* Millie doesn't give a dang bleedin' gadblastic molecule 'bout the children and resumes a-stompin'. She's puffing out her cheeks angrily as she kicks up sand. "Don't NO ONE listen ta sense anymore?" (Nope.) [No. Next question.] * Millie makes her way down to the sheriff's, provided nothing stops her. Heck, with how she's walking she probably wouldn't give a rat's ass anyways if something tried. [Most people have the sense to get out of the way, though they're not too happy about it. Millie does knock over one young woman who wasn't quite fast enough, but her boyfriend catches her, so it's all good.] [Hopefully she has enough sense to avoid horses, though.] * Millie does. She may be mad but she ain't stupid. [Some would argue that.] [In any event! She approaches the sheriff's office. Looks a lot like they left it.] * Millie enters the office and doesn't burst through the door smashing it to smitherins. She's a lady-like ticking timebomb. (Still a ticking timebomb, though. Hey, can you blow up when you're next to the wall?.. o/`) [The office is also a lot like they left it, only now there's nobody else in there, just the sheriff. Mr. Stephenson looks up from his paperwork - his hat's lying on the desk, as opposed to on his head, but he looks a lot like he did yesterday, too! "Oh. Miss Reinhart."] * Millie smiles and tips her hat politely to him. "You remember me! I'm flattered." * James gives half a smile. "I try not to forget a pretty face. What can I do for ya?" I was wonderin' if I could have a little talk with my travelling companion...err..is it true what I heard? Is it really so serious that he's gonna be hung tomorrow?" * Millie frowns and looks a bit worried at that. If he's found guilty, yes. Gotta do the trial first. What's the charges? I had no idea he was so dangerous. He didn't look like such a bad sort... * James goes back to his paperwork. "Though from what I hear, there won't be much of one. Bastard was found with the gun, no less." Now that don't make no sense...why would ya keep a gun that's evidence? He shot someone I'm guessin'? Yeah. Both parents. Messy business. Raight... * Millie frowns. "How'd he leave 'em?" * James rubs at the back of his neck. "Dead, on the floor." He shrugs and looks up. "Don't know everything about the case, but it looks like one of his brothers reported the incident." Raight... Um...Mister...Stephenson was it? Yup. Have ya talked to him any? Does he seem like an idiot to you? ( ... Do you want a serious answer to that? :P ) (From the sheriff's point of view, not the GM's ;P) Not outside of yesterday. Seems an okay sort, but just about anybody does, when they don't wanna be hung. Raight...well, here's the thing. I'm not sayin' I'd do anythin' of the sort...but if I WERE ta commit murder, there'd be a better way ta go about it than ta leave the dang corpses out in the open an' sleep with the very same gun that killed 'em. Seems a bit fishy, don't it? (I'm wondering if Ballistics tracking is even that good back then.) (But that's just me. :P) * James sighs, tossing the papers down and leaning back with a creak. He laces his fingers behind his head - this'll be good. "What're you saying?" (Quiet, jail boy!) * Millie shakes her head. "Nothin'. I'm jus' sayin' hangin' him a day later without investigatin' it more is a bit silly. I mean... I know ya gotta do your job an' all, but ain't it jus' as much yer job ta make sure everyone's got a fair shot? What about the witness? Where is he now? His brother? Hell if I know. We don't keep track of everyone that comes along... and Rogers is a pretty common last name. Not even from around here, anyway. Raight...welll...so the only one who admits to the murder's jus' plum disappeared hmm? Yer gonna convict him on that? I know what you're saying. Delay the trial. But that was done last time, and he up and escaped. I'm not sayin' ta free him or anythin'...but..there's jus' too much that don't add up. * Mikoto knocks on the office door before entering, peeking around the door first. Look, lady, I have no idea why he'd want to kill his parents. Frankly, I don't care that much. Mr. Rogers over there's had a trial hanging over his head for a long time now, and he's going to get it. * Millie shakes her head a bit. "So yer gonna lynch a man 'fore learnin' all the facts I guess...it's a shame.. I'm sure she'd want ta see him one last time 'fore he goes... * James glances at the door, then waves Mikoto in. "Lemme guess, you're here to talk on his behalf, too." Okay...so he gets a trial. I understand that. * Mikoto raises an eyebrow. "Well, maybe, but not before hearing the facts first. He IS my friend, Sherrif." What I'm sayin' is that ya can't have a trial without the facts OR the witnesses. An' ya jus' said ya can't find the key witness...oh hey, Mikky Witness... he's getting a trial? 'Course. He ran away before his last one. * Mikoto frowns. "But isn't his brother missing? Who could you possibly call to defend or incriminate him?" * Millie turns around and sighs, putting her hands on the desk and leaning back a bit. "Yeah. That's what I've been tryin' ta tell him. Plus things don't add up. I mean if you were ta murder someone, would YOU keep the gun an' leave the bodies jus' lyin' on the floor?" (Not that I'm sayin' ya'd KILL anyone, Mikky, not at all!) * Mikoto smiles faintly. "Actually, I'd disappear into the wilderness, frame a family member with a possible motive, then devote my life to becoming rich from the shadows while my sucker took the blame and the hanging." * Mikoto pauses. "If I were to use a gun, that is." * Millie gives Mikoto a weird look for a moment, but shrugs. "Weird plan. Yer a lot wickeder than I am." * Mikoto smiles distractedly. "I'll take that as a compliment." * James sighs. "Look. If you can track down..." He opens a drawer and shuffles through papers before finding the right one. "... William Rogers in a reasonable amount of time, I might consider postponing the trial. It's not entirely in my hands, but I'll put a word in." Well..that's the thing... 'Track down' as in 'Bring here', or simply know where he is? * Millie gestures with her hand. "Can't have a reasonable amount of time with the trial bein' tomorrow." * Mikoto blinks. "...that was awful fast. How's he supposed to arrange a defense from jail in two days?" Bringing him here would be easier, but we can attempt to contact him ourselves. * James shrugs at Mikoto. "Jail space fills up fast." Try both. You contact him by your people, we'll see if we can find him with ours. That way, double the chance of findin' him. * Mikoto nods. "But... how do we establish his bonafides, Sherrif? How will you know you've got the right Will Rogers?" That's the problem, isn't it? Couldn't John tell ya himself? (Speaking of which: John visible from here?) * James stares at Millie for a moment, then laughs. "Yeah. Sure." He picks up his hat, setting it on his head, and stands. "You wanted to talk to your friend?" (Nope.) * Millie smiles slightly. "Yeah...if ya could..." * Mikoto frowns. "Are you offering us a raw deal, Sherrif? Telling us we can produce Will to help him while knowing there's no way to identify him?" * Millie tshes a bit at that and makes a faint "cut it" sign across her throat. (James has that aura of 'DOESN'T CARE'.) (Wow. Guess what?) (He doesn't!) * Mikoto sighs. "Do you mind if I go with her?" Nope. Follow me. * James heads to the back, unlocking and opening a door. He holds it open for the two of them. * Mikoto waits for Millie to go first. * Millie walks, slowing to whisper to Mikoto. "Hope ya note this next time ya don't trust me ta do thing's right.." She walks forward down towards the jail cell calmly. * Mikoto frowns, whispering back. "This has nothing to do with not trusting you. I wanted to ask for a stay of execution, and that's all." * Millie ignores the comment back. Possibly because excessive whispering is suspicious. Possibly not. Who knows? Who cares? James sure doesn't. * Millie walks through the door instead. * Mikoto follows. [Behind is a line of cells, each with their own special heavy iron door. One of the prisoners whistles at Millie as she passes, and another yells a few curses at the sheriff. John's is at the end... it's a pretty bare and stereotypical affair, but it has a cot and a small table with playing cards. He must be special.] * Millie ignores the wolf whistles. Men. * Mikoto inwardly whines at them not being at him. * John leans against the wall on the cot. He looks just as good as ever, oddly enough. Even still has that *ting* when he smiles and the visitors enter. (He makes tattered prison garb look GOOOD!) * Millie waves and smiles faintly as she approaches John's cell. "Afternoon, Johnny." And to you too Millie. * Mikoto waves, standing slightly behind Millie and bending around from behind. "You appear to be well." * James heads back towards his office, having made no move to open the door. Like you expected him to. Relative to what? * Millie didn't. She lets out a deep breath. "Relative to a guy who's already been hung." (Or hanged rather. I forget that distinction) (I'm forcing myself not to think bad thoughts.) That bad, huh? * John frowns. They're going to give you a trial, but... they might as well not even bother. Who's going to show? The only witness has been missing for years. Well, it ain't gonna happen right away. They're still missin' a key witness an' I jus' happened ta convince 'im of that...I hope. * Millie starts to grin a little as she's talking about the "key witness" part but falters at the I hope We have a plan to get him here, but it's really dicey, even after we simplified it quite a bit. * John spits. "Only witness would be my lying bastard of a brother." * Millie nods. "That's the point, ain't it?" * John sighs. "What crazy plan do you have lined up to drag him here?" I don't know what they've got planned. All I know is now the sherriff wants him as a witness." * Mikoto shrugs. "We were going to offer to buy a slave from him, trick him into Redrock, then jump him." * Millie scowls. "They don't believe me when I say it ain't none of their business though." See? * Mikoto rubs his temples. "Wouldn't it be nice to be alive long enough to do it? Nobody's out to take settling the score away from you, John." * John eyes Mikoto. "Nobody kills Will but me." * Millie turns to Mikoto. "Y'know what? Why do ya assume everythin'? This is 'bout honor. But of course, I forget that we Tecks don't have any honor." * Millie turns back to John and looks at him sadly. "You'll get yer shot. An' we'll all be there ta make sure ya get a clear one." * Mikoto ignores Millie. "We're not going to kill him. At worst we tie him up and bring him here to testify." Mikky. I know ya mean well, but SHUT UP ALREADY. But I, for one, refuse to let you get hanged for something you didn't do. And if it means you have to kill me afterwards to make yourself feel better... well, that's life. * Millie rubs her temple. "Y'know what Johnny? I never thought I'd ask someone this but...what do YOU want?" I want to see the bastard dead. Don't care 'bout after that... Raight. An' what would ya do if someone else took that chance from ya? Or if you died before you had the chance to see him killed? I don't care WHAT kind of honor or satisfaction or whatever is involved. You can't do anything if you're DEAD, and that's a stone cold fact. If I die, it doesn't matter, does it? And if someone else took it from me, they'd have a lot to answer for. * Millie swivels towards Mikoto and glares at him. "So WHAT? I thought ya Shomurans killed yerselves or somethin' if ya were dishonored. Since when have YOU given a rat's ass about death?" If it's personal, life ain't worth livin'. He's screwed either way. Let someone ELSE decide their life for cryin' out loud! Since when did YOU become Johnny's babysitter? He don't need one!!! * Mikoto continues to ignore Millie with the force of a thousand suns. "John, if you die, he wins! He gets off scot free, nobody knows the truth but us... and what can we do? Death is it! There's no coming back from that unless you're a... an aberration of fortune like Jinx!" * Millie huffs, her chest heaving, glaring hot daggers at Mikoto. I didn't think you were such a coward as to let yourself die just to keep your macho pride in order. I thought you were braver and smarter than that. An' I thought YOU were smart enough ta butt outta other people's business. (The best part of this is, if Mikoto remembered anything before the age of 8, this conversation would be a lot different.) * John smiles at Mikoto. "He won't get off scot free. I *know* you guys'll hunt him down even if I can't." There's better things in life than jus' livin', Mikky. If ya think that's all there is to life, I pity you. * Mikoto turns around. "I have no intention of doing so. I think you should do it if you want to do it. And I think dying is a stupid way to try and accomplish it." He takes a few steps toward the door and then turns around to look back at John. "But if that's what you want, I won't lift a finger. I hope you die well." * Millie folds her arms across her chest. "Hmmph. Ya could actually, y'know, have faith in yer comrades. No one's gonna die but Will if Millie has anythin' ta say 'bout it. Ain't never lost a partner before. Never." * John raises an eyebrow. If ya go in THINKIN' yer gonna get killed, then yer gonna. Will ya quit bein' so damned pessimistic an' be useful for a change?" * Mikoto turns, standing in the hallway, and snorts. "So it's okay for you to get Will here, but if we suggest a way to do it, we're trying to short John? You can't play it both ways." Really. I'll find a way out of this if you don't. I don't say you can't hurt him, bash him... Hell, shoot off his family jewels. Scum like that don't need um anyhow. I just want to kill him. * Millie shakes her head. "Ya don't understand it. Ya really don't..." * Mikoto frowns. "God, I'm so sick of hearing that come out of your mouth, Millie Reinhart. As if understanding you were the only way to get through life, and you had all the answers. You certainly seem to accuse me of that often enough." You were talkin' 'bout goin' down there ta him without cause, without reason..an' that's jus' STUPID. Ya need a reason ta do things.." * Millie stomps and holds up a fist. "What did ya say?" * Mikoto shakes his head. "We were going to lure him to Redrock. Send a courier saying we were interested in a purchase. That was all." Raight. An' what makes ya think he's got any reason ta come here OR that we could take him, probably knowin' it's a trap. He's a slaver. We have money. Why would he think it's a trap? Because why wouldn't we go to him? I mean, if you have a better plan, let's hear it. We're short on time. We already have one. We need him as a witness for a trial. Didn't ya hear anythin' I said to the sheriff? Or are ya so convinced I'm gonna screw things up that ya ignore me unless ya think I AM screwin' them up, huh, Mikky? ...Millie, we both know he's guilty. WHY would he come here? He knows full well without him John will hang. All he has to do is stay away from Redrock for two more days, then toast John's hanging and the last chance of anyone ever getting the truth out. Ta get him down here, try usin' his ego. It doesn't matter. The main point was ta stall for time so Runnin' Cloud could see him again. * Millie grins a little at John. "I'm sure she misses ya." But what if she doesn't co... ego? * John sighs. "I'm sure too." * Millie folds her arms and looks at Mikoto. "She'll come. She's a woman. She's infatuated with Johnny. If it's jus' ta yell at him at how bastardizin'ly stupid he is, she'll come." And what if she doesn't get here until two days from now? Doesn't matter. Because we got an extension ta look for Will, remember? (We did? I thought the trial was tomorrow.) (It is. But Millie said that one day isn't really a reasonable amount of time that the sheriff agreed they'd have) (Maybe it's a miscommunication between her and him. :P) Think about it Mikoto. Greedy bastard. What would they like more than someone saying *good* things about them? Or... Johnny. Ain't he supposed ta be a pretty good shot too? * Mikoto smiles faintly. "The question is how smart he is. If he knows it's a trap, it's all for nothing. ANd let's face it, our track record for deception schemes is miserable." (An ARCHERY contest? ) * John raises an eyebrow. "Not unless he's suddenly become a marksmen over the years. I mean he knows how to shoot, but not well at all. At least not that I can remember." No? Thought gunslingin' ran in yer blood. * Mikoto hmms. "All we need to do is GET him here. After that the Sherrif can take care of the rest. It shouldn't be that hard. Are we just overthinking things?" * Millie pouts and hmmphs, folding her arms and her chest sinking. "There goes that idea.." That's why he knows how to use a gun. A big lie is guaranteed to collapse on itself. We just need a tiny lie to spark his interest. Who said it was a lie? I meant, any trick we'd use to get him here. All I was thinkin' was that we jus' tell him we heard he was an excellent gunman, but we got someone better we want ta test against him... * Millie grins and nods her head at John. But given what Johnny jus' said, I guess that would be a lie now wouldn't it? * Mikoto raises an eyebrow. "That'd work better if John weren't in jail... though if he hasn't heard of the arrest yet..." Exactly. * Mikoto grins and clears his throat. "Hey, Millie. Will Rogers is an excellent gunman." He smiles. "There. Now you've heard it." An' if I know his type, if he heard about it, he'd wanna gloat probably when Johnny gets hanged." * John nods. An egoist would want to gloat. * Millie snickers. "Nice. But will it still work if HE knows he's not." He probably doesn't. * Mikoto chuckles. There we go then. Egotistical *and* self-deluded, huh? An' hopefully a mysterious damsel comes to have a talk with Johnny in the meantime so he can make the fight. And smart to boot. I don't want him to be smart. The stupider he is, the easier this will be. Well, what are we waitin' for? * John laughs. "How do you think he set up the whole rouse?" Don't underestimate him. The question is, how do we get him the word? It's not like we can give a note to a courier and say "Take this to a fugitive slaver with no name, would you?" * Millie sighs. "Fine. Ya want me to go, I'll go. But I'll check Running Cloud's village if we have time to see if she got our message first." * Mikoto winces. "I'm not saying you should go... I don't think any of us should go to *him*. We might just be sending him a hostage if we did that." But if I'm captured as a slave or somethin' an' forced ta do awful things, you'll NEVER hear the end of it, ya hear me Mikky? Not even ignorin' me'll save ya. * Mikoto grins. "You're too strong-willed to be a slave." Fine. Well, decide somethin'. Because the reaper ain't waitin'. Ya want me ta go or don'tcha? It'll be an interestin' tale ta add ta my book, gotta admit that. An' I could do a much better act in person. * Mikoto frowns. "Well, if you want to go I won't stop you. But there might be an easier way. If we just had some... underground contacts in the city, you know? Thieves." * John glances over Millie. "Add to that he might fall for ya." * Millie groans and rubs her forehead, brushing her hair back. "Do ya have ta even joke about that, Johnny...?" She sounds a bit worried.. Do we even know where he IS? Garson City I thought. Yes, Garson. An' of course I don't. Wait a minute. Didn't we *save* his wagon from Alexis? ...hey, we did. Doesn't he *owe* us, just a tiny bit? I was wonderin' when ya'd realize that. I think that's pushin' it...but it DOES put us in a positive first light.. I mean, not that we did it on PURPOSE, but we might as well use it. Oh shut up, Johnny. If you realized it, ya woulda brought it up first thing. Probably right. So... we all go. Worse comes to worst and they ask about John, we say we found out he was a criminal in Redrock and turned him in for the reward. Which we sort of did, if you think about the way Jinx said it. Right. Sounds like ya got yerselves a not-as-crazy plan. Somethin' tells me it'll screw up somewhere, though. Oh, well, that's a given for our plans in general. An' jus' in case, maybe one of us should go ta Runnin' Cloud. So we've got a backup ta get John out again... * Mikoto grins. "Are you volunteering?" Because if we get into a gunfight, not ta be pessimistic, but I don't think one of us is gonna matter. Raight. I'm thinkin' either Millie'r'Jinx should go. Well...I AM part Injun. Plus she likes me better. ... Millie. Jinx'd just fall off his horse five minutes out. * John smiles. *ting* Plus...I don't want Will fallin' for me. * Mikoto laughs. "It's a shame. I sort of wanted to meet her again. I have things to ask her." Maybe later. Or maybe I can relate it. Either way. But the point is. We got a plan. If somethin' goes wrong though...um, there a way you could contact me? * Mikoto tilts his head. "Don't Injuns use something to communicate over the plains?" Smoke. ( They call it... Cellular phones. ) Never figured out how ta read'em myself. * Millie snaps her fingers. "Smoke signals! Gah, but I can't read 'em though...never got a chance ta learn." She hangs her head sadly at that. Still, if ya can send 'em, someone there could read 'em for me. I don't know anything either. Jinx might, though, and it's better than nothing. * Mikoto frowns. "Really, someone should stay in Redrock, too. What if Running Cloud's on her way here already?" * Millie nods and smirks. "Sounds more solid than most of our plans. ANd someone already IS stayin' in Redrock." * Mikoto raises an eyebrow. "Someone not in a jail cell. No offense, John." * Millie points to John. "I told her where he was. If she decided to come, where's the first place ya think she'll go?" Crazy Feathers. Then here. Fine. How 'bout Jinx then? I'm sure he'll like the chance ta gamble 'round here again. But you'll be down two shooters. I think Jinx should talk to Will. It seems like they'd get along better. * Mikoto thinks. "We can't leave Fanfan or Sakura, since that's both high lunacy and neither of them knows her. That leaves me, or Tairan." Alright. Well Tairan then. Don't think she takes much to you for some reason. * Mikoto raises an eyebrow. "Now why do you think that?" * Millie shrugs. "Call it a hunch. She didn't take well to Suz either but he's...well, y'know.." She don't take well to Easterners. Just sayit. A clod. A loveable clod, but a clod. Alright... still, it seems like Tairan would be more useful in a fight than I would, if there's trouble. * Mikoto grins at John. "Lucky for her, I'm only half a sloteye." * Millie looks at John. "Fine. But Tairan's an Easterner too. He's jus' not so...well, he almost acts Teck." * John laughs. He DOES use a gun. And contractions. I certainly do not. (Mikoto does so. Use contractions, I mean.) (I don't! Do not. Don't do not.) * Millie eyes Mikoto at that and hmms. "Yer probably right. But what are ya gonna do? Tairan's not as subtle an' I think ya need subtlety for Will. We lose either way in a way." ( Mikoto just said "can't" a few lines back! haha! ) If you think Running Cloud doesn't like me, I can guarantee you Will will hate me. Nah. He ain't a girl. * Millie grins at Mikoto at that. * Mikoto raises an eyebrow, then smiles innocently. "The feeling's mutual." He eyes John. "Or is she implying Will's tastes are a little... off?" (I got to call Will queeeer! WOO!) (...har.) (He likes plushies!) Yes. Which they may be, to an extent. Never know. ...yer both morons. * Millie walks out, hmmphing, flipping off the guy who whistled at her earlier. * Mikoto dusts off his hands and waves. "Hang tight. And don't give up just yet, alright? Promise me that." * John shrugs at Mikoto. "Who ever said I gave up?" * Mikoto smiles. "Good enough for me." He waves and leaves, making sure to remark to the guy who whistled: "She's way too much woman for you," on his way out. [And so, visiting hours ended. What does fate have in store for John? IT'S OVER!]