Crimson words

[Jacque]

The Lord listened carefully as Edward presented his view. All in all that was fair, but he was somewhat skeptical about the change of heart.

"I would appreciate greater detail," His story had the telltale overtones of a redemption story... only a few of the puzzle pieces in front of him didn't fit. If that were truly the issue then... "I suppose I just have trouble understanding why if that were the issue, why wouldn't you say so that night instead of accepting the alternative of expulsion?" A few beats later, "I'm also quite curious what understanding has led you to be okay with a similarly worded Oath tonight as you sit before me." Would it be similar? Probably not... but that was a whole other beast to slay.

2 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2023-01-09 14:53:19	Jacque rolls 13 to obfuscate motive (Man+Sub+Spec+SL+DS) (10 Again)	1, 6, 6, 2, 2, 10, 4, 3, 8, 5, 1, 3, 6, 2	2 successes

[Edward Heinrich]

Edward couldn't tell, and even if there was mild deception at play, it was just as likely Jacque keeping his cards close to his chest. Hardly something Edward could fault him for.

Edward laughed at the question. A short, soft, and bitter sound. "I doubt you'll believe me, but I earnestly attempted to give clarity to my resistance. My words that night were the truth; when I tried to explain myself, it was as if the cat literally had my tongue."


"As for your curiosity. Please allow me a moment to organize my thoughts." A gentle sigh escaped Edward as half a dozen quips at his own expense flashed through his mind: There are many answers. That I finally started noticing that courtesy requires feeling creatures, not actors reading scripts. That I finally let go of my dream of a perfect master to whom I could swear eternal loyalty. That I finally accepted oaths were imperfect replacements for trust. That I finally discarded the child-like fantasy that truth is always more important than relationships. It was all so very long in coming, Seneschal. The question I ask myself is not why then; it is: why not sooner?

But, no, self-flagellation that didn't answer the question was out of place.

Three pivotal events in the space of under two years went very poorly for me. My flight from my Sire, the oath ceremony, and my conflict with the Lady Notary. I felt about as confronted as one can be with the fact that ones approach in the world was a failure.

Closer, but it still didn't give an answer to Jacque's curiosity. That was enough; Edward's thoughts had settled.

"The direct answer to your question is that if a law is passed that I cannot tolerate, you shall see the oath break, and I shall depart the Domain. A more explanatory answer is that I had regarded Oaths as absolutes, and I now see them as an instrument employed for the purpose of easing the burden of trust. With my prior attitude, the burden was upon the signature and so to sign was intolerable. And now, the burden is upon each and every night.

"In signing the Oath, I express my trust that the Prince shall rule justly. In receiving the Oath, your office expresses trust that I shall not be capricious. In the end, the instrument of the oath serves as a visual for whether that bond of mutual trust has been broken.

"In this sense, it is my inexpert opinion that the oath is so mighty as to be faulty, a circuit breaker with the most delicate of fuses. While I have no desire to project, surely there is not a single member of the Invictus for whom there is no law that could be passed that would not compel them to break their oath? In that case, then surely there is not one member of the First Estate who regards Oaths as absolute.

"I in no way mean to cast aspersions of duplicity on any Kindred of Quality. I attempt only to give a window into my thoughts so that you might have a more detailed picture with which to perform analysis."

[Jacque]

His lips pulled into a grin at the laugh. Jack felt like he held most if not all of the cards so... humor begot humor. The expression held except for a brief waver after Edward decided to continue to hold that night's motive close to his chest. He shrugged- a reaction to the prediction that he would not believe the Incubus. "It can be difficult at center stage where every detail of how you act and what you say is so carefully scrutinized." Jack knew the truth though, and enough to know pressing more would be fruitless.

"As a Lawyer and student of Oaths myself I can see some merit in what you've organized to be your argument." It was being generous, but nothing the Lord didn't intend to polish. "Your fault is the assumption that upon a law being created that you don't agree with, that you'd instantaneously be non-compliant with your Oath. In reality, the outcome you feared would only come into play upon breaking this hypothetical law."

He paused, giving Edward a moment to digest the scenario. "That means when something like that occurs, we have the opportunity to discuss the concerns with the Prince and the Invictus leaders before we are put in a position to break our Oaths. Oaths can be absolute, but that is an argument that is as deep as an ocean." One that the two might actually have agreed on, given Edward's position.

A twist of his wrist checked the time. It seemed their night was coming to an end.

"Since you are no longer of the Invictus, your Oath will be to Sacramento, its Court and its Law. You are permitted to continue feeding and enjoy the rights of Acknowledgement in the coming months until we prepare your final opportunity to swear it by your blood." He takes a moment to also collect his thoughts before he continues, "I will meet with the Lady Notary to set a language I feel is appropriate for what we demand of our Domain."

And that was that. Could he handle the oath this very night? Certainly. But Jack had other plans....

Good scene, I'm ready to close after Edward's response since we're at time.

[Edward Heinrich]

Edward smiled thinly as the Lord seemed to politely misinterpret Edward's use of 'literally.'
"I see." Edward said as objections came to mind. "I shall dwell upon that assumption of mine."

It was, probably, the gap between the logical precision of a skilled lawyer and the logical precision of a skilled programmer. The difference was the interpreter: an insentient machine unable to effectively notice if a conclusion is insane or a thinking and feeling person who draws upon context to make judgements.

Edward could devise counter-example laws like 'all members of the Haunts must immediately end their lives.' Including 'immediately' was sufficient to force compliance or non-compliance with the oath. Presumably, Jacque's assumption was that the Prince would never pass such a law, which was Edward's point. Unless there was something he was missing, a possibility Edward would dwell on.

"Thank you for your generosity, Seneschal. I shall await your communication." And the meeting came to a close.

Sounds good. Thanks for the fun scene!