#like once i'm done practicing the more necessary stuff on piano i always end up playing a song off of that album

[strxnged]

i love dirt poor robins

[softyshibu]

Showdown bandit OC: Ghost Bandit (Long Post)

So I have an SB OC (I have a few actually but we're gonna start with this one) and he goes by the name of Ghost.

Ghost is yet another Bandit roaming around showdown valley but not quite as often as many others.

If there is one thing to know about him it's that there will frequently be days you may not ever see him around but he definitely will always see you. Just like a g h o s t would.

The Ghost bandit may not always be around in showdown valley but when he is it's usually because a terrible threat is on the rise or just because he low-key enjoys watching the Bandit do stupid stuff as an attempt to impress him and than get in trouble for it afterwards.

He is a man of little words but speaks whenever he feels is necessary especially When the faceless bandit is present trying to bring havoc across showdown valley or trying to harm the bandit for whatever reason only he and the puppet master knows.

Despite his intimidating features and straight forwardness he's actually quite friendly and a giant softy when around puppets he's comfortable with and have befriended.

Surprisingly ghost wasn't always the ghost bandit, he actually went by Reid (his real name) and he was your average townfolk with an actual occupation in showdown valley, he was a piano player. He wore a bowler hat to go over his head full of fluffy pulled back hair,a nice little bow-tie to go with his tucked in black vest and Striped red velvet long sleeved banded shirt along with Burgundy pants and boots that came up over the knee, and one gold earring in his left ear (hm not much has changed). He took pride in his profession and was always ready to play a tune for anyone who would listen.

He spent most of his days at the saloon quietly sat in front of a beautiful themola london pianola practically living in his own world as he played a lovely tune. He also had a frequent little visitor who loved to come watch him play and she went by the name of Belle, Belle was a small shy youngin puppet who'd sneak into the saloon just to watch him play. At first she used to hide or run whenever he would finish a song but after many gentle pleads and friendly gestures she eventually warmed up to him. Now all would seem well for Reid at this time he had a wonderful small friend and loved the part he played even if it was rather minor. His life was perfect, well, it would had been anyway until one late night at the saloon would change everything.

It was closing time when a gang of no good ruffians attempted to rob the place . Reid had stayed to finish up cleaning tables for the bartender with Belle not too far behind him when they heard the saloon doors being kicked open.

Three masked Robbers ran in and demanded for everything that was in the cash register. They threaten the two with guns, knives, and molotov bombs. Belle was terrified and clinged tightly to Reid who was not phased at all by their taunts. As a warning he would politely yet sternly ask them to leave and when they refused to he'd escort them out himself.

Though Reid may had been a quiet puppet that keeps to himself, he was no one you would want to be on the bad side of. He did have a particular weapon on him at all times that he never used for any malicious reason but only if it was really necessary and it was a weapon that not one puppet with strings would want to go up against.

Reid had a whip but not just any whip, it was quite a special one. It had a powerful Aura that surrounded it and with just one lash from It the person in its path strings would be stunned and covered in the whips purple ghost-like aura making it were all movement from it's host obsolete immediately giving Reid the ability to take complete control over them or to put it short, it allowed him to be their temporary puppet master. Though only for but so long

(it tends to take a lot of energy out of him. ).

So when the thieves refused to leave when uponed being warned to, reid took out his whip and with little hesitation thrashed at each of their strings. One of them seemed to have put up a bit of a fight after realizing what had taken place. But his squirming was useless.

Though as reid began to forcibly “walk” them out the door one of the goons had just enough strength to throw a molotov bomb towards whatever direction they could which happened to be were little Belle was standing. Her screams would fill reids ears breaking his concentration and causing him to release the thieves, she wasn't hurt but the fire began to rapidly spread around her and then eventually all through out the saloon, the moment the Robbers were let go they began to throw more bombs around the place and stole what they could .

As things turned for the worse Reid refused to panic and tried to focus on getting Belle away from the fire and into safety. Though when he tried to reach out for her he could feel a set of hands on him pulling him back. It was the unwanted guest who were not quite thrilled by the string pulling act he had committed just then and apparently they were feeling pretty brave to show him just how they felt about it .

They dragged him out of the saloon their voices loud as they taunted him with all the things they wanted to do to him.

Unfortunately for them Reid bearly paid them any mind he was currently in hysterics and squirming to get out of their grasp so he could hurry back for Belle who was still trapped behind the flames in the soon to be crumbling saloon. Though no matter how much he struggled he didn't have enough energy to fight them off.

He was weakened by the string hypnosis (controlling three puppets at once took a lot out of him).

Belle continued to cry out for him as the flames risen higher leaving Reid to feel helpless as he sadly watched until he couldn't hear her anymore.

Once they were outside Reid was thrown to the ground and was searched him for the supposed whip, aware of what it could do the crooks wanted to use it for their own needs but it would seemed to have “vanished” leaving them all quite puzzled.

Reid would then begin to try to pick himself up but the ruthless puppets took notice of this chuckling to themselves and began to kick him, landing hard vicious blows to his stomach,back, and face. One of them kicked so hard their foot made a hole on the right side of his face completely shattering his right eye and brow which achieved a weakened yelp out of him.

Finally once they all felt like they've gotten most of their anger out and done enough physical damage, one of them would take out a knife and began to cut his strings

one .

By.

One.

When they had finished their little “fun” they began to tease Reid again by telling him:

“if ya had just given us what we wanted things could have ended differently”

or

“hope your little friends life was worth the risk”

which ate him up but he was so emotionally drained he bearly showed it.

A gust of wind would then blow into the area quickly silencing the three thieves just enough for them to hear the sound of something thumping onto the ground in a slow repetitive pattern along with foot steps coming from out of the darkness.

One of the thieves whipped out their gun and demand to know who was there and when he saw just who it was his eyes widened and he begin to back up slowly.

It was the faceless bandit.

The other two picked up on their friends sudden changed demeanor and also whipped out their guns (shakily) even though by now everyone knows guns have little to no effect on him.

The faceless bandit would get closer and closer though before he could do anything to them the three masked puppets ran off as quickly as they could.

The tall smudged face puppet would watch them then look down when he heard the disheveled puppet the three left behind breathing hitch a little.

He'd kneel down to the now shivering puppets level and tilt his head when the pianist began to softly cry.

Everything was hitting him hard. He realized he had lost everything just in that moment.

The one place he worked and enjoyed to be at everyday was now in a blaze (the bartender will certainly be royally pissed), his one true friend had perished there and he blamed himself harshly for it, He was beaten senselessly and had his strings cut unwillingly and

Now to top it all off he was face to face with the faceless bandit himself who was surely going to kill him and you know what? He was okay with it. He has nothing to go on for so just might as well be dismembered and be used for spare parts right? Sounds like a decent way to let it all end.

But in reality death never really came.

Instead with out a word the Faceless bandit

Would hoist him up and take him some place not to kill em and maybe eat em or something but

to “F i x” him.

In some old room where extra items were stored,

the Faceless bandit would provided Reid a coat,scarf, a new vest, and a hat for his now messy head.

Reid was confused. Why exactly was he of all people doing this?

When he finally built up the courage to ask him why the faceless bandit stayed quiet until they were finished.

When reid was dressed he felt and looked like a whole new person. He was no longer the quiet pianist that sat in the corner of a saloon losing himself in a tune.

He was.

He was someone else.

“you have a new purpose now. ”

He'd hear the faceless bandit finally say. He'd turn to face him his now one eye wide.

“I'm not gonna lie to you.

I've been there by that saloon for a moment, when I heard commotion I just had to see what the bustle was about and I'm glad that I did. I saw what you did back there with your fancy little whip, it's quite special i'll admit. I was impressed.”

Reid blushed and looked away from him. He didn't know what exactly to say to this. Especially that it was coming from the faceless bandit himself.

“I didn't want to get in the middle of anything though so I waited until they brought you out and oh boy, I didn't expect to watch ya get yer ass handed to”

Faceless chuckled which caused Reid to frown and wince, all this time he's been there watching from the shadows but then again he shouldn't be too shocked about it.

It was the faceless bandit after all.

“what do you want from me.”

he'd ask the distorted bandit carefully to not sound blunt. The faceless bandit walked up to him and placed a finger under his chin then lifted his face to meet his own.

“ You have a gift my dear friend, a gift that goes beyond anything that anyone in this damn town can even fathom and you're letting it waste away.”

the faceless bandit stepped back from him.

“So you have a choice. you can stick with me and I can show you what it's like to have great power over those who have wronged you, or.. you can leave from here and I don't know... get lost and probably get eaten by a stringless or some shit. You know. etc, etc,....”

The weary tense pianist was hesitant at the two offers but eventually gave in and agreed to stay by the tattered bandits side.

It's been a long day, he was heart broken and his whole life was taken away from him and the last thing he needed was more trouble.

Days, weeks to months would go by and things in the small town would suffer a massive shift, all around the valley many would be afraid of the faceless bandit and his unknown new acquaintance.

For awhile walking about was almost a death wish, there were so many stringed and stringless victims that never saw the light of day when they walked into the two puppets path. Whether it was an accident or not.

Though most of the victims (that weren't stringless) untimely demise would be in the faceless bandits hands because his red head partner could never bring himself to hurt anyone but he'd control their strings whenever faceless ask-no- demanded him to.

But his unwillingness would eventually be put to the test.

One night the faceless bandit would take Reid to a special “meet and greet”

To his surprise faceless had taken him back to the saloon.

It was charred and abandoned now but had an unkind presence.

The red head puppet could feel memories faintly flooding him as he stood at the porch of the place but would be snapped out of his daze abruptly when he heard a noise and shift his eye to faceless who'd smile and beckon him to follow as he disappeared inside.

Hesitantly, Reid would slowly walk across the old porch receiving creaks as a response before entering the saloon.

When he was inside his eye widen and he froze in place.

Next to faceless a few candles were lit across the old bar and front of the bar sat right next to the scared faced puppet was another puppet who was tied to a chair and had a bag over his head.

The faceless bandit would then yank the bag off the tied down puppets head revealing that it was one of the thieves that was the very reason for the former pianists current state and the loss of the one he held dearly.

He was at a lost for words.

“I couldn't get em all but I got one as you can see here,”

The facelsss bandit would say With a low chuckle as he patted the shakened up puppets shoulder harshly.

“now it's your chance speckles. Show em how you feel about what they did to you that night, show how you feel when they took little belle from ya with no mercy! ”

Reid looked at faceless then turned his gaze to the frighten puppet who would then begin to beg for mercy when Reid slowly pulled out his whip from behind his back and cracked it against the wind, its Aura beginning to loom around it and him.

He walked up to the pleading puppet then leaned in close to them, his eye glowing and flickering a purple hue.

The very puppet that had robbed the saloon in past had started to tremble, not so tough anymore are we?

Without breaking eye contact, Reid rose his free hand above his perpetrators head and took hold of one his strings and proceeded to yank on it.

Then he yanked harder and harder until the tied down puppet yelled out for him to stop.

“stop? Why should I? I asked for you and your friends to leave but did you? ”

The puppet remained quiet.

“I didn't think so. ”

Reid stood up straight and then slowly took hold of all the strings which gained him a pitiful whimper. Faceless, still present and rather quiet watched in amusement and was awfully curious to see where this was going.

“all you and your little “gang” had to do was leave was that all too much to ask? I didn't ask for any of this shit! I could still have a place! and Belle!... Belle would still be safe... ”

He began to pull down on the strings harshly making the so called goon squeeze his eyes shut waiting to hear them come undone.

But they never did.

Reid let go of his strings then began to untie him.

The stringed doll was gravely confused by this action and apparently so was Faceless.

Reid threw the rope to the side then winced at his surprised unharmed victim.

“you listen to me, I want you to get out of here and gather your little “buddies” and when you do I want you all to go far, far away from this place. Because If I see you or any of them around here in showdown valley.

I Won't be as merciful. ”

The puppet quickly nodded then scrambled out of the saloon when Reid stepped aside. Faceless walked up to his freckled partner with his arm crossed and scoffed.

“tell me speckles.. why did you let him go free? After all he and his brainless bunch did you STILL show mercy. Why is that? ”

Reid looked at faceless then back at the saloon door way.

“oh, believe me I wanted to but what good would it have done me? It wouldn't make things go back to the way they were and it certainly wouldn't bring belle back... I'd be no better then them. ”

With that being said Reid began to walk towards the doors but then paused once he was in front of them.

“you know. I don't think this thing we have going is working out, I think it's best we go our separate ways... wouldn't you agree?”

The Faceless bandit was abit stunned but then let out another scoff and nodded slightly.

“I suppose speckles. I won't stop ya. ”

Reid gave a bit of a smirk and tipped has hat to him before vanishing behind the saloon doors.

From that point onward reid was on his own, he decided he would aid those in need whenever they were in potential danger and when all was fine he'd remain hidden.

he'd also eventually pick up a new name. He felt that his own name was off putting and represented something (and someone) he was no longer.

So after years of fighting off araknits, grieves, and stringless without ever being seen he'd officially (and rather quickly when asked upon who he was by the showdown bandit himself)go under the nickname :

The Ghost Bandit.

((Note: whew! This was a long post but you made it to the end so you must feel special. I'm Sorry for the lack of post, lately school has been pretty rough right now due to the semester coming to a close but in the future I promise to post more and answer all your lovely ask!))