lusi | The Neinhaus

"Ma'am, I just have to say your jewelry is exquisite." Shaun bows slightly to the lovely woman on the blanket. He has his own jewelry, a nose ring and multiple earrings, bracelets, rings so he knows good jewelry when he sees it. "I couldn't pass you without giving you a compliment for it."

He looks over her bottles but he still has his wine at the moment and doesn't need a second drink. Perhaps he'll come back later for that once he's done with the lovely red he's drinking.

"Shaun Gilmore," he says as he offers her a hand. "A pleasure to meet you."

Ooh, he's an interesting one to look at. Not only because of the jewelry but his confidence and candor are immediately charming. He obviously knows how to talk to beautiful women.

"Thank you dear, it was made by the finest craftsman that I know." Said with a smile that suggests maybe there's a secret joke there just for herself, and idly she twists the various armbands and rings so that they're all situated just right. Shaun's appraisal isn't wrong, her jewelry is made from the finest gold and gems and even after months of being on the island it shines as if it was made yesterday.

He offers a hand and she places hers in his, palm down in invitation for him to kiss the back of her hand if he so choose, "The goddess Aphrodite." She grins, "If you spend too much time around here, you will likely hear of me, if you haven't already."

Of course he presses a kiss to her knuckles. Shaun is nothing but a gentleman with a lady who so clearly is offering. It's the most manners Shaun has seen from anyone here. Clearly, this is a woman of class and refinement.

"He has my compliments. I'm terribly envious of some of those rings." Shaun adores jewelry, clearly, though nothing he has matches the brilliance of hers. It's good quality but not divine.

"You'll have to give everyone a scolding. No one's mentioned a goddess to me." He clicks his tongue as he releases her hand. "A fact that has me tempted to scold them myself."

"I'll be certain to pass the compliments on once I return home." There's at least some benefit to being married off to the finest metalworker in the heavens, even if the arrangement was... not quite at her will. But enough about Hephaestus. Her grin grows even brighter when Shaun presses a kiss to her knuckles. She loves a gentleman.

A sweeping hand offers the spot next to her, if he'd like to sit for a spell. "Not a word? Tsk, I must have lost my touch. Why, when dear Beau arrived she asked for me by name before I'd even known she'd arrived." The disappointment is put on, exaggerating a huff although the smile never leaves her features, "But do not be too hard on them. I do love a good first impression."

He sits and then leans back on an elbow, slightly on his side to stay facing her. It's nice to relax a spell. He's mingled so much tonight which has left him energized but he wouldn't pass up a chance to settle.

"Ah, Beau. I met her. Very intense that one. I could see why she'd want a goddess and would settle for nothing less." He sips his wine with an easy smile. Shaun tends to like men more but there is no denying this woman's beauty.

"You're doing a spectacular job."

She can't blame him, she's a fan of men too. Perhaps they can gossip about the hottest ones sometime.

"They're all a very colorful bunch," She gestures to the party attendants around her, her eyes drifting around the scene at the same moment. She'd been referring to their personalities but she can't help but grin at how literal her statement was. Greens and pinks and silvers and that's not even getting into the veritable rainbow that was Mollymauk.

Eyes drift back over to Shaun and she tilts her head, "So you're not this Veth. But I haven't seen you around the Mighty Nein's house yet." She sips at her own drink, "Are you a friend? Or from the same world as they are?"

He would love nothing more than to drink wine with a goddess and gossip about attractive men.

"No, I am not Veth. I haven't met her yet, I'm afraid so I can't help you find her." All these people to meet takes up time and he imagines Veth is very popular tonight with it being her party and all.

"I arrived only a few days ago. I'm from Tal'Dorei. If you know Vax'ildan, I'm an old friend of his. Once the patron of him and his adventuring friends." His smile is fond. The goddess of love will probably be able to spot the lingering light of love in his eyes when he talks about Vax. "I know all their most embarrassing stories."

Her eyes brighten, not in any small part because of that undeniable quickening of his heartbeat that she can sense when he speaks of Vax. Oh, it's her favorite thing when distant lovers are reunited. Even if they do not know they're lovers yet.

"Oh, in that case, you absolutely must indulge me at least one story about Vax." She leans forward, chin in her hands. Bright and interested in learning about worlds beyond her own.

"There's so little that I've heard from his perspective - he's a rather quiet one, isn't he?"

"Oh, a story about Vax." Shaun drags his teeth over his lower lip. "Well, when I first met him he was full of piss and vinegar. I raised prices on him deliberately because he annoyed me so damn much."

But now when he thinks of that past there's a fondness, an amusement over the mess of people that was Vox Machina. Vex trying to haggle and using her brother to distract him. Very clever.

"But once I got to know him and the rest of them well, I did much better business."

She snickers at the story, "Is that so? Vax has always been a gentleman for as long as I've known him."

Then again, she met him when she was half dressed and that has a good way of getting people to behave. Or the other way around. Either way, it is a good story and she can imagine it well - he'd been a lot more willing to banter and tease with her when they were both in belief that they were married.

"That sounds like a common theme among this group. Similar souls are brought together, I suppose."

“Oh, he has manners now but when we first met all piss and vinegar with a deadly charm.” And the charm had only grown over the years. Shaun can’t help but look for him in the crowd and smile when he spots him.

The love he feels for Vax’ildan is very real and very strong.

“Which is a good thing. It’s easier to be taken somewhere when you have familiar faces or familiar personalities.” He sips his wine as he admires her for a moment.

“I imagine you’ve made very good friends here.”

The warm thrum in his heart when he looks at Vax makes her heart warm in turn, and she hides a smile behind the rim of her jar, sipping at the sweet nectar inside. Of course she notices when his gaze flits to her, and she doesn't shy away from the gaze at all. In fact, she preens a little, brushing a long lock of pink hair back over her shoulder. Curiously, the strands of her hair end in perfect little hearts. She is on-brand if nothing else.

"You could say that." Friends. For the moment, her smile shifts into something softer, more genuine. It's semantics but friendship was something she was much less versed in than lovers, and it wasn't until spending a significant amount of time with the Nein that she really felt a longing for the former. How could she not when it was obvious how much the group of them loved each other?

Shifting her expression back into something more casual, she makes a show of pouting, "I am grateful. Everyone I know from home have already disappeared, and I despise feeling lonely."

Shaun does love to look a little extra. The hearts are a nice touch and her hair is just the perfect shade of pink. He is enjoying this conversation and the view.

"Oh, that's a shame. Well, I've been told by reliable sources I'm quite charming company. Some of the best to keep around, really. If you find yourself in need." He winks even though he mostly means friendship and conversation. Aphrodite, for all her undeniable beauty and raw sensuality, does seem like she needs a friend.

He didn't miss that softer smile when he mentioned her relationship with this group of people.

"I can already tell. There hasn't been a dull moment since you joined me." She loves the company of handsome men, kanoodling optional. What's most important is if they are interesting, and his silver tongue aside, the flits of attraction and fondness she is picking up from him directed toward Vax is certainly something to pay attention to.

(She wouldn't be much of a goddess of love if she didn't celebrate the love of others, after all.)

Knees curled in, she props her elbows on her knees, fingers laced together and leaning in, "You mentioned raising prices - are you a merchant?"

"My dear, I make sure things are never dull." Shaun enjoys keeping things exciting and fun, especially at a party like this.

He nods at her question. "I own and operate an enchanted goods shop in Emon, where I live. Gilmore's Glorious Goods. You won't find a better shop in the city. I enchant everything myself."

He did a little flourish with his hand and sent a shower of pink, glittering hearts into the air around them. "I'm good with my hands."

The showmanship is met with an appreciative "Oooh!" and she holds out her hands as if the pink glitter and hearts might fall into them.

"Your worlds seem so interesting - mortals do not have nearly so many powers in the world I am from." So wizards or enchantments, although there were some that erroneously considered themselves magical. The gods of her world were apparently much more jealous with their favors. "And there's certainly not any with green or purple skin, or horns."

Frankly! She's a little jealous!

It's easy enough for Shaun to wiggle his fingers above Aphrodite's head and have a shower of pink glittering hearts rain down over her. They linger only a few seconds before vanishing but he does like to show off.

"It's a wonderful place to live. I enjoy it immensely." Shaun misses it a little even after only a few days here. He can't imagine what'll be in like a week or longer. There's no way to know how long he'll be here.

He laughs warmly at her observation. "Well, if I can figure out how to enchant on this island I will make you an enchantment to turn your skin a lovely shade of rose if you'd like."

And she loves a good show off. Especially when it's for her benefit, and she basks a bit in the pretty shower of sparkles and glitter, imagining that it must make her look all that much more enchanting in the bright sunlight.

But enough about her. She laughs a little at the imagery, "That sounds lovely, although I'll have to be careful with that. There is already a lovely little pink goddess here and I would hate to draw any comparisons."

Curling her legs around and then behind her, she switches to resting on her stomach, her elbows propping her chin up, "In any case, your powers should come back in some capacity once you've completed some of those auspicious acts that are listed on your bracer." She taps the one on her wrist. A lovely gold to go with her other jewelry, although it is not as fine. "And if you need any assistance there..." She trails off, suggestively - listen she's down to clown even if he's less inclined - but also sends her gaze over the crowd in the garden, "There are many interesting individuals who I'm sure would be glad to lend you a hand. If any have caught your interest yet...?"

"Yes, I've figured out the economy here." It's not bad, per say. He's certainly very comfortable with casual sex. He doesn't like that they took his magic to force him to have sex though. It's the one thing that would definitely motivate him to sleep around.

He chuckles and smiles at her. "I'm flattered a Goddess would think me worthy of her time. And I might take you up on that in the future but there's something I need to figure out first."

Vax'ildan. He has to sort out what is happening between him and Vax before he can really start sleeping around. He can't enjoy it if things are not right with the man he loves.

Maybe that's why she'd been generously allowed many of her powers when she arrived, because she was already ready and eager to participate in the Augur's game. And because her powers weren't so different from the kinds of things they used to lace food and drink on the island. Although she uses hers much more judiciously.

She nods, not making any attempt to hide the drift of her eyes towards Vax, "Take all the time you need. We're all here for a very long time."

Smiling, she winks at Gilmour, "And I think this island is the perfect place for second chances."

"What's a few more months in the span of years knowing each other?" Shaun didn't think it would take that long but... well... Vax could be flighty. His sweet bird.

He chuckles and sips his drink. "Here's hoping. If not, I still have very pleasant company to spend time with."

Her. Others. Someone. Shaun didn't know what else he would find here. His greatest hope was that second chance. "Well, thank you for letting me spend some time with you, your loveliness. I think I shall go see about a conversation."

With Vax.

The Neinhaus

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject