[It's been a number of days since you left Hoshimoto City, and they've been surprisingly - amazingly, even - uneventful. Seems the universe is giving you a break from all the insanity that's occured near constantly.] [You know it won't last.] ( We're turning RSP into the first ever lawfirm RPG! ) (You spoiled it. We were s'posed to keep that secret until they reach Redrock!) (Jinx is more of an insurance firm man himself. ( I thought we were going to FF past all the walking and get them right to New L.A. ;_; ) (Actually Jinx is more of an insurance salesman's nightmare.) (That's why you want him working for you) ( "This is what can happen to you if you don't buy your insurance" ) [You're in the forest now, and up ahead are the Salamanders. The major pass through the mountains lies ahead of you, and past that, Redrock City.] [Session Start.] * Fanfan looks glum. * Mikoto looks tired, and hasn't said a single word for most of the trip. * John is being John. * Jinx rides along quietly, shotgun drawn as per usual. ( .. if we become the first Lawfirm RP, does that mean Eoi will show up from MC as a ghost? ) (... WAAHH!!) * Sakura rides along quietly. Cuz she's Sakura. And quiet like that. * Tairan rides behind Jinx on Lightning, as Jinx has undboutably regained conciousness by now, and his riding skills are not exactly the most spectacular. He looks a little more relaxed than usual, probably because he's not trying to track anything at the moment. * Millie rides eerily silent, her eyes more watching Jinx as she goes, staring at the back of his head. * MaryAnne sits behind Millie, umbrella folded and held before her. Doubtless she's waiting for when the forest breaks, so she can shield herself from the sun. * Millie lets out a deep breath and settles back a little, relaxing and taking her attention of Jinx for a moment. Over her shoulder, she says, "We're finally goin' home then..." * Jinx has more than a slightly annoyed expression. A mild scowl to be precise. He's not really one for bottling stuff up. * Fanfan twitches faintly. Yes. We are going to need to stop by the Society, so I may update them as to our status. Well, not home for all of us. On the other hand... I think I could use a little break from Shomura. * Millie sighs and calls out to Fanfan. "What's up? Ya look like ya seen a gh...a footlong sallie?" She finishes lamely. Don't suppose we could get an advance on the reward, given the amount of time we've put in. * Fanfan stares blankly at Millie and blinks. Slowly. Yeah...I'm runnin' a little low, an' they didn't say they'd be coverin' our expenses. At this rate, Millie'll spend more than she makes. * Millie blinks right back, then grins. Slowly. "Don't tell me yer scared..." * John smirks. * Fanfan sniffs. "I am not 'afraid.' " Then what? * Fanfan grumbles something unintelligible. Then, "Perhaps it is time for me to...leave." So ya are afraid. * Jinx nods. "You've been a rather pleasant traveling companion, you'll be missed but I can understand not wanting to go abroad." * Fanfan glares at Millie. "I simply do not believe there is a need for me to follow you into...the West." * Millie shrugs and snaps her reigns. "No one's forcin' ya ta come. Shame ya won't broaden yer horizons though..." No one asked me if I wanted ta come to the East but I did. Why? * Millie shrugs noncommittedly. "Had nothin' better ta do." * Jinx shrugs and comments quietly to Tairan. "Enjoying the unhunted life, or is the thrill gone?" And you'd miss out on all the fun we've been having. I mean, where else but with us could you end up in near-death situations on such a regular basis? * John nods. Ever the optimist, eh Lanky? Hey, maybe he'll scare'er inta commin'. * Tairan pauses, then answers back softly. "Unhunted life has its drawbacks, too. But it does feel good." *turns to Millie* "Oh, of course. That's me. Tairan Hoshimoto, Optimistic Tracker." But look, if yer afraid, it's probably best if ya don't come. Teckians can smell fear. And they'd jus' as soon slit yer throat as look at ya. If they don't shoot ya first." You are trying to goad me into proving I am not a coward. Perhaps. Nah, I couldn't care either way. * Jinx grins and then comments softly back to Tairan. "Bet Millie manages to pull off this recruitment thing. even odds." [Prove it, Fanfan, because right about now you ride out of the shade and into open grasslands. Ahead of you is a well-worn, wide trail leading though the mountains, the cliffs fairly sheer and on each side of a pass.] * Tairan just grins and shakes his head. Millie is a coward. I do not think she would be so hypocritical. * Millie stretches her arms in front of her, looking over the hides on her gloves. "I don't control anyone an' no one controls me. Ya ain't in this for the job like most of us or for insane vengeance like Sword Lady. * Millie smiles at Sakura. "Aww. Ya remembered my name. I'm touched." * Jinx gives an annoyed glance over at Sakura, but doesn't say anything after Millie retorts. * Millie looks ahead at the pass. And frowns. 'Dammit. It's the perfect place for an ambush." ( Damn, I need a reason. Quick, someone propose to her! ) ( Nah. The perfect place for an ambush is in a forest. ) * Tairan shrugs. "You got anything more interestin' lined up, Fanfan?" (If you have swords, forest. Guns, cliff side.) (Yeah. Sniping is really good.) If bandits wish to ambush us, let them try. They will pay with their lives. ....not particularly. Why not come, then? Look, if she don't wanna come, she don't wanna come. No skin off Millie's back. ( So, Fanfan, we hired someone to kill people you cared about and then flee into the West. So you've got a reson to come. ...) Then come along. If nothing else, you can say that you were part of a group that defeated Kojiro. Looks damn good on a resume. * Jinx nods. ( Jinx: HA. ) * Fanfan looks briefly calculating. "That would be quite an accomplishment..." ( Exactly. ) * Mikoto watches the cliff sides mutely. I'd do it for the money, but obviously you're more nobly inclined. Pfft. Money. What's she gonna do with Teckian dollars? * Jinx grins. "Trade them into Kanmon" Duh. But if she don't wanna come, fine with me. * Millie comments idly to John. "Yeah. Less women 'round ya the better?" She turns to smirk at him. * John winks back. * Millie turns to Fanfan. "If nothin' else, ya can come jus' ta get yer kicks outta botherin' Pretty boy." * Millie grins. * John smiles. *ting!* * Millie looks out towards the cliffs, cupping her hand under the brim of her hat. * Fanfan looks thinking-ish. ... some impressive mountains right there. Might be slower, but I think I'm gonna prefer traveling over them. Yeah. The Sallies are always a sight ta see. Never got ta see 'em much back at home. Too far away. Yer boots'll appreciate it, Jinxy. * John looks up. "They definetly act as a wall." * Jinx nods. "I've stepped in enough lava for several lifetimes." Yeah. No wonder Teck an' Shomura are so different. * Jinx gives a slight smile back to Millie. Hey Fanfan! Ya ever see a train? * Jinx shrugs and puts his attention back on the path ahead. I have heard of them. Hearin' ain't seein', girl. I asked if ya seen one. ....no. If ya do come, I'll let ya use my pass for a few, how 'bout that? I can afford ta pay for a few rides. * Mikoto says, in a voice probably only John can hear without straining, "I wish I could remember what cities are in these passes." * John shrugs. And I gotta say, with all do respect to my homeland... Teckian hats are far superior. So ya don't wear it for looks? * John smirks. Ya wear everythin' for looks, Johnny boy. More interesting gambling too, and I find the chairs far more comfortable, but that could be because I grew up with them. ... do I look like Aki? *smirks* Nah, don't wear it for looks. I just make it look good. ~_^ Yeah. Modest too. It's a wonder ya ain't taken. In fairness to him, he does work very hard at just that. Not being taken that is. * Millie just looks at Jinx and gives him a steady stare before turning back ahead [The pass. It LOOMS, nice and wide and inviting. The grass is still greener.] * Millie turns to look at the pass. "Keep your eyes peeled." * Jinx goes back to a scowl and keeps riding towards the pass as he comments rather quietly to Tairan, "Merits of your advice really do shine through." Hmm? * Mikoto watches the pass s'more. * Fanfan looks at everyone. Then at the pass. And GLARES at it. * Jinx keeps the quiet tone. "Keeping this naginata has proven to be a great deal of trouble." * Tairan blinks, then grins slightly, replying back in an equallt quiet voice. "Women. Go figure." [The pass is not intimidated by Fanfan's glare.] ( Damn! ) * MaryAnne opens her umbrella and shades herself and Millie with it. (I have a much higher intimidation ability, it should be scared of me!) ( But I have intimidation! ) (So do I!) ( Good point. You glare at it, Sakura! ) (We're all scary scary people. Grr.) (But I didn't glare. And Sakura's better at being intimidating.) * Jinx scowls a good bit less and keeps the low tone. "Apparently I don't have 'em figured out. What a surprise." (I am merely a passenger on another man's horse. Should it go, so I go too.) ( It's almost enough to make a guy swear off women. I know. ... nah. WAH! ) ( Sure. ) ( Heh heh ) * John shrugs and starts going through the pass. "Well, if ya wanna come, it's up to you. For now, we have someone to catch up to." (We are, while Millie looks up at the top of the cliffs.) * Millie starts through the pass, keeping her eyes peeled as per her own instructions. * Tairan shrugs. Low tone again. "We're men. We're not supposed to understand 'em." * Fanfan looks a little sullen. "I suppose...there is nothing better for me to do..." (We'll have to introduce Fanfan to bigger, hairier, stupider cow meat) s'a good a reason as any. * Jinx goes from a scowl into a frown and stays keeps his voice low as he rides futher into the pass. "I don't understand a lot of things, I just.. like to know the odds. Nothing for it I guess." * Mikoto looks down at himself, and laughs bitterly. "I entered Shomura dressed as a Teckian. Now I return to Teck dressed as a Shomuran." * Fanfan glances at Mikoto. "Well, at least you are in good company." * Mikoto stares straight ahead through the pass as he replies. "I suppose that could be said." * Tairan nods at Jinx, still quiet-like. "In my limited experience... assume the odds suck. Go from there." * John chuckles. "Maybe you just want to go against the norm." * Jinx nods and seems to be substantially cheered. He says in a slightly louder if still quiet voice. "That's a system, I can work with that." * Mikoto doesn't look convinced. He doesn't really look ANYTHING. "It's a possibility." Don't seem ta fit anywhere, do ya, Mikky? (...) * Mikoto doesn't bother to turn and answer. "Why should it matter to you?" It don't. Who says the majority of people are right 'bout how ya should be anyhow? * Millie stretches her arms overhead a bit, gripping Pepper with her legs before retaking the reins. You might not believe it, but it's a different problem than what you might expect. I don't expect anythin', Mikky. That way I'm never disappointed. * Jinx adds in a quiet but conversational tone. "Course if the rewards are high, it can be worth playing against low odds." Nothin' wrong with bein' loud. Millie's that way plenty of times and she's still alive. [The pass is very, very quiet. There doesn't seem to be another soul around as you traverse it, the grass gradually getting more and more sparse.] * Mikoto glances behind him at Shomura. "When I am in Shomura, I am consummately Shomuran. When I am in Teck, I can be as Teckian as a native, if I feel like putting the effort in." He turns back around. "But that's the problem." Aww, who asked ya, Johnny? * Millie gets quiet. In defiance? Perhaps. Perhaps not. * Fanfan glances sidelong at Mikoto, then goes back to looking around. * Tairan nods at Jinx. "Plus, we're dumb." * Jinx chuckles. "Speak for yourself... naw.. true enough." The muse in the back of my head, Millie. Sometimes I wonder... which of the two mes is real. (o/~ 25 years, who I am/As-i-an or American? o/~ ) [I mentioned it was quiet, right? Good. Because that's ruined as a shot rings out, echoing through the mountains.] * Jinx glances over at Mikoto for a minute and looks thoughtful, and then that stops and he looks for where the hell the shot came from. * Fanfan jerks around, looking for the source of the shot. * John looks up to spot where the shot rang out, his pistols drawn. * Sakura looks around for where the damn shot came from. * Tairan glances around. "Figures..." [You look around, but don't see... it sounds like it came from ahead, though.] * Millie pulls Pepper's reins tight and scowls, looking around. "Dammit, I TOLD ya ta keep yer eyes peeled.." * Jinx takes Lightning to a gallop. Didn't think it'd be easy, raight? Wait...that wasn't at us, was it? Say when you want off Tairan. * Mikoto eyes the cliffsides. "It might have been." * John hurries Hazel's pace to match Lightning's. "Let's not find out." * Millie nods and snaps the reins, moving faster forward through the canyon. "Hold on, Miss Mary!" ( *Fanfan and Sakura just sit there and get shot. Well, that solves that dilemma. ) ("Bury My Shell at Wounded Knee". ) (Turtles in Time!) * MaryAnne yelps and grabs hold of Millie, using her other hand to try to keep her hat from fluttering away. (*awards John 1 point, then fires up said game on zSNES*) (Cowabunga!) I'll letcha know when I figure out who or what's shooting. (I knew that one, really. Uh, anyway.) (Sewer Surfing!) * Fanfan assumes Sakura rides along. And, uh, rides along. (Neon Night Riders!) ( You get ambushed and eaten by moogles. ) ( We get to take some of them down at least, right? ) ( You can kupo my kupo kupo, you kupoing son of a kupo. ) (Um, I think Atom's not conciously paying attention right now.) ( Kupo, biatch.) ( ... has there ever been a female moogle in the games? ) ( Can you tell? :P ) ( Moogle Smurf? ) ( Yes. They wear bows. ) ( There were some in the mog mail system in FF9. ) [You gallop down the pass! Round the bend you come riding full on into a sight: a covered wagon being surrounded by four men wearing dusty brown clothing and bandana that partially cover their faces, but no Slayers mask, no. In between is a covered wagon with driver, a couple panicked horses, and three men with pistols and rifles. (continued)] .. Bandits. ...A-yup. [One of the men surrounding the wagon has a katana, and two others pistols, and one a rifle.] * Sakura gallops towards the wagon. [It's hard knowing who just got the shot off. Nobody seems to be hurt. ... Yet.] ( The fifth one is a lawyer. ) * Mikoto peers around John's shoulder. "Multi-racial bandits." ... anyone up for a good dee- well, that answers that. Ya see everythin' now. * Fanfan hangs on, a little starteld. Let's go. * Millie unslings her rifle and starts galloping forward after Sakura. * Jinx keeps up the gallop pointing his shotgun forward ready to do some conflict resolution. * Sakura draws her sword, and gets off the horse once she's in running distance. ( Gimmie init rolls ) d6+7 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Jinx (d6+7) and gets 11. d6+7 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Tairan (d6+7) and gets 10. d6+7 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Fanfan (d6+7) and gets 10. d6+6 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Mikoto (d6+6) and gets 12. d6+7 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Millie (d6+7) and gets 13. * John keeps the pace, intending to shoot once Makoto does his uber dismount thing. d6+6 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Sakura (d6+6) and gets 7. d6+7 * Dicesuke throws the bones for John (d6+7) and gets 11. (I summon Ifurita. She blows everyone up. Yay.) [Order: Millie, Mikoto, Guard1, Jinx, John, Bandit1, Tairan, Fanfan, Bandit2, Guard2, Sakura, Guard3, Bandit3, Bandit4] [Millie's turn!] ( We fight with the power of GRAIN! ) ( We are... the REGULARS! ) ( ...I will kill you. ) ( Not if I get to him first. ) ( Order: The world, Tairan. The world's turn! ) * Millie holds her sling in her teeth for a moment before whipping it up and tugging the reins. She whips up the barrel towards one of the fellers with the pistol and cracks off a shot, still galloping full speed towards them. 2d6-5 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Millie (2d6-5) and gets 0. 2d6-4 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Millie (2d6-4) and gets 6. [Millie blows a good-sized hole in the bandit's side.] [Mikoto's turn!] * Mikoto dismounts and starts running. [The guard fires his rifle at one of the bandits, but he misses, the bullet ricocheting off the canyon wall.] [Which makes it Jinx's turn] * Jinx rides up to the bandits before slowing and firing his shotgun in an attempt to finish off the bandit Millie hit. He gets another one in the spread if he can. 2d6-2 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Jinx (2d6-2) and gets 4. 2d6-1 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Jinx (2d6-1) and gets 6. [Jinx makes the first bandit pretty dead, and hits the second, too, but he's still standing.] [John's turn!] * Jinx smirks. "Here's the part where smart bandits run away." * John rides forward, full tilt. He has his guns in his hands and fires each shot off at the remaining injured bandit, shooting to, well... take'em down. 2d6-4 * Dicesuke throws the bones for John (2d6-4) and gets 3. 2d6-4 * Dicesuke throws the bones for John (2d6-4) and gets 4. 2d6-4 * Dicesuke throws the bones for John (2d6-4) and gets 4. [Either way, that bandit falls over dead.] [Tairan's turn!] (All this running for nothing. Thanks, guys. ;) * Tairan slides off Lightning, landing smoothly into a dash towards the melee. He fires off a quick shot from his pistol at the remaining gun-wielding bandit. 2d6-4 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Tairan (2d6-4) and gets 4. [Tairan doesn't have quite as much luck as the others; the bandit moves just enough so that the shot misses him.] [Fanfan's turn!] * Tairan curses. ( hold till Sakura ) [One of the bandits (the one with the rifle) takes a shot at Jinx, who needs a ranged def.] 2d6 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Jinx (2d6) and gets 7. [Jinx takes a bullet in the arm. Ouch!] (Thank you for being shot, Jinx. Gives me something to do after the fight. ^_^) (Hehe.) (Do what I can. :P) (Monk! I need a monk! ) [The second guard fires at a bandit, too, but doesn't do a very good job. He misses.] (Warcraft 3.) (I have levels in monk.) (Brrrzztt! WRONG!) [Makes it Sakura's turn!] (And assassin. And cleric. And druid. And bard.) (... OH wait! That one Microsoft one?) ( Is there any way I can attack this round? ) (*whistles*) (Age of empires?) (I'm too tired to think of it. Thank you, Greg.) (Don't think there are any monks in WC3. :P) * Sakura rides to the guy with the rifle, her own sword glowing.. and then the blade seems to dissolve. Holding the hilt, she slashes the non-existant blade towards the rifle guy. She slashes! "SOFT SOIL SWORD!" 2d6-3 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Sakura (2d6-3) and gets 7. ( But Paw! She had all the money! ) [A large crack appears in the ground! Unfortunately it's nowhere near the guy.] [Which makes it Fanfan's turn if she wants to go.] * Fanfan slashes at the rifle guy with both swords, one aiming for his rifle arm. 2d6-2 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Fanfan (2d6-2) and gets 6. 2d6-1 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Fanfan (2d6-1) and gets 6. (M4d n1nj4 4CT10|\|!) ( Y'ain't seen nuthin' yet, cao-boi. ) ( "Fanfan is surveying Cao John's unit!" ) (Haha!) ( Damn. Now I want to play that, and I have nothing to DO playing it. I've GOT everything. ) ( I've got everything ten times over. c.c; ) [Ouch. That guy winds up with a sword in the gut and a wounded hand. But he's ok folks!] [Guard3 finishes him off. Which sucks for him, 'cause he gets stabbed in the stomach by the bandit with the sword.] [Meanwhile, the coach takes off as fast as it can. Whoever's driving it shouts loud enough so those in melee range can hear, "Thanks for the help!"] [Just in time, too, because suddenly a large number of rocks fall from above! Everyone gimme a ranged def roll, +1!] 2d6 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Mikoto (2d6) and gets 5. 2d6 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Tairan (2d6) and gets 6. 2d6-3 * Dicesuke throws the bones for John (2d6-3) and gets 0. 2d6-4 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Millie (2d6-4) and gets 3. 2d6+1 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Sakura (2d6+1) and gets 5. 2d6-2 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Jinx (2d6-2) and gets 3. 2d6 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Fanfan (2d6) and gets 5. [So, everyone gets hit by falling rocks except Jinx, John, and Millie. Doesn't do the poor guards much good. The coach somehow makes it through, too, albeit barely. It disappears around a turn. Meanwhile, four more riders appear, coming from the same direction you did, galloping at high speed. They're apparently led by a woman on a white horse, who slows to a halt when she sees the carnage. "What... the hell?"] 2d6+1 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Fanfan (2d6+1) and gets 5. [Millie's turn!] ( And Fanfan doesn't get hit quite so much. And I think she forgot to include acrobatics in the roll. ) ... ow. 2d6 * Dicesuke throws the bones for John (2d6) and gets 11. * Jinx seems a lot less bothered by his arm after seeing the rocks fall. "Alright... maybe these guys aren't so dumb." * Millie snarls and pulls her reins to the side, calming Pepper, raising her rifle up towards the cliff. "Told ya they'd be up there!" She shoots at one of them. 2d6-5 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Millie (2d6-5) and gets 6. 2d6-2 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Millie (2d6-2) and gets 5. (Still made. Phew) 2d6-2 * Dicesuke throws the bones for John (2d6-2) and gets 3. [Pepper is startled by the rock fall, but Millie manages not to lose her aim too much, and hits the bandit through the shoulder.] [Mikoto's turn!] * Mikoto gets clocked by a boulder, and thus likely spends this round sprawled on the ground. ( Well, hot dog! 6: ) ( Wait, I didn't say that. ) * Millie tsks and pats Pepper's neck, calming her. "It's okay, girl. We're fine." [Meanwhile, Guard1 aims at one of the newcomers, but before he can fire, the gun is blasted out of his hand by one of the male riders.] [Meanwhile the woman trots her horse forwards, drawing a pistol. "Where's...? Who are you?!" She points at out protagonists with the weapon!] [Which makes it Jinx's turn.] * Jinx glances over at the newcomers and yells out while grabbing his pistol "We're fighting off bandits that attacked a stagecoach, so subdue them or don't interfere." He tries to take a shot at the cliff guys to emphasize his point. (with +3 quickdraw penalty) 2d6-2 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Jinx (2d6-2) and gets 2. 2d6+1 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Jinx (2d6+1) and gets 8. (dr1) 2d6+1 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Jinx (2d6+1) and gets 9. (dr2) 2d6+1 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Jinx (2d6+1) and gets 8. (dr3) (Man, com'on. You can do this.) 2d6+1 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Jinx (2d6+1) and gets 9. [Jinx shoots the side of the cliff.] ( It's all that talking. It rots brains. ) (Really.) * Jinx frowns and looks vaguely embarrassed about the miss. [Meanwhile the woman shouts. "You let him get away! Idiots!" Her eyes focus in on John. "I shoulda known it would be you."] Let who get away? * Millie stares at the woman with the gun "Ya gotta know me, I'm Mil..." She blinks and her eyes drift to the pistol. And stare at it. "Ya don't...is that...that's one of the newer Colts, ain't it? Ain't it??" * John brings Hazel around and keeps his pistols drawn as well as he stares her down. "Let who get away?" * Jinx yells. "They just left a minute ago, if you're after the stagecoach, I'd get galloping!" * Sakura looks at John. "You know this bandit?" * Woman tips her hat up so she can look John in the eyes. She's a pretty woman with long flaxen hair, a lowcut vest, jeans, a leather jacket and a brown hat. "John Rogers, you king of idiots! Do you have ANY idea what you've done?" [To be continued.]