Western RP: play thread

Catori's blindness fades, and she slowly regains her sight, while Buddy's fever also seems to subside, as the day passes into night. They camp out along the shore of the small stream at the bottom of the ravine (the very ravine Leo/Spike found himself in a year ago, if it matters now), and eventually have a look around.

The pond is at the base of more caves dug into the foothill walls, and these caves have been marked, claimed by the local landholder, which comes as a sudden shock to Buddy and Catori when they realize...

"WR DIAMOND MINE (founded 3 years ago), Chester Rutherford, Willoughby-Rutherford Ranch, Owner-Founder -- TRESPASSERS WILL BE SHOT! "

It was true they were in the same vicinity of the WR ranch, but Buddy never owned rights to any diamond mine... this must have been a new acquisition of Rutherford's after Buddy lost his lands to the baron all those years ago.

"Unbelievable..." Buddy gasped, wondering how fruitful the mine had been over the years.

"Should we explore?" he asked Catori, knowing the dangers they had only just survived, and expecting much more if the warning signs were any indication. But, Chester Rutherford was dead, his hold on the lands broken... what danger could there be now in exploring this place? Still, Buddy looked to Catori for her approval.

Catori looks at the cave seemingly judging it. "I...I don't know." she said. She had been through alot of drama lately. "I will, if you want." she confirmed standing by Buddy's side. Her brown eyes were narrowed.

Lily started to dig out the fallen rock as the others were led away.

After some time, Miko returned, along with the other Comanches who had spooked the buffalo before being spooked by the sight of all the white men army troops marching toward the cave.

Miko spoke to Sunia and learned the extent of what she knew of what had happened at the cave, and he and the rest of the warriors immediately began to help Lily dig thru the collapsed cave. Frantically, they searched all the rest of the day, crying out for Catori, and for Buddy... to no avail.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Meanwhile, miles away down river and across the valley, Buddy and Catori approached the diamond mine. The place seemed deserted, although there were still a few ore carts and rusted tools lying about inside. The cave branched into several passageways, and all seemed stable and sturdy, dropping into the underground on a shallow steady slope. It would take days to explore all the passages...

"I suppose we should set up camp here somewhere..." Buddy suggested.
"Anywhere but inside the cave... no more cave cuddling for me, for awhile!" he smiled, still limping some from his twisted knee or ankle, but fully capable of gathering some firewood.

"We will get you back to Miko and the tribe tomorrow morning..." Buddy reminded Catori of her obligation to her fiancee. "If that's what you want, that is...?" it seemed like a question, maybe she should answer... but how would she respond??

In Abilene, a lawman pushed a plate of... food... under the barred door to the three prisoners.

Authors note: This is gonna get sappy...hopefully

Catori looked at her feet. "Buddy, why do you cling to that which has passed from your grip?" she asked as tears welled up in her eyes. "Why not grasp that which is in front of you, calling your name, reaching for your embrace?"

She hadn't taken the tone of hysterical ut had asked calmly. She wanted his true answer.

*SAPPY ALERT (continued) ((sorry DR 😄)*

Buddy dropped an armful of firewood and looked at Catori as she stood just under the cave opening, protected from the chill of the night breeze as it set in. He stomped gruffly over the firewood, stumbling slightly, but drove on staunchly, finally standing tall before the slight Indian woman. In a sweeping movement, he gathered Catori in his arms, looking deep into her eyes, and swept her up, spinning on his heel and swooshing her into a dip...

"Watch out!" he gasped, ducking down along with the girl, his face close to hers, holding her in his muscular grip, as a swarm of BATS screeched and chirped and flooded from the cave, flapping dangerously close to their heads.

"Are you OK?" Buddy wondered, concerned once the bats had passed. "Those things can be hell on hair!" He raised her up, still holding her close, but no longer dipping low to the ground, and he looked deep into her eyes once more.

"I... You saved my life... now, I suppose, we are even..."

There was a long moment of silence there, as the man held the girl close and tight in his arm, concerned, and with loving tenderness, so close...

Catori inhaled deply. They were so close. But Buddy seemed so far away to Catori. EVerything stood in their way. His love will never completely for her. He still loved the white woman Sarah. Catori looked deep into his eyes and sighed happy he was alive...they both were. Her black hair was a little messy but she didn't care. She wanted to stay the way they were forever.

((*shudders*))

((sorry DR we tried to warn you...here have a spiked wrist cuff)))

Buddy moved in then, unsuspectingly, and pressed his lips against hers gently, tenderly; she was so sweet and innocent, with a natural beauty of body and spirit, he was overcome with fever, of a different sort than his early ills...

"I'm sorry..." he whispered to her as their lips parted. "I shouldn't have..." he felt her shudder and melt in his arms, and was somehow shocked by her reaction.

...and so, he brushed a hand against her soft smooth cheek, caressing her hair from her face, after which, he kissed her again!! 😄

Sap Warning!!! Run DR 😄

Catori sighed into the kiss. It was wonderful. She could taste the faint alcohol. It tingled her senses and made her slightly dizzy. She stared into his eyes and began to respond kissing back. She tried to pull Buddy closer.

Buddy needed no real encouragement from then on, feeling her warm body against his, tasting her raspberry-essence scented lips and cheeks, enjoying her touch, her gentle storking against his stubbly cheek, and caressing her every curve in return, all while returning her tender kiss.

It had been so very long since he had held a woman so, indeed since he had felt so much for any other person... so long since he had allowed himself this luxury of female companionship. And Catori was so precious and beautiful a creature, a woman unequaled...

"Beautiful flower..." Buddy smiled between tender moments. "You saved me... thank you..."

He swept her into his arms, lifting her from the ground, carrying her near to the small campfire he had started, kissing her repeatedly.

((*screams* *runs into next thread* 😛

It's not so much that I mind the romance and shizzle... Just the way people get all into it... And the apparent pointlessness of it all 😖 ))

((I just think it makes for a good balance what with all the scalping and shooting and burning and killing and gambling and drinking and other forms of wild wild west entertainment... it's a little break from the drama and trauma for some good old fashioned mush...

😱 😆 💃 😮 😛

Luis just needs to get himself a girl... or a nice big sheep, or something...))

(( 😆 Like I said romance is all good but it CAN be overdone... I admit I've been guilty of it myself in other games 😮 ))

Luis choked down some of the stuff on the plate. It tasted like boiled flour with a little bacon fat.

"EAT UP, mangy varmints!" the cell master commanded through the tempered steel cage door. "Healthy necks make the sharpest -SNAP!- at the end of a noose, you know... it's a dreadful thing to survive a hanging, only to have to be drug down and shot... dreadful thing, even for scuzz-bottom vagrant murderin' scum the likes of y'all..."

The large man laughed, jangling the keys and spinning the chamber of his 6-shooter. "Your Inquisitor will be here by noon... he'll have some questions for y'all, before you go before the judge tomorrow... no hangings on Sunday, but you'll all be strung up by high noon Monday, so eat! eat! eat!"

Catori giggled as Buddy's kisses and his stubble tickled her. She tried not squirm but couldn't resist. The fire warmed her skin as Buddy warmed her heart. (GAG!!!). The river had made her cold but the chiliness was gone.

As they lay there, closer than they had ever thought they would become, Buddy had a moment of realization.

"This will never do..." he whispered, arching away but still lying over Catori. "It isn't right..." he sighed and frowned, but his eyes burned with passion and warmth.

"Not here, not like this... you deserve the finest silk sheets, down-filled pillows, the warmth of a fireplace and thick fluffy comforters... sleek satin nightgown against your skin... in Abeline, there is a fancy hotel, and across the street, there is a grand church... we should wait, until the time and place are right..."

he smiled down on her, and slipped behind her, so that she was near the fire, wrapped his arm around her and held her close, nuzzling his stubbly chin and cheek against her sweet-scented neck.

Catori giggled uncharacteristically. "Okay." she sighed enjoying the moment. The closeness was satisfying enough. Back home she thought she'd never feel this way about any guy.