The Savage and The Shadow

[Alessandra]

In the center of the room was a desk that was a rich dark mahogany. It was large enough for her to work on multiple things, but not too large to overshadow her.

The butterflies were placed here and there, adding her own unique style to the room.

On the desk was the standard items on it, papers, small lamp, a computer. There was also a tall glass dome. Beside the glass dome was another one, this one held the same brightly colored butterflies, but had a darker, sinister twist to it. There was a skull in this one, with the butterflies placed artfully around it. Another skull with butterflies on it was placed on a shelf behind her.

There wasn’t really art on the walls. But there were shadow boxes placed around the room with various colors of pinned butterflies. Some blue, some green and some a mixture.

Playing softly from speakers placed around the room was Beethoven.

The wall behind the seating area had a painting hanging, The Young Martyr, a small light hanging above it. Illuminating it softly.

Two new chairs sat in front of the desk, Italian made and a deep shade of brown. There was a seating area was set in one of the corners. Which had two chairs and a couch around a coffee table. There were lamps on that offered a soft and comfortable glow, nothing too bright.

Ale was standing discussing something, in Italian, over an open folder with a formidable looking man. This evening, the Savage is dressed in a black leather skirt with a lightweight black top, her dark hair left down. The office door stood open.
Quinn Durant pisces

[Quinn Durant]

Quinn descended the stairs of Elysium with her brain working overtime on what the Prince wanted to see her about. There was nothing in the newspapers to make her think Maeve isn't behaving in the barrens. I mean nothing is on fire, no explosions, or random gun fire so she assumed it wasn't about any further bad behavior directly. Unless the prince was privy to something she wasn't. It was a possibility but not likely.

Quinn's outfit was a pair of real leather leggings, with plain black pointed toe three inch heels, and the top was a pure white undershirt, with a sleeveless pale cream cardigan that was a dressier version of the original long cardigan style. Her hair was an updated Farrah Faucet blow out that framed her face perfectly. Her make up was barely there, just enough to look polished and pretty but remain understated. Quinn's beauty transcended any trend.

She approached the door to the Prince's office, and rapped her knuckles twice, on the open door to alert them to her presence. Offering a polite smile to Gabriel, she waited until she was invited to cross the threshold and enter the office proper. Once allowed in, she swept down into a low bow, counting human heart beats and upon rising she took a good look at all the butterflies and the painting, noting the music and knowing enough to pin point composer. After bowing formally to her grace and checking out the surroundings when the Prince either offered or sat, so did Quinn.

"Good evening, your Grace." She offered simply in greeting.

[Alessandra]

It was the knock that alerted the Savage to Quinn’s presence. Pointing to something in an open folder and nodding, the Ghoul closed the folder and left the office, closing the door behind him.

The remaining folders were placed on her desk as she walked behind it and gestured to the chairs in front of it, “Please, have a seat.” Sitting herself, she looks to the Shadow, “Thank you for meeting with me Ms Durant.” See, Ale could be polite. It was all part of the Danse. “How have the evenings been treating you?”

[Quinn Durant]

Quinn felt a small amount of relief that her choice of leather leggings instead of slacks seemed okay with her Grace. Thank God for small favors. Quinn's inner critic was thankfully silent as she braced for her Grace's presence.

For a moment she wondered if she wouldn't try to make a run for it. Thankfully, Quinn controlled the beast, not the other way around, she simply tensed for a second and relaxed, folding her hands gently in her lap.

"I have been keeping busy your Grace, thank you. What about yourself?" She inquired politely back. Polite exchange was comfortable and familiar, even if talking to her Grace was not.

[Alessandra]

Dark eyes watch and study the Shadow from across the desk.

Sometimes it was entertaining to see how Kindred reacted to an, innocent, meeting. Would they be uncomfortable? Would they kiss her ass? Or would they simply be themselves? It was hard to tell, but she looked forward to it.

So begins the social dance. One their kind knew all too well. But small talk was not her strong suit.
“Being busy is always good.” Tended to keep people out of trouble. Or so the saying goes. “Oh, busy with this and that, my nights are never dull.” Wasn’t that the truth.

“Court has proven to be quite the center for,” a pause, “excitement as of late.” She begins. “What are your views on it?” right to business.

[Quinn Durant]

Quinn nodded a bit in acknowledgement of her Grace's words. She imagined she was busier than a one armed beaver.

At her words and question, it was obvious what the topic of discussion was gunna be.

"I have not enjoyed my clan being the topic of said excitement, your grace." Alessandra didn't need to be the first one to say it. Playing hide the salami with the obvious wasn't Quinn's style either. "Constant shows of rude and untoward behavior make everyone uncomfortable, and doubt a Kindred's ability to behave with any sense of decency or decorum elsewhere. It is because of this I removed Maeve from the investigation I am heading with Mr. Smith into the bodies dropping after being fed on by a Kindred. I made sure to go over the laws of Elysium in depth with both Maeve and Conner and set my expectations. I asked for them both to interpret and explain each law of Elysia, and if I feel they didn't 'get it' enough I made sure it was explained at length. Conner will spend court at my side and then do a month banished to the barrens for his aggressive behavior in court, and Maeve is already there, starving that smart mouth and the big rude-is-real chip on her shoulder."

[Alessandra]

The Savage leans back in chair as she listened. Studying not only Quinn’s face, but her words as well.

“Perhaps I am not remembering correctly,” though she knew she was, “but hadn’t you already made your expectations quite clear to Ms Maeve once already? Quite publicly too.” A pen was picked up as it danced between her fingers. “I just have to wonder the true state of affairs in that regard. After all, both of them talked you up quite publicly, singing your praises, yet behave like whelp Childe still sucking their Sire’s arm.” Ale wasn’t impressed. “Do they truly respect you and your position as Priscus? Or are they both blatantly as ignorant as they sound?” she was not a babysitter, and her Court was not a daycare.

“How many chances do you think I intend to give out in regards to this matter? I will not have my Court made a joke of by your Clan.” Her words hard. "If examples need to be made, they will." swiftly and without a second thought.

“Numerous members of the Domain have spoke highly of you and what they believe you can achieve. But one has to wonder with the displays in Court.”

[Quinn Durant]

Quinn nodded in agreement. "Maeve never had an issue being rude in court until the last formal. So I absolutely made clear that I expected her to attend all formal courts, as well as aid in the investigation I have been working on, and do the shadow within my shadow punishment's which is more embarrassing than anything else. She completed all of that, only to then show her ass as soon as she got her acknowledgement back.." Quinn looked thoughtful a moment. As if playing with the puzzle pieces in the picture. She thought about the Prince's question for a few moments. Was it them not respecting her, or not respecting themselves as Kindred?


"Mr. Wells is that green your Grace. His sire is my Grandsire Major. Very reclusive Kindred. I wouldn't be shocked if this is one of the handful of times in his entire Danse that he's been in an actual court. He handled it badly. He showed instant remorse in court, and he appeared to understood the gravity of what he pulled in our meeting, and he was upset with himself. I can work with wanting to do better, and understanding the weight of ones actions" She confided. "Despite his displays of remorse however he will share in Maeve's fate and be banished to the barrens as soon as mandatory courts are completed."


"Maeve and I work well together, and I have made time for a social outing between us. Before I pulled her from the investigation she did what I said when I told her to do it. No complaints, attitude, or bullshit. The problem isn't about me, or how she feels about me. She's a little to preoccupied with her self and the big 'I don't owe these Kindred anything' chip on her shoulder. I explained that Kindred nature is such that an abundance of polite decorum and laws are designed to keep the ship sailing, instead of crashing on the rocks in utter ruin from in fighting and ripping each other to ash. It feels like the only thing that really matters to her is her own self righteousness right now. If a revocation of acknowledgement, and being banished to the barrens to starve isn't enough to cut the circus act..."

She paused a moment. "You can't fix stupid. I don't expect any further chances, your Grace."

She nodded politely to the last but didn't comment. She understood the Prince perfectly.

[Alessandra]

The Savage listened. Dark eyes not leaving Quinn’s as she spoke. Words thought about, responses debated. “Is it more embarrassing? Or is there another way to drive the point home?” of course there was.

“Why wait until,” a slight pause, “mandatory courts are complete?” punishment should be swift and unyielding. “Green or not, one should have learned proper decorum for Elysia. Basics.” Fucking Kindred 101.

“Then perhaps the punishment needs to come in the form of forcing that chip off her shoulder. Directing her to curtsy, or bow,” whatever really, “to each member of the Domain, then announce their arrival. Though that would mean her grasping the basic understanding of Invictus titles, or any basic understanding, which is something I doubt.” The Shadow didn’t strike her as being very politically savvy. Which could have its entertaining values. “Or one could simply let the act play itself out. If one cannot handle basic manners and decorum, then perhaps she doesn’t belong in Elysia and society.” Plain, to the point.

“Though if she cannot comply with simple etiquette and decorum?” a lazy shrug, “She’ll be dealt with. I always prefer Priscus handle these, difficult, Kindred. If I have to step in, things tend to go poorly. Well, not for me of course. But it doesn’t look good if one cannot handle their own Clan. Especially when one shows promise.” It was hard to ignore the praise others had given to the Shadow Priscus. Well, the ones whose opinions matter of course.

“You strike me as an ambitious Kindred. But if you own Family doesn’t take you seriously, how am I suppose to?” difficult? Yes. But it needed to be answered.

[Quinn Durant]

Quinn smiled and nodded, she agreed but also decided to clarify why she chose that particular punishment. "I know of others your Grace, but I chose that one due to the history of it within my particular family line, and Maeve's full knowledge of what it means. It is a statement that the lesser Shadow only adds to the longer Shadow of their superior, and the loss of trust." She frowned after she said it and shook her head. "Hindsight being 20/20 and all? I agree with you, I should have gone for something else. I won't make a similar mistake again." Live and learn. Sometimes the hard fucking way.

She attended her words closely, and Quinn's next words told on herself and how much responsibility she actually felt. "I didn't trust him starving in court around other Kindred. I was using the non mandatory courts interval for the punishments, and then when they came to formal court they could feel the privilege it is to be well fed and inside of your court." She sighed. "I would feel the weight of it on my own hands if they attacked someone of this court due to being starving and I put them there, like that." She paused again. "Clearly though this whole time I have been underestimating their intelligence for such subtlety. If they had a politically minded thought it fucking died alone."

She listened closely to the Prince's words and her eyes widened slightly as she tried to fucking imagine Maeve stumbling over all the titles that no fucking doubt she didn't know considering she barely attended court and never reached out to any other Kindred to meet outside of court.

"Under normal circumstances I would think that is the best idea I have heard and happily go forth and be merry with that idea, but if one hasn't been to court much much less paying attention to the members of said court because they see them as part of 'the Invictus domain,' I think it would backfire and she would enjoy butchering their names and internally laughing about it."

She could answer the last question. "It is not I that they don't take seriously. It's ignorance that I'm fighting, and in Maeve's case, its this ignorant notion that the Invictus is a giant boogeyman. I refused my invitation into the Invictus its true, but I am not ignorant your Grace. I understand why this is not an Invictus domain because I helped my sire reach the height of Viscount and helped him create one. He is a Senator and Knight of the Invictus, and I swear I lost count of the number of courts I went through while he performed his duties. The one thing I have wanted more than anything is a stable home I could actually spend more than a few months in. A home I could fortify and defend, that didn't put me at odds with my ideals most of the time. I understand that there will be times when I will have to do whatever it takes to cull enemies from within and without. To prove it...."

"I think I have a solution, should Maeve fail again. As you say, you won't give any more chances, and its on me to fix it ultimately. I formally and humbly ask, that should Maeve fail again in court, formal or otherwise, that with your permission and making sure its obvious it was with your prior approval, that I will publicly banish Maeve from court, as well as lose her acknowledgement and all that implies, simply let nature take its course. I will choose the tranquility of Court, and put the domain in front of my own blood. It's necessary. Without the stability of the domain, we have nothing. No clans....no court.....no covenants. Everything will fall apart without it. I will always choose stability of this court over anything else."

Her gaze never wavered from her Grace.