Oath seekers

[Jacque]

Jacque hummed and flipped a page in his book, pausing his reading for a moment to glance at the pocket watch that sat open on his desk. "Almost time," he thought to himself. Carefully draping a length of fabric in the book to mark the page, he closed it and placed it back on the shelf. He tugged at the corners of his vest to straighten it before making his way out.

Leaving his office he made his way around the corner to one of the Nox's meeting rooms. His guest this evening was to be the lovely Lady Notary Jennifer Hazelton . The hints of common ground had intrigued Jacque, but more importantly this evening was to build a bridge before it could be viewed as a rivalry.

He waited to greet her arrival, patiently standing behind his chair.

[Jennifer Hazelton]

Jennifer arrived promptly at the appointed time. She wore her hair in a neat bun at the nape of her neck, a white silk scarf draped over to conceal her neck. A small jeweled spider pin in green and brown held the shawl securely in place. She wore a long A line mouse grey dress and sensible flats. A messenger bag was draped over her shoulder, her gift from the past Reeve within along with a blank ledger. Ever the scholar, she had to bring her tools wherever she went. One of her tools had been removed from the bag as it would be inappropriate in this setting.

"Herald Jacque," Jennifer greeted pleasantly, offering her hand as she saw him patiently waiting. "I hope I have not kept you waiting long. Do you prefer to be called Herald Jacque or something else?"
She asked politely. Her body language indicated that she was composed and held herself with a bit of pride, straight and direct. Her head is leaning forward slightly to indicate interest in what the Herald's response will be. She does not look directly into Jacque's eyes. That voice is the most off putting thing - for she is dressed well, composed like a lady and the voice creeps and slithers like a snake through dead leaves. It seems to plummet in pitch at times. She speaks her words in an even clip, not too fast, perhaps anticipating the Curse.

"I prefer Lady Hazelton or Lady Notary depending on the setting." She informs.

BP 2

[Jacque]

Jacque's eyes glance over to his guest's accessories as she entered the room. The lack of eye contact almost felt foreign to the Lord, though he fully appreciated the caution the Haunt had. "Not at all," he responded as he received the offered hand and bowed his head as a brief but necessary demonstration of respect. He had to hand it to her clan. Somehow they could make the skin of even the undead crawl.

He gestured with his free hand to the open chair before disengaging to pull it out for her, "Please, have a seat. Mister Jack is adequate for this setting. You'll find I'm not quite as persistent as some of my cousins tend to be about boasting laurels." At every. possible. opportunity.

Once she was seated, he produced a business card and placed it on the table before returning to his seat, "In the Kine world I'm a lawyer by the name of Alexander Krait. Using that name or some kind of variation of it in public is the only thing in that regard that I am particular about." He smiles to take the edge off of the seriousness of his tone on the matter, "Establishing an identity thorough enough to overcome the rigorous background checks required for BAR certification is a challenge I'd rather not have to do again soon."

"So, what does 'the pursuit of truth' represent for you?" he asked abruptly from the small talk. Out of all the information that had slithered from her lips during her conversation with the Prince, it was this that the Lord was the most intrigued about.

[Jennifer Hazelton]

"Excellent." Jennifer replies as the greeting is completed to her liking. Once someone had actually kissed her knuckles in what had to have been a fit of madness. That had not been a pleasant time.

Jennifer reaches over and plucks up the card and takes a moment to read the information presented.

"Another identity is very important. Beneficial, with how the Kine are so careful with paper trails. People can track someone down with 'the people of Twitter' when they put their minds to it." She smiled, tucking the card into a safe place in her bag.
"I assure you; I will hold to your preferred public persona."

She took a few moments to regard him at the question. Her face was smooth and she seemed to be considering.
"I believe that the truth is necessary when one holds a position where you could be called upon to give truthful accounting, such as my position in the Covenant. " The Haunt emphasizes. She did not hold with those Notaries who became Harpies, who might rise or fall in standing based on how they presented the 'truth' with political shading.
" Integrity and trust are a vital part in research. This was refined by my Sire, Mr. Homan, who taught me that gathering and organizing information should be held to the black and white facts as closely as possible. Now, I did learn about inherent bias in my guise as a college student these last few years, so I am aware to check for such things. My latest reference to pursuit of truth was in scholarly pursuit. To make oneself educated wholly and completely by fact checking ones' references and sources so one is not operating off of biased or false claims. “

She leans forward slightly, indicating interest in the topic.
"One of the greatest benefits a scholar of the Kindred is the gift of time we have been given. For instance, I imagine in your line of work you had to study various precedents and history to argue cases or build defense. You likely have many avenues to pursue. You are a scholar." She deduced.

She studied Jacque for a moment.
"What research captivates you? What is your pursuit of truth?"
Jacque

[Jacque]

Jacque's expression drifted into an almost casual smile, completely enthralled by the wisdom demonstrated by the Haunt, "That I am..." he confessed, "Time has made me experienced in many areas, but master of a few."

"My scholarly pursuits over the decades had been largely passive, soaking up mundane knowledge in case it happened to be relevant in a court case or some other happenstance. The sciences first instilled that reflex to validate information, eliminate bias and ensure patterns of consistency." He leaned forward as he divulged more of his interests, "But honestly there are few scholarly pursuits that are as fulfilling to me as ones that end in solving some kind of quandary. I have enjoyed the resources the First Estate have provided in that regard." Many doors indeed opened as the Judex had promised.

Gesturing to the Lady, "Truth seems quite important to you and your station. I believe that you'll find I value it similarly, despite navigating our world that is rampant with deception. This personal value had led me to wanting to develop the skills of a notary myself." He shrugged his shoulders lightly, "I felt the implementation of Oaths for certain situations would significantly contribute to the stability of the Domain." He chuckled quietly, "I was actually preparing a proposal for Prince Antinori, but your return here and the experience you bring has made the urgency of that effort decline significantly." Supply and demand could be a real bitch sometimes, but there was no indication that Jacque was put off by the change of the status quo. Instead, he paused to gauge the Lady Notary's reaction to the information.

[Jennifer Hazelton]

“Sciences are a good thing to study,” She approved. “- I imagine some scholars may be out of date now.”
“I approve of your idea to implement Oaths,” She nodded pleasantly. Her voice rasped dangerously, but her countenance was one of interest. “I am sure you overheard me mention how I believe Oaths are the backbone of the First Estate. They confer knowledge, training and end the squabbling and back stabbing other Covenants might have to endure. When I was here last, all new members had to swear the Oath to even hear the plans of the Covenant.”

She looks to the door of the private room, checking no one Unaligned or of another Covenant has wandered near. Some things were of the First Estate alone. He had been angling for Notary? Or simply an ambitious member of the First Estate? Jennifer tilted her head as she evaluated him for a moment.

“One oath in particular I have been studying for quite some time. I feel that it would benefit the members of the First Estate a great deal. I feel that one of the Covenant’s most important draw is the education the established members provide to the other members. This Oath would let the student draw from the lords’ knowledge immediately. For the service provided.” She gave a little smile.
For there were so many services that Elders or even ancillae might want passed to those younger, those eager to climb the rungs.
“I have been studying under an Invictus Notary whose had generations of practice these last few years that I was away from Sacramento.” She shared.
“Notaries may be rare, and at times, we have to travel to various cities to officiate. There’s nothing to stop you from studying Blood Devotions. I wouldn’t stand in your way.” She smiles a bit.
Would he see the angle of why she would invite him to learn certain Oaths? It depended on how many of the Oaths he knew, if he knew which lent themselves more easily to certain bloodlines. She wasn’t old enough to need a successor, but if he had the talent to learn – it could be a great alliance. She had been studying for years, and putting great sacrifice into getting what knowledge she had. Did he have that same drive?

“Yet I would defend being the one officiating all of the Oaths I already possess. I have spent years devoted to them.
“I would be interested in your proposal.” The Notary stated. She was curious what he thought the city needed – nearly as much as who he thought needed to be bound, to brought to heel. Or rewarded.

[Jacque]

"You approve?" Jacque echoed with surprise. It was the kind of question that wasn't asked to get an answer. He had full and well prepared himself to abandon those goals to avoid establishing a new rivalry. But no, collaboration in seeking knowledge was her first instinct. A type of collaboration he nearly forgot he came to Sacramento to find in the first place.

Composing himself he nodded to her recollection, "I'm pleased to share that the rite is still performed. I swore one upon my induction, facilitated by Alder Judex Twist." The Lord absorbed whatever morsels of information the Haunt had to offer, "That is fascinating." He leans back, momentarily lost in thought, "There are many potential applications for such an oath."

"I can't express enough how much I appreciate the spirit of the conversation. My intentions were to be respectfully transparent with my goals so you would know that I do not intend to establish myself as a rival." Twisting his wrist to the side, "I'm still in the early stages. The one thing clear about these devotions is that most of them require a significant investment in time and learning to make viable." He shrugged his shoulders, "First and foremost, the signing of oaths in any exchange of Domain power would be a healthy proposal. Things are stable these nights but that wasn't the case recently. Distrust and suspicion can manifest fairly easy and the Oaths help keep the waters from being muddied." They're also a sufficient dissuasion from considering biting the hand that feeds.

[Jennifer Hazelton]

Jennifer was a bit surprised for a moment - she blinked, tilted her head at him. She was not an Elder who had trained out these respiration and reactions; and she played at being a college student and among her Orchestra so often that she maintained the habit purposely. One might fault her for it, she realized the moment she did it. This scholar might see her relative youth.
"A Notary is a life of study, then of observance of what others have done." She started as she realized. "Precedents. As with your training as a lawyer. Some of my first tasks were compiling my mentors' old handwritten journals and finding the nuances of why she had chosen her particular words, how she had seen these inner workings and manipulations. I was pressed to be truthful in my dealings, so I state it clearly.

I approve of you studying these Oaths. I would ask that I maintain administering some I already trained, such as Blood Alliance. I would expect to teach you others, like Blood Tell. You may find your Blood responds to some Oaths more easily than others." She smiles slightly. "You have seen exactly what I was hinting at. I have been studying Blood Service for some time, as it involved the Prince of the city then asking Daeva and Mekhet Priscus Daniella Sage to teach me."

She leans in and whispers.
"I do not let it known that I was taught these things, as I see it only to be used for my service to the First Estate, or her Grace, the Prince. I would appreciate you never mentioning it to any one, yet I want you and I to be able to be honest with one another. To assist each other in our goals."

She resumed her normal volume of creeping speech.
"One I am most interested is implementing some Oath in respect to the Prince. Very similar to how the First Estate Oath is that the Good Judex performed with you - a way to tell if someones' intentions have turned towards harming her Grace. I see it as the best way to maintain her Supremacy and ensure prosperity. As you say, distrust and suspicion make the Beast unpredictable. What do you think? Is it too much, too soon? You know this political landscape, Mister Jack. Am I being too paranoid?"

[Jacque]

Jacque nodded with a smirk, "It was actually those parallels with lawyering that drew my interest to the work initially." He raised his hand in a soft signal of submission, "You know better than anyone the long road ahead of me in this journey. Securing the favor of Priscii and mentors is a labor in itself just to start building the foundation from which the Oaths can be realized."

"These secrets are safe with me, Lady Notary." He adjusted his posture to hide the discomfort for the sounds of the whispering snake to his ear, "Trust is a fragile thing and lies are cumulatively expensive. I assure you that I am not a short-sighted neonate who fails to realize that our gift of time also holds true for festering grudges." He smiled as he offered, "If you have any reservations about my commitment to this partnership then I would propose an exchange of prestation to alleviate those concerns."

He shakes his head, "Not at all. It is a pivotal moment in the Domain and ripe for change. Given the circumstances and vacancies in Domain positions, I think there is a significant chance the Prince would welcome such a proposal." His fingers flitted lightly as his hand indicated an alternative, "If you are concerned about the proposal being rejected I am willing to break the ice for the idea and then arrange for you to have an audience with Her Grace to discuss it in detail. As I stated, I was looking to propose the same thing so this would allow me to maintain a minor credit for the recommendation even if I would no longer serve as the key benefactor as the person facilitating the Oaths." Not exactly being a knight in shining armor, but the conversation was about transparency.

[Jennifer Hazelton]

"I can see the correlation between your profession and the role of Notary." Jennifer nodded.
"Oh, that is exactly why I wish to encourage you. Some might be attracted to the respect of the role, or the prestige that the Blood Oath can lend. But to take the time to learn your own Blood Gifts, and dole out favors to learn others' Blood Gifts?" She leans in and lowers her voice.
"Not to mention, trying to conceal the act of learning the Gift of other clans. Ideally, we could be taught by others of the First Estate, and even pledge an oath that we would not teach others and would not step onto the other Clans' monopoly on using their gifts in aid of her Excellency, or the Domain. "

Her rasping voice rose to normal volume.

"Have you already set the meeting in motion? I would welcome your proposal. We can meet her Excellency together. I do need to meet with the Good Judex Twist as well. She was in the meeting where former Prince Asa asked those present to teach me the Gifts that I needed for the Oaths. It is possible that she remembers, and we can decide how we can assure her of both our devotion and trustworthiness."

Jennifer had begun the path along the Daeva Blood Gift. She had continued to try and learn the Oath alone, but her Blood resisted learning the next gifts of the Rose.

"The- a member of St. Louis told me that she intimidated others' to teach her the Gifts that she needed, secretly. Especially regarding the Good Judex, I would wish to be honest. I had some luck learning the very basic gifts of the Rose. We could also do a respectable offer of facilitating an Oath for the teacher. A service of sorts."