(1303) Asa and Max

[Mykel]

"Regent Heinz."

Asa smiled as he approached the scarecrow of a Mekhet, already in a good humor. He said the words with a bold tone, full of grandeur as if announcing Max's entry to a formal affair, and offered Max Heinz a hand to shake.

"Congratulations."

Max turns towards the man addressing him. The Prince gave off no Beast, but Max had existed in Sacramento long enough to recognize his voice. He returns Asa's smile with a broad, slightly lop-sided grin of his own. After dealing with the Brother and the Father, he was happy to see a smiling face...

He bows respectfully to the Prince; taking the offered hand and giving it a firm shake once he comes back up out of the bow. "Good evening, Your Grace. And thank you. I'm still trying to get used to the title..."

There's a lightness in the way Max speaks; a joviality in his tone reminiscent of the way Max used to talk when he first came to the city years ago.

[Asa]

"They can take some getting used to," Asa answered.

There was a hint of amusement in his voice, and his eyebrow gave a speculative lift at Max's tone. Whether it was the winning, or celebrating, who knew?

He still wasn't entirely sure when or how his Invictus 'Your Grace' had began to propagate -- he suspected it was with the former Seneschal. It wasn't enough of a curiosity to ask about, or even undo, but it was still odd hearing his Covenant title from those outside of the Invictus. As for the other title, it was still one that conjured up thoughts of his predecessors. It still surprised him that it had been years now that it was his, but there were still many to go before he held it as long as others had.

"Although, honestly, it can be amusing. At some point you're going to have to stand there with a straight face while someone tries to figure out whether to call you 'Regent', 'Grand Wyrm', or a mixture of the two -- and which should come first," he continued with a grin.

"If you're really lucky, they'll change their mind mid-way through, and give it two or three tries with variations."

[Max Heinz]

Max laughs politely as the Prince gives him advice on titles, the Regent shaking his head softly as he answers. "I'm not sure I'll be able to do it with a straight face. But I'll do my best.

Of course, if you ever get bored, you could always issue a decree stating that Order titles must be used for formal address as well. Then it would be "Grand Wyrm", "Regent", and "Rarefied Scholar of the Untamed Hunger" to sort through. The Harpy could set up a thriving business trading favors on bets of how many people get it wrong in any given Court..."

[Asa]

"That's quite a mouthful," Asa answered, raising his eyebrows.

His thoughts went in two tangents; the first, wondering how much Max Heinz remembered, the second, whether the whole Invictus titles situation was a carryover from the banning of the Covenants, or presentation as policy.

"I also seriously doubt keeping track of titles would interest the Harpy," he added with a small smile. It was just enough of a smile to insinuate the obvious, but there were many less than obvious reasons he'd chosen Allison.

"And, as I'm sure you'll soon discover as a Regent, things are rarely boring."

Annoying, often. Boring, rarely.

"Speaking of," Asa segued smoothly, "I know it's customary for Regents to have Hounds. I was curious as to whether you would be following that custom; or, given your stated policy with the Dracul, whether you would be using your entire Covenant to maintain the Regency?"

[Max Heinz]

Max laughs politely at Asa's comment about things being boring for a Regent. "I never assumed they would be, Your Grace. If living in Sacramento has taught me anything, it's to always be on my toes."

Max nods his head slightly at the Prince's mention of finding a Hound.

"In a way. I'd like to have a formal Hound; it's just a matter of finding the right candidate within the Order. I'd rather have no one for the job rather than the wrong person, if you get my meaning. But one of the laws governing of Regency will be anyone seeking Residency or any use above simple hunting privileges will be required to assist the the patrols."

[Asa]

Asa gave a lopsided smile, clearly not believing Max hadn't decided on the "right" candidate, it was a mixture of resignation and the guilty amusement of one with their hand in the cookie jar.

It didn't take much to narrow down who among the Dracul were suited for the position, which coincided with who was often seen with the Mekhet. There was another possibility, but that one already had a Hound position. One could hardly blame him for offering an alternative to losing one of his Deputies, but he wasn't going to push the issue. It smacked of conscription, which was sure to foment resentment on multiple fronts.

"I'm sure that will be a difficult decision, one which you will give due diligence to," he answered, playing along.

So much has changed.

"Will you be keeping the name 'Florin', or changing it?"

[Max Heinz]

Max gives a slight motion of the head, somewhere between a nod and a bow, as the Prince plays along with his skirting of the issue. If the Prince didn't want to address the subject head on, the Regent was more than happy to move along as well. He supposed he should find a replacement for Tracy or Callum; or at least a suitable apology gift.

But then, what do you get a man that has everything?

When Asa asks about the name of the Regency, Max can only give a slight shrug. "I've thought about it, but nothing really seems to fit, so I may just leave the name as is until something appropriate comes to mind.

Though, I have entertained the thought of asking the Herald to have the map she uses for Acknowledged annotated with "Here there be Dragons"..."

[Asa]

Asa gave a smile -- it was funny, but it was also clear he wasn't aware of the literary reference. Still, it was nice to see the Dracul with a sense of humor. He had only seen Karsh smile once or twice, and was fairly sure it was both physically and emotionally impossible for Ezekial.

"Well, whatever your decisions, I certainly wish you the best," Asa replied with a genuine smile.

With any luck, the Dragons would continue to hold the the Regency and keep it stable until an Eclipse passed.

"And, as this is your first night in the spotlight, I won't keep you. Enjoy your evening, Regent," he concluded.

He was tempted to offer, jokingly, a mishmash of titles to correspond with their earlier humor. 'Rarified Wyrm Regent' had a humorous ring to it... but one never knew how an eavesdropper would take such, and so he let the opportunity pass.

[Max Heinz]

"Thank you, Your Grace. For everything." Max answers with a deep bow. For all his intelligence, the Grand Wyrm sometimes wondered if the Prince wasn't operating at a level above his own sometimes. Or maybe they just saw the world differently...

His conversation with the Prince at an end, Max makes his way back to Court.