(Open) Creeds and Credos

[Kenneth Gilroy]

The Moore House was open to those that wished to learn, again. Bishop Kenneth Gilroy stood right inside the entrance, having set the table up again to hold Testaments. One was clutched to his chest, like a shield against the fear that no one would come and against the fear that would come if people did arrive. The chapel had its circle of chairs as well. Now there was to do was to wait.

He had changed the announcement this time. Given a specific topic. He had also made some more copies of his notes. Maybe he was being optimistic. The fact still remained that many probably still thought this was more sermon than seminar. With Alice and Konrad as the only spreaders of word of mouth, that belief would be hard to challenge.

[Kenneth Gilroy]

The door opened quickly, almost like Gilroy had been waiting just on the other side. The worm's greeting smile was thin and almost forced from the anticipation of having to face a Beast. Upon seeing it was David, with Mask over the taint, Kenneth relaxed a little.

"Priscus Regan, I'm please you could make it. Please come in." Gilroy had been about to lock up and about given up hope anyone would show. Even if Regan was simply being polite, it was still one person. It had gone well with Alice, hopefully tonight would be the same.

He opened the door wider to allow the Mehket in with his bike. It was a little strange to bring it in the building but Kenneth wasn't going to let a bicycle make him look to hard in the horse's mouth.

"There are Testaments on the table if you'd like one. However, I don't expect to be making many scriptural references during this seminar so taking one is not necessary."

[Robert Cross]

Shortly after Regan arrives, Cross approaches Moore house. As is his habit, he's parked his car a few blocks away in order to approach on foot. He's wearing his same black suit, same white shirt open at the collar, same 9mm holstered under his jacket, at the small of his back, same unfortunate scars. He carries himself as he always does: confident, seemingly relaxed, forever ready for violence without looking for trouble per se.

The walk offers him some time to give himself shit for being here: Ready for some rousing theological debate, you stupid bastard? Planning on converting tonight? As usual, such helpful, internal commentary seems to arrive in his father's voice. As usual, Cross ignores it. After all, he's here for good reasons. Gilroy is his Priscus and Cross, even if he is nowhere close to being what you might call religious, is unfailingly pragmatic in all things, up to and including domain politics. Time to show his face, no matter how scarred it is. And, might as well admit it, he's curious: to see how the Doctor handles himself, to see who else might show up. Could be he's curious, on some level, about Sanctified doctrine as well. Maybe.

And with that, he's reached the door. A couple of swift, sharp knocks and he waits, impassive, for someone to answer.

[Kenneth Gilroy]

Before have much more time to welcome or usher David, another knock came and Gilroy had to answer it; leaving the Mehket to explore the foyer and chapel as he liked.

Preparing himself to control the damned mindless instincts that came when coming face to face with another vampire, Kenneth opened the door. And despite finding the entrant Masked and the Beast quiet, anger flowed through the rational mind. Gilroy wasn't entirely pleased to see Cross. The man's attitude since arriving had made it clear he didn't see Kenneth as a worthy leader. It was something, the worm needed to correct... but not here.

So he gave a forced, thin-lipped smile.

"Welcome, Mr. Cross. Please come in," he said letting the burned man enter. The snake's eyes followed the scarred Haunt unerringly. "There are Testaments available, though I don't intend to reference it that much during this particular seminar."

"There are chairs set up in the chapel," he said opening that set of doors while leaving the front very slightly ajar to let others know they could just come in "If you'll both take a seat, we can begin." Two was how many had arrived last time. More might show up, but they'd simply be late.

[Robert Cross]

Gilroy's face, no matter how well Cross prepares himself for it, still makes his fingers twitch toward fists. He does not permit this gesture, no matter how much he'd like to. "Good evening, Doctor," he says with a perfunctory smile, more a twist of scarred lips than a gesture of goodwill. He does, however, accompany his smile with a nod that could be called sufficiently respectful before brushing by the worm and entering Moore House proper.

He's listening to Gilroy drone on about testaments and places to sit, but his flat, blue eyes are on Regan. Another stiff on the scene, and not a peep from the beast. Well then. And it doesn't seem like either are eager to perform introductions, so Cross just gives this additional set of fangs a nod. My lips are sealed, assholes.

But before Cross can do anything else, someone is coming through the door behind him. It hits him as he turns, the wave of flames, the Thing that lives inside him. It starts in his hands and spreads from there, the scars that patchwork his body all burn in unison. Cross' jaw clenches as she speaks to the other two stiffs. He forces himself to focus on the information provided by her greeting, on absorbing and categorizing the new data. It is an old detective's trick and it manages to calm him, at least for now: Priscus Regan then--Priscus to who?

It's only as the beast settles into the fact of this new vampire's presence that Cross realizes how striking she is. This only manages to make him more cautious. He gives her the same wary nod he previously offered Regan, waiting to see if his Priscus will introduce him.

[Kenneth Gilroy]

The demon appeared in the door and Gilroy froze. It was all he could do to keep his lip from curling in a snarling hiss. But the worm kept his mouth shut and his forced smile tight, when he returned the bow to Katya.

"Seneschal Harding. Thank you for coming. We've only just started." His armed twitched in a motion inviting her and all the other to follow him into the chapel and take a seat. "This is Robert Cross, Unaligned" he said, introducing the scarred Haunt to the Prince's right hand "He's the new arrival I informed you about." If the scars didn't give it away.

Entering the main room, where he had set up the circle of chairs, Kenneth pulled one back slightly with a painful screeching and took a seat.

"Now, I've set up this seminar as informal scholastic examination of the divisions that exist within the Lancea et Sanctum. As such, I will attempt to keep my language as neutral as possible. However, please keep in mind that given my position and the subject matter itself, certain assumptions and biases are likely to occur. I encourage you to ask questions if something doesn't make sense to you, or if you'd like further explanation. Seneschal Harding and Priscus Regan, if you have anything to add on how something I say might compare or contrast to your own covenant beliefs, I'd welcome any input." Indeed, learning more about the Ordo was large reason he had invited David. Oddly, despite having a Circle member and a Dragon among his 'student', it was Robert he worried about most about what he might say. Kenneth wasn't in the mood for sarcastic remarks right now.

"During the last seminar, we went over the Canons that form the foundation of the Lancea et Sanctum's core beliefs, how the Canons are not scripture and thus able to be changed, and how this has allowed a variety of belief systems to exist more or less peacefully within the church." It was a very basic description. Further review of the canons and what they entailed would be needed to fully understand the Creeds but that would come later and would still be kept short.

"Today we will be examining these various groups' beliefs, how they are sometimes applied in practical terms, and touching on heresies if we have the time." They were getting a late start and some things might have to be skipped.

[Alice Hart]

Alice is late. Oh boy is she late! She didn't want to sour her good will she'd gained from Gilroy by not attending a lecture she promised she would attend!

So Alice hurried, along the path to the More House. Glad that she had been once before, or she might be lost on-top of being late! But this time she thought to bring a notebook along with the Testament that the Bishop had given her the last time she was here.

Alice stands in front of the door, a light knock presiding her entrance.

She should have expected the pressure of another's Beast, but after the lackluster attendance of the last lecture Alice hadn't thought she should.

The sight of the rationally pale, and still oh-so-beautiful Seneschal had her lips form a snarl, the Wraith coiling and twisting and freezing her spine. She could take the gangrel. Especially with two of the Family to back her up. She could hold the bitch down and take her rationally pale, and still oh-so-beautiful skin and-and-oh boy. Nope. Nope.Nope.Nope!

Alice blinked her gemstone eyes and put upon her lips a well practiced demure smile. It was faker then her appearance, but it seemed the only way for her lips to from the stab happy slasher grin.

"Biship Gilroy, my apologizes for my lateness."

The young haunt ducked her head in greeting the others and quickly scampered towards a chair. Hoping to be less of a disruption then she already was.