Socializing

I was laying on a green pasture still, bored out of my mind. Must have been few hours before I even ran out thoughts to surmise my eventful situation, soon a warming appearance of sunlight over the horizon made it known that it was dawn already

Damn

A silent yet muffled footsteps from afar took me out of my unfortunate restless line of thoughts, I peeked from the dirty blanket I was using as a makeshift pillow to see Arthur drunkenly walking out in the open looking around appearing to be searching for something or someone.

"Arthur, over here!" I spoke as I stood up, dusting myself from the dirt and taking my cap from the ground

Seeming to took notice of me "righ, cmere" he waved as he got behind a wagon few steps from his tent, I calmly walked over to him without a noise, careful not to wake everyone else as everyone aside from me and Arthur was still sound asleep

Approaching behind the wagon Arthur was unfolding a paper of what seems to be a map, taking a small dagger out of his satchel he stabbed the top of the map into the wagon

"what was it again?" questioned Arthur groggily as he checked the map

"A Caliban seat's south from Valentine" I answered behind Arthur looking intensely at the poorly shaped map of Hanoover state

"Is this it?" he inquired pointing downward at little dots between a writing of Valentine "so, Caliban Seat's huh?" mentioned Arthur

"Yes sir not far from here" I responded nodding to him

"Well we oughta go there quickly seeing as it's not far from where we're staying" before I could confirm he swiftly moved to his tent taking a empty mug for unknown reason into his satchel, his Stetson hat In hand before wearing it

"Right, vamos!" he ordered and I followed step behind him

"Uhh so err… we're walking right?" I asked earning myself a raised eyebrow

"What makes you think we're going on foot?" he demanded

"Well it's just i… never actually rode a horse before" at this statement his brow went higher

"You living in a goddamn cave before you came here or what? Can't ride a horse? Next thing you gonna tell me, you never fired a gun!" he said brusquely

Well actually

"C'mon I'll lend you a horse from someone" he said as he looked around the camp before shouted into the distance "Charles! Where you at? Charles?"

I took a notice of figure rapidly walking towards us from the woods, all too clear familiar face with a repeater in hand came out in the open

"Over here Arthur" said Charles Smith now in front of us

I never noticed in the game, but a long deep scar rundown right side of his jaw or was It there?

"Charles, could you lend your horse for a while bit for my friend here" Arthur said cocking his thumb up to me "This boy here think he knows hidden treasures around here" he finished as he lit a cigar

A fierce brown eye met mine

"Taima? She never took a stranger on her back before" Charles Smith mentioned as he took my appearance up and down in a bemused fashion

"It ain't far from here Charles, 'sides kid told me he's a fine horseman think he can take tour around no problem"

"Now I'm no- that's not what i-" Arthur cut me of my spluttering by shoving an empty mug he took from his tent not long ago

"Go fetch me some coffee Luke, there should be a kettle with a water hopefully with a boiled one" Arthur ordered as he pointed at the direction of near Dutch's tent "And ask Ms, Grimshaw if she has any of those sugar she keeps on her stash, now git I'll get your horse ready" finished Arthur as he puffed a long smoke from his drag

Sighing I spun around and went to the direction of said object, kettle still held a little water but not a boiling one for blending a coffee but still warm enough to make faux one.

I finally looked around for Ms. Grimshaw seeing as some of the camp folks were waking up, or so I thought

"….I was frisky Over some potent whisky…"

The gurgling, stumbling old man came out behind me Oh a Lumbago man

nearly tripping himself in his drunken stupor uncaring a stranger beside him

"You had a lot too much, you old coot, vomiting everywhere, pissing himself and looting every drinks we have" said the owner voice I was looking for, I glanced to the right to find elderly woman stepping out of tent looking disheveled

"Miss Grimshaw?" I apprehensively asked

She did double take of my appearance once she saw me

"Yeah, I don't remember having a clown around our camp" snapped the elderly woman

"*sigh*… I'm not a clown miss, name's Luke Skywalker I'm lending a help for the camp, Mr. Morgan over there" I pointed finger at a distant figure taking a drag of cigar "requested a caffein from you plus a little sugar maybe?" I added waving a hot mug with a water

"Ah the sneaking clown, yeah Dutch told us about you last night"

I internally cursed Bill and Dutch for briefing camp folks with witty names about me

"Here's his take of caffein and tell em no sugar, last time he went for a supply was weeks ago" said Grimshaw scowling at Arthur from a length away, handing me a paper wrapped what I assumed to be coffee powder

"Ma'am" I nodded and hurriedly walked off, unfortunately me attentively eying the mug whilst walking, I noticed someone in front of me too late and wasn't able to stop myself from bumping into him, spilling the hot coffee to his face

"Gah! Goddamnit what the hell" furiously exclaimed the person

I hurriedly tried to help to wipe it with my hoodie's wrist

"Get your damn hands off me you little bastard" growled the man gripping the neck of my hoodie

I wasn't able to get a good look at the feller who I bumped into but now that I was close from breadth away, the undistinguished blonde horseshoe mustache and his ugly scar running down his mouth to his chin was unmistakably apparent

Micah, you fucking scum

"Get your damn hands off me, scum" I didn't even realize myself close to growling like an animal than timidly saying it moments ago

And I didn't react when he swung his fist up my jaw

"Ohoho we've got ourselves a goddamn fiery intruder here!" chortled the bastard

Now here's the thing you might think a twenty year old guy waking up in the o'l western land where you could die at any moment might have a hard impact on someone who's from modern world where gunslingers and outlaws are fictional notion. True it is hard, damn me being in this goddamn world for a week got me on my knees and pleading for help, no knowledge of my whereabouts, no experience in handling guns and horses.

But taking a hit and hitting back harder was what I did best back home, eight years in a ring of sweating, bleeding, fighting for glory and medals I need no more, from twelve years old punk I trained and wrestled up my way to the top and now, I'm getting punched for spilling a goddamn coffee to someone who deserves much, much worse. I ain't going to be a pushover for motherfucker, goddamnit I wasn't!

I quickly stood from my prone position to find him in the center of the group of folks

"…. as dawdling an idi-"

I didn't give him a chance to finish as I griped his neck back and gave him a mother of haymaker,

*snap*

I didn't even heard a snapping of his jaw or his body flying back like a damn ragdoll and hitting the ground

But I did finally notice several revolvers pointed at me, owners of the said guns cocking their hammers to shoot me dead

"Stop right, there boy" I heard another familiar senior voice beside me

The duo who we're saddling up a Appaloosa'n horse came back running

"Goddamnit kid what the hell are you doing? I told you to go get me a coffee not start a brawl fight with folks" came back Arthur slightly winded for sprinting to us

"I knew little shit was up for nothing when I spotted him yesterday!" Bill returned with his revolver touching my back

"Arthur? Is this the kid that was supposed to be leaving with you for a treasure hunting?" came that familiar voice yet again

I carefully peeked to see the owner careful not to spook anyone with guns pointed at my head anymore much than I am now

Hosea Matthews it is

"Yeah, I guess so but things got a little… harsh?" stated Arthur innocently hands on top of his belt

"That wasn't "harsh", mister Morgan" vocalized Dutch coming out of his tent putting his hat on slowly walking over to us with a frown

"I'll tell you what's harsh Arthur, harsh is him and you going on his so called hidden treasures and vaults and not finding other than his lies, what we just witnessed here was just a little brawl over misunderstanding Arthur, Hosea, everyone, now... lower the weapons" ordered Dutch as he nodded at each person

"hahah, an tha buffoon pun..ched *hiccup* tha' fool so har' he sent flying!" People now lowering their guns into their holster looked behind Dutch to see good ol' McLumbago drunkenly slurring in his own spit hysterically

Few members of the gang cackled at his remark including Dutch, Hosea and Lenny

"man where'd you even learned how to punch like tha'?" quizzed the youngest member Lenny

"Oh, uhh.. well I used to be a fighter in the ring"

"Ring? You mean like a boxer?"

"Yeah, yeah like that"

"Damn you gotta teach how to do that sometime later" Lenny quipped mimicking my swing

"Sure man" I responded eager to put the abhorrent situation behind

"Now that everyone's awake and up, I suggest you lot to get back to work, Miss Grimshaw take Micah to Strauss if you would?" Dutch spoke to the dispersing group "Arthur, Hosea and Luke we need to talk" spinning around to his tent, sitting beside the woman on the bed "O'Shea privacy please?" grumbling groggily she stood out and walked out of the tent leaving me Arthur, Hosea, and Dutch

"Now that's out of the way, Hosea this is Luke, Luke this is Hosea" We clasped hands shook nodding to eacher

"Sir"

"Pleasure"

Igniting a cigar he added "He said he'll be helping us to find what we need, and we need to help him too as long as his fist stays put around our home" said exhaling his tobacco

"So what we're having another family member now? Dutch I know you got Micah here cuz from what I heard he saved you from somewhere when you were on the run atleast that's what he's been spewing so far, but this kid now?" pressed Arthur with quiet disdain on his face

"Arthur"

"Well I admit he sent flying that jackass and that's the only good thing he done so far"

"Arthur please" this time Hosea intervened gesturing to Dutch to listen

"I said it you Arthur and I've said to everyone else on this family, we shoot fellers as need shooting" he begun taking a last drag from the cigar exhaling as he put out the cigar"

"save fellers as need saving, and feed 'em as need feeding." finished Hosea and Arthur looking latter looking thoughtful

"I don't save people and start collecting bunch of missfits whenever or wherever I see a stranger in need of help Arthur, you know me and I know you too well too, kid said as well that he was seeking us out in the open" he addressed me looking at me

"That's mighty fine and all Dutch, but where is this going? I mean I don't need counciling here deciding who to stay who ta leave, that ain't my job Dutch it's you and Hosea who does that, what's it with me?" feverishly asked Arthur

"You'll be taking him wherever you'll go Arthur" said Hosea

I looked up from my private musing to the elder outlaw as if he's grown two heads, Arthur mirroring me, pointing fingers to himself and back to me twice

"In a manner of speaking Arthur you told me he don't know how to ride or even shoot a gun, we need man who can properly defend himself not just unarmed but armed too, give him the ropes teach him what you know and whatnot"

Finally snapping out of his stupor Arthur disbelievingly looked at elderly duo

"You oughta be out of your mind now!? Am I also changing his diaper?"

I glanced at the said man bemusedly while Dutch's eyes narrowed

"Or we just let him go into the wild where I'm sure he'll be someone's prize now, dressed up like a goof no less" I gotta change my clothes asap "with all the knowledge and information and the message he likely forgot to tell you about your former fiancé Miss Linton?" Dutch pressed on

"Alright alright you two, I'll… *sigh* I'll do it, 'sides he gave that fool what he had it coming"

"Brilliant, now what say you Luke I'm sure you're ecstatic now that you're part of what you've been seeking"

"I- yeah sir, good I'm good" I unsurely said to the people in front of me

"You're in good hands Luke I'm sure Mr. Arthur's gonna be just like your brother" regarded Hosea amusingly looking at me and Arthur "You two even look alike too minus the clothes of course, boy what in the hell are you wearing anyway, you ran into circus and forgot change your clothes?"

"Hosea that's enough, right so now that we have addition to ourselves Hosea ask Mr MacGuire for a holster and Danny's revolver if you would?" with a nod of his Hosea went away fetch the item

"Arthur? You were going with Luke here to somewhere this morning, I presume treasure?"

"Yeah we figured we might as well start from the south of here Caliban Seat's is what he said it would be" answered Arthur looking at me "before he got himself brawl with another fool, …. Well he knocked him out atleast"

Chuckling Dutch held up a hand and waved us away

"later Dutch" "Sir" with that we departed from Dutch's tent

Holly Molly I couldn't quite believe myself right now, this just got a lot complicated that I thought it would

Soon after just standing beside Arthur, he took a quick turn taking hold of my back of the neck

"Listen… kid *sigh* I'll be honest with you now, I ain't got no patience to teach or am i having non of that bullcrap Dutch and Hosea told to me" he pointed at the hitched horses in the distance "You'll learn how to ride, how to shoot," this time taking his revolver from his holster shoving into my chest "and I ain't taking no part in your 'mentorship', so be useful good little kid and start learning now" he let go of my neck and pointed at the thin wood infront of me and went into the direction of his tent

"Ask from our local cook Pearson for ammunition and take Charle's horse or Lenny's horse I don't care, and tomorrow we'll go to that hunt for treasure of yours and your supposed message from Mary" tiredly added "And don't break someone's jaw now, goddamn fool"

I looked back at the firearm Arthur gave me and examined for how to use it

Yeah, thank goodness I've seen it operate in firstperson

Glancing back to the thin wood Arthur pointed out for my target practice, and narrowed my eyes in determination

Right, I'm now part of the outlaw gang. And I'll need every advantage in saving this gang

I took a quick look at the sleeping form Arthur before setting my eyes back on the revolver

"And you too Mister Arthur Morgan"