[It's late at night. Millie's home! Yay? Apparently she can't sleep, or something, since if she could, there wouldn't be a mini. Let's see what's happening now.] [Mini Start.] (Good intro!) (Thanks!) * Millie is out in the stables, brushing one of the horses. It's been a long time. Apparently this one's a black stallion with a white spot on the rump. She sighs a little while she does it. It's probably the only horse awake at that. [The horse nuzzles Millie sleepily. Aww, he remembers her!] What do you think, eh, Midnight? It's been a while hasn't it? [Midnight doesn't answer, probably because he can't talk. Also, he's not paying attention to Millie anymore; she can hear the door to the house opening.] * Millie nuzzles her hand against his jowels. "You've been gettin' along with Duster, rai--" She turns around at the noise. [The door closes! OMG Millie is trapped!] * Millie turns back to brush Midnight, except in silence now. * Harold can be heard calling from somewhere in the stable, "Girl, is that you?" She hears fairly heavy, long steps, just like the ones he always takes. * Millie doesn't turn around. "Figured you'd be the only one ta come checking on the horses at this hour." * Harold comes rounding over to that particular stall. If Millie were looking, she'd see him shrug philosophically. "Could say it runs in the family." * Millie pats Midnight on both cheeks and looks at the horse's face. "He's a lot bigger than the last time I saw 'im" * Harold is silent for a bit, then comments, "Happens when they grow." * Millie lets go of the horse and goes to get his blanket, walking slowly. "Things happen. Everything grows up with time. Even people." ( Vampires don't! ) * Harold watches her go, and he doesn't quite keep the anger out of his voice this time. "Yeah. 'S a shame when ya gotta miss some of it." * Millie carries the blanket over her arms, keeping a steady calm voice and look all the time. "What's this I hear 'bout vampires in the town, eh Pa? * Harold shrugs, folding his arms. Don't give me that. If fuggin' bloodsuckers have invaded my home town, dontcha think I've got a right ta know 'bout it? Trouble started. Folks started dyin' an' comin' back. It's been happenin' a few years; everyone's used ta it by now. * Millie stares at Harold incredulously. 'A few *years*? When in cotton pickin' blazes did this happen?" * Harold frowns. "I just toldja. Few years ago. Ya were *gone* for longer 'n' it's been happenin', ya know." I--I know that but... * Millie looks down at the ground and starts to shake a little. * Harold watches her do that, then he coughs uncomfortably. * Millie ends up dropping the blanket. Anyway, it ain't nothin' ya need ta worry yerself over. H-how could this happen? How could something... * Harold steps over and picks up the blanket. * Millie snaps her head up to look at Harold. "Don't worry about it? Pa..." * Harold brushes it off. "Once we figured it out, things've been gettin' along more or less fine. Midnight'll be around whenever ya decide ta come back, 'till he decides ta die of old age." He throws the blanket over said horse. * Millie looks at her pop's profile, narrowing her eyes. "Fine huh? Ya mean ya don't mind livin' like this? Every day wonderin' whose gonna go next? I mean when..." She stops herself short. "Nevermind." ( Millie sees that her pop has 495 HP!!!! ) ( And he's a Rank 7 shotgunner. ) (Woo. My dad rocks) (Unless it's a FF style system...then he's a weakling) * Harold smooths the blanket as he talks. "When what? Not knowin' what'll happen ta me, the horses, my family? How's that different from before?" ( It's Valkyrie Profile ) * Millie rrghs and puts her fingers in her hair, looking frustrated. "Cantcha jus' be glad ta see me for once, Pa?" * Harold whirls on his daughter and speaks in a loud, sharp tone, startling the horse next to him. "I *am* glad ta see ya. Ya think I'd be so damn angry if I didn't care about where ya were, what you've been doin'... hell, on the days I thought ya were still alive!" * Millie glares as he starts yelling but it quickly changes to astonishment as she hears what he said. "You--you what?" Whaddaya mean I what? My little girl goes and runs off without a word! A trace, even. Didn't even take one 'a the horses. The hell am I s'posed ta know she wasn't kidnapped or somethin'! * Millie staggers back astonished, staring at her dad. "But--but...I didn't take a horse cause I thought you'd be upset..hell, you'd probably send the sheriff after me...I know how ya look after 'em, Pa..." Fuck the horses. I let 'em stew under that part timer's care for a month while I went lookin' for ya, but ya pulled a mighty good disappearin' act. Really good. * Harold glares at Millie, then lets out a heavy sigh and heads for the stall doors. "Ya don't wanna hear about it. Spend some time with 'em; they missed ya." * Millie rubs her forehead. "You confuse the hell outta me, Pa." She looks down at her fist, clenching and unclenching it. * Grysar is now known as Jinx * Jinx carefully comes in through the stall doors, looks like he's being cautious and trying not to wake any of the sleepers. Also looks vaguely sheepish. He hasn't noticed that the stable is occupied yet. Yeah, well. Welcome home, Millie. Everythin's right were ya left it. * Harold heads out, coming across Jinx. He doesn't even double-take. "Lookin' fer yer horse?" Pa, I... * Millie looks over at who Harold's talking to, wide-eyed. * Jinx nods and looks faintly embarrassed. "Yes, I needed..." He then hears Millie, "I can come back later." Jinxy, what are ya doin' here? * Harold looks over at Millie. "Jinxy?" This is followed by him looking at the Injun. * Jinx decides now might not be a good time to make eye contact with Harold. "Eri had a whole lot of conditions on my holding that naginata as collateral. Got to meet two of them." I didn't really pick up on that...wasn't really payin' much attention to that girl anyhow. * Millie folds her arms and puffs out her cheeks angrily as she hmmphs her head to the side. "Though her partner killed my horse. Stupid string-happy moron." Well, if I keep my part of the deal, we should get a new horse for you within two weeks. But I won't interrupt. * Jinx turns to leave. Wait, thought his name was Errant Hare or somethin'- * Harold turns and looks at Millie. "Whatcha doin' that's gettin' yer horse killed?" * Millie gestures out to Jinx. "It is. Jinx is a nick name." She pouts at her father. "It wasn't my fault. He shot her through the head with an arrow. Stupid too." The hell are you doin', gettin' people ta shoot arrows at yer horse? * Jinx opens the door to leave. * Millie looks steadily at Harold. "Hey, they attacked us first!" ( No they didn't! :P ) Yeah, but what'd someone want ta attack ya for? There's somethin' ya ain't tellin' me, Millie. (The other GM is technically right...) * Millie looks shamefully off to the side and down. (Smoke grenades count as an attack. Especially in Millie's mind and probably any group of cow pokes. It's like lassoing someone and saying "Oh, but we didn't attack you!") * Harold breaks off the conversation as Millie looks away to peer at Jinx. "Ya daft, Injun? You wanna care for yer animal, you go do that right now." Better do what he says, Jinxy. Ain't no one who knows horses better. * Jinx closes the door and turns around again. "Just didn't want to intrude." He then walks over to Lightning. ( Yeah, but smoke isn't leathal :P ) (In a dense forest when you're riding full speed? Hell yes it could be.) You ain't intrudin'. (Besides, they attacked the horses, not the people. Technically that's not lethal either.) * Harold eyes Millie. "After all, ain't nothin' she could tell an Injun that she wouldn't tell her own father." ( If you say so >.> ) ( But you still attacked first, in that case. ) ( Sakura threw the first attack :P ) (Sakura's an insane, now dead, twit. :P But that point can be taken) * Jinx expresses no opinion on the matter. He walks over to Lightning and first gives her a patdown and makes sure she's doing well. Doubtless Millie's father knows horses better than he, so he's satisfied with the once over. * Millie glares back at her father. "Sure, Dad. Ya wanna talk like that about the other half-a me when I'm still around? Go ahead." You ain't changed a bit. * Harold glares right back at her. "You ain't changed, either. I half expect ya ta be gone soon as the sun comes up." * Millie looks off to the side. "I gotta job ta do, Pa. It can't be helped..." * Harold throws his hands up. "There's somethin'. A job? I guess ya got recruited four years back, too." * Millie keeps looking off to the side. "From time ta time..." * Jinx then grabs Eri's naginata off of Lightning, he then walks out and looks over to the two. He coughs into a fist to get attention at some point. * Millie looks over at Jinx and almost spits out. "What?" * Harold looks over, too, but he doesn't ask. Part of the deal was my practicing with this. ::he gestures to the naginata:: There a place where I wouldn't disturb the horses? * Millie just blinks at Jinx. * Millie looks over at her dad. "What about that field where we used to practice?" ... Uh. * Harold blinks a couple times. It ain't safe to go outside. * Millie sighs and hangs her head a little. "Oh yeah..." I--I really did wanna go back there though... * Harold lets his mouth twitch into something that's almost a smile, then it's gone. "Tomorrow." He looks around, then addresses Jinx again. "Ya can use an empty stall if ya like, though. Right by the door." * Millie looks down at the floor and is silent for a little while, then looks out underneath her lashes at her father. "...promise?" * Jinx nods. "Thanks." He then goes over to the empty stall and starts drilling. He keeps generally quiet while he does so. Maneuvers are pretty standard for a naginata and based off Eri's instructions. He does take extra care to avoid damaging the weapon. * Harold watches the Injun go, then looks back at Millie. There's the kinda- smile again. "Yeah, sure. If I didn't, ya'd probably go out on yer own, anyhow." * Millie chuckles slightly but sadly. "Yeah...that's true..." Dad...? * Millie looks up slowly after she says that. * Harold watches Millie. "What?" It...um...it really is good to be back home. Even if it's just for a short while. * Harold nods. "It's good ta have you back, though I guess you ain't gonna stay." I can't. We're... * Millie takes a deep breath and sighs and continues. "We're trackin' down Calamity Jan." * Harold blinks. "Calamity Jan?" And then he frowns. "The hell are you doin' that for? Ain't no money worth losin' yer life." * Jinx keeps drilling. He's mostly off screen, so unless I say otherwise assume he's at it for a while. * Millie pouts. "I'm not gonna lose my life, Pa. I'm a lot better now, I swear. You'll see..." Yeah. I'll bet ya are. That what ya been doin' all this time? Ridin' around, shootin' bandits? * Millie frowns. "That's not it, Pa..." Then why don'tcha tell me what *is* it? What's so important ya had ta run away from home for? Unless ya jus' hated bein' here. * Millie looks hurt by that statement. Very hurt. I...I...rrrgh, Pa, why do you have to make things so frustrating? Can't ya see I'm tryin' ta--" She lets out a deep sigh. "Nevermind. Ya wouldn't understand. Ya can't even talk about Ma without changin' the subject..." So ya ran away ta find yer mother, then? That's it? An' instead of comin' home when ya didn't, ya decided ta go bandit huntin'. * Millie glares at her father at that but doesn't say anything. * Millie then looks off to the side, shaking her head, looking frustrated and hurt. "Ya jus' don't get it. Ya never will..." Yeah, well you don't either. Maybe not... * Harold grits his teeth, then not quite yells, "I miss yer mother, okay? Nineteen years an' I still miss her. Four years an' I still missed you. But fer some reason, I got the idea that you don't give a damn. Maybe it's 'cause you both were gone." He waves wildly. "Come back, an' I can't get a straight answer out of ya!" * Harold pauses a moment, then bites out, "An' that ain't gonna change, either." He more or less brushes by Millie and heads for the door. * Millie grits her teeth and bunches up her hand in a fist, shaking as he goes past, then releases it by punching a post nearby. "Dammit..." * Harold doesn't respond, opening the door and exiting. It not-quite slams, the kind of controlled closure that happens when effort's put into holding back. * Millie hunches down after he leaves, curling into a crouched ball and hugging her knees. She lets out a frustrated sob. "Dammit, Dad. How can I tell you that all I want is for you to be proud of me...?" * Jinx leans the naginata carefully against the stall wall and walks over. "So, are you ashamed of what you do now?" * Millie sniffs and looks over her shoulder at Jinx. "What?" You've given a few details, but otherwise you've been evasive about it all night, you ashamed? * Millie laughs a little at that but it doesn't come out quite right. "That's stupid, Jinxy. I mean it's only a step really..." * Jinx nods. "We all have to pay our dues, nothing wrong with that. But, I take it you didn't want to come back until you were a bit higher up the ladder?" People don't look at you and say 'Damn, I can't believe it. She's gotta be the fourth best sharpshooter in the world." Ya can't exist in this world if yer not the best...and I'm never gonna be the best at anything so long as there's people like Calamity Jan around... * Jinx nods but keeps an even tone. "And your father won't be proud of you unless everybody else sings your praises?" I don't know...I'm sure my pa would be able ta find somethin' wrong even with that...I really... * Millie sighs. "I really don't know, Jinx." She wipes her eyes and rocks a bit back. He's pressing rather hard about it if he doesn't care what you've been up to. * Millie laughs sadly. "Dad? Pah. He just doesn't think I'm good enough ta do it. He thinks I'm gonna get killed." You might be. Even the best sharpshooter in the world gets unlucky and against a skilled opponent.... He wanted to know why it was worth the risk. ...yeah. Well even if I get killed, I ain't goin' down before I put my name down in the history books... * Millie wipes her other eye. "So what. You gonna tell me I was stupid ta run away too?" * Jinx snorts. "Not in the least. You wanted to make your name, can't very well do that by staying on the ranch. I just don't get how he's supposed to be proud of you if you aren't telling him what you've been up to and why it matters." What are you talking about? We've been chasing this thing all over the country and we're STILL not any closer than we started. Hell, Jinxy, we're goin' BACKWARDS. So, like I said, you ashamed of what you're doing? * Millie looks off to the side. "Doesn't matter what you're doin' when ya have no results ta back it up..." So yeah, we haven't been backsliding on the theft, you don't think you've done anything worth speaking of since you left? * Millie looks up at him slowly. "Wh-what are ya talkin' 'bout, Jinxy?" * Jinx shrugs. "Not really my opinion that matters here. I'm just surprised you don't think anything you've done is worth talking to your dad about." * Millie snorts. "Yeah. We did a lot in Shomura. I'm sure he'd *love* ta hear that his daughter went into slot-eyed territory. He don't even trust foreign- lookin' types on *this* side of Thae, you heard 'im..." Yeah, he's bigotted. He's still letting us all stay here, so seems like he makes some exceptions. Not that he say some unpleasant stuff during the story, but doesn't mean he wouldn't care... or be proud. Weren't you listening? I tried ta start tellin' him...'bout us goin' after Jan...he swore I was gonna get myself killed... And he wanted to know more. If he's going to be proud of you, you're going to have to talk to him for a while, even though he pisses you off. Maybe that's not worth it to you, your call. * Millie sighs and curls up more. "He doesn't piss me off. He's family." Then maybe there's a different word for when family makes you angry. But he wants to know, so you've got to decide if it's worth it to you to tell him now, or whether you're gonna wait til you're better known. * Millie sighs. "I don't know, Jinx. I just don't know..." She puts her chin to her knees. * Millie curls up more. "He said he missed me though..." * Jinx nods. "I think he meant it. Look, I don't really know your family, but I don't think you got where you are today, and I know you aren't going to get to where you want to be, by being afraid to try." Not really afraid...just... * Jinx nods and waits. * Millie gets up and dusts her jeans off. "It's funny you know? I jus' found out tonight if I didn't leave when I did, I might have become vampire food. How ironic is that?" * Jinx has a fairly even unimpressed tone. "Quite ironic. So if you aren't afraid, what is it?" * Millie chuckles and rubs her forehead. "It's too hard ta talk to Dad. We're too alike.." * Jinx grins slightly, but doesn't comment on that. "Okay, so it's hard. Is it worth it to you? Cause that's what it's going to take, if you don't want to wait til you're better known. And that's probably what it's going to take even then." Well...I just can't give Pa what he wants...I can't stay here...an' I can't make Mom come back...'specially since... * Millie sighs longingly and hangs her head. "'specially since I'm as clueless ta where she is as he is..." * Jinx nods. "I think he's smart enough to know he's not getting either of those things. And this is kinda about what you want to." * Millie sighs and runs her fingers through her hair. "Maybe...it still don't mean he won't be mad..." * Jinx snorts. "Did I ever say he wouldn't be mad?" Yeah...lucky you ta never hafta deal with an upset father. * Jinx sort of eyes Millie for a moment but lets that one go. "So, done moping for now?" * Millie puts her hands on her hips and narrows her eyes at Jinx for a moment, before hmmphing indignantly and turning her face to the side. "Ya musta been imaginin' things, Jinxy. Millie Reinhart never mopes." * Millie grins and turns back towards him, putting her finger in front of his face. "But if, by any chance, ya happen ta spill yer wild imagination ta anyone else, I'll shootcha dead. Got it?" * Jinx nods and comments in a slightly amused tone. "Right, my mistake." He then gets a more serious tone. "Got it." * Millie grins wider and slaps her arm around his shoulder. "Good boy. Now what say we get some shut-eye. Gotta long road ahead of us, y'know." * Jinx grins at the offer to go get some shut-eye with Millie or just half a second to long and then frowns. "Naw, got to finish that drill. Then I have to sing a god-damn Naginata a god-damn lullaby." * Millie snickers. "I'm startin' ta like this 'Eri'" * Millie takes her arm away. (I like how Jinx is capitalizing 'naginata' now. ;P) (Heee) * Jinx then smiles slightly as he walks away. "She's got her points. Anyways, I'll be sure to take you up on that some other time." * Millie waves behind her back as she walks away from Jinx. "Well, good luck with that. I'm gonna get some sleep while I can. Sooner we go ta bed, sooner we get back up." Take me up on what?" * Jinx while still walking away had a quick disappointed for a moment but grins again at that follow-up expression. He glances back.... Well, I'd hardly turn down flat a proposal from the best sharpshooter in the west to come to bed. * Millie looks at him for a second and smirks. "You're weird, Jinx." She heads out, closing the door behind. * Jinx goes back to work, muttering something about how this'd be easier if Millie could hold her liquor. [Miniature Session End!]