Posted December 11, 2020 | Weedy
"We grow all kinds of stuff. Corn, wheat, potatoes, onions, carrots, turnips, you name it. Sell some of it to the general store or other folks on market days," Wyatt answered.
"I don't know their names but I saw the first one on the ranch where Clara worked for awhile before she quit. The one she's dancing with now..........no idea," he shrugged.
"Turnips?" Weedy's nose wrinkled up in distaste. "Ew. Corn and stuff is good, but turnips?" Yeah, he could live the rest of his life without those!
Looking down at the dancers, it took him a moment to find Clara, even though her dress was a bright blue. "They are doing pretty good together, huh? I'm afraid I'd tromp all over a girl, and then she'd cry and that would be annoying! I want a girl who likes climbing trees and spit...I mean, if I had to have a girl at all."
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
Posted December 11, 2020 | Adelaide Chappel
Addy nodded to Barlow as he approached, and then Speed excused himself.
"Captain Barlow, isn't it? Good to see you again, Sir. Addy, Captain, if you'll excuse me, unfortunately I am on duty and duty require my making certain rounds, if you'll excuse me then."
"Ya work to hard, Speed!" Addy declared with a grin. "I'll let ya know on th' house." Then she turned her attention to Barlow.
"Cap'n. Good ta see ya made it here, it's good fer th' locals ta get ta know ya soldiers...workin' hand in hand on occasion, should th' need arise."
What with bandidos and Indians, there was always a chance for trouble, and at some point they may have to work together, so it wouldn't do harm for them to have some familiarity with each other.
"Are ya enjoyin' th' evenin'?"
Posted December 11, 2020 | Leah Steelgrave
Jonah offered Leah his arm as they moved out into the cool evening air, where it was more quiet and refreshing. "I've no doubt you'll have plenty of support, especially once this is established. And from what I've heard, Mr.s Pike and Guyer are formidable men."
“Yes, yes they are. At least that is what I’ve heard as well. Pike though, he has a history. I did a bit of checking, he’ll do Jonah, he’ll do.” She replied.
Not to mention the goons who were never more than a few yards away. But then, as much as he was annoyed that there was never any privacy, it was really a sad thought that such a fine young woman needed to have guards, especially against her own family.
As the three men straightened up and poised to start forward, she held a hand at her side with the palm open, and they stopped.
“It’s the Doc, he’s okay.” Bannister said quietly. He hadn’t trusted the medical man at first, but had grown to trust him with her.
"So, now, what was this plan that you have?" He was continually impressed by the way Leah's mind worked!
She smiled, but it was not a happy smile this time. “I’ll have to go home and shoot the old man myself.” It was that simple and direct. “Of course then there would be Case to deal with, but I doubt he has any interest in stopping the hospital, or for that matter, the orphanage. The ranch will be his, well, his and his brothers." She looked up at him. "Not what you wanted to hear, I'm sure, but it will be a necessity to see this thing through."
Posted December 11, 2020 | Barnabas Pike
"We'll have to get a music box," she declared, "I saw one from Switzerland that had a little drum, and small bells that were struck by tiny silver birds...it played six tunes..." Well, that was far more extravagant than anything they needed, but a simple box with some interchangeable cylinders would be nice. "Or we could just hire a small orchestra who could play when the whim hits us and they can wrangle horses in the mean time!"
“I’m sure findin’ some cowhands what played alla them instruments an’ sech would be easy enough. I mean, don’t they all?” Then he laughed. “We’ll make do ‘til we git us an orchestra of our own, runnin’ about the place, might take a bit, but it could be done.” He winked at her. Their future looked bright as anything, of course, the dark cloud that was the Steelgrave problem loomed ever-present for the foreseeable future. But then, life has a way of making the foreseeable that which never happens, and the unforeseeable that which your life becomes. The thought gave him pause.
I took an oath for this job. The oath says bring him in. That's what I'll do.
Posted December 11, 2020 | Charlie Wentworth
If you were to ask Charlie later why he felt so put out by the fact that Clara had accepted Brendan's invitation to dance, he wouldn't be able to tell you. He wasn't sure if it was the fact that she was dancing with someone from Evergreen or the fact that she left him without as much as a by your leave. She hadn't even bother to thank him for the dance they had just shared.
Thinking about the brief conversation that had just happened, Charlie realised that Clara had somehow steered it back to her and how hard her life was. Here she was all dressed up like an adult and yet still wanted attention like a child. Clara had a lot of growing up to do and he for one wasn't going to wait around. Any notions he had toward to her needed to be quashed and there was only one thing that would help do that.
Ignoring Arabella who was standing beside him, he started to look around for some of the other hands from Lost Lake to join him over at the beer tent.
Storyteller / Shared NPC
Posted December 11, 2020 | Wyatt Redmond | Written by Wayfarer
"Turnips?" Weedy's nose wrinkled up in distaste. "Ew. Corn and stuff is good, but turnips?"
"I don't like'em either," Wyatt assured the other boy, "but Pa makes me finish my plate. At least Clara only puts a really small helping on my plate."
Looking down at the dancers, Weedy said, "They are doing pretty good together, huh? I'm afraid I'd tromp all over a girl, and then she'd cry and that would be annoying! I want a girl who likes climbing trees and spit...I mean, if I had to have a girl at all."
Wyatt commented, "Not all girls cry so easy. I don't think I ever actually saw my sister cry. Of course she couldn't attend Ma's funeral. I admit....I cried. A lot. Pa said it was alright to cry."
"But you know, we're the ones who pick the girls so just don't pick one you don't like or think might be a bawl baby. Just pick a good one."
Of course that all sounded real easy but in reality Wyatt had absolutely no clue how one decided that.
Posted December 11, 2020 | Benjamin Barlow
Of course the two of them couldn't help but notice him standing right there and turned their attention his direction.
"Captain Barlow, isn't it? Good to see you again, Sir. Addy, Captain, if you'll excuse me, unfortunately I am on duty and duty require my making certain rounds, if you'll excuse me then."
"Yes, it is. Nice to see you also, Marshal," the officer nodded, "And of course, duty is duty."
"Ya work to hard, Speed!" Addy declared with a grin. "I'll let ya know on th' house." Then she turned her attention to Barlow.
"Cap'n. Good ta see ya made it here, it's good fer th' locals ta get ta know ya soldiers...workin' hand in hand on occasion, should th' need arise."
"Nice to see you again, Miss," Benjamin smiled, "Seems your dance committee invited us here and it would have been foolish to turn down such a kind invitation."
"Are ya enjoyin' th' evenin'?"
"Why yes, I actually am. These social affairs are not exactly something I am all that familiar with but the roast beef was excellent. And a soldier knows to take advantage of every opportunity one can get for some first rate food," he pointed out.
He realized he should get to the point and did so, "I was wondering if I might have the pleasure of a dance unless you are already spoken for of course."
"Everybody can feather their nest, but it's not just anybody that can lay an egg!"
Posted December 12, 2020 | Arabella Mudd
Well!
Clara seemed to have suddenly become very forgiving towards Brendan’s social gaffs although, to be honest, a cowboy that handsome was pretty easy to forgive. And off they went!
That left Charlie. Arabella smiled up at him, waiting for him to ask her to dance.
She was a girl.
She was there.
She was nearly sixteen.
The feller was in a dream. She did wonder about giving him a kick in the shin, and shouting Well, what ya waitin’ fer, slowcoach?! in his ear. Arabella wasn’t the type to beg a boy for a dance, she was the type to tell him it was a-happenin’.
But then she felt a tap on her shoulder, or rather a punch on her arm. It was a lugubrious looking farm boy of about 17 with a lazy manner and enough slickum on his hair and neck-tiery around his neck to fancy him up for the night. He was as uncomplicated and carefree as the youngest Wentworth brother was haunted and angst-ridden.
“You steppin’, Reb, 'r playin’ musical statues?” he drawled, and the girl didn’t even give Charlie another glance. “Guess I’m steppin’, Hayseed!” she replied and they took their positions just as the music began.
Posted December 12, 2020 | Jonah Danforth
She smiled, but it was not a happy smile this time. “I’ll have to go home and shoot the old man myself.” It was that simple and direct. “Of course then there would be Case to deal with, but I doubt he has any interest in stopping the hospital, or for that matter, the orphanage. The ranch will be his, well, his and his brothers." She looked up at him. "Not what you wanted to hear, I'm sure, but it will be a necessity to see this thing through."
"What?" Jonah looked up at her, looking for a sign that she was joking, but it wasn't there...she was deadly serious, and he had no doubt that she could and would follow through if it came to it. Stopping, he turned to look at her, again distressed that she would feel that she had to resort to such drastic measures.
"If you feel that it has come to that, I will back you...help you." He wasn't keen on murder, but he was wise enough to know that there were some people who were evil enough to need it, although he hated that someone like Leah would have to have that weighing on her soul.
"We'll have to do our best to see that it doesn't come to that, and if it does..." Well, they'd have to be sure that it didn't come back to her. None of this was worth her being hanged.
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
Posted December 12, 2020 | Adelaide Chappel
Nodding, Addy grinned as she looked out at the floor. "Seems my interest is elsewise occupied, so I'd be pleased ta dance with ya." She hooked her arm into his, commenting as they strolled to the floor, "I'll warn ya, though, I'm fair better at drivin' horses than I am at twinkin' my toes." Her grin widened. "Though I can't say as I've done anyone any major damage...yet! 'Course, yer a soldier, so yer acquainted with danger!"