undergrounds | Two Vampires Get into A Political Debate... (Closed to Joss)

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Two Vampires Get into A Political Debate... (Closed to Joss)

Cooper had been staying mostly in his apartment since he'd returned from the Other Realm. It had been a sobering experience for the vampire. Sure, the fae who had kidnapped him had been a bunch of delusional zealots, but they did have a point. His actions had caused a lot of misery for the supernatural community. It had given him something to think about while he healed up from the worst of the wood-based injuries he had received. And then there was the ousting of Sylvia to consider. He had been plenty mad to see that the Council had voted without him being present. What a fine state of affairs he'd gotten himself into.

But he couldn't stay holed up inside with only Nancy for emotional support. He needed to get back out there and get back on his feet. As a first step, he actually got out of bed, and went down to the shops to pick up some much-needed supplies. While he was there, he saw a kid standing in the candy aisle. It was Joss, and the fact he looked that intent over deciding which chocolate bar to buy was rather amusing, not that Cooper was going to bring it up. He was trying to learn to curb his tongue better.

He walked up to the older vampire. "I assume you've been following everythin' that's been going on lately." He needed someone to talk to about what was going on and Joss was older, if not exactly wiser in Cooper's opinion.

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Chocolate is delicious, Cooper. It's almost as tasty as fresh blood. You should know this by now.

Joscelin grabs a Cadbury Twirl and looks up at Cooper with resigned exasperation at being interrupted. "Following, yes. Understanding, no. It's all gone to hell, hasn't it?" And you helped.

He can feel the exasperation radiating off of Joss, and for a long moment, he looks distracted. Seriously, he needs to find an off switch for his emotion-sensing power. Sometimes, it just gets in the way of a conversation.

"In a handbasket," Cooper agrees. Trust him, he knows exactly what direction the city has gone in because of his actions. He's got to figure a way out of this mess. Fortunately, Cooper's always been good at playing the long game. He didn't become Marquess for nothing.

"Might've been nice if you hadn't voted the way you had, then," Joscelin replies haughtily. "And allowed all this to happen. You had better hope that Jean-Claude can sort this out, if he wins." The witches and the vampires are feuding, the wolves and the witches seem to have turned on each other, the fae hate everyone, and even Hillingdon is at odds with...that's harder to tell. Someone, certainly. Multiple people.

But he's not going to berate Cooper further. He's heard about what happened with the fae; that has to be punishment enough.

He sighs, runs a hand through his hair. "Let's not stand here gossiping like old women. Come back to my flat and we can talk out whatever it is you want to discuss over something a bit stronger than chocolate. You wouldn't have bothered me otherwise." Also, he has the new Interstellar Conflict game and he finds that these kind of conversations tend to go much better while shooting aliens on multiplayer mode.

"I know!" Cooper snaps irritably. He's tempted to point out that at least he actually has been doing something instead of complaining about the power he doesn't have like Joss loves to do. But he's not interested in starting a fight with Joscelin over things that hardly matter right now. Instead, he counts to twenty, letting his irritation slow down. "Trust me, I already know."

He follows Joss to the counter to pay. The clerk gives the pair of them a strange look like she's thinking of calling the truant officer on them. Cooper's well-used to it by now. Their situation does look a little more obvious when there's a pair of immortals under the legal age then when they're by themselves.

Then it's back to Joss' flat. At least he knows that the child vampire will have all the comforts of home around. He's never one to go for the simple life.

He does at that. Joscelin's flat is the entire ground floor of an old Victorian townhouse, with all modern updates and finishes. Very modern, given that he's only lived there a few months. The mortgage is in Jean-Claude's name, but Joss had paid cash for everything. Top of the line. A large television dominates one wall, with about five or six video game consoles crowded next to it and various games scattered across the floor. On his bookshelves, first editions worth hundreds of thousands of pounds share space with paperbacks and comic books. A model airplane kit sits half-finished on the coffee table, next to a bar stocked with expensive liquor.

It definitely looks like a space for a boy who's been twelve years old for seven centuries.

"You can put your groceries in the refrigerator," he offers, heading for the bar without a backwards glance towards Cooper. "And there's beer and half a bottle of merlot in there. Or I've got stronger over here."

Edited 2017-05-25 02:03 (UTC)

Cooper can appreciate the comforts of a good home. His own is filled with a lot of what he's accumulated over the past century or so. A lot of photographs, records, and clothing that he just hasn't bothered to throw out yet. It's a homey place and Cooper has made sure it gives a welcome feeling to whoever comes by, especially since he always seems to have a steady stream of people visiting him.

He admires the gaming consoles for a moment before stepping into the kitchen and putting his groceries in the fridge. Is it sad that he feels this is the longest he and Joss have ever gone with being civil with one another? He heads over to the bar. "I need stronger right about now."

"I won't stop you." There's a bit of tension in the air, but at least they're not jumping down each other's throats at the moment.

Joscelin moves over to the couch with his chocolate bar in one fist and a glass of brandy in the other. "So what's this about, then?"

Cooper pours himself a good amount of whiskey, downs it, and then pours himself some more. It's been a very long couple of weeks and he deserves it. He goes to sit down on the couch at the other end from where Joscelin is. It's like a reversal of their positions last month when Joss had come to visit him.

"Where t'start? Things have been spiraling outta control around the city 'n it all started with that damn vote. I know it's not entirely my fault--" After all, everyone would do what they would regardless of what initially started it. "--but y'know, there's that saying about for want of a nail 'n all that."

"It's quite a clusterfuck," Joscelin replies, swirling his own drink. He usually prefers not to speak so coarsely, but he's being frank, and sometimes plain language works best. "Your vote certainly started the ball rolling, but it's that bitch from Daylight who's run with it. Cesare Borgia's got his finger in it too, I'd imagine. Seems awfully Machiavellian of him; right in his wheelhouse."

He glances over to Cooper. "But you're going to help fix it. We're going to get Jean-Claude elected and we'll put a stop to this idiocy. Or we can just kill the woman."

"I met with him a little while back. Tried to get his measure, but you know how close he plays things to the chest." Even with his powers, the man had been infuriatingly vague. "Seems like, as usual, the only side he's on is his own." Cooper would never look at Cesare and think of someone who had the Nest's best interests at heart. Cooper, despite what everyone thought of him, would always be loyal to Islington first and foremost.

"Let's save the killin' option for last. Seems like every time a leader in London goes down, there's a fifty-fifty chance of things either improving or takin' a sharp nosedive off a cliff." They'd both lived through two changeovers in Millicent and Raymond Harris. If it hadn't been for JC stepping in, the Nest might still be in chaos. Cooper had also been close to the disaster that was the end of Circle Midnight, so he knew how even a bloodless takeover could lead to bad things happening in the end.

Joscelin just nods; he's known Cesare for more than two hundred years now, give or take a little, and he knows very well how frustratingly vague the man can be if he doesn't want to let on to something. "One thing I know about him is that he will always act in his own self-interest. Currently those interests seem to mesh rather well with the Daylight woman--" Joss really can't be bothered to learn her name; she's mortal and this situation, however unfortunate, is as temporary as she is "--and her interests. I cannot fault him for that." No vampire got even close to living as long as they had by being unselfish.

When Cooper brushes aside his assassination suggestion, he shrugs. "True. Luckily, whatever happens is only temporary, provided the Nest is well looked-after. The witches and the fae can go after each other to their hearts' content if that's what they want to do. We simply need to continue breathing and everything will resolve. Eventually."

Cesare was one thing. Cooper felt like he could handle whatever the older vampire was going to do, especially since the Borgia had made it clear he viewed Cooper as little more than an idiot. He could use that to his advantage.

"I've met this Samantha a time or two. Pleasant enough when things are going her way, but the minute I went against what she wanted, she dropped me like a hot potato." And had then proceeded to pull this little stunt. Cooper was less than thrilled with her behavior at the moment. "Plus she got the vote of the Council while the fae kidnapped me. Very convenient that."

There was the long view to consider. Joss was right, of course. The advantage of the vampires was the ability to sit back and let things take the course they would. "Things are only just heatin' up. Heard rumblings even Hillingdon is takin' a stand I thought there was nothing that could get those hunters to take part in what goes on."

"And what are you going to do about it?" Joscelin sips his brandy. "You're the one who won the blasted election. Govern." He knows it's not as easy as all that, but while Cooper sits around feeling sorry for himself the rest of the Council is riding roughshod over the way things have been for decades. And Joscelin was quite fond of the old status quo, thank you very much.

"That could bode well for us. She doesn't look like she's out to make many friends; just let her continue to accrue enemies and we don't have to be the ones coming for her head."

Though he wouldn't mind another excuse to fight witches. He's still sore about his little amnesia episode earlier in the year.

"You make it sound so easy. When was the last time you were involved on this level? 1902?" But he knows Joscelin is right to some level. He's got the power to make changes. And while Samantha may think she's got the whole Council in her back pocket, Cooper knows that it's not entirely true. There are always those who would resent her or want power of their own. "I know at least a few of the Council members aren't too happy with how things are goin. 'N the others could be bribed t'see things a different way if we have the means to do so."

He downs the rest of his drink, moving a comic book off a side table so that he can set his glass down. "The way things are goin', we won't have t'wait long for that. It's just a matter of figuring out who has the will to take her down."

Joscelin lets the jibe about his own brush with political experience slide, though it takes great effort. "Bribery is always useful," he agrees. It's not like he's worried about anyone being seen as corrupt; that's how these things just happen.

"I would dearly love to see the fae and the witches rip each other to spreads," he says wistfully. "It would be rather poetic, wouldn't it?"

"I'll start putting fleas in the right ears, see who can be persuaded t'vote for the good of the community." He'd heard that line toted out so many times that he was going to throw something at someone the next time they used it. Or not, since he was now a responsible and respectable vampire. But he'd still be thinking it.

Cooper grins companionably at Joss. "That's what vampires do best. Let everyone else eat each other and then go in to pick up the pieces." He turns his attention towards the TV. "But the real question here is are you gonna let me just sit here all day or let me have a crack at one of those games?"

"It really is the least you can do." Okay, okay. Joss will stop being a brat about Cooper's vote.

Maybe. Eventually.

He grabs the remote and turns on the massive television. "Shall we race or shoot things?" Either way, Joscelin is about to kick Cooper's ass.

The day Joss stops being a little bratty shitheel about things, Cooper will eat his left shoe. Not that Cooper has room to talk. Being an immortal teen means he's had an attitude and a half now for well going on two centuries.

"Shoot things. Let's see who comes out on top." It's definitely going to be Cooper. He's not losing to a twelve year old, immortal or not.

It's incredible how quickly technology keeps advancing. A mere fifty years ago, Joscelin would have had to content himself by beating Cooper in a board game or at cards. Now, as he takes a headshot with the rocket launcher and watches Cooper's avatar explode into a mess of beautifully-rendered 4K ultra-high def gore, he can't help but smile. Humanity isn't all bad. Look what the mortals can do with a few circuits and some lines of code.

"Best two out of three?" He asks cheerfully.

Cooper would have to agree. He's thoroughly enjoyed this century more than the previous one by a landslide. After all, this was the one that had invented the motorcycle.

He frowns as Joss decimates his character. Oh, it is on now. There's no way he's losing to a twelve year old, seven hundred years old or not. "You're on, tá tú brat beag." You little brat. But the Gaelic words are said in something approaching affection.

Joscelin has logged over seventy hours on this game since it came out two weeks ago, and he's memorized all the spawn points on this particular level.

Not that he's told Cooper any of this, mind.

He gathers his land mines and starts dropping them on top of each one.

That will teach Cooper to call him a brat, he thinks brattishly.

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Two Vampires Get into A Political Debate... (Closed to Joss)

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