Storyteller / Shared NPC
Ben smiled at Weedy's description of the play, "I have no doubt that it was spiritual in a lot of ways but before you go we have a little matter to discuss...your sneaking into my theatre and not paying to see tonight's performance."
"Oh.....that," Wyatt swallowed, he sure enough did not have any money.
The man looked at Weedy, "I know you're the young fellow who lives with Miss Addy and even though I don't know who your friend is, I can easily find out by just asking Miss Addy when I call on her to ask to get the money for the tickets."
"Oh, you don't have to do that!" Wide-eyed, Weedy glanced at Wyatt, then back at Mr. Ben. "How much is it? I got..." he dug in his pocket and pulled out a couple pennies, a folding pen knife, some marbles and a lint-covered lemon drop.
"I got nothing, sir," Wyatt did not even bother to reach into his pockets. Pointless.
He wasn't going to make it worse by lying, the man was right, he'd find out who he was easily enough.
"Sir, my name is Wyatt Redmond. My Pa is Aurelian Redmond, we got us a farm outside a town. He and my stepmother are babysitting for my sister Clara's baby so she could go watch the play with her husband. She runs the Lick Spittle. I know I can get you the money if you just gimme a chance."
Brendan, who grinned and held up his index finger. "Hey, hey, hey, hold up. I'd do Salome in a minute, sure, but not Ara as Salome. There's a difference."
"Huh! What are you, peculiar?!" she replied, which was rather rich coming from her. "I thought all the fellers would 'lose their heads' for me in that particular outfit, not just John the Baptist." she quipped.
"You looked great every scene, hon," Caroline offered, knowing later the girl was going to get a lot of grief from some in town, "I always said you were a very pretty gal."
"You think they're gonna get up a lynch mob and string you up?" Brendan asked Arabella lightly..
The odd girl looked a little distant for a second.
"That really would be a performance..." she muttered, half to herself. Then she shivered.
"Yeah, yer LAST one too," the saloon girl pointed out with a smirk.
"Funny, I felt nice and warm when I was standing on the stage without my duds on, but now I'm cold again, Dolly, stockings!" she ordered, pointing out her toes, while she remained seated.
"Of course," Miriam hopped to it.
"Say Bren, pass me them split-drawers on the back o' that chair, will ya? Oh, and Caroline, my chemise is hung over that screen."
"I didn't come here ta wait on you, Ara. Just to congratulate you and let you know regardless of what happens these next few days, I'll always support you and be there for ya," Caroline did not make a move toward the chemise.
"Everybody can feather their nest, but it's not just anybody that can lay an egg!"
Arabella was kind enough to stick her legs out straight, thus helping Miriam to roll on her thick black stockings, tie on the utilitarian garters, and draw on her baggy knee length knickers. Shoes next, then the little actress deigned to stand to receive her chemise, but Caroline was being predicably unhelpful on that score.
"I didn't come here ta wait on you, Ara. Just to congratulate you and let you know regardless of what happens these next few days, I'll always support you and be there for ya," Caroline did not make a move toward the chemise.
Arabella shrugged off her dressing gown and stood their covering her bare chest with faux modesty.
"Aw Caroline, you can see I'm freezin' here!" she said with an shiver and a twinkle in her eye, as more willing hands brought the garment and helped her on with it and the rest of her clothes.
"Still, the other part's nice." she smiled.
She admired herself in the mirror, once she was ready.
"Right, well, me and Dolly have to walk Frances home now, and then I have to walk Dolly home, and then I got to get over to the Funeral Parlour, they brought that little Henderson girl in today and Jolly wants to get her all nice and embalmed tonight so we can photygraph her in the morning while the light's good." she announced macabrely.
Then a grin lit her pale face and her blue eyes danced excitedly.
"Hey, what if the Strangler gets me on the way there?! Then they might be photygraphing me in the morning!"
@[Bailey]
"Work is fine for killin' time, but it's a shaky way to make a living."
"Sir, my name is Wyatt Redmond. My Pa is Aurelian Redmond, we got us a farm outside a town. He and my stepmother are babysitting for my sister Clara's baby so she could go watch the play with her husband. She runs the Lick Spittle. I know I can get you the money if you just gimme a chance."
"Yes, I know about Mrs. Lutz. I have dined at the Lick Spittle a few times," Ben replied before turning to Weedy, "I admire your attempt at trying to pay for the tickets but sadly, it isn't enough."
He thought for a few moments, and then nodded, "You both probably could get the money but that may involve telling your families what you want the money for and somehow I think neither of you are prepared to do that."
Smiling, he continued, "I know what it's like to sneak into places and be somewhere you shouldn't be...I did it a few times myself when I was your age and just like you I was caught. I had to pay for my indiscretions just like both of you will have to. So, I guess we need to work out a way for you to pay off your debt and I think that the easiest way of doing this is for you both to do a few little jobs for me."
Weedy glanced over at Porter, to see what his friend might be thinking about all this, then shrugged. "I guess that's all right?" he agreed. "But I'd have to wait until after I had my homework done and chores and all."
He looked up at the man, not sure how worried he should be, or if Mr. Simons could be trusted to keep his end of the bargain. And, Weedy had never lied to Addy, but was it lying if she didn't know and he didn't tell her?
He was going to Hell, no question!
"What kind of jobs?" he continued, since that would help determine what he might do, and Wyatt, too, for that matter. "Can't do anything against the law, or after bedtime."
Storyteller / Shared NPC
The man knew of his sister because he'd dined at the Lick Skillet but was of the opinion paying for it now was not enough. Not enough? Just how much was a ticket anyway? Wyatt didn't get it. His sister and her Jacob had bought tickets and no one in their right mind thought them rich.Then he brought up telling their families about all this. Not good.
He didn't know who would be madder about his stunt, his father or Clara. Wait...definitely Clara.
The man continued, "So, I guess we need to work out a way for you to pay off your debt and I think that the easiest way of doing this is for you both to do a few little jobs for me."
Jobs? Wyatt blinked.
Weedy voiced the very question he would have, What kind of jobs? for that matter. Can't do anything against the law, or after bedtime."
"Right," Wyatt nodded affirmatively.
"Aw Caroline, you can see I'm freezin' here!"
"You got legs, use em," Caroline was unphased. Miriam raced to do the errand the saloon girl wouldn't do. Always willing to help, that girl.
"Still, the other part's nice." Ara smiled.
"Yer welcome, and I meant it," Caroline smiled right back.
Arabella admired herself in the mirror, once she was ready. She also announced this little visit was over as she had other things to do. Caroline was fine with that too, she had just stopped in for a quick supportive visit.
"Sure, we'll leave ya be then, come on, Brendan," Caroline nodded and made ready to exit the dressing room.
Then a grin lit Ara's pale face and her blue eyes danced excitedly.
"Hey, what if the Strangler gets me on the way there?! Then they might be photygraphing me in the morning!"
"Least you would stay quiet during the picture takin'," smirked Caroline but then frowned, "Honestly, hon, you almost seem like you want to be strangled?" Yep, that girl was odd, no two ways about it.
"Everybody can feather their nest, but it's not just anybody that can lay an egg!"
The look that Arabella gave Caroline as she left the dressing room was the very picture of innocence.
Brendan peered around the room until he located Arabella's drawers on the back of the chair just like she'd said. He good-naturedly crossed the room, picked up the drawers, and sticking his hand right through the split front and shooting a cheeky grin at Caroline, ambled over to Miriam and handed them off. He didn't mind fetching, but he wasn't going to kowtow to Arabella enough to dress her. Miriam could do that.
Why did Arabella have to be so morbid sometimes? It was kind of scary the way she delighted in dark things, even his line about the lynch mob which had been meant as a joke. But she took it and ran with it, flying off to some fancy that included the Strangler.
He retreated back to the door with Caroline as they prepared to make their exit so that Miriam and Arabella could leave and opened the door for Caroline, holding out his arm and chuckling at Caroline's parting barb to Arabella. As the door closed behind them and they headed out of the theater into the night, he shook his head. "If that girl don't beat all. Wonder if she ever dreams about bein' strangled. Once I had a dream Granny Miggins finally got everyone riled up enough to come after me and I woke up in a sweat right about the time I should've been dyin'."
He exhaled to try to blow the memory away and looked down at Caroline. "There I go, gettin' all dark like Arabella. Let's talk about somethin' else."
"Work is fine for killin' time, but it's a shaky way to make a living."
Weedy voiced the very question he would have, What kind of jobs? for that matter. Can't do anything against the law, or after bedtime."
"Right," Wyatt nodded affirmatively.
"No...nothing against the law," Ben replied, "and it will be something that you can do before bedtime."
At this point, Ben wasn't sure what he would get the two boys to do. All he knew for now was the boys needed some sort of lesson in dealing with the consequences of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. In fact, being in the wrong place at the wrong time was the main reason he was living in Kalispell and if the two boys learned this lesson now, it would save them from any future troubles. For now, he would leave the two boys to think about what they would have to do.
"Considering how late it is, I think for now you two best be off for home before Addy finds that you're gone, and so we should conclude our business."
He stepped closer to the two boys, "The deal is that you two will owe me a favour or two in return for me forgetting that you didn't pay for your tickets and my silence in relation to this little trip to the theatre. When the time comes, I will let you know exactly what I want you to do. After you do what I ask we will call it even."
Holding out his hand, he continued, "Do we have a deal?"
@ [Bongo] @ [Wayfarer