[Oh no, it's Rising Sun Pioneers! Who put that logo there? Anyway.] [It's been two days since you've set off! Not one, but two! You've gone through blasted and barren landscapes, some desert, shrubland, and all that good stuff. The terrain seems to get just a little bit worse as you keep going.] [Right now, lean more towards blasted and barren. You slept decently in town the previous night. It's about noon, now, and the sun's really starting to get to you. Stupid Teck. Why's it have to be crummy on this side of the Sallies?] [But at least there's a road you can follow. No trouble with bandits, either.] [Session Start.] (What about tumbleweeds?) (You have defeated the occasional tumbleweed. Usually by having your horse step on it.) * Jinx rides along, he looks thoughtful. (Except in Jinx's case. His foot almost got eaten by one.) ( I assume that it rarely gets this hot in Shomura? ) (Excellent.) * John rides along. He looks good. (And Ard, question re: RSP in msg) (Almost never in Shomura.) (It's got this thing we like to call veg-i-ta-tion. And wa-ter.) * Millie rides along. On her way, she takes a sip from her canteen. Go canteen. She looks refreshed. * Tairan doesn't complain! He's the hardy sort. He does, however, offer up a muttered "Why anyone would live around here..." * Millie finishes Tairan's statement without looking at him. "...is a question ya'd hafta ask three of us so watch it." * Jinx then drops the thoughtful expression and shrugs. "Where I was born." Ya get used to it. * Mikoto riding low to Nami's neck, looking tired. He switched back to the khaki shorts and loose white shirt combo; it, in fact, is unbuttoned. Tres de sexy. All he has to do now is make some comment about distractions and instant Legolas. Not you specifically. Just... wouldn't seem like a great place to set up. No water, hot as hell, not much for animals to graze on... soil's gotta suck... (Legolas Greenspan, Elven Treasurer!) * Millie gives up and sighs, snapping the rains. "It does. It ain't easy livin' out here. But it's all we got. We make do." Well, the land is cheap. And there's gold and such. And, well, conquering Shomura to get better land would be a real pain in the ass, and several other places. ::He grins while saying that:: (And that should be reins!) (Damned homophones screwing up my brain) Very true. * Mikoto sighs, taking out a long white cloth and tying it around his head, Sakura-style! He loves Ryu. "Let's just hope one of Teck's current traits is a surfeit of purloined tablets." Mmm... makes sense. *eyes the dry, hard ground* Gotta be tough for trackers, though. Most trackin's done in towns by talking, not by lookin' at the ground. * Jinx shrugs again. "Anyways, it's been two days Millie. Made up your mind about the magic?" * Millie nods at John's statement, then keeps looking forward. "Ya ain't sayin' yer up to the challenge, are ya Lanky?" She then glances back at Jinx. * Millie gives out a faint humorless smile. "Ya ain't lettin' up on that, are ya, Jinxy...? * Tairan has quit IRC (Ping timeout ) -herring.sandwich.net:@#rsp- Ardweden invited Dicesuke into channel #rsp. * Dicesuke has joined #rsp * Jinx shakes his head. "Is it actually getting easier to make a decision?" * Millie chews her lip thoughtfully as she looks back ahead. She seems to be mulling it over her head. Then finally, responds quietly. "...alright. I'll give it a shot." * Jinx nods and smiles slightly. * Millie then turns back suddenly to Jinx. "But I better not turn into a freak or nothin' about this, Jinxy, or I'm havin' yer head on a platter. Got me?" I think it's more likely you'd blow my head off, but yeah, I got it. * Millie then goes back to muttering to herself. "Stupid magic. Shouldn't need magic. Millie's never needed it before. It ain't proper..." * Mikoto looks over at Millie with curiosity, but he's clearly still sort of out of it. "What exactly is wrong with magic?" * Tairan has joined #RSP ( re x_x Can someone catch me up? ) * Jinx , having won the point, decides not to belabor it and remains quiet. * Millie sighs. "I ain't got nothin' 'gainst it personally. I mean I don't care that you wanna use it an' all. It's just.." She gets quieter as she says the next part. "I don't like having to rely on it alright? Can't ya jus' leave it at that?" * Mikoto raises an eyebrow. "It was a simple question." I can track here. S'just tougher. Fainter tracks. No disturbed plants to watch out for. *pauses* On the bright side, if they make camp, s'easier to spot it, since there's no cover. * Millie mutters off to the side, mostly to herself. Then turns back to Mikoto. "Sure it was. But it ain't a simple answer." * Mikoto shrugs, then yawns and leans back down a bit. "Whatever suits you, I suppose." She's right. Some of the simplest questions have the most complex answers. Simple really, nobody likes to rely on things that aren't in their nature. Feels like cheating or acknowledging weaking. Thank you, Johnny * Millie then looks at Jinx and stares for a long while. * John nods to Jinx. I dunno. If I could suddenly start shooting lighting from my belly button, I'd be all over that. ( er, lightning, even ) * Millie then EYES Tairan. "You would be..." s'why I first started using a gun. Helps keep me alive. * Tairan grins at Millie. "I like things that keep me alive." * Jinx laughs. "Shooting Lightning from your belly is in your nature Tairan, you just don't have the magic to do it." * Millie snorts off and turns around, hyahing Midnight forward. Ahead of everyone else. * Jinx gives her space. Always thought it was fire in my belly. Either works, I guess. * Tairan pauses. "Though fire in my belly would burn like all hell." * Mikoto looks at the horizon. "Colorful gastrointestinal metaphors aside, where are we? Are we close to Hellspoint yet?" * Millie looks around the area for any distinguishing factors. Are they? [Just as Mikoto says that and Millie looks, you can see the beginnings of another town coming up over the sprawling horizon!] [Only... it's not really a town, but more like a city. It's spread out and huge and, yes, anyone who's already been there can tell this is definitely Hellspoint.] * Millie looks at the horizon and points. "That answer your question?" * Mikoto nods once, rubbing his eyes. "I believe it does." [You're also approaching *slightly* more favorable land. Every once in a while, you can see some shrubs poke out from those blasted and barren cracks. Golly.] * Jinx keeps riding, he's paying more attention to the immediate surroundings until Millie points it out. * Tairan eyes the place in the distance. "Any words of wisdom from the people who've been here before?" * Mikoto narrows his eyes. "Never be the slowest draw." ... that's encouraging. Don't die. And don't drink the water. That's a good rule anywhere. * Jinx nods. "Great place to sell loot-- I mean evidence... ::he glances around, remembers Sakura's dead and continues:: No loot. Also have a definate sense of their own law and order and don't take kindly to creative intepretations." ... was aiming for something a bit more specific to Hellspoint. Like "Shaking hands is considered the same as poking someone in the eye". Give horses the right of way. [It approaches! It LOOMS! Well, it more sprawls than looms; there's a lot of space out here.] Honestly? I ain't got no IDEA how they'll react to ya. So keep yer guard up. They'll think they're the same as everyone else. Nope, they're not so big on Injuns, but they do make exceptions... When they're concentrating on Easterners instead. ... again. Was asking if there were any customs I should watch out for. Like 'don't have guns' back in the Hoshimoto lands * Tairan eyes the back of Jinx's head. "Happy to play your meat shield." Yeah. Customs. "Try not ta look Shomuran" ain't exactly helpful advice. (But it's good advice!) (This I cannot deny) Okay. Make this fast, don't try to be friendly, don't talk anything but business, keep your head down but don't look weak. They don't take kindly to too many questions or for trying to cheat them. Well, short of opening my eyes really wide the entire time I'm in town, I'm kind of out of luck there. So I'll stick to shutting up and letting you guys do the talking. You'd know that, wouldn't ya Jinx? * Millie snaps the reins. "Well, no use dawdlin'." * John nods and follow suit. * Mikoto tightens his grip on the reins a little. "The saying 'everyone's blood is the same color' has a certain literal meaning here." * Jinx looks at John, his voice actually gets a touch of steel. "I saw a guy hog tied and thrown out into the street for cheating, wouldn't have found out otherwise." Really? They went that easy on him? I'd have thought he've'd been shot on the spot. ( "There was a cattle train coming down the street." "Oh. That works." ) (he'd've) Well, he was naked. And it was a cold night. * Millie snickers. Anyways, how about the Easterns act as bodyguards. It means we can talk for you if anyone gives us trouble. That works. I ( EVIL! ) That works. I've even done occasional bodyguard-type work. * Jinx nods. "Think I may take that role too, if John and Millie think they can handle the talking without me. I might prefer it, cause I really don't know what the hell's going on at this point. * Tairan falls silent, a vague look of impending doom flashing across his features. [You enter Morriston, or Hellspoint! It's... not the best kept city at all. But it's huge. The roads are fairly poor, but nobody seems to care or even notice you; in fact, this area of the city seems to be deserted.] (And perception checks! Because I have to once in a while.) Eh...I'll try. I don't exactly look the "model Teckian" part either...an' chances are more likely I'll get the lewd ones before I get the smart ones.. * Millie makes a face. 2d6 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Millie (2d6) and gets 6. 2d6 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Jinx (2d6) and gets 3. 2d6-2 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Mikoto (2d6-2) and gets 1. * Jinx shrugs. "You look a hell of a lot better than me." (Millie is just barely unaware ;_;) (Aware) 2d6-2 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Tairan (2d6-2) and gets 4. ( Made ) ( *pokes John* ) ( Bathroom. BRB ) (Oy. Okay, John is... uh, clueless.) (What else is new? ) [Jinx, Mikoto, and Tairan can all hear the distant din of cheering and talking and just noise. Crowd stuff. It's coming from ahead, generally.] * Jinx frowns. "Sounds like a celebration. Probably a hanging." Yeah, somewhere up ahead. Or a shoot-em-out. * Mikoto raises an eyebrow. "It is probably just a local watering hole." ( We're the 10,000th visitor! ) * Millie looks at them, then at Mikoto. "Well, we'll see." Well, whatever it is, we're about to find out. Millie, John, good luck. Mikoto, might want to try for more of a hired thug look unless you want to play one of the guarded. * Millie mutters as she rubs her head. "Great. My choices are a chaotic mob or drunken yahoos. Sounds like a blast.." * Millie goes forward anyhow. Hopefully John pays attention soon and comes with, or things won't end well.. * Jinx then falls into guard look #19 (You think I look bad, you should have seen the last guy who made a scar joke.) * Tairan just goes for his usual expresionless expression. * Mikoto continues to be blonde. (You go, Blondie) ( Mikoto wrote 'Heart of Glass'? Cool! ) (Grr, what's with Kevin? Mrf.) [Y'all head in towards city proper! Things improve... cleaner streets, nicer buildings... and then it all goes to hell(spoint). Well, not really. But things are messy. Why? Because of the unruly mob taking up the city square.] [Well...] [Not really an unruly mob, as such, so much as a huge crowd; big enough that it'd be a pain getting your horses through. People talking and laughing and drinking and hawking wares and that would explain the mess. Someone's fiddling; you can hear that over the ruckus.] [And eating. It's not quite a Redrock City crowd, either. Almost entirely pureblood Teckians, though you can see the occasional Injun mix. Maybe. If you squint. No, squint harder.] (So, um... What happened? Dad distracted me. A LOT.) (We died because of you! ;_;) (You're in Hellspoint. Congrats!) (It's like being dead.) (No really. We arrived safely. Safely being a relative term here. And there's a Big Crowd (TM)) (Starts reading up.) * Jinx keeps an obvious eye out for trouble. Which is really what bodyguards do. [You can hear the bells toll! Er. Must be the clocktower to one side. It's blocking out the sun, in fact, and chiming three times.] [Jinx sees a few games of cards going! And some guy yelling at another one who just stepped in a puddle, getting his cards dirty.] * John keeps riding. And stuff. I'm still not 100% sure what you guys are doing, but that's okay! * Millie looks for any obvious signs of their query or henchies * Tairan scans the crowd, keeping silent for the most part. [She doesn't see one. Just people having a good time. Wheee!] * Millie shoots one of them. That'll teach 'em to have a good time. Just kidding. She does keep an eye out for anyone shifty. Meanwhile she's scanning the area for anyone who stands out. * John sees lots of people that stand out. It's the ones that blend in you gotta watch out for. (Millie sees Jinx!) (Ah ha! *shoots*) [Well, given this is Hellspoint, a few of them look shifty. More than a few. But they're shiftily partying.] * Millie mutters low to Jinx. "What say we scope out the card table for information?" She then looks at John. "Johnny?" * John glances back at Millie. "If you're up ta it. I'm not a card player, remember?" ( good idea! You guys go to the card tables for information, and Tairan will stay back and be quiet while I go to sleep! =P ) * Jinx mutters back. "Could work. I might have to lose a good deal to get them talking though." Well...I meant mainly me and Jinx while you check out somewhere else...but it might not be a bad idea ta stick together..jus' tryin' ta figure out the best place to gather info... * Millie looks back at Jinx. "Whatdya think? All go or jus' us? All of us goin' at once might seem suspicious." ( Do you GMs mind if I do that? I'm fading fast. ) * John glances at Jinx. "How much ya gonna need?" (I don't mind. We're not getting as far as we wanted, but next session. Thunderclap.) * Jinx thinks for a moment, he keeps it off his face though. "All of us wouldn't help, you guys should find another way. And be sure to 'give me leave' before sending me off in case we need the body guard trick later." ( Okie. Thanks. ) ( Night folks. ) * Tairan has quit IRC (Quit: ) ('Not getting as far'?) 2d6 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Jinx (2d6) and gets 8. (dr) 2d6 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Jinx (2d6) and gets 6. * John shrugs and keeps trottin' along. Stopping in the middle of the road is suspicious. * Millie nods. "S'what I thought." She turns to John. Maybe try...try.." She looks around. "I don't know...maybe start up a shootin' contest or somethin.." [John, there's a huge crowd. You can't trot. You have to sorta... wade, if you go at all.] (Well, move the horse.) (Whatever.) (Everyone else stopped. That's the problem. >.>) * Millie looks for a place to tie her horse. Within sight if possible. [Millie finds one! There's... a lot of horses there. Hey, maybe it'll get lost in the crowd and hers won't be stolen!] [It's at a long post in front of a saloon. Popular place, that. There's noise inside.] * Jinx thinks and then says quietly. "Okay, I can do it for a hundred. Probably eighty, maybe seventy five if I play may cards right. But no way of knowing that going in. * John slips Jinx 50. "I'm guessin' you don't mind if others pitch in for it too, but that should get ya started." * Jinx takes it and nods. * Kirby has joined #RSP * Millie goes and ties her horse up! And ties it up good. Taking care to make a complicated knot. She pats Midnight on the cheek. "Now listen ta me, darlin'. Anyone tries ta take ya, you jus' bite 'em, ya hear?" [Midnight whinnies. Aww.] * Millie grins at Midnight then nuzzles her for a second before walking up to wait on Jinx * Jinx dismounts and ties up Lightning and patting her as he walks over, pausing a moment to see if he can get any more funding. * Millie slaps Jinx 50 too. "Just know I may need some too if I need ta get into it." * Jinx nods and then looks to Millie speaking a bit louder. "Thanks for the pay, how long I got off?" * Millie raises an eyebrow slightly at Jinx. * Jinx lowers his voice. "Bodyguards.. remember?" * Millie mutters back to him. "I know...but...that's a stupid role. John should be your boss, not some woman.." * Jinx grins and mutters. "What, you've never seen a woman handle the money and the help while the guy concentrates on drinking?" * Jinx then quits wasting time and gives a deferential nod to both and heads into the nearest place for a good game. * John glances at the rest of the troupe. "Alright, you guys know what to do. Just don't be stupid and meet up here at sunset. I'm gettin' a drink." * Jinx nods at that. [The nearest place is a makeshift table on what would normally be a walkway with four fairly rough yet nondescript fellows, so they must not be that important.] [They have guns, though. Oh no! They're drinkin' and playin' and havin' a good time.] * John goes over and dismounts, tying up Hazel (not terribly tight, might I add), and going into one of the many taverns. [John finds a tavern! That was hard.] * Millie looks at Jinx and just rubs her head. She nods to John and looks for a different game than Jinx. Because it'd look weird now if she joined the same table, thank you very much. [She finds... crowd! And a game, but they're getting a little rowdy. * Jinx walks up to the game, he waits for a break between hands. "Can I buy in?" (So how we going to do this?) (I'm willing to mini it. I'm really not in the mood to do smalltalk using John right now. ^^;) (The narration sort of disappeared and I lost track of what's what in the small talk.) ('Sokay, the GMs almost lost track, too!) (We'll run Jinx's, then if anyone wants to mini theirs later, do it. That work?) (It's because Jinx is screwing with the plan with a single comment. >.>) (But that works.) (Unless one of us pisses off our side so bad there's a gunshot.) [The men (one with a big chin, one with a thick mustach, one with a number of wrinkles) exchange glances as Jinx approaches. "No." Says the mustached-man instantly, but the big-chin raises a hand. "Now hold on here. I don't mind havin' another player. As long as his money's good."] (Why do you think we're running Jinx? *dashes*) (We have a plan? What are we doing, anyway?) 2d6 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Jinx (2d6) and gets 7. * Jinx gets out the money Millie handed him and shows it to the big-chin. (You just hang with John and have a slash-fest. Everything'll be alright. They can't hurt your POWAH OF LOVE!) [He smiles and pulls up a chair. "Welcome aboard. Game's five-card draw."] (Un, yeah. There's not really anything for me to do, so I'm gonna split.) * Jinx nods and buy in, fairly reticent for the moment. He says a gruff "Thanks." and then goes about losing the first hand but not so badly as to look like an idiot. He holds questions for now. (Barring objection I'm outta here.) * Mikoto is now known as Todd (Night Todd.) d15 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Brett (d15) and gets 9. d15 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Brett (d15) and gets 7. d20 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Brett (d20) and gets 18. * Todd has quit IRC (Quit: Oy. Just oy. ) [Three games later, Jinx has lost $34. The men exchange grins as they slide the money over to themselves. The guy with the chin smiles at Jinx. "Hey, you're alright, pardner. For an Injun."] * Jinx gives a slight smile. "Well, that's all I can hope for. So any news in town? I got off til sunset." ["Not much, pardner. Just enjoyin' the festival, is all."] [The older man snorts. "Feh. I was in the war, too. Don't nobody throw me no stinkin' festival."] [The chin guy laughs: "That's 'cause you ain't no hee-ro, Earl."] * Jinx looks puzzled. "Festival? I'd just figured the beer here was better than I remembered. There some hot shot that came into town?" [They all laugh. The mustached guy: "More like owns the town."] * Jinx says 'hot shot' in a fairly vague way, leaving his opinion of heros open to interpretation. [Chin guy: "Aw, he deserves it. Kicked some Eastern behind right good, he did."] Well, I guess that's a good way to throw yourself a big party. What's his name? War was before my time but I've heard stories. [Chin guy: "Jennings, Injun. Draco Jennings."] (That mean anything?) [The mustached-guy interrupts: "Naw, you're all confused. Draco's not the 'hee-ro'. That's his kid. You're thinking of Lucius."] [The chin guy nods, "Why, so I am."] (Jinx, give me a CA roll at... oh... -1. History, or Teck, or something along those lines.) 2d6-2 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Jinx (2d6-2) and gets 6. (Miss by one) ( Jinx suddenly feels like branding a lightning bolt onto his forehead. ) Think I may have heard of him, wears a lot of red, real take no prisoners ass kicker? (If he critfailed.) ["That's the guy. Not surprised you've heard of him. Pretty famous."] [Old guy: "He's nothin' special." ] [Mustached guy: "He's more special than you, Earl."] [Old guy: "Aw, shaddap and play."] * Jinx nods evenly and plays. "That explains it. I'd been hearing some weird rumors on the way here, that some legendary outlaw, like Cactus Bill, or some Shumaran we're around here. Damn drunks can't keep their legendary figures straights." (Cactus Bill being some real famous bandit that I made up who has the key quality of not being Calamity Jan. :P) [The old guy (who was shuffling), stops, and gives Jinx a serious look.] [Mustached man: "Earl, hurry it up!"] * Jinx looks back. "Cactus Bill is in town?" [The old guy jumps and starts dealin'. "Don't know 'bout no small fry like that. But between you and me..." he leans next to Jinx and whispers, "I seen Calamity Jan."] * Jinx 's eyes go wide. "Damn.... No shit? What was she like?" [The guy with a chin takes his cards, laughing. "Earl, you ain't seen nobody. Calamity Jan? Please. She wouldn't come to a town like this, and if she did, she wouldn't show herself to your ugly mug."] * Jinx keeps his voice low and impressed. [Old guy: "It coulda been her! I swear, sure looked like the wanted posters!"] * Jinx nods with a slightly dubious note. "So what, she was buying a drink somewhere?" [Old guy: "I dunno. I wasn't gonna get shot."] [Chin guy: "Please. He's pullin' your leg, pardner. There ain't no Jan here. Last I heard she was all the way in Redrock."] [Mustached man: "He's just desperate for attention."] [Old guy: "Aw, shaddap. I'm tellin' ya it was her!"] ["Sure it was, Earl. Sure it was."] * Jinx laughs. "Well, just in case it was, I also would prefer not to be shot. Where should I avoid?" [Earl: "Dunno. I just saw her in the crowd, I think."] * Jinx nods. He then tries to hold his own and let another round or two pass before he gets to his question about the tablet. [Mustached man: "So don't go outside." He and the chin guy laugh.] * Jinx does snort at that. "I heard inside wasn't much safer." 2d6-5 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Jinx (2d6-5) and gets -1. 2d6-5 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Jinx (2d6-5) and gets -1. * Jinx gets a look like he remembers something after the second round. "You gentleman know if any old crap recently came on the market. Like pottery or jewelry or something? Boss's wife is crazy about that shit, might get a nice bonus if I find something to buy. * Jinx 's voice intentionally leaves vague whether this bonus is monetary or perhaps a more personal sort. [Mustached man looks thoughtful. "Jewelry, eh? Well, I happened to acquire some peculiar Injun jewelry. You know, feathers and fangs and animal stuff that nobody around here would want. Looks like something that'd suit you, though."] * Jinx shrugs. "Oh? Maybe. Sure I'd be interested to see it. Boss's wife would probably more want something she can hang on the wall that just makes it look like she's old money." * Millie has quit IRC (Read error: Connection reset by peer ) "Sure. Come on by tomorrow. I'll give you a great price." * Jinx nods and smiles. "Hopefully I'll have some money left by then. Well, maybe I can earn that bonus in some other town." * Jinx then plays one more round to wrap up before excusing himself. 2d6-5 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Jinx (2d6-5) and gets -1. (wtf?) (That being the gambling roll for the last one. And he's willing to make money on that) d40 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Brett (d40) and gets 10. [End it! End it now!]