undergrounds | Greenwich Territory Claim (Backdated to August 10th)

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Greenwich Territory Claim (Backdated to August 10th)

Cooper was more than just a little dissatisfied with the way things were being run by Harris right now. He wasn't going after the head vampire directly. While he was known to make dumb decisions from time to time, Cooper wasn't as stupid as all that. But as long as they had their seat on the Night Council, he was content with the status quo. When they lost that and therefore their immunity to hunters, Cooper got more than just worried. He got a little scared. If the other factions thought they had lost their edge, they might come after them. So he decided it was time act first and show the other factions that there was still some teeth left to Islington.

He'd taken part in his own fair share of territory claims and come to know what worked and what didn't. To take over Greenwich, he decided that it was best to hit them hard and fast. If they could get an edge over the wolves before they really had a chance to react, they could take over with minimal fuss. So that was the plan: get in, strike hard, and take over. It all seemed rather simple to the vampire. And here people thought his aggressive tendencies were a bad thing.

So on the 10th, the vampires were going be hitting Greenwich with everything they had. If a few wolves got killed in the carnage, so be it. That was the price to pay for making sure that the message was clear: nobody messed with Islington.

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A) Before

Cooper looked unusually serious as he watched the vampires come trickling in to the appointed meeting spot. He was pleased with the turn out. Hell, he hadn't even had to wheedle and cajole anyone like he had feared. They were all here for their own reasons, he was sure, but it was still good to see. Now that he had something to focus on, the vampire dropped his usual devil-may-care facade. What was left was a two-hundred and thirty five year old predator. He hadn't gotten this far in life without knowing how to survive. He'd make sure this nest stayed on top of the food chain no matter what.

Anyone who approached him right now would find one very short, very serious vampire.

B) During

He'd gotten into a fight with one of the East End Pack. A young woman who was angry and unwilling to let the vampires take over, she'd boldly faced off against Cooper, her eyes flashing bitter rage. The two were trading blows during a loud, noisy battle. Though she was young and full of fury, she lacked experience and soon began to tire.

Cooper saw an opening and took it, getting behind her and getting the wolf into a headlock. He wasn't particularly thrilled with the idea of killing her, but Adriana was too reckless to be left alive. If he let her go, she'd just attack another werewolf. So, looking grim, he snapped her neck, letting the werewolf sink to the floor stone-cold dead.

Cooper reached up a hand to his shoulder, grimacing as he came away with blood from a claw mark. "Well, that could have gotten better."

C) After

The battles were done and the outcome had been decided. The vampires had won. Cooper was feeling a deep sense of satisfaction. It hadn't been a completely bloodless affair, but then, these things never were. His face held a smile and there was a grim sort of satisfaction in the air around him. First things first, he'd make sure his vampires had come through without any casualties or serious injuries. Second thing was heading home and seeing Nancy.

Edited 2016-08-13 01:50 (UTC)

Nancy had been up all night, an abandoned cup of what had once been tea but was now mostly gin didn't leave her hand. Cooper had insisted she spend the evening of the claim at his flat. She was safer, that way, he'd said. He didn't have to worry about her on the streets one way or another.

When the doorknob turns, she's on her feet immediately, setting the cup down, waiting to be certain it's him before she makes her move.

Cooper comes walking through the door. This is one of those times where the weariness from his eyes makes him look far older than his permanent seventeen year old state. His clothes are torn, stained with dirt and a little bit of blood. But when he sees Nancy, he still manages to give her a tired smile.

"Sweet-pea. You didn't have t'stay up for me," he says. He's very glad she did so. This was just what he needed to celebrate the claim being successful.

He does look old, but that doesn't stop her from wrapping her arms around him the second she sees him.

"Of course I did- do you know who you're talking to?" She kisses him in greeting. Thank god he's home, thank god he's alright. She'd cast a protection charm over him, but she knew how awful these things could get.

"Are you alright? How did it go? Are- do you need to eat?" She doesn't let go of him, but does pull a curtain of hair back off of her neck. He'd probably had plenty to eat, but just in case, the offer was on the table. It always was, with Cooper.

He keeps his arms wrapped tightly around her, breathing in the peculiar scent that's partially made up of perfume and partially just her own unique smell. The light brush of her lips across his rejuvenates him just a little bit.

"I'm fine. Not a mark on me that won't be gone by tomorrow," he reassures her. Cooper had taken a few hits during the takeover, but he hadn't even come close to danger. Considering how much he likes to fight, he knows how to avoid serious injury.

"Nah. I already ate." Once before the claim had begun and then a little after as a celebration. He takes Nancy by the hand and led her over to the couch in the middle of the room. All he wants right now is to cuddle up close to her and stroke her hair. "It went good. Real good. We got the territory 'n I proved my point as well."

Nancy's perfectly content to remain in his arms for the rest of the night, and plans on doing just that. She'd spent the while he was gone imagining all the possible scenarios that could be happening, and if anyone would see fit to tell her if something had gone horribly wrong and now that Cooper was here, there was a huge weight lifted from her shoulders.

"Good," she tells him, and kisses him once more, a bit more firmly this time, before he leads her to the couch. She's hardly touching it for a moment before she's as close as she can be to Cooper, her bare feet tucked to her side.

"Oh, Cooper, that's brilliant!" She tells him, giving him another kiss. She can hardly stop smiling now that he's back. "I'm proud of you, love. I really am."

Cooper sighs and runs his fingers through her red hair. He's had his share of close calls tonight, but he's not going to let Nancy know about that. The worst had been the fight with the young werewolf, the one he'd been forced to kill. All he wants right now is to lie with his girlfriend in his arms and be thankful that it had all turned out all right.

He grins back at her, still hopped up on adrenaline and with thoughts buzzing around in his head like a hive of bees. "Things are gonna change in the nest soon. They've got to or Harris is gonna run us straight into the ground. I want t'be right there when it happens." This was the most frank he's been with anyone about his plans. Cooper has been keeping his plans under wraps, but he knows Nancy won't tell anyone else.

He's here, and she's in his arms. He's alive, and she just wants to kiss his wounds and make everything better.

It's his confession, though, that really gets her attention. "You want-" she blinks. "You're going to- I'm sorry, can you explain?" She wasn't expecting politics right away, she was hoping for kisses and some good old-fashioned victory sex. Or condolence sex.

"I'm not content just t'sit around and let lesser vampires run this nest like the idiots they are. I told you before how I was second-in-command of a nest in the States. I want to get back to that position. I'm not cut out t'be the head honcho, but if I can be the one whisperin' in his or her ear, that's just right for me."

He flips her one of his cocky grins. That's his whole plan laid out for Nancy, minus a few unimportant details. He trusts her enough to tell her all that. She knows how to keep his confidence. "As they say, it's good t'be the king. I've been planning this for a while. Surprised I'm not just a pretty face?"

"Wow," she breathed, reaching for her mug of mostly-gin. "And what happens if Raymond goes down, like you said? If you're his second-in-command, then you're next."

She won't tell anyone- why would she? Maybe Eames would be interested, but she wasn't going to tell him anything that had anything to do with Cooper. No way. She didn't betray those she cared about.

"I'm very surprised- proud of you, even, but-" worried for him. "If something goes wrong, one way or another..." She didn't want to lose him.

"That's why I'm not making my next move until I know for sure which way the wind is blowing. From what I've seen, he's not gonna be able to hold onto his power forever. I'm gonna back whoever I think will replace him." He has an idea in his head that it might be Jean-Claude, but that could change in an instant. Cooper's not going to be betting on a horse until its a for sure thing that it will win.

Cooper leans forward and nuzzles her neck with his nose and lips. "I'll be fine, sweet-pea. Remember, I've been around a long time. I know how to play the game 'n survive without getting hurt in the process." Cooper takes a sip from her mug and makes a face. "What is this?"

She pressed her lips together, avoiding his eyes for a moment. "I know you have," Nancy continues, putting a hand on his knee. "But that doesn't mean I'm not going to worry. I love you, that's what I do. But I support you." Especially because Raymond was very bad for business.

"Tea," she tells him. "I started adding gin to it."

"I love you too. Trust me," he says, kissing her on the side of her neck. "It'll all turn out okay in the end. I know it might not seem like it, but I've got allies both in the nest 'n elsewhere. If everything goes wrong, I know they've got my back." And if they turned on him or got him killed, he was going to be coming back as one hell of a vengeful ghost.

He looks from her to the cup and back again. "Tastes more like you were adding tea t'your gin 'n weren't very successful at it."

"I do," Nancy tells him, tilting her head so he can kiss her just a little better. He said he wasn't hungry, but that didn't mean he wasn't allowed to kiss her neck. "But it's my job to worry about you, all the same."

And that was that.

Nancy makes a face. "Oi! It started out as tea, but I kept topping off." So it was seriously vaguely tea-flavored gin. "You make it sound like it's awful."

"And it's my job t'worry about you." He gives her another kiss on the neck. "First thing I'm gonna do is make vamps can't feed off just anyone anymore. Gotta make sure you're safe out there." It's very good motivation for Cooper, having a personal stake in getting the laws changed back to what they had been before. He can't watch over Nancy 24/7 and he knows how hazardous it can be out there for her.

"You drink too much," he says, wagging a finger at her. "But I'd have done the same thing if you were out there 'n I had t'stay here."

"Oh, I'd love that," she said, moving in close to him again. So would the rest of London, but they were specifically talking about her, here. "You're too good." She wouldn't tell him, but business hadn't been quite as good now as it used to be.

Nancy makes a face, somewhere between incredulous and pouty. "I do not!" She tells him, though everyone that Nancy knew would actually probably say the exact same thing.

"I hope you don't stay home and drink all the time, when I'm gone," she says surprising herself with how serious she is. She doesn't know- they have separate places still.

"I'll get it done for you, Nancy. No worries about that." Once Cooper had an idea in his head, nothing come hell or high water was going to change his mind about it.

"Oh yes you do! Unless it's Juliet who's sitting there 'n lapping up all the booze when I'm not around." He'll continue to make a joke out of it, because Lord only knows, he has a list of faults about three feet longer than whatever Nancy has plaguing her.

"Nah. I've always got somethin' t'keep me occupied. My bikes or music or anything at all." There was also the fact that he was a nosy little bugger who was often where he shouldn't be, but Nancy already knew that.

"Good." She knew he would, there was no cause at all to doubt him. He was the sort of person who'd do anything for someone he loved. Nancy was of the same ilk.

"My cat's an alcoholic, like it's a weird thing," she says, keeping the subject off of her because honestly it makes her uncomfortable. She's been drinking for a very long time. But honestly, could you blame her?

"I'd hate for you to get so bored you drink a liquor store." She rubs her thumb along his cheekbone, taking careful stock of his injuries that would be gone by tomorrow.

"Just keep an eye on her. Wouldn't want the poor little thing to end in the gutter." He won't stop Nancy from drinking if that's what she wants to do. But he hasn't forgotten what she did for him when he was hyped up on fae blood.

"A whole liquor store? You flatter me with how high you think my tolerance is." Cooper leans into his girlfriend's touch. With all the serious topics out of the way, he's considering the wonderful idea of victory sex.

She chuckles. "Goodness, no. Juliet's an indoor cat." And the sweetest thing in the world, no way was she going outside. Recently, she'd taken to sleeping wherever it was in Nancy's apartment that Cooper had been last. It was cute, though she hadn't told Cooper yet.

"That's how high mine would be, if I was as old as you." A light joke, and she presses her forehead against his. Victory sex was always a wonderful idea.

"Psh. Just 'cause it's an old Irish stereotype that we can drink anyone else under the table doesn't mean it's true." Alright, so it was mostly true, as Cooper has proven time and again. What can he say? He likes his beer.

His hands came up and deftly began to undo the buttons of Nancy's blouse. "Now, what do you say we celebrate this territory takeover the proper way, hmmm?" Alcohol and sex with someone he loved. This was definitely a good night.

"Except in your cas,e I have a sneaking suspicion it's true." She leans in to kiss him briefly, before his hands on her buttons brought her pause.

Grinning, she sits back on her heels, pulling away form him. "Oh, I think we should." She slides up to standing, and starts pulling the rest of her blouse off. She's a little clumsy in her movements from the alcohol, but she manages to float a bottle of whiskey over towards Cooper.

Satisfied, she waits for him to take a drink before she starts walking back towards him.

There's many advantages to dating a witch. Having alcohol be floated over to him during a celebratory mood like this was just one of them. He grins at Nancy and tilts the bottle towards her before he takes a swig. "Cheers t'you, darlin'."

When she comes back over, he takes off the jacket and T-shirt that he's been wearing, both a little grimy from the night's activities. He's eager, waiting to be touching the curves of Nancy's body.

As she approaches him, she undoes the buttons on her blouse, taking her sweet time. When the shirt hits the floor, her pants aren't too far behind, leaving her standing in just her undergarments.

Which, honestly, were pretty boring- much of her lingerie was gifted by clients, and she'd rather not wear that with Cooper. But now, nearly naked, she comes to him, straddling him easily, kissing the whiskey off his lips.

He leans back, unable to keep a bit of a smirk off his face. She looks good, good enough to eat in fact. Then again, she'd look good even if she was in a potato sack. He pulls his pants off in a distracted manner, more focused on Nancy.

He reaches out with one hand. "C'mere. You're too far away." He's going to be taking those panties off with his teeth. Fangs do come in handy for more than just sucking blood.

Nancy laces her fingers in his and lets him pull her close. Her legs wrap around his waist, feeling the heat pool between them already.

Both her hands come up to caress his face, so she can better kiss him, working her body against his already with a practiced ease. Tonight was about Cooper and his victory.

Thomas arrived, and in Cooper's honor, he was wearing a shirt. Sort of. He was dressed in white leather pants, a white leather jacket, and a black fishnet shirt. He was also, naturally, wearing a holster carrying his gun and a sheath holding his sword, because he did have to be prepared for the battle ahead, a battle he felt like he owed Cooper a little help with considering how Cooper had recently helped him.

Of course, he was surprised when he arrived. He'd never seen Cooper look quite so serious before. But then, he reasoned, werewolves could be very dangerous for a vampire. This was definitely going to be a fight they'd have to put their all into.

Cooper is busy with organizing which vampires are going where when he sees Thomas arrive. He looks over the younger vampire's attire with a raised eyebrow. Well, at least he was wearing a shirt this time, even if he looked a little like a rent boy. A high-class one, the kind that charges by the hour, but still a rent boy nonetheless.

When he has a free moment, Cooper goes over to Thomas. "Glad t'see you here," he says, for once without his usual snark and sarcasm. "The wolves aren't gonna give up their territory easily." His eyes fall on the sword. He knows, unlike someone like Jean-Claude who was probably around when sword-fighting was still a legitimate skill to be mastered, Thomas was born in the last century. "Please tell me you've had some lessons with that thing." Alright, so maybe he's not entirely devoid of his sarcasm.

"I brought a gun, too." The answer, naturally, being no. Still, he'd figured it was good to have a weapon with him that didn't require ammo, just in case. Besides, with his vampire strength, even without skill and finesse he could still do a lot of damage with a sword. There wouldn't be any trained moves, and someone with actual skill with a sword could probably disarm him, but there would be force and aggression.

"If nothing else, it'll keep them from thinking they can pounce the second I run out of ammo."

Edited 2016-08-13 12:33 (UTC)

"Good for you. Keep your eyes open and don't do anythin' stupid." He feels like he says this quite often to Thomas, but he really means it this time. He doesn't want the younger vampire getting hurt if he can at all help it.

"Tonight's not about anyone being a hero. We're sendin' a message here." He was going to make sure every other faction knew not to mess with Islington after this night was done. Just because they were now vulnerable to the hunters and kicked off the Night Council didn't mean they were fair game. Cooper was responding the only way he knew how.

"I think I can manage that."

Sure, Thomas wasn't the most focused vampire in the world, nor the brightest, but he figured knowing how dangerous werewolves could potentially be to them would be enough to keep him alert and on his toes.

"Don't worry, I'm not trying to be a hero."

Because there were no heroes here. Thomas owed it to Cooper to be here, and he didn't want the werewolves to think Islington was weak enough now that they could just wipe it off the map, but after Raymond's policies and those who had followed through on them, Thomas couldn't really think of the vampires as heroes in this conflict. He was focused on winning to show that they could win and on not dying. He was not, however, trying to do anything brave or reckless to cripple the pack beyond that.

"Good man. We'll make a halfway decent vampire outta you yet." He reaches up and thumps Thomas on the shoulder in a friendly manner. He's tempted to keep an eye out for Thomas throughout the conflict, but he knows the young vampire has to sink or swim under his own merit.

"Just don't get bit. Otherwise this'll turn into a scene out of Old Yeller 'n be all depressin'." Would Cooper actually take Thomas down if he ended up on the wrong side of a werewolf's teeth? Eh, probably. He's a pragmatic old soul if nothing else.

"Yes, I'm aware. I didn't want to focus on that too much, but I'm aware."

He knew that one bite from a shifted werewolf and he was done, and he knew he wanted to avoid letting them get anywhere near him, but that didn't mean he wanted to think about what would happen if he failed. Thomas had a strong desire to live, after all, and focusing on what they were about to fight almost made him regret coming. Werewolves. Why did it have to be werewolves?

All the same, he could do this. After all, he wasn't going to play hero, or make himself a prime target. He'd just focus on doing what damage he could without going in close.

Jean-Claude had pledged his participation in this territory dispute and he has stayed true to his word although truth be told he really hadn't had to do that much. Cooper seemed to have everything pretty much under control, the vampires had brought forth a good effort, and the opposing faction simply had not. He is honestly rather pleased with how the whole thing has gone down, and it shows on his face as he steps forward to congratulate the other vampire once everything has died down.

"A fine effort you have put forth here today, mon ami," Jean-Claude says, inclining his head toward the other vampire in greeting.

Cooper looks a little torn up and weary from the numerous scrapes he'd gotten into during the night. Still, he has enough energy to smile at Jean-Claude and flash him a thumbs up as a greeting. "Not bad for a young rip with more temper than sense, huh?" Cooper was the only one allowed to speak about himself like that. Truth be told, he's awful pleased to see the older vampire here. JC is one of the few in the nest right now that the younger vampire feels like he can rely on. And considering how things are bound to go south with Harris sooner rather than later, someone like that will be worth quite a lot when the time comes.

Jean-Claude is notably less ruffled than Cooper himself, though he is at least sporting a dashing cut across his cheek to demonstrate that he had participated in the fight after all -- make no mistake for that matter, he had made that werewolf pay for what they had done.

"Not bad at all, no," he says. The results are certainly better than the last time that Jean-Claude had tried to lead a faction claim, although this claim wasn't against one of the strongest factions in the city, nor was Cooper making it one-on-one against a friend in quite so... Flamboyant a way.

He tilts his head at the other vampire. "How would you rate our efforts here?"

Cooper seems to consider the question with some seriousness. He runs his hand through his hair as he thinks. "A seven out of ten." Better than the last time he'd been involved in a territory claim with Jean-Claude, but hey, they couldn't win them all. Anyway, at least it was better than the bright idea of facing off in a duel.

"Points off for the young ones thinkin' this is some tea party instead of an actual conflict." Maybe he was just getting old, but Cooper thought there should be a little more seriousness when it came to taking over the territories of the other factions.

"Ah," Jean-Claude replies, glancing over at the younger vampires in question, "perhaps this is true. But you cannot ever expect to have full cooperation of the masses. We are vampires after all, mon ami," he adds, turning back to Cooper with the flick of a smile. "One might argue that it is in our nature to be somewhat rebellious."

He smiles wider before continuing, "They will learn, in time. You are happy with our efforts in general however, non? And we have won. These are things to be celebrated."

Before Evie had always enjoyed the calm before the battle. The deep breath before the plunge. This was no different. But she wasn't here out of want of territory. The wolves could keep what they wanted- she was here because she needed to be seen here. Make herself an ally for Raymond, as far as the rest of the Nest was concerned. So Evie will be wandering amongst the ranks before the battle.

During Evie's not trying to kill. Maim, perhaps- wolves can heal quickly- knock-out, but she's not here for blood. Or, she supposed, pelts. She notices a few vampires trying to skin their victims, and she reacts quickly, removing them from the playing field in the same manner, if she can get away with it. If not, it's easy to move herself in the way of it.

After They were supposed to be celebrating now, weren't they? Removing her gloves, Evie's hard pressed to feel much like celebrating. But she puts on a damn good show of it, asking if maybe anyone wants to go to a pub. With any luck, she can slip out early. Though, truthfully, a hard cold drink sounded exactly like what she wanted right now.

Before Thomas wasn't looking forward to this. Werewolves weren't an easy fight, and considering how the vampires as a whole had been treating them...well, he figured they'd be going for the kill. Still, he felt like he owed Cooper one, and he wanted to make sure he looked good to the rest of the nest. After all, if he wanted to help any potential vampires with plans to depose Raymond, it would be best if he worked his way into a position of generally being trusted by others.

During Thomas isn't aiming to kill. He's aiming to win, to drive back, to intimidate, but his goal isn't to kill. He fights aggressively, of course, because those he's fighting against are aggressive themselves, but once it's clear that his opponent is out of the fight he moves on to the next, seeing no need to do anything more permanent.

After They'd won. More importantly, Thomas hadn't gotten himself killed, and that was an incredible relief. Still, blood stained the battlefield, and while the vampires got through this in tact, it was still a vivid reminder that all this fighting came at a cost.

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Greenwich Territory Claim (Backdated to August 10th)

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