Esther Reed | 28 y/o | Female | Second-In-Command

The sound of gunfire rang through the sky but Esther didn't look back, Bertha’s fate had been sealed the moment her horse had toppled over. This was the sad reality of life, sometimes you would lose people and there was nothing that could be done to prevent it. But better to sacrifice one than to foolishly try to save them and end up going down with them. Bertha's death was a chance, a chance for the rest of them to escape the hands, or in this case bullets, of the law and live.

A quick glance to the side of her, the woman caught the sight of Jacob’s face, his jaw clenched tightly as he urged his horse to move faster. The older man had never been good at dealing with loss within the gang and today there had been a lot. She knew for sure that the man was blaming himself, he was meant to lead them to a better life but today he’d lead many of them to their graves.

The blonde felt a poking from the woman behind her and she threw a glance back at the woman, her cold gaze briefly meeting the gaze of Vera’s now red and puffy eyes. Crying wouldn't bring Bertha back so there was no reason to cry, no time. What they could do now, what they had to do, was get back to camp and figure out their next step, after that there would be time to cry, if it would help anyone to do so that is.

After reaching the forest and weaving through trees for a bit, they soon found themselves back at camp, the two horses coming to a stop right near the edge of it. Esther was first to dismount, plastering a compassionate look on her face as she turned to the short haired woman who’d been sat behind her their whole ride back. Holding out a hand, Esther offered the woman some help as she got off Comanche.

“Come, leave that woman here, we can deal with her later,” she spoke in a soft tone, even if she wanted nothing but to tell the woman to get a grip and stop crying. Bertha was dead, end of story.

Grabbing Vera’s hand, Esther gave it a light squeeze as she led her towards the slowly dying campfire and Nike, who’s face revealed that she had questions about what was going on. “Sit down darlin’, everything is going to be fine, just don't forget to breathe now,” Esther reminded as she gestured to the log next to Nike. Yes she was dumping the grieving Vera on the other woman and no, she did not feel bad, she didn't have the time or patience to deal with someone’s pathetic crying.

Leaning a bit closer to Nike, the blonde whispered a very brief explanation, “It all went south, Bertha and a few others died, I need to speak to Jacob so we can figure out our next move. Look after her please.” Nike was a good woman, something Esther knew and something that often bothered her, she had always feared that the woman would manage to replace her, she knew that there were those who thought she should and hence, Esther had grown to dislike the other. She never expressed this dislike though and as much as she hated to admit it, Nike was useful, especially right now. No matter what she thought of Nike, it was good to have someone like her who she knew could deal with the responsibility of whatever you threw her way.

Walking back towards her horse, Esther looked at Jacob, the brown-haired man having a worried expression on his face as he stood next to his Warmblood, scratching the horse's neck while deep in thought. “We can't stay here for long, the law will find us,” she said, interrupting the thoughts of her leader.

“I know,” he answered, meeting the gaze of Esther, “It wasn't supposed to go like this, we had it all planned out and…” the bearded man trailed off, his gaze dropping to the ground with a sigh, “So many good people dead, all for a couple of dollars…”

“It could have also been a success that would have made us rich, we can't predict these things beforehand, we all knew what we were walking into,” the woman put a hand on the shoulder of the leader, sometimes he cared too much. Shit happens, people die, that's just how it was sometimes. They all knew the risks that came with the life that they'd chosen.

“I'm their leader, they trusted in me and now they’re all dead…”

“Not all of them. And the ones that are still alive, they need their leader. I need you,” she told him, her voice a bit sterner now, why did everyone have to grieve when their lives were still on the line right now? Could they not wait?

At that, the man seemed to compose himself a little, putting a hand over the one on his shoulder, “Esther y-”

Bang

The deafening sound of a rifle being fired filled the hollow in which the camp was located. Time itself slowing down as Esther stared into Jacob’s eyes. The man’s grip on her hand tightening as the bullet pierced the side of his skull, life draining from his panic-filled eyes before the grip loosened again and the man collapsed to the ground. For a brief second Esther stood staring at her own hand that still lingered in where Jacob’s shoulder had just been, the crimson splatter that now covered her face mixing with the tears that running down her cheeks as she fell to her knees, realization now having hit her. As tears now streamed down her face, Esther pulled the lifeless body of her leader and father figure close to her.

She could hear the sounds of gunfire but it was all muffled. It didn't matter to her now, nothing mattered anymore. Shit happens, people die, that's just how it was sometimes. People die, but not Jacob, Jacob wasn't people, Jacob wasn't supposed to die, he couldn't die and leave her like this. She couldn't deal with another person leaving her.

“Please God no... Jacob please…” the woman begged, her voice a mere whisper, “I need you… Please wake up… I-I can't do this alone..!”

The blonde began pulling herself and the limp body towards cover. She knew that he was dead, she’d seen the life drain from his eyes, despite that she didn't want to believe it, clinging to the hope that maybe, just maybe he wasn't really dead.

Once behind cover Esther didn't reach for her gun to fire back towards their attacks, there wasn't a single thought in her mind on the other gang members and their safety, all that mattered was getting life in Jacob.

Shaking the man gently, trying to get a response from the man before searching for a pulse, desperate for any sign of life at all. Jacob couldn't be dead, he’d survived so much, lived through all different kinds of hardships, it couldn't be a single bullet that killed him, she refused to believe that.

“Jacob!!” A pain filled scream left the mouth of the woman when she was met with nothing. He was really dead.

Clenching the corpse of the man, Esther began sobbing heavily. Once upon a time she’d sworn to never let herself to feel this type of pain again, to never grow so attached to someone that it would hurt this much when she had them no longer but never had she even thought about the fact that a man like Jacob was capable of dying.

Just as suddenly as the bullet had pierced Jacob's skull, a sudden anger overtook the woman. She grabbed the pistol from the leader’s holster as she let go of his heavy corpse and rising to her feet. Her eyes were tear filled and her vision blurry as she started firing towards the policemen. The fact that she wasn't immediately shot down with her stupid move of putting herself completely in the open was nothing short of a miracle. But she was determined, she would kill those who had taken Jacob from her, even if it was the last thing she did.

Bushes rustling to the side of her made her drop down behind cover, pistol pointed at the bushes, ready to put a hole in the head of the lawman trying to sneak up on her. But it was no lawman, instead it was the two youngest members of the gang and that's when it dawned on her. It was her gang now. She was second-in-command but with Jacob dead she would become the leader. As she saw the frightened faces of the two boys, a sense of responsibility washed over her in a way she'd never felt before.

Her gang. Her responsibility.

She couldn't fall dead and abandon them, it was her job to lead and protect this gang now. She didn't feel quite ready though, Jacob had been a great leader, how was she supposed to match that?

“What are you two doing?! Get behind cover!” She yelled, trying to be loud enough to over voice the gunfire and reach the ears of the young boys.

“Slicker” | 21 | Male | Member

Smirking, Slicker’s expression only changed when he was confirmed to be right and when he was given new information that turning them into the sheriff was not an option. Slicker shifted in his seat, propping his elbow on the back of the chair and placed his chin on his palm. He needed to re-formulate his plan of attack now.

Of course, Slicker always wanted to have power over those around him in case he needed to ask something of them or get something from them. At the moment, Slicker was not only without any power over the other two, but at an added disadvantage because the town was turned against them. Slicker processed all this information, startling silently at both Roxie and Ollie as his narrowed eyes flicked between the two like a snake’s tongue flicking in one direction to another. The two seemed to want one thing which was Slicker’s only true advantage at the moment: to be a part of a gang.

Slicker remained deadly quiet as if speaking was a sin, turning and watching William as he spoke. After listening to him for a moment with the new-found knowledge that Ollie was hurt as William dictated, Slicker now had two points of power over Ollie and Roxie. William was always very observant when it came to injuries despite only having one eye. Even with William’s assistance, Slicker still felt that they were on even footing. Slicker just needed that one more piece of evidence to really slam the final nail in the coffin. What Slicker really needed was—

“Do you two wanna drink?”

“Sorry?”

“Beer, whiskey, or water if yer a cheapskate or enough of a lunkhead to try and get cholera,” the waitress said, placing a hand on her hip. She was short, tough looking, and carried a small notebook and falling apart pen in her hand. Looking Slicker and William up, the waitress smiled for a moment before looking at Roxie and William. “You’re friends of Roxie and Ollie, ain’t cha? You’re gonna want a stronger drink if you’re with them.”

“Yeah, I am already feeling like I should’ve gotten a bit more loaded before I sat with ‘em,” Slicker chuckled before his eyes glanced at the others at the table, swinging his leg around so he was no longer straddling the back of the chair and facing her more.

There was a long pause. The waitress looked to Ollie and Roxie expectantly before huffing and throwing her arms up. “Gee, ain’t cha gonna introduce me??” The waitress huffed again angrily before shaking her head at them. “Well, don’t do it now ‘cause it’s too late an’ now I gotta do it.” The waitress mumbled angrily under her breath. “Unbelievable. Not a lick of manners in this damn town, really.” Holding out her hand, the waitress smiled boldly. “I’m Ashley! Owner of this fine establishment and one who keeps this town of loaded lushes from killin’ one another. For the most part anyway.”

“My name’s Slicker,” Slicker said as took her hand as he shook it with a smirk and wink. “But it’s a pleasure to know yours~” Even though he gave a more simple flirt compared to what he was known for, Slicker could see her cringe a bit behind her polite smile and instantly backed off. Slicker paused before pausing to throw his arm around William. “And this right here’s my buddy, William! Great lad, let me tell ya’!” Slicker pulled away from William after patting his chest before looking up at Ashley with a chuckle. “If you’d be so kind, I think my friend and I would like a beer.”

“Alright, that’ll be 20 cents,” Ashley said with a warm smile as if that price was not total hogwash.

Jesus, this place will run me dry.

As Slicker rummaged through his pockets for money, Slicker froze, a smirk slowly appearing on his face. Clicking his tongue in satisfaction, Slicker handed the kind waitress the money. “Thanks very much because you helped me out more than I think you realize!” Ashley turned and nodded, eyeing Slicker with great suspicion as he turned back to the other three at his table with his legs going back around the back of the chair.

“You wanna be a part of the gang, here’s whatcha gotta do,” Slicker mumbled, leaning closer to them as he looked at Ollie, “you get me and pretty boy over here some jobs. We know you’ve got connections cause you said you know just about everyone. I’ve got experience working on a farm and Willie’s pretty much good at everything except aiming so whatever can get us paid more in, even if it’s more work, we can handle it.” Slicker turned to Roxie. “Now, you, ya lovely knockout, I’m sure would be good working as well, but I need you taking care of your friend here and making sure he heals up just fine. Maybe the two of you can sell whatever little things you know how to make while your friend is resting but it’s more important that he takes time to heal, right?” Slicker then smiled and tilted his head. “Ol’ Willie and I will work and earn money for about a week or until the others get here and pay for your stay at the inn if ya don’t want to stay with family.” Slicker leaned back a bit, trying not to suffocate them with information as he gave them space to think. “This deal is as good as it gets because all you have to do is get us some jobs for a few days and sit your pretty little asses down and make sure you heal up just fine with no infections so you are good for the gang. Just think—”

“Two beers for the two lads!” Ashley cheered as she approached, placing the tall glasses of beer down in front of Slicker and William with a sense of warmth present in the best saloons. Slicker sat up as Ashley returned with the drinks, standing up briefly only to spin his chair back around and lean his arm over the back of it. Slicker smiled as he nodded and raised his glass to her before she turned and left.

“Just think about it for a minute if you need to but don’t take too long, alright?” Slicker chuckled as he lowered his voice a bit more than he had it previously. Raising his voice back up, he held his mug up high. “Until you decide though, let’s have some good ol’ fashioned fun!”

Before he could get caught up in remembering everything that went wrong today, before he could process all the dead he had yet to comprehend, he figured it best to drink away his sorrows as he tipped the mug to his mouth and drank nearly half of the amber liquid in the fat glass as he broke the drink away from his lips with a chuckle.

(the header isn't working at the moment so I will clean it up later :p)
The camp sat just on the edge of the woods and the dry, rocky soil where nothing lives, smoke from the slowly dying fire billowing up into the sky. There, Nike sat, waiting.

As they dismounted, Vera felt the weight of Nike’s eyes. Taking the unconscious woman off the horse, Vera resisted Esther’s pull for a moment, standing her ground with tightly pressed lips and frowned eyebrows before slowly submitting and allowing herself to be dragged along. The cool breeze made the trees dance in the wind but caused Vera’s body to shutter as Esther ushered her to a glaring Nike who did not seem to approve of Esther’s roughness one bit. Vera slowly sat the blonde woman down as the limp body’s eyes closed tighter and body twitched in her unconscious state. Nike said nothing as she observed the red-eyed Vera, the stern Esther, or the sleeping woman. Through strands of her dark red locks and from under her hat, she looked at Jakob, looked at the only two horses they brought back, and further narrowed her eyes. Though her arm was wounded, she still managed to fold it as she looked up at them from her seat on the log. The sun shone down on the woman as Vera remained in the shadows of the nearby trees, too nervous to step forward and explain herself. After a moment, the woman decided to ask no questions as her amber eyes softened and her arms extended.

Vera practically fell into Nike’s arms as her legs gave out and collapsed into Nike, gasping for air through breathy, tear-less sobs while seemingly trying to suffocate herself in Nike’s chest. Nike’s amber eyes remained on Esther as she pulled Vera close to her. Vera felt how tense Nike was as she pulled the shivering woman closer but she only grew more tense. As her jaw could practically be heard grinding bone into bone, tooth into tooth, Nike nodded once Esther explained the situation though she muttered a swear under her breath. Vera could feel Nike’s eyes on her. As soon as Vera heard Esther’s footsteps leaving, Nike pulled away slightly and cupped Vera’s cheek in a gentle manner. Silently, the woman brushed her rough thumb in a soothing manner that felt as delicate as silk despite the years of damage her hands had accumulated.

“Vera,” Nike said in a gruff voice that still felt as calming as an angel’s, “knowing you, you might be blaming yourself, but you have done nothing wrong.”

“Pero— But, Nike, all the blood and the guns and- and- y sus muertes—”

“None. Of. It.” Nike paused and pulled her close. “I am so sorry you had to go through a mission gone wrong. That’s something no-one should have to go through.”

Vera closed her eyes and relaxed into the affection she was giving, not protesting it as she accepted that she needed this. The deaths were not her fault and as much as it hurt, it was better to accept her pain now than dealing with it later.

Bang.

Nike and Vera both went rigid before looking up to see the source of the sound.

Thud.

The second sound far quieter than the first but left a deeper impact on Nike’s expression as she watched Jakob’s body collapse with horror.

“Jacob!!”

Pure anguish.

Vera was useless in a gunfight, having no experience with a gun of any sort, but at the very least she was going to make sure the remainder of her gang was alright. Nike grabbed the fast-asleep woman before darting into the tree line to drop the woman and get cover while Vera ran and slid down beside Esther. Startled, Vera nearly jumped as the bushes rustled and rattled and she looked up to see the boys staring like deer frozen in a petrified place.

“Wh-What happened…?” Aiden asked, pure horror ingrained in his face as his eyes instantly gravitated towards Jacob’s limp corpse. “Is Jacob—?”

“Down!” Vera hissed as she striked the two with a fierce kick, driving the boys to the floor so they’d avoid being struck by a bullet instead. “We need plan, so focus!”

“Here’s the plan, you take whoever this girl is, you take the boys,” Nike instructed as she pressed against the tree and loaded her gun, wincing as her injuries were not making movement easy, “and you run.” Nike paused as she shoved the blonde woman to be closer to the other four before looking at Esther and narrowing her eyes in expected agreement. “End of conversation.”

William Brant | 19 y/o | Male | Member

As on cue, a waitress had approached their table, asking if they wanted something to drink, however she did even more than that, geez these people sure knew how to talk a lot it seemed. And of course and talk drew in Slicker who just loved to run his mouth.

As his friend introduced himself to the woman in his usual way, with some flirting, William couldn't help but to roll his eyes. But to see the woman almost instantly back off in reply to the flirting did please him slightly, it was all too often women got drawn into the flirtatious sweet talk leaving Slicker's mouth and he hated to see it. Not because he felt jealous, of course not, he just couldn't stand to see it all the time.

Feeling the arm of his flirtatious friend get thrown around him, William glared at the man briefly, he always had to be so touchy too, absolutely no sense of personal space. Glancing back up at the woman, William gave a short, yet polite, nod. Slicker had already introduced him so there was no need for him to say anything, he wasn't interested in small talk anyway, he just wanted his drink and to then go to sleep, this day had already been more than enough for him.

You would think that if someone experiences something enough times they would grow desensitized to it but that wasn't the case, not when it came to the death of those you consider family, he may not have been the closest to any of them but it still hurt to have seen them dead. Slicker was probably the closest friend he had though, not entirely by choice really, more because Slicker just had no sense of personal space or could take a hint, no matter how cold and outright rude Will had been to the other when they first crossed paths, the man just hadn't left him alone and while the brown-haired man could be the most annoying and infuriating person William had ever met, he now couldn't imagine a life where Slicker wasn't there.

Leaning back a little more as his friend patted his chest, William watched the woman leave before shifting his focus back to the pair across the table, eying them while listening to Slicker, frowning at the comment about his aim, jabbing his spurs into the leg of the man, not rough enough to do any real damage but definitely rough enough to hurt.

Overall, it wasn't a bad idea though, working would help keep his mind occupied so he wouldn't have to think about the bloodbath that today's mission had brought and now if ever would they need money, especially with the prices of everything in this town, he didn't even want to think about how much a room would cost at the inn. That would have to be a problem for later.

Soon the waitress made a second appearance, this time with their drinks in her hands and once more, William nodded at the woman, this time though adding a, “Thank you miss,” as he grabbed his glass. However he did the, for him, all too common mistake of grabbing it with his right hand, a flash of panic in his gaze as he realized and swiftly wrapped his left hand around the glass before it could slip out of his grip, quietly cursing under his breath.

“Since it's a job you guys are asking for, while your friend starts drinking, I’ll tell you your options.”

William glared up at the man across the table, hoping that neither him nor the woman next to him had noticed his little screw up. It was just embarrassing really, one second he's calling Ollie a cripple and the next he almost drops a glass full of beer due to his own injuries.

Listening to the older man, Will sipped on his beer, now holding it steadily in his left hand while his right hand rested on the table, banished from moving and making more of a fool out of him than it already had.

“As long as ya aren't tryin’ to trick us somehow then that sounds quite aright to me,” William answered. Hunting Slicker could do, with that aim of his it wouldn't be much of a struggle for him, and delivering mail sounded easy enough so why not? Of course he would have preferred to take a few days to just rest and recover from this day's previous events but that would also give him far too much time to think, and that he didn't need, so as long as that Avery guy wasn't too talkative, it should be bearable enough.

Returning his focus back to the glass in his hand, the one-eyed man frowned slightly at the discovery that he'd already consumed about half of it while mindlessly sipping away at the beverage.

“Hey,” William put the glass down at the table and leaned his head against the back of his hand as he looked at the man next to him, once more pushing his spurs into the leg of the man next to him, howeve far lighter now this time, “Can I have a cigarette? I forgot mine in Scud’s saddlebag,” he admitted. When talking to Slicker his expression softened up ever so slightly from how it was when he spoke to Ollie, gaze no longer seeming to try and burn a hole through the other and for the most observant eyes, a slight smile tugged at the corners of the young man's mouth. No matter how crazy Slicker would drive him, he never wanted him to disappear.

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

“Please ignore my brother, sir. ‘Cause he’s got this real strange way of complimenting people even if they shouldn’t be compliments and he shouldn’t be talking.”

The young boy carried a shit-eating grin on his face, even as Aiden squeezed around him, hard enough for it to almost be considered attempted murder. It would probably come as no surprise to anyone if Delaney one day pushed Aiden over the edge completely with his antics and the boy actually did try to kill him for real. Aiden’s strong reactions only made it more entertaining for him though and made him want to continue.

But before the black-haired boy could open his mouth to speak again, pushing the buttons of his older gang member even further, gunshots could be heard through the trees and not just from anywhere but from where they had just come, from camp.

At a loss for what to do next, gunshots unfortunately being very hard to talk to and often so, the people firing them too. Plus they weren't even at camp currently, they were stuck with this stranger. They needed to get away from him and get back as soon as possible, but how?

Suddenly Aiden hurled something at the man and before the older boy had even had the chance to grab Del's hand, he had gotten the hint and took off in full sprint alongside the other. What they would do once they reached camp he had no idea and most likely, neither did Aiden, even so, they still ran. Their feet found their way over sticks and stones, there was no time for stumbling or tripping, not since the stranger had taken chase after them. One mistake and they’d be done for.

It wasn't long before they reached camp, pushing through a couple of bushes to do their best in avoiding the eyes of the law while getting to their gang, or well, the few that had come back to camp which seemed to only be a blood-covered Esther and a crying Vera… Along with… an unconscious woman…?

Del’s eyes briefly scanned over them, shocked at the sight and a bit taken aback due to the gun Esther was pointing at them, but then he saw him and suddenly it was as if everything else disappeared, the boy froze in place, standing completely still, as if any hint of a movement would kill him, despite it really being the opposite, the stiller he was, the easier of a target.

On the ground next to Esther laid Jacob, a small pool of blood now having formed beneath the old leader's head, an open hole, gaping with emptiness in between the eyes of the man. Lifeless eyes stared up into the sky, color seemed to slowly be draining from the once strong and all-knowing leader’s body.

Of course the black-haired boy had seen death before, he'd lived a tough life so far. He’d seen both his parents fall ill and die, after that he had spent a few years on the streets, streets filled with violence and disease, but never before had he seen someone who'd been shot through the head like Jacob, nor had he even thought of that man as killable, he just didn't seem like the type who could die, yet there he laid, completely lifeless… Most dead people looked dead even before their hearts stopped beating, at least in Del’s experience, but that wasn't the case now with Jacob.

“Down!”

It wasn't until the young boy was sent crashing to the ground due to Vera's kick that he was brought back to reality and the sounds around him came back, seemingly louder than before.

“Here’s the plan, you take whoever this girl is, you take the boys, and you run.”

Del’s dark blue gaze finally ripped from the corpse and turned towards the older gang members, Nike now instructing Vera on what to do. But were they really just going to leave Nike and Esther here? Would they make it out of here alive…?

“End of conversation.”

Nike shut down any questions or protests before they could even think of any and as the redhead turned her gaze towards Esther who had long since removed her gun from Aiden and Del’s faces and was now instead back to firing at the cops, only listening to their conversation with half an ear as her focus laid elsewhere.

Esther glanced over at Vera, the two boys and the unconscious woman, they couldn't fight but they shouldn't have to die trying to either. With a nod, she agreed with Nike’s plan, “Run as far as you can, try to find and join back up with Slicker and William, and we will come find you all once we clean up here.”

Del found himself clenching the hand of Aiden, never having let go after their sprint through the forest. It was hard to act or feel tough in a situation like this because it was all for real and people were dying, people had died. And they weren't just any people, they were the closest thing to family most of them had, Del included, and now he was seeing them die and suffer. No matter how tough and mature the boy wanted to seem, it didn't change the fact that he was still just a young teenager.

“Slicker” | 21 | Male | Member

Slicker let out a faint chuckle as he pulled the glass of beer from his lips and whipped the corner of his lips with his thumb before licking the beer from his thumb. What? The beer was good and he was not willing to let it go to waste. He had probably drunk the whole glass in half a minute, but now he was already craving more. Though the boring piano music was grating on his ears, at least the drinks were great. Huffing softly as he stared at the now empty glass, Slicker grumbled about how he wanted more. With only small bubbles at the bottom of the glass, maybe Slicker was delusional or just drunk, but it looked like there were faces in the bubbles. Screaming faces in pain just like… Slicker was still trying not to think of what happened earlier today and block out all the faces of his dead companions. Even as he placed the glass down on the table, the faces would not go away, they would not leave him alone, and they would not stop tormenting—

Slicker sat up a bit as he felt a light poke in his leg, glancing over at William as he was pulled from his thoughts and let out a small “hmm?” Slicker tilted his head softly as he stared at William as he gave a request.

“Now, why exactly should I give a cigarette to someone who stole one of mine earlier?” Slicker huffed with a small smirk as he subconsciously wrapped an arm around William’s waist. After having briefly planned on making William beg for it, Slicker hesitated as he noticed how William’s eye softened. Those tough eyes of William’s softened on Slicker for Christ’s sake! He was truly a sucker for those hazel and milky eyes. Slicker sighed quietly. “Gee whiz, hold on a moment…” Grumbling as he finally complied, Slicker shifted closer to William as he shuffled through his pocket and finally got his pack of cigarettes, pulling one out for William. “Open wide, pretty boy~” Slicker chuckled softly before inserting the cigarette in his mouth, his thumb grazing the other’s lip as he made sure it was securely in his mouth before letting go of it. Pulling William closer until William was practically against Slicker, Slicker chuckled huskily into his ear before lowering his voice just for William. “But if you want a light, I’m afraid I’ll need another beer and a kiss~” Suddenly, Slicker burst into a laugh before letting go of William and standing up, leaning on the table for support as he did so. “Kidding, kidding, I just need you to get me a beer while I go speak to the piano lad over there. You still owe me a drink if you want a light though!~” Slicker paused before turning to Ollie and Roxie and digging through his pocket before placing two dollar bills down on the table. “For your rooms. We will talk business in the mornin’!” Before anyone at the table could protest, Slicker stumbled off to the piano with a tipsy chuckle.

“Hey, ya oyster!” Slicker called as approached the man in a white shirt and gray vest playing the piano. “Care to liven the place up a bit? I think the folks would like it if you cut the low sad crap and get right to the razzmatazz.” The man rolled his eyes. “Ya catch on?”

“Get lost, ya schmuck,” the man growled as the song gradually came to an end and the melody faded. His tanned hands delicately played the piano and only stopped moving when the song ended, allowing Slicker to take him in full for a moment before the man could notice him staring. He was wearing a nice white shirt under a simple gray vest, full of stains and a few tears but it was clear he was at least putting an effort into his appearance. It was certainly clear that he was putting an effort into his body too as he was not bad looking in the slightest. He had a nice build that filled up his shirt with nice muscles, he had neat black hair that was rich like a dark roast of coffee, and, as the man looked up at him, Slicker realized just how tipsy he really was when he noticed how pretty his hazel eyes were. Slicker quickly glanced away.

“So what’ll it take for you to actually play something with a bit more of a soul to it? It should be a cinch for anyone who knows how to play a few keys,” Slicker finally sputtered out after a moment before the man could begin to play again.

“Well if Penelope decides to walk over and give me a fat smooch on the cheek, I might be inclined to play happy music as a much happier lad,” the man chuckled dryly as he turned away from glaring at Slicker.

“Who?”

“She’s the real looker in the blue dress.”

Slicker scanned the crowd until his eyes landed on one woman with a fan in hand as she talked with the women across from her at a circular table. In a fancy blue dress with white lace and pink ribbon around her waist, the woman, Penelope, seemed to feel Slicker’s eyes on her and turned to face him, fanning herself more as they met eyes and Slicker threw a subconscious wink before she instantly turned away. This, of course, caused the other girls at her table to be spurred into giggles. Penelope’s dress was tight to her skin, pressing her into an hourglass figure. Soft, dirty blonde hair grew all the way down to her hip as gossip and whatever else spilled from her lips as she continued to speak to the women at her table. Her eyes were a dull blue without a spark or any softness. Slicker really did not see what was the big deal with her.

“You’re more of a looker than her…”

“Pardon?”

“I said she is not that much of a looker,” Slicker corrected, as he leaned on the piano and looked back at the man who, and Slicker swears this, had his eyes almost bulge out of his head at this comment.

“Gee, you’re the nuttiest man I ever met! Not one person has ever said that about Penelope. Penelope— why, Penelope!— she is just the sweetest thing alive. And her smile! Golly, I could just melt for it! I just wish I could hold—”

“Tell ya what,” Slicker said with annoyance in his tone as he could not stand the sparkle in the man’s eyes as he began to speak so highly of someone so dull, “you play something with a bit more juice to it, and I am bettin’ ya she will come talk to ya every night after today and ask for more of that from you.”

“You really think that?” the man asked, sounding dismissive but somewhat optimistic about the idea.

Slicker pushed off the piano and stood on his own wobbly feet without leaning against the sleek black wood as he placed a hand on the man’s shoulder with a warm smile. “I am sure of it.”

Slicker squeezed the man’s shoulder lightly and— Christ, he does have a nice build— walked back over to William as more happy music flooded the building. Sitting back down in his chair next to Slicker, he sighed softly before turning to William as his smile returned.

“So did you get me another drink yet?”

Lucile Mason | 27 | Female | Ex-Member of Philip’s Gang |

-

The woman didn’t dare take a moment to pause as she reloaded her rifle and shot at the police who were now scattering, trying to find the culprit of their sudden attack.

She only paused for a moment to see if she could hear what the two boys and their friends were talking about. Lucile only got a little bit of what they said though, before she could hear a bullet fly past her head and into the tree next to her.

Clenching her teeth, taking aim again, and shooting the nearest cop, who fell to the ground in pain, Lucile crouched lower, trying her best to stay as hidden as possible. Slowly, she crept back towards where the two boys and women were, though she kept a bit of distance.

She reloaded her rifle once more, hoping to take another shot, but a bullet flew past her, and then a small volley, making her realize she’d finally been spotted.

Quickly moving through the brush again she stood up, aiming her rifle right past the strangers, and fired at an officer who was shooting towards them.

“Hey, boys –Bang– Ladies!” she shouted, taking aim again. “Get moving if you don’t wanna die!”

Taking her pistol from her holster, she ducked down and loaded it, popping back up to take shots at the officers again, who scrambled.

Though the sound of her gun going off couldn’t distract her from one of the officers yelling her name. Lucile Mason.

A highly wanted criminal who the law has failed to hang for 13 years.

Being called out wouldn’t stop her though. She fired at the man calling her name, catching him square in the head.

“Hurry!” she yelled at the boys again, whistling for Traveler. Lucile could hear the horse had stopped just a bit from her, scared of the gunfire.

She hurriedly dived for Traveler, leaping onto his back and looking round for the two boys and women. She didn’t know what was happening, but she’d at least try and help the best she could.

-

| Roxie Sweet | 24 | Female | Ex-Member of Philip’s Gang |
-
Roxie sat quietly and listened, not wanting to get Ollie anymore agitated than he already was.
She glanced over at her friend, who grabbed the two dollars Slicker had put on the table for them. “Only needed one for the room but… here.” he handed Roxie the other dollar. “Buy yourself a drink. I’m going to go visit Aiden.”
Roxie smiled and took the dollar. “Good luck with that. As long as he hasn’t worked himself to death. Maybe I’ll go see Sarah tomorrow…”
“Sure, you can do that.” Ollie replied blankly, calling Ashley back over to their table.

-
The redhead sighed and looked down at her dog Sadie, patting her on the head gently.
The small puppy tugged gently on her sleeve and jumped back onto her lap.
It took a minute for Ashley to get back to them, looking disheveled and tired. The bar was now full to the brim with townsfolk and travelers, cowboys and outlaws, though it wasn’t hard to notice half of them had minor injuries and burns.
“What do ya want Roxie?” Ashley asked, glancing over her writing tablet and placing her pen to the page.
“Some good ol’ strong whiskey please.” Roxie grinned at her. “I’m going to need it stuck in here with these fools.”
The woman smiled back at her, “I can see that. I’ll give ya a bit more than a shot then if ya’d like.” she glanced at Slicker, who seemed to be growing drunker by the minute.
Roxie gave her the dollar and nodded, “yes ma’am, gimme three in one if ya can.”
Ashley grinned and swept back into the crowd. Roxie knew it’d probably take her awhile to get back with her drink, so she waited, while Ollie started an attempt to get up. “I’ll be off then.” he sighed. Gwynn’s ears perked suddenly and she leaped to her paws, immediately at his side.

-
Roxie waved Ollie goodbye as he pulled himself out of his chair and made for the door, Gwynn right at his heels. “I’ll be back…”It surprisingly wasn’t too much longer when Ashley came back with her whiskey, setting it on the table. “I’d love to chat, but I got six more orders to take. If I can catch ya sometime I will.” and with that she hurried away again.
“I might black out with this much whiskey… Welp…” Roxie sighed, glancing down at Sadie. “I got my dog, a glass of firewater, and two ugly idiots. Might as well.” she shrugged, picking up her glass and drinking.

William Brant | 19 y/o | Male | Member

William could almost see the gears turning in Slicker’s head, sure that the man would have some ridiculous demand before giving him a cigarette, especially since he had already snaked an arm around his waist but to his surprise the man complied.

“Open wide, pretty boy~”

A soft blush painted his cheeks as William opened his mouth, not because Slicker had told him to but rather to snap at the man, before he could though, he felt Slicker's thumb grazing against his lips and he once again softened, blushing even more as he sat perfectly still until the cigarette was in his mouth.

Next he felt Slicker pull him closer and he didn't waste energy on resisting, he didn't want to resist. Just for now he would let Slicker have his way, besides, he wasn't doing anything too bad right now, sure, the arm around him might look suspicious to some but otherwise it was nothing to worry about, just two friends messing with each other. That's all they were anyway.

“But if you want a light, I’m afraid I’ll need another beer and a kiss~”

William’s face flushed red at the man’s next words though and the softness he'd had for the man disappeared in an instant, quickly shoving him away as the man broke into laughter.

Luckily Slicker started talking to the other two at their table and William could calm his blushing in peace, taking the cigarette from his lips with his right hand, the only good thing it seemed to be good for nowadays, and barely that. With his left hand he grabbed his glass once more and began downing the rest of the liquid inside.

Once the glass was empty, Slicker had disappeared and so had the blush on William’s face, thankfully. Once again he carried a grumpy expression on his face as he listened a little to the conversation between the other two at the table, not that they were saying anything interesting really. Seeing the waitress return to the table was more interesting to him.

The brown-haired man waited for Roxie to order and chat with the woman before he cleared his throat slightly to get her attention before she could leave, putting on a polite smile, “Could ya get me and my buddy get another round of beer too?” He glanced over at Slicker by the piano, his smile dropping when he saw the way the man was looking at the pianist, “Gimme a glass of whiskey too won't ya?” He muttered as he searched his pockets for the money before handing it to the waitress.

With a huff, he leaned back, keeping his eye on the pianist and Slicker, glaring at the two men. He couldn't really tell you why their interaction was making him so annoyed, this was just how Slicker was with everyone, he already knew that, and it's not like he liked Slicker, he was a man, Slicker was a man, it never worked out between two men, he knew that. It wasn't supposed to work out.

When the waitress returned with the drinks, William thanked her quietly as he grabbed the glass of whiskey, luckily holding the cigarette in his right hand still and therefore grabbing the glass with his left one. Without taking his gaze off the men, he downed the whiskey in a single swig, feeling the liquor burning in his throat for a moment.

Too preoccupied with glaring at Slicker and the current victim of his flirtatious behavior, William didn't even notice when Ollie left the table, or Roxie mumbling to herself. Not until he saw Slicker squeeze the man's shoulder while turning back towards their table did he look away. He put the, now empty, glass of whiskey back down at the table, a little harsher than necessary. Hearing the more cheerful music now filling the building didn't help lighten his mood, in fact it only seemed to worsen it. What had Slicker said to make the man so much happier, huh?

“So did you get me another drink yet?”

William looked over at Slicker, a sour expression on his face as he pushed one of the beer glasses towards him, “Now give me a light will ya? And then ya can ask mush-head over there for yer next one,” he snapped while putting the cigarette between his lips again, “Seemed really friendly you twos,” he then added with a mutter, holding his hand out and waiting for Slicker to hand him the lighter.

He wasn't jealous, that would be stupid, Slicker was just his friend for heaven’s sake, nothing more. If Slicker so wanted to flirt with a man then he could, William didn't care, he just didn't have to be so obvious about it, some people weren't as unbothered by it as himself. He was simply worried about him, that was all. He didn’t care about the way Slicker looked at other men, or how he smiled at them, spoke to them, or even how he touched them, but if he did that to the wrong person, or with the wrong person around, no matter if it was a man or woman he was flirting with really, he could get hurt. It was one thing when Slicker did it to him but with strangers, it was dangerous and he worried for him, obviously, so it wasn't jealousy, definitely not.

Aiden | 18 | Male | Member

What the actual hell?

Gasping softly, Aiden shook slightly in pure terror. Still unable to move for a moment, Aiden’s head was spinning as he watched Jakob’s corpse. His hand tightened around Del’s. His heartbeat was louder in his ears than the bullet fire that surrounded him. His whole world had just collapsed and, within a moment, he would turn to the only thing he could ever rely on: explosives.

Weaseling out of Del’s grip, Aiden reached into his satchel and clasped his hands around a stick of dynamite. Spilling some of his red-tipped matches along the forest floor, Aiden struck the match on his rough pants before bringing the light to fuse. Reeling his arm back, Aiden prepared to launch the dynamite forward as his eyes blazed with an uncanny necessity for this destruction. That was when—

“Don’t!” Vera hissed as she quickly caught Aiden’s wrist and jerked the boy towards her. Aiden’s eyes filled with confusion before blazing with rage as she put out the flame by closing her thumb and pointer finger around the flame.

“Let go! I’m trying to help!” Aiden barked, attempting to tug his wrist away from her as he tried to stumble away from her tightening grip.

“If you want to kill us all, go ahead!” Vera shouted, her tears drying as her eyes held a steady ferocity. Vera shifted the unconscious woman on her shoulder so she could point to the trees. “Dry season. You will burn down all of us.”

“B-But— Just let me help!” Aiden’s eyes burned with frustrated tears as he turned to Nike. “Nike, tell her I can help!!”

Nike did not respond.

As Esther did not budge from her spot, Nike’s eyes narrowed before she grabbed the other woman’s shoulder and pulled her behind cover. Nike’s voice was harsher than Aiden had ever heard but in a whisper that Aiden could barely make out in the chaos. Regardless, he still listened the best he could.

“No, no, no, you fucking listen to me and listen good.” Nike’s voice was like crackling gunpowder as she held Esther close. “I am staying behind and there is no ‘we.’ Look at them, Esther.” Nike grabbed Esther’s jaw and forced her to turn to the boys and women. “Look at Del, look at Vera, and Aiden and the other two women. You are in charge of them whether you like it or not.” Nike turned Esther’s jaw so the woman was looking her dead in her eyes as Aiden felt chills at Nike even mentioning his name in a tone that was so unnatural to her. “Frankly, I don’t think you’ll be a good leader. I think you lie to yourself and others too much to be good at what Jakob wanted you to do.” Aiden thought that Nike would strangle Esther at this point since he had almost never seen this side of her unless it was the occasional anger towards Jakob’s plans or the coppers. Instead, Nike grabbed the back of Esther’s head, tipping her forehead to Esther’s, as her voice grew softer.

“Please, please, prove me wrong and take care of them for me.”

Nike’s voice was soft, as it always was but not gentle chuckle or sense reassurance. Her voice felt almost weak with an aura of somberness like one would see when talking about someone who is already dead. Aiden just wished Nike would talk like she normally would and not like this was a forever goodbye. It was not like Nike was leaving or dying, right? Right?

No, no, no, no, no, no!

“N-Nike?”

Nike let go of Esther as she turned to the boys and Vera, all who were frozen with some combination of horror.

“Y’all behave, alright?” Nike said as fast as she could knowing that police were firing at them left and right. “Vera, don’t worry so much; you’re always great at what you do. Del, I know this is a lot to handle right now, but I am so glad I got to meet you. And Aiden—” Aiden shook his head in disbelief as he finally realized this was her saying goodbye— “stay out of trouble until I can see you again.” Nike turned and finally popped up from behind her cover, her tone wavering as if she was brought to tears. “Now scram!!”

“Nike, no— Please, Nike!” Aiden begged as Vera instantly acted as she was told to do so by prying the dynamite from Aiden and shoving it into his bag. “Nike, don’t do this! Just come with us, please— I— Vera, let go!” Vera had grabbed Aiden’s wrist with the hand which was not currently holding up the unconscious woman before chasing after the woman on the horse. “Nike! Nike!!”

“Esther, grab Del!” Vera shouted over Aiden’s desperate sobs and pleas, attempting to fight against Vera but inevitably being dragged away from the gunfire.