ARTHUR MORGAN In Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018) ↳ 43/?

kaidan alenko tag drop.

                         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  .

obsessed with the dichotomy of barrett "i had to kill my own brother because he couldn't control his animal instincts and i live in fear of the same thing happening to me only nobody would be around to stop me from killing innocent people" torbon and barrett torbon who has an insatiable sweet tooth for honey and wants to be close to people but can't trust himself to be and yearns to have people he can protect and rely on.

     she was NERVOUS to take the gun - he could see it. her hesitance reminded arthur of a winter's day a long time ago, when he was still a boy. dutch pushing a rusty cattleman into his hands & showing him how to hold it. how to aim. how to squeeze the trigger. the memory seemed so far off - like it belonged to someone else.

     arthur attempts to MIMIC dutch from those years back. ❝ any fool can shoot a gun. the fact that you actually hit the bastard already puts you way ahead, so try not to worry. ❞

     he reaches down to grasp her forearm, bringing it up straight & pressing the cool handle of his revolver into her palm. arthur does so slowly, as if hope were a wild mare he was trying to win the trust of. CAREFUL movements, showing no fear, eyes straight.

     ❝ don't point it at nobody you don't plan on killin'. keep your fingers tight 'round the handle. er ... little more than that. nah, it's just gonna go FLYIN' if you try to shoot like that. christ ... ❞

               her hands were much smaller than his.

     arthur circles around hope's back with a sigh, reaching for her other hand & bringing it up to the first. ❝ alright, let's try ... ❞ his voices falls off, his FOCUS on the positioning of hope's fingers.

     his thumbs guide hers, one atop the other. fingers curling over hope's around the handle, making sure her left covered her right. & with his hands still covering hope's, shadowing her own grip on the revolver, he squeezes. making sure she knows to do the same.

     ❝ now that ain't goin' nowhere. ❞ to prove his words, one of arthur's hands detaches to grip the barrel. jerking it once & twice, it doesn't budge.

❝  i  wouldn't  exactly  call  us  the  𝒍𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒚  sort  ,  but  i  catch  your  meaning  .❞

she  follows  his  lead  ,  allowing  him  to  herd  her  toward  the  appropriate  spot  for  target  practice  .  watching  &  waiting  patiently  while  he  preps  ,  hands  remain  clasped  behind  her  back  -  almost  as  if  she's  still  a  little  uncertain  about  the  whole  thing  .  regardless  ,  he's  right  .  with  so  much  ground  left  to  cover  before  reaching  their  destination  ,  it  is  𝑰𝑵𝑬𝑽𝑰𝑻𝑨𝑩𝑳𝑬  they  will  run  into  more  trouble  in  some  form  .  it  would  be  nice  to  know  a  thing  or  two  ,  in  the  case  of  something  else  going  sideways  .  .  .  as  it  often  tends  to  do  when  hope  is  around  -  &  arthur's  equally  turbulent  life  just  about  triples  that  probability  .

somehow  ,  still  ,  she's  never  felt  𝒔𝒂𝒇𝒆𝒓  than  she  does  by  his  side  .

❝  okay  ,  ❞  she  nods  ,  eyes  catching  the  way  the  firearm  glints  in  the  light  of  the  steadily  setting  sun  .  clearly  𝑵𝑬𝑹𝑽𝑶𝑼𝑺  of  the  weapon  &  what  it  can  do  ,  she  keeps  being  drawn  back  to  it  .  as  much  as  she  tries  to  deny  it  ,  the  events  from  earlier  that  day  have  certainly  shaken  her  .

hope  had  never  thought  herself  capable  of  shooting  someone  until  the  heat  of  the  moment  necessitated  such  an  action  .  it  is  all  still  so  𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒉  in  her  mind  -  the  surprising  weight  of  the  gun  ,  the  kickback  nearly  causing  her  to  lose  her  grip  ,  watching  the  bullet  impact  her  target  ,  seeing  the  man  go  down  .  .  .  should  she  regret  it  more  ?

hope  keeps  to  herself  that  she  feels  as  though  it  all  should  bother  her  more  than  it  does  .  maybe  that  is  just  what  happens  when  someone  intends  to  kidnap  &  ransom  you  for  all  that  they  can  extort  from  your  husband-to-be  .  it's  hard  to  feel  all  that  𝑺𝑶𝑹𝑹𝒀  ,  which  disturbs  her  quite  a  bit  .  especially  when  arthur  points  out  that  what  she  had  done  was  merely  a  half-measure  .

swallowing  hard  ,  she  tries  to  shake  those  worries  off  &  focus  on  the  𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒕  lesson  .  ❝  so  ,  how  am  i  supposed  to  hold  it  -  'cause  i'm  pretty  sure  i  was  doin'  it  all  wrong  .  .  .  ❞

@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. ❜❜

Lev St. Valentine

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) Dir. Francis Lawrence

@strcys asked: "I hope you like spicy food!" for will !!! hi !!!

" just how spicy are we talking? "

the question is followed by a teasing smirk & a tilt of his head. will riker was no stranger to PUSHING his own limits - the question was less genuine & more of an invitation.

     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."

timelines, my soul is yours