#stagecoach poster

[omercifulheaves]

Stagecoach (1939)

#movies #posters #stagecoach #john ford #westerns #john wayne

[forest-hashira]

Lucky Shot

I'M BACK AGAIN i have just been on a roll with writing lately but you know what? i'm not complaining lol. anyways, this is my second entry to @kentopedia's "Love Through the Ages" collab! you can find my first entry here, but be sure to keep an eye on the masterlist for the other entries!!! this is the first time i've written solo suguru/reader so. be nice to me pls. also plese check out this art by @/diosaurr! i had already started writing this fic when they posted it, but three separate people tagged me in it knowing i was writing the fic so i want everyone else to see it, too!

read on ao3 here | wc: ~2.7k | cw: fem! reader (i know who am i???), outlaw!suguru, saloon girl!reader, gun violence, mentions of blood/injury, mentions of death. if those things will upset you i suggest you give this one a pass!

Maybe you should have listened to your father after all.

He’d told you countless times that traveling west, especially without a family or close group to help you out and keep your best interests at heart, would be difficult at best and dangerous at worst. Especially for a young unmarried woman such as yourself. 

But you had always been headstrong and stubborn, and your father had always been a worrier, so you assumed he was exaggerating to discourage you, his eldest daughter, from following your dream and going out west. You secretly saved up money for months, and at the first given opportunity to leave your family and head west, you’d taken it, leaving only a goodbye note for your parents and younger siblings when you slipped from the house in the early hours of the morning. 

Turns out, your father wasn’t exaggerating. Joining a party as a solo traveler had proven even more difficult and dangerous than you could have anticipated. You managed to make it out west, just like you wanted, but you had no money to your name, only the clothes on your back and two other outfits in a bag as you walked through the town, wandering from business to business, asking for work; you’d nearly wept with relief when the saloon owner said you looked like you could have some potential as a saloon girl, after you cleaned up. 

He’d provided you a boarding room above the saloon and a new outfit – the ones you had weren’t up to his standards – up front, and while you appreciated it, you also knew he’d be taking that out of your pay until he decided those things were covered, which you could only guess would be never.

Despite the strings that came attached to your new job, things weren’t all bad. You got to know people in the town pretty quickly – the ones that frequented the saloon, anyways – and you were always in the loop about local “news”, most of which was just gossip. 

One character of particular interest in the local gossip was a man named Geto Suguru. When you’d asked what was so interesting about him, you’d gotten some questioning looks, until you’d said you had only just recently moved out west. After you were shown his wanted poster, though, you began to understand. 

He was one of the most – if not the most – attractive man you’d ever seen. Dark hair that fell past his shoulders; thin, almost cat-like eyes; and even in the poster, there was a sly look on his face. 

Not only that, but he was wanted for robbing stagecoaches, stealing money and jewelry from rich people who gave into his – apparently – intimidating presence. He was also known for spending that money generously in towns all over the west supporting local businesses; plenty of women from across the state also bragged about the jewelry he would gift them, simply because he thought it looked good on them. 

After spending weeks hearing stories – that you were certain had to be at least a little exaggerated – about this pretty outlaw and staring at his wanted poster, you resigned yourself to the fact that you would never see him with your own eyes. 

So you couldn’t have been more surprised when you watched the man himself walk into your saloon without any sort of fanfare or dramatics and sit at the bar. 

You stared at him, eyes wide, until he gave you a small smile. 

“I’ve heard you’ll catch flies if you leave your mouth open too long,” he said, smooth voice lilting with amusement. 

Realizing he meant you, you quickly snapped your mouth shut, your whole face burning with embarrassment. “You try meeting a living legend when you’ve only lived in the area for a couple months, see how you react,” you snapped back. When you realized what you’d said, you opened your mouth to apologize, but stopped when you saw the way his eyes sparkled with interest, one perfect brow arched in your direction.

“Feisty, aren’t we?” he chuckled. “I think I like you already, new girl.”

“What do you want to drink?” You turned away from him to grab a glass, hoping he didn’t pick up on how flustered you were over the nickname. 

“Surprise me.”

You straightened at that, and now it was your turn to arch a brow as you looked him over. His expression never wavered, his head tilted slightly as he waited to see what you decided to serve him. 

With a quiet huff, you turned your back to him, looking over your selection of liquors. Part of you wanted to serve him the cheapest, nastiest drink you carried, just to see if he would actually drink it or demand another drink, but ultimately you decided against it. Instead, you reached for the top shelf, grabbing the unopened bottle of some fancy imported scotch your boss had just gotten in a couple days before. 

“Opening a bottle just for me?” Geto asked, still with that playful tone. “Well now I feel special.”

“Don’t make me change my mind,” you threatened, turning as if to put the bottle back in its place. 

He held up his hands, as if in surrender, and you set the bottle down on the bar to grab a glass, though you took a brief moment to admire how strong even just his hands looked. 

Setting the glass in front of him, you broke the seal on the bottle, then intentionally poured him about three times as much of the amber liquid as you were supposed to. Your boss could yell at you about it later. 

Geto lifted the glass, tipping it towards you slightly in thanks, before taking a sip.

Just as you were about to speak to the outlaw in front of you again, the saloon doors swung open in your peripheral vision, and you looked up to see the sheriff walking towards the bar.

“Afternoon, sheriff,” you greeted him, glancing briefly at Geto to see what his reaction was, and you were only a little surprised that he had no reaction at all. “Your usual?”

The sheriff tipped his hat to you, sitting down at the opposite end of the bar from the bandit. “Please and thank you.”

With a nod, you placed the bottle of scotch on the counter behind the bar, then grabbed another glass and the brand of whiskey the sheriff always drank. You walked down the length of the bar, setting the glass in front of him and pouring his drink – the expected amount of liquor for him, unlike the bandit down the bar – before you walked away to put the bottle back. 

You felt hyper-aware of the two customers at the bar, worried that any second now the sheriff would recognize the outlaw and all hell would break loose, especially when the other patrons at the tables in the building were always itching for some sort of fight, just because they thought it was entertaining. 

In the end, though, it wasn’t the sheriff that recognized Geto, it was another customer that walked up to the bar to get another drink.

“You look familiar,” the man drawled, narrowing his eyes as he analyzed Geto’s face as best as his intoxicated mind could manage. 

“I get that a lot,” the outlaw answered evenly, not sparing the man a second glance.

“No, I’ve definitely seen you somewhere before…” he trailed off, scowling, his gaze wandering until it landed on the handful of wanted posters hung on the wall beside the bar. His eyes lit up with recognition, and you swore you felt your heart drop to your stomach.

“You’re that stagecoach robber!” the man exclaimed, turning back to Geto; out of the corner of your eye you saw the sheriff turn to face the commotion.

Shit, this is bad, you thought, placing the man’s beer on the bar in front of him, though he was far beyond caring about the drink anymore.

“I’m pretty sure you have no proof of that.”

“That’s your face on the poster,” the man insisted, then turned his attention to you. “Don’t you think?” 

“It looks like it could be a lot of people,” you replied lamely, grimacing at how obvious of a lie it was.

The man scowled at you. “Shoulda known better than t’ask a whore,” he spat, slurring his words a bit. “Whores always lie.”

Almost before he finished speaking, Geto grabbed the man’s collar and slammed his face down onto the bar. “Apologize to her,” he said, voice calm but eyes sharp with anger. 

You blinked in surprise at what had just happened, and once you processed what had been said to you, you found that you were quite offended, and also quite pleased that this outlaw had taken up for you so quickly. 

“Like hell!” the man protested, struggling against Geto’s hold. Even with his head forcibly pressed to the bar top, though, the man managed to pull his gun from his holster. 

The scene before you seemed to slow impossibly for a moment: the sound of the gun cocking, seeing it aimed at Geto, the man’s finger going for the trigger. Then suddenly everything was back to normal speed, and the outlaw used his free hand to shove the gun to no longer be aimed at him just as the trigger was pulled. 

You turned your head to see where it landed, and you watched in horror as a wound burst into existence in the sheriff’s shoulder, blood soaking into his shirt in an instant. He let out a shout of pain, clutching at the wound with his hand.

“You rat bastard!” the man shouted, working to cock his gun and aim it at Geto again, but the outlaw was quicker, pulling out his own gun, pressing it to the man’s ribs, and shooting him almost before you could process what he was doing. 

There was a wet gasping sound from the man, and when Geto’s hold on his collar was finally released, he dropped unceremoniously to the floor, his gun sliding out of his hand. You couldn’t tell if he was dead yet or not, but he certainly wasn’t making any effort to get off the floor.

Out of the corner of your eye, you could see the sheriff draw his own gun and aim it, but it was in his non-dominant hand, so the bullet did not hit the robber as the sheriff intended; instead, it shattered the whiskey glass on the bar in front of you, and you dropped to the ground in fear.

With your hands over your head, you kept as low as you could. You couldn’t see what was happening anymore, but from what you could hear, at least half of the other patrons of the saloon had joined in the gunfight. Stray bullets hit the wall behind the bar, shattering multiple bottles of liquor, including the fancy bottle of scotch. My boss is going to be so pissed, you thought, an oddly practical thought to have in the midst of hiding and praying you weren’t accidentally shot.

Almost as if summoned by your thoughts, a bullet tore through the front of the bar, sticking in the cabinet about six inches from your head. With a shriek, you scrambled aside, towards the end of the bar; maybe if you were lucky, there would be time for you to slip out of the building without being caught in the crossfire. 

You scanned the building as quickly as you could while keeping yourself hidden, not wanting to make yourself any more of a target than you already were. Bullets were still flying, leaving no chance for your escape, and you cursed under your breath; you were going to be stuck here until everyone ran out of ammo. 

As you looked around, you noticed the first man that Geto had shot, a pool of blood slowly growing beneath his torso. His chest still rose and fell slightly, but his eyes were glassy; he was alive, but he was not long for this world. Suddenly, you remembered that he had dropped his gun when he had fallen, and you scanned the area around him for it, finding it a foot or so from his outstretched hand.

Deciding to run the risk of getting shot, you lunged for it, gripping it tightly in your hand once it was in your grasp. You’d never held a gun in your life, much less shot one, but having this one in your possession made you feel a little less cornered, a little less helpless.

Daring a glance upward, you saw that Geto had turned so that his back was to you and another corner of the saloon. Another patron had somehow managed to sneak around into the outlaw’s blind spot, and was clearly gearing up to shoot him in the back of the head. Knowing you couldn’t just sit there and watch it happen, you fumbled with the gun, your sweaty hands failing to pull back the hammer twice before you succeeded. With no clue how to accurately aim the weapon, you pointed it at his leg, squeezing your eyes shut as you pulled the trigger.

A shout of pain a moment later indicated that you had hit… someone, and you quickly opened your eyes again to make sure you hadn’t somehow hit Geto by accident. Thankfully, you hadn’t. The man you’d been aiming at had taken the shot to his knee – which actually had been what you were hoping to hit when you fired – bringing him down to the floor on one knee.

The shout was enough to alert the outlaw to the threat behind him, and he wasted no time spinning around and drilling him between the eyes. He slipped his guns – you saw now that he had two, rather than one like you had first thought – back into their holsters as the last man’s body dropped to the floor.

Once there was no longer another person blocking you from his view, Geto blinked in surprise, smiling as he stepped over the body and crouched down in front of you.

“You shot him?” he asked, his eyes glinting. The sight made you realize you’d been wrong before, when you’d thought his eyes were catlike in his wanted poster; in person they were foxlike, sharp and intelligent and clever.

“I-I, uh… yeah, I shot him.”

“Have you ever fired a gun before?”

“Not until just now.”

He glanced over his shoulder, taking in the bulletwound squarely in the side of the man’s knee. “You’re a good shot,” he observed, turning back to face you.

“Uh… thanks?”

He chuckled then, a low, smooth sound that made your stomach cartwheel. “You’re welcome.” A beat passed, then another, as he examined your face, though you were unsure what he was looking for. 

“What?” you demanded, scowling at him despite the way your hands were still shaking.

“You should come with me.”

“Huh?”

“You should come with me,” Geto repeated easily. “I think you’d be a good addition to my crew. Besides, it really won’t be a good look for you if people come in and see you here with a gun after I get the hell out of here.” There was a slight smirk tugging at his lips, and despite the fact that you probably should have taken his words as a threat, you didn’t.

“What the hell,” you sighed. “It’s not like I have anyone keeping me here.”

“Wonderful,” he said, offering you a hand up off the floor, which you readily accepted. “Get what you need from your room and meet me outside. Be quick, my guess is that someone will come to investigate all the noise sooner rather than later.”

You nodded, brushing broken glass from your dress and your hair as you hurried towards the stairs, unable to hide the grin tugging at your own lips.

Maybe not listening to your father had been the right decision after all.

tagging: @kentopedia @kentohours @mitsuristoleme

#fallon's fics #divider by saradika #jjk x reader #jjk au #jjk fanfiction #jjk fanfic #jjk reader insert #geto suguru x reader #geto x reader #geto jjk #jjk geto #suguru geto #geto suguru #suguru x reader #getou suguru x reader #jjk suguru #jujutsu kaisen suguru

[verdemoun]

continuation of this post - rdr2 but what if kieran and javier were best friends edition:

javier will never admit he is friends with the o'driscoll but you bet your ass people stop picking on kieran real quick because javier will commit violence against anyone bullying his wet cat (he would call kieran gatito because kieran sounds like kitten in his accent: kieran hates it and would lie about what it means)

kieran doesn't get taken at jack's party because at javier's insistence/threat he sat at the campfire with everyone else. they all got drunk and sang cielito lindo until dawn

they finally go fishing together and start getting to know each other as people ie seeing each other's damage and going 'huh guess we both were pushed to abandoning our core values out of survival so glad that'll never happen with Dutch'. kieran 'borrows' arthur's legendary fish map because they both agree arthur is borderline useless at fishing

when fishing's bad they commit robberies and javier gets to appreciate kieran isn't just a stable boy - man knows his way around a gun. javier gets kieran on the bank robbery job, which results in kieran also being in guarma and absolutely refusing to leave javier behind because he does not believe for a second dutch actually plans on going back for him after seeing him leave lenny to bleed out and die alone

javier still sides with dutch while kieran sides with arthur in the final chapter, but upon realising they've both been left behind in the chaos they decide welp guess you're all i have now. necessary conflict of 'for all your talk about loyalty you really left john to die and didn't believe arthur about micah' 'i was on the train!! what reason did i have then not to believe dutch and micah' 'would you like that chronologically or alphabetized' but they get over it because fundamentally they are both really bad at being alone

post 1899: the legendary misadventures of el coyotitto y el gatito. they are too hurt by the falling apart of the VDLs to actually start a gang but they end up being the only ones that held onto Dutch's ideals? save those who need saving, shoot those who need shooting. mostly they're fishing and minor league stagecoach thieves, giving poor families the excess money and food ala robin hood - but damn are they good at casually shooting corrupt political and military powers across mexico and bordering states.

sometimes they send fish to beecher's hope wrapped in their wanted posters

#kieran duffy #javier escuella

[ramblingoak]

The Cardinal’s Bride, Chapter 5: Copia

~ A Romantic Adventure in the Old West: After being forced into a marriage with Mr. Saltarian by your father you are sent west to his estate in Nevada.  Along the way you end up meeting one of the cowboys you have always fantasized about... ~

~~ Please visit The Outlaw Brides Masterpost to catch up and read more stories from this world ~~

Thank you to @tasty-ribz for the wanted poster!  Lots of other amazing people have done fanart of Cowboy Copia so please go check it out: @meowsaidmissy (1 / 2), @snail-shell2335  here, @vahvco here, @ghulehgwen here, @rabidghoul here, @nocterish here, @enjoy-my-swearing​ here, @blacktie-whitenoise (1 /2) and from valkyrieinpink on twitter.  Also a huge thank you to @kissingghouls for aggressively holding my hand and letting me scream at her about cowboys.

Cardinal Copia x Female Reader: alternative universe, slow burn romance, gun violence, blood, NSFW, 18+ only MDNI, 8,200 words for this one

Aether hated being left behind.

He hated this situation especially because of who was with Copia and his friends.  The second he saw Mary he knew something stupid was going to happen.  Stupid shit followed Mary around like a shadow.  The fact that Copia was just going along with what everyone knew was a trap pissed him off to no end.  Then there was the fact that Copia left him at camp to fucking babysit.

Babysitting Sunshine was like trying to pet a feral cat.

“Sunshine, what are you doing?”

She had been digging through the saddlebags they were using the stolen stagecoach horses to carry.  All he got for an answer was a grunt so he grabbed a small rock and threw it at her.  That earned him a hiss, but otherwise she remained quiet and continued making a mess.

“Hey, we might have to make a quick retreat here.  What are you doing?”

“What does it look like I’m doing?”

Aether groaned and threw another rock.  

“It looks like you’re making a mess.”

“Your cooking shit is still everywhere so maybe take your own advice.”

“Yes, well I’m picking up my cooking shit, you’re dumping clothes everywhere.”  He reached down for another rock but this one she caught and launched back at him, barely missing his head.  “Damn it, Sunshine, I’m ju–.”

“Don’t worry Dad, I'll pick it up.  I’m looking for some clothes.”

“We don’t have time for you to play dress up.”

“They’re not for me.”

Aether glanced over to the tree line where Copia’s ‘Principessa’ was waiting.  She looked nervous, she’d been looking nervous all morning ever since her and Copia came back with Mary.  He hadn’t been able to tell if it was all because of Mary or if something had happened between her and Copia.  Judging by the looks they had been exchanging he was pretty sure it was a bit of both.  He sighed and looked back at Sunshine.

“Well we definitely don’t have time for her to play dress up.”

“Stop worrying, it won’t take long.  We’ve got to get her out of that dress.”

Aether raised an eyebrow and looked back over at the Princess.  Her dress had definitely seen better days, but so had everyone else’s clothes.

“Another week in that thing isn’t gonna kill her.”

“Yeah well, the smell might kill me so she’s changing.  Plus this will make it easier for her to walk and ride.”

“We all smell, Sunshine.  Get over it.”

Unsurprisingly, she ignored him and started holding some shirts up to look them over.  Aether wasn’t trying to be an asshole towards the girl, but he also didn’t want her getting too comfortable.  In one more week they’d be back at The Ministry and they could hopefully arrange for the switch for the ransom money.  The end of this was so close and he didn’t want to deal with having to chase her around again.

“You’re just making it easier for her to run away.”  Sunshine just laughed at him and shook her head.  Aether watched as she finally set aside a shirt and a pair of pants before shoving everything back into the bags.

“I’m sorry, have you seen the way Copia and her have been looking at each other?  She isn’t going to run away again.”  Aether walked closer as she shook the clothes out.  He wasn’t sure whose pants she had grabbed but that looked like one of Swiss’s shirts.

“Of course I’ve seen it and I’ve tried to talk to Copia about it but he won’t listen.”  He crossed his arms when Sunshine just rolled her eyes at him.  “What?”

“Good luck getting Copia to back off, I knew he was doomed as soon as I saw her picture in the paper.”  She turned to head the Princess’s way, but Aether reached out and grabbed her arm, backing off with his hands up when she turned to growl at him.

“Look, I don’t know what you’re up to, but you need to just leave it alone.  Leave them alone and don’t encourage anything.”  Goddammit he was getting really tired of her rolling her eyes at him.

“That’s the problem with you guys, none of you have a romantic bone in your body.”  She took a step towards him and jabbed her finger into his chest, he saw the shirt drop out of her hands and sighed.  That was definitely Swiss’s.  “All I’m doing is giving her a little hand with things, ok?  Besides, if we get ambushed here or wherever it’ll be easier if she’s not tripping over that goddamn dress.”

“Fine.  Fine, but that’s it Sunshine.  Get her dressed and then let her be.”  

“Of course, Dad.”  Satan’s dick, Sunshine drove him crazy.  “It’s just a change of clothes, man.  Maybe a few self defense lessons.”  Sunshine grunted as she leaned down to grab the shirt and started to shake it out.  

Aether groaned and shook his head, but decided not to say anything.  He didn’t know why he’d even wasted his time talking to her.  Sunshine could be as stubborn as Copia some days.  He eyed the shirt in her hands before speaking again.

“You know what seeing her in Swiss’s shirt is going to do to him, don’t you?”  Sunshine just cackled and turned to start walking towards the Princess.  Aether kneeled down to pick up the bags and started for the horses when he glanced back over at the girls.  Something in Sunshine’s hand glinted in the sun and he watched as she handed it over to the girl.  Unholy hell.

“Sunshine, stop giving her knives!” 

The only response he got was Sunshine’s middle finger as they disappeared into the trees so the Princess could change.  Groaning, he started for the horses again to get them ready.  It was possible Copia and the others would be gone most of the day, but he wanted to be prepared in case they showed up sooner.  Who knew how many of Saltarian’s men were waiting in that town.  He was confident in everyone’s abilities, whether it was with a gun or something hand to hand, but still.  A trap was a trap and Mary was an asshole.  

Despite being worried of their need to possibly leave quickly he took his time.  The stagecoach horses weren’t really cut out for anything more than lugging stuff around, but he brushed them out and took care of them just the same as their other ones.  They’d be able to sell them for a decent sum whenever they made it back to town.  He took a moment to look them over before deciding on one for the Princess to ride.  Although he had a sinking suspicion Copia would find an excuse to have her ride with him again.

He had known what would happen as soon as he’d seen her picture in the paper too.

Aether paused when he heard the hoofbeats.  A steady pounding coming from behind him, across the field.  Lucifer, please.  He took a deep breath and turned, hoping to see Copia and the others.  Unfortunately the rider in the lead was dressed in all black so there was no mistake it was Mary.  There were two other riders flanking him and as they got closer Aether’s heart sank when he didn’t recognize them.  

He closed his eyes briefly, saying a quick prayer for his friends before glancing over to where the girls had disappeared into the trees.  At least they hadn’t come out yet, it would give him some backup with Sunshine and he knew she’d tell the Princess to stay there where it would be relatively safe.  He adjusted his gun belt and started walking through camp, passed the dying fire and stopping right at the edge.  

By now he knew Sunshine had to have heard the horses and hopefully she was watching and ready.  She hadn’t taken her rifle with her so she’d have to get close to help him.  He would need to create enough of a distraction to give her that chance without being spotted.  Copia left him here for a reason, he knew Aether would fight like hell to keep everyone with him safe.  His friend had trusted him with his Princess for a reason and he wasn’t going to let Mary take her without a fight.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

You couldn’t remember the last time you’d worn pants.

When Sunshine had suggested a change of clothes you were ecstatic.  Your poor dress looked nothing like it did when you had stepped into the stagecoach at the start of your journey.  After days of horse riding and sleeping in the dirt it was more brown than blue and white.  Falling into the creek the other day certainly hadn’t helped either.

What was worse was the smell, although it didn’t seem like it bothered any of your companions.  It shouldn’t anyway, they smelled far worse after days on the road.  You figured it was just one of the things people got used to if they spent lots of time out of the city.  Everyone kept mentioning heading to a casino and while you weren’t exactly sure what to expect, Sunshine had promised you there were baths.

You’d never wanted to take a bath so badly in your life.

Anytime someone brought up the casino, The Ministry as it was called, you would get nervous.  It wasn’t really the thought of the casino itself, but what it meant for you.  The Cardinal had said a few times now that once they reached it they would be waiting there to hear from Saltarian.   At that point you assumed they’d arrange the exchange of you for the ransom money and that would be it.  

What happened after that you had tried not to think about too much.  You didn’t want to think about being near Saltarian at all.  In just a few days he’d gone from being some unknown business associate of your father’s to a cold-blooded murderer.  You had no idea what he was like beyond that.  How would he treat you?  Would he be angry you had been kidnapped?  Would you end up locked away in a room until the wedding?

The wedding itself was just one more thing you didn’t want to think about.  While The Cardinal had mentioned the general plan a few times you really had no idea what it actually entailed.  Were you going to be stuck in between flying bullets from both sides?  Or what if The Cardinal and his Ghouls burned the church down?  That would certainly be poetic justice considering what Saltarian had done to them, but what about you?

As the fear started to make your chest clench you tried to take a few deep breaths and calm down. The Cardinal had promised to protect you.  You knew deep down you shouldn’t trust him, trust the outlaw that had kidnapped you, but again your thoughts drifted back to how things had changed between you.  There was something there now, something that made your heart speed up for a different reason.

You shook your head, you shouldn’t be thinking about something like that.  He was probably just trying to keep you happy and prevent you from running away again.  Mary had mentioned another woman and there were probably more besides that.  Why would he choose some silly city girl like you?  You groaned and smoothed your hands down the pants before reaching down to pick up the shirt, turning your head when you heard Sunshine come through the trees.

“How’s it going, kid?”  You smiled softly at her nickname for you, no one here seemed to want to use your actual name.  Even ‘Principessa’ had grown on you a bit, although you’d never tell The Cardinal that.  “Oh hey, those fit great.”

“The shirt’s a little big.”  You held out your arms to show her how far the ends hung off your hands, but she just tsked and walked close to start rolling them up.

“Eh it’ll work just fine, you look great!”  Sunshine finished with the other sleeve and then took a step back and grinned.  “You fit right in now!”

“I’m not sure everyone would agree with you there.” You snorted and fiddled with the shirt for a moment.

“The only opinions that matter are mine and Co–, eh The Cardinal’s and I can guarantee you he’ll approve.”  She winked and you looked down to hide your blush.  Well, you weren’t going to lie and say you didn’t want his approval.  But it was a silly thing to want considering the circumstances.  

“I just…I’m sorry.  I don’t even know what to think, my mind is all over the place.”  You sniffed and turned a bit, trying to hide the tears welling up in your eyes.  Oh now you were really being a silly city girl.  You felt Sunshine’s hand on your arm and looked back at her despite your tears.

“Listen, I’ve known The Cardinal a long time, ok?  I haven’t seen him ac–,”  Sunshine abruptly froze and turned her head back towards camp.  You started to ask what was wrong but she squeezed your arm so you kept quiet.  You stayed frozen as she turned and crept towards the tree line.  It was then that you could hear whatever must’ve stopped her speech, heavy horse hooves getting closer to camp.

She waved her hand towards you, motioning you to get down so you dropped to your knees, resting them on your dress for a moment before slowly moving towards her.  As you got closer you were able to see Aether standing at the edge of camp. You held your breath as you turned to see what he was looking at, hoping it was The Cardinal and the rest of the Ghouls.  Instead all you saw was Mary and two men you didn’t recognize.  They had pulled up right in front of Aether and you could see them talking to each other, but you didn’t understand what they were saying.

“Sunshine, wh–,”  But she shushed you, her eyes not leaving the men as they spoke.  Their voices were becoming louder and your heart started hammering in your chest.  Where was the Cardinal?  Aether reached a hand out to point behind Mary, but the man just shook their head.  Everyone's voices got louder as the conversation became more heated and Sunshine tensed up even more next to you.

“Fucking Mary, I knew that asshole was gonna try something.”  She shook her head and started to say something else when the other two men moved around Aether to surround him.  Mary nudged their horse closer to him right when one of the men drew their gun and cocked it.  Aether turned at the sound, drawing their own gun but Mary abruptly kicked out and caught him in the face.  

“Shit!”

Your hands flew to your face as Aether dropped to the ground, Mary leaping off their horse right after.  When Mary got close Aether slammed his foot into their knee, bringing them down as well.  One of the men jumped off their horse but Aether held out his gun and you gasped into your hands when the shot rang out.  The man’s body dropped swiftly but before Aether could focus on the other man Mary was up and on the Ghoul, slamming a fist into Aether’s face. 

Sunshine cursed under her breath and then turned and grabbed you by your shoulders.

“Stay here.  If Mary or the other two head this way you run, ok?”  You wanted to say something, but she stood up and grinned down at you, before taking off towards camp.  Mary and the other man weren’t looking your way, Mary still busy fighting with Aether.  The other one had gotten off their horse and was checking on his wounded companion.  

You had thought she would have just run up to them shooting, but Aether abruptly spun Mary and was able to overtake them.  The horses startled and started moving away from the chaos in between them.  When the man looked up from what you assumed at this point was his dead companion their eyes immediately latched on Sunshine.  The Ghoulette was quicker than him, getting a shot off before he could aim at her.

He jerked to the side and he went down right on top of the body of his companion.  You couldn’t decide what to watch at this point.  Sunshine seemed calm as she advanced on the man she had shot, but at the same time Aether and Mary were cursing and growling at each other.  You couldn’t even tell who was winning as they rolled around in the dirt.

Where was The Cardinal?  He wasn’t…he couldn’t be dead.  There was no way he and the other Ghouls were dead.  You took a shuddering breath and tried to fight the tears.  Crying wouldn’t do you any good right now, or at all.  Sunshine said you needed to run if anyone headed your way so you needed to pay attention.  You lowered your head for a moment to try and collect yourself, but when another shot rang out you yelped and looked back towards the fighting.

Mary had seemed to get the better of Aether and they had their gun pointed at Sunshine.  You couldn’t tell if their bullet had hit her or not, but she was down.  Mary slowly got off of Aether, giving him one last punch in the gut before limping towards the Ghoulette.  Your eyes stayed on Aether though, silently begging him to get up but he remained motionless where he was.

You looked back towards the other end of the field, still hoping you’d see The Cardinal ride out of the woods on Brizio but there was no one.  Aether was down, possibly dead and Sunshine might be next.  You pushed yourself onto your feet, your hands shaking as they rested against a tree trunk.  Mary was standing over Sunshine now with their back to you pulling their gloves off and shoving them into their coat.  When you looked back you narrowed your eyes, watching as Mary leaned back over Sunshine with a gun in their hand.

You couldn’t let anymore of The Cardinal’s people die.

Sunshine had told you to run away, but where were you supposed to go?  Your chances were probably better with Mary than on your own with no supplies in the middle of nowhere.  You started looking at the ground around you, hoping to find a branch or anything you could use against Mary.  The knives Sunshine had given you were still in your dress and you didn’t have time to dig around for them.

Mary’s laughter rang out from camp, apparently Sunshine was awake you could see Mary kick her hand away from his leg.  They were mocking her!  You growled and grabbed a branch that was about as long as your arm and stalked out of the woods.  Mary’s back was still to you, Aether hadn’t moved and neither had Saltarian’s men.  When you looked back at Mary and Sunshine, Mary had cocked their gun and was pointing it down at your friend.  An angry scream built up in your chest and you ran at them swinging the branch.

The noise startled Mary and they whipped around to face you, but it was too late.  You had swung the branch back and slammed it down as hard as you could, knocking it against Mary’s shoulder.  They cried out and stumbled out of the way, landing on their knees nearby.  You immediately knelt down to check on Sunshine but her eyes were closed, a large bruise forming on her cheek.  Before you could try to wake her Mary’s hands were on your shoulders and they were yanking you up to your feet.

“Man, he really did a number on you, huh?”  You tried twisting away from them, but their grip on your shirt was too strong.  “Quit fucking struggling, Sweet Cheeks.  Your fun little vacation is over.  Time to go back to reality.”

“Fuck you!”  You kicked out behind you, but you missed connecting with anything.  They grunted and wrapped an arm around your waist and then slid the other over your mouth.

“Man no wonder he liked you, the spunky ones always get hi–fucking shit!”  You clamped your teeth down on Mary’s fingers as hard as you could, tasting blood.  They cursed again and shoved you down onto the ground next to the smoldering fire, your hands landing on Aether’s cooking pots he hadn’t put away yet.

You spit Mary’s blood onto the ground and took a few deep breaths.  All you wanted to do was cry, your mind becoming overwhelmed with the idea of The Cardinal being dead.  Mary finally quieted down and you heard his footfalls come up behind you, the spurs on his boots jingling softly.

“I don’t know what kind of fairytale The Cardinal was weaving into your head, but the reality is you meant nothing to him.”

You turned to glare at him, staying on the ground, ashamed of the tears gathering in your eyes.  

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”  Mary snorted and shook their head.

“No, Sweet Cheeks, I do know what I’m talking about.  But it doesn’t matter now anyway.  He’s dead and so are his annoying sidekicks.” 

“I don’t believe you.”

“Well I don’t give a fuck what you believe, all I need you to do is get up and get ready to go.”

“Don’t touch me!”  You kicked out when Mary tried to grab you, connecting with their ankle.  Mary stumbled back growling, glaring down at you.

“What’s it gonna take for you to accept it, huh?  Do you want me to drag his body back here for you to cry over like some war widow?”

“He’ll come back for me!”  The tears were flowing freely now and your heart was clenching in your chest.  You couldn’t believe it, you didn’t want to believe it.  Mary crouched down in front of you and you tried to take a calming breath.

“Alright, fine.  I’ll play along, what if he did come back?  What did you think was gonna happen?”

“I don’t…we were going to hide out until Saltarian paid the ransom.”

“Then what?  He’d come swooping in like some hero and rescue you from your horrible new husband?”  Your eyes dropped to the ground and Mary snorted before continuing, “Sweet Cheeks, did it ever occur to you he was blowing smoke up your ass to get you to cooperate?  Hell, to get under your dress too.”

You clenched your hands into fists, your nails digging into your skin at the implication of his last words.  The Cardinal had done nothing to pressure you into…into that.  He’d certainly been attentive to you, touching and holding you more than you think you’d ever been since you were a child.  You found yourself shaking your head again, he hadn’t done anything you didn’t like.  If anything his touches had left you wanting more.

“He told me his plan and he said he’d protect me.  That he’d keep me safe.”

“Oh, he’ll keep you safe alright, as long as it’s useful for him to keep you around.”  Mary brought his bloody hand to your chin and lifted your face up so your eyes met.  They smiled, but it was cruel and mocking and all you wanted to do was wipe it off their face.  “Sweet Cheeks, I’ve known The Cardinal for a long time, nothing will get between him and his revenge.  Not even some pretty young virgin like you.”

You jerked your chin out of his hand, narrowing your eyes as they laughed at you.

“He promised that he’d protect me.”

“Copia’s made promises to girls much prettier than you, so good luck holding him to anything.”  Copia?  Was that…was that his name?  Mary must have picked up on your confusion because they started laughing again.  “You see!  You didn’t even know his name!  Not much of a love story is it?”

You felt the fight leaving you as Mary’s words started to sink in.  Maybe they were right, maybe this was all an act by The Cardinal.  By Copia.  An act to help keep you in line and make it easier to drag you to the casino.  Mary was still chuckling, but you tried to block the sound out.  

“This is all an act, Sweet Cheeks.  If you get between him and Saltarian he’s going to take the shot and he’ll walk over your body to get his revenge.”

No.  It wasn’t an act.  Mary was right, you were inexperienced, but you weren’t an idiot.  Copia had listened to you when you told him you weren’t there by choice, his behavior after that had changed.  He had opened up to you that night by the fire, he had trusted you enough to share his past.  You closed your eyes and imagined his arms around you while you rode around on Brizio.

You saw his face leaning closer when he was about to kiss you.

“Fucking wake up!”  Mary’s raised voice startled you back to the present and you reached up to wipe the tears off your cheeks.  “You don’t mean anything to him except the means to an end.  And if your end is part of it, trust me, he won’t lose any sleep over your death.”

“Fuck you and fuck Mr. Saltarian.”  You reached your hand behind you and grasped the handle of one of the cooking pans.  You weren’t going to listen to any more of this.

“Sorry, Sweet Cheeks, you’re not my ty–”  The sound of the pan hitting Mary’s head echoed around the campsite and you held it in the air for a moment, watching as blood started trickling down Mary’s forehead.  Their eyes rolled back and they slumped over, laying there completely still while you stayed frozen with the pan in the air.

After a moment you dropped it to the ground and exhaled slowly.  You looked around the campsite at the carnage, a bunch of bodies still laying around and not moving.  The horses had started to mill around, munching on the grass.  You pushed yourself off the ground and stood up, your hands were starting to shake and for a moment you felt like crying again.  A sound behind you stopped you though and your breath caught as you slowly turned around to see what it was.

The Cardinal, Cardinal Copia, was riding out of the trees and racing towards you.

Before you even registered yourself moving you were running away from the camp towards him.  As he got closer you got a better look at him, his dirty leather jacket was missing along with his hat.  You could see one side of his face was matted with blood and you almost cried out at the sight.  You heard him shout for you and you stumbled in your desperation to get to him.   

“Principessa!” 

Copia pulled up on the reins but didn’t even wait for Brizio to stop, leaping over the side and running the rest of the way towards you.  He caught you as you practically threw yourself at him. You knew you’d probably be embarrassed at your display later, but right now you didn’t care.  You didn’t care about anything except the feel of his arms around you.  You buried your face in his shirt, a deep red button up that was marked with sweat and some blood. 

“Hey, hey,” His hands cupped your face, pulling it away from his chest while you attempted to hide your tears.  When your eyes met he smiled and you felt like crying even more seeing the wound on his face. “I’m ok, I’m here. We’re all ok.” 

Your hand came up to grip his shirt but he caught it in one of his own, squeezing it gently and holding it over his heart.  Like he knew you needed the extra reassurance despite him standing in front of you. His other hand stayed on your cheek, the thumb stroking across your skin back and forth. It helped calm you and you took a shaky breath before trying to speak. 

“Mary’s here.  They came back with two men and attacked Aether and Sunshine.  I, I don’t kno–”  Your voice cracked and he shushed you, holding your head against his chest for a moment.  You felt his own head rest against the top of yours briefly and you swore you felt the ghost of his lips on your hair before he pulled away.

“Stay behind me.”  He kept your hand in his as he walked towards camp, his other hand pulling his gun out of its holster.

“Mary said you were dead.  That you were all dead.”  It almost felt like a dream now, you found yourself squeezing his hand and you couldn’t help but smile when he squeezed back.

“We’re all a bit banged up, but the only ones that are dead are Saltarian’s men.”  He let go of your hand when he reached the first body and nudged the man over onto his back before he knelt down next to him.  You watched as he checked their pulse, then took the man’s hat and covered his face.  

The next body had the same result and you breathed a sigh of relief.  Copia went over to Mary next, giving them a much harder kick to roll them over.  While he knelt down to check Mary you went over to Sunshine and knelt down next to her, taking her wrist to check her pulse.  When you felt it beat steadily against your fingers you reached up to brush some of her hair back.

The bruise on her cheek had gotten bigger, but the worst thing you saw was the blood staining the sleeve of her coat.  You jumped when you felt Copia’s hand on your shoulder and he helped you pull her jacket off, eliciting a few groans from her as the sleeve slid down her arm.  Copia checked the wound for a moment and then pulled off the bandana she wore around her neck, tying it around her arm.

“It’s just a graze, Principessa.  She’ll be fine.”  Sunshine groaned and you watched as her eyes blinked open, squinting into the sun.  

“Fuck you, Boss.”  Copia chuckled and touched her shoulder gently.  The Ghoulette turned towards you and gave you a quick grin before groaning and bringing a hand up to rub her cheek.  “Is Mary still alive?  If so, can I kill them?” 

“Mary’s alive.  For now.”  You watched as Copia got up and started to move over to Aether before pausing.  He looked back to Sunshine for a moment and then back at you with an eyebrow raised.  “Who hit Mary?”

You bit your lip and glanced down to where the cooking pan was still laying in the dirt.  Copia reached down and picked it up, turning it over to look at the huge dent Mary’s head had left.  He looked back to you and started laughing, shaking his head as he tossed the pan back on the ground.  

“Well done, Principessa.”

When you glanced over at Mary you saw that Copia had tied their hands behind their back.  Blood had covered their face, but you couldn’t bring yourself to feel bad.  You’d hit them again if you had to.  You breathed a sigh of relief knowing that Aether and Sunshine were ok.  Copia was helping Aether stand up and they grasped each other’s elbows briefly before they came over to you and Sunshine.

“We need to pack up and head back to the town.”  Copia reached down and you slid your hand into his, letting him pull you up.  Your eyes drifted to his wound again and you winced.  He tilted his head to catch your eyes and smiled at you.  “I’ll be ok, it looks worse than it is.”

You nodded, biting your lip to fight the tears that wanted to come once more.  His face softened and he pulled you away towards where Brizio had wandered to, the horse always staying close to his master.  

“I’m sorry, I was just scared.  I thought you might not be coming back.”  Copia cupped your cheeks again and you blinked your tears away so you could see his face clearly.

“Didn’t I promise to protect you?”  You bit your lip and nodded, forcing all the nasty words Mary said out of your mind.  Words that weren’t true.  “I may be an outlaw, Principessa, but I keep my promises.”

“I believe you, Copia.”  Your body froze when his name slipped out and you were waiting for him to be upset that you knew it now, but he just smiled.  His hands dropped from your cheeks and took your own, bringing one up to his lips so he could kiss the back of it like he had done before.

“I figured Mary would let it slip.  I guess you know all my secrets now.”  You couldn’t help but smirk, pleased that he wasn’t upset about it.  Happy that you knew his real name now and that you could use it.  You looked down at his hands for a moment before he spoke again.  “Well, maybe not all my secrets.”

When you glanced up at his face he winked at you and you rolled your eyes.

“Okie dokie, let’s get going.”

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Cleaning up camp didn’t take very long.  While Aether and Copia dragged the bodies into the woods you and Sunshine got things packed up.  Mary had woken up eventually, but Copia shoved a rag into their mouth to keep them quiet.  You couldn’t help but glare at them every time you walked by, but Mary just glared right back.

Asshole.

They threw Mary over their own horse and tied them down, you could hear them swearing through their gag but other than that you didn’t bother giving them any attention.  Sunshine wandered up to you with her hands behind her back and a smile on her face.  When she pulled them out she had the knives you had left with your dress in the woods.

“You did pretty good with a frying pan, but I’d still keep these handy, kid.”  You laughed and took them back, but you were unsure where to stash them now.  Sunshine started to say something, but Copia came up and interrupted her.

“Allow me.”  Sunshine snorted and held her hands up while she wandered off towards Aether.  When you looked back at Copia he had an odd look on his face so you raised your eyebrow at him.  “We’ll need to teach you how to use these soon.”

“A knife doesn’t seem difficult to use, just stick them with the sharp end, right?”  Copia laughed, ducking his head while he shuffled them in his hands.  He stepped close and took the smallest one, slipping it into the pocket of your pants.  You held your breath at his proximity, biting down on your lip when he used a finger to pull the waistband out so he could clip one of them to the belt Sunshine had given you. 

“I think we’ll need to let you practice with a gun too.”

“Oh Copia, I don’t kno–”

“No, today proves that despite my promise you still need to be able to defend yourself.”  He knelt down and lifted your pant leg up, tucking the final knife into your boot.  You could feel its leather case rest against your ankle, but it wasn’t uncomfortable.  If anything it was a comfort to have it, to have all of them close by just in case.  

Copia stood up and looked you up and down for a moment.  He cocked his head while he looked at the shirt you had on and you reached up to adjust it a bit self-consciously.  Your lace chemise you had worn under the dress showed sometimes and you had already seen Copia notice it once or twice.  He wouldn’t stop staring so you huffed and crossed your arms.

“What?”

“Principessa, whose shirt is that?”

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Once you got to the town there was a nice reunion with everyone.  Even Mountain had come up and lifted you in a huge bear hug.  As you walked through the town your mood sobered a bit though, it was obvious quite the battle had taken place.  You could see that in the tired faces of the Ghouls as well although it was clear they had taken the time to clean up a bit and bandage what needed to be bandaged.

Now with night having fallen you were all gathered around another campfire, this time near the outskirts of the town.  Mary had been tied to an overturned wagon a ways away.  The blood still caked on their face and the rag still shoved into their mouth.  You almost asked if someone should clean them up or give them some water but you decided, for the moment at least, you didn’t care.

What you did care about was making sure Copia, Aether and Sunshine got cleaned up.  Dewdrop had been surprisingly helpful, finding a few somewhat clean sheets in one of the houses and then going off to get some water.  He didn’t say anything to you, but it felt like his attitude towards you had changed a bit.  You’d have to apologize at some point for biting him.

Rain had taken up the task of cleaning up Aether’s face while Dew worked on Sunshine.  He seemed like the only one willing to put up with her hissing and cursing while the bullet graze on her arm got sewn up.  You had attempted to watch, but it was a little too much for you so you turned and set your attention on your own patient.

Copia had found his hat and had it back on his head, so you tipped it up a bit to get at the gash above his eyebrow.  It wasn’t as deep as you thought it would be so you were relieved when he said it wouldn’t need stitches.  That was probably a good thing because he was surprisingly twitchy whenever you brought the wet rag to wipe around the wound.  When he kept wincing you shushed him, earning you a very impressive glare.

“I thought cowboys were supposed to be tough.”  He snorted and reached up for his hat, taking it off and setting it on the ground next to him. 

“Cleaning them up is usually worse than getting them.”  You smiled as he made another face when you pressed the rag against the cut again, gently dabbing at the blood.  

“I’m almost afraid to ask what’s the worst you’ve ever been injured.”

He tilted his head up and squinted his eyes, like he was thinking back on what you were sure were the countless injuries he’d received over the years.  When he reached up for your hand you gave him a wary look as he brought it to rest on top of his left thigh, right in the middle.  You glanced back up at his face when he spoke.

“Took a knife here a few years ago.”  You made an ‘oh’ sound and looked back down at where his bare hand was settled over yours.  There were a few scars on the back of it and it made you think of how many scars he probably had covering his body.  Unfortunately that thought made your cheeks flame and you hoped the firelight dancing across your skin hid it from him.

You tried to tug your hand away from his so you could get back to cleaning his cut, but he wouldn’t let go.  Instead he lifted it up so he could study it in the light and then narrowed his eyes at something near your thumb.  There was a very small burn mark there, barely noticeable to you but his keen eyes had honed in on it immediately. 

“Oh, I was trying to make myself some tea.”  Your eyes narrowed as a bark of laughter left him and you jerked your hand away.  “I was a child!  I’m sorry I don’t have any wounds from knife fights to brag about.”

“It was barely a fight, Principessa.”  He was still laughing, like it was a fond memory rather than a painful one.  You looked back up to him with an eyebrow raised and he pointed towards town to where Mary was tied up. 

“Wait, Mary stabbed you?”  Copia nodded his head and smiled when you shook yours in disbelief.  

“Eh, I’ve done worse to them over the years.”  You snorted and wrung the rag out again, glancing back up at his face to make sure the cut wasn’t starting to bleed again.  Another blush started to grow on your cheeks when you saw his eyes on you.  “Still wasn’t the worst wound I’ve gotten.”

You frowned when he took your hand again and watched warily as he pulled it up to his chest.  His hand settled yours right over his heart and you held your breath when you felt it beat strongly against your palm.  Copia didn’t say anything for a moment and you looked back up at his face expectantly.

“A lovely girl in Denver.”  He was biting his lip and you raised your eyebrow as you waited for the rest of the story.  “She broke my heart.”

His laughter covered your groan and when you yanked your hand away he grabbed at it again bringing it up to his lips to place a quick kiss on the back.  Your cheeks were going to be permanently red at this point, it seemed like his only goal anymore was to make you blush. 

“You did good, Principessa.  I’m impressed.”  It was impossible to hide your pleased smile so you just let it grow on your face.  You startled a bit when a shadow fell over you and let out a little sound when something plopped onto your head.  The Cardinal had placed his hat on you, although it was too big and fell nearly to your eyes, obscuring your vision.  Before you could move it one of his hands came up and tilted it back and you were met with a smile so dazzling you had to look away.  “We’ll make a cowboy out of you yet.”

“I’m not sure I’ll ever be cut out to be a cowboy.”  You bit your lip as you adjusted the hat a bit more.  When you risked a glance at him his eyes held yours briefly before he winked and you had to look away again.  The moment was quickly ruined when he knocked his hat down to cover your eyes and you growled but as you reached up to fix it you felt his breath on your ear and you froze.

“We’ll see about that.”

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

In the morning they relocated Mary inside one of the buildings so they weren’t baking under the sun.  You stayed back and helped pack up again, not wanting to hear any more poisonous words from Mary.  Everyone seemed to be in better spirits this morning and it made you happy.  Even Dewdrop was in a good mood, but you think that had something to do with whatever he and Swiss had found in one of the buildings.  You had been about to ask them what it was but Copia and Aether had wandered out of the building they put Mary in so you waited in the street as they walked up.

“Are they going to be ok if you leave them here?”  Copia raised an eyebrow at your question and you rolled your eyes.  “I just don’t like the sound of them, or anyone, starving to death.”

“Mary will be fine.  There’s a town nearby, some more of Saltarian’s men are waiting there.”  You froze at that news, but Copia gave you a reassuring smile and rested a hand on your shoulder.  “It’s a few days' ride away, Principessa.  We’re safe.  Mary will even be safe.  When Mary doesn’t show up with you they’ll send some men out here to see what happened.”

“Do you think Saltarian will hurt Mary?  For not bringing me back.  For not killing you.”

“Mary is an idiot, but they’re still useful.  Saltarian won’t waste the energy killing them.”  Copia had remained at your side, his hand sliding down your arm to rest on your elbow.  “We should get going, Rain said there was a storm brewing in the mountains.”

He squeezed your elbow and gave you a gentle tug so you’d follow him.  You looked out to the mountain ridge and bit your lip.  You didn’t see any signs of storm clouds gathering, but you trusted Rain to know what they were doing.  Oh, you hated storms!  Missouri would get such awful ones in the spring and summer and you were always a nervous wreck during them.  

“What will we do?”  Copia stopped next to the horse you would be riding and peered down at you, seemingly a little confused over your question.  “In the storm, how will we avoid it?”

“We usually don’t, Principessa.”  His face softened as he looked at you, seemingly picking up on your nervousness.  “But we can’t stay around here.  It’s not safe, not with Saltarian’s men so close.”

“I know, I’m sorry.  I just, well you’ll poke fun, but I’m scared of storms.”  You felt your cheeks heat a little bit at your admission and you glanced quickly at his face, expecting to see that smirk of his.  All you saw though was compassion, his features still soft as his eyes traced your face.

“How many times will I need to remind you that I’ll protect you, eh?”  His voice was stern but you could see the teasing glint in his eye.  You smiled and nodded, the rest of your insecurities from Mary’s words fading away.  He put a hand at the small of your back and nudged you closer to the horse, “Time to go.”

Copia helped you up much like he had done before, kneeling down and letting you put your foot in his hands to help lift you up onto the horse.  It was much easier to do so now in the pants and while you still missed your dress, you were happy to feel more at home on a horse.  Copia busied himself with adjusting some straps on the saddle before bringing his hands to your foot.

"Do you want to know the best thing about being rid of that stronzino, Principessa?"  You raised an eyebrow and looked down at him expectantly, watching as he finished tucking your foot into the stirrup.  

“What’s that?”  Copia’s hand moved to your ankle, holding it in a loose grip.  His eyes remained focused there, flexing his fingers around it a few times.  The warmth from his hand was starting to seep into your skin through your pants and you couldn’t help but think about how good it felt.  You were focused on his hand so much his voice startled you when he spoke again. 

"With Mary gone there won't be anyone to interrupt us."

“Interrupt us?  From wha–”  Your voice cut off when his hand started moving from your ankle.  It slid slowly up your leg, your cheeks starting to heat as it continued higher, only stopping when it reached your knee.  He brought his other hand up to rest at your waist and you sucked in a breath, feeling caged in by him.  It wasn’t anywhere close to an unpleasant feeling, but you still nudged your knee against his hand, trying to get him to answer.   “Copia, what do you mean?”

He remained silent, but his eyes began to travel from where his hand rested on your knee, trailing up your thigh and higher.  You could feel goosebumps sprouting over your skin as you watched his mismatched gaze take you in.  Copia bit his lip momentarily when they rested at where his hand was on your waist before they continued further.  It wasn’t until he was looking at your lips that they stopped again and the memory of when he had looked at them like that before popped into your head.  Of when he had almost kissed you.  

Oh.

You watched as a smile broke out onto his face, his eyes finally meeting yours.  He took a few seconds to watch your reaction, your mouth had fallen open a little but no sounds were coming out.  His smile just got wider as he watched the realization dawn on your face, both of his hands squeezing the flesh underneath them.

“We’ll have to find some time for that, eh?”  With that Copia winked and gave you a final squeeze before he turned to make his way over to his Ghouls.

Oh.

Go to Chapter 6: The Newlywed Game

If you'd like to be added/removed from the tag list (or if I accidentally left your name off) of this fic or any of my others please leave a comment or send me a dm! Thank you 💙

My Masterlist ~ My Archive of our Own ~ My Ko-Fi Tip Jar

#my fics #my writing #the cardinal's bride #cowboy copia #cardinal copia x female reader #copia x female reader #the band ghost fanfiction #cardinal copia fanfiction #copia fanfiction

[asphalt-cocktail]

Lead Us To Temptation- Chapter 3

Chapter 3- Hell Hath No Fury

Summary: In the small town of Eden Ridge, you knew several things to be true: church happened every Sunday, the saloon served free lunch with the purchase of a drink on Thursdays, coal miners left work at 7PM sharp, and Bucky Barnes was a man sent from the depths of hell dangling the threat of temptation and sin right in front of your face. All you need to do is reach out and grab it.

Pairing: Outlaw!Bucky Barnes x Reader

Warnings: Fluff, Talks of crime, robbery, crime for hire, talks of violence and guns, kidnapping, talks of past smut, less religion than the previous chapters but its still there. Bucky is a criminal in this so idk what to tell you if you are shocked by the crime. There isn't any gore and nothing is described in graphic detail. Don't worry reader is a badass this is a love story with a happy ending.

Word Count: 2.9k

A/N: I just want to pop in and say how grateful I am for all of the lovely comments, reblogs, tags, and likes I have been getting over the last few weeks! You guys are the ones who keep me writing. I am not doing a tag list, but you can feel free to turn my notifications to get one every time I post a new chapter <3

Masterlist

Read me on AO3

Chapter 1 Chapter 2

Staying in Eden Ridge was probably the longest Bucky had managed to stay in a town and not do something to get run out or have another wanted poster with his face printed on it and slapped on every shop bulletin. 

It was making the boys antsy. They could only hold up so many stagecoaches carrying rich assholes on the outside of town before they got too bored. 

“When are we going to hit the bank Buck? We’ve been here so long the damn seasons have changed.” John’s voice had the uncanny ability of springing a sudden and painful migraine behind Bucky’s eyes anytime he spoke. 

Bucky pinched the bridge of his nose. John pissed him off. “We need to wait a bit before we hit the bank. The ticket seller at the train station mentioned something about a train coming in to transport coal from the mines and take it back east. I guess the coal company is sending some bonds with it because the owner made a deal with Union Pacific.” 

“So what, they’re taking the bonds to the train yard?” 

“I’m glad to see you’re using the brain in that big fucking head of yours John.” To be completely transparent, Bucky harbored a strong dislike for John. 

Their association was almost solely due to John being Steve’s cousin, and Steve’s endorsement was something Bucky didn’t have the heart to dispute. Steve saved his life on more than one occasion. They’d gone through the Civil War together, they experienced the death of both of their parents together. You couldn’t get much closer to a man than that.  

The other reason being was John’s uncanny knack for survival. Despite the dangers of their lifestyle, John seemed to evade death, Bucky reckoned it was because God sure as hell didn’t want him and well, the Devil probably didn’t either so they just left him to do his business in the land of the living until they decided what to do with him.

Bucky was aware that his disdain for John might be uncalled for considering John’s role as the enforcer in their party. John was the one they sent out to take care of the more unsavory business transactions. However, these factors didn’t compensate for the fact that he was just plain weird and unpleasant to be around.

But Bucky was having such a lovely time playing house with you so, naturally he kept his plan to rob your father's train car transporting bonds to the Union Pacific rail yard. Management needed to cash them in and finalize the deal stating they were to use the Eden Coal & Iron as their main supply source. It was a deal that would make your father a very, very rich man. 

Robbing trains was as easy as stealing candy from a baby. An old, half balding, rich, man baby. Bucky could do it in his sleep. He didn’t feel bad about robbing your father. In fact he felt kind of good stealing from that rotten son of a bitch. 

Stealing these bonds would only be scraping the surface of the vast wealth your father accumulated by exploiting the hard working people of Eden Ridge. He was as crooked as crooked could be and there was no amount of praying or church going that would save his soul from the depths of hell once he died, god willing. 

If only you knew how your father treated the hard working miners who toiled in the depths of hell for him. He squeezed 15 grueling hours of labor from them 6 days a week, their backs bowed under the weight of his insatiable greed, all while their families languished in hunger. 

He wasn't the benevolent savior of Eden Ridge, rather, he resembled a vampire, voraciously draining the life force from the Earth and the good hearted denizens of the town you called home. Once he exhausted every able bodied man here, he’d slither away to prey upon the next unsuspecting community. 

Bucky’s plan was simple: wait a day or two several towns away to intercept the train and get to work. But he had to be careful If he got too reckless with his crimes, he’d have to leave. The question loomed in the back of his mind, when he had to leave would you come with? 

When he told you he was leaving to work a job you felt sick, “What do you mean leaving?” 

He cleared his throat and licked his lips, “I need to take the boys to deal with something for a few days. I promise I’ll be back by the end of the week. Two weeks tops.” He said hugging you tight, it pained him to see you worrying so much.

“But what if you don’t come back?” The question punched him in the chest and stole his breath. 

“Now don’t go talking like that.” He scolded you, “I’ll be back I promise.” You swallowed his words like a brick of lead. 

So for seven days you did the only thing you could do and waited. You sought comfort in Sam’s sister Sarah and her friend Natasha, spending most of your free time practicing needle work, reading, and chatting with the women. Sarah was a familiar and friendly face from the local church. Tragically widowed two winters prior, she was left with the responsibility of raising two boys on her own. To your knowledge, she had embraced her brother’s motley crew of friends, offering them sanctuary with open arms.

After your second meeting with Sarah she introduced you to Natasha, the local Madame. It took everything in your power to not turn your nose up at the idea of a woman engaging in sex for money. Your pious thoughts took a back seat when you remembered you were also engaging in sinful premarital acts with a man. 

Not sex though. No. 

Every time you thought today was the day Bucky shut it down. As much of a filthy bandit he was, he was still extremely respectful towards you. He always said he wanted to wait, the moment never felt right.

——

The moon hung low in the inky black sky as Bucky and his crew of bandits moved like vultures closing in on their prey. They moved silently, night as their accomplice- the thick fog veiling their actions, the rhythmic clatter of wheels masking the sounds of struggle. No witnesses meant no loose ends, and Bucky knew it well. 

It was quick. Efficient. 

Kill everyone on the train and then set it back on course so some poor sad sack could clean up the mess left behind. 

When Bucky’s eyes laid upon the bonds, your father’s exceptionally neat handwriting looping on the paper, he grinned like a snake. Peter could easily get a few hundred for the bonds. Having such a young boyish face always made him seem more trustworthy than the other members of the gang. 

To make up for leaving you worried half to death Bucky bought you a lovely hair pin. It was copper with a small decorative flower on the end of it. “If you think all it’s going to take is a pretty hair pin to forgive you, you’re wrong.” You lied through your teeth snatching it from his dirty hands and pinning it into your prayer veil, because of course Bucky returned just in time to take you to Sunday mass and have lunch with your family afterwards. 

Since midweek, your father had been in a downright rotten mood. He’d spent the last few days late at work and when you showed up to the office to bring him dinner he was yelling at his assistant every time without fail. 

“Tell them to double the guards! Put a damn Gatling on the top of the roof! Send the Pinkertons! I don’t care what you have to do, get that money to the train yard.” 

“But sir-“

“I said figure it out god damn it!” The way he slammed his hands on his desk made you jump. 

It wasn’t often your father lost his temper, but when he did it was frightening. 

At lunch your father glared daggers at Bucky while your mother preened over him. It was nice to see things hadn’t changed during his week away committing crime. 

“James, dear, you should work for the mining company!” Your mother kindly suggested, “My husband is always looking for strong young men such as yourself.” 

It took every fiber of his being to not scoff at the thought of selling his soul to the company, “I rather like the ranch work I’ve been doing for Miss Wilson, but thank you ma’am. If I have a change of heart you’ll be the first to know.” 

On the record Bucky was a ranch hand for Sam’s sister, sure he helped out here and there for the woman but he wasn't getting paid for it, your family didn’t need to know that. 

“We have some friends that are ranchers down in Texas, let us know if you ever venture down there and I’ll send a telegram to them for you.” Your mother was a bonafide socialite. She knew people of all walks of life and thrived on making connections for people, “Your horse is trained so well, they could use someone with your talent.” 

“Alpine?” Bucky grinned thinking of his beautiful white mare, she was almost as stubborn as you are, “I have to say she’s probably my second favorite girl.” 

Your father hated seeing Bucky around the house. He hated how Bucky was always a perfect gentleman whenever he came around. It didn’t matter, no daughter of his was going to marry some rough neck, dirty ranch hand if he had any say in it. 

There was something just plain not right with James Barnes and your father was going to get to the bottom of it. 

As it turns out, it took very little effort to find out the history of a career criminal. This was worse than if Bucky was actually a ranch hand, not only was he a criminal, but he robbed the damn train your father used to transport the bonds not once, but twice in the span of two weeks. 

He couldn’t believe he let a man who stole from him into the safety of their home. He couldn’t believe he let a criminal court his daughter (not that he even approved of the courtship). Bucky was probably sitting in his room at the inn laughing and counting the dollar bills that belonged to in his pocket. 

And the image of that pissed him off to no end. 

It pissed him off so much that he paid off a group of bounty hunters to finally deal rid him of the man once and for all. Bucky wasn’t going to come gracefully, but lucky for your father, Bounty hunters had loose morals and business practices much like he did. When he told Brock Rumlow "I don't care how you do it, just get rid of him!" your father didn't know he opened up a new, lawless realm of possibilities.

----

The late summer sun hung low in the sky as you quickened your pace home, the two men behind you following relentlessly, footsteps crunching on the dusty streets. You couldn’t make out their faces as they stayed just out of your line of sight but the feeling in your gut only harbored malevolence and fear. 

Your path meandered through town, twisting and turning to ensure they truly were following you.

Two turns left. Three turns right. Then a detour past the butcher.

Dread settled inside you and you quickened your pace, ragged breaths gasping as you neared the outskirts of town and broke into a full sprint as best you could, bunching your skirts in your arms so as to not trip. The buildings thinned, and the darkness deepened as you drew further and further from the bustling center of Eden. 

Further away from anyone who would hear you scream.

Rough hands grabbed you, forcing a bag over your head as you fought, kicking and screaming. Hissing and spitting like a feral cat. Their powerful builds quickly overpowered you, sitting on your legs as you thrashed trying to squirm away, clawing at the dirt and wedging it under your fingernails and covering your fine dress. Then they tied you, bound your arms and legs and threw you on the back of a horse like a sack of grain.

When the horse finally halted you were dragged off, stumbling and disoriented. The hood was yanked off and you were roughly pushed into a small, dark room. You turned finally able to make out the face of your captors who reeked of sweat and malice. He was tall and broad, skin tanned by the sun, with dark hair and eyes. He would have been handsome if this were any other circumstance.  

Your nostrils flared like an angry bull as you exhaled and spat at him in defiance while he manhandled your still fighting body, “Let go of me!” You shrieked, anger overpowering your feelings of fear. 

How dare they! How dare these filthy men put their hands on you and soil a perfectly good dress. How dare they throw you on a horse with a bag over your head and force you into this filthy damp room. Your rage bubbled over, you’d never felt this level of anger before. But the sheer callous disrespect of a lady pushed you over the edge. 

You should have been afraid, fearing for your life even. But the type of men who did this? Well they were cowards. Lower than the lowest cretin to walk the Earth. 

“Well look at you, now I know why Barnes has taken such an interest in you Missy.” The man in front of you grinned like a snake. His hand trailing your jaw, fingers lingering against your skin, “you’re a little firecracker ain’t you?” 

You turned your head to bite him, teeth snapping together as you snarled.  Ordinarily, you epitomized the quintessence of a respectable lady—devout and pious, a paragon of Catholic virtue. Yet, confronted with this dehumanizing treatment, a primal instinct awakened within. If they insisted on regarding you as a beast, then, in the eyes of the Almighty, you would unleash the ferocity of one. “Let me go.” You hissed, “You… you cretin!”    

The man shoved you roughly away, narrowly dodging your bite, “Easy there ma’am, we ain’t gonna hurt you.” For some reason you had a hard time believing him with the kidnapping, the pushing, the bag over your head, “We just need you to bring us out cash cow.” He said and slid over a wanted poster with an uncanny portrait of Bucky on it.

Oh

Now it all made sense. 

You took the poster and read the script:

WANTED CAPTURED DEAD OR ALIVE James “Bucky” Barnes  For multiple accounts of murder, theft, and fraudulent activities. Known leader of the Barnes Gang, responsible for numerous bank and train robberies across the Midwestern and Western United States. This is a dangerous individual who will not hesitate to murder.  Mid thirties, brown hair, scar on left arm. Last scene heading west towards the Eden Mountain range.  If spotted DO NOT APPROACH; contact local authorities.  Bounty of $5,000

Of course they’d take you as bait to lure a man with a $5,000 bounty and his gang of merry bandits out from hiding. Something told you that these men thought taking down Bucky would be easy. But you knew this would probably be the hardest $10k they were going to make. They’d probably die doing it! And silently you hoped they would.

A man’s head isn’t worth $5,000 because it’s easy work taking him down. It’s worth that much because he won’t hesitate to fucking kill you in the worst way possible. You didn’t know exactly what Bucky was capable of doing, but you couldn’t help the shiver that crept up your spine when your eyes landed on the big, bold DO NOT APPROACH, “I think for your sake, you should let me go.” 

Perhaps there was a touch of madness in relishing the thrill that such a perilous man inspired within you. Yet, it was the very specter of danger that ignited a fervent blaze deep in your core. To you, Bucky was a flame dancing provocatively over a pool of oil—intensely captivating and inherently volatile.

The dark haired man scoffed, “Your beau ain’t the big bad man everyone seems to think he is. Not when he’s got such an easy weakness to exploit.” 

It was true, Bucky was having the time of his life in Eden Ridge playing house with you. He was living in utter domestic bliss.   “If it’s money you want, my daddy will pay you.” You offered. You had to exhaust all your options and if these men were money hungry then your father would be more than happy to give them the $10k for your life. You didn’t know how much money he had exactly, but you knew it was a pretty penny. 

“Sweetheart, your daddy already paid us.” He mocked you. 

You blinked, brain barely able to comprehend the words he said to you. What a weird thing to say. 

Unbelievable even. 

You were going to have to dissect that at a later date when you were in a better position. 

#marvel #mcu #marvel mcu #bucky barnes #marvel cinimatic universe #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes smut #bucky barnes x plus size reader #bucky barnes fanfiction #LUT

[discount-shades]

Dead or Alive Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The Stagecoach

A/N: Again gold stars to those who get all the western references. 

Pairing: Jake Seresin/Reader 

Warning: Western themed violence. 

Word Count: 3500 ish

Summary: Some old fashioned robbery. 

Previous     Masterlist     Next  

“Here, try these on.” Natasha hands you a pair of blue jeans before flopping onto your bed to watch you pull them on. Never having worn pants before, it feels strange to have fabric clinging to your skin. “Hmm,” Natasha muses, “They will have to work.”

Nodding, you grab the men’s shirt she hands you, buttoning it over your corset and tuck it in. The borrowed clothing will have to do until you have enough money to buy your own. She hands you a beat up felt hat. With your hair tucked into it you could almost pass for a boy. Almost. 

You had asked Natasha to help you pick out what to wear for the robbery. Jake hadn’t shared what the plan was so she had just set you up with an outfit similar to hers. “Bob has an old duster coat that you can wear.” She cocks her head to the side with a mischievous grin. “It will hide the curves.” She makes an hourglass figure with her hands and heat floods your face.

Straightening the cuffs you look at yourself in the warped mirror above the vanity. It’s hard to recognize yourself. Taking a deep breath you smooth down the front of the shirt. “Thank you, Natasha.” Turning to her, you smile. “I don’t know what I would have done without you. 

She smiles and stands to hug you. The woman’s story had closely resembled your own, except she had burned down the brothel she had worked in before running off with Bob. The two of them were inseparable, and made an amazing team. “I’m just paying it forward like you will someday. Plus it’s nice to have another woman on jobs.”

The door opens with a loud crash and causes you to jump back from each other. “Sugar you are going to—“ Jake’s words trail off as he looks at you. His eyes are so intense you can feel them rake over your body and linger on your legs. A wave of self consciousness overwhelms you. 

“We’ve been over this Jacob, knock on the door.” You cross your arms and glare at the man who has been struck dumb at the sight of you. “Do you need me to teach you? I’m sure I can explain the concept with simple words.”

Jake gives himself a little shake before responding. “If you didn’t want me in your room you would lock the door, Sugar.” Your frown just deepens. “Also take those clothes off, you are going to wear this.” 

He tosses a simple yellow cotton dress at you. “You’re giving me a dress? How is a dress any good for robbing people?”

“Lending, I am lending you a dress. You are going to be the bait to get them to stop.” 

Wrinkling your nose, you look at the dress. “Why do you have a dress? And why can’t I just wear my blue dress?”

“Because of this.” Jake ignores your first question and pulls out a piece of paper he had folded in his pocket and hands it to you. Unfolding it you see that it is a wanted poster with your name and face on it. The likeness is not good, but the description of your blue dress is spot on. “No stagecoach driver will stop for any woman in a blue dress with this going around.” 

“They want me alive?” Your eyes scan the text. “They are just going to hang me when they catch me, what do they want me alive for?”

“You’re not that important.” Jake says with a casual shrug. “The only reason you get a poster is probably because you escaped with us.”

“It looks bad if they put a ‘Dead or Alive’ bounty on someone who just stole a horse and is only worth $100.” Natasha explains. “Come on, let's hang it up.” Natasha grabs the paper out of your hands and heads out the door. When you go to follow Jake stops you. 

“You can’t wear that out of here.” you glance down at your clothes, your outfit is almost identical to Natasha’s. 

“Why not?” You frown at him in confusion. 

“It’s indecent.” Jake's eyes are wandering the room, like he is trying to look everywhere but at you. It’s a change from the look he gave you when he walked in. 

“A lot more indecent things happen behind closed doors in this place,” you remind him.

“Yeah but…” He trails off motioning at your legs. Rolling your eyes you brush past him. He could tell you what to wear on the job, but not when you were hanging around The Hard Deck. 

He groans before you hear his steps following you into the back room you had entered that first night. In the daylight you can see that the back wall is covered in Wanted posters of the members of the gang as well as newspaper clipping of what you assume are reports of the jobs they have pulled. 

Natasha is tacking your poster off to the side under one of Jake’s from a few states over. “$5000 Dead or Alive,” you turn to Jake as he walks up behind you, “I guess that makes you important.” Your eyes travel over the murders listed under Jake’s name and the robberies he is listed as having committed.

“Or something.” He watches your eyes linger on his listed crimes. “I’ve never killed an innocent person, everyone I’ve shot dead was trying to kill me first.” His tone suddenly shifts as he points at poster of Bradley. “I’m worth more than Rooster at least.” Natasha groans at his answer and you feel like you have stumbled upon a long standing argument.

“Not for long!” Bradley bounds into the room brandishing his own poster. He slaps the paper into Jake’s chest with a grin. “Read it and weep, Hangman,” he taunts. You sidle up to Jake and read the poster. ‘Bradley Bradshaw Wanted Dead or Alive $5500’

“They got your nose wrong,” Jake holds up the poster to compare the picture to Bradley’s face. “At least I’m better looking on my poster.” A grin splits your face but you don’t say anything, not wanting to encourage Jake. You would never admit it but he was even better looking in real life. Too bad the man was insufferable. 

“You’re just jealous I’m winning.” He snatches the poster out of Jake’s hands and hangs it up on the wall. 

“I think Mav is winning,” Phoenix points to the poster with the older man on it, and you let out a low whistle. The man had a $15,000 bounty on his head. It was impressive that he was still alive and free. 

“We all can’t be Maverick,” Bradley says with an eye roll, throwing his arm around your shoulders. “Drinks tonight to celebrate our newfound notoriety.”

“She can’t.” Jake peels Bradley's arm off your shoulder and turns to you and Phoenix, “Be ready to go at dawn tomorrow.” His eyes meet yours. “Wear the dress.” 

“Yes, Sir.” You mockingly salute him as he stomps out of the room. 

– – – 

“What’s her name?” You stroke the nose of the pretty sorrel mare that you were going to be riding. 

Jake frowns at you, “The Sorrel Mare Bob Stole From The Card Cheat.” You snort in laughter. 

“I’m going to call you, Daisy.” You smile at the mare, smoothing her forelock and dropping a kiss on her nose. 

“Are you sure you can ride?” Jake asks with a worried frown, he had been reluctant to agree to let you ride your own horse. “We can double on Jet.”

“Is that worry I detect in your voice, Jake?” At your teasing his concerned expression shifts to a scowl. 

“I’m not worried,” he denies, “I just don’t want you falling off and slowing us down.” 

“I grew up riding horses.” You explain, “I’ll be fine.” He looks like he is going to say something else but decides against it and gives a jerky nod. 

“Mount up, let's go.” He commands. You fit your boot into the stirrup and swing your leg over Daisy. At Phoenix’s suggestion you wore the blue jeans under the cotton dress to protect your legs from the saddle. 

“Your stirrups are too long.” Jake's voice is gruff but his hands are surprisingly gentle as he adjusts the length and eases your boot back into the stirrup. “Good?” he asks. At your nod he trails his hand down your calf before going around to fix the other side. At his touch your heart thuds faster in your chest, and you take slow even breaths to hide what his touch is doing to your nerves. 

The man was infuriating. One minute he was rude and demanding, the next he was treating you like you were some fragile, innocent thing and it was making your head spin. If he was consistent you would be able to tell where you stand with him but with his constantly changing moods all you know is that he is usually irritated with you. 

It is over a two day ride to the place where you will be springing the trap for the stage. When you make camp the first night Jake grabs the bedroll tied to the back of Daisy’s saddle and throws it into his tent without looking at you. Natasha tries to hide her smile when you glance at her in confusion. 

The food is better than your last ride, the jerky joined with fruit and fresh bread, but the group goes to bed early. In the tent you strip down to your underthings and get in your bedroll next to Jake. “You knew I was going to be here and you packed me a bedroll.” You can't help the little grin on your face as you throw Jake’s words back at him. 

“You hog the covers.” 

“Yeah, Ok,” you respond. He just huffs and mumbles goodnight. You snuggle into your bedroll, grinning. 

– – –

The temperature drops during the night and as you grow colder you move closer to him in your sleep. Jake wakes as you begin to snuggle under his blanket. The thought of shoving you back to your side of the tent on principle briefly crosses his mind until he feels the cold brush of your fingers against his chest. 

Jake sighs and reluctantly pulls your cold body, bedroll and all, under his blanket. In the presence of his warmth you nestle closer and he suppresses a hiss when you bury your cold nose into his neck. He has to suppress a whole lot more at the gentle flutter of your breath on his skin. He tells himself that if you were warm at night it would keep him from listening to you complain, deliberately ignoring the fact that he has never heard you complain before. 

As a rule Jake liked to think of himself as a gentleman. He tried to uphold the morals that his mother taught him and he was determined to not end up like his father. But there was something about you that pushed his buttons. One minute he was furious at you and the next he wanted to kiss you. 

He loved seeing the fiery look you got in your eye when you fought with him. He loved the way you didn’t back down even when he could tell you were nervous. He loved the sight of your legs and ass in those blue jeans you got from Phoenix. It was scandalous and indecent and he hated that others got to see you dressed like that. 

Jake sighs. If he was going to survive this trip he had better get that memory out of his head. The feel of you curled up against him did nothing to make it any easier. 

– – – 

You reach the stretch of road that you had planned to rob the stage from mid morning on the third day. The road passes through a shallow ravine that is equal distance between the last stage station and the town of Pine Creek. The road is seldom used and only traveled on the weekly supply runs on Mondays and Thursdays, and by the stage on Fridays. If they got lucky, no one would be coming by and it was over a day's walk to the nearest town. 

You watched silently as, at Jake’s command, Jet lies down like a dog on the side of the road. Jake kneels down beside his head stroking the horse as he lets out a breath and closes his eyes. “Is he going to sleep?” You asked in surprise.

“Probably, he knows the drill.” Jake smiles fondly at the horse before standing and turning to you. “Now when you see the stage, you need to wave your arms and make sure you can get them to stop before they hit Jet.” You nod mutely. “Those stage horses are bred to run, they will run you over so don’t stand in front of them.”

You nod again, heart pounding. Jake looks like he is about to say something, but just gives your arm an awkward squeeze before mounting Daisy and joining Natasha and Bob out of sight.

You take a deep breath and kneel down next to Jet’s head. It had to look real for the driver and the man riding shotgun to stop. They would only stop for someone who looked weak and helpless. You need to cry. Slowly you allow your mind to fill with bad memories. 

Your parents' deaths, being forced to work in the dance halls and brothels. The gut wrenching realization that the good thing you thought you had at the Hanging Dog Ranch was an illusion, and that Roberts only wanted to use you like everyone else had. The fear of the trial and being hung, and your uncertainty of the future. If this job didn't go well you were not sure what you would do. 

Slowly you let the tears fall as you sobbed by Jet’s sleepy head. The wind blows dust into your face to leave streaks of dirt in the tear tracts. You hear a soft bird call. It’s the signal from Jake, letting you know that the stage was coming. Sniffling, you wipe your nose and glance up the ravine at the cloud of dust. It was too late to go back, too late to call it off. It was time to put your acting skills to the test.

– – – 

Jake had to stop himself from leaving his cover at the sound of your tears. He knew it was an act, at least he hoped it was, but the sound of your sobs caused an aching feeling in his chest. He had thought you would only try to look scared, but you had committed to the role better than any actress playing the role of damsel in the melodramas he had seen. He grits his teeth and pulls his bandanna up over his nose.

When the stage is in sight you stand up. “Help!” You sob brokenly, “Please help me!” He watches the driver take in your appearance and the sight of Jet laid out on the road behind you. The man mutters a curse and begins to saw on the reins, slowing the galloping team of four to a stop. 

This was your moment, you had their attention, you just had to keep it. “Oh, help me please!” Jake suppresses a snort as your voice takes on a southern twang when you beg for help.

“What seems to be the problem, Miss?” The man riding shotgun asks concern in his voice. 

“It’s my horse, Sir,” he can hear the tears in your voice. “I heard a rattler and it must have got him, he just collapsed as I was riding him!” 

The two men confer quietly before the man riding shotgun gets down, still holding his gun at the ready, as he goes to pass a large boulder you call out to him. “Stay away from that rock, that’s where I heard the snake!” The man quickly sidesteps the rock and his hold on the gun relaxes as he approaches the downed horse. Jake watches you step back, careful to keep out of the man's reach.

Jake takes that as his cue to move. With another bird call to Bob and Phoenix he creeps up on the stage. When you see him you begin to wail and clutch your hair, calling out to the driver, asking what you should do. The man is about to answer when Jake climbs into the shotgun seat pulling his revolver at the same time.

“Not a word.” He growls, shoving his gun into the man’s side and pulling the man's gun out of his holster. At Jake’s move Bob and Phoenix both crest the ravine on their horses, rifles pointed at the man with the shotgun. At your release word Jet lunges to his feet and trots a short distance away. 

The man with the shotgun goes to raise it but reconsiders when he sees he is outgunned. “Give the guns to the girl.” Bob orders and Jake’s heart pounds as you step forward to collect the guns. This is where it can all go wrong, one false step from you and you can quickly become a hostage. After covering your face with your own bandanna you quickly step forward to collect the man's side arms as well as the shotgun, with that task done Jake is able to focus on the driver. 

“Get down.” The man scowls but compiles. “Everybody on the stage come out with your hands raised and no one will be hurt. Jake hears a muffled sobbing from inside and two women step out. He throws them a length of rope and instructs them to tie up the driver. He knows you will be tying up the man riding shotgun and sure enough the man is marched into his line of sight with his hands bound behind him and Bob and Phoenix following with their guns trained. 

“Search the women for weapons,” Jake instructs you, as he jumps down to see if there are any other passengers who want to play hero, thankfully the stage is empty and after searching the women you bind their hands. “Search the stage, Sugar.” Jake is secretly surprised at how quick you are to follow his instructions considering how much you usually argue with him.

While you search Jake gets to work cutting the horses free from their harnesses and severing key lines in the rigging so even if they are able to catch the team they will be unable to pull the stage.

“You got them, Bob?” He hears Phoenix ask and she must get the confirmations she needs because he sees her begin to search the passengers. If they have any money hidden on their bodies she will find it. 

He finally frees the last horse and with a smack on its rump it gallops out into the wilderness. There is a good chance they will eventually return to one of their stables. Teams run back and forth on the same stretch of road for years. The horses know the way home better than the drivers.

With that taken care of he joins you in your search. He uses a lock breaker to pop the luggage compartment and begins throwing clothing out of trunks, he pockets some cash and finds more hidden in the lining of suitcases but no $10,000 payouts. You join him searching the luggage and he can tell that you haven’t found anything by how increasingly frantic you are getting in your search.

“Where is it.” The harshness in your voice startles him. You are facing the women and your whole body is tense. “The dowry you are bringing to Roberts. Where is it?”

The women cower in fear as you stalk toward them. 

“He sent it on with riders and an armed guard.” The older woman says between sobs. “It’s not here!” 

Jake watches you kick the stage cursing before you abruptly turn back to the younger woman. “This is the man you are marrying.” Your voice has lost its sharpness and is now filled with pity. “A man who would protect his money and not his wife.” 

Jake turns to Phoenix who had gone over the interior of the stage and she gives him a nod. “Well it was lovely meeting you all here today but I’m afraid we must be going.” Jake whistles and Jet comes trotting over. He mounts up and kicks his foot free of the stirrup for you to use and pulls you up behind him. The thread of worry that had been eating at his gut this whole robbery disappears when he feels your arms wrap around him. 

“You’ll never get away with this!” The older woman calls out. “William Roberts is a powerful man and you have made an enemy of him!” 

“Roberts is a bastard and I hope he rots in hell.” You snap back and he smirks at the women’s scandalized expressions. With a grin hidden behind his bandanna Jake digs his heels into Jet and takes off. 

#jake seresin #hangman #jake hangman seresin #jake seresin/reader #hangman/reader #jake seresin x reader #jake hangman x reader #top gun hangman #topgun maverick

[glasswingowl]

EP 4 PREMIERE LETS GOO (SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT)

Uzi's wing backpack is really cute! hope it's not foreshadowing anything :)

YES KHAN BE EMOTIONALLY VULNERABLE AND TRUST YOUR DAUGHTER WITH HER OWN FUTURE! I KNOW I KEPT SHIT TALKING YOU BUT I ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT ONE DAY YOU WOULDN'T ROYALLY SCREW UP EVERYTHING

also was Nori the one initially obsessed with doors? and doll's dad. he was in the photo too, but then again, so was khan. Was he infected or not? if he has an id card, i didn't see it

does. does no one know who uzi is?? she literally exploded a gun in the middle of class that isn't something you'd easily forget. i mean i guess no one would really "know" her considering her complete and utter lack of friends up until now

N AND V AS CAMP COUNSELORS HAHAHAHA OH THIS IS GOING TO GO GREAT I CAN ALREADY TELL

all the other drones immediately fawning over N and V lmao.

ooh uzi's got a much better grasp of her powers now. someone's been practicing

LMAO THEY EXPLICITLY SAID "THERE WERE NO DOGS ON COPPER 9 WHEN EVERYTHING WENT TO SHIT ALSO DOGS ARE IMMORTAL NOW"

oh N and V playing nice with the workers is really cute (also lizzy gets to sit with V!)

(also was i not paying attention or did thad just straight up disappear halfway through the episode)

V's being weird and cryptic again... also girl you know you're bluffing stop pretending you can just get rid of Uzi without consequences.

is uzi... resentful? is she upset that two literal murderers are able to make friends easier than her? poor girl.

oh hey doll. we thought you were dead (and you might still be idk what your fucking deal is anymore)

the killing/not killing the bug symbolism carries over to this episode too.

this bug can communicate! and we know for sure that it's connected to the solvers now!

it called her 002. it thinks she's nori. Were the inital test subjects registered, but not their children? would doll scan as yeva's number? (can't remember it off the top of my head)

oh she just turned that arrow into flesh. oh dear god it's alive. i never thought i say this, but i'm with uzi's classmates on this one what the fuck was that

"i live in the woods now!" ah yes that'll solve everything great job

oh uzi :( so this is why doll had such a large supply of oil on hand. good thing she had the stomach to drink it

(ok yeah thad's not with the group anymore where did he fuck off to)

YES N STAND UP TO V. DEMAND ANSWERS.

"she's a kid, like us V!" ... ok how old are they actually i want to know. "like us" implies similar age range at least and they kind of hinted at Uzi being 18-20 with the prom posters but i wish they'd just TELL us in canon or word of god it on twitter or something

LIZZY-

I thought rebecca's bf was Brad? did they break up? quick rebound time damn

oh doesn't matter they're gonna fucking die

JCjenson made a tape about "zombie drones". what did they know.

Flashback images: Tessa (looking VERY drone like), a severed hand hanging from a chandelier, and an explosion (that looks VERY solver-esque.)

oh shit's going downhill very quickly.

OH DEAR GOD. REBECCA. sorry Rebecca enjoyers that's an L for you guys.

OH. OH NO UZI. SHE'S GOT MURDER DRONE POWERS AND SOLVER POWERS YOU GUYS ARE FUCKED.

"Killing her, not saving you." it can be both V it's ok

did. did V just call her CYN? DID V JUST CALL HER CYN????

V GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE AND EXPLAIN YOURSELF

oh her tail's got teeth. no nanites though...

ngl N's pretty much the best person who could've possibly shown up at that moment

her wing joints are human arm skeletons. nope. don't like that.

ohh N is just the sweetest. very emotionally aware too

V what are you smiling at. V is there something you want to tell us

i know we were all joking about V x Lizzy but i'm not sure it's a joke anymore

i'm not going to ask how riding the bus like a stagecoach works

V taking blame for the murders? aww you do care <3

is n scared of his connection to uzi? worried that he might be dangerous to her? or is he secretly scared of her but not willing to leave his first real friend?

( i know i've mentioned this three times now but thad's not on the bus. where did he go. did he just decide fuck this i'm not dying here and walk home?)

#murder drones #there's at least one good thing about being sick and not sleeping properly #up in time to catch the premiere! #tldr: V better start coughing up some answers soon before things get REALLY out of hand. #and n is a great friend :D #glasswingtalks

[harper-sherman]

s1:e19 - The Legend of Lily

Ok, so I had forgotten until I re-watched it just how fun this episode is. Buckle up, because this is going to be a deep dive!

Laramie is buzzing over the impending visit of entertainer Lily Langford, especially Jonesy, who met her years before and is obviously still smitten. Even Jess is literally leaning out of the saddle to look at the poster of her (check the expression on Slim's face at that!). Jess walks over to take another look, and we get an excellent bit of dialogue between him and Lily's promoter/husband Ben Carson after Jess turns down a ticket.

Carson - "'Scuse me, for a minute I thought I was talking to a man. I can see now you're just a buffalo, strayed from your herd." JH - "Mister, have you ever been stomped on by a buffalo?"

This won't be the first time that Jess butts heads with Carson (more on that in a minute). Jess "The Buffalo" Harper does in fact intend to see Lily perform, because he heads to the barber after Carson walks away. That's right folks, Jess willingly submits to a haircut!

Around the same time, outlaw Shanghai Pierce has also recently arrived in Laramie with his gang, and decides he needs to visit the barber as well. He literally throws Jess out of the barber's chair, which turns into a pretty great fight. Unfortunately, Shanghai's gang surrounds Jess, putting it to a quick end. But Jess isn't worried because Slim shows up on horseback to break things up and take him home. Advantages of having a big, strong boyfriend, right? ;)

Meanwhile, Ben Carson ends up tagging along with Jonesy to escape Shanghai. Once they're back at the ranch, Jonesy plays "Marry Me in Laramie" for Carson because he wants to see if Lily will sing it. I love watching Jess in this scene because he gives Slim just the biggest glowing grin across the table while they listen to Jonesy play. After dinner, Carson and Jess start playing poker, and Jess catches on to him cheating. Jess wastes no time in marching over to Slim to get him to kick Carson out of the house. There Jess goes taking advantage of his big, strong boyfriend again!

Before that can happen, Shanghai's gang arrives at the ranch, having followed Carson's trail. The impending altercation is interrupted by the arrival of Lily's stagecoach, and Shanghai of all people is totally taken with her. He abandons his vendetta against Carson to personally escort her into Laramie.

The next day, Jonesy finishes up Jess' haircut, with a bunch of whining and grumbling from you-know-who. Then the three of them are off to town to watch Lily's performance. Jonesy heads to Lily's room to tell her about Carson cheating at poker with Jess, and ends up telling Carson off as he insults Lily about her age and appearance.

Once Lily is up on stage, Shanghai starts heckling her, also focusing on her age. Encouraged by Jonesy's previous words to her, she turns the heckling back on Shanghai like a total badass.

Lily - "If that grizzled hide you're wearing for a face isn't old, you must be mighty sick with something."

Eventually the crowd gets riled up enough for a fight to start, but it's over pretty quickly and Shanghai's gang is jailed for the night. The next morning, as Lily leaves Shanghai comes up to her carriage and apologizes for his behavior. He offers to escort her on to the next town, which she gladly accepts. And on the way out, she blows a kiss to Jonesy, much to the amusement of Slim and Jess.

This analysis really got away from me, but as I thought more about this episode I started to really appreciate how good it is on multiple levels. It's a very fun, lighthearted episode. No one dies or gets seriously hurt, Slim and Jess don't get separated, and it's just downright funny throughout. And more seriously, it takes a good look at ageism, particularly towards women. It was refreshing to see a female character stand up for herself.

Of course my favorite thing about this episode, like every Laramie episode, is seeing Slim and Jess together. ❤️💙

#laramie #laramie tv #laramie tv show #slim sherman #jess harper #slim/jess #jess/slim #robert fuller #john smith #jonesy #hoagy carmichael

[ourpickwickclub]

Just saw a mediocre country site use a tweet from a well known Shefani fan to write an article. It was a bit strident about ml coping Gs look. Someone already posted about that loon Annie taking asks from this blog. Someone is looking for anything to use. How would wide open country even know about that twitter account? Earlier in the month a woman who works for Jon Randal(i wont give her name) posted on that Nashville Celeb redditt site accusing a long time poster of libel when they said ml only got the new label job because of Jon. It was an opinion. Not libel. And absurd. But there is desperation to succeed on this new venture. Her new song is not doing well and it’s the lead off single. they will use anything to make her a victim and piggyback off BG.(and they cant shake that LA Times Stagecoach Review) So let’s not feed the beast. Thats my suggestion. Dont want BG dragged into something by fans.

.

[stellabystarlight12]

20th Century Fox's 1966 All-Star remake of John Ford's STAGECOACH Poster artwork by Norman Rockwell

[sednonamoris]

american dream

Pairing: John Marston x gn!reader

Summary: Need, morality, and family are difficult to conceptualize in a life defined by crime, and your vision of the world has been shaped almost entirely by the Van der Linde gang.

Warnings: Brief alcohol mention

Word count: 1,156

A/N: Kind of like certain RDR2 missions coming in parts, this is part one of a series of three chapters that will be interspersed throughout this story. The naming conventions should give it away, but this is short and sweet largely to set up the later, much heavier chapters that happen within the scope of the game.

Series masterlist • AO3

—

After you ran away from your aunt and uncle and became the Ghost printed all over wanted posters from Gaptooth Ridge to Tall Trees, your entire perception of crime was based on survival. You stole horses because you knew horses; they had been your family’s livelihood. The fact that you were so good at it garnered infamy in the eyes of the law and the locals, but to you each fenced animal was no more than coin to put food in your belly and keep some semblance of a roof over your head. 

With Dutch it’s different.

There are plenty of mouths to feed in camp, sure, but he lies and steals and murders his way across the country not just to survive, but because he believes in something. A higher order. A call. 

“Poetic justice, my child,” he told you when you first joined up. Like you’d read poetry. Like you’d known justice. “Poetic justice.”

You spent your whole childhood watching him, listening to his stories, peeking over his shoulder to catch glimpses of Evelyn Miller’s reported genius. Even now, just shy of twenty, there’s plenty you don’t understand. But his mythology of murder helps you pull the trigger and you let that be good enough.  

—

“Ghost, there you are,” Hosea says, always so pleasantly surprised when he sees you around camp. “Fancy robbin’ a ‘coach with me this afternoon?”

“Sure thing,” you say, and he smiles.

Jobs with Hosea are fun. 

He makes you feel like the Robin Hood figures Dutch has always made the gang out to be; Swashbuckling rogues who prey upon the wealthy and give back to the poor, disillusioned Americans that far outnumber them. Merry you are indeed when you come upon your quarry in their hand-carved stagecoach painted royalty red. 

If you were doing this with Arthur or John your bandanas would already be on, horses racing alongside the carriage before one of you took a flying leap to take out the driver and pull off the road somewhere quiet to rob everyone blind. Maybe to kill them, too, depending how it went. But this is Hosea, so of course he has an entire charade planned out. 

It’s your turn to play the damsel. With your horse hidden in the brush nearby and Hosea waiting in the wings to pop out when the moment is right, you call out from a predetermined spot on the side of the road.

“Help! Oh, please, someone help! It’s my leg!”

The irony that you once really were in such a situation is not lost in you - Hosea thinks he’s hilarious. But you put on your best distressed look and wave your arms as the carriage passes by anyhow. Just as they’re about to leave you in their dust, a woman’s voice calls for the driver to stop. 

“Don’t be dreadful, Albert! This poor soul needs our help,” she says with all the moral righteousness of a woman who’s never had a hard day in her life. 

The driver hops down to let her out of the carriage, all satin skirts and done-up hair and carefully reapplied rouge. Albert follows grudgingly behind, his pressed suit crisper than the disapproving line of his mouth. 

“Please, you gotta help me,” you beg. Crocodile tears prick your eyes. 

The woman picks her way carefully across the dusty road to where you lay ‘incapacitated’. Her porcelain face is all pity. 

“Poor dear, tell us where it hurts,” she says. “My husband will look at it for you. He’d be happy to help.”

Albert grumbles something that you’re certain contradicts such a sentiment under his breath before joining his wife at your side. “I’ll take it from here, Ruth, darling.”

“My leg,” you wince out, “I think it’s broken.”

If Albert knows anything at all he’ll feel within a second that’s not the case, so you make sure to twitch and cry out at his every medical advance. He doesn’t bother to hide his irritated glare. You distract them all with a tragic tale - how your horse got spooked by a snake and dumped you in the middle of the lane, how you heard the sickening crunch of bone as you landed funny on your leg, how you were supposed to meet your cousin a ways up the road, how the feeling of hopelessness overcame you as no one would stop to help. No one but them. 

Ruth gasps appreciatively at the spectacle. Though you make sure not to look over at Hosea and give him up, in your peripheral you see he’s snuck his way over to their luggage and started stashing fistfuls of cash and any valuables he can get his hands on into a satchel. 

Hook, line, sinker.

You’ve got them.

Hosea runs off to stash the goods on his horse and rides down the lane on the opposite side of the carriage only minutes later. He ponies your horse off his mare, trotting up with a face just the picture of concern. 

“A thousand blessings for finding my cousin, strangers! I was about to head to the law about a missing person,” he calls. 

“Oh!” Ruth exclaims, delighted. “We’re happy to help any soul in need, isn’t that right, Albert?”

Albert flashes a smile stiffer than the starched collar of his shirt. “Of course.”

Pleasantries are exchanged - mostly, you suspect, so that Hosea can get his money’s worth out of that ridiculously overdone accent of his. By the time you’re helped onto your horse he’s talked them in circles thrice over, and you both wave a cheery farewell before trotting down the lane in triumph. 

You laugh together the whole way home.

—

“Just what are you fools laughing about?” Dutch asks upon your arrival. There’s a glint of good humor in his eye that has you both grinning in return. 

“See for yourself,” Hosea says before he even dismounts, and tosses his satchel over. 

Dutch lets out a low whistle when he sees the spoils.

“Not bad, not bad at all.” The moment your horses are tied he puts an arm around each of you. “I think this calls for a little celebration.”

There is a speech, of course. You sit on one of the logs around the campfire tucked between John and Hosea while Dutch rails against capitalism and the vanity of the upper class. He’s practically preening when he recounts how easy it was for you and Hosea to fool them, like he was actually there. 

“To the founders of the feast,” he cries at the end, raising his bottle to the two of you. 

“To the Van der Linde Gang!” you toast back, and everyone cheers to the sound of clinking glass and good cheer. 

Bathed in the warmth of firelight and family, the evils of America shrink away to nothing. Stealing to survive, to scam, to make a pretty speech - in this moment it’s all irrelevant. You’re invincible. Untouchable. Home.

#john marston x reader #rdr x reader #rdr2 x reader #fran writes #ghost story #ch. 6

[lonelypond]

Warning Shot

NicoMaki, Love Live, 1.8K, 1/?

Summary: An injured Yazawa Nico finds herself on the run from the notorious A-Rise gang. Headed toward Otonokizaki Falls, she first meets two children who will change her life.

The bullet pinged off the boulder to Yazawa Nico’s left. A chunk of granite flicked her cheek, liquid warmth telling her blood had been drawn. She spun, reaching for her Colt, but froze as she watched Tsubasa Kira hand her rifle to Todo Erena.

“You left the Wells Fargo driver alive.” Tsubasa spit, her right hand hovering over the grip of her pistol. “You’re that damn undercover marshall.”

“Nico is the Number One Bandit.” Nico couldn’t help the proud swagger as she posed.

A movement to Nico’s right showed her that Tsubasa’s other lieutenant, Yuki Anju, settling into a sniper’s position.

“That was your warning shot. The next one…”

Kosoka Honoka stepped in front of Tsubasa, arms up, “I was there too. We got the money; no reason to kill the stagecoach driver.”

“I ordered it.” Tsubasa stepped forward, “Out of my way. You’re cute, Kosaka, and new so I’ll forgive you for not knowing we take traitors seriously here.”

Honoka’s distraction had given Nico a minute to calculate an escape, the minute she needed. But a minute was all she needed. Yazawa forced Anju back into cover with a quick shot that kicked up dirt in her face. 

Nico rolled over the rock, tossing a smoke bomb behind her, a high pitched whistle summoning her horse. She sprinted toward where Smiley would be approaching, determined to leave shouts behind her. Another shot, and a bulllet rushed by, too close for any ease. Grimacing, Nico continued in the direction where her horse should be running her way. She needed a bridle and a blanket saddle. Nico paused, small against a night full of danger. She’d need her rifle too. Tsubasa shouted confusing directions. Nico headed for where she had her saddle.

A quick close sound, a pinch in her side, an explosion of pain. Not a warning shot. Erena’s narrowed eyes looked surprised that Nico still stood. And then Erena was tilting, the tiny ginger speedster, Hoshizora Rin having clocked her with the butt of her Winchester. Nico’s horse, prepped with saddle and head bridle, neighed a greeting.

“Mount up and go, Nico-chan. I’ll send ‘em in the wrong direction.”

Nico nodded, hand pressed against the wound in her side. She’d do a more proper bandage once she got on horseback but for now a bandana and hard pressure was all she could manage. Mounting was one smooth motion. With a nod to Hoshizora, Nico headed Smiley toward the North. She’d heard rumors of a quiet town, immigrant built, near a cluster of waterfalls.

###

Sheriff Sonoda Umi sighed, tacking another wanted poster to the wall outside her office. These criminals were getting younger and younger. The latest, Nico Yazawa, looked like a teenager. How could someone with a face like that have committed crimes worthy of such a bounty. Umi squinted at the signature. Some bank manager who’d hired a rider to deliver the posters to all the towns in a 200 mile or so radius. Umi couldn’t imagine a criminal making their way here to the quiet of Otonokizaka Falls. There wasn’t even a full time banker. Three saloons, one general store, a seamstress, a blacksmith, a doctor, a barber, a laundry, livery stable, dry goods, carpenter, community hall, school house. Another town was closer to the mines so most of the shameless activities and businesses miner’s money attracted had grown up there, leaving the Falls a quiet, friendly town surrounded by ranchers and natural beauties, most of the visitors riding in either to see Doctor Nishikino or stay at the hotel and have their pictures taken at the Falls.

###

Daylight was louder, Nico Yazawa realized as she scrunched deeper into the bare warmth of her lined duster. The sun always seemed to give off its own music, a cloud driven rhythm that drove the harmony of creatures living their lives in full daylight. Nico was a nocturnal creature, here, under the silence of the slicing moon, a lone owl hooting, his baritone note a call for companionship. Nico’s horse shifted suddenly, Nico biting back a curse as the movement jostled her. The gunshot in her side needed attention. She didn’t need the pain stabbing her a reminder of that.

In the silence, she could almost hear hooves in pursuit. Surely her picture had been circulated by now, her betrayal complete, cut off by the A Rise gang as an easy target to cover their escape with two train cars worth of gold bullion. 

Nico sighed. She needed food, rest, a place to water Smiley, a place to hide. She’d ridden out this far, searching for Otonokizaki Falls. Nico smiled at the thought of water rumbling, rushing, as a soothing wind rustled rough against cool green leaves. Must be a fever, Nico realized, water wouldn’t seem nearly so soothing otherwise. Tugging the reins gently, Nico guided Smiley to the easiest path down this mountain. Maybe by dawn they could be tucked into an unused outbuilding on some ranch.

###

“Slow down, Ruby!” 7 year old Dia Kurosawa worried about the speed at which 5 year old Ruby Kurosawa was racing toward a large black horse. What if her sister fell again? Their new mama, Doctor Maki, wasn’t due back for a day or two. Koizumi Hanayo was sweet and cooked much better than Mama, but if Ruby got hurt, Dia wanted Mama right there. At least until Mama let Dia have her own surgical bag.

Ruby stood in front of the large black horse now, bouncing on her toes, gingham dress flitting in the breeze, hand open, a contraband sugar cube on her palm. She must have pocketed it at breakfast. Dia dressed like her new mama most days, button down linen shirt and corduroys tucked into boots, a matching vest her only vanity. Mama wore wrinkled jackets and kept an open collar. Dia thought it looked messy. But Mama was always in motion, rolling up her sleeves, measuring out medicines, examining patients.

“Sis!!! He’s new. And so pretty.” Ruby was petting the horse’s neck, its head lowered.

“Be careful.” Dia walked quickly to her sister’s side. “He’s not from the herd.” Hanayo had a small herd of horses as well as sheep wandering her ranch, along with Juniper, her sheep dog.

“No. But he’s so nice.”

The horse took Dia’s sleeve, pulling her a little.

“I think he wants you to go with him, Sis.”

Dia was a little scared. It was a very big horse. But Ruby kept looking at the both of them with a total faith that Dia could not disappoint. She gently patted the horse’s neck as she leaned near an ear, “You better not bite me. My mama wouldn’t like that.”

The horse nickered, then snorted, continuing to pull.

“All right.” Dia nodded, her tone decisive.

“Are we going to ride?”

“No, Ruby. We don’t ride strange horses. Mama warned us.” Dia tapped the strange horse’s neck in an encouraging fashion and it took off at a trot.

“He’s taking us to the south barn.” Ruby said.

“There’s nothing there.”

“There’s some hay. Maybe he wants to eat.” 

“Bzzzttt. He can’t steal hay.”

“What if he’s really hungry?”

“We’ll have to ask Hanayo.”

“Do you think he’s lost?”

Dia shrugged, hurrying to keep up with this visitor, Ruby’s hand clutched tightly in her own.

###

Voices. Children? Cotaro? Where was Nico? Nico opened her eyes to sunlight bright enough to make her groan. She remembered. She’d crawled into a small barn when the pain had become too much for riding. She was supposed to be gone by dawn so no one would discover she’d hidden out here. No sense bringing threats to some innocent rancher. 

Nico sat up, her side throbbing, her head aching. She needed water. Where was Smiley? She’d left him with a loose tie; he must have worked himself free. She could see where he’d helped himself to hay. She’d have to leave some money.

“Smiley?” Nico winced at how raspy her voice sounded, as she pulled herself up to stand in the stall she’d fallen asleep in, under her saddle blanket, the Sharps rifle by her side. She picked it up to check. Unloaded. Nico wasn’t going to take chances around children.

“BZZZTTT!” A hissing sound, “Drop that. Now.”

A very young, very determined voice shouted at Nico, who slowly placed her rifle to the side, then raised her hands in the air. Two children stood in front of her, a tiny one with red hair hiding behind a dark haired one dressed like a junior banker.

“Nico is a friend.”

“Is that your horse?” The redhead asked.

“Yes. He’s very friendly. Just like Nico.”

“He’s pretty. I fed him sugar.”

“He likes sugar.” The junior banker interrupted, “Why are you here?”

“Nico needed a place to sleep. And Smiley needed breakfast. We’ll be going now.” Nico could feel her energy fading. Where was Smiley? She could use his solidity right now. “You look pale. When Mama sees people like you they have to stay in bed.”

Nico didn’t have time to make sense of that statement. Or the time for it to be true. “Nico can’t stay in anyone’s bed. No matter how nice your mama is.” “Mama’s a doctor.” The banker said, each word carrying serious weight.

“Oh.” Nico cringed at any implication that might have been…but surely that child couldn’t be more than six or seven. “What’s your name?”

“Dia Kurosawa. This is my sister, Ruby.” “Hi!” Ruby squeaked cutely as she got nudged from behind by a Smiley who’d decided to join them.

“Nice to meet you, Dia, Ruby. Nico has to go.” Nico, using the top edge of the stall as an aid, pulled herself toward her wandering horse, “C’mere, boy.” It felt like only two more steps and then she would collapse.

“Sit.” Dia pushed her, knocking Nico’s side.

“Ksssshhhh” Nico hissed through gritted teeth, hitting the ground, letting the stall wall hold her up. She’d have to get help. The wound needed tending to. Maybe this doctor could actually do something. Nico heard rumors about women doctors coming West after graduating with actual medical degrees, unlike some of the frauds who’d mistreated people she knew.

“Go get your Mama.” 

“She’s not here.”

“Is there someone else?” “Hanayo. She lets us stay here when Mama’s busy. Do you want to stay?”

“Thank you, Ruby. Nico does.”

“Ooh!” Ruby started to run off.

“Wait for me!” Dia shouted after her sister, then turned back to Nico, “You wait.”

“Nico’s not going anywhere, kid.”

Serious green eyes considered Nico’s statement, examining her expressions, then Dia nodded. “We’ll be back.”

Leaning her head back, biting her lip to swallow a pained shout, Nico groaned, “Nico’ll be right here, kid.”

A/N: Does Time surge or swirl? Doing some Yeehawgust prompts to jumpstart writing and because I've always loved Western themes. Cheers.

#NicoMaki #Yeehawgust #Warning Shot #Can't resist a Western #still need a new Stetson #Nishikino Maki #Yazawa Nico #Sonoda Umi #Kurosawa Dia #Kurosawa Ruby #Dia and Ruby are orphans Maki found #A Rise #Kousaka Honoka #Hoshizora Rin #Kira Tsubasa #Wild West #Western AU #saddle up

[mlmxreader]

The Son of The Sheriff | Corinthian x m!reader

Anonymous asked: Bestie. I hope you’re into this jdjsjdjd

Cowboy AU with the Corinthian as an infamous bandit feared by everyone and their mom in the west. He arrives in a town and takes a shine to the Sheriff’s son and sort of "seduces" him to run away with him, become an outlaw. Nobody’s ever been able to catch the Corinthian’s attention and gain his favor like that, trust me, they tried.

summary: a well known bandit comes to a quiet and sleepy little town that hardly ever sees any issues, but when he meets the son of the sherrif, he knows exactly what he wants of them.

tws: swearing, mentions of murder/violence

Living in a quiet and sleepy town out of the way from the big city and the fuckwits that lived there, you had grown up to expect nothing much could ever happen; sure, sheep would get out of their pens and wander around, and sometimes someone's horse got spooked outside of the shops, but that was about the most that ever happened. Those big stagecoaches carrying the rich often rolled by, but never stopped as they headed towards the next town over; you never had much interaction with anyone outside of your own town. Everyone knew everyone and it was quiet. Comfortable. The bounty posters on the wall of your father's office hardly ever changed; the only one that did was one for an infamous bandit that everyone dreaded to so much as hear the name of.

The Corinthian.

He was well known for robbing and stealing and murder, his tell was always taking the eyes of his victims without a care; it was unlikely that he would ever come to your sleepy little town, though. Nobody really took much notice, but as his bounty grew bigger, the posters would change; nothing else would though. Your father would ask bounty hunters who passed through if they would take up the one for the Corinthian, but they were always too scared; even hired killers shit themselves at the mention of his name.

As you sat on the hill just on the outskirts of town, you let a bullsnake you had found slither across your arm and down onto your thighs where it sat quite happily; snakes were always common, especially little garters and big bulls. Snakes were easy to deal with, though, and you often threw out rats and mice near where you knew they often hunted and basked when the local saloon owner complained about the rodents; snakes were good for the land, and they were nice little critters. Beautiful to look at and they were so placid if you only showed them a little respect, a little understanding and a little kindness. You watched the bullsnake's scales catch the light, which made you smile; such a beautiful animal and yet people hated them simply because they did what they were born to do, what they evolved to do. Snakes weren't any harm to anyone, they were good. But when the bullsnake on your lap suddenly raised himself up, and hissed loudly, you furrowed your brows; you stole a look around, and when you noticed a guy approaching, you took the snake in your hands, and hummed softly.

"It's alright, pal," you said to it. "It's probably just my dad - but he's okay. He likes snakes, too, he won't hurt you."

But as the guy approached, you realised that it wasn't your father, and you protectively put your arm over the snake a little more, shielding it; he stopped not far from you, and pulled down the white bandanna that covered his face. "Howdy."

You didn't recognise him, not with his white cowboy hat and his black sunglasses covering his face, and you furrowed your brows. "You lost, stranger?"

"No," he chuckled, sitting down beside you and holding out his hand, allowing the bullsnake to slither onto his palm as he smiled. "Pretty, ain't they?"

You nodded, swallowing thickly; this stranger sure was handsome. Blonde hair, tall, a slight southern drawl and country twang in his voice. You wondered who he was. "What are you doing here, if you're not lost?"

"I'm just passing through, figured I could stop here for a couple of days," he told you with a shrug, letting the bullsnake relax and go limp and loose around his shoulders. "See, people think snakes are evil, but... you show 'em a little decency, and they're not that bad."

"Yeah I know," you hummed. "It's like they refuse to believe that just 'cause they're not fluffy little rat dogs, they're somehow bad or they're not worthy of respect... but you can't change an animal's nature just because you don't like that they're predators... say, you're not from around here so, uhm... well, why don't I show you around a little bit? I'm pretty sure if people see you with me, they'd give you discounts on a lot of stuff."

"Sure," he shrugged. "It'd be nice to be shown around by a handsome man like you."

You grinned, shaking your head. "Mustn't talk like that, now. Small towns don't like it when a cowboy has feelings for men and all that... or at least, they don't like it when anyone has feelings for anyone without, y'know, wanting to get married and shit... I'm (y/n), by the way. I forgot to tell you."

He nodded, clearing his throat and offering you his free hand. "Corinthian."

You didn't think anything of it, sure there was a bandit with the same name whose bounty poster hung on your father's wall, but you thought maybe it was a popular name in the city - it didn't particularly strike you as anything else, and there was no way that a guy who was so gentle with a bullsnake could be a bandit. Nah. Still, as you let him put the snake back on the ground, watching it slowly slither off to find a rock to sit on, you grabbed his arm, and you smiled; the town wasn't too far away, but when you walked into the local saloon and approached the bar, everything fell weirdly silent.

Ahmed Wiart, who was a timid and older gentleman but was ever so lovely when you got to know him, put down his glass and furrowed his brows; beside him, Erich Horstmayer, a kind and smart man who was friendly and often invited everyone over to spend Ramadan and Eid with him and his wife, hummed as he got out of his stool and approached. His dark brown eyes looked black in the dim saloon, but when he pulled you aside from your new friend, he shook his head.

"(y/n), do you know who that is?"

"No," you shook your head. "Should I?"

"That's the Corinthian," Erich huffed. "Y'know, the fucking bandit? The one who takes people's eyes after he's killed and robbed them?"

"No," you scoffed. "It can't be the same guy - he was nice to a snake."

"I have known you for over twenty years," Erich grumbled, shaking his head. "How many times have I told you not to befriend people just because they're nice to snakes?"

"Well, you keep telling me that," you admitted. "But Aneesha always said that if people are nice to animals then they're usually alright."

"That's not... no," he shook his head. "I'm gonna go grab the bounty hunters that passed through last night - they're not far, so you just sit him down and wait until I get back."

You didn't want to, though, so when Erich left out the front of the saloon, you grabbed Corinthian and you dragged him out the back, past the barber Bruce who smiled at you kindly and asked if you needed anything, but you shook your head and hurriedly brushed past him; it was raining, the type of rain that sounded bad but didn't look like much, and you quickly pushed Corinthian against the wall.

"Are you a bandit?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "That a problem?"

"Jesus fucking wept..." you ran a hand down your face and licked your lips. "I'm the son of the sheriff. Erich's gone to get bounty hunters to come after you."

"But you'll get me out," he guessed, stuffing his hands in his pockets and nodding slowly. "Why?"

You shrugged, pouting a little; you weren't sure why, exactly, maybe it was because he really was so fucking handsome, but you didn't want the bounty hunters to take him away. You stole a look around, and then smiled a little. "Doesn't matter, but... down the trail a little, there's a barn - I'll give you the key, but... promise me you won't get in trouble?"

Corinthian considered it for a moment, trying to weigh up whether or not the pleasure he took in killing was worth it, but then he nodded. "I promise."

"Go," you fished around for the key in your pocket, pressed it into his hands. "I'll be back later. I'll bring you something to eat."

He did was he was told, stealing a quick look at you before he headed over to the barn; it wasn't exactly the type that was used for livestock, at least. Bales of hay and animal feed were stacked up high enough to reach the ceiling, and once he got up the ladder, he found that there was already a bed there; it smelled like whisky and cigarettes, but when he saw a little sketch of a checkered garter snake, he had a feeling that this was where you would sleep on occasion, so he made himself as comfortable as he could.

His Mustang horse was still out by that hill, though, and Corinthian needed it in case he was to make a quick getaway; maybe he could take you with him. Show you the other side of the train tracks. Then again, he doubted that you would run off with a man you had just met; perhaps he ought to give it a while before he proposed such a thing. That was, if he didn't get caught.

That first night wasn't so bad, though, you brought him food and you stayed up with him to talk; not even the Corinthian could deny that the way you talked about things you were passionate about made him smile and yearn to hear more, even if he wasn't paying attention to the words as much as he was watching your mouth move and seeing your eyes light up with excitement. That first night wasn't so bad; you fetched his horse in the morning, though, and tied it up near the bales of hay, always next to yours. They seemed to get along at least; his Mustang, a blue roan, seemed to actually adore your white Welsh cob.

The times when you visited in the following days were the best that Corinthian had experienced in a while, he liked you the more you spoke and the more time you spent together; you showed him everything. The river, where you stripped down to nothing and let the olive coloured water cool your skin. The fields, where you stole blackberries from bushes and shared them. The woods, where you scrambled up trees and laid down comfortably on branches. The hills, where you sat at the top and let the snakes slither onto your hands. Still, the thought of you running away with him to become an outlaw didn't leave his mind in the slightest; to corrupt the sheriff's son was one thing. To be your lover was another.

As you lounged on the roof of the barn, your hands behind your head and a cigarette between your lips, your cowboy hat tilted slightly forward as you brought one leg up slightly, you couldn't help but to feel that like you could have gotten used to this. "We got lucky today, y'know... there were a whole bunch of bounty hunters."

Corinthian hummed, his hat on his chest and his glasses smeared with the sunlight, he had one arm behind his head as he sighed and dared to tilt his head to the side so that he could get a good look at you; you were so handsome he never could go long without checking you out. "I'll be gone in a matter of days... you should come with me."

"Go with you?" You dared to laugh, rolling onto your side so that you could get a better look at him. "Why would I do that?"

"Well..." he moved his hat, letting you straddle his waist as his hands found their way to the back of your thighs, tugging at you a little so that you ground against him for a split second. "You could see what it's like to be an outlaw. Live without rules. You could do whatever you wanted, when you wanted. See the world... you wouldn't have to sneak around to see me, either."

"I wouldn't?" You asked, putting your hands on his shoulders when he moved to sit up, starting to kiss at your neck softly, even daring to bite down on the soft skin. You chucked your cigarette away. "Fuck..."

"You could be all mine," Corinthian murmured, moving one hand up and beneath your shirt, his fingertips cold against the skin of your back. "All mine and only mine... I'd kill anyone who got in our way."

You nodded, grinding against him a little before you dared to steal your chance, letting him knock the hat from your head as he pulled you into a harsh kiss; his tongue slipped between your lips as he brought a hand to your throat and squeezed it. Heat rushing through your veins as you went down with him, not even breaking the kiss when he pinned you beneath him.

"Run away with me," he growled when he eventually pulled away. "Run away with me and be mine, (y/n)."

You bit at the inside of your lip, debating it for a moment. You nodded. "I'm all yours."

if you liked this fic, REBLOG IT - you SHOULD reblog it; spam likers WILL be blocked. as will blogs that refuse to reblog or to give feedback. if you don't wanna reblog, then you'll get blocked; reblogging is the BARE MINIMUM. don't just "like", REBLOG

#mlem writes #the corinthian x y/n #the corinthian x reader #corinthian x you #corinthian x y/n #corinthian x reader #the corinthian imagine #corinthian #the corinthian #Corinthian imagine #the sandman x reader #the sandman imagine #sandman imagine #sandman x reader #the sandman #sandman

[mae--bee]

Can you share about your dissertation on historical trans men? That sounds interesting

man tumblr just straight up didn't give me a notification about this, sorry this late but here's my overdue, overly long rambling about my diss 🤠

it's basically about trans cowboys. or an analysis of the formation of the "american identity" amd american ideology that was created during the westward expansion (manifest destiny, american exceptionalism, and the caricature of american masculinity), and how these values were (or were not) represented amongst gender nonconforming groups.

Harry Allen (fka Nell Pickerell) was the classic outlaw type, I had over 40 newspaper articles about his crimes - which included marrying multiple women at one time, most of whom were prostitutes he was supporting. he was the poster child for my dissertation cause of how vocal he was about being a man. finding transmen in history is difficult because of the lack of terminology they had to self-identify, and so many women lived as men for financial and personal security. Allen's mother was even known for showing up at the jail where Allen was being held and asking for her son Harry, refusing to listen to anyone who referred to him as Nell or her daughter. there's actually a dissertation from the 1920s in which Allen did an interview regarding his gender identity, which ngl I was so excited when I found it

Charley Parkhurst lived for over 40 years as a man, and is considered by some to be the first 'woman' who voted in America because he was able to vote as a man. he did an interview with Harpers Weekly (Washoe Revisited, you can find it on the way back machine), where the journalist describes him as a well respected and well known man in the community. he was a stagecoach driver who was known as the driver who could do the routes no other driver could. there's an incredible drawing of Parkhurst in the article, where he's shown as a rugged aging man. Parkhurst wasn't outed until after his death

Theodore Hoffman was the girl-bell-boy at hotels who reached out to newspapers in order to have interviews where he could defend his gender identity. he posed a threat to traditional masculinity because unlike Allen, he wasn't a "degenerate" who was hellbent on causing trouble, so his gender identity couldnt be excused as part of an act to disrupt polite society.

if anyone's interested in transwomen, there's a really interesting discussion surrounding transwomen and race, as the only named accounts of transwomen I could find were Mrs Nash, who was a Mexican women (who married 3 different men, 2 who used her for money, and 1 who was her soulmate who loved her until her death), and Lucy Hicks Anderson, who was a socialite Black woman. both women had their race weaponised against them in order to attack their gender identity. they're incredible women and I recommend looking into them more (especially Mrs.Nash, who I have a soft spot for)

There's some really cool articles on Native American gender identities that I didn't manage to touch on in my diss. the rigid gender structures we know today were laregly a response to two-spirit people, in order to keep the American identity white and heteronormative.

Peter Boags "redressing Americas frontier past" is an incredible book for anyone who wants to read about historic transpeople, and he's written a load of articles where he deepdives into individual people. Susan Stykers "transgender history" is also a great read, and branches out from the American West. library of Congress website has a fuck ton of newspaper articles about Harry Allen (search Nell Pickerell, sort by Washington state 1880-1920)

also all my chapter titles were red dead redemption 2 quotes. so that was pretty cool

#sorry for the formatting i wrote this on my phone lmao #long post #if anyone wants any links to any articles or resources please hmu #i have them all saved still #i love talking about my diss

[ramblingoak]

The Cardinal’s Bride, Chapter 4: There’s Something About Mary

~ A Romantic Adventure in the Old West: After being forced into a marriage with Mr. Saltarian by your father you are sent west to his estate in Nevada.  Along the way you end up meeting one of the cowboys you have always fantasized about... ~  

~~ Please visit The Outlaw Brides Masterpost to catch up and read more stories from this world ~~

Thank you to @tasty-ribz for the wanted poster!  Lots of other amazing people have done fanart of Cowboy Copia so please go check it out: @meowsaidmissy (1 / 2), @snail-shell2335  here, @vahvco here, @ghulehgwen here, @rabidghoul here, @nocterish here and from valkyrieinpink on twitter.  Also a huge thank you to @kissingghouls for aggressively holding my hand and letting me scream at her about cowboys.

Cardinal Copia x Female Reader: au, slow burn, romance, Copia in chaps, adventure, violence, Mary being a little shit, NSFW, 18+ only MDNI, 5,400 words 

Mary didn’t like to think of themselves as a bad guy.

Living out here in the West was hard and not for everyone.  You needed to be adaptable, willing to do things you might not be comfortable with.  Mary had certainly done plenty of things they’d rather not think about, things they definitely couldn’t write home about (not that they were doing that anyway).  But living out here afforded people freedoms they wouldn’t have elsewhere in the States and if there was one thing Mary liked it was the freedom to be themselves.  Something they never had back home in Chicago, despite it being a larger city in the Midwest.  Still full of the same stuffy, ignorant people that had a chokehold on much of the rest of the country.

Mary didn’t mind getting their hands dirty every now and then.  Usually they stuck with random jobs like bringing home someone's wayward daughter (or wayward son).  Every now and then they would take a job hunting down an outlaw of some sort, those usually paid pretty well.  Mary never really worried too much about coming up against whatever idiot had pissed off the local sheriff enough to warrant hiring outside help.  There were a lot of things Mary was good at and gunslinging was definitely one of them.  It was probably the one fond memory they had of their life back in Chicago.  Mary’s father had been an avid gun collector and he had been insistent on teaching Mary how to clean, handle and shoot every one he owned.

So when it came to gunfights, Mary wasn’t worried.  They had only run across a few people that matched their skill and thankfully two of them stayed put in Nevada.  The other was easy enough to avoid, The Cardinal and his Ghouls were never shy about their whereabouts.  Mary found that their life was easier the further they stayed away from Cardinal Copia.  

Mary didn’t think Copia was a bad guy exactly, certainly not as bad as his reputation would lead you to believe.  But Mary and Copia tended to butt heads whenever they were around each other.  It’s possible this went back to Mary allegedly staying the night with a girl Copia had favored back at The Ministry.  It was also possible this had happened multiple times, but how was Mary supposed to keep track of Copia’s bedmates?  Maybe if he stuck around for more than a few weeks before running off to cause trouble he’d have an easier time keeping someone’s interest.

The only thing Mary knew Copia was interested in was revenge and it was revenge against one particular person.  That’s why Copia and his buddies ran amok throughout the West so much.  It was why they spent so much time attacking stagecoaches and trains.  For as long as Mary had known Copia they understood that the man only had one goal and that was destroying the life of who Mary was currently sitting across from.

“Mary Goore, thank you so much for coming.”  Mary glanced back at the two men by the door of the office.  The same two men that had tracked Mary down in California and insisted they attend a meeting with Saltarian.  Normally in a situation like that Mary might’ve just shot them both and moved on, but everyone knew that Saltarian had a long reach and plenty of hired guns.  Also plenty of money to hire more.  

“Well I was promised some money just to show up so it was an offer I couldn’t refuse.”  Saltarian chuckled, but Mary didn’t sense any humor behind it.

“Of course Mr. Goore, I’m a man of my word.  You’ll be compensated for your troubles.”  He continued to stare at Mary for a moment before glancing up at the men by the door and nodding his head towards them.  Mary tensed when he heard them move but they left the room quickly.  “Now, let’s get down to business.  I’m looking for a man of your talents Mr. Goore.  You have a reputation for finding wayward souls, do you not?”

“I suppose you could say that, yeah.”  Mary shifted uncomfortably in their seat as Saltarian just stared at them.  It was an assessing stare and it reminded Mary too much of how their father would look at them.

“No need to be modest, I’ve done my research.  I had to for this job offer I have.  There’s little room for error and I don’t enjoy it when people make mistakes.  Do you understand?”

“Yeah, I get what you’re saying”  Mary took a deep breath and wished he’d shot those two goons after all.  “You gonna tell me what the job is or are you gonna wax poetic about my skills some more?”  This was the wrong guy to be a smart ass too, but Mary couldn’t help it.  They also couldn’t help but flinch when Saltarian straightened in his seat and narrowed his eyes at them.

Shit.

“You’re right Mr. Goore.  My apologies.  I’m not sure if you’ve taken the time to read any newspapers in the last month, but I recently became engaged.”  Saltarian paused then and Mary mumbled a ‘congratulations’ which the man politely nodded at.  He lifted a paper off his table and held it out so Mary could take it.  “She’s a lovely girl from a decent family, although her father’s business skills leave much to be desired.”

Mary looked down at the paper and saw a sketch of a pretty girl, a girl that definitely deserved much better than marrying a guy like Saltarian.  They looked back up as the man continued on.

“She’s from the Midwest, much like yourself, Mr. Goore.”  When Mary raised an eyebrow Saltarian just smiled.  “As I said, I’ve done my research.”

“Do you need me to escort her out here?  Or has she already run off?”  Mary flinched again and really, if there was one place Mary needed to not run their mouth in this was it.  Thankfully Saltarian seemed more amused than anything.

“I do expect you to collect her, Mr. Goore.  That much is true.  But at this point you would be too late to collect her from her home in St. Louis.”  Saltarian reached down and lifted up another paper to hold out for Mary and when they grabbed it and saw the face staring up from it Mary couldn’t stop the groan from escaping.

The Cardinal was glaring up at him from a wanted poster.  Fuck.

“Has he taken an interest in your girl?”  Mary wouldn’t put it past Copia, looking at the sketch of her face she was certainly his type.  

“Cardinal Copia has always taken an interest in my affairs Mr. Goore, this will be no different.  The man has been getting more bold in his assaults on myself and my associates.  I think it’s expected he will make an attempt at kidnapping my future bride.”  Saltarian took back the pictures when Mary passed them over.

“So then what’s the plan?  I mean, I appreciate your confidence in my abilities, but even I can’t take on The Cardinal and those Ghouls of his alone.”  Saltarian didn’t respond at first, he just stood up and made his way over to a large map on the wall.

“My men will be taking the usual route from St. Louis and I expect The Cardinal to make a move somewhere in western Missouri or when they get to Kansas.”  Mary watched as Saltarian traced a route along the map with his finger.  The man wasn’t wrong, Mary would expect Copia to make a move around there as well. 

“If I leave now I could probably intercept them when they hit Colorado.”  Mary got up to stand with Saltarian at the map.  The man wasn’t very intimidating physically but Mary kept a hand on their gun belt regardless.  

“Ah Mr. Goore, you need to think like The Cardinal for a moment.  He likes to believe he’s clever so rather than take the direct route to that casino his brother owns he’ll go south and head through Texas, New Mexico and Arizona.”

“Ok fine, but what am I supposed to do when I meet up with them?  We’re not exactly friends so he ain’t gonna be very happy to see me, especially if he’s kidnapped your girl.”  Saltarian smiled and made his way over to a small bar in the corner, pouring himself a glass of whiskey before he went back over to sit behind his desk.  Mary stayed put and leaned against the wall.  Having the door to the office at their back was not something they were comfortable with any longer.

“Once it’s decided exactly which route The Cardinal will take, my men will gather in one of the numerous abandoned mining towns that are scattered around the area and it will be your job to lead him and his Ghouls there.”  Saltarian took a sip of his whiskey and then set it back down on his desk.  Mary couldn’t help but notice it landed right on the picture of his bride.

“What about the girl?”

“I expect either The Cardinal will drag her along to the ambush or she’ll stay behind with one or two of his men.  Either way all you have to do at that point is grab her and bring her to me.” 

“Hopefully he doesn’t drag her to the ambush, I’d hate for her to get caught in some crossfire.”

“Mr. Goore I want to make one thing clear, while I’m hiring you specifically to collect my future wife, if she's between you and Cardinal Copia I expect you to take the shot.”  Mary knew they probably looked like an idiot standing there with their mouth open, but that last comment was not what they expected.

“What are you going to tell this poor girl’s parents if she ends up getting hurt?  Or worse?”  Mary pushed off from the wall and walked over to stand in front of the desk.  “Look, The Cardinal has a one track mind when it comes to you, everyone knows that, but he wouldn’t do anything to hurt an innocent girl.  Or even a not so innocent one.”

“If she ends up hurt, or worse, it will be something easy to lay at Cardinal Copia’s feet.”  Saltarian took another sip and gave Mary a smile that made their skin crawl.  “There are plenty of pretty girls in the world, Mr. Goore, I don’t plan on wasting my time mourning this one.”

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

The Cardinal had almost kissed you.

That was the singular thought going through your mind right now.  It had started to sink in while he and this Mary person bickered.  You weren’t sure how they knew each other yet, or if they were friends or enemies.  Really the only thing you could think about was The Cardinal’s face as he had leaned closer to yours.  

He had a surprising amount of freckles.

Ok, no you couldn’t think of those.  Or of how green his one eye was and how the white one wasn’t as frightening as you thought up close.  The black around his eyes had faded but you knew he usually reapplied it after breakfast.  Same with the black on his upper lip.  Would that have rubbed off onto yours if you had kissed each other?  

What would the kiss have been like if Mary hadn’t interrupted you?  Your parents barely touched let alone kiss so the few you’d seen shared between them were just quick pecks.  Certainly nothing like the ones you had dreamed of between you and The Cardinal.  Just thinking of some of those made your cheeks warm.

You yelped and clapped your hand over your mouth when the man you’d been thinking about suddenly squeezed your waist.  Mary had an eyebrow raised at you and you didn’t need to look up into The Cardinal’s face to know he was doing the same thing.  They seemed to be waiting for you to say something and you felt your blush deepen thinking back on what had been distracting you.

“I’m sorry, what?”  You dug your elbow back into The Cardinal’s gut when he squeezed you again.

“No need to apologize, Darlin’.  Just wanted to know your name.”  When you told Mary they smiled at you and repeated it while leaning against a tree.  “Well now that’s awfully pretty, don’t hear that one around these parts much.”

The Cardinal growled a little and you shivered when you felt it against your back.  Something about Mary was putting him on edge and honestly you felt the same.  They reminded you of some of the men that would attend business meetings with your Father at home.  Men that seemed to say one thing but mean something else.  Men that usually had an ulterior motive for everything they said and did.  Mary was definitely hiding something and you knew that if you were picking up on it The Cardinal definitely was.

Which would probably explain all the squeezing and growling.

Why did he have to touch you so much?  You tried to scoot forward a little in the saddle so your back wasn’t resting against him but his arm kept you in place.  You grabbed at his hand and tried to pry his fingers off of you but they just dug in tighter and the sensation made you squeal and push back against him even more.  It was your turn to growl but all he did was chuckle lowly in your ear.

“Well aren’t you two lovebirds precious!”  You glared at Mary, but they just tipped their hat up and grinned at you.  “Shame I wasn’t invited to the wedding.”

“There wasn’t a wedding.”  The Cardinal’s mouth was still close to your ear and you absolutely refused to feel anything other than annoyance as his breath tickled your skin.  Mary whistled a little tune and ambled over to their horse, pulling themselves up onto the saddle with ease.  They adjusted their gun belt and coat then looked back over your way, you could see the teasing glint in their eyes and you prepared yourself for another stupid comment.

“Did you have her Daddy hot on your heels?  Probably didn’t take too kindly to his daughter falling for an outlaw.”  Mary threw a wink your way, but you just glared at them in return.

“Non sono affari tuoi, Goore.”  You could feel The Cardinal getting more and more tense against your back, it seemed less and less likely these two were friends.

“Yeah I suppose you’re right, it’s none of my business.”  Mary started patting their coat pockets and eventually reached inside their coat.  It was your turn to tense when the hand around your waist quickly moved to his revolver, but you both relaxed when Mary’s hand reappeared with a cigarette and a match rather than a weapon.

“What are you doing out here?”  The Cardinal had moved his hand off of his gun and brought it to rest at your waist once more.  You bit your lip to keep yourself from making a sound as he gave you a little squeeze.  It was embarrassing how the smallest of touches from him made you feel.  What was worse is Mary’s eyes seemed to pick up every little thing The Cardinal was doing to you and every little reaction you had to them.

“Oh you know, just wandering around.  Looking for the odd job.”  The Cardinal snorted behind you and skimmed his hand back across your stomach to hold you more firmly.  He pulled on the reins with his other hand and steered Brizio back towards the prairie with Mary following not far behind. 

“Last I heard you were in California, hard to believe you ran out of things to do out there.”  It was Mary’s turn to tense up and you might have missed it if you hadn't been around The Cardinal and his Ghouls the last week or so.  You had been getting good at picking up on their body language towards each other.  “Or did you run out of people to do?”

“Aww Cardinal, are you sayin’ I’m easy?”  The Cardinal snorted again and you felt him relax a bit when Mary laughed in return.  “Well you aren’t far from the truth, mostly I was just bored.  So I wandered a bit through Nevada, then Arizona.  Was making my way through New Mexico when lucky me, I ran into you.”

“Yes, how lucky.”  Now you snorted, because the deadpan voice The Cardinal used was one you hadn’t really heard from him before.  Regardless of Mary’s motivations at least they were bringing out some new aspects of your Cardinal.  No, not your Cardinal.  The Cardinal.  Where had that thought come from?

“But seriously, how’d you crazy kids meet?  No offense, Sweet Cheeks, but you’re not exactly dressed for traveling on horseback.”  You had made your way out of the woods and back into the prairie, but The Cardinal pulled up on the reins and stopped right at the edge.  Mary stopped their horse as well, close enough you could reach out and touch them.

“What does it matter to you, Goore?”  The Cardinal had tensed up again at your back, his arm around your waist tightening. 

“Oh it doesn’t really, but last time I saw you there was a different pretty girl in your lap.”  You flinched but you couldn’t say if it was at the thought of The Cardinal holding someone else like this or at the vicious sounding Italian word that he spit out at Mary.  Unfortunately Mary didn’t seem to get the hint they should shut up so they kept prattling on, “When was that, a few months ago?  Anyway, that girl you were kissing at The Ministry was a looker, you think she still works there?”

You clenched your teeth and prayed Mary would just shut up.  The Cardinal wasn’t yours and you should not be jealous hearing about him with other women.  Of course he had been with others!  What had Sunshine said?  The Cardinal had a type.  The cities out here were probably full of the women he normally went for.  Just another reason for you to get your head out of the clouds and stop dreaming about him.

Mary must have picked up on your souring mood because they didn’t say anything for a moment, The Cardinal was silent as well.  You wished that he would just start back for camp again, you needed to put some distance between him.  Having him hold you like this was making it hard to think.  

“You pregnant, Sweet Cheeks?”

“Excuse me?”  Your indignant question was nearly drowned out by The Cardinal’s sudden laughter.  You shoved your elbow back into his gut and he groaned before muttering ‘sorry’ into your ear.  

“What?  I’m just trying to figure out how he landed a girl like you.”  Mary put his cigarette out on the handle of one of his guns and flicked it out into the grass.  You decided you’d been silent long enough during this conversation and straightened up to answer them.

“For your information The Cardinal and his Ghouls rescued me from a group of outlaws that attacked my stagecoach back in Oklahoma.  They’ve agreed to take me to my original destination.”  A small smile appeared on your face when you felt The Cardinal’s hand give you a little squeeze.

“Well, isn't that kind of him?  Damn Cardinal, you’ve sure changed your ways since I last saw you.”  Mary turned to look at you both with a devious smirk on their face, “Did you find Jesus?”

In just a few seconds The Cardinal burst into action, letting you go and reaching over to grab Mary roughly at his shoulders.  You yelped and leaned over, clinging to Brizio’s neck to try and stay out of the way.  Mary was trying to fight back, but The Cardinal had taken them by surprise and pulled them roughly off of their horse.  You could hear Mary groaning as soon as they landed on the ground.

The Cardinal straightened back up behind you and slipped both of his hands around your waist to pull you back against him.  In the next moment he had gripped Brizio’s reins and spurred the horse into action, taking off back across the prairie towards camp.  When his arm went back around your waist you couldn’t help but hold onto it with your hands, but soon you had to bring one back up to cover your mouth.

Laughter had started to bubble out of you and it wasn’t long before The Cardinal joined in.  You assumed Mary would be getting up to follow you shortly and it wasn’t long before you could hear hoofbeats getting closer behind you.  The Cardinal didn’t seem concerned, he just continued to steer Brizio closer to camp.  You were curious as to how the Ghouls would react to Mary’s presence, hopefully they got along better with Mary than The Cardinal did.

Judging by Dewdrop’s shouting as you came back to camp you were wrong.

“What in the fuck are they doing here?”

“Aww I missed you too Dewdrop.”  Mountain held an arm out and stopped the smaller man from launching at Mary.  “Sunshine, my queen!  You’re looking as beautiful as ever!”

It was Aether that stopped Sunshine, Swiss stepping in to lend a hand when she was still able to make progress towards Mary.

“Mary won’t be staying long.  Sunshine!”  She had managed to shove Swiss away and pull one of her knives out but stopped after The Cardinal shouted at her.  Mary definitely wasn’t helping things, they had gotten off their horse and started blowing kisses Sunshine’s way.  She took a few steps towards them again but The Cardinal said something in Italian causing her to growl and spin away to stalk off towards the woods, Dewdrop hot on her heels.

You felt his hands squeeze your waist briefly before he swung off of Brizio.  He took a moment to watch Mary interact with Aether before turning and holding his hands up for you to take.  You tried to be elegant about it but there wasn’t much you could do with how big your skirts were.  He moved his hands to your waist and you settled yours on his shoulders as he practically lifted you off and onto the ground next to him.

For a moment it felt like you were both in your own little world, his hands were still gently holding you and he had you boxed in between him and Brizio.  You glanced around briefly but it seemed like everyone else was preoccupied with Mary’s arrival.  When he reached a hand up to tuck some of your hair back behind your ear you couldn’t help but let your eyes drift closed for a moment.

“That was quick thinking back there, Principessa,”  You opened your eyes to look up at him and he gave you a small smile.  “I’m impressed.”

You shrugged and looked back down to the ground, “It didn’t seem like you trusted them, so I figured I shouldn’t tell them the truth.”  

“Which is what?”  He brought a hand up to your chin and gently tilted your head back up so he could meet your gaze.

“That you’ve kidnapped me and you’re holding me for ransom.”  The Cardinal chuckled briefly before letting you go and taking a step back.

“Ah yes, that.”  You saw him flex his hand briefly and he glanced back towards camp for a moment before continuing, “Be careful around Mary.  Stay close.”

“So you and Mary aren’t friends.”  He chuckled again and shook his head.

“Mary would be friends with anyone for the right price.” 

“Aww Cardinal, that hurts my feelings.”  In an instant The Cardinal had grabbed your hand and yanked you behind him.  You couldn’t help but let out a small yelp as he tightly squeezed your hand in his.

“Satan’s dick, Goore.” He made a move towards Mary but they immediately held their hands up and walked back towards camp.  When Mary was out of earshot The Cardinal turned and started to let go of your hand, but he stopped when he saw you wince.  “Ah, Principessa.  Mi dispiace, are you ok?”

You nodded but couldn’t help but wince again when he brought your hand up and held it against his chest.  “It’s ok Cardinal, I’m fine.”  Your mouth fell open when he pulled your hand up further and placed a quick kiss on the back before dropping it and nodding his head towards camp.

“Bene, let’s go get some breakfast, eh?”  He turned and started making his way towards the others, but for a moment you were frozen in place.  The feeling of his lips against your skin was still there like a brand.  You looked down at your hand almost expecting to see a mark, but there was nothing.  A whistle made you look up to see him waiting for you with a familiar smirk on his face.

The bastard knew what he was doing.

Despite Mary’s presence, breakfast was relatively uneventful.  They made small talk with Aether and Swiss but most everyone else was quiet.  The Cardinal didn’t eat much and you couldn’t bring yourself to eat much either.  Having Mary here was making you more and more nervous as the morning stretched on.  Maybe The Cardinal was rubbing off on you, but it was a feeling you couldn’t shake.

It was obvious you weren’t the only ones who were suspicious of Mary’s motives.  Dewdrop and Sunshine had wandered back over but all they had done was glare at Mary.  Sunshine had dropped another knife into your lap and you gave her a soft smile before shoving it into your pocket with the other one.  You weren’t sure you’d be able to use them if the need arose, but if she felt like you needed them you weren’t going to say no.

As breakfast wound down Mary pulled out another cigarette and you couldn’t help but sigh.  How long were they planning on sticking around?  You hated how on edge everyone was and you couldn’t help but worry that Mary was here to take you to Saltarian.  It would be near impossible for them to take down The Cardinal and his Ghouls but you didn’t want to see anyone hurt.  Even Dewdrop had grown on you a little bit despite the fact that he still growled at you if you got too close to him.

“So Sweet Cheeks, where did you say you were headed again?”  

“She didn’t.”  Mary smiled around their cigarette at The Cardinal’s response, not even looking his way and keeping their eyes on you.

“Right, right.  Well I was just thinking that I could take her wherever she’s headed.  Save you all the hassle of babysitting.”

“That’s not going to happen, Goore.”  The Cardinal stood up and stalked over to Mary before continuing, “It’s time for you to go.”

“Ok, ok.  I can tell when I’m not wanted.”  Mary flicked their cigarette into the dying fire and stood up.  “Oh and just a warning, I’d be careful if you’re heading west.”

“Oh?  Why is that?”

“Ran across some of Saltarian’s goons setting up shop in an empty mining town about an hour from here.”  You and everyone else in the camp froze at Mary’s words.  It didn’t take long for The Cardinal to burst into action though, he closed the distance between him and Mary and clenched his fists in the front of Mary’s coat.

“Stronzo!  You didn’t think this was something you should’ve shared earlier?”  Mary laughed and that just enraged The Cardinal more.  Aether and Mountain rushed over to try and separate them, but everyone else had their hands on their weapons and were staying put.

“I didn’t think it mattered!  You were the one being cagey about where you were going.”  Mary stumbled backwards as The Cardinal shoved him away.  You watched as he stood there seething over what Mary had hidden from him.  What they had hidden from all of you.  When you looked down at your hands you found they were shaking.

Was this it?  Was this where you were to be rescued and taken on to Saltarian?  You clenched your fists and took a few deep breaths to try and stay calm.  This should be something you wanted, you should want to be rescued.  To find your way safely to your future husband and away from the hands of these outlaws.

You closed your eyes and took another steadying breath and then looked back over to The Cardinal.  He had turned away from Mary, leaving Aether and Mountain to keep an eye on them.  The Cardinal was looking right at you, his mismatched eyes capturing your gaze and you couldn’t bring yourself to look away.  All you could think about was how it felt when he touched you, how it felt when he had kissed your hand.  His gaze wasn’t wavering and you found yourself thinking of one more thing…

You didn’t want to go.             

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Copia had known they were heading into a trap.

It had been obvious and it pissed him off to no end.  Mary had a terrible poker face and Copia knew from the minute they had stumbled upon him in the woods it wasn’t an accident.  What Copia didn’t know yet was why Mary had led them into the trap to begin with.  It was too early for word of the ransom to get to Saltarian, to get to anyone really.  Rain and Mountain had hired someone to take the note directly to the bastard’s home in Nevada and there was no way they were there by now.

So what was Mary’s game here?  It wasn’t like them to come up with schemes like this on their own, the only thing that motivated Mary was money.  A lot of money.  Copia had spent most of the morning trying to sort out who might’ve been the one to hire Goore and whoever else had been waiting in this damned ghost town.  It wasn’t really something that mattered in the grand scheme of things, but focusing on it helped keep Copia’s mind off of you.

He shouldn’t have tried to kiss you.

He really had no excuse.  Or at least he was trying to convince himself he had no excuse.  Things had definitely felt different now that he knew you weren’t marrying Saltarian by choice.  Finding that out had motivated him to tell you of his own reasoning behind his actions.  Copia wasn’t one to open up about anything, to anyone.  Yet that night by the campfire found him telling you things he’d never shared with anyone before.       

There was just something about you he couldn’t shake.  Maybe it was how even when he knew you had been scared out of your mind you still didn’t back down.  How you hadn’t hesitated to come after him when his teasing had gone too far.  Or go after anyone else for that matter, Dewdrop was still whining about the bite you had given him.  But Copia had to be honest with himself and admit that from the moment he had met your eyes as he rode up on the stagecoach he had felt something.  

That feeling was coursing through his veins as the bullets hit the overturned wagon he was hiding behind.  He had to get out of here, he had to get his friends out of here.  Copia refused to be taken out in this shit hole because of whatever dumb fucking deal Mary had made.  He was so close to finishing what he had started years ago.  To what Saltarian had started.  This wasn’t going to be how things ended for him.

Copia looked back towards the road they came in on when he heard hoofbeats racing off and was met with the sight of Mary heading back the way they came.  Copia growled and took a moment to collect himself.  He thought back to his days in the abbey, to his days when he was an actual Cardinal.  A prayer to Lucifer started to fall from his lips as he reloaded his guns with the last of his bullets and he took a steadying breath.  He wasn’t going to let Mary take you.

He wasn’t going to let you go.

Go to Chapter 5: Copia

If you'd like to be added/removed from the tag list (or if I accidentally left your name off) of this fic or any of my others please leave a comment or send me a dm! Thank you 💙

My Masterlist ~ My Archive of our Own ~ My Ko-Fi Tip Jar

#my fics #my writing #the cardinal's bride #cowboy copia #Cardinal copia x female reader #copia x female reader #cardinal copia fanfiction #copia fanfiction #the band ghost fanfiction #ghost fanfiction #cardinal copia #copia

[leviabeat]

The story of Volbeat’s Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies album

By Dave Everley | Metal Hammer | June 2013

Full Article ⬇️

Born from the ashes of death metal band Dominus, Volbeat’s mix of metal and rock’n’roll caught the attention of the world – and Metallica frontman James Hetfield in particular. As the Danes geared up to release their fifth album, Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies, in 2013, mainman Michael Poulsen told Hammer about the personal loss that drove the band.

Michael Poulsen has a tattoo on the back of his hand that reads ‘Little E’. It’s one of countless pieces of ink on a body that’s no stranger to the tattooist’s needle, and like all the other designs that adorn every square inch of visible flesh below the Volbeat frontman’s neckline, there’s a story behind it.

“We were on tour with Metallica, and one day James Hetfield comes in our dressing room looking for me,” he says. “He said, ‘Where’s Little E?’ Our drummer, Jon, went, ‘Who’s Little E?’ And James said, ‘Little E. Little Elvis, man’.”

Up until this point, Michael had been engrossed in a film on his laptop, headphones on, oblivious to the fact that the Metallica frontman was hunting for him. The next thing he knew, Hetfield was looming over him, brandishing a gift for the singer of his new favourite band.

“He’d bought a painting of Elvis and written on the back, ‘To Little E, here’s Big E, with love and respect, James Hetfield.’ That was a really cool gift. So when I came home, I got ‘Little E’ tattooed here. Why not? That’s what tattoos are about: stories. I want something to remember.”

That he says this with no small degree of pride shouldn’t come as a surprise. His band have spent 12 years carving out a place for themselves as the missing link between Elvis Presley and Metallica, channeling the outlaw spirits of both of those iconic acts into a gas-guzzling noise that distills metal, rockabilly, country and western and shit-kicking rock’n’roll.

The hard work has paid off. Their record label are expecting the album to go straight to No.1 in Denmark, while a series of electrifying live shows and festival appearances have sent their profile skyrocketing in Britain and America. The patronage of the world’s biggest metal band hasn’t done them any harm, either.

“It was inspiring to see how Metallica worked,” says Michael. “I had Metallica posters in room as a kid, even before I had my first guitar. And then, years later, you’re on the road with them. I had to ask myself, ‘Is this real?’”

You can read plenty about Volbeat in the title of their fifth album, Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies. It’s a phrase that evokes another time altogether, an era when elegant lawbreakers were the rock stars of the day. It’s a celebration of the bad men (and women) of the Old West and the old-school metal bands who influenced the young Michael Poulsen to form his first band, Dominus, back in the early 90s.

Today, sitting in his management’s office on one of Copenhagen’s main drags, the frontman looks every inch the rebel: greased back black hair, black T-shirt, black jeans, black shoes. His speaking voice is low and quiet, a world away from the wolverine howl of his singing voice.

“I’d just isolate myself in my living room, in total darkness,” he says of the writing process for the new album. “I’d watch a lot of Italian spaghetti westerns – Once Upon A Time In The West, those kind of films. Sometimes it’s just about the right feeling – the scenery, the lines, the dusty look. I have my own soundtrack when I see those kind of pictures.”

These cinematic influences paid off. Volbeat’s new album is as vivid and colourful as the tattoos on their singer’s arms. A parade of characters march through its songs, some real, some fictional, some supernatural. The galloping Pearl Hart is the tale of a real-life 19th century stagecoach robber; The Nameless One sets Tarot cards, time travel and a sinister, cane-carrying antagonist to an steel-plated backdrop; Doc Holiday celebrates one of the more marginal characters of the Wild West, lacing its old school metal groove with some nifty banjos.

The most personal track on the album, Dead But Rising, takes a very real figure as its starting point and turns it into something more spiritual. Jørn Poulsen, Michael’s father, was an amateur boxer and a fan of Elvis Presley, and he passed a love of both onto his son. When he died four years ago, his son promised to make a pilgrimage to Elvis’s home, Graceland, in his memory.

“I was driving to Mississippi, where Elvis was born, when the navigation in the rental car just went out,” says Michael. “Then I noticed an eagle that had been following the car for a while. I said, ‘What is it with that eagle? Is my father trying to tell me something?’ I got emotional about it and I decided to follow the eagle. And that’s what Dead But Rising is all about – it’s about me, today, trying to reach out for that eagle. I said, ‘When I come home, I’m gonna get that eagle tattooed on my hand as a memory.”

He nods to another pair of tattoos on his hands: one is an eagle, the other is his dad’s name. “My dad had this eagle tattooed across his chest,” he says with quiet pride.

Like everything on the album, there’s a clarity and muscle to the track. This is in part down to new recruit Rob Caggiano, who co-produced the album with longtime Volbeat associate Jacob Hansen. Until very recently, Caggiano was a member of Anthrax. Then, in January, it was announced that he was quitting the thrash titans. His reasons were vague, though he admitted that “Anthrax was never a creative outlet for me.” A month later, he announced that he would be parlaying his production gig with Volbeat into a full time job as guitarist.

Today, Rob's cautious when it comes to the subject of his old band versus his new one. “There’s been a bit of a misconception,” he says. “When I put out the press release about leaving Anthrax, it wasn’t really about me wanting to stop touring. I thought it’d take a little time to figure out my next move as a guitar player, and that the producing thing would be the perfect way to bridge that gap. A lot of people read into that the wrong way.”

Is Volbeat a permanent thing?

“Yes,” he says, no hesitation.

It’s ironic that a man who left an outfit he claims he felt “stifled” in Anthrax ended up joining Volbeat. Without actually saying it, Michael Poulsen makes it clear that he’s the boss of this band. “I write all the material,” he says firmly at one point, while bassist Anders Kjølholm and drummer Jon Larsen are noticeable by their absence today. But then every band needs its leader, and Poulsen is Volbeat’s James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich rolled into one.

You have to admire his ambition and his will to succeed. Denmark is hardly a hotbed of metal: aside from Lars Ulrich, the only other artists of note to emerge from this small, damp but utterly charming country were Mercyful Fate and their sometime leader King Diamond. Indeed the latter even crops up on one track, the characteristically theatrical Room 24, a song based on an experience Michael had when he awoke in a hotel room in the middle of the night to find himself unable to move and feeling like someone – or something – was sitting on his chest, the latter presence voiced by the King himself.

“Michael is a fan of Mercyful Fate – he even has a Mercyful Fate tattoo,” says King, speaking from his home in Dallas. “I met him a couple of years ago, and we became very good friends very quickly. He approached me to sing on the track, and said, ‘It would be super cool if you were interested.’ I don’t really do that for anyone any more, my voice is very difficult to handle for other people. Michael’s very Danish, like I am – does things his way.”

The presence of King Diamond tells you as much about where Michael Poulsen is coming from as all the quiffs and Elvis tattoos. For all their retro stylings, they’ve got a metal heart – the frontman started his musical career as a teenager in the death metal band Dominus, who released four albums during the 90s, the third of which was titled Vol.Beat (a portmanteau of the words ‘Volume’ and ‘Beat’). Michael still cites Slayer as a major inspiration, alongside Mercyful Fate and, of course, their unofficial mentors in Metallica.

“When I was growing up, my dad and mum played a lot of old records – Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry,” says Michael. “I love that stuff – it’s a drug somehow. My own record collection growing up was metal. But I listen to a lot of different styles of music. If something moves you, I don’t care what it is.”

Elvis Presley, and James Hetfield, would be proud.

Originally published in Metal Hammer issue 244

#volbeat #michael poulsen #volbeat interview #metal hammer #metal hammer article #Lil'Ee story #metallica story #Michael's writing process #outlaw gentlemen & shady ladies #Jørn Poulsen #graceland story #dead but rising #rob caggiano #leaving anthrax #king diamond story #room 24