Rowenova says, "Welcome, Goodwoman Rukhnis!"

Svana nods and smiles to Samira. "A pleasure to meet you, Miss Samira. I like you Cullers. I know Tython... and Raja, of course." Hers is a thick Northern accent; Bonespire, more accurately. She looks down to her children. Upon Rukhnis approaching, Svana beams and proudly shows off the mismatched boy and girl, one dark and one fair. "Miss Rukhnis! Yes... I'm feeling much better every day. And they're gaining weight." The dark little boy looks at Rukhnis and smiles, drooling. The redheaded girl is pouting, on the other hand. Svana eyes Rowenova, grinning. "Yes, perhaps he does take after his namesake."

Although its rather spur of the moment and literally within a hour's notice, Yasmine manages to spin one event into another without a beat missed. The cooking staff provide additional refreshments on House Champagne's coin and the promise of currying favor for another day, leaving the rest of the gang to mingle and gorge themselves on a sizeable feast to their stomach's contentment.

Ras returns from his brief sojourn outside, obviously having realized that Svana has a cart with which to take any leftovers to the Lower Boroughs. He lurks back near the door, though, as Rukhnis approaches the others.

Rukhnis leans over the cradle, her eyes warming faintly as she inspects its small occupants. "So you are the two little fiends responsible for giving poor Mistress Svana such terrible trouble," she tells them, in a gentle coaxing tone entirely at odds with her words. "It is good to at last be able to see you both at last, and know the culprits involved in such torment." She then just clicks her tongue at them in an odd soft noise, almost percussively musical. It's only after this that Nova's greeting seems to register with her, and she straightens up with an amicable tilt of her head towards the scout.

Yasmine looks up from her conversation with the proprietor of the tavern, an exchange of silver made between them before she's taking a pensive study of the familiar faces in the crowd. "Auda," she calls toward her friend. "Won't you be a sweet suck-- dear and kindly start us off? I'll admit that I can't recall the finer points of why you've decided to run."

Samira grins at Svana, adopting her most innocent look. "I'm glad to hear it. I think all the Cullers are pretty great, although I know I'm a tiny bit biased." Her gaze slides toward the infants and, although curiosity alights in her gaze, she keeps her distance as if afraid the little people are too fragile for her to get close. "Congratulations." The newcomers draw a polite nod of greeting but she rises abruptly to her feet, nose wrinkling. "I forgot somethin' I've gotta check on. Back in a bit."

Zoey smiles but mostly stays back. She wants to help, but she also knows that this is not her place.

Nurie slips into the tavern in a bit of a rush, though thankfully not the full on sweat of a dead run to make it in time. Her smile is bright though, and reaches her eyes, and there's a bit of a lively bounce to her step as well, especially as she spies some familiar folks in the mix!

Ras stays near the entrance at first, watching Rukhnis click musically at Svana's babies. After a minute or two, he takes a few steps over to sit in the nearest chair and watch the ongoings.

Ras has joined the Large Table.

Svana grins at Rukhnis. "Yes, you'd never suspect that little ones so cute could cause so much trouble... then again, I've heard that once they start walking, I'll believe it." She leans back, and suddenly Elanne begins to fuss. Svana furrows her brows and listens to the cry. "Hm. Hungry. I'll be back, perhaps in a wee bit. If not, that means I've for sure succumbed to sleep."

Bryn, a flustered lovelorn Prodigal assistant, Misty, a sweet-hearted, but bossy Mistward Labrador leave, following Svana.

Bryn, a flustered lovelorn Prodigal assistant, Misty, a sweet-hearted, but bossy Mistward Labrador arrive, following Svana.

Svana gets Longboat Baby Cradle.

Bryn, a flustered lovelorn Prodigal assistant, Misty, a sweet-hearted, but bossy Mistward Labrador leave, following Svana.

Nova mostly stands against one wall while petting Sir Floppers now that the weetle ones have unfortunately departed.

Zoey has left the Quiet Booth.

Octavian, a silken spaniel, an aid in Kennex livery, 2 Kennex corsairs leave, following Zoey.

With the cradle taken away this leaves Rukhnis with nothing to lean against any longer, which has the effect of making her look much more noticeably exhausted than before, as she sways just a tiny bit on her feet. All in all, in fact, she has the look of someone who's been distinctly unwell, her face marked by hollows and sharp angles and her figure almost painfully thin. Perhaps this is what prompts the Eurusi woman to shift her position over to the vicinity of the refreshments, though she eyes everything available rather dubiously.

Rowenova has left the Large Table.

l

Yasmine doesn't seem terribly bothered as the crowd's numbers waxes and wanes, instead navigating the room toward the leftover refreshments to replenish herself a glass of watered down wine. "Well it looks like we'll be loading up that cart sooner than I hoped," she quips to Ras with a faint grin. "You know, I'm surprised you're not running for a seat on this council. But then again, you always were more of a man of action than, say, words." She teases cheekily, her gaze gliding toward Nurie with growing delight. "Nurie! Is that you?"

Nurie is drifting towards the refreshments herself, as she looks for a place to settle as well. Rukhnis's exhaustion is noted, and she asks gently. "So much to choose from. I think we've met though only briefly, and quite some time ago as I recall. I'm Nurie Baseborn." She's close enough to assist if necessary, though doesn't press. "You must be exhausted with all the work you've been doing, can I fetch something for you to drink?" At Yasmine's call though she waves, beaming back at the other woman. "Messere Yasmine!" she greets. "Thanks to you and Councilmember Auda for arranging this! I hope you're well! And Messere Ras should run at some point, shouldn't he?" Though she winks at the young man, there's no mocking or sarcasm in her voice.

Ras eyes Yasmine in an utterly doubtful way, as if he can't conceive of any universe where anyone would vote for him. "Yeah, uh, that's why I didn't," he mutters. "Man of action. That's me." He glances towards Nurie, and lifts a hand in a cautious wave, but then his palm drops to the table in front of his chair and his gaze tracks back to Rukhnis with subtle concern.

Rukhnis continues to stare rather ruefully at the array of delectable foods set out for the taking, until Nurie's words break in on her rapt if weary contemplation. She turns to look at the other woman for a moment, then tells her, "I am certain we have, though I am afraid I no longer recall where." Making a faintly dismissive gesture, she adds, "I have done precious little work recently, though. I am only recovering from an injury." The faintly shamefaced way in which she imparts this information makes being injured sound like a horrible lapse in judgement on her part, if not an exhibit of willful folly. "I will just get some tea," she decides, looking firmly away from the food.

Sydney makes her way into the Tavern, stifling a long yawn, "You lot pick a hell of a time for parties, I swear. Waking a woman up early for this sort of thing, it's all but a crime." For all of her bellyaching, the pugilist looks vibrant as can be, and save for the utilitarian garb she's wearing - armor, the lot of it - is looking rather bright of eye and bushy of proverbial tail.

"So - given the company..." She points, and counts, and looks to Ras. "Ras decided to run, then? Oh, you'll be wonderful at it. You have my endorsement." A flash of her teeth. When her eyes trail over to Rukhnis, her expression sombers a touch, but her smile remains.

"Rukh. Glad to see you vertical. Truly."

Yasmine shares a vibrant laugh with Ras. "I don't think you have nearly enough faith in your reputation. I know there are plenty of people who would happily choose you to be in a seat. There's yet to be a time where you weren't thinking of someone else before yourself, with every time something has come up where others were affected," she tells him, her soft-spoken words chased with a generous drink of her wine. "Really, it was all a coincidence that we were already here," she informs Nurie afterward on the next breath. "And rather than let all this food go to waste, we decided it's just best to try and make something out of it before we send it off to be dispersed back in the Boroughs." Gold-flecked eyes dance away from Nurie to Rukhnis, a flash of concern coloring her expressive features. She says nothing of it though, merely giving a laugh toward Sydney's colorful arrival and consequent commentary. "Ras actually isn't running. He and I are here, like some others, to happily get to know the candidates and eat up free food in good company?"

"Isn't recovery work of a different kind?" Nurie says with warm confidence to the physician. "Or at least, that's what I was told possibly so that I would take the time to do it!" Though she too eschews the food, she does take a mug of light ale. Her smile brightens once more at Sydney's endorsement of Ras. "Ah, you see then. It's almost inescapable, that run." But she nods to Yasmine's explanation. "Still an excellent idea, and on the spur of the moment as well!"

Ras brightens at Sydney's entrance, though he rolls his eyes at the teasing, and lifts a fist in the air while half-rising from his seat. "Syd and stormbird for Commoner's Council!" Apparently now that both his favored candidates are present, he is campaigning(?) for them. Perhaps Yasmine has underestimated his selfishness. Is that a cheer or a warcry, anyway? Does he understand how these things even work? The loudest yelling probably doesn't win any favors in the Uppers.

Rukhnis's head lifts quickly higher at the sound of Sydney's voice from the front of the room, and for a moment the look in her eyes brightens, before she appears faintly anxious instead. But she only hmmphs in a sort of embarrassed dismissal at the pugilist's greeting to her, and instead agrees with her, "Ras has my endorsement as well." She sighs a bit at Ras's own loud endorsement of her, though.

Sydney's brows lift and her expression turns warmer at the way Rukhnis reacts. She swivels her focus for the time being to Yasmine, however, "Oh, I know it. I think it's a fantastic idea, though I feel like so much of myself exists in the public domain. What you see is absolutely what you get."

She meanders over to pour herself a cup of drink and glances over her shoulder to offer, "Personally, I'd be satisfied with almost all of the names put forward. Plenty of people who understand the Lowers."