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A meeting of the Lords

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  1. #1
    Jacque's Avatar
    Jack
    Striking Looks
    (Handsome)
    Presence
    (Credence)
    Mask of Tranquility
    New Identity
    (Alexander Krait)
    Resources
    Jacque
    Behavior

    Goes by Jack.

    Educated, scholarly, lawyer, scientist.
    Jack's outward demeanor and tone are a baseline of respectful and calculated.

    He actively debates, persuades, negotiates and even at time tries to intimidate, as core skills of any lawyer worth his salt.

    +1
    SL
    4
    PRE

    In one of the conference rooms within Elysium proper, Jacque set a table worthy of the Lords of Sacramento. A long, black satin tablecloth was laid over the table and on it a purple runner with gold trim down the full length. The chair at the head of the table was pulled out, having a thinner length of purple satin draped over the arms. This signaled the purpose of tonight's meeting- a new occupant for the seat was to be chosen.

    To the chair's right, Jacque sat quietly waiting for his cousins to arrive. He occupied the time with reading a book on Solar Engineering. It was a painfully ironic venture and he mused to himself about what the Kindred a century past would have said then about Vampires looking to harvest the power of the sun.

    As each of the expected attendees arrive he rises to greet them respectfully, first placing the book aside for another time.

    I'll let this sit a couple of days or until all current Lords arrive and post their entrances. As a reminder, this meeting occurs on 9/9/19 in continuity. Thomas Boyle Lenora Aiden Whitney


    Blood Hunt:

  2. #2
    Lenora's Avatar

    Lenora Black | Public: Lenore Greene
    New Identity
    (Lenore Greene)
    Striking Looks
    (Comely)
    Presence
    (Winsome)
    Allies
    (Judicial)
    Allies
    (Culture)
    Lenora

    +1
    SL
    3
    PRE

    Lenora comes at the appointed time, entering the room quietly. As always she seems well-dressed, as one had likely come to expect from the Lady, wearing a black pencil skirt, matching heels, and a sleeveless white blouse. Around her neck was a purple kerchief and completing the look was women's blazer of like color, though this was soon situated on the back of her seat.

    She'd offer the Herald some respect, shaking his hand and greeting him if he proved inclined, and then she took a seat on the other side of the table. She did not choose the seat directly across from Jack, of course. She had hoped that would be Thomas Boyle's chosen seat, as he, like Jack, were the most likely candidates for the vacant office of Priscus. Both had connections in the city and had resided in Sacramento longer.

    Thus, it was not Lenora's job to present her candidacy. It was her task to listen and to choose the candidate that best suit her aims while also ensuring stable Clan relations.

  3. #3
    T
    Thomas Boyle

    Enter Thomas Boyle, dressed in a cream-colored suit. He expected his famously conservative clan to be dressed in dark colors, and this was an attempt to change the tone slightly, while not being accused of improper clothing. Even if he really wanted to wear that peacock shirt again. It brought him luck last time.

    There's Lenora, and her seating says it all - she wishes to judge and observe rather than be judged and observed herself. Now, what should the Hierophant make of that? "Ms. Black" He greets the woman respectfully "Good evening"

    And then there was his arch-rival, the villain of this story.

    "Evening, Herald" He says with a nod, apparently in a good mood, before seizing the chair across Jack for himself "If that is even still your job"

  4. #4
    Aiden Whitney's Avatar

    Aiden Whitney
    Presence
    (Charming)
    Allies
    (Finance)
    Barfly
    Contacts
    (Finance)
    Status
    (Master's Degree)
    Aiden Whitney

    4
    PRE

    Shortly behind Thomas came Aiden, dressed in all black. The sole accent was a purple pocket square perched neatly within his well worn blazer.

    Taking the seat across from Lenora, he greeted the Herald and the Hierophant before he turned back to her. "Ms. Black, I am Aiden Whitney. Pleasure to finally meet you. I'm sorry I missed you last week." Her face was vaguely familiar from Court, but he knew precious little of her. Based on her seat though, she clearly wasn't contending for the big chair. Then again, neither was he.

    Thomas' slight at the Herald immediately drew a sly smile from Aiden, and the interest was apparent in his eyes. Not all roses and sunshine after all.

    The subtle fissures from Court were now apparent to him. One of these men would be Priscus by the end of the night, and while Aiden had no interest in getting involved in their spat, his mind couldn't help but imagine how they would settle the issue. Would one of them declare their right to lead the family? Would they try to convince Lenora and himself to back their candidacy? Perhaps a bribe of money, mortals, or boons. The proposed solutions would say as much about the aspirants as anything else.

    As the wheels of Aiden's mind turned his eyes settled on the Herald, eager to hear his reply.

  5. #5
    Jacque's Avatar
    Jack
    Striking Looks
    (Handsome)
    Presence
    (Credence)
    Mask of Tranquility
    New Identity
    (Alexander Krait)
    Resources
    Jacque
    Behavior

    Goes by Jack.

    Educated, scholarly, lawyer, scientist.
    Jack's outward demeanor and tone are a baseline of respectful and calculated.

    He actively debates, persuades, negotiates and even at time tries to intimidate, as core skills of any lawyer worth his salt.

    +1
    SL
    4
    PRE

    As the first arrival Jacque rose, shaking her offered hand while greeting before she claimed her seat. Being no longer in his chair, his vest and tie were more visible to his fellow Lords. Then came Thomas, to which he replied with a smile, "Good evening" and to the financier slipping in behind him another similar greeting. "Please, be seated."

    With no length of civility at all, the first jab was thrown before the meeting could even start. He almost admired Thomas, if only he could ever put that energy towards doing something productive for the clan. "Why wouldn't it be?" he passively asked while seating himself, even though the confidence in his tone might suggest that he likely already knew the answer.


    Blood Hunt:

  6. #6
    Lenora's Avatar

    Lenora Black | Public: Lenore Greene
    New Identity
    (Lenore Greene)
    Striking Looks
    (Comely)
    Presence
    (Winsome)
    Allies
    (Judicial)
    Allies
    (Culture)
    Lenora

    (Boost Persuasion)Willpower 1 Spent
    +1
    SL
    3
    PRE

    Lenora offered a small, civil smile to Thomas.

    "Good evening, Heirophant," she offered.

    At Aiden's greeting the Lady dipped her head in acknowledgment, "A pleasure, Mr. Whitney," she offers, "Allow me to welcome you to Sacramento, even if my gesture is belated.

    Then came the happy slaps between the Herald and Heirophant. Their rivalry was rather clear to Lenora early on and, if the eager expression was any indication, it was apparent to Aiden as well. The meeting had yet to begin and each had already sized the other up. Tonight would either be an interesting assembly or a failed one. As she had made plain, it was not within Lenora's agenda to see the Lords suffer shame. Thus, seeing the position to mediate, Lenora spoke.

    "Gentlemen, we are both well aware of your rivalry," she offers, her tone cordial, "but, in setting the pace for this meeting, I believe its prudent for all of us to be reminded about what is at stake. Tonight represents more than the ascension of one to the vacancy of Priscus. It represents the awakening of a new agenda in the Clan of Kings, the forging of new promises and oaths made to further our aims as a whole. This evening could easily fall by the wayside in a conflagration of threats and ill-intent. Even should you feel this for one another, I implore you both to resist the urge, as it adds little to the debate. Moreover, we must all agree on a single truth: The winner of this title must be afforded appropriate respects in public. A family that cannot at least afford the semblance of unity can be a shameful thing indeed."

    "After all, we are all Lords. Regardless of what the other Clans may say, we are often looked to as the beacons of civility and leadership. For this reason alone we cannot afford to falter here. I cannot control how you choose to address your fellow cousins to your peers in privacy, but within the confines of Court and other Domain functions, it is the benefit of us all to work towards a common face. Let there be no mistake, both of you present yourselves as fine candidates to lead our Family. One leads a covenant and the other serves within the Inner Circle of Her Majesty. Your accomplishments could speak for themselves, but it is my hope that tonight you speak for them while maintaining the honor that both of you should be afforded by your merits."

    6 sux to Gear towards Civility
    Date Action Roll Result
    2019-09-11 00:29:00 Lenora rolls 9 to Play Nice Thomas and Jack! (Man+Pers+WP) (10 Again, WillPower) 9, 8, 10, 7, 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 9 6 successes
           





    "Are we agreed?" she asks.

  7. #7
    T
    Thomas Boyle

    Thomas noticed the smile and interested look from Whitney. It remains to be seen if he was exhibiting shallow thrill-seeking or a genuine eagerness to understand what is going on in the room. The Hierophant prepares to answer Jack's expected question...

    And then Lenora takes a big, steaming dump on all the fun, using a speech that couldn't possibly have been crafted on the fly. Ugh.

    "Fine. Although no threats or ill-intent were actually signalled, I can promise to stick to the facts, and use my long list of witty vitriolic comments some other time, if that'll be the commonly accepted standard" And the emphasis is important. If the deal is broken at any point by anyone, it's back to adult boxing gloves again "Not that it's going to change much" He adds off-handedly, almost as an afterthought.

    "There's an announcement in Elysium, about Mr. Mitnick becoming Reeve. It is posted, written and signed by the Prince only. Now, a Herald is designed to be the Prince's voice, but it seems Her Majesty manages well without one" As was expected from the beginning. What is even the point of having a Herald in a Domain with a dozen inhabitans, all of whom see Antinori at least once a month? Except to tickle some egos and play politics, that is.

    "And you can see why. In July Herald Jack, Mr. Mitnick and I had a meeting regarding a threat to the Domain, during which plans on tackling it were made. Of course, they needed a seal of approval from the Prince, and Herald said as much. As of the second day of September, these plans were still not relayed to Her Majesty. I learned of that fact during a chance meeting with her. I was surprised, to say the least" It's true, he was. He wondered if it was laziness or incompetence on their Whip's part "And to quote the Herald himself, the matter had 'very high visibility with the Prince'. Make of that what you will" Even better, make of that what Thomas wants you to make of that.

    "But I'm getting a bit ahead, am I not?" Says the Ventrue in a tone that leaves no doubt he is not sorry for that fact "Whip Jack has not even called the meeting to order. I'll let him do that, and then the" circus "discussions can start"

  8. #8
    Aiden Whitney's Avatar

    Aiden Whitney
    Presence
    (Charming)
    Allies
    (Finance)
    Barfly
    Contacts
    (Finance)
    Status
    (Master's Degree)
    Aiden Whitney

    4
    PRE

    "Here, here." Aiden nodded in grudging approval. Lenora cut short the show, but she wasn't wrong. It simply wouldn't do to have them bickering in public, at Court. Besides, if this was any indication there would be plenty of opportunities for the extended edition in the future.

    The contrast between the two senior Lords was illuminating to say the least. Thomas was shameless and out for blood. His mood seemed volatile, but his assertions seemed fair. If they were true, that is. Still Thomas was presenting a compelling, if colorful, picture of his potential leadership. Aiden liked him immediately.

    Then again, Jacque had that cool composure that Ventrue were famous for. There was something to be said for a leader that could exemplify the clan, and keep a calm face in times of stress.

    Still, Aiden's final preference was anyone's guess.

  9. #9
    Jacque's Avatar
    Jack
    Striking Looks
    (Handsome)
    Presence
    (Credence)
    Mask of Tranquility
    New Identity
    (Alexander Krait)
    Resources
    Jacque
    Behavior

    Goes by Jack.

    Educated, scholarly, lawyer, scientist.
    Jack's outward demeanor and tone are a baseline of respectful and calculated.

    He actively debates, persuades, negotiates and even at time tries to intimidate, as core skills of any lawyer worth his salt.

    +1
    SL
    4
    PRE

    "Well spoken, Ms Black," he smiled at the Lord. This bickering and bullshit had no end under previous leadership. "Though, I am surprised by this so-called rivalry. You would not know this from your short time here, but it only surfaced at the moment Priscus Simmons' departure was announced. Prior to that, I held meetings to help resolve a perceived prejudice of the Crone from another Domain official, and we have progressed from a time where Mister Boyle felt the Prince also had a prejudice against the Crone to where he was allowed to host a Court."

    He laid in wait for the end of Thomas' implications, "Well, lets not waste time squabbling back and forth about what's true and not true and get the information straight from the horse's mouth." With that, he dialed a number and placed the phone on speaker for all the Lords to hear. The woman who answered, was none other than the Prince.

    After the conclusion of the call, "Now that was truly foolish Mister Boyle. Had you exercised an ounce of restraint you would have had your reassurance, anonymity and you wouldn't have announced that this snippet of bickering was related to family in-fighting. Did you not hear our wise cousin or did you simply wish to poison the well after realizing that your implications were false and only revealed your own ignorance."

    He turned his attention to his fellow Lords, "He shares his true colors this evening. The leadership you would expect is one where he tears others down around him to prop himself up. I acted as a shield to this so-called rival, both when he so brazenly debated the Prince's will in court and now, when the Prince requested the name of the person sullying her Herald's name. I chose the image of our family over that petty pursuit of justice. He chooses to save face at any cost to us." He shook his head before he continued, "With him outing himself, Her Majesty's displeasure with him is now known to each of you. If he is appointed Priscus after that display you can be certain that it will be viewed as the Lords knowingly accepting this consistent, inappropriate behavior as the face of the clan."

    "Mister Boyle may remember that I pursued those efforts at removing prejudice so that it would not bleed into clan affairs should another opportunity arise for him to become Whip or even Priscus. I was looking forward to possibly seeing that to fruition this evening, but sadly he could not differentiate friend from adversary. I will not further entertain whatever ceaseless manipulations he has planned to continue trying to tear down my image to fresh eyes of the Domain as he has shown that even in my successful defense we all will be made to suffer. I believe that everything you need to know to make a decision has already been laid out before you."
    With that, he firmly pounds his palm against the table twice in quick succession, "The assembly of the Lords of Sacramento has now convened."

    Addressing the newest Lords, "When you have enough information to make a decision, simply say that you are ready. If you have questions, then ask them."


    Blood Hunt:

  10. #10
    Lenora's Avatar

    Lenora Black | Public: Lenore Greene
    New Identity
    (Lenore Greene)
    Striking Looks
    (Comely)
    Presence
    (Winsome)
    Allies
    (Judicial)
    Allies
    (Culture)
    Lenora

    +1
    SL
    3
    PRE

    Thomas was eager to begin the debate and begin the deconstruction of his rival, a move which Jack answered by pulling a trump card with a phone call to the Prince herself, dashing hopes of Thomas to counter him effectively. All with help outside of the family.

    And Lenora's expression? Controlled and stoic.

      2 sux Hide Emotion
    Date Action Roll Result
    2019-09-12 00:33:02 Lenora rolls 4 to Hide Her Feels! (Comp+Subterfuge) (10 Again) 1, 8, 1, 9 2 successes


    She listens to Jack's long rebuttal to Thomas' claim of neglect, as well as his more than colorful statements about the Heirophant's character. Her eyes remain on the Herald, unblinking as he finally convenes the meeting.

    "Excellent, thank you Herald," she says, "To begin, I'd like to field my first question to you. You have already discussed a policy of removing prejudice and building your cousins up, but, in the same moment, you brought in Her Majesty to assist in the disintegration of the Heirophant's claims of your neglectful nature. While I do not disagree with your reasoning for the act, it brings to mind an interesting scenario. Your favor with the Prince is clear. What is to prevent you from utilizing her to settle future disputes with which she may not be involved?"

    Then a turn to glance.

    "Heirophant, I'd also like to hear your rebuttal to the Herald's allegations. He has also seen fit to list his merit, I would prefer to hear yours," Lenora requested. She had yet to make a decision, Jack had presented a fine case, but Thomas had not yet been given the opportunity to defend himself as Jack had done.

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