(1905) Jacque, Vivian, Ellis

[Jacque]

A corner of his lip curled upward at the mention of Arturo, "Seneschal York's suggestion may be the best. I could just send your contact information to him, however, with the cloud still looming from our prior disagreements I would hate for your early interactions with him to be tainted by default based on nothing more than the messenger." Something rattled from within him no sooner than he spoke the words.

He glanced to the side at the request, looking for a few chairs to add and a small task to clear his mind. Having found a couple, he smiled and stood from his perch and placed them in a comfortable proximity to the large sofa. He waited until his guests decided on where in the newly formed circle they would claim before resuming his seat.

He had thought about probing into his remorse for Adam's sudden departure, but it wasn't in particularly good taste to talk about those not present, "So Mister Meadows, what do you feel is the most interesting thing that you've learned during your several enlightening conversations?" The handsome man sounded like he also hit the ground running, so it would be interesting to see his perspective.

[Ellis Meadows]

Ellis walks with the pair into the corner while Jacque fusses about with the seating, taking one on the sofa once Jacque stepped back and Vivian took her own. He leaned back, one leg crossed over the other at apparent ease and comfort while he trained his attention back and forth on each of them as they speak.

"Yes, I admit that I expected to see Sheriff Moretti and the Madame Harpy around the fields, but I can only assume that they are busy putting in the work to put out fires from when I arrived. At least the new Keeper came out of it unscratched, and the Herald here seems to have bounced back from that loss." He nods at Jacque in recognition of his title.

Ellis shakes his head when Vivian admits to not having the Bishop's number. "That is a shame, Madame Seneschal. I consider myself moderately devout, and I was hoping for something a little more direct than leaving a note here for him to come across."

But then Jacque speaks up and Ellis can't help but smile at his generous offer. "Well, since you offer to be a go-between, perhaps you can simply give me his information? That would resolve all these trivial difficulties now, wouldn't it?" Considering the circumstances of last Court and what was going around, Ellis would never have asked... but Jacque did offer, and Ventrue Whip admitted to having the information.

Ellis laughs, amused. "Points of commonality. Things, interests shared between strangers in a strange and often unfriendly world. Of course, the differences can be just as interesting, can't they? If you're looking for specifics, I'm sorry to tell you that a Gentleman doesn't kiss and tell."

[Jacque]

Popping in out of turn for a quick whisper and will respond to Ellis after Vivian's post (normal rotation)

Jacque notices the young Lord enter and there was a brief expression of surprise on his face. He leans in to Vivian's ear while there was a break in conversation and whispers, "That gentlemen is Mister Graham Finley of the Lords. There was a small trouble with some disrespect during his first attempt to get acknowledged, so if he seeks it tonight he would need to be referred back to his Priscus."

He then sits back, bringing his full attention back to Ellis as to not appear rude.

  1 success

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2019-05-20 18:02:50		Jacque rolls 6 to whisper (Wit+Sub) (10 Again)		7, 7, 4, 5, 8, 2		1 success

[Ellis Meadows]

"Correct me if I am wrong, Whip Jacque, but if the Priscus of Lords was unavailable in the moment, wouldn't it be your job to handle a cousin seeking to introduce himself to Court? Initial disrespect or no?"

After a few nights being dead it is the merest of effort for any Kindred to sharpen their senses to superhuman levels.

Like hearing.

Obviously it was a harder lesson to learn than the fact that whispering in front of someone else was rude, no matter how you acted after the fact.

"If you'd rather I step aside while you have a private conversation about the Business of the Lords with the Madame Seneschal, I can find something else to do."

  2 successes

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2019-05-22 22:51:53		Ellis Meadows rolls 6 to Droppin eaves wit + com + senses (10 Again)		4, 9, 4, 3, 9, 4		2 successes

[Jacque]

Tilting his hand to Vivian, "Unfortunately, Mister Garcia's number is not mine to give and I share the same sentiments as the Seneschal on the matter."

He grinned at the pleasantry, "Oh, nothing terribly specific. Everyone experiences a new city a little differently and I was curious about yours." The handsome Daeva was making quite the impression, until he chose a new posture.

He listened carefully over the words Ellis had to say, his face holding his expression until moments after his final words. Cracking his lips into a grin he replies, "I'll tell you what I found interesting, Mister Meadows. Since my time arriving in Sacramento I've noticed that there are two things, most of all, that impact the reputation of Kindred the most as guests of Her Majesty here in Elysium."

Lifting a single finger, "A lack of discretion,"
Followed by a second, "And jumping to conclusions."

Resting his hand back on the arm of the sofa, "I can appreciate that you do not know the proper context behind what I whispered to the Seneschal so I will say that you are correct for most cases, but not this one. That..." shrugging his shoulders, "was fairly innocuous, though. It is a valid clarification to be made if the circumstances left an eavesdropper confused about what the proper decorum is." Turning his palm upwards, "Now, blurting aloud the business of two Domain officers that were being discrete in discussing falls quite short of an act in good faith." He had pinned him as a stickler for etiquette, so perhaps this lack of discretion was simply a temporary lapse of good judgement.

Addressing his final question, "I'm sure you've heard and understand the idiom: 'business before pleasure'. A short whispering of information was enough to resolve this matter for now, but anything more lengthy and I would have excused myself from the conversation. If you can understand that and find it agreeable, then I see no reason for our conversation to end."

He smiled at Vivian as she turned the conversation to personal interests, he looked towards Ellis with a curiosity of what his pleasures were.

[Ellis Meadows]

He's being stonewalled. How fun. "I see, Madame Seneschal. In that case, I will leave a note for the Bishop and hope that the difficulties of his Banishment do not keep him away from it overlong. My spiritual needs can wait."

"I quite agree with the formalities of the First Estate," Ellis says, "but the Madam Au Pair has informed me that things are somewhat more relaxed here, at least when dealing with Kindred not of the First Estate. The trivial was merely an offer to smooth out the awkwardness of getting the number of someone who has such a outspoken issue with the Whip."

The finger thing Jacque did was cute, it reminded Ellis of a kindergarten teacher.

"Well if we're going to talk about a lack of discretion Herald, you have an office just down the hall here." Ellis gestures down towards the offices of the Prince, Seneschal, Harpy, Keeper and Herald. "I'm a Daeva, we're the masters of discretion. So it's from that position I speak from when I tell you that I'm not the one who lacks it if you insist on having whispered conversations in the commons where everyone is listening to everyone else." Ellis smiles as he says all this, very peaceably.

"As for jumping to conclusions," Ellis shrugs. "The laws I swore to obey included a line about not hindering those seeking Presentation. If you and the Madame Seneschal needed to step away for a moment to attend to that, I would certainly understand. I certainly wouldn't throw a fit, stomp my feet and wag my finger in your face over it, let alone challenge you to Monomancy."

"Of course, you could have also simply said 'Excuse me, I need to speak with the Seneschal for a moment. Domain buisness, you understand.' before whispering and I would have politely pretended to have gone deaf." Ellis' open handed gesture is ambivalent, suggesting neither one thing or another. "Knowledge for the future, I'm sure."

Ellis smiles, and cocks an eyebrow at Vivian's familiar address, were they at that point already? "I've often found trivia nights to be a sort of effervescent enlightenment, and on one occasion or the other, I've spent an evening at a club or bar. Much of my free time is taken up with work and establishing myself, and I've avoided prowling around the Rack as too much of a temptation without feeding permission, but I would love to hear any recommendations you have. You are, after all, the the First Estate's Librettist. I am always eager to learn whatever an expert would care to impart."

[Jacque]

Jacque shrugs, "If you find your needs can no longer wait, I'm always willing to send him your number."

He was quickly growing bored of this passive dick waving the handsome Daeva seemed so insistent on pursuing. In a flattened tone, "Mister Meadows. I gave you the benefit of the doubt with misunderstanding something overheard out of context. I even gently pointed out that it may not be wise to so simply speak whispered matters aloud, especially when those whispers were between Officers of Her Majesty's Domain. You assume that I cared whether or not you heard the words. If I did care, I would not have whispered them. What is expected is that Her Majesty's sharp-eared subjects are to have enough wits to recognize that our words do not bear repeating."

His eyes narrow on the Incubus as he firmly but peaceably continues, "However, it is most uncouth to sit where you are and be so brazen as to suggest we conduct our business differently in a manner that suits your delicacies over Prince Antinori's desires." Twisting his shoulders and expression in contemplation, "Perhaps you were unaware that Her Majesty has requested that absolutely no private meetings occurduring these social gatherings, so it is fortunate that you are in the presence of two very tolerative individuals." He catches the glance from Vivian, and he silently agreed. The fact this conversation has continued this long over something so fueled by ignorance was quite counterproductive to the works of the Domain.

Turning his wrists outward, "You may want to consider holding any further suggestions until you can meet with Keeper Mable privately and get up to speed with all of Her and Her Majesty's expectations for conduct in Elysium. If you still have any suggestions afterwards, I would be happy to meet you privately to discuss them on another night. For now, let us learn more pleasant things about each other, shall we?" He gazed passively over Ellis, contemplating if he would heed the friendly warning or share the same fate as Icarus.

His eyes animated with interest at the Seneschal's efforts to reinstate normality to the conversation, "I like wandering into fresh and unexplored places but if I were to go back to any I would say the BonnLair, the 'Pitch and Fiddle' and the 'Fox and Goose' were most enjoyable." He shares a grin over her coy suggestion, "The Smoke and Glass is a more recent discovery for me, but I would be remiss to not give it the highest recommendation."