Old Times Tavern

[Rose and Alex]

"He should be fine here for a bit." Rose said, tucking the old man, Artie into the cot. Rose originally suggested they put him in Alex's bed. The man objected, and said they could put him on a cot in the extra room. The room was going to be another rent-able room, but it was too small for anything more then a cot and a shelf or two. So it was used for extra storage, and the occasional late night worker. Alex pulled Rose into a hug just outside the door.

"Rose you are a good woman."Smiling he pulled away, Rose flushed bright red and punched his shoulder, like she might have done with her older brother, God rest his soul. She shook her head and brushed past him. "Oh go to the tavern, you fool. Your bothering me."

Not needing to be told twice, or perhaps he was worried Rose might retract the order to go have a drink Alex grinned, kissed her cheek and practically ran out of the building. The walk over to the Old Times Tavern, a favorite of his, wasn't short. But it wasn't a mile either. He thought back on that Barton fellow. Rose might not know it yet, but the man held himself like he might want to court her. Alex clenched his fist. It wasn't right, some rich man waltzing in here thinking he can have the first girl he lays eyes on. Who knew what sort of man that 'Barton' fellow really was. From the way Rose talked about it, he had flowers growing out of his ass. Alex scowled and kicked a lone rock on the walk, into the road. Before he knew it he was at the bar. He pushed open the doors. Maybe tomorrow or the next day, he and that Barton fellow would be having a talk. Rose wasn't some fool girl he could toy with. Still, Rose had been glowing when she talked about him. Alex decided that, while he liked Rose happy, the girl wasn't aware how beautiful she was. That was dangerous. It was part of the reason that Alex had stayed so long. Normally he'd of left when he saw her to her destination, just as he'd promised her father, god rest his soul. But...they'd grown close along the way. Alex forgot what it was like to have a good friend like Rose and Rose seemed to need protection. She had no idea how many scamming men had come 'round her hotel trying to court her until Alex pleasantly talked them out of it. Scheming money grubbing lot of them. Barton would be no different. He was only attracted to money, and Rose now had plenty of that. True most of it she spent on her hotel. But still...

With out realizing it Alex had come in and sat at the bar. The tender, Sam, was about his own age, dusty brown hair and sharp features. Thin lips and a long nose. He also had an ugly scar running down half his face. "Evening Sam." Alex said, pushing a couple of bills across the bar. "Glass of your finest whiskey." Sam snorted and passed him a shot glass and left the bottle on the table. Alex poured the first drink, tossing it back. It'd been years since he'd first had whiskey. The first time he'd gotten so sick and choked up. A small smile slipped onto his lips. That's when he'd been young and foolish and well he'd done some things. The smile left as quicklyl as it came.

[Shane Lawson]

Leaning up against one of the awning pillars outside of the Ambrosia Club Johnny Barlow, known as Texas Red to some watched the passerby from his perch. The last couple of weeks had been quiet, a bit to quiet truth be told and though working for Masters paid well enough, it wasn't always as thrilling as his days on his own. Absently he tapped his fingers on his gunbelt, his twin nickel plated Peacemakers gleaming in the sunlight just itching to be skinned and put to use, but not today. Masters had just left with Hooper to handle some business down at the Beauregard Beauties brothel which basiclly left Barlow to his own device. A casual glance towards his right caught something, or rather someone of interest. Alex Mason, Barlow smirked a little as the man came his way. "Well well, might have some fun after all." he mused to himself, chuckling before pushing off from the pillar and making his way towards the man before he ducked into the Old Times Tavern.

The Old Times Tavern, Bah.. A place of phonies and wusses, at least in Barlows opinion. It was certainly no Ambrosia club nor did it have the entertainment of some of the saloons on Paradise street, but he was so looking forward to visiting his 'friend' that he followed him in there. Plus it was a certainty that his presence would scare the living hell out of some of the occupants, and sure enough? As soon as he came through the door everyone took notice, he said nothing as he approached Alex at the bar. "Don't mind if I do, Bartender a glass?" He asked as he took alexes bottle of whiskey and inhaled the aroma through his nostrils. "Not bad.." he commented, as the bartender nervously set a shot glass on the counter. "This place fits a pussy like yourself." he mused, smirking at Alex as he poured him a shot.

[Rose and Alex]

His hand was at his side, where his gun used to lay. Since he’d been helping Rose, and Rose hated guns, he’d worn it less and less. He was getting used to the town. He took another drink from his whiskey, that’s when he noted the change in the bar. Every one had gone still. Alex didn’t turn around to look. Didn’t want trouble, Rose would skin him alive. He smirked into his glass, and took another drink, that’s when it happened. Ghosts from the past attacked him, in the form of Red Texas. The mouth-full of liquid he had, well, half of it went out and spraying across the counter while the other half he tried to breath into his lungs. He coughed, eyes tearing up, looking at Red.
“What the Hell are you doing here?!” He asked, giving himself a point for not sounding panicked. It was hard, but Alex ignored the comment about being a pussy. His hand dropped to where his holster should have been, but damn Rose it wasn’t there. He shifted turning away slightly. “ Look Red, I don’t know what your doing in town, but I don’t want any trouble.” Alex said in a quiet hiss. He started looking around the Bar. Everyone was looking at them. He glared and groused out “ You got business, so pay ours no mind!”. Alex was enough of a regular that they did as told, most of them turning back to their games of poker and cheap boos.

[Shane Lawson]

Red laughed a bit, "What am I doing here?" Shrugging the question off before he downed his first shot of whiskey. "Thought i'd come bust yer balls a bit, too bad you dont have any right?" Again crackling a chuckle as the man reached for his non-existent holster, which Barlow had already taken note of. "Lil Lady not letting you carry your piece? Pitty." He said shaking his head and filling up his and Alex's glass. "Shouldn't let yourself get so pussy whipped so easily.. Least your getting some right?" Barlow said smirking, already knowing the answer.

[Rose and Alex]

Every word that Red spoke made Alex want to slug him, shoot him, do something to this arrogant bastard. To every one else, it might seem like this was just harsh talk, de-manning to him. To Alex, the message was recived loud and clear. Gritting his teeth, Alex slugged back another drink. Did Red know about Rose? Alex thought, worriedly. That could mean that she was in danger. But if Red just was shooting more shit at him, then Alex would be able to leave town tonight, tomorrow at the latest. His glass was refiled by Red. Still teasing about getting laid. "Don't you ever grow tired of hearing yourself talk? Heard you ran off your gang with all your talk...they got sick of your voice." Alex quipped, throat tight and burning. Alex knew he shouldn't have stayed in this town. And now he was paying the price.

[Shane Lawson]

"Why don't you cry like a little girl eh?" He snickered, "I'm sure you're very good at that." he downed the shot of whiskey, not bothering to respond to Alex's remarks. "You should come out to the ranch, have some fun.. It'd do you some good you know.. Im sure you haven't had much fun in awhile right?" There was no doubt that Red could get under Masons skin, and worse? He knew that he could. Truth be told Red knew more about Alex then just about anyone else in this town, and he had no issue with reminding the man of that fact. "Just tryin' to be friendly, lookin' out for you and making sure nothing catches up with you..." That statement itself was a very powerful one, Alex knew what Barlow had on him, and also knew he could bring the world crashing down on him if he so chose to..

[Rose and Alex]

Clenching his jaw, Alex gnashed his teeth together. His knuckles white around the glass. "You and I have a very, very different idea of what is fun now Red." It took all of Alex's will not to grab that whiskey bottle and smash it right over Red's head. He leaned back, pushing the bottle in Red's direction. "Have it, I've lost my desire to drink." Alex commented as yet the man watched him. Then he said it, he dangled the bait, the threat in the air, and it sounded like he was truly looking out for a friend. Alex turned his head and stared at Red. "Appricate it..." Was the only thing Alex could say. Red had almost tied his hands. Still there was one option left to him. Run. And that was only an option if he didn't know about Rose. "What's the cost of having one like you at my back?" Alex already knew the answer to that question or thought he did anyway. The color had drained from his face and sweat speckled on his brow, he cursed his body for obvious signs of nervousness.

[Shane Lawson]

Setting the shot glass down Red turned to face Alex better, the index finger of his right hand absently tapping the hilt of his pistol which was a quirky habit of his, but it still sent a clear message to anyone he was dealing with. "Lot more then you can afford my friend." he chuckled, "Not that it would do you any good, especially here.." and he hoped Alex knew that, Barlow on his own was a force to be reckoned with but with Masters and his own band of outlaws? Noone would cross him and live to tell about it. "You should really try and take it easy, come on.. Have another drink." he said gesturing to the bottle and glasses on the bartop. "The arrangement hasn't changed, you get what you want, I get what I want and we all walk away quite happy.. How is that a bad thing?" The mans green eyes searched Alexes, picking up his nervousness easily. "You stand more to gain as a friend, you know that.." For the first time Barlow smiled at him. "Come on, what do you say?" That was how it usually worked, he'd threaten him a bit then act like the best friend he'd ever had, though the results were usually mixed.

[Rose and Alex]

"Give me time to think about it." Alex said quickly. Standing up he looked at the other man, all he needed was an hour start. He knew he'd get away if he had an hour start, after all it'd worked once before. "I don't think that arrangement was all it was cracked up to be Red." The original arrangement had started out fine and ease, and slowly Red had shown his true colors. It had taken Alex years to move on, and even now he still thought about it with a sick tightening in his stomach.

[Shane Lawson]

Red threw his hands up. "Don't know what to tell you, Always tried to scratch your back.. But you just seem.. I don't know.. reluctant?" Again he smirked at the man in front of him, it was quite a pleasure mocking him. "I don't see what other choice you have, You're not fast enough to outrun the telegraph." That was a clear warning, if he ran? He could dispatch a message va telegraph to Phoenix easily, sicking every form of Law on him imaginable. "Come on, come out to the Ranch, Enjoy some food, some booze and music.. It'll be worth it.. You should try trusting me for a change, it'd make things a whole lot easier."

[Rose and Alex]

“Yeah, Reluctant you can say that again.” Alex said, rolling his eyes. He licked his lips. “Don’t need to out run a telegraph. Just need to disappear.” He replied, mapping out the land in his mind, how much money he might need, food water. Curling his hand into a fist against his thigh he looked at Red as the made the offer again to come out to the Ranch. “I’m expected….” Alex trailed off, if he told Red where he’d put Rose in more danger. The man was pushing Alex into a corner. He hated corners. “I’m sorry. Not after last time.” Alex shook his head and took another step to the door. “And I did trust you once Red…look where that got me.” He said shooting over his shoulder.

[Shane Lawson]

"I'm sure your girly needs you at that nice hotel of hers..." he said trailing off as he fixed another drink, allowing Alex to take a few paces before he spoke up again, his back towards Alex"Oh, You know why you should come down?" He downed the drink, turning towards his 'friend' again. If Alex wasn't going to respond to the usual teatment, then there were other measures. Setting down the glass down, he closed the distance and got up right in Alexes face. "The boys brought some dynamite from one of the mines.. Thought it might be fun to see what kind of trouble we could cause with it.. Might be fun, Long as we're careful.. It'd be a sin that some place nice got blown up don'tcha reckon?" Barlow allowed his threat to hang in the air, before reinforcing it. "Better get back to your girly and her hotel, would hate to see something happen to her.."

[Rose and Alex]

All of the wind was sucked right out of him. Alex turned slowly away from Red, they did know about Rose and if h e left they wouldn’t leave her in piece. “ Careful Red, get that close and some one might think your queer.” Walking back to the bar Alex took another drink, and then another. “Be a right shame.” He agreed. “Turns out I might be free after all, friend, when should I be out at the Ranch?” Alex asked, dread thick in his stomach, coating his mouth. He took another shot of whiskey, feeling well buzzed by now. “Ne’vrd told me where the ranch was.” His voice gravely as he downed another shot.

[Shane Lawson]

Barlow chuckled in response, his eyes following the man as he returned to the bar. "They can think what they want.." he explained, following his 'friend' back to the bar once more. "But they know better then to actually speak it.." Trailing off he refilled his shotglass, and took another gulp. "I'm a preachers son, And being queer would be an abomination against God Alex, You know that." The remark was laced with sarcasm, as most people knew how Barlow detested church and religion despite quoting the bible from time to time. "Six miles south of town, Masters ranch.. Unless you'd prefer something more private." Again smirking at the man as he toyed with him and enjoying every button he pushed.

[Rose and Alex]

“Right” Alex said hollowly in response to talk of god and abominations. He sighed and went to the door. His shoulders tightened he turned back to Red. “I know where the Masters Ranch is. Who doesn’t?” it was a rhetorical question. Alex shook his head. “You can have the rest of that whiskey; I don’t think I’ll need it.” And with that Alex left the Tavern with a heavy heart and a sick stomach. Red always knew just how to get under his skin. He couldn’t believe that once he’d thought very differently, once he’d admired him. Red had taken Alex in, didn’t outs him when he found out the truth, protected him. They’d shared good times, Alex thought, but that was all before it went wrong. “Damnit.” Alex swore kicking at the dirt as he made his way back to the hotel. He wouldn’t be going unarmed any where ever again, not to the Masters Ranch and not any where in town.