed to do.]

Nancy! [Came the chorus of a bunch of boys inside the den as they swung the door open for her and met the young woman with hugs.]

Alright, alright, settle down you lot.

[She laughs and lets them hug her, makes small talk with them until at last she's free of the needing arms of preteen boys.] So funny thing happened on my way over here- I ran into the Easter Bunny.

[Without hesitation, she reaches into her bag and pulls out scads of Easter candy. Favorites for all of her boys, as she called them to herself. Let them gorge themselves on candy today. They deserved it.] Don't eat it all in one place! [she warns anyway.] There's still supper to be had!

[Dodger remained sitting at his seat, watching with a grin and a laugh as the other rushed Nancy to get at the chocolate and other sweets she had brought along for them. Supper was... Well, it wasn't likely to be much other than a sausage each so at least the sweets were something. (Fagin had been in a right mood as of late, and he wasn't exactly sure what had caused the old man's mood. He got like that sometimes, anyway.)]

You alright, Nance?

'course I am.

[Her accent, the way she speaks, all of it tends to take a sharp turn downward when she's around her brothers.]

Pour me a drink, will you, love?

[She knows what's caused Fagin's mood. Or, to a degree. She assumes it's her- they've barely shared a word since she walked in the door and she'd like to keep it that way.]

[He nods, getting the gin and pouring more than a fair amount out for her]

How's work been?

[It takes Nancy a moment to remember he's actually asking about her real, legal job.]

Thanks, love.

[She takes a drink.]

It's good! Nice, steady, real job.

That's good.

[He nods, sure that's the small talk portion of the evening out of the way. He glances over at the rest of the lads, still fighting over the sweets and goding one another into eating too much for their own good. Usually he'd be right there with them - these little competitions were always good for a laugh - but he's not been feeling much like it as of late.]

[He's quiet when he speaks again, but he knows Nancy will wonder about the whereabouts of Fagin, even if she doesn't like asking]

Old man buggered off about half an hour ago. Said he needed proper company.

Proper company

[Nancy scoffs and rolls her eyes.] So he's at cripples, then. Good for him, the coward. Can't even face me.

[She takes more gin and laughs darkly.]

That's good news, then. When Bill gets out we can wash our hands of the devil at long last.

[The boys would keep her there. They all knew it. she could never leave them with Fagin.]

[When Bill gets out... If Fagin wasn't there to get him before the rest of them. If Fagin hadn't decided to go along there tonight. He knew some of the pigs inside, they owed him favours.]

Can't ever be rid of him, Nance, not anytime soon.

I know.

[It wasn't fair.]

Bill said he'd kill him. Last time we spoke. Blames him for it all, and he's right. [it was nice to openly talk about him.]

as long as you lot are still around, you know I can't get free. not fully.

We wouldn't make you stay. Not if you made it clear you wanted out.

[They both know that to make it clear involved breaking hearts]

[Nancy, for what it's worth, gives him a hard look, her brow creasing.]

And leave the lot of you t'deal with him? Never. What would you do without the takeaway dinners, hmm? [By the end of the thought, her voice has taken on a teasing tone. There was a tightness behind it all, one Dodger would recognize.]

[He recognized it, but decided it would be better to play to the teasing. As always]

We ain't that helpless. Reckon we'd be alright. For a week.

[She laughs over her glass.] Yeah, a week.

Gods know I wouldn't have made it if I hadn't had Bill.

[There are many comments he could make to that. So very many. But then again... Bill had been the main one to go out and graft and get things in for the rest of them. Back when he was younger. He couldn't lie and say that Bill had never done anything for the rest of them]

Least Fagin ain't here right now.

Yeah? for how long. knowing my luck he'll be back drunk as hell and looking to give me a piece of his mind.

[last time she'd wound up in the hospital]

[He can't disagree with that]

We won't let him

I know you won't.

[Last time they'd been the ones to take her to the hospital. But there hadn't been anything they could have done against Fagin's wrath.

At times, it was worse than Bill's ever had been.]

[When Fagin was in a mood, they all suffered]

Anythin' been happenin' in your world of respectablity then?

My world of respectability, is it, now?

[She raises an eyebrow at him, grinning.]

Mind you, I don't let him spoil me. Ain't something I have any interest in. [She'd let him buy her a new phone- hers had been an old phone, cracked and scratched. Now she had the newest iphone.]

[He grins back, and tilts his head]

'Less it's food. We all got interest in bein' spoiled with food

And alcohol, [she agrees, holding up her glass to demonstrate before drinking.]

Maybe some shoes. [She giggles.]

Ain't so much into the shoes, myself. But I'll agree with you on the gin front. [He poured himself some from the bottle, raising his glass in a mock tribute]

Hell yeah, [she agrees, and clinks her glass against his.]

Think you can get me one'a those Cadbury eggs? [she points to some of the candy that still had yet to be touched by the boys.]

[He looks over and glances back, giving her a look that implies it's child's work. He stands, stretches, and walks over, going to each of the lads in turn and talking to them. It's about 15 minutes before he comes back to sit at the table, turning out his pockets to reveal a small pile of goodies - and a Cadbury egg]

[Nancy watches with a smile on her face, drinking her gin as she watches him work. She can't hear him, over the din of sugared-up children, but she has to wonder if he's just straight up asking for them to donate sweets to their favorite lady.

Still, when he comes back, she grins and laughs proudly.] And that, love, is why we call you Artful. The rest of 'em best learn to recognize when their own tricks is being pulled against 'em.

[There's a wide grin, and he grabs some chocolate to have himself]

Need to practice more, that's what. Mind you, still take them ages to catch up to me.

Oh, of course. You've got a gift for it. Above and beyond anything I've seen.

[She starts to unwrap the delicious chocolate egg from it's foil.]

Glad you got one of the creme ones. The caramel ones are fine and all, but I like the creme best.

[He nods in agreement, biting into his own creme egg]

Can have caramel anytime. These are once a year.

Exactly. [She grins and takes a bite.]

They're too good. Really, should be outlawed.

We'd only eat 'em more if that happened.

Exactly. And we can't have that, can we?

'Course not. I like my teeth an' it's hell gettin' this lot to remember to brush theirs.

[She laughs, pausing to drink just a bit more. Gin wasn't the right drink for the eggs, that much was clear. But that was a sacrifice she was willing to make. A delicious, alcoholic sacrifice.]

Yeah? You're the one picking up my slack, then?

[He gives a very mock serious look]

It's a sacrifice I'm willin' to make.

Oi!

[Nancy reacts, reaching out to smack him on the upper arm.]

Rude, ain't you?

'Course I am. If I weren't, wouldn't be me.

Nope, I'm not going to argue against that.

[He laughs]

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[Backdated to 17th April + closed to Nancy] "Family" Fun

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