Dirt Nap meets with the Prince

[Dirt Nap]

Dirt Nap waits outside, until the appointed time, noting that the Prince seems to be getting a lot of visitors lately.

When it's time, and she seems available, Dirt Nap heads in to Alessandra's office.

"Eve'ning, Your Grace." Dirt Nap says, respectfully. He's wearing clean and pressed clothes of a workman, cleaned up work shirt and work pants and boots. "I think you kindly for meeting with me. I will try to be straight to the point. I had been getting some advice about how to contribute better to serving the Domain, and got the idea to ask about the office of Reeve. I recall you put out some time before that contacts with the Law was the main thing required. If I could ask you, is that still the main qualification I should work on to be better qualified if I want the job?" He asks quietly.

Then after a moment he says, "I apologize, Ma'am, Your Grace; I spose I should ask if the job is even open?"

[Alessandra]

It isn’t Alessandra that greets Dirt Nap in the office, but Gabriele. Who was gathering folders dressed in all black.

Turning to the Kindred that had entered, he offers a laid-back smirk, “Ah, you must be here for your appointment. Please, follow me.” Grabbing the last few folders, he leads Dirt Nap to one of the meeting rooms.

Without waiting for a response, he walks out of the office, closing the door, and heading down the hall. In the meeting room, Ale was standing over a table, looking through papers, clearly engrossed in whatever she was reading.

Dark eyes look up at the footsteps, and offers a nod to the Ghoul as he hands her the folders and leaves the room. He knows his place, and it was not with Kindred business.

The Savage then looks to Dirt Nap, “Mr Dirt Nap, please, have a seat.” She gestures to the various chairs then closes the folders and takes a seat herself. The Italian was fairly casual in a vest and leather pants. “What can I do for you?”

[Dirt Nap]

Dirt Nap nods politely to the ghoul, Gabriele, following his lead into the meeting room.

He bows to the Prince, and takes the seat as she directs. He waits until invited, and then answers respectfully.

He's wearing clean and pressed clothes of a workman, cleaned up work shirt and work pants and boots. "I think you kindly for meeting with me. I will try to be straight to the point. I had been getting some advice about how to contribute better to serving the Domain, and got the idea to ask about the office of Reeve. I recall you put out some time before that contacts with the Law was the main thing required. If I could ask you, is that still the main qualification I should work on to be better qualified if I want the job?" He asks quietly.

Then after a moment he says, "I apologize, Ma'am, Your Grace; I spose I should ask if the job is even open?" She might already have someone in mind, or even have decided to go without the office, at her perogative.

Thank you for the scene! OOC: I am not at all in a rush to finish the scene; Dirt Nap is IC mindful of not wanting to waste Alessandra's time.

[Alessandra]

She knew what Dirt Nap was going to bring up, Alice keyed her in.

Now she didn’t recall saying anything of the sort, “I put out a requirement for the position of Keeper, which included contacts in law.” Clear that one up.

“The position is currently open.” Says the Savage, “But if we’re talking about qualifications, what are yours? For someone who has turned down the position of Priscus, then said they didn’t want the responsibility of Grand Wyrm, this is quite a jump. I won’t sugar coat this, your name is not the first that comes to mind for Reeve. Why the change?”

[Dirt Nap]

Dirt Nap is still, listening to the Prince and then nods. "Well, I am sorry Ma'am, Your Grace. I did misremember that about the law contacts..." He says.

"As to qualifications, it's up to you Ma'am, Your Grace whether you agree, but to my mind, it is a qualification to be interested in the job to contribute, instead of from being ambitious for a quick step up for show. I acted as deputy a time or two and didn't make a mess of things. I would be someone you could trust not to be trying to build up my own posse of hand picked deputies being loyal to me instead of being concerned about the good of the Domain." Dirt Nap says slowly.

"As to turning down Priscus and not wanting to be Grand Wyrm, well you got me. I was being selfish, is how I see it now. I guess possibly I also wasn't giving myself enough credit in the case of Grand Wyrm, now that I've seen who my Covenant sent around the last time to take charge of things."

"Right now though, Ma'am, Your Grace, I understand I haven't cut the kind of figure to just be handed anything. My question was aiming to be, what would be the best thing to improve on, what could I do to be someone who would be on your mind for the job?"

[Alessandra]

She listens, because, well, she had to.

“A small qualification.” Not a huge one. “Not screwing up things as a deputy is commendable, but not all that uncommon. Especially when the Reeve is the one who takes the brunt of the heat.” Responsibility fell on those shoulders mainly. “So you saw the problems the last one? Including one of them,” because names were not needed for such failures, “telling me that the Dragons, as a whole, are loyal to Dragons above all else. Hence you can understand my hesitance to place another in such a role. Words are powerful, but actions speak louder.” It was no secret she was angered by what happened with the last Reeve.

“Selfish, or avoiding taking on a position with responsibility?” she was leaning towards avoidance.

“Despite who they sent, doesn’t it reside within the Dragons of the Domain to make those calls? Or were you just more comfortable accepting what someone told you? The Reeve needs to be able to take charge even when it makes them uncomfortable and ruffles feathers.” Something she had never seen him do.

“No one is handed anything.” Not from her. “There are a few things, and there will be requirements. I will not make the same mistake twice and be made a fool of.” An edge in her voice. “A Reeve should show they are competent and capable of leading an investigation, standing behind they’re words and not wilt when someone disagrees with them. I’ve never seen violence as the only answer, and had to deal with a lot of bullshit when, as Reeve, I decided to grant leniency to outsiders. Someone that doesn’t run when things get difficult.”

[Dirt Nap]

Dirt Nap is still and focused, even staring as Alessandra speaks.


When she is finished, he is still for a moment or two longer as well.


Then Dirt Nap says slowly, "Well, Ma'am, Your Grace, you are the Boss and the expert too, being the only one around I know of that has done the job before."


"I haven't led an investigation, so that's a thing for me to work on learning how to do right and well, before I bring it up again." He says in a decisive tone.

He pauses a moment, as if they should be done, his having gotten an answer to what he came for. Then he seems to decide that there might be some misunderstandings of his intentions or perspective, that he should try to clear up.


"As to standing by my word and not wilting, well...I believe I have done that a time or two, with you having been there each time, Ma'am, Your Grace."


Dirt Nap pauses. Then he relates a memory, from his perspective. "As deputy, I was there when Blackird shot and killed the witnesses to Alder Davis' Breach, and the Poachers were taken. The Reeve wasn't around to take the responsibility, but Blackbird was. I told the truth when we came before you, as fair as I could manage as to who did what, not taking the easy way out and blaming everything on the one conveniently not able to speak up for himself, but not going easy on him either. He deserved what he got. Blackbird didn't." He says softly.

"She did real well as a Deputy, and did the job that the Reeve at the time, my Grand Wyrm at the time seemed to be too busy with politics to handle. So it was a real shame when our Grand Wyrm had to tell us that Blackbird didn't make it through a Change, and she had to go to you to get permission to finish her off. I never did have anything but the Grand Wyrm's story on what exactly happened to Blackbird." He muses, letting his suspicion lie there, along with his admission that he has no proof.

He is quiet, and then recalls another, more definite and clear example of his willingness to stand up without wilting.


"Ma'am, Your Grace, you were there when the Grand Wyrm tried to drag the Harpy down into the mud in Court, to dirty up her reputation, all the Dragons but me just naturally fell in line to condemn the Harpy in front of everyone. I suppose you might have been paying more attention to who joined in the attack then who didn't, Ma'am, Your Grace, but I was the only Dragon to publicly refuse to condemn her. I took some lumps for that, I can tell you. I did it because I felt it was wrong, factually inaccurate and also putting the Dragons ahead of the Domain, and I would have no part of it."


Dirt Nap pauses.


"Ma'am Your Grace, you were there too when the Gangrels who just happened to be Dragons made a push to put their candidate in for Clan Priscus. I was the only one to stand up to that and keep it from happening. I took lumps for that too, scolded directly by the Grand Wyrm, the Reeve for interfering with a Dragon taking over Priscus of the Gangrel Clan." Dirt Nap says.

"Ma'am, Your Grace, it is a fact I don't believe in causing harm or public embarrassment when I don't believe it's called for, and that can come across like weakness and being timid, I know. I believe it is a strength. If I am Reeve, and I come to find out something that makes someone look bad, I am going to be committed to handling it how it's best for the Domain, not what's best for me personally, or just my Covenant, or just my Clan even. I believe the things I have said and done so far in this Domain shows that to be a fact."

Dirt Nap pauses. He stares ahead, checking to see if the Prince is getting information she wants or if she looks ready to move on to her next appointment, and move him on out.

He decides, apparently that he should finish up clarifying to what the Prince has said, doing his best to provide her accurate information, to do with what she will.

"Likewise, when I say, 'selfish', I mean that my personal goal is to learn and study how to have more control over myself, not other people, so taking a position of responsibility over other people is a sacrifice to my goals, not an advancement. I believe, now, that I need to do it anyhow, for the good of the Domain. I believe the Domain needs me, as someone who is willing to be in charge of something without my first reason for doing it being looking to use the position to rise myself up further, or push others down of my choosing." Dirt Nap says.



"As to how much the local Dragons have to say about who is in charge of them, well, Ma'am, Your Grace, it just ain't so. To be a Dragon at all is to be obedient to a higher rank, period. Even when the Grand Wyrm was dead wrong as far as I could see, I never did disobey a direct order. Lucky for me, she just tended to 'hint', and I just naturally tended to get into a heap of trouble for not being able to take a hint or 'misunderstanding' it."

[Alessandra]

Again, with the Blackbird thing.

“Blackbird needed to learn that our existence is not a nice one. Kine die and Kindred parish, it’s how our world works. If someone doesn’t have the stomach for such matters, they don’t belong as deputies or Reeves.” Harsh? Yes. But it was true. “And sometimes it’s not about being fair. It’s about reporting exactly what happened, even if it paints one in a negative light. Fair has a place, but not with breaking Laws and putting others in danger.” Risks were dealt with as risks.

“From what she told me, she couldn’t handle it. Broke under the pressure.” Shrugging, “Became a threat and was dealt with.” She actually didn’t care what happened to Blackbird. Clearly the woman was weak, so be it.

Now that was interesting. “Yet you remained a Dragon. Knew what was going on was wrong and sowing distrust and disorder within the Domain. You never approached me to express concerns about it. You wanted no part of it, but didn’t break rank.” Which spoke volumes.

“That was an unfortunate situation that I should have taken care of. But it’s one that will not happen again.” Not while she had vitae in her veins.

“Can you just use Your Grace?” there was too much going on there.

“Then how would you handle it? Had you been Reeve instead of the mistake that was, how would you have handled it? Would you have stood up, broken ranks and ended the embarrassment? Because I assure you, I will not be so kind the next time it happens.” How he would handle such matter would answer some concerns.

“I find that interesting. As I have always believed anyone who breaks the Laws is not above the consequences. Rather that be the Judex or the Seneschal. Say the Grand Wyrm was planning to commit Treason, against the Laws, but it was a direct order. What would you do? Fall in line again? Or stand up and protect the Laws and Domain? Because if you never disobey a direct order, that creates some issues.” Big issues.

“Look, I’m not against you stepping up and proving yourself for the position. If you do, I have no problem letting you take it on. But I will make my concerns heard. I will not have a Reeve putting my Domain in danger again, will not have another one putting Covenant above the Laws and expectations. Same is applied to deputies.”

[Dirt Nap]

Dirt Nap listens intently to Alessandra, to what she says, and to whether she makes a statement or asks a question.


He doesn't see things the same way as several of her statements, but he isn't in her office to tell her things she doesn't want to hear and isn't asking, but telling. It's how she sees it, and that is why he's here, to find out how she sees things, not to try to change it to suit him.


Then she asks a question, an interesting one, since he'd expect it to just be a statement; I prefer you drop the Ma'am or some such. Interesting. Shows how little he really understands her, whether it's not understanding the way of the Invictus or just her.


"Yes, Your Grace. I can, and I will from now on." Dirt Nap says softly and respectfully.


Then she asks him, what would he have done.


"Your Grace, I believe I would put my duty to the office, to the Domain, first over Covenant, and damn the consequences." Dirt Nap says.

"I don't put much faith in what people say they would do, myself, so I will consider that a goal of mine to prove going forward." Dirt Nap says thoughtfully.

"As it was...I didn't have any more knowledge than anyone else; what was done, like I said, was done in plain sight in front of everyone. I wasn't included in any secret planning meetings. I left the Domain not long after, called away, and when I got back, none of them were around anymore. I believe push was coming to shove before I left, at least for me, and if I hadn't been called away...well, things would have got interesting. But like I said, I don't put much stock in 'could of beens', myself. I don't honestly know what would have happened, but I believe that gang was about done with me. I wasn't too concerned, though, to be honest, keeping upright isn't the most important thing to my mind. How I go out and what for is more important to me."


He listens to more hypotheticals. "Your Grace, I never did hear any planning, at all, just saw what they did along with everyone else, and made a choice not to join in doing it. If I did, or if I do hear anyone planning Treason, against the Laws, I would come to you, not anyone else, for you to decide what to do about it, and what to do about me. I never did fall in line, I just didn't go out of my way to stand out as a target when they were operating right out in the open in front of others who had the authority to act on it, that I would be presuming to try to tell them how to do their job. I never believed the Harpy needed my help, I just didn't go along with smearing her with a lie because I believed it was a damned lie."


He listens to the Prince, apparently saying she isn't ruling him out, at least. That and what she's told him about being able to lead an investigation and put the Domain first, is more than enough, more than he'd thought to learn, really. He might not understand her, or be able to predict her, but he's never known the Prince to outright lie. Not that she's ever said she wouldn't, if it needed doing. Still, he believes what she's said, and has enough to guide him, which is all he needs.


"Yes, Your Grace. Thank you for your consideration, and your being frank with me. I appreciate it. I believe I have my work cut out for me, proving myself. I will set myself to that, Your Grace."

[Alessandra]

There was a single nod. “I’ve never held a Covenant as a whole against individuals. We are all different, and not all share the same views. As such, I haven’t held the errors of the others against you. Allowing you to forge your own path within the Domain.” Would he prove to be like the other Dragons? Time would tell.

“Actions speak louder than words. What one says is just words, how they back them up and how they act, well, those are the truths.” Anyone could say the right thing. How many could do the right thing?

“What would have happened?” there was a cold, dark smile on her lips now, “Well, that would have been the excitement.” Ever see an apex predator smile like that at a private thought? It wasn’t pleasant.

“The thing is, when given enough time, and rope, people tie their own noose. And just a warning, if you are implying that those around me, and myself, didn’t do their job, I would tread very, very carefully.” She wasn’t stupid.

“I look forward to seeing what you are able to do. Should a matter come up that requires investigation, I expect you step up, then report to me about it. I want to hear what you’ve done, what your recommendations are, all the things that will tell me you are the right Kindred for the position. I won’t tell you if what you’ve done is right or wrong, as we all work differently. But I want to know you are thinking carefully and not rushing decisions.”