Advent Of A Gunslinger

“Alrighty, Ax. Food’s ready,” the faun lady called out from the dining room area near the kitchen.

Axel walked over and found a plate of crispy, fried chicken wings neatly ordered on a plate alongside a set of celery sticks with carrot sticks placed within the celery’s u-shape that were stacked in a pyramid. Lastly, there was a small glass container of ranch dressing next to the plate alongside a mug of apple cider. It read as a dish that a grandmother would put a lot of heart into for her grandkids.

But the fact that an herbivore such as her would know how to prepare meat sent Axel for a loop. “...What in blue blazes…?”

Martha had made a similar meal for herself--albeit with fried tree bark instead of chicken.

“...Thank you, ma’am,” he said as he took his seat in front of his plate, and looked over in her direction.

The elder faun had gotten up to the table, and prepared to eat also.

“I gotta ask…” he continued, “Just how do ya--”

She cut him off with her reply as she idly nibbled on a carrot stick. “Know how to cook chicken? Boy, let me tell you something--when I was younger, I had’ta deal with all sorts’a types. Helps when you know how to make certain things.”

Axel had already finished one of the wings, and set the bones on the other end of his plate. “Certain things…? Wait a sec--just what sorta types did you be dealin’ with, ma’am?”

“Well for starters--I’m sure you saw those old tabloids on my living room table, yeah?”

“That I did,” he replied a nod, “Just why do ya keep ‘em out there in the open anyhow?”

Martha had finished her carrot stick, and stabbed a piece of the fried bark with a fork. “As a reminder of my past. And what I had to do to get to where I am now. Anyway--I’ve had bosses and coworkers who were dragons and hippogriffs in the past. Which is where my culinary knowledge of poultry stems from.”

“Impressive as heck! But bein’ honest, I kinda wanna know more about what she used to do…but how do I ask?”

In order to engage in a conversation, one had to consider that it was a two-way street. Just as Clarabelle showed him earlier that day, it was important to approach others. So that’s exactly what he did.

“Hrm…Ms. Martha?”

The faun lady would take a sip from a steaming coffee cup, then answer. “Yeah?”

“Just...what exactly didja do in your youth?”

“...I worked as a model,” she replied, then gave a slow chuckle, “Is what I was always told to say. In reality, I worked in pornography. I posed for cameras and audiences in between spreading my legs and mouth for the biggest guy they hired.” She sighed, and sat back in her seat. “Ah...those days…”

Axel wasn’t one to judge anyone for their past or profession. However he was still a bit curious. Just what made her get into the field? Did she enjoy it or not? What made her settle down and become a madam? The gunslinger was at a loss how to ask these questions due to how rude they sounded in his head.

“...Huh,” was all he could say in response. It took him a minute to come up with something better to say. “...If ya don’t mind me askin’...”

As if she could read his mind, Martha was already a step ahead of him. “You wanna know how I got into all this, huh?” she said with a knowing grin on her face, “I can tell yer curious, so I’ll throw ya a bone. Long story short, I got into it because I figured it would be a good side gig since I wasn’t makin’ much as a travelling saleswoman. Was pretty fun for a while too. Until…”

By that point, Axel had pretty much finished everything that was on his plate. Only then, after cleaning his claws with a napkin, did he reach for his mug of cider. “Until…?” he asked before taking a sip from the frothy mug.

“What else? I found myself not enjoying it anymore,” she went on, “Just wasn’t very exciting and I kind of wanted out of the gig.”

Axel put the mug down. “So wait...why didn’t you just quit?”

“Bah. As if it were that easy--I was raking in the most amount of money for that stupid boss of mine.” Her eyes became weak as she looked down at her plate. “...I’ll explain the rest after dinner, alright? There’s something you need to know.” “He’s got a right to the truth. I owe the boy that much.”

“Oh...alright,” Axel agreed to her terms.

Once they had finished eating and cleaned up, Martha invited Axel to sit on the couch and take a look at the magazines with her.

“Alrighty…” she said as she took a seat on the couch with a smoking pipe in hand now. “Now where was I, sonny?”

“In reference to your job,” Axel said as he sat down next to her on the couch, “Why exactly weren’t ya able to quit? And to add to that: How didja end up in possession of a bordello?”

“Ah, that’s right.” With the pipe in her right hand, she grabbed the first magazine with her left. Martha was much taller back then, posing in a swimsuit with her arms above her head. “Couldn’t quit ‘cuz my boss--some catty asshole threatened me to stick around. I was young, dumb, and raked in bits and jewels left and right so I thought nothin’ of it at the time.” She tossed the magazine back on the coffee table. “...It wasn’t long before I realized that I was depressed.”

“...Depressed?” Axel repeated, with a shaky, uncertain tone, “...Like you wanted’ta end it all?”

Martha sighed, and took a breath from her pipe. “...Somethin’ like that, sonny. I showed up, smiled for the photographers and did the dirty deeds with all the men I could handle. And as soon as I walked off that set, I felt...empty. Like I was just a husk--a ghost. Programmed to serve my boss.” She turned her head to look him in the eye. “I ain’t gon’ lie, son. I did contemplate offin’ myself in some way...but I was convinced not to.”

That put Axel at ease. Depression was a fickle thing that was often difficult to treat, so he was relieved at the fact that someone managed to help her through it.

“Well that’s nice to hear,” he stated with a more relaxed tone, “Who was the one who helped ya through it?”

“Your ma and pa,” Martha replied, smiling fondly as she thought about his parents, “See--one day, I wanted’ta purchase myself a weapon from him for self-defense. I went over the usual arms-carrying laws with him, and when he asked about why I wanted it, I explained myself…”

Axel’s wings unfurled and his pupils shrank. “She knew both ma and pa?! What?!” Another barrage of questions started to sift their way through his mind. To the point where he froze up entirely for a moment. “...”

Martha had to clear her throat, and snapped her fingers in front of his face to get his attention. “Ahem! I’m talkin’ta you, boy.”

The faun’s voice managed to reach him, and he blinked, snapping out of his stupor. “...Sorry. I was just overwhelmed fer a sec there. Alright, so...what’d they say to ya?”

“The details are fuzzy,” she went on, “But I remember your ma telling me that I should be willing’ta stand up for myself. And your pa allowed me to purchased one of his special Personal Defense weapons, telling me to use it for my own safety and suggested I find a career that makes me happy rather than miserable.”

“...So this must’a been before I was born,” Axel noted her words and deciphered the events in his head, “And before pa gave up that business to settle down with ma. But I’m glad this lady was able to power through her problems.”

“...Wow,” he uttered wistfully, “What they said must’ve really hit ya deep, seein’ as you’re still standin’ here today, ma’am.” He had a small smile on his face as a result, genuinely happy for her. “I’m proud of ya. Really.”

The older faun lady didn’t know how to respond at first. After a moment of silence, she simply said, “...Thanks, Ax,” in response. She then got up from the couch, and removed the cushion she sat on to reveal a suitcase. “In fact, I still have the weapon I purchased from Mr. Remington. Wanna see?”

“Yes ma’am,” Axel replied swiftly. Any chance to see more of his father’s work in the wild was always going to be met with enthusiasm.

“Eager beaver, ain’tcha?” Martha commented with a chuckle, noting his excitement. She opened the suitcase to reveal a revolver that sat neatly on its side with around 30 shotgun shells next to it. “Here it is. I believe it’s called the T--”

“...Taurus Executioner,” Axel interrupted her as soon as he saw the ‘R’ insignia on its handle.

Taken aback by how quickly he recognized the weapon, Martha’s response was delayed. “...Huh. Exactly right,” she commented with an impressed nod, “You know your stuff, don’t you?”

“Of course--but beyond that,” he turned his attention to the faun woman, “I’m super glad that my ma and pa could help you through your pain.”

Martha shut the suitcase, put the cushion back on top, and sat upon the couch next to Axel once more. She then took another puff from her pipe. “Mm...I’m glad too. That mare and that stallion-bird were good people.They didn’t deserve what happened to them.”

“They didn’t...I’m sorry for your loss, Axel,” she paused and looked down at the floor with a long, depressive frown.

“Thank you but...You okay, ma’am?”

The faun cleared her throat and continued. “Yeah, yeah...now where was I?”

“...How did you end up as a madam?”