carl@fire

"Where to?" Carl asked, a wide grin on his face as he winked.

"Back to that spot where I may have been driving with slightly less caution than was warranted," Isemeine announced in the process of returning to the driver's seat of her steamcar.

"Oh no," Carl said.

Isemeine pulled her goggles over her face, then turned to frown at him while he settled in. "I'll drive more responsibly this time, you'll see."

The giant spear was propped up between his legs, its tip still well over his head as it rested over his shoulder. "Uh-huh," he said.

She began heating the boiler with both hands on the wheel. "Why do I feel as though I'm being patronized?"

"I just think you could stand to drive much slower is all," Carl said, visibly bracing himself in his seat.

"How much slower?"

"Well, you have no seatbelts, no traffic signals, no actual traffic laws from the look of things… You don't even have any freaking blinkers on your car!"

The steamcar began to pull away from where it had been parked.

"Blinkers…"

"Yeah, you know, the lights you activate when you're turning so other cars—and people—know where the heck you're going?"

"Another brilliant idea. Yes, I believe I could… Hm, no, I'm not quite adept enough to cast that while driving…"

"Eyes on the road, young lady."

"Where?"

"No, I meant watch where you're going."

"Naturally, otherwise—"

"Whoa, slow down! There's people—"

"Calm yourself. See? I'm in complete control."

"That poor old woman…"

"Well, she certainly shouldn't have been—"

"Don't look back at her!"

"I had to be certain! That's—"

"Mina, you've gotta pay more attention while you're driving. And slow down! What the heck's the speed limit here, anyway?"

"Limits are for those who are not royalty, Carl."

"It's cool that you're getting into character already, but you're not the queen of racing yet, Mina."

"What? No, I—As I was saying, that old woman back there was Rosa. I'd recognize the manner in which she waved her cane at me anywhere."

"Wasn't she supposed to be blind? She sure was pointing pretty accurately."

"I would have been able to determine it if you hadn't forced me to turn back around."

"Whoa, careful!"

"It's fine, Carl."

"Slow down!"

"Ugh, have you become my father?"

"If I was your dad, you'd be in big trouble right now. Hey. Hey! What do you think—"

"We'd never arrive there with the speed we were traveling at!"

"Mina, you slow this car down—"

"Steamcar."

"I can't believe I ever thought you were older."

"What?"

"Nothing."

"We've arrived. See? You were worried for no reason at all."

Carl harrumphed. "If I'm coming with you, we're gonna have to work on your driving."

Isemeine frowned over at him after she removed her goggles. "What's wrong with—"

"Everything," Carl said as he hopped out of the steamcar. "You don't slow down when you're coming up to an intersection or when you turn, you drive at full speed even when people are crossing in front of you, you—"

"Steamcars have the right of way," Isemeine said, pointing him towards a nearby street vendor. "Everyone knows—"

"Not while I'm around," Carl said. He fell into step beside her.

"But—"

"No buts. End of discussion."

They progressed along the cobblestone avenue between large brick buildings, heading for a series of elaborate food stalls that were just barely decorated and genteel enough to be allowed to exist within the nobles' district. Steamcars passed by with great frequency, being the primary means of travel within the district. The delicious scent of spiced, roasting meat wafted in the air.

Isemeine frowned more deeply, feeling her annoyance turning to something more substantial. I'm beginning to regret asking him to come with me if he believes he can dictate—

"I'm worried about you, Mina," Carl said, scratching at his beard with the hand that was not toting a large, glowing spear. "You keep driving like that, and one day you're gonna crash. And if you really drive like that, you might get hurt pretty bad. I don't want that."

The slow anger that had been building up over the course of the drive vanished, and Isemeine stopped and finally turned to look at him. Carl slowed a moment later, having already been watching her with his brows lowered in a clear expression of concern. He's…worried for my safety?

The sentiment was unfamiliar to her. At most, she had been admonished with regards to her driving for the sake of preserving the dignity of the royal family; royalty did not speed through the city, nor were they to be seen moving in a hurry. This was different.

Isemeine stared at the ground while feeling her face redden with embarrassment. I'd thought he just wished for me to drive how he wanted. I never considered…

A hand landed on her shoulder, and she looked up again.

Carl was grinning faintly down at her. "Hey, I get it. I was a kid, too, once." He grimaced. "Even if that's seeming longer and longer ago," he muttered. He moved his hand up to his mouth and cleared his throat. "Anyway, I kinda lost track of things there. It's not my place to tell you what you can and can't do. Sorry about that."

The apology somehow intensified her embarrassment. She shook her head quickly. "No, please don't apologize. I… You're correct, and I should be more careful. Safety was never an aspect that I spent much time considering."

Carl gestured with his head towards the stall, and they resumed their approach, albeit more slowly. Traffic of all types cleared in a wide circle around them, more likely as a result of a certain intimidating green glow than from the presence of the fourth princess.

"Once you learn how to drive safely, then I'll teach you how to drive fast if you want," Carl said, turning his head to grin down at her.

Isemeine waved back to a well-dressed woman and her son who were waving shyly at her. "You say it as though you have considerable experience." I suppose as an outworlder he may drive an even more advanced steamcar than mine.

"Well, let's just say I've played a couple racing games," Carl said.

"Should I call you the King of Racing?" the princess teased.

They arrived at the meat-on-a-stick vendor that Isemeine had passed on a number of occasions and never stopped at. Royalty did not eat food from a street vendor. Her mother would rather die than be caught in such an undignified act.

"Two, please," Isemeine said, smiling at the mustached man who was running the stall.

He stared blankly at her.

"Actually, make it three," Carl said. "They look kinda small." He turned to her with a grin. "King of Racing? Wouldn't that make me a Your Majesty?" He affected an expression as though he were one of the most uptight nobles, and Isemeine giggled.

"Perhaps Your Speediness instead," she mused. Her hand reached into her pocket, and she pulled out her coin pouch while looking back to the meat-on-a-stick vendor, who was still frozen in place. "How much do you charge for—"

"F-free!" he exclaimed, managing to break out of his stupor and starting to scrabble for one of the sticks of juicy, fragrant pork that were rotating slowly over a fuel brick-powered burner. "Of course, it is my honor, My Lady!" He passed the stick to her, then reached for another.

She looked at Carl and shrugged, then pulled out another fifty coin mark. Seems unlikely I'll be needing more coin in the near future. When the man handed a pair of meat-on-a-sticks to Carl, she pressed the mark down on top of the stall. "My thanks," she said, turning around as the vendor began to protest. She took a bite and began walking back towards her steamcar.

"Mmm," Carl said from behind her, echoing her own sentiments.

I could have been eating this all along? So delicious! She brought a finger to the corner of her mouth to wipe away a spot of grease.

"This is really good," Carl said with his mouth full. "Thanks."

"It is, isn't it?" Isemeine said once she'd finished chewing and had swallowed her next bite.

They walked in silence for a little while, a princess eating her first street vendor food leading an outworlder juggling a pair of meat-on-a-sticks that he was trying to eat while also holding up a giant magical spear.

Isemeine finished hers first. She frowned. I should have gotten a second! She glanced back to Carl, and an idea struck her as he managed to pull the last knot of meat off his first stick with his teeth. She drew nearer, then, when he was distracted and looking out over the busy market street, snatched the second stick from his hand and stole a bite off the top. She grinned at him mischievously as she chewed, feeling oddly playful.

Carl gave her an amused look. "Somebody's hungry."

She took a second bite and nodded, then offered it back to him as she wiped her mouth with her hand and licked her fingers in yet another gesture that her mother would rather die than be seen performing.

He rolled his eyes as he accepted the meat-on-a-stick and took a bite.

Isemeine swallowed, and her stomach grew contentedly full. She frowned for a moment. I feel unusually… She frowned more deeply as she considered it. Comfortable? How strange.

"That really hit the spot," Carl said, again with his mouth full. "What do we do with these?" He held up the thin wooden sticks.

She tossed her own stick to the side of the street next to her steamcar. "Anywhere will do. The street sweepers will manage it."

"Huh." Carl followed suit, then moved forward to stand with her. "Well, that was pretty good. Where to now?"

"Hm." Isemeine checked her wristwatch. "Almost twenty one now. Probably near enough." She climbed into her steamcar and moved across to the driver's seat. "I'm uncertain at what time this begins, but I think I recall hearing that it was around now," she said to herself while she pulled on her goggles.

Carl settled in next to her. "You feel like letting me in on your plan yet?" he asked, still seeming vaguely amused.

She placed her hands on the wheel and began heating the boiler. "Of course!" She grinned and looked at him, feeling her mischievous smile returning. "We'll be visiting the most important place in the entire city."

"The castle?"

"No, the Creature Marketplace."

"The what?"

"The Creature Marketplace," Isemeine explained with great patience, "is the source of this city's nickname."

"The City of Lust," Carl said, his expression turning to disapproval.

"Yes, that," Isemeine said, showing similar distaste. "It's the source of all those pink collars you inquired about earlier."

"Oh," said Carl, somehow managing to look even more disapproving.

The princess stifled a giggle at her companion's newest expression. Whatever world he comes from must be very different. I feel I would be far happier had I lived there. "Yes, I believe you have the correct idea." She depressed the go pedal, taking more care to drive at a slower rate than she previously had. Slow and steady does it.

"The nobles, wealthy merchants, and even royalty spend a majority of their coin there," she continued. "Creatures are expensive, you see."

"Creatures," Carl said flatly.

"I…did not choose the name of the place," Isemeine said, feeling the need to defend herself. "We'll go there, and you will purchase something in my name. The result will enrage everyone. It will be the perfect revenge." As well as the height of irony. She sighed.

"Let me get this straight," Carl said. "You want me to buy a person?"