Nothing can possibly go wrong...

[Machaeus]

Machaeus scowls. "We need to talk to this Sheriff," he said.
Urufu, meanwhile, has gone into a corner with a drink. Quietly, he asks, "Guys, do you copy? I want to know what's going on in the real world."

[tachyon]

*******************************************************************************

"Yeah, we hear you," answered one of the techs, "Things are-"
Byt before he could finish the lawyer had moved up behind him.
"Who is that?" he asked.
Porky came and stood next to him.
"Thats one of Kei's friends. They voulanteered to go rescue her. So there's more lives at stake here... still wanna pull the plug?"
"This complicates things... One life would've been acceptable," The suit didn't look phased, but still his voice sounded agitated, "Mr. Dinnmore, a word please. In your office."
He marched away, Porky lingering just long enough to pat the tech on the shoulder. He'd left the mic on.
"We've got our own problems up here guys."

******************************************************

[Machaeus]

Urufu seethes visibly. He goes over to Machaeus, who also heard, and says quietly, "I'm going out a ways so no one hears me shout obscenities."
"May I join you?" Machaeus asks. "B@stards in their monkey suits - wouldn't be so calm if it was their own @$$es on the line."

[Ash]

Ash seemingly doesn't care about the girls on the stage anymore. Maybe he didn't even notice that the show already ended. Instead he was focused on Machaeus and Urufu.

I have a bad feeling about this whole situation.

He sighs and rubs his eyes.

"Stop to feel sorry for yourself. Listen. You still ARE the Sheriff! No matter what happened. No matter who done this to you... It is not important! The people believed in you. They looked up to you. And now? Look at yourself.", Ash says, slamming his fist on the table, looking into the Sheriffs eyes.

"I know that you still want to help people. And I know that you can still do it. All you have to do... is to believe in yourself! A good friend is in trouble. We have to find her. Its a matter of life and death. So... I ask you... the Sheriff... help me and my friends to find her. Please."

[Machaeus]

Urufu hears Ash speaking and stops Machaeus. "Wait until his reply. If negative, then we go scream angry words out at nothingness, then work on this ourselves. If positive, we skip the angry words part."
"I'm glad someone here has some diplomacy skills," Machaeus says. "I never would have been able to pull off something like that."

[tachyon]

The Sheriff looks at the pile of bottles and glasses in front of him. He then looks at the others, then back at the table. He picks up a half empty bottle, then slams it back down on the table.
"Gotdangit you're right boy!" he says looking back into Ash's eyes, "Time for me to tack back this town!"
Everyone turns around to move, before the Sheriff sits back down and adds: "After the show."
Before anyone can protest, the Barkeeper NPC was on stage. Another man had taken up position on the player piano, though was putting up sheet music. The large crowd were all eying the stage.
"Alright now gentlemen, take your seats. Once again, for your audio and visual pleasure; the one, the only, the lovely... Katrina Lafayette!"
The pianoman began to play, and a curtain at the back of the stage drew back.
Resplendent in a large white mink coat, which was soon discarded to reveal a more revealing burlesque outfit, the woman began to sing a song in French.
Three things were immediately noticeable to small number present who were not NPCS:
She was covered in auburn fur, had large ears, a canine face, large 3-toed feet, and a tail.
Nobody else in the room seemed to be aware of this fact.
And she was an impressively good singer.

((Sorry guys, upgraded my computer but havent got the internet working yet. Also got gastro.))

[Ash]

Ash nods.

"I am glad that you have decided that way.", he says smiling, before he turns over to Urufu and Machaeus, showing them his raised thumbs, still smiling.

He was already deep in thoughts, planing the next steps. The name "Katrina Lafayette" however catches his attention. He turns over to the stage again. His jaw drops as he sees who is standing there.

"Cant be.", he mumbles, rubbing his eyes.

I must be hallucinating. Looks like Virtual Reality isn't good for me.

Ash blinks a few times and looks at the person at the stage again.
With an asking expression, he looks at Urufu and Machaeus, the Sheriff, the Stage, then back to Urufu and Machaeus again.

"If you would excuse me for a second.", he says as he stands up, not even waiting for the Sheriffs response.With his sight glued at the stage, Ash walks to his friends, nearly colliding with the table the card players sit at.

"Guys. Do you see what I see? And do you hear that?", he asks them. Immediately after his questions, he starts to rub his chin.

[Machaeus]

"Okay, we can't confront her here," Urufu says. "We can't cause a scene or bad sh!t will go down. D@mmit when did I become the rational one?"
"At least she wasn't hard to find," Machaeus says. He then mutters, "Hey, techie, can you get a screenshot of this? I want blackmail material."
Urufu bops him over the skull. "Kalyy'ya would kill you."
"No, I'm her favorite distant cousin. She'd just strangle me to unconsciousness."

[tachyon]

"And Kei'd probably tear your arms off and beat you to death with them." said the D&D tech in their heads.
"That ain't stopping Jerry," said another tech, "he's been taking screens of this since it started, typical f*****g Furry..."
"I am not a Furry!" yelled Jerry.
"You went to Anthrocon last year!"
"That doesn't make me a Furry!"
"It does if you wore a d**n fursuit!"
"Dude, shut up!"
"Both of you shut up." said the D&D tech, "Check these readings, somethings going on... guys start a n... ep! ... the fi... up! ...thing big ... through! Macha... sh, Uruf... y of you ca... this you need t-"
The voice faded away, and at that moment 3 figures entered the bar.
And the piano did finally abruptly stop.
Most eyes turned, but quickly looked away again. The pianoman desperately tried to regain his place, but 'Katrina' laid a hand on his shoulder. She was the only one who stared at the 3.
One on the left wore a dirty riding coat, had a patch over his left eye, and carried what seemed to be a Mauser Model 1871 rifle. The one on the right was large, had a very bushy mustache, a large floppy hat, and no less than 3 bandoliers of ammunition for his shotgun slung across himself.
The middle one wore black all over, from his riding boots to his hat. Under his coat the slightest hint of two pistol holsters cold be seen.
"Whats the idea Francis? Commin' in here in the middle of my show, disturbing all these people?" It took a while to notice, but it was Kei who was talking. Her accent now sounded like she was from New Orleans rather than New Eden.
"Shut up." said the black-clad man, Francis, who got up onto the stage and turned to address everyone present.
"I heard thats there's some new folks in town. You wanna make yourselves know?"

[Ash]

So this is Francis? What a snob.

"Tch. One minute. One minute and I already don't like that guy.", Ash mutters, nodding toward Francis.
"What do you suggest? Shall we stay where we are... or...?", he whispers, not finishing the sentence.

Just when I thought it would be a piece of cake from here on. Crud.

[Machaeus]

Machaeus shrugs. "As much as I hate to say it, I don't think we have a choice." He slowly stands up and waves to them once, saying, "Yo."
Urufu thinks for a second. "You think this has something to do with their cutting out? No, scratch that. There's no way in h3ll it isn't - d@mmit, I think they're the virus or whatever."

[Ash]

"Don't know. If they are the virus, why didn't they approach us directly? Why would they want to cause a sensation?", Ash asks.
He takes off the hat and scratches his forehead, thinking about Urufus words.

But he is right. They appear, we lose communication with the people in the real world. Something is not right with them. Aside from the fact that they are obviously a bunch of...-

He sighs, puts his hat back on and looks at Francis, grumbling.

"Yeah. We are new in town. And? Why do you care? Want to show us around or what?", Ash says,loud enough so the people on the stage can hear him.

[tachyon]

There was something unsetteling about the way Francis smiled. It was slow and deliberate, and showed most of his yellowed teeth.
Everyone else in the bar was avoiding eye contact with either group. Except 'Katrina', who stood defiently on the stage, staring down the fat goon with the moustache.
"Why would I care?" he asked, "Well you see son, this is my town. As such, it would be remiss of me not to take an interest in a bunch of strangers who just up and happen to walk in.
"And as for showing you around, I'd be happy to."
He gestured towards the front of the saloon.
"There's the door, might I suggest you use it."

[Ash]

"Ahuh. Ahuh. Hm. Hm. Hm. So... this is your town?", Ash nods, looking at the door.

He walks back to the table where the sheriff sits and sits down too.

"Right. Guys, I am sorry to say that, but this town officially sucks now.", Ash says, looking eagerly at the stage. "Umm... hey, Francine... could you... I don't know... Get off the stage? Everyone was enjoying the show. Then you show up and... BAM!"

Just then he slams his fist onto the table.

"You are pretty much a Party breaker.", he says, barely able to suppress a grin.

[Machaeus]

Urufu slowly reaches for a tomahawk, and Machaeus reaches for his pistols at a similar speed. "Not too smart a move," Machaeus says.