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ST After leaving the estate of Calidrei and Myrrh, Corve quickly makes his way to the busy marketplace where Carmine had agreed to meet him at a small, private cafe. They had been planning to stay at his house and had already dropped off their baggage and "help", but now there might be problems with that. Carmine is already at the cafe, waiting for Corve.
Corve seems to mostly appear at the door. He's been keeping a low profile, and it's not easy to recognize him as him when he's in his element. Pushing the door open, he slips inside and quickly sits down, giving the redhead a kiss. "I've got news."
Carmine kisses him back. "Go on."
Waiter delivers Carmine's food, a noodle-based dish called "Ichtini" that she thought sounded appetizing. When placed before her, she isn't quite sure. The noodles are an orange-yellow color set atop a bed of bright green leaves and chunks of yellow-white cheese and some kind of fried meat. Liberally doused with spices and seasoning the dish is very colorful.
Waiter looks at Corve, waiting for his order
Corve "Met with Muriel. Brume's going along with a payment schedule to give us more time. I'm now officially banned from Chiaroscuro, wanted in Sztang-Ooul for infractions and property damage, and wanted in Great Forks for six murders, or which I committed none." He pauses. "Ooh, itchini. I'll have a plate, also," he says to the waiter.
Carmine "..Ah...thank you." she smiles up to the waiter, then deciding it can't kill her, tries some of the strange food.
Waiter nods and wanders off.
Waiter The itchini is very good. Spicier then anything Carmine can remember eating, but very good.
Carmine "...they're payi-....SIX muders?"
Corve "
Carmine "mmmm" eats more of the delicious dish.
Corve "I think Falling Darkness had a bit of 'fun' after I blew half his spleen off," he says, shrugging.
Corve "In any case, I'm officially on 'vacation' as far as my job goes... left my badge with Muriel. So we can't even count on passive, behind-the-scenes support from them, at least not more than their stalling for time."
Corve "I'll have to deal with the Great Forks situation eventually- soon, actually. I also had a talk with another old friend of ours."
Carmine "...old friend?"
Corve "Ugly Tree. He's been sleeping with Myrrh's wife for a while now, trying to get information. I convinced him it was best he go to Cherak, where he'll at least be pretty -and- alive." He rolls his eyes.
Carmine 's eyes narrow at the mention of Ugly Tree. "More than he deserves."
Corve "Definitely. Sunshine's fine, but she'll be interrogated." He doesn't seem happy about this. "However, I got a list of the times and places and amounts of the payments Brume has agreed to pay the Cult. So it's a good lead." He breathes a little. "How about you? Anything happen?"
Waiter returns with Corve's serving of itchini, a breadbasket and two glasses of water. He waits a moment to see if they want anything else..
Carmine "If they hurt her..." Carmine looks dark. She waves the waiter away with a small smile and a "No thanks."
Waiter retreats again
Carmine shakes her head at corve then. "No, nothing." She sighs
Corve nods slowly. "I told Muriel the same thing. They had better be gentle with my baby," he murmurs and then digs into his food.
Carmine eats her own food "Why didn't you tell me about itchini before?"
Corve blinks. "Uh... because I didn't think it was all that important. There's tons of dishes like itchini on Brume. When we're done with this whole deal, I'll take you out to try all the Brumish courses you want," he smiles.
Carmine smiles back at him "That would be lovely."
Corve grins and continues to eat mostly in silence. When he's done, he leans back and runs a hand through his stubbly beard. Tonight they'll have to put on disguises again- part of his will be another clean shave. It'll make a world of difference, he's guessing.
ST After finishing their itchini and tipping the waiter, Carmine and Corve leave the small cafe and make their way to Corve's residence which Muriel assured him would not be searched for a few days. Thus giving Carmine and Corve a safe place to change into their disguises prior to leaving the island.
Carmine "...Will you help me dye my hair?"
Corve "Of course. What color are you going for?"
Carmine looks at the bottle. "Black."
Corve pauses. "Oh."
Carmine "What's wrong Corve?"
Corve "Nothing... umm... just... nevermind." He smiles and gets the hair-dye ready, and begins to work on her hair.
Carmine examines herself in the mirror, after the hair dye has dried and she's changed into her dress. She almost doesn't recognised the black haired woman that looks back at her, the style of dress, long and concealing as it is, alien to her though still very comfortable for herself. She ties one of her red ribbons round her hair, then tilts her head.
Corve smiles and kisses her cheek... and then begins to work his own disguise. He cuts his hair much shorter, and dies it with a grey dye from Great Forks. He shaves, a good, clean, and (according to the razor seller in Great Forks) lasting shave. Then he pastes some of that weird cream that is supposed to make him look twenty years younger, though he doubts it'll make him look 12 again. Finally, he grabs some
Corve clothing he bought in Great Forks- something completely unlike anything found in Brume. A pale-red pair of pants and a pale, aquamarine sweater. He stands in front of the mirror, grimacing. "Yuck."
ST As far as Corve can tell, the cream didn't actually DO anything except make his face oily.
Corve figured as much.
Corve will wash it off if nothing happens soon. It should be enough all around, though.
ST With their disguises completed, Corve and Carmine are now ready to move on!
Carmine carefully wraps her bracers up in her ribbons and puts them in Corve's bags
ST With luggage, new faces, new names and new clothes, Carmine and Corve are ready to head South. A quick trip to the air wharves is next on the list for today, to discover when the best ship is leaving.
ST Despite finding a great deal with a group of spice smugglers taking a trip to Chiaroscruo, Corve decides his better bet is to take a slower, more expensive deal as a pair of passengers on a sky-liner. A large, lumbering, old-fashioned derigible that will carry them across the ocean on hot air instead of Essence and Blue Jade.
ST Boarding has already begun, so Carmine and Corve can go find themselves a bunk in the passenger's "hall", actually a large open space covered with bunk beds in the bowels of the vast ship, and prepare their stomachs for the assault of hard biscuits, dried fruit and bad tea which is all that's being served.
ST Some of the other passengers, mostly poor refugees fleeing Brume because of bad debts or family trouble or even the problems with the Black Vipers, eye Corve and Carmine enviously. A lot of the men are eyeing Carmine with something aside from envy, though Corve warns most of them off. He knows, however, that taking this ship means there will be occasional problems on the journey. But nothing serious.
Corve relaxes, but does keep an eye out for anyone trying anything funny. Mostly, he tries to rest, though, keeping close to Carmine and drinking tea.
Carmine stays close to corve, trying to relax and occasionally peeking out of a window. She doesn't quite seem calm enough to stay entirely still though.
ST As predicted, nothing arises during the trip of interest aside from a few attempts by other passengers to break into their luggage or by some of the younger, less intelligent men aboard to entice Carmine into their bunks. These are all resolved with a minimum of fuss and violence, though Corve occasionally has to restrain Carmine.
ST But, finally, the ship makes port in Chiaroscuro and the passengers are allowed to begin disembarkation.
Corve grabs their stuff and takes Carmine's hand, smiling. "Showtime."
Carmine holds onto his hand tightly, letting him lead her off the ship and back out into the southern sun. Things seem better already.
ST Unlike the close, personal attention paid them when they docked last time on a damaged, stolen airship of small size, the vast horde of people getting off the derigible shields Carmine and Corve. The customs inspectors are more interested in the captain and his crew then their passengers. Entering the City of Glass for the second time proves no problem to either of the Exalted.
ST Now, according to Amun-Ihk, all that Carmine must do is find and enter one of the salt-lined shadowlands in Chiaroscuro and through them, travel into the Underworld.
Corve stops outside the air wharf and looks at her. "I guess it's time to pay Grandma a visit, hmm?"
Carmine "... Do we have to? Can't we just walk in?"
Corve "Well, do we know which way to go and which shadowland to enter? We at least have to figure out which was to go once in the Underworld."
Carmine "From what Xar said ... they all do."
Corve "Fine. North, South, East, or West?"
Carmine "The Mesa is to the South ... so..."
Corve "Right then. Let's go find us a Shadowland."
Carmine nods, and walks through the city with Corve
ST Considering the well-posted warning and caution signs put up not only by the city but by citizens, and the memorials around the Shadowlands to people lost inside, finding one is not difficult. This particular Shadowland is an ancient combat zone from the gang-wars that raged in Chiaroscuro in the collapse of the First Age. Some great weapon was detonated here, turing the entire area into a jumbled maze of twisted, melted glass. Streamers o
ST The signs note "Caution: Singing Glass Shadowland. Enter at own risk! Disturb saltlines on threat of death!"
ST The entire area, several blocks wide, is outlined in deep grooves packed with salt and rare herbs, sealed with clay.
Corve is careful, as they cross, not to disturb the salt lines.
Carmine is likewise very careful, as she steps across.
ST Once inside the line of salt, the sun darkens as if a massive thunderhead had passed before it. Their breath steams in the air and the entire place smells rank, moldy, of ancient destruction, water, fire and ash. Death lingers in the air, though no corpses are visible. The soft chiming of splintered glass streamers is the only sound aside from the breathing of the two Solars.
ST Behind them, the sun shines brightly. Ahead, darkness awaits.
ST It will be a few minutes before the Sun falls behind the horizon, leaving Corve and Carmine with that time to explore the shadowland. Or they can wait, here at the saltline between the shadowland and Creation.
Corve "From the little I know, we'll have to wait until the sun sets before we can cross fully into the Underworld."
Carmine nods "...That won't be too long." she glances about herself, walking deeper into the shadowland, so they can't be seen from the boarders
Corve walks with her, sighing a little, and watching the steam his breath makes.
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