Colleagues?

[st_clare]

"Please remember to turn in your work before the school closes for break," Julianna said, raising her voice a bit so that she'd be heard over the noise of students gathering their belongings and making muted conversation. "You'll have ample time for relaxation while classes aren't in session, so kindly take the time to focus on schoolwork now."

Nods and mutters were the sum of responses she got, and the Englishwoman sighed as the large room emptied out. She looked forward to having a bit of a break herself. Perhaps she'd go out to Cottonwood Cove now that the weather was warming up again. It might not be quite hot enough to swim, but a weekend getaway was always good for rejuvenating the senses.

She put some things into her messenger bag, then slung the strap over her shoulder. She was parked in the faculty lot. The door stayed unlocked so that the cleaning staff could get in. They had keys, supposedly, but she'd gotten a terse note at the beginning of the term that said she should leave the lock disengaged until such time as the master keyring was found. One would think that such an important thing couldn't simply be lost, but apparently that would be incorrect.

She was halfway to her car when she remembered that she'd left her appointment book in her office, so she had to turn around and go back inside. Was she getting absent-minded? She bloody hoped not.

Comments

[everlastingwrath]

Isaac whilst primarily a freelance hunter also had connections. To the council to be exact. They paid well, knew how to keep secrets and didn't stick their noses into what he did when he wasn't fulfilling an obligation to them. With that in mind he felt it important to seek out the contact in Las Vegas, especially as he looked to be in town for a while and it wouldn't hurt to feel out the way things worked.

He hadn't entered the building but rather settled outside of it, tucked away in shadow with a lit cigarette clasped in his fingers, slow drags being taken as he waited. Isaac was nothing if not patient especially as you couldn't hunt prey if you didn't pace yourself and rushing things never ended well. He'd tried that once and it hadn't worked out well.

It was when the door opened that Isaac looked up, eyes watching the older woman leave the building then turn almost immediately as if she'd forgotten something. Now or never. Issac flicked his cigarette to one side and departed the wall as he closed the distance, long legs carrying his weight effortlessly.

"St Clare?"

[st_clare]

She'd been thinking about dinner when the drawling voice broke int her thoughts, and she looked around to see a man approaching her. Her posture tensed up a notch, her wariness tempered only by the fact that it was still daytime, which ruled out him being a vampire. Short, dark hair, eyes to match, military posture.

"I'm afraid you have the advantage."

He didn't look bookish enough to be a Watcher, but in these modern times a younger generation was taking root with the Council. There was the possibility that he was with the university, but he hadn't called her 'Doctor' or even 'Professor'. Julianna set her feet, waited for him to explain himself.

[everlastingwrath]

Isaac didn't necessarily project aggression, but given his height and width it wasn't difficult to imagine that he could make people uncomfortable. Which didn't bother him as much as it probably should. Isaac favoured keeping people at arm's length, less chance of getting emotionally invested and involved in business you couldn't escape from. Made it easier to cut all ties and just move on.

"The council sends their regards," he offered in a drawl, voice husky and with an added rough edge from the most recent cigarette smoke which he'd inhaled. He soon offered a hand, large in the palm, tapered across the fingers, but calloused. A working hand you could say. "Isaac Chambers, I'm new in town. Thought it wise to check in with the local contact."

It was code, code for the fact that he was here on some sort of business and he had enough connections to seek her out.

[st_clare]

Chambers. Chambers. Julianna's first thought was that someone in London had parsed out the reason that she'd inquired about the date of Valerie's being called and connected it with the day Allison died. But when he offered her his hand instead of issuing some sort of by-proxy reprimand, she accepted the offer of a handshake. He had the hands of a warrior.

"I was actually on my way to my office, Mr. Chambers," she said once the contact was broken. "If you wouldn't mind accompanying me inside, we can speak there."

[everlastingwrath]

Isaac was nothing if not a southern gentlemen despite his brusque approach to the world and with a nod he fell into step beside Julianna, stride carrying him ahead for his hand to open the door and allow her into the building ahead of him. Truthfully that action was more than chivalrous, it kept her ahead of him and didn't allow her the advantage of being at his back. Whilst he was aware that the Council didn't hire untoward people he couldn't help but be suspicious of strangers and as such he liked to have his eyes on them at all times.

When they rounded on what he could only assume was her office he stepped in and made sure to close the door behind them, eyes ticking over the space and acute senses familiarising himself with exits as needed. You never did know when you needed to get out of somewhere fast.

"I'm new in town," he offered by way of explanation. "I thought it best to contact you directly and find out how things work here."

[st_clare]

The Watcher took up her customary seat behind the desk, gestured at the chair on the opposite side of the piece of furniture. She would have offered him some water or other refreshment, but Mr. Chambers seemed like the all-business sort. Her elbows came to rest on the blotter in front of her, and her ringless hands supported her chin.

"There's not as much excitement as you'd find in a larger city, but Las Vegas offers plenty of shadows for things to hide. May I inquire as to the nature of your purpose in being here, Mr. Chambers? In the city, I mean to say. If there's something specific I can assist you with, I'll need some basic information."

[everlastingwrath]

Like with every new place and every new situation Isaac took his time to familiarise himself with his surroundings, comfortable that if it came down to it then he could get out at any given second.

"I'm hunting somebody," he offered. "Vampire to be exact. She's old, crafty and has a way of getting whatever it is she wants. And has a token for leaving death in her wake."

But that wasn't why he was here.

"I'm not here for help. I came here to be familiar with this city and whether or not there's anybody I need to watch out for."

[st_clare]

"Ah."

Free-lancer, then. Or someone with a grudge. Julianna couldn't say she approved of either one, but this seemed to be Mr. Chambers' version of a courtesy call. The Watcher made a 'hmm' noise, folded her hands together on the desk blotter.

"There is quite a bit of vampire activity, but it appears it appears to be of the mundane variety rather than anything cataclysmic. An active Slayer resides in the city, and she patrols almost every night. Keeps things under control."

She wondered if the Council's records would have information on this creature Mr. Chambers was looking for, made a mental note to ask before he left. "A town called Searchlight is down the highway," she informed him. "It seems to be a nexus of some sort, attracts all manner of things to the area. If you blink, you'll probably miss it, but it has a certain energy."

[everlastingwrath]

Slayers.

Isaac hadn't had many dealings with them, but he was familiar with them and their abilities. It would seem having powers passed on from a demon gave you certain perks, the same ones that allowed a girl of only five foot five take down a vampire much taller and much stronger. Remarkable really, but Isaac wanted to give the slayers as wide a berth as he could. They had their ways of doing things and he had his ways, the two would never really co-exist.

"Does this Slayer have a name?" If he had a name then if he ran across her he could ensure they went their separate ways peacefully without too much hassle.

Of course when she mentioned Searchlight all that intense focus honed in on her, eyebrow lifting and curiosity piquing. "Nexus?" It might be the place Simone would venture to, especially if it had power.

[st_clare]

"It would seem so. The place used to be a bit of a boom town when the mines were operational, and it continues to hang on even though those days are long gone. There was an account of strange activity by someone who lived there on the past, but it was never corroborated. It seems logical that something must be going on."

Julianna considered it for a moment, then said, "Her name in Valerie Vause. She's actually a student here, although I'm not one of her professors. If you'd prefer not to make contact, I can inform her of your presence and let her know not to take it amiss if she should see you while on patrol."

[everlastingwrath]

Logic Isaac had found was generally a good guide for most things except for when it came to the motivations of the things he hunted.

"I'll have to check it out." And he would, he needed to cover all his bases, especially when it came to Simone. She was smart, too smart and couldn't be trusted.

Valerie, Isaac took note of the name with a movement of his head, no need for a pad as he recalled most things quickly enough. "If you could I'd appreciate that, wouldn't want any confusion."

[st_clare]

Julianna offered Isaac a reserved smile, plucked a pen from the holder on her desk and tapped it on the blotter. "Ms. Vause is quite the adept, and it's unlikely that she'd accost you on sight, but as you say, it's best to avoid the chance for confusion."

If Mr.Chambers was a freelancer, it was unlikely that he'd report back to anyone in London that she was communicating with Valerie in a semi-professional capacity. It was a violation of protocol, since Slayers were supposed to be on their own in the field, and while Council headquarters was an ocean away the Watcher would prefer to avoid awkwardness. If they knew, what might they say?

"Is there any information I can provide you with?" she asked. "Where this vampire you're looking for might take shelter, for instance? I can only imagine that she prefers cities for hunting purposes, so do yu need a suggestion as to where to start looking?"

[everlastingwrath]

Isaac's lips pulled into a tight smile before his gaze swept over the office, fingertips skirting over a nearby bookcase and attention soaking up the plethora of literature. Surprisingly the freelance hunter was an avid reader.

Whatever Julianna did was her business, Isaac had no interest in getting tangled up in it. He was just passing through or so he was hoping, but life had a funny way of throwing you curve balls.

"She likes expensive things," he shared as he turned to look at Julianna. "She's not exactly shy and doesn't see any reason to hide. She'll look for the biggest and brightest so by my reckonin' she's gonna be lookin' to set herself up somewhere nice for the time being."

[st_clare]

"Then you'll want to inquire at the Hart. It's a high-end hotel that caters to a certain clientele. It has a bit of an unsavory reputation, but it's also pricey. If she's the sort of creature to enjoy luxury without questions being asked, she'd go there."

It crossed the Watcher's mind that Isaac might run into the vampire that had accosted Brian, but she doubted anything would come of it if he did. Chambers seemed very mission-oriented, as if he concentrated one on thing at a time. She wondered if there was a reward at stake. Was there such a thing as a bounty for vampires?

Julianna tapped her pen on the blotter again, a quiet rhythm. Idle chatter seemed beyond the scope of this particular meeting, and beyond that she had other things on her plate than Mr. Chambers' concerns. "Should you require anything else, I can give you my number here," she said after a brief silence. "Now that they've replaced that terribly incompetent girl, I'm getting my messages again."

[everlastingwrath]

The Hart? Isaac made a mental note of the name and put it on the list of the places to look. Perhaps he'd go there first and then knock off the other places he'd compiled. Methodical, the only way to do anything. "I'll be sure to check it out."

He moved forward, closing the distance between himself and Julianna, a nod being given. Words were excess if not used correctly and Isaac wasn't exactly a verbose man, not when he knew the weight that actions could carry in lieu of them.

"I'll be sure to get in contact as needed." Hopefully nothing would as Isaac prided himself on being self reliant and working on his own merit without the need for others.

[st_clare]

The brusqueness would have bothered Julianna if she'd been in a different mood, but she was preoccupied. Perhaps she should tell Valerie to be on the lookout for this vampire as well, so that she could provide Mr. Chambers with information on how to locate her more quickly. Two heads were usually better than one, after all.

Or perhaps not. Chambers might be a bit of an adept himself, or he wouldn't be tracking the creature on his own.

"I won't expect to hear from you, but if I do I'll provide what assistance I can."