1397-04-21-A: Killer Acoustics

A game of (in no particular order) politics, intrigue, and swashbuckling adventure - set to a backdrop of an industrialized Amber.
The Stage is obsolete, leftover from a previous revision of reality. RP runs in Discord these days.

Moderator: Wyvern

Kyttin
Mostly Sane
Posts: 9
Joined: Mon May 08, 2017 11:18 pm

Re: 1397-04-21-A: Killer Acoustics

Post by Kyttin »

Korarin blinks as a pair of shoes float into his face. Rolling his eyes he sticks them in the satchel at his waist. Why wear shoes if you were going to take them off to move. Did Sabressa even know where she was going in the dark? With a flick of his silver-blue fins he glided after her. Still there was something really weird with this darkness. It wasn't natural that's for sure.

All of a sudden light bloomed chasing away some of the paralyzing chill of the dark. Where did all the light come from? It was just as strange as the darkness though not nearly as foreboding. It was hard not to laugh as Sabressa almost glided into another girl. Her behavior and speech after were confusing. Not sure he should be interrupting he hung back a few feet but still relatively close. He continued to monitor the ripples in the water hoping that the disturbance didn't come any closer.
Cynthea
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Re: 1397-04-21-A: Killer Acoustics

Post by Cynthea »

Cynthea opens her eyes to regard her unexpected visitor, and holds up one hand in a 'stop' gesture. "One moment, miss...?" She pauses to let Sabressa fill in whatever name or title she finds appropriate, though it's clear that her attention is on that expanding sphere of Pattern-enforced illumination, not the conversation at hand.
kitsunenotsume
Missing Some Marbles
Posts: 147
Joined: Tue Mar 24, 2015 1:55 am

Re: 1397-04-21-A: Killer Acoustics

Post by kitsunenotsume »

There is a brief pause, just enough to confirm the verbal ellipses before the well-drilled reply is executed. "Certainly, Your Ladyship. Sabressa Aureselise, Fell-runner Third Class with the Duskhound Dispatch and Delivery Company, at your service and disposal, Mi'Lady."

If it appears that any additional verification of identity is desired, she will reveal the racing-hound pin currently weighting the inside of her shawl, but otherwise tries to minimise distracting the pattern-user while keeping the letter up and available.
Last edited by kitsunenotsume on Thu May 18, 2017 12:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Wyvern
Prismatic Pangolin
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Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2007 8:50 pm

Re: 1397-04-21-A: Killer Acoustics

Post by Wyvern »

(( OOC discussion has resulted in a ruling: using any Power to assert normality in Amber is a thing that doesn't cost a doom. Also, an action that fails does not cost a doom, even if its success would have. The combination of these rulings allows Shadow to skate by without accruing a doom for his use of power. ))

The darkness (and with it the sonar-image of a kraken) is shredded by Shadow's efforts, tearing into pieces that form (briefly) into swimming wolves - before they too are swept away by Cynthea's invocation of Pattern.

With the darkness gone, normal sound returns as well - and the room is in pandemonium, with people variously cowering in their seats or swimming for the exits. Half the chandelier is simply gone with only minimal debris around the edges, and the room itself seems twisted and warped - a few far corners registering completely impossible angles for the few seconds between when Shadow's efforts unveil the scene and when Cynthea re-asserts reality.

On the stage, only one figure remains; one of those first two singers floats un-moving (dead, in fact, whenever someone gets close enough to investigate), his face frozen in an expression of terror. A smudge of purple drifts next to him - a single lilac flower.

(( Aspect compelled - with previous discussion with the player - of Sabressa's "Running from the Lilac Ghost". Hm, I need to go update the fate point total for that. ))
Cynthea
Mostly Sane
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Joined: Mon May 15, 2017 12:05 pm

Re: 1397-04-21-A: Killer Acoustics

Post by Cynthea »

Cynthea's expression tightens for a moment at the appearance of the shadow wolves - but relaxes again as normality is restored.

"Well then, Miss Aureselise, thank you for your patience." Cynthea takes the letter, looking over it curiously for a moment before breaking the seal and examining the contents - careful to hold the letter at an angle where no-one else can read it.
kitsunenotsume
Missing Some Marbles
Posts: 147
Joined: Tue Mar 24, 2015 1:55 am

Re: 1397-04-21-A: Killer Acoustics

Post by kitsunenotsume »

As the letter is taken, the messenger performs a brief curtsy, with a gracious "Most certainly, Your Ladyship", before standing to patient attention with her hands clasped loosely before her as she waits for forthcoming response from the Amberite - far too professional as to even attempt a glance at the letter.

She does, however, look back to her companion with a soft smirk at his utter puzzlement. "If I might suggest, Mister Korarin: it is often common courtesy to at least bow before a member of the local sovereign, rather than gaping like a clown-fish." she offers with mirthful snark.
Kyttin
Mostly Sane
Posts: 9
Joined: Mon May 08, 2017 11:18 pm

Re: 1397-04-21-A: Killer Acoustics

Post by Kyttin »

Korarin sensed the kraken disappear. He frowned at Sabressa's comment. It didn't make much sense. 'Mister' was a sound he had heard before in reference to certain people but he had never had it applied to him before; usually it was 'Hey you'. 'Courtesy' was when you acknowledged that someone was stronger than you and therefore knew better right? 'Bow' was part of a ship. He knew that one at least.What was a 'sovereign' though? He hadn't heard that word before. What did she mean about clown fish anyway? Clown fish don't gape. He's seen bigger fish and eels sit with their mouths open but not clown fish before.

"....Um....What...are you talking about?" He finally asked giving up on understanding just what he was supposed to do since she was staring at him expectantly.
Last edited by Kyttin on Sat May 20, 2017 12:57 am, edited 1 time in total.
Wyvern
Prismatic Pangolin
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Re: 1397-04-21-A: Killer Acoustics

Post by Wyvern »

The seal on the letter is blank - just a circle stamped into the wax, and the paper (both the envelope and the letter itself) is an unusual waxy (and apparently waterproof) material, colored light green.

The ink, by contrast, is not waterproof, and begins to leech off the page as soon as Cynthea opens the envelope; the message is readable for only a few seconds. Which is a bit annoying, because it's also ciphered - and while it's probably nothing -too- complicated, there's only so much you can do while maintaining the mental focus required for Pattern defense.
Cynthea
Mostly Sane
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Joined: Mon May 15, 2017 12:05 pm

Re: 1397-04-21-A: Killer Acoustics

Post by Cynthea »

Cynthea grumbles something under her breath - likely a bit difficult to hear over the general pandemonium in the room, but it might have been "Oh, of course it would be in code," as she lets her focus on Pattern fade in favor of committing the letter to memory before it dissolves away entirely.

That done, she closes her eyes for a few more moments, deliberately (and hopefully obviously) giving Sabressa a chance to explain proper courtesy to Korarin while she works on decoding the note.
kitsunenotsume
Missing Some Marbles
Posts: 147
Joined: Tue Mar 24, 2015 1:55 am

Re: 1397-04-21-A: Killer Acoustics

Post by kitsunenotsume »

"I suppose it might not be worth doing if it wasn't a challenge", she muses to no-one in particular. With a twirl, Sabressa performs a graceful about-face and hops lightly up to the banister on level with the siren. She gives him a warm smile that would easily be construed as a plastic expression of formality - if not for the amused glimmer in her eye and the lack of exposure to politics of her victim. "Korarin, my flippered friend, consider it a means of survival in a social habitat. Learning who is above you on the civil food-chain and how to keep them from eating you. We clearly need to have a long talk on the topic, but for now I'll try to make clear that Her Ladyship-", She glances back mid-sentence to look at the short pattern-weilder before continuing "Cynthia and her family are the apex predators -the biggest fish, so to speak- of, well. . . everywhere you can or will ever travel and further. Fortunately, they also keep us safe from the Things Beyond, which would make life rather difficult, so it is best to offer respect and thanks for their protection.

She motions him closer, hopping down off the railing and giving room for Kora in the booth. "Usually, one offers a greeting or appropriate introduction, and a motion of polite grace like a bow - bending forwards briefly before standing straight again. Like this:

She provides an example of the motion when Cynthia seems to have completed her distraction, bowing deeply but not really introducing herself and instead launching into a well practiced request honed over years of damage-control for drunken sailors. "My greatest apologies, Your Highness, but I humbly entreat that you excuse any lack of etiquette on the part of my companion. Mister Korarin has only recently circumnavigated his way to Amber, and was a particularly solitary individual prior to is arrival. With your permission, Mi'lady, I shall ensure that all due instruction is provided to avoid a similar lapse of decorum in any future engagements. After a moment and any due formality, she straightens and looks to Kora. "Like that, but with your own words, not mine."
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