As Dusk Approaches...

[Pattilia Longfellow]

Gold mining was dirty business. Dirty, smelly, and often dangerous. It was a rare breed of man that could devote themselves to mining for gold, considering it more often resulted in death instead of wild profit and huge luxury homes. So if a miner went ill and couldn't work, he would lose all hope for a big score without a proxy to work in his stead.

This filthy miner, covered in dust, walked through the saloon doors quietly and took a seat at the bustling bar, giving the Madame a slow nod. Pattilia normally wouldn't enter a wild saloon full of rowdy gunslinger men (especially when most of them worked with her in the mine), but here she felt a little better, since most of the employees were working women like herself.

She dropped her father's mining helmet at her feet and leaned her elbows on the bar, letting her long, red, matted hair spill around her shoulders. She got some tobacco from a small pouch at her side, behind the six shooter on her hip, and a slip of paper from inside her vest, and began rolling a cigarette. She didn't expect any of the 'gentleman' to light it for her, and lit it herself with the silver lighter from her breast pocket.

She waited for the Madame to approach her, and looked around. She knew the saloon's reputation far too well, as many rumors went around town of the wild booze and saucy women. A stumbling man in particular caught her eye, as he looked like he'd just about drank himself silly and was one step away from falling flat on his face. Pattilia only smirked; no doubt one of the 'working women' would assist the poor man to a room upstairs and rob him blind.

She turned back to the bar, ready to order her drink, a few dollars already in her gloved hand.

[Moridanu]

*Her keen eyes took in the appearance of the soldiers’ gun holster, but being a town such as this, guns were a common commodity in Deepdwellers Gulch. Besides, unless that gun was attached to a wooden stake, it really couldn’t do too much harm to herself or her girls. Smiling demurely as the soldier put a five dollar note on the bar, Tamassa slid the glass over to him. As he gulped down the whiskey like a person might gulp down water, Tamassa noticed Patilia wander in out of the dusty night. Her girls knew to leave this one alone, and Patilia was left to find her way to the bar, just as the soldier banged on the bar with what sounded to be a metallic object but what appeared to be his own hand. The appearance of a twenty dollar note brought the whiskey bottle to the bar. Placing it beside the glass, Tamassa smiled sweetly at him.

~Consider it yours, sir. My finest whiskey for your pleasure only.~

Mr. Kinde was now trying to rise, clearly more affected by the small nip she had put in his drink then most folk were. She arched a brow but said nothing as he made a big commotion of paying his tab and began to stumble his way out of the bar. Her girls looked to her, but she shook her head, signalling they should let him go. This one was hers, and she was going to have fun dealing with him. Lisette had managed to lure the other stranger into one of the back booths, and judging by the look on his face he was revelling in her womanly attentions. Grinning at Lisette as she made her way to the bar to collect one of Madames’ special glasses and an equally special bottle of whiskey, Madame Tamassa glanced down to see the shiny silver locket Mr. Kinde had left on his seat. Recognising the gift she had given Bill only months before, Tamassa reached over the bar as fast as lightning and snatched it up before anyone could see. The presence of Bill’s blood almost made her morph into full vamp face the moment the coppery scent reached her nostrils, but years of practice prevented such a tragedy from happening. Lisette sniffed the air around them and arched a brow to Tamassa, who merely shook her head once and motioned for her to return to her booth. She did so, with whiskey and glass in tow, draping herself over the strangers lap as she poured him a glass. Her heaving bosom was practically shoved in his face as she giggled into his ear.

~The name be Lisette.. stranger..~ she reached her tongue out to artfully lick his ear before drawing it into her mouth for a light nibble. ~ How about you tell me what name you want me to be calling out in ecstasy later on, hmm?~

Tamassa looked up and caught the eye of Patilia as the dust covered miner sat herself down at the bar. Tamassa had always had a soft spot for the girl, hoping one day to sire her and make her one of her own working girls. For now though, she got off on the sense of women’s’ liberation that Patilia pulled off so effortlessly with merely her presence in an otherwise male dominated society.

Sliding a silver ash tray down the bar to the woman, Tamassa flashed her a smile as she walked past her and opened up the small part of the bar that served as the gateway in.

~Be right with you dear.. just some.. business I need to handle first..~

Tamassa quickly followed Mr. Kinde out of the front door of the Saloon to find him stumbling around in the darkness. Taking him firmly by the elbow, Tamassa made all the right soothing sounds as she tried to guide him back inside.

~Come now Mr. Kinde.. you’re in no state to make your way back to camp tonight. If the coyotes don’t kill you, then you will surely choke on all this dust..~ she coughed dramatically as if to prove her point. The presence of Bill’s locket in this mans presence told Tamassa that he needed to be dealt with a tad more.. discreetly. She needed to get him up into one of the rooms, probably her own, so that she could deal with there, away from the prying eyes of strangers.

Guiding him gently but firmly towards the Saloon doors, Tamassa called on her womanly wiles which were so effective for her species to lure him further.

~I apologise if my establishment offends your moral values sir. Come, let me give you my own room, where you shall be free of my girls advances and in peace to sleep until the morn..~ she batted her lashes, and leaned in closer so that he would be able to breathe in her perfume, a seductive scent that had been blended perfectly to be irresistible to any man that walked the earth. ~Wouldn’t you like to sleeeeeep… sir? To lay your head upon a pillow, so soft and plump.. to close your eyes.. and sleeeeeep… just .. sleeeeep.. and dream..!~

They had now reached the Saloon doors. Unless he resisted, she would have him across the threshold in a matter of moments. *

[dakkon]

Maybe, maybe here will have to do, yes *Somewhere between the pain of his withdrawal and the effects of the drink Kinde was finding a sort of clarity. His breathing and voice slowed to something less panicked as he leaned on the Madame for help getting back inside*...it doesn't usually hit me like this. I, pologize to ya for the trouble Ma'am...

*As they emerge back into the bawdy saloon Kinde, unable to conceal his weariness any further, lets his head loll close to his host's perfect shoulder.* You know *His casual tone quite different from his speech not moments ago*, its not that I have anything against you, you ladies. Its just, you ain't like t'other women I see*Blushing he continues on, his words rising and falling wildly in volume to the point where he must appear quite drunk* Naw naw, I mean there's something about you all, more'than the obvious bits. I haven't been able to put my finger on what it is but when I do *He flashes an unusually friendly smile to her* you'll be the first person to know.

*With the same idiotic smile on his face he lets Tamassa lead on. As he doesn't seem to have any choice in where they are headed he lets his watery eyes wander over the room. Colorful skirts in considerably less conservative clothing were pretty much the norm it looked like. Some boring miner at the bar, couldn't tell from his blurring vision if it was man or woman but he guessed man. Another guy was nearby, some piece of work with 'is guns hanging out in the wind. Somewhere in his clouded mind he wandered where the law had gotten to in this town. Then he remembered. He had killed most of them. The irony wasn't lost on his addled mind, enough so that he burst out into a chuckle before turning a renewed dull smile back onto Tamassa, this one as empty as the last*

[thisone]

Blushing like an idiot at this point, the man couldn't help but look down, not intentionally looking at her chest but kinda glancing there anyways. For some reason, that feeling of impending doom was even stronger now that this disturbingly sexy woman was sitting in his lap. On top of that, the usual body heat that comes from most warm-blooded mammals (which humans are considered to be) was missing from her. Oh, and also let's not mention the fact that she more or less smelled like death, blood, bad perfume, and various fluids that probably didn't come from her.

"Umm, D-David. I'm David." he said nervously, still enjoying the fact that this ridiculously beautiful girl was on top of him. Taking the whiskey on his right hand, he took down the shot, and spat it out just as quickly. Grumbling in what must ave just been unintelligent gibberish, he then snapped his head up to look her in the eye.

"What in the nine hells was that!!?" He asked, looking down at his empty shot glass, then glancing down at her whiskey-and-spit covered bust, a look of utter embarrassment covering his face. "Oh, I'm so sorry!!!" he then yelled, taking his handkerchief and wiping the stuff off, then realizing he was rubbing a woman's breasts without permission. "OH, GEEZE, I'm soo sorry" he said, leaping of the the booth, causing the poor girl to drop to the floor with a rather loud thud. "OH, Lady above!! I'm so sorry. Please forgive me!!" He exclaimed, his face becoming frantic as he reached down and grabbed the woman's arm and pulling her up, unintentionally pulling her so close their bodies were now pressed rather lewdly together. This guy could apparently not get a break. And somewhere outside, a gray and white horse chuckled to himself.

[Lady Guinevere]

((Posting as Tamassa ... I realy should make a skin for her.. ))

*Pleased to see his feet had now crossed her threshold, Tamassa smiled as her words continued to soothe him.

~Please Mr. Kinde.. no apology is necessary. Working in my field of employment, you grow quite accustomed to men who have had a tad too much to drink. Though I must say sir, you didn’t have hardly enough to put you in this much of a state. Is there perhaps, another reason for your condition this eve?~

She grinned at Lisette as she guided poor Mr. Kinde towards the stairs. Lisette was busy wiping whiskey off her ample chest, while her intended victim was spewing forth a thousand apologies. The look on her face was amusing, as was the way that Mr. Kindes head lolled onto Tamassa’s shoulder. She nodded in sympathy as he rambled on about there being something different about her ladies, and that, as soon as he figured out what it was, she would be the first to know.

~I appreciate the sentiment Mr. Kinde.. now.. we are going to be going up the stairs here, see. Lift your leg.. that’s it… and again.. the next…~ she guided him up the stairs, one at a time, until soon they were on the second floor. Latora saw her come, and anticipated her intentions by opening the door to one of the drinking rooms, but Tamassa shook her head and carried on guiding Mr. Kinde down the hallway. Latora arched a brow in surprise, before closing the door behind her. Tamassa called out over her shoulder

~Be a dear and tend to the bar will you? I intend to be a while…~

Latora nodded to her Madames back, watching as she headed towards her own room at the end of the hall. Shrugging to herself, she tossed her auburn curls over one shoulder and skipped down the stairs. It wasn’t like Madame to take men back to her own room, in fact it wasn’t like Madame to take a man at all. That was what the girls were for, Madame was there to make sure things went smoothly and to occasionally help the girls when things didn’t. She looked to Lisette questioningly, but Lisette clearly had her hands full with a stuttering fool who seemed to be wiping something wet off her.

~Realy David.. ~ she sneered. ~ It’s fine pet, though I don’t know what your problem is with the whiskey. It’s the finest whiskey in all of Deepdwellers Gulch, I dare you to try and find a better one!~ Lisette had no idea what this guys problem was. Madame Tamassa was an expert in lacing her drinks so that the poison was undetectable to a normal pallet. Sighing, she took a deep breath before she bestowed her brilliant smile upon him and poured him another glass.

~Here.. try some more…~

Latora chuckled to herself as she headed towards the bar. Her long flowing skirt of emerald green, perfectly complimented the tight green corset she wore and the green ribbons that adorned her lovely auburn locks. Eyes of the purest green flashed at the customers sitting at the bar, though she had to refrain from rolling them in frustration when she saw Pattilia was back again. Latora never understood why Tamassa had a soft spot for the stupid bitch. As far as Latora could see, Pattilia was suffering a major identity crisis. Even before she had been sired by Tamassa, Latora knew that women were only good for whoring, spewing out babies, or doing hair. She had enjoyed being a hairdresser before her boss had got too frisky with his hands, and fired her when she hadn’t responded as he would of liked. After Tamassa took pity on her and let her become one of her whores, it hadn’t even been a hard decision when she had been offered this life of eternal beauty. Still, she couldn’t let go of her love of hairdressing, and kept a pair of silver scissors tucked into her skirt. Tamassa always told her off for marking her victims, but Latora didn’t understand what harm a few cuts could do after they were already dead. Besides, she liked the way their skin looked, all cut up into different shapes once their precious blood had stopped flowing…

Latora looked up with a start, as she realised that she had been staring at Pattilia and daydreaming about cutting up that long red hair of hers. Realising the miner didn’t have a drink yet, Latora ambled over to her, somewhat reluctantly.

~What do you want to drink tonight Pat?~ she asked, as if she actually gave a damn. There were two other men at the bar, one had the look of a soldier about him, and Latora gave him an appreciative gaze. The other was being “helped” by Samiha, worse his luck. Samiha had a reputation amongst the girls as being a mean bitch, best not to mess with.

Once she had served Pattilia, Latora sauntered down the bar and leaned over it, allowing the soldier to have a clear view of her ample cleavage.

~Anything else I can be getting you there, pet?~ she purred.

Meanwhile, upstairs:

Tamassa kicked open her door and guided Mr. Kinde inside her room. Tastefully decorated, Tamassa’s room was the largest in the establishment, allowing room for a dressing room, wash room and bed room. She guided him towards the bed where she dumped him rather unceremoniously. Walking back to the door, she closed and locked it behind her, dropping the key down her cleavage. Plucking the silver locket out of her hiding place, she slipped it over her neck, the sight of Bill’s blood still threatening to reveal her true face to his killer.

Kicking off her heels, she walked over to the bed, making the appropriate soothing noises as she tended to poor Mr. Kinde. With the locket hanging down before his face, Tamassa attempted to tie his wrists with soft silk cloths, and if she succeeded, it would leave Mr. Kinde’s wrists tied to the bed railing.*

[steven]

'He greedily starts to suck down the bottle of whiskey, not even pouring it into the glass. He stops a third of the way through, coughing and hacking from drinking it too quickly. His voice is raspy from the dry throat, he must have been walking for awhile. ' Hack, ack. Tough stuff, stiff even for where I'm from. There anywhere here a man can kick off his boots and get a bath and a shave? Maybe even a barber for a hair cut? I've been walking for two weeks, barely any water and next to no food, I need to get myself back to normal, maam. 'His eyes seem to rarely blink, the normal eye appearing dry and bloodshot from his journey, the other, however... not a mark on it, smooth as glass.'

'Despite how much liquer he'd had from the glass, and how much he was guzzling from the bottle, he doesn't seem to be affected at all. Maybe a little tipsy already, but nothing else seems to be hitting his system. Certainly an odd man out, even for a drunkard in a backwoods town. The only normal thing he's doing at the moment is babbling a little... until he falls out of his stool from the combination of drunkeness and fatigue.'

[dakkon]

Nice room, usually open the door like that?*After getting thrown on the bed roughly he rolls onto his side and looks back to her chuckling* Shucks Madame, if you wanted me like this ya just had to say so. Yeah, I'm feeling all warm and fuzzy now. Like a million bucks *Letting his head bury itself in the plush pillows of the bed he can't help but smile and shut his eyes in satisfaction*

*Hearing the sound of her shoes being kicked to the floor only broadened his smile. When he felt her touch on his hand again he opened his eyes, but the amorous words on his tongue withered. She was wearing Bill’s locket, not a duplicate either by the look of the blood on it. Did she know? Hard to believe, she was being so kind, and there was her voice, so soft and comforting. A lot like the voice he used on his victims to calm them...With a cool sigh he tried to leverage himself up against the headboard but failed miserably. His breathing became erratic as his life, most of it unpleasant, flashed before his eyes*Ya know I never thought I'd meet someone like you in a backwater town like this.

So what manner of whore are you Madame, the sort that takes her time or the kind to get the deed done quickly? *Straining his body to resist her was worthless. The most he was able to accomplish was watching as he was restrained.* Ah, you're one to take things slow. Can't say I don't approve. Just look at me and old Bill, we had a good nights conversation before his incident with that window he fell out of. Talked about all kinds of things before he went but he never mentioned you. Guess you must have meant less than his boots, he wouldn't shut up about those.*This time his laugh had a mocking twist to it but it faded shortly. Resigned to what was shaping up to be a gruesome death he whispered over to her as she finished binding his arms* Look, lets just get this over with. I'm... tired all of a sudden and I'm ready to sleep I think.

[thisone]

Forgetting himself for a moment, David enjoyed the brief, if a bit cold, moment of physical intimacy before he sat back down again. That feeling in the back of his head kept drilling through him, but once more he shrugged it off as paranoia or some other form of crazy. Though he had learned to trust his instincts a long while ago, he was more than willing to push them aside if it got in the way of his hopes with a woman. Then again, nearly every other time he got close to loosing his virginity the woman in question turned out to be some shapeshifter or troll or something else that would kill him. But then again, in the grander scheme of things, aren't all women trying to kill their men with claws that could rend a horse in half with a single swipe? It happens more often than you'd think.

Now leering down at the shot glass being offered to him by his next potential lover/murderer, David shrugged, trying to focus more on her cleavage than on the memory of the disgusting whiskey. He couldn't put his finger on it, but there was something off about the whiskey. Maybe it's just me, he thought, as he took the glass and downed it, only to have it spat right back up into poor Ms. Lisette's face. "Oh god, I'm so very sorry," he said, now looking utterly dreadful about the whole thing, "It's just that s-sometimes, my tastebuds get all w-weird, and I can't drink things with c-certain herbs in them." Granted, this was entirely true. However, what David neglected to mention was that the herbs he couldn't ingest were used in most poisons and that he was starting to get wise about how she was trying to kill him. Stuff like that you tend to want to keep close to the chest. Either way, he figured that if these ladies were trying anything shifty, it'd be better to keep playing the stuttering idiot and let them think he's harmless. What made it even easier was that he didn't actually have to act the idiot part, as his partner Lucy often told him. Damn horse, no respect for his master. Either way, David kept wiping up the "spilled" liquor, glancing between the woman's eyes and her chest.

He then noticed that he had unintentionally ruined the poor girl's corset, and a deep crimson blush covered the idiot's face. "Oh, g-goodness, your c-corset's ruined. I'm t-terribly sorry bout all this. M-maybe I could help you change into s-something else, since it can't be easy to put one of t-those things on." he said, now looking extremely sheepish at the implications of what he was saying. Yep, this was all an act. No need to notice the tightening in David's pants, or the sweat on his brow that was now coming down in buckets. Yep, totally an act, and you have no proof otherwise.

[Moridanu]

*Lisette smiled approvingly as David once more sipped the whiskey, but the smile froze on her face as once more he spat it back out in her face. Rolling her eyes and counting to ten slowly, Lisette managed to refrain from ripping his head off his neck right then and there as he again succumbed to apologies and wiping the liquid off her dress.

~Herbs? I don’t know what herbs you could be talking about, Pet. This is nothing but the finest Whiskey in the land, but hey..~ she shrugged. ~ Just means more for the rest of us, I guess..~

"Oh, g-goodness, your c-corset's ruined. I'm t-terribly sorry bout all this. M-maybe I could help you change into s-something else, since it can't be easy to put one of t-those things on."

Lisette smiled. Finally!

Purring at him, she batted her lashes.

~You are so right David! It is such a chore to change into something else, though I must say, I’m sure it would be easier to take it off with your assistance. Why don’t you come up to my room and help me.. hmm?~

She stood up and offered him her hand. If he did not resist, she would lead him upstairs to room number 2. Decorated in her favourite colours of gold and red, the room comprised a large double bed, small red chaise lounge and a wash basin. As her room was the corner room, there was also a large window that had been hung with thick red drapes, trimmed with gold. Lisette opened the door and gestured inside, waiting for him to enter. *

~*~*~**~*~**~*~**~*~**~*~**~**~

*Latora’s ears pricked up as the soldier mentioned her favourite word “haircut”. Bestowing her most brilliant smile on him, she beamed

~Well sir, let me say if a bath, a shave and a haircut are all you seek, you have most certainly come to the right place! I used to be a hairdresser, one of the finest around, if I do say so myself. Why don’t you take your time finishing your drink, and then I can take you upstairs? I’ll have a bath drawn for you… and you must be starving! I’ll prepare you a fine meal myself, and have it waiting in your room…~

She trailed off as he fell off his stool and landed in a crumpled heap on the floor. Tutting in pity for the poor fool, she called out for Joseph, the only man that Tamassa kept on the premises. He had been out back, writing what he claimed would be a world famous novel one day. Grunting his dislike at being bothered, Joseph appeared and glared at Latora. She only responded by smiling broadly at him.

~Joey, be a sweetheart and carry this one up to room number five for me will ya? Just lay him out on the bed.. I’ll be up to tend to him in a minute.~

Unless the soldier awakened and struggled against Joseph trying to pick him up, he would soon find himself sprawled out on a large bed with green satin sheets and a green, pink and yellow patchwork quilt and cushions. A large bathtub, empty for now, stood to one side of the room, while a small table and chair stood on the other side. The table had various hairdressing tools, including a pair of slightly stained silver scissors, spread out on top.

Latora sauntered over to Samiha.

~Sam.. there are others to serve tonight you know..~ she eyed the drifter. While any other woman would see his dirty clothes and smell his dirty smell as a waste of space, to the girls of Madame Tamassa, a drifter signified a free meal. She didn’t blame Samiha for wanting to hog him all to herself, but Latora wanted to get busy with that soldier.

~I’ve.. uh.. got my hands full upstairs.. and Madame is busy. Marigold is “working”.. so is Lisette..~ she snickered. ~So you are tending bar okay?~ Samiha glared at her and looked over to Patillia before ambling over to her. Despite the others opinion of her, Samiha didn’t mind Patillia, and grinned at her as she approached.

~Heya Pat, how’s tricks?~

Without waiting for an answer from Samiha, Latora hurried back to the kitchen where she scooped a large serving of beef stew into a red bowl, and added some thick fresh bread to a plate. Carrying the food up on a tray, she quickly disappeared into room number five and closed the door behind her.*

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

*Down the hall, Tamassa was smiling approvingly at her handiwork. Mr. Kinde was now rather effectively bound to her bed. While the silken scarves might look innocent enough, once they were tied in the specific knots she had used, they would be impossible to break. She rolled her eyes as Mr. Kinde carried on with his drunk fool act, and nodded as he babbled on about meeting someone like her in a backwater town.

~Yeah, yeah.. it’s a great mystery.. ~ she waved away any other words he might say with a flick of her slender wrist.

She smiled when she saw the locket register in his eyes, a sick sinister grin that crossed her dark lips like twin serpents stalking their prey.

~I see you are admiring my locket Mr. Kinde… I must admit though, its not exactly MINE, though I’m sure you know that already, hmmm..? What, given the fact that you killed the man who owned it, you must know quite a lot more than you’re letting on.. hmm?~

She ran one long nail down his cheek, the tip of which was sharp enough to leave a long sharp scratch down his stubbly skin, revealing a few points of blood. Moving faster than lightning, she leaned down and licked the few drops of blood from his cheek, willing her vamp face to stay in check. For now.

Ignoring his question about what type of whore she was, she listened as he spoke about the long conversation he had had with Bill before he had fallen out of his window. Madame Tamassa was no fool. If Kinde had the locket, and the locket had Bill’s blood on it, then he had clearly been bleeding before he had met his untimely death – presumably out the window. His jibes about Bill’s boots meaning more to him than she did, did little to rile her, as she stared down at Kinde, cooly and calmly. His laugh was merely echoed with her own as he asked her to get things over with as he was ready for sleep.

~Oh trust me, dear sweet Mr. Kinde.. you will get to sleep soon.. a long deep sleep that you shall never awaken from. But before that happens, I want some answers. Who the hell are you exactly? WHAT are you? You smell and taste human, but there is something about you that isn’t quite.. right..? And why are you here? Killing all our law folk, hmm? Planning a big heist of some kind? Cause I gotta tell ya, its been done so many times around here there’s nothing left to steal..~

She sat down on the edge of the bed, crossed legged as though there were merely about to have a casual conversation. Glancing over to her nightstand, she smiled a secret grin. If Kinde didn’t want to answer her questions, she had her own ways of finding out the truth.*

(( Phew! Talk about an epic post! Now you see why it took so long to post!! I seriously need some more whores around here! ))

[dakkon]

*As her tongue lapped up the few droplets of blood from the fresh cut Kinde felt a familiar jolt of energy running through him. For only a moment, as the red streaks of his blood played over her lips, she hadn't felt like an untouchable. It was the barest glimmer of a weakness, but it was enough to rouse him. Somewhere, back in the recesses of his mind, the hunger that had withdrawn stirred. As Kinde began to awake he became aware of the tight spot he had gotten himself into. And unless the Madame cared to down a few quarts of his blood on a whim he doubted he would be able to avail himself of his usual tricks either.*

*Kinde tried casually to loosen his wrists but to no avail. He guessed Bill must have taught that knot to her or vice versa, knots being his second favorite topic after boots. Well, if escape and murder were out of the picture that didn't leave him much to work with* As ta how I'm different from your usual clientele Madame, I'm the best hired gun in the territories. Y'aint like to have met one better before *Her wording was unusual. Smell and taste weren't exactly the sharpest senses, and nobody used the word human like that outside of a ladies poetry circle. On top of that she didn't seem as concerned with Bill as she was with learning about some imaginary master plot. Madame Tamassa was unusual, he was sure of it now. From experience Kinde believed that the most useful thing about unusual people was how they gravitated toward other oddities. If a normal lie wouldn't work on the Madame, an outrageous one with a touch of truth might*I don't know about any big plans to rob stagecoaches or banks. Heck, the bankers are the ones paying me to intimidate the local badges in the first place. Course they didn't say nothing about killing but I find there ain't many things more intimidating than a bunch of corpses with fresh markers over ‘em.

*Anticipating that she didn't much care about his taste in professions he paused to recollect himself and did his best to develop a cold sweat* Look, I ain't supposed to know but I've seen some tell of what the bankers are up to. Has to do with those big old crates they ship in to the mines during the day using the back road. Not to cast aspersions on you Madame but I'm one of the few that can get someone else in for a closer look see at the place in the mines where they store the crates. Can't say I ain't curious myself; what with all the care the bankers are taking to keep things quiet. I even heard most of em stopped coming to your little saloon for fear of dropping any tasty details.*He guessed she might view some of that last bit as an obvious ploy to escape, it was after all. But even if she went to verify his story with the banker or the miners, that would be a chance for him to escape. And if she did believe him, well, the mines were an easy place to hide in.*

[steven]

'Poor Steven is out cold. The combination of drink and fatigue, as well as severe heat exhaustion really got him hard. When lifted, he seems to weigh quite abit more then he should judging by height and body type, his right arm and leg also seem to dangle a little heavier then their counterparts. An odd man to be sure, but soldiers are generally not normal men. Not in these times. Numerous wars have been fought over the last century, most of them with creatures, not men, and those lucky enough to return alive are always changed, never for the better.'

[thisone]

Taking her hand, the cowboy happily followed up after the beautiful woman who had just agreed to more or less let him undress her. Her hand was as soft as silk, and about as cold as ice. Once he did get into her room, he took a moment to marvel at the room around him. "Wow, ms. Lisette, t-this is a m-mighty fine room." he said, trying to keep his stuttering to a not-so-faked level. Even in this room, there was still that feeling of utter doom, but once more he pushed it out of his mind. He was about to hopefully get some loving, self-preservation didn't matter right now. Slowly walking deeper into the room, he made his way over to the window and glanced outside. It was now almost an hour after complete sunset.

He then turned back to the woman expectantly. "So, w-what shall we do now?" he asked, his voice hurried and nervous.

[Sparrow Leinad]

The babbling idiot stuttered something about love and groaned. Sparrow sighed and unceremoniously shoved him roughly onto his stomach, he giggled. His pistol fell out of his already dropped pants; Sparrow recoiled in pain and alarm at the feel of the iron. She held her stomach and tried to ignore the metal, she reached into the gold miners pockets and pulled out all his cash, she smiled rubbing the money through her fingertips.

‘He probably killed someone to get all cashola’

She thought silently, she sighed and stuffed the money into her corset, with a sudden gasp of horror Sparrow realised the room was shivering and swaying. She’d allowed the illusion to fade. The metal had thrown her off. She took a step away from the bed and closed her eyes. She began to repair the broken fabrics of the gunslingers mind. She re-weaved his utter ecstasy and placed herself back into the picture. It wasn’t a hard illusion to create because she was only placing an identical replica over the original she used the gold miners own desires and fantasy control her ‘other’. She moved over the corner of the room and sat down exhausted on the corner chair. She didn’t have an overly large room in the saloon. In fact it was rather small and misshapen, (like herself), but It was good enough, she made enough gold. Everything in the room was oak and earthen, green sheets and green mats. The lanterns flickered warmly.

The gold digger groaned loudly, signaling his time was over. Sparrow forced the illusion of herself to stand up and begin to dress, it didn’t take too long, when she was done, she stepped into her own illusion and let it fade away. Humans were always a little foggy coming out of the experience, in the mother country the skill was only used to escape humans, but here... it was a necessity, if she wanted to survive among the dust and soulless corruption.

‘The usual price please love’.

She said with a wink, the gold digger pulled his pants up and began rummaging through his pockets.

‘You know, I usually ask for cash up front... but you’re so handsome I couldn’t wait...’

She said with her trademark charm and English accent. The Goldminer looked up in alarm, emptying his pockets before frantically searching the bed sheets.

‘Oh honey... I’d hate to call up Pete...’

She said with mock sadness.

‘No, no I swear girlie, I had cash, pockets full of it, I know because I took it from’is cold dea-‘

He stopped quickly, his face draining of colour.

‘I’ll tell you what, here take this’

He hurried over to his knapsack and opened it hurriedly, he pulled out a dirty, but otherwise nice sized chunk of gold. Sparrow had left it alone for that exact purpose, it was a good trick, but one that only worked once.

‘Well bless my soul, thank you sir. So generous, but lets be honest I was worth it’.

She said with a mischievous laugh. The Gold miner looked down shyly and quietly left the room waving dopily behind him. Sparrow held the gold piece in her hand and smiled. She was an Amazon of a woman, tall with long blond hair tied in a neat ponytail. She changed her shape to her natural form. In her original form she was a 30cm Fae, with long thin limbs and bark-like skin, with a slight green tint. She had large emerald eyes and long thick black hair. Black tattoos ran along both arms. She was one of the most beautiful creatures imaginable, her leathery insect-esque wings fluttered briefly.

She had to return to her original form to shape change again, she changed to her preferred human form, a short unbelievable attractive woman. She looked similar to her Original Fae form, only human; she was often mistaken for a child which sickeningly enough worked in a place like this. She fastened her green corset and lifted her brown skirts ad hurried out of the room. She was exhausted; she’d be done for the night, unless Madame insisted. She headed towards the bar and sat next to Pattilia.

‘Patillia my love, I made a killing!’

She said with a childlike giggle.

‘Where’s the old ball and chain? She’ll want her money’.

She said without a hint of bitterness, though perhaps there should have been.

[Pattilia Longfellow]

She sighed at Latora, easily spotting the murderous intent behind those doll-like eyes. She flicked her dirty hair over her shoulder and nodded at the shelf behind the bar. "Bottle of Kentucky bourbon. A new bottle," she added, spotting the slightly torn label on the bottle Latora was about to go for. She didn't trust almost any of the girls, and had heard strange rumors about the 'extra' effects some of the miners had experienced. More than likely the Madame had some secret herbs she mixed into the liquors to make the men more amicable to enjoying some private parties with the ladies. Why they couldn't just use their ample bosoms or firm thighs to squeeze it out of the men, Patty wasn't sure.

She uncorked the bottle and ignored the glass Latora put on the bar, and her eyes wandered after the wench swaying over to a new 'victim.' She shook her head slowly and took a slow swig, letting the fire burn down her throat. A heavy-lidded eye peered over at Samiha when the question was offered.

"Tricks ain't so good, Sammy," she drawled with a lightly Cajun accent, "My vein's drying up, gonna have to move on tah greener pastures soon 'nough." She tilted her head back and slightly sideways as she mentioned that, knowing some greedy bastards were probably trying to listen in.

She went back to her bottle for another drink when Sparrow hopped up. The thought of lecherous old men taking advantage of this sweet young girl next to her... Pattilia had to press her fingers into her temples, remembering this 'child' sitting next to her was older than she looked. Europeans always seemed to be gifted that way. It was the only explanation Pattilia had.

"A killing, eh? Madame should be pleased tah hear that. Next killin' I'll be makin' is the next thief I find in mah shaft," she frowned, adding in a louder voice for everyone to hear, "Third time this week my pickaxe gon' missin', and whomever so unlucky enough to have it is gon' get it up their ass!"

She smiled back at Sparrow, "Now whatchyoo gonna do for the rest of the evenin', little darlin'? Just sit on yer laurels and preen for the boys?"

[Moridanu]

(( sorry for the delay guys.. ))

*Tamassa sat on the side of the bed, her eyes fixed on Mr. Kinde’s face. Besides her many other talents, Tamassa was an expert on when people were lying. Despite someone doing all they could to hide their deceit, there was always some little tell that gave their lie away. For Mr. Kinde it was the slight tic he had under his left eye. She didn’t believe what he said about the bankers. There were only three of them left in the town, and two of them were so old and decrepit they wouldn’t be much of a threat to anyone. The other was too busy having his blood sucked slowly on a regular basis by sweet Marigold to be much of a threat either. The fact that Mr. Kinde spoke about the bankers as though there was a large group of them that chose not to come to her establishment anymore for fear of dropping information, had enough holes in it to tell her that he was lying, regardless of the nervous tic below the left eye. This business about the mines though, perked her interest, as she had heard some rumblings through town that something was going on with one of the local mines. Her subtle questioning of her punters hadn’t really revealed much, except that something strange was happening in one of the mines, and whoever was responsible for it wanted it kept hush hush. Deciding to play along for now, Tamassa leant forward.

~Crates you say? Any idea what might be in these crates of yours? Perhaps its people wanting to be Bankers, since you seem so certain there seems to be a lot more now then there was at the Bankers Ball in February, hmm?~

Her interest was piqued when he said that he would be able to get closer for a closer look. While she didn’t buy his story, she still wanted to know what was going on.

~Lets say I believe you.. about getting closer to the mines? I want to go there and take a look myself.. lets just say, I like to know what’s happening in this little town of mine..~ she trailed off, the wheels in her head turning.

~There’s a woman downstairs… a miner.. she could probably help..~ she muttered, thinking out loud. Turning her attention back to Kinde, she smiled, her lips forming a sinister grin.

~Alright Mr. Kinde… you sit tight for a bit.. not that I think you could get out of here even if you try..~ she chuckled to herself as she rose from the bed and walked quickly towards the door. Closing and locking it behind her, Madame Tamassa made her way down the hall and skipped down the stairs.

She found Pattilia chatting with Sparrow, her special little friend that Tamassa just adored. Sidling up to the pair, Madame eyed the Bourbon and reached for it, asking Pattilia if she minded sharing. Without waiting for an answer, Tamassa took a long sip before she sat on the stool besides Pattilia.

~Evening Ladies… Sparrow, I trust all went well upstairs?~ She held her hand out automatically, waiting for her little friend to bestow upon it the money she had managed to steal.

~Pat.. glad you’re here tonight.. I need to ask a favour. It seems something is happening over at the mines… something I need to know about. I’ve got an… “acquaintance”.. says he can get us in.. thought your knowledge might come in handy, you being Queen Mine Bitch and all. Thing is.. we need to go.. like now.. There’s a carton of my finest bourbon in it for ya… You in?~ She smiled over at Sparrow.

~You can run this place for me till I get back, right Pet? Joseph is here to lend a hand if need be…~

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^

Upstairs, Latora carried in the tray of hot soup and bread. Placing it on the small table, she closed the door and stood looking down at the sleeping soldier. She could end his life right now if she chose. He was asleep, unable to put up even a hint of a fight, yet that wasn’t Latora’s style. She liked to play with her food before she ate, so she grabbed the bowl of soup and held it under his nose. If he was truly as hungry as he appeared, the delicious aroma of the soup would surely lure him from his slumber.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Lisette smiled as she closed the door with a bump of her firm ass and reached behind to lock the door behind her. Taking the key out of the door she placed it behind the vase of roses on her table as she sashayed into the room. David appeared even more nervous, up here, away from the others. Lisette licked her lips as she thought about how sweet his blood would taste with all that adrenalin pumping through his veins. Sliding up beside him, she reached out to grab hold of his hand. Fluttering her lashes at him, she dropped her voice a little, so that she sounded like a young girl.

~Please David, wont you help me get out of this tight corset? You did promise to help me undress remember?~ she brought his hand up to her breast and smiled at him. ~Why don’t we let these puppies out to play, hmmmm?~ *