(Invictus) Teaching the Blood Oath

[Jennifer Hazelton]

Jennifer has presented Lady Yuki Saito with a formal invitation to attend 'the Flower Shop' at 9 P. M. The Flower shop is set with three comfortable cushioned straight backed chairs arranged in a semi circle. Two of the chairs were paired close together and faced the door way. If one wished to sit apart from the group, choosing the lone chair allowed some distance but still allowed line of sight for conversation. The low coffee table is decorated with a bouquet of Blue Convolvulus flowers. Near the right most corner of the table rests a hand written journal some twenty years old, some fresh high quality stationary. If one were to breathe, the air is scented with vanilla and the convovulus flowers. A wickless candle Scentsy sits on a side table near the door, wafting good smelling vapors. The lights are dim through out the candle shop, a table lamp illuminates the coffee table to provide light to write by.


[The letter presented]
Dear Lady Saito

I hope that this finds you in good spirits. I hope that you will join me on August 21st at 9 P.M. in my business, the Flower Shop, at [ADDRESS]. I wish to extend to you the opportunity to learn the Blood Oath in totality that we glimpsed at the last meeting.

Sincerely, Lady Notary Jennifer Hazelton, Priscus of the Nosferatu

[Yog-Sothoth]

Yuki arrived at the designated time in her old foreign pickup truck. She wore a light, white summer dress and matching sandals and purse. The daeva knew the importance of oaths to the Invictus as a Knight, but she hadn't really focused on them much.

Entering the shop she made an effort to breath, taking in the sent of flowers and the fragrances around her. Outwardly Yuki was a calm and smiling as she glided gracefully across the floor, inwardly was a different story. The oni raged within wrenching at his bonds, demanding to be freed to ravage the yokai before her.

"Madame Notary, good evening. I hope you are well," she said with a warm smile and glanced around them and to the flowers. "I do enjoy your place. Flowers are something of a passion of mine as well. The convovulus are lovely. Bindweed is particularly appropriate this evening."

[Jennifer Hazelton]

"I am glad to hear that Lady Saito. please have a seat and make yourself comfortable. Tonight I will be teaching you the blood oath that was symbolically stated at the last meeting of the unconcerned. I am very happy that you enjoy the flowered message. It was my first time that I enjoyed the danse" Jennifer confided. Jennifer moves to the seating area."You are an oath sworn Knight and I imagine that you have seen a few of these? "

[Yog-Sothoth]

Yuki nodded at the invitation to sit and noticed the two seating options afforded her. She could do the safe and distant thing and take the chair opposite the haunt and have her back to the door, or she could sit next to the haunt and see the door and what the woman was trying to teach her. Realizing that this is likely another test she chose the tactical and most practical option and took the chair next to Jennifer as long as she was not rebuffed.

"Thank you for the invitation. I have not had as much opportunity to meet with others in the domain as I would like after getting settled into the city," Yuki said with a smile. "Yes. I have had the pleasure of seeing the several of the oaths in action. Including my own. While my own path among the unconquered has focused on martial might and being a trouble shooter, I always respected the job and role that notaries played for us. The oaths and etiquette are excellent sources of needed stability for our kind."

[Jennifer Hazelton]

"Of course, Lady Saito. I would be remiss not to include a distinguished Knight such as yourself." Jennifer stated pleasantly. "Some of the others have not arose to the occasion. I fear that we may have several pages at the next meeting."
Jennifer shrugs.

"Perhaps it will be a good thing. We need our errands to be ran while we do the tasks set before us."
Jennifer is silent for a beat. She appreciates silence and is comfortable with it. The Lady's comment on Notaries was a pleasant compliment, unexpected and entirely welcome. Jennifer nods respectfully to the Oathsworn Knight.

"Thank you for your kind words, Lady Saito. I appreciate your respect and will endeavor to assure that our Unconquered are always protected supernaturally; so that our secrets do not spill to lesser Kindred."


Jennifer looks at the Lady for a moment, interest dancing in her eyes.
"Perhaps we could talk of our Oaths one day. Sir Baldwin brought tale of a very rare Oath that I would love to hear more of. I imagine that you hold treasures in your memory as well."

Jennifer gently presses a blank parchment into the neutral zone of the table, not challenging Lady Saito's space.
"Yet I will not delay you this evening."
Jennifer assures.

"The Oath that will be recited is here. Please look it over." Jennifer hands Lady Saito her own copy to peruse.
"In order to infuse an Oath with power, you must learn to activate the vitae. It is an elusive skill, but not impossible. When we perform the Oath, there will be two parchements. You will write this Oath and sign your name in your own Vitae. When you sign your name, you will focus," Jennifer slowly clenches her hand, placing it to her chest.

"Have you ever initiated a Blood Oath before?"

[Yog-Sothoth]

"I would welcome the opportunity to sit down and talk some night," Yuki nodded in agreement with the haunt. "However, duty does call and the night will not wait for anyone. We should get down to business."

She listened intently as the notary explained things and when the paper was offered she looked over the oath in question to study it. It looked standard for the most part the usual keep our plans and secrets safe.

"So it looks like we will be going with an honor system that shows when the oath has been broken and not enforce it with the more...potent oaths?" Yuki stated to no one in particular. "I have had the opportunity to see several oaths in practice and several imposed as punishment against others, consensual and non-consensual. I have not had the opportunity to be trained in this oath yet."

The Daeva looked over to Jennifer with a questioning glance.

"So I will just need to copy the oath in my vitae and focus my will to activate it. Is there anything that I need to keep in mind when doing so? I assume I focus on the oath in question and adhering to it?"

[Jennifer Hazelton]

"Yes, Lady Saito." Jennifer inclines your head. "When I work the mystical Oath, I focus on my feelings towards the Invictus. It eases the activation for myself. I like to think of it as similar to calling upon a Blood Gift- once you learn it, it stays with you."

Upon Lady Saito's question on the more involved Blood Oaths, Jennifer smiles. She is an intelligent woman. Jennifer did not think it was her place to discuss the intricacies of the second Oath. Jennifer also did not lie. A Notary had to be trusted upon to keep honest accounts and give accurate testimony of Oaths. She could not lie. A moment of silence stretched as she considered her words.


"This is not something that the Invictus has been thoroughly briefed upon."

Jennifer decided.

"You are the only one to have remarked upon it. The Oath that we are learning - the Blood Oath- is the simplest Oath. It conveys to me when the mystical contract is broken. That is the Oath that we will be performing at the Invictus Meeting."

The Prince as well; but that was inherent; Jennifer was sure the clever Lady had deduced that.

"You have the right of it. For the ceremony, we will do so twice. We will do a rehearsal tonight to ensure that the Oath is well learned. "

[Yog-Sothoth]

Yuki nodded like she expected the answer, but had wanted to hear confirmation from the other woman's lips. Blood oaths were very tricky things and the Daeva new it. She read over the oath and her eyebrows raised at several of the lines. From what she saw of the Prince he didn't seem the one to make frivolous orders to anger those beneath him, so while some of the wording was troublesome she saw several points that put her mind at ease.

"There is an interesting choice of wording here. But, if it is an oath required by our Judex I will of course comply. I have thrown my stock in with the Invictus long before this evening so I doubt that I have anything to fear from either oath that will be required...no matter how binding they will end up being," she stated simply.

The Daeva had a pretty good idea what what going to happen at this future meeting and why the would be required to take the oath twice. Once in private and then again publicly, after all some of the oaths were more firm in their requiring to be adhered to. However, which would be which? She could appreciate the tactical reasons why their Judex would require such an oath and it even improved her estimation of him in its execution if she was right.

Picking up the writing implement, Yuki did as she was instructed by the notary. After she had a quantity of vitae she picked up the writing implement and penned out the required piece personalizing it with her name and and dating it as required. When she finished she focused her will on the words of the oath taking them into her very being and writing them into the core of her being. When she was finished she looked up to the Notary with a questioning glance.

"Like that?" She inquired politely.

[Jennifer Hazelton]

Jennifer inclines her head, silent on further discussion on it. No other had detected this development and Lady Saito rose in Jennifer's esteem.
Jennifer leans forward to study the parchment. When the Vitae was mystically activated, the appearance of it on the parchment signaled to her if the Oath had been performed correctly. Jennifer ensures that the Vitae remains fresh - until and unless the oath is broken. After careful study, Jennifer inclines her head in approval.

"It has been performed well." Jennifer states.
"You have learned the Blood Tell Oath."

[Yog-Sothoth]

"Excellent," Yuki said with a smile.

Tonight had been a fairly interesting night for her and turned to the other woman with inquisitively.

"We're finished with the task for the evening then?" Yuki asked politely before quickly adding. "I hope you do not think that I find your company distasteful, but I do not wish to monopolize all of your time. It has been a long night."

OOC

Sorry for jumping right here, but I thought that we were looking to try and rush the scene to a close for the up coming meeting. Yuki doesn't have anything against sitting and talking with J-Haze. Besides it would take a while to accomplish the learning so it would be getting late.