It was afternoon in Berlin and Paris, and even perhaps in Amber, though the group in Shadow Earth couldn't tell you for certain, time being mutable and all. Elio and Maladin continued to shop for naughty bits in Paris' Moulin Rouge, while Erin, Ivan, Ronan and Dalena continued planning, plotting, racking and drinking the Hotel Berlin.

In Amber, Kira was at her townhouse, when a note was delivered. It was from King Random, who wished his niece to meet with him "as soon as she is free." Translated from King-Speak meant "right bloody now." Not really willing to tick off the King, Kira Trumped her way to the Castle, and made her presence known. What could she do for His Majesty? "Your mother's gone missing. We had a meeting two days ago, which she missed, and she's not accepting Trump calls." These sentences meant, "Deal with this, as I need Flora around and am too busy to go hunting for her myself." Kira expressed her concern and understanding of the situation and said she'd look into it. Random thanked her, and shooed her out of his rooms. She dug through her mighty Trump deck and found the one of Florimel's house in Shadow Earth. Upon Trumping there, she was greeted with, "Ooooh, Meez Keera! Heelloooo!" from Consuela. From the maid, Kira learned that her sister, Erin, had been around yesterday, along with several friends. No, Consuela hadn't seen Meeztreez Florimel" for several days.

In the glamorously tawdry Moulin Rouge, Maladin and Elio shopped … that is to say that Maladin shopped a good deal, while Elio decided it was a great spectator sport. After Maladin had several glitzy pink and black bags filled with "unmentionables," they returned to the hotel room in Berlin.

Erin, who was tired of being bored, bored, bored wandered down to the coffee shop, and partook of a sticky bun. She received a trump call, from her sister, Kira. They talked about their mother being incommunicado, and other situations until the question of, "What are you doing in Berlin," popped up. Erin paid her bill, returned to the suite, and pulled her sister through the connection to explain all about the arms shipments. "Who is that," asked the vodka, who then went on to be insulting and insinuating about both Kira and Erin. Kira, of course, heard nothing from the bottle o' booze, while Erin tried to keep straight what really should talk. "Sister's talk, vodka no talk. Sisters talk, vodka no talk." Once that's straight, Erin tried to trump Flora. Quel surprise, no answer. "Loser with the dead mother!" shouted the Vodka bottle. Ignoring it, she told Kira about how Pattern use was being thwarted in Shadow Earth … at least on the way into Berlin.

Just after that, Erin received a Trump contact from one of her higher Mucky-mucks in Thermalfyre. It seemed that a shipment of the magical ore being stored in Amber exploded, destroying the warehouse. Random's Council demanded that all future shipments of the ore be embargoed, as it was too dangerous to import. The reaction of the Council was far too extreme for Lore not to have had a hand it in, and Erin decided to head back to Thermalfyre to deal with this political and economical mess.

When Ivan, Dalena and Ronan finished scoping out the area around the Canton Club, they return to the Hotel to find Erin gone, and Kira there instead. She seemed to already know what was going on (was there ANYONE who didn't know what was going on at this point??), and the carrying on with making plans went forth.

Whilst in the middle of said plotting and planning, Ivan received a Trump call from Calissera. They had plans which, it seemed, had come to fruition. Which also precluded Ivan from going through with the original gun-runner scenario. Dalena gave him a dirty look as he bailed, especially as he tried the "I'm doing it for you" angle along with is patented "I'm so sincere" smile on her. He did say that if he was needed, to Trump him, and he'd come back.

Not too long after this, Kira noticed something odd, and pulled Dalena aside to let her know that she is being watched sporadically via trump. "Again?" Dalenea asked, and explained the situation from the night before … Miss Miranda Cho, and her trumpery. The gang was informed, and all started casting spells and creating various protections; shields, chaffs, deflections and new goodies of all kinds were worked on. Dalena had a drink of the vodka, as she wasn't a casting type, then headed downstairs to find a brochure of The Canton Club from the tourist information rack.

With a definite feeling like she swallowed something bad, Dalena hurried into the Ladies' bathroom. BLU-AURGH! She vomited forth a demon. It typical, Chaotic demon fashion it which proceeded to slice up the ladies present, then moved to the lobby to ginzu the other hotel denizens. Dalena screamed, and called the others downstairs pronto. Maladin spelled a protective bubble around the demon, but he knew it wouldn't hold for long. He manipulated the bubble, trying to get it away from the population center, then sirens were heard and the police show up. Guns began to blaze! Kira opened a trump gate back to Flora's mansion, thinking the group would all go through. Instead Maladin pushed the demon into the gate, which dispelled the protective bubble. Reacting quickly, Elio sensed and enhanced kinetically an oncoming Wave, and aimed it through the gate. A blast akin to a small atomic detonation blasted Flora's property. Oh my! There was no sign of the demon … but also no sign of Flora's house. The gate disappeared.

The German police opened fire once again, and bullets rip through the lobby. The group ran through the hall, and ended up at a locked door. As the Hotel was surrounded, the better part of valor was to Trump the heck out of there. Everyone hitched a ride to Helmwind, regrouped, then rode a Wave NYC again, courtesy of Maladin's driving. There wasn't much to see at Flora's place, except a smoking crater in the ground. General consensus was that the demon probably survived, even if the mansion did not. They still had their arms deal that evening, and they weren't willing to lose that opportunity. The decision was made to travel there via tuning a Wave. Erin rejoined them before they headed off, and brought up her Pattern lens to look at the devastation. Yep, it's a smoking crater, though the rest of the neighborhood is all right … and Consuela, the Indestructible lived to tell the local haz-mat teams all about it. "It go 'boom!'"

The group tunedtunes itself back to Berlin, stopping at a Beer Garden to change into clubbing clothes, find money and cell phones (not in public, and not necessarily in that order). They then hitched a couple of taxis, not so subtly reinforced by Erin's Pattern use, and they made it (finally) to the Night Club. Erin and Dalena assumed the names of Jessica and Jennifer, respectively. Ronan and Elio were their hired thugs. Techno music boomed, and their contact was in the requisite booth in the requisite back of the club.

SCENE 6: ASSIGNATIONS

Ivan and Calissera met in the Blue Lion Inn to do their own plotting and planning toward Miranda Cho's drugging and eventual downfall. Their conversation was, naturally, arch and clever, and it was clear that each expected something, personally, out of the evening's endeavors. Calissera ponied up a drug that had been magically enhanced, it would make Ms. Cho ever so compliant when mixed with her wine.

They two schemers took their leave of each other, and Ivan presented himself at House Cho's door … claiming, truthfully, to be new at Court, and hoping to get to know another newcomer a little better. Drugged wine was consumed in much quantity by Miranda, and she began spilling all sorts of secrets to Ivan. She told him about Daron, her big "secret." Daron was the one who outmaneuvered Erin with Pattern on the trip to Berlin, while she, little, sweet Miranda Cho, had kicked Erin's ass during the trump contact the day before, … and he's from Chaos, she giggled, not keeping very much to topic.. She, herself is a Trump artist, and was responsible for sending the storm through the connection to the hotel room. Ivan found her to be She was all sorts of malleable and compliant. Now, and now for the finishing touches to her ruination … (insert evil laugh here).

Meanwhile, the arms deal ended up being somewhat banal and oddly blasι. Mr. Franken wasn't a chatty sort, and was irritated by the amateurs he had to deal with. Jessica and Jennifer found out, mostly through Erin/Jessica's psyche link, that the other person who was purchasing red-powder weapons had an order in for rocket launchers, sniper rifles, stationary bombs and semi-automatic pistols. My my. Dalena/Jennifer placed an order for her own armory, which would be delivered at a drop point in two weeks, the place to be arranged by a one-time fax ahead of time. This other order was for Miss Mary Lou Renton (visual image confirmed the appearance of the perky brunette).

"That bitch needs to die," commented Erin/Jessica, acidly.

"It's not really her, you know..." thought Jennifer back.

Pause. Pause. "She still needs to die!"

And the team was very little closer to finding out who bought the other shipment, though they now know it will be delivered to the other purchaser in five days.

Once the deal had been accomplished, Franken left the club. Punching his way to ownership of a Taxi, Maladin and Kira followed Mr. Franken home. They obtained his address, and drove back toward the Club to find the rest of the group. Now the trick will be to figure out how to set up surveillance on the gun runner.

With the show over at the club, everyone climbed into a taxi. They drove no more than a half mile before Dalena was trumped by Ivan explaining that he had a mostly unconscious Miranda Cho with him, and could use some help. She asked to have the taxi pulled over, and she left the vehicle to wander into an alley so she could pull Ivan through without trying to fit six people into a back seat. Erin tipped the guy a lot to wait, and as soon as the group clambered out, he took off down the street with the extra money in pocket. "Hey!" exclaimed Erin, getting that stubborn, "I'm going to make him pay," look on her face. A thwap on the shoulder and a "Don't,"." from Dalena distracted her and she turned the look on Dalena instead. It was a tense moment, but Erin didn't turn her into a cinder, and Dalena didn't object to staying in one piece.

Ivan was pulled through and found himself in a dingy, dark alleyway somewhere in Berlin. Once Kira and Maladin found the alley way (Erin had made it unremarkable) the gang was all together again. Ivan had a very happy, very compliant, drugged and enchanted Miranda with him. She giggled a good deal, and reiterated the fact that she was a Trump artist. "Want to see my Trumps?" she asked. Of course the group did! With a wave of her hand, Miranda managed to open a Trump connection in thin air, and disappeared out of Ivan's arms. *Poof!* Well … damn! Kira traced the Trump path and opened a gate to where Miranda's energy had been focused … which was her bedroom. And there she was, passed out on her bed. Ivan grabbed the girl back and Kira grabbed her trump deck, and they all came back to the dirty alley in Berlin.

So, what to do with her? She was a potential mine of information, so Erin went digging through Miranda Cho's brain. It was classically two-dimensional in there, almost bad comic-book in tone, combined with much mental gesticulating, loud proclamations and over-the-top opinions about various and sundry. High points were the fact that Daron was originally a spy for Amber in Chaos, and how has gone native as he was abandoned by Amber at some point, and is very, very bitter ( this last part is somewhat conjecture, as Miranda, was full of generalizations and not much by way of specifics). According to Cho, he HATES Amber now, and is plotting it's downfall. He and Miranda had been watching Dalena, who is a square, and Erin, who is powerful and a bitch. He's simultaneously WONDERFUL and boring, but only when he philosophizes … much like Dalen. BOR-ing! Miranda was trained in sorcery and trump by a Chaos Lord, who shall remain nameless (though did the name Hendrake slip??) They also found out that Miranda's self-image is a tad screwed up. She sees herself as both innocent and sweet but also sneaky and E-VIL!! But shhhhhh!!! That's her secret. Everyone agrees that Miranda Cho is a piece of work.

Ivan was pulled through and found himself in a dingy, dark alleyway somewhere in Berlin. Once Kira and Maladin found the alley way (Erin had made it unremarkable) the gang was all together again. Ivan had a very happy, very compliant, drugged and enchanted Miranda with him. She giggled a good deal, and reiterated the fact that she was a Trump artist. "Want to see my Trumps?" she asked. Of course, the group did. With a wave of her hand, Miranda managed to open a Trump connection in thin air, and disappeared. *Poof!* Well … damn! Kira traced the Trump path and opened a gate to where Miranda's energy had been focused … which was her bedroom. And there she was, passed out on her bed. Ivan grabbed the girl back and Kira grabbed her trump deck, and they all came back to the dirty alley in Berlin.

The drug was starting to wear off. Ivan was getting antsy to get the girl neatly placed in Bleys' bed … except he didn't have a plan for how to accomplish that neat trick, as walking through the Castle halls with her slung over a shoulder wasn't going to do it. He didn't even know if Bleys was in town. Dalena, using motherly subterfuge, trumped Misha, ostensibly to find out how she was doing. Just checking in with everyone after the house blew up, and all of that. In doing so, she not so incidentally discovered that Bleys wasn't even IN town, but was at his manor in the country … and would be so for several more days. Well. One plan down the tubes.

So, what to do? Erin digs through Miranda Cho's brain! It's classically two-dimensional in there, with much mental gesticulating, loud proclamations and over-the-top opinions about various and sundry. High points were the fact that Daron is a spy for Amber in Chaos, and how has gone native. According to Cho, he HATES Amber now, and is plotting it's downfall. He's been watching Dalen, who is a square, and Erin, who is evil and mean.

Then came the problem of how to get Miranda Cho back into her own room without her aborted abduction being detectable. Erin gave the girl's mind a tidy little wipe of the evening's activities, patching any holes that the group may have left. They used Miranda's own trump to move them back to her room, then Maladin tuned them all out of the Cho residence and back to somewhere in Amber City.

The drug is starting to wear off, and Ivan is getting antsy to get the chick in Bleys' bed … except he doesn't have a plan for how to accomplish this neat trick. He doesn't even know if Bleys is in town. Dalen, using motherly subterfuge, trumps Misha to find out how she's doing … and not so incidentally discovers that Bleys is actually not even IN town, but is at his manor in the country … and will be so for several more days.

And that was pretty much the end of that evening of adventures. Ronan and Dalena reported the upshot of the meeting to Random. While the King didn't seem to think their news was good, at least they're buying him more guns. Dalena asks for permission to take Vialle off to a spa for a bit of girl time after this whole gun-thing is settled. Random had no objections, but of course, she has to ask the Queen.

Then came the problem of how to get Miranda Cho back into her own room without being detectable before or after. Erin gave her mind a tidy little wipe of the evening's activities. They used Miranda's own trump to move them back to her room, then Maladin tuned them all out of the Cho residence and back to somewhere in Amber City.

Elio jumped back into the Vitae and wasRonan and Dalen report to Random. Always bringing good news to the King, they are. At least they're buying him more guns. Dalen asks for permission to take Vialle off to a spa for a bit of girl time. Random has no objections, but of course, she has to ask the Queen.

Elio is back in the Vitae, heading to the Oleai encampment.

Ivan went back to Castle Amber, after seeing if he could find Calissera at the Blue Lion. No joy there.

Kira returned to her townhouse.

Ronan went back to the Surf Shop.

Maladin was likewise going to the Surf Shop.

Erin returned tois back in Thermalfyre.

Dalena went to hang out with her adoptive parents, Merick and Desra, at The White Rose

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