[Wombat Lord says, "Fuyutsuki had just taken you down into the castle and shown you to your guest room." Hiko the Firechilde OOCly says, "Remember, I might be in and out due to my connection." Hiko the Firechilde OOCly brings up the log real quick. "What time of day?"] It's a small suite of rooms: a bedroom with queen-sized bed, a large closet, a small bathroom (no shower), and a small front room for meeting with others that has several padded chairs, a table, and a tapestry on the wall which shows Amberite forces fighting some army in a mountain pass. It's late afternoon. The bathroom and bedroom both connect to the front room; the closet connects to the bedroom. The color scheme is reds and yellows. Hiko the Firechilde looks around, then starts closing all the drapes on the windows, shielding the room in darkness. The reds and yellows disappear. She closes the bedroom door and moves to the closet, putting her things inside. The bedroom and living room share a chimney, connected to a small fireplace in each room. Hiko the Firechilde closes her eyes, reviewing the events of the day. "Stupid. Stupid girl." She caresses the lid of the closed box in front of her as she sits in the closet. She says with great satisfaction. "No one's gonna find me." A rat falls on Hiko's head. [Hiko the Firechilde OOCly says, "They share a chimney?" Wombat Lord says, "OOC Yes. The chimney connects to both fireplaces."] Hiko the Firechilde picks up the rat, and eyeballs it balefully. It twists in her grasp. The rat squeaks at you. She says, "Stupid not to bring food." [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Examine rat." to Akemi] The rat says, "I'm not the one hiding in a closet. So don't call me stupid for not bringing you food." Hiko the Firechilde eyes it again, blinking. "And it's talking." The rat looks like an ordinary rat, except it has green eyes...you're pretty sure that's not normal for rats. The rat says, "He is talking. I am not neuter." Hiko the Firechilde looks it up and down. "I guess you are a male. Tell me who you are." She pokes at the rat. The rat says, "I am Duke Miki, Lord of Steam Tunnel #3. I was taking a short cut on my way to raid the kitchen when I fell through a hole in the floor and landed on you." Hiko the Firechilde says, gravely. "It's my pleasure to meet you, Miki-san. Now tell me why I shouldn't make you my lunch. I haven't eaten yet." Duke Miki, Lord of Steam Tunnel #3, says, "Because you would then face the wrath of all my vassals. Also, I'm not exactly a very big meal." Hiko the Firechilde says, "I don't eat much. And the more the merrier." She pauses. "Kitchen you say? Take me there." Duke Miki squirms out of your grasp and onto your shoulder. "Okay, first of all, you're gonna have to come out of the closet." Hiko the Firechilde nods, opening the closet door into the darkness. She picks up her extra cloak and hat, and belts her sword on her hip. She moves quickly though the anteroom, ignoring the furnishings and steps out into the hall. [Hiko the Firechilde OOCly says, "And like that wasn't a loaded statement... ^_^"] The rat leads you down the hall to a staircase, then down the stairs two flights to the ground floor. You weave through a maze of hallways, which finally lead you into the vast kitchens. A dozen or so cooks, and another dozen helpers are moving about cooking vast quantities of food. One of the cooks comes over to you, "Are you the new dessert cook?" Hiko the Firechilde says, "No. I'm hungry." He sighs. "Damn. Hungry, eh? Beaker, come over here!" A tall, skinny man with spikey red hair comes over; he's clearly an assistant. "Beaker, get this woman some food." Beaker says something incomprehensible to the man, then the man says, "Some food. Not make her into food, you idiot!" Beaker nods, then turns to you expectantly. Hiko the Firechilde stands almost supernaturally still in the middle of the hustle and bustle, scanning the room and its occupants with her eyes. She finally settles her gaze on Beaker. "Yes?" It reminds you of the kitchens in the castle in your home shadow before the war. The layout is almost the same, and the cooks act much the same. You can see they're cooking enough food for at least a hundred people, and the boss seems to be a short red-haired man with a thick moustache who is currently hitting a chicken in the head repeatedly with a spoon and trying to stuff it into a pot. Beaker says something incomprehensible. Duke Miki translates, "He wants to know if you'd rather have fruit, a sandwich, or some stew." Hiko the Firechilde says, "You have fruit?" Beaker points over towards the pantry and nods. She takes a deep breath. "I will have an apple." Beaker goes into the pantry. He returns with a platter holding twelve different kinds of apples, including two that look to have been coated with candy. Hiko the Firechilde watches the cooks and the food. It starts to bring back faint memories that she beats down emphatically with a stick. One of the cooks looks disturbingly like Atsuko, who used to sneak you candy before dinner. Hiko the Firechilde blinks. Then reaches out and takes one, biting into it, crunching loudly. She takes several more and hides them in the pockets of her cloak. "Thank you." Beaker nods, then takes the platter and puts it away in the pantry. He returns and stands, looking at you expectantly. She turns and walks away, taking the path deliberately out of "Atsuko's" way. She pauses at a table. "Here are the kitchens, your Grace." It's clear that she's visibly disturbed by being in this room. Duke Miki jumps off your shoulder. "Have a nice day," he says, then darts off. Hiko the Firechilde shudders, and turns away, strolling along the south end of the room, passing by more tables laden with prepared food. She doesn't look at any of it, but her eyes are troubled. The door opens and a woman who is the spitting image of your aunt Kasumi walks in. She strides past you and hails one of the chefs. "Where's that platter of fruit for the Sind Ambassador? It's supposed to be in his guest chambers by now!" She sounds just the same too, except for being a little more strident. Hiko the Firechilde blinks. "Kasumi-san..." she says to herself in a shocked whisper. "Kasumi-san!" The woman turns to you. "Why, hello there." It was difficult how she would ask this. But as her cousin Akari said, "You never know unless you try." Hiko hated it when she'd say that. Hiko drew her shoulders up. "Kasumi-san... aren't you dead?" She smiles brightly. "Are you a guest here?" Blinking, she replies to you, "Do I look dead?" Hiko the Firechilde says, "The Dark Riders raped you and beheaded you. I saw them." [Akemi blinks. "The who did what to me?" Hiko the Firechilde OOCly represses the urge to say "I see dead people" Akemi says, "OOC DOH" Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "The Dark Riders.... the cyberwarriors." to Akemi In a page-pose to you, Akemi nods. I guessed :)] Amber Kasumi says, "Umm...I don't remember anything like that." Hiko the Firechilde clearly looks very disturbed. "I was there. I saw them." [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "This is doing nothing for her schizophrenia, you know." to Akemi Akemi pages, "Heh." to you.] Kasumi says, "I'm pretty sure I'd remember being raped and murdered. It's not the sort of thing a person forgets." Hiko the Firechilde blinks again. "Where am I?" Kasumi says, "You're in the kitchens of Castle Amber, child." She puts a hand to your brow; her hand is soft and cool. "Hmm, you don't seem to have a fever." Do you wish to initiate a psychic contact? [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "slight contact to verify that she isn't my Kasumi" to Akemi] Hiko the Firechilde says, "What's Amber?" Her psychic signature is very, very similar, but not quite the same. Oddly, you feel a slight resemblance to the impression you got from Fuyutsuki. Hiko the Firechilde backs away. "You're not Kasumi." [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Can you get family blood lines from psychic contact?" to Akemi Akemi pages, "You'd have to probe deeper." to you.] Amber Kasumi says, "Amber is the center of the universe, the city which guards the Pattern, home to King Tylor of Amber. However, by this time, Hiko is past all listening. Spooked, she runs out the kitchen door. Amber Kasumi says, "I am indeed Kasumi, the Head Chambermaid of the castle...wait, child!" She runs after you, concerned. You run as fast as you can, but you discover she's faster than you. She also knows this castle, and you don't. Hiko the Firechilde runs though the corridors and quickly finds herself lost. She turns around to face her. "You're not Kasumi! Who are you?" She starts to feel tears well up in her eyes, but beats those down with a stick, too. Amber Kasumi says, "My name is Kasumi. My father was Soun Tendo, and my mother was Kimiko Tendo." She says, "Great-Grandpa??" Hiko the Firechilde is VERY disturbed by now and takes out her sword. "What the HELL is this place?" Hiko the Firechilde looks around wildly, like a caged rat. Amber Kasumi says, "My sister Nabiki is the Deputy Lord High Chamberlain and my sister Akane heads the Lord High Chamberlain's Company." She backs up when she sees the sword. "You could put an eye out, you know. Wait...Father is your great-grandfather?" A curse escapes her mouth. "Mama? Mama's dead! Mama and Papa are dead! And you're dead too! Amber Kasumi says, "Who are your parents, child? And what is your name?" Hiko the Firechilde says, "No! Not telling you my name! Ryouga-sempai said to never say my name!" Her voice shrieks higher and higher the more agitated she gets. Amber Kasumi gulps and takes out a dust rag, then wipes her brow with it. "Nabiki's husband told you not to tell anyone your name?" Hiko the Firechilde is clearly confused and she knows that running's not going to get her anywhere. She doesn't want to hurt anyone, but this is SERIOUSLY freaking her out. Finally, an idea hits. "The old man! Get the old man!" Amber Kasumi says, "Umm...which old man? There's quite a few here." Hiko the Firechilde rolls her eyes. "The weird one who brought me here through the hole he made in the air." Kasumi stands there with a blankly confused look. "He said I was his grandkid. But my grandpa's dead!" Amber Kasumi says, "Fuyutsuki?" Hiko the Firechilde says, "Yeah... that's the one. Go get him!" Amber Kasumi pulls out a deck of cards. She quickly looks through them and extracts one. Then she starts talking to it. Reaching out with one hand, she pulls Fuyutsuki out of the air. Fuyutsuki says, "Hello, Hiko." Kasumi says, "Can you please put that sword away before anyone gets hurt?" Hiko the Firechilde ignores her and looks at the man. "Why is Kasumi not dead?" Fuyutsuki says, "This is not the Kasumi you knew." He holds up a mirror in front of you, so you see yourself in it. "Now, what do you see in this mirror?" By this time, Hiko's starting to get tired of the old man's mirror games. "Me." [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "What's with the mirror stuff?" to Akemi Akemi pages, "You'll find out :)" to you.] Fuyutsuki says, "So, are you in the mirror, or are you outside the mirror?" [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Hiko doesn't like you." to Akemi Akemi pages, "Hehe." to you.] She shifted her stance slightly "Out." Hiko the Firechilde is losing her patience with the riddles and tightens her grip on the sword. Fuyutsuki says, "So what is the 'you' which is in the mirror?" She blinks. "I don't get it." Fuyutsuki says, "The world in which you now stand, the world of Amber, is the real world. The world of the people who are reflected in all the other worlds. You grew up 'inside the mirror', living with reflections of people to be found here. That is why many people here look like people you knew growing up." Hiko the Firechilde says, "Home... is not home?" She is clearly still confused, but loosens her grip on the sword. All of a sudden, she's very tired. The stresses of these new revelations are taking their toll on her. Fuyutsuki says, "This world is your true home, Hiko, for you are the one, true Hiko, and this is the place where dwells the True beings, of whom all others are but reflections." Hiko the Firechilde says, "So, Mama and Papa were never real?" [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Loaded question." to Akemi] Fuyutsuki says, "Everything in Shadow is real, child. But some things cast Shadows, and other things are Shadows. By your dwelling there so long, they gained some of your reality, and began to cast shadows as well. Observe." Hiko the Firechilde watches the old man carefully. He gestures, and the air rips open, forming a window through which you see your home...as it was before the Dark Riders came. Except...everyone seems older than they were when they died. With a start, you realize this is your world as it would have been if the Dark Riders had been turned back. You see King Ranma and Queen Akane, presiding over a great feast, the yearly Feast of Spring, and all your relatives are there, older, but healthy and whole. A young girl sits near your Aunt Nabiki, probably the child she was pregnant with when she died. Fuyutsuki says, "This is one of the Shadows your world cast." Hiko the Firechilde reaches out, then pulls back. "Mama..." She studies the Shadow for a long time, but doesn't see herself reflected in it. "What about me?" Fuyutsuki gestures and suddenly you see yourself, but older in appearance, dressed in a long red and yellow dress and wearing a tiara. A golden ring shines from your left ring finger, a dragon swallowing its tail. Many people smile and wave as you run in and take your place at the table, and the court bard, a dour piano player named Slim, begins playing a more spritely tune than his usual fare. You're quite sure you've never seen that ring the you there is wearing. Hiko the Firechilde looks startled at seeing herself... looks more startled at seeing herself happy. She shudders. "Turn it off." The image flickers, and a dozen variations flitter by, in which varying levels of people are dead. In a few, the cyberwarriors are feasting. In one of them, you're a cyberwarrior. And then the wheel closes. Hiko the Firechilde is startled at that last image, and a disgusted expression crosses her face. Fuyutsuki says, "There are a million reflections of all of us in Shadow. Some of them are such dim reflections they bear little resemblance at all to us. And some of them may be utterly repugnant to us, or so much happier it makes us feel despair." Fuyutsuki says, "And I bear the burden of knowing them all, for it was I who drew the Pattern and created them. Fuyutsuki says, "Would you like to see the Pattern, Hiko?" Hiko the Firechilde gathers herself, recalling what he'd told her about the Pattern, seeing the images from his head and what he considered her true parentage. "I want to see this person you say is my mom." Fuyutsuki nods. "Follow me." Hiko the Firechilde tosses off a wave to Kasumi and follows. As she follows him, the whisper of a memory comes back. A women crying, a fire. The woman crying. And the fire. Fuyutsuki leads you through the hallways, then up a staircase to the second floor. You hear the clash of metal in the distance. Soon, you come to an ajar door, which Fuyutsuki shoves open. Inside, two people in full fencing garb are dueling across a floor laid out with black and white tiles like a giant chessboard. One is huge, the other is tall but much more slender [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "They saying anything?" to Akemi] The larger one tries repeatedly to lock blades, in order to bring his strength to bear, but fails. Finally, the thinner one taps him on the chest, and he sighs and steps back, removing his mask and hood. Green hair cascades down in a torrent. "Damnation, lost again," he says. The thinner one removes her mask and hood, revealing curly orange hair. She smiles. "Obsessively repeating the same move over and over is not the road to victory." [Akemi pages, "The slimmer one is Juri." to you, Ryo and Sie_Kensou.] She shakes her hair loose, then notices the people in the doorway. "Ahh, hello, Fuyutsuki. Who's your guest?" Saionji looks Hiko up and down and smiles broadly. "A lovely lady, I see." Hiko the Firechilde ignores Saionji. "Are you my mom?" Fuyutsuki says bluntly, "This is Hiko, your daughter, Juri." Saionji's jaw drops. "Her DAUGHTER?" Juri drops her sword. It clatters as it hits the ground. "You...you found her?" Saionji says, "But how did a flaming dyke have a child? Have you been holding out on us?" [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "If Juri was hypnotized into believing the child dead, how did she know I was alive?" to Akemi Akemi pages, "Walking the Pattern removes all spells, hypnosis, etc, when you do it. But once she knew you were alive, she was ashamed to tell anyone." to you.] Juri casually throws her fencing mask at his head as she approaches you. Saionji catches it. Hiko the Firechilde stands still, cataloguing the woman's features. [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Examine Juri." to Akemi Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Light contact." to Akemi] You can see Juri has the same cheekbones and facial structure as you. And similar earlobes. Her hair is reddish blonde. You gaze into her eyes, and you can feel her sense of shock. You also see an image in her mind, a tall haired man with hair and eyes like yours. If you combine his face with hers, you get a mental image of something much like yourself. [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Ah. Well, I guess I should let you know that Hiko's hair is black with a purple patch in front. But I could say that I dye it." to Akemi Akemi pages, "I thought you had red hair!" to you. Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Changed it when I saw the Skeride pics." to Akemi Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Is this a problem?" to Akemi] [PAUSED FOR CHARACTER DESC REHASHING] She reaches out to touch you as if she was afraid you were going to burn away, her hand trembling. Hiko the Firechilde stands still, watching Juri's hand come closer to her. She recalls seeing this woman, this exact woman in her dreams before the fire comes. Horrified, she whispers, "It's true." Juri's hand lightly touches your forehead, and you feel trace something with her fingertips. Her breath catches, and she says, "She is the one. I can feel the mark Yui placed on your brow. You are my daughter. I wanted to name you Shiori." Saionji snorts and Fuyutsuki throws a shoe at him. It clocks him in the forehead and he tumbles to the ground. Hiko the Firechilde blinks. "If Ranma's not my real father, who is he?" Juri says, "You mean, who is your real father?" Hiko the Firechilde nods. Juri says, "Come with me, this will take a long time to explain." She offers you a hand. Hiko the Firechilde takes the hand warily, on guard for any mental tricks. She leads you out of the room, down the hallway, and up the stairs, back to the bedroom area, then down to a door labeled 'Juri' in gold inlay. She pulls a key out of her shirt, and unlocks the door. Beyond it is a nicely furnished room much like the 'living room' in your room, but larger. The fireplace blazes to life as the door opens, spreading a sweet scent through the room. She pulls out a padded chair for you, then sits down at another. The walls are unfurnished, except for a painting showing a blonde woman dressed as a queen, with five daughters ranging in age from seventeen to six. A man stands next to her, with a short, neat black beard, short black hair, and spectacles that hide his eyes. You can recognize a smiling, cheerful teenaged Juri standing between the older man and woman. She is holding the youngest girl's hand. Hiko the Firechilde turns to look at Juri again. "Who's my father?" Juri goes over to a shelf and gets two silver cups and a flagon of wine, placing them on the table, then goes over to the portrait. "This was my mother Haruka, and my father Gendo. They're both dead. This is Eowyn. (Points to the eldest of the children) She drowned in a frozen lake. This is me. This is Catherine (the third oldest). The Cimbri war chief Arovisticus raped and killed her. (points to the fourth oldest). This is Corrine, who is still alive and defends Arden. [points to the youngest] And this is Haruka Minor, who was killed by the Cimbri during truce negotiations." Hiko the Firechilde nods. THIS sound like familiar ground. [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "How sad is it that Hiko can only relate to suffering? ^_^" to Akemi] Juri sits down. "Many years later, mother was murdered by the Cimbri, so Father and I killed them all." She continues, "But that opened the door to new invaders the Cimbri had kept away from us. The Alans." Hiko the Firechilde nods, a glimmer of approval in her eyes at the first statement, a frown at the latter. Her voice grows more grim. "Father remarried, a woman named Charlotte. Charlotte, unbeknownst to us, was in league with the Alans. She told them where I had gone to inspect a fortress, so they invaded and carried me off, then forced me to marry their chieftan, Ludovicus." Hiko nods. This is familiar ground. Juri says, "He had me for nineteen years while Charlotte secretly sabotaged all our efforts. All those nineteen years, he tried to get me pregnant, but my aide-de-camp, Yui, supplied me with drugs. All the babies were stillborn. Sometimes they come in my dreams and...I will not speak of it." Juri says, "But the final few months, Yui ran out of drugs. Ludovicus had always been careful in the past to make sure I couldn't hurt him before he...lay with me." Hiko the Firechilde is beginning to understand... Her eyes darken. Yes, this is familiar ground. Juri pours herself a glass of wine, and another one for you. She drinks it in one gulp. "But the final night, he was drunk, but came anyway. And after he was finished, I drove a tent peg through his head. Then fed him to his hunting dogs." Hiko the Firechilde takes a sip of the wine, her eyes glimmering with banked fire. Juri says, "Then I took up his sword, and killed the man they'd forced Yui to marry. And then we escaped. I returned to Amber, only to learn Charlotte had convinced my father, Gendo, that I'd willingly joined the Alans and was trying to use them to conquer Amber." Hiko the Firechilde nods slowly. Juri says, "I will always be grateful to Drake that he believe me, and together, we led a surprise attack on the main Alan army and destroyed it." Juri pours another glass and drinks it, her hands trembling. Juri says, "Then we returned to confront Charlotte...but Charlotte had heard of the victory, and tried to use her daughter, Nanami, to erase the Pattern. So Touga forced her to walk it, and it destroyed her utterly. Father had the marriage annulled, and declared me innocent of treason. Then I found out I was pregnant." Hiko the Firechilde files away the names for latter examination... She mulls over Juri's words, then blinks. "You can erase the pattern? What is this pattern? The old man said I had it in me." Juri is almost grateful for the break in the story telling. She says, "The Pattern sits down in the basement of this castle. Once you walk it, the image of it is branded into you, mystically. It can, however, be damaged by the blood of anyone of our family. Juri resumes the tale, saying, "So, Yui and I went off to a Shadow where time flows more swiftly. I couldn't decide if I wanted to keep my baby or not, but I certainly didn't want to have to answer any questions about who the father was. As I grew more pregnant, I decided it would be unfair to punish you for what your father had done, and I resolved I would raise you to the best of my ability, and try to make Mother proud of me. Juri stares at her empty glass. "But then you were taken from me, and I was stripped of even the memory of your existence. If I find that man who did it, I will kill him. I do not know the purple-haired man's name, and even with my new abilities, I cannot find him in Shadow, no matter how hard I look. " Hiko the Firechilde fingers the card in her pocket, but doesn't show it to Juri. he old man said he was after me." Juri says, "Call him Fuyutsuki. That's his name. He's your great-grandfather." She has a small smile on her face. "The old man, that is." Hiko the Firechilde says, "I have a great-grandfather. He's dead now." Hiko the Firechilde also files the "new abilities" comment away for further examination. Juri fills her glass again. "Hiko, everyone has four great-grandfathers. Three of yours are dead, but Fuyutsuki lives." Hiko the Firechilde says, "The old ma-- Fuyutsuki said that you could help me hide so the madman wouldn't find me." [Hiko the Firechilde OOCly says, "And now we see Juri's maternal side coming out... <>"] Juri says, "This is the safest fortress in all of creation. You will be safe here, or you will not be safe anywhere. Her jaw tightens. Juri says, "And I will not let you be taken from me again. (Her voice is quite firm as she says that). " Hiko the Firechilde nods. A thought strikes her. "How did I get here? It's not like when I walk through fire." Juri says, "I have told you my tale. Will you tell me yours?" She seemed not to hear Hiko's second statement. "I'm afraid I don't know how you got here, as no one has told me, Hiko." Hiko the Firechilde thinks for a bit. "I got up this morning. Went for provisions and found the old ma-- Fuyutsuki. He said that he was looking for me and that there was a madman who wanted to kill me. He let me get my things, and then he opened up a hole in the air. That's it." [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "I want to know what's in the box!!!" to Akemi Foxtrot lowers the prod and giggles. Akemi pages, "Well, it's up to you to open it :)" to you. Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "I know... but I don't think I will just yet. ^_^" to Akemi] Juri looks thoughtful. "A hole in the air?" Hiko the Firechilde nods. "Can everyone here do that? Because Not Dead Kasumi pulled him through a hole, too." [There was no hole when Kasumi did it. Hiko the Firechilde OOCly says, "I know, but we're using Hiko's frame of reference, and remember her BP deficiency..." Juri . o O (Not Dead Kasumi?) Hiko the Firechilde OOCly says, "The Kasumi who's not dead. ^_^"] Juri stands, and her vision glazes. One of her hands traces out something oval shaped, and then the air rips open in a square. Through the hole, you see a grove of apple trees, and a salt breeze blows through it. Juri says, "This is Avalon, where I go when I wish to be alone. I got Fuyutsuki to teach me how to learn some of the advanced arts of the Pattern." Hiko the Firechilde gazes at Avalon. "It looks... pretty." Juri says, "And when I rewalked the Pattern to initiate myself into those arts, I regained my memories of losing you. Avalon is my dream of the perfect land. Yui rules it for me in my absence. "One day, once you walk the Pattern, you'll be able to do this too." The window closes, and she sags into her chair. Hiko the Firechilde says, "Are you alright... Juri-san?" Juri says, "That is a very exhausting thing for me to do. I'm still learning how to do it properly." Hiko the Firechilde nods. Juri says, "So tell me about how you grew up? Where did you live? Who raised you?" Hiko the Firechilde gets uncomfortable again. It is clear that she doesn't like to talk about herself much. "My... mother and father are Ranma and Akane, of the Kingdom of Heaven. I lived there for about twenty years. " [Hiko the Firechilde OOCly looks for her desc. of Hell for reference.] Juri seems a little surprised by the names, but nods and listens. Hiko the Firechilde says, "One day, some warriors came through a black rift and slaughtered the royal family. I was the only survivor. Then there were battles between the resistance and the warriors. I survived those, too. This was about 82 years ago." She pauses. "That's it." [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "How many years have passed since Hiko's birth in the other shadow? I wanna figure out the time differential." to Akemi Akemi pages, "338 years." to you. Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "So about a third faster?" to Akemi Akemi pages, "About three times faster, yes." to you. Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "1 day Hell = 3 days Amber?" to Akemi] Juri frowns. "Did they use this as a symbol?" She goes and gets a piece of paper from another shelf, and draws a sigil on it that resembles a computer circuit with a bullet through one side of it. Hiko the Firechilde looks startled. She takes up the piece of paper. "Yes." [Akemi pages, "Yes. Three days Amber = 1 in Hell. And the symbols she just drew is the one the Cyberwarriors used." to you. Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "I figured as much." to Akemi] Juri frowns. "A small fleet of cyberships flying that flag attacked Avalon about a hundred years ago. They did a lot of damage before we destroyed them." Hiko the Firechilde says, "Did they all die?" Juri says, "Most died, but some of them managed to escape into Shadow." Hiko the Firechilde nods. "They all need to die." Juri says, "Their leaders apparently had been initiated into a Broken Pattern called 'The Circuit' and used it to maraud through Shadow." [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "I'm sensing that Juri and Hiko are almost complete opposites by now in temperament. ^_^" to Akemi Akemi pages, "Juri has the big advantage of not being driven mad by a Broken Pattern, though :)" to you.] Hiko the Firechilde says, "Broken Pattern? Fuyutuski said I had one of those." Juri says, "The Pattern is reflected in Shadow. As you move away from Amber, these Broken Patterns develop large holes in them. By walking through the hole, anyone can learn to move through Shadow. Juri pauses and looks at you, her eyes overlaid with the image of the Pattern. "Why yes, you do." Hiko the Firechilde says, "How did I get it?" Juri says, "You would have had to walk through a Broken Pattern. " [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "I just realized that it was Ludovicus who came back and initiated me in BP!" to Akemi Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Bastard! What does he want with me?" to Akemi Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Whoops, maybe not Ludovicus, as Juri speared him with a tent peg." to Akemi] Juri says, "But you don't remember doing that?" Hiko the Firechilde shakes her head. "no." Juri says, "Someone's tampered with your memories then, because I can't imagine you could have forgotten." Hiko the Firechilde narrows her eyes. "I don't like that idea. Not at all." Juri says, "Well, there's several ways to fix your memories. You could walk the Pattern. Or I could call your aunt Nanami or your Aunt Wakaba, and they could try to fix the problem." Hiko the Firechilde thinks about it. [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Was it the bad guy? Do we know who he is yet?" to Akemi Akemi pages, "So far as anyone knows, Ludovicus was just a Shadow Guy. But of course, none of you were around to see who his parents were..." to you. Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Fixing my Pattern would remove the schizophrenia?" to Akemi Akemi pages, "Yes." to you. Akemi pages, "It would remove your Price of the Pattern, and restore your memories." to you. Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "I sure as hell don't want to do that. I like being schizoid." to Akemi Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "I like flawed characters." to Akemi Akemi pages, "Best call for one of your aunts, then." to you. Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Right." to Akemi] Hiko the Firechilde nods. "I think I'd like to meet the rest of my... family." Juri nods. Juri gets out a deck of cards. Each has a person or place on it. She pages through them. [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "So, you like Hiko?" to Ryo Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "You like Hiko?" to Sie_Kensou] [Ryo pages, "not what i was expecting, this should be fun" to you. Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "What do you mean by that? What's your take on her?" to Ryo Ryo pages, "assumed by the name she'd be some big fancy mage-type, or something. instead she's quite jittery" to you. Foxtrot lowers the prod and grins. "I rather like Shaft. Having Shaft interact with Hiko will prove most amusing." ] [Sie_Kensou pages, "Fascinated. :) Learning more about how to RP in general." to you.] Juri puts two down on the table. One shows an irritated looking blonde woman, dressed in yellow. The other shows a graceful, smiling brunette. "This is your Aunt Nanami. And this is your Aunt Wakaba. Pick one." Hiko the Firechilde puts her hand on the one with Wakaba on it. "I choose her." The card is cool, but then warms slightly. To your surprise, the world fades to translucency, and the woman on the card appears before you. She is standing in a garden, near a dark-skinned woman dressed in red. She blinks at you. "Hello?" she says, fiddling with a fan. The sun glints off several rings on her fingers and the silver necklace with a unicorn pendant which she is wearing. [Hiko the Firechilde OOCly says, "Wakaba! I choose you!"] Hiko the Firechilde blinks. "Are you Wakaba?" Wakaba says, "Yes. Umm...do I know you?" Hiko the Firechilde says, "I don't think so. Juri said you could help me with regaining some lost memories." [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "What kind of character did you think I'd be playing?" to Ryo Ryo pages, "upper class sorcery type, probably royalty. though hell, we're all royalty in this game." to you.] Wakaba smiles. "Ahh, you're a friend of Juri's?" She turns to the dark-skinned woman. "I'll be right back, Mom." She turns back to you. "Sure, pull me through." Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Who's the lady in red?" to Akemi Akemi pages, "Dowager Queen Anthy." to you. Hiko the Firechilde says, "How do I do that?" Wakaba reaches out to you. "Take my hand and pull." Hiko the Firechilde takes Wakaba's hand and pulls. [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "I'm a survivor. ^_^" to Ryo Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "No one's throwing me off the island!" to Ryo] Wakaba ends up standing on the table, her foot on the two cards. She lithely jumps off and straightens her dress. "So someone has tampered with your memories?" Hiko the Firechilde says, "That's what Juri seems to think." Wakaba says, "Well, I can fix that. You're going to have to open your mind to me, though, or I can't get in to help you." Hiko the Firechilde says, "Do I have to?" Wakaba says, "If a knife was imbedded in your stomach, I'd have to touch your stomach to fix it. Given the problem is inside your head, there's no other way for me to help you but to go inside it." Hiko the Firechilde nods slowly.... She does not like the idea, but she likes the idea of having missing memories less. Hiko the Firechilde lets down her mental shields slowly. Wakaba comes over to you, then spends about five minutes casting a spell, which you're fairly sure is intended to help her navigate inside your mind. Once she's done, she reaches out and touches your forehead. Wakaba's eyes glaze over, and your head starts to feel heavy and warm. Lights dance about her fingers and jewelry and around your head, and time seems to go strange. [Aerianne OOCly returns.] Many half-forgotten memories surface, for good and ill, and then you see a wall, stretching across a desert. Wakaba stands before it, and holds up her hands. Fire, lightning, cold, winds, and many other things erupt from her hands, and the wall shatters. And with that, you pass out. [Hiko the Firechilde OOCly says, "D'oh!" Hiko the Firechilde OOCly says, "We gonna quit here?" Wakaba says, "OOC No, I just need to pause for a couple of minutes to go to the bathroom." Wakaba says, "OOC I'll BRB." Hiko the Firechilde giggles. That's five, folks! Hiko the Firechilde nods to Rod. "Whatcha think so far?" Rod says, "damn, Shaft's gonna be the little boy of the bunch. got a nagging feeling everyone's much older than 30" Aerianne catches up. Rod says, "unless I misread that statemetn abouve about Hiko and 80something years ago" Rod says, "'Not Dead Kasumi' reminds me of how princess Mil talks in 'Maze'" Hiko the Firechilde says, "Naw... Hiko's 102 linearly." Rod says, "102. yep. everyone's older o.o" Hiko the Firechilde says, "How old is Shaft?" Aerianne says, "Funky time distortions...." Rod says, "25 o.o" Hiko the Firechilde giggles. "Baby cousin!" Aerianne says, "See, the thing is, one must be careful measuring wrt. time gradients. Does one measure physical expeirnece, or comparison to the baseline? *wg* " "Now Shaft, be nice to your older cousin." "... Older? Wha'the fuck?" Hiko the Firechilde looks like she's about twenty, though. Hiko the Firechilde says, "I'd say comparison to baseline... or so." Hiko the Firechilde is 350 in Amber years, I think. Hiko the Firechilde says, "Naive young snot!" "Now now, Baby Shaft, stop pouting." *grumble*grumble*grumble* Hiko the Firechilde bitchslaps her younger cousin around. Wakaba returns. Rod says, "hrm. possible reason for Shaft's irritable nature. sick of being the baby in the family." Rod says, "Hiko won't help :)" Wakaba hehs. Aerianne says, "But he's cool!"] As Hiko sleeps, she remembers a day many years ago. She had just finished downing a deer. One advantage of hunting using 'Flame Sniper' is that it cooks your food for you. And then a shadow fell over her and the deer, a man's shadow. [Hiko the Firechilde OOCly says, "Correction: It's Sniper's Flame." Doh.] She looked up, readying a spell to flee, and his eyes locked with hers. He was tall and handsome, dark skinned with purple hair. He said one word, "Come." And Hiko came, unable to stop herself from walking over and taking his hand. And then the world moved around them, changing as it did so, even though they stood stock still. Trees rushed by, thinned out and turned into plains, in which a village became a town became a city as they approached it. A lonely mountain thrust up from the plains, and from its southern side, a river flowed into the city, which now stood by the side of a lake. You zoomed down the river, feeling water lap against your feet, and up the side of the mountain, still not moving, but feeling the world move instead. [Hiko the Firechilde OOCly says, "Hellriding! Whoo hoo!"] You entered the cave from which the river flowed, and then moved through a maze of natural caves which periodically intersected artificially carved six by six foot tunnels through the rock. And then you came to a huge great hall, with a twenty foot ceiling, the floor filled with gold and silver and jewels. [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "What is this place?"" to Akemi Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "I get the feeling like Purple Haired Guy wants to use me as his eraser..." to Akemi And upon this mountain of treasure, there was a dragon, red scaled and ancient, rousing as you approached. Akemi pages, "This place is where the Broken Pattern is that you were initiated into." to you. Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Does it have a name?" to Akemi Akemi pages, "Not that you were ever told, but every Shadow has a name." to you. Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "What's the name of this place?" to Akemi Ryo pages, "just realized... shaft bears some resemblance to the guy, dark skinned, loud hair, hiko definitely won't trust Shaft at first, if at all" to you. Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Very cool. ^_^ I like contention. It's much nicer than if we're all friends." to Ryo Akemi pages, "That, as we say, is a secret :)" to you. Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Ich." to Akemi] The man held up his left hand, which held three rings. One showed a lion. One showed a dragon. And one was a plain band of gold. The dragon frowned and moved out of the way. You zoomed past the dragon, and down a spiral staircase, then down a long corridor, to an oaken door, locked with a key that hung in the hallway. The man unlocked the door, and now the two of you began to walk. You walked into the room, which was some hundred yards long and eighty yards wide. He had to bend down because the ceiling was an inch too short for him. A great sigil burned greenly in the floor, except on one side where there was a thirty foot across black blotch. [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "I wonder who died to create that blotch..." to Akemi Akemi pages, "A good question :)" to you.] He pointed to the hole. "Enter there, and walk through the gaps between the lines to the center. Then tell it to send you back to me." Dumbly, you did so. With every step, you felt your mind and body being assaulted by forces which burrowed their way into you, marking you and branding you. But...when you reached the center, his spell over you was broken. "Take me somewhere safe!" you shouted. And the world went black, and you found yourself back at home...such as home was, a shack in a burnt out ruins. But Cyberwarriors had moved in, so you had to kill them all. And then the man found you while you wasted time on that. You tried to fight, but he mastered you with a single touch, to your horror. [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "I'm guessing the somewhere safe thing was counteracted by the BPness?" to Akemi Akemi pages, "Exactly. It assumed your home shack was safe, but it wasn't so safe as one might hope." to you.] He invaded your mind, and taught you to use your new powers, but stripped you of the memory of them. Then he left you, saying, "I have marked you, child, and one day, I will come for you. And then you will pay for defying me." And then he vanished. And then you wake. Hiko the Firechilde opens her eyes. "The bastard." She's lying in a very soft bed, with Wakaba and Juri watching her. [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "I'm guessing he's very insanely powerful." to Akemi Akemi pages, "Yes." to you.] Wakaba says, "I studied your psychic impression of him. His name was 'Annadil'." Hiko the Firechilde rolls the name around on her tongue. Juri says, "Lord of the Gift?" Hiko the Firechilde says, "Lord of the What?" Wakaba nods. "He doesn't look Elvish, but that would be the Elven translation. The name 'Annadil' means 'Lord of the Gift' in Elvish." A smile comes over her face. "And in Bgtzlian, it means 'Pimp Daddy', but I somehow suspect he isn't Bgtzlian." Hiko the Firechilde says, "What does he want with ME?" Wakaba says, "Unfortunately, he didn't say in your presence." Wakaba says, "I suppose we could try a trump reading." [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Is this something that is detailed in the user's books? How to do a trump reading?" to Akemi Akemi pages, "It's basically a Tarot Reading using the Trumps" to you.] Hiko the Firechilde 's head hurts, but she wants to know what her role is in this. Wakaba says, "Or we could go to the Shadow Theatre and see if it has anything to offer." [Hiko the Firechilde OOCly says, "The Shadow Play girls make my head hurt more. ^_^"] [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Is this a choose your own adventure thing?" to Akemi Akemi pages, "Yes, I'm trying to offer options and let you choose which one you'd rather do." to you.] Hiko the Firechilde says, "What do you think Juri?" Juri says, "I've never been any good at Trump Readings, but perhaps we could get Miki to interpret. The Shadow Theatre would be easier, but it often isn't very clear." Hiko the Firechilde says, "The rat?" Juri says, "No, your uncle Miki." She pauses. "Rat?" Hiko the Firechilde says, "Yeah. He led me down to the kitchens." Juri blinks. "Well, you also have an uncle named Miki who is good with Trumps. And an aunt named Corrine who is good with them too. Corrine is my younger sister." Juri points to the portrait of seven year old Corrine up on the wall. [Hiko the Firechilde OOCly giggles. "Oi, Phil.. you wanna play?" Corrine OOCly looks wry. "Corrine would strangle me if I -didn't- join in somehow."] Hiko the Firechilde says, "Who'd give a more accurate reading?" Wakaba says, "I'm not sure. I don't know how to measure skill with Trumps." [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "GM?" to Akemi Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "An answer?" to Akemi Akemi pages, "An answer to what? Neither Juri nor Wakaba has a clue who would do better :)" to you. Foxtrot lowers the prod and thbbbbpts!] Hiko the Firechilde gets up and walks over to the picture of Corrine. She turns to Juri. "Could you call her in here?" Juri says, "Yes. She's the Warden of Arden and a trump artist of some skill. In fact, she painted the deck I have." Juri nods and trumps Corrine in. [Corrine OOCly says, ""Trump Artistry standard package. Never got time to develop the advanced package, since was setting up the Arden Comm Network. *wry look* I imagine she knows the general fortune-telling skills."] Corrine pauses as she gets trump contact, and after riffling through her deck, determines it's Juri calling. She looks up in surprise, given she was just thinking of her... "Juri? What is it?" Juri says, "I need you to do a trump reading for someone." Corrine considers, and nods, biting her lip a bit, but steeling herself. "You've got it. I'll have to return to the castle afterwards... we've got a new member of the family who's had a few too many shocks for one day. Pull me through." [Corrine . o O (I'll have my nice little breakdowns -later-. Job first.)] Juri says, "We're in my rooms in the castle." Hiko the Firechilde inwardly snorts, the first sign of real personality anyone's seen from her today. Juri pulls Corrine through. [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Arden Comm Network?" to Aerianne Aerianne pages, "Basically, after Corrine got back from exile, and learned Trump Artistry, she reeorganized the Forest Rangers (since she'd been absent for about a century), and made it more efficent by making sure the command structure had up-to-date communications via Trumps she painted. And she pulled them from her trump deck." to you.] Corrine steps though, a woman in her apparent mid-twenties, wavy chestnut-brown hair to her shoulders, looking like she's had a few news-reports of her own today, but is toughing it through... and there's -something- about her eyes, that strongly implies her relation to Juri... [The portrait of Juri and Corrine and their siblings and parents on the wall reinforces that impression :) Hiko the Firechilde OOCly grins wryly. "I was about to say that."] Corrine smiles slightly at Juri. "Well, that'll make it easier to get back... who do you want the reading for?" Juri says, "Corrine, this is my daughter, Hiko. She needs a reading to discover what the man who stole her from me wants with her." Hiko the Firechilde gives Juri a semi-annoyed look. Corrine glances up at the portrait, fondly, and then looks back at those in the room. "And hey, Wakaba." She already is reaching for the pouch on her hip -- and -stops-, her eyes wide as she takes in Juri's words and Hiko's face... She whispers quietly. "... so Fuyutsuki -was- right-...." She shakes her head rapidly, and opens the leather pouch finally, pulling out a polished wooden box, larger than Trumps. Wakaba says, "He's tall and handsome, with dark skin and purple hair. Calls himself 'Annadil', but doesn't look Elven." Hiko the Firechilde has a blank look on her face. "Do you intend to let everyone know of my existence?" Juri says, Your family needs to know, Hiko. Juri says, "Or they won't know to protect you." Corrine nods offhandedly to Wakaba, and moves to the desk, sitting down and opening the box, flipping the lid open and around, revealing a thick deck of Trumps. She immediately starts shuffling the images. [Corrine OOCly deals the Silicon Valley Tarot... (nononononono).] Juri says, "But if you'd prefer we call you something else in public, we can." Hiko the Firechilde recalls the name of the boy she fell in love with before he was brutally murdered by vivisection. "You can call me Akemi." Corrine raps the shuffled deck's edges on the desk to straighten it, and then picks up the deck, the Unicorn-backs the only ones visible right now. She takes a deep breath, and starts dealing the images, flipping them over one at a time, face-up... Corrine deals out the cards in a shape that looks like an extended cross, and a second vertical line. She states the cards as she flips them, not looking at them yet, instead clearing her mind to the best of her ability, focussed on the task at hand... Juri nods. Corrine says, "Distant past... Recent Past... Purpose... Inner Secrets ... Near Future... Distant Future... Destiny... Hopes and Fears... Other's Views.... Self-Image...." and then, finally, in the center, one card over the other in the middle of the cross... "The Heart of the Matter.... Present Conflicts." Corrine then opens her eyes, and looks down at the cards she's drawn. Hiko the Firechilde watches Corrine's hands carefully. Corrine 's hands are strong and sure.. she sets the remainder of the deck aside as she studies the cards, trying to puzzle meaning from them. The Distant Past is Juri, upright. The Recent Past is Gendo, reversed (upside down) Purpose: Tir-na'nog, reversed. Inner Secrets: The Fire Pattern, reversed. Near Future: Catherine. Distant Future: Great Plaza of Harad City Hopes and Fears: Dowager Queen Anthy, Reversed Other's Views: Nanami Self-Image: Shadow Theatre Heart of the Matter: The Pattern Chamber in Tir'na'nog Present Conflicts: Makoto, reversed. [Hiko the Firechilde OOCly says, "Okay, how funny is this? Mom just asked me what I've been doing all day and after I explained that it was a role-playing game similar to D&D, she said, "The one that was connected to the suicides and killings?" Corrine OOCly says, "Oh, you get that too? *sigh*" Wakaba says, "Tell her it's actually been shown you're more likely to kill yourself if you don't play RPGs" Hiko the Firechilde OOCly says, "Yep. I'll tell you more 'bout Mum some day." Wakaba says, "By a factor of about seven." Wakaba says, "Being a Protestant is a far greater risk factor for suicide. " Hiko the Firechilde OOCly claps her hands. "People! Can we get back to business?" Shadra says, OOCly, "of course not!"] Hiko the Firechilde looks at the cards. "What do they mean?" [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Where are you pulling these cards from?" to Aerianne Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "I mean are you pulling them from an actual deck that you have right now?" to Aerianne Aerianne pages, "Nope, sorry... *wg* I've got a book on it when I bought the Silicon Valley Tarot, but haven't opened the deck itself. I cribbed the layout, and John's posing the cards... I'm working on MAKING the deck, though, as Corrine's got an expanded, and I'll be drawing stuff (and have an idea of what the extras are.)" to you. Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Where do you get the interpretations? John again?" to Aerianne Aerianne pages, "Nope! Trying to figure them out herself.... hey, it's not an EXACT science... ^_-;" to you.] Corrine considers, scratching her chin and pointing to the cards..."Juri in the distant past... representing origins... your mother, Hiko." She smiles, slightly. Corrine then points to the second card. "King Gendo, our father, reversed in the recent past... representing recent events and influences... his death, and fallout from that, I surmise...." Corrine quirks an eyebrow... "Tir-na'nog, reversed, for Purpose... A task or something that needs to be done... well, that's the city of dreams in the sky, so countering nightmares, perhaps...." Corrine points to another card... this one of a pattern-chamber. She pauses. "... The Fire-Pattern... reversed while in Inner Secrets... something to do with the power of the Pattern, or those Broken-patterns I've heard of existing in shadow, based on it... something at the core of your being..." [The Perfect Master says, "Being online just means we much more opportunity to run. Sometimes we can follow through, some times we can't." Mercutio says, "So esentially, I should stop being bitter and whiny, and suck it up? ^_^" Vixxy says, "Like a straw, Merc."] Corrine points to the next card, and draws in a breath, her expression somewhat unsettled. *q* "... Catherine...." She shakes her head. "In the near future, so either her, or events relating to what... happened to her... are coming." Hiko the Firechilde files that name away for further contemplation. Corrine then glances at the next card, this one of a place. "The great plaza of Harad City... the Distant Future.... events will likely lead to there in some fasion, or relate to Harad as a whole..." Juri glances off at the family portrait again, looking thoughtful. Wakaba is writing all this down. Corrine points to the far vertical line of cards, the top one. "Lina, our court mage, for Destiny.... great magical power, or Lina herself, of some form, will figure in the culmination of things...." Corrine points to the next down. "Dowager Queen Anthy, reversed, in Hopes and Fears... something with the Queenship, or herself in particular, will factor as well... all the perks and problems of it, should be something to worry about..." She hehs a little bit... [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Anyone else do a reading so far?" to Akemi Akemi pages, "Nope!" to you. Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Because no one's been able to figure out who the bad guy is?" to Akemi Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "I was the last piece in the puzzle? Sugoi!" to Akemi Akemi pages, "Most of the other PCs either haven't thought of it or lacked important clues :)" to you. Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Score some for Me!" to Akemi] Corrine then rolls her eyes, then pauses, considering. "Nanami, our younger sister by Sakura, in Other's views... other's perception of the current events, or related to them..." Corrine points to the image of the Shadow-Theater. "The Shadow-Theater... Self-Image, one's view of ourselves..." She scratches her chin... "Do we cast shadows, or are we shadows of others, or can we even -tell-..." She shakes her head. "That's -always- been something of a debate, but in one's own image it'd relate to questions of true selves." Corrine points to the center of arrangement now, the half-covered card. "The Pattern-chamber in Tir'na'nog ... that's the Heart of the Matter, the focal point of the current quandry... and again, it's the city of dreams and might-have-beens in the night sky. But with the pattern as a focal-point." She taps her chin. "Could mean the Forbidden Gate beneath it... but that's conjecture." Juri says, "Perhaps this bastard believes Hiko has one of the keys to open it." Corrine then taps the final card, atop the Tir'na'nog pattern, crosswize. "Our other younger brother by Sakura, Makoto, Reversed... Present Conflicts, forces opposed against you or others in the crisis... again, things relating to him or his history will come into play." Corrine takes a deep breath, and sighs. "Aaaand... that's it." Hiko the Firechilde says, "Keys?" Hiko the Firechilde thinks about the present she got on her 21st birthday, and squelches the thought. Juri nods. "The Forbidden Gate waits for someone with the Four Keys to open it." Juri says, "No one actually knows where they are or what they look like." Corrine says, "In the center of the Dream-Pattern, there's a ladder to a room with thirteen sides, a large door in the floor, and four keyholes..." She then nods to Juri. Corrine says, "You need a trump to get out otherwise, 'cause the way you came in vanishes. Not pleasant." Juri says, "Unless you wait for the castle to vanish and just let yourself fall." Wakaba says, "Oh, right, like anyone sane would do that." [USER DISCONNECTED DUE TO FRIGGIN' LOUSY CONNECTION] Hiko the Firechilde says, "Sorry..." Corrine nods, looking back at the fortune-spread, still somewhat unsettled by it, but reluctant to gather up the cards just yet. Wakaba says, "There's runes on the gate that no one can read. And a single sentence that can be read: Beyond this Gate lies power unimaginable, waiting for whosoever finds the keys to unlock it," Hiko the Firechilde is starting to get confused again. Corrine sighs, and runs a hand through her hair. She looks up, notices Hiko's expression, and hehs a bit. "Confused, I take it?" Hiko the Firechilde says, "You would be, too, if you stepped into someone else's family." Corrine quirks her lips, and then starts giggling, despite herself. "... it appears to be running around today... you're not the only one who happened to have their family tree get an express growth..." She manages to calm herself. "Sorry, sorry... that was inappropriate." She takes a breath, and lets it out, sinking back into her chair. Wakaba says, "We are a big family. You have six aunts, six uncles, your mother, your great-grandfather, four cousins (possibly more), and that's not even counting all the dead people." Hiko the Firechilde says, "You see dead people, too?" [Mercutio pages, "Oh, that was just BAD. ^_^" to you. Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Hee hee..." to Mercutio Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "I've been waiting all session to make that joke." to Mercutio] Corrine says, automatically. "Five cousins at least." Wakaba says, "Shaft, Shinobu, Ramon, and Michelle. That's four." She smiles. "Fortunately, the dead people usually stay in their graves." Juri says, "Five, Corrine?" Corrine says, "And Shizumaru... the young man's room I was watching over... makes Five. He's the son of Touga... and before you ask, -no-, he hasn't seen him in years, he left before Shizumaru was born." She flips up his mother's trump from her deck. "This was his mother... and the card, according to Miki and Fuyutuski, was painted by -Sakura-." Hiko the Firechilde looks at the card. Juri's eyes widen. "IT WAS WHAT?" Wakaba pales. "But she died centuries ago." Corrine shows the card to Hiko, Juri, and Wakaba. "And, his mother's just recently gone missing. Utena kept Shizumaru from being killed by the murderer she was chasing, and I got called on the scene when it was found that she'd had one of Grandfather's trump of --- GAH." She winces. "That... was my reaction too." [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "what does the card look like?" to Akemi The woman shown on the card looks like a red-haired Asian woman, dressed as a Lipunese noblewoman in a formal kimono. She is surrounded by cherry blossoms and is smiling sweetly. The frame on the trump is painted to resemble interlaced vines.] Corrine says, "WEll, not as loud, but yes. And I know." She sighs, rubbing her eyes. "That's why this is disturbing... both of her later kids, the ones who figured in her attempt to destroy the pattern, are in the fortune." She points to the card layout. [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Which two kids?" to Aerianne Aerianne pages, "Makoto and Nanami" to you.] Corrine says, "I've tried the card, and it got the same response Touga's always made since his exile... but the energy left at the site was tied to it. I think somebody trumped her out, but I can't be certain." [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Name on the card is Sakura?" to Akemi Akemi pages, "Trumps usually have no names on them." to you. Akemi pages, "This one doesn't." to you.] [Tybalt says, "You were letting ROD watch? Isn't he a fellow player?" Wakaba says, "OOC It's all up to Foxxy as to who she lets watch." Hiko the Firechilde OOCly says, " "It's all a part of my plan. ^_^ Hiko the Firechilde OOCly says, " Besides, he let me watch one of his." Hiko the Firechilde OOCly says, "We're new and not as paranoid as you lot are. ^_^" Sie OOCly says, "It's easier to separate IC and OOC knowledge if we just don't KNOW ^_^" Corrine OOCly NODNODNODS. "Oh, I know THAT problem... though things have been good." Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "I suggest that from now on, non players don't get to make peanut gallery comments." to Aerianne and Akemi Akemi pages, "In general, I tend to frown on that, yes." to Aerianne and you. Aerianne pages, "Okay, I'll stop." to you. Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Hey, you're playing (as an NPC, but still). You can comment." to Aerianne and Akemi] [Vixxy the Vixen targets Merc. *bappity*bappity*bappity*bappity*bappity* Mercutio says, "'Ey!" Vixxy exclaims, "NO comments from the peanut gallery if you're not in this game!" Vixxy says, "I don't mind if he lurks... he just can't comment THERE. He can make all the comments he wants to HERE..." Vixxy the Vixen amends that statement. "NO comments from teh peanut gallery if you're not in this game! Period."] Juri says, "I don't like this at all." Corrine nods, biting her lip again. "You're not the only one, Juri. Something stinky's going down, and it's getting deeper. The murderer Utena was chasing? ... he looked like Drake, but with a silver arm. She thinks he was targeting those with father's blood, our children, and went after Shizumaru to do so." Juri says, "Sakura died walking the Pattern. People simply DO NOT come back from that." Corrine nods again. Juri says, "The one who attacked Ramon. Yes, there's something rotten in the state of Denmark. Hiko the Firechilde says, "Denmark? Is that another Amber? Another not real place?" Juri says, "Yes, Denmark is quite imaginary. I'll show it to you some day." Corrine hehs a bit. There is a knock on Juri's door. Corrine glances over at the door, and then hrms, straightening her back. "And... I probably should get back to Shizumaru's room, so he doesn't get disoriented more when he wakes up and I'm not there..." She regards the layout once more. "Any more fortunes needed to be read?" She quirks her lips in a smile. Hiko the Firechilde shakes her head. Juri goes to the door. A pageboy stands there. The pageboy says, "Don't forget there's a formal dinner tonight, honoring the new Ambassador from Sind. The page boy continues, "Prince Drake told me to remind you." Hiko the Firechilde says, "Dinner?" Juri nods. "I won't forget." The pageboy says, "Yes, at dinner time." Corrine considers this, quietly, listening. There's a growling sound coming from Hiko's general direction. She looks around, then dips her hand into a pocket and takes out an apple and starts to eat. Corrine quirks an eyebrow at this, but doesn't comment, instead waiting for the pageboy to depart, while pulling another trump from her deck. The pageboy bows and leaves. Juri closes the door. Corrine nods, and then concentrates on the Trump she's just produced. The trump is that of Drake. [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Drake?" to Akemi Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "Is he on the NPC page?" to Akemi Akemi pages, "Hai. He's on the cast page" to you.] After a few seconds, Drake appears. He's in his office, kneedeep in paperwork. "Oh, there you are, Corrine." Corrine smiles slightly. "Hey there, Drake... getting ready for the big shindig tonight?" Corrine idly peers to see if Drake happens to have any shiny silver arms as she talks with him. Hiko the Firechilde crunches her apple quietly. Drake has two perfectly normal arms, revealed as flesh from the elbow down. His sleeves are rolled up to just above the elbow. "Well, the Sind Ambassador has vanished, several of my actors are sick, Nabiki went on vacation for a month, leaving me to hold the fort, and my best horse fell off Kolvir and died. But other than that, everything's peachy." Corrine says, "...riiiight. Well, if you need a hand getting folks in line, lemme know. Otherwise, I'll be at the dinner, Unicorn Willing. Luck to you, Drake." She smiles slightly. [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "I suspect shapeshifters... damn Logrus-vermin... ^_^" to Akemi Akemi pages, "Hehe." to you.] Drake nods. "If you see the Sindhi Ambassador, call me. His horse is still here, so he must be somewhere in the Castle." [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "When are we having the big dinner?" to Akemi Akemi pages, "I have to get Timerunner to Amber and do one scene with Nagisa, and then we'll figure out when teh Big Dinner happens." to you.] Corrine says, "If I do, I will, don't worry. Take care." Hiko the Firechilde takes this opportunity to start edging for the door. All these phantom conversations are starting to drive her crazy. [Foxtrot stops prodding and says, "There's a little joke in that... ^_^" to Akemi] Juri says, "Ready to go back to your room and rest a while, Hiko?" Hiko the Firechilde nods. "Yes, Juri-san." Juri takes you back to your room and we cut here. Hiko the Firechilde SIIIIIGHS. Hiko the Firechilde OOCly says, "Damn, that was long." Wakaba says, "Since you're now ready for the big scene where all the PCS will meet...I pray." Hiko the Firechilde OOCly says, "They always that long?" Wakaba says, "Not necessarily." Corrine OOCly says, "Well, they've been interesting all the same...." Hiko the Firechilde will go through and make edits, then do the first half of this 'day's' log... Hiko the Firechilde is supposed to cook dinner now, so I'm off. Hiko the Firechilde waves Day 892: Later Met Juri. She seems pretty nice. She'll probably die soon. Nice people always die. But she seems to have been through the same kind of things I have, so maybe she won't die. There are a lot of dead people walking around here. I saw Kasumi, but she says she's not dead. I don't believe her. The Old Man opened up another hole in the air. I need to know how he did that. A rat talked to me, too. I've never seen a talking rat before. I wonder how good they taste. There was another lady there, a Nice Lady, who helped me remember things. The Bastard took my memories. He'll pay for that. He was so much stronger than me, too. That hasn't happened in a long time. I'm looking at my box now. I haven't opened it. It's not time to yet. I'll know when it's time. I have his card, too. I could talk to him if I wanted and find out what he wants with me. I don't think I want to do that. Maybe one of the Nice Ladies can help me kill him. There's a big dinner. It might be like the big dinners we used to have in Heaven. If so, I need to re-rack some spells... Shade of Glamour might do the trick. To quote Nabiki: I have nothing to wear. Besides, it would be easier to hide my sword this way.