In the shadows off the stage

[Verity Carmen]

Now this had been unexpected and after The Priscus of shadows had stood her up both for helping with the investigation and when she had tried to warn him of the impending plots against his person she was not entirely sure what game he was playing to first invite her to the clan meeting and now a meeting of reparations supposedly.

She had driven her Minivan To the place and time they had agreed to. Painted black with various band logos and tours dates spray painted across the body work.

Verity had opted not to get super dressed up for this meeting, she came as she was comfortable. leather boots into lace up the side pants her belt leather and chains hugging her perfect figure a fairly generic and slightly faded T-Shirt her leather jacket matching the chain motif. Some effort had been made to tame her thick auburn locks her other accessories include fingerless leather gloves and a pair of gold rose ear studs for those who breathe her perfume is a mix of roses, honeysuckle and earthy amber tones. Music is worth living for plays from her phone plugged into the vehicles music system.



Now all that waits to be seen is if she will be meet as expected. She sits in the driver seat looking to see if Albert makes himself known.

Albert Baker George

[Albert Baker]

Al arrived at the place agreed upon a bit earlier than it had been agreed upon. Dressed down for the occasion in a dark brown herringbone tweed suit combined with a green Gingham shirt, brown full brogues and a flat cap in the same tint and pattern as the suit he waited for the vehicle to stop before approaching it while briefly raising an eyebrow to the decoration of said van.

[Verity Carmen]

Well the Priscus of shadows was still dressed to impress by the Daeva standards, you don't wear a suit unless you want to be formal. Verity leans across and pops the front passenger door for him, not saying thing until he gets in and closes it, in turn creating a relatively safe place to speak without being overheard.

[Albert Baker]

Al entered the vehicle and took his cap off, then he shut the door. Then he adressed Verity with a smile.

"Good evening. Thank you for meeting me here."

Noticing the music, he frowned for a moment.

"Could you turn that down a little, please? It distracts a little bit and that wouldn't do, would it?"

[Verity Carmen]

The older kindred gets a wan smile in return, as a black painted finger taps the pause button on her phone and the music stops. "Andrew W.K. not to your taste I take it?" The device itself left in what should be a drink stand, she clearly having no other use for that kind of storage.

Pulling away from the curb to drive aimlessly. "So I'll open the floor to you shall I?" He had wanted to meet, so she was fine for him to set the topic and tone. "Oh do you want the key card back?" The meeting request had been surprising not so much so as the invite to the shadows clan meeting.

[Albert Baker]

Al nodded on the question about the noise.

"Correct. I regard it as a lesser form of music designed and intended to be played at high volumes and those forms don't have much appeal to me."

On the question whether he wanted the card returned he nodded again.

"I'd appreciate the return of the card, yes."

He thoight for a moment, before speaking on.

"So, straight to the point, then? There have been things going on that are... less than ideal. You have grievances with us as a whole and we have issues with things you say about us. I do hope we could settle this... preferrably amically"

Tenting his hands he looked at her with a small smile.

"As far as I know you have been slandering us repeatedly and publicly. I'd like to hear your side of that issue, please."

[Verity Carmen]

It was tempting to turn the music back on. But she doesn't. "Well if we have time tonight maybe I can change your mind, Rock music is so much more then that." The Music theory, the purpose the history and development, to call it lesser as simply to admit to knowing little of music.

A smile. I thought he would. "It's in the glove box, in front of you." Enough said on the matter.

The smile fades to a more calculating look as he continues on. "Is that so? Because then you know more of what I've been saying publicly then I do myself." Directing the vehicle into a busier street, one with more traffic, moving faster. "I have aired my issues about Losh and Nevillie but that only account for half certainty not the whole." And lets not forget. "Given I drew the ire of the prince to get the Seneschal off your back in July I am surprised you think I have a problem with you." Or is this another case of no one actually listens to what goes on at court?

[Albert Baker]

Al nodded at the offer.

"There is always something to learn. It would be a pleasure, I think."

With a slight smile he took the card out of the glove box and pocketed it. Then he refocused on the issue.

"You have spoken about those grievances openly, at least that is, what my second-in-command has told me. As Priscus it is my duty to take care of those matters."

He thought for a while and then elaborated.

"We have decided at the meeting that we stand behind our own. Which Mr. Ravenwood and Mr. Godwin are. I assure you they will cease the offending behaviour and ask you to leave the matter to us. Would that be acceptable?"

On the new information he did look stunned for a moment as nobody had told him that.

"I haven't been to court in some time and nobody told me that. Thank you."

[Verity Carmen]

Well colour the Daeva surprised given the dismissal of her tastes she had expected a best a polite decline. Fair play to him then. "Well the first and most important thing with rock music is to more then listen to the lyrics, the expression comes both in the investment but also what message is being conveyed. Good rock music has a message." And that message can take many forms, deviate wildly from the words themselves to understand why it appealed you had to understand people.

Well then. "Sure if you want to know the nature of what I've said so you can handle it I thinks that's best." Because at this point why not right. "So I first aired my issue with Losh back in February." The formal court if she recalls correctly. "After I encountered a kindred at a bowling ally in January who claimed to have been in the domain since September despite not being at November formal affair I was concerned." At that time Losh had come across as nothing more then a poacher by his own admission. "This was not helped by the fact when I approached him in the ally the first words out of his mouth for any and all to hear around where what his life was like before cars and how much he wanted to eat some baby sitter." The Priscus of shadows gets a side glance, gauging his reaction but he mostly focuses on the traffic and not getting into a crash because her attention had strayed for to long.

As for the other. "I think very poorly of Neville that's no secret but I publicised my view at Jennifer's book club, the one we all got an invite to." That had been a night to say the least. "And only when the seneschal held Neville up as an exemplary kindred of great behaviour, this of course being after the Reeve had been required to kick him of for court for his poor behaviour." But oh wait. "And after the Seneschal said Neville should be Priscus, Bennie declared she was so on board with the idea that she would start recruiting others to back him and unseat you." Hey the truth hurts sometimes and Verity is not pulling punches. "It was around then I reached out to you and the reeve regarding the coup against yourself." Yeah me instead of say any member of your clan. "And publicly backed you for the second time before leaving the event early, as much to keep the Invictus out a fourth seat as anything but still it's more public backing then your own clan gives you." And oh have I suffered for it, but still necessary. "That about cover everything you need to handle it?" A question sweet as honey.

But with all of that said. "Given the Seneschal's public dressing downs and attempts to unseat you, I must say I am very curious what goes on in these Joint Nosferatu, Mekhet meetings I've heard about?" Because those must be some wild conversations.

Oh for goodness sake. "Priscus Baker, you were in court when I did it." Still any gratitude is nice and she relentless a little. "Your Welcome." The list of tolerable kindred in the domain was short so she would take what good manners existed.

[Albert Baker]

Al nodded as he thought he might understand, though he wasn't sure how narrow that definition was. It certainly didn't include that 'Slayer' noise that some Unbound in Portland had been quite fond of, did it?

"I see. We are talking about 'rock and roll' here, aren't we? I'm not very knowledgeable about that, I'm afraid."

When it came to Losh and the alleged violation of the law, he took a small notepad and a biro out of his pocket and began taking notes, looking appalled.

"That is most consternating... Especially as I haven't known that until now."

Again he took notes though the appall disappeared and was replaced by slight puzzlement.

"I see. That is... concerning."

Finishing the notes he nodded curtly.

"It should suffice, yes."