< Porn Stars! | Ex Pulplogs | Broken Windows See Stuff Too! >
Carmine waits until they're well away from the house of the infuriating Ugly Tree, and then she suddenly demands of Corve "When are when leaving the town?!"
Corve is trying to keep his calm. He's been trying since they met the guard in front of the house. Carmine's sudden, violent question startles him somewhat, and he turns to her, eyes wide. "Wha..." he says, regaining his composure. "In roughly two days... we need to use the time we have here as much as possible. Why?"
Carmine "I can't wait that long." she has the kind of look on her face you probably don't want to see
Corve sighs slightly, running his hand through his hair and biting his lower lip softly. He sticks his hand in his pockets and lowers his head. "Well, unless we make the best of this time we have, we're not going to get far enough to make leaving the city worth while. There has to be more to uncover here."
Carmine "I don't care! I need to get out of here! I need to get away from all the glass! I need to hold Eminence again!"
Corve pauses for a moment in his step, looking at her. "Now you're just sounding neurotic," he says, raising an eyebrow. "And it's worrisome." He tilts his head a bit. "Anything other than our predicament bothering you, Carmine?"
Carmine "NO!" she shouts "...yes! I just want to get out of this city and get my sword back!"
Corve looks at her sternly, unmoved by her frantic plight. "I can sympathize," he murmurs, and then raises a brow higher. "What else is bothering you?" He takes a step towards her.
Carmine holds her ground as he takes the step closer "Nothing!"
Corve crosses his arms, staring at her. "Really?" He smiles a little. "Doesn't seem like nothing. We're all a little edgy, and it's understandable that you be a bit worse off than the rest, due to your past, or lack there of, but this is a bit much." He lowers his gaze to her hand, and then back at her. "Anything you care to talk about?"
Carmine catches his glance down to her hand, then looks back at him, then suddenly she seems to deflate, looking far smaller than usual as she stands there "...what if this is all my fault?" she asks in a quiet voice
Corve doesn't say anything, looking at her for a long moment. After a while, he raises his hand to his chin and scratches it. "Frankly, I've been asking myself that for quite a while; ever since I saw that," he murmurs, generally indicating her wrist with his finger. "However," he murmurs. "I think I can trust you. I've been replaying some scenes in my head, and..." he sighs. "I'm not sure. What *can* you remember?"
Carmine seems to shrink with each moment he stares at her "...I remember Eminence. The sun was shining down, and there were people all around me. One glowed green and smelt like nothing I've smelt since then, the other glowed white, gemstones on his skin. We were fighting. It was over too soon. They ...died so easily. I've never felt like that since. I burned the bodies, but before I did ... I saw they all had the same mark ... this one
Carmine "That is the first thing I remember."
Carmine "After that I walked ... across the desert to here ... I had some coin in a pouch. The ticket seller took it, and I was on my way Brume..."
Corve sighs and nods. "I see," he says. He can't recall anything like that. "So..." He sighs again, perplexed. "It seems a little convenient, I'll give you that... having shown up on Brume when you did, how you did, and in the condition you did. What most worries me is that you may be subject to some sort of control by whatever that," he waves at her wrist again. "... represents."
Carmine "I won't let that happen!"
Carmine she says, without too much conviction at this point
Corve rubs his forehead softly and sighs. "How do you know you can stop it, Carmine? How can you even be sure they aren't already controlling you, subconsciously? I mean... you're freaking as it is."
Carmine "...what?!" somewhere between a demand and a plea
Corve tilts his head. "Carmine... they could just be screwing with your head as it is! Do you get that? I need you to *focus!* We need to know that, when it *really* counts, you'll do what it takes to watch our backs!" Corve is scared. He's been living with this woman, he took her in, had her around his daughter...
Carmine The look on Carmine's face suggests that she is possibly more scared than Corve "...I will! ... I think ... I don't want to hurt you, you're the only people I know...
Corve nods a little. "I know..." he says silently, looking up and biting his lips once more. "Listen, Carmine," he says, running a hand through his hair. "My... this may not make a lot of sense, but my father always worked cases on his gut's instinct. It was his downfall, in the end, but I believe that he had something there. Sometimes instincts is all you have... and while I can be rational and logical, I took your
Corve * word for everything you said. I trust you, as much as I can. I'm worried... but... we can find out what happened, alright? Just... promise me you won't do anything stupid. If we get caught again, that's the end. we'll be in those glass cells forever."
Carmine "... I can't go back in there! I won't let them do that to me!" she seems terrified at the thought
Corve nods. "I know. Which is why you have to *keep calm.* The worst thing we can do right now is piss these people off more than we have. Besides, I'm pretty sure half the fine we got was because Xar wrote on their wall," he murmurs the last part, shaking his head. "Anyway, we're going to find out about your past, especially since it's almost blatantly connected to these people. Just... remain calm. It's just two days. After that, we leave, we find them, and we wreck them."
Carmine "...what if we can't?"
Corve blinks. "What if we can't what?"
Carmine "Find out who I am. Find out what I did. Find out why I can move a sword easier than I can breathe. Find out why I know how to treat illnesses I don't even know the name of. Find out why I don't know."
Corve breathes. "Ah. Should've known you wouldn't doubt our ability to beat the crap out of these lunatics." He sighs. "If we can't find all that out, Carmine... then you become a Brumish citizen. You get a house. You get a job. You get a new life. And you live it. Take it from me, your past isn't as important as your future, or your present."
Carmine stops and stares at him. she just isn't sure what to say to that.
Corve smiles a little bit and sighs. "We're all a little scared, Carmine. Hell, I'm probably just as scared as you are. I mean, I have a kid, remember? If I die, even if I don't care, my daughter has to live on. I know what that's like. It's... not something I'd ever want to put her through." He sighs softly. "In any case, I understand you're worried and scared. We'll work it out. Either way, there is a solution. You *can* find another way to live, without your previous memories."
Carmine "I don't like being scared. I don't like not knowing what things are, where things are. I don't like the thought that I might wake up tomorrow and not know who you are, who Sun is, who Xar and Myrrh are."
Corve nods slowly. "I know," he says. "But we'll find a way to fix it. I promise I'm going to do everything possible to do that." He puts his hand on her shoulder, looking at her with a sympathetic grimace. "We all will."
< Porn Stars! | Ex Pulplogs | Broken Windows See Stuff Too! >
Stryck Wiki