Policy of Truth

Mar 22nd, 2019 07:15 PM

The chambers of the Grand Wyrm at the Florin Chapterhouse were an exercise in envy. Well-appointed chambers on the uppermost level of the mansion that they called their own, the Scribe of Equilibrium had set herself up with nice things. Furniture. A handsome desk. A comfortable bed. All that had been thanks to the financial contributions to the house made by Blackbird, who, for the moment, lay in repose with a stake in her chest.

The thought of it brought a pang to the Daeva's heart. Her student had been gone for a few weeks now, but still, it was all so fresh.

Still, there was business to carry on with, and Dragons to become more closely acquainted with. Garrett Prosper had been proving himself in the Domain, and she'd given him an assignment with respect to Elettra Vitale to try to drag the old dog back into the mindset of advancement, of Change, and of taking responsibility for all he is and all he would become.

The front chamber in Lina's suites was a simple sitting room, with two couches set in an L with a coffee table between them before a fireplace. She had summoned him to meet at ten o'clock, and the hour was nigh; she sat in a corner, awaiting his arrival.

**Garrett Prosper** · Mar 23rd, 2019 01:00 PM

The poncier of the Savages comes exactly on time, though not as polished as the usual presentation. His eyes are a little glazed as the predator tracks the fire, not bothering this evening to cover the harsh bruising and sickly pallor.

"Guten Abend, Fürst," he says, flashing teeth in a smile while he takes a seat. He produces a bottle of cognac and puts it on the table, but refrains for the time being, "You wanted to discuss something?"

Mar 23rd, 2019 01:20 PM

Moretti gestures at the bottle, rising to grab a couple of whiskey glasses from a cupboard in the next room as she said, "To begin with, the taste of that." As she moves about the room, the Grand Wyrm watched him for a long moment. "I'd also like to get to know you better. I've assigned a would-be student in your general direction for assessment, and you've done some good work so far in the Domain. That tells me a bit about what you can do, but not who you are - or what you want to Change."

There was so much about the German that was a mystery, in spite of him being the most pleasant and gregarious Gangrel she had ever met. A magnetic personality went a long way to being likeable, but the fact was, he liked to poke people. See their reactions. Even test whether or not they'd go off on him.

"So. Why don't we start with this. You've been here for a bit now. What have you observed about the dynamics of the Domain in which you live?"

Start with the easy one. She'd heard him in Court, always pleased to pass out his opinion. She'd get to the hard, self-reflective stuff later.

**Garrett Prosper** · Mar 23rd, 2019 01:56 PM

Ah, a report.

Garrett fights the instinct to keep close watch on the more dangers Beast, resting his chin in his hand as he thinks.

"Three months is not a long time. If you want gossip, I can bleed my bias towards things, or did you want me to go in order of rank and file with respect to Clans and Covenants? Invictus is impotent, and the Crone and Lance are an afterthought. Frau Antinori being Prince tells me that she has taken the position in a moment of flux and claim to tenure, and keeps her seat not out of any political talent, but a simple fact of brute force assisted by the shadow of the Judex," he shrugs,

"So that tells me that you are happy to enforce order as Sheriff and maintain a tight control over activity in the Domain to slowly become the face of authority over those two. It is working: Herr Exlibrist being handed off to you might as well have been throwing a plate at the wall in terms of subtlety. Pleasing everyone by stepping back is a very poor tactic with Kindred. I think Alessandra is casting lines to create support where her Covenant has failed. I have stepped in to see if I can work that angle with her. Her Seneschal is not as active as an adviser as I expected, and her Harpy gets by on looking older but clearly has not gotten her hands dirty in High Court maneuvering," he blinks as he slows down the events that have unraveled during his time among the Sacramento Court,

"I am not calling anyone stupid, by the way. You probably gathered by now underneath all my flowery academic English, I am a bit blunt. They are all capable individuals, those are just the areas that can be pressed for weakness, or shielded if you wish to help an ally. I am not entirely sure what direction you are taking, the stack of titles you have garnered tells me you have ambition but staying your hand from taking Praxis means you are gathering power for something else. You certainly are recruiting," she wasn't an Elder after all. The speed which she moved was alarming for anyone who wasn't under her banner. A vicious grin,

"The ignorance I have noted are those who have rejected their Curse and play at being civil beyond the Danse, and then immediately compromise that integrity the second things do not go their way. Fräulein Wood and Dirt Nap's childishness are on thin fucking ice in my books. I am trying to direct Fräulein Vitale away from such nonsense if she wants me to mentor her."

Mar 23rd, 2019 02:16 PM

Not bad. The Supplicant had a jaded, but very pointed view of the way things were in this Domain. Alessandra had casted her lines, and created a strong alliance with Lina. In exchange for their support in law enforcement, they got all the stability the Grand Wyrm and the Order could ask for. The target of Praxis was firmly painted on someone else's back. She wasn't looking to be Prince right now.

No, the Great Work required more. The Daeva's eyebrows were up, and she looked vaguely impressed with how much he had managed to gather by flipping rocks in Court so quickly.

"Good assessment. To answer you, I recruit for the Work," Moretti said simply. "We will discover the keys to this Curse, and we will overcome it. I will overcome what I must overcome, and so will you, Mr. Prosper. This is our principle. I just happen to approach it as a Daeva would - recognizing the social element of it. The more driven and intelligent people we have working toward it, the more scholarship we create, the better we will become at doing that work."

There was a fire in her eyes as she said it, a drive that pushed her forward. Lina Moretti was not pushing for Praxis because she was, in short, a zealot.

She sat back down before him, placing the glasses before him so that he could pour.

"Prince Antinori and her people do what the First Estate does best: run an orderly court. The Invictus appear very committed to leaving us be to do what we do best, so long as we help them do that. It's a good deal. That's not a big ask for all the territory and Status we could want. I am Sheriff because security is good for our business. Having our people in positions of authority helps to stabilize further what I have started."

His last comment caught her attention, and her tone flattened.

"What did Wood and Nap do."

**Garrett Prosper** · Mar 24th, 2019 12:57 PM

Prosper pours them both a drink, draining his almost immediately as Lina speaks. The Grand Wyrm does not correct his assessment. Normally that would not mean anything, but she was clearly invested in the success of her covenant, and her resume was nothing to scoff at. She had nothing to gain by misleading the Gangrel into a false perception that invited poor maneuvering in the future. It would only serve to frustrate her if Prosper tarnished the Sacramento Dragons' brand of efficiency.

On the second glass he contemplates. "I have not been subtle about my disapproval of my Priscus petitioning for Keeper of Elysium after breaching it. The Prince rejected her Prestation, and she still went on as if nothing was happening," he waves a hand dismissively,

"I am simply bothered on a personal level, Frau Moretti. I had spoken with my cousins on the current state of Clan affairs and the feedback presented gave me the wrong data. I was never well received in the packs I occasionally interacted with in Europe, but my conversations had lulled me into the false idea that this State had a different dynamic that would work.

I thought the Gangrel simply needed a push to set themselves on the right track. Usually might makes right in these particular sessions, but I had no interest in mauling the woman or blowing a hole through her skull simply to make a point that she was not suited for office. I find that a little over the top. However, I did not anticipate that no one would step up. So I did.

I said my piece and even threw Dirt Nap a fucking bone on his snarling to shut me up when Mable could not answer my questions. They were both in agreement how I am a feckless coward and she did this cute trick of threatening to brain me because she could not handle the frustration of the situation properly.

But, that is how we handle things, and I am used to being regarded as a weak link in the chain," Prosper shrugs, thinking he would feel alleviated just confirming his reality but he only reminded himself of his Othering.

"I am more disappointed that my attempt to better organize turned into a split. Atticus and Alessandra dismissed her and left Dirt Nap to be blindly obedient. He unfortunately did not process their request that the Priscus handle the challenge on her own, and his loyalty ended up poisoning her position further." He taps his fingers against his glass, laughing to himself as he shakes his head. "Shame."

Mar 24th, 2019 01:29 PM

Moretti's glass is taken, though not drained or sipped yet. No, she was going to listen - and listen she did, to him glugging down his first glass like it was Vitae. So began the merriment. Perhaps.

Or perhaps not.

A look of displeasure crossed the Grand Wyrm's face as she heard his report, a tightening to her lips that was made all the more poignant by her Coil-freed face's responsiveness. It grew from there, as her hand tightened around the tough glass. Anger flashed in her eyes as he described Mable Wood threatening him, and she took a long, deep breath.

"That Crone bitch threatened you?"

The glass found the table, still full of liquor, with a sharp clink and a crack that suggested the structural integrity of the tumbler was damaged.

"And a Supplicant of the Order supported her in this?!"

That last came out as half a shout.

"I don't give a fuck what the context was. Nobody threatens a Dragon. Go get Atticus James. Now."

**Garrett Prosper** · Mar 24th, 2019 05:00 PM

Prosper leaned back a bit as his Beast screeched in protest at the violent gesture. To say he expected such a reaction made him take a bit of a hit to his pride. He didn't need Lina Moretti to clean up his Clan's mess. He had never considered the angle that it was a Covenant issue, and wasn't sure if he felt satisfied with the support or just more disappointment with Dirt Nap. He eyes the door and decides against playing hide and seek with Atticus James . It was the twenty first century.

Boss wants to talk company business in regards to our favourite cowboy? We are having drinks and shocker: I ran my mouth. Her words: "I don't give a fuck what the context is."

He waves his phone at the Daeva, "Orders received and executed, Grand Wyrm." He slams another drink,

"Anything else you need me to report on?"

Mar 25th, 2019 12:32 AM

Somewhere, deep within the bowls of Florin, in a dive bar that dives further then most, Atticus James feels his flip phone vibrate in the pocket of his coat. It is a distinct feeling as Atticus doesn't hand out his phone to many. It is even more distinct becuase it is a custom vibrate pattern for members of the Ordo Dracul. If it was anything else, he'd probably ignore it. He flips open his phone and scrolls through the message.

"Jimmy, grab me a bottle" he waggles his glass referencing for the booze within "and a sixer for off sale, I gotta bounce."

on my may nice job champ twenty minutes

Atticus had planned to have a conversation with the greasy little idiot, but the time had not arrived yet. Now he had to talk to the boss, who was probably going to read him the riot act.

Mar 25th, 2019 04:28 PM

Moretti seethed as Prosper texted, the tips of her fangs visible through very slightly parted red lips, her hands clenched on her lap as she waited for him. "Good. There's debate, discussion, even argument - but I will not tolerate my people being threatened, especially by the Circle of the Crone. Thankfully, the Gangrel of this Covenant have the ability to handle it without my direct involvement. This is, at this point, a Gangrel issue that I expect the Gangrel Dragons to deal with within the bounds of the Prince's Law. Scribe James will lead that handling. Either she will understand her error and correct it, or she will be adjusted by Gangrel Dragons in a fashion that she understands." That last was nearly spat as the Daeva finished. A full minute passed as she took a deep, unnecessary breath, staring off into space as she forced calm upon her riled Beast, upon her riled mind.

Then, she gave a small smile, a silent indication that the storm had passed.

"Aside from that bit of bullshit, how have you been, Mr. Prosper?"

Let it go back to something less infuriating.

Policy of Truth

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