Steam and Steel Options

[Rohirrim]

Jonah stepped into the morning sun from the darkness of the tailor shop. He carefully situated his goggles on his face, hitched up the rifle strap on his shoulder, and went to find some lunch. This was the slaughterhouse district, so a broiled beefsteak or kidney and some drink wouldn't be too hard to find. Spotting the double doors of a saloon, he stepped in and grabbed a seat at the bar. He held up his flask and dropped a penny on the bar. "Refill, please. Whiskey." The bartender silently obliged him, and Jonah took a swig. He winced. Rye, always rye, he thought, what I wouldn't do for some good old bourbon. He let the whiskey coat his mouth then put down a nickel. "Two kidney chops, my good man." The barkeep went into the kitchen to place Jonah's order. Satisfied it was being taken care of, Jonah looked around. The synth-piano played a gay tune, and some women of questionable virtue, as well as several other patrons, were around. He hiked up his bowler hat, letting his bangs fall down, and removed his goggles, putting them on his forehead. He cast a glance at the bounty board hanging at the end of the bar. Maybe, he thought, maybe.

This post has been edited by Rohirrim: Oct 26 2013, 05:33 PM

[Elisabeth Hollow]

Morning light streamed through the dark, closed curtains of the saloon's upper rooms. Betty was already awake, combing a three-pronged comb through her curls, careful to leave the curls springy and smooth. Her face was already washed, but makeup free at this point. Her thin cotton undergarments left her pale, tattooed arms naked, a novelty in such a town as Dodge, Kansas. The intricate weavings of celtic knots along her eft arm, twining around the fleshy part of her arm, were joys to most of her Johns.

"They don't make 'em like you, anymore, darling."

Betty turned her head slightly, her full pink lips curling up in a slight smile. Her John was sitting propped up on one elbow, his handlebar mustache twitching in an amused grin. The light from the morning streamed in and lit her face up, giving her the appearance of a fiery halo.

"If I were a religious man, I'd thank the gods for you. But I'll simply marvel at the wonder in front of me."

She laughed, a soft, tinkling sound. She covered her mouth with pale fingertips, a practiced move, her eyes crinkling in amusement.

"Sugar, you flatter me. You know that won't lower your bill."

"Flattery is free, Betty. Come here."

"Sugar, I'm hardly dressed for receiving."

"I say you look glorious as you are."

Her nostrils flared as she bit back a laugh, keeping the chaste smile on her face as she rose. Her cotton garments rustled as her slip fell back to her knees, and the man drank her in as she walked. His hands fell to her ample hips as she straddled him.

"You know the drill, Tobias. The night is over, and the package deal is null until ten tonight. Tell me what you want, and we can get started."

"The usual. You know me, Betty." He pulled a fiver out of his wallet sitting on the nightstand. Betty slid the bill into her bra and grinned at him.

"Of course. I thought maybe you'd want something different this time. Doesn't hurt to ask."

Twenty minutes later, Betty was back to combing her once again unkempt hair. Tobias had headed downstairs to grab a quick drink at the bar before heading back to his job at the local bank. She blew irritated breaths out of her nose as she rearranged the curls on her head, making a neat, but stylishly messy, bun. she allowed a few ringlets to drape her face, then lightly powered her blemish-free face. She applied a red lipstick, giving her the unmistakable appearance of a working woman.

She slid on her dress, a black dress with undertones off dark crimson, lacy ruffles along the long sleeves, and just enough of a dip in the collar to show off slight cleavage of her ample bosom. She sat on the bed and counted her earnings of the evening. She technically owed The Madam half of what she made during the evening, and Tobias often provided her extra money through his wanting attention to his morning problem. She slid the fiver back into her bra, since the Guild accountant was a shrewd and prying man, going through the purses of each member, looking for every half cent.

She had made nearly a hundred dollars, and Betty was not happy. Most of the men were giving their attention to the new women, her only customers of late being her loyal ones. But the novelty would wear off, and they'd come crawling back to her.

Betty walked down the stairs, her graceful steps giving the impression she was nearly floating. A few men stared at her, but most knew who she was and what she did. She had, after all, live here most of her life. Though some of the men had known her before she had a womanly figure, that didn't stop them from approaching her for her services.

The bar was empty, save for a man in a bowler hat next to an impeccably dressed man with cybernetics. As per her profession, Betty eyed the men. The man in a bowler hat had the look and feel of a man with some brains, but no brawn. The other man, however, was impeccably dressed in a three-piece suit.

And cybernetics don't come cheap, She thought wryly. though it was early, and she had errands to run, the extra money in her pocket gave Betty the ability to get herself some food. She was, by no means, poor, but merely hungry. She slid onto a barstool a few places away from the better-dressed man, placing her slender hands in her lap. She smiled coyly at the bartender and ordered a whiskey and food.

She looked over at the well-dressed man and shot him a flirty smile and downed the shot and set it primly down. Maybe she could make a few extra bucks before noon.