Passion in the Old West

[Silverlily]

OCC: Sorry for the delay, but here it is. Anyone is welcome to play, but if you have no intention of acutally posting on a regular basis, please don't ruin it for everyone else. Otherwise, enjoy!

Intro The year is 1879, the town, just another dusty clapboard collection like any other in the early days of the Western Expansion. Good and evil, just and ruthless, lived side-by-side trying to eke a living from the land. Men and women, hardened from a life marked by loss and labor, found little time for the pleasures of the flesh, but when they did, the intensity made up for the lack of frequency. Come take a peek into the lives of these pioneers, play along or sit back and watch. Be ye friend or foe, there is room in the new territories for all.

IC: After the death of her father, Temerity Hawkins did her best to keep the ranch running. Known to her friends as Merry, she is an attractive young woman, tall, slender, with long brown hair and gray eyes. Very bright, she is quick with words and does not suffer fools lightly. Afraid of having her freedom taken from her, she is somewhat aloof around men, but inside, she longs for the love and touch of her perfect match.

 

[Merelan]

Caitlin owns and operates a local tavern. She had been a "mail order" bride who had come west, hoping for a new life. For two short years she had done her very best to please the man whom had been willing to overlook her sordid past and make her his wife. It hadn't mattered that he was 30 years older then her. They had worked it out. No great passions, but that was behind her, laying in an unmarked grave near other bad luck card sharks. But, here she was, alone again. Her husband had been dead now for a year and it was hard. At first people's emotions had brought them in to give her business, and kept their hands off her. But in the last couple months the men had been getting friendlier, and that wasn't a life she wanted back. But really, what was her option? If she didn't start allowing a bit more freedom, she would go out of business.
Lonelier tonight then she had ever been before, she closed up. Shooing the last men out she locked up and went home, to her lonely empty bed, half wishing she had given in. Yet, still proud of her fortitude. But tears fell as she realized, fortitude wouldn't pay the bills.

 

[R Nitelight]

Fabio McCabe

I banged on the door for five minutes without getting a response. It looked like I was doomed to spend another night under the stars. It didn't bother me, but my horse liked a little pampering every now and then.
I was about to give up when the door opened, and I came face to face with a beautiful woman cradling a shotgun in a very professional manner.
Raising my hands so the woman could see they were empty, I softly said, "Good evening, Ma'am. Sorry to disturb your rest. I was hoping you might have a room I could rent for a couple of days. My name is Fabio McCabe. I'm a Texas Ranger."

[Edited by R Nitelight on 10-07-2000 at 09:26 AM]

 

[Thor's Hammer]

I've always wanted to be a gunfighter!

OOC: Beauregard Thor. After the War Between the States, Beau drifted west. "Regular" work was not something he enjoyed. During the war he found that killing people was not something that gave him a moment's anxiety. His plantation near Macon ravaged by Sherman and then taken over by carpetbaggers, Beau decided that his future lay elsewhere. His deadly talent was, he found, much in demand. Ranchers wanted the sodbusters gone - Beau handled it. A sheriff was overly zealous - Beau handled it. Although he was wanted in six states, Beau did not lose any sleep. He knew that someday, a faster gun would find him - although, so far, 17 had tried, but none had succeeded. Beau was just passing through, but he decided to stay a few days, play a little poker, and then move on.

IC: Standing in the dark, dressed all in black, I flick the match on my jeans and light a cheroot. The town is quiet. Stifling a yawn, I wander toward the hotel...

 

[Countess DeWinter]

Naive. That's the only way to describe Charity Brown. Her life looked so exciting just a few short months ago. Her mother dead many years, her father doted on her excessively. When she turned 18, he went west to settle a ranch left to him by his brother. He sent for Charity, telling her excitedly in the telegram that the ranch was heavily in debt, but he had high hopes. He'd hired a foreman who seemed to be a potential husband for Charity. Charity took care of the last of the details in New York then boarded the train and headed west. Her demure high necked dress was festooned with pink and lace. Now that she was 18 and marriagable, she hoped that she'd be able to wear more vibrant colors, but a virgin's pastels were all that was proper. They never looked right with her fair skin, long blonde hair and deep blue eyes. Still, they couldn't disguise her womanly figure. Large breasts strained her bodice and her waist didn't need stays to keep it small and delicate. No one ever saw her legs, so did it really matter that they were also curvy and perfectly proportioned?

No one could have forseen the disasters that followed. Her father discovered his new foreman was a crook who shot Charity's father when he was unmasked. The bank took the ranch and Charity's stagecoach was robbed on the last leg of her journey. That's how she ended up at the tavern run by a kind-hearted, but no-nonsense woman named Caitlin. She'd tried offering her services as a waitress, but Caitlin made it clear that waitressing was not what the customers wanted. Charity had immediately refused. One day of wandering around the dusty town with no place to lay her weary head and no food to fill her empty belly changed her mind. Resigned to her fate, she went back to the tavern.

Charity's face burned when Caitlin filled in the holes in Charity's education. There was much she didn't know about the world. Even less about sex. How she would ever be able to do those things she would never guess. Tomorrow, Caitlin said they would try to make her dresses look less virginal.

Tears coursed down Charity's cheeks as she lay in the narrow bed in the room above the tavern. She dreamed about a handsome knight like one's she'd read about. Would one come to rescue her? She doubted it. She was more likely to encounter the dragon...

 

[KillerMuffin]

OOC: :~) COWBOYS!!!! Yeah baybeeeeeeee!!!!! You tha best Kitten Eyes.

Muffin MacKenzie
20s
Daugther and widow of cattle ranchers who took off to fight in the War. They didn't come back. The ranch was foreclosed upon by the banker, who I suspect is crooked. I now own and run the Livery Stable. I inherited it from my uncle, who died in the war, along with a nice clapboard house and about 20 acres on the edge of tow. I am known for the fine horses I have, I kept them when the ranch was taken. Because I consider Caitlin my friend, the so called "good women" of town don't like me.

IC: The coach was on its way in. We were just a stop on the way, not even a real station, but the passengers brought business to the restaurant and the stageline paid me to tend horses for a switch. I made sure to keep a fresh quilt on the hay in the back of the barn for Dusty and Will, the driver and shotgun for the line.

I really needed to hire some help. No Account Kilroy hadn't shown up in a couple of weeks, I imagined he got drunk and wandered to far from town. Probably dead. I should notify the sheriff.

Considering that, I checked the horses that were getting ready to go out over for soundness, their shoes were in good condition, and looked their harness over. The team was ready to go.

From east of town I heard the rumble of hooves hearlding the arrival of the stage.

 

[Silverlily]

OCC: This looks like it is going to be a terrific thread, what great company we have! There are some folks I'm still waiting on, then we can get this wagontrain rollin'!

 

[teresafannin]

IC: Miranda Travers, editor of the newspaper. She is 25, a young widow. She came out West to marry a young ranch hand who was killed in a cattle stampede. Having no family back East & a small inheritance, she started the first newspaper in the Territory. She is 5'2", blonde hair, brown eyes. Very slim, looks fragile, but can handle a gun & take care of herself. She is considered not quite respectable by the good wives of the town because she is in business for herself & the newspaper business even in those days was not quite appropriate. "Ladies" who had to work generally did so as school teachers & seamstresses. Miranda has an education, her father made sure of that before he died. She keeps to herself most of the time as the other women of the town aren't sure of her, either. She would like to become better acquainted with Caitlin, but is unsure if she would be welcome in the tavern. She loves the West, it is full of adventure & possibility & lots of good looking men. She lives by herself in the rooms over the newspaper office. The windows give her a good view of the comings & goings at the tavern across the street.

 

[Thor's Hammer]

OOC: I can't resist. This is going to be fun I think!

 

[Race Bannon]

It was hot dusty day, way to hot for Jake to be wearing that long black overcoat as he came into town. The breeze in the air was dry, and the sun was painfully bright making people wince when the raised their heads up to look around. Jake liked it that way. He didn’t like to be seen or even noticed; recognition could get you killed in a hurry if you weren’t careful. Hell, even mistaken identity would get you killed just as easily. He dressed simple, at 6’3” he didn’t go around unnoticed too much so a low profile was the way to go. Black boots, (only one spur) black pants and vest, a collarless white long sleeve shirt always clean and wrinkle free. A black rig at his hip, holding only one pistol, a 44-magnum Colt “Peacemaker”. “Nothing as peaceful as a dead man.” Jake always carried more than one gun, but why advertise? Completing the outfit a dark brown Stetson, the kind that turns down at the front and sides to shield you from the rain and dust. At 180 lbs., he wasn’t the biggest man, but his height and that Peacemaker always left an impression people remembered.

Jake opened the doors to the local saloon and walked in. He walked straight forward, not scanning the room with his head, but with his eyes. Spotting the gamblers in the corner cheating at poker, the barmaid laughing with the young cowpunch taking extra note of the Winchester rifle leaning against the post at his side. All and all it was a quiet bunch, save maybe a loud drunk or two. Jake made his way to a quiet corner of the saloon at sat at a small round table with his back to the wall, his head tipped down slightly, (the brim of his hat cutting of everyone else’s head so as not to make eye contact, but enough of a view to see someone walking his way or drawing a gun.) one hand on the table holding the glass of whiskey and the other resting on the butt of that Colt. “Safety first,” his dad used to say. This is a quiet town, a good place to get lost in a bottle for a while.

 

[mr spikey]

Town Sheriff

OOC: John Smith, Town Sheriff. I had been travleing through this one horse town, when I gunned down the man who had killed the original Town Sheriff. It wasn't much of a fight, he had shot the Sheriff in the back. I pulled my gun and shot him before he could turn and fire at me. I tried to explain that I didn't want the job, but there was no else who wanted the job either. The town leaders promised me regular pay, plus room and board at the local 'tavern.'
Besides, there were plenty of beautiful women here. A lot of people assumed my name was an alias. Let them, I thought. Can't someone be named John Smith without everybody assuming he has some secret past.

IC: I was standing outside the office, waiting for the stage to come into town. I could see Muffin MacKenzie waiting outside the livery. As soon as the stage was safely in, I could go to my room and get some sleep.

 

[wetneice]

(Character description: Kitty McKenzie...one of Caitlin's girls...a saloon girl/prostitute from age 18. She's now 21 and jaded, but she loves and respects Caitlin and enjoys her job. She had thick, dark brown hair, green eyes and a curvy shape)

Kitty strolled over to the sheriff, patting her thick brown updo. She had had her eye on that one for awhile. Leaning over the bar next to him, she smiled and said,"Hello, Sheriff Smith,"as she gave him ample view of her cleavage.

 

[wetneice]

(Eesh...change Kitty's last name to Reed...sorry about the name copying...)

 

[Silverlily]

"Damn!" Merry was pissed, three more head of steer were missing. Cattle rustlers were picking off her ranch a few at a time. The Sheriff said he would look into it and she was sure he was sincere, but she'd be out of cattle by Christmas at this rate. It was time to take matters into her own hands. Grabbing her father's hat, she saddled her horse and went for the main gate. Yelling over her shoulder to her foreman she'd be back later, she headed into town.

The first place she stopped was the newspaper office. A lot of the folks in town couldn't read, but the few that did usually read aloud to the others. Inside, Miranda Travers was busy. Clearing her throat to get her attention, Merry explained she wanted to place an ad for an armed guard for the ranch. Miranda nodded, made a few suggestions, tallied up the bill, and assured her it would be in the next edition. Merry had always had a lot of respect for Miranda. She knew first hand how people treated women who held "men's" jobs. Before she left, she invited Miranda to come to supper one night soon.

Before she left for the ranch, Merry decided to stop at the saloon to catch up on any news and take her mind off of things for a while. She sat down at the bar, ordered a drink, and listened to the conversations around her. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a tall man wearing a black overcoat. It wasn't real obvious, but Merry could see he had one hand resting lightly on the handle of his Colt. He had the ease of a man used to handling a weapon. Normally she would never approach a stranger, but something told her this might be the answer she was looking for. "Excuse me," she said, trying to sound confident, "I think I may have a situation we could both benefit from."

 

[Dartagnan]

The moonlight at his back, the tall stranger rode quietly into town. He would not be recognized in this territory, at least not yet. Blake Murdock was a man with a past, one he wanted to keep behind him. He had fought against a very powerful landbaron in Missouri. He had lost his young wife and son to that daylight raid. That day a part of his heart had died, and something else became alive. The war between the states had taught him many things he had tried to put behind him until that day. His skills finished off the baron, and one of his brothers. The second brother had managed to convince a District Attorney to file charges... but they were two states away now and a few hundred miles of dust. At least he hoped. During the past year he had become somewhat of a drifter. Educated and strong with a streak of chivalry that constantly gets him in trouble, he had become somewhat of a 'Gentleman Rogue'.

 

[mfucker]

IC: The town's only attorney; Male, 37, widowed.

Alan was one of the more respectable fellows in town. He had left town much earlier on to study law, only to return when he couldn't face up to the harsh realities of criminal law in the city. Now back in town, he answers all queries that the townspeople have for him concerning legal matters. His wife, a city dweller died in a street brawl.

His facial features hardened by the passage of time, and his inner wounds yet to be healed.

There was Caitlin though, whom he sympathised deeply with. Sometimes he wished he could have done something to help her out. At least she managed to keep her pride in spite of poverty even after all these years. He had admired her for that. It was always difficult to miss the sadness in her beautiful eyes.

Like herself, he has been held back by his own wounds. He longed for a child too. He had left the bar earlier today, and hated the way the men were treating her. Maybe it was time for him to do something.

 

[Merelan]

OOC:
Crap. I have to leave town in 10 minutes, won't be back till Mon. Go ahead and play, have fun. If you have to know the truth Caitlin has gotten "sick". In reality, well her reality, she is helping one of the girls with an unwanted "tip" from a cowboy.
Wet Niece can run the place while I am gone, she knows all the "tricks".... and Kitten can help her if she wants.
Have fun.
Grrr.

 

[R Nitelight]

Fabio McCabe

When I left my room the next morning, I encountered a young woman in the hall. I'm afraid I startled her a bit, coming up behind her in the darkened hallway.
"Sorry to sneak up on you like that, Miss," I apologized. "I mean you no harm. My name is McCabe. Fabio McCabe."
"I'm Charity Brown, Mister McCabe," she said by way of introduction. "I....I work here."
Her tone of voice indicated a heavy heart. I shook my head. She was too young and too pretty to live in a world of such overwhelming sadness.
"I'm going to be in town for a couple of days, Miss Brown," I impulsively told her. "Perhaps we can get together. I'd like to spend some time with you."
Her face lit up for an instant, but the joyous expression was quickly replaced by one of weary resignation. She whirled around and fled to her room before I could clarify my good intentions.
I sighed and headed for the street.


After a huge breakfast, a bath, and a shave, I was feeling almost citified. I retrieved my horse, asked for directions to the Hawkins place, and headed out of town. It was a short trip, and when I reached the house I found a woman I presumed to be Miss Temerity Hawkins standing there waiting for me.
She had a pistol, and it was pointed at my chest. For a small town, there were certainly a tremendous number of beautiful women in the area. A wandering man might start thinking about settling down, if he could just overlook the weapons for an instant.
"Don't get off your horse, Mister," she said cooly. "You'll be dead before you hit the ground.
"I'm not here to trouble you, Miss Hawkins," I said soothingly. "I just need to ask you a question about your cousin Johnny Parker."
"What about Johnny," she asked without lowering the gun.
"He's a wanted man," I said. "I'm looking for him. I'm a Texas Ranger."
"You're a far way from home, Mister," she observed. "You've also wasted a trip. I'm seen Johnny Parker twice in my life,and that was ten years ago. Even then, I knew he'd wind up dancing at the end of a rope. He's not here, he wouldn't come here, and if he did, he wouldn't get a much warmer greeting then you did."
"That's good to hear, Ma'am," I said. "Well, I won't bother you any more. Good day."
I rode away, casting one last glance at the lovely Temerty Hawkins. Perhaps, I thought wistfully, I could fabricate an excuse to come calling on her again.
Perhaps....


[Edited by R Nitelight on 10-07-2000 at 07:27 AM]

 

[KillerMuffin]

Dusty was sacked out on the bale of hay, getting a good rest while Will went to the restaurant to rustle up some grub. Some of the passengers on the stage wandered around the yard, others went to the restaurant. I pulled the old team into a small corral and went about the business of unhitching them. After a half hour had passed, I woke Dusty up and then hitched the fresh team to the coach. Dusty glared at the passengers as they mounted the coach, then climbed aboard himself, followed by Will who spared me a smile before the stage took off.

I went to the corral and, one by one, began to deal with the tired team. Watering, grooming, checking them for soundness, then feeding them before bedding them down in the stageline's paddocks. One had a cracked shoe, so that meant a trip to the blacksmith. Tomorrow would be soon enough.

Once the chores were done, I leaned against the front of the Livery and stared down the street, feeling suddenly morose and lonely. The highlight of my week, a spare smile from Will. Yay for me. I stared at the horses standing hipshot in front of the saloon and supressed the urge to go inside, to see how Caitlin was doing. She would be busy and I would probably end up in a fight. Again.

I went to the corral and leaned on the fence, staring at the vast horizon instead.

 

[Countess DeWinter]

Charity

I thought I would come out of my skin! Here I was dressed like, like, like a prostitute and that tall man saw me! I thought my face would go up in flames. I didn't know what he would do, what with me so exposed in this dress, so I just ran back to my room. Kitty came in to my room earlier and brought a dress she said was better suited to my new line of work. She's not much older than I am, but she seems to know so much more. She seems so...strong, so confident. Maybe all the men will pay attention to her and no one will notice me. After I put on the dress, I knew that wouldn't happen. You could see my whole chest practically! And never have I seen a shorter skirt.
I couldn't sleep last night and just sat up looking out the window. Someone rode in late. He was tall and when he stepped up to the saloon, the light from the window hit his face. I'd never seen anyone more handsome. He looked so kind. I think it was his eyes. I just got a short glimpse, but what I saw made my heart skip a beat. He looked a little like my Daddy...damn, those tears again.

Someone knocked, and then I heard Kitty's voice. "You gotta come outta there, Charity. We got customers. Caitlin isn't gonna be happy if she comes back and finds you hidin' in here. She told you what you need to know, didn't she?"
"Yes," I said, "she did. But I...I'm scared. What if someone wants to take me upstairs and I don't know what to do and he gets mad?"
Her eyes softened. Maybe she remembered her first time. I had always expected to get married before I even got kissed, but not any more. I wonder how she wound up here.
"Look," she said quietly. "I'll help you out. Maybe I can help find someone nice for you. I guess every girl's first time should be good."
Kitty took me by the arm and lead me down the stairs. The common room was pretty full. My eyes scanned the people sitting at the tables and standing at the bar. In the corner I saw the man from last night. Mr. McCabe was standing at the bar. A tall man in black was talking to a tough looking woman at the bar. Pretty, but I wouldn't want to get her angry at me.
I felt eyes on my skin like fingers. How was I going to live through this day?

[Edited by Countess DeWinter on 10-07-2000 at 09:46 AM]

 

[Thor's Hammer]

Beauregard Thor

Deciding that the town was too crowded for my taste (and since it went from night to morning in the blink of an eye), I threw my saddle on my trusty horse Styx, and rode slowly along the dusty street toward the open prarie beyond.

 

[R Nitelight]

Fabio McCabe

I was sitting at the bar drinking rotgut and pondering my next move when Miss Charity Brown entered the room. All eyes turned to watch her, and a low rumble of crude comments filled the air. She trembled a little as she walked -- another desert rose had to stand right next to her to keep her from falling down. Men started pointing, and making suggestive gestures. I couldn't take it any longer. I walked over to Miss Caitlin, handed her a few coins, and said, "I'd like to spent some time with Miss Charity Brown."
Miss Caitlin smiled at me and called her over.

 

[Race Bannon]

A situation they could both benefit from? “Miss, in my experience that means yer either lookin’ to do something the law won’t take a shine to, or something that could get me killed.”

Jake slid his fingers over the empty shot glass and turned it upside down putting it to rest gently on the table. How long can a man drink if he’s got no cash in his pocket anyway?

As Temerity turned away Jake spoke up. “Excuse me, Miss….?” “Temerity Hawkins,” she said. “Miss Hawkins” Jake continued “Maybe I was a little hasty with my words. If you’ve got an offer, I’d like to hear it. But not here, this saloon is no place for a lady.”

Jake rose, and in the same motion unhooked the leather strap that held the pistol in its holster. Pretty women always made Jake nervous. It wasn’t the women themselves, but whenever there’s a good looking woman around someone gets shot. He sure as hell didn’t want it to be him, and if it was he didn’t want it to be from lack of shooting back.

Jake followed Temerity out of the saloon. Because of his longs legs, the sound of each step seemed to take longer, as if he were always moving in slower than everyone around him. Everything about the way he moved seemed very calculated, rehearsed, practiced over and over until perfect. His shoulder length hair even seemed to co-operate and catch in the whiskery shadow on his jaw, but stay out of his eyes. The quiet jingle of the spur on his right boot kept reminding him of his long ride here. Calluses on his thumbs would always remind him of who he was and what he’s done. Hanging up your guns is easy to talk about, but when that’s all your good at, it’s not that easy. Maybe the right woman could take it out of me. Maybe Temerity? Business Jake, keep your mind on business, he scolded himself.

Jake and Temerity got on their horses and started to ride out of town. Jake saw the sheriff speaking with one of the townswomen. He never had much respect for the law, they're all as crooked as the politicians. ‘Cept that boy over in Kansas makin’ a good name for himself. Jake smiled at the woman and tipped his hat, but turned his head when the sheriff looked his way. Things could be looking’ up for ole Jake. Yep, starting’ to like this town already.

 

[Countess DeWinter]

"Just go upstairs with him," Kitty whispered. "He doesn't look like he expects you to do the leading...although that might not be so bad." I could see a look of lust in her eyes. I walked over to Mr. McCabe, almost falling down from nervousness when I got to him. My head came barely up to his shoulder. He held out his hand and lead me up the stairs, not saying anything. I knew he paid for my company and I was scared of what might happen if Caitlin made me leave. I have never been so scared in my life.

When the door shut behind us, I just stood in the center of the room, my eyes on the bed.
"I'm not going to hurt you, Miss Brown." His voice was a low rumble with a hint of humor. Was he laughing at my nervousness?
"I'm sorry, Mr. McCabe," I said softly. "I guess you know this is my first time and I really don't know what to do."
He turned me around to face him and looked down at me. His eyes burned into mine. Then they moved down to my mouth. He seemed to be thinking hard about something when he looked in my eyes again, then apparently made his decision and dipped his head toward mine.

 

[R Nitelight]

Fabio McCabe

"On my honor as a Texas Ranger, I didn't bring you up here for that, Miss Brown.... Charity," I said, fumbling to find the right words. "I just wanted to get you away from all of ...them"
I gestured toward the bar downstairs, indicating the dregs of humanity getting blind on cheap whisky.
"I paid for your time tonight. I'd do the same thing tomorrow. I'd do it until my I ran out of money. But I'm an honest man, Charity, and eventually my money would run out. I can't protect you forever."
I took a deep breath.
"I can't protect you forever. What I can do is make sure your first time is both gentle and loving. I don't know what the future holds for you, but tonight I can offer you a night of love and passion. What do you say, Charity. Would you like to make love with me?"