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Post by Cody D'Avalon on Oct 31, 2022 14:05:48 GMT
Cody thinks, 'Damn the metaphors, I'm going in.' As he lurches through the white door.
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Post by Admin on Nov 2, 2022 4:37:58 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/Vx4phpf/Fiona~jpg After the dark of the night-shrowded ally, the room's burst of bright light momentarily blinds Cody. As his vision clears, he sees red. Red painted walls, red wallpaper on other walls with tiny golden unicorns in the pattern, red Persian rugs over the redwood floor, red upholstery on the couch and two comfortable-looking chairs. Even the ceiling is red roses twined among red foxes, all on a pink background. The light is from innumerable candles made of red wax, of course, in silver candlesticks. The door he came in through is the only visible way out unless the long red velvet drapes conceal other doorways. Seated at a large table reading a huge tome is his aunt Fiona. She looks up as he enters and is obviously very pleased. With Cody or herself? "I knew you'd choose my door! Merlin didn't believe me; he said you'd take the black, but I know my intuition is infallible."At his feet are two dead people. Killed from perfectly placed knife wounds to their throats, and their blood continues to ooze across the floor and under the door.
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Post by Cody D'Avalon on Nov 2, 2022 14:22:15 GMT
"I'm wounded and bleeding: Go where the trap has already been sprung. A little more blood here won't matter. Cody says to the stunning red-head sitting at the table. He observes the dead people. Then he wonders if it's not too late to cross the ally to the black door.
The red-head looks vaguely familiar. From the bits and pieces that Cody learned from his M-unit and others about what came to be known as the PatternFall war, the red-head couldn't be trusted. The decor of the room repulses him. 'Damnable Unicorn.'
The crossbow bolt in his chest is still very painful and he needs a minute or two to shift it out and heal himself. To catch his breath.
The blast of smug ego from this woman repels him. Her mention of Merlin tips the scales.
"I've obviously made a mistake. What did these people do to deserve this?" He wants to turn and cross to the black door but he doesn't want to expose his back to the red-head or get caught in the crossbow fire in the ally. He stands, frozen next to the open doorway.
The mental turmoil is making it difficult to concentrate on shifting the wound to expel the crossbow bolt from his chest. He's pushed it far enough that its weight causes it to fall to the floor with a clank. He feels a trickle of hot blood roll partway down his back mixing with his clammy perspiration before stopping.
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Post by Admin on Nov 5, 2022 5:14:18 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/sbWWQDT/Fiona~jpg OOC: So Cody wasn't around in Amber before or during the war? Doesn't he know any of the family? "Sit," Fiona says pointing to the couch. "Enough blood has already been spilt; there is no need to add yours to it.
"You haven't made a mistake. If anything, you have saved your life by choosing wisely. These people are of no importance; it was necessary to have some blood for the spell to work. If they are a concern to you, then an identical couple who are on the verge of death, healed, and placed in this room could be found. The scales will balance."
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Post by Cody D'Avalon on Nov 5, 2022 7:16:05 GMT
<OOC> M-unit was overly protective. Cody was only brought to Amber at the last minute when M-unit feared the destruction of Shadow. She told Cody about her siblings et. al. But he didn't meet any of them. He only knows what she would have told him. (Not a lot and none should be trusted. Especially the red-heads.) Otherwise he was cloistered in her chambers and kept secret until she considered it safe. Then it was too late. Cody was instructed that he only reveal himself as a paige serving Deirdre if questioned. Then all the servants et. al. were rounded rounded up to attend to Oberon's Funeral Procession, Cody got swept up in that. The Procession followed the Black Road to the Courts and into the Abyss. Along the way Cody learned of M-unit's fate. Cody would only know Fiona from a description and a look at her portrait (Trump). Plus, being one of the red-heads - guilty by association - responsible for damaging the Pattern and dragging his M-unit into the Abyss. </OOC>
"I assure you, there is no wisdom in my choices or actions."
"Treating people as disposable and easily replaced..." is despicable. "Isn't exactly heart warming." Cody looks his aunt in the eyes, wondering if she knows of their relationship, or only that he is very good at what he does and is in need of his services. It must be important, he realizes, if it involves competing forces and bloodshed outside of the Abyss.
Cody picks up the crossbow bolt and moves to stand behind one of the chairs facing her. He places his hands on the back of the chair and leans.
"I come on the assumption that there is a business proposition for a skilled Pit-Diver in the offing."
Cody wonders at what possible use she could have for him beyond that? Having only begun seminary, so not qualified for performing any but the most basic rights. And only just recently become a Logrus Master as requisite for the seminary.
Terrible luck if Merlin is waiting behind the black door. The opportunity missed in asking Royal aid to Cody's comrades in DaggerWays.
<OOC> Meaning to do a BG on Abyssal Father taking Cody to Suhuy for essaying the Logrus and enrollment in Seminary. </OOC>
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Post by Admin on Nov 5, 2022 7:33:11 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/sbWWQDT/Fiona~jpg "Perhaps you are correct about your wiseness. If you were wise, you'd understand the limitless population of shadow and how to kill them or let them die with no consequence. I'm surprised Suhuey made no mention of the shadow people. Being a stranger to the parts and not inclined to socialize with those who can benefit you has stunted your growth.
"Now for why you are here...I will ask you the same question Merlin would: are you a spy for Amber?"
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Post by Cody D'Avalon on Nov 5, 2022 16:54:54 GMT
Cody listens to the familiar diatribe. There's no point in arguing with a Narcissistic Sociopath about the worth of another being.
"I have no use for Shadow, it doesn't have what I'm looking for. But there are people out there that I knew and loved that I can never think of as disposable."
Cody is so taken aback with the absurdity of the question. "Ha!" Like a spit-take, the response is reflexive.
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Post by Admin on Nov 7, 2022 2:01:51 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/Vx4phpf/Fiona~jpg "Or an agent for one of the Great Houses? Keeping tabs on the lower orders?"She refills her glass with wine and then pours one for Cody. One of those comically overlarge crystal wine glasses. "House Lorcas' Nightberry wine. Very good stuff and too expensive for the likes of the lower city. Indulge yourself."
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Post by Cody D'Avalon on Nov 7, 2022 16:30:24 GMT
"You've got lousy spies or you would already know the answers. Baz knew me better that you appear to. I keep myself busy enough without getting tangled up in politics."
"I can tell you that the so called 'Lower Orders' are getting desperate. If you haven't noticed, we're dealing with atrocious weather conditions that are affecting our livelihoods. And it's even worse in the Abyss. whatever you ~upper~ orders are doing with the Logrus and Pattern need to knock it off. The rest of us are caught in the middle of whatever you power mongers are engaged in."
Cody reaches in to his sporran and puts the crossbow bolt into it, then pulls out a couple of fragments of broken mirror and tosses them onto Fiona's table.
"Eighteen turnings in the Pit and this is all I have to show for my efforts."
Cody scratches around the healing wound on his chest. Seeing the wine she offers, Cody vaults himself over the back of the chair he is leaning on and seats himself in it.
"Sure, I'll take a glass of over-priced vanity with a twist of condescension. You know it's mostly marketing that dictates the price of this stuff."
Cody accepts the offered glass. Swirling the contents, he holds it up to the light to examine the colour, then lowers it to sniff the bouquet. (Trying to detect any known drugs or poisons and taking a moment to adjust his metabolism to negate their effects. - Pretty basic stuff you learn in Seminary. - )
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Post by Admin on Nov 8, 2022 6:05:42 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/Vx4phpf/Fiona~jpg OOC: There is nothing at all in the rulebooks about shapeshift being able to neutralize poison. Unless I missed it somewhere, it is a terribly written rulebook. Fiona watches Cody's paranoia with condescending amusement. "Would we have gone to all this trouble, sacrificed poor Baz just to poison you the first chance we get?
"I believe you are not a spy, and now I begin to understand you. This is your Bohemian phase; most of us go through it when we are young, casting off our noble status to live with the common people and do what the common people do. Please don't tell me that you play guitar - or worse, bongos - in the local coffee shops. And shut your mouth if you're on a beat poetry kick. This slacking doesn't usually last very long, but you are pushing the limits.
"The lower orders will be fine. They always survive, and it is said that they were here on this rock long before the coming of the Lords of Chaos and the raising of the Courts.
"In this case, the price and reputation are well earned. It is the best-tasting stuff this side of Ygg's eggs, and there's only one source: House Lorcas, which coincidentally has your cousin Dirk as a member."
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Post by Cody D'Avalon on Nov 8, 2022 15:47:59 GMT
<OOC> If a ShapeShifter controls their body at the molecular level and Shift/Heal wounds, it stands to reason that they'd be able to tolerate most common poisons.. Of course, magical poisons and/or ones specifically meant for ShapeShifters would still be a problem.
It's not so much a rule book as a Guide. Anything and everything is possible if it makes a good story.
As I understand the spirit of the game: Albert Einstein once said, "God does not play dice." Expressing his contempt for the notion that the universe is governed by probability = For ADRPG this translates to "God is DICELESS." Which gives the GM discretion in all things. </OOC>
Cody takes a sip and acknowledges that the wine is palatable enough. "You can't possibly believe how relieved I am to hear that you don't think that I am a spy."
Cody is visibly annoyed with her condescending assessment of what she assumes is his chosen lifestyle but won't give her the satisfaction of his trying to defend it.
Cody raises the cup thinking of beat poetry and music, "From a dead beat to an old greaser, here's thinking of you."
Striking at the heart of the matter, Cody is forced to ask, "You already know that I'm not a spy, so why did you and Merlin go through all this trouble to meet with me anyway?"
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Post by Admin on Nov 8, 2022 16:26:48 GMT
Ooc: Einstein was wrong about the dice.
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Post by Cody D'Avalon on Nov 9, 2022 2:47:53 GMT
<OOC> Well, Quantum Mechanics was in its infancy at the time. </OOC>
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Post by Admin on Nov 10, 2022 5:30:41 GMT
Fiona salutes him with her glass and sips.
"We didn't know that you weren't a spy. We could just not think of any other rational explanation for why you do what you do.
"Whatever your true motives were, those days are over. Events are in motion and your rank in the hierarchies doesn't afford you the luxury of somnambulance. These are not days for fishers, but for hunters and the hunted. You were being hunted while being brought here. What do you plan to do about it?"
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Post by Admin on Nov 10, 2022 5:32:10 GMT
OOC: Shapeshift allows the healing of basic injuries. Nerve damage takes much longer. Merlin couldn't shift his way clean from Jasra's bite.
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