“Slicker” | 21 | Male | Member

Slicker watched Roxie teasing Ollie and knew that she was at the very least taking his words at face value and Slicker almost believed Ollie did the same if it were not for the expression he held and his words. As Ollie spoke and stood, Slicker’s eyes narrowed and looked him over. His eyebrows narrowed and twitched ever so slightly. Did he have to— No, he should not have to do anything too extreme to Ollie. It was not like he even knew, right? He didn’t know, right? As if by instinct, Slicker felt himself reaching for his gun, his eyes locked on Ollie when—

Ollie’s words cut through Slicker’s thoughts

“Ah, uhh… she doesn’t hafta help me,” Slicker mumbled with a chuckle and dismissive wave as his voice was barely above the chatting of the small crowd. The dog seemed to hate just approaching Slicker, a soft growl escaping her lips, yet she seemed to be forcing herself to do so. “I mean, I think I smell too much of a lush for her likin’ so I doubt she—” her jaws sunk into his jacket and tugged him forward till he was forced to stand on his feet. “Ah, nevermind, I guess…” Slicker looked up at Ollie once he managed to support himself without Gwynn— which he assumed was the name of the dog— who had the slight sympathy to ask his dog to help Slicker stand. Slicker could not help but feel a bit embarrassed but grateful for this as he seemed to give a sheepish nod and smile as he picked up his hat, giving his silent thanks as to not draw too much attention to Slicker’s wobbly nature. “Right,” he said, adjusting his black hat to his head, “let’s go meet this otha fella of yers.”

They had not gotten more than a few steps towards the door when a man— a few inches on even Slicker’s height with broad shoulders, thick arms, and a thick, amber-colored beard that was the antithesis to his bald head— standing from the table next to theirs, looked Ollie over with a clear glare before shoving his way through Ollie, enough to probably knock the man over. Slicker instantly placed a hand on Ollie’s shoulder to steady him but his eyes were locked onto the larger man, his eyebrow back to twitching yet again.

“What stick got shoved up his ass?” Slicker grumbled under his breath as the man’s back was turned to them. The moment Slicker uttered this, however, the man turned back around.

There was still chatter and noise in the tavern but even despite the sounds, the air was tense.

“What… did you say to me?” the man said, his voice gruff and gravely, enough that it felt like drinking rocks just to hear it.

“What are you? Deaf? An old man?” Slicker snapped with no hesitation. “I said, ‘what stick got shoved up his ass?’” Slicker pronounced ‘ass’ as loudly and with as much emphasis as possible in order that the whole room went quiet.

“You got a thick skull or somethin’?” The man was prowling closer now, some members of the tavern tensing with anticipation. “I will give you one last chance to correct yerself.” The man’s shadow covered Slicker. “I am not asking you anymore.”

“Correct myself?” Slicker asked with a scoff, glaring up at the man before gasping and looking back at Ollie briefly. “Oh! I think I see what he means!” Turning back to the man with a wicked smirk, he leaned in closer. “I shouldn’t be askin’ what stick is up your ass, but which stick I’m goin’ to shove up there? Is that it, ya deaf codger? Look, I will be nice and let you off the hook though if you apologize to my friend here. Ya think you can do that?~”

The man’s upper lip lifted in a half-snarl, stepping back and bringing his arm back with him. Twisting his body, he swung his fist with the force of a bull but his eyes filled with dread when he collided with the ground. This man was a beast, no doubt, but he was subdued by a simple side-step and blow to the back of his knee. Slicker pressed his heel into the man’s back with an amused smirk, until his arms gave out from trying to support himself.

“Awww looks like someone’s all bark, no bite!~”

“Shut the fuck up you bastard!” the man screamed as he trashed momentarily before stopping as Slicker’s heel dug further into his spine. “You’re fuckin’ loony!”

“That’s no way to speak to someone who just wants you to apologize to his friend who you happened to bump into,” Slicker huffed like a pouty child. The man gasped in pain from Slicker’s boot. “Now go on. Apologize.”

“Like I am going to apologize to that la-di-dah prick! Always causing this town trouble in one way or another.”

“I am not going to ask again.” Pulling the gun from his holster, Slicker clicked back the hammer and the sound was echoed by other men in the saloon standing and raising their firearms. Despite the prevalent sounds in the silent room, Slicker kept his eyes locked on the terrified eyes of the man who was still lying on his stomach and had desperately turned his head in an effort to try and face Slicker.

“You’re… you’re nuts… A real damn lunatic…”

“I’m waiting.”

“You’ve— Five guys got their guns aimed right atcha!”

“Do you think they will stop me from shooting you?” Slicker laughed, flicking the chamber. “Cause I can guarantee you’ll die if any shots are fired even if it means I go with ya. So wouldn’t it just be nicer if you behaved since my head is killing me from last night and I think me and my friend right here would be very appreciative?”

“I… You…”

“10… 9… 8…”

“Why are you counting down?”

“7… 6… 5…”

“S-Stop it… Stop it, alright!”

“4… 3… 2…”

“I don’t want to die— fuckin’— please, I don’t wanna—”

“Woah, woah, woah! Let’s uhh… Let’s break it up, alright!” a new voice called after the saloon doors creaked open. “There’s no need for this kinda violence this early in the morning.” Slicker felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Here, can you just back off of him and lower the gun? Please?” In spite of what his brain said to do, Slicker obeyed, listening to the sounds of relief-filled sighs and the slipping of guns back into holsters as Slicker did the same. “There ya go. That’s a lot better.” The man stood and walked off like a wounded dog with its pride shattered, still shaking in fear. Slicker watched him for a moment longer before turning to the man who happened to step in.

“You’ve got sure as hell some guts for what you did just now,” Slicker said with a wide, friendly grin. “Name’s Slicker.”

“Vincent. And I can say the same for you.” Vincent looked him over once. “If I can be frank, it’s giving me willies that you were so calm while holding a gun to that fella’s head… Why… How?”

“Oh, that’s easy,” Slicker said with a laugh before revealing the chamber of his gun. “No bullet in this chamber.”

| Ollie Bright | 31 | Male | Ex-Member of Red’s Gang |

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Ollie hadn’t quite been paying attention at that point. His gaze was fixed on Gwynn who was coming up behind Slicker, trying to make her way around him and back to her owner. His mind had started to wander again, and at first, he thought nothing was wrong, that he was still on his way to the door, but suddenly, he was teetering. Through his blurred vision he couldn’t see much, but what he could make out was Slicker next to him, and a very tall man in front of them. It took him a few more seconds before the situation really started to settle in, feeling Slicker's hand on his shoulder and hearing the aggressive comments between the two men, Ollie knew a fight would be breaking out soon enough.

Trying to steady himself again, Ollie’s eyes narrowed, though he stayed quiet and listened to the larger man. He knew he couldn’t fight in his current state, and while he could sense Roxie glaring at them from their table, he knew she likely wouldn’t join in unless prompted either. She knew better, whether it seemed Ollie was in danger or not. There was too much going on at once to get a real handle on the situation, so instead Ollie looked to Slicker.

“I hope you have the brawn to back up your shit.” he hissed to the man, slipping from his grasp as the larger man went to swing at them, missing tremendously as he slammed into the ground instead. “Good luck.” Ollie made a quick dash for their table, collapsing into a chair before pulling himself up, and hearing Roxie snickering, “Having fun?”

“No!”

Ollie’s attention immediately switched to finding his dog, though she was already coming hurriedly up behind him, sniffing him worriedly before taking a firm stand at his side. Ollie finally had some room to breathe, taking in a few short puffs of air before turning his attention back to the fight, which seemed to be going in Slicker’s favor. The larger man was on the floor panting, while Slicker kept him down. It was definitely a scene Ollie had seen before, just with different people. He’d been in enough bar fights, and seen enough people get their arms broken or necks snapped to know how brutal this could get. He'd always hated having to watch those, not because he was on the losing team, no, normally quite the opposite.

Though he hated bar fights, Ollie felt so stupid, a complete and utter fool, and though he felt that way, he knew it was stupid in itself to feel like that, especially at this very moment. Why the hell should he need to fight the stranger? Slicker was the one who started the fight after all, and while Ollie surely didn't like being pushed around, he knew at the moment he wasn't going to, nor couldn't fight. He'd already given everything he had to two weeks ago, and at the moment, he was too tired to even try. Slicker, though, seemed to be doing good on his own, wounded or not, so he would trust the man could pull through.

For a split second, he let himself relax before he realized the other men, who had been loudly pointed out by the beaten stranger. The ones with guns pointed directly at Slicker. A new aura filled the room, one of panic and terror, though not a single onlooking soul dared to move. If Slicker died, that'd probably be it. William would be pissed they got Slicker killed, and Roxie and Ollie would no longer have anything better to do than rot away in PurePoint like every other citizen there. But as Ollie was sure hell was about to break loose, the tension in the air was suddenly cut, and a familiar voice rang out from the chaos.

“Woah, woah, woah! Let’s uhh… Let’s break it up, alright!”

“Vincent–” Ollie had leaped from his seat, relief so clear on his face that he almost smiled. The people would listen to him, that was a fact. Nobody would dare to hurt Ollie’s younger brother, either for fear of a certain, nasty death or that it was almost impossible to have anything against him. Slowly limping his way over to Slicker and his brother as the other men all put away their guns, Ollie’s face turned to a neutral expression rather than a sour one. “Vincent. Brother.” He greeted him with a slight nod.

“Ollie! It's great to see you again, I wasn’t expecting to see you back yet… What did you do?” His brother’s tone quickly shifted to a teasing one. “I know this was your fault.”

“It was.” He sighed, adding a short “thanks” to Slicker as he turned to the man. “Slicker, this is my youngest brother, Vincent. He's the one I was bringing you to see about a job.”

The kindest man you could meet, hardly had the guts to kill a fly. He was the one who helped keep the town from falling into pieces, through his good-hearted and well-mannered approach to situations. He wasn’t the type normally to be found in saloons, but Ollie assumed he came in because of the commotion, either that or to help Ashley.

“Nice to meet you, Slicker. I am as Ollie said, his brother.” Vincent smiled warmly, “And you’d like a job? I can surely help you with that! I do need all the help I can get. Currently, I’ve been hunting for the town’s people, and since I’m well… not really suited for the job because of my peaceful tendencies, I’d happily pay you for helping me.”

“Great, that's great. Thank you.” Ollie cut in, “And thank you for stopping the fight as well, that was… not my intention when coming in here.”

Vincent paused, staring at him a moment before smiling softly. “I’m sure it wasn’t Ollie. I think I know you well enough that I’m confident in saying you aren’t usually the fighter. Roxie, on the other hand.” He smirked as he glanced past Ollie, and Ollie turned to see the redhead grinning brightly at them.

“‘Ello Vincent!” She called, giving him a wave, to which the man waved back.

“I’m surprised she didn’t join in the excitement, but I’ll put that to you guys reading each other's minds. But anyway, a job— for you!” He turned back to Slicker. “Yes, I can do that. Do you want to start right now, or later on? Whenever you're ready. If you need any supplies I can also provide that, and I’ll pay you for every hour you spend out there, and also for every animal you bring back. That sound alright to you?”

Delaney O’Conner | 15 y/o | Male | Newcomer

When Sam asked whether or not the young boy was okay, Delaney nodded briefly, still staying close to Aiden while glaring at the disoriented woman in front of them.

Obviously it was a confusing situation for her, it's not everyday you get kidnapped and he didn't really understand why Esther and Vera had taken the woman but he figured they had to have a good reason for it, they were both strong and smart women after all.

Why they had not tied her up overnight he didn't get though, if they had then they would not be caught in this situation currently.

The black-haired boy felt thankful to currently have Sam here though, even if he didn't fully trust him, the man did currently seem to be defending them and trying to keep them from getting shot by this lunatic, which was enough for him to put his trust in him for the time being.

This woman though… She seemed incredibly unpredictable and despite lowering her gun, he didn't feel less on edge. She looked like a mad woman, her hair standing in all different directions, her clothes all wrinkly and covered in dirt. She spoke like one of them fancy folks but she definitely didn't look like one, or act like one for that matter.

“Ya just have a sensitive nose, lady.”

Del snickered at Aiden’s comment, a grin spreading on his lips as he continued to watch the strange woman, noticing how she looked at Sam almost expectantly which caused another snicker from the boy, it was a look he’d seen all too often when he had been a bit too big in the mouth himself and people used to turn to his parents, expecting him to be scolded for his words when they had been the one to teach him, hell, even encouraged him, to speak up for himself to begin with.

“He ain't our father, he won't be scoldin’ us and if he tried we got no reason to listen,” Del stated, a smirk playing at his lips as he spoke. This definitely wasn't the time to gain back his confidence and taunt the woman, but it seemed like Del did so regardless.

“At least we don't go ‘round waving pistols at people for no reason,” Del continued, straightening his posture slightly as he looked at the stranger, “So that would say a bit ‘bout our manners compared to yers don't ya think,” the boy’s smirk growing a bit.

“Slicker” | 21 | Male | Member

“That’d be great,” Slicker nodded with a smile as he looked over at the other man, evaluating him. He seemed to be fairly strong but had a relaxed posture and gentle expression. Even in spite of walking in on an almost shoot out, he seemed fairly unphased. “I can definitely help you with huntin’ if…” Slicker stopped talking because Vincent clearly was more interested in his own brother of course.

Slicker did not pay attention to what Ollie, Roxie, and Vincent were saying to each other. His eyes wandered boredly around the room as soon as he realized he could serve no part in the conversation. What could he even add to their conversation? “I totally understand what the two of you are saying and totally know what these inside jokes and little jabs mean.” Yeah, no. Slicker was not going to subject himself to pointless prattle that he could serve no part in.

His bored eyes eventually landed on the man who was just beneath him (in a violent sense, not the kind with William the other night) as the man scolded at him. His face was bitter and sour like a lemon as his face was as red as a strawberry. A smirk could not help but cross Slicker’s face. Why not poke the bear even more? As the man continued to glare at Slicker, he stuck his tongue out and middle finger up. The chair scratched against the wood and the man moved to get up but his buddy next to him placed a hand on his shoulder and spoke quietly to the man.

Yeah, that’s right. Stay there and get as mad as you want, bitch.

Out of the corner of his eye, Slicker saw Vincent turn to face Slicker and his expression instantly changed to that of angelic innocence with a bright smile to boot. Slicker could feel the angry scowls radiating from the others in the room and some either sadistic or masochistic part of him loved to feel their rage as he knew they could do nothing. All they could do was watch as Slicker got away with being a rude prick yet again. Oh the greatness of having power over others! Eh, maybe it was not the best idea to let this power get to him.

“Let’s get started now, why don’t we?” Slicker said with a shrug. “Don’t want to delay anymore now.” Slicker thought a bit about the type of pay he’d be getting and nodded with a smile. “That’s gonna work out well for me as long as you remember to pay me on time.” Stretching his arms above his head until his back cracked, Slicker then held his shoulder as he rotated his arm. “Alright so where are we going and are we going on foot or by horse? Come on, sunshine, I’d like to get this show on the road before those lush-heads—” Slicker jabbed his thumb over his shoulder and towards the crowd behind him— “sober up more than me.”