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Post by Cody D'Avalon on Dec 17, 2022 19:31:24 GMT
Cody accepts this by nodding. "I suppose that means that they did the same, ad infinitum."
"Well, it will take a certain amount of finesse and tact. In the meantime I'm sure that my proposition will bring more amusement than anything else. Lord Suhuy had a good laugh, anyway.
"I understand that Corwin can't be found. That's a big problem. Theoretically, his Pattern has projected a whole new realm of Shadows that are only accessible through his Pattern. And that's where he is; off exploring. Totally obvious to what is happening outside his bubble."
"Maybe the old Pattern is trying to absorb the new one? Or repel it?"
"If we can't get into Corwin's Shadows through the front door, maybe we can find a backdoor."
"We need to assess the whole Gestalt of the situation there. Maybe find some way of measuring the relative positions of the Patterns and Logrus to see if they are moving one way or another."
"If Corwin can be tracked down, then maybe we could get him to fix his Pattern. Otherwise, someone of his blood may have to be sacrificed. If that's truly the only way to destroy a Pattern."
"Again, we'd need to track down Coral and see if something can be done with the Jewel."
"I figured that it was a big enough feather in their bonnet just to have an Amberite that denounced the Damned Unicorn. And Lord Suhuy has a fascination with my talents."
Suhuy calls Cody a 'Walking Corpse' because there's no explanation for how he survives and thrives the Abyss.
"I've been raised in an environment where I've hardly ever given much thought about my sire. But it makes sense that you would need someone potent enough. Not sure if I should be hurt or relieved that my sire hasn't presented himself. If he's alive and aware of my existence."
"Hmmm... I wonder what reaction I'd get if I called Lord Suhuy 'Daddy'?"
Cody picks up his glass of Nightberry Wine and swirls it. Hmmm... Coincidence? A suggestion that Cody is a "Lorcas?"
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Post by Admin on Dec 21, 2022 9:18:59 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/Vx4phpf/Fiona~jpg "I met with Corwin a short time ago about some other matters than his Pattern. Then, as he does so infuriatingly well, he snuck off before I could pester him with more questions about his creation. And about where he had been all these years. That's Corwin for ya.
"Measuring distances and positions is not something that can be done in Shadow. You'd know this if you spent more time in Amber, where you should have been, studying the Pattern, which you should have been doing.
"Aren't you a bloodthirsty little boy? Who do you plan on executing to erase that Pattern? Who's been telling you stories about how to damage a Pattern? Where would you pick up such a tall tale down in the Daggerways?"
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Post by Cody D'Avalon on Dec 21, 2022 15:38:32 GMT
"It would have to be a last resort. Voluntary. After a lot of other things have been considered. I mean... Really... Corwin would have to be convinced. Dworkin would have to be consulted. The Jewel needs to be used."
"Look. I'm an engineer. I fix things. I build things. Adding an extra engine to the Multiverse should be a good thing. We just need to do some fine tuning. Heck! I want to build an engine of my own and have it harmonized with the others. There's plenty of Shadow to go around. Hoarding the infinite is preposterous."
Down in DaggerWays... Like Cody is some sort of bumpkin.
"I don't live under a rock. Theories abound. Not just in DaggerWays. There's a lot more to Seminary than memorizing scripture."
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Post by Admin on Dec 27, 2022 5:06:25 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/Vx4phpf/Fiona~jpg "There's infinite, and then there's infinite. If it were otherwise, then we wouldn't be needing to have this conversation here and now."
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Post by Cody D'Avalon on Dec 27, 2022 22:36:57 GMT
"Yes, of course."
"So, the plan is for me to present myself to the Regent in Amber, by way of Rebma. Where do you go from here?"
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Post by Admin on Jan 4, 2023 3:43:19 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/Vx4phpf/Fiona~jpg "You are not the only wanderer that requires some course correction. My list of responsibilities is long, and who knows which of the family will next be found amenable to wise instruction."
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Post by Cody D'Avalon on Jan 4, 2023 5:11:30 GMT
"What's that quote? Something about 'not all wanderers are lost'... Cody continues to stuff his gullet.
"So, who's next on your list then?"
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Post by Admin on Jan 8, 2023 9:26:28 GMT
"I can't say. Some come by choice others need further encouraging. Once I'm done with you I will have to check the list. Although I'm getting the feeling that something is happening will require my attention instead of family. Or, most likely, the family is somehow mixed up in the business.""
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Post by Cody D'Avalon on Jan 8, 2023 15:40:51 GMT
Of course Cody doesn't trust the Red-heads, but the current assignment appears innocuous enough...
But.
"Trekking to Amber and going through all the formalities of introducing myself can wait if my assistance can help somewhere else right now. I could accompany you and lend a hand with whatever business it is that needs attending to."
"I assume that you have the means to contact the Regent. Perhaps we could just have a quick little tête-à-tête with her. A little introduction where I could quickly mention a couple of my theories. Maybe just send her a letter. Then we could go and attend to more urgent business together."
Cody fully expects a brush-off. Making a final appeal.
"I could really use a mentor. I'd endeavor to not be a burden."
After all, if the Red-head is part of the problem, then Cody might be able to figure that out and attempt to stop her. Or at least reveal her treachery. 'Keep your enemies closer.'
Or, if she truly is an ally, she could be a valuable mentor towards harnessing Primal Power.
Any which way, Cody could benefit more by staying with Fiona.
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Post by Admin on Jan 9, 2023 7:05:46 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/sbWWQDT/Fiona~jpg "I don't think that that would work out. Some of these discussions must involve things one may wish to keep concealed. They might not wish for you to overhear. You are empathic enough to understand one's intentions of keeping secrets private. Maybe sometime in the future. Maybe."While she talks, her deck of cards is in her hands. She pulls cards out one by one and places them in three piles. She also does a few card tricks to keep her skills sharp. Piles made, she then sorts them out and back into their case. Grabbing a purse, she heads for the door. "Stick around and enjoy your meal. But don't dawdle too long."She steps over the bodies and then out the door.
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Post by Cody D'Avalon on Jan 9, 2023 19:46:34 GMT
<OOC> *Dang!* In comedy: Timing is everything... Having Fiona leave first spoils the timing. I wanted Cody to leave first and then 'Pop' back in for a split second to present Fiona with a set of bongos. Trying to pause the scene to do it isn't as funny. </OOC>
Cody is not surprised or even disappointed that Fiona didn't take him under her wing. Maybe even a bit relieved to not be under her condescension. Fiona did warm slightly and it doesn't hurt to ask.
He observed Fiona's manipulations of the cards: Divination, communication, transportation. Cody is undecided about learning that craft. Maybe eventually. Or, he thought, perhaps he can develop his own methods derived from Abyssal Powers.
Between mouthfuls Cody nods agreement, "I'm nearly done"
Cody stands when Fiona does and gives a slight bow as she dismisses herself. He is a little disappointed that Fiona just steps over the cadavers and walks out the door. He was expecting something more dramatic involving pyrotechnics. "Goodbye, Princess."
Swallowing his last mouthful Cody crosses the room to a desk and picks up pen and puts it to paper.
Venerated Abyssal Father,
I have been called away on what can only be described as 'Family Business' out in Shadow. Please forward my deepest regrets to all that I must absent myself from Seminary for an indefinite period.
Send my love and respect to $%^&5^^&^;^, *:"^/-%(&-*, and ^-[^^]__#^@(("*(*%*$&.
Yours in faith, Cody D'Avalon
Short and sweet. Cody rolls the paper and ties a bit of Arachniform Silk around it.
Thinking. Wondering. Fiona just walked out the door a few moments ago. Presumably it's now safe to do so without being brought down in a hail of crossbow bolts. The dark narrow alley outside the door. Has it transformed somehow into a pleasant lane? The question is academic.
Concentrating, Cody opens a small rift and reaches through. Extending his plasma fire arms through. Feeling. Reaching. There. Inner Sanctum. Abyssal Father's office inside the Sheltering Coils Temple and Mission House. Cody places the note on the Abyssal Father's desk blotter.
Cody withdraws his plasma fire hand and with concentration he widens the rift, the sucking ball of nothing opens and receives him wholey. Like a comet, Cody blazes through the Abyss as the rift snaps shut behind him with a sound like the snapping of bubble gum.
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Post by Cody D'Avalon on Jan 10, 2023 3:31:50 GMT
<OOC> I'm not sure how far Baz took Cody through Shadow. And/or whether Fiona's magic safe-house shifted Cody. But I'm going to assume that Cody is still much closer to Chaos than Amber.
It's unlikely that Cody is going to make the trip to Rebma in one jump.
Plus, Cody would like to make a pitstop or two along the way. </OOC>
Well fed and mostly rested the first part of the journey is almost pleasant: With the exception of the still painful chest wound. The healing process has been put on hold for the moment as the concentration necessary is otherwise occupied with navigation. Mental shrug; Cody's been in worse shape. As long as he can maintain his course at speed and the smell of blood doesn't attract any predators.
Damnedable Unicorn! The Shadow Storms are carrying through into the Abyss causing a great deal of turbulence. Like swimming upstream. Getting yanked and jerked by the currents.
Cody envisions himself as a spawning salmon. His scales are being scrubbed away on the stony outcroppings.
Pushing himself to near exhaustion. By reconning, Cody estimates that he's gone about a third of the way before he decides that it is time for rest and recovery.
Feeling around. Probing the fringes of Shadows Cody seeks and finds a refuge.
Pulling at the edges of reality he grasps the fabric of reality and tears open a rift and tumbles through.
Somewhat bloodied and bruised.
"Ugh! Stupid, stupid boy. I gotta think of better similes. Save the fish imagery for when I get closer to Rebma."
Rolling himself into a ditch, Cody pulls a turquoise sack out of his sporran and crawls into it. Cocooned, he falls into a restless sleep.
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Post by Cody D'Avalon on Jan 10, 2023 19:23:18 GMT
Cody is startled awake as he feels himself being jerked off the ground. Fully enshrouded in the Arachniform silk sack, Cody senses some sort of pincers have grasped the sack near his midsection and lifted him aloft.
A voice booms, "Hullo, what 'ave we here? Turquoise cocoon innit. Must ha' fell 'n' been blown aways. Lucky yer bright coloured or ye'd a been stepped on. Not much fer camouflage tho'. Ye must taste terrible. Poison, even."
Okay, Cody thought, best to play the part of a chrysalis and keep his head covered. Wait and see what develops from the situation. Daring a little peek, Cody presses his face to the silken fabric to look through the knitting. Looking back at him is a gigantic rat face. Huge black eyes behind wire rimmed spectacles. Whiskers waxed into a handlebar moustache. A tweed flat cap upon its head. Looking downwards the view is of a giant bipedal rodent in a well tailored sage green herringbone tweed jacket and waistcoat. White linen shirt with a paisley wine coloured ascot knotted around its thick neck. Pooh Bear from the waist down...
A snip of music plays through Cody's head, 'Girls go crazy for a sharp dressed... Entomologist Rat!?'
Without formal introductions, Cody decides to name the rat man 'Gordon'.
Well manicured claws pince Cody's cocoon gently as he's held aloft and inspected thusly. A silken handkerchief matching the ascot is produced from the creature's breast pocket and Cody finds himself being swaddled. Jostled about, presumably stuffed into a pocket. Trapped for the time being, Cody goes with the flow. Concentrating on Shifting Away his wounds and resting, dozing in relative comfort and security. It feels like a turning has passed when Cody is shaken awake. In his swaddling he is lifted and shifted - unwrapped and deposited onto a pile of straw bedding. A crystal glass bell jar is placed over top.
The voice booms, "We'll jus' wait 'n' see what 'atches frum this."
Cody muses, 'Oh, but if my assassins could see me now...' ... 'Death by humiliation?'
Through the silken knit Cody can vaguely make out a small and cozy Victorian style parlour of Brobdingnagian proportions. One wall lined with shelves holding a multitude of books and specimen jars. Ornately framed pin boards and shadow boxes are on another wall. The sight makes Cody's empty stomach flutter with butterflies. His bowels momentarily fill with ice water.
'Whatever you do Cody, don't pupate yourself.'
Daylight through the windows dim as 'Gordon' comes and goes. "'Nother storm's brewin'. Good t' be snug-as-a-bug on a night like these."
There are approaching peals of thunder. A maelstrom strikes as the sun sets. 'Gordon' takes tea in a wing back chair, dressed in a linen nightshirt and cap, wrapped in a smoking gown with matching slippers; calabash pipe in mouth. 'Gordon' checks on Cody one last time before banking the fire, snuffing the lamps and trundling off to bed.
By the flickering lightning light Cody emerges from his soiled cocoon. 'Woof! If they could smell me now.' Stripping of sporran and loincloth Cody concentrates to open a small rift. He stuffs the Arachniform silk sack into the void, turning it inside out and back again where it is scoured clean by the howling nothingness. Same with the loincloth. Withdrawing those, he reaches back into the Abyss and beyond. He feels around and gathers from various points unknown a few creature comforts. Wash basin and cloth, a lamp, greasy fried fish and chips: Heavy on the tartar sauce, light on salt and vinegar with a side order of crunchy coleslaw; a jug of ale.
Cleaned and refreshed Cody considers his predicament. He pushes on the glass. Too heavy to move. Trapped, but not trapped. 'Should I stay or should I go now? Gordon did save me from being trod upon. How long do I have from emergence and admiration to being run through and pinned?' Opening a rift once again, Cody cleans up and disposes of his dirty dishes, chamber pot, et al.
'May as well give 'Gordon' a show.' By lamplight, Cody pulls a dog-eared novel from his sporran and whiles away the night-time reading. Hearing 'Gordon' beginning to stir in the morning, Cody snuffs his lamp and tucks things away in his sporran. Then he climbs back into his cocoon. Shape Shifting, Cody wraps himself in his dusty moth wings and waits.
Entering the parlour 'Gordon' approaches, still in his night clothes. "What are we up to this mornin' then?"
On cue Cody begins to wiggle and squirm out of his cocoon. Keeping himself shrouded with his wings. Very surreptitiously he keeps himself in a mostly fetal position on his hands and knees and carefully pulls the Arachniform silk sack in and tucks it all back into his sporran under the cover of his furled wings.
"A dusty moth in a fancy wrapper!"
'Gordon' gasps as Cody unfurls his wings and leaps into the air to hover mid-jar. "Hello, fellow! Thank you so very much for taking me in and sheltering me from the storm. Very grateful that you didn't step on me. I'd very much appreciate not being pinned."
'Gordon' pressed his nose to the bell jar glass. Blinking his eyes in disbelief. A hand-paw-claw felt around until it grasped a butterfly net as the other hand grasped the knob at the top of the jar.
Seeing how things were progressing, "Oh, no. We're not being pinned today!"
The glass went up and the net came down. A fraction of a second too late. Cody fluttered up to a top shelf as the net swooshed a few times behind him. Hiding behind some dusty empty specimen jars Cody opens a rift and makes a hasty escape.
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Post by Cody D'Avalon on Jan 11, 2023 3:17:13 GMT
<OOC> I wanted to do this but I wasn't sure if I should but then I saw the sign. </OOC>
The maelstrom raging in 'Gordon' land followed Cody into the Abyss. Concentrating as hard as possible, he built a vision of dry land. An open highway on an open plane.
The land is brown. The vegetation too. More brown in the sky overhead from horizon to horizon. Directly overhead the brown fades to a baleful mustard where a nearby star tries to make its presence known. Insufferable dry heat parches Cody's throat as he screams down the roadway on a terrestrial motor bike. Dry dry wind howling in his ears. Twisters touch down on every side. Sucking up and spitting out everything they touch.
Cody passes a road sign: One Way. Pointed back the way he came. A twister grabs the sign and flings it at Cody's head. He flinches and manages to duck. The edge slashes his cheek but thankfully doesn't decapitate him.
In that split second Cody sees the sign has been tagged 'YGGz'.
A sudden gust tears Cody off his seat and hurls him to the ground hard.
The breath explodes out of his chest and he blacks out momentarily.
Return of consciousness. Cody is in another wasteland. Spitting dirt and blood an ancient tree stands before him.
Ygg.
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Post by Admin on Jan 11, 2023 5:04:50 GMT
"Damn your acorns! Can't a tree be allowed to stand in peace and not have you seeds drifting around here?" a voice says.
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