Corrine of Amber OOCly waves back.  I'll handle the scene setup for this,
I suppose?

Juri of Avalon says, "Well, start things out; I can fill in details if
necessary."

Time passes, as it tends to do... and by the time Juri of Avalon has
finished with her bath, the room has changed a little.  Notably, there is
now a decent spread of snackables on the table, presumably provided by the
castle's kitchens.  Corrine is nowhere to be seen, but her sword and
crossbow are still by one of the writing desks.  Oh, and Juri's clothes
have not yet been washed, still sitting by the bathroom door.

Juri of Avalon comes out of the bathroom wrapped in a robe, frowns at her
dirty clothing, then sits down at the table and pours herself a glass of
wine.

She sips the wine, then begins to comb her hair out.

It's a decent vintage of wine.  One of the room's windows are open,
revealing the setting sun, and it feels like it's going to be a pleasant
night.

There's the sound of footsteps in the hall, and then the door opens,
revealing Corrine.  She glances over at Juri, and smiles slightly.  "Oh
good, you're out of the bath.  I timed things right."  She grins a bit
more.

Juri of Avalon nods a greeting.  "I highly recommend the hot water.  It's
very pleasant."

Corrine of Amber chuckles, and nods.  "Once I duck in there, could you
ring for them to clean our clothes?  Might as well go and get them all
handled at the same time."

Juri of Avalon nods.

Corrine of Amber smiles.  "Thanks, Juri."

Corrine of Amber slips into the bathroom, and a few moments afterwards,
her hand reaches out, dumping a pile of clothes and underthings in a
seperate pile next to Juri's.  Then the door closes fully, and there's the
sound of running water once more.

Juri of Avalon rings for the maid, and, when she arrives, hands over their
clothing and requests that it be laundered for the next morning.

The maid bows respectfully to Juri, takes the clothing, and then heads out
with it, promising it will be back before they wake.

Juri of Avalon resumes combing out her hair and sipping wine while
lounging around in her robe.

The sound of running water continues for some time... perhaps Corrine
decided to decide to take a shower.  But anyway, eventually, it ends, and
after a signifigant pause, Corrine comes out of the bathroom, also clad in
a nice soft robe, working at her hair with a comb and muttering a bit.
She's smiling, though.  "-Damn-, but I needed that..."

Juri of Avalon nods.  "Wine?"  She points to the food on the table.
"There's also cheese, fruit, bread, some colds meat... they lay a good
spread here, I'll give them that."

Corrine of Amber smiles, and moves over to sit down opposite Juri.  "Thank
you... and so it appears.  Starting to almost feel like home in some
ways." She chuckles a bit, and pulls her trump case out of her robe pocket
(apparently she didn't leave it with her clothes or sword-belt), sets it
on the table, and starts to select a few choice cuts to make a sandwich.

Juri of Avalon pours a glass of wine for Corrine.  "Home... not for me."
She looks distant for a moment.  "I'm beginning to dislike just how big
this is starting to get."

Corrine of Amber mmms a bit, accepts the wine from Juri, looks out the
window at the twilight sky, and then looks back at her.  "How before, it
was just your own reality, and you knew your place in it, without all this
other stuff to worry or be concerned about?" She waves her right hand at
the window, and by implication, this reality.

"Well, not entirely."  Juri swirls the wine in her glass with a short
motion of her wrist and watches it settle.  "Even before I set out into
Shadow, I knew that there was at least one other universe, with its own
Pattern.  So, it's not really surprising to me that there are more."

Juri of Avalon says, "It's just that, as usual, I feel out of my depth.
I've got hints of what's going on, but nothing clear.  The last time
things were like this, people I cared for died because I put the pieces I
had together in all the wrong ways."

Corrine of Amber mmms, quietly, sipping her own wine.  "Oh."  She closes
her eyes, and then opens them.  She says, more quietly, "Like Darako?"

"Yes," Juri says softly.  "Like Darako."

Corrine of Amber nods slightly, still quiet.  "Well, for what it's
worth... which I don't know if it's much, but hey... I think we're going
to make it through this, despite the feelings of being out of our depth;
hell, I'm feeling it too.  But hey, I've made it -this- far in my life
without fully 'getting' everything there is to be known, so why stop now?"
She quirks a slight, rueful smile, before sipping more of her wine, and
taking a bite of her sandwich.

Corrine of Amber says, "Which may just be the cynic inside me speaking,
but hey."

Corrine of Amber shrugs.

Juri of Avalon bites into an apple and stares out the window, away from
Corrine.  "I wonder what we're up against, truly?"

Corrine of Amber looks out the window as well, watching the stars come out
as she eats her sandwich.  "Given all that we've heard and learned so far
in the past few days... and what I've heard of your realm's history, and
what I've recently learned of my own... I can't but help feel that the
MacFinndos and the Squid... and hell, perhaps even Annadil and the
Embrans... are just pawns of something larger behind the scenes.
Symptoms, not the cause, though by themselves still a full threat."

Juri of Avalon nods.  "My thoughts have been going in similar
directions... some great power, threatening all three of our universes."

Juri of Avalon sighs.  "I just wish I knew how revealing Dworkin's toys
were."

Corrine of Amber says, "Yeah." She purses her lips.  "Well, we've learned
that there's other powers, perhaps outside our own 'cosmos', than just the
Serpent and Unicorn, if Rose and Ishmael's mentions of the Phoenix are any
indication."  She then hehs.  "You know what's weird?  Grandfather...
Fuyutsuki... had a similar set.  Though different figurines, and I hadn't
looked at them as much.  That's why the ones that looked like Vash and
Annadil here worried me."

Juri of Avalon nods and sighs again.  "As these things usually go, I
expect it will all make perfect sense several hours after it does us any
good."

Corrine of Amber says, "It felt to be too much of a coincendence, to me.
And... yeah." She sighs again.  "Well, at least -some- things appeared
clear.  Find the Finndos.  Smite them into bloody smears.  Protect Juri.
I can -understand- those things." She quirks a smile at Juri.

Juri of Avalon leans her chin on her palm and looks melancholy.  "Much of
what Orpheus and Vecna said disturbs me.  The Finndo With No Name?  The
daughter of the dead?  What do those mean..."

Suddenly, Juri quirks a smile.  "Branch was disturbing as well, admittedly
for different reasons."

Juri of Avalon snaps her fingers.  "I may have something.  The ancestor of
my entire family was not Corwin himself, but Corwin's Patternghost--known
to us as The King With No Name."

Juri of Avalon says, "Ishmael and Rose said they killed the Finndo of this
universe... so, the Finndo with No Name might be his Patternghost.  Or
something like that."

Corrine of Amber chuckles a bit, and nods.  "Oh yes.  I love my sister,
Juri, but... not in that fashion, no." She grins a bit.  "Making out with
a counterpart of my sister would be beyond bizzare. *pause* Not that it
matters anyway, as I'm quite firmly in a relationship with Carl Harold,
the Red Knight..." She blushes a bit, but smiles, and then blinks.  "Oh?
Ah-hah.  And to repeat my question to Dworkin earlier, which didn't make
sense.... what's a Patternghost?"

"A Patternghost?"  Juri purses her lips.  "I'm not too clear myself.
Apparently, the Pattern takes an imprint of everyone who walks it, which
it 'updates' on each subsequent walk.

Juri of Avalon says, "It can then somehow call them up to act as
messengers and servants.  After Darako died, she seemed to serve it in
that function."

Corrine of Amber blinks.  "Like... a backup?  That's...."

Corrine of Amber blinks some more.

Juri of Avalon nods.  "It seems that no one who has walked the Pattern is
ever entirely gone, so long as the Pattern remains."

Corrine of Amber says, "...that scarily, makes sense, from what limited
knowledge I have on the advanced workings of the Pattern, which isn't
much.  Given it effectively puts you through the metaphysical equivelent
of Norton Utilities and Norton Antivirus, it'd certainly be able to -do-
that...."

Corrine of Amber then nods.  "What did your Pattern use its ghost of
Darako for?"

Juri of Avalon says, "In the first instance, to speak to me.  In the
second, to defend itself against an attack.  In the third, to deliver a
message to our entire family after the crisis had passed."

Corrine of Amber mmms, and nods.  "This is all new ground for me, I admit.
I'd thought only the Red Knight, in my case, served that function.
Though, admittedly, he hasn't had much to DO for the longest time..." She
hehs a bit.  "Derith would know more about this than I, most likely.
Though I can't recall one ever appearing before... not that I'd recognize
'em if I -did-, if they have no recognizable signs, being perfect
duplicates..." She purses her lips.

Juri of Avalon says, "Their personalities tend to be somewhat warped
towards the purposes the Pattern intends them for, but I'm told that it
can only work with what's already there."

Juri of Avalon says, "Darako had something of an ethereal appearance, as
well, but possessed a certain solidity."

Corrine of Amber nods.  "So they'd be confused for ghosts or Shadows,
then, if encountered."

Juri of Avalon says, "Possibly.  They have all their memories up until the
last time they walked the Pattern, and it also seems to be able to give
them information.  As I said, each Pattern seems to be sentient."

Corrine of Amber says, "Good point.  So questioning about Current Events
would help determining the difference... and yeah... I'm slowly starting
to realize that." She quirks a smile.  "Man, this trip's been more
educational for me than the past 11 years of my life.  And that's saying
something."

Corrine of Amber sips more of her wine.

"You're benefitting from my greater experience in discovering we're really
only insignificant pawns of Vast Cosmic Forces," Juri drawls.

Corrine of Amber snrks, and then laughs a bit.  "Those Vast Cosmic Forces
should watch out.  After all, in all the stories, they get their
comeuppance in the end by the 'insignifigant pawns'." She winks.

Juri of Avalon says, "Not in the stores I've heard."

Corrine of Amber shrugs.  "Eh, different stories, then."

Juri of Avalon asks, "Are you worried about what is happening to your
universe in your absence?"

Corrine of Amber bites his lip, and looks down at her plate, and then
looks up again, at Juri.  "-Very-.  Hell, I'd just gotten -back- from
Ember just a few hours before you had passed through.... I'd had hopes..."
She shakes her head, and sighs, looking out the window again, tracing her
fingers around her bracelet.  "... hopes of really making a DIFFERENCE
this time... not just riding along and surviving.  Juri's out with Hiko
who KNOWS where, and I don't know where half my other neices and nephews
are..."

Corrine of Amber pours herself some more wine, and drinks from her glass.

Juri of Avalon looks sympathetic.  "The Vast Cosmic Forces at least had
the courtesy to pluck me after our crisis had passed."

Corrine of Amber says, "And now it's been, what, a week or so since our
paths crossed?"  She quirks a wry smile, looking over at Juri.  "The Vast
Cosmic Forces had better be courteous enough to allow a reasonable time
differential, or even better, send me back home soon after I left, or else
this here Warden of Arden will need to give the Vast Cosmic Forces a Royal
Bitchslap."

Corrine of Amber winks at Juri, and finishes the rest of her sandwich.

Ramon wakes up.
Rose says, "Howdy"
Juri of Avalon says, "'allo, John."

Juri of Avalon smiles.  "When you speak like that, you remind me of Darako
a little."

Corrine of Amber OOCly 'lo, John.
Ishmael says, "(OOC) Go on. ;)"

Corrine of Amber hehs a bit.  "I don't know if that's a good or bad thing,
so I go what the hey and put it in the 'good'."  She shrugs.  "For all I
know, if I'd met her in person, I've felt the same way you did about her
before... everything." She shrugs a bit.

Juri of Avalon asks, "OOC:  Right.  Phil, where were we in the foreplay?"
Corrine of Amber OOCly just coughs.

"Oh, I meant all I said about her..." Juri says wistfully.  "She was punk
and a hellion.  We got off on the wrong foot from the moment I met her.
Had she lived... had she lived, knowing what I know now... I suspect it
might have been like what Vialle said about Eric and Corwin.

Juri of Avalon says, "We might have patched things up.  Or we might have
just gone on hating each other."

Juri of Avalon shakes her head and almost visibly withdraws into herself a
little.  "Anyway, it doesn't have much bearing.  It's only that that's the
kind of thing she might say.  Except there would probably be more cursing
in it."

Corrine of Amber mmms a bit, closing her eyes, and reaches over a hand to
Juri.  "Right.  Well... we'll let it go at that, then.  I don't want to
dredge up bad memories, and if I do so by my... similarity to your sister
at times, I apologize?"

Juri of Avalon touches Corrine's hand lightly.  "It is no fault of yours.
Blame the universe for an apparent lack of archetypes."

Corrine of Amber squeezes Juri's hand in the breif moment of contact.
"Right.  That works, I suppose.  It seems to get off on varying themes."

"Some might call it repetition," Juri says dryly.

Corrine of Amber chuckles a bit.  "Eh, multiple variants in Shadow,
multiple variants in Reality.  Might as well go whole-hog while we're at
it." She sips more wine.

Juri of Avalon asks, "I suppose.  You said that this 'Annadil' was leading
a warped reflection of your family against you?"

Corrine of Amber nods.  "Yes.  When one ends up being confronted by a
version of yourself shooting trump-crossbow-bolts at yourself and one of
your nephews in your own forest, it kind of makes it hard to deny there's
something strange going on."  She pauses, and considers.  "Okay, so SOME
variants I can do without."

"I ask because of..."  Juri looks briefly embarassed.  "Because of
Dworkin's toys.  The 'Mole Men' set.

Juri of Avalon says, "Four of them bore the names of people I knew in my
school days.  The last two were named for relatives of mine."

Juri of Avalon says, "As it is utterly unclear just how reflective
Dworkin's toys are of reality, I'm uncertain if it means anything, or is
simply a red herring."

Juri of Avalon smiles suddenly.  "Or perhaps it is that are 'reality' is
only a flawed reflection of Dworkin's toys."  She laughs softly.

Corrine of Amber says, "Oh?"  She raises an eyebrow, more curious than
depreciating.  "You've... got a good point.  Hrm.  I can't but help wonder
if I went down there again and looked closely, if I'd see myself down
there modeled with power-painting-action."  She shakes her head.
"Grandfather can be clear at times, and totaly obtuse in others."  She
chuckles a bit.

Corrine of Amber says, "For some reason, it doesn't surprise me that
Dworkin would be the same."

"I met another Dworkin.  Or maybe the same one.  I'm not sure."  Juri
pauses.  "He was much the same.  Had a cute grandson.  I wonder if he's in
this universe..."

Corrine of Amber asks, "Who was the grandson?"

Juri of Avalon says, "He called himself 'Rex', but I'm not sure if that
was his real name."

Corrine of Amber huhs.  "Well, can't say that I know of him or any such
analouge." She hrms, tapping her lips.  "If he -did- have an analouge,
he'd be of my generation, anyway.  Which makes it extremely unlikely."

Juri of Avalon shrugs.  "It's not really a thing worth thinking about
under the circumstances.  He was a superb swordsman; men like that tend to
capture my attention."

Corrine of Amber chuckles a bit.  "Right.  You'd probably like Drake back
home, then.  Probably the best of us in the arts of the Sword and war,
though I -fully- admit bias to Juri." She winks.  "Though admittely,
Drake's got something of an attitude... Maybe Saionji.... no, he strings
women along, you'd probably have an urge to try and eviscerate him if
things happened." She blinks, and shakes her head, giggling.  "Great.  Now
I'm trying to ponder hooking you up with one of my siblings.  This is just
getting -too- weird for words, Juri."

Corrine of Amber sighs, looking wry.  "Never mind father's strictures
against incest, which pretty much shoots -that- down, anyway.  They'd be
weirded out too. Nevermind." She sips more of her wine.

Rose says, "OOC Technically, it isn't incest because this Juri isn't
actually a blood relative :)"

Juri of Avalon looks faintly amused and begins to peel some grapes for
herself.

Juri of Avalon says, "Technically, it isn't incestuous; there's no blood
relation.  I simply look exactly like one of your siblings."

"It would be _disturbing_, but it wouldn't be..."  Juri suddenly grimaces.
"Why am I talking about this?"

Corrine of Amber OOCly says, "Yes, Corrine -knows- that, but it's just
something weird -anyway-..."

Corrine of Amber blinks, and facepalms.  "I'm sorry?  My fault for going
in a weird conversational direction."

Juri of Avalon laughs softly.  "To turn things in a different direction,
then... who is this Red Knight you mentioned?"

Corrine of Amber drinks more of her wine, embarrased.  She looks up,
blusing, now perhaps -more- embarrased... "Ah... my Royal Consort... my
lover... co-'parent' of my child Gabrielle... and a living avatar and
protector of the Fire Pattern of Ember, which I repaired."  She blushes
more, and pops open her trump case, handing Juri a trump which feels to be
made of solid fire, but it doesn't burn her fingers.

Corrine of Amber OOCly says, "and Corrine mutters about OTHER people's odd
sexual preferences... pot, kettle, black. [Corrine kicks the player.
"Shaddup."]"

Juri of Avalon examines the Trump.

The trump itself depicts a handsome, tanned man, clad in full red plate
armor, its edges trimmed in gold, his eyes intelligent, his ash-brown hair
parted on the left.  He stands in front of a giant flaming forest, which
for some reason feels that that's the natural order of things for that
locale.

Juri of Avalon smiles.  "Handsome fellow."  She hands the Trump back.
"So, you have a daughter?"

Corrine of Amber smiles, and accepts the card, and replaces it.  She pulls
out another Trump, this one more normally made.  "Well, technically she's
a construct, but given she calls me 'Mom' and the Red Knight 'Dad'..." She
shrugs, and grins, handing the card to Juri.  "... Gabrielle, my
'Daughter'.  I have yet to have any -physical- children."

Juri of Avalon looks the Trump over and smiles slightly.  "I confess to
feeling somewhat motherly towards Julian at times, but don't tell Horatio
that."

Corrine of Amber chuckles a bit.  "Hey, it's an act of creation, no matter
how you go about it." She shrugs, and sips her wine.  "One day, perhaps...
who knows.  As it is, I've got the succession set up for Catherine then
Gabrielle, should something seriously happen to me."

The second Trump depicts a strawberry blonde, wavy-haired girl standing in
the middle of a room, her hands gesturing outwards towards the viewer, her
amber eyes alight with an impish, joyful smile, matched by that on her
lips.  Around her rises an inverted cone of trumps, half with the Green
BG/White Unicorn, the other half golden BG/Red Flaming Alicorn.  She
stands within a circle of flame, unharmed, spinning around her feet,
lighting up a ruby floor tracery that looks suspiciously like the Pattern.
The rest of the card is dark.

Juri of Avalon asks, "Catherine?"

Corrine of Amber nods.  "My Regent in Ember..." She blinks, and coughs,
and blushes.  "Oh yes, in all the hullabaloo and natural caginess going on
in the current situation, I never got to tell you.  It seems when I
repaired the Fire Pattern... I also became Queen of Ember itself."  She
looks sheepish, and pulls out a few more trumps, both flame-bordered...
one of which depicts a woman standing in a office with neatly organized
papers and files, her right hand lifted with a silver-and-gold ring on her
finger, a spectral Pyricorn in her palm, her clothes regal and wearing a
3-pointed silver tiara.  The other depicts Corrine in much more regal
finery in reds and golds, in front of a large obsidian throne with a red
cushion.  "Hence my bodacious tan."    She quirks another smile.

Juri of Avalon says, "It's very fetching."

Juri of Avalon says, "OOC:  This is the Amberite equivalent of showing
people photos of your grandkids.  :)"

Corrine of Amber blushes some more.  "Thanks, Juri."  She hehs a bit,
looking out at the darkened night.  "10 years of 24 hour sun will do that
to you."

Juri of Avalon looks out the window as well, following Corrine's gaze.
"It's getting late.  Are you tired?"

Corrine of Amber yawns a bit at Juri's mention of the time.  "Now that you
mention it... I think I am.  It's been a hell of a long day, and I think
we both need the rest."  She quirks a smile.  "I just wanted to see a true
sunset and stars again, and to chat a bit without being threatened by the
end of the universe, new incomprensible arcane knowledge, or pursuit by
flaming Chihuahuas."  She drains her glass of wine, and tidies up her
plates, covering over the rest of the food to keep it from getting bugged.
She then stretches, her arms over her head, and there's the sounds of
joints popping.  "Arrrrggggh.... ahhh.  There.  Better.  I'd love to get a
decent workout in the morning, but I'm getting the feeling we're going to
get our exercise on the run, as it were."

Juri of Avalon nods and yawns, then heads over to the bed and turns back
the covers.

...only to discover a dead Shiori!

...wait, no.

Juri of Avalon asks, "Which side do you prefer?"

Corrine of Amber rummages, searching for some extra blankets and finding
them in a cabinet drawer.  "Eh, either can work, but I tend to sleep on
the left."

Juri of Avalon says, "Perfect.  I prefer the right."

Corrine of Amber says, "Excellent." She heads over with the extra
blankets, and offers one to Juri.  "To prevent accidental sheet-stealing
in the night."

Juri of Avalon takes it, dumps it on her side of the bed, then goes over
to her backpack and digs out her nightgown.  

"No peeking," she says lightly, then begins to change into it.

Corrine of Amber, meanwhile, goes and collects her remaining trumps by the
table, putting them back in her case.  She coughs, but chuckles.  "Wasn't
intenting to, Juri," she says, facing away from her.

Juri of Avalon finishes changing, then crawls into bed.

Corrine of Amber considers, and then hrms.

Juri of Avalon says, "OOC:  Come on, Corrine... I don't bite... hard."

Corrine of Amber goes to try and see if they provided any complimentary
nightgowns in this guest room.

Juri of Avalon says, "OOC:  Just sleep naked."

You page, "Would they have provided any nightgowns in a decent size? *wry
look* Corrine came rather unprepared for this sort of thing." to Akemi.
Akemi pages, "Yes, they did." to you.

Corrine of Amber ahs, relaxing.  "Ah, good, the place comes with
complementary gowns." She pulls one out of the wardrobe, checks its size,
and then ducks into the bathroom, closing the door.  After a few moments,
she comes back out, now en-nighgowned.  She climbs into bed on the left
side, after placing her trump-case on the nightstand.

Oh, and blowing out any of the candle-lights, save for one.

Juri of Avalon curls up beneath the covers and rests her head on the
pillows.  "Good night, Corrine."

Corrine of Amber curls up as well, glancing at Juri for a moment.  "Good
night, Juri." She then looks upwards, and begins the process of falling
asleep.

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

Rose asks, "Ooc How much longer can y'all go?"

Corrine of Amber OOCly says, "I REALLY should go to bed now."

Corrine of Amber OOCly says, "Given that today I got into work at 11:50.
^_^;;;"

Corrine of Amber OOCly says, "(long night RPing + accidentally turning off
alarm around 7 == body deciding to heck with this, you're -sleeping-
buddyboy.)"

Juri of Avalon says, "I should probably begin winding down as well."

Corrine of Amber OOCly says, "And tomorrow -cannot- be a late night, given
I have an interview in Baltimore on the morning. *wry look*"

Corrine of Amber OOCly says, "as it stands, though, this -was- a good
session, IMO. ^_^"

Juri of Avalon says, "OOC:  Well, there wasn't any hot girl-on-girl
action, but, otherwise... :)"

Rose says, "OOC Righto.  Tomorrow, we have more trouble for you planned,
but we'll do our best not to go too late."

Rose asks, "OOc What's the interview for?"

Corrine of Amber OOCly razzes Alan.  "You seem to have a one-track mind,
sir.  And possible job opportunity with another division of Lockheed
Martin.  I should be doing more of these soon, given my -current- job with
Lockheed Martin in ECS is kinda going belly-up past december when it gets
handed off to Raytheon. :/ And I have no desire to move to Georgia or New
Jersey for several months, which were other possibilities..."

Corrine of Amber OOCly says, "12 pm EST is generally the 'safest' to
stretch things.  If it goes further, and if I -manage- to get into work
the next day on time, I end up sleeping THROUGH it. :P"

Corrine of Amber OOCly says, "On weekdays, that is."

Juri of Avalon says, "Good luck, Phil."

Corrine of Amber OOCly says, "Thanks, Alan. *wry look*"

Juri of Avalon says, "G'night."

Corrine of Amber OOCly says, "And now, to bed.  Night!"