Undertow — Blade and Rio
Blade, Son of Bleys
meets his sister, Rio
© 2004 Chris Butz, Leslie Lightfoot and Simone Cooper
--Chris:
Do Rio and Blade know each other? Do they know anything about each other's backgrounds?--Simone:
Everyone in the game knows each other at least a little.Bleys (Paul), how much would you have allowed these two to interact?
--Paul:
Bleys was a bastard of a dad most of the time, but he did not keep close tabs on his kids. So I'll leave that up to them.Heck, they both spent some time in Amber (when Bleys wasn't there, go figure), so they may even have done that which no Amber children are allowed to do: become friends.
--Leslie:
Okay. Having read Blade's brief bio (thank you very much, Chris) I can see that Rio and Blade *definitely* have a lot in common. Not surprising, hunh?First impressions? Both share the playboy mentality, a love of adventure and a fondness for the opposite gender. Though while Rio *does* like nice things, she tends to lose interest in them fairly quickly. Rio also doesn't seem to be particularly bothered by Bleys' bastard-ness.
Rio's shadow of origin is slightly more technologically advanced than it sounds like Blade's is, so Rio's done things like hover-racing as well as skiing, sky-diving, white-water rafting, cliff-diving and those sorts of things. Oh... ;) that list also shows a tendency of Rio's that would be immediately obvious she *vastly* prefers doing to watching. She's not very patient with passive entertainments opera, movies, electronic media and the like.
It would be up to Bleys whether Rio ever got to Blade's shadow as the girl doesn't travel on her own. But I'm thinking that probably the two first met in Amber as Rio makes periodic appearances there.
And... you know I just can't see avoiding this so I'm just going to bring up the elephant in the living room. If anyone is offended, I apologize profusely in advance and I promise I'll never mention it again. But... Chris, we're playing oppositely gendered promiscuous children of 'lust.' Do you think that Rio and Blade might have done something else 'which no Amber children are allowed to do?'
--Chris:
A couple of things:1) Blade was only in Amber during one period in his life--from the time immediately preceding the repair of the the Primal Pattern until Bleys returned from Chaos several months later and took him into shadow, so unless Rio was in Amber during that particular period of time, they did not meet in Amber (and, Blade was only 10 years old at the time)
--Leslie:
Hmmm. Not trying to be difficult but I doubt that Rio was in Amber during that particular time. (Of course the GM might say otherwise.) So, it might be more likely that they met in shadow.--Chris:
2) Blade does not travel through shadow much himself, so unless Dad provided a means of communication and travel (say like, maybe a Trump of each other...) then, we probably have only met under Dad's watchful eyes...--Leslie:
Hmmmm. A thought occurs. Rio is always a little sulky when Bleys whisks her out of Amber yet again. Perhaps, the mean old man ;) brought her to Torveth in an attempt to get her to *stay* somewhere instead of sneaking back into Amber?(Course it didn't work. As nice as Torveth is and as wonderful as Blade is... it's not Amber, now is it?)
--Chris:
3) If Rio has visited Blade, Blade has made every effort to show Rio a terrific time. He would very much enjoy having a sibling who takes as great a pleasure in the playboy lifestyle as he does, so he'd make sure to schedule all sorts of expeditions. He also probably gets a big kick out of his friends falling for his beautiful and passionate sister, only to have their hearts broken when she lost interest in them... ("Fool! I told him that's what would happen! A man can no more hold on to Rio than he could hold on to a flame.")--Leslie:
Great line, Chris. It really does capture the feeling of Rio. Thank you.I also think that having someone of decent stamina to adventure with would be wonderful to Rio. And, of course, a gracious host is like a gift from heaven. It sounds like Rio would indeed thoroughly enjoy her time with Blade.
If it turns out that Rio was indeed stuck in Torveth for a while, Rio would also make sure that Blade had the time of his life in her company. Memories and moments to treasure forever. A live worth living.
--Chris:
4) If Blade ever visited Rio (which would be entirely possible if we had those Trumps of each other--hint, hint, hint), she would discover that he was quite familar with high-tech and obviously had not spent all of his time in such a primative shadow as Torveth.--Leslie:
Blade in Tierra del Sol y Sombre? That's a little tricky. Because once Rio left Tierra del Sol y Sombre the first time, it's unlikely that Bleys would take her back there. And Rio did not know her family before she showed up in Amber that first time.But if Blade and Rio were ever there together, there would definitely be some adventure in the offing. While Rio definitely knows how to enjoy the fabulous lights of the cuidad, it's what lurks around the frenetic edges of mankind that make Rio's home what it is. The rainforest. La Infierno
Verde. *That's* where miracles are made and a being knows they live with every breath they draw.--Chris:
5) Blade, while highly adventurous, and definitely very lusty, does have certain lines of propriety that he will not cross. Rape, murder, and incest form a pretty solid boundary for his conduct, so there is no chance that he jumped into the sack with Rio of his own volition. Now, if Rio (out of
boredom or curiosity) found some means of tricking him, that's her business.--Leslie:
Got it.Rio definitely does not have those three lines (nor a lot of others). Which Blade would notice if they have been adventuring together. However, Rio does have an enormous respect for personal integrity. She won't force a person against themselves unless it is *absolutely* necessary. And
necessary in a big, big way. She'd far rather let a person kill themselves than be untrue to themselves.As far as trickiness... Rio just isn't that tricky. She can be playful and a tease, but she's almost incapable of duplicity and a terrible liar.
So we'll just escort that elephant out of the living room ("Thank you, Tantor. That will be all.") and stay with Rio and Blade are just plain good friends.
--Chris:
As Rio and Blade got to know each other and became good friends and fellow adventurers, I think Blade would have come up with a pet name for his sister, as a sign of affection. He only calls her "River," when they are alone, because he doesn't want to share his name for her with anyone else.--Leslie:
Rio would practically purr at that. She wouldn't come up with her own pet name though, as she not terribly married to names but would choose whatever seemed appropriate at the moment. Though 'mi hermano' would definitely be used with a great deal of fondness.
--Chris:
He always calls her Rio in front of others--unless he's mad at her, then he calls her "Le Sangre Poco del Fuego." But that's because he's mad at her (presumably) because she just did something impetuous and potentially explosive and her behavior is much more reminiscent of a "Little Fire
Blood" than a "River."--Leslie:
While Leslie absolutely *loves* Le Sangre Poco del Fuego and Rio definitely respects anyone who can spit that out in fury, Rio's response would be "Hah! That's *LA* Sangre Poco del Fuego to you, Senor Calavera!" Slam! (It's a pun, calavera means both blade and rakish man. At least,
according to my Spanish-English dictionary. ;)--Chris:
That's perfect! Now Rio has a pet name for Blade. Cool!Just thought I'd round out a few aspects of our relationship. Incidentally, when Rio stays with Blade, she will discover that Blade spends several hours every day sequestered in a secured wing of his mansion. None of his servants, lovers, or friends know what is in the wing because they have never been allowed in it. When asked about it, Blade will only say that he jealously guards his time alone with his thoughts. The security system on the forbidden wing is much highly tech than that of the shadow (or around the rest of the mansion, for that matter).
--Leslie:
Then that is obviously a part of Blade and Rio wouldn't interfere with it. No matter how pressing her need.Conversely, Rio doesn't do anything on a daily or regular basis. Everything is spur of the moment. Though to be fair with an equivalent observable behavior on Rio's part -- when things get to her, or she's just had enough of something, Rio disappears off into the wilderness for a few days. No equipment, no gear, no comrades, just gone. She will reappear some time later; dirty, disheveled and completely rejuvenated. And most likely with little or no memory as to what set her off in the first place.
--Paul:
My children are getting along, I must be doing something wrong ;)Two things:
1) You guys were each given one trump of your sibling. And (if Simone allows) Blade was given one trump of his shadow. I'm certain that Bleys would have dumped Rio into Torveth on at least one occasion ("I don't have time to babysit, you keep her out of trouble")--Leslie:
<laughing> See, Blade? El viejo hombre malo. ;)--Paul:
2) I'm not portraying the "lust" aspect of my character in the carnal aspect (otherwise, you'd have a lot more siblings). I see it more a lust for life with a heavy dose of bloodlust.--Leslie:
Oh.... well, that explains a lot, then. :) Especially the attraction to Mom.--Paul:
I'm looking forward to messing with your heads!- Dad
--Leslie:
<grin> Bring it on, Dad! ;)--Chris:
Here's a couple more things to consider:
1) If I have a place Trump of Torveth, then I certainly wouldn't be opposed to striking out into shadow with Rio on other adventures from time to time. I'm not very good at shadow walking (having virtually no experience at it), but it sounds like Rio is fairly competent at it. If I know that I have a way of getting home (via the Trump), then I'd be more than willing to accompany Rio on one of her outbound adventures. Keep in mind that I promised Dad that *I* wouldn't shadow walk away from Torveth--I never said anything about not traveling alongside *someone else* who was doing the shadow shifting...--Leslie:
Ah. Heh. Okay, when Blade suggests this is when he would discover something about Rio. She has *no clue* how to move around in Shadow. She doesn't do it on her own at all. She has.... well, a ride that comes and picks her up from Shadow at his own convenience and whisks her off to Amber. Again at his own convenience. Then from Amber, Padre whisks her off to wherever he thinks is best. (Though Rio is thrilled every time that Padre picks Torveth.)Rio is not sure at all how they are doing it. And if she figures out that Blade can do it too, she will be very, very curious. As she had assumed that only beings like Padre and her ride could do it. But if her hermano can.... well, then she should be able to as well, si?
--Chris:
Actually, Blade never shadowshifts. He promised dear old Dad he wouldn't if Dad brought him to a shadow that he liked well enough to call home. Blade is extremely curious about this friend of Rio's, however, and would be interested in coming along on a trip or five, but he would never travel all the way to Amber. He would love to return to Amber, but not so much that he's willing to risk Bleys's wrath. Blade has seen what Bleys does to those he regards as liabilities, and Blade isn't confident that Bleys would make an exception, even for a child of his own.--Leslie:
When Blade expresses an interest in her 'friend', Rio gets that still no-blinking thoughtful look again. Then she slowly and seriously says that she doesn't think that is a very good idea. (And one must wonder how bad an idea is before *Rio* thinks it's bad. :) It was only her affection for Blade that led her to mention him at all. And Rio would be pleased if Blade put his existence from his mind. Conversely, she assures her brother with a smile that she has never mentioned Blade to her friend. And *that* is a very good thing.--Chris:
Blade will never breach the topic again. If Rio is convinced its a bad idea, then its a *BAD* idea.On the topic of the Pattern, however, Blade would certainly have asked Rio when she walked it. If she stated that she hadn't, he would be quite puzzled about that. If asked about his own experience with the Pattern, he would only admit that he walked it when he was very young and only because it had been necessary to survive the Unmaking. His memories of the event are clouded at best. Since then, he has only attempted to walk through shadow on his own once--and got himself into a great deal of trouble. Bleys rescued him, but forbade him to shadow shift on his own again. Blade agreed to this and has not yet broken his word (and it's been some twenty years now, from Blade's perspective).
--Leslie:
"Pattern?" *blink, blink* "What's a Pattern?" Rio has no idea what the Pattern is, what it does, how it works, etc. And she would be desperate for any knowledge that Blade would care to share!And, since she was excited, she'd actually be thinking aloud. Since Padre Querido can control Blade by his word, that's what he used. But since Rio's word is barely worth the air it's gusted out on, Padre had to come up with something else, like complete ignorance, to control her. But at that point, Rio wouldn't be angry or indignant or anything. Just 'that's the way it is'. Though she would really, really like to get at this Pattern thing.
--Chris:
At this point, Blade would do two things: First, he would explain what the Pattern was and why it was significant to Royal Amberites (leaving out its locations--if Dad didn't tell her about it, it must be for a reason!).--Leslie:
Rio would listen with still unblinking eyes, drinking in Blade's words like a desert does water. She wouldn't ask any questions. Just really, really listen.--Chris:
Second, he would sit down and try to have a serious discussion with his sister about the potential consequences of crossing Bleys: "River, you don't understand. Father tolerates a lot of trouble from you because you are his blood, but that won't buy you protection from his wrath forever. One day you will push him too far and the hammer will fall. He won't just drop you off here, he'll drop you off into the Abyss--or worse. Don't become a liability to him. I've seen how he deals with liabilities. I don't want anything like that to happen to you. Pester him all you want about the Pattern and maybe he'll relent and let you walk it, but don't seek it out on your own--I have a strong feeling that doing that without Father's blessing will be the straw that breaks the camel's back." It is clear from Blade's conviction that he has seen Bleys do something that he (Blade) was horrified by to someone who had crossed him (Bleys). Blade doesn't want to see that
happen to his sister...--Leslie:
Those dark eyes will tear up when Blade starts talking. But a small sad smile will work it's way to Rio's lips and she will snuggle close to Blade and nod. "Si... I understand. Papa... he is to tease and delight. Sometimes to vex. Occasionally to anger. But never, never to cross. This I know." She nods and a little shudder runs through her. Her equivalent to Blade's conviction. Something Bleys has done has gotten through even to Rio."But... but the cage! The fence! Malo, mal!" At that point, Rio would break down into sobs while clinging fiercely to Blade. Sobs of grief, sobs of mourning though. No anger, no rebellion, just loss.
She would cry herself out that night. And in the morning, be her normal self; happy, cheerful and ready to go surfing. The whole thing out of her mind and into the past.
--Chris:
2) Once, when they were out together, Rio saw something that she had never seen before or since in Blade. They were rockclimbing together on a particularly treacherous ascent (which Blade couldn't get any of his adventuring buddies from Torveth to join him on), when a pin broke loose and Blade fell. He was hanging from an overhang and had to swing himself over the rock face to get a grip on the mountainside again. While he was swinging though, he placed greater strain on the remaining (and now loose) pins and they began to pull out of the rock.While all this was happening, Rio could see that Blade's usually cheerful face was steel mask of determination. She could read in his experssion, and feel in his aura, a fierce willfulness to survive this brush with death no matter what it might require of him. In a way, it was a little scary, because Blade had never revealed such a depth of determination and commitment to anything before (much less something so primal). As much as Rio may enjoy Blade's company, one thing she felt at that particular moment was that if Blade's survival depending upon his sacrificing Rio's life, he wouldn't even hesitate.
Then, Blade finally got a secure grip on the rock and hauled himself back up over the precipice. His face was away from her as he pulled himself to a point of relative security. Then, he looked up to Rio with a smile on his face and said, "Well, *that* was interesting!" and the foreboding sense of determined survival-no-matter-what had vanished entirely. If Rio were not an Amberite, she would probably have dismissed her earlier observations as a figment of her imagination...
--Leslie:
During this incident, Rio would definitely attempt to help Blade, even to the extent of risking her own life... possibly. The girl would be calmer (not more focused, just calmer) than it seemed the situation merited.Afterward, when Blade turned to Rio, her head would be slightly cocked, her face expressionless, her eyes still and unblinking. The face she wears when she's actually thinking something. But at Blade's statement, that expression would vanish into the laughter, sparkling eyes and flushed cheeks of excitement and thrill. Rio would leap to wrap Blade in a strong embrace and kiss him on the cheek. "Si! Let's do it again!"
--Chris:
Just putting a little bit of a twist into their relationship! :)Rio has enjoyed a much more extensive view of Blade's life than any of his cousins, so I thought I'd make up an incident in which she got a rare glimpse into the depths of his soul...
--Leslie:
Hmmmm. Fair enough. Let's see if I can come up with something similar...A friend of Blade's, perhaps not the brightest wick in the candelabra but still a nice enough fellow, noticed Rio's attraction for things wild. In an attempt to curry favor, he invited Blade, Rio and some other high society types to a closed gala at a zoo that had opened recently in an urban area.
The plan backfired rather dramatically. Though Rio attended, it was obvious that she did not at all enjoy the sight of animals in pens and behind bars. Especially the predators. One particular specimen, an aging lioness, seemed to have truly pierced the girl's heart and she spent long moments staring through the protective fence and bars at the golden creature. While around her the bon vivants of society swirled and laughed away.
Moments later, Rio disappeared from the party. Shortly thereafter many of the zoo's predators became freed from their cages and pens. The ensuing chaos was costly. Both in terms of human lives as the crowd stampeded, caretakers were mauled, and traffic accidents abounded on the streets around the zoo. And in terms of the animals, as they were struck by vehicles, caught in power lines or were otherwise injured by the rigors of an environment to which they were not suited. One such fatality was the lioness that Rio had been looking at earlier.
If confronted later, Rio would have no remorse whatsoever. She would tell Blade that Si! She released the animals. That cages, bars, fences... laws, rules they are all Malo, Mal, Mal. (It was obvious, though, that Rio was struggling to find the words for bad, evil and wrong, even in her native tongue.) Rio would say that Senora Leona wanted nothing more than to run once more before she died. And that Rio had granted this wish. Because she could. Because she wanted to. End of story.
--Chris:
"If confronted?" This would have been one of those moments when Blade was calling her La Sangre Poco del Fuego! You act without thinking, Rio! How could you do something like that? Are you loco? No doubt, Rio is only hearing, "blah, blah, blah."--Leslie:
Yep. That's pretty much what she's hearing. Though Rio doesn't passively sit for a chewing out. Rio tends to shout and throw things when in a fit of rage. I imagine that the entire mansion could hear the confrontation.--Chris:
After he finished chewing her out, Blade would storm out and do whatever he had to to patch things up. Paying off whoever needed to be paid off to keep things from being too seriously investigated, paying people's medical expenses, setting up memorial funds for widows, etc. He'd eventually forgive Rio for her impetuousness, but he'd be good and steamed for a couple of weeks...--Leslie:
And Rio would do one of her wilderness vanishing acts.Only to show up a few weeks later with a small collection of extraordinarily beautiful sea-shells that she just *has* to show her hermano.
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About Rio's Trumps:
--Leslie:
Just thought of something, Bleys gave Rio and Blade trumps of one another.Rio would be baffled by hers. Looking up at Blade (sometime when Padre is not around), she'd indicate that she's not... good with things. She loses them. And this seems a very important... thing. And maybe Blade should take care of it for her.
--Chris:
Umm, ok. I guess I'll hold onto Rio's Trump of me for her. That made sense, right?--Leslie:
As for the rest of the cousins' Trumps, Rio will squirrel them away someplace that she thinks of as secure in Blade's mansion. (Not his private wing, though! Rio never goes there.) But she won't mention to Blade that she's done this. Up to you guys whether Blade finds them or not.--Chris:
I can see the scene now:
Maid: Master Bleyson, I found several of two cards hidden around the house as I was cleaning.
Blade (distracted by something else and not really paying attention to the help): So, Jinny? Put them in a desk--the rest of the deck will show up eventually.
Maid: But sir, these aren't playing cards. This one is a picture of your cousin, Andrew. And this one--
Blade (suddenly interested): Where did these come from?
Maid: Well, the one of Master Andrew was tucked into the back of a desk drawer in lounge. It appeared to have been put there deliberately, sir. I don't see how it could have gotten there accidentally. And this one of Master Dartmouth, was found just inside the heating vent in Miss Rio's room. I could hear something flapping in the duct when I was cleaning the room this last week after Mistress Rio left. I reached in to pull whatever it was out, and found this. I didn't think anything of it until I found the picture of Andrew this morning, sir. After I found the second one, I
thought I should bring it to your attention.Blade: (Clearly displeased and concerned) Assemble the entire household staff. I want every inch of this mansion outside of my private wing searched until you have found one picture of each of my cousins, Rio and myself.
Maid: Yes, sir!
Blade: Start in the room Rio was staying in and move outward from there.
Sometime later, when Rio is back in town:
"Rio, I found these Trumps scattered all over my house--hidden in many different locations. I assume this is the Trump deck that Father gave you?"
"Si, hermano."
"Rio, do you know how Trumps work?"
"No, Calavera. No se."
"Here let me show you. Take this Trump of me and hold onto it..."
--Leslie:
One thing Rio would tell Blade is that she was very grateful that he agreed to take care of the card... the Trump of himself and didn't want to burden him further with the rest so she thought she'd take care of it herself. (The thought that hiding them in Blade's home still made him somewhat responsible would have never crossed her mind.)--Chris:
Blade would have been glad to show Rio how to use her Trumps.--Leslie:
Ooop! Psyche to psyche contact and the GM is away from her computer.Rio would do as Blade showed her to use the Trump, and I have a feeling at that moment things could get very weird depending on how Simone is going to run Trump contacts.... I'm sorry, Chris, but can we put this on hold until we can either corner Simone before the game or at the beginning of the game?
Rio has no Trump experience and so wouldn't be 'shielding' or anything and I have seen Trump contacts run so many different ways, I'm not sure what or how much of Rio's true essence Blade could pick up.
--Chris:
He'll return them to her, or (if she prefers) keep them for her. He can keep them all together in a single, secret location in the mansion that she is aware of, so she can find them if she ever wants to use them.--Leslie
Rio would definitely prefer it if Blade can put them all together in a secret place. After all, Rio would laughingly gesture to her current skin-tight red vinyl outfit, she spends much of her life without pockets and on the move. Muchas gracias, hermano.--Chris:
He'll also show her the portrait of Bleys in the library (I decided that the library is not in the secure wing of the mansion, so Rio has access to it). The portrait is a Trump as well, so if she ever needs to contact Dad, she can do so from there. The portrait isn't nearly as portable as a deck of cards, however.--Leslie:
Si. Rio understands, though it's obvious that calling Daddy is way down on her list of options, possibly *just* a little ahead of actually dying.--Chris:
One last thing before the Con: Blade's real name is Arcos. That is what his mother named him, though it's not what anyone has ever called him (even his mother gave up after a few months and just started calling him Blade like everyone else in the kingdom). In one of their deeper brother-sister moments, Blade would have shared that with Rio. She is the only person that he's ever told that to--not even Bleys knows Blade's real name."It means 'great ruler' in an ancient dialect of my home world. Somehow, my mother knew I was an inheritor of great power.
"Why Blade? Because I was like the assassin's blade that one catches only the briefest glimpse of before the end. Ravenna was destroyed within days of my evacuation. The prophesy was correct."
--Leslie:
"Ahhhh. Infeliz hermano." Rio would murmur sympathetically, kissing Blade fondly and hugging him tightly. The girl would hold the name deep inside herself in a place that no one else can get to, not even herself in moments of thoughtlessness or passion.After moments of comforting silence, Rio would add that she doesn't think that Blade is an assassin's tool, not at all. She would be very firm about that. Blade is a masterpiece by his own hand; folded steel elegantly patterned to perfection, edged and glimmering, to protect and defend.
And though Rio is very sad about the destruction of his home, Rio would firmly state that Blade's destiny is his own to make. After all, she's dated several gods and thinks that their prophecy and destiny talk is all caca.
* * *
other writings: Background, Quiz, Blade and Rio, Undertow log, "Blade and not Rio", "Blade and Corwin", "The Promise of Power", "An Open Letter to the Family"