undergrounds | This Can Only End Well (Sept. 1st)

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This Can Only End Well (Sept. 1st)

What: Dinner party! Hope you like appetizers for dinner. And wine. And disaster.
Where: Nancy's flat in Enfield
Who: Eames, Arthur, Cooper, Kyle- time to meet the boyfriend, everyone!
When: September 1st.

Though the affair is set to be somewhat casual, Nancy has spent hours on that Thursday cleaning her flat, preparing food, and generally getting ready. Thursday night because Friday nights tended to be good nights for business, so she wasn't sacrificing nearly as much if she had everyone over on a Thursday.

The idea she'd had was to introduce everyone to Cooper officially. Get Eames to see that it was a great idea to date him, and maybe Kyle would be completely smitten with the idea of Cooper's existence in her life and allow Nancy to invite the vampire in to their future apartment. Cooper was important to her, she loved him. And she wanted others to see what she saw in him as well.

When the first guests arrive, Nancy's already had a glass of wine in her hand, ready to play dutiful hostess immediately. There's wine, magically chilled, as well as whisky and gin and some beer. For food, it's a lot of little appetizers, finger food, really. She has no idea what she's doing, truthfully, and just hopes that everyone has a good time.

Oh, and she made a cake.

If you're wondering where Juliet is, she's trying to eat the shrimp.

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Normally, Kyle's the type to arrive early and offer to help. In this situation, though, it feels like a potential intrusion to show up early. He doesn't want to interfere with potential boyfriend duties and, given that the dinner is basically in the guy's honor, doesn't really want to jump the gun in meeting him either. So he shows up on time with a plate of brownies, because he was always taught never to attend a party at someone else's house empty handed.

"Hey," he greets Nancy, looking around to see others already present. "Hope I'm not late. I speed walked and everything." Teasing, trying to put himself at ease while trying not to think about the fact that someone here is probably a vampire.

The bell rings, and Nancy's quick to open it, ushering Kyle inside. Kyle with brownies.

And a shirt.

Mostly, though, brownies.

"No, no, you're right on time. A few people are already here." She gestures to the assorted cast of characters. "Good lord, and you brought brownies, thank you!" For that, he gets a hug in greeting, even if they're both trying to deal with the plate of brownies, so it's a bit awkward.

"Pour yourself a drink, help yourself to food, I was really just hoping everyone could mingle, introduce themselves."

If he knows Nancy, and he does, there'll be no shortage of alcohol. Food on the other hand, it could go either way. He doesn't really want to cook for a bunch of assholes and Nancy though, so he's brought a salad. It's a fucking good salad and there's a lot of it, but it's... It's still a salad.

He lets himself in, because that's just the kind of guy Eames is, perfectly on time and brings the food through to the kitchen. Maybe he's being a little nosy too, who's to say.

(He is, he totally is.)

Eames has let himself into her apartment and made a salad. So far this doesn't bode well because Letting himself in will likely not fly if she moves in with Kyle. Still, he showed up and brought something and so long as he doesn't find her underwear drawers they should be okay.

"Eames! hey!" she takes the salad so he can avoid a hug. Be happy, she's learning. "Welcome, come say hello and introduce yourself. Cooper and Kyle are both here." So be nice.

Oh thank goodness for the lack of hugs. He smiles, and it certainly looks genuine, even if the idea of being nice to Cooper makes him want to take a fork and jam it in his thigh.

"Where's the scotch?" He asks, because of course she has some and he's going to need it. Like the whole bottle. To himself.

Great to see you too, Eames.

Nancy gives him a look and sets the salad bowl down. Scotch it is. She moves deftly to one of her cabinets and opens it, revealing a lot of bottles. Standing on tip toes she plucks a glass bottle and hands it to Eames. With a wave of her hand, the cabinet shuts.

"It's all yours. Don't get too drunk." because she will murder you.

"Of course not." As if one bottle's gonna get him drunk, what do you take him for.

He leans on the doorframe, looking out from the kitchen to see the assembled, and looks at Nancy as he takes a swig from the bottle. Classy as balls, that Eames. "Who else are we waiting for?"

Eames the boys have better manners than you do.

"Just Arthur," she explained because Cooper had to be there to begin with. "Dodger said he'd try to make it." Because no party is complete without a fourteen-year-old or something. "Just a small group of my closest friends- Abby couldn't make it."

Well he'd like to say it's a shame, but Eames never liked Abby so if anything he's glad she won't be here. If only the vampire couldn't make it too.

But supposedly this is all going to be nice, so he'll at least try not to rustle any jimmies. No promises, but it's the thought that counts.

"Guess I'd better make nice then, hm?"

Cooper is not precisely thrilled with the idea of a dinner party. Let's face it, he's not the easiest person to get along with, and there's bound to be at least one person here he's pissed off on one or two occasions. But Nancy had wheedled and cajoled him to come and be on his best behavior. He's promised to play nice tonight, so he's going to be the dutiful boyfriend and meet all her friends without insulting anyone. (Maybe.)

He's already there when most of the other guests arrive. There's a glass full of whiskey in his hands, which he's already been taking liberal gulps from. He's noted one thing to himself: Nancy needs more female friends. There's far too many attractive men here.

You don't like anyone except animals, do you, Eames?

Nancy gives him a pointed nod. "That would help. Try to get along with Cooper." She doesn't know if they know each other, she doesn't know about the meeting at Vampire Prom last month. She just wants everyone to get along.

When Cooper arrived, Nancy had greeted him properly, and then given him some whiskey to sip while she finished making final preparations. Now that that is done, and people are here, she's going to slide up to her boyfriend.

"How're you doing?" She asks quietly. "Thank you for humoring me with this." He was such a good boyfriend.

"Well, I'm--" He checks the level of whiskey left. "--half a glass away from being perfectly sociable." He curls a strand of Nancy's hair around his finger. Since that disastrous outing at the vampire soiree, he's actually felt a lot better about the strength of their bond. While he was never going to just accept the fact that Nancy made her living by letting other men feed off and sleep with her, he knows now that he doesn't have to fight anyone who so much as looks in her direction.

"Quite a gatherin' you've got going on here," he remarks. "Who's the handsome one over there?" He gestures towards Kyle.

Nancy sighs, and points towards the place where she's set up drinks. The whiskey bottle begins to float itself over to the pair of them. When it's near enough, she plucks it from the air and fills his glass again.

"At least it was the optimistic answer," she says by way of explanation for her actions. Then, to top it all off, she leans up and gives him a kiss on the cheek. He may not be tall, but Nancy's shorter still.

Floating the whiskey back over, she grins. "Thank you, love. Oh- that's Kyle. My hopeful future roommate." She smiles warmly over towards Kyle. She's just not going to mention that Kyle hates vampires. "I figured I'd see how tonight went, before making any final decisions." So don't mess it up, please.

Honestly, if it helps, Cooper, you're the only person in the room she's had sex with.

Kyle accepts the hug and hands over the brownies, trying to work the stiffness out of his muscles. It's the anticipation of being here that has him on edge and his muscles all tense. Nancy is one of his better friends in the city, possibly his best, but he still worries about the company she keeps and can't help but wonder how many of the people in the room are clients. At least one is, her boyfriend.

"Sure. I'll mingle. I'm good at mingling." There was a time when Kyle the football star was the master of any party and the center of attention. But that was a long time ago and a lot has changed since then. Now, he doesn't bother trying to stand out or charm the room. Hopefully being his usual self is enough. "Where are the drinks?"

He flashes a grin, gives her a kiss on the cheek, and then moves past her towards the rest of the party. If she wants him to mingle, he'll mingle. And, contrary to the joke, he'll keep a clear head to do so. And not mention the stake in his pants. Which is not a euphemism.

"You must be Cooper. I know Arthur and Nancy, obviously, and the other guy seems too old. Though maybe I'm being too judgey." Kyle offers as he approaches the guy. He has a water in one hand and some food in the other, which he shuffles over into one hand to offer his right hand in greeting. "Kyle Sutton."

He struggles to keep it light and positive. Nancy wants them to get along and he has no interest in undermining that wish. Even if Cooper is a former client and probably a creeper who may be preying on Kyle's very good friend. He's going to wait before he judges the guy too strongly, give him a chance. Or what's left of one.

"I don't doubt it," she tells him. She can work a room because she has to be able to. But she doesn't want to be the center of attention tonight. She just wants her friends to meet her friends.

Nancy points over at the small table of drinks. "Help yourself to food and drinks, too." The cheek kiss gets him a smile, blushing slightly. She cared about him, a lot, and it's important to her to see him thrive in this city. Maybe she should have seen about inviting at least one other girl to introduce him to, but... Well, Abby couldn't make it, and everyone else she knew was a vampire, it seemed.

"I hope you have a good time, tonight, too." And maybe even change his mind about vampires, too.

The vampire takes in the man in one single up and down gaze. First thought: dammit, he's attractive. Second thought: This is who Nancy is planning on moving in with? Third thought: promises were made to play nice at this shindig and I intends to keep those promises.

So he puts on one of the smiles he saves for when he's trying to charm someone and moves his whiskey to his left hand so he can shake Kyle's. "Cooper. Just Cooper." Nancy is the only who even knows he has a first name and he plans to keep it that way. Too many ways that magic can screw a person over if their full name is out there for everyone to know. "How'd you two meet?" Please don't say client. He can't deal with another scenario like the one with Cesare at the vampire party.

He likes lots of people, Nancy just hasn't invited any of them except Arthur's dick. And he can't really talk to it around everyone for a lot of reasons so he's just gonna have to fake it.

Eames gestures toward the cupboard, floating down a glass to pour some whiskey in it so he can pretend to be a responsible adult for a little while, and turns to look at Nancy. Smirking a little as he backs up into the living room, "I'm not promising anything."

Arthur's dick isn't a person. It just happens to belong to Arthur.

Nancy rolls her eyes at his trick, which was exactly the same as one of her standards. But hey, it made things a whole lot easier, especially when you were trying to deal with at least ten boys at the same time. Her brothers- she was talking about her brothers.

Nancy doesn't let him get away with that quite so easy. "You know I can and will ask you to leave," she warns him. She wouldn't do that. Probably.

He can't imagine she'd make him leave unless he actually does instigate something, but he sighs at the comment anyway.

Putting the bottle down, Eames steps closer to Nancy and lifts her chin with a knuckle so he can look at her properly.

"I'll try. But I'm not going to make any promises." It's as good as a contract, and fundamentally 'will not fight a vampire at dinner' isn't a contract he'd ever sign.

Edited (thanks phone. thone.) 2016-09-03 15:58 (UTC)

Nancy's brow furrows as she looks up at Eames, her lips pursed slightly. Nothing happens, but it doesn't stop her from being cautious. It's not exactly a gesture she had expected from Eames. but she accepts it.

"Seriously," she tells him. "But thank you." It makes her relax a little, but she knows both Eames and Cooper aren't looking to make friends.

Cooper accepted the liberal pouring of whiskey. This is definitely the ticket to getting relaxed and ready to mingle. He takes another swig as she identifies the unknown man in the room. "That' Kyle?" Nope, he is not going to get visibly jealous over the fact that Nancy apparently wants to move in with a Calvin Klein model. He manages just barely through sheer force of will.

A small smile, which is made easier with the alcohol in his system, makes its way across his face. "I'll have t'get to know him better." Not that he doesn't trust Nancy, but her taste in men tends to be...questionable. He's included in that category by everyone but himself.

She's lucky, it takes two of these men more than one bottle of whiskey to get them drunk.

She's really proud of him, though. He's smiling, look at that! "I hope you do," she says earnestly, and leans in to give him a whiskey-flavored kiss. "Kyle's a good friend." They have different opinions about a lot of things, but they can generally discuss them like adults. Sometimes. "And I'd really like it if you two could be friends."

Arthur arrives fashionably late, bottle of wine in hand, dressed sharply but not too much for the dinner party. He doesn't approve of any of this, of course, but Nancy is his friend and he'd like to keep a close eye on Cooper any time he has the chance. He was considering buying Nancy a set of silverware, but that would be far too extravagant and transparent for him. A subtle gift of a well-crafted stake maybe, but he'll save that for later.

In any case, he has the practice to be a good house guest, so he's perfectly amiable to everyone, even including Eames and Cooper. If they piss him off it might be a different story, but he walked in with his nice face on and he plans to keep it that way as long as possible.

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This Can Only End Well (Sept. 1st)

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