A matron who stepped back into the role of primary maternal influence to her grandchildren when her daughter disappeared in 1884. Ife is either practical or cynical or both, depending on your slant; she is a society staple at this point and a commanding presence when she chooses to be. Although she is not directly tied to many people in society (most of her rather large family being back home in Nigeria) she has opinions about everything and is not above meddling for her own amusement.
Here are the four main categories in which one might interact with her (with some linked opens!):
SOCIETY.
For a long while Ife has been integrating with society mostly to poke fun from the sidelines, but since Callista's debut in 1890 she has also had a purpose of finding suitable (UCPB) men for her granddaughters to marry. She could reasonably interact with anyone in society but especially interested in other society matrons, debutantes she could (perhaps rudely) mentor, and potential suitors for her granddaughters. Oh, and also anyone she can be mean to, I'm always up for that.
For a long while Ife has been integrating with society mostly to poke fun from the sidelines, but since Callista's debut in 1890 she has also had a purpose of finding suitable (UCPB) men for her granddaughters to marry. She could reasonably interact with anyone in society but especially interested in other society matrons, debutantes she could (perhaps rudely) mentor, and potential suitors for her granddaughters. Oh, and also anyone she can be mean to, I'm always up for that.
INTERESTS.
Ife is, broadly, interested in anything in which she may be able to be smug about how her own culture/upbringing is superior to yours; she attends various academic, special interest, or political events. She is often contrary at them. Sometimes this is for her own amusement, but even if she agrees with the underlying premise of what you're talking about she will disapprove of you if she can find bones to pick with your methodology or implementation, so she might tend to run afoul of brash idealists.
Ife is, broadly, interested in anything in which she may be able to be smug about how her own culture/upbringing is superior to yours; she attends various academic, special interest, or political events. She is often contrary at them. Sometimes this is for her own amusement, but even if she agrees with the underlying premise of what you're talking about she will disapprove of you if she can find bones to pick with your methodology or implementation, so she might tend to run afoul of brash idealists.
SECRETS.
Ife is rather invested in the Sanditon hyena; specifically in finding a way to restore it to its previous form as her human daughter. The women in Ife's family suffer from a blood curse and she has covertly been funding research projects that might be useful in breaking a blood curse, reversing its effects, or preventing its culmination. Involuntary human transfiguration or experimental treatments for botched animagi transformations would also be of interest. Anything in that variety, really. Ife will throw a lot of money at you and expect you to be very quiet about it, and she'll be pretty obscure about her motives. She also hired a private investigator for a length of time in order to find...
Ife is rather invested in the Sanditon hyena; specifically in finding a way to restore it to its previous form as her human daughter. The women in Ife's family suffer from a blood curse and she has covertly been funding research projects that might be useful in breaking a blood curse, reversing its effects, or preventing its culmination. Involuntary human transfiguration or experimental treatments for botched animagi transformations would also be of interest. Anything in that variety, really. Ife will throw a lot of money at you and expect you to be very quiet about it, and she'll be pretty obscure about her motives. She also hired a private investigator for a length of time in order to find...
THE ENEMY.
Ife's daughter had an extramarital affair prior to her disappearance in 1884. Are you the affair partner? Maybe, maybe not, but you're the guy the private detective eventually pinned as the most likely candidate, and until Ife has some definitive proof that you were not responsible she is out to quietly, secretly, but very thoroughly destroy your life and the lives of those around you. Ife's daughter was in her late thirties at the time if that informs your age calculations.
*author's note: while the extramarital affair could have been with another woman for all I know, Ife (and her private detective) would likely only put the blame on a man unless there was very explicit proof otherwise
Ife's daughter had an extramarital affair prior to her disappearance in 1884. Are you the affair partner? Maybe, maybe not, but you're the guy the private detective eventually pinned as the most likely candidate, and until Ife has some definitive proof that you were not responsible she is out to quietly, secretly, but very thoroughly destroy your life and the lives of those around you. Ife's daughter was in her late thirties at the time if that informs your age calculations.
*author's note: while the extramarital affair could have been with another woman for all I know, Ife (and her private detective) would likely only put the blame on a man unless there was very explicit proof otherwise
Something else come to mind that doesn't fit one of these buckets? Throw it my way, I am up for almost anything! <3