A Relaxed Situation

[st_clare]

It was amazing what a little physicality could do.

Julianna moved out of the hotel and into her apartment, which she'd leased furnished, and slept in a bed that actually belonged to her. She'd woken up the next morning with a bounce in her step. And a bite mark on the side of her neck, which she covered up with a scarf so she could pay a visit to the campus. She'd been on the phone with London the night before, looking for information on Rhiannon. The girl could not be allowed to outrun her forever.

She'd been surprised to discover that there was another Slayer in the area, to say nothing of the fact that she was a student at UNLV. She'd checked out her transcript and class schedule and found that the person in question wasn't trying to stay off the radar, which was encouraging. Perhaps this Slayer would be less of an incorrigible brat.

The Watcher posted herself outside of a classroom, giving half of her attention to some papers she was carrying. Her office was in this building, and they could retreat to the smaller space if the girl proved amenable. This was business to be dealt with behind closed doors, anyway. And at least this time she wouldn't be caught flat-footed only to be dismissed.

It would go easier this time. It certainly couldn't go any harder.

Comments

[valerie_vause]

The silence as they walked left Valerie feeling like the teenager she had been when she’d been first called. That daunting apprehension that had her wonder if she’d done something wrong. The worry that if she had, then what would the punishment be? There was no way to know what was worse, the actual or the imaginary.

Valerie walked into the room and resisted the urge to look around. Instead she automatically stood behind a chair that sat in front of the woman’s desk and fought the urge to curl her fingers around it. “I’ll have a water, please.” Coffee would make her more jittery than she already was, and in truth, she’d have rather had the milk to try and settle her stomach.

The question caused lungs to still and Valerie swallowed thickly. What did she mean by that? There were only three things that fluttered through her mind, but each could potentially stir trouble one way or the other. “I… I‘m not sure.” Did they know of Sabra? Had they caused it? What about Brian? Could they have found out she’d bumped into Rhiannon? Wait, what had the brunette said about twelve months being the magic number?

“Is it the yearly check up?” Valerie’s voice sounded light, calm, despite the way her left hand clutched the strap of her bag tightly.

[st_clare]

The Watcher poured two glasses of water from the carafe that had been set out, then added ice cubes from the insulated bucket next to the beverages. The air conditioner was on, emitting a soft hum. She handed one glass to Valerie, then took a seat behind her desk. Her forearms came to rest on the blotter next to the telephone.

"Yes, it's the check in," she said, noting the way the blonde was holding the handle of the bag she carried. It almost made her sigh. Why did they act as if she were about to jab them with a needle? She sipped at her water. The ice cubes crackled against the inside of the glass.

"I can promise you, Valerie, my intent is only to ask a few questions and find out how active you've been," Julianna said. "I've seen your transcript and your professors have good things to say about you. Not every girl in your situation can balance academics with what goes on in the night time world."

There was a short silence, and the older woman hoped her expression was benign enough to put the Slayer at ease. She was simply trying to do her job, not cause problems or get in the way. Watchers weren't supposed to be participants, merely advisors. "You may have to endure a physical test, but even that shouldn't be any trouble."

[valerie_vause]

Valerie accepted the glass with a polite, “Thank you.” She took a liberal sip and waited for Julianna to sit down before taking a seat herself, she’d been told by her father it was respectful. Usually she enjoyed ice in her water, but she found her hand slightly shaking so quickly wrapped her other around it too. Now steady, she let the woman’s words sink in. It was just a check up. She could breathe. Sort of.

Council tests made her nervous. She strived to be her best, but she feared that one day they’d deem her unsatisfactory on some level and decide to recycle her power. Valerie knew it could seem irrational but she doubted that she was only one to worry about it. She also knew that Watchers believed in their duty as much as she did in hers and she tried to remind herself that as she listened. The blonde wasn’t sure if it was a compliment that she was doing well in school or if it meant the elder thought she must be slacking off with her patrols. She very much hoped it wasn’t the later. Julianna’s expression, when she finally looked up, was neutral. The woman, demure.

“I understand that you’re just doing your job, Ms. St. Clare. I’m happy to answer any questions you feel you need to ask.” Valerie even managed a slight smile, anxiety still present but at least kept at bay. This wasn’t anything knew, she wasn’t about to be shipped off and stripped of her calling. If there was a physical test she’d at least be able to focus on it, block out everything else, and with any hope pass.

[st_clare]

"I understand there's been some unusual incidents on campus," Julianna said, putting aside her water glass so she could open the bottom drawer of her desk and pull out a notebook. "Security has reported that a body was discovered not that long ago, at..."

There was a pause while pages flipped, making a whispery sound, and the Watcher looked at Valerie to continue as if she'd never stopped speaking. "...At sometime after midnight? According to the incident report, there were certain marks on the corpse. Were you the one who made the call, and if so did you catch whoever did it?"

This wasn't so terrible, she reflected. Had Allison lived, she might have been called on to attend to the girl's check in as well. It was easy to establish a relationship with a girl when they practically lived with you for two years. The Watcher turned her mind away from the memory. The stench of her failure followed her closely enough as it was.

"How often do you patrol? If this is a hive of supernatural activity, it must take up a lot of your attention."