(Untitled)

[jack_artful]

It wasn’t until Dodger had tumbled out of bed, hopped to the front door tugging his trousers on, stumbled outside with his hat in hand, shirt, waistcoat, cravat, and coat loose, rumpled, and untucked, and staggered out to Millbank street, with Westminster Abbey to his left, and the Thames in from him, that he realized something wasn’t right.  It

Comments

[haolehothead]

Danny's still getting adjusted to the clothes, but they follow a pretty straightforward principle for a guy already used to suits. Pants, jacket, coat, with another coat considering it's pretty damn cold and his blood still runs icy from Jersey, but it's gonna take a bit to adjust. "Look at you," he calls out to Jack. "You look right at home, kiddo."

[haolehothead]

"Okay, well, you are frightening me right now because I'd like to know where you got the money if you have it," Danny says, in a tone that implies that Jack won't like the punishment if it was stolen. "So, lemme ask. Do you have money? And if so, where'd you get it from?"

[jack_artful]

Dodger's mouth pressed into a line, eyebrows drawing together. He automatically took a step away, his fight or flight reflexes well-trained when faced with that kind of suspicion. "I don't got any money!" He said defensively, chin up. "That's the problem, ain't it?"

[haolehothead]

"Okay, okay, calm down," Danny insists, holding out both hands. "Hey, come on, what do you say we go to my place? Food's free there, you just have to be willing to be patient while I cook something up. That okay?"

[jack_artful]

Dodger chose not to mention that he could still acquire foodstuffs, money or not, especially with the way that Danny had reacted to the idea of nicking just a little money. "Yes. Just -" he paused, looking out over the Thames to where around the bend and a few bridges away Spitalfields would lie, next to Whitechapel. "I 'ave to see," he tried to explain, without giving away too much, "if the ol' gen'leman's residence is still there. First off."

[haolehothead]

"You want me to come with?" Danny asks, seeing as he'd rather ask for permission in this case. The last thing he needs or wants is to have Jack upset with him because he did something without asking -- which, yes, is his go-to habit, but he's trying to learn from that and grow as a person.

[jack_artful]

Dodger had to think about that for a moment, his brow furrowing as he considered the situation. They'd left Fagin's in Spitalfields all in a rush to Toby's lodgings on Jacob's Island when Dodger gave word that Nancy had peached. Bill had stomped off after her, with Fagin warbling behind not to be too violent - and Dodger started to realize just what he'd done. But they'd had to leave, and quick, because Nancy had sent the police to Fagin's den, and the thought of the traps coming for them had stricken Dodger's mind with fear

[haolehothead]

"Hey," Danny says brightly, clapping Jack on the shoulder as he starts to walk them in the direction that he'd mentioned before. This is more than he'd expected, so he's going to take advantage of it every minute he gets. "See? That wasn't so hard, now, was it?"

[jack_artful]

Dodger wasn't entirely sure. "Just don't say anythin', aye? No questions, for certain." Having a bodyguard against the traps and Fagin's conniving ways was one thing, but Dodger was skeptical of Danny's ability to keep his mouth shut, especially when faced with the reality of the slums and the old fence. Most importantly, Dodger wasn't quite ready to answer the questions Danny would undoubtably have.

[haolehothead]

"No questions," Danny repeats after Jack. He might have to pipe up if something isn't to his liking, but that's just Danny being Danny. He's never fully shut up about anything in his life outside of Grace being born. "But if things start going bad, I'm yanking you out of there. Got it?"

[jack_artful]

Dodger nodded, twitching his hat back on his head, gut twisting with nervousness as they headed down the Strand. Still, he fell easily into his old manner of walking, hands in his pockets, a confident, casual stroll, dodging carriages and scanning booths and passersby for pickpocketing possibilities - he wouldn't actually steal anything with a policeman by his side, but old habits die hard. Then, just when they were drawing up to Temple Bar, where the Strand would become Fleet Street, and take them to the old City and to Spitalfields beyond, they were suddenly... back in Westminster, just north of Millbank.

"Cor." Dodger said dumbly, staring around him, feeling topsy turvy all over again.

[haolehothead]

"Hey," Danny calls out to Jack when a momentary thought catches him off-guard and he takes long strides to catch up to the other boy. "No falling back into old habits. Right?" he clarifies, giving him a stern look that says there might be consequences if he does.

[jack_artful]

Dodger readily touched the brim of his hat and nodded deferentially, another old habit, but his mind was still trying to grasp the realization that he couldn't go to Spitalfields, or even Fleet Street, or anything at all past the Strand. An Island-London consisting only of Westminster - it was the dream of many a gentleman on Pall Mall, Dodger didn't doubt. Still, he wasn't disappointed, just... stunned, just like this whole facsimile of London in its entirety had shaken him.

"It's just this?" He asked, looking around, somehow almost affronted that the Island could think to look like London and then ignore the more colourful parts of town.

[haolehothead]

"I don't think they made it exactly after your home, if it's any consolation," Danny points out, coming to a stop right behind Jack. He keeps his hands in his pockets and surveys the city in front of them, pressing his lips together as if in quiet apology to Jack for the lack of familiarity. "It's still nice, though, right?"

[jack_artful]

"Too nice to be mine." Dodger agreed, twitching his hat back. He was growing more steady with this - the more different it was, the easier it was, somehow - if instead of a warped mirror, it was somebody else's image. "Very nice."