[In another time, another place, a group of people just got #rsp re- registered. There was rejoicing! But none of these people care, because they're heartless and ignorant like that. "These people" being the protagonists of this particular story.] [And said protagonists have just entered a most interesting forest! It's all stone: completely petrified. While the Teckians may be somewhat used to this, Shomurans certainly aren't, and either way, it's unsettling. The grass is dry beneath your feet, and there isn't any plant life to rival the large, stone trees.] [There's been little bits of wildlife, but nothing so dangerous as what you've encountered in the Cactus Forest. My, Teck has some interesting landmarks, doesn't it? This is something to write home to.] [Weather: Clear, but some clouds are building. Time: Early to mid afternoon.] [Session: Start] * Tairan is quiet as he rides behind Jinx on Lightning, his eyes mostly glued to the ground as he tries to follow the tracks through the forest. * Fanfan looks around a little nervously as she rides with Sakura on Horse. * Jinx rides along, generally looking fairly keen about the current mission, although there's also been a slight overtone of out of sorts ever since the arrival in the forest. Fortunately his job is simple, so it hasn't effected his performance. * John rides Hazel, looking about as he rides. * Millie rides carefully through the forest, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious. Other than the large stone trees of course. ... ain't like a regular forest, but the tracking signs're basically the same. * Jinx quietly mutters to himself and anyone with fairly good ears who cares enough to try to listen: "It just doesn't seem right somehow." * RDMgryphon has joined #rsp Stone trees? You ain't kiddin'. * Mikoto glances at Jinx, because he has fairly good ears, but doesn't say anything, instead focusing on leading a horse that doesn't seem any happier about it than Jinx is. How do you think it came about? * Jinx shrugs. "Not so much that. Just that we're completely surrounded by dead things and there's not a damn thing to loot." * Fanfan responds flatly. "Probably magic." 2d6-5 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Millie (2d6-5) and gets 2. * Tairan snerks, his eyes still on the trail. * Millie glances around carefully at the forest as she rides along. She frowns a little. "This place seems familiar..." You think Jan's going in circles? There are many of these....places....in the west? * Millie shakes her head. "No...it's not that..." She glances around for any clues she can. Only place I know like this is right here. Got lotsa strange forests, though. Yeah.... * Millie keeps staring at the trees. If we were goin' in a circle, I'da hoped I woulda noticed it. Millie, ya okay? Maybe ruins around here? Given how old everything feels, it wouldn't be out of place. * Millie blinks and turns to John. "Huh? Oh, yeah." * Millie goes back to staring at the trees. It's obvious something about it's nagging at her. * Jinx goes back to just riding. Applying his intellect to such puzzles never really seems to be a productive use of his time. * John nods and keeps going. * Mikoto eyes Millie, then devotes himself to taking a good, long look at the scenery. If she's that unnerved and nothing's undead, something is clearly up. (Duh. The trees are. ) (MUMMY TREES FROM HELL.) (Well, Hfil.) (Perception checks!) (Hearing.) 2d6-4 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Fanfan (2d6-4) and gets 3. ( Man, we're already in HFIL. I mean, look at us. All of us! Infinite Losers.) 2d6 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Sakura (2d6) and gets 10. 2d6 * Dicesuke throws the bones for John (2d6) and gets 7. 2d6-2 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Tairan (2d6-2) and gets 1. 2d6-2 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Mikoto (2d6-2) and gets 4. 2d6 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Jinx (2d6) and gets 6. 2d6 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Millie (2d6) and gets 4. [Fanfan, Tairan, Mikoto, and Millie all hear someone yelling ahead (male), though they can't make out what he's saying.] * Fanfan blinks. Someone else is here. * Mikoto raises an eyebrow. "Interesting." Male, up ahead. [Sounds almost like orders.] Barkin' orders or somethin'. * Jinx blinks and makes sure his shotgun is ready. * John raises an eyebrow. * Tairan eyes the trail. Is it still just Jan, or is it multiple persons? * Fanfan sighs. "Well, I suppose this is rather out of the way for a vacation spot." [Just Jan.] ( multiple persons/horses, that is. ) * Mikoto nods. "Perfect for a meeting place, though. Who's going to stroll out here for a quiet lunch in the pastoral wilderness?" Trail's just one horse... Jan's, if we're trailin' the right person. So either Jan's got a big secret, or else she's met up with some people. What do ya say we have a look? * Tairan keeps his eye on the tracks, but nods. * Millie nods. "I heard it too..." She lowers her voice. "Sounds good to me.." * Jinx nods and keeps riding forward slowly. He speaks quietly, "So, when they spot us, I do the talking? That still the plan?" I'm not sure how comfortable she'd be talking with a dead guy but sure. * Millie unslings her rifle calmly as she says that. Are you so concerned for her comfort? Sounds crazy. Sure. * John starts going to have a look! Slackers. * Millie glances at Fanfan. "We want info outta her don't we? Can't get that if she clams up." * Fanfan isn't the boss of Horse! So there. :P I think Jinx is our ace in the hole, regarding Jan. Well, we got on well enough before, can't let a little thing like her killing me get in the way of that. * Fanfan shrugs. "I only meant that she will be more likely to cause trouble if she is completely controlled. Having her a little off-balance may help." * Mikoto looks around. "She didn't mean to kill him, I don't think. At the very least, she didn't look *happy* about it. I was too busy breaking her nose at the time for a more detailed analysis." Jan don't seem like one ta cause trouble unnecessarily. * Millie sighs. "Let's find out what they're actually doin' before we go overboard with this "plan", whatdya say?" ...we have a plan? That's sarcasm, deary. (Hearing checks at +4!) * Jinx nods and rides forward a little, trying not to be too obvious about the approach. 2d6+4 2d6+4 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Millie (2d6+4) and gets 10. * Dicesuke throws the bones for John (2d6+4) and gets 12. * Fanfan shrugs. 2d6+2 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Tairan (2d6+2) and gets 7. 2d6 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Sakura (2d6) and gets 6. 2d6+4 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Jinx (2d6+4) and gets 14. 2d6 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Fanfan (2d6) and gets 7. 2d6+2 * Diceske throws the bones for Mikoto (2d6+2) and gets 10. [Everyone hears a trickling stream! The trees are thinning a little; it looks like a clearing up ahead.] * Fanfan frowns a little, tilting her head up, seemingly listening to nothing. "...odd." * Jinx holds up and tries to find the best approach to get in hearing range of the clearing while still staying behind a prominent tree or two. * Mikoto raises an eyebrow at Fanfan. "Other than a stream running through a petrified forest?" [You can hear a man yelling, "Bring it down!"] The...wind. It is...strange... Huh. (As Brett says, it's made of cheese.) (Yay. It's my magical element and I feel NOTHING.) (I R BEST MEIJ EVAR) (Nosing. ABSOLUTELY NOSING!) (Wow. That's an awesome spelling of mage. I MUST USE EET!) Might be Running Cloud. (WAO!) Probably bandits. Might be anything. I'm with Tairan on this one. * Jinx shrugs. "Her last big spell involved a strong wind." [You keep going, eventually entering the clearing! You get half a view of someone further in before you hear an angry screech along with a decidedly female voice yelling, "Going down! Out of the way!"] [It's coming from above you.] * John looks up! * Millie snorts. "Sure. But it doesn't help us..." She looks up sharply. * Jinx moves out of the way then looks up. * Fanfan looks up, helpless to move out of the way! IT'S A DISASTER IN THE MAKING! * Mikoto blinks and backs his horse up. It beeps! * John moves out of the way. Please move? Eh? *looks up as Jinx takes the advice given on the Evil Overlord list: move, THEN LOOK* (Jinx has learned long ago when someone says get out of the way, get out of the way. :P) (With five exploding horses, he has to. ^_-) [You see an angry, feathery, winged, and most importantly LARGE beast boring straight for you. It's plumage has many colors, most noteably red and orange, its eyes actually sparking, and its beak is open with electricity cracking around it. Whoever's on its back is holding a polearm locked against its neck, forcing it to face forward. Numerous arrows are sticking out of its body.] (Jinx, give me a perception roll.) 2d6 * Diceske throws the bones for Jinx (2d6) and gets 6. (dr) 2d6 * Diceske throws the bones for Jinx (2d6) and gets 5. ... the hell is that? * Mikoto follows Jinx and Tairan's glances up. * Millie 's eyes widen as she definitely gets out of the way now. (And the problem with Jinx's theory is the person might have been talking to the OTHER group and thus Jinx moved INTO the path of it ^_~) ...eep. * Jinx looks rather surprised, and somewhat impressed. * John gets out of the way first, and looks impressed second. [Remember what I said about electricity? Yeah. Lightning sparks, and it shoots forward and up, as whoever's riding it jerks its face up with a tug of the naginata as it crashes into the ground, just a couple feet in front of you. Now you can see the rider: black hair in a ponytail, blue armor, grinning, why! It must be one Eri Tabushi. Some of you may have met her. She jumps off of the thing.] (Miss me? ^^) (Please die.) (Yay! ERI!) (Sorry, no! But my pokemon can kill you. It's lightning type!) (Lighting > Wind) (NAGINATA-GIRL.) * Mikoto tilts his head with a dully curious expression. "It's an interesting approach to cavalry, but somehow, falling off of it because of the lightning gives it an air of impracticality." * Fanfan nods. "Truly." Oh, the idiot. * Jinx looks at her and says in an even but still impressed tone. "Nice work." ... well, this certainly wasn't what I was tracking. * John raises an eyebrow. "That's... odd." * Fanfan adds, in a tone resembling Mikoto's. "Also, I am not entirely sure the flamboyant lightning is a good way to go about things." * Tairan eyes the bird's feet. "No hooves." * D rushes out from deeper in the forest soon after, drawing an arrow. "It ain't dead yet!" ( Everyone roll init! ) d6+7 * Diceske throws the bones for John (d6+7) and gets 9. * Millie looks oddly at the creature and Eri. "That means..." She glances quickly in the direction of D knowingly. d6+6 * Diceske throws the bones for Mikoto (d6+6) and gets 9. d6+7 * Diceske throws the bones for Fanfan (d6+7) and gets 10. d6+7 * Diceske throws the bones for Tairan (d6+7) and gets 11. d6+6 * Diceske throws the bones for Sakura (d6+6) and gets 7. d6+7 * Diceske throws the bones for Millie (d6+7) and gets 12. d6+6 * Diceske throws the bones for Jinx (d6+7) and gets 8. The hell's goin' on? I agree with Tairan. * Mikoto swivels his gaze D-ward. "Uh..." He pauses, then looks at Sakura and Millie and John, in that order. "Something you weren't telling us?" Something you didn't need to know. They're...uh...it's a long story. But they're after Jan too. That's the gist of it. * Mikoto raises an eyebrow. "I appear to need to know *now*, John." Yeah. So what, if anything, are we trying to shoot and/or stab? But right now, if we don't take that thing down, they're gonna get us ALL killed. I think that's most important. * Eri turns to look at D, being silly and ignoring you guys. "What do you *mean* it's not dead? I got it good with the Naginata a bunch of times!" * Jinx glares at John for just a moment and then looks around. "Okay, obvious why they're here." He doesn't seem to worried about the beasty. ... huhwha? * Jinx looks to Tairan. "Care to keep on the path while they deal with this? Not our problem really." [Order: Birdy, Millie, Tairan, D, Fanfan, John, Mikoto, Eri, Jinx] How the hell should I know? Are we shooting at the people, the bird, or leaving? * Fanfan looks nervous. "I am for leaving, myself...." Damned if I know. Leaving seems safest to me. * Mikoto glances over at Jinx, providing he said that loudly enough. "I'll go with you. I don't think I'll be of much use fighting the thing as it is." * John looks over at Millie. "Should we save thier asses?" [The bird rears up and screeches. It's very injured, but still looks strong enough to fight. He looks down on Jinx and spews forth a blast of lightning at him.] 2d6 * Diceske throws the bones for Jinx (2d6) and gets 7. (Jinx gets hit) (Ironically, Lightning survives.) (*snickers*) ( Oh, this is gonna smart. ) [Jinx gets hit, and dances to the tune of a whole lotta volts of electricity. His hair is standing on end.] ... well, that answers that question. [Sakura goes on 7, by the way. My bad.] [Millie's turn!] ...next time, leave first, get hit by lightning bird later. That sounds preferable. ( It's Zapdos! ) * Jinx shakes his head. "Owww.. Why do I try to talk? Never helps." His hand shakes for a second as he tries to settle. "Running..." * Millie sighs and glances at John. "I can't believe I'm doing this..." She sighs and raises her weapon up, shooting near the bird. Trying to at least draw its attention. * Jinx , who looks like crap, even for Jinx, looks at Millie and yells. "Run damn it girl, you don't want to get hit with this." (People who have met Eri and D: Sakura, Fanfan, Millie, John.) [Millie's bullet richochets of a tree nearby, and she gets the birds attention alright.] Quiet you. I'm tryin' ta save yer ass. Least ya could be grateful. [Tairan's turn!] * Millie nods and settles her gun down, hyahing and getting Pepper into a running trot away from Jinx. Run? The party's just gettin' started! * Tairan rolls off of Lightning, landing in a crouch, and takes a few steps foward, drawing his sword. "No blastin' the Injun." *stabs his sword into the ground towards the bird* (Blades of the Earth) 2d6-2 * Diceske throws the bones for Tairan (2d6-2) and gets 9. ( ... ) ( ... ) (It's not a critfail, at least.) (...does he want it to blast one of us instead? :P ) (Oh dear.) (What John said.) (He's got a suspicious habit. ;P) [Ew. Tairan sends a number of stone spikes into a poor tree near the bird. But since the tree's made of stone anyhow, it doesn't mind.] [D's turn!] * D spins his bow around his wrist like a baton before unleashing an arrow; it strikes the bird in the center, near a bunch of other arrows. [Fanfan's turn!] * Jinx for just a moment places a shakey hand on his forehead asking himself mostly rhetorically. "Why does no one fucking listen?" (Go Duckster!) (Hm. Save Jinx, attack bird, run like Jinx suggested...) ( Am I in melee?) ( Close enough to get there if you want ) (The bird crashed right in front of you?) (Juuuust checkin'.) * Fanfan flips off of Horse, swords in hands, and goes for a cross at the bird! Yay acro. 2d6-2 * Diceske throws the bones for Fanfan (2d6-2) and gets 2. 2 2d6-2 * Diceske throws the bones for Fanfan (2 2d6-2) and gets 6 6. (Made, made, made. Fanfan is teh cool!) (Fanfan slices and dices! SHE MAKES JULIAN FRIES!) [Fanfan carves a big cross into the birdy.] [John's turn!] My apologies, Jinx, did you say something? (Julienne, but who's counting?) * Millie curses. "Jinx, jus' keep going! We need someone ta keep on that trail at least." (*ponders trying to fire off something from horseback* HAW HAW HAW ahem.) * John rides Hazel along and pulls out his two pistols, taking two solid shots at the beast's chest as he keeps moving. The trail isn't gonna disappear in five minutes! Deal with the large bird! 2d6-4 * Diceske throws the bones for John (2d6-4) and gets 1. 2 2d6-4 * Diceske throws the bones for John (2 2d6-4) and gets 6 4. [John manages to keep control of his horse as he puts a bullet in the thing's wing, but it moved too fast for both bullets to hit.] * Millie grumbles. "No, but we might miss exactly what's goin' on.." [Mikoto's turn!] * Jinx looks torn for a moment then nods at Millie's comment, he gets ready to ride following the general direction as best he can. "Damn, this'd be easy if I was a coward." ( "Oh, wait. I am a coward." *ZOOM* ) * Mikoto knits his brow, then takes the reins, holds L1, and canters over to Jinx and mutters the chant for Winds of Healing. [Jinx dies! Just kidding. Jinx is not dies!] ( Wait, he got hit, and is *still on the horse*. And Lightning is, as Mikoto pointed out, fine. ....*snicker*) [Eri's turn!] (ERI BLADE!) * Millie sighs. "Glad someone listens." She keeps an eye out on the monster bird. ( I'm healthy. Just pissed off. =P ) * Eri grins as she brings her naginata to one side, then swings it up and around for a powerful two-handed blow. The bird screeches as it's beheaded and, um... is dead. You would be too, if you didn't have a head! ( Note: There's not much you can do with a naginata one-handed :P ) (...wow, that whole 10 minutes of stuff is moot, now. Hurray. c.c) ( Basically. Stupid Eri.) * Tairan pulls his sword out of the ground, cursing mightily. * Eri lets out a breath and looks at the rest of you. Particularly Sakura. "Hey! I remember you. How's the killing random people business going?" She looks at the others. "Oh yeah, and thanks. Not that we *couldn't* beat it, but that just made it a lot easier." What the *fuck* was that? Looks like a bigass bird. * Mikoto raises an eyebrow at Jinx. "How are you feeling? Need to be looked over?" () * Fanfan sheathes her swords and shakes her head, wandering over to Mikoto and Jinx. * Eri shrugs. "I dunno. I'm not from around here, and the Way of the Naginata isn't a way to give me the names of random monsters." She turns. "Hey, Duckster! What was that thing?" * Millie sighs and slows down her pace. "Wonderful." She looks over at Eri and narrows her eyes. "An' we don't jus' kill random people." * D pulls out a canteen and tanks a swig. "Zapdos. Very freakin' big bird. And don't call me that." (....) ([...]) (... GAAAAH!) (Oh, for the love of christ.) (*catches D in a Pokeball) (I was kidding when I suggested that, Brett. ^^) * Millie looks over at him. "Duck--ster?" ( No you weren't! ^_^_v ) ( When oh WHEN will I learn to keep my big-freakin-mouth shut?) (... You named it after a POKEMON.) ( ... Oh, come the fuck on. ) * Jinx starts looking a hell of a lot better. "I'll be alright." He then looks to Millie with an odd smile. "Thanks." (This game is teh awesome.) (Oh, it was all Ard's fault. Excellent.) (Not even after. That IS a Pokemon!) (*rubs his face*) (No, its colors are wrong!) ( I'm sorry, that is just... come on. ) (You're right. The colors are that of Hou-ouh.) Well, yeah, I figured *that* out. I wonder if these feathers could sell for anything. (It's supposed to resemble a pterodactyl with feathers, if that helps.) Right, well, glad we could help. C'mon Tairan, let's go. (So it's a mixture of Hou-ouh and Lugia with Zapdos powers. Great.) ... okay, that was fun, except for the whole not being fun part. Let's get back to trailin'. Big freakin' bird works... Trailin'? Aw crud. * Tairan hope back onto Lightning, careful not to lean on Jinx, lest he carry residual static charge. * Fanfan nods. "Yes. It was...interesting to encounter you two again. Goodbye." * John shrugs and keeps going. He keeps his eye out for D-ster this time, though. * Fanfan climbs back onto Horse. * Millie lets out a sigh. "Lemme guess. You're here for her too." * Jinx lets Tairan mount up and then gets riding. ... aw crud? I don't like the sound of that. Yeah. Come on Eri, we gotta beat these guys to Jan. AGAIN. * Mikoto picks up Nami's reins. He doesn't seem to give a damn about Eri or D, and nods at Jinx. "I agree. We've lost a bit of time over nothing as it is." * Fanfan groans quietly. * Eri laughs. "No contest." She twirls her naginata. "They don't have the power of the Naginata on their side." Ya ain't beaten us.... Duckster.. * John snickers. Jinx? Ride? * Jinx gets riding with Tairan. (Totoro wants the naginata to take a damn dirt nap.) Yeah we are. One way or the other. ( Fuck yes.) Yeah? Without yer transportation? * Millie points to the dead bird. Transportation? Are you kidding? The thing attacked us. * Tairan concentrates on reaquiring the trail, muttering uncomplementary words about his crapass aim as he does. Raight. Whatever. * D laughs. "That's funny. And you ride a giant cactus, I suppose?" * Millie reigns over Pepper. "We're gettin' goin'. Tootles. Don't quack up on us, Ducky." She winks and goes into a gallop. * Jinx comments quietly to Mikoto as they track (assuming Mikoto is keeping up). "We could just let them get to her first. Whoever wins won't be in great shape." * Mikoto is keeping up! "I'd rather it not come to a fight at all." (Galloping at full speed in a petrified forest is a bad idea, for the record. You'll run into a rock tree.) (Trot then ;P) ( Crunchy! ) (TIMBER!) With them here, I'm not sure that's an option. * Fanfan goes, hopefully with Sakura and Horse. * John takes Hazel to a fast, but safe, pace. "Why them? Why now? " * Sakura goes. * Mikoto shrugs his shoulders. "They're after the bounty. We want her help. I suspect we are the preferable of the two." Why not? They seem to have a talent for knowing when not to show up. (Perception roll, if you please. +5 penalty.) I don't think that girl with the pointed stick knows a damn thing, honestly. * Jinx nods. "Alright, if a fight starts, we all just stay the hell out. Simple enough." 2d6+5 * Diceske throws the bones for John (2d6+5) and gets 11. 2d6+5 * Diceske throws the bones for Jinx (2d6+5) and gets 16. Other than where she can stick it 2d6+5 * Diceske throws the bones for Millie (2d6+5) and gets 14. 2d6+3 * Diceske throws the bones for Tairan (2d6+3) and gets 10. 2d6+1 * Diceske throws the bones for Fanfan (2d6+1) and gets 3, a CRITICAL SUCCESS!!! "I love the smell of a crit in the morning." 2d6+5 * Diceske throws the bones for Sakura (2d6+5) and gets 11. 2d6+3 * Diceske throws the bones for Mikoto (2d6+3) and gets 9. ( *is NOT bribing the dicebot! Really.*) * Fanfan calls out to the lead riders. "Wait, stop!" * John stops. "YES?" * Jinx stops. * Millie stops too and looks over at Fanfan. * Mikoto reins in and turns in the saddle. "...what?" * Fanfan whips something out from her sleeve and throws it at a figure in a tree up ahead. "Someone is here! Look!" * John looks at said figure! * Jinx glances around at the other trees first for a moment, to check if the figure has reinforcements, he then looks up to where Fanfan pointed. * Fanfan winces and ducks! "Duck!" * Tairan follows the daggar's path... then DUCKS. * John ducks! * Mikoto ducks as best he can, seeing as he's in a saddle. ( /me then realizes he's about 5-6 feet up on a horse, and CURSES. ) ( Basically.) [A burst of angry and extremely thick black smoke suddenly appears in front of you, billowing up from the ground and filling the forest ahead. You can hear horses and Eri yelling, "Sorry you're gonna lose! And nice naginata, whoever you are!"] * Millie ducks as she can. * Fanfan coughs. "Ah, damn it." * Jinx shrugs and points his shotgun at the smoke, not firing just yet. "Wanna talk?" (If he gets any indication the answer is no, he fires.) * Millie groans. "Not *again*" She swings her rifle towards the new comer as well. Mm. * Mikoto sighs, but says nothing. [Jinx doesn't get any response, yes or no.] * John spins both guns, having them aimed at the newcomer in under a second. ( What newcomer? It's Eri. ^_^;; ) (No, it was Eri's haha isn't is awesome we have a ninja you automatically lose ninja up in the trees.) * Jinx hesitates for a moment. "What did you see Fanfan? Make it fast." (You're not seeing much of anything. Black! Aaah!) A figure up ahead on that branch, wearing nothing but black. And that ball that was dropped. That's all. ( Fanfan! Use Fanfan Fan, NOW! ) * Mikoto frowns, makes sure he's pointing in the direction that Fanfan was facing, and cups his hands in front of his chest. Ninja. Fucking perfect. ( Fanfan can use her Fanfan fan, but can Tairan find Jan? ) * Millie growls. "Raight. Anyone got somethin' that can get rid of this smoke? We're gonna bump into trees if we can't see!" * Mikoto closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and then glows green a little bit. A greenish ball appears between his hands, which he then thrusts forward, shouting, "Emerald Typhoon!" * Jinx keeps Lightning moving, small paces, only on ground he is sure was safe before, just doesn't want to present a stationary target. (Straight forward, Mikoto?) (In the direction where Fanfan was pointing.) (Not at the tree, just in that general direction.) * Millie tries to keep moving forward slowly, coughing. Anything to get out of the smoke. * Fanfan takes a fan out and starts waving it around in a fanlike manner. [The greenish ball flies forward, wind bursting around it, clearing a path through the smoke. Ahead, you can see the tail (ha ha) end of horses taking off at a fast trot. There's no ninja up a tree.] * Jinx gets Lightning moving at a safe pace, following the horses. * Mikoto opens his eyes, letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding, and nodding in satisfaction. "A headstart's not worth much if you can't gallop away." He takes the reins. * Millie growls and takes aim at the horse's legs. "John! Try an' slow 'em down if ya can!" She fires off a shot at the back legs of the closest one. Sorry poor horse. * John curses and fires both pistols at the legs of the horses out there. Dangit, you ain't goin' NOWHERE. * Fanfan blinks, flips down, retreives her dagger and does a running jump back onto Horse. (Roll it!) * Tairan is on Lightning. Whee. Tryin' to AGAIN reacquire the trail (Called I'm assuming ^_^) 2d6 * Diceske throws the bones for Millie (2d6) and gets 7. (o/~) (Called here too. Any range penalty?) (I was going to say there's a partial smoke penalty, but you beat me to it. ^^;) (...d'oh.) (+2 penalty from smoke. John?) 2 2d6-2 * Diceske throws the bones for John (2 2d6-2) and gets 8 0. * Sakura snaps Horse's reins and dashes after the horses. * Fanfan hangs on! [Millie's bullet slugs a nearby tree, making an awful sound as metal goes into the stone. John's pings off of one, too, but the other is dead on, getting the horse in its back leg.] * Eri slows her horse to a halt and vaults off of the saddle, bringing her naginata to bear as she looks through the partial smoke. "Get going! I'll hold 'em off. If they want the reward, they can have it." * Mikoto takes the reins and heads after Sakura, though not at such a suicidal speed. ( Whose horse? Eri's, I assume? ) (Yup.) * Mikoto blinks, then reins Nami to a stop and extends his arm. It's morphin' time. * Sakura hops off Horse in front of Eri, sword at the ready. ( Can we just ride past her, or is she in the way? ) (In the way.) (... Can we just *trample* her?) * Millie curses. "Stupid smoke." She gallops and weaves her way through the trees. * Eri grins nastily. "Hi, Sakura. Here for a second round? The Naginata isn't gonna let you win this time." (If you want to trample Sakura in the process!) I won't let you live this time. 2d6-3 * Diceske throws the bones for Millie (2d6-3) and gets 7. (I just had the funniest conversation play in my head.) (Eri: "And I, the Dark Naginata..." Millie: "Yeah, whatever. You're 'Mid-boss'.") (...ha!) Hey, it's your friends who shot at *me*, not the other way around. Can't believe someone who thinks she's a bandit hunter would stoop so low, but that's your solution to everything. Fuck that. You remember what happened LAST TIME?! Your friend shot me in the hand! ("Yeah, what's your point?" ) 2d6 * Diceske throws the bones for Millie (2d6) and gets 4. (..ha. HAHAH. HAHAHAHA) * Fanfan barely refrains from rolling her eyes. "Ah, Sakura...shall Horse and I continue? We can return for you later...?" (Make. ^_^;;;;) Is this a duel, a brawl, or what? A duel. Don't interrupt. ...well, then. * Mikoto waits for Mira to show. Guaranteed in 15 minutes or the EP cost is free! Go, Fanfan. * Fanfan nods to Sakura. "Good luck." Okay. Jinx, after 'em! [There's a twang of a bowstring, and Millie feels Pepper crumpling beneath her. She barely manages to roll off of her horse and onto the ground, scrambling out of the way before its mass falls heavily to the ground.] * Fanfan and Horse ride off! Whee. * Jinx starts to ride forward. "Oh damn it." (And Fanfan, channeling Enzo, wanders off, blind to everything. D'oh.) (Go Fanfan!) ( People better roll init. This is getting to hard to keep track of ) d6+7 * Diceske throws the bones for Jinx (d6+7) and gets 13. * John looks at the direction the arrow came from and brings both pistols to bear at D, because he KNOWS it's him. d6+7 * Diceske throws the bones for John (d6+7) and gets 10. * Millie yelps and tumbles off her horse, rolling to her feet. "Dammit!" She looks back at her horse and shrieks. "Pepper! Why you--" She grits her teeth towards the arrow's direction. d6+7 * Diceske throws the bones for Millie (d6+7) and gets 12. d6+7 * Diceske throws the bones for Tairan (d6+7) and gets 8. d6+7 * Diceske throws the bones for Fanfan (d6+7) and gets 11. [There's a faint, peeling cry, and Mirabel appears on Mikoto's outstretched arm. There she is! Took her long enough.] * D is in the distance, partially hidden by trees, partially by smoke, but for those who can see, he's readying his bow for another shot, and he looks positively furious. * Jinx rides out a little and calls out in a loud voice. "Fucking stop! I don't mind dueling, but this is a waste of time." He looks to Eri. "We have business with Jan, let us talk to her before you try to capture her and you can have my naginata, it's magic." [Session End.]