[It is early evening of the day after the battle for True North Village. You have all fully rested and recovered from the events of the previous day.] [You were woken early this morning by Neria, who wished to set out for Delinara's temple as soon as she possibly could. Deryk will be in charge of True North while she, and you, are away.] [The mysterious young man who appeared during the battle yesterday, Amir, chose to remain behind with his Trusty Unnamed Steed, since you all are traveling on foot. The forest paths through the Naga Valley are narrow and cannot even accomodate horses.] [Sedge, too, has remained behind, although like a good Deus Ex Machina, if you need him for some reason, he'll probably show up.] [It will take you three days to reach the temple if you travel at a fairly good pace. You have just stopped and begun to set up camp.] (In a conveniently placed forest clearing, no less!) [Session Start!] * Isaac has been humming Jpop songs in your heads (rather accurately, might I add) for a good portion of the trip. Weather this is a good or bad thing is up to you. :P * Jinx is setting up his bedroll and such some distance away from Isaac. (If you did not come into the Nexus with bedrolls, they have been thoughtfully provided for you by the people of True North, along with backpacks, travel rations, etc.) * Isaac puts up his bedroll while thinking the Dwarf work song from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. (You saved their lives. They like you. ^_^) (Wow, actually getting rewarded when we save lives. Who woulda thunk. ^^;) ( How coincidental! ) * Taki takes off her backpack and sits leaning on it, she is not used to this long distance walking thing. (Nexus is all about the convenience! ;p) * Ao-Lang sets up one of the tents. "Isaac, if you think *one* more verse of that stupid song at me, I'm gonna find some way to exorcise you." * Shinrethryn hums as she travels along. This whole "camp" thing doesn't seem to interest her, so she's playing with the nearby foliage. * Jinx looks gratefully at Ao-Lang for a moment. ( Hi! I'm not in this game, but I probably could be if you wanted!) ~Oh, okay. I'll stop then.~ ^^; ( Thanks! Hey, like your hair.) [Neria has, meanwhile, started a small fire, and is cooking a stew over it.] ( Not another dimension-hop. Please, not another. ;_;) * Shinrethryn 's still humming the song, even after Isaac has stopped. She's currently inspecting a curious leaf. ( ~Huh of age female. Can probably kick my ass. Should be cautious.~ * Ao-Lang grins. "Good." She finishes and kicks lightly at one of the poles, satisfied when it doesn't crumple. ( Oh, hey, thanks! ^_^ Love the boots. Hey, GM, can I- NO. Damn.) * Isaac runs over to Shinny. ~What're you doing?~ ( But my boots are awesome, and they can kick Jinx's ass even when I'm not of age!) * Jinx walks over to Neria. "Anything that needs to be done tonight? Scouting, that sort of thing? (~I don't even wear boots, and I'm not even female, and I can kick his ass!~) * Shinrethryn turns around a bit distractedly. "Huh? Oh.." She smiles at Isaac and points to the leaf. "See, the trees around my homeland has the best morning dew glistening off it." She pouts and turns back to the trees. "But the dryads don't seem to want to talk today...silly creatures..." * Taki stands up again and brushes the dirt off her her legs, "Guess I should get started with mine too. Lessee here." (Jinx wanders off to find a supply of dynamite.) Bet they're napping. Trees need to sleep, too. ["We should be far enough away from the temple that the only things we have to worry about are the forest creatures. But you certainly may, if you would prefer to do so."] (Sorry, Jinx, but our dynamite is in another dimension.) * Ao-Lang wanders over and starts pitching Taki's tent. ~Oooh, dryads as in tree spirits?~ Yeah they do. * Shinrethryn smiles at Isaac. "Yeah! You've met them right?" ( ...is that why I have dynamite in my backpack? ...and why I suddenly have a backpack? ) ~Uh, no.~ ^_^; * Jinx shakes his head. "No point doing it if it doesn't have any benefit." * Taki gets her tent pitched, "I...er...Thanks...It's like there isn't anything I can do here....at least the trip back will be nice and short." ["I have gone this way before. We will be safe tonight."] * Shinrethryn rubs her cheek with one of her fingers. "I used to have a friend of one of them...it's been a while since I've seen her." Good to know. * Ao-Lang eyes Taki for a half a moment, then goes back to pitching the tent. "Get up and start stretching." ~Oooh, can I help Ao?~ ^_^ [Neria stirs the stew pot and gazes into the fire for a moment.] * Taki is standing, but starts to streach anyway, "Dare I ask why?" Nah, it only takes maybe half of me to kick her ass. * Shinrethryn turns to Isaac. "So why can't most of you do that mental thing you do?" She leans forward, looking curiously at Isaac's eyes. * Ao-Lang thinks. "More like a third." She grabs another pole and works on that. * Jinx looks over to Neria. "Worried?" * Isaac blinks and his eyes flash red as they focus on Shinny. ~'cuz I'm special?~ Oh....Don't kill me too badly. I kinda want to get home again in this life. ["A bit. Her troops are in disarray, but Delinara herself shall be as formidable as ever."] * Ao-Lang laughs and grins at Taki. "Coulda fooled me." She gives Taki's tent a light kick, and it doesn't fall. * Shinrethryn taps her cheek. "Yeah...but you think if you could do it, then all of you would know. At least a little. I don't think it's that hard..." She frowns. "Though I lost it.." Well, looks like I don't have to worry about it falling on me...although I'm getting the feeling that my falling on it could be a problem. * Isaac quirks his head to the side. ~I'm like this because I died and am still dead in my world. Maybe it's because I didn't want to be without a voice again....~ Nah, I won't throw you into your tent. Promise. * Jinx glances over to Ao-Lang and Isaac. "She certainly is quite capable at avoiding being hit. But if she doesn't run away, I'll bet her luck will eventually run out. We're a pretty formidable bunch, bet we can stay alive long enough for that to happen. * Taki nods and gives a weak grin, "Thanks." * Ao-Lang walks off to a clear area that isn't next to the tents, and waves Taki over. "Your move." ["I worry about Mela, though." She stirs the pot again.] Yeah, I can see that. * Taki takes a deep breath and teleports a few feet in front of Ao, "I'm soo doomed." * Shinrethryn smiles brightly at Isaac. "Well don't worry. Some of my best friends are spirits." * Isaac smiles back, turning to Taki and Ao-Lang. ~Don't hurt her too much Ao! I wanna have some fun too!~ * Ao-Lang snickers. * Jinx nods and sits down by the fire. "I'd like to be able to guarantee she'll get out of this alive. But I can't. I can only promise to do intend to do my damnedest to make sure she's safe." Well? What are you waiting for? Need me to attack first? ["It is all we can do. I know. But I wish there were more..." She looks up at Ao and Taki. "Do either of you desire healing before your sparring match begins?"] * Ao-Lang looks over at Neria. "How about after. For her." She jerks her thumb at Taki. * Taki calls back, "Between would be good!" and then vanishes. * Ao-Lang jerks her attention back to where Taki used to be, then looks around. [Neria nods. She seems completely unbothered by two of her allies attempting to beat each other up. ;p] * Shinrethryn keeps a cautious eye on the fire and her face pales considerably. She then looks back at Isaac. "What do you mean by fun?" * Taki reapears a few feet closer and swings at Ao, it's not a bad punch, if a little slow. * Ao-Lang reacts to that the moment it happens and ducks under the punch, bringing her foot out and around to sweep Taki off her feet, and not in the romantic sense. ~You know, fun! Enjoyment.~ * Taki falls on her ass, and then attempts to scramble back to her feet, "how did I know that wasn't going to work?" * Jinx comments somewhat sadly. "That's the thing, there's only so much you can ever do. But from when I've known her I'd say Mela's a survivor, I'd bet she's been through a few nasty scrapes before." * Shinrethryn lets out a little thtp sound and splashes away, leaving only a jingle. She reappears on the other side of Isaaac. I knooooow what fun is. I'm asking what you do for it!" 'Cause it was predictable. That's the best you can do? ~I, um... I like to read. And I watched anime a little, and I make stuff.~ ~And fighting's fun too.~ ^_^ Not quite. [Neria alternates between watching the fight and the stew. "Mela has survived much, and has come out all the stronger for it. She has always been there for me. I know that she would be telling me not to worry, were she here..."] Just have to try something different. Would you listen to her, if she were here? * Taki vanishes again. ["Of course I would. She is my closest friend."] * Shinrethryn tips her head to the side. Jingle. "You think fighting's fun? You sound like a lot of people I know." She giggles into her hand and opens her eyes, folding her arms behind her back and leaning forward towards Isaac in the air. "They're all very silly." * Isaac smiles. ~Well then I'm silly too!~ ( No no. Raechi's in Silly, not you, Isaac. ) * Shinrethryn grins and says curtly, popping the p at the end. "Yup!" * Shinrethryn then looks at Isaac with a twinkle in her eye. "And you knoooow what I do to silly people, don't you...?" * Jinx nods. "So listen to her now. You know what she'd say." * Taki reappears behind Ao and grabs for her arms. * Isaac grins. ~Yes.~ One of Shinny's bells unties and falls to the ground. ~Oops, is that yours?~ [Neria nods, though she doesn't seem entirely reassured. She stirs the stew pot again.] * Shinrethryn eeps and snatches the bell off the ground, then giggles. All that's left of her on the ground is a puddle. * Isaac eyes the puddle. ~That's a cool trick! Can you teach me how to do it sometime?~ * Ao-Lang blinks and tries to jump away, but one of her arms is grabbed. She doesn't hesitate, though, and flicks her opposite wrist, a closed tessen sliding into her hand. * Jinx puts his hands behind his head and leans back to the ground for the moment. * Ao-Lang turns, likely quite painful if Taki has a good grip, and just tries to smack the slightly smaller girl on the back of her head. [There's some rustling from the trees. "Maaaaaaay-be." * Isaac walks over to Jinx and sits down. ~You know most living things are made mostly out of water, right?~ ^_^ * Jinx looks confused for a moment. "Are they? No, can't say I did." * Shinrethryn sits down on the tree branch, rocking back a little in the tree, both hands on her knees. She looks up towards the sky calmly. * Isaac turns to Jinx. ~I was talking to her, not you.~ ^^; He then looks up at Shinny. ~Sky's pretty, isn't it?~ Yeaaaah. * Shinrethryn rocks back even further, letting out a soft hum. "It almost looks like home..." * Jinx shrugs. He then casually calls out, "'ey Ao." Without even bother to look to see if it's a good point in the fight. ["May I ask one of you who is not fighting for a favor?"] ~Oh, sure!~ * Taki lets go of Ao's arm and pretty much throws herself at her, a moment later she appears a good twenty feet in the air, did Ao come with her? let's find out. 2d6 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Taki (2d6) and gets 11. [Neria pulls a large canteen out of her pack. "There is a stream nearby. Would you fill this with water for me, please?"] * Isaac smiles and snickers in his head. ~Are you trying to get me wet?~ * Shinrethryn looks at Neria warily. "I'll go..." Her eyes are looking more towards the fire than at Neria. * Taki screams as she falls back to the ground and lands hard. ["Only if you were to fall in, which I highly doubt would occur. And both of you may go, if you wish."] * Ao-Lang blinks as Taki teleports too early, then she's looking into the sky and smirks. "Let's see if you can dodge up there!" she calls before snapping the closed tessen open and sending it straight up. * Isaac gets up and the canteen floats over to him, where he takes hold of it. ~Okay!~ ^^ * Taki not only gets hit by the ground but a war fan on the way down. She lies where she hit for a long moment and then groans and slowly starts to get back to her feet. * Jinx glances over to the fight and repeats a bit louder. "'ey Ao." * Isaac walks off to the stream, saying in Ao's head. ~Jinxy wants to talk to you.~ * Ao-Lang catches the tessen and turns while Taki climbs back to her feet. "What?" * Taki is most definatly bleading and might have broken something there, but she's at least standing on her own feet. * Shinrethryn eyes Isaac curiously for a moment. Then waits until he's well away from Neria. She then appears out of the air near him and settles down on the ground, walking with. Make sure you train her to grab someone whose being held as a hostage as Mela might end up being one. * Ao-Lang eyes Jinx. "And not throw her into a wall, right?" She must have noticed Taki climb back to her feet, because she kicks out at her without a so-much-as-you-please. "She'd have to work up the nerve to do it first." [Neria tests stew and keeps a cautious eye on Taki.] * Jinx looks back at Ao. Unintimidated. "Of course, wait til it's the right time. Just make sure she knows how to do it by the time we get there." * Taki manages to dodge the kick, but only by loosing her balance and falling over, she doesn't look like she's going to get back up again anytime soon. * Ao-Lang turns to directly speak to Taki. "Why aren't you attacking?" * Taki mumbles something, Katie could probibly understand her perfectly, but she's not here. * Ao-Lang walks over to look directly down at Taki. Her tessen are... somewhere, as she puts her hands on her hips. "What was that?" ( ~She called you a female dog!~) ( Really? *kicks Taki* Say that again!) * Taki continues to stay still, "grnds ...comfrable." (Taki = beat puppy?) * Jinx looks over to Neria. "She'll be ready. Somehow I doubt her teacher will take anything less." * Ao-Lang sighs, apparently in exasperation, and kicks Taki before turning to Neria. "Mind healing her ass? She's slacking." [Neria eyes Ao levelly. "It is why I am here." She gets up, hands the ladle to Jinx, then walks over to Taki and kneels next to her. She gently places a hand on her shoulder. Taki glows briefly and is fully healed!] (Would Taki rather be tought by Isaac? Who uses a SWORD? :P) * Jinx sits up, moves over, and tends to the stew. * Taki pushes herself to her feet, "Thanks...remind me to not try that again." * Ao-Lang doesn't seem particularly phased by Neria's look. "Never tried it before, did you?" [Neria takes a few steps back from the fight. She appears to be weighing several things in her mind.] Never had a volunteer before. (Haruko tried to organize group training, never worked. ;_;) So you're not a fighter? What were you doing throwing punches? (Yeah, that idea kinda fell by the wayside. ^^;) (The wayside is currently being over run with old Haruko ideas. :P) (It's a large wayside. ^_~) (A very large wayside) * Taki shrugs, "Better than some, evedently nowhere good enough here. But, isn't that why we're here right now?" (You could open a museum.) (It'd be bigger than the Museum of Science and Industry, Field Museum, AND Smithsonean put together.) (Nah, we're only keeping the good ideas :P) (I guess it'd be about as big as a corner book store then, ne? :P) * Ao-Lang grins. "Maybe. That's the best you could do?" (* Haruko shrugs. "Well, that still means I have some good ideas.") * Jinx stirs the other way for a but. He didn't really remember which way Neria was stirring, so may as well hedge his bets. * Taki thinks for a moment, "Without knowing where a tall enough building is...yeah...I think I'm out." Liar. (Skyscrapers are just a *wee* bit uncommon in this part of Nu. ^_~) (I could try for the pillars, but if she missed again there's nobody to heal her :P) (The pillars are also obelisks, and not *that* tall.) * Ao-Lang darts in, snapping her tessen into her hands. She slices one open tessen to Taki's side. "You weren't unconscious." This is followed by her spinning, attempting to rap the other, closed, against her opposite arm. "And you weren't dead." [Neria walks back over to the fire and sits. "How is the stew coming?" She's still devoting most of her attention to Ao and Taki, though.] * Taki dodges the first by getting smacked harder by the second, "Aaagh! ...Not for lack of trying." * Ao-Lang kicks at Taki's knee. "Didn't try hard enough then, did you? There's no halfway to this." (I can make her both if you want. :P) (You're so sweet.) (* Isaac sharpens his specially designed sword. ~Thanks!~) * Jinx looks up. "Stew's coming along just fine. Smells rather good to, but that's your doing, not mine." (* sharpens a stick at both ends) * Taki teleports out of the way again, and a moment later Ao feels as slight breeze as Taki misses her own attemt at knee kick from behind. (Stick + metal?) (SPEAR!) * Ao-Lang whirls when she feels the breeze and slams one closed tessen forward, along with her fist, towards Taki's ribs. [Neria holds out a hand for the ladle. "Let us see how it tastes, then."] * Taki is evedently still a little off balance from the kick and doesn't quite manage to get away and falls over again. * Jinx dips the ladle in the stew and then hands it up to her. * Jinx also moves out of the way a bit, as it is her stew, and if she's got a favored position or something he doesn't want to offend the cook. (You should have Isaac taste it!) [Neria tastes it. "It is nearly ready. I believe that by the time they are finished fighting, and by the time Isaac and Shinrethryn return from the stream, it will be time to eat."] (*snerk* Ha.) * Taki pushes herself back to her feet with one hand and holds the other against the spot where the tessen hit her. *That* was pathetic. You think someone isn't gonna hit you when you port behind them? Get up. I am up. * Jinx smiles a bit at that. "Want me to keep stirring? Got nothing better to do." * Ao-Lang smirks. "Must not be, 'cause you're not trying to hit me. What, am I too scary?" ["If you would like." She hands the ladle back to him. "I am finding this fight to be quite interesting..."] * Taki grits her teeth and takes another swing at Ao, it's a bit faster than her first one was, but her form's off. * Jinx grins slightly and gets ladling again. "Enjoy it. I only find fighting interesting if I got money or blood riding on it." (In that order) * Ao-Lang sidesteps that easily, but doesn't attack. "My three-year-old cousin could dodge that. You think Delinara can't?" * Taki turns and punches again, "No, but I've got you to throw at her." ["Do you bet on everything?"] * Jinx thinks about it for a minute. * Ao-Lang ducks down and to the side. "Yeah, sure. Like you can *grab* me. Halfhearted shit like this isn't gonna get you anywhere." * Jinx shakes his head. "There are things that shouldn't be bet on. But everything else is fair game." [Neria exhales. It sounds almost like a laugh. "You are a rare one."] * Taki kicks at Aos nearest leg, "I did once." * Ao-Lang snaps one of her tessen out, deflecting Taki's leg to one side while she slices at her with the other. "And you did a damn good job throwing me, too." * Jinx keeps the grin. "True enough, and that's probably for the best." [Neria glances in the direction of the stream. "I wonder what is keeping them. Perhaps I should go check."] * Taki hops backwards, it's not gracefull, and it ends with her over compensating and falling again, but it did manage to get her out of the way. "First time for everything." * Jinx nods. "I could go if you'd prefer. You'll probably have a better idea when the stew's done. And that's the important thing really." * Ao-Lang moves one of her tessen like she's going to throw it at the downed Taki, but she doesn't. "Not good enough. Is this what happens when you get into fights back home? You fall over and hope they won't hurt you?" (Yes, the stew is so much more important than keeping Taki alive :P) (Well, if we all starve then nobody's going to be any good in a fight. ;p) ( Got to keep these things in perspective. ) ["I shall give them just a bit more time. The stew is not quite ready yet."] * Jinx nods and keeps stirring. (Stew *is* much more important than keeping Taki alive. ^^) * Taki teleports out of the way anyway and pushes herself to her feet again, "Nah, back home I just grab everybody and run. Less chance of getting eatin by insane and probibly immortal people." I take it you're not one for gambling, Neria. [Neria shakes her head. "Mela, perhaps, and certainly Rikan."] Yeah, and that's gonna work here. * Ao-Lang spins, throwing her open tessen at Taki. (We know Rikan?) (Rikan was one of the True North fighters. She was at the strategy meeting pre-battle. Short hair, uses an axe.) (An axe of... badass.) (I think you were betting as to whether or not your group could take out more of Delinara's mooks than hers. ;p) (The bet ended in our favor when Isaac took out Delinara in one hit. :P) (Actually I think Jinx tried to count all of her kills as part of everyone elses) (I don't know if it's an axe of ...badass or not. You're just lucky that this incarnation of Neria doesn't have the Masamune. ^_~) ( She's still only one person. Wasn't even really her. (Oooh, I wanna see Masa and Mune!) Worth remembering, that. You do anything to relax? * Taki screwes up the order of dodge, teleport, counter attack and only swings lightly at Ao due to having just taken a tessen to her ribs again. (... Isaac could use the Masamune. *nudge nudge*) (Taki's out after another hit from Ao anyway.) ["Meditation, reading, and swordfighting practice."] (No, Isaac. ;p) (Awww... But I *want* to do 2000 damage time gashes!) (When you're older. ;p) * Ao-Lang just catches Taki's fist this time. "And down you go." She shoves her forward. * Jinx chuckles. "All those sound more like work to me. Although I suppose practice can sorta clear the mind. But to each their own." * Taki falls on the ground again, she's making a real habbit of this, "oow." ["It varies from person to person." She glances at the stew pot. "May I?" She holds out her hand again.] * Ao-Lang eyes Taki for a moment. "Neria, she needs your healing touch again." [Neria puts her hand down. "More important matters. I shall be right back." She stands and walks over to Taki, then heals her once more. This time, Taki still feels a bit tired afterwards.] ["I will ask you to put your training on hold until after dinner."] * Jinx keeps stirring, particularly important to prevent burning now that it's almost done. * Ao-Lang laughs. "Fine, fine." She turns, almost as though she forgot Taki were there, and goes to help with the food. * Isaac comes back with the canteen in hand. He's also wet. Very wet. But he doesn't look upset. Hey, Isaac! About damn time. * Isaac waves at Ao-Lang. ~Hi Ao! Didja miss me?~ ^_^ No, but I bet Taki did. [Neria helps Taki up, turns her head. "Ahh, there you are! I was about to send Jinx after you. Did you fall in after all?"] * Shinrethryn comes back floating by Isaac's right shoulder, arms behind her head. She doesn't look like she's got a drop on her. * Ao-Lang eyes Shinny and Isaac, then says, "More like flushed." * Taki winds up on her feet again and thanks Neria before she starts to stiffly brush herself off. ~No, I jumped in for your information.~ He nods. ~Taki missed me? Why's that?~ * Jinx looks up at Isaac and looks like he feels he choose the right task to help with. * Ao-Lang just grins. * Isaac throws Neria the canteen. ~Here ya go!~ [Neria catches it. "Thank you."] * Isaac looks at Taki. ~I *told* you not to beat her up too much! How am I supposed to have fun if they're scared of us?~ ^^; I'm not scared of you! Or her! She's nice! Sorry, still not the worst people I've ever met. You need to start eating people or something. I'll work on it. ~Why? Are they tasty?~ Actually, I heard babies taste like really tender pork. ~Really? I wouldn't know, I can't taste anything.~ ^^; * Taki looks at Isaac, "So I've been told, I'm not planning on finding out...ever." (Meanwhile, Ao and Isaac destroy everyone's appetite. More food for us! :9) (Insert Austin Powers reference here!) * Jinx hands the ladle up to Neria once she returns and then goes to grab a plate and fork from his stuff. ( Well, what do you think is in the stew?) ["I should hope that you are not so despearate as to resort to cannibalism." Neria takes the ladle.] (It'll take more than that to kill Jinx's appetite. Well maybe Neria's comment. But yeah, the man descecrates tombs filled with undead for a living, gets hard to put him off his lunch) * Isaac grins. ~I don't plan on it... today.~ * Ao-Lang pouts. "You mean we aren't eating babies? Awww." ~No no. Babies are on the THIRD day. Not the second. Geeze, haven't you ever looked at your dieting habits?~ [Neria shakes her head and distributes stew. Baby-free stew.] * Jinx returns and awaits his share of grub. * Isaac takes it and eats. Mmmmm, babies. * Ao-Lang has some baby stew! :9 * Shinrethryn doesn't have any. She just sits there, watching them oddly. * Taki gets her things, and gets a laddle full of stew, it's good. (I told you, this was the baby-free kind. ;p) (BABIES!) (Curse you. I bet it's caffeine free, too. >_<) (The other white meat!) (There is no caffeine in it, either.) (... Isaac on caffeine = bad?) (Anyhow.) [And so they ate, but not babies, and prepared for the continuation of the journey to Delinara's Temple.] [Session End!]