07.01f: The Seventh Winter (Table of the Giant)

[Veyska]

Asai largely ignores the silverware as she samples just about everything that is available. Given her length of residence so far at Amber it's clear she could have had silverware made to size for her - the fact that she has not suggests her disdain is a deliberate choice. The skill with which she uses her stubby claws in place of fork tines suggests her disdain is indifference rather than uncultured barbarism. Once she has taken the edge off her hunger (civilized and intelligent she may be, but she is far closer to the wild and its eat-when-you-can ways than most), she turns her attention to the silk bag. As she opens the bag, those seated near her might hear her mutter something under her breath about "Pockets. Always with the pockets..." When she reaches her own card, Asai gives a snort of amusement. "Perhaps I should speak to Quin about sprouting some wings..."

[Joshua]

"You're an ace... I wonder what that means." Morgana observes as she goes through her deck. "Nice picture."

[Veyska]

Flipping further through her cards, Asai stares for a moment at Quin's. "Well that explains a fair bit and raises even more questions..." Deftly she arranges the cards in a structure that's surprisingly evocative of Castle Amber for all its coarse resolution. Quin's card is face-out, a door to the unicorn-patterned walls. Card-Castle Amber proves far more transient than Castle Amber, as she abruptly "batters" down the front gate and the whole structure slithers into a pile. For a brief moment Asai's card flutters down through the air from where it had ended up near the card-roof before she snags it out of the air. A few dextrous flicks of her fingers and the cards are once again in a neat stack. "I wonder if my card-self has any better notion than I do of where we will land once we've caught that wand. Do you happen to know ought of this game that Dworkin is using? The closest analogue I know of from my home shadow is I suspect, and dearly hope, far more bloodthirsty and card-fratricidal than his likely is."

[Joshua]

Morgana shakes her head. "I don't think I'd want to kill anyone here. Oberon is annoyingly sexist, but even he has a good heart, and I've never had anyone open a door for me. Ever." She takes her cards and shuffles them. She flips over the first card: Dworkin. "I think he's used to that kind of struggle. Something in him seems broken though, and I suspect he made this place to try to find another way." The second card, placed above his is: Morgana's. "One we need to find."

[Veyska]

Asai watches Morgana place the cards with an almost unnervingly intense stare, as if waiting for a prey more sensed than seen to make another move, one ear angled towards her table partner all the while. When there is a lull after the second card, her eyes flick towards the ogre and then back towards the two placed cards.

[Joshua]

The next card is the Five of Swords: Solten. Morgana places it at the bottom. "Great," she grumbles, "The five here normally represents strife, but I have no idea what it's supposed to represent if it's got someone on the card. Chances are that Dworkin is building this out of a previous strife due to something Solten is connected to. Maybe. Or the fact it's his card could be a coincidence."

The next one is Quin, the fool, and placed to the left. "Uh... That which hounds him is... inexperience and potential? Or, whatever Quin actually is."

The fifth card Morgana flips is the nine of Coins: Alystrakos, inverted (upside-down). "So.. That which manipulates or hides it's face is... Well, inverted, so, perhaps something that also manipulated Alys before? Or perhaps a place that is suddenly barren, and had potential ripped away. pr made decadent through plenty."

The final card, the sixth, is placed over Dworkin. It's the Ace of Wands, Asai. "The true solution is to be creative and confident. Unless the card means you will be pivotal. Still, I suspect the rest of us are represented in abstract, so I think it's a lot more likely that it's confidence that's called for, with creativity and courage to back it up." She looks at the smaller lemur, "Of course, that means you as well."

[Veyska]

"I never placed any faith, let alone much, in the various auguries and superstitions humans at the university had... While I can see wizards and mages and those who work with them having a strong belief in the unseen, much as I do, there is most definitely such a thing as looking too hard for something. There was only ever the one fortune teller in all my years there that had a level of success as could be attributed to anything other than luck and she could only ever predict whether the person she was speaking to was going to be lucky enough to get one of the prized cinnamon pastries the cooks made when that spice was cheap enough, fresh piping hot. They were quite excellent even stale, but I don't have nearly as much of a sweet tooth as humans and even I couldn't resist stuffing my face whenever I got the chance... Not the fanciest or most omen-laden of abilities, but quite practical in its own decadent way. But these cards, they are not pastries nor are they the cards students used to gamble and pretend to read the future with. Perhaps with their connections to Other..." Asai gives her head a vigorous shake, hard enough to flap her ears - it is not of negation but of confusion. "I do not know..."

[Joshua]

This is interrupted by the second course. Morgana gathers up her cards as the new waiters enter.

The second course is Boeuf a la Nicoise, a beef stew with tomatoes and olives over buttered noodles. Despite the winter time, it is clear to those with discerning palates that the tomatoes were picked fresh that morning, the balsamic vinegar is aged 18+ years (yeah, not technically possible either), and all the ingredients are remarkably and impossibly fresh (even the ones that can't get ripe at the same time). Extra noodles and stew are placed in the center of the table.

Dworkin enteres when all the tables are served, along with a large nordic man with one eye. They head towards the raised dais where Dworkin will be making an announcement.

Dworkin stands in front of the large center throne and announces, his old voice carrying despite its lack of volume. "Greetings Amber and other courts. Welcome to the Seventh Winter. I trust you are all enjoying your gifts. Unfortunately a matter has come up and I will not be dining with you this evening." He gestures to the newcomer. "This is Odin. A... um..."

"Colleague," prompts Odin.

"Colleague who is here to observe the new courts. He will be staying the festival, and I hope all of you will give him the respect a true diplomat from another land is due." Dworkin looks behind himself and out of the balcony briefly. "We will be retiring to the highest tower of Tir-na Nog'th for tea and conversation. I hope you will forgive this breach."

Without further fanfare, Dworkin and Odin exit the room through a side door.

[Veyska]

Asai goes curiously still as she hears Dworkin's announcement, almost as if she had sighted a predator and was hoping it wouldn't sight her. She remains so until the duo exits the room. She busies herself loading her plate with this new and intriguing food, her eyes opaque with thought - whatever else might happen, her appetite seems unshakable. A few mouthfuls proceed in silence, then she looks up at Morgana and quietly says, "I hate riddles where every answer seems unfortunate."

[Joshua]

Morgana starts to say something, then hesitates. Finally she says, "Fortune telling isn't exact. I always thought of it as a way to express the unconscious mind's musings. I don't think my prediction is all that accurate." She shrugs lightly. "Although, I can say, if you don't like the question, make a new one. I didn't like being a monster, so I became a medicine lady."