Think the way that I do Who: Amanda and Missy Where: Starbucks When: Noon
Grounding Kristen was not Missy’s idea of a good time. She never liked punishing her little sister, had done it as little as possible in fact, but certain things just could not be allowed. Pressing at the buttons of people who happened to matter was one of those things. Being rude continuously was another. Add on the fact that she had been rude to Jadyn for likely no reason other than because Missy was dating her and it was just enough to make the blonde’s head throb. At least today she had gotten the neighbor lady to watch after her, not wanting to risk daycare and Kristen slipping out again to get into some sort of trouble. For someone so small and quiet she was remarkably good at that. And I’ve got to stop worrying, Missy chided herself as she pulled up into a free space just outside Starbucks. She had an hour and such to kill before she had to go back and see to the mid-afternoon reports. If they needed her. Maybe they would not and she could go home early to check up on Kristen. I’m not bringing her a treat. Stepping into the air-conditioned building she took off her sunglasses and set them on top of the brim of her hat. Now, what sort of caffeine concoction did she want to help her get through the rest of the day?
“Venti mocha frappuccino with two extra shots of espresso, thanks,” Missy ordered when she reached the counter. Flashing a brief smile at the barista behind the counter, Missy paid and shifted over to wait, turning to take in the crowd that had gathered at that time of the day. That man over there was always here this time of day with his newspaper and half-empty cup of coffee that he would throw away instead of finishing on his way out to go wherever it was that he lived or worked. A couple of teenagers giggling over something on their laptops... oh, and who was that? Tapping her fingers on the counter, Missy took a moment to place the face of the woman staring at her Blackberry like it was some sort of lifeline. Ah yes, Amanda Blake, she had seen that face everywhere a month ago. Even gone looking for a Gabriel because her fiance had been so intent on having him gotten rid of. Too bad she had never come across a male Gabriel. Accepting her drink with a distracted smile, Missy debated taking her more normal seat or one that was closer to the somewhat prominent figure. Less prominent now than when she had been in the hospital. Damaged people were always more fascinating for the public, or the ones creating a stir. Still. She had never actually spoken with the woman and that almost bothered her. If you were going to risk your neck to hunt a vampire that had hurt someone else at least you should know how they spoke. “Excuse me,” Missy said as she settled into one of the more comfortable chairs, having to pass by Amanda to reach it. “Amanda Blake, isn’t it? Sorry for interrupting but I’m a bit of a fan of your fiance. I was glad to hear you made a recovery from your incident with the fanger.” What? Here was someone that Missy was certain would share her view on vampires. Those people were few and far between and she had no shame in approaching them. No shame in approaching anyone for that matter, sort of necessary in her line of work.
For the first time in she couldn’t even remember how long, Amanda was not on the verge of trying to destroy someone’s career because they had sorted her mail wrong. Nobody had tried treating her like an invalid since she snapped a colleague’s pen in a silent fury and she hadn’t heard from her future mother in-law for, oh... four hours? Considering her job and the fact she was getting married in two days - two days - she was really rather relaxed. It may have had something to do with the white chocolate mocha sat in front of her. Or the fact she had been sent away on an early break for ploughing through more work than, well, everyone else. There was also the article about the museum curator being hospitalised by what was likely a blood witch. Really, how much more proof did people need that magic wasn’t to be trusted? It wasn’t something you could regulate unless someone was honestly going to suggest opening up a Hogwarts. And if you couldn’t regulate it then how was it supposed to be monitored or controlled? There was a reason everything else in the world fell into some kind of a system. Supernaturals couldn’t just fuck with the status quo and not expect serious repercussions. Like removal. It really wasn’t too much to ask as far as she was concerned.
Answering the fifth - sixth - text from her mother asking if certain designer labels were run by vampires, Amanda adjusted the clip holding her hair up. She always wore it up when she was out. Scars spoke louder than someone simply repeating that she’d been attacked. She intended to be as constant a reminder as possible that vampires weren’t to be trusted. That they were so unworthy of trust, in fact, that several items of her wardrobe would be burned when she got home. Her mother was already checking her own closet for anything by N&C Designs. Maybe I should make sure Marion has heard the-- No, that was ridiculous. Her and Cameron’s mothers were joined at the hip - if one was burning unwanted clothes, the other would be too. Glancing up from her Blackberry upon being addressed, Amanda automatically tried to place the face. Did she know this woman? Oh, no. Good. It meant she didn’t have to pretend she remembered her. “Oh, you’re not interrupting.” The notion was waved away with one of her rather more agreeable smiles. If she was a fan of Cameron then she was clearly someone worth paying attention to in some capacity. It would look awful for him if she had just dismissed her. “I think my mother is going through the racial background of every designer she knows in alphabetical order.” It was interesting to have a complete stranger claim to be glad she was still alive, though. True, it also made her a little skeptical, but Amanda was aware that neither she nor Cameron were well-loved in certain circles. But if this woman was a fan... “Thank you - And... I’m sorry, you have me at a disadvantage.” Somehow she actually managed to look like that mattered.
Somewhere Missy was certain that she had heard people complaining about times when they had needed to deal with Amanda Blake. She was privileged, stuck up, annoying, bitchy, cold... the list really went on and - oh. The last person who had complained about her had actually been Jon. If that counted as complaining and not just saying how she had been. Then again, Jon could be a little irritating when he was trying to get a picture. Even Missy had wanted to hit him over the head with her microphone more than one time. Part of it might have stemmed from his lack of ability to shut up about being a witch. Missy really just had issues with the vampires, but some of the supernaturals happened to make her a little uncomfortable. Other then vampires. But vampires were right up on the top of that list and those scars on Amanda’s neck made her skin want to try crawling right off her skeleton. Thank god she had never gotten bitten. Having scars like that would have haunted her.
“With that recent shock I can’t surprised,” Missy declared with a roll of her eyes. N&C Designs turned out to be run by a vampire. Since it’s beginning. Thank god Missy had owned none of her designs or her entire closet would have needed to be sterilized while the rest burned. What was with vampires being everywhere? They were not supposed to have positions of power or influence and yet as time went on more and more of them were popping up. “Hopefully it’ll be the last for awhile, society can’t handle that many.” It would crumble. No matter that supernaturals were supposedly everywhere it could not be denied that vampires were a threat to all of them. Why? They needed their blood to survive. “Oh no, I’ve never met you.” Nobody pays attention to the faces on the news. Even if you have a bloody accent. Shifting her drink to her other hand, Missy leaned forward to offer it. “Missy Peloe; I met Mr. Calvert at a speech he was giving a few months ago. Inspiring.” If Amanda did not know she was a reporter then Missy did not need to tell her. People could get so touchy when they realized what she did.
Amanda’s smiled broadened slightly. One potentially derogatory term for a vampire did not mean someone truly had the right idea. This woman was stepping closer to it, though. “I’d pity whoever’s responsible for their PR if they weren’t clearly a few screws loose.” From a purely objective perspective that she had achieved for all of thirty seconds before falling straight back back into resentment, it was a bold move to make. It almost guaranteed losing revenue from one side while gaining on the other. Oh, and the idea for the auction was just precious. Though really, if they wanted to look good in the public eye, wouldn’t that money have been better off going to pre-existing charities? As though vampire rights really needed the money. They were essentially immortal, right? How much interest had most of them been gaining over their unnaturally extended lifetimes? Really, they needed to stop pretending that what they were doing was a good thing. It was fucking nauseating. “I don’t think they care if society crumbles as long as they get their alleged rights.” In fact, wouldn’t it be better for vampires if exactly that happened while they remained comparatively powerful? Oh, Amanda would not put it at all past them to be planning just that. Waiting for human society to implode so they could claim control. They’ll be farming us next. A thought which nearly knocked her sick. Automatically accepting her hand, her face lit in recognition when she heard the other woman’s name. “The news reporter? I’m so sorry--” Not really. “--I admit I tend to absorb the headlines while I get ready for work.” She gave a sheepish smile, brought into play only because she was singing Cam’s praises. Amanda wasn’t a hard person to understand. Present the right values in the right manner and she was perfectly pleasant, at least at a surface level. “And you have no idea how refreshing it is to hear a public figure speak openly like that. I know Cameron will appreciate it.” Sure, Starbucks could be argued to be a private venue, but it wasn’t really, now, was it? Anyone paying enough attention would see Amanda Blake and Missy Peloe discussing one of Cameron Calvert’s speeches and how inspiring it was. Amanda did not believe for a moment that Missy was ignorant of that fact. Nor would she have cared if she was.
Missy knew public relations. She was not actively engaged in them since it was really hard for a news reporter to shift and stay on the ‘good side’ all of the time. Especially if she had strong views on certain things. But she just hated that a designer had been involved with a company for a century or more. How much had that influenced the rest of the fashion world? The outfit she was currently wearing could have been inspired by something that had been made by a vampire and - this train of thought needs to stop before it threatens to drive me insane. “On the other end it seems that they’ve got plenty of support.” Vampires liked things that used their names for whatever reason. And not every human had the right point of view about how they should probably not support things that came from vampires. “Yeah, that’s me, don’t hold it against me or anything. And he knows how I stand on the whole matter, even if I can’t really declare it on-air like he’s able to. I just saw you and figured it’d be nice to say hi to one of the whole five people in town who seems to have the right idea about things.” Bonus points since she had gone hunting a specific vampire for her. I wonder if she knows about that? It was the sort of thing that she figured would be shared between a couple, but maybe that was just her. Plus speaking openly was something that Missy pretty much had to do. Unless she was in front of the camera and then she had to stick to a more neutral view or risk getting shouted at again. Reporters with biases were not what people really wanted. That was for the politicians. It had nearly killed her to report on the debate between Cameron and Kennedy. “Neck doesn’t hurt anymore, does it?” Hey, if Amanda was going to wear her hair up and make no effort to hide the bite then Missy was going to remark on them. Thank god Jadyn didn’t have to go to the hospital after her attack.
Amanda had already been through the waves of revulsion that came with wondering how far a reach the vampires really had in terms of influence. Only she was more concerned about the reach of supernaturals in general. Which was actually too big a concept for her to fully grasp. Too big a concept that was too frightening for her to delve into. People had no idea what atrocities supernaturals might have been responsible for in the past. Screw where the inspiration for their clothing was coming from - if the freaks could effect things like fashion, it was far from difficult for them to worm in elsewhere. Case in point? Liliya. Fucking. Kennedy. “So did Hitler,” she pointed out almost indifferently. “All it takes is a handful of principles that seem reasonable and a good enough orator.” Again, the name ‘Liliya Kennedy’ sprang to mind. And the Hitler comparison wasn’t exactly one that was going to make anybody feel better, but that hadn’t been her intention. The situation was dire and would be until the fangers had cleared out. If people had to be thoroughly traumatised before they took it seriously, then that was their problem. “It’s nice to know how the face behind the news really feels,” she said with a faint smile. It would mean though that her mind would automatically add a decidedly more anti-vampire or anti-supernatural undertones to anything she heard on the news, but that was hardly a problem, exactly. “This town hides behind vampire liberalism like a security blanket. As though being nice to them is actually going to make a difference.” Because helping an allegedly injured were that turned out to be a vampire with fucking wings had almost gotten her killed. That child-demon wasn’t even getting a mention in her thoughts. “Sorry? - Oh.” Amanda faltered for all of a second before simply shaking her head. “No. It’s healed.” That the ribs that had been broken began to ache if she sat too long in one position was not going to be mentioned. It wasn’t anybody’s goddamn business.
Amanda really did think her view through. Though with who her fiance was and who her parents were it was not really as though Missy could blame her. Had Amanda been any different then it would have been as shocking as a Peloe who - likes vampires? Kristen’s face sprung to mind only to be erased just as quickly. Had Kristen been raised by the whole family instead of just her then she probably would have turned out closer to right. And if she had not had that additional little ability that seemed to make her think she had the right to know everything. Which she did not. Missy did not want her knowing anything. “I don’t think that we have a vampire Hitler here in Scarlet Oak. But say that too loudly and you’ll likely have a roomful of people who idolize them breathing down your neck.” Not that their opinions mattered even a little bit but still. No one wanted to have an uprising at Starbucks. Least of all Missy because how was she supposed to give a report on something if she somehow ended up in the middle of it? Sipping at her drink, Missy still nodded her agreement. The majority of people in the town supported vampire rights. The majority of people who supported them were not vampires. Most of them probably did not actually understand what a vampire bite was. It was not like in the stories and had the dead bodies not proven that it was not all fun and games? Apparently not. “It makes them feel good about themselves, I believe, like they’re being ‘with the times’.” Ridiculous. “But that’s good, I knew a girl once who claimed her neck hurt for months after. She had a penchant for exaggerating, yeah, but still.” Amanda might as well. Missy had heard about how long it took her to get out of the hospital. Okay, so hers had been more than just a bite, but there had been more than a few whisperers claiming she was doing it for the attention.
Cradling her coffee, Amanda shifted in her seat. It was pleasant to spend at least part of her lunch break around someone who was not a complete idiot. Well her views seem reasonable enough, but it doesn’t mean she isn’t an idiot. She had never really been one to take things at face value. The Light of May movement had made her feel more than a touch justified in that and more recent events only really added to it. You have no fucking idea what we do and do not have in Scarlet Oak. “I didn’t study law to have people like me, Miss. Peloe. Both my job and my opinion--” And my choice in men. “--involve stepping on toes. It can’t be helped. Fanatics don’t scare me.” Besides, how many people would be surprised to hear her expressing anti-vampire views? Only those who had been living under rocks for the past few months. If anyone said anything, they’d be arguing over... what, exactly? Old news. “I’m sure they’ll feel even better about themselves when the mortality rates rocket again and their missing loved ones are spotted walking around without a pulse.” Well, someone had to say it. Amanda’s hand went to her neck almost of its own accord. “I was on painkillers a lot of the time I was in hospital. I really couldn’t tell you when it stopped.” There had been more wrong with her than just a bite. Either that information hadn’t been shared or people were really fucking quick to forget it. “It’s not a feeling you forget though,” she added, trying to appear sympathetic. “Maybe she was having phantom aches.” Amanda had those. They weren’t pleasant. Not for her, and often not for those around her. They unnerved her, and those kinds of spikes in her adrenaline made her a nightmare to be around.
Miss. Peloe? Oh god, it was like being around the interns at the office or Kristen’s teachers. “Please, call me Missy, it’s easier and I don’t really feel like a Miss. Peloe.” She was. Always had been and probably always would be, but the point still stood that it was formal. Missy could handle formal from people she was interview or the interns - one had nearly had a nervous breakdown when she had insisted they just use her name - but random people around her age who had mostly decent views on the world? Not so much. “But good. Need more people like you out there who aren’t afraid of the consequences of their actions or views.” Unless Amanda was afraid. Which really, Missy would not blame her for. People could get very violent when their views were threatened and there was no one they liked to center it on more than a public figure who disagreed with them. Or someone weaker than them. Bonus points if they could find someone who fit into both categories. Sipping at her drink, Missy just nodded. She was not unfamiliar with the world of pain - her first broken bone had happened when she was what, six? A slip when she had hit the horse for her vault that had resulted in a broken wrist. Just her gymnastics injuries were enough, adding in the ones she got from hunting was completely unnecessary. “Sorry, that was just a really crazy time and I didn’t get your story. Vied for it though.” Actually true. But it had been more important to actually go hunting for the vampire responsible than to report on the attack. Seriously, does she have any clue about that? At all? “But yeah, that’s what it was. Hopefully yours will fade quicker because it’s bad enough what you went through.” Doubly so since Amanda was supposed to get married soon. The height of unfair was that someone like her would get bit before her wedding.
“In that case, please call me Amanda.” Such a small, insignificant detail that for whatever reason made people think they were on better terms with you. First name terms. Which, truthfully, meant absolutely nothing. Personally, Amanda had absolutely no problem with making people address her by her full name. And not only because she knew she would soon be a Calvert. It was just that it left the faintest impression of superiority and that had never been the kind of thing she could pass up. It really didn’t help that, news reporter or not, she had no idea what kind of background Missy was actually from and there were some people who simply were below her. “I’d be an idiot if I said the consequences didn’t bother me at all,” she said with a brief laugh that only Cameron or her parents could have recognised as being at all affected by underlying anxieties. Amanda prided herself on her public face. These days she needed it. Though the stubborn side of her argued that she feared nothing pertaining to her own views and actions - it was the views and actions of those that opposed people like her and Cameron that frightened her. Those got her hospitalised. They put demons in her car. She actually could not fathom how much worse the world was going to get - and she had little doubt it would get worse - before anything settled. “And just hearing that makes me glad I missed all of it.” Despite being so permanently in tune with how she appeared, Amanda had avoided any and all media involving herself. There was also the gap in her memory where she had effectively suppressed almost all of the event and the fussing that came after. Excluding Cameron. She remembered him and the goddamn therapist. “Fingers crossed. The wedding photographs are going to require a ton of make-up as it is.”
Since she had already been referring to Amanda by her first name in her head, Missy just nodded. Being on a first-name basis was hardly something to get excited about even if it was a public figure. She had risked her own neck for the revenge of Amanda Blake via Cameron Calvert and actually felt a little entitled by that. Even if Amanda had no clue. Which Missy really thought might be the case. How sweet of him to get people to go hunting for the fanger responsible for Amanda's... damages. I always thought he had a side to him. Now she wanted to tell Amanda that her husband-to-be had sent hunters out after the fanger. Swirling her cup, Missy leaned back a little, a thoughtful look on her face that had nothing to do with remarks about scars or wedding photographers. "I'm not asking this as a reporter, hand to god, but do you remember anything of who attacked you?" She was asking as a hunter. A hunter who had shot at two different Gabriel's in the past month. "It's rude to ask, but I know some people who..." She raised her hand to mimic a gun before dropping it down, fingers drumming on the armrest. "Do away with that sort."
Now that was a question Amanda had heard far too many times since she found herself in hospital. Her knee-jerk answer was usually a firm ‘No.’ followed by a few corrections here and there. Except she was out of hospital now, the police weren’t asking her questions any more, and even if she had thought Missy was looking for some kind of news, it wasn’t as though she remembered anything groundbreaking. Truth be told, she remembered less about him now than she had done then. Either way her eyebrows raised of their own volition. Yes, it was rude to ask, but it hadn’t really stopped anybody. The one that really got Amanda was the faux-panicked ‘Oh my god, what was it like? It must have been awful!’ Which she had received from nearly all of her mother’s friends. “Really.” Her head tilted in mild disbelief. Now that - that - was the kind of thing that-- Really? Something about that had to be too good to be true on some level. Having temporarily forgotten about her coffee, she watched Missy for a moment before letting her hands conveniently busy themselves smoothing back her hair. As far as everyone else was concerned, she wasn’t having this conversation. “Tall, male, fangs, wings. Really likes the sound of his own voice.” Somehow she managed to state that as though she was not thoroughly traumatised when she discovered it. “Which is the best I can do without a full line-up.” Her memory placed her coffee again and she smiled over it. Perhaps before that little incident she might have been shocked by the way she simply wasn’t batting an eyelid at this... whatever it was. Now? She was just enjoying her white chocolate mocha.
Missy would have confirmed with a ‘really’ if not for the fact that Amanda labeling the Gabriel as a male took a bit of the wind out of her sails. She had not even seen a male Gabriel on her hunts. How depressing was that? Two females, but no male and the one who had gone and made the headlines just had to have been a male. Ah well, it was not like she had been shooting at some harmless things. They were vampires no matter what way you sliced it, just so happened that there had not been an extra sort of reward offered for vampires who were not whichever one Amanda had found herself tangling with. That’s a bit depressing. “Unfortunately I don’t think that we’ll get many vampires who fit said description coming in and offering to pay up for what they did.” Too bad. If things worked that way then her job would be a hell of a lot easier. “I’ll spread that word. The wings are actually a really big give-away.” Now her knowledge of vampires did not paint her as a hunter, although once someone had made the mistake of referring to her as a fang-banger and she had needed to get him to apologize for that one. Because no. “Maybe it’s better you can’t remember. God knows I wouldn’t want to.” Though if a vampire tried doing to her what had been done to Amanda... she might still end up in the hospital, but she would do her best to see a silver bullet through its heart while she was at it.