[OPEN] SOUTHWARK TERRITORY CLAIM

[baisant]

It should never be said that Jean-Claude does anything halfway. So too might be true of the claim to try and regain Southwark for Islington.

And so he sends out a proverbial white glove to Daybreak. A formal challenge, detailing what Islington is after, how they believe they have been wronged, and how they would like to take it back. Naming a time and place where the two parties should meet (a quiet area, after the sun has set), where Jean-Claude and those who will join him for his cause shall be waiting. To fight for what is theirs.

It's all very romantic, if he says so himself. Brings him back to an era where such a thing was more commonplace. A time and place that he rather misses, all things considered.

He sends out a call to arms amongst the vampires as well. Letting them know his intentions. Letting them know that he has specified there will be no cheating in this match-up, no silver bullets, no fairy aid. No teeth. An honest match, between the vampires of Islington and the witches of Daybreak. And may the winner reap the riches. It's pretty clear what sort of a stand he's trying to make, a stark contrast to the latest brutality. He can only wait and see what sort of a statement it makes. Regardless of the outcome.

So Jean-Claude plans. And thus they assemble, at the appointed place, at the appointed time. And so do Daybreak and Islington come together in their first honorable battle in decades. As honorable as a battle gets, of course...

((ooc: come tag in and fight alongside your fellow witch/vampire, discuss amongst each other the strategy and your opinion of it before going in, OR react together to how it was handled and the fact that they lost afterwards -- have at it! c: there are not that many daybreaks involved/signed up, as a note, so please team up with each other and feel free to NPC daybreak opponents for yourselves! ))

Comments

[loveconquersdinosaurs]

Thomas strode toward the other vampires with the smooth confidence of a runway model, his hair blowing slightly in the breeze. Hair that some who had seen him before might notice looked different than it had last time they'd seen him. It was similar, yes. It was still long and black, but if someone looked closely, they'd notice the texture and cut weren't exactly…identical to how his hair had been a few weeks ago. That was mostly because of the fact that, thanks to Cooper, he now was wearing a human hair and lace wig secured in place with a bit of wig glue that should keep him from losing it in the fight…so long as no one tried to yank his hair.

However, despite this, Thomas seemed to be doing his very best to distract anyone who might look at his hair, with tight leather pants, an open leather jacket, and no shirt. The better to show off his amazing abs with, of course. His sword could be seen hanging at his side, and at his other side, covered by his jacket, was his gun. A gun he wasn't sure if he'd be allowed to use, because if they couldn't use silver bullets on vampires…well, regular bullets could be just as deadly to witches. He'd just have to ask, and if he couldn't, then he wouldn't.

"I did have one question before all of this starts."

[baisant]

Jean-Claude turns to the other vampire and cannot help but cast an appraising glance over him. He is nothing if an appreciator of beauty, and he recognizes eye candy when it's set in front of him, surely. Jean-Claude himself is dressed to impress, tight leather pants, billowing white shirt tied and the wrists and only slightly laced down the front. Exposing a very pale, very perfect stretch of his own chest. His own hair curls in soft rings about his face, down across his shoulders. And his eyes blaze a dazzling, mysteriously dark blue. He too is one who knows how good he looks, and does his best to flaunt it as well.

He has laced the holster of an old sword into his belt, and he is looking very much at home with it hanging there. Perhaps because he is. There was a time in his life where such things were commonplace, after all. If long ago, and growing harder to remember each day.

"What is it, mon ami?" he prompts the other vampire, cocking his head to the side with something of an appreciative smile in turn.

[loveconquersdinosaurs]

Thomas's own eyes gave Jean-Claude a rather thorough once over himself, a slight smile playing across his lips. Clearly, Thomas isn't the only one willing to share an amazing physique with the world. His gaze lingers on Jean-Claude's sword a moment, and he notices it's much older than his own, and wonders if this vampire has spent those years using that sword. If so, then he'd certainly do better than Thomas, whose own sword was barely a decade old and the sheath had the shiny, clean look that came from barely being taken from it's home.

"So this fight, is it exclusively a sword duel, or are guns allowed as well? I brought both, just in case."

He would, however, play by any rules set before him. Besides, how hard could sword fighting be? He knew which way the pointy end went, at any rate.

[baisant]

Ah, so young and full of bravado. Jean-Claude smiles slightly, inclining his head at the other vampire. "I would ask that you keep your gun in your holster, mon ami," he requests. "Unless you are keen on letting them shoot at you in turn. That is the trade we are making, in this fight."

Though he can see why he may want it. He wonders if he does know how to use the sword, truth be told. Anyone more comfortable with a gun in their hand might not be so nearly as comfortable with a blade, after all.

[loveconquersdinosaurs]

"Right." He could try fighting with the sword. It couldn't be too hard. Swing the blade at the other person until he cut them, a fairly simple concept. "Now just to clarify, if I end up fighting against someone who would rather use a gun themselves, then that would be all right so long as we're both using he same weapon? Or would you rather I just stick to the sword regardless?"

He'd do whatever Jean-Claude wanted, of course. He actually liked the idea of having rules, since it was a welcome break to all the mindless violence and bloodshed that Millicent and now Raymond promoted. He just wanted to make sure he fully understood those rules.

Before the Duel - locked to Jean-Claude

[dredefulchilde]

"You're either a mad fool or a foolish madman," Joscelin drawls in extremely outdated French, not looking up from his Gameboy. The whole world has gone tits up in the last two weeks, following Millicent's sudden and permanent departure from London--and Joss is still reeling from the news, still unaccountably angry when centuries of hatred told him he should be jubilant at the bitch's death--and Jean-Claude has made it worse by discarding his usually sensible nature and calling a duel, of all things.

What a ridiculous mess.

They're inside, for now; despite the fact that Islington is officially under new management, Joscelin FitzThomas still finds himself unaccountably (read: perfectly reasonably) without his confiscated Daylight ring and the sun has not yet set. He's elected himself Jean-Claude's second in all this mess. For all his derision, the part of him that is still a child is rather excited by the prospect of an old-fashioned fight, and the much more dominant part of him that is a monster is pleased at the prospect of a slaughter. Not that he will let Jean-Claude see that, of course.

Tinny victory music comes out of the speakers -- perfect score. He's played this particular game hundreds of times since it came out in the 1990s.

"It's a good thing I'm going to be there to keep your lunatic ass out of trouble."

[baisant]

It is just as well that Jean-Claude grew up speaking such outdated French, as he turns to glance at the other vampire and raises an eyebrow at him. He can see that he is drawn as taught as a bowstring, for all the picture of nonchalance that he is trying to make, sitting there with his portable game, but Jean-Claude does not comment on the matter. He knows far better than that.

So instead he offers the other a smile. "It is just as well that you are, my friend," he agrees. "I cannot yet decide which myself. Perhaps a bit of both, if we are both being honest with ourselves." He glances up, in the general direction of the setting sun, for though they are inside he can still feel it there. In his bones. There is always something of a connection between vampires and the light. Something that even after six-hundred years, Jean-Claude is still not certain he will ever understand.

"You would tell me that this is a fool's errand, then?" he asks. Genuinely desiring to know the other vampire's opinion on the matter. There are so few his age left in the city, this era. Those that are older... Well, look at Millicent. Even Raymond, and he's barely half as old as they are.

[dredefulchilde]

Joscelin nods. "I would," he says, switching back to English now that he is certain none of the others are listening. Jean-Claude has amassed a fair number of vampires to his cause, none of whom Joss actually trusts. "Raymond's favor isn't worth this fight; he may be an opportunist but he's barely more than a child. You don't need to prove your allegiance to him like this. He will not repay you in kind." Three hundred years at Millicent's side and not a tear shed for his old mistress before stepping into her place. Not that Joscelin would have been much better. They all would have seized power in just such a way. Jean-Claude is a rarity amongst his kind. An honorable vampire. Who could have fathomed such a thing?

He watches his Gameboy's load screen with a frown on his face. He hasn't looked his friend--because he supposes that's what they are, after all these years--in the eye once today. The memory of the night in the alleyway, of his weakness, is still too raw for that.

"Don't let yourself be killed tonight. You're the only one in this lot I can tolerate."

That's the closest to genuine affection Joscelin has come in a very long time.

[baisant]

Jean-Claude shrugs slightly. "It is not his allegiance I seek, nor mine I seek to prove," he replies. "But I will not be made to be a doormat by the likes of yet another poorly chosen master of the city," he continues. "If I have a say in the matter, by the time he works himself into a corner that he cannot work himself out of, I would at least find myself in the right position for the change."

He shakes his head. "Millicent was not keen on me. I do not care one way or the other of this Raymond. But I would not like to have a second leader of the vampires in a row think so little of me as to rake me across the stones." He shrugs. "It's beginning to get a little old, if nothing else."

He flickers a smile at the other vampires words and the admission that he knows is there, beyond the bravado of the child vampire himself. "I will do my best to see that I return to you in one piece, mon ami," he promises. "This fight may be worth a great deal, but it is not worth my life."

[dredefulchilde]

"Good. There are too few of our generation left in London as it is. Your death would deprive me of the only conversation worth having."

A series of beeps from the machine in his hands takes Joscelin's attention away for a moment; it isn't until he spends several seconds pressing the right buttons in the right sequence (the attack is super effective, by the way) that he comes back to more immediate concerns.

"You must, of course, do whatever you think best. Far be it from me to tell you otherwise. I would be a terrible nihilist if I started caring now." Is that a joke? It must be.

[freelife]

This was not Evie's first territory claim. This was not her first "gang fight" as it would be described later, in mundane newspapers and on the telly. Once upon a time, this had been a completely common place thing for her and her brother, the two of them and their Rooks. The Rooks had been all Jacob's doing, and it had been a pity to have to disband them twenty years later.

But they weren't here. Just the vampires, just the witches, and, if Evie wasn't mistaken- "What are the chances none of them have even seen a real duel?" She says it mostly to herself, but if anyone's listening, by all means.

As far as weapons go, Evie's got a sword on her hip, a gun next to it, and quite a few hidden blades. She'll play this clean, however. Clean, civil- a perfect way to prove to the other factions that vampires could handle things without a massacre, and to prove to their new representative just how good she could be. There was no use getting on his bad side, after all.

[baisant]

She might have been talking to herself, but Jean-Claude is listening. He glances aside at her and quirks something of a smile at her words in turn. "I suppose that is something of what I am counting on," he admits. "Yet one should never grow too confident. We must prepare ourselves for anything."

He nods to the weapon at her side at that. "How many of the youngest vampires have never seen a true duel themselves, for that matter? Perhaps there will come a time when I will truly start to date myself, in such a decision as this."

[freelife]

Prepare for anything? Evie gives a little half-smirk. "And yet I left half my weapons at home." She wanted to fight fair. So, no hidden blades, nothing like that, no smoke bombs, what-have-you. A sword and a pistol. Nice and old fashioned.

Much like her.

"No- if you make a decision like this, you're ensuring everyone here will witness a duel. Perhaps this will set the new standard. Regardless, I have a feeling this will hardly be a one-off." She surveys the troops solemnly, before turning back to JC.

"So bring your A-Game."

[baisant]

Jean-Claude nods in response to her words. "I would like to hope that it should set the standard, but in the end it will not be up to myself to make such decisions. We will just have to see how it is that things come to pass."

He quirks something of a smile in response to her words. "But I was trained in dueling when the art was commonplace, and so I can at least say that I am in my element, in such a thing. Let it not be said, regardless as to the outcome of this evening, that at least I did not try."

IT'S TIME TO D-D-D-DUEL

[knightscode]

This is both aggravating and ridiculous.

Lancelot cannot believe that Jean-Claude is trying to take back a territory he encouraged him to take in the first place. He cannot believe that he is doing it in such a strangely old-fashioned way, either.

Well, no. He can. He's just oddly unsettled by it.

There's a lot of behind the scenes bickering that goes on. Norrell's coven, of course, incensed by the outrage and cheek of it all. Some people wary of what this means with the new head of Islington. All sorts of politics and shuffling of paper and tutting.

Yet Lancelot took this territory specifically to keep it safe, whatever the reason he was encouraged to might have been, and he intends to keep it that way.

So he strides out into Southwark to meet him, a vague collection of slightly uncertain witches lingering further back yet still managing to regard everyone with disgust and defiance. Just because they can.

Witches. Some of them, Lancelot finds, are just utterly infuriating. He supposes it comes with how big and powerful Daybreak is now. Ego.

"Jean-Claude!"

Lancelot doesn't want to wait around, doesn't want to go through all the chattering and bowing and scraping and formalities. He's dressed down in dark stonewash jeans and a white shirt he hasn't even buttoned all the way, rolled up at the sleeves. Something about it says he isn't too worried about this, or perhaps not taking it seriously.

In reality, it's that he was too angry to think about it all properly.

"Jean-Claude, you of all people have no right to be here."

It's half a challenge, half a warning. Lancelot knows that Jean-Claude must have been involved in toppling Millicent. He has no real proof, but he knows that the vampires encouragement and the timing of it all cannot have been a coincidence. He hasn't said anything, because he did not exactly like Millicent, but he hasn't forgotten. It isn't much leverage, perhaps, but he doubt it would be good for the man if he started yelling about it.

[baisant]

Jean-Claude admits he had been expecting this, in some way. He had been expecting the other side to call forth its own champion, and he had been expecting that, in making it such a physical confrontation. Certainly been expecting a strapping, young person from Daybreak now, at least, if not Lancelot himself.

He steps forward towards the other man as he calls him out, spreading his hands wide before him. As much a gesture to show that he has nothing in his hands, that he means the other man no harm, as much as anything else. Despite the fact that he does have a sword hanging at his side, which he could draw in the blink of an eye as he would like. Not to mention his vampire strength besides.

"No right?" he questions, carefully. "Forgive me, mon ami, but I have every right to be here. Certainly every right that you do, at least." He cocks his head to the side slightly, patiently waiting for Lancelot's next response in turn.

[knightscode]

"I took control of this area in the name of Daybreak to keep it safe, Jean-Claude, a sentiment you agreed with at the time. I have seen no evidence that Islington territory is now any safer for humans, for witches, for anyone who is not a vampire. If you have proof otherwise I am happy to see it.

Something he highly doubts Jean-Claude has. For all the scheming, the overthrow of Millicent, it seems to Lancelot things may have become worse rather than better. At least, for everyone aside from Islington.

[baisant]

"It is hardly safe in Islington Nest for vampirekind besides, mon ami," Jean-Claude responds. "So I can no more give you proof of that than I can tell you that up is down or right is wrong, for it would not be the truth. But this territory was originally ours, and our leader would like it back." He shrugs slightly, as if to say, 'and thus here I am'.

[emotioneater]

Before

Cooper is looking a little worse for the wear as he meets up with the other vampires. He's still physically recovering from his fight with Alex and mentally is still smarting at his failure to bring her in. Thus, he's much more likely to sulk and be much more of a snarky smartass than he usually is. He hangs back, looking over the others. What a motley crew they are.

He's got a gun with him, a small cannon that looks like it'll blow him straight back if he actually fires it. He hasn't had to use it in years, but he's kept it in good working order. Not that he plans to shoot anyone unless he has to. This all seems like a dreadfully civilized affair. Such a shame really. He's never really gotten over his youthful obsession with fighting tooth and nail for a cause.

After

And then they lose. Cooper can't believe it. His apartment is in Southwark and it's still in the hands of those bloody witches. And this all seemed like such a good plan at the start to take it back. Well, they've got no one to blame but themselves for their failure.

He is not a happy vampire and it definitely shows on his face. "Great. There goes the feckin' neighborhood," he grumbles to anyone within earshot.

Before

[loveconquersdinosaurs]

When Thomas sees the vampire he'd gotten in a fight with a few weeks before, he blinked, surprised by his beaten up, disheveled appearance. Then he thought about it, and realized it shouldn't be much of a surprise at all. Thomas remembered how eager the other vampire had been to pick a fight previously, after all, and he suspected he wasn't the only one to be put into a fighting mood after a few minutes of Cooper's attitude. He'd comment, but he really didn't want to find out what Cooper would come up with next. Besides, they both needed to save their energy if they wanted to stand a chance in the fight ahead. Instead, Thomas turned away, pretending not to have noticed the other vampire's appearance.

Cooper might notice, however, that Thomas still seemed to have hair. He also might notice that it wasn't the same hair as Thomas had before. After all, there was no way he'd ever go out in public while he was still bald, but there was also no way he was going to miss the opportunities this fight posed due to one embarrassing incident that he really didn't want to talk about. Buying a wig, and an expensive human hair wig at that, was clearly the only solution. That, and wearing tight leather pants, an and open jacket with no shirt, to make sure the people they'd fight would be looking at everything but his hair.

Re: Before

[emotioneater]

Don't think that Cooper hadn't notice Thomas standing there. The way he was dressed, a blind man would have noticed him. He also noticed that he still appeared to have hair. Was that a-- yes. Yes, it was. Despite how terrible he was feeling in general, suddenly, the night was looking just a little bit better. Cooper had a very sharp-toothed smile as he approached Thomas. "You look like you should be standing on a stage somewhere with women stickin' money down those pants."

First meeting: get into a fight with him. Second meeting: immediately insult the way he's dressed and compare him to a stripper. This was how standard interaction for an eternally bratty teenage vampire went. Of course, he had the advantage here. If Thomas got too mouthy, he could just reach up and snatch that wig right off.

Re: Before

[loveconquersdinosaurs]

"Hmmm..." he said, smiling a bit at that mental image. Thomas seemed to enjoy the description, rather than taking offense at it. "Maybe it's all part of my plan. Distract the enemy so much they forget they're supposed to be hitting back."

And really, who would want to hit such a beautiful sight? Other than Cooper, naturally. There was a part of Thomas that was still bitter about what happened before, of course, but at the moment he didn't want to mention it or even acknowledge it, lest the fact that he was wearing a wig came out in earshot of all who were there to hear them.

Before (because he knows better than to speak to him after losing this haha)

[baisant]

Jean-Claude can tell that this probably isn't what Cooper himself might have done, if he were leading the territory claim himself. It shows around the edges of his expression and the look in his eye as he eyes other people's swords. It's true, he does seem to look a little rougher than usual, and Jean-Claude makes certain to take in the measure of him as he steps forward to address him in turn.

"Not that I am complaining to have your company here, mon ami," he comments, "but if I had to take a guess I would not know that this was your sort of affair here."

Any commentary afterward would be reduced to "This is all your fault!"

[emotioneater]

Cooper is favoring his right arm, keeping the movement to a minimum. While his chest wound had healed up fast out of the necessity to not have a hole in his lung, his arm was taking a while longer. He nods to Jean-Claude as he approaches. They are so very different, the older vampire sleek and charming where the younger was rough and blunt.

"I'm a member of Islington, aren't I? Of course I'd be here." Nest loyalty trumped everything else in Cooper's mind. It gave him a sense of purpose and a direction in which to go. If he didn't have that in his life, he'd be lost, not to mention dreadfully bored.

HAHAHA i figured :P

[baisant]

Jean-Claude offers him a smile and a shrug that could say everything or nothing at all. "You are, of course," he replies, agreeing with the other vampire. "But so are countless of other vampires who did not decide to join me here, against these opponents."

He tilts his head to the side at Cooper, offering him a softer smile in turn. "I thank you for joining me here, mon ami," he says. "Perhaps it is a fool's errand, but it is good to know that I have others on my side in the attempt."