Dragon Rising

[Asa]

Ordo Dracul Chapterhouse

Even faded and worn, California sings in the heritage of the Manor – a confluence of Spanish and American styles - from every parapet and every arched window. Expansive, proud, and dignified, the old Mission Revival Architecture reflects its pedigree in its ceramic tiles, grand turrets, and a coat of pale-peach stucco.

Despite the grandeur, the effects of entropy and recently ended neglect still show. Tendrils of ivy slither over adobe-bricks, grasping for the leaded glass windows, and blanketing the grand turreted staircase. An overgrown and solitary palm tree, slouches from its corner where manor meets the solarium. Tufts of weeds and grasses sprout in cracks of a once lovely arcade and the intricate pathways spiraling out from the house; the pattern of which may be of some importance yet to be re-discovered.

A solitary driveway, pools in graying asphalt near the grand entry.

It was a nice sized estate.

It wasn't a nice estate.

Anymore.

He still remembered it when it was the residence of Alder Baron Quinton Jones; attendant staff waiting outside and within, and baroque decadence ensconcing the recluse and his wild Childer, Antoinette.

Turned over to the Ordo Dracul, it had blossomed before the fractured Academy had left it to rot.

Asa pulled up in a long, large, and silent matte black sedan. For a few long moments he simply sat in darkness, poring over his memories. With a slight shake of his head, he exited the vehicle and stood waiting for Jacob White.

[White]

It was clear that this was once a great place, left now to return to the earth. It was difficult to tactfully not stare at a man like Asa, lucky for him the manor posed an excellent distraction as he approached. Once closer, he bowed, "your Grace," and straightened. "It's good to meet face to face." He extended a hand to shake, but was ready to drop it, David's voice ringing in his ears.

"I'd admit to being curious about almost every aspect of this meeting, but I doubt that would surprise you. I'll limit myself to asking you what exactly you wanted to discuss about the Order?" As a rule Jacob was not made nervous by many, the Prince was an exception. He only hoped it wasn't to obvious.

[Asa]

"Apologies, Mr. White, but I'm not much of a hand shaker."

Especially not with Mekhet.

A friendly smile softened the words, and he nodded to the house.

"For starters, this is the Chapter House, and I suppose that makes you the Castellan." Asa fished a set of keys out of his pocket and offered them. "And the answer to you question requires an introduction. While it is commonly know that I am a member of the Invictus..."

He turned back to Jacob, straightening himself and offering a small nod.

"...I am also Asa Clarke, Sanguine Scholar of the Void, confirmed by the Onyx-Sworn Oracle Shadow. Records within should list my name among Gideon Witherspoon, Headstrong, Peter Vedderman, Joseph Hartman, and Martha Villiers. It is my intent to retire from the Invictus and return to my studies."

Asa waited for that to sink in.

"I'm hoping we can come to an agreement. As much as I respect the hierarchy of the Ordo Dracul, I am still Prince of the Domain. To be blunt, if you out-rank me, I expect to be left alone. I will assist you in your studies as a fellow scholar, of course, but I won't be ordered about. If you find this arrangement unsatisfactory..."

He shrugged.

"I'll probably just ash you and see if future Dragons are more... agreeable."

Underneath the trappings of Domains, Covenants, and titles, they were all still just predators.

[White]

The hand dropped, and raised again to accept the keys mutely. The title made him quite excited, he mentioned records, does that mean an intact library? He listened to the Prince, and then laughed hard. "No offense meant your Grace I know you to be serious," he gasped, "the image of me giving you an order followed by you ashing me was just too comically tragic." He shook his head as his laughed died down, "No, that sounds agreeable to me I happen to enjoy my unlife overall. I look forward to working with you." Not that you might know it laughing after the Prince gave threats.

It would be nice knowing roughly where you stood, having to guess constantly would be distractingly stressful.

"Would you like to go inside?" I know I am dying to.

[Asa]

Asa watched the other man. In stages an eyebrow arched, the corner of his mouth twitched, and then a smile before he was finally laughing as well.

"We," he pointed to White, "Will get along just fine. You have my apologies for being melodramatic, but I blame those who were overenthusiastic with a new Slave."

Asa gestured towards the front door.

"By all means. What direction have your studies taken you?"

Feel free to take ownership/narration of the Chapter House. Just realize it's been abandoned for about two years now and without any mechanical dots, it's largely unusable for anything besides being an empty building with furnishingsin ill repair.

[White]

Jacob grinned, "Oh not at all, it comes with the position I imagine. Tell me about that sometime," it was his turn to arch an eyebrow. He walked with Asa to the front door, unlocking it with his new key. "Dabbling with banes and blood. Not a lot of luck with either, slow progress without the right literature or mentor. It's why your expertise excites me, if you would be willing to help with my studies of hunger it would be appreciated-" He opened the door, throwing dust back into the entry way, "-but I wouldn't want to impose." He stepped aside allowing Asa in first. One part courtesy one part he had no idea where he was going.

That would have to change as Castellan.

[Asa]

Interesting.

It wasn't lost on Asa that White had yet to mention achievement of a single Coil, and began to paint a picture of a Dragon yet to undego their first Chrysalis. He moved into the darkness, disappearing into the black void within.

"I think..." Asa's hand slid along a wall until the they found a switch to turn the lights on. "There we are."

Here, in this foyer, they had all once stood without a Prince. How many times had the Chapter House been the meeting place when the city had troubles?

"Upstairs are living quarters, and that way," he pointed down a hall, "Is where the library was."

Asa began walking slowly, stepping over debris and detritus that spoke of neglect.

"Change comes from within, Mr. White. Not from literature or mentors. When you use words like 'dabble' and speak of various disciplines, you may as well be announcing your lack of commitment. Which will ultimately sabotage your efforts were you to even have the best of literature and mentors."

Fingers trailed over a door knob that led below.

"Have you ever been Impaled?"

[White]

The inside was a reflection of without. It would all need work, perhaps the "honor" of castellan would only make him a cleaner. He smiled to himself, even so, a small price to pay for the upgrade. His eyes followed the Princes gestures, he would have more time to explore later.
Change is all, you can only control the change within. But he did not speak it aloud, the mere fact that Asa was instructing him was an encouragement; hopefully, it set a precedent. "One can always be more committed, I let myself become disheartened too easily."

His eyebrows raised at the Prince's question. Didn't he just apologize for melodrama?
"I can't say I've had the pleasure." The response was dry as Jacob stepped beside Asa in front of the door.

[Asa]

"So flippant."

Maybe it was Asa's own fault, for sharing laughter with the the other man outside.

"I assume that means you haven't starved yourself, or Ridden the Wave or burned yourself, either." It wasn't a question. The words drifted over Asa's shoulder as he moved into what used to be the library. A large hand ran over a moldy leather chair, imagining the coolness of the night being an Oracle's Curse. Memories only a Touch away. "Chased the Dragon's Tail?"

Asa sat.

"Have you achieved anything?"

[White]

if I described myself in one word...
He didn't seem to desire a response, Jacob didn't give one. He weathers the litany of rhetorical accusations without reaction, but the last question sends a spike of white hot anger through him.
"Your Grace," other than a slight grate his voice remained flat, "After being accepted David left, which left Henri who I spoke with only in passing. As you know I did not even know the location of the Chapter house. How, exactly, was I to know to perform these acts? Other than knowing enough about titles to know that I am a Slave I know, and thus have achieved, nothing. We have already established my failure to show initiative on that front, I agree it is a significant failure; however, berating me for not making more progress would be about as useful as scolding a child for not knowing how to walk when you already know it cannot even crawl. I would request that we move on."
If this was some hazing ritual Jacob was distinctly uninterested. He sat across from the Prince. He knew he was probably being unwise, but neither could he stomach pointless seemingly pointless critique.