MaskedRiderChris

"Oi, oi! What's going on over here?" Several lawmen (3 of them) come hurrying over, stopping within about 10 feet of #6 and the scene before them. The leader looks it over and frowns in bewilderment, and the way he takes in the huge construct and the hefty half-orc foreigner nearby implies he wasn't born yesterday. Then his eyes settle on Nagano and he blinks is surprise. "Oh, Nagano-sama! What brings you here?" He immediately punctuates that with a respectful bow, followed by the rest of his crew. Nagano returns the bow with formality, then replies: "I'll speak for this one here," he indicates #6. "He is a foreigner but he seems honorable, as foreigners go, and he did not kill this man." He then gives a terse and factual explanation of the events to the lawmen in a firm and clear tone that seems to go over well enough. "So...this one was trying to restrain the madman from doing any harm and he simply seized up and died? Strange," the lawman says, frowning in puzzlement. "You there, big green fellow--what have you got to say about this?" Despite his puzzlement, the man is speaking in a crisp and professional manner to Tchono.

The thug struggles madly in #6's obviously unbreakable grasp, flushing an alarming shade of red, screaming incoherently...then he stops struggling and starts gurgling and going into violent convulsions. #6 appears nonplussed by this sudden change and lowers him to the street. The man's spasms make him thrash madly in the dirt of the street, his eyes are bulging and he starts foaming at the mouth. Nagano hurries to his side, snapping "Oi, oi, pull yourself together," which has no effect. Suddenly, he arches his back, gives out a last gurgle, then flops limply to the street, a rill of blood trickling from his mouth. Both Nagano and #6 are baffled at the sight of this event, and Hoshiku then distinctly, out of the corner of his eye, notices a shrouded figure on a rooftop two houses away. A second later, it seemingly disappears in a blur of insanely fast motion.

Hoshiku=20 Nagano=17 #6=12 Goon/Tchono=10 Since Hoshiku is watching and scoping the situation, a total of 19 on Knowledge: Arcana (closest approximation that would apply) reveals to him that the reason behind this thug's erratic and aggressive behavior appears to be drug induced; his movements are fast and spastic, implying a heavy dose of some kind of exceptionally powerful stimulant--or perhaps some kind of arcane (but crude) performance enhancer? Nagano scowls at the thug refusing to acknowledge the incapacitating blow he was given and seems to be pondering the situation further as well. (he's holding his action to see what happens next--it's clear he doesn't want to draw steel just yet) #6 simply moves forward and elicits a harsh and angry yell and a blast of profanity as #6 quickly grabs the thug's arms and yanks them behind his back. In a surprisingly deft manner for the hulking construct's end, it appears. The thug tries stamping on #6's foot and all it does is make him yelp in pain as he finds out the hard way that the foot in question is this side of solid steel. (Go to it, Tchono, and apologies for life getting in the way again for a bit!)

OK, got it. New round then. everybody go ahead and roll initiative.

(OK, unless Tchono is going to do something (?), I'll be declaring a new round shortly...)

Nagano narrows his eyes, then deliberately slips his still-sheathed katana from his sash. Suddenly, he darts forward and slams the butt end of his scabbard into the man's gut, only to elicit a pained grunt and angry yell in response from the man. It doesn't seem to affect him as much as one would imagine, for some reason. After an instant's surprise, Nagano swiftly backpedals our of range of the man's fists.

(Is Tchono holding his action? Everybody else has gone, so just waiting for you)

Based on what Tchono is seeing, there isn't anybody else present other than the raging gang member and them at the moment, and the few people who he either beat down from the look of it or have been slow to get away to safety. #6 seems to have tweaked to the fact that something is up, here, and is being noticeably more wary, as is Nagano. (What does Tchono do on his turn, which is now?)

Out of the corner of your eye on a nearby rooftop, Hoshiku thinks he sees a blur of motion that resolves into a humanoid figure in what appears to be shinobi (ninja) garb, hood and mask included. For a second, you think you see this, then the next thing you know it's not there. It happens fast enough that Hoshiku wonders if he ever really saw it...?

(Hoshiku, give me a contested Perception roll with a DC of 24)

(#6/15 total, Nagano/13, Stranger/15) At the same time, #6 and the strange man converge on each other in the street, the man raving incoherently and #6 simply striding up to meet him. Nagano is flanking #6's right side to see what happens. #6 wastes no time booming out: "I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO--" and cuts off as he sidesteps the man throwing a furious punch at him--apparently he doesn't feel like simply letting the man's mundane flesh & bone fist hit him dead on. The man screams a "KIAI!!!" as he does so, and follows up immediately with another punch that #6 again dodges. He makes a grab at the man that he barely manages to dance out of the way of. Nagano barks out "Oi, you! What's your problem," keeping his hand on his hilt. (He's holding his action to see what else happens before he commits to drawing steel) As Tchono draws into position he notices that the man is slobbering a bit, his pupils are intensely dilated, and he's flushed red in a way that implies maybe there's more to his state than just anger...but yet he's much too coherent to be drunk.

The discussion is interrupted by a commotion growing outside in the street. #6's hooded head immediately jerks in that direction and he decisively slams the sake dish onto the table top. He rises to his feet and starts towards the entrance of the ryokan, as does Nagano, frowning intensely enough for both him and #6. (Assuming you follow them...) There is a scruffy looking man stalking down the street, with people scattering before him. Anybody in his way, he gives a scream of rage and swats them down with what is definitely unnecessary force. His movements are abrupt and spastic, and the expression on his face emits sheer mad, mindless fury. His head is jerking from side to side, and he frequently pauses to shake it like a dog shaking water off. He often lashes out at things in his way, as well, throwing displays into disarray and in general causing mayhem. Once he sees the towering construct stalk forth from the ryokan, he screams out: "OI, YOU, FREAK! YOU MADE ME LOOK BAD BEFORE MY BOSS! YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR THAT!!!!" Obviously he is past caring about the fact that #6 is at least 4 times his size as he comes charging towards you all, screaming in rage. (Initiative rolls and actions, please! Sorry for the hold up)

I love the Bones minis--especially Bones Black and the newer Bones USA series--and keep a bunch of them on hand at all times because they inspire me to create original paint jobs and mess with different color schemes. The details may not always be there in the older Bones series minis, but they're a lot of fun to paint anyway, and the poses much of the time are really good and dynamic. I'd say approximately half of my pile of shame is various Bones series minis, with a few Pathfinder metal minis in there as well. So yeah. Definitely a Reaper fan here, and as a Texan, I like giving my Texas companies business.

Not a problem--I can't talk,since my work schedule has been rough in the last couple weeks and has been getting in the way of me posting regularly. Best wishes and speedy recovery!

As a steaming hot bowl of gyudon materializes before Hoshiku, with a tantalizing aroma that goes straight to his brain's pleasure center, and the pleasing sight of plentiful thinly sliced meat piled high on freshly steamed rice catching his attention decisively, #6 looks down at his locket. After a few moments of regarding it, he beckons to Tchono to lean forward as he takes it in his hand and flicks it open. In it is arguably the smallest and most detailed pen and ink portrait Tchono has ever seen. In the foreground is a young human woman seated in a canvas camp chair. She has fair skin, long dark hair that appears to have been just taken out of a braid, is wearing simple robes of an unfamiliar style, and not only looks very young (perhaps 21 at most), she is extremely pretty in a fresh faced girl next door manner. She also has a smile that would light up a room. Behind her looms #6 with his huge armored hands resting on her petite shoulders in an undeniably protective gesture; her left hand is gently resting on his right hand. She looks especially small compared to him--Tchono would guess maybe 5'2" at the most. "SHE WAS A CLERIC OF SARENRAE, THE DAWNFLOWER. A HEALER. SHE WAS THE FIRST HUMAN TO EVER TALK TO ME INSTEAD OF AT ME."

Nagano gives an approving nod to Tchono's tale of his father, with #6 his usual impassive self. "I know little about such creatures as 'orcs', but defending your family's honor is key in life. I gather that your father was unworthy of honorable treatment?" "I HATE ORCS. IT WAS AN ORC THAT KILLED SISTER AUDRA IN BATTLE." #6 chips in. "YOU'RE NOT LIKE ANY ORC I'VE EVER MET, THOUGH." Hoshiku enters the ryokan in time to hear #6's booming voice make that declaration. The sandal maker had gone back to his business in short order after ending the discussion... OOC: Another 7-day stretch of work zapped my energy, sorry for the delay!

"I was born into it. My father was samurai, his father samurai. I come from a long line of distinguished warriors, if I say so myself," Nagano replies with a slightly bashful smile. "I've much to live up to, and this one tries his best every day to do his ancestors justice. I suppose it is why I speak out the way I do. 'When a Nagano sees injustice, you may best believe he will challenge it,' is what some say about my clan." #6 watches Nagano talk and seems highly interested in what he is saying. When Nagano stops and gives him the go ahead, #6's answer is characteristically terse and to the point. "IT'S WHAT I WAS FORGED FOR. WAR IS MY PURPOSE, WHICH IS WHY THEY CALL MY KIND 'WARFORGED'. I'VE KNOWN LITTLE ELSE." He regards Nagano for a moment and then adds "SEEMS WE HAVE THAT MUCH IN COMMON. WE WERE BOTH MADE TO BE WARRIORS AND WE PERFORM OUR DUTIES WITH HONOR. IT'S WHAT WE'RE FOR, CORRECT?" Nagano seems impressed with #6's words and raises his sake cup in a toast. "To honor, then. Kampai!" ====================================================================== Hamasaki engages Hoshiku in small talk and eventually leads back into: "That gang used to be a bunch of common thugs, but now they're, well, organized thugs. As in they're actually sticking to a routine instead of just being a bunch of layabouts causing trouble at random. Someone seems to have taken it upon themselves to try and whip them into shape, as it were, and I wish them all the luck, because they're gonna need it. Discipline is far from their strong suit, but then again, what else do you expect from a bunch of bullying riff raff like that?" After a brief pause, he continues. "You seem like a good sort, so just watch your step around that bunch and you should be alright. Maybe you should make friends with the big guy, there," he says with a chuckle. "This is a pretty decent part of town, so you ought to be alright."

I totally get that--that's usually why I have gaps in posting, when I get 6 and 8-day stretches of work that make me zone out.

Answering in order: --I only recently began getting into that habit, because I finally realized letting them sit on their side while drying is a Bad Idea. --Yes, I change my water often and keep a second water cup on hand with clean water that is dedicated to a second cleaning after the initial one. --Not using washes as much as I used to, and I actually have a couple of dedicated brushes that are blown out for washes. I don't use contrast or speed paints. --Used to be really bad about that, and I'm breaking that habit as we speak with another couple of dedicated (blown out) brushes. --I have noticed that, and try to concentrate on that part carefully when I clean my brushes. Currently using Monument Hobbies' Jentastic Brush Goop and it's pretty awesome. --More the latter number if that. I do tend to be rough on my brushes, to be fair. Which is why I'm using cheaper brushes more these days (like the Princeton Velvetouch I mentioned, I like those a lot!) to that end. Good suggestions, and thanks for the input!

I swear, I must be really hard on my brushes or something. Because even after regular cleaning and maintenance, the points on my brushes both synthetic and sable die after only a few months of use. Regardless of brand, too. Right now I'm working a Princeton Velvetouch synthetic #3 and after 5 months or so of regular use, the point is going out already. What am I doing wrong, if anything, because I can't see how some people claim to get years of use out of their brushes. (No wisecracks about "Don't use synthetic brushes problem solved hurr hurr," please) Any tips on care & feeding of my brushes that might help me out some, here?

The local, an older man who is a roadside sandal merchant and repairman, instantly scopes your footwear, then looks up at you with a bemused demeanor. "Heh, you're definitely not from around these parts, Nii-san. That lot of thugs have been at it for a few months now, harassing local businesses for protection money. Most everybody seems to be going along, too, sadly. Their bluff was called pretty hard by that big fellow at Baba, though, it looks like. You shoulda seen them running," he adds with a grin that has a distinct schadenfreude about it, punctuated with a throaty chuckle. "Me, I swing a hammer well enough that they've left me be so far. But with that big lug in town, maybe they'll think twice before bothering Oba-chan again. She's a very nice lady, a real give you the kimono off her back type if ever there was one. Her food is good, too, son, so definitely give her cooking a try!" Enthusiasm colors his voice in the last sentence as he adds "Oh, and her gyudon is one of the best I've ever had, by the by." (OOC: With a roll like that, you easily got him talking) "And if ever you need new sandals or any repairs, just come to me. I'll cut you a good deal. Hamasaki Saburo is my name."

OK, another thematically appropriate song for the game, and no, no cyborg samurai will rear their heads--I just like this song at lot! 5 pretty Japanese chicks shredding madly (scope dat bass player), with a drummer that just won't stop. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlsOe67JPp0

"NO. I'M A GROUND POUNDER. BOWS AREN'T FOR ME." #6 replies. "I BREAK THEM TOO EASILY." Nagano chips in with "Somehow, Six-san, I am not surprised at that," a bemused expression still on his face at the sight of a construct drinking sake like everybody else. "One who is temperate in his drinking is a good ally to have, as well, Liao-san," he continues as he raises his cup. "Kampai!" Scanning the streets brings Hoshiku no results--assuming there was someone spying at all, they're long gone. You do overhear snippets of conversation mostly centering around the intimidating sight of that huge warrior scaring most everybody on the street with making such a commotion earlier in that huge, booming voice of his--and one conversation in particular catches your ear: "Damn that Flaming Fang gang! Harassing Oba-chan like that isn't right! She's a hard working woman, she doesn't deserve that!" Perhaps chatting with the locals might unveil something else to help you out, it occurs to you...?

"Oh, aye, that's what they're for most of the time!" Rothan is clearly delighted that Hoshiku asked him that. "I'll be talking with Oba-san about that, don't you worry. They make good spies and sometimes distractions if need be!" Oba-san appears mildly concerned about this idea, despite Rothan making it clear he'll be bringing her into the equation. "Don't you wory, Oba-san, they won't be in the way at all!" "If you say so, little friend..." she trails off with a furrowed brow. "I think we can arrange for those...things to be unseen here and there in this room, and at the entrance. Oh, and the best way to leave unseen is through the back way, Kitsune-san." Nagano and #6 approach the table and notice the drinks laid out by the pretty young serving girl--who still seems a bit worried at the sight of the big green foreigner and the massive machine man. #6 manages to situate himself in front of the table and whips out a small gadget that he clips onto the chain by his locket. When Nagano gets settled in, he allows Tchono to pour drinks for all, and to your surprise, #6 picks up one of the saucer cups, balancing it carefully in one huge hand, and booms out "PROST," before, to your surprise, tossing it back like anybody else. After a brief pause where he cocks his head in bemusement, he follows it up with "SMOOTH. I LIKE IT," before holding out his saucer cup for a refill. Nagano seems nonplussed at this...

If there was someone out here, he's long gone, far as Tchono can discern. The street has gone back to normal, with people bustling about and no evidence of any mayhem happening--if nothing else, city folk are good at pretending as though nothing has happened at times like this, it occurs to you. "Oh? How may I assist you, Kitsune-san?" Oba-san is mildly curious and also wary of Hoshiku's request, only mildly allayed by Rothan enthusiastically telling her "Don't worry, he's OK. Fuzzy as he is? I've shared drinks with him, and that makes him fine by me." Nagano finally seems to notice Hoshiku (but with the rolls you made, it's clear he was keeping half an eye on you at all times, it occurs to you) and comments: "Certainly, you may." His tone is carefully neutral, you sense, and as he finally takes a good look at Rothan, and takes in the tools hanging around his kit in a single swift glance. "I gather you are this impressive piece of work's repairman," he asks, to Rothan's smirk of delight. "Among other things! Tell you more in a bit, friend," he declares as he allows Hoshiku to lead them away.