Dionysus Where does Aurelia go?

Aurelia The diamond palace first.

Dionysus It is well named. The whole area is lined in gold & diamonds.

Dionysus The place is opulent, even obnoxiously so.

Dionysus Jack the Diamond's inn is called, cleverly enough, the Diamond

Aurelia Tacky?

Arsul_T shall I leave?

Aurelia I don't mind your being here.

Arsul_T ok. If Billy minds I shall go

Dionysus I don't mind

Dionysus Anyway, if you ask the innkeeper, he indicates that Jack is sleeping off a drunk

• Aurelia does ask, and when answered, sits to wait.

Dionysus It takes a few hours. Does she do anything during that tiem?

Aurelia Probably eventually tries to eat something.

Dionysus You get some food easily.

Dionysus About noon, a man in a diamond studded coat stumbles down the steps.

• Aurelia watches him quietly.

Dionysus He looks blearily around & orders water & toast. He feels a little miserable.

Dionysus And then you Recognize him. He has ender's taint.

• Aurelia blinks.

Aurelia What do I see?

Dionysus He's been tainted by your father. And he's Avery's father.

• Aurelia flinches a little at the sight of him, rather than just blinking.

Aurelia Anything more?

Dionysus That's it.

Aurelia Does he sit?

Dionysus He sits at the bar.

• Aurelia approaches cautiously. She waits beside him for a moment, then, if not acknowledged, takes the next chair over.

Dionysus He looks up blearily, then just blinks back at his food

Aurelia "You are the Prince of Wealth?"

Dionysus He nods, "And you are?"

Aurelia "I am Aurelia Lucent. It was indicated that I should find you."

Dionysus "That's wonderful."

Dionysus He sounds miserable.

Aurelia "Do you know why?"

Dionysus "Are you here to kill me?"

• Aurelia blinks, bewildered, then bites the corner of her lip. "No."

Dionysus He looksyou up & down."You here to fuck me?"

• Aurelia blinks again. "I do not believe so."

Dionysus He sighs, "Can you make me forget it all?"

• Aurelia shakes her head.

Dionysus He drinks water.

Dionysus "Well, I don't got all day. I think I'm gonna go kill myself."

Aurelia "Why?"

Dionysus "Because I can't do anything right."

Aurelia "What things?"

Dionysus "I tried to protect my son, but now he's in the middle of it all, & I can't find him. I tried to save his mother, but just got bound to the wrongness. I tried to remember who did this, & all I get is sick. I tried..."

Aurelia "You are Avery's father."

Dionysus He looks up blearily, "Avery?"

Aurelia "Avery."

Dionysus He blinks, "You mean..." He whispers, "Christos?"

• Aurelia flinches slightly, then nods. "I will not say that name."

Dionysus He nods, "Good. You know my son?"

Aurelia "He is our whistle player."

Dionysus He smiles, "Wait. You're in his band?"

• Aurelia nods.

Dionysus "T-tell me everything!"

• Aurelia blinks, thinks about that from several angles, and asks, "What do you wish to know?"

Dionysus "Is he all right? Where is he?"

Aurelia "He is in Madziar. I do not know where now."

Dionysus He sighs, "Well, that's enough. Can you help me find him?"

Aurelia "I can bring you to our inn."

Dionysus "That will... Okay. Let's... Let me get my things. Come on."

• Aurelia follows.

Dionysus In his room, you see the clutter of a thousand years of thievery.

Dionysus Roll awareness

Aurelia r awa 13

Eklem Aurelia [awa: 13] 14 21 23

Aurelia Huzzah!

Dionysus r diff 13

Eklem Dionysus [diff: 13] 14 15 16

Dionysus ...

Aurelia Huzzah!

Dionysus So you, the only person today, see the fiery feathers hanging near the window.

Dionysus They are heqart stoppingly beautifu

Dionysus l

• Aurelia stops in the doorway, staring at them.

Arsul_T r will 12

Eklem Arsul_T [will: 12] 13 14 17

Dionysus Jack collects all manner of odd things from his room, then looks up at you & says, "Could you gather my... What are you looking at?"

Dionysus r diff 13

Eklem Dionysus [diff: 13] 15 15 19

Aurelia "A breath of silken flame caught in time..."

Arsul_T r will 12

Eklem Arsul_T [will: 12] 19 19 20

Dionysus r diff 13

Eklem Dionysus [diff: 13] 16 18 22

Arsul_T FINALLY

Arsul_T (sorry_

Arsul_T )

Dionysus He looks where you're looking, "The feng huang feathers?"

• Aurelia nods silently.

Dionysus "They're for sale if you want them."

Aurelia "How much?"

Aurelia ( This is where a sane character would say 'I'll trade you the knowledge of where your son is, you jerk' )

Dionysus "Well, money isn't what I need. What have you got to offer." He eyes your breasts.

• Aurelia blinks, and considers, and is not quite mad enough not to answer with a hopeful, "I am bringing you to Avery?"

Dionysus He waits for your actual anwer

Aurelia Is he not accepting that as an answer, or was I confusing about whether it was aloud?

Arsul_T (you were confusing? to me anyway)

Dionysus You confused me

Aurelia Sorry. She did say/ask that.

Dionysus He frowns, then grabs them & pockets them. "You'll get them after I meet him, miss."

• Aurelia winces at the treatment, then nods happily.

Dionysus You lead him to the inn?

Aurelia One more thing on the way:

Dionysus Do tell

• Aurelia sobers a bit on the walk back, and about halfway says quietly, "You have been with Hornet Rust?" It's half question, half statement.

Dionysus He pauses, "I stole from his master. Why?"

Aurelia "I wish to know more of him."

Dionysus "Gigantic sonuvabitch. Has a cousin in the destruction church. Meanest damned reever next to Captain Laird that I ever met. What else you wanna know?"

Aurelia "Anything that you can tell."

Aurelia ( The timing on this is so awesome. Especially if Avery comes back without the knowledge of his parents. )

Dionysus "This was years ago. Let's see... He's a Servitor of Darkness, see, one of the Ender Corps. He's one of the independent ones, though, works on his own."

• Aurelia listens silently.

Dionysus "He hates the Mother of the Seas. Curses her. He's basically a typical ender other than that. Just a raping machine."

• Aurelia nods a little, and walks.

Dionysus "Oh, & he has a blood jewel. I never could get my hands on it, though."

Aurelia ( Dun dun dun duuuun )

• Aurelia has no response to that.

Dionysus He doesn't say more, then