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The Other Mayor of London

The OTHER MAYOR OF LONDON invites you to a night to remember...

Hosted at The Angelo in the heart of Islington (courtesy of Cesare Borgia), Raymond Harris invites you all to join him on the night of Saturday, 6th August to celebrate his self-proclaimed ascension as the Other Mayor of London. His aims are threefold: to stake his claim as the most powerful supernatural being in the city, to persuade other interested factions to ally with him, and to intimidate his enemies with a show of extravagance. All members of the Islington Nest are expected to work hard tonight to achieve these goals.

The party officially begins at 20:39 when the sun sets and ends at 05:34 when the sun rises. Of course, there's no guarantee that everyone will make it until dawn...

Rules of entry
• This is a black tie event. Anyone who fails to wear the appropriate attire will be denied entry.
• No stakes or other vampire-killing weapons. That's just rude.
• No more than five werewolves and shapeshifters will be admitted in total. Raymond wants them to witness his power, but not to spoil his party. They will be closely watched and likely mocked by the surrounding vampires.

Raymond is guarded by his vampire henchmen at all times. Any perceived threat will be dealt with swiftly and mercilessly.

Places to go
Once you're admitted to the hotel, you'll walk into the lobby, where you're free to mingle with the other guests. It's here that you're likely to first spot the party's human contingent: a collection of young and beautiful men and women whose sole purpose is to provide a live food source for the vampires. Dressed in uniform black suits and cocktail dresses, they will offer up their wrists and/or necks to anyone who wants them.

From there, you can head over to the bar for a more relaxed and cordial atmosphere. Drinks are free until midnight; after that you'll have to pay. The bar does not serve blood; it's expected that vampire guests will drink directly from their nearest human.

If you're looking for something a little more substantial, try the tea room where you'll be served tea, coffee or red wine, and a selection of cherry tomato canapes, strawberries and scones with jam and clotted cream.

The main action, however, takes place in the ballroom. Red mood lighting continues the general theme and live music will be playing all night. Professional dancers provide entertainment in the early evening, but it won't be long before the ballroom is crowded with party-goers revelling in the fun, free and wild atmosphere. This is where you may find Raymond, the benevolent host watching over his guests. Drink and be merry. He wants everyone to have a good time.

(You can check the OOC plotting thread for more info and to ask any questions about this event. Enjoy!)

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There's a slight twitch in Cooper's jaw as he grinds his fangs together when Cesare kisses Nancy. It's just an old tradition, but does it have to be so damn intimate? He counts to ten in his head slowly to calm himself back down. Nancy makes her living the way she does. He's accepted that, even if it took breaking one of her client's hands to do so. However, accepting that there's probably vampires in the nest that she's fed off of, vampires that he knows and will probably come into contact with, that's a little harder for him to swallow down. This is going to be his first big test when it comes to their relationship. He's not going to mess this up.

"That's nice," Cooper replies laconically to Cesare, too put out to say much more. He's not going to give the older vampire anymore ammunition against him than he already has.

The twinge goes unnoticed as Nancy blushes slightly from the kiss. She doesn't stray from Cooper, though, feeling the way he grips at her hip. He's the jealous type, she knows that. Good lord, he threatened to kill her client and broke his hand when he stumbled upon the two of them.

Truthfully, it had been frightening.

But he meant well, she knew that. He loved her, and they both just happened to have tempers. It was okay.

She squeezes Cooper's hand. "I should have known you and Cooper would know each other. He invited me, so I had to come." She smiles fondly up at Cooper, because she only has eyes for him. Even so, she picks up the conversation with Cesare.

"What sort of business?" Nancy gives the idea a little pause. If it was her sort of business... She didn't want to discuss it in front of Cooper. "Nothing too serious, I hope." She takes a drink, returning to look at Cesare.

Cooper's reaction is far too entertaining for Cesare. The poor man looks almost as if he's about to explode and launch for the Borgia's throat. Cesare has no doubt it's taking every ounce of Cooper's self control not to do so. So when Nancy speaks to him, Cesare's eyes are on Cooper instead. This is fascinating and he wants to watch. He smirks, amused, before shrugging and shaking his head.

"Nothing but the boring, strained politics of old men," he says, his words rife with double meaning. After all, Cesare is old, he takes pride in it, but isn't Cooper fairly old too? At least compared to Nancy? Shouldn't he know better and be able to control himself more easily? Quite frankly, it has Cesare worried. No wonder Islington is starting to go to shit.

He finally turns to Nancy.

"I must confess: I am surprised that you're here." A polite, but unwavering jab. Quite frankly, Nancy's presence seems like one of the poorest business decisions she could have made. He would have appreciated some more professionalism from her. He's disappointed.

Cooper watches as Cesare smirks and he's entertaining thoughts about knocking out the older vampire's fangs. The damned Italian was enjoying this far too much for Cooper's tastes. He'd do it if he wasn't completely sure that it would put him on Harris' radar for interrupting the peace and generally being a little shit. He's not about to lose what he's working towards over his jealousy.

"I invited her," Cooper says curtly. He's beginning to think it might not have been the wisest decision, but what else was he supposed to do? If he hid her away, then it would seem like he was ashamed of who and what she was. Maybe it wasn't the smartest choice, but it was the one he'd made and he was sticking with it. "It seemed like a professional courtesy, something the Nest seems t'be lacking in these days."

Was that a jab at the falling standards of the Nest, and by extension, Cesare? Of course it was. Just because he's been reduced to a battle of words doesn't mean he's unarmed.

Professional courtesy. Like they weren't dating or anything. She pressed her lips together, but said nothing on the subject. If he wanted to play it that way, fine. This was his social function, not hers. Not when she was on his arm, at least.

But the tension between the two men was thick, and she put a reassuring arm on Cooper's. He had nothing to be worried about. She wasn't working tonight, she was with him of all her free will- the witch's amulet around her neck spoke to that. Even if he wanted her to be a whore in their eyes tonight. So, she puts on a smile.

"This is hardly my first event like this," she tells Cesare, gesturing vaguely around them. "But it is the most extravagant." She smiles, because he'd like that. Feeding his ego never went wrong, especially if she couldn't feed him.

Professional courtesy, however, will not be forgotten.

The flattery from Nancy isn't missed but is somewhat ignored from Cesare. Instead he quirks an eyebrow and rolls his eyes, scoffing slightly.

"I know it's not." Cesare himself had invited her to a lot of them. She had attended most of them as a professional. Tonight she most definitely hasn't.

But then Cooper's jab irks him and he coils back a little, eyes narrowing, a polite smile frozen on to his lips. He raises his eyebrows.

"Professional courtesy? I had no idea that's what we called parading your whore in front of her johns nowadays. Forgive me. I am out of date." After all, isn't that exactly what the two of them are doing? How, in any sense, was this even remotely considered a good idea, let alone a professional one. He would have felt a bit bad about calling Nancy a whore out in the open like this, had she not been draping herself so heavily on Cooper, who insisted on insulting Cesare at his own party. The two of them needed to reassess their decisions.

He should have expected that low blow to be brought up sooner rather than later. Despite what he compartmentalizes their relationship as, Nancy's profession is what it is. It doesn't mean it keeps Cooper's temper from snapping like the finely-stretched thread that it is. It's one thing to insult him, he's quite used to that. It's another entirely to insult his girlfriend.

His fangs slide out in an angry display as he sees red, two splotches of pink appearing in his pale cheeks. Cooper can feel the pressure of Nancy's hand on his arm, trying futilely to drag him away, and that's all that keeps the vampire from decking Cesare right then and there, either of their reputations be damned. Cooper's staring up at him and he pokes the other vampire in the chest with one finger. Despite his fury, his voice is calm, that eerie tone that signals the fuse lit just before the explosion happens. "If you want to start somethin', Borgia, I will gladly entertain you. Otherwise, leave it alone."

Nancy knew what she was. She was painfully aware of it, and had been for far too long. She worked on the streets, she worked at parties like this. But tonight, she hadn't been invited to work. She'd been invited as Cooper's girlfriend. Sure, Cesare had taken her to things like this before, but as far as she saw it, the only difference was the lack of money changing hands.

Her grip on Cooper's arm tightened, pulling him back. It happened almost instantaneously, the second the word fell from Cesare's lips. It was a dark, dirty word that she tried to avoid. Cesare had used it to hurt. And it had worked. It had worked on both of them.

"Cooper," she hissed low, "let it go." Her profession was already a sore spot, she didn't need another reason to make it harder on the two of them. Nor did she particularly need Cooper and Cesare Borgia getting into a knock-down-drag-out fight at this particular shindig.

As for Cesare... She looked at him, her brow soft, her lips parted just slightly in a pout. There were no words for him, right now. Not like the great Borgia would listen to anything a whore had to say.

"Leave it alone?" Cesare doesn't like the order in Cooper's voice. Who does he think he is? The audacity that he would dare pick a fight and even touch Cesare in his own domain is simultaneously infuriating and baffling. Cesare knows Cooper is hotheaded. He didn't know he was an idiot too. The Borgia pushes his shoulders back a little and leans into Cooper's pointed finger, nose turned up, a slight snarl on his lips.

Unfortunately, when attempting to attack Cooper, Nancy is the nearest ammunition.

"If everyone had done that in the first place, we wouldn't be having this problem. Do you know how many people in this room have purchased her services? Everyone here knows exactly who she is. Yet you insist on parading her as some sort of socialite debutante. That's poor business."

Hotheaded and an idiot was pretty much a description of Cooper in a nutshell. He's ticked off and ready to knock Cesare's fangs right out of his mouth. "I know exactly what she is 'n at least I have enough God-given sense not t'disrespect her in front of everyone!" His voice raises up a little and now the other vampires and humans in the room are looking at the three of them.

Cesare gets another hard poke in the chest. There's a challenging glint in Cooper's eye. He's reckless, his hackles are up, and if he was wearing gloves, he'd take one off to smack the Borgia vampire with. "C'mon. You 'n me, outside, five minutes."

Cesare's words have her wishing for a coat, something to draw around herself and keep the cold from his words far at bay. The chill creeps up her spine, her mouth dry and she uses the hand that isn't tugging at Cooper to finish off her drink gin martini. God- she's a whore, and they all know it. And they're probably all looking at Cooper like, look at that pathetic sack of a man, paying a two-dollar whore that's been around to be his date so he looks like some sort of big-shot. No, everyone here knows what she is, and Cooper deserves so much better than her.

And then Cooper- oh, bless you, Cooper. He rallies to her defense, and maybe it's the gin, or maybe it's him, but the warmth returns. He's protecting what little honor she has, and she looks at him with new eyes, all previous transgressions in the course of this conversation forgiven. He's defending her when so few others would. It's a losing battle, but he's fighting it for her.

And then he's literally going to fight it for her and oh hell no.

"Don't you dare," she says, fobbing her glass off on someone so she can actually grab Cooper with both her hands and try to pull him back. "Either of you." He was stronger than her, but Nancy was smaller than him, and she moved around his side, putting a hand on both his and Cesare's chest, trying to separate them.

"No one is meeting anyone anywhere in five minutes."

The thing about Nancy being short is that Cesare can literally look over her, and he does exactly that, matching Cooper's gaze, though his own expression is far more placid. It's forced, almost definitely, his own anger bubbling under the surface but for now he has a reputation to maintain and a sense of superiority that keeps him outwardly calm. He scoffs at Cooper.

"You honestly believe I'd waste my time with that? You truly believe that? You should listen to your girlfriend, son. I'm double your age, you're four foot three and I can throw a goddamn truck." Not a cute pickup kinda truck, but a lorry, box truck kinda deal.

"Stop embarrassing yourself. Put down my alcohol that you're drinking at my party in my hotel and go the fuck home. This isn't a place for children and their tantrums."

If there's a more reliable way to get under Cooper's skin than what Cesare has been doing, the younger vampire has yet to see it. First he insults Nancy and then Cooper gets talked down to. Hell, he even had to throw in an insult about his height in there. But Cooper's not done quite yet.

"I'm beginning t'see why you needed to pay my girl for her services. From what I hear, the only one who would ever willingly put up with your charming personality in bed was your own sister." If Cesare wants to hit below the belt, Cooper won't be pulling any punches either. He's heard the rumors about the Borgias, same as most vampires have, but he's never thought much of using them as ammunition until right now.

"Cooper, he's right." She won't say any more than that, about Cesare's stance on this whole... whatever the hell had just started happening. "Let's just leave, before things get-"

before things get worse, was what she was going to say, but the words died in her mouth when Cooper decided to run his. Without a moment's hesitation, she raised a hand, spreading her fingers to create a barrier between the two parties.

"Cooper! Let's leave," she tells him sternly. "I'm not worth it."

Ok. That's it. Cesare has absolutely no interest in the two of them leaving anymore. Cooper has said something that he cannot come back from and Cesare is fully intent on making him pay for it. It's one thing to insult him. It's another to talk about his sister like that. He moves towards Cooper, with serious intent to harm before the barrier stops him any further. He halts and shifts on to his back foot in response, eyes locked on Cooper through the barrier, the way a crocodile locks its teeth into its prey.

He keeps his voice steady, slow and deep, to make certain that there's absolutely no doubt about what he's saying and what it means.

"Mention my sister one more time, ever again, and you won't survive the night." At this point it's far from an empty threat. Cesare has killed men for far less.

That finally got Borgia's goat. Cooper rather likes seeing that smarmy prick's exterior crack. Looks like he's not as above his anger as he'd like to be. He's fully ready to fight when he feels the barrier that Nancy has placed between them. For right now, their confrontation is at an end.

"Hope that's a promise, sweetheart."

Cooper is not leaving this party. This may be Cesare's place, but Harris is the one in charge. Besides, leaving now would signal a retreat. The pair of them are not done with each other, not by a long shot. But for now, they can't do much more to each other. Nancy has seen to that.

So he allows Nancy to drag him away and out of the room. He stays silent, daring anyone else to say a word about what they've seen or about his girl. That's what got him so upset to begin with. Insults directed at himself he can take. But not when they're directed at his girlfriend. She hasn't warranted that just by being associated with him.

Nancy's digging her nails into Cooper's arm, silently praying to anyone who would listen that he let this go and let them both walk away. When Cooper let's her, she's pulling him outside and away. The crowds part for the pair, and Nancy can feel their eyes on her back as they retreat.

She's only a few steps away from where the altercation took place when she looks back over her shoulder, mouthing "I'm so sorry." Like it would do any good now. Already, she had resolved to pay Cesare a visit in a few days, after he'd had time to cool down. They'd need to talk, undoubtedly.

When she's got Cooper outside, away from prying eyes, she lets go of him, confident that he won't run right back. "Thank you." She tries to smile at him, but she doesn't quite have the muscles, so instead, she reaches for his hand. Gently: "You didn't need to do that."

Cooper is fuming, muttering dire threats under his breath that only Nancy will be able to hear as she leads him away. "I'm gonna kill him. I'm gonna drag his ass out into the sunlight and leave him there t'burn after staking him a few times first. See how he likes that, the arrogant son of a bitch." Once they are outside, his temper begins to fizzle out with the object of his rage no longer present.

"Yes, I did," he tells her. "You're my girl. I wouldn't be much of a man if I let him sit there 'n disrespect you like that." He pulls her hand up and kisses the tips of her fingers gently. "Sorry it got so rough in there. I honestly wasn't expecting somethin' like that to happen tonight. If you want t'leave, I'll understand." It would feel like a retreat to Cooper, but this wasn't solely about him. Nancy was young and she had been hurt.

Nancy draws in close to him, letting him kiss her fingers. Each word has her melting further and further into a puddle at his feet. Still, she shakes her head, her curls falling. "I've heard worse, Cooper," from people she cared about more.

"You could have gotten hurt." She didn't want that on her conscience. She leans her head on his chest. "I'm sorry." It was her fault, after all. She'd been there, as his date. Professional courtesy or no. "I shouldn't have let you take me. I should have known something like this would happen."

Furthermore, "Can we? I just want to... to sit, right now." Sit, and let him hold her. Then, she'd come up with a plan to apologize to Cesare.

"Psh. Me? Hurt? The only one around here would have been getting hurt was that arrogant prick in there." So he thinks right now, hyped on anger and indignant energy. Later on, he will think back and be thankful that Nancy had dragged him away when she had. Cesare could have done some serious damage.

He pulls her close to him as they walk towards the exit, a move both protective and comforting. She's so important to him and the balance of their little life together has been completely upturned tonight. They'll go home, and he'll hold her until all the hurt has been wiped away from her face, while he considers all the ways that he can get back at Cesare.

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The Other Mayor of London

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