 |
February 9, 2003 |
|
]
Dover Port - Banished Sun...
Yosannah sits on the pier, looking out
over the water. Brandon arrives via sportscar, behind a black SUV. He
gets out of the car, in that he drove, with a young woman who has a
snap in her step. She holds several papers following along behind
Brandon. Four men get out of the SUV, they move fora barge near the
in one of the docks. Yosannah glances up at the newcomers. She looks
them over for a brief moment before her gaze settles on a guard
standing below a security camera. The men move to what must be a
privatly owned barge, along with the lady. Brandon however stands
walking over gravel towards the water. He holds no papers, or the
such.
Yosannah offers, "I should know you,
shouldn't I?"
Brandon shrugs softly, "You might know my
face but I wouldn't be supprised if you forgot my name. I saw you in
Begma during the auction, and we spoke briefly in the Web once or
twice."
Yosannah nods and then turns her gaze out
toward the ocean. She pays no attention to the men and the woman as
they make their way toward a barge, "That's right. I'm not too good
with names and faces. You'll have to excuse me."
Brandon nods, "Nor myself." he offers
with a soft smile. "My name is Brandon, it s a welcome supprise to
see someone remotly familiar around. I deal with these idots all day
long." he nods to the men.
Yosannah looks over toward the men, she
seems about to comment but shakes her head instead. "I'm Yosannah."
Brandon smiles, "Pleasure to meet you."
he thinks for a moment, "Do you live here, or just a visitor?"
Yosannah holds her arm up and gestures
around, "Not a visitor. This is my shadow." She 'humphs' and regards
the barge, "Welcome."
Brandon smiles, "I was totaly un aware, I
thought Stone ran it." he offers, "My appologies. Perhaps you are
wondering what I am doing?"
Yosannah chuckles, "Stone. Only in his
own mind." She shrugs, "Your business is your own. But, please,
enlighten me."
Brandon offers, "I run the Company
Serpents Scale Shipping. We are moving some ale, wine, and rugs to
another shadow. I use the Rathorne Shadow paths that are connected
close to here."
"I saw no crates."
Brandon notes, "They are on the barge
already, these men are just doing some final checks before it leaves.
That is what the papers were."
"Naturally. So, I asssume Stoner gave you
permission to conduct business out of this port?"
Brandon nods, "I spoke to him in the
Church a while back, told him of my doings and such."
Yosannah nods, "Which Church?"
Brandon notes, "Church of the serpent who
manafests the Logrus." he shows her the larger cufflink on his
jacket. "I am a priest there."
Yosannah chuckles, "Congrats, Padre."
Brandon smiles, "Thank you." he thinks at
least.
"Which house are you from?"
Brandon nods, "Rathorne, I am nephew to
Lord Sallah." he notes, "And I head up the Tradeing Ports and
Pathways of the house."
Yosannah nods, "One of my very closest
friends used to be a Rathorne." She smiles lightly as if remembering
and then mumbles under her breath, "...at least I think it was
Rathorne..."
Brandon wonders, "Oh, what was their
name?"
"Mariko. But somehow I believe that was
before your time."
Brandon hmms, "I cant say that I met
Mariko unfortunatly, I belive it was." he chuckles, "I am still very
young."
Yosannah smiles and offers, "Yes, despite
your Chaosian abilities, I would guess that you are fairly young."
Brandon grins, "What was it." he places
two fingers around his chin, "My Boyish figure, or my unbelivable
powers of ignorance?"
Yosannah winks, "None of the above. Just
a guess."
Brandon smiles softly, the woman arrives
behind him with the papers. He turns around and reaches for them
without a word. He glances them over for a moment, "Excuse me." he
says to Yo, and then takes out a pen and signs the bottom. "Thank
you. Go with the others back to the office and have a draft up for me
by tomarrow morning. Please." the woman smiles and nods taking the
papers back and goes off. He turns back, "Sorry about that,
everything requires approval."
"Naturally. Are you off then?"
Brandon mmms, "I have no pressing matters
to attend to, and this is much more enjoyable than paperwork. If you
will have me, I think I might stay for a while longer."
Yosannah shrugs, "Suit yourself."
Brandon wonders, "Do you sit here often?
It is a nice place."
Yosannah considers, "No. It is not a nice
place. Too many eyes if you take my meaning."
Brandon nods, "I completly understand."
he says without looking at any of the cameras. "Well, as this is your
shadow perhaps you could give me a hint as to where the best place to
lounge about is?"
Yosannah laughs, "Sure. Uh, I'd stay out
of Dover. Elbridge is a bit more... secluded." She thinks, "You're
always welcome at Webber's... Have you been to Gideon?"
Brandon thinks for a moment, "I dont
belive so, where is that?"
"Up past the village of Elbridge." She
asks, "Stone has never invited you there then?"
Brandon notes, "Ohh, he did mention it.
We went on a tour of shadow. Texorami and the such, he got called
away before it was completed. Perhaps that might have been the last
place on the list."
"Maybe. Maybe not. It's members only."
She stands up, "But today is your lucky day." She fishes around in
her jacket pocket and retrieves a mish-mashed pile of cards.
Brandon ahhs, "Very nice." he looks
around at the cameras. "I guess since you own the place your
allowed?"
Yosannah chuckles again. "Ah, here we go.
Ready?"
Brandon nods, "Please."
Yosannah reaches out her hand. Brandon
takes it...
Gideon Club Hallway...
They wander into the Study.
Brandon wonders aloud, "It is probably
not a good idea to draw a trump of this place. As it is members
only."
Yosannah laughs, "No, that would be
rather offensive. But we're only a half mile north of the town of
Elbridge, through the cemetary."
Brandon nods, "I have recently been
taught how to draw them, and I have been drawing everything possible
for practice."
Yosannah smiles knowingly, "You'll tired
of that rather quickly." She wanders behind the bar and fishes
around, "Who was your instructor?"
Brandon offers, "Lady Prelate
Ada-Shanzandra, of the Church of the Serpent." he wonders, "Do you
know the art?"
Yosannah nods, "Ada? I think I may have
met her once or twice." She doesn't respond to the second question;
rather, she pops up from behind the bar with a bottle of wine in
hand, "Ah ha. Would you care for a glass?" Yosannah sets two glasses
on the bartop. "Trump is a highly over-rated art form. In my humble
opinion, that is." She begins to twist a cork-screw into the bottle.
"Everybody and their brother knows the art. You'd be better off
spending your time and talents elsewhere." She begins to pull the
cork from the bottle: 'POP'.
Brandon ohs? "And what would you
suggest?"
Yosannah shrugs as she fills the glasses,
"Well, if your sole purpose for learning how to sketch trumps is for
travel, I'd have someone else do that work for you. It's very time
consuming." She puts a hand on her hip, "I guess I'd focus on
personal abilities. But what the hell do I know?"
Brandon shrugs, "I am sure you know
alot." he pauses, "I work with trumps in order to aid Chaos, I will
also be attempting to walk the Logrus eventually."
Yosannah pushes a glass over the bar
toward Brandon, "Now there is a usefull talent. Good luck on your
test."
Brandon raises his glass, "Thank you very
much." he takes a sip from his wine.
"So, tell me about yourself? Where are
you from?"
Yosannah smiles and winks, "Here, of
course."
Brandon chuckles, "You were born here and
grow up to own it? Very nice."
Yosannah laughs, "Well, more like a place
called New York. Probably not this shadow. Definitly an Earth shadow.
Have you ever been to New York?"
Brandon nods, "I lived on one of the many
shadow earths. In San Francisco. I went to New York a few times."
"Right. And, when you're not a Chaosian
or an Amberite, every shadow is pretty much the same as far as the
'real people' are concerned."
Brandon shrugs, "Yea, most people have a
serious attitude towards that. In my mind, a person is a person is a
person you know. Just because one can walk on a design on the floor,
another can walk a moving path dosn't make one better than the
other."
Yosannah laughs, "You're bound to stir up
trouble thinking like that." She sips her wine.
Brandon nods, "Yea, I sir up trouble more
often then not. But I cant be that bad as I havn't been exiled from
anywhere yet."
Yosannah smiles as she walks out from
behind the bar. She makes her way toward the sofa near the fireplace.
Brandon takes a sip of his wine and moves
with Yo towards the couch. "So, where are you calling home right
now?"
Brandon mmms, "Rathorne for the time. I
sold my house in San Fran, and lock my door to the office before I
trump home. Then Trump back if I need to. So I mostly stay in Chaos."
Nash steps in from the hallway, pulling
up short when he realises the room is occupied.
"I never understood how the rulership in
the houses is set up. That's very... Oh. Hey, Nash." She stands from
the couch.
Brandon turns from his convorsation with
Yo, to Nash. He nods his head, and takes a drink from his wine.
Nash gives Yosannah a strange look,
"Hello." he seems to be waiting for something from that quarter that
has not yet arrived.
"What's wrong?" she asks.
Brandon starts to speak, but gets a trump
call instead. He looks up.
Nash squints, "It's been nearly forty
seconds and you haven't been rude."
Yosannah smirks, "Wine, Nash?"
Nash waves that off, "No, thank you.
Vodka if you're being mother."
Yosannah practically hops over to the bar
to fill his order.
Brandon sighs a bit, "Excuse me Yosannah,
Nash." he puts his wine down. "I am being called away."
Yosannah nods at Brandon, "Oh. I'm sorry
to hear that."
Nash nods to Brandon, "Good turnings to
you."
Brandon nods, "I am sure I will see you
again. Serpents Blessings." he waves to you both, and reaches up
pulling himself somewhere else. Brandon moves forward and vanishes,
leaving behind a rapidly fading afterimage.
Nash meanders closer to the bar, "So -
what's got you all Nash-friendly today?"
Yosannah crosses her arms, "I'm not
anti-Nash, now, come on."
Nash tilts his head, "Anti-Cragvale?"
Yosannah considers, "That depends, do
they still think they own my shadow?"
Nash shrugs, "I expect so. Makes no
difference to me. As far as I'm concerned it's Stone's world."
Ryker remarks, appearing in a corner,
"Well well."
Yosannah startles, "Jesus, can't you just
enter the room through the hallway like everyone else?"
Ryker replies, "I could, but then I
wouldn't enjoy your reaction. Instead I'd get some calm, rude
greeting."
Nash looks around at Ryker, one eyebrow
hiking up. "Turnings, Ryker. Long time no see."
Ryker leans against the corner. "Has
been, yeah. Ryker says "Kama has dropped down some notches on my
travel list."
Nash looks Ryker up and down. "Is that a
good thing, or a bad thing?"
Ryker doesn't seem to care about the
scrutiny. "Depends on your point of view."
Nash nods slightly, his eyes picking up
an amused gleam, "That hat looks incredibly stupid with that armour.
I thought you should know."
Yosannah sets a bottle of vodka on the
bartop and pushes it toward Nash.
Ryker seems to concede the point,
stating, "The hat is my favorite. The armor is an unfortunate
necessity. Long lives are built on compromise."
Nash reaches out to arrest the bottle's
motion and unscrews the cap. "I've heard mention of your name around
Amber-side, Ryk. Who are you picking on now?"
Ryker shrugs slightly, unconcerned. "Who
don't I pick on. The poles are so ripe with foils."
Yosannah rolls her eyes, "I'm glad it
keeps you occupied." She holds up the wine bottle, "You want a
glass?"
Nash takes a swig of his vodka, looking
at the healing scar on Yosannah's neck as she talks.
Ryker hooks a thumb in his chain belt,
shaking his head. "Thanks, but no. You must be talking about Begma."
"What's going on out there."
Nash's interest in Begma seems to dwindle
into nothingness compared to his interest in the vodka. The bottle
gurgles quietly as he takes a few more gulps out of it.
Ryker says "Nothing too heady. I'm
running the military for Jasra. Keeping foreign armies at bay.
Quelling rumors of revolution. Typical."
"Jasra?" She says the name with a tinge
of disdain, "Good lord."
Nash asks Ryker, simply, "Why?"
Ryker lacks enthusiasm himself. "Not my
first choice, no, but then again I don't really have a first choice,
so."
"What do you mean? 'not your first
choice'?"
Nash fishes out his cigarettes and lights
one up before dropping the crumpled paper pack on the bar.
Ryker answers Nash vaguely, "No
particular reason, beyond I felt like it." Looks to Yo, tongue poking
the inside of his cheek. "Eh, Jasra isn't my first choice for a
liege. It's a minor thing, however, since our contact if pretty
minimal."
Yosannah shakes her head, "I don't like
her, Ryker."
Nash blows smoke out of his nose, "I
don't think I've ever heard her name without people wrinkling their
noses and spitting. No idea why, mind - but she doesn't seem
popular."
Ryker says "A shame."
Yosannah fills a glass of wine and sets
it before Ryker, "She's as likely to discard you as she is to ...
to... Well, hell. Watch your ass, Ryk."
Ryker's smile is small. Maybe genuine.
"Which is fair enough, since I'm likely to do the same. But the
sentiment is appreciate."
Yosannah nods, "Good. Now how'd you get
hooked up with her anyway?"
Nash swigs. Listens.
Ryker, simply, "I offered." Ryker's lips
twist as he considers something.
"I don't suppose you've mentioned this
little relationship with Damen?"
Ryker hmms? "Damen? We've haven't talked
lately. Not sure what we chatted about last."
"I'm sure he'd be mildly interested to
hear you're working with step-grandma."
Ryker admits, "Probably. I'll have to
keep it in mind next time we cross paths. I could almost suspect him
being behind the rabble rousing."
Yosannah let's smile escape the corner of
her lips, "I suspect you might be right. I might even lay even money
on a bet like that." She runs her free hand through her hair.
Ryker says "The loudest voice has an
awful mature, broad point of view for a native of Begma. Talking
about fascism, using Earth German terms, and such."
Nash takes another swig on his vodka,
chasing it down with smoke.
Ryker, still lacking much emotion, "It'll
come out in time. If it is Damen, I'm sure we'll have a good laugh
about it."
Yosannah frowns, "Interesting. Though,
now that you describe it, that doesn't sound like his style at all.
What do you make of it? "
Ryker replies, "Not a lot of facts to go
on, but my own money would be on an Amberite or Chaosian using a
native revolution as a tool to take over. It wouldn't be the first
time I've seen it, or other sort of methods."
Yosannah nods and then chuckles, "There
are so many shadows out there, why start a trist over Begma?"
Nash nods to Yosannah's words, "Why do
people fight so much over patches of dirt, exactly? I can understand
people defending homes - this multi-warrior unseemly scrabble for
land, though, is something of a mystery."
Ryker says "Lots of reasons. Begma isn't
a random Shadow. It's position in the GC and on the Shadow seas is
useful in all the common ways."
Yosannah nods, "On that note. I'm off for
now." She sets her empty wine glass in the sink behind the bar. "I'll
catch up with you two later.
Nash nods to Yosannah, "Alright. Serpent
Guard? Or not in your case?"
"Pshh. I'll take blessings wherever I can
get them. Bye all."