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"I wish I could say everything was going to be alright but there's truly no telling. I'll try to visit more frequently and do what I can to aid all of you with this, though I doubt there's much I can do"

It's okay Shifty, he knows.

[Pops shakes Hench's hand. Firm grip!]

Alrighty, then. But if this is 'bout that missin' Bill feller... Well, my Boy's been sayin' some mighty concernin' things. He deserves a say, I'm thinkin'...

Yup! Always does. He's always sayin' that's what he likes best 'bout comin' home. I'll go ahead and cook up another 'un fer ya anyhow. Shifty, couldja give us some alone time?

"To be quite honest I've never sensed any ill will from Cowboy.. I'm not completely sure he is a variant of Bill it's simply a possibility." Hench presses his lips into a thin line. Bill is evil, to deny that is to admit he's been in the wrong in various occasions.. it's also to denounce his principle of distrust for Bill and allow him the chance to twist things in his favor again.

... So does 'at mean every Bill is evil or not, Stanford? If yer sayin' he could be 'un but still be good... I think he'd find that lots more comfortin', whether or not he is. Think it this way- [He pauses to plate the omelette and slide it to Hench.] If he turns out not ta be, it's fine either way. But if he is, ain't it better if he still knows he can choose ta be good? If he thinks he ain't got a choice, what do ya think he'll do then? What if everythin' turns out fer the worst? ... He's a good kid, Stanfer- Ford, but hopelessness ain't never helped no one.

Hench stares down at the omelet.. despite how good it smells he isn't feeling particularly hungry.. "I suppose that's true. When all other doors seem to be sealed shut you either tear through the drywall or enter through the only door left. If it were up to me none of them would follow down the depressing path fate seems hell bent on. I was once Bill's friend, I would've preferred we stayed that way opposed to what became of us. I don't want cowboy to turn out like that either but it's safer to assume he will. They're the same person at heart and clealy Bill didn't choose the righteous path.. although if any are to stick out from the mold it'd be cowboy"

Alright, kiddos! Breakfast's ready!

[Shifty runs out, practically skidding into the room. Excited about Pops' cooking! ... And the cowboy doesn't come out yet.]

... Alright, hang on... Son, Stanford's 'ere and he agrees with ya!

[It takes a few seconds, before the cowboy rushes out of his room and over to the table.]

Whut? Huh? 'Bout what? Oh, howdy Stanferd!

Sit down 'n eat first, boy.

... Right. Sorry.

[Pops is the only one who doesn't shovel his food into his mouth...]

... Well, he says yer likely ta be a Bill too. But it ain't guaranteed!

[The cowboy briefly pauses eating.]

... But'm I gon' hurt anyone else?

Ain't no way of knowin', son. 'Sides, ya've got a gun fer a reason.

... Fer gettin' rid 'a dangers ta this world...

... Y'ain't a bad egg, kiddo. You know that. What happened to Dickie weren't yer fault.

... Godlike bein', huh? ... Interestin'. Well- Whose fault was Richard's death?

What're ya doin'?

If it says it was your fault, it was. If it weren't, you have ta stop blaming yourself.

That's a good choice, in my opin'un.

Yer takin' their side?

We care about ya, boy. How 'bout... What I want ta know is, who're ya kids's real parents? Where'd ya come from?

[The cowboy sighs, going to take another bite, but... He puts his fork down.]

Whut's the best way fer me ta kill a Bill?

... Don't ask that fer him.

... Pa. I want ta know.

And I know how yer usin' that know-how, and I ain't havin' it. Think of somethin' else.

Fine... How do I bring Richard back, then?

... You sure ya want that, li'l bro?

Pardon?

... Nevermind. I get it.

[It takes a moment before all three slowly return to eating.]

[The cowboy avoids eye contact more than usual... "Nothing's confirmed", but he still... feels... awful...]

... Say- Some folks were sayin' ya did somethin' real bad. Got yer kids taken away bad, or somethin'. Sayin' I shouldn't listen ta you 'bout all Bills bein' bad. And there's bin another Stanferd sayin' that too... And another, but he says he's still in... "You-clid-ya"? And he's hangin' round 'un himself... I can only hear 'im through a "walking talking" I found, but- My point bein', I... I still think it's better ta stop 'em, but... Well...

[He pauses to have a few more bites, more for the comfort than to feel full.]

... After the weddin' there was 'un who'd been turned ter a doggy. An' I figure... She seemed nice. Real friendly. And since sh'ain't actin' evil no more an' all that bad happened a long time ago fer her... Well...

... Yer askin' if yer sure we can trust 'im.

... Or... if sparin' that mutt's life wus a mistake, yeah...

... And yer still willin' ta end yerself over his say-so if it turns out y'are one?

... Pa...

... Weren't you sayin' you wanted a dog after that?

"He most likely came from a dimension knows as Euclydia. Bill typically destroys it killing all of its inhabitants and leading to his presence in the nightmare realm. If Cowboy is a Bill variant his parents are Euclid and Scalene. I'll be sure to see if I can get any information out of them aside from just names if possible"

Hench stares at cowboy a moment "if you wish to bring him back I'll warn you there are more than likely to be consequences. You can accompany me if thats fine with your father this entire ordeal surrounds you afterall."

Hench clenches his jaw glowering at the plate in front of him opting not to do so towards anyone at the table especially not with how hospitable pops has been. "I gave my child up of my own free will those claims have no merit."

... I had a dream 'bout a mudpuppy when I were a kid... Crazy coinky-dink. Cute critters.

Inchrestin'... Shifty too, 'course. I mostly want ter know... If there's anythin' their families wanted them ter know before I got 'em.

[The cowboy looks like he wants to melt into his seat and disappear.]

... I wanna come.

He can go. I'm sorry 'bout yer kid, hope that ain't hurt too bad ta be talkin' 'bout right now. Yain't gotta say more, I cain't imagine how bad that feels...

... So... I cain trust'ja, but it's good I din't shoot 'er? ... Is whoever's watchin' her ready ta kill her when she get's dang'rus again, though? If yer right about her, then... It ain't possible fer a Bill ta ever stay good... So why spare her? Let 'er die good. Mercy killin'. It's what I'd want if I were 'un.

"I'll be sure to ask on your behalf. If the families knew of the care of which you've provided their children I'm sure they'd be wanting to thank. The axolotl seems to have reign over the deceased but I'm unsure of the extent of their reach"

Hench watches Cowboy with great interest. Look at him go, become one with the seat. "Than I'll have to go over the details with you later. It shouldn't be a dangerous task.. the axolotl isn't known for being a violent force."

"It doesn't feel bad at all. I'm sturdy in my belief, I did the right thing." It stings. He regrets it often. Her safety keeps him up at night yet it seems the consensus is that he himself is the danger he's so wary of. That keeps him up as well. Imagining what it is people could possibly think he's capable of. Is even his trust in himself misplaced-!? It's a headache he'd like to forget for the time being.. especially infront of such nice company.

... Hang on, are you saying this axle-ottle--- Er, the... Axolotl, is the grim reaper or something? And it's somehow tied ta this Mudpuppy thing?

No, that'd be my friend Wilhelm... He's death, I think?

[Shifty's mouth hangs agape. WHAT..???]

... I can handle danger, anyhow. Not right now you can't. !

[Pops stares at Hench sympathetically. What an obvious lie.]

... Right... But... Ah, ferget I said anythin'...

[The cowboy rushes to finish his omelette; he'd like to go back to laying in bed miserably. He waits until he's done swallowing everything before he speaks again.]

Hench holds up a hand flat and tilts it left and right "Ehh.. I'm not sure if that entirely encapsulates what the axolotl is. The mudpuppy would be your universes version of the axolotl." Nods in agreement yes Wilhelm is basically the grim reaper.

"I'll ensure he isn't harmed. I've been traveling the multiverse a long time. There's nothing to worry about truly"

"I wish I could say everything was going to be alright but there's truly no telling. I'll try to visit more frequently and do what I can to aid all of you with this, though I doubt there's much I can do"

It's okay Shifty, he knows.

[Pops shakes Hench's hand. Firm grip!]

Alrighty, then. But if this is 'bout that missin' Bill feller... Well, my Boy's been sayin' some mighty concernin' things. He deserves a say, I'm thinkin'...

Yup! Always does. He's always sayin' that's what he likes best 'bout comin' home. I'll go ahead and cook up another 'un fer ya anyhow. Shifty, couldja give us some alone time?

"To be quite honest I've never sensed any ill will from Cowboy.. I'm not completely sure he is a variant of Bill it's simply a possibility." Hench presses his lips into a thin line. Bill is evil, to deny that is to admit he's been in the wrong in various occasions.. it's also to denounce his principle of distrust for Bill and allow him the chance to twist things in his favor again.

... So does 'at mean every Bill is evil or not, Stanford? If yer sayin' he could be 'un but still be good... I think he'd find that lots more comfortin', whether or not he is. Think it this way- [He pauses to plate the omelette and slide it to Hench.] If he turns out not ta be, it's fine either way. But if he is, ain't it better if he still knows he can choose ta be good? If he thinks he ain't got a choice, what do ya think he'll do then? What if everythin' turns out fer the worst? ... He's a good kid, Stanfer- Ford, but hopelessness ain't never helped no one.

Hench stares down at the omelet.. despite how good it smells he isn't feeling particularly hungry.. "I suppose that's true. When all other doors seem to be sealed shut you either tear through the drywall or enter through the only door left. If it were up to me none of them would follow down the depressing path fate seems hell bent on. I was once Bill's friend, I would've preferred we stayed that way opposed to what became of us. I don't want cowboy to turn out like that either but it's safer to assume he will. They're the same person at heart and clealy Bill didn't choose the righteous path.. although if any are to stick out from the mold it'd be cowboy"

Alright, kiddos! Breakfast's ready!

[Shifty runs out, practically skidding into the room. Excited about Pops' cooking! ... And the cowboy doesn't come out yet.]

... Alright, hang on... Son, Stanford's 'ere and he agrees with ya!

[It takes a few seconds, before the cowboy rushes out of his room and over to the table.]

Whut? Huh? 'Bout what? Oh, howdy Stanferd!

Sit down 'n eat first, boy.

... Right. Sorry.

[Pops is the only one who doesn't shovel his food into his mouth...]

... Well, he says yer likely ta be a Bill too. But it ain't guaranteed!

[The cowboy briefly pauses eating.]

... But'm I gon' hurt anyone else?

Ain't no way of knowin', son. 'Sides, ya've got a gun fer a reason.

... Fer gettin' rid 'a dangers ta this world...

... Y'ain't a bad egg, kiddo. You know that. What happened to Dickie weren't yer fault.

... Godlike bein', huh? ... Interestin'. Well- Whose fault was Richard's death?

What're ya doin'?

If it says it was your fault, it was. If it weren't, you have ta stop blaming yourself.

That's a good choice, in my opin'un.

Yer takin' their side?

We care about ya, boy. How 'bout... What I want ta know is, who're ya kids's real parents? Where'd ya come from?

[The cowboy sighs, going to take another bite, but... He puts his fork down.]

Whut's the best way fer me ta kill a Bill?

... Don't ask that fer him.

... Pa. I want ta know.

And I know how yer usin' that know-how, and I ain't havin' it. Think of somethin' else.

Fine... How do I bring Richard back, then?

... You sure ya want that, li'l bro?

Pardon?

... Nevermind. I get it.

[It takes a moment before all three slowly return to eating.]

[The cowboy avoids eye contact more than usual... "Nothing's confirmed", but he still... feels... awful...]

... Say- Some folks were sayin' ya did somethin' real bad. Got yer kids taken away bad, or somethin'. Sayin' I shouldn't listen ta you 'bout all Bills bein' bad. And there's bin another Stanferd sayin' that too... And another, but he says he's still in... "You-clid-ya"? And he's hangin' round 'un himself... I can only hear 'im through a "walking talking" I found, but- My point bein', I... I still think it's better ta stop 'em, but... Well...

[He pauses to have a few more bites, more for the comfort than to feel full.]

... After the weddin' there was 'un who'd been turned ter a doggy. An' I figure... She seemed nice. Real friendly. And since sh'ain't actin' evil no more an' all that bad happened a long time ago fer her... Well...

... Yer askin' if yer sure we can trust 'im.

... Or... if sparin' that mutt's life wus a mistake, yeah...

... And yer still willin' ta end yerself over his say-so if it turns out y'are one?

... Pa...

... Weren't you sayin' you wanted a dog after that?

"He most likely came from a dimension knows as Euclydia. Bill typically destroys it killing all of its inhabitants and leading to his presence in the nightmare realm. If Cowboy is a Bill variant his parents are Euclid and Scalene. I'll be sure to see if I can get any information out of them aside from just names if possible"

Hench stares at cowboy a moment "if you wish to bring him back I'll warn you there are more than likely to be consequences. You can accompany me if thats fine with your father this entire ordeal surrounds you afterall."

Hench clenches his jaw glowering at the plate in front of him opting not to do so towards anyone at the table especially not with how hospitable pops has been. "I gave my child up of my own free will those claims have no merit."

... I had a dream 'bout a mudpuppy when I were a kid... Crazy coinky-dink. Cute critters.

Inchrestin'... Shifty too, 'course. I mostly want ter know... If there's anythin' their families wanted them ter know before I got 'em.

[The cowboy looks like he wants to melt into his seat and disappear.]

... I wanna come.

He can go. I'm sorry 'bout yer kid, hope that ain't hurt too bad ta be talkin' 'bout right now. Yain't gotta say more, I cain't imagine how bad that feels...

... So... I cain trust'ja, but it's good I din't shoot 'er? ... Is whoever's watchin' her ready ta kill her when she get's dang'rus again, though? If yer right about her, then... It ain't possible fer a Bill ta ever stay good... So why spare her? Let 'er die good. Mercy killin'. It's what I'd want if I were 'un.

"I'll be sure to ask on your behalf. If the families knew of the care of which you've provided their children I'm sure they'd be wanting to thank. The axolotl seems to have reign over the deceased but I'm unsure of the extent of their reach"

Hench watches Cowboy with great interest. Look at him go, become one with the seat. "Than I'll have to go over the details with you later. It shouldn't be a dangerous task.. the axolotl isn't known for being a violent force."

"It doesn't feel bad at all. I'm sturdy in my belief, I did the right thing." It stings. He regrets it often. Her safety keeps him up at night yet it seems the consensus is that he himself is the danger he's so wary of. That keeps him up as well. Imagining what it is people could possibly think he's capable of. Is even his trust in himself misplaced-!? It's a headache he'd like to forget for the time being.. especially infront of such nice company.

... Hang on, are you saying this axle-ottle--- Er, the... Axolotl, is the grim reaper or something? And it's somehow tied ta this Mudpuppy thing?

No, that'd be my friend Wilhelm... He's death, I think?

[Shifty's mouth hangs agape. WHAT..???]

... I can handle danger, anyhow. Not right now you can't. !

[Pops stares at Hench sympathetically. What an obvious lie.]

... Right... But... Ah, ferget I said anythin'...

[The cowboy rushes to finish his omelette; he'd like to go back to laying in bed miserably. He waits until he's done swallowing everything before he speaks again.]

[ @ivxliwh ]

[He's resting on a boulder. Curled around the top of it, asleep like that.]

Ah! Howdy-do.

[How does one say "my continued existence may or may not put my entire dimension at risk, based on who I was when I was born that I can only check by meeting god," without... saying ANY of that? ... Eh. He won't bother.]

... Yeah. I know. I'd rather not be thinkin' 'bout it...

[WILHELM can tell. ohh lordy.]

... D'ya know Stanferd? ... Er- whatsisname- What he per-ferred... Uh... Nevermind.

Yeah! ... He says... All of that there Bill Cipher feller are evil. But I've heard others of 'im sayin' he's wrong. But he says most've 'em 're tricked by 'im... And, frankly... It's lookin' likely I might...

[He chokes on his words.]

[WILHELM takes a moment to think, moving to sit next to him on the boulder.]

[He bites his cheek as he thinks.]

[WILHELM puts a hand on his shoulder.]

"hench doesnt know shit. his paranoia doesnt dictate other people's lives— and it shouldnt dictate yours, either."

[he sighs.]

"hes a smart man, but sometimes hes just....so dumb. valerie— the, uhm, one you called a doggy— isnt evil. and sure, shes done bad things, but she thought she had to do them or otherwise there would be consequences. if she knew sooner that it wouldn't, she wouldve avoided that situation entirely and lived her life how she wanted. and you? youre not going to end up evil. not at all. being evil is a choice, and its not something you wanna be, right? nor do you wanna endanger those you love. and you can control that."

... Disrimnation... It'd be... that.

[He's quiet for a while.]

. . .

... Yeah. Yeah! That's right, ain't it?

[He pauses.]

... But... What if he... Y'know... Er... What if'n he don't want ter... Talk ta me anymore...

[He nods a few times. Taking this in. Hench knows Wilhelm... So he has a source Hench would know. Good. Goooood.]

[BUDDY.]

hellooo! … decided to come visit you again

*not that he has anything better to do… apart from continuing to hide in the void*

@master-of-puppets-and-shadows

[He's sitting in a rocking chair by the porch, legs crossed and leaning far back.]

... Hn?

[He looks Shadow Milk Cookie up and down. There he is... They met before, but... What he did to Richard's body... He doesn't know what to say.]

[He nods, unfolding his legs and sitting up in the rocking chair.]

... In that case... I s'pose y'ain't lookin' ter apologize 'bout flingin'...

[He goes silent. The thought haunts him.]

*he curls up a little, wrapping his arms around his legs*

… … that … wasn’t a good time for that … not really entirely certain why i did that

…

…

... Alrighty then. This way.

[He slaps his knees as he stands up, and starts walking towards the Grand Canyon.]

*he perks up, floating up to follow him*

*he looks awayyy*

… ugh..

… that’s … nice

*he looks down at the ground as he floats after him*

[He waits for SMC to wake up before travel continues in the morning... it takes anywhere from three days to a week to reach the Grand Canyon on foot, passing through miles of desert and hot forest. When they're finally close enough to overlook it, he sits down near the edge.]

*… he likes to go to sleep really late and wake up really late. so if Cowboy is intent on waiting, he’ll probably have to wait a while*

*he floats a little bit over the edge of it, looking down*

[He scratches his chin.]

*he tilts his head slightly*

[He walks closer to the water, removing a glove and sticking his hand in.]

[He climbs out of the water, grabbing his folded-up clothes.]

*he floats up out of the water and shakes himself off, almost certainly splashing Cowboy a bit in the process*

Thank'm. See ya, if y'ever come back. Wait- Now that I think 'bout it...

[He considers also guiding Shadow Milk Cookie to the petrified forest... But decides against it. Too far. He ain't walkin' hundreds more miles when his family's worried, no sir.]

[He watches, sighing.]

"I wish I could say everything was going to be alright but there's truly no telling. I'll try to visit more frequently and do what I can to aid all of you with this, though I doubt there's much I can do"

It's okay Shifty, he knows.

[Pops shakes Hench's hand. Firm grip!]

Alrighty, then. But if this is 'bout that missin' Bill feller... Well, my Boy's been sayin' some mighty concernin' things. He deserves a say, I'm thinkin'...

Yup! Always does. He's always sayin' that's what he likes best 'bout comin' home. I'll go ahead and cook up another 'un fer ya anyhow. Shifty, couldja give us some alone time?

"To be quite honest I've never sensed any ill will from Cowboy.. I'm not completely sure he is a variant of Bill it's simply a possibility." Hench presses his lips into a thin line. Bill is evil, to deny that is to admit he's been in the wrong in various occasions.. it's also to denounce his principle of distrust for Bill and allow him the chance to twist things in his favor again.

... So does 'at mean every Bill is evil or not, Stanford? If yer sayin' he could be 'un but still be good... I think he'd find that lots more comfortin', whether or not he is. Think it this way- [He pauses to plate the omelette and slide it to Hench.] If he turns out not ta be, it's fine either way. But if he is, ain't it better if he still knows he can choose ta be good? If he thinks he ain't got a choice, what do ya think he'll do then? What if everythin' turns out fer the worst? ... He's a good kid, Stanfer- Ford, but hopelessness ain't never helped no one.

Hench stares down at the omelet.. despite how good it smells he isn't feeling particularly hungry.. "I suppose that's true. When all other doors seem to be sealed shut you either tear through the drywall or enter through the only door left. If it were up to me none of them would follow down the depressing path fate seems hell bent on. I was once Bill's friend, I would've preferred we stayed that way opposed to what became of us. I don't want cowboy to turn out like that either but it's safer to assume he will. They're the same person at heart and clealy Bill didn't choose the righteous path.. although if any are to stick out from the mold it'd be cowboy"

Alright, kiddos! Breakfast's ready!

[Shifty runs out, practically skidding into the room. Excited about Pops' cooking! ... And the cowboy doesn't come out yet.]

... Alright, hang on... Son, Stanford's 'ere and he agrees with ya!

[It takes a few seconds, before the cowboy rushes out of his room and over to the table.]

Whut? Huh? 'Bout what? Oh, howdy Stanferd!

Sit down 'n eat first, boy.

... Right. Sorry.

[Pops is the only one who doesn't shovel his food into his mouth...]

... Well, he says yer likely ta be a Bill too. But it ain't guaranteed!

[The cowboy briefly pauses eating.]

... But'm I gon' hurt anyone else?

Ain't no way of knowin', son. 'Sides, ya've got a gun fer a reason.

... Fer gettin' rid 'a dangers ta this world...

... Y'ain't a bad egg, kiddo. You know that. What happened to Dickie weren't yer fault.

... Godlike bein', huh? ... Interestin'. Well- Whose fault was Richard's death?

What're ya doin'?

If it says it was your fault, it was. If it weren't, you have ta stop blaming yourself.

That's a good choice, in my opin'un.

Yer takin' their side?

We care about ya, boy. How 'bout... What I want ta know is, who're ya kids's real parents? Where'd ya come from?

[The cowboy sighs, going to take another bite, but... He puts his fork down.]

Whut's the best way fer me ta kill a Bill?

... Don't ask that fer him.

... Pa. I want ta know.

And I know how yer usin' that know-how, and I ain't havin' it. Think of somethin' else.

Fine... How do I bring Richard back, then?

... You sure ya want that, li'l bro?

Pardon?

... Nevermind. I get it.

[It takes a moment before all three slowly return to eating.]

[The cowboy avoids eye contact more than usual... "Nothing's confirmed", but he still... feels... awful...]

... Say- Some folks were sayin' ya did somethin' real bad. Got yer kids taken away bad, or somethin'. Sayin' I shouldn't listen ta you 'bout all Bills bein' bad. And there's bin another Stanferd sayin' that too... And another, but he says he's still in... "You-clid-ya"? And he's hangin' round 'un himself... I can only hear 'im through a "walking talking" I found, but- My point bein', I... I still think it's better ta stop 'em, but... Well...

[He pauses to have a few more bites, more for the comfort than to feel full.]

... After the weddin' there was 'un who'd been turned ter a doggy. An' I figure... She seemed nice. Real friendly. And since sh'ain't actin' evil no more an' all that bad happened a long time ago fer her... Well...

... Yer askin' if yer sure we can trust 'im.

... Or... if sparin' that mutt's life wus a mistake, yeah...

... And yer still willin' ta end yerself over his say-so if it turns out y'are one?

... Pa...

... Weren't you sayin' you wanted a dog after that?

"He most likely came from a dimension knows as Euclydia. Bill typically destroys it killing all of its inhabitants and leading to his presence in the nightmare realm. If Cowboy is a Bill variant his parents are Euclid and Scalene. I'll be sure to see if I can get any information out of them aside from just names if possible"

Hench stares at cowboy a moment "if you wish to bring him back I'll warn you there are more than likely to be consequences. You can accompany me if thats fine with your father this entire ordeal surrounds you afterall."

Hench clenches his jaw glowering at the plate in front of him opting not to do so towards anyone at the table especially not with how hospitable pops has been. "I gave my child up of my own free will those claims have no merit."

... I had a dream 'bout a mudpuppy when I were a kid... Crazy coinky-dink. Cute critters.

Inchrestin'... Shifty too, 'course. I mostly want ter know... If there's anythin' their families wanted them ter know before I got 'em.

[The cowboy looks like he wants to melt into his seat and disappear.]

... I wanna come.

He can go. I'm sorry 'bout yer kid, hope that ain't hurt too bad ta be talkin' 'bout right now. Yain't gotta say more, I cain't imagine how bad that feels...

... So... I cain trust'ja, but it's good I din't shoot 'er? ... Is whoever's watchin' her ready ta kill her when she get's dang'rus again, though? If yer right about her, then... It ain't possible fer a Bill ta ever stay good... So why spare her? Let 'er die good. Mercy killin'. It's what I'd want if I were 'un.

"I wish I could say everything was going to be alright but there's truly no telling. I'll try to visit more frequently and do what I can to aid all of you with this, though I doubt there's much I can do"

It's okay Shifty, he knows.

[Pops shakes Hench's hand. Firm grip!]

Alrighty, then. But if this is 'bout that missin' Bill feller... Well, my Boy's been sayin' some mighty concernin' things. He deserves a say, I'm thinkin'...

Yup! Always does. He's always sayin' that's what he likes best 'bout comin' home. I'll go ahead and cook up another 'un fer ya anyhow. Shifty, couldja give us some alone time?

"To be quite honest I've never sensed any ill will from Cowboy.. I'm not completely sure he is a variant of Bill it's simply a possibility." Hench presses his lips into a thin line. Bill is evil, to deny that is to admit he's been in the wrong in various occasions.. it's also to denounce his principle of distrust for Bill and allow him the chance to twist things in his favor again.

... So does 'at mean every Bill is evil or not, Stanford? If yer sayin' he could be 'un but still be good... I think he'd find that lots more comfortin', whether or not he is. Think it this way- [He pauses to plate the omelette and slide it to Hench.] If he turns out not ta be, it's fine either way. But if he is, ain't it better if he still knows he can choose ta be good? If he thinks he ain't got a choice, what do ya think he'll do then? What if everythin' turns out fer the worst? ... He's a good kid, Stanfer- Ford, but hopelessness ain't never helped no one.

Hench stares down at the omelet.. despite how good it smells he isn't feeling particularly hungry.. "I suppose that's true. When all other doors seem to be sealed shut you either tear through the drywall or enter through the only door left. If it were up to me none of them would follow down the depressing path fate seems hell bent on. I was once Bill's friend, I would've preferred we stayed that way opposed to what became of us. I don't want cowboy to turn out like that either but it's safer to assume he will. They're the same person at heart and clealy Bill didn't choose the righteous path.. although if any are to stick out from the mold it'd be cowboy"

Alright, kiddos! Breakfast's ready!

[Shifty runs out, practically skidding into the room. Excited about Pops' cooking! ... And the cowboy doesn't come out yet.]

... Alright, hang on... Son, Stanford's 'ere and he agrees with ya!

[It takes a few seconds, before the cowboy rushes out of his room and over to the table.]

Whut? Huh? 'Bout what? Oh, howdy Stanferd!

Sit down 'n eat first, boy.

... Right. Sorry.

[Pops is the only one who doesn't shovel his food into his mouth...]

... Well, he says yer likely ta be a Bill too. But it ain't guaranteed!

[The cowboy briefly pauses eating.]

... But'm I gon' hurt anyone else?

Ain't no way of knowin', son. 'Sides, ya've got a gun fer a reason.

... Fer gettin' rid 'a dangers ta this world...

... Y'ain't a bad egg, kiddo. You know that. What happened to Dickie weren't yer fault.

... Godlike bein', huh? ... Interestin'. Well- Whose fault was Richard's death?

What're ya doin'?

If it says it was your fault, it was. If it weren't, you have ta stop blaming yourself.

That's a good choice, in my opin'un.

Yer takin' their side?

We care about ya, boy. How 'bout... What I want ta know is, who're ya kids's real parents? Where'd ya come from?

[The cowboy sighs, going to take another bite, but... He puts his fork down.]

Whut's the best way fer me ta kill a Bill?

... Don't ask that fer him.

... Pa. I want ta know.

And I know how yer usin' that know-how, and I ain't havin' it. Think of somethin' else.

Fine... How do I bring Richard back, then?

... You sure ya want that, li'l bro?

Pardon?

... Nevermind. I get it.

[It takes a moment before all three slowly return to eating.]

[The cowboy avoids eye contact more than usual... "Nothing's confirmed", but he still... feels... awful...]

... Say- Some folks were sayin' ya did somethin' real bad. Got yer kids taken away bad, or somethin'. Sayin' I shouldn't listen ta you 'bout all Bills bein' bad. And there's bin another Stanferd sayin' that too... And another, but he says he's still in... "You-clid-ya"? And he's hangin' round 'un himself... I can only hear 'im through a "walking talking" I found, but- My point bein', I... I still think it's better ta stop 'em, but... Well...

[He pauses to have a few more bites, more for the comfort than to feel full.]

... After the weddin' there was 'un who'd been turned ter a doggy. An' I figure... She seemed nice. Real friendly. And since sh'ain't actin' evil no more an' all that bad happened a long time ago fer her... Well...

... Yer askin' if yer sure we can trust 'im.

... Or... if sparin' that mutt's life wus a mistake, yeah...

... And yer still willin' ta end yerself over his say-so if it turns out y'are one?

... Pa...

... Weren't you sayin' you wanted a dog after that?