[h3][color=FFE4B5][b]Jacqueline Glasse[/b][/color][/h3][hr][sub][i]Nice, France | Jacqueline Aude’s Apartments | January[/i][/sub]


[color=FFE4B5][b]“It’s cold.”[/b][/color]
[color=F08080]“So warm it.”[/color] Aude wasn’t even looking at Jacqueline, more intent on reading a letter held in one hand, stirring sugar into her own teacup with the other, of course hers was already steaming. Jacqueline swallowed her curses, stood, and tentatively lifted the tiny silver spoon over the tea. 
In fairness, it [i]did[/i] boil for a moment.  Just before the quiet shattering then silent fall of china fragments and tea onto the thick carpet.
[color=F08080] “Fix it.”[/color]
[color=FFE4B5][b]“You know I can’t.”[/b][/color]
[color=F08080] “Non ma Cherie, I know only that you will not try.”[/color] Jacqueline glared at Aude; who only sipped her tea, impassive as ever. 
In the same time it took her to breath, the remains of the teacup went surging forwards toward the seated Aude, only to be limply bounced back to the floor by an invisible barrier. It was neither intended or expected to work, but the withering look she received was close enough to a victory. She stuck out her chin, childish and petulant she knew, but was already committed to it.
Aude sighed, lowering her teaspoon, and offered Jacqueline the letter.  [color=F08080]“I was thinking you’d leave tomorrow.”[/color]	
[color=FFE4B5][b]“What? I-”[/b][/color] 

		[sub][i]We are pleased to inform Jacqueline Glasse of her acceptance to Grimm University this upcoming semester-[/i][/sub]


[hr][sub][i]The Spires, Lilith | Cruz Campaign Headquarters | Monday 14:43[/i][/sub]


This city had become nearly impossible to move around in.  It didn’t help that Jacqueline Aude’s apartment lay so close to the water front.  Prime real estate, except the water front had all but moved to the lobby doorsteps. Jacqueline's entire weekend had been spent indoors, attempting to study a month’s worth of missed lectures and ignoring Blanche’s complaints about the city, the weather, the food, and just about anything observable in the five room space. Rain or no, the solitary travel to the spires was a relief.

The office was empty when she walked in, and there was almost a flicker of hope at the chance of a day off.  [color=FFE4B5][b]“Hello?”[/b][/color] she called tentatively.

[color=98FB98]“Jackie! We missed you this weekend!”[/color] For half a second , Rebecca Strauss’ head was visible over the cubicle, before lowering again to leave only the top of her blond curls visible.

[color=FFE4B5][b]“I called, rain hit hard, they were sandbagging my street.”[/b][/color] Jacqueline informed the curls, grimacing slightly at the un-asked for nickname. It was still two syllables, her full name was two syllables, what was the point?

[color=98FB98]“Well you’ve missed everything, big crackdown at a hotel over the weekend. ‘Course Simmons is getting so much credit you’d think he blasted in there himself. Smug rat.”[/color] The girl was passionate about the election, even more so about Cruz.  Jacqueline shook the rain off while she waited for her to finish.

[color=98FB98]“Anyways everyone’s out. Obviously. Cruz went down to St. Abram’s to volunteer, draw the press’ attention back to us-”[/color] She clapped, suddenly and loud enough to make Jacqueline physically jump out of the last sleeve of her coat. Rebecca’s head appeared again, smiling at her, and still talking.

[color=98FB98]“Right - I was going to ask, I’ll need you to take over my job next week.  I’m leaving town for a bit. Well [i]planning[/i] to leave town, Christ knows what’ll happen with this shit weather. Either way, Gary wants you ready for it.”[/color]


Jacqueline frowned and walked to her own desk. She wasn’t invested in the campaign, for her it was just work. [color=FFE4B5][b]“Are you sure? I haven’t even been in the city that long and I’m not really qualified-”[/b][/color] Rebecca was already brushing her remarks away, and came to lean on the desk, next to the too-large computer supposedly made sometime in past century.

[color=98FB98]“There’s nothing too it, you’re a fast learner and it’ll only be a couple days. News channels already love Cruz, pretty face and all that. It’s only the written media you’ll have to nag for and really, who still reads newspapers? I’ll take you out tonight to meet a couple of my contacts and you’ll have the whole week to shadow me.”[/color]

[color=FFE4B5][b]“Alright. But I told Gary I’d send him final charity dinner plans by seven tonight.”[/b][/color] Rebecca nodded vigorously, curls bouncing.
[color=98FB98]“Sure sure. Let me know when you’re done and I’ll show you how to get a press report together then we hit the town!”[/color]  She was gone to her own desk before Jacqueline had the chance to ask exactly what she meant.

[hr][sub][i]The Bazaar, New Lilith | Cold Adder | Monday 22:09[/i][/sub]

At least it wasn’t a club. And it was a Monday, though the fewer people also meant it would be more likely for someone to actually notice the underage girl holding a potent drink.  Not that they’d had a chance to card her, Rebecca had bought the drink and the rain had made the doorman disinterested in looking too closely. Jacqueline sipped tentatively.  It wasn’t that she’d never drank before, but whatever Rebecca had handed wasn’t wine or sherry. The clear liquid bubbled and burned as she swallowed. 

[color=98FB98]“There you are, come on they’re back here”[/color] Rebecca had reappeared, noticeably a bit pinker than before with a glass much less full than her own. She was pulled to the far side of the bar, nearly the back of the room.  Two men waited for them, though Jacqueline only noticed one at first. He towered over everyone else, standing well over six feet, and his build was no less impressive. The smile he gave Jacqueline made her suddenly away of the sparking power on her chest where her pendant touched skin.

[color=98FB98]“Jordan here is with CCPD”[/color] Rebecca gave a second to gesture to a second man, Jacqueline tore her eyes from Jordan to the small nervous figure to his left. He was introduced as Oliver West, assistant to Simmons’ chief of staff. Her eyebrows shot up at that, but he started spluttering before she could get a word in.

[color=ADD8E6]“Rebecca I’ve been trying to reach you all day, about what happened this weekend-“[/color]

[color=98FB98]“Just a minute West, I want you to meet Jackie. She’ll be taking over for me next week, and I don’t want any gaps this far into the campaign.”[/color]

[color=FFE4B5][b]“Jacqueline Glasse.”[/b][/color] Jacqueline corrected, sipping at her drink again. No one offered hands.  

West fidgeted for a whole second before speaking again, almost in a panic. [color=ADD8E6]“Rebecca it was human trafficking in the hotel last weekend, they’re saying the De Vitis where involved and Simmons-”[/color] Rebecca cut him off.

[color=98FB98]“Excuse us for a moment.”[/color] Both Rebecca and Oliver disappeared, leaving Jacqueline and the imposing policeman alone.  With a drink in hand. She downed it quickly, and the world swayed for a moment only to steady itself after a few hard blinks.  Jordan remained silent, just staring at her.
 
[color=FFE4B5][b]“So… Cruz fan?”[/b][/color] That earned a chuckle and Jacqueline smiled despite herself as she was led to a seat at the bar counter.

[color=FF7F50]“I’ve been in this job too long to blindly follow my morals.  ‘Becca just pays for the drinks”[/color] He waved the bartender [color=FF7F50]“Two whiskey’s, neat, on the Strauss tab.”[/color]

Jacqueline pressed her finger tips against the bar as she watched the drinks being poured, all too aware the man was still observing her. These drinks where much smaller, and she felt confident enough to take it all in one swallow after politely clinking glasses.

She choked, coughed, and tried to remember how to breath. Jordan was greatly amused, laughing and shaking his head. [color=FF7F50]“The hell is a kid like you working with Rebecca for?”[/color] [i]A kid.[/i] Jacqueline scowled at the empty glass. 

[color=FFE4B5][b]“Could ask a cop the same thing”[/b][/color]


He shrugged, [color=FF7F50] “Like I said, the drinks. And it doesn’t hurt to have as many ears to the ground as possible when it looks like the world is going to hell. ‘Becca and West play off each other, each thinking they’re benefiting from the situation. I just drop the word on any investigations going on. Media trade tidbits really.”[/color] His hand fell to his thigh to lift a buzzing cellphone.  It looked almost comically small in comparison to the man.  The bartender refilled her resting glass. She sipped more carefully but still felt her face pinch at the taste.

[color=FF7F50]“You good to get home?”[/color] Jacqueline blinked, Jordan was standing behind her now, cellphone still in hand but looking at her. [color=FF7F50]“Not a good night in the city. Might be a good time to go.”[/color] The smile that had disturbed her at first was gone, somehow that was unsettling now.

[color=FFE4B5][b]“Yeah, I’ll be fine”[/b][/color] She tried to stand and turn at the same time and wobbled. Jordan was blessedly too absorbed in his call to notice. A quick search for Rebecca proved fruitless, and Jacqueline left the bar alone.