[OPEN] MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR

[baisant]

The Duke of Central London's Samhain festivities are open upon invitation only. Those who are fortunate enough to have received one, either from the Duke himself or from one of his guests, are privy to quite the affair. Raymond has obviously been planning this for some time now, and the bar is fully stocked, the room fully decorated for the festivities. Collected from the fae hunt that their leader had encouraged, fae blood flows freely, available freshly served in punch bowls or straight from the source itself, in the form of kidnapped fae off of the streets. The vampires who partake are drunk with it and high on the euphoria that it offers, a drug unlike any other their kind can partake in.

As promised by Raymond himself, it is a rave the likes that London has never seen before. And it's about to get a lot more memorable still...

Comments

[OPEN] THE AFTERMATH

[baisant]

Once the deed is done, the room erupts in chaos, although they have all seen, they all know. The leader of the vampires is dead. There is a new leader in charge, and he has taken the city for his own. While Jean-Claude is normally a peaceable vampire, he has made his point quite clear. He will not suffer those who have an issue with the change in regime to live. If they cannot accept him as their new leader, then he cannot allow them to remain in the city. They can try and escape, but they will be found. They will be caught. They will be brought to justice. He will make certain of it.

The vampires in the dance hall have their orders. As do the allies positioned outside of the doors. No one is to escape. No traitor is to be trusted. Jean-Claude has few rules, few demands, but these are his orders and they will be obeyed.

[dredefulchilde]

"You actually did it."

Even after the fact, Joscelin can barely believe what's just happened. Jean-Claude's always struck him as being just a bit too romantic, a bit too soft, to actually get anything done.

And yet here they are.

"You actually bloody did it."

[baisant]

Jean-Claude can feel his heart pounding in his chest, pulse thundering in his ears, and there's a part of him that can hardly believe that he has succeeded in this either. It's not that he didn't believe himself capable of the hypothetical possibility of taking over the city. It's that he never believed he would ever have enough reason, enough backing, enough gall to step up and make it happen.

He glances aside at the other vampire from where he stands, covered in the blood of the former Duke of the city, and laughs. The sound loud and throaty, and perhaps a little shaky but then again he figures he is allowed here and now to need a moment to collect himself.

"It would seem that I did."

[dredefulchilde]

Joscelin brushes blood off his own cheek, having been caught by the arterial spray of some hapless underling who'd tried to get between him and Jean-Claude. There is blood all over the club, really, drying stickily to the walls and floor. He doesn't envy the cleaners their jobs.

The boy vampire steps over a particularly large smear of blood--Raymond's--to get closer to Jean-Claude and be heard over the chaos.

"God's wounds, Jean-Claude! I didn't think you had it in you. Masterfully done, old friend."

[freelife]

Chaos is where Evie thrives. The moment it's done, she's prepared. This isn't the first time she's been in a situation like this, and she knows it won't be the last. Sure, usually she's one for subtlety, but when you're dealing with a man like Raymond Harris, there's little time for it. This needed to be public, she'd understood. And it was.

Now came the fun part.

Armed to and including the teeth, Evie's ready. If anyone is watching, she moves like she's dancing. A sword usually makes it easy to decapitate, but this is close quarters combat, and she's prepared for a melee. Those who oppose the takeover will meet a swift end with a thrown stake or find themselves slowed by her Kukri. She takes her orders seriously. It's time to liberate London once again.

[ooc: come help her fight, or they can chat after the blood's been spilled WHATEVER WORKS.]

[baisant]

Jean-Claude wields the long blade he had produced from down the back of his jacket -- an old trick he had learned from a vampire hunter long ago -- and snarls in the face of the first vampire to try and mount the stage after he has let Raymond's body drop to the ground before running them clean through as well. There are other vampires who would let their people do the rest of the fighting for them. But Jean-Claude has no such opinion of himself. He just has to be careful that he doesn't get himself killed so soon after winning the city for himself.

It is only once the smoke has cleared, as they say, and Jean-Claude stands breathing heavily on the stage of the dance hall, covered in Raymond Harris' blood and that of his followers, sporting few new cuts and bruises that will heal in time but otherwise none the worse for wear, that he can finally take stock of the situation. And he tilts back his head and laughs.

"Ah, mon amie," he says, addressing Evie directly. "Remind me never to find myself on your bad side."

[freelife]

Evie won't lie, she loves the theatrical side of their new Duke. He's still on stage- his jacket is completely destroyed, good lord, this is why she likes to wear black- and he owns the moment completely.

Evie sheaths her kukuri, then removes a stake from the chest of a dead vampire. She cleans it of the blood, and places it back into her holster for such items. Fire from the wrist, it's essentially shooting from the hip.

"You're quite good with that sword of yours," she says first, instead of just accepting the complement. "I hope you give me a good fight, if you're ever on my bad side."

Slowly, she mounts the stage. "Félicitations à notre nouveau duc".

[outstandingbalance]

Natasha couldn't be there when the deed went down, wasn't welcome for it because of her allegiance to Redbright. Instead she waited outside, ready with loaded guns and stakes for anyone who tried to take the battle outside.

When the dust settles, though, Natasha has more freedom to meet her allies within the nest.

For Evie, she has a smile. "Hey," she says when she has a moment to reach the other assassin. "Hell of a night, huh?"

[freelife]

Natasha, oh thank god. Evie practically runs up to her when she hears her voice, wrapping her in a rather undignified hug. Evie's not a big hugger. But for Natasha, at the end of a battle, she could be a huge hugger.

"Natasha- you're alright." She's more relieved than she expected to be to see her dear friend again. She'd figured she'd partake tonight, and though Evie was aware of the other woman's abilities, her more recent diet did put her at a disadvantage.

[loveconquersdinosaurs]

Seeing one of the attackers try to move in on Evie while she was fighting another, Thomas pounced, tackling his surprised opponent to the ground before slicing off their head with his sword. While normally he went for his gun in a fight, he'd realized going into things that a gun with regular bullets really wasn't the most effective weapon against their kind, and so he'd chosen to stash his sword out here earlier, fetching it quickly once the fight moved out here. Still, what he lacked in experience he made up for in aggression, as well as not being high on fae blood.

This, however, was not the only weapon on his person, as he now held a small, silver witch's amulet in his heavily gloved left hand that he had produced from a small pouch at his waist, which he was using to further damage any vampires that he caught in melee combat.

[freelife]

Evie vanquished her foe with a well-placed stake, driven out from her sleeve. Hidden blades had always the preferred weapon of Assassins, and stakes likewise. She turned in time to see Thomas swinging his sword.

"Thank you, friend!" She calls towards him, as she prepared to move to another target.

OPEN

[vampire_barbie_girl]

Tonight feels different than the Southwark claim. Caroline is still scared to be here, to be involved, but she feels better able to deal with that fear. She knows she cannot let it rule her anymore, not if she wants to make a difference and prove that vampires aren't all bad.

That said, she still has to be smart. She spends the evening near the doors, ready to support anyone out there while also making sure she doesn't get trapped in a fight she can't win. Luckily, so many of Raymond's followers are high on fae blood and thus not in a great position to fight.

She has a stake ready for anyone who tries to escape.

[dirtyredneck]

Daryl would have been too conspicuous inside. He knows that. But the knowledge does nothing to make him less agitated. He'd been asked by Jean-Claude to help. To watch the exits and make sure no one escaped. He just didn't give much in the way of time frames except sometime later after most of Raymond's cronies were too drunk to fight well. It was going to be a goddamn purge of everyone that had hurt him and his kind over the summer and he couldn't even get a front row seat.

No one was getting out the doors alive unless they were one of Jean-Claude's.

But would it be too much to ask for it to open so he could have the satisfaction of getting a kill?

[vampire_barbie_girl]

Caroline does her best to keep anyone from reaching the doors, but there's just too many of them. Eventually, all she can do is move with the pack and try to get back in front of them. She raises her hands, making sure the bloody stake is visible, in case anyone outside tries to kill her by mistake.

She really hopes JC is a good enough judge of character that they'll make an exception for her.

[freelife]

During the fight, Evie caught sight of a familiar blonde. Hardly allowing herself more than a small smirk of reflection during the attack, she vowed to come back to her later. That time came far sooner than expected, as one of Raymond's goons began to approach the young American. Evie didn't waste a moment- sending a stake through the heart of the man she was fighting, she ran over toward Caroline.

"Caroline!" She yelled, hoping she'd turn and see the man set to attack her and if all went well, the man would turn his attentions to Evie.

She got her wish, as he pulled out what appeared to be a very long bowie knife.

Well. This was going to be fun.

Without a moment's hesitation, she moved in towards the thug, wielding her own kukuri with swift, precise movements.

[vampire_barbie_girl]

Caroline spun around when she heard her name, just in time to see the large vampire who was getting far too close. Thankfully, he turned towards Evie, which allowed Caroline to quickly get out of dodge. Once she was a safe distance away, she turned back, just in time to see Evie and the vampire getting close to each other, blades drawn.

Her attention was drawn away when another vampire came stumbling her way, his arms flailing. Thankfully, this was another one drunk on fae blood and Caroline moved in swiftly, driving her stake into his heart.

Break of Dawn - for JC

[dirtyredneck]

Daryl paced the length of the building outside the main entrance. He'd gotten his chance to take out some of Harris' brood, but not nearly as many as he'd wanted. And the chaos had died down a good hour before. Enough that those without the means to stay out after sunup had made their way out of the building and to their homes.

Jean-Claude hadn't come out yet, though. Even with his victory being clear, Daryl had come to help on his request. A job he was getting paid for in more than just revenge.

If there was a little worry about the other man's physical state, it was being very forcefully squashed under general agitation and a desire to get his ass gone.

Re: Break of Dawn - for JC

[baisant]

Jean-Claude can feel dawn approaching straight down to his bones as he makes his way out of the building at last to give the all-clear from inside. It's not only the fact that it's been a long, long night (it has), but there is something about being a creature of the night in possession of daylight jewelry that makes him especially attuned with the ebb and flow of the orb in the sky. With the ring around his finger he is tied to no schedule, but his body aches from the coming sun nonetheless.

Still, even with his fine evening clothes ripped and torn and covered in blood and gore, most of which does not belong to him, Jean-Claude still holds himself tall. He must. He is the new vampire leader, after all. And despite his history and his regular attitude, tonight has proven that he must be taken seriously.

He realized an hour or so into the congratulations that he had not seen Daryl yet. The man he'd left watching the door from the outside -- a role that was necessary given the circumstances but he can understand why Daryl might think it something of a let-down. He wonders if maybe he's left already since he hasn't snuck inside by now when he sees the other man stalking about, not unlike the big cat that he is. The idea put a smile on Jean-Claude's face as he slips out the door towards him.

"A fine show we put on tonight, mon ami," he murmurs as he approaches.

[dirtyredneck]

Daryl didn't really stop his pacing, but his path adjusted to bring him in closer to Jean-Claude. Close enough to sniff at him and do a quick check over for injuries. Make sure most of that blood wasn't his. Then moving away like he had no interest in the man's well-being.

"About damn time," he barked out, lip curling in an agitated snarl. "Been waiting out here for hours."

[outstandingbalance]

Natasha performs her job dispassionately and efficiently. Vampires trying to escape or to take the fighting outside are met with bullets—mundane, but hallow point, with enough stopping power to keep most vampires stunned until she can finish them off. She knows what she's doing. Probably killed more vampires than most vampire hunters, even before she left her nest.

When the fighting slacks off, Natasha starts looking for Jean-Claude. She's sure he's busy, but if possible, she'd like to check in with him.

Maybe just to reassure herself she's made the right choice.

[longterm]

Cesare is sitting in a booth at the side of the room, his shirt bloodied and a cigarette balancing between his lips. He normally didn't partake in smoking and had decided it was a filthy habit, but tonight is a bit of a special occasion. Leaning back into the cushioning of his seat, his elbows resting on its back, he looks practically post-coital. He's missed this.

He had almost forgotten what it felt like to kill with purpose, drain the blood from a man when he was trying to do the exact same thing to you. There's a thrill in it.

He hasn't touched the fae blood but he's still on a bit of a high when he catches sight of Natasha, gesturing for her to come join him. He reaches for the bottle of scotch that he took from the bar and pours her a glass, sliding it over to her.

"So were tonight's actions of yours for Islington or for Redbright?" he asks. The two of them had ended up on the same side tonight. That had been a pleasant turn of events. And they'd done well. But Cesare isn't entirely sure if they'll be fighting on the same side again.

[baisant]

Jean-Claude knows that one sure-fire way to start off on the wrong foot with his people is to make them fight his battles for him. So fight he does, until the fighting winds down and Jean-Claude is left standing in tattered clothes, covered in blood and gore, most of which belongs to Raymond and his enemies although he has not escaped completely unscathed. He looks quite the sight and he's so tired that if he allowed himself the weakness, he might be swaying on his feet by now. But he's got a job to do. There's no rest for the wicked, after all.

He spots Natasha approaching and offers her a smile as she does, inclining his head in greeting as she makes her way to where he leans against the edge of the stage and surveys the work yet to be done.

"It is good to see you here with us tonight, mon amie," he says, in greeting.

[dredefulchilde]

Joscelin lowers himself into a chair with a visable wince as his body stitches itself back together. He is covered in blood, most of it not his, but a vampire drunk on fae blood had gotten in a lucky shot before Joss had been able to finish her off. But the pain is fleeting, and within seconds the tear in his shoulder has mended. The same cannot be said for the rip in his favorite tuxedo jacket. Ah, well. Sacrifices must be made in times of war.

He spies a familiar face nearby and motions her over to his table.

"Miss Romanoff."

Re: [OPEN] THE AFTERMATH

[loveconquersdinosaurs]

Thomas fought. The only sign of the fun, flirty, party Thomas from before was in his ridiculous outfit, but if one were to look past that, they'd likely only see a feral creature, pouncing on and attacking on any of Raymond's followers that tried to emerge. While he might be more of a lover than a fighter, his supernatural lent him an unnatural grace, and the tension from spending the night ignoring his urges had left him frustrated, and now he had something to pour his frustration into.

By the end of it all, he was breathing heavily, the wings of his costume were torn, and he (as well as the sword he loosely gripped in one hand) was covered in blood. Thomas looked around, surveying the damage, and looking to see who still stood. The silver witch's amulet he'd wrapped around his very heavily gloved hand still dangled there, though he suddenly seemed to notice and started to pack it away in it's pouch, where it would sit until he took it home where he could stash it and ignore the fact that it existed once more.

[baisant]

After the battle is over, Jean-Claude is making his rounds among the survivors and congratulating them on their victory. It is here that he encounters Thomas, and the outfit Thomas has on. Even if it is now somewhat destroyed thanks to the fighting that had come to pass, Jean-Claude can still appreciate the whole picture for what it is. And despite their surroundings and what has just come to pass, he flicks a smile at the other vampire and runs his eyes appreciatively over his body for a moment before meeting his gaze again.

"Whatever you do with your time these days, mon ami, your talents are clearly wasted. If you would ever care for such employment, I am certain we could find room for you somewhere at Guilty Pleasures..."