Will Ranka succeed in Riding the SC?Will Saint decipher the message?What's Next?

[Silvanon]

"Oh, hello lovely little one.  So you're our mischief-maker," Silvanon says softly to the fuzzy blue critter as it munches on sunflower seeds.  She places a hand down on the floor, palm up,  near the creature and then holds still, waiting to see if it will approach closer.

[SGA]

Sorry for delay, had movie time with Rosewood

And NP Bun, clarification isn't a bad thing

Off the bus

Once close enough to see beyond the headlights, there is a clear view of the bus door still open, and warm golden light form inside pouring out lighting up the ground.  The snow just outside the bus door has been kicked around and plowed through, leaving a flattened area just under the steps.  The rope tied between Ranka's waist and the steering column is slack now, first dropping to the ground, then being tossed about by the wind.. But the other rope, that had been attached to Saint, rather then being drawn back inside the bus where Saint was meant to take Ray, is stretched instead out towards the drop.  The flattened and churned snow trail follows the path of the rope, where Saint can be seen, a dark shape against the white, lieing on the ground, leaning partway over the edge.  Something silver winks in the light, a foot or so to the side of Saint, where the snow is not only churned, but the ground under has been crumbled and broken apart.

On the bus

Pale blue, almost white eyes watch Silvanon as it continues to grab seed after seed, holding them in it's paws and nibbling daintily, if quickly on them.  The pile quickly disappears, and the eyes finally look away as the creature sniffs around searching for any crumbs left, or any stray seeds.  Finding none it turns and slowly approaches Silv's hand, sniffing at her palm, whiskers twitching furiously.  Finally, it crawls onto her hand and sits up, looking up at her it begins making a chattering (http://chirb.it/82HdKg) sound.

[Arty]

I scrabble at the side, grabbing at roots and rocks just to try and crawl up the ledge. My hand catches something and I try to haul myself up the edge, failing miserably in the strength department.

[Elenaria]

Saint has a sudden epiphany that the entirety of this trip is going to be like thisn: one crisis after another.  The thought makes him smile grimly and he quickly pulls the rope back up to him.  In the next heartbeat he has his scarf loosened, then off, and he quickly secures it part of the way down the rope.  Not at the end; no, it seemed long enough to reach her and have the end go beyond.  He wishes, suddenly, that he had learned everyone's names, like he would have on a new project. 

"Hey!" he called again as he worked to weave and tie the scarf around the rope.  He didn't want to lose it.  "Hey, my name is Saint! What's yours?  I'm going to throw down a rope.  Can you grab it?"  If he can just get her to grab on, he's certain he can pull her up, if for no other reason because of adrenaline.  He just has to get her holding on to the rope.

[Bunraku]

"Saint!" No reply. Halting abruptly in the trampled area between the bus and the overhang, a brief cessation in the wind provided by the bus serving as a buffer allows Ranka's vision a moment of clarity. Green eyes flicker to the open door, the warm golden glow of the track lighting within promising warmth, shelter from the biting wind slowly robbing his face and hands of feeling. Yet his gaze wanders to the trampled snow underfoot, his own slack chord, and the second one attached to Saint, tight-

He catches a flash of silver out of the corner of his eye, his head turning sharply to follow it. In the near distance, he can hear the muffled sound of Saint's voice, see the dim outline of his form lying in the snow.

It doesn't take long for him to put two and two together, and before the curse has left his lips, he is already bounding through the snow, sliding to a halt at Saint's side.

"I didn't get eaten. Need a hand?" The comment seems out of place given the circumstances, but he cant help letting the wry humor escape him. Its far better than what he wants to do-which is tear his hair out in sheer frustration that everything that can go wrong, has gone wrong, and curse himself for being right from the start. Glancing down at the woman who has fallen, he doesn't bother to ask what has happened-its quite obvious. Again, a flash of silver distracts him, and glancing down, he catches sight of the locket in the snow.

Yet he has no time to truly contemplate why its there, other than that the woman probably lost it during the fall.

[SweetCaroline]

*As I sit there on the floor of the bus, my hand against Silvanon's backpack I can feel the little creature moving inside. I imagine what it must be feeling, being trapped in the cold, dark place with so many strange noises going on around it. And some creature much larger than it who seems to be blocking it's only escape. (Poor little thing must be frightened I think to myself) Then all of a sudden I feel something warm & wet move ever so slightly on the palm of my hand & then this very small reddish brown and tan creature is all of a sudden sitting on my hand, little claws digging (probably to keep from falling I think), it's long tail wraps around my wrist. It tucks it's wee little head down near it's chest & seems to have decided I am it's new bed.* "Ohhhhh How cute! Poor little thing must be scared to death. I wonder where it came from, & where it's mother is. It doesn't look to be to very old & it is much smaller than the one that has befriended Silvanon" *I gently stroke it's forehead with my index finger Then go back to my seat taking it with me. I sit down next to Riverwind & show her the little darling.* "Isn't it just adorable?" I ask her.

[Arty]

I hear a voice calling out to me and I look up to see a rope coming at me. I catch the end and smile a little, "I'm Arty, thank you Saint!" I wrap the rope around my waist and try to climb up it, still failing miserably.

I completely fail at physical stuff XD

[Elenaria]

Arty, Saint filed that away to hopefully attach to a face once he got the woman up here.  He was half-distracted by the arrival of his friend, and the relief that swamped through him very nearly made his hands loosen.  They did not, but only because he noted the weakening as he gave a sharp gasp inwards.

"Ranka," the relief was just as evident in his tone.  "Just as well; you probably taste horrible and it would have come after us anyway."  He wants to ask what it was, but there are far more vital things to focus on right now. 

"Hey, Arty, this is Ranka.  Do you have a hold of the rope?  Just hold on to it really tight, and we'll pull you up.  Okay?  Hold on now!"  He's worried about her grip loosening, worried about her sliding, worried, even, about them sliding down over the side themselves.  But at least that's less likely with Ranka here.  And as long as Arty can hold on, he and the other man are tied on.  "Ready?" he asks the lithe man quietly.  "On 3.  1...2...3!"

[Arty]

I hear voices above me but can't quite make them out, just as I'm about to call back I feel myself being hauled up the steep incline and I catch the edge with my hands as it comes into view and help to get myself back onto flat ground, "Thanks guys, I'm glad you found me." I collapsed onto the ground, my back against the bus and breathed deeply. "Well... that was fun...

[Bunraku]

Even amidst the tension of the situation, he manages to laugh "Yes-next time remind me to bring plenty of BBQ sauce along, I imagine I'll go down a little more smoothly that way."

His tone is dry, but he flashes Saint a grin as he leans forwards, bracing himself on his knees as he takes hold of the rope. Wrapping it partially around his wrist as he grips it, cold muscle tightens along the length of his arms, and nods once. As Ready as he'll ever be.

"On 3.  1...2...3!"

He pulls back, feeling Arty's weight on the other end of the rope, relying on strength garnered from training with the bo to serve him as both men try to pull her upwards. There is a long moment where both are pulling, and Arty is scrabbling to get her footing, yet finally, the tension on the rope eases, and Ranka lets himself fall back in the snow next to Arty.

He breaths out a soft curse, exhaled on a wreath of condenced breath in the cold air, but there is a smile on his lips as he rises to his feet, brushing snow off of his jacket before offering Arty his hand to help her up. "Don't you just love a good romp in the snow? Next time you want to make a snow Angel, don't try it near the edge of a drop off." He jokes, laughing softly "Come on, let's get inside. I have a...message to pass along to Sascha and the others." He glances at saint as if to say 'a really interesting one'.

[Silvanon]

Silvanon smiles happily as the little blue creature settles into her hand.  The noises it makes now sound much calmer and more friendly than what it made before.  "Hello to you  too," she tells it.  Very carefully she shifts into a more comfortable sitting position and continues murmuring nonsense.  She focuses on moving slowly and keeping things quiet.

[Riverwind]

"Awww! He's so cute!" River says to her mother, gently stroking the little creature. "Are you going to keep it?"


OOC: Shortest RP post ever lol I'll make my next one longer I promise v.v

[SweetCaroline]

"Well if his mother doesn't come looking for him then of course I'll keep him. He seems much to young to take care of himself & it is very cold outside. I'd hate to think of him freezing or starving to death." *Gently strokes the sleeping baby & smiles* "I'm so glad I found you Little Bit."

[Arty]

laksdjf;oihas;oidhfoas;dlg;aoishi

well.... I was told to post but not what to post ^^;;

I go to stand up and notice my locket on the ground but the chain is nowhere in sight, I sigh and hold the locket to my chest, stepping onto the bus. 'I wonder how long it will take me to find another chain like that...' I wondered dimly to myself as I sat down in the first seat. I look around and notice that Silv has a small squirrel like creature in her hand. I tilt my head, just staring at it. "I think I hit my head... that squirrel is blue..."

[SGA]

As per advice/request I am just going on the assumption that all 3 of you are boarding the bus at this time, so that I can post lol  Feel free to describe whatever you do/say etc before and during your boarding if you wish.



Back on the bus, Ray is seated in Sascha's seat with his right leg propped up, his foot is bare, the shoe and sock having been removed at some point and the ankle is swollen and bruised.  His head leans back against the window, and Sascha hovers over him.  At the arrival of Arty, Saint and Ranka his eyes open and he smiles faintly. "Good, you're back.  Saint, Sascha says someone tried to get through on the radio.. she couldn't get reception clear enough to hear, but maybe a message made it out."  Turning his eyes to Ranka he frowns a bit noting the mans unkempt hair and remembering the 'maybe' thing in the pass "Are we good?  Everything OK out there?"

Hearing Arty's words, he glances over, then back at Silv, and SweetCaroline, noticing the little creatures for the first time.  "Sascha, where did those come from?" 

Turning, finally, to look at them herself she frowns "I'm not sure, the portals maybe.."  Wandering over to SweetCaroline and Silvanon in turn she peers at the creatures they hold "The little one looks like a baby sugar glider, but we don't have those around here.  The bigger one kind of looks like a glider too, except for the obvious wrongness of the color.. "  Looking back to the baby she scowls and wrinkles her nose "And it looks like that one helped itself to my lunch!"  Shaking her head she addresses SweetCaroline and Silvanon "There will be cages you can use at the camp, we keep an assortment of cages, aquariums and such on hand just in case.. never know what we'll need with this job.  I guess they're full for now.."  Frowning again at the baby and muttering "all that meat in that tiny body, it better be full!"  Turning she goes back to Ray and continues to fuss over him.

The blue creature, apparently finished  'talking' to Silv, suddenly scuttles up her arm to her shoulder, where it quickly grabs a hold of her hair and proceeds to hide in it.  A few seconds more and there is a soft gurgling sound coming from the little body as it sleeps, pressed against Silv's neck.

OK at this point I'd like to say, you are welcome to name your new little friends as you find them, or if you want you can trade them with each other first.  There will be NO certs for these, as I want to get them made into an agency.  But I will update an owners list for them with names as needed.

Oh and YAY cause I realized that now that we have release, I can have people in join me again.. assuming it actually works right lol

[Silvanon]

Silvanon can't seem to stop grinning as the little creature falls asleep in her hair.  She carefully settles herself back in her seat, while musing on what to name her new little friend.  "Icey would be appropriate, " she finally concludes.  That taken care of, she finally turns her attention to what's going on with the rest of the bus and realizes that everyone has returned.  "Welcome back guys," she greets.

[Bunraku]

I'll post today guys <3

[Elenaria]

sera has been equally slow, Bun; no worries!  hehe. <3 Yay, new critters! =-0 <3

A message?  There's no time to ask the man about it now; it's better for them to just get on the bus and get out of the cold for a little while!  Brrr!  Of course, there's no stop to the excitement of this trip.  As soon as he's on the bus, there's work, but at least it's something that he's more equipped to deal with!  He moves quickly to the nearest radio, prepared to start working on it.

His gaze follows Arty's and he bites off an exclamation.  "If you did, so did I," he mutters. Definitely blue rodents of some type.  "Was that what was scrabbling on the roof?"  Even as he asks, though, he discards the thought.  He was fairly certain he and Ranka had seen what had been on the roof.  And he did not particularly want to run into it again. 

With another shake of his head, he quickly begins to fiddle with the radio, wondering if he can figure out a way to get better reception when the interference is so bad.

[Riverwind]

As River is sitting there watching the little creature sleep on SweetCaroline's hand, a question forms in her head. Raising her hand a bit tentatively, she calls up to Sascha "Umm...Who is going to be our new driver? Ray obviously can't drive, what with his injuries."

[SGA]

Watching Saint begin trying to fix the Bus's radio, she ponders his question a moment before answering "You know, I think they were..  While they do have small paws, the nails are rather long for their size, and appear quite sharp.  I find it interesting that they seem to function similar to a racoons.. or even a small monkey's.  They've definitely shown an ability to grasp things at any rate.  And we were paying attention to the door, so they probably entered through River's window, which does suggest access from the roof.." 

Turning then to face River she listens to her question, and a look of horror flicks briefly across her face before it is quickly hidden and she tries to compose herself "Oh.. oh well.. I"  pausing she looks at Ray who appears to be dozing now, then back at River and bites her lip "I'm afraid I don;t know how to drive, let alone a bus.."  Glancing around at everyone she chews her lip some more "I don;t suppose. do any of you know how to drive a bus?"

*color color color* two more RP furries colored up and waiting for a good time to release muahaha

Annd got to start planning for next event after Rp ends.  And try and sort out how I want to do breeding, I had it figured out but changed my mind, now got to re-figure things lol  Got to get it sorted for sure this time, because depending on how much longer this RP runs, next event might just be the first breeding rofl

And finally, if anyone that isn't already on the list for being on the bus wants to join the RP, send me a PM and I will figure out a way to insert your character somehow.

[Bunraku]

"I don;t suppose. do any of you know how to drive a bus?"

"That won't be necessary." Ranka's voice is calm as he stoops slightly to board the bus, straightening to his full height only once he is standing in the isle. Even so, the man is so tall that he seems almost cramped in the confines of the bus, even more so now that the wind and weather has disheveled his appearance. Long hair, falling well past his shoulders, has come loose from its bindings in a tangle that lays wildly across the shoulders of his jacket, and though the voice he speaks in is level, there is some wildness in his eyes which suggests a spark of something feral beneath, as if something he has seen has woken something within the man.

"Everyone please listen." Green eyes flicker to each face in turn, even to Saint, though the man is preoccupied with the radio. "While we were out searching for Ray, the Heard Mother approached and spoke to me." He lifts a hand, laying it quietly on the back of one of the seats, his eyes a little distant for a moment, as though reliving the memory of the wind and the gentle voice that spoke in his mind through the storm "She wants us to be ready to leave, she doesn't have the means to clear a path for the bus, but from what she has said it seems she is bringing help." He glances at Sascha, then to Ray where he was resting in one of the seats. Finally, his eyes settle on the small, blue creature in Silvanon's hand, and he lifts a brow "Though judging by events as they currently stand...I don't know what manner of help." He murmurs, as if to himself.

[SweetCaroline]

*I hear Sascha mention the offer of the use of a cage when we reach base camp & worry how frightening that might be for the little creatures her & Silvanon have found. I turn to look at Silvanon with her strangely, but beautiful colored friend* "Hey Silv! What do you think about letting our little friends share a cage when & IF! we reach base camp? That way they can keep each other company while we help out where ever we can with the goings on up there & our little ones won't be quite so frightened from being closed up in such a strange thing as I'm sure the cage will seem to them?" *I look at Silvanon & can see the blue fur slightly through her hair & wonder to myself how on earth it became blue. Mine seems such a normal color.'reddish brown' Kind of like the meat it stole from Sascha. Then I realize Silvanon's little friend resembles the color of my glove it stole to make a bed out of. Very Strange that*

*I look up toward the front of the bus as I hear Ranka telling us we are to be ready to leave & mentioning getting instructions from what he calls a herd mother. * "What on earth is a Herd Mother? And just what kind of herd are you talking about?"

[Silvanon]

Silvanon nods at SweetCaroline's suggestion.  "That sounds like a really good idea.  Well, provided we keep an eye on them for awhile after to make sure they get along alright.  I don't want them in the same cage if they're going to fight, of course.  I'm not sure how territorial these guys are."

[Riverwind]

River sees the look of horror, or maybe terror, cross Sascha's face, before it is quickly covered up. "I don't suppose. Do any of you know how to drive a bus?" she hears Sascha ask the entirety of the group. Taking a quick look around, she sees that everyone seems to be puzzled, and everyone is looking at each other questioningly.

There is a movement at the front of the bus, and the man called Ranka boards. "That won't be necessary," he says. He then proceeds to tell everyone about the "Herd Mother." Addressing the man, she voices her concerns. "Pardon me for pointing it out, but, do you know how to drive the bus? If this 'Herd Mother' says that we need to be ready to move, I assume that means be ready to drive the bus. Unless of course we are meant to walk through this wretched weather. And if that's the case, I personally would rather stay on the bus and wait it out. What is this 'Herd Mother,' anyway? How do we know it can be trusted?"

Taking a breath after what felt like a long speech, River pulls her coat tighter around her, and notices that her bracelet is missing. Looking up, she asks, "Hey, guys! Has anyone seen a black bracelet with a monarch pendant lying around anywhere? I seem to have lost it. It was very dear to me, from a good friend of mine who I haven't seen in awhile..."

[SweetCaroline]

"That's a good idea Silvanon. I would hate to see either one of them get hurt"

*I glance at Riverwind* "You lost your bracelet? Maybe it fell off while you were helping look for my glove. You check the floor & I'll check our seat." *I begin trying to check our seat with only 1 hand as the little creature is still clinging tight to my other hand as it sleeps.*

[Riverwind]

River looks under everyone's stuff that's sitting in the floor. She asks each person to get up for a moment so she can check to make sure they are not sitting on it for some reason. The bracelet is nowhere to be found. "Well I really don't know where else to look. I had it on my wrist when I boarded the bus, and I have been on the bus ever since. It's got to be here somewhere!" she exclaims frustratedly.

[sera]

Saint finishes the next step in his work, an attempt that has a small chance of being useful though he's not going to hold his breath.  Ranka's words, however, make him turn to glance upward at his friend.  His brow furrowed, a frisson of unease racing down his spine, as though an ice cube was sliding down his back.  What... what was Ranka talking about?  The man looks like he's had some sort of spiritual experience.  The unease is tempered with a flare of... jealousy.  Saint tamps it down swiftly, unwilling to host such a disagreeable emotion now.  What had happened to Ranka during the time they were separated?

Dark eyes jerk towards Riverwind at her 'speech'.  His lips purse and he rises to his feet suddenly.  "He already said she couldn't make a path for the bus."  Defensiveness.  Why was he so defensive?  He puts up his hands in a momentary motion of surrender.  "Sorry."  He was on edge; this trip felt like a horror movie.  Skittering things, people disappearing in a blizzard, blue rodents....

The man hesitates, glances at Ranka once more, then brushes just past the other man to check the controls of the bus.  "If Ray could talk me through it, I could probably manage it a short way, but this is not the time to try to learn to drive a new vehicle." Saint glances back towards Ray, dark eyes serious.  "How much further through this snow before the bus is too bogged down to move?"  Because once it did, they couldn't even safely leave the thing running, not without chancing carbon monoxide poisoning.  And leaving the doors or windows open now?  No way.  It was too cold out there and, with the way the storm was blowing, it was planning to just continue.  "We may not have a choice."  The last words, spoken softly, he hadn't even meant to say aloud.

[Bunraku]

Green eyes flash with a spark of anger, Riverwind's words awakening some glimpse of the wildness lingering beneath the mans calm exterior. For a moment, all of his carefully contained emotions regarding their situation can be seen in the lines of tension that tighten the muscles of his jaw, indignation, frustration, and no small amount of fear. They may have been out in the middle of no where at the heart of a crisis, but he wasn't blind, and he hadn't started seeing things. The heard mother had spoken to him. It wasn't just a figment of his imagination, a childish whim come to life, how could River question what he had seen, felt, when a little blue...he didn't even know what it was...was sitting on Silvanon's hands as pretty as you please?

Yet Saint's voice interrupted any angry words he might have spoken. Surprise flickered briefly across his features as he glanced at the other man, his expression fading into a faint, tense smile. At least Saint believed him, that had to count for something.

Catching Saints eye as he glances in his direction, Ranka gives him a slight nod of thanks, releasing a soft sigh. Looking down at his hand, where it still grips the back of one of the seats, he loosens his fingers slowly, letting it fall back to his side.

"The Heard Mother is a horse." He says, softly, with a faint hint of embarrassment once Saint has finished speaking, his voice pitched low, again as though he is speaking to himself. The green eyes flicker momentarily to River, before they shift to the windows, a hint of anxiousness in his bearing.

[SGA]

I burnt the center finger of my main hand, so can't type too good atm.  It hurts to move any of them.  Not good with the left.  So not forgetting this, just need to wait for pain to cease to post.  Burn is weird, no marks, blisters, or anything, just finger swelling.  And hurting.  Lots of hurting  Soaking in aloe vera atm, feels helpful anyway.  Dunno how long till swelling lessons.

sorry for delay

Edit: cause bad post was annoying -.-

[SGA]

Listening to the conversation's around her she absently pats Ray's shoulder, a gesture of comfort, and perhaps concern as the man leans against the window, eyes closed.  Turning wide eyes to Ranka she murmurs "The Herd Mother.. " brow furrowing a bit in thought she answers River's question quietly, wide eyes still glued to Ranka "She is real enough.. but no one has ever met her."  Turning now to look at River she attempts to explain "Herd mother is more of a title, or a job position.. "  Shaking her head in frustration "that's not quite right either..  The closets I can relate it to human terms is she is the herd's caretaker.  Herd Mother is what the Storm Chasers call the designated caretaker of the foals.  Like a babysitter, or a permanent nanny.  We don't know how one gets chosen, or how long they 'serve' in the role, but for the duration they live and wander .. patrol really.. in  a set area and care for any foals.  They watch over them, keep them safe, teach them about dangers, how to survive, really.  They can be quite fierce and deadly, in the defense of their charges"  Turning her attention back to Ranka she looks at him oddly, seeming to reassess prior opinions of the man "No one has ever seen a Herd mother before, let alone had one speak with them..  Until very recently, we knew nothing about them at all.."  Trailing off she quickly turns her attention back to Ray as he gives a brief pain cry, trying to move his leg.



Cursing at his injury he looks around a bit blearily "what.. what's going on now?"  Blinking sleepily at Saint he frowns in concentration "How far.. Once we are through the pass, we should be fine.."  Closing his eyes on another grimace, he then opens them and meets Saint's eyes "pass is the problem.. if it's filled , we're stuck here.. all depends how deep it's got.."  Laying his head back against the window again, his eyes once again sink shut.


Biting her lip Sascha looks at Saint and Ranka "Once through the gap" Pausing she frowns down at ray briefly then back at the two men "the pass.. there is no more drop off, instead we'll enter a covered area of the roadway.. tree's line either side, and overhang the road.  The branches are grown so thick and close, they have tangled with the branches of the tree's from the opposite side.  A sort of natural tunnel.  Some snow may have gotten through, but unless the canopy has become damaged, there shouldn't be much at all.  And the camp were headed to isn't much farther beyond that."



The radio suddenly comes to life again with a loud crackle of static, a male voice can be heard speaking intermittent with the static, the interference only letting some of the mans words get through. 

Ray?  Ray static hear static Kadana is static made static trailer a while static multiple portal static the gates static small, static all over static mountain!  staticme kind of Sugstaticer type creature.. static harmlessstatic thieves staticwindows shut, static make off static supplies.  staticana's trying static Storm Chasers went, static and let static they static corral static gone.  static know where static went.. static look out Ray!

Following the initial bust of static form the radio a muffled crabbing noise comes from Saint's scarf, where it lies forgotten still wrapped up in the rope.



So sorry guys, finger is mostly better.  I can type again anyway.  So I picked up that clear microwave tray, after the microwave ran for 6 minutes on high.  I did lightly touch it first, and it didn't feel hot.  So I grabbed it and went to put it into the sink (a matter of less then a foot, seriously, the microwave sits on the counter right beside the sink!) but by the time I got it over top the sink, searing pain hit my hand.  It wasn't gradual, it was just sudden "Oh %^&$ OW!".  At which point I dropped the glass tray (less then 6 inches!) into the sink (mostly) and it shattered everywhere.  mostly into the sink, but some made it onto the counter and floor somehow.  My hand did look undamaged at that point, and the pain was gone immediately upon releasing the glass tray.  So I did think I was fine.  Ran under water a bit anyway, and went about making dinner.  But found it wasn't quite so OK, as every time I got it anywhere NEAR the stove, the heat coming off of it made my hand sear with pain again.  It wasn't long after that my finger started swelling.  I'm glad it was only one, but I do wish it had been a different one.  I don;t for example, use the last two fingers on my hands to type..Or write, color, eat, drink.. heh

I have some of those little dressing cups that they give you with your salad in restaurants, its never enough dressing!  But I filled it THREE times with aloe vera gel, and just sat with my finger resting in it.  Three cups of that, before my finger finally stopped absorbing it all.  I've been burned before, and not a few times either lol  (firebug).  but never like this.  My finger still has no mark on it.  The swelling is gone now, and while my skin is super sensitive, it doesn't hurt any more unless I put pressure on it, or get it on/in something warm.  (found that out when washing my hands).  So I'm fine now, just frustrated with curiosity over why my finger has no marks, and why it swelled up instead of blistering.  Darn thing swelled so bad at one point I couldn't move it, and the nail was cutting into my skin a bit.  So odd..

And now I shall go and edit previous post, because the crappy typing/spelling etc is bugging me -.-

[Riverwind]

River nods at Sascha. "Yes I guess that explains it," she says. Turning to Ranka and Saint, she continues, "I am sorry if I upset either of you. I just like to know what I'm dealing with when it comes to a crisis like this. Please accept my most sincere apology." She lowers her head in a slight bow, not wishing to be on the bad side of these two men.

[SweetCaroline]

Saint drive bus? if Ray can talk him through it. But Ray keeps going in & out of consciousness.

*As I sit listening to Ranka's & Sascha's explanation about the Herd Mother & Saints offer to drive the bus if Ray could talk him through it (A near impossibility in my opinion as Ray seems to be drifting in & out of consciousness) & watching Saint working on the radio i all of a sudden hear a male voice coming through the radio. It's clearly trying to talk to Ray, but I can't figure out what he is trying to say. Something about Creatures, gates, Kadana, trailer, all over the mountain. WAIT!! Trailer, all over the mountain, Kadana!!??? I pray she hasn't wrecked. I look toward the men at the front of the bus, then at Sascha & try to decipher our situation. Saint doesn't seem to be able to drive the bus without Ray's guidance, Ray is in no shape in my opinion to guide anyone, Ranka hasn't mentioned even trying to drive the bus, seems like he thinks someone is going to just drive up & rescue us all. But didn't the Herd Mother tell him to have everyone ready to go? Perhaps she meant for us to be ready to drive out of here, or perhaps she intended to send someone to drive us out. No way to tell as I/we didn't get the pleasure of speaking with her. All we have to go on is what Ranka has told us, which wasn't much or very clear. And Sascha!! She doesn't seem to be able to do much of anything other than fuss & fret over Ray. She must be his girlfriend or something. I look up toward the 2 men at the front of the bus once more with worry for Kadana's safety evident in my eyes.* "If I have to, then I'll drive the bus, How hard could it be anyway? You turn the key over, put it in gear & hit the gas. A child could probably do it if given the chance. And if it's to hard, if we wreck then how much worse off could we be than sitting here freezing to death. Walking out of here would be better than this, at least we'd be moving & if we bundle up & keep moving then we should stay fairly warm. When you sit still is when you are the coldest.If there is any objections to me trying to drive this thing, or if there is someone more qualified than me who would like to speak up then please say so. Because if we don't do something soon I'm afraid we may all freeze to death out here." *I put the little creature who has been attached to my hand for some time inside my remaining glove to keep it warm & hopefully safe. I put the glove into the large inside pocket of my fur lined coat to give it even more protection from the cold, put on my coat, wrap my scarf around my neck tucking the loose ends into the front of my coat across my chest for extra warmth there & zip the coat shut. I ask Sascha for the spare gloves she had mentioned earlier. I am prepared to leave the bus & start walking if need be.(hopefully it won't be necessary, but I am ready just in case) I address the 2 men, & everyone else on the bus who might be awake* " What's it going to be folks, do I attempt to drive this thing, or someone else attempt it, or do I start walking? *I look at Riverwind "Are you coming with me if I go or staying here waiting?'

[Riverwind]

River looks around at everyone, feeling quite uneasy. It's really not a good idea for anyone to be out in that storm! "Mom," she says, addressing SweetCaroline. "I'm sorry, but...I can't possibly let you go out in that weather. And you don't have any idea how to drive a bus! Kadana would kill me if I let you do anything rash. So how about we just sit down and let the men do all the work." She attempts to guide her mother back down into the seat they were sharing. "Here," she says, "have an extra blanket. The temperature is starting to drop some more." She hands her mother the blanket and tries to coax her into sitting down by the window.

[SGA]

I have been asked to "God Mode" Marshal's RP post for him.  I don't know him well enough to feel comfy with making you interact with others, not even Sunny lol  SO if his post seems not quite "him" this is why.

Also combining MY post bits with his post, for convenience.  Just seems simpler to me then me posting for me, then for him, then for me, then him etc.  I hope this doesn't make things too confusing!

A loud crack! outside, as another branch succumbs to it's load.  This one sounded close, and the sound echoes briefly.  As the echo fades, sudden scrabbling can be heard from the top of the bus, seemingly inside, in the overhead compartments.  The exact location the sounds come form, which seat's compartment, is unclear.  Just incessant scritching, from both sides of the bus..

Up on the right side, a brief flash of silver and gold has marshal hurrying quickly over, could this somehow be his missing cross.. how in the world did it get up there though?  reaching up to the compartment for the cross, a sudden yip has him jerking back, and the pendant falls to the floor.  Glancing from the compartment to the floor, he finally bends down to retrieve his beloved cross, only to have a solid weight land thump on the back of his neck, tiny claws digging into his shirt as the creature hangs the rest of it's body over his shoulder, front paws (hands?!) snatching frantically at the dropped cross.



How odd!  Very carefully he holds the cross to the creature, letting it get its little paws wrapped around it, before gently lifting it from his shoulder.  This one is quite a bit larger then the others, but still small.  Not quite the size of a house cat.. it's fur seems to match the colors of the pendant it so covets. 

Very carefully he carries the creature over to his wife, showing her not only his missing cross now found, but the unusual creature as well.

[Elenaria]

Saint sighs; the back and forth is the sort of thing he most easily gets tired of.  He's not willing to just leave the bus to make the decision, especially since it's apparent they-- all of them, including himself-- just need a designated leader. 

He pauses to take a breath, sorting through the choices.  If they move slowly, they can at least see if the bus is safe to drive.  It can't be better than just sitting here!  He's still terribly aware of the chance of carbon monoxide poisoning.  He had a friend nearly die that way; he wasn't risking an entire bus full of people.

"It won't hurt to try moving the bus," he announces, glancing at Ranka.  "See how far up the road we can get in it."  His lips quirk up in a sudden grin.  "We can always abandon it later, after all."  And they knew Kadana wasn't on the road in front of them, at least for a little ways, because they'd walked up the road a ways themselves. 

"I can drive stick, and I have a lot of experience driving trailers, so--"  he cuts himself off when the radio suddenly crackles to life and he holds up a forestalling hand without even thinking, closing his eyes and listening closely to the words cutting in and out.  He frowns when the radio kicks back off.  His attention is drawn to his scarf, but with his mind wrapped up in trying to analyze the message he doesn't think about why it's drawn his attention.  He reaches down to pick it up, using just one hand to pull up the cloth.  "We need to get moving," he says, or, at least, begins to say.

[SGA]

A sudden loud hard gust of wind blows down the mountain, and the bus groans as it is slammed in the side.  The back tires begin to slide, ever so slowly towards the edge, then the wind stops and the wheels settle back again.  Gasping and giving Saint wide eyes Sascha clings to the back of the seat by Ray's head "I think.. can we maybe try it soon?"  As Saint picks up his scarf, it seems to move again, and something scuttles up the length as he lifts it, stopping when it reaches his hand, bright eyes staring as it twitches it's nose and chatter's at him for disturbing it's bed.

[SweetCaroline]

*I look at Riverwind as she speaks to me & tries to get me to go back to my seat.* "I'm sorry for acting so rash sweety, but I can't help it, I'm worried about your sister out t6here in this mess. It's hard to just sit around waiting for what seems like forever. There is no telling when the weather will let up." *I sit back down in my seat as Riverwind suggest & turn to stare out the window.*

*Up ahead I hear Saint saying something about trying to move the bus a little to see if it will go & I hear Sascha encouraging him to do it soon.  i look forward to see if Saint is actually going to move the bus & I see out the corner of my eye a silver looking creature in Marshal's hand & it seems to have his cross pendant in it's tiny little paws.* "Wow Marshal! It seems to match your cross in coloring. Quite odd. It seems like we have discovered a small band of little mischievous thieves. They do seem quite harmless though." *i look back toward the front again to see what Saint has decided to do & I see yet another blue creature, this one clinging to Saint's scarf & it is chattering something fierce at him.* "Hmm-mm, that one seems to match your scarf Saint."

[sera]

Saint freezes as the bus begins to move.  Only he and Sascha seem to be utterly freaked out by it, so perhaps he had just imagined-- "Holy sh-!"  He barely manages to cut the curse off as he stares at something chattering at him.  He stares down at it, cobalt eyes wide in shock.  "UHM.  Okay.  Shhhooooooooooooot, okay.  Okay."  He gently brings up his other hand to cup the creature, half afraid it's going to bite him.  "Bus.  We gotta take care of the bus first."  He lifts his hands up, offering the... thing his shoulder to sit on.  "These things are everywhere."

He scoots past Ranka, and quickly takes his place at the seat.  He takes a long moment, longer than he wants to spend on it, scanning the controls and dials.  He wants a fairly clear idea of what each thing does before he actually puts the bus into gear.  He glances back over his shoulder to offer the bus a bright grin, though really he's checking to see if Ray is still out.  No help from that quarter. 

"All right, kiddos," he says brightly, though.  "Hold on and prepare to abandon ship."  When he turns back forward, though, the humor slides away and he focuses everything on getting th ebus into gear and then trying to get it to begin to inch forward.  In hindsight, they should never have stopped. 

Saint licks his lips, calling quietly over his shoulder.  "Hey, Ranka?"  When the man approaches, he continues in a low voice.  "Help me keep a look out for those things?"  He really doesn't want to run into them now, and despite his joking, he's not planning to make the bus go very quickly at all.

[Bunraku]

Ranka's stomach lurches as he feels the bus shift, green eyes widening. Reflexively, his hand returns to the seat in front of him, gripping the fabric so hard that the leather gloves protecting his hands from the cold creak slightly beneath the tension. His gaze flickers to Saint, but the man has already pushed past him, moving to take the drivers seat.

His attention is abruptly drawn away from his own sudden distress by the chattering going on behind him, and he turns, lifting a brow at the creature objecting to Saint reclaiming his scarf. Reaching up to shove his bangs out of his eyes, he attempts to regain his composure as he moves to Saint's side, releasing the seat to stand behind him, his black and silver scarf slipping away from his own shoulder as he moves.

Bracing himself against one of the metal saftey rails, he leans down, speaking low "Nothing so far, but it doesn't mean they arent there..." He murmurs dryly. Glancing at the creature on Saint's shoulder once again, the increasing sensation that he's in the middle of some bazaar dream slowly takes hold, yet he pushes it away. "Just.... don't feed it after dark or get it wet...remember the movie Gremlins?"

[Riverwind]

River gives a relieved sigh when her mother sits down it the seat beside the window. Sitting down beside her, she notices movement at the front of the bus. It looks as though Saint has taken control and has decided to drive the bus. Well it's about time! she thinks. Now let's just hope he can actually drive the thing and doesn't get us all killed.

[SGA]

The little creature climbs onto Saint's shoulder, little claws digging into his coat, seeming content to remain.

The bus moves, inch by slow inch through the wind and snow towards the turn up ahead, and the pass beyond.  Rounding the curve, the headlights suddenly shine brightly, illuminating much farther then the storm previously allowed.  But the storm isn't nearly as bad all of a sudden, and up ahead, dark shapes move towards the bus.  As the bus and the shapes move towards each other, the storm seems to subside almost completely along this section of the road, leaving the Storm Chasers now clearly visible in the headlights. 





At the sight of the bus rounding the corner the trio comes to a stop, before one finally steps forward ahead of the others.  Where there is still a slight breeze playing with the other two's mains, this ones main likes quietly, not a hair straying from place as the breeze seems unable to touch him.    We were sent to help you through  a feeling like a cool crisp wind flits briefly through the mind, accompanying the words she said you would be waiting.



paws at the ground, bringing your attention to the fact that the snow is melted in a path from him, all the way back to the pass.  we have to hurry, can't hold it long



Snorting equine laughter at his companion   so weak!  And all you have to do is clear what's already there..  I'm the one that has to keep it form falling  Shaking his main out and sidestepping farther from his friend he teases maybe I should let some through.. so you can have more practice



With an almost human sigh the first stallion turns his attention back to the bus I apologize, they are young, and the storm makes them want to play.. if you are ready?  We can keep the way clear, but you must stay close.

I feel I did not do this post too well, have I said how much I hate and suck at RP'ing an animal?  Even a highly intelligent telepathic one heh  Full body horse images are clickable to their pages if you want to check out stats, and coat colors etc, as well as full size images.

[Sunchaser]

Sunchaser smiled at her husbands new friend before feeling the bus move under them. She looked forward and as it stopped again tilted her head. "Whats?...." She trailed off as she saw what made them stop. "If you guys ever need to switch drivers, I can drive the bus too." She mumbled before looking at the three storm chasers. They where beautiful and she could feel the power coming off them in waves. Oh yes she would have to talk to Kadana later. She looked towards the radio. "Are we still fiddling with that thing to see if we can get a clear signal?"

She had not done much on this trip but she wanted to try and do more. She knew when they got off the bus she would be more use but she still wanted to do something. Her brown eyes traveled, looking at the others before turning back to the storm chasers. "Is it safe to stay in the bus or do we need to gear up and follow you on foot?" Her fingers played with her braclet as she tried to figure out the best way she could be of use.

(sorry i havn't been around... i love you all o.o )

[Bunraku]

I think you did great Kadana ^.^

[Silvanon]

Silvanon can't help but grow more and more tense as the bus slowly moves forward.  She is keenly aware that they had slid a little at the start, and there is a cliff edge nearby.  She gives a big sigh of relief and the tension drains out of her when the trio of Storm Chasers appear.  "Oh thank goodness!" she murmurs.  "We should be ok now."

[Bunraku]

This dice roll has been tampered with!
Rolled 1d4 : 2, total 2

>.> <.< >.>

*flees*

[Elenaria]

It's petrifying to have to drive this huge vehicle with so many lives relying on his ability to do something he'd never had reason to learn before.  Despite that, though, his grip on the wheel is firm, not overly tight.  His eyes remain firmly focused on the road, concentrating on what he's doing, though his lips quirk up once at Ranka's teasing. 

It's only when the storm begins to ease that his shoulders relax a little, and that's also the moment that he realizes he's been tensing.  Hardly surprising.  He carefully slows the bus again when he realizes that there's... figures waiting out in the slowly diminishing storm.  "Ranka..." he almost asks if the other man can see them, but then it's apparent that they all can.  Not his imagination, or, worse, hallucinations from concentrating so hard.  Saint gives a low, careful sigh.  His grin returns in full force.  Saved by horses.  He had not expected that to be the way his day went.

He glances back over his shoulder once more, wondering if the horses can hear them, or hear their thoughts or.... well.  He didn't even know.  "You want to take over?" he calls back over his shoulder to the woman who offered to help drive.  "If you drive, I can try to get the radio up again while there's a break in the storm."  He glances at Ranka, then back out the wide front window.  "Think they can hear us?" he asks Ranka, wanting to let their escort know they were going to switch drivers.

[Bunraku]

We were sent to help you through, she said you would be waiting.

Ranka's eyes slip shut, his concentration on what is felt, rather than seen, making it seem as though he has slipped from reality for a moment. His lips part, and he exhales softly before his eyes reopen again, a ghost of that wildness returning to his gaze as it settles upon the three figures taking form beyond the fall of the snow.

"I know they can." He answers Saint quietly, the calm, collected quality of his presence returning now that his experience seems to have been validated for all to see "At least, I think they are able to garner an impression of what is going on from our...thoughts." He says hesitantly, not wanting to frighten the other man, or make him think that he's gone crazy.

"If not...someone should go out there to make certain." Reaching for his bag where the strap hangs loose, he pulls it from the luggage rack, pausing before he slings it over his shoulder. Glancing at Saint, he tilts his head slightly. "Mind opening the door for me a second? We're moving at a crawl, I can jump down easily."

[Sunchaser]

Sunchaser looked at Saint. "Yes I can drive so you can mess with the radio. I don't know what that message is but hopefully we can figure it out and get in touch with them." She turned to Ranka as he asked to be let out. "You will be slower on foot. I have a feeling we are going to pick up speed here if they can't hold off the snow. I don't know how they are doing it but they are." She looked back to Saint. "If you want to do a quick switch im pretty sure I can get us moving pretty fast to keep up with these guys." She was rather proud of her skills though she achieved this one by her father saying Here, drive this, and that's how she knows how to drive a bus. She looked at her husband who was enjoying his new friend. Smiling she looked back to the two others.

[Bunraku]

"I wasn't exactly planning on remaining on foot." Ranka returned Sunny's smile faintly as he said it, glancing at the horses outside. "Don't you recognize them? Those are some of the horses from our trailers. I can ride." There was a hint of pride in his voice, eagerness in his eyes as his gaze lingered on the animals "And I don't need a saddle to do it."

[Elenaria]

Saint eyed the woman as she came up, giving her a quick grin of welcome.  "I'm Saint.  That's Ranka, who now appears to be an adrenaline junky."  He sent the other man a wry look.  "We have to stop to switch drivers.  Run out and talk to them then."  Even as he said so, though, he was stopping the bus.  He put it in park and slid out of the woman's way.  On his feet, he pulled open the door.  "If you're going with them," SAint said with a quick nod of his head.  "Just give us a wave."

Now, though, his attention could go back to the radio, and he swiftly tried to send out a message of his own, a quick test and ask for a repeat of the last message.