In Service, An Inquiry

[Izayoi Goto]

Izayoi nods, they would discuss it together, but the kunoichi knew her Master was one of action, and so excised herself from her chair to grasp at her pocketed smartphone. Only to venture away from the Painted Prince's desk, to gaze upon one of the pinned butterflies, her finger taps upon the contact name, and waits for the connection. Perhaps the Reeve was waiting close by for the results of this meeting...

" Takeda Katsumi , Miss Antinori has been informed of the request put forward during our last meeting and has a counter point offered, might you be available to meet at her office night?" she rattles off, clearly though with clear obfuscation. None of this conversation would be safe upon the air waves.

[Takeda Katsumi]

"It seems that, once again, we are smiled upon," Takeda replied over the line. "I am nearby and will arrive shortly."

True to her word, hardly ten minutes passed before the Reeve arrived. Perhaps this would beg the question of what, precisely, she had been doing, lurking so close to the Elysium, but the answer would only be surprising in its banality: her duty. It was the answer for most all, after all...

"Your Majesty. Goto-dono," the Reeve announced in greeting, bowing in the doorway of the office before striding inside.

[Alessandra]

The Savage watches as Izayoi excuses herself, curious as to how her Reeve would take the offer.

She would never have had the nerve to ask a Prince if she could bond herself to another when the Law was clear about it. But if it was important to them, would they accept her offer?

And then it seemed Haunt had been in the area. Perfect, she wouldn’t have to waste hours waiting for her to show up.

A smile and nod were offered as Takeda walked in, even if her aura of wanting to kill was unsettling,

“Miss Reeve Takeda, good evening, so glad you could join us. Please, sit.”

[Izayoi Goto]

Izayoi bows when her Master enters the room, the bars binding her demon rattle, challengethreadprey echo throughout her being, easily dealt with. She straightens, sitting in the chair opposite, waiting for the Takeda to sit before she speaks. Forgoing the dance of pleasantries, to keep from wasting any more of the Prince's valuable time.

"As I alluded to on the phone, I have spoken to Her Majesty of the task you have set for me. We are allowed to create the first tie of Vinculum between us...but both of us must also create the bond, tying twice to Her Majesty." says she, presenting the issue and the test. Did the Takeda wish to bind herself to Izayoi with Honour and Blood enough to also wish to bind herself to the Italian Savage with the same.

[Takeda Katsumi]

A bond to the Prince...

A test. If she said no, that would show disloyalty. What loyal servant would deny such a bond to their master, after all? Besides, it would show Goto that she did not mean what she said, and what Master was worth serving who did not value their own words?

It was Atari. Checkmate.

"Of course I would agree to her Majesty's proposal," Takeda declared, bowing in the Prince's direction. Not out of respect, but rather to help hide any lingering look of displeasure upon her face.

"I am curious, however," she said rising, "if knowing that I am bound to you, Your Majesty, will ease your mind and allow me greater flexibility in carrying out my duties."

Atari it might be, but there was always a give and take between the master and the servant.

[Alessandra]

Her Beast snapped its jaws, pacing it’s cage. This one was weak! It growled, end her! But her face remains neutral.

And the Savage watches with interest as Izayoi laid out the offer.

In all seriousness, Ale was not expecting it to be accepted. The ball, so to speak, was in Takeda’s court here.

Then came the answer, and not one she had been expecting. She accepted. This told her whatever bond had been forming between the two woman was a strong one. And one to watch.

A nod.

“Greater flexibility? How so?” she was Reeve, she could carry her weapons in Court and enforce the Laws. How much more flexible did she want?

[Izayoi Goto]

Shock lay writ upon the lines of her face, quickly she schools her features, but it was plain to see for a moment.

She bows to the decision of her Master, it was clear to Izayoi the importance of the kunoichi was to the bushi. That, or the Haunt could not decline the twice tied Blood Bond to the Prince while faced with the Painted Savage.

"Perhaps Miss Reeve Takeda means that once we are twice bound to you we might be allowed access to the Rack. So that we will always be strong enough to carry out Your Majesty's will. To always keep this august Domain safe." she bows again, this might not be what Takeda-sama wished, but Izayoi was Invictus and wished to secure the privilege of this optimal hunting ground.

[Takeda Katsumi]

"Goto-dono is most wise," Takeda said after a moment, her eyes meeting her Deputy's briefly, acknowledging the life preserver that had been thrown her way, "but she has not guessed my mind."

Takeda had decided, when she'd left Seattle free from the yoke of her former Master, that she would not just settle for serving another blindly. She had pledged to herself (and perhaps thus was why she was doomed to walk the road to hell) that one day, she would be the Master...

"What I meant to suggest, Your Majesty, that with this bond to assure you of my loyalty, you might extend to me a greater ability to decide upon the martial policies of the Domain. For instance, my strategy to deal with the Hunter menace is most similar to your strategy for Goto-dono and I. I wish to bind them through chains of blood, to turn them upon one another, and then to eliminate those that remain. Would this bond afford the trust needed to make such a decision?"

[Alessandra]

Attention moves to the Shadow, a slight nod of her head.

Such a request was to be expected. While not yet earned, it was expected.

And then it seems Izayoi misspoke. Takeda sought something else.

The game is truly afoot.

Now, that was a surprise.

She wanted to blood bond Hunters? Was she hearing this right? Had she picked a Reeve who wasn’t all there?

There is a pause, as she considers her words. And if she had truly made an error in judgement.

“You want me to let you form a Vinculum with Hunters?” she looked at the Reeve for a moment longer. “You’re not stupid, surely you see the dangers such a step would put not only you and whoever is with you, but the Domain as a whole as well. I understand what you are wanting to do, and applaud your creatively. But that puts the Domain at a significant risk that I am not willing to gamble.” That was that. “I made you Reeve because I had faith in your skills to be able to handle threats to the Domain. Are you able to handle the threat of the Hunters without your request?” the question was clear, she would put someone else in the position if she had to. She was able to run the Brood off without such a maneuver by assembling Kindred that were capable. Could Takeda not do that?

“With that being said, if this changes your stance on matters, then I can certainly understand.” Ball back into their Court.

[Izayoi Goto]

Izayoi's mind works swiftly to cover her Master from the displeasure of the Prince.

"Forgive my interruption, but I do not believe she means that of the Vinculum. Not upon the Hunters, I assume she means that of thralldom. The ghouls. If we are to bind these hunters to us, make them addicted to the blood then we can easily manipulate them. Causing them to eliminate the other hunters for us then once they return to us seeking the blood we can end this hunter threat." she says, bowing once more.