Caroline Forbes (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
vampire_barbie_girl) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
undergrounds2016-12-10 05:29 pm
vampire_barbie_girl) wrote in undergrounds2016-12-10 05:29 pm
Islington Nest Christmas Party, Dec 17 [Open to all Nest members and their guests]
Caroline has worked hard to put together the evening's event, which is not only a Christmas party but also hopefully a chance for the Nest to celebrate its new leadership. The room at the Angelo has been decorated with a winter wonderland theme which, while not exactly original, is quite lovely.
A string quartet is playing a selection of Christmas and other classical music. Any attempts to feed on the musicians will result in the perpetrator getting thrown out the party, or worse. But feeding on any of the hired help or performers should be unnecessary, since several varieties of "blood punch" are available to drink. There is also food and other drinks available for non-vampire guests and anyone else who wishes to partake.
There is a strict black tie only dress code and Caroline will tell anyone who is under-dressed to go home and change.
[The event is happening on Dec 17th but I wanted to get it up early so everyone had time to do get involved if they so desired.]
OTA
So here he was, looking uncomfortable in an all-black suit. He can be found anywhere in the area, talking to people, and generally being on his best behavior. He's got nothing to complain about since the shift in leadership had happened in the Nest.
Partly through the night, he gets blood from one of the bowls, and drinks it down without even thinking about it. It's only when his cup is empty that he realizes what it was. Fae blood. Oh shit. He's been avoiding the stuff for over a year now, knowing how easy it is to fall into a relapse once he's been on it. Now he's got the lovely temptation of an entire bowl in front of him, and not even the guilt of feeding off of unwilling victims to keep him from going back for more. The night just got a whole lot more interesting.
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"Hey, enjoying the party so far?" She was pleased with how smoothly things had gone up to this point - and hopeful that the rest of the party would follow suit.
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"Oh, it's good. Better than the last one I went to." That had ended with him escorting Nancy out after challenging Cesare to a fight, so anything had to be a step up from that. As long as he avoided the smarmy older vampire at this event, he didn't see why things couldn't go good for the night. It's not like he ever intentionally set out to cause a ruckus. He just ended up that way.
He loosened up his tie a little bit, already uncomfortable in his suit. "Can't say I care much for the dress code," he griped.
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And she did intend for there there be a next time, with how well things were going tonight.
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"Correction. You look good. I look like I should be attendin' junior prom," he grouched. Caroline at least looked elegant and beautiful as an eternal teenager. Cooper just looked awkward and lanky. He would forever be bitter about that, a touch of the usual vampire vanity hanging about him.
"You promised Thomas?" A bark of laughter escaped from his mouth. "You do realize he'll take that as free rein t'attend the next one without a shirt on, you know?" Cooper liked the young vampire an awful lot, but there was some things that would forever keep the Marquess from taking him seriously. Between that and the pride he held about his hair, Cooper wondered if Thomas was ever going to be able to move up the ranks of Islington.
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She laughed at what he said about Thomas. "You say that like it's a bad thing. I'm certainly not going to object to seeing a bit of skin, at long as it's the right time, right place. Which tonight is not."
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"If you're willing t'help out, I'm willing t'listen. My sense of style stopped somewhere around 1955." He's not even joking. Once the motorcycle culture had hit the States, Cooper had seen no reason to change out of white T-shirts, leather jackets, and jeans.
"He once showed up to a territory claim like that. No shirt and these tight pants on. I think he'd walk down the street completely naked if he thought it would get him more attention than he has now." Cooper chuckled. These were the type of vampires in the Nest that he was watching over. Woe was him.
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She chuckles at the image. "I wish I could have seen that."
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"Brilliant. I'm sure Nancy will thank you." She'd never been critical of his style, but she had such a lovely sense of fashion, and he...didn't. Anything that could help level things between them when the age gap was already looming would be much appreciated.
"Plan another one of these shindigs 'n you might just get your wish." Personally, Cooper didn't mind being surrounded by the eternal beauty of a bunch of vampires. Just because he was young in body didn't mean that he was blind. He was quite appreciative.
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Early in the night
On his way back to the table, he notices a familiar face in the crowd. He hadn't seen the younger vampire since the summer, but the conversation they'd had in the portrait gallery was pleasant and polite. This is a person he can talk to, unlike the shallow, chattering masses within the Nest.
"Mr. Cooper, wasn't it?" he asks, extending a small hand.
Re: Early in the night
"De Lisle," he says politely as he shakes the older vampire's hand. "'N here I was thinkin' you'd left town."
He's a bit behind on vampire gossip, unusual for someone who always had his ear to the ground like Cooper did. Then again, he's been a bit busy as of late with his duties of the Nest. There was always a hubbub as the transitional period of switching from one leader to the next occurred. He could only hope they'd keep the current leader longer than Raymond Harris had lasted.
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He'd bought a house in his old hometown during a fit of nostalgia sometime around the turn of the 19th century, and now a property developer wanted to buy it and subdivide it into holiday rentals. A mind-controlled lawyer, plus a couple of convenient murders, had ensured that he got a fair price for his property.
"How have you been? Settling in well with our new leader?"
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"Well enough. Not sure if you were still in town when I got the promotion under the last one." He had never been entirely sure what fit of madness had made Raymond give him more power, but he was thankful for it, no matter where the left-handed gift had come from.
Cooper chose his next words carefully. He didn't have to worry he was going to get called it and have his head lopped off for saying negative things about the leader like he did under Harris, but he still wasn't going to speak without thinking. He and JC were friendly enough, still, leaders had a tendency to watch people who besmirched their name much more closely. "Well, Jean-Claude is already doin' better than our last despot. Just hoping the power doesn't go to his head." Cooper was mindful of the quote by Lord Acton that stated that absolute power corrupted absolutely.
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Why can't he get the power he so obviously deserves?
No matter. Jean-Claude is their leader now. Surely, he will look more kindly on the friend he has known for centuries longer than any other and give Joscelin what is rightly his.
"He is doing better. He's far too romantic, our Jean-Claude, but he is a capable leader of sound mind. We haven't had one of those for quite some time. Myself included." It's meant to be a joke, right? Joss's smile doesn't quite reach his eyes.
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Normally, Cooper isn't very good at being able to tell the emotions of someone else. Maybe it's just because of his inability to keep his own under control, but right now he can see Joscelin fuming just below the surface. He can't help but be a little amused by it. He'd gotten where he was through pure ambition and his own ornery nature that wouldn't allow him to give up. He wasn't going to rub it in the older vampire's face. He already didn't get along with Cesare and having one vampire on his shit list was enough for Cooper.
"Cheer up, Joss. There's a power vacuum right now. Plenty t'be taken if one knows where to look." He didn't know Joscelin well enough to know if he would make a capable leader, but he'd heard the stories of what had happened back in the 1800s. Something not many knew about Cooper was his staunch and unwavering desire to never turn a person. He hadn't broken that promise to himself and never intended to. Knowing Joss' reputation meant he'd need to keep an eye on this one.
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"I've no need to take anything, Mr. Cooper," he says icily. "Not when I have Jean-Claude's friendship and his ear."
The idea rankles. He had liked Cooper well enough during their first meeting, but he finds his opinion of the other vampire dimming by the second. How dare he? Jumped up child that he is.
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Cooper raises an eyebrow, looking Joseclin over with something bordering on contempt. He's hit a nerve with what he's said. Well, he could either apologize, even though he's not sure what he'd be apologizing for. Or he could continue to rile up the older vampire. No prizes for guessing which one he'll take. "It's funny how often friendship seems t'fade when a leader's back is up against the wall. The Night Council isn't looking too kindly on vampires right now. And you haven't got the most sparkling clean record."
He finds it a little irksome that Joss seems to think that power is due to him by right of age and connections. Cooper has earned his position purely through his own hard work and ambitions. If he wanted something, he didn't expect it to be handed over to him. He went out and took it.
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That, Joscelin willingly admits. He tries to keep his anger in check; Cooper isn't worth it. He's got to be on his best behavior or else he will never advance. As much as Joss hates it, as much as he wants to rip Cooper's smug head off for rubbing it in his face, it's true.
"But you are mistaken on one part, sirrah. Jean-Claude is not like the other leaders we've had, myself included."
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He nods slowly. done with sniping at Joss' position in the Nest. He's had enough with tyrants and their whims. If power is going to corrupt Jean-Claude, it's going to be a very slow process.
/better late than never?? :')
"Mon ami," Jean-Claude greets, as he makes his way up to the other vampire. "As much as I appreciate your lovely date and her company, it is good to catch you on your own at last."
Re: /better late than never?? :')
Cooper has been struggling mightily with the temptation of the fae blood. On the one hand, he was determined to remain clean and sober. Memories of almost feeding off Nancy and tearing into more fairies than he cared to think about danced in his head. On the other, this was a whole lot different. It was a controlled environment and surely someone would stop him if he got too out of control. If he just had one cup, surely that wouldn't drive him into the frenzied state he'd been in before. Right?
By the time Jean-Claude finds him, Cooper's already drained half of his second cup. He's doing a very fine act of acting sober, though the little signs are there: the pupils blown out wide, the jerkiness of his head as he turns to look at the Nest's leader. He's slurring his words just a little. " 'Ey there, monsieur! Enjoying yerself?"
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He shakes his head slightly as he approaches, placing a hand on the other vampire's elbow to steady him as he slows to stand beside him, a fond if somewhat exasperated (these kids and their hobbies these days) look on his face. "Mon ami," he says, gently. "I see you are enjoying yourself."
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"Remind me t'wallop whoever came up with this punch." Oh, he's going to regret this in the morning. That's not going to prevent him from taking another sip. Self-control, thy name is not Cooper.