(2004) Three's A Crowd

[Alice Hart]

Alice bows to the Hound as she takes her leave, offering a respectful, "Pleasant evening Your Grace." the night was drawing short, the daystar would begin it's climb soon.

When she rises, she seeks once more to continue the conversation with Dirt Nap.

"Prudent of you, Dirt Nap." she's quick to agree. She had been envious of the Gangrel's skill. "I am glad of it. Keep your mind sharp." she smirks, wide, awkward, fake. "Though for a Dragon, I'm sure i do not need to say so."

She pauses to consider, "What...reactions are you training yourself out of," she asks, remembering the analogy with the plastic bag and his horses, "If I am allowed to ask."

Let's see if we can get a few more posts in!

[Kaze]

wrong account! sorry!

[Dirt Nap]

Dirt Nap smiles, unable to completely control a reaction to the praise from someone older and more experienced, but mentally reminds himself not to forget everyone is a Beast and the older ones in particular have a taste for the younger ones blood.


"Thank you, Ma'am, Seneschal, Priscus Hart." Dirt Nap says respectfully. "I have to admit, I don't exactly dazzle with my quick wits, Ma'am. I'm a plodder, but I do try to make up for it by being consistent and not letting go of something when I get my teeth into it, research wise, I mean. I will think on what you said, and put in the work to learn myself some better habits from them, even if it does tend to take me a while." He explains.


When Alice Hart asks about his Study, he feels mixed emotions, the thrill of someone being interested, and the caution that there's no way on earth anyone could have an interest as big as his. Answering thorough and true without giving in to just talking to hear himself talk; that's the ticket.


"Well, Ma'am, Seneschal, Priscus Hart," Dirt Nap says slowly, thoughtfully, "I guess it's like you said, a passion is what it is, whether it is for a good reason or not. Mine is the idea of living on animals' blood, without stunting my growth, so to speak." He says. "I hope that's not too plain spoken; I am just not too good at dressing up my ideas for company." He adds apologetically. "I do believe it is possible, though, and I aim to see it through."

Wonderful! Thank you! Let's see!

[Alice Hart]

Her smile twists, sharp and wrong.

"We have time." she says, after he answers, her mouth opens like she was going to say something else, but it closes, as the Doll thinks against it. She wasn't his sire. She needn't tell him everything.

Her held tilts, stings pulling taut, even as other lull, loosening, jerking as the slack is caught.

"I haven't heard of this working. Only of Elders waking and returning to animals, though of course quickly growing away from such...simple tastes."

She considers, "Though, to be able to keep to an animal diet, and not stunting your own growth would be interesting. Beneficial, and easier to manage...." she trails off, "I would like to know when succeed Dirt Nap." she says eventually, there were other words in her mouth, words expressing doubt, but for this Gangrel, she offers the opposite.

[Dirt Nap]

Dirt Nap is quiet and still pondering the comment about time. He is not too in mind of the idea that just because they technically don't have a firm expiration date means that they can depend on having a long time to get things done. His own thought is that it doesn't so much matter if he actually finishes his work so much as that he is doing the kind of work he wouldn't mind being in the middle of when he died.

He was pretty sure the former senior for his Order in this Domain would be offended at the idea of a Dragon reporting on their progress to someone outside the Order, however he also recalled she had tended to flaunt the benefits of the Coils in her attempts to recruit and strengthen the Order. So...up to him for now.

"Thank you, Ma'am, Seneschal, Priscus Hart." Dirt Nap says.

"I suppose if I keep showing up, you will know I had some success, Ma'am." He says with some thoughtful determination.

"The way it generally works, if I don't quit while I'm ahead, I will either just not come through a Change intact--and you won't likely see me again cause I'll be ended--or I will pull off the Change; I don't plan on quitting. It's a thing you can only really off if you're all in; if you're already of a mind where you'd rather be dead and gone than live without it."

Dirt Nap pauses and seems to realize he maybe didn't actually answer the Seneschal. "I will be glad to tell you about it if I pull it off, Ma'am." He says humbly.

"The thing is, even if I think it worked; I will have to prove it by growing strong enough to where animals shouldn't be enough. I've been deliberately lagging on that, so even when it is my goal, it could be some time to prove out properly." He says thoughtfully.

"Like my horses; I might think I have 'em Changed while they are tied up in the corral, but I don't really know if it took until someone else takes em out on the trail and something goes wrong, and they prove themselves by not spooking." He says apologetically, hoping to explain why he might be uncertain and take a long time to confirm whether he succeeded or not!

[Alice Hart]

"You do not need to say all of those tittles every single time, Dirt Nap." Alice says, her head moving from it's tilt. Still as jerking as the strings are rearranged.

She laughs at that, "That is true of all of us, if we continue to attend, we have met with some success."

His words give her pause, "You continue going ahead, or die trying. That is a sentiment that I am believe in." Her words halt again, "Is your Change...painful? Exhilarating?"

She nods, jerking and strings pulled.

"You never know, until you know." Her head tilts again, "If you progress, and find that you have failed, will you Sleep to...reset what you've gained to try again? Or will you keep going until what once couldn't sustain you any long, becomes something satiate you once again?"

[Dirt Nap]

Dirt Nap nods silently as if concentrating when Alice Hart says he doesn't need to say all her titles each and every time he speaks to her, says it in a tone that indicates it would be disrespectful to ignore it.


"Ma'am-" Dirt Nap cuts himself off with effort, and a slight, barely audible chuckle. "I am a Creature of habit, so I generally try to at least accommodate the habits that seem best." He explains. "If'n I don't use all the proper titles all the time, I do worry I might end up not using them when I should." He says cautiously, "But for you, Ma'am, I will do my best to accommodate."

At least she didn't ask him not to even call her Ma'am. He might have no choice but to offend her then, as it just wasn't possible in his estimation.


Dirt Nap watches and listens intensely as Alice Hart chooses to let drop the smallest, slightest hint of what makes her tick. Can he ask? She seems open to some kind of informality. Possibly worth it to sniff the bait real cautious like, staying well back of the trip arm if it should snap shut. "Ma'am, I would like to ask you, what you consider the object of your own 'go for broke' sentiment?" He asks, watching Alice Hart and her servant closely and listening too, and thinking a thing worth dying for, might be maybe the only kind of thing worth living for.


Dirt Nap ponders for a long, still moment her question about the Change, whether it's painful. Then he ventures, "It's just what comes at the end." He says simply.

"The Change only comes after so much pain, so much preparing, that you just want it to end. You have to have the will to see it through, to steer through to the Change you want, but for it to come, you are ready to jump off a cliff, I guess--though I couldn't really say--it's a bit like having a baby, you want it, but you want the thing to be done. Whether you have a living baby or a stillborn, you won't be pregnant and laboring anymore after." He says.


Dirt Nap gently, silently shakes his head just barely indicating disagreement, correction when Alice Hart interprets what he said, that he wouldn't know if he was Changed. "I apologize, Ma'am; I said wrongly. I will surely know. I just won't have proof. I wouldn't expect you to just accept my says so, but when I start the Change, I will know when it's done if my aim was True when I wake up, if I do." He explains.

[Alice Hart]

"Ah," she breathes, expelling breath she didn't need to make the sound, "But for all of your habits, you wish for Change. So, Mister Dirt Nap, Dragon Sir..." a brow arches, as a lip pulls up. Leaving the last word unspoken.

"Seneschal, if you must." She says after a long moment.

It doesn't take her long to consider. "The safety of the Domain and those who inhabit it. You've heard me speak of hounds this night, yes? I threw myself to their jaws." she says, leaving other things unsaid, "Their master was someone who was once a member of the Domain who betrayed us for Belial's Brood. I remember what the sound of my flesh being rent, and torn by slavering jaws. I remember feeling my bones snap, as they tried to find whatever marrow was left. I do not remember what happened after that, but for waking, years later.

The first thing I did after regaining my reason, was return. Assuming my protection of the Domain once again."

She nods, her strings pulled nod.

"I do not understand it as another of your Covenant would, but I understand, in my own way. Trails and Tribulations, for your own Enlightenment."

[Dirt Nap]

"Thank you, Ma'am, Seneschal, Hart." Dirt Nap says, smiling slightly. "I suppose being a bit uncomfortable, doing other than my habit, is how I prepare for a Change, after all." Although his generally really particular about how he arranges to be uncomfortable so as to be sure it is all part of aiming at his goal. This...is maybe serving a more general goal. It's a Lady's request after all, and so it serves his goal of respecting the man who used to live in his body as best he can.

Dirt Nap is fascinated, studying Alice Hart as she actually answers, and without having to weigh much as to what the answer is and whether she wants to give it!

He's beginning to get a bead, maybe--wouldn't do to get too sure of himself; he's not figuring out some dumb beast here, just trying to get some understanding of an elder Beast--when she seems fake or dismissive it isn't necessarily so.

Her...curse, he supposes, seems to do with seeming fake whether a thing is from her heart or no. There's bound to be tells that point the way to truth, but...seems like possibly just taking the literal meaning of what she says without adding in what he thinks he sees or hears besides. That would be simple enough; he adopts that theory and applies it, watching and listening with the baseline of her literal words against the proof of what she does.

After a long silence, still and unbreathing, Dirt Nap nods. "Well. That's...a thing that seems to be a lot less selfish than what I would die for, and you already know you passed the test, of whether you really are willing and all in or not." He says in a tone of naked admiration and respect.

"Ma'am, Seneschal, Hart, I already staked my claim to what my actual goals are; but I benefit from the Domain being safe and secure and stable like. This place seems to me the best one I ever have been at for making progress in my goal, and I aim to give back when I get. Long story short, if there's a need for the Domain's safety that I can help with, I will set aside my goals for a bit to help with it, if you ever happen to call on me, Ma'am." Dirt Nap declares softly.

Dirt Nap chuckles, "I understand, Ma'am, I am not saying anything that isn't just what I already agreed to by being recognized and allowed to stay in the Domain. I just want to say it clear and proper to you, seeing as you're committed to it and likely to know when action is needed whereas I'm not."

[Alice Hart]

She nods her head once more. From what he had explained he should be well used to...discomfort.

"Kindred are inherently selfish, we wish to continue on in our...forever. Even if is a dull, shallow thing. That there are those who look beyond themselves is something many would consider a miracle." is her return. Colouring her statement is all within the bounds of her memories. The pidiable voice in her blood, the Wraith's gnawing at her spine, Dirge. Robert.

"That you are here, and remain in good standing, tells any who care to pay attention of your intentions towards the Domain." she says, putting her own words to the statement he'd already voiced, it was one thing to assume such, it was another to say it. With this in mind, she continues, "Though I will pass your name along to those who would welcome aid of a Kindred willing to offer it." she nods her head again, strings pulling taut and jerking loose.