(Enjoy)
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:57, Mon 23 Nov 2020.

Looks out into the hall for Odile and to see if the hall was otherwise empty.

When Jade opens the doors to the Great Hall, Odile is in fact waiting out there...

Spotting Odile Jade smiled, "I have something to discuss with you, I am glad you were still here." She whispered to Odile about her plan to see if Odile was able to help out. A mischievous smile on her face.

She looked to Ballad and pulled her into the plotting.

Odile nods happily. "Assuredly! Just let me know what I can do to help!"

If Jade could find the bottle she detected earlier that seemed to possess magic she would bring that along to study.

Jade smiled wider, "I knew I could count on you Odile." She gave the maid a hug.

"We should, walk to the library hmmm ?" Jade will lead the trio to the library.
She felt almost like she was floating as she made her way there.

Sure, no one has touched it since earlier in the day...





Odile is, unsurprisingly, delighted.

"Oh no. They belong to Aunt Flora, you see, and I imagine are perfectly happy wrapped prettily in my bag, where I am more likely to remember them. What's that?" When Jade grabs the bottle. Ballad grins, luminous, and quirks a conspiratorial eyebrow. "The extra good stuff which our relations couldn't yet handle?..."

And out they go. Ballad regards Odile with friendly curiousity, the suggestion of a smile in her strike of evening blue eyes, and accompanies Jade down twists and turns toward the library.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 19:42, Mon 23 Nov 2020.

"Oh, well I guess it is there that they will stay." Jade said with a smile though her own ears were ringing about those earrings she didn't wish to push things.

"This." she said holding the bottle and regarding it, "Is a mystery for now, one perhaps you can help me figure out. It is more then spirits and has the feel of magic too it. It intrigued me earlier but I didn't get the chance till now to pull it for inspection." She almost beamed as she looked down at it. Her green eyes shimmered.

"So you know Lance right ? What is he like ?"

"Jon is really nice. He is a good man from what I have learned of him."
This message was last edited by the player at 22:06, Mon 23 Nov 2020.

On the subject of the earrings, Ballad adds,  Because of course she is offhandedly gallant. Jade is also the kind of beauty that strikes against the heart; Ballad admires it. When Jade lofts the bottle, that's where her gaze goes: to the glass? The clay? The metal? Is there a label? If so, she’ll try to crane her head (and if it’s an awkward position — she’ll lean into it, clown) to read whatever’s drawn there.

She says,  Here, she flashes a lopsided grin, dimple definitely in evidence.  Probably, she's joking. There's definitely a kick in her tone of voice even as she pretends earnest solemnity.

She lets go the pretense of solemnity when Jade asks about Lance. Her answer is,  Pensive.  A grin.

As for Jon, Ballad makes a thoughtful noise, then replies,  A pause.  She laughs, mischief.

The next thing Jade says to Ballad has the silvery blonde looking over, studying the Rebman lady's profile. Ballad, well, she's gone starry in that way she has, pleased as absolute punch, and it's very obvious even though she's not actively smiling. That's because she's saying, honestly,  Ballad raises a hand to briefly touch her brow, then her earlobe, then an imagined wisp of silvery hair (everything's still in that complicated, shining, artistic twist of braids and more braids), and sort-of almost smile, the lilt of it a hopeful one of course, but also self-deprecating.

Jade nodded, "Yes, I would love to see them. At first I thought perhaps your removal of them had something to do with the note you showed me. You must be on good terms with our aunt to get such a lovely gift. I shall have to be nice to her, though I already have been." She smiled and admired the earrings.

Jade was also interested on the label of this vintage she had brought along.
Jade laughed lightly, "I had thought to test it that way myself, though to do so without someone to watch over me could prove dangerous. Our family was not exactly kind to each other in the past."

She listened to Ballad describe Lance and nodded slowly, "It is rather nice to know we have gentlemen as our cousins. I have only heard some of the bad things about family down in Rebma, gossip about our elders mostly."

Blushing slightly she thought about the last bit that Ballad had said.
A kind of sad look followed.

Her expression is eloquent. It says Jade is right, and Ballad’s removal of them did have something to do with the note. But for similar note-reasons, she doesn’t do more than offer Jade that speaking sort of look, shrugging before she opens her bag — a glimpse inside would reveal a lot of paper, principally, maybe a tangle of something silver, a forgotten spool of thread — and brings out the paper-wrapped earrings, unfolding them so Jade can regard them.  says she.  A bit of nervous energy after that.

On the matter of magic liquor, Ballad says, She grimaces exaggeratedly to indicate The True Horror of Such a Fate.

Then eases back into her usual lyrical swagger, jaunty again. Listens with ardent attention, poised and even-keeled. Her lips part in surprise at some point during Jade's story, her eyes wide.  The highest compliment Ballad can bestow. ["But what did you do at the center, without an anchor or advice? I think the advice you gave the new bright and shiny pennies was quite good."]

"They are lovely." She looks at them admiring the beautiful jewelry. She gave a nod to Ballad letting her know she could put them away if she wished. Also letting her know she understood the unspoken look.

Where Ballad is affable enough, Jade happily hands over the bottle for her cousin to inspect.
"I have never tried it's like before so, I have yet to know what it might taste like."

Jade says to the last,
"So dumb luck. I should say, but those books of uncle Corwin's let me know that is likely how I found myself back in my room sleeping."

And the earrings are rewrapped, tucked back into her bag.

Once Ballad has handed the bottle of spirits back, she says,

Then laughs, clapping her hands together. ”HA!”   More soberly:  Even with how relaxed their stroll, how involved their conversation, they’re probably approaching the library now. Ballad tries to order her thoughts.

And says, conspiratorially,  she sketches a graceful shrug.

Jade nodded, "Always possibilities, especially now. Aunt Florimel filled my head with notions of shadow. So much to see and do. Oh Ballad we can't let these Grey men ruin our chance to explore and see the wonders of shadow."

"Well we must avow to convince Lance and anyone else to fully heal before attempting the pattern. Then to go to an anchor, or else they could end up anywhere, undefended possibly in unfriendly territory. The center of the pattern any place is possible especially now with what I know, it could send one into a deep sea trench if one isn't careful. I think they heard our concern but if I need to restate it I will. Though I might come off like I am lecturing."

Aunt Florimel filled Jade’s head with notions of shadow. Ballad looks quizzical, but says with reckless passion:  Not being one to — as multiple denizens of Amber, both immortal and otherwise, have discovered today — hold back a question, adds:  Here, an easy smile, warm.

It goes lopsided.  A neat little uptick of her chin, definitive.

Then she says, easy again,  Ballad sounds thoughtful, although she adds quickly, meaning to reassure,

Jade joined in,

"Yes I am glad I didn't sound preachy warning them of the patterns dangers."



"I definitely want to wear the clothes of the scions of Amber for a while, I have only gotten a day to do so, so far." She smiled and wondered if she might not be able to ask her mother for some corns to get a nice wardrobe.

The glass of the bottle is clear, and almost-colorless, but very lightly tinted brown.

The liquid inside looks like some sort of chartreuse, but a little lighter. It looks like it should glow in the dark, a little, but there's too much candlelight to be sure.

It looks and feels like there used to be a label stuck to each side of the bottle, but it's come off and been lost.

If you had to guess, your guess would be that the labels weren't taken off, but just fell off from age.

 Ballad says. The smile is all suggestion now, a vibrant gleam in her ardent eyes.  A beat.

She lengthens her stride in order to reach the library doors before Jade and Odile, and open the door for them both with Dramatic Flair.

She grins, including the maidservant in this particular expression.

In the library-- well-lit with candles-- Laurence sits, reading. "Good evening, princesses," he says. "Is there any way I may be of service...?"

Jade's eyes widen and she can't help but smile, "Oh, I would love to see Arden, I have often swam it's reflection the Coral road, I can only imagine it's reflection is lovely. I even talked to Jon about a possible fox hunt or something of the kind, or perhaps a boar. I don't know what lives in Arden." full of dreams and fancies of the great kings forest.

"Swimming ! that would be fun, we can go to the beach." She says as a possible activity.

Jade walks in to the Library almost laughing at Ballad's opening of the doors.

She smiles, "Hello Laurence, could you pull the books I had been reading before and if you know of any other books that might mention Grey men or ancient enemies of Amber. Were in research mode."

"Certainly, milady."

(Okay, each of you state ONE question you want answered, and then each of you make an INT check at this time for doing research.

You may also ask Laurence all the questions you want, but his answers to hard questions might be less useful than a good INT roll.)

Physiology and possible weakness of the Grey men.


09:17, Today: Jade rolled 7 using 2d6 with rolls of 5,2.  INT for research.

(Waiting on Ballad's question and roll...)