<div class="floatleft">(http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q15/doogieporker/94uqfb7x0ihp3724e256.jpg)</div><strong>Character: Desmond King<br/><br/>Location: Lola's Saloon - Poker Table<br/><br/>Time of day: Night<br/><br/>Tagging: Lola, Belladonna, Tom</strong><br/><br/><br/><br/>Desmond's eyes narrowed as he studied his hand. He sat quietly for a long moment, the three men across from him all looking at him with a mixture of nervousness and irritation. Just when it seemed one of them was about to protest, Desmond pushed a fifty dollar chip toward the center of the table. The three men looked at one another, then Desmond, before looking back to the poker chip.<br/><br/>"Men in this town don't make that kinda money, mister." one said, a short stocky fellow with dirty brown hair that was beginning to thin. "That's too rich for our blood."<br/><br/>"Do you want to?" Desmond replied, looking at the man from beneath the brim of his dark fedora.<br/><br/>"Well yeah, I reckon every man wants to!" the man said, laughing, and the other two joined in hesitantly, uncertain of where this conversation might be leading.<br/><br/>"If I have my say so, every man in Silver City will make this kind of money." he said, lying through his teeth. There was no way the economy could sustain such an explosion of personal wealth, but these three dolts did not have the sense to know that. "But there are those who want to step in the way."<br/><br/>He turned, glancing to Lola as he spoke, watching the woman move toward Tom's table. The other men followed the direction of his gaze, and stared at her for a long moment. While they struggled to understand his meaning, Desmond turned his gaze to the bar, his dark eyes washing over the stunning ruby haired beauty that had just entered. When she looked at him, he held her eye, nodding with the slightest tilt of his hat. After a moment, he turned his gaze back to the table, leaning back in his chair.<br/><br/>"Miss Lola has been good to us now, mister..." the man to his left said, and the other two nodded. "If we're lucky, we might even get to go upstairs with one of these here girls." His last statement drew more enthusiastic nods from the other two, and Desmond chuckled.<br/><br/>"Is that the height of your ambition?" he asked. "Bedding saloon girls? There's so much more to life, gentlemen. Call."<br/><br/>The men looked at one another nervously, and after a moment, the two that had spoken laid their cards face down, folding. The one directly opposite Desmond, however, stared hard across the table. There was something different about this one, Desmond noted, something more dangerous. He studied the man quietly, keeping his cards hidden. The man was large, his arms thick, and Desmond wandered if he worked for the railroad. No, not a railroad, he decided. His posture was too straight for a rail worker, who's back often curved from constantly being bent over, working on the tracks. A cattleman, perhaps?<br/><br/>"Call." the man said, drawing Desmond from his thoughts. He watched as the man slid a fifty dollar chip to the center of the table.<br/><br/>"You sure?" Desmond asked, mimicking the man's companions. "That's a lot of money."<br/><br/>The man did not respond other than to nod. Desmond shrugged, and laid his cards on the table; a pair of kings and three queens. The other two winced, looking to their larger friend, who suddenly grinned widely. Without hesitation, he played his hand, showing all aces and another king. His friends cheered and Desmond watched as the man retrieved his winnings.<br/><br/>"I'll take your money all day, mister!" the larger man exclaimed, and Desmond smirked.<br/><br/>"We'll see about that." The man scooped up the cards and began dealing once more, and Desmond reached out, grabbing the hand of a passing saloon girl. She bent low to hear what he had to say, and a moment later, moved to the bar, smiling at Belladonna.<br/><br/>"Seems you've got an admirer..." the girl said, filing her tray with more drinks. "Tall, dark, and dangerous over there just bought you a drink. Whatever you want."<br/><br/>