Session 29: "It's fun to be mean to Sandr."

	Archimedes makes some of the arrangements for the wedding, but
leaves many of the details to Llewella.  Melanie, Sandr and Mok go
shopping in Rebma for something to wear to the wedding, although not
together.  Ulysses and Sylvie go shopping as well and come across Sky and
Flora.  Flora convinces Sky and Sylvie to wear revealing dresses with
corsets.  Ulysses is rather dismayed at this.

	The wedding takes place without mishap.  At the end of the
ceremony, when Archi puts his ring on, he notices that he now has a sense
of where Laughter is.  Apparently Laughter has placed a locator spell on
both of the rings.  Wedding presents are given, the most amusing being
Cameron's gift of an Archimedes screw (a device for drawing water).  He's
so clever.

	The first dance of the wedding.  Naturally, Laughter and Archi
dance with each other.  Sylvie dances with Ulysses and keeps trying to
lead.  Merlin dances with Sky, continuing his vain attempt to get her to
like him.  Melanie dances with Atreus, who introduces himself as her
cousin via Bleys.  He spends much of the dance staring at Sky, much to
Melanie's annoyance.  He does eventually apologize, which spares his feet
some "accidental" stomping.

	Merlin dances with Melanie next, while Mok annoys Sky and Sylvie
dances with Cameron.  Melanie tells Merlin that at least he's doing better
with Sky than Mok is.  Of course, this isn't saying much.  Mok makes
conversation with Sky and loses.  Merlin asks how Melanie is enjoying
Amber.  She observes that it's rather Chaotic.  He mentions that he was
dead.  She asks what that was like.  He says it was strange.  He adds that
Brand's the one who raised him from the dead, so to speak, so he's one the
few who's grateful to him.  Melanie observes that Sandr has Brand's
ability to annoy people but not his charm.  She asks if Merlin is planning
to stay in Amber.  He says he's taking it one day at a time.  He adds that
he's not planning on going to Chaos with Laughter, since he doesn't want
to look the Serpent in the eye after walking the Pattern.  Melanie would
prefer to avoid looking the Serpent in the eye under any circumstances. 
Merlin tells her that Archi has a tattoo of a serpent on his arm, but he
doesn't know where Archi got it.  Melanie figures the tattoo will make
Archi popular with the demons.  At least until he starts killing them.

	Sylvie tells Ulysses that she wants to check on her animals, so he
gives her a Trump of Arden and she leaves.  Or so we all think.  Shortly
afterwards, Sandr is asked to dance by a pretty Rebmite named Caelia. 
Laughter dances with Ulysses and tells him about the spell she placed on
the wedding rings.  Archi dances with Beauty and asks how her Hendrake
beau is.  She figures things are going OK, although she's concerned about
the fact that Archi killed a Hendrake.  Might make dinners with the
in-laws rather interesting.

	Next dance.  Caelia dances with Cameron.  Melanie dances with
Archi.  She asks where he acquired his tattoo.  He claims it would take
too long to say.  He asks whose lands borders Halybard's.  Melanie asks
why that matters.  Archi explains that he killed the heir to House
Hendrake, which just might make the Hendrakes unhappy with him.  They
discuss what Laughter will be in for as Head of House.  None of it sounds
like anything Laughter will like and Archi's not real keen on Laughter
claiming the title.  Melanie warns that the demons will not obey Laughter
unless she's the Head of House.  Which could be a problem since they will
have to go through the demons to get to the Serpent.  She also tells him
there are rumors one of the eyes will be stolen.  Archi asks if she's
willing to help prevent this.  She says she is, since she's no more eager
to watch the universe go to Hell then he is.  She also warns him that
Laughter's children will be targets, which pleases him not at all.

	Ulysses goes seeking his wayward daughter.  He finds her playing a
flute in Arden.  She notes that Jubal plays as well, and that he's almost
her brother, since he was also raised by Tianen.  She wants to live in
Arden.  Ulysses doesn't like this, but figures that if she asks Jubal, and
he approves, then it's OK.  She mentions that there's someone else living
in Arden.  Black hair, used to be king...  We get the idea, even if
Ulysses doesn't.  She borrows Ulysses' Trump of Jubal and asks our
favorite taciturn Amberite if she can stay in Arden.  Jubal, no doubt
wondering why she's pestering him, grunts his approval.  Now that this is
settled, Sylvie asks Ulysses to stay and roast some marshmallows.  He asks
where she got them.  She says that since she walked the Pattern, she knows
how to find them.  Oh yeah, she neglected to mention that, didn't she? 
When did she do it?  Three days ago.  The castle told her to, you see. 
Ulysses figures this day can't get any worse.  Man, was he ever wrong. 
They discuss Cameron.  Sylvie likes him.  Ulysses doesn't.  What a
surprise.  Sylvie says Cameron has only been mean to Laughter and Sandr,
and since she likes one and doesn't like the other, they cancel out. 
Ulysses asks what Tianen taught Sylvie.  It turns out that she knows
shapeshifting and sorcery, but no Trump, so Ulysses offers to teach her. 
Gee, thanks Dad!  Sylvie's more than willing to gain some more power. 
Especially since she doesn't have a Trump deck, and they can't exactly get
one from the castle.

	Archi dances with Sky and they discuss her harem.  He suggests she
tell them to go away if she doesn't want them.  They also discuss looking
for her father, although that will have to wait until they stop the world
from ending.  Must have our priorities, after all.  They also chuckle
about Mok (who doesn't?).  Archi doesn't think Laughter will like what
he's learned being Head of Halybard entails.

	Mok and Sandr talk for a while, discussing Melanie and their
respective backgrounds.  Sandr borrows Mok's Trump of Ulysses and Trumps
him.  Ulysses is rather short with Sandr when he answers, so Sandr breaks
the contact and nurses his hurt feelings.

	Cameron talks with Caelia about Sandr.  She offers to show him the
reef.  For starters.  Then she shows him quite a bit more.  Cameron does
not return to the reception.

	Fiona and Archi dance and make small talk.  Of course, even small
talk is dangerous with Fiona.  Melanie dances with Bleys, who treats her
to some snide comments about the others.  Especially Sandr.  She tells him
that his son needs to improve his manners somewhat.  Then she talks with
Sandr, who whines about his problems some more.  She suggests that he
leave Amber if he dislikes it so much, but he's convinced there's no
escape.  She asks if there isn't any medication that will help, but he
says none of it will work in Amber.  So he's basically screwed.  He lets
slip that he found dirt on Archi, which pissed Archi off, but he won't
tell her what that dirt was.  They discuss Brand's parenting skills, or
lack thereof.  Sandr says he's always wanted to please Brand and he feels
guilty that he couldn't prevent Brand's death.  Melanie tells him she
understands, but he shouldn't feel guilty over something he had no way of
stopping.

	The reception ends soon afterwards and everyone goes their
separate ways.  Archi does his best to make it a memorable night for
Laughter.  Sandr walks along the beach for a while and then goes to bed. 
Sky goes to bed alone, much to Mok and Merlin's disappointment.

	Melanie stays up and sketches some Trumps.  She gets a Trump call
from Maron, who tells her that she was right about Brand being alive,
although he has no Pattern imprint and is totally psychotic.  Maron and
Shandril placed wards around the Shadow they found him in, since it would
be bad if he got out in his current state.  Melanie thanks Maron for the
information.  He tells her that Eve sends her love and Shan her regards. 
Melanie warns Maron to keep Eve away from Laughter.  When he asks why, she
explains that Odemma was a Shadow of Laughter.  He is rather surprised to
learn this and points out that Laughter must have been in Brand's universe
for this to be true.  Melanie tells him that she did encounter Laughter
there several years ago.  They figure there may also have been Shadows of
the other Amberites who came with Laughter, but it doesn't really matter,
since they would have been destroyed with Brand's universe.  Melanie
finishes her sketches and goes to bed.

	Ulysses wakes up the next morning and notices that Sylvie is gone. 
Being the concerned father that he is, he Trumps her.  At the same moment,
Caelia gets a Trump call.  Cameron buries his face in a pillow.  Ulysses
is disconcerted to see who answers, to say the least.  Sylvie explains
that she wanted to see the reef.  He asks who she was with.  She admits it
was Cameron.  Who stayed at the same hotel.  In the same room.  In the
same bed.  Ulysses gets the idea, and he is not pleased.  He tells her
that you just don't do that with Cameron.  She counters that he did it
with Sandr.  Er.  Um.  Ulysses decides to change his approach and asks why
she chose Cameron.  She says Cameron is her only friend in Amber and asks
why he slept with her mother.  He responds that it seemed like a good idea
at the time, which lends little support to his objections.  He asks again
why she chose Cameron.  She doesn't want to say out loud, so he shows her
how to speak psychically over Trump.  She explains that it's the only way
she could get Cameron, because she loves him, and she thinks she can make
him love her.  Ulysses, being the expert in this sort of thing, warns her
that men can be cruel and Cameron might hurt her.  Sylvie asks why he hurt
Beauty.  He says he doesn't want her to be like him, he wants her to be
better.  She complains that it's not like she's slept with anyone else. 
This does not make Ulysses any happier.

	Sylvie tries to get Cameron to talk about what happened.  He's not
thrilled about the whole thing, although this is more due to who her
father is than to her age.  He does admit that he had a decent time last
night.

	Mok goes looking for Sandr, who doesn't want to be found. 
However, since Mok has good stuff and Sandr has bad stuff, Mok manages to
find him.  He asks for his Trump of Ulysses back.  Oops, guess Sandr
neglected to return it the previous night.

	Archi arms himself to the teeth.  Laughter comments that it's much
easier to just grow weapons.  Archi finds this less than helpful.  Fiona
arrives and tells Laughter that her father will be along soon.  Archi
Trumps Ulysses, who is lying on the ground staring up at the sky.  Ulysses
explains that Cameron boinked his daughter and gives the details.  Archi
is sympathetic.  Ulysses wants to come on the Chaos expedition.  Archi
thinks his mood would be detrimental.  (No, really?) Besides, he points
out that Ulysses doesn't like Chaos.  Ulysses says he just wants to hit
something.  Archi asks him to promise not to go berserker.

	Melanie Trumps Archi and comes through.  She leaves for a few
minutes and returns in her demon form, carrying a duffel bag.  Archi is
rather startled by her change in form and apologizes.  She asks who's
going on the trip to Chaos and learns that, in addition to herself and
Archi, Sky, Laughter, Fiona and Ulysses have been tapped.  She warns Archi
that Mok thinks he's going as well, a fact she learned from Sandr.

	Sylvie Trumps Archi and asks if he could use two shapeshifting
demons.  Archi says he can't if one of them is Cameron.  She says he'll
need all the help he can get.  Archi explains that Ulysses will be along,
so bringing Cameron would not be the brightest of ideas.  Not that he'd
allow Cameron along anyway, but it's a convenient excuse.  Sylvie insists
that she's going if Ulysses is.  Archi says that's between her and
Ulysses.

	While this is going on, Cameron is Trumped by Shandril, who
observes that he's leaving soon.  She tells him he needs to get Sandr to
put on the ring, although the world won't end if he doesn't.

	Sylvie asks Cameron for his Trump of Ulysses.  He reluctantly
gives it to her.  She Trumps Ulysses and goes through to him.

	Mok tries to convince Sandr to come on the expedition.  Sandr
doesn't think they want him along (now, where did he get that idea?).  Mok
Trumps Laughter and asks when they're leaving.  She directs him to Archi,
since he's organizing this posse.  Archi claims he didn't know Mok wanted
to come.  Mok volunteers his army.  Archi tells him they'll all be killed. 
Mok says he'll ask them if they want to come.  Archi figures as long as
Mok can handle their deaths, he doesn't care.  Mok also wants to bring
Sandr, since he's useful.  Archi admits this is true, but adds that Sandr
can't be relied upon.  Mok says he'll leave this up to Archi.  Archi
figures Sandr shouldn't be pushed if he doesn't want to come.  Mok asks
Sandr if he wants to come.  Sandr figures, what the Hell, he can only die. 
Bzzz, wrong answer.  Mok relays this and Archi says Sandr can't come. 
Sandr asks what Archi wants him to say, then asks to talk to Archi
directly.  Before taking the call, Archi writes out for Melanie that he's
in a Trump call with Sandr.  Just in case something should happen.  Sandr
explains that he swore an oath to Random and he feels he has to go with
them.  Archi says this reason is fine, but he won't let Sandr come if he
wants to die.  Sandr agrees and offers his skill at altering reality. 
Archi says he doesn't like being judgmental, but based on Sandr's past
actions he feels he should watch him.  Then he gives Sandr his laser
pistol, since Sandr can make it work.  Sandr figures someone has watch
Mok.  So we have Archi watching Sandr, who's watching Mok, who's watching
Sky.  Hope someone's watching out for the demons.  Archi tells Sandr to
educate Mok in the ways of Shadow.  He also warns Sandr that Fiona will be
along.  Sandr begins to wish Mok hadn't talked him into this.  I think
this is where Sandr gives his amulet to Mok, but since he couldn't be
bothered to tell the GM, the game log couldn't be bothered to note it.

	Cameron writes Sylvie a note and tries to Trump his mom, but she
doesn't answer.  He destroys the first note and writes Sylvie another one,
saying he hopes things work out with her Dad, and he'll call.  Then he
Trumps his aunt and goes through.


Quotables:

"And if they stuff them in my shorts, I'll pop them in the mouth." --
Wendi

"I'm not a guy, all right, so I don't know the lines." -- Em

"He's nice, in a kind of testosterone driven, could go into a killing
frenzy at any moment kind of way." -- Beauty about her Hendrake beau. 

"You keep touching my pillow." -- Liam

"It's kind of like having a brother you never met, only he's not my
brother." -- Sylvie to Ulysses

"Come on.  Come on.  You know you want to." -- Sandr to Mok

"Don't touch me there." -- Liam

"It was war.  People are mean during war." -- Cameron

"It's fun to be mean to Sandr." -- Cameron