A coughed sputter left Alistair's lips as he glanced down at the bid sheet in front of him. His art had never brought in a bid even remotely that high! The vibrant emerald hue of his gaze fluttered towards his vampire companion in clear disbelief, only to stare at those clearly amused features. With surprising tenderness, the fellow's hand reached out to clap against his shoulder, as if encouraging the Dark Hunter to breathe. Alistair swallowed that amber liquor, only to insist the artwork was surely not worth the bit that the vampire had placed for it. He watched as the man beside him reached up, only to run his hand through his ebony locks as his gaze traced the details of the canvas. He altogether dismissed Alistair's insistence, only to assure the man that he at least thought it was. The Dark Hunter turned back towards his own art, searching for whatever his companion saw to view it as so...valuable. It was the sudden appearance of a woman that drew his gaze back towards the vampire beside him, the man offered him an almost warm, lopsided grin and a small lift of his glass before he was shuffled away and into the crowd, Alistair left merely staring at the spot the vampire had occupied moments before almost dumbly. He was rather certain that he'd never had an encounter with the undead go anywhere as...bizarrely well as that one.

His brows furrowed as Alistair shook his head, only to continue to meander through the silent auction, his thoughts still turning inquisitively over the encounter. It was not long after that the lights within the room began to dim, the stage itself the only brilliant focal point as the atmospheric music quietly faded out. A young woman strode out onto the platform, further coaxing the patrons to gather round as she introduced their guest speaker for the evening - none other than the Mayor himself. How that glee was palpable within her voice and half-heartedly, Alistair joined in the brief applause that welcomed a rather familiar face. The Dark Hunter's brows furrowed as he stared up at the pale features of the vampire he'd only moments ago conversed with. He had known there was something about the fellow that was recognizable but he certainly hadn't placed him as the Mayor. Alistair had, admittedly, never taken a great interest in politics. The affairs of the city at large hadn't mattered to him back then, how things had changed so drastically for the Hunter in the past few years.

His head tilted slightly to the side as he eyed the brilliant simper that settled upon the Mayor's features as he strode confidently across the stage and towards the podium. He listened to the speech the man gave, altogether aware of those eyes that almost felt as if they were lingering upon him, though that surely was an impossibility. Alistair brushed off that sensation, the corners of his lips tilted upward in a weak smile at the jest the vampire uttered that managed several warm chuckles from the crowd before, moments later, he bowed out to a round of applause. The crowd slowly began to dissipate, mingling amongst themselves in small little elite groups. God, this sort of socializing was exactly the kind Alistair detested. He brought his drink to his lips, only to down the very last of the liquor. One was enough to make him feel just a touch more...relaxed than his usual uptight self. Another was surely necessary if he intended to make it through tonight. Alistair made his way towards the bar, only to stop the familiar figure of the Mayor all over again. At the very least, he supposed knowing now the man's status explained his rather...extravagant bid. The artist slid easily up to the bar, allowing a generous amount of space between himself and the vampire to his right. "Another glass of your bourbon, please." He uttered softly towards the bartender, only for the bright emerald of his gaze to shift towards the man close by. "That was a nice speech, Mr. Mayor. I wasn't aware your interests extended to the arts." He commented simply, allowing the vampire the chance to close the distance and continue the conversation only if he desired.