Let's Ride Into the Sunset Together (IC)

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mr_pibbs

The One True Pibbles
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The afternoon sun was poised directly overhead in the sky, illuminating the small town in Iowa. The townspeople continued about on their daily routines, joyfully moving through the crowd and greeting their fellow man with a kindly 'How do you do?' as they crossed paths. Just outside the quaintest little settlement this side of Texas, a horse-drawn cart filled with crates of supplies eased its way on down the dirt road. Seated atop the cart was a young farmer by the name of Matthias Altresian. His long messy brown hair fluttered gently in the autumn breeze as he removed his cap and wiped the sweat from his brow. A smile was spread across his face as he passed the familiar sign just barely a half-mile outside the town;

Welcome to Hopesville.
Population: 45


All the way into town, his smile never faltered. A whistle escaped his lips and he gently tugged on the reins, urging his horse to continue into town. Slowly, the young farmer made his way down the dirt path, headed for the general store. Once he reached his destination, Matthias jumped off the cart and gave his horse a gentle stroke on her mane. "You stay right here, girl. I'll be back." he whispered, moving towards the back of the cart so he could begin to unload the crates. Before he could even grab the first crate, a few of the townspeople who he sold privately to on a regular basis arrived to give him a helping hand. Offering them a quick thanks and a small cut of his payment, Matthias grabbed a crate filled with twelve jugs of milk and walked into the general store.

"Afternoon, Mr. Delrose! Here's the new produce you requested!" exclaimed Matthias as he pushed open the door with a smile on his face. In his arms was a large wooden box containing at least twelve jugs of milk and set it down on the counter. Behind him, a group of men from the town helped Matthias bring in the rest of the food items: vegetables, fruit, fresh milk and eggs, and even a few different types of cheese. "It's all here!... Well, mostly. Somebody took one of the apples while I wasn't lookin' a few miles back, but there's 'bout twenty four red ones left, so it's not a big deal I suppose. I just won't charge you for the missing one."

Smiling at the young man, Mr. Delrose shook his head and opened the cash register. "Don't worry kid, it's only ten cents more. You're always bringing me the best stuff, so paying a bit extra is no problem." said the kindly older gentleman, pulling out three slim green pieces of paper from the register. "Here you are, that's three dollars for everything."

Looking at the bills with wide eyes, Matthew silently took the money, nodding his head thankfully. "T-Thank you, Mr. Delrose! I-I mean it, sir. I-I always strive to make the best products I can, but hearing that from you really makes me proud. You have a nice day, Mr. Delrose! And thanks again!" exclaimed Matthias as he existed the store, waving to the men behind him. Once they were outside, he gave each one fifteen cents for their help and wished them a good day. Now that he had unloaded his baskets, it was time to get going. Matthias needed to pick up a few supplies while he was in Hopesville, so he decided that he would run some errands, eat supper and then leave.

((I used a currency translator to determine that $94.45 nowadays is $3 in 1844. It may not be entirely accurate, but it's still a useful tool. Here's the link if you ever need to use it for the RP: Historical Currency Conversions))
 
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Lily Ann Bell, owner and Madam of the Amaranta Saloon and Inn, sat in her office on the second floor of the building balancing the books for both business’ before she made her rounds downstairs. Though she, herself, never took customers, she like to make sure everyone who graced her establishment with their presence felt welcome and taken care of. Owning a brothel wasn’t exactly the classiest venture, but Lily knew sex sold, but it wasn’t the only thing that sold. Good clean rooms and well cooked meals also brought in good money and she strove to give her customers all three if she could. She sighed softly as the noise downstairs started to pick up and she placed her pen in the inkwell and slid her chair away from her desk.

There were never really any fights or brawls at The Amaranta, she had seen to that. When she had first opened, a lot of her customers were the rough and tumble type, to be fair the still were. But she had proven, with the help of her stilettos and pistol that she was not a woman to mess with, and when she laid down the rules of the house, those rules were obeyed. If they weren’t she had two very intimidating gentlemen that would escort the customer out. That customer would then be banned from the saloon for a time, and being that the Amaranta was the only brothel in town, most men didn’t want to chance being kicked out.

It was true there were other, ‘soiled doves’ in Hopesville, but none of them could hold a candle to her girls, who were all clean and healthy. Though she cared for her girls, she was running a business and they were here merchandise, an investment, so she made sure they were always bathed and were seen by a doctor if they were sick. She left her office and took a right, taking the stairs down into the saloon proper. Upon seeing her, her white blouse held up by a slimming corset, clung tightly to her upper body, and her form hugging brown skirt showing off the curve of her hip and backside, the small ruckus that had started up at the bar quickly settled down.

She gave a small smile and a nod to her bartender, Silas , before making her way into the room. She stopped by a few tables, speaking easily with the men, laughing at their jokes and pretending to be offended by some of their comments.

“Miss Lilabell! Come on over here and help brighten my day with your sweet sweet smile.”

Lily smiled and shook her head. She bid the men she was talking to a good day before making her way over to the man who had called out to her. Shortly after moving to town and building the saloon, the locals, men mostly, had started calling her Lilabell, instead of Lily. She didn’t mind. In fact she kind of like the nickname. She moved over to the older gentleman’s table and with an indulgent smile and roll of her eyes, she sat on his offered leg.

“Good afternoon Conrad. Does your day need brightening?”

Conrad was an older man, a widower, who had lost his wife shortly before Lily had come into town. He was a horrible flirt, but harmless. He gave her a friendly one armed hug, which made her laugh, before letting her stand and take the other chair at the table. “It does indeed Missy. I’m feelin mighty low today. Lost one of ma’ good hunin dogs taday. Might been that damned it all cougar again.” he cringed a bit and rubbed the back of his neck. “Parden ma’ words Miss Lilabell. It’s just so easy talkin to ya’ I forget sometimes you’re a lady.”

Lily laughed and placed a hand over his and gave it a pat. “I appreciate the apologize, but I hear worse on a daily basis Conrad. Besides, I’m sure if you were to tell any of the women in this town that I was a lady, they’d scold your ear off.” she looked around the room quickly, spotted who she wanted and then lifted her hand and motioned in her direction. She patted Conrad’s hand again and stood. “I’m sorry I can’t stay longer, but I have a business to run. Rose here will keep you company for a little. But you know the rules, any longer then 5 minutes and you have to pay for your company. My girls have to make a living too you know.” she gave the old man’s forehead a gentle kiss before moving across the room to check on more of her girls.
 
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Alicia was on her way to the grocer when she saw Matthius Altresian come in with his wares. She smiled at the luck and hurried to the store, hoping to get some supplies before her father returned that afternoon. She wanted to bake something for him, and whatever passengers were to come out this far. Not many ever made it to the end of the line, well, except those that were on the run from something, and those didn't stay long, leaving to get lost in the wilds around them.

Alicia shook the thoughts away and glanced down the alley between buildings before crossing. She still remembered being knocked over once when she was younger. She had started across without looking and a man on horseback had been coming in. He had looked at her like he was going to offer to help her before he took note of her features then left with a frown of annoyance, muttering something about the damned injuns. She had been glad when that one left town to 'find his fortune'.

She shook her head again, looking around then continuing over to the grocer and slipping inside the doors. "Mr. Delrose" She greeted with a bob of her head and s smile before she came over to give him her list of supplies she needed. She was glad the grocer was friendly to her, whether it was just because her father brought in new clientele or for herself she wasn't as certain of.

~~~~
Thomas was driving the stagecoach to Hopesville when he heard a tap against the roof and one of his passengers ask how much further it would be. "We got another ten miles, so a couple of hours" He answered then chuckled softly at the combined sounds of tiredness from inside. It wouldn't do to let them know he was immune to such. He thought it quite good when they got seventy miles in in one day, though the horses always needed a good rest afterwards. this trail had about sixty miles between stops for the night, a tight schedual, but one he kept as well as he could.

After all, he could do nothing to prevent the road washing out or overflowing streams and acts of nature like that. Bandits now, those he could shoot and try to get past with his load intact. He also did his best to insure the wagon was always in top condition so that they had less chance of breaking a wheel or axle. He was just as eager to reach their destination as his passengers, he so wanted to see his little girl again, though she wasn't so little anymore. A frown took over his face at the thought that he should try to find a husband for her. Gah, not something to think of in this moment. He chastised himself and looked around again, keeping watch for anything that might attack the coach before they reached town.
 
I was hanging at the bar counter as usual, there was one man sitting at the counter at the moment. The man sitting at the counter was Logan, he was a local drunkard. I usually served him one or two pints for free when miss Lilabell wasn't around, it allowed Logan to be much more easier to handle in general. Like miss Lilabell, i aim to make sure my customers are satisfied, but let's say my methods aren't as good for business as Lilabell's intentions. But my way of thinking is that what Lilabell doesn't know or see, doesn't hurt the business either.

There was some ruckus going on somewhere at the side of saloon that made quite a bit of noise. I was sure that miss Lilabell will see to it and so i didn't really react to it myself. Soon miss already appeared at the saloon, knew it. She shot me a smile and gave me a nod, i nod back at her. As usual, Lilabell greeted some of the customers and exchanged a few words here and there. I overheard the conversation she had with Conrad and i made sure Lilabell didn't notice as i started to pour a pint. As Lilabell left to keep on tending to other matters, she left Rose to talk with Conrad. I briskly walked over the small distance between me and Conrad and placed the pint on the table in front of him. "Rose, you know how this goes" i said to her and put my index finger in front of my lips to sign her to keep quiet. "Sad to hear about yer dog Conrad, it's on the house.. if Lilabell asks, you paid for it" i say and give him a smile before heading back to the counter.

This was usual for me, i could give a pint or two on the house and then require payment again. I've been doing this ever since i started here and it's one of the things that really helps the business more than is bad for it. It just makes sure that people enjoy their stay and keep on returning time and time again. And like i said, what Lilabell doesn't know, doesn't hurt the business either. Every time she has asked how the customer seem to enjoy their stay here so much, i just tend to tell her that i'm just good i think. As the ruckus kept on going on, i headed to see what was going on as well. It wasn't really a surprise to me that it was our usual card group that was making the ruckus.

We call them a Round Table. It consists of group of six men. William but everyone calls him Willie, Eli, Elijah, Mason, Isaac and Connor. They play cards here regularly and tend to make quite a ruckus over who knows what occasionally. This time Lillabell seemed to take care of that, but usually it was me who had to take care of the Round Table.
 
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Otto Bearbaum
Interaction: None
Mentioned: Matthias and Alicia
-

A rather tall man rode along the trail to Hopesville, a strong face with a large beard to frame it as two intense hazel eyes looked out from underneath the man's hat. His nose twitched along with the two scars on his face as the wind shifted bringing with it the smell of...a population, the man had a rather strong presence about him as he sat upon a large Clydesdale mare. The trip had been long though not the longest he had been on. He looked up at the sun as his horse kept walking, it looked like it would be nice out here but the wind held a slight chill to it as he shifted his large pelt around on his back. He had been heading west after taking a bounty a while back, it had paid him 150 dollars and he had spent 50 of it before starting this trip and was now left with 100. He pulled out a pipe from his saddle bag and put it in his mouth, he didn't have anything to light it with so he just chewed on the mouth piece until he got to somewhere to stop. His rifle sat across his back unloaded though the same thing could not be said for his pistols which sat in his belt ready to be drawn at a moments notice while his large knife was visible due to the handle pocking out from a sheath that rested along the back of his waist.
-
He passed a sign that marked the name of the small town he was approaching along with it's population. "45 people in a place called Hopesville, wunderbar." He thought, he was needing somewhere to rest and he wasn't in the mood to deal with a large population so this place would do nicely for him. As he entered the town he saw a young man unloading things into what looked like a general store he also saw a woman who was going to put an order at the general store or at least he assumed that's what she was doing though he noticed she looked down an alley way with an odd nostalgic look on her face but Otto didn't pay it any mind, best not to get into people's business when he just arrived in town. As he rode he found a building that seemed to be the local inn. "Amaranta Saloon and Inn." Otto acknowledged in his head, though the name of the place might give him trouble with his accent.
-
He tied his horse on a horse post outside the inn before dismounting, he left his rifle hidden in the saddle bag but kept his pistols and knife under the pelt he wore over his clothes, he opened the doors to the bar and surveyed the room as the sent of perfume and booze hit his nose. "Ah a brothel as well." His thoughts drifted along the forefront of his mind as he saw the many women that walked around, some led men upstairs while others sat on laps and gave coy compliments but Otto wasn't hear for a bedfellow. He walked to the bar before sitting down while also taking off his hat and setting it on the bar as he waited for the bartender to come to him.
 
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Ava was in the lead of her gang as usual, mounted atop her horse and watching the road below with keen eyes and both hands holding the reigns. "Get ready, boys. Coach should be here any minute," she called to the fourteen men behind her. They slowly got into position, four on each side of the road with four poised to chase from behind. Ava and her two best men would be in front, cutting them off and surrounding the stagecoach.

She grinned as she heard the whistle from the men from the back. Seconds later, she could see the men at the sides start going into motion. She and her two men spurred their horses and stood in a line in the middle of the road facing the oncoming coach. The bangs of pistols echoed through the air as her men that were herding the stagecoach set off warning shots to tell the driver to stop.

@Starrnico
 
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Thomas looked to the side at the first gunshot, frowning and glancing to the coach then ahead as he grabbed his rifle. He didn't have to check it, knowing he had loaded it that morning before they had set off as he usually did. "Hold on folks, this could get bumpy." He called out, aiming the rifle at one of the bandits and firing then urging the horses to go faster. He didn't want to stop and have his passengers put in more danger than a holdup normally was.

He cursed when he saw the line of riders ahead. He debated his options then turned his head to yell at the passengers again. "Everyone down and hold tight." He called then urged the horses off the main trail. He had been up and down these trails for years, so he knew the safer places to leave the trail at.
 
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The man he had fired at was grazed, but he didn't actually get hit because his horse had slowed down to get over a large pothole. Ava raised her eyebrows as she spurred her horse into motion and yelled for her men to follow, firing into the air as an added signal. She knew she could catch up to the coach if she made the horses run fast enough...that, and the fact that the coach was obviously slower than lone riders.

They were still giving chase, Ava in the lead. She was steering with one hand and aiming at the coach with the other. She let off another shot, and the bullet nicked the back right corner of the coach. She needed money, and she would kill any of the people on board to get it.

@Starrnico
 
The man he had fired at was grazed, but he didn't actually get hit because his horse had slowed down to get over a large pothole. Ava raised her eyebrows as she spurred her horse into motion and yelled for her men to follow, firing into the air as an added signal. She knew she could catch up to the coach if she made the horses run fast enough...that, and the fact that the coach was obviously slower than lone riders.

They were still giving chase, Ava in the lead. She was steering with one hand and aiming at the coach with the other. She let off another shot, and the bullet nicked the back right corner of the coach. She needed money, and she would kill any of the people on board to get it.

@Starrnico
Thomas cursed when the shot hit the back of his coach. He hunched over as much as he could to make a smaller target of himself and tried to turn back to the main road again. Bumpy as that was, it was better than being offroad and messing up his coach. He glanced around at the number of bandits and knew this was going to be a losing fight unless he could hold them off until town.

He knew that was impossible, but he had to try and he needed to get to the smoother road to reload his rifle. He glanced around again, cursing the ill luck that had his shotgun rider get sick at the last station. This last lag was usually quiet, so he had pressed on, letting the man rest and recover and telling him he would be picked up on the way out next trip if he didn't find a way back before then.

When one of the bandits got too close to his side, he pulled his handgun, firing at that one. He couldn't take time to aim though, which was a downside to being the driver and having to watch the horses. Horses could follow the road when they were on one, especially as trained to it as these were. He had to grab the reins quickly again when they hit a bump. It would not do to lose control now, dropping the reins could very well spell death for all of them in the wagon. Yes, there it was, a clearing back to the road. He aimed the horses for that and urged them faster though they were already giving him their best.
 
Silas Hy'l
Interactions: Otto Bearbaum (@Dakota K5)

Since i had seen enough of the Round Table and them making a ruckus, i lost my interest. I turned around and started to head back to the counter. I took a note of the new customer, a new comer? Never seen him before. "How can i help you?" i asked as i arrived to the counter. My eyes studied the man carefully, i especially studied the man's hands. Hands told a lot about the customer. Lot of scars that looked like cuts told that the person probably was probably a butcher. Burns meant that the person is probably a blacksmith. And so on, the more i learn about the customer by just looking at him or her, is important information. I can turn that into my advantage in many ways especially when we're talking about a place like Amaranta.

Back to this man though, there wasn't much to pay attention to. This man was a mystery to me, a puzzle i wanted to solve. Who was he? What did he do for a job? All i could tell is that he isn't from here and he doesn't do any "normal" job, felt like a grey area to me. I pick up a dirty pint and a clean cloth before starting to clean the pint up, this way i could keep my hands busy and not idle.
 
Otto Bearbaum
Interaction: Silas
-

The bartender had addressed him, Otto didn't speak at first as the man in front of him eyed him more then likely appraising to tell if he was a threat or not. Otto was used to this behavior in people near even back in Bohemia people eyed him with idle suspicion and curiosity, his size alone drew attention but this bartender was probably looking to get more money out of Otto then would normally be spent. "Water if you got it and beer if you don't have any water." He spoke to the man in front of him his accent bleeding through a little in his speech to the man as he watched him clean a glass. Otto took out a match and lit his pipe that he had been chewing on before exhaling some Virginia tobacco smoke to the side. "And a room to stay in if you're the one I need to talk about to set that up barmann." He said as he puffed on his pipe some more.
 
THOM ROCHESTER @WitchesRayvyn
Like many times before, Thom woke up wrapped up with Rose under the covers. A dull but familiar pain throbbed across his left thigh but it wasn't enough to soil his mood. Usually once or twice every two weeks he'd rent a room at the Amaranta and stay there with "his" girl instead of his own home. Rose and Thom were hardly exclusive of course, but there was no one else in Hopesville who knew him better. The fact that she was a working girl was probably a reflection of the kind of man he was. Then again, he never once considered himself a saint.

Rose soon woke up after him, the former cowboy smiling as he watched her. "Mornin' beautiful." Rose smiled back before groggily, she turned over and reached for the night stand to grab a cigarette and a lighter. Like she always did during the mornings after, she placed the cigar between his lips and lit it for him. Afterwards she got up and Thom watched each sway of her hips with amusement as she sauntered over to the bathroom. Leaning against the door frame she looked over her shoulder back to him.

"I'm going to take a bath before heading downstairs." She told him, her voice lowering as she then continued. "Feel free to join me." With that she disappeared into the next room and Thom laid back for a moment and chuckled. He blew out a steady steam of dark grey smoke from his lips before he stood up and nonchalantly followed her into bath.

****
Around forty minutes later both Thom and Rose had joined the afternoon fun of the Amaranta's ground floor. From a bar stool, Thom watched Rose as she made her way round the floor, entertaining an older man. She looked great in that dress he thought - and even better without it. But his attention was brought away when he laid eyes on Lilly Ann Bell, who was checking up on the other working girls. Picking up his old leather cowboy hat from the bar, he propped it over his messy wavy brown hair and walked over. He limped slightly, but most people in Hopesville was used to it. Meeting with the owner's eyes he offered a handsome smile as he approached.

"Afternoon Miss Lilabel. How much do I owe you for the night?" He began, his smile becoming almost mischievous at the thought. "..and for a decent portion of the morning?"
 
Lily smiled as she watched Thom, a regular at the Amaranta, approached her, his smile and general mood proof enough for her that he had had another enjoyable evening with Rose. "Good afternoon yourself Mr. Rochester. Aren't you a sight for sore eyes, though I do see you near every week. I trust you had an enjoyable evening with our lovely Rose?" she waved the other girls she was speaking to away, sending them out onto the floor to sell drinks and their company. She turned back to Thom and motioned for him to join her at the other end of the bar where it was quieter. She slipped behind the bar and produced two glasses, one for whisky the other for beer. "Pick your poison. On the house" she gestured to the glasses before leaning against the bar, her chin resting against her fist. "As for payment, seeing as you are such a loyal and frequent customer, I'll forgive the extended hours of this morning, even though it does tend to happen every time you're here." she laughed softly "Though I suppose that just means Rose is good at her job, which makes all of those involved happy." she tapped her chin, doing the calculation in her head before responding to his original question. "I think $1.50 would just about cover it. I wouldn't say no to $2.00 though." she grinned and took the glass he had passed on, drinking it herself.
 
Thom chuckled, the sound deep and gravelly much like his voice. He took up the glass of whiskey and quickly downed it, scowling but smiling as he felt the warmth run down his throat. Leaning against the bar nonchalantly, he reached into his pocket and presented two dollars. With one callous hand he slipped them across the wooden surface and smiled. "Only because you're prettier than the girls you got working for ya." He quipped as he stood back up straight. With a quick wink he turned towards the door, speaking over his shoulder loud enough for Lilabell to hear over the rest of the things happening on the ground floor. "If you ever plan on building an extension for the Amaranta you know where to find me Miss' Bell."

At that Thom left and made his way back to his home, just a walk away from the bar-and-brothel. The throbbing in his leg was getting stronger but regardless he resumed constructing the second room he was intent on adding.

Meanwhile Rose, had just finished serving the last of her drinks and returned to the bar to restock for the weary travelers and unsatisfied husbands that still needed plenty of beer. She saw her boss on the way and smiled. A quick glance around the floor told the working girl that Thom had already paid his dues and left.

"He's quite the flirt isn't he?" Rose asked with a small smile, guessing that he would have made some sort of comment. She knew him well enough.
 
Lily laughed as she slipped the bills from the bar and tucked them into the front of her shirt. The girls at her establishment weren’t paid by their customers directly. They paid Lily and she gave a percentage to the girls. Some girls paid her rent directly for use of rooms while others preferred her to take it out of the money they made directly. She would give Rose her earnings at the end of the night if she wasn’t with a gentleman of course. She took another swallow of the beer in her glass and nodded her head. “That he is Rose, that he is. But a girl does enjoy being flirted with now and again, so I suppose we will continue to allow him to spend his time and money here.” she helped the girl restock her tray, making sure there were plenty of ‘drinks’ on the tray for Rose as well.

She didn’t allow her girls to drink while working. More often than not it ended up complicating things. So instead they drank cold tea, or water colored to look like whiskey. All of her girls were good actresses, so the customers were none the wiser, and everyone had a good time. Once her tray was full, Lily sent Rose back out onto the floor as more men poured through the door now that the working day was through. She often wondered what some of their wives thought about how much time they spent in her saloon, though if the looks said wives gave her on the street were any indication, she probably didn’t want to know. She knew the majority of the women in this town were happy when the old saloon had burnt down. There had been plenty of womanfolk outside protesting while she was rebuilding. But she didn’t pay them any mind, at least where they could see her. She was a business woman, and sex and alcohol sold, that was that.
 
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Ava chuckled when the shot completely missed her and spurred her horse to go faster. He did, coming up along the side until she was almost next to the man driving....she was still behind, though. She had her pistol out as well, held firmly in her hand as she aimed it at him straight on. "Stop the coach!" She yelled, looking completely serious and willing to shoot. No one could call Ava a civilized lady. "I'll shoot!"

Her men were close behind, tailing the coach closely and coming up on both sides. It was obvious who their leader was, though. The fiery female with the gun. Her heels jabbed into her horse's flanks, urging him to go as fast as he possibly could. Slowly, inch by inch, she was finally making it up right next to him. her horse's hooves kicking up dirt and rocks, heaving for breath.

@Starrnico
 
Ava chuckled when the shot completely missed her and spurred her horse to go faster. He did, coming up along the side until she was almost next to the man driving....she was still behind, though. She had her pistol out as well, held firmly in her hand as she aimed it at him straight on. "Stop the coach!" She yelled, looking completely serious and willing to shoot. No one could call Ava a civilized lady. "I'll shoot!"

Her men were close behind, tailing the coach closely and coming up on both sides. It was obvious who their leader was, though. The fiery female with the gun. Her heels jabbed into her horse's flanks, urging him to go as fast as he possibly could. Slowly, inch by inch, she was finally making it up right next to him. her horse's hooves kicking up dirt and rocks, heaving for breath.

@Starrnico
Thomas glanced to her then to the others that were gaining on him and frowned, nudging the horses to get the wagon closer to the outlaws and force them off the road or back away from the coach. He swerved them from one side to the other then settled them straight again, looking for the signs that would say they were close to town. At their speed and with moving targets, there was every chance the bandits would miss even if they stopped doing warning shots. The female bandit was close enough to hear a child crying and being hushed inside the coach as his passengers held on for their lives. "We have nothing for you bandits" Thomas yelled out, glancing to the female, or where she had been. It was true, the most precious thing he had were his guns, and they were company provided. While they were on the straight way, he took a chance and started loading the rifle again.
 
Taking a deep breath as he stretched out his back, Matthias took a quick glance around the main road that ran through Hopesville. His eyes moved from building to building, trying to determine his next destination. The butcher shop looked promising, but at this point in the day most of the finer cuts were already claimed. As much as he loved to cook, Matthias wasn't about to partake in a ten-bite steak... Again. Perhaps before he left, he would stop by and pick up some of the fresher meats.

Next, he looked to the sheriffs office. Matthias only worked as a deputy on weekends, so there was no point in swinging by except to report a crime. Moving on, Matthias moved his head further down the row. The barber shop was promising, but his beard hadn't grown beyond a bit of light stubble and although his hair was messy and unkempt, it was still pretty short from his last haircut. Nobody he knew had passed away, so he skipped over the undetakers office and looked at--

~ *Growl* ~

Matthias' train of thought was interrupted by the sudden discovery that he was hungrier then he originally believed. Perhaps he would eat a bit sooner then expected. He gave his stomach a gentle pat and turned his eyes towards one of the few places in town to purchase a meal; the Amaranta Saloon. "Alright, c'mon Daisy." Matthias whispered, patting his horse on the head before taking the reins on her face. He slowly walked her over to the little trough beside the establishment and tied her up, making sure to lock down the cart behind her so it didn't roll away or get stolen. "I won't be long. You be a good girl now, ya'hear?"

Daisy whinnied knowingly at her master and clicked her front-left hoof. Matthias chuckled at the animal's response and gave her head another pat. Unlike many of her brothers back at the farmstead, Daisy was remarkably smart for a horse. Before he entered the saloon, Matthias reached into the satchel hanging around his neck and held out an apple for Daisy. Instinctively, she chomped it down in just a few moments and bowed her head thankfully towards the young man. Once she was finished, Matthias turned around and stepped up onto the wooden walkway, pushing through the swinging doors that led to the saloon.

"Afternoon, Mr.Hy'l," stated Matthias, tipping his hat towards the barkeep as he walked into the saloon, "How'd ya do?" Crossing over to the counter, Matthias leaned against the polished wood and reached into his pocket, fishing for cash. "I'm not here for a delivery, just stopped in for lunch. I was in town runnin' some errands and thought I'd swing on by for a quick bite." After a few seconds of rummaging, Matthias pulled out a few cents and put them on the counter. "I'll take the Rabbit stew with chopped vegetables and a glass of water, please."
 
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Lily was just about to head up stairs when she happened to spot one of her favorite customers walk into the saloon, headed straight for the bad. She knew Matthias didn’t drink, so the only reason he’d be here was for food. The Amaranta provided it’s customers with a variety of food throughout the day at fairly reasonable prices, though prices did depend on the ingredients and how hard they were to come by. She moved away from the stairs and sauntered over to the bar, flashing a flirtatious smile at Matthias. “Well, well, if it isn’t Mr. Matthias Altresian as I live and breathe. I would ask what brings you to my fine establishment, but seeing as you never partake in alcohol or any of my fine blossoms, I would have to assume you are here for the food.”

she moved behind the bar, bumping her hip against Silas’ to shoo him away. She then leaned against the counter, her chest inches from the wood of the bar. “And if you’re not here for the food, then that would mean that you’re here for me.” she winked at him and laughed softly, filling and placing a glass of water in front of him. She loved to tease Matthias. He made the cutest attempts at speaking when she did and he always turned an adorable shade of red.

She sighed dramatically, a forlorn look crossing her face. “No it couldn’t be that, could it. It must be the smell of our rabbit stew that drew you here this evening.” she stood up straight and headed towards a door that lead into a small yet well stocked kitchen. “We don’t have much left, so let me just got and fetch you a bowl before we run out.” she pushed open the door and entered the kitchen. A few moments later she returned with a metal bowl, spoon and a hunk of cornbread and set them down in front of him. "There you are darlin. I hope you enjoy it."
 
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Otto Bearbaum
Interaction: Matthias and Lily
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He had been sitting at the bar patiently for a few minutes now, merely wanting a glass of water and to rent a room for the night or maybe a day more. It was quite normal to be served in order of when you showed up but in walked the man from earlier that he had seen unloading the wagon in front of the general store and sat down. He was immediately addressed by who he assumed to the madam of this establishment and possibly the owner who pushed the bartender away to serve this newcomer though he himself had been here waiting for longer? This...angered Otto, he had not come here to be ignored. "Ah, I see this establishment does not like to make money." He spoke more to the woman then to the one named Matthias though he was still able to hear the conversation. "I arrive weary from a long trip west to a little town and find this quaint little place named Amaranta Saloon and Inn. I walk in looking to spend my money or at least some of it, so I sit down at the bar and ask the bartender for water and a room and before he is able to respond in walks the young man here." He said as he gestured to Matthias. "And without even waiting a minute the presumed owner of the establishment comes and caters to him while pushing her bartender out of the way letting her other customer to hang in the wind." His accent was bleeding through just a tad more now, a side effect of his annoyance. "Now if this customer was a practical man then he would stand up, take his hat and say he was going to take his business elsewhere, eh Fräulein." He said as he looked at the woman. "Now luckily this customer we speak of is tired and just wants to rest so may I have some water and a room for an undetermined amount of time?" He asked the owner of the inn as he slid 30$ across the counter to her.
 
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