i got street savoire faire

arthur's the name, dodging's the game twenty-one and looking fine

[its-theartfuldodger]

tj-detweiler​:

“it stands for theodore jasper but i hate that. my parents gave me both their fathers names and i call it a lack of good judgement” he shrugged with a smirk on his face. “well me time is important after all. and you can take part in me time with a hookup so look at you being a self care king” he pointed out, flicking up his eyebrow and taking a sip of his drink “depends. i have different deals but today i’m here on my lonesome. i have a few days off work and plan to drink the time away. my other friends are off being responsible for once”

~

“Yeah man, I get that. I mean, my folks named me ‘Arthur’, like I’m some kinda medieval king or nearsighted aardvark or some shit,” Arthur said with a sympathetic nod. “Theodore Jasper’s gonna look real good on some business card one day I bet. That kinda name commands respect.” He saluted the guy with his glass. “You want a drinking buddy for those days? If your friends aren’t available, that is.” He smirked faintly as he took a drink.

[its-theartfuldodger]

a-clever-cat​:

“Right. Right. Family matter.” he bit his lip, “cause that’s why you weren’t just acting like I’m the only way out of this. So, that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to get us out of this. Get Fagin out of this”

~

“Shit, kid, I wasn’t trying to make you feel like it was all up to you. I just wanted you to contribute using the means and wealth you already have access to,” Arthur said, shaking his head as he ran a hand over his hair. “Nowhere did I say you had to take care of this on your own. It’s not all up to you.”

[its-theartfuldodger]

a-clever-cat​:

“That’s not something you need to concern yourself with” Oliver shook his head. pulling the plate of food back in his direction, though still not going back to eating anything on it. “Just know it’ll get done and I will make all our problems disappear, Dodge” 

~

“Yeah, no, we’re not doing that,” Arthur said, reaching forward to pull Oliver’s plate back toward him to keep the kid’s attention. “We’re in this together. You’re not going off and doing anything on your own. You’re not on your own. That’s the whole point. This is a family matter and we’re going to take care of it, as a family.”

[its-theartfuldodger]

a-clever-cat​:

She’ll forgive you for it. Arthur’s words were an attempt to be reassuring, and in a way Oliver knew they were true, even if they shouldn’t be. Jenny shouldn’t forgive him for it. Not really. Especially not if she knew the truth about what happened to it. “That’s because Jenny is a good person” 

He bit his lip at the look the older male gave him when he’d mentioned robbing a bank and then quickly followed it up  saying that wasn’t something they were going to do. 300K was a lot of money. Probably somewhere close to something between 280 and 290k with the stated contributions. “Yeah, whatever. Like I said, I’ll get the money.” 

~

Arthur gave Oliver a look. “How exactly are you going to come up with 280k on your own?” he asked, wondering if the kid was going to steal from the Foxworth’s after all. He didn’t touch on the ‘Jenny is a good person’ thing, wondering if that was a dig to himself for not being a good person. He knew he probably wasn’t one, but he also wasn’t the worst so he didn’t lose much sleep over it.

[its-theartfuldodger]

tj-detweiler​:

“lucky me” he smiled and took a sip of his drink. “call me pretty boy all you want but my name’s tj. good to now you plan on sticking around for a while then. so how come you’re over here, your friends abandon you?”

~

“TJ, huh? That stand for something or were your parents just that creative?” Arthur asked with a grin, thinking he liked this guy. He shrugged at the question of his friends. “Nah, I’m not here with anyone. Just thought I’d take some me time, you know? Maybe see what’s out there in terms of, you know, potential hookups.” He glanced over TJ briefly. “So what’s your deal? You here with friends or are you also testing out the waters?” He grinned.

[its-theartfuldodger]

a-clever-cat​:

Oliver clenched his jaw a little as Arthur spoke. He was right, they were his family, something he’d wanted for so long and was constantly afraid was going to be taken away from him, and here Arthur was using the word like a weapon pressed against his head. He didn’t say anything for a moment, letting what seemed an eternity but was probably no less than 3 minutes of silence fall between them after Arthur had finished. 

“Here. Just take it” his voice was low, barely audible as he dropped the ring onto the table, the chain falling down on top of it. “I’ll just tell Jenny it fell down a drain or something. As for the rest of the money, I’ll get it. How much do we owe again?”

~

Arthur felt a pang of guilt, even as he reached forward to pick up the ring and chain. “She’ll forgive you for it,” he assured Oliver softly, pocketing the jewelry and telling himself it was for the greater good. He shook his head. “It’s 300k, which is a lot more than any of us can do in one job, unless we rob the bank or something.” He paused, giving Oliver a look. “We’re not robbing the bank. Too risky in a town this small. I’ve got about 10k already, and I know Tito’s looking at ways to get more. Everyone’s chipping in where they can.” He patted his pocket. “This will help, kid. Thanks.” A check from Rich Daddy Foxworth would’ve been more ideal, but Arthur would take what he could get.

[its-theartfuldodger]

a-clever-cat​:

“I said no, Dodge” Oliver snapped, before looking back down at his plate and pushing at some of the food still on it. “You can have the rest, I’m not hungry anymore” he pushed it over to Arthur’s side of the table. A sudden loss of appetite always a sure sign that the younger male was not in a good mood. 

~

Arthur sighed when Oliver snapped, running a hand over his hair again. He watched, as Oliver pushed his plate over, knowing he was poking the bear, but he was desperate. “I just don’t understand why you can’t just ask her,” he said irritably. “We’re fucking drowning over here, kid. A single check from Daddy Foxworth, and we could be out of this mess. Or at least closer to the surface. You’re sitting on a cash cow and you’re just . . . wasting it.” He shook his head. “I know you love her, Oliver, but I think you should consider who your real family is.” He’d never done this. He’d never asked Oliver to choose between Jenny and Fagin’s gang. He’d never had the heart. But it was like he could feel Sykes’ hands closing around his neck, especially after the close call with Zarina and the pixie dust . . . first Fagin’s, then the festival, what was next? They had to get out from under Sykes’ thumb, didn’t Oliver realize that?

“We could lose this place at any minute, kid,” he said softly, eyes on the table. “No offense, but I think we can risk hurting Jenny’s feelings to keep our home.”

[its-theartfuldodger]

a-clever-cat​:

“and just how am I supposed to ask for it? ‘oh Jenny hey do you have like a lot of thousands of dollars I could have so Fagin can pay Sykes off?’ Not exactly sure that’s something that’ll work, Dodge” he shook his head, knowing that despite what Arthur believed, Jenny was not an actual viable option. “I’m not getting Jenny involved in this”

~

“Dude, she’s already involved,” Arthur said, rolling his eyes. “Don’t you think she’d want to do something to help us when she already knows what it’s like to have Sykes fuck you over? She loves you so . . . take advantage of that. This is something she can do to actually help you, instead of giving you rings and making you feel bad about not being in love with her.”

[its-theartfuldodger]

tj-detweiler​:

“i don’t discriminate man, i’m all for whoever is up for it” he smirked and took arthur’s hand to give it a firm shake. “this pretty boy has a day off work and decided to have some fun. if that means getting blind drunk alone then so be it” he shrugged with a grin on his lips. tj would be the first to admit he was a shameless person and that didn’t stop with the arrival of arthur. 

~

“Well, you don’t have to get blind drunk alone anymore, thanks to me,” Arthur said with a grin, leaning against the bar. “So what’s your name? I can keep calling you pretty boy if you want, but it might get awkward the longer we hang out.”

[its-theartfuldodger]

a-clever-cat​:

“yeah, cause that’s exactly what Jenny needs, her best friend stealing from her” he let out a sigh “y’know, since it’s not like she was kidnapped and missing for several days or got drugged against her will at the festival or anything like that.” he reached for a fry, biting it in half “besides, even if Jenny wouldn’t turn me in, the both of us know that her aunt is just waiting for the day she can get rid of me with a legitimate reason”

~

“Fine. Don’t steal the shit. Ask her for it. You know she’ll give you whatever you want,” Arthur said, not understanding how Oliver could be friends with such a rich person and not take advantage of that. At least, not take more advantage than he already did, having access to the kitchen and giant bathtubs.

[its-theartfuldodger]

a-clever-cat​:

“Yeah, well we are just friends” he moved his hand to tuck the ring back under his shirt, deciding to leave out any talk of Jenny wanting to marry him. His hand dipped under the table before landing back on it and sliding something towards Arthur. “These have to be worth at least a few hundred, maybe a few thousand” Under his hand were two diamond earrings, a silver ring with an emerald stone in the middle, and money clip that appeared to be made out of pure gold. “oh and these” he reached back into his pocket, tossing three wallets onto the table next to the jewelry. “I might have already taken some liberties at the atm with one of the cards. The guy actually had his pin number written down on the back of one of the photos in the wallet.” he laughed a little 

~

“Whoa, nice kid,” Arthur said, looking over the stuff Oliver set in front of him quickly before sweeping them off the table and into his own pockets, glancing around briefly to make sure nobody saw that. “This is good. I mean, it’s a start. We’ve still got a long way to go.” He ran a hand over his head. “Look . . . I won’t take your ring, okay? I learned my lesson last time, but you gotta admit . . . she probably has way more than she needs, right? So what’s the harm in pinching a little here and there while you’re at the house? She won’t suspect you, and even if she does, she won’t turn you in. It’s probably the safest place you can steal stuff.”

[its-theartfuldodger]

a-clever-cat​:

Oliver didn’t even look up from his food as he felt Arthur reach to inspect the ring. “Don’t even think about it” he said pretty sure he could guess what was going through the older male’s head. “It was a birthday gift. If it was anything else you know I would have given it to you already or gotten the money from it myself”

~

Arthur glanced toward his hand, the faint scars there reminding him of the last time he’d taken something from Oliver. He released the ring and sat back, shaking his head. “Doesn’t look like something someone who’s ‘just a friend’ would give as birthday gift,” he said pointedly, wondering what the update was on that whole thing.

[its-theartfuldodger]

Arthur couldn’t help but notice the chain that slipped from beneath Oliver’s shirt, as he leaned forward to grab the ketchup for his fries. He reached forward on instinct, grabbing it and inspecting the ring that dangled from said chain. “When did you get this?” he asked, eyeing it suspiciously, wondering why Oliver was keeping anything this nice when they had a debt to pay off. He knew he told Oliver not to worry about it, but he was starting to stress over the amount he needed to come up with, it feeling like an impossible task at the moment.

(( @a-clever-cat​ ))

[its-theartfuldodger]

anitadearlys​:

she had s a i d that she understood sven’s reasons, but it didn’t mean that it didn’t hurt when he had left. whatever they were or could’ve been they hadn’t had time to even make something out of it, of the butterflies she had felt and the smiles that had removed her usual frown. on its height sven and her had shared kisses in the sunset on the way back from the meeting with the kennel and the puppy anita would take home soon.  it was a beginning, but it didn’t lead anywhere. silently reprimanding herself for feeling the blow of his absence, anita leant over the bar and ordered another gin and tonic. drinking it as if it held all the answers as she couldn’t help but feel that this was her fate in life, that once things started to look b r i g h t it wasn’t long until they became darker again. as if that hope about a prosperous career and someone to come home to wasn’t something she’d have in her life. creating circles on the sketchpad infront of her she didn’t notice when someone slid into the seat next to her. focused on the sketch that had the potential to be something as much as she and love was. “ if you’re going to sit so close, at least buy me a drink, ” the comment could be interpreted as sharp or dismissive, her eyes not leaving her sketchpad but a small smile graced her features. not entirely asking the intruder to leave her.

“Sure thing, babe,” Arthur said with a grin, gesturing for the bartender to come over. “A refill for this beautiful lady, and a whisky sour for me, thanks.” He glance down at her sketchbook and the circles there, gesturing to it. “What are the bubbles for? Just doodling or have you got something on your mind? A bath, maybe?” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively before laughing, shaking his head. “Kidding, kidding. I am curious, though.”

[its-theartfuldodger]

tj-detweiler​:

tj had been in mount olympus for the best part of the day. he was off work and he had no classes so he was going to do what he did best: drink himself stupid and then end up getting involved in some sort of clownery antics. to save himself from going back and forth to the bar he had ordered in bulk and was currently working his way through all the drinks that were littering the table at an impressive rate. his eyes wandered and set on someone looking at him.

“i know i look dashing but are you joining me here or are you just going to stare?”

~

“Depends on how you feel about a fellow dude buying you a drink,” Arthur said, sliding over with a grin. “Hi. I’m Arthur,” he said, holding his hand out for the guy to shake. “What’s a pretty boy like you doing in a place like this all alone?” He wiggled his eyebrows, thinking if the line worked on girls it might as well work on guys too.

[its-theartfuldodger]

ignaciodetito​:

“What do you mean Sykes took the restaurant?” He scarcely believed the news. It was Fagin’s Bar and Grill. No one else could own it but him. “And why and the hell am I having this conversation with you and not Fagin?” While some people became quiet with anger, voices dropping to low barely detectable audibles, Tito only grew louder. The very stereotype of a hothead. And as his volume rose he struggled to keep it and his temper in check. Even if Arthur’s words made no sense, the younger man wouldn’t have said it if it wasn’t true. 

As thoughts of Sykes and what the fucking fuck rushed through his head, he didn’t know what to think about, what to react to first. Tito took several steps backward, skipped over his deep breathing exercises, and kicked the nearest trashcan. Then kicked it again. And again. And one more time for good measure. 

Finally able to breathe deeply, he turned back to Arthur. His voice guarded. “How long have you known?”

~

Arthur waited for Tito to be done yelling and kicking the garbage bin before he answered. He knew to give the guy space to react before continuing. This, of course, was the main reason why Arthur had put off telling the others for so long. It was bad enough to watch Oliver’s crestfallen expression and anger, but he was going to have to see that on every single one of his family’s faces. Maybe he should’ve called for a meeting and told them all at once.

“A few weeks,” he admitted. “Right before the festival, actually. Then all that shit went down and, well . . .” He shrugged, doing his best to remain casual and not reveal the tension coiled within him. He remained leaning against the wall, hands in his pockets. “You know how Fagin is. He never wants to disappoint us. I love the guy, but he’s a coward. He couldn’t face us. He told me in a text and asked me to tell the rest of you. That’s why he hasn’t been here much lately.”

[its-theartfuldodger]

sweetellafontaine​:

“Thank you.” Ella felt on her cheeks because she could feel a blush crawling up. She wasn’t really used to compliments. “Oh, we have a showcase on our exam pieces. I really got a nice concept this year. It’s a dress designed for rainy days.” She couldn’t resist a giggle. “Just your normal clothes are good enough, I do hope you’ll enjoy it.”

“A showcase, huh? Got it. I’ll look it up and I’ll be there,” Arthur said with a grin, glad he’d been able to cheer her up, now that she was smiling and giggling. It felt good to put that expression on her face. “I’ll be the one in the tuxedo shirt.”