In reply to Robert Micklethwait (msg #167):

[[OOC: Not even a little bit.]]

... and sees a number of people staring at Katy.  He responds distractedly to the stranger.  "You have me at a disadvantage, sir."

OOC: in other words, yes, but who are  you?

"Fletcher. David Fletcher. I was sent from Austin because you requested assistance with certain hot legal issues..." the dapper man stops speaking as the half-dozen Dust Adders begin to circle ominously around Katy.

"You don't get to get away with murderin' a friend, girl." One of them mutters.

"Wait a minute, Frank." Another says. "Weren't it that Ranger lady?"

"Yeah, you sure about that, Percy?"

"Sure as I'm sitting here. I remember her face, the gun in her hand. She shot him in the back!"

"What shall we do with her, Dave?"

"I ain't for sure yet..."

In reply to Jericho Cantrell (msg #165):

"Wait?  Hardin was in Pensacola!?"  Wildcat practically bolted in place at the announcement.  "What were you doing there?  With him?  What happened to Hardin!?"

And then she realized she forgot what they were doing, and proceeded to resume, but she wasn't quite in it.

In reply to The Stray (msg #170):

"A moment, Mr. Fletcher.  Our business may have to wait."  Raising his voice, he says, "Here is an example, Mr. Fletcher, of bravery.  Six men threaten one young girl just off the stage.  Your mamma's must be proud."

In reply to Wildcat Hawkins (msg #171):

"Yup." He says, beginning what is obviously a favorite story for him. "In fact, I was especially recruited to help hunt him down, on account of some other jobs I'd done in conjunction with the Rangers in the past. I managed to track him down to Alabama. Managed to get ahold of a letter that I rerouted to Armstrong that blew his alias open, and we ambushed him on the train at the border." He chuckled. "Hardin never knew what hit him. He got his gun tangled in his goddamn suspenders and tried to brawl it out, but Armstrong gave him a nice shiny Earp upside his head. He's rotting in a Huntsville jail right now, doing to 25 to life, and I got to collect a nice slice of that $4000 on his head."

[[OOC: Jericho is taking over the role of real life Texas Ranger Jack Duncan in this scenario, in case you're curious.]]

In reply to Robert Micklethwait (msg #172):

"You lookin' to get another faceful of shot, Deputy?" Dave growls, turning his attention to him. "This ain't none of your affair. Unless you want to pull out some cuffs and haul her off to wherever that tinhorn Marshal took Carl. Or does the law only work when it's against us hard-workin' folk? This bitch murdered Charlie Landers in cold blood! Drilled him in the back! And she ought to be punished for it." His eyes narrowed. "So unless you got the guts to do what needs to be done, I suggest you fuck off."
This message was last edited by the player at 21:07, Tue 16 Nov 2010.

In reply to Jericho Cantrell (msg #173):

The news floors Wildcat and just knocks her on her backside, figuratively, but damn near literally.

"Oh God..."  Dammit don't cry in front of him, damn you to hell Katrina, don't you cry in front of him!  Whether she does or not, Wildcat is visibly shaken to her very core.

It all made sense now.  As disillusioned as she was, it made perfect sense.  The whole thing made perfect sense.  Armstrong had wanted to slap the irons on Hardin every bit as much as she had.  He had lost her daddy too.

The whole thing had been a setup.  Armstrong was as clever and smart as he was decent and forthright.  He'd gotten her into this position so he could go hunt the son of a bitch down without worrying about her.  That's why he'd left when he did.

It all made sense.

Was it all a lie?  Was the only reason she was here... a lie?  An elaborate ruse to do what needed to be done?  Was everything she'd been doing for the past few years just to buy Armstrong time?  Was this fool's errand just the garnish for this dish of deceit?

And from somewhere deep inside, a voice answered no.  It sounded like her pa...

Her winding up in Blackthorn likely hadn't been part of the plan.  Armstrong could pull strings, but he couldn't possibly have been so masterful as to insure this. For God's sake girl, if he was that smart, Cantrell wouldn't be here telling you this.

And even if it was, what may have been true back then, wasn't true now.  Maybe Armstrong had turned a blind eye to this man's character in the name of revenge.  It was fathomable.  But this was a sacred brotherhood, no one was invited into it, even if they were just on its periphery as she was, unless it's where they deserved to be.

But even with that internal crisis resolved so quickly, Wildcat is still visibly shaken.  Kat... could live with Armstrong catching him, celebrate it in time even, even if this puke was involved.  "Does mom know?"  The question wasn't even meant to me asked aloud, but there it was and she didn't really care at the moment.

Closure had come to one Katrina Hawkins, and it hit her like a ton of bricks.

"The law is my affair.  It applies to everyone, even if they wear a badge. You say your friend was shot in the back by Deputy Devon.  Or was it the Ranger who shot her?  And where and when did this alleged shooting take place?  Where is the body?" Robert asks.  "And how exactly are you aware of the source of my injuries?"

Robert watches the man closely to see his reactions and to test the veracity of his responses.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:26, Tue 16 Nov 2010.

In reply to Wildcat Hawkins (msg #175):

Jericho watches her reaction, confused...then it hits him. "Oh. Yeah. You're Buster Hawkins' girl..." his previous cheer fades, and his voice softens. "I thought you'd have heard the news already. It was in lots of papers. That's why you joined the Rangers, isn't it? So you could get him for killing your dad." he sighs. "...damn."

He rests a comforting hand on her shoulder.

In reply to Robert Micklethwait (msg #176):

"That's what I thought. You don't care about us...you just tryin' to twist my words and lord over us like some fucking Yankee politician. You know all this shit. You were there. That you ain't arrested her of your own accord means you're just another corrupt tinhorn what likes to play favorites. Why you protectin' her, deputy? Did she give you a nice blowjob? Get all them creaky old parts downstairs oiled again? Hell, you could be her grandfather, you pervert."

Robert ignores his insults and focuses on the facts.

"So this happened the last night.  When a bunch of cowards rode into town wearing masks, throwing dynomite and trying to murder the marshal.  If Charlie Landers got shot and killed, well, that's what happens to murdering scum who try to blow up, hell, " Robert laughs, "blow up this very room." Robert shakes his head slowly.  "What kind of an idiot... you think the law should arrest her, who was only defending herself against masked men who came in the night to do harm?

"This is how the law works.  You break it, you suffer the consequences.  How about his, if you don't want to get shot, don't try to murder and blow up people.  How does that sound?"

Wildcat forgets to be indignant for a moment.  "You know a lot Mr. Cantrell but sometimes you don't understand."  It wasn't like before.  She wasn't brow beating him.  This was a soft tone.

"Sure I wanted to get 'im, in the back of my mind, the thought was always there.  But that, that wasn't going to be my revenge.

"When Hardin kilt 'im, he didn't just kill a man.  He kilt a daddy, a brother, an uncle, a horse trainer, a musician, an officer of the law, a deacon at the church, a friend, and the anonymous stranger who left mysterious cuts of smoked meat on the Lister widow's doorstep because she were too poor to afford it and too proud to ask, to the very day she died.

"Gone, Cantrell.  All gone.  And the man pa was tryin' to protect, he was a decent man too.  Men like Hardin, they're all the same, willing to destroy all that just to show it's in their nature.  All part of a greater evil that's bigger than any man, or all men.  They thought they'd snuffed out one more light in the darkness.  But I won't let that happen.

"And if some day, I stop just one of 'em... just one, it'll all be worth it."

At Evans disgusted question, Elijah just maintains his friendly smile, answering, "You could use wordsmith if you prefer.  Or Historian of the Present.  Chronicler of the Here and Now.  But, reporter will do.  Hell, I've been called worse.  Much worse."  With a nod, he glances back to Cantrell, "Why thank you, sir, I think I would like to follow along and listen in."  He brushes back his coat and withdraws his own large Colt Army as everyone else seems to be armed, "Perhaps I can even be of assistance.  Once a soldier, always a soldier."  The Marshal ain't too keen on reporters.  To be fair most folks ain't. But especially folks with things to hide.  Like, perhaps, a town run wild..  Wonder what else these lawdogs are hiding.   He is happy to leave Cantrell and Wildcat to initiate the search.  Slowed by his leg, he will try to assist in said search as best and as capably as he is able.  He seems to have had some military training and stays out of the way.  Near enough to support (and overhear).

Unless of course he's detained by the Marshal....

In reply to Robert Micklethwait (msg #179):

"Why you son of a whore!" Dave snarls.

"Dave!" The kid shouts. "Don't!"

But it's too late. The meaty man's fist rears back, then whips like a rattler striking for a meal, driving deep into the old lawyer's gut, driving him back a few steps.

"Where the fuck do you get off, comin' into town, tryin' to tell us how to live, what to do? You ain't a citizen here! This ain't your home! And we're gonna show you what we do to them who don't belong trying to lord over us!"

[[OOC: Dave sucker punches Robert, and combat begins.

Mighty Dave rolled 4,2 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4,2. Sucker Punch! not enough to hit Robert, so he spends a Red Chip for a bonus.

Mighty Dave rolled 2 using 1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2. red chip. That's enough to hit.

Mighty Dave rolled 3 using 1d8, rerolling max with rolls of 3. Damage. not enough damage to make Robert shaken (just).]]

---

Initiative:
Mighty Dave: RJ!
The Dust Adders: Jack of Diamonds
Robert Micklethwait: 8 Diamonds
Katy Devon: 7 Hearts

---

[[OOC: And since all the bad buys go first...]]

Dave follows up his speech with a flurry of blows like a crazy person, trying to pound the deputy to pulp. After the first blow, Robert is able to get his bearings and defend himself, warding off the thug's meaty fists as best he can.

[[OOC: Mighty Dave rolled 3,5 using d6+2,d6+2. Fighting! Clear miss, even with the Joker bonus.]]

The other Dust Adders aren't content to let thing lie, however. Two of them leap at the old man. One lifts him into the air and suplexes him through the poker table, sending cards and coins flying into the air. The other doesn't hold back while Robert is on the ground, kicking him hard in the stomach, driving the wind from him.

Another Dust Adder grabs Katy, wrenching her arm painfully behind her back while his own arm wraps around her neck in a chokehold. Another grabs her legs, lifting her into the air.

Only the kid refrains from jumping in. "No! Please! Stop it! What are you guys doing!?"

[[OOC: Two Dust Adders attack Robert, two grab Katy, one holds his action.

Vs. Robert: The two Dust Adders get a +2 Gang Up bonus, thanks to Mighty Dave also being there.

The Dust Adders rolled 6,6 using d6+2,d6+2. Fighting with Gang Up bonus. Both hit Robert's Parry dead on.

First Dust Adder:
The Dust Adders rolled 4 using 1d8. Damage.
The Dust Adders rolled 8 using 1d8. Damage. Reroll max wasn't checked for some reason. total of 12, so that's a Shaken and 2 Wounds for Robert, which he may attempt to soak.

Second Dust Adder:
The Dust Adders rolled 5 using 1d8, rerolling max. Damage. That's a Shaken, and 1 more Wound if Robert doesn't soak the other two.

Vs. Katy: Grabs all around. They only get a +1 gang-up bonus, but since Katy has no fighting, she's probably hosed anyway.

The Dust Adders rolled 2,12 using d6+1,d6+1, rerolling max. Fighting with Gang Up bonus. Yup, she's hosed.

Both get a hold of her, one of them gets a Raise, meaning that not only is she Grappled, she's also Shaken (and will need to deal with the Shaken before she can attempt to escape from either grab.

Robert, if you want to have some of the Townsfolk help out, the four poker players are well disposed towards you and are in a position to try and drag some of the Dust Adders away. They have Parry 4, Toughness 5, and Fighting d4. You can control them on your turn (and remember to draw an initiative card once you've gone)

Next round: The Dust Adders 9S, Mighty Dave 4S]]

In reply to Wildcat Hawkins (msg #180):

"Well, you caught the Cherokee, so there's that." Jericho says. "After what he done to that poor woman, not to mention the brutalization of another and a murder of one of his own kin before then, well, I reckon he was fixin' to maybe do it again, but you have him now, and we're gonna jail him. And, when he gets to court, he's gonna hang. So you've stopped one."

He sighs. "Now, he might talk about them prisoners I ordered killed like they was just helpless victims and all, but it wasn't like that. There were men in there, too, raiders who had killed and pillaged and scalped decent folk for their own pleasure. It was a war camp, them two dozen, movin' about the land like they owned it. You didn't see the trail of bodies they left behind them, lives they shattered just because they had a bee up their bonnet 'cause the treaty moved them out of lands they used to live in. We captured them around Galveston, and I had to make a choice. I could have some of them go, so they could aid and abet another band of bloodthirsty marauders, or I could have held them prisoner, and had them drain resources that should have gone to our boys fighting for our freedom against the Yanks Back East. So I ordered them all shot."

He takes a seat on the ground. "I...I ain't proud of having to do that, Miss Hawkins. But we were at war, and them savages were weakening the whole area with their attacks. I did what I had to do to make the land safe. But then Charging Bear broke the chain of command, went up over my head to the General, and he overruled me. I was dishonorably discharged, and a whole company was tasked with guarding a few dozen indians instead of heading up to Kentucky to fight Sherman. As a result, we lost Elizabethtown and that bastard carved a swath of destruction almost as bad as the one he chopped through Georgia in '65."

In reply to Elijah Fuller (msg #181):

"I could also call you a libel-laying yellow-press muckracking vulture." he says, scowling. "If you're going to go along, see that you don't make things worse than they already are."

Elijah would actually pause at Evans remark, thus not entering and missing quite a bit of the interaction inside.  Instead, he'd turn on the Marshal and let his smile fade a bit to solemnity.  If I'm to get anywhere in this town, I've got to win some folks over.  He's right.  Folks don't trust reporters.  Especially one tailing a violent bounty hunter....  Taking a breath, he nods once, "That's fair.  Alot of reporters are exactly that.  It ain't an easy business."  Trying to look the Marshal dead on in the eyes, to show sincerity, he'll continue, "But sir, you don't know me.  You don't know what I write.  You know my job, but not how I do it.  I'm not here to make trouble.  I'm here to find a story that folks might need to read about and I ain't goin' anywhere.  Now, I'd like my story to be one about good, strong lawmen and heroic folk fighting the good fight and saving a town that's got more than its fair share of troubles." A pause for effect, then, "People out there need heroes.  To know someone's doin' somethin'."   

There's a pause in Dixie as Carl's shoulders start twitching in his silent laugh.

Charging Bear smiles at the goings on between the Marshal and the reporter. He looks over at Carl, "Who's your money on?"

In reply to Jericho Cantrell (msg #183):

Wildcat gets herself back together.  Her emotions were still all over the place, but she'd settled into a state of shock.

"Cantrell, I can understand the summary killin' of a man who opposed you on the field of battle in a time of war.  I'm not sure I agree with it, but I ain't been there and done that.  I can fathom it.  It's sorta a common understandin', ya go to war with someone, yer fair game for killin'.

"But there ain't no reason to do what you did.  And maybe there weren't no reason for Charging Bear to do what he done neither, but fact is you shouldna done that.  But I ain't gonna waste time raking you over the coals with hindsight, fact is, yer here now, today, and you have a choice what you're going to do now and in the future.  That's what I have to concern myself with, it ain't my purview to correct every bad deed that ever occurred in th' history of time.

"I ain't gonna judge Charging Bear neither.  I got no proof either way.  My gut will not suffice, nor will your claims that you ultimately can't back up.  The law ain't perfect Cantrell but it's a hell of a lot better most of the time for folks who ain't in the thick of it to make these decisions.  If I ever do stop some evil thing from happenin', I'll likely never know 'bout it in this life.  That's why I've got to do as much as I can, where I am, while I can.

"You ain't stupid Cantrell, I'll give you that, and I'll give you some berth for the honesty too, but the right thing to do here is let the supposed victims speak fer themselves and tell us what to do with Charging Bear.  And to be honest, if'n you can track down a score like Hardin, you got better things to do right now.  I ain't unfair, I'll let the dispatch in Austin know you brought him in.  It may take a couple of telegraphs in Victoria to claim the bounty, but yer work's done.

"Incidentally, who're the other bounties yer after?  'Specially if'n it's as serious as this, ah think ya ought to tell me."

In reply to Elijah Fuller (msg #185):

"If I can hold you to that, then perhaps we can work something out." Evans says. "And yes, I've known a few reporters who were honest men looking for the honest truth, but my life was near-ruined by the other kind, so you'll forgive me if it's not the first thing that comes to mind when I meet them. Especially with you appearing in town with that charming gentleman with the chip on his shoulder. So go ahead. Tell me how you're going to do this job of yours."

In reply to Wildcat Hawkins (msg #188):

"You weren't there. You didn't have to make that decision. I pray you never have to." He says. "But seeing that you'll at least see him tried makes me feel I've left him in capable hands. So. Other bounties. Well, to tell the truth, there's a lot of things that can happen in towns like this. A town that gets skipped by a circuit judge must have someone with the resources to make that happen and a reason to do so. Makes for a haven of criminals and scum. I'm interested in poking that rock with a stick and seeing what comes slithering out."

"I've got a lot of irons in this fire. There's a girl named Katy Devon, whose husband put up a reward for her safe return. Or maybe she's his fiance, I'm not sure of all the details. It's only a couple hundred dollars, but he's a big-shot in the city of Lost Angels, and having someone that powerful bein' grateful to you can be a handy thing, if I ever need to chase a quarry into the Maze."

"There's also an Easterner by the name of Augustus Spotswood. He's one of them Mad Scientist types, built this sonic cannon gizmo that freezes people up. He went on a kidnapping spree out in South Carolina, napping rich heirs and trying to ransom them back. They caught his partner, but he got away and fled out here."

"There's a few local boys here, Nathanial Frost and Angus and Reginald Shaw, wanted in connection with some horse thefts. Of course, I was going to go after them later, as they're small fry and I didn't want to get the whole town mad at me until I was sure I could leave it behind."

"I also wanted to get to the bottom of this mystery of why the circuit judge kept skipping this stop on his tour. Information about whoever way paying him off would be worth a tidy sum to the right authorities."

"And lastly...well, there's another suspect in the rape of Rose McAnalley. An Apache who used to work in the same unit as me and Charging Bear. Just as bloodthirsty as the Cherokee, perhaps even moreso. If the Cherokee ain't the one who done it, then Itza-chu is. They were rivals, and look similar in build. He's wanted dead or alive, same as Charging Bear is, and if he's been using Charging Bear's name it might explain an odd thing or two. I don't trust either of them, and I have no proof that Itza-chu is within a hundred miles of here, but it's something to look into, just to be sure."

Carl glances up at the big Cherokee with a look that's hard to read, wondering at the smile and lack of threat, then makes a quick jerk of the head at the reporter. Word-weaselling aside, the man could probably shoot falling over.

In reply to The Dust Adders (msg #182):

Robert reels back at the sudden attack from Dave.  He brings up his fists to defend himself, and blocks his follow up blows, but the throw sends Robert crashing through a table.  Amazingly, he lands ok, but the follow up kick from the third man forces Robert to exhale about twice as much air as he should.

"Four of you on one old geezer and a girl?!" one of the poker players bellows.  He jumps to his feet and throws a punch at Kicker.  "You should kick a man when he's down."" his friend yells as he also attacks.  Sadly, both (probably) miss.  Seizing the opportunity of distraction, Robert rises to his feet and drives his cane into Kicker's guts.

The other two circle around to get at Tosser, "you ruined our poker game!"  Both hit, but clearly these men aren't pugelists.


09:54, Today: Robert Micklethwait rolled 2,9 using d4-1,d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 3,(6+4)10. white to soak.
booyah, soaked the kick!
09:57, Today: Robert Micklethwait rolled 3,1 using d8-1,d6-1. recover from shaken.
rats.
spend WC, have RC and BC left

poker players:
09:59, Today: Robert Micklethwait rolled 4,4 using d4+2,d4+2. vs kicker.
(+2 for gang up, since 3 (including robert) are in melee with the kicker)

10:03, Today: Robert Micklethwait rolled 2,6 using d8+1,d6+1. fighting cane, -1w, +2 ganup.
10:03, Today: Robert Micklethwait rolled 1,4 using d4,d4. damage.
5 damage, might be shaken

10:01, Today: Robert Micklethwait rolled 5,5 using d4+1,d4+1. vs tosser.
I assume those are hits
10:01, Today: Robert Micklethwait rolled 2,1 using d6,d6. damage.


09:56, Today: Robert Micklethwait drew the single card: 10H using a deck of 54 cards. card before I forget.