Sheriff's manor - Culture Tour After-Party

[Lady Grace]

Grace looks to Valentina and smiles to Jean Jacques, "Yes very much. It's surprising how funny frequent misunderstanding can be made,"

Grace glances to Valentina's dress," that's pretty,"

She turns to look around the room.
"Is it okay if I take a seat?"

[Laurence]

Laurence is guided into the room not long after, thanking the servant, he takes a sip from his hip flask before looking around with interest. Inclining his head to Valentina and Keane.

"Quite a nice place you have here Sheriff."

[Valentina Audley]

There's a small spark of irritation in Valentina's aura as Jean-Jaques uses her first name. Bonus points for Ancilla she supposed, but really is Audley such a hard name to recall?

She was about to voice that opinion when Grace comments on her dress and her aura stutters in grief and her shoulders droop for a moment. Oh Francis, how amused you would be that even colourless in mourning I still garner compliments.

"Thank-you Lady Grace." She manages quietly, before going and busying herself by turning to the nearest bookshelf and studying the titles intensely.

[Andross Blint]

Andross appears to be looking about as he is guided to join the collection of kindred gathering. He offers thanks to the guide, along with a polite bow before they return to their duties.

"This is certainly quite the place you have here Dukes, it suits you quite perfectly."
He says this to no one in particular before moving to look over the books in the library.

[Madam Zaragoza]

Hermina will happily lead the way to any kindred who does not know it.
“For all idiosyncratic ways, Dukes is a wonderful host and sheriff. I recommend that everyone stick to the select rooms that Dukes invites us too, who knows what he hides behind the other doors. Of course if I or Neonate Durham invite any individuals into our respective private rooms, they are indeed welcome there too.”
She gives a wide smile to whomever can see it.

She goes up to the front and for politeness knocks despite having her own ways of entering the building. Mackinnon opens the door, “Good evening Madam Zaragoza and guests, welcome. Master Dukes wishes you all to go to library.”

[alanwrotethis]

Dukes enters the library at a quick pace with a box of candles. He scrabbles around one of the tables, locating his wife frame lenses. He wiped them clean with a shirt sleeve and sets them on his face.
"... welcome, I think? Yes, welcome."
He gestures at the box of candles.
"Old family tradition, inspired by Saturnalia, the giving of sigillaria as gifts. Normally they are wax figurines carved in the shape of caricature... Of the recipient's genitalia..."
He coughs.
"Lacking the time and the inclination for that, I've carved some candles into simple shapes. A red apple, a blue star, a white egg, a green bunch of grapes... yellow banana... and others.... tortoise shells, short-legged mules. In no way are these referential to your... nethers."
He lays out the assorted candles.
"Further, the shelf closest to the bar is one for re-gifting of books. I've collected ghost stories in most every language, I am sure you will find something to suit. Please, take a book, take a candle, and consider them gifts. When people have gathered I'll tell the toe-curling take I promised. In the meantime... I don't know, I assume you're all charming, you can drink and fraternise I am sure. Anyone wants to debate... the lectern is available. But you must be drunk to debate... old rule."

(Ooc feel free to make up or pick a candle as a gift/writing prompt, innuendo always appreciated . Characters will also find a range of ghost stories to read and discuss, covering an array of regions, eras and languages)

[Posh-Tim]

Keane looks around the room. He is oddly more comfortable around the arcane setting, books and the like. He listens to the others greeting one another as they enter and nods to the delegation of Brujah that seem to travel as a pack. He fails utterly to notice the style of Valentina's dress or her choker but notices her sudden pulses of sadness and irritation.
"Shall we see what hospitality the Sheriff has decided to provide us?"
He angles over to the seats searching for something to drink.
"Maybe we could all talk about the play more comfortably then?"

Before he is able to get anywhere Dukes enters with his candles. He walks over to admire the candles.
"I should ask, Sheriff, do these candles hold any special value beyond the symbolism of a waxen effigy?"

[Manacledairman]

Aldrich is lead in by Hermina and immediately looks around the room, taking special care and attention to people's faces. Again a practiced movement. His eyes rest on Lady Grace and her group of brujah, he smiles and finds seat, continuing to look around as if something is missing.

[Jean-Jacques]

Jean-Jacques, singularlyfailing to notice his gaffe with Valentina, takes his cue from Dukes and moves to the table of carved effigies...he spies something and picks up a dark green....Avocado shaped design.

He smiles, seemingly enjoying a private joke and then moves to choose a drink, it wouldn’t do to be the sober one.

[L .]

“I am not competing with an owl for space, Sheriff. Indeed I will not compete with a ghoul, or a neonate, or even, an ancilla. Either you are offering Hospitality to another elder or you are not. If that includes only one room - or indeed if there are rooms you wish excluded - you have only to say.” Her look darkens. “But not on account of an owl.”

The words are at odds with the fierce smile; above the high planes of her face, Aurealia’s eyes are shining. She tilts her head slightly, able to hear the light murmur now of people.

But then she blinks. “Wait - you’re putting people in the library? What about the books?” Mock horror.

Aurelia is picking up the teapot, unmindful if it’s already had Durham’s stash in it; she thinks Dukes is being sensitive. Her stuff was better, certainly, and it wouldn’t be so easily ‘contaminated’ by someone else’s stains. It’s possible the Tremere didn’t realise she’d also used it for drugs, though...

She needs both hands for the pot, so hands her flask to dukes in offering, or slips it into a pocket if rejected. “I haven’t seen your glasses.” She looks bemused, and not unhappy with him having lost them.

Aurelia moves obligingly into the library.

“Poppy tea anyone? It’s heavy stuff, so be warned. Drink slowly, etcetera. It’s human blood for mix obviously. But you can smell that yourselves. Apologies Architect, given this is fixed to my preference I doubt we will so coincidentally attend to the same tastes in the kine. How was the play?” She asks to the room.

“Oh. Wax figures?” She’s careful not to put the tea too close to them.