Slingin' from the hip, never the heart. | Open Post

Raylan's job took him everywhere, from Harlan to Los Angeles to Paris. The Marshals service was demanding but Raylan leaned into the work, traveling as needed to get to get his man.
[Use this post to start threads or PSL'S!]
no subject
Then she says Boyd, and Athena perks up like a dog who just heard the word “walk.”
“Boyd!” She looks up at Raylan from where she stands half-behind him. “That’s your guy. This is a good thing, right? I mean, like, in a… marshaly way.”
That’s about when she remembers Raylan asked the very important question of are you safe. Right.
no subject
Boyd. Raylan's quirked lips turned to a half pursed pull of them. Athena was far too excited about it all - he wasn't supposed to be working, he was supposed to be making sure she was able to get her shit together after Mathis's games.
But that was a pipe dream from the start, here in Harlan.
"Yeah. He doesn't .. suspect I might tell you." Ava's eyes dropped back to Athena for a moment, sympathetically. God had they all ever been that young, really? But any country wisdom that Ava might have had to offer, she kept to herself. It was clear she had about a million questions about why Raylan had a young girl with him, but everyone knew Raylan was, generally speaking, the safest person to be with.
"Keep it that way." Raylan wasn't interested in answering any of the questions he saw waiting for him. "This gonna happen soon?"
"In a week or so, I think."
"Find out, if you can."
"You.. need me to come by the house?" Her eyes darted to Athena again.
no subject
At Ava's last question though, Athena outright scowled. "Are you afraid he's going to kill me with undercooked baked beans or do you think I'm too helpless to fend for myself? I'm guessing it's one or the other."
no subject
"No darlin'," she said warmly with a lift of her eyebrows. "I think Raylan doesn't know the first goddamned thing about girls." The look she gave back to Raylan was 'trust me, I know.'
"I better get back in," she continued, wiping her hands on her dress. "I'll call you when I got somethin' more." She looked back at Athena. "Pleasure to meet you."
no subject
She's not sure what Ava's relationship with Boyd is, but if she's informing on him to Raylan, it can't be great.
no subject
Let her think what she would. It tended to work out better for him in the long run.
Ava glanced back in acknowledgement before shutting the door behind the screen door and leaving them alone in the alleyway.
"She killed her first husband ya know. For beatin' her. Shot him right at the dinner table.." Raylan took a deep breath in. "Shit I'm hungry. C'mon songbird, let's get something in our stomachs."
no subject
"Good for her." No sarcasm whatsoever. But then she grins up at Raylan. "That was a weird transition. But yeah me too."
no subject
Twenty minutes later, they were sat at a table and having hot food set in front of them.
"Told you there's no taking this stuff away in styrofoam. It'd be an offense." The man was serious about his biscuits and gravy.
no subject
"Man, I'm fine having it now." She is a biscuits and gravy virgin, but as the food gets set out she can very easily see herself becoming an adherent. "I never got to have it. Your fried chicken. You have to make some for me."
no subject
He lifted his eyebrows as he cleared his mouth, pinching them down as he thought about it. "Shit. You didn't, did you. Well," he continued, clearing his mouth with a cup of coffee. "We're gonna have to fix that. Just lemme know the day before you want it. Chicken's gotta wet brine."
He cut another bite. "I'm glad to see you eatin'. It took me a few days to find any appetite myself. Everything tasted too.. Unreal. Luxurious." Like a trap, if he were honest.
The Trust of his environment was something that was still a Work in Progress, but those first few days had been Raw.
YELLS I THOUGHT I REPLIED TO THIS
OHNOOOOOO /hoards
It was touching that she still wanted to try his food. It was the most basic thing he could provide beyond physical security and her enthusiasm made him feel down right domestic about it. It was a nice thought to think that things might be this way between him and Willa. Or him and Loretta, really.
"Corbin doesn't have a lot in the way of clothing department stores so it's just the second hand shop, but always seemed like they kept decent stuff. No holes or anything." Yes, Fashion icon, Raylan Givens has shared his opinion. He knew it was a little ridiculous, but he didn't know what a Teenage girl would be interested or okay with. No holes seemed to be a decent enough bar to him.
no subject
no subject
He didn't mind a little light fun poking at himself.
no subject
The selection at the thrift store they go to is even more questionable than Athena expected, but she doesn't let that show. Just picks things that are practical, versatile, and on the low end of the cost spectrum. Socks and underwear have to come new, but a plastic package of Hanes isn't something she's going to complain about.
By the time all that is done, Athena feels weirdly tired. Maybe it's the newness of this place, maybe it's the existence of people in it, maybe it's the fact that she's had to practically swallow her tongue a few times to keep from casually swearing in front of a tiny old lady who could probably shoot her. No matter what it is, when she drops into the passenger side of Raylan's car after the errands are finished, she lets herself deflate there for a moment before trying to put her head on straight.
no subject
"Next time underclothes needs to happen, I'm handin' you a fifty and waitin' in the car." Giving her a fond crook of his smile, Raylan headed them back onto the road. They would only talk if she wanted to on the drive and he'd long given her the radio as long as she didn't put anything Pop on but no matter how they wile those few hours, when they pulled up to the Given's house, there was a beaten, rust bitten blue truck waiting.
Raylan frowns sharply at the car and glances over at Athena. "Stay here," he says, sliding out of his open door, gun already out of his holster and in his hand. Whether she obeys him or not, he keeps pace up to the front door which has been left wide open, giving them a clear view of the back of Boyd Crowder, all waistcoat and dark jeans. Raylan clucks a sigh and lowers his gun with a look back to wherever Athena was.
no subject
He says stay and she gives him a withering look, popping out of her seatbelt and the car in his wake. The fact that he’s got his gun in hand makes her queasy with nerves and they much more determined to stay close, but she does at least stay a little behind and out of the way. She’s not getting between Raylan’s gun and whoever might deserve it.
Except Raylan sighs and lowers the weapon, which for some reason makes her even more irritated at whoeverthefuck decided to let themselves in to Raylan’s house.
“Hey fuckwad, you’re letting the bugs in. I mean the tiny ones, since you look like you’re making yourself comfortable.”
no subject
The 'bug', turned around and showed his face, all bright teeth and spikey hair, looking for all the world like he had been delivered the greatest gift God could provide.
"Well little lady, I'll admit I do find this house very comfortable. I'd give my regards to the good lady that decorated it-"
"Don't." Raylan's voice was heavy and sharp, thick with a promise that Boyd ceded to almost immediately with a broadening of his hands.
"But I was expected to show up now and then. Since your daddy is in lockup. He asked me to.. come by, check on the house every once and a while. I see you've got company though, and I must admit Raylan, I think she's a little young for good taste."
no subject
She takes a step forward, even with Raylan now instead of behind. She’s desperately curious about the history behind what that guy said about Helen and Raylan’s response to it—but she realizes with an odd jolt that Helen isn’t there and Raylan hasn’t mentioned her living somewhere else.
That also says more than she likes.
“You’ve done your due diligence, sharkface. Fuck off.”
no subject
Raylan just lifts his eyebrows a little. "Those hands of yours drift anywhere that ain't wide and empty and we won't have to get feisty."
Boyd just chuckles and ambles forward a few crooked steps that somehow saw him walking straight.
"No offense, but my tastes are, in fact, a little more refined? Then that-" Boyd continues, hands dropping to hook his thumbs in his pockets. It was the opposite of what Raylan had said but the men knew themselves well enough to know it was basically the same thing. The message was 'Don't reach for a gun'. "-And I would surely like to, as you so eloquently stated, 'fuck off' but since my friend here standin' beside you has somethin' he should probably hear, I'm gonna haveta politely decline. If you feel like callin' off your new attack pup, Raylan?"
Raylan, as evident by the shift of his weight, did not feel like doing any such thing.
no subject
The screen door swings forward and hits Boyd in the face.
no subject
Boyd had no idea it was coming. His eyes widen for the half second it takes the door to be slammed into his face. Immediately, he was grateful as hell that it was the screen door and not the actual door. It didn't hurt, but it did confuse the ever living sense out of him.
"What the hell?!" He stumbled back a few feet and stared at Athena like she'd grown a third head.
Athena might have missed it, but Raylan saw the shift in Boyd's shoulders and in a blink, his gun was out of his holster.
"Better not."
Boyd froze for a half second, hand lowering back down.
"What the hell is she, Raylan?"
"A very talented teenager who I'm happy to continue to let humiliate you if you don't do as she asks."
"Y'all know that this is the front door, right?"
no subject
Which is when it clicks for her who this has to be.
"Holy fuck, you're the guy." Her voice comes out tiny. She clears her throat, straightens up a little, very clearly trying to steel herself in that particular way that teenagers think is subtle and definitely isn't.
She still stays behind Raylan this time.
no subject
"The guy?" Boyd asks, completely confused.
Raylan shifts his weight to the side to cover Athena as she postures, unconsciously trying to protect her from her proceived threat.
"Meet Boyd Crowder. Fastest talkin' crime lord in Harlan these days. He's not gonna hurt you. Not in front of me."
no subject
"Crowder is a stupid last name," is what she says.
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
Wanna take a stab at writing some Boyd?
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)