Elettra & Lina Talk

Elettra arrives at Lina's office promptly at midnight wearing her new sneakers, jeans, a fitted t-shirt, & a leather jacket. Hopefully, this wasn't a thing she was supposed to dress up for. She's a bit nervous, she knows this is a huge decision that affects the rest of her unlife. It has been a decision she hasn't taken lightly and feels that she made the best one for her. Elettra prepares herself to meet the stronger beast that awaits behind the other side of the door. She knocks and waits for an answer.

Lina opened the door a couple of moments later. Her jaw was set in a look that every Kindred had had at one point or another, that look of wrestling with some monstrous being inside that craved something evil, that had to be wrestled down. The Dragon knew she held the leash, but that was slight comfort while it was in the moment of the battle. Rather, the leash was a safety, something she could throw on at the last minute like an emergency brake.

"Priscus Vitale. Come on in."

Elettra could easily see the dichotomy of Lina Moretti's office. Two walls were covered in blackboards, one of which clearly outlined the progress on addressing a Hunter threat and the Echelon issue (if one knew what this meant). The rest were covered in shorthands that would take some time to decipher, but recent dates were on it. An astute individual would realize that these too were notes about investigations - just notes for Lina, as opposed to notes for the whole world. She had a rolling whiteboard stand that she could move a board onto tucked neatly into a corner by a filing cabinet and a simple oak desk with a computer on it. Wires were neatly tucked, a toilet roll keeping them all together so they weren't in the way. It was Work Lina, personified.

The other half of the office was chill. Detective movie posters from the noir era were on the wall. There was a worn black leatherette couch, a side table, and the foosball table. Still tidy, no shitstorms here, no sirree - but it was a much more relaxed half of the room.

Once she was within and the door was closed, Lina turned on music. AC/DC's Thunderstruck, in fact. As if to explain, she said, "Bitch of a time listening in on us through this." A small hand gestured to the speakers.

"So. You want to join the Order of the Dragon."

A smile crossed her face.

"What brings you to us, Elettra Vitale?"

Elettra nods and she appreciates the choice in music.

Returning the smile, "Yes I do. Being as young as I am, I have already seen what can happen to a person when they cannot get their beast under control and that is a main priority of mine. Also, as you know I have a scientific background. In my previous domain, I had talked with the Invictus. While being here in this domain I have talked with the Crone and obviously with you about the Order of the Dragon. I feel that the Order of the Dragon will help me best to control my beast in the long run and the experimentations that you spoke a little on intrigues my scientific side. I have given this a lot of thought and consideration. I am ready to dedicate the rest of my requiem to the Order."

The Sheriff considered the young vampire with a contemplative, scrutinizing look. She was quiet for a while, but eventually, she replied.

"You are welcome among us, Elettra Vitale, to begin your training. But you must understand that when you seek to spit in God's eye and overcome the Curse, you take your life into your hands. Our experiments sometimes succeed, with miraculous results." One needed only to look at the raw humanity in Lina Moretti's face to see it. "But should you not be strong enough, you will die to your own Beast. It fights. It kicks back. This is a dangerous and hard road."

She placed her hands upon the table, slowly, with gravity.

"You good with that risk? It is not too late to turn back."

Without hesitation but with conviction, "Yes, I am good with it. The rewards are more than worth the risks to me." And she truly meant it to her core.

Blink. Blink. How straightforward.

"Very well. Then I will tell you more about what it is you have now signed up for, with the expectation that you now understand your commitment begins here, and that what I am about to tell you is internal business."

She smiled, plainly accepting.

"The first thing you must understand about our Order is that it is a scientific order dedicated to overcoming the Curse. Your first duty is to your studies, above all else. You are expected to embrace meaningful change, and you are responsible for all that you are and all that you do. You must seize opportunities to improve yourself. This is what we expect. So. How do you do that?"

A rhetorical question, which she answered.

"Observation. To understand change, you must master your ability to observe it. As a Shadow... you are well-suited for that, particularly given your particular skill set and your work in the mortal world. You are around science, life, and death as an immersive experience. You see change constantly. You understand those basic principles, but you must also understand how you can observe all the tiny ripples based on a single action of your own. I will have you meet with Mr. Prosper to go over this lesson with you."

She tapped the desk.

"Something you should understand, early on, before you begin. Our Order has a strict hierarchy, based on how far in the Great Work of overcoming the Curse a Kindred is, and we expect it to be followed. Within our Order, I am known as Scribe Moretti. I am a Scribe beacuse I have made two major changes to my condition. I lead, because I have demonstrated the greatest mastery. The remainder are known as Supplicants, for they have made one change each. Those who are seeking to learn and come to their first Change are known as Slaves. The duty of a Slave is to learn at their mentor's side, obey, and study as hard as they can so that they may achieve their first Coil. In this way, we improve ourselves, through a constant chain of mentorship and scholarship. Those who achieve, advance. This is the truest form of meritocracy, one that drives our studies."

She gave a wry smile, observing the Mekhet's reaction.

"Few like being called Slave. They do not like the implications. The people who don't get it and show that dislike don't last long, and don't find the mentors they need to advance. Embrace it, in the privacy of our Covenant. Understand that you will advance quickly with the right mentors, and that in turn, others will serve you in time - for we all serve, we all learn, and we all teach. Mr. Prosper will teach you the basics. Do you understand what is expected? Do you have questions?"

Nodding, Elettra listens intently to Sheriff Morreti. She gets excited when she hears her first duty is to her studies and improving herself! She loves learning so that is perfect and self-improvement has always been a priority for her as well. Elettra continues to listen intently, nodding and understanding.

Oh oops, ok Scribe Moretti it is now outside of court, "You don't need to worry with me. The label 'slave' doesn't bother me any. Yes, the implications of the past are not good. However, in the here and now, it's just the first stepping stone in the process. Therefore, I will not forever be known as a slave, so I will be ok with it for the time being until I move past it. So, would Mr. Prosper be my mentor then? Or is he just showing me the basics and then be paired with someone else as a mentor? I haven't had much chance to really get to know Mr. Prosper, but I do look forward to the opportunity to." Elettra feels bad she doesn't have more input or more questions but so far she's understanding what Scribe Moretti has told her.

She took that well. Better than others had, in fact, though it did not surprise her that the young nurse was willing to accept the diminuitive of being a student. She was used to being a vampire, working for powerful mortals, working for people who knew more than she did. Every time she handed a doctor a scalpel, she entered that role. It wasn't as though her pride held her back from doing what had to be done.

"Mr. Prosper is your place to start. My recommendation? Impress him, so he wants to do more with you than start you on your path. Be the kind of student that teachers want to claim as their own, so that there is demand for you. An able student advances a mentor just as much as a mentor advances them."

A gentle finger came up.

"Understand one thing about Garrett Prosper. He is not a nice creature. To be honest, I do not think he respects 'nice'. Social, to be sure, but understand he will test you. If all you are is a sweet kitten, he will send you back to the proverbial humane society. Demonstrate savvy. Demonstrate thought, and courage. You are committing to an existence in service to the Covenant's Great Work, handed down to us by Vlad Dracul himself. All of those things will be required to survive and succeed."

She paused, letting that sink in before making her final notes.

"You are authorized to enter Florin. We'll be inviting you to the Chapterhouse shortly... but see Prosper first. I think that would be valuable for you."

Nodding, "Ok, sounds good. I will do my best to impress him. I appreciate you letting me know what he'll be expecting out of me. I don't have any questions as of right now. Besides, can I have his phone number so I can reach out to him to set up a meeting?" So much information was thrown at her but, she understands what was said and is looking forward to what the future holds for her with the Ordo Dracul.

"Sure." She produced a scrap piece of paper and her cellular phone, pulling up Mitnick's contact information and writing down his phone number for it. "I'll let him know you're coming, too. Welcome to the Order, Slave Vitale. We'll be having a larger meeting soon."

Let's wrap it up so you can move into it! Good scene!