From: Date: Sat, 6 Jun 1998 15:31:51 EDT Subject: Good Guy's Honor. I'm a good guy-- really, I am. Roland dropped Teri behind a tree with a thud. "OW! I'm not a toy!" "SHH! Deal with it. This could be another bandit." "Then I'll just klep him like the last ones." She smirked. "It's 'KHEF'" "Klef, pardon me," she rolled her eyes. "So now you believe me? Or are you just being arrogant?" "No. I just like toying with you." She managed to keep down the nausia while sitting as Roland moved away and flashed him a Aren't-I-Just-So-Sweet grin. He stood in the middle of the road with his staff in plain view. "How intimidating." "SHHH!" "Well excuuuuse me." Roland resorted to the gunslinger look of death that will shut up anyone.... even 18 year old girls. Of course, Teri being a master of Facial Expressions and Vocal Tonalities-- she quickly parried the Gunslinger Look of Death with her own Ice-Queen-Not-Amused-Eyebrow-Raise. Shinji turned a bend in the road and saw a tall, mean looking guy with a staff. "You must be the one who beat up the bandits. I'm Shinji." Roland simply stared at him. "I'm a good guy." Teri peeked out around the tree. "Sure you are. Do you have a badge or something?" Shinji looked puzzled for a second, then padded his chest plate and pants. "Nope, sorry. I must have left my Good Guy certificate in my other vest. Still, I AM a good guy. Just ask any bad guy!" he replied with a smile. Teri came out from around the tree, wondering how on earth this kid was taking them seriously, only to be greeted by a rather annoyed Roland. He looked at her in a way that just screamed the rapid falling of his patience, but Teri just ignored him. "If you say so, but I'm still not sure if we should trust you," Roland said, turning his attention back to Shinji and gripping the quarterstaff more tightly. "Oh come ON Roland! I don't think we have anything to worry about. Look at him, I don't think you would have any trouble with him if he really WAS a bad guy." Teri cut in. "What was that supposed to mean?!" Shinji suddenly exploded. The way this girl said that, it was as if he was just a kid or something! "Oh nothing. Forget I said anything. I'm Teri," she answered with a sugary smile that caused Shinji to smile in return (before he realized what he was doing). Then she motioned cheerfully at Roland. "And this is Roland. He's a bit stinky, but not so bad once you get to know him," At this, Roland gave her a dangerous glare. "And after I saved you from the bandits too. What gratitude," Teri flashed him a smile, and Roland subsided into quiet grumbling. Teri continued. "Anyway, how did you find us?" "The other night I saw a bright flash in the sky, so I went looking around. When I came to the road, I was hoping the carriage tracks would lead me to a town," Shinji shrugged. "Finding you was something I hadn't really expected to do. I sure didn't expect cold stare here to be with you. Heh, no offence." "None taken." "Anyway, I might as well get to the point. Would you two mind if I hung around for a while? I mean, until we get to a town anyway," Shinji continued. "That is, if you two don't mind anyway." Teri blinked, thinking 'Is the guy for real? He's an even bigger hic than I am-- you don't just ask people on the streets if you can join... though, we're not exactly on a street. More like a dead-beaten path.' "I don't mind, what about you Roland?" "I suppose. I still don't trust him," the Gunslinger replied, reluctantly lowering his staff. "Great!" Shinji exclaimed cheerfully. Teri and Roland exchanged looks. Shinji pulled back then flipped over his two startled companions. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's move!" he called back to them before he turned and began walking back down the road. Teri watched Shinji skipping down the path-- "Any moment and he'll be bursting out into song," she said dryly and reached for Roland's staff. He snatched it away silently. Teri gave an exasperated sigh and putting on a pleading expression said, "Can I please borrow your staff to walk with? I'd rather not be bumped all over the place like a sack of potatos, and I don't have that much strength yet--" "Why don't you get HIM to carry you?" Roland nodded towards Shinji, who was doing martial-arts excersizes on the horizon, getting bored waiting for them to catch up. Teri gave Roland an "Are you Fucking-Kidding me" look and said, "I would die after the third show tune." Roland cracked a smile and handed her the staff.