Tumbleweed, USA: The Wild West RPG IC Thread

"Oh! Sheriff Ellsworth! The Doc's out back, just walk on through," Miller announced from Rose's usual seat behind the desk. Maria Shaw was sitting on his lap, looking very noticabley flushed and shyed her eyes away from the Sheriff whom she had known for all of her short life "Oh, could you tell him that Widow Tellerman stopped by with an apple pie for him?"

Doctor Rose looked around as the Sheriff walked into the back room. It was very cold here, and the Doc was wearing what appeared to be a butcher's apron and rubber gloves. He had his arm up to his wrist buried inside the cadaver of what could only be the stranger. He gave a brief, worn smile.

"Well, if he wasn't dead before," John muttered, smiling "Y'know, this is quite weird. Ain't never seen gangrene inside of someone before. In my experience it keeps to the outside and festers. Still, a friend of mine at medical school claimed he saw something like this...can't be complete bull,"

"Is the Pastor coming? Should I sew him up?"

 

Artemis hid a grimace as he saw the body laying on the table; insides open for all to see. He'd seen plenty of bodies, sure, but never one burst wide open with a doctor inside it.

"Ehm..Pastor said he'd be here after sermon. 'Bout 20 minutes, I reckon."

Dr. Rose nodded and walked over to another table covered in various tools; most of them sharp and covered in blood.

"So, Doc." he said, finally managing to pull his eyes off the body. "What was it killed the poor bastard? Something we should worry 'bout?"

 

John turned away from Artemis and lifted the fine thread and needle to his eye, trying to connect them.

"Honestly? I'm not sure what it is that finished him. As it was, I reckon the sunstroke and dehydration just shut his brain down. But with that stuff I found inside him? The Lord only knows Sheriff. But anyways, I doubt it's gonna spread. He didn't fall into the water hole or nothin'," the aging doctor said, flashing a brief smile as the thread passed through the eye of the needle.

"So Sheriff, has Marshall Winchester's eldest still got her eye out for you?" he asked with a barely suppressed chuckle.

 

Artemis sighed, turning his back to Doc Rose. Even still, he smiled briefly.

"Now now, Doc. Don't you know it's unChristian to meddle in other people's affairds?" he asked, chuckling as he looked around the impressive room. It was filled to the brim with devices Artemis didn't even know what were for.

"'Sides, it's only a crush. Poor ol' girl'll feel mighty foolish once she grows up out of it and realizes she's been chasin' after an old coot like me."

 

Doctor Rose let out a strangled laugh.

"My dear Sheriff, when you get to my age, you'll redefine your meaning of old coot. It's gotten to the point know when most o' the folk I grew up with spend all their time opposite the church, under six foot of earth. Of the group that stayed in Tumbleweed, the only person that springs to my mind is Molly Tellerman, and even she doesn't come around as often anymore," he said, trying to fill his voice with some laughter, but failing miserabley.

 

Artemis could sense the poorly hidden bitterness in the Docs' voice. He and the Doctor weren't close, so this was uncharted territory for the sheriff. Convincing himself that this wasn't a good time to get into a discussion about how quick time passes them by, Artemis opted to force a chuckle.

"Well, with any luck I'll be shot dead before whatever got our friend with no name here comes after me."

 

OOC:Previously


The Colour Scarlet
Part Four

"I see you're not wearing that awful black wig, these days. I also happen to know that you're a Burlesque dancer who works for my ex-husband. You see. A couple of years ago, when you came along. I decided not to follow you back to Tumbleweed. But instead inform my father, who has recently moved here. That an evil, stealing, Gold Digging, b--" Jean O'Hara cut off Scarlet Summit by leaping for the gun.

The two of them battled for a while, both clutching the gun. They twisted and turned, until eventually, Scarlet kicked Jean back. Jean tumbled back. She quickly got a grip and ran to the door. Scarlet raised the gun in the line of Jean. Jean fiddled with the lock quickly, she finally opened the door to see Dean Summit, looking down at her.
"You're not a religious man, then?" Jean questioned, trying to change the mood. Dean shoved Jean back. Jean slipped and fell over to the floor. Dean then shut the door again and awaited outside. Scarlet strutted over to Jean. Scarlet bent down and grabbed Jean's silky blonde hair. Jean squinted her eyes, she struggled.
"AGH! You crazy b****!" Jean exclaimed. Scarlet rolled her eyes.
"If you struggle, it only makes it worse" Scarlet said in a singing sort of voice. Jean stopped struggling, she looked at Scarlet, who's face was bitter and filled with pure rage. Scarlet had put the gun beside her, Jean eyed it carefully.
"I'll give you two options. First one. The easy way. This means; I injure you for all the bad stuff you did to me, plus you get on the next train and never come back. Or, the hard way. Which means I kill you." Scarlet cracked a sinister smirk.

"Just Try...." "SOMEONE! HELP! SOME CRAZY--!" Jean screamed, hoping someone would hear her. Useless, everyone's at church. Dean Summit came rushing in, he held some sort of sleeping drug.
"Whereabouts did ya get that from? Are you ah Doctor?" Jean questioned. Before she knew, she was asleep. Jean slumped to the floor and Scarlet had let go of her hair. Jean slept silently, she looked almost dead.
"Thanks, Dad. Now come one. You take the back of her and I take the front"

​

 

Doc Rose looked up sharply, giving Artemis an uncomfortable stare.

"Nothin' came after this boy. He just died. It happens sometimes. I don't want you goin' round scarin' folk, it'll just give me hastle in the end," he said pointedly, before focusing back on sewing up the chest of the dead stranger.

 

"Well, no need for worryin'." Artemis assured the doctor, trying not to watch the poor man he was sowing back together. It was more out of a respect to the deceased than his own comfort. "Long as you say we're okay, Doc, you won't hear a peep outta me."

 

"I'm sure," Rose said politely, if a little coldly "Was there much else Sheriff? Cos I've got to write the coroner's report for county, then take the body to the cemetary, then pull the lovebirds out front off of each other and try and teach Miller something. It doesn't bode well,"

 

"Well, I suppose not." the sheriff responded, putting down a long, silver plier he had been inspecting half-heartedly. "I'll leave you to your work, Doc."
---

Artemis stepped out on to the porch of the doctor's office, the buzz in his head from last night's bottle finally starting to give him some room to think. He looked up at the sun.

The Doc had said the heat was probably what did the poor stranger in. How something so beautiful could kill a man was beyond Artemis. His thoughts drifted to Jessie Winchester.

"Artemis!"

"Yes, Roy?"

Roy Ackles, a young man of about 16, seemingly too big for his own body to handle, ran clumsily towards the sheriff. Artemis had been forced to take the young boy and his friend in on more than one occasion for causing all sorts of mischief around town, so seeing him running around when he should have been attending the sermon was an immediate cause for worry for Artemis.

"Y...Yo..You..." the boy stammered, as if the news was too big to be spoken.

"Spit it out, Roy. What've you and the Jensen boys done this time, I wonder?"

"Yoou...just follow me!" he blurted out before he ran off, kicking up sand in his wake.

Artemis took one last look up at the sun and sighed. Even on a sunday morning, he got no peace.

----

"This is mighty interesting." Artemis muttered to himself as his hand slowly lowered onto the butt of his gun.

In front of him, in the middle of main street, stood a parade of men. Thirteen by his count, the men were all dressed in Union garb, armed to the teeth.

The war was a fight Tumbleweed had tried not to take part in, but it seemed their luck had run out on that front.

"You boys lookin' for any kind of trouble, I can guarantee you Tumbleweed ain't got none."

 

"I'll be the judge of that, Sheriff," Captain Riley spoke down to the local lawman. He couldn't remember how many times he'd heard other tin-stars in other cities say the same thing before a rebel ambush.

"My men and I are out here on special assignment. We're combing through as many of the outlying cities and towns as we can, looking for any and all possible connections to the Confederate agitants. We'll be investigating Tumbleweed over the next day or so, and if you're telling the truth, we'll be on our way. If not, then it's our duty to punish any rebel contacts we find."

The captain looked the Sheriff right in the eyes, leaning in and taking a severe tone in his voice.

"I trust we will have your full cooperation in our efforts?"

 

Artemis met the Captain's gaze, strength for strength. He knew there was nothing he could do; it was either let these soldiers rummage through his town for a day and leave empty handed, or tell them 'no' and be strung up and remembered as a Confederate.

He could try to take as many of them out as he could before getting gunned down. Artemis almost entertained the thought before supressing it.

"Well, Captain..."

"Riley."

"Captain Riley. Tumbleweed is nothin' if not accomodating to it's visitors." he said with a visibly forced smile, not an ounce of conviction in his words.

"But I trust you won't be harassin' my people, or we will be havin' words, you and I."

 

"Don't you worry about that, Sheriff," he said in a placating tone. "My men only do what their orders tell them to do. If any one of them causes trouble, they answer to me."

On the surface, it may have sounded like Riley meant to assuage the law-man's fears. Underneath that, though, it was a bid for authority. Captain Riley wanted it made perfectly clear that he was the only one who told his troops what to do.

"Now, I believe there's the matter of accomodations. There wouldn't happen to be a proper hotel in this town, would there?"

 

Artemis' pride could hardly take it. It told him to forget the twelve men behind Captain Riley, all of them itching to pull a trigger. It screamed at him to make a fist and swing it. But if being the sheriff of Tumbleweed had taught him anything it was that patience was a virtue.

Sheriff Ellsworth gritted his teeth. "Just keep walkin' in a straight line." he tilted his head backwards an inch, as if pointing the way. "Corner of the street, across from the Froggy Dog, there's your hotel. "

 

​

DAY 1: SUNDAY MORNING

After finishing their breakfast, Jack Daniels and Zhang Fei stood around in the tall grass, looking out over the great landscape before them. The encampment of the Asian men and women who worked on the train tracks was just north of town, but a small distance away from the rails. Not far behind Jack and Zhang Fei, the women were cleaning up and if they looked to the side they could see Zhang Fei’s friend, the only Asian man with a horse, riding past the train tracks to his position at the switch further up.

In town, the church service had just begun

“There is a storm coming,” Zhang Fei said. The two men had been silent up until that point.
“Weather ain’t looking that bad,” Jack responded, chewing on some grass. The sun was shining, the wind was blowing noticeably, although not fiercely.
“I’m not talking about the weather, Mr. Daniels.”
“Then what are ya talkin’ about?”
The sounds of horses neighing and heavy hoofs beating down upon the ground reached Jack’s ears.
“You hear the horses?”
“Sure, they’re making quite a racket.”
“I’m quite certain they belong to Union soldiers.”
“What makes you think that?”
Zhang Fei smiled wistfully and enigmatically.
“Well, no reason for them to come looking here,” Jack said, unperturbed by the news.
“Except your uniform, drying. Remember that our camp is not far from Tumbleweed.”
Zhang Fei turned to walk back to his group.
“I go now to burn it.”
Jack turned as well and grabbed Zhang Fei’s arm. With his other hand, he took the grass from his mouth and let it fall to the ground. “Stop right there, partner. That grey coat there might not mean nothing to you, but it does to me. Heck, that is me, that’s my unit right there. Now I done appreciate what ya’all did for me but I ain’t going to be no yellow belly and hide who I am.”
“Mr. Daniels, my friends and I saved your life. Is it too much to ask that you do not endanger ours?”
As the words hit him, Jack released his grip, grinned and took a step back.
“Why, you sure do speak mighty fine English for a Chinaman, Zhang Fei.”

Zhang Fei nodded smirking and left Jack to look out to the horizon.

 

OOC:Previously...

Colour Scarlet
Conclusion

Jean Summit awoke in the station. It was empty. Her eyes flickered and she looked up at Scarlet Summit and Dean Summit. She wasn't hurt. At all. She needed to get ready for the night show soon, so this had to be snappy.
"Tie her up, Dad." Scarlet murmured. Jean rubbed her head, she slowly got up. Jean had to get a hold of herself. She needed to make a move, quickly. Jean blinked violently, then she decided to use her old moves she remembers her Pa doing.
"Good thang I'm wearing a short dress" Jean flung her leg up, she kicked Dean in the face. Dean lunged back in pain, clutching his chin. Scarlet quickly raised the gun but Jean punched Scarlet before she could do anything.
"And who said Girls can't get their hands dirty" Jean grinned. Dean slowly got himself together.

"Pay for all your sins!" He chanted. He swung his fist at Jean. Jean slopped to the floor, Dean slamming his fist into the wall. Jean smirked, she flicked her leg up, hitting his crouch.
"Ow" He muttered before he slowly flopped to the floor in pain. Scarlet grabbed the gun she had dropped and pointed at Jean. Jean rolled her eyes. Scarlet gulped, she took a deep breath and stepped forward.
CLICK CLICK, CLICK, CLICK.

"I was never gonna shoot you, Summit." Jean chuckled before slamming her fist into Scarlet's head. Jean then slammed her foot into Dean's stomach. She watched over the two of them.
"Eh. The train driver will probably take you on board" Jean smirked, the Summits were unconscious. Jean stepped over Dean and walked away, slowly. She threw the gun onto the tracks, not a care in the world.
"Let's get those Starlets ready"

FIN
​

 

I pass under the sign reading Miles Ranch. Up head on the dirt road is the main house, a stable, and a field house for the hired help. I pass by a few workers on my way up the road, and nod my head towards them. A couple nod back. Most just ignore me or suddenly remember they need to go in another direction. Never a good sign, and it puts me on edge.

The close I get to the ranch, the more men step out of the field house or walk up towards it to join the others. But there's no way these men are laborers or ranch hands. Don't look the part one bit. No, these men are used to getting their way, and getting paid to do it. Guns for hire.

Just like me.

Not really my style to work with other gunhands. Over all these years it's happened, so I'm no stranger to it. And a couple of times the other guy has been alright to work with. But mostly, it's just a bad idea. Never a good thing to get big egos in the same place. Tends to make everyone a whole lot dumber.

As I get up to the main house, one of the gunhands steps inside for a few seconds. When he comes out, he's followed be another man. But there's not doubt who he is. The way he carries himself. The way he looks at everyone and everything as if he owns them. Including me. No doubt at all.

Barton Miles.

"Mr. Miles, I'm guessing."

He nods with supreme confidence. I size him up quick. I've seen his type before. Forty-something. Tall, but carrying a little extra weight. Dark hair on top, getting some white on the sides. A little out of place on a ranch, but somehow right at home. And a smug smile that doesn't quite reach the eyes. He walks out in the bright morning sun without a hat. Which means he's not used to hard work, or hasn't needed to do any for a long long time.

"Chance Morgan."

I tip my hand and nod with a smile. "Yep." I can already tell he's sized me up too. I don't think either of us like what we find.

"I expected you a day ago."

"Got held up on a small border town. Sand storm blew in."

"Well, guess you can't predict the weather."

"No, I suppose not." I glance over at the other men. Most of them are just following along, a bit bored at the conversation. But a couple are paying keen attention. Those are the smart ones, and I make sure to keep my eye one them.

"So, my offer..."

We finally get down it. I reach into my vest and pull out a small bag. I toss it to Miles. "My payment?"

"Most of it. Had some expenses along the way. But that's the risk when you hire out."

Miles shrugs. "It is. Business is business. So you're not hiring on."

"Can't say I am."

"Mind telling me why not?"

"Couple of reasons. Mostly, I don't feel like going against the sheriff."

"You know Sheriff Ellsworth?"

"I do."

"Scared of him?"

"Your men should be. I just know better than to go up against him."

"Well I ain't scared," one of the dumber gunhands speaks up.

"Then you'd be dead."

"Why you-" he angrily reaches for his gun, as do a few others. So I whip mine out and aim right for Miles.

"You draw that sidearm, and your boss is the first one to get shot."

"Put your gun down," Barton says calmly. "All of you, put your guns down." They hesitate, but finally do what they're told.

Keeping my gun trained on miles, I start backing my horse away. "I consider us even, Mr. Miles. I declined your offer and returned most of your money. Your guys tried to pull their guns on me. I figure that makes up for what I spent."

"Sounds fair to me," Miles says with that almost smile.

I nod as my horse reaches the bend in the road. "You have a good day gentlemen." I turn and gallop off down the road and off Miles' property. Only when I'm a fair distance away do I bring my horse back down to a trot and turn him towards Tumbleweed...

 

Doctor Rose sat at his desk, packing up certain medical tools and stuffing them into his on-call bag. As usual on Sunday afternoons, the good doctor was planning to go out and visit the chinamen who were working on the railroad. Normally if one of them got hurt, they treated them the best they could, but never bothered to bring them into the town for proper medical treatment. He had left the corpse of the stranger on the mortuary slab, all sewn up and dressed in the clothes he had arrived in, with the instruction to Miller that when Parson Stephens arrived he was to help him take the body to the graveyard.

He stood up with the satchel slung over his shoulder and made to for the door, when it opened inwards by itself. For a brief second he entertained the possibility that the ghost of the stranger had dragged itself up from the depths of the world with the sole purpose to haunt him for the rest of his days. Then he noticed the matronly looking woman walking in, frowning at some of the dirt that had collected around the office.

"Can I help you ma'am?" he asked, politely doffing his hat. She gave him an appraising look.

"I'm Nurse Parker," she said coolly. The Doctor instantly stiffened up.

"Oh yes?" he asked, raising a quizzical eyebrow.

"Yes, I've been sent down from the County Hospital, I thought you were expecting me. A letter was sent a fortnight ago," Nurse Parker said. John let out a chuckle, that was not received well.

"The mail coach don't come round much these days," he said "But we're doing fine down here. The town's small enough for me to handle, and I've got Miller if anything starts spreading,"

"You mean the medical student?" she said, her already cold demenour turning positively icy.

"Well he does what he can. He's still learnin' poor lad," the doctor said uncomfortabley.

"And where were you off to with that satchel?" the small nurse asked, dumping her bags down on the floor.

"To see the chinamen down at the railtracks. They're in need of medical attention too," he said, twisting his hands guiltily.

"Well if they need help, they can come into the town. Come along, we're going on rounds," she announced suddenly, walking out of the door. Doctor Rose rolled his eyes.

"Oh joy," he mumbled, before following the nurse out.

 

After the boring church service, I make my way back to the stable where I have my old mule and wagon filled with cases of my tonik.

Looking outside the stable and at an old bum sitting on the dirt ground in front of it, I attract his attention.

"Hey, you. How'd you like to make a few bucks?" I say as I hold out some gold coins.

"Whadda I have to do?"

"Don't worry, I'll show ya."

**********
​

"Step right up and be the first to witness the power of The Inkredible Dr. Kip's Life Tonik! It'll take the crack out of your back, put some pep in your step, you'll be living large and in charge! Discovered by me, Doctor James Amadeus Kippling III Esquire on my travels through the dark continent of Africa, this life potion was bestowed upon me by an African shaman, with the promise that I save lives with it. And I swear to you as I swore to Humbagumba that I will save lives!"

I ramble off the words that have been burned in my head with ease as I stand in the middle of Tumbleweed, catching everyone's attention as I reel off my scripted pitch. A small crowd starts to gather as I continue to talk.

"Doesn't matter what vexes you, this bottle of life potion can cure you. Got a touch of the whooping cough? It'll whoop it right out of you! Case of the pox? Why, this potion is guaranteed to send the pox packing! Got lady trouble? Well, it even straightens your Longfellow, if you get my drift!"

I pull a blue bottle out of my pocket. It has my dashing face on the label.

"But don't take my word for it, a demonstration is in order!" I say as I pull the bum out of the back of the wagon. People flinch as they see the black balm I rubbed all over his skin and face.

"Behold! This poor, poor man has been strucken with God's cruelest disease, leprosy."

I grab the bum by the arm as I pull the potion's cork stopper out with my teeth.

"Witness the power of this devine concoction." I hand my "Leper" the bottle and he swigs it all down. The crowd watches with intensity as I pull out my pocket watch and count off the seconds.

"Now!"

Pulling out my handkerchief, I start to rub off the "leprosy" as the crowd gasps in amazement.

"There you have it folks! And for the minimal outlay of one dollar, you can take home a bottle of liquid Lothario, distilled Don Juan, catalytically-carbonated Cassanova. Lock old Rover in the shed, because man has a new best friend in The Inkredible Dr. Kip's Life Tonik!"

People start to mob me, handing over their cash and coin.​

 

OOC:Previously...
​

Family
ONE
​

Jean O'Hara sat in the changing room. She had cleaned away any evidence of Scarlet and Dean. The girls slowly came walking into the room. They smiled and giggled as they dropped their cloaks to the floor. Terence White was the last to come in. He clapped for silence. All the girls turned to him.
"Right! Tonight Starlets, we give great consideration to the leader of you lot tonight, Jean O'Hara!" Terrence smiled, clapping his hands. The girls clapped as well. Terrence left the room.

Cally Lavry came scuttling over to Jean, a worried look on her face.
"Did you ever deal with that Scarlet lady?" Cally hissed. Jean cracked a smirk, she nodded. Cally sighed of relief and walked away again. Jean thought pack to the pain in Scarlet and Dean's eyes when she had left them at the train station. She could hear the busy chatter in the bar, lots of people had fancied a drink once coming back from Church.

Jean sat, hunched in her chair. It was ages till the show. She had already gotten ready whilst everyone was in the Church and before Scarlet had arrived.
"Cally. I'd forgotten a necklace and went home, 'k?" Jean asked as she got up, smiling at Cally. Cally rolled her eyes and nodded reluctantly. Jean ran out the changing room, down the stage.

She ignored the hoots and toots and the comments to flash her knickers and walked straight out the Froggy Doggy Saloon. She ran and ran until she got to the station.

"Crap." Jean muttered. Scarlet and Dean were gone and the train hadn't come yet. She could hear it coming now.
​

 

​

DAY 1: SUNDAY AFTERNOON

“I’m going to need my gun,” Jack Daniels said as he returned to the rail workers’ camp. Zhang Fei turned to him, eyebrows raised. A small fire was raging in front of the Asian man and the grey uniform slowly withered into ash.
“I’m not going to shoot you,” Jack attempted to put the man’s mind at ease.
“I do not fear you will shoot me.”
“And I won’t shoot anyone else… probably.”
“Then why do you want it?”
Without even knowing that he was doing so, Jack’s slid his right hand down the side of his torso to his trousers. The hand fidgeted around his waist, the fingers itching for a holster to settle on. A gun to rest on.
“Makes me feel safe.”
“You are going into town?”
“That’s the plan. Need to find myself some money, a horse, a map.”
“You are unfit to travel. The wound--”
“I’ll be the judge of that.”
“Jack…”
The Confederate soldier raised his hand. “Mr. Daniels did just fine, Zhang Fei. We know each other all of what? Half a day? Most of that I was sleeping.”
The two men’s eyes met and the tension existing between them was palpable.

After a moment or two, Zhang Fei broke eye contact and slowly moved over to the train carriage the rail workers used as their home. He could feel Jack Daniels watching him all the way, standing stock still as the others of the group scurried around him, busy with their own tasks. Some of them would stop and look to him and Zhang Fei every now and then.

But nothing happened. Zhang Fei returned the holstered gun to Jack without a word. The soldier simply nodded as the gun found its way back unto his belt and his hands found their comfort there once again.

The carpenter turned soldier casually saluted Zhang Fei and the group before turning away and walking towards town.

To Zhang Fei’s surprise, he could hear Jack mutter thanks just before he left.

 

Tumbleweed looks pretty much like most other towns out in the middle of nowhere. Better than some. Not as good as the rest. Does have a train station. Guess that puts it up a bit higher.

I stroll into town on my horse. None of Miles' men followed me, but I didn't expect them to. Barton Miles is just the man I thought he was when the job was offered to me. He's a cold, likely cruel man, who looks out only for himself. But he's smart, plotting. He knew that sending men after me would wind up in some of his men being dead, and draw a mess of attention that he didn't need.

Basically, I'm just not worth it. And that's fine by me.

I enter Tumbleweed through the town square, only sparing a passing glance at the gallows as I do so. I learned a long time ago to never enter a town at the edge of a road and follow it in. Always better to take the unexpected path.

I glance over to my left, and see a good sized crowd gathered around. I decided to trot on over and listen in.

I just shake my head at these folk. There's one in every town. And the people are always more than happy to pass on what little bit of cash they have.

But, it's not my business what people do with their money. I just turn back around and start to the other side of town.