undergrounds | it's pretty dirty business- August 9th [closed]

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it's pretty dirty business- August 9th [closed]

Three days was ample enough time to cool down, right? Nancy certainly hoped so, as she dressed her best and made for the sight of her boyfriend's narrowly-avoided murder: the Angelo.

Tonight, she'd set a good chunk of time aside for Cesare Borgia. She needed to speak to him, to apologize on Cooper's behalf. She knew he would never on his own, so she just wasn't going to tell Cooper about her mission. Or that she was seeing Cesare at all. She had enough forethought this time at least, to know it wouldn't end well if Cooper knew where she was ducking off to.

What she didn't get, though, was why it was such a big deal. Why Cesare was so offended that her boyfriend wanted to take her out, and show her around. It was no different than if Cesare had taken her, which he'd done so many times in the past.

Regardless, she made her way into the hotel, and to reception. A minutes later, and Nancy was being escorted to Cesare's private office. Never mind that she knew the way.

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Cesare laughs, low in the back of his throat and rolls his eyes. Sometimes he's astounded by truly how humans can be. Or maybe it was just Nancy, young, wide-eyed, trusting Nancy. He turns towards her and takes a couple steps forward.

"You honestly believe that would stop him from hurting you? You truly believe that when he's that close to you, he can't merely pull it from your neck? I am sorry to say this, Nancy, but any feeling of safety you have around vampires is mostly them just being courteous." There's almost nothing, in his view, stopping the majority of them from draining her out on a whim or if their urges became too great. Cooper is no exception and the fact that she would allow someone so capricious to feed on her does concern him, for her sake.

"There isn't anything that would bring him to that point," she says, watching him move towards her. She remains seated, keeping her eyes on him. He'd had the opportunity before, to drain her dry. But she'd outsmarted him, using their friendship against him.

But then there was someone like Kenzi. Kenzi who had attacked her, and only a few months old would have completely drained her if it hadn't been for Natasha, their friendship be damned.

Cooper was old enough, though. "I'm more to him than just a meal. He wouldn't do that." She'd been lucky, in her dealings with vampires, for the most part. But with Raymond in charge, she wasn't sure how much longer that would hold up.

"You don't know that. He doesn't event know that. You're giving vampires far more credit than they deserve." A vampire's thirst for blood is something incredible, almost euphoric when sated. Losing control can happen with incredible ease, even for the most practiced.

"Do you know how many people I have killed? Do you know how many people he has killed? Have you asked him? Why don't you just date a nice human boy who you can have lazy mornings and have picnics in the park with?" It's half joking but there's some truth in it too. Things would be far easier if Nancy simply didn't date the supernatural. At least her personal life would be easier, if not her professional.

"No." She says it quickly, because there are things you don't ask vampires. One of them is how old they actually are. The other is if they've killed people, and if so, how many. She doesn't doubt that both Cooper and Cesare have killed in the past. She doesn't doubt that they'll both do it again. Not with the way politics have been playing out in their city.

He may be joking, but Nancy gives him a look. "We've already had our lazy mornings and picnics in the park." Seriously, one of their first dates was a sunlit picnic. Helped, when she'd given him his daylight ring. Watching him soak up the sun for the first time in over two hundred years had been awing. Another reason why she loved him.

"Besides, I don't know any nice human boys." Where the hell did you meet them? She knew two humans right now- Kyle, but he wasn't someone she could date, and Arthur. And she would totally date Arthur. "And even if I did, what are the chances of them understanding any of this?" She gestures.

Not to mention, human boys her own age were the worst.

Cesare scoffs slightly and rolls his eyes.

"Cooper can't even understand and cope with what you do. How would a human boy be any different in that regard? The only difference would be that your relationship might be good for you instead of whatever septic relationship you've managed to form."

Cesare's aware of how ridiculous it is that he's the one trying to give relationship advice. He himself hasn't properly dated anyone in hundreds of years, but he knows what a good relationship is, and Nancy's doesn't look like it.

And he's not pretending that his liaisons with Nancy are exactly healthy either. But at least he gives good advice.

Nancy crosses her arms again, and gives Cesare a look. How rude, to insult her relationship when it was perfectly healthy. Why everyone kept worrying about her relationship, what's what she wanted to know. So what if she was a prostitute witch and he was a 200-year-old vampire stuck in the body of a seventeen-year-old? Weirder things had worked out.

"Cooper understands and copes perfectly well, thank you very much." Her words are clipped. "And our relationship is hardly toxic. You spoke with the two of us together exactly once. What are you even on about?"

Please, if you're going to give her advice, at least have some evidence, too.

Ok. So we're back to this again. Cesare has the right mind to remind Nancy exactly who she's talking to, but for now he'll humor her. She's hurt. She's upset, and it's in these moments that he realises how young Nancy actually is.

"He tried to fight me for referring to your line of work. You're right. He's coping with it all beautifully." Not only was it astonishingly belligerent, it was also a deathwish. Foolish on both counts. Cesare doesn't exactly have the most faith in Cooper at this point.

Okay, yeah, good point.

She presses her lips together and gives him a very pointed look. "Because you called me a whore. We try to keep that part of my life out of our relationship." Which was really, really hard when she was, indeed, a prostitute. So they didn't talk about it, and everyone was better off for it.

...Right?

"Did I lie?" He looks at her point blank, an unimpressed look on his face. He's the type to be blunt and honest, not the type to tiptoe around issues to spare people's feelings.

"I wouldn't take it so personally. Everyone's a whore for something." What is it for Cesare? Money certainly isn't a problem for him. But acknowledgement? Fame? Power? Whatever happens to him in this world, Cesare wants to make a mark on it, and he'll do whatever he can to manage it. If that means selling himself out on occasion then so be it.

"I take offense at the term." Anything but that word, seriously.

She wrinkles her nose. "He knows that word bothers me, and he can't exactly stand by and let someone insult me to my face." He'd said as much. "But I apologize for him all the same. He didn't come to start a fight, and he's sorry it happened. I am, as well." Now accept her apology, please and they can get on with this.

Cesare doesn't for one second believe that Cooper feels bad for his behaviour. Cooper is an idiot but he's an idiot who sticks to his guns, Cesare will give him that. So when Nancy mentions that Cooper's sorry it happened, Cesare rolls his eyes. Does Cooper even know she's here right now?

"Then call him for me." Cesare likes Nancy, but he doesn't like lying. In his eyes, she's lying straight to his face, and Cesare intends on calling her bluff on it.

"Call Cooper and we'll talk to him together."

Nancy stops. "What?" She asks, blinking. "No- he's sleeping." It was early enough that that was a very real possibility. Truthfully, Cooper would be furious if he knew she was here. So she was going to avoid telling him at all costs.

"I'd rather not bother him, he was up late last night, and his sleeping schedule is messed up, since he got his ring." Neither of them had normal sleeping schedules, for very clear reasons.

Cesare doesn't let Nancy's excuses phase him. They're clearly hollow, so he just politely moves around them. He won't call her up on avoiding calling Cooper just yet. Instead he'll let it simmer and let her fret further.

"What time does he wake up? We can wait, can't we? I'm sure we could figure out something to pass the time. Have you eaten yet? I can have something sent over." His tone is polite. Not quite friendly, but nonetheless cordial. He's not giving her any wiggle room here.

"I always try to eat before work," she says, waving the idea of food away. If you're going to give a few pints of blood, you needed to eat. Even with the use of blood replenishers. Not to mention, the energy was certainly going to be wanted.

She's just not going to address calling him.

Sorry, Nancy. Cesare doesn't give up quite so easily.

"Ok, then. How much time do you think we have until he wakes up?"

Truly, she shouldn't have started making excuses. She should have told him as soon as he suggested they call Cooper. Now Cesare is fully content making her sweat as much as possible. This is what happens when you lie to people.

Nancy's natural response is to make excuses, no matter what. She's a born and raised liar, and telling the truth, no matter how benign, is hard.

"Oh, I don't know," she drawls. "It's always hard to tell. For all I know, we could be here all night." She had places to go, money to make. "I can have him call you."

"I have all night." After all, as a vampire, time isn't exactly against him. He sits down at his desk and pulls out his checkbook. At least he'll pay her for her time.

"How long does someone sleep for? If he fell asleep an hour ago, how much time do we need? Eight? Nine hours?" Sorry, Nancy. There is seriously no way of escaping from this.

Nancy purses her lips. Well, there goes that plan.

"I've got an appointment in two hours," she reasons, giving it one last go.

Cesare shrugs. No big deal.

"I'll pay double." He deliberately avoids elaborating or giving her any other options. He doesn't want to give her any vague opportunity to twist out of this situation and find another excuse. He's close to catching her. He doesn't want to let her get away.

Nancy laughs. "He's extremely important. I can't just cancel on him. In the spirit of confidentiality, I'm sure you don't mind me not mentioning his name. After all, as you've said, I've slept with half the vampires in the city." So back. off., Cesare.

And there's another line that Cesare doesn't believe either. Quite frankly, whoever this fictional person is, they're not as important as him. She can be sleeping with the damn queen, for all he cares. When it comes down to it, he feels that he's the most important out there for her business. If he blacklisted her, things would become incredibly difficult for her indeed.

So he just looks at Nancy for a second, stonefaced, then reiterates his point.

"Let's call Cooper, Nancy."

She's caught, completely. There's nothing she can say to him at this point to get around it.

There's a beat, the air in his office feeling particularly stale.

She looks to the side, lowering her gaze, a faint blush painting her features that she hadn't carefully painted on just an hour before. "He doesn't know I'm here," she mutters into her lap.

That's what Cesare had been waiting to hear. He nods and closes his checkbook, busying himself with his work again.

"Thank you. Don't lie to me again. You can go now."

He's put her under enough stress for now. Now that he's got what he's wanted, he's happy to let her go. Does he forgive her for her previous behavior, at the night of his gala? Not exactly. But that can be saved for another time.

Nancy stands, keeping her head down.

"I'm sorry," she tells him again. Because she is, but really only because she got caught. What else did you expect with a girl like her?

"Thank you, Cesare." Should she curtsey? Honestly, she feels like she should. Instead, she backs out of the room, feeling far smaller than she had when she first arrived.

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it's pretty dirty business- August 9th [closed]

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