low–down criminal

♰ introduction. maria and or mari she / her ; aromantic / aceflux(?). minor. rdr2 lover && gta 5 larper. spiritual gangster. mj lover && lana stan. stereotypical sag moon. amrev && american history geek. yellowjackets watcher. michael de santa variant. reality shifter. dni : racists , homophobes , transphobes / terfs , radqueers , right - wingers , misogynists , conservatives , maga supporters , antishifters , any && all bigotry.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ maria l. stewerts && mary kurtis.

ㅤㅤㅤ old best – friends to one – sided enemies. cocky && arrogant x annoyed . trikey variant . two middle – aged women . shared history . silver && gold . ol' gambling partners . ' you missed me , really . ' ' the hell i did ! ' aro / unlabeled 4 bi . brunette x blonde . powerful woman x the only one who can disrespect her ( and get away with it ) .

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤmarch 17th , 1887.

from the outside where maria stood, the bar smelt faintly of cigar ashes, && some sort've fancy liquor. brandy, perhaps? there was nothing but the almost–black sky & faint orange lightning surrounding the place, aswell as a couple've benches that had no true significance, as they we're no different than the ones that we're already scattered around the city itself. there was also the quiet, yet unmistakable, sound of a train off in the distance, aswell as the sound of laughter and talking below her feet. it had only been a few years since maria had left her home down south; though, before this, she had never truly left, having stayed in her state, she simply just drifted from one relatives house to another, saving up just enough cash to get out of there comfortably. admittedly, she wasn't too proud of the strategy, but now — it had all paid off. the young lady had finally found herself up east, right in the northern heart of the bustling city of new york. now, it was a little scary, of course, more–so intimidating, but maria knew it's what she had to do. the last thing she wanted was to stay in that home, with that mother of hers, hell — that city, that state, for the rest of her life. maria was found standing outside of an underground bar, likely filled with either drunken bastards, or better yet, possibly important, powerful, individuals. she saw a couple of cops nearby, perhaps corrupt ones? bribed for a nice sum of cash to stand guard, && lie for whomever may be present in that basement? which — i suppose, wouldn't just be for some drunkards, huh?

she ain't too sure why she's sticking around this bar, just standing outside the place like she's guarding it herself, so she decides to make her position a little less awkward, and light herself a cigarette. although, she notices how the air is getting colder && colder, now having the ability to see both the smoke, and her breath fogging up the air in front of her, and finally considers just heading home — well, not home, exactly, but the little room she's renting at the hotel right across the street. what she doesn't notice, however, is how unbelievably lost in thought she is, until she feels a firm shake on her left shoulder; immediately, she turns around, instinctively reaching for a pistol that ... wasn't there? she looks at the woman who's now in front of her, seeing her instantly raise her hands, one of them holding the almost laughably small pistol in it. the lady had dark brown, just above the shoulder – length curls, && was seen wearing an overcoat, && a long skirt, the dim color(s) indistinguishable in the relativley dark setting. it made sense to why she was dressed in vaguely winter attire, considering it is still rather cold around this time in the city, and still technically winter, after all; though, it is much colder than it was back in maria's home state. despite that, she most certainly wasn't complaining. the lady backed away slightly, claiming to not mean any harm, && just had came tell her she saw the pistol shining off the ground, right near maria, and simply came to ask if it was her's, since she was just about the only person sticking around outside of here, other than the cops, of course. relieved, maria let out a huffed – laugh, clearly a bit embarrassed, and smiled, thanking the woman kindly, somehow not making it awkward, and began to explain how she had just moved here from down south, and was still a bit skittish, && unfamiliar with the place. the lady handed her the pistol, and laughed it off herself, and just like that — the two ladies seemed to hit it off right off the bat, maria introducing herself, && beginning to converse a bit, sitting on the bench just right outside of the bar, before the woman led her inside, claiming she 'knew the place, and was headed there before we spoke'. as they went in, the lady then kindly introduced herself as ms. mary kurtis.

that little casino – bar they met outside of would then become the same place that maria stewerts && ms. kurtis would spend many of their evenings. in private, mary would show her the ropes, the little tricks and cheats at poker && blackjack, to guarantee, or atleast encourage a nice, hearty win. although, it did take maria a little while to catch on. now of course, maria had played cards && poker for just about her whole life, whether it be w/ her family, or old friends back home, but despite all of this, she still found herself a bit uncertain in her abilities, usually just watching ms. kurtis, && the other players from the bar. she grossly envied the individuals around her, seeing their gold, && diamonds, and status, and visible wealth, aswell as the confidence that oozed from the men and women around her, no matter if they're at the tables, or the bars. after the life that she's had, there was nothing in the world she wanted more than to be just like them. she wanted the money, along with the generous amount of skill they clearly had. she watched, and watched, and watched — until she was finally ready to play against them. she had a little chunk of cash that she still had leftover from moving here, at first, her plan was to just keep renting that hotel room, && finding herself a job and saving up until she had enough to get a little place of her own, but ms. kurtis kindly let her stay with her instead, and with a little encouragement, she decided to finally gamble it off, having nothing to lose; 'cept for about 15 dollars, of course.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤjune 14th , 1892.

a little over 5 years later, and maria has found herself in a much different, & much better position than she was back then. mary && her had moved around the country a couple've times now, usually following wherever is hot, & bustling in the gambling scene. they had gone from new york, to chicago, even back down into the southside, which didn't last too very long, after maria had a run–in with an old family member. and now, they had finally found themselves out west. maria has a small reputation now, known for her slightly cocky — but charming, concealed nature, her observance, her genuine love for the game, and of course, her hard–earned skill. mary, on the other hand, was truly starting to consider settling down. a couple've months after moving out west, she had found herself a man that she planned on marrying. her being 31, and maria almost being 30, she almost felt that it was time they both went ahead and settled down a bit. besides, she had been in the business years longer than maria had. now, maria on the other hand, couldn't disagree more. she felt more like she was just getting started, going out every night, like it was nothing. she didn't nessacarily mind mary wanting a different life, but she knew that if she was really gonna go through with this, && get married, and hell — maybe even have kids of her own, she knew she couldn't just stay with them. even if mary said she wouldn't mind it, she knew that nobody would take kindly to that. after all, mary's 'soon–to–be' husband didnt like her all that much anyway, and the feeling certainly was mutual. the night of their wedding, maria said her congrats, && goodbyes, and finally decided to go ahead, && go off on her own. her and mary kept in contact as much as they could, until they slowly drifted apart, due to their now, much different lifestyles; && mary with her husband.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤmarch 14th , 1899.

it's almost the 12–year anniversary since maria first got into the gambling business, and ever since she's been on her own, without mary, she's been a whole different type of woman. cocky, arrogant, grandiose, but still charming enough to not be seen as downright evil — right? wrong. by quite a few, she is seen as just that, thanks to the things she call her 'charisma && charm' alone. however, she has made quite a name for herself in the gambling scene, just like she'd always wanted, having been in it for over a decade now. nowadays, she's seen in not very impressive outfits, though, when you take a closer look, you can see shes decorated in lots of gold, having atleast two gold teeth, customized golden guns && knives that costed god knows what, && even golden spurs. it doesn't take a genius to know what type of woman she is off the bat; 'charismatic', conceited, && unbelievably full of herself. after all these years, maria has finally embraced the gambling sharp lifestyle, finding herself time && time again, participating in the same debauchery with the same sort of people she envied all those years ago. though, these days, despite what some folks may say, she doesn't go as often as you'd think, typically going to the parlor only when she needs money rather than every single night, probably just so they can't say she's greedy, huh? well, if theres one thing maria knows, it's that they're gonna say that anyway; they've got the right to. one day, around 5 pm, she had just gotten off her new job down at the doctor's office; just a little day job, she only got it cause she didn't wanna seem too suspicious, after that little run–in with the law she had, not too long ago. after all, she hasn't been in this town, valentine, for too long, and she most certainly doesn't wanna tarnish her reputation, just yet. as she walked into the parlor, maria saw a face she'd never thought she'd see again. 'mary goddamn kurtis'. she looked different, older, they both did. her once shoulder–length hair now cut short. the two women are both well into their thirties now, && it had been atleast 7 years since she last even saw that face, but she could recognize it in less than a heartbeat. though, the look on mary's face was that all but happy to see her, wearing a visible scowl, while maria on the other hand was grinning ear–to–ear, like a damn fool. still unknowing, albeit unquestioning, to how mary even found her here, or got away from that nagging, do–gooder husband of her's for half a minute, mary walks up to maria, grabbing her by the sleeve of her white button–up blouse, and dragging her out of the parlor silently.

once they're out of the parlor, mary drags maria to the back of the building, and before maria could even begin to ask her how the hell she even found her here, mary swiftly pulled out a small pocket knife and held it to her throat, holding her against the cold, hard brick wall. genuinley surprised, maria's eyes widen a bit, though her smile doesn't falter, only growing. mary begins to ask her one simple question, " what the hell have you been gettin' yourself into for the past 7 years, maria stewerts? " maria stutters for a moment, a small huff leaving her lips, but she then begins to mutter, " ain't been doin' nothin' different from when we we're back in the city, mary. " mary's hold on the knife grows stronger, pressing it slightly deeper into her neck. " bullshit! i've heard all about what you've been doin', you no–good, arrogant son of a bitch. " mary has more than a right to be angry, maria truly has been nothing more than a self – admitted criminal degenerate for the past 7 years. after a little more back–and–forth, defiance, && petty arguing, mary pulls the knife away, slipping it back into her pocket with a sigh, though the hatred–filled look in her eyes stayed on the blonde–haired woman. relieved, and honestly a bit entertained, maria laughs, and begins to say, " well, i see you've finally gotten a lil' edge to ya', mary! "

is your hair still the best in the west?

great question!! i'd say i def get along best with sean (he's like a son to me no joke) cause me && him have v similar personalities && senses of humor— i also get along really well w/ dutch && hosea, and karen aswell— and the least would probably be strauss(?) maybe?? since i really don't have a relationship w him, like we dont talk at all lmao ...

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤas a child, maria never understood the world around her. not in a way that she was unaware, or 'dumb', but simply angry, & confused. in her mind, she would stay attempting to logicalize every single injustice, trying to make understanding of the countless instances she had faced. whether it be her mother's blame inevitably falling on her for her families wrongdoings, or her father's reoccuring ignorance in her views on life, she always felt as if she knew more than others, as if she understood the world in a way nobody else seemed to. she constantly found herself feeling like she was the only one with both a life and a mind of her own, both living & thinking for herself, and not for somebody else with a 'higher power'.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤmaria never liked the rich & powerful. that was something she never had to ponder on, she'd always felt that way, deep in her core. despite her growing up in a bustling, populated city, her youth was filled with days & nights worrying about money that had never even touched her fingertips, and being a witness & reason for meaningless wishes and unheard prayers for a better life. despite all of this, she found herself craving to be the same things she mindlessly & unquestionably hated throughout her whole childhood. but then again— can you blame her? living the life that she had, of course you'll want what you lacked. so by the age of 23, she found herself in the underground illegal gambling business. days & nights, she observed the rich & greedy men and women she both resented & wished to be one day. she knew she could— keeping watch of every move they played, every card they shuffled, all the winning plays, the seamless rigs before big games, both the anger after a loss, and the celebrations after a win. she played it smart & safe, watching from the bar, or the outskirts of the main tables rather than playing herself, getting a good look at what exactly she was getting herself into.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤten years later, and her experience with the business is completely different. after years of perfecting her strategies, she has found herself to be one of the best around, known for her seemingly-natural charisma, her genuine love for the game, making big, obnoxious, intimidating bets, and somehow— getting even bigger payouts. she always tries to make sure a chunk of this money goes to the poor & less fortunate, making her that much different from the individuals she spends her days & nights with. after a scare with the law, she decided it would be best to get a nice, unsuspecting day job nearby, just to keep her reputation(s) clean. when she saw the doctor's office in the town next over: valentine, was hiring, she immediately knew it was the perfect choice.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤafter about two months of working at the doctor's office, she had a run in with the infamous outlaw arthur morgan. he had just gotten into a fight with a feller named tommy from across the street down at the saloon, a fight in which he won— barely. maria strikes up a conversation as she patches him up which leads him to vaguely tell her about his life, & the gang. after a couple more questions, he also goes on to tell her about his distrust for a man named micah bell. after patching him up for what seems to be at least 25 minutes, she hears a knock on the door of the office. she sees two men from the pinkerton detective agency right outside. she discreetly tells arthur to hide, and walks right out of the room they we're in, almost unnaturally casual, immediately striking up a conversation with the two detectives. after a few minutes of talking, mr. milton, and mr. ross, write down names on paper, & ask her if she's heard any of these names, or seen any of the gang members they mentioned. despite them not mentioning micah, she decides it'd be a good idea to ask about him, as a gut instinct seems to be telling her to. after she improv's a story, & asks them about a "mr. bell", they go on to tell her that he had been 'heroically' helping them with their search, despite him being in the same gang they were restlessly searching for. she displayed faux relief at this information, falsely claiming happiness to know someone's helping them, and wished the pinkertons luck in their search. after they left, she called on arthur & told him to go to the gang and tell them exactly what he'd heard, though that went without saying. after some quicker-than-appreciated thank you's, he was off.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤonly three months down the line, and maria stewerts is one of the most looked up to, respected, & high ranking members in the gang. her firm, unshakeable role as the right-hand woman, her unexplained, highly consistent cash-flow, her charming, intimidating persona, and her undeniable saviourism from both the pinkertons and micah bell alike are all part of the 'heroic' woman she's both seen as, & claimed to be in the gang. she keeps this image up, despite her drinking, gambling, smoking, and the many other undeniably bad habits she keeps from the others. she typically goes out at night, coming back in the late hours of the evening or the early morning, always coming back with a nice stack of cash that she puts in the donations box as silently as she can, although, she usually just gets a hotel room if she deems her return as 'too late'. she leaves camp a lot more than the others, especially the women, which leads them to ask her about the things she gets into that they deem as 'adventures'. she, of course, would never tell them about her self-admitted, down-right degenerate activities, and though despite everyone here being a criminal, she has a image to uphold. besides— she doesn't need those poor girls worrying about her more than they already do.

♰ the degenerate saviour. maria l. stewerts , 34 the most stereotypical sag moon ever. chronic (winning) gambler, & money maker. pseudointellectual american-history geek. aromantic. chronic cigar smoker. the right-hand woman of the gang. silently pretentious blues lover. virginia native but louisianian at heart. gold-plated, fancy guns. the(wo)man lana wrote shades of cool about.

that's correct!