Well Mikoto, if you care to order something for me, Tairan, and yourself, I'll cover it and take the bottle out to him. [You enter the tavern! It's pretty mediocre. Not that busy, since it's between meals.] * Fanfan looks around for a suitable table. [There's more than one! Just not any in the corner. You know how them hooded cloaks like corners.] * Mikoto ehes at Jinx. "You don't have to do that. Save your money for something important." ( Like I said... there were tornados west of here yesterday. ) * Millie watches Fanfan for a moment, walking fairly close behind her, arms behind her head. She's scanning the area slightly, while keeping one eye on her. * John clears his throat as he walks up behind Makoto. "Espically since he'd probably be using the party's funds to do it." * Jinx chuckles. "Drinking is important, and I don't really save, never saw the benefit. And this is personal funds John." * Fanfan shrugs and turns to the group. "Whatever spot pleases you." * John nods. "Well, if you say so. You are the unofficial treasurer, after all. I'm hoping you'll to spend wisely." * Millie nods slightly and looks for a table, pointing to the closest one that's not near any hooded cloaks. "Howsa bout that one?" Right, so if you prefer to buy your own drink Mikoto, that's fine, but I could still use your advice on what to get for myself and Tairan. * Mikoto nods at Fanfan and nods at Millie's choice. He smiles at the Westerners. "I hope our stay at the shrine toughened up your knees a bit." * John takes a seat at a table, back closest to the wall. * Millie pouts and turns to Mikoto. "Ya mean we hafta keep sittin' like that?" * Jinx sighs and kneels, he does look less pained than last time though. (Oh shit. This is kneeling isn't it...) Ah shoot...I'll never get used ta it... * John kneels down. He's actually getting pretty good at it by now, espically with all the practice recently. * Millie goes over to the table and kneels. After the kimono, she doesn't look like she has too bad a time but... * Mikoto chuckles. "If it makes you feel better, my knees hurt a bit too, after my stay in Teck for so long." (Yes, it is!) * Fanfan kneels gracefully. * Millie looks at Fanfan and frowns, adjusting herself accordingly. * Mikoto kneels down expertly. Like riding a bike. "So! Miss Fanfan. Have you been performing here long?" Actually, no. I have only just arrived today. So yer a traveller. [Right about now, a waiter shows up. Not Mr. Mousy, sadly. "May I help you?"] * Millie smiles at Fanfan brightly, her delicate eyes looking narrowly at her. "What wouldja like?" * Jinx grabs some Kanmon from a topic and glances over to Mikoto for guidance. * Fanfan nods at Millie. "Yes....tea would be fine." * Mikoto looks at Jinx, then the waiter. "Some sake for us three, please, and a small bottle of the same, if you have one to spare." * Millie looks at the waiter. "So two teas, an' sake for the boys." * John chuckles. Yes. Sake, if that's what you call it. * Jinx nods. Johnny jus' wants ta get boozed up. * Millie smirks over at John, then turns her look back over to Fanfan. [The waiter nods, bows, and goes into the back.] * Mikoto smiles at Jinx. "It's rice wine. Well, 'wine' of a sort. It's made from fermenting the grain, like moonshine from corn." He coughs. "Well, in principle. The actual distilling is a bit different." * John smiles back at Millie distastefully. * Jinx nods. "Huh, interesting. Does it have as much kick as moonshine?" * Mikoto blinks. "Good god, no." * Jinx grins. "Ah, just as well, bit early in the day for that." * John shrugs. "Doesn't matter how much kick it has. Only whether it's good or not." So....Fanfan, was it? What kinda dance was that back there? (John, you dork, you've had sake already. ^_^) It is a form of traditional dance. (I know. :P) * Fanfan smirks a bit. "Slightly modified, of course." * Millie raises an eyebrow. "Traditional?" [The waiter returns and sets your drinks down, as well as a fairly small bottle of sake. (Not to be confused with Saki.)] (... We're going to run into Saki in the west, aren't we?) Yes. Hmm...needs a little more modification though wouldn'tcha say? I mean it was good, but didn't seem ta catch the crowd as much as ya'd hope. * Mikoto glances at Millie. "The martial arts are more than a combat method, in the Empire. They're also an art form. Certain styles are passed down through families like heirlooms." (Wouldn't you like to know. ^_^) * Jinx chuckles, and then grins and comments quietly to John. "Well John, probably unlike you, I can't hold my gun-straight when drunk, so I do like to keep track of such things." * Fanfan shrugs philosophically. "Some days are better than others. And of course they may have been dulled by now. That was my third performance today." * Millie smirks slightly, leaning her chin on her wrist. "That so...ya dance a lot?" * John comments back to Jinx. "I wouldn't know if I could hold my gun straight or not while drunk. Never got drunk in my life." ( Sadly, 'Less Hangover' and 'No Hangover' are bonus abilities in GURPS. ) Fairly often. It is my living. * Jinx takes the bottle and gives a polite bow to the group. "If you'll excuse me for a moment." He turns back to John as he starts to walk away. "Better man than I." * Mikoto sips his sake. "Do you travel solely in the Empire? Or have you ventured into the west?" * Millie nods and sits up straight and proper again, taking up her tea and sipping it. "Mmm...it ain't bad. Gotta remember this place." * John tips his hat to Jinx as the Injun walks out. * Jinx smiles and then leaves. * Fanfan glances away at Jinx's departure, and then looks back. "The Empire, of course. I have no reason to journey to the west." (Journey to the West! /2 pts) (Shoot. I should know this.) * Millie chuckles and drops her cup to chest height. "An' I thought I'd have no cause ta travel east either." (Saiyuki?) (Goku and the like?) (Nope. ^^;) (Swore that was Journey to the West though..hrrm.) ('S not anime...at least not originally) (I know) (But the anime is based of the chinese story) (Oh. Well in that case you win.) (^_^) (DINGDINGDING 2 points for you!) * Mikoto hmms thoughtfully. "Miss Fanfan, we're looking for a group of people... a mixed group of Easterners and Westerners like us. Have you encountered any people like that?" * Fanfan blinks. "How large a group?" Don't know...two for certain, but there's a few more from what we understand. Pretty famous I think. * John hmmms. "At least three, probably considerably more." * Mikoto sighs. "We don't really know. There would be a Western woman in it, for sure. There's even a rumor that Kojiro is travelling with them." * Fanfan blinks again, setting her teacup down. "Kojiro? That's ridiculous!" * Mikoto chuckles. "Everything about Kojiro seems a little ridiculous nowadays. But why do you say that?" But no, no large groups. I saw a Shomuran woman earlier today with a foreigner....and before them, another woman, or at least I think she was. She was wearing a mask. In fact, I think she might still be here. * John hmmms... "Yeah, I think I saw her out there having trouble with her horse." * Mikoto frowns. "I hope we didn't lose them. Maybe the masked woman will know something if we ask her..." * Millie blinks slightly and sets her teacup down too. "A mask? Didn't we deal with a few people in masks earlier..?" Perhaps "ridiculous" was too strong of a word. It's just that I have always thought of Kojiro as a myth. * Millie smirks slightly. "Many think the same 'bout Calamity Jan, but...there ya go." * Mikoto shakes his head. "He might be, for all we know... but he's our lead. Him and Calamity Jan..." He smiles. "You've been a big help, miss. Thank you." Whatever for? So what 'bout these other foreigners? The other foreigners? They came by several hours ago. Quite odd, I thought. Why's that? * Millie sips her tea, keeping a steady look on Fanfan A Shomuran woman who fought with a naginata...and her friend, a foreigner. He looked of the same race as your friend that just left. * John raises an eyebrow. "An Injun?" * Millie blinks and leans forward a bit, gesturing to herself. "Kinda like me then?" * Mikoto blinks. "That *is* a little strange. They didn't say they were going to meet anybody out of town, did they?" * John drinks some sake (not Saki.). * Fanfan shrugs at John. "I suppose, if that is what they are called. And with darker hair than yours, Millie Reinhart." Well, they left in a cloud of smoke with a friend of theirs, talking about some "employer." As I said, quite odd. * Mikoto blinks, unable to contain his surprise. "Maybe we did hit pay dirt after all!" * Millie smirks slightly at that. "Welll then...yeah, could be they're workin' for those chumps." * John motions for Mikoto not to say it so loud. "Maybe. Think they have the same 'employer'?" * Mikoto coughs, blushing. "Sorry. Some good news for once made me forget myself." Cloud of smoke though? * Millie raises an eyebrow, regarding Fanfan Ninja, probably. They use smoke bombs to conceal themselves often. * John nods. "We all forget every once in a while." * Fanfan nods at Mikoto. "I see you are well-qualified to 'help' these folk." * Mikoto laughs, rubbing the back of his neck. "Your flattery honors me. I'm just a simple man of education." (Klingon: "No, YOU have no honor!" Shomuran: "No, YOU are honoring ME!") Help what folk? Ah, Ninja. Ya mean like the lady that snuck up on me earlier? * Mikoto nods. "The girl who came from Takame to claim Suzunosuke was also a ninja." Why, you and your other western companions, of course. ( Don't forget Mr. Coon! ) * Millie looks over at Mikoto and smirks. "Yeah...Mikky's been a BIIIIG help." * John smiles at the use of the word 'Mikky'. * Mikoto raises an eyebrow, then coughs. "In any event. It's probably worth our while to find them. When did you say they left?" About....two, two and a half hours ago. I remember because the woman with the naginata left in the middle of a duel with the masked woman, and I started performing right after that, before the crowd left. * Mikoto glances between Millie and John. "This is an opportunity we shouldn't let slide, as much as I'd like to rest..." You're right, but how do you plan to track them? I'm sure Tairan can do something. (Actually, Mikoto should be well rested by now. ^_^;) (we could...dig a hole! And then...and then cover it with dirt!) ( Well, yes, but he won't be if we spend four days chasing them across the plains. ) * Millie nods slightly and waves over to the waiter. * John nods. "Let's see what Tairan has to say then..." [The waiter returns and bows, trying not to stare at Millie too much. "Can I help you?"] * Millie smiles sweetly at the waiter from her sitting spot. "How much for alla this?" [He looks over the drinks. "Twelve kanmon. Including the bottle you asked for."] * Mikoto smiles at Fanfan. "You've been a tremendous help. If there's something we can do to repay you, please say so." * Millie nods slightly and stands up, slipping him some money. "Here ya go." * Fanfan stands up and bows. "Of course." Oh--but I *must* ask...what happened to your hair? * Mikoto eyes Fanfan blankly. * Fanfan gestures to Mikoto's blondness. "If it is not an impolite question. I have never seen hair of that shade before." * Mikoto coughs. "This is my natural color. My mother was Teckian." [He blinks as she does that, then looks down at his empty hand. "Hey! What do you take me for?"] Oh, I'm sorry. You are half. ... * Mikoto laughs embarrassedly, likely to Millie's great amusement. "Ah, yes. I was raised by my uncle in Kyo from age 4 onward, though. I don't remember much about my childhood." * Millie looks down at the guys palm and smiles. "Oh, I musta miscounted. * John gets up. "Anyways, I think I should go out and have a word with the other person who had a run-in with the bandits." I didn't realize. I've never seen someone like you before. It slipped..here... [He glares at her. "I hope so."] * Millie holds out the 12 kanmon and gives him Winning Smile #12. * John smirks. He walks out the door. * Mikoto continues smiling somewhat vacantly at Fanfan. "I'll take that as a compliment." [He snatches it and counts, intently ignoring the smile. "Sorry, I got the number wrong. You owe four more."] ( You have managed to accomplish in one session what no other PC or NPC has managed to do over 20 or so of them. Good job! -_^) Good luck on your journey, Mikoto. You and your companions. (Who, me?) (Yep. ^_^) * Millie pulls out four more and shrugs. "Ain't gonna break me." She smiles even more. * Mikoto gets up and bows to Fanfan. "And you on yours, Miss Fanfan." (Oh...I'll take that as a compliment. XD) (It was. ^_^) An 5 more for yourself... * Millie leans over and slips him a 5, grinning up at his face. [He takes those and bows stiffly to her. "Thank you for your patronage." He collects the cups and heads back.] [He pauses on the way, counts the money again, blinks, and looks back at Millie with surprise.] * Millie turns around, looking over her shoulder with a faint smirk and a wave. "It was good service." * Millie sasheys out of the tavern. * Mikoto smiles. "It was a pleasure. Please excuse me." He also heads out at a nice clip. [He waves dully back, then heads into the kitchen.] * Fanfan waits only long enough to undo her hair from the elaborate style it was in and braid it. Time she was heading out of town, too. ( *snicker* Millie's first good impression with a random citizen! Let's have this bronzed. ) () (Ow. ;_;)