Killing Time in Galveston

[immortalthief]

After the Queen of Spade burned and McLeod left for Alaska there wan't much left to do Amanda decided to start ride her horse letting her mind wander, as it wandered she began remembering Milliways, it has been so long since she had been there thinking back she realizes that it has been over two and a half centuries since a door has opened.

After almost a week of wandering Amanda passes by a sign

"Welcome to Galveston"

A small quirk of a smile creased her lips as she thought of her friend blonde friend. The horse stopped in front of the tavern, wrapping the reins around a post she enters the bar and takes a seat. When the barkeep asked for her order she says, "Ale." rethinking that, "No, make that a Bourbon."

Comments

[ikissdhimbck]

Galveston's a good place to disappear. People move in, people move out; commerce is high, which means trade and business keep the streets and liveries full. Kate's lingered in Galveston long enough to get a good lay of the land, not too concerned with beating it out of town before folk wise on to who she really is.

Katherine James is what people call her when she steps into the saloon. Miss, with a respectful nod or curtsy. Here she's a ranch owner, a horse trader, respected and accepted. Folk ask her advice, and buy her drinks.

It feels nice, for a change.

"Howdy, Otis."

The bartender grins and holds up a hand.

"One bourbon, comin' right up."

Kate smiles. Right now, it feels like an average day in Galveston.

[immortalthief]

This day will prove anything but average in a matter of a few moments.

Amanda sitting in a stool nearby nursing her first glass and waving off another advance..literally she waves her hand without looking at the poor fellow, "Really that is kind but I just want to enjoy my drink."

He reply's, "I'll buy you another." he turns to Otis, "One more for the lady!"

Amanda sighs and turns towards Otis, before she has a chance to let Otis know she doesn't want one Amanda's jaw drops as she notices the cowgirl sitting near the bartender. The immortal pauses not sure if this is the same woman and friend she knows from Milliways... How can it be? she thinks to herself.

[ikissdhimbck]

Amanda's aversion to guns aside, having a six-shooter on your hip can be a good deterrent to eager gentlemen. Kate's freer with her smiles out here, but they're sharper and deadlier, full of barbs and the sinful whisper of danger. Some men like that.

Most don't.

She turns to offer her sympathies to the other woman, mouth hitching.



How — ?



She blinks, uncomfortably thrown off-guard for the longest half-second of her life, before gasping the familiar appellation.

"Miss Amanda?"

[immortalthief]

Regaining her composure Amanda the grin she displays is brilliant before she stands, ignoring the man who tries to stop her, "Kate!" and walks over to give her friend a hug.

If she didn't like the attention she has ways of getting a man to back down but now there are far more important and pleasant things for her to focus on.

[ikissdhimbck]

Kate laughs, wrapping her arms around her  —  and shooting that man a glare from over Amanda's shoulder.

"When did y'get here? How — ?"

She shakes her head, still slightly dumbstruck.

[immortalthief]

With a grin on her face she answers, "I just rode into town from San Francisco." gesturing to the white steed just outside of the tavern. The shock is still evident in her voice but she is so happy she can't stop grinning.

Adding, "This has never happened to me before!"

[ikissdhimbck]

Kate looks from Amanda to the magnificent animal, and back again. She can't believe this. She rode in from San Francisco? Here, in Kate's world, in 1888?

She lets out another startled laugh, wholly unable to hold back her grin.

"I'm so glad t'see you! Ah, perhaps we should find a quiet place t'talk."

Unless the wandering attentions of these gentlemen should catch an odd word, such as 'Milliways', or travel by 'Door'.

[immortalthief]

Amanda looks around, "I almost forgot." chuckling, "Yes, lets go someplace more quiet." hugging her friend again.

"This is wonderful!"

[ikissdhimbck]

Folk around here have never seen Miss Katherine James quite so happy. She's a friendly sort, sure, but her smiles are free and brilliant with Amanda in a way they aren't with local folk.

Not wanting to waste their drinks, Kate points to a table in a far corner, behind the shiny new player piano. It'll provide them with enough privacy from the saloon at large.

"This is marvelous. Why, I was jus' thinkin' 'bout you the other day. How long's it been since we last spoke, what with the way time works for you?"

[immortalthief]

Amanda lets her friend take her over to the piano. "I was probably thinking about you too. I didn't think I had a destination in mind but what are the chances." shaking her head before she starts to recall. In a whisper, "About 250 years, give or take." adding, "I just lost the Queen of Spades." news may or maynot have made it to Texas.

[ikissdhimbck]

It'll never cease to amaze her, the passage of time with an immortal. Two-hundred-and-fifty years, and for Kate it's been only a little while.

She swivels a surprised look on her friend.

"What? No! That's the establishment y'owned?"

[immortalthief]

Amanda nods with a brief somber look then the smile returns, "It's too bad that Duncan went up north in search of gold. I would have loved to have introduced you to him." there is an unmistakable glint in her eye as she speaks of him.

[ikissdhimbck]

She catches the glint, offering a suspicious smirk in return as she gestures to a seat. The table she's picked out is nice and secluded.

"That is a shame. Who is this Duncan fella?"

[immortalthief]

"He's a Highlander." she considers then adds, "You know the last time I was in Bar was right after I had met him." she says with a warm smile.

Taking a seat.

[ikissdhimbck]

"S'that the same thing as you?"

She sips at her drink, silently encouraging Amanda to tell her more.

[immortalthief]

Shaking her head, in a Scottish accent, "No, Highlander is someone from the highlands of Scotland." grinning and switching to her native french accent, "I'm from France."

Back to a normal american accent, "He's a great deal of fun, though he can get very serious." she then goes on to dish about Duncan, leaving out certain private details, the sort of things that she keeps for herself. She explains that it's an on again, off again.

[ikissdhimbck]

Kate beams.

Golly, she's awful good at that. Moving from one tongue to the next.


"He sounds like a lotta fun."

'On again, off again' is a new concept to her in title, but she understands the gist of it just fine. You don't go half a decade in a place like Milliways without picking up a thing or two.

"So he went north, an' you've come east. Well, I am pleased as punch. Are y'plannin' on stayin' a while?"

[immortalthief]

"He is, and he is very kind."

"I don't currently have any plans at all" she admits.

[ikissdhimbck]

"Good. Then you're stayin' with me."

It's been decided.

She has a decent-sized swallow of bourbon, and then pauses. A smile's spreading real slow across her face.

"Say, d'you happen t'remember what we'd been talkin' 'bout the last time y'saw me?"

[immortalthief]

No arguments from Amanda as she drinks some of her own bourbon.

A mischievous smile crosses Amanda's face, "As it happens I do." as she unconsciously fiddles with the napkin ring necklace she is wearing.

[ikissdhimbck]

"I think I owe you a tour of the town, then. You're jus' gonna love The Strand."

[immortalthief]

"I would love the full tour." she finishes her bourbon.

[ikissdhimbck]

"Shall we, then?"

Kate polishes off her own drink, chitchatting quietly before they leave their table about her alias here — Katherine James, rancher and cattle woman — and her sometimes companions from the Bar. They've been in and out over the last few weeks, but there's always one or two with her. Watching her back.

(Just so Amanda will know what to expect, in case anyone should approach them.)

That done, she gets up and leads the way outside.

[immortalthief]

"Yes, lets" she stands with Kate.

Amanda listens intently as they walk, "You have quite the life here. I'm glad that we met up here."

[ikissdhimbck]

She chuckles dryly.

"I do, for the time bein'. I'm gonna hafta move on eventually."

She fixes Amanda with a smarter smile.

"T'the next town."

And the next target.

[immortalthief]

"It's not good to become too attached to one place." she says slyly.

"I think the next town sounds like a good plan."

[ikissdhimbck]

"No. S'not good at all."

She pitches her voice low. One of the local lawmen is approaching down the inside of the boardwalk. He tips his hat to the ladies, and Kate tips her hat in return.

Once they've passed him, she exaggerates a sigh of relief and grins at Amanda.


Their walk takes them past the county courthouse cutting through Central Park, down several blocks until they hit Avenue B. Kate hangs a right, and the women find themselves in The Strand. Commercial Buildings, mostly brick with only a few wooden establishments here and there; wrought iron facades on Greek Revival, Late Victorian, and Beaux Arts architecture. Here financial good fortune is equated with architectural display.

A few things Amanda will find particularly interesting are the several banks littered up and down the street.

[immortalthief]

Amanda offers a curtsy and a broad friendly smile, because it only seems fitting with the dress she is currently wearing.

"The town is bigger then I imagined it to be. Perhaps it's because of the smaller towns I passed by on my way here."

As they walk through the town Amanda appears to be looking at everything with the same attention that any tourist would have but really she is taking full inventory, who is standing where, what exit strategies she would use to escape or break in depending on her needs.

"They don't seem to be able to make up their mind about what they want to do?" indicating all of the different structures influence. Now and again, in low tones she will tell Kate a story from Victorian England or some other time period that seems to have inspired something here or there.

[ikissdhimbck]

Galveston's not a big island, it's true, but inasmuch as any place out West can emulate New York City, it sure is putting up a rousing effort. Houston may be the biggest city in Texas per capita, but Galveston is where the business is.

Kate listens with fascination to each one of Amanda's stories, grinning broadly at how much history she's seen with her own eyes.

"I think the founders were tryin' awful hard t'turn Galveston into somethin' special, like New York. They brought in all kinds of artists for their buildin's. An' y'know somethin'? A lotta famous folk come 'round here."

So it must be working.

[immortalthief]

"New York has it's charms...mostly it's conveniences, so as much of that as they want to emulate all the better. But Galveston certainly seems to have it's own personality. Which is what keeps life interesting."

Amanda points out one of the buildings to the left and guesses at the artist.

"Is there anyplace worth shopping? I believe this visit will require different attire than what I brought from San Francisco."