Tag Drop
tag drop
More Posts from Quastari and Others
arthur spots her instantly.
he doesn't move to intercept her. not yet. with an indigo sky bleeding into a WANING deep orange & gold lights that twinkle around & around, arthur takes just a moment to watch hope. he so rarely gets to see her - only a handful of days out of the year. even then, it's maybe just a couple hours where she isn't running around or laughing or cheering. seeing hope stroll casually about, with nothing to do but wait for him, was a nice change of pace.
but soon, as always, arthur finds himself moving to be in her vicinity. pushing off the metal barrier & stalking through the crowd towards her. making sure her back stays facing him. arthur can't help himself - a smile tugs on his lips. anticipation of seeing her up close, mixed with a TWISTED amusement, nearly gives him away because he almost wants to laugh.
she stops. he stops. her head turns slightly to the left & then the right - looking for him, arthur realizes. it makes him take two long strides closer to her, coming within arms reach of hope. by now, he's grinning. bounces on his toes once. LEANS closer to her. from anyone else's point of view, arthur might seem like some sort of creep.
the fun is quickly overridden by his desire. he takes another step closer, right behind her shoulder. leans in close to her ear. the sweet smell of her threatens to strangle him but arthur doesn't need to speak so loudly where he stands so he's CONTENT to let it.
❝ lookin' for someone ? ❞
𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒅𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔 ( accepting ! )
@quastari said : meet me at our spot tonight . ( from modern arthur )
❝ i'll be right there , mama - just gotta 𝑪𝑯𝑬𝑪𝑲 on somethin' real fast . . . ❞
prepping for the annual brightside county fair is quite an event in the baxter household , akin to holidays like christmas or thanksgiving . everyone wakes up early , everyone pitches in . even little sister faith , who is begrudgingly back home from college for the summer , is involved - albeit her help is accompanied with several complaints & an above-it-all roll of her eyes . hope's father is packing up the stand they use every year , loading its aged & well-loved wooden components into the back of the family's red pickup truck for the short journey to their small town's fairgrounds . ardella is transporting boxes upon boxes of sweet treats , breads , preserves , wildflower honey , fresh produce , chicken eggs , flowers from the garden . . . a 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒇𝒖𝒍 spread of the rich bounties their farm has to offer , lovingly cultivated to be shared with their community . this tradition is one of hope's very favorite times of year , a time of togetherness & nostalgia under the hot tennessee sun .
so much has changed over the past few years . she has finally opened up her own bakery , in brooklyn no less . a few years ago she wouldn't have even thought it possible . she'd been burnt out , drowning between waitressing gigs , her shitty ex boyfriend , & culinary school . but every obstacle has been 𝑶𝑽𝑬𝑹𝑪𝑶𝑴𝑬 , now hope & christina are left to reap the profits from what they have laboriously sowed . at last , hope baxter has found some breathing room , & her chosen reward for all of that hard work is a trip back home just in time to soak up the southern farming town charm she's been missing in the big city . things are simpler here , quieter . it's nice to know that even when everything else in her life is nothing like what it used to be . . .
. . . there are 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆 things that never change .
hope slips away from the kitchen , just for a moment - as promised . she has been keeping an eye on her phone all day for this very reason . & finally seeing arthur's name pop up on the screen fills her with 𝑾𝑨𝑹𝑴𝑻𝑯 . like any other part of these yearly festivities , she can always count on their little rendezvous , & he's never once let her down . unlike so many others . . .
[ text : arthur 🐴❤️ ] i'll be there ; )
she replies quickly with a giddy grin , stuffing the phone into her back pocket & getting right back to business . it's clear to the whole family as she strides across the front lawn with more crates in her arms , that something has 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒅 a newfound skip in her step , although none of them knows why . a girl has to have her secrets , after all .
before she knows it , the sun is setting on the first of the three days during which the fair is held . everything goes as successfully as ever . in high demand , the baxter's goods sell out in record time . thankfully there is always plenty more . ardella is a smart woman & well-seasoned at this by now . they have the routine all down to a 𝑺𝑪𝑰𝑬𝑵𝑪𝑬 , & with damien taking charge to keep everything on track , things couldn't go smoother . the height of their sales typically peak on the very first day , so hope is given the go ahead to drift off & explore on her own . the remaining two days are hers to do as she pleases .
she makes a beeline toward the carousel - their spot - only pausing briefly to make sure she looks presentable in one of the funhouse mirrors along the way . sunshine yellow blouse , blue jean shorts , & her dark curls pulled up high into a ponytail tied with a ribbon . . . all slightly 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒅 to make her look all stretched out , but it gives her a good enough idea . quietly she wishes she'd worn something a bit more adventurous , maybe that sundress she'd packed specifically to drive him crazy .
she'll just have to save 𝑻𝑯𝑨𝑻 for when she's cheering him on at the rodeo tomorrow .
pleased with her appearance , hope makes her way over to the ride - the spinning lights reflecting like 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 in her eyes as she approaches . the sky is just beginning to darken , still streaked with the shades of sunset blue , pink , & orange . it's only a matter of time now , but she tries not to look around too much . she doesn't want to seem overly excited , even if her heart is already fluttering in her chest with anticipation .
smplive sentence starters
❝ i always fail. i always fail, dude. ❞
❝ another one, bartender. ❞
❝ i will cause desolation on a fundamental level. ❞
❝ i’m an adult. a working adult. ❞
❝ respectfully, you got boofed. ❞
❝ *throws stick* you seem to be in a sticky situation. ❞
❝ *throws bone* i have a bone to pick with you. ❞
❝ i have the power, that’s all i’m gonna say. ❞
❝ is that a crying laughing emoji? ❞
❝ i am attempting to enjoy myself, and apparently, that is the antithesis of all your values. ❞
❝ my laptop is broken. it does not work. there is, uh, burn marks all over it. ❞
❝ i love you, too….WAIT WAIT WAIT, i didn’t want to make that commitment. uh, i like you a lot, as a friend. ❞
❝ there’s two things you can do here: watch baseball or watch the corn. ❞
❝ ms. frizzle has hot lesbian sex. ❞
❝ i’ve just written a song about tortillas. ❞
❝ i’m just gonna say it once: i think you’re full of shit. ❞
❝ why do you expect me to be able to do all these things? ❞
❝ you can’t just keep saying “you know me” and expect me to know you better. ❞
❝ can you calm down? you’re creating a ruckus. ❞
❝ you like dick and balls? ❞
❝ are you planning on burning down another treehouse? ‘cause i wanna be there when it happens. ❞
❝ you think this is a fucking joke? you think this is a game? ❞
❝ dude, fuck old people, man. ❞
❝ i’m gonna come clean with you: there’s a price on your head. ❞
❝ never have i ever turned down the opportunity to suck the shit out of a dick. ❞
❝ are you gay? ARE YOU GAY? ❞
❝ silence the weak, that’s what i say. ❞
❝ what kind of follower of jesus christ are you? ❞
❝ that’s communism! you’re a tyrant! ❞
❝ today has been SO upsetting. ❞
❝ you’re a paranoid little baby. ❞
❝ who is obama? i am obama. ❞
it was never common practice to ask for details when arthur was getting paid for a job. in his experience, FEWER details made the job easier. & frankly, he did not care to know the circumstances - only how much it paid.
escorting a bride-to-be across statelines was among his more duller jobs to date. the details were not something he spent much time thinking on.
the door is kicked shut with enough force to wobble on its rusting hinges, & arthur's long sigh follows like a low rumble of thunder. the pay of bringing her to her wedding was HANDSOME enough - this ain't too far from bounty-hunting, come to think of it.
❝ perhaps you would prefer sleeping outside in the dirt, princess, ❞ arthur mutters out, giving a shake of his head. ❝ nah, trust me - the first place them bounty hunters will check is the fancy hotel. we're better off here. ❞
he falls into a wooden chair in the corner of the room, offering hope baxter as much space as the room would allow. if arthur wasn't so wound up, perhaps the reality of being ALONE in a hotel room with a women would be more apparent.
a small, admittedly quite mortified, ❝ 𝒐𝒉 . ❞ is all she manages for a bit as the realization of what he is saying settles in her mind . in all of her sheltered naiveté of course she hadn't considered that , yet another reminder that there is terrifyingly 𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 she knows about the world beyond her daddy's church doors.
embarrassment rises hot into her cheeks. it was bad enough to feel ignorant, oblivious to the uncensored reality arthur has been steeped in all of his life - but the cacophony of debauchery seeping through the thin walls merely serves to rub salt into the wound. He was 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕, & she was becoming increasingly certain this world would eat her up alive if it weren't for him.
hope follows closer behind, trying her best to ignore how her mind 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐒 dangerously - the sounds don't help, neither does the thought of what these rooms were typically for . Especially unhelpful is the way his frame dwarfs her own , taking up so much of the little space available to them in this narrow hallway . . .
it's also not lost on her that if she hadn't gotten cold feet, 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 would have been her wedding night.
❝ alright, alright - i catch your drift, cowboy,❞ she concedes, hoping that will get him off her back for a moment at least.
entering the room they had been given for the night, there is no hiding the crinkle of her freckled nose at the state of it. of course, being thoroughly humbled by their exchange in the hall - among many other times since he had ridden into her life - she keeps her mouth shut.
hope hovers for a moment, frozen - unsure how to relax in such . . . 𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒄 accommodations. she doesn't hesitate long, opting to teeter on the edge of a portion of the mattress free of any questionable stains.
❝ not sure how comfortable i can get . . . considerin' the circumstances,❞ she huffs, an attempt at a joke to ease the growing tension as it suddenly dawns on her that the room is woefully sparse - only one bed for the two of them.
she swallows, 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐃. it's going to be a very long night.
a short bark of laughter comes from arthur as he stands, thumbs coming to hook into his gunbelt. his smirk is CROOKED, stretching over tanned skin in a way it often doesn't. it half comes from amusement, half because he's always a little put on the spot when teased by a woman.
" can't have that. i've got a reputation. "
arthur is QUIET for a moment, his smirk fading because he feels his work isn't yet done. emotional upkeep falls far beyond his scope of expertise - but arthur knows how it is when the chips always feel like they're down. like he's run out of options. it's not a feeling he wishes on any decent person.
" all's i'm saying is gut feelings ain't there for nothin'. what's the point in learnin' something the HARD way if you don't learn from it ? "
"trust your instincts. when the chips are down, they’re all you have." from @quastari / arthur
her gut is a constant: the way instinct has kept her alive, kept her aware. young woman is a contradiction - the gentleness of her features, of her mannerisms, even of her silence... yet how cleverness fills those doe eyes, always studying the world as if waiting for the next disaster. she's not blind to the universe and how things really seem to go. yet over, and over, brunette does her very best to keep on choosing to see the good even when she knows how likely it all is to end badly.
"the chips always seem to be down." it's a dry little joke, quiet under her voice, attention still on the papers she's carefully sorting through. if anything - she knows it's a flaw she's so often tried to ignore her gut in favour of trying to understand other's opinions. it's how she ended up engaged to bobby after all, isn't it? "careful, I'll think you're concerned about me."
with his mouth in a tight line, arthur's head turns away to look straight ahead. hers is not an unfamiliar sentiment - one that's been mostly BEATEN out of arthur some time ago, but still there somewhere. still huddled inside the shell of a killer & a thief.
❝ ain't no shame in lookin' for the GOOD in the world. ❞
his words are low, as if arthur were sharing a secret. the next moment, he's waving his hand up & shouting for the attention of the barkeep. ❝ lemme buy you somethin', ❞ he says, giving maeve a sideways glance. ❝ seems like you need something to get your mind off things. what'll you have ? ❞
reputations are everything, maeve isn't blind to that. she hides behind whichever one suits her best - those who label her as just a gentle, sweet woman. those who notice cleverness, that underestimate it all the same. everyone seems to be painted by so many artists... it's almost hard to keep track of which whispers come from where.
like seeing in the dark, it's often a matter of gut && experience.
her time with bobby was far from kind, far from gentle. but that doesn't mean she wants to let herself become used to the bad over the good.
"I just worry once I let myself always expect the bad, I'm setting myself up for that being how I see the world forever." and at that point, it becomes only surviving, not living. maeve can't help the part of her that is sure it's risk the danger to herself to simply... try to keep seeing at least some good. "I learn my lessons, I just don't want to forget there's a world outside of those bad moments. which probably sounds silly."
@strcys asked : "That must have cost a fortune!" for jon x :)
❛❛ it would have, if it weren't for doctor phlox, ❜❜ jon replies with an UPBEAT tone. he had doubts that all the containers of food would even fit in their cargo bay - but the crew had been determined. ❛❛ they were very interested in his palavian leeches. ❜❜
the captain turns to pry open one of the containers, reaching in to pull out a ... vegetable? fruit? or some equivalent to it.
❛❛ i haven't broken the news to chef yet - you know how he gets when people do his SHOPPING for him. i was hoping i could trust that to you ... ❜❜
jon dips his head in a single nod to acknowledge her words, though he's heard them from her before. his reply was normally to ASSURE her it wasn't a problem & they enjoyed having her here.
instead, he tosses the alien-fruit back into the container. ❝ making a good meal out of these is all the repayment we need. ❞
jon continues winding through container after container - only stopping to occasionally SKIM through a manifest report here & there. his focus was mainly on ellie. ❝ though, i hope you don't feel like you need to be helping out. i'm not going to maroon you somewhere because you aren't preparing dinner for us. ❞
｡･:*:･ﾟ🐬 BODY RAISES SLIGHTLY ... onto the balls of her feet , so that she can look into the containers as well. a bright smile crosses her lips as she pulls out a cucumber looking veggie - blue eyes look up at jon and her head nods , before she focuses back on the cucumber like food. ❝ these are great. ❞ chef had indeed ended up trusting her enough with the shopping list - just a little test. ❝ it's okay , captain. ❞ ellie replied , placing the cucumber back into the container and standing flat on her feet again. ❝ chef and i had a talk the other day. i'm not trying to push him out of his own kitchen. ❞ there was a laugh. ❝ but i don't want to just sit around in my room doing nothing , if i can do something to repay you guys for helping me. ❞
