[It's approaching noon. Sadly, Mary Anne's ordeal with the mughs has distracted you for some time, and you've returned to camp to finish breakfast (brunch?) and recover. Suzunosuke seemed unusually tired and slept through the whole meal.] [On the bright side, you have a clue now, and nobody's particularly worse for wear. It's the start of a shiny new session!] [Session Start.] * John rubs his head. "Anyone have a clue as to where we're going?" * Mikoto nods, sipping a cup of water. "I think I do." * Millie looks down at her meal, then sighs a little because it doesn't seem very appitizing but scoops it up into her mouth. * Millie looks over at Mikoto, tapping her fork on the edge. "You're thinking what I'm thinkin'?" * Jinx packs up his gear. "What did you figure out Mikoto?" * Millie points at Jinx with her fork. "Brown foodin', right?" * Mikoto sets the cup down and stretches his arms over his head. "The Mugh shaman said 'toward brown foodings', didn't he? The people with the tablet went to an Injun village nearby." * John eats his food. "That sounds reasonable." * Millie lets out a little grin. "Seems a bit weird, bein' a brown fooding..." ... read about the Injuns. Damn good warriors. * Jinx puts his stuff on his horse. "Not if it's a small village out numbered by well trained bandits." * Millie looks up at the sky, seeming to be thinking for some time, letting out a little hmm. "Oh, that's what was ment." We're still heading north, ain't we? * Mikoto rubs the back of his neck. "Somehow, I don't think they went to raid a village. I think they went there for information." He glances at the Westerners. "If my memory serves, Injuns are powerful mystics, aren't they?" "There are those among them, yes." 2d6 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Jinx (2d6) and gets 4. * Jinx shrugs and wolfs down his breakfast. * Millie taps her fork against her cheek. "That's where we need ta be goin' anyhow. It's so easy ta lose your bearings in this place." There's a few villages up thataways. * John inspects his pistols. "Yup." * Jinx finishes his food, barely looking like he swallowed. "Let's go, I know a few villages to the north I can find our way to once we're out of the cactus forest." * Millie sets down her plate and stretches a bit, looking over at Mary for a moment. "Hey.." * Tairan nods. "And if we're lucky, some of the locals can give us some idea of where they were goin'... and maybe we can pick up their tracks." * Mikoto smiles. "I'm glad... I don't speak the Injun language, though I've always wanted to learn." He pauses, then looks embarrassed. "Not that they don't speak Teckian, I'm sure, as well." * John holsters his postols. "That they do." * Millie fluffs up her hair a little and closes her eyes tight in a sigh. "I jus' hope they're more hospitable than some Teckians I've met. It'll be easier if they don't see me as some freaky half-breed.." * Jinx mounts up muttering "If there's anyone left." Once on his hourse he calls out, "I'll handle things if it comes to that." * Dicesuke has quit IRC (Read error: Connection reset by peer ) * Millie opens her eyes slowly and looks at Mary again. "You feelin' alright, Miss Mary?" ( Everyone speaks the same language :P ) ( You're the ones that made Injun a specialty. ;) "It's very kind of you to ask, Miss Reinhart. I'm just not ment for all of this running about and being kidnapped." * John gets up and mounts Hazel. "If I know anything, there will be something left. Weather they're willin' ta talk is another question." * Tairan eyes Suz and saunters over to him, prodding him in the ribs with his foot. "C'mon, Suzunosuke..." ( For writing. Everyone speaks the same language :P ) ( Ahso. ) [Sun-kun snoozes.] [Lightning walks back and forth. Jinx obviously looks fairly hot to trot.] * Tairan frowns, and starts prodding harder. * Mikoto steps next to Tairan. "A bit of a deep sleeper, looks like." He glances back at John and Jinx. "Maybe we could put him up with one of you?" [He keeps sleeping.] * Tairan shakes his head. "Out like a light." * Jinx nods. "Good plan." Lightning walks over next to the sleeping samauri. * Tairan leans down and starts to heft Suz up. "Oh dear. I do hope he's not taken ill." * John pats Hazel. "Hey, Jinx. Hazel'll carry the extra supplies. I don't think the poet is very light." Might just be dead tired. If he was travelling like I was from back east, he prolly didn't get much sleep. * Millie tips her hat up slowly and breaks into a slow grin underneath the shadow. "Ain't nobody meant ta handle kidnappin' really. Ya jus' gotta know how ta deal. Ain't no one stupid 'nuff ta kidnap Millie Reinhart, no ma'am." * Jinx nods. He dismounts, leads Lightning over to Hazel and transfers the extra supplies Jinx is presently carrying. * Mikoto sighs. "Maybe he's just worn himself out." He smiles distractedly. "Not many cactus forests in Shomuran, after all." "Oh, I do hope your so Miss Reinhart. It was a most distressing situation." * John makes sure the supplies are secured. * Millie looks over at Suz and shakes her head. "Guess so. Funny though, seemed like a pretty energetic kid." Being energetic takes energy. * Millie flicks her wrist back and forth in front of her face casual-like. "Seems a bit of a waste though. I mean why wear yourself out needlessly?" * Jinx mounts up again. "Perhaps someone could hoist him up. And we could get going." Let's just hope he doesn't sleep the entire day. I don't think that'd be good for his regimen. "Oh, yes, I quite agree." * Millie stands up and pats down her jeans. "So we go north. Jinxy an' I should be able ta take ya there." * Jinx nods and taps his fingers against his leg. * Millie shakes her head slightly and looks over the rest of the guys. "Any of ya big strong manly types gonna hoist 'im up?" * Mikoto does his best to prop Suz up, but he is clearly not a big strong manly type. * John gets off Hazel and hoists Suz up. * Jinx catches Suz and helps lift Suz onto the back of his horse. * Millie shrugs and walks over to help Mikoto. "Don't tell me ya need a delicate flower's help in this.." * John chuckles when Millie says that. * Mikoto laughs a little. "I learned the martial arts because it was promised that speed and skill were more important than strength." * Jinx chuckles. Absolutely correct. Still, it doesn't hurt to be able to lift something. Eh..skill maybe. And I guess speed's good too, but if ya don't have power ta back it up, you're gonna get pounded. By cacti apparently. * Millie grins over at John. * Mikoto raises an eyebrow, but says nothing, instead walking over toward Tairan. Those weren't cacti. They were cactus monsters. So ya say. I think ya still got a spine stickin' outta ya, Johnny boy. * John smirks back. He mounts up again. "Nah, if I did I woulda noticed it a while ago." * Millie walks over to Tairan too, a bit exaggerating the feminine walk. * John looks at Millie. "Who're ya tryin' to fool?" He says jokingly. * Millie hmmphs but doesn't turn around to look at John, going over to Tairan. "So any tracks leadin' out of the forest? Not that I can tell. Lost the horse tracks here... only tracks were the giant chikins. * Millie looks at the cacti, to see if they cast any helpful shadows. s'why we gotta get some info from the locals... maybe they can point us in the right direction. ( One of the cacti has a sign that says: "PCs go this way -->" ) (Snicker) * Mikoto sighs. "Somehow I think dealing with the Mughs again is only going to get us in trouble." He glances at the sky. "We could always go back the way we came." * Millie winces a bit at that. "Don't tell me we gotta deal with those mugly things again. I don't think anyone wants ta hear about Millie Reinhart's exploits with the pugnosed children. * Jinx secures the sleeping man as best he can. "Let's head North." No, no. The Injuns. * Millie pouts over at Mikoto. "Do we HAVE to?" If the bandits went that way, someone in one of the villages had to have noticed them. * Mikoto rubs the back of his neck. "I think perhaps we're hearing one person speak and repsonding to another." He's right. 2d6 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Jinx (2d6) and gets 5. Jinxy's right though. We need ta go north. Then let's get goin'. No time like the present. Jus' gotta find which way north IS...that's the trouble in a forest. * Millie blinks, then smacks her forehead. "Raight." * Jinx points. "It's that way," he points "Same direction we were already heading." * Millie pulls off her pack and reaches into it, taking out a small compass. * MaryAnne giggles "A compass is a useful tool." * Mikoto laces his arms behind his head. "Hopefully the forest thins out soon." * Tairan starts heading north, then, doing his usual "scanning the ground" thing. * MaryAnne follows along, her open umbrella acting as a sunscreen. * Jinx heads north, looking for threats. He seems far less jittery now that the group is actually going somewhere. * Mikoto runs ahead to walk with Tairan, saying in a low voice, "An interesting trick, the other day..." * John scanse around. "What happened to just shooting someone?" * Tairan nods. "Comes in handy when the odds are less than favorable." 2d6-3 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Tairan (2d6-3) and gets 9, a CRITICAL FAILURE!!! "I hate being random." ( x_x ) 2d6 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Tairan (2d6) and gets 6. (Ooh, this'll be fun.) * Jinx grins. "Glad you're on our side." ( Oh, this is *not* shaping up to be a good night. ) [Tairan spots what he thinks might be tracks! He gets so distracted by them that he runs hatfirst into a younger cactus.] (...) ( Ouch! ) ... ow. * Mikoto is about to say something, and then suddenly stops (speaking AND walking). "Err..." * John looks over to Tairan. "Um... yeah." * Jinx looks a little bit guilty, but he covers it fairly well. * Tairan growls, and starts picking needles out of his hat. "Hold your applause, please." [On second look, there aren't any tracks at all. Must be a trick of the light.] * Millie just looks at Tairan. "Err..ya might wanna just keep your eye on what's ahead besides the ground." * Tairan gets back to what he was doing. "Coulda sworn I saw something... nah, I'm okay. Just got distracted... not nearly as bad as the time I got so caught up following tracks I wandered right into the middle of a bandit camp." "A rather prickly situation, if I do say so." * Mikoto coughs to cover some laughter, then starts walking again. "Where did you learn that technique, if you don't mind my asking?" * Tairan eyes MaryAnne, then shakes his head. * Millie looks over at Mary and stares. "I coulda jus' sworn ya made a joke." * John smiles. "That's probably because she just did." * MaryAnne smiles. Not really a technique. Just somethin' the sword can do. Trick is gettin' the spikes to go where you want. Guess it's proof that jus' when ya think ya know someone, eh Just? * Jinx chuckles. "It's funny how bandits just won't listen to perfectly reasonable explainations as to why you wandered into their camp." * Millie winks and goes back to her compass. I dunno. Rock spikes, lightnin'-spittin' umbrellas...it jus' don't fit. But guess ya need strange people for strange jobs eh? * Mikoto ahs faintly. "Well, it's an interesting sword, then, to say the least." He mms to himself, then keeps his eye on the path to avoid getting spiked himself. Yeah, really. Still ain't gonna top mah gal. Ain't that right, Greenpeace? Actually turned out pretty well... guys were so stunned I just wandered oblivious into their camp, they just froze, and I finally looked up. * Jinx smiles. "Good. Obviously you survived and that accident certainly testifies to your skills as a tracker. You found the bandits after all." * John chuckles. * Tairan nods. "Needless to say, when I reported back I didn't give all the details on my search... had a rep to maintain, after all." * Jinx laughs, "I'd report an incident like that, wouldn't contrast with my reputation at all. Key point is that you walked away alive." Yeah, that says something about your abilities. * Tairan grins a bit. "I can handle myself in a fight. Plus, guns are pretty rare where I'm from... gave me an edge." * Millie turns around from smiling at her rifle and tries to pick up the conversation. [The cacti thicken as you continue north.] "You seem very fond of that perticular firearm, Miss Reinhart. Was it a gift?" * Jinx looks at Millie, interested in her answer. * John doesn't seem interested, but you can see him seeing Millie out of the corner of his eye. * Millie looks from Tairan, holding her finger up as if she was about to ask a question, then turns to Mary. "Huh? Ah..well...yes an' no..." Go on... It's...a memento I guess ya could say. The first rifle I practiced with alongside Pa. It's lasted me all these years, so I trust it more than anythin' * Mikoto smiles. "I know what you mean." He brings up his right arm. "This falconer's glove was a gift from the man who raised me. It's silly, but I feel more confident using it than anything else." * John looks away when Millie mentions her father. * Jinx looks down at Mikoto. "Given that falcon of yours, that doesn't seem silly at all." * Millie taps her cheek delicately with her index finger, thinking a bit. "Ya know, I never really considered it. Course it wasn't always green. Ol' Pa had a fit when I did that. Ruined a perfectly good gun he said." She chuckles. * Tairan doesn't say anything, concentrating on the ground (and cacti) ahead. He's frowning a bit, though. * Mikoto laughs embarrassedly, and a little nervously. "So you remembered that?" He puts his arm down. "They don't have anything to do with each other, but yes, I suppose you may have a point regardless." Speakin' of which, didja make that one yourself, Tairan? Huh? That gun of yours. It's really somethin'. I mean...mine's a custom too so I should know these things. * Jinx raises an eyebrow. "It's pretty hard to forget. But no matter." Jinx casually checks his gun and keeps scanning for adversaries. Made it? Nah. Found it in a cave next to a skeleton in western garb. * Millie raises an eyebrow. "That so?" But..it ain't a common model. How weird. Yup. Trained myself with it. * Jinx laughs. "I prefer to stuff of the recently dead. Skeleton's gear tends to rust." (Tairan's a grave robber.) There's a reason the stuff is with the skeleton. (So's Jinx. Morally upstanding folk! ^^) (^^; Yeah, Tairan, he's the grabe robber of the group)) ( Hey, the guy wasn't buried. Tairan buried him! ) * Jinx pats his shotgun, "Hope you serve me better than your last master." * Tairan shrugs. "Figure the guy was a scout or somethin' in the war... coupla ribs were slashed into, musta gotten hit and hid in the cave to recover... 'cept he didn't." * Mikoto glances at the cactus and sighs. "It's so thick. I never want to see another cactus again." You will if you stay in the west. ( For the curios, Tairan's pistol looks like this, but with a longer barrel and the black-and-gold pattern continued onto the handle. http://images.send.com/22-1280L.gif ) [And just as Mikoto says that... light! Freedom! You reach the end of the Cactus Forest!] * Jinx whoops with glee and gallops out. * Mikoto smiles. "Perhaps I have an untapped prophetic gift." (Nice) (*plots as Mikoto says that*) * Millie lets out a deep breath, running for light, almost skipping. We're out. It's 'bout damned time. * John gets out at the same pace he was traveling in the forest. He looks up at the sky. "Good to be out of there." "I was begining to wonder." * Jinx turns around once he's safely away from the Cacti and waves at the forest. "Bye now, see you in hell." He then looks around to get his bearings. ( You're going to turn me into Cordelia! ;_; ) ( The forest waves back at Jinx! ) * Tairan chuckles. "Remember, we're gonna have to head back at some point." * Millie slows down and closes her eyes in a smile, stretching her arms high overhead, her vest creaking faintly as it stretches. "It feels so good ta not worry 'bout nasty cacti an' axe fliers..." ( Naw, if you were turning into Cordelia, a cacti would have smacked you, then you'd make the prediction.) An' trices..damned 'trices. * Mikoto shakes his head. "Over my dead body. I'll spend four days walking around it than through it again." You said it Mikoto! You just might have to. Yeah...though ya know that just will make Ralph happier.. [Suzunosuke keeps snoozin' away.] * Millie lets down her arms and rolls her shoulders. "But I bet he'll be happy all the same that we made it out." * Mikoto grins. "Of course it will. He'll get to keep and sell my things." [Perception checks, kiddies.] 2d6-2 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Mikoto (2d6-2) and gets 3. 2d6 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Millie (2d6) and gets 8. "Well, remember that Mister Lewis is only going to wait for so long. I'd rather not have to walk all the way back to town." 2d6 * Dicesuke throws the bones for John (2d6) and gets 7. * Jinx points about forty five degrees to the right of the direction they left from. "Next village is that'aways." ( *does the "yay, success" dance* ) 2d6 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Jinx (2d6) and gets 12, a CRITICAL FAILURE!!! "You always hurt the ones you love. I love you very much." (dr) 2d6 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Jinx (2d6) and gets 8. 2d6 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Tairan (2d6) and gets 7. 2d6-2 * Dicesuke throws the bones for MaryAnne (2d6-2) and gets 5. ( Me neither) (Made by 2) [Mikoto and Mary Anne spot smoke rising in the northeast.] "Oh, dear. Could that be an Injun raid?" * Millie looks over at Mary. "Could what be?" * Jinx looks startled. "A raid on the Injun's? Where?" * Mikoto blinks, stretching out, and the turning his gaze northeast. "Hmm. It's certainly signs of civilization." He points at the smoke. * John looks where Mikoto points. "Let's get going." * MaryAnne indicates "Over there." * Millie looks where Mikoto's pointing, then hmms. "Doubt it. They're probably jus' communicatin'" * Jinx looks up and squints. Anyone have a clue as to what they're saying? Wish I knew what though. * Mikoto blinks, looking a little confused. "Communicating?" He pauses to think about it. "Smoke signaling?" * Tairan hmms. "I'm afraid I really never learned any sorts of codes of that nature." * Millie smirks and waves her hand casually in front of her face. "I was goin' ta study up on it, but didn't really seem necessary. Kinda wish I did now." * Jinx stays quiet and just looks. Kinda hard when your teacher disappears like that. * Millie shrugs. * Millie turns to Jinx. "You're probably the best one ta do it. They're your brown foodings after all." "Well, shall we proceed over there and investigate?" Your teacher Millie? And I think that's just smoke, nothing special, let's ride. * Millie raises an eyebrow at Jinx. "Or walk." * Tairan nods, and walkwalks. * Millie smiles slightly. "You know more 'bout 'em than I would. How do they feel 'bout foreigners?" * Millie gestures slightly to everyone else as they walk. "We've got a pretty big group, an' no offense, but not everyone's so acceptin'" * John rides at a liesurly pace. "I think they'll take reasonably well to them, although I don't remember seeing many. Not very often do people come from the East." * Jinx thinks, perhaps I should ride ahead, "I'll get there faster to help out if there's trouble." * Millie frowns. "I could go with ya, though I don't know how they take ta half- breeds either..." * Jinx nods in agreement with John. "Most villages will accept strangers that aren't there to loot or pillage, not welcome necessarily, but not shoot." * Mikoto nods. "An outrider seems like a smart decision, I think." "One of your parents is Injun, Miss Reinhart?" * Millie eyes Mary a little, then sighs, shaking her head and gesturing to her complexion. "Ya think I got this tan from bein' out in the sun too long? Even Squinty could tell jus' by lookin' at me...but not everyone notices I s'pose." So, ride ahead it is, if you hear gun shots come running. Otherwise, I'll come back for you. * Mikoto glances at Millie, and sighs. "I've often found it helpful to think that being a 'half-breed' opens doors instead of closing them. I suppose it depends on your experiences." * John nods. * Tairan nods as well. I'm jus' goin' by what I've been called. Half-breed. Freak-child. Mutt. Mix child. * MaryAnne smiles "I think it's wonderful. You have been exposed to two different and interesting cultures all of your life. I wouldn't have minded if I was also the product of the pairing of parents from two different ethnic stocks." You might want to leve Suzunosuke behind, though. * Millie smiles faintly at Mary. "Glad some people are more acceptin'" [You near the village! It's a small, peaceful-looking thing, certainly not under attack. As you get closer, you can smell some sort of meat roasting; really nice.] * Jinx nods and smiles sheepishly. "Forgot about him entirely." [Westerners can identify it as bison meat.] "Oh how lovely. Someone is having a cookout." * Jinx puts away his gun and moves his horse towards others to help Suzunosuke down. ( Easterners can identify it as pork chops. :P ) I'll see if I can get us an invitation. (Bison aren't pigs. >.>) * Millie sniffs and her eyes twinkle a bit as she claps her hands together. "Oooo! It's mah kinda meal too! I hope they made it good an' spicy!" * Tairan helps get Suz down. ( They are for all the Easterners know ^_- ) [Suz sleeps! Goodness, he sleeps through everything.] * Tairan sniffs. "Smells... meaty." (Nope, they're the sharks of the great plains, not pigs at all really. ^_~) Bison! It's the best! * Jinx rides ahead to the village, his guns are holstered and his hands are out and open to show his benign intentions. * Mikoto raises an eyebrow. "Well, anything will be better than the rations we've been surviving on the past few days." * Millie saunters forward, interlacing her fingers and stretching them overhead, looking very happily. Yup. * MaryAnne smiles. Bison? What's a bison? Is it tasty? I hope they save some for ol' Millie. (...) ( And Tairan channels Suu... =P ) * Millie turns to Tairan and grins very very VERY widely. "Best stuff ya ever tasted if it's prepared right." Bison's a meat, kinda like beef, only tastier. Nono. I mean, what's a bison? The animal. It's like a cow, only bigger, hairier, and stupider. * Mikoto raises an eyebrow. "And that makes for tastier meat?" [A tumbleweed bounces by o/~] * Millie grins and nods. "Yup!" I wouldn't say stupider, but definetly bigger and hairrier. ... odd image. * Millie walks to the edge of town, looking faintly for someone. * MaryAnne follows along. * John rides behind Millie, looking for hospitable people. ( Gimme hearing checks. ) * Mikoto follows cautiously. Friendly is one thing, stupid is another. 2d6-2 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Mikoto (2d6-2) and gets 2. * MaryAnne doesn't seem especially worried and in fact seems rather delighted. 2d6 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Millie (2d6) and gets 6. 2d6 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Tairan (2d6) and gets 12, a CRITICAL FAILURE!!! "Death is temporary, only failure is forever. You may have just done both." ( That makes it. And jesus, Tai. c.c; ) ( ... I'm deaf! ) 2d6 * Dicesuke throws the bones for John (2d6) and gets 4. ( I'm Chomei! ) ( Tai.. has bad luck. ) 2d6-2 * Dicesuke throws the bones for MaryAnne (2d6-2) and gets 4. (No, Chomei ends up with a 10 after mods. You're just really deaf.) [Everyone who makes it hears a rattling noise. There's a rattlesnack right in front of Tairan, which he doesn't seem to have noticed at all.] (Snake. Rattlesnake.) (...) ( At least it's not Solid Rattlesnake. ) (Though if you were to eat it, I guess it'd be considered a snack.) ( Mmm, rattlesnack! Scaly and delicious! ) (Rattlesnack! :9) ( It's a snack for some critters. ) ( ... ) [But yes, a snake. A rattle snake. Right in front of Tairan.] * Mikoto coughs. Loudly. "Tairan! Don't. Move." "Oh dear." * MaryAnne stops moving * Tairan blinks, and looks down... and freezes. "... not familiar with the local animals, but that doesn't look friendly." * John looks at the rattler. He stops moving, as does Hazel. "It's not. You want me to shoot it?" [The snake is coiled and hissing, eyes on Tairan's leg.] * Mikoto ehes. "Can't we shoot *at* it? No need to kill it if we can drive it away." * Millie stops from her happy walking and turns her head around to look at Tairan. "Ah geez..." Most likely thing that happens, if we shoot, is either it dies or it bites Tairan. Rattlers don't leave easily. ... assuming it's poisonous, I would honestly prefer it dead than scared and angry. Can't leave ya guys alone for a second... [The snake hisses and rattles more. It's got long fangs that'll probably hurt, poisonous or not.] Yes, it's very poisonous. I doubt they'd have anti-toxin here. * Mikoto ahs. "Well, you're the expert. But, ah..." He glances at the snake. "I've never tried coaxing an animal with anything but falcons. But, it might be worth a shot." He smiles. "Or you can shoot it." Want me ta go 'head an' see if they've got some anti-snake venom stuff in the village jus' in case? ( Or you could suck the poison out of (whereheisbit). ) (Mmm mmm good!) (Yeah, but who wants to do that?) Actually, I'd like someone to shoot this thing. Well, we do that, an' everyone in the village comes runnin'. Not sure that'd necessarily be a bad thing, but still... ... fine. * John 's hands slowly go to his hips. "Alright, just stay absolutly still. Millie, go in and tell them NOT to start runnin' when the shots go off." Wait... I got it. * Millie nods and heads off towards the village, trying not to make sudden movements to startle the snake. [The snake eyes Tairan's leg. :9] Alright, but it's your fault if you get bit. That it is. * MaryAnne watches nerviously. * Tairan quickdraws his sword and slashes down at the snake. 2d6-3 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Tairan (2d6-3) and gets 4. ( Gimme an unarmed defense roll. ) 2d6-2 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Tairan (2d6-2) and gets 7. ( Ha! No. ) ( Wow, ol' Dicey's bending me over a table tonight. =P ) [The snake lashes out when Tairan strikes at it. He cleaves it in two, but not before it bites his leg.] ( ...fighting down that mental image... ) ( I'm right there with you. ) Shit. I told you it'd be your fault if you got bit. Hey, Millie, get some venom-antidote. Now! * Mikoto breathes out. "That could have gone better." * MaryAnne exclaims "Oh dear!" * John dismounts and gets to Tairan's side. "Where did it bite you? * Mikoto thinks for a moment, wondering if he can concoct an antidote. [The decapitated head remains locked onto Tairan's leg. Eew.] (Can I? I have the poisons skill. ^_^; ) ( Ouch. It got him good c.c ) ( Natural specialty, even. ^_^ ) ( If you had the right ingredients, you could, but on the fly? Probably not. ) ( Well, to know what the ingredients even ARE. ) * Tairan shakes his head. "Guess I'm not as good as I thought, eh?" ( Grab a nearby NPC and use it to suck out the poison. ) * Tairan looks down, and pries the head off his leg. "Don't suppose that potion I bought would help with this..." ( Just to know what they are? You can make a roll for that, sure. ) "Maybe the people in the next village have a antitoxin?" Sit down and keep your heart-rate to a minimum. We need someone to suck the posion out. I... don't think so. * Mikoto puts his hand to his chin. "If I had the right ingredients, I could probably make some sort of antidote, but..." He waves a hand at the wasteland. "In the middle of nowhere?" * Tairan nods and does so, trying to breathe slowly and relax. "Oh, my goodness. I simply can't look." she turns her head away and pulls out her fan and starts waving it as herself "I do believe I feel faint." ( Did Millie set off for town? ) ( Yeah ) * Mikoto sits there, trying to think. "Rattlesnake venom, rattlesnake venom..." Anyone got some string? I wanna tie off my leg, slow the poison flow. * Mikoto takes the belt out of his duster and gives it to Tairan. "This do?" * Tairan nods, and ties it off just below the knee, tightening to restrict the blood flow without completely cutting it off. "Thanks." Man, I know if you don't have the antidote, sucking the posion out helped. But I can't remember how exactly you were supposed to do it... ( Do I at least know that much? Or is it medicine and not poisons? ^_^;) * John scratches his head. * Mikoto blinks a few times. "I think the trick is not to actually swallow any, and spit it out right after, but I may be wrong..." * Tairan grins. "I'd do it myself, were I more flexible." It's worth a shot. You want to do the honors? * MaryAnne continues to fan herself while looking away. ( Ha! You're only asking me 'cause I look girly! ) ( I guess poisons covers it. It's probably both. ) (You people are trying to kill yourselves? :P) * Mikoto sighs and takes off his coat. "Well, it's certainly worth a shot. Better to do it quickly before it gets into his blood..." ( Of course they are. For ever PC Brett kills, they get $50. ) Assuming I don't die a slow, painful, agonizing death, I'll owe you several. [The bitten area is a nasty purple-red color. Tairan, give me a Body roll +2.] * Mikoto eyes the wound and blanches. "Don't thank me just yet." * John nods. "It's not really a painful, but it certinly looks slow and agonizing. And very deadly. At least from what I've seen of it before." 2d6+2 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Tairan (2d6+2) and gets 6. ( Made it. ) [Tairan feels a bit dizzy, and his mouth tingles slightly.] ... hmm. Dizzy. Prolly not a good sign. No, it isn't. * Mikoto raises an eyebrow. "Better than dead." He wipes his mouth on his sleeve. "Alright... let's give this a shot, I guess." ( Nah. It's just the orange soda. ) * MaryAnne continues to fan. ( o/~ Train, train, take us away, far away, take us away... o/~ ) (o/~ There's a train, a train to the zone.o/~) (If you're talking about the whole draining poison thing in that fashion, I'll say it's Medical +2.) ( ...HAHA. Yeah, I don't even HAVE that skill. ) * Mikoto stops to take a deep breath. "Well, hopefully if I do it wrong, we won't both end up dead." Just don't swallow any of it. * Mikoto is certainly not stalling until Millie shows. Really. (Don't critfail!) ( If it's a mind roll, there's a one-in-a-million chance I MIGHT succeed. ) Here goes nothing. 2d6+2 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Mikoto (2d6+2) and gets 6. ( ...HAHA! HAHAHAHAH! ) ( *spins around and falls over* ) [Mikoto sucks it up! And is pretty sure he didn't swallow anything. Tairan, give me another Body roll +3] 2d6+3 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Tairan (2d6+3) and gets 14. ( ... ) ( ...oh my. ) ( Well, at least I didn't critfail this one. ) * Mikoto spits into the dirt, a couple times, then stands up. "Ugh... altruism is rarely pleasant. Hopefully it did some good." [Tairan gets hit by a wave of dizziness and nausea, and he finds he can't exactly orient himself. It's suddenly chilly, which is odd in the desert.] ... well fuck. *slumps a bit* * Mikoto goes a little pale. "Or maybe I made things worse." Yeah. ( Two 12s and an 11 in one night. Geez. ) * John gets near the leg. "Let me try." "Oh, goodness gracious. Such language." she fans herself. ( Let's all take turns! :P ) Don't think so... musta gotten into my system... being cold in the desert is a bad sign, isn't it? * Mikoto wipes his mouth again. "I'm going to run and meet Millie. We can't wait much longer for an antidote." * Millie runs back, her expression looking stern. Her hand's clamped around Jinx's wrist, dragging him behind her. * Mikoto turns around to leave to see her coming back. * Jinx arrives, not all that displeased to be dragged by Millie, carrying antivenom. [Tairan, Body +3.] We got it. * Millie slows down as she approaches and lets go. He did somethin' stupid, didn't he? Yup. He tried to cut the rattler. * Millie sighs and runs her fingers through her hair. "Wonderful." * Jinx figures out the situation quickly and kneels down next to Tairan, "Here, drink this." * Mikoto shakes his head. "Antidote now, condemnation later." 2d6+3 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Tairan (2d6+3) and gets 14. ( ...JESUS, Jesse. c.c; ) ... I really don't think you drink antidote. ( ... two 12s, two 11s. Not my night. ) ( Dicey likes these close cuts. ) [Forget orienting, he finds he can't sit up even if he wants to. Just talking takes effort.] * Jinx pops the top off the vial and pours it down Tairan's throat. * Millie furrows her lips a bit, looking down at Tairan, staying strangely silent. ... if I go like this, pops'll be laughing his ass off... *drinks* ...you're gonna be alright. Millie's never lost a partner yet... ( And she's had so many :P ) (Brett! ) * Jinx thinks for a moment, and doesn't comment on the number of traveling companions he's lost. [Nothing happens.] ( ...I have to laugh. ) * Millie grumbles and points to his leg. "Try it on the bite." Assuming that's the proper stuff, he should be perfectly fine in a few days. I don't know....it WAS sold by an "old friend" * Millie spits as she says the last part. [Tairan feels a bit stronger, though still dizzy and tingly. The chills start to leave.] * Mikoto raises an eyebrow. "'Old friend'?" Crazy Feathers. ... not being cold in the desert is a good sign. *mumbles* * Jinx puts any remaining liquid on the bite. He fingers his bracelet with his other hand. [The area around the bite stops swelling and regains its normal color. Tairan finds he can orient himself again, and the tingling is quickly being reduced to nothing.] * Tairan grins slightly, lifting his head up a bit. "Guess the ol' bastard'll have to wait on that laugh... feelin' a bit better." * Mikoto breathes out. "You were late because you were haggling with Crazy Feathers." He glances at the town. "I can't say my respect for the man is increasing." * Jinx frowns and drops his hand from the turquoise bracelt. "I didn't know it was that bad or I wouldn't have bothered haggling." Nah. But there's one thing ya gotta give him credit for. His stuff works. * John nods. "I'll say it does. I've never seen the swelling on one of those go down so fast." I hope the village gets its Shaman back soon though, a merchant makes a poor medicine man. [Even the bite marks partially heal over. Tairan's left shaken, but fine.] ( Spoken like a true socialist. ;) But looks like they don't seem ta mind the rest of us. Or at least not half-breeds. * Jinx offers a hand to help Tairan up. "Well, we'll have a nice meal of bison waiting, already paid for I might add." * John snickers at that. "Why don't we head in then?" * Millie grins and blushes slightly, turning her cheek away as she puts her hand up to it. "He called Millie "pretty lady"! Didja hear?!?" * Tairan takes the hand, and stands unsteadily. "I owe the lot of you. Rest assured that I pay my debts." * Mikoto smiles at Tairan. "Well, consider it payback for services rendered to date." [Suzunosuke snores. He always has something meaningful to add to the conversation.] * MaryAnne smiles a bit but keeps fanning herself. * Millie regains her composure and smiles. "That's for sure. Always can use a good tracker." * John nods. * Jinx smiles and heads in to eat. "The medicine cost $85. The meal's on me." * Millie puts her hand underneath her hat's brim, looking towards the mountains. "After we eat, we're goin' there." She points towards the Salamanders. * Jinx drops the volume of his voice a bit. "According to the cook at least. Hope your eastern towns are hospitable." * John looks at the mountains. "They didn- They went east, didn't they?" To be specific, they ask for directions to the mountains. * Millie nods to John and rolls her shoulders. "They can't be too inhospitable if Jan went that way." * Mikoto blinks. "How can you need directions to *mountains*?" * Jinx walks up to the restaurant and waves. "We're ready to try the best bison in the west." "One wonders as to why they would need directions to the mountains. It's pretty obvious that they are located to the East of here." ( Heh. ) * Jinx turns back. "Probably to a mountain pass or something, I'll get the specifics after we eat." Nobody ever claimed bandits were smart. Just be glad we have some clues to follow. * Tairan shakes his head. "Bandit hunters ain't the brightest bunch either." * Millie hmms, then raises her eyes at Jinx. "Ya think it might be a bluff though? Askin' around while goin' a different direction?" * John smirks. "What does that make you then?" * Millie shrugs. "Guess we ask the cook." She heads off to the village. ( The guy who walked into the cactus :P ) Not too bright, I guess. * Mikoto stretches. "Everyone makes mistakes. Can I have the belt for my coat back?" * Tairan follows the others. Food good. * Millie smirks at Tairan. "Speak for yourself. But we survived the forest. A lot of people ain't done that." * John follows as well, Hazel in tow. * Jinx chuckles. "Could be a bluff, that's true, hopefully we'll find tracks. * Tairan blinks. "... that's why my leg felt odd." *unwinds the belt, and hands it back to Mikoto* * Millie raises an eyebrow and looks over at John. "How long ya think it'll take ya ta get back ta Ralph an' tell 'im where we're headed? Figure a rider'd make the best runner." * Jinx ties up Lightning, who had just be lounging around the center of town. * Mikoto grins and takes it back. "Better a forgotten belt than a gangrenous limb." [You head into the village! I've said it before and I'll say it again, it's a small affair, composed of tents and wooden buildings. Temporary lean-tos have been put up as market and restaurant space: under one of these is your cook, who also seems to be the cause of that wonderful smell. (more)] ( Yes, the cook smells nice. ) (*thwaps Brett*) * John looks at Hazel, then back at Millie. "At least three days, one way. It would be hardly worth it." Better than him thinkin' we're dead though Or... * Millie grins over at Mikoto. "Oh Mikooootoooo~" * Jinx shakes his head. "Not really worth letting them get three days ahead. He'll be sad, but he's still got the cash, so he'll adapt." Yeah. * Mikoto blinks, slipping the belt back into his duster, and eyes Millie. "Pardon?" * Millie grins and looks around. "Anybody got a pen?" [He's chatting with somebody as you near, an extremely pretty Injun woman with thick, intricately braided black hair and flashing dark eyes. She's dressed in whites and blues, and wears a good amount of silver jewelry. The cook looks over as Jinx approaches (his customer sense must be tingling) and he says, "There you are! Have a seat, have a seat. You'll love to hear this."] Paper too if ya got it. * John looks at the Injun woman, then curses softly under his breath. * Millie grins at Mikoto. "We're gonna send a little falcon on an errand." * Tairan sits down. Sitting good. * Mikoto raises an eyebrow, then shakes his head. "You misunderstand." Mirabel's not... On second thought, going around the forest wouldn't be such a bad idea. * Jinx eyes widen for a moment and he turns to the cook, "I believe I paid for an extra meal, perhaps your friend there would like it." * Millie frowns and pouts. "Come ONNNN Mikoto. Anyhow, it'd be better if Ralph knows we're alive, wouldn't it?" [The cook smiles and gestures to the woman. "Ah, she eats for free, anyway. This is Running Cloud. She can take you to a shortcut through the mountains."] * Mikoto pauses, then dusts off his shirt. "She's not a normal falcon. She won't go too far from my side. Although if you can find a normal falcon, I could probably convince it to take a message to another city." * MaryAnne smiles politely and sits down at a convenient spot. * John tilts his hat down so as to hide his face. Fine, fine. * Millie puts her hands on her hips and doesn't seem too satisfied, but looks over at John for a moment, then to the woman. Then slowly grins. This'll be fun, won't it? (You don't know the half of it.) [Right about now, Running Cloud notices you all. Her eyes pass over each one of you, before boring holes into John, and a smile - it's hard to tell if it's friendly or not - sets on her face. "Why, if it isn't John Rogers. Long time, no see."] * Jinx smiles widely and nods to the cook. "I see I came to the right man when I came to town. Pleasure to meet you Running Cloud, my name's Errant Hare." he then sits down, prepared to eat. * Millie grins even wider at that. "Rogers eh? Seems ya do have a last name after all, Justy." * Jinx glances at John as he sits down, instantly gives up hope for Running Cloud, and awaits his meal. * Mikoto brushes his coat over the back of his seat and settles in next to Jinx, giving Running Cloud a pleasant smile. "A pleasure to meet you." * John mumbles under his breath. "Yeah, it's been a while. What're you doing out here?" * Tairan tips his cap at the lady wearily. ( Wait... if Zegon's characters name is Justy... does that make him Justy Tyler? =P ) (... I'll kill you later.) (^_^;) [She smirks. "Oh, the usual. Injun stuff. Girl stuff. You wouldn't understand. But if you really want to know what I'd like to do right now..." Her eyes glint. "It's not nice to run out on an engagement, John."] [Session End!]