Date sent: Sun, 4 Mar 2001 16:12:52 -0500 (EST) From: "Philip J. Moyer" To: John Biles , "Amy \"General Chaos\" Borden" , Chris Angelini , Andrew Huang Subject: [Amber/TAMD] Corrine, Juri of Avalon -- Talks about The Talk Moriya OOCly settles down and passes around the tub o' popcorn. Juri of Avalon says, "Okay, whenever you're ready, fill." Juri of Avalon says, "_Phil_. Damn homonyms. -.-" Moriya OOCly sniggers. Tybalt has arrived. Corrine OOCly says, "Assuming that 1) this is the same day as Juri/Shizu's talk, 2) that the dead bodies issue has been taken care of, 3) Corrine's convoed with folks in Ember at least (Amber's still up in the air), and 4) that she was able to Trump in Misaki so as to have a bodyguard around while Azaka heals and Kamidake gets taken back to Ember to be buried." Utena says, "OOC Sounds reasonable to me." Juri of Avalon says, "Juri probably would've gone looking for Corrine after the talk with Shizumaru, to share the merriment." ============================================= ============================================= Asking around, Juri of Avalon finds out that Corrine's sequestered herself in a suite of rooms in the area of the Keep that has been claimed by the Ember contingent. When she gets there, she finds Misaki standing outside the door. Juri of Avalon raises her hand in greeting as she approaches. "Hi. Corrine in?" You page, "you going to handle Misaki, or too distracted with Action Shaft? *wl*" to Akemi. Akemi pages, "You can run her." to you. You page, "Oh, I'm gonna want to have a copy of the end part of the Shaft Logs. :)" to Shizumaru. Shizumaru pages, "Of course. :)" to you. Shizumaru pages, "I can send it to you, and you can patch the two together for Rod and John. :)" to you. Shizumaru pages, "And send me a copy of your log, too. :)" to you. You page, "But of course. :)" to Shizumaru. Misaki nods to Juri as she approaches. "Yes she is, Princess Juri, but..." Her expression takes on a hint of worry. "... I'm not sure if she wants to be disturbed right now." She sighs, and knocks on the door. "Your Highness? Princess Juri of Avalon to see you..." Juri of Avalon waits patiently. There's a moment's pause, and then Corrine's voice answers, somewhat muffled due to the door, "Let 'r in, Misaki." Juri of Avalon nods, and steps through the door as soon as Misaki opens it. Juri is let in, and the door closes behind her. The suite of rooms is somewhat spare, but that's to be expected, as the current occupant (right now sitting and looking out a window at the flames of the Fire Shadow) hasn't been there very long. There's some papers haphazardly strewn on a small desk, and a pile of clothing on one of the chairs near the double bed. Juri of Avalon walks up behind Corrine and puts a hand on her shoulder. "Enjoying the view?" she asks quietly. Corrine glances up and over at Juri as she enters, clad in a dressing gown, the side of her head still bandaged over where her ear is healing. She hehs, softly. "Yeah... Thinking of home," she murmurs, before sighing. "Ain't it weird? I'm thinking of Ember more as home now than Amber, though I love Amber just as much and shall always need it to be complete." She reaches up with her left hand, and squeezes Juri's. Juri of Avalon is silent for a long time. Eventually, she says, "I understand completely. Homes... homes is like families. I realize now that there's no way I could go home now, even if Gideon had found a way. Not even if I knew there was a threat coming... because even in this short time, I've come to care about all of you too much. You, and Hiko, and Shizumaru... I have to be at your sides, seeing this through, to the very end." Corrine blushes at that, and smiles, hehing a bit. She leans her head against Juri's hand, gingerly. *q* "And if I were in your universe right now, with a similar crisis facing you all, I would not even dare leave... for you, and heck, yes, even Gideon, and Roderick, even though he's from another cosm, I feel are a part of my family, albeit extended. And I suspect that goes for the others." Corrine says, "we've been through so much, that it's forged us." Juri of Avalon nods. "I talked to Shizumaru a while ago. About a few things. But I found myself saying things to him... I told him that if I ever had a son, I hoped it would be someone much like him. And I realized it was true." She goes silent for a moment, and looks embarassed. "I'm not going to say something stupid and cliched like 'he's like a son to me', because I haven't known him nearly long enough to be that maudlin and sentimental. But... he's a good boy. And Hiko, she's going to be a fine woman. I wish I could do more to help her, now that her mother's gone, but..." Corrine giggles a bit at that. *q* "Yeah, he is, isn't he. Some days, I wonder how the heck our family's gene pool produced him. And yes, I can agree with that sentiment." She shakes her head, and then mmms, quietly. "We'll find sis. -Somehow-. I don't know how, and I don't know what 'longshot' she had in mind, but Hiko's been through hell and a half in her life. She doesn't -need- this on top of things." Juri of Avalon looks away. "I don't know much about her life. I didn't think it was my business to inquire. But I can tell she's had some pain." She pauses briefly, and lays her free hand atop Corrine's head, gently. "I wonder about my own family. If things have changed much, in the forty years I was gone. Maybe even longer, now. If, like Gideon, any of my other relatives have had their own children... when I look at the third generation of your family, like Hiko and Shizumaru--even someone like Ota, I suppose, who means well despite his roughness--I feel a lot of hope." Corrine blushes at the hand on her head, and tilts her head back slightly to glance up at Juri. ".. it's not my place to tell, but it's in your rights, I think, to ask her. if she answers, you'll know, if not, let it be." She considers. "And as for your own family... in forty years? Probably. And they're probably getting up to Unicorn -knows- what." She chuckles softly. "But hey, it's always up to the younger generation to pull off things the older could never fathom, so I'm sure your realm is in good hands." "I hope so," Juri says eventually. She smiles. "How are you holding up, Corrine? You've been a little... well, I'll be blunt. You've been brooding lately. That's more my thing than yours, so I'm a bit concerned." Corrine blinks at that. Twice. She coughs, and chuckles, turning around in her seat. "Yeah, suppose I have. And I've... been better." She sighs, and moves her free hand to pinch at the bridge of her nose. "What with Kamidake's death, the losses we took, and the news I've recently received from Ember... it's been hard -not- to brood." Corrine says, "I shudder to think of what sort of news I'll get when I start trumping folks in Amber to update them and get updates in turn." Juri of Avalon puts her hands on Corrine's shoulders and begins to gently massage them. "I know the feeling. Sometimes, time alone is good. Get your thoughts together." Corrine mrrrs a bit at the massage, but doesn't resist, and leans into Juri's hands slightly. Her muscles are tight with stress tension. She glances up at Juri again, a sardonic cast in her eyes. "But then there comes the time where you've gotta swallow the angst and rejoin the rest of the world, is that whatcha gonna say next?" She quirks a rueful smile. "I'd be a hypocrite if I told someone to just grin and bear it," Juri says kindly. "But it's been my experience that it doesn't really do much good, in the end. And I've done a lot of brooding." She digs her fingers into the bunched muscles with practised skills, and does her best to loosen them. "Take what time you need." Corrine chuckles softly, and lets out a low groan as her muscles are slowly untensed and kneaded back into smoothness. "... thanks, Juri. I will." She slits her eyes, just letting the massage go for a while, before speaking again. "... shouldn't be sequestered for -too- long, though, I think. Got way too much stuff to do here before heading back to Amber, and I'll need the distractions to focus myself again. I'll bounce back, though... I always have, in one way or another." Her expression softens, quietly thoughtful. Juri of Avalon smiles. "We tend to be a resilient bunch, in the general. Want to hear something that might help cheer you up?" Corrine quirks a curious eyebrow up at Juri. "Hmmmm? What?" Juri of Avalon slows her kneading a little, as Corrine is beginning to relax. "I gave 'the talk' to Shizumaru." Corrine -blinks- at that. Corrine -blinks- again. She turns more, looking up at Juri, blue eyes wide with surprise. Corrine says, "You..." Juri of Avalon colours faintly. "I was worried he didn't know anything about it. It would make his wedding night awkward. I thought someone should... you know... make sure..." Corrine says, "You went and..." She starts giggling softly. "... you and he talked about..." She giggles more. Corrine says, "I knew he'd heard about the general idea from his mom, but... oh good unicorn and pyricorn..." Her giggling is slowly transmuting into laughter. "What'd you tell him about? 'n it's good than you did, just think of what kind of advice he'd get from -others-...." "Such as Ota?" Juri asks dryly. Corrine touches her nose and points to Juri, winking. "Give the woman a cookie." Juri of Avalon chuckles. "I was surprised by his response. After he got over his embarassment, he seemed fairly interested." Corrine chuckles a bit at that. "Well, he's not dumb. He loves Rimururu, and wants the best for her." She then pauses, and tilts her head, curiously. "What'd he ask about?" Juri of Avalon says, "Well, I offered as a joke to give him a basic list of things to consider. Foreplay, mostly. He seemed a bit confused to the concept. I expected him to get even more embarassed." She chuckles. "Instead, he thought about it, then said it would probably be a good idea. So I wrote him one." Corrine -stares-. "You said... and he said... and you offered... and he -agreed-?" She starts laughing again, eyes alight, hands on the edge of her chair. "... oh good unicorn and pyricorn, how did he react??" "Nosebleed," Juri says sagely. Corrine laughs more, leaning back in her chair, looking up at the ceiling. Finally, she sits back up again. "Oh, that poor, poor boy... I hope Rimururu appreciates what her beloved is surely going through now for their wedding night." She grins. Corrine asks, "And Juri?" Juri of Avalon asks, "Yes?" Corrine grins, wolfishly. "I -want- a copy of that list." She winks. "For professional scholarly interest, of course." She then blushes, and coughs. "not to mention Carl can always use a refresher course." She winks again. Juri of Avalon coughs. "Well, do you want the short version I gave him, or the full list?" Corrine doesn't even hesitate. "Full list. Unless it'd take too long to write." You page, "Oh yes, Corrine's gonna get LOTS of milage outta this... ;)" to Kima and Shizumaru. In a page-pose to you and Kima, Shizumaru chuckles. Juri of Avalon nods. "Well, I'll need some paper and ink, and somewhere to work for a few hours..." Corrine says, "All three can be provided." She grins. "Which makes me curious about your short list, now. There's some paper and pencils on the desk over there if it'll be easier to whip up." Juri of Avalon picks them up and begins scribbling. She hands the first page to Corrine when she's finished. It appears to be in alphabetical order. The first entry is, "Aureoles, Attention To". Corrine's left eyebrow goes up at the first entry. She starts reading the text under the entry, and her right eyebrow goes up. She keeps reading. A blush starts to creep on her cheeks as she continues doing so, her eyes widening slighty. Corrine says, "Oh my," in a tone of voice usually reserved for Kasumi the Head Chambermaid. Corrine flips page, and keeps reading. She says "Oh my," again. And giggles. Juri of Avalon keeps writing. Corrine keeps reading as pages are handed to her, and she continues to giggle, or hrm thoughtfully, or murmur, "That actually -works-?" Juri of Avalon nods. "Yes, but you have to be careful not to throw your back out." Corrine nods back. "I'll be careful." She then continues reading, and pauses at one entry. "... do they even HAVE some of these items in Frostspire?" Yes, Corrine got to the "Household Objects, Unconventional Uses For" entry. Juri of Avalon shrugs. "That is not my concern. I merely outline what can be done; I don't handle logistics." Corrine says, "This is true. Eh, if necessary, they can import, or Rimu can come here." >From down the corridor, there is a soft thump as Shizumaru passes out in >a pool of his own blood, at his desk. But you can't hear that from here. Juri of Avalon looks distant for a moment. "It started out as a joke between a friend and I. 'Juri, you've been having a sex for a century now. You should write a book.'" She chuckles. "I have my full notes locked in the office safe back at my school. It's designed to blow up if anyone but me opens it." Corrine continues reading until Juri's finished writing. She mmms at Juri's distant look, and gets up and moves over to hug Juri from behind where she sits. "Well, hey, knowledge such as this... it'd be a catastrophy if it got into the wrong hands." She quirks a rueful smile. Juri of Avalon glances back at Corrine and nods. "It could mean the end of good sex as we know it," she intones solemnly, and continues writing. "And we most certainly can't have -that-," Corrine agrees, and moves over to sit on the edge of her bed, now reading from there. Juri of Avalon nods. "As I said, I'll need a few hours and sufficient materials to do the abridged version, rather than just the quick one." Corrine nods. "Perfectly understandable; and that can be held until later, truthfully." She taps the notes written. "These should -more- than suffice for me and Carl for the moment." She blushes, but grins. Juri may notice some of the notes on the other sheets of paper on the desk include reports on the survivors of the Keep assault, and some information from Ember that is... unsettling. And a drawing of a Volcano flag with some notes written under it. Juri of Avalon chuckles. "Well, I've been thinking about them a lot lately, because of... Roderick and I." She colours a little, and looks away. Corrine mmms, and smiles softly, and gets up and moves over to Juri's side again, and squeezes her shoulder. "I take it your talk with Roderick back in Amber went well," she says without any form of rancor or censure. Juri of Avalon nods. "Very well." A broad smile breaks across her face. "I forgot how nice it is to have someone in love with you. Really in love, I mean. Not just a crush or sexual attraction, but..." Corrine chuckles. "I had my suspicions, what with your apperance at the door that morning, but it's nice to hear them confirmed." She smiles. "And yes, it is, isn't it? I'd almost forgotten, I think, until Carl appeared in my life." Juri of Avalon says, "It will certainly surprise the family when I bring him home." Corrine says, "Ohhhh boy." She blinks at that, and considers. "He looks like one of your other brothers, doesn't he? Horatio? I remember your confusion on first meeting Rod, and Tess was confused when she met him..." Juri of Avalon says, "My nephew. Tess's son." Juri of Avalon chuckles. "He always had something of a crush on me. I teased him a lot." Corrine ahhhhs, and nods. She then pauses, brow furrowed. "So that makes you and Tess, sisters?" She scratches her head. "And I thought my family's family tree was getting confused." Corrine says, "But, ahwell." She smiles, wryly. Corrine says, "I hope he doesn't overreact over this." Juri of Avalon hesitates for a moment. "In truth, Corrine, it's not like that." Juri of Avalon says, "Tess is my aunt, actually. Horatio's my cousin. It's... complicated." Juri of Avalon says, "Not a lot of people know this. I'm not sure if Gideon does or not. Most of the family doesn't." Corrine mms, quietly and sits, pulling the chair over. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, Juri. I won't pry." Juri of Avalon chuckles. "It's nothing I'm ashamed or embarassed about, just something that was kept secret for so long... My father, Angus, was sent to bring my mother, Ryoko, back as a bride for his father." Corrine's eyebrows go up at the mention of Angus, but nods, listening. Corrine asks, "His father would have been the King With No Name... Corwin's Patternghost for your universe, right?" Juri of Avalon nods. "Yes, the King With No Name. Unfortunately--perhaps fortunately, for me--they fell in love on the way back, and she showed up pregnant with me. Father got removed from succession for it. I spent almost my whole life simply remembering him as the nicest one of my brothers when I was young, who disappeared before I came back from school." Juri of Avalon exclaims, "It was kept secret from everyone because of the fear that I'd be used against him. But now... I'm old enough take care of myself, damn it, and I'm _tired_ of pretending!" Juri of Avalon sighs. "It's silly, but I'd just like for the family to know. For him to be able to call me 'daughter' in front of them all. Silly and stupid, but..." Corrine jumps at that a bit, eyes a bit wide, but nods. "That's your call, Juri. I can't judge your family and how they'd react, I don't even -close- to have a handle on the dynamic. But.. yeah." She moves, and hugs Juri close and safe. "The balance between safety for yourself and those you love, the public versus private face..." Corrine sighs, lips quirked in a wry, sardonic smile. "Hell, Juri... sis... didnt' even TELL anybody in the family about Hiko's existance after she remembered. Not even me. And I didn't hold it against her. She had her reasons." Juri of Avalon hugs Corrine back with one arm. "Father had his reasons, but... a part of me resents him. The major reason I cooperated with Tomas was that he convinced me that my father--Ludwig, I thought--had been imprisoned in the Abyss by Tess, and the Duel Called Revolution would free him." Juri of Avalon asks, "And Father _told_ me that I was a member of the third generation, not the second, and that the King Without A Name wasn't my father. But he wouldn't tell me who my father was, and I thought... I thought if it was him, surely he'd tell me then and there?" In a page-pose to you, Shizumaru waves out. Don't forget to send me the log, hey? :) You page, "Righto! Send me the Shaft one!" to Shizumaru. Shizumaru pages, "Tomorrow, sometime. The session's still going on--I'm just going to leave on logging. :)" to you. You page, "*nod* Right! Night." to Shizumaru. Corrine says, "... oh... cute." She makes a face. "Since you didn't know who your true dad was at the time, and wanted him back.... -ugh-." She closes her eyes. "And so things progressed...." Juri of Avalon nods. "A lot of it was my own fault. For being stupid. But..." She sighs. "Well, it's over now. No changing things." Corrine hehs a bit at that, and sighs. "Yeah. No changing what's happened, but on the flip side...." Corrine looks at Juri. "... when you get home, promise me you'll talk to Angus about this, all right? It's clearly been eating at you, and even if you both decide -not- to speak out loud about it to the rest, you'll have that clear between you." Juri of Avalon nods. "I should. I'll have to tell Rod who he is, at least, so he won't be confused as to why my supposed big brother keeps on looking at him so suspiciously." Corrine snrks. "Right. That sounds like a good plan." She quirks a grin. "Besides, we'll need to bring him here -anyway- so that he can give you away at the wedding." Corrine winks. Juri of Avalon frowns slightly. "We haven't really talked about those things yet." Corrine ahs at that, and nods. "Forget I said it, then." She chuckles a bit, embarrased. "Sorry, it's been a bit on my mind as of late. What with me and Carl -not- getting married immediately after we Compacted, since I was afraid of all the marraige rigmarole father had gotten into over the years, and then getting back to Amer and hearing the Green Knight -proposed- to Hiko, it's something I've been considering on my end." She blushes. Juri of Avalon nods. "Understandable." Corrine says, "But, well, everything in their own time frame. No need to jump ahead on stuff." She sits back on her chair, fully. Juri of Avalon nods again, then winks. "Feeling less inclined to brood now?" Corrine chuckles and blushes. "Yeah. I should take whatever other world-shattering news I get much better now. And then I'll call the Red Knight. And then..." She chuckles, and muahahahahas, mock-theatrically. Juri of Avalon nods. "Get him to do the second entry on the third page. It's... really quite spectacular." Corrine goes and flips pages, and scans down to that entry. She -stares-, and -blushes-. ".... er... oh my, yes." Juri of Avalon nods, and waves as she opens the door. "Take care." Corrine nods, sets the sheet of papers aside, hops up, heads over, and hugs Juri again. "You too, Juri. You too. I'll see you in a while, I'm sure." Juri of Avalon hugs Corrine back, and departs. Corrine waves to Juri as she heads out, and then, whistling, heads back into her room. Which at this point, we fade. ==================================== ==================================== Corrine OOCly says, "And very nice, cool scene. ^_^ Thanks, Alan." Tybalt teleports out of the room. Tybalt has left. Juri of Avalon nods. Mange goes home. Mange has left.