Evaluations (Blake)

[Zodiac]

”Well, in the all in all, your co-workers are happy with you, no complaints from customers, you are at work when you are supposed to be. The few times you called off you made sure we knew in advance. Any issues you having?” the girl sat reposed in a purple ‘throne’ glancing through a personnel file as her mindspeak whispered into the woman’s head who sat across from her.

“So far, so good.” She smiled.

”Okay then. Well, needless to say the job is still yours if you wish.” Zodiac slid a form across the table for the woman to sign. ”Raises will kick in first of September, and it will be retroactive from today.” She watched as the woman signed, then took the paper back and signed it as well. A copy ripped free and handed off while the original was dropped back into the file.

“Is that it?”

”Yes. That’s it.” the gypsy girl smiled brightly as she stood up. ”I will see you next time you are scheduled to work. Thank you for helping me make all this work properly.”

Handshakes and hugs were exchanged between the two. As the woman left, Zodiac sat back down and made a few notes for the accountant. The file was added to a pile of others waiting to be returned to the cabinet. A second stack sat waiting as well that was much smaller than the finished pile. These were the individuals of the ‘night’ crowd yet to be spoken to. When a knock came to the door, she simply projected her response blindly. ”Come in!”

A young, red headed woman wearing glasses stepped in and closed the door behind her. Zodiac glanced up and smiled. ”Care to remind me why I am doing all of this?”

Jennifer laughed and took a seat in the empty chair. “Well, as I remember it, when you and I started this madness in that rat hole in Westwall you said you wanted to do a business that was legit. All of this makes the tax man happy and keeps the authorities out of your other enterprises.”

”Yeah, I knew it was something stupid,” She glanced at the remaining files. All of the ‘mortal’ staff had already been finished. ”Why is it so hard to get the vamps in here? Everyone got a announcement last week that this would be happening yesterday and today.”

Jennifer shrugged. “No clue. Also, not my department. Don’t get me wrong. The ‘old guard’ still working for you has no issues with talking to me, but too many of the newer ones get’s that ‘How dare food be speaking to me’ complex going.”

”Yeah, I know.” That particular situation had never quite got out of hand, but the ‘night’ crowd had been warned that accosting the living working beside them would be met with unpleasant consequences. ”So do me a favor, please.” Zodiac was going through the ‘to-do’ pile and pulled out 2 files. ”Either of them in tonight?”

Jennifer checked the files. “One of them is.”

”Then go ask them to come in here and let’s get this over with, please. They give you any lip, just come get me. They give me lip, they will be unemployed.”

“Oooh-kay,” Jennifer stood up and left the parlor. On the outer side of the door, the normal ‘Session in progress’ sign had been removed and replaced with ‘Evaluations in progress. Knock before entering”. She crossed over into the work area of the shop and glanced around. This one was a quiet one. Jennifer could not remember 5 words that had passed between them since they started here, but they had never been hostile in any way.

She stepped to their workstation and gently tapped on the crafting bench to get their attention. “Excuse me? Boss lady is having the yearly evals going on in the purple parlor. She would like to see you now.”

[Blake]

Blake had been utterly entranced by the small details of intricacies of her work, it was one of the few things she still had to be proud of in this city of loss and sorrow but, aside from that fairly major note, it was something that she was good at. It gave her something to focus on so her mind wouldn't wander in to the minds of others that she missed and loved...though she'd never admit to such things. Love had gotten her in to many a fine predicament over the years and, in her opinon, such things were for the hopeless and foolish. Time had not been kind to the petite red headed woman. Blake Docere, once powerful, malicious and driven, had been reduced to nothing. If only certain people could see her now, hiding away in the back of one of Zodiac's fine purple parlors...oh would they laugh.

Jumping nearly out of her skin as the tap came Blake fumbled with her project and sighed as it fell to the hard top of the bench in a great deal of pieces. Those soft blue eyes would close as she fought to quell the irritation and the urges that rose within her. You could. It would be so easy. That nagging voice at the back of her mind that tried time and time again to get her to indulge in the violence she once reveled in. It's only a pathetic human. Another voice urging her to embrace her position above everyone else as she once had. Some might even say she was the closest thing the city had to royalty. Back when order meant something. Back when law existed.

Thank you, Jennifer. I will be there momentarily.

The words unspoken as the woman didn't truly trust herself not to lash out at poor Jennifer whom, and Blake was reminding herself of this repeatedly, had done nothing wrong. She was simply doing her job. Rising from her work station, Blake allowed Jennifer to lead the way to their employer all the while wishing she hadn't decided on wearing a simple pair of jeans and a simple black t-shirt. It was just another aspect of her living 'off the radar' that she had had to deal with. Looking to Jennifer, there was a long pause before BLake knocked lightly on the door before opening it ever so slowly.

You wished to see me, Miss Zodiac?

A deep and unneeded breath was taken as Blake tried to steady herself and remain composed. The words flitting from her mind almost instinctively as Blake really hadn't had anyone to murmur more than a few words to every so often. Perhaps it was just another price to pay for her reclusive nature, or perhaps the old one had simply run out of words to waste...

[Zodiac]

When her attention lifted up from the paperwork, there was a small moment of confusion, concern, and perhaps a touch of humor as well. Blake Docere was not quite the same individual she had known in the past. ”Come in, please, dear and have a seat.” she encouraged the woman. ”And close the door behind you for privacy.”

She had never pressed for details on the matter There had been instances in the past where vampires had entered the Shadow Realm as one sex and returned to physical form in the opposite sex. It normally was something that plagued mystics, but Blake was not one of that Path as far as she knew. All the gypsy could safely assume in this was there was a major difference in talking to Blake now. The once proud, suave, sometimes cocky voice turned to a soft feminine whisper. Many had found the man arrogant and in instances of large issues she would be forced to agree, but in the business of personal dealings she had had with Blake in the past he had always been a man of his word. When the new version of Blake asked her about employment, all Zodiac had asked was that he/she keep the same degree of integrity as they had in the past and all would be good.

So far, there had been nothing to make the gypsy batt an eye at when it came to Blake and the work being done.

She scooted her ‘throne’ closer to the table and took a good look at the current Blake. ”Forgive me for staring, but it is still taking me a bit to get used to the new you.” she apologized. ”All this is is a yearly evaluation I do with those who work for me. A review of sorts. Address any issues either of us have and figure out how things can work better. Some of the best improvements in how things are done here have come from my staff.” she smiled reassuringly.

”So let me get the ball rolling here. How have you been? Doesn’t have to be just here at work, but in general if you wish. You know me and you should remember conversations with me stay with me and no one else so if you wish to answer beyond the ideas of work, feel free.”

[Blake]

It was all Blake could do to follow those brief but precise instructions. No longer was there that air of superiority that was usually upheld on a constant basis but instead it seemed almost like...a grey wash had come over the woman as if her very nature as a shadow had begun to manifest in her appearance and mannerisms.

Taking the offered seat there was the smallest hint of a smile as she pinched two of her fingers together, the skin soft and seemingly unmarred by almost a decade of violence and bloodshed. The smile forming a the thought of how funny it was that beings such as them could be so beautiful and alluring on the outside while there was nothing but a fanged beast chained within waiting to strike at any that would dare taunt that inner beast. Then again, it seemed like such a thing was becoming pretty common amongst the mortals as well so maybe it wasn't their undead nature...perhaps it was just humanity as a whole?

Snapped from her thoughts, Blake looked up at the gypsy with that smile still on her lips. So many were still getting used to this new body. It was almost...amusing. For a split second Blake actually entertained the thought of throwing themselves to the void once more just to see what would happen and if it would mean yet another new vessel to inhabit.

No apologies needed, I know it takes people a fair bit of time to adjust to the changing of a vessel even though I technically shouldn't be changing vessels?"

A moment passed, the room utterly silent as the two conversed telepathically to further ensure the security of whatever conversation might be had between the two. It was almost endearing how Zodiac was so caring with her employees though Blake had to seriously doubt that the lovely woman sitting across from her was truly all that interested in all of her immortal woes and ailments.

I've been surviving. Things aren't quite the same as they used to be and it's taking a fair bit of adjustment but I have a feeling I'll survive the change. Sooner or later some crisis will come about and the city will be crying for people to save it once again. As per the usual.

[Zodiac]

I've been surviving. Things aren't quite the same as they used to be and it's taking a fair bit of adjustment but I have a feeling I'll survive the change. Sooner or later some crisis will come about and the city will be crying for people to save it once again. As per the usual.

An eyebrow raised slightly as Blake spoke. It wasn’t what Blake was saying but she wasn’t saying. That twitch of the eyebrow was what Jennifer would call ‘Zo’s BS Meter going off’.

Such a radical change would have it’s share of adjustments, of course, but she could not be sure Blake was accepting the fact or making light of it. As far as ‘saving the city again’ went, had she not been paying attention to current events? Theodosia and her mini legion of dumb fucks that let her loose and what was happening now?

But then had she not observed Blake every night she had been at work. How many times had she seen her join in the conversations of others? Even other vampires. No, the woman had walls in place and showed no sign of letting them down. Was it painful to be sitting here? Talking to another like this?

No, that wasn’t quite it. A soft smile crossed her lips as the parts slipped together. As she observed earlier– Blake Docere was not quite the same individual she had known in the past. This wasn’t him, and she was not even taking into account the physical form now. Where was the ego? The moxie? Where was ‘The world can kiss my ***’ attitude? Something happened in the transformation that changed more than looks.

Slowly, Zodiac got up from her throne and moved to where a kettle of water was warming. She pulled 2 mugs from the cupboard above and sat them down. ”It is okay, Mz Blake,” she whispered as she pulled a blood pack from the kettle and began to fill the mugs. ”This town is always in need of heroes, so I imagine you will have no problems there. But trust me, I do understand the bigger picture.”

She returned and sat one mug in front of Blake and sat down. ”Honestly, I do. Depression. It’s a *****. How long has it been chewing you up inside?” She took a sip from her own mug. ”What the hell actually happened to you? Is okay to talk here. Consider this a free therapy session as well as an evaluation.”