07.13o A Private Conference

The goings on of courts
Draylen
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07.13o A Private Conference

Post by Draylen »

"Alys, Alys, please, a moment of your time," the bear says quietly, chasing after her as they leave the conference previously. "We still need to talk about... things. And I'm not sure what you'd like for payment, precisely. And, and, and. There's a dozen things that I need to talk about... please, will you come and meet me in my..." He trails off, and then rubs his forehead. "Oh, by the gods, he gave me the post, he should put me up. Meet me in Castle Amber? I should go and steal an appropriate office therein, but I haven't had time, and I really shouldn't stay in Amber for a very long time, and and and..."
Wyvern
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Re: 07.13o A Private Conference

Post by Wyvern »

"Yes, we do. Do not worry about it. And you can simply ask for an appropriate office, if Dworkin has not already arranged for one. Respectively."
Wyvern
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Re: 07.13o A Private Conference

Post by Wyvern »

There are several moments of silence, then Alys sighs and adds, "You are not going to do the former, are you? Very well. If you have not come up with an idea for an appropriate payment by the time we are both done here, then I will offer a suggestion. Now, if you will excuse me, there is some business I still need to attend to..."*

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* Alys is referring to events that occur here. It seems appropriate for Aibne's next post to include a change of scene to whatever office he's acquired in the Castle.
Draylen
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Re: 07.13o A Private Conference

Post by Draylen »

Words tumbled to the bear's lips, but his voice and tongue failed him. Unable to speak, he watched as the one who was possibly his closest friend walked away, knowing he'd hurt her terribly. His shoulders hunched down, and the bear shrunk a little, before turning on his heel and walking toward Castle Amber, his heart weighted down and heavy.

~~~~~

He nodded to the servant, dismissing her, as he took stock of the office room that had been set aside for him. It was a large room, but sparsely decorated at this juncture. A smooth rug, woven of reds and golds, sat in the center, with some pattern the bear could not make out; and at the far wall was a large desk made of some great tree. He could not name it if he tried, but sat down in the matching chair. The chair was lined in rich burgundy leather, and stuffed with something he could not name, but the bear marveled at the softness of it for a moment.

He sighed, tilting his head back and looking at the ceiling for but a moment. "What am I to do..." he murmured to himself, frowning. He shook his head slowly, attempting to clear the guilty thoughts that circled ceaselessly around it, and looked at the desk with care. Several drawers lined the great legs of the desk, and he plucked one open gently. In the first and topmost, was a note, written in such runic figures he could not puzzle out*, and a belt of four golds. The belt was a chain, red gold linking to green, green gold linking to white, white gold linking to rose, and rose gold linking to red, which the bear took to be a representation for the four courts themselves.

He snarled, and his fist clenched, thinking for but a moment to destroy such an artwork, but no. Surely, that was what the madman expected. But he would not give Dworkin the satisfaction of proving him right, not in this matter. He left the note on the desk, open for any interested to read. He leaned back with a tremendous sigh, staring once more at the ceiling, and waited, hoping that Alys might come as he asked.

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*The note's fairly plain to read, it's just that the bear's illiterate. It probably says something roughly like 'To the Champion of Amber, may he Serve and Protect us all'. It may or may not be from Dworkin. It's probably unsigned.
Wyvern
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Re: 07.13o A Private Conference

Post by Wyvern »

Alys does, indeed, turn up. She lets herself into the room without fanfare, pulls up a chair, and sets a plate from the soiree down on a corner of the desk.

"So. Where would you like to start?"

After asking, she claims one of two pastries she brought, nibbling carefully at an edge, and adds a gesture indicating that Aibne is welcome to help himself to the other.
Draylen
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Re: 07.13o A Private Conference

Post by Draylen »

"Thank you for coming," Aibne says. He bites his lip, frowning slightly - but it's easier to be official in a room like this, sitting behind a desk like the one he now has. "I wanted... I wanted to start with an apology. I know that you have concerns about working with Odin, and I think I've obtained enough pieces to pull a potential reason together." He furrows his brow, frowning deeper. "I don't know all of it, and I don't know or understand your whys, but you're concerned about his ability to get into your head. You have a similar concern about trump... cards..." He pauses, his voice trailing off, and he gets a thoughtful look on his face.

"Hmm. You have similar concerns regarding the cards. But, uh, uh. What's the wording... 'A Greater Power protects perfectly against a lesser power?' I know you don't want to use it to call other people, but maybe you can, I dunno, call yourself? And that might cause enough distortion to interfere with whatever Odin does..."
Wyvern
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Re: 07.13o A Private Conference

Post by Wyvern »

"That," Alys flips her card out in a casual display of legerdemain, "is an excellent idea, well worth investigating. We should also test the degree of protection offered by a conventional call - though that will require a third person."

She starts trying to focus on the card, her tone and speed of speech showing a definite distracted air as she does so. "Unfortunately, it is unlikely to be a viable solution for this case; even maintaining a trump call requires more of my concentration than I would be willing to spare when dealing with Odin. A passive defense would be better; even one not based on a Greater Power."
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Joshua
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Re: 07.13o A Private Conference

Post by Joshua »

(OOC: For the record, this is how you learn trump defense. There's a trick* to getting the trump call to connect to yourself in a loop. Also, of note, you can simply call someone with trump. However you're not "fully charged" with trump until the call connects. And until it does, you are splitting your psyche between making the call and fighting off the external invader. Still fairly effective against shadow magic, but not against a higher power, like another trump call.)
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*: Found by instruction or having a good psyche and practice.
Draylen
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Re: 07.13o A Private Conference

Post by Draylen »

"Right," he says, and leans back. "I... When I needed to find where Rogbar went, I didn't have a destination inherently in mind. I let the Pattern guide my steps, until I found where he was being held. I don't know if it can, for sure, but I was thinking it might do something similar for you. I don't know where I can find an eye carved from the wood of a world tree, but I think the Pattern will. And if it can..."

He frowns a little and furrows his eyebrow. "Well, I plan on asking it to take me to something that'll protect you that you'll wear. I hope that it'll work. I... don't know what it'll be. But it should help protect you, if anything exists that can."
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Re: 07.13o A Private Conference

Post by Wyvern »

Alys nods. "That is, as I understand it, one of the things that Pattern is good at. And such an item would more than pay for any debt imposed by your request."

"If you have no more important plans for this evening than finding these items and talking to me, then perhaps we should get moving? This is likely the point of least threat from Hivers, as I understand Cameron had some success at diplomacy this afternoon."
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