"Welcome! Welcome!" Pete is downstairs directing people upstairs to the VIP Lounge when they arrive for the party. And Mayir is upstairs, excited to see who has come to wish him a happy twenty-first. He also might be a drink or two in already. It is hard to say. "So glad you can make it! I won't be mad if you start with dessert first! Lottie made a /special/ cake just for me!" Mayir is pleased as punch! (The punch is to the right, next to the rum.)

Dot, the war-wiener, Judy, an investigative assistant arrive, following Harper.

Aureth strolls up the stairs for all the world as though he owns them, his aspect quite cheery. He is far, far overdressed for the Lowers in his shimmer of spider's silk and glittering gems, but here he is. There are signs of an uncommon weariness around his eyes, but his smile is brilliant as he opens his arms wide at the top of the stairs, going, "Mayir! Come here!"

Nurie enters the room with bright eyed curiousity, taking it in, her eyes widening just a little at the sudden change in atmosphere from the downstairs to the lounge. And of course, it's all the more eyepopping with the deliciousness spread out on the table. But then there is a happy Mayir, and though it should be impossible, that seems to make her smile brighter still. "Happy birthday, sweet one!" she tells him, offering a gentle kiss to his cheek if he allows it. "What a lovely place! And how nice to see you as well, Legate!" she offers to Aureth, a little shyly.

Harper makes her way upstairs not too far behind Aureth. She's carrying a big package and promptly sets it down wherever she can, almost as if just wanting to get rid of it. She looks a little green around the gills until she does. With a glance around, she heads over her grin returning full force as she immediately beelines it toward Mayir, grumbling good-naturedly, "Hurry up Auuureth, I wanna hug him too."

Isabetta arrives a little late, like she's been here before. "Mayir, you rogue. This is surely a trick to get us to come and drink your .." She finds the rum, "rum." She starts drinking some rum. "Happy birthday." She remarks and eyes some of the other people there, giving the hugs, she eyes them carefully. She decides to get into line.

Fortunato arrives, in umbra and gold and duskstone, a-glitter against the dark. "Mayir!" he calls out from behind his brother. He waggles his fingers in greeting.

"Hello! Hello!" Mayir leans up and kisses Nurie on the cheek, and then on the lips. Because no way is she going to get away with just a kiss on the cheek. He then takes a step back and shows off the pin at the center of his cloak. "Do you see this?" he asks all of them. "Nurie made this for me for my birthday! It's perfect!" And then he moves down the line, giving Aureth a big hug and a pat-pat to the back. "Best Patron Ever! You made it! And Harper!" He hugs his sister, too, looking at the giant package. "What's that?"

It might have been a long time since Nisaa has seen Mayir. Perhaps it has been too long. She greets Pete kindly and makes her way upstairs. Dressed in shades of amethyst and crimson, she sweeps across the floor to the Birthday Man himself, wearing a bright smile for her friend. She keeps it there, her cheeks dipping into dimples as she tries to be patient and let everyone else greet him first. Finally, finally, she has a turn. "Happy Birthday, Mayir! I am glad she was making a special cake just for you. You are deserving of such things." She leans in, taking a hand or two of his into hers and giving his cheek a kiss before murmuring into his ear.

Harper looks over at the package when Mayir mentions it, then looks back and says with a wrinkle of her nose, "Your present from Magpie. He's all sick with something and quarrantined himself over at the manor for a bit." She gives it another wary look, then adds, "You can make Pete carry it when you're ready to open it. I'm not touching it ever again." But she turns a grin to Mayir, and says in a much more cheerful voice, "And happy birthday, brother!" With all that done, she sneaks a hug to Aureth then waves to Fort and meanders off to find a corner to sit in.

Aureth squeezes his young cousin in a solid hug, kissing him on the top of his head with a noisy "Mwah!" before releasing him to his queue of wellwishers. He puts a very expensive bottle of mead down on the table with the rest of the festive eats and drinks, and then turns a smile towards Harper and Nurie with a tip of two fingers up by his head in an airy salute. As Harper hugs him, he loops his arm around her shoulders and gives her a squeeze. "Hey, Harper. Good to see you. And Nurie-- Good to see you, too, though I don't think I need be a Legate in the _Murder_, really."

"No Legates in the Murder," Fortunato confirms, idly. "Harper. Good to see you. Ah--" He steps back against the wall to study the small crowd. "I need to catch up on everything and everyone, I think."

"Had it made," Nurie laughs. "I only /wish/ I could set stones and make carvings as well!" Mayir and Aureth are familiar to her, and perhaps Fortunato rings a bell from...somewhere...but then she is smiling with warmth and friendliness, offering her introductions. "I'm Nurie Baseborn, I don't know that I've had the pleasure to meet many of you before, but I can't imagine that you aren't delightful, if you are here to celebrate the birthday boy!" At the mention of Magpie's illness, her brow furrows. "Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that. I hope he's well soon. I made his acquaintance in the cart races that were held a little while ago, he was a very fierce competitor!" She nods solemnly to Aureth, touching the fingertips of one hand to her heart in a respectful salute. "As it pleases you!"

"Had it made! But she's the perfect designer! Nurie Baseborn, everyone! Finest tailor in all of Arx!" Because Always Be Selling, that is the Mayir Grayhope motto. And then Mayir is passed off to Nisaa and kisses HER on the cheek and the lips, too, because he is shameless like that. "We'll play darts soon, if people want to! I've got a prize!" He is enjoying himself. He also murmurs in Nisaa's ear, a bit impish.

Isabetta tells Nurie, "Isabetta Gilden, you know I've known Mayir for some time and yet I don't seem to know any of his friends, do you thinhk that is weird?" She looks like she does.

Harper grins a bit at Fort and nods, saying, "You and me both, I reckon. I've been so busy with this and that lately, that I haven't really got out to do anything just for the fun of it in a bit." She happily stays back out of the way of the crowds, content to watch the others and play wall flower.

Nisaa blushes faintly at Mayir's impish whisper, tucking her chin down before looking up at him. She whispers back then steps aside. Watching the others with wide verdigris eyes, she says, "I am not thinking I know most here either." Her voice is thick with the accent of far away lands, recognized by some as Eurusi in origin. "I am Nisaa Whisper." She dips her head as she introduces herself to the crowd.

Fortunato stays where he is. He loops his arms behind his head and says to Harper, "You don't have to call me Dusk anymore, at least. Fortunato again. Trying to become a Whisper. How's you?"

"Tell Magpie to stop being sick," Aureth declaims, as he takes a seat and puts his feet up, ankles crossed. "Mayir! Tell us, as you advance into your twenties, do you have plans for conquest?"

"With as many places that he is welcome, I would expect it to be so!" Nurie admits, to Isabetta. "But sometimes that's a good thing! It's so very nice to meet you, my lady, and if we hadn't a friend in common, why it would have been even longer before we had!" The mention of darts has her perk up. "Darts! I've never tried those before! Is it harder or easier than throwing other things?" she wants to know. "It's very nice to meet you as well, Nisaa. I've only met Bliss Whisper and Gianna Whisper before, just downstairs I think. It was my second day in Arx, and there was a northern lord dancing bottomless on one of the tables."

Isabetta wrinkles her nose and says, "I came to a murder darts once a long time ago and it was maybe the last time I was in the murder at all. I guess those don't happen anymore?" She looks thoughtful and then decides to agree with Aureth, "Yes Mayir, tell us plans of conquest or at least piracy, because that sounds exciting."

"Lady Isabetta! Hello!" Mayir makes his way down the line and hugs the Gilden woman and kisses her just on the cheek. "So glad you could make it! And Dus - unato!" Good save there, Mayir! "You got your -- hey! That's terrific! I can't even believe it!" No, really. He can't believe it! "Nisaa is my favorite Whisper, so you should ask her! You'd be a great Whisper!" A pause. "No. Wait. You can still be a Grayhope. Carry on."

Mayir then claps his hands together. "Well! With Perronne, I plan on being the greatest brokerage in Arx! With you, dear Legate Cousin Patron, I intend to be a celebrated member of society! And with Magpie, I'm going to run the best family in the Lowers! And with everyone here, I intend to be the luckiest damn nobody who ever got adopted." His voice is a little bit heavier then, more serious. "Honestly. There was no guarantee that I'd make twenty-one. But my life is so much richer -- and not just in coins -- for all of you. So thank you. From the bottom of my heart." He places a hand over his chest.

"But who wants to play darts!"

Aureth Grayhope, Shepherd of the Faith, Voice of the Dominus, pillows his arms behind his head and lounges on the couch in the Murder of Crows. "I'm rubbish at darts, so why not," he says. "Someone hand me one of those glorious-looking pies, I can't reach."

Harper looks at Fort in surprise, "Really, Fort?!" Then a huge grin splits across her face, and it's obvious that she's really happy for him, "That's grand news! I wanna hear the story sometime, alright? Cause there's gotta be a story to go along with that, surely."

"I am remembering the darts nights too. I came just once, but met a dear dear friend that night." Nisaa smiles at the memory then looks to Mayir. "Oh, thank you, Mayir. You are my favorite many things as well." Dipping her head to Fortunato she says, "it is pleasuring to be meeting you. I am gladdened to hear you might be joining us." She looks towards the dart board then. "it might be dangerous for me to be trying this."

Aureth has joined the line.

Nurie has joined the line.

Nurie doesn't have a glass to hand, so she can clap her hands in delight. "Hear, hear!" she says after his mini-speech. "To many more years, and countless more riches to come! I'm so happy for you, dear one." But at the mention of darts, she lifts her hand eagerly. "I do!" But first, she can't really seem to help herself, it's so engrained, she fetches a pie for Aureth!

Fortunato barks a laugh and looks from Harper to Mayir. "It's /quite/ a story, but a bit-- dreamish. Another time," he says, a touch quieter. And to Mayir, most specifically, "Oh, come now, cousin. I'm 40 years old. I need to find a trade. I don't do the Grayhopes any good, yeah? Perronne's a terrific partner, though."

"Bless you," Aureth says, immediately shoving a large bite of pie in his mouth. Omnomnom. With his mouth full, he says, "Oo ha a ade, oo iar."

Nisaa has joined the line.

Harper looks over at Mayir and makes a face at him, "You're not a nobody and never were. You're our family, so stop being silly." She winks at him playfully, and adds, "It's not just anyone that I'd call brother." She eyes Aureth, then just says teasingly, "Excuse you, Aureth."

"Can't believe I just thought you were an awful guard back in the day," says Mayir to Harper with a shake of his head, giving his sister a quick hug before moving to Nurie's side and taking her hand in his for a firm squeeze. After looking around for a moment to make sure no one else wants to play, he jumps into the line. "Well, I guess I'm playing, too, since it's an intimate party! Uhhh, how about Nisaa and Nurie, you two face off against each other?"

Nisaa looks over to Nurie with a smile and the briefest of curtsies. "Best of luck to you, though I am thinking the luck will be more needed by everyone else not to be hit by a stray dart thrown from my hand. I have never done this before." She makes some quiet inquiries about the room on how, exactly, one plays darts, then sets herself in place. So I just am throwing the pointy end towards the board?" She does her best then, taking her turn.

Nisaa checked dexterity + small wpn at difficulty 15, rolling 15 higher.

Nisaa checked dexterity + small wpn at difficulty 15, rolling 10 higher.

Nisaa checked dexterity + small wpn at difficulty 15, rolling 34 higher.

"All right," Nurie says about the pairing, giving Mayir a little wink as as he squeezes her hand. But then she shakes her head a little. "I have confidence in you Nisaa!" she tells her. "May your aim be true!" Clearly, she hasn't played that many competative sports, because she clasps her hands together and bounces a little on her toes, as if willing the other woman to get a score that she can be proud of!

Aureth checked dexterity + legerdemain at difficulty 15, rolling 11 higher.

Aureth checked dexterity + legerdemain at difficulty 15, rolling 11 higher.

Aureth checked dexterity + legerdemain at difficulty 15, rolling 7 higher.

Dusting his hands together, Aureth rises from the couch so that he can take the darts and give them a few tosses with practiced flicks of his wrist. It's not like, the most impressive performance ever, but he doesn't hurt anybody, at least. And when his turn is done, he returns to his pie.

Nurie checked dexterity + legerdemain at difficulty 15, rolling 14 higher.

Nurie checked dexterity + legerdemain at difficulty 15, rolling 15 higher.

Nurie checked dexterity + legerdemain at difficulty 15, rolling 30 higher.

Nurie has been studying first Nisaa and then Aureth attentively. Perhaps that's why her cheeks are just a little flushed by the time she takes the dart set, her forehead knit in a fierce frown of concentration. But that momentary cloud is quickly lifted as SHE manages to not spear anyone or anything she shouldn't either! She claps her hands excitedly. "Oh, we'll do another round, won't we, please? This is even more fun than throwing slippers at people!"

"Well, I guess since we're not going head-to-head anymore," says Mayir, his caprice allowing him to pick whatever particular format he would like for the game. "I don't need to play anymore!" And then he has to look to Pete, who has been so kindly keeping the score for him. "Well! Nisaa and Nurie! It's a tie!" He claps his hands together, excited at this turn of events. "So. Uh. I guess we go to -- sudden death!" He then looks at Aureth. "That's not rude to say is it? I mean, with the Queen and all?" He moves on. "One dart each!"

"I suspect the Queen is /delighted/ with the phrase," Fortunato says from his wall.

Nisaa checked dexterity + small wpn at difficulty 15, rolling 5 higher.

Apparently better at the throwing of darts than she thought she would be, Nisaa seems pleased with her own results. She claps for Aureth, and then for Nurie. "You were doing very well too!" Though, she seems surprised and yet curious, asking her then, "why do you throw slippers at people?" She smiles at Mayir and then to Fortunato. She takes a dart in hand and approaches the game again. She tosses the one dart and despite it being not the most impressive shot, she smiles. "Are there being consolation prizes if I am losing?"

Nurie checked dexterity + legerdemain at difficulty 15, rolling 12 higher.

"Just one?" Nurie looks a little disappointed, but at least she gets to play again! She smiles at Nissa. "Best of luck!" She tells her. "Oh, please don't worry. I only throw them at ruffians!" she assures the Whisper. "In defense of others!" But then it's her turn and she bites her lip a little in concentration and she makes her final throw. It's a solid hit, and enough to bring a smile to her face!

"The Queen is probably not offended," Aureth says, chasing pie with beer, and then waggling the bottle. He seems not discommoded by his failure to win at darts.

"Aaaaand, it's Nurie!" Mayir shouts out when the game comes to a close, the tailor's dart landing closer to the bulls eye than the dancer. "Congratulations, Nurie!" He sweeps her up into his arms and gives her a solid kiss on the lips, before then realizing there is an /actual/ prize for winning the game. "Your prize! A selection of sweets from Lottie's! Lottie's: The Official Confectionary Sponsor of Mayir's Twenty-First Birthday Bash! If you like lots of sweets, Lottie's Place is the place to beat!" Sponsor's message delivered, he waves Pete forward to bestow the satchel on Nurie, filled with wrapped treats.

Nurie beams at Nisaa. "It's far too much for just me," she tells the Whisper, holding out the bag for Nisaa to look into. "Won't you please take your favorite one for yourself? And you as well, L--Aureth?" She squeezes Mayir tight. "I'll have to make sure some of these make it into my shop for those waiting to be fitted, and be sure to praise Mistress Lottie and send some more business her way!" she promises.

Nurie drops a sturdy fiery Explorer's backpack.

"Are you sure?" Nisaa asks to Nurie, peeking into the bag when it is held out towards her. She seems to spot something appealing, licking her lips. Her bright eyes glance back towards Nurie again. "Anything?"

"Anything!" the dainty tailor assures the Whisper, eagerly. "Aren't they all so beautiful, though? I can't wait to taste the cake that Mistress Lottie made too! Have you been to her shop? She does have one, doesn't she Mayir? I've never been but I think I will have to go now!"

Nisaa gets Love Knot from a sturdy fiery Explorer's backpack.

"Oh gods," Aureth laughs, and flaps his hand in the air. "I'm definitely too old to make free with any of that." He leans back into the sofa. "I need to watch my girlish figure."

"Lottie's Place! In the Ward of the Compact!" Mayir, the unofficial Director of Marketing for Lottie's Place, is right there with the answer. "Oh! The Love Knots!" He points. "Those are brand new! I got to try Lottie's first batch! They are absolutely divine! Especially if you dip them in Lottie's coco!"

Harper snorts at Aureth, then says impishly, "Yeah, don't put on weight or I won't be able to haul your arse up outta the floor if you fall, old man." But it's said with an underlying tone of fondness for him. The grin she shoots Aureth is definitely a teasing one. Besides, he's a Legate, why would she be hauling him up off the floor, right? She chuckles at Mayir, then adds, "Mayir, take a night off. Just chill and eat cake and pie and stop working for once!"

Fortunato sighs. "Best not to eat at all, right, brother?"

Nisaa does indeed pull out the Love Knot. "Is it?" she asks to Mayir. "It looks light and wonderful. I do not take sweets often, but I do have a softening for flaky pastries." Turning towards Nurie, she smiles and offers a sincere thanks for the treat. At Harper's words, she nods. "I agree! Eat cake and enjoy your birthday, Mayir!"

"_I_ am not the one who doesn't eat _dinner_," Aureth tells Fortunato, waving a piece of meat pie at him threateningly.

Nurie laughs at Aureth's answer. "I don't see anything wrong with your figure!" She tells him. But she doesn't push, instead closing up the backpack. "If they just came out of the ovens, it must have been so wonderful just to stand in the room!" She tells Mayir, with a soft sigh. "How lovely! With brews from Master Venturo, and maybe if I can make an arrangement with Mistress Lottie, well. I might be able to /expand/ my sales now and then." She giggles. Though she does seem to agree with the others too! Cake! Cake!

Nurie takes a sturdy fiery Explorer's backpack.

Fortunato looks up at the ceiling primly. "/Dinner/ is the beginning of /weakness/."

"She doesn't even really pay me or anything. I just, you know, I don't know. It's hard to turn it off." The marketing, that is. But Mayir then cheers at the idea of cake and makes his way over to slice open his molten lava cake. Which is what he has been eyeing all night. "Ooooo. This is so cooool," he says when the chocolate lava flows over the plate.

Nurie too seems rather enthralled by the lava cake, having never seen its like. "I wonder how she does that?" She nearly whispers in awe. "I think that might even tempt my lady!" But however entranced she might be by the cake's appearance and texture, her eyes actually close at the first bite. "A wonderful treat for a wonder party, sweet Mayir! I'm so happy I was able to make it."

As the drinks flow and the cake is eaten and -- all of that Mayir just takes a step back and smiles.

"Family. It's what it's all about. Happy birthday, me." He lifts his whiskey that Pete hands him. And that. Is that.