"My apologies Deputy, it is of course expected." Can you even be a Deputy without a Reeve? He would have asked for his title to also be used in formal settings, but, he didn't really feel as if he'd done anything to deserve his title; other than existing when no other Shadows had.
"Indeed," he smiled, "I arrived just after new years this year. Although I did travel for a few months in between then and now. A friend of my Sire wanted some help setting up a brewery of all things, good to have her owe me a favor. Had I heard you also took a leave of absence? If this counts as another time I would enjoy being regaled by that story of the past." He smiled playfully. "If not, then what do you do for work?" At least he hoped she worked, there seemed a bizarre amount of Kindred with strange benefactors funneling them money.
Emma was not the only one that struggled with small talk, Jacob's speech is directing and structured, in a permanent attempt to move conversation topics to something, anything, of what he would perceive as "greater substance".
Psychangel