"Oh, I've been working on something here and there for a bit, here—I've just been heads-down, but I had to pick up some more references. I'm a close friend of Grace's."
"Oh—sorry, just lost in thought. I suppose you could call my field political science, so I've been working on some theories about intentional community-building among Kindred toward more harmonious society."
"Oh—are you interested? If you like, you can have a seat." She tucks her pen over her ear. "Specifically, the kind of support structures and safety nets needed to ensure that all Kindred get off to a good start, and are able to be productive. I mean, I've had political enemies call it a 'welfare state,' but why is that anything to be ashamed of?"
"Able to get along with others well, I suppose... there's a lot of Kindred who think that just because they live outside of mortal society and law, they can do whatever they like, so it's important to make sure they get proper education."
"Oh, the sorts of expectations there are—laws they're not used to, for one thing. How to control impulses they're not used to, what organizations they might join, how they can volunteer with the court, where the soup kitchens are if their hunting is sparse..."
"Oh, the Court is sort of... well, it's an antiquated term, like a king's court—Kindred like to call their local leader the 'Prince,' so it's really just a term for the whole social circle that encompasses all Kindred in a city. It's a bit feudal, but a lot of Kindred like old things, after all."
She shrugs. "And there's all kinds of organizations—Grace is a leader in the Ordo Dracul, which is sort of an occult-scientific organization; there's religious organizations like the Circle of the Crone and the Lancea Sanctum; there's political ones like the Carthian Movement and the Invictus—there's also plenty of smaller community organizations. There's an intramural basketball team, I believe."
She's very calm! A little bemused, maybe; mildly interested in what might be driving this line of questioning.
"Well, I'm a member of the Circle of the Crone, but that's more on a personal level—I'm involved in politics and building social programs. That's how Grace and I met."
Well, she's brilliant, for one thing. I'm honored to be considered her friend, even if she's a bit controversial; she's always really had vision.
[ it's genuine; there's respect and fondness there. ]
I know she's had bad experiences with Kindred in the past, but I'm glad she was able to find a way to be a good example to many of them in Los Angeles, rather than edging around the sidelines.
[ she laughs, gently. ]
Even if I still can't convince her that it's more politically-correct to use "Kindred" instead of "vampire."
"Well, you're one of her students, so you know that she's got her very strong opinions. I think she'd agree with me that we both think that Kindred can change, albeit with effort—and indeed, we exchanged a lot of ideas on how to make it easier."
She smiles. "I just think she could stand to be a little more open minded about the possibilities for Kindred. Even those that could truly be called 'monsters,' for what they've done rather than what they are—that they can and they will turn from their ways given the right encouragement."
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[Leaning in to see what she's working on]
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Define productive.
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So, tell me. If I was anew kindred, what advice would you give me?
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What kind of organizations are we talking about here?
What does the court do?
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She shrugs. "And there's all kinds of organizations—Grace is a leader in the Ordo Dracul, which is sort of an occult-scientific organization; there's religious organizations like the Circle of the Crone and the Lancea Sanctum; there's political ones like the Carthian Movement and the Invictus—there's also plenty of smaller community organizations. There's an intramural basketball team, I believe."
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What are you involved in?
[Don't mind him while he turns on Eristic Cultivation to see what she's feeling]
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"Well, I'm a member of the Circle of the Crone, but that's more on a personal level—I'm involved in politics and building social programs. That's how Grace and I met."
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[He doesn't turn off the power,]
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[ it's genuine; there's respect and fondness there. ]
I know she's had bad experiences with Kindred in the past, but I'm glad she was able to find a way to be a good example to many of them in Los Angeles, rather than edging around the sidelines.
[ she laughs, gently. ]
Even if I still can't convince her that it's more politically-correct to use "Kindred" instead of "vampire."
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She smiles. "I just think she could stand to be a little more open minded about the possibilities for Kindred. Even those that could truly be called 'monsters,' for what they've done rather than what they are—that they can and they will turn from their ways given the right encouragement."
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...huh.
You write any of the books in here?
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