38: On His Majesty's Obvious Service

[Ebiris]

[14:05] <@Ebiris> It's a pleasant looking day in Salerno as the group gathers for late breakfast in one of the Merchant District's upscale cafes, not a single cloud in the sky, nor so much as a gust of wind. That doesn't stop it from being achingly chilly, only the strong tang of salt in the air keeping much frost from manifesting on the city streets. Still, a little cold is hardly enough to damp down the spirits of a busy trading port, and people are seen coming and going on their daily business, if wrapped up a bit more than usual, and the cafe is doing a brisk trade. Nonetheless, the group gets a table to themselves, able to eat what they please and discuss their business...
[14:06] <@Rudy> "So it's a job for the embassy," explains Rudy, sipping from a tall glass containing a multi-layered rainbow drink. "One of their people got went missing during a courier run, then turned up in a ditch with a bunch of her memories gone, and some strong desire to act like an idiot. Witchwillow's upset about this, and wants us to find out what happened, then make sure it don't happen again. You
[14:06] <@Rudy> guys on board for this? Two grand and a spiffy coat is on the line, and you know I can't turn down a spiffy coat."
[14:07] <@Lucie> "Money's money," Lucie says with a shrug.
[14:07] <@Henrietta> "What was the courier actually doing at the time?" Henrietta inquires.
[14:09] <@Glenn> "And what makes that coat so...spiffy?" Glenn asks amusedly as he slices a piece of ham away from his plate. Swallowing, he adds, "Where'd this happen anyway?"
[14:12] <@Rudy> "It's tailored very well," replies Rudy. "She was making a delivery to Bastion Street. Apparently it wasn't anything important, or so I'm told. She usually takes a boat on her jobs. As for where it happened... well, we can't know exactly where she got caught. She got found in Ditch Street, and it must've happened somewhere around the Merchant district. I figure we should try retracing her route.
[14:12] <@Rudy> Start with the gondoleers who leave from around the embassy and work our way along, see if we can pick up anything."
[14:15] <@Ebiris> Notably the embassy is up on the cliffs of the Arena district, so the closest canal access would be down in Cudgel district close to Shadowshore.
[14:15] * @Henrietta chooses a light breakfast for herself, one consisting of fruits. Once she is satisfied with what is on her plate, she asks, "Should we try to describe her and ask? There is another way, I think. That is, by using a disguise to pretend to be this courier. There are no laws against using such magic, are there?"
[14:16] <@Glenn> "Ugh, boats. Well, at least it doesn't involve an island filled with monsters, I suppose," Glenn comments. "And I don't know how good a disguise it'd be to pretend to be the same courier, didn't Rudy say something about them acting like an idiot?"
[14:17] <@Lucie> "Huh. 'Nothing important,' or nothing your ambassador wanted to tell you about." Lucie pokes at a plate of eggs with her fork. "Start with gondoleer, sure, works for me. Likely our best bet for finding the last person to see her before whatever happened happened."
[14:18] <@Rudy> "When someone says something isn't important, asking them is pointless," replies Rudy. "I figure finding the exact gondoleer would be impossible, you know. I mean, there's loads of them. But disguising yourself as the courier could get interesting results. You'd need to go see her to get it down, right?"
[14:18] * @Henrietta nods slightly. "Well, yes. That is, to get the best results."
[14:20] <@Rudy> "Oh, yeah! I actually have a place where she might've been attacked," replies Rudy, rubbing his head. "It's around... Star Street, near her destination. That's the first place she remembers. I guess she wound up in Ditch Street after, maybe getting drunk or into fights or something."
[14:20] <@Lucie> "So we planning to just have Henri do herself up to look like this woman, then stroll around the same neighborhood and see if anyone approaches her?"
[14:21] <@Rudy> "I think it'll be pretty obvious. But it might provoke some sort of reaction?"
[14:21] <@Henrietta> "We will be stopping by the embassy after breakfast, then?"
[14:22] <@Rudy> "Works for me."
[14:22] * @Henrietta taps her lips thoughtfully. "We do not even have to travel as a group through the district. There is magic to stay in touch across a short if reasonable distance, after all."
[14:22] * @Lucie finishes her last forkfull of eggs. "Ready when you are," she says, wiping her face.
[14:22] <@Rudy> "Maybe we shouldn't travel as a group to the embassy, either? If this is a plot by some organisation, they may have eyes there that could notice a group of misfits like us."
[14:23] <@Lucie> "Sure. I can hang back and watch for a tail?"
[14:23] <@Henrietta> "I will go with you, Rudy," Henrietta says, "since you have been there before and I need to see this woman with my own eyes?"
[14:24] <@Rudy> Rudy nods in assent. "Ready when you are," he replies, knocking back the rest of his drink.
[14:27] <@Ebiris> Finishing up their meals and paying, the quartet set off across a few bridges and up the sharp incline towards the Anowian Embassy perched near the edge of the Arena districtm with Lucie and Glenn splitting off before reaching their destination to loiter instead. As before a pair of guardsmen in Anowian regalia stand as sentinels by the open gate, unflinching at the cold. "Welcome to the Anowian Embassy!" the one on the left calls. Heading inside, Rudy and Henrietta find an older but very well preserved woman at the reception desk wearing a red dress with green accents and a plunging neckline, a thick cream coloured scarf worn around her neck.
[14:27] <@Ebiris> "Mr Giacomo, back to see me so soon?" she purrs playfully at the summoner. "And with a friend, no less!"
[14:28] * @Henrietta courteously tips her hat at the receptionist in greeting.
[14:30] <@Rudy> Rudy laughs. "How can I stay away? Now that Henri is here, this place has everything I like in the world," he responds.
[14:32] <@Ebiris> "Oh, a rival?" she gives Henrietta a mock-catty look. "Such a fresh-faced little thing, too. I can't fault your taste, Mr Giacomo. Welcome to the embassy, Miss Henri. Emerelda Davinches at your service, but I'm sure Mr Giacomo has told you *all* about me..."
[14:34] * @Henrietta freezes briefly, unsure of how to react.
[14:35] * @Lucie finds a wall to lean against a couple streets down from the embassy. Close enough to keep an eye on who goes in or out, far enough to not look suspicious. "Should at least look like we're talking about something," she says to Glenn, arms crossed. "Stick out less that way."
[14:36] <@Ebiris> The embassy seems quite quiet for the moment, Rudy and Henrietta the only ones seen entering it. A lot of the other people coming and going seem to instinctively give it a wide berth.
[14:36] * @Glenn nods and tries to think of a topic to talk about. "So...how do you like your new home?" he asks.
[14:36] <@Rudy> "Come now! I don't kiss and tell!" replies Rudy. "Alas, we don't have much time to chat today, or so I say. Do you know if the ambassador's girl is in? I think you'd know the one I mean, seeing as she sets entirely new standards for being indiscreet."
[14:37] <@Lucie> "Living room's bigger than my old place altogether. Don't share a room with my mom anymore. Put those together, see what you get."
[14:39] <@Ebiris> "Oh, Alison..." the receptionist pouts, "I always thought she was too shy, but this is just embarrassing. Go down that second door there," she points to a wooden door under the stairs, "She's in the last room at the end of the hall, the one with the guard outside it. He's there to keep her in so won't bother you any."
[14:39] <@Glenn> "Enjoying it so far, gotcha," Glenn says with a snort. "What about the neighborhood? Made any new friends amongst the neighbors or anything? I haven't really bothered to chat with mine much yet, but place seems nicer than my old neighborhood at least."
[14:41] <@Rudy> "I want to say it's better to go overboard than under, but I'm not a politician," replies Rudy, heading towards the door.
[14:41] <@Henrietta> "Do you kiss everyone you meet?" Henrietta asks Rudy quietly once they are past the receptionist.
[14:43] <@Ebiris> The door opens into a corridor with several closed doors on either side, a window at the far end shuttered against the cold and a torch sconce providing light. A man in a white and purple military dress shirt stands up from the stool he was sitting on at the end to regard you, no armour worn but he does have a sheathed blade on his hip.
[14:43] <@Lucie> "Nice bookstore down the way. Dance academy across the street, so I got a nice view. Haven't talked to too many of the locals. Just this one instructor at the academy, she..." Lucie trails off, a gleam in her eye difficult to not notice. She shakes her head. "Well, we'll see where that goes. Where are you these days? Far off from the place the dragons torched, I guess?"
[14:43] <@Rudy> "Only the willing," replies Rudy. "We're here to see Alison!"
[14:44] * @Henrietta shakes her head at the indecency of it all.
[14:45] <@Ebiris> The guard sighs almost imperceptibly but nods regardless. "Don't take anything she says to heart," he cautions earnestly, knocking on the door.
[14:45] <@Ebiris> "About time! Come in, I'm going stir crazy in here!" a strident feminine voice barks back from the other side.
[14:45] <@Henrietta> At such an invitation, how can she not proceed into Alison's room?
[14:47] <@Glenn> "I'm off in vine street, actually have Lady Vanderboren as my landlady, if you'll believe it," Glenn says cheerfully. "It's near enough just about everywhere I'd want to go...well, barring downpours of course."
[14:48] <@Rudy> Rudy is there, damned curious to see how the crazy woman acts.
[14:48] <@Lucie> "Huh, yeah. Next time we get a banquet for knocking down a gang of killers, we go all out and hire a carriage."
[14:50] <@Ebiris> It's a small room, a fireplace burning lowly to the side with a shuttered window opposite, a bed and a writing desk with associated stool the only furniture. Standing in the centre is a slim woman with dirty blonde hair cropped boyishly short and implacable slate eyes. Her hands are on her hips challengingly and she wears a long dark blue tunic belted at her waist with white leggings and high leather boots on her legs. "Hey, I don't recognise you," she remarks flat out as Henrietta and Rudy enter.
[14:51] <@Henrietta> "I am Henrietta Ul Copt," Henrietta says, fixing that problem by introducing herself. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintence."
[14:51] <@Rudy> "Rudy," replies Rudy. "What's up?"
[14:54] <@Ebiris> "Jovar, right?" she asks, giving Henrietta a challenging look. "Surprised you pulled your head out of your arse enough to leave that backwards hellhole. Aren't you people all supposed to be brainwashed to worship your emperor? What a load of shit - you wouldn't catch me worshipping my king, not with half the dirt I know about him! What about you, you've got an Anowian accent... where you from?" she turns her attention to Rudy.
[14:54] <@Glenn> "Don't know that I plan to make a habit of taking down gangs, but who knows what the future will hold, right? As long as it's not more undead or mutants, I'll be happy. Well, probably," Glenn comments.
[14:55] <@Henrietta> "Hey, now!" Henrietta exclaims, grabbing onto her hat. "I sincerely do not want to hear that from people who worship a whole pantheon of fake deities!"
[14:57] <@Lucie> "'Probably?' You're young and rich and you've got a steady job, what's not to be happy about?"
[14:57] <@Rudy> Rudy knows better than to interpose himself into an argument between two women, and just shrugs and leans against the wall.
[14:59] <@Ebiris> Since Rudy doesn't deign to answer her, Alison goes right back to Henrietta. "Rather get fucked up the arse by a magic invisible fake god that doesn't exist than take it from a creepy old guy who's trying to compensate for something. S'all bullshit, but imaginary gods can't actually do much."
[15:00] <@Rudy> "You ever done it? With an invisible guy, I mean."
[15:01] <@Henrietta> "I-- what-- why would you even ask that?!" Henrietta sputters, whirling to stare at Rudy.
[15:02] <@Rudy> "I'm curious! I mean, I never even thought of using magic like that."
[15:02] <@Henrietta> "I am never using my magic on you that way! Ever!"
[15:02] <@Rudy> "I wasn't gonna ask *you*."
[15:02] <@Henrietta> "That you were going to ask someone at all is problematic!"
[15:03] <@Ebiris> "Oh, yeah," she turns to Rudy, "Used to know this spy called Jo-" she's interrupted by the guard poking his head in and thumping his fist on the door.
[15:03] <@Ebiris> "Oi! No divulging that sort of information, Alison!" he calls quickly.
[15:03] <@Rudy> "It is not! You're just saying that because you're all straight-laced!"
[15:03] <@Glenn> "Oh, I'm happy enough with how we're doing financially, I assure you," Glenn answers. "I mostly meant in regards to fighting things. I'm happy enough not fighting zombies or mutants, is what I meant, then realized there's enough unknown things out in the world that I'm sure I'll add something sooner or later to that list of things I dislike facing."
[15:04] * @Henrietta runs her free hand through her hair. She really doesn't know any spells that erase memories, but maybe once they find the culprits she can also find some measure of peace. "To get back on track," she forces herself to say with some difficulty, "you were attacked. Do you not want revenge?"
[15:05] <@Ebiris> "Can you keep her on topic with what you're doing for the ambassador?" the guard gives Rudy a pleading look as Alison huffs.
[15:05] <@Ebiris> She brightens after that, "Oh, you're working for the Ambassador? And you want me to help! Great, I was getting sick of waiting around... she normally doesn't keep me stuck like this, I've done all sorts of jobs in the past!"
[15:06] <@Henrietta> "Is that what you have been wearing recently while working?" Henrietta asks, starting with something simple.
[15:06] <@Lucie> "Be a hell of a list if you keep it up," Lucie says with a shrug.
[15:06] <@Ebiris> "Yeah, fuck those guards!" Alison scowls at Henrietta. "I was just having a proper debate with some of those idiot fucking locals and then they got all pissy! You want to do some shit to them I'm all in!"
[15:07] <@Ebiris> "This is what I usually wear, yeah," she adds with a glance down at her slim frame.
[15:08] <@Henrietta> "Alright," Henrietta muses, taking another glance herself and considering how well it would suit her.
[15:08] <@Rudy> "Can we borrow your clothes?"
[15:08] <@Ebiris> It would probably look much better on Henrietta's more curvy frame, she thinks.
[15:09] <@Ebiris> "No, it's cold!" Alison protests at Rudy's request.
[15:10] <@Rudy> "That gonna be a problem?" asks Rudy, glancing at Henri.
[15:10] <@Henrietta> "There is no need to go that far," Henrietta says hurriedly, in case Rudy gets Alison to change her mind. "Because... because women have spare clothing! So it will be fine!"
[15:11] <@Ebiris> "Not here I don't," Alison replies, crossing her arms. "What's this all about, anyway? What do you want my clothes for?"
[15:12] * @Glenn pauses and isn't sure what else to talk about and just waits quietly by Lucie. Maybe she can come up with a new topic to fill in the silence before he does!
[15:12] <@Henrietta> This time, it takes a bit more effort to get her thoughts on the right track. "I want to pose as you and see if anyone attacks me, too. Then we can all avenge you!"
[15:12] <@Ebiris> Lucie can see a man entering the embassy - he looks well dressed and a bit overweight.
[15:13] <@Ebiris> "That'll be a trick," Alison looks Henrietta up and down, leaning forward and poking her considerably more developed bosom with a finger.
[15:13] <@Lucie> "Got a book might be worth your time," Lucie says to fill the empty space. "Alchemy book. Picked it up in case there's mention of that fellow with the immortality thing--" Lucie cuts off, examines the new arrival closely.
[15:14] <@Henrietta> "A magic trick," Henrietta affirms, trying to ignore the way she is being molested. "Do you, well, that is... do you remember how you used to act before this?"
[15:14] <@Ebiris> He's wearing colourful yellow and orange clothes underneath a more functional overcoat, a floppy cap on his head. He passes the guards with nary a word and is out of sight.
[15:15] * @Lucie just makes a mental note of the man for now and continues talking. "Anyway, never know. Might pick up something new from it."
[15:15] <@Glenn> "Oh? Thanks, I appreciate it," Glenn says thankfully, not even having noticed Lucie's pause.
[15:15] <@Ebiris> "Ahh, doppelganger, huh?" Alison nods in understanding, giving Henrietta one last poke for good measure. "What about it?"
[15:16] <@Rudy> "You miss it? 'cos I'm gonna try and get them to let you out like this anyway," remarks Rudy. "You wanna go out and get in fights sometime?"
[15:17] <@Henrietta> "I want to pretend to be the old you," Henrietta tells Alison. "Then, the people who attacked you might think that you are starting to remember and may try something again."
[15:17] <@Ebiris> "I don't really like fighting," she admits to Rudy while her guard gives Rudy an utterly incredulous look. "But anything's better than wasting my time stuck in here!"
[15:17] <@Lucie> "Sure. Figure we'll have an easier time scoping out what potions and the like we find are for, at the last. Will bring it along next time we go wandering since it seems we've got a knack for finding strangeness wherever we go."
[15:19] <@Ebiris> "Just act really repressed and stoic?" she suggests blithely to Henrietta. "But I didn't get in any fights until I started laying shit out the way it really is."
[15:20] <@Henrietta> "Why did you start working in your line of work to begin with?" Henrietta inquires, glancing briefly at the guard. "I can ask that, right?"
[15:21] * @Glenn nods. "Speaking of potions, I keep forgetting to give the rest of you guys those hangover potions I'd made...honestly, just keeps slipping my mind somehow. Don't think we're planning on getting quite as drunk any time soon with the lack of parties in the forseeable future, but try and remind me about that later if you can, otherwise next time an occassion for 'em arrises,
[15:21] <@Glenn> they'll -still- be sitting in my lab," he comments, with a shake of his head at the last part.
[15:21] <@Ebiris> "The pay's good. Get to travel the world, meet interesting people, and fuck them over all for the benefit of the glorious motherland!" she grins widely at Henrietta. "Sometimes literally!"
[15:22] <@Ebiris> The guard shudders. "Oh I miss the old Alison..." he mutters under his breath.
[15:23] * @Henrietta rubs at the bridge of her nose. "If I pretend really hard, I should be able to take her place... maybe...."
[15:23] <@Lucie> "Folks don't usually *plan* on getting that drunk. Just happens. Part of what being drunk's all about. Be nice to have something like that around in case, mind. Thought my head had caved in when I woke up next morning."
[15:24] <@Rudy> "She's not making the job sound romantic enough," admits Rudy. "You wanna get going, Henri? Before she tells us something important?"
[15:26] <@Henrietta> "Maybe we can pick up similar clothing here at the embassy, first?" Henrietta suggests. "Or just... just give Alison something else to change it, so she would not be cold? The less I have to change, the better the disguise will hold, and we should probably leave the embassy while it is on."
[15:26] * @Glenn laughs. "Well, yeah, I wasn't planning on getting that drunk either, but that's what I'd made the potions for. I figured even if I didn't need it, or you gals either, Rudy was sure to though. I recall him eyeing me a little dirty the first time we met at Lady Vanderboren's place because he had use for one and I didn't want to give him mine then. Didn't know the guy after all back then, right?" Glenn says with an amused grin.
[15:27] <@Rudy> "It's an embassy, not a tailor. Maybe you could just switch clothes?"
[15:27] <@Ebiris> "We have more of her clothes in the dressing room, I can get you something," the guard offers.
[15:27] <@Ebiris> "I'm not coming, too?" Alison then asks with a confused blink.
[15:28] <@Henrietta> "Not for the first part," Henrietta tells Alison, happy that an easy alternative was presented by the guard. "I cannot really be bait if there are two of us."
[15:29] <@Ebiris> "Fuck that!" she turns to Rudy, "Break me out of here and I'll make it worth your while!"
[15:30] <@Rudy> "Yeah, if I do that, they'll have my head on a plate, public hero status be damned," replies Rudy. "But hey, I bet you'll be out of here before it's dark!"
[15:31] * @Henrietta frowns, but doesn't object.
[15:33] <@Lucie> "Might be a good idea to keep 'em around anytime we go someplace with Rudy, then" Lucie suggests.
[15:33] <@Ebiris> "This must be what that secret Cambiri mutant incestbaby feels like..." Alison huffs and turns away, going to sit on her bed with a grimace.
[15:33] <@Ebiris> "Stop that!" her guard calls in a pained voice, quickly ushering you out. "You didn't hear that, right?" he demands, closing the door on her.
[15:34] * @Henrietta firmly shakes her head.
[15:34] <@Rudy> "If I heard that, and I didn't, I'd be stabbing myself in the eyes to get rid of such horrible knowledge."
[15:35] <@Ebiris> "Good. Be all our heads on the line otherwise," the guard nods unhappily. "Just a sec and I'll get some clothes, you can change in that room next to Alison's," he tells Henrietta, going down the hallway to confer with the receptionist, leaving Rudy and Henrietta momentarily unattended.
[15:37] <@Rudy> "You know, we're not shy. As a people," remarks Rudy, walking a few paces away from Alison's room. "She's sure something, though."
[15:38] <@Henrietta> "It was a mortifying experience."
[15:39] <@Rudy> "Ah, it's not that bad! Nobody will ever have to know, except the embassy. And everyone here's been through something more humiliating. It comes with the foreign service," replies Rudy, grinning wickedly before his voice lowers to a whisper. "Oh, yeah! Miszen told me who that Jellica woman was- the goddamn royal treasurer! Looks like Isernia was bankrolling that project straight from the top,
[15:39] <@Rudy> huh?"
[15:40] <@Henrietta> "That-- that is horrible!" Henrietta gasps. "How could they?!"
[15:41] <@Rudy> "Dunno. They might not've known what was actually going on," replies Rudy. "Not like she'd go visit the torture cave herself."
[15:42] * @Henrietta grimaces. "Can we, well, can we really do something about someone so high up?"
[15:43] <@Rudy> "Miszen seemed real interested. Let's worry about this for now- with a bit of luck, she'll keep me posted and we'll figure something out."
[15:44] <@Ebiris> Shortly the guard returns, along with clothes similar to what Alison was wearing, sans boots. He opens the door into an unoccupied room just like the courier's and gives Henrietta leave to get changed inside away from prying eyes.
[15:45] <@Rudy> "So how's life as a guard?" asks Rudy, glancing at the guard.
[15:46] <@Ebiris> "Normally a lot more relaxing than this... can you believe I volunteered for the job?" the man sighs and wipes at his brow, sweaty despite the chill. "Hope you can find a way to get her back to normal, can't live like this much longer."
[15:47] * @Henrietta changes with swiftness and efficiency in the solitude of that unoccupied room, the clothes she is wearing going into her backpack. Her own boots should be close enough as it is, and what comes next is trying to match Alison's hairstyle. Only once she has done all mundanely possible to look like her from a distance does Henrietta invoke her magic to smooth out any differences and adopts
[15:47] * @Henrietta a stoic bearing, stepping out back into the corridor.
[15:48] <@Rudy> "If I find him, I'll give whoever's responsible a kick for the embassy's sake," replies Rudy. "Hey, that's not bad. You think that's good?"
[15:49] <@Ebiris> Henrietta finds the clothes made to fit Alison's far more petite and boyish frame are a bit of a strain on her own body, though thankfully the magic spell hides the effects of that from the sight of others, it's still something she can feel constantly. "You look just like her," the guard agrees, looking Henrietta up and down.
[15:49] <@Henrietta> "I feel quite... restrained," Henrietta admits. "But as long as I have no need to run, it should be fine."
[15:51] <@Rudy> "Let's head out, then. You wanna go on your own and we'll hang around someplace nearby?"
[15:53] <@Henrietta> "Before that, was Alison carrying any weapons while out on assignment?" Henrietta asks.
[15:54] <@Ebiris> "Doubt it," the guard replies. "Unless she kept something hidden on herself."
[15:56] * @Henrietta nods slightly. "I believe we should stay together," she then tells Rudy. "Perhaps we can meet again some distance from the embassy, so that we are not seen leaving together?"
[15:58] <@Rudy> "Let's meet down near the gondolas at Cudgel, then?"
[15:59] <@Henrietta> "Certainly," Henrietta agrees, stowing her ace in her front pocket and departing first.
[15:59] <@Ebiris> Henrietta leaves first while Rudy has a chance to remain in the company of Emerelda for a little longer. Leaving she can see Glenn and Lucie loitering a bit down the hill, and Lucie can see a petite woman with short dark blonde hair leaving the embassy. Henrietta also feels extremely cold without an overcoat or cloak on once she's out in the open again.
[16:01] <@Henrietta> Pretending to ignore the cold can also be seen as stoic, and Henrietta decides to go with such a display. If the wind gets truly vicious, she can try to make a stop along the way and purchase a simple cloak.
[16:01] * @Lucie again makes note of the stranger but otherwise takes no action.
[16:01] <@Ebiris> There's no wind, it's just very cold. Thankfully her disguise spell obviates the visible symptoms of severe cold coupled with too-tight clothing as she heads out.
[16:03] <@Rudy> Eschewing further subtlety, Rudy waves Lucie and Glenn along when he likewise emerges from the embassy, only looking slightly flushed.
[16:04] <@Lucie> "Right, there's Rudy," Lucie says. "Must have been nice and hot in there or something. Well, let's get moving, maybe it'll warm us up a little."
[16:06] * @Glenn nods as he starts walking towards Rudy. "Got everything you needed then?" he asks once close enough.
[16:08] <@Rudy> "Uh-huh. We're meeting up at the gondolas," replies Rudy. "Let's go flush out some rats, eh?"
[16:09] <@Lucie> "Sure thing. Blonde headed out before you was Henri, I guess?" Lucie asks quietly as they set out.
[16:10] <@Rudy> "Henri headed out like ten minutes ago. What, you think we'd just leave one after the other? We're professionals, you know."
[16:10] <@Ebiris> With her head start Henrietta gets down to the canal-side first, seeing a couple of gondolas poling the waterways, another one idle down on the little wooden dock at the bottom of a stairway down to the water itself.
[16:11] <@Lucie> "What I said, wasn't it?" Lucie says, mildly annoyed.
[16:12] * @Henrietta walks by the waterway slowly with a thoughtful expression on her face, as she takes in her surroundings.
[16:12] <@Rudy> "Speaking of saying things, you really do need to meet her," remarks Rudy. "That woman's got a lip."
[16:13] <@Lucie> "Oh yeah?" Lucie says. "Have fun in there, then?"
[16:13] <@Rudy> "I and I alone had fun." Rudy grins, and continues down the street, whistling a jaunty tune.
[16:15] <@Lucie> "What's that mean?" Lucie asks. "Henri turn bright red before she became a blonde I guess?"
[16:15] <@Ebiris> It's quite quiet here, not many people going to or from Shadowshore, the gates to said slum not far up the road. The gondolier down on the dock huddles in his coat while waiting for business, and a group of guardsmen loiter near the Shadowshore gate.
[16:15] * @Lucie eyes the gate with some distaste before resuming her standard scan for malingerers on their trail or Henri's.
[16:17] <@Ebiris> Lucie sees no one that looks particularly malignant.
[16:17] <@Henrietta> It will be fine as long as she looks like she has a purpose, perhaps one of Alison recalling something she had seen there before. She shouldn't take that gondola until she regroups with Rudy, after all.
[16:17] <@Rudy> "Anowians are more forward than most people. And Alison is more forward than most Anowians."
[16:18] <@Lucie> "Huh. Say what you mean, sounds reasonable to me."
[16:19] <@Rudy> "You ain't most people, right? Saying what you mean sounds good, but it can actually be pretty horrible for everyone a lot of the time."
[16:20] <@Lucie> "Only 'cause they're too wrapped up in themselves to hear anything they don't want to hear," Lucie says with a dismissive wave.
[16:21] <@Rudy> "Yeah, well, if everyone was like that, nobody'd get along, would they?"
[16:23] * @Lucie shrugs. "Better get a move on if you two are gonna head on together, anyway."
[16:24] <@Rudy> Rudy nods, and continues to walk towards the canal. He scans the area for Henri-in-disguise.
[16:27] <@Rudy> "There we go," he adds, gesturing towards the blonde woman and sauntering over to Henri. "Ready to head out?"
[16:28] * @Henrietta inclines her head in agreement, and starts walking towards the free gondola.
[16:29] <@Ebiris> The gondolier perks up at seeing potential customers. "Where to?" he asks, an older man with worn features but a ready smile shown nonetheless.
[16:30] * @Henrietta casts Rudy a look, deferring to him for the time being.
[16:30] * @Lucie looks for a spare. Otherwise they'll have to wander along after the first boat on foot.
[16:31] * @Glenn helps Lucie look around.
[16:31] <@Ebiris> There's only one waiting that Lucie can see, but she can see another poling its way up the canal towards them that doesn't seem to have any passengers.
[16:32] <@Lucie> Good enough. They want a reasonable distance between the two of them anyway.
[16:32] <@Rudy> "How close can you get us to Bastion street?"
[16:35] <@Ebiris> "Can get you to the bottom of Red Skink Lane at the far end or the bridge leading onto Wagon Street at the near end, sir," the gondolier replies to Rudy, "Be five coppers either way."
[16:36] <@Rudy> "Wagon Street it is!" replies Rudy, easily parting with such a sum. People work for this much? All day?
[16:38] <@Ebiris> "Hop aboard," he grins, clambering onto the gondola and offering the pair a hand into the seats, just big enough to fit two. Once they're situated he starts poling his way up the canal into the harbour, while the other gondola arrives at the dock below Glenn and Lucie.
[16:39] * @Lucie steps up to the dock. "Bastion Street," she says flatly.
[16:39] * @Henrietta continues observing her surroundings quietly, even as a part of her enjoys her first gondola ride in Salerno.
[16:41] <@Ebiris> "Right you are, ma'am," the young gondolier defers to Lucie's no nonsense nature, helping her and Glenn aboard. "That'll be five coppers for the journey," he adds, setting off on the same route as Henrietta and Rudy's ride.
[16:42] <@Glenn> "Thanks," Glenn says once he's sitting comfortably in the craft.
[16:42] * @Lucie climbs aboard without another word.
[16:43] <@Ebiris> In both cases the two gondoliers are happy enough to chat with their passengers as they go, the older one talking about the weather mostly and how it's likely to be a bad winter, while the younger one gives Lucie and Glenn a number of torrid tales about the perils of Shadowshore on their left as they float past Lucie's old home. She can easily see the rum distillery and their other hangouts from here, but there's no sign of any Cobra Fangs on the street today.
[16:45] * @Lucie indulges in some minor vanity and listens for mention of herself and her old game, but otherwise remains silent and on the lookout for anything...well, anything.
[16:45] <@Lucie> *game = gang
[16:47] <@Ebiris> "That there's Cobra Fang territory," the boy says with great gravitas, "So called because their true boss is none other than a gigantic talking snake! Cobra Kahn... any who cross them will soon find themselves in his cavernous gullet!"
[16:48] <@Lucie> "It doesn't talk," Lucie says. "But it IS hungry."
[16:48] <@Ebiris> "Huh?" he almost stumbles but manages to right himself, looking at Lucie with fresh eyes. "You've met him?!"
[16:49] <@Lucie> "Oh, no, that's just what I heard," Lucie amends. "Ramble on."
[16:49] <@Ebiris> "Oh... right. Well I wouldn't believe all you hear," he nods, recovering. "That was probably misinformation to protect Cobra Kahn's secrets..."
[16:50] * @Glenn snorts quietly and restrains a laugh, and just continues looking around as well.
[16:50] <@Lucie> "Might be," Lucie concedes.