Post by Victor Adelai on Jan 8, 2014 16:52:09 GMT -8
... are kinda boring.
Right, so, there was this party, see? In Seattle. And they invited everyone ever ta come. Which means its either a trap or somethin' worth seein'. I poke 'round a bit, didn't find anytime too terrible, so I decide ta go. And wouldn'tchknowit? It was a party. Or had the trappin's of a party at any rate. There was lights and music and a setite dancing with people. Only the setite, mind, everyone else was like a middle-schooler afraid of the girl they fancy standing by the bleachers hopin' she didn't make eye contact. Anyway.
The thing about Cam parties is that they're usually crazy hotbeds for political discourse and propaganda. Wasn't all that much of that here that I could hear. Oh sure, I tried to stir up some political talk, but the thing with Seattle, near as I could figure at any rate, is that they mostly have accepted what they are and just sorta shrug when ya poke at em.
A few things of note did happen though. First off, I have dozens of fans! For realz, like actual fans up there! (A brief aside to declare my undying love of the fans) This is probly the most important part of the evening, but I won't belabor the point. I suppose a laggin' second to that was my getting serenaded by a Tremere and Toreador. They sang at me an giggled like school girls. I was probably the butt of some joke, but honestly, when pretty ladies is singin' atcha, whats the harm? A distant third was some muckity muck from Europe saying that Seattle was mostly not Camarilla anymore and on the cusp of being declared independent by the Justicarate.
I know what yer think: 'No way Johnny has fans!' It's totally true! A bunch of em! And a bunch more that said they liked me work, but not enough ta call themselves fans. To them I say, if yer readin' this, yer probably a fan
The other thing ya might be thinkin' is 'Johnny, how can they declare Seattle an independent city?' Honestly, I got no clue on that one. I've never known the Cam ta kick people out, no matter how much of a wanker they was. That'd be a first, or at the very least super fuckin' rare. Why did they think Seattle was sorta indi? Well, for the same reasons we find em sorta anarch-y. Their clans pick their own primogen rather then the Prince. Their Prince was voted in, suspiciously like a Baron. They've had a few bloodless coupes in the last few years. Hell, changing praxis as much as they do is almost as clear a sign of Anarch as anythin'. They had some speaker for the unaligned awhile back, somefin I ain't never heard of before. They play all fast an loose with the whole Giovanni situation, something kinda forbidden by Cam law. And the actual indi population of Seattle is somewhere between a third and quarter of the total kindred population of the area. But I figure the last straw to them old world Europeans is that Seattle said you couldn't lend status without coming to be acknowledged in Seattle. I'm not super up on the Camarilla rules, but basically that means that to have a name in Seattle ya have ta live in Seattle. Shit, half the reason the Cam was formed was ta codify how standing would operate across city lines. In a rapidly globalizing community, having a method of keeping your name intact from one place to another was very important to them old boys. This threatens that very concept, even if Seattle is a place that few really care about.
Now, I'm hearin' some of them cammies out there, and I'mma channel yer retorts ta this nonsense. Firstly, I wanna say that I'm not the one sayin' you ain't Cam.... well, I am, but I'm not lookin' ta do anything about it. Nextly, sure I know lotsa places where a clan puts forward a primogen for the princes consideration, but I ain't never heard of a place that didn't need his judicial nod. I know y'all are sayin' that 'oh, they don't have to live here ta have their status recognized, they just have to be present', which sure is swell. But a perfumed letter has worked in the cam for the last like five hundred years, so why the sudden apple-cart toppling? And I know lots of ya are thinkin' 'But our prince wasn't elected. He just told the rightful praxis-holder that he would whack him with a bunch of the city in tow if he didn't back down.' Right. Or, as we call it, a 'vote'. Sure, there was a bit more violence in this one then say voting in a Mayor. But picture the humans of Seattle. They vote on a mayor and 2/3 of the majority sides with one candidate. The other is named winner regardless. How long ya think it would take before there'd be picket lines and passive-aggressive riots? Not blood long, right? Ta avoid that, what happens? The 2/3 popularity holder gets the office, right? Ta avoid unnecessary violence? Seem familiar? Or 'but Johnny, we ain't playin' fast an loose with the Giovanni! We're just makin' em sign some fucked up blood contract written by some wanker named Emilian and you betcha he won't meddle with that shit at ALL' ... right... a Tremere tells ya ta sign somethin' or else. Anarchs ain't never been there. Worked out grand for us last time, and them Assamite fuckers too. But whatever.
Anyway. So, lets ta a look at the realities of Seattle bein' declared independent. Why wouldn't they just shrug an continue right on like usual. Well. The truth is that they totally might. I dunno. It means that status wouldn't mean shit, which we don't care about. It would mean that the borders aren't honored by them Cammie high an mighties. An it would mean that whatever they wanted ta do with, say, Giovanni, would be fair game. Course, the same is true of Anarchs. Means that, at least in theory, some or all of the city could roll inta Tacoma and try to tell em what's what. Personally, I think livin' in a slightly more dangerous world, represented by the fact that the Cam isn't bound by their semi-binding previous agreements, is totally worth it ta see the black eye of Seattle just tellin' off the Justicarate and walkin' off inta the sunset. I might be in the minority though, its really anyone's guess.
I wasn't able ta confirm what was what with the Seattle well-ta-dos. Their elected officials were either busy or not in attendance, so they couldn't be secured for questioning. I saw glimpses of their dashingly good lookin' harpy, but he scarcely gave me a second glance. Their number two, so old Brujah bloke, spent most of the night on the opposite side of the room. And the officials I could ask some questions of, like that Mad Tom fella, mostly gave me looks that said 'Go away, I'm busy', which is sorta sell-outy, but I guess enough time passes ya gotta make a bed for yerself, ya? The few just citizens I could ask mostly chortled at the notion and waved it off to point out someone's pretty dress. So. There was that, I suppose.
I will give a special shout out ta Sarah Smith. She's either playin' a dangerous game of politics or is just giddy at pokin' people. I dunno which, but I love her moxy either way.
I'm out.