From pmoyer@jurai.net Sat Nov 25 19:20:29 2000
Date: Fri, 24 Nov 2000 16:31:59 -0500 (EST)
From: Philip J. Moyer <pmoyer@jurai.net>
To: John Biles <ranma@falcon.cc.ukans.edu>,
     Amy "General Chaos" Borden <aborden@soltec.net>,
     Chris Angelini <frobozz@eyrie.org>
Subject: [Amber/TAMD] Hiko -- Nighttime Returns

*** Foxtrot goes IC. ***

Corrine of Amber OOCly returns, having eaten.

===========================
===========================

It is VERY late, and she decides to take a walk back to the castle,
mulling over what she's learned.

Hiko the Firechilde says, "No one knows what the Gate hides, no one knows
how to close it once it's open"

Hiko the Firechilde asks, "How in the WORLD did Annadil find out?"

The heavens do not give you an answer, unfortunately.

Hiko the Firechilde mutters to herself as she walks back to the castle.

It's a looooong walk up those stairs, and by the time you reach the top,
you're pretty worn out.  You also discover some annoying person has shut
and locked the gates.  There's a sentry up on the walls, who looks down at
you.  "We don't want any," he says.

Hiko the Firechilde says, "I'm a guest in the palace."

He pulls out a sheaf of papers.  "Name?"

Hiko the Firechilde says, "Lady Hiko."

He rifles through the papers.  "Hmm, you're not on my guest list.  You
sure you got the right castle?"

Hiko the Firechilde says, "I think so unless I'm in the wrong Shadow, and
I doubt I am."

Hiko the Firechilde says, "Ask King Tylor; I've been doing research for
him."

"The king tends to get rather annoyed if I wake him up in the middle of
the night, you know."

"And you might sneak in while I was gone."

Hiko the Firechilde OOCly  growls.

Hiko the Firechilde says, "Alright... I guess I can wait 'til morning..."

Ramon asks, "OOC Connection trouble again or just annoyed with Mr. Guard?"
Hiko the Firechilde OOCLY says,  "Connection."
Hiko the Firechilde OOCLY says,  "I stopped juuuuust in time from
disconnecting me."

He nods.  "Righto."  He goes back to gazing out over the countryside.

Hiko the Firechilde thinks, "Of course I could just trump in, but that
would be also suspicious."

Hiko the Firechilde thinks, "And that would be the last thing I need."

Hiko the Firechilde calls up, "Is there any place near by where I can find
decent lodging?  Some place safe?"

"There's about twelve million inns down in the city, and most of them are
fairly safe, so far as I know.  There's a little place just inside the
gate, called The Blue Dragon.  Quite nice from what I hear."

Hiko the Firechilde asks, "They take guests this late at night?"

He says, "People show up at all sorts of odd hours around here."  He looks
down pointedly at you.

Hiko the Firechilde smiles a tad sheepishly.  "It was a lot of research."

He says, "I'm sure that if you have money, they'll be happy to give you a
room."

Hiko the Firechilde searches her pockets.... only to find them empty.

Hiko the Firechilde curses mildly.

Hiko the Firechilde smiles her biggest smile.  "I don't suppose there's
ANY one up at this time of night who could vouch for me?  Like Misato?"

The guard says slowly and carefully, "I can't leave my post to go around
asking if anyone knows you.  That's how evil soul sucking chaosians slip
into the castle and eat all the Jello."

He continues, "And then Nanami straps me to the bell again.  No thank
you."

Hiko the Firechilde asks, "Can't you get one of the other guards to call
for Misato?"

He waves his arms about.  "You see anyone else?  Everyone else is off
chasing some dog."

Hiko the Firechilde asks, "Dog?"

"Some dog tried to climb up the wall, and everyone's gone off after it;
must be halfway round the mountain by now.  Damn werewolves think they can
just go around marking their territory on people," he grumbles.

Hiko the Firechilde asks, "Werewolves?"

Hiko the Firechilde looks around a bit fearfully.

You hear a distant explosion.

Hiko the Firechilde swivels her head towards the sound.

Hiko the Firechilde OOCLY says,  "From what direction?"

Off to the far right, around the curve of the mountain.

Then you hear some cheering.

Hiko the Firechilde wishes she could see what's going on.

And then there's silence.

The guard says, "Hmm, sounds like they got it."

Hiko the Firechilde thinks to herself again.  "I have no money, I can't
trump into the courtyard, and everyone's probably asleep."

Hiko the Firechilde asks, "Did Misato go with everyone else after the
werewolf?"

"I'm sure Misato's in bed right now.  Just a dozen or so of us and Bob the
Mage."

Hiko the Firechilde nods slowly.

Hiko the Firechilde asks, "Are there any hostels that would take me in
until I can get the money wired to me or messangered over from the
castle?"

He says, "What's a hostel?"

Hiko the Firechilde says, "I guess not."

Hiko the Firechilde sighs.

Hiko the Firechilde nods.  "I'll just... Oh, I don't know."

A group of guards carrying a baked dog come into sight, walking round the
curve of the mountain.

Hiko the Firechilde looks towards the group.

The guards come closer, wearing their uniforms.  Two of them are carrying
the rather charbroiled looking husky.  As they draw closer, one of them
yells, "Blake, open the gates!"

He looks down at them, "How do I know you're not all werewolves now?"

One of the guards looks very annoyed.  "Blake, open the damn gates or I'll
climb up there and..."

Hiko the Firechilde smiles.  "Looks like no one's getting in tonight..."

"Hah!  You can't fool me!  Now I KNOW you're a werewolf!"

Hiko the Firechilde blinks.

"Only a werewolf could climb up this wall!"

The guards form a huddle and start whispering among themselves.

Hiko the Firechilde eyes them with interest.

The guards then notice you.  "Hey, who are you?" one of them asks.

Hiko the Firechilde says, "I'm a guest in the palace doing research for
King Tylor."

Hiko the Firechilde says, "Everyone who can vouch for me is asleep."

Hiko the Firechilde looks up at the guard.  "And he won't let me in, which
is good, but I need a place to sleep and I have no money."

"Oh, he's just a moron.  And ever since Nanami strapped him to the inside
of the bell and rang it to celebrate King Tylor and  Queen Yuriko's
anniversary, he's been sort of paranoid."

Hiko the Firechilde says, "I can understand paranoia, with what's been
going on lately."

Blake says, "Go away werewolves, or I'll call the guards on you!"

"Blake, you freak, we ARE the guards!"

Hiko the Firechilde bursts out into laughter.

Keiko says, "OOC:  http://www.thekeep.org/~harnums/Avalon/keikotrump.jpg"
Corrine of Amber OOCly says, "Spiiiifffy."
Keiko says, "OOC:  The power of Frankenstein Trump Artistry.  :)"
Ramon says, "OOC Cool."
Naga OOCly says, "Awesome"
Hiko the Firechilde OOCLY says,  "I wish I had that power. ^_^"
Hiko the Firechilde OOCLY says,  "Oh wait, I do... gonna do another photo
Hiko Trump."
Hiko the Firechilde says, "Excuse me, gentlemen...."
Keiko says, "OOC:  I actually would like to develop rules for it, in order
to use it in a game.  :)"
Eudial says, "Ooooh, very picaresque."
Eudial says, "OOCly.  ^^;;"

"Hmm, what, ma'am?"

Hiko the Firechilde pushes her way past them to the werewolf carcass,
reaches for her silver dagger and plunges it into the heart of the beast.

Keiko says, "OOC:  You can't actually draw Trumps yourselves, but, if you
get your hands on a deck, you can cut the Trumps up and make new Trumps
out of them.  :)"
Naga says, "OOC that's what I used to do with magic cards :)"

It screams and howls as the dagger strikes home, then goes limp and turns
into a scaly humanoid with purplish scales and pink eyes.

Hiko the Firechilde OOCLY says,  "I guess I don't need to use the Power
Word on it, hmm?"

Blake shouts, "Ahah!  Going around turning things into demons?"

Hiko the Firechilde asks, "Demon, you say?"

Hiko the Firechilde says, "More like shapeshifter to me."

Hiko the Firechilde asks, "Or is that the same thing?"

"Close enough."

Bob the mage steps forward and points a wand at Blake.  "Let us in or I'll
turn you into a turnip again!"

Hiko the Firechilde asks, "How many have you had recently?"

"Threatening an officer of the law!  That's illegal you know!  Don't make
me call the guards on ya!"

The guard says, "We get something trying to crawl into the castle about
every night, since the crisis started."

Hiko the Firechilde asks, "Beginning with the theft of the sword, right?"

Bob waggles his wand at Blake.  "Don't make me use this!"

"Ever since that duel between Princess Kozue and Lady Madoka, really."

Ramon says, "I'm not afraid of your magic twaggler!" Blake shouts down.
"You couldn't ensorcel your way out of a pile of dead noodles!"

Hiko the Firechilde sighs.  "Don't remind me of that... I almost got
possessed."

"I'm not afraid of your magic twaggler!" Blake shouts down.  "You couldn't
ensorcel your way out of a pile of dead noodles!"

Bob waves his wand.  There is a poof of smoke and Bob turns into a turnip.

Blake begins laughing hysterically.

Hiko the Firechilde blinks, and examines Bob the Turnip very carefullly.

Another one of the guards sags and sighs.  "Not bloody again.  I keep
telling him that spell doesn't work right."

Hiko the Firechilde asks, "He one of the castle mages?"

"He's our night watch mage.  He's good at blowing things up, but not much
good at any other magic."

Hiko the Firechilde thinks to herself and points at the turnip.

He turns back into Bob.

Hiko the Firechilde says, "That should do it..."

Blake says, "Go back to chaos, all you werewolves!  And tell them Blake
the magnificent repelled your foul assault!"

Hiko the Firechilde says, "I think you forgot a lynch pin somewhere."

Hiko the Firechilde OOCLY says,  "What time is it again??"

Bob says, "Maybe I should have been wearing my copper amulet to do it
right."

Ramon says, "OOC It's about 1 AM at this point."

Hiko the Firechilde purses her lips.  "Perhaps."

Blake does the Superior Dance.

Hiko the Firechilde yawns.  "I'd love to jaw outside the castle all night,
but I'm exhausted, and I need a place to sleep.  Is there anywhere I could
stay until morning, and have King Tylor or Princess Juri send some money
to pay for my lodgings?"

Rod has connected.
>> Evil spelled backwards is live, and we all want to live, don't we?
Jeff-kun OOC Wonder if Blake is a cousin of Joxer's
Shaft says, "'lo kids"
Keiko says, "Hey, Rod."
Hiko the Firechilde OOCLY says,  "Hey, Rod.  Happy Turkey Day!"
Keiko says, "Rod: http://www.thekeep.org/~harnums/Avalon/keikotrump.jpg"

The guards say, "Oh, just wait a little longer and we'll get this moron to
let us all in."

Blake says, "I HEARD that!  If you call me a moron again, I'll summon the
guards!"

Hiko the Firechilde nods... then stifles a laugh.

"Go ahead!  SUMMON THE GUARDS!  SEE IF I CARE!" one of the guards shouts.

Hiko the Firechilde calls up.  "Didn't you say all of them were out here
tracking the werewolf?"

Blake begins ringing a very loud bell.  "Intruders!  Intruders!
Werewolves impersonating guards and some woman are trying to get in!"

Hiko the Firechilde looks at one of the guards.  "Is he soft in the head?"

Blake says, "Hah!  It's obvious the werewolves must have killed you all
and taken your place!"

Hiko the Firechilde looks around again.

The guard says, "Blake's never been the same since the bell incident."

"Being used as a bell clapper...not fun."

Shaft says, "whoops family dinner on... back later"
Rod has disconnected.
>> gute Nacht

You hear movement inside the castle.

Hiko the Firechilde asks, "I can imagine... what did he do to get that
kind of treatment?"

"Oh, he let someone into the castle who turned out to be a chaosian
infiltrator."

Hiko the Firechilde says, "Ouch... I think he may have gotten off
lightly."

A woman pops into view on the ramparts.  It's Nanami.  "Blake, you moron,
why are you ringing the bell in the middle of the night?  I'm trying to
SLEEP."

Blake points down at all of you.  "Look, werewolves!"

Corrine of Amber OOCly says, "... oh dear."

Hiko the Firechilde waves to Nanami.  "Hello auntie."

Nanami looks down at Hiko blearily.  "I suppose you have something to do
with this, do you?"

Hiko the Firechilde says, "Not at all.  I was just coming back from a late
night research session."

Hiko the Firechilde points to the carcass.  "The guards found another
Chaosian... and your man up there seems to think we've all been turned
into werewolves."

One of the guards says, "We had to chase down a chaosian, and Blake locked
the gates behind us and wouldn't let us back in, your ladyship."

Nanami looks as though she's eaten something very sour.  "Wonderful.  Are
you a werewolf?"

Hiko the Firechilde says, "I should think not.  I don't think they are
either."

The guard says, "No, ma'am, I'm not a werewolf."

"Good," Nanami says slowly.  "None of you are werewolves.  I'm happy to
know that."  She looks at Blake.  "Open the gates."

Nanami says, "And bring the Chaosian inside."

Blake nods nervously and goes and turns the crank which opens the gates.
The guards haul the dead Chaosian inside.

Hiko the Firechilde follows the guards inside.

One of the guards says to Nanami, "It tried to climb the walls, but we
spotted it in time, fortunately."

Nanami heads down from the wall to join Hiko and the guards, casting her
best 'You will be dealt with in the morning when I'm awake enough to think
up something sufficiently nasty' look at Blake.

Blake stays up on the walls.

Nanami nods.  "Good job.  Burn the body as standard, and make sure Makoto
is informed that we had another attempted intrusion."

"Yes, Ma'am, will do."

Four of them take it off to burn it; most of the others go back up on the
wall.

Nanami turns a sweet smile on Hiko.  "And what have you been researching
so late, dear niece?"

Hiko the Firechilde says, "Some stuff for King Tylor.  And then I'm off on
a mission."

Nanami rubs her eyes sleepily.  "Mmm.  That's nice.  Everybody's going off
on missions.  Where are you headed?"

Hiko the Firechilde says, "Not sure yet.  Only that it's supposed to be a
strong hold.  I have no idea why they're sending me."

Hiko the Firechilde says, "I think I might need a few people coming with
me."

"Mmm.  Probably something incredibly vital to make sure that Amber isn't
destroyed by our enemies," Nanami says, yawning.  "That's nice.  I'd send
my son with you to absorb blows, but he's already going with Ota and Keiko
to retrieve our prodigal."

Hiko the Firechilde asks, "Prodigal?  You don't mean Uncle Touga?"

Hiko the Firechilde asks, "Is there anyone else you'd suggest to accompany
me?"

Nanami says, "Mmm.  No.  Wakaba."  Nanami's sour expression increases at
the mention of Touga.

Hiko the Firechilde asks, "Ah... Wakaba... I hear she's been turned?"

Nanami says, "They're going to find her, knock her out and drag her back,
where we can hopefully get the icky nasty Chaos influences out of her
silly little head."

Nanami asks, "Mmm.  Something like that.  Have you any idea just what you
will be up against on this mission?"

Hiko the Firechilde nods... and shakes her head.  "That's why I was doing
research.  I haven't the foggiest.  King Tylor had some quick words with
me while I was out with Cousin Shizumaru.  I suppose I'll get briefed
tomorrow... er, today."

Nanami looks thoughtful and slightly more awake.  "Well, a good policy is
always to choose companions who have strengths you don't."

Hiko the Firechilde nods.  "Ota-san is very skilled at arms, which I am
not."

Nanami nods.  "Yes, but Ota's occupied with looking for Wakaba.  How about
Shizumaru?  I understand he's good with a blade.  And with that umbrella
of his.  Or has he been dispatched on a separate life-or-death mission?"

Hiko the Firechilde says, "Last time I saw him he was deeply asleep and
exhausted.  I think he may have overdone it... I'm not sure if he'd be up
to a mission so quickly."

Nanami snorts.  "Men are lazy by nature.  They need to be spurred into
action.  Besides, he's a member of our family, which means he's
resilient."  She thinks some more.

Nanami says, "Well, you could see if Derith isn't busy.  Or Miki--his
duties aren't exactly onerous, unlike, for example, mine."

Hiko the Firechilde nods, and waits for Nanami's assessment.

Hiko the Firechilde asks, "Are both pretty skilled in stealthy missions?"

Nanami pauses, then says.  "And as long as I'm loaning my people out for
dangerous missions into Shadow, I suppose you could borrow Tsuwabuki."

Hiko the Firechilde asks, "I don't believe I've met him.  Is he another
cousin?"

Nanami says, "Tsuwabuki commands the Trained Bands for me, but I don't
really need him at the moment, since I'm here to do it myself."

Nanami asks, "Tsuwabuki is a good man on a stealth mission, and Derith has
his Rebman Inscrutability Skillz; you've seen how he pops up suddenly when
he's not expected, haven't you?"

Hiko the Firechilde nods.  "I'd love all the help I can get.  And I'll see
if Cousin Shizumaru is up to traveling with me."  She grins.  "I haven't
been near Uncle Derith a whole lot, so I'll just take your word for it."

"Of course you will."  Nanami sniffs.  "I'm eminently trustworthy and
honest as the day is long."

===========================
===========================

Ramon says, "OOC And I need to cut, as Mike and I need to cook dinner,
which involves some driving.  And I don't want Mike to starve to death :)"

Nanami says, "OOC Right-o."

Corrine of Amber OOCly says, "Right.  Enjoy food, John!"


Philip Moyer----------------Qapla'-------------pmoyer@jurai.net 
"To boldly go where no one has gone before!"-Capt. J. L. Picard
"Roads? Where we're going we don't NEED roads!"-Dr. E. L. Brown
   "If it can be dreamed, It can be done."- ReRob Mandeville
"Someday we'll find it, the Rainbow Connection, The Lovers,
---------- The Dreamers, and Me."- Kermit The Frog ------------