Gene and Harmony walked in silence, not much to talk about, Gene supposed, which suited him fine enough. Though even he was feeling the need to fill in the silence now and then with the odd comment or observation.
He marvelled to himself at how the marketplace - and Quintin as a whole for that matter - was some incomprehensible mishmash of multiple different centuries at once. Clashing designs and architecture that made it feel more like a half-finished movie set than a place where people lived. Not to mention the smell and the heat, coupled together into some evil omnipresent force that clung to your clothes and permeated senses you didn't even know you had.
Gene was about to let out another colourful "Texan" analogy before stopping, tapping Harmony to do the same.
"There." He whispered, looking as if he were instead perusing the wares of the nearest stall and inviting Harmony to do the same as his eyes darted towards Genesis and Cody Black at the edge of the market. It wasn't good for his cover as some huckleberry from the sticks but he needed to get something useful, letting these kids get away with any valuable info due to the negligence of the rest of his group was not something he could let happen.
"Wait here; I'm gonna toss 'em the 'ol Watson charm." He said with a wink to Harmony. It probably didn't inspire confidence in her but he needed to come off a little delusional. "If it looks like things're goin' south then step in and we'll get a move on out of here." It wasn't really a sincere request, more so it was just to keep Harmony content, Gene had already began walking before she could even respond.
In truth, Gene's mind was going a mile a second, taking in the minutiae of Cody and Genesis with every step. You have to know your audience before you can begin a show.
They were both tall, they were both apparently little hell-raisers, they both had fairly stupid names. The girl, Genesis, didn't even bother any attempt at subterfuge as she all but yelled to her twin about the "outsiders" in town. She didn't seem particularly malicious about it though, she spoke as if pointing out a deer to her brother rather than a perceived invader. She was also wearing a disproportionately large amount of black.
Loose lips, lack of malice, weekend goth. There was something to work with.
"Howdy, Sir, Ma’am." Gene said, extending his hand. "My name's Vincent, my friend and I are on vacation to see some…" A sheepish grin escaped him as he scratched the back of his neck with his free hand. "Well we're both fans of the country… and, well, "spooky" stuff too for lack of a better term." He said with an embarrassed chuckle.
"Sorry, I'm babbling. We were told that when it came to Quintin, the Black family would know more than anybody and that you guys sometimes hung around here. Hope I'm not disturbing you?" It wasn't his best work, admittedly. But it was light and open ended. He just needed an in.
"Spoilt brats never do know how to keep a zip on it. Mind if I tag along?"
"Ah. Well, I-" Not fast enough unfortunately, his escape halted by the tall, pale woman. Whilst his hopes were to separate from the group and make some actual progress himself, he was having real trouble coming up with an excuse that wouldn't offend. Even if his plans were to go it solo, he might need to glean more information from the group later and having them be suspicious of him would do no good.
"Well, I was goin' to check out that motel first..." A glance to his side revealed the haughty girl, Jasmine, dragging some wannabe tough guy by his wrist, and announcing her intentions to investigate the motel like she were born to do it. But that job seems to be drawin' a crowd." he added with a slight chuckle. If he couldn't go it alone he'd rather pick the smallest (and thus far least obnoxious) group possible.
"Sure then." He tipped his hat to Harmony and held open the door for her. "Let's see if we can't spill a few secrets from Mary-Louise's spawn."
Quintin Market
Gene tugged at his shirt a little while they walked. He was used to the heat, or so he thought. In Texas, the air and type of heat changed fairly regularly throughout the day, but thus far in Louisiana it was like working out in the gym and then wrapping yourself up in a big thick blanket. The air was so heavy he could practically see it as it clung to his clothes. Nevertheless, the markets were where the grandkids of Mary-Louise Black could, apparently, be found most often. How exactly he was going to get something useful from them was another matter. If he were too guarded they’d likely just ignore anything he had to say, but if he were too elaborate or charismatic in his dealings it might be harder to sell the “average blue collar texan” schtick to Harmony and therefore the rest of the group.
Gene looked around while exhaling a warm cloud. The market looked pretty much as expected, cramped drab and depressing architecture maintained by cramped, drab, depressed people. Some market vendors appeared to be gossiping amongst themselves about something that happened recently but whenever they caught sight of Gene or Harmony they seemed to clam up sharpish. Gene tilted up his hat and narrowed his eyes as they walked through the square.
”See anyone who looks like they’ve never worked a seven hour shift?” He asked Harmony, though really anyone who didn’t look too emaciated and numbed by the sun would probably fit the bill as a member of The Black Family.
So lost in thought was Gene that he initially didn't notice the outpouring of newcomers until the coffee house looked a lot more packed and the locals a lot more pissed.
The tough chick duo had already split to go and harrass Mary-Louise and the young British chick had already claimed the doctor's office, angling for someone to come along with her. Gene might've taken the chance too since she seemed more preoccupied with finding her mother and less inclined to question Gene personally before the cop chimed in to join her.
Oh yeah. The cop.
Gene suppressed a frown by examining the map more closely. Who did this guy think he was fooling? The way he carried himself, the way he summarised everything to try and find common threads, the fucking donut that he'd scared on like it was his last meal on earth. Gene could well be wrong but that was more out of hope he was rather than a track record against his instincts. Still, twelve seemed more interested in accompanying Charlie and hadn't so much as glanced at Gene which could suggest he was either here incidentally or Gene wasn't his main priority at the moment. If nothing else, he did seem like an out of towner on account of not looking and sounding like a mutant from The Hills Have Eyes.
A few more people entered, two strange looking fellas who Gene didn't have to even as much as glance at to know weren't from Louisiana or law enforcement. Nevertheless, their arrival and further introductions provided Gene with ample enough distraction to begin making his exit.
"I'll have a look at The Moss Motel." he said, putting on his hat and tapping once more on the map. "If I don't find anything which, frankly, seems likely. I'll poke my head around for a little chat with Mary-Louise's ankle-biters." That actually was likely to lead to something. There truly was no more malleable a mark than old money rich kids. Even if the conversation was brief, Gene was more than confident he could get something useful.
He near enough began power walking away after announcing this. If he were by himself, especially when it came to interacting with the Black family, this investigation would be over before lunch and Ellie's little scheme would be made clear to him. It also meant he wouldn't have to keep wondering if he were overdoing the whole "Texan" thing.
The good news was that Gene was a bit more confident this wasn’t a sting operation. The bad news was that he remained unconvinced these people weren’t morons.
It was like some bizarre LARP thing as the nerdy looking girl, Jennifer, managed to stutter her way through her notes on the Black family tree. That they were the head honchos of Quintin did not inspire a lot of respect from Gene, a quick glance out the window led him to believe a hillbilly squatted over a ditch one day and shat out this town. His attention was drawn to Jen’s map, various points of interest outlined with a skull messily drawn over one area. The mother/daughter trauma team jumped on this almost immediately, it was a little strange that Jen hadn’t mentioned it but then again this may well be her first conversation with human beings ever judging by the way she carried herself.
He just managed to suppress a scoff at Jennifer’s answer: “death.” It was not a haunted swamp, it was a perfectly normal swamp, which housed many mundane dangers that likely would terrify superstitious locals who’d only recently discovered fire. She was getting shifty, pointing out how unkindly the town residents took to people who asked questions. So long as they didn’t start commenting on Gene having a “purdy mouth” he didn’t give a shit what they thought. Regardless, the family office seemed like a decent place to start. Arranging a meeting with this “Mary-Louise” would be simplicity itself, Gene could have it done in five minutes if he were alone and not currently in-between characters with these people. Unfortunately, no such luck. The punk chick and the leather chick already volunteered themselves so he was looking forward to hearing how that pulp scene played out.
”Jen, what’re some of the places circled here?” He said, tapping her map with his index finger. ”If upsettin’ the local population’s an issue, might be worth spreadin’ ourselves a lil thinner. Cover more ground without attractin’ as much attention. hm In theory anyway.”
And, ideally, giving Gene a chance to separate himself from this circus. Jennifer had effectively given him some starting points which was really all Gene cared about.
"I won't bore ya with all the details but, long story short, we heard you talking on the phone and, well, our grandad - God rest his soul - passed a few weeks ago. Now, myself and Alessa've been left a… a pretty decent inheritance each."
The man in the suit appeared disinterested, attention on his phone and speaking in a tone just light enough to be socially polite but with a clear underlying desire to wrap it up fast.
"Sorry to hear that." He said. "How much're you two working with?"
"Well, it's…" He looked back and forth before leaning forward and whispering into the man's ear. The man in the suit looked up from his phone, a dial switched from within, like a shark smelling blood.
"That is a pretty decent inheritance." He conceded.
"But - and I don't mean to be disrespectful - it feels like a shortsighted call." There was a shakiness to Alessa's voice. She abhorred the rudeness of her interjection but needed her voice to be heard. "Vincent wants to pool our money together and just… just dump all of it onto the market and hope that one of them might double our money and I-"
"Alessa! Vincent hissed. The two began to silently bicker, an argument replayed over the past several weeks since obtaining the money. The man in the suit stood up.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Let's all settle down." He stood, flashing an affable grin. "First off you and your lovely sister are right. It's a great way to triple your investment but it's good to be cautious. The market can be unpredictable. But, that's why you get a broker."
"A broker? Ah, buddy, we were just gonna go with the most popular stock and throw our lot in with them."
The man in the suit chuckled. "Sure, that's a way of doing it, but you wanna diversify."
The siblings looked quizzical. "Diversify? Alessa tilted her head.
"Yeah, y'know don't put all your eggs into one basket? It's the same principle. Blue chip stocks are generally reliable but, it's the success of the outliers that'll get you the most bang for your buck, emerging companies, horses on the rise, cryptocurrency even. That's where a broker steps in." With another disarming smile, he finished his drink and placed it down on the table.
"Tell you what, why don't I get us a booth over there and give you two a free consultation."
"Well… ah, gee, I dunno-"
"Drinks on me." He said with a chuckle.
The siblings looked at each other then looked back at the man.
"Well all right!" Vincent said, shaking the man's hand.
The duo stumbled out of the bar, giggling and whispering.
"How long d'you think before they bring him the bill?" Floyd slurred with a raspy chuckle.
"Three hundred dollars worth of champagne and lobster." Eleanor giggled. "I kinda feel bad for the guy, never even checked the drinks menu for the prices."
"Ahhhh, guy's a stockbroker. We could rob half the U.S and he'd still have us beat."
"What's the plan now?" she asked, resting her head on his shoulder as they staggered into the night.
"I dunno" Floyd replied, looking down at her with a soft smile. "Somethin'...
The Webb Family Coffee House
Stupid.
The whole thing made him feel idiotic.
On one hand he'd half expected a group of homeless nutjobs who'd somehow stumbled onto an Internet connection. Or, more worryingly, a sting operation by the police using the world's most bizarre gambit to flush him out. Instead it was terrified mothers and confused daughters.
A more stable group than he expected, to be sure, but as they poured forth stories of Eleanor Black it all felt so ridiculous. They all knew this woman with a similar backstory in vastly different contexts. He couldn't exactly figure out the how or especially the why Ellie might abandon her kid or steal somebody else's but this was a con of some kind. It had to be. And as such, Gene did what he always did with Ellie's stories.
Play along.
"Howdy." He said, walking over to the group after Harmony had finished. "Sorry for listening in, wasn't sure if I had the right place." He hesitated. "Still not. If I'm being honest."
He sat down his hat and his glass of water in front of his chair on the table. The water was… somewhat cloudy and thus remained untouched.
"My name's Eugene. Eugene Watson. But, uh, just "Gene" works, thanks." A little unsure. A little vulnerable even. Guarded but open.
"Ellie-... Eleanor was my girlfriend. Six years or so, give or take. She had short dark hair, smart as hell, kinda… kinda cagey, I guess?
He inhaled, both from searching his brain for anything useful and how precisely to word it. "She didn't really talk much about her home life. 'Least not in anyway I understood." The truth. "Pretty normal relationship beyond that." A lie. "Only thing I remember for sure is her telling me about this place, Quintin. Can't say it's as appealing as she made it out to be. Not too long after that she, uh, she left me." He quiets for a moment, just a second. His stare becomes hard yet confused. He settles back in to being Gene Watson, resolved that the table has seen the first and last glimpse of beneath the mask.
"A good few months after that I saw her again, completely different. Different look different name. But everybody was acting like she was the same as she'd ever been." A vague truth, or a deliberately worded lie. Generally speaking, even those with the keenest senses for people found it hard to pick apart a story if they couldn't begin where to pierce it. They might guess you're lying, but they wouldn't know about specifically what.
He looked around at Niko, Charlie and Harmony, sympathy in his eyes. "Not quite the same as losing family or a support system though. For what little it's worth, no matter what crazy crap this is all spawned from, I hope everybody gets their Ellie back."
Another careful wording, a dash of reality and fiction. Truthfully, part of Gene did pity these nutjobs but he wasn't even beginning to entertain anything more than a mundane outcome to all of this. Frankly, he was still lightly expecting them to whip out the badges and slap on the cuffs.
_______________________________________________ Eugene Kurt Watson
He/Him | 31 | Caucasian | 6’0 | 142lbs _______________________________________________ Deceit _______________________________________________ Skills & Talents "I learned this one at bible camp." ___________________________________
Lockpicking ⫻ A talent, naturally, kept hidden but Gene is a savant when it comes to picking the locks of doors, cars, even a safe on one or two occasions. He does naturally require some kind of tool, especially the more complex a lock it is, but he has yet to encounter one he couldn’t make sing.
Engineering ⫻ His apprenticeship of choice, he’s not a specialist and his expertise tends towards factory machine maintenance but Gene is comfortable with a toolkit and can work his way around stubborn cars or a faulty toaster if needs be.
Urban Survivalist ⫻ With his upbringing below the poverty line and his choice of work later in life, Gene is something of an expert in making it through the days on the streets. Shoplifting dinner, pickpocketing bus fare and keeping a low profile during it all. Mama would be proud.
Slickster ⫻ A master at spinning elaborate webs of deceit, designed to separate some poor fool from their money. Gene is charming and deceptively good at reading people. Even those who can tell the superficiality in his words have often found themselves still wanting to believe them.
Appearance ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ "Nothin’ special about me, friend."
Gene Watson is both unremarkable enough to not stick in your memory and unique enough as to not seem like he’s trying too hard to blend in. He always appears laid back and affable but with some strange guard surrounding it, like speaking to a coworker you don’t know all that well. There’s always some level of performance to his mannerisms. He may not monologue or flair dramatically all that often, but he clearly enjoys listening to himself.
In keeping with his relaxed demeanour, Gene sports a long and messy head of black hair, more on the "mop top" side than the mullet side. Along with a scraggly beard that, coupled with his lithe figure and unkempt style, straddles the line between charmingly roguish and "rat-like". The only failing in his air of civility are his eyes, half-closed and dull grey yet always alert - either in focus or in preparation to flee as the situation may warrant. While his frame is very lean, bordering on gangly, his job under the hot Texas sun has given him an athletic, if not well-defined, body. The only giveaway of anything close to a hard life are the occasional faint bits of scarring on his hands and face.
Gene's dress sense is more than a little conspicuous from the point of view of the average person but generally right at home within Texas. Black stetson hat to combat the sun combined with generally loose-fitting clothing to keep as cool as can be in the dry air. He avoids darker colours for the same reasons and tends towards an overshirt over a graphic tee that also serves to hide his build. Ensemble completed by light coloured chinos and dark brown cowboy boots. A climate fitting wardrobe and a deceptively good one to obscure yourself with.
Psychology ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ "Hey, bud, can you keep a secret? There’s this Nigerian prince…"
MAIN GOAL ⫻ To emancipate himself from the exceedingly soul crushing existence that is working full time for minimum wage and with zero hope of progression. He’d escaped it once only to be forced back in by necessity. More unrealistically, he’d also enjoy not looking over his shoulder for the rest of his life and keeping his head down.
PHILOSOPHY ⫻ People are, broadly speaking, snakes with varying levels of depths they’re willing to sink to in order to survive. If someone gets upset at you ripping them off, it’s really only because you did it to them first before they could do it to you. Gene doesn’t go out of his way to be an asshole and isn’t quite at the level of a sociopath but his experiences in life have taught him that greed exists in every person, the only way to not end up as a statistic or a sad story is simply to weaponize your own immorality better than others.
SECRETS ⫻ Eugene Watson of Ward County, Texas is an alias. In truth, he is Floyd Dillinger from Macon, Georgia. A wanted con-man, stick up artist and criminal, living hidden in plain sight after changing his appearance and erasing his identity.
SEXUALITY ⫻ Gene is heterosexual but has only had one romantic relationship with a genuine emotional connection.
FEARS ⫻ Seemingly fears the “regularness of life” and, to a lesser extent, living with the things he’s done that have ultimately brought him right back where he started. More saliently he’s also terrified at being caught and arrested.
WHO IS ELEANOR BLACK TO YOU? ⫻ Partner-in-crime, best friend, lover. Eleanor rescued Floyd from a life of petty existence and the duo cut a swathe of scams and robberies across the deep south.
FLAWS ⫻ Floyd Dillinger began as - and deep down still is - an earnest and not-all-that-bad guy whose brain naturally leans towards dishonest solutions for the multitude of problems he faces. But time has hardened him into a man who wears the skin of an extravagant slickster like a shield. He is prone to taking the low road and thinking the worst of people and situations because it’s never steered him wrong. His need for importance or screwing over established power structures is borderline pathological even when trying hard (though not hard enough) to move beyond his chequered past. He is prone to cowardice, self-loathing and introspection, which is then covered up by showmanship, manipulation and deceit.
Backstory ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ "I’m boring, friend. You wouldn't wanna hear about me."
Eugene Watson was born in Ward County, Texas. He studied communications at Texas State University. He works as a gas station attendant at Chevron. He has a cell phone number, a passport, driver’s licence and social security number. He spends his days at work and his evenings and weekends at home by himself.
Eugene Watson does not exist.
Floyd Dillinger was born in Macon, Georgia. The third son of a struggling working class family. His mother a cleaner and his father slaving in a dead end factory job. As a small boy, Floyd would accompany them on their shifts - due to not being able to afford a babysitter - and routinely saw bosses, customers and co-workers alike take advantage of his parent’s good yet naive and weak natures. In spite of his protests, they routinely tried to instil the same values into him, about working hard and treating people with respect even when it wasn’t earned. By the time he regularly attended elementary school, Floyd had already begun stealing money from the worksites for himself.
Determined to not follow the same path as his family, Floyd started hustling other kids well into his teens. Falling in with a bad crowd who alleviated their boredom via theft and random acts of vandalism. When things started getting serious, it wasn’t long until the police were involved. Facing the very real threat of a juvenile detention centre snapped some sense into Floyd, coupled with how hard his family fought for his side even when he really hadn’t deserved it. Out of a desire to change things and more than a degree of sympathy for his family, Floyd knuckled down his last few years of high school and managed to secure an apprenticeship after graduating.
It wasn’t too bad, initially. There was a sense of purpose that Floyd hadn’t anticipated and he felt more than a little happy at how proud his family were of the man he’d become. The issues began arising a year in when his apprenticeship ended. He wouldn’t be kept on. Despite jumping through the hoops and dotting his i’s all he got was a handshake and a “maybe next quarter, son.” He found himself working a minimum wage factory job just like his father in short order. His family were supportive but it fell on deaf ears, he’d ended up as the very kind of person he was terrified of becoming.
Then, one day, she showed up. A woman claiming to be an inspector of some importance with all the paperwork to back it up. She took a tour of the factory while the boss kissed up to her at every turn. It made Floyd sick. That was, until lunch. When the factory floor was mostly empty and he happened to see a certain inspector of some importance pocket the wallets from every coat in the office before nonchalantly leaving the office then right out the front door. He was pretty sure she winked at him from the corner of his eye. Cutting his shift short, Floyd followed her. A confrontation ensued, demands for an explanation, threats, mistrust. Until Floyd started criticising her approach, pointing out with the speed she went at she could’ve taken everything during the morning break and been out the factory much faster among other flaws in her scheme. She smiled, then she held out her hand, shutting him up.
Her name was Eleanor Black.
Floyd put in his notice a day later and left town not long after. Barely giving his family a goodbye before he hopped in a car with Eleanor and the two drove off with no destination in mind save for their shared distaste of modern life and desire for thrill.
Together, the duo cut a path of debauchery throughout the south. They started small, bars and restaurants where they'd concoct elaborate stories to trick people out of the contents of their wallets. Wasn't long before they added full on thefts and B&E's to their repertoire, along with the rare hold-up of service stations or corner stores when they needed to quickly refill the coffers. The police reports shot up wherever they went, and soon enough their fame started catching up to them.
Their standards of living shot down as they'd routinely camp out far from towns so as not to get recognised but they didn't care. It wasn't about the money or the things it afforded, Floyd felt alive. More than a statistic or a number on a badge or a troublemaker or a criminal. He felt like he existed, he and this wonderful woman who may have stoked his worst impulses but understood him in a way no one else did.
There was one time, beneath the stars on a humid night in Florida. They were both drunk out of their minds - courtesy of the "generosity" from their latest mark. Eleanor, who guarded her own past with humour or coy deflection, began telling Floyd about herself. Where she lived, what it was like, why she left. "Swamptown USA" Floyd had laughed. "If you still don't want to tell me, don't worry about it." He said, then turned and fell into a heavy alcohol-assisted slumber.
The following morning they went into town for one last scam for the road before splitting state for somewhere else. Eleanor was distant, quiet. She got like that sometimes before an act, focus maybe. They stepped into the store, pieces kept securely in their pockets. No one ever got hurt, they were smart about it, preform with enough force and people will fold however you want them. Floyd hadn't even fired his gun once throughout their career.
"Empty the register!" He yelled with a click as the clerk found himself eye-to-eye with a nine millimetre. Behind Floyd, Ellie worked crowd control just like they always did. The clerk hesitated, as they always did, but a more forceful repeat of the request by Floyd made him co-operate. Their bag halfway full, a bell and a crash rung behind Floyd. He whipped his head around to see someone charging out the store, screaming for help, he turned further to find the store empty. No customers, no Eleanor. When he turned back, the clerk had hidden under the counter and pressed an alarm. Floyd could already hear sirens.
What followed was a blur. The pure survival instinct of a wild animal beset upon by hunters. Flashes of red and blue, running from alley to alley, hiding beneath cars and debris. Spending the night in a drain with the rest of society's shit. In the early hours after stealing new clothes from a washing line and keeping a thirty metre berth from any passer-by, Floyd made it to a payphone. He punched in the number Eleanor had made him memorise. It went through to a hardware store in South Carolina. Phrases were exchanged and all Floyd was left with with was a two day timezone to lay low and vague directions on where to go to be picked up at dawn of day three. By some divine miracle for a guy that really didn't deserve it, Floyd made it. Shuffled into the back of a hardware van and tucked amongst tools and furniture, being told his new name, history, likes and dislikes as he was whisked from car to car towards his new life.
The first few months were hell. Gripped in paranoia and constantly second guessing every decision, lest it blow his cover. He'd long since grown out his neatly-cut dirty blonde hair into a long dyed black mane along with his clean shaven jaw giving way to a scraggly Jesus beard. But it never felt enough. It wasn't until the support from his "disappearers" stopped when his money dried up and he was forced to begin providing for himself did he regain some semblance of normality. Working quietly in a shitty job in some nowhere town. Only this time he didn’t have Eleanor or his family to fall back on.
Then, one day, he saw a news story that ran about one half of a notorious stick-up duo being arrested in Chicago. Partner and lover of the notorious “Pretty Boy” Floyd Dillinger, Elizabeth Burrows. It stopped Gene cold. She was different… radically different actually. She’d gone so above and beyond the changing of the identity thing that she was like a completely different person. Horrified for her and panicked for his own safety, Floyd took three different buses to the furthest away library and logged in to their computers (then enabled private browsing as if that made any difference). Searching Elizabeth Burrows turned out several results for all kinds of cons committed by the two of them. But searching Eleanor Black turned up very little of anything. Had she really trusted him so little as to not even tell him her real name? Every clip he watched of Elizabeth seemed wrong in a vaguely familiar way, like she was a memory of Eleanor instead of the woman herself. It filled him with dread as he frantically looked through everything pertaining to both names.
She was going to fold on him, tell the world where he was and how to get him, she wasn’t the real Eleanor, it was some kind of sting to get at him, it had to be! Then he stumbled across a forum on page twenty-seven of the Eleanor Black search. People describing the woman he knew, details about her life that they couldn’t possibly have known. Lives she’d led that she couldn’t possibly have done so. Confused, scared and against his better judgement, Gene joined the forum under a pseudonym and joined the conversation.
“Swamptown U.S.A”. That’s where they were going.
Maybe they were all just a bunch of nuts, maybe Gene really had lost his mind, maybe Eleanor really never cared about him and that truly was her being held by the state. Or maybe she was in Louisiana, calling for him with a con only he would know.
Whatever it was, Gene left with a renewed sense of purpose. Texas had long since gotten old anyway…
Paranormal-Abilities ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ "Magic? Sure, feller, an’ I got a bridge to sell ya."
Other than a magically loose set of morals, Gene is blind.
Other ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ "Believe me, ain't no honour among thieves... 'cept for you an' I, of course."
As part of his "hiding in plain sight" disguise, Gene tends to use foundation make-up to hide some of his more obvious scarring, eliminating the public pool from his already narrow list of possible activities.
A lot of the Gene Watson character is based on westerns that Floyd seen growing up, therefore his performance can occasionally veer into hammy or overplaying it at times.
_______________________________________________ Eugene Kurt Watson
He/Him | 31 | Caucasian | 6’0 | 120lbs _______________________________________________ Deceit _______________________________________________ Skills & Talents "I learned this one at bible camp." ___________________________________
Lockpicking ⫻ A talent, naturally, kept hidden but Gene is a savant when it comes to picking the locks of doors, cars, even a safe on one or two occasions. He does naturally require some kind of tool, especially the more complex a lock it is, but he has yet to encounter one he couldn’t make sing.
Engineering ⫻ His apprenticeship of choice, he’s not a specialist and his expertise tends towards factory machine maintenance but Gene is comfortable with a toolkit and can work his way around stubborn cars or a faulty toaster if needs be.
Urban Survivalist ⫻ With his upbringing below the poverty line and his choice of work later in life, Gene is something of an expert in making it through the days on the streets. Shoplifting dinner, pickpocketing bus fare and keeping a low profile during it all. Mama would be proud.
Slickster ⫻ A master at spinning elaborate webs of deceit, designed to separate some poor fool from their money. Gene is charming and deceptively good at reading people. Even those who can tell the superficiality in his words have often found themselves still wanting to believe them.
Appearance ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ "Nothin’ special about me, friend."
Gene Watson is both unremarkable enough to not stick in your memory and unique enough as to not seem like he’s trying too hard to blend in. He always appears laid back and affable but with some strange guard surrounding it, like speaking to a coworker you don’t know all that well. There’s always some level of performance to his mannerisms. He may not monologue or flair dramatically all that often, but he clearly enjoys listening to himself.
In keeping with his relaxed demeanour, Gene sports a long and messy head of black hair, more on the "mop top" side than the mullet side. Along with a scraggly beard that, coupled with his lithe figure and unkempt style, straddles the line between charmingly roguish and "rat-like". The only failing in his air of civility are his eyes, half-closed and dull grey yet always alert - either in focus or in preparation to flee as the situation may warrant. While his frame is very lean, bordering on gangly, his job under the hot Texas sun has given him an athletic, if not well-defined, body. The only giveaway of anything close to a hard life are the occasional faint bits of scarring on his hands and face.
Gene's dress sense is more than a little conspicuous from the point of view of the average person but generally right at home within Texas. Black stetson hat to combat the sun combined with generally loose-fitting clothing to keep as cool as can be in the dry air. He avoids darker colours for the same reasons and tends towards an overshirt over a graphic tee that also serves to hide his build. Ensemble completed by light coloured chinos and dark brown cowboy boots. A climate fitting wardrobe and a deceptively good one to obscure yourself with.
Psychology ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ "Hey, bud, can you keep a secret? There’s this Nigerian prince…"
MAIN GOAL ⫻ To emancipate himself from the exceedingly soul crushing existence that is working full time for minimum wage and with zero hope of progression. He’d escaped it once only to be forced back in by necessity. More unrealistically, he’d also enjoy not looking over his shoulder for the rest of his life and keeping his head down.
PHILOSOPHY ⫻ People are, broadly speaking, snakes with varying levels of depths they’re willing to sink to in order to survive. If someone gets upset at you ripping them off, it’s really only because you did it to them first before they could do it to you. Gene doesn’t go out of his way to be an asshole and isn’t quite at the level of a sociopath but his experiences in life have taught him that greed exists in every person, the only way to not end up as a statistic or a sad story is simply to weaponize your own immorality better than others.
SECRETS ⫻ Eugene Watson of Ward County, Texas is an alias. In truth, he is Floyd Dillinger from Macon, Georgia. A wanted con-man, stick up artist and criminal, living hidden in plain sight after changing his appearance and erasing his identity.
SEXUALITY ⫻ Gene is heterosexual but has only had one romantic relationship with a genuine emotional connection.
FEARS ⫻ Seemingly fears the “regularness of life” and, to a lesser extent, living with the things he’s done that have ultimately brought him right back where he started. More saliently he’s also terrified at being caught and arrested.
WHO IS ELEANOR BLACK TO YOU? ⫻ Partner-in-crime, best friend, lover. Eleanor rescued Floyd from a life of petty existence and the duo cut a swathe of scams and robberies across the deep south.
FLAWS ⫻ Floyd Dillinger began as - and deep down still is - an earnest and not-all-that-bad guy whose brain naturally leans towards dishonest solutions for the multitude of problems he faces. But time has hardened him into a man who wears the skin of an extravagant slickster like a shield. He is prone to taking the low road and thinking the worst of people and situations because it’s never steered him wrong. His need for importance or screwing over established power structures is borderline pathological even when trying hard (though not hard enough) to move beyond his chequered past. He is prone to cowardice, self-loathing and introspection, which is then covered up by showmanship, manipulation and deceit.
Backstory ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ "I’m boring, friend. You wouldn't wanna hear about me."
Eugene Watson was born in Ward County, Texas. He studied communications at Texas State University. He works as a gas station attendant at Chevron. He has a cell phone number, a passport, driver’s licence and social security number. He spends his days at work and his evenings and weekends at home by himself.
Eugene Watson does not exist.
Floyd Dillinger was born in Macon, Georgia. The third son of a struggling working class family. His mother a cleaner and his father slaving in a dead end factory job. As a small boy, Floyd would accompany them on their shifts - due to not being able to afford a babysitter - and routinely saw bosses, customers and co-workers alike take advantage of his parent’s good yet naive and weak natures. In spite of his protests, they routinely tried to instil the same values into him, about working hard and treating people with respect even when it wasn’t earned. By the time he regularly attended elementary school, Floyd had already begun stealing money from the worksites for himself.
Determined to not follow the same path as his family, Floyd started hustling other kids well into his teens. Falling in with a bad crowd who alleviated their boredom via theft and random acts of vandalism. When things started getting serious, it wasn’t long until the police were involved. Facing the very real threat of a juvenile detention centre snapped some sense into Floyd, coupled with how hard his family fought for his side even when he really hadn’t deserved it. Out of a desire to change things and more than a degree of sympathy for his family, Floyd knuckled down his last few years of high school and managed to secure an apprenticeship after graduating.
It wasn’t too bad, initially. There was a sense of purpose that Floyd hadn’t anticipated and he felt more than a little happy at how proud his family were of the man he’d become. The issues began arising a year in when his apprenticeship ended. He wouldn’t be kept on. Despite jumping through the hoops and dotting his i’s all he got was a handshake and a “maybe next quarter, son.” He found himself working a minimum wage factory job just like his father in short order. His family were supportive but it fell on deaf ears, he’d ended up as the very kind of person he was terrified of becoming.
Then, one day, she showed up. A woman claiming to be an inspector of some importance with all the paperwork to back it up. She took a tour of the factory while the boss kissed up to her at every turn. It made Floyd sick. That was, until lunch. When the factory floor was mostly empty and he happened to see a certain inspector of some importance pocket the wallets from every coat in the office before nonchalantly leaving the office then right out the front door. He was pretty sure she winked at him from the corner of his eye. Cutting his shift short, Floyd followed her. A confrontation ensued, demands for an explanation, threats, mistrust. Until Floyd started criticising her approach, pointing out with the speed she went at she could’ve taken everything during the morning break and been out the factory much faster among other flaws in her scheme. She smiled, then she held out her hand, shutting him up.
Her name was Eleanor Black.
Floyd put in his notice a day later and left town not long after. Barely giving his family a goodbye before he hopped in a car with Eleanor and the two drove off with no destination in mind save for their shared distaste of modern life and desire for thrill.
Together, the duo cut a path of debauchery throughout the south. They started small, bars and restaurants where they'd concoct elaborate stories to trick people out of the contents of their wallets. Wasn't long before they added full on thefts and B&E's to their repertoire, along with the rare hold-up of service stations or corner stores when they needed to quickly refill the coffers. The police reports shot up wherever they went, and soon enough their fame started catching up to them.
Their standards of living shot down as they'd routinely camp out far from towns so as not to get recognised but they didn't care. It wasn't about the money or the things it afforded, Floyd felt alive. More than a statistic or a number on a badge or a troublemaker or a criminal. He felt like he existed, he and this wonderful woman who may have stoked his worst impulses but understood him in a way no one else did.
There was one time, beneath the stars on a humid night in Florida. They were both drunk out of their minds - courtesy of the "generosity" from their latest mark. Eleanor, who guarded her own past with humour or coy deflection, began telling Floyd about herself. Where she lived, what it was like, why she left. "Swamptown USA" Floyd had laughed. "If you still don't want to tell me, don't worry about it." He said, then turned and fell into a heavy alcohol-assisted slumber.
The following morning they went into town for one last scam for the road before splitting state for somewhere else. Eleanor was distant, quiet. She got like that sometimes before an act, focus maybe. They stepped into the store, pieces kept securely in their pockets. No one ever got hurt, they were smart about it, preform with enough force and people will fold however you want them. Floyd hadn't even fired his gun once throughout their career.
"Empty the register!" He yelled with a click as the clerk found himself eye-to-eye with a nine millimetre. Behind Floyd, Ellie worked crowd control just like they always did. The clerk hesitated, as they always did, but a more forceful repeat of the request by Floyd made him co-operate. Their bag halfway full, a bell and a crash rung behind Floyd. He whipped his head around to see someone charging out the store, screaming for help, he turned further to find the store empty. No customers, no Eleanor. When he turned back, the clerk had hidden under the counter and pressed an alarm. Floyd could already hear sirens.
What followed was a blur. The pure survival instinct of a wild animal beset upon by hunters. Flashes of red and blue, running from alley to alley, hiding beneath cars and debris. Spending the night in a drain with the rest of society's shit. In the early hours after stealing new clothes from a washing line and keeping a thirty metre berth from any passer-by, Floyd made it to a payphone. He punched in the number Eleanor had made him memorise. It went through to a hardware store in South Carolina. Phrases were exchanged and all Floyd was left with with was a two day timezone to lay low and vague directions on where to go to be picked up at dawn of day three. By some divine miracle for a guy that really didn't deserve it, Floyd made it. Shuffled into the back of a hardware van and tucked amongst tools and furniture, being told his new name, history, likes and dislikes as he was whisked from car to car towards his new life.
The first few months were hell. Gripped in paranoia and constantly second guessing every decision, lest it blow his cover. He'd long since grown out his neatly-cut dirty blonde hair into a long dyed black mane along with his clean shaven jaw giving way to a scraggly Jesus beard. But it never felt enough. It wasn't until the support from his "disappearers" stopped when his money dried up and he was forced to begin providing for himself did he regain some semblance of normality. Working quietly in a shitty job in some nowhere town. Only this time he didn’t have Eleanor or his family to fall back on.
Then, one day, he saw a news story that ran about one half of a notorious stick-up duo being arrested in Chicago. Partner and lover of the notorious “Pretty Boy” Floyd Dillinger, Elizabeth Burrows. It stopped Gene cold. She was different… radically different actually. She’d gone so above and beyond the changing of the identity thing that she was like a completely different person. Horrified for her and panicked for his own safety, Floyd took three different buses to the furthest away library and logged in to their computers (then enabled private browsing as if that made any difference). Searching Elizabeth Burrows turned out several results for all kinds of cons committed by the two of them. But searching Eleanor Black turned up very little of anything. Had she really trusted him so little as to not even tell him her real name? Every clip he watched of Elizabeth seemed wrong in a vaguely familiar way, like she was a memory of Eleanor instead of the woman herself. It filled him with dread as he frantically looked through everything pertaining to both names.
She was going to fold on him, tell the world where he was and how to get him, she wasn’t the real Eleanor, it was some kind of sting to get at him, it had to be! Then he stumbled across a forum on page twenty-seven of the Eleanor Black search. People describing the woman he knew, details about her life that they couldn’t possibly have known. Lives she’d led that she couldn’t possibly have done so. Confused, scared and against his better judgement, Gene joined the forum under a pseudonym and joined the conversation.
“Swamptown U.S.A”. That’s where they were going.
Maybe they were all just a bunch of nuts, maybe Gene really had lost his mind, maybe Eleanor really never cared about him and that truly was her being held by the state. Or maybe she was in Louisiana, calling for him with a con only he would know.
Whatever it was, Gene left with a renewed sense of purpose. Texas had long since gotten old anyway…
Paranormal-Abilities ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ "Magic? Sure, feller, an’ I got a bridge to sell ya."
Other than a magically loose set of morals, Gene is blind.
Other ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ "Believe me, ain't no honour among thieves... 'cept for you an' I, of course."
As part of his "hiding in plain sight" disguise, Gene tends to use foundation make-up to hide some of his more obvious scarring, eliminating the public pool from his already narrow list of possible activities.
A lot of the Gene Watson character is based on westerns that Floyd seen growing up, therefore his performance can occasionally veer into hammy or overplaying it at times.
Had there been adequate protective flooring, Florian would have fainted. While he’d only been getting a psychology degree in his off-hours for kicks, even he knew an underdeveloped sense of self esteem when he heard it. This young man, Justin Haggar, with his metallic enhancements and vaguely familiar sounding surname he was anything but “nothing special”.
Florian was about to indulge in a well intentioned but almost certainly ridiculously insensitive motivational speech before the Worm-Hosting Announcer slid back onto stage and decked Jaden off of it. The tournament was about to get underway, a noteworthy enough event to get Florian to shut up for a moment as he clapped his hands together.
”Well, unfortunately, we must cut this interaction short, my friends! I will be watching your matches with supportive interest! But I must change into my combatant attire and partake in my own preliminary contest!”
Florian flourished and bow’d before reaching into his jacket’s breast pocket and producing two small cards and all but forcing one each into the hands of Yazhu and Justin.
”My personal and professional lines - though I receive enough correspondences on my personal device that I’ve required the hiring of a screener so you’re better off calling my business number. I would very much enjoy making either of your acquaintances after I win this tournament! Nevertheless, good luck and adieu!”
With that, he spun around and sauntered off, preparing to reconvene with his unpleasantly bourgeois friends and begin his ascension to Florian Wessington I: power stone owner.
Apologies and self-persecution poured forth from the mouth of Lucas Miller as he once again found himself swerving through a crowd of nomads. However his previously experienced and deft movements were now sluggish and unsure as he continued to beat himself up over how he’d performed socially. Even he wasn’t normally that skittish.
Things weren’t helped by the growing restlessness amongst the competitors eager to begin the tournament. Words and curses spat at one another, barely kept from sparking into a wildfire due to the threat of disqualification before the show had even begun. All of it contributed to the ever-weakening nerve of Lucas Miller. Striking out with a pretty girl, tempers flaring, a bomb in the air, the heat of Brazil.
Wait.
Bomb?
The explosion sent Lucas into a fearful tailspin, like a deer hearing a branch fall from several miles away. Surprisingly, few of the other nomads seemed particularly bothered as a sandy blonde young man blasted a stone bomb out of the air of the hall - no doubt wrapped up in their own megalomania and posturing - but Lucas certainly did.
He stumbled back, colliding with several nomads only to offer a mile-a-second apology while continuing to flee. At a certain point you needed to draw the line, needed to acknowledge when enough was enough. Lucas had long since drawn that line but his will had plummeted to depths even he wasn’t aware existed as he frantically began looking for the arena exit. He could feel the wind guiding him, could feel escape on his fingertips as he moved with reckless abandon.
”Sorry!” As he narrowly avoided collision with a Greco-Roman gladiator.
”SORRY!” As he dusted past the wings of a half-man-half-bat creature.
”I’M SO SORRY!” As he ducked beneath the walking armoury, equipped with enough armaments to depopulate a small town.
But there it was, freedom at last. The beckoning light of the Brazil sun peaking through the doorway. Lucas made a mad dash, mentally preparing the quickest route from the airport all the way back to Philly. But then…
Collision.
Lucas’ speed had him crash right into a short red haired fellow. While the redhead themselves seemed none worse for wear, Lucas was sent right on his ass, already spilling out apologies in a well rehearsed terror.
”I’MSORRYI’MREALLYSORRYITWASTHEREWASIWASIWASTRYINGTOI’MSORRYI-I-I-!” He paused, opening his eyes slightly which had been preemptively closed - expecting a strike of reprisal. ”Oh, hey, I know you.” His fear had briefly given way to recognition. He did know this person.
Skyler Belsky. Justice Rider Lancer. You know? Justice Rider? Like the sister of the girl Lucas had just been bombing in front of and now most certainly hated him like everybody else.
Lucas shakily got back to his feet, concern seeping back in, at least he hadn’t seemed to have hurt Skyler, but that hardly mattered to some nomads.
”I-I-I- I really am sorry, I- I was just lea-” Hm. No. Can’t just crash into them and then bow out, that would absolutely escalate to violence. ”I- I- I’m just a r-really big f-fan. heh heh. I… I c-can’t believe it’s you!” There we go. Play to the ego. Smooth things over with some terror powered flattery. Truthfully, Lucas wasn’t really a big fan of the Justice Riders show (It was a bit too schlocky, even for him. Plus the over-reliance of cgi lately had turned him off altogether.) but that didn’t matter! When motivated by an incredibly powerful persecution complex, you can bullshit about pretty much anything.
Lucas held out his hand, shaky from adrenaline and nerves. ”M-my name’s Lewi- Lucas! My name’s Lucas M-miller.”
It really was a bomb this whole time! Florian could only lament how his chums were missing out on this experience, so much he had learned in such short order!
Florian couldn’t help himself, applauding and laughing in a way that suggested enjoyment at Yazhu’s concern and Justin’s indignation but could not be further from the truth. He felt more like a learned scientist discovering an entirely new element. As, of course, opposed to a foppish twit who had seen an explosion.
He adjusted the Basilisk System - which Yazhu had so graciously, and correctly, fawned over moments ago - and went to join the hubbub.
”Come now, friends!” He began with an air of diplomatic sophistication. ”Crisis has been averted! Thanks to the craftsmanship of the delightful stone/ball hybrid and the quick skill of this man and android hybrid before us!” He could feel the words pouring forth him like spiced honey, even finding himself beguiled by his own finely bred charm!
Florian produced a small white handkerchief with “F.W” monogrammed on the corner and began lightly dusting off the scuff marks left on Justin by the dao bomb’s explosion, laughing off Yazhu’s befuddled expression and gesturing towards him in regards to Justin. Very gracious!
”Apologies are in order, however. Merely a demonstration gone awry! As the party of great stature, it falls to myself to take the blame, I do hope you’ll forgive this indiscretion.” He stood up, running his free hand through his fringe. There it was! Those damn sparkles yet again!!
”Now, with that unpleasantness hopefully behind us, let us start afresh with introductions! You likely know myself as Florian Wessington, son of Daniel Wessington and heir to distinguished weapons corporation: Minerva! This extremely talented little girl is Yazhu Kuang, immortal Taoist!” Florian’s speech never wavered, but he took a moment internally to really appreciate how much he was nailing this introduction. ”May you indulge us with your own title, my friend?”
“-and that’S THE BOTTOM LINE! ‘CAUSE “SHOWTIME” SAID-!”
The voice of Perry Miller rose again like a shrill phoenix as Lucas Miller turned his headset back on to the continued mania of his father. It was comforting nevertheless distracting the boy from his insecurities.
”Dad!” Lucas half-yelled and half-whispered down the headset, snapping his father out of his stream of consciousness promo.
”Oh! Luke! Are you all set now?!” Perry had the fascinating ability to deliver even the most innocuously intended statement or question sound like it was being delivered to an arena full of people. Thankfully, his son was more than used to it by now.
”No, Dad. Fights should be opening up soon though.” Lucas replied, scanning the events of the reception hall while weaving in and out of nomad traffic. His rhythm was interrupted as he saw the commotion of reporters drift away, leaving behind their former target: Jill Breicen. Free from the shackles of the media, she seemed now to be entertaining an energetic blonde young woman, shaking hands and exchanging plea-.
Wait.
Jill Breicen.
Jasmine Breicen…
Lucas let out a low groan, the kind that could only be replicated by a seventy year old with decades of being worn down by the world.
”What’s up, Champ?” Perry asked over the headset, in a rare moment of picking up on his son’s feelings.
”I think I might have made some powerful enemies…” Lucas responded, wearily. His strategy to life had been to expect and accept the worst case outcome to anything and everything, no matter how fueled by paranoia or unlikely it may be.
Florian rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Could there truly be abilities unique to him that even his brilliant mind had yet to pick up on? He chuckled to himself. Truly! Entering this tournament was already paying off in terms of experience!
His self-aggrandising thoughts momentarily distracted him as he was confronted by Yazhu’s own self-aggrandising commentary. She was more than happy to talk up her skills, no stranger to it himself (and being woefully naive) Florian was rather impressed by her description and imagery. Enough so that it was a shock to his senses when the girl immediately dropped from erudite to irreverent in promising to show him some “cool stuff”. Namely, one.
A Dao-Bomb
Florian once again held a hand to his chin and inspected it, face inches away from its surface.
Fascinating!
”Now, you say bomb…” One eye squinted, like a gemologist inspecting every curvature of a particularly precious stone. He leaned back up, his inspection complete. ”Is it not just a large rock?
His confusion was sincere, before giving way to “understanding”. He laughed, of course she would not be so bold as to drop a “bomb” in the middle of a crowded hall of fighters. He applauded once more.
”Playing your cards close to your chest still, I see! I am disappointed I must concede but; I respect your stratagem!” He held out his arm, an ornately designed gauntlet resting over his white glove and beginning to hum slightly with green energy. ”I am assured of my victory to such an extent that I have no issue displaying my own skill, if you would permit my indulgence? I am, at the lowest, greatly experienced in several forms of martial arts and a proficient master of many more!” A haughty little chuckle, ”In fact! Such was my skill that many of the trainers we hired were forced to leave prematurely due to me mastering their lessons in such a short time!”
A dramatic flourish as he moved his gauntleted arm close to Yazhu for her to inspect.
”However I’ve had troubles with my ki failing to reach the standards of the rest of my abilities…” A rare tinge of sorrow in the normally unflappable voice of Florian Wessington. Snuffed out in under a second as he continued with confident determination. ”But, no matter! This device enhances my ki to the level it should be at, until such time as my natural talent rises and cultivates to meet my standards!”
How marvellous it all was! He had not been indulged in a discussion of this depth by anyone until Yazhu, he was having such a wonderful time talking about himself that he failed to notice the unexploded and still very much active Dao-Bomb behind him slowly beginning to roll forward, away from the pair.
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