Action, Adventure, Excitement, Part 4 Chapter 39 Date: Wed, 13 May 1998 10:06:19 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Welcome to my parlor... On Wed, 13 May 1998 09:09:13 -0700 (MST) Driscoll Said As CAoL Message # 00004415 > On Tue, 12 May 1998 17:14:42 -0400 (EDT) > Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00004388 > > Jadis clasps his hands to his breast, "Oh, I am hurt. Mortally > wounded by the barbs and slings which have been thrown at me." He > swings his legs over the side of the beam and drops to the ground. > "Still, to have been denigrated by the great Driscoll of Braxton, > adventurer, wanderer, rogue, scoundrel, and thief. Solitary and > alone, having driven all those who would be his close friends away > with his carefully cultivated mannerisms. Yet here he still is, > travelling with this group, with one of his old loves, who is > married to another in the group. Do you ever look at Morgan, Driss, > and wonder what might have been? What it would be like to have > someone to love who loves you in return? Who would put up with you > the way your faithful 'hound' does? Or do you push even that bond?" Driss looks a bit confused for a moment as Roscoe does quick repairs to his memories then gives Jadis a disgusted look. "There is much in what you say that I can not deny. I have been alone save the company of Rsoce for a long time and by choice. But unlike you I have felt love from other than thy right hand, though circumstances took her from me long ago. But I really have to wonder at how you would think that I and my step-sister had ever been lovers. My family never was all that close much less to be sharing covers such as your own must have been. How often _did_ your mother call you to share the bed with her Jadis? Of course there are the rumors that yoru mother was of the porcine persuasion..." Driss pauses a moment to sniff the air, "And noting the stench that always seems to waft about your presense Jadis it brings to mind the question. Just how much of a Sow art thou?" =========================== Date: Wed, 13 May 1998 10:06:44 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Welcome to my parlor... On Wed, 13 May 1998 09:11:40 -0700 (MST) Driscoll Said As CAoL Message # 00004416 > On Tue, 12 May 1998 22:01:52 -0400 (EDT) > Shadow Said > > Jadis grins, "That would be telling. Come, why don't we discuss > things over lunch." A large table appears laden with foodstuffs of > various kinds. "Please everyone, sit, eat. It's perfectly safe, I > assure you. Driss, yours is the seat of honor at the head of the > table, everyone else, there are namecards at your seats. _You_" he > says, looking up at Hydra, "get nothing. You tried to blast me." Driss looks down at his seat, "Somehow I doubt there could be such a seat in a place as this." =========================== Date: Wed, 13 May 1998 10:06:49 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Welcome to my parlor... On Wed, 13 May 1998 09:18:04 -0700 (MST) Driscoll Said As CAoL Message # 00004417 > On Tue, 12 May 1998 23:19:30 -0400 (EDT) > Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00004402 > > "It's healthy, nutritious, and good for you. Please, test it any way > you wish. I'll market it with the CAoL stamp of safety. Should sell > millions, trillions even. Every customer will be satisfied." Those > looking the table over will see all kinds of dishes, for each of the > different types of members of the group. Driss looks down at the food. "If nothing else if anyoen actually _does_ want to eat I can always try it first to see if it kills me or not." Spying a pomegranet on the table Driss reaches down and picks it up, "Still it reminds me of an Earth legend I heard once about a lass who was taken down to the bowels of hell because the Lord of Hell had fallen in love with her. her mother had gotten her a message not to eat anything or she would be condemmed to stay there forever. But the wait was long and her hunger great so she ate six pomegranet seeds. When she was rescued The Lord of Hell pointed out the seeds and pleeded his case that she was now his by the rules of hte Gods. But the King of the Gods felt compassion for her and only condemmed her to spend one month of year year per seed with the Lord of Hell. I don't think I care to end up remaining here." He then tosses the fruit non-chalently into a large silver bowl of angelhair pasta. =========================== Date: Wed, 13 May 1998 11:07:29 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Welcome to my parlor... On Wed, 13 May 1998 06:52:04 -0400 Caprice Said As CAoL Message # 00004418 >On Tue, 12 May 1998 22:01:52 -0400 (EDT) >Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00004398 > >Jadis grins, "That would be telling. Come, why don't we discuss >things over lunch." A large table appears laden with foodstuffs of >various kinds. "Please everyone, sit, eat. It's perfectly safe, I >assure you. Driss, yours is the seat of honor at the head of the >table, everyone else, there are namecards at your seats. _You_" he >says, looking up at Hydra, "get nothing. You tried to blast me." Legion simply watches everything, quietly, unremarkably. Her perceptions naturally include what most would call the 'fabric' of reality and several under and over layers, and she is not liking what she sees here. (OOC: Though if the GM would like to clue me in, I'd be greatful. She'd see the teleportation 'twist' and probably the mines in Astral space... Anything else?) Legion's appearance is still that of Victoria, namely 5' 8" or so, blonde hair, grey eyes, and features too strong to be pretty though with a quiet beauty of their own. Mischief is not with her, Legion having sent her safely home before walking into the deathtrap. =========================== Date: Wed, 13 May 1998 18:35:50 -0700 (PDT) Subject: AAE4: Excuse me, but aren't you forgetting someone? On Wed, 13 May 1998 20:19:53 -0500 Mike Said As CAoL Message # 00004422 As the CAoL and Jadis banter, Molly, in her meandering stroll around the glade, pauses in passing Roland and places a hand on his shoulder. ^Roland, put on your best poker face.^ the interdimentional wanderer sends privately to Roland, her features hardening into an impassive mask, ^I couldn't help noticing that you only mentioned John as being missing. I presume Nemo has not found the proper moment to tell you Zia also ran off in search of John, leaving a somewhat inferior copy of herself behind to draw attention away from her absence. From the way the clone talked, it sounded as if Zia planned a direct confrontation with Jadis in the hopes of retrieving John. I highly doubt that was her whole plan, but you should have been made aware as soon as possible. ^I would have said something earlier, but I didn't want to admit to eavesdropping on a confessional. And considering Nemo's halo, he may have had some pangs of uncertainty about the ethics of breaking something said in confidence, especially considering where he heard the news.^ Molly smiles slightly, ^Though I am sure he would frown on the comparison to a 'Father confessor'.^ =========================== Date: Wed, 13 May 1998 19:36:15 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Welcome to my parlor... On Wed, 13 May 1998 21:50:55 -0400 (EDT) Xzerrion Said As CAoL Message # 00004423 On Mon, 11 May 1998, Shadow wrote: > An smiling elven looking Jadis fades into view, lounging along the > top beam of fire, "Why, How very touching. I'm sure Guarien > appreciates the gesture Driss," Jadis looks down, "Don't you > Guarien?" He looks back up, "Fond memories, Driss, of when you > destroyed an entire dimension? Killed your family and countless > others? Tell me, can you feel them there when Chaos inhabits you?" Xzerrion looks up, and amazingly, restrains his temper enough *not* to try something precipitous. (sp??) "Jadis. As stirring a conversationalist as ever, I see. Kind of you to meet us, rather than force us to go looking for you." =========================== Date: Wed, 13 May 1998 21:36:39 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Welcome to my parlor... On Thu, 14 May 1998 00:25:17 EDT Dane0R0A Said As CAoL Message # 00004425 In a message dated 98-05-13 01:37:01 EDT, you write: << Roland immediately begins analyzing the energy patterns around Jadis, analyzing how he's doing it. (OOC: No, I don't expect to be able to _do_ anything to Jadis so early on, but Roland's trying to find any weaknesses that might be of use later, and he wouldn't just STAND there.) He doesn't relent until and unless it becomes obvious that they're not going to get anywhere just yet. If so... /Cease fire, for the moment./ >> Hydra speaks through the link, /I can not strike harder without risking disrupting this world. My only other option is to try to freeze time in the volume that he occupies, and depending on how closely he has tied this dimension to himself, that could be disasterous on a scale even I shudder to think of. I could disrupt magic throughout this world, but that would harm US worse than him./ Having said that, Hydra stands there scanning this world for everything that can be found, from the smallest molecule chain or energy flow to the largest continental plate and their movements. =========================== Date: Fri, 15 May 1998 08:43:20 -0700 (PDT) Subject: AAE IV: The Stowaway Gambit - Down for the Count (Part IV) On Fri, 15 May 1998 08:37:53 -0500 Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00004427 Zia breaks off her consideration of Jadis' rebellious lieutenant, knowing the likelihood of finding him alive to rescue after this is little to none. She suddenly stares hard at John, and says sharply, "How do you know I can manipulate probability?" She cocks her head at him; her suspicion is plain. Although it's evident in her attitude that if this is a double blind by Jadis, with what she has _told_ him, her goose is quite cooked. Her knuckles on the tea glass have gone white. Otherwise, no sign of the strain shows. John shrugs, "You're an Amberite, and shadow-sifting is a crude affect on probabilities to begin with. From things you said I concluded you might have finer control over probability than that. If you didn't, well, no harm in mentioning it, you might pick it up later." "Gee, thanks so much. I happen to know what I am. How do you?" She doesn't sound like the idea thrills her, either. "I've never even head of sifting Shadow; sounds more like a Courts method, actually. Crude probably does describe my Shadow _shifting_; I've only tried it a bare handful of times at best." "Anyway, the point, sir, was how did you know? I don't like any of the possibilities I can think of, ranging from leakage from Jadis' mental processes to you, down through his consumption of my personal energies moments ago with you sharing vicariously in the feast. Don't try and stall me off with vague answers, please; not when I'm doing this to help you. However much you don't care for my technique, at least do me the favor of gallantry in the combat zone while my life hangs by a thread. I haven't had this life very long yet, but I still don't like risking it this way so much I can take it frivolously, as you might discern now. The better you can fill me in, the better chance I have at pulling us both out of here successfully." She says, burning with a strange almost mad intensity in her eyes, but her voice remains conversational, if a bit driven. John bobs his head as he holds up a hand, "Please, I never said that I didn't care for your technique, I merely pointed out that your technique wasn't as effective as you might believe when dealing with me or my counterpart. As for the other, you _are_ an Amberite. The Pattern is in your blood, I can tell that even if you hadn't told me. Amberites can affect probability, that is the way I see the powers. If your looking for proof that I know more than I should about you, then you should pick something which you haven't already told me. How do I know your an Amberite with Pattern?" John gestures and an earlier image of him and Zia speaking appears, (Zia shown) A pallid grin. "One of the few good things about Ambers. Very hard to keep hurt. Dreadfully recuperative, 'specially my line." Her eyes try and glaze over again. She stops it with mental control, "Still hurts though." The image flickers, Showing Zia speaking again, "I'm Patterned, now. Short of killing me, there is nothing that the power that is locked in Blood won't erase again." She looks momentarily haunted. "Even if I didn't want it to do so." The images fade away, and John merely looks at Zia, waiting and drinking tea. Her face drains all the blood away, going deathly white. There is the briefest flash of absolute terrified panic from her pale blue eyes before she pulls her knees in tight, buries her face behind them and wraps her arms tight. A pained moan precedes by second a rapid increase in her breathing as she hyperventilates. Her whole body shakes in tremors. If John has seen such before, it's a full-blown anxiety attack. If not, if he has any way to pick up emotions, he can tell. "Oh, shit." John's teacup falls to the ground as he rushes over to Zia's side. He scans her, and begins cursing anew. He can feel the terror and panic rising; he gives a moment's consideration to privacy. Her mental state seems to be as unstoppable as a freight train, as the terror and panic feed on each other. The hysteria spirals up sharply, well beyond the capability of a normal human mind to take the stress. Then he decides that she can detest him once the incipient mental breakdown has been averted. He begins looking for a way to break the spiral. Recent trigger, no help. Soothing presence, no help. "Dammit." What to do... Root causes. He dives in. Following the fear, the terror, the panic.. back... back... insanity... root cause.. not enough.. supplementary cause.. "What the hell?".. blanked connections. John tries everything he knows, all that he's picked up in the past 450 years, "I always _told_ myself I should learn how to heal." Nothing works. He's getting desperate, the situation is approaching critical when he notices another presence connected with her mind, monitoring the goings on. It's an Arisian Lens. He recognizes it from the intensive study he made of Dhyrclhance's a while back. "Help her out, Goddamn you. Stinking piece of gimcrackery...." Any further insults John might have directed at the Lens are bit off as the Lens starts to glow. The Lens is snaps into full brilliance suddenly; so bright that some light is actually filtering out of the heavy, black uniform she is wearing. Suddenly she is unconscious. Knocked out with a startling suddenness almost like a light being switched off, the peace breaking in over the previous panic just as shocking as an unexpected darkness. The brightness from her sleeve dies away more gradually. John leans back against the tree. He is breathing heavy, tired, not wanting to move for several moments. [She's either dead or it helped her, ] he thinks, [If she died, I wonder if she'd fade away or if I would provide a body. One way to find out.] He extends his senses again, checking her vital signs, "Oh good, she's not dead." From beneath a four poster bed rises out of the ground, with Zia laying on it. The hanging silks are set in Zia's colors, an electric blue with a silver kanji character he saw in her mind. John watches her for a moment, then walks over to a large rock and pulls out a frying pan, and proceeds to cook himself breakfast as if the rock was a campfire. After some twenty to thirty minutes more, she begins to return to awareness. She rubs her head, eyes blank a few seconds. She queries the Lens for what happened during the interval, as John can probably tell. The she flushes red, and mutters to him, "I said I was insane, did I not?" She struggles up, looking around the bed in some confusion, and finally hangs her legs off the side, arms folded, and shoulders hunched, defensively. After several long silent moments silent, almost surly recovery, she finally goes on. "It's not usually that bad, but the energy drain damaged some of my long-term memory near my recent past. So I didn't remember telling you that earlier. Then when you showed me, I thought I was having black outs again. If my rampant paranoia gave you cause to feel insult, I should now apologize. I have set the Lens to recollecting, to prevent further breakdowns in communication." She is intensely embarrassed. If there were anywhere to go, she would have been history as soon as the explanation was made. She waits on the expected reactions of anger or pity with the same manner - as one expecting a punishing physical blow - bracing herself for it in a way that is visible to even a casual eye. John is silent for a long moment, then he says with a serious mein, "If I had known that you take being proven wrong that badly, I would have told you I was Jadis." She stares at him in perfect astonishment for a stunned couple of seconds, then dissolves into laughter. It's quite a while before it runs down, and she gasps enough air to recover. Then she looks at him, and shakes her head, indicating bemusement. "That isn't what set me off. It was not remembering things I'd only done minutes before." She bites her lip, looking younger by five years by the gesture. In other words, jailbait-ish. "I'll explain it somewhat. I can't really talk about all of it in great detail, but if you know Amber, and the Pattern, then you probably know the Logrus. Including how it causes madness, so." She licks her lips. "I can do this, I just have to not get too detailed, or I'll give myself another attack. Not usually so prone to those, but with the weakness of what Jadis drew off, and what I threw AT him, I'm.. well, strung out to the thinnest parts, I guess you'd say." "Basically, I really don't want people to know that I've been in the Logrus at all. So I try and keep this quiet. But it.. well, caused a condition somewhat like multiple personality syndrome, in my head. So sometimes." She takes a deep breath, "It's not really the same. It's a stable thing; I'm not going to continue to splinter until my person-hood itself is destroyed." "I've," she looks at the Lens on her arm with visible annoyance, "been to the best mind-fixer races and places there are. They've done what they could to treat the symptoms that are bothersome. The basic problem itself, what the Logrus did to me, can't be repaired, because the Pattern in my blood simply re-breaks the repairs." She grimaces, "That became my definition of the ultimate hurt. As far back as I can remember, things have been rough in my life. But it is fun to play the Royal at Amber, when no one else is at Court to play nasty games with you." "But it does give me a rather odd outlook on you CAoL's who are true multis and complain about it. I can even tell I'm insane. Logically, I should be able to convince myself that all the I's are me, since I can remember before the Logrus, being just one. But the insane part is, even that doesn't help. I can't shake the basic, fundamental realization that we're different people. But due to the treatments and help that I've received, it is usually easily to conceal. We all have quite a vested interest in doing so; being this way makes us horribly vulnerable to attack. Especially if it became known." "I thought something had gone terribly wrong, that I was all the way back into having black outs again. When I let THAT panic me, then I had an epileptic seizure. Those are genetic. Nothing I can do about them." She sighs. "But it was simply damage in my long-term memory cause by all the power I shunted so fast to Jadis. So, basically, I've given myself away like any prize booby. This thing IS going to get me killed sooner or later, can you bury the knowledge of it real deep, and try to keep it unknown, please?" =========================== Date: Fri, 15 May 1998 19:35:19 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE4: Excuse me, but aren't you forgetting someone? On Fri, 15 May 1998 19:18:06 Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00004428 >On Wed, 13 May 1998 20:19:53 -0500 >Mike Said As CAoL Message # 00004422 > >As the CAoL and Jadis banter, Molly, in her meandering stroll around >the glade, pauses in passing Roland and places a hand on his >shoulder. > >^Roland, put on your best poker face.^ the interdimentional wanderer >sends privately to Roland, her features hardening into an impassive >mask, If Roland played poker, his own mother couldn't tell what hand he was holding. (The level of self-control comes from biokinesis.) > ^I couldn't help noticing that you only mentioned John as being >missing. I presume Nemo has not found the proper moment to tell you >Zia also ran off in search of John, leaving a somewhat inferior copy >of herself behind to draw attention away from her absence. From the >way the clone talked, it sounded as if Zia planned a direct >confrontation with Jadis in the hopes of retrieving John. I highly >doubt that was her whole plan, but you should have been made aware as >soon as possible. If Roland _hadn't_ set his features to calm reserve a moment ago, his jaw would have gone slack. ^Oh bloody nass.^ >^I would have said something earlier, but I didn't want to admit to >eavesdropping on a confessional. And considering Nemo's halo, he may >have had some pangs of uncertainty about the ethics of breaking >something said in confidence, especially considering where he heard >the news.^ > >Molly smiles slightly, ^Though I am sure he would frown on the >comparison to a 'Father confessor'.^ ^No doubt,^ Roland snaps. ^Sorry. Wasn't intended toward you. What is _she_ doing here? What is she _doing_ here?^ Roland paces mentally as he considers the ramifications. ^Wonderful. Just bloody wonderful! Why hasn't Jadis rubbed our faces in this little tidbit? How are we going to find her? And WHY, in the name of the Phoenix and the Light, did she do it in the FIRST place?!^ Roland sighs mentally. ^Well, at least she's probably all right...the only reason _I_ can think of that Jadis hasn't mentioned her is that she hasn't attacked yet. Unless he doesn't think she matters one way or the other. If she can lay low until she finds us-or, miracle of miracles, actually manage to waste the bastich-she should be okay. But...um...pass the word, would you-tell folx to start looking around without being too obvious. 'Fly casual,' as Han would say.^ Roland returns to his examination of Jadis, fearing the worst... (OOC: And probably believing it if he senses the Pattern-based energies Jadis absorbed.) =========================== Date: Fri, 15 May 1998 22:36:12 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE4: Excuse me, but aren't you forgetting someone? On Fri, 15 May 1998 22:27:55 -0700 (PDT) Fuzzy Said As CAoL Message # 00004431 > On Fri, 15 May 1998 21:36:14 PST > Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00004430 > > What can Nemo detect about Jadis, the glade, the gallows, the bones, > etc, etc, etc. Fuzzy figures that everyone else, Including Nemisis... ;) will get as much info as he could, In the mean time Fuzzy is focused on Jadis, As always Fuzzy has some tricks up his sleave... While Fuzzy has been insulting to our Host the wanna-be Ghost, He very carefully has made no threatening moves, He is just prepaired to defend... > (BTW, did my message declining Jadis's hospitality get thru? Or did > he decide to ignore me?) I suspect that Paul is included in Martin's phone troubles... =========================== Date: Sat, 16 May 1998 11:06:04 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Welcome to my parlor... On Sat, 16 May 1998 13:51:59 -0400 (EDT) Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00004433 > On Wed, 13 May 1998 09:09:13 -0700 (MST) > Driscoll Said As CAoL Message # 00004415 > > Driss looks a bit confused for a moment as Roscoe does quick > repairs to his memories then gives Jadis a disgusted look. "There is > much in what you say that I can not deny. I have been alone save the > company of Rsoce for a long time and by choice. But unlike you I > have felt love from other than thy right hand, though circumstances > took her from me long ago. But I really have to wonder at how you > would think that I and my step-sister had ever been lovers. My > family never was all that close much less to be sharing covers such > as your own must have been. How often _did_ your mother call you to > share the bed with her Jadis? Of course there are the rumors that > yoru mother was of the porcine persuasion..." Driss pauses a moment > to sniff the air, "And noting the stench that always seems to waft > about your presense Jadis it brings to mind the question. Just how > much of a Sow art thou?" Jadis stares at Driss in stunned astonishment for a moment, then broke out into laughter. "I take it back. I take it all back." He continues to laugh as he throws his arms wide, "May I present to you Driscoll of Braxton, Fate's whipping boy." He almost doubles over laughing. The laughter slowly settles down, then he extends his hand toward Driss, a note appearing in it, "If you truly believe what you just said, then I would suggest that you read this without your hound, or any of these others, staring over your shoulder." He continues to chuckle. OOC: If Driss looks at the note, it reads: As I know you would doubt anything I say, when you finally retrieve my counterpart from his captivity I would suggest that you ask him about Morgan's wedding. Don't go into details, just ask him about the wedding. Jadis =========================== Date: Sat, 16 May 1998 11:36:06 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Welcome to my parlor... On Sat, 16 May 1998 14:14:19 -0400 (EDT) Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00004434 > On Tue, 12 May 1998 22:08:35 > Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00004412 > > Roland follows up with a resonance drain (which I presume has no > effect, as Jadis controls local reality AFAIK OOC, and the resonance > effect is not Chi based) and a telepathic blast. *Where's JOHN, you > motherless guttertrash?!* > Sil watches, eyes narrow, but does nothing for the moment. Jadis assumes a bored look, and totally ignores Hydra. Watching Roland attempt to drain him he says, "He's really here. Get him. How very noble of you, Phoenix." > Roland smiles darkly and his ring bursts into life; he's an > energy being once more. "Like I said, just a matter of time." OOC: I don't know if this would actually work, so if it wouldn't ignore the bit about the ring in the beginning of this. Everything else would remain the same. Jadis looks pointedly at the ring, which flickers and dies. He smiles slightly, "Justice. What a curious concept. What is this justice of yours, Phoenix? It is so small and base that it is appeased merely by my handing over John to you now? I, who have lied, cheated, stolen, murdered, raped, plundered, and committed atrocities beyond mention. Whole _dimensions_ have been consigned to hell at _MY_ whim. And I would do it all again in a heartbeat. If I give John to you all this is _forgotten_? _Forgiven_? I think not. Tell me about this justice of yours. If you were to look into the future and see that I would personally be responsible for the greatest good the multiverse has _ever_ seen, a golden age the likes of which you cannot even begin to dream of, would you still come clamoring for my head? Or would you let me go? Would your 'justice'," he sneers, "demand I pay for my crimes and cause the suffering of countless worlds, or would it demand I be released, in view of the good it would cause? I am curious, Roland Phoenix, just what your justice is made of." =========================== Date: Sat, 16 May 1998 11:36:14 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Welcome to my parlor... On Sat, 16 May 1998 14:19:26 -0400 (EDT) Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00004435 > On Thu, 14 May 1998 00:25:17 EDT > Dane0R0A Said As CAoL Message # 00004425 > > Hydra speaks through the link, /I can not strike harder without > risking disrupting this world. My only other option is to try to > freeze time in the volume that he occupies, and depending on how > closely he has tied this dimension to himself, that could be > disasterous on a scale even I shudder to think of. I could disrupt > magic throughout this world, but that would harm US worse than him./ > Having said that, Hydra stands there scanning this world for > everything that can be found, from the smallest molecule chain or > energy flow to the largest continental plate and their movements. Jadis looks up at Hydra, "I am growing very, very weary of you. Scat." He waves his hand, "Begone." Hydra disappears. Jadis turns to the group, "Not to worry, I've only temporarily ejected him from this dimension. He should be back right about... now." =========================== Date: Sat, 16 May 1998 11:36:20 -0700 (PDT) Subject: AAE: What can you find? On Sat, 16 May 1998 14:29:50 -0400 (EDT) Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00004436 Well, It seems everyone wishes to know what our cosmically powered group can sense. A few things that are common for everyone, specifics I'll get to individually. If you scan Jadis for energy, you find it. Any type you may wish to look for. Forces that are violently opposed to each other swirl placidly side by side, etc, etc. By all rights he should be exploding into tiny tiny bits. Looking at the physical beyond the 80 ft? (was that what I said it was, or did I say yards) beyond the group does not work well at all. The information you get changes constantly. Like when Hydra looked at the planet he would have found three large landmasses, an island that the group is on, the landmasses would have sunk into the sea, risen, and crashed into each other to form a single large landmass all before Jadis waved him away. This does not include sight, which can see it's normal distance. Hmmmmm... everything else I'll get to individually. =========================== Date: Sat, 16 May 1998 12:06:27 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE4: Excuse me, but aren't you forgetting someone? On Sat, 16 May 1998 14:55:35 -0400 (EDT) Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00004437 > On Fri, 15 May 1998 21:36:14 PST > Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00004430 > > What can Nemo detect about Jadis, the glade, the gallows, the bones, > etc, etc, etc. Man, I keep forgetting things. Everyone who can can detect a presence in the area of the bones. It _is_ the God of Light, Guarien. =========================== Date: Sat, 16 May 1998 18:35:07 -0700 (PDT) Subject: RE: AAE IV: The Stowaway Gambit - Down for the Count (Part IV) On Sat, 16 May 1998 20:23:21 -0500 Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00004438 She sighs. "But it was simply damage in my long-term memory cause by all the power I shunted so fast to Jadis. So, basically, I've given myself away like any prize booby. This thing IS going to get me killed sooner or later, can you bury the knowledge of it real deep, and try to keep it unknown, please?" John nods, "I won't mention it to anyone. Although you might want to talk to Legion about it, she is, as near as I can understand, a union of many different personalities which work together. She is also, in my opinion, the best of us." He is silent a moment, staring at the ground, "Zia. If you were offered the chance to have that fixed, even if it meant that the Logrus or Pattern would be removed from your being, would you take it? Are the benefits worth it?" "This is so difficult to explain. It's _like_ multiple personality syndrome only in symptom, not in causation or actuality. Or even really in effects; after all, I know about it, I've dealt with the affect on my self. Technically, I would defined as insane. But I have begun to think that the definition might not fit all that well. And, no, even if there were a way to rip the Logrus back out of me, I wouldn't want to do it. You see..." she grins, "I am not the original. I have my doubts that any of us could be truly said to be, true, but my origins are a bit odd, you might say. I've never slain a sentient, John. I have little desire to start by slaying eleven closer to me than family can be. Legion and I are not as much alike as Kny - er, Mike and I might be considered. Although I think a Timelord would retain more of his previous lives, but use it less. And they ARE previous, not simultaneous...." She shakes her head. "Anyway, the fiction states that no Lensman can be unworthy of the Lens. And definitely not insane, although I am from a humano-centric point of view. Then again, I've come to think, as my father once stated, that human might not be very applicable in my case. Insanity might be more the 'racial norm' in the Courts of Chaos, at that." She looks thoughtful. "I wonder if any one else can use my Lens, or if that wouldn't work? Be dangerous to find out, though..." =========================== Date: Sat, 16 May 1998 19:35:33 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE4: Excuse me, but aren't you forgetting someone? On Sat, 16 May 1998 19:58:12 -0500 Molly Said As CAoL Message # 00004439 >On Fri, 15 May 1998 19:18:06 >Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00004428 > > Roland sighs mentally. ^Well, at least she's probably all right... >the only reason _I_ can think of that Jadis hasn't mentioned her is >that she hasn't attacked yet. Unless he doesn't think she matters one >way or the other. If she can lay low until she finds us-or, miracle >of miracles, actually manage to waste the bastich-she should be okay. >But...um...pass the word, would you-tell folx to start looking around >without being too obvious. 'Fly casual,' as Han would say.^ Molly still externally looks severe, ^Gotcha, Chief. Now, smile at me. Like you find the face I am making amusing.^ Once Roland does, Molly smiles and sends /Gawd, Roland, You were looking like too totally serious. It like wanted to make me gag. Chill out, ya know? Switch to decaf./ > Roland returns to his examination of Jadis, fearing the worst... > (OOC: And probably believing it if he senses the Pattern-based >energies Jadis absorbed.) Molly strolls past Nemo and sends privately, ^As you know, Zia is gunning for Jadis. Roland says to let everyone know to casually keep an eye out for her. Would you forward that to everyone privately? Prefaced with a note to casually turn away from Jadis and/or with their best poker faces.^ Molly's stroll then takes her past Fuzzy. ^How good is John's telepathy? Did you only teach him to use the Lens Link?^ Molly finally ceases her wandering next to Jack. Sitting on the ground, she scratches the little white donkey behind the ears. =========================== Date: Sat, 16 May 1998 20:38:12 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE4: Excuse me, but aren't you forgetting someone? On Sat, 16 May 1998 23:27:28 -0400 (EDT) Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00004440 > On Sat, 16 May 1998 19:58:12 -0500 > Molly Said As CAoL Message # 00004439 > > telepathy? Can he only use the mini-lenses?^> Rhiannon is staring around her, slightly distracted, mumbling very low, "He's here. I _know_ he's here. But where?" when Molly asks her question. ^Hmm?^ She mentally reviews the question. ^Damn good. I'm better at it, he trained me to be, but over the past 400 years he's gotten a lot better than when he started. He's a better TK, though, if that means anything.^ She seems slightly distracted, as she's straining her senses to try and get a fix on John. =========================== Date: Sat, 16 May 1998 20:38:20 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE4: Excuse me, but aren't you forgetting someone? On Sat, 16 May 1998 20:32:12 -0700 (PDT) Fuzzy Said As CAoL Message # 00004441 > On Sat, 16 May 1998 19:58:12 -0500 > Molly Said As CAoL Message # 00004439 > > Molly's stroll then takes her past Fuzzy. ^How good is John's > telepathy? Did you only teach him to use the Lens Link?^ ^Extremely Good, without mini-lens... Personal and Group Working modes, Shielding and Active Counters, Etc, I know serveral mid to upper level Psionicists who are less well trained... Assume his Esper abilities are a more than a match for an Journeyman Mage approching Master status...^ =========================== Date: Sat, 16 May 1998 22:35:14 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Welcome to my parlor... On Sat, 16 May 1998 22:45:55 -0700 (MST) Driscoll Said As CAoL Message # 00004442 OK just a bit of warning, I'm half moved into the new place meaning I have the bed here and three bookcases full of books thusfar, but still have 2 bookcases adn the real computer to go so I'll be answering BEFORE the quoted messages. hehehe Driss looks at the note, crumples it in his hand and drops it to the ground. > On Sat, 16 May 1998 13:51:59 -0400 (EDT) > Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00004433 > > OOC: If Driss looks at the note, it reads: As I know you would doubt > anything I say, when you finally retrieve my counterpart from his > captivity I would suggest that you ask him about Morgan's wedding. > Don't go into details, just ask him about the wedding. > Jadis =========================== Date: Sun, 17 May 1998 00:35:22 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE4: Welcome to my parlor, etc. On Sun, 17 May 1998 03:08:42 -0400 Dhyrclhanc Said As CAoL Message # 00004443 Dhyrclhanc looks at Jadis, then at the table laid out with food, then back at Jadis. "No offence intended, but I am not hungry. I had already eaten before I had gotten here." To Nimrod, who was now standing beside him, /#^ Stand down, Nimrod. I have no real basis for making any kind of assessment of our situation, save for the fact that we are very probably completly over our heads here. Don't _do_ anything, for now anyway. We have to see how this plays out. ^#/ Then Dhyrclhanc whispers essentially the same thing to Sythea, who was standing next to him on the opposite side from Nimrod. Finally, he sends to Void /^ Void, please relay to your team that they shouldn't make any sudden actions we would all be best if we just played this one out and just see where it finaly lands, if you'll forgive my tired sports analogy.As you are probably well aware by now Jadis, our current oppoenent, is at least twice as powerfull as your Helspont and his personality would make Helspont seem like a boy scout in comparison. ^/ Void responds to the Lensdragon while relaying his message to the rest of the WildCATS. /^Your advice is sound. We are staying our hand until one of us, or one of your freinds, can make some sense of all of this. You may want to convey to your 'Roland' that according to my heightened senses the entire environment around us save for what is in visual range is a seething cauldron of geomasses constantly in a state of chaotic flux. This Jadis obviously means to keep us here, for now at least. ^/ To which, Dhyrclhanc immeadiatly bounces a "copy" of this to Roland. /^ Got that, bro? And by the way, as your current XO, might I make the humble sugestion that you can catch more flies, or perhaps Jadi, with honey than with vinegar? ^/ [Now,] Dhyrclhanc thinks to himself [Comes the hard part -- the waiting.] =========================== Date: Sun, 17 May 1998 04:34:59 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE4: Excuse me, but aren't you forgetting someone? On Sat, 16 May 1998 21:34:01 PST Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00004444 > On Sat, 16 May 1998 19:58:12 -0500 > Molly Said As CAoL Message # 00004439 > > Molly strolls past Nemo and sends privately, ^As you know, Zia is > gunning for Jadis. Roland says to let everyone know to casually keep > an eye out for her. Would you forward that to everyone privately? > Prefaced with a note to casually turn away from Jadis and/or with > their best poker faces.^ Nemo will spread the word by touching people and using low-level direct contact links. That way the only way for anyone to eavesdrop is to be able to monitor Nemo or the other person. No external "radiation". =========================== Date: Sun, 17 May 1998 11:35:42 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Welcome to my parlor... On Sun, 17 May 1998 14:18:08 EDT Dane0R0A Said As CAoL Message # 00004445 << Shadow Said Jadis looks up at Hydra, "I am growing very, very weary of you. Scat." He waves his hand, "Begone." Hydra disappears. Jadis turns to the group, "Not to worry, I've only temporarily ejected him from this dimension. He should be back right about... now." >> As Hydra reappears, he gestures toward Jadis. A worm hole (the spacial kind) appears below Jadis's feet, and some kind of translucent bubble appears around the hole and Jadis. On the other end of the worm hole, a few feet from Jadis' toes, is the point discontinuity of a black hole. The gravity effects don't seem to reach farther than the translucent bubble. =========================== Date: Sun, 17 May 1998 13:38:51 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Welcome to my parlor... On Sun, 17 May 1998 16:18:04 -0400 (EDT) Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00004446 > On Sun, 17 May 1998 14:18:08 EDT > Dane0R0A Said As CAoL Message # 00004445 > > As Hydra reappears, he gestures toward Jadis. A worm hole (the > spacial kind) appears below Jadis's feet, and some kind of > translucent bubble appears around the hole and Jadis. On the other > end of the worm hole, a few feet from Jadis' toes, is the point > discontinuity of a black hole. The gravity effects don't seem to > reach farther than the translucent bubble. Jadis' form fades away slowly, and he reappears outside the bubble. "So hard to speak in one of those things." He turns to the bubble and places his hands on both sides of it and pushes. The bubble shrinks down to marble sized and Jadis pulls out a bag and drops it in. "If you are all done with attacking me for the moment I have prepared a small repast." [Cut to the scenes where everyone is merely insulting Jadis rather than trying to kill this form.] =========================== Date: Sun, 17 May 1998 13:38:58 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Welcome to my parlor... On Sun, 17 May 1998 16:21:17 -0400 (EDT) Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00004447 > On Wed, 13 May 1998 21:50:55 -0400 (EDT) > Xzerrion Said As CAoL Message # 00004423 > > Xzerrion looks up, and amazingly, restrains his temper enough *not* > to try something precipitous. (sp??) "Jadis. As stirring a > conversationalist as ever, I see. Kind of you to meet us, rather > than force us to go looking for you." Jadis smiles at Xzerrion, "Well, I have some small hope that you will actually see reason and go away. Or surrender, that's another viable option. I'll say what your options are and you pick the best one. I believe this is called negotiation." =========================== Date: Sun, 17 May 1998 13:39:04 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Welcome to my parlor... On Sun, 17 May 1998 16:24:56 -0400 (EDT) Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00004448 > On Tue, 12 May 1998 23:00:22 PST > Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00004414 > > Nemo speaks up. > > "Forgive me, Your Lowness, but since I intend to slay you, I cannot > in good conscience break bread with you." "Please, don't let that stop you. I certainly won't mind eating with you, and I absolve you from any guest rights or duties you feel may prevent you from killing me at a later date. How about a nice cup of tea to break the ice?" =========================== Date: Sun, 17 May 1998 13:39:09 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Welcome to my parlor... On Sun, 17 May 1998 13:28:09 Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00004449 >On Sat, 16 May 1998 14:14:19 -0400 (EDT) >Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00004434 > >> On Tue, 12 May 1998 22:08:35 >> Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00004412 >> Roland smiles darkly and his ring bursts into life; he's an >> energy being once more. "Like I said, just a matter of time." > OOC: I don't know if this would actually work, so if it wouldn't >ignore the bit about the ring in the beginning of this. Everything >else would remain the same. > > Jadis looks pointedly at the ring, which flickers and dies. Roland snaps back into material form, and looks at the ring with a betrayed expression. >He smiles slightly, "Justice. What a curious concept. What is this >justice of yours, Phoenix? It is so small and base that it is >appeased merely by my handing over John to you now? I, who have lied, >cheated, stolen, murdered, raped, plundered, and committed atrocities >beyond mention. Whole _dimensions_ have been consigned to hell at >_MY_ whim. And I would do it all again in a heartbeat. If I give John >to you all this is _forgotten_? _Forgiven_? I think not. Tell me >about this justice of yours. If you were to look into the future and >see that I would personally be responsible for the greatest good the >multiverse has _ever_ seen, a golden age the likes of which you >cannot even begin to dream of, (OOC: 'I don't know, I can _imagine_ quite a bit.' No fair peeking! ) >would you still come clamoring for my head? Or would you let me go? >Would your 'justice'," he sneers, "demand I pay for my crimes and >cause the suffering of countless worlds, or would it demand I be >released, in view of the good it would cause? I am curious, Roland >Phoenix, just what your justice is made of." Roland begins to tremble as Jadis lists off his crimes, a dark power beginning to well up within him. Exacerbated by the multiple energies absorbed from Jadis, Roland's eyes glow with a strange, raging light... ...until Jadis embarks on his theoretical exercise. "Your understanding of justice is appallingly limited. I suppose this explains a lot." Roland, with considerable effort, reins in his rage. "I do not dispense justice. I only _bring_ people to justice-the recalcitrant, like you-and allow those more qualified to judge the case to do so. There are times when I am...less than pleased...with the results, but so far my faith in justice has been borne out." Roland's eyes dart briefly to Justin, but without so much as turning his neck. His eyes, beginning to glow once more, lock back onto Jadis. "Your crimes forgiven? Forgotten? Not a chance. But there are 'mitigating circumstances' that can factor into decisions. If you really were trying to help others, and could demonstrate your intent, then I imagine that a court would be more likely to be lenient with you." Roland's face darkens. "But just _try_ and tell me that the cruelties you have committed would be necessary to this hypothetical 'Golden Age' of yours. Anyone can change, Jadis, make themselves into something better, but you clearly don't have any desire to." Again the rage begins to bubble to the surface. "You _have_ the power to create a Golden Age, or even to satisfy your every desire without harming others-except that _is_ what you want, isn't it? You revel in your sadism! Why are we here, Jadis? We would have come for you anyway, but you could have easily eluded us for far longer than you have! What-do-you-WANT!?" Roland's eyes are a roaring inferno, and the ring crackles slightly once more Though Jadis is incredibly powerful, Roland once qualified as a Green Lantern, and the state the ring creates crawls up his finger, spreads through his hand, and reaches down to the elbow. Even rage and will can only get you so far, though...the effect stops there, and Blaze lives up to his name, one arm made of lightning, as he glares at Jadis and waits for his answer... (OOC: Roland's thought shields are leaking like sieves; any sensitive in the area can tell that he's dancing _really_ close to the precipice, and his anger just might throw him right over...) =========================== Date: Sun, 17 May 1998 13:39:17 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Welcome to my parlor... On Sun, 17 May 1998 16:30:51 -0400 (EDT) Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00004450 > On Wed, 13 May 1998 09:11:40 -0700 (MST) > Driscoll Said As CAoL Message # 00004416 > >> On Tue, 12 May 1998 22:01:52 -0400 (EDT) >> Shadow Said >> Jadis grins, "That would be telling. Come, why don't we discuss >> things over lunch." A large table appears laden with foodstuffs of >> various kinds. "Please everyone, sit, eat. It's perfectly safe, I >> assure you. Driss, yours is the seat of honor at the head of the >> table, everyone else, there are namecards at your seats. _You_" he >> says, looking up at Hydra, "get nothing. You tried to blast me." > > Driss looks down at his seat, "Somehow I doubt there could be such > a seat in a place as this." The congenial facade seems to chill, though Jadis remains smiling, "Oh, never doubt, Driscoll, that I am true to my honor. I won't break my sworn intent." Jadis voice is low, and the temperature in his voice dropped several degrees when he said that to Driss. Then he continues on in his previous manner, the change so quick that those who weren't watching and listening miss it. =========================== Date: Sun, 17 May 1998 13:43:00 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Welcome to my parlor... On Sun, 17 May 1998 16:35:52 -0400 (EDT) Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00004451 > On Sat, 16 May 1998 22:45:55 -0700 (MST) > Driscoll Said As CAoL Message # 00004442 > > Driss looks at the note, crumples it in his hand and drops it to > the ground. The note disappears on it's way to the ground. A small sign appears somewhat behind Driss: Please keep our forest clean, with the picture of a bunny on it. =========================== Date: Sun, 17 May 1998 15:06:41 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Welcome to my parlor... On Sun, 17 May 1998 17:46:25 -0400 Caprice Said As CAoL Message # 00004453 >On Sun, 17 May 1998 14:18:08 EDT >Dane0R0A Said As CAoL Message # 00004445 > >As Hydra reappears, he gestures toward Jadis. A worm hole (the >spacial kind) appears below Jadis's feet, and some kind of >translucent bubble appears around the hole and Jadis. On the other >end of the worm hole, a few feet from Jadis' toes, is the point >discontinuity of a black hole. The gravity effects don't seem to >reach farther than the translucent bubble. Legion grabs a hold of the table, and tries to hide the sudden nausau she feels. /Hydra... please... stop that.../ =========================== Date: Sun, 17 May 1998 15:36:07 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Welcome to my parlor... On Sun, 17 May 1998 18:32:13 -0400 (EDT) Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00004454 > On Sun, 17 May 1998 17:46:25 -0400 > Caprice Said As CAoL Message # 00004453 > > Legion grabs a hold of the table, and tries to hide the sudden > nausau she feels. /Hydra... please... stop that.../ Jadis, after rolling the effect into a marble, dropping into the bag, and offering the food to everyone, is the concerned host, "Is there something wrong? Can I get you anything?" =========================== Date: Sun, 17 May 1998 16:37:13 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Welcome to my parlor... On Sun, 17 May 1998 19:01:11 -0400 Caprice Said As CAoL Message # 00004455 >On Sun, 17 May 1998 18:32:13 -0400 (EDT) >Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00004454 > >Jadis, after rolling the effect into a marble, dropping into the bag, >and offering the food to everyone, is the concerned host, "Is there >something wrong? Can I get you anything?" Legion straightens. "It has passed... we will be fine." The quality of her voice has changed, perhaps inidicating a different 'spokesperson'. She shoots a much aggrieved look at Hydra, clearly not pleased with his latest stunt. =========================== Date: Sun, 17 May 1998 16:37:19 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Welcome to my parlor... On Sun, 17 May 1998 14:49:33 PST Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00004456 > On Sun, 17 May 1998 14:18:08 EDT > Dane0R0A Said As CAoL Message # 00004445 > > As Hydra reappears, he gestures toward Jadis. A worm hole (the > spacial kind) appears below Jadis's feet, and some kind of > translucent bubble appears around the hole and Jadis. On the other > end of the worm hole, a few feet from Jadis' toes, is the point > discontinuity of a black hole. The gravity effects don't seem to > reach farther than the translucent bubble. /Hydra, quit wasting power. It's not really Jadis. And even if it was, we *can't* just kill him out of hand. Not without becoming no better than he is./ /And besides, just think how you'd feel if that was an illision wrapped around some *innocent* being controlled by Jadis? Do we need to form a set of guardians to protect the multiverse from *your* impulses, the way you protect it from the Stardragon?/ =========================== Date: Sun, 17 May 1998 16:37:25 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Welcome to my parlor... On Sun, 17 May 1998 14:57:54 PST Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00004457 > On Sun, 17 May 1998 16:21:17 -0400 (EDT) > Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00004447 > > Jadis smiles at Xzerrion, "Well, I have some small hope that you > will actually see reason and go away. Or surrender, that's another > viable option. I'll say what your options are and you pick the best > one. I believe this is called negotiation." "Not quite. Negotiation involves both sides presenting options, with the intent of reaching a mutually acceptable compromise. I do not believe that you intend to compromise, nor that you are interested in any options we might offer." "On the other hand, if you actually *are* interested in *really* negotiating, I for one am willing to listen to your offer. And to provide a counter offer if it isn't acceptable." =========================== Date: Sun, 17 May 1998 16:37:30 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Welcome to my parlor... On Sun, 17 May 1998 15:06:28 PST Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00004458 > On Sun, 17 May 1998 16:24:56 -0400 (EDT) > Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00004448 > > "Please, don't let that stop you. I certainly won't mind eating with > you, and I absolve you from any guest rights or duties you feel may > prevent you from killing me at a later date. How about a nice cup of > tea to break the ice?" "And of course, you are not granting us any guest rights either. Fair enough." Nemo doesn't respect the way Jadis *uses* his power (thus the "Your Lowness") but he does respect the power. And he's getting a grudging respect Jadis's "style". Nemo turns to the others. "We can at least sit down and be comfortable. And while what I know of him is not good, I've never heard that he broke his word." With this Nemo takes a seat where he can watch Jadis and the rest. =========================== Date: Sun, 17 May 1998 16:37:35 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE IV: Once Upon A Time... On Sun, 17 May 1998 19:25:23 -0400 (EDT) Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00004459 > On Tue, 12 May 1998 23:05:18 > Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00004413 > > "WAY! Damn! The Druid!" Shard laughs long and loud. "Jadis, we've > got a _real_ interesting situation here. Y'know, though, since he > hasn't had time to adjust to having his lady back, he's still got > all this rage built up from lifetimes of frustration, not to mention > that 'justice' is a concept just starting to come back to common > knowledge back home...you push him hard enough, and he might > explode." Jadis smiles, "So the 'boyscout' is close to the edge. Perfect. I think I'll see how much it takes to push him over." >Shard frowns again. "Just don't be in the blast radius...everyone >who's underestimated the Defender has regretted it." Jadis looks at Shard and laughs, "That's what I'm counting on. I'll see if he's man enough to kill me, especially when I.." Jadis breaks off. He stands and begins to walk away, "So your Father is in no way trustworthy?" Jadis absorbs this silently, plans flitting through his head, "Very well. Shard, I have a little job for you. In this dimensions past is a time barrier. It was too strong for me to take down myself. I propose to 'fling' you at it in order to weaken it sufficiently that the earlier I can bring it down the rest of the way. When you are done, return here." =========================== Date: Sun, 17 May 1998 17:06:15 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Welcome to my parlor... On Sun, 17 May 1998 19:42:09 -0400 (EDT) Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00004460 > On Sun, 17 May 1998 14:57:54 PST > Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00004457 > > "On the other hand, if you actually *are* interested in *really* > negotiating, I for one am willing to listen to your offer. And to > provide a counter offer if it isn't acceptable." Jadis glances sideways at Nemo, but doesn't say anything more about negotiation. It was entirely too early to start _that_ conversation. A few more 'bargaining' chips, however.. =========================== Date: Sun, 17 May 1998 17:06:27 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Welcome to my parlor... On Sun, 17 May 1998 19:49:03 -0400 (EDT) Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00004462 > On Sun, 17 May 1998 14:49:33 PST > Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00004456 > > /Hydra, quit wasting power. It's not really Jadis. And even if it > was, we *can't* just kill him out of hand. Not without becoming no > better than he is./ Rhiannon chimes in, / I thought that was why he was here? To get the discie killer. Although I got the feeling that Jadis was just as surprised at that as everyone else. Could probably get the charge reduced to manslughter with criminal intent if the judge wasn't likely to destroy the entire dimension he inhabitied at sight of him./ =========================== Date: Sun, 17 May 1998 19:06:39 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE IV: Once Upon A Time... On Sun, 17 May 1998 18:44:02 Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00004465 >On Sun, 17 May 1998 19:25:23 -0400 (EDT) >Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00004459 > >Jadis looks at Shard and laughs, "That's what I'm counting on. I'll >see if he's man enough to kill me, especially when I.." Jadis breaks >off. Shard's eyes bulge...then he laughs. "You bastard. You utterly magnificent bastard! That is sheer GENIUS!" >He stands and begins to walk away, "So your Father is in no way >trustworthy?" Shard stops laughing as if a switch had been hit. "He won't break his word just for the sake of breaking it, but he'll ignore treaties, turn against allies, and destroy anything sacred to anyone-even him-if it will set him free or harm the faerie." >Jadis absorbs this silently, plans flitting through his head, "Very >well. Shard, I have a little job for you. In this dimensions past is >a time barrier. It was too strong for me to take down myself. I >propose to 'fling' you at it in order to weaken it sufficiently that >the earlier I can bring it down the rest of the way. When you are >done, return here." Shard stands solemnly. He holds out his hand, and pure Quickening forms in it. (OOC: I imagine that this is the first time Jadis has ever seen this; this power is as rare as chicken lips. Roland can't do it yet, BTW.) Jadis will recognize the power by another name...Chi. The 'halo' of the immortal isn't made of the stuff, but it _powers_ the halo. The Quickening solidifies (!) into the shape of his old sword form. A tendril wraps around it, and gives it more physical solidity. In moments, a blade of hideous power has been forged in Shard's hand. He bows and salutes Jadis with it. "As you desire, so it shall be." Shard surrounds himself with power and awaits the temporal 'fastball special.' =========================== Date: Sun, 17 May 1998 19:06:45 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Welcome to my parlor... On Sun, 17 May 1998 18:40:41 Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00004466 >On Sun, 17 May 1998 14:49:33 PST >Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00004456 > >/Hydra, quit wasting power. It's not really Jadis. And even if it > was, we *can't* just kill him out of hand. Not without becoming no > better than he is./ /Does this look like 'out of hand' to you?/ Roland snarls, his eyes still locked on Jadis (see last post). /Although that _does_ explain how all those energies can coexist...Nemo, I don't like killing either, but _you_ were the one who was talking about the Lensman's Load earlier. Remember who the villain is here!/ =========================== Date: Sun, 17 May 1998 21:05:17 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Welcome to my parlor... On Sun, 17 May 1998 23:48:11 EDT Scott Osborne Said As CAoL Message # 00004467 > (OOC: Roland's thought shields are leaking like sieves; any >sensitive in the area can tell that he's dancing _really_ close to >the precipice, and his anger just might throw him right over...) A small voice in Roland's head, not very loud, and not coming from any easily identifiable source (including Jadis) says: %Wait. The time is not right.% =========================== Date: Sun, 17 May 1998 21:05:23 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Welcome to my parlor... On Sun, 17 May 1998 21:37:59 -0500 Molly Said As CAoL Message # 00004468 >On Sun, 17 May 1998 16:24:56 -0400 (EDT) >Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00004448 > >"Please, don't let that stop you. I certainly won't mind eating with >you, and I absolve you from any guest rights or duties you feel may >prevent you from killing me at a later date. How about a nice cup of >tea to break the ice?" Molly hops up and -skips- over to Jadis, Jack close behind. Reaching into her coat pocket, she pulls out a small burgundy tube and flips it so it unrolls into a flat disk. With a deft flick of the wrist, the burgundy disk pops up and into a burgundy "mad hatter" top hat with a purple band. A card in the band reads 10 7/8. Plopping it on Jadis's head with a quick peck on the cheek, Molly sends through the lens link, /There now, all dressed to kill! You lucky devil!/ Then Molly turns to Jack, bending to look her in the eye, Molly's hands on her knees, wide grin on her face. /Come on, Toto! Let's get some eats!/ Molly skips over to the table, Jack trailing confusedly behind. /Clean cup, clean cup, move down, move down! Clean cup, clean cup, move down!/ she sends. She stops at the middle of the table, looking at the placecards. She plants both hands on her hips. /Oh dear, these place settings will never do./ Molly quickly rearranges them. /No, Lord Emp at one end, with Dhyrcie all the way at the opposite end? They can't share cigars that way. And not everyone likes the smell of tobacco./ She rearranges them again. /Roscoe next to Fuzzy? They'll bicker like cats and dogs./ Another rearrangement. /Legion across from Nemo? But I wanna talk to them both too./ Molly puts them all back where they were originally. /There. Not perfect, but it really is the best after all, with this teed-off party./ Molly sits at her place, Jack next to her. She leans over and, taking the albino donkey's head in her hands, kisses the jennet full on the lips. Then Molly sets a plate of carrots on the ground for Jack to eat. /Come along everyone, sit down!/ Molly stands suddenly and lifts the lid of a nearby teapot, then puts it back quickly. /Oops! Sorry to wake you!/ =========================== Date: Sun, 17 May 1998 22:06:10 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Welcome to my parlor... On Sun, 17 May 1998 21:53:34 -0700 (PDT) The Lone One Said As CAoL Message # 00004469 On Sun, 17 May 1998, Michael Knight wrote: > Plopping it on Jadis's head with a quick peck on the cheek, Molly > sends through the lens link, /There now, all dressed to kill! You > lucky devil!/ Then Molly turns to Jack, bending to look her in the > eye, Molly's hands on her knees, wide grin on her face. /Come on, > Toto! Let's get some eats!/ Raver watches Molly's goings on, a very faint look of confusion on her face. [A reference to 'Alice in Wonderland', Raver.] Mandy's tone was wryly admiring. [And the Toto reference was from 'Wizard of Oz'.] She pointed the demon toward the appropriate memories, and after a few moments, Raver snorted. [You humans find the strangest places for humor.] > Molly sits at her place, Jack next to her. She leans over and, > taking the albino donkey's head in her hands, kisses the jennet full > on the lips. Then Molly sets a plate of carrots on the ground for > Jack to eat. [Somehow, I don't think *that* was exactly hygenic.] Raver could feel Mandy wrinkling a mental nose at that. [I am in this body perma...] Raver trailed off in the middle of the retort, and an apologetic burst of emotion washed over Mandy. [It's been three years, Raver. I'd say it's safe to bring up now. But yeah, I get your point. So. Shall we, then?] [Do you think that is wise?] [We're stuck here. If Hydra can't beat the clone up or at least puncture something, do you really think we're going to accomplish anything by being parties to our own poisoning?] Mandy paused. And thought. And tried again. [Ok, um...Hydra's got power up the wazoo. And it can't do beans here. I'd say we're shafted any way we look at it, so we might as well eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die.] [Tomorrow we die?] The near-panic in Raver's tone was palpable, and Mandy winced. [Bad choice of quotation. I'm not sure where that's from, but you get the idea.] She paused again before continuing in a quieter tone, [It's not a fun prospect for you, is it -- the idea that you might die someday with me? That's ... being human. Knowing that someday... somewhere... somehow, you're going to pass out of this life. Into the great unknown, and you don't know how -- you could die quietly in bed, you could freeze to death in an alley, you could die screaming...in the end, you die. And the kicker is that *you don't know* what's going to happen. You could go on to nirvana, to Heaven, to Tir na nOg...or to nothing. Nothing at all. Personally, I'm agnostic, so I'd like to think that I'll go to sleep between the stars beyond the end of time. Anyway...that's what being human is about, living with that over your head. You learn to collect small joys where you can, to hold the sunlight in your hands just because you can... Yeah, you're going to have to learn to do all that. But -- you won't have to do it alone. Because through all that, I'm going to be right *here*, alongside you.] Mandy wound down, and gave an embarrassed cough, and Raver found herself dealing with the foreign sensation of tears prickling their eyes. She blinked sharply, and hoped that no one else had noticed her momentary discomfiture. > /Come along everyone, sit down!/ Molly stands suddenly and lifts the > lid of a nearby teapot, then puts it back quickly. /Oops! Sorry to > wake you!/ Drawing a long breath, Raver pushed off from where they'd been standing and wandered over to stare sightlessly at the bones of Guarien. [Gods. I'm sorry I poked there.] [Do not be...I rather think I needed that. Besides, if even a god can die...] [He's not dead. I can feel something in there.] Mandy's tone was positive. [But, yeah, I get what you mean.] They stared at the skeleton in silence before turning and coming back to reexamine the table. (OOC: Whoa. See what happens when you're procrastinating on a Nietzsche religion paper?) =========================== Date: Sun, 17 May 1998 22:06:18 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Welcome to my parlor... On Sun, 17 May 1998 21:21:38 PST Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00004470 > On Sun, 17 May 1998 18:40:41 > Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00004466 > > /Does this look like 'out of hand' to you?/ Roland snarls, his > eyes still locked on Jadis (see last post). /Although that _does_ > explain how all those energies can coexist...Nemo, I don't like > killing either, but _you_ were the one who was talking about the > Lensman's Load earlier. Remember who the villain is here!/ /I'm aware of what he is. I also suspect that if we kill him without finding out what he knows, we'll regret it for the rest of our lives. Which might be rather short. Remember the sort of "booby-trap" *I* normally have set up for someone who succeeds in killing me. Jadis can do far worse than that./ =========================== Date: Sun, 17 May 1998 22:35:27 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Aae:Tea time On Sun, 17 May 1998 22:57:49 -0700 (MST) Driscoll Said As CAoL Message # 00004472 Driss looks at everyone else, Jadis and then finally Molly before shrugging and taking his seat. "Alright, we are guests, however uninvited or usual the case may be. The spilt vinegar has done no good so now we must bring out some honey. PLease, go right ahead adn play host Jadis. Tell us what is on your mind this afternoon. But at the same time be aware that we shall not be leaving without John. Afterall...how can I follow out the instruction in your own message if we do not find him?" Looking at the table, Driss picks up a teacup and takes a sip, "As for this meal Somehow I doubt that Jadis has enough power to counter Chaos's curse and if this food somehow damned me to remain Jadis would probably get sick of the Chaotic attention I attract adn be rid of me as quickly as he could after a century or two, so I'll take the risk." Justin finally makes his presense known by speaking up. "I think Driss is right in this. let us all sit and see what is on Jadis's menu." Shifting his body into The Controller he bows slightly to Jadis, "It's been a while since we last spoke in Quaren. So, where is MY place?" =========================== Date: Mon, 18 May 1998 04:35:10 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Welcome to my parlor... On Mon, 18 May 1998 00:11:01 PST Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00004476 Can Nemo make any sort of contact with Gaurien? Covertly, of course. Meanwhile, he'll have a cup of tea. Do let me know if it has any interesting properties. =========================== Date: Mon, 18 May 1998 14:39:46 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Welcome to my parlor... On Mon, 18 May 1998 16:30:54 -0400 (EDT) Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00004478 > On Mon, 18 May 1998 00:11:01 PST > Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00004476 > > Can Nemo make any sort of contact with Gaurien? Covertly, of course. Guarien rebuffs all contacts with low moan, "No more... Let me rest..." > Meanwhile, he'll have a cup of tea. Do let me know if it has any > interesting properties. Well, It is an exotic blend, but has no really interesting properties. =========================== Date: Mon, 18 May 1998 14:39:52 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE IV: Once Upon A Time... On Mon, 18 May 1998 17:04:39 -0400 (EDT) Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00004479 > On Sun, 17 May 1998 18:44:02 > Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00004465 > > Shard surrounds himself with power and awaits the temporal >'fastball special.' Jadis makes a few passes in the air and Shard disappears. He stares at the spot which he occupied for a few moments, then fades out as well. As he goes, he gives a command to his, no Shards' servants, "Remain here and wait for him to return." =========================== Date: Mon, 18 May 1998 14:39:59 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: Aae:Tea time On Mon, 18 May 1998 17:20:26 -0400 (EDT) Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00004480 > On Sun, 17 May 1998 22:57:49 -0700 (MST) > Driscoll Said As CAoL Message # 00004472 > > Looking at the table, Driss picks up a teacup and takes a sip, "As > for this meal Somehow I doubt that Jadis has enough power to counter > Chaos's curse and if this food somehow damned me to remain Jadis > would probably get sick of the Chaotic attention I attract adn be > rid of me as quickly as he could after a century or two, so I'll > take the risk." Jadis looks as if he's bit something rotten when Driss mentions being stuck here, "Have no fear of that. I want none of you as permanent houseguests. No offense meant." > Justin finally makes his presense known by speaking up. "I think > Driss is right in this. let us all sit and see what is on Jadis's > menu." Shifting his body into The Controller he bows slightly to > Jadis, "It's been a while since we last spoke in Quaren. So, where > is MY place?" The placecard on the opposite end of the table from Rolands glows as Jadis looks Justin up and down, "You've changed. I approve, if it means anything. You were much too limited and blind before. Tell me though, why keep _this_ form? You should know it can only antagonize certain people, and you have progressed beyond it." =========================== Date: Mon, 18 May 1998 14:40:07 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Welcome to my parlor... On Mon, 18 May 1998 17:28:12 -0400 (EDT) Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00004481 > On Sun, 17 May 1998 21:37:59 -0500 > Molly Said As CAoL Message # 00004468 > > Plopping it on Jadis's head with a quick peck on the cheek, Molly > sends through the lens link, /There now, all dressed to kill! You > lucky devil!/ Then Molly turns to Jack, bending to look her in the > eye, Molly's hands on her knees, wide grin on her face. /Come on, > Toto! Let's get some eats!/ Jadis' outfit changes to match the coloring on the hat. His suit is also a little large for the body. He grins. > Molly skips over to the table, Jack trailing confusedly behind. > /Clean cup, clean cup, move down, move down! Clean cup, clean cup, > move down!/ she sends. She stops at the middle of the table, looking > at the placecards. She plants both hands on her hips. > > /Oh dear, these place settings will never do./ All the dishes and cups dance and march, following their placecards to the new settings and back again. > /Come along everyone, sit down!/ Molly stands suddenly and lifts the > lid of a nearby teapot, then puts it back quickly. /Oops! Sorry to > wake you!/ OOC: I'd love to have a deep voice from in the tea pot say "it's all right." but Jadis can't hear the lens link. :^) =========================== Date: Mon, 18 May 1998 17:07:18 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Welcome to my parlor... On Mon, 18 May 1998 17:54:16 -0500 Molly Said As CAoL Message # 00004482 >On Mon, 18 May 1998 17:28:12 -0400 (EDT) >Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00004481 > >All the dishes and cups dance and march, following their placecards >to the new settings and back again. Molly smiles /Be our guest, be our guest, put our magic to the test.../ >> /Come along everyone, sit down!/ Molly stands suddenly and lifts >> the lid of a nearby teapot, then puts it back quickly. /Oops! Sorry >> to wake you!/ > >OOC: I'd love to have a deep voice from in the tea pot say "it's all >right." but Jadis can't hear the lens link. :^) =========================== Date: Mon, 18 May 1998 18:37:00 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Welcome to my parlor... On Mon, 18 May 1998 16:58:57 PST Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00004483 > On Mon, 18 May 1998 16:30:54 -0400 (EDT) > Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00004478 > >> Meanwhile, he'll have a cup of tea. Do let me know if it has any >> interesting properties. > > Well, It is an exotic blend, but has no really interesting > properties. Nemo addresses Jadis. "Interesting blend. Perhaps you'd like to try one I've encountered. I assure you it is harmless to humans. With your permission?" Nemo places his hands as if cradling a teapot and rearranges atoms of the air into a pot containing a rather nice tea (a Hani blend). He'll then (if permitted) levitate the pot and a cup over to Jadis. =========================== Date: Mon, 18 May 1998 20:05:49 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Welcome to my parlor... On Mon, 18 May 1998 19:42:42 Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00004484 >On Sun, 17 May 1998 23:48:11 EDT >Scott Osborne Said As CAoL Message # 00004467 > >> (OOC: Roland's thought shields are leaking like sieves; any >>sensitive in the area can tell that he's dancing _really_ close to >>the precipice, and his anger just might throw him right over...) > >A small voice in Roland's head, not very loud, and not coming from >any easily identifiable source (including Jadis) says: > >%Wait. The time is not right.% Roland mentally 'rears' back to bite the intruder's head off...then realizes just how badly he's leaking. *Fine. Wrong time. Now get out.* Roland doesn't relax an iota... (OOC: The boy's wound pretty tightly at this point; it'll take a considerable outlet to cool him off. Don't worry, he's going to have one soon. ) =========================== Date: Mon, 18 May 1998 21:06:44 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Welcome to my parlor... On Mon, 18 May 1998 23:44:40 -0400 (EDT) Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00004485 > On Mon, 18 May 1998 16:58:57 PST > Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00004483 > > Nemo addresses Jadis. > > "Interesting blend. Perhaps you'd like to try one I've encountered. > I assure you it is harmless to humans. With your permission?" Jadis inclines his head. > Nemo places his hands as if cradling a teapot and rearranges atoms > of the air into a pot containing a rather nice tea (a Hani blend). > He'll then (if permitted) levitate the pot and a cup over to Jadis. Jadis accepts the cup, "Thank you." He sips the tea and smiles, "This is quite good. Where is it from?" =========================== Date: Mon, 18 May 1998 22:39:00 -0700 (PDT) Subject: AAE IV: The Stowaway Gambit - John's Origins in the Zodaii (Part VI) On Mon, 18 May 1998 20:48:46 -0500 Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00004486 "As for me and Jadis, you are correct in your speculations, almost to the letter." John says. Zia looks as relieved as anyone who took a pop quiz and managed to ace it down. "We have been dueling since before there were shadows to duel in, and our fight will be completed when all of shadow has returned to that whence it came from. And now you know more than Jadis himself does. I am not entirely human," he grins, "as you may have already learned. This body is human, with a human personality, that is melded with a being that was beyond this poor humans understanding." "If I knew beforehand what I'd be getting myself into.." He fades off to momentarily contemplate might-have-been, "No, I'd probably still do it. How best to illustrate the current situation... Take NEMO, fragment that being into countless pieces, provide a host of some sort for each piece, and then have the pieces try to rejoin. Add in another bring of the same type, only opposed to the first." The petite brunette rolls her eyes a bit and grins crookedly at the mention of NEMO and Nemos. "Now make the original starting NEMO magnitudes higher on the ol' evolutionary/power scale. And give each fragment a shard, a tiny fraction of the knowledge and power of the original. Make some knowledge only understandable once a certain size or complexity has been reached, and only then if the composing pieces possessed the knowledge to begin with. Then you might get a glimmer of the complex game being played out between me and my counterpart throughout existence." John pauses, "You know, this language isn't really suited for expressing when the "I" I am speaking of is myself, or it is the Other, that fragment that gives me my abilities. Of course, at a certain level we are the same being, which gave me a lot of trouble for a long while, but I've noticed that I sometimes blur the lines now when I'm discussing myself." "Not a bad summary, but startlingly imprecise in the details, given the nature of the being you are in synthesis with. Are you prepared to be thoroughly grilled? I have studied some techniques in logic, and some of the masters, so I can try to keep the questions non-repetitive. If I am to engage Jadis effectively, I need a much better understanding." "First, being a mathemagician, I'll have to define my terms and state my assumptions, of course. To use my terms, newly minted, together you and your Other would refer to yourself as gi'." She says it exactly like guy, except the y becomes a sharp rising i-sound. "For I, and yourself would be ginself. Or if I say the equivalent of Hey, you' it becomes Hey, ginu'. While I remains for just you without your Other, though I don't think ginu'd need it any longer from the lack of distinction ginu're expressing." "Then, the loose' pieces would be groks, for obvious reasons if you've read Heinlein's work, or had the privilege of meeting Saint Michael. Speaking of future tensed compilation of ginu with anticipated groks absorbed within would make it ginuet. The me' form, when you talk about yourself, is gi instead of the you' form, gin. Don't worry, I'll use them in speech a bit, and ginu'll catch right on to it. It's harder to explain than to do." She grins an age-old woman's mysterious grin, "So many of the CAoL seem to be multi-locus beings. Ginu seem to have gotten one of the worst situations as far as circumstances meeting difficulties of the splits, however. Now, for my questions." "Secondly, checking on some assumptions I've formed. Now when ginu," she says it as gin-you', "that's how I'd refer to you both together - meets a grok, does it already have an aligned character to either ginself or ginruself, that meaning Jadis? How do ginu engulf a grok? Taking heads like the Immortals, or something completely different? Are there actually 'countless' as in infinite groks out there, or was that an exaggeration? I think it was - every being can't be involved in this game, or it'd not need a conclusion terminus." "It works out to more or less one per Shadow. You can give me a number for all possible Shadows, I never had the time to count." He grins. "Lessee, when we meet a 'grok' as you put it, and that grok has a sentient host, we engage in the Duel. Basically a battle for Dominance in the resulting being. The head need not be taken, just a mortal blow delivered. The loser is absorbed into the winner, it's personality submerged into that of the winners. The piece of the Other just grows bigger and more powerful. That's how it is for me. Jadis doesn't bother to merge with the host body, he eats its essence, gains it's knowledge, and discards as much of the personality as is feasible. So fights between him just result in a larger being." "Shadow is infinite. You can't divide infinities. So, there is probably a ceiling limit on how big you can get. You seem to imply that there is some basic difference between the techniques, but I don' t see one in the description you just gave." She looks him up and down, "I realize this is only mental landscape, but if ginu're are taking in the physical bodies of the groks, where are you hiding the mass? I figured that bit about personalities and Jadis, by some of his reaction. Part of my strategy, in fact, to throw my power into gniru's self before he could drain and discard the me' parts of it." She chuckles weakly, "And you can imagine just how strong a personality I' ve got, when I tell you I'm running on a fraction of a percent right now." "Excess mass is usually converted to energy. Unless we suppress it, we radiate said energy as well. I remember them all, each lifetime, each personality, right up to the point I killed myself." She shudders, and stares off into the distance, unseeing. "I imagine it'll amuse you when you see the results within Jadis; don't let him catch your reaction, but it seems to be making it fairly hard for me to think well." He gets another lame grin, "And I probably am not very entertaining company. I hope that the Pattern within my Blood will regenerate the power, and my self' without too much delay." "Why are ginu and ginru opposed? You said I was right almost to the letter, but I was using intrinsically vague definitions. Is the disagreement something so simple but utterly opposed as the forces of positive (Yang) and negative (Yin) energies? Are those energies actually what gin and ginru represent? Usually Yin and Yang are brought both into balance in a disciplined mind and body approach, not wasting them in internal wrestling. They cannot effectively be used directly one against the other. A lesson many students of the martial arts do not seem to take to heart." "Well, once we get to specifics that is where the Yin-Yang model falls apart. We are not anything like the simple but utterly opposed model of anything. We represent two beings, both of us together comprising our entire race, yes, there were once more than the two of us. We can not fundamentally change ourselves, but we may affect each other. And we cannot be destroyed, in the final sense." Zia still looks more than a bit spaced-out, but she smiles, and quips faintly, "Destruction is general final in sense, yes." =========================== Date: Mon, 18 May 1998 22:39:10 -0700 (PDT) Subject: AAE IV: The Stowaway's Gambit - Rhiannon's Role (Part VII) On Mon, 18 May 1998 20:50:40 -0500 Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00004487 "What place does Rhiannon have in this? Do you consider her your adopted daughter? Is Jadis really just monomaniacally fixated on power, or is there someone that ginru might be rising up as an ally as well?" She looks interested in this one. "Rhia is my daughter in more than name. She was a clone of Morgan, but machinations by the Controller would have caused her to explode and take out the CAoL with her. I saved her, and in the process I changed her. Gave her extra abilities beyond what was inherent to Morgan. And.. she now has the option to join my race, to become Zodaii, the first new one since Jadis himself. And I haven't told her this yet." "Oh. Very not good. Jadis know? Or can tell? Well. I figured it out." Zia truly didn't react with any surprise at all to the Zodaii statement. "Jadis probably either knows, or will. She is angry, John, and hurt, more than you know. You see, you've failed her, in a way, and abandoned her. While you made contingency plans for her being alone, you failed to get her emotionally prepared for it. She always thought you'd be there for her -" Zia's voice suddenly squeaks and breaks apart on her. One eyebrow rises in surprised consternation; Zia clears her throat. After a long drink of tea, while refilling the cup, she continues. "With your power, you might even agree it wasn't an unreasonable belief. As beliefs go." She muses. "I'm not insulting you, I'm trying to make you understand the view from her corner of this. You were wrong not to tell her, though. I just hope neither of you is hurt by that failure any more than what can be avoided." John looks upset at this, and his voice rises throughout his tirade, "How could I tell her? Tell her that at the beginning it was a cold decision to advance my own agenda." He gets up and starts to pace, "That her entire existence from the point from which I saved her was a calculated decision to get my own ass out of the fire? That the love I bear her, the human love, is not exactly echoed by this damn thing inside me? That _that_ part of me views her as a tool; a means to an end? Yaauuuggghh!" John extends a hand and incinerates several harmless looking trees with a blast of power. It seems to have a somewhat calming effect on him. "If you do have a human love as well you could just tell her like that. Although perhaps without the disintegration of the nearby landscape." She quirks a look down the line to the smoking hole, barely shifting her body, but still wincing a bit. John stares at the crater and the smoking remains of trees and looks a bit chagrined. The landscape slowly reforms itself, but the trees just fade away. He leans against a tree and rub his forehead, "It will be her decision, this I have Sworn. Me and the Other don't exactly see eye-to-eye on some issues. Ree will be the first truly human Zodaii, and may turn the battle in my favor. But to condemn her to eternal life, she may not want it. I wanted her to have a few hundred years under her belt before making this decision. Enough time to get an idea of what immortality is like." "The Other, and you, disagreeing is a problem. But still. Half-measures and no permissions. No explanations. No guidance." Zia says, with a gentle air of one making a point, but not an accusation. "As a sensei, you're not looking so hot. As a father, well - she's crazy about you. But you're overprotective and remote, I bet. Have to see you both together. Situation IS less than ideal. You're making it worse than it has to be, though. Strange to tell a CAoLer this, but love ain't a halfway option, John. If you're holding back on the lady, she has every right to be royally pissed off at you. Better do some hard thinking; trust to walk through a fire like that with you won't be born in the ignorance you're trying to keep her in as protection'." The reclining young woman stops suddenly, then her face looks annoyed. "Wonderful. I sound like a shrink and a computer, and 100% smarmy without lots of me' here. The advice lever seems to be stuck in the on, position, John. Please try to ignore it. Or we can stop talking until I can be more civil." "No, No. I _have_ sheltered her. And she would have every reason to be pissed at me when I finally do tell her. But I'm not forcing her into anything, and she has no decisions that she has to make right away. In fact, I'd want her to think it over, because past a certain point there is no going back. I can't step back from this problem, I'm too caught up in it emotionally. Sometimes it's nice to hear from an outsider, who has no stake in the outcome, to get that view. I don't know about remote, but I certainly am overprotective. When love enters the picture wisdom and common sense go out the door." =========================== Date: Mon, 18 May 1998 22:39:18 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Welcome to my parlor... On Mon, 18 May 1998 21:32:39 PST Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00004488 > On Mon, 18 May 1998 23:44:40 -0400 (EDT) > Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00004485 > > Jadis accepts the cup, "Thank you." He sips the tea and smiles, > "This is quite good. Where is it from?" I'm not exactly sure where they get it, but I purchased it from some Hani traders. The Hani are a Felinoid race. They are spacefarers, and part of a multi-species concord in their universe. A very strange alliance. I rather expect that you'd like one of the other species, the Kif. =========================== Date: Mon, 18 May 1998 23:05:25 -0700 (PDT) Subject: AAE IV: The Stowaway's Gambit - About Jadis, Anyway (Part VIII) On Mon, 18 May 1998 20:55:17 -0500 Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00004489 John pauses and takes a sip of his tea, "Jadis... Jadis has plans even he isn't aware of. His personality is fragmented, that portion that can look ahead is separate from the rest of him, he does things for purposes not even he comprehends. Remember, almost all of what I've told you just now he doesn't know. He knows that I am his age old enemy, he knows that he can't be killed, he knows that he is stronger than I am, he knows that there are bits of himself scattered all over the place, and he knows that he is still not powerful enough to prevent me from stopping him. He was flawed in the making, much as that pains me to admit it, and the outcome of our original duel has not helped him any." "Is there no hope of repairing or re-working this flaw'? And why is the original duel a problem? Why was there a duel, since I deduce you created him on purpose, from the tone of your speech. Why is he so set upon winning, if it means the destruction of all else? Hard to have any power in a nullity. Does he seek non-being, like Nirvana? Is he in that much pain and confusion, inside, from having such fragmentation?" "He was the joint creation by me and another of my race. Human relationship terms don't really apply to what we were, for that period you _could_ call her my love." John's voice makes it _very_ clear that that is nowhere near the truth, just the best approximation he can make with his limited knowledge. "And no, he cannot be fixed. Once he became what he was; it was fixed. Oh, he could change, but it's not like changing a spark plug. He would have to agree with the changes. No, my hope is to release those whom he has taken into himself, when this is finished. I will have changed in the process, but I wish to see the race continue on." "And when all this," he waves his hand to indicate shadow, "is gone, there will not be nullity. I cannot even begin to imagine the conditions that would exist, the concepts are beyond almost all but a full-formed Zodaii or another being from there, but in that moment I and my counterpart will re-emerge full-formed to continue our battle where we left off. Once such a battle has been started there can be no retreat, for the very act would mean defeat. In fact, he was defeating me. Consider a virus being engulfed by another cell for assimilation and disposal, only once the process was begun this virus destroys itself in an explosion that takes the attacking cell with it. Victory is turned to defeat, and there are no winners." John's gaze takes on a faraway look, "Does he have plans to bring in a fourth player in our game? Undoubtedly. Most likely he has several plans to win when all is done. I try to thwart them when I come across them, but I cannot be everywhere. He likes plans he can set in motion and walk away from, freeing him to get others ready." "Of course he does. Sounds like he is altogether more serious about winning than you are, unless you're employing the tactics of China, hmmm, and you could. Interesting. I wonder if you mean that, or it's similar to Jadis' situation?" To herself as her eyes go glazed again. "I have more damage to the centers of thought than I expected. Have you been taught redaction, John?" "Taught? Yes. Ever tried it? Never." "Ah. Maybe I'll try to let the Lens do it. I don't even know if I can try and repair things in my own head with it, haven't done that one before." She looks thoughtful. "It should be possible." Her eyes go a bit glazed over. "Keep talking to me, it should show up fast if something goes wrong with this attempt." WHEWIE! Okay, THAT should have keep even the inestimable Fuzzy busy for a bit, reading... if anyone IS slogging through all this. :) We're now turning down the home stretch, so there may be a bit of a pause whilst you'awl catch up. (And as we email the next converation back and forth, to finish it. :) =========================== Date: Mon, 18 May 1998 23:05:32 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Welcome to my parlor... On Tue, 19 May 1998 01:45:44 -0400 (EDT) Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00004490 > On Mon, 18 May 1998 21:32:39 PST > Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00004488 > > I'm not exactly sure where they get it, but I purchased it from some > Hani traders. The Hani are a Felinoid race. They are spacefarers, > and part of a multi-species concord in their universe. A very > strange alliance. I rather expect that you'd like one of the other > species, the Kif. Jadis nods, "Ahh, I'll have to look them up sometime." He drinks his tea. ===========================