Devil's Tower

Who: Jax and invited leaders/associates (Wolf, Grey, Jed, Sensei, Hawk and Kestral)
Where: Waffle House on Highway 14 at the intersection of Wolf and TF territory
When: Sunset
Why: Because deception is fun!

It had been difficult to decide on a location for the meeting. Jax wanted something that was at once neutral for everyone, but at the same time, compromising on his part. He wanted to show the other tribes that he was not afraid to be around them with no weapons. It was a demonstration in sincerity, even though in truth there was not an ounce of sincerity about the whole thing. In the end he chose the Waffle House on the highway because it was in a kind of no-man's land, but also sandwiched right between Wolf and Twin Feather turf.

In his letter he'd specified that each leader only bring one companion and that everyone came without weapons. The first specification he'd honored by choosing to only bring Lawliss along with him. Lawliss was always good at keeping Jax in check and he was the best person to have on your side should the need for close hand to hand combat arise. However, when it came to the second specification Jax broke his own rules. He always had his switch blade with him no matter what and so even as he sat on the bar of the Waffle House awaiting the other leaders, it was tucked safely inside his boot.

Thankfully enough of the lightbulbs still worked in the restaurant for them to see by. It was only a matter of time before the first leader would arrive. Jax wasn't nervous, he was trained extensively for this sort of thing. "Lawliss, my friend, are you ready?"


((OOC: Tag to Lawliss first, and then anyone can jump in as they see fit!))

Identical letters delivered to all the tribe leaders on Sunday by the same messenger who delivered the first letters.

( Dear Friend... )

Saturday: Mid afternoonish, Week Fourteen.

Who: OPEN to ANYONE to hears her screams just tumble on in!
What: Kahea comes across Belle Fourche and a little trouble....
When: Saturday Week Fourteen
Where: Belle Fourche River and MOVED to Gent's River Boat.
Rating: PG-13 for Language and situation
Status: IN PROGRESS and STILL OPEN! ^.^

Kahea shifted the sacks on her back. Even though the sun wasn’t as hot as Texas or California, it still made her sweat, making her load just a little bit more uncomfortable at times. Anela was running in between her feet again, and almost caused her to trip a few times. “Anela, enough! I know you’re hungry, but we can’t eat now, we have to wait at least until sundown. Save food, remember?” Anela looked up at her with her emerald green eyes and mewed. Kahea stuck her tongue out at her and kept walking. She fought the urge to pop an ear bud into one ear and listen to her iPod, but she needed to conserve the power as much as possible. Instead she lost herself in thought, trying to remember what she had been told at her last two “city” stops. The first one, a source told her that there had been no military forces coming through that town ever. But they had heard a rumor of a unit of some sort up in Wyoming somewhere. “Oh, where am I now?” she had asked the man. “What remains of Salt Lake City, Utah.” How she came to Utah in the first place, she had no idea. Her initial direction was north, to Washington, but little by little she strayed east and was somehow lucky enough to come across some viable information about her brother. Her sense of direction sucked, and she knew it, so from then on she took better care to pay attention to the direction of the sun and head directly the way she was told to go to find the next town who had rumored to have a “run-in” with a military unit of some kind. In that town, what remained of Casper, Wyoming, she asked questions again about possible military forces and described her brother’s features. This is where she had received her first inch of real hope in years of wandering and looking. They told her about a small unit of about four men who came through and stayed a few days in the town and also tried to “recruit” some of the men in town to join them for some kind of an uprising against something or someone. They didn’t get anyone to go with them but Kahea was told that the man fitting her description carried with him a picture that he was always looking at. That’s when Kahea got brave and took out her iPod to show them the picture of her brother so that she could be 100% sure it was him. The people in the small building, used to be hospital, all nodded in agreement that one of those men was her brother. “Where had they come from?" She asked. If she could retrace his steps, she just might discover where he was going. “I think they came down from Sundance,” spoke up one young woman. “I think I overheard one of them saying something about Sundance.” “Where is that?”

Now she was headed to Sundance. And hopefully she was in the right direction. ( continue )

Who: Jed and Jax
When: Wednesday morning
Where: River Runner camp
Why: The men meet

The news that Gypsy was dead did not shock most, but for Jed it had been like a shot to the heart, never once had she ever seemed vulnerable but after hearing about what happened, he realised how wrong he had been.  To think of her in that trap, alone, starving, sad, confused and knowing she was going to die was enough to make Jed's eyes spring with fresh tears, tears he daren't shed in public.  Not even Silver had seen him cry though she knew he would, him and Gypsy had been through too much together for him to not feel one inch the quivering wreck he was afraid he might become.  And now with her gone he had become leader of a tribe he sometimes resented.  Sure he was all for free living but it hadn't been his idea, it had been hers, it didn't seem right to take over what she had built when he had been so laxed in helping.  But here he was the new runner leader, receiving messages from a strange new boss man taking up residence in the ML territory...one more spoilt kids ass for him to kiss, just what he needed.

What he really wanted to do was hole up with his girlfriend, hold her as tight to him as he could and thank god that she was still around.  In a way he was glad Gypsy hadn't tried to leave, that would have told him that she was unhappy, and even if no one knew it all Jed wanted to do was make Gypsy happy, afterall he owed his freedom to her, his life even.  He was eternally in her debt even long after she was gone.  Alongside his sadness lay his guilt, why hadn;'t he realised sooner, why hadn't he figured out she would never leave without her sister, why hadn't he done more?!  Why was she dead, why was she gone!  It looked like they hated one another but there was no one Jed had ever loved more.

So now he walked by the river, having abandoned his deck long ago and leaving Silver sound asleep in bed, his head still clouded full of all the million things he had to do and all the things he had to discuss with this Jax guy the thought of going back to sleep was tempting.

Letters delivered to three tribe leaders on Monday around noon. The letters are delivered by three unfamiliar messengers who refuse to answer questions; they simply drop off the letters and then leave.

( Letter addressed to Wolf )

( Letter addressed to Jed )

( Letter addressed to Hawk and Kestral )

***OOC: Although Jax did not write to the Carrion, once Wolf makes the deal with them that they can remain autonomous, Wolf will certainly share the letter with Sensei and bring Sensei to any future leader meetings, etc. Also, Wolf will take the letter to Grey and see what he thinks.

Who: Jed and all River Runners
When: Week Twelve
Where: Land surrounding Jed's boat
Why: Jed organises a search party and tries to quell panic.

There was no way Jed could lie to himself anymore.  At first he figured she'd just wandered off on her own for a few hours and would return, and when hours turned into a full day he figured maybe she needed a big time out, Gypsy was mad at him afterall for practically banishing her best friend.  But by the time Tuesday rolled around the panic in his body sank in fully and his nerves were on edge.  She was missing and he was partly responsible.

Although he never let people know it there was nobody Jed respected more than Gypsy, and lying to her about him and Silver had ebbed at his concious with each day that passed, there were whispers in the camp that there should be relief felt on Jed's part now she was no longer breathing down his throat.  Relief wasn't an emotion he could feel when his whole sytem was abosrbed with panic and dispair.  Gypsy had been his saviour, he'd been hers, they'd been friends and lovers for a brief time.  Now she was gone and he didn't know where.  It was like the twilight zone when he'd barrelled into her boat, everything perfectly in tact as if she'd simply stepped out for some air, no signs of a struggle to signal someone had taken her, no note to say she was leaving.  She simply walked out and vanished into thin air.  This wasn't a trick anymore, this was fucking weird.

Silver hadn't spoken to him since, he'd heard her sniffling in her sisters room as she asked for a moment to think by herself, and he'd hid the angry tears that brimmed and clouded his eyes.  She'd never done something like this before, though he had to try hard to reassure everyone that this wasn't as big a crisis as it actually was.  This was made harder by the fact that few people actually respected Jed as a leader and without Gypsy there to scold them he was swimming in a sea filled with what seemed like dozens of doubting faces.  For the first time in his life Jed had no plan, no thoughts, nothing coherent, and no guidance.  He was completely alone and missed his friend, he missed every part of her and wasn't going to give up until she was looking at him in the face and laughing at him for even bothering the tribe in the first place.

Jed had sent word out to the tribe that there was a metting to be held at his at eleven, outside his boat.  He daren't hold it outside Gypsies.  He stood on the dock facing the floor feeling it swirl and sway beneath him, making him feel queasy.  There was so much to do and so little time to do it in, every second was a second she could be in more danger, there was no way they could afford to waste time anymore.  It was time for Jed to stand in and be the man Gypsy always told him he could be.  He'd always doubted her.

"As you know Gypsy is gone," he started off slowly but confidently, throwing his voice so it flew over everyone's heads, "We can't afford to stay put any longer, there'll be a search party dispatched and I need volunteers," he frowned, "We need to find her,"

Who: Jed and Grey
When: Friday morning
Where: Wolves territory 
What: With the constant glares and bad mutters Jed tries to decrease the tension in the tribe towards him by swapping manual labour for food.

Being second in command sucked, by all definitions it blowed on several levels Jed wasn't even sure existed.  Jed didn't exist either, according to some people in the tribe, he would have even been surprised if Silver had decided to not talk to him either.  How many times could he tell her what he did was what he thought was in the best interests of the tribe?  Just because a guy tells you, you look nice while he steals from you doesnt mean he's not a thief, it just means he's a really flattering thief.  Jed was not going to keep a flattering thief in the tribe and just because Gypsy sometimes found him useful didn't mean that he wasn't allowed to feel what he felt.  Perhaps he was over reacting, perhaps fear was getting the best of him when he saw that bandana in Pan's hand, the one that belonged to Silver.  He didn't for a second think that if Pan found out what it really meant that it would just lie, there would be a whole explosion of bad things that would head Jed's way.  Short of being kicked out of the tribe he'd probably have to see Pan take up his spot while he waved goodbye to Sundance forever.

He quite liked being where he was.  And Pan hadn't even been kicked out yet, he was just not staying in their camp for the while.

Jed's frown seemed to be etched into his face and no matter how much he tried to tell himself that deep down everyone understood, he had never felt himself believe in a lie less than he did now.  It wasn't easy doing what he had done, he'd tried to take it back, he'd tried to give him a second shot but the idiot wouldn't take it, and now he was trekking all the way from the river to the Wolves camp to chop wood in exchange for food.  Turned out he didn't have anything for trade, he hadn't been burgled, he just didn't have anything.  Pan was the trader, he was the one who made things and Jed had gotten rid of him.  His own intelligence, or lack there of, never failed to surprise him.

As he arrived at the back gate he darted a look around, pulling his beaten leather jacket back on his shoulders kicked the gate with his foot.
"Grey!" he hollered across the field, gaining the attention of some startled but never interested animals, a few goats and some sheep...the goats looked away and continued to nuzzle the grass, the sheep made disgruntled noises and stared.  The staring was getting creepy and Jed kicked the gate again, "Grey, your sheep have murder in their eyes!"  When did sheep look homicidal?

Who: Pan, Jed and Silver
What: Pan takes Gypsy’s request to spy on Jed and Silver a little too seriously
Where: Jed’s houseboat
When: Wednesday, late afternoon

If any of the River Runners had been unhappy for winter’s end it was Pan. He liked the closeness in which they all lived during the winter. He craved attention and affection the same way a family pet would and most of the time he only received it from his fellow River Runners during the winter, or if he was intruding upon them. During the winter Pan liked to pretend that they were one big family. Sometimes he thought he might be better suited to live with the Wolves in their doll houses but then he thought better of it. They were way too kosher for him.
The River Runners had moved back to the main dock of the Trading Post since the river had cleared of ice. They’d spent the last week or so trying to get their boats back into good condition. He’d managed to get his boat back to functioning/livable condition before most of the other Runners and so for most of the day he’d been laying on the deck of his boat staring at the crisp blue sky. The air was still chilly for him but he loved being able to see the sun. He wore his ratty pea coat and a pair of over-sized blue clown glasses, of which one side was missing a lens. He fell asleep listening to the lapping of the water and the sound of his tribe members working around him.
When he awoke their was only the gentle sound of the river. He stretched, knocking the clown glasses off his face. He rolled over onto his stomach and crawled to the edge of his small deck to peer over the bottom railing. Just as he reached the railing he felt a splinter sliver into his right pinkie finger. “Bullocks..” he muttered as he thrust his pinkie into his mouth and sucked furiously to try and work out the splinter. It merely stung, and didn’t budge.
He sighed and wrapped his cold hands around the bottom rail. He listened for several minutes before he heard the others at the picnic tables of the Trading Post and clanging pots and pans within their tiny houseboats. He reached for the next highest railing and pulled himself to his feet. He stretched with a dramatic yawn and swept his shock of faded red and brown hair from his face. He turned from the river and leapt the distance from his deck to the dock. Most of the boats were tied at the main dock but some of them were anchored a little farther down the river.
He plodded down the dock and took a left to walk along the river bank. It wasn’t long before he came to the other group of boats. He turned to face the river and wet his lips with thought. That was when he realized that Jed’s boat was anchored not twenty feet from him. He looked around, and didn’t hear or see anyone. Since Gypsy had asked him to spy he hadn’t had much luck finding concrete evidence of things. Pan walked slowly down the bank to the rickety plank that lead to where Jed’s boat was anchored.
He tiptoed down the plank, being careful not to fall over into the icy water. He climbed gingerly onto Jed’s deck. The windows had the curtains drawn. He knocked on the door. “Jed?” No answer. If Jed was home Pan would simply make something up or bother him for a bit, but if he wasn’t… Pan knocked again. After several minutes Pan looked over his shoulder and then tried to turn the door knob. It turned freely. He swung the door open. “Jed?” he asked into the dim light of the cabin. “What a daft lout, leaving his door unlocked.” Pan shut the door behind him and locked it. The three rooms of Jed’s house boat were small so Pan made a quick run-through to see if Jed was hiding anywhere. He grinned. So, this was where the macho-man spent his nights. He went to the room farthest from the door, the bedroom and kneeled on the ground to go through a small trunk in the corner. He doubted he’d find anything here that Gypsy would want to know about but the fun of being in Jed’s business without him knowing was too much fun for Pan.

Who: Silver, Jed
Where: River Runners winter house
When: Mid-morning on Tuesday
What: Repairs, frozen toes, contemplation


One could not own or wear enough pairs of socks. Silver had spent half the year trading away valuable and personal supplies and belongings just to obtain a few extra pairs of socks, and as she dragged herself back up to the main house, she was convinced that she simply hadn't done enough to prepare her feet for the cold. She had five pairs on, plus her snow boots, but she'd already lost feeling in her toes over twenty minutes ago. The three mismatched gloves on each hand were another story altogether. She couldn't wait to get back inside.

She hadn't been asked to head out to speak with any of the other tribes, but she was well aware of some of the others going. She was aware of most of the things that happened within the tribe's management, being so close with both of their leaders. Perhaps it was for the best that she didn't go, because she wasn't very good at begging or pleading or trading, either, for that matter. She had a good understanding of their current supplies at any given moment, sure, but she just wasn't prepared to give it away to anyone for any price.

She'd spent the night before and a few hours that morning doing what she could in the barn. She and a few of the male River Runners of the much larger variety had moved the undamaged food supplies and set to repairing what they could with what they had, which was next to nothing. If they wanted to use the barn again to hold anything, they'd need to get someone better and more equipped in there to fix it. Nobody could blame her for trying, though.

She forced her way into the house, pulling her hat off and trudging through the front room and trailing snow on the carpet. She received a few ugly looks, but she couldn't care less. Finally she made it to her own tiny corner, which didn't have much more than a makeshift bed and two boxes full of her clothes and personal belongings. She began the long task of removing her two coats, snow boots, three pairs of gloves and extra shirt, then sat down on the bed heavily. She leaned down after a few long moments of relaxing, then removed her socks one pair at a time. They were soaked, but it was nothing a few hours of hanging out couldn't fix.

She wiggled her toes slowly to make sure they were still alive, then smiled slightly as he watched them. She felt like she was twelve again. She looked up and around, wondering if anyone of any importance was still left around.

Who: Jed [Open to any River runners]
What: Jed calls a tribe meeting
When: Saturday evening
Where: The living area of the winter shelter.

Jed had never been one for public speaking. He'd never been one to keep his opinions to himself but having to address the whole tribe about the new pressing issue and possible downfall of the tribe was making his heart beat rather erratic. It wasn't even the eratic excited heartbeat that he had whenever Silver was in the room, nope, it was due to pure fear of the uproar this news could cause...would cause.

He had discussed with Gypsy what needed to be done all of this morning and after she had retired to bed (Jed's idea surprisingly) he walked out and nervously asked everyone to gather all the tribe and meet in the living area. Various faces stared back at him, some with worry already on their faces, some with confusion and some with amusement...though he wasn't quite sure what the cause for the last one was, perhaps a joke he had not been in on. However now was no time for jokes. He stood in front of the old couches and cleared his throat, trying in vain to hush the loud chatters of 'his' tribe members.

"Guys," he spoke letting the lump in his throat fall from his lips and make him sound as if he was choking, "Guys!" he called louder this time, thankful that a hush seemed to fall over them the second time. "Okay I know you are all wondering why you're here," he took a breath....great way to start a speech, or course they were curious! "This morning Gypsy and I walked out to the barn attic where the supplies have been kept for the winter. As you know," he ran a shaky hand through his hair, "As you know the blizzard has been wiping out supplies of and places of refuge for tribes all around and last night it hit us-" he closed his eyes as murmurs broke out through the group, "I don't know how to say this so-" he scratched the back of his neck, "The grain we had left over from the harvest is gone, it's been frozen or blown away, we've got tinned food but it's not going to last us through the winter. We're in trouble but I need you to know that if we can pull together we can 'fix' this, we can make it through,"

The room was not quiet for much longer, people stood up, people panicked, some had so much worry on their face he was concerned the girls of the group were about to burst into tears. All this emotion filling the room was doing nothing for his own nerves. "We need people to branch out and talk to the surrounding tribes, see if we can't ask for their services," he called the words into the loud room feeling them settle in the air but not sink in over the existing noise.

"Guys!" he screeched achieving a lower level of noise than before. "We need to band together, I need volunteers to go to the Lions and try and arrange some sort of extra food supplies, I need people to approach the Twin Feathers and ask for their carpentry services. And I need to know if anybody has any other suggestions or wants to help," he held his breath waiting for people to shout at him, waiting for people to step up...waiting for help.

Who: Jed & Gypsy
What Jed takes the grim task of checking supplies
Where: Barn loft
When: Early Saturday afternoon.

Jed knew the moment he woke up that something bad was going to be divulged today. It was a gut feeling that sent his belly rumbling, and not through hunger like most times. It was also the first morning he hadn't woken up with Silver right by his side, her small body cradled in his arms, keeping him warm when in fact he was the one supposed to keep her warm. He still couldn't have beleived his luck when the smaller girl told him that perhaps this love thing wasn't a bad idea after all, hell she'd made him sweat for it for about ten minutes but he was confident now that even she wasn't exempt from his charm. Jed did admit he got a strange, but far better, feeling seeing her peaceful face when he first cracked his eyes open.

When Jed finally awoke her made his way lazily down the stairs, shoving on an old brown sweater and gripping two odd pairs of hiking socks he'd stolen from another runners room. Living in such cramped conditions made it hard to keep anything to yourself, the only thing that wasn't included in that rule was girls...well now anyway. The weather outside did surprise Jed somewhat, as the snow had begun to clear patches of dirt could be seen marking the white as if somebody had spit dark paint all over a white canvas. He thought that was the most poetic thought he'd ever had.

He wasn't alone down in the living area, a few other kids and tribe members were all sitting around enjoying the coffee they'd managed to save for times like these and he told them where he was headed. Some of them look at him letting him know they had the same feelings as he did but he tried to smile reassuringly, telling the younger ones that it was time for him to play big boss, while bigger boss was out of action, and that this was simply a task that would mostly take time out of his day more than anything else. Nobody but the children seemed convinced. He'd known it was a long shot. The tribe weren't stupid.

The walk over there had been warmer than the last time he'd ventured over the snowy lands, he didn't suspect that his butt would be subject to the cold hard floor this time, and was thankful for that because it was still kinda sore. Through the light mist of all the heavy air Jed could see the barn, he could see the barn and the giant hole in the roof...he took in a deep breath. This was not looking to be good at all. Prizing open the large doors he hot footed it towards the ladder and hoisted himself up on the platform. He could have cried if he'd been any other guy but Jed just clenched his jaw and felt like punching something. Gypsy was going to go crazy.

It was all gone, all they had saved up was gone because of that stupid storm and the inability to find a better storage place. The grain had been blown away, it had been lost in amongst the dirt and strands of hay that were still scattered around. What wasn't blown away was frozen and he sighed heavily, a dark cloud looming over him. For the first time in a long time he wished Gypsy was here because he sure as hell had no idea what to do next. It was time for a tribe meeting.

WHO: Jed and Silver
WHAT: Jed finds himself falling on his ass for her again.
WHERE: Near the River Runners boats.
WHEN: Morning
RATING: TBA

Where Jed came from, he was used to winters like this. He realised that some of the folk that had travelled to this area weren't used to blistering winters that could have them snowed in for days, and Jed was only glad that he was used to it, or the thought of being snowed in wuld drive him truly crazy. When he and Gypsy had first set up the river runners camp, the idea to stay on the river had been purely convinient. The idea of floating against the dock and being able to sail away if you decided you needed space didn't really make Jed feel one way or another; he knew the idea was mostly for Gypsy's benefit because he suspected she hadn't stopped travelling and was used to the idea of being somewhere where the prospect of travelling was an easily achieved goal. However when it came to thinking about winter all they could do was hold up one house and there in lay the problem that bothered Jed everytime this kind of weather came around. The thin walls.

Jed knew that when it came to living on the river rules and behaviour were different. He respected that not everyone liked to hear him entertaining a tiny blonde in the next room and due to his polite side winning out, he'd held off bringing people back to the winter house. Of course not brining back his own company meant he spent most of his time with Moe or Silver (when Gypsy wasn't looking, becuase he knew she still didn't trust him around her) and more often than not Moe and Jed ended up teasing each other and he got a shoe round the head.

When he'd first looked out of the fogged up window the snow that had been falling all week threatened to kill his plans of going down to the river for a little piece of mind. Fortunately the air seemed crisp but clear of on-coming snow and Jed grabbed his coat, boots and gloves and bid a goodbye to all in the house before walking out. He hadn't really banked on the ground being so slushy under his feet and after almost slipping over a hundred or so times he managed to make his way over the thick snow and squinted through the heavy air to make his way down to the river.

When Jed reached the river he took a moment to absorb the scene before him, soon enough the river would be frozen over and then all the brave ones would be out with makeshift skates to dare the stability of the ice below their feet. Of course though ice was fun it always meant trouble for the boats and he was sure he would be accompany Silver down here to help make sure they were still going to hold up and be there when Spring came around. It was often something her and Gypsy did together but Gyspsy had been ill lately, a sight rare and worrying for all, and though Jed didn't really show it very much he was probably the most worried out of everyone. The woman was a bitch but she was a valued member of this group despite her being the leader. He carefully stepped further to the bank and peered over examining how solid the ground would be for him to walk down further. It looked pretty solic to him but he never had been good at estimating and as he put his left foot down on the slope he slipped and sent himself flying back on his own backside. With an 'oof' Jed sat there stunned for two minutes until laughing to himself and praying no one saw.

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, remember there are snow flurries so dress warm!
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. If your character would like to be one of the fighters please post and wait at least one RL day for an opponent before posting your fight with an NPC. Only two characters are allowed to fight so it will be on a first come first serve basis. :))))

The week had been long and uncertain for the citizens of Sundance, Wyoming, especially for the Mountain Lions. When the power restored itself yesterday morning there was much rejoicing within the Mountain Lion tribe. The thought of losing their main source of sway over the peoples of Sundance had haunted them terribly the past few days. Though of course they’d done their best to maintain their usual airs as if they had everything under control.

The moment the power came on word spread throughout the city that the Saturday cage fight was still on. The fight was scheduled to take place in the same place as before. The largest warehouse at the Vance Copper Mine.

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 even more of a crowd than last time, leaving the warehouse almost full as people huddled inside to keep out of the snow. There were a lot of drifters there and faces unknown to many of the tribes.

A few hours before dusk people started to arrive by walking, the River Runners, or the Mountain Lions’ own horse caravan. When the sun finally set there was quite a crowd and the warehouse had become noisy with anticipation. Betting was encouraged by all those who showed up. However they were required to register any bets with a Mountain Lion at the door. A Mountain Lion Bouncer circulated the crowd to keep tabs on the bets.

One of the Mountain Lions came over a loudspeaker they had managed to rig up. He explained the two rules, encouraged betting and welcomed everyone that had showed up. Then he opened the floor for two volunteers to be the first fighters.

Who: Jace and Jed
When: Thursday night
Where: By the river
Why: Can't we all just get along?

Jace had been lucky his first week or so in Sundance. The Trading Post was neutral territory, and people were happy to see new items available, even if they weren't exactly happy to see him. He was used to the cold welcome drifters received, and frankly he didn't care. It didn't matter. He played the wandering trader and kept off of claimed territory. He'd heard the rumors about what kind of town Sundance was, beneath the relatively peaceful surface.

The cage fight had provided some evidence of what the darker side of this place was like. The tribes abusing those without any support system and everyone reveling in violence. It hadn't bothered Jace though. In fact, he'd done quite well at the fight, fishing for information and listening to conversations, learning more about the town, meeting interesting people. Well, meeting one interesting person at least. Even his own fight had been nothing more than an honest brawl. His good luck couldn't hold out forever though.

His main stash was running low. Many of the little luxury goods that made him interesting at the trading post were nearly gone. He had some drugs and medical supplies left, be he hated to trade them casually, they were worth so much more when someone really needed them. And then he had the guns and ammo. Those he was hoping to use to buy his way into a tribe. Trade the weapons for a little temporary security. If he was going to stay around Sundance it was time to start dealing directly with the tribes.

He decided to check out the River Runners first. From what he'd heard, they weren't as wealthy or powerful as the Mountain Lions, but as fun as buying his way into the preppy little clique would be, he wasn't eager to deal with the Lions. The River Runners seemed like a better option. And he thought the girl he'd met at the fight was one of them. Maybe he'd run into her again. It was just getting dark as he left the trading post and followed the river towards the cluster of boats. He could at least check the group out, see what he'd be dealing with.

Who: Moe and [OPEN to people wanting to trade.]
Where: Moe's boat.
When: Late morning/early afternoon.
Why: Everybody's gotta do business sometime.

It was the sunlight slanting through the dirty blinds that finally woke her. Sometimes, it was easy to appreciate the simplicity of this new world they'd all been thrown into. There was no reason for her to rise with the sun. Stretching lazily, Moe, who had once been Molly Harper, kicked away the old patchwork quilt. It rolled off the side of her wide hammock and landed on the floor with a thump of heavy fabric. Groaning, her legs followed, her feet getting caught up in the folds of the quilt and sending her stumbling. Experience was all that saved her, and she managed to right herself before falling headlong into the nightstand.

Even outside the hammock, her entire world rocked and swayed. Luckily, motion sickness was not an issue for her. It had taken some getting used to, but she was an old pro now. It wasn't even that bad today; just a gentle sort of sway, with tiny wavelets lapping against the side of her home. Not many could appreciate living in a houseboat. For Moe, it had become one of her greatest loves. Pushing her suffocating mane of tangled hair away from her face, she pulled open the blinds, squinting against the burst of sunlight. Sure, she was standing bare-ass naked at the window. But it wouldn't be a new sight for anyone who could possibly see her. Clothing, and morals, were rather loose among this particualr tribe.

( Continued on the next page.... )

Who: Gypsy and Jed
Where: Jed's boat
When: Late Sunday Night (or viewed as extremely early Monday Morning)
Why: A little birdie tells Gypsy that her sister vanished into Jed's boat for two hours, alone. She is assuming the worst and decides to scare him, a lot.

( She could not protect her before... )

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: Peri and Jed
What:Peri stressing the importance of work ethic
Where: Jed's boat, then Peri's
When: Thursday Afternoon
Rating: R for sexual references if nothing worse... though it likely will be

There were few things that ever truly annoyed Peri; she was about as easy-going as they came when it came to others. She liked to let everyone do and say and think what they wanted to and rarely put restrictions on anyone, nor did she really care what they did with their time, but there was exceptions. One of those exceptions was with those who promised to do things for her that she needed done and then seemed to always have an excuse as to why they were not done. It would have bothered her if it had been anyone else's things, but when it concerned her own then she got annoyed. On such task was the moving of her kiln. In the summers it was far to hot and so the kiln sat out of the deck, far from her living quarters. In the fall, however, the weather turned bitter and it was needed indoors to keep her warm on the few nights she spent alone in her bed. The kiln unfortunately was far to heavy for Peri and so every year she made a deal with someone who wanted glassware to move it. There was no doubt that moving the kiln was a pain in the arse, but once the deal had been made what did she care.

This year it had been Jed who had made the deal. He had broken a few glasses... or had a few broken for him by his many women; Peri guessed the later. The deal had been that she would give him a full new set and then he would move her kiln. It wasn't exactly a heavily laid deal, instead it was quite simple and two weeks ago Peri had provided the glassware. Even since Jed had had excuse after excuse as to why he hadn't actually done it. First he had hurt his back, then he had to redo his roof and his latest excuse had been that he'd had to look after some of the children. Peri doubted all of his excuses, but the last one had been preposterous. No one in their right mind would ask Jed of all people to look after the children, not that he couldn't... there just happened to be various choices that were more suited to the task. After that excuse Peri had declared war, unbeknown to Jed. Jed was know for being notoriously lately, and other rarely counted on work being done on any sort of time scale, while unless it benefited him.

Peri's morning had been a rather lazy one. With the darkness of the last few days, it had encouraged Peri to be quite unmotivated. It was also likely the reason why Peri had not already been on Jed's case as to why the kiln was not in her room. However this morning she had woken up in the late morning shivering and that had been the end of postponing the task of putting a fire under Jed's arse. Having made some oatmeal for herself, she ate it slowly as she sorted through he drawers trying to find what she was going to wear. She had a good idea already, but the actually pieces were not picked out yet. As she sorted through, she tossed a few pieces out here and there. Her plan was quite devious, but nothing to Peri. However it was exactly what needed to be in order to get Jed a bit more eager to finish the task.

Walking back out onto the deck of her boat, she washed the bowl she had been eating out of and put it away. As she stepped into the living quarters of her domain, she slipped the ngihtgown off her form and started to dress herself. A matching aquamarine and lace underwear and bra set were the first things she slipped on, followed by a pair of knee high white soccer socks. Grabbing her long wool jacket, she slipped it on with a smile and did it up the entire way, knowing very well her entire routine. Reaching back she bundled her long dirty blonde hair and pulled it gently into a high pony tail. She didn't look in the mirror as she walked out of the room, there was no need. She knew exactly how she looked in everything she owned. Stepping down into one of her smaller canoes, she untied it from her houseboat and slowly started to paddle unriver. The tide was strong, but it was no where near hard to control for a River Runner. They dealt with everything the river through at them and over the past few years they had begun to excel at being more than capable of handling most of it's conditions.

It didn't take Peri long to locate Jed's craft, but then again she knew everyone's without question. As she docked with his houseboat, she noted the both of his canoes were still docked, thus it was unlikely Jed wasn't at home. Stepping onto his deck, her socked feet made no sound. It was a quality she had used on more than one occasion to sneak up on others, as Peri almost never wore footwear, but it wasn't one she was going to use today. She could have easily just walking in on Jed, but it was always questionable what she would find and thus how he would react and for PEri's plan he had to be in at least a tolerable mood. Most might have thought that the number one thing Peri needed was for him to not have another woman in his cabin, but Peri knew that with Jed's appetite it wouldn't really matter either way. Stepping up to his door, she leaned against the frame and knocked lightly, almost sweetly.