(1904) Keeper Formal Court

[Madcap]

Madcap was about to answer Vivian when the outbursts occur. He turned his head, glancing to the people those who spoke of the offending Harpy. Then he listened to the words of the Harpy, ignoring the arrival of Garrett. For the moment.

Keep your mouth shut, Manny boy.

Madcap's jaw tensed as he considered keeping silent. But he couldn't. Not with this. With a sigh he took a few steps to address the Harpy directly.

"Ma'am, I'm new here and far be it from me to step on your toes," he says, "but I got experience with the comfort you're talking about."

You're in for it now you dumb fuck.

Shut it.

"Speaking strictly as a Son of Bruja, ma'am, it all might feel good now, but the big fella inside ain't a companion. He's a predator just like us. And he's eating ya," Madcaps tone is serious, his eyes unmoving from the Lord before him, "I've been down that road you walk. Was a time I'd just as well skin a fucker as I would put him out quick. So take it from someone who knows. Pump the brakes."

He'd reach a hand up and scratch the back of his head. "That's all I gotta say," he said plainly. Then he turned his attention back to the Seneschal.

His piece said, Madcap returns to Vivian's thread

[Alessandra]

Ale turns her full attention to Lina for the moment. But allows Rebecca to speak first before addressing the problem. And she did hear the gallery chiming in, but she cared not for what they had to say. It was them jumping on the band wagon, saying things they never had the courage say before.

"ENOUGH!" she boomed, her eyes moving from Kindred to Kindred.

“The situation was a difficult one, and the benefit to gaining knowledge on the strength of the Vinculum outweighed the moral cons. Tell me, since you are so apt to throw stones, are you aware of if Vinculum can be broken? Not just what you may have heard, but for sure, with proof.” she asks. Oh she heard the Crone, but she was ignoring him, what he offered helped none. “If so, how did you get the proof?” she wanted attention, she had it. “What was done has given us solid evidence of how strong those bonds are, and that is valuable information to have.” Were they really doing this now?

“The man in question was a threat, knowing of Kindred, and having inside knowledge that was a threat to this Domain and myself. His loyalty resided with another. I gave her permission to see if the bond could be severed, and to also see if more information could be gathered on our target. So no, it wasn’t needless, it was done for a purpose.” Her eyes narrowing.

“I have never condoned torture for the fun of it. But as you said, sometimes it is necessary. If that makes you uncomfortable, then so be it. But I will put the Domain’s protection above anyone’s feelings.”

Tilting her head to the side, “And this is the second Formal Court you’ve disrupted. Are you trying to imply to the rest of the Court that I cannot measure and weigh issues of morality? Is this an overreach to drag a fellow Kindred of good standing through the mud? Or are you simply questioning my ability to lead my Domain?” her eyes narrow again, “Or is this some type of power play, a challenge to my position and authority as Prince?” Cain had caught the weight in his masters voice, turning his own attention to the Daeva. His eyes, filled with hate, resting on her and not moving. All he needed was a single word.

[Jacque]

Ever listening, Jacque heard the words first from Mister Prosper, then in short order from the Sheriff herself. He shifted his attention to her, and the crowd. One by one the Dragons fell in line. Then the Dragons began to draw lines in the sand, poking and prodding those who weren't of the covenant to pick a side.

His face shifted from a smirk to a scowl as Arturo revealed his ill-conceived plan to try and lend misinformation to aide in the sabotage of the Harpy. Then followed by Boyle, who had not mere moments before spoke of unity of the family. It seems their ire was was not only cast on him for his appointment, but to the Priscus as well for not picking them instead. Fools and snakes. Cutting off their noses to spite their face.

Collecting himself in a calmed retort to Thomas, "The experiences of the occultists are often anecdotal at best and based on severely dated material, Mister Boyle. As also a scientist, I can also recognize the need for testing new variables as the centuries go by so that Domain security can be informed of any weaknesses that develop with newly available options." His eyes narrow, "It is easy to stand there after the fact and proclaim something was unnecessary when the status quo held. Sometimes, it takes courage and wisdom to go against the grain, and when something previously unknown is discovered, suddenly the critics become silent."

He then shifts his gaze to Lina, "From my vantage point, Prince Antinori seemed quite informed of Harpy Simmons' activities. When exactly did it become appropriate to grandstand opinions of the Prince's policies in the interest of drawing public debate?" Motioning a hand outward in a wide sweeping motion, "Are you blind to the unrest and dysfunction you are fueling when you could have easily brought forth your concerns in private to the Prince, later?" It was truly unsettling to see such a united front from the Dragons, a group he thought were considered some of the greatest kindred scientists, yet not one dissenting opinion from the one presented by the Grand Wyrm. Were they really scholars, or were they a hive mind?

I had written this up earlier but I was waiting for posting order in the individual thread. Silly me.

[Garrett Prosper]

The Savage's pupils dilate as the Harpy calls for his action, and his foot slides forward an inch before he composes himself.

He follows formality, waiting for the Invictus to say their piece, and the anticipation of Antinori's call for order is dropped.

Familiar patterns. The Prince had to assert her authority over the Court. Whispers of Moretti's power had not gone ignored, and now she was taking the moment to put the Daeva in her place. The Grand Wyrm's reaction was predictable as her ability to read people and execute the will of the Domain with efficiency is openly called into question.

"Woah," he laughs, holding up a hand. The Prince had mentioned during their meetings that the Taifa acting as a buffer appealed to her, and this seemed like the scenario he had anticipated within minutes of data mining Sacramento's Court.

"Prince Antinori is stopping an escalation, and I am going to respect her wishes. Forgive me, Harpy Simmons, I will not be 'confronting you directly' as per your request. My concern was voiced due to your present Station. This was not a criticism of the Prince's order. This was not questioning method of defense for her Majesty's Domain. Sheriff Moretti," she still was at least in this minute, "Was acting within consistency of what her job entails.

The Harpy is a powerful position that can encourage specific behaviour and habits in the culture of a Court, and defines what is acceptable at her Majesty's permission with the title. What caused alarm was not soft hearts new to the Danse, or an attempt to sew chaos," he shrugs,

"The Clan of Gangrel understand the Beast better than most, and the Dragons make a point to study its effects on the psyche. The alarm was sounded because what I heard was a Kindred voicing her pleasure in torture, because she was under the mistaken expectation that this was what was wanted of her in appealing to the Prince," he blinks, "Tell me to jog on if I am wrong. I am putting it out there for correction on my view.

To put it bluntly, yes, I AM a little sensitive about the topic of degradation. It is a poison that produces Draugr if no one flags the behaviour. This puts us all in danger over time. Losing your connection with humanity is not a weakness; it allows us to uphold the Masquerade. If we ignored what we heard, it would be a disservice to Harpy Simmons and a disservice to your Praxis, Prince.

Your leadership is not being questioned, your Domain has put an issue forward rather than squirreling it away for your enemies to pick at you from the shadows."

[Derek Menzies]

"Mm, yes. I suppose I've been doing well for myself..."

As Dirt Nap excuses himself, Derek cannot help but direct his attention at the spectacle surrounding the Sheriff, Harpy, and Prince. The murmurs that sprang up around the commons swelled at the apparent scandal and contemplation of the open debate.

Some gaped and blurted at the topic of the practice of torture by the Harpy. Certainly it is discomforting, but she is the Harpy after all, and it is no minor thing to criticize her practices publicly. More apparent, many Kindred within the room took the opportunity to join a side in the matter. The more foolish decided to add their voices to the choir of protest and defense.

Derek remained silent and observant. The Sheriff has angered the Prince at the public inference. Perhaps the moral question lay with her Covenant principles as well as the decay of one's Humanity throughout one's Requiem. The resignation of the Sheriff would be a blow not only to the Domain's security, but to himself, as she has so far been his greatest supporter since his arrival. If the Harpy took offense, then perhaps she too would add her fuel to the fire. At this moment he is reminded of his brief conversation with Blackbird, spouting the strong relationship between the Secret Estate and the First. He would see it tested firsthand.

[Twist]

She was more than fashionably late. If there was such a thing with a formal court. As such, she didn't make an effort to announce her presence as she ignored the attendants and the closed door they blocked. To their credit, they didn't try to stop her. They knew better.

As it fell shut behind her, she moved deeper into the room, channeling her Beast's screams into movement even as her eyes scanned the room to try and judge the mood.

It was harder with Kindred, many of the subtle give always frozen and unused in unlife. But there were still habits and those were what she sought out. Sought and found and the story was that something was happening.