Delving into opinions and expectations

[Jennifer Hazelton]

The address that Helen has been given for Jennifer's separate haven comes into view. It is a middle-class neighborhood: the houses are too run-down to be a bland suburbia, but it’s quiet and clean.
"Hello, Helen," She greets. "Please come in."
Jennifer is wearing an 1890's pin of green and gold, featuring pearls. The design is of a sprig of leaves. This pin holds a simple patterned silk scarf styled elaborately over her neck. Jennifer wears a casual fall outfit of a caramel-colored top and black pants tailored to her 5'7'' form.


The home appears to be well furnished. It is furnished in light honey wood tones and subtle light blues and greens. There is a dining room in sight, a long wooden table spread with some different books.
Jennifer leads the way into the main room off of the entry way. There is a window with heavy black out curtains are drawn, concealing the outside. Two small electric lights are set in end tables in the corner of the room, providing just enough light. The sitting area is composed of a leather love seat against the window. Facing the love seat are a pair of dark blue arm chairs in birch veneer. A low coffee table squats in the center, complete with a small zen sand box and a table top book on Botany: Roses. There is a leather notebook and a handmade pen cup on the coffee table.
Jennifer takes a seat in one of the arm chairs.
“Please, take a seat. I trust you have been well?” She asks, looking at Helen. “How about we dispose of Domain titles and formality for the evening?"

[Helen Kingsley]

The lower scale end of middle-class neighborhoods. Quiet, clean, just a little run down... The place where young people's dreams go to slowly wither away and die. Quaint, yet fitting ! Helen parks the car a little distance away and walks to the address given. Seeing how she doesn't really know what else will be up tonoght, she's not really dressed especially for the occasion. Still she brought a little bag with two bottle-shaped packets wrapped in colourful paper in it.

"Hey, boss, thanks a lot for having me. I got you something."

She enters, offers the bag to Jennifer after taking a few things out of it, hangs up/puts away her jacket and leaves the shoes next to the door as she continues further inside. Interesting furnishment, she can appreciate a nice living place if she sees it, even if one like this is way too space-y and inconvenient for someone of her persuasion.

"Very nice place you got here, I have to say."

Helen looks a little around as she follows Jennifer through some part of the place. She gives the seating arrangement a short once-over from behind Jennifer's back and once invited takes the seat with her back to the curtains with little hesitation.

"I have, thank you. I've some new things to think about among other stuffs, so that's nice. How about you ?" Dispose formalities ? Helen has sort of already arrived at that point when Jennifer opened the door, but hey. "Sure, let's do that."

She puts her work utensils onto the table. A small notepad, a matchbox that shows itself to be empty as she opens it and a carpenter pencil with about 3 inches left of it. Digging out a pocket knife from her pocket, she uses it to sharpen the pencil a little, leaving the shavings to fall into the matchbox.

[Jennifer Hazelton]

"You didn't need to bring something." Yet Jennifer was pleased. A gift was always welcome. Jennifer accepted the package, and seeing the bottle shape. Jennifer discreetly investigated, in the case that it was something that the two Nosferatu could share.

"Thank you. A comfortable place where I can meet with folks. I do enjoy the Necropolis most evenings... I am sure you can see why."

Jennifer did like the kinship of having the Deep to dwell with Family.
"I was curious when I recieved your letter." Jennifer states in her ruined voice. A jumping off place for Helen to elaborate without having to commit something to paper.

[Helen Kingsley]

"I guess, just thought it'd be a nice gesture nonetheless." Among other things. "Yup, that I can."

Helen closes the matchbox, yet leaves it at the table for now.

"So was I when I got your answer. Witchcraft and all that. The thing with the letter is pretty simple. As it looks, there might be some folks in town that might think about building up a new Carthian Movement. As it also looks, some bunch working under that name some time ago have done a pretty thorough job of making sure anyone following in their footsteps faces a lot of distrust and unfavourable opinions. Now, I don't know much about what went down back then, only that some things did and people didn't like it. I also don't know anything else about the Carthies of old, really. So I figure I do what's best in that situation, which is find someone who knows more about what I'm looking at than I do and see what I can take home from it." She shrugs. "Always felt it better to make my own mistakes instead of repeating someone else's just because I don't know enough about what's at hand.

So I thought, I'd ask around a little and you were the first person that came to mind."

Packets ?

(The packets contain Bailey's and Southern Comfort, one bottle each.)

[Jennifer Hazelton]

" Good, you're taking an interest in seeing your Covenant coming together? Is there some promising kinship?"

Jennifer tilts her head back. Thinking.
"I'm thinking back to some ten years ago. There was a kindred going by the name Lance who was sensible in the Movement. He was polite, made an effort to make inroads and allies.
Which is something that I recommend you and Bellemy take an interest in.

There was a few who came in, but the names don't stick out in my mind.
Do you have an interest in past events, or past impressions..?"

Jennifer moves to the kitchen, taking down two glasses. Why not make a social situation more comfortable? There would be consequences for drinking later, yet pleasure can be taken.
" Would you like Baileys or Southern comfort?"[/color] Her Cursed voice is raised slightly to carry to the seating area.
Jennifer pours herself a modest portion of Baileys.

[Helen Kingsley]

"Thought it was about time some things got moving. We'll see about the kinship, bit early to tell just yet."

After all, she hasn't had too much to do with Bellemy, and isn't yet sure what drawer that one belonged in in the long run. Still, she considers it one of her strengths that she can also hav a sort of work relationship with folks she doesn't particularly like. The story about the 'real Ms Kingsley' would attest to that, but she won't throw that at Jenn without dire need... So however that turns out, prepared is prepared.

"As you already did earlier, but it's important, thats right." She scratches the back of her head in thought, slowly and deliberately. "Hm, that depends what exactly events and impressions refer to, I guess. As I said, I don't really know anything about what those folks and those before them did here."

Asked about her poison of choice, she shrugs, but Jennifer can't see that, after all, as comes to mind soon enough. Well, she's not very picky, although she#s not very knowledgeble with that sort of stuff. But then, why be wasteful ?

"I'll take what you're having, thank you."

[Jennifer Hazelton]

Jennifer brought a tray with two glasses upon it, setting it on the coffee table between the two Kindred. Jennifer delicately picks up her glass and sips for a moment. She retains the glass, looking at Helen for a moment.
"I told you of the more memorable event that I recall at the meeting at the Necropolis. As a whole, most of the Carthians that passed through did not make a memorable impression. Or a favorable one. They tended to be a flash in the pan, if anything.
Lance being the exception, but that was... oh, I want to say ten years ago. Yes, I would say its time to get things moving."

Jennifer stated in her Cursed voice.

[Helen Kingsley]

"It's not illegal to be an open member of the Covenant, so I guess there was nothing going on like trying to overthrow the Invictus position in town or upset the power structure violently. Basically anything that either constitutes treason or greatly offends Prince Antinori." The domain law comes to mind and lends that particular phrase nicely, after all, it shows that if someone fucks up bad enough, its entirely possible to get hit with the big stick. Helen picks up the glass with a nod. "Which is why I'm sort of confused on whether the guys were either just some bag of hot air that popped in a pretty underwhelming way every now and then, or a bunch of foolish idiots without brains actively making other people's lives harder by being loud and stupid. Which is what makes me wonder if there were any incidents that have soured the name of the group as a whole instead of just the ones dumb enough to join in in that fun, which was later put together as a collective. Which is one of the reasons we're sitting here, as I think you might have picked up on a few of those things or offer an opinion on it. What I remember from the clan meeting is that most Carthians were idiots and that the one who wasn't ended up in a place befitting his faculties better, if I didn't mix that up ?"

She makes extra sure to avoid anything that makes that statement sound confrontative or accusing. The volatility of the Movement is fact, after all.

"I mean, apart from this town, what's your opinion about Carthians like and how have previous encounters shaped it ?"

[Jennifer Hazelton]

"Challenge the power structure violently? Not that I recall.
Mostly they came in, might ask about the current status quo. Maybe bitch about the Invictus in public.


A point of interest: the previous Prince who ruled a decade ago was Prince Asa, an Invictus Ventrue. The Archon Twist was much as she was today.
Being more than mouthy wasn't something that happened.
The Invictus some time ago held pace with the population. There were an even amount of kindred in the Second estate, roughly. Including the Priscus Grigoriev of the Nosferatu and a Deputy.
I can't recall much about the circle of the crone. I do remember that there were a few Ordul members.

Lance is the one I mentioned. He was the one in charge of Carthians for a bit, and was the only one for a time. He was sensible. My coterie and I spoke with him for a bit.
My previous encounters have led me to believe that they're either young and shortsighted, without recognizing natural consequences for their actions.
Or they attempt to suggest opposing the Invictus."
A thin smile.
"You have been thought of as well spoken after the last Formal Court. I believe if you continue to speak with care, you can present ideas without being thought of as antagonistic.
As long as you understand some kindred will hold biases, perhaps not against you or Bellemy personally. I prefer to behave as a scholar and collect empirical data. Yet not everyone will do so.

The same way some think Invictus are stuck up snobs, without realizing we are a presentation of what our pasts shape us to be."

Was the Movement able to succeed in it's goals and be productive citizens in the last city you dwelled?

What are you planning?
There are three unaligned kindred in the city currently. I believe Mr. Northbridge intends to approach the Invictus.
Bellemy and Maeve were getting along well, I believe, when the three of us met some time ago."

[Helen Kingsley]

"If you look at the sorts of folks that tend to make up the covenants, have you ever thought about the whole issue being a systemic problem of a pretty..." She pauses and thinks for a good word for it "... permeable bunch of people that is least likely to be able to cling to its leadership and basic members if push comes to shove ? That foundation also makes opposition to the Invictus and disciplinary issues quite likely as well, if you ask me."

But she's not here to start an argument or discuss the small bits and bobs of politics, so the short version will have to suffice for now, lest she gets into the mood for a more lengthy diatribe. Another time, perhaps, but not here and now.

"You could say so. But then, the Movement as a whole had tenancy, not some person inside the Movement, and they were mostly concerned with keeping their part of the domain clean and secure. Had their own Sheriff and their own Elysium, too, so they were able to keep themselves busy. Everything was pretty covenant-oriented, family didn't play as much of a role as it does here. Most other covenants were united enough in city politics that they could safely and politely ignore the Prefect in most things. We weren't respected, but we were tolerated."

Asked what she was planning, she shrugs.

"Basic foundation work, if you will. Seeing where we stand on issues and where we can go from there."

She leans back a little and watches the liquid in the glass move for a while as Jennifer brings up Maeve.

"Eh, if she wants to join, why not. We're not going to go print flyers and put em up all about town, though. I guess for now, it's up to Bellemy what comes of that. I've thought about talking to Maeve at some point, but a recruitment drive... ? Dunno, some people like being unaligned, or so I heard."