Tlaloc

just want to say hi and make some friends

happy friday everyone

♤ THE CURSÈD WEST ♤

Music

I know dark clouds will gather around me
I know my way is hard and steep
But beauteous fields arise before me
Where God's redeemed, their vigils keep
I'm going there to see my Mother
She said she'd meet me when I come

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31 May, 1888.

The dawn came in protean copper and rose — subsiding eventually into pure, unpolluted blue. A beautiful day, for those that could afford to rest; a fearsome one for those who couldn't.

Ramos stood on the porch of his office, shielding his night-bitten eyes from the emboldened almost-summer sun. His hands ached from hours of riding, and his sinuses stung from the dust, but he wasn’t ready to rest yet. One night without sleep here and there wouldn’t kill a man, but letting his guard down when death was lurking just might.

The scene he’d stumbled upon in the jail was the last thing he'd wanted to see; Big Jim’s face as blue as the day’s sky; rolled steel of the jail cell bars bent outwards; blood and foam dripping from Jim’s chin. The big feller had survived, just about, and Ramos had restrained him further. The other prisoner had sworn bloody that he had nought to do with Jim's outburst, and there was no evidence to dispute him. Ramos had little choice other than to release the coachguard, lest Jim enter another rampage and successfully ring his neck. He hadn’t had sufficient time to properly interrogate the drifter, but had no other choice: he’d have to circle back. If the coachguard was innocent, as he seemed, a question was begged: how does a man like Jim enter such a feral state in the dead of night that he bleeds ‘neath his fingernails, and chokes himself out? Seemed unlikely to Ramos that this wasn’t related to the rest of his problems somehow, but as of yet, he hadn’t determined a link. One thing he knew for sure — Deputy Beadle and Ranger Mellon couldn’t come soon enough. If there was one more incident before nightfall, he’d have to raise a posse, and putting the power of law into the hands of the commonfolk was a slippery slope that tended to wind up bruising egos — among other things.

His thoughts were interrupted by an echoed shout. Speak of the devil and he doth appear.

Ramos squinted into the heat-blurred street. Shambling along the dust road was a man, kicking up dust, clothes incarnadine. It looked like blood that was smeared up his arms and torso — too much to be his own, given that he was still standing. He seemed uninjured, but he had a queer gait; unnatural and slow, dragging his leg with each step, like a horse with a crooked shoe. The town had woken up by this point, with tradesmen and travelers making their way to-and-fro, and the strange visitor had already drawn some of their attention. Ramos wasted no time as he hustled in the direction of the unidentified visitor, hand trained over his Colt. The murmurs grew louder as he approached. The bloodied man's eyes were vacant — and he didn’t seem to even notice Ramos coming.

"Hold on there, stranger," Ramos called out, slowing his pace twenty-feet or so shy of the man. "You alright?"

No response. Not even a glance. The man kept staggering forward, oblivious. Most of the crowd recoiled.

"Hey. I'm talking to you," he said, edging closer. "I said hold it."

Still nothing.

Ramos cursed under his breath. Whatever was going on with this stranger looked all too familiar to him after the incident with Big Jim. Even if he wasn’t soaked in blood — which he was — there was plenty else off about him; the walk, the ambience in his gaze, the lack of consciousness. The violence that Jim had shown in the cell was uncharacteristic. Sure, he was a lout who was prone to bust-ups in the saloon; but he wasn’t a killer — not in Ramos’ view. There had to be something else going on. Some kind of sickness. This wasn’t natural.

The tension broke when a woman screamed. Without warning, the stranger lurched toward her, arms outstretched, fingers clawing wildly at the air. The crowd scattered in terror as the man’s blood-smeared fingers reached for her throat.

Ramos drew.

click

CRACK

ᵗʰᵘᵐᵖ

The stranger's body had jerked mid-step, crumpling to the ground in a twisted heap. His outstretched hand fell short of the woman by mere inches, twitching before it went still. The town went silent, 'cept for the soft whisper of the breeze.

Ramos winced. The thought had only just danced upon his mind that this man might be a victim of something, and not just a psychotic killer — and not a moment later he’d shot him dead. But had he not, a woman of steady mind and health would’ve taken his place, and that would have been on Ramos’ conscience. At the very least, only one individual had to die in the street on this particular morning; not two, or God forbid, more. Or that's what Ramos would tell himself to ease his guilt.

"Move along!," he shouted. The fatigue that he carried was apparent, highlighted under the spotlight of Sol in the tightness of his skin, and the strain in his neck. Nobody argued.

He started towards the woman who'd nearly been attacked, but stopped as he saw some others rally around, comforting her. Instead, he approached the stranger’s corpse, kneeling down to appraise it further.

Over at the town hall, Mayor Davis stood at the door, coffee cup in hand, seemingly roused by the gunshot. Ramos had paid him a visit at the crack of dawn, and had informed him on the situation at the ranch. Davis, though wearing an expression of concern, had a hopefulness in his eyes. He mouthed to Ramos something like: "is that the guy?". Ramos could hazard a guess as to what thoughts raced through the statesman’s mind. Our problem has solved itself; how fortunate are we for the killer to stumble into town and offer himself up for justice? Ramos simply shook his head. This wasn’t the end of their problems.

Not even close.

Random Access Memories

CEB37E 8CBF51

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Regalia

Hey gang, will work on getting a post up in the next couple of days, but I'm moving home next week -- so if I'm radio silent for three or four days, you know why! (Shouldn't break @Mirandae's post schedule though!)

Ban the User Above You

Banned for:
Abstraction of electricity
Acquisition by or supply of firearms to person denied them
Activities relating to opium
Acts outraging public decency
Administering poison etc with intent to injure
Aggravated arson
Aggravated burglary
Aggravated criminal damage
Aggravated vehicle taking
Armed robbery
Arson (other than aggravated arson) where value does not exceed £100,000
Arson (value exceeds £100,000)
Assault with intent to resist arrest
Assault with weapon with intent to rob
Assaulting prison officer whilst possessing firearm
Assisting illegal entry or harbouring persons
Assisting prisoners to escape
Attempt to cause explosion, making or keeping explosive etc
Blackmail
Bomb hoax
Breach of prison
Breach of restraining order
Breaking or injuring submarine telegraph cables
Burglary (domestic)
Burglary (non-domestic)
Carrying loaded firearm in public place
Causing bodily injury by explosives
Causing danger to road users
Causing explosion likely to endanger life or property
Concealing an arrestable offence
Concealing criminal property
Counterfeiting Customs documents
Counterfeiting notes and coins
Counterfeiting of dies or marks
Cultivation of cannabis plant
Dangerous Driving
Dealing in firearms
Drug trafficking offences at sea
Endangering an aircraft
Escaping from lawful custody without force
Exposure
Fabrication of evidence with intent to mislead a tribunal
Failure to comply with certificate when transferring firearm
Failure to disclose information about terrorism
Forgery, alteration, fraud of licences etc
Handling stolen goods
Harbouring escaped prisoner
Harming, threatening to harm a witness, juror, etc
Having an article with a blade or point in a public place
Hostage taking
Illegal importation of Class A and B drugs
Ill-treatment of persons of unsound mind
Impersonating Customs officer
Incitement of terrorism overseas
Indecent display
Intimidating witness, juror, etc
Making false statement to authorised officer
Making gunpowder etc to commit offences
Making threats to destroy or damage property
Manslaughter
Mishandling or falsifying parking documents etc
Obstructing Customs officer
Obstructing engine or carriage on railway
Personating for purposes of bail etc
Personation of jurors
Perverting the course of public justice
Placing explosives with intent to cause bodily injury
Placing wood etc on railway
Prison mutiny
Riot
Robbery (other than armed robbery)
Sending prohibited articles by post
Setting spring guns with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm
Sex with adult relative
Shortening of shotgun or possession of shortened shotgun
Shortening of smooth bore gun
Theft
Trespassing with a firearm
Use of firearm to resist arrest
Using explosive or corrosives with intent to cause grievous bodily harm
Violent disorder
Voyeurism
Wanton or furious driving

just want to say hi and make some friends

Good morning. I hope everyone has a good Saturday.

@wheels

Good morning to you too!

Regalia

Have you tried at all making pictures of two characters together? Not sure if it would work or if it'd generate weird. Might be cool to see one of Cassiel & Beth looking moody @Mirandae

Regalia

@Aeolian@vietmyke@Tlaloc@Teyao@Aku the Samurai@TokyoPewPew@Silly@rabidbacon
A note about your own images:

So, there's been a few images posted in the IC. They're all fine as they are right now, but, in the future, just run them by me first so we can keep consistent aesthetics. If the image doesn't fit, we'll create something based on it with the AI.

@Mirandae

If there's anything from my post you want to replace, lmk!