Oath seekers

[Jacque]

The Lord idly lifted his hand and nodded in agreement, "Time is of no short supply, thankfully." He smirked at the dry delivery of his joke before continuing, "I find the concealment is the most challenging part. Everyone wants to know why and most are keen enough to leverage being the gatekeeper to their advantage." His eyes drift, thinking back to a missed opportunity to blackmail an ill-fortuned Mekhet.

"I have not," he bluntly replies. "Your return to the Domain and the esteem you hold put those plans promptly on ice." He smiled at her acceptance of the proposal, "I'm pursuing some other interests on behalf of the First Estate and it's Domain. After a some other meetings I'll owe Her Majesty an update which will provide the proper opportunity to present the matter."

He marveled at the history provided by the Lady Haunt, "That would certainly make things easier in terms of secrecy. Prince Antinori holds a respect for clan secrets, however whether or not to command it of members of the First Estate would fall under the jurisdiction of Judex Twist." He arched an eyebrow in curiosity, "So then, have you unlocked the powers over the mind that my family possess?" She clearly knew the danger and took proper precautions this evening- even while within Elysium.

He nodded, "I have no desire to be dishonest with any member of the Unconquered, as long as I'm given the same courtesy." He smiled heartily, as if delivering the punchline to a joke, "I've been told my resentment for betrayal lasts far too long." Well... that didn't really sound like humor.

[Jennifer Hazelton]

"Other interests?" A smile curves the Lady's lips. Oh, she was curious.
"Let us plan on you setting up our meeting with her Excellency, then. "

Jennifer inclined her head in agreement to Jack's point.
"I do expect it would make matters easier. However, Prince Asa's words carry only as much weight as his memory. Hopefully, the Good Judex will see our points as what they are, need to further the interests of the First Estate. I would not say that I have unlocked your Family's power. It was explained and demonstrated to me before the Lady Notary performed an Oath with it in St. Louis. I must say, I find it most useful. Yet perhaps we can work that you can endeavor to learn the Oaths that your Family's power lends its' Strength to. I will continue my study of the Oath I began under Prince Asa. It is quite an undertaking, but its benefits to the First Estate could be vast."

"As for betrayal - what is too long? One has to establish that one is no easy meat. Sometime, I must tell you what Lady Notary Chappelle did. A rival had wronged her House mate, Libbretist Slade. Lady Notary and the Notary performed the Oath of the Bloody Hand." She smirked.
"It quite intimidated the Mekhet populace. Through some maneuvering, the two took the Priscus position from their rival and placed it firmly upon Libretist Slade."

[Jacque]

"Yes," he confirms. "Oaths can be excellent deterrents for deception and betrayal but I'm also looking for something a little more direct. Especially for those outside the First Estate." He shrugged his shoulders, "I could just be chasing idealistic fantasies but it is at least worth the hunt."

"Perhaps," he echoes. "That will take quite some time to be realized, Lady Notary. The first step of identifying a Mekhet teacher may take years in itself." Tilting his hand, "I would not cling to the vanity of such exclusivity when you may possess a more direct path to forging these tools for the Domain." He paused for a moment, contemplating the situation, "Tempting as it may be, it could ultimately be a disservice to us all. If circumstances change, however, I will gladly accept your proposal."

"I assume too long is somewhere just past the moment the betrayer feels inconvenienced by the burden of their lies and slander," he muttered with an air of annoyance. "Kine like to blame the influences of the devil for such behavior. Kindred have merely opted to blame the thing inside as a convenient scapegoat." He waves his hand dismissively, "Of course the blame is misplaced. The Beast cares nothing for politics or petty squabbles. That is quite squarely on the man."

He nodded at the synopsis of the events, "Color me intrigued. I would be most interested in hearing the details when you may have more time."

[Jennifer Hazelton]

"I would be glad to do so." She replied. She inclined her head in agreement.
"I was a bit surprised to see Kindred I knew have left the domain. It seems like an opportune time to make plays as there is opportunity."

So much opportunity. She herself was devising her own plans, although she had waited to see how much demand a Lady Notary had in the city. She was a bit upset that she had missed the First Estate meeting. That plucked her memory.

"Oh, I was curious if relevant topics were discussed in the meeting of the First Estate?" She inquired.
She had plans to discuss with someone who had offered, but if Jack had an interest, she could gain a different perspective. She often interviewed two people who had attended the same event.

[Jacque]

Jacque nodded, "There are voids that exist even from my comparatively short tenure." She's right of course. It was simply a matter of who would step up.

"Relevant?" he shook his head. "Not really, though that can be quite subjective. The closest matter was discussing influence among the Kine spheres. As for specifics..." he flicked his wrist to face his palm upwards, "I believe that would be more appropriate for the good Judex to facilitate, respectfully."

"Well, I must say this has been a very productive meeting Lady Notary." If only more conversations could be as fruitful, "Once we get the initial cogs in place let's make it a point to reconvene." He gave a coy grin as he swiftly changed topic, "Are you finding Sacramento's nightlife satisfactory?" Whether entertainment or sustenance the Lord appeared invested in the answer.

[Jennifer Hazelton]

Jennifer inclines her head slightly, her words slithering like a snake over dead grass as she replies. "That was an area given much time and resources when I was last in the City. I look forward to the next Meeting to see what our fellow members of Quality have accomplished."[/color]

She did believe that this would be an excellent time for their Covenant. Her quest for information was respectfully addressed, and she agreed with the reasoning. It did remind her that she had a few things to do to prepare for the Good Judex.
"You are of course, quite right." She assures. "I do have plans to touch base presently with the Good Judex Twist."

"I don't partake in what most seem to view nightlife. I am still more interested in fostering my Orchestra." She stated.
"I enjoy socializing as much as I can in Court, and I enjoy that our Covenant holds sway in the city now. My Curse makes certain aspects of night life difficult. I do dedicate my time in areas where I can be creative in obfuscating the Curse. I find most of my evenings among the University crowd."

A bit risky, exposing her sphere of influence. She remembered that Prince Asa dealt a great deal of respect towards those who broke new ground or commanded a monopoly. Perhaps she wanted to see if Jack would take it anywhere.

"I am glad that we took this time to speak, Jack. I am very glad that we have cleared the air between us."
She smiles. It is sincere, and touches her eyes. Her eyes do meet his, a gesture of trust as much as the words that she spoke.

"I look forward to developing our plan to contribute to the Stability of the domain."

[Jacque]

A grin creased the corner of his lips, ever so slightly forced as he concealed his discomfort with how the sound of the Haunt's voice coiled in his ear, "You are not the first to raise my hopes with their musical ambitions." A pause before he adds, "I hope you find more success than they had in those pursuits." His eyes drifted in thought, remembering the ridiculous man's insults followed by showing his true colors in welshing on his debt. "Don't be alarmed if you find me in some corner of the University Library, reading through a small stack of books. It's quiet there and I enjoy the peace it brings." He only nodded at her eagerness to socialize in Court. It was not an enthusiasm he shared with her, but there was no reason to highlight their differences.

"Likewise," his eyes widened briefly in surprise at the gesture. In a measured response, he slowly closed his eyes and bowed his head.

With the conversation naturally winding down, the Lord rose to his feet and positioned himself in proximity to the door. Inclining his elbow he offered his arm as he declared, "There is some other business that I should tend to. I would be honored to walk with you out, if it pleases the Lady Notary."

[Jacque]

Going to go ahead and close this up since its been 10 days since the last post, the scene has been open over a month and it was wrapping up anyway. Great scene!