Devil's Tower

***OOC: Be sure to label the subject line of every post with either "Open" or the names of the chars that are involved in a particular thread! This will help eliminate confusion and let you know what threads are up for grabs!***
Who: Anyone and everyone who’s in Sundance at the time!
What: St. Patrick’s Day/Spring party!
Where: The Trading Post
When: Saturday
Why: Because it’s fun!

In the warmer months the Trading Post is almost always busy, full of drifters and members from every tribe who come there to barter, socialize, and a whole host of other things. It’s generally a peaceful place since it exists in neutral territory and everyone who comes there seems to have an understanding of an unspoken truce. The Trading Post is a large park the sits on the banks of the Belle Fourche river. There are picnic tables, a delapidated swingset and monkey bars, old grills, and of course trader stands. There’s also a dock there, but it is understood to belong to the River Runners, as it’s where they are docked most of the year and those wishing to use it usually have to give the RR a token of some kind, or at least ask nicely.

The St. Patrick’s Day/ Spring party was not planned or hosted by any tribe. The whole things seemed to have come about on its own, first as a rumor and then with complete strangers and tribe members alike planning for it. Saturday morning the place was busy with people decorating in any way that they could. The place was strung with streamers of all different colors, some torn and ratty. There were candles, and lanterns strung about and a few different musicians set up throughout the park. By the time the sun set the park was teaming with people, more people than it had seen in years. Between the boos and the open admission there was no telling what the night would hold.

WHO: Azrael, Ace, and Slick
WHEN: Sunday afternoon
WHERE: Mountain Lion Lodge, conference room.
WHAT: Those crafty baddies are at it again. They're getting restless.

Today was one of those days for Azrael - a rare one, when he wasn't quite as calm and collected as usual. He couldn't sit still, and there was a manic glint in his eye that scared off everybody he came across. Not that Az wanted to talk to the commoners anyway. There were only two people he wanted to talk to right now. There was plotting to be done.

He sent somebody insignificant out to find his two best friends and partners-in-crime when he was sure he was done with what duties they had for the day. Knowing them, those consisted of tormenting the rest of the Lodge in some form or another. This was the kind of day that was most dangerous for all three of them. Whatever demon possessed the triad's usual voice of reason from time to time didn't care much about reason at all. Azrael was still as calculating as ever, in this kind of mood, but more reckless. He wanted action. Results. He was going to get them, no matter what it took.

Az paced while he waited for Slick and Ace to join them in their usual meeting room, though he usually would've been standing still to greet them, watching the rainwater drizzle down the window. He didn't care about the weather much today; there was no time for brooding.

Who: Ace and Danni
Where: The Lodge
When: Saturday Night, after the cage fight
Why: Danni is upset about something. Ace doesn't know what, but he's about to find out.

Ace had enjoyed the fight. Of course, he'd been one of the driving forces behind starting the events again. They were fun, profitable for the tribe, and a good way of reinforcing control. There was nothing like a nice rowdy fight or party to pull the fangs out of any unrest before it had time to fester.

From his preferred spot, the slightly elevated seats set up in the spot with the best view of both the cage and the crowd, Ace had watched over the fight and the people like he was the lord of the manor. That seemed appropriate to him, it was his mine and his buildings, technically.

Danni hadn't joined him. She never did. It was no secret that she didn't approve of the fights, but if Ace refrained from doing everything that Danni disapproved of he wouldn't do anything. He knew she'd be off somewhere, trying to keep things as calm as possible.

After the evening's entertainment was over, he'd gone to look for her. He hadn't spoken to her much this week, after their awkward conversation and what had happened with Ryder. Even so he wanted to talk to her now, to see how things had gone tonight from her vantage point. And he just... wanted to talk to her. She wasn't in any of her usual spots though. She wasn't anywhere to be found.

He asked around and one of the other people Danni had recruited to help her keep an eye on things reported that Danni had gotten into an argument with someone and left before the first fight was even over. Ace didn't like the sound of that at all.

He rushed back to the Lodge. He was relieved to see light spilling out from the crack at the bottom of her door, but when he tried the handle it was locked. He knocked, politely, restraining himself from actually banging on her door. "Danni? Danni, are you okay?"

Who: Ace and Jack
What: Jack is walking the perimeter when Ace returns from 'visiting' Ryder
Where: The edge of the Mountain Lions' territory
When: Wednesday, around noon

Ace was in, if not exactly a good mood, at least a satisfied mood. His little visit to the Twin Feathers' territory had scratched an itch that had been bugging him for a long time. He'd wanted to take Ryder down a few pegs long before the man had even broken up with Danni, but now he could tell himself that it had been about protection and retribution, rather than strictly jealously. Ace didn't do jealousy.

Returning to his home territory, for a change he was looking less than his best. The encounter, and the long walks there and back, had tired him out. He'd fared far better in the fight, if you could call it a fight, than his opponent had, but he didn't escape unscathed. He had a few blossoming bruises, a tear along the seam of his coat, and his cuffs and sleeves were decorated with flecks of blood.

Spotting a sentry, and recognizing just who it was, he perked up and smiled like a shark sensing blood in the water. It had been awhile since he'd last seen Jack. She was obviously getting better at avoiding him, but then he had no particular reason to seek her out either most of the time. "Look lively, Jack," he called out as he approached. "You never know who might be coming this way."

Who: Ryder and Ace
What: Ace shows Ryder what happens when someone hurts Danni
Where: The burnt ruins of Ryder’s cabin
When: Mid-morning Wednesday

Ryder hadn’t been back to his cabin since the night of the fire when he’d walked all the way to Grffin’s place in the main canopy. He hadn’t even looked for his horse yet and she hadn’t turned up at the main camp like she had other times when she dissappeared in the past. On Monday he’d gotten up enough gumption to write Danni a letter. He didn’t know how he really felt about anything at the moment. All he could think about, all he could feel, was an emptiness- deep and dark. It was probably one of the worst letters he’d ever written, but at least he felt somewhat accomplished- as if he’d successfully closed that chapter of his life.

It wasn’t until a Wednesday in early Spring that Ryder decided to return to his cabin. He figured his mopey figure was starting to get on Griffin’s nerves. He didn’t know if he even wanted to rebuild the cabin. It felt like everything he’d worked for in the last two years had been pulled out from under him in a firey blaze. He didn’t know what pieces to pick up or where to go next.

When he arrived at the cabin he sat his bag on the ground and stuck his hands in his pockets. The cabin had been reduced to a blackened carcass, picked clean by the elements and who knew- maybe a couple of drifters as well. He walked to the edge of the shiny black pile that was once his home. An image from two years ago flashed before his eyes. His incinerated ranchhouse; the burned remains of his crippled mother. God, how could anyone go on living after seeing those things- those horrible things that swept the earth at the height of the virus.

He knelt next to the cabin with a sigh and made the sign of the cross. The earth was cool and the layer of moisture buried just beneath the soil seeped through the knees of his jeans. He began a low prayer out loud, in Spanish. He prayed to the Virgen de Guadalupe for something to pull him out of the darkness that had taken all his joy away. He prayed for some reason, or some way to go on.

Who: Danni and Ace
What: Danni reads her letter from Ryder
Where: At the lodge
Rating: Probably PG-13 for language

Danni thanked the drifter who gave her the letter and gave him a small bowl of soup. After he left the lodge, she walked back to her room. Leaving the door open a crack to let in some fresh air, she sat down on the edge of her bed and opened up the letter.

She hadn't spoken to Ryder in a long time. It seemed as though he'd just gone and decided she wasn't worth it, not good enough or whatever it was. Now, sitting on the edge of her bed, having read the letter, her heart sunk. She had been right. He didn't want her anymore. For whatever unknown reason, she wasn't good enough. She tried desperately to read what had been messily scribbled out, but she couldn't. He'd probably found someone else, someone willing to give him everything he'd tried to get when they were at his place snowed in.

A silent tear fell down her cheek and onto the letter, smudging the word beautiful. She sat there, staring at the letter for what seemed like hours, but really were just a couple of minutes.

At least she felt a little closure, knowing that he was safe. But really, it only convinced her she wasn't good enough for anyone. Not that she wanted Ryder anymore because she had given up on him weeks ago, but it still hurt. A lot.

Who: Danni and Ace
What: Danni moping
Where: In her room and then elsewhere
When: New Years Day
Rating: PG-13, for possible language.

Because she hadn't had any alcohol the night before during the party, she remembered everything. Every sordid detail. The sadness she felt. The thick smell of drugs and alcohol in the air. Ace and Jack leaving the party together. The sick feeling in her stomach afterwards.
She also remembered laying in bed that night, her eyes squished tight trying not to picture what Ace and Jack were doing. The thought stuck with her, though. She knew precisely what they were doing and how incredibly explicit their acts were. There was no love involved. Maybe thats what bothered her most, the fact that they weren't in love. To her, sex was a sacred act that should only be shared between people you love. That is why she couldn't have sex with Ryder. She wasn't in love with him.
But she had the chance and turned him down. Bloody turned him down for what? It wasn't as though any one of the Mountain Lions desired her, let alone could be someone she was in love with.
And Ace. Having sex and god knows what else with Jack. It wasn't abnormal for Ace to have someone in his room, but for some reason now it was bothering her. She tried to find a reason and dug for a while, then settled for the fact that she didn't agree with her morals. Obviously there wasn't any other reason it bothered her so much.
With that decision out of the way, she got out of bed and began getting dressed. Bundling up in many layers and topping it off with one of Ace's sweatshirts that she had stolen from him a while back, she walked out onto the porch and cleared a space on the loveseat swing. Momentarily, she thought about how nice it would be to share that with someone, but then realized how naive her thoughts really were. It wouldn't happen. She was just Danni and her morals were far too high for others to even consider something real with her.
Swinging back and forth, she watched the sun rise and eventually fill the sky with light. Closing her eyes, she leaned back and let the sunlight cover her as she attempted to clear her head. An epicly failed attempt.

Who: Jack, Azrael, and Ace.
What: Being really awkward.
When: New Year's Day
Where: Lodge kitchen.
Rating: PG-13?

Unlike most of the population of the Lodge, Jack didn't waste any of the first day of the New Year by sleeping in. Once her eyes had popped open, she hadn't lounged around in bed, enjoying the warmth or quiet. Instead, she'd hastily gotten dressed and retreated to her own room so that she could change. At least no one else was around to see her do the walk of shame from Ace's bedroom. Not that it was the first time. Not even close. Still, she shot a few nerveous looks over her shoulder as she darted down the hallway. Safely behind her own door, she stripped off her clothes from the night before. They still smelled like pot smoke, moonshine, and Ace. Leaving them in a heap, she pulled on something clean, bound her hair up in a pony tail, then went out to find some new way to distract herself.

Sure, she could have gone back to bed. Jack certainly felt like she could sleep for a few more days. On top of the embaressment that always came from getting seduced by Ace, she was feeling pretty hung over. Maybe there was some tea or, god willing, coffee down in the kitchen. Actually, any sort of liquid with a taste to it would be fine, as long as it wasn't booze. Her stomach did a quick roll at the thought, and her head pounded in sympathy. Mumbling something about her body hating her, she trudged down the steps. She'd still yet to see anybody. It seemed that the rest of the Lodge was doing the opposite of her self-inflicted torture and sleeping off the previous night. At least she'd be left alone.

Just like the day after Christmas, the common room was littered with people who had slept where they fell. Jack grinned as she stepped around those who'd crashed on the floor. At least she'd actually made it to a bed last night. Then again, she'd made it to a bed at the Christmas party, too, though the details on that were still foggy. Shrugging to herself, which made her stomach twitch again, she pushed open the door to the kitchen. Again, empty. Oh well. More whatever she managed to find for her. Jack didn't have to search for long before she hit gold. At least one person was still on good terms with the Twin Feathers herbalist, and she had the very best tea mixes.

Dragging out a dented kettle, she filled it with water and set it to boil. Then, since there was no one around to witness her shame, she stretched out on the kitchen's small island, hands pressed over her eyes. Maybe, once the tea was done, she'd feel a little less like dying.

Who: Jack and [OPEN to the Mountain Lions]
What: New Year's shindig.
When: Starts around sundown, goes alllll niiiiight.
Where: The Lodge.
Rating: You saw the X-mas party, right? Like that, only potentially worse...

Jack was having a weird week. It had all started with waking up on the day after Christmas, sprawled across her bed with ther shoes still on. At first, she'd just wondered why she'd left her shoes on, since she didn't recall being quite that stoned. Then she remembered that she hadn't even fallen asleep in her bedroom, which made her questioning just how in the hell she'd gotten there. Eventually, she came to the conclusion that she must have sleep-walked upstairs. That didn't seem entirely logical, but neither did any of the other explinations that she'd come up with.

After a few days, she'd caught on to yet another quirk in her life. Slick seemed to be watching her a lot more closely. Jack had started doing everything in her power to avoid running in to the other woman, afraid that somehow she'd managed to piss her off. There was a chance that she had, and now all Slick was doing was waiting for a chance to pounce. Since living with Slick for a number of years hadn't dampened Jack's fear of her, she figured it was just best to stay away.

Everything else was normal enough, though. People spent the day or so after Christmas recovering from a little too much indulgence. Then, they started looking forward to New Year's. Even the people who didn't care too much for the holiday's were kind of psyched about this party. Again, there wasn't any real reason to celebrate, since it wasn't like there was anybody keeping a calender, but it did give them another opportunity to forget about how much things sucked. Jack was a big fan of that. It wasn't like things weren't going to suck just as much tomorrow, so escaping for a few hours was just dandy.

In that spirit, she'd been helping out all day with the preparations. They'd uncovered some old party stuff, horns and other noise makers mostly. Though there wasn't anybody in the tribe that was big on decorating for that sort of thing, they'd strung up a few streamers. Most of the focus went to the entertainment. They'd blazed through a lot of their recreational supplies. Luckily, they were on excellent terms with the River Runners, who were more than happy to trade for more. Jack went with a small group to bring back as much as they could get from Moe. It just wasn't a Mountain Lion party without plenty of once illegal substances.

When the sun finally started to set, Jack was already in the common room. Unlike Christmas, she'd actually worn a dress. A short one, too. Of course, she'd worn it over a pair of jeans, with her favorite old Chucks, which kind of ruined any image of glamour. Not that she cared in the least. She was sprawled over one half of one of the couches, and unlit joint between her fingers. It was on that joint that most of her attention was focused. She knew that it was kind of early, everybody wasn't even there yet, and that if she started smoking now, she'd pass out quick. Still, there wasn't any reason not to, if she paced herself better later. Decisions, decisions. Though the temptation was fairly strong, she listened to the good angel. At least, for the moment.

Who: OPEN to all Mountain Lions
What: Christmas festivities!
When: Christmas Day, from mid-morning to night.
Where: The main room of the Lodge.
Rating: We've got it all, man - language, sexual references, very heavy drug use...

Azrael sat in an armchair by the fire in the main room of the Lodge, looking out at the people milling around the room. His people - all of them. There seemed to be more of them than he remembered, when they were all together in one room, but nobody was out of place. He remembered each one, and the circumstances under which they had come to be a part of the tribe. Not all of them lived in the Lodge, though, and those who lived elsewhere he saw even less often than those who lived at home base.

They had all gathered together today to observe that most wretched of archaic holidays. If Az had his way, Christmas would've died out with the adults. He had hated this time of year when he was growing up, because it meant that everybody who was anybody felt compelled to throw ridiculous and redundant parties, which he in turn was compelled to attend. His family never spent any more time with each other than was absolutely necessary, even at Christmas, but they went through the motions of tradition for show, and there were a good eighteen years of picturesque greeting cards of the attractive and perfect Fraser family out there to prove it. Azrael had thus spent every Christmas he could remember since his family bought the Lodge in this building, with too much brandy and eggnog and forgettable girls who managed to corner him under the mistletoe. He'd spent each one of those parties preoccupied with plotting as quick and inconspicuous an escape as possible.

Now that he was in charge, Az could've just decided that Christmas would not be celebrated in the Lodge. However, he had to accept the fact that the holiday was an element of the old world that wouldn't be easily forgotten. Those with happy memories of the day liked to carry on their family's traditions, or take the time to reminisce. Those who were like Az - those who didn't like to remember, for whatever reason - tended to appreciate the opportunity to drink as much as possible. Surveying his tribe, Azrael had to admit that even though he thought the holiday itself was useless and outdated, it did put most people in better spirits than normal. There was a Christmas tree, decked out in the decorations preserved in the basement of the Lodge, and holly and garlands and mistletoe, and food, drink and alcohol enough for the entire tribe to have an all-day party.

People had been wandering in and out of the Lodge as they pleased, but as lunchtime approached, they had pretty much full attendance. Several had said hello to him so far, and most who took notice of him seemed to be waiting for him to do something. It was understandable; most of his tribe only saw him when he had something to tell them. Really, Azrael just thought that he should make an appearance, and wasn't really planning on saying anything. He would've been perfectly fine just sitting with his drink - which may have been intended to be eggnog, but it tasted kind of funny, and then he'd added a generous shot of moonshine and after that he couldn't taste much of anything - but what was one more Christmas toast? He'd only had to make one every year since he was about fourteen, after all.

Azrael heaved a quiet sigh, and then stood up. The people nearby grew quiet, looking at him expectantly, and the hush spread gradually throughout the room. It always amused him when he didn't actually have to do anything, and he held back a smile.  "To the Mountain Lions," Az toasted, raising his glass to his audience. "Merry Christmas." He knocked back the remainder of his drink as the words were echoed throughout the room. It wasn't exactly a profound oration, but it was short and sweet and very Azrael.

Who: Jack and Ace.
What: A conversation?
When: Late afternoon.
Where: The Lodge.
Rating: PG-13 at the least.

Huffing out another agitated breath, Jack trudged through the narrow path in the snow. She'd been walking the same route for over an hour now, keeping a look out for whatever trouble may have come the Mountain Lions way. Normally, she didn't mind guard duty. No, she did, but it wasn't nearly as bad during the summer as it was during the dead of winter. Who was really going to come all the way out here to bother them when the tempature was hovering just above freezing? Nobody, that's who. It was quiet as a tomb, with only a brisk breeze and heavy clouds for company. At least it wasn't raining. Muttering to herself about getting frostbite on her as, she kicked at a snow drift.

She'd gone out without much arguing, of course. Because everyone had a job to do, and this was the one they'd assigned her for the day. If nothing else, at least she had some work ethic. Oh, and a bone deep desire not to freeze and/or starve to death. As frigid as she might have been at the moment, after her stint on duty was done she could go back in and warm up. Maybe go visit the kitchen and shake the Chef down for something tasty. That was way more than a lot of people could say. Jack didn't mind lending a hand here and there if it meant that she could stay somewhat comfortable. That was why she'd come there in the first place, after all. No sense in living like a bum when you could still enjoy a few perks here and there, even if it did require the occasional jaunt out into the frozen wasteland that called itself Wyoming.

At the sound of a shrill whistle, Jack glanced up. She wasn't exactly ready for danger, but she was somewhat wary. Not that there was a reason to be. The whistler was her replacement, the guy that would take the next round of guarding. She sighed in relief, her breath a puff of steam in the cold evening air. Finally. Turning, she headed more in his direction, waving back as they got closer. He nodded to her as they passed by, and gave her a quick pat on the shoulder. Jack grinned and returned his greeting. "Have fun out there, yeah. Not a thing to see but snow and ice." With a wink, she followed his trail back up to the Lodge. It was finally starting to get dark, and the lights had come on inside. With a wry smile, she shook her head. "Home sweet home."

Jack knocked the snow off her shoes as she thumped up the steps. After a few hours out in the wilderness, she was pretty much covered in flakes from the waist down, so it didn't do much good. Pulling open the door, she shook back her hair as the first wave of warmth washed over her. "Yeah, that's better. Much better." Tugging off her gloves and her hat, she tossed them onto a nearby table, letting the heat seep into her bones. "I can feel my fingers again..."

[COMPLETE]

Who: Ace, Slick, and Azrael
What: The gathering of the Mountain Lions. The important ones anyway...
When: Wednesday Afternoon
Where: Lodge Conference Room
Status: Complete

Ace had arrived at the conference room long before the agreed upon meeting time because he had nothing better to do and he was eager to get on with things, they'd put this off long enough. While he sat waiting he repeatedly bounced a rubber ball against the wood-paneled wall.

-bounce- -thunk- -catch-

It was a nervous habit he'd picked up in junior high and never let go of. It was rather juvenile, yes, but it was also extremely satisfying. The noise. The repeated motion. The fact that it often drove other people crazy but there was nothing they could say about it because he out-ranked them...

-bounce- -thunk- -catch-

Now that Danni had returned to the Lodge, Ace was in a noticeably better mood. Of course it would hardly have been possible for him to be in a worse mood; he'd spent the last six days brooding and snarling at anyone who was unlucky enough to cross his path. Now he was nearly back to his usual self. Not that Ace was typically a shining ray of sunshine, but he was at least civil and even friendly to those he deemed worthy of friendliness. He wasn't especially patient though, even at the best of times.

-bounce- -thunk- -catch-

Azrael wanted them all to talk about things. Fine, they'd talk. Then when the time for talk was over, it would be time for action. That was what Ace was really waiting for.

Who: Ryder, Danni and Ace
What: Ace comes to get Danni.
When:Morning to noon on Tuesday
Where: Ryder’s cabin
Rating: tba

The last week so many things had happened that he thought never would. It was surprising enough that Danni had agreed to see him again. Then the blizzard had forced her to stay with him for a week. He was sure that her tribe would have come looking for her by now if it hadn’t been for the storm and then what would have happened to them? Would they have gone back to the way they were, not speaking and her avoiding him? He hoped that what they had shared the last week was more than just a case of cabin fever. He hoped that he was more to her than just a warm body in a lonely blizzard.

There were thin fingers of guilt tugging at his heart since Saturday night. Danni had almost given herself to him, and he was no stranger to how big of a deal that was to her. He’d been with Moe once before, after Danni and him had kissed, and then he almost slept with her again the day before he saw Danni at the cage fight. He hadn’t told Danni about any of this. Part of him believed that it was no big deal, it wasn’t like Danni and him had made any sort of official plans, she’d ran off after all and he’d more or less had to force her to even speak to him. Still, he felt as if he’d done something wrong and he wasn’t quite sure what to do about it. He was determined to be what Danni wanted him to be. He just had to find out just what that was.

Ryder awoke to the silence of falling snow and breathing that was not his own. He rolled over, towards the warmth that was next to him. Danni lay sleeping beside him, her features relaxed and beautiful. He propped himself up on one elbow to look down at her. It was nice to see her comfortable and safe. He leaned into her side and draped an arm over her, his fingers reaching up to bury themselves in her hair. He leaned down and kissed her forehead with a smile, as he watched her thoughtfully.

Who: Gaia and Ace
Where: Her bedroom ... He wishes.
When: Week Four, Tuesday Evening.
What: Can't old friends just have a chat?

The sun was setting and peeking slightly through the shaded window. Breaking through the blinds it provided Gaia with enough light to read.  She was currently rereading Pride and Prejudice. It was one of her favorite books. It hadn't always been that way. She used to think the book far too close to home, with the pretentious cold way that it displayed the wealthy. The way they felt they had right to all. Not to mention Gaia had never liked the fact that there were moments in her life when she was no better than Caroline Bingley. Funny how things barely changed over two hundred years into the future. It also hadn't helped the fact that she had thought Darcy utterly boring and Elizabeth a big brat. Then again she had been thirteen when she'd first read the book and had been coming off a Breakfast Club obsession high. The delights of classics.

It'd been because of an English requirement that had forced her to watch the movies and reread the book that had plunged her deep into the world of wonder that was all things Jane Austen.  Plus, it didn't hurt that Matthew Macfayden and Colin Firth looked damn near sinful in breeches. And the lake scene? Gaia let out quite the girlish sigh when she thought of the scene. Flipping the page with a slight pout she sulked in thought that never again, at least in no time soon, would there be a Darcy on screen with such caliber. And such fine backsides.

Who: Anyone who attends the cage fight (all are invited!)
Where: Mountain Lion Territory, largest warehouse on the Vance Copper Mine property.
When: Saturday from dusk till late into the night
Why: Because gambling and bloodshed is fun!
(((OOC: This post is simply a starter for those of you who want to attend the cage fight. Please post all cage fight related threads here. J)))

Northeast of Sundance lies the open pit Vance Copper Mine. Before the virus it was a busy area. The price of copper had skyrocketed in the last fifteen years and by the time the virus struck the mine was so profitable that it was in operation 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. After the virus the mine had become a place of death and fear. The open pit was now nothing more than a yawning coffin, its stepped sides like rows of teeth grinning up at those that dared walk to close to its edge.

The mine warehouse was abuzz with life in a way that it hadn’t been for the past two years. In the center of the fluorescent lit building was an enormous chain-link cage. It’s a square cage of simple construction, complete with a roof to keep competitors from climbing out should things get too intense for them. The Mountain Lions have announced only two rules: There are no weapons allowed and the first person to be knocked out cold loses. The prospect of gambling, even if it is only for minor supplies, drew quite a crowd. There were a lot of drifters there and faces unknown to many of the tribes.

Since a few hours before dusk people have been arriving steadily by walking, the River Runners, or the Mountain Lions’ own horse caravan. When the sun finally sets there is quite a crowd and the warehouse has become noisy with anticipation. The rumor going around was that two drifters the Mountain Lions had personally trained were going to fight first, then things would work on a voluntary basis. Betting was encouraged by all those involved.

One of the Mountain Lions came over a loudspeaker they had managed to rig up and told everyone to be quiet. He explained the two rules, encouraged betting and welcomed everyone that had showed up. The two drifters were finally brought out from the tents that were set up just outside the warehouse. They were naked from the waste up and only one of them had a pair of cotton, fingerless gloves on their hands.

The two boys, who couldn’t have been older than 18 were then let into the cage and the gate locked behind them. At the Mountain Lion announcer’s whim he called on the fight to start and the whole warehouse seemed to erupt with sound as people placed their bets and called to the fighters who began to circle each other nervously.

WHO: Watts and Ace
WHAT: We'll see.
WHEN: Thursday afternoon
WHERE: The Mountain Lions' lodge
RATING: Probably not more than PG-13

Watts shone her flashlight on the circuit breaker and blew out a breath that lifted wisps of flaming red bangs out of her eyes. As usual, she was in the power plant, and as usual, she was fixing somebody else's screw-ups. If she could figure out exactly how this person had screwed up, she could probably correct the mistake, but as it was, she wasn't quite sure what the problem was. Her eyes scanned over the control panel, checking buttons and lights and the position of switches. Everything seemed to be in place. Watts flipped a few switches for good measure, but nothing doing.

Having worked at this particular power plant for a good year now, she knew the ins and outs of it well. Watts hadn't been an electrician specifically, upon coming to Sundance, but it had been easy enough to learn; most operations of the power grid required nothing more than a basic knowledge of mechanical engineering, a subject in which Watts was more than proficient.

Power was fluctuating in certain sectors of the city, and Watts wasn't quite sure what to do about it. Everything looked normal. It didn't help that the bare, swinging lightbulb overhead in the control room had blown out a few days ago, and Watts hadn't had time to hunt down a spare -- if there were any. So she was forced to use a flashlight powered by precious batteries. Even that seemed to be against her, the beam of light growing dimmer and dimmer as she pondered the switchboard. Finally it faded out completely, and Watts cursed, throwing the torch across the room. Could anything else go wrong today? So without light and without any clue as to what the problem was in the first place, Watts shoved her hands in her pockets and left the plant, unsure whether she had given up for the moment or whether she was in search of a new light source.

The power station was deep in Mountain Lions territory, and Watts rarely had any reason to go anywhere outside of their sector. She really divided her time between the lodge and the station, as those were the places she could make herself most useful. And Watts liked being useful; she knew it was the main reason she was kept around. Even after a year with the Mountain Lions, sometimes she still felt like an outsider. This was probably due to the fact that she worked more than she socialized, but Watts did like being a Mountain Lion, even if she was sometimes required to participate in things she would rather not. Like burning people. She did recognize the necessity of establishing superiority, especially in a world like this, though she didn't always agree with her commanders' methods. But she was a good soldier, and did what she was told most of the time -- although usually not without making her opinions heard.

Upon completing the walk back to the lodge, she came in out of the wind and removed her jacket. She was considering heading to the stockroom to look for lightbulbs and batteries, but turned the opposite direction instead, moving toward her room.

Who: Danni and Ace
Where: The back porch off of the Mountain Lion Lodge
When: Week One - Friday, after dinner
Why: TBD

Danni had spent her afternoon at the Lodge. She'd had enough nature for the week and just wanted to be indoor reading and cooking. The latter proved to be constantly difficult, but Danni loved to be challenged, especially when it came to something she was good at. She went through the kitchens, rounding up different ingredients, and discovered she had everything she needed for a hearty soup. She hadn't bothered to measure anything out, it was all by eye sight with her.

She had spent the time she wasn't dancing or studying with her mother in the kitchen, helping her make different dishes. They'd even come up with some strange concoctions that tasted incredible in the end but looked absolutely horrendous on a plate. Danni's dad was often the lab rat for most of these experiments, but he was typically more than happy to oblige.

The soup turned out to be wonderful. She had even spared a few potatoes on the side and sliced them very thin to make her own version of potato chips. After eating her fill, she left a note on the front door of the lodge letting anyone who came in to help themselves to her food. After cleaning off her dish, she changed into a pair of flannel pants and the sweatshirt she had borrowed from Ace only a few days previous and sat on the back porch on one of the lounge chairs. Laying back, she looked up at the sky and began to recite the constellations, something she had been doing since she was very small.

"Ursa Major..." she whispered to herself, curling up in Ace's sweatshirt with the hood on her head.

Who: Wolf and everyone else that’s at the Halloween party
Where: The Trading Post
When: Halloween late afternoon and into the night
Why: The Wolves are hosting a Halloween party to boost morale

***OOC: Every post that has to do with the Halloween party is to be posted here as a comment to this post. Please put the recipient of your comment in the subject line of your comment. For example, if you’re writing to Zalen, comment on this post and put To Zalen in the subject of your comment. Your comment can also be labeled as Open. If you have questions please contact a mod or another mun that’s online. Also, since it is a party, feel free to jump into someone’s thread. Though you may want to contact the players involved in it first.***


Wolf spent the morning riding along the river in the Mustang’s territory. He often took day-long rides when something was on his mind. This morning that something was the death of a young drifter at the hands of the Mountain Lions. The entire incident had sent such shockwaves through the city that he’d considered cancelling the party. However, after much thought he’d decided to have it anyway. It would be the perfect opportunity for him to make a statement to the Mountain Lions, and the entire community. Of course the Mountain Lions were not invited but he was not stupid enough to believe that at least one of them, or someone working for them, would not be there. That was precisely the reason he was having the party on such neutral grounds to begin with.

He understood the point the Mountain Lions were trying to make by killing the boy. However, he did not agree with the Mountain Lions’ actions. He knew all too well that they could go to extremes, but something so brutal as burning someone alive was still shocking. He had to think of a way of letting them know, subtly, that the Wolves would not stand for such extreme forms of so called ‘justice’, and he had the perfect plan in mind.

In this new world it was every man for himself, whether that man was a tribe member or not. A tribe could be cohesive as humanly possible, but there would still be that underlying drive that brought all the members together in the first place. The selfish drive to stay alive, to do whatever it takes to keep yourself alive and yourself only. Wolf liked to think that he was above that base, animalistic and selfish instinct. Yet, like so many things Wolf tried not to be, even he could not escape that inalienable human-animal instinct.

( Continued )