Juri gnaws on Gideon.  "Brem, get your ass in here."

Chris teleports into the room.

Chris has arrived.

The Tennessee Shad asks, "Right. Remember where we left off?"

Corrine of Amber OOCly says, "Ahh, here he is.  Right.  When last we left
our Heroes and Heroines, they were inside the Logrus Squid, Juri was
frustrated at the Spoon, and Roderick was walking in a circle trying to
shift Shadow inside the Squid."

The Tennessee Shad says, "Ah yes. And you are, in fact, still doing this."

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

Juri sighs and rubs the bridge of her nose, then glares at the spoon.

Corrine of Amber purses her lips, and then hrms, looking down at the
ShadowWalking ring on her finger.  She looks up at Roderick.  "... Any
luck?"

The spoon does not glare back.

Roderick frowns.  "Nothing seems to be happening, but I have no good way
to be sure."

Juri exclaims, "OOC:  The spoon gazes also!"

Corrine of Amber considers.  "Let me try... if not, I suppose we'll jsut
have to suck up and smite Finndos the hard way."  She frowns, and
considers the walls, trying to figure out their make.

Corrine of Amber OOCly says, "(ie, metal, wood, plastic, squidorganic,
etc....)"
The Tennessee Shad says, "Squidorganic."

Juri says, "If we want to try messing with the squid's brain, we ought to
find a nerve cluster for the neural network."

Roderick nods.  "I could try creating a spell to find one."

Juri says, "Do that."

Gideon nods.

Roderick says, "That should work, even if I can't get Pattern to work."

Roderick starts weaving the spell together.

Gideon says, "We would have to work on the physical brain, though. Its
mind is vast and strong, though not very refined."

Juri contemplates the Spoon with a Zen-like intensity.

Corrine of Amber nods.  "Meanwhile, I'll try this... and if we can find a
cluster to start with, it's better than nothing..."

Juri asks, "Gid, that spikard of yours... it has power sources in this
universe as well as ours, doesn't it?"

Gideon nods, "I think so, yes."

Juri asks, "Since everything potentially exists in Shadow, would it be
possibly to have your spikard search through Amber's Shadow for a Shadow
identical to the one we'd intended to use to dump the coffee on the
Finndos?"

Gideon raises an eyebrow. "Possibly ... let me try it."

Corrine of Amber does the classic little Shadow-game they all learn as
kids, walking a bit and trying to change very minor details, like the
tones of the walls... say from organic pink and grey to something in a
nice relaxing green... she focusses hard on the Shadow-Ring on her finger,
willing it to work.

Juri goes back to contemplating the spoon, muttering something about
'There Is No Spoon'.

Nothing happens, probably because your Patterm isn't the local version.

Juri sighs and puts the spoon aside.  "I hope Trucido's all right."

You page, "The ring didn't work at all?" to Akemi and Mike.

Roderick turns and points through a wall.  "One mile that way."

Mike pages, "It;s a walker, not a editer." to you and Akemi.

Corrine of Amber sighs, and walks back.  "Damnnit.  Ring didn't work.
It's more for walking, not editing Shadow."

Juri looks at the wall.  "I think we'll have to find a less direct route.
Gid, how is that search going?"

You hear footsteps approaching.

Juri asks, "OOC:  How many sets?"
The Tennessee Shad says, "One."

Gideon hms. "I can't do it directly ... however ... "

Juri says, "OOC:  Get crossbow ready."

Corrine of Amber quiets, returing to the group.  She also gets her own
crossbow ready, and places a hand on her dagger to draw and shift to
Whalekiller if needed.


Gideon looks up at the footsteps and takes his left glove off, reshaping
his hand into a long, sharp blade.

The blond, poncho'd Finndo With No Name turns the corner. He slowly
blinks.

Juri levels the crossbow at him.  "You're a big one for wandering about
alone, aren't you, Nameless?"

He shrugs laconically.

Corrine of Amber 's lips tighten slightly, regarding Nameless carefully.

He looks at Gideon, and frowns slightly.

Juri asks, "You seem to lack the psychosis that the MacFinndos and the
other one possess, though.  So, what are you really up to here?"

Gideon frowns back at Nameless.

Roderick simply frowns quietly and looks thoughtful.

You page, "Corrine's watching to see if Nameless is about to do anything
towards Juri (magical/physical/gun/etc)... she VERY much remebers the
warnings..." to Akemi and Mike.

"My own business." He starts to walk past you. "I seem to have made a
wrong turn."

Gideon says, "Not really. You made a right turn ... after all, it brought
you to us."

Juri moves in front of him.  "Sorry.  No.  Last time I let you go by, you
ended up joining them."

He eyes Juri calmly, but with a definite sense of menace.

Juri gives him the same back.  "I think I have the rest of them at least
partially figured out.  The MacFinndos are loonies, and Demon-Armour is
out for vengeance for the Ashen Prince.  But I can't seem to figure out
how you fit in."

Corrine of Amber moves a bit closer to Juri and Nameless, regarding the
two.

Then he takes out a cigar, lights it, inhales, and breaths a large cloud
for fragrant smoke in your general direction.

Juri shoots the burning tip off the end of the cigar.

Juri says, "OOC:  Not touching a hair on his head, of course."

Juri says, "Smoking's bad for you."

Gideon stays out of the girls' way, watching Nameless with narrowed eyes.

"So is playing with loaded weapons."

Roderick says, "Prevents having healthy babies and all that."

Juri asks, "I'm a big girl.  Who are you, and how do you fit into all
this?"

He thinks. "You first."

You page, "Any hints for the more than a little wary and concerned for
Juri's Continued Health Warden over here?" to Akemi and Mike.
Mike pages, "You get the sense he sees you more as obstacles than
threats." to you and Akemi.

Juri shrugs.  "I was dragged out of my universe for forty years by primal
powers beyond my control, apparently in order that this squid might be
stopped from wreaking devastation upon the universe.  When I came back, I
discovered that history had turned me into a slayer of kin with a demon
blade."

You page, "(and for the health of her friends and her own continued
existance and death to squid, etc.)  *wry look* Ahhh.  Hmmmm." to Akemi
and Mike.

He relights his cigar. "History can be a bitch."

Juri says, "I'm none too pleased about either my lost time or my tarnished
reputation, and I'm putting most of the responsibility on this squid and
those who have control of it.  Oh, and I'd like to stop them from doing
any more damage to the various universes."

Corrine of Amber hehs a little bit at that, and nods.

"Well. Perhaps we have some common ground."

Juri asks, "Do we, now?"

Corrine of Amber quirks an eyebrow.  "How do you figure?"

He breathes another cloud of smoke. "I want the power source of this
creature. If it is removed, the squid will no longer function."

Juri asks, "And what would the power source of the squid be, and how are
we to know that it wouldn't be even worse in your hands than it is
installed in the squid?"

Corrine of Amber tilts her head slightly, and then mmms quietly.

Roderick says, "Well, it would be hard for it to do much more damage than
this squid can..."

He smiles. "It's an old thing. And you don't know, do you?"

Roderick says, "If we knew what powered it, we'd have gone and removed it
ourselves."

Juri smiles faintly back.  "I'd been hoping you could give me your word of
honour as a gentleman."

Corrine of Amber regards Nameless quietly, her mind thinking and whirring
in the back of her head.

He looks amused. "I give you my word of honor that it's better off in my
hands than powering this squid."

You page, "Corrine's getting the sneaking suspicions that something on the
level of the JoJ or Eye of the Serpent or a Being of Power is powering
this monstrosity... like say, oh, a Phoenix....." to Akemi and Mike.

Gideon says, "I'd still like to know what It is."

Juri shrugs.  "The word, of course, is only as good as the man.  I assume
you pretended to join up with the others in the hopes of gaining easier
access to this power source?"

Corrine of Amber asks, "What about released, or dissolved?"

"Too bad," he tells Gideon. He then nods to Juri.

Juri asks, "How clever of you.  Are you even a Finndo?"

He chuckles. "That would be telling."

"Of course.  And one must avoid revealing anything unless it is absolutely
necessary," Juri drawls.  "Do you know in which direction this power
source lies?"

Players: Chris, Akemi, Mike, Aerianne

Puppets: Mange, Ishmael

"Roughly. I can sense it from a distance, although the appearance of your
group drew me off-target. But now that I've corrected for it, I should be
able to track it down, if the others don't come looking for me."

Corrine of Amber asks, "I take it they're upset with you wandering off?"

Juri glances to Corrine.  "Wouldn't you be?"

Roderick nods.

Corrine of Amber considers.  "True."

He chuckles. "I don't think they've noticed I'm gone yet."

Juri says, "No, they didn't seem the most perceptive bunch."

Juri looks speculatively at Nameless.  "I suppose this all could just be
your way of manipulating us into helping you get the power source, to tell
us that removing it would stop the squid."

Juri says, "It would be perfectly in line with the tactics of the various
other close-mouthed manipulators I've dealt with.  But, to be honest...
we're rather running out of ideas here."

Roderick shrugs.  "Can't hurt to try."

He breathes another big cloud of smoke. "I suppose the question is... do
you feel lucky?"

Juri holds out the spoon.  "And, of course... we have this to fall back
on, if we have to.  I assume you know what it is."

He looks at it. "It's a spoon."

Roderick says, "I am lucky."

"I haven't felt lucky in several centuries.  And yes, it's a spoon."  Juri
beams.  "But look how nicely carved it is?  You don't get craftsmanship
like that any more."

Roderick tsks.  "Can't even recognize that spoon.  You sure you're going
to know the power source when you see it?"

Corrine of Amber hehs a bit, keeping a good eye on that spoon.

(and on Nameless, and Juri, etc, etc.)

Juri tucks the spoon away.  "Lead on, o Nameless.  We'll back you up."

The Finndo With No Name looks confused and mildly irritated. "Are you some
sort of spoon-worshipping cult?"

Juri says, "There Is No Spoon."

Gideon smirks, keeping an eye on Nameless as he reshapes his armblade into
something more hand-like, but still blade-tipped. "Not really, no. So,
where is your power source?"

Corrine of Amber says, "It's saner than being Coffee Addicted and
listening to voices in one's head..."

"This way." He starts walking off past you. "Be ready to fight. It had
guards."

Juri raises an eyebrow.  "Had?  Does that mean you've tried to get at it
before?"

Gideon draws his gun, reshaping it into a silver crossbow while muttering
something about being a scientist, not a soldier.

Corrine of Amber moves out of the way of Nameless to let him pass,
watching him walk and keeping close to Juri and the rest.

The Tennessee Shad says, "OOC: That was the GM misdoing 'has', sorry."
Juri says, "OOC:  The player rather suspected that, but had to be sure.
:)"

Roderick follows along behind.

Juri follows behind Nameless, keeping a careful but not obvious watch on
him.

Corrine of Amber OOCly hehs, and is getting close to the need to thud,
given his yawning, but wants to mention something in Juri and Gideon's
ears once they get moving.
The Tennessee Shad says, "Righty-ho."

Corrine of Amber follows as well, and murmurs something in Juri's ear
under her breath while she covers the action with looking like she's
checking Juri's crossbow.

The Tennessee Shad says, "Well, it's a decent place to stop, with y'all
about to get into more hot water."

Roderick nods

Gideon says, "Hot water? 'kay, I'll get the tea."

You page, "[Corrine] "Ride the Phoenix at the Heart of Leviathan : Kill
the dreams of a Family : Jump through the Hoop"... I get a sinking feeling
I KNOW what the power source is now... and we sure as hell can't let
ANYBODY have it..." to Kima.

Kima pages, "[Juri]  'We'll take things as they come.'" to you.

Corrine of Amber then does a quick stretch, where she passes close to
Gideon in the same motion.

You page, "[Corrine nods.]" to Kima.

You page, "[Corrine] "Ride the Phoenix at the Heart of Leviathan" -- that
was advice we got at the beginning of this, and I suspect that something
on the level of a Primal Power, like the Phoenix or similar, is powering
the squid.  Be on guard..." to Chris.

Gideon nods.

Corrine of Amber then goes back to walking and watching and being on
guard, ready to serve as Juri's Support and Strong Arm, as we continue
this... another time!

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

Corrine of Amber OOCly says, "And zat's it for me.  Bedtime now, and at
least we progressed, huzzah. *wg*"

Gideon . o O ( Someone remind me to go to combat form before we storm the
place. )

Juri says, "Night, Phil."