The Culture Tour

[Jean-Jacques]

As Lady Granville offers her hand to to Elder Adrich, Jean Jacques relaxes his arm and moves away. After a short bow to Lady Granville and a nod to Elder Aldrich.

As the group continue, he briefly pauses as Elder Aurelia departs, considering briefly as to whether he ought to ensure she arrives safely wherever she is headed he decides quickly to put aside his kine instincts and instead falls behind the main group as they head for the production.

[alanwrotethis]

North of the city, an ivy-wreathed manor house detached from the main thoroughfares. The east wing, dilapidated and weather-worn over many decades, shows simple signs of repair and refurbishment.
The main door opens with a creak. Dukes, muttering profanities in half a dozen languages under his breath, lets himself in.
"Master Dukes?" a voice calls in a thick, Scottish burr. His manservant McKinnon greets him, snatching away his coat and satchel.
"Guests due in the next two hours, please ready the library for soiree, not a seance.... just move some tables and chairs around, I don't know. Do we still have a cask of the-?" Dukes taps a vein on his wrist, indicating blood.
"Of course sir, Lord Durham left some here, in case your clients were busy this month. Sir?"
"Mmm?"
"Durham is here sir."
The Sheriff's eyes drift towards the west wing.
"He's having one of his quiet nights sir."
"Well... glad someone is. Please ask Miss Herridge to ready the guest rooms, might need them. The heavy curtains."
" ... understood sir. Sir?"
"Yes?"
"Are you well sir? You've been absent from the house most of this week, and we saw the rips in your clothes-"
"And get me a case of assorted candles and a whittling knife. Thick candles."
" ... sir."
McKinnon nods and departs. Dukes shakes his head. Taking the stairs in the main hall down, Dukes follows a corridor, rounding a corner to a locked double door. Sighing, he flourishes a key and unlocks it.
Inside is a long,windowless room. A gallery of sorts, lined with tables holding pottery, simple wooden carvings of spheres and cubes, lumps of iron. In one corner, an unlit brazier, in another an empty garden fountain, in another a raised bed of soil.
To one side, two of the tables are toppled, broken exhibits of ceramic and clay litter the floor.
"Pull yourself together," he says, pointedly, to the room. As he returns upstairs the tables slowly right themselves, broken pottery rolls across the floor and back onto the counters.
Entering the library, Dukes finds the furniture scattered in a series of informal groupings. On the table nearest the lectern, a box of candles.
Grumbling, he sits, pressing the blade of the whittling knife to a chunk of black wax. He carves a simple shape.
A flutter of wings, Sophia drifts in, settling on the head of a nearby chair.
"Yes... I know I'm home early. Didn't quite go as planned."
Sophia hoots.
"Because I was nervous, and I don't like being nervous... not for real anyway."
An angry flap of wings.
"A good shag she said. Damned thing, how am I supposed to..."
He pauses.
"A shag is a type of bird isn't it? Hmm... alright, that's actually funny."
Silence. A few seconds later, a choking sound, a chuckle, laughter. He laughs deep, from the gut. Sophia, confused, leaves the library.
"It was a dark and stormy night... no... a night dark and gleaming, the moon baleful and awake..." he mutters, forming the words of a story for the after-party. Every few minutes he pauses, listening for early visitors. After ten minutes he swears, calling himself a shit-smeared whoreson in Greek before setting a crude wax carving down and starting work on a blue candle.

[Valentina Audley]

As they start to walk, Valentina lets go of Keane's hand and instead tucks her hand in the crook of his elbow instead which has the twin advantages of both, looking less improper to Kine and bringing her into closer proximity to the Elder.

She smiles to Aurelia "I look forward to seeing you later Elder." The words are demure but her eyes have regained their earlier mischievious twinkle.

She allows Keane to both lead and set the pace. "Have you visited theatre since you arrived in Aquae Sulis Elder?" She inquires softly.

"I always mean to go, but I'm very bad about actually getting there." She admits frankly.

[Madam Zaragoza]

Hermina takes note of Keane’s comment regarding other substances and promises to herself that she will make better acquaintance with him at the after party.

At Dukes’ explosion and threat to her current abode, she feints offence.
“Sheriff please do no such thing. I will be moving soon and I promise to leave nothing behind that will offend your sensibilities.” She takes on a look of innocence, “Remember not all of us have had the privilege of living in Byzantine in those heady golden times. You may be jaded, but some of us are just trying to make up for missing out!”

On Grace approaching Aldrich,
“Oh Ancilla Grace, are you accompanying the Architect and I into the theatre? Oh do sit with us, I would like that very much indeed. I know far too little about you. I would love discover to *much* more.”

[Lady Grace]

"I will if it is acceptable to you Elder," Grace says with some humility, "I do so love the theatre but also talking to you. I would be honoured to join you. I am sure you have some fascinating tales to tell," this last line even actually sounds truthful.

[Posh-Tim]

Keane sets a slow and somewhat ambling pace toward the theatre in the manner of someone who very rarely rushes anywhere. As Dukes and Aurelia make their parting he nods to each of them as they go but does not comment upon in.
With Valentinas arm in his he gets a little spring in his step and notes her lightening mood also.
"No, I haven't seen much of Aquae Sulis at all as it is. I have been out of the domain a fair amount such as on that pointless journey to Wales Elder Stone organised. What time I have had free has been spent at the House on the Hill. It really is very interesting there."
He fades out in thought for a moment before returning to himself.
"But no, this is why I thought it good to take up the keeper on his offer. That and for Raife's education of course."

[Madam Zaragoza]

“My darling Ancilla, how kind of you to say so. Of course the play will not allow us to explore in much detail the finer points about each other. However I do hope that both you and Aldrich come to the after party, then we can have a much more intimate discourse and discover everything there is know.”

She smiles brightly at the brujah.

[Manacledairman]

Aldrich's eyes glaze over for a moment as the group moves toward the theatre, he listens intently to the conversations being had. His back straightens as if a shock had run through it when Hermina refers to him only as Aldrich, it is only momentary however as he relaxes his muscles and continues his walk.

"Elder Aldrich if you wouldn't mind Elder Hermina. As I said to the sheriff, there is an example to be set, especially when travelling with an unreleased Childer. How else will they learn if not from their elders behaviours and sensibilities." He smiles "I do very much look forward to this after party however."

[Lady Grace]

Grace almost flinches, she is already very divided about the wisdom of her current course of action.
"Umm," she clears her throat even though that is entirely unnecessary then looks behind her.
"Apologies I see my clan mate indicating to me. It wouldn't do to neglect my Primogen duties even on such a splendid evening," she pauses, "Elders I will catch up with you and perhaps talk later."
Grace lets you of Elder Beaufort's arm and drops back as elegantly as she can.

[Madam Zaragoza]

“Of course Architect, a mere slip of my tongue. I cannot apologise enough for my error.”

She looks with regret at Grace, “My dear Ancilla Grace, I do hope I have not scared you away. You are correct of course though that your duties to your clan always come first.”

She smiles at Aldrich, “So Architect, it appears to be you and me again. I do hope that I have not offended you so much that you wish to abandon me as well?”