A Lord's Interview

So it was that Arturo Garcia found himself invited to appear before the Sheriff at her office in the Nox Elysium.

Lina Moretti's office was strange. Two walls were covered in blackboards, one of which involved notes about a corporation known as Echelon, and one of which was marked up in shorthand about a criminal enterprise related to Hunters. The rest were covered in shorthands that would take time to decipher, but recent dates were on it. An astute individual might realize that these too were notes about investigations - just notes for Lina, as opposed to notes for public consumption. She had a rolling whiteboard stand that she could move a board onto tucked neatly into a corner by a filing cabinet and a simple oak desk with a computer on it. Wires were neatly tucked, a black clip keeping them all together so they weren't in the way. It was Work Lina, personified.

All that - next to the other half of the office, which was obviously a space for hosting in a more relaxed way. Detective movie posters from the noir era were on the wall. There was a worn black leatherette couch, a side table, and a foosball table. Still tidy, but it was definitely not the same as the other half.

Where Moretti waited might tell someone paying attention that this was about business. She sat behind the oak desk, a pen twirling from finger to finger, with her sensible flats up on the corner of her desk as she scrolled some news website on her cell with the other. Her attire was a simple pair of black jeans and a tank top with a light leather jacket over it. Dangling from her belt was a nasty-looking Bowie knife.
Strong King

There wasn’t much that needed to be brought to the late night meeting with the Sheriff. Arturo obliged the invitation and arrived wearing a navy blue pair of slacks and matching jacket along with a white buttoned up shirt. There was no need for any weapons when travelling to the meeting, nor would there be the need for one during.

Making his way to the offices there was a quick series of raps against the door. The Lance would wait to be invited in by the Sheriff. Once given the queue he would slip into the office.

”Sheriff Moretti.”

He offered a humble greeting to the higher ranking member of the Domain. His beast meanwhile hissed and postured in his chest, making a vicious noise as it wanted to make the weaker monster submit to it. That was the beasts wishes, not the vessels. Following a white knuckled moment, thankfully hidden in his pocket, he was more than ready to hear out why he had been called.

”Business, or pleasure?”

He asked from the door.

Behind closed lips, Lina Moretti grit her teeth against the press of the unfamiliar Lord's Beast, pushing against hers and driving her back. Discipline, of course, was key to overcoming such things - this was her house, where she was the Law. And there had been so much at Court that had drawn her attention.

"Arturo Garcia," she said, gesturing to a chair on the opposite side of her desk for him to take a seat. "Get the door. Have a seat. You really are a man about town, aren't you?"

An amused smile crossed her face. At least on her face, her intentions appeared non-threatening.

"It's business tonight, but just a talk. Still, you've attracted a lot of the wrong kind of attention. Arguing with your Priscus. Challenging your Whip to Monomacy. And all of this in open Court. What brought all this about? Color me curious."

The Sheriff leaned back a little more. She did not take her feet off her desk even an inch.

”Very interesting questions you are asking, Sheriff. I commend you, trying to dig in and see what tick you can pull out. There may even be something there.”

Arturo raised a hand to his face as he looked around the office, closing the door with his free hand while he ran the other through his beard for a moment and came to the chair. He pulled his jacket off, and set it on the back of the chair. He then unbuttoned his cuffs and methodically rolled them up to just behind his elbow, taking his time with each sleeve to make sure the role was nice and tight. Then he took a seat across from the sheriff.

”Normally this is where I start the run around. A few extra words here and there, try and create a more casual banter while not straying too far away from the subject at hand and attempt to get to know you. Will it be a good night? A rough night? Just talking? Fighting? Screaming? Fists? etc…”

The Lord leaned back in his seat.

”Know who you are, and witnessing the things I have I would know to be wary of you and the skills you clearly have. But I would have the conviction that I would not sell out my own. It would be naive to think I would.”

He smirked and let out a soft laugh.

”But about loyalty, you understand it sheriff. Your Dragons are in lockstep, your ranks often grow but seldom shrink. There is a reason for that.”

He relaxed his shoulders.

”The Harpy thinks that an apology excuses her from scandal and break the Laws of the Domain, if that means anything. They seem kind of pointless now, since they are more a day to day thing.”

“The Ventrue Whip makes you out to be some Crone hunting zealot, which he tried to use to cut down Thomas Boyle’s effectiveness as whip as if you would lash out because we had a Crone in our ranks. I don’t think he is smart enough to look at your deputies.”

“I am no saint myself, so there is that. But I do not appreciate torture for fun, and I am sure that Jack had enough ego to try and play it up that he was the most perfect little angel, the puta.”

“Any part of that need clearing up?”

Lina Moretti grinned as he blustered gently, playing his game. She liked games. She was good at them too. "Oh, Arturo... I'm a Daeva. If I wanted to know what sweet secrets lay in your head, don't you think I would just... reach out?" She winked, and a lively little dimple that was oh-too-human showed as her mirth puckered next to an amused smile. It was all said saccharine sweet, like she didn't believe any of it, like it was her game.

Of course, his game ended, and he got right to the key parts, and the usually-serious Sheriff's face resumed its usual flatness. Play became business. She heard him. Heard him accuse the Harpy of a crime of some sort. Heard him throw Jacque firmly under the bus. Well. That was interesting.

"The only Crone I want dead is the murderous fuck I call a Sire. Thanks for letting me know. Given what happened at Court, I'm sure you have plenty of reason to want me to be well aware of his offenses."

She took her feet off her desk and planted them firmly on the floor, sliding her chair in to meet his eyeline.

"But Simmons. That's interesting. What did the good doctor do to bring such an allegation? Did you witness a crime?"

”Well, I am sure you saw the Carthian Lord at last Court didn’t you?”

He raised his brow, as if she had been blind not to notice who had been at the court, but of course that was the sarcasm of it all.

”One Carthian Lord came to our meeting for acknowledgement and had some strong words once he was called upon. A firebrand through and through, and I expect nothing less from his covenant. Now because he spoke loudly Simmons took offence, one minor for herself, and a trivial to each of the Lords present - Boyle, Jack, Wilhelm, and myself - or there would be no acknowledgement until payment.”

“Like a smart man our Carthian stormed off. I brought it to simmons attention that she was a little off the mark about the matter and decided to rescind the demand for prestation but would make him starve until April as punishment. Regardless if she changed her mind or not the fact was she pulled that stunt and now the Lords are one lesser than we ought to be.”

“And when the Prince sounded so amused by the sparknotes the Harpy gave her and wanted to hear more about it, I wasn’t going to let it go that she fucked this up and her clan is not a laughing stock for a Savage in a Dress. I expect more from the Priscus.”

“I must sound petty, don’t I? Seeing what I perceive as the mistreatment of my clan so I turn around and readily provide this information and out the same clan? I am sick of empty threats when they aren’t willing to stand and bleed. They silenced the Carthian, but they do not understand who I am.”

Arturo kept his eyes with the Sheriff’s this entire time. He could very well be her tool at this point, a fate he had just actively been fighting to avoid, but she had offered him courtesy and a seat. She had cleared the air between them. She had done much better than either of the Lords he had dealt with.

Moretti listened. She didn't respond to his question immediately, no - it wasn't key in that instant in the investigator's mind. She'd seen a Kindred at Court, one she didn't meet him or hear his name or affiliations. Still, that there had been a Carthian Lord was sufficient for the narrative. A nod here, an 'mmhmm' there. Her eyes narrowed as he laid out the situation where the Priscus of Clan Ventrue had demanded payment as a barrier to Acknowledgment. Watchful eyes and trained senses assessed for hints of his motives, of his truthfulness...*

"You know, I have always found Clan politics interesting. People choose their Covenants, but they are born into their Clans. Molded by them."

Okay, Bane. Calm it down.

"Your Clan is one of competition, even more than most Kindred, thus you compete. Always seeking to rise to the top of the heap. It doesn't surprise me to hear a Ventrue turn on another Ventrue, but all of y'all were turning on each other all god-damned night. The pecking order isn't established, not yet, not based on what I saw at Court -- though Jacque sure as shit is trying to make sure he isn't bottom bitch... by putting you there. That you provide this information to law enforcement doesn't surprise me. This would have held more weight had you come forward before."

She gave a little shrug. It was nothing surprising, nothing out of the ordinary. She reached into her desk and produced a piece of pristine paper, a copy of the Laws of the Domain, which she assessed for a full minute before she continued, giving him room to reply.

"What was the name of this Carthian? And who else witnessed the Priscus of Lords do this thing?"

*4 successes to Wits + Empathy to determine the truthfulness of Arturo's story. Feel free to resist with Manipulation + Subterfuge if you want.

4 sux

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2019-04-24 00:04:38		Lina Moretti rolls 6 to Wits + Empathy (10 Again)		2, 5, 8, 8, 9, 8		4 successes

”Words will only get Jack so far before someone really wants to bleed him like a pig. And trust me, I know much about the nature of the Lords, but this is the bottom barrel scraping for something. There is promise and potential amongst them all, but they will either realize it or piss it away with a lack of friends and abundance of enemies.”

She made the note about his story holding more weight before.

[color=#ff4500]”Before Court it was just a sore I hoped to forget about. Like I said, when the Priscus decided to make light of her actions she needed to be reminded that it had wait. Maybe my temper got the better of me but it got the point across.”

Arturo took a moment to recall, looking to the corner of the room absently while he recalled details.

”Graham Finlay, I know he appeared briefly at court the night I myself came to the Domain. Following month we had the clan meeting where this all happened. At the meeting itself was Simmons, Thomas Boyle, Jacque, Wilhelm Schroder - a Dragon, now gone as well - and myself.”

Arturo seems emotionally detached from the events at the moment, but is clearly rattling things off as he remembers it all with no hints of deception to be had.

"You wanted to, enough to put forward your challenge before everyone - but wisely, not enough to do it illegally." At least there was that. She delicately placed the Laws of the Domain back in the desk before closing the drawer and returning her attention to the Lord. The fact that Alessandra had blown up at him over it was of little concern to her. As far as she was concerned, he'd followed the Law as he'd pledged to.

"Before Court, it wasn't convenient for you to make an enemy of your Priscus by swinging at her. Now, it doesn't matter. Right?" she corrected with a mirthful chuckle. The dimple appeared once more, disarming and unnatural on a vampire. The Coils of the Dragon truly did wonders for one's expression...

"I've been due to hear from Boyle," she mused, recalling a text message she had received. "Shall I call him here to corroborate your version of events?"

It wasn't really a question. She believed Arturo, but she didn't need people to have time to get stories straight.

”Of course Sheriff, everything I needed to do was fully within what I understood the laws to be. Indiscriminate murder - besides being unlawful - doesn’t accomplish any of that. If there is any doubt about who commited the violence then it isn’t very effective come next court. Rumors will only ever go so far.”

The most enticing part of Monomacy was the witnesses, as it let everyone know what was going on. However, he grinned as Moretti continued.

”Sheriff, please, my Priscus isn’t my enemy.”

Interesting language Garcia used...Maybe it was the language barrier…

”If someone breaks the Law does that make them your enemy? Good people can make mistakes but the law does not care what our relations are to one another. In Simmons case? She seems to have gotten a whiff of power and gone a little mad. She very much has the chance to come back to earth.”

“She isn’t my enemy, but I don’t owe any favors.”

She mentioned Boyle, to which Arturo cocked a brow and smiled.

”Well that should corroborate everything I have said. Would you like to stick around for it? I wouldn’t want to make it seem like I am running away, but I also don’t want to be accused of tampering simply be being here.”

Ah Thomas, the first Lord he clashed with and the last he had respect for. If asked at this moment, he would back the man for either Whip or Priscis should the position come open. He had completely won court - if the Lords were competing - and Arturo admired that.