The bar is to your right, tables to your left. There are suspicious-looking stains on the floor.

A board on the wall suggests that you give your order at the bar and say where you're sitting. There's a place underneath this for the day's catch to be chalked. It appears to be "blue sea scut," but that might be left over from yesterday.

Arrives at the appointed time. Odile had been seen off on her way back to the castle with instructions on where to place the various things that had been purchased.

Looking around Jade sought out a table large enough for the gathering and had a kind of disgusted and unsettled look at the stains on the ground. Keeping her closed parasol close at hand she walked to the bar.

"We will be meeting two others, possibly three. I would like to buy a round." She let the bartender know where she would be sitting.

Taking a seat after making sure the chair was clean she thought a spray of perfume might not be bad for the place.

Ariadne walked into the bar, looking around with a grin.  She hadn't really done dive bars since her college days at Boston University, partying with blue collar dock workers and the girls who worked construction on the Big Dig Project.  Ah, she mused, those were the days.
She'd graduated, in both senses of the word, to more upscale bars as she moved on with her chosen profession, but she had always admired the blunt honesty of the hole-in-the-wall neighborhood bar, where "everyone knew your name", but they were generally cursing when they said it

The smell was impressive.   The dive bars of the South Boston neighborhoods had an antiseptic smell that, mostly, covered the smell of stale beer, cigarette smoke, and old sweat.  Here, though, there was no antiseptic smell.  Granted, the other smells were cleaner, somehow.   The tobacco and alcohol seemed more natural, somehow.  If Ari still smoked, she'd be tempted to try the local flavors.  But she'd settle for the local booze.

Smirking a bit at the stains, and made some bets with herself as to what they might be.   She'd have to see how the night went.  She nodded to the barkeep.
"I'll take whiskey, and a lager chaser, please.  I'll be over there"
Smiling, she walked to where Jade was sitting.

"Ballad has some taste in bars hmmmm ?" She looks up at Ariadne with a wry smile.

"I wonder if their is a daily brawl ?" Her eyes flicked to some of the other customers and then back to her cousin.

Ariadne sat down in a chair, hoping that she wasn't making a mistake by not checking it for other 'mysterious stains'.   She smirked at Jade.
"Only one brawl a day?   I suspect that you're giving this place more credit than it deserves."
She looked around in that casual way that people check out their surroundings without seeming to do so.  While not specifically trained, Ariadne had been a single woman in a big city, and being oblivious to ones surroundings, even in a "friendly neighborhood bar", was a recipe for disaster.
"I hope the food tastes better than the décor suggests.  I've had some very good food in places that look too dirty to walk in, but it's always a coin toss."

Jade suddenly got a Cheshire grin.

"Ive seen a game that is a test of strength, want to play ?"

Jade put her arm up in a classic arm wrestling position. A glint of playful interest in her eyes.

Looking around, Ariadne was surprised by Jade's playful invitation to arm wrestle.  She chuckled, nodding with a sly grin.
"I did that a lot in the bars i went to when i was in school.  Are you sure you want to do this?"
Of course, most of the arm wrestling she did in the dive bars of Boston were at the invitation of some of the rugged Southie women who gathered there.  Many had been intrigued by the tough seeming but deceptively slender Ariadne.
She had won all.of those invitations, many of which were considered foreplay by both women.  She suspected Jade was being more low key about it, however.

Ari put her arm up, ready to wrestle her green haired cousin.

"I think it will be fun and maybe help us fit in better."

Jade planned on testing herself but found herself worrying about her dress. Her sleeve catching at one point on the table.


14:32, Today: Jade rolled 6 using 2d6 with rolls of 1,5.  Strength check.
I failed ow ow ow

Ariadne smirked and grasped Jade's hand, and on her signal, she casually went to push hmthe other woman's hand toward the table
To her shock, nothing happened at first

OOC :15:39, Today: Ariadne rolled 6 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 1,4.  Strength

Going back and fourth a bit with her cousin she tried to put more effort into it. It seemed it would be a stalemate for a while. She pushes hard her green eyebrows bunching.


14:45, Today: Jade rolled 7 using 2d6 with rolls of 1,6.  Strength check.

Ariadne grunted daintily and redoubled her efforts, surprised by her delicate seeming cousin's strength.
"Now i know how Trudy and the girls back at Murphy's Bar in South Boston felt.  Is this what ironic payback felt like?"  She thought to herself

As she pushed she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her side, where her stab wounds were pulling at her stitches.  She winced in pain.
That distraction was too much, and her hand hit the table, allowing Jade to win.

OOC: 15:46, Today: Ariadne rolled 5 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 1,3.  Strength

Jade found her arm tremble a bit and she hurt but didn't want to give in gaining a slight sprain. Then she saw pain on her cousins face and she got up after she had won with a worried look on her face.

"Are you alright, I didn't mean to push so hard." She offered to check  her cousins wounds. She hadn't meant for things to go this far.


-1 on her next roll

Ariadne shook her head, smiling grimly
"I should have been able to compensate for my grey dude wounds.  But you took me by surprise, I'll admit.   You're a lot stronger than I expected "
She tried to be subtle about Jade's examination, not wanting the whole bar to see

Jade nodded, "I live below the waves so, I have had to be stronger to compensate for the pressure. I am glad I didn't hurt you. I just want to have fun every once in a while. My mischievous nature gets the better of me sometimes."

"Your very strong yourself, I think I sprained my arm."

Ariadne smirked
"You don't  have to try to make me feel better.  I'm getting used to eating humble pie since coming here"

Jade felt divided she felt good that she had won but bad that she might have made her brand new cousin mad at her. Taking her seat again she paid for the second round of drinks too.

"This just seemed like the kind of place to try such games. I will wait for the others, I want to try darts too." She smiled.

"Though with these sleeves, I don't know." She laughed a bit.

Ariadne nodded, shrugging
'I used to be good at darts back home, but it wouldn't surprise me if darts are more dangerous here"
She sighed, then smiled ruefully
"Sorry, I guess I'm feeling discouraged lately.   This whole place has been....a bit of a culture shock "

"I am sure I would suffer culture shock on the Shadow Earth, so I can understand. Hopefully we are helping you acclimate a bit. You will get the hang of things I am positive of it." Jade spoke with certainty.

Ariadne actually let out a harsh giggle
"Hopefully I'll learn before i rupture something "

"Yes, we all should heal up before we mess about. So you were like Lance on Earth ? I am surprised you didn't know each other. Your a thespian that sounds exciting. I bet you got lots of roses and had fans."

Ariadne nodded, happy for more familiar topics.
"Well, the people of Earth are spread out all over hundreds of cities over thousands of miles.  There are billions of people.   I would have been surprised if we'd have met.  I mean, if Lance and I were, say, going to the same college and competing on the same track and field team or something like that, it would have stretched my understanding of coincidence, quite frankly. "
She smiled and sipped her drink
"I wasn't what you would call famous on Earth, though.   Most of my work was with more famous people, teaching them how to fight in our 'plays' and such.  But, because a pot of directors and casting people liked how i looked or moved, i was cast in a lot of small parts, usually as a minion of a main bad guy or some security person working for the good guy."
She chuckled
"I've pretended to die dozens of times over the years.  It was a specialty of mine"

This is where Jade's eyes widen.

"Billions ?" she was still shocked, "Your world must be huge, it's own ocean of people." it took her a moment and soon she was nodding.

"Well you will be famous here, as a Princess it is unavoidable even Llewella is well known and she keeps even more mysterious then me. She is the original mermaid."

Ariadne smiled
"We're pretty spread out, but there are many cities with a hundred thousand or even a million people.   That kind of crowd can be daunting occasionally, but i always found the relative anonymity to be...comforting "
She took another sip, shrugging
"To be honest, I'm not a fan of being famous for who my family is.  My father, despite living a fairly quiet life, was something well known in some academic circles, and meeting teachers who seemed impressed with me because i was his daughter was always annoying "

"That is so many people, I am glad they are so spread out. I don't even know if the trench Rivlok in the sea could house a million people."

Jade tilted her head a bit, "Speak with Princess Llewella she might be able to help you with anonymity. She has green hair like me but hers is a bit darker."

Ari lowered her voice and asked conspiratorially
"Is she really a mermaid? Like, with fins and everything?"

Jade laughs lightly, "Oh no no no, she is like me, and you. Though some sailors do think we from Rebma, have fish tails. At one point a long time ago we might have but not for so long that we only see statues of beings like that in Rebma."

"Also since your family." She gives a sneaky grin and whispers,

Ariadne chuckled.
"In the town where I grew up, we also had a bit of a Love-Hate relationship with tourists, and would mess with them on occasion.  Like telling them the opposite way to go for attractions, or telling them that the rough looking guys who sell souvenirs on the street would give you free stuff if you kissed them on the lips.   Things like that."

"I guess it is something common to all youths." Jade smiled more.

She nursed her drink so as not to be three or four down before the others showed up.

Ariadne looked around.
"I wonder what kind of food they have in here?"

"We could ask the barkeep. I saw sea food on the menu chalked in."

Ariadne chuckled.
"My hometown always considered itself one of the best areas in the world for seafood.  I suspect that this place won't really impress me. But I'd be interesting in seeing what they have."

"I am kind of discerning in my seafood as well. Though this is a dock bar so I am sure they have fresh catches of the day."

Ari nodded.
"My hometown was famous for that as well.   Okay, what shall we get?  Or would you rather wait for the others?  I usually have a good stomach for drink, but I'd rather not drink too much without food, especially in a new city."

"Let's wait so we can all eat together. We can just nurse our drinks."

"I don't know if they have appetizers, if you wanted to get something light before the others arrive."

Ariadne ordered some bread or some chips (since they might have 'fish and chips') to snack on while she was waiting.
"I've always had a bit of a hearty appetite.  Used to drive our housekeeper nuts.  I was a bit self conscious of it as a child, but later on I grew to be proud of it. "

"Me too, I didn't like eating around anyone when I was younger. I felt embarrassed." She gets a distant look.

"I always thought I would be fat eating like that."

Ari smiled ruefully and nodded.
"Back when I was younger, I was a lot more worried about what other people thought of me.  I suppose I still do, but I'm working on it more and more every year.  Besides, I exercise enough to not worry about it.  Someday, I suppose my metabolism will slow, though.  It's a chilling thought, getting older."

Jade gives Ariadne a funny look, "You shouldn't have to worry about that for a long time."

Ariadne frowned in confusion.
"What do you mean?"

"People live a really long time in this family. Like an incredibly long time."

"From the books I read, our aunt Florimel has lived a really long time, and my mother is supposed to be even older, and your mother was older still."

Ari raised a skeptical eyebrow.
"What do you mean a 'long time'?   That sounds a bit vague to me."

"I think Ballad might be the best to ask but when I walked the Pattern I had this knowing that I would live thousands of years."

The short haired brunette looked almost insulted.
"What?  Thousands??  Like, as in, literally tens of hundreds????.......bullshit...."

"What reason would I have to lie to you ? Ask the barkeep if you don't believe me." Jade grew quiet and just folded her arms uncomfortably.

Ari chuckled sheepishly.
"My apologies.  I didn't mean that you were literally lying to me....that's just the way a lot of people where I'm from react to unbelievable facts.  And...."
She sighed almost uncomfortably.
"Perhaps I have to admit that what  you're saying is a Fact, after all.   I mean, you magically changed to looked like my twin, and hell,  I  transported here magically with a frickin playing card held in the hand of a guy wearing a sword.  So I suppose anything is possible."
She leaned back, clearly looking amused but overwhelmed.
"The idea of living for thousands, even hundreds of years, is a bit daunting, frankly."

"I don't know if this is true but the old king Oberon was said to have ruled since the world was created. As Queen Moire of Rebma has her realm. Were legacy to that. I don't know if that is true but in the church of the Narwhal such is said. As the church of the Unicorn here says."

Jade nods, "It is something easier to believe coming from here I will admit. I am young myself. Though I am sure if you asked some of the male princes they would give you their age."

Ariadne smirked.
"So, 'Never ask a Lady her age', eh?  Yes, that's considered rude on my world as well, though less so between women, generally."
She shrugged.
"Since the world was formed??  Well...that certainly sounds made up, perhaps for propaganda purposes, but I can't discount that people here live a long time.  Looking back on it, my father never seemed that much older than when I was a kid, though I suppose every little girl sees her father like that, eh?"
Then she looked VERY skeptical.
"Wait....church of the what now???"

"Church of the Narwhal or Unicorn ? Those are the state churches of Rebma and Amber respectively." She shows a coin with the Narwhal on one side and Queen Moire on the other side.

Ariadne still looked like she was waiting for a punchline.

"We can go to the church after if you would like. It's one of the largest buildings in the city." She then said, "Oh you mentioned a card brought you here, wasn't there a unicorn on it ?"

Ariadne shrugged.
"With everything else going on, I wasn't really paying attention to those kind of details.  But, like, you people actually worship a unicorn and a narwhal??"

Jade nods, "Yes, they are our state religion. The window openers in the castle are little unicorn icons, and if you remember the artwork in the castle all the unicorn imagery. That is because it is the religion."

Ariadne shrugged, trying to look like she was trying not to offend Jade again.
"Look, don't get me wrong.  I was taught in a Catholic school in Boston, and they believed some REALLY weird things, but I grew out of that stuff.  Why do your people worship a unicorn and a narwhal?"

"They helped create all that you see. Oh I hoped I could explain it better. I wish Ballad was here she could explain it better from an Amber royal perspective."

Ariadne spoke slowly, as if trying to make sense of it all.
"So...according to your religion, your city was created by a narwhal, and this one was created by a...unicorn?"

Jade nods, "That's right."

"Though more then the cities. The priests could describe it better. Even seeing the Narwhal is considered good luck, an omen of good things to come. I imagine it the same for seeing the unicorn here."

Ariadne seemed to wait for a moment, mouth slightly open, eyes half closed, as if  still waiting for a punchline.
Then she pressed her lips shut, and sighed.
"You know what?  Sure, why not?  I'm just gonna roll with it."

Jade looked to Ariadne and wondered what horned or tusked animal they worshipped on this Shadow Earth. Though with Ariadne's reaction about religion she chose not to broach the topic more at this time.

Ariadne seemed lost in thought, as if realizing that she knew almost nothing about her family's ancestral home besides the fact that people were trying to kill her.
(Though, of course, that was a pretty significant fact)
She smiled at Jade, in a casual way
"So...what kinds of things do you and the other members of the royal family do around here, anyway?  I mean, what kind of jobs do you all have?
When we were coming here in the horse drawn carriage, i really felt like I was transported back in time.  Hundreds of years by ky standards.   But i suspect thatypur world here isn't necessarily hundreds of years behind mine.  What will i be expected to do if i choose to live here full time, or even when I visit?"

"I would say you would be allowed to do as you will. As this was told to me by another princess. Yet I believe we could all be called upon to defend Amber should the need arise. If you want a job, I suppose you could ask the King. He might be able to assign you something."

Ariadne chuckled
"So we're like the idle rich?  The people in my part of Earth don't have a royal government anymore, so we have a weird relationship with other countries that do.  The royal family in one of our closest allies seems like they just do busy work for a living.  It just feels like a strange way to live.
Though with the Grey Goons around, the 'called to defend the kingdom' bit sounds about right, though. "

"Especially now that we know they are moving as an army. That bit of news from Ballad worries me. If they tried to kill us, I don't think they would stop there."

Ariadne frowned in confusion
"Army?  i don't remember that part.    I thought they were just random goon squads "

Jade shook her head, "Oh, no Ballad said they were gathering and sieging a shadow she knows. We believed they may be turning shadow folk into other Grey Men. That is why Jon needs to train us. I can fight but certainly it is not my forte."

Ariadne nodded wincing
"Oh, you're right, i do remember that.   I giess it just didn't seem real at the time"

"I know this all seems a dream we might wake up from, save for our injuries."
Jade gets a far off look then returns to things getting a drink.

Ari laughed
"I've had those kind of dreams as well"

"Are you feeling better ? Your wounds I mean.  I have a feeling I might need to go out with Ballad when she plans to scout out these grey men. As we both have pattern in our blood."

Ariadne shrugged
"I was hoping that a good night's sleep might have done me some good, but as comfortable as the bed was, i guess sleeping in a strange place still makes me restless.   I was always a fast healer, though.   Usually most bruises vanish overnight and i once had a sprained ankle that was healed in less than a week. "
She smiled as she said it, as it expecting Jade to be impressed, then realization hit and she sighed with amused annoyance
"Unless, of course, that's also just a normal thing for our family?"

"Yes, but regrowing eyes can take years. So just be careful."

Jade dipped into the appetizer savoring the taste, "Not bad."

Ariadne was chewing on the crab cakes that the server had brought (she'd called them one of the 'specialties of the house'), and was nodding, then suddenly choked as she heard the words that Jade spoke
Coughing for almosta minute, she then took a swallow of beer to wash down cake crumbs, then looked at Jade with a look akin to extreme alarm.
"Wait......grow back WHAT, now??!??!"

Jade was wide eyes looking at her cousin.

"Take it easy, I don't want you to choke. Oh, eyes our uncle Corwin took years to grow back his eyes. They were put out with a hot poker."

Ariadne cleared her throat, looking at Jade almost suspiciously
"I'm starting to have some serious second thoughts about hanging out with this family. "
Her tone made it clear that she was joking.....mostly
"I take it the Grey Men got him as well?"

Jade shakes her head, "No his brother did."

Eating one of the crabcakes she was surprised again at how good the food was in this place.

"They didn't get along and it lead to that."

Ariadne stared at Jade for ten seconds in shock, then burst out in laughter.    She laughed for nearly twenty seconds, with tears in her eyes.
"What!?!?   They didn't get along???  I never would have guessed that!"
She said in a way that, hopefully, implied rhar she was laughing with Jade, not at her

"Well, I guess it was more then that, when Jon's father was King, his brother Corwin came to take the crown from him with an army. So, there were reasons but it did seem cruel. I guess better then death though." Jade looked like she was thinking about her last statement as if trying to convince herself.

Ariadne shrugged, still chuckling with her typical cynical, dark humor
"I can't believe I'm laughing about one uncle being blinded by another.  Sorry, this is how i deal with crazy things sometimes, by laughing about it.   But now I'm wondering if Uncle Corwin thought at the time it was better than death."
Then something seemed to occur to her.
"Wait.....did they KNOW that his eyes would grow back??  I mean, if they knew that, then i suppose it's a cruel, but effective, way to make sure a rebellious brother stays out of your hair for a few years.   If they didn't know.....well, I'll bet that was a seriously happy discovery, after a few years of blindness "
She seemed mystified by the idea of a man permanently blinded realizing one day that his vision was coming back

"I think they knew, they just didn't know how soon. It's dark to think about but our parents were not nice to one another or very good people. Maybe it was just  wanting to take the crown for themselves or annoying each other for hundreds of years and taking it out on one another when they had the chance. Your mom seemed to be mostly loved, my mom feared, Jon's father feared too, you could understand why. Ballad's father guarding Arden a bailiwick against invasion, and Lance's mother just being really cool and not feared."

Ariadne shook her head with a wry smile, rolling her eyes in cynical amusement.
"I'm honestly trying to keep everyone straight.  I feel like I've joined a story already half told, and I'm trying to keep up with all the characters that everyone else in the audience seems to know."
She almost said "feel like I've started watching a TV show mid season", but didn't think Jade would get the reference.
She bit her lip, thoughtfully.
"Back when I was a teenager, I was bored one summer and read one of my father's many books.  It was a 'History of England', one of the countries in my world, where, at least I thought, my ancestors were from, and the history was during a period of a couple of hundred years that took place long ago.  And what I remember was that during this period of history, called the 'medieval' period, a period not too unlike Amber, where almost literally every generation or so there was a civil war, where one or more members of the royal members of the families of England thought that THEY should be king, and starting killing each other until one of them was.  Then, a generation or two later, it would happen all over again.  "
She sighed and shrugged.
"It's disconcerting, to the point of painful, to think that I might now being in the middle of that kind of family dynamic."

"That would be disconcerting I could imagine. Remember I only have about a day on you as to knowing I am family though living in Rebma's court has given me time and familiarity. You will catch up to everything soon. Remember you have a lot of advantage when it comes to technology."

Ariadne chuckled.
"If we get back to Earth, I can make my way around a motorcycle or a gun, but that doesn't help me here.   And you say you only knew that you were part of this family a day or so ago?  Really?  You seem so at ease with everything.  I was far away on Earth, but you were, what?  Next door, pretty much?  That must have been crazy"

"Next door, in the court but a maid, quite like Odile. Ward of the Queen of Rebma. So that has allowed me to learn a lot, as well as hear the gossip. I visited Amber too a few times so yes. I do have some experience here."

Ari looked at Jade curiously.
"Now I'm curious, I'll admit.  I was living far away, knowing who my mother was, even if I didn't know her title, but you were tucked away next door.  I don't mean any disrespect, and I don't want to pry, but were you hidden there on purpose, or something?  I'd love to hear the story."

"Protection and though I am upset about it, getting to actually have a parent even if it is just one now. I don't want to screw it all up."

Ariadne nodded thoughtfully.
"Protected from what, exactly?   Another coup attempt or something?"

"From each others siblings. Now though with Random as king I guess things have calmed enough to bring us all into knowledge of our heritage."

Jade looked into her glass seeing it empty even with nursing it. She wondered just where everyone else was.

Ariadne shook her head, sighing with cynical amusement.
"Grey goons from other dimensions, and murderous familhy members.   It would be an exciting story if I wasn't in the middle of it.  This is more like a nightmare."
She grinned, showing that she wasn't really scared, just generically nervous.

Jade sighed and nodded.

"Well, remember we don't have to be our parents, we are ourselves and we are allowed to be different." She smiled.

Ari snorted a little laugh.
"Hopefully they'll let us.  The older generation on my world always wants the younger one to carry on the fight, but never lets them do it their own way."

Jade shrugged slightly, "My mother is kind of too busy, I just wish that I could see her more. You have your father don't ever let that relationship go."

"I guess I am kind of, jealous in a way."

"If you don't mind me asking, what happened to your father?"
Ariadne almost said that at least Jade HAD a mother, but if she had no father around, and her mother was barely around, then Ari's father, even as distracted and absent minded as he could be, was a treasure.
"And what is your mother busy with?   I thought we 'royals' did whatever we wanted, more or less?"

"He died in the war. Killed."

She looked down for long moments, "My mother is the Princess Fiona, the one true witch of whom all others are mere shadows, including me. She is busy because she has the skill to look into these Grey Men, that is what she is busy with.  It's why I want to help out and take some of the work load off her."

Ariadne nodded
"That makes sense.  I wonder if they've already put my father to work.  He's not a royal, but he's a good researcher, I think."

Jade smiles wide, "Research is it's own reward ! I love to do research too."
Her eyes almost sparkled, "Speaking of did you plan for a proper stabby stab weapon for the Grey men ?"

Ariadne nodded thoughtfully.
"I still have the knife that Jon gave me, but I guess I need to get, like, a sword or something. "
She chuckled with a wry shake of her head.
"We have a few people who carry guns, but it's been hundreds of years since anyone on my world, or at least my part of the world, carried one.  It feels weird to even think about walking around with one, like I'm in some historical fiction or something."
Looking at Jade, she shrugged.
"My father left me a few local coins, but I don't really know how much things cost here.  Should I buy something here in town, or will the people at the castle just requisition me one?"

"A bit of both."

Then she asks to see the coins and after a bit of back and forth describes their value to Ariadne.

Ariadne frowned in confusion.
"Both??  What do you mean?  I should buy two swords?"

"No, no I mean you could if you want too. I meant you have some funds as a royal, and can also spend coin. I do a bit of both."

Ariadne nodded, thinking.
"I'm sorry, but I guess I don't get it.  How many swords do I need?"

"Just one, too many and it will weigh you down. I can help you get a good quality one. I know metals and workmanship." she gave a warm smile.

Ariadne nodded, smiling.
"My father taught me a little bit, too, about, um, 'ancient weapons', which I thought was just him being a nerd, but now I can see the real reason behind it.
I was thinking about getting a light sword. Something fairly small, I guess.  Carrying around my mother's axe would be cool, but it's not the most practical thing to have sitting on my shoulder."

"I like to use Rapiers, and I understand a trident would not be practical up here. Rapiers and sabers seem to be more typical of Amber. Though I would love to see you using that ax it is incredibly beautiful. Have you thought about armor ?"

Ariadne grinned almost shyly, feeling amused but very self conscious about discussing armor and swords like they were normal things.
"In my world, in the olden days that seem to correspond a bit to life here in Amber, when people wore heavy armor, metal plates or links of chain mail, they used big swords and axes.  When guns were developed, most armor was useless, so people tended to wear less, but kept hand weapons, though they switched to smaller, lighter weapons, like rapiers and knives.  If guns don't work here, which I'm still not quite sure I can get my head around, then logically I should get some kind of heavy armor, but my experience with it is limited, so it might be more trouble then it's worth to wear it.  What kind of armors do they have here?"

"Leather to the metal plates you spoke of, I wear scalemail myself when trouble is about. I have my own sword too, as soon as I get those things from my home, words already been sent. Then I could give Jon back the sword he loaned to me."

"My armor is fairly light and has a good amount of range of motion, it's not metal but it suffices."

Ariadne nodded, fascinated.
"What's it made of?"

"A mystical sea creatures scales, cured and arranged so I can swim and maneuver in it. It is a lovely gold color. I can't wait to show you."

Ariadne nodded, clearly impressed.
"I wonder what my options are, here?"

"Oh, all kinds of options.  Amber is a very big trading hub for the Golden Circle. That is what Amber's trading partners are called.  Everything from well made armor from a smith to more exotic things like wooden armor. There may even be magic armor if your lucky.  In Rebma you might even find armor like my own."

Jade seemed happy at the thought of a scavenger hunt to find Ariadne the perfect armor.

Jon enters the bar and looks for his cousins and smiles upon see the two women. He approaches "Hail and Well met!  May I join you lovely ladies?" he teases with mirth and gives them a bow.  It is clear that Jon is a good mood and a bit playful.

"Of course, please take a seat. We have been wondering where Ballad and you were." Jade gives a warm smile.

"How did you ride go ?"

For a moment the humor left his countenance, but it returns in a flash "Ultimately, it went well." he says with a smile. "I saw Odile and carriage on my way in.  Not as much shopping as I expected. I was a little surprised." *grins* "The guards looked very on alert, so that was reassuring." he looks over both women. "So how did it go?  Did you two have fun?" he is genuinely curious and wants to know.

Jade smiles, "Did you expect several carriages full of clothes heading back to the castle ?" Her green eyebrows rose slightly.

"As for fun, definitely, and we are having some light appetizers, join us and perhaps we might take up a game of darts."

*smiles* "I was indeed expecting more, but certainly not carts more, but more.  Because I have only the clothes I am wearing and that which I wear under my travel armor." *grins* "While I can clean my clothes each night easy enough, they will become threadbare in no time."

"Well we can certainly do something about that. Should we go out to get you some changes of clothing ? I wouldn't mind and we could always come back here."

*smiles* "No, I don't want to disrupt your plans.  That is unless, you two want to do more shopping." *smiles* "I don't know what my stipend is yet and I don't know costs here, but I don't believe I have extravagant taste. So it shouldn't be an issue" *winks* to Jade "It would be my pleasure to buy you few things to repay you for your generosity"

Jade shook her head minutely, "There is no need Jon, though the offer is appreciated. Ariadne do you wish to do a bit more shopping ?" Looking to her cousin inquiringly.

Ariadne nodded a hello to Jon and smiled
"I've got a few more days of clothes from Earth, though i suppose something more fashionable for here to blend in would be good, as well.  I'm afraid most clothing here feels more like a costume so far, but i suppose i just have to adjust.   Given those Grey Goons, I'm more worried about armor and weapons so far.  And, Jon, try the crab puffs, they're delicious

"Oh yes, we were talking about armor and weapons before you arrived."

Jade motioned, "Let's get you some armor, and Jon some clothes."

Jon tries the crab puff. He looks surprised, but in a good way. "Wow, those are good!" he has another, then nods to Jade. "Armor, well that is going to be interesting.  I look forward to what we might find."

Jade nods and will lead them to a smithy or place she knows of good quality for weapons.
Some of the fine worked pieces of metal she used for her tinkering she had gotten above the waves and she knew her way around such places.

Jon grabs a couple more of the crab puffs before he leaves, he washes it down with what's left of Jade's refill.  He then Joins Jade and Ariadne outside.
-->To the Shopping Thread!

  Lance's path leads him into the city, and eventually down to the waterside district.  With a few stops for directions Lance eventually finds the place.  No royal carriages are visible, nor cousins in evidence.  Either they hadn't arrived yet or they have been and left already.  He shrugs and heads in.

  He reads the sign, introduces himself as Prince Lance, and asks to make sure that the bill is to be covered by the Palace (flashing Flora's card for verification if need be).  If all is good, he orders a plate of fish and chips and a pitcher of beer and takes a seat, mostly oblivious of his surroundings.

  If there is question to the manner of payment though, he'll leave and sit in the alley outside waiting for Ballad to arrive because he's promised he'd meet her there.  Of course, that could be hours, days, years...but he had promised.

Pitcher the second.  Lance sits drinking in silence while his inner voices rage.

  Why, oh why did I ever come to Amber?  To claim a birthright that I knew nothing about?  To claim immortality?  To live forever?  To escape some murderous grey-skinned creatures who wanted to gut him?  Had I just not stopped at that campground none of this would have ever happened.

  Third one is the charm.

  Maybe I'll be lucky and screw it up and fry myself into oblivion on the big glowy thing in the basement.  If not, where do I go?  The only place I want to be is in Ballad's arms, but that's not an option now, is it?  You've screwed that up royally.  Ha!  Royally!  It's the only thing princely about you, is screwing up royally!  Maybe I'll have it take me to the leader of the grey men, challenge him to a duel to the death, and either die or save Amber from their threat.  Maybe I should go to the moon where they harness the power of a dying star to forge a sword capable of saving Amber.  Then she'd be proud of me, but I have to remember to go for the head.  Wait, that's not real, that was just a movie.

Heads in, "Say isn't that Lance ?"

Walks over, "Ah you have joined us. Hello Prince Lance."

Ariadne smiled at Lance
"Hey Lance, sorry we kept you waiting.   I guess we've been playing tourist a bit.  Have you tried the crab cakes?"

Lance looks up and waves.

  “Oh, look!  It’s my cousins!  Hello cousins!  Hey, did you know it’s free pitcher day if you have parents that are important?”

His words are just a little bit slurred.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:35, Wed 09 Dec 2020.

Ariadne blinked in surprise and looked at Lance with concern
"Hey there, Cowboy, maybe slow down a little bit.  Just because we're royals here is no reason to go too crazy.    Save some beer for the rest of us"

*nod* "I'm glad you can join us Lance, I hope you weren't waiting long.  That means Ballad should be along shortly as well." then looks at Ari and Jade "Which reminds me, she said she would be joining us in bit.  So, message delivered." *chuckles* "Watch out for those crab puffs, they can be quite distracting."  He will sit opposite Jade, if the seat is not taking by another.

  "'snow problem!  They have plenty of beers!  I'll go get us sommore!" Lance smiles, getting up with the three empty pitchers to return them.  "'snot everyday that I get to drink with my family."

  His gait, isn't stumbling, but it's maybe a touch off.

  "Barkeep!  Three more, no wait, one...two...three...four...oh, plus another one for when Ballad arrives.  You'll know it's her because the room will sparkle and rainbows and all that and everyone will be happy again."
This message was last edited by the player at 04:31, Wed 09 Dec 2020.

Ariadne ordered more crab cakes for the group, but looked at Lance with a touch of apprehension
"Lance, big guy, are you feeling okay?  I remember we all got kind of whammied when my mother's axe reacted so weirdly with that magic spell thingy that Jade did this morning, but the effect has mostly passed, i think.   Are you okay?"
She remembered that Lance had started yelling about something when she herself had broken down crying like a child, but she'd been so preoccupied with her embarrassment that she'd not really been paying attention to her 'fellow Earthican'.  She tried to think if the others had bad such visceral reactions.

Now that was a weird theory, she mused, were people from high tech Earth just more vulnerable to magic than these people who'd grown up around it?
Greeeeeaaaaaatt, she sighed inwardly, just one MORE thing to worry about.

In reply to Ariadne (msg # 131):

  "Me?  Oh, I'm just...what...aces!  Yeah, aces.  You know that aces count as either an eleven or a one right?  Guess which one I am!  I mean, after all, I'm what was it?  The daylight that fits Amber like a crown, wasn't that it?"

  His grin is wide.  Too wide, and his eyes call his smile a lie.

Ariadne had never been the most perceptive person to the pain of others.  She'd always been too worried with her own problems.  But she looked at Lance with obvious worry.
"I'm...I'm sorry if I haven't been paying attention to what everyone else has been going through, Lance.  I get stuck in my own head sometimes.  What's wrong?   We're here for you, man.  I mean, I've never had a brother before....and, I guess I still don't, actually, but I've also never had a cousin before, and I want you to know that I'm here for you if you need a sympathetic ear or someone to vent to.  All this can be a bit overwhelming to us 'normal' people, after all." 

  Lance straightens up, cocks his head to one side and says, "You ever see Tora, Tora, Tora?  Y'know that scene where they're flyin' along and then suddenly RATATATATA?"  As he makes the sound effect he puts his empty pitcher laden hands together above his face and shakes them back and forth. "And then zzzzhhhrrooom....PKKKKWWW!!"  he brings one hand down showing the plane crashing, throwing both arms wide for the explosion part.

  He pauses, winks.  "It's kinda like that...or maybe it's more like I was the guy driving the Hindenburg.  You know.  Shhh...but it's a secret."

Jade looked at Lance as if her cousin had gone crazy.
"Ratata ?" she looked to Ariadne  since this could be some weird earth thing.

Lance tries to explain without significant success.  Inside his head it was making perfect sense.

  "They were flying aces, but they were zeros, not elevens, not even ones...and they had the rising son, err, sun, but because they were zeros they got shot down.  See?"

"Oh, yes that makes perfect sense." Eyes flicker to Ariadne then Jon and back to Lance smiling (forced).

"So, this play, oh that is it, are these things from the play ?"

Ariadne looked like she was looking at a car wreck, wincing with sympathy but also annoyed confusion
"I'm sorry I've been a bad cousin, Lance, i guess I'm still figuring out what that means.  I've been running around here too wrapped up in my own problems ti think about anyone else's.   If you don't want to talk about it now, that's cool, but let me know if you do. I'm here for you, big guy"
She patted Lance's shoulder in a companionable, almost brotherly way, that was almost, but not entirely, not awkward for them both.

  "That's nice of you.  Noo, you haven't been a bad cousin Ari.  You haven't tried to murder me yet, right?"

Then he turns back to Jade. "No, non, no...the play is, well it's brilliant, and a comedy and she's gonna be the best Puck there ever was and I got all the copies in my room which I never lock so anyone can just walk right in and get one if they want.  Best comedy he wrote."

Jon is fully confused by what is occurring.  He will look to Jade, then Ari, with a very obvious questioning look that indicated "Does anything he is saying make any sense?"  He will get up and move to help Lance back to the table. "Come on Lance, let's sit down.  Have some of the Crab puffs, they are very good." he will then help Lance back to the table and into a seat. "So, the reading went well.  That is good." again he will look to Jade and Ari for assistance.

Jade shrugs ever so slightly when Jon looks to her.

"Well we are almost all together, I hope Ballad shows up soon."
Her eyes go to the door a moment.

*nods* "So, how are your wounds healing? Was the day restful?" he is trying to make sense of what Lance is saying and try to help him 'focus'.

 “Rest, oh... no, no rest for the wicked.”  Lance frowns, “Stair and stairs down and back up again.  So many damn stairs!  Great workout...you’d love it.  It’d be easy for you though because you’re the winner, Jon.  I was always betting on you anyway.because you’re number one!  We should drink to that! “

  He signals to the barkeep that the pitchers need to be refilled.

  “Another round, for my wonderful family, because they are the champions, my friend...and they’ll keep on fighting ‘till the end!”

Oh god, he’s starting to sing now.

  “They are the champions, they are the champions, and no time for losers,cause they are the champions of the world!”

"Stairs?  What Stairs? Perhaps you can show me and we make it part of routine." Jon realizes the Lance is sad, at this point, but not the source. But then he is very confused by Lance's statement "you’re the winner, Jon.  I was always betting on you anyway.because you’re number one!" "Actually I lost to Ballad, she ended up coming out on top."

Once he starts singing, Jon is really lost and looks to Ari for a translation of what he means.

"Maybe this is what happens if you walk the pattern unprepared, you go insane !" Jade's eyes are wide as she looks at Lance go off the deep end of the ocean.

  “Over sharing, ten yard penalty..  TMI.” Lance declares.

Lance pictures Ballad again.  Twig stuck in her clothes, petal in her hair, slightly rumpled clothes.

*nods* to Jade his whole countenance is now one of concern. "Jade, is there a way to help him or save him?  You warned us it was dangerous and Ballad echoed that, but I would not of expected this."

Very confused "Lance, come on cousin, come back to us."

"Let's get him back to the castle, hopefully they will know what to do."

Will help Jon and possibly Ariadne get Lance back to the castle.

"Someone should stay to let Ballad know where we went."

*nods* to Jade and stands up. "Ari, Jade? Do you want to stay here and alert Ballad or would you prefer I do?  The guards are still out side, so if he becomes too much to handle, they should be able to help us."

"The guards yes, I suppose we should stay, you can take One or two with you still. Don't worry Lance I am sure your mom will know what to do."

*nods* he goes gets one of the guards to help him with Lance and explains to the Commander that Ari and Jade are remaining behind and what he expects. "Can you get us a Cart? And ensure that Sable gets back to the castle" he askes in addition.

With the guard in tow, he heads back inside. "Jade, his mother is Aunt Florimel, correct?"

Jade nods, "Yes, be careful."
She looks to Lance sadly.

"I think you might just need some sleep." She gave a soft smile though there was some worry. Why did Lance call them champions they just went shopping after all.

*nods* With the help of the guard, they life Lance up and start maneuvering him to the door. "OK, Lance, let's get you back to the castle." and try to make their way outside.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:52, Wed 09 Dec 2020.

  Lance digs in his heels at the attempt to remove him.

“NO!  I will NOT leave.  I Promised her to meet her here, so here I will stay.  I will never break my word to her.  Never.”

It was a simple statement, but perhaps the clearest he has made yet.

Jade rests her hand on Lance shoulder, "But your not making sense Lance. Perhaps it is cultural differences or the ale. Your speaking of Ballad right ? You don't want her to see you like this do you ?"

In reply to Jade (msg # 155):

  Lance shakes his head.  “I have no pride left, Jade.  All I have left is my word.  Without that I’d be nothing.  Less than nothing.  Would you have me fail even in that?”

Her look still spoke of worry but she then hugged Lance.

"No Lance, I would never do that. I am just worried about you. I just can't understand a lot of what your saying. I did understand your last words though."

Then to Jon, "Let us see if it is just the ale. We could take him to the castle later if it is something more. Just after what happened in Princess Deirdre's room I'm more then a little worried."

  Lance looks at Jade, the threat of tears looming in the corners of his eyes.  “You don’t have to worry about me.  I’ll be fine in a few million years or so.  But don’t worry.”

Ballad strolls in, a lovely young woman in a rakish coat attended by a waft of (brimstone? No, no. The say-the-devil’s-name-enough-times thing decidedly did not work like it did at breakfast) smoke from a pipe newly purchased, which she is tamping out. She's got a bright-eyed ingenue look about her, standard practice for new seedy dives in which there might be a game on.

And lo, there's a cluster of extremely, supernaturally gorgeous people over there, each quite a different image of exquisite beauty, the kind of scene that you'd just let your eyes haunt and be happy of it was the last thing you saw.

That'd be the cousins. And a guard? Hmm. Do they all look upset?

"Why, of all the wretched hives," Ballad says as she strides over. "How fortunate am I to bumble into you, here where we agreed to meet." There: flash of a grin. "How goes?"

*nods* to Jade "You can return to duty for now." he says to the guard.

He then tries to help Lance sit down.

  “But soft, what light through yonder window breaks..” Lance whispers upon seeing Ballad.

He returns Jade’s hug.  “See?  Okay in a few million years, just like I said.”

"Hello Ballad."

She then looked to Lance, "A few million years comes fast here."

Turning to Ballad, "Come let's get you a drink, and chat about what to order."

“Drinks!  Capital idea, cousin!”

So: Jon is trying to guide Lance into a seat. Jade and Lance are hugging; the latter looks emotional. A very, very pretty tangle. Ballad, who seems bemused, quirks a questioning eyebrow at Ariadne (what's happening?)

And when Jade suggests a drink, Ballad's smile goes lopsided. She gestures Jade ahead of her, meaning to physically go to the bar rather than try and holler anybody over. "I do feel equal to the task of consuming a walrus; do you think they have anything that makes your face go numb? Anything to drink, that is... No fruit of questionable ripeness..."

Drinks! Capital idea, cousin! Ballad regards Lance for an assessing moment, then lifts her shoulders and says, "We'll return!" to the table, and off she and Jade go. (?)
This message was last edited by the player at 21:21, Wed 09 Dec 2020.

Jade's eyes widened just a bit. She meant to give Ballad some warning though now...

phew Ballad took the hint.

"Yes, of course. Uhm." Making sure they are alone.

"Remember how odd everyone was acting earlier ? I don't think that Lance is quite over it, or mayhaps it happened to him again. He is talking a bit strangely but he made a promise to see you."

At the bar Jade also ordered a meal especially since she was good at picking sea food.
"So just if he act's a bit odd, forgive him."

Having got Lance back into his seat. "There you go, Cousin.  See, Word Kept.  Ballad has arrived, safe and sound." he looks to Ari so that the two of them can keep Lance here.

Ballad asks for a stew; sea food stew is more than acceptable, especially if it is well-spiced. To drink, Ballad orders some variety of hard liquor, though it need not make her face numb — though of the bartender has any suggestions, Ballad is certainly game. But surely Amber can manage something like an old-fashioned, and so. That out of the way, while they await and are alone, Ballad half turns her back to the bar, to keep her eye on the room at large.

"You think so? Hmm," she says, a little wistful, a little thoughtful, once Jade explains (sort of) what's up. "You're swell, Jade. I'll forgive him until he's used up the last of his credit, never fear. You know even the sea's got an end. He hasn't been cruel to you, has he?" Ballad asks, a frown tucked behind her eyes like a needle.

"No, not at all just speaking oddly. He called Jon number one, but before that he said that zero's were flying and making weird noises like Ratatata.  I really can't understand really. Do you think he walked the pattern and it effected him like that ?"

Jade helps bring everything including drinks back when they were ready.

But the food and drinks aren't ready yet: or, if they are, Ballad keeps Jade over by the bar for a little. She likes a private tete-a-tete, Ballad! She likes a group party, too. She really likes anything if it involves other people.

But for now, "Ratatata?" Ballad says, perplexed, and it's just getting further lost in translation, because the way she pronounces it maybe it's a dance or a kind of lace. "Perhaps it's Shadow Earth slang. I doubt any strangeness is the Pattern's work. At least, I doubt it this once." Here: kissing curl of a smile, crinkle of her nose. "Maybe he's drowning his sorrows in drink. I think he probably just needs some friends."

"Jade, before we go back to the table," now that the drinks are coming out, "Can I ask you something secret?"

"It could be, he made these shaky arm motions when he made the ratata sounds. Hmmm ? What would you like to ask ?"

She looked over to Ballad curious at the mention of secrets.

"Like this?" Ballad lifts both hands up and flutters them, like somebody trying to depict a tweety twittery fluttery bird. "Ratatata?"

Then, secrets! Ballad leans in, all intimate conspiracy, all beguiling c'mere let's plot mischief. "Do you..."

But then she thinks better of it, suddenly.

"No, this really isn't the proper time and place, is it? I sent you a note, but my messenger wasn't able to deliver it before you went into the city. Can we make a private date to do more research? Tomorrow? Do you think they're going to try and assay the Pattern, then? Jon and Ari and Lance?"

Ballad gathers up her drink and toasts Jade quickly: "To the green of your eyes, which is the very color of a sailor's secret hope. And your kindness to Lance and the rest of us." Drink! Then she orders another, and helps Jade bring everything back tablewards, if Jade's ready.

She is very excited for the stew.

"Oh, alright. Yes we can do that I like to do research." Jade's innate studious / nerdy ? side shining through.

"Yes they aren't that hurt anymore so they should be able too. Though I may have hurt Ariadne, we did a bit of arm wrestling. I just wanted to have a bit of fun and forgot we were both still injured. Still I think they should all be ready and,... ." Jade looked supremely happy now beaming.

"Oh the arm thing, his arms were in front of him, fists clenched and then made those ratatata sounds. Ariadne might know what he was getting at but hasn't said more."
This message was last edited by the player at 22:45, Wed 09 Dec 2020.

“Did Ari suspect?” Ballad asks, a vibrant gleam indeed in her eyes, “Or did you get the presents right under her nose? I’m awfully sorry to have missed an arm wrestling competition. Maybe we can have some other, less strenuous game going. Ring toss or hazard? What games do you fellows of salt and pearl play in bars down in Rebma, Jade?”

And as (if?) they join the table again, she says, "I'll stand this next round if nobody else has claimed it. And by 'I'll,' I suppose I mean 'the Crown,' so we should probably give him a cheers."

Jade nods with a smile.
"Mission accomplished no suspicions."

"Well, I haven't hit many bars in Rebma, though many of the same though limited by the presence of water so, no darts or similar."

Heading over she set down her meal lifted her glass and cheered King Random.

Ariadne was trying to come up with "drunk wrangler" tips, but she was rusty, not having to have wrangled a drunk since college.   And that was usually her drunk ladies she was trying to protect.  Her method of 'wrangling' drunk men was usually just a right cross to the jaw.  And that seemed a poor idea.
She looked at Jon, shrugging
"Honestly, Jon, it's just drunken rambling.   Men where we're from do that occasionally when their drinking makes them lose control of their emotions.   Women do it sometimes as well, but it's usually not quite this messy. "

She spoke almost apologetically
"I don't know him that well, but he seems to be saying that we're all wonderful and he's terrible m.  Honestly, it's best to just support him and be a friend until he sobers up, and even then let him know we're not upset with him. "

She slapped Lance on the shoulder in a friendly way
"Relax, big guy, we're all friends here.  I just had our green haired nymph of a cousin kick my ass arm wrestling.   Now THAT was embarrassing "

*nods* to Ari, "Thank you for the translation.  That puts me at ease." Jon will continue to sit by Lance and do the best he can to help him. He echoes Ari "Yep, we got your back!"

"Look at Ariadne's cool armor." Jade said. Loving getting a chance to use the new descriptive, she had learned from her cousin.

"Doesn't it look good on her ?"

  "Armor!  That's great!  Now you're all ready to kick grey men ass!" Lance exclaims.  "You got armor and a cool axe an' everything!  Like Zena!"

Ariadne chuckled at Lance, smiling in a friendly way
" Xena was a good role model in our world, though don't expect me to do that war cry of hers.  It sounded like a terrified chihuahua.   Still, if you know of any Gabrielle type who wants to be my sidekick, let me know"

Jade says, "Who is this Gabrielle ? I bet I could make a good side kick." Jade smiles.

Ballad crosses her legs at the ankles, tucked neatly under the bench or chair she commandeers from another table, so she can sit closest to the door.

She does admire Ariadne's new armor, all lively interest. "I wonder when the armor you commissioned will be ready, Lance. Did the artisan say?"

And, following Jade's question about Gabriele, in what's probably the same tone of curiousity, "Who's Zena? One of Earth's leaders?"

Ariadne grinned
"Xena was a fictional character, a bit like one of the characters from the play that Lance is talking about.   She was a strong warrior who started as a villian, but had a change of heart and started defending the common folk.    Gabrielle was a young poet who became her warrior in training apprentice.   There might have been even more to their relationship, but it was mostly left vague.  Still, she was an inspiring character "
She tried to be low key, but she was obviously a fan

"Oh, I am not really that good at poetry or warrior skills. I was hoping perhaps." Whispers to Ariadne, "She had magic."

She studies Ariadne and Lance, "This shadow Earth has a lot of fiction in it."

"Ah ha! Perhaps after A Midsummer's Night Dream we should do a play about Xena? What's the best Xena story? Would we have to commission a writer?" Ballad is immediately game to plot out another play, for fun. But Jade's remark has her all keen: "What sort of fiction do you have in Rebma, Jade?"

"We have many heroes and monsters but they tend to be real folk and creatures. We do have plays. They tend to be political satire, or commentary. Though we have many warning tales to teach children about dangers. Also we have plays now for men even to give them good role models."

She smiles, "Of course romance stories which are very much the thing of fiction." She says cheekily.

Ariadne nodded with a smile
"There's definitely a lot of fiction on Earth.  Whole libraries full of histories, legends, tall tales, and outright fables.  The world of Xena is actually somewhat like that of Amber, with magic, monsters, and god like beings running Amok.  It's been a while, but my favorite stories were of Xena rebelling against her former mentor, the God of War. "

*smiles* at Jade's comments abouot being a sidekick "Don't worry Jade, you will be a hero in your own right. You are already amazing as is.  I have no doubt that what ever you set your mind to, you will accomplish." *grins* "And we will be there to help and watch as necessary." he then looks at each of his other cousins "I feel that same about each of you.  I know you will all accomplish great things."

Looks at Lance with a bit of worry, Jon not quite grasping everything, but he is not as worried since Lance seems to have calm a little bit since Ballad arrived.  Or the alcohol got him.  Either way, Jon does keep one eye on Lance to make sure he is OK.

He shakes his head to clear something out, smiles and grabs another Crab Puff "You have me addicted to these Ari!" he says to clear the seriousness of his comments and *chuckles* but the humor doesn't quite reach his eyes.

*nod* "Shadow Earth sounds like an amazing place.  I look forward to you and Lance showing us."

Ari shrugged sheepishly
"The modern era of earth is very different from the plays and other stories we're talking about.   But still exciting

  Lance shrugs at Ballad’s question about his armor.  “He was supposed to be working on a design to see if it was even doable.  Oh damn, he was supposed to come by today, maybe, or send word.”

  Clearly, his focus was somewhat better now that Ballad had arrived.

"A God of War, oooh is it like a horned sea lion ?"

"Wait no that's silly, your land based, so a horned wolf ?"

Then to Jon, "Thank you for having faith in me !"

"What kind of armor where you having made?" *smiles* "Something majestic I bet." he says to Lance.
*smiles warmly at Jade* "Your welcome."

Ariadne was trying to avoid the "lecture mode" that she'd lesrned from her father
"Earth started out as dozens of primitive civilizations, each with their own sets of gods, most of which have been relegated to the fiction section of the storybooks.   Xena was based. on Greece, and the Grecian God of war was Ares.   He was a man..."
She directed that to Jade,
"But there were stories of the gods all being able to change their shape as needed. "

  “Thor armor, but I’m no Thor.”  Lance replies to Jon.

"Oh like Amber's enemy." Jade said at the mention of shape shifting.
"The armies of demons and the Lords of Chaos were able to do such things. I wonder if they had not been toying with aunt Florimel's shadow."

"A man, that is surprising though usually gods are creatures with a single horn."

Looking to Lance, "Who is Thor ?"

Ariadne grinned at Lance
"Thor isn't a bad role model, though he was a bit of a.dumb jock.  I always liked Loki.  He was the brains of the operation "

Ballad looks bemused, and a little like she suspects Jade is putting everybody on, but Ballad would never ruin the joke. “Oh I don’t know, I rather think a man is as good a shape for a god of war as anything.”

"What makes the armor 'Thor' armor? Does it do something Thorish?"

  “Thor?  He was my hero, the God of Thunder.  He was strong and brave and ...worthy.”

He smiles sadly at Jade.

  “I’m no Thor.”

At Ballad’s query, he adds “His armor was just armor.  It was who he was that mattered.  He was... worthy.”

"Worthy ? Well guess what Lance, your worthy to walk the pattern. I bet this Thor god couldn't do it.  Your also my cousin and giving us all parts in your play. So we must be worthy too."

Ballad does not particularly care for the word 'worthy' when Lance uses it, and she takes a long, throat-burning sip of her drink. "Well said, Jade. As I recall, Lance, you said Thor was a super good guy. A champion for the underdog - is that not right? Someone to fight, valorous, against bad guys? Why isn't that you?"
This message was last edited by the player at 03:47, Thu 10 Dec 2020.

Ariadne looked at Lance with concern, but tried to smile nonchalantly
She gave Lance a friendly and light slap on the back
"Don't make too much of the quality of 'Worthiness", big guy.   Most of that was just Arrogance.   Most of the legends were vague anyway.   It's more about believing in yourself, and i think you have what it takes "

Lance glances at Jon, winces. “More worthy than me.  Maybe Flora was wrong and I’m not the right one.”

The word worthy seems to hold something important for Lance.

Jade is worried now Lance seems to be slipping into self doubt.

She looks at him and speaks with a strength and force of will stronger then displayed previously, "Then I will not let you walk the Pattern ! There is no room for self doubt or pity. The Pattern can and has killed before."

In reply to Lance (msg # 201):

Ari sighed, almost in annoyance
"Worthy?.  Worthy for what, exactly??"

In reply to Ariadne (msg # 203):

  “You can’t know.  I was never good enough.  Not good enough to get adopted.  Not good enough to....be ..just not.”

Ariadne sighed, though she tried to keep most of her disgust to herself
"Pardon my French, cousin, but that's bullshit and you know it!  Don't let other people define you, ever.  I let people try to tell me who i was when i was younger, and it almost killed me.  I had to decide to be who i wanted to be, and to hell with everyone else.   If you weren't worthy of greatness, you wouldn't be at this table.   All of us are destined for great things, and you're no exception "
Admittedly, she wasn't precisely convinced of her own "destiny", but she was , she hated to admit, getting sick of Lance's self pity

  Lance folds his arms and puts his head down.

“This place needs a jukebox.”

Ariadne looked at him, as if waiting for Lance to say something else self abusive, then smiled slightly
"Maybe we can introduces karoke to Amber.  They probably have Sea Shanties already "

Ballad is expressive, right? And right now, that expression is all compassion and shadow, all careful poise. Most things she wants to say: well, she shouldn't say them.

After Ariadne's bit about the whole table being destined for greatness, she declares: "You may as well be speaking prophecy, Ari."

“We could sing. You name a song title and Jon, Jade, and I guess what the song sounds like based on the name? Ari, too, if she doesn't know it,” Ballad offers Lance. Doesn’t know what Xena is, but knows what a jukebox is. Check. The vagaries of shadow are strange.

ooc: oop, edited for clarity
This message was last edited by the player at 04:30, Thu 10 Dec 2020.

  Lance looks up.  Hearing his cousins sing might be nice.

  “Okay.  Meatloaf. Anything For Love.”

Ariadne chuckled
"I'm more of a "Heaven in the Dashboard light" fan, but i suspect that won't translate well.  But i always liked "Anything For Love" as well"

Meatloaf Anything for Love. Ballad glances at Jon and Jade, dimple very much in evidence: are we game? We’re game. Right? Game?

“Very well! Can I make an addition to the game? After we try to guess at the song, can you darlings give us the real tune, so we know how close we got?”

Which reminds her to ask, "And Amber has sea shanties. Is karaoke singing sea shanties? I would play that."

  “As you wish, Ballad, as you wish.  But for this song, since Ari knows it she has to sing it on my side.”

Lance smiles.  He had a good singing voice.  Maybe he would be able to sing the things he couldn’t say.

Ariadne grinned at her beautiful cousin
"if a round of Sea Shanties is a few people singing along to popular songs, then karaoke is anmore high tech version, where a customer in a tavern tries to sing the main part in songs done by famous and talented musicians.   It's usually harmless fun, especially if you've been drinking "

She nodded to Lance
"You got it, Lance.  My father made me take singing lessons when i was younger, so we'll see if he got his money's worth "

Yes. The idea of karaoke has Ballad starry-eyed. It sounds like just her kind of thing. She drums her fingertips in an excess of energy (imagine a cat’s tail twitching pre-pounce), her very blue eyes narrowed in contemplation as she studies Ariadne and Lance. Let’s see let’s see. What kind of tune would have that name and be thought after in that moment. Ballad’s got it! (Here's the pounce that follows the tail-twitch.)

Very dramatic, Ballad leaps to her feet, hands over her heart, and and belts out an angsty, sly song, very suited to repetition. She's trying to play the clown, because this is a cheer-up song, right? Her voice is all tarnished silver and smoke and she tries to put it to good use, but gets rather over-enthusiastic.

The lyrics that are pure nonsense but kind of seem to be about a wad of meat that really wants to be bread so it can be eaten and tell the story of its murder before its sister marries its murderer and in the end everybody gets revenge but the meat just really liked being with the other bread loaves and it can do anything for love for reasons never explained, it's a song, not a story! The angst gives way to triumph as a bakery is saved and then Ballad bows and reclaims her seat.

"Did I copy it exactly? Or wait, no, Jon, Jade, I'm too eager - you still get your guesses."

Ariadne stares in almost child like womder for a moment, and then bursts into joyous laughter, clapping her hands with obvious enthusiasm
"Ab....Absolutely...Brilliant!!!"
She's having trouble speaking clearly as she can't stop laughing, as tears of joy form in her eyes
"I love it SO much!!"

Jade smiled excitedly and rose for her own song. She started clapping to build a beat waiting for a few patrons to join the clapping. She then centered herself and began with a song that was not a sea shanty but carried the nature of one.


"Meat was his name, the man had no fame a simple butcherman
was he. Yet, Meat had a secret, he pined for a seamstress
sweet misses Bethany. Meat was an oaf at least his words
came out as both, lacking style and finesse. So he oft
held his tongue in regret for things he said the previous
day.

In came his love, pretty as a summerset dove, to purchase
ribs for her home. Meat was alone he felt it in his bones,
but to speak might drive her away. So silent she shopped
for the perfect chop, when Meat's landlord came in to say.
Meat you oaf, stop sitting you loaf, don't you know you
have bills to pay.

Meat rubbed his eyes his land lord despised, for the man
was quite crass. Here it came again, as the man told Meat
to get off his ass.

Meat rose with a start, anger boiling in his heart to be
talked down before Bethany this way. He went to talk up his
ribs to his love he did give a cut in his usual pay.
His land lord roared, Meat you'll make no money that way.

Shame at the words, Meat spat out you turd ! My stock is
my worry, I shan't customers hurry out the door of my shop.
Your insults must stop, lest I offer Land lords chops on
my block, now get out fore I make you I say.

So stunned by Meat's words the man stared in shock at the
punching bag tenant who's rent he had meant it. To collect
on this very morn.

Bethany smiled she found Meat's blatant courage wild and
decided to stay for some boar. As the land lord flitted away.
Out of the door the man stumbled into a..."

Then a voice came from the crowd, "Eh Sea witch ! Stop yer singing." the man
growled and banged on his table. "Can't yeh see she's bewitching you lot !"
He pointed at Jade, "That's the way ye does it your kind. Go back to the sea."

"My ship went down, things like you did it."

Jade was caught off guard cheeks burning from the accusations.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:17, Thu 10 Dec 2020.

  Lance turns and stands when Jade's song is interrupted, looking for the one who did it.  There's a palpable anger in his eyes.

  "If your boat sank it was because you suck at sailing, and whichever crusty barnacle said it owes my cousin an apology. or I owe you a swift kick in the ass!  Now man up and decide which it's going to be!"

Jon, who has been quite and keeping an eye out, because he is not sure how best to fit into this situation.  Stands up just before Jade sings to refill is ale.


He enjoys Jades song from the bar, but when the man is rude. He goes over to that table. He leans into the mans space and whispers "Sir, I think you should sit down and be quite.  It is a shame about your ship, but she didn't have anything to do with it."
Then Stands up and Shouts to the barkeep, "by this table a round on me!"

Jon's shouting to the barkeep is drowned out by the shouting from the other bar patrons. They get up-- all of them armed (okay, one guy just picks up his chair, ready to use it for violence).

A guard sticks his head in the front door (because this is quite a lot of shouting), goes wide-eyed, and disappears-- so help might be arriving any second.

What do we do in the meantime?

(Jon gets 1 xp but takes -2 forward toward his next Charming roll (well, tonight. Tomorrow, it'll just be -1 (unless it directly involves Ballad, then still -2)).)
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:05, Thu 10 Dec 2020.

  Lance steps over to the door, closes it, and throws the bolt shut and brings down the bar.  He didn't need the Royal Guard to fight his fight for him.  Then he whirls.

  "YOU!!"  he yells, singling out the guy that Jon had been trying to calm, "THIS IS A MATTER BETWEEN YOU AND ME!  I WAS WILLING TO SETTLE THIS WITH AN APOLOGY OR WITH FISTS, BUT IF YOU INSIST ON BLADES I AM WELL PREPARED!" He pats the blade on his side for emphasis.

11:41, Today: Lance rolled 6 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 3,1.  Lance, charisma check, (Intimidation, I suppose).

[[OOC, Lance trying to get the man to knuckle under to avoid mass bloodshed.   Oops!!]]
This message was last edited by the player at 16:43, Thu 10 Dec 2020.

Jade is already pale so it is hard to tell if she goes more pale, when the bar seems to draw weapons. Used to her rapier and armed similarly with one of Eric's old blades there is the sound of her steel being drawn in a smooth, swift motion.

"I had nothing to do with your ship going down, you insult me, and you insult Rebma. I would ask for an apology."

"I would leave after that, to save everyone spilled blood."
She looks to Jon and Lance especially after Lance's words.


Intimidation on those who rose up with weapons.
09:22, Today: Jade rolled 9 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 4,4.  Charisma Check.

Lance's attempt at intimidation produces smiles on several faces in the crowd. Oops.

(Lance gets 1 xp, and takes -2 forward on his next roll. ...Don't look at me like that: he's (currently) drunk.)






Jade's words, on the other hand, have some effect, even though it isn't overwhelming.

The attackers look a little uncertain for the first time.

"...Rebma's all right..." says a voice in the crowd.

"...Yeah, sorry..." says another...

No one quite tries to leave (they'd have to go near Lance for that), nor do they sit down, though...

On one hand, it feels like they'd like a good fight... but each of them is suddenly a bit aware of how easily they might get themselves killed if this keeps going the way it was going a minute ago...

There is a pounding on the front door... Someone shouts something about opening up...

Jade looked to the one who apologized even if he wasn't the one who had insulted her people.
"I accept your apology."

She looks to Lance, "Better I go then anyone needlessly dies. Could you get the door for me cousin ?" Jade was always afraid of being called a witch the surface was so different from the deep.

Jade tried to hold herself with confidence and poise moving to the door after fetching her parasol in her free hand.

  Lance looks to Jade to see if she's satisfied with the apologies, and hearing her words nods and opens the door for her.

Jade moved to the door to go. She was upset, wanting to spend time with her cousins and have fun. Unless stopped she would leave with at least some of the guard.
"Thank you Lance, be careful."

Her eyes shimmered a bit from a sheen of unshed tears and was gone.
Sheathing her rapier.

  Lance, feeling guilty that he had been the cause of this, follows Jade out.

  "Jade, a moment...that was because of me.  I'm sorry.  Your song was wonderful."

Royal guards rush in once the door is opened again.

Everyone who isn't a royal very quickly sits down again (one guy falls on the floor in his hurry), and their hands are suddenly and noticeably not holding weapons.

"You don't have to go. This is not your fault at all." She rests her fingertips on his shoulder.

"Some racism exists and my singing probably brought up bad memories in the man. I won't stop you from coming with me, but I would like you to have some fun with the others. You could use the jolly company of the others."

  Lance glances back over his shoulder, drops his voice just enough that only Jade would hear it.
  "I think the fun here is done for the day.  Besides, Jon is here, so what's the point of me staying?  I'd just be in the way."

  There was clearly that shade of defeat in his voice.

Jade looks at him and replies similarly quietly, "Perhaps it is, the fun here that is. Though you know you don't have to be jealous of anyone. Your very handsome, a bit emotional from a life of pain. I completely understand. I was orphaned too. Made a ward of the state. I didn't know either of my parents till just a day ago and she was too busy to spend much time with me. You know they abandoned us but not because we were unwanted but because they wanted for all the world to keep us safe."

  <small>"It's more than that."</small>  Lance glances briefly at Ballad and lets out a small sigh.  "So much more than that, but I can't talk about it."

Jade nods and will go with Lance back to the castle.

*smiles* "Well thought, my friends." he says to the table that threw the insult.  He then looks to the Barkeep "A round for the house on us!"  Seeing everything in hand *nods* to the commander and heads over to him and whispers "no harm done, nothing more needed for now.  Thank you for your quick response." his tone is honest and sincere.  He then moves out to join Jade and Lance.

"Hey you two.  No disappearing now." he claps Lance on the shoulder "Thanks for having my back and protecting Jade" he says and looks to Jade "Your song was beautiful. I don't think there will be any more issues, tonight at least."

The guard captain accepts Jon's suggestion that violence is not called for... but he still leaves a few guards inside, this time...

  Lance waits for Jade's response.  If she is set on leaving he will accompany her back, leaving Ballad and Ari in the capable company of Mr. Perfect, as he has come to think of Jon now in his head.

  Jon was trying to get them to stay.  Maybe he was trying to have more time with Jade.  Or was it that Jon was figuring out the best way to wrangle a four-way with himself, Ballad, Jade and Ari?  Lance pushed the image back.

"Jon, it is best that I go. I know there won't be violence not with the guard there. My enjoyment of the eve though is lacking. Stay speak with your cousins, plan out the training maybe. Besides you have a song to sing and see if your closer then me to the actual song." She offered a smile.

She whispered, "I don't know why but it seems Lance is jealous of you. He probably just needs time and to clear his head."

Jade then left with Lance and some guard.

*nods* to Jade and whispers back "I don't know why and I am sorry your evening got ruined."

*Smiles* "As you wish, Jade.  I am sorry that you and Lance won't be with us." he then looks at the captain of the guard and gives him a nod and angles his head to indicate to follow them. "I trust with the guards, you should have no trouble making it back to the castle."

He turns and heads back into the bar, but looks behind one last time as Lance and Jade leave.

OOC:  I assume the carriage was back by now that is what they are using.

Returning to the table, "Well, that went well" the sarcasm is unmistakable.  He looks to Ballad and Ari, gives a sad *smiles* "Jade still wants me to try and sing your song.  But after the first two, I am intimidated.  I am neither as quick witted as Ballad nor anywhere near Jade's caliber of talent. Think we can just say I tried and failed?"

Ariadne, who had not jumped into the verbal fray because she didn't want to step on Lance's toes (despite being drunk, he seemed like he'd be offended if Ari had tried to help him), watched as Jade and Lance left.   Lance leaving to sober up was probably a good thing, but it galled her to see Jade chased out because of ignorance locals.
She sighed and shook her head.
"Honestly, this place is getting a  bit sour for me anyway.  If i can't punch a few ignorant jackasses in the face, we might as well leave.  "

*nods* "We can look for another place." he asks. He looks to Ballad "Know any other places?"
It is clear he is not thrilled with staying either and wants to see what the other two want to do.

Ballad is very pleased to have inspired such a response in Ariadne re: Meatloaf Anything for Love. Ballad is also delighted by Jade’s version of the song, elbow on the table chin cupped in her hand deep blue gaze a-gleam and a-sparkle. The delight drains out (let’s say ‘to sea’) when some jerk interrupts.

Ensue rapidly escalating, then rapidly de-escalated situation.

Ballad certainly, quietly, puts her hand on the hilt of her hunting knife; looks both sorry for Jade, concerned for Lance when he locks the door and slams the bolt (maybe that’s when she rises from her seat; he’s injured, after all), and perhaps a little… Oh, how to explain it? Ballad likes a thrill, though she doesn’t like her family to be insulted, or, worse, to have their fun ruined.

Anyway, her cousins handle themselves with aplomb — and in the end she sits back down, watchful, wide-eyed, heart all roiled up, stormy seas, insert metaphor here, etc. The one she watches the most is the fellow who first called out the insult, of course; next, it’s their apparent drinking companions; and of course, it’s exquisite Jade and beautiful Lance and handsome John (who conveniently places himself by the originator of insults. It's convenient because if Ballad's not being reckless, she's adding something to her To Do list).

"Don't worry about the song, Jon. No fair singing it without Lance to judge, too. And Ari... I mean, we could punch a few ignorant jackasses," Ballad says, although half-heartedly. "Eight hells, I thoroughly dislike him," and she lifts her chin to indicate the originator-of-insults' table.

"But I have the sneaky suspicion that Jade might be sorry we put her grand gesture to waste. Why don't we scrounge together a surprise for her, instead? Some dessert confection to cheer her up? We'll ask a guard and if everything's closed," a faint smile. "I don't know, we can commandeer Amber's kitchens and try to put together some home-shadow confection to share -- I bet a piece of my heart she'd like that."

"If we're leaving, I'll go settle up at the bar."
This message was last edited by the player at 22:53, Thu 10 Dec 2020.

*smiles* and brightens up at Ballad's suggestion. "That sounds like a splendid idea." he looks at Ari. "What do you think?" *chuckles* "Besides, I could use some food, the Crab Puffs don't last long."

Ariadne nodded
"I'll admit that I'd enjoy seeing more of the city.  There's just so much to see here.
Maybe a proper restaurant, even.  It might not compare with the royal cooks, but I'm curious about it."

"Then we press onward!" Ballad declares, rising again. "I have heard there is a café called Emily's. If they're open, perhaps that will do, or we three can just pick a place that looks intriguing and see what we get: devil or delight. Go on, I'll meet you two outside!"

And so, good as her word! Ballad buttons her coat and all lyrical swagger saunters on over to the bar.

Ari grinned
"Lean on, ma'am, let's see what kind of trouble we can get into"

*smiles* He stands up "Then it sounds like a plan." and to be nice, he grabs a bunch of the dishes from their table, which he does with an almost practiced ease and takes it towards the kitchen to put them to be cleaned.  While Ballad clears the bill.

Ballad rests her elbows on the counter, all reckless grace, and proceeds to chat the bartender up; she casts a slender glance over her shoulder, to see whether Ariadne and Jon did eddy on outside or not. Just like one does when one isn’t up to anything, a pale gold drink o’ moonlight.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:52, Fri 11 Dec 2020.

Jon heads outside to get some air.  He leans against the wall and sighs, with his head down and shoulders dropped like he is tired or sad.

Ari walked out, standing near Jon.    She smirked
"I guess i still haven't figured out our place in this loony bin yet.  Are we celebrities or pariahs?  Or maybe a bit of both?  I wasn't Nobody back home, but I was famous for what I do, not who I'm related to.    Its a weird feeling "

*Nod* "It is and that must of been nice.  Being famous for being yourself." *sighs* "Me, I had to distance myself from my family even then, most of the people I was with knew who I was before I ever met them, because of who my mother was." *chuckles* "But it wasn't usually fanfare of fun.  For many it was opportunity to to either try an ingratiate themselves into the graces of a noble house or payback on a noble."

Ballad doesn’t take too very long inside, offering the barkeep a quiet only-in-the-eyes suggestion of a smile (most of it is sheathed, you see; at ready) once their business is complete. "Until next time!"

As she leaves, she’ll corrall one of the guards the guard captain left behind: “Say, what place might be open this time of evening which has really excellent dessert? What’s the thing in the city other than the castle all of the Golden Circle tourists go to see? Is there a commemorative statue or an oubliette or a lucky wall where lovers scratch their names? What would you show your long lost brother from the country?”

And once outside, Ballad: she's the kind of person who pauses immediately, looks both ways, until, ah hah! There's Jon and Ariadne. She joins them at the wall. "How are we, then?"

Ballad for everybody okay?
This message was last edited by the player at 19:49, Fri 11 Dec 2020.

When Ballad arrives, "All, set M'Lady." he says with a bit of forced mirth. *nods* to Ari indicating that they can talk later.

He names a spot on the main boulevard, nearer to the castle.



He smiles. "The castle, milady. From a respectful distance, anyway. Other than that... Mmm... There's a statue garden, but it's closed up this time of night..."



"We don't exactly have 'country' like that here in Amber... but... this time of night... I'd show him the main boulevard, really, and..." he turns. "Oh, there's Tir-na Nog'th, of course. Just from the bottom three steps, I mean..."

Ballad turns and looks. It IS Tir-na Nog'th, and its stairway... and there's only a few scattered clouds here and there... And he's right, it would be more impressive-looking from the bottom steps...

Ballad thanks the guard, but also asks this: “How closed up is the statue garden? ‘Closed up’ in a ‘there are signs and nobody really goes there’ fashion or ‘closed up’ in a ‘big fence, big padlock, lots of chains, stay away’ fashion?”



There is Tir-na-Nog’th! Ballad’s heart leaps, and she remembers starry climes and cold air and moonlight and home and, oh, difficulty and triumph and when Ballad loves a thing or a place it’s whole-hearted. So: her heart leaps, she lights up. “There is Tir-na-Nog’th,” she says, softly. Then, curiously, “Do the tourists often venture up Kolvir to see it? Has Uncle Random started placing a guard to keep them from foolishness?”




"Well then, my gracious, dark-haired lord," Ballad says, matching Jon's tone, eyes crinkling a little at the corners. Perhaps the cheer-up mission include Jon now? Jukebox songs for Lance. To be continued. (She knows they would never have fully helped. She knows.) Dessert mayhem for Jade. In progress. What would cheer Jon up? She can guess why he might be feeling down right now.

"Would you like to see a wonder?" she says, all earnest.

*smiles* "Of course, this is a land of wonders is it not?" he pushes off the wall. *grins* "Let's begin Operation: Cheer!, some sight-seeing for Ari and I with a wonderful guide, ending with obtaining some fantastic desserts for our lovely Jade and Prince Lance.  As I think he has had enough beer for one night." he says cheerily.

“I think all lands must be," Ballad says, when Jon declares this a land of wonders. She only sounds thoughtful. Then the corners of her eyes crinkle again. He must've read her mind! They stay crinkled and there's a glint of mischief at wonderful guide, because he must mean Ballad herself, and then she nods rather solemn re: Lance has had enough beer.

"Then the first stop on our tour - well! We need go no further! Though once we're at the end of the street, it may be better viewed." A pause, Ballad begins to walk backwards, lure, lure, this-a-way, this-away, then: "Look,” she says, and she lofts her chin toward the skies. "That's the city we were talking about at breakfast: Tir-na-Nog'th."

There: above the city, above Kolvir, not quite in good view but still wondrous enough — a ghostly ribbon of moonlight (a stair way, suspended in the evening sky), and silver and radiant Tir-na-Nog’th, city in the sky, a reflection and a shadow.

OOC: Correct me if my description is off, GM.

Having been in the tavern when the sun went down, Ariadne now looked up where Ballad was pointing.
And simply stared.     And stared.

Her jaw dropped.  Literally dropped.  And she stared in wide eyed wonder.

"Sweet Mary, Mother of Murphy......What is THAT?!?!?......"
She looked at Ballad with almost concern
"Is that....real!?!?"
This message was last edited by the player at 22:24, Fri 11 Dec 2020.

*smiles* he follows Ballad and looks up and is stunned "I thought I might be prepared, but that is an amazing sight" the awe and wonder in his voice is genuine.  He looks at Ari and *smiles* "If it is not, then we are both hallucinating."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:44, Fri 11 Dec 2020.

Ballad is very torn. But, hey, Tir-na-Nog’th is already a haunting behind her ribs, a simmering in her blood; she’s already all over a moonbeam’s girl, so though she’s torn between looking at the city again (it has been so long; she was longing to see it last night, when they all met; and here it is!) and looking at her very lovely cousins, her very lovely cousins win. She likes people more than moonlight: just a tiny, tiny bit.

Her eyes are shining. "Oh, it's very real, real enough to skin your knee on, real enough to slide in socks across its floors! At least until a cloud passes over the moon, and it vanishes who knows where." There's something in Ballad's voice says she'd really love to find out. "Rebma is the sea's mirror of Amber, but the Moon gives us that one."
This message was last edited by the player at 22:49, Fri 11 Dec 2020.

Ariadne tried to roll her eyes sarcastically, but couldn't quite overcome her childlike wonder
"This place just gets crazier and crazier."
She tried to sound like a cynical tourist but ended up sounding more like a child at Disneyland

Ballad grins, all lopsided and happy. "Inside is even crazier." The slang evidently translates. All right: now Ballad does shield her gaze, and study what they can see of Tir, presenting a rather delicate cameo of a profile. The heart responds to memory.

"Is it really so crazy in Amber?" she asks. "Do you think... well. Do you think you'll be happy while you're here, you two? Setting aside people like that one-balled jackal with a half-lung and blight-crust soul in there. Such people are ubiquitous, alas."

*smiles* "I wonder if it leads to my home.  I've heard of a legendary Fae realm of  Tír Na nÓg, but I've never seen anything like this." he says with a child like wonder and awe and he reaches up towards its. He then looks at Ballad and then Ari, "Can we visit?"

Ariadne looked at Ballad, struck for a moment by her ethereal beauty, and shrugged wistfully
"I'm not sure, though i suppose so.  Every new environment i move to always inspires a bit of wonder.   Each new city is bigger than the last, and whatnot, but this....this is a whole new level.  All this 'magic' stuff is just over the top, you know?"

*smiles* "You'll get use to it." he looks at the sky city. "I leave it up to our wonderous Guide and you Ari. If we go our not. I will follow your lead."

Ariadne shrugged, looking amused and chuckled at her own sense of helplessness
"I have no clue what happens up.there. So i can't say what we should be.  It sounds like a full day thing, though "

*chuckles* "Well, all night anyway, I think."

Jon asks if they can visit. Ballad’s gaze drops from the sky and goes to him instead; then she (sightlessly [her thoughts go somewhere else]) examines the street. She bumps his shoulder companionably with her own. Reaching toward the city like that, all wonder; she found it moving. Ariadne’s shoulder also gets a companionable bump, sparked by whatever she thinks she hears in that chuckle. They stopped strolling to gaze at Tir-na-Nog’th, didn’t they? Ballad starts them moving again, leading Faiella’s two beautiful grandchildren back toward the main drag.

“We can visit, Jon. But I don’t think it would be very wise of us to go into Tir-na-Nog’th tonight. We don’t have any safety net should the city vanish underneath us. Let’s figure that out first. The thing is, you can lose track of time up there. You see things when you’re up there. Some of them are true, some of them could have been true. Some of them will be true or might be true or have nothing to do with the truth — they’re things you’re afraid of. You might see… Ghosts." Ballad is very aware she's saying this to the two cousins whose parents have been killed. "It’s a real gates of ivory and gates of horn situation. But... we can go at least to see where the stairs kiss with the mountain. Get a closer look."
This message was last edited by the player at 01:37, Sat 12 Dec 2020.

*nods* "Thank you for that warning.  I look forward to the trip." he looks almost wistful about the ghosts, then he *grins* "I would like to get a closer look."

Ariadne, almost reflexively, started to scoff at the idea of ghosts, but stopped herself, knowing that dismissing anything in this bizarre place was an exercise in futility.
"Perhaps we need parachutes, or something similar?"

Ballad shoots a grin toward the guard (where ever he is) who suggested Tir-na-Nog’th. He was right (but no big surprise) they’d want to take a closer look.

"It's early yet. Let's be about our city business, and then we'll climb the mountain." She gives Ariadne a keen look. "Do you have parachutes on Earth? Well I guess you would; it's very tech forward, isn't it? Yes, those might be just the silver ticket! Maybe there are some in Amber Castle's store rooms."
This message was last edited by the player at 01:47, Sat 12 Dec 2020.

Ariadne chuckled
'I'm surprised you people have parachutes here.  You don't seem to have air travel here"

“True, there are no flying machines of any sort here. If there are parachutes in a store room somewhere they’d be strictly recreational,” Ballad muses. “For leaping from high things just for the fun of it. But imagine! We could parachute from the castle all the way to the sea!!" Ballad's thrillseeking heart, much injured by her bout of responsibility when it comes to not blithely heading immediately to Tir-na-Nog-th, is pleased to take solace in the idea of jumping off Kolvir. A beat, and, “‘You people,’ huh? Which people?”

And here's the main drag! Illumination, shops, etcetera. Ballad keeps her eyes sharp for the dessert place.

Ariadne shrugged
"You Amber people "
She put up her hands with a defensive chuckle
"I know, I know....most of us aren't from Amber either.  I guess it just feels like everyone here knows more about this place than I do"

Ballad offers a lopsided smile, although it's a little wistful. She has felt a certain way about Amber for so very long, and now here she is. Does it like her?

“From what you said before about new environments and cities, am I guessing aright: You’ve travelled often? Lived many different places? Why did you usually move to a new home, and what did you want when you were there, all fresh-eyed?”

In reply to Ballad (msg # 273):

Ariadne nodded thoughtfully and shrugged
"I thought I was well traveled, akd technically i am, compared to many people from my world, but I've only been to a handful of cities in my own world.  I've lived for years in two different major cities, and have visited a dozen more.
I usually go to new places for new opportunities.    I livedin a relatively small town when i was growing up, and then went to school in a nearby city, then later g9t a job in an even larger city across the country."

"I think you're still to be considered well-travelled. I don't believe most of the citizenry here has gone very far from home." Ballad’s expression is one of lively interest. “But new opportunities? For what? Are you an ambitious woman?”

*smiles* "What I know is from stories my mother told me.  Most of it, I didn't believe.  So, Amber is amazing to me, as well." there his no false modesty. *smiles* "But it is a promise, to visit Tir-Na-Nog, sooner than later" *grins* "Lead on, Ballad"

Ariadne nodded to Jon, and smiled almost sheepishly at Ballad
"It honestly feels odd talking about it, but I'm involved with, for a lack of a better word, plays like the one that Lance was talking about.  The ones i do are usually more action and combat oriented, but are all adventure stories done for entertainment.  "

Lead on, Ballad, gets one of those drifting up through the eyes smiles, like the way evening’s haze sometimes seems like smoke. It's a promise.

“Well, now you’re in the eternal city, one of it’s immortal daughters. Do you think you'll want to act here? Other than in Lance's play, that is. Test yourself against the thespians of Amber, dazzle all and sundry with your skill, laboring against the lack of machinery? Or do you think you might find new things to want?”

Ariadne laughed, again a bit sheepishly
'To be honest, I'm not sure what I want.  I was doing fairly well in my world.    I wasn't  exactly world famous, but i was respected by my peers and very comfortable financially and socially.   But now i almost feel like all thar was irrelevant. "
She shrugged with a cynical grin, almost of amused resignation
"I feel like I was the toughest kid in ky neighborhood, all the time thinking that the neighborhood was the entire world.    Now I'm seeing the rest of the world, in all its scary glory, and it's a bit intimidating, frankly.   I mean, I've never turned away from a challenge in my life, but I'm honestly at a loss at how to begin."

*smiles* "This is a brave new world for most of us.  So the sky's the limit" *smiles* "but in the short term, I would love your help setting up some training and team building exercises for all of us.  But, I will do what ever I can to help you achieve your goal."

Ballad frowns slightly at the word ‘irrelevant’, a delicate line drawn between her eyebrows. The moon-soaked main street is a lovely thing, or Ballad finds it so; twisty medieval cities are always lovely, and look, here’s a door that looks promising and like it might be the dessert place mentioned: The Golden Comb, a picture of honey, some candles in the windows, food inside. Ballad’ll usher her two dark-haired cousins in with dashing aplomb, and continue the conversation at the same time. Like so:

"Experience is never irrelevant," Ballad says. "At least, I don't think so. I like a good experience, or a new one, or even a mad bad one if it's the right kind of mad bad experience. And yes, I hope you'll ask me questions if you think I might have a helpful answer."

"What do you think you'll want to do here, Jon? Other than spend time with us, that is." Us being Amber's latest brat pack, of course.

Ariadne nodded to Ballad and Jon
"Yes, as my father always said, 'Any day you learn something new is a day well spent'.  And speaking of which, I'm definitely eager to learn to fight the 'Amber way'.   There's a lot to learn, but I'm ready. "
Then she grinned at Ballad
"But first.....dessert "

*smiles* "I haven't thought that far ahead yet, well not exactly" *he looks a little sheepish* "When Uncle King Random took me to the infirmary, the medical knowledge there was amazing.  I would like to learn as much as I can about healing and then take that to my home shadow."

Ariadne knew she shouldn't, but she couldn't help but look skeptical
"What kind of knowledge?  "

"There were these strange creams and poultices that eased the pain.  There were devices and things, that I couldn't even imagine what they did."

he saw needles, clamps, tools and various other equipment

Ariadne nodded, and made a noise of amusement, but was obviously impressed despite herself.
"I suppose I should have expected some kind of magic or knowledge for unlimited worlds.  I was expecting leeches or something, but I shouldn't have underestimated this place.   Yeah, medical knowledge is very important.  I'd love to learn more as well"

*nod* "We have some arcane healing back home, but I haven't seen anything like that here."  *shrugs* "But this place has some many advance medical technology."

“Evening!” Ballad says to purveyor of desserts and other delicacies who awaits behind the counter, after an interested sweep of their environs: everybody who’s out and about looks so fashionable, eh? “Give us your most decadent, the most interesting and delicate dessert you have which will travel well back up to the castle — I think I want something that looks like Tir-na-Nog’th, if you can manage, something dreamy and pretty. Box it, please. And for me, here, surprise me with a bittersweet snack, if it’s drenched in spirits more the better.”

Ballad lets Ariadne and Jon order their own desserts or make their own choices off of whatever’s on display, and will absolutely haggle for something more interesting cookies-wise if ‘give me an awesome dessert that looks like Tir-na-Nog’th’ is too tall an order on sudden demand.

"What's your most popular hold-in-your-hands snack? Bring some of those out to the royal guards who are lurking, if you please."

That settled one way or another, Ballad claims a table. Back to the conversation: "Do you plan to use your abilities to walk through infinite shadows to improve the Faewylds then, Jon? That would be a very good-hearted ambition indeed! I don't have much medical knowledge myself. Just enough to get by should I suffer misadventure and need a quick patch."

A pause. "Leeches? Do they use leeches on Earth?"

Ballad gets
--a meringue-y-thing that's like a little castle with delicate flying buttresses of creamy sugar
--a sort of little cake that's soaked with rum or something that tastes of quince marmalade
--yummy iced madeleine cookies for the guards

*Nod* "That was my first thought. If we can bring more advanced healing,  we can save more lives. Fewer people would suffer because the healers are out of energy." *smiles * "Like you, I currently only have basic skills,  designed to give a person a chance to get to a healer." looks a little sad "I've seen people die from a scratch and not because the blade was poisoned.  And Uncle King Random put some ointment on my wounds to prevent infection.  So that is powerful magic, but no spells were cast, so I guess really alchemy."

It is clear that Jon cares for people.



-----
Updated
This message was last edited by the player at 19:38, Sat 12 Dec 2020.

Ballad listens, quiet as she devotes herself (acolyte of the senses, an Epicurean) to her dessert, peeking out the window quite curious about the tone of 'night life' in Amber City. Does it quiet down or does it bustle?

"The trick is to make certain whatever you discover, medicinally, works in your Faewylds. That the anatomy matches, you know. I like this very much," she says, and offers Ariadne and Jon her fork or spoon or what-have-you, so they can try it too.

Jon will take the offered bite. "Mmm, that is is good." he offers her a bite of his chocolate covered red-velvet like mini cake "Try, this" he offers her a bit. *nods* "Good point, that is why I want to learn and understand. But I agree I hadn't thought about any anatomical differences."

Yum! Chocolate-covered red velvet-ish mini cake. Ballad looks a little wistful. “I try not to make assumptions, but it’s tricky. You never really know what you’re going to get out in the Shadows. All you can do is be bold.” Her lashes sink, graceful, as she regards her utensil for a moment; her general air of quicksilver spiritedness is quiet. “You said your mother told you stories that you never believed. Did none of our uncles and aunts, as far as you know, Jon, know where you were stashed?”

Ariadne shrugged
"Earth medical care is somewhat advanced, though there are occasionally still old fashioned ways of doing things.   I'm always looking for new ways as well"

*smiles* at Ari "Well, then I have a study partner it seems" he says with enthusiasm, but at Ballad's question then looks down at his dessert and doesn't meet Ballad's eyes "Not that I know of, though my mother had a Card of Uncle Gerard, but it never worked until recently.  I mother tried many times over the years." he tone is bittersweet.

"Aw, buck up, Jon-o," Ballad offers, with sympathy. "There are many reasons our elders might not have had the wherewithal to answer a call; I don't think they can always tell who's ringing, you know? Once we manage to pin down an artist and get our own arcana, we can be better." One might wonder just what Ballad thinks she's referring to when she says 'call' and 'ringing' - a telephone? Some sort of bell related messenger system?

"Which reminds me, did you tell Jade and Ari about your 'sync' training exercise?"

*nods* to Ballad in answer to her proposed explanation, but is relieved in the change of subject. *chuckles* "No, the opportunity had not presented itself." *smiles* "I know Jade would love to do the same for us." then looks at Ari to see if she is interested in hearing about.

Ariadne did indeed look curious, though partially in a "now what??" kind of way
"Do tell?"

*smiles* "One of Master Rangers in charge of our Ranger's Training, uses formal dancing as a way to promote awareness of your partners' and team mates location and movement while in combat.  Because, formal dancing requires the pair to be in perfect sync and know where the other is going to be, otherwise you risk bumping into or hurting each other.  All pairs were Ranger recruits." *chuckles* at the memory. "So you have hundred of Rangers, who are not only skilled archers, scouts and hunters, but have the basic of courtly formal dance."

"Did you do similar exercises when you were practicing for your action-adventure plays?" Ballad asks Ari, inquisitively. Ballad is always inquisitive. Now that she's finished her cake (she's finished her cake), she wants coffee and looks rather wistfully toward the counter, as if wouldn't it be nice if coffee just appeared. But no: she'll get up and order it in a moment. "Is formal dancing the same on Earth, a prelude and flirtation with combat?"
This message was last edited by the player at 23:54, Sat 12 Dec 2020.

Ari looked at Jon with curiosity but interest.
"Our dancing is all about flirtation, I'll admit, but there are certainly a few martial arts styles that use dance as a baseline, so i can see the usefulness of it.  Hell, I'll try anything at this point"

“Anything?” Here's a kissing curl of a grin, bright-eyed deviltry. “I wish," and she sounds quite longing, and looks it, too, as she regards the Prince and Princess, "I knew this city better. I’d dare you right now to try something which we could reasonably say sounded like a good idea at the time, y’know, during later retellings. Like... trying to make it from one end to the other of that that dark ol’ locked statue garden without touching the ground. Or throwing a knife through the the moon window in so and so’s wall. But there, that’s another for dancing, Jon! I wonder if Amber Castle has a Master of Dance like a Master of Arms?”

Ballad does order herself finishing-dessert-off coffee (and will get water or hot chocolate or whatever-else her cousins might like). She also abjures the purveyor of all things delicious to bring out a drink for the guard who recommended the dessert place. They can all have cookies but the one with a good recommendation gets a reward, something like that. It's all very natural and nonchalant and the coffee is spiced in an interesting way she blinks at, as though astonished.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:43, Sun 13 Dec 2020.

Ariadne raised an eyebrow at Ballad's tone of longing, intrigued though concerned with what she was "wishing" so passionately.   She chuckled quietly at it being something relatively benign.
"Well, to be honest, I'm guessing that performing 'impulsive acts of daring do' might be difficult, since we might need to worry about how it reflects on the royal family....."
Then she made a sound that was half amusement and half disgust.
"Dammit....did that just come out of MY mouth??  I spent years rebelling against my teachers, my father, and pretty much every other adult, and here i am talking  behaving ourselves.   This place has obviously got me rattled."
She smiled wryly and looked at Ballad
"I know almost nothing about this place, but I'd imagine a kingdom this old and large must have a Master, or perhaps  Mistress, of the Dance.  And probably every thing else"

The longing dissipates (no; it's still there. Ballad's a longing sort of gal) into easy-going laughter. "Oh, I don't know; if you had magical lords and ladies at the head of your nation or kingdom or principality, wouldn't you want them to display a bit of derring-do, as long as it harmed none?" After, Ballad gets more solemn. "You said earlier... people were trying to tell you who you were, and it was not good. Why behave under such a shadow? It's good to rebel against an untruth or an injustice."

And then, a sidelong look, Jonwards, "Perhaps Jon will become our Master of Dance in the future?"
This message was last edited by the player at 21:41, Sun 13 Dec 2020.

*Laughs heartily* at Ballad's comment, "My mother would be thrilled.  But, if we want a Master of Dance, well Mistresses of Dance really, I would need to convince Keriyn and Raya to stop being Rangers and come here.  Now those two women." whistle appreciatively "They had the beauty, grace and skills." *smiles fondly* It is clear that Jon admires the two women, and given his age probably not just for their skill.

He sits up and blushes slightly. "But, I am no where near that level. I'd be a better master of the hunt."
This message was last edited by the player at 21:48, Sun 13 Dec 2020.

Ariadne nodded with a smile
"I suppose it's all related.   Dancing, fighting, hunting....it's all about coordination, timing, and knowing one's surroundings. "

“There’s a goal,” Ballad says, goodnatured, when Jon says he’d be a better master of the hunt. "Maybe your mother should be Mistress of the Dance, if she's going to return to Amber."

Ariadne says it all comes down to coordination, timing, and knowing one's surroundings. Ballad says, "I think we've made excellent strides in learning our surroundings today. How thoroughly did you two get to explore the castle yesterday?"

*Nods in Agreement with Ari* "That was the point of the dancing." *smiles* "It definitely did help.  And to see several of the Rangers in formal gowns..." *grins* "Fond memories."

He looks at Ballad, as if the question surprised him, "I don't know if she will return or not.  While It has only been 24 years for us, it is has been about 40 years here since my father's death.  And I don't know how far before his death I was conceived." he looks away. "So, I don't even know if her house still around...Sadly she didn't speak of her family much, so I don't think they like Eric."

He then looks up and meets her eyes "I don't know." he says, fighting back some emotion.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:32, Sun 13 Dec 2020.

Ariadne shrugged
"I still haven't really had much chance to explore the castle.   I'm mostly still going from one place to another. "
Then she narrowed her eyes in confusion
"Wait....what do you mean '24 years for us but 40 years for her'?"

*nod* "I don't recall which, but either Uncle Julian or King Uncle Random, told me that it was about 40 years ago when Eric was killed during the Black Road war, I think that was the conflict." *shrugs* "But for my mother and father, it has only been around 25 years total since they moved to the Faewylds at Eric's insistence and for her and my protection."

Ariadne still looked confused, though she was suspiciously wondering if she was figuring out something she didn't want to
"So what does that mean??"

Ballad's not one to fail to meet a pair of eyes, even if they're full of emotion. Perhaps especially if they're full of emotion. So Jon's emotional response to his mother, the way he deliberately meets her eyes, all stirred; she pauses to note it, her elphin blue gaze curious and compassionate.

But she leaves it. People say what they want to and Ballad doesn't feel like prying.

“Time isn't a constant across realities," Ballad says. "In some shadows - probably those furthest from Amber, but not necessarily - whole years have passed since I began this sentence. In some shadows, only a second has passed."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:24, Sun 13 Dec 2020.

Ariadne sighed with resignation
"Great.....more magical nonsense to keep track of....."

*smiles* "Its not magic, it is Physics!  Even I've heard of Physics." he says in a helpful tone.