crack_van | If At First You Don't Succeed by Eildon Rhymer (G)

Fandom: THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN
Pairing: none
Characters: Ezra, Maude, JD, Buck, OCs
Length: 5,523 words
Author on LJ:

rhymer23
Author's website:http://www.rhymer.org.uk/

Why this must be read: Because it's lovely backstory, the characterization of the younger Ezra is delightful and resonant, aaaand it features one of the series' great non-human characters!

All of the Seven are characterized in part by the guns they carry. Some carry more than one, or use different types of armoury for different situations. Ezra, the "cheater", produces his hidden "pop-gun" in the blink of an eye. But, as this little gem of a story shows, it's a skill, like much of his persona, which is hard won.

"A gun is like a crutch," his mother said. "You should rely on your wits, my darling boy. I raised you better than that, surely. Rely on yourself - on nothing and on nobody else."

If At First You Don't Succeed