Path of the Vampire forum

Eyes moved slowly through each contract, transferring the information into the Access database to make the new client files that would be used to track returning customers. Meara thought it was a pretty good plan. Know what your clientele bought so you can make more intelligent pitches in the future. As a result, she was inspired to tabulate how different set lists correlated into her nightly takes. So far, the method she devised was giving Mea a clear picture of what the favorites in her set list were. She had just a few more to test before she would start optimizing her set list. At the very least she determined maximum impact was achieved at twenty minutes, which often correlated to how long it took the authorities to show up and shoo her away to another location.

As she turned over the last of the contracts and got ready to start invoicing, Meara felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Perhaps it was the months of being followed previously, but Meara only needed a few moments to realize she was being watched. Fingers crept over to pick up her phone, using the pad of her right thumb to unlock it. She played like she was looking at her phone, and very discreetly popped open the camera app in selfie mode to look behind her. Meara gave an audible sigh of relief as she saw Alex behind her.

She spun in her chair, running a hand back through her mess of red hair as she turned to face alex. "Goodness you gave me a scare." Blue eyes came up to meet the other woman's before Meara managed a faint smile. "Is there like a spare room in the gallery I can take over for few weeks. I am putting money back for a security deposit, but I need to move out of the hostel now." She hoped Alex would understand what she was getting at based on her previous text. Sure enough there was a backpack and her violin case on the floor next to the worktable.

"Where's Harry?" Meara inquired as she glanced around, looking for the older gentleman whom she had been wanting to talk to about this.

If vampires had breath to hold, Alex would have been holding hers as she counted each precious second that it took for the young woman to notice that there was someone close enough to kill her. She smiled sadly... oh so sadly at Meara once the redhead had turned to face her.

"Nice job with the phone, very discreet." The blonde spoke in almost a whisper. A part of her weighing the options on how to best teach the lesson. With a gentle hand won out, Alex liked Meara too much to try to really scare her. Hopefully, that wouldn't prove to be a mistake that cost the young woman her life.

Her voice stayed low, not exactly whispering but a human would have to be straining slightly not to miss a word and the odds were that the wrong human wouldn't have overheard her.

"I really wish you hadn't come into work at all... stalkers depend on there prey sticking to routines... but since you have, put together your things and as much of your work as you want to keep you busy later. Do it now, do it quickly and don't ask questions. I'm taking you home. My home. Well, one of them. And then you'll be staying put for awhile. Please don't argue, you'll lose anyway."

Admittedly, she was a bit surprised that Alex noticed what she was doing with her phone. Only other people who had suffered through having to constantly look over their shoulder would have picked up on that little sleight of hand. It made her give a bit of pause. Did Alex have experience with what she was going through? She had hoped for the kind woman's sake that she had not. However, the way Alex spoke afterwards, suggested that she was far too familiar.

Meara listened very closely to what the blonde was saying, before giving a slight nod in resignation to her next course of action. There was something unnerving about the way Alex spoke about her lack of say in the matter that convinced her to indeed not to ask too many questions right now. "I came in early because it did alter my usual schedule. But ultimately I came here because I didn't feel safe at the hostel. He knows I'm there most nights i'm sure so I am all too grateful to crash at your place for the time being." Meara smiled as she got up and started gathering up her things and carefully packing them away into her backpack and purse. Slowly she picked up the pack and her violin case and managed a meager smile to Alex.

"Once I finish the work I have in the bag you can give it to Kitty, and she gave pass back the next stack I'm sure." She commented cheerily as she waited for Alex to show her the way to where they were going. Admittedly, she was afraid of going downstairs in cause Hudson had followed. However, she suspected Alex had a plan.

[for_peace][/for_peace]

It was important to get Meara moved quickly, Alex felt that strongly. But she couldn’t help but stare at the young redhead, almost frozen in time as she tried her best to memorize the talented young Violinist exactly as she was right at that moment. Trusting… and brave. Alex hoped her young friend would get to keep both qualities. Mz. Quartermaine might not be able to predict the future but no matter what was going to happen next, she knew one thing without a doubt. Meara’s life was never going to be the same again.

Funny how all the stalkers had the tendency to do that to you.

If Alex had actually been expecting Meara to put herself into Alex’s hands, she wouldn’t have been disappointed. But Alex hadn’t counted on that, what she had expected was a lot more resistance actually. Even if Meara had no idea that Alexandrea Quartermaine was actually a vampire, blindly trusting anyone 100% was almost always a really bad idea. But she couldn’t help but grin at the young woman. It was hard not to admire the human’s calm demeanour under such unpleasant circumstances.

“Right then. Just stay on my heels and follow me. Save any questions you have for later, now is the time to move.”

Without another word, the blonde quickly turned and walked out of the office. Alex checked that the only eyes on her were Meara’s before she pushed apart a few hand-painted sundresses on a display rack… and then stepped through the middle of them and into a hidden fade portal.

Trusting that the young woman was still right behind her, the allurist did her best to send encouraging energy towards the girl. Most humans wouldn’t be aware of such a thing unless they were somewhat empathic as well. But with the sensitive musician, Alex felt certain any good vibes would be welcome... as she was led through one fade portal and then directly into another. And then another. And another. Some of the places would have seemed very strange to the human’s eyes but they were never in any of them for very long.

Even if this stalker of Meara’s was a vampire, which Alex thought was highly unlikely but not worth risking, they would have a heck of a time tracking down the little redhead.

Which reminded Alexandrea, it was almost time for ‘that talk’. The blonde frowned and put the thought off to the side with an audible sigh, done solely for the effect.

They finally ended up at one of the units Alex owned at the Corvidae Flats. Alexandrea gave all three rooms a thorough going over and made sure the security cameras and alarms were all still working before summoning her wraith, Apahythea, to resume watching over Meara. Alex also already had a tome prepared to give the young lady as well as some weapons, some groceries and a burner phone but first, they had to talk. Meara was bound to have a lot of questions and it was also time for her to know the truth, and just how much danger she was really in. And a crash course in both fadeportals and fighting wouldn’t hurt either.

It had occurred a few times to Alex that just turning her young friend would be the biggest help Alex could offer her, but only time would tell. Ultimately whatever happened in the end, it was going to be entirely up to Meara. And Alex would just have to wait and see how things would go.