Timelines, My Soul Is Yours
timelines, my soul is yours
More Posts from Quastari and Others
i want a ‘you’ve been dating my brother, but he clearly doesn’t appreciate you, so ive come to save the day even though i’m entirely sure i’d be worse for you’ kind of plot.
@espercr asked: "It's been a long time. Too long." (DS9!Hope + it's actually Thomas impersonating Will but she doesn't know yet... like we discussed...)
for just a moment - a heartbeat - his brows furrowed at her words. thomas riker had expected one or two incidents where he may be put on the spot, and insisted his quick-thinking and poker face would GUIDE him until he could reach the defiant. an anecdote about will riker's travels is the most he expected.
but not her.
to cover up his surprise, thomas straightens his shoulders and puts on a smile. and he knew which kind of smile to offer hope baxter - he'd seen it himself. ❛❛ it has, ❜❜ he agreed, his tone light to emulate a SOMBER tone. the fact that she was here on the station, and not still on the enterprise, made it a safe bet to act at least a little sadly nostalgic.
❛❛ i hope you've been well. i've read some of the reports before coming here. ❜❜
Inside me, something seethes. Inside me, some feral animal claws at my ribcage, trapped.
Molly McCully Brown, from Places I’ve Taken my Body: Essays
part of arthur expected hope to reject his idea. scoff at the idea that a high-society girl like her should DEVOLVE into the hobbies of an outlaw like him. but that was just a brief flash of a dreadful fantasy - one arthur had partly hoped would come true before remembering who hope baxter was.
& even if she said no .... well, arthur couldn't quite rid his mind of the image of her holding his revolver with quivering hands. he'd looked over to her as soon as the shot rang out, half-expecting to see her body crumble to the dirt. instead, hope was quickly regaining control of the gun - eyes wide & chest heaving with FEARFUL adrenaline.
arthur would much rather see the latter, should this happen again.
❝ a'ight ... well, good. you gotta be able to PROTECT yourself. we had a close call - next time, we might not be so lucky. ❞
his voice rumbles out - as hard & serious as looming thunder. all the girls in the gang knew how to shoot, at least. he'd taught tilly himself. it should be no different.
with a jerk of his head, arthur leads away from camp & the river toward a tall, thick oak in the middle of a clearing. he makes his way over, pulling out his hunting knife & a rag as he goes. in one quick move, he impales the rag against the trunk of the tree at head height.
❝ there's your target, ❞ he says, unsheathing his revolver as he returns to hope's side. ❝ now, a shot in the shoulder is a good start. but if your life's in danger, you gotta give 'em somethin' more permanent. ❞
finally he looks up , & if her heart had been straining before she's pretty sure it just 𝑺𝑯𝑨𝑻𝑻𝑬𝑹𝑬𝑫 .
she's not an idiot , hope knows that her hired chaperone isn't remotely like any of the pious law-abiding gentleman from back home ( & despite herself , that's exactly what intrigues her so much about him ) . he's seen things , certainly done things she can't even imagine . even so , she just can't ignore her instincts . there's 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 to mr . morgan than his circumstances dictate , & the tragedy of it all is that he's so damn sure there isn't .
hope isn't exactly known for her 𝑹𝑬𝑺𝑻𝑹𝑨𝑰𝑵𝑻 , & as much as it pains her , now isn't the time to get into it . still , she tucks away his reaction to her reassurance , choosing to voice her convictions at another time .
allowing him to shy away from her absolution , she quickly picks up what he is putting down & visibly perks up at the offer . it shouldn't excite her so much , but the prospect of learning something new , something so 𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒚 contradictory to everything she's ever been taught to be . . . just the concept has an eagerness bubbling up inside her chest . ❝ - really , y'mean it ? ❞
realistically, when would she ever get an opportunity like this again ? in a couple of weeks she'll be stuck in this role that has been written for her . her whole life she has felt caged , wings 𝑪𝑹𝑨𝑴𝑷𝑰𝑵𝑮 under the desire to spread them wide & fly far . soon they will be clipped forever , & she's never even gotten off the ground . a tightness forms in her throat that she tries to ignore , to shove down & bury deep .
this is all for her family , she has to keep reminding herself of that . they have so little left . this marriage is the only way forward . the only one she's ever known , anyway . never once has she veered from the path laid out before her . . . 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒍𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒛𝒊𝒏𝒈 her own had never occurred to her , it wasn't even a possibility .
until now .
❝ that would be - i mean , just . . . ❞ now it's her turn to babble , she stops herself , shaking her head at her own overzealousness . don't make him regret this , hope . ❝ - yes , ❞ she finally manages , offering him a grateful smile .
❝ that sounds like a 𝑮𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑻 idea . ❞
