New Title, New Team

[Chris Wooding]

It is about time that Chris has a serious meeting with both his deputies. He doesn't know them very well, a fact that worries him. Emma French is really nice, they've talked sometimes, but someone who doesn't even bother showing up at Court doesn't strike him as a good officer of the law. Then Michael Redfill, a smart man, they've also had a conversation.

Amazing.

Chris is sitting in his office, which is very basic at the moment. There's a desk, three Japanese swords decorate the wall behind it, a bookcase, a couple of chairs and one sofa which seems to have been put aside. It could still be of some use though, you know, to comfortably sit on. There is what seems to be a stack of maps of Sacramento lying on the desk. He's currently studying them, dressed in his usual black outfit.

The new Reeve just sent his Deputies a message - if they could come at their convenience, really nice - and thus the waiting begins. He has enough reading to do, he'll be here all night. But at some point they better show up. To be fair, he needs to know what's going on in the Domain, and hopefully they can provide him some proper information.

[Emma French]

Emma got a message from Chris. She thought it was strange that he didn't schedual a specific time. That just seemed so unorganized. But it was a new Reeve. She couldn't expect everyone to organize like she tended to. Well now is as good a time as any. Wouldn't be nice to keep anyone waiting. She threw on her patroling clothes because she would just head out after the meeting. Maybe he would have some specific places he wanted her to go. Her normal areas that she went were the docks and back alleys. Not that she was ever assigned an area but she did like to keep her eyes and ears in places that were a bit more unseemly.

She jumped in her jeep and went to see Chris. Emma goes up to the office door and knocks.

[Chris Wooding]

Chris hears the knock and after a second he says 'Yes? Come in.'

A smile appears when he sees it's Emma. 'Deputy French, how nice to see you, so soon.' Maybe this is just a test, rather than a disorganized way of doing things. And scheduling a meeting would mean that it would be later. The Domain has been without a proper Reeve's office long enough now.

'How are you? Please take a seat,' he gestures towards two chairs opposite of him.

[Emma French]

Emma gives a smile and walks up to him with her hand out to shake. "Nice to see you again and congrats on the new position." After shaking hands she will sit to his right. "Are we waiting for Deputy Redfill?" Emma liked to get straight to business whenever she could.

[Chris Wooding]

As Emma walks up to him, Chris leans up from his chair and shakes her hand. 'Thank you.' It was strange how the situation changed since they last spoke. Especially since she was one of the people encouraging him to speak to the Prince.

She should have followed her own advise.

He shrugs, 'Well I suppose you both have different matters to discuss. Maybe you could tell me first how Dillon Connery handled his business, then I'll tell you how I will be different.' A small smile crossed his lips.

[Emma French]

Emma had to think about it. She hadn't been a deputy for long. "Instead of me telling you what he did and how he did it I can and will tell you what I have done as Deputy. One of the duties I have taken on, since I am at Cedar Fields, is I am available for body removal and body acceptance. I have use of the Hurst and am able to secure bodies in the cooler when needed. I also keep an eye on the marina and some downtown areas and patrol the barrens on occasion. When asked I patrol various regencies and have assisted with some domain duties along with Deputy Redfill. I always attend official court and go to the other courts when needed. I have also done some investigations for Mr. Connery both as a deputy and as a member of the domain. I do what was needed when it is needed and backed Mr. Connery up when ever I was needed." Emma looked at Chris with a cool calm business-like look. "So please let me know how you want to run the office of Reeve and what your expectations are of me."

[Michael Redfill]

By the time Michael wraps up his business elsewhere in the Nox, some time passes. He decided it might be a good idea to grab the patrol routes and some files on current investigations that he has worked on during Dillon's absence but it might have been better to do it later. Whatever, the Reeve said 'at earliest convenience' which means that there is at least some degree of Michael's convenience involved.

The Deputy balances a box filled with paperwork on one hand, knocks on the door to the Reeve's office and peeks inside:

"Good evening, Reeve Wooding, Deputy French. May I come in?"

[Chris Wooding]

Chris listens to Emma and he is, to be fair, disappointed. Her position at Cedar Fields is very nice, but what else does she have? She backed up Dillon when he asked for it, she walks around the Domain from time to time, and she always attends official Courts.

Not kidding, is she? Attendance is obligatory.

Before he replies, Michael arrives. 'Deputy Redfill, yes, please come in and close the door. Thank you for coming. I was just about to start discussing the state of the Domain.' He gestures towards a seat next to Emma for him to sit down in. He could get comfortable for a bit, before he'll be questioned.

The Reeve first focuses on Dr. French. 'So, I heard you were involved in the tragic death of Aοleen McFarlane. I assume after this event, you've remained involved with the case. Do you have any new information or leads?'

[Emma French]

Wow the new position was making Chris an ass. Involved in the death made it sound like she had a hand in the death instead a hand in trying to rescue her. She was so tempted to make the joke about assume making an ass out of you and me. But decided he wouldn't find it amusing. It was obvious that he was doing what many people did in new positions, it was just sad that he was acting like this. Not productive at all and doesn't make the coworkers feel loyal to them. Instead it makes the workforce feel disruptive. And Chris started out being insulting from the get go. Well, we will see what happens. "I'm sorry but you assumed wrong. I was part of the team to try to rescue Aileen. I was not involved, as you put it, in her death. After the incident I came back to Mr. Connery and Miss Villiers to give a debriefing. That was the extent of my involvement in the case. It was not my case to begin with and I left it in the hands of those who knew more about it than I did." Emma finished talking and waited for Chris's next sarcastic or degrading remark.

[Chris Wooding]

I hope you don't mind me replying, Mata, since I'm focusing on Emma first?

Chris just stares at Emma for a moment. He feels kinda sad. He had a good connection with her, that is, compared to most other Kindred he hardly ever speaks with. Their last conversation was interesting, but that shouldn't change a thing.

He is the Reeve now. The security of the Domain is in his hands. If something goes horribly wrong, if people aren't efficient enough which causes others to meet their final death, then that's bad business. It'll be his responsibility. And somewhere beneath the young easy-going appearance of the Mekhet, a proud man is hidden. Deputies will be working for him. The most capable people should be representing the Reeve's Office wherever he can't. He knows that Emma is not the youngest Kindred. She must have lived at least a lifetime. Yet she sort of admitted that she shows zero initiative.

'Maybe I should have phrased that differently, of course you tried to rescue her.' For all he knows, it was two against one. And you cannot really convince Chris that a Mekhet and a - supposedly able to change into a dog with great sense of smell - Savage are not able to follow motorcycle tracks, leather-lady or the blood she must have had on her weapons or body. 'I wasn't there, sorry.'

He doesn't want to be an ass. But there's no nice way to bring the bad news.

'Unless you have something relevant to report to me, I don't feel like your fit for this job, Dr. French.' Notice the difference? Chris leans back in his chair, while he also pushes it backwards a few inches. 'I hope you don't take it personally. But there is a lot going on in the Domain at the moment, and I feel that starting off with a clean slate is in our best interest.'