undergrounds | Entries tagged with caroline forbes

The invitations go out a week in advance. Some of which are hand written (ink on parchment, of course), to those of whom he wishes to see personally, though of course they are welcome to bring guests. The more the merrier, or so the saying goes. Especially in the case of such an event as this. Jean-Claude is vying for the spot of President of the Night Council, after all, and while the event is not technically connected to the election, timing is everything, mes amis. And what an event it is.

The instructions on the invitation are quite simple. There is to be a ball. But not just any ball, a Vampire Ball. If you are a vampire, an ally, or interested in becoming both, you are more than welcome to attend. It is a night to celebrate the collective history of the Nest of London. Formal historical costume is a requirement of attendance. Masks will be allowed as well, though the event is technically not a masquerade. All wood and silver will be checked at the door, for this is a night of entertainment.

The event is being held in a private historic home, presumably for the atmosphere. In the foyer there is a coat check (along with wood and silver check, courtesy of Guilty Pleasure's well-loved bouncers). The guests are funneled through from there into the main ballroom, where yes, there is a live string quartet playing. How did Jean-Claude afford such decadence? It helps when you have lived for so long as he has and have had very little to spend money on besides clothes and decadence. It certainly couldn't be his own private residence -- could it?

Off to the side of the ballroom is an array of chaise lounges and other sofas and chairs, while on the other may be located several tables of refreshments. It is clearly indicated which table is intended for the vampires and which is for those who are still among the living. There is another bouncer posted on watch over the refreshments, and the punch in particular -- they need not have a repeat of the last time someone spiked their drinks in such a fashion after all. There is quite a selection of finger foods on the table for those who are so inclined to partake in such delicacies, and there are offers of champagne, wine, and punch for that table. There are finger foods on the other table as well, although not as many, and each one has an accompanying card indicating the donor's name and blood type, just in case you were wondering why they were for the vampires.

The house is of course bigger than the ballroom and the foyer, but few guests are allowed to venture up the front stairs or beyond the little hall to where the restrooms are located. That does not mean, of course, that there are not those who manage to sneak past the little corded ropes meant to keep such troublemakers within check, especially when the bouncers are otherwise preoccupied. There are all sorts of fun rooms to explore.

And so many costumes from so many eras! Guests are encouraged to talk amongst themselves and share memories of the good old days for those lived through them, or ask questions if there are curiosities from those who did not. Today is a golden age, Islington Nest is at its strongest yet, and it is a time to celebrate what it is to be Vampire. There is more to such a life than drinking blood and having fangs, a sophistication and experience beyond the hunger. If nothing else, Jean-Claude hopes to share this with the attendees on this evening.

Which at least manages to begin without a hitch, but if you should manage to stay for the end of the night, prepare for some fireworks to ensue. For what is a party without a little drama...

(ooc note: anyone is welcome to attend, though if you are anti-islington you will not get very far in the door before being turned away. certain allies/those who have helped jean-claude in the past will have received direct invitations, but there is a general buzz passed around the nest and islington allies ahead of time that will have spread through the supernatural community leading up to the day itself. as stated above, historical costume is a must -- vampires are encouraged to wear something from an era they lived through, though humans are welcome to whatever they desire! masks are fun so wear one if you like though there will be no anonymity here.

details will be in jean-claude's comment below, but his ex, asher, is going to be crashing the party at the end of the night, so if you're there for the end of the evening expect that as well. i will make a comment for asher as well on his own so you can tag with him before the main event if you decide you'd like to skip out on the fireworks as he and jean-claude butt heads for the first time in hundreds of years.)

outstandingbalance

Date Night - Close to Evie

Tonight, it's dinner. Natasha's choice. She might not be able to appreciate the flavor of the food itself the way she used to, but she still enjoys the experience. The candlelight. The waiters. The wine.

She enjoys spending time with her girlfriend, the feeling of privacy that comes from being in a secluded table in a nice restaurant, while still existing in public. Most of all, she enjoys the company, the chance to make Evie smile.

It's strange to her, very very strange, like being in a new country and only barely speaking the language, but it's also good.

On Patrol

With so much going on, there's a lot of reason for Natasha to be out on the street. She needs to know what's going on, but that's only part of it. She also needs to be there if something goes wrong. This whole month seems to be one bomb dropped after another, and it makes her twitchy.

So she walks the area around Redbright looking for trouble. Maybe she finds it. Maybe she finds a friend instead?

And the Bar

Or maybe she'll run into a friend at the bar. She can hope. It'd be a pity to drink alone.

Natasha doesn't like the position she's in. Since she arrived in London, she's wanted nothing more than stability and a place where the supernatural communities observed at least the appearance of peaceful co-existence, and since she's arrived it seems like there's been nothing but threats to that in one form or another.

Not that she was optimistic about the situation. She's used to not getting what she wants.

But at this point, the situation is discouraging, and she'd like someone to have a drink with while she gets the disappointment out of her system.

Wildcard

baisant

( They had forgotten the first lesson. That we are to be powerful, beautiful, and without regret. )

baisant

Jean-Claude sits in the office of Guilty Pleasures, staring down at the account book laid before him on the desk. He is usually a lot more productive than he finds himself at such a time as this, but the air in the room is somewhat oppressive with the weight of time and memory that he feels bearing down on him, and he finds it difficult to concentrate on much of anything for long periods of time. The city is in turmoil over this business with the witches and the fae, and the wolves have begun causing trouble of their own.

He has made decrees of his own in response to these problems -- all vampires sympathetic to the Daybreak cause are to be expelled from the Nest. And the wolves? Well, since they were going about killing any vampire on sight that set foot in East End Pack territory, Jean-Claude made his own declaration in return. Any werewolf caught trespassing will be subject to punishment of that vampire's choice. He does not want an all-out bloodbath on his hands, to decree that they might kill on sight in return would be downright foolhardy. But he cannot let this go either. Perhaps he should have thought things through more, but he had been a bit preoccupied of late.

And that preoccupation had everything to do with the new portrait hanging on the wall above his couch. New, in the sense that it had not been there before, but definitely not new in age. Oil on canvas, painted over five hundred years ago, depicting three people dressed in the style of the 1600's. The woman wears white and silver with a square bodice showing quite a bit of decolletage, her brown hair styled in careful ringlets, with a red rose held loosely in one hand. A man stands behind her, tall and slender, with dark gold hair in ringlets over his shoulders. He has a mustache and a Vandyke beard, so dark gold they are nearly brown. On his head he wears a large floppy hat with feathers, his entire outfit of white and gold. It is the third that the onlooker will recognize. Seated just behind the woman, dressed in black with silver embroidery and a wide lace collar and cuffs, he too has his own wide-brimmed floppy hat, with a single quite feather and a silver buckle, this one black. Though he does not wear it, instead resting it across his lap. His black hair falls in ringlets across his shoulders, and his face is clean-shaven, his eyes strikingly blue even despite the medium. The other two depicted are smiling, but the third man -- Jean-Claude -- is solemn. A darkness to their light.

Jean-Claude does not know why Belle decided to send this painting to him. He has not gathered the courage in himself to ask, just yet. Neither has he gathered the courage to do anything with it but hang the piece on his wall. It is a reminder of what feels now as if a different life. He should have known, as the portrait artist had done, that he would bring a darkness in their lives. These two people he had cherished the most in all the world. Julianna. Asher. How happy they had been...

He pushes himself back from the desk with a sigh, feeling their gazes heavy upon himself. He will get no work done on this night. Perhaps he should take a turn about the floor of the club instead. Though he doubts that will do much to lighten his mood.

[ooc: feel free to visit him being maudlin in his office, or as he mopes around on the floor, or perhaps once he has found himself a corner of the bar and a glass of wine to nurse as well! c: ]

stauncherhearted

A ( You dance, you smile, the guys go wild (for Lydia) )B ( So chic so fine you all look so divine )

loveconquersdinosaurs

( Evening, February 14th )

[[OOC: Thomas will be going around and talking to everyone, but this is a party mingle log so feel free to post amongst yourselves.]]

vampire_barbie_girl

Night - February 8: Highgate Cemetery

Caroline's mother isn't buried in this cemetery. Elizabeth Forbes was buried almost a year ago in the family plot, back in Mystic Falls. Elena should have made sure that flowers had been put there today, flowers that Caroline had carefully ordered weeks ago.

But this is the closest she can get to marking the first anniversary of her mother's death - wandering through the graves of strangers in the moonlight.

She'd come a long way in the last year, both physically and otherwise. At first, she'd tried to shut it all away and only ended up getting consumed by anger and grief. Vampires, it would seem, had an extra stage of grief: carnage. But she'd moved past that and come to London, creating a whole new life for herself in the process.

There were some parts of her old life though that she wasn't ready to let go of. Her mother's memory was at the top of that list. And so, as she walked through past graves and crypts and some rather amazing trees, she began to sing softly the same song she'd sung at the funeral.

Go in peace, go in kindness
Go in love, go in faith
Leave the day, the day behind us
Day is done, go in grace
Let us go, into the dark
Not afraid, not alone
Let us hope, by some good pleasure
Safely to, arrive at home

[The cemetery is partially in Haringey, Camden, and Islington. She'd be coming and going through Camden and Islington, if your character isn't the type to wonder cemeteries in the middle of the night.]

outstandingbalance

6 Feb.

It's February, still cold but Valentine's Day just around the corner and people starting to think of spring, it might not be surprising that romance seems to be in the air. Hard to pin down just what the difference is—but romance seems to be nagging at a lot of minds.

It might be because last night, you had a dream. Nothing clear, but bits and pieces stick with you. Maybe it was just stolen glances and light kisses, or maybe it was flashes and surprising jolts of something more physical, more raw. Either way, the dream doesn't quite fade away when daylight comes.

The strangest part? It's about someone you normally try not to think of that way.

Dreams are like that though, sometimes. It's probably nothing.

10 Feb.

A few days later, and the dreams keep on keeping on. For at least one person, it's every night. For others, it may be more intermittent. It may be just happening for the first time, after a visit to the Redbright Institute or passing through the surrounding neighbor, or after chatting with a particular vampire. It might happen spontaneously. Either way the dreams keep coming, and they continue to be about someone in particular, someone who you've been denying or ignoring your attraction to, but it's getting hard to pretend you don't feel a little warmer when you think about them.

It's starting to seem like there's something a little weird going on here. Even weirder? There's a chance that the person you're dreaming about is having the same dreams. Not just romantic dreams—the exact same shared dreams.

At least, they are if they're dreaming of you too.

14 Feb.

It's been a week now, and the dreams keep escalating. Not only do they become more frequent, they're more vivid. What started with disjointed images and feelings, more impressions than anything else, have evolved into full narratives—ranging from chastely romantic nonsense, imagining that the object of your desire is a knight coming to rescue you from a dragon, or arrived to offer comfort and support in a bleak moment, to intensely erotic. Some of them may be down right silly.

But the common thread is there. They are all about the same person, and they all expose the fact that you care about them in a way that's not as platonic as you've pretended.

And maybe it's about time you confronted that?

On the other hand, maybe you're just riding this out.

Either way, this is getting sorted out tonight. There's not going to be a better time for it

emotioneater

A. What Do Vampires Do Best?

So, Cooper had won the seat on the Night Council. He had to admit that he wasn't sure that he was going to win the election. The competition had been fierce. But apparently the vampires of London had their heads screwed on straight. When he found out the news, he immediately let out a whoop and holler. Then he remembered that he was now a representative and now had to act with more decorum. He'd accepted the position gratefully.

So how to celebrate? Well, there was the traditional vampire method. He was throwing a party in his apartment, which let's face it, was spacious enough for about three parties going on at once. Everyone was invited. Yes, everyone, even those from factions the Nest was in conflict with, or those people that Cooper didn't particularly personally care for. He wanted it to be known he wasn't just exclusively about vampires and was willing to work with other supernatural types for the greater good. It was as good a time as any to approach with any issues other vampires may have wanted him to approach the Council about.

While he is his usual cheerful self as he goes around greeting everyone, those who know Cooper well will notice that he seems a bit distracted. Lately, he's been picking up on the emotions of those around him. It's not entirely a surprise. These things sometimes happen to vampires when they sire a certain number of vampires, or in Cooper's case, reach a certain age. However, suddenly developing empathic powers can be hard to adjust to. Knowing when everyone's lying, feeling sad, or suddenly horny is not the best thing in the world.

B. With Great Power...

Despite his usual irreverent personality, Cooper is taking his duties seriously. Now they're double-fold thanks to being both a Marquess and the Representative. Only one thing to do when he's got a list of vampires who all want to talk to him about their grievances. Out comes the motorcycle and off into London he goes. First up was the lawyer who specialized in keeping vampires out of trouble. Getting some of them to obey the laws of London and actually serve their sentences when they were caught by mortal police was a pain. Occasionally, calling in for back-up in the form of the Marquess was required.

He went along his day, checking in on one of his favorite blood donors to make sure she wasn't being taken advantage of by the older vampires in the nest. After talking to Shady Heavens, the infamous drag queen and her tally of grievances that ran sky high, Cooper decided he needed a break. Stopping at a fish 'n chips place, he was perched on his motorcycle, gnawing away at his lunch, and occasionally drinking from a flask of blood at his hip. He was bracing himself against the brushes of emotions he kept feeling from different passerby. Oh, he would be so glad when he got this new gift under control.

C. Wildcard!

Have an idea? PM me or ask at

light_shade

freelife

[Another open post for both Evie and Nancy. Starters are in the comments, feel free to grab me at

sheakespeare if you want something specific, or write your own starter, I'm not picky.]

vampire_barbie_girl

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.]

reticence

( 1. COFFEE SHOP )

( 2. SHOPPING )

( 3. HILLINGDON [closed to those with a reason to be at Hillingdon House] )

knowntohisfriends

There's a right nip in the air when the Dodger steps out in the early morning to begin his business for the day. Well, his business, Fagin's business, it's all the same when it comes down to brass coins dragged from the bottom of pockets. He rubs his hands together, making a note to lift himself some gloves at some point during the day - if he recollects correctly, the ones from last year weren't really as decent as he would have liked. Not terrible, but for a gent of taste like himself, they weren't up to scratch.

Scratch... scratchings... pork scratchings. Hm. His stomach grumbled a bit. Looks like the sausages at the den weren't enough. Right, well that decided the plan for the day then. Breakfast first, and then on with the work of the day. The markets would be the best places to check. Maybe the one down by St James, folks would be too distracted to pay attention to a kid nipping among them.

Seemed like a good plan, and the Dodger grinned, adjusting his hat to just the right angle.

Right. Time for work.

dirtyredneck

The Lanky Loon wasn't exactly Daryl's bar of choice on most days, but it did one thing that the majority of pubs in the area didn't: catered to Expats feeling a little lonely on Thanksgiving. Mostly becuase it was run by ex-Expats who'd settled down decades ago and thought it would be fun to do when they were hurting for friends. Turkey and potatoes with stuffing and cranberry were the only items on the menu today and several long tables set out so all the people with no family in the area could sit down next to each other like they were. They got to be as dysfunctional as expected but without any of the baggage that went with it and they could disown the rest when they left. The place was open all day and food was first come first serve.

Daryl had found it through his job since they like to hire state-side and this would be his third year going. He didn't know anyone's names but the owners and didn't really care if he remembered them or not. Didn't matter, the big game was on the tiny little screen that passed for a television and people were already getting loud and rowdy about it. Felt enough like home to be worth an hour or two of his time.

He grabbed a plate, a beer, and set himself down at an empty spot. Turned to whoever he was next to and raised the bottle up in toast, "Happy Turkey-day."

[we have a small cast of american characters so if anyone wants to mingle with each other and not just Daryl, go right ahead.]

stauncherhearted

Twenty. Gods, Nancy could hardly believe it. She didn't expect to still be here for this day, truth be told. She knew the sort of life she lived, and the sorts of people she associated with. But against all odds, here she was. Twenty-years-old by Fagin's count, and as wonderful as that was...

It was odd. She'd been a teenager for so long, and now she was officially a twenty-something. An adult, for real this time, not like when she'd turned eighteen.

It didn't exactly help that Charley Bates had decided it was a great idea to call her 'old'. She'd hit the back of his head for that, refusing to consider herself old. She was still so young, at least in comparison to those she spent most of her time around, people that were centuries older than her.

This, of course, caused her some angst. She hadn't particularly wanted to celebrate her birthday. It wasn't anything to be glad about. She was, as she realized, three years physically older than Cooper. And that just felt... weird. She knew, mentally, he was far older than she was. And as he always said she was stuck with him until she was old and grey, but...

Would he still love her, then, she wanted to know? How weird would it be, an haggard old woman next to this cute seventeen-year-old kid. A chill ran up her spine when she thought about it, comparing the wretch that Fagin was to her hypothetical-old-woman-self.

If she lived that long.

Still, people want to celebrate with her. Eames, wonderful Eames, had surprised her with tickets to go see a show on the West End, and taken her out to an amazing restaurant. She'd even brought cake over to the boys', knowing a few of them had saved up to get her something. Or, likely, stole it. But she didn't reach out, not really. If you were lucky enough to know it was her birthday, however, she'd happily entertain any and all plans. There was no need to be rude, after all.

---

Nancy's 20 aww yiss.
Uhm, this is an open post. A few starters in the comments. Want something specific? Please let me know!

vampire_barbie_girl

Caroline hadn't known what to expect when the box was delivered. She ordered a fair amount of things online - especially now that her shopping hours were so limited - but she was pretty sure this wasn't one of them. She was even more sure when she opened the box and discovered a bottle of perfume inside. She definitely hadn't order that.

It wasn't until a few days later that she actually tried it on. And when she did, it actually good. Like, really good.

And so, the next time she had a night off, she decided to pull out a super cute outfit, spent half an hour on her make-up, put on a generous amount of the perfume and headed out the door. She wasn't exactly sure where she was going but it really didn't matter. She just knew it was going to be an exciting night.

[Caroline's perfume has some strange properties, naturally. It will make her highly attractive to anyone of a different supernatural type and utterly repulsive to any vampires. There is no effect on humans. Feel free to run into her anywhere in London that is at least somewhat safe for a vampire to be.]

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...

akillersmile

I. COMING HOME - [OPEN TO FIRST RESPONSE OF EXISTING CR]
( Read more... )

II. DRINK N DRINK N DRINK N FIGHT - [OPEN]
( Read more... )

III. DID YOU MISS ME - [CLOSED TO NANCY]
( Read more... )

baisant

[ooc note: this is an open post for jean-claude's move on the territory of southwark. there are many threads within, some closed, some open. even if your character may not have participated in the claim itself, there is still opportunity for them to participate either talking to jean-claude before or after the claim, or just celebrating their victory with them! if you have any questions pleas private message me or private plurk me on

lycanthropy101!]

vampire_barbie_girl

( 1. Early evening - for Thomas )

( 2. The Party Begins - Open )

( 3. Later in the Evening - Open )

[Feel free to join the party even if your character doesn't know Caroline well enough for an invite, everyone's welcome]

freelife

[general open post for Shea's characters. Starters in the comments! Feel free to leave something, or contact me at

sheakespeare for something specific.]

dirtyredneck

( NHILFs Unite )

emotioneater

( A) Had a wife but couldn't keep her. (Open) )
( B) Had another, didn't love her, (Open) )
( C) Up the chimney he did shove her. (For Cesare) )

vampire_barbie_girl

( 1. Singing @ Rhapsody in Red (a night club in Hackney) - Sept 4, evening )
( 2. Outside Guilty Pleasures - Sept 5, evening )

3. Wildcard (must be @ night in Nest territory)

I'm pretty good with anything, if unsure send me a PM or say hello on plurk (

vkm13).

falsify

1 // Late August // Ye Olde Sainsbury's (Canary Wharf/Tower Hamlets)

( one foot on checkered floor )

2 // 5 September // Tate Britain (Southwark)

( head hung, but still watching )

3 // 1-7 September // The New House (Camden)

( one dimlit figurine )

4 // Wildcard

PM, hit me up at FiremanSam, or just tag me. Let's party.

akillersmile

Kyle had been away for too long, first following Alex and then focusing on his own leads to try to find an old commanding officer. The hunt was futile, leaving him feeling played and used all at once. With Alex out of touch in her search and too many dead ends, the former soldier finally returned to London, feeling a bit reckless and angry while simultaneously eager to connect with recent friends.

( A; I CAN'T SEE STRAIGHT ANYMORE (DRINKING) )

( B; GONNA HIT THIS CITY (HUNTING) )

( C; WELCOME TO MY HOUSE (AT HOME) )

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The Underground

The Underground

Entries tagged with caroline forbes

[open] Vampire Ball - May 26th (backdated)

May Open Post

Lambeth Territory Claim: May 2nd [OPEN]

If I Were A Painting... [OPEN]

if you hear any noise it ain't the boys [lady's night!]

It's Thomas's Birthday and Everyone's Invited

I think I'll always need you [Open]

Mr. Sandman

So you wanna be a Vampire Representative? OTA

hazy shade of winter - january open post

Islington Nest Christmas Party, Dec 17 [Open to all Nest members and their guests]

DECEMBER OPEN POST

[open] From the Cripples to St. James'...

[Closed to US Expats in London on Thanksgiving]

gonna drink bacardi like it's yo birthday [nancy's 20]

Magic's in the make-up~ [nighttime, mid-November]

[OPEN] MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR

water's sweet but blood is thicker

[OPEN] SOUTHWARK TERRITORY CLAIM

Happy Birthday, Caroline! [Night of Oct 10]

upon the hill he'll hear my secrets -- open post for october

Small Town Celebrities party log for Sept17-Oct6

Eeper Weeper, chimney sweeper,

[OPEN] The sun don't ever want to shine

[open] winded through monotone

in the company of strangers

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