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It's about a month into the construction and reinforcement of the Keep of
the Five Worlds, courtesy of the fast time gradient set in place by its
master, Shizumaru.  And right now, a little after the dinner hour as the
sky darkens, a certain Queen/Princess/Warden/Mother/etc has decided to
take a break, heading up to the ramparts of the outer wall, sitting among
the crenelations with a purloined acoustic guitar.  She looks out over the
Metal Shadow, towards the Fire Shadow to her left, the Wood Shadow to her
right.

Corrine plays through an adaptation of "Lost Fragments", courtesy of
Mikage before he left.  The guitar notes are soft and slightly melencholy
as she watches the sky darken, even with the lights of Fire glittering in
her vision, and the candles of the few remaining Ember troops camped out
in the rocky parts of the Metal Shadow glinting like the stars that are
just beginning to come out.

Down in the courtyard, construction work goes on regardless of the time,
Gideon giving orders to a small group of Created, soulless automatons that
are nonetheless quite skilled at crafts, skilled enough at least to work
without supervision. Once done, the red-and-black-clad man looks around
for the source of the music, and spies Corrine on the wall. After a few
seconds of indecision, he makes his way over to her.

Corrine continues her guitar playing for a while -- she's nowhere near the
quality of her brother Miki or the court bards Madoka or Priss, but she
-is- somewhat skilled.  Eventually, she brings the music to a soft coda,
and looks up and over as Gideon approaches.  She smiles slightly.  "Hey
there, Gideon.  Don't worry, I'll come back down and get back into the
thick of things soon enough... just felt like a little break after
dinner."

Corrine, for those playing along at home, is wearing a pair of jeans and a
brown t-shirt with silver lettering: "I Beat Up On Corwin, And All I Got
Was This Lousy T-Shirt."

Gideon grins briefly and nods, then seats himself on a convenient surface
nearby. "You're certainly entitled to a little break, Corrine. Especially
since the main work I have in mind of you is yet to come." His gaze takes
in the t-shirt, and the grin returns, almost a smirk. "Cute."

Corrine looks down at the shirt, and chuckles.  "You like?  I had a bear
of a time getting the idea of this across to Shizumaru, but I finally did
so, and he was able to whip it up.  I'm thinking a whole line of 'em for
those of us who were in the battle." She grins.  "What would -you- like on
yours, Gideon?" She then winks.  "And somehow, I figured... what were you
having in mind?  Something local-Pattern related?  Trump-Based?  Or
Demi-jewel power connections?"  She arranges herself and the guitar so
that she's facing Gideon better.

Gideon shrugs, "I'm not really interested in t-shirts." He gestures at his
outfit, "This is good enough. Temperature control, self-repairing,
self-cleaning, and can change into any outfit I might need." He hms. "What
I'd like you to do is locate other elemental shadows to link into here,
and help me create the transfer conduits. You're familiar with the
shadowscape in this universe, I am not."

Corrine nods.  "Suit yourself.  And yeah, I was thinking along the same
lines.  Since this place itself doesn't have a Pattern to draw on for
power, like Gabrielle does, the elemental connections are the next viable
alternative.  'Fortunately', we're sitting on a place that's got Elemental
Shadow connections out the wazoo..." She gestures towards the Keep
fortress.  "... I swear, the place is almost like a giant walkthrough
spikard.  Yeah, I think I can help with that."

Corrine says, "My big concern is that with Rebma having gone 'pif' on us,
Water isn't exactly going to be a major supporter of things until we can
get it back or draw a new Water Pattern to help support Water Shadows."

Corrine says, "Oh, I'm sure there's some still -out- there, but..." She
shrugs.

Gideon nods, "Well, that's something to worry about after Annadil is kept
from opening the gates. We'll still see about finding what water shadows
we can to link here though ... I don't like to leave things half-finished
only. And yes, what we're building here is, in a way, an elemental
spikard. Not quite as portable as the rings, but the principle is the
same. And the manifestations will account for portability."

Corrine nods.  "Oh, I agree there about Annadil.  Stop Annadil and save
Universes first, worry about the little stuff later.  And the Keep should
help us find viable connections that still current exist, for all five
elements, that should remain relatively stable and not likely to drop off.
 I agree on not leaving things half-finished, we should get a good, strong
foundation out of this."  She quirks a wry grin, looking down at the
courtyard construction.  "'Building your own Spikard for Fun and Profit'. 
Sounds like an email spam."

Gideon chuckles. "More like one of those do-it-yourself books. Good thing
though that only very few people could make sense of the instructions."

Corrine chuckles as well.  "Yeah.  Things of this nature, with so much raw
power behind them... yes, they exist, and are useful, and in the 'right
hands' can be a powerful force for good... but if there were too many, or
misused..." She sighs, and looks out towards the Metal Shadow again,
before looking back at Gideon.  "Well, at least the hands in this case are
going to end up being Shizumaru's, and if there's a better set of hands to
control this, I can't think of them easily." She quirks a smile.

Gideon nods, smiling. "He seems like a good kid. A bit too innocent maybe,
but he's got time to learn. And I intend to make this into something that
will help to keep him alive long enough for that."

Corrine smiles.  "As I was saying to Juri a little while back, I'm
-amazed- that my family's gene pool produced him.  But then again, he was
raised off in Lipun, not back home, so his formative years were more
isolated.  And for all his innocent, his heart and mind are in the right
place, and I can easily see him putting this place and what we build here
to good use for a long time to come."

You page, "[Lipun, not Lupin.  The scriptwriters have been sacked.]" to
Akemi.

Gideon nods again and turns slightly to look out over the courtyard.
"Let's hope there will -be- a long time. The Outsiders get in, life will
be quite unpleasant, and possibly short."

Corrine winces at that, and nods.  "Too true.  Good unicorn and pyricorn,
we -need- to succeed at stopping Annadil.  There just -isn't- another
option."  She sighs, and hehs, softly.  "Perhaps that's part of the reason
I've been so willing to do things in fast-time nowadays... a last-moment
desire to pack as much into my life as possible in case..." She closes her
eyes, drawing silent, before opening them again.  "Well, anyway.  We'll do
what we need to do."

Gideon smiles, "As always ... " He looks down at himself and hms. The
clothing starts to shift, reforming into a red vest over black jeans and a
black t-shirt with a big red 'It wasn't MY fault!' print on it. "Well, the
Ravager Beast isn't ready to give up yet."

Corrine blinks at the clothing change, and smirks.  "I thought you weren't
interested in T-shirts."  She plays a little sprightly chord on the
guitar.

Gideon shrugs, smirking. "I bow to peer pressure." He glances at the
guitar. "I didn't know you were interested in music."

Gideon says, "Or rather, in playing it."

Corrine chuckles at that, and glances down at the guitar again.  "Oh, I
dabble in it from time to time.  More of a hobby than anything, since my
major focus and passion ended up being painting, which is how I got into
doing Trumps after my exile.  I learned flute and piano back home 'cause
'it was something a princess should know' and I was already getting tired
of all the damn wars the kingdom got involved in, picked up guitar when I
started wandering Shadow, and just recently got off my duff to learn
electric thanks to my court bard.  This thing," she gestures to the guitar
again, "has an electric guitar and amp mode to it, but it isn't that
useful here, and I don't want to bother Shizu to adjust the local reality
so that it'd work."  She quirks a smile.

Gideon nods. "I prefer just listening over playing." A quick grin, "I'm
horrible with instruments ... what artistic skill I have is mostly in
painting and sculpting. Quite handy for a trump artist, not so
coincidentally."

Corrine says, "But of course." She grins.  "Hell, I'm still surprised some
times that things turned out as they did with me and trumps -- during my
exile, I was just looking for something to pass the time and a place to
stay... fifty years later, before I left, I had my own art school and
gallery.  And I could see that you've definitely got the skills yourself,
from what I saw at your Keep."  She chuckles, ruefully. "I've -still- got
no idea how you got that one picture to work as a Trump... I wasn't
picking up any energies from it when I examined it when I was there."

Corrine asks, "How'd you get into the art, anyway?"

Gideon says, "A little trick I picked up from our Fiona. Quite useful
trick, too." He grins, "I picked it up from my brother Dante. He's the one
who made most of the family trumps ... all of them, really, except for my
deck."

Corrine ahhhs, and nods.  "Quite useful trick, that.  And sounds kind of
like what I ended up doing... my own deck, and then decks for the younger
members of my family and my rangers, though mostly the latter. 
Grandfather, myself, and Miki are the major trump artists in my family,
and most get theirs from grandfather when they get their first deck.  Miki
studied more intensly under him than I did, since I had to start painting
lots of regular cards for myself and others, and that took time... but I
think I'm gaining on him."  She grins.

Gideon chuckles. "When this is over, we should sit down over a cup of tea
and exchange stories ... I'm sure you know a few things I'd like to learn,
and I think I can offer some neat tricks too."

Corrine smiles.  "I'd be more that happy to take you up on that offer,
Gideon, and I'll be looking forward to it." She blushes a bit, and
chuckles.  "I apologize for nosing around earlier when we were at your
Keep... I peeked a bit in your library when we were there waiting for you.
 If the books you have are any indication, I think I can safely say I'd be
a willing and interested student."

Gideon nods, "No apologies are necessary. The library is there to be used,
after all."

Corrine says, "Cool.  I'll get my library card ready, then." She smiles.

Gideon hehs. "First we have to create a gate back to our side, and that
might take a while. I've got a few theories, but I still have to test
them."

Corrine nods.  "But of course.  At least we -have- alternatives and
possibilities on that score... before this all started," She gestures at
the keep, and by implication the entire turn of events for the past two
months-slash-30 years, "I had no clue that such things were possible in
the first place."

Gideon nods, "I was somewhat prepared for such by the existence of our
Amber. Even though the cosmological relationship between Avalon and that
Amber is a bit closer than the one between Avalon and this Amber. Maybe
I'll build a dimensional gate some day and spend a century or two just
universe-hopping."

Corrine chuckles a bit at that, and nods.  "A lot easier than having to go
down to Chaos and taking your chances with the Cave of Worlds.  Our
universe doesn't have that sort of arrangement, with an additional full
Pattern drawn within the bounds of a preexisting one.  At least, so far as
I know." She quirks a smile.  "Sounds like a fun way to pass the time, as
long as you can get back home eventually.  Like Shadow-walking, just wider
ranging in its way."

Corrine says, "I admit, I wish I'd had a better chance to look around
Avalon while we were breifly there."

Gideon says, "If we can get a permanent gate set up, you'll get your wish.
I'm sure Juri won't mind playing tour guide for you and Roderick."

Corrine smiles again, brightly.  "Coool.  That place is an artist's
dream." She then looks down at herself, and considers.  "Though I imagine
I'll have to go incognito, if we do..."  She chuckles, ruefully.  "And no
doubt Roderick too, unless he really -wants- to be confused with Horatio
all the time."

Gideon nods, "Yeah ... you'd better change your looks a bit if you go.
They really don't need more Darako sightings."

Corrine mms, and nods.  And then quirks an eyebrow.  "They're having some
as it is?  Oh joy.  Though I imagine it's not impossible, given the
existance of Shadow and shapeshifters and Patternghosts and whatnot."  She
mms again, quietly, looking thoughtful as she considers something
internally for a few moments.  "Gideon?  What was Darako like?"

Corrine says, "You don't have to answer if you don't want to... I know
it's a painful subject for Juri, and I suspect it carries over to others."
 She purses her lips a bit, hoping to have not overstepped any bounds.

You page, "OOC: Darako sightings.  Is that anything like Elvis Sightings?
*wg*" to Chris and Kima. Chris pages, "Kinda. :>" to you and Kima.

Gideon smiles, a little sad. "She was many things, and most of them
contradicted each other. Loud, yet quiet when she wanted to be. Hard, yet
soft. Tough and still vulnerable."

Corrine hehs a bit, softly, a little quiet.  "Mmmm.  So I was starting to
gather, from description and from, well, my brief meeting with her or what
might have been 'a' her in the Cave of Worlds.   I get the impression of
someone, well, who was doing what needed to be done, and well..." She
shrugs, and strokes the strings of the guitar again, letting out a quiet,
plaintitive chord.  "Different lives, different histories, different
paths."

Gideon says, "Yeah ... she was always willing to do what was needed. And
that's one of those things that got her killed."

Corrine mms at that.  "There's a moral in that, I suppose.  But at the
same time, it was a complex, confusing situation... well, at least from my
point of view of things on what I've heard about it.  So I can't be the
one to judge."  She manages a cockeyed smile.  "Hopefully our doing what
is needed to defeat and destroy Annadil won't lead to any of -us- buying
it, though.  I value my family and friends, both direct and extended, for
it to be otherwise."

Gideon nods, "It was confusing, no doubt about it ... Juri about to
release Brand after being manipulated into it by Tomas ... Darako sent to
stop her, me sent to help Darako ... I took too long to regenerate from
the loss of my arm though, and came too late. All I could do was make her
death less painful."

Corrine nods at that, and closes her eyes. *q* "At least she had that
peace, in the end.  I know, from hearing from Juri, and yes, Darako, that
the two had been at odds since... damned if I know."  She shudders a bit
at a memory.  "... such acid hate..."

Gideon says quietly, "That hate began before they even met for the first
time ... and since then it had many many years to grow."

Corrine mmms again, quietly. "And such things are hard to undo, with such
a foundation from the beginning.  Damn." She lets out a sigh, and looks up
at the stars in the night sky over the Keep, lost in thought.

Gideon just nods, busy with his own thoughts.

Corrine plucks again at the guitar, her fingers seeming to move of their
own volition as they start to form a melody.

You page, "Aaaand now... time for the musical number. :)" to Chris.
In a page-pose to you, Chris snickers.

Gideon raises his right hand, looking at the rather plain ring he wears on
a finger, still quiet as Corrine starts playing.

Corrine starts to sing, quietly at first, then somewhat louder as she gets
into the groove, her voice pretty good and capable, given the setting:
"Score the lines in a deepening order/ Score them deep just to make sure
you told her/ Destructive Rage, it's just easier to be that way/ At least
you never have to eat the words you say..."

Corrine sings, "I take pleasure, in being all alone/ I save passion, in
making it on my own," Her voice builds, becoming more challenging, "I will
never be taken by your humility / And I / I will never fall on my knees,
now ..."

Corrine's voice softens a bit as she continues, "Bear the weight of the
world as you told her/ But it weighs heavy on a wounded shoulder/ Sew the
petals on a dying flower/ At least you know that she will stay in your
power, now..."

Corrine sings, first softly, then strongly, "I take pity, on those who
can't see clearly, now / You take pleasure, in making it hard to see, here
now / I will never be taken by your humility / And I / I will never fall
on my knees, now ..."

Once again, the verses become more challenging, harder edged, as a
sharpness enters her voice, an almost Darakoish tone... "Make sure she's
breathing/ Make sure she's feeling/ Make sure she's responding to you now/
So you can tell her the score/ Make sure she's breathing/ Make sure she's
feeling/ Make sure she's responding to you now/ So you can hurt her all
the more..."

Corrine sings to the sky, looking up at the stars, and for a moment, one
may wonder if it's Corrine singing, or Darako instead... "I will never be
beaten by your brutality/ And I/ I will never be shaken by your
stupidity... / Make sure she's breathing / Make sure she's feeling / Make
sure she's responding to you now ..."

Gideon looks away, pushing his glasses up.

Corrine builds the song to a coda, eyes closed, still challenging and
hard, but now the words are pure Corrine... "Make sure/ Make sure/ Make
sure/ Don't you hurt her now/ Make sure/ Make sure/ Make sure/ Don't you
dare hurt her now."

Corrine lets the final few notes plunk away, and opens her eyes.  She
wipes sweat away from her brow, and looks down at her guitar, taking a few
deep breaths, somewhat surprised that she had this in her.

Corrine then blinks, and looks over at Gideon with concern on her
features.

Gideon is still turned away, looking out over the courtyard. "You almost
reminded me of her there, for a second ... "

Corrine murmurs, quietly.  "...oh..." She looks down at the guitar again.
"... it.. just felt like the right thing to play, for some reason.  'More
alike than to be admitted', perhaps," she murmurs to herself.  She purses
her lips, still quiet, though speaking up some more.  ".. I apologize if I
opened any old wounds, Gideon."

Gideon turns back toward Corrine and shakes his head. "You can't reopen
anything that hasn't closed yet." 

Corrine winces at that, and sighs.  "Ah.  Damnit."  She lets out a long
breath, unclear of where to go with things now, given everything.  "Well
then... I hope, with time, if the wound does not close, then perhaps the
pain can at least be alleviated somewhat.  I know how that goes all too
well."  She manages a sad smile.

Gideon shrugs slightly. "Give me another few centuries, and the pain might
go away. I doubt it though."

You page, "hm.  how would Gideon respond to a hug right about now? *wg*"
to Chris. Chris pages, "Not good, probably. :>" to you. You page, "Righto.
 Corrine knows enough about body language NOT to press her luck. :)" to
Chris. In a page-pose to you, Chris nods. Gid is exerting obvious control.
It's too unnatural at the moment. You page, "*nod* So a distraction of
some sort would be warranted?  Or time alone?  I'm good for either, since
I think this scene is pretty much nearly done. *wg*" to Chris. Chris
pages, "Corrine's decision. >)" to you. You page, "Righto. :) AS for
myself, it's nearly time for me to head out -anyway-, sooo....." to Chris.
Chris pages, "Time alone it is, then. Corrine is now a member of a very
exclusive club ... the people who have actually seen a bit of the true
Gideon instead of the facade he generally uses for contact with people.
:>" to you. You page, "Yay!  Corrine seems to have that effect. ^_^" to
Chris.

Corrine mmms quietly, and gets up from where she's seated.  "Mmm.  Right. 
Well..." She obviously hesitates, warring with herself internally before
coming to a decision. "... I think I'm going to head back down to the
courtyard, Gideon, to start thinking about what you were mentioning
earlier, about the power feeds.  See where we can start implementing them,
physically.  See you down there, eventually?"

Gideon nods slightly. "I'll be down in a while. As for physical links on
our side, I'm working on focus stones. I'll show you the plans."

Gideon asks, "What is it with people and clones today?"
Gideon mispuppets.

Corrine says, "Coolness.  I'll be looking forward to looking them over
then." She again regards him, quietly, pausing at the top of the stairs
down to the Keep courtyard.  "Take care, Gideon."

Gideon smiles briefly. "I will. See you in a few."

Corrine smiles back, a tad mixed, and nods.  She heads on down the stairs,
dissappearing from sight as she descends.

And Fade.

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