Reeve's Office

[Quinn Durant]

Quinn's office was in the belly of The Nox, the main Elysium that Sacramento uses. Amongst the Court Officers Offices. The décor was darker than most would associate with the amiable shadow, but the low and warm light wasn't much of a stretch. The shadows were deep in the Mehket Priscus's office, and that's just the way the Mehket liked it.

At present Quinn was behind her desk, in a chair with no arms, but was well upholstered with leather. There were two plush chairs in front of her desk for those meeting with her there.

She waited on the newest member of her clan to meet with her here. Albert M. Baker

[Quinn Durant]

Quinn could smell the scent of incense on the other Shadow as he entered. Kindred often forgot about scent as one of the senses, and taste, as being in stasis was something that made certain things just not as necessary any longer. Cut off from the light, it changed the way Kindred approached the world, yet the Shadow endeavored frequently to use all of her senses.

She took in the Kindred before her, and just sat there a few moments as her beast raged at the interloper. The urge to go over that desk and end this weak mewling thing before her was there, but it wasn't as strong as what it would have been for other Kindred. She was trained in the ways of the Ordo Dracul. Her beast was mystically bound. She had no fear of it gaining the upper hand. Quinn's beast was cloaked, leaving Mr. Baker's beast with nothing to react to.

Quinn stood and motioned to a seat in front of her. The first thing one tended to note about Quinn was her petite stature. She was a mere five foot tall. The second was her gentle presence. "Good evening Dr. Baker. Please make yourself comfortable. I trust you had no trouble finding the place?" The third, she was a great beauty.

"So tell me Mr. Baker, what brings you to Sacramento?"

She sat back down, and and leaned forward a bit, her forearms resting on the edge of her desk as those haunting hazel eyes bore into him.

[Quinn Durant]

Quinn nodded demurely at the first answer. It was mostly rhetorical, and the slight smile on her cousin's mouth told her he knew it too.

She showed she was actively listening with the appropriate nod here and there. It was an interesting tale. She appreciated a cousin with a past. After all, she herself had one.

Quinn could easily deduce what 'gold coast' he spoke of with the hints of his accent, and a good working knowledge of history. The little breadcrumbs she dutifully followed.

"You aren't the only Shadow who comes here on the wing of prophecy. Our Cousin Mr. Wells came full circle from one I gave him when he was still among the kine. Funny how that tends to go, isn't it?"

She paused a moment to regard him with a slight smile. "Aside from being the Priscus of our clan I am also the Sherriff, though our Prince has designated the office as Reeve, I count myself amongst the unaligned. I can help you find adventure, and this domain is stable thanks to the wisdom and constant gardening of her Grace, and her Court."

She watched him a moment before continuing her questioning. "How advanced are you in our clan disciplines, skills, and any Kine institutions I should know about?" She asked him plainly. She would find what tools he brought to bear. "If you wish to have adventures, I need to know what tools are in the box, Cousin. Both as your Priscus, and as Reeve of Sacramento."

[Albert Baker]

Albert nodded while listening. Absent-mindedly he took a silver cigarette case out of his pocket and opened it while speaking.

"I see. Mr. LaFleur told me, it used to be very common among our family to be involved with occult and perhaps supernatural influences once upon a time. Though he also used to say, these days are long past."

Upon focusing on the conversation again the case disappeared in his pocket again and again he nodded with a hint of a smile.
"That is good. A wisely governed, stable and peaceful domain is exactly why I came here."

After that he thought for a moment, apparently unsure where to begin before having found the introduction he had been looking for.

"Well, I do have experience in research, having been a teacher most of my life and I can safely say to have knowledge of occult matters, having read the standard works and dedicated some of my free time to research and study of the occult."

He paused for a moment and seemed to think about words for a while before continuing.

"I know how to drive a car and I have learned to operate a computer. A long time ago I had training with firearms but that happens to be quite rusty. I have learned to borrow the senses of the Beast and to see the True Colours of people. Also I learned to accerelate myself a bit. The arts of concealment I have not learned yet."

[Quinn Durant]

Quinn noticed the gesture. Wondered if the habit was so ingrained it was a tick, or what. Interesting.

"Oh no, we still are. At least we are here. My focus is a bit different, but my family line is one deeply steeped in politics and religion, so I suppose my penchant for domain security is to be expected." She paused a moment, regarding him.

"Research is good as is Occult knowledge." She paused listening to his credentials. "For full disclosure, and rigorous honesty, I am an expert of our Clan Discipline." Yeah...she just flat dropped it like its hot on that one. It meant she was a full blown Telepath, and everything that came with it. Including those things that are seldom referenced outside the clan. The price for that much power. Psychic intrusion was completely possible once a Mehket crosses that threshold of psychic power. "Myself and your cousin Pastor Wells, the head of the Lancea Sanctum in Sacramento, are also trained in Arcane Sight." A wonderous devotion. "Of which I can teach you since you are already at a practitioner level of Auspex." It was in that moment she made clear, that knowledge would not be held back by his Priscus. It would flow from her if he desired to obtain such knowledge. "I am at a novice level of Celerity, and a professional level of Obfuscate. My Bloodline is Khaibit." The Khabit being the assassins' of the Mehket, suddenly his Priscus's position might make more sense to the other Shadow.

"While this is not an Invictus domain, you are expected to purport yourself with poise and show you understand your place in Kindred society through your manners in court. Sacramento is a crucible, Dr. Baker. I need Mehket who can survive here you understand? Showing one knows how to purport themselves in Elysia is extremely important. Her Grace, in her wisdom, has imbued her Prisci with the full powers of acknowledgement and revoking said acknowledgement should one not understand how to behave. We also have the power to punish our clan should they continually need instruction." Meaning pissing Quinn or any Officer of said court off was a really bad idea and she wouldn't hesitate to put her foot all the way up his ass. She removed two pieces of parchment from the papers on her desk and handed each to him. One was the Laws of Elysium, and the other was the Laws of Domain.

"Read these over carefully, and I will answer any questions you have."

[Albert Baker]

"I think, what my sire wanted to say was that once the uncommon branches ofthe family weren't as much."

"It would be a pleasure to get to know Mr. Wells. It would be good to have positive experiences with the Lancea for a change."

He listened carefully, nodding understandingly and then seemed to think for a while before answering.

"I would be humbled to be able to learn from you and Mr. Wells. There is always room for improvement and knowledge has much worth after all. Also I would be honoured to share my knowledge if required."

When she mentioned the fact that manners in court were very important and transgressions would be punished potentially quite harshly after multiple transgressions, he nodded. Manners were important and to a certain amount they would have to be expected. As in any polite society.

"Of course a certain standard of manners is to be expected and I'll adhere to it. I do understand and won't make you regret acknowledging and accepting me as part of the family."

Carefully he took a pair of glasses out of a case and put them on before taking and reading the parchments.

"Most of the rules are clear, though it is stated, that if the Priscus leaves the Domain or the office is given to a different individual, any rights and privileges are considered revoked. Does this mean, when you were to lose the office, I'd lose my Acknoledgement and had to regain it from the new Priscus?"

[Quinn Durant]

Quinn smiled at his first comment and just nodded. She knew what her bloodline meant.

"Mr. Wells values a lasting peace with The Crone thanks to the work of the Hierophant Mable Wood, Whip of Clan Gangrel, whom you shall meet at next months formal court, and Mr. Conner Wells, Head Priest of the Lancea Sanctum Sacramento. Which as you know, is mandatory attendance or you lose your acknowledgement." She reminds him pointedly. He could not say he did not know. Ignorance was of no use now that he had a written copy of the expectations.

She was glad he grasped her meaning so very very quickly regarding good manners in Elysia. You would think it wouldn't have to be fucking stated over and over and over and over, but here they were....

"Excellent. Now to help you place your best foot forward. Allow me to let you in on the who's who and their titles. First and Foremost, The Prince. She is Invictus, and as such I can not overstate enough that you want to start eradicating the word 'my' from your vocabulary. You never address her grace as "My Prince..." or frankly any of the court. It is considered an insult amongst the Invictus and just in general is not polite. Being non Invictus you will refer to the Prince as 'your grace' in conversation. In the unlikely event you will have to introduce her Grace, you should do so as Her Grace, Prince Alessandra Antinori, Priscus of Gangrel, Prince of Sacramento. Also, please note that the Prince may not be directly approached in court. You must ask permission to approach, and only upon permission may you approach her grace for conversation in court." She instructed him. And then Moved on to Seneschal Jack.

"Second we have Seneschal Jack. Invictus. Priscus of clan Ventrue. 'Seneschal Jack' is an appropriate address for him at court. If you were to introduce him you would say Seneschal Jack, Priscus of Ventrue, Seneschal of Sacramento of the First Estate. Jack took the place of the city's former Seneschal Alice Hart, Line Nosferatu, Circle of the Crone." She let that sink in a moment before moving on.

'Thirdly we have Arcon Twist. Head of the Invictus, Priscus of Daeva. Calling her 'Arcon Twist' is appropriate in court as her officer title comes before her Priscus Title. You would introduce her as "Arcon Twist, Priscus of Daeva, Judex of the Invictus, and Arcon of Sacramento." She said with a slight smile, before the expression smoothed back to neutral lines as she moved on.

"We have Priscus Hazelton, Line Nosferatu. I consider Priscus Hazelton an ally and friend. She is a valued member of the domain. Treat her with respect." Or you will suffer.

"There are two whips in the court as well. Whip Milton Northbridge, Line Ventrue, and Whip Connor O'Brien, Line Nosferatu. While we are on the subject....do you have an political aspirations Cousin?"

At his last Quinn smiled. A predatory gleam in her eye. "You have grasped that correctly, Cousin." No playing musical chairs with the Priscus Seat. Or else.

[Albert Baker]

Of curse she needs to mention that little fact when I can clearly read that in an unnecessarily pointed manner. As if the clan she had been leading were idiots.

"It is good, that a lasting peace is preferred. I fear though, that it might take me a while to fully discard the past experiences. Until now the Lancea or its members always seemed to prefer violent confrontations. I mean no disrespect towards Mr. Wells it just takes time to reassess that."

Upon her mentioning that the court was mandatory, he pointedly looked at the parchment before answering in a way that might carried the sentiment of 'with all due respect'.

"Yes. I know that."

When she started with whom to know and how to address them, Albert pointedly produced a pocketbook and a pencil and slowly and pointedly took notes.

"That is good to know, thank you very much."

After a while of thought, he closed the pocketbook.

"Until now, I haven't had the opportunity to think about that, as Victoria was a bit of a hostile ground for me and I didn't stay concious for long enough in Portland to answer that question. I'll have to think it over for a while, if you please."

Upon the point of the privileges being void once the position of Priscus changed hands, he raised an eyebrow quizzically.

"I understand, that it keeps revolutions scarce. But isn't that a bit harsh on everyone involved?"