
William || Joseph || Black
.:: Nickname ::.
Billy to friends, Billy Joe to family, āHossā to everyone else
.:: Birthday ::.
February 2nd, 1990
.:: Age ::.
Thirty-six || 36
.:: Gender ::.
Male ā
.:: Sexuality ::.
āLetās not give a name to it. If I like you, Iāll let you know.ā
.:: Home Town ::.
Austin, Texas
.:: Position Status ::.
Leader of the Fireflies
.:: Infected Status ::.
Never bitten. āBut twice shy.ā
Sadly, in search of, but one step in back of, myself and my slow-movin' dreams.



.:: Describe Physical Appearance ::.
Hoss is a 36 year old, generally fit man. He reaches 5' 11" and weighs about 200 Ibs. He's got a somber way to walk, but he keeps a mostly good posture. His steps are calculated and rhythmic, something he picked up from the Corps. He's mostly muscled with just a slight belly from drinking and age, and his presence is usually intimidating.
His face is soft, yet distinguished. His hair, ragged; it reaches down to his shoulders at times. The strawberry blond hair is usually pulled back or kept tied. His face is covered by well-kept facial hair, a beard and a van dyke of certain esteem.
He is everything Austin. Cowboy. Hipster. Scraggly. Strong. He wears jeans, button-down shirts and leather vests. His black cowboy boots are tattered, with the sole partially peelin' off the cut. He would wear a cowboy hat to go 'long with them, but he's never liked how hats shaped his hair. From time to time, especially in cities with heavy Military presence, he'll wear a thick duster coat or a hoodie.
.:: Clothing Description ::.
"I've always been crazy, but it's kept me from going insane."

.:: Personality ::.
Aloof || Commanding || Charismatic || Spiritual
With a intimidating presence but a soft face, Hoss places himself as a natural leader. As founder and 1st & 4th President of the Fireflies, his word is usually taken without much debate. Why? Generally he seems likes he knows what he's talking about. Quick to judge, quick to move, and quick to win.
He may not always win in a fight, but he's always been one to get and shake the winner's hand when he loses. That being said, that usually applies to opponents who don't want to infect him. He understands very well that every action he takes could very well mean life or death. "At any moment," he tells his companions, "my ass could be a second away from the Devil's brand."
In a sense, Hoss is a spiritual leader for many survivors. A mystic, in some regards. His stark Christians messages of hope and perseverance, coupled with an unquenched patriotic dream of a pre-infection America, has carried to many quarantine and free zones alike. Among the most ardent Fireflies, he's spoken of like a prophet. Among the military, he's Satan. Among average survivors, he's a misty legend. With his friends? He's usually a drunken asshole who's just in it for sex but never for love. He can't love again, and nobody really knows what he's feeling.
.:: Likes ::.
- -sad country songs
-brandy
-whiskey
-good tobacco
-people who call him daddy
-Christians
-reading Christian works
-finding novel curios in ruins
-being able to let his guard down
-singing
-getting in a fight
-good barbecue
.:: Dislikes ::.
- -anything infected
-Military
-the state of things
-whining
-anybody who falls in love with him
-hopeless romantics
-bad tasting food
-anti-American sentiments
-locks
-bars
-doors
-mean cops
-insanity
-wars
.:: Equipment ::.
Besides his clothes, he keeps a canteen of water, and a leather backpack - it stores a rosary, shotgun shells, .44 magnum shells, some first-aid supplies, hard tack and duck tape. He also keeps benadryl, a couple small bottles of dihydromorphone, a tobacco pouch and his pipe.

.:: Weapons ::.
Melee Weapon || 1 machete and 1 bowie knife
Fire Arm || 12 gauge shotgun, 1 .44 magnum revolver
.:: Skills ::.
- ⢠Command
⢠Conversation
⢠Fire arm precision
⢠Parliamentary procedure "I don't really use it a lot much, these days."
⢠Basic survival skills - sewing, cooking, brewing coffee "Especially coffee. Can't survive without that."
"There's gotta be a place for me, under some green growing tree; with clear cool water running by, an unfettered view of the sky, but I don't know where I'm bound."

.:: Brief Background ::.
Hoss was born in Austin, Texas, the son of a well-to-do Czech Texan named William Black, and a ravishing Mexican bonita named Frances Morelia. Hoss grew up in a good time to be Texan, with a lot of growth and business all around him. His family never really struggled for much. His āpaā would take him out go to hunting, fishing and camping; his mom taught him how to cook, to pray and to sew.
When he graduated from Catholic school at the age of 18, he went on to attend Texas A&M University, where his parents had met 25 years prior. He was in the Corps of Cadets, and studied political theory. He was rather popular student; student body president, Corps Commander, and member of a fraternity. He met his wife, Darlene, and they married in junior year. He graduated in the early part of 2014⦠the year the infection broke out.
For a good year or two, Texas had been mostly spared from major infections. El Paso and Houston were the first cities to see a large rise of infection. Still, even with the running start to prepare, Texas, too, fell to the infectious hordes. Galveston, Corpus Christi and Houston are all depopulate wastelands. Dallas is a major quarantine zone. El Paso is a warzone. All that remained was the heavily fortified Austin.
Hossās father, rallied a noble group of Texans to fight the onslaught of infected, as well as to hold off any military intervention. With Fort Hood so closeby, the first conflicts were ferocious. His father was eventually executed by the military, but not without his spirit living on. Enraged, Hoss declared the reestablishment of the American government and founded the Fireflies.
Convening in the old state capitol of Texas, the Fireflies elected an elder survivor as President of the Republic, and Hoss, as Chief of the Fireflies, was Vice President, and using the U.S. Constitution, and appointed wartime legislative and judicial branches of the government. Hossās youth and wealth were the driving forces behind the Firefliesā rapid growth. Many fireflies died but they saved a lot more survivors. Their biggest victory came when securing Fort Hood and ensuring Central Texas as a haven for survivors.
In 2018, however, the Fireflies encountered the largest masse of infected ever seen in Texas; it swarmed across the hill country and gobbled up whatever it was in its path. The battle was long and the city of Austin was nearly destroyed. In the end, the Fireflies were the victors ā maintaining the city as a safezone. But at what cost? Darlene, Hossās beloved, and their two daughters were infected ā eliminated.
Hoss officially renounced any position in the Firefliesā government and turned to organizing relief efforts for those infected. He spent most of the next few years honing his skills with firearms and dealing with grief. But the Fireflies begged him to return when researches theorized the existence of a cure. Heās spent the last 5 years searching across the country for this cure.