#cleet and Joe

[revswanson]

[dirtyreddeadconfessions]

Confession: During story mode I didn't rlly pay attention to him bc I was too focused on Arthur but Joe's hot I think, I wanna rest my head on his tits and maybe hold his hand

[its-deputy-caleb]

Hi there! I have an angsty Micah ask >:) would you be interested in writing an angsty fic or head cannons where micahs s/o finds out about his betrayal and gets killed by the Pinkertons when they raid beaver hollow?

hello anon, i am v interested in writing some major angst for my fav cowboy and no this is not a happy ending 🙃. I also have this headcannon in mind that joe and micah are closer friends than with cleet with the whole ending and i've been dying to explore it more so i added some of that although i will explore it more. for now pls enjoy this v painful fic <333

--------------------------------

“Go to hell.”

You glare up at Agent Milton from your place on the floor, hands tied to the metal frame of the bed as spit beside his shoes.

The Pinkertons had grabbed you sometime after returning from a robbery, having gotten separated from the group as the law chased you. Your head was throbbing, a headache kicking in after one of the Pinkerton’s had used the back of their rifle to knock you out.

They’d spent the last hour interrogating you for information, wanting to know all about Van Der Linde’s next movements but you didn’t budge one bit.

Milton walked over to you, placing his hat down on the wooden table of the abandoned cabin you were in. He bent his knees so he could be eye level with you, tutting his head as he looked over your now bruised eye and the cut on your cheek.

“You know, your sweetheart Micah was much more of a talker than you…”

You were just about ready to lash out at him when you paused. Micah? Since when had Micah run into these assholes, he never mentioned any Pinkertons and you’d been together since Blackwater.

Milton chuckled lowly, bringing his finger to tilt your chin up to look at him.

“Ahh he didn’t tell you… Mr. Bell has been giving us information for quite some time— a man will tell you anything when you threaten the thing he loves most.”

Your face flushes with anger, leaning forward and head butting the annoying man in the face.

“You son of a bitch!”

He falls back with his hand over his nose as he stands back up. He takes a moment to use a handkerchief to wipe the blood dripping from his nose, running a hand through his hair to slick it back over his head. Milton looks down at you when he feels like he’s regathered some composure.

“I can see why he likes you so much.”

Milton drags the chair over to where you are, sitting down but keeping his distance as not to repeat another blow to the face. He stares at you almost amused by the situation before him.

“You know… he almost didn’t take our deal. He was happy to shoot his way out of things all the way until the last minute but well, I think we found his weak spot.”

The man sitting in front of you looks you up and down, he fiddles with his tie and adjusts his gloves for a moment before continuing.

“Mr. Bell was happy to swing until we told him you’d die along with everyone else in the gang and he was quick to change his mind.”

This time when anger bubbles in your chest it’s not directed at Milton. You knew Micah was aware of what the gang meant to you, that those people were your family and you were furious that he would sell them out even if it was for your safety.

The Pinkerton’s were nothing but liars and you knew Micah as smart enough to realise if they promised your safety in return for information that they’d kill you anyway if it meant getting closer to Dutch.

That’s when you knew Micah ratted out the gang on his own choice.

—

While Milton blabbered on about society and the need for civilisation you were slowly working the binds around your wrists. The minute they became loose enough you lunged for Milton, pushing him off his chair.

You took his revolver out of his holster, holding it to his chest before pulling the trigger.

The loud gunshot alerted the other Pinkerton’s outside and so you made quick work to find cover. There weren’t many of them, but enough to leave you cautious with only one revolver.

Being an outlaw, you had your tricks and you managed to bring them down by spooking their horses. The group of Pinkerton’s spread out slightly to avoid their horses running at them and it made picking them off that much easier from the doorway of the cabin.

—

You returned back to camp in the late afternoon completely exhausted but in no way ready to go to sleep.

When you hitched your horse, the first person to come up to you was Micah.

“Hey sweetheart, how was the robbery?”

He wrapped his arms around you like he does every time you return to camp without him, greeting you with a kiss that you quickly dodged.

“Get your hands off me Micah— you betrayed the gang and you didn’t even tell me."

Your hand took Milton’s revolver, pointing it at Micah as he took two steps backwards.

“I got no idea what you’re talking about darlin’…”

You took the safety off the revolver, stepping closer to him as you grew ever more frustrated.

“I ran into Milton while I was gone, finally it all makes sense as to why they’ve been getting closer to us.”

Micah’s eyes widen at realising you’d actually ran into Milton, there was no way he could lie about it now.

You sigh, some of the anger leaving you as you holster the revolver and look at Micah with more disappointment than anything.

“Fuck sake Micah— why didn’t you tell me about running into Milton, why did you of all people have to be the rat…”

Micah tries once more to wrap his arms around you, failing once again as you give him a death glare. He does, however bring a hand to hold your forearm and for some reason you allow it.

“You think I’d let them kill you if I could help it?”

His hand on your forearm tightens slightly, as if scared you’d let him go and move away again.

“Don’t be a fool Micah, do you seriously think they’d let me live anyway? The only way they’d be happy is to see all of us in the ground.”

You turn to walk away, heading back to your horse and wanting to clear your head for a while. Micah stopped you however, standing in front of you and blocking you from leaving.

“Common now sweetheart— screw these guys, let’s just leave. We can head back up near strawberry, get a cabin and start again… just you and me like we said we’d always do.”

Your hand comes up to push on Micah’s chest lightly, a warning for him to move out of the way.

“Micah they’re my family and you sold them out. Even if you didn’t you’d never want a normal life, don’t kid yourself.”

Before Micah can even begin to argue your point the sound of gunfire and horses comes battering through the tree-line.

Both of you look up to see a huge groups of pinkertons riding into the entrance of camp and your revolvers are raised before anybody says anything.

Gunfire is coming from all around and for a moment you and Micah forget you’re arguing to deal with onslaught of Pinkerton’s firing at you.

Everyone around the gang was yelling, trying to process how the Pinkerton’s found the camp and you could only hope they didn’t follow you.

While you were distracted you failed to notice an agent sneak up beside you, only realising once he’d already fired his repeater.

Everything seemed to slow down then, the sound of gunfire dropping out as your ears rung and your legs gave out. Micah caught you before you hit the ground, taking out the Pinkerton who’d shot you and dragging you behind a wagon for cover.

Micah looks mortified from where he’s kneeling above you, his eyes wide at the large wound in the middle of your stomach.

Your shirt is completely soaked in blood but he applies pressure anyway despite knowing that at this point it wouldn’t do much good.

“No no no sweetheart, common now look a me.”

Micah’s other hand comes to hold the back of your head, his hand threading softly through your hair as he looks at you.

Your heart breaks then when you weakly look at him, he looks so scared in that moment and you knew that while the gang was your family... you were Micah’s.

A sudden burst of pain runs through you, causing you to cough up blood as you feel yourself growing weaker. Micah panics instantly, trying to use his jacket to stop the bleeding.

“Gonna get you out of here darling, gonna make—“

You shake your head at him, stopping his movements as he looks at you with tears in his eyes.

“Micah shut up and listen to me…”

Your hand comes up to hold his cheek weakly, his own bloodied hand covering yours to help you. You give him a pained smile as you feel your own tears spill from the corner of your eyes.

“Y-you’ve gotta get yourself outta here now… you’ll be killed otherwise.”

Micah shakes his head in disbelief, pushing his cheek into your hand further.

“Don’t say that, don’t— I can’t leave you here— I won’t.”

You smile as well as you can, shushing him as you try to get him to listen to you.

“We both know I’m not leaving here… go on now… you get yourself outta here and get us that cabin in strawberry okay? I always did like the weather there…”

A stray tear falls straight down Micah’s face and you gently brush it away with your thumb, leaving a stain of blood on his cheekbone.

“Thank you Micah… being with you has made me the happiest— the happiest… I’ve been in a long time…”

You choke back a sob as you force out a smile despite your vision turning black and the pain in your body, which was so excruciating it felt almost numb.

“I love… you…”

The last thing you register is the sound of Micah’s cries and a soft kiss to your bloodied cheek before everything goes black.

—

Micah practically sobs into your shoulder as you stop responding. No matter how bad he shakes you or how much he begs your eyes don’t open and you lie dormant in his arms.

He kisses your temple, taking a moment to hold you close to him despite his life still being in danger.

When he pulls away he gently unties your neckerchief from around your neck and swapping yours for his so he could remember you.

He takes one last pained look at you, willing his body to stand up and continue shooting at the pinkertons. He’ll never admit it but there was nothing harder for him than having to walk away from you.

He made his way over to Joe as the shooting let up for a bit, his eyes red and swollen but he knew his old friend wouldn’t say much. He tapped his shoulder, making sure to whisper so none of the gang would hear.

“Go grab Cleet, we’re leaving— now.”

Micah watched as Joe’s eyes landed on you, the man giving a sad nod before walking off to saddle up their horses. Out of the everyone Micah knew from being an outlaw, Joe was the closest thing to a friend he had. Joe was the only one who understood just how much you meant to Micah, not even Cleet was close enough to understand that.

—

The three of them snuck out of camp before anyone noticed, the whole time Cleet wouldn’t stop asking questions as to why they so suddenly left after working so hard to smooth talk their way up the rankings of the gang.

He was quickly silenced when Joe smacked the other on the back of the head, giving him a warning look to shut up before he said something he shouldn’t.

Micah on the other hand was only half listening to the two bicker. His whole body felt numb and hopeless as he looked down at your neckerchief clutched tightly in his hand, still stained with your blood.

At some point Joe had ridden up along side Micah, giving a concerned look to his old friend.

“You alright?”

Micah could only nod, the two of them not needing to talk much to understand what the other is feeling.

“We headed somewhere?”

Nodding again, Micah tied your neckerchief around his neck as he clicked his legs to spur Baylock into a faster trot. He wanted to leave this place at the same time he wanted to go back and get your body out of that hell.

Micah gives a knowing look to his old friend, the two of them understanding his choice to leave despite Cleet not knowing.

“Gonna head up to Strawberry, grab a cain and hold up there for a while…”

[kirain]

What do you think happened at Osman Grove?

You mean this sketchy place?

I actually spoke to my friend @cassafra5 about this, because when I found it I was really confused. We don't know what happened for sure, but we agreed it's definitely suspicious.

When you walk in, you'll notice the house is full of smoke from the busted furnace, which likely suffocated the family. The side door was also locked from the inside, though the front door was not. Seems like a pretty cut-and-dry case of smoke inhalation, right?

Wrong! Theory time!

The thing is, I highly doubt the house would've filled with smoke without ANY of them noticing. If they were asleep it'd be a different story, but look closely at the bodies. It looks like they'd just finished eating dinner. The mother collapsed while carrying plates, the little boy was playing with his rocking horse, the grandfather looks like he was trying to reach them from the attic -- you get the point. They were all very much awake. Now take a look at the chimney.

Do you see it? Look hard.

It looks like someone bashed the pipes in, quite forcefully. Yes, natural pressure can do that to metal, but how did the entire family not notice? It's so conspicuous. Rockstar also made a point of showing smeared dishes. I personally think the family might've been poisoned, and whoever did it set the scene to make it look like an accident. This is further endorsed by the fact that some other parts of the house are trashed.

It's also very likely that Joe, Micah's associate, is the one who killed them, as in the online mode you can actually find him living in their house with the furnace off, still yet to be fixed. He noticed, but the entire family didn't? :/

M'kay, bud.

[ocean-moonlight]

Cleet and Joe joins the show 🤷🏻‍♂️ featuring Micah getting eaten by a gator.

[shinygoldengun]

Pausing cutscenes in chapter 6 so I don't pass out with rage

[shamelessinnerbeast]

“Ya’ll respect MY AUTHORITY !!!!” 

(lemme crush those fingers Cleet)

[scumbagg]

Arthur Morgan + John Marston

Vs

Dutch Van Der Linde, Micah Bell, Bill Williamson, Cleet + Joe (and maybe Javier but he is pointing his gun upwards so it doesn’t count)

Beaver Hollow

Roanoke Ridge, New Hanover

[saintemarvel]

[shenzi-town]

Modern AU Micah

Damn, as soon as I saw this post, I immediately imagined Micah:D Thanks to @yeehaw-squid Let me share some of my HC about him from Modern AU.

Micah lives in a trailer, on his section a lot of scrap metal and motorcycle spare parts.

He also has his favorite motorcycle, the Honda CB450.

He is the kind of dude who doesn't believe in God, but he has a whole shelf of all sorts of figurines and amulets supposedly "attracting money", like Feng Shui Money Frog, Maneki-neko, a small statue of Buddha, etc.

He also collects comics, vinyl records and superhero figurines, but nobody knows about it.

He almost never watches TV, because the antenna is always broken and he is already tired of fixing it.

In the mornings he wakes up in his trailer, puts on a torn robe, slippers, shuffles to the refrigerator, scratching his ass. He takes a can of beer and goes outside, where a folding, striped armchair, with holes from cigarette ash, is waiting for him. He is stretching, sitting down, smoking lazily. Thinks a little and is like "you need to stir up a barbecue, man"

Sometimes in the evenings he gathers in a local bar with his old mates, Cleet and Joe, with whom he then goes either to beat someone in the face or try to rob some store.

When the mood is right, he feeds a stray cat that comes to his property while he fixes his Honda. Sometimes he kicks her out if she gets impudent. But he always worries when she disappears for a long time.

reference: pinterest.com/pin/838725130626160063/

[dirtyreddeadconfessions]

Confession: Red Dead Redemption 2 but it's 18 Naked Cowboys at Ram Ranch

[its-deputy-caleb]

please tell me more about your joe and micah hc! that angsty fic made me cry!!

firstly anon i'm sorry for making you cry but i will happily go on a rant about this one random idea that i have while playing. (also this is terrible i'm sure no one will read this)

full disclaimer: i know these guys are villians and have done terrible things oml im not agreeing with any of it i'm merely just sharing a headcannon that i have.

————

Okay so I’ve had this idea for a while and its just grown from there so I know this is probably inaccurate af but I don’t care at this point (also pls keep in mind that I haven’t played much of red dead online and that I’m only going off research)

Its all kinda this idea of loyalty and I keep thinking about the ending of the game and how Joe has no real reason to stick around with Micah if he didn’t have a reason. So my little head cannon is purely that they have a friendship that’s not really explored there.

My thought process behind it is that Dutch, who was the leader of his gang ended up killing that girl during the robbery in Blackwater which was the start of some of the members questioning their whole role in the gang and I think this can be applied to Micah’s gang where Cleet leaves when they rob the family with the little girl. To me, it's clear Joe values loyalty above moral like the gang member's who overlooked Dutch's actions whereas Cleet is someone like Arthur who makes a choice because he doesn't agree with it.

Im my opinion Joe can clearly handle himself and seems to be observant enough that he could leave Micah’s gang if he wanted or if he felt that it was the right move and the game mentions that Joe has a greater loyalty to Micah than Cleet.

So this leads to my little thought that the two are just old friends because why would Joe stick with Micah to his literal death in 1907 if he didn’t have a reason. Like these guys are outlaws and some of the most morally backwards guys in the game who would stab each other in the back if it meant saving themselves so why didn’t Joe leave with Cleet? He could’ve joined another gang or run it alone again and so I think that Joe’s loyalty to Micah is different.

It also makes me think about the train robbery in chapter 6 where Joe stays behind with Micah while Cleet is sent out with Sadie and the others and I noticed how Joe is pretty much right behind Micah or hanging around right until the end so all of that kinda accumulated to this idea that I had that they’re friends. Even with Dutch, Micah looks to Joe for him to agree and sure it could mean nothing but I just have this feeling/vibe from the chapter that no matter what Micah said Joe would always be there to agree with him. So I can't help think that there's a friendship there:

Firstly Micah makes a comment in camp sitting around a table by Dutch’s tent at some point saying “I missed you boys” so I think that both Joe and Cleet know Micah for a while. And then I started thinking ‘hey what if they were like best friends from their childhood?’ or at least when they were younger.

Like think about it— Micah runs with his dad at 17 where he gets mentioned in that paper for a murder and then I’m thinking maybe when he’s in his early 20’s maybe even 19 he meets Joe who’s just as wild as him. Even if they split up and Micah runs with Norman and Joe is seen in the events of RDO then it would give context as to why Joe might stick with Micah for longer than Cleet. I also think this could contribute to Amos leaving bc if Micah's opinion (to rob and kill people) is backed constantly by Joe, then Amos would leave while Micah runs off to cause more trouble with him instead.

Secondly I started thinking about their characterisation and how I think that they 1) have a lot in common (obviously they’re outlaws and villains) and 2) Joe having the same outlook and low morals in life means that Micah doesn’t have to lie to him or manipulate him like he might have to with Dutch and the Van Der Linde’s.

I think Joe being this tough guy who doesn’t talk much is a personality Micah would get along with because he won’t go asking questions but Micah doesn’t have to convince him about anything. Like Micah could hypothetically say “hey lets go on a robbery” and all Joe has to do is nod whereas with someone from Dutch’s gang it’s like “I need to go on a robbery and do something morally wrong which most of you will dislike but I’ll tell you its so I can provide for the gang and do my fair share.”

Im not saying this is better or actually a good thing, I just think that the reason why Joe would even be a closer friend to Micah or even someone he trusts is because they come from a place of mutual understanding.

With the whole ‘childhood friends’ thing (which is purely just my own imagination here) that Micah is this reckless loud mouth who causes trouble everywhere and Joe, who’s this silent giant is completely opposite to him in that he’s quiet and just sorta follows Micah around wherever he goes because where else would he go? And I can’t help but feel like Joe just meets Micah accidentally one day and then with no where else to go or do in life, he ends up with this weird loyalty to Micah which only comes with knowing someone for a long time and its my explanation as to why Joe would stick around with Micah’s gang despite it being kinda obvious that it’s falling apart.

Then I started thinking about the ending and how Joe's death is avoidable if he left like Cleet did. Like the only time he's in the game he's either weirdly hanging around behind Micah (almost protectively) or he's out front shooting the guy who's only coming to threaten Micah. Joe doesn't help Cleet rob the train in chapter 6 but instead stays behind with Micah but when it's obvious his life is threatened he's one of the first to run into John.

So using this I started thinking with all Joe's scars and his rugged appearance, how many times he's jumped up to save Micah before and that was actually where I thought they must know each other well because why else would you throw away your life if it wasn't for someone you'd look out for?

Anyway this is kinda just one big rant about this little idea that came to mind when I was playing and I thought “wouldn’t it be cool if that big creepy guy looming in the corner was actually Micah’s childhood friend who grew up with him.”

Like I said this is total nonsense but I actually kinda like the thought and I’m happy with it

[whichstoodonrockyshores]

Bill and Javier’s canon relationship is just really interesting to me, gonna be honest. Like in RDR2, they clearly don’t get along much, but they do care for each other at least a little. Bill has this camp interaction where he really hypes Javier up to the others, and on Javier’s end he’s the one to save Bill when he gets kidnapped by bounty hunters. There’s also this interaction, where the two talk about who they think the rat is in Beaver Hollow (Bill accuses John.)

While it’s unclear what exactly happened to Bill and Javier after the mess of Beaver Hollow and the gang splitting apart, they aren’t with Micah and Dutch when they confront Arthur and John on the mountain (assuming we’re talking about the ‘help John escape’ ending over the go ‘back for the money’ ending), but neither are Cleet and Joe who definitely stay with Micah after that whole mess, so I assume Micah went back and grabbed his friends… but Dutch is never seen with anyone from his previous gang again, not in the epilogue, not in RDR1, never.

Hm. daddy issues much

Anyway, onto to RDR1 times. When John is up Bill’s ass? Who does he call to come bail him out of a shit situation, when he knows he’s screwed? Javier, he calls on Javier, someone who’s already rescued him in the past. A big reason why I think Bill and Javier stuck together after Beaver Hollow is 1.) Bill clearly knows where Javier lives and is able to contact him, and 2.) why would Bill even reach out to Javier here if they haven’t seen each other in 12 years? And they weren’t even on the best terms while they were in the gang?

Some of this is just my own speculation and theories, but I just wanted to get this out of my system. Thanks for reading!

[scarfacemarston]

does abigail have any strong opinions about the other members of the Van der Linde gang besides John and... i guess jack??

Yes, she does. You have to be around camp and near her though. Abigail has talked about feeling cut off from the gang and dealing with the "pity and disgust" towards her or just ignoring her completely outside of a greeting. Sadie is her best friend and has a few really meaningful conversations including encouraging her to continue on with her life. They are seen sitting together sometimes, but Sadie is gone from camp a lot. Sadie goes to visit her and John in the epilogue. She is always with Hosea and talks about him as a father figure and helps with Jack's education. He is one of the few people who believe in her as a moral woman and treats her as more than a mother while also encouraging her to leave the gang for her safety and Jack's. He also says she is the best thief, conwoman, and actress he's ever known. Arthur is a close friend of hers depending on how you play the game, but you can't play the game without them interacting a lot. She's very friendly with Charles and is one of the few who asks about his injured hand in chapter 1 and they become even closer in chapter 6. However, he isn't actually around her much until chapter 6. There seems to be evidence that suggests that Tilly is her other closest friend. They are seen together multiple times, she comes to Abigail for advice and kindly helps with Jack. Then there's Uncle who she considers family. The rest or hit or miss. She detests Micah and Micah harasses her more than he does any of the other women. Joe and Cleet harass her as well, but they harass the other women, too. She can't stand Miss Grimshaw because she tries to force her back into prostitution. She also makes nasty snide passive-aggressive comments. Grimshaw may be harsh with the other girls, but has never had a kind moment with Abigail.

Abigail seems to be one of the first people to lose faith in Dutch and is seemingly peeved with him in the intro of chapter 2. It also affects how John is treated throughout the game and by Dutch. Abigail becomes more and more disgusted with him as time goes on and gets annoyed when Dutch gives lectures telling him she "would rather focus on her son being fed". BUT is thankful he helped with Jack. However, Dutch and Abigail mutually dislike each other later in the game. He thinks she poisoned John. Lenny seems to be friendly with her based on how he greets her and Lenny loves Jack. Nothing more than that, unfortunately. Sean also tends to be pretty chill around her but they don't really interact. Sean does hang out with Jack. Mary-Beth never has a conversation in the game with her. Abigail is seen patting her back after Molly's death and I found a deleted scene of her asking about Tilly's whereabouts. Mary-Beth and Karen appear to be two of the people that gossip about her. So I think they "politely" tolerate each other. I think Mary-Beth has an issue with her. Karen is kinder to her though and has comforted her when Jack was taken and has defended her from John, but she has also some harsh words towards her. Kieran is tolerated. She didn't want him near her or Jack at first, but she did stop Jack from bullying him. She then was devastated when Jack was taken. He took the time to apologize to her directly. He seems to like Jack and wants to be friendly toward her. Molly seems to confide and trust her which is interesting considering how different they are from each other. I would have loved to have seen more from them. Josiah Trelawny sadly doesn't seem to do much more than greet her and Jack which I think is a missed opportunity. Javier doesn't do much except greet her, but Javier does include her as a traitor in his mind and has called them out. He doesn't seem to like her. In rdr 1, Abigail has been blunt that Bill and Javier made her uncomfortable. A friend of mine stated that Bill seems intimidated by her. I think Bill and Javier mentioned something about her being the rat but I could be wrong. Abigail mentions that she used to love hearing Rev. Swanson's bible readings and preachings. I think he's around her in chapter 6 more. I don't know how much Abigail would have wanted him around her while he was using drugs. Nothing else I can think of. Arthur says everyone - especially the women - finds Strauss creepy. Mr. Pearson seems to interact more with Jack than her. (That seems to be the general rule here.) I haven't seen or found anything other than mostly cheerful greetings. I think he might sit with her in chapter 6. Not sure.

[reddeadreference]

I want to thank you for the huge work you've already done. Your blog is the most informative and useful source for me, more than any wiki or smth like that! Thanks! May I ask you for a favor? I need references of Cleet and Joe, Micah's guns from 5 chapter for my arts. I'll be very grateful if you'll help me. Even could draw for you something instead.

I'm glad it's been useful! 😁

I'm not sure when I can get on my computer to put the posts together, but I have the photos so hopefully I'll get the posts up by tonight or tomorrow.

It'll be the facial angle posts for Cleet and Joe, I'll include their outfits with the post of camp outfits for chapter 6, and I'll put the photos of Micah's guns in chapter 5 in his character post which I still need to work on.

(to make sure I get the correct photos you need, the guns in chapter 5 are different than his usual custom guns. Honestly not sure how he didn't lose his guns on the ship cause I swear he had them during the heist and he has them once back from Guarma. I dunno.)

[shamelessinnerbeast]

Arthur needed to prove his virility by jumping on the table apparently XD

(The funniest part is right after, he said to Micah : “Look around you” while still standing right in front of him...)