Session 54: "Am I acting appropriately stupid?"

	Archi tells Fiona that he will do his best to foster that
illusion, and he hopes that her gift to Random actually works.  Meaning
the Jewel cage, I guess.  Don't ask me what the first part of the sentence
refers to, most of this conversation took place over e-mail.  I'm sure
it'll show up in Archi's diary, if you're really curious.  Archi tells
Fiona that he's given the future Jewel shards back to Dworkin.  She thinks
that might give him enough power to do what he's intending, but his
control over the time stream isn't perfect, given who slipped through. 
Meaning Alaric, Beatrice, Beauty and Oriana?  No, she's sure Dworkin
intended that.  She was thinking of the presence in Melanie's bracelet,
which Archi (being a romantic) correctly assumes was Kaedric, and the
presence in Archi and Laughter's wedding rings, which Fiona thinks is
Sand.  Or maybe it's Brand.  Of course, if it was Brand, he would have
taken Archi over by now.  Archi likes this not at all.  Something about
performing in front of an audience.  Fiona suggests that he talk to Sand
about it.  Archi heads back to Foil for a nap.

	Claudio gets some sleep in a fast Shadow, after a long night of
spying on Indian meal preparation.  When he wakes up, he returns to Amber
and asks a page to find Julian for him.  The page informs him that Julian
spent the night in the forest, so Claudio Trumps him and says he has the
day free.  Julian invites Claudio to join him, and Claudio does this
thing.  Julian's men are watching Fey.  Julian conjures an empowered net
while his men move in on the creature.  Fey spots Claudio, and chews
thoughtfully.  Then it begins creeping over towards the Moor, who backs
away.  It stops, so Claudio does likewise.  It approaches again, so
Claudio moves away from Julian.  It follows him, and begins rooting around
in its pouch.  Claudio pulls down his helm, and holds out his gauntleted
hand.  No sense taking chances, after all.  The creature hands him a ring
with a red stone bearing his symbol.  Claudio puts the ring on.  Nothing
happens.  Claudio decides to hang out with Julian until something
important happens.

	Kaedric wakes Melanie up, and suggests that she might want to talk
to Brand soon, before he notices that she's missing.  She isn't real eager
to do this, and asks what his plans are for the day.  He's going to find
Sand.  The one in the rings, or the one with a body?  Both.  He leaves. 
She dresses, and notices that she can't lace her corset quite as tightly
as before.  She attempts to determine the cause of this, and finds that
there is a small amount of extra mass in her body, that shifts with her,
but is not accessible to be used as part of her shifting.  Hmm.  She likes
this not at all.  She Trumps back to her old room in Brand's Shadow, and
tries to Trump Brand, but can't get through.  She returns to analyzing the
extra mass, which is not a baby, nope, nope, nope.  Denial is a wonderful
thing.

	Aelle finds Caitlin and they go to Hendrakeways.  The first person
they meet is Gillian.  Introductions are made.  Somehow, the father of
Caitlin's child comes up in the conversation, and Gillian says it's been
"taken care of."  Caitlin is not happy about this, since she thought that
future events wouldn't affect the past.  Wrong!  Gillian introduces
Caitlin to Ireta, Bianca, and Hildreth, captains in the Jezetti guard. 
Caitlin asks what Gillian meant by taken care of.  Gillian will only share
that with Jezetti.  In that case, sign Caitlin up.  They eat lunch
together.

	Archi checks in with Laughter before heading off to the Plains in
search of Flynn.  He shifts Shadow for a Medicine Hat horse, a specific
sort of pinto, then rides for Flynn's camp.  He stays on the periphery
until he spots Flynn, then rides up to him and says they need to talk. 
Flynn follows Archi as he shifts for a horse for Flynn, and they ride for
a bit.  Archi explains that he is Flynn's father, and fills Flynn in on
his past history, Amber, and its history.  Flynn asks if Archi knows where
Sky is.  Yes.  Flynn wants to see her.  If he walks the Pattern, he can
see her whenever he wishes.  Archi asks about Flynn's past.  Flynn reveals
that his mother died when he was young, so he was raised by the tribe,
because he had special abilities.  Like being able to stay underwater for
a while, and the ability to conjure things.

	Archi brings Flynn back to Amber via the slow route, and sends a
page out to notify Sky that her father is in Amber.  Since Sky is not in
Amber, the page in unable to find her.  Archi brings Flynn to meet Random. 
Flynn explains to Archi that his name is actually Hair-Like-Grass, so he
is introduced as Grass.  Random smirks, and after Flynn leaves, Random
asks if Archi wouldn't rather call him Shroom instead.  Archi conjures a
tack under Random's ass.  Ouch.  Random suggests taking Grass to the
Shadow where he found the name 'Flynn.' Archi's taking him to Foil,
actually.  Random comments on the interesting names of Archi's children. 
He especially thinks it's clever how Laughter named the children
alphabetically: Alaric, Beatrice, Chance...  The players all groan.

	Archi tracks down Flynn, er, Grass, who wants to see his wife,
Tall-Woman.  Well, now we know where Sky got her height from.  Archi asks
if he'd like to meet his stepmother and half-siblings.  Grass decides to
go with him.  Archi travels to Foil with him via Trump.  Laughter
introduces herself as Lavender, when she hears that Flynn's name is Grass,
and makes small talk with him for a while.  Archi takes over feeding the
kids, and is much amused by their conversation, since they don't really
have much in common.  Laughter gives Grass a tour the gardens, while
discussing the tournament with Archi.  She suggests that Claudio should
compete in jousting, Ulysses in wrestling, she doesn't know who in
shapeshifting, maybe Melanie, herself in illusionary and force sorcery,
Archi in sparring with one sword, Caitlin in sparring with two swords,
Merlin in sparring with three swords, Cameron in knives, and Ulysses in
Shadow racing.  Archi says he'll contact them.  As for finding a nanny for
the twins, Laughter had forgotten that Beauty is still two at this point,
so she already has a nanny.  Yes, there are two Beautys.  That headache
you feel is the same one you'll get from contemplating _Twelve Monkeys_ or
_Time Cop_.  It's better not to think about it.  Laughter gives Archi
Trumps of Cameron and Kaedric, since she's somehow realized that he's
alive, and wants him for the shapeshifting competition.

	Claudio walks the Pattern and tells it to take him to Dworkin.  He
winds up in a small Golden Circle village named Dworkin.  He finds a bird
and sends a note to Dworkin saying he'd like to talk to him, and he'll
give him a cookie.  20 minutes later, a dead bird carcass drops next to
him.  He sends another message saying that killing the bird was
unnecessary, but doesn't wait for a response.  He attempts to spy on
Abigail, but she notices it, and only his ring saves him from being
traced.  His diary appears over his head and lands squarely on it.  Guess
Melanie decided to return it to him.  Claudio seeks out Fiona and says he
wants to learn more about sorcery.  Which kind?  All kinds.  Fiona offers
to show him a practical demonstration of what he wants to learn, and takes
him to a Shadow where there are small sapling trees around.  She chants,
and they grow into a forest.  That was a demonstration of life magic. 
Then she uses force magic to explode the sun, while protecting them with
force walls.  Ouch.  Claudio thinks the sun exploding thing is quite
effective.  Fiona agrees, but figures that learning how to live through it
is more useful.  He agrees, so she begins teaching him force walls.

	Caitlin eats with the Jezetti, who take their meals silently. 
Afterwards, they explain their rules, one of which is she must never take
a mate willingly.  If she is conquered by a man, she may have the child
that results, and if she is conquered by a woman, she may induct her into
the Jezetti.  Miss "I kick over the table" thinks she can abide by these
rules, so the initiation rituals are set for two weeks from now, during
the blue turn.  Caitlin asks what the rituals entail.  Certain amounts of
blood, some mental trials.  She will be constrained by a bond of secrecy
not to repeat them to others once she has taken them.

	Fey eats.

	Brand Trumps Melanie, and comes through.  He looks at her,
comments on what she's done to herself, but says that he's happy.  Why? 
He's had an offer he can't refuse from a Chaos Lord.  An offer for
Melanie's hand in marriage, to be precise.  What's the name of this Chaos
Lord?  Brand can't remember, but he's a guardian of the Logrus who's
looking to retire.  Melanie asks what she'll get out of it.  Well, he'll
overlook her bathing in the Font.  He wants to know whose Font she used,
BTW, but she won't say.  He also points out that she'll be out from
underneath his thumb.  She wants to meet the man before agreeing to
anything.  Brand says he's invited him to dinner, so she has half an hour
to get ready with her prettiest dress.  Half an hour later, Melanie enters
the dining hall, and sees a man who looks like Balin, but with black hair. 
Gee, now who could this be?  He says his name is Cyril, and he's been busy
guarding the Logrus for the past 200 years.  He finishes up his term in
less than a week, and plans to retire to his Ways after that.  He has a
lot of prestige, and his wife would share in that.  What does he plan for
the future?  Whatever his wife wants.  How convenient.

	After dinner, Melanie takes "Cyril" for a turn in the gardens,
where he points out a constellation that he says is called "The Lovers." 
Just in case you weren't already certain that this is really Kaedric. 
Melanie asks why a woman would want to marry him.  Because he is the
father of her child.  Melanie does not look pleased, and asks how this
came about.  Well, the absinthe caused him to lose control of his
shapeshifting, and you can guess the rest.  Melanie wants to abort the
child.  Kaedric says that if she doesn't wish to marry him, he can take
the child and disappear.  Melanie doesn't want a child of hers to exist at
all.  Whether she's raised it or not is irrelevant.  He points out that
it's his child too.  She says she'll give him half of what's left.  He
says he could always confess all to Brand, since Brand won't let her kill
the child.  Of course, Brand will kill him, too.  Melanie doesn't think
much of this idea, either.

	Archi Trumps Random, and updates him, then Trumps Claudio and
invites him to the tournament.  Claudio loves the idea of fighting a demon
with a sick.  Not.  Fiona makes clucking noises.  Claudio agrees, then
protests to Fiona that he's not a coward.  (No, but he is easily
manipulated.)  He proceeds to ask her about the demons, and how to fight
them.

	Archi Trumps Caitlin next, who agrees to compete.  Then he Trumps
Ulysses, who figures he's game for some wrestling.  After the contact
ends, Beauty comes up behind Ulysses, puts her arms around him, and asks
him to send her to Foil.  She'll do him first.  Ulysses happily collects
his fee.

	Merlin is next on Archi's list.  He says that Sawall's been
bugging him about attending the tournament, but he figures he's an
Amberite...  Good, Archi would like him to do the sorcery and the
three-sword competitions.

	Archi Trumps Fiona and asks to borrow a Trump of Melanie.  Fiona
gladly provides it.  Archi reluctantly Trumps her and asks if she's
willing to compete in the tournament.  It's tomorrow.  Melanie senses that
someone is monitoring the contact, and figures that it must be Brand.  She
agrees to compete, primarily to get away from Brand and Kaedric.

	Archi Trumps Kaedric next, who grabs Melanie's arm before taking
it.  She tries unsuccessfully to break his grip.  Archi asks if he's
interrupting anything.  No, he's just trying to get Melanie to marry him. 
Archi is amused, and points out that Melanie will be at the tournament. 
Kaedric agrees to enter the shapeshifting competition.  After Archi breaks
the contact, Kaedric tells Melanie that he's turned off her shapeshifting. 
Which means she can't block her living Trump abilities.  Which will make
getting an abortion rather difficult.  She slaps him hard across the face,
and won't speak to him for a while.  Eventually, she points out that they
can always have another child, later on.  Kaedric argues that it won't be
this one.  Melanie asks why that matters.  Because he loves her.  Because
none of his children have survived so far, and he's never had one with
someone he loved.  Daegan's mother loved him, but he only stayed with her
because she was a Shadow and wouldn't live long, and he felt sorry for
her.  His other child was born before he learned enough shapeshifting to
know how to prevent that sort of thing.  Melanie eventually gives her word
that she won't do anything about the baby until tomorrow, since she
doesn't want to go to Chaos without her shapeshifting abilities.  Kaedric
restores them, and they walk back to Brand.  Kaedric tells Brand that
Melanie has consented to the marriage.  Melanie says she's consented to
think about it.  After all, she hardly knows him.  Kaedric tells her
psychically that he could let Brand know just how well they know each
other.  Uh, no.  Brand shows Kaedric to his room, which just happens to be
right next to Melanie's.  Kaedric makes a small hole in the wall, and
looks through it.  Melanie proceeds to cover the hole up.

	Caitlin Trumps Bleys, who's in a tree watching Fey.  She comes
through, and they leave the tree.  Fey approaches Caitlin, who is pushed
behind Bleys.  Fey tries to get Bleys to chase a haunch of meat.  Bleys
conjures a glass of wine, drinks it, then hands another glass to Fey, who
breaks it.  He conjures another glass, walks towards Fey, and takes the
haunch.  Fey scoots around him and hands Caitlin a ruby-esque ring with an
open flame on it.  She puts it on, and feels a warm pulse from the ring,
as does Claudio.  They also see a brief vision of each other.  Claudio
takes it off, and then puts it back on again.  Fey drinks the bowl of wine
that Bleys left, so he gives it the haunch of meat back.  He is
disappointed that the wine has no effect on it.  He manages to teach it
the word "wine," though.  Obviously, the most important word that Bleys
knows.

	Archi Trumps Cameron next, and invites him to something involving
dirty deeds.  Cameron is all for that, although he's disappointed when he
learns it's just a tournament.  Sky contacted next, and is told of both
the tournament, and Grass' presence in Foil.  Since Sky is already in
Foil, having ditched Claudio's guard, she goes to talk to Grass.  They
talk of the Sky People, the Buffalo People, the skin flute people
(Skinwalkers), and of the bizarre age relations between him and his new
mother.  Grass is all kinds of confused, and wants to walk the Pattern and
go to Rebma.  Insert jokes about wet grass not burning, here.  They go,
and he has his eyes opened.

	Claudio Trumps Ulysses to find Sky, who has eluded him in her
slyness.  Ulysses is getting bu... er, I mean Ulysses is busy.  Claudio
Trumps Sky, who doesn't answer, nor does Fiona.  Eventually, he learns
that Sky is in Rebma.  He goes there and finds her.  Awkward conversation
about being bodyguarded.  Smoked up Grass is annoyed, but is put in his
place when he learns that the guards are UNIX.  Grass wants to Trump
Random, and Sky tries to talk him out of it.  There's a big argument about
the need for a guard, and Claudio and Sky have it out but good.  I don't
listen much, because I'm thinking about wrasslin.  Grass pulls Sky aside,
and is confused on this whole Black is Better thing.  Sky sets him right. 
More bad grass puns, and talk of Mrs. Grass and Rebman outfits.

	Claudio Trumps Melanie, to thank her for returning his diary.  He
also wants to go to where Sky is, and wants her to send him there.  She
dumps him in Foil, right next to Sky.  Archi and Sky work to conjure him
some less than appropriate clothing, which Claudio notices.  Laughter
helps him out, repaying a favor.  Laughter procures a Trump of Caitlin and
has Archi explains how she gets to Foil.  Caitlin arrives, and there is a
noticing of similar rings, and a discussion of their cool and froody
properties.  Claudio is a little taken aback by them.  Caitlin is
foretelling that everyone will get one.  It is discovered that the Rings
can be used to locate others wearing them, a la The Wedding Rings.  There
is discussion of who will be staying where for the night prior to the
tournament.  Caitlin goes back to Amber.  Sky stays in Foil, as does
Claudio.

	Archi pulls Laughter aside, after people go, and tells Laughter
that Sand or Brand may be in the rings, but he thinks it's Sand.  Laughter
makes him check, and it is Sand.  She wants a body back, but will have to
wait a bit.  She says fine, as long as they're working on it.  Claudio
looks for buffalo, presumably so he can make Sky dinner.  He has trouble
getting back into Foil, which is funny.

	Fey gets vocabulary lessons from Bleys.  It doesn't work very
well.

	Claudio gathers up the stuff.  He returns and makes dinner.  It's
taken with a little bit of hesitation by most of the group.  Sky doesn't
look right at Claudio, and Laughter is less than thrilled.  After the
meal, Laughter gets Archi to convince Claudio to take a bath.  Archi
conjures a better screen than that which is there.  Claudio is a little
confused.  As it turns out, Laughter set Sky up to go down to the
bathrooms.  She realizes, as does Claudio, that the two of them are
together, but apart.  She peeks around the screen.  He's in the buff.  She
laughs, and he goes under.  There's sitch com then, and it ends with
Claudio pulling the clad Sky into the pool.  They play in the water, and
then he tries to kiss her.  Victory!  He's not sure what to do next, so he
gets dressed.  He mentions that Rebma is a matriarchy, right?  Yes, does
he want her to jump him?  Um...  He freezes.  She leads him to her
quarters, and we fade to black.

	Fiona Trumps Caitlin and warns her that Benedict wasn't
technically dead at the end, so she should be careful not to awaken the
memories in him.  Caitlin tells Fiona of her concerns about Sandr.  Fiona
says Caitlin will need to talk to Brand about that, and she wants no part
of it.  Fiona also warns that Sandr's death, or drinking his blood, may be
part of the Jezetti initiation rite.  Caitlin likes this not at all. 
Fiona notices the ring, so Caitlin explains where she got it.  Fiona
comments on the color, and says she should look into the creature that
gave it to Caitlin, especially once she learns that Bleys is looking into
the creature too.  They discuss baby names.  Caitlin likes Morgan for a
girl, or Eldred for a boy.


Quotables:

"Am I acting appropriately stupid?" -- Archi to Fiona

"I know you're in the forest of Arden, I'm not dumb, but where are you?"
-- Claudio to Julian

"I put the ring on.  Do I die, or anything bad?" -- Claudio to GM

"Have you ever known Fiona to fail?" -- Archi
"Not that I would admit to." -- Random
"At least in public." -- Archi

"We've decided that you would be the best at the two-sworded fight." --
Archi to Caitlin
"You being the only one of us who fights with two swords." -- Dann

"I estimate (Claudio's) size as best as possible, and conjure him up a
long one." -- Archi to GM
 
"I'm sure in the Book of the Unicorn it says 'Thou shalt not eat snake.'"
-- Laughter
"I dunno, I think it's kind of ironic." -- Archi

"I'm not going to strip the King's granddaughter." -- Claudio
"Well, maybe if you ask nicely." -- Dwinn

"Oh.  Bleys.  The great communicator." -- Fiona
"I understand he communicates very well." -- Caitlin
"Only in the horizontal language." -- Fiona

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