Stuck Between Hell and Heaven

[Jessica West]

So, she was still intact. Jessica focused on that instead of the suddenly huge amount of fatigue that washed over her. Her meeting with the Grand Consul had been...nerve-wracking to say the least. She still had a piece of mind to slap the ones who'd deemed her the bearer of bad news. However she figured it would be useless now trying to find them. Unless, of course, she wanted to go to each one of their homes to do it.

Sighing, she rubbed her face in exasperation. Which was probably why she didn't see Bellamy Shaw until she'd quite literally run into the woman. Normally she'd jump back and start apologizing, but this time she stumbled back a few steps and blinked in confusion. She was quick to recognize who she'd bumped into though.

"Oh! Sorry Bell." She apologized, offering the other woman a warm (if not tired) smile. "I should've been paying more attention to where I was going."

[Bellamy Shaw]

For a moment in time, Bellamy had honestly considered taking the negative information to the Grand Consul herself. Surely she wouldn't feel so daunted by that kind of meeting, no matter how daunting the information to give was. But she didn't in the end. The most she could do was offer support and gather information for herself the second that meeting was over.

Once struck, Bellamy reached out for the other vampire. Her fingers crossed up and down the length of her arm instinctively, like the therapeutic rhythm of such contact could somehow be soothing.

"No no no, that's okay." She reassured her. After all, she'd been half tempted to apologise for her own missteps, but timing didn't suit her favour.

"How'd you go in there?"

[Jessica West]

It was nice seeing a familiar face that didn't set her slow heart racing with nerves. Considering it was Bellamy also helped sooth her even more than the gentle press of her fingers. Enough that she could actually answer her question.

"Well, I'm alive." She joked, chuckling a little bit. In all honesty, it probably would've been better if Bellamy herself had gone in to meet with the Grand Consul. She always seemed to have more ease in her interactions with the powerful woman. But Jessica had been closest and the most "readily" available person. So unfortunately it had been her.

"She took the news surprisingly well, actually. I feel bad that we don't have more information though." She admitted freely, feeling a little disappointed in herself for that one.

[Bellamy Shaw]

The thought of being alive was enough to have Bellamy laugh; short and sweet and so like her, really. The smallest of jokes that could only be altered by just how well a soul thought they were living. Things were starting to fall out of their hands, and they both knew that better than most. That was what perhaps made it so daunting. So suddenly the frontline was a set of Praetors, of all people.

"There's not a great deal to give, no." She replied. Information was scarce and with so few willing to give anything by way of their creators, there was little that could be done to solve it, "But better it be brought to her hands now than in a month when things are really out of control." There. Surely some kind of agreement would make her feel a little better. It was the right call to make.

[Jessica West]

At least her little joke earned a laugh. it added some strength to what felt like a pathetically weak smile. Sure, there had been bumps along the road that they'd had to deal with. Some big, and some small. But all of those times, no one wanted to be the one to go before the Consuls to relay the information unless it was good.

The weary brunette found herself nodding along. The sooner this was addressed, the sooner it could be fixed. She could still feel a low boil in her blood when she thought to the irresponsible actions with turning so many new vampires so carelessly. At the moment though, she had little energy to act out her irritation with.

"She said she'd call a meeting with the Inquisition. Hopefully they'll be able to figure out what's happening. Especially with finding this mysterious sire or sires."

[Bellamy Shaw]

Concern couldn't help but interlace itself to Bellamy's eyes. She cared deeply for the community she had been welcomed into to many years ago, and to have it threatened was absolutely a reason to feel distress.

Pulling back, Bellamy folded her arms in front of her chest. The kind of pressure it provided was almost soothing. "Have you found out anything new?" Bellamy asked her then, intent to catch everything she could while she had the chance; "She wasn't mad at you, was she?"

[Jessica West]

Here came the onslaught of questions. She almost wanted to just dismiss it and leave, but she could see they were coming from a place of concern. So Jessica tried her best to remember everything she could for the fellow brunette. It took a few seconds longer than she would have liked.

"We haven't caught anything new. At least, nothing that I know about since I went in there." She said with a gesture back towards where she came from. "Unfortunately we don't have much, so there isn't much we can do until then. Although the new vampires will be questioned, so we might start getting answers from them." Especially if the Inquisition was going to handle the questioning. "As for the humans, we can't do anything but assign their vampires new humans until we find more information or the people kissing." She added. Again she felt a pang of worry go through her.

But it was so replaced with bigger worry for what their leader had thought. Jessica bit her bottom lip and considered. "As for the Consul...I don't think she's mad?" She answered with a hint of uncertainty. "At least...it doesn't seem like she's blaming me. And well, as I said, I am alive after that. She didn't even scold me, really."

[Bellamy Shaw]

There was a lot of information to take in quickly. Though Bellamy did wish to be a fly on the wall in that meeting, she supposed it would do just fine to gather information this way. And if she really wanted to - or she really felt strong enough - she would ask Evelyn herself.

Or maybe not. Yeah.

"I haven't managed to get anyone to tell me anything concrete." She explained, especially given how her last interaction went; "It doesn't seem to matter how reassuring we are, there's no trusting us."

And while it was disheartening, it wasn't so unheard of. Bellamy could handle more than that, she hoped. She pressed on either way; "I knew she wouldn't be so hard on you. Everybody always sees her as harsh, but really, she's not that bad at all."

[Jessica West]

It came as no surprise that no one wanted to tell them anything. Even if they were usually the more understanding and fair types, they were still vampires after all. That sort of fear was hard to shake. Coupled with the fact they had the remenats of humanity basically locked up like cattle, and yeah, Jessica could see the trust issue's source.

Back to talking about their fearless leader though. The tired praetor issued a small chuckle. "I think it has more to do with the fact she's our boss more than anything. She's got more years on almost anyone here, and I don't think anyone would be thrilled to bring her bad news." She replied. Although she had to consider something. "She was your sire, right? I mean, is your sire."

[Bellamy Shaw]

It was difficult for Bellamy to completely disconnect with who Evelyn was in her mind. She might have been her boss and that was obvious, but she harboured a better place in the newer vampire's mentality. Trying to reassure anyone that she wasn't as bad as she seemed happened frequently though, too. Perhaps that played to a kind of downfall she couldn't explain.

Then when such a question came, Bellamy felt her eyes go a little wide. It wasn't so obvious, but the question was something often approached with caution. Bellamy's sire wasn't a known fact so openly spoken of; it posed for something potentially negative for the fact that Evelyn was her boss and favouritism was a potential threat. But she blinked the stress away. Jessica was her friend. This wasn't so hard.

"She is, yes." She replied with a small nod. And a very real sense of pride.

[Jessica West]

Uh oh. Jessica could've slapped herself when she saw the look on Bellamy's face. Sure, it was fine talking about her own sire since Tommy wasn't some big political power in Old Chicago. But Bellamy's? People could get jealous of the woman. Fortunately she didn't look too put off, and this time it was Jessica who breathed a little easier.

She hear and see a sense of pride in her friend's voice and face. It was enough to make Jessica smile despite her current state. "Glad she picked someone as sweet as you to turn then." She decided. Of course, everyone had their reasons for turning, but the fact of the matter is that Bellamy had always been nice to her. So her past didn't matter as much.

[Bellamy Shaw]

Eighty years might have passed, but recalling the events that led to her requested turning into a vampire were still fresh for Bellamy. It was impossible to let go of, and when the obvious reminder resided within these walls too, how could she let go?

"I asked her, honestly." She admitted then. She wondered if it could be considered too much information, if not for herself than for the one who did it. "Actually, I probably begged. But she was kind enough to fold me into the family." And that could have been all it was. They knew how busy it was so high above their heads, and a sire's work was never complete if they committed as they should have; "She also thought of me for the Praetors. I doubt I'd work here at all if she hadn't considered recommending me."

[Jessica West]

Even in her fatigue, Jessica felt fairly surprised. Sure, asking to be turned wasn't so rare. Especially nowadays it wasn't. However, to ask the Grand Consul herself? Even if it was begging, as Bellamy said, Jessica couldn't help but be slightly awed. "Wow. You're a lot braver than I would be." She easily confessed with a chuckle.

She was lucky to have Tommy, who'd hand-picked her instead. His process was selective and time-consuming, but at least he was the one opening the subject instead.

"I'm glad she recommended you to work here. I'm going to need as much help as I can get. We all will with these new issues popping up." She said. Just thinking about it made her feel a little heavier. Like the floor was suddenly becoming a good option to sleep on.

[Bellamy Shaw]

"Naivety is - or was - a fool's blindness." Bellamy replied with a slight laugh. Had she any idea who she was really meeting with on that day, she might have been far less abrupt and desperate.

Again, she thought to all the people they were prone to try and help despite how some seemed to refute it. The corner of her mouth threatened a frown, but she tried to find the brighter side instead. "Well, listen, I'm not sure what help I can be given how good you are on your own. But if you ever need it, I'm not hard to find."

"Or if you need to vent, too. I'm sure it will be a frustrating task as time goes by." That said, she knew this woman had great company already. Still, it didn't hurt to offer something.

[Jessica West]

Jessica would always have to admire the way the other woman seemed to know exactly what to say to lift her spirits. There was even a compliment hidden in those words that made her smile just a little brighter. Plus the fact that the fellow brunette was offering to be a source of stress release in a way was more than just a little appreciated. Shannon was good to talk to, but having someone else in the Magistrate that didn't throw her to the wolves at the first sign of trouble was nice, at the very least.

"I just might take you up on that." She warned with a laugh all her own. "But if you ever need the same courtesy, I'm here for you too." It was only fair she lend an ear too. Daunting new task or not, Jessica wasn't about to set aside her friends just like that.