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#201 Old 28th Oct 2008 at 9:33 PM
Default Gabriel - leaving the saloon
(((ooc: I'm sorry, FurryPanda, but it's been almost two and a half weeks since I replied to you. If this RP is to keep going, we have to... well, keep it going.)))


Having gotten his point across to sheriff Dawes, finally, and made him do what any sensible man in Morgan's Creek would have done when faced with Gabriel - meaning, back down - Mayor Morgan's right-hand man saw little reason to linger in the Saloon any longer. He had come there for his morning meal and to make sure Scarlett hadn't had any reason to miss his company the previous night, as even though he had made it perfectly clear to everyone that she was off limits, some men still seemed to require his presence in order to actually remember. Both errands had since been taken care of, and both had been to his satisfaction.
Now, add to that the fact that he'd gotten to have that little chat he'd been planning with the sheriff, and there really was nothing more keeping him from getting back to his other duties of making sure things were running smoothly in town, and, more importantly, on Mr Morgan's property.

So, with nothing more to interest him the sheriff, Gabriel straightened his back and turned to leave, tipping his hat at the two still bickering women at the other end of the bar in the process.

"Ladies", he said, before making his way to the swinging doors, and passing through them, out onto the porch.

There he stopped for a moment, letting his gaze sweep the scenery before continuing, mostly out of habit. Noting that everything seemed to be as it should, he then stepped out from underneath the roof, into the sunlight, just as Luke Schumacher, the new owner of his deceased brother's nearby ranch, rounded the corner. However, as Gabriel didn't actually know the man, nor really cared to, he simply gave a curt nod in acknowledgement, leaving it to be interpreted as a greeting if Luke would be so inclined, and then began heading back to Morgan's house.


(((ooc: Sort of crappy, but... I just wanted to put him back into action.)))

~ * ~ Volition ~ * ~
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Top Secret Researcher
#202 Old 29th Oct 2008 at 1:18 AM
((OOC: Hi all.
I'm in something of a weird place with my writing right now, and until that dies down (figure after NaNo fuss [~dec.12]) I'm not sure if I'll be able to get and stay fully into this particular RP. Make no mistake-I am still around! Just not here...
I will probably get some vague post up in the next few days, but don't be surprised if I don't. And alissa, if Kate wants to GM herself away, feel free.
I am so sorry I've been so not on top of things... as I said, issues in my writing that are sucking up all my attention.
Thanks for your patience beforetimes!))

The humor of a story on the internet is in direct inverse proportion to how accurate the reporting is.
Field Researcher
#203 Old 29th Oct 2008 at 9:18 PM
Default Dex Woolgar & Robbie Logan - Plains
# 10 [Afternoon, day #1]

A couple of vultures soared the sky, as if they waited for anyone of the two on the plains to drop dead from the heat. Dex gave them a glanze, then he took off his hat, wiped his forhead with his arm and put it back on. It sure was hot, but it wasn't going to kill them any time soon. But if the birds ever decided to have a go at them, there might be causalities, and dinner for the boys.

"Wow", Robbie said in ridicule. "You sure must have a good judgement of people. Either a sixth sense, or just plain ol' luck, and either a mind that works, or one that just echoes. My my, you've really got Jimmy pegged, dontcha?"

Dex laughed out loud, a good old laugh that would have him smile until christmas. The boy sureley had no fear, and he wouldn't back down if he believed to have a point to make. And, to be able to get a shot at Dex, now that must have been a great joy for the youngster.

"Touché", he said with amusement. "But it proves my point pretty good. You can't peg the bastard, but he really is talented."

Dex put his hand in the right pocket of his coat, and took out a small sheet of paper. He checked it, as he still smiled and shaked his head. Robbie had a good head on his shoulder, and could proove to be even better than his brother.

"Are you planning on being the leader of this gang someday?" he said, and turned his gaze to Robbie.

After all, since the boy joined them, Dex had felt that he could be the start of something great. There was something entirely raw and natural about him, as if the life as an outlaw would grow to be a second nature. He had already becomed accustomed to their ways, bickering with the men as if he wasn't a young boy waiting eagerly to join them for real. At the same time, he had some growing up to do, control his temper and not care so much about what other people were thinking. Dex would do his best to see to it, that Robbie would grow into a great man, that would go his own way and one day not care about a past that would probably haunt him for years to come.
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Original Poster
#204 Old 1st Nov 2008 at 1:02 AM
Default Robbie and Dex
Since first joining the gang of outlaws - the term 'joining' being used loosely here, considering he had yet to be treated as one of the guys rather than, in Robbie's own opinion a child - there had been countless times when the younger Logan brother had been told that if his thirst for adventure didn't get him killed before reaching adulthood, his tongue surely would. With his quick wit and complete inability to keep his thoughts to himself, it would seem it was only a matter of time before he'd mouth off to the wrong person. One who, unlike the men he now rode with, would not take his tender age into consideration, and actually kill him. This part of the country was literally crawling with such types, and thus it would seem nothing short of a miracle that such an encounter had yet not happened.

However, try hard as they may to make the young man think twice not only about what he said, but to whom he said it, would always prove to be a futile task, as long as they could not hide their own amusement, or sometimes the annoyance he had intended to cause them. As long as their reactions provided him with even the slightest satisfaction, his sharp tongue would get no closer to ever being intentionally silenced.

This, however, was not to say that they hadn't tried to mask their reactions, as to not give him the satisfaction. Most of them had. Only to discover that it would make him even more determined to get a rise or a laugh out of them. Therefore, most of them were back to showing their appreciation (or whatever other feelings they may experience) of his raillery, knowing they would do neither him nor themselves any favors by keeping it from him.

"Touché", Dex grinned at him after giving an initial rumbling laugh in response to the boy's rather astute observation. "But it proves my point pretty good. You can't peg the b*stard, but he really is talented."

At that, Robbie merely shrugged, though saw to it to shoot Dex a look in the process, which left his message loud and clear; 'I wouldn't know'. After all, since he had never been part of the real action, there was no way he could have seen for himself the talent that Dex claimed his brother had.
He would never pass up an opportunity to remind the others of how 'unjustly' they were treating him in that regard.

"Are you planning on being the leader of this gang someday?" Dex continued, reviewing what Robbie figured was their 'shopping list', and then turned his gaze back to the young man.

To Robbie, who had no way of following the older man's inner musings, it came as a bit of a surprising comment, in that it was so very random. Especially considering, again, the way that they treated him. Judging by that, one might get to thinking the idea of Robbie leading a gang, any gang, would see Hell freeze over before entering their minds.

Robbie's mind, on the other hand, it had already entered, time and time again. Though he had never really imagined it being this particular gang, because if he was to lead a gang, it would be one not consisting of members who seemed unable to take him seriously.
But now that Dex brought it up... It would be the ultimate payback, to prove himself beyond a doubt to be worthy not only of riding with them, but of leading them as well.
That really would be sweet.

"Now there's a thought", the young man said with a contemplative look on his face, as he turned to gaze unseeingly ahead of them, while the scenario started playing out in his mind.

Yes, it really would be sweet indeed.

~ * ~ Volition ~ * ~
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#205 Old 1st Nov 2008 at 11:43 PM
Default Gabriel - doctor's clinic
Women!

It was the second time that day that the telltale word, thought in exasperation, had entered Gabriel's mind. First when Mae and Scarlett had been taking gibes at one another in what had appeared to be a battle for his attention, and now this! He didn't understand them a few hours ago, and he still didn't. And this time, unlike last, he'd actually tried.
Well, kind of. Upon discovering that a certain woman was not where she was supposed to be, and most of all expected to be, and also that she was not out on a work-related errand, he'd tried to grasp just what in God's name could be more important than her duties.
But, then again, it would only go on to prove that he was right in thinking that women truly did not belong in the working life, outside the house, school and, of course, the saloon. If they just had to work, they should at least stick to something where no one would risk bleeding to death just because they were off having tea and crumptes with the neighbour.
Female doctors... Pft!

Upon leaving the Saloon and returning to his duties at the Morgan's farm nearly an hour ago, Gabriel had mounted his horse and gone for a ride around the premises, to make sure everything was in order. And not a minute too soon, it would turn out, as when riding along the eastern fence, he'd come across a pair of cattle thieves, right in the middle of stealing four calves from Mr Morgan's herd. Being the kind of man who would shoot first and not really ask any questions later, Gabriel had made sure to put a stop to it, and a bullet in one thief's leg. The other, unfortunately, had seen him coming, and had skinned out of there as fast as his horse could carry him. But the first... He was made to squirm in the dirt, bleeding from the gunshot wound in his thigh, while Gabriel calmly drove the calves back to the herd from his horse. Only once that was done, did he return to the cattle thief to tie him up, get him onto the horse that was apparently his, and take him to the "doctor". He would have rather just shot him dead right then and there, but considering sheriff Dawes had started to become somewhat unruly, Gabriel figured it was better not to give him an excuse to get in the way again. After all, with a cattle thief to look after, he'd have something else to do, at least for a little while.

Now, Gabriel had just halted his horse outside of Kate Hilton's clinic, cattle thief and other horse in tow, only to be informed by the young man that was working for her, that she was not yet back from whatever it was that she had spent the day doing.

Indeed; women!

"Well?", Gabriel said after dismounting his horse, and gave the assistant an annoyed, expectant look, as though he was waiting for the young man to do something that ought to be obvious. "Go get her then! And you."

He turned his less than amused gaze briefly to the thief sitting slumped in the saddle, loudly lamenting his injury.

"Quit your whining. You ought to be glad I didn't just leave you there."

With that, and the doctor's assistant setting off to find his employer, Gabriel marched over to the other horse, tore the soon-to-be-patient down from it's back, and shoved him roughly down onto the bench outside the clinic, to wait until the good doctor would choose to grace them with her presence.


(((ooc: Crappy yet again, but I'm just not tapping into him...)))

~ * ~ Volition ~ * ~
Scholar
#206 Old 3rd Nov 2008 at 4:00 PM
Default Kate and Gabriel - Clinic
Murphy’s Law. Everyone is familiar with the concept; if anything can go wrong it will. Albeit a rather pessimistic view on the future, it still stood true in most cases, perhaps because of that very pessimism. It seemed to the universe’s duty to make this just a little difficult than they had to be, just to make a person work just a little bit harder than they needed to. Not that Kate particularly minded; most things she worked for were worth working for.

However, one of the less tolerable aspects of Murphy’s Law is it’s propensity to stab you in the back. Today’s example being rather fitting in that aspect. Kate Hilton, the dedicated doctor that she was, seldom left the clinic during the work day, simply because even if patients were not dropping in, there was always work to be done by way of reports and checkups. Today, however, Kate had been somewhat distracted by the Sheriff’s problems and then by the prospect of catching up with Felicity over lunch.

On any other day – all the days during which she’d stayed put – it would have made little difference that she’d discounted the possibility of an emergency. However, today, when she’d decided to take the risk of venturing away from the workplace, the workplace decided to come find her. She was, of course, always prepared for any sort of emergency – and made provisions to ensure that she could be reached, wherever she was – it was simply the utterly atrocious timings that these events seemed to choose.

She’d remained in the back room of the saloon following lunch, simply finding it rude to just up and leave as soon as the meal that Felicity had been kind enough to offer and provide had finished – that was simply bad manners. Therefore, they’d indulged in further friendly chit-chat and Kate simply hadn’t seen the time pass, given the company she was in was that of a very good friend. However, she was sharply reminded of where she needed to be in the form of her young assistant, Paul Jessup, rambling his way into the backroom, having been let in by one of the saloon girls. He would have had a good reason for that.

And he did. Surprisingly enough, Gabriel Callahan had ‘requested’ her presence at the clinic and unsurprisingly enough, the patient who required her interests was not Mr Callahan himself. Kate almost sighed in exasperation; she thought the bloodied mess of patients due to the handiwork of Gabriel would only be tomorrow’s problem. Somehow, he decided to work ahead of schedule. From what Paul could tell her, Kate could look forward to the visage of a young man who’d been shot.

That was exactly what Kate’s pale blue eyes met as she swiftly made her way back to the clinic – one young man bleeding on the bench and added to that was another young man who looked like he couldn’t care less. How very cold-hearted of him to simply stand there and watch someone in pain, while that exact scene made her quicken her pace towards them, quickly gathering up obsidian curls from her shoulders and pinning them at the base of her head, ready for work.

“Sorry to have kept you waiting,” she apologised immediately for her initial absence, in that professional manner, to both men as she rushed over to the man slumped on the bench. “I’m Dr. Hilton, I’m here to help. Could I take a look at that?”

A simple, almost redundant question given that he – he who simply offered the name of Caleb – was bleeding practically on the doorstep of her surgery, but still, it was courtesy to ask for consent before administering treatments; everyone had rights, after all. And he made no fuss of it, simply nodding as he gritted his teeth – but, still the act of asking that question counted towards something. Kate wasn’t one to assume the reactions or actions of people. Most people.

Gabriel Callahan was proving to be an exception. He had quite clearly shot her newest patient and had the audacity to stand there as if it was all too bothersome for him to deal with. To be fair to the man, however, Caleb had most likely been shot whilst Gabriel was acting in the line of duty. That said, it did not excuse his nonchalance over it. Furthermore, upon examining the wound, Kate discovered – apart from the evident blood loss given how drenched in crimson the man’s clothes were – no tourniquet, no attempt to stop the bleeding and she knew enough to know that Mr Callahan hadn’t simply forgotten about it.

Therefore, immediately, for better late than never, she produced a pristinely clean handkerchief from the pocket of her skirt, proceeding to tie it tightly above the wound, to stem the bleeding before she could truly get to work on it, verbally soothing any pain she caused due to her actions, and also shooting Gabriel a rather disappointed glance.

“Paul, take him to the main clinic,” she instructed, pleased that her assistant immediately followed orders and helped up Caleb, practically carrying him inside while Kate turned to Gabriel, taking in a deep breath for the antagonism or downright brick wall she was likely to face before carrying on in a soft yet assured tone; “How did this happen?”

(((OOC: Sort of... not Kate, but I'm hoping she'll come back completely )))

"Life is just a chance to grow a soul" - A. Powell Davies
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#207 Old 4th Nov 2008 at 1:49 PM
Default Gabriel and Kate - outside doctor's clinic
When it came to the rather mysterious and private Gabriel Callahan, what the people in Morgan's Creek knew about him, in general, could be summed up in four points;
One; he was mayor Morgan's right-hand man, and trusted by the same to keep things in town to the mayor's liking. Two; his past - who he was, where he'd come from, and why - was known only to himself, and he never talked about it. Three; getting on his bad side was ill-advised, to say the least, and often led to point number four; he provided the town doctor with enough work for her to have no trouble earning her living. Over the years, he'd come to send a great number of patients her way, mostly with bloody noses, split eyebrows, concussions, and the like. But, there had also been the occasional dislocated joint, fractured limb, cut, or stab or gun shot wound. Not that most of the patients would ever utter a word about who was behind their injuries, for the risk of having to come back again in the near future for something more serious, and not that Gabriel himself would claim the 'credit' for any of them. But, it kind of went without saying. It was one of those things that everyone just knew, and one could always trust the rumour mill to come up with some eyewitness account, or a story of someone having heard 'noises' when passing by what had appeared to be a deserted alley, and thus end up pointing a certain finger in a certain direction.

Gabriel never cared to argue the silent accusations, or even the rare spoken ones. He simply figured, why bother? Fear, regardless of whether or not it was caused by true stories, was a powerful tool, and it did help make his job at least somewhat easier. There would always be dimwits willing to test their luck and go too far, but still, there were those who had learned what was in their best interest, and thus refrained from stirring up trouble when Gabriel was around. Which mostly left Gabriel able to focus on the ones that really needed sorting out.
Like cattle thieves.

Now, Gabriel in no way considered himself a lawman. In fact, to be perfectly honest, he didn't even much care for lawmen, at all. Nor did he really have much of a problem with stealing. So, if the thieves he had just caught redhanded stealing cattle, had been encountered on, say, the Schumacher ranch instead, he wouldn't really have cared beyond making the observation. His job was to keep things the way the mayor liked them, and the Schumacher's loosing a few calves wouldn't have bothered him none. Loosing calves from his own herd, however, would have, and so Gabriel had dealt the situation accordingly. Anyone who tried to steal cattle from Morgan's herd, would find that there was a big risk they'd en up finding themselves shot. And probably dead, too, unless Gabriel could find some other use for them.
Which, in the case of this fairly young man, he had.

Not that it made him anymore interested in easing the man's suffering. If you were stupid enough to try and steal from Morgan, you could bet you'd get what was coming to you. So, while the would-be-thief p*ssed and moaned about his leg, Gabriel simply leaned his shoulder against one of the wooden poles supporting the roof over the porch, casually lighting up a cigarillo while they waited for 'doctor' Hilton to tear herself away from whatever it was that she was doing.

Luckily for her, they didn't have to wait long. Minutes after her assistant had set off to find her, she came hurrying down the road with the young man in tow, while doing up her hair in preparation of an examination and most likely surgery as well. At the sight, Gabriel's posture straightened ever so slightly, in simple recognition of her presence and the fact that it meant that action was soon to be taken.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting", she said, while rushing over to the man on the bench to see to his injury.

But, as it turned out, and in true women's style, not without going through the utterly important process of introducing herself. Yes, God forbid the young man should leave the clinic, either for the jail or the undertaker, without being told who'd helped him there.

"I'm Dr. Hilton", the young woman said. "I'm here to help. Could I take a look at that?"

Was she serious? What did she expect the man to say? 'No, thank you Ma'am, I'm fine, and as soon as I can get up, I'll be on my way"?
Granted, anyone could see she was only being polite, but needless to say, common courtesy was rather lost on Gabriel, in situations like this one. A waste of time it was, and nothing more. So, until she decided to do something that might actually require his help, or even just his attention, Gabriel simply returned to enjoying his smoke, removing it from between his lips only long enough to spit once to rid himself of a few loosened fragments, while completely ignoring the doctor's mollycoddling of her new patient, as well as the disgruntled look that she, for whatever reason, saw fit to shoot Gabriel. Registering them, but ignoring them. It was no secret she didn't approve of his ways, and it was no secret that Gabriel didn't really care what she thought. Though one would think that on some level, she'd be grateful for the business he brought her. But no, apparently that was too mindboggling a fact for her to grasp.

"Paul, take him to the main clinic", Kate instructed her assistant once she was done with the most urgent aspect of her patient's injury, and as the young man did as he was told, she turned to Gabriel, who graced her with a glance, just as he removed the cigarillo from his lips for the last time. "How did this happen?"

That was a question that at first earned her only a deadpan look, that despite it's lack of an expression somehow seemed to convey a silent, critical message of 'Isn't it obvious?'. As a doctor, one would assume she'd have no difficulty seeing the man had been shot, and thus not require for anyone to tell her so, no?
But, alright then.

"He tripped", came his low, husky voice in a tone that sounded almost as deadpan as the the look in his eyes moments earlier had been, and he flicked the last stump of the smoke into the sandy street, before finally turned to fully face her.

Stupid question, stupid answer.


(((ooc: Thanks to Psyche for the help.)))

~ * ~ Volition ~ * ~
Scholar
#208 Old 6th Nov 2008 at 4:17 PM
Default Kate and Gabriel - Clinic
Kate was a professional, that was for sure. Although, even if she’d been any less of a professional, she would have still made an excellent doctor, for that empathetic, caring nature of hers was a primary feature even before she’d entered into her chosen profession. However, despite that nature, being less than professional would have cost her some of her skill and efficiency, for one cannot carry out the task at hand to a high calibre if their minds wandered.

Remaining professional had never really been a problem. She simply asked the right questions, offered the support, drew the right conclusions and administered the right treatment. Of course, whilst practicing in a town where one’s patients were also likely to be one’s friends, things did have a high potential to become awkward, for the doctor had to be told about things that they’d rather not have their friends know. It helped some relationships, it turned others cold. Not that Kate didn’t deem it a worthy sacrifice to make; she was a doctor, that was the foremost point.

However, she was also a person. She had her feelings, her opinions and her reactions – personal reactions rather than how she was supposed to react – to any situation and as with any other person, they would not necessarily correlate with what shouldbe done. However, such as the skill of Kate Hilton that regardless of the difficulty in doing so, she managed to remain very professional.

Gabriel Callahan, as a person, was someone Kate had come to have little respect for. Perhaps not the man himself, but certainly what he did. Of course, any association with him – though even that description was stretching the truth a little far – had naturally begun with the sort of respect that Kate offered everyone upon first meeting them, regardless of their reputation, for she preferred to rely on personal experience first.

And she had in Gabriel’s case. Personal was not entirely the best description for it, but by proxy, his own actions had contributed to too many bloody messes that Kate had to clean up. He seemed to have little regard for anyone but himself, he had no remorse for the damage he caused and furthermore, he refused to learn from his follies. Although, he couldn’t possibly be expected to learn from his follies if he refused to recognise them as such to begin with.

Kate, the philanthropist, had always sought to help people – anyone – regardless of the grievousness of their mistakes for the simple fact that they were people. Everyone was allowed to make mistakes – and some mistakes were harder to forgive than others – but nonetheless, if one could realise what they were doing, there was hope for them. In Gabriel’s case, Kate had seen little opportunity to try and furthermore, there was very little chance of success.

Not only was he disdainful towards his victims – though, this time that she had the experience of him actually accompanying the victim in question to seek medical help rather than letting them wander free to have any fate befall them, with no regard for the degree of their injuries – but he was also disdainful at the disappointment his actions garnered. And an example of such approach played out before Kate in the form of a rather empty look that still took on a condescending tone.

"He tripped,” was the answer he presented her with, in a very unfazed tone that matched his demeanour as he flicked away the remaining stump of his cigarette into the distance, earning himself a brief, vaguely cold glare that had begun to form in Kate’s eyes as their gazes met.

Yes, Kate was a professional. Yes, she had very little trouble remaining professional. And yes, she had personal opinions. While all those three features were excellent on their own, perhaps even when paired, when grouped together and presented with a case such as the dark, mysterious and furthermore exasperating man before her, she did run into problems.

Losing professionalism, however, was not an option and hence, she had two choices at hand; deal with the situation as best she could or get rid of the threat to her calm demeanour. The former option was one that Kate would have chosen, had it not been for the fact that she knew there was very little chance that Gabriel would ever become more pleasant to deal with and in fact, he was likely to worsen if she kept doing what she intended to. Therefore, she simply chose not to deal with him at present.

“How very kind of you to play the good Samaritan, Mr Callahan,” she replied simply, yet genuine, significant appreciation nowhere to be found in her voice for she knew what exactly Caleb’s ‘trip’ had involved and though she did value the fact that Gabriel had brought the boy to her for treatment, she also knew that his actions had not stemmed from the goodness of his heart. “Thank you, that will be all.”

With that, she gave a curt nod and turned to gracefully ascend the small steps into the surgery, ready to get to work.

(((OOC: Hope this works for you, Atropa )))

"Life is just a chance to grow a soul" - A. Powell Davies
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#209 Old 7th Nov 2008 at 12:14 AM
Default Gabriel and Kate
(((ooc: Okay, seriously guys, where are you all? It's been weeks since you said you were still interested in sticking with the RP, and... well... I'm kind of not getting that feeling, since me, Alissa and Psyche seem to be the only ones actually RPing. I don't mean to push anyone, but... Knowing if it's one way or the other would be nice, instead of just some middle ground vacuum... you know?))


In life, the way Gabriel Callahan saw it, there were two kinds of people; those striving to please others, and those striving to please themselves. The former, a man such as him would, hardly surprising, consider to be a complete and utter waste of time, and often cause the person in question to end up poor and miserable, with little more than troubles lining their days, from the dawning light of morning when they got up, until the night when the sun had set and they went to sleep. Such a hassle, and all for nothing, really. Except maybe a wife to nag you until your ears bled, and a bunch of kids making a joint effort to have your hair turn prematurely white.
No thanks.
It was no life for Gabriel, and he liked the one he lead just fine, thank you very much. He did what he pleased, he took what he wanted, and discarded the rest. And he never apologized for it. He made his choices, just like other people made theirs, and that was all there was to it. Sometimes people appreciated it, sometimes - the good 'doctor' here being what seemed to be a permanent example - they didn't, and when that happened; too bad. Gabriel wasn't the kind of man to answer to anyone. He might do alot of what Morgan wanted him to do, but he never did it because Morgan wanted him to. He did it because he himself benefited from it, and only for as long as it did. Should he ever have a change of heart - well, okay, mind then, since heart wasn't all that involved in Gabriel's doings - he wouldn't hesitate to make that clear. Loyalty between employer and employee was something in which he didn't trust, nor in loyalty between friends; something that past 'friends' had learned the hard way.

Not that anyone currently in Morgan's Creek knew about it, but given the general opinion of Gabriel, it wouldn't be a far-fetched idea to suppose that some were thinking along those very lines, without even knowing how correct they were.

However, that was somewhat beside the point, so, back to the matter at hand; the cattle thief. It was yet another good example of Gabriel doing what he pleased, because he saw something he stood to gain from it. In this particular case, it was the chance of giving that obstinate sheriff Dawes something else to think about beside the loot that was to be taken back to Fairgrove, something that would, hopefully, keep him out of trouble and, more importantly, keep him from causing it as well.
Not that there weren't others that would be quite happy to fill his shoes. Such as the good doctor, currently;

"How very kind of you to play the good Samaritan, Mr Callahan", she said in a tone of voice so dry that it would've made the sand in the street feel damp, clearly not liking his reply any more than he had liked her question. "Thank you, that will be all."

And with that, she turned and lifted her skirts ever so slightly to climb the few steps that would take her into the clinic, apparently somehow having gotten the impression that Gabriel really had taken the young injured man here out of the goodness of his heart - hardly likely - or stupidly thinking that despite Gabriel not only having taken him here, but tied him up as well, that he was somehow willing to let the young man out of his sight. Or maybe she was just trying to get rid of him, since, judging by pretty much her whole demeanor, she really didn't like him very much.
Well, again; too bad. Gabriel wasn't anywhere near letting the cattle thief out of his sight, and risk having him manage to escape.
So think again, lady.

Without a word, he turned as well to follow Kate, putting his hand firmly against the door as she was about to close it, and continuing through it, caring little that his advancing frame all but forced her quickly step aside in order not to be pushed.

~ * ~ Volition ~ * ~
Lab Assistant
#210 Old 9th Nov 2008 at 4:27 AM
Default Elsie and Constance - in the Meadow
"You know" Constance said, "We don’t see you often enough… How are things with you?”

Elsie sat and thought for a moment, "things are going pretty well for me, the Inn is keeping busy enough for now" she said with a smile.

The two of them continued setting up the picnic when Emmy came running back hungry and ready to eat. While Constance got her settled down to eat Elsie sat back and started thinking about her trip to Fairgrove.

"You know", Elsie continued, "I took a trip to Fairgrove last week... wow that town is growing."

"Yeah, I noticed you were gone” Constance said. "What had you going there, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Oh, not at all. I was there looking at fabric for new linens, some of the bedding is getting too tattered," Elsie said. "But the bank was held up while I was there, it was almost exciting to see.

Constance’s eyes grew wide at that statement. “You actually saw it?” she asked with an almost stunned disbelief, and then with obvious concern she added, “You weren’t in any danger I hope.”

"No,” Elsie quickly reassured her. “I was down the street when it happened, they got on their horses and left town the other direction.” Then her voice became somewhat wistful as she added, “But can you imagine the lives they live? They go where they want when they want, they've got nothing to keep them in one place for any longer than, well than needed."

((OOC: Sorry it took so long, but Starphyre and I have something planned for our characters. :D))


My first 1st Place Miss~Mrs Universe 4 Augusta Stone

"Don't say thanks for nothing, knowing I did nothing for you is thanks enough."

Scholar
#211 Old 10th Nov 2008 at 2:18 PM
Default Kate and Gabriel - Clinic
Though raised to be lady and thus very much like one always, it would be a mistake to claim that Kate was not accustomed to hostility. Perhaps ‘accustomed’ wasn’t the right word, given that she was far from used to hostility, despite being well aware of it and capable of dealing with it – Kate was not fazed by displays of hostility, nor had she ever been, in all honesty.

However, that in no way was a reflection of Kate’s own behaviour. She did not counteract hostility with matching antagonism – she didn’t sink to that level. Instead, she simply did not let it affect her while she stuck well to her own demeanour. She stood her ground; she didn’t fight fire with fire, nor did she resort to any other forms of aggression, she simply continued to do things her way.

Right now, events presented themselves as another test to her saint-like patience, particularly in the form of a certain Gabriel Callahan. Well, there was another thing to add to the list of his faults that had taken shape in Kate’s mind; audacious discourtesy along with flippancy, intimidation and remorselessness. He was certainly being very cordial as he ignored her obvious hint that she wanted him gone, going as far as to physically impose his presence by barging past her into the clinic.

What on Earth was wrong with this man? Wasn’t shooting someone quite enough for him, he insisted on watching as the damage he caused was beginning to be repaired? Or was he simply doing this because she’d alluded that his presence was neither required nor welcome? Most likely not, given that Gabriel seemed to be a man who cared little for what others thought or wanted.

Kate cared what others thought or wanted, she was considerate enough for that, but however, she was no pushover. She would not cave in to intimidation or hostility or to simply do things someone else’s way because they insisted. Perhaps, if given enough reason, she’d accommodate them, but really, demanding something from Kate Hilton was not the way to get it. And it wasn’t as if Gabriel was demanding permission to be present – in her surgery, while she administered treatment to her patient (though, the patient’s own requests took precedence here) – he was simply taking it.
How very rude.

So, standing her ground, she moved swiftly, faster than his pace, to reach the door to the main clinical room and positioning herself in between Gabriel and the door handle, a very unimpressed expression woven through her porcelain features as she spoke once more with an utterly assured, assertive tone;

“If I haven’t made myself clear, Mr Callahan, I’ll handle things from here. In fact, if you insist on being around, I’d much appreciate it if you wait outside.”

“I’ll have Paul keep you informed,” she then calmly offered, with slight reassurance at her compromise, even if she was vaguely convinced it’d make him far from happy. Though, she didn’t exactly have time to waste, having a patient bleed quite so much, she had to start as soon as possible.

(((OOC: Hope that works for you, Atropa)))

"Life is just a chance to grow a soul" - A. Powell Davies
#212 Old 11th Nov 2008 at 3:16 AM
Default Constance and Elsie - The Meadow
“You actually saw it?” Constance asked in stunned disbelief. Exciting was hardly what she’d have called it. If Elsie was close enough to see the robbery, the outlaws could’ve seen her as a potential witness... Anything could’ve happened. “You weren’t in any danger I hope.”

She was relieved to hear that Elsie hadn’t been in any real danger, but then she was taken by surprise by the wistfulness in the other woman’s voice as she said, “But can you imagine the lives they live? They go where they want when they want, they've got nothing to keep them in one place for any longer than, well than needed."

For a moment Constance was so shocked that all she could do was look at her friend as though she was off her rocker. “Are you serious?” She asked once she regained her thoughts. “They don’t stay in one place any longer than needed to either steal or murder...” She trailed off as she heard the sourness in her voice, so she softened her tone and with an apologetic look she added, “I’m sorry, but theirs is hardly a life to be admired.”
Field Researcher
#213 Old 11th Nov 2008 at 11:58 PM
Default Mae Starr & Scarlett O'Reilly - The Saloon
# 8 [Afternoon, day #1]

Mae wasn't an evil girl to the core, she just didn't trust people. She'd rather live on the surface and be happy, than to try and get something deeper out of life and end up heartbroken. And despite not having lived for too long, she had practiced that philosophy for what felt like ages. It worked like a charm, and though she might be missing out on true friends and even true love, it didn't bother her. Mae always took care of number one.

She found joy in the little things. It may not be a beautiful flower on the side of the road, or the colours portrayed in the sky during a sunset. Instead, she took great pleasure in manipulation, and small arguments that really didn't mean much in the grand scheme of it all, but were fun while they lasted. Like the one she now had with Scarlett. It was pure amusement, to watch the younger one try to worm her way out of their conversation.

"You should ask me closer to the time", Scarlett said, playing her 'nice girl routine'. "I'll choose and tell you."

This was more like it. Mae was almost impressed. It lacked real intelligence, but it was simple and clever none the less. It was anything but what she had expected, and in Mae's world it was considered a challenge. She had to be careful not to underestimate Scarlett. The little rascal could proove herself to be a worthy opponent, and that would really spoil the fun.

However, their little stand off started to wear Mae down. As time passed, the comebacks would become less and less snappy, and she couldn't have that. It wasn't how she played, and she didn't let others play her that way, if she could help it.

"A likely scenario", she said, openly sarcastic. "You must know me better than I know myself."

She flicked open her fan, across her chest, and looked as if she was about give up.






___________________________

((( ooc: Alissa - So sorry for being late! )))
Field Researcher
#214 Old 12th Nov 2008 at 2:28 AM
Default Dex Woolgar & Robbie Logan - Plains
# 11 [Afternoon, day #1]

For an outlaw, everything was not high deception. There were the occasionally legal transactions. It would be too much of an ordeal to actually steal every item listed on the sheet of paper in Dex's hand. It was so much easier to just go to the stores and buy them. After all, Dex wasn't a petty thief, it was beneath him. If it wasn't a horse or a big load of money in a bank, it just wasn't worth it.

Dex had been in gangs with different ways to go about things. There were the hotheads, who planned nothing and often got the short end of the deal as a result. He had also been riding with complete morons, and when they had proven that fact, he left them before he got busted as well. The ones he prefered were the kind of gang he rode with now, those who were smart enough to realize they always needed a good plan. Organized outlaws were a real menace to society, and it was the only way if you wanted to escape the gallows. Of course, it didn't mean you couldn't take chances or simply wing it. However, a smart man didn't improvise himself into the hands of a lynch mob.

"Now there's a thought", Robbie said in contemplation of Dex's suggestion.

It seemed as if the boy took the question as seriously as it had been meant, and it pleased Dex. He had no intention of teasing the boy with what he probably wanted the most. If not exactly that, it would be something similar. Dex knew Robbie wouldn't settle for the position as the underdog of the gang. And honestly, Dex could hardly wait to see the younger generation in action. He wanted to see what Robbie would do, how he would handle himself. If they met trouble, how would the boy react? To most people, even outlaws, it might be thought of as inconsiderate. But Dex saw something in Robbie that he had not seen anywhere else. A little of his younger self.

A moment of silence passed. Both of them had their gazes turned towards the town that had appeared in the horizon; Morgan's Creek. It was time to be serious for real. Anyone could be out and about, and though Dex didn't have an easily recognized face, Robbie had a history with some of the folks. There was a sheriff, random trigger happy people and... Morgan's men.

"This is your half", Dex said, ripped the paper in two, and handed Robbie one piece. "What ever you do, don't forget the rope. I dunno what it's for, but we always end up needing rope. If for nothing else, I could use it to string up Callahan. He'd look good in a tree. Though he'd look even better dragged behind back to camp. We could roast him for dinner."

Dex seemed dead serious, despite his last comment. And he was. He loathed Callahan, but he wasn't afraid of him. The man demanded respect, but not so much it got too serious. The day Dex couldn't joke about Callahan, was the day it was time to cash in.

"I miss a good hanging", he said, almost as if he dreamed himself back to the 'good old days'.

A "good" hanging was that of a man who really deserved it, and Dex could think of no one more deserving than Gabriel Callahan.

"I think we should split up", he continued. "We can meet by the blacksmith."






___________________________

((( ooc: Atropa - Sorry for posting late! :doh: )))
Retired Moderator
retired moderator
Original Poster
#215 Old 12th Nov 2008 at 8:22 PM
Default Gabriel and Kate - doctor's clinic
Most people knew better than to get in the way of Gabriel, or to annoy him somehow. They really did. And those who did not, were usually ones having forgotten why they shouldn't do it, due to having had one whiskey too many, or they had yet to become 'acquainted' with Gabriel and his ways. Or, at very least, his henchmen. For while Gabriel seemed to prefer to see to it that things were properly done, and knowing that the only way to make sure that they were, was to do it himself, there were things of lesser importance that he would send some of Morgan's other men to do, from time to time.

This, however, was not one of them, and Kate Hilton, M.D., most certainly did not appear to be one of those who had learned that you really were better off not getting on Gabriel's bad side. Despite being perfectly sober (well, hopefully. She had apparently spent quite a while at the Saloon this morning), and despite having dealt with Gabriel, and more importantly, his victims before. She still seemed to be rather oblivious to the fact that Gabriel could very well think of several ways to make life in Morgan's Creek very difficult for her. Without even making it obvious that he was behind it. For while kindness and patience with other people might not be virtues of his, ingenuity and the ability to put it to cruel use were.
So, for a woman who clearly considered herself to have a mind astute enough for her to make it as a doctor, she sure wasn't acting like one that truly had one.

Realizing he clearly had no intention of taking a hint and staying outside, or even take his leave of the clinic, she scurried ahead of him to place herself infront of the door leading into the clinical room to which her assistant had helped Caleb, and thus block Gabriel's path. As if she thought it'd somehow improve her chance of success, compared to when she'd just tried to shut the door in his face.
For the third time today; women!

"If I haven't made myself clear, Mr Callahan", she said, her pretty features donning the same not-so-amused expression that would have graced Gabriel's face, had he shown any emotion, "...I'll handle things from here. In fact, if you insist on being around, I'd much appreciate it if you wait outside. I'll have Paul keep you informed."

For the last sentence, however, she took on a slightly more rational tone of voice, clearly considering it a generous gesture on her part, and one that she seemed to mistakingly think would somehow please Gabriel enough to relent and back down.
Would it?
Hardly.

With a plan for cattle rustling Caleb in there, Gabriel was no closer to letting the man out of his sight for more than these past couple of seconds. Young, aggravatingly stubborn woman in the way, or not.

"And let you give him the opportunity to escape, one way or another?" he said darkly, but stopped infront of her, his tone of voice suggesting that he saw everything from her letting Caleb go willingly, or even assisting him to escape, to Caleb managing to do it against her best efforts, as a possibility. "I think not, Miss Hilton."

And although he did call her 'Miss', making his statement sound almost cordial - well, if one knew Gabriel, that is - it did still carry the faint hint of a possible, subtle insult, in the form of his unwillingness to acknowledge her as deserving of her work title. No 'doctor Hilton', not even just plain 'doctor', but simply 'Miss Hilton'.

"He's a cattle thief who'll be taken to the sheriff as soon as you're done, and I doubt very much that my presence will somehow affect his health."

That said, he then straightened his back somewhat, and the look in his eyes turned slightly challenging.

"Unless of course it unsettles you enough to make some fatal error?" he added suggestively.

~ * ~ Volition ~ * ~
Scholar
#216 Old 13th Nov 2008 at 8:15 PM
Default Scarlett and Mae - Saloon
There was always that point at which Scarlett – who usually remained voluntarily ignorant about most things in life – would notice things that other people would not. Whether it was a gift or cure was never sure… or just fair chance, really. After all, after missing all the other things that a lesser able person would have caught onto – because Scarlett was quite a bright girl, when she realised that she had a brain that could be put to use every now and again – she would catch onto something that everyone else would have never thought of. It always managed to put her one step ahead of the game – for a while.

With Mae, Scarlett hadn’t actually managed to accept that the older woman was actually rather a danger to her. While the other girls knew enough – or were afraid enough – to walk around on eggshells if Mae ever unleashed her sharp tongue on then, and some even without because they learned from experience, Scarlett, as carefree as ever, would jump in regardless of what the consequences were. And this morning was a prime example of her reckless behaviour, and Mae was still far from having her anger satiated.

"A likely scenario,” Mae replied with thick sarcasm at Scarlett’s suggestion, soon flicking her fan open in boredom. "You must know me better than I know myself."

See, what most people didn’t care in Mae’s case, Scarlett had immediately caught onto. She had no history. And where there appeared to be no history, there were very many things to be worried about. Despite her age, Mae was one of the best Saloon girls and it wasn’t simply through natural talent – of which she had plenty. Mae had had a vast history of doing this and this wasn’t all that she did, that was for sure, because the threats always carried with them the undercurrent of realism. Whilst the other girls were spooked simply because they were threatened, Scarlett saw that there was a part of Mae that was entirely capable of doing what she threatened.

Mae was hiding something and it was bad and not the way the other girls saw it; it was likely to be something criminally bad because Mae had that sort of darkness about her.

“I’m sure neither of us want that,” Scarlett thus fished slightly, making the statement as offhanded as she could have possibly made it.

(((OOC: Hope it’s all okay with you, Psyche )))

"Life is just a chance to grow a soul" - A. Powell Davies
Scholar
#217 Old 13th Nov 2008 at 8:59 PM
Default Kate and Gabriel - Clinic
There were many things assumed about the darkhaired young woman that the thinkers often found themselves reconsidering. It was often a chauvinistic insult to assume that she either didn’t know much or couldn’t do much or even that she was just on the dim side. Most of the time, Kate cared little, for they were welcome to think what they wanted, it did not concern her and she did not seek their approval. However, every once in a while, it would become obstructive to her actually doing the job that they often thought she was incapable of doing.

Such as now, in the case of Gabriel Callahan. It was clear to Kate from the beginning that he thought very little about her and it bothered her very little, for two reasons; as with everyone, her security did not hinge on his approval and because he showed the same kind of derision for everyone else in the town and therefore, it was far from person and it was far from fixable. However, while it did not concern her beforehand, it was now developing into a problem.

"And let you give him the opportunity to escape, one way or another?" he asked, yet seemingly not expecting an answer. Kate certainly did not care for the insinuations that his voice carried, as if she’d assist a criminal’s escape. Surely, he knew she was more professional than that – though, that had little to do with professional obligations rather than moral standing. She simply treated their injuries and saw to it that they were nursed back to good health, she did not interfere with the basics of law enforcement. Not that Gabriel was anything to do with the law. "I think not, Miss Hilton."

And there it was; utter clarity that he had absolutely neither faith nor respect in her professional capabilities, let alone Kate herself. Though, she did have to wonder whether that was the result of the typical need for male dominance in everything or whether he actually had something personal against her.

"He's a cattle thief who'll be taken to the sheriff as soon as you're done,” he actually went on to give her an explanation for his insistence, to which Kate coldly raised her eyebrows in distant interest. “And I doubt very much that my presence will somehow affect his health."

Oh, really? Kate knew from personal experience that Gabriel Callahan’s presence had a detrimental effect on several people’s health and wellbeing. Besides, even if did keep himself to himself – which he would hopefully have the decorum to do in her surgery of all places – Caleb was very unlikely to be forthcoming about himself – his background and health – whilst in the company of the man who’s shot him. Honestly, was it that difficult to see?

"Unless of course it unsettles you enough to make some fatal error?" he challenged, pulling himself to his full height as if it was some sort of explanation for her reluctance that she felt uncomfortable around him – she most certainly did not – and thus received less than impressed scoff as a reply. She was not intimidated by him in the slightest; she’d seen worse and if he thought this cheap trick would work, he had another thing coming.

Well, he would have had she had the time to spare for it. Right now, her foremost priority was the patient’s physical health and it took precedence over his mental assurance, given that he had to be alive in order to actually feel anything. Thus, while Kate could stand here and argue and make her stand against Gabriel, she had more important obligations that she simply could not ignore. And hence, the situation was most reluctantly resolved by Kate’s ability to recognise that a battle was not worth fighting. However, it was not defeat and it certainly did not come without Kate having the last word;

“What do you think he’s going to do?” she asked, defiantly meeting his intense gaze. “Run away?”

With that, she simply turned and opened the door, fluidly entering the room and picking out two sterile gloves from the glove box that she’d stationed right beside the door and proceeding to slide her slender hands into them while she walked over to her patient.

(((OOC: Lol, Kate is not happy. Hope this works for you, Atropa)))

"Life is just a chance to grow a soul" - A. Powell Davies
Retired Moderator
retired moderator
Original Poster
#218 Old 15th Nov 2008 at 2:05 AM
Default Gabriel and Kate - Kate's doctors' clinic
To Gabriel, as to most people, what constituted a fairly intelligent person was someone who knew instinctively which lines and what people not to cross; with whom you can afford to let your guard down, and with whom you're better off keeping on your toes; whom you should simply respect, and whom you really ought to fear. Around Gabriel, most 'normal' people did tend to flash at least parts of that ability, because even during a first meeting with the man, most would get the feeling that he was one that they'd rather not get on the wrong side of. The expression that made his face seem as though it had been carved in stone, and the near complete lack of emotion in his eyes had many thinking that there walked a man with no conscience.
And they wouldn't be entirely wrong.

Though some had him wrongly pegged as a loose cannon, simply because they found him to be rather unpredictable. Predictable in that you could bet your bottom that annoying him would turn out to be a bad move, but unpredictable in that you could never tell just how much you would be made to suffer for it if you did. But really, the consequences had little to do with him being a loose cannon, because a loose cannon would often go off for no reason at all, and loose control of their actions. Gabriel never did. He always had a reason, and he was always in perfect control of what he did. What he did, he did not with raging adrenaline and unbridled enthusiasm, but with cool calculation. And that was part of what made him dangerous; he didn't get carried away, and act on careless whims. He didn't make mistakes born out of the heat of the moment, only to regret them later. When he threw a punch, or fired his gun, regardless of whether the target was someone's leg or someone's heart, he knew perfectly well what he was doing, he knew why, and he knew the consequences. And he did it anyway.
It was why most were afraid of him. And it was why everyone had good reason to be.

That, in turn, meant he'd rarely had a reason to play the game of intimidation, had he been so inclinded. Which he wasn't. His mere presence and the look in his eyes were often omnious enough on their own, without him having to make an actual effort for them to be, and the few times they didn't do the trick, he either pointed out what situation his opponent were getting themselves into, as had been the case with sheriff Dawes this morning, or, if the mood hit him, he threw them a comment with an edge, meant to provoke. As had been the case now. And it seemed to do the trick.
In a way.

"What do you think he's going to do?", Kate tried to challenge right back, attempting to insult his intelligence, but, the way Gabriel saw it, ending up insulting only her own. "Run away?"

However, having said that, she then turned and opened the door behind her to enter the clinical room where Caleb and her assistant were waiting. Much like he'd actually expect a woman to do; hellbent on having the last word, she'd try to walk away before he got a chance to retort. Sadly, in the case of Gabriel, he was never really left neither dumbfounded nor too indignant to muster a reply, and so as he followed her into the room, he simply retorted by stating what to him was the bleeding obvious;

"I shot him in the leg, Miss Hilton, not in the head. One doesn't need the ability to run to take a pretty little thing such as yourself hostage, and I'm sure you're no more interested in being dragged out into the scorching plains by him than I am in having to go after him for it."


(((ooc: Couldn't sleep so finished this instead. If it's not fully coherent, that would be why. )))

~ * ~ Volition ~ * ~
Retired Moderator
retired moderator
Original Poster
#219 Old 15th Nov 2008 at 6:26 PM
Default Robbie and Dex - heading into Morgan's Creek
Morgan's Creek. It had been quite a while since Robbie had last set foot in his hometown. Him and the others hadn't been in the area for all that long, and the few times that some of them had gone into town for supplies or a 'good time' as they called it, Robbie had mostly stayed in the camp. At first, it had been officially because the others had told him to stay behind and keep an eye on things in the camp, but inofficially because the young man didn't really have very many fond memories of his life there. There were a few, sure, but the older he'd gotten, the fewer they had become.

However, those were reasons that had kept him feeling quite content staying at the camp only for the first couple of times. Every time the others had returned, they were full of laughs and anecdotes about what they had been doing and what had happened in town, and naturally it rubbed off on Robbie, who started growing more and more eager to get to go with them. As an increasingly hormone driven teenager, the older guys' stories of whiskey and women fanned the tiny flames of curiousity that Robbie had held in his heart, into a raging fire, and before long, he couldn't wait to experience it all first hand.

Sadly, the others weren't really in agreement on that one, and so young Robbie still had yet to actually get to do it. Though that didn't mean he hadn't been making plans and preparations, to see to it that if the others didn't give him the chance to make it happen, he would create the opportunity himself. And part of it had arisen this morning, when before everyone else woke up, Robbie had managed to help himself to a few dollar bills from the saddle bag on James' horse. Before then, all he'd been able to do, was to wait for the others to disappear away from camp long enough for Robbie to be able to make it into Morgan's Creek, do his thing, and then return to camp before the others did, and, if he failed at doing so, think up various excuses regarding why he'd been missing from the camp.

Now, however, he didn't need all those excuses, nor did he have to sneak away, because just like the opportunity to acquire a bit of money had presented itself this morning, so did the opportunity to head in to town for perfectly legit reasons, when Dex had suggested that Robbie would accompany him in there in order to get some supplies.
It was perfect. And made even more so by Dex yet again, when the man ripped the 'shopping list' in two and suggested that they'd split up.

"This is your half", he said while handing Robbie his part of the list. "What ever you do, don't forget the rope. I dunno what it's for, but we always end up needing rope. If for nothing else, I could use it to string up Callahan. He'd look good in a tree. Though he'd look even better dragged behind back to camp. We could roast him for dinner."

There he paused, only for a moment or two, while Robbie frowned at the very thought of Gabriel Callahan; a man that hadn't exactly made life any easier for Dex, and most certainly not for Robbie either. Though while Dex seemed to have no problem joking about it, Robbie had to admit that the idea of going up against Callahan in any way, shape or form, really didn't appeal to him. He'd seen what the man was capable of, he'd even experienced some of it personally, and he knew well that the only codes that Gabriel would adhere to were his own.
So, as much of a relief that it might be to get to see the man hung, Robbie would much prefer not to cross paths with him at all, ever again.

"I miss a good hanging", Dex added, sounding almost sentimental, before changing the topic back to the actual matter at hand; "I think we should split up. We can meet by the blacksmith."

At that, Robbie gave a simple nod, thankful to be interrupted in his most reluctant trip down memory lane, and flashbacks from a certain nasty and close encounter with Gabriel behind the sheriff's office, ironically, in particular.

It really was perfect, Dex's plan. Robbie wouldn't even have to think of an excuse to get to wander off on his own for a bit, so that he could sneak into the Saloon. All he'd have to do was to make sure Dex was off somewhere else doing whatever, and would be nowhere near the Saloon to even accidently happen to see Robbie go in. Splendid.

"Alright", the young man said while reviewing his part of the list, and then craned his neck to try and see what Dex's part said. "What are you getting?"

If he knew what was on the older man's part of the list, he'd be able to figure out where he would go, and thus be better equipped to avoid being seen by him.

~ * ~ Volition ~ * ~
Scholar
#220 Old 15th Nov 2008 at 7:24 PM
Default Kate and Gabriel - Clinic
There were many things Kate would tolerate just as long as they didn’t interfere directly or overtly with her life. She was expected to be little more than the prim and proper young lady who knew little but embroidery and despite the fact that Kate was so much more, she didn’t go out of her way to contest that expectation any more than her actual existence actually did. She was oddly expected to be some fragile flower, and when that theory was put to the test, Kate was swiftly proven to be more than capable of looking after herself.

However, the tolerance was kept well intact until the theory was proven wrong. That itself took very little effort simply because they were outright wrong and when they were proved wrong, that would be the end of the matter and Kate would have been largely unaffected by any of it every step of the way. It was all as simple as that and thus, a lot of Kate’s tolerance rose not only from her nature but also from the fact that she could see the progression of events.

Right now, the scenario was not one that adhered to those past experiences. For Gabriel was unlikely to realise or accept – well, he probably had done both, he simply refused to care – that she really did not need nor want him there. And when that was made clear to him, he simply contested the matter by insisting that he did have to be there despite the distinct lack of logical reasons that suggested that his presence should even be remotely welcome. There was very little chance that this would resolve itself.

Furthermore, having him there while she strongly did not want him there was also detrimental to her work in so many ways. Aside from putting Caleb on the defensive by having his attacker possibly relish the pain he sustained during treatment, how exactly was her patient meant to trust her while it seemed that she couldn’t even exert authority in her own domain? Not to say that Kate couldn’t stand her ground by brining law enforcement into it, or using Paul – who despite severe reservations would have to cave in to duty – or even refusing to administer treatment until Gabriel left, but all that came at the opportunity cost of the patient. And some things were more important to Kate than others; and so, swallowing pride to safeguard someone else’s wellbeing wasn’t that much of a problem.

It certainly did not mean that she had to like it in the slightest… and nor did it mean that Gabriel was going to make it any easier for her now that he’d seemed to have gotten what he wanted.

"I shot him in the leg, Miss Hilton, not in the head,” he continued the sustained aggravation upon entering the clinic after her and Kate barely set her jaw in response, not turning to him to further entertain his hostile demeanour. “One doesn't need the ability to run to take a pretty little thing such as yourself hostage.”

That did make her turn to him, giving a small scoff in the process. How dare he? Fine, he didn’t have to acknowledge her professional capacity – she needed no reassurance from him – but he certainly had no right to be patronising and downright demeaning. Honestly, what she was now incapable of looking after herself? Really? He really thought Caleb, a mere cattle thief, was the most dangerous criminal she’d treated? And what did Gabriel think Paul’s role in all of this was supposed to be? And what was Caleb supposed to do once he’d taken her hostage? Again, it was not like he was able to go anywhere.
And really, out of everyone in the room, who was more likely to be the one wielding the sharp objects?

“And I'm sure you're no more interested in being dragged out into the scorching plains by him than I am in having to go after him for it,” Gabriel carried on.

Well, then, given that he was so eager to defend her safety and she was clearly in such dire danger, she’d best keep him here, of course.
Though, he was being far too offensive for Kate to actually let him get away with it and hence, stepping back towards him, she made her reply in a soft voice, yet with complete coldness, to spare Paul and Caleb the face of her own growing hostility.

“Your willingness to shoot him in the head alone should deter him from that,” she replied, illustrating that she and Caleb both knew that Gabriel’s predilection to shoot the boy in the head remained unchanged whether or not he had Kate hostage, thus, Caleb was never really going to try anything anyway. “And thank you for your concern, Mr Callahan, but I’m more than capable of dealing with such possibilities and events myself.”

With that, she walked further into the room, picking up the bottles of the chemicals that she needed and moving to the section with the gurney, where Paul stood beside Caleb as he lay on the gurney. Placing the bottles on the stand, she then turned back to face Gabriel.

“Excuse me,” she said with a polite smile that was only in place to show that she was more well-mannered than him, before she drew the curtains separating her alcove from the door by which he stood, for privacy before she began treatment, starting to cut away the cloth of trouser leg, above the wound. Gabriel had his way – he stood by the door, in the room, but he had no means of keeping his intimidating watch on Caleb and that lessened Kate’s irritation.

(((OOC: I hope that vaguely makes sense and works for you, Atropa)))

"Life is just a chance to grow a soul" - A. Powell Davies
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retired moderator
Original Poster
#221 Old 15th Nov 2008 at 11:02 PM
Default Gabriel and Kate - Kate's clinic
Gabriel didn't very often compromise. He didn't have to. Especially not these days, as he was rarely called upon to even try. Because really, who in their right mind would think to actually suggest to him such a thing? Most people had learned their lesson already, which was that with Gabriel Callahan, there were two ways of doing things; either the easy way, meaning his way, or the hard way, meaning his way, with a side dish of unpleasantness of some kind, whether it was pain, blackmail or simple intimidation. There never really did seem to be much of an alternative, and the sooner you learned, the better off you were.

Yet, there still were those who insisted on trying to make him compromise, even when they had to know they were destined to fail. Kate Hilton was proving herself over and over again, to be one of those very people. First she'd tried to keep him out of the clinic altogether, then she'd tried to keep him out of the room to which Caleb had been brought, and now, despite Gabriel having made it quite clear that he intended to keep his eyes on Caleb during the examination and the surgery, she saw fit to block his line of vision by drawing the curtains around the bed, and in doing so completely defeating the purpose of Gabriel's presence in the first place. Though truth be told, Gabriel suspected her reluctance to realize that a man such as Caleb didn't need all that much to be able to take advantage of the situation - now made even twice as easy because of her pride and arrogance ('more than capable of dealing with such possibilities and events herself' his *ss!) - had more to do with the fact that Gabriel didn't come seeking her help, hat in hand, but rather saw to it to stay in control of the situation, despite her desperately yearning for it. Silly woman, what did she think this was? A game?

"Excuse me", she'd said while shooting him a rather stiff and cool smile, just like women tended to do when wanting to make a point of being highly displeased, but not wanting to make a scene.

Or so they'd tell themselves, because in most cases, they really did want a scene, but simply didn't want anyone to be able to accuse them of starting it. And if they didn't get a scene, they'd either be furious and throw a tantrum, or they would sulk and be snappy about it for a day or two.
And so, yes, Gabriel would give her that; she was acting very much like a true lady. Which was also why, to him, she wasn't acting anything like a real doctor. A real doctor would've gotten to work straight away, and not made such a fuss over Gabriel's being there. Especially not after he had explained that the patient in question was a horse thief, who might risk getting hung for his crime, and thus might figure he had very little to loose in trying to escape.
But no. Miss Hilton here would rather waste all their time being difficult.

Sadly, for her, Gabriel would have none of it. If she was incapable of providing the paying customer - which would be Gabriel - with what he desired, there were other ways of making sure that Caleb, the man for whom Gabriel had a purpose neither Caleb himself nor Kate knew about, survived long enough to serve said purpose.

"Alright, that's it", he said sharply, his tone of voice revealing beyond a doubt how his patience with her was now dangling by a single thread, while he left his spot by the door and stalked firmly across the floor.

Upon reaching the alcove he pulled the curtains open, and shot both Caleb and Paul a warning glare that froze their movements, before turning his darkening eyes onto Kate.

"I thought I made myself clear already", came his low, husky and currently ill-bodingly rumbling voice, "... but since I was obviously mistaken, let me put it in terms you'll hopefully understand; you treat him under my surveillance, or we shall have to find someone else who's not as inept at doing so."

Now, she might be the only 'doctor' in town, but she wasn't the only one in Morgan's Creek who'd ever tended to a gunshot wound.

~ * ~ Volition ~ * ~
Scholar
#222 Old 16th Nov 2008 at 5:51 PM
Default Kate and Gabriel - Clinic
Kate Hilton was not difficult. She was a lot of things, but difficult was not one of them. In fact, she was very reasonable, she was willing to negotiate and compromise so that not only she could be the one who remains happy in every situation that she was in. In fact, there were certain situations within which Kate would actually have the good heart to forgo her own happiness in order to secure that of someone else, someone less able than her.

That characteristic clearly didn’t apply to everyone currently in her company. A certain Gabriel Callahan was the exact opposite of everything Kate was. She was ethical; he seemed to be grandly unaware of the concept. She care about everyone else, he only cared about himself. She was willing to compromise, he wanted things his way or the highway, regardless of the wellbeing of everyone else. Thus, when push had come to shove, Kate had shoved back, because she refused to be bullied.

And it wasn’t just that – she couldn’t let him bully her. Honestly, for someone to trust her with their life, there had to be a certain degree of faith in her ability to control what was going on – and Gabriel was currently undermining that entire illusion. Oh, yes, she could do the stitches while he glared at everyone in the room, but when it came to the follow up treatment – if Gabriel permitted follow up treatment – Caleb wasn’t going to listen to a single thing she advised. It was a gunshot wound – stitching it up wasn’t the end of the problem.

And it was working, for Caleb seemed a lot more at ease once she’d closed off Gabriel’s visual access to the situation, he probably felt a lot safer. Kate couldn’t really blame him for that, even if he was a cattle thief. And while he was a cattle thief, her job was to treat him without discrimination and that would be exactly what she’d do. So, she was as gracious and gentle as with any other patient, causing as little pain as possible when she administered the local anaesthetic and then when she removed the tourniquet she’d placed earlier, replacing it with something more efficient and sterile.

But apparently, both her and Caleb’s comforts were soon to be disturbed by a less than impressed Gabriel.

"Alright, that's it,” she heard his acidic tone of voice cut through the curtains as she poured antiseptic onto the cotton cloth she held in her hands, her jaw setting in irritation as she heard the footsteps of his approaching frame. She could imagine what was to come and hence, she didn’t bother to turn around and face him as he forcefully pulled the curtains aside, only registering the suddenly petrified looks on Caleb and Paul’s faces, before she moved to break Paul out of his apparent trance by forcing him to concentrate on his duty, giving him the bottle of antiseptic and the wound cleansing cloths to hold, before moving gracefully towards Caleb and only then – casually – meeting Gabriel’s ominous gaze at her own discretion.

"I thought I made myself clear already,” he glowered at her with that demeanour that was starting to have little effect on Kate – the man was a bully, she wouldn’t cave it and give him the satisfaction of intimidating her. "... But since I was obviously mistaken, let me put it in terms you'll hopefully understand.”

Oh, she understood him clearly, she just didn’t agree with him. But, that didn’t seem to occur to him and thus, it didn’t stop him from elaborating on his stance;

”You treat him under my surveillance, or we shall have to find someone else who's not as inept at doing so."

Inept, was she? She’d quite like to see him deal with half the mess he sent her way – honestly, who did he think he was? Now while Kate had never entered the profession for the sake of money, she did see it as a duty to not abandon something just because it got difficult. She’d taken Caleb into her care at the first instance and thus, by her nature, she couldn’t abandon him back into Gabriel’s ‘care’. Furthermore, she’d seen some of the work that the ‘someone else who’s not as inept’ managed and while sometimes it worked, it was far from advisable and she wasn’t going to subject her patient to that.

“You can keep your surveillance from over there, Mr Callahan,” she pointed out calmly and coldly as her pale blue eyes flicked momentarily towards the door, now refusing to show him any reaction at all, before turning back to Caleb and starting to clean away the blood and debris around the wound. Well, now that she had the spectator, she might as well make use of him and thus, she asked a question pertaining to why he was here in the first place. “What sort of bullet did you use?”

Because for a wound to heal properly, the obstruction had to be removed and hence, she needed to know what sort of ammunition he used; pellets, hollow-points or something that remained more intact? And there was the smallest upturn of her lips at how she’d managed to deal with a bad situation; he could intimidate everyone all he wanted, if she didn’t give him a reaction to his childish demands, she was clearly the one in control.

(((OOC: Hope this works for you, Atropa )))

"Life is just a chance to grow a soul" - A. Powell Davies
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Original Poster
#223 Old 17th Nov 2008 at 1:06 AM
Default Gabriel and Kate - Kate's clinic
To say that Gabriel Callahan was a nice man, would be quite a vast overstatement. He knew it, most citizens of Morgan's Creek and the people of his past knew it, and currently, had Kate Hilton against all odds not already known it, she would now. During the few minutes they had now been in eachother's company, they had yet to see eye to eye on even the smallest matter. It seemed that no matter what was the issue, their opinions differed. Gabriel considered shooting Caleb to just be part of his job; Kate clearly didn't agree. She had preferred to have Gabriel wait outside the clinic, partly in order to be able to establish a trust with her patient; Gabriel had obviously not deemed such a thing necessary. He had wanted to make sure that Caleb didn't try anything, since it was obvious that with a possible hanging waiting, he had little to loose by trying to escape; Kate insisted that she was perfectly capable of seeing to it that nothing of the sort happened.
Indeed, regardless of the matter, they seemed destined to disagree, because Kate's priorities had to do with her job and Caleb's well-being, and Gabriel's had only to do with himself. He had made it clear to any and everyone in town, that he safeguarded his own interests, and currently by default that meant Morgan's as well, and that was it.

However, to say that Gabriel was an evil man, would be an overstatement as well. No one is ever born evil, and just as is the case with everyone else, everything that Gabriel was had an explanation. If he cared only about himself, it was because he had been taught to do so.
The thing was, since no one in Morgan's Creek knew about his past, few took such factors into consideration, and saw only what was infront of them; a man without scruples, and without conscience. Though, one really couldn't blame them, for another thing that Gabriel had made clear to everyone was that he didn't appreciate people putting their noses into his business, and since most of them valued their health far more than they did knowledge about his background, questions about it were no longer asked. At least not to his face. They all just went about viewing him as a 'bad', dangerous man, and the only thing that bothered him about it, was when someone decided to try and grow a spine, and stand up to him, just for the sake of it, sometimes over what to them really ought to be rather irrelevant (well, in Gabriel's eyes, that is).

Such as now. For what reason could Kate possibly have, other than that obvious aversion she harboured for him, to insist on making things far more difficult then they had to be, when if she was truly a doctor, she should have no problem whatsoever treating a patient, regardless of whether there were two other people present, or three?
None, as far as Gabriel could see.

Luckily for her, however, it seemed that this time, his words finally did get through to her, and she relented.
In a manner of speaking.

"You can keep your surveillance from over there, Mr Callahan", she said, while glancing suggestively at the door to make her point, clearly refusing to admit defeat in any way, even though she had been forced to back down.

Which was fine, since what Gabriel had been set on was to be present and keep a watchful eye on Caleb, regardless of where in the room he'd be doing it from. In fact, he'd intended to stay by the door in the first place, until Kate herself had seen to it that actually no, he couldn't keep his surveillance from there. Though she seemed to have conveniently forgotten about that now, hadn't she?
However, Gabriel didn't bother to remind her of that fact, since he was getting quite sick of her bickering. Instead, he simply returned to his original spot by the door and sat down on a nearby chair, stretching out his long legs infront of him, and crossing one casually over the other to get fairly comfortable while waiting.
See? They may not like eachother very much, but if only she was reasonable, then he was willing to be reasonable as well. Because, while he didn't actually compromise, accommodating him usually would make him slightly more pleasant to be dealing with.

"What sort of bullet did you use?" Kate then suddenly asked as she went about preparing to remove the one currently lodged in Caleb's thigh.

Incidently, Gabriel was just in the process of retrieving another from the gun belt fastened around his narrow hips, in order to replace the one empty casing in the cylinder of the revolver he'd used for shooting Caleb. But, as he figured that since Kate was hardly the gun slinging type, she wouldn't have a clue what he was talking about if he simply answered her question by offering her the calibre and the name of the bullet, he therefore gave a small, penetrating whistle to catch Paul's attention and tossed him the bullet, since Kate herself didn't bother to turn to recieve his reply.

"That", he said, while retrieving yet another from his belt. "Doesn't cause too much damage, but it gets the job done."

~ * ~ Volition ~ * ~
Field Researcher
#224 Old 18th Nov 2008 at 12:18 AM
Default Mae Starr & Scarlett O'Reilly - The Saloon
# 9 [Afternoon, day #1]

Though not a smoker, Mae could sometimes long for a cigarette. Something about it seemed so thrilling. And when smoked with a long holder, it appeared elegant and luxurious. Absolutley ladylike. She couldn't care less about the taste, she was after the look of it. However, she didn't care to smell like a cigarette - and she really didn't need it to entice the men around her. She was perfect the way she was. But in this moment, she would very much have liked to blow a big cloud of smoke at Scarlett. Effects were just as important as actual words. Mae would have laughed, seeing her wave away the fume and cough.

"I’m sure neither of us want that", Scarlett said, seemingly casual.

Ah. Then Mae had come under her skin. The little girl might not be scared, but she wasn't totally unaffected. Mae was already thinking of ways to scare her for real, though she wasn't really going to do anything. She would imply, she would give her mischievous looks, but if the girl kept to herself, Mae would do the same. If Scarlett had anything in that mind of hers, which she from time to time seemed to, she would know what not to do.

"Well, it's really up to you", Mae said nonchalant, emphasizing the word "really" to give it some edge. "If you're a good little girl and don't bother me, then I will consider to... reconsider."

She shrugged her shoulders, indifferently, while turning a little to have her side towards Scarlett and be able to see the rest of the Saloon.

"But I am bored", she added. "You better pray something exciting happens today, or I may just settle for what you've already done."

Another one of her mindgames. She was vicious, and she hoped Scarlett couldn't tell whether she was being serious or not.
Field Researcher
#225 Old 18th Nov 2008 at 1:19 AM
Default Dex Woolgar & Robbie Logan - Plains
# 12 [Afternoon, day #1]

Dex got more serious, the closer they got to town. He needed to have his senses on high alert, watching everyone and everything. He even watched the boy beside him, in the corner of his eye. Robbie seemed awfully calm. Like there was nothing to it. It made Dex a bit nervous. Either the boy was that calm, or he didn't think about the dangers. However, there could be a third option. He thought about it, but it didn't rattle him. All in all, Dex found himself not being pleased by any alternative.

"Alright", Robbie said when he had recieved his list, and then he looked over at Dex's half. "What are you getting?"

Since Dex was more used to getting supplies, he had of course given himself the ones that were harder to come by. It mostly meant talking to people that wouldn't be all that impressed by a fifteen year old boy, no matter how he handled himself. The gunsmith was one of them. And since it was Dex's gun that needed adjustment, there would be no sense in sending Robbie. He also needed to have two of his horse's shoes replaced, and if Dex wasn't around when that happened, it could get ugly. Dex's horse simply hated when someone touched his hoofs. Dex was also getting things more related to what the gang needed, and the most difficult one to get would be the ammo. It included haggling, and if it wasn't done right, they would end up with a lot less ammo than expected. And Dex was a wizard when it came to haggling. Not many people would even try to haggle for ammo.

"Mine involves persuasion", he said and showed Robbie his piece of paper. "Maybe you can tag along sometime and learn from me, when it's not that big of a risk to be seen together. It's important to be able to read between the lines."

When the boy was done reading, Dex reached for a pouch inside of his duster coat, and took out some money that he gave to Robbie.

"Now", he said and gave him a stern look. "If you go and spend it all on candy, I'll have to rob some poor old lady. And I hate doing that, it's no fun when you don't even have to use your gun."

He sat up straight, facing the town again, and continued casually.

"It's the whole reason for being an outlaw. No gun, no fun, as I always say."

At first, it could seem that he was dead serious, telling the boy he wouldn't stand for any games. But with a closer look, it was obvious he was kidding. Dex wouldn't dream to patronize Robbie for real. He was convinced the boy would present results when they were done. No matter how serious Dex got, he seemed to almost always have a short route to making jokes. That, or it was just in Robbie's company.
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