Topic: Wandering Thoughts

GunslingerCal

Date: 2009-08-06 17:02 EST
The Beretta lay before him in pieces, field stripped and ready for another meticulous daily cleaning in the privacy of his room at the Penny Moon. It was the only place he dared break down the weapon and allow himself to be vulnerable, making certain to lock his door before dismantling the pistol.

He sighed, loathing the unpredictable nature of RhyDin that was both a curse and blessing. It was the one town he could rely upon for work whenever he came through. There certainly wasn't a shortage of people in RhyDin in need of a man with a gun. Still, oftentimes the risk outweighed the reward. His previous employer had pulled a fast one, stiffing him for half his pay and expecting him to leave with a smile on his lips. As much as the unexpected pay cut bothered him it would've been worse if it weren't for the fact his next job was already lined up. After receiving his first installment he could afford to make the necessary preparations. His trunk was recovered from storage and delivered to his room at the Penny Moon and a mage had been found to craft him several specialty rounds that filled the slots adorning his leather gun belt.

Events in RhyDin always seemed to escalate quickly. In the span of a week he had dealt with a crooked employer, been accosted in a back alley by a female vampire, made a deal with a new employer who seemed to have more trouble than she could handle, been shot at, and shared his bed with one of the most unique women he had ever met. That left him wondering just what the next week would hold as he began reassembling the Beretta.

GunslingerCal

Date: 2009-08-08 12:38 EST
He gripped the Beretta tightly, carefully lining up his sights with one eye squeezed shut, left hand latched onto his right wrist to steady his arm and his aim. A pull of the trigger. Followed by another. And another.

The firing range held a dual purpose for him. A place not only to sharpen his skills but to allow him time to reflect. There was a calming simplicity to the range. Aim, fire. Repeat until satisfied. The simplicity is what made it enjoyable, as the nature of his work proved turbulent. For his yin he required a yang, a balance to keep him stable. Rhydin never allowed for such a balance. But still, he found himself in the city once again, and as always it was because of work. It was hard to turn down free room and board, as well as tasks that didn't require long journeys across every type of terrain imaginable to hunt down a stolen bauble or kidnapped relative. Still, he expected the work to be hectic. It was Rhydin afterall. But his downtime? A stiff drink, hot bath, and a woman to share his bed with. How could these things possibly prove to be complicated?

Rhydin found a way where every other town had failed . Ba'Shara had shared his bed and had proven she had her own set of problems that could possibly rival that of his employer. He wasn't sure how to handle that. He wasn't even certain he wanted to. He frowned at the thought, squeezing off another series of rounds until his clip was empty. Aim, fire. Simple. Why couldn't everything else be the same way?

GunslingerCal

Date: 2009-08-09 10:17 EST
Was he here to stay?

No, it was too early to ask that question, let alone answer it. Work could keep him there, at least temporarily. But Ba'Shara? She was indeed an enigma. Her complexity was her strength, not a weakness if one actively attempted to view it as such. It had taken them less than a week to break up. And it had taken him less than five minutes to regret his decision and make amends. He'd be a fool to let her slip between his fingers over his own trivial hangups. If he was ever going to truly settle in he needed her, if only to test his resolve, his ability to finally put the past behind him and return in earnest to his hometown once and for all. A past that was buried deep within that trunk across from him in his room at the Penny Moon. A constant reminder of what had brought him down the path he now tread.

Though as he peered down at the bare flesh of the Egyptian in his bed, her arms coiled comfortably around him, it proved impossible to deny how bright the future looked.