[We find Jinx and Millie at... a restaurant! A Shomuran restaurant. In Hoshimoto City. On a date. The place is quiet and polished, and you have those lovely *short* tables to kneel/sit in front. The smell of barbeque wafts through the rooms; you've already been served your tea and soup with some amount of fuss. Seems Teckians aren't common in these parts.] [You know this won't end well.] [Dating Session Start.] [Time's up!] * Jinx drinks his tea for a moment with a slight grin. * Millie seems to have just shown up and looks around a bit. Her expression's hard to read but she's still in the beautiful kimono and her hair done up like before. She has taken the make-up off though. She looks in a small black book and reads over it for a second before snapping it shut and putting it in the folds of her kimono. She then looks around for Jinx. * Millie also, for a point of reference in the second time of her life, doesn't have a big freaking rifle strapped to her back. * Jinx makes a slight wave at Millie to get her attention. * Millie walks over towards Jinx. She's almost managed to figure out how to move properly in a kimono. Emphasis on almost. * Jinx smiles and stands up as Millie walks up. "That robe continues to suit you quite well. I'd pull back your chair, but..." * Millie looks at Jinx carefully a moment and, for the first time, has a worried expression that's not caused by creeping zombies. "Yer...um...yer sure ya wanna go through with this?" * Jinx looks thoughtful for a moment and shrugs. "I'd never subject my presence on anyone who doesn't desire it, so if you'd prefer not to, I wouldn't say anything." * Millie starts twirling her hair. "Cuz I wouldn't be too upset if ye decided it wasn't best ta...nah, it ain't that. I mean..." Aw hell. * Millie plunks herself down uncerimoniously in the seat. * Jinx sits. "I don't think we have anything to worry about. In the end, we're both practical people." He takes a measured drink of tea. Practical...yeah...but... * Jinx seems moderately amused. "Go on?" [There's no seats, as usual. Just cushions. To kneel on. Haw haw.] * Jinx switches to a kneeling position as he realizes the sitting isn't practical. He looks like he's almost getting used to the position, but it's still not a favorite of his. * Millie adjusts herself on the floor. She looks over at Jinx. "Well, it's just...y'know..." * Millie lets out a long breath and looks dishevelledly down at the ground. "Ol' Millie's never lost a bet before. This sucks." * Jinx grins. "Well, next time you can win the date with me, and we'll have the circumstances reversed. Not like I win every time." [A young woman comes out and sets rice down for each of you, and refills the tea. She starts to leave, but stops and does a double-take. Then a triple-take.] * Millie looks up at Jinx slowly and lets a slight smirk creep on her lips, tilting her wrist under her chin and getting a bit of that familiar sparkle to her eyes. "An' who said I'd pick myself for your date if I won anywho?" * Jinx feigns a look of shock. "You mean, you haven't been totally taken in by my rugged good lucks and gentle empathetic personality, why this is a first." Well, yer certainly no twinkle tooth, I'll give ya that. [She hurries into the back, probably glad the westerners didn't notice.] * Jinx takes another drink of tea. He doesn't pay any attention to the waitress. "That's for the best I suppose, one of that type is certainly enough." * Millie closes her eyes and gets her chin up off her wrist, waving it from side to side in a dismissive gesture. "Y'know, ya ain't THAT bad, Jinxy. Stop sellin' yourself short. I HATE pretty boys like Johnny." Though he's actually got skill ta back it up, but don't tell him I said so. * Jinx grins a bit. "He'll never hear it from me." * Jinx takes another sip of tea. "So if you don't mind the inquiry, what were you reading as you walked in?" He still never takes care of his rifle proper. I mean the one he had pointin' on me I swear had the sight's a little cockeyed an' the wrong sorta handle. I mean it's a shame ta treat Sidewinder like that. * Jinx nods. "If you ever have any advice for my guns, I'd gladly hear it. I look after them, but I don't have your level of expertise." * Millie blinks as Jinx derails her thoughts from the wonderful world of firearms. "Huh?" She reaches in and pulls out the little black book. "Oh, this?" * Jinx nods as she gets out the book. * Millie slips it back in and closes her eyes thoughtfully. "It's a catalog of sorts ya could say. Kind of a running record of what's been going on." * Jinx nods, "Tracking what sort of things? Expenses, ammo usage, cultural information?" Nah. Nothin' like that. My life. Oh, like a journal. Guess ya could call it that. But it ain't gonna be used like just any journal. Going to write novels about your exploits once your famous? * Millie looks whistfully up at the corner of the ceiling. "I gotta make sure they get everything right. When they write me down in history, I don't want anything left ta amateurs." * Millie smirks at Jinx and brings her eyes back down to earth. "Well, I do declare, Mistah Jinx, ya sure are sharper than ya give yerself credit for. * Millie taps her nose. "Most gimps don't see the nose on their face, much less someone elses. Can't say many of the people I've seen so far've shown me different." * Jinx snorts softly at the compliment and then nods. * Millie flutters her lashes innocently at him and grins again. "I'm a-gonna hafta keep my eye on you." * Jinx chuckles for a moment. "Perhaps, maybe I should keep one of those myself. I don't plan on writing up my life, living it once is enough, but it would help me keep my stories straight." * Millie 's eyes twinkle as she shifts her position at Jinx, sipping her tea for the first time since it's come. "So yer saying yer a liar." * Millie then looks at the tea and makes a face. "Stuff tastes like water." * Jinx takes a sip himself and grins. "I'd never say that, but when you've taken as many blows, shots, and cuts to the head as I have, I'd be a fool to completely trust my memory." * Jinx then looks at the tea and nods. "Yeah.. want to see if they have beer or sake?" * Millie looks at Jinx and grins. "You buyin'?" * Millie then laughs a little as she realizes what he said. "That the reason for all the scars eh? I'd say it's a miracle ta see someone take a bullet to the head and still be breathing." * Jinx grins. "Sure, conditions of the bet didn't say you were paying." He tries to wave over a waitress. Course...it wasn't from Greenpeace so was probably a shoddy bullet. Millie's bullets wouldn't let ya come back. * Millie winks at that and takes another sip regardless. [Right about now, the waitress returns with two plates, both barbeque. One's pork, and easily recognizable as such by taste. The other barbequed chicken. Cut, mind, but it's chicken. Head, feet, and all.] * Jinx grins. "Duly noted... that was some amazing luck really, although that healing potion certainly helped. Suppose the miracle does make for another nice story." * Millie stares at the chicken. She doesn't seem too pleased that it stares back. [o_o] * Jinx looks suprised at the chicken but doesn't say anything, he does ask the waitress to bring out some sake or beer, whatever the house is known for. [She looks surprised, then nods, gives a short bow, and heads off, glancing over her shoulder at the two of you as she does so.] * Jinx turns the chicken head to face him instead. Although, in defense of my honesty, I've never answered a fairly won question with anything but the whole truth. * Millie watches the waitress and gets a thoughtful expression. "I don't think she's too pleased ta see Teckians here. That or we're just an oddity." * Jinx shrugs and takes a piecec of pork. "Probably not, but so long as she serves us good food and keeps the drinks coming, I'm not going to call her on it. And keeps from calling people who are insane about guns? Not that I have any on me right now... * Millie 's expression is one of mixed pride and pain. It's hard to tell which wins out. [The waitress returns about now with a dish of vegetables and sets those down, followed by two glasses filled with an amber liquid. She refills your tea, while she's at it.] * Jinx isn't wearing his shotgun on his back. "I've got a pistol in case we need a distraction. And I appreciate the restraint, it wasn't necessary, but it's touching." [If there's any indication that she's listening in, she's doing a pretty good job of not showing it.] * Jinx takes a drink of the amber liquid once it arrives. He nods in thanks to the waitress but then goes back to ignoring her. [And she's gone! Like the ninja! Only without the sneaking clothes.] * Millie goes to pick at her rice but then looks around for a fork. [No forks. Only chopsticks.] * Millie then grins at Jinx. "Restraint? It just doesn't go well with this outfit. As much as Greenpeace hated ta hear it..." * Jinx breaks out his chopsticks and uses them in a still unpracticed manner, but he's still pretty adept. * Jinx nods and grins. "Sadly even the most beautiful gun isn't the perfect accessory to every situation." * Millie watches Jinx then tries her own hand at them. She's not quite as good as Jinx but she seems to pick it up. She just picks at her food though. "Ya don't...think I'm weird because of that, do ya?" * Jinx chuckles for a second. "Weird is a term that lost any meaning to me years ago. Most of us having things we care strongly about, if yours bothered me, we wouldn't be here." I guess so... * Jinx takes another drink of the amber liquid. "Hell, here normal is to worry about honor, that bothers me." * Millie suddenly grips her chopsticks tighter and looks at her food a bit angrily. "Honor. And they laugh at me for what I said. They don't even get it. They're stupid. I don't even know why I try." * Jinx pauses as he lifs a piece of pork to his mouth. "What you said?" Lanky said that the person who was insane about guns was dead so I was arguing ta nobody. But that ain't it! That ain't it at all!" * Jinx looks thoughtful for a second and then puts it together and nods. * Millie grumbles under her breath. "If we didn't have that crazed sword-lady running around like a chicken in a coop, I'd say he was the biggest idiot outta alluvya." * Jinx nods. "Really? He's always seemed fairly clever to me, although he has a complete blind spot when it comes to you, so I see your point. So ya see it too, huh? * Millie picks up the drink and downs it pretty much in one gulp and slams the container back on the table. "All of 'em. All them slot-eyes. Go 'round like they own the place. Let us handle it Millie. Shut up Millie. I think it's better if we take care of it Millie. Even in my own damned country!" * Jinx finishes off his beer and calls for another one, he looks thoughtful for a moment. Y'know if ya listen ta me more, maybe we wouldn't have so much trouble. I mean Johnny boy, for all his faults, actually's gotten ta listen. And I don't think you're all that bad. But Mikoto ARGUES with me in the middle of a jailbreak. I mean, if someone's trying something, ya play along. EVERYONE knows that." * Jinx nods. "Could well be. I've never been a planner." But I am pretty good at playing along. I think Mikoto is used to leading that sort of thing, might not have ever learned to follow. [Waitress stops by to refill the drinks and then scurries away. She doesn't show any great desire to be around emphatic Westerners.] * Jinx takes a drink from his freshly poured glass. * Millie looks at the drink, nods thanks to the waitress and downs the whole thing while she's just barely taken 3 steps away. (Ard's going to be so pissed that she missed Millie drunk ^_^;) * Jinx raises an eyebrow at Millie's downing of the drink and coughs to call the waitress back. [Waitress doesn't notice for a minute or so.] (No one's that attentive. :P) * Millie leans forward a little and stares Jinx in the eyes, puffing her cheeks out a bit before pulling back up. "That ain't no excuse. I mean ya think I like following? But I've shut up when I think it's good ta shut up, haven't I?" She reaches forward and grips Jinx's vest, tugging it gently forward. "Haven't I?" * Jinx is pulled forward, he doesn't really resist. "Yeah, you've never made a point of being provactive when it was really the wrong thing to do. You're no Sakura." [Waitress glances over and thinks better of coming over about now.] * Millie lets go of Jinx and gives him a bit of a worried/approval-seeking expression. "See? SEE!? That's what I try ta tell 'em. Sword-lady's bad news and no mistake. But noooo, they don't listen ta ol' Millie. She's just a dumb old ranch-hand's daughter, yessirree." * Millie holds up her glass and swishes it. "Where's more-a that beer anyhow?" * Jinx nods in response to Millie's question and then looks slightly concerned. "Might want to put a bit more food in you first. Don't want too much of this stuff on an empty stomach." [Waitress does come over to refill the glass though.] * Millie waves Jinx off. "Nah, I'm good. Millie's fine. Perfectly fine. Always have been, always will be." She smiles happily at the waitress and gives her a wave. "Thanks, buttercup." [Waitress bows slightly in response to Millie's statement and then hurries off.] So, think we're gonna find this tablet now that we don't have to worry about the civil war anymore? * Millie looks Jinx over seriously and gives him a hard stare before sipping the drink. She only downs about a third of it this time fortunately. "We'd better. After all the trouble we've gone through. And they better up it ta 5k a head too." * Jinx tries the chicken feet out of curiosity, his expression shows that he regrets it. "No argument there." If I'd known this little job woulda been so much hassle, I don't know if I woulda taken it. But..." She seems to fidget for a moment. "It IS Redrock and it IS the Explorer's Society. Gettin' in their good graces..." * Jinx nods. "Explorer's society important to your future?" * Jinx downs about a third of the glass and eats some of the safe part of the chicken. Well...yeah. Considering I need some references ta map out the ol' ruins. Some proper refs, that is." * Millie downs the rest of her glass quickly. Oh, you think they have real maps? Well, that's part of it. I ain't sayin' I have or haven't actually found any...but... * Jinx nods and finishes off his glass, he gestures for another. It's a matter of what exactly ya find inside too. Which era, what was happenin', I mean there's a lot. And I intend ta find it all." [Waitress comes back and refills the glasses.] * Jinx looks thoughtful for a moment. "That makes seses.. I've always worked for the people with the maps who knew what they were looking for. Never really thought about what went into it." * Millie downs the glass and slams it on the table, not even focusing on it. "Yeah, well...err...where was I?" * Jinx keeps eating, his hands aren't quite as steady with the chopsticks as they were before the drinks, but he doesn't look worse than tipsy. The ruins, and how the Explorer's society will help you find them and know what's in them. * Jinx flashes a quick look of concern as she downs another glass, he doesn't say anything though. Yeah...well...it ain't a matter-a findin' 'em. It's a matter-a gettin' in 'em. Ai mean...ai mean...thar ain't nottin' good ol' Millie Reinhart can't do. * Jinx nods. "Ancient magical locks? Just traps aren't that hard to deal with it." * Jinx nods again. "Of course." * Millie thumps her chest proudly and woozes a bit, but steadies herself quickly. With how fast she's been drinking, she's actually handling it quite well. Want to get some dessert? Round off the meal? * Millie hasn't much touched her meal, to note. She blinks at Jinx. "Dissert? Whatsa slot-eye have fer dissert?" * Jinx shrugs. "Damned if I know. Thought it might be fun to find out. Not to rush your eating of course." * Jinx seems to be paying a bit more attention to Millie's empty glass rather than her uneaten food. Sure. Millie's game ta try out dis wierd filtch dey call food. * Millie rubs her hands together and looks around. * Jinx points to the other chicken foot. "Wouldn't recommend that." * Millie eyes it with one eye. Then the other. Then Jinx with one eye. Then the other. "Yeah?" * Jinx nods. "Won't kill you, but wasn't much good." * Millie tries it. And doesn't spit it out. She tastes it from all ends. * Jinx grins. "How is it?" (Heh, evocative description, I've seen that one eye at a time thing before from a drunk, been a while though. :P ) (^_^) * Jinx keeps sampling at the food, though he's been eating so he's keeping a slow pace. * Millie chews and talks with her mouth full. "It ain't..ain't bad. Could use-a li'l sauce though. * Jinx nods and smiles. "You probably have more refined tastes than me." * Millie swallows with a little difficulty. * Jinx glances to make sure the waitress is staying away for a moment, and then smiles as his mind settles on a safe topic. So, am I right in thinking you wouldn't mind augmenting your income a bit while out here? * Jinx finishes his beer after he says that but doesn't call the waitress over. * Millie looks at Jinx. "Aug..." She blinks. Again one eye at a time. "Augment?" She then pointedly eyes her glass and gives Jinx a cute pleading look. * Jinx chuckles. "Make some extra cash." * Jinx takes a drink of tea. Not that he's necessarily suggesting anything by it. Ai...Millie knows that. Ai mean...what didja have in mind?" * Jinx keeps an eye out for the waitress. "Well," He gestures with chopsticks full of meat. "Maybe a hustle or two... think you might be able to use one of Mary Anne's dresses?" * Millie eyes Jinx. "Wait...hold on...wha..." * Jinx downs the meat and grabs another piece. "The trouble is, in your garb, you don't look like a sucker." * Jinx is talking a bit faster and is slightly less careful to control the chopsticks and any slight woozing as he's now on safer turf. * Millie grins a little. Then leans on the table with her elbow, setting her chin on her knuckles. Or trying to, as her elbow slips. She puts her hands on her knees and grumbles a bit as she dusts them. "Go on." * Jinx nods and continues, he's a bit faster and rather pleased with himself. "Now, if you could do a good Mary Anne, they'll be all sorts of greedy folk who think you're some rich Western ripe for the plucking." There's a lot to potentially do, but I do have one particular idea. ::Jinx grins as he downs another piece of meat and misses a few times before managing to snag another one:: Do tell. * Millie eyes her glass. "But first...Oi. Buttercup!" * Millie shakes her glass in the air. This one's an old sports tricks, you go into a place, stay near the back, act like Mary Anne, maybe take a body guard with you. [Waitress comes back, looking slightly displeased at her moniker, but she fills both cups.] Then I'll come in a little later, talk big, seem to get a bit drunk, throw around some cash.... ::Jinx downs his drink this time, can't let Millie have all the fun:: Maaaaybe. But ai don't think ai can act a proper sucker.. * Millie grins at Jinx and smiles. "That's the spirit." She downs it just as fast. * Jinx glances at Millie's response with slight worry, but he seems a bit less concerned as he's starting to feel the drink a bit more. * Jinx waves his dismissively hand "You can just keep quiet and to yourself, if you can pull being fancy robed Eastern you can do this, but here's the thing." [Waitress stuck around this time and refills the glasses.] Ai'm listenin' I'll have a rifle or something, maybe a bad looking one, and say something like ::Jinx huffs himself up a bit:: That any Western, and I mean any Westerner with a gun like this can outshoot the best Easterner, be it with bow, arrow, or whatever. * Jinx then glances up at the waitress, blinks for a moment and nods while making a slight shooing expression. "We'll be fine for a bit." [Waitress leaves, and continues to hide listening, if that's what she's doing.] * Millie snorts a bit and looks at the waitress leave then to Jinx. "Huh. Ya think I can pull off bein' a helpless Westerner. But ai thought ya only did honest bets... * Jinx takes a drink. "What's dishonest? I ain't lying, hell if you want you don't even have to say anything about you're skill." * Jinx then eats some more. "But.. if some greedy Easterner happens to misjudge you.. well... He'll learn a valuable lesson about respecting Western women." * Jinx has a bit more beer. But not ANY westerner can outshoot the best Easterner. * Jinx snorts. "Course not, but that's not what the bets gonna be. Bets gonna be, that a westerner could beat any easterner in this bar." I'll make them think I intend to be that Westerner, until they get clever and say that you should do it. I mean.. ::eat more:: I should work out the wording while I'm sober. ::bit of a drink:: But it's worked before with whist. I mean, if you could think of some partnership thing. That'd be better, but this is best I got off the top of my head. * Jinx finishes off his drink and goes for more chicken. (Oh, Whist is a predecessor of bridge. Card game with partners, if you don't know, Millie has enough gaming to. Might be spelling it wrong) Huh...ya really think it'll work? Ai'd laik ta see YOU shoot a rifle. * Jinx shrugs. "I dunno, you're a planner, I'll listen if you come up with something better." * Jinx then grins, broadly, predatorally even. What'd you be willing to bet in a shooting contest, best two out of three? Against you? * Jinx nods. "With the same rifle of course. Prolly should borrow someone elses." * Jinx takes another bite of pork, he's still got the predator's grin though. Yer kiddin'...raight? * Millie looks at Jinx very curiously. You'll be with me on cards, seems only fair to offer you a chance in your strong suit. None of this bullseye crap, just hitting a target at quite a distance. But if we both hit it, then what determines it? * Jinx grabs another piece of meat and waves it as he talks. "Maybe a thrown bottle or something." * Millie looks at Jinx, then blinks one eye and the other. Then a predator's grin crawls on her face. "A movin' target?" * Jinx thinks for a moment, he seems to be having a slightly, but not extremely difficult time doing it. * Jinx nods. "What'cha thinking? I'm thinkin' yer too drunk ta really know what yer sayin'. * Jinx snorts and smiles. "Oh, you're one to talk. " Yeah but....a shootin' contest...'gainst Millie Reinhart...ye can't possibly be THAT lucky. * Jinx licks his lips. "So give me good odds then. We'll say maximum range of the rifle and someone will throw a bottle. If we both hit it all three times no one wins. Otherwise, well considering your skill, you could set the odds well in my favor." Look, I appreciate the thought, Jinxy but ai ain't gonna do that to ya. * Jinx just grins. "Your call." I mean, obviously you're a much better shot.. I just might be that lucky. An' QUIT doin' that! Doing what? * Millie stands up suddenly and points at the grin. "THAT!" * Jinx cuts it. "Oh.. right.. sorry. Do it more when I've had a few." * Jinx shakes his head for a sec and then resumes something closer to a poker face. He's also got his chopsticks much more under control. Fine. Ya want a shootin' contest. Ya got it. But for once, ye get ta set the bet. I don't wanna take advantage. * Jinx nods and calmly finishes his food. "Right, I'll think of something." So, you ever gonna used that saved question of yours? Scary thing having something like that hanging over my head. * Jinx takes a drink of tea. * Millie takes another drink of the beer. "Wellll...I've thought 'bout it. But ya really ain't all that interestin'." * Jinx snorts. "I see it takes a lot more than coming back from the dead to impress Millie Reinhart." I suppose...do ya know how ya did that? If ya do, then I'll take that as my question but ai don't think ya do. * Jinx chuckles and calls over the waitress, he keeps his face impassive though. "So if I do, what exactly is your question? And do you want dessert or should I just get the bill?" * Millie grins. "Sure." She waves the glass for "dessert" An' my question...how the hell didja come back from the dead? * Jinx turns to the waitress, "Bring whatever is the specialty of the house, and then the bill please." He then looks back at Millie. Ya see, I really am an honest man, as I let you rephrase that so it wasn't a yes or no question. Ai said if ya didn't know, I wouldn't ask the question. As simplea s that. An' it wouldn't count. * Millie tsks and waggles her finger. "Never under estimate Mil..Millie Reinhart." * Jinx snorts. "Forgetting your name Millie?" No! No, it's jus'....oh never mind. * Jinx shakes his head. "No really, I'm interested. Go on." * Millie looks steadily at Jinx and gives him a wondering and worried expression. "Ya won't tell...or laugh?" [Waitress leavs and comes back with some classical Eastern dessert. Which I'm trying to come up with but being slow.] * Jinx shakes his head. "I promise I'll do neither." (Mochi!) (Blanking on what that is, you do the bracket description. :P ) * Millie leans over and looks from side to side conspiratorily, "Well..." then waves Jinx's ear closer before whispering. "Millie's really a nickname. But..." * Jinx leans forward and nods. * Millie bites her lip and doesn't go any further. "I...damn, why am I tellin' ya this? I only told it ta one other person an' I ain't breakin' it..." * Jinx says rather queitly. "Because you know I'll keep my word and because you want to, you wouldn't have said this much if you didn't want to finish." * Millie sighs and looks off to the side. She suddenly looks a little more sober, but perhaps the fact that she's saying anything at all is testimony to her drunkenness. She mumbles something very incoherent. * Jinx comments in a soft voice. "I couldn't hear you Millie. * Millie mutters again, softly, but this time audible, but almost squeaky. "It's Milfriedia." * Jinx doesn't laugh. "Which while a pretty name, isn't all that intimidating." * Millie almost glares at Jinx through the glaze of half-drunkeness. "PRETTY?!? Do ya know what hell I go through just for that? Do ya know how much ya gotta go through with people saying ya "Milf'd"?!? And my pa! He wanted a boy the whole time. Or he didn't wanna be shamed with his "mistake." Hell, maybe that's what he meant. Mistake. Ai mean he obviously wanted a boy at least and definitely not someone born under my...circumstances. * Jinx scowls. "There's enough shit in this world without people taking out anger at what they see as their mistakes on their children." And no, I don't know what it's like, I got a free pass in my village even though i was named after some dumbass rabbit that sat around in a fallow feild until the rains came back. But I do respect that you choose your own name, what you were born with doesn't matter. Well, my ma wasn't any better. She shoulda stuck around...I mean...hell...I don't know a damned thing 'bout Injuns. All I know is I look like one..I'm not sure how they took it. So I took the damned rifle and set off on my own. I shoulda took the horses too, but I suspect mah pa'd have the authorities looking for me if I did. His own daughter. Ha! * Jinx nods. "How old were you when you left?" * Millie downs the last drink on the table and wipes her mouth. "It almost makes ya sick. I was 'bout 15 at the time. Can't remember exact." She laughs on the verge of tears. "I bet pa didn't even realize it." * Jinx tenatively puts a hand on Millie's shoulder. "His damn loss, you've more than proven that you deserve to be noticed and respected." * Millie shakes the glass in her hand, on the verge of breaking it. "Yeah but...he ain't gonna notice me if I don't put my name in a damned book, is he? And it's gonna be MILLIE Reinhart. My OWN name. Not his stupid vomit-moded one." * Jinx nods. "As is your right." * Millie growls and tosses the glass a little, but not hard enough to break it. It goes rolling on the floor. I'll show 'em...I'll show 'em all... * Jinx nods and let's go of Millie's shoulder. "I believe you Millie." * Jinx 's voice is a bit supportive, but more matter of fact. * Millie looks at her glass, staring at it. * Jinx mutters softly to himself, in a tone Millie might be able to hear, but isn't all that much meant to. "Never let it be said Errant Hare doesn't know how to show a girl a good time." He then speaks up. "So, you want the answer to your question?" If ya want to.. * Jinx looks at Millie thoughtfully for a minute and then makes up his mind and continues. "I've got a destiny or fate or what have you, and it's not to be killed by Calamity Jan, at least not yet." ...you're kiddin' me. * Jinx looks at his empty glass and shrugs. "No, I've got a measure of protection." His tone then gets rather more bitter. "Not like it does those around me any good." * Millie looks thoughtful for a moment and a bit more sober. "Go on..." * Jinx takes a drink of tea. "That's the short of it. Maybe you picked your destiny, maybe fate dealt you a hand that predisposed you to it, but me... Whatever I'm supposed to do is something medicine men and Eastern diviners ::He says that last bit as if it was a curse:: can see. And I can't very well complete if I'm dead. But ya don't know what this destiny thing is? * Jinx nods and gives a quick bitter laugh before continuing. "Ensure the survival of my village. Which is really rather ironic and more to the point extremely vague." So...uh...not ta be blunt but...why are ya out HERE then? I mean...wouldn't it survive better with ya there? * Jinx laughs, for a while. * Jinx 's laugh isn't really a pleasant one, but you could probably guess that. * Jinx then calms a bit. "You'd think that.. wouldn't you. It's the logical conclusion really, just happens to be completely wrong." * Jinx starts to work his way through his dessert. So...your 'jinx' works on your villagers too? * Jinx nods as he eats. "Clever girl." Well... * Millie picks her food. "Let's see. Ya hafta save a village ya can't set foot in. Ya haven't the slightest clue why. An' what's more, no one will want ta help ya because yer reputation preceeds ya. * Jinx nods. "That's about half of it." An' the other half|? * Jinx keeps working his way through his dessert. Well.. funny thing.. The village was largely wiped out by a group of treasure hunters whose diviner told them it'd be a perfect place to find a kid that would get by any trap. * Jinx finishes his dessert. You. So, despite my charming personality, as you've probably picked up by now, I'm not the best person to be in a long term relationship with. * Millie starts on her desert. "Well..." Y'know. I don't know if there's any destiny behind it or not...but I've always thought I was destined for greatness... An'...well...I meant it when I say I've never lost a partner. There's been some...complications along the way, but I've never lost one. So...maybe with my good luck in that regard and yer questionable luck... * Jinx goes back to his tea. "Damn.. this stuff really is just water." He then nods. "You've done much better at that than I." * Millie looks up, a little hopefully, but kind of with a goofy grin. "Maybe they cancel each other out?" * Jinx nods and just watched Millie for a moment and then smiles. "I can certainly hope, just be aware that while you may be right, you could be dangerously wrong and if push comes to shove, I won't be able to do a damn thing to protect you." * Millie sighs slightly and looks down. "Maybe...but...well...if the worst happens..can I jus' ask ya one thing?" * Jinx nods. What is it? * Millie looks up slowly through her lashes, giving him a slow steady gaze right in the eyes with her big piercing blue ones. "Find my ma and give her my journal. I'm...I'm sure she'd like ta know how her daughter lived. Even if it don't get published..." * Jinx looks into her eyes and nods. "I promise. Sometime you can tell me a few more things to make it easier to find her, but I'll do it regardless." * Millie frowns a bit. "If I knew more, I woulda found her already...but..." * Millie tilts her head to the side and stands up, going next to Jinx. "Y'know somethin'...?" * Jinx stands up and looks inquisitively at Millie. "What?" * Millie leans over and kisses his cheek and smirks a bit. "For someone who's s'posed ta have a poker face, ya sure don't hide carin' as well as ya'd like ta think." She turns around and sways out of the restaurant before he can respond. * Jinx smiles and softly chuckles to himself as he watches Millie leave for a moment, just to be sure she's gonna be able to make it back to her room alright, then he settles up the bill. [Dating session end!]