[A new day dawns in Redrock City! But our protagonists are probably asleep. Mostly, anyway. Fastforwarding two hours, it's a little less new day, a little more old day, and a lot more awake. Welcome back, pioneers! Isn't it FUN?] [Well, except for John. Who's stewing in jail.] [But who cares about him? We sure don't. Back to the rest of the group, they're waking up, or going about their business or still asleep, or whatever. This is their story. Names have not been changed to protect the guilty, because we don't care about that, either.] [Ready set session start!] (*shoots Ard*) * Millie is one of those "still asleep" types. It's not just before noon yet. (*dodges with GM POWAHS*) ( The GMs are members of Apathetics Not Anonymous ) (Or they would be if they cared to keep up with the meetings) [The inn is serving a kind of melted cheese over a kind of solid cheese for their special menu today.] * Sakura is alrady awake and cleaning her sword. ( .. Jesus Brett. ) ( What? ) ( You don't like cheese? ) * Tairan is down in the serving area, eating something hardy. Like stew. Or something. ( Cheese over cheese? My system stops up thinking about it. ) ( Of course it does. You're Shomuran. :P ) (You can put butter spread over it if it makes you feel any better.) [Actually, most people like to put grated cheese over it.] ( Makes sense to me. ) * Jinx walks in the main door, looking slightly better for the wear. He's grumbling "Last inn in town... They better not be camping somewhere, oh, hey Tairan." * Tairan is also tossing a bullet up and down with his free hand while eating. *swollows stew* "'ey Jinx. You ain't in a cage. s'good, right?" * Millie tries to tilt her hat over her head a few times and groans, rolling over and blinking one eye open and then the other. "Stupid sun. Always interferin' with my plans..." She gets up, eyes still drooping and tucks her shirt in, slipping on her vest, rifle, pack and boots before heading downstairs. * Fanfan is still in the room, practicing as best she can. Less hustle and bustle, and assorted commotion. ( /2 pts) * Jinx nods and grins. "I'm probably safer in a cage, but what's the fun in that." He goes over to sit by Tairan. The fun is ya stay alive... Went well then did it? * Jinx shrugs and leans back in his chair. "Morning Millie, about as well as could be expected." I don't suppose John is riding up a few steps behind. [There were no dreams about pies. :P] * Millie grabs a stool next to the boys. "Then there's nothing we can really do but wait. I mean, there's not much of a chance of us finding another gunner on this sort of notice that we can trust...to an extent. And even if we do, it's even less likely he'll be as good as Johnny boy. 2d6 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Jinx (2d6) and gets 7. ... jail breakout's outta the question. Somehow, we gotta clear his name. [There were no bad dreams about pies. Unfortunately, in reality, just now, a customer bought a pie and was heading over to a table with it, only to trip and accidently hit Jinx with it.] ( And there are two rooms with three each in 'em. *Which* three and three have yet to be determined. -_^ ) Out of the question for us ya mean.. * Millie leans back in the stool slightly and lets out a long sigh. Well, for us because of the logistics, and me 'cause I can't get involved in somethin' like that now. * Jinx gets it. He blinks once or twice then cleans himself off and sets the remains of the pie before him. He glances over at the customer. "Don't suppose you could bring a napkin and fork with that." * Millie then looks over at Jinx and blinks, asking as calmly as possible. "...what flavor?" ( *licks Jinx* Apple. Yummy. ... ) [The customer gets up. "Ah! Terribly sorry, I- wha? Oh, yes, of course." He rushes over to the bar.] ( It's Brother of Mousy Waiter, Mousy Customer! ) [He comes back and hands Jinx a fork and a napkin, then hurries out of the inn in embarrassment.] ( No, this inn usees miniature wormholes. ) * Jinx takes a finger over part of his face that the pie landed on. He then checks. "Hmm?" (What kind of pie is it?) [Apple cinnamon.] (They might be on the second floor. Smartass. ;) Apple, with a spice... cinnamon maybe? * Jinx nods at the customer, and then proceeds to clean himself off more with the napkin. Well...at least it wasn't an awful flavor. (He's trying to get someone to lick him. <.<) ( ...durian pie. ) (Where's a horse that'll do that?) * Fanfan walks down the stairs and joins the group. "Hello." But I swear ol' Millie's never seen anyone have as awful luck as you. * Sakura walks downstairs and quietly sits at the table. * Tairan waves at Fanfan and Sakura. * Jinx nods as he finishes wiping himself off. "Well, I'd hate to be second rate." * Fanfan tilts her head at Jinx. "Sweets, so early in the day?" * Millie then gives Fanfan a faint nod of acknowledgement. Which is more than she gives Sakura. ...don't ask. Really don't ask. * Jinx then proceeds to eat the remains of the pie. "I tend to accept what fate provides me. Lot simpler that way." * Mikoto walks in the door, eating an orange. And wearing a fringed leather Injun tunic over his old hiking shorts. And a beaded headband. * Jinx glances over at Mikoto as he walks in. "Nice duds, I approve." * Fanfan looks from Jinx to Millie and back. "Er, very well." * Tairan nods at Mikoto's entrance, but if he notices the change in apparel, he doesn't say anything. Actually, he probably doesn't notice. =P * Mikoto blinks over the orange at Jinx. "Thank you. I picked it up last year on the cheap. I sort of like leather, and Shomuran court clothing is a bit hot." *munch* "What kind of pie?" Apple Cinnamon. Some kind if clumsy gentlemen decided to share. * Fanfan nods at Mikoto. * Mikoto mphs. "Never liked cinnamon. Good morning, everyone." He has a seat next to Jinx and pulls off another section of orange. So yeah. We were just kinda disussing how this all kinda sucks when Jinx got pie-faced. I suppose the logical thing is to go take on ludicrously superior numbers to capture his brother, alive no less, and then get him to confess to a hanging offense. And, John's trial is tomorrow, so we should be timely about it. * Fanfan blinks at Jinx. Well...I sent a message off to Running Cloud...she shouldn't be too far off I would think. Coulda probably rode there myself. * Mikoto blinks at that suggestion. "Well, that's... a bold plan. Don't be insulted if I say it's a little lacking in tactics." * Millie grumbles something additional under her breath. * Jinx takes another bite of pie. "Y'know, if I didn't have this pie, I might be a tad down about this whole situation, but I do..." * Jinx then grins at Millie. "Do share please, your insults are creative, I'd hate to miss out." Well, my liking for 'stupid but ballsy' plans is well known, but if anyone has better ideas, I'd be very happy to hear 'em. * Millie narrows her eyes at Jinx and points a finger at him. "Just watch it ya spineless huggin' treetoad. I weren't insultin' nothin'. I don't HAVE ta ya know." * Mikoto can't help but giggle. "Irony for breakfast." *munch* * Jinx grins more. "Nice one." ... toads have spines, if I remember correctly. * Jinx shakes his head. "Can't let science get in the way on these things." * Millie just EYES Tairan and doesn't give him the satisfaction of insulting him. I'm sure he's crushed. Ate a few once, when I was out on patrol. Pretty tasty. * Mikoto hmms and draws on the table with his finger. "Here's the question. Does Will *know* we're enemies?" Wait wait wait...enemies? Since when now? If he was the man we helped escape, I sincerely doubt that was the impression he received. Sure we don't like the guy, but it's a bit of a step to call him an enemy, now isn't it? Except that we were riding with his brother. ( Well, my second idea is to assemble a faux compound and invite Will under a pretext, once their we'll drug him and use elaborate latex masks recreate the night of the murder and use some sort of chemically reactant paper to record this. I've actually created a series of briefings on self-destructing gramophones.) * Tairan eyes Millie. "He killed John's parents, and is a large part of the reason John's in jail facing... whatever form of death penalty you use here in Teck." Hanging. Not a pretty thing, but quick, at least. ( ... ) * Jinx grimaces and rubs at his neck. "If done properly." * Mikoto raises an eyebrow at Jinx over a slice of orange. ( ...I support this plan. ) * Jinx then goes back to a grin. "Right, so he may know we worked with John, but he doesn't know if we're friends. We could work with this." Raight...so he's a bastard...my point is, why is he OUR enemy? You know my answer. I thought you were against slavery, Millie. * Fanfan looks at Millie. "Are you planning on going against him with us or not?" Oh yeah. Forgot that he's apparently enslaved an entire town, if that... thing that walks as a female can be believed. Ya don't seem ta get it. Just because he's wanted and a bastard doesn't mean you're personally involved in everything. And I AM. But what ya say don't make no sense. I mean sayin' that's like sayin' the ol' lord Hoshimoto was my enemy too. He did try to kill you. So he did. An' I shot him back. All's fair. * Fanfan shrugs. "He is an opponent. Enemy is only a few words away. Why quibble over terminology?" It ain't. It's important. If ya don't understand that, then ya don't understand nothin' Whether he's an enemy or not is sort of irrelevant to the fact that without him, John is headed for a short drop and sudden stop, which we can all agree is not in our best interest. Nor his. That too. Raight....so we can either go after a guy, whom I might add got the BETTER of John.... * Jinx shrugs. "John's a valued cohort, if a pretty boy. Good enough for me. Although I must admit, it's not the most rational course, but I really don't like slavers." Or we can wait for Running Cloud ta help bust him out like she did before... My point is...Johnny ain't gonna like it either. Do you really think you can order her to do that? * Mikoto finishes the orange, and licks his fingers a bit. "My point is, why antagonize Will right off the bat? If he's not against us we might as well use that as far as it can go." Order her? Nah. But she'll probably do it. Or is this Running Cloud some sort of lackey of yours? Why? * Millie shakes her head. "Of John's. She's his fiancee or somethin'" * Mikoto actually bites his finger in surprise at Fanfan saying that, and takes it out of his mouth, shaking it. "Ow." Only problem is, Mikoto, if Will was in that carraige, he prolly saw us riding with John. * Jinx nods. "Might help," He glances around for a moment. "Uh, if we had extra assistance in taking Will down." Which would put us firmly in his 'not welcome at dinner' column. * Jinx then grins. "Wonder if we get Will to come into town to see his brother's trial." * Mikoto sighs. "True. What we really need is some sort of army." Ahem...excuse me. We ain't goin' after Will without John. Oh? And after risking her freedom and possibly her health in an illegal jailbreak, she will once again do so, despite knowing that we as a group are interested in his well-being and probably better equipped than one woman? A very magnanimous people you are in the West. Perhaps I was mistaken. ... Millie has a point there. * Mikoto frowns, sucking on the tip of his finger for a moment. "It'd help if we knew how she did it the first time. She *is* a shaman, after all." Glad SOMEONE finely noticed. * Tairan shrugs. "Thick skull." * Fanfan just gives everyone odd looks. * Millie folds her arms across her chest and leans back, her mouth in a grumbling poutish shape. John'll never forgive us if he ain't allowed ta take part in his brother's downfall. It's HIS deal, it's his beef, it's his rep on the line. * Fanfan settles back in an "oh, *that* point" type of stance. But... is it worth letting him die for the chance? * Jinx glances over at Millie for a moment and then looks around. "How about this, we get Running Cloud into town and try to trick Will into coming into town. Worse case Running Cloud won't come, but we won't need John out long." * Tairan turns to Fanfan. "Dunno what Running Cloud has goin' on with John, but is almost like some kinda matter of honor to her or some crap like that. So she probably won't let him die to get outta it." Don't you think his legal reputation would be better served if he were to stay here? He could still aid in condemning his brother once the legal process began. * Mikoto waves a hand. "'Law' is so elastic..." (Yes, I am Pod!MIkoto.) His brother already did a pretty good frame job on him, from what he's told us. And in any case, do we really need someone whose escape from jail will probably have bounty hunters after us? (Actually, I'm Running Cloud in Mikoto's body. Haw haw.) * Jinx looks over to Millie with a smile. "So, she of plans, think getting Will to come to down for the trial is a good idea?" (Shh. You're spoiling it.) * Millie just gives Fanfan a Look. "Actually, he was with us from the get-go. Question is why are YOU here?" * Fanfan looks at Tairan. "But she does know that we are interested, because Millie sent a message after her. She really won't ask why *we* aren't doing the breakout?" * Mikoto rubs his temples. "I think we should wait to move until Running Cloud shows up. We can't break John out by ourselves and moving against Will is probably tantamount to suicide unless someone's got a well-trained peasant rifle corps in their pockets." Becase she's the one with experience. * Fanfan Looks right back. "I meant, why do we need to jeopardize the group-- AND him--with his presence?" ...because a man who can shoot a walnut off a moving dog's head at 500 paces is invaluable, hands down. If he attempts to escape, won't he just look more guilty? Cannot we think of some way to simply delay the execution first? * Jinx gives a slight wave to Millie as he finishes his pie. "Uh, Millie, want your opinion on something." I do not believe he can do that. * Millie wrinkles her nose at Fanfan. "I thought ya Shomurans had a sense of honor. This is Teckian HONOR here! John was wronged. He needs to be the one ta right it." It's certainly improbable, but I've seen him do stranger things. Unless you plan on shooting his brother outright when we find him, he'll have as much a chance of righting it here as anywhere else. I have honor? Shit, why doesn't anyone tell me these things? *chuckles* What else CAN we do? If he's a slaver, he ain't gonna say, "Hey, how ya doin'? Pull up a chair. Have a pie." (Hello. My name is John Rogers. You stole my follies. Prepare to die. *BLAM*) ( *snerk* ) I thought the point of all this was to clear John's name. Once we do that, then he can do whatever he likes with his brother. * Sakura is twitching. "You.. say I don't have honor? YOU?" If we kill him, how does that clear John's name? *Especially* if he is the one to do it? * Jinx tries to wave again at Millie and then shrugs. "Eh, Tairan, got an idea. Care to listen, as we don't need to concern oursevlves with honor." How are we goin' ta prove that without bringin' Will in? Come ta think of it, how ARE we gonna get him in alive? He controls a whole TOWN for christ sake." * Millie blistfully ignores Sakura as she says that. * Tairan blinks at the impending powderkeg. "No, Sakura. She said that, as someone with honor, you should recognize that Teckian honor isn't that different." I'm saying that we need to bring Will in--alive. And if we bring back Will alive and clear John's name, he will *then* be able to exact whatever vengeance he feels necessary. * Mikoto glances over at the pie plate, then at Jinx. "I'm listening. I'm a good listener. Although I suspect I'll need something for my headache shortly." * Tairan nods at Jinx, keeping one eye on Sakura, just in case he failed to defuse her. * Jinx blinks as Tairan does in fact concern himself with honor and then glances over at Mikoto and then back to Tairan. "How about we get him to come to us. Say his testimony is needed as a witness or something." I mean, he's a real bastard right, he'd probably want to see John hang personally. ( Concerned with honor? No, I'm concerned with the masked lady with the sword. =P ) However, if we take John with us by breaking him out of jail, that endangers John's chances of being declared legally clear as well as ours and will only hinder us. ( Point. :P ) What's the point of bein' legally clear when someone else cleans up your mess for ya? Not right, not right at all. * Mikoto mutters, "We could always sell someone into slavery." ... You think he will not be able to testify? Are your legal procedures that unjust? (I volunteer! *pornmusic*) Don't even joke 'bout that, Mikky... So, think we could get Will to come here? Get him off his home turf? * Tairan nods at Jinx, then tunes into Millie. "For the record, I didn't mind you guys helping with my mess. I downright appreciated it." * Fanfan looks at Jinx. "That would probably be vastly preferable." * Mikoto looks over his shoulder at Fanfan. "Western justice is a little more fast and loose than the Shomuran system." It certainly seems so. * Millie snaps and sets her palms hard on the table before pointing at Fanfan. "Listen you. Yer jus' not followin' me. John won't CARE if he can testify. He's not gonna wanna take down Will so some legal system can handle it. It can only be settled with a bullet. Right here. (And much more bribable) (Which makes one wonder: Why the hell are you in jail? Are we THAT poor?) * Fanfan rises up as well. "That is my POINT. What exactly do you think he will accomplish with his legal name remaining tarnished forever, because he killed the one person who could clear him of the crime he didn't commit? Or do you think it's FUN being wanted?" ( My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to face trial on Murder 2, with a possible maximum penalty of 25-to-life, plus a $100k fine. ) ( *snicker* ) (*thumbs up*) Actually, John's said he doesn't care if his name's tarnished. (It's actually kinda fun.) When Will is said to be the villain, who will care when he dies? Just wants his bro dead. Very dead. Will might. I don't. I'm not the one who's wanted. But I know if someone framed me, I'd take 'em out. Pure an' simple. No one messes with Millie Reinhart. Nobody. Or how, for that matter? * Jinx grins at Tairan's earlier comment. "Right, so, it'd be good if we get Will and Running Cloud, how about we deal with that first." Yes, lets. When doesn't matter. How DOES. That's the whole fricken' POINT! * Mikoto nods. "Seems like a good plan. But how do you lure a slaver out? I joked, but we might want to pursue that. Prime merchandise is best inspected in person." ( Nobody? Nobody. >:| Not even.. an UNDEAD framer? ) Then we get a confession, then, dunno, John shoots him or something, everybody wins. ... anyone here happen to be a master of disguise, or have some local trustworthy underling/messanger handy? ( I think Millie and Fanfan are at the same point, but from different ends. ) (Probably. Don't you love them?) * Fanfan looks at Jinx gratefully. "Thank you! That is the point I am trying to make!" (Why yes, I'm a master of disguise! And so is Fanfan! And we are not in any way conspicuous.) * Jinx nods. "Not a bad idea Mikoto. He can be asked to testify and see is brother hang, but it'd be good to throw some greed into the mix." I can give you a mask. That is all. An' how do ya propose we get a confession outta him hmm? Unless you want to spend all the rest of our time in Teck with John wearing a mask or a veil or something, to avoid being dragged into this whole jail mess AGAIN. * Jinx grins. "I dunno, beat the crap out of him for hours on end. I'm old fashioned that way." * Mikoto grins. "John in a veil would be kind of cute." If John wore a mask, we would not have to see his teeth. * Fanfan narrows her eyes at Millie. "I'm sure there are ways." * Fanfan looks at Tairan. "What kind of disguise?' Oh. Like what? Tell me, I'm curious now how someone who can control a whole town as a SLAVER and get away with it will say something to incriminate himself as a murderer. You speak as if being a slaver requires some sort of willpower. * Mikoto hmms. "Then we should divide up the labor. Someone can try to convince Will that he's needed to testify against John, and another can set himself or herself up as a slaver, wanting to meet local power in the business... it's not a bad plan. And hopefully by then, Running Cloud will have shown." Or let anyone get close enough to him to even try for that matter. (I can sell Sakura like ginzu knives. "She slices! She dices!") (She cuts this tin can in half!) All he needs is a nasty mind and a gang of toughs. He doesn't need to be a genius. Someone can be both. Whoever delivers the message can deliver both messages. * Jinx nods at what Mikoto says. "Seems like a good idea. It'd help if we knew what will wanted. I've been stuck with a few coercive employers before, and am still rather in demand, but don't know if he needs my skills." * Mikoto grins. "Volunteering to be the bait is very noble of you. Who are you, and where is the real Jinx?" * Tairan clears his throat. "Mr. Rogers? You've been called to testify at the trial of your brother. Oh, by the way, I also have a message for you." * Millie hmmphs and quirks her mouth in a way that shows she's still not convinced. * Fanfan turns her attention to the other conversation in a way that shows she doesn't particularly care. ( In other words, "Nyah!" "Oh, yeah? Well, nyah!!" ) The problem is, a Shomuran can't go... which really only leaves Millie or Jinx to deliver the message. Unless we just tie it to a bird's leg and pray raptors like him. * Jinx grins. It's not his normal, happy go lucky grin. It's more of a imagining how to get a confession out of Will grin. "I really don't like slavers." ...a Shomuran cannot go? He'll probably shoot the damned bird outta the air. * Mikoto nods. "Would seem a little suspicious, don't you think? 'I've come from the distant East to tell you to come to Redrock.' Unless..." We could just hire a courier. Oh, for the courier part. An' Injun's do courier work now? I thought you meant to be the slaver. * Mikoto smiles. "Probably safest." And looks pleasantly as if he's driving other concepts for the plan out of his mind to agree. I've done a few courier jobs in my day. Royal pain more often than not, but I suppose that's why they hired me. * Fanfan raises her eyebrows at Mikoto. "Unless what?" Nothing. Hiring a courier is the most expedient and safe method. But the question is... how do you go from traveller to slaver in under 32 hours? * Millie swivels on her heels. "This is stupid. I'm gonna see if I can talk ta John. He's the only one who hasn't lost it." * Millie walks out of the inn. What does Teckian slaver garb look like? Good riddence. * Mikoto hmmms and looks at Jinx. "Do you know? I can only think of the words 'ostentatious and expensive'." * Jinx grins. "You bet more than you own while holding four nines, only to see a Royal Flush. But that's just one method." ( It's a big hat with "SLAVER" written on it ) ( You're kidding me. Well, that was easy. ) * Mikoto blinks. "Of course... a female Shomuran slaver, noble-looking... with her dedicated female bodyguards, who specializes in handsome men..." He smiles distractedly. "It's believable." (Mweh heh.) ... * Jinx grins. "And means I'm safe." * Mikoto drums his fingers on the table. "Of course, getting Millie to agree to play bodyguard is only slightly less difficult than putting out the sun with a ladle full of oil." * Fanfan looks thoughtful. "It does make sense. A Shomuran would not know the local criminal element, and so it would make sense for one to ask for him. And that way, he couldn't check around as easily to see if whoever's playing the slaver is actually established or not." * Fanfan carefully doesn't glance at Sakura. "There are probably others to whom the plan would not appeal." * Jinx nods at that. Well, she did agree to play a geisha. * Mikoto suddenly looks glum. "It's like trying to build a statue with a sponge." * Jinx shrugs. "'fraid I can't help much. I've had my good idea for the week." Maybe we should just wait and see what Running Cloud thinks. If she shows up at all. * Mikoto winces. "If she shows up at all." * Mikoto sighs and puts his chin in his hands. "Pardon my Teckian, but this sucks." We can hire a messanger to deliver two messages easily enough. We can worry about the logistics later. * Jinx nods. "Huh.. although, assuming Will has spies in town, we may want to put on a show for him, in addition to sending the message. New slaver in town, valuable property, might be an easy mark. He's more likely to come if he hears from his own people." Main thing is getting the message to him early enough so that he has time to get it, and get HERE. Is there no way to delay the execution? Shoot the sherrif, maybe. They'll put off John's hanging so they can get to ours. (There lawyers in Teck?) * Fanfan snorts. "Hah!" ( Mikoto Shot The Sheriff! ) ( We could MAKE some. Oh, Mikooootoooo....o/~ ) .. I want to make sure I am understanding this correctly. You wish to become slavers? (...ha. No.) No. ("I shot the Sheriff, the Deputy, and your WEE DOGGIE TOO! HAHAHAHAHAHA!" ) We wish to lure Will here with the promise of business. * Mikoto twitches. Faintly. "No. We're just going to ACT like them to lure Will here." (Warcarft 3. Dwarven Rifleman.) (Ding!) Perhaps not act like them in all senses of the word. The only business being the business end of some weapon. .. So you wish to become slavers. ( Here we go again. ) * Mikoto lets his head hit the table. * Sakura puts her hand on her sword. ... no. * Fanfan pats Mikoto's shoulder with one hand, the other hand going to one of her own swords at Sakura's action. We send a message SAYING there are slavers who want to meet Will. In reality, there's us, with weapons, waiting to kick the crap out of him. [Everyone in the inn grabs their swords!] [... which is just you two, but hey.] * Mikoto sits up, though not fast enough to throw Fanfan's hand off. "Wait. Why don't we just ask to BUY one?" It's a ruse. A deception. A... something that means the same thing as ruse and deception. We are not becoming anything except, perhaps, actors. Much easier. Much simpler. And we don't actually have to DO it. ( Gee, thanks, Mikoto. Now she's *really* gonna kill us. ) ( Everyone else grabs breadsticks. ) (She wants to sword us anyway, why not go in for the full monty?) ( Tairan needs a more expansive vocabulary. ;_; ) * Jinx grins. "Even better. But we've got to have a lot of money flashing around, or he'll just send a subordinate." ( Good point. ) .. You will sully your honor by pretending to become slavers? I refuse to be part of that. How about if we offer to buy Mary Anne so you can cut her in half? (See? Even Sakura thinks it's a stupid plan....wait...Millie and Sakura agree. We're going to die.) ( Oh, shit. You're right. ) Fair enough, should we give you a message when the bandit slaughter starts? * Mikoto then looks properly horrified and facedowns on the table again. "I can't believe I said that." * Jinx nods. "Encouragement bad Mikoto." (I mean, come on. *I* get to cut her in half. It's in my contract.) ( Wait, she can't threaten us! Tairan will take the armor back! ) (Er, unless she kills him too. Oh well. ) Either way. The point is to give him two reasons to be in town, and one reason to meet us in some secluded area where we can jump him. Or we just attack him in his room. Either way, his travelling goons will be easier to take than his whole town. * Mikoto sits up again, somewhat. "Then we should just express interesting in buying something. Worst case scenario it means Jinx takes some money and goes to blow it on drinks to make us look rich and nobody has to pretend to be anything other than wealthy." Hell, we can have the 'slaver' message say they heard he might be coming to town for the trial, and ask to meet with him while he's around. Make it look like we got connections. Which we obviously don't. * Jinx grins. "I like this plan. Though we definately should have an Eastern leader. Makes us a lot harder to check out." * Sakura gives the impression of frowning. "You are really going to do this?" * Mikoto looks at Sakura. "Think about this carefully. What would I, or you, or Fanfan, or any of us, DO with a bought slave?" * Jinx then leans farther back in his chair. "Admittedly, I'd be more comfortable if the plan involved more explosions, but there's always room to improvise." * Tairan glances over at Sakura. "It's the best way of getting him somewhere where we can bum rush him. Absolutely no slavery involved. Promise." * Fanfan nods at Jinx. Be spontaneous. OFfer him whiskey, then set it on fire. No slavery may be involved, but people will see us as slavers. I refuse to accept that. * Fanfan looks at Sakura. "Think of it as freeing a slave." Freeing quite a lot of them, actually. And once we capture Will and bring him and his gang to justice, who in their right mind will see us as their like? Someone who thinks we are betraying them for a lighter punishment. * Fanfan shakes her head. "But they will think we are slavers when we have no slaves?" These plans always go against us. More likly then not, we will be captured and tried as slavers. ...that is a point. * Mikoto pauses for a moment. "...you have to admit, our history with this sort of strategem isn't so good." Which is probably a reason *not* to go for outside help, such as bringing in a courier or something. Well, in that case, don't put our names on the slaver message. * Mikoto drums his fingers on the table. "Maybe we should just set the city on fire and grab John in the carnage." * Jinx snorts at that. ... that was a really dumb statement I just made. *facepalms* * Fanfan looks grateful for not having had to point that out. But yeah. I don't think we'd be arrested as slavers if we were in the process of jumping him. Maybe arrested for jumping him... * Fanfan bites her lip. "Whatever plan of action we take, I think the first step would be to delay John's execution." But I'm sure he'll clear it up for the sherrif as soon as we get off his windpipe. I'm liking this plan less and less, to be honest. Once we do that, then perhaps we can figure something else out. * Mikoto stands up. "I'm going to join Millie. Maybe we can talk the sherrif into a stay of execution like Fanfan suggests." Perhaps we could find a way to fake John's execution? (We cast Life3 on him. There we go.) * Tairan makes a spitting noise. "But then, I ain't exactly a planning wizard. Nakoto got those genes." (*falls and urks, but doesn't die*. "What the fuck?") * Fanfan opens her mouth to say something, then pauses. "Huh...." * Mikoto looks back from the door. "Maybe it's the first syllable, then, because his plans work and mine seem to fail rather spectacularly." How does hanging work? * Fanfan raises an eyebrow at Mikoto and smirks. "And you're the one trying to talk the sheriff into delaying the execution? Be careful you don't convince him to shoot him on the spot instead." (...mweh heh.) * Jinx seems bereft of ideas, and just keeps leaning back. * Mikoto opens the door, calling back as he leaves, "If he does I'll just push Millie into the path of the bullet." .. I like Mikoto. I think...if it's done quickly, the neck is snapped by the sudden downward movement. If not, I suppose the victim simply dies from a gradual loss of air. * Fanfan grins a little at that. Now, now Mikoto. .. how needlessly long. Indeed. However...does any of us have any levitational magic we'd like to share? (I could if I had just ooooone more CP.) ... if I did, I wouldn't have been knocked down on my ass as much as I've been lately. Nope. You can always shoot the rope, but that defeats the whole faking death thing. Hmm... I can create a minor earthquake. I'm afraid I do not know any levitation magic. * Fanfan nibbles thoughtfully on the side of her finger. "Maybe if..." What do these...hanging platforms...look like? ( Wait. If people hang people in Shomura, cut that question. ) * Tairan mutters. "I really gotta stop getting my ass kicked..." ("What do you mean, which end's my ass?" ) * Jinx closes his eyes for a moment. "Oh, standard platform eleveated six plus feet above the ground, trap door under victim, the rope is hanging from a beam suspended above the platform." Maybe we could put something under the trapdoor for John to stand on and then cause a distration? * Fanfan grins at Sakura. "My thought exactly." * Jinx then stands up. "As much fun as talking about hanging is, I don't think I'm much use here. I'm gonna go raise some revenue, shouldn't be hard to find." A distraction will not be difficult to produce. * Fanfan 's grin widens. "Not with our group." (We ARE the brute squad.) * Jinx shrugs. "Could work, rescue is fairly easy. But then we just have the same problem as breaking him out. But I'm sure you'll come up with something clever." No, not necessarily. * Jinx then walks out. * Tairan finishes his stew. If he can pretend he is dead, one of us could play his lovesick girlfriend and demand his body. We find a bandit, break his neck, and replace John with him, ... bandits don't have teeth that shiny. * Fanfan frowns. "I am afraid my skills with disguise would not be able to cover the difference." (*eyes the other channel* I'm so dead.) (James: "Clearly, you did it." Mikoto: "...say what?") ( You probably are. Shoulda stayed with us. We're sitting down and having a nice chat. :D ) We make sure his face is unidentifable. Perhaps we make it seem like we are there to save John, and "accidently" kill him during the attempt. Then we would look like we were trying to aid a criminal. * Tairan munches on some bread. Mmm, Bread. Perhaps instead of demanding his body out of love, we could say we want it because we hate him. And then destroy his face. If you wear masks, it will not. I am too obvious. I will have to cause a distraction another way. Perhaps I could attack you. Hmm. ... if it comes to that, we cut the rope, grab him, and run like hell. Too many people to fool. Actually, we could stick with the girlfriend idea, and say that "she" wishes to bury him herself. Demand that the body be cut down immediately so that she can get started. Except he'll actually be dead. And I don't think John has Jinx's luck. Not if we can put something under the trapdoor, as Sakura and I are considering. * Tairan rubs his head. "Or is it that he does have Jinx's luck?" And while one of us is raising a fuss about taking his body, someone else stands ready to remove whatever is there so that nothing is suspected. Although this, too, requires much luck that we might not have. If executions here are like executions back home, they're public affairs. Someone would notice something underneath. Which is the reason for the distraction. * Fanfan purses her lips. "True enough." If you could start a riot, perhaps we could switch bodies in the confusion. * Fanfan nods slowly. (Well, I'd have to say, trusting people who've never seen a gallows with the escape plan seems dicey on principle.) ( "Why don't we offer them Millie in exchange?" ) ( I don't see you here briefin' us, buster. You're busy being accused of stuff or whatever, remember? ) (Eh. If James were a responsible lawman he'd be cheering my Perry Masonry right now.) Perhaps we can convince them to let John go if we beat them in a dice game. (...snerk.) (Sherrif Tai Ho will let John go... FOR A PRICE.) ( If only it was that easy. But then we'd have a bounty hunter join us because Tairan didn't pay his bill. ) (And she'd have to be a polearm user. Oh lord.) * Fanfan sighs. "I can't help but think that that would take quite a lot of talking." ("The Naginata demands the $52.96 in unpaid groceries." "...") ... Sakura, I think you just made a joke. Congratulations. *grins* Joke? The dice thing. That was a joke, right? Maybe. ... so it's possible that, under the mask and the seriousness and the frequent threats against people's lives, you have something like a sense of humor? Possibly. ( o/~ Tairan and Sakura? ) * Fanfan looks down, biting her lip and choking down what might be a giggle. ( It's actually gas. Anyway. ) * Tairan chuckles, and eats more bread. Mmm, Bread. [Sakura with a sense of humor? Can't be.] [Session End! For now!]