As Dusk Approaches...

[dakkon]

"Why would I want to try going anywhere? This bed’s way better than mine. No fleas or anything" He flashed a twisting smile to match her own as she left.

'Glad to see you're awake again T.' The familiar voice was insincere but there wasn't anything Kinde could do about that for now. Nor could he get the voice to call him by something other than his family name.

Kinde never mentioned the voice in his head to others if only because he wasn't sure what it was himself, that and people would think he was crazy. The voice had been with him since birth though so he had come to accept it as a bothersome twin, a sibling he had the bad fortune to be stuck with. Somewhere between his dreams and nightmares he envisioned his doppelganger, always sitting comfortably behind a heavy rosewood desk, the sort of desk they kept in jails for wardens to rest their boots on. And behind this other self was a heavy door set plain against the dry wallboards. Its thick timbers and iron bands weren't what drew his eye; More subtle, more terrifying, was the thin outline of flickering red light around the doorframe. His other self could pass through that gate to the other side, he could not.

'I thought I had you dead to rights when I dropped the necklace for her to see. The deputy cooked that plan up as he passed, really sounded like it might have worked T.'

'Yeah, well, looks like it still might. Got anybody stashed away in there that might know how to get out of these ties?'

'There was the escape artist from the carnival you hit last year but I haven't kept in touch so finding her would be hard without a focus. And I doubt the deputy has been in there long enough to consider a deal'

'Well then find somebody who recognizes this room and knows Madame Tamassa. Old boyfriends or previous clients are a good start. Offer them the usual deal for information, 6 days to kick around my head'

Kinde craned his neck to peer over the restraints at the plush bedroom. There wasn't much in the way of sentimental items lying around the room from what he could tell. Not good if he wanted a better focus to speed up the search.

Then the bedside drawer caught his eye. Unlike everything else in the room it was just a little shabby. A longer examination and he noticed that beneath the polish was a rather unique looking wood. He had seen that pattern somewhere... and like that it clicked where he had seen it.

'Wait, that drawer ... try finding its last owner. It’s a Versetti limited. Only five of those ever made and they don't change hands unless one pair of those are cold and dead. That’s who we’re looking for'

His directions given, the voice left him alone to relax back into the bed. He would play along for now. He would show the Madame and her miner friend to the crates, biding time until he could come out on top. He already had his first joke ready ‘Why Madame, I’m surprised you let minors in here?!’ She already thought him a fool, no reason to dissuade her now.

[steven]

'The sleeping soldier's nose twitched. A loud noise screamed through his skull, echoing through chambers, not all of them organic. His brain was shrieking for him to wake up, eat, to nourish his body, while the cold, metallic voice of his cyber-augmentations replied that his body needed rest above all else. It was this same cold monotone that shut him down when he was drinking, the programming self-preserving, trying to keep the organic alive so the metallic could function.'

'But he is more man then machine, and his prganic body is very strong willed. While his oddball eye may stay shut, his other one twitters open, and he groans as he rols over, having to leverage himself with the normal arm, the other one dangling limpy. Now on his back, he blinks his eye at his hostess, bearing soup, and he smiles upside down at her.' Mind helping a man seat himself upright for a bite ma'am? it seems not all of my body is in the mood to cooperate with me, heheheh. 'He cackles a little bit, obviously still abit drunk, and with the blood rush to his head, finding himself QUITE amusing. He rolls a little more and falls with a thump to the floor, the impact enough to force his eyes both open, the second one actually glowing for a moment, the mixed signals in his brain forcing it into an thermal scan of the room, not only giving him a headache but making his eye appear red for a moment before it adjusts back to normal.'

Owwwww, heheheheheh! 'He laughs again as he rolls onto his stomach, pushing himself up shakily, sitting himself on his ass and leaning against the bed, looking at the woman. He rubs his face, abit dazed, but coming down off his short-lived drunkeness.' Sorry, me and alchohol don't get along as much as I'd like us too. Remind me again ma'am, what's your name? And thanks for the soup, too. 'He reaches out and accepts the bowl, drinking right from it, despite likely burning his tongue some.'

[Pattilia Longfellow]

Pattilia regarded the bottle suspiciously when Tamassa put it back on the bar. Did the women here serve drugs on their lips, too? She decided it probably didn't matter either way at this point, since she planned on drinking the rest of the bottle in one night. One way or another she intended to forget about the mines at least for the night...

Patty's head rolled backwards and sideways to look Tamassa in the face with a raised eyebrow.

"You wan' me to do what for some bourbon? You' got t'be jokin', right? Ain't no amount o' borubon or whiskey'll get me to follow along with some lead-brained scheme that could rightly wind up killin' ya. What would possibly be strikin' yer fancy to go rock-diving this time a night?"

Patty was a little indignant about the 'Queen Mine Bitch' quip, but a little ashamed of her outburst at the same time. Still, these were the questions that beared asking. She eye-balled the Madame half-pertrubed and half-inquisitive. She took a firm hold of the bourbon and took a drink before Tamassa might knick it from her again. Maybe one carton could get raised to two cases if it was important enough to the Madame. Then again, maybe Patty would just shut her trap and tag along anyway.

[thisone]

Come ON, David. Just remember that there's something wrong with this place! the man thought to himself as he glanced down at his hand, the one now holding Lisette's cold yet firm....and shapely...and wonderful breasts. COME ON, MAN!! DON'T GET DISTRACTED!!! DON'T GET D- are her nipples hard? At this point, a slight nosebleed had begun to trickle from David's left nostril. Quickly wiping away the blood with his not-filled hand, he accepted his fate as this woman's plaything. At least, for as long as the Divine let him this time. And you know what? he then thought to himself, Maybe this time I'll actually not have to kill her!!

"Umm, A-alright," he said, though at this point he didn't need to fake the stutter. He was so overwhelmed that it would have come naturally. "If th-that's what you w-want." And with that, he slowly began unlacing the front ties of Lisette's corset, while at that very moment there appeared to be a circus tent rising up from the crotch of David's pants.

[Madame Tamassa]

(( I do apologise for the delay guys.. this isnt my best work.. but its up.. sorry, but its what you get for a post that took half an hour.. LOL.. enjoy Patrick.. *giggles* ))


*Unable to stop herself, Madame Tamassa felt her dark lips curve downward into a slight snarl as Pattilia did what she did best – become insolent. With her patience starting to wane, Tamassa tried to keep her eyes neutral as they flashed at Pattilia.

~Com on Pat, don't be an awkward bitch. I'll make it two cases, if you want to whine so much.. three.. I really don't give a shit. I just want to get to the mines, and I want to get there now. I have a certain gentleman friend waiting upstairs who is going to escort us on our little adventure..~ she slid off the stool, patting Sparrow on the head as she did so.

~I have to go and help him... uh.. detangle himself from the bed clothes..~ she smirked, it wasn't really a lie, not technically at least. ~I will be right back and then we will go.~ She stared directly at Pattilia, making it clear that the woman had no choice but to accompany her and Mr. Kinde to the mines. Softening her gaze, she smiled at Sparrow.

~You're in charge till I get back, Pet.. behave yourself wont you? And remember.. call on Joseph if you need him, okay?~

Without waiting for an answer from either ladies, Madame Tamassa cast a quick glance around her establishment before she swept back up the stairs and stalked down the hallway towards her room. Unlocking the door, she stepped inside to find Kinde right where she had left him. Moving over closer to her bedside drawers, Madame opened up the top drawer and rummaged around until she withdrew a small rosewood box.

~Ahhh Mister Kinde.. so good to see you again. You seem a bit tied up at the moment... ~she chuckled at her own joke. ~Wont you let me help you?~ She opened up the box, smiling down at its contents. If Kinde's hearing was as good at Tamassa's he would hear a slight scraping sound coming from the box. Carrying the box over to the bed with one hand, Tamassa used the other hand to gently undo the buttons of Kinde's shirt. The look in her eyes, and the motion of her hands, could almost be construed as having a romantic undertone; an eager lover seducing her man for a night of pleasure perhaps. Once his shirt was open, Tamassa cast an approving glance down over his well built chest.

~Well Mister Kinde.. you are just full of suprises, are you not? I wonder if things are so well built in the lower regions of your anatomy, hmmm?~

Tamassa chuckled again, and toyed briefly with the idea of using her Glamour on Kinde. It had been a while since she had been pleasured and despite her efforts at remaining aloof, she recognized the slight attraction she was starting to feel for this man lying tied up to her bed. In his current state, he would be motionless to stop her actions regardless, but she always did like the notion of the man on top. The tip of her tongue darted out to lick the corner of her mouth absently as these thoughts raced around her mind for a fraction of a second, before the sound of scurrying from the box in her hand broke through her thoughts and brought her mind back to the present.

Giggling like a school girl, she looked down at Kinde.

~Do hold still now Mister Kinde.. this won't hurt.. much..~

Tipping the box upside down, Madame Tamassa's eyes opened wide with glee as she watched the large beatle type insect fall onto Kinde's chest. Its long black legs would undoubtedly bring some displeasure to Kinde as they scurried across his skin. With eager eyes, Tamassa settled down on the side of the bed, to watch where the insect would decide to make its entrance. Though it usually chose the belly button, she had seen on more than one occasion, it had chosen a nipple, and Tamassa chuckled to herself again as she wondered if this would be one of those times. Of course, it would be easier for both the insect and the victim if the insect crawled up to the face and entered via an already open entry point, but as Tamassa enjoyed inflicting pain, she couldn't help but hope for the nipple entry point. Of course, the insect made its way to the belly button, and Tamassa's keen eyes drank in the sight of the insect raising its little pinchers before it bore down on Kinde's skin, tearing it open so that his bellybutton was now a gaping wound, large enough for the insect to crawl inside. Used to the protocol of such an action, Tamassa quickly used one of her long nails to slice open the inside of her right arm. Once the blood started to pool, she used the end of the same nail to scoop up only two drops of the precious dark liquid and then carefully dropped the blood into the open wound. Within a minute, the wound had closed and was invisible to the naked eye. Raising her wrist to her mouth, Tamassa quickly sucked the blood from her wrist until the slice had healed itself as she looked down upon Kinde. Apart from the sight of the insect crawling under Kinde's skin, noone would be able to tell such a transaction had taken place.

Confident now of her ability to control Kinde for the next 24 hours, Tamassa reached up to untie the silk cloths that were binding him to her bed. As her long nimble fingers worked, she explained what had just happened to poor Kinde.

~Now Mister Kinde, I am sure that hurt immensely, in fact.. I can guarantee its still not feeling particularly comfortable for you down there, hmmm? Be grateful however that I chose to use that area of your body and not your groin.. I can guarantee that would of hurt a hell of a lot more.~ The silk ties were now completely undone, meaning that Kinde could move quite freely should he choose to do so.

~You may be wondering what the hell that little insect was, and why I chose to do that to you? The first part is irrelevant, as it bares no significance what it is called or where I found it. Perhaps after our little expedition I can tell you over a nice red wine, but for now all you need to know about is its purpose. As long as that little creature is inside of you, you are bound to me. You can not be more than twenty metres away from me, or you will die. For such a little thing, that insect can eat your insides in less that one hour. Trust me, I've timed him.. ~ she smiled then, a brilliant dazzling smile that had brought many a man to his knees.

~Now don't panic, as it isn't all doom and gloom. The creature will only be inside of you for twenty four hours and then.. well.. lets just say, you will be craving a chamber pot for some time. After he is out, he will find his way back to me.. he always does. That is of course, if you have served your purpose to me. My blood has bound him to you. My blood can control him... so, I wouldn't recommend doing anything to piss me off, dear Mister Kinde.. or.. well.. you will find out what happens if you do. Just do as your told and everything will be fine.~

She rose from the bed, and ran a hand over her skirts, smoothing them out before she smiled down at him expectantly.

~Now, don't just lay there. We have a date in the mines Mister Kinde... we just need to collect the Queen Mine Bitch and then we shall be on our way..~

Without waiting for a reply, she sauntered out of her room, knowing that he would have no choice but to follow her.

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Latora tutted in sympathy as the soldier woke up and tried to sit up, only to fall from the bed to the floor. She helped into a sitting position so that he was now seated on the floor, leaning up against the bed.

~The name is Latora sir, and you are most welcome for the soup. Careful now, it's mighty hot..~ she cringed as he drank from the bowl. ~ There is some bread here too.. and a nice cool ale.~
She glanced over at her scissors, her smile broadening at the thought of what was to come.

~Once you are full and refreshed, I shall bathe you and give you that haircut I promised, hmm?~ She stood back to watch her food eat his own food, her skin humming as she thought of the fun ahead.

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Lisette's eyes began to burn a slight feral amber at the sight and smell of the blood that was now starting to trickle down from his nose. She fought to resist the urge to lick the blood of his sweet skin as his shaking hands reached out to unlace her corset. Lisette knew that her body was incredible, and she let him drink in the sight of her naked form for a few minutes before she reached over and threw him down on the bed.

~Now David..~ she said, stepping out of her skirt and quickly removing the rest of her clothes so that she was standing naked in front of him.

~Why don't you tell me all the nasty things you want me to do to you, and we shall get started?~

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[steven]

Well then, miss Latora, thanks again for the food, the soup was delicious, as I'm sure the bread and ale will be too. Although, I may wanna go easy on the ales, again, me and the Missus upstairs don't agree too well on the subject o drinkin. 'The voice in his head, the cold, mechanical screaming he hears every time he "needs" to do something, or is being streamed information, is decidely female, and he argues constantly with this computer about several activities, drinking, fighting, and sex being the main ones. Not to mention his allegiance issues. Though in among the crap she's feeding him, he does get an interesting tidbit from his eye's thermal scan.'

'He picks at the bread, taking a sip of his ale, running his fingers through his hair.' So, you think you can get me back into clean and pressed looking as far as my hair and beard go? I can take care of getting my clothes washed, or probably replaced, I just got abit ragged on the trip here. My ride got a little busted up almost two weeks ago out in the desert, and my supplies were barely enough to last five days, I managed to stretch it enough to last me almost ten at meager portions. Thirst was the worst part, but I'm sure you know better then I about thirst.

'He knows she's a vampire. When he bumped his head, the thermal scan showed how she wasn't heated like a normal person was, showed that her bloodstream ws not carrying soothing heat evenly from her heart through her body, and the profile matched that of vampires he's fought before. And he's not afraid of her. He stares her in the eys, expecting shock or anger.' Don't worry, I'm not gonna hurtcha maam, nor will I tell the others. However, you aren't hurting me either. The lady in my head knows enough abbout your kind to keep me safe. However, once I've had abit of rest, maybe we can entertain ourselves in less violent ways, mm?

[thisone]

And that is about where most, if not all, of David's higher brain functions simply shut down. The sight of such a beauty, and one talking so dirty to him, was far more than the poor man could handle in his right mind. So, instead of any coherent reply, a look of almost feral lust came into his eyes and he stood back up. He then, in a rather fluid motion, took the girl by her shoulders and threw her down on the bed behind him, turning to face her with a rather animalistic gleam to his lustful gazing. His nose was still bleeding, but that was nothing but a triviality at this point. Crawling onto the bed, his hand on either side of her while his knee was placed rather close to her most sensitive of areas, a wicked grin spread across his face. He knew he would enjoy this, on a primal level he knew he would enjoy this very much. And so he leaned forward and, the blood from his nose dripping freely, let his tongue drag across her tender, cold, but still delicious throat.

Somewhere within David's psyche, there was a man huddled in the corner of a dark room, rocking back and forth slowly as he tried to regain some semblance of sense. The thing now nipping along Lisette's collarbone was not that man.

[dakkon]

*He signaled his acquiescence to her plans with a grim nod. No sense in causing trouble anyway. The mines were his best chance at escape, even with Tamassa's unusual pet riding along as her insurance.*

---

*The walk through the town was not without incident but before too long the trio arrived at the Banker's claim. Kinde was surprised to find the entrance to the main tunnel unguarded but he was careful to appear nonplused. He had told Tamassa he could get her into the tunnels, he didn't mention that his plan had involved killing off the guards. With a reassuring smile he led them onward into the lantern lit depths*

*Kinde waved off their curiosity at the first set of crates they passed by. Seeing that further explanation was warranted he gave a mischievous smirk* Nothing in them, these are fresh crates from the outside. What the Bankers fill the crates up with in the lower tunnels is what you'll be wanting to see.

*The next hour passed in silence down winding paths. Even with a general idea of where they had to be going Kinde found himself relying on Pat's uncanny sense of direction. After one particularly careless incident involving several water filled mine shafts Kinde finally brought them into a brightly illuminated chamber full of half packed wooden crates*

Well *He flashed a disarming smile back at Tamassa* This what you were interested in?

*He couldn’t help but whistle as he passed by some of the treasures the Bankers had been recovering from the lower caves. A chalice crafted from olive branches in particular caught his eye. That was ... quite the exotic item, even had it been found in his native land it would have been priceless. Kinde couldn't spare the time to puzzle out how that relic might have come to rest in the middle of nowhere though. Browsing around the isles of crates he finally found what he was looking for, a side tunnel nestled between two crates. Hesitating only long enough to scratch '6 shares if you dont follow me' by the tunnel entrance he dodged into the blackness of the passage. That offer should keep the mercenary miner from helping ol' Tammy out.*


*Fumbling onward in the dark he felt a sudden twinge in his stomach*That &%#tana wasn't kidding, the bugs a real nibbler

Problems Mr Killer?*A feminine, almost childlike voice, spoke up from somewhere in front of him*

Is that you Lil?

Yes, its me. Here, let me take care of that problem of yours.
*Kinde heard her soft footfalls coming closer. Then there was Lil's smiling face in front of him. The irony in her calling him a killer was enough to make him grimace*

Oh and Mr Killer, you really shouldn't have gone walking around telling folk we were Bankers. We haven't been called that since we used to babysit pilgrims. Although, I will admit, I was going to do this regardless.

*Kinde only caught her sadistic look of glee in the brief muzzle flash from her gun. Tilting backward in pain he collapsed to the ground clutching the hole in his stomach. As he tried to keep his innards from spilling out onto the rock Kinde could vaguely feel himself being dragged deeper into the tunnel. *

Your part is over Mr Killer, but don’t worry about your friends. Those two still have a very important role to play in making this a very fun evening indeed.

[Pattilia Longfellow]

Clearly there was no dissuading the bar's matron. Dismissed as she was by Tamassa, Patty rolled her eyes back to her bottle. Three cases sounded fine, at least she could keep them at home and avoid the public eye for awhile. She had no clue what the 'gentleman caller' would be leading them to, and decided it would be best to keep her mouth shut given Tamassa's temper.

She followed the pair into the mines without much comment, but the deeper they went, the less convinced she was this 'Kinde' fellow knew where he was going. She knew most of the mines by heart, but since Kinde was leading them to a 'secret stash', she hardly interrupted his staggerings into pitfalls and flooded caverns, just careful enough to make sure she and Tamassa hung back and watched.

On more than a few occasions Pat gave a reassuring smirk to Tamassa, indicating the pair of revolvers on her hips, as if to say, "just give the word and I'll shoot him in the back." She was convinced Kinde had already planned that far ahead himself. What Pat didn't know was the strange and unnatural hold Tamassa had on him.

It was when they reached the cavern of treasure Patty's eyes lit up for the first time. With nothing but a reverently whispered, "Laissez les bon temps roulet!" Patty's eyes stroked and fondled the treasures and gold. Her nervous hands remained glued to the grips of her pistols lest she fall victim to an unseen trap or hidden ambush. She just barely saw Kinde duck into a side passage from the corner of her eye, and wandered over to see what he'd scratched into the wall.

Her eyes drifted back to the treasures as she started weighing her options. The idea of six shares for clearly betraying Tamassa rolled over in her head like a lump of molasses in a mason jar. She was faced with at least three choices: six shares to walk away; three cases of bourbon to stay and risk life and limb; or grab something and run like hell.

The thoughts might have spent more time dripping over each other in the jar, but it was quickly shattered by the sound of gunfire down the passage, forcing Patty's hands to instinctively pull the two revolvers from their holsters. Holding them up like she'd seen sheriffs, cowboys, and bandits do, she quickly looked for Tamassa.

[Madame Tamassa]

*Lisette laughed and squealed in delight as David rose from the bed and threw her down upon it instead, crawling over her naked form in a way that hinted at the fun to come. Gone was the stuttering fool she had brought up here for her next meal, replaced by a man eager to see just how good of a whore Lisette really was. Being one of the best in this little whorehouse, Lisette decided to resist killing him right now so that she could “ride” things out a bit longer. As his knee drew agonisingly close to her groin, Lisette shivered and raised her pelvis up to meet him. The feel of his tongue on her skin caused a little groan to form in her throat and she smiled devilishly up at the ceiling as her fingers curled in his hair. Pushing his head down slightly, she purred

~Why now David, if your tongue is so talented, I'm sure I can find somewhere down there more deserving of such attention..~ Guiding his head down lower, she giggled like a school girl as she shivered in anticipation of what was to come. After all, why should he be the only one to get his rocks off?

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*Latora arched a slender brow as the soldier began to speak. His affirmation of her species surprised her however, though she had sensed from the beginning that this soldier was not all that he appeared to be. She decided not to press the matter just yet, knowing that the time would come for all to be revealed. For now, she thought it best to play along and see where things ended up. After all, she had no one better to do right now. Chuckling to herself, she curtsied to him.

~Why sir, why on earth would you think I wanted to hurt you, hmmmm? Perhaps you have had experience with my kind before and have formed your own illusions.. but I assure you, we are all different in the end..~

She grinned as she crossed to her table and picked up her small silver scissors. Snapping them open and closed, she laughed.

~ Trust me, these scissors will make you even more handsome then you already be, sir. And if you trust my hands, and my scalpel, I shall give you the closest shave you have ever seen... mighty close indeed.. ~ She licked her lips as she smiled at him, waiting for him to finish his supper so that the fun could begin.

~Oh I am sure we can find MANY ways to entertain ourselves, sir.. many, MANY ways..~

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*The walk through town was quiet as expected. It was almost two am, and anyone still awake was already at her establishment. Tamassa enjoyed the quiet night, the stars overhead winking in agreement with her thoughts about what a beautiful night it was. She considered making small talk with Pat and Kinde, but decided against it. Instead, she fell into a comfortable silence that was only broken when the arrived at the mines.

Surprised to find the entrance unguarded, she asked Kinde and Pat about it, but only received a reassuring smile from Kinde as they were led into the darkness, lit dimly by the odd lantern here and there. Her keen vampire senses gave her heightened eye sight and she could see easily in the dingy twisting tunnels of the mines. Coming across some crates, she looked at Kinde expectantly and was slightly curious as to his explanation. A strong sniff though, told her that the crates were indeed empty. The familiar scent of gold still lingered though and Tamassa found her interest in the crates even more piqued than it had been previously.

After another hour of manoeuvring through the tunnels, Kinde made a grand production out of their arrival in a large well lit chamber. Treasures and artefact's were piled high almost to the ceiling, and Tamassa felt a slender brow shoot up in surprise at the sight of some of these. Knowing Pattilia as well as she did, Tamassa knew the Queen Mine Bitch's eyes were lit up at the sight of such dazzling treasures, and indeed, even Tamassas' sense of Gold Rush was beginning to heat up her otherwise cold body. She sighed and rolled her eyes as Kinde made a dash for it, stopping long enough to scrawl something on the entrance to the tunnel before he disappeared down it. She had thought the man more smart than he had turned out to be, and she found herself surprisingly saddened by this revelation Almost instantly, her connection with her little beetle friend began to hum and she nodded grimly as she gave the approval for it to rip Kinde's insides apart.

The sound of a gunshot rang out from the tunnel down which Kinde had escaped, and Tamassa turned to offer Pat a rather shocked look. Rolling her eyes again at the comical sight of Pattilia standing at attention with both pistols raised, she couldn't help but laugh.

~Come now Pat.. really? You look like Calamity Jane!~ Turning to peer down the tunnel, Tamassa wondered who had shot that last round. She knew that Kinde had not had a gun on him, which meant that someone else was waiting down that tunnel; someone who had messed with Tamassa's plans.. and that pissed her off.

~I wonder who is down there...~ she called out in a soft, sing song voice. ~ Yooooo hoooo... someone down there playing games? Didn't ya momma ever teach ya its not wise to shoot off guns in tunnels.. ya never know where the bullets mind end up...tsk tsk.~

Knowing that no bullets could harm her, Tamassa held no fear about venturing into the tunnel. What she didn't like however, was the prospect of not knowing what, or whom, lay ahead.

~Come on Pat.. you can come with me.. all guns blazin' if ya like, though I always say.. ~ she raised her voice loud enough for the mystery shooter to hear her words. ~ Guns are for pussies..~

As she stepped into the tunnel, Tamassa's connection with the beetle creature hummed again, and she was happy to see that by this sensation, not only was her little friend still embedded in Kinde's insides, but he was slowly starting to punish the stupid man for running away from her. In her mind flashed instantly the image of Kinde's heart, and she was pleased to see that the beetle had made its way up from his guts into his chest cavity. There was a lot more damage it could do up there before it finished with the treacherous bastard. With Calamity Jane invoked in the form of Pattilia bringing up the rear, Madame Tamassa hitched her skirts around her and made her way into the dark tunnel. *

[dakkon]

*The two bruisers dragging Kinde over the rough tunnel floor finally pulled to a stop. The larger of the two effortlessly slung Kinde up against the hard rock wall of the tunnel.*

"Lil said to leave ya here to bleed out. Even wanted us ta leave you this gun with a threesome of bullets in case ya wanted to take down yer friends before you did yourself the same favor."

"I do like having victims" *Kinde felt the clasp of silvery metal in his palm as the thug slapped a revolver down in his hand. Lazily Kinde rolled his head over and spun out the barrel to check the bullets. The muscle Lil hired was already turning to head farther on into the tunnel after their boss when Kinde called after them in a cracking whisper.*

"One thing though," *The thug who had thrown him against the wall looked back over his shoulder at the dying man. The last thing he saw was Kinde pointing the gun at him, and firing.*

*The sound of a gunshot echoed through the tunnel again. Kindes vision was starting to go blurry altogether but he could still clearly hear the frantic retreating footsetps of the other thug. Now it was just Kinde and the corpse.*

"No hard feelings, I just don't think I'll be needing one to finish myself off" *Pulling himself off the floor he started off in the direction of the remaining thug, and Lil. A slick trail of shadowy blood followed him downward into the depths of the mine*

*In the deep tunnels there were no traces of human legacies. No shining treasures or great works of art. Only incomprehensible networks of passages winding about each other madly. Thinking back to the green fields and oasis filled deserts he had left behind, Kinde wondered detachedly how those places could stand on such an alien foundation as this.*

*And now, foundering in those same inhuman tunnels was Kinde. He staggered after his prey slowly while trying to hold in the blood flowing out from his bullet wound. It wasn't that he particularly hated Lil for shooting him. Just as he didn't fault Tamassa for sicking her bug on him. It was something below his consciousness that drove him, something like instinct that made him sure he would walk away from this and they would not.*

*In short order he had lost Lil's trail, if she had even left one. Only the dull approaching footsteps of his pursuers disturbed the oppressive quiet of the humid cave air. Kinde paused beside a sealed off tunnel to give himself time to reevaluate the situation. Lil was ahead somewhere, the bug felt like it had just moved onto the main course around his lungs or heart and Tamassa was probably coming to reclaim her pet after it finished its meal. Numbly he grunted and turned back to face the way he had come. Bracing himself against the closed off tunnel's boarded up entrance he lowered himself prone. As he slid his hand down the polished oak boards he could feel a series of unusual patterns etched into their surface. His mind ignored that oddity, just as it shut out the sound of something scratching around on the other side of the boards.*


*Focused on the task at hand he braced his pistol on an obliging rock and aimed the sights back down at the tunnel. There was a blind corner three yards from him to the left. Kinde had situated himself on the left side of the tunnel wall so he should have the drop on whoever came down the bend first. Momentarily he let the gun sight rest at head level, envisioning the end to Tamassa's seemy career that would be so easy to deliver. Reluctantly he let the sights drop downward to knee level. Kneecap was a harder shot but he was good, and he needed his target alive, helpless, but alive. After she called off her hungry friend, then perhaps that last bit would be more negotiable. He only hoped that the miner would be smart enough to stay back from his business with the Madame. *

[sabis]

'He digs through his jacket pockets for a minute, finnally finding what he wanted. A lone cigarrette, and his last match. he lights up, puffing afew times, looking up at the woman in his room again, sighing slowly.'

Nothin against ya maam, but lissen. I've dealt with your people couple times. Every time it ended with a bullet to someone's head. first time it was mine, and thas why I have the missus screamin in my head now. Now, you're real good lookin and all, and I bet you have alot of practice. But I know those scissors have killed before. So, when ya cut my hair, make sure that's ALL you cut, ya hear? Cuz if you let me live into the night, I'll give you the ride of your eternal life, all night long. You'd be surprised what them dumb doctors will shall we say, empower, when they have the tools.

[The Demon Auditor]

Pattillia was completely dismayed by Tamassa's words. Guns in hand, she followed the Madame completely bewildered. "You gon' better have somethin' up yah sleeve, 'cause I can't gar'ntee how good I shot I am if'n there's a trap down hea'."

With so many branching tunnels, she wondered how Tammassa was finding her way. The more she followed, the more shrouded in mystery she realized the woman ahead of her was. For all she knew, this was the Madame's trap, not Kinde's. Paranoia was starting to set in, and she began turning at every little noise. A poor stalagtite almost got a bullet when it dared to drip some water.

((Sorry for the crappiness, not sure what else to do until the action starts.))

[thisone]

((Sorry about the disappearing act for so long. I've been busy ;D))

The feral thing inside the man's body needed no real instruction, as his head was already moving it's way across the girl's collar bone, and by the time the words had left Lisette's pretty little lips his tongue was already traveling down across her breast. Inside David's mind, the little man in the corner was now singing show tunes to try to keep himself awake while the feral thing used his tongue in ways he had yet to actually think up. The tip circled the woman's cold yet still very hard nipples, all the while his knee began pressing a bit against Lisette's groin. He made sure to put a bit of extra pressure against about where he thought that sensitive bundle of nerves was down there.

At this point, the man inside David's subconscious was now contemplating how a woman who he suspected had no bodily fluids running through her would taste downstairs. Divine above, I hope it doesn't taste like rigor mortis, he thought to himself.

[Clover Stardust]

Dream and reality melted together, a constant ringing buzzed angrily. She was being hunted. Hounded from every direction. Nowhere left to run. She felt for her revolvers, but they were missing, she was wearing a dress. A goddamned dress, all frills and ribbons. The ringing was louder, pounding at her ear drums, threatening to tear holes where the side of her skull used to be.

She woke with a start, the buzzing intensified.

‘Goddamn mechanical dooverlackie piece of ringing springing –‘

Clover stopped. She remembered what the little mechanical device was, it was a ‘sensor’ a warning, someone was in the cave, worse than that; they were deep enough to set off the alarm her friend Moses built for her.

‘Goddamn lawmen, come to string me up’

She muttered through gritted teeth. Clover began to get dressed; she pulled on he boots and white top. She strapped on her belt and reloaded her revolvers. They looked oversized, two big for her small and somewhat dainty hands. Attached to one, dangling from the gun was a small crucifix, the other a small metallic eye and that blinked slowly.

Clover had built a pretty good set up, the cave she had been living in since going on the run, was circular and small, it was surprisingly warm and Clover had managed to build a small fire bit, she scrubbed at the cavern walls and floors so it even looked relatively clean. All her belongings were placed around the cavern making it look all the more ‘homely’. To Caverns entrance was a small thin tunnel that led from the main path, deep into the depths of the mine.

Clover squeezed her body against the cavern wall and slowly made her way through the caverns, until she could clearly hear voices. A woman’s voice? Not the law like she had first thought. She held her revolvers tightly, her breathing almost stopped, She felt her trigger finger flex.

‘Pattilia?’

Clover said surprised and a little confused.

‘Tamassa?’

((Not my best work sorry guys, but there we go... hope its not TOO bad...))