Atonement Application

[nothingtoknives]

OOC
Name: Peachie
Age: 25
Contact: peachkoala
Current Characters: None

IC
Name: Billy Rocks
Age: Not given in canon, play as ~46
Series The Magnificent Seven (2016)
Canon Point: After Death

Personality:
On the surface, Billy Rocks appears to be a stoic. Quiet, reserved, who barely says a word to anyone who isn't his travelling companion, Goodnight Robicheaux. When he does speak, it is quiet and to the point. Sometimes, there are glimpses of his dry sense of humor- staring down a man making a joke at his expense until he's uncomfortable and then tell him his joke was funny.

However, there's much more to Billy than meets the eye. From his relationship with Goody, it's easy to see how fiercely loyal he can be, even if it is only to a few. He is defensive of the people he cares about, often coming to their aid or deflecting suspicion from them, as he does when telling Faraday that Goody's gun had jammed when Goody failed to fire a shot in the middle of a battle. He looks out for those he is loyal to, working as a protector in the background. After all, Billy is often seen one step behind the man he's loyal to, hand already at his pistol or a knife.

Furthermore, Billy has a sense of pride that borders on cocky, taking satisfaction in his skills with a blade. For example, instead of taking things slow and demonstrating how quick and effective a knife could be used, he showboats instead, demonstrating fancy maneuvers from his honed skills. He also grandstands his skills when he's challenged by a sore loser in a quick draw contest, deciding to "do it for real" not with a pistol, but with his hairpin.

There's a certain degree of brashness to these actions, but it all stems from Billy's pride in himself and the fact he detests being looked down on simply because of his race or background. Most people brush him off as a "celestial" and don't view him as anything other than a piece of the background. But he's clawed his way up from his past, dressing, talking, and acting as an equal to any other man in the west. He fervently believes that he can carve his own destiny, no matter how much pain it might cause him- and he is grateful that Goody acts as an equal, working on his behalf so Billy may achieve some measure of equality in this unjust world.

Please describe your character's sins and how they influence them:
Murder: Billy Rocks has committed murder more than once. He killed his masters as an indentured servant, worked as an enforcer for a Tong in San Francisco, and had a bounty placed on his head for the murder of two labor bosses of the Northern Pacific Railroad. This does not include the 30-odd murders he committed in the Battle of Rose Creek before his death.

Envy: Billy will never admit it, especially to Goody's face, but there are times he's quite envious of the man. It's not him persay, but the advantages he's had. He knows it's irrational, and it's subsided a lot since they've been together this long, but it still grates at him sometimes.

Idolatry: If there is one thing Billy Rocks worships in this world, it is his knives. Made of the finest steel, handles made of ivory and gilt in silver, he wears a fortune on his waist when the rest of his appearance hardly matters. These knives are his life, they can defend him, they can feed him, they can save him- and no God has ever done as much for Billy as these knives have.

Lust/"Crimes Against Nature": Billy has been in a relationship with Goodnight Robicheaux, another man, for many years. While he loves him deeply, he knows that this is not just illegal, but considered sinful. It's one of the sins he would rather be dragged to hell than repent for.

Theft: Billy has stolen more than a few things over the years, whether it be food when he was starving or money when he had none. Small things, a pickpocket, stealing nothing more valuable than a horse or two. It wasn't sin, in his opinion, it was survival.

Pride: Billy's sin of pride is hardly without merit. He dares to stick his head above his station because he has the wild notion that he should be considered a person, and he takes issue with those who don't. Of course he is prideful in himself- no one else was going to believe in him.

Wrath: Stemming from Billy's pride, there is a lot of wrath hidden underneath the tranquil surface that Billy keeps. In his past, he lashed out at people who did not treat him properly, starting fights and finishing arguments with blood on his knuckles or on his blades. Over the years he's calmed considerably- but that's because he's found ways to channel his anger.

Lying: Adopted name to dodge the law, rigging wagers and fights with the help of Goody, playing the part of a servant for the entire world- Billy has many moments of duplicity and is never forthright with his thoughts or his past. If it's not something someone needs to know, he will lie either by omission or by changing the story.

Gambling: The true sin of Billy's gambling is the fact that he gambles with lives. In quick-draw contests with live ammunition, some of his games end up being a matter of life or death. He's killed people with guns, with knives, with his hairpin, all for the sake of making money off a wager.


Abilities:
Billy excels in his skills with blades, throwing them with pinpoint accuracy and knowing exactly where to hit to do the fastest amount of damage. He has also proven himself to be a decent marksman, both with a pistol and a long rifle, and is also renowned for his hand-to-hand combat skills.

Ideas:
Psychological horror. Haunting visions and remembering the worst points in his life, the things that drove him to kill.
His penance for Gambling should involve Russian roulette.
There are some things he will want to refuse to do penance for (like his pride or being in love with Goody), he thinks they're justified.


Sample:
Smoke don't rise
Fuel don't burn
Sun don't shine no more